KELOWNA – Learning from some of the best can help you be one of the best is a philosophy that’s served Kelowna orchardist Shane Witzke well. The BC Fruit Growers Association named Witzke as recipient of this year’s Golden Apple award at its annual general meeting in February. “I rely on what my field service …
NEWS
Mushrooms add value to cut blocks
KASLO – They may not be ready to harvest until 2022 but mushrooms may soon catch the eye of hikers along Kaslo’s Wardner Trail. A project to combine forestry and food production championed by Robin Mercy, owner of Mr. Mercy’s Mushrooms, saw the Village of Kaslo grant permission for Mercy to inoculate stumps and logs …
BC fairs await reopening
BC announced its reopening plan this week, setting the stage for a life without limits in the wake of COVID-19. But just how that unfolds for the farm sector and rural communities across the province is unclear. The four-stage plan announced by Premier John Horgan and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on May 25 …
Balanced conditions in 2020
Climate variability has hit BC farmers and ranchers hard in recent years, between wildfire, flood and drought. Conditions in 2019 were such that 52 census subdivisions became eligible for the federal government’s livestock tax deferral program. The program provides relief to farmers in areas where forage shortfalls due to excessive drought or moisture total 50% …
Building boom ahead
Statistics Canada is forecasting a building boom on BC farms this year, as capital investments in construction projects get ready to surge. Construction spending will total $394.6 million this year, according to the annual survey of business investment intentions that took place in late 2020. This is up nearly 24% from $318.7 million last year …
Supply management crucial to BC
COVID-19 hit BC hatching egg producers hard as the disease roiled demand for broilers, forcing them to anticipate where demand might lie months in the future. While fully grown broilers can be processed and their meat frozen when demand shifts, hatching eggs can’t be shelved if they’re not wanted. Indeed, the BC Broiler Hatching Egg …