At Black Cat Crossing Farm, the journey towards sustainability and efficiency took a significant leap forward thanks to the EFP program. Shari McDowell, the heart and soul behind the farm, shared her experience:
With the support of her EFP Advisor, Rob Dinwoodie, in 2023, Shari was guided through the completion of her Environmental Farm Plan workbook, which then allowed her to take advantage of the funding support available through the Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) program.
Farmers who have an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) learn how to reduce agriculture’s impact on the environment. Many Environmental Farm Plan participants enjoy increased efficiency, profitability, and new customers as a result of increased environmental sustainability. (Ministry of Agriculture and Food)
“This program gave us the funding needed to add solar panels to our barn and coop. Prior to solar, we were relying on utility grid power by running long extension cords from our house, approximately 150 feet to the barn. This setup created frequent outages and power loss, which in turn limited our activities and operations in the barn.”
The transition to solar energy has been nothing short of transformative. With the enhanced reliability that solar power offers, Shari and her team are now able to implement essential improvements that were previously out of reach.
“With the addition of solar, we plan to install electric fencing to reduce predator losses, ensure better heating in our brooder area, and introduce meat birds. Moreover, we aim to increase the number of lambs we can support in the barn,” she explained.
Shari’s vision for the farm doesn’t stop there. She hopes to expand her operations to include heritage bird hatching eggs next year, and this progress would not be feasible without the critical resources provided by the EFP program. “This is not possible without heat, security, and light in the coop and brooder areas,” Shari emphasized.
The success of their solar initiative has not only enabled Black Cat Crossing Farm to thrive but also to embrace a more sustainable future. With the EFP program’s support, Shari and her farm are examples of how innovative solutions can lead to greater productivity and resilience in agriculture.
Funding for these programs have been provided by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a $3.5 billion, 5-year agreement between the federal, provincial and territorial governments. Additional funding has been provided by CleanBC. The program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF).
