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Postmaster, Please return Undeliverable labels to: Country Life in BC 36 Dale Road Enderby, BC V0E 1V4CANADA POSTES POST CANADA Postage paid Port payé Publications Mail Post-Publications 40012122Vol. 107 No. 8The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 AUGUST 2021 | Vol. 107 No. 8ALR Province allows secondary homes in the ALR 7 SLAUGHTERProvincial meat licensing overhaul effective October11 GRAPESBuchler recognized for practices, generosity25KATE AYERS & PETER MITHAM SURREY – Three days of record-setting temperatures at the end of June made for sweat-soaked chores for many farmers, but cattle and poultry producers also faced the challenge of keeping their animals cool, too. Poultry producers were especially vulnerable, as birds don’t sweat, meaning they can’t cool down. Broiler producers in the Fraser Valley lost approximately 400,000 birds, or about 20% of the week’s production. “It’s very, very bad and devastating for the growers that lost them,” says Bill Vanderspek, executive director of the BC Chicken Marketing Board. While breeders, egg producers and turkey growers also saw losses from the heat wave, Vanderspek said broiler birds are more vulnerable because they tend to be younger and grow quickly. BC Egg Marketing Board executive director Katie Lowe said about 4% of BC laying hens fell victim to the heat, primarily in the Fraser Valley and on Vancouver Island. This amounts to more than 130,000 birds. “The one thing we have going for us is new facilities with tunnel ventilation,” said Lowe. “Those systems seem to do very well.” Growers with ventilation systems to protect their ocks can obtain heat prostration insurance, Vanderspek says. Many of his growers who lost birds will be ling claims. Temperatures creeping up to the low 30s and smoke from neighbouring wildres prompted Jealous Fruits to pick their cherries in the relative comfort of dark beginning July 16. Using a headlamp to light his way, Eduardo Vaca Castro was one of a crew of 125 pickers whose shift started at midnight when temperatures had cooled to the low 20s. MYRNA STARK LEADER1-888-770-7333 Quality Seeds ... where quality counts!YOUR BC SEED SOURCESee KEEPING on next page oHeat waveProvince pledges support but no money as fruit, veggie growers face huge lossesPETER MITHAM, RONDA PAYNE & SARBMEET SINGH ABBOTSFORD – BC fruit and vegetable growers were hit hard by the record-breaking heat wave at the end of June, with hundreds of growers filing notices of claim regarding crop losses. “BC berry growers and tree fruit growers are experiencing significant losses as a result of the June heat wave,” the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries told Country Life in BC. Production insurance staff Night movesGrowing more with less waterwatertecna.comttttttttIRRIGATION LTD1.888.675.7999 888 6 9999888669999 Diesel & PTO Pumps PVC & Aluminum PipeIrrigation ReelsDRIP IRRIGATIONCentre PivotsRecord temps kill poultrySee CROP on next page o
CROP insurance claims spike in wake of heat dome nfrom page 1KEEPING cool nfrom page 1had received 811 notices of loss related to extreme heat as of July 20, including 122 from Lower Mainland berry growers and 689 from tree fruit growers in the Okanagan. “Raspberries are the worst and blueberries are second,” says David Mutz of Berry Haven Farm in Abbotsford, where temperatures hit 43°C on June 28. “You can literally grab some of the [raspberry plant] leaves and they crumble. They’re just cooked. It’s like you took a torch to it.” Raspberry Industry Development Council vice-chair Paul Sidhu says it’s “demoralizing” for growers, who have been trying to rebuild the industry with the help of a new provincial replant program. “We got the replant program; that’s a good thing. We’re trying to make a comeback, then this happens,” he says. The temperatures will put 2021’s crop well below the council’s estimate of 11.3 million pounds. Blueberry growers, already at critical risk from scorch this year, also expect a smaller crop. The province’s 600 growers usually harvest 160 million pounds of berries annually. Jack Bates of Tecarte Farms in Delta says some of his berries have shrivelled from the heat but he’s optimistic that late-season varieties will be okay. Mutz isn’t so sure. “Blueberries, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got early season or late,” he says. “The berries all have some kind of damage on them.” Veggie damage severe Fraser Valley Cole Crop Growers Association president Opinder Bhatti, who farms in Chilliwack, said the heat wave also resulted in signicant damage to vegetable crops. “I have sown sweet corn on 250 acres. My crop has been damaged to a great extent. Due to this heat wave, our cabbage crop will be delayed,” says Bhatti. “We were hopeful of harvesting the crop in the rst fortnight of October but now we might get it by the end of the month. This will also result in a lower yield.” Gurdeep Khaira, who grows cauliower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and beans, said the heat was particularly hard on his cauliower and broccoli. “Damage was so severe that our broccoli yield was reduced to 25% only,” he says. Orchardists also felt the blow. While hazelnut growers with mature trees have reported little damage to date, younger trees, including potted saplings, fared worse. However, many nurseries are located further inland, where temperatures weren’t moderated by cooler marine currents. Fraser Valley tree fruit growers spent the worst of the heatwave showering trees with water in the hope evaporative cooling would protect the most vulnerable trees as temperatures peaked. But the sudden onset of the heat and its intensity was hard for many trees to bear, resulting in scorched leaves and scalded fruit. Some