“Government and society pulled together to do what needed to be done” when COVID-19 hit the province in early 2020, despite being unprepared for a province-wide emergency. That’s the finding of an independent review of the province’s response to the pandemic, released December 2. Report authors Bob de Faye, Dan Perrin and Chris Trumpy – …
Senate report highlights need for flood plans
CHILLIWACK – When dairy farmers on the flooded Sumas Prairie started evacuating their herds to buddy farms in November 2021, West River Farm in Rosedale took in eight bottle-fed calves. “They were freezing cold,” recalls dairy farmer Sarah Sache. “They were in the water, so it took quite a lot of work to keep them …
Avian influenza spreads
Sixteen commercial poultry farms in the Fraser Valley have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza over the past week, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The cases bring the total number of properties affected in the province to 59, with commercial operations now the focus of concern despite ongoing government outreach aimed at …
Dairy meetings highlight costs
BC dairy producers met for business meetings and networking last week, but producer income loomed large on the minds of many. Price hikes have failed to keep up with rising production costs. Several producers remarked that they’re always two years behind current circumstances. During the open discussion that followed the annual general meetings of the …
Shuswap water grants offered
Proposals are being accepted beginning December 1 for a new round of funding through the Shuswap Watershed Council’s Water Quality Grant Program. “One of our objectives as a watershed council is to protect and maintain the water quality in Shuswap and Mara Lakes,” explains Erin Vieira, program manager for the SWC. “In particular, we’re focussed …
Automation boosts market garden’s efficiency
COBBLE HILL – Tracey Wilkin and Don Nelson entered the agricultural industry later in life but apply previous job skills, including marketing and mechanical engineering, to bolster their market garden’s productivity and business strategy. The middle-aged couple from Cobble Hill started their Sayward Haven Farm last year and just wrapped up their second growing season. …