About Us
Our vision is a thriving fish, wildlife and human population in the Little Slocan River watershed, the Slocan Valley and throughout British Columbia that is functioning and sustainable.
Our not-for-profit mission is to alleviate food insecurity and inspire ecological stewardship by offering inclusionary and empowering learning opportunities through research, innovation, and hands-on education at Elk Root Conservation’s Educational Demonstration Farm. Our educational workshops focus on ecological stewardship, wildlife conservation, regenerative organic agriculture, pollinator wellness and protection, sustainability, and local food security. For five years, ERC has provided inclusive learning for preschool children all the way to seniors.
Protect Yourself. Protect the Planet. Support Local.
Elk Root Conservation is collaborating with Indigenous community members, consultant biologists, agrologists, engineers, landowners to address the local food insecurity of at-risk community members while simultaneously demonstrating how we can all conserve, protect and restore the productivity and biodiversity of our local landscape with a specific focus on the Little Slocan watershed and its wildlife inhabitants, including identified species-at-risk.
Certified Organic & ERC’s BORA
The Elk Root Conservation Educational Demonstration Farm and Apiary is Certified Organic by the Kootenay Organic Growers Society. At ERC we strive to grow healthy nutritious food while protecting the planet. To do this, we continually apply the research and innovations in agricultural practices developed at our Demonstration Farm to go beyond the organic standard - we can always do better! Our innovative practices have become known as ERC’s beyond-organic regenerative agricultural practices (BORA).
ERC’s BORA includes a number of practices including climate change adaptive, chemical-free approaches to growing (we do not even use chemical sprays allowed in organic production), no plastic ground-covers are used to suppress weeds, and targeted techniques are used to build soil health, conserve water, and other resources to improve biodiversity and pollinator well-being. This allows us to produce an astounding bounty of beautiful, sustainably grown, locally focused ‘beyond-organic’ produce while combating climate change.
Where to Find Us
Elk Root Conservation is located adjacent to the ancestral Sinixt village site of n’kʔáwxtən, in Sinixt təmxwúlaʔxw and within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) at the confluence of the Slocan River and Little Slocan Rivers. We also acknowledge the deep connection and significance of the land and waterways where ERC is located to the Syilx (Okanagan), the Ktunaxa and the Secwépemc (Shuswap) Peoples whose unceded traditional territories are also within what has come to be known as the Kootenay Region.
In addition to the cultural significance of our location to the Sinixt peoples, the reach of the confluence is a unique and ecologically important wildlife corridor. It is the perfect place to demonstrate how protecting the planet and our local food security go hand-in-hand. Not only for ourselves, but for ALL our children and future generations to come.
4010 Passmore Lower Road
Vallican, BC Canada
Hours
By Appointment Only
Phone
(250) 226-6860