Lower Mainland growers reported symptoms similar to watercore, a phenomenon triggered by high heat that typiaclly manifests only in mature fruit. Fruit damage spotty BC Fruit Growers Association general manager Glen Lucas reported that his members saw some damage to apples due to heat, but described it as “spotty” with “some locations, varieties and types of tree planting styles suering more damage than others.” “It is unclear the overall level of damage,” he says. The more immediate and obvious damage was to early-season cherries which, like blueberries, were scalded and left largely unsaleable. Volumes were down by as much as 75%. But late season cherries appear to be in better shape, having been too green to suer damage. “Growers are planning for a full harvest and there should be plenty of large, good quality cherries in the market, as well as some value-priced smaller cherries that are also great summer eating,” says Lucas. Global Fruits of Creston expected to receive 20 million pounds of cherries this year, 75% of which will be 2 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCSmaller producers also saw losses. TJ Walkem of 60 Ranch in Spences Bridge lost half his chickens to the heat, in sharp contrast to his beef cattle. The ranch’s herd of 265 animals were able to nd cool spots during the day. Agassiz dairy farmer Julaine Treur of Creekside Dairy said the heat was tough on her animals, with production down signicantly. But at least they could sleep under fans at night. “They’re not o feed, and they’re still chewing their cud while relaxing under the huge barn fans,” she said. “They spend their nights on pasture where it’s slightly cooler.” Wool coats – the last thing most people want in a heat wave – was also no picnic for sheep. BC Sheep Federation president Barbara Ydenberg of Wind's Reach Farm in Langley said her ock sought out shade but those locations are also coyote-friendly nooks. This meant some producers were forced to watch over their herds by day, leaving shepherds vulnerable to the extreme heat. Some unshorn sheep suered acute discomfort. While shearing a heat-stressed sheep isn’t something Ydenberg recommends, she said one producer had no choice. A black sheep was hand-shorn during the heat wave, cooling it down and saving it from a traumatic death. www.tractorparts4sale.caABBOTSFORD, BC Bus. 604/807-2391 email: tractorparts4sale@shaw.caWe accept Interact, Visa and Mastercard VICON PS602 FERTILIZER SPREADER, 3 PT, 1,000 KG CAPACITY . $2,200 MASHIO CM4500 14’ PWR HARROW W/ROLLER GD COND. . . . 14,000 VIBRA 8.5 FT 3POINT CULTIVATOR WITH HD SPRING LOAD 22” SHANK. 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GOOD CONDITION . . . . . . . 14,000NEW REPLACEMENT PARTS for MOST TRACTORS & FARM IMPLEMENTSGD Repair LtdTractor/Equipment Repair Mobile Service Availableshipped after August 1. While the rst BC cherries began hitting packing houses in mid-June, Global Fruit’s harvest began in late June and was only just getting started when the heat hit. The overall losses to cherries should be in the range of 10%, the BC Cherry Association estimates, a signicant but not devastating blow in a year many growers were anticipating a record crop. All growers are hoping the province will come through with assistance, on top of existing business risk management supports. “Coming on two years of reduced crops (winter damage and summer rains), growers are feeling a nancial pinch, even with the crop insurance program,” says Lucas. Abbotsford berry grower Harjeet Kaur agrees. “It is high time that government listened to the problems of farmers,” she says. “Blueberry farmers were already surviving on thin margins and this heat wave has increased the challenges.” BC agriculture minister Lana Popham has yet to ante up cash, but ministry staff encouraged growers to enroll in AgriStability. Ministry staff have hinted that the program will be tweaked to deliver support to those who need it. Popham meanwhile offered support via Facebook. “Know that the Ministry is working right now to support you,” she wrote July 1. “We are in this together, and we will get through it together.” With files from Kate Ayers & Barbara Johnstone Grimmer
High heat, low moisture vexes ranchersShortage of good-quality feed a growing concernCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 3TJ Walkem of 60 Ranch in Spences Bridge rounded up 65 or so cow/calf pairs and shipped them to friends at Fox Dairy in Quesnel as the Lytton re crept closer to their range. SUBMITTEDRoost Solar is committed to the highest level of quality, customer service and technical expertise. We are a licensed electrical contractor with Red Seal Journeyman electricians, and offer more than 15 years experience in solar.Contact us today for a free solar consultation and estimate.tf 1.877.707.5042 | 250.307.5042www.roostsolar.com | info@roostsolar.comGrid-connected | O-grid systems | Back-up power | Standby generatorsAgriRecovery, but funds will require federal approval. The program will help cover costs associated with feed shortages due to drought, livestock lost to res and extraordinary costs such as vet fees to treat re-aected animals and replacement of burned fencing. While it will only cover a percentage of ranchers’ costs, the industry made good use of the $20 million provided following the 2017 res. Boon hasn’t heard of BC ranchers sending cows to market because of a lack of feed, but that may yet happen. Ranchers across the Prairies are already selling o thousands of animals. There will likely be downward pressure on calf prices this fall as a result, says Boon. “Keeping the mother herd healthy and built up is a top priority right across Canada,” he says. “It can take years to build up a good herd of mother cows.” In the meantime, Vancouver Island growers have