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Articles by byJackie Pearase
Corn rootworm hits Okanagan
A pest that infested Fraser Valley corn fields in 2017 has made an appearance in the North Okanagan. The BC Dairy Association recently alerted members to the discovery of Western corn rootworm on farms in Armstrong, Enderby and Salmon Arm by a seed industry representative in August. The province is following up to determine the extent of the pest and its impact.
Kamloops decommissions farm irrigation
KAMLOOPS – A recent city decision to decommission a local irrigation system has some local farmers feeling like they’ve been hung out to dry. About 40 users of the Noble Creek Irrigation System left a public information meeting June 19 with more questions than answers after coming to learn more about Kamloops’ decision at an in camera meeting May 30 to decommission the system this fall.
Flower farm meets growing demand
ENDERBY – Operating a flower farm is a dream come true for Nadine Charlton, even if it’s not all sunshine and roses. Charlton began Blumen Fields Flower Farm on Mabel Lake Road, six minutes east of Enderby, in 2018, one year after purchasing the 54-acre property with husband Chris and her parents. The farm fulfills Charlton’s passion for sustainability and provides an outlet for her creative talent, honed over 20 years as an interior designer.
Farmers struggle to get insurance coverage Insurance
SALMON ARM – A hard market cycle for the insurance industry is making it harder for some farmers to get insurance coverage. It took four months for Mara dairy farmers Quentin and Daniela Bruns to secure insurance for their 180-acre certified organic operation with about 65 cows. Their struggle to find an insurance company willing to cover their farm, Hamberlin Holsteins Ltd., was exacerbated by claims for a burned tractor in 2019 and a new barn roof lost in a wind storm in 2020.
Grant funding for nutrient management projects
March 3, 2021 byJackie Pearase Shuswap farmers and landowners can improve their nutrient management strategies with funding from the Shuswap Watershed Council. SWC’s Water Quality Grant Program is accepting applications until April 30 for projects focused on the valley bottoms of the Shuswap and Salmon rivers. “One of the SWC’s primary objectives is to protect and maintain the water quality in Shuswap and Mara lakes,” explains SWC program manager Erin Vieira.
Egg producer questions support for local eggs
DUNCAN – A Vancouver Island egg producer/grader wants the corporate egg business to give consumers more transparency and choice. A blog post on the Farmer Ben’s Eggs website in early December questioned the branding of some eggs sold on the island as being island-produced when, in fact, many of the eggs originate off-island and perhaps even out-of-province.
New food hub planned for Salmon Arm
SALMON ARM – A food hub in Salmon Arm will provide much-needed processing opportunities to producers in the Shuswap-Okanagan. In mid-September, the BC Ministry of Agriculture announced $500,000 toward the creation of a food hub in the community. “The province’s processing sector is seeing success all over BC and we are supporting farmers and food and beverage producers who want to take their products to the next level,” says BC Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham.
4-H members finish season at virtual Ag Expo
BARRIERE – The 4-H community continued to demonstrate its resiliency with a much different show and sale at the BC Ag Expo in Barriere, September 25-28. With pandemic restrictions still in place, organizers put together a virtual show and sale for 4-H and open youth. “When we made our decision to go virtually, we really wanted to deliver an in-person fair but with the numbers that we have, it just wasn’t feasible.
Small on-farm dairy processors raise concerns about systemic inequities
KAMLOOPS – Two small dairies are hoping there’s room in supply management for an alternative way of doing business that will keep on-farm processors viable into the future. Laura Hunter of Blackwell Dairy in Kamloops and Erin Harris of Kootenay Meadows Farm in the Creston Valley reached out on Facebook recently seeking support for ideas to make supply management more equitable for small on-farm processors. They also presented their proposal to the BC Dairy Association and BC Milk Marketing Board.
4-H sales adapt amid COVID-19 restrictions
ARMSTRONG – True to their club motto, “Learn to Do by Doing,” 4-H club members across BC are finding new ways to market their animal projects when traditional means are unavailable. Physical distancing rules in place banning events of more than 50 people and the cancellation of most fall fairs featuring 4-H auction sales have pushed 4-H leaders to think outside the box.
Rethinking the concept for mobile abattoirs
MCBRIDE – Hopes are high that a government-inspected Class E mobile abattoir may soon move to the prototype stage. The proposal is driven by McBride custom butcher Mark Roth, who says the Class E licensing system needs work to better serve small-scale farmers. The construction of a Class A abattoir in McBride in 2011 was what led Roth to become a butcher. He dropped his plans to work at the new plant after a stint of on-farm butchering and cutting and wrapping at his small butcher shop.
COVID-19 leads to oversupply of dairy
VANCOUVER – A series of unfortunate events has resulted in a slight downturn for the conventional dairy sector. On March 19, the BC Milk Marketing Board implemented a series of incentive days for dairy producers in March, April and May after fluid milk sales at grocery stores increased 40% as consumers rushed to stock up in the face of COVID-19.
Chilliwack family cracks open direct sales
CHILLIWACK – A foray into farmgate egg sales using an automated, cashless vending machine is proving advantageous for Brightside Poultry in Chilliwack. Richard and Jacqueline Boer have the first farm in North America to use the egg vending machine, made by Roesler Vending in Germany.
Funding will help farmers address nutrient runoff
March 30, 2020 byJackie Pearase SALMON ARM – Water quality in the Shuswap region will benefit from $100,000 in grants over the coming year through a new program launched this spring. The Shuswap Watershed Council is making the funds available to projects aimed at protecting long-term water quality in the region through better nutrient management.
Dairy producers surveyed on regulation impact
SALMON ARM – The BC Dairy Association is compiling data to better understand the financial impact on farms of the new Agricultural Environmental Management Code of Practice (AEM Code). “We’re working to understand an accurate assessment of the AEM code-related costs on farms,” says BCDA general manager Jeremy Dunn.
Minimize the risk of corn silage fires
September 1, 2019 byJackie Pearase ENDERBY—AgSafeBC urges farmers to inform themselves on the risks of corn silage fires. The organization is working with the BC Ministry of Agriculture, BC Dairy Association, WorkSafeBC and relevant fire departments to determine the reasons behind five incidents of smouldering corn silage in the eastern Fraser Valley in September 2018. Two of those episodes were full-scale fires resulting in the loss of structures.
New waste control rules kick in October 1
ARMSTRONG—Rules replacing the Agricultural Waste Control Regulation kick in October 1, but producers should take steps now to ensure they’re in compliance. The province unveiled the Agricultural Environmental Management Code of Practice (AEMCoP) in February. Come October 1, producers need a risk assessment if they plan to apply manure or other nutrients to land located in a high-precipitation area during the shoulder season of February, March or October.
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