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Originally published:

March 2019
Vol. 105 Issue 3

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Stories In This Edition

Ten-year plan

Simon Answerth

Province boosts ag spending

It’s a draw!

Well registrations lag in advance of final deadline

Editorial: Vice grip

Back Forty: Snow days make good days for seed selection

Viewpoint: Farmers need to prepare for annual snow melt

Smooth start to season as foreign workers arrive

Sidebar: Province mulls piece rates

Late winter has some Okanagan growers on edge

Ag show attracts near-record attendance

Ag Briefs: Traceability funding available for producers

Ag Briefs: Cattlemen’s launches webinar series

Ag Briefs: Grant winner announced

Labour remains a priority for fruit growers

Dairy, aquaculture take home awards at gala

Farmers need to prepare for uncertainty

Ag critic listens to concerns at farmers’ institute

Growers are responsible for workers’ safety

Robotic milkers sized up during dairy tour

Safe, high-quality silage depends on preparation

Young farmers crack open new vending concept

Diversification makes orchard a landmark

Going green boosts ranch’s credibility

Ranchers need to match forage with herd needs

Tru-Grit

Reducing waste will save money on winter feed

Producers question new Indigenous rights law

Hosting TRU students a way to give back

Livestock co-op provides selling, buying options

Sidebar: Market set to stay steady

Research: Bluetongue outbreaks expected to increase

Filling a niche for gourmet mushrooms

Regulations, housing key issues in Langley

Sheep producers seeing value in genetic program

Above and beyond

Vegetation fundamental to farms, landscape

Studies continue on forage, corn crop pests

4-H BC leader singled out

Growers go with the grain of beer revival

Agri-tourism has plenty of room for growth

Rose stem girdler poses threat to cranberries

Site prep critical for healthy hazelnut orchards

Sidebar: BC renewal program opens up

Wannabe: Renewal comes with a new generation of farmers

Mentorship gives Kelowna grower a headstart

Woodshed: Deborah and Doug McLeod turn up the heat

A good place to meet up

Jude’s Kitchen: Celebrate spring by eating outside

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BC shoppers can once again expect above-average food price increases in 2020, according to the Agri-food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. Nationally, food prices are set to rise 2% to 4%, on top of a 3.7% increase this year. But steady wage growth and a good economy mean BC grocery and restaurant prices will outpace the national average. According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, a family of four spent $1,017 a month on groceries in 2017; a conservative estimate based on the Dalhousie University estimates means that same family is spending closer to $1,160 a month today — just a fraction of which returns to the farmer. Country Life is BC's agricultural news source. ... See MoreSee Less

1 day ago

BC shoppers can once again expect above-average food price increases in 2020, according to the Agri-food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. Nationally, food prices are set to rise 2% to 4%, on top of a 3.7% increase this year. But steady wage growth and a good economy mean BC grocery and restaurant prices will outpace the national average. According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, a family of four spent $1,017 a month on groceries in 2017; a conservative estimate based on the Dalhousie University estimates means that same family is spending closer to $1,160 a month today — just a fraction of which returns to the farmer. Country Life is BCs agricultural news source.
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So are producers going to see more money as well?

Why ?

This was reported at exactly, to the day, this time last year. Exactly the same “percentage” of hike as well,,,,, i smell a rat

"steady wage growth"???? What is your definition of "wage"?

That's what you people get if they elect socialists.

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BC farmers can look forward to better access to domestic and foreign markets, according to the throne speech that opened Parliament following October’s federal election. “[We] will remove additional barriers to domestic and international trade for businesses and farmers, continue with ambitious investments in infrastructure, and reduce red tape so that it is easier to create and run a start-up or small business,” said the speech. Dairy farmers can also expect to receive the first piece of compensation this month for market access granted under international trade agreements. A review of the rules governing online commerce is also in the works. Watch for more details in the new year in Country Life in BC, the agricultural news source for British Columbia since 1915. Subscribe: buff.ly/2JhvVYH ... See MoreSee Less

1 day ago

BC farmers can look forward to better access to domestic and foreign markets, according to the throne speech that opened Parliament following October’s federal election. “[We] will remove additional barriers to domestic and international trade for businesses and farmers, continue with ambitious investments in infrastructure, and reduce red tape so that it is easier to create and run a start-up or small business,” said the speech. Dairy farmers can also expect to receive the first piece of compensation this month for market access granted under international trade agreements. A review of the rules governing online commerce is also in the works. Watch for more details in the new year in Country Life in BC, the agricultural news source for British Columbia since 1915. Subscribe: https://buff.ly/2JhvVYH
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... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago

