A fertile farm field in the Kootenay River Valley on the Crowsnest Highway 3 near Creston, B.C. (Photo 31993935 © Leo Bruce Hempell | Dreamstime.com)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Climate Change

B.C. offering more grants to help protect farms from extreme weather

May 24, 2023 | 2:09 PM

The British Columbia government is offering grants to farmers and ranchers to help them protect the land from extreme weather.

The funds are coming from the Extreme Weather Preparedness for Agriculture program which provided over $1.4 million last summer to 129 projects in the poultry, dairy, beef, tree fruit, and berry sectors.

“Climate change and extreme weather pose an array of challenges for people throughout British Columbia, including our farmers, ranchers, and food producers,” said Pam Alexis, B.C.’s Minister of Agriculture and Food. “It is important that we support them with programs like this so they can be more resilient to the impacts of climate change and better protect their livelihoods while ensuring we have a stable, sustainable food supply.”

The grants can be for as much as $35,000 and help those in the sector prepare for wildfires, flooding, and heat waves by setting up exterior sprinklers, using flood-resistant equipment, or indoor cooling systems.

Up to $2.5 million has been set aside for the grants. It’s also been expanded to support B.C.-licensed apiculture and aquaculture producers, as well as federally licensed cannabis and hemp producers.

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“More than ever, farmers need to be equipped to deal with the kind of extreme weather events that have devastated agricultural production in several regions of the province in recent years,” added Danielle Synotte, executive director of the BC Agriculture Council. “BC Agriculture Council has advocated for more support for industry in this area and is pleased to see this funding is already making a difference for the agriculture sector.”

The application process officially opened on May 23 and will remain open until June 14.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow