Return to flip book view
Postmaster, Please returnUndeliverable labels to:Country Life in BC1120 East 13th AveVancouver, BC V5T 2M1CANADA POSTESPOST CANADAPostage paid Port payéPublications Mail Post-publications40012122Vol. 102 No. 4Organics Bill 11 brings mandatory certification for farmers 9Poultry Feather trade launches combined AGM conference 344-H Island leader garners award from Governor General 42Lifein BCThe agricultural news source inBritish Columbia since 1915Vol. 102 No. 4 • April 2016BC chickenfarmers labourunder Ontariopricing formulaby PETER MITHAMVICTORIA – The province is increasingapplication fees for the Agricultural LandCommission, eective April 1. Fees will increasefrom a base of $600 across all zones to $1,500 inZone 1 and $900 in Zone 2, which includesareas outside the Lower Mainland, VancouverIsland and Okanagan. This is the rst increase inapplication fees since 2002 and is designedexpressly to oset the expense of boosting thecommission’s budget.The land commission received a 33% boostin its operating budget in the Liberalgovernment announced its provincial budgetearlier this year.“The revised fees will recover about 40% ofthe expenses incurred in the applicationprocess and include several new fees directlyrelated to compliance and enforcement,” agovernment statement said.“The provincial government looked at thefees to help oset some of that budgetincrease,” Kim Grout, the land commission’sCEO, told Country Life in BC. “Those fees that arecollected go into provincial coers as generalrevenue. So it’s helping oset the provincialexpense of increasing our budget.”“Fantastic” says LetnickAgriculture minister Norm Letnick called thebudget “fantastic” for agriculture in February,allocating an extra $1.6 million to ministryoperations.Please see “ENFORCEMENT” page 2YCOUNTRYLand commission beefs up feesby DAVID SCHMIDTVANCOUVER – The current live price isunsustainable for BC chicken farmers,says BC Chicken Growers Associationpresident Ravi Bathe. “We have the lowest returns in nineyears,” he told the BCCGA annualmeeting in Vancouver, March 10,claiming the cost of production is nowhigher than the price.He blames the Ontario pricingformula which forms the basis of BC’sSpring has sprungand these BorderCheviot lambs atHomestead HillFarm in Armstrongare taking everyadvantage of amilder-than-usualstart to the seasonto stretch theirlegs. Homesteadlambed out 24Border Cheviot andRomney ewes thisseason.(Patti Thomasphoto)Run likethey leftthe gateopen!Please see “ALLOCATIONS” page 2Cost of production isnow higher than theprice: Ravi BatheIRRIGATION LTD1-888-675-7999www.watertecna.comPROVINCE WIDE DELIVERYPROVINCE WIDE DELIVERYGrowing morewith less waterFREE PTO PUMPSee our ad on page 39for details!1-888-770-7333Quality Seeds ... where quality counts!YOUR COMPLETESEED SOURCE
ALLOCATIONS BUMPED TO MEET CONSUMER DEMAND From page 1Country Life in BC • April 20162pricing as mandated by theFarm Industry Review Board,noting BC’s live price hasdropped 4.95 cents per kgsince Ontario introduced itsnew formula.The Ontario formulareduces the live price whenallocations increase, claimingthis increases eciency. Bathesays the same is not true herebecause BC requires lowerbarn densities. As a result, BCproducers often have to buildadditional housing for newquota allocations. Those allocations continueto increase. Noting Canadianper capita chickenconsumption is now at arecord 31.7 kg, ChickenFarmers of Canada chair DaveJanzen says all provinces havegrown “at least 5%” since CFCstarted using its newallocation formula lastSeptember.The new formula wascreated to address chronicunderallocations in Albertaand Ontario. Although all 10provinces approved it in aNovember 2014memorandum ofunderstanding, the formalagreement still has just 14 ofthe 19 required signatures. BCis still withholding its threesignatures as BC processorshave appealed it to FIRB. Theyare the only processorsappealing the formula eventhough BC’s national directorDerek Janzen claims itincludes factors “good for BC.“Our processors agree withmore chicken for Alberta butnot for Ontario. I don’tunderstand that,” he said. “It’stime to get our nationalchicken industry back in order.If we want supplymanagement, we need anational system.”BC Chicken MarketingBoard chair Robin Smith saysthe board will use its newmainstream chicken cost ofproduction study to compareBC producer returns withthose of Ontario producers. Itis reviewing the pricingmechanism in hopes ofdeveloping a formula whichgives growers an adequatereturn yet still ensuresprocessor competitiveness. Bathe insists they arecompetitive, saying a BCCGA-commissioned study showsBC processors pay the samefor chicken as their Ontariocounterparts and less thanthese same processors pay inAlberta. “Western processors arecalling the price creep overthe Ontario priceunsustainable at a time whenthey are receiving recordmargins,” Bathe charged.While the BCCGA “willachieve our goal” of changing MONTHOF THE TUREFEA lil851521 i .noitacirbulnoC.ebulraegW09nietareposgniraeB•.setalpraew&slaesenocbrellornekmiTderepatelbuodhtab-liO•.sloopsrecapsleetsdetacirbaf”½01•dedaerht,tfftahsgnagyolladnuor”8/12•. emarfebutralugnatcerre”8/3x”4x”6•OODEL225G DIN WIANDEMTTA22222LDDOMMM Phone 403-347-2646ve., Re#3, 7491-49 AAv.kelloughs.comwww’42&,”6’12,”6’91,’81•lbdehcton”62x”61/5•g&kcajhctihbl0007•t/ss/tikesoh&stnemgesuardyh”21x”5&”8x”5•.slortnocgnilevelfleS•tfa-errofdedaol-gnirpS•raobdluomytudyvaeH•seilbmessabuhtlob8•melpmiylp851x5.21•e vitisoptnatsn-oudw/csgniraeb.sdnehtobTSWWCSG DIWSSTTT555 lty 1-888-500-2646, AB. T4P 1N1ed Deerr,.kelloughs.com.shtdiw.seda.sehcnerrewgna.skcoltropsnarth tpedw/c&srednilyctfftilleehwcilu.leveltropsnart,ylbmessaepyttsamt.sreparcsdr.s.serreittnem• 12.5 x 15 8 ply implement tires• 8 bolt hub assemblies• Heavy duty mouldboard scrapers• Spring-loaded fore-aft mast type assembly, transport level• Self leveling controls• 3 - 5”x12” hydraulic wheel lift cylinders c/w depth seg-ments & hose kits/transport locks• 7000 lb hitch jack & gang wrenches• 5/16” x 26” notched blades• 18’, 19’6”, 21’6”, & 24’ widthsThe majority of the fundswere earmarked for the landcommission, which will have$4.5 million in 2016 to keepdecision-making on track, helpit improve its relationship withlocal governments and allow itto hire additional complianceand enforcement sta.The commission establisheda compliance and enforcementdivision in 2007, hiring its rsttwo sta dedicated toresponding to compliance andenforcement issues across theprovince.Grout said the new fundingwill help speed up processingtimes for applications.While former commissionchair Richard Bullock did muchto champion the cause of thecommission in the public eye,many applications languishedfor years prior to thecommission making a decision.The province has nowoered applicants a money-back guarantee on processingtimes, promising thatcomplete applications willreceive a decision within 90days.Grout said the commissionplans to hire new sta with itsadditional funding to help itmeet the service standards thegovernment has promised. Thefunds will also help panelmembers undertake theresearch and meetingsrequired to reach decisions onapplications.The commission is alsoadding new fees, $150 forreviewing documents, $350per site inspection andmonitoring fees of $500 to$2,000 annually for sites thatrequire ongoing monitoringsuch as soil ll and removal orgravel extraction.By increasing applicationfees, government is hoping todeliver what applicants pay for.“It’s a great way to assistthere,” Grout said. “The hiringof more planning resourceswill certainly help us withimproving processing times.”ENFORCEMENT ISSUES From page 1the pricing formula, he admitsit won’t be easy. “The last timethis happened, we had tospend 10 days in front of FIRBin a supervisory review to tryand solve the problem.”Bathe will step downEven though he wasre-elected as a BCCGAdirector, Bathe will no longerbe leading that eort,announcing he will step downas president after seven yearsin the top job. Growers also re-electedRaymond Bredenhof and DaleKrahn to new two-year terms.A fourth position opened upwhen Ray Nickel resignedafter a successful bid for aproducer seat on the BCCMB.His rival in that election, DaveMartens, was then elected asthe one-year BCCGA directorin the six-way race that alsoincluded Gord Esau andJordan Spitters. Please see pages 19, 34-35,for coverage of thepoultry conference heldlast month in Vancouver.www.tractorparts4sale.caABBOTSFORD, BCBus. 604/807-2391Fax. 604/854-6708 email: sales@tractorparts4sale.caWe accept Interact, Visa and Mastercard CLAAS 470S SINGLE ROTARY RAKE, 15FT, GOOD CONDITION .... $6,500NEW IDEA 3739 MANURE SPREADER, TANDEM AXLE ................. 14,500LOEWEN 2000 GAL MANURE TANK, FLOTATION TIRES, EXC COND17,500JD4200 FOUR BOTTOM ROLL OVER PLOW, SPRING TRIP................. 5,500CLAAS 740T SIX BASKET TEDDER, MANUAL FOLD, EXC COND ...... 7,500JOHN DEERE 5500 4X4, LOADER, 83 HP, FWD/REV, OPEN STATION, LOADER ATTACH INCLUDED............................................................... CALLJOHN DEERE 5300 4X4, 56 HP, FWD/REV, OPEN STATION .......... 18,000 JD 5105 2WD, OPEN STATION, 45 PTO HP, LOW HRS . .................... CALLKUBOTA M5040 2WD, 45 PTO HP, LIKE NEW CONDITION ............ CALLJD 2130 2WD CAB, 3385 HRS, HYD PTO, HYD TWO SPEED, 540 PTO, TWO REMOTES .................................................................. 9,200 Tractor/Equipment Repair Mobile Service AvailableGD Repair LtdNEW REPLACEMENT PARTSfor MOST TRACTORS & FARM IMPLEMENTSWe sellOEM KVERNELAND & FELLA PARTSJe Bisschop, centre, of Elkview Enterprises in Chilliwack wasnamed the 2015 BC Egg Marketing Board Producer of theYear. Making the presentation were BCEMB director JenniferWoike and chair Brad Bond. (David Schmidt photo)Most egg-cellent!
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 3Deal to manage dairysurpluses in the worksby DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – After 14days of meetings betweenproducers and processorsspread over the past sixmonths, the Canadian dairyindustry is close to anagreement which aims toreduce the amount ofstructural surplus caused byprocessors’ increasing use ofimported dialtered milk (MPI)in its products.Last year, processorsbrought in almost 16 millionkgs of MPI in liquid form, BCMilk Marketing Board(BCMMB) chair Jim Byrne toldproducers at the board’sspring producer meetings inMarch.When MPI is used in cheese,the amount of butterfat beingused increases but so does theamount of surplus skim milkpowder (SNF). Byrne says industrydesperately needs new dryingplants in both the east andwest to deal with the SNF butprocessors will only make newinfrastructure investments ifthey get that milk at worldprices and are able to accessworld markets. Thenegotiations are thereforeintended to achieve that whilestill preserving producerincomes. Byrne is one of 10people representingproducers in the negotiationswhile BCMMB director TomHoogendoorn is a member ofthe steering committeeadvising the producer reps.At their most recentmeeting, March 4, producersand processors reached a draftagreement in principle.Processors were to conduct atechnical review of the draftagreement the followingweek, then forward it toproducers for their technicalreview.“We should learn by theend of March whether wehave an agreement,” saysBCMMB chief executive ocerBob Ingratta.Before it can be adopted,each province must ratify theagreement. In BC’s case, thatmeans rst consulting withproducers, the Farm IndustryReview Board and the BCMinistry of Agriculture.“We need prior approvalfrom FIRB,” Ingratta notes,saying he hopes the processwill be complete “in two tothree months” soimplementation can begin atthe start of the next dairy year,August 1.“At least two working groupswill be established to guide theimplementation,” he said. Recently, the Ontario MilkMarketing Board (OMMB) andtwo of its major processors,Gaylea and Parmalat, reachedan agreement to establish anew milk class with world-pricing. This would give thosetwo processors the security toproceed with newinfrastructure investments butcould shut out otherprocessors both in Ontarioand through the rest of thecountry. If a nationalagreement is reached, theOMMB has promised to setaside its own agreement.The increased use ofbutterfat in cheese has led to ashortage of butter, leading toincreased butter imports.Byrne notes December’sbutterfat demand was 0.4%higher than the monthprevious and nearly 4% higherthan a year earlier anddemand is continuing toincrease.Even though BC has beenallocated 12.5% more quotasince September 2013(reecting the Canadian DairyCommission’s quota increasesover that time frame), quotacontinues to lag behinddemand.That should not be, Byrnesays, insisting “quota shouldalways be higher thandemand to ensure adequatestock levels and opportunityfor promotion andinnovation.”Buy local supports dairy ventureSurrey-Panorama MLA Marvin Hunt (centre) presented Buy Local funding to Stan van Keulen, left,and his sons Dave, John and Nico of Donia Farms in Surrey, February 19. The third-generationfamily farm recently ventured into value-added processing with ker, and grass-fed milk. Thefamily used the funding to “draw awareness” to Donia Farms premium products through radioads, in-store demonstrations and other events. The Buy Local program “recognizes the value localbrings to families, including the van Keulen family,” Hunt said. (David Schmidt photo)604.556.7477DUNCAN5410 Trans Canada Hwy. 250.748.8171KELOWNA103-1889 Springfield Road250.860.2346NANAIMO1-1277 Island Hwy. S250.753.4221PARKSVILLE587 Alberni Hwy. 250.248.3243SAANICH1970 Keating Cross Rd. 250.652.9188SALMON ARM1771 - 10th Avenue S.W. 250.832.8424WEST KELOWNA2565 Main St., Hwy. 97 South 250.768.8870ABBOTSFORD31852 Marshall PlaceCanadian Owned and Operated100%NEW LOCATIONbuzz ...buzz ...Our Bee Supplies have created quite a44725 Yale Road West • Chilliwack • Ph: 800.242.9737 • 604.792.130121869 56th Avenue • Langley • Ph: 800.665.9060 • 604.533.0048VENTURI AIR SPRAYERS3-POINT AND TRAILER MOUNTOur Venturi Air Sprayers produce high air velocities that shear the liquid to 50 micron fog sized droplets, which penetrate and cling to all areas of the plant foliage.The above blueberry/raspberry heads have 3 zone penetration whether on a 3-point hitch sprayer or trailer sprayer. The simple, unique design of our sprayers insures easy calibration and low maintenance.T55AE-800 W/BLUEBERRY HEAD SHOWNP50S W/BLUEBERRY HEAD
I milked my rst cow on my uncle’s farm when Iwas 11 years old. Her name was Christy and sheprovided milk for her calf and a household of 10people. My uncle purchased her as a second calver fromhis neighbour, Mr. Shaw. Christy’s mother was aJersey and thanks to the arrival of on-farm articialinsemination (AI) in the mid 1950’s, her sire was aBrown Swiss. We all considered her quite exotic andweren’t shy about bragging up her Swiss ancestry. AI was a boon to everyone in the farmingcommunity who had cattle. The small holders didn’tneed to keep a bull or hike their cows all overkingdom-come to nd one, and the larger farmssuddenly had access to genetics they could onlydream of up until then. Dairy farmers were early and enthusiasticadopters who often saw dramatic productionincreases in the early generations of AI daughters.Nearly 60 years have passed and you would be hardpressed to nd a dairy farm that isn’t using AI.Unfortunately, in many communities you wouldbe equally challenged to nd a small scale cattleowner who is. AI on dairy farms is largely handled“in-house” and the service that brought a BrownSwiss bull to Mr. Shaw’s barn is no longer widelyavailable. Cause or effect?The loss of AI service is just one detail on the everchanging and increasingly barren agriculturallandscape and it is hard to pin down whether itsdisappearance is a cause or eect: there is no AIservice because there aren’t enough cows to justifyit; there aren’t enough cows because the slaughterfacility couldn’t aord to comply with newregulations. Somewhere along the line, the localauction barn called it quits. One by one, the wheelsfall o the infrastructure that sustains small andmedium-sized producers and the whole thing grindsslowly to a halt. Assuredly, there are usually options: forget AI andbuy a bull; buy a trailer and start hauling to theslaughter house 200 km away; make the trip againto pick up the meat a few weeks later. Eventually,the added costs outweigh the benets and thewhole enterprise stops adding up.Without adequate infrastructure, farming of allkinds and scale is at risk. Consider the recentdecision by Lucerne Foods to reduce vegetablevolumes in its Abbotsford plant (Another FVprocessor packs it in, Country Life in BC, March 2016).Industry comments within the article are telling:BCVMB manager Andre Solymosi says, “Groweroptions are slim,” and BC Fresh president MurrayDriediger laments, “Within my lifetime, I havewatched seven pretty strong national processorsdisappear from the province. It’s sad when youreect on the opportunities that were there.”Every loss of processing infrastructure or capacityleads to fewer and less diverse opportunities forproducers and, inevitably, to a smaller and lessdiverse industry. This in turn leads to lessopportunity for the infrastructure that providessupplies and services to agriculture. Decisions aecting processing are most oftenmade in boardrooms far from the farmers andranchers who will suer the consequences. That iscertainly the case with Lucerne in Abbotsford, whichhas been sold twice in the past three years. Theuproar over uid milk products ooding into BCfrom Alberta in the late 1990’s was precipitated by adecision made in a Wall Street oce in New York toincrease the sale potential of the Beatrice Dairy Plantin Calgary by maximizing production. You can betno one worried how BC milk producers might beaected. Our business reality, big or small, is increasinglyconfronted by uncaring consolidation andrationalization focussed solely on the corporatebottom line. Any push back on behalf of agriculturewill have to come from the industry itself. Directionand leadership is only as eective as the weighteach of us put behind it. As Red Green used to say,“We’re all in this together.”Editor & Publisher Peter WildingPhone: 604/871-0001 • Fax: 604/871-0003E-mail: countrylifeinbc@shaw.ca • Web: countrylifeinbc.comAssociate Editor David SchmidtPhone: 604-793-9193E-mail: davidschmidt@shaw.caAdvertising Sales & Marketing Cathy GloverPhone: 604/328-3814E-mail: cathyglover@telus.netProduction Ass’t: Ann Morris • Senior Researcher: Phil “Tuco” GordonCOUNTRYLifeAdvertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, that portionof the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance forsignature will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at theapplicable rate.In the event of a typographical error which advertises goods or services at a wrong price, suchgoods or services need not be sold at the advertised price. Advertising is an offer to sell, and maybe withdrawn at any time. All advertising is accepted subject to publisher’s approval.All of Country Life in British Columbia’s content is covered by Canadian copyright law.Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writer and not necessarily those ofCountry Life in British Columbia.Letters are welcome, though they may be edited in the interest of brevity before publication.All errors brought to our attention will be corrected.The agricultural news sourcein British Columbia since 1915Published monthly byCountry Life 2000 Ltd.Vol. 102 No. 4April 2016in B.C.1120 East 13th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5T 2M1 Publication Mail Agreement: 0399159 GST Reg. No: 86878 7375 Subscriptions: $18.90/year • $33.60/2 years • $37.80/3 yearsAll prices incl GSTLack of adequate infrastructure puts farming at riskThe Back 40BOB COLLINSCountry Life in BC • April 20164A visiting urban planner onceobserved that Vancouver’s civicreligion might well beenvironmentalism. Indeed, the wife ofthe newly appointed Vancouver citymanager, Sadhu Johnston, has called“the family’s eco-life ‘our religion.’ ”Small wonder, then, thatcommunity gardens and now urbanagriculture, have taken centre stage asthe city seeks to become the world’sgreenest by 2020. They may not feedthe world, as speakers at the PacicAgriculture Show said earlier this year,but they do engage citizens with thenatural world and make them moreaware of the realities farmers face.Many of Vancouver’s eco-consciouscitizens will be diving back into theirgarden plots and raised beds thismonth, some of them in piousobservance of Earth Day on April 22.Country Life in BC was founded inVancouver more than a century ago toencourage people across the provinceto engage in food production. Ithardly argues with the importance ofthese activities.Yet, whatever the rewards ofgrowing your own food, none of usare self-sucient. Someone’s still gotto feed the world – and it ain’tnecessarily pretty. Just ask thosespreading manure to prep their eldsfor another crop.Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,and while food production is having amoment of glory right now thanks tothe popularity of farmer’s markets andsourcing local products, how food isproduced is as important for mostpeople today as the fact that it isbeing produced. The cost of foodtypically weighs less on a family’smind now than whether or not it’sproduced ethically. Carnivores want toknow that their steak came from ahappy animal; vegans want to set theanimals free and stick to greens.There’s much to be said fordierent points of view. This is BC,after all. But it’s just as easy for the self-righteous to criticize legitimate farmpractices. Some say the BC SPCAdoesn’t do enough, for example,condemning the fact that it protectsthe cute while serving cutlets fordinner. Yet livestock producers areraising their animals with the samecare for their animals as the urbaniteshosting backyard hens.Farmers and ranchers put food onThe new religionthe table 365 days a year. We wouldhope Earth Day serves as a reminderto society to appreciate the essentialrole our industry has in their dailylives. Respect for what you’re doing –whether at the local or global level --should be a fundamental part of thehuman family’s eco-life.
It gets used to defendGMOs, livestock productionand food additives.But when speaking toconsumers, experts say it istime to retire the phrase“science based” and focus onshared values instead.“You cannot abandonscience; you absolutely haveto prove the claims you’remaking but, at the end of theday, science alone is notpersuasive in building supportfrom consumers,” says CharlieArnot. “We can’t substitutescientic verication forethical justication.”Speaking to producers atCrop Connect in Winnipeg,the chief executive director ofthe Missouri-based Center forFood Integrity said that,historically, farmers havetalked about who they areand what they do for a livingas they work to maintain asocial licence to operate. Thatno longer works in today’sdiverse media landscapewhere new technologies cangive anyone a voice and aplatform, he said.“You’ve been operatingunder the belief that thepublic will be logical, they’ll berational and if you simply givethem the right facts and data,they’ll come to our side of theargument, and if they havenot yet come to our side ofthe argument, we probablyhaven’t yet given them theright information, so we’ll godo some more research,”Arnot said. “And if they stillhaven’t come to our side ofthe argument, we’ll go dosome more research. And werepeat that cycle over andover, and over again.”Instead,communicationstrategies need tofocus on authenticand transparentcommunication, thekind of dialogue thatbuilds on shared ethics, hesaid, adding that the centrespent ve years researchingthe key drivers in buildingtrust between the agriculturalindustry and consumers. Theresults of the ve-year studyshowed that shared valueswere three to ve times moreimportant in building trustthan demonstratingcompetence was.“So we have had thehistorical communicationequation exactly backwards,because we’ve always startedwith the facts,” Arnot said. “Itwould be great if just the factswould be persuasive, if thatwas all we had to provide toprotect our social licence –that’s not how it works today.Facts alone are not sucient.”That means that instead ofapproaching a concern aboutfood production for example,as a farmer rst (one who canprove where every pound ofpotassium, phosphorus andnitrogen goes), producersmight want to startdiscussions based on theirown food safety concerns as afather, mother or friend,emphasizing that food safetyis important to them as well.Pointing to one US poultryoperation that has a 24-hourlive internet broadcast frominside its barn, Arnot said thatconsumer is willing to pay inorder to get one thing oranother in terms ofproduction practices.“The answer is nothing,”said theCEO.“There isnopremiumfor doingwhat’sright; thereis a penaltyforviolating public trust butthere is no premium foroperating in a way consistentwith basic social expectations.Now you can help shapethose expectations by beingmore involved in thoseconversations, but you’re notgoing to get paid more fordoing what’s right.”That said, consumers arealso forgiving when trust hasbeen built, he added. Ifproducers are transparentand forthcoming whensomething has gone wrong,the public is likely to beexible and accommodatingif they know the producerwas honest and has a plan tox the problem.“No one expects you to beperfect,” he said.Shannon VanRaes is a journalistand photojournalist at theManitoba Co-operator.Consumers care more about honesty than the factsScience offers farmers a great many things, but ethical justification isn’t one of themIn PerspectiveSHANNON VANRAESApril 2016 • Country Life in BC 5open, honest and transparentforthcomingness is also key togaining and maintainingpublic trust.But he also acknowledgedthat might mean taking a hardlook at the work you do aswell, making sure it is beingdone in a way that supportstransparency.“How does the old sayinggo? If you’re going to benaked in a glass house, youbetter start working out rightnow,” he said.Producers also need towarm up to skepticism whenengaging in dialogue andresist the urge to get theirbacks up when opinions doclash.“Embrace skepticism; it’snot personal, it’s a socialcondition,” Arnot said. “Don’ttake it personally if people areskeptical and raise questions.”Don’t think that doing theright thing comes with apremium either, he said,adding that he is often askedby producers what the“If youʼre going to be naked in a glass house,you better start working out right now.”Charlie Annott, Center for Food IntegrityCongratulationsDave DielemanAfter 13 years with BMOBank of Montreal, primarilyworking in the Agribankingbusiness in BC, Dave hasdecided to get more involved inthe industry that he loves. In April, Dave joins RitchieSmith Feeds as their GeneralManager in Abbotsford. Wethink this is a recipe for successfor both Dave and Ritchie!Best wishes from your friendsat BMOThe Bank for the Agriculture IndustryBMO Bank of Montreal is proud of the decades of combined knowledge andexpertise of our specialized agribanking team – 14 financial professionalsserve the agricultural industry in the Fraser Valley.Because of this experience we know your farm is more than just a business –it’s a way of life.What sets us apartBMO is proud of its dedicated Agribanking managers who visit clients, knowthe business environment and agricultural operations in-depth … and havelocal credit decision-making.We are committed to Canada’s agricultural industry & our Agribanking Team will:• Keep up-to-date on issues of importance to the sector• Be passionate about the future health & growth of the industry that we serve• Provide creative and competitive solutions, and• Be there through good and bad timesWe can recommend the customized loan and deposit solutions that can helpyou grow on your terms and harvest the benefits of your work. Come in and see us!Diane MurphyVice-President CommercialAgricultural Markets BMO Bank of Montreal Abbotsford Main 604-504-4980diane2murphy@bmo.com 36 HURT ROAD | 85 acres of good, irrigated farmland located close to Lumby.Currently in alfalfa/grass production, property is irrigated from Bessette Creek via 50HP pump, buried mainline, 1/4 mile wheel-line. Nice rectangle property with accessoff Mabel Lake and Hurt roads. Community water supply available for future home.Good sun exposure with great views in every direction. MLS® 10112162 $850,000Downtown Realty4007 - 32nd Street, Vernon, BC V1T 5P2Toll Free: 1-800-434-9122www.royallegpage.caPAT DUGGANFarm | Ranch | ResidentialBus: 250/545-5371 (24 hr) Cell: 250/308-0938email: patduggan@royallepage.ca“Farmers helping farmers with their real estate needs”www.OkLandBuyers.ca12:6(59,1*7+()5$6(59$//(<:H·YHEHHQSURXGO\IDPLO\RZQHGDQGRSHUDWHGVLQFHRSHQLQJLQ$QGZLWKWZREOHQGLQJSODQWVZH·UHRQHRI%&·VODUJHVWGLVWULEXWRUVRIJUDQXODUOLTXLGDQGIROLDUIHUWLOL]HUV2XUEX\LQJSRZHUDQGSUR[LPLW\WRWKH)UDVHU9DOOH\PDNHVXVWKHORJLFDOFKRLFHIRUWUXFNORDGVKLSPHQWV2.$1$*$1)(57,/,=(5/7'
Country Life in BC • April 20166by PETER MITHAMVANCOUVER – Participantsin the Canadian YoungFarmers’ Forum (CYFF) annualconference in Vancouver inFebruary heard dramatic callsfor the consolidation of thecountry’s many provincialfarm organizations, whichspeakers suggested havebeen reduced to marketingorganizations.While the heady debatesover the Crowsnest rate areover, veteran agriculturaljournalist John Morriss –associate publisher andeditorial director of FarmBusiness Communications inWinnipeg – said myriad farmorganizations have tended todilute agriculture’sinteractions with government.“These provincialorganizations may not bearguing with each another …Speakers call for consolidation of farm organizationsThe more groups there are, the more fragmented the industry: forum panelistbut do we really need allthese provincialorganizations?” Morriss asked.Supply managed groupshave sometimes foundthemselves at odds with oneanother, while competitionamong dozens of farmorganizations for governmentfunding isn’t necessarilyhelpful.Morriss’ fellow panellist,Lane Stockbrugger, a farmerand director of theSaskatchewan CanolaDevelopment Commission,agreed with the thrust of thecomments.Too often, farmers ignorewhat’s going on outside theirown commodity group,Stockbrugger said; the moregroups there are, the morefragmented the industry.“Does it make sense foreach province to have its ownprovincial organization?” heasked. “When we aretogether, we are muchstronger.”While an argument can bemade for groups to representspecic segments of theindustry, Morriss said eventhese organizations arelargely engaged in publicrelations and marketing.“A lot of what we’re doingin this market economy isproducing goods that peopledon’t really need but arewilling to pay for,” he said,pointing to the organic sectoras a case in point. “You canargue the pros and cons, butreally it’s just a function of themarket economy.”Scott Ross, director ofbusiness risk managementand farm policy with theCanadian Federation ofAgriculture, acknowledgedthat public relations is animportant part of whatindividual farm groupsengage in these days, aphenomenon of shiftingpublic engagement with foodand farming.Outreach to consumers iskey to establishing sociallicense and cultivating amarket for farm products,Ross said, and sometimes thisis something groups can andshould collaborate on.“Consumers have becomeused to a much broadernarrative. It speaks to achallenge an individualcommodity group can’ttackle. We are encounteringsome opportunities forgreater unication.”Collaborative leadershipReg Ens, executive directorof the BC Agriculture Council,agreed when contacted byCountry Life in BC regardingthe calls for fewerassociations.However, he said thedemise of the BC Federationof Agriculture at the end ofMay 1997 reected theinability of one organizationto be all things to all farmers.“People had ceased to lookat us as their organization,”Judy Thompson, the nalpresident of the BCFA, said atthe time, describing thetransition as an “evolution ofleadership” and “the industrydown-sizing in its own way.”The new style of leadership,Ens said, is collaborative.He points to the FarmAnimal Care Council, forexample, which has thebacking of the BCAC, butmost of the work isundertaken by the livestockcommodity groups. Similarly,the resurgence of hopgrowing has led to enoughgrowers being in operationthat they’re working toestablish their ownorganization to addressindustry-specic concerns.“We encourage diversitybut there’s enough thingsthat are common to all of usthat we have to worktogether on and if we don’twork together, we’re going toget lost in the politicalmineeld,” Ens said. “We need to collaborate asmuch as possible.”Speaking to CYFFparticipants, Rosschampioned the role ofdiversity in strengtheningagriculture’s ability to presenta united front on key issues.“There is room for moreunity, to be sure, but itshouldn’t have to come at thesacrice of the individualcommodity groups,” he said.“It’s not a zero-sum game.”John Morriss Reg Enswww.AgSafeBC.caWORKER SAFETYSHOULD BE YOURTOP PRIORITY www.AgSafeBC.caWORKER SAFETYSHOULD BE YOURTOP PRIORITY www.AgSafeBC.caWORKER SAFETYSHOULD BE YOURTOP PRIORITY CALL FOR AN ESTIMATELARRY604.209.5523TROY604.209.5524 TRI-WAYFARMSLASER LEVELLING LTD.IMPROVEDDRAINAGEUNIFORMGERMINATIONUNIFORMIRRIGATIONFAST,ACCURATESURVEYINGINCREASECROPYIELDS We service all ofSouthern BCVALLEY¿FARM¿DRAINAGE31205 DEWDNEY TRUNK RD. MISSION Phone: 604/462-7213www.valleyfarmdrainage.com Fax: 604/462-7215Open Trenching • Trenchless • Sub-IrrigationLaser Equipped • Irrigation Mainlinesdrainage isour specialty1-888-770-7333BILLAWMACK
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 7by RONDA PAYNEABBOTSFORD – A tulipfestival more than 40 years inthe making is coming to theFraser Valley. The AbbotsfordTulip Festival, dubbed Colourin the Country, will run fromMarch 25 to May 1, presentedby Alexis Warmerdam, afourth-generation Dutch-Canadian bulb grower. This inaugural tulip festivalwill be held on landWarmerdam has leased tostart her own business, not farfrom her family’s 200 acres. Itwas 1974 when hergrandfather rst planted theproperty with gladiolas anddaodils. “It’s all grown for cutowers,” Warmerdam said ofthe family property that nowalso includes rows of peoniesand tulips. Her father took on theoperation in the mid-1980sand Alexis has been aroundowers her whole life, thoughonly became a full-time farmertwo years ago. For more than10 years, grandfather, fatherand Alexis talked aboutholding a tulip festival. Theywatched tulip festivals like theone in Mount Vernon andTulips of the Valley in Agassizgrow each year but noticedthat the bigger the event inAgassiz got, the moreproblems there were withparking. The family knew ifthey were to ever hold theirown festival, they’d have toresolve the primary issue ofparking. “Parking is the biggest issue.Year one is the hardest; youhave to gure out the parking,but this is a long term plan.”Warmerdam found a total of31 acres east of WhatcomRoad. Because of thedevelopment of the WhatcomRoad area, about six acresdegraded and haven’t beenfarmed for more than 15 yearsTiptoeing through the logistics of a tulip festival– ideal for an all-weatherparking lot. There is even roomfor additional good-weatherparking in one of the elds. Tulips were planted over 10acres in the fall, including ahalf-acre designated for u-pick.It’s the ideal arrangement asthe family farm didn’t have theability to host parking plus,because owers are cut duringthe time of the festival, it’simpossible to host guestswhile harvesting. “I love agriculture. It’s notwhat I did in university butcoming back to it, I see howimportant it is to me,”Warmerdam said. “I want toshare that.”While this rst year is aboutgetting the tulip festival upand running, Warmerdam hasbig plans for the future. “There’s huge potential foreducation in agriculture as awhole,” she said. “School-agedchildren can come out inOctober and plant a tray [ofbulbs]… then come back inthe spring and see their nameon what they planted.”But, she intends to takethings one year at a time. Afterall, with the Agassiz show onhold this year, Warmerdam’sColour in the Country is theonly tulip festival in BC andthe only one in Canada heldon a farm. The Abbotsford TulipFestival’s 10-acres, more than 50varieties and 2.5 million bulbswill be available seven-days-a-week from March 25 to May 1, 9am to 6 pm at 36737 NorthParallel Rd. The full details are at[www.abbotsfordtulipfestival.ca].Alexis Warmerdam stands among a eld of tulips as she readies to launch the rst annual AbbotsfordTulip Festival on her farm just o Hwy 1. (Photo courtesy of Abbotsford Tulip Festival)INVEST IN QUALITY®Matsqui Ag-RepairAbbotsford, BC604-826-3281Noble Tractor & EquipmentArmstrong, BC250-546-3141Noble Tractor & EquipmentKamloops, BC250-851-3101Huber Farm EquipmentPrince George, BC250-560-5431KuhnNorthAmerica.comPurchase a select new Kuhn mower or mower conditioner, then cut the pricefurther with a Mow ’N Save coupon. Visit our website or your local dealer for details and to receive your coupon. Offer ends May 31, 2016China propels surgein cherry exportsby JUDIE STEEVESKELOWNA – After years ofeort by BC cherry growersand the federal and provincialgovernments, BC cherryexports increased by 70% lastyear over the year before,which was 56% higher thanthe previous year.The dramatic increases arethe result of a successful eortto gain access to the hugeChina market for local cherries. In 2015, cherry exportsincreased to 13,600 metrictonnes, a value of $91.7million.“Focusing on high-value BCproducts like late-seasoncherries is key to growing theBC government’s agrifoodsector to a $15 billion-a-yearindustry by 2020,” notesprovincial agriculture ministerNorm Letnick.“In 2014, I was honoured tolead the BC delegation with BCcherry industry representativeson a federal trade mission toChina that led to full,unimpeded access for freshcherries into China. As a directresult of our eorts, the exportvalue of fresh cherries to Chinahas more than doubled from2014 to 2015, rising from $9.9million to $24 million.”The gures include asignicant rise in sour cherryexports, from $2.7 million in2014 to $11.2 million in 2015.Letnick says plans are tobuild on the momentum. “Thanks to the closeworking relationship with ourprovincial cherry industry, welook forward to exploring newopportunities with Pacic Rimcountries that recently signedthe Trans Pacic Partnership,”he says.
VISIT YOUR BC NEW HOLLAND DEALERS TODAY!BUTLER FARM EQUIPMENT LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .FORT ST JOHN 250-785-1800DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT LIMITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KAMLOOPS 250-851-2044 | DAWSON CREEK 250-782-5281 Toll Free 1-800-553-7482FARMCO SALES LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KELOWNA 250-765-8266GRASSLAND EQUIPMENT LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WILLIAMS LAKE 250-392-4024 | VANDERHOOF 250-567-4446HORNBY EQUIPMENT ACP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARMSTRONG 250-546-3033ROLLINS MACHINERY LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHILLIWACK 604-792-1301 | LANGLEY 604-533-0048 TOLL FREE 1-800-242-9737THE NEW BUSINESS CLASS OF FARMING.New Holland T5 and T5 Electro Command Series mean business. These 82- to 98-PTO-hp tractors are SMART for the way you farm. Productivity and versatility come standard thanks to robust power, superior comfort and ergonomic controls. And, now you have the choice of the Electro Command™ semi-powershift transmission with the convenience of push-button shifting. Stop by to experience the new business class of farming.• Best-in-class comfort and visibility – all-new VisionView™ cab• Perfect temperature – dual-zone, 10-vent air/heating system• Clean common rail power – 82, 91, and 98 PTO hp• Smooth shifting and shuttling – choice of 16x16 Electro Command™, 24x24 Dual Command™ or 12x12 transmissions© 2014 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affi liates.Country Life in BC • April 20168GRASSLAND EQUIPMENT LTD.Serving the Cariboo Region For Over 30 YearsWILLIAMS LAKE208 N. Broadway Ph 250.392-4024VANDERHOOF951 Hwy 16 West Ph 250.567-4446
certied; one more way BC isleading the Canadian organicmovement. Currently, theleaders of all four nationalorganic organizations comefrom BC. They are HermanBruns, chair of the OrganicFederation of Canada, PaddyDoherty, chair of theAgriculture and Agri-foodCanada Organic Value Chainroundtable, Rochelle Eisen,chair of Canadian OrganicGrowers and a leadingmember of the Canadian FoodInspection Agency standardsinterpretation committee (SIC),and Dag Falck, chair of theCanadian Organic TradeAssociation.That may sound good tosome but the proliferation isApril 2016 • Country Life in BC 9Organic groups begin tough task of implementing regsOnly BC, Quebec require organic producers to be certifiedby DAVID SCHMIDTVERNON – Thegovernment’s introduction ofBill 11, which will makecertication mandatory for allBC organic producers, putfarmers attending the CertiedOrganic Associations of BC(COABC) annual conference inVernon, February 26-28, in acelebratory mood.BC Minister of AgricultureNorm Letnick naturally praisedit but even oppositionagriculture critic Lana Popham,a former organic farmer, gaveBill 11 the thumbs up. “This gives me hope fororganics. It’s good to critique itbut it’s also good to celebratewhat we’ve done,” she said,telling producers to “hit(Letnick) up for a full-timeorganic extension ocer” as itwould go hand-in-hand withthe new act.While Bill 11 is a “mostimportant move forward,”COABC co-president CarmenWakeling admitted it willrequire a lot of work toimplement and could havesome “kinks” along the way. The COABC has establishedtwo working groups to guideimplementation. A brandingworking group is developing acommon brand linked to thenational organic campaign.Begun last September, thegroup has already createdposters and other handouts,about 20 farmer proles and iscreating several videosfeaturing long-time producerstalking about the value andbenets of organic agriculture.They premiered their rstvideo, starring MaryForstbauer in conversationshortly before her passing, andset up a video shoot duringthe conference so attendeescould contribute comments. Urged to offer inputA transition working groupis just getting underway. It hasasked for government fundingto develop an onlinecertication application, acomplete database of certiedorganic producers, awarenesscampaigns for both non-certied growers andconsumers and a province-wide mentorship program fornew organic producers.COABC executive director JenGamble urged producers tooer their input as the plan isstill in its infancy. Some producers suggestedthe biggest implementationkink could be the cost for smallfarmers who grow organicallybut make very little money atit.“Can we create a system forfarmers who only grow a littleand just sell direct or atfarmers markets?” one asked.Others pointed out theCOABC already oers threecertication levels – ISOcertication for producers whoship out of province, a secondtier for producers who sellwithin BC and a third low-risktier for local producers. Onenoted that producers can getprofessional help to develop atransition plan for as little as$100 through the province’sFarm Business AdvisoryService.COABC has been busyIn 2015, 686 producers andprocessors were certiedthrough the COABC. Almostthree-quarters are certiedthrough its three ISO-compliant certifying bodies:Pacic Agriculture CerticationSociety (PACS), BC Associationof Regenerative Agriculture(BCARA) and Fraser ValleyOrganic Producers Association(FVOPA).Bill 11 will make BC only thesecond Canadian province,after Quebec, to require allorganic producers to beAnnie Moss ofDiscoveryOrganics proudlydisplays the BradReid MemorialAward shereceived duringthe CertiedOrganicAssociations ofBC conference inVernon. Theaward waspresented byCOABC co-chairCarmenWakeling,director AndreaTurner and co-chair CoreyBrown.(David Schmidtphoto)Proudly certifying Producers and Processorswithin BC and Alberta.FVOPA provides year round certification services compliant with the Canadian Organic Standards (CAN/CGSB) and in accordance with the BC Certified Organic ISO 17065 recognized program. Products may be sold Canada-wide and in international markets. FVOPA ensures an efficient, professional certification process for all farm, processing and handling operations. Inspectors are lOlA trained and qualified making FVOPA a leading Certification Agency.Message 604-607-1655Email: admin@fvopa.cawww.fvopa.caPhone 604-789-7586P.O. Box 18591Delta, BC V4K 4V7Phone: 778-434-3070 Admin cell: 604-789-7586PO Box 19052 Email: admin@fvopa.caDelta, BC V4L2P8 www.fvopa.ca#AgSafetyChampYou’re THE CHAMP!AgSafeTELL US WHY_rĹņņĺ-]v-=;01ĺ1-ņm;vņ-]v-=;|1_-lrShare your TOP SAFETY TIPS &PICTURE on social mediaLearn more atMONTHLY DRAW TO WIN...GAS CARDS$50 BE NOMINATED FOR...2016CHAMPIONOn AgricultureBCAC’sPlease see “WELL” page 10TRACTOR & EQUIPMENT LTD.KAMLOOPS580 Chilcotin Road250/851-3101TOLL FREE 1-888-851-3101ARMSTRONG4193 Noble Road250/546-3141TOLL FREE 1-800-661-3141NOBLECASE IH FARMALL 140A 2013, 115 PTO HP, CAB, 4X4, L750 LDR, ONLY 675 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78,950CASE 2290 1980, 128 HP, CAB, NO 3 PT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500CASE IH 885 1987, 72 HP, 4X4, CAB LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,500CASE IH 4694 1986, 219 PTO HP, DUALS 1000 PTO, 4 REMOTES . . 25,500NH TS115A, DELUXE 2004, 95 HP, CAB 4X4, LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41,800NH 3045 45 HP, 4X4, CAB, LDR, LIKE NEW ONLY 120 HOURS . . . . . . 36,500MF 5613 2015, 100 PTO HP, CAB, 4X4, 16X16 POWERSHIFT TRANS, MF946 LDR, ONLY 345 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107,500WHITE 6065 63 PTO HP, 4X4, ROPS, ALO 640 LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,500JD 3130 80 HP, 2X4, CANOPY, JD 148 LOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13,500CASE IH 8820 WINDROWER, 1995, C/W 21” DRAPER HEAD . . . . . . . 24,000CASE IH DC102 2010, 10’4” CUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,900CASE IH DCX101 10’4”, 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,900CASE IH 8312 1997, 12’ CUT, SWIVEL HITCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500CASE IH DC 92 9’2” CUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,500CASE IH 8309 1995, 9’2” CUT ROLLER CONDITIONER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,900CASE IH 8330 1998, 9’2” CUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,950NH 1411 2003, 10’4” CUT, RUBBER ROLLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,800JD 920 1995, 9’9”, CUT, ROLLER CONDITIONER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500HESSTON 1160 12’ HYDROSWING, 1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,950HESSTON 1320 2000, 9’2” CUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,900KUHN GA7932 ROTARY TWIN RAKE, NEW IN 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,000RECON 300 2012, PULL TYPE HAY CONDITIONER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,800 NH BR7090 2012, 5’X6”, TWINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29,500JD 456 2000, 4’X5’ SILAGE SPECIAL, TWINE & WRAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,600www.nobletractor.comWELCOME SPRING!
anathema to Bruns. “In BC,we’re well organized and well-funded. The situation isopposite at the national level.We have four organizations alltrying to talk to government,”he says, lamenting the fact the10-year-old OFC, which aimsto represent all organicproducers, has almost nomoney and no representationfrom Quebec.Even thoughSeptember 2018(when mandatorycertication is setto begin) seems along way away, it’snot. In her“introduction tocertication”workshop, Eisennoted producersneed to apply forcertication at least15 months beforethey intend to startshipping organic productsoutside BC and at least 12months before selling certiedorganic products within theprovince.Producers need threemonths to set up their organicplan and can then expect twoinspections in the rst 12months before receiving theirrst certication. The timelinecould be even longer in somecases. Land, including landused for crop production, in-ground greenhouses orpasture, needs to be free ofnon-organic inputs for at least36 months prior tocertication while bees andruminant animals need to befree of non-organic inputs forat least 12 months.The rules for organiccertication comein two documents.The rst listsgeneral principleswhile the second isa list of permittedsubstances. Canadais the only countrywhich hasembeddedprinciples in itsstandards and Eisenadvises producersto start with those.“If you look atthe principles, you willunderstand what thestandards are trying to get youto do,” she says, noting her aimas a member of the CFIA’s SICis to “make the standardscontinue to adhere to theorganic principles of health,ecology, fairness and care.”She admits developing aninitial plan will be the “rst testCountry Life in BC • April 201610WELL FUNDED From page 9Members of the COABC board of directors pose for a picture during the COABC annual meeting inVernon, February 28. (David Schmidt photo)of endurance” for newproducers as the plan willhave to satisfy both thecertifying body and theinspector.During the rst visit, aninspector will check the farmfor any areas of potential lossof organic integrity, such as aninsucient buer or thewrong inputs, says inspectorDwight Brown. “We will ask what you aregrowing, producing orprocessing and who you sellto. We will want to seepurchase records, spray andinput records, planting andtransplanting records andsales records,” he toldproducers.Producers spentconsiderable time discussingenforcement but reached noconclusion. Gamble said it “hasbeen made clear to us” thatCOABC will not managecomplaints. BC ministry ofagriculture organic specialistSusan Smith agreedenforcement will be “ministry-led,” but said the how is stilluncertain.“That’s to be worked outwith the organic workinggroup,” she said.Jen Gamble