stepped up. Bryce Rashleigh of Saanichton Farms sent three loads of haylage to Kamloops in mid-July. With 8,000-10,000 round bales on the island available, he called BC agriculture minister Lana Popham to see if they could be relocated to areas of need. “They’re recognizing that you’ve got pastures burning o, with drought, but also with res ... and trying to nd a bigger response to ongoing feed shortages in dierent parts of the province,” he says. While there are several challenges, including logistics and hay quality, Rashleigh says the fact Vancouver Island is supplying the mainland underscores the challenges producers are facing. On the plus side, the BC Wildre Service is placing greater emphasis this year on agricultural assets such as forage than they did in 2017 or 2018. “That is especially important when they are planning a back burn or are considering what areas they might look to protect,” says Boon. “We would hope that they could modify their plans to save as much of the remaining grass as they can, especially during this drought.” BCWS is also recognizing the value of local knowledge. “We are using rancher liaisons on incident management teams to work as a conduit between the ranchers and the crews to identify where the cattle are at, where are some of the hot areas,” sas Boon. There is even a rancher crew working on the Tremont re southeast of Ashcroft. “These are all extremely positive steps forward. People are really thinking outside the box.” With les from Kate Ayers and Peter Mitham When that’s gone, ranchers will have few options for winter. Drought conditions have impacted grain and forage crops as far east as Ontario. In the US, severe drought and wildre in the West has left nothing to spare. “What grass we did have growing was parched by the heat event in late June, early July when temperatures were in the high 40s,” says Boon. “Hay production is down at least 30% and that will put pressure on feed prices for the winter.” The situation is so severe that federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced July 22 that prescribed regions in BC and other provinces would be eligible for the livestock tax deferral provision that allows ranchers to oset income from early cattle sales against cattle purchases the following year. While the province says it doesn't have rm numbers on cattle losses, it reports that 13,000 animals are in areas under evacuation orders and a further 50,000 are under evacuation alerts. Actual losses won't be know till the end of the season but reports are already circulating of animals unable to escape the blazes. Bibeau also announced adjustments to AgriInsurance to allow drought-damaged crops on the Prairies be salvaged for livestock feed. Farm Credit Canada has also pledged to help clients aected by the drought, including short-term credit options, deferral of principal payments and other provisions. Boon expects the province to support ranchers through TOM WALKER KAMLOOPS – Ranches in the Fraser Canyon felt the heat when temperatures hit 49.5° to become the hottest ever recorded in Canada for three-days running at the end of June. But ranchers soon swapped the frying pan for re – literally – as ames consumed the village of Lytton and kicked o what BC Cattlemen’s Association general manager Kevin Boon fears could be “2017 on steroids.” Close to 300 res were burning across BC at press time, a level of activity more typical of August. With the southern Interior facing a deepening drought and no rain on the horizon, the province declared a state of emergency on July 20. While not yet on the scale of the record-setting years of 2017 and 2018, the res are spreading at an astonishing rate. “This thing is a hungry beast,” says Boon, noting the situation in the Kamloops re district, which runs from Wells Gray Provincial Park in the north to Osoyoos. “The Sparks Lake re grew 20,000 hectares in about eight hours. If you look at a re map of the Kamloops re district, you see almost the entire area is under evacuation alert or order.” The res aren’t just aecting ranchers. Wineries and orchards are also under a pall of smoke, and many are under evacuation orders and alerts. The majority are in the Thompson Okanagan region, which the province has asked to reduce water use by 30%. Restrictions are also anticipated on Vancouver Island, now at Level 4. In 2019, farmers found access to the Koksilah River restricted for the rst time in response to drought conditions. A repeat is possible this year. But for ranchers, the res not only mean danger but the loss of valuable forage. Cattle often stay out on range until October. This year, ranchers are bringing cattle home early because of the danger from res and because the res have burned through the forage. “That means that the cattle that have come home will be eating feed that would normally be saved for the winter,” says Boon. 403.347.2646rtf 1.888.500.2646rhugh@kelloughs.com Clean machineLIKE NEW5/16” x 26” Notched Blades, F&R – 10.5” Spacing2 3/16” Alloy Steel Gang Shafts, New ScrapersNew W214 INA Ball Bearings F & RD u al W he e l s / N e w 9 . 5 L x 1 5” I mp . T i re s New 5” x 8” Hyd. Cylinder, New Hose Group, Tips & Depth Segments / NEW PAINT $21500.00 #3, 7491-49 Ave., Red Deer, AB
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Publication Mail Agreement: 0399159 . GST Reg. No. 86878 7375 . Subscriptions: $2/issue . $18.90/year . $33.60/2 years . $37.80/3 years incl GSTThe agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 Vol.107 No. 8 . AUGUST 2021Published monthly by Country Life 2000 Ltd. www.countrylifeinbc.comPublisher Cathy Glover 604-328-3814 . publisher@countrylifeinbc.com Editor Emeritus David Schmidt Associate Editor Peter Mitham news@countrylifeinbc.com Advertising Sales & Marketing Cathy Glover sales@countrylifeinbc.com Production Designer Tina Rezansoff Rockin’ it, PW Unprecedented 1958 was BC’s centennial year. I was in grade 4 and recall a lot of classroom hoopla throughout the spring that was overshadowed by the collapse of the Second Narrows bridge in mid June and the arrival of a brother in July. But what I remember most vividly from 1958 is sandwiches. My parents had a general store and coee bar on the Dog Creek Road, seven miles from Alkali Lake. It ran on propane, coal oil, rewood and a battery for the radio. There was running water most of the time. The store sold bologna by the slice, oats by the sack, naptha by the gallon and snare wire by the roll. There was room to stop a team and wagon o the road and you could buy hand-pumped gasoline if you needed it. There was a credit limit of $20 and you could sell your furs there if you were a trapper. The coee bar was seven feet long with four stools and a crib board. The coee was always on, and you could usually scare up something to eat if you weren’t too fussy. 1958 also became infamous as the worst forest re season on record. There was smoke in the air and though I don’t remember being in any imminent danger, the store was likely the closest source of groceries for at least one of the res. The BC Forest Service showed up one day to arrange for bag lunches to feed the re crews. And so it was, my mother started making sandwiches – hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them. It seemed to me that was all she did for a month, though she assured me years later it was more like a week and it didn’t take all day. The re never did get close to us, and it was all kind of exciting for a nine-year-old. It was a dierent story in the summer of 1971 on a construction site in Donald Station, northwest of Golden, when a lightning strike kindled a re near the Susan Lake Fire Lookout a few miles away. Smoke started rising immediately. Within hours, the initial re response had been overwhelmed. Road access to the re tower was cut o and the university student manning it had to be rescued by helicopter. The re started heading our way. The forest service started conscripting reghters, eventually gathering hitchhikers o the highway. The construction crew was mustered out of the bunkhouse at 1 am a few days later when the decision was made to evacuate the little community. Embers were falling ahead of the re and there were spot res starting in the sawmill log yard. Eventually, re took hold in a huge pile of waste wood dumped into a ravine. Flames were rising 30 feet above the edge. The main re changed direction before it reached the community and the swamp at the bottom conned the re in the ravine to the waste wood pile. What became clear to all involved when it died down the following day was just how quickly things can get out of hand, and how dangerous it becomes. BC suered through devastating back-to-back wildre seasons in 2017 and 2018 – no one more so than ranchers, who often found their livelihoods, homes and families in harm’s way. Record heat and absent rainfall could put all of us in the same boat this summer. We need look no further than the tragedy in Lytton to see how quickly and devastatingly re can change everything. As various levels of government cast an eye to mitigating climate change, agriculture needs to urge them to focus their attention on re prevention and preparedness. There is nothing any of us on the job site in Donald Station could have done when lightning started the Sue re, but several small res in the log yard were extinguished with backpack squirt cans. Every farm and ranch, if they’re not there already, might consider a re extinguisher in every truck and tractor. And maybe it would be worth the government’s while to considering making a re extinguisher mandatory equipment in or on any recreational vehicle accessing parks, secondary roads or o road – in the same way you’re required to have oatation devices in a boat. As my grandmother was fond of saying, a stitch in time saves nine. Bob Collins raises beef cattle and grows produce on his farm in the Alberni Valley. The Back Forty BOB COLLINSSummer means being prepared for wildfiresWe acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.4 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCWith pandemic restrictions easing, masks coming o and social life returning to something resembling normal, the experience of the past 18 months will slowly fall into historical context. Never again will those who lived through it describe the sweeping restrictions it triggered as unprecedented. And yet as the health emergency gives way to renewed concerns about the climate emergency, it’s clear that humans have short memories and a high capacity for wonder. The unprecedented heat dome of late June that killed hundreds was a taste of how uncomfortable a prolonged increase in daytime temperatures can be. But it also made the wildre season seem far worse as threat followed on threat with little breathing room in between. Within the space of two weeks, Wine Growers BC went from advising member wineries to stay positive and tell visitors “we do not expect to see signicant impact” on grapes from either heat or wildres to describing the wildres as “unprecedented.” But as this issue goes to press, the 2021 re season has a long ways to go to rival the benchmark 2018 season when 1,354,284 hectares burned, or last century’s record of 855,000 hectares, burned in 1958. Currently, 400,000 hectares have burned province-wide. But all politics is local, and that includes the political fallout from disasters. With several vineyards and wineries in Okanagan Falls and on Black Sage Road between Oliver and Osoyoos under evacuation orders and alerts, this year’s wildres are hitting premium properties and arriving just as they were