Cover cropping is a sustainable agricultural practice that involves planting crops specifically to improve soil health, increase climate adaptability and promote climate mitigation. Cover crops are grown primarily for the benefits they provide to the soil and the ecosystem and, when carefully chosen and managed, can be hugely beneficial to farmers. Benefits include protecting the soil from erosion, suppressing weeds, reducing soil compaction, increasing soil organic matter, improving soil structure, increasing soil water-holding capacity, and enhancing nutrient cycling. In addition, cover crops can provide a habitat for beneficial insects, such as pollinators and predators of pests.
We invite farmers to join us and hear from guest speakers, tour LH Willms Farm, see a variety of cover crops and learn about their cover cropping program. Farmers will be able to meet other farmers in the area and learn about different operations. This will be an opportunity to hear from industry specialists, fellow farmers, and the owner/operator of our host farm.
About the Farm
Les and Hannah Willms run LH Willms Inc. and have deep farming roots. The farm has been in his family since 1968 and Les took over the operation entirely in 2002. They grow canola, wheat, and barley on 3,000 acres in Rose Prairie. They grow a number of different cover crop varieties like Daikon Radish, Crimson Clover, Red Clover, Turnip, Annual Ryegrass, Millet, Phacelia, and Sunflower. They are determined to trial what they can to find the best fit for growing cover crops in the North.
Guest Speakers
Jennifer Critcher
Jennifer has been a Director with BC Grain Producers Association since 2018 and Vice President since 2021. She farms on her family farm located in Tower Lake between Dawson Creek and Fort St. John on over 4,000 acres. They grow mostly canola, peas and cereals. She is an agronomist specializing in both industrial and agricultural vegetation management. She has developed a great passion and drive for educating people about using Integrated Pest Management in Oil and gas and agriculture industries and is passionate about advocating for grain producers and sharing the story of what the grain sector is doing to provide a safe, environmentally, and economically sustainable food source for Canadians.
Nadia Mori
Nadia is the Peace Region Living Labs Extension Program Coordinator. She earned her Master of Science at the University of Saskatchewan. She has been a forage extension specialist for over 10 years working with the Saskatchewan and BC provincial government. More recently, Nadia has taken on the coordinator role with the Peace River Forage Association of BC.
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