In this episode Penni Adams, Manager of the Northwest Invasive Plant Council, gives us a quick lesson on invasive plants – which ones are common and which are on the critical list for eradicating. Penni also shares about the work of the NWIPC, and the services, education and outreach they provide. And important for landowners to know about is the Landowner Rebate to help deal with invasive plants.

Have you wondered or been curious about leasing your land to someone else to work? If so, you have to listen to the second half of this podcast, where Darcy Smith of Young Agrarians, provides a great overview of leasing land – including benefits, things to consider, how to go about starting the conversation and process, and more! 

Both our guests were a wealth of information. Here are some additional links and resources:

https://www.rdbn.bc.ca/application/files/8216/5047/0721/forage_1.mp3

Penni Adams (Manager NWIPC) – [email protected]

http://nwipc.org

http://nwipc.org/documents/private/Landowner_Rebate_Application_rev_Jan_2022.pdf

Darcy Smith (BC Manager Young Agrarians) – [email protected]

Morgan Kitchen (Central & North) – [email protected]

Andrew Adams (Central & North) – [email protected]

https://youngagrarians.org

https://youngagrarians.org/tools/land/bc-land-matching-program/

Welcome back! This is the first episode of the Growing Opportunities podcast Season 2.

In this episode Megan and Michelle talk to the previous Electoral Area A (Smithers Rural) Director for the RDBN Mark Fisher and Peter Alexander from BC Assessment.

They share with us what it means to own property in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), when you might need to contact the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC), and how Farm Classification fits into this picture and why you might want to seek it out.

Interviews by Megan D'Arcy and Michelle Roberge

Music by Doctor Turtle

Links mentioned in this episode:

ALC https://www.alc.gov.bc.ca/

BC Assessment https://www.bcassessment.ca/

RDBN https://www.rdbn.bc.ca/

BC Soil Information Finder Tool https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/land/soil/soil-information-finder

How do you grab the attention of your customers? Is online the way to advertise, or should you invest in a billboard on the highway?

There are so many different ways to reach new and returning customers, so why not let the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako help you figure our what's best for you!

This episode of Growing Opportunities is packed with tips and first-hand knowledge from some of the district's savviest farmers, homesteaders and market vendors.

Hosted by:
Michelle Roberge

Guests:
Megan D'Arcy
Kris Nutbrown
Iara Pavon
Shirley Moon
Joe Hug
Shari Janzen

Music by:
Doctor Turtle

Photo Credit:
Michelle Roberge

Interested in what it takes to start up a goat milk creamery?  Need questions answered about processing locally-raised chickens?

Megan D'Arcy hosts this episode of the Growing Opportunities podcast. With the help of Dena Leier of Graham Acres Homestead  and Manfred Wittwer of both W Diamond Ranch & BV Custom Slaughter, we get a snapshot of raising livestock in Northern BC for meat, goat milk & eggs. 

From a goat obsession to biosecurity, this episode covers a lot of ground.

https://www.rdbn.bc.ca/departments/agriculture

Hosted by Megan D'Arcy

Guests:
Dena Leier
Manfred Wittwer

Music by Doctor Turtle and IMLC

Photo credit: Michelle Roberge

In this episode of the Growing Opportunities podcast, Michelle speaks to three experienced vegetable farmers: Linda and Don Borno and Joe Hug.

Healthy Hugs Organics is a certified organic vegetable farm located on the fertile soil of the Bulkley River in Smithers, BC. Most of their vegetable varieties are chosen for their quality of taste and nutrition. They sell to local restaurants, businesses, and families and offer beautiful veggie boxes from July to October.

Linda and Don are local vegetable growers, who have been growing and selling vegetables for many years in Vanderhoof. They started in 1992 after Linda read an article about community supported agriculture, which inspired this stay-at-home mom to begin her own small business.

Find other vegetable producers from the Connecting Consumers and Producers directory found here... Home :: Connecting Consumers and Producers (rdbn.bc.ca)

Hosted by:
Michelle Roberge

Guests:
Linda Borno
Don Borno
Joe Hug

Music by:
Dr. Turtle

Photo by:
Linda Borno

Welcome back to Growing Opportunities! Today we're talking about forage, an essential dietary component for all kinds of livestock, from Icelandic sheep to Hereford bulls.

On the show, Megan is talking to three people about what makes their forage fields successful, and some of the challenges they face.

Listen in to the episode to hear from Wayne Ray, Smith Creek Farms (forage producer and retired rancher from south of Fort Fraser), Paul Davidson, Canyon Creek Farm (beef, dairy and forage producer near Smithers) and Nadia Mori, a Professional Agrologist currently working on a forage adaption project in the Regional Districts of Bulkley-Nechako and Fraser-Fort George.

As always, these episodes are produced and recorded in the beautiful Bulkley-Nechako area of British Columbia. Additional resources include the BC Forage Council: https://bcforagecouncil.ca/, the Peace River Forage Association of British Columbia (https://peaceforage.bc.ca/), and Farmwest (https://farmwest.com/).

Hosted by Megan D'Arcy

Guests:

Nadia Mori
Wayne Ray
Paul Davidson

Untold Stories Skit voiced by:

Nadia Mori
Megan D'Arcy

Disclaimer by Michelle Roberge

Music by:
Ketsa
Blue Sky Moon

Podcast photo credit: Wayne Ray

Welcome to the second episode of Growing Opportunities a podcast from the Agriculture Coordinators for the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako.

On this episode, Michelle speaks to Barry Clark, apiary inspector for the RDBN East about the ins and outs of inspections and the role of the bee inspector, as well as best practices for starting bees in the Bulkley-Nechako.

Side note: for folks in the RDBN, we have two bee inspectors - Barry Clark covers the East side of the RDBN (roughly Topley east), and Christine McDonald covers the West side of the RDBN (roughly Topley west). Find their contact information at the BC Apiculture website: Bees (apiculture) - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)

Then, Michelle speaks with Iara Pavon, a young beekeeper and YouTuber from the Nechako region about finding your passion for pollinators!

These interviews took place in early March 2022.

Hosted by Michelle Roberge

Guests:
Barry Clark
Iara Pavon
Megan D'Arcy
Nellie Davis

Music by Dr. Turtle

Photo Credit: Iara Pavon

Welcome to the first episode of Growing Opportunities a podcast from the Agriculture Coordinators for the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako.

On this episode, Megan talks to Bryan Swansburg and Michelle Roberge about the steps to 
setting up your farm to live off grid. It just might be easier than you think!

What does living "off grid" mean in northern BC?  Listen to this episode's guests for practical tools, useful anecdotes, and a good place to get started.

These interviews took place in the region of Bulkley-Nechako in late 2021.

Hosted by Megan D'Arcy

Guests:
Bryan Swansburg
Michelle Roberge

Music by Dr. Turtle

Photo credit: Michelle Roberge

Growing Opportunities is a podcast from the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako in British Columbia. 
 
Listen in as hosts Megan D'Arcy and Michelle Roberge speak with agricultural experts on broad scope concepts in agriculture. 

These conversations are creative and focus on topics from finding the right power source for your home to best beekeeping practices (and why northern BC is such a good place to do it!)