Omineca EditionRegional Newsletter
January 2025
Welcome to the first newsletter of 2025! We have several January opportunities to highlight.
The January newsletter includes: Upcoming winter events - Understanding soil test reports webinar for vegetables and grains (online)
- Lab to Land: Water and Soil Research (online)
Programs and Funding Opportunities - Environmental Farm Plan Beneficial Management Practices Program Updates
- Support for Farmland Lease
Agreements
Resources - Learn about the importance of minerals to ensure a healthy herd
- Stewarding Agricultural Watercourses project
Beef Cattle Research Council
Winter Webinar Series
This year’s Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) winter webinar series will cover topics focused on improving the health and biosecurity of Canadian beef herds based on practical, science-based information for Canadian beef producers and veterinary teams. Topics include need-to-know information for Foot and Mouth Disease prevention as well as parasite control management. The first webinar will be held January 15, 2025. Find more information on the series and to register to attend on the BCRC
website.
Join us online to connect with researchers, farmers, agrologists, and policymakers from across the province. Grow your network and participate in thought-provoking discussions on adapting to climate change challenges at both farm and landscape scales. This multi-day workshop offers presentations, panels, and networking sessions exploring projects and research that are advancing agricultural resilience: - January 15: Explore collaborative approaches to drought resilience across the province. Featured projects address adaptation from the farm to watershed level and include research from on-farm management to Indigenous co-governance.
- January 16: Dive into research investigating how soil supports ecological and community resilience. Discuss farmer-led research to evaluate soil management practices and learn about collaborative soil stewardship integrating Western scientific and Indigenous methodologies.
Thanks to funding by the BC Ministry of Agriculture & Food and CleanBC the workshop is available at no cost, registration is required. 🗓️📌This virtual workshop is on Jan 15 & 16, 2025, from 9:00 am - 12:30 pm PST. Registration opens early December. Stay tuned by following @BCFoodWeb on their website www.bcacarn.ca and social media platforms: Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
More details and registration: labtolandbc.eventbrite.ca
Virtual Workshop
Understanding Your Soil Test Report
To register, please visit:
Save the Date!
Online Soil Health Webinar Series:
All webinars will take place 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm (PST): - February 24 - The Impacts of Soil Compaction on Soil Health
- February 26 - Managing Forage Stands for Soil Health and Productivity
- February 28 - Managing Vegetation for Snow Capture
Contact Catherine Tarasoff catherine@agrowest.ca for more
information
Virtual Nutrient
Management Plan Training
Nutrient management plans (NMPs) are used to help farmers efficiently meet their production objectives and protect the environment. This NMP training program will provide trainees with the expertise to use planning tools and produce NMPs as a service to farmers or for their own farm. Course content focuses on how to build a plan that meets objectives laid out in the Code of Practice for Agricultural Environmental Management. The Ministry of Agriculture & Food is organizing a one-full day online facilitated session of the NMP training course. Visit
the nutrient management plan training website to learn more. Date: February 26, 2025
Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm PST Participants will receive the Zoom link prior to the event day. For further inquiries, please reach out to Ahmed Lasisi at ahmed.lasisi@gov.bc.ca.
Looking to write a business plan for the farm of your dreams? Join Young Agrarians on Wednesday evenings from January 15 - March 26, 2025, for their Business Bootcamp for New Farmers! This online, community-based program is open to all new and aspiring farmers looking to write (or rewrite) a business plan for a farm enterprise. It is a great place to explore the viability of your farm dream, figure out your first growing season, or explore adding another enterprise to your current farm. Young Agrarians has carefully selected an exceptional team of first-generation farmers and business experts to help you get your farm off the
ground. During this course, you’ll have the opportunity to: Learn more and register here:
youngagrarians.org/courses/business-bootcamp-for-new-farmers/ Not sure if the Business Bootcamp is right for you?
Reach out to Chantelle at elearning@youngagararians.org
Free support for farmland
lease agreements
Young Agrarians offers free lease agreement support for folks currently leasing farmland. This is sometimes an overlooked part of the land matching program. Young Agrarians can help you protect your farmland or farm business! Your agreement will also be reviewed by a lawyer, all at no cost to you! Reach out to Kiyomi Ito at kiyomi@youngagrarians.org for more information or to get started.
