2020 Provincial Workshop

This online workshop explored climate adaptation research relevant to BC agriculture in 2020. Since 2017, ACARN has hosted these interdisciplinary knowledge-exchange events to showcase BC-based climate action research and programs supporting agricultural resilience. Constructive dialogue between producers, researchers, government staff, and agricultural professionals is a key outcome.

Discussions covered pests and disease management, adaptive planning, application of weather monitoring tools, and Indigenous worldviews. With insights from researchers, producers, and industry leaders, these conversations fostered timely dialogue on adaptation strategies, barriers, and opportunities for resilience.

🫐Berry Production in a Changing Climate

🌱Soil and Nutrient Management in the Fraser Valley

🥦Adapting Vegetable Production

📊Tools for Adaptation: Actioning Agricultural Weather Data, Pest Data & Adaptive Planning

🌎What an Indigenous Worldview Offers in a Changing Climate

+ Bonus! Pre-Workshop Session

Regional Adaptation Strategies for BC Agriculture

This webinar presented the results of a decade of consultation, collaboration, and strategy development that identified and prioritized climate change impacts on BC’s major agricultural regions.

The BC Agriculture & Food Climate Action Initiative’s Regional Adaptation Program united producers, industry groups, and government to address key climate challenges and implement strategies that supported agricultural resilience.

+ Graduate Student Research Roundtable

Soils, Perennial Row Crops, Dairy, Food Systems

The research roundtable provides space for a flash round of student research presentations and discussion on how to support graduate researchers across B.C. agriculture research institutions. 

Thesis topics

Soils

  • Understanding the impact of irrigation water chemistry on CO2 emissions – Umma Farhana Khushi, MSc student, UBC Okanagan
  • Soil organic carbon in irrigated agricultural systems – David Emde, MSc student, UBC Okanagan
  • Combatting climate change through plant and soil response to irrigation, fertilization, and mowing – Sarah Bayliff, MSc student, Thompson Rivers University
  • Sandown restoration: Improving soil health for farm success – Matthew Kyriakides, prospective PhD student, University of Victoria

Commodity-focused: Tree Fruit, Wine Grape, Berries & Dairy

  • Influence of postharvest deficit irrigation on sweet cherry cold hardiness – Elizabeth Houghton, MSc student, UBC Okanagan
  • Agrothermal heat treatment effects on crown gall disease and grapevine performance – Portia McGonigal, MSc student, UBC Okanagan
  • Effects of dietary glyphosate exposure on the gut microbiome – Jacqueline Barnett, PhD student, UBC Okanagan
  • Root rot and wilting complex of red raspberry in British Columbia – Sanjib Sapkota, PhD student, Simon Fraser University

Local Food Systems

  • Building adaptation pathways for local food production in the Okanagan bioregion – Ayla De Grandpre, Masters student, UBC Okanagan
  • Willingness to pay for protecting and enhancing local environmental services – Zabid Iqbal, Postdoctoral Research and Teaching Fellow, UBC Okanagan

Berry Production in a Changing Climate

Sessions explored key advancements in berry research, addressing challenges in production, pest management, and climate resilience. Topics included innovative solutions like reflective tarps for heat stress, mass trapping for spotted-wing drosophila control, and disease forecasting tools to support growers. Researchers examined the role of early-ripening haskap in adapting to rising temperatures and discussed the unexpected establishment of parasitoid wasps that could aid pest management. With a focus on sustainable approaches, these discussions highlighted the evolving strategies ensuring long-term viability for berry production.

🎥 Watch workshop sessions

Innovation for Adaptation in Small Berry Production

Managing Extreme Heat with Reflective Tarps in the Blueberry Industry: Tested during the 2020 Fraser Valley harvest, reflective tarps helped reduce heat-related fruit losses and improve quality, adapting a technique long used in cherry production.

Grant McMillan, Integrated Crop Management Services

Grant is the Regional Manager – British Columbia for ICMS’s contract research team. He grew up on a farm in Prince Edward Island. He received his Agriculture Degree from Dalhousie University. Grant has been involved in applied agriculture research since 2001. He joined ICMS in 2003, as a Research Agronomist in Alberta, then became Regional Manager of the BC research stations in 2008. Grant has experience working with a wide range of cropping systems, including small fruit on both coasts of Canada. He is currently President-Elect for the 700+ members of the National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants.

Berry Crop Diversification to Mitigate Climate Change Impacts: Extreme weather threatens traditional berry crops, but early-ripening haskap avoids mid-summer heat, offering a climate-resilient alternative. Successful commercialization requires optimal genetics and advanced production practices.

