UBC’s Faculty of Agricultural Sciences will support an Intensive
Grazing Seasonal Production trial currently being proposed for the
Oyster River Research Farm during the consolidation of the faculty’s
dairy cattle research at Agassiz.
The faculty has been working with the Vancouver Island Dairymen’s
Association and the B.C. Milk Marketing Board to leave infrastructure
in place to support the grazing trial proposed by the Dairymen’s
Association and to be funded by Investment Agriculture. The trial
is to help assess ecologically and economically sustainable grazing
practices.
The faculty has agreed to retain cows, quota and staff to continue
the grazing trial at Oyster River until Oct. 31, 1999.
Last November, the faculty announced that it is consolidating its
dairy cattle research activities at the UBC Dairy Education and
Research Centre at Agassiz as part of a recently established collaboration
with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
The need to develop significantly improved research infrastructure,
focus limited resources, and the distance between the UBC campus
and the farm are among the factors that prompted the reorganization.
“The critical mass of dairy cattle scientists at this site will
help the faculty and its researchers to more effectively serve the
needs of industry on the Island and throughout the province,” said
Dr. Jim Thompson, associate dean of research.
The Vancouver Island community has voiced its concern over the
farm’s future and proposals will be requested from the agricultural
community during the next few months to develop a leasing arrangement
for specific areas of the farm.
This request for proposals will be in parallel with a public process
to discuss different models of community partnerships for the future
of the farm that will allow the strengths of the community, its
citizens, its public institutions, its industries and the university
to support one another.
Current and possible expanded uses include:
- development of academic and research facilities in the areas
of agricultural, forest and environmental sciences; - regional environmental and agricultural education facilities
such as Montfort House; - regional recreational sites and greenways;
- ecological preserves or reserves such as Oyster River Enhancement
Society facilities; - managed woodlots and agroforestry; and
- agricultural crop research lands.
Recently, there has been considerable interest in the farm for
a variety of agricultural purposes – from organic farming to dairying
to viticulture to small niche market crops.
As part of the shift in the role of the farm, staff involved with
the dairy operation have been given seven months’ notice, and will
continue to work until Oct. 31, 1999.
“Our dairy research has been in the process of consolidation since
1994 and our faculty has been in transformation since July 1997,”
said Moura Quayle, dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences.
“It hasn’t been easy to make some of the necessary changes for
the faculty to more effectively contribute to agriculture in B.C.
Despite the changes we are now making, we see Oyster River Farm
as an incredible opportunity for partnering with and contributing
to the community in new and innovative ways.”
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