YEAR GEARBOXLIMITED WARRANTYNew for 2016 comes the Pulsar Plus for tractors rated between 40 - 60 HP. This updated mower features not only Category 1, but also Category 2 and Quick Tach mounting options to fit your equipment. With a cutting path ranging from 60” - 84”, and a cutting height of 2” - 10” with the standard floating top link, this mower will get the job done the first time. To ensure even cutting and shredding every time, the deck has been outfitted with 3 blades covering more area on each pass.For more information contact your nearest MK Martin dealer or visit us online.GET THE EDGE ON SPRING CUTTING.April 2016 • Country Life in BC 11Panelists Mary Alice Johnson, John Buchanan and Arzeena Hamirurged Vancouver Island growers to consider partnerships to growtheir farm businesses. (Tamara Leigh photo)by TAMARA LEIGHSAANICH – There is agrowing demand for locallyproduced food on VancouverIsland, and a growing numberof young farmers looking tofeed the market. The challengeis getting an industry primarilyfocused on small-scaleproduction to scale up tomeet the demand. In early March, theFarmer2Farmer conference inSaanich brought together akeynote panel of farmers tospeak to their theme: “Beyondcompetition: towards culturesof co-operation.”“We are starting to see ashift away from Island farmersselling farm-direct and seeinga lot more farms selling torestaurants and specialtystores. We also have a coupleof large-scale retailers that arelooking for more local food,and we know that in order toserve those markets, smallfarmers need to worktogether,” says Linda Geggie,executive director of theCapital Region Food andAgriculture InitiativeRoundtable (CR-FAIR), the leadorganization behind theconference.90% imported foodIn her introduction to theday and the panel, moderatorHeather Stretch notedVancouver Island imports over90% of its food.“As long as we areimporting food onto thisisland, we are not competitors,we are colleagues, and we arestronger if we work togetherto grow the market for localfood than ghting for marketshare,” says Stretch,recounting a lesson from oneof her mentors when shestarted farming on VancouverIsland.Arzeena Hamir moved withher family to the Comox Valleyin 2011 to start Amara Farm,producing transitional (nowcertied) organic vegetablesfor the local market. As shebrought her rst products tomarket, she realized some ofthe limitations of going italone and connected withMoss Dance, another farmerfrom the area that was startinga Community SupportedAgriculture (CSA) program. 90% imported foodHamir provided newoerings to Dance’s CSAcustomers and the pair startedselling at the local farmers’market together and jointlybranding their products. Fiveyears later, Merville OrganicsGrowers Co-operative is aformal co-operative of vegrowers that serves a 90-customer CSA program, threefarmers’ markets a week andsupplies product to the TonoChef’s Guild.“On my own, this level ofwork would atten me, butour season last year was bestso far in terms of stress,” saysHamir. “We shareresponsibilities for pick-upsand markets. We’re all in it andhave something to gain fromworking co-operatively.”For John Buchanan of ParryBay Sheep Farm, collaborationbegan by sharing equipmentwith a neighbouring farm. “The rst thing we co-operated on was with anotherfarmer who was doing somehay. He got a better mowerand we started renting it fromhim, then we did the samewith the manure spreader andcultivation equipment. It was apretty simple, free-owingarrangement,” he explains. From there, Buchananbegan marketing his lamb andchicken in co-operation withhis neighbours, Tom Henryand Violaine Mitchell atStillmeadow Farm, who raisepork. Sharing labour at thefarmers’ markets turned intosharing labourers between thefarms. The collaborationbetween the two farms hasrecently expanded intowholesale marketing andprocessing at Buchanan’s on-farm abattoir. “There are signicantadvantages to being smallfarmers,” Buchanan says. “Ifyou co-operate with others,you can get advantage ofscale as well so you can bebetter o than one big farm.”Mary Alice Johnson of ALMFarm has been farming andworking collaboratively withfarmers on southernVancouver Island since 1990.She is one of the foundingmembers of Victoria’s MossStreet Market, a year-roundorganic market with over 90vendors.“Four farmers sat down overa cup of coee and that’s howthe Moss Street Market gotstarted,” Johnson recounts.“What made it work was thepeople who had a stake. Therewasn’t anyone who hadownership at that point, andpeople worked really hard.”Different skills, strengthsShe advises anyone lookingat a collaborative project tolook for people who bringdierent skills and strengths,and who have a focus ongetting things done. “You need starters and ideapeople who are willing to trythings, and it’s good to havesomeone who slows thingsdown to look at them. It’s alsoreally helpful if you have apeacemaker,” oers Johnson. When it comes to criticalsuccess factors forcollaboration, she is absolutelyCo-operation integral in meeting local Island food demandclear: “The project you areworking on has to be worth itto everyone involved.”CR-FAIR is a network of over100 organizations on southernVancouver Island with aninterest in food issues. TheFarmer2Farmer conference,now in its fth year, is part oftheir mandate to developVancouver Island’s local foodeconomy.“Farmer2Farmer is uniqueas a conference because weare focused on localknowledge and localsolutions,” says Geggie. “Wehave really sound experiencedfarmers in our communitywith a lot of expertise to share,but we’re going to be losingover 50% of older farmers overthe next ten years and need tosupport new entrants. Thisevent helps provideconnections and mentorshipto new entrants to thecommunity.”Call WaterTec Today and Get Your Free Estimate !vern@watertecna.com kristen.weir@watertecna.comMECHANIZED IRRIGATIONGrowing More With Less Water CENTER PIVOTS, LINEARS, CORNERSToll Free in Canada 1-855-398-7757
Country Life in BC • April 201612Dealer Logo HereCHECK OUT THE MASSEY FERGUSON 4600M SERIES AT DEALER NAME:Promotional and dealer co-op body copy. Molorrum ullit, voluptatur minveleni dipsa nam quibus everiam fuga. Ebitat velesequi sus nulpa sitasim ellaborit.FROM MASSEY FERGUSONA world of experience. Working with you.Massey Ferguson is a worldwide brand of AGCO.000 Address Line 1City Name, ST 00000(000) 000-0000www.dealer.comA TRACTOR THAT LOVES THE LAND AS MUCH AS YOU DO.The new Massey Ferguson® 4600M Series raises the bar again on utility tractors. These popular tractors are perfect for hay, dairy, livestock and mixed-use farm operations, as well as landscapers and large property owners. They breeze through mowing and loader work, while maneuvering easily around the barn. And with their innovative power shuttle transmission and new deluxe cab option, even the longest days will be more productive and comfortable.www.masseyferguson.us©2015 AGCO Corporation. AGCO is a registered trademark of AGCO. Massey Ferguson®, MF®, the triple triangle logo®, is a worldwide brand of AGCO. All rights reserved. MF15P086CR©2015 AGCO Corporation. AGCO is a registered trademark of AGCO. Massey Ferguson®, MF®, the triple triangle logo®, is a worldwide brand of AGCO. All rights reserved. MF15P086CRCHECK OUT THE MASSEY FERGUSON 4600M SERIES ATABBOTSFORDAvenue Machinery Corp.521 Sumas Way604/864-2665KAMLOOPSNoble Equipment Ltd.580 Chilcotin Road250/851-3101MAPLE RIDGEVan Der Wal Equipment Ltd.23390 River Road604/463-3681VERNONAvenue Machinery Corp.7155 Meadowlark Road250/545-33550%FINANCING*available OAC
Van Der Wal Equipment (1989) Ltd.23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6604/463-3681 | vanderwaleq.comVisit our showroom to see more!EZ38EXCAVATORWL 32 ARTICULATED WHEEL LOADER• Accepts most existing skid steer attachments.• Standard aux hydraulic flow of 16 gpm with 28 gpm high flow option• Compact design • Easily accessible from both sides• Choice of canopy or cab.• Excellent visibilityApril 2016 • Country Life in BC 13Market opportunities buoy BC cherry growersby JUDIE STEEVESKELOWNA – It waseducational, informative,decisive and even protablefor those who attended thisyear’s BC Cherry Association(BCCA) annual meeting inKelowna in February.Members elected a 2016board of directors includingthree new members: NielDendy, Bryan Key and Nealvan der Helm.Re-elected president wasSukhpaul Bal, while DavidGeen was re-elected vice-president. Secretary isGraeme Nelson and treasureris Keith Carlson. Re-elected asdirectors were: Andre Bailey,Chris Danninger, RaviDhaliwal, Dr. David Geen,Gord Sandhu, Don Westcott,Bikaramjit Sandhu and DonLow.Cheques totalling around$30,000 were presented fromroyalties on Gibberellic Acid(GA), a growth enhancer usedto allow the fruit to size upbefore harvest. Theassociation spearheadedresearch into use of GA forthis purpose. Royalties fromcompanies such as TerraLinkHorticulture and Gro-SpurtProducts are invested intoresearch in cherry pests anddiseases and quality issues formembers.Ship cherries by air?The topics at this year’smeeting were wide-ranging,from a sales pitch fromEdmonton InternationalAirport encouraging growersto ship their cherries throughthe Rockies to theirrefrigerated containers forights to Asia, to apresentation on the issueswith composting cherriescentrally to safely deal withun-marketable fruit withoutcausing an outbreak ofSpotted Wing Drosophila.In-between, growerslearned about the work doneon their behalf by theCanadian Food InspectionAgency (CFIA) in helpingthem secure new marketaccess for fresh BC cherriesand what steps must be takenby growers interested inexpanding into globalmarkets.$80 millionCFIA hort specialist BarbPeterson noted that $80million in BC sweet cherrieswere exported last year. TheUS is the largest market,followed by China. US exportswere way up last year, likelydue to the value of theCanadian dollar south of theborder, she explained.However, growersinterested in exportingshould work through theirindustry association, whichworks with the CFIA to openup new markets. There arerestrictions placed onimports by some countries soit’s vital that growers arefamiliar with them, andcompliant.Eorts are underway nowto export cherries to Koreaand Japan, she said.Growers also met the newtree fruit and grape specialistfor the provincial agricultureministry, Carl Withler, whoreplaces Jim Campbell whoretired last year.Carl has worked for theministry in its Kelowna ocefor many years, most recentlyas resource stewardshipagrologist.A research update wasprovided by Duane Holder onweed and insect pests andeorts to have appropriatepesticides approved for useagainst them, as well as plansfor the coming year.BC trade booth in BerlinErin Wallich reported onher trip to Fruit Logistica inBerlin this winter promotingBC cherries as part of aProvince of BC trade booth.It’s the biggest fruit andvegetable trade show in theworld, she noted.Danielle Hirkala reported tomembers on research anddevelopment work currentlyunderway on cherries,including into root zonemanagement, cherry slip skinand replant disease, controlsfor SWD, and research intoimproving fruit quality incontainer shipping.Research continues intostarling control, cherry qualityand post-harvest rot.In the afternoon, membersheaded out into the eld, fora pruning demonstration byCanada’s largest grower ofsweet cherries, associationvice-president David Geen.Membership in the BCCAgives growers access to newresearch and technology,industry events and updates,educational seminars, onlineemployment and saleslistings, improved marketaccess opportunities, tradeshow travel benets andmuch more.Levies for the 2016 year arecurrently due and can be paidon the website at[www.bccherry.com].BC Cherry Association treasurer Keith Carlson (left) received cheques totalling nearly $30,000 fromDomenic Rampone of Gro-Spurt Products and Lisa Birston of TerraLink for royalties on GibberellicAcid sales. BCCA vice-president David Geen and association administrator Erin Carlson joined Carlsonin thanking both companies. (Judie Steeves photo)REASON 3: Our Alexander Knives, when paired with our patented Vertical Knives, create an unparalleled cutting action. The curved carbide coated cutting edge and angle of the Alexander Knives increases the aggressiveness of cut to improve the processing rate of round baled forages, especially coarser forages. Our Vertical Knives, which are mounted on our slide plate, improve processing and feedout of high forage rations. Together with our four other exclusive auger features, we produce a faster and more uniform mix than sluggish conventional augers, which typically take too long to process forage, resulting in too many fine particles in the shakerALEXANDER KNIVESVERTICAL KNIVESSIX REASONS WHY OUR SQUARE-CUT AUGER RESISTS SORTING:www.JAYLOR.com | 800.809.8224SIX REASONS WHY OUR SQUARE-CUT AUGER RESISTS SORTING:REASON 3: Our Alexander Knives, when paired with our patented Vertical Knives, create an unparalleled cutting action. The curved carbide coated cutting edge and angle of the Alexander Knives increases the aggressiveness of cut to improve the processing rate of round baled forages, especially coarser forages. Our Vertical Knives, which are mounted on our slide plate, improve processing and feedout of high forage rations. Together with our four other exclusive auger features, we produce a faster and more uniform mix than sluggish conventional augers, which typically take too long to process forage, resulting in too many fine particles in the shaker box. Nutritionists say if you want to resist sorting you’ll need a TMR with optimum shaker box results, and with a Jaylor you can deliver that ration every time.SIX REASONS WHY RESISTS SORContact your local dealer for a demo today:AVENUE MACHINERY CORPAbbotsford 604.864.2665Vernon 250.545.3355
Country Life in BC • April 201614by JUDIE STEEVESKELOWNA – Technicalworkshops, in-service trainingand updates for tree fruitgrowers from around theOkanagan and Similkameenwere the drawing card at theannual BC Tree FruitHorticultural Symposium puton by packinghouse eld stain Kelowna in February.From techniques and tipson sprayer calibration for themodern, high-density orchard(a session featuring Dr.Andrew Landers from CornellUniversity in New York) todiscussion of the use of clubvarieties of tree fruit to controldistribution of a variety, andirrigation xes and follies –this year’s day-long sessionwas varied.Smaller workshops in theafternoon allowed growers anopportunity to acquire one-on-one attention to discussnew pesticides, new pests anddiseases, sprayer safety andcalibration.The new general managerfor the Summerland VarietiesCorporation (SVC), retiredcherry breeder and researcherFrank Kappel, told growersthat today’s cherries are ayear-round crop globally,where historically they wereavailable for only a month ortwo in early summer.“Retailers don’t want aseasonal fruit,” he explained.Supply and demandconditions favour expansionof the cherry season.BC is the seventh largestexporter of cherries in theworld, with 13,600 tonnes ofthem exported in 2015, worth$91.7 million dollars. China isthe third largest market.“To compete in worldmarkets, it’s all about quality.We’re seen as a high qualityproducer of cherries and wemaintain tight quality controlsat every stage of production,”he commented. It’sparticularly important thatProprietary made-in-BC cherryvarieties keeping prices strongharvesting, packing andmarketing be undertakenusing the latest in technicalknowledge and equipment.“Export quality cherriesmust be large and rm, withgood stem retention, and theymust arrive at the market ingood shape,” he noted.The big ve varieties areLapins, Sweethearts, Staccato,Sentennial and Sovereign.Earlier season varieties noware Santina, Cristalina andSuite Note.“We’re very fortunate tohave a great breedingprogram at the SummerlandResearch and DevelopmentCentre,” he noted. The nextnew variety in the pipelinethere is SPC342.He advised growers toattend the cherry days at theresearch centre to see what’snew, and to try planting a newvariety tree as an experiment.Around the world, cherryplantings are increasing withTurkey, the US and Chile asthe major producers.Research co-ordinator forSVC, plant physiologist ErinWallich, told growers theresearch centre is a treasuretrove of new cherry varieties.Initially, those varieties weremade available to everyonebut today the SVC is using theclub variety model andrestricting release of newvarieties internationally, withlimited acreage in the country,to keep prices up.At the same time, royaltiesfrom those protected varietiessupport strong growerreturns, new varietydevelopment, horticulturalresearch and the long-termviability of the industry.Late harvest varieties suchas Staccato and Sentennialwere licensed and patented,giving BC growers the right toprevent propagationelsewhere without payment ofroyalties.Cherry growers are being urged to buy new stock throughauthorized sources and to sign the grower agreement and payroyalties for all protected trees. (Judie Steeves le photo)1.866.567.4162Cuts From The Bottom Up.Maximize your productivity, reduce costs, and save valuable time with a Bale Knife from HLA Attachments. Available in 3 sizes, the Bale Knife uses a serrated cutting edge to easily cut through your 4, 5, and 6 foot silage and hay bales. A proprietary system grabs the wrap and bale netting holding it securely as the bale is sliced and drops free keeping bale netting and wrap out of your mixers and feeders.It’s unique design allows for bales to be cut a mere 6” off the ground making it ideal for use in areas with low overhead.Visit www.hlaattachments.com/baleknife for more information.www.hlaattachents.com www.horstwagons.com• Bearings on king pins for no sway trailing• Includes 2 shoes and 2 Universal Pads• 2 Ratchet straps to secure load• 4 Wheel steering• 4 Wheel electric brakes• 4 Wheel independent ROAD FLEX suspension• 30 ft. wheelbase with reinforced bottom rail• Wheel Fenders• Running lights on fenders and rails• Light kit (Red Lenses)• 2-5/16 ball hitch and safety chains• Vehicle Identification Number for Licensing• Double Spring Balancer• 235/85 R16 (F Range) Highway trailer tire on 16 x 6 x 6 rim
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 15by PETER MITHAMVANCOUVER – One of themessages producers haveheard for years is thatconsistency pays and thatconsumers won’t shell outtheir hard-earned cash forproduce that looks odd.While some people delightin discovering misshapenapples, carrots, and tomatoesat greengrocers and farmers’markets, they’re a seldom-seencommodity at the majorgrocers.But with governmentseeking to reduce food wasteand consumers watching theirgrocery budget even moreclosely after this winter’s spikein produce prices, Loblaw’s isfollowing in the steps of somesmaller producers and ndinga home for culled crops.Since its debut in Ontarioand Quebec in March 2015,the company’s NaturallyImperfect line of misshapenapples and potatoes hasexceeded sales expectationsas consumers scooped up thepackages of produce for up to30% less than their conformistcounterparts.This year, peppers, onionsand mushrooms have beenadded to the mix, givingshoppers at Loblaw’s outletssuch as Superstore and YourIndependent Grocery a grab-bag of misshapes.The move comes at anopportune time.Food prices on the riseThe Food institute at theUniversity of Guelph reportedat the end of 2015 that theprice of fruit, nuts andvegetables had increased bybetween 9.1% and 10.1% overthe previous year, and thispast January a combination afactors led to Canada’s worstproduce shortage in 30 years –and sky-high prices to match.Loblaw’s internal foodination was in excess of 4.1%during the last three monthsof 2015, and while it managedto pass most of the cost on tothe consumer, companypresident and executivechairman Galen Weston toldinvestors that shoppersstarted choosing cheaperproducts.This was especially true inAlberta, where consumers duginto Loblaw’s discountoerings.Yet the concept isn’t new.Mike Reed, president of BCHot House Foods Inc. inLangley, told Country Life in BCin 2014 that new packagingoptions have helped boostsales of local greenhousevegetables, especially peppers.To move product, Reed saidmany producers have shiftedfrom bulk sales to pre-packaged assortments ofpeppers from three-packoerings to those oering anassortment of smaller fruit thatdidn’t measure up.1980s carrrotsSimilarly, baby carrots –now a staple on store shelves– got their start in the 1980s asa pared-down version of thekind of vegetable Loblaw’s isselling today at a discount.Attractively presented,packages of baby carrots soldfor twice the wholesale priceof the natural root.Delphi Group, whichadvises Loblaw’s onenvironmental andsustainability issues, thinks thegrocer’s initiative in takingmisshaped producemainstream could not onlyhelp it reduce food waste butchange the value attached tofresh food.“It’s a no-brainer for us: theprogram provides a market forfarmers to sell their smaller,misshapen products; it’s a wayfor us to bring nutritious foodoptions to consumers at alower price point; and itreduces the amount of foodwaste ending up in landll,”Ian Gordon, a senior vicepresident with Loblaw’s, toldDelphi Group senior associateand North Vancouver residentAlex Carr in a post for theconsulting rm’s blog last year.Carr went on to observe,“Loblaw Companies seesimperfect food as opportunity,not waste ... given Loblaws’size it has the potential topositively inuence supplychains and consumers.”While consumers oftenaccept unusual shapes inorganic and heritage varietiesof produce, Carr said shiftingtrends that favour locallygrown and organic foods havemade even misshapenconventional produce moreappealing. “Loblaw’s eorts to‘normalize’ imperfect looking,yet otherwise tasty andhealthy food will also helpchange perceptions ofnutrition and value,” sheconcluded.Creative marketinggives ugly vegetablesnew lease on lifeInitiatives to market less-than-perfect veggies is likely to be a win-win for farmers and consumers,adding value to product that would otherwise be culled, and oering aordable options toconsumers sensitive to dramatic increases in price over the past year. (Photo courtesy of Loblaws.)MATSQUIThe JCB skid steer range helps you work harder with less effort. For example, JCB’s innovative design allows operators to access the machine without needing to remove loads of material. Contact a salesman today for a demo! 34856 HARRIS RD | ABBOTSFORD BC604-826-3281 WWW.MATSQUIAGREPAIR.COM WE’RE SOCIAL, CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK! WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MATSQUIAGREPAIR IT JUST MAKES SENSEJCB SIDE ENTRY SKID STEERS NOW AVAILABLE
Country Life in BC • April 201616Vancouver counciladopts urbanfarming bylawStories by PETER MITHAMVANCOUVER – Vancouverhas acted swiftly to pass abylaw regulating farmingwithin city limits, deningzones for farming in residentialand non-residential areas andintroducing a licensingprocess.The regulations follow theendorsement of a sta reportin February recommendingthe measures for a trial periodof two years, upon which theregulations will bereconsidered for permanentadoption.The bylaw amendmentcomes four years after the cityrst announced plans toregulate urban farming, whichhas hitherto operated in a greyarea – it wasn’t illegal becausethere was no law to apply, butit didn’t have legal standing,either, for the same reason.This meant that operationswere liable to being shutdown if they ran afoul of theneighbours or the authorities.“There really isn’t a policythat enables urban farming toexist,” said Marcela Crowe,executive director of theVancouver Urban FarmingSociety, at a session devotedto urban agriculture at thePacic Agriculture Show thispast January.She welcomed the changes,because she believes urbanagriculture has the ability for abroad impact “by engaging alot of people in the practice offarming.”She pointed to the socialbenets owing from SoleFood, which operates as a“social purpose enterprise” atseveral sites on Vancouver’sEast Side; the operationreturns $2.40 in social benetsto the community for everydollar invested in operations.Vancouver currently hasapproximately 18 urban farmsoperating on 50 sites with acombined area of 7.2 acres.The majority are less than1,075 square feet. These sitesare distinct from communitygardens insofar as they’reintended to produce food forsale rather than personal use.The new policy aims tocreate an environment whereupwards of 35 farms could beoperating within city limits by2020. The bylaw establishescategories for farmingoperations in residential areas,which would pay $10 for anannual business license tooperate farms of no largerthan 3,500 square feet. Asingle owner could notoperate a combinedproduction area of more than1.7 acres.Urban farms in non-residential areas are subject toa greater level of scrutiny, insome cases requiring adevelopment permit, andmust pay a $136 annuallicensing fee. Production areais capped at 1.7 acres.The city expects to issue 55licenses and collect $1,810 infees during the rst year of thetwo-year pilot program.While the change means anextra cost for urban farmers,it’s small in comparison to the$418,000 in annual revenuesthe city estimates farmers tobe reaping.It also prepares the city forwhat could be an inux ofurban agriculturists, if trend-watchers are right.Speaking to the BCchapter of the Urban LandInstitute last November,PricewaterhouseCoopers realestate analyst Andrew Warrenidentied urban farming as agrowing use for industrialproperties.“Food is getting bigger andcloser,” he said. “Urbanfarming in old industrialbuildings … [there’s] a lot oftechnology behind that; wethink that will really take o inthe next ve years.”The trend might not belimited to industrial propertiesin Vancouver, but the newpolicy prepares the ground fora wide range of developmentsin the future.“I see a lot of potential inurban agriculture even thoughwe’re very much in thepioneer phase,” said LenoreNewman, director of theAgriburban Research Centre atthe University of the FraserValley, speaking at the PacicA new policy undertaken by the City of Vancouver could see as many as 35 farms operating withincity limits by 2020. (Photo courtesy of Vancouver Urban Farming Society)SPECIAL REPORT: FARMING IN THE CITY 2016Please see “FOOD” page 17KuhnNor thAmerica.comMM 902 MERGE MAXX® MERGERr(NQCVKPIJGCFRTQXKFGUENGCPEQPUKUVGPVRKEMWRQXGTKTTGIWNCTITQWPFr#PVKYTCRIWCTFUKORTQXGOGTIKPIKPNQPIUVGOOGFETQRUr9KPFIWCTFJGNRURTQFWEGWPKHQTOHNWHH[YGNNHGGFKPIYKPFTQYUr/WNVKRNGETQRFGNKXGT[QRVKQPURTQXKFGHNGZKDKNKV[RKEMWRYQTMKPIYKFVJrYKPFTQYEQPHKIWTCVKQPU+08'56+037#.+6;®GENTLE CROP HANDLING FOR MINIMAL LEAF LOSSMatsqui $J5HSDLUs$EERWVIRUG%&s
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 17Agriculture Show. “Industrial ag is almost grown out to full capacity.”Newman doesn’t consider urban agriculture the way to feed the planet, butshe said it contributes to food security by diversifying food sources for people. Itmakes them less reliant on large-scale agriculture and puts food production inthe midst of population centres.Newman sees opportunities for urban agriculture on rooftops, particularly inthe form of greenhouses. Vancouver backed Alterrus Systems Inc.’s bid to producegreens atop a city-owned parkade in downtown in late 2012 failed in early 2014,but Lufa Farms Inc. in Montreal has pointed up the opportunities for producers.Director of the Agriburban Research Centre at the University of the Fraser Valley,Lenore Newman. (File photo)SPECIAL REPORT: FARMING IN THE CITY 2016ABBOTSFORD – Addressing thepressing social and environmentalissues of the day is a key opportunityfor urban farms, says Lenore Newman,director of the Agriburban ResearchCentre at the University of the FraserValley.Speaking at the Pacic AgricultureShow this past January, Newmandescribed the world as existing in astate of “peak farmland,” with 40% ofthe earth’s surface devoted toagriculture and 30% of the cultivatedland subject to degradation throughpoor management practices.Urban farmers, by diversifying theproduction eld, can oer alternatives.Greenhouses, for example, can beused for fruit production that useswater more economically; they canalso make use of underutilized urbanspaces such as roof tops.Building surfaces also provideopportunities for edible greenscaping,while landscaping can also be a venuefor edible plant species.With just four plants supplying halfof all human calories, Newman saidthere’s room to tap into the more50,000 edible plant species known toexist. Right now, the human diet hasdug into just 3,000 species.Urban farming can also help ghtsocial isolation, a key issue inVancouver.An initiative by the Bosa PropertiesCharitable Foundation in Vancouver’sFalse Creek neighbourhood, forFOOD SECURITY From page 16example, combats social isolation bybringing apartment residents togetherto grow food. While the setting is acommunity garden, the produce isdelivered to Quest Food Exchange,which operates depots in EastVancouver, Burnaby and Surrey.The initiative has been so successfulthat a similar program is planned for aBosa Properties development inCoquitlam.Controversially, Newman told heraudience in Abbotsford that urbanfarmers just might be the ones tomake acceptable use of geneticallymodied organisms (GMOs), the bêtenoir of socially progressive foodies.She urged urban farmers not toignore the potential of GMOs to helpthem do their job better and even tothrive in the urban environment whileghting global warming.One example are strains of yeastdeveloped in California that producemilk.“It could greatly decrease the needto expand the dairy industry,” she saidof the development, terming theexpansion of dairy production as“simply a climate disaster.”By her reckoning, milk-producingyeast could stave o the need toaddress cattle-driven climate changeby 10 to 20 years.GMOs have urban potential The measure of success.604-864-227334511 VYE ROAD ABBOTSFORDSTORE HOURSMONDAY-FRIDAY, 8-5 SATURDAY 8 TIL 12NH H7550 MID PIVOT MOWER CONDITIONER13’ CUTTING WIDTH $26,900 CLAAS 3900TC MOWER CONDITIONER, 12.5’ CUTTING WIDTH CALL FOR PRICING MCCORMICK CX105MFD CAB TRACTOR$28,900JD 7450 PRODRIVE SPFH4X4 KP, 10' GRASS PU, 676 6 ROW CORNHEADCALL FOR PRICING.JD 7400 SPFH 4X4, KP 10’ GRASS PICKUP,JD 686 6 ROW CORNHEADCALL FOR PRICING JOHN DEERE 3600 PLOW5 BOTTOM, DRAWBAR PULL$4,100CLAAS 870T TEDDER28.5’ HYD. FOLDCALL FOR DETAILSNH 315SMALL SQUARE BALER CALL FOR DETAILSPre-ownedTractors &Equipmentwww.caliberequipment.caSOLD!