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Secondary residences could be allowed on all properties in the Agricultural Land Reserve under changes the BC Ministry of Agriculture is considering. The details follow comments agriculture minister Lana Popham made to farmers’ institutes last Friday regarding changes her ministry is considering. Second homes such as mobile dwellings and carriage houses could be built without an application to the Agricultural Land Commission, though what say local government might have over the dwellings has yet to be determined. Whether or not the second homes could be permanent structures is also unclear. However, the ministry has confirmed that the proposed change would be for all ALR landowners, not just farmers, who it notes are allowed two, three or more residences with approval from the ALC. Country Life in BC is the agriculture news source for BC's farmers and ranchers. Sign up for free FARM NEWS UPDATES delivered weekly to your inbox. buff.ly/2H3dK8k ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago

Secondary residences could be allowed on all properties in the Agricultural Land Reserve under changes the BC Ministry of Agriculture is considering. The details follow comments agriculture minister Lana Popham made to farmers’ institutes last Friday regarding changes her ministry is considering. Second homes such as mobile dwellings and carriage houses could be built without an application to the Agricultural Land Commission, though what say local government might have over the dwellings has yet to be determined. Whether or not the second homes could be permanent structures is also unclear. However, the ministry has confirmed that the proposed change would be for all ALR landowners, not just farmers, who it notes are allowed two, three or more residences with approval from the ALC. Country Life in BC is the agriculture news source for BCs farmers and ranchers. Sign up for free FARM NEWS UPDATES delivered weekly to your inbox. buff.ly/2H3dK8k
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We shouldn't need approval from the ALC to have those residences! The ALC SHOULD NOT be in the housing regulation business!!

The article reads "...the province is considering allowing all landowners, whether or not they farm, to build secondary residences in the ALR, providing owners first register the residences with the ALC. These include both mobile homes and carriage houses, though whether these could be permanent structures is unknown." This would be positive news for families or for farms who put staff housing on site. A lot of local governments still don't like the huge homes but should consider with applications square foot caps and how many generations/families are living together; and how one large home actually is more efficient in the long run, as a larger homes can serve as a multi-family dwelling (instead of a family having to fragment and build/buy separate smaller ones that are geographically separated). Also some families living in the ALR can't afford to purchase a separate piece of land or a separate home to live offsite or commute to the family farm, so I like this idea Lana Popham

Well, good news. Too late for Woodwynn farms. Will it stop three 12000 sq ft mansions from being built instead of just one?

Finally.......now maybe we can get our daughter moved onto our land

Excellent news

Harassing BC Farms is the GreeNDP’s last nail in the coffin. Big trouble next election.

A really bad idea.

one could only hope..

Jim Grieve

Gord Rockvam...

This is what I don't understand - "...farmers, who it notes are allowed two, three or more residences with approval from the ALC." If that is true, what is the fuss? Why open it up to ALC owners who are not farmers? I also do not understand why they use square footage instead of the footprint of the dwellings and infrastructure as a way to measure housing. Isn't it the actual land that needs protection? In that case, you could build up and it would decrease the amount of infrastructure needed. I also agree that not all ALC land is suitable for farming. Most of the ALC land was designated by a last minute fly-over. Nobody checked the quality of the soil. In fact, if you want to get really picky, why allow greenhouses with cement pads to be built on viable agricultural soil. They should be restricted to non-arable ALC land. Hats off to Popham for trying to deal with this complicated mess and for listening to the public.

They would save a lot of headache and money by just aloting a home site area and you can build what you want.

