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May 12, 2121

Outdoor patios to enjoy this summer in Vancouver

Photo Credit: Dewang Gupta The weather’s getting nicer, the days are getting longer and patio season is upon us. There’s no better way to explore Vancouver than by checking out the amazing patio scene this summertime. It gives you the chance to enjoy the good weather while trying the best food in Vancouver. For those […]
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Apr 21, 2121

The New Providence Red-Fleshed Apple

Big things are happening in the cider and processing industry. The University of Guelph has developed and is getting ready to release a new apple cider for the cider industry and world to try. For this cider, scientists used the red flesh apples with the goal of producing bright red cider. This is an excellent […]
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Apr 19, 2121

Introducing: Wine Growers British Columbia (WGBC)

Over the course of the past year, many local businesses, farmers markets and wineries have had to adapt to the current economic climate. Many of these organizations have rebranded, moved their businesses online and started selling their products and fresh produce through alternative channels.   In the wine industry, The British Columbia Wine Institute (BCWI) […]
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Feb 11, 2121

Dig in: A brief history of underground vegetables.

Photo Credit: Christina Rumpf   Much of the food we are surrounded by was once just a novelty discovery of explorers, or the curious and hungry wanderings of past humans. Some fruits and vegetables actually originated in various corners of the world, a few spanning millennia’s of history and ever-changing cultural significance. Root vegetables, along […]
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Nov 04, 2020

Sustainability Within The Wine Industry

  Photo Credit: Tobias Rademacher   Globally, winemaking is one of the most important and popular agricultural activities around the world. Like many businesses, the wine industry is putting in an effort to become more environmentally friendly as well as appeal to a more sustainable audience. Soon wine lovers in Kelowna, BC (and all over […]
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Oct 07, 2020

New Thanksgiving Traditions

Photo Credit: Chloe Benko-Prieur It’s that time of year when many people gather together with their friends and family and enjoy a big feast. This year, things look a little different. With gatherings being smaller than usual, food preparations may change. Discovery Organics, one of BCPMA’s members, released a market report explaining the modifications for […]
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Sep 05, 2020

Apple Picking Near Vancouver

Photo Credit: Valeria Terekhina Picking your own fruit and pumpkins is an annual tradition in British Columbia and despite the past few months, it’s still on for September 2020 at Willow View Farms. This year, they will be celebrating their 27th anniversary of selling produce directly from the farm itself. U-pick apples, plums, pears and […]
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Jul 10, 2020

A toast to the Cowichan Valley: a newly recognized wine-producing region in B.C.

Sourced From: Graham Cox - Chek News Photo Credit: Kelsey Knight   Whether you have wine nearby on this Friday morning or not, join me in a toast to the Cowichan Valley as they’ve just become specially recognized by the Province of BC for winemaking.It seems evident the BC Government made this decision for all […]
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Jul 08, 2020

Farmers Market experiencing good vendor turnout despite COVID-19 restrictions

Sourced from: trevor.hewitt@interior-news.com - BC Local News Photo credit: Kévin et Laurianne Langlais Last Friday the market recently ran its fifth market since reopening It might not look like it has in past years, but the Houston Farmers Market is ramping up for the 2020 Summer season. Speaking to Houston Today program manager at Houston […]
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Jul 03, 2020

Major B.C. salmon farm tests new containment system to curb sea lice infestations

Photo Credit: SASKIA T. System “essentially eliminates” contact between wild and farmed fish stocks, says Cermaq A major B.C. salmon-farm operator will soon be testing a new containment system designed to prevent sea lice and algae from entering pens and hopefully reduce the chances of fish escapement. Cermaq Canada is assembling the structure, known as […]
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Jul 01, 2020

Fruit growers' association says COVID-19 devastating industry, threatening food security

Photo Credit: DANICA STRADECKE    KELOWNA, B.C. -- The B.C. Fruit Growers Association says the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its industry has been devastating. The association says a survey of its members shows more than 67 per cent of farmers have reduced fruit production because of uncertainties linked to the pandemic. A statement […]
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Jun 27, 2020

