Tag Archives: climate change

Soil Testing: How to Interpret Results and Calculate Fertilizer Needs

Posted by Andrew Adams on February 23, 2023

One fundamental piece of agriculture is the soil. Soil, being composed of billions of organisms with their complex relationships and nutrient exchanges. It can be a bit overwhelming to understand it all and nor do I claim to. At a minimum, basic understanding of some of the relationships and nutrient exchanges is however, a critical piece in any agricultural endeavor. Wondering how to achieve optimal soil health? Read on to learn more about how to sample, test, and interpret soil tests for your farm. If the law of conservation of mass and energy holds to be true, then we can … Continue reading Soil Testing: How to Interpret Results and Calculate Fertilizer Needs →

Could have should have would have: Three things farmers wish they would have known when they started.

Posted by Andrew Adams on February 10, 2023

Could have should have would have Hindsight is always 20:20 right? You never know what you should know until you’ve crossed the river of learning and experience. Most of us learn by trial and error and in fact it’s often one of the best teachers as you learn both sides of the coin. When we began farming in 2010 and then started our own farm in 2011, I was 27. I had grown up in rural Kansas with a family hobby farm, a BSc in Agricultural Sciences, and worked as a forest ecologist. With my experience and education I thought … Continue reading Could have should have would have: Three things farmers wish they would have known when they started. →

Employees wanted: Hiring that special 1.3% of the population

Posted by Andrew Adams on January 26, 2023

It’s the deep of winter and many of us farmers are finalizing crop plans. We’re also looking at our labour needs on our farm for the season, so I thought I would share thoughts and tips for addressing your labour needs on your farm. We’ve yet to enter the age of the Jetsons, though we are getting closer every day. Until the day comes when automation and robots do most physical labour, the human power component of a farm is integral to its success. I’d rather see the human component in agriculture continue and only become better in terms of … Continue reading Employees wanted: Hiring that special 1.3% of the population →

Aiming for the stars within: Setting goals and benchmarks on the farm

Posted by Andrew Adams on January 18, 2023

Creating a trajectory for achieving a personal/farm business goal feels like what I imagine Mario feels like when he attains a “star” in the OG Mario Brothers game for Nintendo. You are bright, flashing with energy and moving quickly while avoiding obstacles and tactically knocking over Koopa troopas and Goombas (risk) in pursuit of your raised flag pole. It’s exhilarating. As we begin a new turn around the sun, many folks have set their new year resolutions – and if you are a farmer, you have likely analyzed last year’s data and begun crop planning for the upcoming season. Creating … Continue reading Aiming for the stars within: Setting goals and benchmarks on the farm →

Below the snow: What plants can tell us when we can’t see the soil

Posted by Andrew Adams on December 16, 2022

Sitting there at your computer desk, easy chair or couch, dreaming of starting your own farm in the depths of winter? Let me share some tips and tricks, which you can use when you find that dream property covered in snow and want to know what’s below. Sometimes winter is the only time of the year when there is time to go exploring land. When you live in a region that has snow for six months or longer, you can’t let the snow keep you from walking over potential properties for your farming adventure less they get gobbled up before … Continue reading Below the snow: What plants can tell us when we can’t see the soil →

The Future Of Food In Canada: The role of young agricultural producers as environmental stewards

Posted by Michalina Hunter on February 23, 2021

We are thrilled to share The Future of Food in Canada: The Role of Young Agricultural Producers as Environmental Stewards. During the 3% Project, we heard from numerous agricultural producers across the country. They shared the same story repeatedly: they felt forgotten by Ottawa and misunderstood by the metropolitans, villainized as climate destroyers when in reality they take pride in being stewards of the land. The aim of this report is to share the viewpoints of environmentally focused producers and the exciting opportunities that are possible for climate mitigation in agriculture. The Agriculture and Agri-Food Standing Committee had tabled a motion … Continue reading The Future Of Food In Canada: The role of young agricultural producers as environmental stewards →

OCT 28 – NOV 28: ONLINE – National Farmers Union Convention

Posted by Dana Penrice on November 02, 2020

About the National Farmers Union Convention 2020 What a year 2020 has been! Throughout, the National Farmers Union has continued to work diligently on behalf of family and cooperative farmers and progressive eaters and thinkers across Canada. calling for measures to support family and cooperative farms fighting for farmers and farmers markets to be recognized as essential services highlighting the importance of localized food systems speaking for the health of all workers in the food system including farmers, migrant workers, inspectors and processors In addition, the NFU has created a Vision of a post-COVID Food System that we look forward … Continue reading OCT 28 – NOV 28: ONLINE – National Farmers Union Convention →

Farmer Podcast Club- To Fight Climate Change, Bank on Soil

Posted by Lilli Klamke on March 17, 2020

Enjoy listening to your weekly Farmer Podcast Club episode. To Fight Climate Change, Bank on Soil- Gastropod Released Feb 25, 2020 Our glaciers are melting, our forests are on fire, our harvests are increasingly decimated by either floods and drought. We are in a climate emergency that threatens our very survival, and it is, frankly, incredibly depressing. But this episode,… Listen to the full episode: https://overcast.fm/+DdtqEGLMs Subscribe to Gastropod on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/gastropod/id918896288 Share This With a Farming Friend Know some farmers who might like this podcast? Invite them to sign up by sharing this link: http://eepurl.com/dtEnmr Or scroll down … Continue reading Farmer Podcast Club- To Fight Climate Change, Bank on Soil →

FEB 23-29, 2020: SOUTHERN BC – Tackling the Farm Crisis & the Climate Crisis Events

Posted by Michalina Hunter on February 13, 2020 4 Comments

EVENT SERIES: Tackling the Farm Crisis & the Climate Crisis National Farmers Union Youth President Stuart Oke, will explore the connections between the farm income crisis and the climate crisis and ways farmers can increase revenues and help to mitigate the effects of climate change. In December the National Farmers Union (NFU) release a report called Tackling the Farm Crisis and the Climate Crisis: A Transformative Strategy for Canadian Farmers and Food Systems. Key conclusions include: The climate crisis is a threat to Canadian farms, but also an opportunity to re-orient our farms to become more integrated, life-sustaining and community-sustaining. The … Continue reading FEB 23-29, 2020: SOUTHERN BC – Tackling the Farm Crisis & the Climate Crisis Events →

REPORT RECAP: Kootenay & Boundary Regional Adaptation Strategies

Posted by Hailey Troock on August 09, 2019

This post provides a summary of some key points taken directly from the 64-page Regional Adaptation Strategies: Kootenay & Boundary report, published July 2019. Questions about this project and report can be sent to emily@bcagclimateaction.ca. If you have questions about Kootenay and Boundary programming and support for your farm’s adaptation strategy or Environmental Farm Plan, contact coordinator@kbfa.ca. The full report can be accessed online here. Background The Kootenay & Boundary Adaptation Strategies plan was initiated by the BC Agriculture & Food Climate Action Initiative to address priorities identified through both the 2012 Climate Change Risk & Opportunity Assessment and the … Continue reading REPORT RECAP: Kootenay & Boundary Regional Adaptation Strategies →