Country Life in BC

Province makes appointments

January 15, 2020

A new year means a new lease on life for many government appointees, and new…

Trespass awareness needed

January 8, 2020

Greater public awareness of the cost of trespassing on farmland is one positive result of…

Abbotsford dairy tops farm sales

January 8, 2020

The top farm property sale in BC last year was Lilac Ridge, a dairy farm…

Bursary fund welcomes applications

January 8, 2020

Post-secondary education is expensive and a financial gift can be a huge help. Whether it’s…

Bison could be key to climate change resilience

January 1, 2020

MERRITT – How do you design a cow for the evolving Canadian climate? That’s the…

Pacific Ag Show keeps up with changing times

January 1, 2020

Sixty-two years ago, Fraser Valley raspberry and strawberry growers decided to host a day of…

Processing plant will cut transportation costs

January 1, 2020

VANCOUVER – The Western Milk Pool (WMP) has taken the first step in decreasing the…

Small farmers raise concerns about CanadaGAP

January 1, 2020

VERNON – Government efforts to provide greater assurances of food safety are creating apprehension among…

Cherry growers see record crop losses in 2019

January 1, 2020

LAKE COUNTRY – BC’s cherry industry often refers to 2016 as the Vietnam year because…

FARM NEWS UPDATE

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Two years of funding increases for the province’s agriculture ministry have come to an end with today’s budget, which proposes a cut of nearly $3 million for operating expenses. While the Agricultural Land Commission receives a boost of $70,000 and the BC Farm Industry Review Board is allocated an additional $16,000, funding for agriculture science and policy is taking a cut of $2.3 million. The budget for the ministry’s executive and support services is also being pared by $72,000. The result will see the ministry’s budget fall from $98.2 million to $95.4 million in the coming year. Country Life in BC is the agricultural news source for BC's farmers and ranchers. More details coming in our March edition. ... See MoreSee Less

7 days ago

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100 million dollars to the taxpayer for essentially nothing improved and much worse. I wonder how much the ALC cost us when it comprised of a board of regional representatives??

This is a sad day for BC agriculture.

Concern about a potential shortage of seasonal farm workers has been averted. “We worked with the affected employers and I think we were able to accommodate everyone,” BC Agriculture Council executive director Reg Ens said in early January. The issue hinged on the need for Mexican workers to provide biometric information (fingerprints and a facial photo) before being permitted to work in Canada. This can only be done at one center in Mexico City and that center can handle no more than 150 applicants a day. Once provided, however, biometric information is good for 10 years. buff.ly/3bf64hV ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

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BC greenhouse growers have until December 1 to transition to the new Greenhouse Certification Program if they want to export plants. The new program defines a greenhouse as any structure which creates a modified growing environment and controls pests. It excludes field-grown nursery stock. Details are in the February edition of Country Life in BC, the agricultural news source for BC’s farmers and ranchers since 1915. ... See MoreSee Less

Increasing the amount of BC grown or raised food in government funded institutions (like hospitals, residential care homes, universities and colleges) is not as easy as it sounds. “It’s not as easy as flipping a switch and buying food closer to home,” admits agriculture minister Lana Popham. But recent work under Feed BC hopes to make the path to market clearer for BC’s farmers and ranchers. Feed BC has published a list of the top 20 food products BC health care facilities use that are currently sourced outside the province that local producers have the greatest potential to supply. Another new publication, Selling BC Food to BC’s Government Supported Facilities, also identifies the opportunities as well as illustrating the supply chain and outlines a producer’s route to market. Read Tom Walker’s story is the February edition of Country Life in BC. ... See MoreSee Less

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Bees and cranberries are the latest recipients of funding under the Canada-BC Agri-Innovation Program, administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. Worker Bee Honey Co. of Chilliwack and the BC Cranberry Marketing Commission have received more than $181,000 towards projects aimed at building a more sustainable future for agriculture. The Canada-BC Agri-Innovation Program has funded a total of 28 projects worth to date. Total funding available is $5.3 million, of which $2.7 million has been awarded. ... See MoreSee Less

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FARM NEWS UPDATE

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