NARAMATA — The new president of the BC Fruit Growers Association is a life-long farmer who believes he can influence a change in the province’s tree fruit industry. “I’ve been involved in farming all my life,” says Peter Simonsen, an organic grower who was elected to head the 133-year-old association at its annual convention at …
Bird flu hits Enderby farm
A broiler farm in the North Okanagan has been depopulated following the positive identification of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza on April 13. Preliminary tests at a lab in Burnaby returned positive results, and samples were sent to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency lab in Winnipeg for confirmation. (BC’s own Animal Health …
Vertical farms face regulation
The rise of vertical farms has attracted the notice of the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission. Also known as contained growing systems, vertical farms have become a popular way to produce leafy greens on small lots and marginal land. But leafy greens – specifically, greenhouse-grown lettuces – are regulated by BC Veg as part of its …
Whistleblowers at FIRB, ALC protected
A phased expansion of the province’s whistle-blower legislation means that staff who call out bad behaviour at two high-profile farm organizations will now enjoy protection. Staff at the BC Farm Industry Review Board as well as the Agricultural Land Commission now enjoy whistleblower protections under the Public Interest Disclosure Act, which allows employees of public-sector …
Chicken growers on watch for avian influenza
ABBOTSFORD – With pandemic restrictions lifting and demand for chicken stabilizing, BC poultry producers are renewing their focus on biosecurity to stave off some well-known infectious diseases affecting their birds. “Biosecurity continues to be a challenge for us,” BC Chicken Growers Association president Dale Krahn told growers at their annual general meeting in Abbotsford, March …
Cool weather is good news
The cooler weather that rolled into the province this week bodes well for the Southern Interior, where warm temperatures at the end of March accelerated snowmelt beyond historical norms. Province-wide, the snowpack averaged 99% of normal on April 1, according to the monthly report from the BC River Forecast Centre. This is down from 105% …