Country Life in BC

Commercial egg production set to begin in Cariboo

October 1, 2024

QUESNEL – Commercial egg production is coming to the Cariboo following the selection of a…

Lumby rancher embarks on building dream farm

October 1, 2024

LUMBY – William Gamache of Lumby was the sole BC resident selected as one of…

Wine Growers head to retire

September 25, 2024

Wine Growers BC’s longest-serving president and CEO has announced his retirement. Miles Prodan, who joined…

Dairy quota rules change

September 25, 2024

New rules that come into play in December will govern exchanges of dairy quota taking…

BC seeks crop reporters

September 25, 2024

The province hopes to recruit industry volunteers to report on agricultural production conditions across the…

Interior egg production set to rise

September 11, 2024

This week saw the selection of two new entrants to the BC egg sector, diversifying…

New fruit co-op discussed

September 11, 2024

The BC Fruit Growers Association (BCFGA) coordinated a meeting of former BC Tree Fruits Cooperative…

BC rancher brings home esteemed leadership award

September 11, 2024

Vernon’s Cassie Marchand is the second recipient of the Reg Schellenberg Next Generation Legacy Award.…

Co-op closure leaves growers in the lurch

September 11, 2024

OLIVER – On July 3, Osoyoos cherry grower Ranjit Dhillon delivered the last of his…

Gulf Island entrepreneurs eye food security

September 11, 2024

THETIS ISLAND – When Elisabeth and Noah Bond bought the only vineyard on Thetis Island…

Co-op assets on the block

August 28, 2024

BC Supreme Court approved an order August 26 for the sale of assets held by…

Cocksure court naysays rooster

August 28, 2024

Salt Spring Island farm organizations are protesting the August 22 conviction of a local resident…

Moderate potato crop expected

August 28, 2024

Lower Mainland potato crops are expected to come in below average this year thanks to…

BC Tree gets credit protection

August 14, 2024

BC Tree Fruits Cooperative has sought protection from creditors under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act…

BC Veg denies greenhouse application

August 14, 2024

Ontario-based greenhouse grower Mucci Farms has had its application to market produce in BC denied…

FARM NEWS UPDATE

August 5, 2026

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2 days ago

The committee of MLAs charged with setting priorities for the next provincial budget is recommending regular, annual funding for water storage infrastructure associated with food production, including for engineering inspections, maintenance and upgrades. The recommendation builds on the BC Cattlemen's Association's recommendation of an annual allocation of $5 million for water storage infrastructure related to food production, noting that it could also support resilience in the face of climate-related events. While the province has allocated $120 million for agricultural water infrastructure, agriculture minister Lana Popham told Country Life in BC this week that other ministries and the federal government will need to be involved in funding future p#BCAgts#BCAgCAg

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A typical small-to-medium farming operation featuring a house, main barn, and machine shed generally has around 8,000 to 12,000 square feet of total roof surface. The Okanagan Valley is one of the driest regions in Canada, averaging roughly 300 millimetres (11.8 inches) of annual precipitation. Storing a full year's collected rainwater from those roofs yields roughly 262,500 litres. In the three regional districts that make up the Okanagan valley proper (North Okanagan, Central Okanagan, and Okanagan-Similkameen), the 2021 Statistics Canada Census of Agriculture records roughly 3,100 total farms. Multiply that number by 262,500 litres of harvested rainwater equals 813.75 million litres of water saved per year. Capturing that volume of water across every farm roof in the region would significantly ease peak summer pumping pressure on local groundwater aquifers and Okanagan Lake.

Fantastic!! We will work hard to be involved and do what we can as well as a collective group on the Salmon River!

Absolutely! Long over due and very welcomed. Let's make this happen.

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3 days ago

About 40 community members gathered at Silver Creek Community Hall near Salmon Arm last Thursday to discuss ways to improve water availability for both farms and spawning salmon. While the province has since rescinded a fish protection order for the watershed that shut down irrigation, future risks to water access remain top of mind. "We are here because water matters to each of us," says rancher and organizer Trudy Schweb. Farmland Riparian Interface Stewardship Program manager Lee Hesketh outlined the potential for upland water storage while Rob Dinwoodie highlighted cost-shared funding opportunities through the Environmental Farm Plan program for riparian assessments, irrigation efficiency upgrades and other water-related projects available to producers. Photo credit | Facebook/Trudy Schweb

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Salmon River Watershed Roundtable should be looked into again.

Well done my girl,the voice of Silver Creek ranchers and more

Thanks for covering this🌟

The BC Fruit Growers Association is urging Greater Vernon Water and the Regional District of North Okanagan to halt water shut-offs hitting 2,100+ acres of Okanagan orchards mid-season. With losses potentially topping $250 million, fruit growers say decisions of this scale demand a coordinated plan with farmers and the province — not one-sided cuts. They’re not the only producers affected by this year’s dry conditions.

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Cash Flows

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VERNON – Water restrictions intensified across the southern Interior in late July, with record low stream flows clouding the cash outlook for ranches and orchards. Fourteen agricultural water users�...

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Food should ALWAYS come first. Allow the farmers their water. My grandad watered the apples by flume from the mountain. Let’s get on with AG and get out of the way!

4 days ago

The BC Fruit Growers Association has joined Apples Canada, a new national voice for provincial apple organizations in BC, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Charles Stevens of Ontario chairs the new group, an evolution of the apple working group within Fruit & Vegetable Growers Canada (FVGC), the new group will tackle production, sustainability, research and policy issues as well as advocate for market access in partnership with FVGC. It follows the creation of the Greenhouse Produce Alliance of Canada earlier this year, which replaced the former greenhouse vegetable working group. The berry and field vegetable sectors will continue to maintain working groups with FVGC, while the long-estblished Canadian Potato Council serves the interests of potato growers under the FVGC umbrella.

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