Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah or the solstice in December, there are holidays at this time of year, and company comes. With the shortest day of the year coming up on December 21 – the winter solstice – it’s worthwhile to celebrate a gradual return to longer days by lighting the candles, turning …
NEWS
Predators, politicans worry sheep producers
VICTORIA – The annual meeting and symposium of the BC Sheep Federation (BCSF) in Central Saanich on September 29 began with a panel of long-time sheep producers from across the province discussing challenges facing the BC sheep industry. BCSF president Valerie Moilliet Gerber sums up her view of challenges for the BC sheep industry in …
Hullcar report delayed
VICTORIA – One of the first orders of business for the BC NDP after its swearing in July 18 was to order a review of how the government of former Premier Christy Clark addressed aquifer contamination in the North Okanagan. Due by September 30, the authors missed their deadline as the report required more time …
Farmers must take lead in building public trust
CALGARY, AB – Two-thirds of Canadians consider farmers as trusted sources about the state of Canada’s food system says a new report by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI), but farmers need to be more accessible if they want their stories to get through. The average farmer has a circle of friends and a …
Research breeds better bees for Vancouver Island
DUNCAN – A new initiative on Vancouver Island is bringing together small-scale and commercial beekeepers to breed bees that are better adapted to the local climate and pest pressures. Led by Iain Glass, a master bee breeder from North Vancouver, the project is selecting local hives that demonstrate specific traits to develop queens on the …
Foodlands Trust initiative moves forward
KELOWNA – FarmFolk/ CityFolk’s Foodlands Trust project has taken another significant step forward with the formal registration and approval of the Foodlands Co-operative of BC. “We have registered the trust as a co-operative,” says Heather Pritchard, who has led the initiative since its inception. “That means we have a legal structure and the co-op is …