Farming Karma

Kelowna-based Farming Karma Fruit Co. took home Silver Product of the Year for its pear soda at BC Food & Beverage’s annual awards in Vancouver on November 3.

The farm-based value-added company, which Country Life in BC profiled in May 2020, is operated by the second generation of the Karma Gill family who have over 25 years of apple and cherry orcharding experience.

“We sat down as a family at the end of 2017 to talk about succession planning and how we can help build on the existing business,” Karma’s son Avi Gill explained at that time. “We decided that because of commodity prices and limited control of them, we should make value-added fruit products.”

“Each of the finalists and winners exemplify passion and leadership in driving success for themselves and the businesses they work for,” said BC Food & Beverage CEO James Donaldson.

BC Food & Beverage represents people and companies growing BC’s food, beverage and natural health product manufacturing industry.

“When we launched in January 2020, we were a farming family that didn’t have any background in food manufacturing, product development, marketing, packaging, selling, or any of the other things that go along with putting a product in the market,” say the younger Gill, who returned to the farm after a career as a pharmacist. “With consistent hard work, believing in ourselves, and tremendous support from our community and mentors, we were able to develop a product that we were proud of. To be recognized for that: it’s a dream come true.”

Vancouver-based food company Big Mountain Foods’s Soy-Free Tofu, made with 100% Canadian Fava beans, took the gold award. The product contains 95% more protein than leading soy-tofu brands.

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20 hours ago

It was another sell-out at the 31st annual Fort Langley Cranberry Festival on Saturday with organizers selling 5,000 pounds of locally-grown, fresh berries in less than five hours. Youth from the Fort Langley Lions Club's Young Lions program scooped, bagged and weighed several pallets' worth of cranberries. Ocean Spray donated the berries, which the public bought to benefit the community. Local grower The Bog was also selling fresh berries, having brought 2,700 pounds, which were on track to sell out by the end of the#BCAgt.

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6 days ago

There was a lot of reminiscing and appreciation of how far BC's turkey industry has come at a reception celebrating the 75th anniversary of the BC Turkey Association and the 60th anniversary of the BC Turkey Marketing Board yesterday in Abbotsford. With a slideshow of events and people over the years, guests laughed and had a lot to be thankful for. "It's an opportunity to celebrate the industry at a time of year that's known for turkey. It's a culmination of all the year's work," says Natalie Veles, executive director with BC Turkey Marketing Board.

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Love it - Deb Etsell I see you 🤩

7 days ago

BC was the sole province to see farmland values decline in the first half of this year, dropping 1.9% according to a Farm Credit Canada report released Octover 7. This represented an acceleration in value declines from last year, and contributed to a 3.9% decline in the 12 montsh ended June 30. The drop follows on a 1.7% decline last year, which Farm Credit Canada attributed to tougher times in the fruit sector. However, the mid-year report points to a broader slowdown in value growth diven by higher production costs, tighter margins and uncertainty around trade, tariffs and international markets.

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Ndp

3 weeks ago

Channels of communication remain open between the provincial and federal governments with respect to financial relief for extraordinary costs stemming from this summer's ongoing drought and wildfires, but the BC Cattlemen's Association is urging producers to register for AgriStability to position themselves for any AgriRecovery package. "Hardworking families in the ranching and agriculture sectors, who provide food for the province, need the AgriRecovery program in place as soon as possible," says BC Cattlemen's president Alex Kuchar. But the provincial election creates an unfortunate delay. "It's not fair, in any form of the word, to see all those people who have lost so much in the fires to have to wait in limbo," says BC Cattlemen's general manager Kevin Boon.

Photo | Barb Edmonson / Firefly Ranch, Clinton

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Feedback on changes to rules governing food processing in the Agricultural Land Reserve has drawn about 250 submissions. But the proposal now hangs in the balance with Premier David Eby's decision to call a snap election, which also delays discussions of assistance for farmers hit hard by this year's wildfires and historic #BCAght.

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What would you expect from the NDP, when they still had a 2 year mandate?

Ridiculous timing. We have people needing answers and have to plan for winter supplies. Fires are long past, months have gone by knowing there was going to be the need for support. Drought was written on the wall even before summer began with no snow pack. This is not new to government and they are calling for another year just as bad for 2027. I throw my hands up and wonder what else needs to be more challenging than what we've experienced over the last 6 years in BC?

250 submissions.... I'm pretty sure there are more than 250 farmers in BC

OCTOBER 2026
Vol. 112 Issue 10

Farming Karma

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