“Organic Solutions for a Complex World” was the theme as 250 participants from across BC, Canada and the US gathered for the BC Organic Conference in Harrison Hot Springs, November 25-27. Gillian Flies and Brent Preston set the tone for the event with the story of transforming their profitable organic vegetable farm near Creemore, Ontario, …
$15,000 available for Shuswap projects
Shuswap producers will have a chance to tap $15,000 worth of funding for watershed enhancement projects this winter. The latest intake of applications for the five-year-old Water Quality Grant Program administered by the Shuswap Watershed Council (SWC) opened December 1. “The Shuswap watershed is sensitive to large nutrient inputs,” explains SWC program manager Erin Vieira. …
Breathing new life into historic ranches
CACHE CREEK – When the Hat Creek ranch came up for auction in August last year, Matt Pasco, chief of the Nlaka’pamux Nation Tribal Council (NNTC), was ready. Dubbed the “Hat Creek Collection” by online auctioneer CLHBid.com, the opportunity included 74,716 acres of land offered as a single parcel. The sale included 2,387 deeded acres …
Corn helps improve soil but fails grazing test
HEFFLEY CREEK – Growing corn has proven beneficial in regenerating the soil at Devick’s Ranch in Heffley Creek but not in extended grazing. Paul Devick and his son Alex have been experimenting with corn and multiple cover crops for three years as part of the BC Living Lab program to develop best management practices to …
Province lacks reconciliation roadmap: ranchers
The lack of a clear roadmap to reconciliation with the province’s Indigenous peoples jeopardize a number of key issues for agriculture and the province as a whole, say ranchers. “They don’t have a clue where they are going,” says BC Cattlemen’s Association president Werner Stump, who sent a letter to Premier David Eby at the …
Food hub tips to support farmers
“Farmers are busy people,” according to a new guide for food hub operators, which provides tips on how to engage producers and ensure the food hubs that add value to their products are resilient and sustainable. “This is not simply a step-by-step linear planning guide,” says Sarah-Patricia Breen, BC Regional Innovation Chair in Rural Economic …