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Current Issue:

AUGUST 2026
Vol. 112 Issue 8

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3 hours ago

Complex, curious and compassionate, and above all a contributor to his family, his community and the dairy industry is how family, friends and colleagues remembered Dave Janssens this morning at a memorial service in Surrey following his untimely passing July 21 while cycling through the Peace region. A standing-room-only congregation attended as Janssens' life and decades of service were honoured. An elected member of both the BC Milk Marketing Board and the BC Dairy Association, Janssens represented the industry at the provincial and national level and was recognized for his clear thinking and willingness to entertain diverse perspectives. He retired last year following six years as a director of the BC Milk Marketing Board. His absence from industry discussions will be miss#BCAg##BCDairyDairy ... See MoreSee Less

Complex, curious and compassionate, and above all a contributor to his family, his community and the dairy industry is how family, friends and colleagues remembered Dave Janssens this morning at a memorial service in Surrey following his untimely passing July 21 while cycling through the Peace region. A standing-room-only congregation attended as Janssens  life and decades of service were honoured. An elected member of both the BC Milk Marketing Board and the BC Dairy Association, Janssens represented the industry at the provincial and national level and was recognized for his clear thinking and willingness to entertain diverse perspectives. He retired last year following six years as a director of the BC Milk Marketing Board. His absence from industry discussions will be missed.

#BCAg #BCDairy
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2 days ago

The committee of MLAs charged with setting priorities for the next provincial budget is recommending regular, annual funding for water storage infrastructure associated with food production, including for engineering inspections, maintenance and upgrades. The recommendation builds on the BC Cattlemen's Association's recommendation of an annual allocation of $5 million for water storage infrastructure related to food production, noting that it could also support resilience in the face of climate-related events. While the province has allocated $120 million for agricultural water infrastructure, agriculture minister Lana Popham told Country Life in BC this week that other ministries and the federal government will need to be involved in funding future p#BCAgts#BCAgCAg

#BCAg
... See MoreSee Less

The committee of MLAs charged with setting priorities for the next provincial budget is recommending regular, annual funding for water storage infrastructure associated with food production, including for engineering inspections, maintenance and upgrades. The recommendation builds on the BC Cattlemens Associations recommendation of an annual allocation of $5 million for water storage infrastructure related to food production, noting that it could also support resilience in the face of climate-related events. While the province has allocated $120 million for agricultural water infrastructure, agriculture minister Lana Popham told Country Life in BC this week that other ministries and the federal government will need to be involved in funding future projects.

#BCAg

#BCAg
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A typical small-to-medium farming operation featuring a house, main barn, and machine shed generally has around 8,000 to 12,000 square feet of total roof surface. The Okanagan Valley is one of the driest regions in Canada, averaging roughly 300 millimetres (11.8 inches) of annual precipitation. Storing a full year's collected rainwater from those roofs yields roughly 262,500 litres. In the three regional districts that make up the Okanagan valley proper (North Okanagan, Central Okanagan, and Okanagan-Similkameen), the 2021 Statistics Canada Census of Agriculture records roughly 3,100 total farms. Multiply that number by 262,500 litres of harvested rainwater equals 813.75 million litres of water saved per year. Capturing that volume of water across every farm roof in the region would significantly ease peak summer pumping pressure on local groundwater aquifers and Okanagan Lake.

Fantastic!! We will work hard to be involved and do what we can as well as a collective group on the Salmon River!

Absolutely! Long over due and very welcomed. Let's make this happen.

2 days ago

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3 days ago

About 40 community members gathered at Silver Creek Community Hall near Salmon Arm last Thursday to discuss ways to improve water availability for both farms and spawning salmon. While the province has since rescinded a fish protection order for the watershed that shut down irrigation, future risks to water access remain top of mind. "We are here because water matters to each of us," says rancher and organizer Trudy Schweb. Farmland Riparian Interface Stewardship Program manager Lee Hesketh outlined the potential for upland water storage while Rob Dinwoodie highlighted cost-shared funding opportunities through the Environmental Farm Plan program for riparian assessments, irrigation efficiency upgrades and other water-related projects available to producers. Photo credit | Facebook/Trudy Schweb

#BCAg
... See MoreSee Less

About 40 community members gathered at Silver Creek Community Hall near Salmon Arm last Thursday to discuss ways to improve water availability for both farms and spawning salmon. While the province has since rescinded a fish protection order for the watershed that shut down irrigation, future risks to water access remain top of mind. We are here because water matters to each of us, says rancher and organizer Trudy Schweb. Farmland Riparian Interface Stewardship Program manager Lee Hesketh outlined the potential for upland water storage while Rob Dinwoodie highlighted cost-shared funding opportunities through the Environmental Farm Plan program for riparian assessments, irrigation efficiency upgrades and other water-related projects available to producers. Photo credit | Facebook/Trudy Schweb

#BCAg
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Salmon River Watershed Roundtable should be looked into again.

Well done my girl,the voice of Silver Creek ranchers and more

Thanks for covering this🌟

3 days ago

The BC Fruit Growers Association is urging Greater Vernon Water and the Regional District of North Okanagan to halt water shut-offs hitting 2,100+ acres of Okanagan orchards mid-season. With losses potentially topping $250 million, fruit growers say decisions of this scale demand a coordinated plan with farmers and the province — not one-sided cuts. They’re not the only producers affected by this year’s dry conditions.

#BCAg
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Cash Flows

www.countrylifeinbc.com

VERNON – Water restrictions intensified across the southern Interior in late July, with record low stream flows clouding the cash outlook for ranches and orchards. Fourteen agricultural water users...
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Food should ALWAYS come first. Allow the farmers their water. My grandad watered the apples by flume from the mountain. Let’s get on with AG and get out of the way!

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Veles continues with BC Veg

Natalie Veles

April 3, 2024 byPeter Mitham

Natalie Veles has been reappointed as an independent commissioner with the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission.

Veles was one of two independent commissioners appointed in early 2022 following a governance review that aimed for a more accountable and diverse board at the commission. Veles was selected alongside Craig Evans to serve following a competitive application process.

Veles has been reappointed for an additional three-year term, a position she holds alongside that of executive director with the BC Turkey Marketing Board and BC Turkey Growers Association.

Together with these roles and more than three years as program director with the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC, Veles brings a strong background in regulated marketing and organized agriculture at both the provincial and national levels.

Her reappointment comes following the expansion of the commission’s mandate province-wide. It now regulates the commercial production and marketing of 20 storage crops, greenhouse crops and processing crops not only in southern BC but north of the 52rd parallel of latitude.

The commission is also adding vertical farms to its licensees, ensuring the orderly marketing of the produce from these operations, which are seen as critical to food security and economic opportunity in more remote areas of BC.

An update on the commission’s work will be delivered when it meets for its annual general meeting in Tsawwassen on April 17. The meeting will be held both in person and online, with attendance open to all stakeholders. A growers-only townhall session will follow the business meeting.

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