Fields Forward Society and its supporting partners are launching a
climate change decision management tool for farmers in the Creston Valley that will
complement a new weather stations network and Decision Aid System technology
funded by the Province of B.C. It will give farmers and local governments in the Creston
Valley a critical tool in adapting to the changes in climate the region is already
undergoing.
The program, initially started by Fields Forward as a Scientific Climate Modelling for
Agriculture project, has now developed into two programs. One involves weather
stations and software for tree fruit growers funded by the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture
and Food using technology that is now in use in the Okanagan by the tree fruit industry
and led by the Sterile Insect Release (SIR) program.
The other is Fields Forward-led support for all farmers, funded by the Columbia Basin
Trust, and enhanced with support from the Regional District of Central Kootenay-Area B.
Fields Forward is receiving $103,900 from the Columbia Basin Trust and $50,000 from
the RDCK for its climate adaptation programs and services.
This is a big win for the tree fruit growers and all farmers in the Creston Valley,” said Cathy Finley, Fields Forward Society co-chair and co-owner of Little Dog Farm in Lister. “Because the Trust recognized the importance of providing farmers with tools and technology to adapt to climate change, the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food is building on this momentum and expanding the service.
“This project will enable farmers in Creston to access weather data that is essential to
adapting to short and long-term climate change impacts, making informed business
decisions and ensuring that healthy food is produced locally in the Basin, all of which are
important to people in the region,” said Katie Kendall, Senior Manager, Special
Initiatives, Columbia Basin Trust. “We thank Fields Forward for its efforts, plus the
project’s supporters.”
Learn more about the Trust’s work to support climate resilience here.
