Organic BC

Investigating crop suitability for changing climate conditions
2021-11-02 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Vancouver) | Online
This session discuss tools to support crop selection decisions from phenological models to on-farm research trials.

About this event

This is the third session in a four-part Climate & Agriculture Initiative webinar series discussing major ways climate change is impacting BC farmers and ranchers and sharing resources and research enabling adaptation. From changing pests and pollinators to summer heat and drought, this series offers examples of adaptation in action.

Investigating crop suitability for changing climate conditions
As the climate changes, we are seeing shifts in average temperatures as well as increasing variability in weather and seasonal conditions. Crop selection is an important strategy for adapting to new climate conditions as well as improving resiliency as weather becomes less predictable. This session will discuss tools developed to support crop selection decisions, including phenological models for BC wine grape varieties and resources for on-farm research.

Presenters:
Tools and tips for doing your own on-farm crop trial research, Dr. Catherine Tarasoff, P. Ag., Agrowest Consulting Scientists
How phenological models for BC wine grapes can lead the way for choosing crops and varieties for a changing climate, Dr. Elizabeth Wolkovich, University of British Columbia
Session host: Shauna MacKinnon, Climate & Agriculture Initiative

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/investigating-crop-suitability-for-changing-climate-conditions-tickets-175838837697

2021 Seed Webinar Series
2021-10-27 | Online
The global pandemic has shown that stewardship of seed and innovation in plant breeding have never been more important to support Canada’s seed security. Our 2021 webinar series will explore how farmers and plant breeders are working to save and improve important Canadian crop varieties, as well as the regional seed systems that make those varieties available for the benefit of all Canadians. Join us for this national conversation about seeds in Canada!
All webinars are free! Register at seedsecurity.ca/en/programs/learn/online-events.

Land Social at Lohbrunner Community Farm Co-op
2021-10-03 15:00 - 18:00 | Lohbrunner Community Farm Co-op, 1152 Lippincott Rd, Victoria, British Columbia, V9C2Z6, Canada
You’re invited to a socially-distanced outdoor Land Social at Lohbrunner Community Farm Co-op in Langford, B.C.! If you’re curious about what land matching and sharing is all about – or just want to check out what your local farmers and farm interns are up to – join us for the event.
This event will tour Lohbrunner Community Farm, a cooperatively managed farm owned by FarmFolk CityFolk, which includes garden space for core co-op members as well as two market garden operations.
We’ll tour the farm, network, and look at the steps to building a successful land sharing relationship. Your regional Land Matcher will share information about how the B.C. Land Matching Program can help you find the perfect farmer for your land – or farmland where you can build your dream farm business.
Land Socials connect farmers and farmland holders, and set them up to receive ongoing support through the B.C. Land Matching Program. Both farmers seeking land and farmland holders thinking about sharing land are encouraged to attend – as well as anyone who loves food, farming, and getting out onto the land.

Feeding Growth: Scale Your Progressive Food Business Workshop Series
2021-09-23 13:00 - 2021-11-18 20:30 | Vancouver or online
This series of five workshops provides practical tips for progressive retail and packaged goods companies to reach and maintain success. Each workshop follows the Feeding Growth recipe: personable and caring food industry mentors share advice; participants engage in hands-on exercises; and the helpful community of progressive change-makers connects over tasty local food. The series culminates with a keynote event celebrating our graduates and the local food movement.

WORKSHOP DATES
1. Marketing & Branding: September 23, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., UBC Farm Yurt
2. Retail, Sales & Distribution: October 7, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., Horizon Grocery + Wellness
3. Sourcing & Manufacturing: October 21, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., Faculty Brewing
4. Financing & Growth, November 4: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., Vancity Head Office
5. How to Integrate Sustainability into Your Business: November 18, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Lost & Found Cafe

ACCESSIBILITY
For our friends that are not in the Vancouver-area, we will be offering a remote viewing option. Each workshop takes place on a Thursday, and by the following Tuesday we will make a recording available to view for one week. Please select the remote-viewing option when purchasing your ticket(s). While we recognize you won’t be able to join us for the food, drinks, and networking that are part of the in-person events, we have offered a discounted rate for remote viewing and we look forward to connecting with you digitally.

WORKSHOP DETAILS
Find out more at FeedingGrowth.com, or register here.
The workshop series is open to all. No prerequisite required.

