This ep: a longform conversation with a farmer who was present and active for all the major milestones of BC’s modern organic sector. Paddy Doherty talks about communal farming in […]
This episode: you can’t run a successful rotational grazing system without good fencing! Rancher Tristan Banwell guest hosts to interview fencing expert Axle Boris of Fencefast about the crucial considerations […]
This episode I talk to Dru Yates of ES Crop Consult. Getting the right amount of nitrogen to our crops at the right time can be tricky, and if we over-apply […]
This episode, a frank conversation about the sexual politics of organic farming. You’ll hear perspectives from two farmers and one academic about a dynamic on many organic farmers that is […]
This episode: farmer & entrepreneur Jacob Beaton joins guest host Tristan Banwell to discuss the Indigenous relationship with agriculture that has been largely ignored or even suppressed in mainstream discourse […]
This episode: a primer on production practices that can reduce on-farm GH gas emissions via carbon sequestration. Joining us for this episode: Amy Norgaard, Climate Change Extension Specialist for the […]
This episode: part one of a conversation with the owners of Fresh Valley Farms. Based in Armstrong, BC, owners Steve Meggait & Annelise Grube Cavers produce pasture-raised, organic beef, pork, […]
This episode: part one of a conversation with the owners of Fresh Valley Farms. Based in Armstrong, BC, owners Steve Meggait & Annelise Grube Cavers produce pasture-raised, organic beef, pork, […]
This episode: guest interviewer and orchardist Molly Thurston returns! This time her guest is Tom Forge, a research soil ecologist at the Summerland Research and Development Centre who specializes in […]
This episode features part two of my conversation with Anna Helmer of Helmer’s Organic Farm. This episode, we go into more detail about the five year rotation that the Helmers use […]
This episode: a conversation with Anna Helmer of Helmer’s Organic Farm. This conversation is meant to be a companion to a video that Organic BC produced about Helmer’s Organic Farm […]
This episode: a conversation about limiting nutrient pollution in organic cropping systems. Our guest is Sean Smukler, an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the […]
This episode, a conversation with two biologists from the Summerland Research and Development Centre about how climate change is impacting tree fruit production in BC, and how the breeding work […]
In this episode, host Jordan Marr interviews Manish Raizada, a Professor of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph. They discuss the role that biofertilizers can play in reducing our […]
This episode: an inspiring conversation with Reid Allaway of Ferme Tournesol about his years-long commitment to electrifying various internal-combustion-powered machinery around his co-operative farm. There’s a lot of useful information […]
This episode features part two of my conversation with Manish Raizada, a Professor of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph. Herein, Manish talks about his lab’s efforts to develop […]
Originally produced for the 2022 BC Organic Conference This episode, five BC farmers (and your host) talk about the challenges of 2021’s chaotic weather events. With thanks to: Chris Bodnar […]
Originally produced for the 2022 BC Organic Conference This episode is all about the British Columbia Certified Organic Program (BCCOP), the first province-wide organic program that existed in BC, and […]
Originally produced for the 2022 BC Organic Conference This episode: farmer and verification officer (and BC Organic Conference planning committee member) Jolene Swain talks to host Jordan Marr about the […]
Originally produced for the 2022 BC Organic Conference In this episode, BC Organic Rancher Tristan Banwell describes changes to BC’s slaughter regulations that took effect on October 1st, 2020. We […]
This episode was inspired by concerns raised by Organic BC board member Brody Irvine. Brody is a part-owner of Discovery Organics, a BC-based organic food distributor that has traditionally purchased […]
Originally produced for the 2022 BC Organic Conference In this episode, guest interviewer (and our sector’s Industry Specialist at the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries!) Emma Holmes interviews […]
Originally produced for the 2022 BC Organic Conference In this episode, guest interviewer (and our sector’s Industry Specialist at the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries!) Emma Holmes interviews […]
Originally produced for the 2022 BC Organic Conference In this episode, guest interviewer and rancher Tristan Banwell speaks with rancher Steve Kenyon about winter grazing strategies for the herd. Tristan […]
Originally produced for the 2022 BC Organic Conference. This episode: a wide-ranging conversation with Kerry McCann and Andrew “Budgie” Budgell, co-owners of Laughing Crow Organics in Pemberton, BC. Laughing Crow […]
Originally released for the 2022 BC Organic Conference This episode: a wide-ranging conversation with Kerry McCann and Andrew “Budgie” Budgell, co-owners of Laughing Crow Organics in Pemberton, BC. Laughing Crow […]
