Episode 33

full
Published on:

14th May 2025

Wild Sheep Need Help From BC's Farmers

This episode, an interview with Helen Schwantje. Helen was the Wildlife Veterinarian for British Columbia from 1992 to 2021. To this day she continues as an emeritus and conducts contract work for government and NGOs on a variety of wildlife health issues. Helen has spent a lot of her career focused on the health of BC’s wild sheep herds, and she joined me to talk about the relationship between a specific virus, the domesticated sheep that carry it, and the wild sheep populations that are under threat because of it. And how she hopes to see more action by our governments and by farmers to do what’s necessary to contain this threat.

I’ll also be sharing some updates from our colleagues in the BC farming sector in the middle segment.

Links:

Transmission, the full length documentary about MOVI and its effect on wild sheep.

Wild Sheep Society of BC

A Helen Schwantje bio from the web

This recent interview with Helen provides a broader perspective on her career.

Show artwork for Farming in British Columbia

About the Podcast

Farming in British Columbia
Interviews with BC-based farmers, food processors, academics and others who contribute to food production in BC in one way or another.

About your host

Profile picture for Jordan Marr

Jordan Marr

I'm Jordan Marr, a farmer and broadcaster in BC's North Okanagan. My farm business is called Unearthed Organics, where I produce milling corn and dry beans on a small-scale. I currently produce and host this podcast as well as The Organic BC Podcast & The Ruminant Podcast. I also produce a regular segment on food and farming in the southern interior for CBC Radio's Daybreak South, based in Kelowna. I live with my wife and two kids in Vernon.