UBC Farm Update

April 22, 2020

UBC Farm Update

The UBC Farm is closed to the public, due to the ongoing response to COVID-19 in Canada and around the world. Most of our staff are working remotely and we have cancelled upcoming programs and events, including the 2020 UBC Farm Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture, which was due to start this month. Only essential UBC Farm food cultivation and distribution staff are on-site, as well as those caring for the Indigenous gardens and essential research projects, all adhering to our health and safety guidelines.

We are planning to expand our CSA program this year, and we are working on creative solutions to make our produce available to our community. Our produce is currently available to order for pickup through Stable House and delivery with Oyster & King.

It’s a challenging time for almost everyone around the world. It’s also a good time to reflect on and support the resiliency of our local food system. Many people are increasingly turning to growing their own food and baking and cooking from scratch. To support our community, we are sharing food systems resources on the BC Food Web and are sharing recipes, gardening tips, and farm tours on Facebook and Instagram, with expert webinars on a range of topics to come. We are also working to make online versions of some of our beloved programs, such as the Community Kitchens. Stay tuned to ubcfarm.ubc.ca for updates.

Tagged with: 2020, Staff, UBC Farm

Tagged with 2020, Staff, UBC Farm
Categories: News

Brennen Gilbert

April 20, 2020

Brennen Gilbert

About

	Undergraduate
Degree	Bachelor of Science in Global Resource Systems
Major	Environmental Sustainability
Hometown	New Westminster, BC, Canada

Meet, Brennen! His passion for environmental sustainability drew him to the Faculty of Land and Food Systems where his classes, professors and advisors have helped shape his academic and non-academic experiences in ways he didn't expect. Brennen is always up for trying new things, and knows how exciting (and sometimes scary) that can be. This is why he has given back to our Faculty as a Senior Orientation Leader in the past, and continues to be actively involved on campus.

What are three adjectives that describe you?

Optimistic, quirky, and (always) hungry

What is the greatest advantage of studying in a smaller Faculty at UBC?

Since there are (relatively) so few of us, it makes it way easier to see fellow LFS-ers in your other classes or just on campus in general. Plus, it means more 1-on-1 help from faculty! The amount of personal growth I’ve witnessed, both in myself and others, since joining this community is unbelievable. The UBC, and especially LFS experience, is so enriching. Between all the people you will meet and all the support you can receive, you can’t do better than LFS.

Why did you choose Land One, the first-year cohort program with our friends in the Faculty of Forestry?

As a first-generation university student, I never really had anyone I could talk to with experiences of what the post-secondary life was like. I didn’t have a clue what a “faculty” or “major” was, I didn’t know the difference between lectures/tutorials/labs, and I sure didn’t know anyone on campus. So when I received a personal message from LFS Student Services explaining this opportunity called Land One, which consists of smaller class sizes, customized timetables to aid with registration, and a cohort to develop better relationships with my peers, I knew it was exactly what I needed to succeed with first year and my university transition. Fernanda Tomaselli who taught LFS 110 (an introductory Land One seminar course), is one of the professors who has had the biggest impact on my experience here in LFS. She was always willing to help her students succeed and went above and beyond as a professor!

What impact have your extracurricular experiences outside of your academics had on you?

Two of my favourite extracurriculars that I have been a part of during my time at UBC are Zumba (though UBC Rec) and UBC’s Musical Theatre Troupe (MTT). I had NO experience in either of these activities before university, but through some spontaneous decisions I’ve come to really enjoy both of them! My message here is to just to try new things- trust me, you won’t regret it. I think extracurriculars are super relevant to both the undergraduate and after-graduation experience. Take networking for example: many people think that networking can only be done during specific “networking events” that regularly occur throughout the year. However, I’ve found that almost everyone in my network is from either classes or extracurriculars, and they can open you up to new experiences. For example, I was in a meeting for a musical last year, when I decided to approach the set designer and ask him if he wanted help with any projects (I had experience using tools, but not making sets.) One term later and I am the assistant set designer for our musical, and I love the position! It gives me something to look forward to each week, which is an invaluable asset for a student to have.

For new students, what advice would you give them about making use of resources at UBC?

