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Originally published:

JUNE 2022
Vol. 108 Issue 6

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Stories In This Edition

Bird flu in FV

Birds of a feather

BC farm count shrinks

Fast turnaround nabs new grower high praise

Editorial: Growing old quickly

Back 40: War puts perspective on delayed spring in BC

Op-ed: Panel frames a vision for the future of BC ag

Cool spring has delayed crops province-wide

Sidebar: Low termperatures impact fruit

Nicola Valley secures funding for new abattoir

Ranchers feel margin squeeze

IAFBC expands its reach despite challenging year

Good job

Growers must focus on quality to grow market

Task force works to implement UNDRIP goals

Packers say they’ll work together to fix industry

New president aims to motivate farmers institutes

Irrigation shouldn’t be an afterthought

Project provides peace of mind for Oliver growers

Seaweed shows promise as feed additive

Forage field days showcase new tools, concepts

Sidebar: Pest management plot

Women offer ‘cutting-edge’ skills

Irrigation planning critical for hazelnuts

Nip and tuck

Off-season sales boosted by new vending machine

New pest jeopardizes strawberry production

Big expansion plans for Terrace poultry farm

BCAITC celebrates 30 years

Farm Story: There’s always one field that’s “special”

Shape-shifting dahlias drawing in growers

Woodshed Chronicles: Rescue comes for Kenneth

Jude’s Kitchen: Cake to celebrate summer and dads

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1 month ago

The province has extended the Canada-BC Flood Recovery for Food Security Program deadline from June 1 to Aug. 31. The program helps farmers cover uninsured expenses caused by damages in the November 2021 floods, including cleanup, repair and restoration of land, barns and animal shelters, and water and waste systems; returning flood-affected land and buildings to a safe state for agricultural production; repairing uninsurable essential farm infrastructure; repairing structures such as livestock-containment fences; renting temporary production facilities; installing drainage ditches and land-stabilization materials; animal welfare activities such as replacing feed, transporting livestock, veterinary care and mortality disposal; and
replacing perennial plants not grown for sale. Program criteria and application forms are available online: buff.ly/3sVRF4G
... See MoreSee Less

The province has extended the Canada-BC Flood Recovery for Food Security Program deadline from June 1 to Aug. 31. The program helps farmers cover uninsured expenses caused by damages in the November 2021 floods, including cleanup, repair and restoration of land, barns and animal shelters, and water and waste systems; returning flood-affected land and buildings to a safe state for agricultural production;  repairing uninsurable essential farm infrastructure; repairing structures such as livestock-containment fences; renting temporary production facilities; installing drainage ditches and land-stabilization materials; animal welfare activities such as replacing feed, transporting livestock, veterinary care and mortality disposal; and
replacing perennial plants not grown for sale. Program criteria and application forms are available online: https://buff.ly/3sVRF4G
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1 month ago

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details. ... See MoreSee Less

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details.
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2 months ago

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the province's deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed. ... See MoreSee Less

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the provinces deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed.
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Sounds like 2 weeks to flatten the curve turning into 2 years.

USDA doing avian vax research, May 11 bio-docs to UN incl section on H5N8 w/wild bird spread. Found link to apparent pre-release on May 11 Geller Report. Good luck farmers.

2 months ago

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.” ... See MoreSee Less

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.”
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Killing our food chain. How do we know they are actually carrying a virus, look what's taking place with covid, is it real.

Ik kan niet zo goed Engels maar als ik het goed begrijp is bij jullie ook vogelgriep maar nog niet bij jullie

Any idea when this episode or bird flu might be over?

2 months ago

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions. ... See MoreSee Less

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions.
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Off-season sales boosted by new vending machine

System supports stable revenues

Brian Maljaars likes efficiency – and a state-of-the-art vending machine to market Berry Bounty Farms’ eggs, berries and honey year-round checks all the boxes. Leanne Maljaars

June 1, 2022 byMyrna Stark Leader

CHILLIWACK – A vending machine from the Netherlands has improved winter sales on a Chilliwack farm.

Berry Bounty Farms installed the Innovend machine last July, allowing it to display more than a dozen products from berries to eggs and honey in individual climate-controlled compartments with see-through doors.

An increasingly common sight in Europe, the installation in Chilliwack is the first in North America and represents a major development for Berry Bounty, a 37-acre mixed farm producing blueberries, raspberries, eggs and honey as well as jams and juices.

Dave and Janna Maljaars purchased the former dairy farm in the 1990s and leased it to others for forage crops. About 12 years ago, the Maljaars with their son Brian and his brothers-in-law Les and Steve decided the land should be more productive and planted berries.

Large fluctuations in the prices received from local packers prompted them to pursue direct farmgate sales to obtain more stable returns. They started with a fridge full of products and a cash box outside their garage door. With everyone working full-time off-farm, they found farmers markets took more effort than the revenue they generated.

“I’m a builder by trade and still work but I want the farm to be more than a hobby as I take it over, hopefully, to be a primary source of income,” says Brian Maljaars. “That means we need to do things differently to become the most efficient.”

This is where the Innovend began to make sense.

Originally, Maljaars’ wife Leanne (a teacher and also the farm’s social media marketer), noticed another local farm using a different vending system. They researched a few options and realized that climate-controlled vending compartments could boost berry sales in the winter and increase revenues.

It would also expand shopping hours, increase customer convenience and save time. There would be no more need to set appointments for customers to pick up products, especially frozen berries.

The machine arrived just as berry season was starting last summer. Hoping for strong demand for frozen berries throughout the winter, in addition to fresh market sales during the summer, the farm doubled its frozen berry inventory. Blueberries are packaged in four-pound bags and raspberries in three-pound packages.

“Sales in general have been absolutely phenomenal on the machine through December, January and now March and April,” says Maljaars. “We estimated about $7,000 a month and are now exceeding $10,000. We are going to run out of inventory so it might see a drop now but it’s given us marketing direction for 2022.”

The version of the Innovend machine installed in Chilliwack cost $60,000. The Maljaars liked that it had been in development for 15 years and could be operated by phone from their day jobs. Customers can pay by credit card, enabling self-serve shopping at their farm 13 hours a day, six days a week.

Typically, they’ve had 20 to 30 customers of all ages visit the farm daily, and not just from Chilliwack. Many are curious, though vending machines are being adopted by a growing number of farms for a range of perishable products including milk and eggs.

Maljaars credits a Dale Carnegie training course he attended a couple years ago with encouraging him to find new and better ways of doing things, from new technologies to building a better berry packing line.

One plus of the Innovend is that the machine is connected to the manufacturer via the Internet, allowing software updates to occur with ease.

“We have sold two other machines in BC in addition to the one at Berry Bounty within the last 16 months,” says Gene Keenan of AgPro West Supply Ltd., the Abbotsford dealer. “We have had farmers interested from Victoria, Terrace and the Fraser Valley. We’ve also been in contact with farmers from Alberta and Nova Scotia.”

Maljaars says vending machines could be a viable marketing tool for BC producers, particularly niche growers of meat, flowers and vegetables – all products that can be accommodated in a climate-controlled machine.

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