Agriculture

Hinterland farm. (Caleb Beyers Photography)

Pender Island alpaca, llama sanctuary turns wool into yarn

Avid knitter, Hanahlie Beise, fell in love with alpacas and making yarn

Hinterland farm. (Caleb Beyers Photography)
Amanda Goodman Lee of Swan Valley Honey in Creston (Maddy Prier photo)

Beekeeping brings Creston couple back to their roots

Amanda Goodman Lee, Jeff Lee turn collective dream into thriving multifaceted business

Amanda Goodman Lee of Swan Valley Honey in Creston (Maddy Prier photo)
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser arrives to a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Fraser says the government will expand a pilot project to attract more temporary foreign workers to accept jobs in Canada’s agricultural industry for another two years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Pilot program for temporary agricultural workers extended after rocky pandemic start

Two-year extension aimed to address labour shortages in the harvesting and livestock industry

Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser arrives to a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Fraser says the government will expand a pilot project to attract more temporary foreign workers to accept jobs in Canada’s agricultural industry for another two years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Farm fresh eggs from a vending machine? Who would have thought? And, yet, Doug Groenendijk has made it a reality. (Photo by Don Bodger)

Farmer comes out of his shell to sell vending machine eggs

Timing right to get cracking with a new venture

Farm fresh eggs from a vending machine? Who would have thought? And, yet, Doug Groenendijk has made it a reality. (Photo by Don Bodger)
A gas station displays its prices in Bowmanville, Ont. on Monday Dec. 5, 2022. It will cost many Canadians a bit more to fill gas tanks or heat their houses next month as the national carbon price rises Saturday in the three prairie provinces and Ontario. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives

House passes bill creating carve-outs for farmers in Canada’s carbon pricing scheme

Farmers exempted from paying for emissions from natural gas, propane used for certain farm activity

A gas station displays its prices in Bowmanville, Ont. on Monday Dec. 5, 2022. It will cost many Canadians a bit more to fill gas tanks or heat their houses next month as the national carbon price rises Saturday in the three prairie provinces and Ontario. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives
B.C.’s cattle ranching industry has welcomed additional funding for veterinary training. (Black Press Media file photo)

B.C. to spend $22M to give boost to number of veterinarians

Additional funding will subsize veterinary training

B.C.’s cattle ranching industry has welcomed additional funding for veterinary training. (Black Press Media file photo)
Beekeepers move approximately 3.5 million bees from travelling frames into hives at a farm on Ladysmith’s Code Road on March 8. (Duck Paterson photo)

3.5 million bees keep warm in Ladysmith before heading to Prairies

Bees brought from New Zealand to invigorate hives in Saskatchewan

  • Mar 17, 2023
Beekeepers move approximately 3.5 million bees from travelling frames into hives at a farm on Ladysmith’s Code Road on March 8. (Duck Paterson photo)
Farmers and other food producers are promised additional supports under a new funding agreement between B.C. and the federal government. (Jessica Peters/Abbotsford News)

New agreement with Ottawa promises more support for B.C. farmers

Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership kicks in April 1, 2023

Farmers and other food producers are promised additional supports under a new funding agreement between B.C. and the federal government. (Jessica Peters/Abbotsford News)
Shahram Rashti (left) and Bahram Rashti (right) of UP Vertical Farms just unveiled Canada’s first hands-free vertical farming facility. (Special to The News)

Canada gets its first hands-free vertical farming facility

UP Vertical Farms is expected to produce nearly 2 million pounds of salad greens each year

Shahram Rashti (left) and Bahram Rashti (right) of UP Vertical Farms just unveiled Canada’s first hands-free vertical farming facility. (Special to The News)
CTV is looking for single farmers for their reality dating show. (File Photo)

Put on your dress-up flannel, Farming for Love is looking for singles in B.C.

The CTV reality show is looking to cast farmers for the reality dating show

CTV is looking for single farmers for their reality dating show. (File Photo)
Above: Thanu Eagalle and Aaron Brown are pictured at Wild Bee Florals. Truzy Photos
Below: Pendleton Farm owner Sarah Wilson. Photo supplied

Young Agrarians aim to grow next generation of B.C. farmers

Land Matching Program addresses high cost of land

Above: Thanu Eagalle and Aaron Brown are pictured at Wild Bee Florals. Truzy Photos
Below: Pendleton Farm owner Sarah Wilson. Photo supplied
Dairy cows are seen at a farm, Friday, August 31, 2018 in Sainte-Marie-Madelaine, Que. A pair of senior U.S. senators are urging the Biden administration to get tough with Canada for “flouting” obligations to its North American trade partners. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