Country Life in BC • April 201618Urban agriculture calls for street-smart growersVANCOUVER – Rising foodcosts promise to make urbanagriculture more protable,but given the small scale ofmost city centre farms – whichoften take over under-usedstrips of land, vacant lots, orrooftops – yields will also haveto increase to make revenuessustainable.The challenge was oneChris Thoreau, co-owner ofVancouver Food Pedalers Co-operative, embraced whenhe set up his microgreensoperation in Vancouver’sStrathcona neighbourhoodeight years ago.Thoreau studiedagroecology at UBC, but hewanted to grow something sothat his life wasn’t divorcedfrom his studies.He had several criteria forhis planned farm, many ofwhich might soundunorthodox to large-scaleoperators. In particular, hewanted a compact operationwithout multiple sites. He alsowanted one without longhours or physical hardship.“Having a comfortableworking environment wasreally important,” he told anattentive audience at thePacic Agriculture Show inJanuary.What resulted from thisvision was a productionsystem that began withmicrogreens grown andharvested on waist-highbenches sheltered from theelements. The sproutscommand a high value in themarketplace and also requirevery little room to grow. Bydelivering them on bike,Thoreau limits his carbonfootprint as well as vehicle andfuel costs.However, with the growthof the operation, he wanted toshare the risk of the operationso he transformed it from asole proprietorship into a co-operative. The farm expandedinto a shipping containerpurchased for the purposewith the assistance of a$37,000 enviroFund grantfrom Vancity.The container wasrecongured to maximizenatural light while providing acomfortable, mobile workingenvironment with 320 squarefeet of production space. Italso allows year-roundproduction which has beenimportant in establishingcontinuity and loyalty inbusiness relationships.Sales are primarily torestaurants as well as atmarkets, where the greens arein demand among vegans.The farm has an eight-dayproduction cycle and Thoreausays it couldn’t be moreecient.“We micromanage ourmicrogreens,” Thoreau said,explaining that this allows thefarm to be both ecient andadaptable to environmentaland market conditions.Thoreau estimates that theve-person operation couldmax out its revenues at$250,000 a year. Currentrevenues total $200,000 a year,with greens selling for $12 to$20 a tray.The revenues are sucientto support payroll, includingCanada Pension Planpremiums and health benetsfor workers, who typicallywork seven hours a day.The container is located onproperty on Malkin Avenueadjacent to a food processorwho supports the venture.This has exempted it fromsome of the more onerousobstacles facing otheroperations.Ben Newman, for example,has faced signicant obstacleslaunching a permacultureventure in downtownVancouver.Newman, a former personaltrainer, was attracted to urbanfarming because he felt a needto align his purpose with theenvironment. Rather thancontribute to the world’sproblems and pain, he wantedto resolve them and make theworld a place of healing.A kindred spirit came alongin the form of Diane Lefroy, aVancouver artists anddaughter of pioneeringCalgary oilman Daryl “Doc”Seaman. Lefroy had a million-dollar lot in downtownVancouver, and she wantedsomething done with it.Newman, in realigning his life,leapt at the opportunity.The two set aboutdeveloping a proposal for afarm with ve shippingcontainers on the site, but theinitial $350,000 developmentcost blossomed to its currenttally of $1.2 million in the faceof code requirements.The situation hasconfronted him with thedierence between policiesand regulations.“Sometimes it’s not smartwhat the city is doing, but it’sreal,” Newman said.With the city bringing urbanfarms within its regulatory andplanning framework, theexperience shows that urbanfarmers are liable to be asmuch plagued by bureaucracyand paperwork as theircountry cousins.SPECIAL REPORT: FARMING IN THE CITY 2016Vancouver Food Pedalers founder Chris Thoreau, left, chats withKelowna’s “Urban Farmer” Curtis Stone about the business modelfor the co-operative, and its potential. (Photo courtesy ofPermacultureVoices.com)Consistant spreading.Quality forage.“Serving British Columbia proudly since 1946”MachineryLimitedROLLINSRChilliwack – 1.800.242.9737, 44725 Yale Road WLangley – 1.800.665.9060, 21869, 56th Avenue2 YEAR FACTORY WARRANTY ON ALL EQUIPMENTHIT 8.91 Tedder Asymmetric tines sweep up all of the crop Patented MULTITAST system oers unrivalled ground following Robust DYNATECH Rotors designed for dicult conditions Even spread thanks to high tine to rotor ratio
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 19by DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – The Trans Pacic Partnership willimpact Canada’s poultry and egg producers but theeect will not be as bad as it could have been.“We knew we’d be under pressure,” TurkeyFarmers of Canada chair Mark Davies told BCgrowers during the BC Poultry Conference inVancouver, March 10-11.Although former InternationalTrade Minister Ed Fast “promisedto protect supply management,”producers had no idea whetherhe was living up to the promiseas negotiations were conductedin complete secrecy.“I think our negotiators did thebest job they could,” Davies says,claiming “it could have beenmuch worse.”Conclusion of the TPP “removes much of theuncertainty,” noted Egg Farmers of Canada chairPeter Clarke.Because “the integrity of the system has beenmaintained,” Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) chairDave Janzen says producers can now “invest in(their) future.” While existing over-quota taris were retained,TPP will dramatically increase the amount of duty-free eggs and poultry products Canada must allowinto the country.“We’re giving away our growth,” Davies said, withTFC executive director Phil Boyd noting turkeyimports will jump from 3.7% to 6.4% of currentconsumption by the end of the 20-year agreement.“This is not a fatal condition but it’s a signicantchallenge,” he said.The situation is similar in chicken and table eggs.“We will need to bring in 26 million kg per yearunder TPP,” notes CFC general manager MikeDungate, saying that is the equivalent of 61 farms.Added to the 7.5% already allowed in, thatrepresents 9.6% of Canadianchicken production.Clarke notes Canada will haveto allow another 19 million dozeneggs per year by year 18 of theagreement.All that depends on the TPPbeing ratied. The agreement willcome into force as soon as allcountries ratify it. (Canada ratiedit in February.) If approval is notunanimous, it must be ratied byat least six countries with at least 85% of the 12participating countries’ combined gross domesticproduct. That gives both the US and Japan thepower to veto the agreement since each accountsfor more than 15% of the total GDP. Canadian Hatching Egg Producers chair JackGreydanus expects the pending election and agrowing protectionism sentiment will makeratication dicult in the US.“Ratication is supposed to take place within twoyears but I think it will take longer,” he says.When the TPP agreement was announced duringlast fall’s election, the Conservatives promised supplymanaged producers a multimillion dollarcompensation package and promised to tighten upborder controls. The national agencies areexpending considerable eort to ensure the newLiberal government lives up to those promises.Dungate notes over 200 of the 365 MP’s are new and“they need to get up to speed” on the issuesaecting supply management.The import-export relief program is the biggestloophole. Some poultryprocessors are using the programto bring in product one year,knowing they have up to fouryears to “re-export” it. “Imports under that programhave gone from two million kgsto 96 million kgs in the last twoyears,” Dungate says.CFC is also demanding themandatory certication of spentfowl and forbidding the importof chicken as part of a “mixed” product not subject toimport controls. Last year, processors brought in 103million kgs of spent fowl meat from the US, morethan all the spent fowl breast meat produced in theUS. They also brought in such “mixes” as chickenwings and pizza.“Those aren’t mixes, they are just productspackaged together,” Dungate stated emphatically.He says all the circumventions represent 20% ofthe chicken market. If they were eliminated, it wouldmore than oset any losses under TPP.“It’s all being done by fraudulent marketers,”Dungate insists. “It won’t hurt any legitimateprocessor.”TPP could have been much worse for poultry, egg producers“Integrity of system has been maintained” and producers can now “invest in their future”: Dave Janzenwww.patonauctions.comMOVE IN DAYS: TUESDAY, APRIL 26 TO THURSDAY, APRIL 28 9 AM TO 5 PM, FRIDAY, APRIL 29 9 AM TIL 11 AM ONLYCALL US FOR HONEST and REPUTABLE AUCTION SERVICESIAN PATON | 604.644.3497ian@patonauctions.comPROFESSIONAL LIVESTOCK & FARM EQUIPMENT AUCTION SERVICES & APPRAISALS... specializing in on-site farm dispersalsI. Paton & Associates Ltd.FARM EQUIPMENT at HERITAGE PARK FAIRGROUNDSThis auction offers the farming community an excellent opportunity to sell one or two items or even a small dispersal of your items at this wonderful facility.• TRACTORS• ALL TYPES of FARM EQUIPMENT• FARM TRUCKS• RVs, BOATS & ATVsAUCTION CONDUCTED OUTDOORS IN THE HUGE WEST PARKING AREA10% BUYERS FEE ON ITEMS SOLD FOR $2000 OR LESS.SATURDAYAPRIL 309 AMSTARTCHILLIWACKCONSIGNMENT AUCTIONMike DungateDave JanzenMark Davies
by JUDIE STEEVESSUMMERLAND – Fruit growers in theOkanagan have expressed interest in seeingthe region-wide Okanagan Sterile InsectRelease (SIR) program monitor other pests aswell and provide data to help them savemoney with local, detailed, current informationon weather conditions.That would allow orchardists to use up-to-the-minute weather data to ensure sprays areapplied at exactly the best time in an insect’slife cycle or that blossom thinning is done atthe ideal moment, and that diseases like reblight are dealt with in the most timely way.That type of data is already available togrowers in Washington state through a treefruit Decision Aid System (DAS) created byVincent Jones of Washington State Universityand it would just need to be adapted to localweather stations and BC pest information foruse here since the climate of the adjoiningstate and province are similar.Melissa Tesche is acting manager of OKSIRand explains growers who currently followdates on a calendar to make decisions to sprayfor a particular pest or disease could be wastingtime and money by spraying at the wrong timefor the best eect.Last year’s very early spring, which is beingrepeated this year, caught many growers o-guard in terms of timing applications.Jones made a presentation to the OKSIRboard in February about DAS, which is anonline resource that uses real-time weatherdata to predict crop and pest development intree fruit production.Millions can be savedHe estimates growers there save $16 milliona year with the system, which took $1 million todevelop. It features a simple user interface withlots of exibility. Models are driven byenvironmental data, temperature, solarradiation and wind speed using a network ofweather stations and other data, includinghistoric information.Tesche says the system would be mosthelpful in determining the ideal window forreleases of sterile moths in orchards to combatthe invasive alien codling moth, a serious pestof apples and pears.The board is hopeful funds to adapt thesystem to BC could be available from BC’sClimate Action Initiative for agriculture thisspring, which would mean a pilot could beavailable to orchardists as early as next spring.Currently, OKSIR is collaborating with the BCFruit Growers Association to canvas industry onits changing pest management needs with thepotential for expanding the mandate of theprogram if growers indicate that’s what they’dlike.Growers are asked to participate in an onlinesurvey at [www.oksir.org]. Click on StakeholderEngagement Survey. As well, consultation withindustry is underway.Tesche explains the program could evolve toinclude area-wide monitoring of other pests,including apple clearwing moth and applemaggot, but the request to expand theprogram’s mandate would have to come fromgrowers.Then, all regional districts in the programwould have to approve changes in theprogram’s mandate.Following up on last year’s strategicplanning process, which concluded with fourgoals for the program that included expansionof its scope, the board voted in favour ofembarking on a process of growerengagement.That would result in a wish list for OKSIRwhich would then be costed out bytechnicians. That would then come to theboard, growers and regional districts as a seriesof options forthe future.In order forOKSIR toexpand itsmandate, itsprovinciallegislationwould have tobe amended.At the sametime, theprogram hasmoved aheadwith another ofthe goals fromits strategicplan andgeneralmanager CaraNelson is working on business development:pursuing potential partnerships with countriesaround the world to buy the program’sexperience with Sterile Insect Technology (SIT)to control pests.She is currently working with France,Germany and Italy on proposals to use theOKSIR experience to help them set up SITprograms.Her temporary role performing thisdevelopment work will be reviewed by theboard at its May meeting.As well, the program is already selling excessproduction of sterile moths to countries such asNew Zealand.These activities help to bring revenue intothe program and allow it to continue withoutany increase in fees to growers or othertaxpayers, explains Tesche.Six years of no cost increasesBoard chairman Duane Ophus, in calling fora vote on the 2016 nancial plan for theprogram, emphasized this is the sixth yearthere has been no increase in the cost of theprogram for growers, in part because it isgenerating revenue from outside to coverincreased costs.Reduced acreage has meant a 15%reduction in revenue for the program fromlevies, he said.Another goal of the strategic plan approvedby the board last year is capital replacement.That has allowed for replacement of thegamma cell used to irradiate moths so theymate ineectually with wild moths, usingreserve funds set aside for that purpose. Itactually cost $400,000 less than was budgeted.The other goals identied in the strategicplan were technical support and successionCountry Life in BC • April 201620OKSIR looks at expanding itsrole in pest, weather monitoringSurvey results will determine new directions for Sterile Insect Release programPlease see “TRAPPING” page 21Melissa TescheBe ready for anything.Quality Pre-Owned Tractors & EquipmentBOBCAT BACKHOE, SKID ST MNT CALLBOBCAT S650 SKID STEER . . . . . . 32,000GASPARDO PLANTER 4 ROW . . . 35,000JCB 409 WHEEL LOADER . . . . . . . 45,000JD 7810 CAB, LDR, 4WD . . . . . . . . 90,000KVERNELAND 3 BOTTOM PLOWS . CALLMF 285 4X4 LOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,000MF 285 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,500MASSEY FERGUSON 298 . . . . . . . . . 8,500MILL CREEK 57 SPREADER . . . . . . . CALLNEW HOLLAND TM150 . . . . . . . . . 47,000NH 1033 BALE WAGON . . . . . . . . . . 7,000RINIERI TRL150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,500SUNFLOWER 7232 23 FT HARROW 17,500Van Der Wal Equipment (1989) Ltd.23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6604/463-3681 | vanderwaleq.comWe service all makes!www.dutchbunning.comManufactured byThe World’s Most Durable Manure Spreader3 YEARLimited WarrantyMade inCanada• Best warranty and service in the business • Strongest floor chain & drive system available • Unique design allows consistent wide spread pattern;eliminates clumping right through entire load • Heavy duty fully welded construction throughout theframe and box – toughest in the industry• Consistently and evenly spreads just about everything!PART WORK HORSE. PART SHOW HORSE.SEE THE EDGE OF FARMING STARRING THE MT500DWhether it’s a field test or screen test, our MT500D tractor delivers a standout performance.The MT500D cab is perhaps the roomiest, quietest and most technologically-advanced cabwe’ve ever created – putting operator comfort at a premium. See for yourself by schedulinga demo through or catch the MT500D in action at TheEdgeOfFarming.com.SMOOTH. AGILE. Our new Massey Ferguson® 4600 Series mid-range tractorcombines muscle and maneuverability for loader work. Its powershuttle transmission lets you go forward to reverse and backwithout clutching. Just another example of how we’re using global innovation to help you farm your world.
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 21TRAPPING PROGRAM From page 20Owners, workers face animal cruelty chargesChilliwack Cattle Sales faced international scrutiny when video surfaced alleging animal abuseby DAVID SCHMIDTCHILLIWACK – The BC dairyindustry is in damage controlmode after charges of animalcruelty were nally laid againstseven workers and ve ownersof Chilliwack Cattle Sales.The allegations of crueltysurfaced in June 2014 whenthe animal rights group,Mercy for Animals (which hassince closed its Canadianoce), released anundercover video showingcows being whipped, beatenand kicked at Canada’s largestdairy farm.Although BC SPCA chiefprevention and enforcementocer Marcie Moriarty saidthey “immediately launchedan investigation into the caseand recommended charges,”it took almost two yearsbefore any charges were laid. On March 1, 20 counts ofanimal cruelty were laid.Sixteen charges were laidunder the Prevention ofCruelty to Animals Act (PCAA)while the remaining fourcounts were laid under theWildlife Act and concern thetreatment of a pigeon.Fines and jail timeMaximum sentences foreach count under the PCAAare a ne of up to $75,000, ajail term of up to two yearsand/or up to a lifetime ban onowning animals. A rstconviction under the WildlifeAct could result is a ne of upto $100,000 and/or up to ayear in jail.Moriarty notes this is therst time a BC company andits owners “have been heldProfessionalServiceswww.agri-jobs.ca | Phone: 604-823-6222 | Email: info@agri-labour pool.comWe do the work for you! Agri-jobs.caOur business is helping your business GROW, since 1974.Connecting employers with the right employee!Contact us to nd out how we can fill your position:Looking for HELP on your farm?View over 100 listings of farm properties atwww.bcfarmandranch.comBC FARM & RANCHREALTY CORP.Buying or Selling a Farm or Acreage?GORD HOUWELINGCell: 604/793-8660GREG WALTONCell: 604/864-1610Toll free 1-888-852-AGRI (2474)Call BC’s First and OnlyReal Estate Office commited 100% to Agriculture!Helping industry build & implement practical & sustainable programs & publications To see past projects and potential scope of services visit www.qfirst.ca Ph: 604-309-3509 E: qfirst@telus.net For more information or to pursue an idea contact: Annette Moore B.Sc.(Agr), M.Sc., P.Ag. Quality First in Agriculture Inc. Jack Reams P.Ag. Agri-Consultingv BC Farm Business Advisory Services Consultantv Farm Debt Mediation Consultantv Organic Consultant & Inspectorv Meat Labeling ConsultantPhone: 604-858-1715 Cell: 604-302-4033Fax: 604-858-9815 email: marlene.reams@gmail.comCONFIDENTIALITY GUARANTEEDDustinStadnykCPA, CAChrisHendersonCPA, CANathalieMerrillCPA, CMATOLL FREE 1-888-818-FARM | www.farmtax.caExpert farm taxation advice:• Purchase and sale of farms• Transfer of farms to children• Government subsidy programs• Preparation of farm tax returns• Use of $1,000,000 Capital Gains ExemptionsApproved consultants for Government funding through BC Farm Business Advisory Services ProgramARMSTRONG 250-546-8665 | LUMBY 250-547-2118 | ENDERBY 250-838-7337planning and stang.The board is also workingwith the Canadian FoodInspection Agency, theagriculture ministry and theBCFGA to expand the applemaggot detection programthrough cost recovery byputting out traps andmonitoring them while stamonitor for codling moth.Sta are also co-operatingwith the BCFGA andSummerland Research andDevelopment Centre to trapfor apple clearwing moth andput out mating disruptionlures on a cost recovery basis.Program sta helped withthat monitoring work in 2012and 2014 as well.Growers at January’sconvention had asked that theBCFGA and OKSIR develop anarea-wide pest control plan forapple clearwing moth andSWD, as well as other tree fruitpests.Tesche spoke to growers atthe convention, encouragingthem to voice their desires forthe future of the program.In response, one growercommented, “It’s much easierfor us to sell our fruit at apremium price without pests.”Tesche agreed, saying,“Many consumers want localfruit that’s grown in the mostsustainable way possible. Ican’t market your fruit but Ican help you keep the pestsdown and you can use that tomarket your fruit.“It’s not if, but when otherpests will arrive,” she added.“Apple maggot is coming andwe need to be ready.“Clearwing is here and nextit could be Brown Marmoratedaccountable for acts of animalcruelty on a farm.”Almost immediately afterthe video surfaced, the BCMilk Marketing Board(BCMMB) made it mandatoryfor producers to follow the2009 Canadian Code ofPractice for the Care andHandling of Dairy Animals andstarted inspecting dairy farmsin September 2015. “Dairy farmers across BCwere outraged, humiliated andembarrassed,” by the actionsshown in the video,” says BCDairy Association (BCDA) chiefexecutive ocer Dave Eto,noting the industry has takenconcrete steps to avoid similarincidents in the future.It has reached amemorandum ofunderstanding with theBCSPCA re enforcement ofanimal welfare issues andsupported inclusion of theDairy Code of Practice in thePCAA.50 on-farm inspectionsBCMBB chair Jim Byrnenotes the BCMMB had alreadyconducted over 50 on-farmanimal welfare inspections bythe beginning of March. Thatincludes inspections of thefarms of all BCMMB and BCDAdirectors.Although initial inspectionswere scheduled, Eto saysrandom inspections bytrained third-party inspectorswill begin later this year “togive the public assurance thatthis is without any bias.” “Ensuring proper animalcare on dairy farms is simplythe right thing to do,” Byrnesays.The BCSPCA has laudedthose initiatives.“It is important producershave clear expectationsaround standards of care forfarm animals and that there isa system in place to monitorand enforce these standards,”Moriarty said.Although the BCMMB hasbeen directing the inspectionsto date, the inspections arebeing transitioned to BCDAand Dairy Farmers of Canadaas part of the ProActionInitiative.However, Byrne stresses theboard “will continue tomaintain its authority toensure compliance with thecode under its orders.”David EtoMarcie MoriartyStink Bug. We need to gureout how to protect ourselves.Partnerships are key. But weneed to leverage funding,” shetold growers at theconvention.
Country Life in BC • April 201622by PETER MITHAMVANCOUVER – One of the key challenges for anyfamily farm is managing the transition fromgeneration to generation. While the family farm is aniconic slice of rural Canada, what happens behindthe scenes that keeps it going from generation togeneration isn’t necessarily the stu of nationallegend (except, perhaps, in a Revenge of the Landkind of way).Smoothing the transition between generationswas the focus of several sessions at the annualconference held in Vancouver of the CanadianYoung Farmers’ Forum, a national organization forthe next generation of farm leaders that serves as anumbrella group for local organizations across thecountry, including the 250-member BC YoungFarmers.Keeping families unitedThe conference was appropriately titled“agriculture united” and speakers encouraged youngfarmers to play a leadership role in making sure farmsuccession planning keeps families unied.However, it isn’t an easy job, with most speakerswarning listeners of the challenges.“One of the biggest problems you’re going tohave is your parents,” Don Ton of theSaskatchewan-based Canadian Farm LearningCentre, candidly told his audience, most of them intheir 20s and 30s.But Casey Langbroek, principal of CatapultBusiness Coaching and lead partner of the Chilliwackaccounting rm Langbroek Louwerse & Thiessen LLP,Intergenerational planning on young farmers’ radarAnnual conference of the Canadian Young Farmers’ Forum hears how to smooth transitionsSenior familymembers areurged be“multipliers” inorder to optimize afarm successionplan. That’s clearlythe case for theWarmerdam familyof Abbotsford asthis year’sinauguralAbbotsford TulipFestival kicks ounder the directionof third generationAlexis Warmerdam,second from right.(Photo courtesy ofAlexisWarmerdam)told youth that part of being leaders meansencouraging others – something he urged them toencourage their parents to do through delegatingresponsibilities and being what he termed“multipliers” rather than micro-managing“diminishers.”Responsibilites delegatedThis, in turn, establishes better relations for theultimate multiplier role – delegating responsibilitiesthrough a succession plan.Langbroek said most families don’t talk about theexpectations each member has for themselves andthe farm, but there has to be a conversation aboutthese matters and some negotiation around whateveryone expects – and what will work for the goodof the family and t he farm.“Capitalize on the relations you have, and getPlease see “KEEP PLAN” page 23Abbotsford1521 Sumas Way, Abbotsford1-888-283-3276Kelowna1090 Stevens Rd, Kelowna1-800-680-0233Vernon7155 Meadowlark Rd, Vernon1-800-551-6411www.avenuemachinery.caEquipped with:Extendable Boom: 7 & 9 Meter156 HP Tier 4 Engine50KPH Road SpeedCat lll 3-Point Quick HitchProportional Rear Hydraulic RemotesElectronic Actuated PTO (135 HP)20 Ton Tow HitchTrailer Braking System
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 23KEEP PLAN UPDATED From page 22everyone to put theirexpectations on the table,” hesaid.Once expectations for thefarm and for individual familymembers have beenestablished, Langbroekrecommended bringing in atrusted advisor to facilitate theexecution of a strategy thathelps the expectationsbecome realities.The very nature ofsuccession planning makes it along-term process, one thatrequires updating at eachmajor life event as peopleenter and depart the family,continue on the farm or moveo.“This isn’t only aboutmoney. This is also aboutmaking sure people aren’t hurtin the process,” Langbroeksaid. “Get everyone on thesame page so it works.”Orderly transitionWritten documents andformal agreements that can bereferred back to from time totime, particularly at momentsof crisis, are important. Theseinclude not just records offamily discussions but pre-nuptial, shareholders’ and buy-sell agreements that allow forwww.canadianorganicfeeds.comFOR QUALITYCERTIFIEDORGANICFEEDS FOR BAGGED or BULK ORDERS:Darren JansenGeneral Manager604/794-3701organicfeeds@gmail.comCUSTOM ORDERSCertified to Canadian National Standardsan orderly transition of thefamily business.This is important not just forfamily members active in thedaily management of the farm,but also family members whomay live o the farm who havean equity interest in the familybusiness.“Build the strategy so thenon-farm children knowwhat’s happening,” Langbroeksaid.Having an agreed-upondistribution plan for the estatein the event of the farmowners’ death can reduce therisk of haggling among theirheirs; the role each familymember plays should also bedened so that everyoneknows where everyone elsestands.Langbroek also pointed outthat the family’s share in thebusiness should be separatefrom their work managing thebusiness – in short, ownershipand management aren’t thesame thing, a fact businessfamilies often forget.Ownership and hands-onThis is particularly true offamily farms, where familymembers often have both anownership stake as well as ahands-on role in the dailyoperation of the business.Dening (and writing down)what family members areentitled to as owners and whatthey receive as operators canhelp avoid disputes in thefuture.Langbroek noted thatfunding under GrowingForward 2 is available formediators to help farmfamilies establish a successionplan and engage in a relativelysmooth business planningprocess.“Consider it an investmentin the greatest legacy yourfamily will ever have,” he said.by PETER MITHAMThe death of a farm childis a tragedy that often makesheadlines but RobinAnderson of the CanadianAgricultural SafetyAssociation told the annualmeeting of the CanadianYoung Farmers’ Forum thatfarm fatalities most ofteninvolve seniors, who aredying at a faster rate thanthe rest of the farmpopulation as a result.“Seniors are being killedat a faster rate than anyother age group,” she said ina talk that discussed theunique challenges of youngfarmers sandwichedbetween aging parents andyoung children. “You can’t get hurt,” shesaid. “A sandwich needs thefilling to hold it all together.”This is particularly true in afarm setting where thefamily life and work life existalongside each other with allthe tension and drama thosetwo spheres offer.With older farmers facingphysical and cognitivelimitations and childrenlacking the experience tomake the decisions aYoung farmers can besandwiched betweenparents and young childrenCasey Langbroek, FCPA, FCGA,Certied Business Coach, offers many years of experienceto assist farm businesses and farm families with:• Strategic planning and strategic emphasis• Business consulting, coaching, facilitation• Corporate reorganizations• Succession and intergenerational transitionFor more information, emailcasey@catapultcoaching.caBUSINESS COACHINGVISION. PASSION. ACTION.45515 Knight RoadChilliwack, BC V2R 5L2P.604.392.8010www.catapultcoaching.caNatural gas supplymanagementcascadiaenergy.caVanc: 604-687-6663VanIsl: 250-704-4443responsible adult would,Anderson said roles have tobe assigned that makes thebest use of their skills andenergies.“Deciding what is a betteruse of their skills is key to asafer farming environment,and a more efficient farmingenvironment,” Anderson saidof the jobs given to seniors,going on to offer an idealrule of thumb for any agegroup: “Don’t set them upfor failure.”Anderson said the variousgenerations at work on afarm need to be on the samepage when it comes to farmsafety. This may entail havinga safety contract betweengenerations so that each isaccountable to the other.The aim is to build familyties, celebrate what’s goingright, and ensuring the safeoperation of the farm fromone generation to the next.It’s yourbusiness.And you need to keep up todate on the news and eventsthat affect you and your farmoperation.It’s what we have been doing forover a century!Subscribetoday!ONE, TWO &THREE YEARSUBSCRIPTIONSAVAILABLE. See our ad on page 46for rates!The agricultural news source inBritish Columbia since 1915COUNTRYLifein BC
Items may not be exactly as shown, accessories & attachments cost extra. Taxes, set-up, delivery, freight, and preparation charges not included. Prices are based on the US exchange are subject to change. A documentation fee of up to $250 will be applied on all finance offerings. Additional fees may apply. Programs and prices subject to change without notice, at any time, see dealer for full details on Green Fever offers, Some restrictions apply. *Offer valid from February 1, 201 6 until March 30, 2016 . Financing on approved John Deere Financial credit only. 0% APR purchase financing for 60 months on new John Deere 1 Series Sub-Compact Utility Tractors. Representative Amount Financed: $10,000, at 0% APR, monthly payment is $166.67 for 60 months, total obligation is $10,000, cost of borrowing is $0. Monthly payments/cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed/down payment. MSRP cash price based on highest priced product in series: $14,696 (includes $50 documentation fee). Cost of borrowing based on Representative Amount Financed not MSRP cash price. Minimum finance amount may be required; representative amount does not guarantee offer applies. Charge for amounts past due is 24% per annum. Maximum Cash Discount Offer cannot be combined with advertised financing. * Attachments and implements sold separately. Some conditions may apply. See your participating dealer for details. Offer subject to availability and may be discontinued or modified. Taxes, set-up, delivery, freight and preparation charges not included. 0% APR purchase financing for 4 years on new John Deere Select Hay Tools. Down payment may be required. Representative Amount Financed: $50,000, at 0% APR, semi-annual payment is $6,250 for 4 years, total obligation is $50,000, cost of borrowing is $0. Semi-annual payments/ cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed/ down payment. MSRP cash price based on highest priced product in series: $75,087 (includes $50 documentation fee). Cost of borrowing based on Representative Amount Financed not MSRP cash price. Offer valid from February 1, 201 6 until March 30, 2016. Minimum finance amount may be required; representative amount does not guarantee offer applies. The charge for amounts past due is 24% per annum. Financing on approved John Deere Financial credit only. See dealer for details. Limited time offer which may not be combined with other offers. Discounts or other incentives may be available for cash purchases. By selecting the purchase financing offer, consumers may be foregoing such discounts and incentives which may result in a higher effective interest rate. *Offer valid from February 3, 2015 until April 30, 2015. 1.9% APR purchase financing for 60 months on John Deere 4 Family Compact Utility Tractors. Representative Amount Financed: $50,000 (tractor price), at 1.9% APR, monthly payment is $874.21 for 60 months, total obligation is $50,000, cost of borrowing is $2452.60. Monthly payments/cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed/down payment. MSRP cash price based on highest priced product in series as of March 1, 2016: $52,350 (includes $50 documentation fee). Cost of borrowing based on Representative Amount Financed not MSRP cash price. Minimum finance amount may be required; representative amount does not guarantee offer applies. The charge for amounts past due is 24% per annum. Financing on approved John Deere Financial credit only. Limited time offer which may not be combined with other offers. Born to work within your budget / 6 models from 45 to 100HP / 2wd or 4wd, Open Station or Cab/ 3 Transmission options / John Deere Loaders, a perfect match5E SERIES/ 3 Transmission options / John Deere Loaders, a perfect match0% FOR 60 MTHS0% FOR 60 MTHSor Deduct $4200 Off Cash PriceUSED 43202013 John Deere 4320 with new H180 loader / 2 years factory warranty remaining / Between 300-500 hours / All in excellent condition / 13 to choose from / Save $10,000 over the price of a new one!1.9% FOR 60 MTHSGet a 4320 w/ Loader for Only $36,500Offers Expire April 30, 2016.DPORRSV.HORZQD&KLOOLZDFN/DQJOH\ZZZSUDLULHFRDVWHTXLSPHQWFRPWinch-ready chassis available / IncreasedWRSVSHHGWRNPKPRQWKRUKRXUZDUUDQW\NPK/ 62HP / 2 cylinders, 4 valves per cylinder engineFFYWZLQIRXUYDOYHVWinch-ready chassiRSX860i3.9% FINANCINGFOR 60 MONTHSSALE$16,399$233/monthRetail $17,646Kelowna & Kamloops LocationsAPR 4 TO 10, 2016Enter to win a John Deere 2025R Compact Tractor with H130 Loader and 62D Mid-Mower DeckGET A COUPON FOR $500 OFF THE PURCHASE OF ANY NEW 1-6 SERIES TRACTOR!Versatile, Reliable and Economical / 3 models from 105 to 135HP / Simple to operate, easy to maintain / Unsurpassed fluid efficiency/ Everything you need, nothing you don’t.Introducing 6E’s!Country Life in BC • February 201624
TRACTORS! TRACTORS! TRACTORS!TRACTORS! TRACTORS! TRACTORS!HAY AND FORAGE!ROUND BALERS!ROUND BALERS!$10,500$17,900JD 935 MOCO, 11FT 6 INCH, 1000 RPM, CONDITIONER ROLL #324134U2JD 630 MOCO, 2012, 9FT 9INCH, IMPELLER CONDITIONER, 540 RPM #673864U1$52,500JD 6420 CAB, MFWD, 24 SP POWERQUAD TRANS, AIR SEAT #416134U2$104,900JD 6125M, MFWD, 24 SPD POWERQUAD TRANS, 125HP, JD H340 LOADER, #09981401JD 5325, CAB, MFWD, 12/12 POWER-REVERSER, 55HP, 3200 HRS #108582U1$32,500MF 4270 OPEN STATION, MFWD REVERSER, LOADER, 100PTO #604041U1$22,900KUBOTA MX5100, 50HP, O/S, LOADER, MFWD, MECHANICAL SHUTTLE, 1060 HRS #619460U1$19,900MCCORMICK F95, CAB, MFWD, NARROW, 2 SCV #644817U1$52,900CASE IH MAXXUM 110, CAB, MFWD, 110HP, LH REVERSER #676203U1$27,500KUBOTA M8540 NARROW, CAB, MFWD, 2332 HRS #593359U1$39,900FELLA SM911 (12) & SM310 (11) TRIPLE MOWERS 27FT, 3IN #290580U2Toll Free 1-877-553-3373Kamloops 250.573.4412ps 412Kelowna250.765.97651-NEW STORE!CHILLIWACK 604.792.1516a765Langley604.530.4644$89,900$21,499+30):'+\GUR7UDQVP/RZ+RXUV(TXLSSHGZLWKDQHZ-'+/RDGHU<U)DFWRU\:DUUDQW\WR&KRRVH)URP$31,000JD 5101EN, NARROW, CAB, MFWD, POWER-REVERSER, 101HP, 3 SCV’S #641883U1$52,000JD 5083EN NARROW, CAB, MFWD, 12/12 POWER-REVERSER, TRIPLE SCV’S #482888L1$43,500JD 5093EN, NARROW, CAB, MFWD, 12/12 POWER-REVERSER TRIPLE SCV #641834U1$46,500JD 5100M, CAB, MFWD, 32F/16R POWER-REVERSER, , TRIPLE MID AND REAR SCV, H260 LOADER #60131001$84,900$1,200DEUTZ KH4S, ROTOR TEDDER, OLDER BUT GOOD CONDITION #195398U1$7,950FELLA TH790 TEDDER, 25FT 6 ROTOR, MANUAL FOLD #209181U1$7,900HAYBUSTER 2650 BALE PROCESSOR #163779U1$8,500NH 658 RD BALER, 4 FT, TWINE ONLY #022207U1$11,900CN RBX 453, 2007, 4X5 BALES, JUST SERVICED #674443U1+30):'(+\GUR7UDQVPLVVLRQ9HU\ORZKRXUV/RDGHU5HPDLQLQJIDFWRU\:DUUDQW\WRFKRRVHIURP$114,900JD 6125R, CAB, MFWD, 16 SPD POWERQUAD PLUS TRANSMISSION, H360 LOADER ONLY 862 HOURS #09917001$39,900JD 5520, CAB, MFWD, 12/12 POWER-REVERSER, JD SELF LEVELING LOADER #443731U2$62,900JD 6115D, CAB, 2WD, AIR SEAT, INSTRUCTIONAL SEAT, TRIPLE SVC, POWERGARD WARRANTY UNTIL OCT 2020 #58533301Watch for our new location opening in Prince George Spring 2016!/RZSURILOH372VSHHG3RZHU4XDG+IXQFWLRQORDGHU:DUUDQW\XQWLO-DQ#55833601JOHN DEERE 6105M JOHN DEERE 2025RPP$46,900JOHN DEERE 4066RJOHN DEERE 6115D&DE7UDFWRU0):''XDOV+RXUV #658207U1#61447101JOHN DEERE 6130DDEUTZ AGROTRON K110)RRW)ROGLQJ3XOYHULVHU1RWFKHG:KHHO6FUDSHUV([FHOOHQW&RQGLWLRQ#266016U1#6762031U1BRILLION PACKER CASE IH MAXXUM 110+L/RZ7UDQVPLVVLRQ7ULSOH6&9,QVWUXFWLRQDOVHDW:KHHO:HLJKWV+/RDGHU:DUUDQW\XQWLO2FW&DE0):'+36&9·V/+5HYHUVHU $69,9002FW2FW$99,500LWLRQLWLRQ$16,500$52,900$69,700&DE:'2QO\+UV)53RZHU5HYHUVHU7UDQV$LU6HDW7ULSOH6&9,QVWUXFWLRQDO6HDW:DUUDQW\WR2FW#61608701April 2016 • Country Life in BC 25
Country Life in BC • April 201626by EMILY BULMERSMITHERS – SmithersFarmers’ Institute hosted anOn-Farm Water Managementworkshop March 5, at theGlenwood Hall near Smithers.The workshop included fourpresentations coveringirrigation theory, systems andtechnology, the new WaterSustainability Act, as well howto access funding through theEnvironmental Farm Planprogram. More than 50farmers, ranchers andgardeners attended the event,clearly indicating water is topof mind. Andrew Petersen, irrigationspecialist from the BC Ministryof Agriculture presented onDrought and EcientIrrigation. Crops impactedIn the Bulkley Valley, thelast two summers have beendrier than usual and growerswho rely on rainfall havenoticed the impacts on theircrops. Petersen talked aboutunderstanding drought interms of both stream ow andprecipitation, and theimportance of moisturestorage capacity in soil. Byusing examples, he got rightdown to the ne details ofhow to calculate applicationrates for dierent crops aswell as the eciency forindividual systems. To follow the theory, DickFord from Highlands Irrigationanswered questions aboutcommon irrigation systems. “We discussed everythingfrom ooding to dripirrigation and all the methodsin between,” says participantBryan Swansburg. “We alsotalked about how often youneed to irrigate which, uphere, might be two or threetimes a year, so the machinerydoesn’t actually get used thatmuch ... On the other hand, ifyou have it, just like last year,you can dust o theequipment and probably saveyour crop. It is a goodinsurance policy, though itcan be an expensive one.” Swansburg also reectsthat cost-benet analysis hasto take into consideration thelabour it takes to move theequipment versus moreautomated systems whichneed less human eort butcost more upfront to install. Participants also had achance to learn about thenew Water Sustainability Actfrom Jennifer Vigano, waterpolicy advisor from the BCMinistry of Environment. “We’ve (agriculture) beendealing with a lot ofuncertainty with respect tothe new Water SustainabilityAct,” says workshop organizerand co-presenter MeganD’Arcy. “(Vigano) was able toclarify how the newlegislation will work, but thereare still some unansweredquestions, especially relatedto dugouts, their connectionto groundwater and how totell whether or not they arelicensable.” D’Arcy presentedinformation on theEnvironmental Farm Planprogram and options totransition from diesel-basedpumps to electricity, as wellfunding options andrequirements for irrigationupgrades and the installationof weather stations. D’Arcyencourages anyone whohasn’t completed anEnvironmental Farm Plan totake advantage of theprogram.More water storageLaurie Gallant travelledfrom the Hazelton area toattend. “I have a broaderunderstanding now ofirrigation needs and solutionsand I was impressed to seehow far the industry hascome in terms of deliveringon eciency and less waste ofwater. We need more waterstorage and will be lookinginto doing some dugouts. Welearned about thecalculations for how to sizedugouts based on thecapacity of the soil to retainwater and the size andfrequency of irrigation. It puta lot more science and mathinto our design which wehadn’t done yet. We are morecondent about what weneed to be doing. We will begetting started on ourEnvironmental Farm Plan aswell, which is exciting.”As climate change anddrier summers put additionalpressures on producers,understanding the site andthe costs and benets ofirrigating are essential. TheOn-Farm Water workshopprovided ideas andinformation that producerscan use to make decisionsthat are right for their ownfarms. Presentations andsupport material may beobtained by contacting theSmithers Farmers Institute[www.smithersfarmersinstitute.com].Water workshops taking on new urgencyDrier summers prompting ranchers to seek new information on water, irrigation issuesPaul Davidson, left, chair of the Smithers Farmers Institute and Yannick Heer, chair of the BulkleyValley Cattlemen’s Association get advice from Highlands Irrigation’s Dick Ford during a waterstewardship workshop in Smithers in early March. (Chris Yates photo)CASE IH TM200FIELD CULTIVATOR, 26.5’ WW,REAR HYD HITCH KIT $39,950JOHN DEERE 512 DISK RIPPER7 SHANKS, OFFSET DISKS, CLEANUNIT $22,500GENIE 842 TELEHANDLERPALLET FORKS, 1610 HOURS$49,500’96 KUBOTA L235025 HP, LB400 LDR, 540 PTO, TURF TIRES $8,95006 NH TM1554WD, AC, HEAT, 850TL SELF LEVELINGLDR, 5200 HRS $59,950VOLVO L50B WHEEL LOADER1725 HRS, BKT/FORKS, GOOD TIRES,$39,9502008 CASE IH PUMA 195 16SP PWRSHIFT, LX770 LDR,NICE TIRES, $99,900FarmersEquip.com888-855-4981LYNDEN, WAPRICES IN US DOLLARS#22554$99,900$99,900#23278$8,950$8,950#22791 $59,950$59,950#20050 $39,950$39,950#22558$39,950$39,950#22535$22,500$22,500#15525$49,500$49,500SIMMENTAL ASSOCIATION OF BCFor more info, contact secretary Reanne Sanford250.249.5332 reanne@krssimmentals.caSIMMENTALS DELIVERMORE POUNDS PER DAYMORE POUNDS = MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET!Want more MONEYCHOOSE SIMMENTAL BULLS THIS SPRING!April 9 VANDERHOOF All Breeds Bull SaleApril 15 WILLIAMS LAKE Bull SaleWant more MONEYfor your BEEF?