supposed to be reopening. Similarly, the toll on ranchers who have had to put down scores of cattle they couldn’t otherwise rescue from the res is emotional and mental as well as nancial. They need support just as quickly now as in 2017 and 2018, those other years of unprecedented wildres. But back-to-back emergencies have given governments little breathing room. A ministry staer candidly told grain growers in the Peace, who wondered if government knew about the deepening drought, that pandemic-related spending meant there was little left for other support initiatives. This was the exact fear speaker Rex Murphy voiced when he addressed the BC Agriculture Gala earlier this year. While all levels of government were quick to be seen as doing the right thing during the pandemic, they’ve left little room to deal with other disasters. While government has applied plenty of lessons from the 2017 wildre season to this year’s activities, a more exible response plan is needed so farmers can count on the same level of support shown during COVID-19 when the next disaster hits. Without farmers, we will indeed face an unprecedented situation.
Overheated markets make farming tougherTime to rethink land values and find new ways to support food productionCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 5entitled A regional growth ecology, a great wall of capital and a metropolitan housing market. The knock-on eect for BC farmland is signicant. Farm Credit Canada’s 2020 farmland values report shows an 8% increase in the market value of BC farmland over 2019. With an average per-acre cost of $100,000 on the South Coast, prices are the highest in the country. Sandra Behm, FCC’s senior BC appraiser, identies residential and speculative activity as key drivers of BC farmland value and notes that each time the real estate market heats up (as it has now), the eects spread further around the province than the time before. Inated property values do not benet those currently farming. They also deter those who would like to farm but who are not about to inherit a farm or ranch property. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated an urban exodus for those who can work online from home. Properties in rural BC now look more attractive, though as Behm remarks, “many buyers just want a bigger yard.” The pandemic has also sharpened investors’ appetite for farmland and farm investments. Regardless of how the economy is doing, people still have to eat, so farmland is considered virtually recession-proof. Often, an institutional investor will set up a fund to purchase the land and lease it back to farmers, generating income for investors but leaving the farmer beholden to a landlord. The fund holds the investment as long as it serves its purposes, and will sell it as soon as it doesn’t. Intervention needed All of the above – the overheated real estate market, the urban exodus, investors’ interest – are problems for BC farmers and ranchers who are actually producing food. With the ongoing climate emergency – over 300 wildres burning in BC at time of writing – and the increasing diculties in acquiring property insurance, working the land can be a daunting prospect. Existing policy mechanisms – such as the Agricultural Land Reserve, farm tax assessments, the $1 million lifetime capital gains exemption on the sale of farm property – are decades old and no longer enough to address the pressure-cooker in which BC farmers and ranchers are working. Interventions and wider commitments are needed. Productive land needs people willing and able to work it. Some experiments are under way to make these connections. The Capital Regional District is currently preparing a business case for a regional foodlands trust. The Foodlands Cooperative of BC, formed in 2017 to secure land in trust for food production, has just published Your Land, Your Legacy: A Farm and Foodland Owner’s Guide for property owners who might be interested in this option. Investors need to get behind the business, not just its assets. Area One Farms [areaonefarms.ca], as one example, oers an equity model for farm expansion. The farmer and investor partners own and operate the business together over a minimum 10-year term. Partners receive some of the income and some of the appreciation. Returns are not guaranteed. (Area One does not work with supply-managed commodities or developer investors.) We could go further. We could follow the advice of Seth Klein in his book A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency, where he suggests measures like “war bonds” for climate relief which could help support agriculture. The Land Owner Transparency Registry may give us a bit more information about the dimensions of BC’s real estate problems, but it’s no solution for farmers and ranchers. The heat is on all of us to do much more. Kathleen Gibson is a policy analyst and founding member of the Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable (CR-FAIR), the BC Food Systems Network and Food Secure Canada. She lives and grows food on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ Nations. Will it be helpful to know who owns the corporation that just bought the farm near you? Maybe. At least it signals government’s acknowledgement of a larger problem. In November 2020, BC’s Land Owner Transparency Act came into force. It is intended to expose tax evasion and money laundering by identifying individuals who are “benecial owners” of trusts, corporations or partnerships with title to land in the province. Registrations or transfers of an interest in land (whether or not the title changes) now require the ling of transparency reports with the Land Owner Transparency Registry [landtransparency.ca]. The registry is publicly searchable for a small fee. Over the past 35 years, a free-market BC government and a trans-Pacic property industry fueled real estate investment in Vancouver, making the city world class and generally unaordable. 