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MAY 2025
Vol. 111 Issue 4

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2 days ago

From orchard manager to government specialist and now executive director of the BC Fruit Growers Association, Adrian Arts brings a rare blend of hands-on farming experience and organizational leadership to an industry poised for renewal. His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for BC fruit growers, with Arts expressing enthusiasm about continuing the momentum built by his predecessor and working alongside a board that signals a generational shift in agricultural advocacy.

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Arts leads BCFGA forward

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A combination of organizational management and practical farming experience has primed the new executive director of the BC Fruit Growers Association to lead the industry forward.
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1 week ago

A public consultation is now underway on the powers and duties of the BC Milk Marketing Board. Key issues for dairy producers include transportation costs, rules governing shipments and limitations on supporting processing initiatives. Stakeholders have until May 31 to comment.

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Milk board undertakes review

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A public consultation on the powers and duties of the BC Milk Marketing Board is underway as part of a triennial review required by the British Columbia Milk Marketing Board Regulation.
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1 week ago

BC wool shipments drop sharply in 2023, according to StatsCan data released in mid-April. Local producers shipped just 5,200kg at 37¢/kg, down from 18,600kg at $1.08/kg in 2022. While many farmers now use wool on-farm or dispose of it due to low market value, innovative producers like Emily McIvor point to untapped opportunities. Read more in our Farm News Update from Country Life in BC.

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BC wool value, volume drop

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BC sheep producers shipped less wool for less in 2023, reversing strong growth a year earlier. BC producers shipped 5,200 kilograms of raw wool in 2023, according to Statistics Canada data released on...
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2 weeks ago

Eric Feehely and Miho Shinbo are growing 30+ crops on 2.5 acres in Vernon. Writer Myrna Stark Leader takes a look at how Silverstar Veggies is balancing CSA programs, farmers markets and restaurant sales while planning smart expansions in challenging economic times in Market farm works smarter, not harder.

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Market farm works smarter, not harder

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VERNON – Silverstar Veggies, a five-year-old mixed vegetable and herb farm in Vernon, thrives on passion and innovative ideas. A former watersport and adventure sport instructor…
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3 weeks ago

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CFIA nabs Enderby abattoir

May 1, 2024 byKate Ayers

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has announced eight charges under the Health of Animals Act against Enderby farmer and meat processor Richard Yntema.

The Yntema family runs a small game farm and processing plant in the North Okanagan where they raise deer, wild boar and lamb. Since 2008, their abattoir Valley Wide Meats has processed livestock and other animals, including bison, cattle, deer, emu, goats, hogs, ostrich, water buffalo, sheep and rabbit.

CFIA alleges that Yntema fed animals specified risk material, which the CFIA defines as “the skull, brain, trigeminal ganglia, eyes, palatine tonsils, spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of cattle aged 30 months or older, as well as the distal ileum of cattle of all ages.”

CFIA further alleges that the farm fed meat or meat by-products to swine or poultry as well as animal parts or carcasses to livestock or poultry.

In addition, the charges allege that Yntema obstructed or hindered an inspector, and made a false or misleading statement to an inspector.

Yntema had his first court appearance on April 23 and is set to appear in provincial court in Salmon Arm on May 7.

The federal inspection agency has had previous run-ins with Yntema regarding the Health of Animals Act. In November 2020, he was in court for six charges of obstructing and hindering investigators and six charges of failing to provide relevant information to health inspectors about untagged animals that arrived for slaughter.

In June 2020 the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy visited Valley Wide Meats following neighbours’ complaints of birds dropping slaughter waste on their properties.  At that time, the ministry issued a penalty for failing to provide records on request.

In 2016, Yntema pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000 for failing to secure animals and the unlawful possession of live wildlife.

Yntema did not respond to an interview request before deadline. The BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food deferred questions to the CFIA, which was unavailable to comment before deadline.

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