We Heart Local BC

Check out this great cook-along on December 6 by BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation and White Spot Restaurants!

Let's get cooking! 👩‍🍳 The new BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation and White Spot Restaurants Cook-Along BC event is happening on Dec 6, from 5:30-7:00 pm. Get the whole family involved with making the demonstrated dishes and learn about BC agriculture from local farmers. Plus, you'll have a chance to win some awesome prizes!

This event features:

🍽️ Demonstrations of ‘BC Szechuan Beef with Stir-Fried Noodles’ and ‘Toasted Coconut Meringues with Lemongrass and Ginger Infused Crème Anglaise’ recipes by Chef Trevor Randle and James Kennedy, White Spot Executive Chef, CCC.

🍽️ Agricultural insights from Sarah Yoder of Golden Gate Farms and Pamela Krause of Semlin Valley Ranch & Bradner farms.

🍽️ Prize draws for packages (including White Spot gift cards) valued at $450+.

Reserve your spot to attend this free virtual cooking event: bit.ly/3DXi2Mb

Presenting sponsors: BC Dairy and Behind the Beef

It's time for comfort food! Try this fall favourite from BC Dairy.

Hello, Fall! 🍁 Time for cozy recipes like this cheesy vegetable & bacon gratin–perfect for serving along all your favourite roasts: bit.ly/3BcO1Xy

Don't miss BC Greenhouse Veggie Days next weekend in Delta and Surrey!

Save the date! 🔅

Our partner growers, Westcoast and Sunnyside are partaking in BC Veggie Days – come tour both greenhouses and learn about the entire operation! It’s sure to be fun for the whole family! 🥒🫑🍅

Chefs from BC Agriculture in the Classroom will be at each location demonstrating recipes and giving out samples to try!

When: September 24th, 2022, 10:00am - 2:00pm

Where:
Westcoast Vegetables: 3905 46A Street, Delta
Sunnyside Produce: 1133 176 Street, Surrey

Join anytime at either location (or both!)

Click the link to learn more!

https://bcgreenhouse.ca/bc-veggie-day/

Who's ready for fall?! 🍂

Share your favourite chicken recipes in the comments!

We can't believe it's finally here: September is BC Chicken Month! 🥳🎉

Throughout the month of September we will be celebrating BC Chicken farmers and their dedication to supplying our communities with nutritious chicken.

Find delicious recipes, wine pairings, and more at 👉 www.bcchickenmonth.com

It's not too late to enjoy the last of the season's BC Strawberries!

Don't miss out on your last chance for BC Strawberries! Visit your local farm this week and get jamming 🍓🍓

Here's a recipe from BC Greenhouse Growers' Association to try this week: Crab Cakes with Chipotle Aioli, Red Pepper Jelly and Blackened Corn Salsa. Yum!
https://bcgreenhouse.ca/our-recipes/crab-cakes-with-chipotle-aioli/

Crab Cakes with Chipotle Aioli, Red Pepper Jelly and Blackened Corn Salsa - BC Greenhouse Grown Chipotle Aioli Directions: Place all ingredients into a food processor, reserving the vegetable oil and puree until smooth. Slowly add oil into processor while machine is running until emulsified. Adjust seasoning to taste. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Cheers to peach season!

Our friends at BC Cherry Association are sharing 10 great reasons to enjoy B.C. Cherries!

We all know BC Cherries are delicious, but did you know that they are also a nutrient-packed superfood? BC cherries are low in calories and high in nutrients with an abundance of health benefits.

Looking for a refreshingly local meal? These 10 summer salads are perfect, whether you’re looking for a main dish or a weekend lunch.
https://www.weheartlocalbc.ca/10-refreshingly-local-bc-summer-salads/

10 refreshingly local BC summer salads Looking for a refreshingly local meal? These 10 summer salads are perfect for any table, whether you’re looking for a main dish on a summer evening, or a fresh idea for a weekend lunch.

Cool down with this Coconut Cranberry Creamsicles recipe from our friends at BC Cranberries!

