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Okanagan
Regional Newsletter
July 2025
Upcoming events
- July 8: Commodity day series: cherry day at AAFC in Summerland
- July 8: Verdi automated irrigation demo for Vineyards
- July 8: Vintality demo day for vineyards featuring: Lumo, SCDC, Gripple, and Peak Hydromet
- July 9: Pivot irrigation field day at River Ranch Farm in Merritt
- TBD end of July: Irrigation efficiencies and technology for ground crops in the South and North Okanagan (sign up to get notification)
Drought and Wildfire Preparedness
- Regional drought update
- Snow survey and water supply bulletin
- BC Premises Identification Program: is your BCPID info up to date?
- BC AgriWeather
- Emergency preparedness and temporary foreign workers
Programs and Funding Opportunities
- Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program
- Introducing: Climate Agri-Solutions Fund
- Agricultural Water Infrastructure Program
Resources
- "Enhancing Soil Water Holding Capacity Through Bale Grazing" factsheet
- Market readiness updates
- New local food literacy resources
Updated: B.C. silvopasture resources
Check out the recent additions to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food's Agroforestry webpage including:
Silvopasture in British Columbia Information Series
A modular series covering basic, intermediate, and advanced silvopasture planning, implementation, and management topics. Thirteen of the sixteen units have been posted as PDFs and narrated presentations.
Silvopasture Case Studies: Producer Perspectives – Silver Hills Ranch
A new AgriService BC video showcasing silvopasture use at Silver Hills Ranch, near Vernon B.C., illustrating how it’s been integrated into the ranch production cycle. Highlights include discussion of maintaining and enhancing forage values, ecosystem values, and timber values on the ranch.
Commodity days series: Cherry day #1
Date: July 8th
Time: 12:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Where: Summerland Research and Development Center
Free event! The Commodity Day Series is a joint AAFC-UBC initiative to address the three major commodities in the Okanagan – cherries, apples, and grapes – and give a platform for growers and stakeholders to engage directly with researchers, have brief updates on what’s currently happening in their research, and have some interactive session that include meeting the new upcoming cherry and apple cultivars. It will be hosted bi-annually, with the 2025 cherry and apple days at Summerland Research and Development Centre, and the 2025 grape day hosted at UBC-Okanagan (more details to come on those).
The schedule for the day will include:
- Dr. Chandra Moffat: Biological Control of Spotted Wing Drosophila
- Nicholas Hivon: Spotted Wing Phenological Models
- Dr. Mehdi Sharifi: Fast, Field-Ready Cherry Leaf Nutrient Testing Using XRF Tools
- Shawn Kuchta: Overview of how we manage irrigation and monitor soil moisture in our research blocks
- Dr. Kirsten Hannam: Irrigation scheduling project
- Dr. Kirsten Hannam & Shawn Kuchta: Discussion about grower irrigation scheduling practices
- Dr. Amritpal Singh: Breeding modernization, taste early cultivars, including SPC470
Learn about the latest cherry research, become familiar with some of the new and exciting cherry varieties in the pipeline from the SuRDC breeding program, and engage directly with the researchers. A second even will happen on August 19th, with different researchers, topics, and later season varieties from the breeding program.
Please note: Non-Canadians must provide citizenship details (Name, Date of birth, Passport #, Place of birth) no later than Sunday, June 29th for security purposes. All others must provide name and address by July 7th.
Verdi automated irrigation demonstration for vineyards
Date: July 8th
Time: 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Where: 4403 48th Ave, Osoyoos, BC, V0H 1V6
Free event with breakfast included! In-field workshop for growers ready to explore what's next in irrigation.
What you'll see in the live demo:
- How to schedule irrigation in seconds
- What to expect from Verdi’s Dashboard
- How we verify irrigation actually happened
- What happens when irrigation fails?
- How to set up and run the system
Vintality demo day for vineyards
Date: July 8th
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Where: Wesbert Winery (1465 Naramata Road), Naramata, BC
Join us for a vineyard-focused Demo Day featuring cutting-edge tech and tools:
- Lumo will showcase their wireless irrigation valves with automated scheduling
- SCDC brings European innovation in vineyard trellising
- Gripple showing new items in their catalogue
- Peak Hydromet will demonstrate their soil and weather sensing solutions
Enjoy hands-on demos, expert insights, and great food and drink while connecting with fellow growers and industry pros for practical takeaways and direct access to the people behind the products.
