Excerpts from The Future of Our Food System: Report on the Southwest BC Bioregion Food System Design Project by the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU). Reprinted with thanks to Kent Mullinix and the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture at KPU Foreword to The Future of Our Food System William Rees Society is… Keep Reading
B.C. Eco Seed Co-operative Meagan Curtis For some, bioregionalism may seem like a practical concept useful for creating ecological dividing lines between regions, but the concept’s meaning extends into social, cultural, and economic realms. One of the foremost ecotheologians of the 20th century saw bioregionalism as critical for the next era of human life on… Keep Reading
Or: How to Never Have to Chase Sheep in Circles Around a Paddock Ever Again! Sara Sutherland Many people believe that sheep are stupid. Even people who have never worked with sheep tend to think that sheep are stupid. Broadly speaking, there are two categories of things that sheep do that make people think they… 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
