The second round of Agricultural Adaptation workshops will focus on the top four risks that were identified in the first round of workshops last month.
This time the focus will be on developing a set of strategies and actions to address warmer and drier summers, increased wildfire risk, increased spring flood risk and variability such as when to expect first frost.
BC Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative’s Harmony Bjarnason says the Agricultural Adaptation Strategy’s $300,000 budget will go towards pilot projects, a first step towards tackling the greater issues of climate change.
“So the $300,000 is available to the whole Kootenay and Boundary region. The projects that money supports will be directed via out local working groups. Local agricultural producers and representatives from the regional districts, regional agrologists, will determine which projects to move forward with.”
The workshops are available for agricultural producers, even those who did not attend the first round.
“We will do a bit of a recap of a bit of the climate science,” Bjarnason iterates. “Anyone who registers who wasn’t at the first workshop, we do send out a free comprehensive meeting package in advance. They can look through that and familiarize themselves with what was discussed at workshop 1. You’re not really at a disadvantage if you weren’t at the first workshop.”
They will take place January 28 in Cranbrook (half-day), the 29 in Creston and the 31 in Greenwood.
More details are to follow and will be posted closer to the workshop dates.