|
* This will take you directly to the ministry's InfoBasket site.
General
-
Where do I find information on Farm Classification?
-
How do I contact the various marketing boards?
-
Does BC have an agricultural employment centre?
-
How do I get a BC Farmer Identity Card for tax exemption?
Education
-
Do you have brochures and posters for my group/class?
-
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
- How do you become certified as an organic
grower, processor or handler?
- Do you have any information on Organic
Dairy Farming?
* For more Organic FAQ's, please see the ministry's
InfoBasket site
Livestock/Game Farming
-
Where do I find information on game farming?
-
Who can I contact to get rid of problem wildlife?
-
I need to haul some livestock on the highway; what are the rules?
-
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
-
Where do I find more information about the Gypsy Moth Aerial Spray Program?
-
Where can I get more information about Integrated Pest Management
(IPM)?
-
How do I get a pesticide applicator certificate?
-
I am a home gardener. Where can I get information on pest control?
-
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
-
Where do I get my soil tested? Is there a list of soil labs available?
Specialty Crops
- Where do I get information about growing hemp?
-
Where do I find information on growing herbs?
-
Do you have any information on mushroom farming?
-
Where can I pick wild mushrooms?
* For more specialty crop FAQ's, please see the ministry's
InfoBasket site
General
Where do I find information on Farm Classification?
General information for regarding farm classification can be found on the BC Assessment
Authority's website.
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.
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
- 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
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.
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
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
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
- 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
BC Fallow Deer Association
28481 Starr Rd.
Abbotsford, BC, V4X 2C5
Phone/Fax (604) 857-5700 |
BC Interior Bison Association
R.R. 1, Judson Road, Comp 8
Lone Butte BC V0K 1X0
Phone: (250) 593-2253 |
Peace Country Bison Association
Enterprise Centre
10805 - 14th Street
Dawson Creek BC V1G 1V6
Phone: (250) 782-5745 Fax: (250) 782-5448 |
Peace Country Reindeer Association
Box 2430
Groundbirch BC V1G 4T9
Phone: (250) 780-2272/2282 |
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Company |
City |
Phone |
Griffin Laboratories |
Kelowna |
250 765-3399 |
Norwest Soil Research |
Surrey |
604 514-3322 |
Soilcon Laboratories |
Richmond |
604 278-5535 |
Pacific Soil Analysis |
Richmond |
604 273-8226 |
M&B Research & Development |
Sidney |
250 656-1334 |
Important aspects of soil sampling and analysis:
- Don't treat soil like "dirt".
- Use clean sampling tools.
- 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.
- Sample different areas of the field or garden separately.
- 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
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
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
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.
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
|