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September 2023
Vol. 109 Issue 9

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1 day 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 😊

3 days ago

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3 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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4 days 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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5 days 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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Farm status requires proof

July 6, 2022 byPeter Mitham

Two years after the province cut farmers some slack when it came to proving their qualification for farm class status with BC Assessment, proof is once again required.

“We have currently returned to [the] standard practice of mailouts/income requests to property owners as per regulations to maintain/qualify for farm class for the 2023 roll,” BC Assessment told Country Life in BC.

Provincial regulations require that properties of between 2 and 10 acres generate at least $2,500 to receive farm status. Smaller properties must generate revenues of $10,000 while larger properties must generate $2,500 plus 5% of the actual value of the farm property in excess of 10 acres.

The province waived the proof of income requirement for the 2021 tax roll for existing holders of farm class status, then extended the exemption for the 2022 roll given the ongoing pandemic and public health restrictions that limited direct sales opportunities for many smaller farms. (New applications and properties where the ownership, tenancy or usage had changed still needed to provide proof of farm income.)

The exemption was designed to allow small farmers who had suffered a loss of income as a result of COVID-19 to maintain farm status until the economy normalized. The resumption of the qualification process signals that the province considers this to have happened, but the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food says it is monitoring assessment data to determine whether or not to extend the exemption for a third year.

According to BC agriculture minister Lana Popham, 400 properties retained farm class status in 2021 as a result of the exemption. BC Assessment says approximately 52,000 properties in the province are classified as farms.

While the exemption made it easier for properties to maintain farm class status, the BC Agriculture Council would like to see the income threshold raised.

In its submission to the province’s budget consultations undertaken by the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, BCAC urged the province to review the BC Assessment Act “to identify new thresholds and other opportunities to improve Farm Classification that ensure the integrity of the ALR” in keeping with the recommendations of Popham’s own committee struck to advise her on ways to revitalize the Agricultural Land Reserve, which turns 50 next year.

 

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