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Originally published:

NOVEMBER 2021
Vol. 107 Issue 11

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Stories In This Edition

Down to the crunch

Producer prices on the rise

Feeling burned

Groundwater users could lose rights next year

The right thing

Editorial: Freedom worth having

Back 40: The battle continues long after the war is over

Viewpoint: Stories bridge the gap between producers, consumers

Growers wrestle with irrigation upgrades

Wildfire 2021

Abbotsford updates farmland policies

Stormy skies

Ag Briefs: Douglas Lake “right to roam” challenge dismissed

Ag Briefs: Creston food hub opens

Ag Briefs: Food processors receive funding

Ag Briefs: Vanderspek appointed

Summerland grape specialists retire

Grapevine virus spread threatens BC industry

Caught in the act

Abbotsford sheep grower honoured

Tag readers help with livestock recordkeeping

RegenBC kicks off agritech network

Producers silent on Columbia River Treaty impacts

Cranberry fields forever

Manitoba farmers make dreams a reality

Enderby dairy is anything but conventional

Improvement to classification services explored

Up close and personal

Partnering with farmers to reduce food loss

Sidebar: Upcycled food

Slow and steady wins the day for irrigation

Research: Study takes soil health to the next level

Nelson farm builds soil and local community

Cash flow analysis is key to resilience

New app zeroes in on reducing lost produce

Sidebar: Food hub offers room to grow

Farm Story: To hoard or not to hoard: that is the question

Bursary benefits rising farm professionals

Woodshed: So much for a little peace and quiet

Saanichton Farm receives Century Farm award

Jude’s Kitchen: Fall Flavours

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10 hours 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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5 days 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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2 months ago

Another four poultry flocks in the Fraser Valley have tested positive for avian influenza over the weekend -- 15 in the last week alone. There are 60 farms currently under quarantine in BC, more than any other province in Canada and three times that of Alberta, which ranks second. Officials maintain the virus is being spread by dust and groundwater and not farm-to-farm transmission. No farms in the Interior have tested positive this fall. ... See MoreSee Less

Another four poultry flocks in the Fraser Valley have tested positive for avian influenza over the weekend -- 15 in the last week alone. There are 60 farms currently under quarantine in BC, more than any other province in Canada and three times that of Alberta, which ranks second. Officials maintain the virus is being spread by dust and groundwater and not farm-to-farm transmission. No farms in the Interior have tested positive this fall.
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Avian influenza virus can be killed by chlorine at no higher a concentration than is present in drinking water, so unless farms are using untreated groundwater in their barns I don't see how it could be a source of transmission. www.researchgate.net/publication/5594208_Chlorine_Inactivation_of_Highly_Pathogenic_Avian_Influen...

2 months ago

In a surprise move, Lana Popham -- hailed at the recent BC Dairy Industry Conference as a key ally of the agriculture sector -- has been replaced by Abbotsford-Mission MLA Pam Alexis as part of a cabinet overhaul today by new BC premier David Eby. Popham will now oversee Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. The two ministers worked closely together following the atmospheric river events last fall. ... See MoreSee Less

In a surprise move, Lana Popham -- hailed at the recent BC Dairy Industry Conference as a key ally of the agriculture sector -- has been replaced by Abbotsford-Mission MLA Pam Alexis as part of a cabinet overhaul today by new BC premier David Eby. Popham will now oversee Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. The two ministers worked closely together following the atmospheric river events last fall.Image attachment
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Goes to show how far-removed our current government is from the agricultural sector. To put someone in this position who has no farming background is a slap in the face to all of our hard-working producers.

Going to be a heck of a learning curve. Helping the agricultural community recover from the biggest natural disasters in history, handling the avian influenza outbreak that is threatening our poultry industry, dealing with a crisis in meat processing, managing ongoing threats from climate change, supporting producers who are facing unprecedented inflation in an industry with very slim margins to begin with..... to name a few of the challenges our new Minister will have to face all with one of the lowest budgets of any ministry. I wish her the best of luck but I hope she's got a lot of support around her.

