No images? Click here
Peace Edition
Regional Newsletter
July 2025
Welcome to the July 2025 newsletter! We have several July learning opportunities to highlight and some big funding programs opening for applications soon.
Feature Of The Month
- Pest monitoring
Upcoming Summer Events
- July 5-6: North Peace 4-H district achievement & sale
- July 10: BC grain producers AGM and field tour
- July 16: Grain industry development council AGM
- July 29 & 30: Peace soil workshops
Drought and Wildfire Preparedness
- 2025 quick guide to drought resources
- Emergency management for agriculture - Is your BCPID info up to date?
- BC AgriWeather
- Snow survey and water supply bulletin
- Information regarding temporary foreign workers on-farm
Program and Funding Opportunities
- Highway Fencing Program - open until August 25th
- Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program - open until funds committed
- BC Hydro Peace Agricultural Compensation Fund - open until August 29th
- Introducing: Climate Agri-Solutions Fund - open until funds committed
- Agricultural Water Infrastructure Program - open July 18th until funds committed
- Buy BC Partnership Program funding - open until July 18th
Resources
- *NEW* "Enhancing soil water holding capacity through bale grazing"
- Updated BC silvopasture resources
- Is your business market ready?
- New local food literacy resources
Pest monitoring
July is a critical time for crop development, which makes it a critical time for pest monitoring. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you're out scouting for pests:
- Pest populations in the margins of the field are not representative of the entire field, make sure you go for a walk into the field itself
- Check the economic and action thresholds for common pests in your area
- It is easier to control most pests when they are young, scout early to catch them in the right stage
- Some bugs prefer to hide during the heat of the day and can be found better in the evening (for example wheat midge)
Resources
- Follow BC Peace Pest Monitoring on Facebook for weekly updates on pest and beneficial insect populations found in the BC Peace Region, as well as resources on how to control the pests they are finding
- The Prairie Pest Monitoring Network has a wealth of resources and risk maps that include common pests in the Peace Region: https://prairiepest.ca/
- For Canola specific pest information, check out the Canola Encyclopedia from the Canola Council of Canada: https://www.canolacouncil.org/canola-encyclopedia/insects/
- Stumped by an insect or a disease you're seeing? Contact AgriService BC
Toll Free: 1-888-221-7141 or by E-mail: AgriServiceBC@gov.bc.ca
2025 North Peace 4-H district achievement and sale
Date: Saturday July 5, 2025 at 09:00 am - Sunday, July 6, 2025 at 07:00 pm (MST)
Location: 15177 Rose Prairie Rd, Peace River, BC, V0C 2A0, Canada, Charlie Lake, British Columbia, Fort St John
About the event
District 4-H members are gearing up for our Biggest North Peace 4-H Achievement to date. We have over 100 head of animals showing, including Beef, Dairy, Swine, Sheep, Alpaca and Dog. We also have small engines. We will have an outdoor market again this year with food vendors, and we will be adding a fun kids zone as well. Be sure to mark your calendars and come out for a fun weekend. Our annual livestock sale will be on July 6th at 4PM this year.
COMING SOON: Soil workshops!
When: July 29th & July 30th
Where: On farms in the North Peace and South Peace, exact locations to be announced soon
What: On-farm soil workshops that will focus on methods of building soil organic matter, and improving soil water infiltration. The workshops will feature presentations from soil specialists from the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, as well as Peace Region Living Lab researchers and their farming collaborators
Keep an eye on the Peace River Forage Association of BC Website and the AgriService BC Facebook page for more information coming soon
2025 quick guide to drought resources
The quick guide to drought resources has been updated for the 2025 drought season. This guide is available through our Drought in agriculture - Province of British Columbia webpage.
The guide points you to the Drought in Agriculture webpage, where you’ll find easy-to-use resources like:
Factsheets with practical advice
Financial support options
Workshops and videos
Tools like the BC AgriWeather service and the Evapotranspiration Calculator
It covers important topics such as:
How to manage your farm during a drought
Tips for irrigation and forage planning
Ways to ensure livestock have enough water
The “Farm Water Fix” video series
Links to drought-related info from other government departments
*IMPORTANT* : The QR codes in last year’s version are no longer valid.
Emergency management for agriculture - Is your BCPID info up to date?
If you keep livestock, poultry, or bees, update your BC Premises ID
Take five minutes to log in and confirm your details — it could make all the difference in a wildfire, flood, or disease outbreak.
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
A new weather monitoring portal 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.
The data and tools help 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.
*NOTE* You can access the BC Peace Agri Weather Network through the "Tools Webpage"
Snow survey and water supply bulletin
The June 15 Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin is now complete.
The PDF is the opening page of the report and offers a detailed summary. 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.
Information regarding temporary foreign workers on-farm
With wildfire season upon us, it's important to be prepared for evacuation alerts and orders. For producers with migrant workers living on-site, it's also important that you and your workers know your rights and responsibilities, and have shared expectations in the event of an emergency. An updated document providing Information Regarding Temporary Foreign Workers On-Farm is available on the Ministry website here
Highway Fencing Program
- Funded by and delivered in partnership with the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Transit, the B.C. Ministry of Forests, and BC Cattlemen's Association
- Provides funds for replacement of existing fences on provincially owned highways
- Must be a B.C. livestock producer to apply
- Accepting applications until August 25th for the 2026 construction season
Learn More and Apply Online: www.cattlemen.bc.ca or call BCCA Fencing Office
1-866-398-2848 ext. 3
Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program
Funding remains available for this year’s intake. Submit your application now to receive support for your knowledge or skill-building event.
A new infographic has been published summarizing 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
BC Hydro Peace Agricultural Compensation Fund – Intake 2 opens
The second intake of the 2025 grant cycle for agricultural projects in the Peace region is now open! The Agricultural Fund supports agriculture in the Peace Region by providing grant funding to those involved in growing and producing. There are three streams available for this intake:
- Events and Educational Initiatives
- Farming Infrastructure
- Research and Demonstration Initiatives
Applications accepted from July 2, 2025, to August 29, 2025.
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 on a farm area where these practices have no 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 25 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 18.
Buy BC Partnership Program funding
This program helps B.C. farmers and food producers promote their local products. It provides funding to cover part of the costs for marketing activities that increase consumer awareness and sales of B.C. agriculture, food, and beverage products.
Intake Timeline: Open on June 27 and close on July 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM PST.
Project Timeline: Projects must take place between October 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026.
Info Session: A free online info session will be held on July 3, 2025 at 11:00 AM PST.
Please 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.
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.
Photo Credit: Josh Stobbe
*NEW* "Enhancing soil water holding capacity through bale grazing"
A new factsheet is now available through 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!
Updated: BC 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.
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.
