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Originally published:

DECEMBER 2021
Vol. 107 Issue 12

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Stories In This Edition

Catastrophic flooding

Wash out

Editorial: Rebuilding food security

Back 40: A farmer’s journey doesn’t always pay for itself

Viewpoint:

Dairy industry takes swift action on animal abuse

Producers urged to make emergency plans

Province sets agenda for tree fruit future

Ag Briefs: Province moves to shut down mink farms

Ag Briefs: Interior Opportunities

Ag Briefs: BCAC meetings bear fruit

Ag Briefs: Trade focus

North Okanagan ranchers brief on key issues

Sidebar: Strong retail, disappointing feeder prices

Frustration over ‘timber-centric’ range bill

Livestock protection program up for review

Honey producers get technology transfer program

Chicken squadron

Quality over quantity for blueberry pollination

New slaughter regs helpful but not enough

Sidebar: Changes welcome

Sheep producers have tough year

The old heave-ho

Grant revives Pacific field corn trials

Cannabis grower eyes mushroom production

New poinsettia varieties trialed in Abbotsford

Nursery sales stay brisk through pandemic

Job satisfaction has deep roots

Newcomers revitalize Lake Country orchard

Cariboo research looks to extend growing season

Full circle operation upcycles food waste

BC company specializes in bio control

Farm Story: Idyllic worlds have very little idleness in them

Blueberry farming is stress-busting for new chair

Research: To till or not to till? That’s actually not the question

Christmas tree growers face a grim future

Woodshed: An awkward encounter; a clever diversion

A century of dairy farming in Pitt Meadows

Jude’s Kitchen: Celebrate! Celebrate

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4 days ago

The Great Spallumcheen Farm & Food Festival and North Okanagan Plowing Match is happening this Sunday, September 24 from 10-3 at Fieldstone Organics, 4851 Schubert Rd, Armstrong. The outdoor festival features tastings and a market brimming with local food and beverage vendors, a horse and tractor plowing competition and vintage farm equipment displays. ... See MoreSee Less

The Great Spallumcheen Farm & Food Festival and North Okanagan Plowing Match is happening this Sunday, September 24 from 10-3 at Fieldstone Organics, 4851 Schubert Rd, Armstrong. The outdoor festival features tastings and a market brimming with local food and beverage vendors, a horse and tractor plowing competition and vintage farm equipment displays.
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Patti 😊

7 days ago

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7 days ago

The top five issues the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity identified in a recent survey were the cost of food, inflation, the cost of energy, keeping healthy food affordable and the Canadian economy. “We are seeing that environmental concerns are not in the top 10,” says Amy Peck, manager of the Canadian Cattle Association’s public and stakeholder engagement program. “If you are concerned about being able to afford to feed your family, the environment becomes less important.” ... See MoreSee Less

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Ranchers get the backstory on public perception

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VERNON – Ranchers might be concerned about how the public sees their industry, but a producer-funded team at the Canadian Cattle Association has their back. Amy Peck, manager of the Canadian Cattle...
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1 week ago

BC Tree Fruit Co-op has sold its Lake Country packing house as part of its long-term plan to consolidate operations. The sale, to an undisclosed buyer, closed on August 31, 2023 for $15.8 million. ... See MoreSee Less

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Lake Country packing house sold

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BC Tree Fruit Co-op has sold its Lake Country packing house as part of its long-term plan to consolidate operations. The sale, to an undisclosed buyer, closed on August 31, 2023 for $15.8 million.
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Who bought it ffs ?

Ted Nedjelski Karen Turner

One of my first jobs was apple grading in a packing plant in Vernon

Vivian, is this where you worked?

I’d hear the company that owns the big Cannabis company that owns the green houses all around this packing plant was buying up everything around to expand. Wonder if it’s them that got it.

