Cross-Commodity Leadership Support Project

Soil Health Webinar Series
2025-02-26 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-02-28 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Vancouver) | Zoom
The Impacts of Compaction on Soil Health – Tom Pypker

Feb 24, 2025
7-8pm via Zoom

Managing Forage Stands for Soil Health and Productivity – Greg Tegart

Feb 26, 2025
7-8pm via Zoom

Managing Snow for Agriculture

Feb 28, 2025
7-8pm via Zoom

For more details and to register, please email catherine@agrowest.ca

Building Bridges Extension Conference
2025-02-27 00:00 - 2025-02-28 23:59 | Penticton Lakeside Resort & Convention Centre, 21 Lakeshore Dr W, Penticton, BC, V2A 7M5, Canada
Save the date for Building Bridges 2025, also known as the Extension Practitioners Conference! Please note, this is a private event.

For more information, please reach out to Shelby Austen from the CCLSP at: sausten@oksir.org

Nutrient Management Plan Training - Vernon
2025-03-04 09:00 - 2025-03-05 16:00 | 2501 14 Ave, 2501 14th Ave, Vernon, BC, V1T 8Z1, Canada
Nutrient management plans (NMPs) are used to help farmers efficiently meet their production objectives and protect the environment. The training program will provide trainees with the expertise to use planning tools and produce NMPs as a service to farmers or for their own farm. Course content focuses on how to build a plan that meets objectives laid out in the Code of Practice for Agricultural Environmental Management. Visit the nutrient management plan training website to learn more.
Join the Ministry of Agriculture and Food for a 2-day accelerated in-person training session from March 4th and 5th to expedite your completion of the NMP course. This 2-day accelerated in-person training session is FREE. However, participants must be enrolled in the Open School BC Nutrient Management Plan course. Course enrollment is $100.
To attend this 2-day in-person training, you must have completed the self-paced online portion (Step 1) of the course.
For further inquiries, please reach out to Ahmed Lasisi at ahmed.lasisi@gov.bc.ca.
Lunch, coffee, and snacks will be provided at the training.
Click here to register!

BCFGA Town Hall - Penticton
2025-03-19 09:30 - 11:30 | Penticton Lakeside Resort & Convention Centre, 21 Lakeshore Dr W, Penticton, BC, V2A 7M5, Canada
All growers are welcome to attend as our provincial Minister for Food and Agriculture, the Honourable Lana Popham, joins three town halls organized by the BCFGA next week:

Wednesday, March 19th – 9:30 am to 11:30 am (Penticton Lakeside Resort & Convention Centre)
Thursday, March 20th – 9:30 am to 11:30 am (Kelowna Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre)
Friday, March 21st – 9:30 am to 11:30 am (Prestige Vernon Lodge & Conference Centre)

Attendance is free. Anyone is welcome to come regardless of registration, but registering will help us have an idea of how many people are coming so that we can plan ahead for seats, snacks, and coffee.

Click here to register!

Train the Trainer - Sprayer Calibration Course
2025-03-19 13:00 - 2025-03-21 17:00 | BC Ministry of Agriculture, Kelowna, #200-1690 Powick Rd, Kelowna, BC, Canada
This workshop, put on by Pearl Agricultural Consulting, is for Grape, Berry, Tree Fruit and other horticultural producers, their staff, Agronomists and Industry representatives who work with or are interested in learning about application technology. The course will be delivered over 2.5 days and includes hands-on practical and classroom-based theory for Airblast sprayers and horticultural weed sprayers.

Click here to register!

Kootenay Columbia Agri-Forum & Conference
2025-03-20 08:00 - 2025-03-21 15:00 | Creston & District Community Complex, 312 19 Ave N, Creston, BC, V0B 1G0, Canada
Join us for the first-ever agricultural forum and conference for Kootenay & Boundary farmers! The event will feature a keynote presentation by Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture.

Build knowledge: Gain strategies to withstand extreme weather in production of beef, soft fruit, and field vegetables.
Forge Connections: Network with fellow farmers, industry experts, and community leaders.
Drive change: Share your insights in panel discussions and help drive change in our region’s agricultural industry.

To view the agenda and register: click here!