B.C. cuts fees, not red tape for farmland home construction

Photo Credit: William hall   Gravel roads get relief from fill dumping regulations After getting an earful from B.C. farmers last year, Agriculture Minister Lana Popham has delivered on some promised changes to restrictions on secondary homes and road maintenance on farms that take effect Sept. 30. The changes for secondary housing may not satisfy […]
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Jun 23, 2020

B.C. offers more funds for ag and food e-commerce

Photo Credit: Igor Miske Demand upon a $250,000 initial program was fully subscribed in less than a week, according to the B.C. agriculture department, so another $300,000 has been provided for a total of $550,000 under the province's Buy BC Partnership Program. | Screencap via buybc.gov.bc.ca The vital part of the Buy B.C. campaign in […]
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Jun 19, 2020

Government website connects people with agricultural jobs in B.C.

B.C. Farm, Fish and Food Job Connector showcases job vacancies, provides support for employers Greenhouse worker. Dairy herdsman. Farm manager. These are some of the agricultural jobs listed via the government’s B.C. Farm, Fish and Food Job Connector. The new online resource makes it easier to learn about jobs and careers in agriculture, while providing […]
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Jun 16, 2020

Peter Dhillon: COVID-19 illustrates importance of strengthening our ability to produce enough of our own essential goods

Photo Credit: Anna Pelzer Opinion: Strengthening our agricultural sector can help expand our economy while producing enough food to support both domestic and export markets. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to serve as the chair for the province’s Food Security Task Force. My colleagues Lenore Newman, Arvind Gupta and I focused on how […]
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Jun 12, 2020

B.C. enables restaurants to serve at more than 50% capacity

Photo Credit: Zachariah Hagy The change was made partly because cities and the province are making it easier for restaurants to have outdoor patios Restaurants have more clarity about the rules they have to follow when providing dine-in service during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to a modified order from B.C.'s provincial health officer, Bonnie Henry. Municipalities […]
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Jun 09, 2020

Metro Vancouver produces 14 percent of its food supply, consumes 53 percent of B.C. stock

Photo Credit: Lee Robinson Residents in Metro Vancouver consume about 2.54 million tonnes of food per year. That’s a lot of food, and according to a new study, the volume is more than half, or around 53 percent, of the total food supply in B.C. Know how much food was produced in Greater Vancouver? It’s […]
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Jun 05, 2020

Province drops $85,000 on Tri-City food security plan for low-income families

Photo Credit: Brooke Cagle The grant will support people experiencing poverty and food insecurity The B.C. government announced Friday, June 5, it has offered an $85,000 grant to help Tri-City municipal governments boost food support for low-income families in the region. The money will go toward creating a “food security assessment and action plan” for […]
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Jun 04, 2020

District of Stewart receives funding for food security

Photo Credit: Jasper Garratt Stewart is one of 54 B.C. municipalities to split $1.4 million The District of Stewart is receiving nearly $45,000 in grant money to reduce poverty. Stewart’s plan is to improve food security “from a variety of angles, including providing hot meals, providing opportunities to develop cooking skills, providing emergency food services […]
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May 29, 2020

COVID-19: B.C. too dependent on foreign food production workers

Photo Credit: Joanna Stołowicz   New B.C. job site links unemployed with farm, seafood work Border disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic have B.C. facing a shortfall of up to 8,000 temporary foreign workers this year, Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says. The province has launched a new website that Popham says will provide a one-stop […]
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May 22, 2020

B.C.'s Earls restaurants open back up with limited seating

Photo Credit: Markus Spiske   VANCOUVER -- It was something most of us took for granted: the simple pleasure of going to a restaurant and ordering a meal. That is, until two months ago when the provincial hammer came down and all restaurants, bars and pubs were ordered to close because of the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
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May 19, 2020

B.C. restaurants can open Tuesday if they meet criteria for distancing, sanitizing

