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Delta Farmland - Horizontal Logo - 2022
  • Home
  • Our Programs
    • Grassland Set-aside
    • Winter Cover Crop
    • Hedgerow & Grass Margin
    • Laser Leveling and Soil Amendment
    • Forage Enhancement Pilot Program
    • Blueberry Rest Program
    • Stewardship Program Applications
  • About Us
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Partners & Sponsors
    • How you can Help
  • Events
    • Day At The Farm
    • Summer Solstice BBQ
  • News
    • Delta Farmland Blog
  • Resources
    • Fraser River Estuary
    • History of Farming in Delta
    • Farmland Wildlife
    • Newsletters
    • Annual Reports
    • Research Library
    • Video
    • Printable Resources
  • Donate
Delta Farmland - Horizontal Logo - 2022

The effects of 2- and 3-year grassland set-asides on plant available nitrogen and greenhouse gas emissions in Delta, British Columbia

  • Rebecca BollwitRebecca Bollwit
  • May 29, 2020
  • 2019, Grassland Set-aside, Thesis/Dissertation, UBC
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604-940-3392
Fax: 604-946-7820
205 - 4882 Delta Street
Delta, BC V4K 2T8
dfwt@dccnet.com

When enjoying fresh B.C produce many people may no When enjoying fresh B.C produce many people may not consider where their fruits and vegetables are grown, and much less what happens to these fields during the winter. The DF&WT Winter Cover Crop program helps farmers to establish a vegetative cover on their fields over winter to help protect the soil and provide feeding habitat for waterfowl. If you'd like to learn more about this program, and the benefits it provides, visit our blog through the link in our bio.
Bird sounds, what can they tell us? Exploring new Bird sounds, what can they tell us? Exploring new ways to monitor Snow Geese throughout Delta, we’ve set up a test project which looks to track Snow Geese by their calls. This network of sound recording devices gives us a continuous 24-hour record that we can use to track flock movements onto and around farmland. Read more about this project on our blog through the link in our bio.
Happy National Bird Day! Did you know that Delta Happy National Bird Day! Did you know that Delta provides important habitat for both migratory and resident birds? Pictured here is the Great Blue Heron, which is utilizing one of Delta’s Grassland Set-Aside fields to hunt for food, in this case an unlucky vole! Great Blue Herons face many threats to their habitat from human development and are of special concern in British Columbia. Farmlands provide much needed habitat and foraging locations for these birds. Herons are often seen fishing in the drainage ditches surrounding farm edges and use grasslands to hunt for rodents. Agricultural fields provide important ecosystem services for many species of birds in Delta. With urban pressures increasing, these fields are vital for local wildlife! #nationalbirdday #sustainableagriculture #onfarmhabitat
Planting clover as a cover crop has many positive Planting clover as a cover crop has many positive impacts on soil health, such as protecting soil from erosion, providing plant available nitrogen, and increasing soil organic matter, but it can also have positive effects on pollinators, such as bumblebees. Sasha Tuttle, a Masters student at UBC recently undertook a study of the benefits of clover planted as a cover crop between rows of blueberry bushes in the lower Fraser Valley, in partnership with DFWT. She found that farms with a clover cover crop between rows had significantly higher observations of bumblebees and predicted 3.7 times more visits per survey! Bumblebees are a great native pollinator, their large size and hairy bodies allow them to transfer more pollen between flowers. Because blueberries are dependent on pollinators, increasing the amount of bumblebee visits will also increase the numbers of blueberries produced. Funding for the project has been provided by the Governments of Canada and British Columbia through Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, under the Canada-BC Agri Innovation Program. The program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. #CdnAgPartnership #IAF #CAP #sustainableagriculture #sustainableag #localfarmers #conservation #biodiversity #britishcolumbia #bcfarmers #ubcresearch
Grassland set-aside fields are agricultural fields Grassland set-aside fields are agricultural fields that are temporarily removed from production and instead are planted with grasses and broad-leaved plants to mimic the natural landscape that was once abundant on the Fraser estuary. This practice is used to restore soil health and provide many environmental benefits such as wildlife habitat for songbirds, raptors, owls, and small mammals, as well as for pollinating insects. In her master’s thesis, Carly McGregor has demonstrated the value of grassland set-asides through her evaluation of pollinator diversity in different types of agricultural fields. When compared to active crop fields, Carly found that both traditional, and flower supplemented grasslands provide better support for pollinators. Flower supplemented grasslands provide an abundance of diverse floral resources for pollinators. Because pollinators have different preferences for blooming flowers, based on their tongue length, it is important to provide a mix of floral species to accommodate all pollinators and provide foraging opportunities throughout the entire season. Traditional grassland set-asides provide nesting habitat for pollinators when crops are not in bloom. Bumblebees like to nest in abandoned rodents nests which are found on the ground within grasslands, while sweat bees will use the open ground space to burrow their nests. Carly's research shows how grass land set-asides can diversify local landscapes, creating a mosaic of natural features that provide nesting and foraging opportunities for both wildlife and pollinators within agricultural, or urban areas, which may otherwise not be available. Funding for the project has been provided by the Governments of Canada and British Columbia through Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, under the Canada-BC Agri Innovation Program. The program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. #CdnAgPartnership #IAF #CAP #sustainableagriculture #sustainableag #localfarmers #conservation #biodiversity #britishcolumbia #bcfarmers #ubcresearch
Many of the crops grown on fields in Delta rely on Many of the crops grown on fields in Delta rely on pollinators in order to produce the delicious local fruits and vegetables we all enjoy. Carly McGregor, a Masters student at UBC, completed a research study on farm fields in the region, looking at the impacts of hedgerows on pollinator community diversity. Hedgerows are native trees and shrubs planted along farm edges. These areas provide year-round wildlife habitat for songbirds and raptors and can also house beneficial insects, such as bumblebees and lacewings. By focusing her research on the use of field edges, Carly found that hedgerows planted with a large diversity of flowering plants are visited more frequently by pollinators than unplanted margins and weedy older hedgerows. However, she also found that even weedy hedgerows are visited more frequently than unplanted margins. Carly’s research findings show that semi-natural habitat enhancements, such as hedgerows, are an important management practice in providing resources for key pollinators, such as bumblebees. Thanks for all your hard work Carly! Funding for the project has been provided by the Governments of Canada and British Columbia through Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, under the Canada-BC Agri Innovation Program. The program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. #CdnAgPartnership #IAF #CAP #sustainableagriculture #sustainableag #localfarmers #conservation #biodiversity #britishcolumbia #bcfarmers #ubcresearch
Hi! My name is Patricia, and I am DF&WT’s new Ju Hi! My name is Patricia, and I am DF&WT’s new Junior Field Technician. I recently graduated with my Bachelor of Science from Simon Fraser University. Throughout my undergrad I have always had a passion for field work, and an interest in working with wildlife. This summer I conducted field work and monitoring on farms around Metro Vancouver, where I was able to learn more about farmland in Delta. I am excited to take on this new challenge with DF&WT! You may see me out in the fields watching for birds or measuring vegetation.
Cover crops doing their job to cover and protect t Cover crops doing their job to cover and protect the soil during these wet windy months.
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