VERNON – Mike Witt, owner of Witt Precision Ag in Lavington, says the first step to cutting feed costs in winter is to cut waste. Producers need to do their best to combat silage shrink. “Silage management and your feed-out management are the two low-hanging fruits,” he says. “You are going to lose nutrients as well …
NEWS
Province gives well owners three more years to register
Thousands of BC farmers and ranchers at risk of losing their priority water rights at the end of February won’t be outlaws after all. For the third time in as many years, the province extended the deadline for registering wells and applying for groundwater licenses until March 1, 2022. The surprise move came February 19 …
BREAKING NEWS! Groundwater licencing deadline extended
The province has extended the deadline for registering wells and licensing groundwater use for a third time. The new deadline gives producers until March 2, 2022 to register their wells. The surprise move came in view of the fact that only a fraction of non-domestic groundwater users had made a move to register their wells. …
Province boosts risk management funding
There wasn’t much new in the February 19 provincial budget so far as the BC Agriculture Council is concerned, but nothing was lost, either. The budget promises to boost the BC Ministry of Agriculture’s budget by $5 million, funds designed to support risk management efforts at the farm, community and regional level. Business development funding, …
Vineyards escape cold damage
Orchards and vineyards appear to have weathered February’s cold snap, according to research scientists at the Summerland Research and Development Centre. Samples submitted by viticulture managers for Arterra Wines Canada Inc. (formerly Vincor) and Sebastian Farms, a division of Von Mandl Family Estates in West Kelowna, undergo testing at Summerland every two weeks by plant …
Grading requirements changing
Ottawa is making further changes to grading standards for agricultural products, this time changing the requirements for peas and lentils. Beginning August 1, only registered varieties of peas and lentils will be eligible for a “No. 1 Canada” grade. All other varieties will be eligible for nothing higher than “No. 3 Canada,” the lowest grade …