Windermere farm trials strawberries to strengthen local food supply

A farm in Windermere, B.C., is testing hardy strawberry varieties as part of a Columbia Basin Trust initiative aimed at improving food resilience in the Kootenays. Edible Acres Farm, which was previously known for garlic, planted three strawberry varieties this spring after a soil disease made garlic harder to grow in the same field. The farm received $22,100 through the Trust’s Resilient Food Crops program to try different growing methods, including fertilizers, mulch and drip irrigation. The project is part of a broader effort to support farms that are adapting to changing growing conditions and local supply challenges. Producers in the region have said that road closures, wildfire smoke and other disruptions can quickly affect access to food, making local production more important. Columbia Basin Trust says the crop trials are meant to reduce risk for farmers by helping them test whether new crops can work before investing more heavily. The organization plans to collect data on costs, water use, soil impacts and yields as the trials continue into next season.