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Current Issue:

September 2023
Vol. 109 Issue 9

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4 days ago

The Great Spallumcheen Farm & Food Festival and North Okanagan Plowing Match is happening this Sunday, September 24 from 10-3 at Fieldstone Organics, 4851 Schubert Rd, Armstrong. The outdoor festival features tastings and a market brimming with local food and beverage vendors, a horse and tractor plowing competition and vintage farm equipment displays. ... See MoreSee Less

The Great Spallumcheen Farm & Food Festival and North Okanagan Plowing Match is happening this Sunday, September 24 from 10-3 at Fieldstone Organics, 4851 Schubert Rd, Armstrong. The outdoor festival features tastings and a market brimming with local food and beverage vendors, a horse and tractor plowing competition and vintage farm equipment displays.
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Patti 😊

6 days ago

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7 days ago

The top five issues the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity identified in a recent survey were the cost of food, inflation, the cost of energy, keeping healthy food affordable and the Canadian economy. “We are seeing that environmental concerns are not in the top 10,” says Amy Peck, manager of the Canadian Cattle Association’s public and stakeholder engagement program. “If you are concerned about being able to afford to feed your family, the environment becomes less important.” ... See MoreSee Less

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Ranchers get the backstory on public perception

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VERNON – Ranchers might be concerned about how the public sees their industry, but a producer-funded team at the Canadian Cattle Association has their back. Amy Peck, manager of the Canadian Cattle...
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1 week ago

BC Tree Fruit Co-op has sold its Lake Country packing house as part of its long-term plan to consolidate operations. The sale, to an undisclosed buyer, closed on August 31, 2023 for $15.8 million. ... See MoreSee Less

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Lake Country packing house sold

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BC Tree Fruit Co-op has sold its Lake Country packing house as part of its long-term plan to consolidate operations. The sale, to an undisclosed buyer, closed on August 31, 2023 for $15.8 million.
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Who bought it ffs ?

Ted Nedjelski Karen Turner

One of my first jobs was apple grading in a packing plant in Vernon

Vivian, is this where you worked?

I’d hear the company that owns the big Cannabis company that owns the green houses all around this packing plant was buying up everything around to expand. Wonder if it’s them that got it.

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1 week ago

The federal government has committed $1.81 million over the next three years to support the BC Poultry Association's preparation for direct participation in responses to future outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the province. “The persistence of the virus in wildlife and recurrence of outbreaks globally, presents additional risks during the migratory bird season in North America later in 2023,” the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health in Vancouver advised in July. For more, visit www.countrylifeinbc.com/ai-risk-rises-with-fall/ ... See MoreSee Less

The federal government has committed $1.81 million over the next three years to support the BC Poultry Associations preparation  for direct participation in responses to future outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the province. “The persistence of the virus in wildlife and recurrence of outbreaks globally, presents additional risks during the migratory bird season in North America later in 2023,” the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health in Vancouver advised in July. For more, visit https://www.countrylifeinbc.com/ai-risk-rises-with-fall/
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Province backs off compensation

May 4, 2022 byPeter Mitham

The province is backtracking on its pledge to support mink farmers, whose operations are being shut down as part of the province’s fight against COVID-19 and following lobbying by anti-fur activists.

The province has long said the nine operations affected will receive no compensation for business losses associated with the closure of their operations. However, it promised support through the federal-provincial AgriRecovery program to decommission barns.

This week, the province told farmers work on an AgriRecovery program for their sector is halted. The news came the same day as federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture were meeting to discuss the next agricultural policy framework, including programs such as AgriRecovery.

The news was delivered by Lonny Steward, director of the ministry’s director of policy and product review branch.

In a letter shared with media, Abbotsford mink farmer Terry Engebretson expressed concern over the backtracking to provincial agriculture minister Lana Popham, noting it would prevent farmers from accessing matching federal dollars, too.

“Mr. Steward could not tell us why he was told to stop or if or when it may be available, and in fact seemed to think it would NOT be coming,” he says. “After taking away our livelihoods the provincial government has not only NOT helped us, you are prohibiting the federal government from helping us also.”

Without funding, former mink farmers face the prospect of repaying millions in loans received to renew and expand their operations prior to COVID-19 without the benefit of any cash flow to support repayment.

Meanwhile, the industry continues to fight to have the ban on mink farming overturned.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to fund the court challenge, which is expected to be heard later this year. It aims to raise $100,000, with more than $13,000 raised to date.

Angela Bernemann of Dogwood Fur Farms Ltd. in Abbotsford says the abrupt closure of a legal industry with no compensation is unacceptable. She notes that Popham has publicly expressed anguish at the decision, but hasn’t backed it up with cash.

“The government licensed the BC mink farmers and the farmers went to the bank with that license and invested in BC agriculture for years. If the government no longer wants to sanction a previously accepted industry … then they must compensate the farmers for their losses and damages,” she says. “One would think that the Minister of Agriculture would be the first person to recognize this and stand up for the farming community.”

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