Omineca Edition

Regional Newsletter
November 2025

Feature of the month:

• Building Resilient Forage Systems - Webinar

Upcoming Events:

• Nov 13: Northwest Invasive Plant Council (NWIPC) 2025 Annual General Meeting
• Nov 25-27: 2025 BC Organic Conference

Drought and Wildfire Preparedness:

• Why is FireSmart the best defense against wildfires?

Programs and funding opportunities:

• EFP Success Story: Sea Bluff Farm's Sustainable Environmental Practices
• Agriculture Water Infrastructure (AWP) Stream 1 and Stream 4
• New Entrant Farm Business Accelerator Program (NEFBA)
• The BC Agri-Business Planning Program (ABPP)
• BC Producer Survey on New Technologies
• BC Vegetable Marketing Commission (BCVMC) Industry Consultation

Business Risk Management Programs:

• Production Insurance
• AgriStability

Resources:

• Livestock Drought Management series
• Building Livestock Watering Systems through Years of Drought

Building Resilient Forage Systems -Webinar

Join the Invasive Species Council of BC for an engaging session in their Invasive Species in Agriculture webinar series, presented in partnership with the Investment Agriculture Foundation. This series highlights the latest research, field experiences, and management practices to help producers, land managers, and agricultural professionals prevent and manage invasive plants, insects, and pathogens affecting B.C.’s agricultural systems.

In this webinar, Catherine will start by reviewing the foundations of integrated weed management. Then, she will go over Forage 101 principles and how to incorporate the foundations of integrated weed management into your forage management practices creating a resilient forage stand. She will present one Case Study from a northern forage producer and how he greatly reduced his weed abundance using a multi-variety alfalfa blend.

Date: November 20, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM PST
Presenter: Dr. Catherine Tarasoff, Agrowest Consulting

Northwest Invasive Plant Council (NWIPC) 2025 Annual General Meeting

Join us for our Annual General Meeting!

Two Rivers Gallery, 725 Canada Games Way, Prince George
Annual General Meeting (AGM) In-person and Online
November 13th, 2025 starting at 9:30am PST

AGM will be followed by lunch and presentations on Integrated Pest Management and more!

For more information reach out to info@nwipc.org

2025 BC Organic Conference

Don’t miss the 2025 BC Organic Conference! Join Organic BC in Harrison Hot Springs from November 25 - 27 to farm ideas and build community.

This year’s highlights include:

• Keynotes: Jacob Beaton, Gillian Flies, Brent Preston and virtual keynote, Paul Holmbeck
• Workshops: 20+ sessions featuring practical, hands-on learning
• Trade show: The latest products, services, equipment and more
• Organic banquet: A delicious feast featuring local, organic products 
• Farm tours: A close-up look at innovative practices, techniques, and tools
• Seed swap table: Bring seeds. Take seeds. Share stories!

Why is FireSmart the best defense against wildfires?

FireSmart focuses on changes to the area within 30 meters of a structure—especially the structure itself and the first 1.5 meters around it—to have the greatest potential to reduce the chances of a structure igniting.

Did you know that embers are the leading cause of structure ignition? FireSmart addresses the root causes of structure ignition, including embers that can travel kilometers ahead of a wildfire.

Watch ‘Farmers talk FireSmart’ or apply now (button below) for a FireSmart BC Farm & Ranch Assessment.

Take control and make your property a wildfire-resilient operation to protect your people, animals, and livelihood.

EFP Program Success: Sea Bluff Farm

Robin Tunnicliffe, an organic vegetable farmer and the chair of the Metchosin Agricultural Committee, with her Master of Arts in food policy from the University of Victoria recently completed an Environmental Farm Plan for her farm, Sea Bluff Farm Ltd. Robin expressed reassurance in the sustainability of her farming practices thanks to the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) program.

"I really enjoyed the process of doing the environmental farm plan. It was an afternoon of visiting with a retired farmer, and we worked together through the workbook," she said. "I'm confident that anyone can succeed at this."

The ease with which Robin found the EFP process gave her the confidence to apply for the Beneficial Management Practices program (BMP) this January.

The Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) Program is a confidential, no-cost initiative that helps BC farmers and ranchers identify environmental and climate-related risks on their farms. Through the planning process, many participants find practical ways to improve their operations—supporting sustainable practices and helping farms remain efficient and competitive in a changing agricultural landscape.

To learn more or begin your own EFP, visit Environmental Farm Plan Program – Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC

EFP Program Funding has been provided by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a $3.5 billion, 5-year agreement between the federal, provincial and territorial governments. Additional funding has been provided by CleanBC. The program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF).

Agriculture Water Infrastructure Program (AWP) Stream 1 opening November 18

Agriculture Water Infrastructure Program (AWP) will be accepting funding applications on November 18 under Stream 1 (Producer Projects) and Stream 4 (Strategic Projects).

Stream 1: Producer Projects

Stream 1 provides cost-shared funding support for large-scale water infrastructure projects led by producers with a focus on water storage and conveyance system improvements.

For more information on Stream 1 including a list of eligible activities and eligible applicants, please visit the links below:

Stream 4: Strategic Projects

Stream 4 focuses on supporting strategic and collaborative community projects in areas with high water use conflict, risks to the aquatic ecosystem (e.g., environmental flow needs), existing and potential risks of agricultural water shortage, and/or opportunities to expand water availability through community-led strategic projects.

For more information on Stream 4 including eligible activities, eligible applicants, and priority watersheds being considered for Stream 4, please visit the links below:

Prospective applicants with questions are encouraged to reach out to IAF by email (awp@iafbc.ca) or by phone (250) 940-6150 and (or) book a 10-minute appointment (completed by phone) with an IAF staff member.

The New Entrant Farm Business Accelerator (NEFBA) program is now open!

The New Entrant Farm Business Accelerator (NEFBA) Program supports the growth of new entrants by providing financial support for the development and implementation of farm business plans and growth strategies. The NEFBA Program supports business planning and cost-shared purchasing of commercial farm infrastructure and equipment needed to accelerate the revenue growth of farm businesses.

Through the NEFBA Program, a new farm business can receive support to develop a growth strategy and to make investments necessary to achieve farm income growth goals, ensure commercial viability and strengthen financial sustainability.

Applications are open from November 3 to November 24, 2025.

Funded in part by the governments of Canada and British Columbia under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative

The BC Agri-Business Planning Program (ABPP) is opening soon!

The BC Agri-Business Planning Program (ABPP) will open for applications on November 17^th, 2025. Funding is available under two streams:

• Stream 1: Agri-business skills and leadership development
  Funding up to 70% to a maximum contribution of $2,000
   
• Stream 2: Business planning, preparedness, and disaster recovery
  Funding up to $7,500 for individual business

Program funding will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants until the application deadline on 4:30 pm on December 08, 2025, or the funding has been fully allocated.

Applications are open from November 17 to December 8, 2025.

BC Producer Survey on New Technologies

We invite you to take part in a short survey for a research project led by Royal Roads University and the University of the Fraser Valley. This survey looks at how fruit and vegetable farmers in BC are using or may be interested in using different types of farming technology. These technologies include digital tools, controlled environment agriculture systems, and agri-genomics. Your responses in this survey will be used to help improve farming policies, tools, and support programs for BC farmers.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Your answers will be kept private. Names or any other personal identifiers will not be collected. When reporting on the outcomes of the study, the results will be aggregated and not linked to any individual.

BC Vegetable Marketing Commission (BCVMC) Industry Consultation

Vegetable Grower Consultation:

The BC Vegetable Marketing Commission is looking for feedback from growers who could be affected by proposed revisions to the commission’s general order.

The Commission hosted town hall meetings this fall to walk through the Task Force’s suggested changes and give growers a chance to ask questions or share comments. Growers can also send feedback by email (info@bcveg.com) until November 21.

A summary of the proposed changes are available in the Licensing Changes Table, comparable with the Current BCVMC General Order.

Vegetables that are subject to the General Order are as follows:

Storage Crops - Regulated for fresh and processing use

• Beets (tops off)
• Green Cabbage
• Red Cabbage
• Carrots (tops off)
• Parsnips
• Potatoes (all types, varieties)
• Rutabaga
• White (purple top) turnips
• Yellow onions

Greenhouse Crops - Regulated for fresh and processing use

• Cucumbers (all types)
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes (all types)
• Peppers (all types, including hot/spicy varieties)

Processing Crops - Regulated for processing use only

• Beans
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Peas
• Strawberries

Production Insurance

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.

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:

• Berries
• Flower bulbs
• Forage
• Grain
• Grapes
• Tree fruit
• Vegetables

Upcoming application deadlines

November 30:

• Forage application and renewal deadline
• Tree fruit application and renewal deadline

Need Help? Production Insurance Representatives are available to help with the application and renewal process. 

• Phone: 1-888-332-3352 toll-free 
• ProductionInsurance.Kelowna@gov.bc.ca 
• Visit: www.gov.bc.ca/CropInsurance 

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 offers enhanced benefits for 2025:

• increased compensation rate to 90% (on income declines greater than 30%) 
• provides up to 75% for early payments
• maximum payment limit increased to $6 million

Upcoming AgriStability deadlines

December 31:

• 2025 Enrollment fee deadline (with penalty) – last chance to ensure coverage is in place for the 2025 year!
• 2024 Statement A Submission Deadline (with penalty) - the supplemental page must be completed for you to be eligible. 
  • Individuals: Supplemental page is Page 7 of the Statement A (T1273)
  • Corporations: Supplemental page is Page 5 of the Statement A (1373-E) Corporations can easily submit Statement A details using our online form.

Staff are available to answer questions and help with the enrollment process.

• Phone: 1-877-343-2767 toll-free. Support is available in English and Punjabi.
• Email: AgriStability@gov.bc.ca 
• Visit: www.gov.bc.ca/AgriStability

Livestock Drought Management Series

What if your hay barn could save you thousands every year? Learn how strategic investments in forage and feed infrastructure can pay off for decades in Article 6 of the Livestock Drought Management Series.

Building Reliable Stock Water Systems through Years of Drought

Read this article on the Beef Cattle Research Council website to learn about how a Saskatchewan farm managed to fortify against water scarcity.

Missed the last e-bulletin? Catch-up on previous issues here.