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Originally published:

January 2019
Vol. 105 Issue 1

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Stories In This Edition

Victoria tweaks ALR rules

Ranch must allow anglers

Grappling with challenges

Editorial: Learning from leopards

Back forty: Livestock protection is a grey matter

Viewpoint: One zone shows foresight as BC ag evolves

Popham pursues ambitious agenda as 2019 arrives

Milk stocks rebuild but skimmed milk an issue

Holstein spring show grows, moves to Chilliwack

Dairy producers withhold national levies

Wave of retirements sweeps through dairy associations

Fund aims to give BC fruit growers a competitive edge

Ag Brief: New chair for Farm Industry Review Board

Ag Brief: BC Tree Fruits shake-up

Ag Brief: Thompson retires from dairy centre

New trap set to reduce Okanagan starling flocks

Consumer prices could buoy farm cash receipts

BC potatoes yield increase in 2018

‘Green rush’ overwhelms OK planning staff

Show, gala showcases BC agriculture

Hort show covers buds to spuds

Sidebar: Budding interest

Spotlight on dairy, innovation

Popular dairy tour showcases diversity

Overseas markets demand top quality

Sidebar: Gerbrandt coordinates berry research

Local seed initiative shifts focus to economics

Big dreams for small pepper growers

Cattle feeders bullish on packing plant

Research: Increasing green fodder could decrease allergies

Beekeepers learn to defend against wildlife

Online platform connects producers, consumers

Public trust programming to expand in 2019

Farmers institutes meet to forge connections

The rock road of water buffalo in BC

Wannabe: Pulling together

Woodshed: Deborah finds it’s better to give than receive

Jude’s Kitchen: Start healthy

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BC growers are overwhelmingly in favour of continuing the BC piece rate system, according to a study the BC Ministry of Labour commissioned in fall 2018 and delivered this past January. Released today, the report found that a change in piece rates will decrease the profitability of all growers, particularly Fraser Valley berry growers, which have seen two years of declining production and margins. (The latest increase in piece rates cost BC producers $7.7 million.) Doing away with piece rates would also hit orchardists hard, with 94% of their workers preferring the piece rate and 87% saying they wouldn’t do the work if paid minimum wage. The report will inform proposals to change the piece rate system to ensure workers receive a fair wage. More info coming in tomorrow's FARM NEWS UPDATE - delivered free to your inbox from BC's agricultural news source: Country Life in BC. Sign up here: buff.ly/2H3dK8k. ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago

BC growers are overwhelmingly in favour of continuing the BC piece rate system, according to a study the BC Ministry of Labour commissioned in fall 2018 and delivered this past January. Released today, the report found that a change in piece rates will decrease the profitability of all growers, particularly Fraser Valley berry growers, which have seen two years of declining production and margins. (The latest increase in piece rates cost BC producers $7.7 million.) Doing away with piece rates would also hit orchardists hard, with 94% of their workers preferring the piece rate and 87% saying they wouldn’t do the work if paid minimum wage. The report will inform proposals to change the piece rate system to ensure workers receive a fair wage. More info coming in tomorrows FARM NEWS UPDATE - delivered free to your inbox from BCs agricultural news source: Country Life in BC. Sign up here: buff.ly/2H3dK8k.
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BC's farmers markets sell what local farmers and craftspeople grow, bake and make, and the opportunity to buy local continues during the winter. BC agriculture minister Lana Popham toured the Riley Park winter market in Vancouver on Saturday to mark BC Buy Local week. The market is one of two winter markets that ring up sales of nearly $3 million for BC farmers. A study by local advocacy group LOCO BC says 63% of those dollars stay in the local economy, versus 14% of every dollar spent at vendors that aren’t locally owned. Country Life in BC is the agricultural news source for BC's farmers and ranchers. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago

BCs farmers markets sell what local farmers and craftspeople grow, bake and make, and the opportunity to buy local continues during the winter. BC agriculture minister Lana Popham toured the Riley Park winter market in Vancouver on Saturday to mark BC Buy Local week. The market is one of two winter markets that ring up sales of nearly $3 million for BC farmers. A study by local advocacy group LOCO BC says 63% of those dollars stay in the local economy, versus 14% of every dollar spent at vendors that aren’t locally owned. Country Life in BC is the agricultural news source for BCs farmers and ranchers.
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Vancouver Food Pedalers Cooperative Fame comes in funny ways!

