Our Small Farm Sessions are back for 2021 in a virtual format!
Throughout March, participate in a series of interactive and informative workshops designed for small scale farmers in Metro Vancouver.
This is a wonderful opportunity to connect to experts, ask questions and network with other farmers in preparation for upcoming season on topics such as sustainable soil management, Integrated Pest Management and restoring degrading farmland.
Sustainable Soil and Nutrient Management
with Amy Norgaard and Raelani Kesler
March 4 | 10 - 11:30 am
Integrated Approaches to Farm Pest Management
with Dru Yates from ES Cropconsult Ltd.
March 8 | 10 - 11:30 am
Restoring Degraded Farmlands
with Cindy Prescott, a UBC Professor of Forest Ecology
March 24 | 10 - 11:30 am
Register for one session at $5.00 or all three for $10.00
Each session will be recorded and we'll send you the link to view the recording if you miss the session.
Register here
This year's event is supported by UBC Community Engagement, Vancouver Foundation, Patagonia and Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
Speakers Bios
Raelani Kesler - Research Assistant at UBC Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes (SAL) Lab
Raelani is from Whidbey Island in Washington State, the 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 on various organic vegetable farms in the Pacific Northwest learning from local land stewards and farmers. She also worked as a farm educator at the Organic Farm School as the field instructor and production manager. 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 Lab in fall 2019 pursing a M.Sc. in Soil Science under the supervision of Dr. Sean Smukler at the University of British Columbia.
Amy Norgaard - Research Assistant at UBC Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes (SAL) Lab
Amy is a research assistant in the Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes (SAL) lab, UBC, working on a greenhouse gas opportunity assessment for the agriculture sector in BC. She completed her MSc in Soil Science in the SAL lab in October 2020; the goal of her MSc research was to help improve nutrient management on organic vegetable farms to balance crop production with environmental stewardship. To do so, she worked with 20 producers across three regions of southwest BC (Fraser Valley, Pemberton, Vancouver Island). Amy has also worked on an organic mixed vegetable farm in Pemberton, BC for several seasons and was a program coordinator for the Richmond Food Security Society. She is a Professional Agrologist with the BCIA and teaches sustainable soil management with the KPU – Tsawwassen First Nation Farm School. Amy has been a speaker and facilitator of workshops on nutrient management, translating agricultural science at numerous producer events in the province.
Cindy Prescott - UBC Professor of Forest Ecology
Cindy Prescott is a Professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, UBC. She is a forest ecologist who studies ecosystem processes such as litter decomposition, organic matter formation and nutrient cycling. She currently teaches ecological restoration, agroforestry and scientific writing. Cindy has received a Canadian Forestry Scientific Achievement Award and holds an honourary doctorate from the University of Helsinki.
Dru Yates - ES Cropconsult Integrated Pest Management Specialist
Dru is a consultant with E.S. Cropconsult Ltd. where she works on organic and conventional farms throughout the Fraser Valley in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). She loves working directly with growers to find effective ways of addressing their management challenges. Dru is very passionate about agriculture outreach and extension, and she is currently involved in a multi-year project to develop locally-relevant IPM resources for small-scale farms. Dru is also a registered Professional Agrologist with a M.Sc. in Soil Science from UBC.
