20th Pacific Agriculture Show (January 25 - 27, 2018), Tradex Exhibition Centre in Abbotsford, BC
FloraMaxx had the opportunity this year to participate in the Pacific Agriculture Show held in Abbotsford, British Columbia. This show has been running for two decades and is attended by thousands of farmers, growers, producers and manufacturers. Over 250 businesses and associations stationed booths showcasing their innovations in the agricultural sector.
The BC Haskap Association (BCHA, www.bchaskapassoction.com), of which FloraMaxx is a member, displayed at their table the full farm-to-table process of this new berry crop known as haskap. Jams and compotes were offered to passers-by to give them a taste of something the majority had never experienced before. Wine, liqueur and chocolates were displayed as examples of the potential for the variety of products that haskap could be made into to enjoy all year round even when the fresh fruit and juice is seasonally unavailable.
Being the propagators, we presented information on how the starter plant cultures are grown and endorsed the benefits of plant tissue culture micropropagation technology as a novel method for producing genetically uniform and disease free plants. As examples, a culture of haskap growing on agar gelled nutrient medium and the haskap starter plugs were brought from our lab and greenhouse. Summarized results of our recent two-year field research project were shared and discussed, as well as the great potential that haskap has to offer the BC fruit industry. The full project report can be found our website’s blog.
The BCHA is a not-for-profit organization formed in 2016 with the goal of establishing and promoting the BC haskap industry through research, outreach, and grower education. BCHA encourages the sharing of information between BC haskap growers to foster interest and pride in haskap cultivation. It also assists members in finding processing and marketing opportunities. BCHA is committed to furthering haskap research in the province of BC and supports the University of Saskatchewan cold fruit program and has liaison with the Haskap Canada Association.
The event was a great success by having had a big turnout of people who were keen to learn about this exciting new crop.