Those raising livestock in the Cariboo had a chance to take in some informational sessions on March 16 in Williams Lake.
Cariboo Meat Up: Strengthening Local Food Systems and Climate Resilience took place at the Thompson Rivers University on the Saturday.
The event included information on new approaches to rotational grazing, emergency preparedness, climate resilience and more.
There were information booths set up by the Central Cariboo Food Hub project, Invasive Species Council of B.C., Grainger Fencing, the BC Forage Council, the Ministry of Agriculture and more. More than 80 registrants were signed up to take part in the day’s informational presentations on agriculture-related topics.
One presentation from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Brent D. Smith, detailed how changes to laws now allow on-farm slaughter and how these changes are now being implemented.
Smith explained the difference between Farmgate and Farmgate Plus licenses for producers and discussed some of the steps involved for producers in getting inspected to obtain licensing.
The initial step for farmers is to consult with their regional district to see what is allowed with their current zoning.
Contacting the Ministry of Environment and completing water testing if not on city water are also some of the steps normally required in the process.
“You cannot do a safe slaughter if water is contaminated,” said Smith, who then outlined the application process.
“It’s a simple process but it takes time,” he said, noting after going through the entire process, once a site is ready for slaughter, and therefore for inspection, a license can be issued fairly quickly, usually within about five days.
The presentation also clarified how a mobile abattoir would work with these types of licensing and how this would change the producer’s procedures related to their application. He noted it can simplify things for the livestock producer and can make for higher quality in what is produced.
“They get better at it, they get more consistent at it and they turn out a better product,” said Smith of the mobile abattoir for small scale producers.
Smith finished up with some discussion of illegal slaughter and the impacts this can have on human, flock and herd safety.
“It’s a significant issue,” he said, recounting some operations their investigations had uncovered.
He said illegal slaughter takes place province-wide and involves all species, describing some multi-jurisdictional operations to shut large operations down. He asked people to report illegal slaughter to Agriservice B.C. at 1-800-221-7141 or AgriServiceBC@gov.bc.ca.
“We will investigate it,” he said, noting they dealt with 41 illegal operations last year.
READ MORE: Central Cariboo Community Food Hub engages on local future of food security
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