Darvonda Nurseries in Langley. Rusted Rake in Nanoose Bay. Maan Farms in Abbotsford. Fantasy Farms in Chilliwack. These and other operations in the province’s venerable Agricultural Land Reserve have all come under scrutiny in recent months as the Agricultural Land Commission has taken a “farming first” approach to applications and activities. While growers and property …
NEWS
Potato hopes mashed
A month after growers gathered for the annual BC potato variety trial field day on Westham Island, the high hopes expressed for the crop were washed out. “This is one of the best crops I’ve seen,” remarked United Potato Growers of Canada general manager Kevin MacIsaac at the time. “BC had moisture at the right …
New round of changes coming to land reserve
MERVILLE—The next round of changes coming to the Agricultural Land Reserve was announced September 19 as representatives from the BC Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural Land Commission met with farmers in the first of six consultation sessions about how the province could support farmers. Many of the more than 125 farmers, landowners and agriculture …
BC considers making premises ID mandatory
VICTORIA—Since 2011, the BC Ministry of Agriculture has run a voluntary premises identification program for farm owners to voluntarily register their property and animals. Registration helps to protect animal health and facilitates a rapid response in the event of emergencies. Anyone from hobby farmers with one or two animals to large commercial livestock operators can …
City Beet harvests profits from urban gardens
VANCOUVER—It’s a sunny afternoon in the Lower Mainland as Maddy Clerk and Elana Evans of City Beet Farm harvest tomatoes for the weekly produce boxes they’re assembling for delivery the following day. The two run a successful community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, and there’s enough produce for them to also participate in a biweekly market and …
Ministry working on land use inventory
WILLIAMS LAKE—Producers used to keeping an eye out for suspicious activity were on alert in the Cariboo this summer when an unfamiliar vehicle bearing Alberta plates was spotted with a crew claiming to be working for the BC Ministry of Agriculture. But all was well: the vehicle was indeed carrying a team of consultants whose …