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 27Windbreaks are feats of engineering with on-farm benefitsby PETER MITHAMSUMMERLAND – Windbreaks are more than just aconvenient way to separate your farm house fromthe rest of your operation. Agriculture ministriesacross the country are encouraging the features as away to make farming more ecient and friendly toneighbours.Many, such as BC, are encouraging farmers toconsider them with grants intended to enhance thefarm’s environmental stewardship. Research inOntario also touts the benets of windbreaks toconserve soil moisture, prevent erosion andultimately improve crop yields in adjacent elds byas much as 10 to 15%.“This is not landscaping,” said Dave Trotter, the BCMinistry of Agriculture’s agroforestry specialist, in apresentation to growers at the Pacic AgricultureShow in Abbotsford at the end of January.Rather, windbreaks are feats of engineering thatinvolve a high level of design in order to serve theirpurpose – which is more than being just anotherpretty hedge against complaints from neighbours.Trotter explained that vegetative buers canintercept and capture pesticides and interrupt anddisperse dust, mitigating the impact of thesesubstances on the environment.Diverting airflows upwardsAccording to Trotter’s models, a vegetative buercan absorb 60 to 90% of pesticides. However, theycan be less eective at stopping dust – hence theemphasis on dispersing it through so-calledchimney buers that divert airows upwards.Trotter encouraged growers to put some thoughtinto buers and be aware of how they’re workingwithin the environment as well as the potential forunintended consequences. For example, mapletrees may serve the purpose but they’re also toxic tohorses; similarly, some species may serve as a hostfor pests.“One size doesn’t t all,” Trotter said; localconditions and topography are key. “It’s not just,‘plant a row;’ you really have to design it for yourproperty.”Trotter’s estimates peg the cost of a standard,100-metre windbreak at between $5,500 a row for asimple design to as much as $8,800 for a morecomplex installation. In addition to the initial costsA well-placed and well-designed windbreak could improve crop yields by as much as 10 to 15% according to BC’sagroforestry specialist. (Photo courtesy of University of Michigan)Please see “FUNDING” page 28You’ll be seeing BlueLEMKEN is bringing its ploughs to a field near you!Watch these durable, German-engineered machines in action in your own field conditions. See how a LEMKEN plough will save you time and money by ploughing down massive amounts of residue with ease leaving a perfect finish.Feel the quality of the finish behind the slatted mouldboards, excellent manoeuvrability on the headlands, and the additional traction and savings brought by a weight transfer system.www.LEMKEN.ca(604) 864-2273www.caliberequipment.ca(250) 938-0076
Country Life in BC • April 201628BC cranberry growers buffered from low pricesby DAVID SCHMIDTRICHMOND – Cranberryproduction is increasing in BCbut dropping in Quebec, BCgrowers were told at thecombined BC CranberryMarketing Board (BCCMB) andBC Cranberry GrowersAssociation (BCCGA) annualmeeting in Richmond,February 23.BC production climbed18% to just under a millionbarrels last year while Quebecproduction dropped over13% but is still over twomillion barrels. The dierenceis accounted for by the factthat most of BC’s 72registered growers belong tothe Ocean Spray Co-operativewhile most Quebec growersare independent. Ocean Sprayhas managed to maintaingrower prices whileindependent growerscontinue to get hammered inan over-supplied market. Thatoversupply isnot destined toend, says BCCMBdirector JeHamilton. Henoted 88% oflast year’s nearrecord NorthAmerican cropwent intoinventory anddoes not expectsubstantialimprovement in2016.Hamilton and BCCMBmarketing consultantGeraldine Auston say onereason cranberry productsales are stalling are becauseof their added sugars.“Sugar is the new demon,”Hamilton says, noting the USDepartment of Agriculture isproposing to label productswith added sugar. He notesthat would put cranberries ata big disadvantage to otherproducts. As an example, henotes raisins contain moresugar than Craisins “but it’snot added.”He would prefer to see theUS adopt the same labeling asCanada, which lists total sugarcontent without specifyingwhether it is added.Auston urges the industryto use caution whendeveloping new reduced-sugar products, sayingdieticians may not considerthe new ingredients industryis using as healthy.“Dieticians read the labeland don’t like chemicalsweeteners,” she warns. “Westill have so much work to dowith dieticians.”Hamilton says the NorthAmerican CranberryMarketing Committee isspending $120,000 on a sugarstrategy whilethe BCCMB hascommitted$40,000 to asimilar program.Although BCyields increasedfrom 128 barrelsper acre in 2014to over 150barrels per acrein 2015, BCCGApresident GrantKeefer saysgrowers stillhave a long way to go, notingQuebec yields are aboutdouble those in BC.Both Keeferand BCCMBchair Jack Brownsay progress isbeing made atthe BC ResearchFarm, which istrialing newvarieties andlooking at otherways to improveyields in BC.“The nextstep is to getthose varietieswhich do well at the researchfarm into growers’ fields,”says BCCGA manager MikeWallis.“If we want tostay in farmingcranberries andbeingsuccessful, wehave to look atrenovating,”Keefer adds. Henotes BCCGAhas made “somepreliminarymoves” to getgovernment togive themsomething similar to thesuccessful Okanagan treefruit replant program.FUNDING AVAILABLE From page 27Jack BrownJe Hamiltonof establishment, growers willneed to factor in maintenanceand the need to renovate thefeature 20 to 30 years afterplanting to ensure it’sperforming as intended.Osetting the cost isfunding from the BCEnvironmental Farm Planprogram.Growers can receive $2,000to develop a plan, then 60% ofimplementation costs up to amaximum of $7,500. (That is,60% of $15,000.)Trotter emphasized thatvegetative buers are,however, “just one tool in thetoolkit.”“Buers are a secondarytool,” he said, urging growersto take steps that mitigate thedrift of sprays and dust beforethey become a problem.Some sprayers can becalibrated to minimize drift,for example.Speaking to growers at thePacic Agriculture Show in2008, Kim Blagborne ofSlimline Manufacturing Ltd. inPenticton, explained that theright particle size can not onlyreduce drift but ensure bettercrop coverage.Research has shown that a15μ water particle (a micron is1/25,000 inches) will takeabout two minutes to hit theground when released from aheight of 10 feet, Blagbornesaid. Put that in a eld setting,and those particles would bevolatile, hanging in the air orcontributing to drift. Indeed,Blagborne said any particlessmaller than 50μ areundesireable.That makes the ability toadjust particle size key to thebetter management of spraydrift.“The whole secret is pickinga size that doesn’t oat,”Blagborne told growers.The ideal particle size thatwill help reduce the chance ofsprays drifting is about 150μto 200μ, at least when windconditions are no more thannine miles an hour. Researchat Ohio State Universitysuggests that a light breeze ofabout three miles an hour willcause a 150μ particle to driftup to 22 feet when releasedfrom a height of 10 feet. Aparticle that’s just 50μ standsto drift 178 feet under thesame conditions; smallerparticles travel even further.Breaking down barriersWhile a windbreak can helpstop drift, a good system willensure that drift doesn’t occurin the rst place.However, not everyone is afan of windbreaks.Speaking to an audience ofdevelopers, planners andpolicymakers at a meeting ofthe Urban Land Institute’s BCchapter last year, SeanHodgins, president ofTsawwassen’s Century Group– which is set to startconstruction of the 950-homeSouthlands community inSouth Delta this year – said it’stime to break down some ofthe barriers.Showing an image of awindbreak to the audience,Hodgins said the feature mayhave been a good idea at onetime but was hardly aresolution to the rural-urbaninterface.“What if instead of isolatingor buering agriculture, wecould design a communityaround food and agriculture?”he asked. “That was a politicalline between where housingcould happen and whereagriculture would happen,and the thing about politicallines is that they always fail –they always get changed overtime.”Hodgins suggested that acommunity amenity such as arecreational trail or acommunity garden could oera softer, yet less exible linebetween competing land usesbecause communities feelpride in amenities.“It is used by thecommunity [and] it becomes athick edge that will never failbecause the community willght for it,” he said. www.tjequipmentllc.com360-815-1597LYNDEN, WAALL PRICES IN US FUNDS1998 NEW HOLLAND 8870 MFWD190 HP, POWERSHIFT, 4 REMOTES,NEW REAR TIRES $34,000CHALLENGER RB453 SILAGE ROUNDBALER, AUTO TIE $14,000 2001 CLAAS JAGUAR 870 CHOPPER 6 ROW CORN HEAD, 2801 ENG HRS,1703 CUTTER HOURS, 2WD $110,000‘15 CADMAN 4000 REEL (DEMO)4"X1250' HOSE, HONDA OHV 5.5 HPAUTOMATIC GUN CART STOP $33,000
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 29by TOM WALKERABBOTSFORD – “Primaryagriculture is a risky business,”Jonathan Small told a packedroom at the PacicAgriculture Show in January.“And If you are not measuringrisk, then you are notmanaging it.”A farm managementconsultant with MNP in RedDeer, Small urged hisaudience to identify on farmrisk for their operation,measure it and manage it.Sometimes when you look atdata in a dierent light, hesays, it tells a dierent story.“Risk is simply uncertainty,”says Small. And farmers arecertainly used to uncertainty.Typically, notes Small, farmersare good at measuring theimpact of risk but not so usedto looking at probability.“If you are not trulymeasuring both parts, you arenot truly managing risk and indanger of misguiding yourselfat best and seriouslydamaging your business atworst,” Small says. To be ableto look at risk objectively youneed good records. Impact is quite easy tomeasure. When a late frost damagesyour crop, you are likely ableto measure the impact thatfrost had on your bottom lineif you have a goodunderstanding of yourbusiness. But you must alsolook at probability. How likelyis this frost to happen? To assess probability, youneed good records, preferablyfor your own business. Youcould acquire frost recordsfrom Environment Canadabut how does frost aect yourown unique farm site?Small suggests farmersconsider impact andprobability together in a fourpart matrix. “Does this risk have lowimpact and low probability?”he asked. “Then you may donothing and accept it.” However, if a risk has highimpact and high probability,you would want to attend toit. Typical June rains cancause serious damage toOkanagan cherries so growersdeploy various strategies tomanage the wet weather. Yetthat same high probability ofrain will have a low impact onthe apple grower next door. High impact and lowprobability (like the severewind events in the southOkanagan last summer) makeup the other quartile of thematrix. Your level of response(how you manage it) dependson the probability of ithappening and the impact itwill have on your farm, as wellas your personal appetite forrisk and the ability of yourbusiness to withstand theeects, Small explained.Multiple risksWhat are the risks?Common risks for farmersinclude weather, production,market, nancial, humanresources, policies andregulations, health and assetrisks.Weather records need tobe kept and the correlationwith production established.Production needs long termrecords. An understanding ofcost of production and theimpact of yield on productionare important to understand. To understand market risk,you need long term marketrecords and your ownmarketing results. “Combine your historicmarket returns with historicmarket prices – nd out if youaverage in the top half or thebottom half of the market,”says Small.When considering nancialrisk, combine anunderstanding of near andlong term interest rates withknowing the percentage ofyour net income that is yourinterest costs, debt serviceratio and debt to equity ratio.Human resource risksYour own personnelrecords, industry trends andthe availability of seasonalharvest crews help you knowthe probability of humanresource risks. The impact willbe considered in salary coststo hire or replace workers orthe cost of a privatecontractor performing thework. “Can you hire a customseeding company to plantyour crop if a family memberis unable to assist?” Smallasked. “What will be the lossof your crop if harvestsupport is not available?”When farmers look at howto manage risk, they havefour options, Small outlined:you can work to mitigaterisk, transfer it, accept andcope with the risk, or simplyavoid it.Managing risk and uncertainty on your farmImpact and probability should be considered in a four part matrixTo mitigate risk, you wouldactively do something. Tomitigate frost, you wouldprovide some protection. Tomitigate lower production,you would improve youragronomy/husbandry skills. Ifyour commodity has troublehiring harvest help, youwould look at mechanization.If you chose to transfer risk,buy crop insurance or look atcontract production, advisesSmall.Small emphasizes to acceptor cope with risk, one of thebest strategies is a healthybalance sheet.If you have troubleaccepting market risk, youmight consider a supplymanaged industry orcommodity. Avoiding weather risk maymean you shift out of primaryproduction or move into agreenhouse. To avoidnancial risk, you might needto accept slower growth andaim for zero debt. MNP’s Jonathan Small urges farmers to be diligent aboutmaintaining weather records to determine product impacts. (TomWalker photo)MERIDIAN EQUIPMENT CO., INC.5946 Guide Meridian, BELLINGHAM, WAPH. 360.398.2141 • email: meridianeq@msn.comTRACTORS • TRUCKS • IMPLEMENTSFARM EQUIPMENTAUCTIONSATURDAY, MAY 21Spring ConsignmentSpring Consignmentmeridianeq.comwww.islandtractors.comUSED EQUIPMENTNH FP230 W/ 27P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $21,500TAARUP 338 MOWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,500NH 1037 BALE WAGON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,500NH 565 SM SQ BALER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17,500KUBOTA F3680 60” MWR, GRASS CATCHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,600FELLA TS1600 HAY RAKE, LARGE W/O COMP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,800DEGELMAN RR1500 ROCK RAKE, PTO DRIVEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500USED TRACTORSKUBTOA B1750 2532 HRS, LDR, 3 PT SCOOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,500KUBOTA B1700 TRACTOR/LOADER, 1350 HRS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,500KUBOTA B1700 700 HRS, LDR, FORKS, SPRAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,300JD 2305 600 HRS, 2010, LDR/54” MOWER DECK . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14,200NH TS100 7800 HRS, TIGER BOOM MWR, FLAIL HEAD . . . . . . $24,500NEW INVENTORYNH T5.115 CAB, MFWD, LDR READY, 24X24 TRANS . . . . . . . . . . 75,000NH H7320 9’ 2” DISCBINE (ONE LEFT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25,000NH BC5070 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALLNH BC5070 HAYLINER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALLNH BR7060 CROP CUTTER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41,000NH 3417 BOOMER TRACTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL DUNCANNH BOOMER TRACTORS (20, 25 & 33 MODELS) . . . . . . CALL DUNCANISLAND TRACTOR& SUPPLY LTD.DUNCAN 1-888-795-1755NORTH ISLANDTRACTORCOURTENAY 1-866-501-0801OPEN HOUSEApril 15, 10 til 2Duncan 1-888-770-7333BILLAWMACK
Country Life in BC • April 201630Water Act, marketing opportunities pitched to ranchersby TOM WALKERVERNON – The NorthOkanagan LivestockAssociation (NOLA) hostedtheir annual educationseminar in Vernon at thebeginning of March. PresidentWerner Stump welcomed 80members and recognized thatit was a tough time forranchers to come out whilecalving was underway. New secretary JannaQuesnel was introduced. Sheis replacing long timesecretary Cheryl Altwasser.Linda Allison, representingBC Cattlemens’ Association’swater sub-committee,provided an update on thenewly passed WaterSustainability Act andregulations. She had a fewparticular points for ranchers. Allison reminded producersthat during the rst year, feesfor licensing non-domesticuse wells are waived. “Make sure you do it soonerthan later,” Allison warned.“You will be able to apply forFITFIR (rst in time, rst inrights) but if you don’t botherapplying for a license, afterthree years, the date youapply will be the date for yourFITFIR.” Most wells drilled over thelast 20 years have beenregistered with thegovernment and while thosewill be in the data base, theystill must be licensed. Odd place for a well!“When you go online, makesure that the location asdescribed is accurate,” saysAllison. “I was talking with adairy farmer who found thathis registered well locationput it in the middle of hishouse.” You will also need aBCeID account in order tosave and track yourapplication. Allison also recommendedproducers register their wellsfor the full volume rather thanwhat they are currently using. “Whatever you do, do notunderestimate the volume ofwater,” she says. “Estimate themaximum amount of wateryou will use.” Allison also spoke insupport of the National BeefStrategy’s proposal to increasethe check o levy. In BC, theCattle Industry DevelopmentCouncil is proposing toincrease the checko from$3.00 to $5.00 per head as ofJanuary 1, 2017. The levy iscollected by auction marketson all dairy and beef cattlesold; brand inspectors collectthe fee on private sales. “Cattle feeders andbreeders and feeders haveconrmed it at theirmeetings,” says Allison. “TheBC Cattlemen’s board hascome to a consensus that it isa valuable tool,” she says, “andthere will be a discussion atthe cattlemen’s meeting inMay.” Sandy Vanderbyl from BCMeats introduced NovaWoodbury, the new executivedirector of the BC Associationof Abattoirs.“Its great to have her onboard,” says Vanderbyl. “Novahas so many connections inthe industry.”Vanderbyl reviewed the BCBeef program, mentioned therecently rolled out BC Lambprogram, and conrmedfunding has been secured fora BC Chicken program. “Born, raised and processedin BC,” says Vanderbyl. “Our challenge now is tobuild capacity,” she added.“We want to increase theaccess and sales of BC meat.” Couldn’t supply productIn an interview, she recalledhaving to turn down a largeorder from a retailer becauseshe could not supply enoughproduct. “I hope I can get some ofyou producers interested inour programs,” she told themeeting.Veterinarian Dr. Ron Flater,from Lumby, remindedproducers about the BC CattleCode of Practice completed in2013. “It summarizes how weought to be treating our beefcattle at this point in time,” hesaid. “Think of this as anacceptable standard of care,where we should be now. Ifthe SPCA came to look at youroperation, I am sure theywould be carrying this bookalong.” The Code of Practiceoutlines requirements as wellas recommended practices –things you should be doing. Pain controlFlater pointed out the newrequirements for paincontrol. As of January 1,2016, pain control is requiredwhen castrating bulls overnine months of age. ByJanuary 1, 2018, pain controlwill be required whencastrating bulls over sixmonths of age. One of themost important things toremember is to brand,castrate and dehorn as youngas possible. Ranchers were encouragedto watch the short video onpain management at[www.Beef Research.ca/pain].Flater spoke highly of therecent product, Metecam, aninjectable anti-inammatorythat Douglas Lake Ranch hasbeen using since 2014. He saidthey nd it “incredible.”Metacam is approved for thetreatment of pain andinammation associated withdiarrhea and dehorning incalves. Treated calves wereready to roll in an hour andsucked right away, while inthe past, untreated calveswere lethargic for two to threedays. Meloxicam oral just cameout this spring. Flater says theoral dose is just about as fastas injectable – half an hour toan hour – and given at thetime is very eective. “I wouldn’t run them intwice,” he says. He later reminded ranchersto consult with theirveterinarian about these latestanalgesics.Linda AllisonEXCEPTIONAL QUALITY at PRICES YOU CAN’T BEAT!Ranch Panels & Heavy Duty GatesARMSTRONG . 250.546.91743155 PLEASANT VALLEY ROADOPEN MONDAY TO SATURDAYCHILLIWACK . 1.877.847.37357669 EVANS ROADOPEN MONDAY TO SATURDAYCountry West Supplycountrywestsupply.com12’ HEAVY DUTYSALE $12912X6’ HEAVY DUTYSALE $149COWCONESALE $695TOMBSTONESALE $64910’ MEDIUM DUTYSALE $898 &10’ LIGHT DUTYSALE $49-$5920’ LIGHT DUTYSALE $169GALVANIZED MESH GATES FROM $89HEAVY DUTY RANCH GATES STARTING AT $99RIDE THRU GATES & PANEL GATE COMBOSLIVESTOCKFEEDSMINERALSPET FOOD8’ MEDIUM DUTYSALE $79CIDC Check-offBCID Fund9WorkBeef atCheck-offCheck-offCIDC 9Ch9f9heck-of9at9W9Beef 9ork9WoFundCI-D FundBCID Producer Check-Off Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net | 1-877-688-2333www.AgSafeBC.caWORKER SAFETYSHOULD BE YOURTOP PRIORITY www.AgSafeBC.caWORKER SAFETYSHOULD BE YOURTOP PRIORITY www.AgSafeBC.caWORKER SAFETYSHOULD BE YOURTOP PRIORITY BC ANGUSANGUS BULLSPROUD HOST OFBeef It Up!JUNE 4-5KAMLOOPSTOM DEWAAL . PRESIDENT . 250.960.0022JILL SAVAGE . SECRETARY . 250.679-2813www.bcangus.caHOW CAN WE HELP?are a better buy in BCAnimal health also part of workshop for OK producers
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 31by DAVID SCHMIDTCHILLIWACK – BC dairyproducers are doing betterthan their counterparts in therest of the country, says EwenFerguson, an Ontarioconsulting veterinarian andindependent advisor forCanwest DHI.“BC has the highestproduction, lowest somaticcell counts (SCC) and lowestincidence of ketosis inCanada,” he told farmersattending the Canwest DHIdairy management seminarin Chilliwack, February 18.However, they can alwaysdo better, and one way to dothat is by enrolling inCanwest DHI. After all, hepointed out, the “I” in DHIstands for “Improvement.”“I don’t know why peoplearen’t on DHI,” Ferguson said,noting DHI costs just 10cents per cow per day. “It’s atiny investment if it leads tobetter production and bettercow health.”Most dairies use the serviceNot that there are a lot ofherds without DHI. Over 75%of Canadian dairy farms,including 308 of BC’s 494herds, use the service.Ferguson believes thatincludes most good herds,quoting US statistics thatshow 81.5% of its high-producing herds are on DHIwhile just 21.5% of low-producing herds use it. While most parlours androbotic milkers now offer alot of information, it onlygoes so far. Ferguson saysparlour data is good formaking decisions aboutindividual cows but DHI datais better for herd-scaledecisions. He told farmers to use theDHI herd summary report tosee whether the herd isimproving over time and thetest day summary to spotswings in cow inventory andthe percentage of first,second and 3+ lactation cowsin the herd. About 30% ofcows should be in their firstlactation, 20% in their secondlactation and the rest in their3rd or higher lactation.Telling statsThe current herd averageshould be higher than therolling herd average andbreed class averages (BCA’s)should be similar across theboard. At least 10% of cowsshould produce 45 kgs ofmilk or more per day and nomore than 20% of cowsshould have SCC’s of over200,000.Post-dipping is one way tolimit SCC’s, says dairyperformance consultantGordie Jones, claiming itstops 50% of SCC infections“right away.”Jones previously managedFair Oaks Dairy, one of thelargest US dairy herds withover 20,000 cows, and is nowa partner in Central SandsDairy in Wisconsin. The farmuses sand bedding and a 72-cow rotary parlour and its3,500-milking Jersey herd hasa production average of 34litres per cow per day with5.2% BF.He believes a 40 kg perday average should be thebase for Holstein herds,saying the keys to highproduction are cow comfort,good forage and goodreproduction. Cow comfort ismost critical as non-dietaryfactors contribute to 56% ofmilk yield. “Milk is theabsence of stress.”Having the right people isalso critical, he says, stressing“people get everything done.Always room forherd improvement:dairy seminarPlease see “COW” page 32Gordie JonesA good causeBC Minister of Agriculture Norm Letnick, left, was joined by Brian Faulkner, Vice President ofSales & Marketing, BCfresh, Food Banks BC executive director Laura Lansink and GreaterVancouver Food Bank CEO Aart Schuurman Hess as the minister provided specics about theFarmers’ Food Donation Tax Credit announced in the provincial budget in February. Farmersand processors will be eligible for a tax credit worth 25% of the fair market value of qualifyingfarm products they donate to registered charities such as the Greater Vancouver Food BankThat’s good news for growers, says BCfresh CEO Murray Driediger who also attended. (Photocourtesy of the Ministry of Agriculture)KuhnNorthAmerica.comINVEST IN QUALITY®MatsquiAg-RepairAbbotsford, BC604-826-3281Noble Tractor & EquipmentArmstrong, BC250-546-3141 Noble Tractor & EquipmentKamloops, BC250-851-3101Visit your localKuhn KnightDealer today!Purchase a select new Kuhn Knight spreader, then cut the price further with a Spread ‘N Save coupon. Visit your local dealer for details and to receive your coupon. Offer ends May 31, 2016
