202-3002 32nd Ave, Vernon BC Canada V1T 2L7
info@certifiedorganic.bc.ca
Alys Ford
In this highly interactive session, Alys Ford of Ravine Creek Organic Farm delves into some techniques to equip farmers with tools to manage the stress they face throughout a busy season. Introducing the work of 3 researchers of stress and trauma recovery and protection, Alys teaches participants techniques such as narrative resonance storytelling, the use of movement to support the completion of the stress response cycle, meaning making for emotional resilience and how to support your ‘body budget’ – the metabolic effects of stress. She will also provide a space for facilitated dialogue, allowing participants to share what techniques & practices are working or not working for them in their own work.
BIO:
Alys runs Ravine Creek Farm with her partner and children and has been farming since 2010. In recent years, as the impacts and urgency of the climate crisis have increased, Alys has sought new ways of mitigating the effects of climate change on her own farm. This has necessitated adaptations for both the farmers and the farm. Just as the farm has shifted to ever more regenerative practices (after several years of trials, the entire production area was transitioned to no-till in 2021), Alys has sought education and training to better understand how we can protect and recover from the stress that is inevitable in farming and is made significantly more intense by climate change. Alys is excited to share what she has learned about no-till and burnout prevention in the hopes of providing ecological lift to both farms and farmers. Alys is a settler of mixed European ancestry and has lived and worked for the past 20 years in Sinixt, Ktunaxa and Syilx territory.
Chuck Mitchell
Small holder farmers produce 80% of the total world food supply on 25% of the farmland. This presentation will highlight organic farming with small-holder farmers in four countries around the world. As organic farming is increasing at a rapid rate in developing countries, Chuck will share why.
BIO:
Chuck Mitchell splits his time between Penticton, BC where he is an organic farm inspector and his organic teaching farm in the Philippines. He is a retired soil conservationist from the US Department of Agriculture and has worked for 45 years in developing nations.
Molly Thurston and Renee Prasad
Molly and Renee will present a hands-on, interactive workshop delivered by two IPM Extension Specialists, presenting technical information and practical IPM applications that growers can implement on their farms. There will be in-class specimens for identification and demonstration with microscopes & hand lenses set up for participants to examine specimens.
BIOS:
Renee Priya Prasad, Ph.D is an Associate Professor in the Agriculture Technology Department at UFV. She received her Ph.D. from Washington State University and her Master of Pest Management from SFU (Simon Fraser University). She works closely with local consultants, BC Ministry of Agriculture, and Agriculture Canada experts and various grower groups. Renee teaches many agricultural courses at UFV and has also been a faculty advisor for directed studies projects. Renee’s favourite part of teaching in the Agriculture Technology certificate and diploma programs is that she gets to help the next generation of farmers be future-ready, by focusing on evidence-based practices in all her courses. She is also Department Chair.
Molly Thurston, M.Sc., P.Ag is a tree fruit producer (Claremont Ranch Organics) and horticulturalist with Pearl Agricultural Consulting, Inc. Her consulting business offers research and extension services to producers and industry-leading companies. Molly has taught many producer workshops including recent collaborations with the BC Ministry of Agriculture. She is also involved in horticultural research with a number of industry partners. Pearl is the perfect intersection of Molly’s passions for science, farming and teaching.
Dr Catherine Tarasoff
On farm trials do not have to be difficult; in fact, many simple projects have led to significant results for producers. In this presentation, Catherine will present producer-led trials, including the project ‘backstory’ and how a modification to their farming practice has made them more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
BIO:
Catherine graduated from Oregon State University in 2007, earning a PhD in Crop Sciences with a minor in Rangeland Ecology. Dr. Tarasoff went on to a faculty position at Michigan Technological University. She now runs her own consulting company, Agrowest Consulting Scientists, is adjunct faculty and a sessional instructor at TRU. Catherine has been a Professional Agrologist for 25 years. As a believer in the need for practical, applicable and relevant applied research, has been working with multiple groups to ignite producer led on-farm trials. She wrote the manual “A Guide to On-Farm Demonstration Research” and has worked with a variety of agencies to put the tools of simple trial design into the hands of the producers.
David Catzel
If you are a farmer who grows seeds or is interested in incorporating or expanding seed production on your farmscape, then this workshop is for you. Learn what it takes to scale up seed production including available resources, how variety trials are a useful tool for new variety development, and opportunities to work collaboratively on breeding and varietal improvement projects. Come with your breeding project ideas as we hope to end the workshop with a networking session for those interested in collaborating.
BIO: David Catzel farmed vegetables, fruits and seeds for 20 years prior to taking on the role of the BC Seed Security Program Manager for FarmFolk CityFolk. He has delivered workshops on gardening, composting, and permaculture design to adults and children throughout the lower mainland and has a special passion for sharing seed stewardship knowledge with people of all ages.
Jo Tobias
This workshop will outline the fascinating world of soil microorganisms and their critical roles in plant development. You will learn how to farm these wonderful microbes and maximize their potential via the preparation of potent extracts and teas. You will also learn from other farmers who have teamed up with microbes and hear about their forays into soil regeneration.
BIO:
Jo Tobias is a Regenerative Soils & Living Compost Specialist with the primary goal of assisting land stewards in understanding how they can play a role in soil health. Jo founded RootShoot Soils in 2015 and has collaborated with British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario farmers. Her direct tool for regenerating degraded landscapes is a biodiverse compost. Compost can provide the foundation to kickstart microbial processes that stimulate nutrient cycling and decomposition when managed correctly.
Composting is Jo’s craft—she meticulously tends the whole process to create the ideal habitat for diverse microorganisms promoting plant health. Over the years, she has taught farmers practical strategies to leverage their compost to restore soil life. Jo also combines the power of microscopy with her restoration efforts to ensure she is on the right path to improving soil health. To learn more about Jo and her company, RootShoot Soils, visit www.rootshootsoils.com.
Alys Ford, Ravine Creek Farm
Alys Ford and Eric Struxness of Ravine Creek Organic Farm have been operating their mixed vegetable farm in the Slocan Valley for 13 years. In 2019 they transitioned to a no-till system of field management in around 75% of their operation. In this presentation, Alys will give an overview of no-till practices using their farm as an example, as well as highlighting examples from around North America of operations from 2-50 acres. She will cover aspects of mulching choices, weed control, nutrient amending, bed flipping and relay planting and provide a curated list of no-till support resources including books, web resources and farms, ending with facilitated farmer to farmer conversations around the no-till experiences.
BIO:
Alys runs Ravine Creek Farm with her partner and children, she has been farming since 2010. In recent years as the impacts and urgency of the climate crisis have increased, Alys has sought new ways of mitigating the effects of climate change on her own farm. This has necessitated adaptations for both the farmers and the farm. Just as the farm has shifted to ever more regenerative practices (after several years of trials, the entire production area was transitioned to no-till in 2021) Alys has sought education and training to better understand how we can protect and recover from the stress that is inevitable in farming and is made significantly more intense by climate change. Alys is excited to share what she has learned about no-till and burnout prevention in the hopes of providing ecological lift to both farms and farmers. Alys is a settler of mixed European ancestry and has lived and worked for the past 20 years in Sinixt, Ktunaxa and Syilx territory.
Doug Saba, Curly Willow Farm
Doug Saba of Curly Willow Farm in Grindrod, BC has a love of storytelling. He has been farming for over 30 years on his organic, mixed vegetable operation and has a desire to share his stories and wealth of knowledge with others in the farming community. Doug will lead a lively and informal discussion on his experiences touching on pricing strategies, decision making around what crops to grow, pricing strategies and the importance of strong relationships, especially with other farmers. Ample time will be given to open farmer discussion and questions.
