Country Life in BC

Child labour feedback sought

October 16, 2019

The BC Ministry of Labour is making a special plea to the farm sector for…

Worker shortages cost $216 million

October 16, 2019

Worker shortages cost BC producers $216 million in 2018, according to the detailed findings of…

ALC gets an earful

October 9, 2019

Small-lot agriculture, secondary residences and a general disconnect between farmers, local government and the Agricultural…

Potato hopes mashed

October 9, 2019

A month after growers gathered for the annual BC potato variety trial field day on…

Ministry working on land use inventory

October 2, 2019

WILLIAMS LAKE—Producers used to keeping an eye out for suspicious activity were on alert in…

City Beet harvests profits from urban gardens

October 2, 2019

VANCOUVER—It’s a sunny afternoon in the Lower Mainland as Maddy Clerk and Elana Evans of…

BC considers making premises ID mandatory

October 2, 2019

VICTORIA—Since 2011, the BC Ministry of Agriculture has run a voluntary premises identification program for…

New round of changes coming to land reserve

October 2, 2019

MERVILLE—The next round of changes coming to the Agricultural Land Reserve was announced September 19…

Food-X connects shoppers, farmers

October 2, 2019

A maxing out of farmers markets and the rise of online grocery shopping has fuelled…

FARM NEWS UPDATE

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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

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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

3 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

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Secondary residences could be allowed on all properties in the Agricultural Land Reserve under changes the BC Ministry of Agriculture is considering. The details follow comments agriculture minister Lana Popham made to farmers’ institutes last Friday regarding changes her ministry is considering. Second homes such as mobile dwellings and carriage houses could be built without an application to the Agricultural Land Commission, though what say local government might have over the dwellings has yet to be determined. Whether or not the second homes could be permanent structures is also unclear. However, the ministry has confirmed that the proposed change would be for all ALR landowners, not just farmers, who it notes are allowed two, three or more residences with approval from the ALC. Country Life in BC is the agriculture news source for BC's farmers and ranchers. Sign up for free FARM NEWS UPDATES delivered weekly to your inbox. buff.ly/2H3dK8k ... See MoreSee Less

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We shouldn't need approval from the ALC to have those residences! The ALC SHOULD NOT be in the housing regulation business!!

The article reads "...the province is considering allowing all landowners, whether or not they farm, to build secondary residences in the ALR, providing owners first register the residences with the ALC. These include both mobile homes and carriage houses, though whether these could be permanent structures is unknown." This would be positive news for families or for farms who put staff housing on site. A lot of local governments still don't like the huge homes but should consider with applications square foot caps and how many generations/families are living together; and how one large home actually is more efficient in the long run, as a larger homes can serve as a multi-family dwelling (instead of a family having to fragment and build/buy separate smaller ones that are geographically separated). Also some families living in the ALR can't afford to purchase a separate piece of land or a separate home to live offsite or commute to the family farm, so I like this idea Lana Popham

Well, good news. Too late for Woodwynn farms. Will it stop three 12000 sq ft mansions from being built instead of just one?

Finally.......now maybe we can get our daughter moved onto our land

Harassing BC Farms is the GreeNDP’s last nail in the coffin. Big trouble next election.

Excellent news

A really bad idea.

one could only hope..

Jim Grieve

Gord Rockvam...

This is what I don't understand - "...farmers, who it notes are allowed two, three or more residences with approval from the ALC." If that is true, what is the fuss? Why open it up to ALC owners who are not farmers? I also do not understand why they use square footage instead of the footprint of the dwellings and infrastructure as a way to measure housing. Isn't it the actual land that needs protection? In that case, you could build up and it would decrease the amount of infrastructure needed. I also agree that not all ALC land is suitable for farming. Most of the ALC land was designated by a last minute fly-over. Nobody checked the quality of the soil. In fact, if you want to get really picky, why allow greenhouses with cement pads to be built on viable agricultural soil. They should be restricted to non-arable ALC land. Hats off to Popham for trying to deal with this complicated mess and for listening to the public.

They would save a lot of headache and money by just aloting a home site area and you can build what you want.

Government should stay out of farming

FARM NEWS UPDATE

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