Eric Gerbrandt, Blue Sky Horticulture

Eric studied Biology and Agriculture at the University of the Fraser Valley before completing a Ph.D. in Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan, characterizing phenological, morphological and biochemical genetic resources in haskap. With 13 years of experience in the BC berry industry, his research portfolio focuses on applied horticultural management of blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. He serves as Research Director for the BC Blueberry and Raspberry Councils and Strawberry Grower’s Association, working to build cross-commodity, cross-disciplinary research to enhance berry production. He is an adjunct in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia.

Resources for Managing Pests and Diseases in BC Berries

Developing IPM Field Guides for Small-Scale Berry Growers: This session explored on-farm collaboration to address gaps in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) resources. It highlighted key grower needs, pest management examples, and lessons learned from working across multiple farms and seasons.

Dru Yates, Marjolaine Dessureault, ES Cropconsult

Dru is a consultant with E.S. Cropconsult Ltd. where she works on farms throughout the Fraser Valley in pest and nutrient management. She enjoys working directly with growers to try to find effective ways of addressing their management challenges. Dru also loves being in the field – even on the days that involve sucking up tiny insects off of cabbage plants through a metal straw.

Marjo Dessureault is an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) specialist and Research Director with E.S. Cropconsult Ltd. Marjo is located in Pemberton where she provides IPM services to local farmers. Marjo is passionate about testing pest management tools and implementing IPM strategies on small-scale farms.

Decision Support Tools for Berry Disease Management: This session covered forecasting tools for fruit rots, gaps in BC’s berry industry, and ongoing research to improve disease management.

Rishi Burlakoti, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Dr. Rishi Burlakoti is a Research Scientist- Plant Pathology at Agassiz Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. His research programs focuses on the new and existing diseases of high value horticultural crops including berry crops, field and greenhouse vegetables crops of British Columbia. Dr. Burlakoti is an Adjunct Professor in Faculty of Land and Food System, University of British Columbia and in Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph.

Lessons from the Last 10 Years of Drosophila suzukii: Moving Forward with Management

29th MacCarthy Lecture in Pest Management

Presented by the UBC Centre for Sustainable Food Systems and the BC Food Web

The H. R. MacCarthy Pest Management Lecture is an annual event featuring a distinguished expert, alternating between Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia. Managed by a committee with representatives from UBC, SFU, and AAFC, it is funded by the H. R. MacCarthy Endowment Fund at Simon Fraser University.

Since its 2008 arrival in North America and Europe, Drosophila suzukii rapidly spread, impacting crops like caneberries, cherries, and blueberries. Zero-tolerance policies led to increased pesticide use and costs. Advances in understanding its biology are shaping improved management strategies, offering insights for addressing future invasive species threats.

Hannah Burrack, North Carolina State University

Dr. Hannah Burrack is a professor & extension specialist in the Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology at North Carolina State University where she has worked since 2007. She leads the Specialty Crop IPM laboratory where she develops biology based strategies to improve pest and pollinator management in berries, grapes, tobacco, industrial hemp and other crops. She is particularly interested in the biology of invasive species and enjoys solving insect problems with extension agents and growers.

Panel: Research-based strategies for spotted-wing Drosophila management in berry crops

Mass Trapping for Spotted Wing Drosophila in Blueberries: A Fraser Valley project tested mass trapping to manage SWD alongside various farming practices, highlighting timing and ongoing challenges.

Jen McFarlane, ES Cropconsult

Jen is the Research Coordinator and a berry IPM consultant with E.S. Cropconsult Ltd. based in the Fraser Valley. Jen enjoys applying practical research to her consulting work, enabling growers to manage pests in their fields effectively. In addition to other pest research, she has recently been studying mass trapping as a potential management tool for spotted wing drosophila.

Current and Future Tools for Managing Drosophila suzukii: Growers rely on insecticides to control Drosophila suzukii, leading to resistance and the need for alternative strategies. Panelists explored cultural and behavioral management techniques for more sustainable pest control.

Vaughn Walton, Oregon State University

Vaughn’s work focuses on management of key insect pests in horticultural crops. Very often, little information is available on alternative management options. For this reason his research aims to aid growers to adopt and implement techniques that optimize natural resources including the environment, biocontrol and natural chemicals including volatiles to manage these insects.

Unanticipated Establishment of Exotic Natural Enemies of Spotted Wing Drosophila in BC: Two parasitoid wasp species from Asia have established in British Columbia, potentially impacting sustainable management efforts for this invasive pest. Panelists discussed the implications of this discovery.

