From Lab to Field: Genomic, Microbial, Biogeochemical Studies

From Lab to Field: Genomic, Microbial, Biogeochemical Studies

Farm to Globe: Transforming Our Food Systems presents:

From Lab to Field: Genomic, Microbial, Biogeochemical Studies

The sterile environment of the laboratory seems a world away from the soil of the farm. However, our panelists will prove that what we can learn in the lab can change the way we farm forever. From looking at soil-root-microbiome associations, mapping proteins in pest-host interactions, and so much more, explore the bustling intersection between microbiology, genetics, biogeochemistry and agriculture, and learn the incredible ways these methods are skyrocketing our knowledge and understanding of our farm ecosystems.


About the Presenters

JT Corenlis

JT Cornelis – UBC LFS

Dr. JT Cornelis is a pedologist and biogeochemist, Assistant Professor in Soil Science at the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia. JT comes from the University of Liège (Belgium), where he was appointed as an Assistant Professor in Soil Science. He received a PhD from the Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain (Belgium) in 2010. His research investigates soil processes controlling biogeochemical cycles of nutrients and how soil-plant feedback interactions respond to environmental changes. His process-based approach focuses on the soil system, which is by nature multi-scale and interdisciplinary. JT takes as an advantage the complexity and diversity of soil processes to teach students the notion of critical thinking and complex thought. Daddy of two little boys, outdoor enthusiast, big fan of surrealism, he loves to brainstorm new ideas.

 
Karen Fong

Dr. Karen Fong – AAFC

Dr. Karen Fong leads a food microbiomics research program that is focused on investigating pathogen mitigation (Salmonella, Verotoxin-producing E. coli). Her group primarily uses omics technology to characterize novel approaches to ensure the safety and security of the Canadian food supply. Additional research interests include: food and environmental metagenomics, antimicrobial resistance, and microbiology of fresh produce commodities. Karen was born and raised in the Okanagan region of BC. She holds a PhD in Food Science from The University of British Columbia and was a recipient of Canadian Dairy Commission & NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Doctoral Scholarship.

 
Zayda Morales Moreira

Dr. Zayda Morales Moreira – UBC Science

Moderator: Dr. Zayda Morales Moreira received her PhD in Applied Microbiology from University of Saskatchewan in 2021 working on wheat, canola, and lentil microbiomes. She completed her Masters in Agricultural Microbiology in Brazil at Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia and her Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology in Ecuador at Army Polytechnic School. She is interested in how plant microbiomes are assembled, transmitted, and preserved in response to specific biotic and abiotic stresses. Zayda is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Haney Lab

 
   

The Farm to Globe: Transforming Our Food Systems series is brought to you by the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (CSFS), the BC Food Web, the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS), and the Royal Bank of Canada. This webinar series focuses on what needs fixing in our food systems and the innovative solutions which could affect change for the better.



Sponsor logos for the BC Food Web, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, RBC Royal Bank, and the UBC Farm.
BC Food Web UBC LFS RBC Royal Bank UBC Farm
 

Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative: What’s Really Healthy for Our Soil?

Farm to Globe: Transforming Our Food Systems presents:

Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative: What’s Really Healthy for Our Soil?

Nowadays, as we stroll up and down the aisles of the grocery store and peruse the weekend farmer’s market, we are confronted with a lot of choices. Organic certification, produced using biodynamic methods, grown on a no-till farm – but what do any of these mean? In this webinar we are going to be taking a deep dive into the various new ‘types of agriculture’, what they mean and why they all seem to boast being the healthiest for our soil. Join our panelists for an exploration of these new methods and how focusing on our soil health is driving a revolution in agriculture.


About the Presenters

Barbara Schellenberg

Barbara Schellenberg – Pasture to Plate

Barbara Schellenberg is the general manager of Pasture to Plate and the daughter of founders Jasmin and Felix Schellenberg. Barbara is also currently the director of the Agriculture Advisory Committee and the Small Scale Food Processors Association. She has a history as a restaurant owner and chef, and is even the CEO of Ethical Soda, a brewed kombucha line. Pasture to Plate is all about People, Animals and Healthy Soils and is certified organic while also utilizing biodynamic practices. Ranch headquarters are situated in Redstone, British Columbia, and the Butcher Shop is located on Commercial Drive. The bottom line at Pasture to Plate is sustainability for all – Healthier Lifestyle, Ethical Treatment, Environmentally Conscious.

 
Corine Singfield

Corine Singfield – Closed Loop Consulting

Corine Singfield is a regenerative agriculture consultant, farmer and researcher. She is the current board director at Organic BC, as well as the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. She holds a Masters in Soil Sciences from the University of British Columbia, where her research explored developing land management strategies for farmers, looking at ecologically sound ways to veer away from farm intensification and back to integrated livestock/crop/perennial systems. Corine has been a farmer for almost two decades. She has a deep commitment to creating integrated and closed-loop agricultural systems that merge production and ecosystem functions.

 
Tim Nerbas

Tim Nerbas – Soil Conservation Council

Tim Nerbas currently serves as Past Chair on the Soil Conservation Council of Canada and sits on the Soil Carbon Advisory Committee in Saskatchewan. Tim served as President of the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association and served as chair of the Western Applied Research Corporation at the Scott Research Station. He spent five years with the University of Saskatchewan and Agriculture Canada as a pedologist on Soil Survey. Tim provided pedology expertise on the Boreal Ecosystem and Atmospheric Study in northern Saskatchewan. He also spent 10 years as extension specialist with the SSCA promoting conservation agriculture. Tim obtained his MSc in Soil Science from the U of S. Presently his wife and he operate NRG Farms Ltd, a mixed farming operation in NW Saskatchewan.

 
Camil Dumont

Camil Dumont – Moderator – CSFS

Camil Dumont After completing an interdisciplinary BA at UBC with a focus on Political Science and Creative Writing, Camil Dumont completed his MSc. at UBC in 2017 in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems. Prior to completing his Master’s degree, Camil worked for a decade, seasonally, at the Vancouver Park Board, in horticulture. Camil is a founder of Inner City Farms Society (ICF), a Vancouver urban farm, in 2009. Camil has been Head Farmer and Executive Director of ICF since 2010. Elected in the 2018 civic election to represent Vancouverites as Commissioner at the Board of Parks and Recreation, he currently sits as Chair of the Vancouver Park Board. Camil is a lifelong environmentalist, a dad, a baseball player, a home chef and a connector of people. He loves his family, his community, his city and our little blue planet, very much.

   

The Farm to Globe: Transforming Our Food Systems series is brought to you by the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (CSFS), the BC Food Web, the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS), and the Royal Bank of Canada. This webinar series focuses on what needs fixing in our food systems and the innovative solutions which could affect change for the better.



Sponsor logos for the BC Food Web, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, RBC Royal Bank, and the UBC Farm.
BC Food Web UBC LFS RBC Royal Bank UBC Farm