Farmers and producers in the Columbia Basin will continue to be supported by the Kootenay Boundary Farm Advisors (KBFA) program for another year after the program’s contract was extended through July 2021.

“We are proud of what KBFA has accomplished over the past three years and are looking forward to seeing them continue to support producers and promote agriculture throughout the Basin in the year ahead,” said Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Board Chair Rob Gay.

Since June 2018, KBFA has engaged with 850 producers from 563 farms. Over 40 events have been held with approximately 900 producers attending. KBFA Advisors or related experts have visited 315 farms. More than 1,840 actions have been taken by KBFA Advisors that directly assisted producers with relevant information and resources.

This summer, KBFA expanded its efforts by reaching out to the agricultural community to understand what challenges they are facing in relation to COVID-19, how they are addressing those challenges and what possible opportunities there may be to support them. A Communications Consultant has also been added to the KBFA team and has been actively expanding its web and social media presence. “It’s great to see the program continue to evolve and expand the way it communicates and interacts with the agricultural sector,” added Gay.

In 2017, the Regional Districts of Central Kootenay, East Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary and Columbia Basin Trust partnered to provide free technical extension services to the agricultural sector within the entire RDEK, RDCK, RDKB and Trust’s jurisdictions. The initial three-year contract ended June 3o, and based on the ongoing success and positive feedback from producers, funding was extended through July 2021.

To sign up or learn more about Kootenay and Boundary Farm Advisors services, visit the KBFA website at www.kbfa.ca or call 1-800-958-7174.

RDEK

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