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September 2023
Vol. 109 Issue 9

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1 day ago

The Great Spallumcheen Farm & Food Festival and North Okanagan Plowing Match is happening this Sunday, September 24 from 10-3 at Fieldstone Organics, 4851 Schubert Rd, Armstrong. The outdoor festival features tastings and a market brimming with local food and beverage vendors, a horse and tractor plowing competition and vintage farm equipment displays. ... See MoreSee Less

The Great Spallumcheen Farm & Food Festival and North Okanagan Plowing Match is happening this Sunday, September 24 from 10-3 at Fieldstone Organics, 4851 Schubert Rd, Armstrong. The outdoor festival features tastings and a market brimming with local food and beverage vendors, a horse and tractor plowing competition and vintage farm equipment displays.
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Patti 😊

3 days ago

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3 days ago

The top five issues the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity identified in a recent survey were the cost of food, inflation, the cost of energy, keeping healthy food affordable and the Canadian economy. “We are seeing that environmental concerns are not in the top 10,” says Amy Peck, manager of the Canadian Cattle Association’s public and stakeholder engagement program. “If you are concerned about being able to afford to feed your family, the environment becomes less important.” ... See MoreSee Less

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Ranchers get the backstory on public perception

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VERNON – Ranchers might be concerned about how the public sees their industry, but a producer-funded team at the Canadian Cattle Association has their back. Amy Peck, manager of the Canadian Cattle...
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4 days ago

BC Tree Fruit Co-op has sold its Lake Country packing house as part of its long-term plan to consolidate operations. The sale, to an undisclosed buyer, closed on August 31, 2023 for $15.8 million. ... See MoreSee Less

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Lake Country packing house sold

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BC Tree Fruit Co-op has sold its Lake Country packing house as part of its long-term plan to consolidate operations. The sale, to an undisclosed buyer, closed on August 31, 2023 for $15.8 million.
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Who bought it ffs ?

Ted Nedjelski Karen Turner

One of my first jobs was apple grading in a packing plant in Vernon

Vivian, is this where you worked?

I’d hear the company that owns the big Cannabis company that owns the green houses all around this packing plant was buying up everything around to expand. Wonder if it’s them that got it.

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5 days ago

The federal government has committed $1.81 million over the next three years to support the BC Poultry Association's preparation for direct participation in responses to future outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the province. “The persistence of the virus in wildlife and recurrence of outbreaks globally, presents additional risks during the migratory bird season in North America later in 2023,” the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health in Vancouver advised in July. For more, visit www.countrylifeinbc.com/ai-risk-rises-with-fall/ ... See MoreSee Less

The federal government has committed $1.81 million over the next three years to support the BC Poultry Associations preparation  for direct participation in responses to future outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the province. “The persistence of the virus in wildlife and recurrence of outbreaks globally, presents additional risks during the migratory bird season in North America later in 2023,” the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health in Vancouver advised in July. For more, visit https://www.countrylifeinbc.com/ai-risk-rises-with-fall/
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U-pick demand stays steady

July 7, 2021 byPeter Mitham

U-picks that saw record traffic last year as homebound families headed to berry fields for one of the few socially acceptable – and socially distanced – activities during the pandemic saw a more regular flow of visitors this year.

“Last year, overall, it was busier during the weekdays. People were working from home and there was no school,” says Katie Leek of Emma Lea Farms on Westham Island. “This year it wasn’t as busy on weekdays but weekends were busier.”

But visitor numbers might well have been stronger this year if it hadn’t been for the weather. Emma Lea’s strawberry season typically runs over three weekends in June, with all six days quite busy. This year, Leek says weather reduced traffic to just three days.

“The first weekend we had heavy rains on the Sunday and had to close all of our u-pick fields due to that, then the Father’s Day weekend was our typical busy weekend then the following weekend was when the heat wave hit, so very few people came out,” she says.

The heat wave also put an end to the strawberry crop, which had to be picked pronto and quickly sold.

It was a similar story at Krause Berry Farms in Langley, where strawberries coloured up during the heat wave but school wasn’t yet out, leaving fewer people than last year to pick them.

“Now that school is done we’ll see what happens,” says Alf Krause, who says support for local produce remains strong.

Protocols introduced during the pandemic also helped manage visitor numbers.

“We made changes last year that have made it easier, even this year, to carry on with the u-pick,” says Krause.

The farm also still requires visitors wear facemasks despite the relaxation of provincial restrictions. Many of its staff are younger and haven’t been fully vaccinated. Given the ongoing labour shortage, Krause can’t afford one of them getting infected. He says having to shut down operations during the peak summer season because of “any kind of an outbreak would be devastating.”

Both Leek and Krause are keeping an eye on their blueberries. The heat wave has had a noticeable impact on both operations, and Emma Lea’s plantings were also hit by hail at the end of May.

According to the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, as of July 4, 70 berry growers in the Lower Mainland had filed notices of loss as a result of the heat wave.

Okanagan growers have been hit even harder, however, with 265 tree fruit growers filing notices of loss.

Cherry growers have been particularly affected, with up to 75% of the crop impacted.

 

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