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Originally published:

January 2017
Vol. 103 Issue 1

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Stories In This Edition

Help wanted

Freight farm feeds local niche

Winter wallop

Dairy commits to healthier future

Marketing board reviewing dairy quota

Organic production set for a major boost

Weather patterns forcing change for FV farmers

Okanagan growth curve drains water supplies

Maple Ridge writing new soil deposit bylaw

Non-native stink bug poses threat to fruit growers

Arguments for wind power grow as hydro closes in

BC farm leaders make Top 50 list

Former politician awarded lifetime achievement

No surprise about pipeline

Food prices on the increase

Ag briefs

PAS aims for record attendance

Short course offers variety + sidebar

Innovation Expo makes debut

Dairy Expo starts with tour of nine FV dairies

Holstein assessements will establish benchmarks

Eto leaves BC Dairy

Incubator farm seeks to re-invirorate local seed industry

Islands Ag Show puts spotlight on Alberni Valley

Save the birds but share the cost

Nurseries seek fresh blood

BCLNA grows local markets

Comment sought on bison code

Corn and the battle with bugs

Starling control program renewed in Okanagan

Staring down the bottom line

Kootenay Food Producers Co-op goes non-profit

Got milk? Water buffalo dairy cultivates following

Born to teach

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CP Rail’s plans for a new logistics facility on 100 acres of farmland in Pitt Meadows is facing opposition from neighbours, who question the impact of the project on their community and local agriculture. Close to 100 residents questioned CP representatives in an online open house this week but received few definitive answers. The project is exempt from Agricultural Land Commission and local government approval. Results of a survey that closes today will be made public in March, with mitigation measures of the project provided this summer. Construction could begin in 2026 if federal authorities approve. Country Life in BC is the agricultural news source for BC's farmers and ranchers. buff.ly/2ReiFur ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago

CP Rail’s plans for a new logistics facility on 100 acres of farmland in Pitt Meadows is facing opposition from neighbours, who question the impact of the project on their community and local agriculture. Close to 100 residents questioned CP representatives in an online open house this week but received few definitive answers. The project is exempt from Agricultural Land Commission and local government approval. Results of a survey that closes today will be made public in March, with mitigation measures of the project provided this summer. Construction could begin in 2026 if federal authorities approve. Country Life in BC is the agricultural news source for BCs farmers and ranchers. buff.ly/2ReiFur
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The BC Ministry of Agriculture has announced a new round of funding this week to support more community projects aimed at protecting the health and habitat of bees. The Bee BC program provides up to $5,000 to fund smaller-scale, community-based projects enhancing bee health throughout the province. Since launching in 2018, Bee BC has contributed almost $280,000 to 62 projects. The last round of 24 approved projects projects ranged from providing education in communities to planting bee-specific forage to using innovation and technology to help protect and ensure bee health in BC. The program is administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation. Check out the program guide for more information: buff.ly/3bCMzSW ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago

The BC Ministry of Agriculture has announced a new round of funding this week to support more community projects aimed at protecting the health and habitat of bees. The Bee BC program provides up to $5,000 to fund smaller-scale, community-based projects enhancing bee health throughout the province. Since launching in 2018, Bee BC has contributed almost $280,000 to 62 projects. The last round of 24 approved projects projects ranged from providing education in communities to planting bee-specific forage to using innovation and technology to help protect and ensure bee health in BC. The program is administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation. Check out the program guide for more information: https://buff.ly/3bCMzSW
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The Mainland Milk Producers Association could continue its support of local communities with initiatives kickstarted in 2020. MMP president Mark Van Klei says its donation of $25,000 to Fraser Valley food banks last year aided those affected by COVID-19. The organization also sponsored two Ag in the Classroom programs in 2020 – the Pencil Patch, a working garden where K-12 schools get hands-on lessons about agriculture, and Take a Bite of BC, which delivers fresh, BC grown products five times a year to secondary schools running a culinary arts program. “Ag in the Classroom takes our dairy message right to the children’s classrooms straight across the province. I think it works really well,” Van Klei told almost 80 people attending the MMP annual general meeting via Zoom on January 8. With both initiatives getting good feedback from directors, Van Klei says they could be added to the 2021 budget. “COVID doesn’t always make it easy but we plan to work with (the BC Dairy Association) to look at making sure we can keep some of these initiatives going.” Country Life in BC is the agricultural news source for BC's farmers and ranchers. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago

