The prospect of a record cherry crop has Okanagan growers scrambling for workers as a heat wave accelerates ripening. While arrivals of seasonal foreign workers are above last year, BC Fruit Growers Association president Pinder Dhaliwal expects just half the number of domestic backpackers to arrive. These usually account for 4,000 workers in addition to …
NEWS
Farmers market returns
The Langley Community Farmers Market started up again on June 16 with a solid turn out, following a one-year hiatus. To breathe new life into its return this year, the weekly market has hired a marketing manager to help generate a buzz in the community. It seems to be paying off. More than 250 people …
BCAC shifts to advocacy
Policy development is in, program delivery is out as the BC Agriculture Council prepares to welcome a new executive director in August. Reg Ens announced June 9 that he would be stepping down as executive director July 31, allowing him to step into the newly created position of general manager of the Western Agriculture Labour …
Farms retain tax status
For the second year in a row, BC farmers won’t have to worry about proving their properties are eligible for farm class status. The province announced June 14 that all properties currently classed as farms with the BC Assessment Authority would continue to hold that status on the 2022 tax roll. The move extends a …
Semios growth advances
Vancouver-based pest control company SemiosBio Technologies Inc. has made its first acquisition, continuing its growth as one of the province’s most successful agritech startups. Semios announced June 8 that it had acquired Altrac, a California-based developer of cellular control technology for agricultural equipment, including wind machines, pumps, and valves. Terms of the transaction were not …
New milk board chair
A veteran of the Vancouver business world is the new chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board, succeeding outgoing chair Ben Janzen on July 31. Janice Comeau brings 30 years of experience in finance and strategic advisory roles to the position. She most recently spent three years as chair of the BC Land Titles and …