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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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Province funds market purchases

Julie Rohrer of Good "N" Plenty farms in Armstrong was doing a brisk business at the busy Kelowna Farmers Market in mid-May. Myrna Stark Leader photo

June 8, 2022 byPeter Mitham

The province has stepped up with $12 million over three years in support of the 10-year-old BC Farmers Market Nutrition Coupon Program.

The funding, announced by Health Minister Adrian Dix at the Kitsilano Farmers Market on June 5, will average $4 million a year. This is an increase from $2.25 million three years ago, and will support the program’s expansion into five new communities and address waiting lists for access to the program.

The province expects the coupon program to benefit more than 8,824 households in 2022, reaching approximately 24,656 individuals. These will include an additional 1,750 senior households, who will benefit from an additional $1 million in funding per year.

Participating households receive $27 worth of coupons per week for 16 weeks, a $6 increase from last year. The coupons can be used at markets that are members of the BC Association of Farmers Markets, which administers the program.

Dix also announced the expansion of the program to include honey in addition to fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy, eggs and meats as well as food-bearing plants.

While funding for the program is through the health ministry, Dix was joined by provincial agriculture minister Lana Popham, who praised the program for its contribution to food security.

“By supporting increased participation in the program for those who need it most, we are helping more people become food secure while also strengthening our provincial food system and local food economies,” she said.

Approximately 1,000 farm vendors participate in markets where the coupons are used.

The funding comes as rising food costs begin to bite. A new survey for Food Banks Canada by Mainstreet Research indicating that 23% of Canadians are eating less than they should due to rising food costs.

With this spring being the coolest since 2010, and drought squeezing California growers, many expect dramatic increases in fresh produce. According to Statistics Canada, food prices were up 9.7% in April versus a year earlier, the largest increase since 1981.

The funding for the coupon program doesn’t just benefit consumers and vendors. It has also been an asset for the BC Association of Farmers Market, which administers the program. The funding has served as an anchor for the association, allowing it to undertake far more than it could without that underpinning.

The association will hold its annual conference this year in New Westminster, November 2-4.

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