The fourth annual Below Ground – Soil Health Conference is quickly approaching in Dawson Creek, B.C.
Nadia Mori is the Extension Coordinator with the Peace Region Living Lab and Coordinator for the Peace River Forage Association.
She says the event, which is held in conjunction with the Peace Region Living Lab, will take place on February 26 at the Ovintiv Centre in the Co-op Mercer Hall.
“First, we start off with a producer panel. We’ve found that it really sets the tone for the event—hearing from other producers and their experiences. Then we have Timothy Repas from Fixed Earth, based out of Fort St. John. He will be looking at how microbes can help with plant growth,” says Mori.
The day will continue with agri-tech sessions for cattle producers, including a session on virtual fencing in winter.
For crop producers, there will be sessions on variable-rate fertility applications and how they can work.
Mori says farmers’ mental health will also be discussed at the event.
“We have a touching session on Fertile Seeds Beneath Hard Ground, which focuses on farmers’ mental health, something that we should not forget about.”
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For those looking to up their marketing game, there are a couple of sessions.
Mori says one focuses on direct marketing, which many small, more diversified producers will be interested in, given the speaker’s hands-on experience.
“She has developed a store that has no staff because it’s really hard to find labour. She runs her store completely remotely.”
There will also be a green marketing session, as many people are excellent at producing high-quality products but struggle with marketing.
“How can you get the best money for the good product you’ve made?”
The event will also feature a session with Mike Dorian from Living Soil, who will talk about vermicomposting, which involves composting with worms and creates a unique by-product.
Closing out the day is an inspiring keynote on legacy and the courage to begin again. Mori says farming can be really hard and can feel lonely and discouraging, so the keynote offers an inspirational note to help re-energize attendees.
Mori says she enjoys hearing about the strong networking that takes place during the event.
“The feedback that sticks with me the most is how producers enjoy talking to other producers, running ideas by them or hearing how others did something and thinking, ‘Oh man, maybe I could try that.’”
Mori says that every year, organizers aim to bring in a diverse group of speakers that producers normally wouldn’t have access to, while keeping the event affordable.
For more information and to register for the event in Dawson Creek, click here.
