Frequently Asked Questions

• General

• 4-H and Youth Development
• Agritourism *
• Agroforestry *
• Apiculture
• Aquaculture
• Beef *
  • BSE Support Information *
• Berries *
• Bison *
• Education
• Field Vegetables *
• Food, Beverage & Nutraceutical Processing *
• Forage *
• Game Birds *
• Goats *
• Grains, Oilseeds, Pulses, and Forage *
• Greenhouse Vegetables *
• Livestock/Game Farming
• Organics
• Ornamentals *
• Plants, Weeds and Pests
• Range *
• Ratites (Ostriches, Rheas, & Emus) *
• Sheep and Lambs *
• Soils and Maps
• Specialty Crops
• Tree Fruits *
• Waterfowl *

* This will take you directly to the ministry's InfoBasket site.

General

1. Where do I find information on Farm Classification?
2. How do I contact the various marketing boards?
3. Does BC have an agricultural employment centre?
4. How do I get a BC Farmer Identity Card for tax exemption?

Education

5. Do you have brochures and posters for my group/class?
6. Is there a list of farms available for agricultural tours?

* For more 4-H and Youth Development FAQ's, please see the ministry's InfoBasket site

Organics

7. How do you become certified as an organic grower, processor or handler?
8. Do you have any information on Organic Dairy Farming?

* For more Organic FAQ's, please see the ministry's InfoBasket site

Livestock/Game Farming

9. Where do I find information on game farming?
10. Who can I contact to get rid of problem wildlife?
11. I need to haul some livestock on the highway; what are the rules?
12. What are the going rates for selling livestock, etc?

* For Beef FAQ's, please see the ministry's InfoBasket site
* For Goats FAQ's, please see the ministry's InfoBasket site
* For Sheep and Lambs FAQ's, please see the ministry's InfoBasket site

Plants, Weeds and Pests

13. Where do I find more information about the Gypsy Moth Aerial Spray Program?
14. Where can I get more information about Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?
15. How do I get a pesticide applicator certificate?
16. I am a home gardener. Where can I get information on pest control?
17. I've been told in a "Weed Control Notice" that I have to get rid of my weeds. How do I do it?

Soils and Maps

18. Where do I get my soil tested? Is there a list of soil labs available?

Specialty Crops

19. Where do I get information about growing hemp?
20. Where do I find information on growing herbs?
21. Do you have any information on mushroom farming?
22. Where can I pick wild mushrooms?

* For more specialty crop FAQ's, please see the ministry's InfoBasket site

General

1. Where do I find information on Farm Classification?
   General information for regarding farm classification can be found on the BC Assessment Authority's website.

2. How do I contact the various marketing boards?
   Contact names and phone numbers for the various marketing boards supervised by the BC Farm Industry Review Board are available on the FIRB webpages.

3. Does BC have an agricultural employment centre?
   Information on agricultural employment is available from the BC Agricultural Labour Pool. The Labour Pool is a recruitment assistance service for people seeking employment in the agricultural sector. The Labour Pool is located at:

BC Agricultural Labour Pool
#24 - 2337 Townline Road
Abbotsford BC V2T 6G1
Phone: (604) 855-7281 Fax: (604) 855-7189
Voice Mail for Job Information: (604) 855-9261

4. How do I get a BC Farmer Identity Card for tax exemption?
   All bona fide BC farmers are eligible for the BC Farmer Identity Card. BC Farmer ID Card holders can produce the card when purchasing provincial tax exempt supplies. The BC Farmer ID Card verifies provincial tax exempt status. To apply for a BC Farmer Identity Card, please contact the:

BC Agriculture Council
#102 - 1482 Springfield Road
Kelowna, BC  V1Y 5V3
Phone:  250 763-9790
Fax:  250 762-2997
Email: bcac@bcagcouncil.com

Education

5. Do you have brochures and posters for my group/class?
   The Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation has many teacher resources to help them teach about agriculture and food.

6. Is there a list of farms available for agricultural tours?
   The Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation maintains a list of farm tours available in areas throughout the province.

* For more 4-H and Youth Development FAQ's, please see the ministry's InfoBasket site

Organics

7. How do you become certified as an organic grower, processor or handler?
   Please see the "BC Certified Organic Production Operation Policies and Farm Management Standards" located on the Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia (COABC) website

8. Do you have any information on Organic Dairy Farming?
   Please see the Organic Dairy Farming Frequently Asked Questions (.pdf) for more information.

* For more Organic FAQ's, please see the ministry's InfoBasket site

Livestock/Game Farming

9. Where do I find information on game farming?
   Contact the Animal Industry Branch in Abbotsford (Phone: 604 556-3003) or the Regulatory Program in Kamloops (Phone: 250 371-6051). There are also several commodity associations that you may contact for information, such as the 
   

10. Who can I contact to report problem wildlife?
    Contact your local conservation officer at your local Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection office, listed in the blue pages of your local phone book.

