The excitement is building for Tuesday, Feb. 5, when families throughout British Columbia will share a meal and celebrate Lunar New Year.

As the Year of the Dog comes to an end and the Year of the Pig begins, British Columbians are encouraged to Buy BC as part of their celebrations and support the province’s agriculture sector.

“I wish all those celebrating the Lunar New Year a prosperous Year of the Pig,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture. “When exchanging red envelopes and sharing a meal with friends and family, I am hoping British Columbians will also take the opportunity to enjoy B.C. agriculture products as part of their festivities.”

Vancouver-based Fisherman’s Wharf Dim Sum is looking to increase its business in frozen-food aisles with its innovative products combined with an authentic local taste. When making dim sum, the company uses local pork, beef and vegetables. The finishing touch is a handmade flour wrapper.  

Do you want to cook at home like a pro? Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry promotes B.C.-grown poultry products as key ingredients so consumers, with a focus on millennials, can learn how to cook poultry from a professional chef. The family-owned business has worked with local chefs to create online content to #cookpoultrylikeapro and is running a contest until the end of February. The Chilliwack-based company is a grower and processor of B.C. poultry for several niche markets, including: Loong Kong (Taiwan) chickens, silkie chickens, organic chickens, squabs, Pekin ducks, Muscovy ducks, geese and turkeys.

Fisherman’s Wharf Dim Sum and Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry are receiving support from the Buy BC Partnership program, which provides $2 million in cost-shared funding per year, over the next three years, for B.C. businesses that market their products to a domestic audience.

The Buy BC Partnership program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C. (IAFBC). Fisherman’s Wharf Dim Sum will receive up to $33,835 and Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry will receive up to $45,000 in funding to help with their marketing efforts, including using the Buy BC logo on their products or promotional materials. 

Quotes:

Hairong Xue, owner, Fisherman’s Wharf Dim Sum –

“When making our dim sum, we use local food ingredients as much as possible as it is safe, reliable, clean, nutritious, tasty and traceable. Thanks to the funding, we will have new packaging with the Buy BC logo, and our valued customers will know our quality products are from a local B.C. business.”

Joe Falk, general manager, Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry –

“Buy BC funding was instrumental in strengthening our brand through the development of a highly professional digital marketing campaign, which included the production of a series of cooking videos featuring chefs, such as chef David Hawskworth and chef Trevor Bird.”

Learn More:

Buy BC: https://buybc.gov.bc.ca/

Fisherman’s Wharf Dim Sum: http://vancouverdimsum.com/en/

Fraser Valley Speciality Poultry: https://www.fvsp.ca/

IAFBC: http://iafbc.ca/buy-bc/cost-shared-funding/