U.S. senators call for trade crackdown on Canada over dairy quotas, digital policies

Pair say America’s continental trading partners playing fast and loose with new rules

Dairy cows are seen at a farm, Friday, August 31, 2018 in Sainte-Marie-Madelaine, Que. A pair of senior U.S. senators are urging the Biden administration to get tough with Canada for “flouting” obligations to its North American trade partners. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Craig Evans speaks at a recent dinner at Vancouver Island University. (Photo courtesy Paul Manly)

Nanaimo has been a ‘field of dreams’ for farmer and patron of the city

Craig Evans, who is dying of cancer, receives civic honour

Craig Evans speaks at a recent dinner at Vancouver Island University. (Photo courtesy Paul Manly)
Cows on a dairy farm, in St-Henri-de-Taillon, Que., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Months-long saga of runaway cattle in Quebec comes to an end with weekend capture

Officials to determine who is responsible for tracking and capturing future runaway farm animals

Cows on a dairy farm, in St-Henri-de-Taillon, Que., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
Workers picking 15 different types of fruits and vegetables including strawberries stand to earn more as their piece rates will rise starting Jan. 1 under a provincial mandate. (Black Press Media file photo)

Saanich Peninsula fruit, berry growers now have to pay workers more

The provincially-mandated increase comes into effect Jan. 1 in response to rising inflation

Workers picking 15 different types of fruits and vegetables including strawberries stand to earn more as their piece rates will rise starting Jan. 1 under a provincial mandate. (Black Press Media file photo)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly, front left, responds to questions as Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino listens during a news conference to announce Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy in Vancouver on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022. Agriculture commodity groups are applauding the Liberal government’s long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy and hoping it will lead to more, and better, free trade deals. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Canadian agriculture groups hope new Indo-Pacific strategy leads to trade deals

$244.1 million earmarked for improving trade between Canada and countries in the region

Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly, front left, responds to questions as Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino listens during a news conference to announce Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy in Vancouver on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022. Agriculture commodity groups are applauding the Liberal government’s long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy and hoping it will lead to more, and better, free trade deals. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
B.C. Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham speaks during a news conference, in Vancouver, on Friday July 5, 2019. Farmers in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley are facing “intense disease pressure,” with an avian flu outbreak in commercial farms that the agriculture minister says is concerning. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C. ‘doing everything’ it can to stop bird flu, minister says, as infections spread

Lana Popham says normally avian flu aligns with bird migration seasons, but not this year

B.C. Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham speaks during a news conference, in Vancouver, on Friday July 5, 2019. Farmers in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley are facing “intense disease pressure,” with an avian flu outbreak in commercial farms that the agriculture minister says is concerning. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
A chicken looks in the barn at Honey Brook Farm in Schuylkill Haven, Pa., on Monday, April 18, 2022. Experts say outbreaks of H5N1 represent an unprecedented threat to Canada, infecting about 200 flocks with about 3.5 million birds nationwide. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Republican-Herald, Lindsey Shuey

Bird flu fighters in B.C. face unprecedented challenge, as H5N1 spreads across Canada

H5N1 has infected about 200 flocks with more than 3.5 million birds Canada-wide this year

A chicken looks in the barn at Honey Brook Farm in Schuylkill Haven, Pa., on Monday, April 18, 2022. Experts say outbreaks of H5N1 represent an unprecedented threat to Canada, infecting about 200 flocks with about 3.5 million birds nationwide. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Republican-Herald, Lindsey Shuey
A farm submerged by flood waters caused by heavy rains and mudslides earlier in the week is pictured in the Sumas Prairies near Chilliwack, B.C., Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. British Columbia’s agriculture minister says farmers in the Sumas Prairies had “an emotional year” as they work to recover following the province’s catastrophic flooding last November. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

B.C. agriculture minister says sector is recovering well on flooding anniversary

About 630,000 chickens, 420 cattle and 12,000 hogs died in Sumas Prairie during flooding a year ago

A farm submerged by flood waters caused by heavy rains and mudslides earlier in the week is pictured in the Sumas Prairies near Chilliwack, B.C., Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. British Columbia’s agriculture minister says farmers in the Sumas Prairies had “an emotional year” as they work to recover following the province’s catastrophic flooding last November. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Bill Collins, chairperson of Cascadia Seaweed, said the company’s goal is to see 50,000 hectares of seaweed cultivation by 2040. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)

Seaweed industry looking at potential to scale up production on Vancouver Island

Seaweed farming’s economic and environmental benefits discussed at economic summit in Nanaimo

Bill Collins, chairperson of Cascadia Seaweed, said the company’s goal is to see 50,000 hectares of seaweed cultivation by 2040. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)