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1 week ago

The federal government has committed $1.81 million over the next three years to support the BC Poultry Association's preparation for direct participation in responses to future outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the province. “The persistence of the virus in wildlife and recurrence of outbreaks globally, presents additional risks during the migratory bird season in North America later in 2023,” the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health in Vancouver advised in July. For more, visit www.countrylifeinbc.com/ai-risk-rises-with-fall/ ... See MoreSee Less

The federal government has committed $1.81 million over the next three years to support the BC Poultry Associations preparation  for direct participation in responses to future outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the province. “The persistence of the virus in wildlife and recurrence of outbreaks globally, presents additional risks during the migratory bird season in North America later in 2023,” the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health in Vancouver advised in July. For more, visit https://www.countrylifeinbc.com/ai-risk-rises-with-fall/
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Christmas tree growers face a grim future

Climate change proving to be a Grinch

little pessimistic, I guess, but I can see the future of the Christmas trees declining over the next decade.” Art Loewen of Pine Meadows Tree Farms in Chilliwack has been growing Christmas trees since 1970. RONDA PAYNE

December 1, 2021 byRonda Payne

CHILLIWACK – BC residents should be able to find their annual Christmas tree this year, but the annual pilgrimage to the tree lot stands to become more challenging.

Art Loewen, founder of Pine Meadows Tree Farms in Chilliwack, is a past president of the Canadian Christmas Trees Association and has been growing trees since 1970. He’s one of nearly 400 Christmas tree growers in the province, down from more than 500 in 2011.

“We’re really hoping we’re going to have enough for anyone who needs a Christmas tree, but we’re cutting back on wholesale to do that,” he says of the lot at his farm. “We are holding back probably 1,000 from wholesale that will be sold here.”

Loewen’s son Tim now runs the family business, which is mostly in nursery trees, while Loewen remains very much involved with the Christmas tree side of things. He stays up to speed on what’s happening in the industry and despite his ingenuity and efforts, says the industry is in decline.

The unprecedented heat wave that rolled across the province this past June is one of a number of factors contributing to the woes.

“We’ll see next spring if they recover,” Loewen says. “Fortunately, we’ve been growing fewer and fewer Fraser firs over the years.”

Up to half the Fraser firs at Loewen’s farm were damaged by the heat, which exceeded 40°C. This compares to just 5% of other varieties, much of which was limited to the tips. Pruning removed minor damage for these varieties, but Loewen expects he’ll end up destroying about 10% of his younger Fraser firs, which suffered most. Many seedlings planted over the past two seasons died, however.

The losses will impact tree availability this year and into the future.

In Enderby, Bud Collis of Christmas Ranch Tree Farm experienced similar issues on his two-acre farm. He expects at least half of his Fraser firs will survive, but he was already low on trees. Strong demand last year cut into his plantings as families showed up to cut their own trees – one of the few allowed outings during the restrictions in place to curb COVID-19 last year.

“I think it was people wanting to get outside with their kids and came to the

u-cut,” he says. “A lot of trees were cut out of there last year.”

It left him short of stock going into this season, so a friend is supplying him with cut trees to supplement his own production. He will have a limited number of u-cut trees available as well as evergreen swags and handcrafted birch items.

“I’ve been selling Fraser fir for 20 years and never had a problem,” he says, blaming the heat for this year’s shortage.

Dry seasons

In Duncan, Robert Russell with Sahtlam Tree Farm says drought has been an increasing issue for both the hard-hit Fraser firs and other varieties.

“For the last four years, I’ve lost seedlings with the droughts that we’ve had,” he says. “So basically, I’ve always planted in the spring. But last year, I planted in the fall and even those trees that went through one of our coastal winters, even they succumbed to the long drought and the situation that occurred in late June.”

He says that Fraser firs about three years old and older were more likely to survive, but younger trees were significantly damaged. On the plus side, higher prices this year will offset the losses. According to Statistics Canada, the farmgate value of BC trees has quadrupled since 2016, and are now worth $13.4 million to growers.

Unfortunately, drought makes for a lower-quality tree.

“The people will be paying more for not quite as good of a product,” he says.

High land prices have made it difficult to attract new entrants as older farmers retire. Russell knows of at least two farms on Vancouver Island that have shut down or are about do so. Russell, now 83, plans to wind down his own wholesale business as a lifestyle choice and will focus exclusively on u-cut in a couple of years.

“The money in a Christmas tree is so low, the next generation isn’t continuing,” says Loewen. “The price of land in BC … is too high to make it worth your while.”

He says even cole crops are more valuable. His son is thinking about inter-planting garlic with young Christmas tree seedlings to increase the return from the land.

Loewen’s pessimism resonates with Russell, who says a combination of more severe weather and basic economics makes it tough for BC growers to continue, even with indigenous species like the Fraser fir.

“It’s going to be harder on the next generation or two to continue in the trees,” he says Russell. “I’m a little pessimistic, I guess, but I can see the future of the Christmas trees declining over the next decade.”

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