24


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • DECEMBER 2018 Farmers, ranchers grapple with climate change


Northern producers gather to find solutions as weather becomes more extreme plan. The focus will be on community cooperation, working as a region rather than individually, to adapt to climate challenges. “Generally, farming


by DANIEL MESEC TELKWA – Drought,


wildfires, erratic weather, increasing temperatures. The impacts of climate change continue to be felt worldwide but BC’s agriculture industry is facing the challenges head-on. As winter creeps into the


Bulkley Valley, farmers and ranchers from Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake and Smithers gathered near Telkwa on November 14 to share their common experiences and learn how to deal with the impacts of climate change at a workshop hosted by the BC Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative (CAI). Since 2008, CAI has worked with the province and industry partners to develop regional plans to help inform government policy around climate change, what it means for agriculture and what can be done to mitigate emissions and prepare for the future.


The program has


developed six action plans to date in dominant agricultural regions such as the Okanagan, Delta and Cariboo, tailored to the unique issues climate change presents in each area. CAI regional project


manager Samantha Charlton says the work is driven by producers and farmers wanting to know what the future holds for agriculture. “Very quickly the focus


shifted [from mitigation] to adaptation, since climate change is going to pose a greater risk to agriculture than [to] most other sectors,” says Charlton. CAI workshops aim to better understand the experiences of farmers and ranchers and their needs as they face increased wildfire threats as well as water shortages in places that rarely experienced these events in the past. The information will help guide appropriate adaptation strategies. The program funded a


project in the Okanagan that


installed 16 new weather stations that provide producers with better atmospheric data to manage crops more effectively. With only about $300,000 in funding for the Bulkley- Nechako and Fraser-Fort George agricultural region, CAI isn’t in a position to fund individual farm projects but rather regional projects that contribute to the program’s objectives.


Water issues


Unprecedented drought conditions in northwest BC this fall put water front-and- centre for Rayner Oosterhoff, a former dairy farmer who represents the Bulkley Valley Dairymen’s Association. “I’m not certain there are


any challenges that are unique to the dairy people that aren’t also experienced by other farmers in the valley,” he says. “Our crop production is significantly less … than 10 years ago, and that affects us all.”


Pacific Climate Impacts


Consortium data indicates temperatures in the region will increase by an average of 3.2 degrees Celsius by the year 2050. In the same period,


precipitation in the Smithers area is expected to increase by 11% in the spring and almost 16% in the fall, making weather conditions even more unpredictable for producers. “A lot of people may not be totally aware of how climate change is going to affect us; there’s probably some that don’t even recognize that it’s happening, or worse off, are still in denial,” says Oosterhoff. “But it certainly should be at the forefront, because it’s going to impact the bottom line.” CAI’s workshop in Telkwa ended with a list of issues facing producers and ranchers as well as possible solutions. CAI staff will return to the area in February to lay out potential solutions and then again in fall 2019 to begin implementation of the


The perfect gift! And one that gives 12 months of the year!


Order a gift subscription to Country Life in BC. See page 51 or shop online: countrylifeinbc.com


practices and infrastructure needs to change, but on top of it, a lot of the solutions are really beyond anything an individual can even do,” says Harmony Bjarnason, another CAI project manager. “You can certainly make water conservation decisions on your farm, but there’s a whole lot of other stuff that is unrelated to decisions you make. We can sometimes help by doing research and providing knowledge around adaptation options.” Oosterhoff hopes concrete solutions come out of the workshops to ensure agricultural producers in the north have the necessary knowledge and support needed to prepare. “I would like to see some


real specific applications to how are we going to ensure we can adapt; that we have the resources in place so we can adapt,” he says. “One of the main ones that I think has been identified today is the lack of precipitation, or less than what we’re used to. How are we going to adapt to that? How are we going to find ways to continue to grow forage and livestock and be able to produce food in this valley and region?”


Association Program Delivery Inc. (BCCAPDI)


Contractors Submissions for


Fencing for British Columbia Cattlemen’s


2019 Construction Season KL


Call or E-mail for details to meet eligibility requirements.


fencebc@gmail.com or call


1.778.412.7000


Lets team up and get you working for BCCAPDI innovative programs.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52