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MAY 2025
Vol. 111 Issue 4

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1 week ago

From orchard manager to government specialist and now executive director of the BC Fruit Growers Association, Adrian Arts brings a rare blend of hands-on farming experience and organizational leadership to an industry poised for renewal. His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for BC fruit growers, with Arts expressing enthusiasm about continuing the momentum built by his predecessor and working alongside a board that signals a generational shift in agricultural advocacy.

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Arts leads BCFGA forward

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A combination of organizational management and practical farming experience has primed the new executive director of the BC Fruit Growers Association to lead the industry forward.
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2 weeks ago

A public consultation is now underway on the powers and duties of the BC Milk Marketing Board. Key issues for dairy producers include transportation costs, rules governing shipments and limitations on supporting processing initiatives. Stakeholders have until May 31 to comment.

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Milk board undertakes review

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A public consultation on the powers and duties of the BC Milk Marketing Board is underway as part of a triennial review required by the British Columbia Milk Marketing Board Regulation.
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2 weeks ago

BC wool shipments drop sharply in 2023, according to StatsCan data released in mid-April. Local producers shipped just 5,200kg at 37¢/kg, down from 18,600kg at $1.08/kg in 2022. While many farmers now use wool on-farm or dispose of it due to low market value, innovative producers like Emily McIvor point to untapped opportunities. Read more in our Farm News Update from Country Life in BC.

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BC wool value, volume drop

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BC sheep producers shipped less wool for less in 2023, reversing strong growth a year earlier. BC producers shipped 5,200 kilograms of raw wool in 2023, according to Statistics Canada data released on...
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2 weeks ago

Eric Feehely and Miho Shinbo are growing 30+ crops on 2.5 acres in Vernon. Writer Myrna Stark Leader takes a look at how Silverstar Veggies is balancing CSA programs, farmers markets and restaurant sales while planning smart expansions in challenging economic times in Market farm works smarter, not harder.

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Market farm works smarter, not harder

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VERNON – Silverstar Veggies, a five-year-old mixed vegetable and herb farm in Vernon, thrives on passion and innovative ideas. A former watersport and adventure sport instructor…
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4 weeks ago

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Plan drafted for BX Ranchlands

RDNO Area C director Amanda Shatzko had a hay day working on the BX Ranchlands project.

May 11, 2022 byKate Ayers

The Regional District of North Okanagan has unveiled a five-year development plan for the BX Ranchlands that prioritizes small-scale agriculture, community education and environmental sustainability.

“To me it is an opportunity for local producers to participate in innovative farming education within the Interior of BC, as well as an opportunity for young farmers who often have difficulty securing farmland due to the price, a place to experiment with incubator farms,” says RDNO vice-chair and director of BX/Silverstar Amanda Shatzko. “It is a prime location between schools for youth to explore the local trails and get their hands dirty in community gardens.”

The regional district developed the plan over the past year in partnership Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Institute for Sustainable Food Systems and the Land to Table Network of the North Okanagan (L2T) and local stakeholders.

The site encompasses 167 acres east of Vernon. The draft plan allocates 90 acres to farmland leases, 24 acres to habitat protection, 12 acres to a research and teaching farm, five acres to a community farm, two acres to a pollinator meadow, one acre to a community garden and 0.5 acre to a food forest.

The farmland leases will help provide farmers with reliable access to land, which will support local agriculture and strengthen regional food systems, the plan says. The plan also enables users to experiment “with climate-resistant crops so that we can help with future food sustainability and lowering greenhouse gases,” Shatzko adds.

A public consultation is now underway to allow the public to offer their feedback on the draft plan. The responses will underpin recommendations presented to Shatzko and fellow director Bob Fleming, who represents Area B, for final approval.

RDNO purchased the property in 2016. It initially created a recreational trail along the perimeter of the property. It  then considered subdividing and selling the remaining land. But in 2021, after concerns of land protection and future use, RDNO electoral areas B and C took over sole ownership of the BX Ranchlands to keep the site available for the public.

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