9 – 10am WEBINAR

Soil and nutrient management for climate adaptation: Fraser Valley case studies

How land use, land cover and soil organic carbon are changing in the Fraser Valley

Sean Smukler, University of British Columbia 

Sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide in plants and soils on agricultural land could play an important role in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Land use change, and both in-field and field-edge management can influence the rate of carbon sequestration and loss. In this talk, results will be shared from a series of studies that used satellite imagery analyses to map carbon in woody vegetation and soils in the agricultural lands across the lower Fraser Valley. Results showed both alarming losses of carbon since 1984 but also sizeable opportunities to reverse this trend through improved soil management, and hedgerow and riparian buffer plantings.

Peri-urban regions and their nutrient sink dilemma; Lower Fraser Valley case study

Shabtai Bittman, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and David Poon, BC Ministry of Agriculture

The Lower Fraser Valley (LFV), like many other peri-urban regions, is a huge sink for nitrogen and phosphorous which are imported as food, feed and fertilizers. Our research shows that present recycling is directed towards reuse of C through composting, combustion and AD. However, there is little direct effort to conserve and effectively reuse the enormous amounts of N and P and other nutrients that arrive each year. This talk will discuss nutrient inputs and outputs and internal flows in the LFV, our current efforts at AAFC to mitigate surpluses with low cost practical measures, and possible future directions to meet the aspiration of a circular economy.

11am – 12pm WEBINAR

Innovation for adapting vegetable production to a changing climate

Diversifying vegetable production

Renee Prasad, University of the Fraser Valley

A summary of the past 5 years of work exploring the field production potential of vegetable crops not widely grown in BC: okra, Asian eggplants, sweet potatoes and bitter melon. An overview of how to conduct your own on-farm evaluation of new crops will also be provided.

Integrating hogs in a cover-vegetable rotation for healthy soils

Leah Sandler, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Most market crop farmers routinely put part of their total growing acreage into cover crops for a season, as part of their crop rotation plan to add soil organic matter, enhance fertility and control weeds and diseases. However, the practice of tilling these cover crops back into the soil to terminate growth also negatively impacts soil structure and biological activity while contributing to soil compaction, generating greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the potential for soil erosion. This project seeks to determine the potential benefits for small scale farmers from integration of hog and vegetable production. Through the integration of hog grazing to terminate cover crops, this research seeks to find regenerative ways to manage cover crops and on-farm fertility while reducing reliance on the extensive use of tractor tillage has important environmental and climate change ramifications, small scale farm start-up and ongoing economic implications.

Effects of overwinter plastic tarping on soil moisture, available nutrients, and crop yield on organic vegetable farms in B.C.

Raelani Kesler, University of British Columbia

Changes in precipitation due to climate change present many challenges for organic growers in British Columbia (B.C.). Increased rainfall during the shoulder seasons (spring and fall) are predicted to further hinder the establishment of overwintering cover crops. Without cover during the winter months, fields are liable to erode and leach nutrients under the influence of heavy precipitation. In response, some producers have begun experimenting with the use of plastic tarps as a physical barrier to protect soils over the winter, however, little is known about the effects of these tarps on soil processes and crop yield. This study aims to quantify the short-term effects of overwintering tarps on soil chemical and biological processes in the spring after their removal, as well as impact on crop yield.

1pm – 2:30pm WORKSHOP

Collaboration and data sharing for pest research

Framing presentations:

• Accessing BC weather data for pest research, Faron Anslow, Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium
• Dataverse and LiteFarm: Data sharing tools for B.C. farmers and researchers, Hannah Wittman, University of British Columbia

Break out discussions covered issues related to data sharing for pest research: data standardization and quality, data privacy issues, and accessing weather data. 

Facilitator: Samantha Charlton

3:30pm – 4:30pm WEBINAR

Resources for managing pests in vegetable crops

Managing the wireworm pest complex in Canada: New challenges, new opportunities

Wim Van Herk, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Vegetable and field crop damage from wireworms has been increasing worldwide since the de-registration of effective organochlorine insecticides. Our research program has explored novel ways of controlling these pests in Canada since the mid-1990’s, including the evaluation of effective chemistries (for cereal and potato production) and the development of monitoring tools and cultural control methods. While much of the initial work was done on the introduced Agriotes species, tools developed in the last few years will potentially allow us to extend these management approaches to native species that are of economic importance on the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, as well as the BC Interior.

Developing integrated pest management field guides for small scale vegetable growers

Dru Yates & Marjolaine Dessureault, ES Cropconsult

Small-scale farm operations are not a monolith, making it challenging to create management resources that are broadly relevant while also specific enough to provide useful information. In this session, we will discuss our collaborative on-farm approach to developing integrated pest management (IPM) field guides for small-scale vegetable growers. Come and learn about the diverse pest management needs of small-scale vegetable growers, complete with examples and stories fresh-picked from the field.

