No images? Click here
Cariboo Central Coast Edition
"The Roots"
Regional Newsletter
July 2025
Upcoming events
- July 9: Pivot field day at River Ranch Farm in Merritt, B.C.
- July 23: Cariboo region on-farm composting field day
Drought and Wildfire Preparedness
- 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
- B.C. Crop and Livestock Reporter Program
- Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program
- Buy BC Partnership Program Funding
- Introducing: Climate Agri-Solutions Fund
- Agricultural Water Infrastructure Program
Resources
- Weed of the month: Burdock
- "Enhancing Soil Water Holding Capacity Through Bale Grazing" factsheet
- Updated B.C. silvopasture resources
- New local food literacy resources
Become a Volunteer Crop and/or Livestock Reporter
Are you a weather-watcher who checks the rain gauge each morning? Do you enjoy discussing farming and crop conditions with your neighbours? Would you like to contribute local information that helps develop and support B.C.’s agriculture data? The data benefits all those involved in B.C.’s agriculture industry and helps the general public to understand the challenges facing our producers.
Consider becoming a Volunteer Crop and Livestock Reporter with the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food today!
Contest Alert! Crop reporters that report weekly for at least 50% of the growing season will be entered into a draw to win a basket of delicious B.C. food products valued at approximately $150!
Pivot field day at River Ranch Farms in Merritt, B.C.
Join us Wednesday, July 9 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM for a Pivot Field Day at River Ranch Farm in Merritt, B.C. Hosted and organized by Southern Irrigation, you’ll learn how to best manage a pivot over forage crops yields while conserving water.
RSVP by July 4th.
Cariboo region on-farm composting field day
Date: July 23, 2025, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Puddle Produce Farm, 6111 Soda Creek-MacAlister Road, Williams Lake, BC
Details:
Join us for a field day covering on-farm composting practices for small-scale producers in the Cariboo Region. This field day will cover topics such as how to construct a compost pile, the benefits of using compost for soil health and fertility, and how to determine application rates, timing, and methods of applying compost.
- Lunch and snacks included. Registration is free!
- Space is limited to the first 20 registrants.
Funding is provided through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal provincial-territorial initiative.
Snow survey and water supply bulletin
The June 15, 2025 Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin has been released.
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.
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.
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 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 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 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.
Weed of the month: Burdock
Burdock can be easily overlooked, and it has been hitchhiking its way around the Cariboo for many years. If it has its way, it will continue spreading unnoticed to new areas, by clinging to your clothing and equipment.
Common burdock (Arctium minus) is native to Europe and Asia, where it’s valued as a food and medicinal plant. Burdock burrs were the inspiration behind the invention of Velcro as, fittingly, their burrs are exceptional at clinging to soft materials such as clothing, pets, and wildlife. You could brush into one of the plants while enjoying B.C.’s beautiful trails and accidentally bring them home without knowing. As a single plant can produce 16,000 seeds, these plants are difficult to control once established.
This weed also poses a serious ecological threat to native ecosystems. Its large leaves reduce the amount of available light for other plants, and its burrs can injure wildlife - small animals, like bats and birds can become trapped, and even deer have sustained eye injuries from them.
If you have burdock on your property, there are ways to manage it. Removing it in one treatment is unlikely as an extensive root system allows it to grow back quickly if any pieces of the plant remain in the soil. Mowing or cutting the plant after it bolts, but before it flowers - will prevent the spread of future seeds. Repeated treatments are key to removing burdock as it does not tolerate repeated cultivation.
Prevention is also critical to ensure this plant does not spread further. If you come across burdock in local or provincial parks, trails, wild spaces or public areas, report it using the Report Invasives BC App. Your sightings help direct action. And as always practicing Play, Clean, Go, can do wonders in preventing you from bringing this plant home. After enjoying the outdoors (Play) simply check yourself and all your gear before you move from area to area and brush off any plant material attached to it (Clean) before heading to your next location (Go).
*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!
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.
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.
