Blog Category: News

How to Build a Farmers Institute: South Island Farmers Come Together

Posted by Kat Roger on January 19, 2024

Formally established just this fall, the South Island Farmers’ Institute (SIFI) represents the efforts of founding members Katie Underwood, Shellie MacDonald, Robin Tunnicliffe, Sol Kinnis, Derek Powell and Christine Fuller, in addition to South Island agrologist Megan Halstead and a whole host of passionate farmers and farmer-allies across the Island. Young Agrarians is thrilled to see a new Farmers’ Institute emerge for the island as a way for farmers to connect with each other and support agriculture in their regions. In September of 2023, we got on the phone with SIFI founder, Katie Underwood of Peas n’ Carrots Farm, to learn … Continue reading How to Build a Farmers Institute: South Island Farmers Come Together →

Dec 2-3, 2023: Saskatoon, SK – Prairies Mixer

Posted by Lourdes Still on October 05, 2023 2 Comments

The first-ever Prairies Mixer is happening on Dec 2-3, 2023 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Calling all regenerative farmers, food growers, local food enthusiasts, and mixed-grass prairie advocates Join us for a weekend of community building, knowledge sharing, and storytelling! This year’s theme is “Rooted, Grow Deep”, an ode to what remains of the mixed-grass prairie on the land we are farming on. This is an invitation to rediscover how vast and varied the grasslands used to be and find our individual connection to it in order to practice better stewardship and advocate for its conservation. In the spirit of YA Mixers, this … Continue reading Dec 2-3, 2023: Saskatoon, SK – Prairies Mixer →

New Insurance Options Available for Small-Scale Meat Producers & Processors in BC

Posted by JoHana Harcourt on April 20, 2023

Having a hard time accessing insurance as a small-scale meat producer/processor in BC? You’re not alone! Access to insurance was listed as one of the top challenges for producers in the Small-Scale Meat Producers Industry Survey Report, published in 2022, which found that rates for insurable farms were often so high as to render them uninsurable for all intents and purposes. Frequently, insurance was not available at all, particularly for on-farm slaughter. BACKGROUND Changes to meat processing regulation in October 2021 brought new opportunities for farmers and ranchers to slaughter their animals on-farm. The Farmgate and Farmgate Plus licence program … Continue reading New Insurance Options Available for Small-Scale Meat Producers & Processors in BC →

From Seed to Sale: Four Years of Land Matching in the Kootenays

Posted by Hailey Troock on December 19, 2022

Young Agrarians (YA) is a farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic and regenerative farmers in Canada. With the average age of farmers in B.C. being 56, higher than the national average, and the province losing 1,687 farms between 2016 and 2021, a loss of 10%, the programs YA offers seek to support those wanting to farm and already farming. In B.C., YA offers on and off-farm educational events, business mentorships, and land access programming through the B.C. Land Matching Program (BCLMP). “The B.C. Land Matching Program has made our entire farming enterprise possible. Between matching us … Continue reading From Seed to Sale: Four Years of Land Matching in the Kootenays →

How to Make a Boot Dip to Prevent Infectious Diseases in Livestock

Posted by Michalina Hunter on May 18, 2022

Boot dips can reduce the spread of infectious diseases among farm livestock. Avian Influenza, for example, can be transmitted from bird to bird by feces, dust, and dander. Humans can facilitate the spread of the virus by unintentionally tracking these materials from farm to farm on their shoes. A boot dip is a disinfectant foot bath used to kill disease-causing organisms on footwear, used to prevent the spread of livestock diseases. A boot dip may be a good idea for you and your staff to use before you enter your brooder or chicken coop as a way to prevent diseases … Continue reading How to Make a Boot Dip to Prevent Infectious Diseases in Livestock →