VERNON – Celebrating organics while preparing for the next generation of consumers was a key theme of the annual conference of the Certified Organic Associations of BC in Vernon, February 22-24. An open discussion on Friday night, a Saturday morning panel and a Sunday roundtable all touched on the challenges the sector faces as organic …
NEWS
Codes of practice need producer input
VICTORIA – BC SPCA hosted the first Canadian Animal Policy Symposium in Victoria on March 1, bringing together provincial policymakers and scientists from across Canada to share best practices in animal policy development. Working collaboratively and proactively is key to crafting animal policy. “The art of collaboration – Canadians do it really well,” summarizes UBC …
Study compares organic, conventional diets
A recent study conducted by Friends of the Earth and published online by Elsevier in the journal Environmental Research explored whether an organic diet would reduce levels of urinary pesticides. Previous research has done similar studies but they mostly focused on organophosphate pesticides. This study looked at pyrethroids and neonicotinoids, two compounds that are used …
NDP declare “full-on war on farmers”
Close to 200 farmers and landowners from across the Lower Mainland gathered in Surrey on March 24 to discuss concerns regarding Bill 15, which is set for second reading this week. The bill proposes five key changes to the Agricultural Land Commission, but the most contentious is one that strips landowners of the right to …
Chilliwack dairy show tops
Ferme Jacob of Quebec captured the top award but Westcoast Holsteins of Chilliwack took home the lion’s share of the prize money at the 2019 BC Holstein Spring Show in Chilliwack on March 22. Co-owner Pat Conroy of Indiana led Ferme Jacob’s outstanding mature cow, Jacobs Lauthority Loana, to the grand championship of the show. …
Health authorities go local
Are patients running out of local food at BC hospitals? The BC Ministry of Agriculture announced $350,000 this month to help the Interior Health Authority buy more BC-grown food for patients. The official government announcement says the funding will support “a project facilitator, patient information, procurement specialist services and a food-processing specialist” to help BC …