Goerzen wins dairy award

Well-known Chilliwack agriculturalist Walter Goerzen is the recipient of the BC Dairy Industry Achievement Award announced at the BC Dairy Industry Conference in Vancouver, November 27.

“The successes and achievements of our industry are built on the contributions, and the skill and the dedication of our leaders, and this award is meant to honour those individuals,” says Russell Reitsema, who announced the award on behalf of the BC Dairy Historical Society. “Walter is no exception.”

Goerzen began more than 50 years of service to the sector while still in university, working summers administering 4-H provincial and interprovincial rallies and club days throughout the Fraser Valley. Graduating with a Master’s degree in agricultural science, he served as district agrologist with the BC Ministry of Agriculture in Creston.

In 1976, he made the leap to the East Chilliwack Agricultural Co-op, working closely with dairy producers.

In 1984, he joined the BC Milk Marketing Board for an initial one-year term. He returned in 2007 as the non-producer director for two terms (six years), ultimately holding multiple positions including chairing the board’s Milk Industry Advisory Committee, Specialty Producers Advisory Committee and New Entrant Program selection committee.

Goerzen also served six years with the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC and was judge on multiple occasions with the BC/Yukon Outstanding Young Farmers Program.

“Winning this award is just a huge honour, and I’m deeply appreciative,” he said in a video produced for the event. (Goerzen couldn’t attend the event due to a family illness.)

The people in the industry have been what’s mattered most to him throughout the years, and he encouraged the next generation to continue building the relationships that make it strong.

“Go for the information; find out what’s going on, visit with your neighbours, identify the innovators in your community. And secondly, get involved,” he says. Farmers need to speak up for farm issues because the general public does not understand farming. And to have some of the legislation issues dealt with adequately, farmers have to work together. And that’s how we grow and move forward.”

Updated: 04 December 2025

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3 days ago

The BC Ministry of Health has approved $4.25 million for the BC Farmers Market Nutrition Coupon Program, administered by the BC Association of Farmers Markets, for 2026. The funding is even with last year, and follows on $12 million provided in 2022-24. The funding is a cornerstone of BCAFM, providing eligible low-income, pregnant and senior individuals with $27 a week for purchases of locally grown produce at more than 100 participating farmers markets in 92 communities across BC. Funding has increased seven-fold since the program launched in 2012.

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It provides for more than produce. It includes, eggs, meat and honey!

Good program. Additionally, I toured the Kelowna Food bank yesterday. They are serving about 12,000 people a month. Lots are working people.

I have seen people at the Saanichton markets asking if vendors take the coupons and being embarrassed when the vendor says no. Are there signs that are placed on the tables so people know who is part of the program and who is not?

“While it’s unfortunate that programs like this are necessary, I’m grateful they exist to support families and local farmers.”

This should be made a little more accessible, especially for seniors

I have been a working poor and 🙏👍for recognizing the people who deserve a bit of help as they are doing the best they can 😘👍

What exactly is this and how does it work? I've never heard of it before. How does this get applied to us who it's intended to help?

Christy Sakai its a week and if you to the markets you can get a small bag of carrots 5bucks, a few potatoes, usually a bag of apples are 5 bucks, and in summer you have fruit choices. Yes doesn't seem like alot but it could be stretched at the markets and remember its a week so really ypu going to use the whole bag of carrots in a week, probably not so you have something for the next week. Heads of lettuce 5 bucks. Every little bit does help when it comes to supporting local farmer and family.

This program has helped me afford local produce, as a senior. I am grateful for the assistance and eat a healthier diet.

It is illegal for me to grow a garden . We can all afford to eat if we can grow.

How does a senior apply?

Here are the general qualifications: Income Threshold: Generally for lower-income households. Some specific, local programs have identified a threshold of $27,000 or less for a single person or under $50,000 per year for a household. Targeted Groups: Participants must be seniors/elders, pregnant individuals, or families with children under 19. Participant Requirements: In addition to income, participants must: Participate in a food literacy program (e.g., cooking, gardening, or food budgeting). Be able to travel to a participating market to shop for themselves. Allocation: Because demand is high, coupons are often prioritized for new participants each year. Important Information: Coupons are not handed out by the BC Farmers' Markets directly. You must connect with a local community partner (such as a food bank, community centre, or neighbourhood house) to apply.

Glad to see this continue. With the increase in cost of living, this program should be increasing, not staying even with last year. Our local food bank is inundated with need.

Where in West Vancouver can you get these coupons?

I didn’t know that the program existed

Have you got an email yet?

Wish it was here too!

On my smalltown the food bank puts your name in a lottery for this Seniors included in lottery

How do people get the access to this program? Very confusing!

All programs help, but Loaves and Fishes is free to all and provide food across Vancouver Island. Check it out.

It is such an important program! A win win!

This sounds a little more complicated to enroll in than it needs to be. A lot of people probably never heard of it, I only did because I read this post.

How do you get the coupons ? Please ?

It's a wonderful program and i miss the ability to get good, edible fruit and vegetables as i moved up north

How do I apply

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1 week ago

KPU researcher Naomi Robert is partnering with Oregon State University's Dry Farming Collaborative to test drought-resilient growing practices across Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Working with three market gardeners, the study found tomatoes and zucchini thrived without irrigation. With droughts intensifying across the Pacific Northwest, dry farming offers BC growers practical tools to adapt to a changing climate. The full story appears in our April edition. tinyurl.com/d2fzs #BCAg#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

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A Maple Ridge dairy producer has been fined $7,512, had his licence suspended for three months, and faces quota restrictions for two years after an undercover investigation confirmed raw milk was sold directly from the farm on three separate occasions.

