Farm accelerator program renewed

The province is relaunching a farm support program piloted two years ago, rebranding it with the assistance of federal funding.

The New Entrant Farm Business Accelerator Program is receiving $600,000 under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership to support business planning and equipment purchases for farms that have not reported income in the past five years.

The first phase will receive applications for planning; the second will see funding disbursed to applicants that wish to move forward and implement their plans.

“By providing this support, farmers can map out their future and then purchase what they need to succeed as a business, while also strengthening the economy and food supply in their communities,” provincial agriculture minister Pam Alexis said in announcing the funding.

The province is receiving applications for the first phase of the program until November 30, or until funds are fully allocated. A breakdown of funding for the two phases was not included with the announcement.

The original Small Farm Business Acceleration Pilot Program, the first announcement for farmers after the NDP was elected in 2020, supported 64 farmers. It made $800,000 available for business coaching and equipment purchases as part of the province’s COVID-19 response and recovery initiative.

Projects supported by the pilot program included greenhouses for increasing vegetable production in northern BC, including at Farmer Cam’s Foods in the Skeena Valley and Old Ochiltree Ranch in 150 Mile House.

The program supported a total of 53 horticultural operations across the province, and 11 livestock operations.

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From our Country Life in BC family to yours, HAPPY FAMILY DAY!

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BC fruit and vegetable farmers are being asked to share their views on farming technology in a 10-minute survey from Royal Roads University and the University of the Fraser Valley. The survey looks at how fruit and vegetable farmers are adopting emerging farming technologies -- such as digital tools, “controlled environment agriculture systems” (greenhouses) and agri-genomics (DNA analysis) -- to cope with changing climate conditions. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete, and participants will be eligible to win an assortment of $50-$200 gift cards.

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The District of Coldstream is proposing the creation of farm property tax subclasses to distinguish between small-scale and large-scale farm operations. Currently, all farms are classified as Class 9 regardless of size or infrastructure needs. The district argues larger farms require more municipal services and should be taxed accordingly. It plans to pitch its proposal at the Southern Interior Local Government Association convention in Revelstoke at the end of April. Support there could escalate the discussion to the Union of BC Municipalities convention next September in Vancouver.

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Which municipal services do they require more of? Even larger farms typically still have only one or possibly two dwellings. Most have their own well and septic, and I suppose it depends on location, but most rural properties don't have garbage pick up either. And whether 20 driveways or one join the road, the cost to plow that road is the same. I no longer live within a municipality so of course there could be costs I've overlooked that are contributing to the District's proposal.

Large farms put more back into the community too.

The larger farms are the only farms paying wages, allowing people to spend money in their communities, the beauty of a network of small business. Small farms more often then not, is a single transaction, a hobby. Large- buy feed, raise cow, calf is born, sell calf, pay wage(support livlihoods), buy fence posts, buy more feed and so forth. Feeding the community. Small- Buy feed, raise cow, kill cow, eat cow.

And this is why farmers left California. British Columbia is no different

I am not sure how to post the actual Resolution that Council Pat Cochrane put forward but here is the link to the special meeting they are holding to pass the resolution: www.coldstream.ca/government-bylaws/news-alerts/notice-special-council-meeting-3.

Why not find ways to bring in more business's and audit municipal spending and regulate short term rentals (because Coldstream has essentially zero places to stay technically, insane) instead of raising taxes arbitrarily because "bigger costs more"

Attending that meeting, they claimed that “large farms” use more municipal services, yet Cochrane consistently stated he was going after “smaller estate properties not actively farming.” This is not only contradictory but misinformed. It would take him but three door knocks before he learned that the “estate farms” not actively farming are typically leased to a larger conglomerate to maintain farm classification. “Rural living at its finest,” though it seems not a soul on council is well-versed in this wheelhouse. What’s worse is that they somehow don’t think it’s necessary to bring in a single subject expert before blindly tossing around recommendations and solutions to problems that don’t really exist—or at least not as they perceive them. Don’t get me started on their rhetoric comparing the value of class 9 properties to other residential classes, when even my 12 year old understands that the values are drastically different when one property can be subdivided, and an ALR property cannot. Forever to the left of the point.

They want to tax a large farm more? Do people realize that farmers aren't becoming rich. Also, a small or hobby farm isn't contributing much to the local economy or community. This doesn't make sense. If we don't support our farmers. We need them. We can't import all our food.

What bs. I can't do a water and sewer hook up for an agricultural building, (a farm vegie stand) on a 160 acre farm in downtown Kelowna because there is already one at the far end of the lot for the principal residence. What extra infrastructure would they be talking about. Our irrigation is by licensed ground water well put in, powered and serviced by me. Any change in tax code should be on farm estates that do bogus farm gate sales at the minimum requirement, not viable commercial farming enterprizes that employ and contribute economic benefits to so many other businesses

Instead of increasing property taxes on large farms, I think governments need to revise the threshold needed for a property to qualify for farm status. That threshold has not changed in over 20 years and many non farmers are taking advantage of the ridiculously low threshold that was intended for real farmers.

And then you tax the farmers more and wonder why food prices keep going up. Why is it that the only thing government does is find more reasons and ways to tax people?

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