Yanking out Cherries in Creston: Danny Turner

It’’s been a while since I’ve featured a long-form conversation with a BC farmer, but this episode I’ve got one to share with you. Danny Turner is one half of the ownership of Just A Mere Farm in BC’s Creston Valley. For year’s Danny’s main cash crop has been organic cherries, but the last time he turned a profit on the crop was before Covid. So Danny has gone all-in on organic blueberries, and he joined me to tell me why. We also talked about his earlier life as a management consultant, the value of good agrology, and why he thinks farmers should think in ten year cycles.

In the community segment this time, some stories about regrettable purchases for the farm.

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The Cover Cropping Field Day Advertised at the Head of this Episode

Head to https://organicbc.org/events/ to register for the field day at Lakeland Farms on October 2nd. Here's a summary: On Friday, October 2nd, join Organic BC and Ecocert at Lakeland Farms in Salmon Arm for a hands-on day exploring cover cropping, soil health, and drought resilience. Tour Lakeland Farms and learn more about their business model and where cover cropping fits in, along with the economics of cover cropping, the tools used to manage hundreds of acres of cover crops, and how they’re integrating cattle grazing into their cover crops. You’ll also hear from agrologist Tanya Brouwers on using cover crops to build soil organic matter, retain moisture, and strengthen farm resilience, and will have the opportunity to take part in simple, practical soil assessments you can use on your own farm. Refreshments and snacks will be generously provided by Askew’s Foods. This event is free and open to anyone interested, but registration is required. Learn more and save your spot at: eventbrite.ca/e/cover-cropping-drought-resilience-soil-assessment-lakeland-farms-tickets-1998671910487 Funding for this project has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) – On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF).