Joel Liman, LFS Aboriginal Student Coordinator

Joel Liman, LFS Aboriginal Student Coordinator

Jul 15, 2015

LFS Work Learn student Jennifer Wu sat down with LFS/Science Aboriginal Student Coordinator Joel Liman to discover what inspires him about working with the Faculty.

How long have you been with the Faculty of Land & Food Systems?

I’ve been with LFS for a year and a half. I’m also an alumni of the Faculty as I completed a Masters of Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems.

What is your role as LFS Aboriginal Student Coordinator?

I outreach to Aboriginal communities and participate in projects that promote Aboriginal students’ education and careers. I’m also in charge of recruitment for older Aboriginal students who are considering enrollment in the Faculty of Land & Food Systems and the Faculty of Science. I’m a Student Advisor for special programming and degree programs as well.

What piece of advice do you often give to students?

I always encourage my students to remember their dreams and passions and to never lose sight of them. I also remind them to set realistic academic goals.

Are you part of any committees/organizations within and outside of UBC?

I am part of various Aboriginal initiatives at UBC, such as the Aboriginal Recruitment and Retention Committee for the Centre for Excellence and Indigenous Health, and the Aboriginal Strategic Initiatives committee.

I understand that your Masters of Science research was focused on botany and traditional knowledge. How did you become interested in these subjects?

In high school, I worked with a mentor who was an Aboriginal traditional healer. I became interested after getting the chance to work with him and learning about traditional plant medicines.

What does a non-workday typically look like for you?

I love to hang out with my family. I love music as well and play a variety of instruments, but mostly guitar.

If you were to choose between the two superpowers, super strength or ability to fly, which one would you choose to have?

I would choose the ability to fly. It would be nice to see what the world is like from that perspective.

Are there any special events or festivals in Vancouver that you love to attend?

I like to play music and watch music performances, so I really like the Folk Fest. I also love going to Italian Days and the Car Free Festival in the Commercial Drive neighbourhood.

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LFS Researchers Receive 2015 NSERC Funding

Jul 2, 2015

Congratulations to four LFS researchers who have been awarded NSERC research grants for 2015!

• Simone Castellarin ($24,000/year, 5 years): Identification of key regulatory elements of fruit ripening in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.)

• Anthony Farrell ($90,000/year, 5 years): Integrated cardiorespiratory physiology

• Marina von Keyserlingk ($49,000/year, 5 years): Understanding individual variability in behaviours associated with illness in animals

• Siyun Wang ($29,000/year, 5 years): Response of Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli to environmental stresses in food supply systems

The complete list of UBC grant recipients is available on the NSERC website.

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Q & A with Shannon Lambie, Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm

Jun 29, 2015

LFS Communications Assistant Jennifer Wu recently sat down for a question and answer session with Shannon Lambie, Communications and Outreach Coordinator, Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm.

What do you find most special about the UBC Farm?

The stunning beauty of the landscape is the most special thing for me about the Farm. UBC Farm is offers visitors an instant connection to place. Visitors can experience the farm with all five of their senses, and it is truly a beautiful, unique gem on campus.

With your Bachelors and Masters studies in Geography and International Studies respectively, how has your education played a role in your current work?

I have always been interested in how place affects experience, and my undergraduate degree in Human Geography allowed me to explore this in depth. Particularly, I was interested in the relation of community and culture across place and space, and this piqued my interest in food and food production. I chose to study food sovereignty in Bolivia for my Master of Arts degree in International Studies. This pursuit profoundly changed my life, for it was while I was interning with an agro-ecological extension NGO in Bolivia that I knew I wanted to become more directly involved in the sustainable production of food, which led me to my work here at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm.

What do you like most about the Faculty of Land and Food Systems?

There are few things in life that I am more passionate about than food systems sustainability. So much depends on the sustainability of our natural resources, and I am grateful for the important work that the Faculty of Land and Food Systems does in order to address these critical environmental issues.

I notice there was a recent social media contest asking individuals to share a reason they loved the #UBCFarmMarket, can you share with us one reason you love the UBC Farm Market?

I love the UBC Farm Market because it provides community members an opportunity to come to the farm where their food was grown and shake the hand of the farmer who grew their food.

Do you have your own garden? If you do, what sorts of food do you like to grow?

I co-operate a ½ acre organically-managed vegetable and flower farm in Steveston called Sea Tilth Farm. We grow all kinds of veggies and more than 20 types of annual cut flowers. We sell at two farmers markets and supply weddings with flowers.

Is there a restaurant in Vancouver you would recommend/is your favourite?

