The Organic BC podcast

42:31

This podcast was funded in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. This episode features two compelling arguments for the use of cover crops in field crop or vegetable production. In the first segment, we’ll learn about a Fraser Valley Dairy Farmer’s experience with planting a relay cover crop once his silage corn is established, and the benefits he’s realized from that effort. After that, an Agriculture & Agri-food Canada researcher will tell us why it is so very important, if not imperative, that BC’s field crop and veggie farmers start including cover cropping in their weed management plans. My guests this episode: Holger Schwichtenberg of Holberg Dairy Farm in Agassiz, BC Jichul Bae , Researcher at Agriculture & Agrifood Canada's Agassiz Research & Development Centre…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Stewardship on the North Thompson: Joseph Moillet of Aveley Ranch 52:35

13 days ago52:35

52:35

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Bending the Rules of Rotational Grazing 31:14

20 days ago31:14

31:14

This podcast was funded in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. This episode: the next chapter in our miniseries on rotational grazing in collaboration with BC’s Small Scale Meat Producers Association. In the first two episodes, we learned about the fundamental principles of rotational grazing from forage specialist Woody Lane. Woody described the ideal approach to management intensive rotational grazing if we want to get the most out of this system. But! It’s called ‘management intensive grazing’ for a reason. Conducting our grazing this way is labour intensive, which can make it difficult, when things get busy, to avoid violating the fundamental principles that Woody described. My two guests in this episode are here to tell you that that’s okay, sometimes at least, to break the rules, and to give examples of how they break the rules on their own farms. My guests this episode: Joseph Moilliet of Aveley Ranch in Vavenby, who we'll hear a lot more from in the next episode. Steve Meggait of Fresh Valley Farms in Spallumcheen, who also featured in episodes 44 & 45 of this podcast. Mentioned in this episode: Check out the Small Scale Meat Producers Youtube Page! You'll find lots of videos about fencing and rotational grazing at the SSMPA Youtube page.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Cover-cropping in the Vineyard Context with Agrologist Lisa Wambold 40:36

27 days ago40:36

40:36

This episode, a look at cover-cropping in the vineyard context. My guest this episode is Lisa Wambold. Lisa has spent a lot of her career in vineyards consulting with farmers on beneficial management practices, including cover cropping. She’s a big believer in the positive role cover crops can play both in both the mid-row and under the vines, and so I asked her to join me to summarize the benefits of cover cropping in the vineyard. We also talk about species selection, the tools required, circumstances where she advises against the use of cover crops, and plenty more.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
A Birdseye View of Robotic Weeding Technology 55:14

5 weeks ago55:14

55:14

This episode, an interview with Sarah Stewart, and a shorter segment from an interview with Jichul Bae. The last few years, farmer and videographer Sarah Stewart has been working with Organic BC on some extension work that has involved a pretty big focus on emerging technologies for mechanical weed management. She’s learned a tonne about autonomous weeding robots and the use of lasers and electricity, and the increasing role that artificial intelligence is playing in the age-old battle to keep the weeds at bay. But gathering information was only half the job. The other half was to share it. Among other things, Sarah has produced videos about her findings and hosted equipment demonstrations around BC and coordinated conference panels and, behind the scenes, helped me produce the episodes about weeding agritech that you may have already listened to on this podcast. I asked Sarah for an interview because it recently struck me how well-positioned she is to talk about the strengths and limitations of the newest generation of weeding agri-tech. What you’ll hear is that she’s bullish on the role she expects these tools will play on BC farms over the long term, but perhaps not right away. Listen to hear why! Then: a segment of my conversation with Dr. Jichul Bae , a researcher at Agriculture and Agrifood Canada based at the Agassiz Research and Development Centre. Jichul focuses on weed management and is an expert on herbicide resistant weeds. I had requested an interview with Jichul to talk about the strengths and limitations of weeding agritech. We ended up having a wide-ranging conversation. I’ll only be sharing a piece of it here, in which we talk about how good weeds are at adapting to our weed management strategies, especially when we rely too much on one form of management, regardless of the form in question. I’m including this segment here because, in the midst of all the hype around the promise of the newest generation of mechanical weeding technology, Jichul wants us to consider that no single approach should be thought of as a panacea. This episode of the Organic BC Podcast was funded by the Governments of Canada and British Columbia through the Sustainable Canada Agricultural Partnership. Opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests and not necessarily those of the Governments of Canada or British Columbia. The Governments of Canada and British Columbia and their directors, agents, employees, or contractors will not be liable for any claims, damages, or losses of any kind whatsoever arising out of the use of, or reliance upon, this information.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Two Farmers Review their Agrobotic Weeding Tools 54:37

