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Current Issue:

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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Field days feeling the pinch of social distancing rules

Physical distancing and one-way rows are the new standard for grower field days, as practiced August 19 at Brent Kelly Farms in Delta, host of the BC Potato & Vegetable Growers Association potato field trials. Visitors pre-registered for one-hour time slots during the day. Numbers were down but Heather Meberg of ES Cropconsult said input from growers was more detailed and valuable. PHOTO / RONDA PAYNE

September 1, 2020 //  by Cathy

DELTA – Many farmers block off their calendars for the field days that give them a chance to share information, learn and socialize.

This year will be different, however, as ongoing restrictions designed to curb COVID-19 has changed the format of most field days.

Alexis Arthur, owner of Pacific Forage Bag Supply Ltd. in Delta, says she might be hosting two field days this summer, one in Matsqui and the other in Sumas. If they go ahead, they will be different from the usual setup. While her events normally feature a steak BBQ under a tent as part of the draw, sitting together and buffets aren’t on the menu this year.

“When you hear the numbers [of COVID-19 cases] getting higher, as a business I have to be mindful,” she says.

She had intended on hosting four field days, and explained the parameters the events would have to follow to the co-host businesses and farmers. Subsequently, two events were cancelled, one because underlying health issues at the host farm made hosting unwise.

“In light of the rising numbers, I basically said I’d like feedback and I’d like to know if everyone is comfortable having the events on their land,” she explains. “We’ve gone from having four to … [possibly] two. With those increasing [COVID-19 case] numbers, I think people are getting a little more anxious.”

Whether or not any field day events proceed, Arthur will complete the trials on all viable plots from the four sites and collect information. To do so, she will set up the fields in usual field day crop fashion to examine the trial forage. She may invite a few individuals to come out to gain the information first-hand without the formalities of a field day.

She’s keen to share information because it’s been a tough year for growers of forage crops such as corn.

“There’s valuable information that they can get their hands on. It was a bloody hard year for [corn],” she says.

Results of trials Pacific Forage conducted will be posted online and Arthur intends to add short videos detailing information about varieties.

“Maybe we put some money we put towards BBQs to an effective video,” she says.

Okanagan Fertilizer trialed 15 corn varieties this year but opted to skip its field day.

“What we are thinking is if people want to go look at the new varieties, we can take them out there individually,” says sales agronomist Caleb Stuart.

The company planted new varieties from a supplier that wasn’t previously selling seed in BC and Stuart believes the results will be useful to growers.

Strawberry, raspberry and blueberry growers also missed out on their field days this year. Blueberry growers are still expected to have an annual general meeting in the fall, but a field day is unlikely to be part of the event.

Integrated Crop Management Services (ICMS) is still considering options for a field day, says BC regional manager Grant McMillan.

“At this point, we may run it based on appointments,” he says. “We still have been doing small tours whenever a client needs to look at the trials.”

The BC Potato & Vegetable Growers Association potato variety field day is a popular event that typically draws interest from across the country. Organizers modified it to respect COVID-19 protocols, limiting attendance to 20 people an hour and eliminating the food component.

Kootenay and Boundary Farm Advisors cancelled its spring and summer field days, but coordinator Rachael Roussin resumed the events when the province moved to Phase 3 of its reopening plan. She plans to host six field days before December but the events will be tightly focused and attendance limited to no more than 20 people in keeping with provincial health orders.

“The field days are specific and targeted in their approach and theme,” she says. “Agriculture is an essential service and people haven’t stopped [farming]. Life is continuing for the ag sector and this is supporting them. We have done some online extension events. They’ve been awesome, but everyone says you can’t beat face-to-face.”

 

Pacific Agriculture Show goes virtual

The prospect of prolonged restrictions on large public events has prompted BC’s biggest agriculture show to go online in 2021.

Originally scheduled for Tradex in Abbotsford on January 28-30, the Pacific Agriculture Show will pivot to a virtual format in 2021 with plans for the 2022 event to return to Tradex, says show manager Jim Shepard.

“We’ll be pivoting and producing a world-class virtual show,” he says. “There’s all kinds of reasons for doing it.”

An online portal will allow visitors to explore the trade show floor, which will reflect the usual layout at Tradex. They’ll be able to visit booths, have private chats with vendors, access product information and even enjoy the virtual petting zoo.

The education dimension will also continue, with the show’s partner conferences also moving online. The Horticultural Growers’ Short Course, Cannatech West and Ag Innovation Day have all agreed to run their programs.

Shepard is excited about the opportunities the virtual space provides, including inviting speakers from around the world in addition to the short course’s usual presenters.

He also sees an opportunity to expand the show’s reach and influence to an even wider audience.

Shepard expects to send packages outlining the event and explaining registration opportunities to show exhibitors in mid-September.

“Everyone seems pretty keen to make this a success,” he says. “We’re going to have virtual farm tours, virtual demonstrations, all highly interactive and in real time.”

—Ronda Payne

 

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