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Delta Farmland - Horizontal Logo - 2022
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Program Brochures (English and Punjabi)
    • Annual Reports
    • Partners & Sponsors
    • Fraser River Estuary
    • How you can Help
  • Programs
    • Stewardship Program Applications
    • Meet Our Farm Partners
    • Cover Crop
    • Blueberry Rest
    • Grassland Set-aside
    • Hedgerow & Grass Margin
    • Laser Leveling and Soil Amendment
    • Forage Enhancement Pilot
  • Research
  • Events
    • Day At The Farm
  • News
    • Delta Farmland Blog
  • Resources
Delta Farmland - Horizontal Logo - 2022

Small mammals

  • Delta Wildlife, Education

Small mammals are critical to the conservation of raptors and wading birds. Shrews, mice, and especially Townsend’s vole are prey for these predatory birds.

Read MoreSmall mammals
  • Madyson G.
  • June 27, 2023

Beneficial Arthropods

  • Delta Wildlife, Education

Arthropods are an extremely diverse phylum of animals, united by their hard exoskeleton, jointed limbs, and segmented bodies.

Read MoreBeneficial Arthropods
  • Madyson G.
  • June 27, 2023

History Of Farming In Delta

  • Community, Education, Farming in Delta

Agriculture came to the delta in 1868 when two brothers, Thomas and William Ladner, pre-empted and began to cultivate land at what is now part of Ladner town centre. Significant time, effort, and capital have been invested in improving soils…

Read MoreHistory Of Farming In Delta
  • Madyson G.
  • June 26, 2023

Practical Benefits of Cover Crops

Flowering Winter Cover Crop in March
  • Education, Our Programs

Cover crops provide many practical benefits for farmers, helping to generate resilient soil and provide natural solutions to issues such as pests, soil nutrient depletion, and weed control.

Read MorePractical Benefits of Cover Crops
  • Patricia K.
  • March 23, 2023

Taking Cover for Winter: How to Protect Farm Soil

Image of a potato harvest in delta, using a tractor and truck
  • Community, Delta Wildlife, Education, Farming in Delta, Our Programs

Driving down the highway through Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, it’s difficult not to notice an abundance of agricultural fields, ranging from popular U-Pick berry sites, to fall pumpkin patches and corn mazes, with a wide variety of vegetable…

Read MoreTaking Cover for Winter: How to Protect Farm Soil
  • Christine Schmalz
  • January 16, 2023

Tracking Snow Geese by Sound

An autonomous recording unit (ARU) attached to a post in a field
  • Our Programs, Uncategorized

From autumn to spring every year, Snow Geese fill the skies with their calls as they migrate to the Fraser River delta for wintering habitat. In Delta and Richmond, they find opportunities to forage on foreshore marshland, forage fields and…

Read MoreTracking Snow Geese by Sound
  • Christine Schmalz
  • January 5, 2023

DF&WT Promotional Videos

  • Uncategorized

We have exciting news! This fall, we are embarking on a new video project. ???? The project will consist of a series of high-quality, professionally shot videos to promote the Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust, local agriculture and the significance…

Read MoreDF&WT Promotional Videos
  • Morgan Powell
  • October 26, 2021

New Insect Research Project with UBC

  • Uncategorized

DF&WT recently began a three-year research project in partnership with the University of British Columbia. The study is examining the impact of DF&WT planted hedgerows, grassland set-asides (GLSA) and floral strips on beneficial insects and pests, and how these insect…

Read MoreNew Insect Research Project with UBC
  • Morgan Powell
  • June 4, 2021

Results from 2020-21 winter surveys now complete!

  • Uncategorized

One of the core objectives of our organization is improving biodiversity on agricultural land. We do this through promoting the enhancement of farmland with wildlife habitat. Surveys are conducted annually to assess how well we’re meeting this objective. Surveys from…

Read MoreResults from 2020-21 winter surveys now complete!
  • Morgan Powell
  • April 21, 2021
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Recent Posts

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604-940-3392
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205 - 4882 Delta Street
Delta, BC V4K 2T8
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604-940-3392
Fax: 604-946-7820
205 - 4882 Delta Street
Delta, BC V4K 2T8
[email protected]

Barley is the tried-and-true workhorse of cover cr Barley is the tried-and-true workhorse of cover crops, and one of the most widely planted varieties that we see in our Cover Crop Program across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. Spring barley exhibits rapid establishment, forming dense vegetative cover that effectively protects soil throughout the winter months from run-off and erosion. 

