Support programs coming to farmers in Powell River, B.C.

Apr 20, 2017

Provincial government will contribute $100,000 to the initiatives

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

The newly announced Powell River Sustainable Agriculture Training and Development Program (PRSATDP) will help develop sustainable, secure and local food sources for the Powell River, British Columbia community.

The Province will contribute $100,000 to the program. Another $25,000 is expected from local contributions.

“We really thank the BC Rural Dividend Program (which contributes to the economic strength of rural communities) for funding this project,” Mayor Dave Formosa said in a release. “(The project) will have a significant impact on the ability to increase food production in the region, as well as assure the success of existing farmers.”

A steering committee has been formed and will oversee the program. The committee will consist of local councillors, members of the Powell River Education Services Society, Vancouver Island University and the Powell River Farmers’ Agricultural Institute.

"Our first step will be a facilitiated consultation session with farmers and food policy advocates to ensure this project will address the top priorities for improving and expanding the sector," Scott Randolph, manger of economic development for the City of Powell River, told Farms.com in an email.

Committee members say part of the program’s focus will be on issues facing current farmers, as well as on educating new producers.

“We are going to be building a training and development program that will provide solutions to obstacles being faced by existing farmers, as well as educating new farmers, to ensure the success of food production in the area,” Jay Yule, executive director of the Powell River Education Services Society, said in the release.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.