Taking Sustainable Agriculture to the Next Level

their commitment to sustainability by participating in the Wildlife Habitat Steward program with Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship (OSS).

Sustainable agriculture practices are becoming increasingly prevalent, with more and more farmers each year implementing environmentally-friendly strategies to conserve water, promote healthy soil, and reduce their impact on surrounding natural spaces.

Practices like watering with drip hoses and using drought-tolerant ground cover crops are becoming the norm in the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys.

Some growers are furthering

Wildlife Habitat Stewards work to care for natural areas in and around their farms, promoting biodiversity and helping conserve important wildlife habitats. In return, they receive recognition, advice, and technical support from OSS for this commitment.

Being a Wildlife Habitat Steward does not mean that these growers must make drastic changes to their production.

Over 50 orchardists and viticulturists currently work with OSS to implement best management practices for wildlife while maintaining all land use rights and decisions, and often these