Canadian Organic Trade Association’s 11th Annual Organic Week Karen Squires Canada’s National Organic Week is the largest annual celebration of organic food, farming, and products across the country, and this year marks the 11th anniversary! The celebration is a collaboration between the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) and its members and partners to grow awareness of… Keep Reading
Corinne Impey Tucked into the wilderness of the Fraser River Canyon, water flows from a glacial-fed creek on Ashala Daniel’s off-grid five-acre organic farm, Solstedt Organics. Living with a palpable link to the land, Ashala applies low-energy practices and sustainable farming techniques that minimize the dependence on machinery in the garden. She has fruit trees… Keep Reading
Anna Helmer We have no cattle on the farm this year. This is not an ideal situation for a biodynamic farmer. Rudolph Steiner’s lectures are specifically reverent about the bovine influence. Very simply, their manure is important, and their manner is to be admired. We never set up as ranchers, but the two cows were… Keep Reading
The Lasser Legacy: Raising Healthy, Nutritious, Environmentally-Friendly Cattle Jolene Swain [Editor’s note: It is with hearts full of gratitude and sadness that we share this Organic Story, first published in our Summer 2020 issue and then republished in our Winter 2024 issue. Charlie Lasser passed away Saturday, December 9, 2023, at the age of 92… Keep Reading
New Organic Farmers on Leased Land Tessa Wetherill Spring on an organic produce farm looks like baby greens, tiny radishes, overflowing seedling greenhouses, and freshly turned soil. Everything feels precious and new and brimming with possibility. Touring around Loveland Acres in Salmon Arm with farmers Robin and Maylene, those feelings were especially palpable and poignant… Keep Reading
Corinne Impey When it comes to growing, organic certification, and supporting local operators, Cara Nunn could be considered an expert. She has also seen many changes over her 20-year career in the organic industry. Cara is the Certification Coordinator for the North Okanagan Organics Association (NOOA) and the Similkameen Okanagan Organic Producers Association (SOOPA). “My… Keep Reading
A Network of Support for BC’s Ag Industry in COVID-19 Karina Sakalauskas I know the past two months have been a challenge to all. I hope your families and workers are staying healthy and safe at your farms. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak and to respect physical distancing measures, Ministry staff are working remotely… Keep Reading
Marc Fawcett-Atkinson With a campervan-sized cabin and two children, a family dinner aboard Joel and Melissa Collier’s fishing boat is a lesson in gymnastics. There’s barely room for a plate—never mind elbows and legs—but the Comox-based family wouldn’t have it otherwise. “Fishermen don’t fish for money,” said Melissa Collier, a swimming scallop, salmon, and prawn… Keep Reading
Wendy Bennett – Executive Director, AgSafe BC It’s fair to say that there isn’t one farmer in British Columbia who has experienced anything like what we are going through right now with the COVID-19 outbreak. The invasive spread of the virus has forced most businesses to suspend or alter operations. In BC, food and agriculture… Keep Reading
Anne Macey Originally published in The Canadian Organic Grower, Spring 2018, and updated by the author in May 2020, with thanks. The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) has established its Principles of Organic Agriculture. Within those, IFOAM includes a Principle of Fairness, which states “Organic agriculture should be built on relationships that ensure… Keep Reading
