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September 2023
Vol. 109 Issue 9

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4 days 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 😊

7 days ago

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7 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 Cattle...
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1 week 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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1 week 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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Mexico sticks with BC

June 17, 2020 byPeter Mitham

Mexico’s decision to withhold seasonal workers from Canada will have a minimal effect on BC farms, according to both the province and industry.

The decision was widely reported on June 15, and affects workers arriving in Canada under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program. Mexico quickly issued a clarification that the measure only affects farms where workers are deemed to be at risk. Most of those are in eastern Canada, where 600 seasonal farm workers have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 and two have died.

“We are confident that BC will continue to be able to receive temporary farm workers from Mexico since we have implemented all of the safety protocols recommended by our public health officers,” BC agriculture minister Lana Popham said in a statement posted to Facebook on June 16.

She said the province had worked closely with Mexico’s consulate to ensure that all conditions for the health and safety of workers were being met.

There have been significant issues with accessing foreign workers this year but BC Agriculture Council executive director Reg Ens said the consulate’s clarification means one less worry for BC growers.

“There are a number of challenges, still, getting workers in,” Ens says. “We had hoped to get 1,000 workers in this month, and we’re probably going to end up with 600 to 700.”

Those challenges include securing work permits in Mexico and Jamaica, where processing timelines have lengthened as a result of COVID-19. A lack of approvals led to cancellation last week of two flights chartered to carry workers to Canada. Workers are instead set to arrive on commercial flights this week and next.

“The lockdowns in various countries are delaying the processing of work permits,” Ens says. “If we can get more work permits, we will book a charter right away, but at this point we’ve been able to secure enough seats on a commercial flight.”

All going well, Ens expects 250 workers to arrive by the end of next week.

Popham, for her part, says BC is weathering the challenges well, based on her discussions with commodity groups.

“We’re pretty lucky here,” she says. “We definitely have these labour shortages with agriculture, and we’re trying to get on top of that, but there’s some farmers that are saying it’s not as bad as they thought it would be.”

 

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