Country Life in BC tops awards

Country Life in BC came away with a record nine awards from the annual Canadian Farm Writers Federation competition on October 5.

The paper’s team of writers and photographers came out tops in the Opinion, Current Affairs and business writing categories, and swept the top spots in the photography classes.

Reprising last year’s success, columnist Anna Helmer won gold for her March 2022 column, “Spring demands the old heave-ho,” which appealed to the judges for its sensitive take on the adjustments 100-lb sacks of seed potatoes force on the aging on-farm workforce. Together with Bob Collins’ gold award in 2021, this marked the fourth straight year Country Life in BC received top honours in the category.

Collins won silver in the opinion category this year for his observations on the impact climate change is having on the trees that stand watch over his farm in the September 2022 paper.

On the reporting side, Sandra Tretick won gold in the Current Affairs category for “Fallow deer rattle Mayne Island farmers,” a November 2022 report that delved into the decades-long issue precipitated by a once-promising livestock venture endorsed by the province.

This year also saw a first-ever success in the Business/Economics Writing category as Kate Ayers won gold for her report on farm co-operatives in the May 2022 paper and Tracey Fredrickson received silver for her October 2022 report on the influx of new arrivals – but not necessarily farmers – to rural communities during the pandemic.

All was gold on the photography side. Hannah Willms of Rose Prairie won gold in the Landscape category for her photo of sunflowers in the October 2022 paper.

Regular contributor Myrna Stark Leader handily won both the People and Production categories, with minimal quibbling from the judges with respect to cropping.

In the People category, Stark Leader’s won with her photo of Colleen Roberts planting vegetable seeds in a greenhouse at Peak Cellars Winery in Lake Country. A photo of Tantalus Vineyards assistant vineyard manager Scott Walsh harvesting grapes for ice wine uncorked gold for Stark Leader in the Production category.

In choosing between the two, however, the judges picked her photo of Colleen Roberts as its photo of the year, the second year in a row Stark Leader and Country Life in BC have won the honour.

This year’s tally of awards tops last year, when the paper came away with eight awards.

The annual Canadian Federation of Farm Writers awards honour the best in agricultural journalism across Canada.

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20 hours ago

It was another sell-out at the 31st annual Fort Langley Cranberry Festival on Saturday with organizers selling 5,000 pounds of locally-grown, fresh berries in less than five hours. Youth from the Fort Langley Lions Club's Young Lions program scooped, bagged and weighed several pallets' worth of cranberries. Ocean Spray donated the berries, which the public bought to benefit the community. Local grower The Bog was also selling fresh berries, having brought 2,700 pounds, which were on track to sell out by the end of the#BCAgt.

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6 days ago

There was a lot of reminiscing and appreciation of how far BC's turkey industry has come at a reception celebrating the 75th anniversary of the BC Turkey Association and the 60th anniversary of the BC Turkey Marketing Board yesterday in Abbotsford. With a slideshow of events and people over the years, guests laughed and had a lot to be thankful for. "It's an opportunity to celebrate the industry at a time of year that's known for turkey. It's a culmination of all the year's work," says Natalie Veles, executive director with BC Turkey Marketing Board.

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Love it - Deb Etsell I see you 🤩

7 days ago

BC was the sole province to see farmland values decline in the first half of this year, dropping 1.9% according to a Farm Credit Canada report released Octover 7. This represented an acceleration in value declines from last year, and contributed to a 3.9% decline in the 12 montsh ended June 30. The drop follows on a 1.7% decline last year, which Farm Credit Canada attributed to tougher times in the fruit sector. However, the mid-year report points to a broader slowdown in value growth diven by higher production costs, tighter margins and uncertainty around trade, tariffs and international markets.

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Ndp

3 weeks ago

Channels of communication remain open between the provincial and federal governments with respect to financial relief for extraordinary costs stemming from this summer's ongoing drought and wildfires, but the BC Cattlemen's Association is urging producers to register for AgriStability to position themselves for any AgriRecovery package. "Hardworking families in the ranching and agriculture sectors, who provide food for the province, need the AgriRecovery program in place as soon as possible," says BC Cattlemen's president Alex Kuchar. But the provincial election creates an unfortunate delay. "It's not fair, in any form of the word, to see all those people who have lost so much in the fires to have to wait in limbo," says BC Cattlemen's general manager Kevin Boon.

Photo | Barb Edmonson / Firefly Ranch, Clinton

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Feedback on changes to rules governing food processing in the Agricultural Land Reserve has drawn about 250 submissions. But the proposal now hangs in the balance with Premier David Eby's decision to call a snap election, which also delays discussions of assistance for farmers hit hard by this year's wildfires and historic #BCAght.

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What would you expect from the NDP, when they still had a 2 year mandate?

Ridiculous timing. We have people needing answers and have to plan for winter supplies. Fires are long past, months have gone by knowing there was going to be the need for support. Drought was written on the wall even before summer began with no snow pack. This is not new to government and they are calling for another year just as bad for 2027. I throw my hands up and wonder what else needs to be more challenging than what we've experienced over the last 6 years in BC?

250 submissions.... I'm pretty sure there are more than 250 farmers in BC