6 weeks ago54:37

54:37

This episode, a return to the topic of robotic weeding technology. This time, I speak with two farmers, each of whom has spent considerable time working using some cutting edge weeding machinery. There has been a lot of hype around robotic- and AI-driven agritech. I invited these two farmers to share their perspectives about the performance of a couple such tools on the farm, in order to get a sense of their strengths and limitations. First: Gabriel Demarco. Gabe is the head winemaker and viticulturalist at Cave Spring Vineyard in the Niagara region of Ontario. I reached out to Gabe because at his vineyard he’s been working with a battery-operated vineyard robot called TED. It’s manufactured by Naio , an agritech company located in france. In Canada, the TED is distributed by Haggerty Agrobotics, whose president, Chuck Haggerty, we heard from in episode 53 last year. Then: Matthew Carr. Matt is the BC Operations Manager for the Vegetable Division of Monette Farms, which grows organic and conventional produce for distribution in Western Canda and parts of the western US. Matt has been using a robotic weeder called The Smart Cultivator , manufactured by Stout primarily to tackle weeding in horticultural crops. This episode of the Organic BC Podcast was funded by the Governments of Canada and British Columbia through the Sustainable Canada Agricultural Partnership. Opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests and not necessarily those of the Governments of Canada or British Columbia. The Governments of Canada and British Columbia and their directors, agents, employees, or contractors will not be liable for any claims, damages, or losses of any kind whatsoever arising out of the use of, or reliance upon, this information.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
The Main Principles of Rotational Grazing and Addressing the Skeptics 31:53

7 weeks ago31:53

31:53

This podcast was funded in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. This episode, part two of our miniseries on rotational grazing in collaboration with BC’s Small Scale Meat Producers Association . The first two episodes will cover the fundamentals of managed rotational grazing in the context of the home farm or ranch. In this episode, part two of my conversation with Dr. Woody Lane, in which we discuss what Woody calls the four principles of managed rotational grazing, and address some of the skepticism that Woody hears from farmers when he presents workshops on the subject. My guest for the first two episodes of this series is Dr. Woody Lane. Woody is a livestock nutritionist and forage specialist from Oregon. Woody has devoted much of his career to promoting the benefits of rotational grazing and teaching others how to implement successful rotational grazing techniques on their farms. He has written multiple books about management-intensive rotational grazing, including Capturing Sunlight: Skills & Ideas for Intensive Grazing, Sustainable Pastures, Healthy Soils, & Grassfed Livestock. Mentioned in this episode: Check out the SSMPA Youtube Page! The Small Scale Meat Producers collaborated on this miniseries and have a great youtube page featuring lots of videos about grazing and fencing. Check it out! SSMPA Youtube Page…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
The Rationale for Rotational Grazing & Some Basic Concepts 59:37