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Landowners are welcoming the province’s decision to back off a controversial change that restricted the construction of secondary residences within the Agricultural Land Reserve and the ability of farmers to diversify their revenue streams. FILECOUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 7Province allows secondary homes in the ALRChanges demonstrate the power of farmersPETER MITHAM VICTORIA – The province has ended more than two years of uncertainty for property owners in the Agricultural Land Reserve by allowing them to have a secondary residence without seeking permission from the Agricultural Land Commission. “The new residential exibility will provide ALR property owners with the relief of housing security," said Meghan McPherson, a Comox Valley landowner who rallied support for the change. “Not everyone will be pleased with the residential exibility updates but I am satised with the outcome.” On parcels of 40 hectares (99 acres) or less, the new regulations allow landowners to build a second residence of 90 square metres (970 square feet) or less if the primary residence is 500 square metres (5,400 square feet) or less. If the existing residence is larger than 5,400 square feet, then landowners must continue to apply to the ALC. On parcels larger than 40 hectares, a second residence of 186 square metres (2,000 square feet) or less is permitted. The size of the primary residence does not matter. Secondary residences can include garden suites, guest houses or carriage suites; accommodation above an existing building; and manufactured homes. These are consistent with the possibilities outlined in an intentions paper the province published regarding the changes in 2020, prior to the pandemic. While most secondary homes no longer require approval from the ALC, they are subject to municipal bylaws. The changes mean that farmers can have secondary housing to not only house workers – something the province says has always been allowed – but to accommodate immediate family, tenants or agri-tourism activities. The options open the door to an extra stream of revenue for producers. The changes follow publication of a factsheet in April that outlined the proposed changes without saying when they would take eect. However, it extended the temporary provision for manufactured homes until December 31, 2021, leaving many landowners wondering if secondary homes would be delayed yet again. The latest announcement clears up the confusion which has existed since February 2019, when a new regulation giving force and eect to Bill 52 (passed in 2018) was unveiled. Sprung without notice on property owners, it was designed to support farming but eectively outlawed most forms of secondary residences. Many landowners were in the process of securing manufactured homes for their properties believing that Bill 52 would allow them. But they weren’t. Worse, many property owners found that existing secondary dwellings were uninsurable because the new regulations prohibited them from being rebuilt in the event of loss. This also reduced their borrowing capacity. BC agriculture minister Lana Popham said the new provisions will address those issues, and give small-lot farmers the support they need. “Our government’s goal from the outset has been to protect farmland for future generations, so British Columbians can have a secure local food system and our communities can prosper,” she said. “We recognize the unique needs of established farming families, those new to farming and those living in the ALR who don’t farm.” But when the legislation passed, the BC Agriculture Council was among those who voiced concerns that it was making BC a less friendly place to farm. While preserving farmland for farming is praiseworthy, the regulations giving eect to those protections need to recognize farming realities. Opposition agriculture critic Ian Paton, MLA for Delta South, says government should have listened to farmers when drafting the changes back in 2018 rather than drafting rules that didn’t work. “The fact is, they didn’t consult on Bill 52 in the rst place and rammed through legislation that didn’t work for farmers,” he said. “Then, after they got backlash, they dragged farmers through three years’ worth of reviews and feedback exercises that destroyed their dreams and cost them precious time and money.” But the changes show that farmers have a voice that’s being heard. “It’s unfortunate that it took so long to correct the fundamental need for common-sense housing on farmland,” says Raquel Kolof, a small-scale producer in Gibsons and president of the District A Farmers Institute. “[But] these changes to Bill 52 are proof that grassroots community organizing work.” JleÕfn\i('''J\i`\j[`jZ_XiifnjXi\k_\(Z_f`Z\]fij\\[Y\[gi\gXiXk`fe%N_\e`kZfd\jkfXZ_`\m`e^pfli[\j`i\[p`\c[#c\Xm\efk_`e^kfZ_XeZ\%