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Maple Ridge farm fined for raw milk sales

www.countrylifeinbc.com

Raw milk remains off the table for dairy producers, with the BC Milk Marketing Board (BCMMB) taking action against a Maple Ridge producer for illicit sales. An undercover investigation of Maple Ridge�...

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Unpasteurized milk is sold in Europe. It's the only milk certain cheeses can be made from.

Europeans used raw milk to make cheese for millenia, the farmer should sue them back on cultural grounds and a charter violation.

A person can shoot up government drugs in a playground but milk is the issue. 🙄

Is there a go fund me?

Raised on raw milk and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. My immune system is top notch compared to all others raised on corn syrup baby formula. Make it make sense!

When i was on the farm we would drink milk right from the cow in a bottle then drink and never got sick.

Ohh the milk moffia at it again I see

So whose the rat? lol one of the ppl who bought the raw milk? 🤦🏻‍♀️

I grew up in the 60’s with raw milk, cream and butter the farm shipped cream. One day the cream was rejected do too much bacteria. It wasn’t kept cool enough. That was the first of government control I experienced. Ok so the cream went back to the farm and made the best sourdough bread, ice cream and the cats came from heavens green acres for a treat of stale bread soaked in that very cream.

If the farmer sold shares in his farm so all these people owned part of the farm. Then it’s their milk . And don’t have to buy anything

Yet the government can supply cigarettes, alcohol, weed and hard drugs. Makes sense. 🙄

leave him the hell alone! if someone wants to buy raw milk at their own risk, let them. At least they can see where the milk came from

I would love my own cow so I could get raw milk

I love the back in the day story’s . Please remember those stories were of grandpa drinking his own cow’s milk. You still have the right to buy cows and drink their milk raw. Go ahead and do it….

As the government sells alcohol and cigarettes 🤡

Free drugs good raw milk bad 🤣

Just identify as first nations and say it's a cultural thing . Then it becomes legal

Guy up the road sells milk raw here too

Raised on our own milk, so were my kids. Got told my kids would not be as Intelegent because of it 😂 they are adults and doing very well. The problem lays in the consumer handling of product after pick up. when milking at home its in a stainless steel pail, sifted, into glass containers, then in fridge to cool down. People picking up, put jn car drive off for an hour or more, then in fridge. This is the problem, bactia grows in the heat. Then they drink that evening when still warm, get sick, blame farm milk. Go to grocery store buy a jug, it last 2weeks after due date ...yummy. ( tested this therory) Id rather have fresh milk and properly handle it. Everything is so regulated,

I have mixed opinions here. I think that people should be able to get unpasteurized milk( I was raised on it and raised my own family with our own milk cow..) However in this day and age people are so inclined to sue for most anything it seems like the dairy farmers need some kind of protection against that? They could lose their businesses over legal procedures. Maybe that is a positive thing about the milk boards…

Some comments seem to be missing the point of the article. NO ONE was sick from the milk. It’s all about money. “By selling milk outside the regulated system, where revenues are pooled, the board claimed Stuyt had cost producers as a whole $195,185 and ordered him to repay this amount. It also ordered Stuyt to pay $33,266 to cover the cost of BCMMB’s investigation and hearings into the matter. The BC Dairy Association, which stood as an intervenor in the appeal before FIRB, said illicit raw milk sales are a direct threat to supply management.”

Communist Canada. If people want raw milk they should be able to buy raw milk. It’s all about control ….

You mean sold real milk, unadulterated, whole milk

That's just sad, but drugs are fine

To each their own. If people want to buy resh milk im sure they know the consequences involved. Maybe the people take it home, seperate the cream and pasturize it them selves. We drank milk at my aunts house off the cow but it was heated to 72’ (Pasturized )

2 weeks ago

A draft update to the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle is now open for public comment until June 12. The code, one of 14 animal care codes developed and maintained by the National Farm Animal Care Council, is undergoing a routine 10-year review. "Your feedback will help shape the industry's guide to cattle welfare for the next decade," says Canadian Cattle Association policy manager Jessica Radau, urging producers to weigh in. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/58a3u9fz.

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I sat in the webinar yesterday by the Canadian Cattle Association. My initial concern was that this would be another "play" into the government's hands. It has been worked on by people that are actually in the Beef industry from Cow calf to feedlot. The thrust is an update of the 2013 Code of Practice which was reviewed in 2018. The changes are more a move from "left to the producers discretion" to clearer directions regarding pain management, proper transport of animals which are impaired and keeping cattle in in good condition. Much of what is recommended is what producers who care about animal husbandry already do. The important part is to GIVE THEM FEEDBACK good, bad or otherwise. The document is about 60 pages long, and I ran it through CHAT to see what had been changed. It is important to understand that the PUBLIC is invited to comment on the draft not just producers. Think about it... do you really want the public influencing how you manage your cattle. If you think that this is just one of those things, I have been following Bill 22 in Alberta which will grant the SPCA a proactive roll in entering farms and checking on animals. When I asked CHAT how the new bill relates to the Cattle Code, it came back that the Code although not a regulation will be able to be used as a guide by producers for backup in dealing with the SPCA regarding cattle conditions, sick animal handling etc. Take the time.... Go onto the Canadian Cattle Association website and speak to those parts that you wish to input.

According to the BC River Forecast Centre, the Okanagan snowpack stood at just 58% of normal on April 1 — the lowest reading since measurements began in 1980 — raising concerns about drought conditions in the region this summer. The rest of the province sits at 92% of normal.

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