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42 Carrots to cattle on menu


at Smithers event Conference highlights diversity of northern agriculture


by EMILY BULMER SMITHERS – The Carrots to


Cattle conference held in Smithers on February 17-18 saw participants gather from all across the north to learn, share strategies and brainstorm on all things agricultural. The Smithers Farmers' Institute (SFI) hosted the event for the second time since 2015. “We were very happy with the attendance and think it was well received,” says co-organizer Bryan Swanson. While most of the roughly 150 participants were from the communities between Burns Lake and Hazelton, representation of the broader north included the communities of Terrace, Fort St. James, Vanderhoof and the Peace River valley. The conference attracted producers, local government representatives from the Regional District of Bulkley Nechako, Telkwa and Smithers. Smithers Chamber of Commerce, Community Futures and the BC Ministry of Agriculture also sent delegates. In his opening address at the gala banquet, Smithers mayor Taylor Bachrach emphasized the importance of agriculture to both the economy and the culture of the community. The conference theme was Making Money in Agriculture,


which Swanson says is very much on the minds of producers. Within that theme, the presentations included a wide variety of topics from very specific financial presentations such as Smart Farm Tax Preparation by Chris Henderson to a more long- term vision of value in healthy soils in the Dollars to Dirt presentation by Sandra Burton and Julie Robinson of the Peace River Forage Association. Producers attending


reflected the sector's diversity, including market vegetable farmers, cattle ranchers and large dairy operators, as well as smaller scale producers running sheep and raising bees. Lee Hesketh, presenter of the Creative Grazing Strategies workshop, remarked that the number of younger people in the crowd was a hopeful sign for the industry in the region.


Youth turnout The high turn-out of


younger producers was in part due to SFI's interest in promoting workshops and opportunities for young farmers. SFI provided five free conference tickets to young people with an interest in pursuing agriculture. The contest winners – Jeremy Rouw, Rebecca Huxtable, Alexanne Dick, Colleen Mitchenson and Nathanael Wittwer – all participated in


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the various sessions, connecting first with each other and also with experienced farmers and producers. Jeremy Rouw, 25, co-owns


a dairy farm with his 29-year- old brother, which they bought together two years ago from their parents. “If there's anything


agricultural that I can participate in, I sign up so I get as much knowledge as I can,” he said.


He attended Hesketh’s


grazing workshop and found it very helpful. “The information on riparian areas was useful. We have a mile of river on the farm and have erosion issues from previous land clearing; there was valuable information on how to repair that possibly, and who to talk to work on that.”


Although not officially part of the conference agenda, SFI partnered with the BC Ministry of Agriculture to offer two concurrent full-day sessions before the gala opening. Intended to bridge the gap between new and experienced farmers, one session focused on farm start- up and offered advice ranging from how to apply for farm status to how to create a business plan. The other option was a farm succession planning workshop that focused on how to create working arrangements for farm businesses as the older generation hands the reins to the younger.


Working through case studies on soil health during the Dirt and Dollars presentation at the Carrots to Cattle conference. EMILY BULMER PHOTO


Mark Parker, chair of the


Regional District of Bulkley Nechako (RDBN) agriculture committee, hopes that momentum from the conference will inspire another conference to be held in Vanderhoof or the eastern part of the district. “We have some really


inventive people who are pushing the envelope and figuring out ways to do it better. We need to share this knowledge as neighbours,” he said. Mark Fisher, a local


producer and RDBN director,


says efforts by RDBN to promote agriculture goes beyond ag committee work. “We're trying integrate


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agriculture throughout our work as a regional government. There are all kinds of associations and groups across the north, such as the North Central Government Association, that are working on different issues and we are bringing agriculture in the mix. At each and every table, we are bringing up agricultural issues and arguments so these groups are aware of how agriculture impacts them and how they impact us.” Both representatives spoke of the conference as an important vehicle to connect the industry and make headway on issues that are common to producers across the sector. The conference and gala is a major achievement for SFI and has started lots of conversations about regional collaboration and needs in the area. Other educational events and opportunities for producers to connect with each other are being planned. Check the website [www.smithersfarmers institute.com] for details.


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • APRIL 2017


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