Provincial nursery specialist appointed

It’s been four years since the retirement of the province’s long-time greenhouse and nursery specialist Dave Woodske.

Woodske retired in early 2020, just as COVID was about to shut down life as we knew it. Now, with a new normal in place, Karina Sakalauskas has been appointed as provincial ornamental greenhouse and nursery specialist.

Woodske’s role was initially combined in summer 2021 with that of provincial field vegetable specialist Susan Smith.

Smith saw her role as that of a liaison with the sector, something protected crops needed as much as field crops, especially when dealing with trade issues and regulatory issues.

However, the needs and challenges of field crops and contained agriculture systems are different, and the ministry continued to hear from the industry about the need for an industry specialist following her appointment.

Sakalauskas is a solid pick for the role. She joined the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food in 2017 as acting berry specialist. She also worked as provincial hazelnut specialist, and served briefly as interim organic sector specialist.

Perhaps most significant to her current role, Sakalauskas ran her own greenhouse in Argentina prior to emigrating to Canada and is familiar with the sector’s needs.

Originally from Argentina, Sakalauskas attended the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata where she completed her MSc in Agronomic Engineering.