Coming to university, I felt like I was struggling a lot in my first-year calculus course, to the point that I failed my first midterm (it wasn't good). This really opened up my eyes because I realized that if I wanted to succeed, I would need to reach out for help, which is something I had always refused to do prior. What I ended up doing was going to the Math Learning Centre (sometimes called the MLC or LC), which is a place where you can find peers in the same course who are also looking for help and the group of you can work together or get help from tutors together. I can directly credit my later success in the course to me deciding to reach out and get help from the MLC, which is something I ended up doing for my other classes by using the Chemistry and Biology LCs. Don't be afraid to ask for help!

Interested in studying in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems? Learn more here!

Tagged with: 2020, Global Resource Systems, Undergraduate

Tagged with 2020, Global Resource Systems, Undergraduate
Categories: Profile Undergraduate, Profiles

Finding a Job Through Interpersonal Skills Built at LFS!

April 8, 2020

Finding a Job Through Interpersonal Skills Built at LFS!

Name	Jenny Lu
Title	Administrative Assistant
Company	St. John's College, UBC
Program	Bachelor of Science in Global Resource Systems
Major

What is one message you would like to share with students about how they can prepare in their undergraduate years for the world of work?

April 8, 2020 – Embrace group work and community-engaged projects 🙂 Also, value your relationships! Yes, there will be stressful situations and frustrating working relationships, but what they call the “real world” is full of interdisciplinary teams and collaborations. It really is a privilege to have this kind of training built into our [Global Resource Systems] program in LFS, and it gives both an “edge” as well as greater confidence.

How does your current work/position connect to your LFS experience?

While people often joke about how my current job doesn’t seem to relate to my degree studying food systems (What do you mean? Everything is connected! [systems thinking!]), I actually got this job because of my LFS background! I am part of the team at St. John’s College, a grad student residence at UBC, where I support admin and finance, as well as work on community-engaged projects relating to Chinese Canadian history and heritage with Professor Henry Yu and his team. I was a student in Prof Yu’s Global Seminar class: ACAM 390A The Heritage of Chinese Migration, focusing on the food and ag practices of Chinese farmers who came to Canada, and grew the majority of the fresh produce we ate in this province in the early 1900s – and still do today. I went on to being a teaching assistant for this course the following year, and then got this job working at SJC! I apply a lot of my experience from LFS in group work, interdisciplinary collaboration, and working with community partners – invaluable skills.

Share one specific way your LFS experience has provided value in your career or in the workplace.

Experience with group work and community-engaged projects! These things form a bulk of my current work – working with different units on campus, collaborating with local museums and organizations in Chinatown. It has also been an asset in TA-ing, and making connections with community partners.

Share one example of how your LFS degree experience has enabled you to differentiate yourself from other professionals.

In addition to (or perhaps because of) my experience with community work, I would say the capacity and desire to work and communicate with empathy. I appreciate that empathy was both discussed as a topic in many of my classes in LFS in the context of making change in the food system while truly listening and hearing one another, as well as practiced through the opportunities to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and community members that are built into the LFS program. I think when you carry yourself with empathy, it makes working and connecting with anyone in any work and life environment both much smoother (not easier) and much more meaningful.

What is something that you are proud of that you have accomplished in your career?

With my friend, fellow GRSer, and co-TA Marcus Jung, we planned the trip for the ACAM 390A Global Seminar in 2019, which took a class of 18 students to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia over 16 days. I felt so proud seeing our students grow, learn, and become inspired to learn more about Asian Canadian history and heritage, the role of food in culture, and their own cultural heritage and role in the community.

Tagged with: Alumni, Global Resource Systems

Tagged with Alumni, Global Resource Systems
Categories: Profile Alumni, Profiles

COVID-19 Information for Land and Food Systems

March 18, 2020

COVID-19 Information for Land and Food Systems

Updated May 17, 2021

This page contains information for faculty and staff, and some student resources below; it will be updated regularly following advice from UBC and the provincial and federal health agencies.

If you would like to add a resource to this page, please email karen.lee98@ubc.ca.

2021 Summer Session – Term 1 and Term 2 updates

The 2021 Summer Session will be online in both Term 1 (May – June 2021) and Term 2 (July – August 2021), meaning all classes taught in the Faculty of Land & Food Systems will be hosted online and students will not have to be in Vancouver.

