Have your say on our farms

The province is calling for the public's feedback on how to encourage farming and protect farmland throughout British Columbia.

 

Input is being welcomed on how to support farmers and ranchers in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) in expanding and diversifying their businesses, help establish new farmers and ensure there is flexibility for residential options while prioritizing agriculture. 

 

All residents can have their say from now until Nov.15 by submitting online feedback or attending one of the public meetings held throughout the province, including one in Kelowna on Oct. 10. 

 

B.C. minister of agriculture Lana Popham says it is essential B.C.'s agricultural industry continues to thrive in the light of issues like climate change and rising land prices.

 

"Helping farmers, protecting farmland and increasing food production are top priorities for our government, and we want to continue the momentum we've created - it's driving the success of this sector in our province. Our government is working hard to expand B.C.'s agriculture industry. We are increasing access to locally grown and raised food, and helping rural communities diversify their economies and create sustainable jobs."

 

The six in-person focus sessions will focus on the purpose for recent government changes to strengthen the ALR and gathering input from attendees. 

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.