9 – 10:30am WORKSHOP

A roadmap for addressing BC’s agriculture weather data needs

Preliminary results from a provincial assessment of agriculture weather network needs and options

Andrew Nadler, Peak HydroMet Solutions

The BC Agricultural Climate Adaptation Research Network and the Climate Action Initiative are supporting a provincial assessment of what it would take to develop a robust agri-weather network across B.C. Find out more about this assessment and provide your input on key data needs, coverage gaps and the decision support tools most needed by B.C. farmers.

Session introduction: Kirsten Hannam, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and ACARN Climate & Weather Data Working Group member

Facilitator: Samantha Charlton

11:30am – 1pm WORKSHOP

What an Indigenous worldview offers as we face the challenges of a changing climate

It’s Time for the Time of the Eagle in Agricultural Research: What an Indigenous worldview offers as we face the challenges of a changing climate

Presenter: Jennifer Grenz, University of British Columbia

Research is largely guided by the dominant paradigm of Western science. While the Western scientific method has served us well in many respects, it may limit our paths of inquiry and ecological understanding. Indigenous knowledge is now being recognized as vital to informing important topics such as climate change and food security. While this is an important step toward reconciliation,  understanding the source of this knowledge, the Indigenous worldview, offers a path forward for how we approach agricultural and climate research.  Dr. Grenz will demonstrate how the application of the Indigenous worldview to her research on the impacts of invasive species on food security, changed the nature of her research questions, and helped to reclaim an Indigenous Ecology that will change approaches to land healing in the future.

Guest panelists:

• Lorna Shuter, Lower Nicola Indian Band
• Harold Aljam, Coldwater Indian Band
• Erica Nitchie, BC Ministry of Agriculture
• Kristy Palmantier, BC Ministry of Agriculture
• Mehdi Sharifi, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Facilitator: Samantha Charlton

Presentation by Dr. Jennifer Grenz

1:30pm – 2:30pm FORUM

Student Research Roundtable

The research roundtable provides space for a flash round of student research presentations and discussion on how to support graduate researchers across B.C. agriculture research institutions. 

Presenters:

Soils

Umma Farhana Khushi, MSc student, UBC Okanagan, Understanding the impact of irrigation water chemistry on CO2 emissions from soils with different physical and chemical properties

David Emde, MSc student, UBC Okanagan, Soil organic carbon in irrigated agricultural systems

Sarah Bayliff, MSc student, Thompson Rivers University, Combatting Climate Change Through Plant and Soil Response to Irrigation, Fertilization and Mowing on Agricultural Fields

Matthew Kyriakides, prospective PhD student, University of Victoria, Sandown Restoration: Improving Soil Health for Farm Success

Commodity-focused: Tree Fruit, Wine Grape, Dairy & Berry

Elizabeth Houghton, MSc student, UBC Okanagan, Influence of Postharvest Deficit Irrigation on Sweet Cherry Cold Hardiness in the Okanagan Valley

Portiaa McGonigal, MSc student, UBC Okanagan, The effect of agrothermal heat treatment on crown gall disease and grapevine performance in a commercial vineyard in the Okanagan Valley

Jacqueline Barnett, PhD student, UBC Okanagan, Examining the effects of dietary glyphosate exposure on the gut microbiome.

Sanjib Sapkota, PhD student, Simon Fraser University, Root rot and wilting complex of red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) in British Columbia.

Local Food Systems

Ayla De Grandpre, Masters student, UBC Okanagan, Building adaptation pathways for local food production in the Okanagan bioregion: An applied community-based approach

Zabid Iqbal, Postdoctoral Research and Teaching Fellow, UBC Okanagan, Willingness to Pay (WTP) for Protecting and Enhancing Local Environmental Services: A Choice Experiment (CE) in the Okanagan Region, Canada

Session host: Sean Smukler, University of British Columbia

3:30pm – 5pm WORKSHOP

Participatory tools for adaptive planning

This workshop explores the issues surrounding agriculture land use decision making and how using models and visualizations could help efforts to engage communities in farmland protection and planning for adaptation.

This session includes a live demo of visualization tools!

Presenters:

• Community engagement in agricultural land use decision-making, John Janmaat, University of British Columbia, Okanagan
• Exploring the potential of visualization tools for food systems and agricultural land use planning, Robert Newell, University of the Fraser Valley and Royal Roads University

Facilitator: Samantha Charlton

9 – 10am WEBINAR

Soil and nutrient management for climate adaptation: Fraser Valley case studies

Sean Smukler, University of British Columbia
Sean Smukler is the Chair of Agriculture and the Environment, an Associate Professor, and Associate Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia. His research currently focuses on helping farmers adapt to climate change and improve the sustainability of their farming practices specifically as they relate to soils. Sean received a PhD in Ecology from the University of California, Davis where he also did his undergraduate studies. He holds a MSc. in Forest Soils from the University of Washington, Seattle.