Photo Credit: Fabio Traina   Victoria’s restaurant owners, hoping for a small taste of normalcy next week as the province plans to phase-in its economic restart plan, now have definitive guidelines for reopening their businesses. On Friday, WorkSafe B.C. posted industry-specific guidance and resources for employers intending to resume operations next week. “Every employer is […]
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May 14, 2020

COVID-19: Guidelines for reopening B.C. restaurants, hair salons coming soon

Photo Credit: Ivan Stern   WorkSafeBC guidelines are expected to be ready by Friday as part of the B.C. government’s phased relaxing of pandemic restrictions. The worker safety guidelines are a key measure needed for businesses such as restaurants, hair salons and physiotherapists to reopen potentially as early as May 19, after the Victoria Day […]
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May 12, 2020

B.C. restaurants aim to resume dine-in service from June 1

Photo Credit: Artem Beliaikin Reduced capacity, physical barriers will make for a different experience at first, association says Dine-in services at B.C. restaurants could resume at the start of next month as the province begins the next phase of its slow return to pre-pandemic normal. Premier John Horgan said on Wednesday that the process — […]
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May 06, 2020

'Self-sufficient' food supply protects B.C. from possible price spikes: retail lobby

Photo Credit: Adele Payman   VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Despite concerns in other parts of the country about the price of meat and other perishables, consumers in B.C. shouldn’t be overly worried, according to the Retail Council of Canada. There are reports circulating of prices increasing in smaller communities for things like meat and other […]
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Apr 30, 2020

Vancouver Island farmers pivot to online sales amidst COVID-19 uncertainty

Photo Credit: Damon Rice   With sales to restaurants mostly dried up, some farmers worry what will come of the first COVID-era harvest The moment of truth is coming for Shawn Dirksen's farm, when they bring in the harvest over the next two weeks. Dirksen owns Northstar Organics, a mid-sized produce and berry farm on […]
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Apr 28, 2020

60,000 pounds of salmon donated to food banks

Photo Credit: Caroline Attwood   B.C. food banks are receiving 60,000 pounds of donated farmed salmon to help people in need on Vancouver Island and on the mainland as demand rises during the virus pandemic. Laura Lansink, executive director of Food Banks B.C., said they’re grateful to B.C. salmon farmers for stepping up, particularly at […]
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Apr 22, 2020

Struggling B.C. restaurant industry brainstorming ways to dine out safely

Photo Credit: Hans Vivek   VANCOUVER -- The struggling B.C. restaurant industry is brainstorming ways for people to be able to dine out again safely during the pandemic. A task force will begin meeting Wednesday following encouraging words from the provincial health officer, in the hopes of coming up with a plan that will win […]
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Apr 16, 2020

Food delivery service says it will cut its commission in half for some restaurants

In: 
Photo Credit: Kai Pilger   VANCOUVER -- A food delivery company has responded to concerns from local restaurants about the commission it charges. For many eateries forced to close their doors due to COVID-19, being able to offer delivery or takeout is keeping them afloat. But when those orders are placed on delivery apps, the […]
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Apr 14, 2020

'Exploiting restaurants': Owners say delivery apps are gouging them

Photo Credit: Kelly Sikkema   VANCOUVER -- Restaurants now reliant on take-out and delivery say food delivery apps like Skip the Dishes, Door Dash and Foodora are taking too high of a cut in a time when businesses are struggling to survive. "I feel like (the apps) are exploiting restaurants at a time when their […]
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Apr 10, 2020

More than 120,000 jobs lost in B.C. food sector since pandemic began: Restaurants Canada

Photo Credit: Erik Mclean   VANCOUVER -- Restricted to takeout and delivery, almost one in 10 restaurants across the country have been forced to permanently close. That’s according to Restaurants Canada, who says 18 per cent more could shutter by the end of this month. And that’s having a huge impact on jobs in the […]
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Apr 07, 2020

Grocery, meal programs for Vancouver Downtown Eastside set up

Photo Credit: Leonie Wise    The City of Vancouver on Monday pointed out that due to the risk of COVID-19 spreading through vulnerable communities with high rates of poverty and homelessness, many residents are experiencing even more difficulty accessing food. Many service providers have scaled back on meal production, or changed their service-delivery models to […]
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Apr 02, 2020