In-person Series

Full workshop series – $299.00; Vancity business members – $199.00; Squamish region businesses – $199.00*
Individual workshop – $89

Remote Series

Full workshop series – $149.50
Individual workshop – $44.50

*This offer is available to the first 10 Squamish businesses, and is designed for entrepreneurs operating anywhere between Britannia Beach and Pinecrest. Supported by the District of Squamish.
30% discount on purchase of second ticket for full workshop series or individual workshops. Discount only applies to $299 full workshop series and $89 individual workshop tickets. Message info@feedinggrowth.com for discount code

Cook-Along With Chef Randle
2021-09-15 17:30 - 19:00 | Online
Celebrate BC Chicken Month and Canada’s Organic Week! Enjoy a FREE cooking lesson with Chef Trevor Randle and learn about organic BC foods and agriculture with a virtual webinar.
Chef Randle will provide expert instruction as he guides you online through two delicious fall-inspired recipes:

Organic Braised Moroccan Chicken with Couscous
Organic BC Cider Poached Apples with Toasted Walnuts

Farmers Dion Wiebe from Rossdown Farms and Natural Foods and Molly Thurston of Claremont Ranch Organics will also join Chef Randle to provide insights on organic farming in BC. Plus, webinar participants will be entered into a draw for a chance to win 1 of 3 prize packages valued at $250+ each!

Organic Week 2021
2021-09-13 - 2021-09-19 | Online
The largest annual celebration of organic food, farming and products across the country!
Here are a few things you can look forward to from Organic BC:

A free Cook-Along with Chef Randle, featuring BC organic food and farmers. Register soon—space is limited!
Free access to 25+ podcasts spanning all aspects of food systems and organic farming in BC. These were originally only available to attendees of the 2021 BC Organic Conference, but we’re releasing them to the public during Organic Week!

And a few of the many events being hosted by Organic Week:

#OrganicChat with Paddy Doherty, a BC organic farmer
Free film screening of The Seeds of Vandana Shiva
Regenerative Agriculture Panel Discussion

View and register for all of Organic Week’s events on their Eventbrite page, and keep an eye on the @choosecanadaorganic Instagram page for the latest contests and announcements.

BX Farm Tour
2021-09-11 10:00 - 2021-10-03 15:00 | The BX region of Vernon, BC, Canada
A self-guided, self-paced tour of the food, farms and sights of Vernon’s BX region

This fall, you’re invited to “Know Your Farmer, Explore the BX”—to connect with local food, to better know your farmers and how they are farming, and to explore all the BX has to offer. The BX is a rich agricultural region with lots of walking and hiking trails, and is the perfect place to get out and explore your own backyard.
The BX Farm Tour is hosted by the North Okanagan Land to Table Network, in partnership with funders, farmers and local supporters. Now in its inaugural year, the event features four local farmers, with more to be added in the coming years.
Drive, bike or walk the route and take an afternoon or a day. The BX Farm Tour is yours to explore, your way.
Get all the details at: https://landtotablenetwork.com/bx-farm-tour

Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative - What’s Really Healthy for Our Soil?
2021-09-02 11:00 - 12:30 | Online
Nowadays, as we stroll up and down the aisles of the grocery store and peruse the weekend farmer’s market, we are confronted with a lot of choices. Organic certification, produced using biodynamic methods, grown on a no-till farm – but what do any of these mean? In this webinar we are going to be taking a deep dive into the various new ‘types of agriculture’, what they mean and why they all seem to boast being the healthiest for our soil. Join our panelists Barbara Schellenberg, Corine Singfield and Tim Nerbas for an exploration of these new methods and how focusing on our soil health is driving a revolution in agriculture.

Young Agrarians Business Bootcamp
2021-09-01 | Online
Young Agrarians presents the Business Bootcamp for New Farmers! This online, community-based program will give you the space and skills to write a stellar business plan for the farm of your dreams.
The next round of the Business Bootcamp starts in Fall 2021. Sign up for the Young Agrarians newsletter to be the first to find out about it!
The Business Bootcamp will cover everything from writing a mission statement to creating a financial plan to defining a marketing strategy. In this program you will have the opportunity to:

Write a farm business plan
Get insights from experts on your farm business
Get to know others in farm start-up
Get ideas and inspiration from your peers
Get set up to access capital

This program is open to all new and aspiring farmers with the goal being to write (or rewrite) a business plan for a farm enterprise. The Business Bootcamp is a great place to explore the viability of your farm dream, figure out details for your first growing season, or to investigate adding another enterprise to your current farm. Having at least one full season of farming experience is advised for participants. All production types are welcome!

