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MAY 2025
Vol. 111 Issue 4

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4 days ago

From orchard manager to government specialist and now executive director of the BC Fruit Growers Association, Adrian Arts brings a rare blend of hands-on farming experience and organizational leadership to an industry poised for renewal. His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for BC fruit growers, with Arts expressing enthusiasm about continuing the momentum built by his predecessor and working alongside a board that signals a generational shift in agricultural advocacy.

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Arts leads BCFGA forward

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A combination of organizational management and practical farming experience has primed the new executive director of the BC Fruit Growers Association to lead the industry forward.
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2 weeks ago

A public consultation is now underway on the powers and duties of the BC Milk Marketing Board. Key issues for dairy producers include transportation costs, rules governing shipments and limitations on supporting processing initiatives. Stakeholders have until May 31 to comment.

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Milk board undertakes review

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A public consultation on the powers and duties of the BC Milk Marketing Board is underway as part of a triennial review required by the British Columbia Milk Marketing Board Regulation.
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2 weeks ago

BC wool shipments drop sharply in 2023, according to StatsCan data released in mid-April. Local producers shipped just 5,200kg at 37¢/kg, down from 18,600kg at $1.08/kg in 2022. While many farmers now use wool on-farm or dispose of it due to low market value, innovative producers like Emily McIvor point to untapped opportunities. Read more in our Farm News Update from Country Life in BC.

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BC wool value, volume drop

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BC sheep producers shipped less wool for less in 2023, reversing strong growth a year earlier. BC producers shipped 5,200 kilograms of raw wool in 2023, according to Statistics Canada data released on...
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2 weeks ago

Eric Feehely and Miho Shinbo are growing 30+ crops on 2.5 acres in Vernon. Writer Myrna Stark Leader takes a look at how Silverstar Veggies is balancing CSA programs, farmers markets and restaurant sales while planning smart expansions in challenging economic times in Market farm works smarter, not harder.

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Market farm works smarter, not harder

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VERNON – Silverstar Veggies, a five-year-old mixed vegetable and herb farm in Vernon, thrives on passion and innovative ideas. A former watersport and adventure sport instructor…
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3 weeks ago

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Dam oversight lacking

September 15, 2021 byTom Walker

BC’s auditor general says the province is not doing its job when it comes to ensuring the safety of dams in BC, raising the risk of failures such as the 2010 collapse of the Testalinden Dam south of Oliver that swept away vineyards and farm equipment.

“Our audit concluded that the ministry has not effectively overseen the safety of dams in BC,” auditor general Michael Pickup told a September 14 news conference. “Dams are dangerous, and it is crucial that they be properly maintained to minimize their risk of failing. Failures can be disastrous for people, the environment and property.”

A report Pickup’s office released this week sought to determine if the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNORD) has effectively overseen the safety of the 1,900 dams in BC. While it found the province promoted dam owner compliance, the province “did not adequately verify or enforce compliance” as required under the Water Sustainability Act.

“They are not doing what they set out to do in terms of compliance,” says Pickup.

While dam owners are responsible for dam safety, government provides oversight in order to mitigate the risk to people, property and the environment, Pickup explains.

Of the 1,900 dams across the province, 1,000 are designated “high risk,” meaning a failure could kill people and damage the environment and property. The impact of failures at the other 900 dams is lower, only damaging the owner’s property.

However, the report noted that the downstream risk from low-consequence dams is not re-evaluated on a regular basis. Moreover, at least 196 dams are missing from FLNORD records. The province has no means to identify unauthorized dams.

Complicating dam oversight are competing priorities in regional offices and a shortage of staff that led to significant backlogs on existing dam safety officers.

The report makes nine recommendations for improving the province’s oversight of dam safety, including informing all dam owners of their regulatory obligations, improving processes to verify dam owner compliance, improving monitoring of compliance and enforcement activities and strengthening performance measures and targets

The province accepted all nine of the auditor’s recommendations, however it remains to be seen what action will be taken.

“Our recommendations are not prescriptive,” says Pickup. “It is the government’s job to create detailed policy. They need to figure out, given what we have found, how they want to monitor compliance and enforcement.”

 

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