2021 Winter Session – Term 1 and Term 2 updates

UBC is planning for a return to on-campus activities in Term 1 (Sept. – Dec. 2021) and Term 2 (Jan. – April 2022). UBC is working under the guidance of the Provincial Health Officer and the health authorities in planning, and all parties are committed to remaining flexible as we monitor the situation over the coming months. Fall course planning is taking place with the safety of students, faculty and staff as a top priority. For the latest updates, visit https://covid19.ubc.ca/.

Reoccupancy Information as UBC Returns to Research

The LFS Research Resumption and Planning Committee has been spearheading the reoccupancy plans to support research activities, using guidelines from UBC, B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer, and health authorities. If you are returning to campus as part of the research phase-in, please ensure you review the mandatory training, the check-in/check-out and other procedures. All information can be found here:
https://my.landfood.ubc.ca/operations/lfs-covid-19-reoccupancy-information/

Building Access: FNH and MCML by card only

The MacMillan and Food, Nutrition and Health buildings are accessible only by card access and they are open from 7am-6pm. They remain closed to the public. Arrangements will be made to ensure courier and other critical services are maintained. Any concerns or special arrangements can be made through: LFS-MCM-OPS@LISTS.UBC.CA

• At FNH, the only entrance door by FOB is the main entrance on East Mall.
• At MCML, the entrance doors by FOB are the main entrance on Main Mall, and the entrance by loading bay.

Faculty and Staff – Resources for remote teaching and working

Workplace Preferences Survey:
Thank you to the LFS faculty and staff who filled out the Workplace Preferences Survey by March 3. This survey gave you an opportunity to share feedback on your experiences in the workplace during COVID-19 – whether you are working remotely or on-site – as well as your perspectives on what you’d like your workplace to look like in the future. UBC HR will be providing more guidelines based on the preferences survey by mid-June.

Zoom video conferencing:
UBC has a campus-wide license for Zoom as a platform for delivering courses online and to hold larger meetings. Zoom is an easy-to-use video conferencing platform that offers a wide range of features:
• Visit UBC IT to set up access for teaching or meetings.

Information on remote teaching:
• Learning Centre’s Remote Teaching Resources
• keepteaching.ubc.ca/

Information for remote working:
• lc.landfood.ubc.ca/checklist-for-working-remotely/
• www.hr.ubc.ca/faculty-staff-resources/telecommuting/
• it.ubc.ca/ubc-it-guide-working-campus

For UBC Farm employees — Connecting to the VPN and UBC Farm Server:
For employees who need to access the UBC Farm Server remotely from a home computer or work laptop, you should always connect via the VPN to ensure a secure connection. Then, you can access the Farm server as well as your personal “H” drive.
• View instructions for connecting to VPN
• View instructions on how to connect to the Farm server

UBC support and resources for all faculty and staff:
• covid19.ubc.ca (FAQs & Resources from UBC, government, World Health Organization)
• www.hr.ubc.ca/covid-19/ (for managers and supervisors)

Please contact the Learning Centre (it@landfood.ubc.ca) if you need additional technical support.

Useful Links

• Information on COVID-19 from Vancouver Coastal Health

• Information on COVID-19 from the BC Centre for Disease Control

Resources for students

Undergraduate students – LFS Student Services is providing online support for undergraduate students during this time. To reach the appropriate advisor, visit the Student Services webpage at lfs-ps-2023.sites.olt.ubc.ca/student-services/ or send a general inquiry to students@landfood.ubc.ca. Visit this page for updates.

Graduate students – the Graduate Program office staff is also currently providing remote support for graduate students, and is available via email for inquiries and advice. To reach the LFS Graduate Program staff, you can email Lia-Maria Dragan (lia.maria@ubc.ca) or Sean Smukler (sean.smukler@ubc.ca).

UBC is constantly updating information for students about COVID-19, so please visit these sites for more information:
• covid19.ubc.ca/information-for-students/
• Health and Wellbeing during the COVID-19 outbreak
• www.grad.ubc.ca/covid-19

LFS Today – daily, internal newsletter

LFS Today will be used to communicate important information directly to your inbox. If you are not already subscribed, please email lfs.today@ubc.ca.

Tagged with: 2020, Staff

Tagged with 2020, Staff
Categories: News

Larger farms benefit farmers but not consumers

March 6, 2020

Larger farms benefit farmers but not consumers

March 6, 2020

A study by Frederik Noack, Assistant Professor in the Food and Resource Economics Group in Land and Food Systems, and Ashley Larsen, Assistant Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara, reviews the effect of increasing rural farm size on food security.

