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BC tech solutions address farm challenges Winners announced in BC Agritech Innovation Challenge


by TAMARA LEIGH VANCOUVER – Four BC-based companies were each


awarded $20,000 as part of the BC Agritech Innovation Challenge sponsored by the BC Ministry of Agriculture and the BC Innovation Council. The winners were announced at the #BCTech Summit in March, completing a process that began at the “Growing our Future Together – BC Agrifood and Seafood Conference” in November last year. The challenge brought together innovators, investors,


venture capitalists, tech experts and marketers to develop technology-based solutions in four specific challenges to BC agriculture. Winners were chosen in each of the categories. Addressing the challenge of enhancing productivity and


profitability of BC berries through mechanization, the Fraser Valley-based gUAVas Technologies developed software that turns unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) into berry and fruit guards by patrolling the farm. In addition to motion, the drones use noise and light to


scare birds away. The locally developed technology can help reduce the estimated $59 million worth of crops BC farmers lose to bird pests each year and replace other techniques, such as netting, cannons and manual labour.


Greenhouse protection Ecoation Innovation Solutions (EIS) of North Vancouver was


recognized for its work to minimize losses through pest management and loss reduction solutions. The company combines remote monitoring and proprietary software to provide the earliest possible detection of pests, diseases and deficiencies in greenhouse crops. The EIS Crop Sense system brings growers' crop status to their desktop or smart phone daily. With the EIS system, growers can take immediate actions that increase crop value, reduce operating costs and reduce pesticide use. The made- in-BC technology is available now with paid field trials


underway in BC greenhouses. Responding to the challenge of promoting sustainable


practices and finding efficiencies in greenhouses, Gordon Shank Consulting of Burnaby has developed a yarn made from BC forest products waste to replace the synthetic, polypropylene yarn currently used. BioMid yarn is an industrial-strength, fully-compostable yarn made from cellulose that can be used for plants in greenhouses. Unlike the polypropylene yarn, it can be composted directly and does not need to be manually separated from organic wastes for proper disposal.


Nutrient management Vancouver’s Boost Environmental Systems was awarded for


creating new revenue streams and addressing environmental concerns through effective nutrient management and nutrient recovery solutions. The research group, based out of UBC, has developed an


easy-to-set-up and easy-to-integrate anaerobic digestion pre- treatment technology that results in increased production of biogas which is used for energy, and the recovery of a high- quality fertilizer product that the farm can use on the land or sell.


The winners were selected by a panel of experts with


representatives of the BC Innovation Council, the BC Agriculture Council, Genome BC, the National Research Council, the Investment Agriculture Foundation, SRCTec, Bioenterprise BC and the federal and provincial governments. The Agritech Innovation Challenge is a partnership


between the BC Ministry of Agriculture and the BC Innovation Council with $80,000 in funding provided through Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Over the coming months, Country Life in BC will publish a


feature story on each of the Agritech Innovation Challenge winners and the issues they are addressing with their technology solutions.


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • MAY 2017 Fully subscribed


by DAVID SCHMIDT ABBOTSFORD – The


Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) program continues to be most popular with farmers. ARDCorp opened up applications for this year’s round of BMP (Beneficial Management Practices) funding on April 1 and was fully subscribed by day’s end. “We received 316 applications for a total of $1.6 million and only have $1.3 million available,” ARDCorp chair Allan James reported at ARDCorp’s annual meeting in Abbotsford on April 12. ARDCorp is the program delivery arm of the BC Agriculture Council (BCAC). Although ARDCorp stopped taking applications for BMP funds, funding remains for farmers to update existing EFP’s or complete new ones.


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Environmental Farm Plan and the Climate Action Initiative (the other major program ARDCorp delivers) remain high priorities for ARDCorp,” James stated, adding the programs ARDCorp has helped deliver “all help farmers do the right thing.” He said the CAI “is


considered leading edge in Canada. We look forward to it continuing in Growing Forward 3.” Formed by BCAC and the


Investment Agriculture Foundation in 2008, the CAI is currently delivering both regional-level and on-farm adaptation programs. Since 2013, the CAI has completed regional adaptation plans for Delta, Cowichan, the Peace, Okanagan, Cariboo and Fraser Valley. Almost 400 participants and more than 40 agricultural and local government partners have participated in developing and implementing the plans. James notes ARDCorp has committed $1.7 million to 29 completed and 13 in-progress projects based on those plans. It has committed another $1.7 million to 16 on-farm adaptation projects. Eighty farmer co-operators and 60 project partners are involved in those projects.


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