The foamability of milk is once more in the spotlight, and the BC Milk Marketing Board is now giving producers information that can help them anticipate potential issues. “We now have enough research and data gathered to know that milk that has free fatty acids greater than 1.2 mmol/100g butterfat will not foam,” the board …
NEWS
Orchardists seek frost assistance
BC fruit growers are asking the province to step up and provide financial support following the devastating frost event earlier this month. Temperatures across the Southern Interior dipped towards -30° Celsius between January 11 and 13, leading to widespread concern for the 2024 crop following depressed market pricing in 2023 for both apples and cherries. …
Pitt Meadows ag strategy is action-based
PITT MEADOWS – A new Agriculture Viability Strategy is giving Pitt Meadows a renewed focus on actions benefiting farmers and agriculture. Travis Hopcott, co-owner of Hopcott Farms and a member of the Pitt Meadows Agricultural Advisory Committee, praises the strategy, which applies to the city’s 6,900 hectares located in the Agricultural Land Reserve. Hopcott played …
Pacific Agriculture Show kicks off
The Pacific Agriculture Show takes place this week at the Tradex in Abbotsford alongside the Lower Mainland Horticultural Conference, January 25-27. Strong attendance is expected at the three-day event, which saw a strong turnout last year on par with pre-pandemic levels at between 5,000 and 6,000 people. This year, a sold-out tradeshow floor will greet …
Extreme weather, extreme impacts
Viticulture in the face of extreme weather was a recurring topic in sessions at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, California, this week, with several speakers mentioning the recent freeze events in BC. Presenters include Agriculture and Agri-food Canada scientist Ben-Min Chang, a panelist alongside researchers from Washington and California on winemaking in …
Dam violations face fines
Contraventions of the province’s dam safety regulation now face administrative penalties of up to $500,000 following a provincial order in council issued January 12. The heftiest of the new fines applies to dam owners who fail to take appropriate action on becoming aware of hazardous conditions at their dams. Hazardous conditions are defined as “defects …