Michelle Tsutsumi, Conference Coordinator Legacy, Inspiration, Rejuvenation This year’s conference was filled with anticipation about our illustrious keynote speaker and the many engaging session topics. There were also undertones of sadness, both from the ongoing ripples from losing Mary Forstbauer in the fall and the more recent passing of Cathleen Kneen—two tenacious and spirited women… Keep Reading
Marjorie Harris, Glorious Organics, Merville Organic Growers’ Co-operative, Glen Valley Organic Farm Co-operative, and Growing Opportunities Farm Community Co-op No two co-ops are alike—though they often bring together a blend of smart business sense and idealism that lends itself to success, both in the market and in the community. That’s why, for this edition of… Keep Reading
Chris Bodnar If you tell most people that they can succeed in business by cooperating rather than competing, they might laugh you out of the room. Competition is, after all, the basis of our market system. Co-operatives, however, operate within a competitive marketplace, but are based on values and practices of cooperation. And co-operatives have a… Keep Reading
Caitlin Dorward, Caroline Chiu & Kent Mullinix (Institute for Sustainable Food Systems, Kwantlen Polytechnic University) and Clayton Botkin (BC Ministry of Agriculture) BC’s Fraser Valley is recognized as a major centre for commercial and supply-managed poultry production including layers, broilers, and turkeys. Also prevalent in this area is a small-scale poultry sector; the BC Ministry… Keep Reading
Susan Smith P. Ag., Ministry of Agriculture Solanaceous crops such as potatoes and tomatoes are hosts to late blight, the most destructive disease of potatoes in British Columbia. The pathogen causing late blight, Phytophthora infestans, thrives and produces spores under humid or moist environmental conditions. It causes infection only when free water is present on… Keep Reading
Corine Singfield A Perspective on Pigs and Chickens I could not imagine farming without the help of animals again. As a young urban farming city slicker, I longed to homestead somewhere in the woods far away. I moved to the Great Bear Rainforest to start a new farm. We had no money to buy a… Keep Reading
Marjorie Harris Finding the Roots of Recovery on an Urban Farm Gardengate is a completely unique gem in the world of organic farming and in the broader social community as well. Despite the North Kamloops-based program’s role as a client-centered community service first, and organic farm second, Gardengate’s organic farm boasts an annual harvest of… Keep Reading
Legacy of an Organic Leader This September, as the summer season started to wind down, the COABC video project team had the honour of spending a few hours with Mary Forstbauer on her farm, interviewing her about her life on the land, and her vision for future generations of farmers. As always, Mary was enthusiastic,… Keep Reading
Rochelle Eisen By now, hopefully, everyone has poured through the 2015 version of the Canadian Organic Standards. I hope that everyone has noted the changes most relevant to their operations. Ideally, you have either attended a webinar, or made plans to go to a COABC conference workshop or COG webinar regarding the changes. Or, maybe… Keep Reading
Carolyn Mann Canada’s First Certified Organic Urban Farm Our farm is measured in feet, not fields, and our next door neighbour is a bottle return depot. Our crop rotations are counted in days rather than months, and we rely on a fleet of bicycles to get around the city. Our farm is small, but our… Keep Reading