BCFGA Town Hall - Kelowna
2025-03-20 09:30 - 11:30 | Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre, 2170 Harvey Ave, Kelowna, BC, Canada

BCFGA Town Hall - Vernon
2025-03-21 09:30 - 11:30 | Prestige Vernon Lodge & Conference Centre, 3941 32 St, Vernon, BC, Canada

Agriculture in Action: South Okanagan Bus Tour
2025-04-02 08:00 - 16:30
The Cross-Commodity Leadership Support Project and its partners (BCFGA, BCCA, BCGA, BCWGC, and OKSIR) will be hosting an engaging agriculture tour in the South Okanagan. Designed for elected officials and local and provincial government staff, this tour builds on the success of the 2024 Lake Country event, showcasing the real-world challenges and opportunities faced by local tree fruit and wine grape growers. Through site visits and open dialogue, participants will gain valuable insights into agriculture’s critical role and explore solutions for balanced, supportive policies.

This free, full-day event offers a valuable opportunity for elected officials, government staff, and growers to connect, share perspectives, and discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping agriculture in the South Okanagan. Tour stops will include Brar Star Orchards in Summerland and Township 7 Vineyards and Winery in Penticton. A final agenda will be distributed closer to the event.

Details:

Date & Time: April 2, 2025, from 8 am to 4:30 pm
Meeting Location: Penticton Trade & Convention Centre
Seats: Limited to 50 participants – RSVP early to secure your spot!
Registration: Registration has closed but a few seats are available! Email sausten@oksir.org for more info
Tour Resources: Click here!

In case you missed the Lake Country Agriculture in Action tour in November, you can click here to read the report.

For more details, please contact Shelby Austen at sausten@oksir.org.

CPMA Annual Convention & Trade Show
2025-04-08 00:00 - 2025-04-10 23:59 | Palais des Congres de Montreal, 201 Av. Viger O, Montreal, QC, H2Z 1L1, Canada
The 2025 Canadian Produce Marketing Association Annual Convention and Trade Show will take place from April 8-10 at the Palais des congres de Montreal!

Click here for more info and to register!

UBCO Climate+Water Research Symposium
2025-04-09 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-04-10 09:00 - 12:00 | UBC Okanagan, 3333 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
Join the Climate Solutions Research Collective for important conversations about the nexus of Climate+Water. All those interested in research, including faculty, students and community members, are welcome to participate in this in-person symposium.
Day One of this event (April 9, 9am – 12pm) will be hosted at UBCO in Kelowna, with the plenary presentation shared with the Vancouver campus. It is hosted in collaboration with the Watershed Ecosystem Research Excellence Cluster. Join us for an engaging morning of sessions.

Plenary Panel (broadcast to CIRS BC Hydro Theatre): lax̌lax̌tkʷ Jeannette Armstrong and John Wagner from the Watershed Ecosystem Research Excellence Cluster
Session One – Climate, Water, and Ecosystem Resilience
Session Two – Watershed Governance and Management in a Changing Climate

Day Two of this event (April 10, 9am – 12pm) will be hosted at the UBC Point Grey campus in Vancouver, with the plenary presentation shared with the Okanagan campus. It is hosted in collaboration with UBC Sustainability.

Plenary Panel (broadcast to RHS 257): Climate, Water, Power with Natasha Affolder (Law), Werner Antweiler (Sauder), and John Richardson (Forest and Conservation Science)
Exploring theatre-based approaches to work alongside community partners in water research, Presented by the Research-based Theatre Cluster and Sustainable Water Innovation and Research Laboratory (SWIRL)
Research Round Table Discussions

Register for Day One and Day Two.

Tree Fruit Production Guide Update Meeting
2025-04-09 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Get the latest updates to the spray guide and learn what is new in the production guide this year! 1 PAC Point in Category A will be available for attending this meeting.

What to Expect at the meeting:
Get the latest updates to the spray guide and updates from BCDAS and SIR. Presenters include:

Dr. Susanna Acheampong, Provincial Entomologist
Katie Goldenhar, Provincial Plant Pathologist
Garion Loehndorf, Provincial Herbicide and Weed Specialist
Molly Thurston, BCDAS Coordinator & Owner of Pearl Agricultural Consulting
Evan Esch, Entomologist, Okanagan-Kootenay Sterile Insect Release Program (OKSIR)

Meeting ID: 846 3357 6822
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Meeting Link: Click here to join

Tetralone ABA: Protecting Plants from Environmental Stress
2025-04-09 13:30 - 14:30 | Microsoft Teams
The hormone abscisic acid (ABA) triggers stomatal closure and stress responses in plants. ABA is rapidly turned over in plants, limiting its effectiveness in long term applications such as protection of wine grape plants from midwinter freeze and spring frosts. This talk will focus on the development of tetralone ABA, an analog of ABA designed to be resistant to enzymes that degrade ABA in plants. A practical, scalable synthesis from natural ABA will be described as will recent results from collaborators’ lab and field studies.