Country Life in BC • April 201632Cows don’t get sick unlesssomeone does somethingwrong.”He urges farmers tocompare their DHI results toindustry benchmarks toidentify “bottlenecks” and fixthose first. If the bottleneck isin dry cow management,farmers can expect a paybackin six months. If the problemis reproduction, milk quality,young stock or sick cows, itcan take a year to see apayback. However, if theissues are nutrition and cowcomfort, the payback onimprovements in those areasis almost immediate.To Jones, cow comfortmeans cows spend most oftheir time lying down.“Cows should only standto milk, eat and drink,” hesays.Milking facilities should bedesigned so cows spend nomore than four hours awayfrom feed, water and bed.Because cows are dawn anddusk animals, they shouldhave access to the most feedin the morning.“You need to have 50% ofa cow’s average dry matterintake available to her at herexit from the parlour in themorning,” Jones said.MUN test encouragedFerguson encouragesfarmers to add the MUN (milkurea nitrogen) test from timeto time. If the test is below 8mg per hl or above 12 mgper hl, farmers need to takeaction and repeat the testsuntil the results fall withinnormal limits. He also promoted theketoscreen test Canwestintroduced in December2014, saying ketosis leads tomany other health problems.“Cows with ketosis havetwice the culling rate, fivetimes the reproductionproblems and more metritisand displaced abomasums,”he said. Although its ketoscreentests all milk samples,Canwest only reports resultsfrom early lactation (up to 90days in milk). It has nowtested 2.79 million samples,finding huge variationsbetween herds and betweenseasons.“The incidence of ketosis ishighest in the spring andlowest in the fall,” Fergusonreported. Once ketosis shows up inthe ketoscreen, farmersshould do cowside tests toconfirm it, then treat with300-500 ml per day ofpropylene glycol for three tofive days. The propyleneglycol must be licenced forlactating dairy cattle andmeet Canadian Quality Milkrequirements.While ketosis is a bigproblem in the rest ofCanada, it does not appear tobe in BC. Half of Canadianherds have a problem withketosis, but only a quarter ofBC herds do. Even thoseherds have lower thanaverage incidence rates withno months exceedingFerguson’s benchmark rateof 20%.“You guys are doingsomething wonderful here,”he said.Both Ferguson and Jonesblame ketosis and other drycow problems on too muchfeed. Ferguson recommendslimiting a dry cow’s drymatter intake to 11-12 kgsper day. Although Jones willfeed dry cows up to 15 kgs ofdry matter, he insists farmersimmediately cease using a“steam-up” diet if they arestill using it.“The steam-up diet haskilled more cows thananything else,” he claims,saying he feeds his far-offand close-up cows the samediet. That diet includes atleast 50% forage, no morethan four kgs dry matter ofcorn silage, at least four kgsof short chopped straw ormature rye hay and no grain.He also believes farmersdo not allow their cows to bedry long enough.“Cows need to be in thedry pen for at least 45 days torebuild their udders,” he says.COW COMFORT IMPORTANT From page 32Ewen FergusonNothing like this Deere dealerChilliwack mayor Sharon Gaetz is joined by, from left to right,PrairieCoast Equipment chief executive ocer Dennis Landis,John Deere Canada regional dealer development managerDarryl Vancise and PCE regional manager Aubrey Friesen asshe cuts the ribbon to ocially open the new PCE dealershipin Chilliwack. (David Schmidt photo)by DAVID SCHMIDTCHILLIWACK – Last August, local farmers joinedPrairieCoast Equipment sta to drive 27 tractors on aspectacular 28 km parade to mark the dealership’s moveto a new location in Chilliwack after nearly ve decades inAbbotsford.On March 3-5, crowds thronged to the spectacular newfacility for its ocial grand opening.When John Deere began oering tractors in the LowerMainland in the mid 1960’s, equipment and dealershipswere a lot smaller. In the decades since, some dealershipsconsolidated while others simply faded away, unable tokeep up with the pace of change.Instead of fading away, Abbotsford’s John Deeredealership was part of the consolidation. In 2009, thedealership, then known as Friesen Equipment, mergedwith two other BC and one Alberta John Deere dealershipto create PrairieCoast Equipment.“The merger was borne out of a need to modernize ourdealerships and this is the latest achievement in that goal,”says Dave Jelinski, the former owner of Friesen Equipmentand now a partner in PCE.PCE has done just that, expanding to eight locationswith a ninth opening in Prince George later this spring.While the old Abbotsford location was hampered by itsposition near the busy Huntingdon-Sumas bordercrossing, the new location on Progress Way has easyaccess from the freeway. At seven acres, PCE Chilliwack isthe largest agricultural equipment dealership in theprovince, over 50% larger than its previous location,providing ample room for the dealership’s $20 millionparts and equipment inventory. The spectacular newbuilding includes an 11,438 square foot service shop withlarge bay doors and two ve ton cranes to accommodatethe largest units John Deere makes, as well as a vastshowroom, large parts department and plenty of ocespace for both sales and administrative sta.“This facility is second to none,” John Deere Canadadealer development manager Darryl Vancise said.Chilliwack mayor Sharon Gaetz was delighted towelcome PCE to the city, saying “farming is very importantto us” since one in ve jobs in Chilliwack is related toagriculture.PCE chief executive ocer Dennis Landis says PCE isbuilt on long-term relationships. “Our customers are long-term, our suppliers are long-term and we are long-term.We’ve been in business 35 years and I hope we’ll still be inbusiness another 35 years.”ONE, TWO & THREE YEARSUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE. See our ad on page 46 for rates!It’s your business.And you need to keep up date on the news andevents that affect you and your farm operation.It’s what we have been doing for almost a century!Subscribe today!COUNTRYLifein BCThe Agricultural News Source inBritish Columbia since 1915Eligibility Requirements• Schedule 2 Highways, Schedule 1 Highways, and Railway Corridors.Secondary (sideroad) paved routes may also be considered.• Must be a livestock producer.• Fence must be part of an existing fencing system to contain livestock.Application forms available at:http://www.cattlemen.bc.ca/fencing.htmCall TOLL FREE 1.866.398.2848 to have an application mailed to you.Application DeadlineAugust 31, 2016 for consideration for the 2017 construction year.NOW accepting applications for theProvincial Livestock Fencing Programalong travel corridorsProvincial Livestock Fencing Program
*Offer valid from February 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016 on select new models, financed by Cat Financial, manufactured by Caterpillar Inc. Building Construction Products Division only at participating Cat dealers. Offer is available to customers in Canada only and cannot be combined with any other offers. Subject to machine availability. Machines sold in Canada by authorized dealers are priced in Canadian dollars and the price may take into account the exchange rate of Canadian dollars to U.S. dollars. Models shown do not necessarily reflect the exact model and configuration to which the promotion applies. Rebates of $1,350 CAD paid as a Cat Financial Commercial Account credit for BCP Core and $650 CAD credit for CCE machines. Trade rebates are based on a predetermined amount and may vary by model and will be in addition to the dealer appraised trade-in value. All financed machines are subject to credit approval and rate may differ based on creditworthiness. The Cat Financial Commercial Account credit applies to all BCP models and is provided through Cat Financial for use at participating Cat dealers. Prices do not include taxes, freight, set-up, delivery, document fees, inspections, additional options, or attachments. Final machine prices are subject to change. Offer may change without prior notice and additional terms and conditions may apply. Contact your Finning sales rep for full details.GET UP TOTo learn more about the HUGE TRADE REBATES OR LOW RATE FINANCING AVAILABLE WHEN YOU PURCHASE YOUR NEXT CAT® COMPACT MACHINE, contact your Finning sales rep or drop by your local Finning dealer today. Offer available until June 30th.OR0.9%FOR 60 MONTHS*UP TO $1350 IN DEALER CREDIT APPLIED TO YOUR CAT® FINANCIAL COMMERCIAL ACCOUNT$30,500IN TRADE REBATES*GET UP TOUP TO $1350 IN DEALER CREDIT APPLIED TO YOUR CAT® FINANCIAL COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTApril 2016 • Country Life in BC 33
More and more firms just calculate numbers.We help calculate your next move.MNP Understands Agriculture. In fact, it is both a specialty and a passion. Our business consultants, financial advisors and professional agrologists are intimately familiar with all aspects of the agriculture industry. Which means not only can we help you make sense of the now, but we can also help show you what’s next.Contact Denise Parker, CPA, CGA at 604.792.1915 or Leslie McConnell, CPA, CGA at 604.853.9471We specialize, you capitalize. Visit MNP.ca to learn more.Country Life in BC • April 201634by DAVID SCHMIDTVANCOUVER – The rst-ever BCPoultry Conference, held in Vancouver,March 9-11, was an overwhelmingsuccess.Conference chair Dale Krahn calledit “fantastic,” saying organizers had “noidea it was going to be such a bigturnout in the rst year.”The conference was intended tocombine the annual meetings of allfour feather groups (broiler hatchingeggs, chicken, eggs and turkey) into asingle event. The conference alsoincluded a series of seminars coveringsuch topics as poultry diseases, animalwelfare, the media and antibiotic-freeproduction, two keynote speakers,three networking receptions and agala dinner. Having the BC Egg Marketing Board,BC Chicken Growers Association, BCBroiler Hatching Egg Commission andProducers Association and BC TurkeyMarketing Board and AssociationAGMs in one place meant diversiedfarmers, industry partners andgovernment ocials who previouslyhad to juggle dierent AGMs couldnow attend all meetings at one place.The 541 total annual meetingregistrantsincluded over 200growers andproducers, 70sponsors andexhibitors and 30out of provinceindustry guests. “When we havemany stakeholdersin one place weexperienceopportunities to network with eachother and join forces to make ourindustry better,” Krahn said.Krahn notes the gala wascompletely sold out and room blockswere expanded to neighbouring hotelsin early January after the host BayshoreHotel was fully booked, addingplanning has already begun for “aneven bigger, better conference in2017.” The conference was well-supportedby industry sponsors.“We went 50% past our sponsorshiptarget,” Krahn said. BC Farm Industry Review Boardchair John Les heartily endorsed theconference, noting “there’s a lot ofcommonality of interest among thefour sectors.” Les complimented producers for“looking for new opportunities andnew markets.” He stressed the need to“maintain your social licence,”suggesting they focus on publicconcern for food security as that “playsright into your hand.”Although directed to eggproducers, his comments could havebeen made at any of the annualmeetings.Just over 20 farmers took a rst stepin reaching out to the public, Fridaymorning, handing out 300 Triple O’sSunny Start breakfast sandwiches andtelling their story to passers-by.SPECIAL REPORT: BC POULTRY CONFERENCEInaugural conference combines AGMs of the four feather groupsby DAVID SCHMIDTVANCOUVER – Half of the BC Broiler Hatching Egg Producers Associationboard is new following elections at the combined BCBHEPA and BC BroilerHatching Egg Commission in Vancouver, March 11.Producers elected newcomers Art de Ruiter and Angela Groothof in athree-way race which also involved John van Hoepen, who had stepped into ll a vacancy on the board earlier in the year.Incumbent Hester Mulder decided to retire after servingon the producer association since 2008. The commissionwill also have a new member later this year as CalvinBreukelman has stated he will not seek re-election.For the second year in a row, Jack and Tracy Bosmawere named the Hatching Egg Producers of the Year.The award came as little surprise to BCBHEC presidentBryan Brandsma, who noted Bosma is “absolutely pickyabout everything,” the key to being a top producer.The most important thing to be picky about isbiosecurity, says Canadian Hatching Egg Producers chairJack Greydanus, calling it “job 1” since avian inuenza can devastate long-lifehatching and table egg ocks.Greydanus praised producers’ adoption of the CHEQ (Canadian HatchingEgg Quality) program, saying it has led to a 40% drop in the number ofcracked and/or dirty eggs arriving at the hatcheries. He also complimentedproducers on how they were able to adapt after a ban was placed on the useof antibiotics at the hatchery level. He expects the ban on antibiotics toexpand in future, saying RWA (raised without antibiotics) will become thenew norm.BCBHEC executive director Stephanie Nelson detailed the commission’snew strategic plan. It is beginning with a complete review of the entirequota system. Nelson said the work action plan is being posted on thecommission’s public website “so everyone can comment on it.”She said BCBHEC hired Serecon to identify input costs and sta is nowdeveloping indexes producers can use to compare their costs to industryaverages. Sta is also continuing to work on plans to eliminate Se, reducereliance on anti-microbial drugs and increase hatchery accountability.“It’s rewarding to see new strategies come to fruition,” Brandsma said,noting association directors spent the past year working to “sustain a level ofexcellence within the producer body and develop a sense of pride in whatwe do as producers.”Biosecurity a priority for hatchersby DAVID SCHMIDTVANCOUVER – When the BC TurkeyMarketing Board (BCTMB) began usingits most recent pricing model, BC’sprices were 6, 6 and 4 cents per kgabove Ontario.Since then, theprice of corn, whichforms the basis ofturkey rations inOntario, hasdropped while theprice of wheat usedin BC turkey feed,has remainedstable, meaning BCproducers’ marginshave dropped.Currently, the BC live price is just a halfcent per kg higher than Ontario forbroiler turkeys and hens while tomsare only ve cents per kg higher.However, the broiler turkey price ismoving up to one cent per kg overOntario and could be going higher.“We could get back to our previousmargins,” BCTMB general managerMichel Benoit told growers at theBCTMB and BC Turkey Associationannual meeting in Vancouver, March10.Although Turkey Farmers of Canadais increasing its levy, there will be noincrease to BC producers as the BCTMBhas enough cash reserves to absorbthe increase, Benoit said. For many producers, the meetingwas their rst chance to meet PhilHochstein, who replaced Ralph Payneas BCTMB chair in January. His initialvisits to BC turkey farms, processorsand feed suppliers convinced him “youhave a good story to tell.“I have been extremely impressedby the commitment to biosecurity.BC turkey margins take a hitSee “OVERPRODUCTION” page 35Dale KrahnMichel BenoitBryan Brandsma
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 35OVERPRODUCTION From page 34 Canada’s Verified Beef Production Program Ph: 1-866-398-2848 Email: VBP@cattlemen.bc.ca www.cattlemen.bc.ca/vbp.htm Simple. Practical. Trusted. Developed for producers, by producers. Let us help you implement market-driven standards for on-farm food safety, biosecurity & animal care. British Columbians should take great comfort inthe care and attention paid to ensuring foodsafety,” Hochstein said.Although he will continue as BCTMB vice-chair, Shawn Heppell announced he isstepping down as BC’s TFC rep after fillingthat role for the past 16 years.TFC executive director Phil Boyd paidtribute to Heppell’s contributions, creditinghim for the changes in TFC’s quota allocationpolicy.Heppell noted TFC was “tested” the past 18months as it coped with Ontariooverproduction from 2010 to 2014. Anarbitration panel has now issued a bindingruling which upheld TFC’s $1.7 millionoverproduction penalty against Ontario andapproved a 2.3 million kg cutback in Ontario’sproduction. During the past year, the BCTMB made theTFC Flock Care program mandatory but thatcaused little disruption. Although the code ofpractice the program is based on is beingrevised, Benoit believes the changes “will notcause hardship.” Davies believes the program is essential,noting a “shift in our culture” means morepeople now consider themselves “activelyinvolved” in the industry. “It’s the new reality we’re living in,” he said.“We have to prove we take good care of ourbirds.” The meeting also unveiled the BCTMB’snew strategic plan. It identifies a series ofgoals in five priority areas: governance andregulation, risk mitigation, consumer demand,stakeholder relationships and operations. Onegoal is to increase demand among BC’s fast-growing Asian and South Asian communitywhich “doesn’t know turkey.”The board will continue to conduct annualsurveys of producers and processors.Although response has been limited, thesurveys indicate “increased overall membersatisfaction year-over-year.”The board is also reviewing its allocationpolicies to ensure they are “fair andequitable” and trying to increase theunderstanding of government, the publicand the food chain.“We want to make sure they know howgreat a job we’re doing,” Benoit said.Specialty production spurs increases; BC still short of eggsby DAVID SCHMIDTVANCOUVER – BC eggproducers produced almost71.5 million dozen eggs lastyear, over a million dozenmore than in 2014, the BC EggMarketing Board reported atits annual meeting inVancouver, March 11.All of the increase and morecame in specialty eggs (freerun, free range and organic),which were up over twomillion dozen and nowrepresent over 19% of eggsproduced in BC, far and awaythe highest percentage in thecountry.The demand for specialtyeggs continues to increase notonly in BC but across thecountry, says Egg Farmers ofCanada chair Peter Clarke.“We will produce morespecialty eggs in 2016,” hesaid.Since demand for all eggs isincreasing, EFC issued newquota in April, September andDecember. (The BCEMB is stillwaiting for Farm IndustryReview Board approval toissue its December quotaincrease.) EFC has alsoremoved its 97% quotautilization cap, meaningproducers will be allowed toll 100% of their quota, addinganother 661,000 birds to thenational ock, Clarke said. Despite the increases, BCremains notoriously short ofeggs.“14.4% of our eggs comefrom across the border,”BCEMB chair Brad Bondreported, saying the board isworking on a regionalizationprogram to address theshortage.Even though Bond saysavian inuenza has become“the new normal” for theindustry, Clarke noted Canadawas able to escape most oflast year’s AI outbreak, whichsaw US farmers lose 36 millionbirds.Both heand Bondcredit thesmaller sizeofCanadianpoultryand eggfarms.Clarkenotes USegg farms average a millionbirds while the Canadianaverage is 22,000 birds. The BCaverage is just under 21,000birds with BC’s largest eggfarm having about 119,000birds. By comparison, Cal-MainFoods, the largest US eggproducer, has 32 million birds.“We have a greater sense ofsocial licence,” Bond said. The size of US farmsdiscourages new entrants butthe opposite is true inCanada’s supply managementsystem. BC has started 26 newentrants since 2010, eachreceiving a 3,000 bird quota toproduce specialty eggs.“New entrants represent19% of our producers,” Bondstated.He said supplymanagement also providesthe stability for producers toconvert to new housingsystems. He points out thatwhile US egg farmers believeonly about 51% of their birdswill be housed in cage-free orenriched systems, 22% of BC’slayers are already out of cages.He also praised BC’sbiosecurity and Start CleanStay Clean programs, sayingthey result in a healthier eggsupply.“In Canada, only one in amillion eggs tests positive forSE. In the US, one in 20,000eggs is SE-positive,” Bond said.While the BCEMB has beengiving producer of the yearcerticates to all producerswho score well in the StartClean Stay Clean program inthe past, it cancelled thatapproach and, beginning thisyear, will issue only oneProducer of the Year award.To qualify, a producer mustscore at least 98% on boththe Start Clean Stay Clean andFlock Care programs, dosome volunteer work and/orbe an innovative farmer.BCEMB director andproduction managementcommittee chair gave the rstsuch award to Je Bischop ofElkview Enterprises inChilliwack. The awardincludes a $500 travelvoucher and a farm plaque. Bond countered concernssupply management drives upthe price of eggs, saying thatat the end of February, theCanadian wholesale egg pricewas lower than in the US,Australia and New Zealand,supply management’sstaunchest opponents. Theretail price of a dozen eggswas about a dime less inVancouver than the price inSeattle (converted to Cdn$)and almost $2 per dozen lessthan the price in SanFrancisco.“We can do a better job butwe already do a good job,”Bond said. “We have to tell thisstory. We do a disservice toourselves when we don’t.”SPECIAL REPORT: BC POULTRY CONFERENCEBrad BondINCREASED SPEED AND DURABILITYNOW THAT’S SMART.Two new center-pivot Discbine® disc mower-conditioner models—13’ and 16’3” models—use larger discs to speed through tough crop conditions and the new, best-in-class WideDry™ 125-inch-wide conditioning system is 22% wider than previous models for more uniform conditioning and faster drydown. The smartest feature of all? The peace-of-mind protection you get with the exclusive three-year MowMax™ II cutterbar warranty.• MowMax™ II disc cutterbar with larger discs, heavier gears and interconnecting shafts • Smoother transition of crop from cutterbar to conditioner • Exclusive ShockPRO™ hubs protect cutterbar components• Choice of chevron rubber rolls, steel rolls or LeaningEdge™ fl ails© 2014 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affi liates.MachineryLimitedROLLINSRCHILLIWACK • 1.800.242.9737 | 44725 Yale Road West • 604.792.1301LANGLEY • 1.800.665.9060 | 21869 - 56th Avenue • 604.533.0048
Country Life in BC • April 201636Farm direct marketing: give the people what they wantStories by TAMARA LEIGHDUNCAN – Farm direct marketing hasexperienced sustained growth over the last 20years, expanding opportunities for small andmedium sized farm businesses across NorthAmerica. Keeping the momentum going andremaining protable in the coming decades willrequire a new emphasis on consumer preferencesand marketing trends.“We have to recognize for our businesses thatwhat drives trends is not the farmers. That was the‘80s and ‘90s, but that’s not the case anymore,” saysCharlie Touchette, executive director of the NorthAmerican Farm Direct Marketing Association. “We’rebeing driven by consumer demand. We have to payattention to what they want; it’s no longer a matterof just selling what you want to grow.”In a crowded room at the Islands AgricultureShow in February, Touchette oered a no-holds-barred talk on proting from market trends, and it’sall about creating customer experience. Over thenext ve to ten years, he projects the emphasis willshift from farm direct marketing to agritourism andwith it, the focus will move from farming toentertainment.“Twenty years ago we were saying don’t getinvolved with farm direct marketing if you don’t likepeople. It’s no longer just about liking people; it’sabout the ability to help people have fun,” heexplains. “There is no loyalty left among consumersso you don’t need to be loyal to them; you justneed to know how to make them happy.”Knowing how to make customers happyrequires listening and understanding what theyvalue and watching how they behave. Touchettechallenges some of the assumptions thatfarmers make about consumers.“Your customers don’t care if you’re feeding theworld, so don’t position yourselves as that becauseyou’re not being authentic,” he says. “They don’tcare about organic certications and bureaucracy.”He adds that small farms in North Americasupport other values that are closer to thecustomers, like sustaining agriculturalinfrastructure, nourishing local communities,maintaining open space, advancing a newagricultural process and traditions, andpositioning public awareness and consciousnessaround food.“Your best asset in farm direct marketing is thekid who didn’t grow up on the farm because theysee things that you don’t see,” says Touchette,adding that less than two percent of the populationactually farms. “They see things that the other 98%of people see.”Retail theatre on the riseThe most important trend in on-farm marketing,he oers, is retail theatre – creating engaging,informative and interactive experiences that willcapture consumer attention. Touchette points towineries as leading the way in retail theatre throughtheir tasting rooms or farm markets that oersamples of in-season fruit.“Make tasting an experience. Let customerscompare the avour of Golden Delicious and RedDelicious apples. You don’t want customers whocome to buy apples; you want them to buyvarieties,” he oers.The push to increase retail space is now shifting,putting more focus on adding space to share thestory with the customers.“It’s not branding, it’s communication. Addingstory space is worth it if you want to make sure yourcustomers are hearing, seeing, feeling what youwant them to,” advises Touchette. “Create the rstimpression that you want between the parking lotand the market. The connection needs to happenwell before the customer gets to the till.”“Remember, you’re making money on theexperience and the atmosphere. You’re not tryingto feed the world.”Hot: Freshness, authenticity, creative in-storedesign, attractive or novel packaging, inter-relating stories and products, cross-marketing,outdoor cooking.“Story sells local and local sells product,”says Touchette. “Authenticity is one thing andtrust is another. If you’re saying it’s local andit’s not, then shame on you. Don’t go downthat road – be true and honest with yourcustomer base.”Not: GMOs, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones,colors, stabilizers, articial avours, preservatives,unknown or unfamiliar ingredients, unfamiliarprocesses.“You need to make people familiar whenyou add a new avour or product.“Within 10 years, our kids are going to bemore familiar with the 3D food manufacturingprocess than the process it takes you to get thestrawberries on the shelf.”What’s hot and what’snot in consumer trendsLet us help you get started, call 1-866-522-3447 or visit www.bcefp.ca Debbie Bulk of Eurosa Farms is one of only three rose growers in Canada. The farm grows almost 2 million roses every year in their greenhouses situated in Brentwood Bay, B.C. Through the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) Program, and with the help of their local Planning Advisor, David Tattam, Eurosa has identified and addressed areas of environmental risk on their farm. They recently received funding to implement an underground nutrient recovery system for recycling waste water. This has resulted in zero water waste, and has so far reduced fertilizer usage by at least 45% which equates to significant financial savings for the farm. Debbie Bulk Eurosa Farms Brentwood Bay, B.C.