Best of wishes in your new position

Congrats to Pam, cool to see a Fraser Valley based ag minister but also so sad to see Lana reassigned . I have no doubt she will do an amazing job in her new role.

Will be missed by #meiernation

Bryce Rashleigh

Nooooooo!

Lana did a shit job and now we have a minister with no farming background at all. Aren’t we lucky..

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Stories bridge the gap between producers, consumers

Building relationships requires authentic, verifiable messaging

November 1, 2021 byBrenda Schoepp

As a farmer, you know the goodness in every meal made from the food you raise in field, frame, forest or sea. As a food processor, you link that product to the next level and together as farmer and food processor, you bring the best of BC to the table. The question is: what do consumers feel are the best in foods and how does the story of the food from the farm carry through to the plate?

A recently released NielsenIQ study revealed the top five brain foods as named by Canadian consumers. These brain foods were also recognized for their power in reducing anxiety, depression and helping with sleep – properties for the body and the mind. This new way of looking at food is an opportunity for the agricultural and agri-food community.

The concept of food for the body and the mind is exploding and the message to food processors is simply that no brand can afford to ignore this trend. Rather than simply name the source, food processing must also think about portraying the story behind who is at the origin and the why behind their processing of the product.

The five foods – tuna, blueberries, shrimp, raspberries and fresh beef – are all products harvested in BC. If these foods are perceived to keep the mind sharp, reduce anxiety and depression and help one get a good night’s sleep, then it is imperative to tell the story why this food is important to you as the farmer, fisher or food processor.

Take beef for example. Consumers have not given up on eating beef, they’re just taking into account different factors for protein beyond nutrition and taste. Decision factors such as their brain health and well-being in harmony with animal welfare, animal diet and environmental impact. All now fall under the label of ‘sustainability.’ Buyers of beef and other proteins now have a single word that summarizes the whole story.

What is the story? If the first exposure and initial influence to a food is an image on Instagram (even in farm direct sales) and the rest of the story is based on digital or social media coverage, then what do farmers, fishermen and food processors need to say to keep the product growing and the consumer hooked?

Research has shown blueberries, raspberries, beef and fatty fish enhance brain activity. But ocean protein and beef have other challenges in terms of consumer perception in regards to overfishing, production practices and the perceived impact of cattle on the environment. The story of any food goes far beyond the farm gate to include such things as processing and packaging.

Cher Mereweather of Provision Coalition reminded audiences at the recent SIAL Canada Connect event that the story must be both authentic and verifiable, adding that you must measure it “so people can stand with you.” Wherever there is an intersection of values, there is a “stand with you” point. Going back to our example of beef, it holds onto its place by aligning with values outside of the nutritional contribution.

As a producer, it is important to say why you do what you do and why you care. If there is value being added to the food through processing, then that message has to transfer to your branding and packaging. And there must be a digital presence. Trust is built on similar values, one data point at a time.

This transparency applies to the farm as well. If berries are made into syrup, then the story behind the berries should carry through to the label.

The transparency in this new way of thinking in food production, processing and branding builds strong linkages. For BC, this represents abundant opportunity as the province is home to over 200 food commodities and 100 foods from the sea. We also house over a third of Canada’s food processors. Like farms, many are family-owned. Together, agriculture and agri-food processing are a major economic driver in this province.

No farm or brand can afford not to care about the personal values of consumers, even if their product is as popular as the brain foods are. These values are often shared between buyer and seller but the story is often missing, either at the farm or on the label. Figuring out what those shared values are is important for the success of all the beautiful foods from the land, barns, greenhouses, urban boxes and seas of BC.

Authentic, verifiable, values-based story telling connects us all.

Brenda Schoepp lives on Vancouver Island where she brings agriculture and food leadership to life through stories and conversation. She can be contacted through her website at [www.brendaschoepp.com].

 

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