Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

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Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust

DFWT promotes the preservation of farmland and associated wildlife habitat through sustainable farming and land stewardship.

09/01/2026

Our Hedgerow field techs have been hard at work managing invasive weeds in our native hedgerows!

While native hedgerows provide valuable habitat for wildlife and pollinators, invasive weeds can quickly take over and compete with the plants we’re working to establish and protect.

So, how do we tackle these pesky plants? Stick around to learn more about how we identify and manage some of the common invasive weeds found in our hedgerows.

Watch until the end for a handy guide to help you identify these weeds and learn how to deal with them!

Funding for the Hedgerow Stewardship Program is provided in part by the governments of Canada and British Columbia under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

08/24/2026

🌱 The Grassland Set Aside Variety Trial Field Day is 3 days away! 🌱
Before you come out, take a look at what's growing in our variety trial plots, from pollinator-friendly floral mixes to grass mixes built for ground cover and erosion control. Come see how they're performing in person!

🗓️ August 27th 📍 3555 Kettles Road, Delta 🕐12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
No RSVP required!

08/20/2026

🌾 What is a grassland set-aside and why does it matter? 🐝
Swipe through to learn how taking land out of intensive production and letting it rest helps soil health, boosts biodiversity, all while giving pollinators and wildlife a place to thrive.
Want to learn more? Our Grassland Set Aside field day is on August 27th, check the link in bio to learn more🌱

08/14/2026

Come hear about how DFWT is using audio recorders to monitor waterfowl in farmlands!

Our recent webinar on this topic, as well as all future webinars and other videos are now up on our new YouTube channel.

Over the past four years, we have used recorders to track day and night how Snow Geese and other waterfowl use cover crop fields.

We talk about the trends we see in how geese respond to potential predators and their patterns of grazing throughout the year.

https://www.youtube.com/

08/07/2026

🌾Grassland Set-Aside Variety Trial Field Day🌾

Join us at Tecarte Farms for a firsthand look at how grassland set-asides can benefit your operation.

This field day offers the opportunity to view seven demonstration plots, each seeded with a different grassland mix, and speak with DFWT staff about how a set-aside can be incorporated into your blueberry or field vegetable operation. Set-asides support soil health, reduce erosion, improve water infiltration, and provide habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects, while blueberry growers may also see benefits in reducing scorch virus transfer between fields.

🗓️ Thursday, August 27th, 2026
⏰ 12PM to 2 PM
📍 Tecarte Farms — 3555 Kettles Road, Delta
🙌 No sign-up needed!

Got questions before then? Reach us at 604-970-7640 or [email protected], or browse more of our programs at deltafarmland.ca

08/01/2026

The 2026 Cover Crop Program is now open, helping farmers across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley establish cover crops that protect and improve farmland while supporting local wildlife.

Cover crops help:
🌧 Reduce soil erosion from winter rain and wind
🌱Build organic matter and improve long-term soil health
🌾Suppress weeds and enhance soil productivity
🦆Provide important winter forage for migratory waterfowl, helping reduce grazing pressure on annual forage fields

Eligible farmers can receive cost-shared funding for summer and fall cover crop plantings, with additional incentives available for multi-species mixes and farms in areas with high waterfowl grazing pressure. Space is limited, so participants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Learn more about eligibility, cost-share rates, and how to apply by visiting our website or by clicking the link in our bio.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Funding for the Cover Crop Stewardship Program is provided in part by the governments of Canada and British Columbia under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, Wildlife Habitat Canada, BC Waterfowl Society, Pacific Joint Venture through Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Delta Agricultural Society, City of Delta, and City of Richmond.

07/31/2026

The Grassland Set-Aside variety trial plots are in full bloom, with phacelia, sunflowers, buckwheat, and radish all flowering and attracting all kinds of insects and pollinators.

We were excited to welcome members of the UBC PIEE Lab to the trial fields to help monitor insect communities. Using a bug vacuum, they collected insects living on the plants in each plot. Pitfall traps were left in place for a week to capture ground beetles, and pollinator net surveys were conducted to identify which pollinators are visiting each plot.

We're looking forward to seeing what the results reveal about how different seed mixes support biodiversity! 🐝🦋

07/28/2026

The Heppell family has farmed the same land for over 100 years, spanning five generations. Tyler’s great-great-grandfather purchased 10 acres in Cloverdale after World War I. He began growing potatoes and a few other vegetables, along with keeping small animals, all the essentials for raising a family on a small farm. Farming was very different in 1919, when farmers didn’t have the equipment we have today. Tyler once asked his grandfather what he thought the best innovation for farming was, and his grandfather said hydraulics, because it reduced the amount of lifting people had to do.

Today, they grow several varieties of potatoes and squash and are especially recognized for growing Warbas, the earliest variety of potato and one of the first fresh foods grown locally to appear at farmers' markets and grocery stores every year.

Tyler says his family has always focused on sustainable agricultural practices. They recognized that having cover crops on their fields over the winter months improved soil stability and nutrient retention. This is especially important here in the Fraser Valley when heavy rain and wind both take a toll on fields. When you grow potatoes, you want to retain as much of the nitrogen in the soil as possible.

The Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust’s (DFWT) Cover Crop Program provides funding to cover some of the costs associated with this practice. Support available through this program has enabled the Heppell’s to plant more fields and experiment with more advanced seed mixes that offer other soil benefits for their farm. These mixes are more expensive and were cost-prohibitive, but they offer added benefits, including improved aeration and increased nitrogen retention. “Everything that contributes to keeping the soil healthy is a win for all of us” Says Tyler.

Other programs available through the Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust are also of interest to Tyler. The Hedgerow supports farmers in planting native trees and shrubs on their farms to provide refuge for local and migratory wildlife. This is something Tyler will be exploring this year to see if it could fit on his farm.

Funding for the Cover Crop Stewardship Program is provided in part by the governments of Canada and British Columbia under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Heppell's Potato

07/20/2026

🐝 While surveying for bumblebees, we're always hoping to catch a glimpse of a white-tailed Western Bumblebee.

Now a threatened species, the Western Bumblebee (Bombus occidentalis) was once one of the most common native pollinators across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. We have yet to observe one in our surveys, but any sighting is a great reminder of the importance of protecting native pollinators and the habitats they depend on.

Learn more about the Western Bumblebee in our latest blog post.🔗 Read the full blog at the link in our bio (or on our website).

07/14/2026

While there is still a lot more summer on the way, we are coming up to the end of the end of the breeding bird season!🐣

Every year, thousands of migratory birds come to nest in Delta, and between May and June, we study how they use farmland habitats.

Grassland set aside fields are ideal nesting habitat for many species such as the Savannah Sparrow, as well as supporting the insect populations that structure-nesting Barn Swallows rely on.

Continuing a trend seen since 2024, we continue to observe low numbers of Barn Swallows compared to the long-term average, while observations of the other 14 set-aside utilizing species remain stable!

Check the link in our bio, or visit the research page on our website to learn more about grassland set aside monitoring programs!

Address

203/4882 Delta Street
Delta, BC
V4K2T8

Telephone

+16049403392

Website

https://deltafarmland.ca/, https://linktr.ee/deltafarmland

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