Shabtai Bittman, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Shabtai Bittman is an agronomist with AAFC at the Agassiz Research and Development Centre. Shabtai studied plant ecology and crop physiology at McGill and U of Sask. His work with Derek Hunt on sustainable intensification of agricultural systems focuses on enhancing nutrient practices at multiple levels, ranging from field to farm to agricultural sectors to regions to the national/ international arenas. This multi-scale approach comes from observations that opportunities are to be found at all system levels. Their innovations have been recognized regionally, nationally and internationally.

David Poon, BC Ministry of Agriculture
David is the Manager of the Resource Management Unit with the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture. David has degrees in soil science from UBC and McGill. His graduate research addressed questions related to non-point source losses of phosphorus from agricultural lands that leads to harmful algal blooms. Over the past 10 years, he’s worked with and brought together farmers, researchers, public servants and others to improve agri-environmental sustainability. He maintains his passions for soil and nutrient management and good stories told over tasty beers.

11am – 12pm WEBINAR

Innovation for adapting vegetable production to a changing climate

Renee Prasad, University of the Fraser Valley
Renee Prasad is an Associate Professor at UFV in the Agriculture Technology Department. She has a PhD from Washington State University (Entomology) and a Master of Pest Management from SFU.  Renee does on-farm field research focusing on pest management and variety development questions. Renee has been getting through the pandemic by plowing through several crime novel series (Martha Grimes, PD James and Georges Simeon).

Leah Sandler, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Leah’s work and study experiences include commodity grain research in Missouri (fertilizer management, integrated crop and pest management and irrigation), small scale vegetable farming in the US Midwest, and agricultural development in Ghana, West Africa. Leah completed her PhD in botany with a focus in agroecology, conducting research in organic hemp production both agronomically as an alternative crop and from a social sciences perspective looking at farmer adoption rates and techniques. Before arriving in B.C., she worked as an education director and research associate at a non-profit working in sustainable agriculture conducting field research and operating in an extension role, working with farmers across the state of Wisconsin.

Raelani Kesler, University of British Columbia
Raelani is from Whidbey Island, Washington State, ancestral territory of the Coast Salish, Stillaguamish, Suquamish, and Tulalip peoples. After graduating from the University of Washington with a B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences, she worked 5 seasons on various organic vegetable farms in the PNW. During this time, she set her sights on a life as a farmer and work in agricultural education and extension. Raelani joined the Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes (SAL) Lab at UBC in fall 2019 pursing a M.Sc. in Soil Science under the supervision of Dr. Sean Smukler.

1pm – 2:30pm WORKSHOP

Collaboration and data sharing for pest research

Faron Anslow, Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium
As a PCIC Climatologist and the lead of the Climate Analysis and Monitoring theme Faron Anslow’s work focuses on the assimilation of historical climate records from six provincial ministries and two private stakeholders (BCHydro and Rio Tinto/Alcan) into a homogeneous climate dataset called the Provincial Climate Dataset (PCDS). These data have been used to develop high-resolution maps of BC’s climate in a collaborative effort with the PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University. Faron also monitors and reports on monthly and seasonal weather averages and places those in the context of the known climate history of British Columbia.

Hannah Wittman, University of British Columbia
Dr. Hannah Wittman is the Academic Director of the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm as well as a professor in the Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability and Land and Food Systems faculties. Her research examines the ways that the rights to produce and consume food are contested and transformed through struggles for agrarian reform, food sovereignty, and agrarian citizenship.  

3:30pm – 4:30pm WEBINAR

Resources for managing pests in vegetable crops

Wim Van Herk, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
My research in pest management began in 2003, when I started a PhD project at AAFC on the behavioural response of several wireworm pest species to insecticides; work that combined elements of toxicology, pest management, and behavioural ecology. This research first demonstrated the unique effects of different insecticide classes on wireworms, and forms the basis of our subsequent wireworm management programme. I am still at AAFC, now as a research scientist, and still working on developing management approaches for wireworms and click beetles and other vegetable and field crop pests, such as cabbage root maggots, thrips, and western corn rootworm.

Dru Yates, ES Cropconsult
Dru is a consultant with E.S. Cropconsult Ltd. where she works on farms throughout the Fraser Valley in pest and nutrient management. She enjoys working directly with growers to try to find effective ways of addressing their management challenges. Dru also loves being in the field – even on the days that involve sucking up tiny insects off of cabbage plants through a metal straw.

Marjolaine Dessureault, ES Cropconsult
Marjo Dessureault is an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) specialist and Research Director with E.S. Cropconsult Ltd. Marjo is located in Pemberton where she provides IPM services to local farmers. Marjo is passionate about testing pest management tools and implementing IPM strategies on small-scale farms.