8 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCNational farm building code set for updatePublication due by the end of the yearImplementation of new national farm building codes set to be released later this year will be at the discretion of lower levels of government. ERIC BUERMEYERwww.tubeline.ca 1.888.856.6613@TubelineMFGFind us onSPREADERSACCUMUL8 & BALE GRABSBALEWRAPPERS SILAGE RAKEPETER MITHAM OTTAWA – Technical experts in Ottawa have signed o on the rst update in more than 25 years to the standards governing farm building construction. The new national farm building code set for publication later this year incorporates the latest standards for farm buildings, last updated in 1995. “Since that time, the farming industry has evolved signicantly,” a summary of the changes states. “The typical single-storey, small area, timber-post and beam-framed farm buildings from a quarter century ago no longer represent the multistorey, large area, modern structures being designed and built today to meet the farming industry’s demands.” The new code requirements apply specically to large farm buildings, those 600 square metres (6,460 square feet) in area or more than three storeys high. A farm building is one that contains an “agricultural occupancy,” which the new code explicitly denes as “the occupancy of a building or part thereof that is located on land that is associated with and devoted to the practice of farming, and is used for the purpose of producing crops, raising farm animals or the preparation, marketing, storage or processing of the agricultural products.” National Research Council technical advisor Gian-Luca Porcari says the focus of the re and building codes is human safety; the codes do not address animal welfare. “[The] codes do not provide guidelines or requirements for the care and handling of animals,” he says. “It’s really about people, and it’s really about structural hazards, re hazards, explosion hazards.” Three key areas are aected by the changes, approved at the end of June by the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes, a voluntary body established by and operating with the support of the NRC. These include re protection and occupant safety; structural loads and procedures; and heating, ventilating and air conditioning. The greater oor area for farm buildings increases by half the limit set in 1995, aecting considerations with respect to re safety. While automatic sprinklers are not required by the code, buildings that have them may receive relaxations in other requirements because re suppression measures are in place. The new code includes requirements related “to egress, travel distance, doors, guards, signage, ramps and stairways” as well as exits, which Porcari said are examples of elements that could be relaxed if automatic sprinklers are in place. Code requirements for farm buildings are already relaxed relative to other kinds of structures because most people spend little time within them, and those who do are “typically familiar with the building layout.” They’re also not generally frequented by the public. The revamped re code also requires regular inspection of electrical and mechanical systems to mitigate the risk of re from worn equipment and exposed wiring. “During the discussions, the point was brought up that it likely will help identify potentially hazardous situations regarding mechanical and electrical equipment,” says Porcari. Heating and ventilation requirements have been updated to address the risk of gases and particulate matter igniting, as in silos and grain storage bins. Greenhouses, where gases can accumulate in pockets, are also addressed. The new codes are models, and set the pace for provincial and territorial governments to update their own building codes. While the new national codes will be published by the end of the year, implementation is at the discretion of lower levels of government. In BC, the province and city of Vancouver each have their own building codes. “The model codes are just that, they’re model codes,” says Porcari. “They have no force of law until they’re adopted by somebody.” They also won’t aect the requirements for existing farm buildings, unless they undergo a substantial renovation. “If an older farm building is undergoing renovations or alterations, it’s up to that authority having jurisdiction in the province or territory to determine what level of requirements to apply,” says Porcari. The National Farm Building Code was originally published in 1964, and the current revision is the ninth. YOURHelping YouWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATESURg YougYouWS
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 9A windstorm caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to farm operations north of Fort St. John, June 30. There were no reports of injuries. MALCOLM ODERMATT / BCGPAFarm and Rural Residential Properties in the Peace Country are our specialtyAnne H. ClaytonMBA, AACI P App, RIAppraiserJudi LeemingBHE, AIC CandidateAppraiser250.782.1088info@aspengrovepropertyservices.caGrain producers refocus on advocacy, research Victoria seems oblivious of their challenges, growers sayPETER MITHAM DAWSON CREEK – BC grain producers are refocusing on large-scale research and advocacy. A strategic planning exercise the BC Grain Producers Association undertook in 2019 set the stage for the shift. Challenging weather last year and the COVID-19 pandemic clinched it. “The feedback that we got from our membership was that research is important but there’s so much more that the grain producers could be doing in regards to advocacy and reaching out to government,” BCGPA vice-president Jennifer Critcher told members at the association’s annual general meeting in Dawson Creek on July 15. Meanwhile, the association’s primary funding partners wanted a greater focus on innovation in the association’s research program. “We realized that small-plot research may not be where our eorts need to be going in the future,” says Critcher. A three-year program that would see fee-for-service plots recover the cost of other research on behalf of members was mapped out. “Then COVID happened,” says Critcher. Pandemic-related restrictions stranded research sta outside the province and created other challenges. Rains that nixed last year’s crop was the nal straw. “In January 2021, we made the dicult decision to close down the small-plot research,” says Critcher. “It wasn’t a decision that was taken lightly, but for the longevity and sustainability of the organization we made this dicult decision.” The