Tag Archives: Soil

How to Reduce Plastic in Agriculture

Posted by Rachel Spruston on May 02, 2022

Plastic is widely used in agriculture for weed suppression, packaging, seed starting, and more. However, studies show that plastic can disrupt soil health, stunt plant growth, and leach from soils into aquatic environments. Here we dive into the issue of plastic in agriculture, and showcase Canadian farmers who’ve found alternatives. The phrase ‘plastic pollution’ is more likely to bring to mind heartbreaking photos of remote Pacific Ocean beaches littered with plastic or wildlife trapped in six-pack rings than images of earthworms and soil profiles. While marine plastic pollution tends to get the most attention, and for good reason (a recent … Continue reading How to Reduce Plastic in Agriculture →

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 →

Kolby Peterson on farmers at the frontline of the climate crisis

Posted by Alex on December 12, 2019

This year’s National Farmers Union essay competition received a stellar submission from Young Agrarian’s own Kolby Peterson (YA Alberta Program Coordinator). She wrote about what it means to be a farmer during an era of climate change and how we can find hope in regenerative farming and building strong communities. The essay topic was “Farmers are on the frontline of the climate crisis. At this critical juncture when farmers must consider and employ climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, what does farming in a changing climate look like to you?”. Enjoy this burst of inspiration! Hope Beneath Our Feet Kolby Peterson Like … Continue reading Kolby Peterson on farmers at the frontline of the climate crisis →

Farmer Podcast Club: What on earth is earth? A soil scientist tell us…and why we shouldn’t treat it like dirt.

Posted by Lilli Klamke on June 25, 2019

Enjoy listening to your weekly Farmer Podcast Club episode. What on earth is earth? A soil scientist tell us…and why we shouldn’t treat it like dirt.: Down To Earth- The Planet To Plate Podcast Christine Jones is a world-renowned soil scientist and ecologist who helps people transition from industrial to regenerative agriculture practices. Soil is the basis of all terrestrial life, and yet we are not far advanced in our understanding of the countless microbial species in the soil and how they work together. What we are pretty sure about is that it’s not a good idea to kill them. … Continue reading Farmer Podcast Club: What on earth is earth? A soil scientist tell us…and why we shouldn’t treat it like dirt. →

Ecological Workshops for Small-Scale Farmers – Vancouver Summer 2019

Posted by Michalina Hunter on June 25, 2019

Are you a small scale farmer in Metro Vancouver, looking to learn more about ecological farming methods? Check out the following workshops from SPEC coming up this August. Registration is free! Tuesday August 6: Cover Cropping Workshop 1:00 pm at Tsawassen Farm School (4996 28th Avenue, Tsawwasen) If you are a small-scale farmer in Metro Vancouver interested in increasing your knowledge about Cover Cropping Practices, this is the place for you! We are bringing together three experts in this field: Art Bomke is a Professor Emeritus at UBC and has spent decades studying local cover crop varieties; Corine Singfield is a local farmer, … Continue reading Ecological Workshops for Small-Scale Farmers – Vancouver Summer 2019 →

March 28-31, 2019: MONTREAL, QC – Living Soils Symposium

Posted by Michalina Hunter on January 16, 2019

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND THE LIVING SOILS SYMPOSIUM 2019 Written by Maya Sakellaropoulo of Regeneration Canada WHEN: March 28-31, 2019 WHERE: Marché Bonsecours – 350 Saint-Paul Est, Montreal, Quebec REGISTRATION: (early bird tickets go on sale January 17, 2019) livingsoilssymposium.ca/en/attend/ LEARN MORE: livingsoilssymposium.ca/en/ The upcoming Living Soils Symposium taking place in Montreal from March 28-31, 2019 is an engaging and information-packed event focusing on our incredibly crucial and principal ally, soil. Why soil? Soil is the origin of all life and plays a critical role in mitigating climate change by being the largest carbon sink on land. Unfortunately, according to the United Nations (UN), a stunning … Continue reading March 28-31, 2019: MONTREAL, QC – Living Soils Symposium →

Jan 25-26, 2019: SURREY – Regenerative Agriculture & Soil Health Workshop

Posted by Michalina Hunter on December 10, 2018

Intensive 2-day Workshop on Regenerative Agriculture and Soil Health What: An intensive 2-day workshop on Regenerative Agriculture and Soil Health When: January 25 – 26 2019 Where: Surrey, BC This workshop has a limited capacity of 30 participants. What this workshop offers With the workshop’s heavy focus on regenerative agriculture and soil health, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to appropriately engage with their water management systems while promoting plant fertility governed mainly by soil biology. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of: Farm planning and management Streamlining farming operations with regenerative design Water management and farm hydrology Fundamentals of soil ecology and microbiology’s role in plant production Integrated pest management and promotion of biodiversity … Continue reading Jan 25-26, 2019: SURREY – Regenerative Agriculture & Soil Health Workshop →

BC Organic Grower: BC Plant Health Laboratory

Posted by Darcy Smith on October 02, 2018

Plant Health Diagnostic Support for BC Producers By Emma Holmes, P.Ag This article originally appeared in the Fall 2018 issue of the BC Organic Grower. While we always hope that every farmer has a successful season and bountiful harvests, the reality is that there are endless factors to potentially derail those harvests. For me, the hardest part of farming was finding my crops decimated by pests or struggling to survive after getting hit with a disease. My heart sank when I found my previously healthy cucurbits drooping and turning brown in the greenhouse one morning and I felt panic when … Continue reading BC Organic Grower: BC Plant Health Laboratory →

The Agrariannaire: Meet the Farmers at Close to Home Organics

Posted by Jenna Dallmeyer on September 24, 2018

By Jenna Dallmeyer I am a member of the Glen Valley Organic Farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and I recently had the special opportunity to meet the farmers behind the food. The Glen Valley Organic Farm Co-operative is run by members with the shared purpose of sustainably farming and stewarding their land. The 50 acre farm property is located in Abbotsford, near Fort Langley. The CSA program is run by Glen Valley Organic Farm, a partnership between Close to Home Organics and Earth Apple Organic Farm. The farmers I had the pleasure of speaking with were Chris Bodnar, co-manager … Continue reading The Agrariannaire: Meet the Farmers at Close to Home Organics →

SEPT 29-30: UBC FARM – Ecological Farming Short Course

Posted by Moss Dance on September 18, 2017

The UBC Farm Workshops Series is pleased to announce our upcoming Ecological Farming Short Course: Sep 29-30. Learn about many aspects of Ecological Farming with seasoned farmers Helen Atthowe and Carl Rosato. Three workshops will be presented as a part of this Ecological Short Course: Orchard Eco-Organic Management with Carl Rosato Managing Ecological Relationships Instead of Crops: Strategies to Blend Food Production and Wild Places with Helen Atthowe and Carl Rosato Feeding the Soil: The Science and Practice of Soil Organic Matter Systems Management with Helen Atthowe Helen Atthowe & Carl Rosato, farmers with a combined 55+ years of farming experience, are coming from Oregon … Continue reading SEPT 29-30: UBC FARM – Ecological Farming Short Course →