The Public Good Could Be Bad for this Farmer in Sumas Prairie

The Public Good Could Be Bad for this Farmer in Sumas Prairie

The show today has two segments, both concerning undesirable amounts of water. In segment one, Dave Russenberger wrestles with a public plan that carries serious implications for his dariy farm in the Sumas Prairie. In segment two, greater Vernon farmers talk about the impacts of a mandatory 70% reduction to their annual irrigation allocation. Some believe this sacrifice could and should have been avoided, but I'm not so sure. Links: Sumas River Watershed Flood Mitigation Plan [https://letstalkabbotsford.ca/sumasriverwatershedfloodmitigationplan] The modern history [https://www.rdno.ca/mwp] of water planning in Greater Vernon

BC Agriweather (Or: Evapotranspiration as a Drought Mitigation Revelation)

For this episode I wanted to explore the value of a good agricultural weather network, and to learn about an online resource for our sector called BC Agriweather [https://dashboard.bcagriweather.ca/dashboard/d6c160d0-5da1-11ef-afdc-a9f934aee8fe?publicId=49f7e090-3b0d-11ef-8a78-27eaf9e5baa3&state=W3siaWQiOiJkZWZhdWx0IiwicGFyYW1zIjp7fX0seyJpZCI6InRvb2xzIiwicGFyYW1zIjp7fX0seyJpZCI6Im1hcHMiLCJwYXJhbXMiOnt9fSx7ImlkIjoiZGVmYXVsdCIsInBhcmFtcyI6e319XQ%253D%253D]. The person I invited to speak to this topic is Andy Nadler. Andy is an agricultural meteorologist with a company called Peak HydroMet Solutions [https://peakhydromet.com/] who has worked closely with the BC government to improve and maintain a province-wide network of weather monitoring stations that provides vital data for and about BC’s farming sector. Andy’s work has supported the creation of a website called BC Agriweather, which was the main focus of our conversation.

How Our Governments Set Policies & Programs for Farmers

This episode we explore Canada's Next Agricultural Policy Framework [https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/department/transparency/public-opinion-research-consultations/share-ideas-next-agricultural-policy-framework-0], and how farmers can have a say in the policies and programs our governments create for farms and farmers. In the episode we discuss some surveys BC farmers are being asked to fill out. Here are some links: Provincial Ministry of Ag Survey: Takes about 15 minutes to complete Deadline: Wednesday, June 10th Survey link: https://submit.digital.gov.bc.ca/app/form/submit?f=3fe4d6db-bc21-490e-a821-cb195e2fac20 [https://agriservicebc.cmail19.com/t/y-i-auijdid-l-r/] Agriculture & Agrifood Canada Survey: Takes 10-20 minutes to complete Deadline: Tuesday, June 30th Survey Link: https://agr.survey-sondage.ca/f/s.aspx?s=981FEF92-6622-46FF-AD99-3E3E3637A0B9 [https://agr.survey-sondage.ca/f/s.aspx?s=981FEF92-6622-46FF-AD99-3E3E3637A0B9]

Your Water Shortage Concerns & How One Chore Becomes 20

I think the title for this episode does all of the necessary heavy lifting. Take a break this time, Show Notes. farminginbc.ca/submit to contact me.

Growing Wheat & Fending Off Nihilism in the Fraser Valley

This ep: my interview with the farmers of Cedar Isle Farm [https://cedarislefarm.ca/] near Harrison Hot Springs, where Hannah, Diane, Jim, & Rosa told me about growing wheat, oats, barley and rye for their Grain CSA and for regional bakeries. We discuss their production & marketing, the stress of ensuring farm longevity & succession amidst a 500K tax bill, farmers-as-paragons, and ideas for strengthing farm communities. farminginbc.ca/submit to record your thoughts for the show!