Located in the heart of Salt Spring Island, Harbour Farm Organics is managed by Red Seal Chef, Brooke Winters. Brooke is an early adopter of the farm to fork movement and knows that great ingredients make great food. However, it is difficult to grow great produce when dealing with Salt Spring Island’s annual water security issues. To plan for upcoming water challenges, she applied to complete an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) for Harbour Farm Organics, to see if there were any environmental or health concerns she and her team had overlooked.
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)
In August of 2024, Brooke met with her EFP advisor, Melanie Dyson, who helped guide her through the workbook. Brooke found the process enjoyable, “The experience was very positive, the EFP advisor was extremely knowledgeable,” she exclaimed, “Made it easy for us to understand our agricultural impact on the environment. We are very proud to be a part of this program!”
Water scarcity on Salt Spring Island was a concern of Brooke’s, who knows that careful planning is key to balancing water sustainability on an island as arid as Salt Spring. Melanie made suggestions as to water storage in her EFP, which would help to address water scarcity and give guidance to water management strategies that would prioritize sustainable farming practices. With the completion of her EFP, Brooke now has a map for planning water storage.
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).
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).