Government should stay out of farming

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Seven projects will receive nearly $210,000 in funding as part of the first disbursement from the BC Hydro Peace Agricultural Compensation Fund, established in 2018 with $20 million to offset impacts from the construction of the Site C dam. The largest grant is $100,000 in support of BC Grain Producers Association projects assessing grain and oilseed varieties suitable to the Peace Region. The research is particularly important as growers wrestle with a changing and more variable climate, something that hit home this year as weather prevented growers from harvesting half the region’s grain crop. A variety of crop management and education initiatives also received funding. Applications are now being received for the 2020 awards, with $291,000 available for disbursement. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago

Seven projects will receive nearly $210,000 in funding as part of the first disbursement from the BC Hydro Peace Agricultural Compensation Fund, established in 2018 with $20 million to offset impacts from the construction of the Site C dam. The largest grant is $100,000 in support of BC Grain Producers Association projects assessing grain and oilseed varieties suitable to the Peace Region. The research is particularly important as growers wrestle with a changing and more variable climate, something that hit home this year as weather prevented growers from harvesting half the region’s grain crop. A variety of crop management and education initiatives also received funding. Applications are now being received for the 2020 awards, with $291,000 available for disbursement.
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Mentorship gives Kelowna grower a headstart

Hands-on experience critical for non-farmers to learn the ropes

Simon Answerth

February 26, 2019 byMyrna Stark Leader

KELOWNA – Lightfoot Farm owner Simon Answerth is the sole graduate of a three-year farm incubator program spearheaded by the Central Okanagan Community Farm Society and run in conjunction with Trinity Baptist Church in Kelowna.

Two years into the incubator program, he also completed a one-year business mentorship program organized by the Young Agrarians.

Together, the projects enabled him to learn to grow market garden vegetables

“It gave me the leg up I needed,” says Answerth who adds that the real-life experience, plus watching YouTube videos of people like Curtis Stone, taught him how to farm.

The former electrician is digging into one of two acres of irrigated land in the Glenmore neighbourhood of Kelowna that he’s leasing for $500 a year from a professor at UBC Okanagan. The owner used to have horses but was looking for someone to farm his property, which is already home to a mature cherry orchard and a newly planted high-density apple orchard.

Backed by 15 years’ experience in the construction sector, Answerth, who grew up in Australia, has divided the acreage into 45×45-foot sections. Part of the land will house two 100-foot-long hoop houses.

“I’ve ordered about 60 to 70 seed varieties,” he says, showing off new digs that include a frame greenhouse for a nursery. He’s in the midst of running power to it from the house and hand-digging the trench, a reality for penny-pinching producers keeping costs in check.

While he knows he’s ordered too many varieties, this is an experimental year to determine what grows best on unfamiliar ground. Last fall, he seeded garlic plus a cover crop of fall rye, peas and oats to prepare the soil for spring seeding. He’ll grow root veggies and lots of salad greens, keeping track of everything in a spreadsheet to determine the best growers and sellers. Lightfoot Farms isn’t certified organic, but Answerth will do what he can to be a low-input grower.

He’s converted a small, former tack room into a heated production area for microgreens such as pea, radish and sunflower shoots. Past experience has proven them to be good sellers in 10×20-inch flats.

“They’re a bit finicky to grow but this will be easier than growing them at home. I can grow them all year long here and the restaurants love ’em. During the summer, it’s a seven-day turnaround and you get $20 a flat,” he explains.

His market includes local restaurants and farmers’ markets in Lake Country, with Peachland and Kelowna possible this year. He loves the markets, but breaking in as new vendor when there are large, long-time sellers, is challenging. Shoppers have habitual stops so he thinks small markets where there is less competition for ongoing vegetable sales might be better venues.

He continues to pursue restaurants, including craft breweries that want unique foods to pair with their specialty beers. These businesses typically take larger bulk orders, which makes economic sense. He’s also sold wholesale to grocery stores. Diversifying his market is smart, and required.

“It’s easy enough to grow it; the issue is marketing,” claims Answerth who was initially surprised that cold calls didn’t result in more business. Despite strong interest in buying local, his CSA program didn’t take off. He believes it’s because people were weary of putting down money up front.

He’s also contemplating direct sales from the farm gate but he fears having to have staff on hand to service customers will be costly. He knows the operation needs to run lean to maximize profit.

“A lot of good farmers talk $100,000 an acre income,” he says. “If we can double what we made last year, seeing we’re on double the space we had last year, I think that’s quite achievable.”

Since the pilot program required him to have his own hand tools, he was able to bank some money. That, plus a bit of a nest egg, has enabled him to carry on farming. Yet without owning land, traditional financing, even for smaller purchases like a walk-behind tractor, is tough to secure.

Answerth is disappointed that more people didn’t graduate from the incubator program, which originally had nine people. Without such opportunities, it will be tougher for non-farmers like himself to enter agriculture.

“We’re lucky we could make the jump, but a lot of people can’t,” he says.

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