By Laurice Gomes

Pilot program to assist B.C. farmers and ranchers prepare for extreme weather events: ‘It’s great to see that support’

Jul 26, 2022 | 1:04 PM

ROSEDALE — A new pilot program announced by the province will allow B.C. farmers and ranchers to prepare for extreme weather conditions such as wildfires, flooding, and extreme heat. One dairy farmer from Rosedale is eager for the start of the program and said it would be a step in the right direction.

“I think it’s positive to see a program assisting farmers in taking further steps to adapt to whatever the climate issues are in their region,” said Sarah Sache of West River Farm Ltd.

Sache, who is also the vice chair of the BC Dairy Association, said B.C. being such a vast environment, it’s good to see that the program has a broad spectrum of opportunities.

Image: L. Gomes / PML / Sarah Sache is a dairy farmer at West River Farm Ltd., and the vice chair of the BC Dairy Association.

Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture and Food, said the farming community has seen extreme impacts of climate-related weather events in the last year alone, and action to support farmers and ranchers is imminent.

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“Agriculture and being able to feed British Columbians is intricately tied to climate change, and by taking increased steps to focus on how we can best prepare for and mitigate future climate impacts, we will be able to better protect the livelihoods of our food producers while strengthening our food security and food economy,” Popham said.

The Extreme Weather Preparedness for Agriculture program will invest $1.5 million in projects this year to help with risk assessments and make infrastructure upgrades on farms.

For Sache and her family farm, that means assistance with heat mitigation. Prior to the pilot project announcement, the Saches’ had already invested in fans and misters for their livestock in order to keep the animals comfortable. With the pilot project, the dairy farm will be able to increase animal watering and add fans to their other barns in preparation for extreme heat events.

Image: L. Gomes / PML / Some of the fans installed to keep the animals comfortable.

“It goes without saying that we have experienced some extreme weather in the past, and we will continue to see it in the future,” said Kevin Boon, general manager of the BC Cattlemen’s Association. “An investment in preparedness and sound planning on the landscape is crucial to be able to continue to produce high-quality, affordable food for British Columbia’s consumers and steward the land responsibly while we do so.”

Sache said last summer the farm experienced extreme heat and it was obvious to her that extra effort was needed to ensure that all the animals were comfortable.

“We were fortunate not to have any of our animals succumb to the heat last summer,” she remarked. “We spent a lot of time in the barn, just hosing them down, doing whatever we could, in addition, to keep them cooled off.”

The program is open to farm and ranch businesses throughout B.C., with applications being accepted from July 25 to Aug. 15. Applicants can access as much as $35,000 each in cost-shared funding for the first intake of the program.

“Farms are resilient, and the times continuously change,” Sache said. “So, it’s great to see that support from the province to make those things happen because it is a difficult time for us right now in terms of cost; being able to prioritize those projects is definitely a good time to have some help with that.”

Image: L. Gomes / PML / The pilot program is open to farm and ranch businesses throughout B.C., with applications being accepted from July 25 to Aug. 15.