Research Info Session: Regenerative Climate Resilient Vegetables
🗓️📌 May 8, 2025| This online info session shared UBC applied research in organic vegetable production and opportunities to get involved in new field trials.
Researchers introduced the Regenerative-Organic Climate Resilient Vegetables project and highlighted the next four-year phase of field trials launching this spring. Research will be focused on enhancing regenerative outcomes through practices like conservation tillage, nutrient management, and cover cropping.
2025 Provincial Workshop
Delivered in partnership with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, ACARN’s 2025 annual workshop was Lab to Land: Advancing water and soil research for agricultural resilience. Sessions explored current agricultural climate change research and projects from across the province, including keynote sessions on Indigenous partnered initiatives. We heard from those working on the ground and learned about the research and programs emerging to advance agricultural research and support BC farmers. Key topics included:
Ethical Data Governance Toolkit
To increase the capacity for ethical data governance in the agriculture sector, ACARN partnered with researchers at UBC and beyond to co-develop resources to help farmers and others working with agricultural data. A free and open-access collection of resources available in multiple languages:
Agricultural Data Collection Protocols Conference
We hosted this two-day conference to make progress towards defining collective approaches for measuring soil organic carbon, greenhouse gas emissions and co-benefits in BC agricultural production systems.
The workshop was designed to showcase the common research approaches that will provide a framework for the BC Living Lab and to build connections with provincial government initiatives and other aligned projects. Find all sessions below.
Berry Workshop: Managing for flood damage, extreme heat and pests
Over the past year, BC has experienced the extremes of the heat dome and catastrophic flooding. These events have left berry growers with many questions both for immediate crop management and long term resilience. This webinar series explored management guidance for flood-impacted berry fields, heat damage, tolerance, and mitigation in berries, and climate change impacts on pest management.
2021 Provincial Workshop
This online workshop explored pressing climate impacts on BC agriculture in 2021. Discussions covered wildfire risk reduction, adaptation strategies, and the role of agriculture in climate mitigation. With insights from researchers, producers, industry leaders, these fostered timely conversation on adaptation strategies, barriers, and opportunities for resilience. Key topics included:
Greenhouse gas mitigation research summaries for BC agricultural commodities
To support the work of the BC Living Lab, ACARN conducted a scan of recent research that addresses practices to help mitigate climate change. We produced mitigation research summaries for seven production systems.
These documents provide a high-level overview of recent, primarily BC-based, published research and research in progress investigating agricultural management practices with potential to mitigate climate change.
Agricultural Weather Data Network
Between 2019 and 2021, ACARN’s Climate and Weather Data Working Group identified gaps in agricultural weather data availability and explored options for better data and decision aid support tools for agricultural producers. A gap analysis and roadmap were produced from this work and shared in a webinar.
2019 Provincial Workshop
This two-day event brought together B.C. producers and researchers to explore practical and collaborative approaches to agricultural adaptation. The first afternoon focused on producer-led sessions highlighting field-tested practices to improve soil health, store carbon, manage pests and disease, and adapt to changing weather—specifically geared toward tree fruit and wine grape production. The second day centered on building collaborative strategies to support adaptation, with discussions on extension, data sharing, and future research needs.
BC Agriculture and Climate Change Education Series
The BC Agriculture and Climate Change Education Series was created out of a four-part event exploring climate challenges and adaptation strategies in British Columbia’s agricultural sector. Hosted across eight post-secondary institutions in spring 2019, the series included expert presentations, Q&A sessions, and activities designed to bring regional and broader perspectives together.
