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Originally published:

November 2017
Vol. 103 Issue 11

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Stories In This Edition

Horse Power

Buy BC rollout in works

Hullcar report delayed

Breaking new ground

Perfecting the straight and narrow

Editorial: A new deal

The good, the bad, the disturbing: climate change Blueberry growers must rise above the competition

Vitala Foods cracks open free range egg market

Regulating the range

Winner! Winner

Sentence loosened for dairy worker

Farmers must take lead in building public trust

Food system confidence growing but costs still bite

Foodlands Trust initiative moves forward

Cost of record wildfires continues to rise

New range, new challenge

Peace grain yeilds good but drying needed

New hire for research

BC Tree Fruits singled out for excellence

Land commision to allow breweries on farmland

Greens seek limits on foreign ownership

Salmon farms work towards sustainability

Fruit growers stepping up replant lobby

Arctic apples make official debut

3 million pounds!

Cannabis hopes more than a pipe dream

More government regulation needed

Hop farm burns but demand fuels hope

Predators, politicians worry sheep producers

Mother Nature to blame for late cranberries

Hard work pays off for family business

Research breeds better bees for Vancouver Island

Persistence is the key to success: innovation

What investors want

Penicillium is an insidious Blue Meany for fruit growers

Collaboration key to extension programming

BC sheep breeders honoured with GenOvis awards

Good breeding, feeding are keys to strong replacement ewes

Next Generation

Strong appetite for female purebreds at fall sales

Range management strategies highlight symposium

Dairy sale average one of the best

Keremeos fair has ambitious plans for future

Leiutenant Governor honoured by 4-H BC

Wannabe

Woodshed: Henderson loses ground

Delicious diet foods

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1 month ago

The province has extended the Canada-BC Flood Recovery for Food Security Program deadline from June 1 to Aug. 31. The program helps farmers cover uninsured expenses caused by damages in the November 2021 floods, including cleanup, repair and restoration of land, barns and animal shelters, and water and waste systems; returning flood-affected land and buildings to a safe state for agricultural production; repairing uninsurable essential farm infrastructure; repairing structures such as livestock-containment fences; renting temporary production facilities; installing drainage ditches and land-stabilization materials; animal welfare activities such as replacing feed, transporting livestock, veterinary care and mortality disposal; and
replacing perennial plants not grown for sale. Program criteria and application forms are available online: buff.ly/3sVRF4G
... See MoreSee Less

The province has extended the Canada-BC Flood Recovery for Food Security Program deadline from June 1 to Aug. 31. The program helps farmers cover uninsured expenses caused by damages in the November 2021 floods, including cleanup, repair and restoration of land, barns and animal shelters, and water and waste systems; returning flood-affected land and buildings to a safe state for agricultural production;  repairing uninsurable essential farm infrastructure; repairing structures such as livestock-containment fences; renting temporary production facilities; installing drainage ditches and land-stabilization materials; animal welfare activities such as replacing feed, transporting livestock, veterinary care and mortality disposal; and
replacing perennial plants not grown for sale. Program criteria and application forms are available online: https://buff.ly/3sVRF4G
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1 month ago

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details. ... See MoreSee Less

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details.
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2 months ago

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the province's deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed. ... See MoreSee Less

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the provinces deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed.
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Sounds like 2 weeks to flatten the curve turning into 2 years.

USDA doing avian vax research, May 11 bio-docs to UN incl section on H5N8 w/wild bird spread. Found link to apparent pre-release on May 11 Geller Report. Good luck farmers.

2 months ago

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.” ... See MoreSee Less

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.”
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Killing our food chain. How do we know they are actually carrying a virus, look what's taking place with covid, is it real.

Ik kan niet zo goed Engels maar als ik het goed begrijp is bij jullie ook vogelgriep maar nog niet bij jullie

Any idea when this episode or bird flu might be over?