Future of Food Global Dialogue Series - Mobilizing Industry to Make a Difference
2021-08-05 11:00 - 12:30 | Online
Many of us are doing our best to lower our impact on the planet – taking shorter showers, bringing a reusable cup, supporting local and much more. However, in order to make a big difference in the climate crisis we need to move beyond individual efforts and mobilize our industries to make positive change. The second episode in our mini series on climate change will explore ways in which we can encourage the agricultural and agroforestry industries to join the fight. Our panelists will discuss where we are at with our climate mitigation goals and what needs to be done to move us forward.

Future of Food Global Dialogue Series - How Nature Based Solutions Restore Balance
2021-07-29 11:00 - 12:30 | Online
Let’s talk about the climate crisis. The first episode in our two part mini series on climate change will explore nature based solutions – what even are they and what are we doing to try to implement them around the world? These natural climate solutions involve restoring and better managing ecosystems, from switching to restorative agriculture to cultivating mangrove forest regrowth, and many of them were founded in indigenous knowledge systems. Join our panelists Drew Bondar, Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust, Professor Terry Sunderland, UBC Faculty of Forestry, and Larry McDermott, Plenty Canada, as they discuss their own approaches and research on restoring the balance mankind has disrupted.

Growing Seed on Contract: Meet Seed Companies and Local Growers
2021-07-15 18:00 - 19:30 | Online
Regional seed companies often rely on contract growers to secure a diversity of vegetable, herb, flower, and heritage grain seeds for their consumers. The trusting and collaborative relationship between companies and contractors are at the heart of what works about regional seed systems. Join us for this dynamic and interactive session during which we’ll learn more about how contracts are structured, what companies are looking for, and how skilled seed growers can get into this growing market opportunity. This webinar is for seed company representatives of any size in Canada and the USA, in particular seed companies that are looking to include or expand their offering or regionally grown seeds, and seed growers who are interested in learning more about what it means to grow seed on contract.
Resources:
Growing Seed on Contract: Advice to get Started
Growing Seed on Contract Case Studies: Salt Spring Seeds
Growing Seed on Contract Case Studies: Tourne-Sol Farm
Growing Seed on Contract Case Studies: West Coast Seeds

Land Social at WoodGrain Farmer Co-op
2021-07-11 15:00 - 18:00 | WoodGrain Farmer Cooperative, 490 Swan Lake Road, Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y5, Canada
You’re invited to a socially-distanced outdoor Land Social at WoodGrain Farmer Cooperative in the Kispiox Valley! If you’re curious about what land matching and sharing is all about, join us for the event.
Be inspired and learn about the incredible farming that can be done on leased land! WoodGrain Farmer Cooperative is an organic, full-circle, small-scale vegetable operation in Northwest BC within unceded traditional Gitxsan territory. Growing a diverse selection of veggies for two local markets and a 40+ member CSA, the four WoodGrain farmers have been able to divide and conquer farm tasks to keep a steady supply of locally grown vegetables for their community. Some highlights will include a passive solar propagation house currently under construction, seed and grain crop tour, and the bountiful veggie production.
We’ll tour the farm, network, and look at the steps to building a successful land sharing relationship. Your regional Land Matcher will share information about how the B.C. Land Matching Program can help you find the perfect farmer for your land – or farmland where you can build your dream farm business.
Land Socials connect farmers and farmland holders, and set them up to receive ongoing support through the B.C. Land Matching Program. Both farmers seeking land and farmland holders thinking about sharing land are encouraged to attend – as well as anyone who loves food, farming, and getting out onto the land.
DATE: Sunday, July 11, 2021 • 3-6pm
LOCATION: 490 Swan Lake Road, Hazelton, BC
REGISTER: Due to COVID-19, we require registration for our events so we can limit the number of attendees to allow for physical distancing. PLEASE REGISTER HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT.
SCHEDULE (times are approximate):
3-4 Farm Tour
4-5 Introduction circle & B.C. Land Matching Program Overview
5-6 Food & Networking
BRING: Please bring a chair or blanket to sit on. A light catered meal will be provided, but if you’d prefer you can bring your own meal instead. There will not be any wash stations for dishes available. Please bring CLEAN footwear and clothing if coming from a farm/garden. Optional: face mask.
COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Please stay home if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, OR if you’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are completing a period of self-isolation as mandated by public health, OR if you have had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case in the past 14 days. Refer to the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool for more information.
We welcome cancellations at any time – you can do so through Eventbrite, through the link in your registration confirmation email, or by contacting morgan@youngagrarians.org. Please let us know if you aren’t able to attend so we can open up a spot to someone else.
Please follow physical distancing guidelines and keep 6 feet apart from other people. No handshakes or hugs please!
Masks are not required, but bring one to wear if you’d like.
We will have a hand sanitizer station for your use throughout the event. Please refrain from touching tools, pets and livestock, and door handles etc. on the farm.
If provincial health guidelines for events change, we may cancel the event and you will be notified by email.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This event is free and open to everyone! Children are welcome but please leave furry friends at home.
Join our Young Agrarians Central-Northern BC Facebook Group to stay up to date with all events.
Sign up for our e-newsletter to get events and opportunities for your region delivered straight to your inbox.

