First Nations will receive approximately 27,000 acres of protected agricultural land in BC’s Peace Region as a result of settlement agreements addressing their land entitlements claims under Treaty 8, signed in 1899. “For more than 100 years, the First Nations were deprived of the use and benefit of thousands of acres of land owed to …
NEWS
Northern vets in short supply
The province’s recent pledge to permanently fund 40 seats for BC students at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon was welcome news to the livestock and poultry sectors, but a new study says a local option is needed to support local food production. “As you go further north in and around the Peace, …
Abbotsford Tulip Festival returns
The first tulip festival in Abbotsford since 2019 promises to be bigger than ever as it kicks off a summer of floral festivities in the Fraser Valley. Spanning 27 acres along Marion Road, Lakeland Flowers will display more than 70 varieties of the spring blossom, including fringe tulips and double tulips, as well as a …
Wine industry faces losses
Winegrowers across the province welcomed bountiful yields of high-quality fruit in 2022, according to Wine Growers BC in its annual vintage report released this week, but the coming season is likely to see yields significantly below normal. An extreme cold weather event on December 21-22 saw temperatures in the province’s major wine-growing regions fall below …
Producers at a loss with elk damages
LADYSMITH – Elk continue to damage farm infrastructure and government compensation is not enough, producers say. They want long-term solutions that balance land and species protection. “The grass that should be starting to grow, getting ready for crops come June, is chewed right down to half an inch on the ground. So, they’ve devoured all …
Wage pressures increase
BC’s minimum wage will rise June 1 in step with inflation, putting further strain on farm employers already struggling with high input costs and a labour crunch. The provincial hourly minimum wage will rise 6.9% on June 1 to $16.75 an hour, making it the highest minimum wage of any province and the second-highest in …