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FEBRUARY 2023
Vol. 108 Issue 2

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23 hours ago

Fecal coliform levels in the streams and watercourses that flow through Langley has been an issue for decades. The Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS) has received $97,000 from the federal government to work with property owners to help them reduce their impact on water quality and the environment, and ensure their properties are in compliance with the Agriculture Environmental Management Code of Practice (AEMCoP). The story is in the February edition of Country Life in BC. Subscribe today bit.ly/3RIKms9/.

#BCAg #aemcop
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Fecal coliform levels in the streams and watercourses that flow through Langley has been an issue for decades. The Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS) has received $97,000 from the federal government to work with property owners to help them reduce their impact on water quality and the environment, and ensure their properties are in compliance with the Agriculture Environmental Management Code of Practice (AEMCoP). The story is in the February edition of Country Life in BC. Subscribe today https://bit.ly/3RIKms9/.

#BCAg #AEMCoP
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2 days ago

BC dairy farmers are feeling the pinch and some in the Fraser Valley are considering selling as narrow margins get tighter and high financing costs complicate succession plans. It's our cover story in the February edition of Country Life in BC.

bit.ly/3JGgk6B

#bcagriculture #bcdairy
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BC dairy farmers are feeling the pinch and some in the Fraser Valley are considering selling as narrow margins get tighter and high financing costs complicate succession plans. Its our cover story in the February edition of Country Life in BC.

https://bit.ly/3JGgk6B

#bcagriculture #bcdairy
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So much pressure being put on the dairy industry from the US. It’s hard to keep the lobbying at bay. Canadian dairy should supply Canadian tables and the farmers who provide it should be paid what they are worth. There is no such thing as cheap food

Farm Management is key. It can't all be blamed on the government.

Just been watching NZ TV news and the price of food. Most complaining about the price of dairy products due to the fact that domestic prices are high with most production being exported. No supply management.

I really don't understand the concern here. The article literally says 30-40 of 600 BC dairy farms (that's less than 1%) are experiencing financial pressure, likely due to being somewhat overleveraged. Sounds like just some mismanagement rather than a broad policy failure is the cause here.

Whole Food Plant Based eating ...oat milk coconut milk Almond milk soy milk etc

Noooooooo. That’s exactly what this LIB/NDP party wants. They want everyone to cave in to their knees. Don’t do it. It’ll be the end.

A lot of this is government squeeze. Be hungry and compliant!

The government is the eternal enemy of humanity.

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1 week ago

Farmland Advantage is receiving a $445,000 grant from the federal government. The program, the “brainchild” of Invermere cattle rancher Dave Zehnder, provides compensation to farmers for their conservation efforts to protect BC’s grasslands, riparian areas and wildlife habitat. The funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada under the Species at Risk Partnerships on Agricultural Lands (SARPAL) and Priority Places programs, will be administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. Rewarding farmers for enhancing riparian areas appeared in our March 2022 edition and you can view it at ... See MoreSee Less

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Rewarding farmers for enhancing riparian areas

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INVERMERE – Farmers and ranchers in the Columbia Valley will continue to see rewards for taking action to conserve and enhance important riparian areas on their farms. The Windermere District Farmer...
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2 weeks ago

A standing-room only crowd of more than 250 people attended a public hearing the Agricultural Land Commission hosted in Langley Monday night regarding a proposal to include 305 acres controlled by the federal government in the Agricultural Land Reserve. More than 76,000 people have signed an online petition asking municipal and provincial governments to protect the land from development, and for the federal government to grant a long-term lease to the Heppells. Read more in this morning's Farm News Update from Country Life in BC. conta.cc/3XYXw6k ... See MoreSee Less

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Your weekly farm news update

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The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 January 25 2023 Surrey ALR inclusion cheered A standing-room only crowd of more than 250 people attended a public hearing the Agricultural L
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Mike Manion Pitt Meadows City Councillor

2 months ago

Christmas tree growers in BC are seeing strong demand this season and prices remain comparable to last year. But the number of tree farms has decreased dramatically over the past five years and the province will increasingly need to look elsewhere if it wants to meet local demand. More in this week's Farm News Update from Country Life in BC. ... See MoreSee Less

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Christmas trees in demand

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Christmas tree growers in BC are seeing strong demand, with high quality trees making it to market. “The market is good. We’ll probably outdo last year and last year was one of our best years…
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Saanichton Farm named a Century Farm

[Saanichton Farm photo]

October 20, 2021 byKate Ayers

Bryce and Jill Rashleigh of Saanichton Farm, located on the Saanich Peninsula, will receive the province’s Century Farm Award on Saturday.

The Rashleigh family’s farming roots were planted in 1912 when John Stanley Rashleigh immigrated to Canada from England. In 1913, he purchased 16 acres in the Coombs-Hilliers area. However, John returned to England during World War I to serve with the Red Cross as a conscientious objector.

Following the war, in April 1919, John married Elizabeth Edwards and the newly wedded Rashleighs set sail for Canada on September 3.

“Grandpa showed Grandma their 16 acres that was mainly bush in Coombs-Hilliers,” says Bryce, the couple’s grandson.

While she was not super-enthusiastic about its potential, Bryce says the couple set to work. It paid off; in 1928 they were able to buy a 160-acre farm in nearby Qualicum Beach.

“It was a bigger farm and they had dairy cattle. There was a bigger milk market in Qualicum Beach with their milk delivery route,” says Bryce.

Eight years later, the couple bought the original Saanichton Farm, which sat on 95 acres. It was home to three generations of the family from 1936 to 2006, including John, his son Peter and then Bryce. But transitioning the farm to a new generation at current land values was tough.

“At that time, I couldn’t afford to buy the family out,” says Bryce.

The property instead sold to the Thomson family, which he says now own about six farms in the area.

But the proceeds allowed Bryce and his wife Jill to buy the current Saanichton Farm on Stellys Cross Road, about a mile from the original farm. They now manage about 1,000 acres on 90 properties. The family grow hard red spring wheat, malting barley and haylage. They also raise turkeys, broilers and layers for community members. Bryce and Jill’s three children, the fourth generation, lead full-time careers off the farm, but they still help out whenever they can.

While the farm has a rich history, the last year has seen new developments.

In addition to opening a mill producing stoneground flour as well as a farmgate store, the Rashleighs led a community effort to ship hay from Vancouver Island to drought-ravaged farms in the Interior. So far, his team has delivered 25 loads of feed and they are set to increase the total to 40 loads by the end of the year. The group also managed to round up $61,000 in donations to cover freight costs.

The Rashleigh family will celebrate a history of farming accomplishments this weekend at an on-farm event, along with community members and government representatives.

 

 

 

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