Why is this study important?

Reducing global poverty and striving for zero hunger are among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

Assistant Professor Frederik Noack from UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems and his research collaborator, Assistant Professor Ashley Larsen from the University of California, Santa Barbara, analyzed the impact between farm size in developing countries on both the livelihood of individual farmers and on the local food supply.

Much of the past research in development economics has focused on providing small-scale farmers with other non-farming sources of income to help alleviate poverty, which can result in larger and more consolidated farms.

Noack and Larsen wanted to find out whether these larger farms could impact access to food for consumers in poor countries, and affect the already-fragile food system.

Small-scale farming has attracted policy and research attention as these farms are the primary source of both food and income for the majority of people living in developing countries. Previous studies show that more than 70% of farms in poor countries are less than two hectares in size and many are managed by families.

What were the results?

From 2009 to 2014, the researchers reviewed annual survey data from 3200 households in Uganda, Africa, that provided insight into annual growing seasons.

Their research titled The contrasting effects of farm size on farm incomes and food production, published in Environmental Research Letters, measures how farm size affects the level and stability of agricultural incomes for individual farmers and the level and stability of the food supply.

Individual farmer incomes and their consumption levels – driven by greater income – improves if they have larger farms. In addition, their incomes also become more stable as the larger farms enable diversification of food production, thus stabilizing their incomes. The benefit to the rural farmer is definitely positive.

In contrast, the benefit to consumers is negative. Output per unit of land declines with increasing farm size.

At the aggregate level, consumers would face lower and more variable food supply. This is due to farmers accessing similar technology, growing more similar crops, and therefore having more similar outcomes than a large number of smaller farms.

If in 2013, the median farm in Uganda had increased from 0.9 to 1.8 hectares, the approximate output per unit of land would have reduced by 50%. For farmers, their farm income would have risen by 5% and their income variance would have been reduced by 8%.

This would be good for the individual farmer, but not for the larger community.

What could be the impact?

Previously, research and government policy looked at farm size and production or at finding ways for farmers to obtain income from non-agricultural sources. The results from this study cautions that policies supporting farm consolidation can have negative consequences for consumers. It may be important to consider other policies, such as the provision of improved technologies or better access to credit markets to support technological adoption to increase both farmers’ incomes and food production simultaneously.

To read The contrasting effects of farm size on farm incomes and food production, click here.

Interested in Food and Resource Economics (FRE) research? Check out the website here!

Tagged with: 2020, Faculty, Food and Resource Economics

Tagged with 2020, Faculty, Food and Resource Economics
Categories: News, Research

UBC Dietetics & Medicine Students Collaborate in Vij’s Kitchen

February 28, 2020

UBC Dietetics & Medicine Students Collaborate in Vij’s Kitchen

On February 26, 2020, UBC dietetics and medical students took part in an extracurricular, interprofessional cooking event in Vij’s Kitchen.

“In this inaugural event, UBC dietetic and medical students learned about hypertension while preparing and tasting a delicious DASH-based meal (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)” said Gail Hammond, an instructor in the Food, Nutrition and Health program. “LFS looks forward to more of these powerful interprofessional experiential collaborations between UBC health students.”

Tagged with: 2020, Dietetics, Food Nutrition and Health, Undergraduate

Tagged with 2020, Dietetics, Food Nutrition and Health, Undergraduate
Categories: News

Ensuring Strong Animal Welfare at the BCSPCA!

February 26, 2020

Ensuring Strong Animal Welfare at the BCSPCA!

About

Name	Sara Dubois
Grad Year	MSc (2003), PhD (2014)
Major	Applied Animal Biology (formerly Animal Science)
Title	Chief Scientific Officer
Company	BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA)

February 26, 2020 – Sara Dubois has two graduate degrees from the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems, and is currently the Chief Scientific Officer with the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA). She is also an adjunct professor in the Applied Biology program, where she is the instructor for APBI 496: Applied Animal Biology Practicum.

How did your academic experience prepare you for your current job?

The BC SPCA is an evidence-based animal welfare organization, leading its field in North America. My Animal Science graduate degrees from LFS have enabled me to create a Science & Policy Division with the organization and support teams of experts in companion, farm, and wild animal welfare.

