Year End Update As we welcome 2026, we’re reflecting on a year of growth and collaboration. From creating spaces for knowledge exchange to amplifying emerging research, the ACARN team helped bridge research and practice across BC. In 2025 we: - Connected over 380 researchers, producers, and practitioners at our Provincial Research Workshop to explore emerging priorities and strengthen collaboration across the sector.
- Co-hosted the Cultivating Resilience Summit, a two-day event bringing together 180 participants from across Canada to advance climate resilience and food security.
- Provided knowledge mobilization support to eight collaborative climate research projects, helping bridge research and practice.
- Published 10 plain-language research briefs on BC Food Web, making complex research accessible and actionable for producers and stakeholders.
- Expanded our Network Directory to over 160 members, sharing research, resources, and opportunities with more than 50 organizations across BC.
Thank you for helping us build a stronger, more connected climate research ecosystem in BC. Here’s to more collaboration in the year ahead! | Cultivating Resilience Summit Bioenterprise Blog Posts This past October, ACARN co‑hosted the Cultivating Resilience Summit – and two newly published blog posts by Tabitha Caswell at Bioenterprise capture the event’s key insights. As the days unfolded, conversations around technologies, approaches, and partnerships shaping climate resilience and food security converged on a central theme: the future of food depends on collaboration at every level. Tabitha’s reflections carry the dialogue forward, helping sustain momentum around co‑creating and implementing knowledge for a more resilient agricultural landscape. Read both pieces to revisit the conversations — or explore them for the first time! Event Content Presentation slides for the event are now available for all speakers who had slides and consented to sharing their materials. Check them out here! Coming soon: Recordings of the morning sessions will be shared by the end of the month. Stayed tuned for more on this from the ACARN team. | Join our network directory! Collaboration is at the heart of ACARN’s mission. We build a smarter network directory by mapping our members’ climate expertise and interests. Whether you’re seeking research collaborations, sharing climate solutions, or following ACARN’s programs, our goal is to connect you with the right people to mobilize your climate action. The directory is not public. It’s thoughtfully stewarded by ACARN and used to connect members whose expertise and interests align. Join the directory or update your profile to help us build a strong, more responsive network. Join the Network Directory | Call for research briefs! Want your research in the hands of producers? Share a recent peer-reviewed publication with us, and we’ll translate it into an accessible research brief and feature it on BC Food Web. Each brief translates your methods and findings into an accessible summary with clear, actionable takeaways for policy and practice. We feature diverse research from across the agri-food sector, from livestock grazing management to cover cropping. Scroll down to see out latest briefs! Contact info@bcacarn.ca with the citation of your publication(s) and we’ll follow up to schedule a time to discuss how we can feature it. | Dr. Hannah Wittman and the Food Sovereignty Research Group recently completed the Agroecology in Latin America: Building Pathways project. This project brought together 10 organizations and farming families across seven countries to ask the question: How can we measure farm productivity beyond yield? How do we measure ecosystem well-being, including social and environmental impacts? Through this participatory research action project, farmers across Latin America worked with UBC researchers to explore what farm productivity really means, from biodiversity and soil health to equity and youth involvement. Discover the full project, explore farmer-tested tools, and keep learning at the Construyendo Caminos website or check out the ACARN Instagram post series! | The new year brings new knowledge! Dive into the newest BC Food Web research briefs. These short, easy‑to‑read summaries break down recent findings from across the agri‑food sector, giving you actionable insights to support a more sustainable food system. | Key findings: Buffering seawater with soda ash can negatively affect oyster development. | | Key findings: Interrow mowing, pruning, and fertilizing influenced greenhouse gas emissions on–farm. | | Agriculture Funding Consortium The Agriculture Funding Consortium (AFC) is a coordinated funding initiative that supports collaborative agricultural research and innovation across Western Canada. Research priorities include weed and pest management in potato and cereal crops, disease management and welfare in diary systems, and much more. Letters of Intent are welcome by April 1, 2026, with selected applicants invited to submit a full proposal later in the year. Additional details are listed on their application portal. Letters of Intent LOI for poultry research — Canadian Poultry Research Council The Canadian Poultry Research Council issued a call for letters of intent in December. Research priorities include poultry health, antimicrobial stewardship, and welfare and behavior. The call remains open until 5:00 PM EST January 30, 2026. Click the link for more information on how to apply and examples of previously funded projects. BC Peace Agriculture Fund | Farming Infrastructure The BC Hydro Peace Agricultural Compensation Fund opened its 2026 intake cycle! This program provides funding for agricultural events and education initiatives, farming infrastructure, and research and demonstration projects. Click the link to learn more about how this funding can support your work. Intake 1 closes: January 16, 2026
Intake 2 closes: July 2, 2026 | Returning for another year, these agricultural shows bring together producers, agri-professional, researchers, and community members from across the province. These 2- to 3-day events showcase the latest technology, techniques, and trends that support British Columbia’s agri-food sector. Check out these links and save the date! Sowing Solutions: Why these cover BMPs? (Feb 2) Cover crops are helping farms improve soil health, manage nutrients, and build resilience, but what processes are driving these changes in the field? This webinar explores how cover crops support the soil's capacity to store carbon, what we know about ther impact on emissions, and how species selection and management decisions shape these outcomes. Register today and submit questions to guide day-of discussions! Soil Health Conference (Feb 26) Offered by the BC Institute of Agrologist, this free, one-day event brings together producer panelists and key speakers to discuss local wins and missteps, as well as practical tools for managing agri-business economics and mental health. Click the link to learn more and register! Canadian Knowledge Mobilization Forum (July 28-30) This year, the Canadian Knowledge Mobilization Forum will be held July 28-30 in Toronto. In preparation, they issued a call for contributions including lighting talks, poster presentations, workshops, and catalyst roundtables. Sign up by February 22 to share a KM case study from a current project or ways to build capacity for extension. Don’t miss this chance to showcase your work and connect with KM practitioners from across the country! | CENGN Announces First in Series of Living Lab Partnerships with UBC This past September, CENGN launched its first Living Lab partnership with UBC, centered on expanding access to Smart Agriculture Living Lab facilities. This collaboration opens UBC Farm as a real‑world testbed where startups can trial innovations in agriculture, robotics, and applied AI. Backed by a $45 million federal investment, the initiative accelerates commercialization that strengthens Canada’s agri‑tech innovation ecosystem. | | The Extensionist Podcast – Episode 25 Sabrina Peric This Canada-based podcast interviews Sabrina Perić, an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary, in an insightful episode that explores soil-health skepticism. The discussion highlights the disconnect between national soil-health policies and practices, emphasizing the social, cultural, and experiential factors that influence adoption. | | Is Canada in an Ag Innovation Crisis? The October 23rd webinar brought together voices from academia, policy, and industry to highlight Canada’s shrinking capacity to translate agricultural research into practice. The key takeaway emphasized that strong leadership and coordinated action across the agri-food sector are essential to keeping Canadian agriculture competitive in the global landscape. | | What is the state of agri-food sustainability in Canada? This webinar from Dec 12th explores Canada’s progress in building a sustainable agri-food system through the newest update of the National Index on Agri-Food Performance. Featuring a panel of experts, the webinar explores how data informs initiatives around food insecurity, sustainability, and productivity while exploring limitations in decision-making. | | | | | |
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