The Mainland Milk Producers Association could continue its support of local communities with initiatives kickstarted in 2020. MMP president Mark Van Klei says its donation of $25,000 to Fraser Valley food banks last year aided those affected by COVID-19. The organization also sponsored two Ag in the Classroom programs in 2020 – the Pencil Patch, a working garden where K-12 schools get hands-on lessons about agriculture, and Take a Bite of BC, which delivers fresh, BC grown products five times a year to secondary schools running a culinary arts program. “Ag in the Classroom takes our dairy message right to the children’s classrooms straight across the province. I think it works really well,” Van Klei told almost 80 people attending the MMP annual general meeting via Zoom on January 8. With both initiatives getting good feedback from directors, Van Klei says they could be added to the 2021 budget. “COVID doesn’t always make it easy but we plan to work with (the BC Dairy Association) to look at making sure we can keep some of these initiatives going.” Country Life in BC is the agricultural news source for BCs farmers and ranchers.
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To advance agriculture for the future, Farm Credit Canada industry relations director Marty Seymour says the the industry must be willing to challenge conventional thinking and practices. Speaking at the Agriculture Excellence conference Farm Management Canada hosted last month, he said the sector has two easy options for doing this. One is including youth on industry boards and drawing on what they’re being taught. The other is for farm businesses to assemble boards of directors from other sectors, both inside and outside the agriculture industry, and learn from their experiences. Subscribe to buff.ly/2H3dK8k ... See MoreSee Less

5 days ago

To advance agriculture for the future, Farm Credit Canada industry relations director Marty Seymour says the the industry must be willing to challenge conventional thinking and practices. Speaking at the Agriculture Excellence conference Farm Management Canada hosted last month, he said the sector has two easy options for doing this. One is including youth on industry boards and drawing on what they’re being taught. The other is for farm businesses to assemble boards of directors from other sectors, both inside and outside the agriculture industry, and learn from their experiences. Subscribe to buff.ly/2H3dK8k
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Around 60 viewers attended the BC Grapegrowers’ online pruning session earlier today. After an overarching Pruning 101 presentation by Troy Osborne from Arterra, a panel of growers from across the Okanagan shared their knowledge during an open Q&A. The panel included viticulturist Miguel Fontalvo from Monte Creek Ranch Winery near Kamloops, Felix Egerer, viticulturist at Tantalus Wines in Kelowna, Ralph Suremann, longtime BCGA director from Pegasus Vineyards at Naramata and Amy Richards, 2020-elected BCGA director from Phantom Creek in Oliver. While some North Okanagan wineries won't be pruning until later in the spring, pruning is already underway further south and at Tantalus in Kelowna. The panel cautioned growers against pushing new vineyards to produce grapes too soon. Suremann says a decision to have vines produce before year three or four can result in a setback of several years, while Egerer remarked that one bad shoot thinning can harm five years of growth. BCGA says all their events are being planned online for 2021 and there’s no date yet for the AGM. ... See MoreSee Less

5 days ago

Around 60 viewers attended the BC Grapegrowers’ online pruning session earlier today. After an overarching Pruning 101 presentation by Troy Osborne from Arterra, a panel of growers from across the Okanagan shared their knowledge during an open Q&A. The panel included viticulturist Miguel Fontalvo from Monte Creek Ranch Winery near Kamloops, Felix Egerer, viticulturist at Tantalus Wines in Kelowna, Ralph Suremann, longtime BCGA director from Pegasus Vineyards at Naramata and Amy Richards, 2020-elected BCGA director from Phantom Creek in Oliver. While some North Okanagan wineries wont be pruning until later in the spring, pruning is already underway further south and at Tantalus in Kelowna. The panel cautioned growers against pushing new vineyards to produce grapes too soon. Suremann says a decision to have vines produce before year three or four can result in a setback of several years, while Egerer remarked that one bad shoot thinning can harm five years of growth. BCGA says all their events are being planned online for 2021 and there’s no date yet for the AGM.
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Marketing board reviewing dairy quota

