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Originally published:

June 2017
Vol. 103 Issue 6

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Stories In This Edition

Vancouver tops BC in farm growth

Accident claims safety advocate

In Good Hands

Rain’s a pain, farmers say

Editorial: Fresh start

Back Forty: Census offers reality check

Viewpoint: Ranchers work ‘dam’ hard for public’s benefit

Agriculture council pledges to work with parties

Pork industry optimitic despite lean times

Vegetable commission priotizies trust, integrity

Fairs reach out-of-court settlement

Richmond sets large limit on farmhouse size

Drones promise to scare birds for berry growers

Small farm expo postponed

Ranchers resist expanding public roaming rights

Letter: Seasonal farm workers find

Canada a second home

Letter: Right to roam wrong

A national voice for greenhouse growers

Hothouse growers reduce risk with IPM strategies

Sidebar: Biocontrols cut costs

Training pregps advisors for growing demand

Hop growers hepped up about future

Controlling hop-loving pests necessary evil

YA mark five years of support small-scale ag

Wise Earth tracks numbers to plant savvy, sell smart

A wise approach to leases, labour and local

Garlic co-op pitched as supply, appetite expands

BC’s climate makes hardneck garlic a viable route

Northern athlete dives into beef marketing

Abattoirs target food safety, labour shortage

Volatile beef market raises questions, few answers

BC feedlot sector prepares cattle disease emergency plan

Drones ride a sky-high range in search of cattle

Spring fling connects sponsors with classroom outreach

Better management underpins farm improvement

Small farmers make it work in Alberni Valley

BCYF tour highlights fish and dairy management

4-H members on the quest for a future with food

Program delivery underway

Wannabe – All things big and small

Woodshed: How Henderson came to be at the end of his rope

Jude’s Kitchen: Summer patio treats

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1 day ago

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details. ... See MoreSee Less

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details.
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2 weeks ago

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the province's deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed. ... See MoreSee Less

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the provinces deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed.
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Sounds like 2 weeks to flatten the curve turning into 2 years.

USDA doing avian vax research, May 11 bio-docs to UN incl section on H5N8 w/wild bird spread. Found link to apparent pre-release on May 11 Geller Report. Good luck farmers.

2 weeks ago

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.” ... See MoreSee Less

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.”
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Killing our food chain. How do we know they are actually carrying a virus, look what's taking place with covid, is it real.

Ik kan niet zo goed Engels maar als ik het goed begrijp is bij jullie ook vogelgriep maar nog niet bij jullie

Any idea when this episode or bird flu might be over?

3 weeks ago

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions. ... See MoreSee Less

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions.
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4 weeks ago

A second BC flock has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the province reported this evening, April 25. The small backyard flock of chicken and ducks near Kelowna has fewer than 100 birds and is relatively isolated. This is the second backyard flock to be suspected of high-path avian influenza in the past week. The other, on Vancouver Island, was found to be AI-free. Amanda Brittain, chief information officer with the BC Poultry Association’s emergency operations centre, says the latest case is of minimal concern to industry because there are no commercial flocks within 12km of the premises. ... See MoreSee Less

A second BC flock has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the province reported this evening, April 25. The small backyard flock of chicken and ducks near Kelowna has fewer than 100 birds and is relatively isolated. This is the second backyard flock to be suspected of high-path avian influenza in the past week. The other, on Vancouver Island, was found to be AI-free. Amanda Brittain, chief information officer with the BC Poultry Association’s emergency operations centre, says the latest case is of minimal concern to industry because there are no commercial flocks within 12km of the premises.
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Richmond sets large limit on farmhouse size

June 1, 2017 byPeter Mitham

RICHMOND – Richmond council’s decision to permit farmhouses up to 10,764 square feet without having to seek a variance didn’t come without a fight.

During two long nights of public hearings in May, presenter after presenter spoke out against council’s bid to allow homes in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) double the 5,382 square feet city staff recommended.

“The principle you should be going on is to protect as much farmland as possible,” said Sandra Bourque, a retired member of the Richmond School Board. “It should not be to house as many people as possible.”

The idea that certain “cultural practices” make large farmhouses acceptable was a “red herring,” she said, referring to arguments Indo-Canadian farm owners have made in favour of residences that can accommodate several generations of a single family.

“There are many cultural practices that are not accepted, with very good reason,” Bourque said.

The staff recommendation reflected BC Ministry of Agriculture guidelines for residential development on farmland as well as surveys of existing farmhouse sizes and feedback received during an open house in early March. However, Richmond Farmers Institute supported the larger cap of 10,764 square feet. (A call to RFI president Todd May for comment was not returned.)

But many speakers echoed Bourque’s argument that farmland is for food production and that smaller houses are better. Several speakers told council it should have acted earlier.

“Council’s inaction has created a divide and instability in our community,” said Laura Gillanders, who felt council should respect the BC Ministry of Agriculture’s guidelines for residential development on farmland. “The Ministry of Agriculture expects you to be doing your job as a local government.”

Such allegations prompted council to ask staff how houses, some approaching 30,000 square feet, have been built without council review before now. Staff responded that house sizes have been unregulated, meaning permits can’t be withheld on the basis of size alone. The fact prompted farmers and farmland owners to tell council they should have as much right as anyone else in the city to build the kind of house they want.

“Farmers should have the right,” said Bruce May, one of the city’s larger cranberry growers.

Gary Brar, a blueberry grower who has been a vocal participant in the debate over the proposed bylaw, said that he currently lives with his parents in a 4,100-square-foot house but expansion is planned when he marries and the family grows.

“We need large houses,” he said, noting, “We didn’t have these problems before a few bad eggs built unreasonably large homes.” (Speaking at the open house in March, Brar considered houses of up to 15,000 square feet adequate.)

The public wasn’t having anything to do with it.

Speculation is speculation, they argued, no matter who does it or by what means. Sure, farmers have a right to make a living from the land, but not through real estate development.

“We do not owe it to the farmer to cash out for development,” Gillanders said.

David Baines, a former business journalist with the Vancouver Sun, questioned the motivations of the Richmond Farmers Institute and why council had ignored staff’s recommendation.

“My suggestion is what you’re framing as a compromise is a political cop-out,” he said.

Perhaps the most reasonable comments of the night, which Baines encouraged staff to heed, came from Helmut Pastrick a local resident better known for his work as chief economist of the Central 1 Credit Union.

Pastrick told council that by not imposing a tight limit on the size of farmhouses, they were sacrificing the potential for long-term employment opportunities.

Pointing to the recently released figures from the 2016 federal census of agriculture, Pastrick said Richmond farms had become more productive despite diminishing in number from 211 to 189 between 2011 and 2016. They now generate $58 million in farm cash receipts versus $49 million in 2011, an 18% increase. He expects that figure could easily double to $120 million if land was farmed rather than developed.

“There’s a considerable amount of land that’s under-utilized that could be used for farming,” he said. “Under-utilized farmland is not contributing to our economy.”

However, when the final vote was taken on May 17, council voted 7-1 in favour of large homes. Councillor Carol Day cast the sole opposing vote; councillor Harold Steves, venerated for his involvement in establishing the ALR, quietly left the meeting before the vote.

The vote opens the door to tighter enforcement of how owners use housing within the ALR.

The city banned short-term rentals in January but exempted farm accommodation pending tighter regulation of farmland housing.

In the meantime, 45 applications for residential construction – all in excess of the new limit – will be processed under the rules in place prior to council declaring a moratorium on new applications in late March.

The debate isn’t quite settled, however. While restrictions are in place, staff will report on the effectiveness of the new limits in six months.

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