MERRITT – Rhonda and Wayne MacDonald of Bar FX Ranch planned to stay and fight the approaching Lytton Creek fire until they lost power. But as they loaded up their last liner with cattle, a fire tornado breached the top of a hill and raced towards them against the smoky dusk skies. It was in …
NEWS
Country Life in BC wins big
An unprecedented year for BC farmers led to unprecedented recognition for Country Life in BC at the Canadian Farm Writers Federation awards in Regina last week. The paper’s coverage of last year’s extreme weather and resilient people in words and photos garnered eight awards at the October 1 event, which drew entries from across Canada. …
Western dairy groups streamline
Dairy producers in the four western provinces will operate as a single production unit under the terms of an agreement signed last week. “BC Milk, BC Dairy, Alberta Milk, SaskMilk, and Dairy Farmers of Manitoba have all agreed to a partnership approach that aligns the resources and expertise of the five organizations under one WMP,” …
Strong growth for farmland values
BC farmland values continue to post strong growth, according to Farm Credit Canada, rising faster than anywhere else in Western Canada in the 12 months ended June. Strong transaction activity led values 15% higher during the period, with much of the increase logged in the latter half of 2021 before interest rates began rocketing upwards. …
Chilliwack tour showcases farm automation
CHILLIWACK – A better quality product with fewer workers was the common rationale for the adoption of technology at four agri-food businesses showcased during a recent tour Chilliwack Economic Partners Corp. hosted. The day-long event September 9 treated more than 50 representatives of government, business and the media to tours of Dutch Heritage Greenhouse, which …
Plant health centre breaks ground
Ground has broken in North Saanich on a new Centre for Plant Health, Canada’s first line of defence against plant diseases. Representatives of the federal government and local First Nations gathered on site September 22 to mark the start of construction on a new diagnostic and research facility, operated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency …