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Originally published:

APRIL 2020
Vol. 106 Issue 4

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Stories In This Edition

Sheep labour

Growers scramble for workers

Province implements Bill 15

Farmers’ markets help communities recover

Looking ahead

Back 40: Food security demands out-of-box thinking

Viewpoint: Government needs to step up farm support

Groundwater bill causes confusion for Island farmer

Cannabis expansion goes up in smoke

Dairy producers surveyed on regulation impact

Institute keeps ALR changes on the front burner

Organic growers face mainstream competition

Egg producers reflect on productive year

Better together: Broilers, hating eggs collaborate

A job well done

Turkey growers see slow demand for birds

Dairy driving increase in semen sales

Beef conference BC-bound

Dairy producers rail against new transport rules

Beef industry looks beyond pandemic

Abattoirs required to cut back overtime

Tax credit review

Cattlemen take their concerns to Ottawa

Cattle sales an essential service

Funding will help farmers address nutrient runoff

Manure management guide updated for small-lot farmers

Potato growers optimistic

Hazelnut growers survey indsutry

Cherry growers focus on export opportunities

Weather woes drive cranberry yields lower

NFU highlights role for ag in climate crisis

Research: Reducing dairy production’s carbon footprint

Independent corn trials a priority for group

Silage management must be taken seriously

Brewing a local future

Orchardists urged to work smarter, not harder

Breakout sessions take growers deeper

Farm News: With spring comes a field of dreams

BCAFM considers Alberta vendors in border markets

Woodshed: Kenneth reaches a new low in the Bahamas

Authentic stories will resonate with consumers

Jude’s Kitchen: Food for holy days

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7 days ago

Farmland Advantage is receiving a $445,000 grant from the federal government. The program, the “brainchild” of Invermere cattle rancher Dave Zehnder, provides compensation to farmers for their conservation efforts to protect BC’s grasslands, riparian areas and wildlife habitat. The funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada under the Species at Risk Partnerships on Agricultural Lands (SARPAL) and Priority Places programs, will be administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. Rewarding farmers for enhancing riparian areas appeared in our March 2022 edition and you can view it at ... See MoreSee Less

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Rewarding farmers for enhancing riparian areas

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INVERMERE – Farmers and ranchers in the Columbia Valley will continue to see rewards for taking action to conserve and enhance important riparian areas on their farms. The Windermere District Farmer...
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2 weeks ago

A standing-room only crowd of more than 250 people attended a public hearing the Agricultural Land Commission hosted in Langley Monday night regarding a proposal to include 305 acres controlled by the federal government in the Agricultural Land Reserve. More than 76,000 people have signed an online petition asking municipal and provincial governments to protect the land from development, and for the federal government to grant a long-term lease to the Heppells. Read more in this morning's Farm News Update from Country Life in BC. conta.cc/3XYXw6k ... See MoreSee Less

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Your weekly farm news update

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The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 January 25 2023 Surrey ALR inclusion cheered A standing-room only crowd of more than 250 people attended a public hearing the Agricultural L
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Mike Manion Pitt Meadows City Councillor

2 months ago

Christmas tree growers in BC are seeing strong demand this season and prices remain comparable to last year. But the number of tree farms has decreased dramatically over the past five years and the province will increasingly need to look elsewhere if it wants to meet local demand. More in this week's Farm News Update from Country Life in BC. ... See MoreSee Less

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Christmas trees in demand

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Christmas tree growers in BC are seeing strong demand, with high quality trees making it to market. “The market is good. We’ll probably outdo last year and last year was one of our best years…
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2 months ago

Another four poultry flocks in the Fraser Valley have tested positive for avian influenza over the weekend -- 15 in the last week alone. There are 60 farms currently under quarantine in BC, more than any other province in Canada and three times that of Alberta, which ranks second. Officials maintain the virus is being spread by dust and groundwater and not farm-to-farm transmission. No farms in the Interior have tested positive this fall. ... See MoreSee Less

Another four poultry flocks in the Fraser Valley have tested positive for avian influenza over the weekend -- 15 in the last week alone. There are 60 farms currently under quarantine in BC, more than any other province in Canada and three times that of Alberta, which ranks second. Officials maintain the virus is being spread by dust and groundwater and not farm-to-farm transmission. No farms in the Interior have tested positive this fall.
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Avian influenza virus can be killed by chlorine at no higher a concentration than is present in drinking water, so unless farms are using untreated groundwater in their barns I don't see how it could be a source of transmission. www.researchgate.net/publication/5594208_Chlorine_Inactivation_of_Highly_Pathogenic_Avian_Influen...

2 months ago

In a surprise move, Lana Popham -- hailed at the recent BC Dairy Industry Conference as a key ally of the agriculture sector -- has been replaced by Abbotsford-Mission MLA Pam Alexis as part of a cabinet overhaul today by new BC premier David Eby. Popham will now oversee Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. The two ministers worked closely together following the atmospheric river events last fall. ... See MoreSee Less

In a surprise move, Lana Popham -- hailed at the recent BC Dairy Industry Conference as a key ally of the agriculture sector -- has been replaced by Abbotsford-Mission MLA Pam Alexis as part of a cabinet overhaul today by new BC premier David Eby. Popham will now oversee Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. The two ministers worked closely together following the atmospheric river events last fall.Image attachment
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Goes to show how far-removed our current government is from the agricultural sector. To put someone in this position who has no farming background is a slap in the face to all of our hard-working producers.

