we all love Vancouver Island! We are so fortunate to live in a place so rich with culture, diversity and natural beauty, and one that provides so many options for fresh, local food and beverages
I am thrilled to be back as the Minister of Agriculture and Food and be part of a government that is working full steam ahead to strengthen and diversify our economy. Although there is currently some uncertainty about what is going to happen with tariffs and how that will impact our longstanding trading relationship with our neighbours to the south, one thing we do know is the B.C. government and British Columbians themselves are doing more than ever to support our province’s farmers and food supply. Consumers have a heightened awareness right now about the impact buying local products has. Retailers are hearing it loud and clear, and they’re bringing in B.C. and Canadian-made goods which is excellent news for farmers and food processors.
The people working in the B.C. agriculture sector are passionate, and they contribute so much to their communities all over Vancouver Island. I want to encourage all of you to Buy BC. When you do this, you are supporting your local farmer and processor, your friend, and your neighbour. Through the Buy BC program, we have branded over 10,000 food and beverage items that are grown and processed in the province. The next time you go to your grocery store or local farmers market, look for a product with a Buy BC logo.
Our government’s Feed BC program is also shining a spotlight on locally grown food in our public facilities such as hospitals, residential care homes and post-secondary institutions. Making sure we have more healthy, nutritious B.C. food available for patients, residents, students and workers in these facilities is very important to me. We are also working with school districts to now bring more B.C. food to 1,700 schools from kindergarten to grade 12. We continue to look for opportunities to connect local farmers and businesses with food supply companies and places to sell their food so everyone can benefit from these local food systems.
I recently attended the Islands Agriculture Show in Duncan, and we celebrated Island farmers and showcased our local agriculture sector. Farming is more than a career, it is a lifestyle, and I was lucky to learn at a young age on Quadra Island how important agriculture is to a community, and the role it plays in our daily lives. The Islands Agriculture Show continues that tradition as they included a Young Farmers Day to help attract the next generation of farmers. The B.C. government also supports programs like the B.C. Land Matching Program and the New Entrant Farm Business Accelerator and we’re going to make sure that Island farmers have a place to grow, while also encouraging new farmers to come in.
We may not know what the days and weeks to come will bring when it comes to international trade, but one thing that won’t change is the need to Buy BC and support our local farmers, processors and food and beverage producers.
AgriServiceBC is the Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s information source and farmers can sign up for new regional e-bulletins that provide timely information on ministry programs and services, as well as education and extension opportunities and materials. You can learn more at: www.gov.bc.ca/agriservicebc. Consumers can find out more about supporting B.C. producers and processers through the Buy BC program by visiting: https://buybc.gov.bc.ca.
It’s my hope that we continue to talk more about sustainable food production now and in the future, while continuing to support the people that put amazing B.C. food and beverage products on our tables.
Lana Popham,
Minister of Agriculture and Food
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