As the heat rises, seek shade and cool off with this sweet and creamy treat, with easy dairy-free options! For more recipes like this, leave a like, follow, and head over to bccranberries.com/consumers/recipes! 👈😎👈

Check out these tips from BC Blueberries on how to freeze your u-pick berries!

Wondering what to do with your bountiful 🫐 u-pick harvest? Here’s how to freeze them for post-picking perfection:

✔️Make sure your berries are dry
✔️Put them in a resealable bag or containers
✔️Use any frozen blues within one year of purchase.

Now you can enjoy all year long!

It's wedding season! Thank you to local flower growers, nurseries and florists for making our special occasions beautiful 💐

📷: Vaandrager Nurseries

We had to share this beautiful early morning view from Hasberry Farms just outside of Chetwynd, B.C.

With the heat these days, mornings start early here at the farm. But there arent too many complaints because it’s beautiful here at dawn…

Have you visited a B.C. greenhouse?

Home - BC Greenhouse Grown When you step inside a greenhouse, you'll feel like you stepped into a tropical oasis!

Follow BC Chicken Squad to learn more about how chickens are raised in British Columbia!

FACT: In Canada, steroids and hormones are illegal for use in raising chickens. ​​​​​​​​
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The use of steroids and hormones has been illegal in Canada since the 1960s. Be chicken smart.​​​​​​​​
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📷: BC Grain Producers Association

Happy National Egg Day!

Happy National Egg Day! Want to learn about egg farms and farmers? Concerned about hen care? Looking for a great egg recipe? BC Egg has you covered! Check out BCEgg.com for great info on eggs and egg farming in BC.

https://bcegg.com/

"We love our land, and we are always striving to make the grass taller, the water clearer and the wildlife and livestock healthier. It is a blessing to work in our own piece of the environment, where we see firsthand the results of every footprint we make. We live and breathe this ranch and care deeply about keeping it and the environment healthy." - Fossen Family, BC Cattle Ranchers.

Meet Doug, Erika, and their family from Rock Creek, BC! Read their profile to learn about the efforts they take to improve their land and care deeply for their animals below.

The Fossen Family Fossen’s Bar 7 Ranch was started in 1976 by Ed and Louise Fossen. Their son Doug was born on the […]

Who's counting down the days to berry season? We definitely are!

And we imagine Rhonda Driediger, the owner of the very popular u-pick spot Driediger Farms Market in Langley, B.C. is too.

When she is not overseeing the farm and packing businesses, Rhonda volunteers countless hours addressing agriculture issues. For over 15 years, she served as a director of BC Agriculture Council with a mission to continually improve the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of B.C. agriculture.

Rhonda Driediger Born into the farming industry, Rhonda carries on the family tradition as president and owner of Blueridge Produce Inc., one […]

New blog post! B.C.’s farms produce a delicious variety of local foods- including over 200 agricultural commodities and 100 seafood species! And whether farmers are in Fort St. John, Comox, Kamloops or the Fraser Valley, BC Agriculture Council helps to amplify their voices.

To celebrate BCAC’s 25th anniversary, take a virtual trip with us to visit some of the farms, ranches and greenhouses growing your local products across B.C.!

Celebrating farmers and ranchers across B.C. with BCAC! B.C.’s farms produce a delicious variety of local foods- including over 200 agricultural commodities and 100 seafood species!

Meet the Gill Family - some of the original Ambrosia growers from Lake Country, B.C. The family talks about their passion for working together on a farm and growing delicious apples for our communities to enjoy.

The Gill Family Many farmers hope that their children will take over farm some day. For the Gills of Lake Country, BC – […]

Have you heard of the Forstbauer family from Chilliwack, BC? Hans and Mary Forstbauer helped pioneer the organic farming movement in BC in the 70s and had a big role in starting the BC Association for Regenerative Agriculture, and also Organic BC.

Following in their footsteps are their son Niklaus Forstbauer and his siblings who all work and live on the farm. Read all about the Forstbauer Family Natural Food Farm's commitment to growing fresh and organic food below.

