B.C.’s climate is changing. Hotter temperatures, insufficient snow accumulation, faster spring snowmelt, glacier loss, and reduced precipitation over extended periods of time can cause drought and water scarcity. As the climate continues to warm, drought and resulting water scarcity will become more common.
Frueh Farms is located within the Koksilah River Watershed in the Cowichan Valley. The farm, which consists of rolling hills, is bordered on one side by the Koksilah River, which is known for historically low water levels in the summer due to its lack of headwaters. These low-flow conditions have been exacerbated in recent decades by the clear-cutting of trees in the upper watershed, increased water usage in the area, and climate change.
In 2019, emergency water restrictions were enacted within this watershed by the Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship, as water levels in the river had reached critically low flows, endangering salmon. These water restrictions affected farmers in the region greatly, as forage crop irrigation was cut off. Steve Frueh, the president of Frueh Farms, estimated that he lost over $10,000 worth of crops due to the restrictions. This event made water sustainability, water storage, and increased irrigation efficiency top-of-mind for the Frueh family and led Steve Frueh to seek out the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) Program.
Wayne Haddow, the EFP advisor in the Cowichan Valley region, came to Frueh Farms for an afternoon and outlined changes that could be made to benefit the farm, especially when it came to conserving water. Wayne noted that the large-scale hose reels currently used by the Frueh Farms have issues when it comes to water sustainability: the water pressure used by hose reels can atomize water, which means that a percentage of water will dissipate before reaching the ground.
The Environmental Farm Plan was very easy to get; all the paperwork was actually done by the evaluator himself, and took roughly 2 hours to complete. It could be useful over time for things that need to be done on the farm. It is, for now, part of what is expected for every dairy farm to have in order to actually ship milk in this country, and it’s part of the plan that would actually differentiate our milk from other countries’ and what makes Canadian quality milk.
Since Frueh Farms now has an EFP, they are eligible to apply for other IAF programs to address these concerns. The Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) Program can help Steve Frueh with water infrastructure planning via the Planning, Technical Assessments, and Engineered Designs or Water Infrastructure categories. He could also apply for the Agriculture Water Infrastructure Program (AWP), which could help him access more efficient irrigation infrastructure and better conserve water within the sensitive Koksilah River watershed area.
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).
