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tact 604-294-3775.
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risk assessment must also show a ‘Low’ risk of surface nutrient loss.
- If you have manure, compost,
or other agricultural by-products temporarily stored in the field for two weeks or more between October 1st and April 1st, it must be covered.
- In a high precipitation area, you can only apply nutrient sources
to bare soil in the fall if all of the following conditions are met:
• A crop is planted before the winter non-growing season begins.
• Your soil is medium to fine textured with a low risk of leaching.
• The nutrients will not enter a water course or go below the seasonal high-water table.
7: Farms in high-precipitation
areas must have a risk assessment showing a ‘Low’ risk of nutrient loss prior to spreading in the shoulder months.
Prior to application of nutrients in October, February or March, farmers must complete a risk assessment to determine the risk of loss via surface runoff. The risk assessment must show a ‘Low’ risk of surface runoff
prior to any applications.
The BC Application Risk Management (ARM) tool is available to help producers complete a risk assessment. It is recommended that risk assessments with the BC ARM tool are completed no more than 24 hours prior to application.
8: For farms located within a vulnerable aquifer recharge area, determine if you need a Nutrient Management Plan.
Nutrient management plans (NMPs) are used to help farmers efficiently meet their production objectives and protect the environment.
If your farm is located within a vulnerable aquifer recharge you will need an NMP if:
- Your post-harvest nitrate soil test
is 100 kg/ha (89 lb/ac) or more. If you have multiple fields and only one exceeds the soil test thresholds, producers are still expected to have a Nutrient Management Plan for all fields.
9: For farms located within a phosphorus-affected area,
determine if you need a Nutrient Management Plan.
Starting in 2024, if your farm is located within a phosphorus- affected area and you have a dairy operation, you will need an NMP if: - Your soil test phosphorus concentration is 200 ppm or more (using the Kelowna extractant method). If you have multiple
fields and only one exceeds the soil test thresholds, producers are still expected to have a Nutrient Management Plan for all fields.
• The threshold for soil test
phosphorus is reduced to 100 ppm
in 2026.
If your farm is located in a phosphorus-affected area and you are required to have an NMP, plans must be in place by the next growing season (spring 2025).
10: Starting in 2024, determine if fields in your Nutrient Management Plan are affected by phosphorus application limits.
Starting in 2024, fields that are part of Nutrient Management Plans and have soil test phosphorus
FALL 2023 a WC DAIRY NEWS 37 CHRISTMAS 2023  WC DAIRY NEWS 37
concentrations of 200 ppm (using the Kelowna extractant) or more will have limits on the total amount of phosphorus that can be applied to the affected field.
Note that if this situation affects fields that are part of your Nutrient Management Plan, your nutrient management planner may make changes to your field’s typical manure and fertilizer application rates.
Contacts
For questions about the requirements of the Agricultural Environmental Management Code of Practice, please contact:
• BC Ministry of Environment
and Climate Change Strategy:
AEMCoPenquiries@gov.bc.ca
For questions on soil sampling, manure or fertilizer applications, or nutrient management, please visit gov.bc.ca/NutrientManagement or contact:
• AgriService, BC Ministry of
Agriculture and Food 1-888-221-7141 AgriServiceBC@gov.bc.ca
In the fall of 2021, the Producer Support position was developed at BC Dairy with the intention of putting producers’ on-farm needs at the forefront. The role has continued to grow and develop and will ideally be seen as a resource for producers if and when on-farm support is needed.
Morgan Sangster was hired for this role and brought her passion for the industry, for cows, and for helping producers with her. She works closely with her colleagues at BC Dairy, BCMMB and other industry partners to help identify on-farm challenges, bottlenecks or potential information gaps with the intention to provide support.
What Producer Support can offer:
- proAction help (pre/post validation)
- DairyTrace help – on farm support - Mock Cattle Assessments
- Cow Signals Program
- Benchmarking
- Hosting educational events based on producer feedback
- Help with funding opportunities
- Help connecting with industry experts
- Dairy Code of Practice on-farm implementation
2023 has been a great year for hosting educational workshops
for producers. We were able to
host five Animal Care workshops - “Feed, Feet and Function” - around BC this past spring which were
well received, and another five
in Alberta, in collaboration with Alberta Milk. A Hoof Trimmer, a Holstein Canada Classifier/Animal Assessor as well as a Nutritionist, reviewed their respective areas of expertise and how they correlate when it comes to on-farm animal care. Each of the speakers relayed valuable information to help producers identify different areas on-farm which may be often overlooked. Decisions are made every day on-farm, having more context and information while making some of these management choices can have a significant impact. Information is power, and being more informed can help improve the farm’s bottom line.
In August, we facilitated an Introductory Hoof Trimming Workshop in Smithers, BC, together with the Western Canadian
Certified Hoof Trimmers Association (WCCHTA) resulting in a great two-day event. Successful funding applications through BC Ministries KTTE funding program (S-CAP) allowed us to provide this workshop to producers at very affordable rates. The program covered basic hoof anatomy, common hoof lesions, the five-step trim method, blocking and wrapping. The mornings were spent learning theory in a classroom-type setting, and the afternoons were spent putting the newly acquired knowledge to work, trimming cadaver feet. The two main instructors – Elbert Koster and
Doug Johnstone – have well over 50 years of hoof trimming experience combined. We are very thankful
that they were willing to share their expertise and provided practical, yet functional instructions to help each producer feel more confident with their new skillset. It was a great course that was well-received.
Due to the success of the Smithers Hoof Trimming Workshop, we applied for the same funding
for the fall intake to provide this Introductory Hoof Trimming Workshop in other regions and were successful in securing funding for a course on Vancouver Island. Preliminary planning has started,
so please stay tuned for more information on these types of events! We will continue to apply for suitable funding opportunities and encourage you to share what types of practical skills would be valuable for you to learn on your farm.
A collaboration with the Bulkley Valley Cattleman’s Association allowed us to put on a Day with
A Dairy Vet in the Smithers area for the local dairy producers. This too was funded through the KTTE funding program and delivered at a reasonable cost to producers.
It was a full one-day workshop
with both theory and an on-farm practical component. Dr. John Dick from Greenbelt Veterinary Services presented the ‘Basic Examination and Treatment of the Dairy Cow’ portion of the Greenbelt Dairy Smart
Herdsman program. The workshop was well attended, information was well received, and everyone was thankful for the opportunity to learn some new tricks of the trade to take home to their farms. Animal health is of utmost importance, so we are very grateful for Dr. John Dick’s expertise and ability to demonstrate practical techniques that are easy to digest and ready to be implemented at the farm level.
These events are examples of how the Producer Support Program
is meant to provide valuable information and opportunities back to BC Producers. Morgan visits farms all over the province and during those visits, listens intently to producer concerns, issues and for potential opportunities to provide training events such as the ones previously noted. The industry is changing, and current times are challenging – this may mean we need to be more open to a different way of doing things. One of the best parts of our industry is that there are so many different ways to do the same thing, and if one way doesn’t work – perhaps another will.
Please keep an eye out for events coming to your area, or if you have ideas or suggestions feel free to reach out to Morgan directly. Morgan Sangster
Producer Support Manager BC Dairy
306-290-5695 Msangster@bcdairy.ca
Producer Support – What's it all about?