Country Life in BC

BC Beef set to launch

October 1, 2020

WESTWOLD – A made-in-BC beef brand is finally within sight after five years of work…

A new generation keeps the family greenhouse growing

October 1, 2020

SURREY – With locations in Surrey and Delta, Sunnyside Produce Ltd. has steadily grown its…

Meat producers frustrated by consultations

October 1, 2020

MERRITT – BC meat producers are frustrated that the province is spending more time studying…

Agrilyze Builds Software for Precision Agriculture

September 30, 2020

Abbotsford-based i-Open Group of Companies has launched Agrilyze, BC’s first data analytics portal for precision…

Abattoir association calls for action

September 30, 2020

The provincial election call last week has increased uncertainties for BC abattoir operators, who have…

Beef producers welcome Ishoy

September 30, 2020

A veteran of Canada’s meat industry is embarking on a new venture this week. Mark…

Women farmers receive double

September 30, 2020

Farm Credit Canada’s Women Entrepreneur Program has delivered nearly twice as much support to female…

Cranberry outlook brightens

September 23, 2020

BC cranberry growers are expecting a crop closer to usual volumes this year after cold…

Merlot, Pinot Gris tops in BC

September 23, 2020

With the grape harvest getting underway in the Okanagan, an analysis of last year’s crop…

Agriculture nabs recovery funding

September 23, 2020

BC’s agrifood sector was among those singled out as a priority for funds as part…

Province launches meat consultation

September 16, 2020

The BC Ministry of Agriculture is finally beginning to update slaughter practices. Comments are being…

Apples smoked by fires, labour

September 16, 2020

The smoke blanketing the southern half of BC over the past week from fires in…

Mushroom production up

September 16, 2020

Detailed statistical information on Canada’s mushroom sector has been hard to come by. During the…

Second residences still allowed

September 9, 2020

The province will allow landowners in the ALR to place a manufactured home for immediate…

Peace leads land deals

September 9, 2020

Provincial property transfer data indicates that sales of BC farm properties fell 11% in the…

FARM NEWS UPDATE

August 5, 2026

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14 hours 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.

15 hours ago

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1 day 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🌟

2 days ago

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

www.countrylifeinbc.com

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!

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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