Greenhouse Organic Vegetable Production in Containers
Shawn Dirksen, Northstar Organics
Shawn owns Northstar Organics, a 10 acre certified organic greenhouse and field crop farm in Central Saanich.  He grew up on a farm in the Niagara Region that was a similar mix of greenhouses and field vegetables.
This workshop is made possible by Victoria Box & Paper Ltd.; Vancouver Island's Choice for Paper, Packaging & Janitorial Products.

Compost Test Results
Program Manager at FED Urban Ag, Ash and PHD Candidate and Eco Soil Labs UVIC, Brooke Hayes
Brooke and Ash will be discussing the role that microbially robust compost and inoculants play in healthy soil, plant yield and other indicators like pH and decomposition rates. We will highlight the findings of our 2025 Project titled "Bio Amendment Trial for Nutrient Management in Annual Lettuce Production" and discuss practical tips for farmers and growers to apply biological amendments in an efficient, affordable way.

Biosecurity for Small Livestock Producers
Julia Smith - Small-Scale Meat Producers Association Executive Director / Blue Sky Ranch & Tristan Banwell - Small-Scale Meat Producers President , Spray Creek Ranch
This session explores practical biosecurity strategies tailored to organic and pasture-based livestock systems, drawing on SSMPA’s multi-year Farmed Animal Disease Project. Panelists highlight key disease risks for poultry, pigs, sheep, and cattle—including AI, PCV2, PRRS, parasites, and MOVI—and share realistic approaches that fit small-scale farm realities. The presentation focuses on right-sized biosecurity, pasture design, wildlife management, and emergency preparedness. Participants leave with actionable steps and access to new SSMPA biosecurity tools and resources.

Mid Career Decision Making
Blake Hunter, Good Seed Land
Blake is a Metis farmer who started his journey in broad-acre organic grain production in SK, and has shifted gears upon moving to Vancouver Island into small scale herb and seed production and garden coaching to help other people connect to the land. Blake will share a brief history of the timeline of his 20 year farming journey starting in SK and moving here to Vancouver Isle. Reflections on organic production from 80 broad-acre to 1/5 acre. Experiences in mid-career decision making to stay on the land but re-jigging the scale and the type of operation to fit his family and life better. Touching on the reasons why we shift gears because we want greater sustainability for the land, and connection to the land for our emotional, mental, and spiritual "sustainability".
Finally, Blake will include a bit on how his methods and protocols as farmers relates to the effectiveness and nutrition of the medicinal herbs and foods that they grow; how hands on creates a totally different product than machine grown.

Employment, Payroll and Subsidies: Wisdom Gleaned from a Quarter Century as a Mentor and Employer
Heather Stretch, Organic Farmer at Northbrook Farm and co-owner of Saanich Organics
Heather has been farming for 25 years, and during that time has mentored many apprentices and hired many farm hands.  Several of her former apprentices and employees have gone on to run their own farms, or to interesting careers in other facets of agriculture, which she considers among her biggest successes.
In this session we will talk about how to bring out the best in your staff, whether they are hourly farm hands, apprentices, or volunteers.  From tiny farms that host a few friends for occasional work parties, up to large operations with year round staff, many of the principles are the same, and when the stars align, the most productive workplaces are also the most satisfying and rewarding for the staff.  Heather will share what she's learned, and hopes everyone comes ready to share their experiences too.

This workshop is made possible by Cafe Brio. Cafe Brio is a creative restaurant offering a menu that reflects the bounty of the seasons and terroir of Southern Vancouver Island and the surrounding region. They love to work with local Farmers and suppliers and strongly believe in building the future of our local supply chains and community.

Integrating Flower Crops for Market Sales
Erin Bett - Fierce Love Farm
Description Coming Soon

Winter Vegetable Cropping
Robin Tunnicliffe - Sea Bluff Farm
Description Coming Soon

Basic Carpentry for Farmers
Jon Rozinsky - Fierce Love Farm
Description Coming Soon
This workshop is made possible by Ethereal Fabrications. Supporting the local agricultural community by building anything from walk-in coolers, flame weeders, wash stations in addition to offering mechanical services, metal fabrication and carpentry work. 

IPM 101
David Spencer
Description Coming Soon

Small Farm Equipment
Heather Ramsey
Description Coming Soon

Water Licensing and Drought Preparedness
Foster Richardson
Description Coming Soon

Farmworkers Transitioning Into Farm Owners
Panel/fish bowl*
Description Coming Soon

Grazing for Resilience: Multi-Species Strategies for South Vancouver Island
Julia Smith - Small-Scale Meat Producers Association Executive Director / Blue Sky Ranch & Tristan Banwell - Small-Scale Meat Producers President , Spray Creek Ranch
Join fellow producers for this interactive session about what rotational and multi-species grazing looks like on South Vancouver Island. We’ll cover practical fencing and pasture strategies, wet-season management, and how pigs, poultry, cattle and other species can fit into a regenerative system. This is a chance to explore what’s working locally and what support is needed to build stronger grazing programs across the region.