Paul Abram, Chandra Moffat, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Dr. Paul Abram has been a research scientist in Entomology at the Agassiz Research and Development Centre since 2016. His research program focuses on the biology and behaviour of natural enemies of pest insects, and the evaluation of their biological control contributions to sustainable pest management.

Dr. Chandra Moffat is a Research Scientist – Entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Summerland, BC. Her research program centres on the agro-ecology of insect pests, communities of native and non-native plants and insects they interact with, and the cropping systems they impact. Her work strives to develop knowledge of the ecology and evolution of both insects and plants across a variety of agricultural systems, to develop sustainable pest management strategies. She focuses on development of biological control based-methods for invasive insects (primarily in tree fruits), the biological control of invasive weeds, as well as characterizing and delaying the development of insecticide resistance.

Soil and Nutrient Management

The high density of agricultural production in the Lower Fraser Valley has created key challenges related to soil and nutrient management. Presentations examined shifts in land use, losses in soil organic carbon since 1984, and strategies for restoration through improved management and strategic plantings. Discussions also highlighted nutrient recycling inefficiencies in peri-urban regions, where high nitrogen and phosphorus imports lack effective reuse. Researchers explored practical solutions to mitigate these surpluses and advance a circular economy for long-term soil health and productivity.

🎥 Watch workshop sessions

Fraser Valley Case Studies

Changes in Land Use, Land Cover, and Soil Organic Carbon in the Fraser Valley: Studies using satellite imagery mapped carbon in woody vegetation and soils, revealing significant losses since 1984 but also opportunities for restoration through improved soil management and strategic plantings.

Sean Smukler, University of British Columbia

Sean Smukler is the Chair of Agriculture and the Environment, an Associate Professor, and Associate Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia. His research currently focuses on helping farmers adapt to climate change and improve the sustainability of their farming practices specifically as they relate to soils. Sean received a PhD in Ecology from the University of California, Davis where he also did his undergraduate studies. He holds a MSc. in Forest Soils from the University of Washington, Seattle.

Nutrient Sink Dilemma in Peri-Urban Regions: Lower Fraser Valley Case Study: Research in the Lower Fraser Valley revealed high nitrogen and phosphorus imports with limited reuse or conservation efforts. Researchers examined current recycling practices, mitigation strategies, and future directions for a circular economy.

Shabtai Bittman, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; David Poon, BC Ministry of Agriculture

Shabtai Bittman is an agronomist with AAFC at the Agassiz Research and Development Centre. Shabtai studied plant ecology and crop physiology at McGill and U of Sask. His work with Derek Hunt on sustainable intensification of agricultural systems focuses on enhancing nutrient practices at multiple levels, ranging from field to farm to agricultural sectors to regions to the national/ international arenas. This multi-scale approach comes from observations that opportunities are to be found at all system levels. Their innovations have been recognized regionally, nationally and internationally.

David is the Manager of the Resource Management Unit with the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture. David has degrees in soil science from UBC and McGill. His graduate research addressed questions related to non-point source losses of phosphorus from agricultural lands that leads to harmful algal blooms. Over the past 10 years, he’s worked with and brought together farmers, researchers, public servants and others to improve agri-environmental sustainability. He maintains his passions for soil and nutrient management and good stories told over tasty beers.

Adapting Vegetable Production

Small-scale vegetable growers face unique pest management challenges, with limited resources to address diverse and evolving threats. Traditional IPM strategies often fail to meet their specific needs, prompting researchers to develop field guides through direct on-farm collaboration. At the same time, wireworm damage continues to rise due to the loss of effective insecticides, forcing growers to rely on newly developed monitoring tools and control methods. Without tailored solutions, these growers risk lower yields and increased production costs, highlighting the urgent need for adaptive, region-specific management strategies.

🎥 Watch workshop session

Innovation for Adaptation in Vegetable Production

Diversifying Vegetable Production in BC: A five-year study examined the field production potential of underutilized crops like okra, Asian eggplants, sweet potatoes, and bitter melon. Researchers also shared methods for conducting on-farm evaluations of new crops.

Renee Prasad, University of the Fraser Valley

Renee Prasad is an Associate Professor at UFV in the Agriculture Technology Department. She has a PhD from Washington State University (Entomology) and a Master of Pest Management from SFU.  Renee does on-farm field research focusing on pest management and variety development questions. Renee has been getting through the pandemic by plowing through several crime novel series (Martha Grimes, PD James and Georges Simeon).

