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September 2023
Vol. 109 Issue 9

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4 days 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 😊

6 days ago

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7 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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1 week 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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1 week 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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Farms retain tax status

June 16, 2021 byPeter Mitham

For the second year in a row, BC farmers won’t have to worry about proving their properties are eligible for farm class status.

The province announced June 14 that all properties currently classed as farms with the BC Assessment Authority would continue to hold that status on the 2022 tax roll. The move extends a regulatory amendment last year designed to give small farms breathing room in the face of COVID-19.

“If the province had not taken action with a regulatory amendment last year, more than 400 farm properties with a history of sub-threshold income and many developing farms would have been at risk of losing their farm class for 2021,” this week’s announcement stated.

BC agriculture minister Lana Popham said waiving of the income requirement would let farms under development or with a history of low income “continue to focus on providing their amazing and delicious products we all enjoy.”

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 agency typically sends farm property owners income questionnaires each year. It also conducts intermittent inspections to determine whether certain properties should retain farm status for the upcoming tax year.

However, several farm property owners received their questionnaire for the coming year weeks before the provincial announcement. The deadline for responding was May 31.

BC Assessment explains that the information requests are “to help in determining how farms are recovering from pandemic impacts.”

The exemption does not apply to properties subject to a legal change, including a change in ownership or subdivision, according to the province, nor to any property with a change in use or where a lease is expiring.

In addition, new applications for farm class and retired farmer designations will be processed as usual by BC Assessment.

According to BC Assessment, there are 52,073 properties in the province classified as farms. The number is relatively stable from year to year, with approximately 200 applications for farm class status received each year.

 

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