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Originally published:

DECEMBER 2021
Vol. 107 Issue 12

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Stories In This Edition

Catastrophic flooding

Wash out

Editorial: Rebuilding food security

Back 40: A farmer’s journey doesn’t always pay for itself

Viewpoint:

Dairy industry takes swift action on animal abuse

Producers urged to make emergency plans

Province sets agenda for tree fruit future

Ag Briefs: Province moves to shut down mink farms

Ag Briefs: Interior Opportunities

Ag Briefs: BCAC meetings bear fruit

Ag Briefs: Trade focus

North Okanagan ranchers brief on key issues

Sidebar: Strong retail, disappointing feeder prices

Frustration over ‘timber-centric’ range bill

Livestock protection program up for review

Honey producers get technology transfer program

Chicken squadron

Quality over quantity for blueberry pollination

New slaughter regs helpful but not enough

Sidebar: Changes welcome

Sheep producers have tough year

The old heave-ho

Grant revives Pacific field corn trials

Cannabis grower eyes mushroom production

New poinsettia varieties trialed in Abbotsford

Nursery sales stay brisk through pandemic

Job satisfaction has deep roots

Newcomers revitalize Lake Country orchard

Cariboo research looks to extend growing season

Full circle operation upcycles food waste

BC company specializes in bio control

Farm Story: Idyllic worlds have very little idleness in them

Blueberry farming is stress-busting for new chair

Research: To till or not to till? That’s actually not the question

Christmas tree growers face a grim future

Woodshed: An awkward encounter; a clever diversion

A century of dairy farming in Pitt Meadows

Jude’s Kitchen: Celebrate! Celebrate

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1 month ago

It’s been four years since the last tulip festival was held in Abbotsford, but this year’s event promises to be an even bigger spectacle than ever. Spanning 27 acres along Marion Road, Lakeland Flowers will display more than 70 varieties of the spring blossom, including fringe tulips and double tulips, the first of six months of flower festivals hosted by the farm. Writer Sandra Tretick spoke with Lakeland Flowers owner Nick Warmerdam this spring to find out how the floods on Sumas Prairie in 2021 have had an impact on his business plan as he transitions from wholesale cut flower grower to agri-tourism. We've posted the story to our website this month. It's a good read.

#CLBC #countrylifeinbc #tulipfestival
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Tulip grower makes the shift to agritourism

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ABBOTSFORD – On a bright sunny day in early April, Nick Warmerdam points out his office window at No. 4 and Marion roads to a spot about half a kilometre away across the Trans-Canada Highway.
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Omg 🥹 Jared Huston let’s go pls

1 month ago

Farming, like any other job.. only you punch in at age 5 and never punch out 🚜 ... See MoreSee Less

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Easton Roseboom Levi Roseboom🚜

1 month ago

The province is allocating $15 million to be administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. for a perennial crop replant program benefitting tree fruit, hazelnut, berry and grape growers. The program aims to cover 100% of plant removal costs and 75% of replanting costs. Funds are also available for sector development. The new program replaces a suite of sector-specific replant programs and recognizes the importance of sector adaptation in the face of market, disease and weather challenges. ... See MoreSee Less

The province is allocating $15 million to be administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. for a perennial crop replant program benefitting tree fruit, hazelnut, berry and grape growers. The program aims to cover 100% of plant removal costs and 75% of replanting costs. Funds are also available for sector development. The new program replaces a suite of sector-specific replant programs and recognizes the importance of sector adaptation in the face of market, disease and weather challenges.
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1 month ago

Just a week after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials revoked the last primary control zones established in the Fraser Valley to control last fall’s outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a new detection on April 29 at a commercial premises in Chilliwack underscored the risk of a spring wave. This is the first new detection since January 22, also in Chilliwack, and brings to 104 the number of premises affected since the current outbreak began April 13, 2022. The disease has impacted 3.7 million birds in BC over the past year. ... See MoreSee Less

Just a week after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials revoked the last primary control zones established in the Fraser Valley to control last fall’s outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a new detection on April 29 at a commercial premises in Chilliwack underscored the risk of a spring wave. This is the first new detection since January 22, also in Chilliwack, and brings to 104 the number of premises affected since the current outbreak began April 13, 2022. The disease has impacted 3.7 million birds in BC over the past year.
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Any other details for FVN and chillTV please? radiodon11@gmail.com

1 month ago

The province is contributing $3.2 million for upgrades to the Barrowtown pump station in Abbotsford that was overwhelmed during the November 2021 flooding on Sumas Prairie, part of a collaborative approach to flood mitigation in the region. During a press conference at the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food offices in Abbotsford today, the province said a collaborative approach that includes First Nations is needed as Abbotsford pursues a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy due to the potential impacts on Indigenous lands. Agriculture's interests will be represented by technical teams within the agriculture ministry. ... See MoreSee Less

The province is contributing $3.2 million for upgrades to the Barrowtown pump station in Abbotsford that was overwhelmed during the November 2021 flooding on Sumas Prairie, part of a collaborative approach to flood mitigation in the region. During a press conference at the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food offices in Abbotsford today, the province said a collaborative approach that includes First Nations is needed as Abbotsford pursues a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy due to the potential impacts on Indigenous lands. Agricultures interests will be represented by technical teams within the agriculture ministry.
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I sure hope part of that money is to educate the people in charge of the pumps and drainage system! They just relayed on computers and weren’t even physically monitoring the water levels. I’ve lived in the Fraser Valley my whole life and the old guys managing that system know how to do it. The new generation just sit behind computer screens and don’t physically watch the water levels. That system works very well when you do it right. The Fraser river levels are very important. The system is designed to drain the Sumas Canal (the part that runs thru the valley) into the Fraser. When they let it get backed up it put pressure on the dyke and the weak part burst. Simple science. And yes, the dykes need to be worked on too. Abbotsford has not been maintaining properly for years.