SHARE: Planning on joining us? Invite your friends and share the Facebook event! (Link coming soon)

Land Social at Elderberry Grove
2021-07-10 13:00 - 16:00 | Elderberry Grove, 540 Hwy 97B NE, Salmon Arm, BC, V1E 1X5, Canada
You’re invited to a socially-distanced outdoor Land Social at Elderberry Grove in Secwepemcul’ecw, Salmon Arm, B.C.! If you’re curious about what land matching and sharing is all about, join us for the event.
Be inspired and learn about the incredible farming that can be done on leased land! Elderberry Grove is an elderberry syrup farm. In 2017, farmers Louise and Jed couldn’t find any locally grown elderberries, so they planted Elderberry Grove. Since then their little farm has grown to multiple leased sites, and they love making farm-to-bottle elderberry syrups and elderberry cuttings so you can grow your own.
We’ll tour the farm, network, and look at the steps to building a successful land sharing relationship. Your regional Land Matcher will share information about how the B.C. Land Matching Program can help you find the perfect farmer for your land – or farmland where you can build your dream farm business.
Land Socials connect farmers and farmland holders, and set them up to receive ongoing support through the B.C. Land Matching Program. Both farmers seeking land and farmland holders thinking about sharing land are encouraged to attend – as well as anyone who loves food, farming, and getting out onto the land.

DATE: Saturday, July 10, 2021 • 1-4pm
LOCATION: Secwepemc Territory. 540 Hwy 97B NE, Salmon Arm (ensure it’s “NE”). To get to Elderberry Grove your best bet is to google maps: Elderberry Grove, Salmon Arm. We don’t recommend following GPS map directions.
REGISTER: Due to COVID-19, we require registration for our events so we can limit the number of attendees to allow for physical distancing. PLEASE REGISTER HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT.
SCHEDULE (times are approximate):
1-2 pm Farm Tour
2-3 pm Introduction circle & B.C. Land Matching Program overview
3-4 pm Eat, hang & mingle
BRING: Please bring a chair or blanket to sit on. A catered snack will be provided, but if you’d prefer you can bring your own snacks instead. There will not be any wash stations for dishes available. Optional: face mask.
COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Please stay home if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, OR if you’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are completing a period of self-isolation as mandated by public health, OR if you have had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case in the past 14 days. Refer to the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool for more information.
We welcome cancellations at any time – you can do so through Eventbrite, through the link in your registration confirmation email, or by contacting tessa@youngagrarians.org. Please let us know if you aren’t able to attend so we can open up a spot to someone else.
Please follow physical distancing guidelines and keep 6 feet apart from other people. No handshakes or hugs please!
Masks are not required, but bring one to wear if you’d like.
We will have a hand sanitizer station for your use throughout the event. Please refrain from touching tools, pets and livestock, and door handles etc. on the farm.
If provincial health guidelines for events change, we may cancel the event and you will be notified by email.
A catered snack will be available

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This event is free and open to everyone! Children are welcome but please leave furry friends at home.
Parking will be available at the farm- please follow the signs.
There is an outdoor composting toilet on site

Join our Young Agrarians Okanagan Thompson Facebook Group to stay up to date with all events and to connect with your local YA farming community

Sign up for our e-newsletter to get events and opportunities for your region delivered straight to your inbox.

SHARE: Planning on joining us? Invite your friends and share the Facebook event! (Link coming soon)