Who: Dr. Sue Abrams, Research Officer at the National Research Council of Canada in Saskatoon
Where: Virtually via MS Teams (click here)
When: April 9th from 1:30 – 2:30 PST

Microsoft Teams Need help?
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 266 927 489 643
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Orchard Plant Health Updates (Virtual Information Session)
2025-04-23 08:00 - 09:30 | Zoom
Join Ministry of Agriculture and Food staff for updates on:

Little Cherry Virus and X Disease, Katie Goldenhar, Plant Pathologist
Leafhopper vectors for disease and cherry fruitworm, Susanna Acheampong, Entomologist
Pre emergent herbicides and drift, Garion Loehndorf, Weed & Pesticide Specialist

Bring your orchard IPM, pest, and disease questions. Attendees will be eligible for 1 PAC C point.

Click here to register via Zoom!

Advanced Plant Breeding Workshop
2025-04-23 12:30 - 14:30
Are you ready to take your gardening and seed-saving skills to the next level? Join FarmFolk CityFolk for an in-depth, advanced plant breeding workshop where you’ll learn how to enhance genetic diversity, improve crop resilience, and develop strong, locally adapted varieties. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener, seed saver, or aspiring plant breeder, this workshop will provide you with the tools and knowledge to create thriving, genetically diverse crops tailored to your growing environment.
In this online workshop, we’ll dive deep into the following advanced plant breeding techniques:

Mass Crossing for Genetic Diversity:
Discover how to intentionally cross different plant varieties to increase genetic diversity, improve resilience, and select for desirable traits like pest resistance, flavour, and hardiness. We’ll cover best practices for selecting parent plants, timing your crossings, and managing pollination to avoid unwanted genetic traits.
Landrace Farming & Genetic Adaptation:
Learn how to create and maintain landrace varieties—open-pollinated, locally adapted plants that evolve through natural selection over generations. We’ll explore how to build resilient, diverse plant populations that are well-suited to your region while ensuring genetic health and avoiding inbreeding.
Biennial Seed Production for Crops Like Beets & Kale:
Master the art of growing biennial crops, such as beets and kale, for seed production. We’ll teach you how to manage the lifecycle of biennials, including overwintering plants and ensuring they flower and produce high-quality seeds in the second season.

Click here for more info or to register!

$10 Tree Fruit Climate Change Response Fund Webinar
2025-04-24 15:00 - 16:00 | Zoom
Join the Ministry of Agriculture and Food for an informational Q&A regarding the recent $10M Tree Fruit Climate Change Response Fund.

Click here to join!

Pesticide Residue Testing Lunch & Learn
2025-04-28 12:00 - 14:00
Quality Analytical Services Ltd. (QAS), a fully accredited ISO 17025 laboratory based in Alberta, is planning to host a Lunch & Learn in Kelowna on April 28th. QAS offers a range of food testing services, including pesticide residue analysis, which could be of benefit to your food safety or export programs. During the session, QAS will highlight the importance and methodology of pesticide residue testing, answer questions, and discuss how their services can support the industry—potentially reducing the need to send samples to U.S. labs.

Where: to be determined
When: April 28th frrom 12:00-2:00 PM
Format: Lunch, presentation, and discussion (lunch provided)

For more information and to register, please contact Gail Nelson at gnelson@bcfga.com

Biochar Burn Demos
2025-05-01 09:00 - 14:00 | Hidden Valley Vineyard, 1252 Naramata Road, Naramata, BC, Canada
You’re invited! Witness a live biochar burn process using vineyard prunings in a traditional kiln at a local vineyard. Learn the benefits of biochar and why local vineyards, orchards, and farms are starting to implement this ancient agricultureal practice that’s already successful in other countries. These include:

Increase water holding capacity
Increase microbial life in soils
Build resilience to disease and climate
Build healthy soils = healthy body
Increase crop yeilds

Hosted by Regenerative GeoServices: regenerativegeo@proton.me
Stop by Hidden Valley Vineyard in Naramata anytime between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm!Directions: Turn right at Poplar Grove Rd crosswalk, proceed through vineyard gate and stay right.

