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Originally published:

JANUARY 2022
Vol. 108 Issue 1

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Stories In This Edition

Flood recovery begins

Outstanding

Insurance under scrutiny

Donations pouring in for flood relief

Editorial: Regenerating agriculture

Back 40: What is normal, anyways?

Op Ed: Looking ahead with a  common purpose

Interior ranches feel forgotten

Hefty fines levied in chicken abuse case

Ag Briefs: Blueberry council chair tenders resignation

Ag Briefs: BC Chicken picks Siemens

Ag Briefs: Outstanding service acknowledged

Ag Briefs: Water quality grants available

BC couple win national OYF competition

High grain prices welcome, but harvest falls flat

Dairy sector looks to the future in virtual meetings

Berry growers face years of lower yields

Ambrosia council takes growers to court over levies

Rising food prices unlikely to benefit farmers

Supply chain disruptions put focus on local food

Preview: Agriculture show returns to Tradex

Water management in focus at short course

Kootenay growers target winter deliveries

Sidebar: Welcome development

New growers bitten by the farming bug

Farmers face new challenges as water recedes

Denman Island initiatives review of farm regulations

Helping load the wagon

Bees shouldn’t become collateral damage

Beekeepers urged to grow their own

Research: BC scientists ready to assess flood-affected soils

BC tech companies give ag waste a new life

Sidebar: Manure recycled into bedding

Milk marketing board chooses new entrants

Drought management requires new strategies

Farm Story: Instagrammable garlic? We’d rather less fuss

New initiative supports local food, business

Woodshed: Ashley’s ready and the party’s about to begin

Self-care can help women focus on their goals

Jude’s Kitchen:

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3 weeks ago

It’s been four years since the last tulip festival was held in Abbotsford, but this year’s event promises to be an even bigger spectacle than ever. Spanning 27 acres along Marion Road, Lakeland Flowers will display more than 70 varieties of the spring blossom, including fringe tulips and double tulips, the first of six months of flower festivals hosted by the farm. Writer Sandra Tretick spoke with Lakeland Flowers owner Nick Warmerdam this spring to find out how the floods on Sumas Prairie in 2021 have had an impact on his business plan as he transitions from wholesale cut flower grower to agri-tourism. We've posted the story to our website this month. It's a good read.

#CLBC #countrylifeinbc #tulipfestival
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Tulip grower makes the shift to agritourism

www.countrylifeinbc.com

ABBOTSFORD – On a bright sunny day in early April, Nick Warmerdam points out his office window at No. 4 and Marion roads to a spot about half a kilometre away across the Trans-Canada Highway.
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Omg 🥹 Jared Huston let’s go pls

4 weeks ago

Farming, like any other job.. only you punch in at age 5 and never punch out 🚜 ... See MoreSee Less

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Easton Roseboom Levi Roseboom🚜

4 weeks ago

The province is allocating $15 million to be administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. for a perennial crop replant program benefitting tree fruit, hazelnut, berry and grape growers. The program aims to cover 100% of plant removal costs and 75% of replanting costs. Funds are also available for sector development. The new program replaces a suite of sector-specific replant programs and recognizes the importance of sector adaptation in the face of market, disease and weather challenges. ... See MoreSee Less

The province is allocating $15 million to be administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. for a perennial crop replant program benefitting tree fruit, hazelnut, berry and grape growers. The program aims to cover 100% of plant removal costs and 75% of replanting costs. Funds are also available for sector development. The new program replaces a suite of sector-specific replant programs and recognizes the importance of sector adaptation in the face of market, disease and weather challenges.
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4 weeks ago

Just a week after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials revoked the last primary control zones established in the Fraser Valley to control last fall’s outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a new detection on April 29 at a commercial premises in Chilliwack underscored the risk of a spring wave. This is the first new detection since January 22, also in Chilliwack, and brings to 104 the number of premises affected since the current outbreak began April 13, 2022. The disease has impacted 3.7 million birds in BC over the past year. ... See MoreSee Less

Just a week after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials revoked the last primary control zones established in the Fraser Valley to control last fall’s outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a new detection on April 29 at a commercial premises in Chilliwack underscored the risk of a spring wave. This is the first new detection since January 22, also in Chilliwack, and brings to 104 the number of premises affected since the current outbreak began April 13, 2022. The disease has impacted 3.7 million birds in BC over the past year.
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Any other details for FVN and chillTV please? radiodon11@gmail.com

