Exploring the Success of Cover Crops: Our First Variety Trial

At Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust (DFWT), we work with farmers to address two of today’s most pressing environmental issues: food security and disappearing wildlife habitat.

Our programs, research and cost-sharing initiatives help farmers in the Fraser River delta and the Fraser Valley:

• Improve their soil health and crop yields through sustainable farming practices
• Preserve and create wildlife habitat on farms

The importance of conserving local farmland

Both farmland and wildlife are under pressure from increasing urbanization and industrialization. Farmland in the Fraser River Estuary has become expensive and scarce, and – in the face of challenges such as changing climate patterns – farmers are under more pressure than ever to increase their land’s productivity and ensure its

economic viability.

The Fraser River delta and the Fraser Valley have some of the most productive farmland in BC, producing vegetables, berries, dairy products, poultry, and more. Delta farmers produce more than 50% of the potatoes consumed in BC, and the Fraser Valley generates the largest annual farm receipts of any regional district in BC. Farmland for food production is essential. Local farms – both large and small – reduce our reliance on imports, support local economies, and reduce the environmental footprint of the food on our tables. Sustainably managed farms also produce ecosystem services that benefit us all, from carbon storage, to the clean air and water provided by plant life.