Going to be a heck of a learning curve. Helping the agricultural community recover from the biggest natural disasters in history, handling the avian influenza outbreak that is threatening our poultry industry, dealing with a crisis in meat processing, managing ongoing threats from climate change, supporting producers who are facing unprecedented inflation in an industry with very slim margins to begin with..... to name a few of the challenges our new Minister will have to face all with one of the lowest budgets of any ministry. I wish her the best of luck but I hope she's got a lot of support around her.

Best of wishes in your new position

Congrats to Pam, cool to see a Fraser Valley based ag minister but also so sad to see Lana reassigned . I have no doubt she will do an amazing job in her new role.

Will be missed by #meiernation

Bryce Rashleigh

Nooooooo!

Lana did a shit job and now we have a minister with no farming background at all. Aren’t we lucky..

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Government needs to step up farm support

COVID-19 puts BC agriculture and its leaders to the test

April 1, 2020 byIan Paton

As a former dairy farmer and livestock auctioneer who still lives on the family farm where I was born and raised, I thought I understood farming in British Columbia. However, touring all corners of this amazing province over the last three years has taught me that there is so much more to agriculture than what I have experienced living in the Fraser Valley.

Farming in BC encompasses tree fruit growers and the wine industry in the Okanagan; canola, grain and grass seed in the Peace; beef cattle and bison throughout BC, not to mention abattoirs, wild seafood, bees, farmed salmon, and poultry – and that’s barely scratching the surface.

With a province larger in size than most countries, there is no shortage of hardworking farmers from across the spectrum of agricultural sectors in British Columbia.

Yet despite our incredible diversity, I am concerned about the state of agriculture in this province.

Farmers are not immune to the provincial housing shortage. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the next generation of farmers and their families to have opportunities to live on the family farm.

As schools and community halls continue to close due to population decline in our rural areas, having multiple families living together on the family farm provides opportunities for farm help, child care, and other social supports.

Rather than restricting opportunities for families to live together on the farm, government needs to make it easier to build secondary homes through new incentive programs.

On the issue of value-added goods and services, the new clampdowns from the Agricultural Land Commission don’t respect the reality of farming in British Columbia. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned in my time as agriculture critic, it’s that a one-size-fits-all solution will never work in a province like ours. Unlike our neighbours in the southern United States and Mexico who can farm all year long, farmers in many parts of the province are lucky to be growing and harvesting for six months out of the year.

We need to allow our farm families to be creative and entrepreneurial in order to come up with supplemental income to support their farm operations. I get concerned when out-of-the-box ideas like festivals, processing facilities, eateries, roadside stands and cafes are shut down by the Agricultural Land Commission. Agri-tourism is essential in this province. These activities should be encouraged, not regulated into oblivion.

COVID-19 effect

More recently, as British Columbia continues to deal with the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, I am increasingly concerned about the ripple effect of containment measures on BC farmers.

To be clear, I believe the interventions taken by the province and our federal government are prudent and necessary. However, we need to consider the economic consequences for our farming families and take necessary steps to mitigate and reverse damage to agriculture where possible.

The federal government’s travel ban on foreign nationals, for example, has raised questions regarding the essential role temporary foreign workers play in Canadian agriculture.

It took a week for the federal government to provide growers with clarity as to their ability to bring in seasonal and temporary foreign workers. Significant uncertainty remains for many farmers and greenhouse operators who depend on these vital programs in order to plant and harvest their crops. The assurances of our government need to be agreed to by partner governments such as Mexico, and then there’s the question of actually getting the workers here in the face of reduced airline capacity. The ability of farmers to get their products to market still faces major obstacles.

A shortage of container vessels coming into BC ports from Asia will also mean fewer containers available to load with Canadian agricultural products for export. The world needs BC food products, now more than ever. The province must work with the federal government and our port authorities to get BC agricultural goods to the global marketplace.

A contingency plan must also be put in place in order to ensure the safe processing of meat, fruits, and vegetables. As the global pandemic continues to grow, it is also crucial that our food suppliers and processing plants have priority for the delivery of food safety apparel, including personal safety equipment.

In the coming weeks and months, we will learn more about the greater impact of COVID-19 on our provincial and national economy. These are emerging and pressing issues. In my capacity as critic, I will continue to ask these important questions to ensure government is doing everything it can to work in the best interests of farmers, ranchers and greenhouse operators across our province.

I truly believe in opportunity for all of BC. Whether you come from a town of 800 or 80,000, you matter. Your contributions to our economy and food security are greatly appreciated in all corners of our province.

Farming is one of the critical industries that keeps British Columbia’s economy moving. British Columbians are tough. We are used to dealing with the unexpected. I’m confident that by working together, we will emerge from these unprecedented challenges stronger than ever.

Ian Paton is the MLA for Delta South and agriculture critic for the BC Liberals.

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