Winter farm shows begin

The province’s largest agriculture show takes place January 23-25 at Tradex in Abbotsford, and exhibitors are ready.

“There’s real demand,” says Pacific Agriculture Show organizer Jim Shepard. “The show sells out so quickly, we’ve got a long waiting list.”

This year’s event, taking place alongside the Lower Mainland Horticultural Conference, will feature the latest in technology as well as displays for the whole family.

The petting zoo, a perennial favourite, will present the softer side of agriculture, as will the Rabbitats Rescue Society display that proved popular last year.

A registered charity, Rabbitats is dedicated to rescuing abandoned and feral rabbits, populations of which have overtaken parkland and have been a long-time threat to crop producers in Richmond and Surrey. Giving a home to the fluffy pests is a perfect blend of the heart-warming and the practical.

Coinciding with the show, the BC Agriculture Council gala on January 22 will celebrate leaders in BC agriculture, including the BC Agriculture in the Classroom’s Teacher of the Year, the Scotiabank Champion of Agriculture and the BC Agriculture Council’s Award for Excellence in Agriculture Leadership.

A silent auction is raising funds for the next generation of agricultural leaders, with proceeds supporting the BC Young Farmers.

Country Life in BC will also be on hand, as well as online. The paper’s show preview, available in the January-February edition, is posted to its website, and hard copies will be available at the booth on the show floor.

The usual educational streams for berry, vegetable and floriculture producers will be running as part of the horticulture conference, with water management and agri-technology being particular focuses given the backing of the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

The ministry is also organizing the educational program for the Islands Agriculture Show (January 31-February 1) at Cowichan Exhibition Park, Duncan, and the Southern Interior Horticultural Show (February 12-13) at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, Penticton.

Country Life in BC will have a presence at both events, covering the local discussions around water management, innovation and other issues of importance to producers.

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5 days ago

Canada's mushroom growers will have to post countervailing duties next week following a US Department of Commerce determination that Canada's tax regime effectively subsidized growers, allowing them to cause "material injury" to US growers through their exports. Canada is a major exporter of mushrooms to the US, with the countries effectively operating as a single value chain thanks in part to one of the largest mushroom producers, South Mill Champs, headquartered in Pennsylvania.

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6 days ago

The Jura Ranch near Princeton sold for nearly $5.3 million on May 12, the largest online ranch sale in BC in months, according to CLHBid.com, which handled the sale. The buyer was not named. Formerly owned by Rob and Kelly Lamoureux, which developed the successful Jura Grassfed brand, the ranch includes 2,625 deeded acres and a grazing licence totalling 83,698 acres. Originally offered at $4.2 million, the competitive bidding process delivered a higher value than the current market would suggest. Farm Credit Canada’s latest farmland value survey pointed to 1.7% decline in BC last year, which observers have attributed to tight margins and uncertainties related to Crown tenure.

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I sure hope it remains as farm land rather than a wind or solar installation.

Great grassland

yeah, who bought it? where are the checks and balances that ensure a ranch can continue being a ranch?

Uncertainty about crown land, aka native land grabs and unceded land claims being tossed around like it wasn't meant to destabilize the country?

1 week ago

American businessmen have quietly accumulated nearly 4,000 acres of farmland in the Robson Valley community of Dunster, sparking calls for restrictions on foreign and corporate agricultural land ownership in BC. Residents say the buy-up has driven population decline and priced out young farmers. MLAs from both parties and a UNBC professor are pointing to Quebec's new farmland protection legislation as a model BC should follo#BCAg#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

Foreign land buyers hollow out Dunster

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DUNSTER – Purchases of swathes of farmland in the Robson Valley by wealthy American businessmen have some in BC demanding restrictions on foreign and corporate ownership of agricultural land.

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This is a serious issue in Dunster and one that has impacts for wildlife and human neighbours.

Representatives from Quail's Gate Winery Estate Winery in West Kelowna were panellists during the Okanagan Cultivates event held at Okanagan College's Kelowna campus on May 7. The college has been hosting events like this to help elevate conversations in the community about what's grown locally and its impact on the region's food, wine and tourism industry. The Quail's Gate panel, which included Ben Stewart, discussed the long history of grape growing and winemaking in front of a large crowd who came to listen, learn and taste products from a number of local wineries and restaurants. A new $48.8M food, wine and tourism centre is now under construction at the college to open in fall 2027. The building will have modern food labs, a student-led restaurant and café and specialized training spaces for culinary, viticultu#BCAgd tourism studies.

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