From our family to yours: Niklaus Forstbauer talks about his family’s farm Did you know that 98% of farms in BC are family owned and operated? In honour of Family Day, we connected with Niklaus Forstbauer of Forstbauer Family Natural Food Farm, a certified organic farm in Chilliwack, British Columbia.

The BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association represents greenhouse vegetable farmers in British Columbia who grow peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and eggplants. Their growers produce 96 percent of all of B.C.’s greenhouse vegetable production! Did you know that they produce vegetables at least 10 months a year? BC Greenhouse Growers' Association

📷: BC Greenhouse Growers' Association

Get to know Scott Janzen, the man behind Janzen Poultry in Abbotsford, BC! Started in the 1960s by his grandfather, Scott took over the family farm in 2007. He raises three different kinds of eggs and is committed to producing healthy, high-quality food for consumers across B.C

Scott Janzen Janzen Poultry is located in Abbotsford, B.C. The farm was started in the 1960’s by Scott’s grandfather, and Scott took […]

Did you know? Greenhouses take up just .01% of BC’s farm land but are responsible for 11% of BC’s total agricultural production. Get to know the association behind greenhouse vegetable farmers here in BC: the BC Greenhouse Growers' Association.

They shared some great facts about greenhouse veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. Check it out below.

Fresh facts: everything you need to know about locally-grown greenhouse veggies The next time you’re enjoying a relaxing bath, consider this: the average BC greenhouse can produce 150 pounds of tomatoes, 160 cucumbers, or 55 pounds of peppers in a space smaller than..

"We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” - Native American Proverb

The desire to work in harmony with the planet and secure a legacy for future generations is a common goal amongst farmers and ranchers here in BC. In honour of Earth Day today, we're re-sharing our interview with young farmers Rene and Jessica Miedema who are putting sustainability first by diversifying their business and investing in renewable technologies. Read all about their commitment to sustainable farming here: bit.ly/meetthemiedemas

Meet Denise and Richard MacDonald - passionate BC Fruit Growers from the Okanagan! They’ve been growing Ambrosia for decades and as active members of the Okanagan orchardist community, they knew this apple was a winner from the first bite.

Learn about their passion for agriculture and the production of food below.

Profile via New Tree Fruit Varieties Development Council.

Richard & Denise MacDonald In this episode, we meet Denise and Richard MacDonald. They’ve been growing Ambrosia from the very beginning. As active members […]

Meet Lisa and John and their family from the beautiful South Shuswap area of BC. Lisa and John are proud poultry farmers and have been raising broiler chickens for almost a decade now. The health and comfort of their birds are their top priority and they find it very rewarding to raise a safe, high-quality product for British Columbians.

Click below to hear more of their story. BC Chicken Squad

Lisa and John Lisa and John farm with their five children in the beautiful South Shuswap area of BC. They’ve been raising broiler […]

Did you know the average size of cattle farms in BC is 1,074 acres? Cattle farms in BC are promoted and protected by the BC Cattlemen's Association which is the voice of over 1200 cattle ranchers across the province.

Head to their website to learn more. www.cattlemen.bc.ca

Get to know BC Blueberries: the association represents over 600+ growers of premium quality highbush blueberries here in BC, and has a strong commitment to on-farm food safety.

Over the past decade, the BC Blueberry Council has worked closely with blueberry growers, packers and processors to ensure that all on-farm safety programs are up-to-dates, so you get to enjoy the freshest, tastiest, and highest-quality blueberries.

Learn more about BC Blueberries here: www.bcblueberry.com/bc-blueberry-council

Meet the Herfst family of BC Egg Farmers from Oakridge Poultry in Chilliwack, BC! The Herfst family are multi-generational farmers and truly understand the importance of educating consumers about how their food is grown and raised. Read more on our website.

Herfst Family The Herfst family raise about 18,500 hens in Chilliwack, BC. Kevin and Rebecca are grateful for the opportunity to farm […]