Legalizing “Low-Level Presence” of Unapproved GMOs Lucy Sharratt Contamination from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is a problem for some crop types. For example, most organic grain farmers in the Prairies stopped growing canola after GM contamination of seed became widespread, and Canada’s flax industry is still recovering from GM contamination that closed export markets. Rather… Keep Reading
Bioregionalism: Resilience in a Changing Climate Moss Dance One thing that struck me about this year’s annual COABC conference was the high level of engagement and the cohesiveness of the organic community. This year’s theme was “Bioregionalism: Resilience in a Changing Climate,” and the organic farmers and friends who showed up to learn, share, and… Keep Reading
Seeds of Resilience for Thriving Bioregionalism Marjorie Harris BSc, IOIA V.O. P.Ag Bioregionalism is a philosophical concept that promotes the harmonization of human culture and activities with those of the environmental bioregion they reside in. There is also an emphasis on local food production for local markets, including indigenous plants and animals. The organic community… Keep Reading
Emma Holmes, Organics Specialist, BC Ministry of Agriculture Studies examining soil microbes are showing huge potential to improve growing practices. A number of soil microorganisms have abilities to increase soil fertility, aid in nutrient and water uptake by the root system, and protect crops against pests and disease. Soil Bio-fertilizers If you grow legumes, you… Keep Reading
Regenerative Ranchers Michelle Tsutsumi and Tristan Banwell Tristan and Aubyn Banwell, managers of Spray Creek Ranch, have shared quite the journey. They met in high school band class in Northern California, spent their university years as urban vegans and then homesteaded off-grid for five years before moving to the juxtaposed landscape of Northern St’at’imc Territory… Keep Reading
Feature photo: No loose hair in a food processing environment unless it’s a photo shoot! Rebecca Kneen at Crannog Ales Rebecca Kneen Cleanup. We do it every day, in our homes and on our farms and in our food processing. For some of us, cleaning and sanitizing takes up more time than actually making or growing.… Keep Reading
A Culture of Caring For Our Children’s Children Marjorie Harris BSc, IOIA V.O. P.Ag This past year offered me a renewed and greater depth of understanding for the foundations of organic agriculture that are steeped in a culture of caring and concern for how the long term ramifications of today’s actions will affect tomorrow’s world.… Keep Reading
Family + Change = Succession Planning Basics Karen Fenske For the ten years I have been involved in BC agriculture I have watched a generation of owners and parents run successful operations. Now that they are considering retirement, forced or by choice, and the next generation is looking to secure equity, to own something, change… Keep Reading
Charles Z Levkoe and Michael Ekers Originally published by Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario in “Ecological Farming in Ontario”. This is part 4 of a 4 part series on research into unpaid farm labour. While the research was conducted with farms in Ontario, much of the findings likely carry over to BC. In 2017, the… Keep Reading
Uniting Community, Spurring Plans for Action Shauna MacKinnon The BC Seed Gathering is not your typical conference. The foundation of the event is a deep commitment to responding to community needs and providing a place for experienced and new seed growers to come together to learn, network and strategize together. The Gatherings are a connection… Keep Reading