Pivot irrigation field day at River Ranch Farm in Merritt
Join us Wednesday, July 9th from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM for a Pivot Irrigation Field Day hosted by Southern Irrigation at River Ranch Farm in Merritt, BC. You’ll learn how to best manage a pivot over forage crops and boost yields while conserving water.
RSVP by July 4th.
Ground crop irrigation efficiencies in Oliver and Vernon
Irrigation workshops are being planned for the end of July in Oliver and Vernon focused on vegetable ground crop operations. Hosted and organized by Southern Irrigation, you’ll learn how to best manage irrigation for efficiencies, improved crops yields while conserving water.
Thompson-Okanagan regional drought update
An early freshet this year has resulted in unusually low streamflow’s across many regions. The Similkameen Watershed is approaching historically low levels for this time of year. In the Okanagan Watershed, several smaller tributaries have dropped below critical environmental flow thresholds, potentially limiting water availability for both ecological and human needs. The Nicola Watershed is also experiencing flows lower than those observed at this time in 2024. Early snowmelt can lead to prolonged periods of low flow, increasing the risk of water shortages later in the season.
Snow survey and water supply bulletin
The June 15, 2025 Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin has been released.
The report shows Okanagan snowpack levels to be below normal.
Okanagan at 11% of normal (only up 5% from 2024)
The full report PDF (19-pages, 2.7 MB) is available online.
An online version of the current snow basin indices map can be found here.
Emergency management for agriculture - Is your BCPID info up to date?
If you keep livestock, poultry, or bees, its time to update your BC Premises ID — it could make all the difference in an emergency. Take five minutes to login to your account and confirm your details to make sure you are prepared in the event of an emergency.
Not sure if your animals require registration?
Check the BCPID brochure for a full list of species that need to be reported.
Your animals rely on you. Help us support you—keep your BCPID info current.
Register or Reconfirm your account now!
Have a Premises ID, but no online access?
Click "Get Access" under the Access Paper Account section and enter your account number and phone number.
Trouble logging in? Questions? We’re here to help: BCPID@gov.bc.ca | 1-888-221-7141 (Ask for Premises ID)
BC AgriWeather
The BC AgriWeather website, developed and operated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, provides weather station data and hosts weather-based decision-support tools for public use, at no cost to users. Producers can access more than 230 weather stations throughout B.C. to view and download current and historical weather data, analyze crop water demand, and track thermal units via desktop and mobile devices.
BC AgriWeather helps agricultural producers make informed decisions in their daily operations as weather conditions change. Please visit our Tools Webpage to explore additional online water tools that the Ministry operates to support the agricultural sector.
Information regarding on-farm temporary foreign workers
With wildfire season upon us, it's important to be prepared for evacuation alerts and orders. For producers with temporary foreign workers living on-site, it is important that you and your workers know your rights and responsibilities in the event of an emergency. An updated document providing information regarding On-Farm Temporary Foreign Workers is available on the Ministry website.
Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program
Funding remains available for this year’s Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program intake. Submit your application now to receive support for your knowledge or skill-building event.
A new infographic has been published summarizing the results from the 2024–25 Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program and the impact of last year’s funding on B.C.’s agriculture and food sector. Click the button below to learn more.
Summer intake - Buy BC Partnership Program Funding
Cost shared funding is available for B.C. producers and processors to support local marketing activities that increase consumer awareness and sales of B.C. agriculture, food, and beverage products.
The application intake for Buy BC Partnership Program funding opened on June 27 and closes on July 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM PST for projects to be delivered between October 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026.
Note that to be considered eligible for cost-shared funding, all applicants must first register their food and beverage products for Buy BC logo licensing. The Buy BC logo allows eligible businesses to promote their local food and beverage products right away and without having to apply for cost-shared funding.
Introducing: Climate Agri-Solutions Fund
Say hello to the Climate Agri-Solutions Fund (CAF)! We are pleased to share the BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund (BCCAF) has expanded into a new program, now known as the Climate Agri-Solutions Fund. CAF helps B.C. and Yukon farmers implement beneficial management practices in the areas of nitrogen management, cover cropping and rotational grazing.
Funding is available to support farmers in:
- New adoption of nitrogen management, cover cropping and rotational grazing practices.
- Expanding nitrogen management, cover cropping and rotational grazing practices to a farm area where these practices have not been previously used.
CAF also supports farmers who have previously received funding through BCCAF to continue the adoption of nitrogen management, cover cropping and rotational grazing practices.
