WELCOME TO 2022 The Ag Team is busy working on the upcoming GO podcast series, organizing a Meat & Greet community-based meeting (read below for more details), updating to the Connecting Consumers & Producers on-line directory, advocating for more vets and veterinarian training, and more! There are so many aspects of the agricultural industry and community in the RDBN that there is never a shortage of work to be done. Remember you can reach out to us at any time with questions or concerns or ideas you have related to agriculture in the RDBN – we love hearing from you! | Plan your Marketing Strategy for 2022 January is a time for planning and looking at your farming year ahead (when to plant, harvest, newborns on the farm etc.). Don’t forget to plan your marketing strategy too. Marketing is an important part of a successful, growing or established farming operation. The RDBN Marketing Resources web-page has a list of links, documents, and other resources that can help you develop a marketing to promote your operation and sell your products! Go to the RDBN Marketing Resources page to find some helpful tips and resources to help you make the most of 2022. | Producer Organization Spotlight! Young Agrarians Each month we hope to feature an agriculture organization in the RDBN. If you would like to highlight your producer organization, please give us a call! | | Are you considering retiring, downsizing, or taking a short-term break from the farm? In any of those cases, Morgan Kitchen, the Central & Northern B.C. Land Matcher, can help you navigate how to keep your farm producing when you might not be the one doing the producing. The B.C. Land Matching Program through Young Agrarians provides personalized land matching and business support services to farmers looking for land to start or expand their farm, and landholders interested in finding someone to farm their land. The advantage of working with a Land Matcher is free hands-on support to understand regulations, evaluate opportunities, access resources, and ultimately find a land match. There is no cost to participate, and their services are available to farmers and landowners of all ages. Additionally, Young Agrarians offers on and off-farm educational events and mentorship opportunities. The Young Agrarians website has lots of information about the program, but feel free to connect with Morgan directly with your questions morgan@youngagrarians.org. | Meat & Greet OPEN HOUSE We are excited to announce that the RDBN will be hosting a free virtual Meat & Greet Open House! This Open House will bring together meat industry experts to talk about licensing for both slaughter and cut & wrap, accessing abattoir services, careers in meat-cutting, how to buy and support the meat industry, and more! There will be time during the Open House for participants to ask questions. We hope that this event will provide valuable information for local meat producers, folks interested in careers in meat-cutting and the meat industry, and consumers who are curious about how to support the growth and sustainability of the local meat industry in the RDBN. Check the RDBN website and Facebook page for the official date and registration information to attend! | | | Groundwater License - Deadline March 1st The deadline to apply for groundwater license is fast approaching.
The deadline is March 1, 2022. Some important points to understand… | - This license is not the same as registering your well. You still need a license if you have a registered well.
- Applying for the license before the deadline will secure the historical water rights for your farm.
- The fees are waived for applying by the deadline.
- If you don’t apply by the deadline, you will have to stop using groundwater or it will be considered illegal use after March 1, 2022.
| Premise ID If you are a livestock producer, having a Premise ID number for your farm is now mandatory. Go to Premise ID to register. Registration is simple, and the Premise ID is incredibly valuable to have, especially during an emergency so that agencies can support farmers more quickly and effectively. The application process is free. Click the link for more information and to register. Premise ID Registration | Growing Opportunities Podcast Series: The Ag Team is working hard to put together their first 6-part podcast series that touches on six big topics in local agriculture, setting up the farm, beekeeping, forage crops, livestock farming, and vegetable production, and finishing off with marketing basics to sell what you produce! Keep an ear and eye out on our Facebook page for the official launch! | Vet Shortage Advocacy: Rural Agriculture Committee Chair Mark Parker, with support from staff, continues to speak with the Province about the urgency for increased access to veterinary training to bring in more vets to the region. Chair Parker will also be reaching out to local vets and educators to explore other ideas to support training. | | Cleanfarms – Ag Plastic Recycling in the RDBN | Great job producers in the RDBN! Cleanfarms is very impressed with the uptake in the farm plastic recycling program within the RDBN. Read below about another Cleanfarms opportunity that some of you may be interested in trialling on your farm. | If you would be interested in learning more about how a manual baler/compactor could fit into your operation, contact Carly Fraser with Clearnfarms directly at
1-877-622-4460 ext. 2240 or by email to discuss! Email Carly Fraser
fraserc@cleanfarms.ca | | | | MANAGING AGRICULTURAL PLASTICS WITH A MANUAL BALER - For farmers using high volumes of silage plastics in their operations, plastics compactors can be helpful for management and storage. One bale can hold up to 500 lbs of plastic, and these bales can be included as part of the ag plastics recycling program Cleanfarms is running in the RDBN. Check out this VIDEO to learn how this compactor works. | | | Please let us know what you'd like to see in the next Growing Opportunities eNewsletter! | Megan D'Arcy
(West - Areas A, B, E, G; Smithers, Telkwa, Houston, Granisle, Burns Lake, South Side)
250-692-0783
megan.darcy@rdbn.bc.ca | Michelle Roberge
(East - Areas C, D, F; Vanderhoof, Fort St. James, Fort Fraser, Fraser Lake, Endako)
250-570-8772
michelle.roberge@rdbn.bc.ca | | | | | |
