Fresh landslides in the Nicola Valley last week underscored the ongoing impacts of last year’s extreme weather as the deadline for applications to the federal-provincial AgriRecovery program unveiled in response to last November’s catastrophic mudslides and flooding approached. But just a fraction of the $228 million allocated to the 2021 Flood Recovery Program for Food …
NEWS
Regional processing supported
Processing capacity is essential to local food security, bringing local production across the finish line onto the plates of consumers. While the province’s agriculture ministry has invested in a food hub network, smaller initiatives are also afoot to support the crop and livestock producers. On August 23, Hornby Island Farmland Trust Society was awarded a …
Province’s peach supply down
Cold winter weather and the cooler spring have profoundly affected the BC peach crops, with some producers reporting little or no production this year. “A couple of the early varieties had blossoms and got pollinated. So, we had peaches on three types, a very light crop, but they are all finished now,” says Jennay Oliver …
Researchers probe blueberry disease
A team of researchers is looking to uncover the mysterious cause of a new disease damaging blueberry fields across the province. Over the last few years, farmers have tested plants showing symptoms of disease for blueberry scorch and other diseases. However, more and more plants are testing negative while symptoms persist, leaving producers unsure how …
Billion-dollar wine boost
The economic impact of BC’s wine industry increased by a billion dollars in the five years prior to the pandemic before crashing as public health restrictions slammed the brakes on public events and social gatherings. According to a study Wine Growers Canada and its member organizations including Wine Growers BC (WGBC) released earlier this month, …
Fossens recognized for innovative practices
ROCK CREEK – Ranch sustainability depends on three key strengths, according to the Fossen family: innovation, improvement and involvement. The family’s commitment to all three won them recognition this year with the presentation in June of the BC Cattlemen’s Association’s Ranch Sustainability Award. “For us, the award is not about one specific project,” says Doug …