Maximum funding amount: $100,000
Cost-shared funding ratio: 85%
Applications will be accepted on the IAF Client Portal staring on June 25, 2025 and will remain open until funding is full allocated. Don’t delay submitting your application, we anticipate funding will be fully committed within a few weeks!
APPLICATIONS OPEN ON JUNE 25, 2025
NEW! Book a call
There are now more ways to get in touch with the IAF Team! In addition to contacting IAF by email (caf@iafbc.ca) and by phone (250-940-6150), starting on June 25th you can book a 10-minute phone consultation with an IAF staff member to discuss your CAF application.
Prior to booking a call, please start a draft application, as you must provide your application ID number (example: CAF-202526-0####) when you book the call. This gives you and the IAF staff member a specific application to reference and provide support for during the 10-minute phone call.
Agricultural Water Infrastructure Program
Starting on July 18, 2025, the Stream 3: Assessments, Engineering Studies or Plans, category will have eight activities available for funding:
- Water supply assessments or feasibility studies in key agricultural areas to determine available water supply.
- Engineering studies or plans for water purveyors to assess and determine opportunities for upgrades and expansion of existing purveyed water systems.
- Dam engineering assessments, including redetermination of Consequence Classification.
- Dam emergency plans.
- Dam safety reviews.
- Other professional consultative services as required under the Dam Safety Regulation (DSR).
- Drainage master plans, dike engineering studies or design plans, or any professional consultative services for water purveyors on drainage or dikes to assess and determine opportunities for upgrades or expansion of existing diking and drainage infrastructure.
- NEW! Facilitation and strategic engagement for communities to support collaborative planning to address agriculture water supply challenges or user conflicts.
This new activity field will be available on the application starting July 18th.
Insurance and Income Protection Programs are an important part of a farmer’s overall risk management strategy. AgriStability and Production Insurance work together to provide the best coverage for producers.
AgriStability
AgriStability helps stabilize farm income by managing the risk of large income declines. The AgriStability program is based on the income and expenses of individual farms.
AgriStability Enrolment Deadline Extension for 2025
The 2025 AgriStability enrolment deadline has been extended to July 31, 2025. This extension provides additional time for producers to register as they manage challenges such as production loss, increased costs, and changing market conditions.
Sign up for AgriStability using our online form or by sending the completed printable/fillable PDF to BC AgriStability.
Rapid Support Available
The interim rate for the 2025 Program Year has increased from 50% up to 75%. Farmers experiencing losses can apply for interim payments under AgriStability for quicker financial assistance.
Utilize Risk Management Programs
Producers are encouraged to use the comprehensive suite of business risk management (BRM) programs, including AgriStability, to protect their operations and contribute to a resilient agriculture sector.
Have questions about AgriStability?
- Call 1-877-343-2767,
- Email: AgriStability@gov.bc.ca, or
- Visit: www.gov.bc.ca/AgriStability
We’re available Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. Service is available in English and Punjabi.
Production Insurance
Production Insurance helps producers manage their risk of crop losses caused by hail, spring frost, excessive rain, drought, flooding and other extreme weather events. In British Columbia, Production Insurance is available for:
Need help with Production Insurance?
- Phone: 1-888-332-3352 toll-free
- Email: ProductionInsurance.Kelowna@gov.bc.ca
- Visit: www.gov.bc.ca/CropInsurance
Staff are available to help with the application and renewal process.
*NEW* "Enhancing Soil Water Holding Capacity Through Bale Grazing"
Photo Credit: Josh Stobbe
A new factsheet is now available on the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food website.
The factsheet discusses how bale grazing can increase water holding capacity, potential risks, and evidence from Northern B.C. (the Peace Region).
Stay-tuned for an upcoming video on the same topic!
Is your business market ready?
The B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food market readiness webpage now features a series of how-to resources providing tips and best practices for B.C. agrifood and seafood businesses. Learn how to use market research, improve your sales pitch, sell your product, develop an e-commerce plan, and more. No matter where you are in your market readiness journey, find information and resources to help you enter or expand your market for a B.C. food product or service HERE.
New local food literacy resources
Discover free, ready-to-use local food literacy resources on the Feed BC in K-12 website—designed to connect classrooms with B.C. food, farmers, and processors!
Find posters, slideshows, and activity sheets on 10 B.C. foods, highlighting the people, places, and stories behind what we eat. Plus, explore The Great B.C. School Food Cookbook—a collection of tasty, student-friendly recipes from schools across the province, all featuring B.C.-grown ingredients.