B.C. Climate Agri-Solutions Fund
The BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund (BCCAF) is accepting applications from B.C. producers! This is your chance to apply for cost-shared funding to implement cover cropping, nitrogen management, and rotational grazing. - Nitrogen Management up to $30,000
- Cover Cropping up to $30,000
- Rotational Grazing up to $20,000
Don’t wait to submit your application – applications are open until funding is committed.
Business Risk Management Programs
B.C.'s agricultural producers face many business risks that are beyond their control (production losses, severe market volatility, extreme weather events or disasters); the Province’s suite of agricultural insurance and income stability programs can help you manage those risks.
UPCOMING PROGRAM DEADLINES:
Get ready for Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) funding! Complete an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) to unlock BMP program funding. The EFP Program is a no-cost program providing BC farmers and ranchers the opportunity to identify climate risks on their farms. Through this program, you will identify on-farm environmental and climate risks in your operations and learn how these risks can be mitigated, with funding support available through the BMP program.
Minerals and Livestock Nutrition
Mineral nutrition for livestock is a critical part of their diet, affecting health, fertility, production and your bottom line. Supplementation requirements can vary greatly depending on feed types, animal requirements and your operation’s location. Mineral levels influence reproduction and performance / growth, immunity and disease resistance. This article walks you through considerations of how to choose the appropriate mineral for your situation, how to feed it appropriately and how to start to troubleshoot a suspected mineral problem. You can access the full article here:
The Stewarding Agricultural Watercourses (SAW) Action Plan Publication
The Stewarding Agricultural Watercourses (SAW) project, initiated in 2021, seeks to enable and encourage improved stewardship of agricultural waterways on private land in British Columbia. Phase 1 of the project consisted of engagement with producers, government staff, environmental professionals, and NGO's to gain an understanding of the stewardship barriers facing producers with agricultural watercourses and then develop a plan to address these challenges. The culmination of the first phase is the Stewarding Agriculture Watercourses Action Plan which is now publicly available. Phase 2 is now underway seeking to implement actions identified in the plan. To read the Action Plan and learn more about the project visit the website.
Exciting updates from the
Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program (KTTP)
A total of 49 knowledge development and hands on-learning events were approved through the 2024 intake, which closed on December 13th, representing a funding commitment of over $210,000 to the agriculture and food sector. Many events have already been delivered and more are expected to wrap up by Spring 2025! Here are a few examples of completed events that were supported by the program: - Field Days, organized by the BC Hazelnuts growers Association: Farmers gathered twice in 2024 to explore innovative hazelnut farming practices. The first field day in Black Creek, B.C., included hands-on workshops on
soil health, orchard tours showcasing organic practices, and expert insights on becoming Certified Organic. During the second field day in Chilliwack B.C., attendees toured various orchards and learned about soil nutrient management and opportunities for hazelnut value-added products.
- Conference, organized by the Wine Island Growers Association (WIGA): In April 2024, expert Nikki Callaway joined the WIGA Viticulture and Oenology Conference to present on small-lot Pinot Noir production. Topics included the vinification of Pinot Noir under various conditions of terroir and climate, the diversification of multiple styles of Pinot Noir, and the maintenance, conservation, and promotion of varietal typicity.
- Hands-on
Workshop, organized by the Kootenay Milk Producers Association: Instructors from the Western Canadian Certified Hoof Trimmers Association delivered a two-day workshop for dairy producers. This course taught participants how to provide a higher level of animal care and increase their technical skills.
Stay connected with AgriServiceBC for announcements from the Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program and future program intakes.
Cyber Security and Farming
It's crucial that farmers protect their farming enterprises against cyber incidents as they embrace technology in all areas of operations, including email, text, online banking, and smart farming tools. Without robust safeguards, cyber threats can disrupt operations, impact profits and damage the trust built with customers. Staying ahead of these cyber risks will help farmers thrive in the digital age. Visit the website to learn more:
Cyber security and your farming business - agriculture.canada.ca
Follow the link below, follow, like and share!
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