Through my role as an Adjunct Professor with the Applied Biology program, I can enable students to get hands-on experience through various practicum locations which better prepares them for careers working with and for animals.

How did you envision your career journey would be when you started university? And how did that evolve?

I was fascinated by nature and animals and wanted to make a difference in the world for both. I was unsure what my career path would be as I was told I had to choose either conservation or veterinary studies – there was no in-between at that time. I believed a biology degree would best prepare me for acquiring a foundation to build on, and thankfully it was the right path in my case.

I always wanted to work “with” animals, but working “for” them is where I thrive. This means working with a lot of people instead – from the public to professionals and academics, industry, decision-makers and government. Animals need a voice, and as a trained scientist with a diverse set of experiences and training, I can bring an evidence-based and ethical perspective to the societal dilemmas they face.

What does an average day at work look like for you?

No two days look the same, but I often split my time meeting with my team members to support their projects and programs; researching, writing and reviewing reports; collaborating with other departments on reaching internal goals; consulting with external stakeholders; travelling and communicating our work; and once and a while I still get to rescue an animal in need.

What are some accomplishments or highlights of your career that you are most proud of?

I’ve contributed to changing legislation and policy that has reduced suffering of animals, such as prohibiting dangerous exotic pet possession; improving animal bylaws; increasing accountability of animals used for science; developing ethical standards for animal industries; and creating procurement policies to incorporate animal welfare.

What one piece of advice would you give to current students before they graduate?

Networking with professionals and trying out potential careers through volunteer, co-op, practicums and work experiences will be key to knowing your education and personal goals align.

Many students think they know what they want to do early on and can focus their studies too narrowly – take diverse courses to expand knowledge beyond own discipline and develop life skills too (critical thinking, ethics, communications, finances, etc.).

Tagged with: 2020, Alumni, Applied Animal Biology

Tagged with 2020, Alumni, Applied Animal Biology
Categories: Profile Faculty Adjunct, Profiles

Video: Wilson Mendes on the Canadian Association for Food Studies

February 24, 2020

Tagged with: 2020, Faculty, Indigenous

Tagged with 2020, Faculty, Indigenous
Categories: News

Bedbugs in the Workplace

February 18, 2020

Bedbugs in the Workplace

February 18, 2020

Dr. Murray Isman, Professor and Dean Emeritus, is an entomologist with the Faculty of Land and Food System. He is currently working as an independent consultant for Public Services and Procurement Canada.

When did you become an expert on bedbugs?

While I had spent most of my career researching agricultural pests and problems, and had done little research on public health pests, about ten years ago I was approached by two companies about doing research on bedbugs and healthcare, which led to several years of collaboration.

What is the bedbug situation that the federal government is dealing with and how did you get involved?

I was approached in October 2019 by Public Services and Procurement Canada, when they informed me that they had discovered bed bugs in the offices of nine federal government buildings in Ottawa, ON. Right away I thought this was an interesting situation, as bed bugs are more typically found in places like social housing and dormitories.

I was brought on as an independent consultant, and I have provided guidance on their pest management plan and communications strategy.

How did the bedbugs get into the offices? How are they surviving?

My best guess is that employees may have brought the bugs into the office from their home or travels, or they were likewise inadvertently brought in by clients. They are very good hitchhikers – able to travel with us in our bags or luggage.

Adults can also live a long time without a meal, so they could survive even in a low-traffic office environment. Once they get hungry enough, they will venture out in the daytime. If you’re lying down on a sofa in a lunchroom, or sitting at your desk and not moving very much, bedbugs will have access to a decent blood meal.

After a meal, an adult bedbug becomes engorged and sluggish, and can’t travel very far to find a safe place to digest. In an office environment, they might seek shelter in between cubicle walls. This makes complete eradication difficult, since they can hide in tiny cracks or holes for long periods of time.

Realistically, our goal is to manage them to the point where someone sees one-bug-a-month kind of thing.

What’s behind the recent resurgence of bedbugs?

During the 1950s, the bedbug population declined over most of North America, due to a combination of better housing conditions and pesticides. But since 2000, we’ve seen an explosion in reported sightings. This may be due to a number of factors, such as increased travel or resistance to pesticides.

To learn more about Dr. Isman’s research into bedbugs, you can check out his research paper here.

Tagged with: 2020, Applied Biology, Faculty

Tagged with 2020, Applied Biology, Faculty
Categories: News