4 weeks ago

The province is contributing $3.2 million for upgrades to the Barrowtown pump station in Abbotsford that was overwhelmed during the November 2021 flooding on Sumas Prairie, part of a collaborative approach to flood mitigation in the region. During a press conference at the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food offices in Abbotsford today, the province said a collaborative approach that includes First Nations is needed as Abbotsford pursues a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy due to the potential impacts on Indigenous lands. Agriculture's interests will be represented by technical teams within the agriculture ministry. ... See MoreSee Less

The province is contributing $3.2 million for upgrades to the Barrowtown pump station in Abbotsford that was overwhelmed during the November 2021 flooding on Sumas Prairie, part of a collaborative approach to flood mitigation in the region. During a press conference at the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food offices in Abbotsford today, the province said a collaborative approach that includes First Nations is needed as Abbotsford pursues a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy due to the potential impacts on Indigenous lands. Agricultures interests will be represented by technical teams within the agriculture ministry.
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I sure hope part of that money is to educate the people in charge of the pumps and drainage system! They just relayed on computers and weren’t even physically monitoring the water levels. I’ve lived in the Fraser Valley my whole life and the old guys managing that system know how to do it. The new generation just sit behind computer screens and don’t physically watch the water levels. That system works very well when you do it right. The Fraser river levels are very important. The system is designed to drain the Sumas Canal (the part that runs thru the valley) into the Fraser. When they let it get backed up it put pressure on the dyke and the weak part burst. Simple science. And yes, the dykes need to be worked on too. Abbotsford has not been maintaining properly for years.

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Insurance under scrutiny

Photo | Gary Baars

January 1, 2022 byPeter Mitham

ABBOTSFORD – BC residents suffered significant losses this year as wind, wildfire and floods walloped their farms and properties.

But insurance payouts will cover just a fraction of these losses. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, total insurable losses as of mid-December totalled less than $650 million.

“A brand new farm building should have coverage,” says Rosy Mounce, a commercial risk advisor with insurance broker Capri CMW in Salmon Arm. “But an older one isn’t going to, so it’s a matter of going through and saying, okay, what kinds of coverages are available to you, what do those cost?”

The narrowing of options for farm insurance in recent years, largely as a result of the massive wildfire seasons of 2017 and 2018, have left farmers exposed.

“With farm insurance in general, there’s not nearly as many options for insurance as there is for a house in a subdivision, for example,” she says. “As we see this increase in extreme weather, we have to start looking further ahead and plan how to be smarter about this. How do we prevent claims as much as possible?”

She says this may involve taking steps to mitigate risks to property as well as understanding the value that insurance provides. Self-insuring – setting aside cash to cover potential losses – may make sense in certain circumstances.

“The conversation is, ‘What does my coverage look like, and what can I do to protect my property?’” she says. “We can help people have a better understanding if there’s gaps in their insurance or if there’s certain things that they just need to be prepared to protect on their own because there’s not going to be an insurance policy to help them.”

She advises people to buy insurance understanding both the cost and the support they’ll receive in the event of a loss.

“[This past year] is going to bring to light a lot more demand on farmers and business owners … to really know what they’re covered for and have a good relationship with their broker – that’s what we want,” she says. “Insurance coverage is a portion of risk management. It’s not the whole thing.”

The fine print

BC Grain Producers Association director Ernest Wiebe told producers following the wild windstorm that destroyed grain bins in Prespatou at the end of June that they need to be aware of what their insurance policies cover. Many were surprised that grain bins were not covered by policies for structures, for example.

“When you see out-buildings on your policy, … that’s only something that would be connected to a residence,” he says. “It has to be on the farm policy.”

Some policies will exclude specific perils, and not all will cover the full replacement value in the event of a loss. Deductibles may differ between policies, too, and incur different premiums.

In his case, the $2,000 coverage limit for his greenhouse meant he was on the hook for most of the rebuild cost after it was destroyed. Meanwhile, his shop buildings are only covered for fire and lightning, leaving him on the hook for damage as a result of other perils.

“Go over your policy and have a complete awareness of what you’re paying for and what is covered,” he says.

Assessment values

There is also the question of the impacts recent disasters will have on property values.

BC Assessment Authority notices arrive the first week of January. The statements reflected the value of properties on July 1, 2021, meaning many property owners will see assessed values that don’t reflect current realities.

“BC Assessment is committed to providing fair, accurate and reliable property assessments,” BC Assessment told Country Life in BC, noting that owners can request amendments within the usual  window for appealing assessments. The deadline this year is January 31, 2022.

The authority’s page related to weather-related concerns notes that “property owner self-reporting is critical to ensuring 2022 property assessments are fair and accurate.”

Properties damaged or destroyed between November 1 and December 31, and which were not repaired by December 31, may be eligible to receive an amended assessment. BC Assessment encourages owners to submit details on the damage or loss, including repair costs (if known) and pictures.

 

 

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