I love the Gudrun in Steveston. It’s super close to our farm, and does Farm to Table really well! They also have an amazing cheese fondue.

If you were to spend one year living in three different countries, which three countries would you go to?

Chile, Colombia, and Peru.

If you were to open up your own restaurant, what would you name it and what sort of food would you offer on the menu?

I have no idea what I would call it – honestly, coming up with our farm name was nearly impossible! It would have to represent the place it was located very well. No question it would be farm to table. Maybe it would be a bed and breakfast type place attached to the farm I hope to own one day.

Is there a book that is particularly significant to you?

I loved reading the Golden Spruce by John Vaillant in Geography 290 – Introduction to the Geography of Canada. It is still one of my favourite books!

You can connect with Shannon and the UBC Farm on social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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UBC Dairy Centre named 2015 Dairy Farm Sustainability Award Finalist

Jun 15, 2015

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is proud to announce Perryhill Farm’s Dwayne and Becky Perry (New Brunswick), Ferme Bois Mou’s Mario Lefebvre and Denise Joyal (Quebec), as well as UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre’s management (British Columbia) as finalists of this year’s edition of the Dairy Farm Sustainability Award. Sponsored by DeLaval Canada, this prize recognizes Canadian dairy farmers who proactively adopt on-farm management practices that are environmentally sustainable, financially viable, socially beneficial, and can be replicated on other farms.

“Dairy farmers are leading the way in continuously seeking means in which to reduce their impact on the environment and improve the sustainability and viability of their farms, for their families, neighbouring communities and future generations,” said DFC president Wally Smith.

A committee comprised of eight dairy and sustainability experts from across the country has selected three farms as finalists:

• Perryhill Farm Inc. (Perry Settlement, New Brunswick): Dwayne and Becky Perry’s installations are impressive on many fronts, from record-keeping to cropping and forages. Their profound community involvement particularly caught the judges’ attention.
• Ferme Bois Mou 2001 Inc. (St-Félix-de-Kingsey, Quebec): Mario Lefebvre and Denise Joyal’s farm stands out for its outstanding recycling, the impressive number of on-farm trials conducted and their commitment to continually improving cropping practices.
• UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre (Agassiz, British Columbia): This farm’s management markedly impressed judges in the areas of animal welfare, innovative practices implemented on the farm and community involvement in matters pertaining to dairy farming awareness.

In their own way, the finalists have elevated sustainability practices to new heights by constantly searching for new, more efficient ways to reach for the goals outlined by DFC. For example, all three farms are involved in continuing research on some aspect related to dairy sustainability, such as Greenhouse Gas Emission accounting at Perryhill Farm, cropping practices at Ferme Bois Mou and animal welfare at UBC. Sharing these practices with neighbouring farms and opening their doors to the public also come naturally to these farmers.

“DeLaval is proud to team up with the Dairy Farm Sustainability Award to support our customers and help them meet their challenges,” added Andrew Ritchie, managing director, DeLaval Canada. “We are committed to improving the environmental and social performance of operations and also supporting our customers to be more sustainable.”

DeLaval will join DFC in announcing the winning farm during DFC’s Annual General Meeting on July 15 in Vancouver, British Columbia. The winner will be awarded a trophy and a $2,000 cash prize on this occasion. The runners-up will each be granted $1,000 during the annual meetings of their respective provinces, next fall.

About Dairy Farmers of Canada

DFC is the national organization representing Canada’s dairy farmers, striving to create stable conditions for the Canadian dairy industry, today and in the future. Among other activities, DFC invests in research that will continue to reduce farming’s impact on the environment and promotes practices that improve sustainability and viability of dairy farms, as well as save money and energy. To learn more, visit dairyfarmers.ca.

SOURCE Dairy Farmers of Canada (Corporate)

For further information: Sandra Da Silva, Dairy Farmers of Canada, 647.633.3741, sandra.dasilva@dfc-plc.ca

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PhD Candidate Named Member of the Month by Cdn. Nutrition Society

Jun 4, 2015

Congratulations to PhD Human Nutrition Candidate, Kyly Whitfield, who is the featured Student Member of the Month for June. The CNS-SCN Student Network recognizes outstanding CNS-SCN member trainees from coast to coast.

In the past year Kyly has proven to be one of the most active CNS-SCN University Student Representatives. CNS-SCN is proud to recognize Kyly as the June trainee student of the month because of her excellent work in furthering the CNS-SCN student initiative mission, her contributions to the experience of her peers at UBC in her leadership roles, and her past research accomplishments.

Read more: cns-scn.ca

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