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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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BC Cattlemen’s Association members gathered in Cranbrook for their 97th AGM last week. BCCA president Werner Stump welcomed upwards of 300 ranchers as he signalled a change in tone with the association’s approach to government. “We are going to be a lot more blunt in our dealings with government as we fight for our livelihood,” Stump told his audience. The North American herd size remains down, and calf prices are expected to stay strong, says Brenna Grant from Canfax. “We could see $5.50 -$5.70 this fall for a 5(00) weight calves.” Duncan and Jane Barnett and family from Barnett Land and Livestock in 150 Mile House received the Ranch Sustainability Award, which recognized their riparian management and community involvement. From left to right, Clayton Loewen with Jane, Duncan and Lindsay Barnett.

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BC Cattlemen’s Association members gathered in Cranbrook for their 97th AGM last week. BCCA president Werner Stump welcomed upwards of 300 ranchers as he signalled a change in tone with the association’s approach to government. “We are going to be a lot more blunt in our dealings with government as we fight for our livelihood,” Stump told his audience. The North American herd size remains down, and calf prices are expected to stay strong, says Brenna Grant from Canfax. “We could see $5.50 -$5.70 this fall for a 5(00) weight calves.” Duncan and Jane Barnett and family from Barnett Land and Livestock in 150 Mile House received the Ranch Sustainability Award, which recognized their riparian management and community involvement. From left to right, Clayton Loewen with Jane, Duncan and Lindsay Barnett.

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Congratulations!!!

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Congratulations

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Congratulations Duncan and Jane Trott Barnett Well deserved recognition

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Duncan, Jane, and all the rest of the Barnett family!

Congratulations Duncan and Jane!!

Congratulations Jane and Ducan! Sandra Andresen Hawkins

Congratulations Jane & Duncan 🥳

Congratulation Duncan & Jane!!

Congratulations Jane Trott Barnett and Duncan!!!

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1 month ago

Grapegrower Colleen Ingram, who was recognized earlier this year as the 2024 Grower of the Year by the BC Grapegrowers Association. “Given the devastation we have had over the last three years, I feel like this award should be given to the entire industry,” she says. Her story appears in the June edition of Country Life in BC, and we've also posted to our website.

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Industry champion named BC’s best grape grower

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KELOWNA – Colleen Ingram’s enthusiasm for collaboration within the BC wine industry is so great that when she was named 2024 Grower of the Year by the BC Grapegrowers Association, she wanted to sh...
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2 months ago

From orchard manager to government specialist and now executive director of the BC Fruit Growers Association, Adrian Arts brings a rare blend of hands-on farming experience and organizational leadership to an industry poised for renewal. His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for BC fruit growers, with Arts expressing enthusiasm about continuing the momentum built by his predecessor and working alongside a board that signals a generational shift in agricultural advocacy.

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Arts leads BCFGA forward

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A combination of organizational management and practical farming experience has primed the new executive director of the BC Fruit Growers Association to lead the industry forward.
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2 months ago

A public consultation is now underway on the powers and duties of the BC Milk Marketing Board. Key issues for dairy producers include transportation costs, rules governing shipments and limitations on supporting processing initiatives. Stakeholders have until May 31 to comment.

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Milk board undertakes review

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A public consultation on the powers and duties of the BC Milk Marketing Board is underway as part of a triennial review required by the British Columbia Milk Marketing Board Regulation.
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Packers say they’ll work together to fix industry

BCFGA will ask the province to intervene on marketing commission

Quality doesn’t come without investment and fruit growers are hard-pressed to invest in their orchards when the prices they receive don’t meet the cost of production, says grower Deep Brar of Summerland. TOM WALKER

June 1, 2022 byTom Walker

KELOWNA – A group of packers have sent a letter to BC apple growers outlining their commitment to work together and offering a number of suggestions to improve the industry.

But the BC Fruit Growers Association says the suggestions are not substantial enough and will ask the province to step in.

The 11-member group includes some of the province’s biggest packers, including BC Tree Fruits Co-op, Consolidated Fruit Packers and Sandher Fruit Packers.

The letter states that packers believe they can collaborate on several activities “that will improve circumstances of the industry and contribute to grower returns.”

BCFGA general manager Glen Lucas says the letter shows that packers are coming together in a way they haven’t in the past.

“The packers have not organized themselves to speak as a group in the past so this is a good thing, but what they have proposed will not stabilize the industry,” he claims.

The packer initiatives include ensuring clear and consistent quality standards to which all packers hold growers; working towards increasing access to key, high-return export markets; and promoting apple consumption by consumers and improving domestic market access.

Lucas doesn’t have much faith in goals that uses language such as “work towards” or “promote,” without any plan of who, how, when and then what.

“These ideas better have some teeth,” says Lucas. “Who would design the quality standards? Who would monitor them? There is no accountability, and no process to enforce standards. Are the packers going to phone up each other and say smarten up?”

A fair price over the cost of production is a key for apple growers.

“I received 18 cents a pound for my Galas this year and my cost of production is over 30 cents a pound,” says Deep Brar, a Summerland grower who farms apples, cherries, peaches and pears.

Quality requires money for orchard management, explains Brar.

“I know growers who had top quality packouts four years ago who are now struggling to invest in the inputs for a good crop,” he says. “I’m grafting some of the Galas over to cider apples and I wonder if I should just take the chainsaw to the rest of them.”

He could plant more cherries but he says apples provide a good diversity to his business.

Grower representation

An apple marketing commission would represent growers in their business, sales and marketing relationship with packers, Lucas explains.

“We understand that some packers are strongly opposed to this, but it will rebalance the power,” Lucas says. “Currently contracts are not negotiated; they are imposed on growers.”

The letter also addresses competition, acknowledging that “more than ever before, there is more pressure and competition in the marketplace.”

But with as many as 35 packinghouses in the Okanagan, Lucas says the industry needs to change to satisfy retailer demands.

“A commission gives the industry the ability to stand up to the retail sector,” Lucas says.

Just five retail groups – Loblaws, Sobeys, Metro, Walmart and Costco – control 80% of grocery sales in Canada, and a divided packing industry helps retailers beat down the price of apples.

“A commission empowers packers to exchange information on pricing and agree on a minimum price, a fair return for growers, something that is currently illegal for them to do,” Lucas explains.

The hundreds of hours of meetings held as part of the province’s tree fruit stabilization initiative last year led to a 40-page report with 19 recommendations that have yet to effect change.

BCFGA says a decision needs to be made for the sake of growers.

“We are tired of all the back-and-forth and the rock-throwing,” Lucas says.

BCFGA plans to ask the government to appoint a mediator to work with all parties and recommend a solution.

“The board will be meeting shortly to develop a formal request to the ministry,” Lucas explains. “We believe a mediator can listen to all parties and make a recommendation to the agriculture minister on how to proceed.”

Lucas hopes a government mediator would recommend a grower vote, free of packer interference, but the BCFGA will accept the mediator’s recommendations, if one is appointed.

“My understanding is that the ministry doesn’t have to hold a vote, they could simply mandate a solution, but BCFGA believes a vote would be best,” he says.

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