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

7 days 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

7 days 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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1 week ago

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Online platform connects producers, consumers

Dutch entrepreneur wanted grass-fed meat but making a connection was tough

December 31, 2018 byMyrna Stark Leader

VANCOUVER – When entrepreneur Victor Straatman moved with his family to Vancouver from the Netherlands in summer 2015, he went online seeking grass-fed meat from a local farmer.

Through a referral, he finally found a source and placed his order. But he had to meet the farmer in a North Vancouver parking lot. The farmer had driven six hours from his farm for the meeting , and didn’t take advance payment. They’d never met. And the transaction took up a good part of Straatman’s day, and the farmer’s, too.

“I was happy to get the product, but I thought, ‘Who’s going to do this?’” says Straatman, the founder of a full-service online marketing agency in Holland.

Straatman knew through his experience that he could help consumers find quality meat locally and conveniently. He also saw the opportunity to educate consumers about how their meat is raised to help encourage them to support small-scale BC farmers. Meatme.ca was born.

“I’ve seen this already happening in Europe so I was confident that we could replicate the model here and help smaller scale, ethical farms,” he says. “I started by crowd-funding one cow, basically selling one cow and everyone would buy a share into it like in the past when you used to buy a half or quarter of beef. We broke the cow into 30 shares. Now, it has transformed into an open model where you pick and choose all the cuts you like and it’s delivered.”

Today, Meatme is his full-time job. The company works with seven producers of grass-fed and antibiotic-free meat: Empire Valley Ranch outside of 100 Mile House for beef; Aldergrove’s Giesbrecht Farm and Blue Sky Ranch in the Nicola Valley for pork; Central Park Farms in Langley for chicken; Harmony Farm lamb at Monte Lake; turkey from K&M Farms in Abbotsford and seafood from Haida Wild.

Meatme purchases whole animals cut to specifications. Through a partnership with a storage and fulfillment centre which keeps the meat, orders are ice-packed in recyclable, insulated cardboard boxes and shipped to the purchaser.

Straatman says customers appreciate the quality of the products and the convenience. Most buy monthly or every quarter. A private company, Meatme won’t disclose revenues but Straatman says sales in 2018 tripled versus 2017. It now has about 1,300 customers mostly in the Lower Mainland, as well as on Vancouver Island and in the Okanagan.

“We’re tapping into a whole supply not available in grocery chains. These small farmers can’t get into the grocery stores and consumers can’t buy these products. We’re competing with the conventional meat industry and factory farms,” says Straatman. “Our customers know where their meat comes from, how it’s raised and what it’s eating.”

Although the product is more expensive than the cheapest meat in the grocery store, he says prices are competitive with top-end retailers and the local butcher shop. People are willing to pay for better meat, with new business coming largely from customer referrals or social media.

The business has received more than $40,000 in grants from various sources including Vancity Credit Union and the United Nations Association in Canada’s Green Corps program. Green Corps aims to provide new youth employment to ignite Canada’s green economy.

Straatman says farmers are calling him wanting to join the platform if it grows.

Julia Smith of Blue Sky Ranch was thrilled when Meatme contacted her a year ago. She shipped a couple animals at first, and now ships pigs monthly.

“The model works really well for our farm because it allows us to focus on what we love –  raising happy pigs – without having to worry about the many logistical challenges that come along with a direct-to-consumer business model,” says Smith. “We’ve been hesitant to work with a distributor until now because we haven’t met anyone before who is as true to our values and truly committed to transparency before. We have educated our customers to be savvy, conscious consumers so it is critical for our business that we only work with people our customers can trust. … Meatme shares our passion for animal welfare, honest business practices and respect for our customers, so our relationship is a great fit.”

When Meatme outgrows what she can produce, she knows there are other small producers who’ll come onboard.

Straatman has observed challenges for producers like Smith. There’s limited access to provincially inspected processing facilities  which are required so the meat can be shipped in BC. They tend to be farther away from and have less time options available for small-scale producers.

“We’re proud that we can help profile our farmers and help people vote with their wallets to move meat production in the right direction,” he says.

It was surprising to him that there’s a still a lot of infrastructure to be developed in BC from a delivery perspective. It’s happening, but slower than he expected and it seems that producers are either very small or very large.

“There’s no middle ground and I see a need for that,” he says.

Five years out, Straatman’s business plan aims to expand in BC, and replicate the model across other provinces as well as the US.

“More and more people will be eating plant-based meat and less meat, but meat is still very big,” he says. “The majority will still eat meat – better meat.”

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