Industry Update

By Paul Pryce Beverages are among British Columbia’s largest and fastest growing manufactured food products, according to Statistics Canada. Much of this strength can be attributed to the more than 600,000 litres of wine produced each year by the province’s 929 vineyards. But there are other recognized brands that produce …

Tom Baumann It’s summer and the harvest season has been in full swing, Haskap, raspberry then blueberry, and later cranberries. Now that the growers are busy and my teaching at UFV is at low ebb, I am pondering the new things that are happening in agriculture—worthwhile of our collective attention. …

Paul Pryce In March 2018, the Chilean capital of Santiago played host to delegations from 11 countries, including Canada, who converged on the city to sign the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Since then, much ink has been spilled highlighting how the agreement would secure greater market access for …

Cate Pedersen FoodMesh co-founder, Jessica Pautsch Regan, has spent much of her career consulting in areas of community economic development and sustainability. It seems natural that she and her partner chose to launch the FoodMesh business-to-business marketplace, which took inspiration from her agriculture background and education in the social sciences. …

Furthering Investment in Agriculture Jeana Cadby Running a farm is risky business, especially when it comes to investments. Changing markets, small margins, and weather-dependent revenues are all ingredients for a make-or-break situation. However, stability in the form of tech has come to light as a great partner for farmers who …

Some dairy farms in BC produce more manure phosphorus than is required by their crops resulting in the gradual buildup of surplus phosphorus in their soils. The reason for this buildup is that phosphorus is imported onto BC dairy farms in the form of feedstuffs and fertilizers, while a smaller …

Balance of Inputs Creates Flavourful Outputs Ronda Payne Mother Nature really does grow the best tasting food, but how does she do it? Some would say it’s best to leave well enough alone, but others challenge that notion and set out to mimic Mother Nature’s tasty work. It’s something Stephanie …

Earlier this year, Kathy Demchak, Senior Extension Associate at Pennsylvania State University, spoke at the Pacific Agriculture Show about the pros and cons of growing under plastic tunnels, the differences between high and low tunnels, and production results for tunnel-grown berries. Demchak shared information and compared data on high and …

Jason Smith When growing any horticultural crop there are many things that can contribute to its success such as water source and quality, types of equipment, nutrition, integrated pest management and planting stock. Starting off with good quality planting stock is very important; but, more importantly, the health of the …

Cathy Finley We all know that being a farmer these days isn’t just about growing things; you have to have prowess in every area of business management from financial forecasting to marketing, as well as continually evolving your professional development to become a jack-of-all-trades around the farm, proficient in skills …