Integrating Hogs in Cover-Vegetable Rotations for Healthy Soils: Research examined how hog grazing could replace tractor tillage to terminate cover crops, improving soil health, fertility, and reducing environmental impacts for small-scale farmers.

Leah Sandler, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Leah’s work and study experiences include commodity grain research in Missouri (fertilizer management, integrated crop and pest management and irrigation), small scale vegetable farming in the US Midwest, and agricultural development in Ghana, West Africa. Leah completed her PhD in botany with a focus in agroecology, conducting research in organic hemp production both agronomically as an alternative crop and from a social sciences perspective looking at farmer adoption rates and techniques. Before arriving in B.C., she worked as an education director and research associate at a non-profit working in sustainable agriculture conducting field research and operating in an extension role, working with farmers across the state of Wisconsin.

Effects of Overwinter Plastic Tarping on Organic Vegetable Farms in B.C.: Research examined how plastic tarps impact soil moisture, nutrients, and crop yield, addressing challenges from increased seasonal rainfall and potential erosion.

Raelani Kesler, University of British Columbia

Raelani is from Whidbey Island, Washington State, 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 5 seasons on various organic vegetable farms in the PNW. 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 (SAL) Lab at UBC in fall 2019 pursing a M.Sc. in Soil Science under the supervision of Dr. Sean Smukler.

Resources for managing pests in vegetable crops

Managing the Wireworm Pest Complex in Canada: Research since the mid-1990s has developed monitoring tools, cultural control methods, and effective chemistries to combat wireworm damage in vegetable and field crops, with recent advancements extending management strategies to native species across multiple regions.

Wim Van Herk, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Wim’s research in pest management began in 2003, when he started a PhD project at AAFC on the behavioural response of several wireworm pest species to insecticides; work that combined elements of toxicology, pest management, and behavioural ecology. This research first demonstrated the unique effects of different insecticide classes on wireworms, and forms the basis of our subsequent wireworm management programme. Wim is still at AAFC, now as a research scientist, and still working on developing management approaches for wireworms and click beetles and other vegetable and field crop pests, such as cabbage root maggots, thrips, and western corn rootworm.

Developing IPM Field Guides for Small-Scale Vegetable Growers: A collaborative on-farm approach was used to create IPM field guides tailored to the diverse needs of small-scale vegetable growers, balancing broad relevance with practical specificity.

Dru Yates, Marjolaine Dessureault, ES Cropconsult

Dru is a consultant with E.S. Cropconsult Ltd. where she works on farms throughout the Fraser Valley in pest and nutrient management. She enjoys working directly with growers to try to find effective ways of addressing their management challenges. Dru also loves being in the field – even on the days that involve sucking up tiny insects off of cabbage plants through a metal straw.

Marjo Dessureault is an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) specialist and Research Director with E.S. Cropconsult Ltd. Marjo is located in Pemberton where she provides IPM services to local farmers. Marjo is passionate about testing pest management tools and implementing IPM strategies on small-scale farms.

Tools for Adaptation: Agricultural weather data, pest data, and adaptive planning

These sessions explored agricultural weather data and climate adaptation tools in B.C., focusing on developing a robust agri-weather network, data-sharing tools, and pest research. Experts addressed key challenges like data standardization, privacy, and access, that help ensure farmers and researchers can effectively use climate insights.

🎥 Watch workshop sessions

A Roadmap for Addressing BC’s Agriculture Weather Data

Preliminary results from a provincial assessment of agriculture weather network needs and options: ACARN and the Climate Action Initiative supported an assessment of what was needed to establish a strong agri-weather network in B.C., gathering input on data needs, coverage gaps, and decision-support tools for farmers.

Andrew Nadler, Peak HydroMet Solutions

Andrew Nadler is a consulting agricultural meteorologist, specializing in weather, climate and agriculture-related projects across Canada and internationally. He has consulted for Weather Product Manager for Farmers Edge and previously managed western Canadian operations for Weather Innovations Consulting. From 2002 to 2011, he served as Agricultural Meteorologist with Manitoba Agriculture. There, he conceived and developed the Manitoba Ag-Weather Program. He holds a MSc in Soil Science (Agrometeorology) from the University of Manitoba and a BSc in Geography from the University of Winnipeg. Andy now lives and works out of Campbell River, BC.

