BC’s potato crop lagged its five-year average in 2024, according to Statistics Canada, weighing in at 1,878,000 hundredweight (cwt). Yields were largely consistent with past years at 329.5 cwt per acre but lower acreage compared to historical levels contributed to a smaller harvest. BC growers seeded 5,900 acres this past spring, down from 6,500 in …
BC producer groups give back
‘Tis the season of giving, and BC producer groups are doing their part. During its annual conference at the end of November, the BC Dairy Association announced the contribution of $180,000 in matching funds to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation for transformative equipment and programs. The funding is part of $640,000 contributed over the past …
Shuswap watershed grants once again open
Water for agriculture is among the top priorities for the new provincial government, and the ripple effects of on-farm practices are in the spotlight as the Shuswap Watershed Council (SWC) invites another round of applications for its four-year old Water Quality Grant Program. “One of our objectives as a watershed council is to protect and …
Pilot addresses gap in distribution infrastructure
NELSON – A pilot project to transform food distribution in the Kootenays is underway through the Central Kootenay Food Policy Council (CKFPC) with the goal of building a more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable food distribution system across the region. “The Kootenays is a large geographic area and home to a broad network of interconnected people …
Demand for milk, lower input costs good for dairy
ABBOTSFORD – A rise in demand for dairy is good news for producers, who will see margins expand in 2025 as farmgate milk prices hold steady and costs fall. Recapping market conditions at the BC Milk Marketing Board’s fall producer meeting in Abbotsford, October 28, Kevin Mammel noted that milk utilization is up, with processors …
BC orchard sector needs more than sales
VIEWPOINT: Participants in the Canadian Farm Writers Federation conference in Nova Scotia this fall were given a genuine taste of the province when they toured Scotian Gold Co-op in the storied Annapolis Valley. SweeTango, a club variety apple that’s been a boon for local growers, was among the standouts as the busload of writers heard …