8 weeks ago59:37

59:37

This podcast was funded in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. This episode, we launch a miniseries on rotational grazing in collaboration with BC’s Small Scale Meat Producers Association . The first two episodes will cover the fundamentals of managed rotational grazing in the context of the home farm or ranch. In this episode, we’ll learn about the rationale for managed rotational grazing, also referred to as management intensive grazing, and the main concepts and tools that need to be understood in order for this approach to grazing to be effective. My guest for the first two episodes of this series is Dr. Woody Lane. Woody is a livestock nutritionist and forage specialist from Oregon. Woody has devoted much of his career to promoting the benefits of rotational grazing and teaching others how to implement successful rotational grazing techniques on their farms. He has written multiple books about management-intensive rotational grazing, including Capturing Sunlight: Skills & Ideas for Intensive Grazing, Sustainable Pastures, Healthy Soils, & Grassfed Livestock. Check out the Small Scale Meat Producers Youtube Channel for plenty of videos about rotational grazing and livestock fencing! https://www.youtube.com/@smallscalemeat Mentioned in this episode: Check out the SSMPA Youtube Page! The Small Scale Meat Producers collaborated on this miniseries and have a great youtube page featuring lots of videos about grazing and fencing. Check it out! SSMPA Youtube Page…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
GAP Miniseries Extra: Producing Carrots Efficiently 12:37

12 weeks ago12:37

12:37

The last four episodes of the podcast made up a miniseries about GAP Certification for small and medium-scale farms. The main focus of this miniseries was the work of Okanagan farmer Emily Jubenvil to obtain GAP certification for her carrots and beets in order to preserve and expand her access to wholesale markets. The series is essentially done, but as I promised last week, I’m back with one more short episode that doesn’t have anything to do with GAP certification. At one point in my interviews with Emily we went on a bit of a tangent about becoming a more efficient carrot producer. I think this will be relevant to any small-scale farmer who’s considering scaling up one or more crops in order to sell bulk quantities to wholesale buyers...Emily does a great job summarizing the changes she had to make.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
A Shrug & A Grimace: Two More Gap Stories 35:47

13 weeks ago35:47

35:47

This is episode three of our miniseries about GAP Certification for small and medium-scale farms. So far, you’ve heard three episodes about Okanagan farmer Emily Jubenvil and her pursuit of GAP certification to preserve and expand her access to wholesale markets. If you’ve already listened, you know that Emily’s experience was largely positive and entirely successful. We thought we might end the series there, but then we decided to seek out a couple more perspectives about GAP certification from small-scale farmers to put listeners in a better position to judge how applicable Emily’s experiences are to other contexts. First: Brandi Smith of Bessette Creek Farm in Lumby. Then: Anna Helmer of Helmer's Organic Farm in Pemberton.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
The GAP Audit and Emily's Final Thoughts 38:58

14 weeks ago38:58

38:58

This is episode three in a series about whether GAP certification is a viable option for small-scale farmers who want to gain, preserve, or expand access to wholesale marketing channels. This episode: The GAP Audit & Emily's Final Thoughts Referenced int his episode: BC's On-farm Food Safety Funding ***** This episode is part three of a miniseries about Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), a food safety certification designed for particpants in the fresh fruit & veggie supply chain. Increasingly, food distributors and grocery stores are requiring their suppliers to hold GAP certification. This requirement has concerned many small-scale fruit & veggie growers, who believe that GAP certification was designed with a bias toward large-scale farming systems. They argue that GAP is too expensive and too inflexible to the alternate ways that diversified, small-scale farms operate. The result, they argue, is that the requirement of GAP certification by retailers and distributors represents an unfair barrier to their participation in those markets. Access to wholesale markets is important to Emily Jubenvill, a diversfied small-scale farmer in the North Okanagan. In 2024, she applied for GAP certification in order to preserve her relationship with a few grocery stores in her region. In this series, we'll track Emily's effort to obtain GAP certification, and talk to a couple of other small-scale farmers who obtained GAP, as we try to either confirm or disprove the concerns about GAP outlined above. Optional background materials: A previous episode of The Organic BC Podcast on this subject Understanding the Safe Food for Canadians Regulation Canada GAP website…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
In Pursuit of GAP Certification 27:27

15 weeks ago27:27

27:27

This is episode two in a series about whether GAP certification is a viable option for small-scale farmers who want to gain, preserve, or expand access to wholesale marketing channels. This episode: In Pursuit of GAP Certification. ***** This episode is part two of a miniseries about Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), a food safety certification designed for particpants in the fresh fruit & veggie supply chain. Increasingly, food distributors and grocery stores are requiring their suppliers to hold GAP certification. This requirement has concerned many small-scale fruit & veggie growers, who believe that GAP certification was designed with a bias toward large-scale farming systems. They argue that GAP is too expensive and too inflexible to the alternate ways that diversified, small-scale farms operate. The result, they argue, is that the requirement of GAP certification by retailers and distributors represents an unfair barrier to their participation in those markets. Access to wholesale markets is important to Emily Jubenvill, a diversfied small-scale farmer in the North Okanagan. In 2024, she applied for GAP certification in order to preserve her relationship with a few grocery stores in her region. In this series, we'll track Emily's effort to obtain GAP certification, and talk to a couple of other small-scale farmers who obtained GAP, as we try to either confirm or disprove the concerns about GAP outlined above. Optional background materials: A previous episode of The Organic BC Podcast on this subject Understanding the Safe Food for Canadians Regulation Canada GAP website…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
GAP Certification: A Barrier & an Opportunity 35:35

16 weeks ago35:35

35:35

This episode kicks off a miniseries about Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), a food safety certification designed for particpants in the fresh fruit & veggie supply chain. Increasingly, food distributors and grocery stores are requiring their suppliers to hold GAP certification. This requirement has concerned many small-scale fruit & veggie growers, who believe that GAP certification was designed with a bias toward large-scale farming systems. They argue that GAP is too expensive and too inflexible to the alternate ways that diversified, small-scale farms operate. The result, they argue, is that the requirement of GAP certification by retailers and distributors represents an unfair barrier to their participation in those markets. Access to wholesale markets is important to Emily Jubenvill, a diversfied small-scale farmer in the North Okanagan. In 2024, she applied for GAP certification in order to preserve her relationship with a few grocery stores in her region. In this series, we'll track Emily's effort to obtain GAP certification, and talk to a couple of other small-scale farmers who obtained GAP, as we try to either confirm or disprove the concerns about GAP outlined above. Optional background materials: A previous episode of The Organic BC Podcast on this subject Understanding the Safe Food for Canadians Regulation Canada GAP website…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Silage corn then manure then a grass cover crop: considerations 45:25

1 year ago45:25

45:25

This episode of the Organic BC Podcast was funded in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund delivered by Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. University of Wisconsin-Madison soil scientist Matthew Ruark joins us to talk about some research he co-authored on the use of cover crops to reduce nutrient pollution following a manure application, and how to limit the potential agronomic tradeoffs of this practice. You can read a summary of the research we discuss here.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Controlling Weeds with Electricity in Perennial Crops 49:23

1 year ago49:23

49:23

This episode: we explore the potential of tools that use electricity to control weeds on the farm. Specifically, you'll learn about the research of our guest, Marcelo Moretti, on an electric weeder produced by a Brazilian Company called Zasso for use in perennial cropping systems. Marcelo Moretti is a Weed Science Specialist and an Associate Professor with the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University. This episode of the Organic BC Podcast was funded through Sustainable Canada Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests and not necessarily those of the Government of Canada or the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The Government of Canada, the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and their directors, agents, employees, or contractors will not be liable for any claims, damages, or losses of any kind whatsoever arising out of the use of, or reliance upon, this information.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Robotic Weeding Tech: A Look at Some Promising Options 29:39

1 year ago29:39

29:39

This episode is all about robotic weeding technology for the farm. Jordan interviews Kristen Obeid and Chuck Haggerty about why the time has come to give robotic weeding tools some serious consideration and the strengths and limitations of these tools. Here's a link for listeners who want to be able to picture these tools as they listen. Our guests will also summarize some of the options currently being tested by the AgRobotics Working Group, which is an initiative spearheaded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture that brings representatives from government, academia and the farming industry together to discuss and test some of the new robotic technology available for farmers to consider. Kristen Obeid is CoChair of the AgRobotics Working Group and a Weed Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs. Chuck Haggerty is a farmer and the President of Haggerty AgRobotics. This episode of the Organic BC Podcast was funded through Sustainable Canada Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests and not necessarily those of the Government of Canada or the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The Government of Canada, the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and their directors, agents, employees, or contractors will not be liable for any claims, damages, or losses of any kind whatsoever arising out of the use of, or reliance upon, this information.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Your 2023 Conference Preview 12:34

2 years ago12:34

12:34

This ep: a preview of the 2023 BC Organic Conference---OUR 30TH ANNUAL!!!---from conference coordinator Sarah Stewart. The conference runs November 7 through the 9th and you can learn more/get tickets at organicbc.org

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Know Your Elders: Paddy Doherty 1:20:40

2 years ago1:20:40

1:20:40

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 the BC Interior in the 70s, why organic farming appealed to him from the get-go, the art of growing great carrots, and his thoughts on the evolution of BC's organic sector. COG's Organic Production Handbooks , where you can try (I failed) to find the book Paddy refers to in our conversation. Also: Annelise and Tristan shout-out someone they admire in our community. Want to do that? Record a voice memo, email it to farmer@unearthedorganics.ca, and I'll put it in a future episode.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Electric Fencing Tips for Rotational Grazing Systems 1:09:06

2 years ago1:09:06

1:09:06

Note: the first release of this episode left off the end of the episode. It's been fixed now...if your version cuts off, re-download! Episode should be 1 hour 9 minutes. 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 for using electric fencing in a rotaional grazing setup. A couple of items mentioned in this episode: Short Tumble Wheel Video referenced in episode BC Agricultural Fencing Handbook Also, guest host Tristan Banwell's farm was recently featured as part of Organic BC's Organic Innovation Series This episode was supported by the BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund. Funding for the BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund was provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions On-Farm Climate Action Fund.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Limiting Nitrogen Pollution on your Farm 1:03:32

2 years ago1:03:32

1:03:32

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 it, it doesn't just hurt our bottom line. Nutrient pollution contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and pollutes our water, and so I invited Drew to join me to help us understand how to find the right balance between meeting a crop's nitrogen needs and our collective responsibility to avoid nitrogen pollution of our air and water. Here's a link to the BC Ministry of Agriculture & Food's dedicated web page for nutrient management...lots of useful info and tools here. This episode was supported by the BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund. Funding for the BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund was provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions On-Farm Climate Action Fund.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
The Long Roots of Indigenous Agriculture with Jacob Beaton of Tea Creek Farm 1:11:52

2 years ago1:11:52

1:11:52

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 about the history and traditions of Canada's First Peoples. Jacob is a member of the Eagle Clan of the Tsimshian Nation. He lives and farms near Gitwangak in Gitxsan territory of Northern BC, where he operates a thriving Indigenous skills training program at Tea Creek Farm . Some books Jacob recommends in the conversation: Grizzlies & White Guys 21 Things You May Not Know About The Indian Act Indigenous Writes Shared Histories This episode was funded by the BC Ministry of Agriculture & Food.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Carbon's A Quest 46:34

2 years ago46:34

46:34

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 BC Ministry of Agriculture & Food, and Dieter Geesing , Provincial Soil Specialsit for the BC Ministry of Agriculture & Food. First up: Amy outlines the problem of farm-based greenhouse gas emissions, defines carbon sequestration, and suggests some practices that can lead to a net reduction in on-farm emissions. After that: Dieter raises his hand to say: not so fast! In our effort to reduce emissions, he says, we have to take into account our specific growing conditions in order to avoid increasing, rather than decreasing, our farm's contribution to climate change. This episode was produced with support from the BC Ministry of Agriculture & Food. With special thanks to Emma Holmes , Organics Industry Specialist with the ministry for some help in producing this episode.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Vital Tools, Cover-cropping, The R-Word & More with Steve & Annelise from Fresh Valley Farms 1:04:31

2 years ago1:04:31

1:04:31

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, poultry & eggs on 300+ acres under a rotational grazing system. This time, we'll learn about cover cropping practices at Fresh Valley Farms, some of the vital tools and equipment in their operation, and Steve & Annelise' thoughts on the arrival of the word 'regenerative' in conversations about sustainable agriculture. You'll also hear their thoughts on where livestock fits in a sustainable food system, and their perspective on running a business with your spouse. Here's a link to a short video of the Tumblewheel Steve talks about.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Managing a Pastured Livestock Operation with Steve & Annelise from Fresh Valley Farms 1:03:15

2 years ago1:03:15

1:03:15

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, poultry & eggs on 300+ acres under a rotational grazing system. In this episode, Steve & Annelise summarize their business model and describe their core farming values. After that, Steve reviews important considerations in a rotational grazing system, and Annelise explains how they market their meat. Be sure to catch part two of this focus on Fresh Valley Farms. Next time, Steve & Annelise will talk about how and why the word 'regenerative' has gained momentum in conversations about sustainable agriculture, vital tools & equipment around the farm, cover cropping, and more!…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Plant Parasitic Nematode Biology and Their Horticultural Impacts 53:31

2 years ago53:31

53:31

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 nematology and integrated root health management for perennial fruit crops. Molly interviewed Tom so we can learn about the biology of plant-parasitic nematodes, how they impact tree fruit and other horticultural crops, and how growers can deal with them in organic production systems.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Low-input, high rotation potato production with Anna Helmer, pt 2 48:37

2 years ago48:37

48:37

This episode features part two of my 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 for its Organic Innovation Series. This episode, we go into more detail about the five year rotation that the Helmers use to produce their potatoes, and how this rotation allows them to farm more or less without any off-farm soil inputs. We'll also cover a number of other topics that burn on the mind of a modern organic potato whisperer like Anna. The score for the second segment in this episode is called Glacier by SalmonLikeTheFish and is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License .…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Low-input, high rotation potato production with Anna Helmer, pt 1 47:04

2 years ago47:04

47:04

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 for its Organic Innovation Series. The video will take you on a virtual tour of the Helmer farm and showcase their dedication to low inputs, long rotations, and heavy cover cropping. That video will be released on the world wide web in early March, and a public screening of the video will take place in Pemberton in the third week of March, and Anna and Doug plan to be there to participate in a Q & A about their farm. To learn more about the screening, head to organicbc.org/events. Using organic and biodynamic practices, the Helmers produce 15 varieties of beautiful potatoes that they have sold at farmers markets in BC's lower mainland for decades, and Anna joined me on the phone to tell me all about the farm. And she had a lot of interesting things to say, so I've divided our conversation into two parts. In this episode, we'll hear about the history of the farm, how the Helmers market their potatoes, and Anna will take us through a season of production on the farm. In the next episode, we'll go into more detail about the five year rotation that the Helmers use to produce their potatoes, and how this rotation allows them to farm more or less without any off-farm soil inputs. We'll also cover a number of other topics that burn on the mind of a modern organic potato whisperer like Anna.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
Limiting nutrient pollution in organic cropping systems 52:17

2 years ago52:17

52:17

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 University of British Columbia. Sean and his collegues completed research on this topic as a project under the last round of Canada's Organic Science Cluster. In this conversation, Sean talks about that research, and more generally about organic practices that can lead to nutrient pollution of our air and waterways, versus ones that tend to limit such outcomes. After that, we hear from Alyssa Belter of Plenty Wild Farms on the impact of extreme weather on her farm production in recent years.…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
How Tree Fruit Breeders in BC Are Adapting to Climate Change 51:30

2 years ago51:30

51:30

This episode, a conversation with two biologists from the S ummerland Research and Development Centre about how climate change is impacting tree fruit production in BC, and how the breeding work of the research centre can help the industry understand and adapt to these impacts. The guests in this episode are Jesse MacDonald and Chris Pagliocchini…

The Organic BC Podcast

1
The Biopesticides Are Coming! 30:29

2 years ago30:29