B.C. food banks get $3 million funding boost from government

Photo Credit: Calle Macarone   VANCOUVER -- The B.C. government has announced extra funding for food banks across the province. The $3 million from the Community Gaming Grants program will be administered through Food Banks British Columbia, a provincial association that represents food banks across B.C. The Greater Vancouver Food Bank issued an urgent call […]
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Mar 31, 2020

BC farmers, growers dealing with rapid market disruption

PHOTO CREDIT: Oleg Demakov   Demand for BC meat and produce shifts dramatically from restaurants, hotels to grocery stores One of the first concerns for governments responding to the COVID-19 was to ensure food security and ensure supply chains are not disrupted. B.C. ranchers, dairy farmers, fruit and vegetable growers, and salmon farmers continue to […]
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Mar 26, 2020

Island distillery aiming to produce 25K litres of hand sanitizer per week

Photo Credit: Kelly Sikkema   OYSTER RIVER -- A distillery best known for its award winning whisky is now fulfilling a new thirst: for hand sanitizer. Shelter Point Distillery owner Patrick Evans says his company retooled its equipment and is now making hand sanitizer in order to make up for a serious shortage. "We're actually […]
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Mar 25, 2020

COVID-19: Virus leads to surge of local food, seed sales

Photo Credit: Jay Clark   There was a long, well-spaced lineup at the Riley Park farmers market in Vancouver on Saturday as people stocked up on local food. The winter markets are taking it “week by week,” modifying protocols at the advice of health authorities while still allowing people to purchase B.C.-grown food, said Laura […]
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Jul 04, 1919

Spring Golf Tournament

In: 
The tournaments provide sponsors with timely opportunities to promote their brand, services and products.  The golf courses – from tee boxes to putting greens – have become a buffet feast.  Producers, growers, and importers have seized the chance to demo their tasty treats to buyers, distributors, retailers and wholesalers. The 144 golfers attending the tournaments enjoy meeting old friends, making new […]
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Apr 11, 1919

A Message from Flats Arterial Community Panel

In: 
A Message from Flats Arterial Community Panel: On Saturday, the Flats Arterial Community Panel recommended the route for a new east-west grade-separated arterial that they believe best meets the needs of the neighbourhood, city and region. In a ranked choice vote/instant runoff process, the National-Charles option was selected as the Panel’s recommended arterial route, receiving […]
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Apr 11, 1919

Flats Arterial Community Panel Recommends National-Charles for the False Creek Flats Arterial Route

In: 
The Community Panel reviewed technical information, heard from experts, stakeholders, and the public, then provided a recommendation to the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Park Board. Vancouver, BC–The Flats Arterial Community Panel, composed of 37 people selected to represent the diversity of Flats-area residents and businesses, as well as City residents, gathered today to recommend […]
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Oct 10, 1818

Damien Bryan: Produce Row, Vancouver’s hidden treasure, worries about its future when viaducts come down

In: 
As a next step, the city is in the process of convening the Flats Arterial Community Panel, whose 42 residential and business members would recommend the arterial replacement. We look forward to participating in the process. Produce Row, the hub of fresh-food wholesaling companies tucked away on Malkin Avenue, is unique. The 14 businesses on […]
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Mar 28, 1818

Food Safety

In: 
Photo Credit: Bank Phrom   Food safety means knowing how to avoid the spread of bacteria when you're buying, preparing, and storing food. Check out how to handle food safely to prevent foodborne illnesses. Why Food Safety Matters Food that hasn't been prepared safely may contain bacteria like E. coli. Unsafe food can also spread foodborne […]
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Mar 28, 1818

CDC Offers New Environmental Health Findings to Improve Food Safety in Restaurants

In: 
Photo Credit: Jorge Zapata   More than half of all foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States are associated with restaurants, delis, banquet facilities, schools and other institutions according to CDC's Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks – United States, 1998-2008. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net) announces four new publications […]
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