A grassy field south of Lougheed Highway on Colony Farm Regional Park land in Coquitlam will soon be home to an agricultural lab where students attending Kwantlen Polytechnic University will learn how to grow crops in a sustainable way that won't harm the environment.
Kent Mullinix, the director of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security at Kwantlen, said 24 students enrolled in the Bachelor of Applied Science-Sustainable Agriculture program are currently studying biology, environmental math and other agriculture-related courses. But by the fall of 2014, they will exchange laptops for shovels and gloves to do field work at a small farm the university is developing with the approval of Metro Vancouver.
"In the years three and four of this degree program, students will study at their classes at a laboratory farm, a teaching research and demonstration farm, where they will learn to use and apply the theory that they've learned effectively," Mullinix explained.
MONITORING NEEDED
He said the university sought and gained approval to use a small portion - up to 12 acres in the first phase to be developed over several years - for fruit, nuts, berries and vegetable crops and possibly some small-scale animal husbandry.
The project is not the same as a Metro Vancouver proposal to establish an agricultural academy on 91 acres at a cost of $5 million, which was contained in a draft plan for the park put on hold in February.
Environmental groups, such as the Burke Mountain Naturalists, were opposed to large-scale, commercial farming at Colony Farm, including the possible development of a U-pick blueberry plot that could attract bears. But Elaine Golds, a BMN director, said Kwantlen's project seems more appropriate for a public park.
The group will be discussing the project at its meeting tonight (Tuesday).
"What we're opposed to is commercial farming in a public park. This doesn't sound like it.It's a partnership with an educational institution and Metro Vancouver parks, this is to my mind is what's possibly suitable in a park," Golds said.
However, she'd like to see a bird study done, including an assessment of barn owls and Lazuli buntings, to make sure they aren't adversely affected by the agricultural operation.
SMALL SCALE, LOW INPUT
According to Mullinix, Kwantlen's farm lab will be small scale and labour intensive. Capital costs are expected to be about $80,000 over its four-year development andlarge machinery, pesticides and fertilizers won't be used, as in typical commercial farms. Instead, the farm will be low-input, meaning compost generated on site will be used to enhance soil, integrated pest management will be used instead of chemicals and machinery will be low-tech, Mullinix said.
The lab farm will serve as a teaching and learning space for students to apply theory, hone their skills and showcase practices that are environmentally-sound, he said, with the goal of educating leaders and practitioners to enhance B.C.'s agricultural industry and enable the province to do a better job of growing its own food.
"This is not just about farming, it's about the food system, and preparing the builders and leaders of a 21st century food system for B.C. and Canada." Mullinix said.
Next spring the the university will prepare the soil using nitrogen-enhancing cover crops and then establish market crops and perennial crops in years two and three, covering about five acres, with two small facilities for field and classroom operations. Kwantlen will seek approval for placing a modular trailer on the site and a shed for equipment.
STUDENTS TO DO FIELD WORK
Classes will be arranged so students do field work in the summer and fall growing seasons. They will also be required to work six hours a week on the demonstration farm outside of their regular classes. Students will also learn how to market their product.
Mullinix said students will be doing research to find out the best crops for the region and the best way to grow them, given the challenging damp conditions at Colony Farm Regional Farm. Other challenges include convincing people that such low-input farming is practical and economical, and developing practices that keep greenhouse gasses (GHGs) to a minimum, always a struggle for the agricultural industry.
"It's just not easy establishing a farm; it takes a lot of work and we're going to have to roll up our sleeves. But we think we can make a huge difference to B.C.'s agricultural sector, to the larger community in terms of preparing people for jobs, and demonstrating the viability of agriculture for good jobs."
He also said the program will be collaborating with stakeholders, such as environmental stewards and the Kwikwetlem First Nation, to ensure practices don't harm Colony Farm's environmental values. The farm lab will be certified organic and will seek other certifications, such as Salmon Safe, where applicable.
The program costs about $5,000 in tuition fees, and Mullinix said graduates will be able be sought after for jobs in the sustainable agriculture industry.
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dstrandberg@tricitynews
