The AgResilience podcast features BC experts at the forefront of agricultural research for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Episodes explore how to make research more effective for farmers and what’s needed for long-term food system resilience. It’s solutions-focused, thought-provoking, and available wherever you get your podcasts.

Sudden apple decline has increased across Canada, but no single pathogen has been identified as the direct cause of these disorders. Researchers at AAFC Summerland Research and Development Centre believe the “tipping point” in the issue is climate extremes. Their work highlights the need for grower involvement and new tools to manage the crisis. Recorded on the traditional, unceded territories of the Nlaka'pamux and Syilx tmixʷ (Okanagan) Peoples.

Emerging agri-tech like vertical and cellular agriculture promise high-yield, low-footprint solutions for sustainable food systems. But tech alone isn't enough. University of the Fraser Valley researchers Dr. Rob Newell and Dr. Lenore Newman explore how factors like climate resilience, food security, labor, and governance shape sustainability and equity outcomes. Today's guests joined from the traditional territory of the Stó:lō peoples.

In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Grenz and Dr. Courtney Mason—two Indigenous scholars—discuss food and agriculture research in BC. Dr. Grenz highlights how Indigenous worldviews can guide climate adaptation, while Dr. Mason explores links between Indigenous health, food sovereignty, and rural sustainability. They delve into decolonizing research and the importance of Indigenous knowledge in building resilient food systems and stronger research partnerships.

In the first AgResilience episode, host Samantha Charlton talks with Mike Witt of Bar WT Farms in Lumby, BC (territory of the Syilx Okanagan People). A Professional Agrologist and Certified Crop Advisor, Mike shares how farmer-led research can boost climate resilience. He discusses his latest on-farm trials supported by the Farm Adaptation Innovator Program, exploring relay cropping, variable rate planting, and strip tillage to improve corn production.