The aggressive start to this year’s wildfire season seems to have caught the province unawares, say ranchers in northeastern BC. “Government really needs to step up their game, they need to pay attention,” says Montney rancher and Stoddart Creek Water Services CEO Thomas Stahl. “We had a dry fall last year. It’s not like they …
Fruit specialists take extension in new direction
SUMMERLAND – Tree Fruit and grape growers will benefit from the support of two extension specialists recently hired by the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food. “This is a collaborative support position,” explains Lindsay Hainstock, a former BC Tree Fruits Co-op field staff. “It is currently a one-year pilot with the overall objective to increase …
Alberni Valley cut off
A small but aggressive wildfire on Vancouver Island has cut off the Alberni Valley. Reported on June 4, the Cameron Bluffs wildfire now totals 140 hectares (346 acres) and prompted the province to shut down Hwy 4 on June 6. That closure remains in place, with a four-hour detour routing traffic through to Lake Cowichan …
Peace drought still serious
The first update since December to the province’s drought monitor underscores the dire conditions facing much of the province as summer approaches. The final drought ratings of 2022, issued December 1, pegged three regions, all in northeastern BC, at level 5 drought, the most severe on the province’s six-tier scale. All of the province’s 34 …
Cherry harvest firming up
The heat that began in mid-May has given cherry crops an extra push as the season approaches. While grocers across Canada have begun promotion of imported fruit, Coral Beach Farms Ltd. issued its own update this week heralding the start of harvest on July 5. While it expects initial volumes to be light, moderate fruit …
Sod industry sees slow recovery from disasters
ABBOTSFORD – BC’s turf industry has yet to recover from the double effects of the pandemic and the November 2021 floods, which sped up the contraction of a sector heavily concentrated in the Fraser Valley. Sales were already on a downward trend from the sector’s peak of $12 million in 2017, although they rebounded slightly …