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Originally published:

January 2018
Vol. 104 Issue 1

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Stories In This Edition

Peace will be flooded

Groundwater fee postponed

Standing strong

Sidebar: New year, new treaty

No quick fix for contaminated acquifer

Editorial: Watershed moment

Back 40: To better times ahead: hope is in our DNA

OpEd: BC agriculture needs its foreign workers

Dairy production meeting quota increases

Holstein Breeders celebrate progressive year

National unity a concern for dairy farmers

Producers waiting on FIRB review

Challenges, changes face young farmers

Outstanding effort

Steele steps down as fruit growers’ president

Sidebar: BCFGA adopts new bylaws

Lettuce build

BC to bear brunt of food price increases in 2018

Risk assessment research gets funding boost

New year, new start

Profitability should be to the goal of marketing

Sidebar: Seven deadly sins of (just about any) marketing

Abbotsford hosts AgRefresh open houses

Labour elusive for nursery sector

Ag show celebrates 20 years and growing

Hort course the backbone of show

Sidebar: Public trust workshops

Dairy, innovation expos part of show

Expo starts with tours of diverse dairy operations

Forestry, forage co-exist at demonstration site

Opportunities for Cariboo grass-fed beef

Sustainable success

Sidebar: First grad for ranching program

OYF winners show a willingness to innovate

Research: Space program elevates pot

research to new high

Food recovery benefits livestock farmers

Sidebar: Alternative connections

New objectives come with new WestGen barn

Surrey business group recognizes ag leaders

Greenhouse safety protocols save the day

Goat farmers get behind new dairy association

Sidebar: Dairy goat owners learn from one another

Scrapie eradication possible with certification program

National EFP program still a work in progress

Cutting-edge technology could hold key to varroa mites

Sidebar: What is RNAi?

Community gaming grants open February 1

Wannabe Farmer: Overcoming obstacles

Sweet smell of success on just eight acres

Sidebar: Strength in numbers

Sidebar: Award-winning shift in business

Woodshed Chronicles: Henderson figures any

idiot can drive a tractor

Jude’s Kitchen: Pretty edible

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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

... See MoreSee Less

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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 Cattleâ...
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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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Hort course the backbone of Pacific Ag Show

January 1, 2018 byDavid Schmidt

ABBOTSFORD – While the Pacific Agriculture Show is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Horticulture Growers’ Short Course – the backbone of the show – has a much longer history. In fact, the Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association, which organizes the annual course, is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2018.

The annual course includes sessions on strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, hazelnuts, hops, potatoes, vegetables, floriculture, agro forestry, organic production, farm business management, agricultural water management, direct farm marketing and the use of drones.

Register by January 9 and the cost is $90 for the first person from a farm and $80 for each additional person and includes access to all seminars as well as the trade show. After January 9, the registration fee jumps to $120 per person. Online registration forms are available at [www.agricultureshow.net].

Berries

Berries remain at the top of the agenda. Thursday’s sessions focus on strawberry and raspberry production. Blueberries take the spotlight on Saturday while Friday’s sessions should be of interest to all berry growers.

Thursday’s raspberry and strawberry sessions will bring growers up to date on new variety developments in BC, Washington and Oregon as well as grower experiences with some of those new varieties. There will also be information on fumigation and the use of tunnels for strawberry and raspberry production, including grower experiences. The day will conclude with the annual raspberry market outlook.

Saturday, blueberry growers will get valuable insights into managing birds, the Spotted Wing Drosophila, voles and blossom blight. They will also learn how to improve yields and bud set. There will also be information on the blueberry breeding program, new blueberry varieties and market trends. As well, Jorge Retamales of Chile’s Universidad de Talca will describe blueberry production in his country, one of BC’s chief competitors.

The Friday afternoon sessions for all berry growers will discuss farm water irrigation, mites, weevils and vegetative buffers. University of the Fraser Valley students will describe some exciting new apps to help growers while Thomas Elliot will provide information on the use of drones in BC blueberry fields.

Growers and others who want more information on the use of drones in agriculture should attend the Saturday morning sessions in the Evergro Room. They will learn regulations on the use of drones and what the drones can do for them. The morning will conclude with a number of drone demonstration flights.

