Wednesday - Jan 21 - BC food security

🌤 High 9C

Good morning!

The Pacific Agriculture Show rolls into town this week as BC invests in agritech innovation to strengthen food security. The province announced funding for three local projects at Windset Farms, KPU, and UFV—a $658,000 investment in climate-resilient agriculture.

And if there's a high school student in your home wondering what comes next, SD42's Trades Showcase takes place next week in Maple Ridge, where students can explore opportunities in the skilled trades.

– Emily

Keep local journalism alive by supporting The Current. Become a Current Insider member today and help bring local stories to life.

Traffic & Weather

🌤 Local forecast: Langley | Chilliwack | Abbotsford | Hope | Mission

🚘 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google, and find DriveBC’s latest updates.

🛣 Click here for links to road cameras across the Fraser Valley, including those for the Coquihalla, Highway 7, Hope-Princeton, Fraser Canyon, and Highway 1 in Langley and Abbotsford.

News & Features

Delta smart-farming project and new training programs aim to strengthen BC food security

A new smart-farming initiative in Delta and two training programs at Fraser Valley universities are working to strengthen British Columbia's food security through advanced technology and climate-resilient growing methods.

Delta-based Windset Farms is developing a smart-farming system that uses sensors to monitor plant stress and automate greenhouse management decisions. The project, supported by the BC Centre for Agritech Innovation (BCCAI), uses advanced data analytics and machine learning to optimize climate control, nutrient uptake, and early disease detection in hydroponic tomatoes.

"This partnership helps us develop advanced smart-farming systems that improve real-time greenhouse monitoring, optimize climate and nutrient management, and detect potential plant disease earlier," said Tony Kalf, chief technology officer at Windset Farms. "These innovations allow us to make meaningful impacts through job creation, new business opportunities and by ensuring the security and stability of BC's food supply."

The project emerged from a 2023 agreement between Simon Fraser University and Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands to collaborate on agricultural sustainability challenges. Windset is also partnering with tech companies Koidra and Vivent on the initiative.

Keep reading»

Need to Know

🌳 Chilliwack garden expert Brian Minter recommends treating deciduous trees with lime sulphur and horticultural oil three times between January and March to remove moss and lichen and improve tree health. [Chilliwack Progress]

🏥 Simon Fraser University and the First Nations Health Authority signed a three-year agreement to advance First Nations health and wellness through research, education, and culturally safe medical training. [SFU]

🌍 UFV professor Dr. Edward Akuffo contributed to a Senate report urging Canada to prioritize African trade, noting the continent accounted for just one per cent of Canadian merchandise in 2024 despite strong economic growth. [UFV]

🚇 Pile driving for SkyTrain guideway columns will begin in February along Industrial Avenue east of the Langley Bypass and continue through mid-2027 with intermittent noise and vibrations expected. [Langley Advance Times]

🍲 Mission's Helping Hands group now serves an average of 50 people every Wednesday with hot meals and clothing after starting in 2024, as demand rises from unhoused and low-income residents. [Mission Record]

🏛️ Agassiz historian Bev Kennedy became a member of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals after a rigorous four-month application process recognizing her decades of heritage preservation work. [Agassiz-Harrison Observer]

🚔 Chilliwack RCMP confirmed a police incident near Landing Drive on Monday resulted in a hold and secure at McCammon Elementary, calling it a contained situation between known parties. [Fraser Valley Today]

🛣️ Highways 1, 3, and the 3/5 split near Hope will be fully closed Tuesday through Thursday for emergency paving repairs with detours through Hope as crews complete flood-damage work. [Fraser Valley Today]

🌦️ Abbotsford is inviting residents to complete an online survey until February 8 sharing experiences with extreme weather as part of developing a Climate Resilience Strategy. [City of Abbotsford]

Enjoying our newsletter? Help us make it even better!

Become an Insider member and help keep local journalism and storytelling alive in the Fraser Valley.

🗓 Things to do

ART33: Teachers as Artists: SD33 secondary art teachers showcase diverse work in various mediums at Chilliwack Cultural Centre from January 21 to February 21, with a free opening reception on Saturday, January 25 at Odlum Brown Art Gallery.

Skate-Tec Western Elite Circuit: Watch high-performance speed skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union and Speed Skating Canada on Saturday, January 24 and Sunday, January 25 at Abbotsford Recreation Centre.

SD42 Trades Showcase: High school students and parents can explore careers in the skilled trades on Thursday, January 29 at Thomas Haney Secondary in Maple Ridge with more than 40 industries, post-secondary institutions, and union representatives, with registration required.

Have an event to tell us about? Fill out this form to have it highlighted here.

Community journalism needs the entire community for it to succeed.

Become a Current member today and join 1,400+ other local supporters who help keep our lights on.

As part of a membership, you get our special weekend roundup of all the things you might’ve missed each week!

Catch up

That’s it!

Thanks for reading Fraser Valley Current today ♥️ 

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to another local.

Help share The Current

Wouldn’t the Fraser Valley be better if more people had access to local, quality news – and didn’t have to rely on social media? Share The Current with your friends and help us build better communities.