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 37Dairy calves are proving to be easier to potty train than some household pets (and even children)according to research undertaken at the UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre in Agassiz. (CathyGlover le photo)As anyone who handlescattle knows, they urinate alot. A dairy cow can produceup to 30 kilograms of fecesand 15 kilograms of urine perday. In a barn’s confinedspace, it builds up quicklymaking clean-up an ongoing,labour intensive job. But it’sessential as wet manure addsto the risk of slips, falls andresultant lameness as well asinfections such as mastitis.“Accumulation of manureis costly in terms of bothbedding and labour costs,”says Alison Vaughan, post-doctoral fellow conductingresearch at the UBC DairyEducation & Research Centrein Agassiz. “Consequently,dairy barns are typicallydesigned to limit cows’contact with their manure.However, current attempts tohandle manure often rely onbarn designs which restrict orinhibit expression of cows’natural behaviour and maycompromise cow welfare.Training cattle to urinateand defecate in specific areasof the barn has the potentialto revolutionize the way wehouse cattle, allowing barnsto be designed around cowcomfort rather than aroundremoval of manure whilstimproving cleanliness andcutting bedding costs. Aswith most species, trainingyoung animals is easiest so itseemed logical to begin withcalves.”Little or no controlIn her research report,Vaughan says that cattle aregenerally assumed to havelittle or no control overurination and defecation. So,the first stage was to test ifcattle could learn to associatea cue (a command or alocation) with the act ofelimination in a specific place.She says it was easier tostart with urination since theycould be rapidly and reliablyinduced with the help of adiuretic IV injection andyoung cows would quicklyassociate urination in thecorrect place with a reward. “Our initial study was a‘proof of conceptexperiment,’” explainsVaughan. “Before we couldlook into how to toilet trainwithin the calves’ home pen,we first had to check if calveswere capable of making anassociation between alocation and an eliminationbehaviour in a morecontrolled setting. To do thiswe brought the calves once aday to a specific locationwhere we wanted them tourinate and rewarded themfor doing so. The majority ofcalves quickly learned tourinate when brought to thislocation in order to obtain amilk reward.”Experimental penSix one-month-old femaleHolstein calves wereindividually brought to anexperimental pen, placed inthe test stall forurination and given adiuretic. Once thecalf had urinated(typically withinseven minutes), abuzzer sounded andthe calf was released from thestall to receive a milk rewardvia a teat. “Each calf had its own“yoked” control calf. Five outof the six calves receivingtraining urinated significantlymore in the stall than theirmatched control calf.”Learning time varied butfor some individuals, it tookas little as one 15-minutetraining session. After that,the calf would reliably urinatewithin one or two minutes ofbeing placed in the stall. “We only trained andtested (the calves) for 17 daysand all but one calf was ableto learn within this short time.When you think of how longit takes to train a puppy oreven a child, this is veryimpressive!”They were only trainedonce a day. She says anautomated training systemwhich tracks and rewards allurinations and defecations inthe home pen across 24hours will allow many moretraining opportunities andthey might be able toanticipate faster learningtimes.“We are developing asystem using a combinationof visual and thermal camerasto track the location of calvesand detect their urinationsand defecations,” explainsVaughan. “This unit can senddata directly from the barn toa laptop computer where it isanalyzed. Currently, we arevalidating the tracking systemBC-based potty training research shows promiseResearchMARGARET EVANSBCLBCLBULLSALESStill a few to go!APRIL 9VANDERHOOFAPRIL 15WILLIAMS LAKEMAY 7 Williams Lake Consignment Equipment AuctionMAY 14 Kamloops Consignment Equipment AuctionMAY 28 C1 Ranch & Wayne Telford Equipment Auction, Alexis CreekOK FALLS April 18 | May 16KAMLOOPS April 19 | April 26 | May 3 | May 17 | May 31WILLIAMS LAKE April 21 | May 19 VANDERHOOF April 22 | May 6 | May 20Visit the website for photos of equipment listings: www.bclivestock.bc.caSpring Cattle SalesRanch Equipment AuctionsKamloopsOkanagan FallsKevin Johnson 250-961-1970Williams LakeWilf Smith250-398-0813VanderhoofDecody Corbierre250-524-06811-888-770-7333BILLAWMACKand once this is done, willwork on incorporating thethermal camera to detecturination and defecation andimprove tracking. Once wehave a program that is ableto tell us where each calf isand when she urinates ordefecates, the next step is towork on the reward system.We plan to use existing RFIDtechnology to allow access toa reward for individual calveswhen they urinate ordefecate in the correct place.”Vaughan says this is thefirst study to show that cattlecan be trained to urinate in aspecific place and shows thatcalves have both thecognitive ability andphysiological controlrequired for toilet training. Farmers are already seeingthe benefits of the conceptthrough reduced beddingcosts and increasedcleanliness. Vaughan hopesthe development will lead tobarn designs or adaptationsbased on cows havinggreater behavioural freedomand autonomy. It must beboth affordable and practical.She says most dairy farmsalready make use of a lot oftechnology such as RFID tagsand automated feeders sothe plan is to tap into pre-existing technology for potty-training calves. Vaughan has a BSc inApplied Animal Behaviour(University of Lincoln), anMSc in Applied AnimalBehaviour and Welfare(University of Edinburgh) anda PhD (University ofSaskatchewan). She iscurrently looking at howcattle learn.
0000.000.000aNteertS0000CAR THTMIS moc.etsireleademaNnwToemaROTC Mahindra 1500 SERIESWITH LOADERMAHINDRA 2555 WITH LOADER#1 SELLING TRACTOR IN THE WORLD!Mahindra’s mCRD Technology eliminates DPF and DEF.Call your local dealer to find out more! HANDLERS EQUIPMENTAbbotsford604-850-3601 (225)AURORA TRUCK CENTRE Houston250-845-7600TRACTOR TIMEVictoria250-929-2145Mahindra 1500 SERIESWITH LOADERINTRODUCING THE NEWXTV SERIESINTRODUCING THE NEWXTV SERIESMAHINDRA 2555 WITH LOADER 3–cyl diesel, 4X4, 55HP Hydrostatic Transmission,3,122 lbs loader lift capacity, no DPF filter required! CASH PRICE $32,800MAHINDRA 1526WITH LOADER1560 LB LOADER LIFT, HST TRANSMISSION CASH PRICE$22,000MAHINDRA 1526WITH LOADER1560 LB LOADER LIFT, HST TRANSMISSION CASH PRICE$22,000XTV 750S FLEXHAULER 750cc Kohler Engine, up to 35 MPH, 1200 lbs cargo capacity, 27” ATV tires, Electric power cargo box. LIMITED TIME PRICING $15,500Country Life in BC • April 201638
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 39by TOM WALKERKELOWNA – Attendees atthe BC Farmer’s MarketConference in Kelowna,March 4-6, got a recordbreaking warm welcome.Temperatures of nearly 17Cset a record for March 5. “The buds are starting andthe farmers are gettingexcited,” chuckled Bev Weins,president of the host KelownaFarmer’s and Crafter’s Market. The theme for the 17thannual event was “Nourishand Flourish.” Workshopsacross the three days cateredto 150 farmers, vendors,market managers anddirectors representing 125markets across the province.“Between 2014 and 2015,direct sales at farmers'markets increased by 11%,”says executive directorElizabeth Quinn. “Weestimate that this isequivalent to an increase of$1.25 million in sales for totaldirect sales of about $114million. “Between 2009 and 2014,the number of farmers sellingat farmers' markets increasedfrom 1,000 to 1,400 accordingto member surveys,” Quinnpoints out.Community involvementAn overall tone to theweekend fostered capacityfor markets to be moreinvolved in theircommunities. Food systemsand food security leddiscussions.Peter Donkers withInvestment AgricultureFoundation led a Buy Localforum. While many of theprojects are processor,association or marketfocused, Donkers explainedthat individual farmersseeking support for value-added and marketingprojects are eligible to applyfor the matching funds.“Grant writing is an artform,” stresses Helen Fathersfrom the White Rock Farmer’sMarket. “But they do actuallywant to give you money.” Tons of ideas“We are not missing inideas; there are tons,”Michelle Wolfe of Farmers’Market Nova Scotia told asession on Innovations andInitiatives. “I think maybe what we aremissing is a stick-to-it-ness.One of the lessons we arelearning is to do less and do itwell,” Wolfe says. “Giveprograms three to four yearsbefore we evaluate them.”“Many of the largermarkets across North Americaare moving into permanentbuildings rightly or wrongly,”says Wolfe. “Managers whowork with these buildings willtell you they need to bemulti-use as they look forways to afford fire doors andsprinkler systems.” Not very convenientFarmers markets are notconvenient in the least, shesays, which raises questionsabout hours of operation andhow markets extend theirhours. “Perhaps virtually,” saysWolfe. “Online market storesis an idea I have heard beingthrown around.”When considering how tokeep markets successful,Wolfe wondered if allmarkets need a board ofdirectors.“How about a regionaloperation?” she asks. “Notevery market needs a ten-hour-a-week manager’s job.” University of Northern BC’sDavid Connell presented a“Strengthening FarmlandProtection AssessmentToolkit” as a means tounderstand and assessagriculture land use plans,policies and the processesinvolved. “Local governments nowhave more influence in agplans in BC,” says Connell.The creation of a second zoneFarmers’ markets continue to grow in popularityVendors, managers consider potential Retiring BC Farmer’s Markets Board members Cat Major and Jon Bell ank BC Farmers’ Markets“Vendor of the year” Joan Jong from Jong’s Vegetable Gardens in Armstrong. With a family historythat dates back to the building of the railway in BC, Jongs Vegetable Gardens is one of the onlyworking farms left within the city limits of Armstrong and has been selling at farmers’ markets for 50years. (Tom Walker photo)in the Agricultural LandReserve allows moreflexibility and that’s not agood thing, he says. The tool will give a methodfor land use decision makersand provide a direction forindustry groups, farmers andthe general public to provideA Firsthand Understanding Of Your Family’s Wealth PrioritiesMark Driediger, CFP, Senior Wealth AdvisorAssante Financial Management Ltd.www.MarkDriediger.com | (604) 859-4890 Farm Transition Coaching Customized Portfolio Strategy Retirement Income PlanningPlease visit www.assante.com/legal.jsp or contact Assante at 1-800-268-3200 for information with respectto important legal and regulatory disclosures relating to this notice.Your Farm. Your Family. Your Future.scrutiny. “How can you assessstrength of land use planningin your jurisdiction?” Connellasks. “This tool kit allows formore people to engage inthe planning and brings theprincipals to the forefront. “It takes collaborationacross a community to buildSee “FARMERS” page 47EVERY PURCHASE COMES WITH A FREE PTO PUMP1-888-675-7999www.watertecna.comMODEL 9300TURBINE DRIVESPRINKLER | INLET HOSEDIGITAL TACH$24,800MODEL 100/400TURBINE DRIVESPRINKLER | INLET HOSEDIGITAL TACH$29,400MODEL 110/400TURBINE DRIVESPRINKLER | INLET HOSEDIGITAL TACH$35,490SPRING SAVINGS ON REELS*GET REEL THIS SUMMER!MANUFACTURED BYPROVINCE WIDE DELIVERY
I admit I have this fetish aboutcommunication. If you have anydoubts, just ask Hubby. “Please letme know…” has got to be one of mymore common phrases. Defined as the imparting of newsor information between people andplaces, communication hasprevented or solved many a dispute.It’s also comforting but, sadly, it cansometimes be devastating. At thevery least, it makes life interesting.One of the privileges I enjoy isreceiving weekly copies of severalprairie newspapers in which myweekly articles have appeared since1997. I love poring over them,thoroughly enjoy reading the localnews and in particular, catching upon events in and around thecommunities where we once resided.I’m glad they still carry reports fromtiny towns and villages as well aslarger centres.At any point, you might readabout someone’s brother-in-lawheading to the next city for a medicalappointment or about anotherperson’s cousin visiting their family inFlorida. Or even the neighbouringtown. Invitations to Sundaybreakfasts and fall fowl suppers insupport of community fundraisersenjoy seasonal coverage while localdrama and musical presentations arewell advertised. A couple of items in a recent issuegave us cause for bothsadness and celebration. Inthe first case, a muchbeloved member of a localcongregation we served hadpassed away; in the second,a local employee, waiting forhis family to arrive from thePhilippines, welcomed their arrival forFamily Day. While one sharedexciting news, the other providedinformation we valued.In a far broader context, news ofthe upcoming Saskatchewanprovincial election providesinformation regarding issues ofimportance. We’ve recently gonethrough a national election and theaftermath of a change ofgovernment. There’s always goodand bad in every outcome but I’mjust happy it’s over and we can moveon. I’m also glad that I can focus all myattention on the Trump-Clinton-Cruz-Sanders battle going on to the southof us. It’s fascinating to watch andnail-biting to ponder who will end upbeing president. After all, we’re closeneighbours and according to ourown national media, the possibility ofseeing Donald move to the WhiteHouse ignites a whole other range ofemotions. On a more positive note,the possibility has kindled a welcomefire under tourism in severalprovinces and I’ve even had friendstell me they’d chose to move toCanada if Mr. Trump was elected. One more note regarding thosemany years we spent in towns of 1,000people or less: I recall saying, with amodicum of both truth and humour:“It’s where everybody knows yourbusiness and what they don’t know,they make up.” Intended as a tongue-in-cheek commentary on small townchatter, I also always followed it up byacknowledging the power ofcommunity and communication. Forexample, it would be just a short timeafter a farmer experienced anequipmentbreakdownbeforeneighbours shutdown theirs andmoved it to thatneighbour’s eld.After all,dierences ofopinion don’tmatter muchwhen there arecrops to bebrought in. I’vealso seen theresponse to aneighbour’s medical or familyemergency: hot meals, help on thefarm and even cash in hand quicklyoered. News travels fast in thecountry.So what am I trying to say in all ofthis? I guess the best answer involvesvaluing the treasures we have infriendships, realizing the power ofshared joys and challenges andesteeming the love of family as apriceless treasure. Oh yes, always make sure you letthat special someone know (you fill inthe blanks).Country Life in BC • April 201640From small town chatter to the big leaguesNo excuse not to!EEEEEEmmmmmmmpppppttttttyyyyyyyy PPPPPPPPeeeeeeeessssttttttttiiiiiiiiccccciiiiidddddeeeeeee CCCCCoooooonnnnnnttttaaaaiiinnnnnnneeeeerrrr RRRReeeeccccyyyyyyyyyyyyccccccllliiiinnnnggggggggggg PPPrroooogggrraaaammm>>>>>>>#1Only rinsed containers can be recycled #2Helps keep collection sites clean#3Use all the chemicals you purchase #4Keeps collection sites safe for workers#5Maintain your farm’s good reputation FFFFFFooooorrrrrr mmmmmooooooorrrrrrrreeeee iiiiinnnnnffffffooooorrrrrrrrmmmmmmaaaaaatttttttiiiiiiiioooooonnnnnnn oooooorrrrr ttttoooo fifififififinnnnnnnddddd aaaaa ccccccoooooollllllllleeeeccccccttttttiiiooooonnnnnn ssssiiitttteee nnnnnneeeeaaaaaaaaaarrrrr yyyyyyoooouuuuuu vvviiiissssiiiiiitttcccllleeeaannfffaaarrmmmmmmss..ccaattt{{{{{{{Now, take your empty fertilizer containers along for the ride!A Wannabe FarmerLINDA WEGNERIt would be just a short time after a farmerexperienced an equipment breakdownbefore neighbours shut down theirsand moved it to that neighbour's field.After all, differences of opinion don't mattermuch when there are crops to bebrought in ... news travels fast in the country.
Then there are theunexpected losses forcedupon farmers – devastatingcircumstances for which thereis no vaccine or treatment.Whether it’s a fewsymptomatic animals or awhole herd, farmers have onlya few days to prepare once anotice of mandatoryeradication is delivered. This is a mind numbing,annihilating situationand represents far morethan nancial loss. It’san assault on a way oflife and a series ofrelationships andmemories with theiranimals; a terrible moment ofkilling often apparentlyhealthy, trusting animals withwhich they had lived.This has happened inCanada, where producers andhealth authorities know thateradication is the only solutionto prevent some diseases fromspreading. Knowing it is theonly solution does not lessenthe impact, however.A friend from Ontario toldme of his experience.Knock on the door“There was a knock on thedoor quite early in themorning,” he told me. “Therewere two ocials there, andwe were told that an animalwe had sold some time agohad been traced back to usand had been found to havescrapie; that the only solutionwas eradication of all ouranimals. We were numb,devastated. Not only did ourwhole ock have to go but ourwhole way of life. Our sobbingdaughter’s pet 4-H goats andall our sheep were euthanizedApril 2016 • Country Life in BC 41Farmers and their familiesfeel sadness and often a senseof loss, even when they haveplanned for the departure oftheir livestock.Jean Davidson, who wasraised on an Ontario dairyfarm, summed up herexperiences. “I used to say that animalson our farm were much lovedand short-lived. They hadnames, they had personalities,they got treats, but when theywent to market or otherwisedemised, there was a steelyresolve not to be sentimentalabout it. “I was away in Australiawhen our dairy herd was soldso was safely isolated fromthat,” she recalls. “My dad hadbeen in hospital with theaftermath of a bad shoulderinjury and my mother decidedthe moment had come ... Idon't think I'd ever thought ofwhat they felt like when thelivestock truck pulled out. Mydad did go and visit a fewcows on their new farms butstopped after he discoveredone of his favourites had died.” Livestock health issues canhave more impact thanexpected. All species seem tohave serious ones that canpotentially lead to totaleradication: sheep and goats,cattle, pigs, birds, horses.Some problems are mild,others worse and someuntreatable. Potentially fatalones for sheep, such as theclostridial ones of pulpy kidneyand tetanus, can be preventedor considerably reduced byannual vaccination of themother and lamb. Others, suchas foot rot and foot scald, can(with some back-breakingdetermination and otherpersistent measures such aschemical treatment, isolationand quarantine) be treated. Coping with the loss of livestockCannes film explores the heartache of eradicationThe anguish and tragedy of an eradication situation is captured inthe Icelandic movie Rams, winner of the Un Certain Regard sectionat the Cannes Film Festival.Wool GatheringsJO SLEIGHwww.tubeline.ca 1.888.856.6613For better management and spreading performance of poultry litter, Nitro spreaders can be equipped with an optional poultry litter beater assembly. The interchangeable quick-drop beater system allows operators to conveniently switch between the vertical or poultry beater assemblies offering flexibility to both producers and custom operators.Contact your Tubeline dealer today and find out how Nitro Spreaders can help you put litter in its place.CUSTOM SLAUGHTER SERVICES PROVIDEDServing the Community TogetherWANTED: ALL SIZES MARKET GOATS & LAMBSashiq@meadowvalleymeats.com604/465-4752 (ext 105)fax 604/465-474418315 FORD ROADPITT MEADOWS, BC V3Y 1Z1PROVINCIALLY INSPECTED ABATTOIR BC#34• BEEF• VEAL• BISON • LAMB • GOAT • DEERMEADOW VALLEY MEATSwww.AgSafeBC.caWORKER SAFETYSHOULD BE YOURTOP PRIORITY within a few days.”The anguish and tragedy ofjust such a situation iscaptured in the Icelandicmovie Rams, winner of the UnCertain Regard section at theCannes Film Festival. WithEnglish sub titles, it depictsjust such a tragedy. At times, itadds humour but also showsthe attachment farmers haveto their sheep. As well, itdepicts the friction that candevelop between individualswith the same basic interests.It also demonstrates howuniquely individuals respondto circumstances beyond theircontrol (sometimes in extremeways) and how they deal withother sheep farmers andauthorities.It shows, too, the beautyand isolation of the countryand its farmers, their Icelandicsheep and the not toouncommon European practiceof housing their small livestockin the basement of their home,often built into the side of ahill.The lm has alreadyappeared at some specialtylm venues. Upcoming datesinclude April 1, Vernon FilmSociety, Vernon; April 4, WaterPhillips Gallery, Ban; April 6,Chilliwack Arts Council FilmFest; April 24, Film Fest, PortAlberni; and April 24/25,Theatre One, Nanaimo.