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Province sets agenda for tree fruit future

Steering committee recommends new agency to represent sector

The province is proposing a new agency to represent the entire tree fruit sector and another organization to represent just apple growers, among other changes intended to stabilize the industry. MYRNA STARK LEADER

December 1, 2021 byP

KELOWNA – The province released 19 recommendations on November 12 outlining a plan to stabilize BC’s troubled tree fruit sector, the culmination of a nine-month process launched in February at the annual convention of the BC Fruit Growers Association.

“BCFGA is supportive and observe that the government recommendations have taken account of difficult times in the apple sector as well as climate impacts over the last three years in the cherry sector,” says BCFGA general manager Glen Lucas. “The input and dedication of the steering committee members and the grower and organization input is very much appreciated.”

The recommendations fall into 15 groupings, including leadership, governance and direction; labour supply and housing challenges; extension services; marketing, sales and the power of retailers; increased use of innovation and technology; and addressing the impact of climate change.

The recommendations are part of a report that makes several modest proposals under the larger headings. These include the removal of all older varieties that deliver minimal returns to growers and a quality assurance program for fruit similar to the Vintners Quality Alliance program for wineries. A call for a higher farm income for properties to receive farm class status from BC Assessment also figure among the ideas.

But the top recommendation is the creation of a single agency to represent the entire tree fruit sector within the BC Agriculture Council and to government. The province says the agency’s governance should include both industry representatives and government-recommended independent members.

In parallel with this, the BCFGA would be “realigned” to focus on lobbying, while yet another organization would be created to represent apple growers “at the same level as cherries and grapes.”

But the realignment would not be a marginalization of the BCFGA, which has more than 400 members and until this year administered the provincial replant program and other key government initiatives.

“We look at it more as a roundtable,” says BCFGA president Pinder Dhaliwal, who farms in Oliver. “The idea of a new agency would be more of increasing communication amongst various people in the valley and industry.”

While the BCFGA will continue to represent its members, the new agency would facilitate a more holistic discussion regarding the tree fruit sector, similar to the advisory committee convened to draft the recommendations.

“I think they want to have at that table grape growers, some cherry representation, some BCFGA representation, government – Ministry of Agriculture – and marketers, packers to shed light and perhaps even retailers to get things going,” says Dhaliwal.

The stabilization recommendations reflect feedback gathered during 30 consultation sessions with more than 165 stakeholders between April and June. The advisory committee included representatives from BCFGA, the BC Cherry Association, New Tree Fruit Variety Development Council, Sterile Insect Release Program, BC Grape Growers’ Association and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Georgina Beyers, director of the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries’ industry development branch, and provincial tree fruit specialist Adrian Arts led the initiative.

The broad range of input is needed given that the challenges apple growers face, particularly low prices, have a ripple effect.

“People are pulling apples out and there’s two choices they have: either go into cherries or go into vineyards,” explains Dhaliwal. “It’s going to really upset the rhythm in those two industries in the short-term and I don’t think anyone wants that.”

BC agriculture minister Lana Popham says decisive action is needed because the sector continues to struggle despite having received more than $67 million in assistance from the province since 2017.

“We can all improve our effort, and our efforts are more meaningful when we work together,” she said in comments prefacing the report. “This plan will require commitment to the demanding work ahead and a dedicated approach and collaboration from industry and government.”

The recommendations now go to industry for consideration, pending implementation.

“A lot of those recommendations we agree with,” says Dhaliwal, who discussed the recommendations with BCFGA directors on November 18. “We just hope the government implements them. Some of them need to be implemented and worked on much faster and quicker, and some will take a little bit more time.”

BC Tree Fruits Cooperative strategic initiatives director Laurel Van Dam says the report brings together a number of long-standing recommendations, backing them up with a promise of concrete change.

“We all know the industry has been having some challenging times, and a step like this had to happen. Bringing those ideas together that will ultimately help move this business forward is a great step,” she says. “We’re very appreciative of the work that the ministry has done on the report. We congratulate and thank the ministry and all the staff and advisory group who worked on that.”

BCTF’s board was set to discuss the recommendations at its November 25 board meeting. Other groups, including the BC Cherry Association, are also studying the report prior to formalizing their responses.

The province would like implementation to begin sooner rather than later. It has promised to be “actively involved … alongside industry” in the implementation of the 19 recommendations.

“Goals will be set, and achievement progress will be monitored on a consistent, and specified basis,” it says.

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