Originally released for the 2022 BC Organic Conference One of our orcharding-focused Q&A sessions at last year’s conference brought a lot of questions about Codling Moth Management from participants, so […]
This episode: for the 2022 BC Organic conference, our conference coordinator, Michelle Tsutsumi, interviewed Sarah Mock, author of Farm & Other F-Words, a book that challenges many of our cherished […]
In this episode: a conversation with Kurt Simcic, an organic viticulturist who works for the Mark Anthony Group. The company, which owns numerous wineries in the Okanagan including Mission Hill […]
In this episode, we’ll be learning about on-farm research trials that examined the role that silage tarps can play in managing agricultural soils in the winter months in British Columbia. […]
In this episode we discuss on-farm research trials that compared different combinations of organic amendments (composts and organic fertilizer) and their impact to crop yield, soil carbon, input costs, and […]
Originally produced for the 2021 BC Organic Conference Podcast On this episode: guest interviewer Abra Bryne, who is a policy advisor with Farm Folk/City Folk, interviews Darrin Qualman in a […]
Originally produced for the 2021 BC Organic Conference This episode features a conversation between Guest interviewer Tristan Banwell and Anne Macey, who is the president of the Saltspring Abattoir Society […]
Originally produced for the 2021 BC Organic Conference This episode, another chapter in our research roundup. This time, I speak with Dr. Nathan Pelletier, the NSERC/Egg Farmers of Canada Industrial Research […]
Originally produced for the 2021 BC Organic Conference This episode, my conversation with farmer, academic, and author Chris Smaje. Chris is the author of a new book called A Small Farm […]
Originally produced for the 2021 BC Organic Conference This episode: guest interviewer Tristan Banwell interviews Dr. Charles Massey, Australian farmer, scientist, and author. His most recent book, Call of the Reed […]
This episode: a COABC explainer that aims to help you understand the organization’s role in BC’s organic industry, and the relationship between certified organic operators, the province’s certifying bodies, and […]
In November of 2020, we lost someone who made many meaningful contributions to the organic farming movement in British Columbia and Canada, and who played a very important role in the […]
In 1994 the newly-formed Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia identified the lack of reliable information on organic crop production as an important obstacle to the growth of the organic agricultural industry. From […]
This episode features an installment on the theme of wholesale buyer perspectives. This time, I talk to Nick Johnston of Nature’s Fare Markets. Nick manages the buying for the prepared […]
Every five years, the Canadian Organic Standards are updated to keep the standards current. Each update follows a multi-year process of review, during which anyone can submit requests for revisions. […]
This episode: BC Ministry of Agriculture Organic Industry Specialist Emma Holmes in conversation with Miranda Hart, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UBC Okanagan. A good deal of Miranda’s work focuses on the biology […]
This episode, I speak with Todd Kabaluk, a research biologist for Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, about his research on the use of entomopathogens as a biological control for wireworms.
Brian Spencer was trained as a molecular biologist, but he found his way to biological pest control and never left. This episode, a conversation with Brian, who has devoted his […]
Another chapter in our Research Roundup. This time, Dr. Kelly Ross, a researcher with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, tells us about research on harnessing the antibiotic properties of berry pomace […]
This episode features guest interviewer Molly Thurston’s interview with David Granatstein. Molly is a horticulturalist, agrologist, and co-owner of Claremont Ranch Organics, an organic orchard in Lake Country, BC. David […]
This episode features an installment on the theme of wholesale buyer perspectives. This time, I speak with Lisa McIntosh of Kelowna-based grocery delivery service Urban Harvest. Lisa sources a LOT of […]
This episode features a chapter in our miniseries on seed production. This time, my conversation with Sal Dominelli of Sweet Rock Farm on Gabriola Island. Sal has operated a small-scale […]
This episode is about the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries’ Animal Health Centre. Guest interviewer Tristan Banwell interviews Dr. Glenna McGregor, a veterinary pathologist at the centre, about […]
One major focus of the 2021 conference podcast series was what we called our research roundup. I sought participation from a few different research institutions across the country so that we […]
It was only a few years ago that I became aware of the term regenerative agriculture, and now, it’s everywhere. We definitely wanted to include something on regenerative ag in […]