2 months ago

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions. ... See MoreSee Less

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions.
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Farmers must take lead in building public trust

November 1, 2017 byMyrna Stark Leader

CALGARY, AB – Two-thirds of Canadians consider farmers as trusted sources about the state of Canada’s food system says a new report by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI), but farmers need to be more accessible if they want their stories to get through.

The average farmer has a circle of friends and a circle of influence, whether they talk to them via social media or at the coffee shop, but CCFI president Crystal Mackay says farmers need to find new ways to share their information – and more of it.

“The first step is to be part of the conversation. Share information. If you’re a grain farmer, don’t just take a picture of your harvest,” she says. “Say, ‘Look at the Doritos I am producing’ or ‘Check out the crackers I am making.’ Talk about the pasta. Turn your acres into plates!”

The next step is reaching new audiences, something that’s difficult because farmers are the low-key stars of the food sector.

“The chance of these folks being profiled in the top Google search on animal welfare is very slim so this is something our sector needs to invest in,” Mackay says. “We need to create platforms for credible sources – farmers, researchers at universities or environmental engineers – to share and reach the volume of Canadians that they need to.”

Mackay says many farm associations are having success putting a face to farming. The fact that major retailers are using a cranberry producer or a rancher in their campaigns reflects this.

“But despite all our efforts, if you divide them up by commodity, by province, by company, they’re too small. We’re not shaping a grand narrative. We’re telling many, many small stories,” Mackay explains. “If we are going to reach 16 million Canadians who are unsure, one person at a time is great and I believe that is where this needs to start, but we need to turn it up to the millions.”

Mackay likens the food system to hockey. There’s the peewee league, the regional and provincial leagues, but there’s no NHL of agriculture – at least not one that’s industry-driven.

CCFI aims to encourage collaboration across the entire Canadian food system to do long-term planning, talk about issues and messages and get everyone around a table talking – the farmer, the retailer, the grocer, food processor, equipment dealer, the food service person, the seed processor and so on.

Co-ordinating the conversation is part of what it sees as its role.

“We all need public trust in the food system, so what can we do bigger and better together?” Mackay asks. “It’s a big challenge, not for the faint of heart or inexpensive. This is a 25-year plan, not a one-time ad campaign.”

Right now, CCFI claims 31 members and an annual budget of $1.5 million, to which government partners have contributed $100,000.

Groups like the BC Agriculture Council are on board. BCAC representatives attended a summit in Calgary on September 19 to hear and discuss the results of CCFI’s latest survey. BCAC has also welcomed Sharon Eistetter in September on a one-year contract to manage public trust initiatives. She’s focusing on creating a short-term and a longer-term plan to help get the 28 commodity groups BCAC represents to better share and communicate with the public.

“My role is to bring a group of industry leaders together to see how we can share best practices,” Eistetter explains from her home office. “Farmers are doing the right thing but we need to demystify information for consumers. It’s a massive undertaking. The end goal is to improve consumer confidence in the food system in BC, in the areas of environmental care, animal care, farm worker care, food safety and quality.”

A national public trust steering committee headed by Myrna Grahn is working to bring together industry stakeholders like grocery stores, restaurants and farmers. Grahn is working with the value-chain round tables, groups that are amplifiers of agriculture and food promotion, CCFI and representatives of the provincial farm organizations.

“We want producers across the country to have more consistent messages to share with the public and we want to avoid siloed work,” Grahn explains from Winnipeg. “We know that actions must be taken to build and regain public trust and we know that we need to do this in a more collaborative way.”

Glen Lucas, general manager of the 520-member BC Fruit Growers Association, says the issue of public trust is on the radar.

“There’s a lot of work to do, but we are seeing more interest in public trust,” he says.

But if CCFI and others create the forums, it’s up to all those involved in the food system to lead.

“When we look at who the public holds accountable for food safety, it is the whole food supply chain. And to be meaningful on public trust, it includes doing the right thing and telling people about it. It’s not just an ad campaign,” Mackey says. “If it is viewed as a government program by the industry and they don’t own it, it won’t be successful.”

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