Have you taken a look at KBFA’s event lineup for the Winter? We’ve got a variety of online events that are free for farmers to attend! Take a look at the events below and register.
Tomato Production for Organic Soil-Based Systems 
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (PST)
In this interactive online session Dr.Vern Grubinger will share many “best practices” being used by organic high tunnel (hoophouse) tomato growers in the Northeast U.S. to optimize nutrient management and soil health. He’ll show pictures of these practices taken on a variety of farms, and share some recent on-farm research results. Growers are encouraged to ask questions, and share their experiences and knowledge.
Vern has been working with and learning from farmers for about 35 years. He’s the vegetable and berry specialist and Extension Professor with the University of Vermont, and director of the USDA’s Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE), which makes grants to researchers, educators and farmers, see www.northeastsare.org.
Register here
Flock Health for Optimal Broiler Production 
January 13 & 20, 2022
Thursday, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm & 10:00 am – 11:00 am (PST)
Join this uniquely tailored flock health workshop for small scale meat bird producers in the Kootenays with Curtis Smith, owner and operator of Chuckarese Abattoir in Creston and Vickie Bowes, Small Flock Poultry Health Specialist and Veterinarian with the Ministry of Agriculture.
Key fundamentals will be covered during this two-part workshop to increase your success as a chicken producer, reduce economic losses and improve animal welfare.
Topics include (but are not limited to): chicken sourcing, nutrition basics, why culling is important, disease, and what processing can tell you.
Workshop on January 13, 2022: REGISTER
Follow-up Q&A on January 20, 2022: REGISTER
Forage Quality: How to Analyze Your Samples with the BC Forage Council
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (PST)
Join producers from the Kootenay and Boundary for a workshop to understand more about Forage Quality and its importance to your operation. During this workshop one of our forage experts, Mike Witt of Witt Precision Ag., will walk us through the essentials of understand forage quality with presentations on:
- Introduction into Forage Quality
- How to read and interpret your Forage Quality Analysis
We will also hear from BCForage Council Manager, Serena Black, about the results of the Forage Quality Sample Results that were collected throughout the region this fall. Bring your questions as this is an interactive workshop to help you better understand how to interpret your results!
Register here
Indicators of Soil Health & On-Farm Measurement
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (PST)
Most farms have a goal for improving soil health whether that is physical, chemical or biological improvements. It can be challenging to know what indicator to measure to realize if those goals are being met. At this online interactive session, we will hear from soil researchers about why soil water infiltration is a good indicator of an agricultural soil’s physical properties. Dr.Catherine Tarasoff will introduce new Grab & Go on-farm research templates and case studies that enable producers to collect baseline data on soil health and conduct on-farm trials to monitor and measure progress over time.
Register here
Seeding Rates & On-Farm Measurements
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
10:00 am – 11:30 am (PST)
Crop selection and seeding rates are an important strategy for optimizing yield. With the broad range of growing conditions in Kootenays from soils to climate, each farm needs to make their own decisions based on individual farm circumstance and goals. At this event, we will hear from veggie and forage seed distributors to learn what strategies they suggest for getting your seeding rate right for your farm. Conducting your own on-farm trials will help you fine tune your seeding rates with a template for measuring your success. Dr.Catherine Tarasoff will share new templates and case studies for producers to conduct their own research to inspire producers to play a little and optimize their farm goals.
Register here
Pest Management for Small Farms: Interactive Workshop 
Wednesday, February 9, 2022
9:00 am – 12:00 pm (PST)
Join this interactive online workshop to learn about pest management frameworks for small farms using real pest examples that you can apply to the specific needs and concerns of your farm. Participants will specifically learn about two-spotted spider mites in cucumbers and carrot rust fly IPM as examples. Marjolaine Desserault with ES Cropconsult who developed and tested various integrated pest management practices for small-scale berry and vegetable farms along with 12 IPM guides will guide participants through this interactive workshop.
The IMP framework for this workshops includes:
- The six key components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- A problem-solving tool for disease-pest identification
- Guiding questions to aid in management decision-making
Register here
Experiences from the Field: Cover Cropping for Forage Systems
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (PST)
Soils, climate, variety and farm goals all impact whether a cover crop is right for your operation.
At this online workshop we will hear from Erin Harris of Kootenay Meadows Farm in the Creston Valley about their experiences incorporating cover crop rotations of fall rye into alfalfa stands and from cover crop specialist Jillian Bainard about the balance between risk and reward when considering what species to plant and timing.
In collaboration with the BC Forage Council.
Register here
Did you know?
When an event has passed, we add all of the resources and recordings from the event on our website! Check out our events page, search for what you’re looking for, or tune in to KBFA’s Youtube Channel.
