10 April 2025 A LITE LOOK AT BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTICLE BY JULIE HARLOW BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA B.C.’s unique climate means variety. Locally produced food to fit any taste and preference – from eggs, chicken, mushrooms and dairy to tree fruit, vegetables, grain and beef…. and many more. And don’t forget agricultural products like cut flowers and nursery plants. SMALL FARMS ARE BIG IN B.C. Small farms continue to dominate in B.C. Operations smaller than 70 acres account for 66 per cent of farms. Most small farms are in the Lower Mainland, the Thompson-Okanagan and Vancouver Island. Direct sales are a popular route to market for many small producers, and 78 per cent of the 5,381 farms in B.C. that engage in direct sales are in the same three regions where small farms dominate – the ThompsonOkanagan (28 per cent), Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland (25 per cent). The census indicates that 46 per cent of B.C. farms receive all their income from direct sales, with the two key channels being on-farm retail or consumer deliveries. Source: CountryLifeinBC.com TOP: MAGR80 - ADOBE STOCK | YULIA - ADOBE STOCK | HANNA - ADOBE STOCK | ABDUL - ADOBE STOCK | WATERCOLOR IDEAS - ADOBE STOCK | ANITAPOL - ADOBE STOCK | KWANTLEN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY | LANASHAM - ADOBE STOCK KPU SHINING A LIGHT A research scientist at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) has been awarded a $540,000 grant to study how using LED lighting technology could boost greenhouse strawberry production. “Due to climate change and extreme weather, growers are increasingly looking at indoor production,” says Dr. Li Ma, researcher at KPU’s Institute for Sustainable Horticulture (ISH). The project, funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Mitacs, will enable the ISH to address the many challenges faced by greenhouse strawberry growers, particularly the need for precise light management. As Ma explains, each strawberry variety has a different response to light, and controlling the spectrum of light can influence the plant’s health, growth, and resistance to pests. KPU research team (From left to right: Jean-Mornay du Plessis, Dr. Li Ma, Olivia Puszka, Sarah Murria and Aria Tamanaei YA FARM APPRENTICE Young Agrarian apprenticeships are fully immersive and put the apprentice into the heart of running a farm business, day in and day out. Host farms are carefully selected and have diverse expertise and skill sets to share. They are chosen because their farm philosophy is guided by ecological and holistic values that recognize the connectedness of the land and people. Although experiences vary, apprentices can learn about: • caring for the soil and health of the land • grazing livestock to manage pastures and grasslands • using regenerative practices for grain and vegetable growing • farm direct marketing • how a farm can build community OVER THREE-QUARTERS OF B.C. SMALL FARMS DIRECT MARKET. SOME OF THEM THROUGH THE 145+ FARMERS MARKETS ACROSS B.C. https:/ bcfarmersmarket.org/
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