Spring is on it’s way!
Spring is on the way! Local food producers in the Bulkley Valley are getting ready for the upcoming growing season. Calves, lambs and piglets are being born, and horticultural producers are carefully tending seedlings that will eventually be the vegetables on our plates and the flowers that decorate our gardens. Forage producers are looking at the disappearing snowpack and hoping for spring rains to germinate newly planted seeds and nourish hay and silage crops.
The Bulkley Valley is home to many dedicated producers who spend from dawn to dusk throughout the growing season implementing the plans that were hatched over winter. The end result is an abundant supply of food¬—meat, eggs, vegetables, berries, honey and more—that is then consumed fresh, canned, frozen, or put into cold storage.
From an economic point of view, the impact of agriculture in the valley is significant. Two economic and social benefits assessments have been completed for the Bulkley Valley Farmers’ Market—in 2012, the BV Farmers’ Market benefitted the local economy to the tune of 1.3 million dollars annually. Jobs are created and maintained, not just by the many dairies, market gardens, and greenhouse operations, but also by the processing facility, the various cut & wrap operations and local feed suppliers.
Agriculture has long been a fundamental economic driver of small and large communities alike. The transportation of food to northern communities allows us to diversify our meals and indulge in favourites like coffee and chocolate. At the same time, supporting local agriculture ensures that your food is fresh, food production is more transparent, and your money stays in the community. There is a lot of satisfaction in eating meals that are 100% locally grown, or biting into a carrot that was picked literally hours ago – local food production makes that possible.
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