ALEX MITCHELL
ABBOTSFORD – The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce is set to host its highly anticipated annual Agriculture Bus Tour on June 14. This year’s event spotlights the remarkable achievements of local agriculture businesses, emphasizing their significant impact on the community. The tour will feature esteemed guest speaker Honourable Pam Alexis, Minister of Agriculture and Food and MLA for Abbotsford – Mission.
“In a year where drought and climate change are some of the primary issues affecting agriculture producers, the Chamber is featuring agricultural operations that have integrated sustainable practises,” said Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce CEO Alex Mitchell. “The Agriculture Bus Tour serves as a key education and awareness piece for community members and stakeholders to better understand the innovation and resilience of this sector, as well as celebrate its impact to our local economy.”
The tour will begin at Sevenoaks Shopping Centre where guests will board buses to travel to the various destinations. The first stop will be Fraser Valley Gleaners where guests will see food processing for a social purpose. Fraser Valley Gleaners is responsible for rescuing over 2 million pounds of unmarketable and surplus vegetables every year.
From there, attendees will proceed to Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm & Meadery, which provides premium honey wine, honey and beehive products, as well as education to their community, and greater biodiversity in support of a healthy local environment. Next on the tour is Fraser Valley Biogas which collects a variety of wastes, such as dairy manures, food processor wastes, grease trap material (alleviates pressure from local waste water treatment plants) and more. The material generates biogas in an anaerobic environment, which we collect and refine into natural gas.
Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Pam Alexis will address the audience over lunch, sharing her perspectives on the agriculture industry.
The tour will wrap up with a visit to Maan Farms which has a proud tradition of providing high-quality, sustainable local produce to the community of the Lower Mainland as a leader and innovator in their field since 1977.
The event is sponsored by the BC Chicken Marketing Board, Abbotsford Tech District, Fortis BC Energy Inc, Canadian Western Bank, Community Futures South Fraser and the BC Egg Marketing Board with support from Hugs in a Mug Coffee Bistro and Abbotsford Farm and Country Market.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to explore what makes Abbotsford the agricultural hub of Canada. Register here and secure your spot on the Agriculture Bus Tour.
Alex Mitchell is Chief Executive Officer of the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce
