Delivered in partnership with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, ACARN’s 2025 annual workshop is Lab to Land: Advancing water and soil research for agricultural resilience. Sessions ran over two mornings where we explored current agricultural climate change research and projects from across the province. We heard from those working on the ground and learned about the research and programs emerging to advance agricultural research and support BC farmers. We ended each morning with a chance for discussion and networking with researchers, consultants, producers, and policymakers.

“I made new connections that will be helpful for my current challenges and future work.” – 2024 workshop participant

“Tons of info on extension and data…keep it coming!” – 2024 workshop participant

“Great to know help is available as the climate changes – and how to access the help.” – 2024 workshop participant

Dates & Format

  • Two-day virtual workshop on Zoom
  • Each day had three sessions: presentation, panel/project showcase
  • January 15 & 16th, 2025 | 8:45am-12:30pm PST
View Event Proceeding

Who should attend

This event is an amazing opportunity to connect with the diverse agricultural community in BC, including researchers, consultants, producers, and policymakers. We hope you’ll join us for a rich program of learning, discussion, and interdisciplinary connections. 

Thanks to support from the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, this event is free to attend. Registration is required.

Agenda

All sessions will be recorded and made available on ACARN’s YouTube channel after the workshop.

January 15
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💧WATER: Collaborative approaches to drought resilience 

🎥 Session 1 – Workshop welcome and presentation (8:45 am-10:00 am PST)

Towards adaptive agricultural water management: Indigenous-led co-governance in the Xwulqw’selu (Koksilah) Watershed

Exceptionally low summer flows in the Koksilah River, combined with increasing water demands, threaten the watershed’s health, including fish survival, Cowichan Tribes’ rights, farmers’ livelihoods, and residents’ well-being. Current drought response actions have helped the ecosystem but create socio-economic uncertainty for farmers. In this session, we learned about how Cowichan Tribes and the Province of BC are working with local communities to develop a Water Sustainability Plan (WSP). This plan aims to create adaptive management policies to prevent water conflicts and protect ecosystem health, and serve as a model for other watersheds in BC.

Presented by: Natasha Overduin, Joint Executive Director, Xwulqw’selu Watershed Planning Team

Facilitated by: Love-Ese Chile, BC ACARN

📚 Resources – Learn more about:

🎥 Session 2 – Project Showcase (10:15 am – 11:15 am PST)

Addressing drought through on-farm research and extension 

As producers across the province are increasingly challenged by the impacts of drought, extension and research projects are working to support adaptation. In this session, we deepened our understanding of the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s collaborative efforts towards water security for BC agriculture, and explored how two projects are tackling water challenges with different approaches – from generating enhanced weather data to on-farm drought resilience through riparian restoration.

  • Towards water security for agriculture in BC  

With more prolonged and frequent periods of dry weather, we’re seeing increasing water scarcity for agriculture in BC, leading to crop damage and other significant challenges. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is taking action to support producers and build water security for agriculture through extension, education and funding programs, and by improving cross-agency awareness and collaboration to find creative solutions to this complex issue.

Presented by: Lisa Levesque, Manager – Water and Sustainability, Ministry of Agriculture & Food  

  • Expansion of provincial weather monitoring network for agriculture 

Accurate and representative weather information is critical for making informed on-farm decisions. The diverse landscape and topography of BC result in significant variability in weather conditions, often over short distances. This variability presents challenges in providing tools that are applicable to large areas or to individual farms. To address this, the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food is expanding the weather monitoring network and launching BC AgriWeather, a comprehensive suite of tools designed to help producers better manage their crops amid increasing climate variability.

 Presented by: Andy Nadler, Peak HydroMet Solutions 

  • Regenerating watercourses on ranches: Beaver Dam Analogues in the Nechako Valley 

As drought in Northern BC becomes longer and more intense, ranchers are faced with challenges to hay and pasture production, livestock watering, and well supply. Beaver Dam Analogues may be able to help – proven to be an effective stream restoration method, they can support water regulation and storage, promote long-term aquifer health, and save salmon. We learned how ranchers, conservationists, and researchers are working together to trial this biodiversity-based solution in the Nechako Valley, and defending against drought, flooding, and wildfire.

