KAMLOOPS – The province has drafted two agreements to conserve the southern mountain caribou, and ranchers are among the groups weighing in as part of a public consultation that runs until May 31. The agreements include one with the federal government outlining how it will work with the province to conserve the caribou, which range the …
NEWS
Global rhubarb glut hits home for BC growers
CHILLIWACK – The first crop Shoker Farms harvests each spring is rhubarb, a staple of backyard gardeners across the country. Commercial bakers buy the tangy stalks diced and frozen for pie, muffins and other products. But this winter, Quebec-based Nature’s Touch Frozen Foods Inc. in Abbotsford found itself with a million pounds of frozen rhubarb …
Greenhouse growers see rebound in acreage
SURREY – When an Enbridge pipeline that serves as a key source of natural gas to the Lower Mainland exploded near Prince George on October 9, greenhouse growers faced their worst energy crisis in more than a decade. Natural gas prices were expected to hit $95 per gigajoule last fall, several times the peak of $13.50 …
Shrinking hog industry faces disease threats
ABBOTSFORD – There are reportedly over 1,000 hog producers in BC but only nine farms were represented at the BC Hog Marketing Commission and BC Pork Producers Association annual meetings in Abbotsford, April 3. Still, BCHMC and BCPPA general manager Christine Koch considers that an excellent turnout, noting there are only 15 producers registered with …
Farm initiative puts heart back in agriculture
KELOWNA – A 22.5-acre piece of land in the Lower Mission neighbourhood of Kelowna, one of the city’s best farming areas, is fulfilling the wishes of longtime owners Gordon and Helen Ziegler. In 2013, Gordon wanted to give the property to a community organization on the condition that it be used to benefit the community …
Water fees questioned
A rancher in Charlie Lake is questioning why farmers must pay to access groundwater when short-term use of groundwater is exempt. Mark Meiers of MT Ranch near Fort St. John notes that the province’s Water Sustainability Act allows users to apply for a short-term permit. Such permits grant the holders a right “to divert or …