Collaboration for Data-Sharing and Pest Research

Accessing BC weather data for pest research

Faron Anslow, Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium

As a PCIC Climatologist and the lead of the Climate Analysis and Monitoring theme Faron Anslow’s work focuses on the assimilation of historical climate records from six provincial ministries and two private stakeholders (BCHydro and Rio Tinto/Alcan) into a homogeneous climate dataset called the Provincial Climate Dataset (PCDS). These data have been used to develop high-resolution maps of BC’s climate in a collaborative effort with the PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University. Faron also monitors and reports on monthly and seasonal weather averages and places those in the context of the known climate history of British Columbia.

Dataverse and LiteFarm: Data sharing tools for B.C. farmers and researchers

Hannah Wittman, University of British Columbia

Dr. Hannah Wittman is the Academic Director of the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm as well as a professor in the Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability and Land and Food Systems faculties. Her research examines the ways that the rights to produce and consume food are contested and transformed through struggles for agrarian reform, food sovereignty, and agrarian citizenship.  

Break out discussions covered issues related to data sharing for pest research: data standardization and quality, data privacy issues, and accessing weather data. 

Workshop: Participatory Tools for Adaptive Planning

Community engagement in agricultural land use decision-making

John Janmaat, University of British Columbia Okanagan

Dr. John Janmaat is an outdoorsman, father of two, and a sustainability educator and leader in the Okanagan. He holds B.Sc and M.Sc degrees in Agricultural Economics from UBC, an M.B.A. in Finance from Simon Fraser, and a Ph.D in Environmental and Resource Economics from Queens. As Associate Professor of Economics at UBCO, his research focuses on the efficient use of limited resources, particularly the economics of water resources. He holds a prestigious provincial research chair in Water Resources and Environmental Sustainability. John is the past Vice Chair of the Environmental Advisory Committee for the RDCO, and current Chair of the Kelowna Agricultural Advisory Committee.

Exploring the potential of visualization tools for food systems and agricultural land use planning

Rob Newell, Royal Roads University

Dr. Robert Newell has a PhD in Geography, and he is an Associate Director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley. He previously worked in the School of Environment and Sustainability at Royal Roads University, where he did research and taught courses on critical sustainability issues (particularly climate change and biodiversity loss) and approaches to sustainable community development. Newell’s research focuses on integrated planning, and he explores the use of systems thinking, models, and visualizations as tools for supporting local planning and decision-making. Much of his work has specifically looked at community climate action in an integrated planning context, and he has explored a number of different analyses and techniques for supporting local climate action efforts.

This workshop explored the issues surrounding agriculture land use decision making and how using models and visualizations could help efforts to engage communities in farmland protection and planning for adaptation.

This session included a live demo of visualization tools!

What an Indigenous Worldview Offers in a Changing Climate

Research is largely guided by the dominant paradigm of Western science. While the Western scientific method has served us well in many respects, it may limit our paths of inquiry and ecological understanding. Indigenous knowledge is now being recognized as vital to informing important topics such as climate change and food security. While this is an important step toward reconciliation,  understanding the source of this knowledge, the Indigenous worldview, offers a path forward for how we approach agricultural and climate research. Dr. Grenz demonstrates how the application of the Indigenous worldview to her research on the impacts of invasive species on food security, changed the nature of her research questions, and helped to reclaim an Indigenous Ecology that will change approaches to land healing in the future.

🎥 Watch workshop session

It’s Time for the Time of the Eagle in Agricultural Research

What an Indigenous worldview offers as we face the challenges of a changing climate

Integrating Indigenous knowledge into agricultural and climate research expands ecological understanding beyond Western scientific methods, offering new insights into reconciliation, food security, and land healing.

Jennifer Grenz, University of British Columbia

Jennifer Grenz has a B.Sc in Agroecology and a PhD in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems from the University of British Columbia where she is also a Sessional Lecturer for Weed Science and Principles and Practice of Community Food Security. Jennifer has been working in the field of invasive plant management for 17 years for various non-profit agencies with her most recent post as Executive Director of the Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver. She currently works as a consultant on invasive species management issues for all levels of government as well as working with Indigenous communities on creating food security plans and conducting land healing that is consistent with community values and need. Jennifer served as President of the North American Invasive Species Management Association and has travelled extensively across North America presenting key note lectures on invasive species management issues and effective communication strategies to different government agencies including US Senators and House Representatives. Jennifer is proud Nlaka‘pamux woman whose family comes from the Lytton First Nation. She currently lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and three children where they run a small sharing farm producing fruit, vegetables and medicinal plants.

Guest panelists

Mehdi Sharifi, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Lorna Shuter, Lower Nicola Indian Band

Harold Aljam, Coldwater Indian Band

Erica Nitchie, BC Ministry of Agriculture

Kristy Palmantier, BC Ministry of Agriculture