Country Life in BC • April 201642VI 4-H leader receives Governor General’s Caring Canadian Awardby GINA HAAMBUCKERSVERNON – A prominent 4-Hleader on Vancouver Islandhas been awarded theGovernor General’s CaringCanadian Award. His Excellency, the RightHonourable David Johnston,Governor General of Canada,made the presentation toSusy Chung-Smith during aceremony at the Chan Centrefor the Performing Arts inVancouver, March 4. Chung-Smith, leader of theSaanich Peninsula Beef andSwine 4-H Club, wasrecognized for herinvolvement with 4-H formore than 40 years. Sheserved on the board ofdirectors for the 4-H BritishColumbia Provincial Councilfor seven years and as thepresident, from 2010 to 2011. As a 4-H member, Chung-Smith learned the value ofcommunity, leadership andthe agriculture story. After shegraduated from the 4-Hprogram as a member, shecontinued to be involved as avolunteer club leader for 28years. She not only instructsmembers of her beef andswine club about agriculture,but also fosters theunderstanding of communityand responsibility in thoseyouth she oversees. As a rolemodel, her own brand ofleadership and organizationprovides a good example foryoung people to strive for.Chung-Smith has beeninstrumental within the 4-Hprogram not only in hercommunity of Saanich butalso to the Vancouver Islandregion at large, organizing 4-Hcamps, leadership trainingand agriculture learningprograms. Her dedicationextended to council executivepositions of the organizationat the local, regional andprovincial levels. She continues to mentornew volunteers and assist theassociation at the provincialgovernance level in additionto her involvement as a 4-Hleader in her beef and swineclub, where she enjoys theinteraction the most. In addition to 4-H, she hasalso volunteered incommunity organizations andevents including OperationTrackshoes, the Terry Fox run,Cops for Cancer and Tour DeRock as well as fundraising forLegion Manor RetirementLiving Place. She has been amember of the board forSaanich Fair, co-ordinatingvolunteers for the communityHarvest Feast, as well asserving several years as teammanager and executivemember for local hockey andlacrosse associations. 4-H BC leader Susy Chung-Smith receives a Caring Canadian fromthe Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada,March 4. (Photo courtesy of Sgt Ronald Duchesne, Rideau Hall)Through her eorts, Chung-Smith continues to promotethe 4-H program’s guidingprinciples of community,leadership and charity.Co-written by Laura Code,Pat Tonn and GinaHaambuckers.4-H BC welcomes new boardby GINA HAAMBUCKERSVERNON – 4-H BritishColumbia welcomed its newProvincial Council directorsFebruary 27 in Vernon.Newcomers to the boardinclude Matt Langelaan fromthe Fraser Valley and JeanStevens from the VancouverIsland region. Lorna Kotz, Kamloops-Okanagan regionalrepresentative, was elected aspresident. Fraser Valleyregional representative MattLangelaan was elected as vicepresident. Kotz has been a 4-H leaderin the Kamloops-Okanaganregion for 23 years and hasserved six years on the 4-HBritish Columbia ProvincialCouncil Board of Directors.She is also the 4-H BCProvincial Council liaison toBC Fairs. Matt Langelaan hails fromRichmond and has been a 4-Hleader for 13 years. He hasserved both as theSurrey/Richmond/DeltaDistrict Council president andthe Fraser Valley RegionalCouncil president. “It is a privilege and anhonour to work with such adedicated group of 4-Hvolunteers. I’m excited to beworking with our ProvincialCouncil and look forward towhat 2016 will bring,” says 4-HBC manager Claudette Martin.2016 Board of DirectorsLorna Kotz, Kamloops/Okanagan Region,President Matt Langelaan, Fraser Valley Region,Vice-President Jean Stevens, Vancouver Island RegionHeather Serani, Kootenays Region Rick Kantz, Peace River RegionDeanna Lambert, Yellowhead WestRegion Al DeJong, Past PresidentMackenzie Kerr, Youth Advisory Committee,BC Rep to Canadian 4-H CouncilMorgan Meir, 4-H BC Ambassador Laura Code, BC Ministry of Agriculture Claudette Martin, 4-H British Columbia,Manager Be ready for calving with MASTERFEEDS proven mineral programAll of your equine and livestock feed needs available at: Armstong // Country West Supply // 1-250-546-9174 Creston // Sunset Seed Co. // 1-250-428-4614 Wasa // Wasa Harware & Building Centre // 1-205-422-3123Sign Up Today! Sign Up Today! Sign Up Today! Spallumcheen Golf & Country Club Vernon, BC June 17, 2016June 17, 2016June 17, 2016 3rd Annual 3rd Annual ForeFore--H BC Golf ClassicH BC Golf Classic Sponsorship and registraƟon informaƟon is available at www.bc4h.bc.ca Toll Free 1-866-776-0373 JEFF MCCALLUMVANCOUVER ISLAND FARM EQUIPMENTNEW & USED TRACTORS & FARM EQUIPMENTMake ISLAND Farming Easier!KVERNELAND 7517 WRAPPER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500KUHN KNIGHT PS 150 VERTICAL BEATERS. NEAR NEW . . . . 45,000BRILLION 8FT SEEDER. 3 PT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,950HIGHLINE 6000T BALE PROCESSOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,000JCB 170 SKID STEER. NEW TIRES. NEW ENGINE . . . . . . . . . . . 6,000MCHALE 550 FIXED CHAMBER BALER, 8000 BALES . . . . . . . 45,000MCHALE 991BE WRAPPER. 1/4 TURN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,000TAARUP 331 MWR COND, 3.3M W/FINGER COND, GYRO HITCH . 4,500TUB SORTING CORRAL UNITSQUEEZE, GATES, NO HEAD LOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 500FIELD WORK & PLANTINGANYWERE ON VANCOUVER ISLANDCONTACT ME FOR A PRICEWE HAVE PLASTIC WRAP& AG-FLEX SILAGE BAGSin all sizesNEW& USEDjeffmc@shaw.ca250-616-6427 or 250-758-8454 jeffmc@shaw.ca250-616-6427 or 250-758-8454
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 43April Fool's? It's no joke in my neck of the woods;spring came so early I was picking pussy willows inFebruary! The premature arrival of spring has not beengood. Early break-up (in spite of a decent snowpack)has notserved toreplenishwater sourcesthe earth justgreedilysucked up allthe run-o. The soil was in dire need of moisture. Lastyear’s long, dry, hot summer and fall left behind aparched and thirsty landscape in need ofrejuvenation. Water is a valuable commodity; thedays when we could aord to waste it are long gone. Subhead hereBull sales have dominated cattle sales, with somelighter yearling cattle starting to show up at the oddsale.The high sellers at Pine Butte Ranch’s 21st annualbull sale, February 20 in Kamloops, was Lot 22 whosold to Mike Bayli of Alexis Creek for a whopping$10,500.00. Douglas Lake paid $9,500.00 for Lot 11.Volume buyers included Douglas Lake Cattle Co.,Gang Ranch, Frolek Cattle Co., D-M Ranch, MikeBayli, Springeld Ranch, Spear Ranch (U.S.) andHilltop Ranch (SK).The Prime Time Cattle Co. and Cutting Edge CattleCo. Bull Sale, March 5 in Williams Lake, was one of thequickest sales in the country. Fifty-seven head wentunder the hammer in just under 90 minutes.Jason and Bev Kelly’s high seller, Prime Time Tater420, went to Cli Hinsche of 141 Mile Ranch for$6,500.00. Ken and Debbie Ilnicki paid $6,200 forPrime Time HD Liner 417.Wayne and Tiany Pincott sold Cutting EdgeEldorado 498B to the Chezacut Ranch for $5,900.00.Cutting Edge 117X Master 496B also wentChezacut’s way for $5,700.00.A great lunch preceeded the Harvest Angus (andguests) Bull Sale, March 12, in Williams Lake. Heart ofthe Valley Farms sold Red Pacic North to Clyde 48Cto Larry Spence for $8,800.00. Red Pacic Goldspike28C went to Monte and Darlene Furber for $7,700.00.Wetering Black Angus of Quesnel paid $7,300.00for Tom and Carolyn Dewaal’s Harvest Tourman 21C.Dewaal’s consigned the high selling female thatwent to Royce and Joanne Cook for $3,900.00.Rob and Tina Stoward’s RRTS Charolais Bull Sale inKamloops, March 8, saw RRTS Gone Country 39C goKeith Cunningham’s way for $6,600.00. PeterThrescher paid $6,400.00 for RRTS Canteen 38C.Volume buyers included Coldstream Ranch, SpearRanch, Ellis Cattle Co., Gardner Ranch and PeterThrescher.Fred and Barb Watkinson paid $10,500.00 for topseller Taka 3A Backdraft 68C at Wayne and JillHughes’ Angus Advantage Bull Sale in Kamloops,March 19. Wild Rose Ranch was the volume buyerwith 12 bulls. Prices were strong overall.Ranchers paying top dollar at spring bull salesScientists’ Open Letter on the Dangers of Biosolids (2016)The land disposal of sewage sludge (aka Biosolids) has resulted in signicant controversy, and a resistance movement is rightfully building to this misguided policy.Quite simply, the science doesn't support the disposal ofsewage sludge across the landscape. The supposed benets are more than offset by the risks toward human andenvironmental health. As scientists, we have been watchingthe issue with increasing concern.An unimaginably large number of chemical and biologicalcontaminants exist in these materials, and they persist in theproduct up to, and after, land disposal. Scientic investigations have identied only a tiny fraction of the totalcontaminant load. We cannot even say with any degree ofcondence what the true range of contaminant risk is fromthe sludge. Call it an “unknown unknown.” Because of potential synergistic interactions between the contaminantsin the sludge, the risks are largely unknowable.Most public discussions of the chemical contaminants insewage sludge involve well known groups such as heavymetals, ame retardants, and pharmaceuticals, among manyothers. But these are just the contaminants we have identied. To refer to our current knowledge base as the tipof the iceberg would be grossly overestimating how muchwe actually do know.Regulators and others – including elected ofcials – upand down the policy chain appear to lack a real appreciationfor the scope of the problem, and the costs of beginning tounderstand it. If a city were to test the sludge just once forall possible contaminants in the material, the bill would bewell into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. You are notgoing to nd a problem if you don't look for it. Of course,over time, that problem may also come looking for you.To illustrate the difculties, take just one group of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic compounds known tobe in sewage sludge at high concentrations: brominatedame retardants. Perhaps the most well known sub-class ofthe brominated ame retardants are called polybrominateddiphenyl ethers (PBDEs). There are 209 different PBDEs, eachof which has a unique toxicology and environmental fate.PBDEs have been studied around the world for severaldecades, yet we still have a very poor understanding of thetrue risks from their release into the environment.This is just one contaminant class among many. Thereare also 209 different members of the PCBs. Similarly, add in another 210 chlorinated dioxin “congeners.” The total number of contaminants in sewage sludge climbs as webegin to consider that effectively all current and legacy industrial chemicals end up in our sewage, and during thetreatment process they move into the sludge. If we apply thesludge to the land, we have transferred our toxic efuentonto the landscape. Then add on all pharmaceuticals and personal care products, as well as any other compound weuse in the home or at work, and all their potential degradation products. The complexity discussed so far justtouches on the chemical contaminants. Add to that the massive numbers of biological contaminants -- bacteria,viruses, prions, etc. The current and future problem is inconceivably large, particularly since the human populationis producing sewage sludge at a rapidly growing rate.Those from the large public and private sector industrythat has developed around marketing and selling sewagesludge for land disposal – which we collectively term BigSludge -- claim the materials are “non-toxic” and a resourceto be cherished, not shunned. The state of the science doesnot agree with this oversimplication.While there have been some attempts to review the science surrounding sewage sludge, these are generallywanting. Either the reviews are out-of-date and incomplete,failing to account for all that we do know about emergingcontaminants and what we don't know about all contaminants, or they are written more as promotional materials for Big Sludge in an attempt to sell the product toan ever more sceptical public.What should we do in response to all these concerns? Immediately halt the land disposal of sewage sludge as astarting point, and begin either stockpiling or landlling thematerial in secure locations with full leachate collection systems until a more responsible means of dealing with theproblem is implemented. In the meantime, the science mustcontinue in an effort to better understand the risks and to develop more effective treatment technologies.We also see municipalities and regional districts talkingabout the revenue stream from selling their sludge for land dis-posal, but are they telling the taxpayers they are supposed torepresent about the very large potential risks from the knowingand wilful contamination of lands, waters, and the atmospherethat arises from these choices? Increased health care costs,decreased property values, and toxic tort lawsuits have collectiveliabilities to Big Sludge over time that far outweigh the relativelysmall cash ows currently coming in to the public purse.Governments are playing Russian roulette with sewagesludge, and over time there is a high probability this gamewill be lost at the public's expense. Sierra Rayne, PhD, John Werring, MSc, RPBioRichard Honour, PhD , Steven R. Vincent, PhDSierra Rayne is an independent scientist; John Werring isa senior science and policy advisor for the David Suzuki Foundation; Richard Honour is the executive director for ThePrecautionary Group; Steven R. Vincent is the Louise BrownProfessor of Neuroscience with the Department of Psychiatryat the University of British Columbia.For more on this important issue, please see www.biosolidsbc.com and www.sludgefacts.orgMarket MusingsLIZ TWANA full housekept bidspotters andringmen ontheir toes atthe HarvestAngus BullSale inWilliamsLake.(Liz Twanphoto)
Country Life in BC • April 201644by PETER MITHAMDAWSON CREEK – BC Hydro won’t beappealing a January court decision thatawarded $60,691 to a rancher in thePeace River district for the expropriationof land for the Dawson Creek-ChetwyndArea Transmission (DCAT) line.Murray Caven took BC Hydro to courtlast year over the minimal compensationhe received for the power company’sexpropriation of 400-square-foot patchof the 20-acre parcel where his home,garage and a small guest cabin sit. Theproperty has been in the Caven familysince 1956 and is the base for thefamily’s ranch, which runs 100 cow-calfpairs across 1,000 acres of localrangeland.Caven received $37,696 for the landbut this didn’t cover the long-termimpact to his operation. Caven’s lawyertold BC Supreme Court that thealignment of the transmission lineeectively divided the property in two,reducing its value from $280,000 to$140,000 and cutting o access to whereCaven runs his cattle.BC Hydro appraisers carried out 65appraisals along the line but localappraiser Anne Clayton said the Crowncorporation “failed to recognize andrespect the nature of the rural market.”This resulted in them undervaluing theland and the compensation Cavendeserved.Caven should have receivedcompensation totalling $98,387.50, BCSupreme Court Justice Neena Sharmadecided at the end of January. While theamount falls short of the loss in propertyvalue caused by the line, Sharma said itwas a more credible value than what BCHydro had paid out given Clayton’sfamiliarity with the local market –something BC Hydro didn’t exhibit.BC Hydro spokeswoman Simi Heertold Country Life in BC that BC Hydrowouldn’t appeal the judgment.Caven was the only one of 82property owners aected by the DCATline to take BC Hydro to court. Themajority of owners settled prior toexpropriation and two afterwards.Protesters removedBut if BC Hydro lost the battle againstCaven, it won another against protestorsoccupying land where the Site C dam isbeing readied for construction.BC Supreme Court granted BC Hydroan injunction at the end of February toremove protesters from property nearFort St. John.A stful of opponents to the project,including Arthur Hadland, an agrologist,farmer and former director of the PeaceRiver Regional District, were arrested onmischief charges during a peacefulprotest at the beginning of January.The injunction granted at the end ofFebruary was targeted at anencampment of about a dozenprotestors at the old Rocky MountainFort site, several miles into the bushsouth of Fort St John.BC Hydro wins, loses in Peace RiverServicing farm equipment, safetyplans essential before work beginsThe ground is thawing, daodils have bloomed. It must be Spring! This means BC farmers are coming out of hibernation and instead ofworking 12 hour days, they will now be working 16 to 18. Seasonalworkers will soon be arriving and another cycle begins.Agriculture work is unique and every commodity faces its share ofchallenges and hazards. Many of the hazards, however, are commonand can be managed before everything gets too crazily busy. So, while each farmer has their own independent situation andenvironment to consider, it is worth the time to share information withneighbours and friends and combineeorts to address the hazards beforethey become a problem.The easiest place to start is withequipment – a robust maintenanceprogram means that everything thatwas stored for the winter is ready togo when it is time for it to be put back into service. But, if time didn’tpermit this, make sure your equipment is in good shape and safe touse before ring it up for the rst time this spring. Guards need to bein place, blades sharp and everything in good condition to ensurethere are no surprises when the motor turns for the rst time. Once equipment is safely operable, it may be time to turn attentionto what is in store for workers. Every worker arriving at your site needsto have an orientation, be made aware of the hazards and know whatto do in an emergency. Take the time to make sure that checklists have been updated,training records prepared, personal protective equipment consideredand all the mounds of paperwork are ready for new labour to arrive. If you need help to get all your safety obligations in order, contactAgSafe before your workers arrive. The AgSafe team can ensure youhave everything in place for a smooth start with no surprises when themotor turns for the rst time. Wendy Bennett is the executive director of AgSafe BC.ViewpointWENDY BENNETTFARM COUNTRYAUGUST 20–SEPTEMBER 5Come out and experience BC’s remarkably diverse agriculture industry. Featuring the crowd-favourite Discovery Farm exhibit plus a whole barn full of exciting animal displays.PACIFIC SPIRIT HORSE SHOWAUGUST 24–SEPTEMBER 5Competitions in: Junior Amateur Jumping, Draft Team, Indoor Eventing and HCBC Heritage Qualifi er classes in English, Western and Dressage. Also featuring HCBC Horse Day on August 27.ENTRY DEADLINE: JULY 22, 2016604-252-3581 • agriculture@pne.ca • COME CELEBRATE AT BC’S LARGEST AGRICULTURE SHOWCASEPNE 4-H FESTIVALAUGUST 20–23Offering over 30 types of project competitions as well as provincial programs for judging, speak and show and educational displays. Travel assistance offered to clubs outside of the Fraser Valley through the BC Youth in Agriculture Foundation. ENTRY DEADLINE: JUNE 24, 2016It’s theof summerBEST PART
When we left o last time,Harriet Murray was givingHenderson a hard time over hismanure-smeared overalls. WhenDeborah arrived at Lon’s CoeeCorner, she was puzzled by allthe people at the place. She thenwas told that Cec Montgomeryhad passed on the night before.Rural Redemption (part 71)continues ...Deborah was standing inthe back corner of the storebeside the sacks of dog food.She was brushing tears fromher cheek with her nger tips.“Hell of a pass this is, eh,Mrs. Henderson?”Deborah turned to seeJunkyard Frank standing nextto her. He was staring sadlyover the store shelves.Deborah nodded. “I suppose it’ll be my turn atbat before long.”“Oh, I’m not so sure aboutthat Mr. ….” Her voice trailedaway. It dawned on her thatshe had no idea what Frank’slast name was. She couldn’tvery well call him Mr. Junkyardand she didn’t feel as thoughshe knew him well enough touse his rst name. “I’m sorry. I don’t thinkwe’ve ever been properlyintroduced. I don’t know yourlast name.”“No need to be sorry. Allanybody calls me is Frank. Youcan do the same.”“Alright, if you’ll call meDeborah.”His eyes were redFrank turned and looked ather. His eyes were red and hislips were tightly pursed. “Thank you. I will,” he said.“Lois told me that Cec andEunice met at a dance.”A smile broke overFrank’s face. “Oh gawd, Iremember that nightlike it was yesterday. Itwas back when thehippies set up shop onthe old Foster place.They started a band andoered to play at the dancewhere we raised the moneyfor a new roof on the hall.They were awful except theyhad Eddy Eberhardt playinghis accordion and his wifeThel, before they were marriedthen and her hippy name wasMoonbeams, was singing andthat sort of saved the day.Eunice was one of the hippies,did you know? Kind of like thehippie den mother. Shehauled old Cec on to thedance oor and swept himright o his feet. He never hada clue what hit him.”Frank was shaking his headand chuckling out loud.Deborah was smiling, too. Asmall knot of people hadsurrounded them and otherDeborah mourns someone she’d never even metApril 2016 • Country Life in BC 45memories of the hippie dancewere being added to the mix.Doug McLeod arrived and wastalking to Lois and Newt nearthe till. Deborah stood nearthem unwilling to imposeherself on their conversation. Doug McLeod looked up.“Hello, Deborah. Thanks fordropping by.”“I’m so sorry.”“Nothing to be sorry about.You’re here and it’s thethought that counts. You’llhave to excuse me. I havesome calls to make.”“Morning, Deborah. Gottime to buy a neighbour a cupof coee?” “Good morning, Newt. Ican’t believe how manypeople are here,” saidDeborah.Newt nodded. “Store’s always been kind ofa gathering place right aftersomething like this. It’s goodto see you here.”“Why me? I didn’t reallyknow Mr. Montgomery.” “Maybe so, but unless I’mbadly mistaken you’vebecome kind of fond of thisplace just the way you’vefound it.”“I have.”“Well, that doesn’t alwayshappen with new folks whocome here. I’m thinking youand the kids like it a lot morethan your husband does.That’s what everyone in herehas in common; they love thisplace and they love livinghere. If you love the place, it’shard not to love the otherpeople who love it, too,because they are all a part ofit. There’s not a soul in herethat didn’t know Cec butthere’s a few who never gotalong with him all that well.You might think that wouldmake them hypocrites forbeing here but like him or not,Cec’s a part of this communityand everyone’s the poorer forhis passing. It’s a comfort tosee there’s still this many folkswho care about the place. AndI expect most of them arehappy to see you care about itthe same way.”Deborah wiped anothertear from her cheek. “Sorry, I can’t imagine why Ikeep crying like this.”“You’re crying because thisis your home and you don’tever need to apologize forthat. How about that coee?”Crowd was thinning outNewt poured coee. Thecrowd was starting to thin outand they found a place to sitat one of the tables by thewindow.“Is there anything I can dofor Eunice?” asked Deborah.“Bake her a pie.”“A pie?”“Bake her a pie and giveGladdie a call. Glad will knowwhen’s a good time to take itaround.”“What kind of pie?”“One you made yourself.And get Glad to take you therewith it. That’s all that’simportant.”***Deborah was gone for anhour and a half. Kenneth waswaiting impatiently when shecame through the back door.“What took you so long?Where’s the paper? What didthat old witch have to say?”“Cec Montgomery died,”said Deborah.“That’s too bad. Who’s CecMontgomery on a good day?”“Eunice’s husband.”“Eunice? Do we knowEunice? Did you bring thepaper?”“I know her. I’m going tomake her a pie.”“A pie! What’s she going todo with pie? Why don’t youjust send owers?”“I’m baking a pie and takingit to her because I’m homeand that’s what neighbours dohere.”There was a sarcasticcomment on the tip ofKenneth Henderson’s tongue.Something told him to leave itthere.To be continued ...The WoodshedChroniclesBOB COLLINSAdvertising that WORKS!From left to right: Helping youGROW YOURBUSINESSCOUNTRYLifein BCADVERTISING INQUIRIESCathy Glover604.328.3814cathyglover@telus.netThe agricultural news sourcein British Columbia since 1915www.countrylifeinbc.comCountry Life is the best advertising vehicle for us to present our new and usedequipment lines to the people who are focused on quality equipment purchases.Bevan Jones, Rollins MachineryLeft to right, Bevan Jones, Gerald Neufeld, Ron Keeping, Fiona Davis, Allan Bokenfohr Use a SHORTHORN Bull and increase marbling, carcass value,docility and feed efciency of your feeder calves ...and welcome to the land of OPPORTUNITY!ContactPresident: Gary Wood 604-536-2800Secretary: Brett Lawrason 604-823-4004
Country Life in BC • April 201646Now that spring is here, yummy young sprouts can’t be farbehind, and it also means if you don’t barbecue all year round,it’s probably time to dust o the barbecue, too.Open ame and a bit of smoke from the barbecue adddelicious avour to vegetables such as freshly-sproutedasparagus and peppers, as well as spuds. A light spray of oil anda combination of herbsand spices are all that’sneeded to nish o yoursides, while the mainattraction sizzles andbrowns alongside.It’s so much easier tobarbecue side dishes while you cook a steak, chicken parts orsh over open ame. I hate having to divide my time betweensomething cooking on the stove inside the kitchen, and mymain course outside on the barbecue. Something always suersfrom inattention.And, I love to cook outside.Spring is also time for the annual Okanagan Spring WineFestival, which is April 28 to May 8 this year, with a wide varietyof events pairing local VQA wines with some fabulous foodavours. Go to [www.thewinefestivals.com] for details.A glass of local VQA wine is also an excellent pairing withbarbecue – for the cook as well as what’s being cooked!Remember that the wine you cook with should be a winethat would taste good in the glass with the dish you’remarinating. Poor quality wine won’t improve in a marinade.Along with that asparagus sprouting in the eld, you’ll havefresh herbs such as chives and oregano sprouting in the gardenas well by now, so you can forget the dried herbs you had toput up with over the winter.There’s nothing quite like fresh herbs to liven up the avoursof just about everything and they allow you to reduce theamount of salt you season with at the same time.Jude’s KitchenJUDIE STEEVESSprouts and BBQGrilled steaks with fresh spring Asparagus (Judie Steeves photo).Please see “DRESSING” page 47I was worried they’d find somethingMammograms save lives. Make an appointment, not an excuse. Get expert advice and share your stories atgohave1.comWiney Steak MarinadeThis tasty marinade, with its wine, vinegar and lemon juice has a tenderizing eect, so couldbe used for all sorts of steaks, less-tender as well as tender. The less-tender ones should bemarinated for longer than their tender cousins.2 beef steaks 2 tsp. (10 ml) fresh oregano pinch of brown sugar1/4 c. (60 ml) dry red wine 1 tsp. (5 ml) lemon juice pinch of sea salt1 tbsp. (15 ml) oil 1 tsp. (5 ml) cumin powder fresh ground pepper2 tsp. (10 ml) balsamic vinegar 1 garlic cloveCombine wine, oil, vinegar, minced fresh oregano, lemon juice, cumin, minced garlic andbrown sugar. Dust each steak with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper and place in a bowlor bag that will hold them snugly. Drench with the marinade, leaving for a few hours orovernight, refrigerated.Baste with remaining marinade during cooking, nishing with a nice sear.Recipe can be doubled or tripled.Asparagus & Sesame SaladIf you cook too much asparagus one day, put it in the fridge and prepare this delicious coldasparagus salad the next day for a completely dierent avour.Steam a half-pound to a pound (220 g to 454 g) of trimmed asparagus for ve or six minutesor so, or until just tender. Drain well and cut it into bite-sized pieces.You could even poach a few BC Spot Prawns to serve alongside, since they’ll be harvestedfresh in the coming weeks.Asparagus & Sesame SaladSUBSCRIBE TODAY!Please mail to1120 East 13th Ave Vancouver, BC V5T 2M1 604.871.0001The agricultural news source inBritish Columbia since 1915COUNTRYLifeYin BCNAMEADDRESSCITYPOSTAL CODETEL EMAIL(Prices include GST | Cheque or money order only please)o NEW o RENEWAL | o 1 YEAR ($18.90) o 2 YEAR ($33.60) o 3 YEAR ($37.80) Join thousands of BC farmers who turn to Country Life in BC every monthto find out what (and who!) is making news in BC agriculture and how itmay affect their farms and agri-businesses!NEWS & INFORMATION YOU (& YOUR FRIENDS) NEED!www.countrylifeinbc.comSUBSCRIBE TODAY!
April 2016 • Country Life in BC 47DRESSING FOR ASPARAGUS AND SALAD From page 46FARMERS MARKETS CO‑OPERATION From page 39Dressing:1/2 c. (125 ml) nuts 1/4 c. (60 ml) soy sauce roasted sesame seeds1 tbsp. (15 ml) sesame oil 1/3 c. (75 ml) sugar1/4 c. (60 ml) cider vinegar freshly-ground black pepperChop walnuts, pecans, or other nuts nely. Mix together with remaining ingredients and pourover chopped asparagus.Add a sprinkle of freshly-ground black pepper.Serve immediately or marinate for two or three hours before serving slightly chilled, garnishedwith toasted sesame seeds.Do not marinate overnight.This can be served with toothpicks or little spoons as an appetizer, or at the table.NAME ____________________________________________OLD ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________________________________PHONE ____________________________________________NEW ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________________________PHONE ____________________________________________COUNTRYLifein BCCanada Post will not deliver yourCountry Life in BC if they changeyour postal code, your street nameand/or address. If your addresschanges, please fill out the formbelow and mail or fax it to us, oruse email.Thank you!1120 East 13th AveVancouver, B.C. V5T 2M1Email: countrylifeinbc@shaw.caPhone 604/871-0001 • Fax: 604/871-0003Apr 16CHANGEOFADDRESS?Lola!a healthy and sustainable food system,dieticians Laura Kulina and Jill Warboys toldthose attending “Striving for a HealthySustainable Food System.” Farmers andfarmers markets are a part of that co-operation. Community gardens, publicproduce sites (get the city to pull up thezinnias and plant zucchini) harvest share,community kitchens, gleaning, farm to schoolprograms and farmers market coupons allcontribute to increased access to healthylocal foods.“In BC, we grow less than half of the foodthat we eat,” Warboys pointed out. “Foodsecurity is simply access to food.”Gleaning and harvest share programsshould increase with the new provincial 25%tax credit for farmers donating to charities.Crushing peoples’ dreams“Chickens are the gateway drug to afarming lifestyle,” jokes Jillian Merrick, acommunity development planner from PrinceGeorge. “People come in all the time sayingI’m going to quit my day job and start a smallchicken farm. We crush peoples’ dreams.” Merrick challenged chicken growers toconsider the real cost of a dozen eggs. “Are you a charity or are you trying to builda FTE (full time equivalent of work),” sheasked. Chickens can be a part of that FTE, shesays, but If you don’t look at your costs andyou don’t consider a fair return for your eggs,“you might just as well give $20 to the foodbank and save yourself the bother.” Merrick’sspread sheet is available free at JilleniumConsulting. No friends or family discountBe realistic about your costs, keep goodrecords and don’t do a “friends and familydiscount,” she told her audience. “Your friends should pay more becausethey are supporting your choice to farm, orget new friends.”At the association’s annual meeting, WylieBystedt from Quesnel Farmers’ Market andShankar Raina of Whistler’s Farmers’ Marketwere elected president and vice, respectively.Bruce Fatkin from Abbotsford will continuehis role as treasurer while Erna Jensen-Shillfrom Cranbrook remains secretary. Joiningthe board are Vickey Brown from the ComoxValley and Laura Smit of Vancouver.CLASSIFIEDDEADLINE FOR MAY 2016 ISSUE: APRIL 2325 words or less, minimum $10 plus GSTEach additional word: $0.25DISPLAY CLASSIFIED: $20 plus GST per column inch1120 East 13th Avenue, Vancouver V5T 2M1Phone: 604/871-0001 • Fax: 604/871-0003E-mail: countrylifeinbc@shaw.caWeb: www.countrylifeinbc.comIRRIGATIONWATERTECIRRIGATIONLTD604/882-74051-888-675-7999FOR SALEEZEE-ONFRONT END LOADERS#125 Hi-Lift, c/w 8’ bucket, $4,000#90 c/w Q/A 7’ bucket& Q/A bale spike, $3,500Both are in excellent condition.Call 250/567-2607(Vanderhoof)HAY FOR SALE, ALFALFA AND ALFALFAgrass mix. Big and midsize squares. Call250/567-3287.LIVESTOCKLOOKING FOR A JOB?NEED EMPLOYEES?www.agri-labourpool.com604-823-6222SINCE 1974EMPLOYMENTFURTHER REDUCTION IN FLOCK SIZE after36 years of specializing in PB Dorsets, andwhite and coloured Romneys. All maturesare registered, but can sell without papers:lambs as requested. Genetically selected fordesirable qualities - production, correctconformation, and detailed attention tohealth. Discount on 3 or more head. Forlarger numbers may be able to help arrangetransport. Call 604/462-9465.EQUIPMENT DISPERSAL:OVERUM HD 3 BOTTOM PLOW, springtrip bottoms skimmers coulters $3,000;TWO BADGER 16’ TANDEM AXLE silagewagons, w/roofs, shop stored, excellentcondition, $6,500 ea.16’ DUTCH CAST CHAIN HARROW, good,$950.Call Tony 604/850-4718.DeBOER’S USEDTRACTORS & EQUIPMENTGRINDROD, BCJD 6400 MFWD w/ldr 29,500JD 6400 mfwd cab sl ldr 49,000JD 6410 mfwd cab sl ldr 54,000JD 4240 cab 3pt hitch 18,500JD 1120 dsl ldr rb canopy SOLDJD 220 disk 19 ft W center fold 14,500JD 220 disk 20 ft W center foldnew blades 16,500JD 2130 diesel, 66 HP 10,500Kvernland 4X16 plow 3 pt 3,250JD 1830 diesel, with loader 10,500JD 7400 MFWD c/w cab, 3 pt, ldrwith grapple, new frt & rear tires 64,000Ed DeBoer • 250/838-7362cell 250/833-6699Curt DeBoer • 250/838-9612cell 250/804-6147NEW POLYETHYLENETANKSof all shapes & sizes for septic and waterstorage. Ideal for irrigation, hydroponics,washdown, lazy wells, rain water, truckbox, fertizilizer mixing & spraying.Call 1-800-661-4473for closest distributor.Web: [www.premierplastics.com]Manufactured in Delta byPremier Plastics Inc.CASH FOR BATTERIESDON’T THROW AWAYTHOSE OLD BATTERIESTHEY ARE WORTH MONEY!We recycle all types of batteries, lead acid toforklift industrials ... and the best part is wepay you cash on the spot.Will buy yourscrap forklifts, too!David at 778/668-4890Quick Cash 4 BatteriesUSED EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: 1975 MackTandem Truck with Artex silage box, front& rear unload. $16,000; 9 foot Ag Bagger,$5,000; 892 New Holland Forage Harvester,$3,000. Call David 250/567-2885.Toll Free 1-888-357-0011www.ultra-kelp.comULTRA-KELPTMCelebrating 30 YearsFor Healthy LivestockAnimal Feed Supplement100% Natural60 Minerals • 12 Vitamins• 21 Amino AcidsFlack’s BakerviewKelp Products Inc, Pritchard, BC336 BBC truck engine, holly carb, 4 speedallison auto, 4 speed A box. Currentlybeing used as a backup feed truck, butcould use some auger flighting. 4 Augerfarm shop box, 2 auger discharge, weightremix scale. $3,800. Call 250/503-7289.1974 GMCFEED MIXER TRUCKNEW/USED EQUIPMENT
Country Life in BC • April 201648Efficiency, power and comfort. With its lower centre of gravity, Quick Dial Height Adjustment and smart design, our residential zero-turn series make short work out of ground work.PUT ANOTHER WORKHORSE IN YOUR STABLEy, ial Z700 SERIES Z100 SERIESYour BC Kubota Dealers ...ABBOTSFORD AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 604/864-2665 COURTENAY NORTH ISLAND TRACTOR 250/334-0801 CRESTON KEMLEE EQUIPMENT LTD 250/428-2254DAWSON CREEK DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 250/782-5281DUNCAN ISLAND TRACTOR & SUPPLY LTD 250/746-1755 KAMLOOPS DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 250/851-2044KELOWNA AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 250/769-8700 OLIVER GERARD’S EQUIPMENT LTD 250/498-2524PRINCE GEORGE HUBER EQUIPMENT 250/560-5431 QUESNEL DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 250/991-0406 VERNON AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 250/545-3355