A series of atmospheric rivers once again led to flooding across Sumas Prairie this past week, renewing questions about flood mitigation measures for the region. A system that moved the region last week saw the Nooksack River overtop its banks on December 10, with the water flowing north into Canada the following day. The flood …
NEWS
Milk testers remain on strike
One month after voting in favour of strike action, unionized milk testers in BC remain on strike. Testers, employed by Lactanet and represented by the BC General Employees Union (BCGEU), voted 89% in favour of strike action on November 18. A 72-hour strike notice was served on November 21, and testers walked off the job …
CFIA reports low honey adulteration
Honey ranked highly in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s product authenticity testing last year, with limited adulteration reported. CFIA reported an authenticity rate of 88% across 84 honey samples tested, 12% of the more than 700 samples of products that included grated cheese, edible oils, meats, fish and fruit juices. Grated hard cheeses scored the …
Goerzen wins dairy award
Well-known Chilliwack agriculturalist Walter Goerzen is the recipient of the BC Dairy Industry Achievement Award announced at the BC Dairy Industry Conference in Vancouver, November 27. “The successes and achievements of our industry are built on the contributions, and the skill and the dedication of our leaders, and this award is meant to honour those …
Organic growers hold conference
“Organic Solutions for a Complex World” was the theme as 250 participants from across BC, Canada and the US gathered for the BC Organic Conference in Harrison Hot Springs, November 25-27. Gillian Flies and Brent Preston set the tone for the event with the story of transforming their profitable organic vegetable farm near Creemore, Ontario, …
$15,000 available for Shuswap projects
Shuswap producers will have a chance to tap $15,000 worth of funding for watershed enhancement projects this winter. The latest intake of applications for the five-year-old Water Quality Grant Program administered by the Shuswap Watershed Council (SWC) opened December 1. “The Shuswap watershed is sensitive to large nutrient inputs,” explains SWC program manager Erin Vieira. …