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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1 day ago

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Forty-six regions in BC are eligible to participate in the federal livestock tax deferral program, announced yesterday, more than anywhere else in the country. The program allows producers who downsize their breeding herds by 15% to defer reporting the proceeds until the following year, when they buy replacement stock. But after multiple years of drought, the BC beef herd is cruising 25-year lows and some producers are calling for more support to maintain and rebuild their herds. For more, see: [www.countrylifeinbc.com/bc-leads-livestock-tax-deferrals/]

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5 days ago

After weeks and weeks of no moisture, there's rain in Kelowna today. While much more moisture is needed over the coming weeks and months to reduce drought conditions and the air smells of wet campfire, the slow, steady rain is very welcome for fruit grower#BCAg#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

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6 days ago

The first Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust Grassland Set-aside Variety Trial Field Day was held at Delta's family-owned Tecarte Farms, August 27. Co-owner Bill Bates and DFWT executive director Christine Schmalz welcomed more than 35 people to view seven acres planted to different grassland blends specifically chosen to rejuvenate the soil and support the farm's blueberries. For the Bates family, it was time to try something different following the decline of the field's blueberry bushes over the past several years. "We tried everything, and nothing worked," says Bates. The blueberries were removed in May and the grassland crops planted about a week later.

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Bessette Creek is the latest watershed hit with a temporary fish protection order this year as the province moves to protect returning Chinook salmon. A total of 131 surface and groundwater users must cease drawing water immediately, with forage producers, greenhouses and nurseries impacted. "Declining flows in Bessette Creek reached record lows in early July 2026 and have remained below the minimum level required to support fish population survival," says the province. Bessette producers have embraced voluntary cutbacks, scheduled irrigation and other measures to reduce water use, and are also waiting on funding to boost water storage infrastructure. They're the second group of producers hit with a provincial order this year. Salmon River irrigators were told to top watering earlier this month following a reprieve to address wildfire risk. Growers in both the Salmon River and Bessette watersheds are urging the province to support new water storage infrastructure in advance of next year.

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There is a problem... having lived in the salmon river ( silver creek ) area, I remember a fish biologist telling family members that salmon only "survive" in high iron content creeks, they do not "thrive".... salmon river ( silver creek ) is a very high iron content, would stain clothes brown when i would use bleach... So don't expect high salmon numbers off of that creek , even in ideal situations...

I just wish they would take an interest in CHASE CREEK....went bone dry...100% of trout abd other species died...smell was terrible from rotting fish. Understand this has happened many times in the past. Chase Irrigation District totally responsible for this disaster. Now fishermen are complaining about major drop in water levels at Pillar Lake.

They could not mismanage things worse than they have. It's impossible for them to. The fact that farmers that we need for our animals are now suffering the consequences our governments have not protected us from, is absolutely fucking wild.