Pesticide Applicator Certificate Course (PAC)
2025-05-06 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-08 10:00 - 13:00 | Kelowna Downtown Library, 1380 Ellis St, Kelowna, BC, V1Y 2A2, Canada
Join the BC Fruit Growers’ Association (BCFGA) and Pearl Agricultural Consulting, Inc. for an in-depth, industry-focused Pesticide Applicator Certificate (PAC) Course. This training will cover the most up-to-date manuals and study guides, and participants will have the opportunity to take the certification exam on-site.
Why Take This Course? A Pesticide Applicator Certificate is required for:

Buying or using restricted class pesticides
Applying pesticides labeled for use only by certified individuals
Using pesticides under the authority of a license, confirmation, or permit

The course is open to all interested growers. Prepayment is required to order course and exam materials. Please contact info@bcfga.com for more information, or register here by April 18, 2025.

Course Fees:

BCFGA Members: $150 (including non-refundable Exam Fee: $90 + tax)
Non-BCFGA Members: $200 (including non-refundable Exam Fee: $90 + tax)
Once you have registered, we will send you an invoice – you will not be able to pay directly when you are getting your ticket.

**Minimum Enrollment: 10 participants

Dates & Location

Training: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Exam: Thursday, May 8, 2025 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Venue: Kelowna Downtown Library

Research Info Session: Regenerative Climate Resilient Vegetables
2025-05-08 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
Join ACARN for an evening info session highlighting the Regenerative-Organic Climate Resilient Vegetables project. Hear from researchers in the Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes lab about key findings from nine years of on-farm research. Topics include into nutrient management, conservation tillage, and cover cropping practices on organic farms across southern British Columbia.
This event also introduces the next four-year phase of field trials launching this spring—focused on enhancing regenerative outcomes through practices like conservation tillage, nutrient management, and cover cropping. Organic vegetable farmers in the Kootenays, Vancouver Island, and the Lower Mainland are invited to learn more about joining the trial!
What to Expect:

An introduction to the new field trials and how to get involved
Preliminary results from long-term organic soil health trials
An opportunity to share your research priorities and shape research questions
Upcoming opportunities to get support with soil health assessment

Click here to register!

Shuswap Biochar Burn Demos
2025-05-15 10:00 - 14:00 | Sunnybrae Vineyard & Winery, 3849 Sunnybrae Canoe Point Road, Tappen, BC, Canada
You’re invited! Witness a live biochar burn process using vineyard prunings in a traditional kiln at a local vineyard. Learn the benefits of biochar and why local vineyards, orchards, and farms are starting to implement this ancient agricultureal practice that’s already successful in other countries. These include:

Increase water holding capacity
Increase microbial life in soils
Build resilience to disease and climate
Build healthy soils = healthy body
Increase crop yeilds

Hosted by Regenerative GeoServices: regenerativegeo@proton.me
Stop by Sunnybrae Vineyards and Winery in Tappen anytime between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm! Directions: Park in winery parking lot; short walk on path to back of vineyard.

Agriculture Emergency Awareness for Growers & Industry Partners
2025-05-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
Join BC Agriculture Council and AgSafe to:

Learn how to develop and implement effective emergency management plans tailored for your farm.
Understand BC’s emergency response framework and how it supports producers.
Explore vital tools, including the Access Pass System, Premises ID, and producer-specific resources.
Build connections with local Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and strengthen community collaboration.

For any questions, please reach out to us at projects@bcac.ca. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, which makes this training possible.

Click here to register!

BCAC Producer Emergency Awareness Sessions (virtual)
2025-05-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Emergencies can strike without warning. Join one of BCAC’s sessions to learn to how to protect your farm operation with practical tools and strategies designed to enhance resilience and response capabilities.

Join BC Agriculture Council and AgSafe to:

Learn how to develop and implement effective emergency management plans tailored for your farm.
Understand BC’s emergency response framework and how it supports producers.
Explore vital tools, including the Access Pass System, Premises ID, and producer-specific resources.
Build connections with local Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and strengthen community collaboration.

Click here to register!