9 – 10:30am WORKSHOP

A roadmap for addressing BC’s agriculture weather data needs

Andrew Nadler, Peak HydroMet Solutions
Andrew Nadler is a consulting agricultural meteorologist, specializing in weather, climate and agriculture-related projects across Canada and internationally. He has consulted for Weather Product Manager for Farmers Edge and previously managed western Canadian operations for Weather Innovations Consulting. From 2002 to 2011, he served as Agricultural Meteorologist with Manitoba Agriculture. There, he conceived and developed the Manitoba Ag-Weather Program. He holds a MSc in Soil Science (Agrometeorology) from the University of Manitoba and a BSc in Geography from the University of Winnipeg. Andy now lives and works out of Campbell River, BC.

11:30am – 1pm WORKSHOP

What an Indigenous worldview offers as we face the challenges of a changing climate

Jennifer Grenz, University of British Columbia
Jennifer Grenz has a B.Sc in Agroecology and a PhD in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems from the University of British Columbia where she is also a Sessional Lecturer for Weed Science and Principles and Practice of Community Food Security. Jennifer has been working in the field of invasive plant management for 17 years for various non-profit agencies with her most recent post as Executive Director of the Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver. She currently works as a consultant on invasive species management issues for all levels of government as well as working with Indigenous communities on creating food security plans and conducting land healing that is consistent with community values and need. Jennifer served as President of the North American Invasive Species Management Association and has travelled extensively across North America presenting key note lectures on invasive species management issues and effective communication strategies to different government agencies including US Senators and House Representatives. Jennifer is proud Nlaka‘pamux woman whose family comes from the Lytton First Nation. She currently lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and three children where they run a small sharing farm producing fruit, vegetables and medicinal plants.

1:30pm – 2:30pm FORUM

Student Research Roundtable

Umma Farhana Khushi, MSc student, UBC Okanagan, Understanding the impact of irrigation water chemistry on CO2 emissions from soils with different physical and chemical properties

David Emde, MSc student, UBC Okanagan, Soil organic carbon in irrigated agricultural systems

Sarah Bayliff, MSc student, Thompson Rivers University, Combatting Climate Change Through Plant and Soil Response to Irrigation, Fertilization and Mowing on Agricultural Fields

Matthew Kyriakides, prospective PhD student, University of Victoria, Sandown Restoration: Improving Soil Health for Farm Success

Elizabeth Houghton, MSc student, UBC Okanagan, Influence of Postharvest Deficit Irrigation on Sweet Cherry Cold Hardiness in the Okanagan Valley

Portiaa McGonigal, MSc student, UBC Okanagan, The effect of agrothermal heat treatment on crown gall disease and grapevine performance in a commercial vineyard in the Okanagan Valley

Jacqueline Barnett, PhD student, UBC Okanagan, Examining the effects of dietary glyphosate exposure on the gut microbiome.

Sanjib Sapkota, PhD student, Simon Fraser University, Root rot and wilting complex of red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) in British Columbia.

Ayla De Grandpre, Masters student, UBC Okanagan, Building adaptation pathways for local food production in the Okanagan bioregion: An applied community-based approach

Zabid Iqbal, Postdoctoral Research and Teaching Fellow, UBC Okanagan, Willingness to Pay (WTP) for Protecting and Enhancing Local Environmental Services: A Choice Experiment (CE) in the Okanagan Region, Canada

3:30pm – 5pm WORKSHOP

Participatory tools for adaptive planning

John Janmaat, University of British Columbia, Okanagan
Dr. John Janmaat is an outdoorsman, father of two, and a sustainability educator and leader in the Okanagan. He holds B.Sc and M.Sc degrees in Agricultural Economics from UBC, an M.B.A. in Finance from Simon Fraser, and a Ph.D in Environmental and Resource Economics from Queens. As Associate Professor of Economics at UBCO, his research focuses on the efficient use of limited resources, particularly the economics of water resources. He holds a prestigious provincial research chair in Water Resources and Environmental Sustainability. John is the past Vice Chair of the Environmental Advisory Committee for the RDCO, and current Chair of the Kelowna Agricultural Advisory Committee.

Robert Newell, University of the Fraser Valley
Dr. Robert Newell has a PhD in Geography, and he is an Associate Director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley. He previously worked in the School of Environment and Sustainability at Royal Roads University, where he did research and taught courses on critical sustainability issues (particularly climate change and biodiversity loss) and approaches to sustainable community development. Newell’s research focuses on integrated planning, and he explores the use of systems thinking, models, and visualizations as tools for supporting local planning and decision-making. Much of his work has specifically looked at community climate action in an integrated planning context, and he has explored a number of different analyses and techniques for supporting local climate action efforts.