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Originally published:

August 2018
Vol. 104 Issue 8

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Stories In This Edition

Shaved, showered and shampooed

New regs rolled out for pot growers

Egg farm decommissioned

Richmond cranberry grower honoured

Editorial: Ground for reform

Back Forty: Facing a tenuous future of feeding the world

OpEd: Wildlife federation’s audit request full of holes

Armyworm posing little risk this season

Letters: Dairy feeling price pressures

Abbotsford waits for clarity on ALR guidelines

Chicken quote to increase 20% by 2020

Dairy incentive days this fall

Aquilini seeks exclusion for former nursery

Business risks looms large at national meeting

Maple Ridge denies exclusion bid for dairy

Fire damage won’t delay blueberry shipments

Good weather marks return to normal conditions

Cherries set for near-record crop this season

Laser system has potential for bird control in crops

Hazelnut growers get replant funding

Gulf Islands farmers want rules respected

Young Agrarians push small-scale premium

Value pinned on local ecosystem services

Cash crunch threatens BC berry growers

Hop sector brewing a bright future

IPM for SWD a tall order, says crop consultant

Audit request takes aim at cattle ranchers

Forage action plan nears completion

Site C fund directors get to work

Abattoir recommendations delayed till fall

Research: Smart flowers have the tools to attract clever bees

Science should underpin colony management

Abbotsford tour puts spotlight on innovation

Summer fun at Stock Show

Business smarts needed for farm success

Wannabe: Signs of hope’s fulfilment

New day for Century Growers

Woodshed: Role playing turns up heat for Deborah

Seasonal pastime

Community is key crop for Kelowna farmers

Jude’s Kitchen: Crisp and cool entertaining

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3 days ago

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details. ... See MoreSee Less

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details.
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2 weeks ago

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the province's deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed. ... See MoreSee Less

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the provinces deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed.
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Sounds like 2 weeks to flatten the curve turning into 2 years.

USDA doing avian vax research, May 11 bio-docs to UN incl section on H5N8 w/wild bird spread. Found link to apparent pre-release on May 11 Geller Report. Good luck farmers.

3 weeks ago

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.” ... See MoreSee Less

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.”
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Killing our food chain. How do we know they are actually carrying a virus, look what's taking place with covid, is it real.

Ik kan niet zo goed Engels maar als ik het goed begrijp is bij jullie ook vogelgriep maar nog niet bij jullie

Any idea when this episode or bird flu might be over?

3 weeks ago

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions. ... See MoreSee Less

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions.
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4 weeks ago

A second BC flock has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the province reported this evening, April 25. The small backyard flock of chicken and ducks near Kelowna has fewer than 100 birds and is relatively isolated. This is the second backyard flock to be suspected of high-path avian influenza in the past week. The other, on Vancouver Island, was found to be AI-free. Amanda Brittain, chief information officer with the BC Poultry Association’s emergency operations centre, says the latest case is of minimal concern to industry because there are no commercial flocks within 12km of the premises. ... See MoreSee Less

A second BC flock has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the province reported this evening, April 25. The small backyard flock of chicken and ducks near Kelowna has fewer than 100 birds and is relatively isolated. This is the second backyard flock to be suspected of high-path avian influenza in the past week. The other, on Vancouver Island, was found to be AI-free. Amanda Brittain, chief information officer with the BC Poultry Association’s emergency operations centre, says the latest case is of minimal concern to industry because there are no commercial flocks within 12km of the premises.
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Wildlife federation’s audit request full of holes

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July 29, 2018 byMike Gilson

BC auditor general Carol Bellringer has plenty on her plate. The current work plan for her office includes reports on the BC Utilities Commission, the management of the province’s capital assets and health promotion in schools. Her office is planning audits of drinking water, end-of-life care and the BC Liquor Distribution Branch.

She also receives hundreds of requests from individuals and organizations concerned about government operations. Some have merit; others do not.

The recent request by University of Victoria’s Environmental Law Centre on behalf of the BC Wildlife Federation is one that no rancher, let alone any right-minded person, could consider appropriate.