Presented by: Wayne Salewski, Nechako Environment and Water Stewardship Society 

Facilitated by: Asha Wareham, BC ACARN

📚 Resources – Learn more about:

🎥 Session 3 – Discussion and Networking (11:30 am – 12:30 am PST)

Towards an evapotranspiration monitoring network & connections across water research areas 

Figuring out how to irrigate efficiently is a complex research question that involves understanding real-time interactions between plant needs, soil moisture, and climatic conditions. This discussion session helped connect the participants with researchers at the forefront of investigating what’s happening at the plant level, and how evapotranspiration data could inform management. We rounded out this session with small group discussions and opportunities to network with workshop participants.

Presented by: Dr. Thorsten Knipfer

Facilitated by: BC ACARN

📚 Resources – Learn more about:

January 16
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🌱 SOIL: Supporting ecological and community resilience 

🎥 Session 1 – Workshop welcome and presentation (8:45am – 10:00am PST)

Restoring Indigenous forest gardens: The influence of ancestral stewardship on soil processes 

For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest planted and actively stewarded food forests, which have been aptly named “forest gardens”. These agroecosystems are made up of beaked hazelnut, pacific crabapple, and a variety of berries, roots, and medicinal species. Participants of this session learned about ancestral stewardship practices, the beneficial impact on soil processes and properties, and the work being done to revitalize these multifunctional ecosystems. 

Presented by: Dr. JT Cornelis, Alyssa Robinson, Kristen Pundyk, Jack Edgar, SoilRes3 Lab, UBC

Facilitated by: Love-Ese Chile, BC ACARN

📚 Resources – Learn more about:

🎥 Session 2 – Panel (10:15 am – 11:15 am PST)

Farmer-led soil research projects for climate adaptation and mitigation

Supporting soil health is a priority for a lot of producers, but best management practices can vary widely depending on the particular farm or production system. In this session, we heard from representatives of four projects that are partnering with farmers to develop, trial, and measure the impact of different management practices on soil health. This panel showed how management can support better climate adaptation and mitigation outcomes and highlighted the value of user-driven initiatives.  

  • The BC Living Lab, Jesse MacDonald, Summerland Research and Development Center, AAFC
  • The On-Farm Demonstration Research Program, Marjo Dessureault, Director of Research, E.S. Cropconsult 
  • The Soil Health Assessment Pilot, Dieter Geesing, Provincial Soil Specialist, BC Ministry of Agriculture & Food 
  • Salish Regenerative Farm Society, Peter Doig, Upland Agricultural Consulting 

Moderated by: Dr. Jessica Chiartas, Research Manager, Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm 

📚 Resources – Learn more about:

🎥 Session 3 – Discussion and Networking (11:30 am – 12:30 am PST)

Bringing soil biology testing on-farm and connections across soil research areas

As we build a deeper understanding of the importance of soil health for climate resilience, researchers are pushing boundaries to better understand the role of microbes and soil biology in agriculture. In this session, we learned about how on-farm soil biology testing is rolling out in BC research, and joined a Q&A about the expectations we can have for soil biological amendments to influence soil biological health at various timescales.

Presented by: Dr. Miranda Hart, UBCO 

Facilitated by: BC ACARN

📚 Resources – Learn more about:

Q&A Summary

The list of questions asked by workshop participants and the answers by speakers (will be updated shortly).

January 15
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💧WATER: Collaborative approaches to drought resilience 

Session 1:

Session 2:

Session 3:

January 16
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🌱 SOIL: Supporting ecological and community resilience 

Session 1:

Session 2:

Session 3:

Meet the speakers

January 15
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Natasha Overduin is a facilitator with Compass Resource Management, specializing in planning and decision-making for natural resource management. She currently serves as Executive Director for the Xwulqw’selu (Koksilah) Water Sustainability Plan, collaborating with Cowichan Tribes and the Government of BC to lead this groundbreaking initiative—the first of its kind in the province. Natasha is driven by a passion for helping groups achieve better outcomes: for the land, the water, and their relationships. She lives in Nanaimo.

Lisa Levesque leads the Water & Sustainability team in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food which is focused on promoting sustainable water, riparian and biodiversity management practices within the agriculture sector. With a passion for finding collaborative solutions to complex, interdisciplinary problems, Lisa has worked on a variety of conservation- and natural-resource focused programs, policies and initiatives in multiple provincial government agencies since 2006. Lisa holds a B.Sc in Environmental Science from the University of Guelph and an M.Sc in Interdisciplinary Science from the University of Victoria.

