Andrew Bennett How resilient is your farm to the boom and bust of water extremes, and how can you improve? For many, the first thought is better irrigation equipment. The main reason farms call me is for water plans to get funding for upgrades. You know the problems: patchworks of old mismatched nozzles, pipes that… Keep Reading
Valerie Maida Conservation and agriculture can sometimes seem to be at odds. Conservation can be seen as trying to prevent development and control activities on farms, while agricultural development of natural areas for new farms can destroy habitats, leading to frustrations on both sides. However, farmers are naturally caretakers of the land, managing the soils… Keep Reading
By Brynn Hughes The Glen Valley Organic Farm in Abbotsford, run by the Glen Valley Organic Farm Co-operative (GVOFC), sits on 50 acres of prime agriculture land. The Co-op purchased the organic farm in 1998, and today it hosts two organic vegetable businesses across twelve acres, twenty-two acres of peat bog pasture, and eight acres… Keep Reading
By Darcy Smith When Bill Balakshin’s grandparents planted their first (and only) crop of potatoes in 1925 on a parcel of land in Chilliwack, they could not have imagined what lay ahead for the farm. Ninety-eight years and four generations later, New Siberia Farms is a bridge from the past—and to the future. While the… Keep Reading
Andrew Adams Trees, shrubs, and seeds all wait to begin a lifetime or two of photosynthesizing sugars for human and animal consumption and enjoyment. The road where Walter’s backhoe broke in a muck of two summers of nonstop rain is now ditched and has a new layer of gravel. Part of me broke in that… Keep Reading
By Ron Berezan This article was first published by The Canadian Organic Grower magazine in Summer 2011, and is reprinted here with gratitude. “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1746 Turn on the tap and there it is; that shimmering, miraculous substance that flows through our rivers… 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
Julia Zado Tackling climate change is a daunting task. With each season we see drastic weather events affecting farmers across Canada. The food we eat and how it is grown can and does have a significant impact on climate. Farmers are on the frontline of the climate crisis and are in a unique position to… Keep Reading
Fighting Drought through Complex Ecosystems By Emma Holmes Irecently had the pleasure of visiting Covert Farms Family Estate in Oliver, where Gene Covert, a third-generation farmer, gave me a tour of his family’s 650 acre organic farm, vineyard, and winery. Gene’s grandpa George Covert bought the desert-like piece of land back in 1959, and although… Keep Reading
Photos and text by Michael Marrapese In 2018 Fraser Common Farm Co-operative—home of Glorious Organics—undertook a year long on-farm research project to explore how small farms could adapt to climate change. Seeing the changes in seasonal rainfall, climate predictions by Environment Canada, and new ground water regulations from the provincial government, the cooperative could see… Keep Reading
