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FEBRUARY 2023
Vol. 108 Issue 2

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1 day 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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Sumas Prairie farmers sue government

Gabriela Vicherek Braun photo

January 19, 2022 byPeter Mitham

Two farms on Sumas Prairie are asking BC Supreme Court to certify a class action against the city of Abbotsford, Fraser Valley Regional District, and the province for their failure to warn property owners, residents and businesses of the flooding that inundated Sumas Prairie in November and to respond in a timely and appropriate manner.

The plaintiffs named in the suit, filed by the Vancouver law firm Slater Vecchio LLP, include dairy farmer Ted Dykman of Dykman Cattle Co. on Vye Road and Caroline Mostertman of Ripples Estate Winery – part of a venture formally known C.P.M. Farms Ltd. – on Tolmie Road.

According to the statement of claim, Dykman, Mostertman and other class members “seek to hold the Defendants accountable for their gross negligence and to recover their losses.”

The court filing outlines the history of flooding on Sumas Prairie, and notes how the situation was handled in Washington State before detailing the steps taken in Canada and how the response fell short.

“Despite the well-documented history of flooding and consequential devastation in the Sumas Prairie, the Defendants failed to provide any or adequate warning to the Plaintiffs and Class Members,” the writ states.

If warnings had been given, the writ says that members of the proposed class action would have been able to take steps to safeguard their possessions and mitigate the damage.

“The duty of care owed by the Defendants to the Plaintiffs and Class Members is informed by the inherent danger and foreseeably high risk of serious injury, death and loss of personal and real property if the Defendants fail to adequately warn or act in a timely manner,” the write claims. “Had the Defendants properly warned the Plaintiffs and Class Members of the risk posed by the weather and related circumstances that eventually caused the Sumas Flood, then the Plaintiffs and Class Members could have taken steps to prevent or mitigate their losses.”

This did not happen, though the writ says the plaintiffs should have known that flooding was certain given the weather forecasts.

The defendants have not yet filed a response to the claim, which has yet to be heard by the courts. However, in media briefings in the immediate aftermath of the onset of flooding, officials with both Abbotsford and the province repeatedly described the situation as unprecedented, dynamic and difficult to predict.

A timeline for certification of the class action, which could potentially include hundreds of property owners, has not been given. In addition to general damages, damages for services provided by family members and special damages, the action seeks punitive damages for misconduct that “departs to a marked degree from ordinary standards of decent behaviour” and offends “the moral standards of the community.”

Costs and such other relief as the court deems just are also sought.

Representatives of Slater Vecchio did not respond to a request for comment.

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