January 1, 2017 byDavid Schmidt

VANCOUVER – The BC Milk Marketing Board is beginning another review of its quota and solids-non-fat policies, producers were told at the BCMMB annual meeting and producer meeting in Vancouver on December 2. The review is intended to address production shortages and an unhealthy butterfat to solids-non-fat ratio.

BCMMB member Jeremy Wiebe noted 15,000 to 20,000 kgs of butterfat “fall off the table” each month due to underproduction. He added the production is not lost completely as “we give it back to you in incentive days.”

BCMMB member Tom Hoogendoorn admitted incentive days are a “stop-gap” measure and a more permanent solution is required.

BCMMB member Dick Klein Geltink said the Farm Industry Review Board-mandated review could take up to a year to complete but producers indicated they want action much sooner.

“We need to get milk to market today, not a year from now,” one producer said, clearly reflecting the mood of the entire audience.

Backward step

Stan van Keulen, an often outspoken critic of BCMMB quota policies, said the board needs to go back to approaches used in the 1970s and 80s.

“We didn’t make the system fair (in those days); we made the system produce to the market. We need to allow those producers who can produce the milk to produce the milk.”

Several producers suggested the board look at other ways to allocate quotas rather than the pro rata system it currently uses. They pointed out that some producers do not have the cows, buildings and/or equipment to produce the extra 7% allocation they were given in 2016 and are therefore swapping it out or just not producing it.

They suggested farmers who do not produce the additional allocation should not receive future allocations. They stressed that selling the extra quota is not an option as the 10-10-10 LIFO (Last-In, First Out) assessment means sellers lose all the quota they have received in the past year.

“10-10-10 stifles the movement of quota,” one producer said in a comment reflecting the views of most producers. They encouraged the board to ask FIRB to change the assessment to a First-In, First-Out basis (which would reduce withholdings on most partial sales to the base 10%) or a system based on the average age of a producer’s quota holdings.

Organic quota

Another option is to extend the system currently used to allocate organic quota to the entire system. Organic producers are given a “sleeve” each quarter. Those who produce the full sleeve in a quarter then receive a portion of that sleeve in the form of a quota allocation in the following quarter.

That has worked well in the organic sector which saw 11% growth in the past year. That growth allowed the BCMMB to add four new organic producers in the past dairy year and bring in four more new organic producers this dairy year.

Producers noted it should work just as well in the conventional market, which has also been experiencing a huge increase in demand. However, it would not work at all should the situation change and markets shrink in future.

Butterfat

Producers also discussed what to do about butterfat, since that is where all the demand is coming from. Many urged the board to change its component pricing to put more money on butterfat and less on protein so producers will be encouraged to produce milk more suited to current market demands.

That seemed to resonate with the board, with Hoogendoorn noting “producers respond to financial incentives. community and more attractive as well,” she adds.

While there are hundreds of Freight Farms operating in the United States, Bright Greens Canada is the only one in BC, and one of a very small number across Canada. Knott sees a lot of potential for shipping container-based for the Prairie winters and more remote and northern communities where fresh produce is expensive when it’s available at all.

“It makes a lot of sense to grow these types of very perishable greens in this setting instead of trying to grow them in Mexico and put them on a truck and have them sit on the truck for three weeks until they get here,” she says. “I think as we build the business and expand what we’re doing, it’s going to offer something worthwhile to our community and help make us more self-sufficient in producing better quality food.”elp.

“This may include re-evaluating the effectiveness of Canada’s immigration programs in terms of meeting the needs of the agriculture sector,” writes the Conference Board of Canada in a recent briefing paper, produced with CAHRC’s support. “Without TFWs, we may face the prospect of a significant portion of Canada’s arable land lying fallow. That would be a tragedy.”

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