Reshaping Our Food System
2025-05-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Summerland Centre Stage Theatre, 9518 Main Street, Summerland, BC, Canada
Reshaping our food system: How grocery retailer consolidation in Canada imperils food production and what we can do about it
WHEN: Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
WHERE: Summerland Center Stage Theatre, 9518 Main Street, Summerland
COST: By donation

Many farmers in Canada are struggling to make ends meet, while many Canadians struggle to afford groceries. Meanwhile, a small handful of companies control most of the grocery retail market in Canada, and these companies are making record profits.
On May 21, 2025, join Dr. Katie Sardinha, a third-generation tree fruit orchardist in Summerland, BC, for a farmer’s perspective on how retailer consolidation imperils food production in Canada. In our food system, most Canadian farmers are price takers, unable to negotiate farmgate prices to cover rising production costs. We will talk about how retailer consolidation creates a power imbalance that exacerbates many of the problems faced by farmers today, as well as the question of where retailers are choosing to spend (and not spend) their profits. We will also talk about the tough decisions Canadian farmers are compelled to make in order to survive within an unbalanced domestic market, and why the number of farms and farmers in Canada is steadily dwindling.
Following an introductory talk (45min), the event will transition into being a community brainstorming session (75min), where audience members will be invited to participate in imagining ways to reshape our food system to make it more resilient and equitable for all. Some top-down solutions to the problem of retailer consolidation that we will consider include strategies enacted by governments (e.g. policy changes, legislation), strategies enacted voluntarily by retailers (cf. Grocery Code of Conduct), and strategies enacted through the cooperation of food producers (e.g. marketing commissions, supply management). Ultimately, however, the most enduring solution to the problem of retailer consolidation is one that involves Canadians coming together to enact a revolution from below, collaborating to build a food system that benefits us all. The good news is that a revolution from below is already underway within our food system. But farmers and our allies cannot enact it alone – we need everyone’s help to make it grow.
***This event will be filmed and the video will be shared online, in hopes of sparking interest and conversation on this topic.***

Sprayer Calibration Course for Tree Fruits
2025-05-22 00:00 - 23:59, 2025-05-23 08:00 - 17:00
Presented by Pearl Agricultural Consulting Inc. & the BC Fruit Growers’ Association
FREE Registration | Earn PAC Points: 2 B | 0.5 A | 0.5 C
Want to boost the effectiveness of your spray applications? Join us for a practical, expert-led training on the fundamentals of sprayer calibration—a key step for maximizing pest control while minimizing residues and environmental impact.
What You’ll Learn:
✅ How to calibrate your sprayer accurately and efficiently
✅ Tips to enhance pesticide and nutrient spray efficacy
✅ Tools and resources to improve your calibration practices
✅ Earn PAC Points: 2 B | 0.5 A | 0.5 C
Who Should Attend:
This workshop is designed for tree fruit and horticultural producers, their staff, agronomists, and industry professionals who use or are interested in learning about application technology. Participants will benefit from three one-day sessions, each combining hands-on practical training and classroom-based instruction, focusing on airblast sprayers and horticultural weed sprayers.

Airblast Sprayer Calibration – Cherry Orchards
Date: May 22
Location: Kelowna (more details soon!)
PAC Points Available:
2 B | 0.5 A | 0.5 C
Airblast Sprayer Calibration – Apple Orchards
Date: May 23
Location: Summerland (more details soon!)
PAC Points Available:
2 B | 0.5 A | 0.5 C
Boom Sprayer Calibration Herbicide application
Date: June 4
Location: Kelowna (more details soon!)
PAC Points Available:
2 B | 0.5 A | 0.5 C

Click here to register!

Vernon Farm Tour & Potluck
2025-05-25 10:00 - 13:00 | sncəcmałqtn Agricultural Park, 4122 East Vernon Rd, Vernon, BC, Canada
Join the Okanagan Indian Band, the Regional District of North Okanagan and Young Agrarians for a Farm Tour and Potluck at sncəcmałqtn Agricultural Park in Vernon!
Come check out what’s going on at the sncəcmałqtn Agricultural Park! Previously known as the “BX Ranchlands,” this property was newly named the sncəcmałqtn Agricultural Park in consultation with the Okanagan Indian Band, to honour the Syilx Territory it is part of. sncəcmałqtn translates to “place of small crops or garden” (for a pronunciation guide please refer to this audio recording).
The spacious site was recently transformed into a public park, farm and land-sharing project. Last year, the Regional District of North Okanagan opened applications for small farm plots (in collaboration with the B.C. Land Matching Program), and many farmers have now moved into the space. Currently, there are still plots available.
We’ll enjoy a tour of the park and will learn about the history of the land and how the area came to be what it is today. Haley, your regional Land Matcher, will also be there to discuss how the B.C. Land Matching Program can help you to find a farmer for your land, or find land to start or expand your farm business (at the sncəcmałqtn Agricultural Park or elsewhere).
There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions about the project and the plots of land available for lease. Join us to connect with other farmers, food lovers and members of the community, while sharing a delicious potluck meal and learning more about this community space.
REGISTER HERE!