The request, submitted June 12, seeks “an audit and examination of cattle grazing leases on Crown land, and related issues.” BCWF appears to be concerned whether or not Crown lands are being used in British Columbians’ best interests and if the province is receiving the best bang for its buck. But a closer read of the request reveals that this isn’t BCWF’s main concern at all.

Rather, the audit request is the start of a campaign to erode private property rights and remove cattle from Crown land, a campaign based on selective facts that target:

• producers’ access to Crown land

• the public’s right to roam

• water quality

• greenhouse gas emissions

• fencing

• infrastructure costs and

• tenure pricing.

It amounts to a full-out attack on our way of life and our livelihood. BCWF insinuates that the cattle industry is not viable and accuses ranchers of “imposing unnecessary costs on BC taxpayers.” Unfortunately, the arguments leave out vast amounts of information.

It is worth noting at the outset that, concurrent with the audit request, BCWF is supporting ongoing legal action by the Nicola Valley Fish and Game Club regarding access to private, deeded land held by Douglas Lake Cattle Co.

Under the direction of legal director Calvin Sandborn, the Environmental Law Centre has produced research supporting public access to privately owned lands, an issue championed by BC Green Party leader Andrew Weaver, who has proposed “right to roam” legislation similar to what exists in parts of Europe. Such legislation would effectively erode BC rural property rights to the point that landowners will in essence become powerless to protect their interests.

The request also cites Weaver’s work regarding livestock contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. But according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), cattle account for just 9% of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. Singling out livestock producers for scrutiny is disingenuous. One can only take the context of these statements and how they are being presented as a personal attack on BC ranchers and all livestock producers.

The attack doesn’t end at access and greenhouse emissions, either. Sandborn believes livestock operations contaminate the province’s water, and served as special advisor to a review of the province’s handling of aquifer contamination in the Hullcar Valley. The audit request cites a 2012 report for the BC Forest Practices Board that found “pervasive non-compliance” with measures designed to protect riparian areas.

But highlighting an extreme bias on the part of BCWF is that the Forest Practices Board didn’t point to ranchers or even agriculture as the primary culprit when it comes to water quality. Ski resorts, recreational users, forestry activities as well as other forms of development, wildlife and even natural influences were mentioned. By identifying one factor without naming the others, BCWF representatives have over-simplified the issue to suit their agenda.

The allegedly poor financial benefit to the province seems a minor concern in light of these issues, but BCWF nevertheless rounds out its critique by saying taxpayers are subsidizing the ranching industry by providing cheap access to Crown land and covering maintenance and repair costs that tenure holders should be paying.

The bottom line seems to be that BCWF does not want cattle on Crown land. It is unfortunate that an organization that claims to be provincial in nature would attack a long-standing association of rural landowners, all in the name of fairness.

Rather than engage in meaningful constructive conversations with landowners and cattlemen, BCWF has chosen to attack the very type of people who they should be working closely together with. Stewardship of the land is a rancher’s top goal; raising livestock comes second. If we don’t look after the land, we aren’t going to be very successful at feeding a cow.

Many species of wildlife would also lose out. Ranches offer a safe haven from developed areas. Privately owned ranch land in British Columbia is one of the best ungulate nurseries we have. There are a lot of deer, elk and moose that take their first breath of air on someone’s deeded, private property.

Our ranch has always allowed hunting, with permission. We do not have any grazing leases, only deeded land along with range licences. Those range licences are freely open to the public, and always have been. Going forward, there will be a new policy when an individual asks permission to use our deeded land for hunting, hiking or whatever pastime they wish to pursue. They will now be asked if they are a BCWF member. If their answer is yes, then our answer to them will be NO.

The livestock industry is a major contributor to British Columbia’s economy and should not be the subject of an attack based on cherry-picked facts.

Mike Gilson operates Bear Valley Ranch southeast of Quesnel.

Country Life in BC welcomes guest editorials. If you have something you’d like to say, contact editor@countrylifeinbc.com for editorial guidelines. 

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