British Columbia berries receive funding boost for innovation and market growth

Victoria, British Columbia – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture - The governments of Canada and British Columbia (B.C.) are investing in the B.C. strawberry, blueberry and raspberry industries to help market competitiveness in berry production through innovative genetics and practices in the province.

 

The Lower Mainland Horticulture Improvement Association is set to receive $200,000 in annual funding a year for the next five years to improve berry genetics. Results from the research will support a plant breeding program that produces superior berry varieties that are suited to the local climate. The program is expected to lead to improved crops, higher fruit quality and increased pest and disease resistance.

 

The berry plant breeding program is supported by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The Partnership is a five-year, $3 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the agriculture and agri-food sector.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.