11. I need to haul some livestock on the highway. What are the rules?
    Contact the Regulatory Program in Kamloops (Phone: 250 371-6051), and/or your local Ministry of Transportation Office listed in the blue pages of your local phone book.

12. What are the going rates for selling livestock, etc?
    Commodity price lists, market reports, and outlook reports can be accessed through the Farm Business Management Information Network. The FBMInet was developed by the Canadian Farm Business Management Council as part of the National Farm Business Management Program, in co-operation with the various Canadian provincial agriculture departments.

* For Beef FAQ's, please see the ministry's InfoBasket site
* For Goats FAQ's, please see the ministry's InfoBasket site

Plants, Weeds and Pests

13. Where do I find more information about the Gypsy Moth Aerial Spray Program?
    Information on the Gypsy Moth Aerial Spray Program may be found on the Ministry of Forests and Range website. You may also call 250 387-8494 (for Victoria callers) or 1 877-552-1122 (toll free) for additional information. The Ministry of Forests and Range has taken the lead role in managing infestations of gypsy moth on the southern half of Vancouver Island.

14. Where can I get more information about Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?
    Information on Integrated Pest Management is located in the Crop Pest and Diseases section of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands website. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a systematic decision-making process that supports a balanced approach to managing crop and livestock production systems for the effective, economical and environmentally-sound suppression of pests.

15. How do I get a pesticide applicator certificate?
    Pesticide applicator certificates are issued by the Ministry of Environment. Contact your local Ministry of Environment district office listed in the blue pages of your local phone book for further information on applicator courses and examinations.

16. I am a home gardener. Where can I get information on pest control?
    The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands does not provide a pest control advisory service for home gardeners. However, common pest problems and their solutions are described in the latest version of "A Gardener's Guide to Pest Prevention and Control in the Home and Garden" available from many book stores, garden centres and nurseries throughout the province. You can also consult your local garden centre or nursery for information.

17. I've been told in a "Weed Control Notice" that I have to get rid of my weeds. How do I do it?
    Contact the local government Weed Inspector who issued the notice to determine what you need to do. If the local inspector is unable to provide information on control strategies, contact the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands for a copy of Integrated Weed Management - An Introductory Manual or obtain a recommendation from the Provincial Weed Specialist, Abbotsford at (604) 556-3066. To identify BC's noxious weeks, refer to the "Field Guide to Noxious and Other Selected Weeds of BC".

* For more information on pesticides, see Pesticide Wise

Soils and Maps

18. Where do I get my soil tested? Is there a list of soil labs available?
    The following soil test labs are known to complete soil testing for agricultural purposes. This is not a complete list of labs in BC. There are many other labs that complete soil testing for non-agricultural purposes. These labs can analyze soil for crop nutritional requirements. (such as pH, salts and fertilizer nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). They may also be able to investigate concerns about soil contamination or look at soil physical properties such as texture, porosity or particle size distribution.

Important aspects of soil sampling and analysis:

1. Don't treat soil like "dirt".
2. Use clean sampling tools.
3. Keep sample cool until it is delivered to the lab or dry it first in a dust free area away from fertilizer or manure storage. Don't put moist samples into an airtight plastic bag.
4. Sample different areas of the field or garden separately.
5. Keep a map and records of what you sampled, why you sampled and where the sample was taken.

A factsheet entitled Soil Sampling Order number 611.100-1 March 1998 is available from the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Resource Management Branch (604-556-3100).

Specialty Crops

19. Where do I get information about growing hemp?
    As of March 12, 1998 it became legal after a 60 year ban to grow industrial hemp in Canada, under licence of Health Canada. The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands has prepared a Hemp Factsheet to explain this special crop. For additional information, visit the Specialty Crops Community on InfoBasket

20. Where do I find Information on growing herbs?
    Call the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands office in Abbotsford at 604 556-3001 or Toll Free at 1 888 221-7141. For additional information, visit the Specialty Crops Community on InfoBasket

21. Do you have any information on mushroom farming?
    Call the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands office in Abbotsford at 604 556-3001 or Toll Free at 1 888 221-7141.

22. Where can I pick wild mushrooms?
    Information on "Commercial Harvesting of Edible Wild Mushrooms" is on the Ministry of Forests and Range website. Mushroom picking is permitted on provincial forest lands, but permission is required to pick on First Nations reserves, tree farm licences, leased Crown land, and private lands. Picking is not permitted in provincial or national parks, protected areas including ecological and special reserves, recreation areas and federal defence lands.

* For more specialty crop FAQ's, please see the ministry's InfoBasket site