Andrew Nadler is a Professional Agrologist and Agricultural Meteorologist who has worked with weather, climate, and water monitoring networks both in Western Canada and internationally. In his role as owner of Peak HydroMet Solutions, he collaborates closely with various organizations and farms in BC, helping them enhance their sustainability and resilience through the application of new technologies and innovative solutions. Andy holds a master’s degree in Soil Science (Agrometeorology) from the University of Manitoba and a BSc in Geography.

Wayne Salewski comes from an agricultural background and was proudly the first Range Officer on the Ranger station in Vanderhoof. He is the current Chair of both the Nechako White Sturgeon Recovery Center and the Nechako Environment and Water Stewardship Society and has been recognized National by Earth Day Canada as a Hometown Hero and Provincially by DFO. Fraser Basin Council and School District 91 for his work. Wayne was also nominated for a King Charles 111 Coronation medal for his contributions to Conservation.

Dr. Thorsten Knipfer is a Professor in the Applied Biology and Plant Science program at UBC (Vancouver). He leads the Plant-Water Relations lab at UBC, where his research focuses on understanding how drought affects woody perennial crops. Using a mix of new and traditional methods, he studies how water stress and recovery impact plant performance. His work aims to identify drought-resistant crop varieties and develop sustainable water-saving practices.

January 16
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The SoilRes3 Lab at UBC focuses on studying the interactions between soil processes and the cycling of essential elements in terrestrial ecosystems, especially as they respond to both natural changes and human impacts. Rooted in soil-plant feedback, Dr. JT Cornelis’ team explores the intricate soil, land and people relationships in diverse eco-cultural contexts, striving to enhance ecosystem resilience. Through respect and reciprocity in relationships with Indigenous communities, his team is committed to decolonizing the discipline of soil science to inform the reintroduction of Indigenous practices, thereby supporting the effort of the land to maintain stable homeostasis.

Jack Edgar and Kristen Pundyk work towards the revitalization of Indigenous soil amendments while Alyssa Robinson investigates how ancestral Indigenous forest garden practices influence soil processes and properties.

Dr. Jessica Chiartas is the Research Manager at the Center for Sustainable Food Systems…

Marjolaine Dessureault is a Professional Agrologist located in Pemberton, British Columbia. Her work focuses on delivering Integrated Pest Management (IPM), research, and environmental assessment services to farmers. She is the Research Director at E.S. Cropconsult Ltd., and through this work, helps clients design research that will be meaningful to them and to the agricultural industry.

Jesse MacDonald is a biologist with 16 years experience with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, and is currently Summerland’s Knowledge and Technology Transfer Officer. His peer-reviewed publications span across the disciplines of fungal pathology, virology, entomology, and physiology in horticultural commodities. He sits on a number of industry research and extension committees and leadership groups, and is the current president for the Professional Pest Management Association of BC and the Canadian Phytopathological Society BC chapter. His roles also include science coordinator for the Peace Region Living Lab and BC Living Lab, within the Government of Canada’s flagship Agricultural Climate Solutions program.

Dr. Dieter Geesing (P.Ag., RPBio.) is the Soil Management Specialist for the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the soils instructor for the agricultural department at the University of the Fraser Valley. Dieter has worked in and around soils and in the organic waste industry for over 30 years. Soils-related projects have ranged from lab work to field work in forest, urban, and agricultural soils. He has designed growing media for the horticulture industry, created erosion and sediment plans for construction sites, and designed and implemented water and fertility management plans in and outside Canada.

Peter Doig is co-Princial and Senior Professional Agrologist at Upland Agricultural Consulting. With over 20 years of experience in industrial biochemistry, microbiology, crop production, and bio-products development, Peter has managed teams of scientists, engineers, and farmers, and collaborated with finance teams. Passionate about systems-based thinking and project management, he supports agri-tech start-ups, co-founding Rubicon Organics and contributing to Salish Soils and Origin Organic Farms. He has written organic cultivation standards, including for cannabis with the Fraser Valley Organic Producers Association (FVOPA). He holds a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Guelph and an MSc in BioResource Engineering from UBC.

Dr. Miranda Hart is a Professor in Biology at UBC Okanagan. Her research is focused on microbial ecology of soil microbes and the role and applications of microbes in sustainable agriculture, viticulture, and ecological restoration. In addition to her research, she acts as Editor in Chief of Current Research in Microbial Science, as Director of the Plant Growth Facility at UBCO, and is Co-Director of the Wine Research Center.

Funding acknowledgement

Funding for this event has been provided by the BC Ministry of Agriculture & Food through CleanBC.