2022 June Agriculture Bus Tour - Alternatives to Achieving Food Security with Agricultural Technology

Find out what makes Abbotsford the agricultural hub of Canada!  Abbotsford farms and agri-business generate $3.83 billion in economic activity for our city and support 23% of all jobs in Abbotsford.

In the morning, guests will meet at Sevenoaks Shopping Centre where they will be treated to coffee & scones from Hugs in a Mug Coffee Bistro. From there, we will load onto the buses and visit all the stops on the tour, enjoying snacks, lunch, and networking along the way.

This year's theme will be the "Alternatives to Achieving Food Security with Agricultural Technology" with stops on the tour focusing on the agri-tech industry.

Guest Speaker:


MLA Pam Alexis
Abbotsford-Mission

Pam Alexis was elected the MLA for Abbotsford-Mission in 2020. She is a member of the Cabinet Committee on Economy.

She began her career in public service in 2005 serving as a School Trustee until 2011. She served as a Mission City Councillor from 2014-18 before holding the office of Mayor from 2018-20. 

From 2014-20 she sat on the Joint Shared Services Committee, and the Fraser Valley Regional District executive committee. She worked closely with the city of Abbotsford on shared issues including water, sewer and transit and gained a greater understanding of the issues facing Abbotsford and residents east of Mission. 

Prior to politics, she served with many boards and non-profits, including the Mission Chamber of Commerce (Vice-President), the Rotary Club of Mission Midday, and the Sunshine Rotary Club, where she also served as President and earned four Paul Harris Fellowships. From 2012-2015 she was the Vice-President for the BC Winter Games.

Stops On The Tour:


EcoDairy
Explore behind the scenes on the farm and gain a better understanding of how they use technology to improve animal care and reduce their environmental footprint. Featuring the automated calf rail system, the Hydrogreen where they grow wheatgrass indoors daily for their farm animals, the anaerobic digestor system that converts poop to power, and more!


Perpetual Vegetable Co.
Their father immigrated to Canada in 1978 with little more than a dream of continuing the family tradition of farming. He started as a farm worker in BC's Lower Mainland and, after many years of tireless work, was able to purchase five acres of his own land and began growing raspberries. Over time, he added land and diversified into greenhouse-grown seedless cucumber and peppers.
Today, their entire family grows a variety of fresh produce (year-round) under the Perpetual Vegetable Co. label. Their greenhouse operation is over 75 acres, with more production on the way.


Van Belle Nursery
Van Belle Nursery Inc is a family-owned wholesale-only nursery growing in Abbotsford since 1973. Their Finished Plants business supplies plants to merchants in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest with shrubs, perennials, annuals and indoor plants. The YoungPlants business supplies starter shrubs to nurseries all over North America. Van Belle Nursery is also very excited to promote their fast-growing plant brand, Bloomin' Easy. You can find plants in blue pots with this brand all over the country. These plants represent the best genetics for people who are worried about making a mistake with their plant. You'll also see plenty of innovative production practices at the nursery.


Farmers' Fresh Mushrooms
Located in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, they are one of the largest mushroom producers in the Pacific North West and Western Canada. Farmers' Fresh farms is owned by Tan Truong and his wife Hue Huynh both hands-on mushroom growers. Until recently they brought in the only son Tim to be President and take over the day to day operations. The Truong family believes in the highest safety standards in all stages of the growing cycle and production.