CHILLIWACK – Fifty years ago, hops were a common sight across the central and eastern Fraser Valley with thousands of acres in production. About 20 years ago, the local industry ceased to exist as major brewers switched to lower-cost hops from the Yakima Valley. In the past few years, however, hop production has returned to …
NEWS
Farmers’ markets focus on cultivating trust
VICTORIA – Consumers look to farmers’ markets as a trusted source of wholesome local produce. But as an undercover investigation in Ontario last year discovered, not all vendors are honest about their sources. Sometimes, what they claim to grow is from a wholesaler, a phenomenon not unknown at some markets in BC. The issue came …
Fraser Valley bee shortage overstated
DELTA – BC blueberry farmers and some apiarists were left scratching their heads after it was reported that there would be a sizable bee shortage in the Fraser Valley this spring. In April, the Vancouver Sun reported that beekeepers, including “major operators from Alberta,” were refusing to send their colonies to the Fraser Valley this …
Province urged to regulate farmhouse size
VANCOUVER – Metro Vancouver’s submission to the nine-member advisory committee appointed to recommend ways to revitalize the Agricultural Land Commission and the lands it oversees has put the issue of farmhouse size at the top of its wish list. The submission, presented to Metro Vancouver’s regional planning committee by Theresa Duynstee, was set to go to …
Traceability regs to include animal movement
PENDER ISLAND – Traceability regulations are right around the corner. The promise is something livestock producers have heard before, but this time the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says it’s the truth. Sometime within the next year, regulations will require more than just an approved ear tag. Premises will have to be registered and movements …
New meat producer association launched
MERRITT – Small-scale meat producers across BC are banding together to form a new association representing farmers and ranchers who raise meat outside of the conventional system. The Small-Scale Meat Producers Association was founded by primary producers and their supporters following several months of online Facebook discussions that garnered the interest of about 75 ranchers …