Country Life in BC

Algoma comes to BC

May 21, 2025

Canada’s largest independent apple grower is moving into BC following the purchase of the last…

Study promotes beneficial fire

May 21, 2025

Fighting fire with fire is the focus of Beneficial Fire in BC, a report released…

Driediger Farms for sale

May 21, 2025

Well-known Langley berry grower Driediger Farms is for sale. “I’ve been looking at different options…

Arts leads BCFGA forward

May 7, 2025

A combination of organizational management and practical farming experience has primed the new executive director…

BC mourns sheep advocate

May 7, 2025

A tireless advocate for the BC sheep sector has died. Barbara Ydenberg of Wind’s Reach…

Bringing mental wellness forward

May 7, 2025

“Employees must stop crying before returning to work.” The decal, spotted recently in the washroom…

Landowners push back against rail trail plans

May 1, 2025

ARMSTRONG – The 50-kilometre planned Shuswap North Okanagan rail trail from Sicamous to Armstrong remains…

Kelowna abattoir fills critical processing gap

May 1, 2025

KELOWNA – A Vancouver Island farmer has reactivated and expanded a Kelowna abattoir, providing processing…

Reminiscences of a honeyed career

May 1, 2025

CRANBROOK – Those involved in the art of keeping bees often mention a lifelong attraction…

Milk board undertakes review

April 23, 2025

A public consultation on the powers and duties of the BC Milk Marketing Board is…

BC wool value, volume drop

April 23, 2025

BC sheep producers shipped less wool for less in 2023, reversing strong growth a year…

Agriculture at the polls

April 23, 2025

The polls will be closed and a new government elected by this time next week,…

BC growers look beyond tariff turbulence

April 9, 2025

A new global trade environment erupted last week after weeks of threats, but BC agriculture…

BCAC holds AGM

April 9, 2025

The annual general meeting of the BC Agriculture Council this week hailed a “transformative year”…

Potato acreage declines in 2025

April 9, 2025

BC potato seeding is down this spring as producers pare acreage. The BC Vegetable Marketing…

FARM NEWS UPDATE

August 5, 2026

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2 days ago

Complex, curious and compassionate, and above all a contributor to his family, his community and the dairy industry is how family, friends and colleagues remembered Dave Janssens this morning at a memorial service in Surrey following his untimely passing July 21 while cycling through the Peace region. A standing-room-only congregation attended as Janssens' life and decades of service were honoured. An elected member of both the BC Milk Marketing Board and the BC Dairy Association, Janssens represented the industry at the provincial and national level and was recognized for his clear thinking and willingness to entertain diverse perspectives. He retired last year following six years as a director of the BC Milk Marketing Board. His absence from industry discussions will be miss#BCAg##BCDairyDairy ... See MoreSee Less

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Our Sincere Condolences to the family and all who had the pleasure of knowing David, he left his mark, Rest in Peace David 🙏🏼

A significant contributor in so many ways, sorry for your loss!

5 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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6 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🌟

Glad folks are talking and looking for collaborative solutions.

Have a look at allowing beavers back into the system. Many jurisdictions are finding them useful engineers for storing water and releasing it slowly. To stop flooding inexpensive 'Pond Levelers" can be installed. Upward salmon migrations can be facilitated with fish ladders or making notches in the dams a just the right time to let the fish through. The ponds also provide habitat for a whole variety of species and rearing habitat for juvenile salmon. www.workingwithbeavers.ca/coexist_level.php A contact I have who is supportive and knowledgeable on allowing beavers to help us is : Kurt Frei, MSc., R.P.Bio. Regional Aquatic Ecologist Resource Stewardship Division Kurt.Frei@gov.bc.ca Ph: 778.362.4730

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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!