Spring barley typically winterkills under cold conditions, and our 2024 variety trial showed that it produced one of the highest levels of plant residue among the varieties evaluated. This residual biomass helps soil surface protection, increases organic matter inputs, and contributes to sustained erosion control and weed suppression due to its early establishment, thick cover and competitive growth habit.

Funding to support this initiative is provided by the governments of Canada and British Columbia under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, in addition to BC Living Labs, Wildlife Habitat Canada, BC Waterfowl Society, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Habitat Conservation Trust Society, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Delta Agricultural Society, City of Delta, and City of Richmond.

#FraserValley #MetroVancouver #CanadianFarmers #FarmingBC #Farming #SupportingFarmers #CdnAg #Agriculture #RegenerativeAgriculture #RegenerativeFarming #SustainableAgriculture #CanadianAgriculture #FarmlandPreservation #EcosystemRestoration #WildlifeConservation #Wildlife #AgriServiceBC #SustainableCdnAg
🦆 Mid-Season Waterfowl Monitoring Update 🦢 We too 🦆 Mid-Season Waterfowl Monitoring Update 🦢

We took a quick look at how things are shaping up this year, and it’s been really encouraging to see that waterfowl numbers seem to be lining up with how well the cover crops are doing. Overall, weekly counts are slightly higher than last year across all species, with around 2,000 ducks per week being seen across fields in Delta.

Snow Geese continue to evade our daytime surveys, since they tend to use fields at night, but fall numbers were about average. We’re also still hearing them around in the marshes during the day, and this is the latest they’ve stayed since surveys began.

This year also continues a trend we noticed last fall, with a big increase in Cackling Goose flocks. They’ve moved on now, but during the fall we were regularly seeing flocks of more than 300 birds across the area.

Make sure to check back this spring for our full report! 

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#snowgeese #cacklinggeese #waterfowlmonitoring #ducks #stewardship #wildlifeonfarms #regenerativeagriculture #sustainableagriculture #wildlifeconservation #agriculture #ecosystemrestoration
Next up in our variety spotlight in the Cover Crop Next up in our variety spotlight in the Cover Crop Program is the Mustard Radish mix, a blend that is used in fields experiencing high pest pressure. 

The mustard in this mix has shown to be effective in biological pest suppression through its biofumigant properties, it releases a compound during breakdown that can reduce certain soil-borne pathogens.

Meanwhile, the radish in this mix plays a complementary role in helping physically improve soil properties. The radish will help to break up soil compaction, and the long taproot helps improve water infiltration.

Funding to support this initiative is provided by the governments of Canada and British Columbia under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, in addition to BC Living Labs, Wildlife Habitat Canada, BC Waterfowl Society, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Habitat Conservation Trust Society, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Delta Agricultural Society, City of Delta, and City of Richmond.

#FraserValley #MetroVancouver #CanadianFarmers #FarmingBC #Farming #SupportingFarmers #CdnAg #Agriculture #RegenerativeAgriculture #RegenerativeFarming #SustainableAgriculture #CanadianAgriculture #FarmlandPreservation #EcosystemRestoration #WildlifeConservation #Wildlife #AgriServiceBC #SustainableCdnAg
Over 10,000 acres of cover crops were enrolled in Over 10,000 acres of cover crops were enrolled in our Cover Crop program this past fall, and the fields are looking great so far!

The mild winter we've been experiencing so far has meant lots of growth in the fields. Most cover crops were seeded on time, thanks to an excellent growing season and fall harvest, which set these fields up for success. 

While access to Westham Island has been a bit of a challenge with the bridge closure, we were still out collecting data by bicycle! 🚴‍♀️

We're already seeing regional differences between fields, and waterfowl grazing continues to be a factor in vegetation cover, especially along migratory routes. Check back in the spring for our full report and official survey results! 🦆

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#FraserValley #MetroVancouver #CanadianFarmers #FarmingBC #Farming #SupportingFarmers #covercrops  #Agriculture #RegenerativeAgriculture #RegenerativeFarming #SustainableAgriculture #CanadianAgriculture #FarmlandPreservation #EcosystemRestoration #WildlifeConservation
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