Many of you have already heard the sad news, because news travels fast among communicators. Agriculture lost a champion unexpectedly November 20th with the passing of BCFWA member, David Schmidt, 73. resident of Chilliwack, BC, he lived within 30 minutes of where he grew up, the oldest of seven children. The Saturday before his death, his … Read More >

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed that birds at eight commercial poultry farms in the Fraser Valley and two small flocks in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the Regional District of Mount Waddington have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus bringing the total to 16 confirmed cases since Oct. 20, … Read More >

The 2023 PFCA forage corn hybrid trials are well underway in Abbotsford and Agassiz, BC.  With the current weather the Fraser Valley has been experiencing, harvest is anticipated to begin mid-September. New this year, the PFCA has listened to feedback from industry, and is incorporating qualitative testing.  The testing will include (but not be confined … Read More >

After a 4-year hiatus, the Pacific Field Corn Association (PFCA) is pleased to report the results of field trials conducted in 2022. The PFCA partnered with the University of the Fraser Valley’s (UFV) Agriculture Technology Department to conduct forage corn hybrid trials in Abbotsford and Agassiz in 2022.  The protocol of the 2022 trials followed … Read More >

The B.C. government is planning to build a new Plant and Animal Health Centre to provide diagnostic services that support agricultural producers, food safety and the growth of a resilient food system in the province. The new facility will be based in the Fraser Valley and designed to offer laboratory services to B.C.’s agricultural and … Read More >

The B.C. government is partnering with the Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust on a new project that will support local food producers to improve soil health and mitigate the effects of climate change in the Fraser River estuary. “Healthy soils are vital for growing food on B.C. farmland, and our government is committed to supporting … Read More >

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed seven commercial poultry farms in the Fraser Valley tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza between Nov. 16 and 19, 2022. Six infected premises in Abbotsford and one in Chilliwack have been placed under quarantine by the CFIA. The B.C. government has notified producers within a 10-kilometre radius of … Read More >

Commercial livestock producers in British Columbia affected by the recent floods are receiving support to buy immediate emergency supplies of forage food to keep their animals fed and healthy. “B.C. livestock producers are resilient by nature, but we recognize what a challenging year it’s been for them as they’ve had to recover from the heat … Read More >

  The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries is offering free in-person workshops to help agricultural producers with online applications for existing groundwater use licences. If you have been using groundwater for non-domestic purposes, such as irrigation, commercial (including livestock watering) or industrial use, before March 1, 2016, you have less than 2 months remaining … Read More >

Licensing your groundwater use is not the same as registering your well. If you have registered your well, you still need to license your groundwater for non-domestic use under the Water Sustainability Act (WSA).   If you were using groundwater on or before February 29, 2016, for non-domestic purposes such as irrigation and livestock watering, … Read More >