4 The naked truth


BC politics has long had a reputation for colourful characters: our second premier was Amor de Cosmos, an advocate for agriculture and noted eccentric. A generation ago, the Agricultural Land Reserve was created under the colourful Dave Barrett, who didn’t shy from his own self-deprecating innuendoes when it was suggested his underwear was as red as his politics. Perhaps the most colourful politician in recent memory was agriculture minister Corky Evans, famous for a homespun manner that was often as serious as it was off-script. He famously lost his teeth in the Legislature while pronouncing an unparliamentary term for horse dung one afternoon and during the 1999 World Trade Organization talks in Seattle, he encouraged protestors to keep at it – one day, they could be agriculture ministers, too.


Current agriculture minister Norm Letnick, however, has become the epitome of the colourful politician by stripping to his briefs and shearing his body hair for an application of orchard-patterned body paint.


Letnick wasn’t trying to draw attention to himself, however.


Since his ministry has limited funds for marketing, he was trying to raise awareness of the


government's tax credit for produce donations by farmers to food banks and other not-for-profits. While we applaud the minister for being a good sport and would love to ask Mrs Letnick what she thinks of dem apples, his behavior suggests that provincial under-funding of agriculture has gone a bit far. BC has long had a reputation for funding its farm sector at a rate that


lags most other provinces and the minister’s stripped down marketing strategy underscores the situation. A government that can’t provide its own ministers with funding to advertise programs designed to help citizens needs to seriously consider its priorities. Given the $500 million windfall the province touted earlier this fall, Victoria has no excuse for not funding existing programming and telling farmers what’s available. Agriculture has been a bright light for provincial exports and there’s an election coming up. Promises are sure to come. It would be nice to see the province invest in sectors that are actually


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 2016


making good.


Letnick’s performance shows that it’s possible for the farm sector to make do without cash. Just think what would happen if programming, extension services and other assistance received a due share of provincial funding.


It’s all about effective communication As announced in the October edition, Country Life


in BC has a new publisher. The paper has been sold for the eighth time in its 102-year existence. That it has reached this age, is still thriving and has escaped the clutches of the corporate media makes this paper an anomaly.


The Back 40 BOB COLLINS


But while 102 years is a remarkable milestone, age alone is no guarantee of continued success. (The 141-year history of the Nanaimo Daily Free Press ended in 2016 when owner Black Press pulled the plug on the venerable paper.)


No publication exists for more than a hundred years without a close call and Country Life in BC is no exception. The timely arrival of publishers willing to take the helm and change course has kept the paper off the rocks a couple of times – most recently in 2000, when it withered to half its current size.


Commitment


It sits in your hands now, thanks largely to the efforts of now retired publisher Peter Wilding, long time editor Cathy Glover and veteran writer David


Schmidt. As Glover takes over as Country Life’s eighth publisher, her and Schmidt’s experience and commitment should spearhead a seamless transition.


Country Life in BC is published for a very specific audience: commercial agriculture in BC. Writing to its interests allows the paper to focus exclusively on news and issues that are important to BC farmers and ranchers. Flip through the paper: it is a nuts and bolts, meat and potatoes, low frills publication. It is relevant to the commercial industry and the businesses supporting it. Check out the advertising: nuts and bolts, meat and potatoes, commercial ag.


Daunting


This all seems like a pretty straight-forward formula but there is a big complication to making it work. It’s all fine and good to focus on BC agriculture, but it is a daunting task to get BC agriculture in a single lens. This is a big province and it has more climatic, geographic and agricultural diversity than any other in the country. It’s a long way from kiwis in Saanich to canola in Cecil Lake, or from 1,900 mm of rain in the Alberni Valley to 153 mm in Ashcroft, or from an average January low of -17 in Fort St John to +6 in Victoria, or from shell fish in Sechelt to silage in Sicamous. The differences are endless.


Climatic zones in BC range from 2 to 8, including Publisher Cathy Glover


604-328-3814 . publisher@countrylifeinbc.com Associate Editor David Schmidt 604-793-9193 . davidschmidt@shaw.ca


The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 Vol 102 No 11


Contributing Editors Peter Mitham . Tamara Leigh news@countrylifeinbc.com


Advertising Sales & Marketing Cathy Glover sales@countrylifeinbc.com


Published monthly by Country Life 2000 Ltd.


Production Ass’t: Naomi McGeachy . Thanks, Peter! www.countrylifeinbc.com


some that are found nowhere else in the country. Only 3% of BC’s land area has agricultural potential and much of that 3% is scattered in valleys throughout the province. Those valleys are separated by mountain ranges.


The industry is geographically fragmented, climatically fragmented and differentiated by countless crops and cultural practices. Throw nearly 20,000 farms into the mix and it’s not hard see what a tall order it is to stay engaged and informed in it all and communicate what is timely and relevant every month. Country Life in BC has been doing just that for more than 100 years and is committed to carry on and build on that proud tradition.


Communication


While communication is what Country Life is all about, effective communication is a two way street. We’re proud of BC agriculture and grateful for the opportunity to serve it. In order to do that even better, we need to hear from you. What do you like or not like about CLBC? What would you like more of? Less of? What is missing? In the coming weeks (and months), some of you may be contacted by telephone to answer a random survey. Please spare a few minutes to help us understand how we might improve. If you have something to tell us and you don’t want to chance the random survey, please email your thoughts to [publisher@countrylifeinbc].


Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical


error, that portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for signature will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error which advertises goods or services at a wrong price, such goods or services need not be sold at the advertised price. Advertising is an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. All advertising is accepted subject to publisher’s approval. All of Country Life in British Columbia’s content is covered by Canadian copyright law.


Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Country Life in British Columbia. Letters are welcome, though they may be edited in the interest of brevity before publication.


All errors brought to our attention will be corrected. 36 Dale Road, Enderby BC V0E 1V4 . Publication Mail Agreement: 0399159 . GST Reg. No. 86878 7375 . Subscriptions: $1/issue . $18.90/year . $33.60/2 years . $37.80/3 years incl GST


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