Where Organic Matter Matters Darcy Smith More than 40 years in, Keith Boulter still calls his farm a “work in progress.” Sweet Haven Farm was born from a deep respect for the land and the soil, and that’s one of the few things that hasn’t changed over the years. The grain, hay, and forage farm… Keep Reading
Anna Helmer We’ve had some cow horns stuffed with manure buried at the foot of the garden since Christmas. We dug them up in May to check, but the manure was still pretty sloppy. I expect they are now ready and I intend to dig them up and prepare some BD-500. I am doing that… Keep Reading
Anna Helmer Gosh, I am having enormous trouble focussing my brain on writing. There are any number of reasons why this is so, but basically, I haven’t made time to get to my computer and once there, commence writing. I get to the machine all right, but my attention is quickly pulled into other areas… Keep Reading
Stacey Santos Drought, heatwaves, wildfires, and other climate-related challenges are taking a heavy toll on farmers in BC, including at Blue Sky Ranch in the Nicola Valley. There, farmer Julia Smith is working hard to keep a healthy pasture in the face of climate change by following the principles of rotational grazing: having the right… Keep Reading
Finding Laughter, Balance, and Community On The Farm Kat Roger Nestled in the Okanagan Valley, Lorna and Chris Church operate Grassy Gnome Acres on 65 acres of farmland in Coldstream, BC. At the start, Lorna and Chris never intended to become full-time farmers. In 2008, they were looking for a manageable five acres of forested… Keep Reading
Jessica Chiartas The Organic Science Cluster 4 (OSC4) is a national initiative aimed at advancing organic agriculture and enhancing the sustainability of Canadian agriculture through cutting-edge research and innovation. Funded by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada’s AgriScience Program and contributions from over 80 funding partners, OSC4 leverages public-private partnership to drive collaboration amongst researchers (10 universities… Keep Reading
Eva-Lena Lang In the fall of 2024, I had the privilege of accompanying University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers on a two-week field visit to Germany and India. With a focus on agroecology and organic practices, we built relationships with research partners, community organizations, farmers, and farmer communities and gained insights into how farmers can… Keep Reading
The Miracle Place Darcy Smith From one Kalala to another, Karnail Sidhu crossed continents and decades to bring Kalala Organic Estate Winery to life. The winery’s name honours the village in Punjab, India, where he was born. Kalala means “miracle place,” says Karnail. “My birthplace has a little legend about how it got its name.… Keep Reading
Anna Helmer The sunny weather is persisting, but the shortening days are denying the heat a chance to build beyond a most pleasant warmth. Even the drought, which is also persisting, has its work cut out for it now that the morning dew is so heavy. We are gunning hard to get through these last… Keep Reading
International Collaboration Towards Climate Resilience Valerie Zimmermann The Agroecological Transitions for Climate Resilience in British Columbia (BC) research project is working to support BC farmers and the BC farming industry to improve resilience to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather. Climate resilience in farming involves not only producing food for the province, but… Keep Reading