Business management

Nova Scotia agricultural consultant Gary Morton is this year’s keynote speaker. His hour-long address Friday morning will detail success strategies to produce winning customer relationships and improve farmers’ bottom lines.

Friday morning’s business management session also includes Breanna Leininger of Pacific Customs Brokers in Blaine, who will discuss exporting to the US and the potential impact of NAFTA’s renegotiation. Roberta Cook of Village Farms in California will describe how Mexico is becoming a dominant player in the American fruit and vegetable market.

Water is key to agricultural production, so Friday morning’s water management session should be of considerable interest. The first half will discuss rainwater harvesting and include information on available systems and how rainwater can be used in poultry and other agricultural operations.

The second half will discuss the implications of drought in BC agriculture and how the province is responding. It will include a demonstration of the agriculture water use reporting tool developed by the Okanagan Basin Water Board and the BC Ministry of Agriculture.

Potatoes, field vegetables

Irrigation water quality will also be a topic in the field vegetable sessions on Thursday. Vegetable growers will learn about herbicide resistance, cutworm, armyworm and corn rootworm management as well as cole crop foliar diseases. Growers will also learn about diversifying their operations, particularly the opportunity to expand into production of a new sweet potato developed by the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.

Conventional potato producers should attend the Friday afternoon sessions. They will learn proactive strategies to manage thrips in potatoes and other rotational crops, gain insights into managing weeds in potatoes and learn about new research into wireworm management. Finally, BC berry breeder Michael Dossett will discuss how gene-editing could be used to boost pest resistance in potatoes and other agricultural crops.

Greenhouse veggies

Maximizing the use of technology has always been key to greenhouse vegetable production.

Saber Miresmailli will describe how robots and artificial intelligence can be used to pinpoint crop stressors earlier in the greenhouse vegetable session Thursday morning. Growers will also learn about innovative new climate screens and how to prevent bursting of their water storage tanks.

The second half of the session will focus on the greenhouse vegetable market, including the impact of trade talks and increasing production in Mexico.

Floriculture

Thursday afternoon in the Evergro Room, the focus shifts to floriculture. Growers will be told why and how they should establish biocontrol agents during propagation.

They will learn which biocontrols work on specific pests and how they are impacted by the concurrent use of pesticides.

Will Healy of Ball Horticultural and Ted van der Gulik of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC will discuss how to use irrigation to maximize production while minimizing water usage.

Organic production

When you can’t use inorganic fertilizers and pesticides, what options do you have to manage pests and provide nutrients to your organic vegetable crops?

Answering that question is the focus of the organic production sessions in the BASF Gallery on Saturday.

Options to be discussed include using the right varieties for BC conditions, biopesticides and other biocontrols and managing crops to maximize soil nutrients.

There may even be opportunities to use tunnels to extend the season.

Hazelnuts

The BC Hazelnut Growers Association will be meeting in the FCC Loft Friday morning to discuss how the industry is rebounding from Eastern Filbert Blight.

Growers will hear how the new EFB-resistant cultivars are doing and how those young trees can be protected from emerging diseases. TJ Schur of the BC Ministry of Agriculture will describe the support government is providing while Oregon extension specialist Nik Wiman will detail lessons learned in Oregon.

Direct farm marketing

Now that all types of alcohol production are being allowed in the Agricultural Land Reserve, what do farmers have to do to capitalize on the opportunity?

Randy Brown of the BC Liquor Control and Licensing Branch will provide some of the answers during the direct farm marketing session in the Evergro Room Friday afternoon.

Direct farm marketing is becoming more prevalent, but how do you do that effectively? Offering their insights are Alberta organic beef and potato grower Will Bilozir and Nova Scotia retail marketing consultant Peter Chapman.

Agroforestry

After a short absence, agroforestry is back. Thursday afternoon in the BMO Room, BC Ministry of Agriculture agroforestry specialist Dave Trotter will chair a session describing the potential of agroforestry. Key opportunities include mushroom cultivation, marrying Christmas tree, cattle and forage production, and producing syrup.

Hops

With hop production is attracting so many new growers, the need for reliable information is becoming more critical.

That’s what the BC Hop Growers Association will provide in the BASF Gallery Friday afternoon. Local experts will inform growers how to manage nematodes, downy and powdery mildew and aphids while Paul Sweeting of Ravens Brewing will tell growers what BC craft brewers want from them.

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