Fund supports next generation of B.C. farmers

Oct 31, 2025

Farmers beginning operations in British Columbia are getting help to plan and grow their agricultural businesses so they can succeed and offer B.C. families fresh and local food.

The New Entrant Farm Business Accelerator Program will be opening for eligible farmers to apply to develop or update a farm business plan and prepare a growth strategy for their farm operations.

Eligible farmers will also be able to apply for funding to implement their growth strategy, including support for on-farm infrastructure and other investments, in spring 2026.

Farmers that participated in the last intake of the program have succeeded in increasing farm income and productivity. For example, Mikayla MacLeod of Charnwood Flowers in Chilliwack received support to purchase a large cold-frame greenhouse so she could extend the growing season. This new addition on the flower farm helped the business increase sales by having more flowers to sell throughout the year.

Louise Lecouffe and Jed Wiebe of Elderberry Grove Farm in Salmon Arm received support to build a larger on-site facility with better storage and processing space. These improvements make it possible to offer more elderberry products to consumers.

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Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.