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
Drew Bondar What is On-Farm Demonstration Research? Trialing something new on the farm can feel daunting. Farmers face numerous demands each day, and improving an existing system takes time and resources, and carries potential risks. On-farm demonstration research is a practical tool that allows farmers to evaluate a new practice, product, or technology in a… Keep Reading
How the Rovabarn is Changing the Game Julia Smith Agri-tech gets a lot of airtime these days, but it often seems irrelevant to smaller-scale, organic producers. We picture robotic milking barns, precision spraying drones, and complex greenhouse operations—technologies typically designed for large conventional farms. The scale and investment required for many of these innovations put… 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
Matt Treble From extreme weather events to international tariffs, the last few years have shown that there are plenty of things that fall outside of an agricultural producer’s control that can cause stress, burnout, or other impacts to mental wellness. In addition, mental health is perceived as highly stigmatized in society, meaning that people who… Keep Reading
Fionna Tough As farmers wrap up their seasons by finishing fall harvests, attending the last outdoor markets, and delivering the last fall Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes, salad greens remain an important, cold-hardy crop. For many, the early morning harvest and careful packing of tender greens continues right into the winter months. Meanwhile, farmers who… Keep Reading
Small-Scale Growing Big Ailsa McFadyen-Mungall “We have to be a little more particular about our growing. We’re trying to get a lot of food off a small space,” says Shawn Dirksen, owner and operator of Northstar Organics. But “a little more particular” does not do Northstar justice. Farming on a 10-acre plot on the Saanich… 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
Tristan Banwell What is a regenerative farm? Perhaps it is easiest to contrast the opposite—a degenerative farm; agricultural practices that degrade the land. As we travel around our own province, we can see many farms where the farmer has taken too much without giving anything back. We commonly see farming methods where the whole focus… 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