BIO:
Doug was raised in the city and apprenticed to become a cowboy/ranch hand when he was a teenager. In his early twenties he got caught up in the counterculture movement of the seventies. He then decided he would like to try going back to the land using horse power. He pursued that through the 1970s and 80s, living remotely trying to make a living via subsistence farming. In 1990 he moved back down to Armstrong where he had the opportunity to start market gardening in earnest and has been doing so for 30 years, eventually transitioning to tractor power.
Paddy Doherty
Paddy Doherty is a longtime vegetable farmer and organic advocate. In this highly interactive session, Paddy will draw on producer knowledge, facilitating a farmer-led discussion on participants’ experiences with different cover crops, discussing their pros and cons as well as talking about the connection between cover crops, climate change and carbon storage, introducing some thought provoking new research on cover crops in regards to their ability to draw down carbon and the ways in which they do so; microbes may make up more of soil carbon than we think and reducing tillage may not be the magic bullet in increasing soil carbon.
BIO:
Paddy grew up in Vancouver but moved ‘back-to-the-land’ in the 1970s. He has been an organic farmer all his adult life, from operating a sheep ranch in the Cariboo to a commercial carrot farm in the North Okanagan. Throughout his farming career, Paddy has held many posts within the local and wider farming community. His most recent position was Code Development Manager with ISEAL, based in London UK. Paddy and Elaine now own and operate West Enderby Farm in the North Okanagan, growing cauliflower and winter storage crops.
Bruce Naka
With our present climate changes including heat domes and droughts, it is imperative for our irrigation systems to be able to deliver water as effectively as possible. Is your system capable? Join Bruce in his discussion of what is necessary for an irrigation system to operate at its optimum and how to schedule and monitor its performance. Discover some new technologies and techniques to improve your irrigation skills.
BIO:
Bruce has been involved in irrigation design and implementation for over 30 years. His experience covers all facets of irrigation systems from sports fields and golf courses to large-scale agricultural systems. Bruce is certified by the Irrigation Industry Association of BC (IABC) in Commercial Turf Sprinkler & Agriculture Sprinkler and Drip Irrigation, and he is also a certified Irrigation Scheduler. Bruce was also on the North Okanagan Drought Response Committee. Following this commitment, Bruce continued on to become a member of the North Okanagan Agricultural Advisory Board. In 2016, Bruce became a member of the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council (OWSC) representing the IABC, where he became co-chairman of a sub-committee on Irrigation Management. Bruce also served as president of the IIABC for the 2017-18 term. Since 2015 Bruce established an irrigation consulting company, Sound Water Advice, focused on efficiency in irrigation design & system planning.
Danny Turner
The combination of rising interest rates and high inflation affects every business, including farms. Business owners must understand how these external forces impact their balance sheets and income statements. In this session, participants will learn:
This workshop is designed for business owners who want to understand how their business will change because of this new fiscal reality. Come prepared to read a few financial statements and do a little math!
BIO:
Danny Turner is a business consultant with over 30 years of experience, as well as an organic farmer. He has been involved in the growth and management of businesses in Canada, the United States and Europe. Partnering with Kootenay Peaks Advisors and as an Executive-In-Residence for the Basin RevUP Program, Danny employs an always-learning philosophy as he assists companies at all stages of growth. When not on a Zoom meeting, you can find Danny running his family farm in Creston or volunteering on multiple boards.
Danny Turner
Sometimes intuition and guesswork don’t make the grade in times that are fast changing and beyond our control. Using your own financial data to help make decisions is achievable. When should you pursue that new market or hire that new employee? Is it time to look for an investor or make that big capital purchase? Data-driven decision making is a foundational part of successfully running your business.
BIO:
Danny Turner is a business consultant with over 30 years of experience, as well as an organic farmer. He has been involved in the growth and management of businesses in Canada, the United States and Europe. Partnering with Kootenay Peaks Advisors and as an Executive-In-Residence for the Basin RevUP Program, Danny employs an always-learning philosophy as he assists companies at all stages of growth. When not on a Zoom meeting, you can find Danny running his family farm in Creston or volunteering on multiple boards.