association circulated a letter in June looking for research partners, but none of the three respondents were willing. The morning of the AGM, the association’s executive decided to divest its small-plot equipment as part of a shift to large-scale research initiatives and advocacy. The annual meeting took place at the association’s research farm in Dawson Creek, giving members a chance to reect on the facility and think about a way forward. “A lot of past directors know how much work went into getting this building built and established. We have no plans to sell the building,” says Critcher. “We would like to somehow nd a use that benets not just grain producers but agriculture as whole for the region.” The association hopes to sell its equipment, much of it built specically for its small-scale plots, to like-minded research groups within the region. If no one steps forward, it will proceed to auction. The current value of the equipment is about $530,000. Krystin Brody joined the association July 5 to manage a new large-scale research program. A research steering committee will be developed to develop and set research priorities. “There’s been lots of large-scale trials happening for years that farmers do, and we just want to be able to do more of those and also get that data out so all farmers know it – because there’s not a lot of data being shared,” she says. “We want to make a database that’s really easy to access, that everybody can look at.” Brody plans to meet with producers in the coming weeks to hear their concerns and make clear the association remains committed to research and extension. “I hope to do some pretty informal eld walks and tailgate seminars this year as I talk to more farmers and see what trials are out there,” she says. Brody’s arrival follows the departure of long-time general manager Sharla Pearce, who left May 21, and the unexpected resignation of former president Rick Kantz this spring. Vice-president Malcolm Odermatt replaced Kantz while Ty Cusack, now treasurer, stepped up to ll the board vacancy Kantz left. Despite the changes, the association remains in good nancial shape. Revenues are stable and the sale of equipment gave it net assets of $1.76 million in the latest scal year. The gain is a counterpoint to the nancial challenges producers face. A windstorm north of Fort St. John, June 30. caused hundreds of thousands in damage, while drought conditions to the south could mean a fourth straight year of hardship for growers. “It’s unfortunate that after an ideal spring to get our crops established, the weather seemed to stop cooperating,” says Odermatt. “Hopefully, the historically high grain prices can help oset the reduction in production this year for producers. … We all do get a feel-good feeling for growing a crop, but it’s a numbers game.” This is where advocacy for producers is important. Many at the meeting feel the rest of the province ignores their fundamental role in providing feed for livestock producers as well as food grains. “Right now, all the buzz is about bees. That’s the story we keep hearing,” Odermatt told producers. “We recognize how important pollinators are, but grain is the backbone for a lot of the agricultural industries down south, and they need to recognize that.” The lack of provincial support in the face of a worsening drought concerned producers. “Do they know we’re having a drought?” one producer asked BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries agrologist Nadia Mori. “Yes, they do,” she said. But the volume of issues facing the ministry means there’s not a lot of extra money available. Mori urged producers to be super-specic in requests, and back them up with hard facts. The ministry’s Dawson Creek program representative, Glenn MacLean, reminded producers that if they’re facing a peril, to le a notice of claim so production insurance sta can anticipate demand. The ministry told Country Life in BC it has received 45 notice of loss from grain and oilseed producers as a result of the deepening drought. While the reference margin limit has been removed for AgriStability, producers criticized the province’s failure to renew the 80% compensation rate for 2021. MacLean promised that changes were coming to AgrStability, something Ottawa is encouraging, but no announcement had been made at press time. BCHA Secretary Janice Tapp 250-699-6466 BCHA President John Lewis 250-218-2537
10 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCDustin Stadnyk CPA, CAChris Henderson CPA, CANathalie Merrill CPA, 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 Exemptions Approved consultants for Government funding through BC Farm Business Advisory Services ProgramARMSTRONG 250-546-8665 | LUMBY 250-547-2118 | ENDERBY 250-838-7337View over 100 listings of farm properties at www.bcfarmandranch.comBC FARM & RANCH REALTY CORP.Buying or Selling a Farm or Acreage?GORD HOUWELING Cell: 604/793-8660GREG WALTON Cell: 604/864-1610Toll free 1-888-852-AGRI Call BC’s First and Only Real Estate Office committed 100% to Agriculture!PROFESSIONAL SERVICESBC Blueberry Council gets a new chairAbbotsford blueberry grower and veterinarian Dalbir Benipal is the new chair of the BC Blueberry Council. Benipal narrowly edged out fellow grower Jason Smith at the rst meeting of the council’s nine directors following the council’s annual general meeting in late June. Benipal received ve votes while Smith received four votes. Benipal previously served as vice-chair, and Smith will now hold that position. Benipal succeeds Jack Bates of Tecarte Farms in Delta. He is the rst Indo-Canadian to hold the position. “I am rst Punjabi person to chair the BC Blueberry Council,” he says. “I am thankful to all the board directors for showing faith in me. I am delighted over the results.” Benipal immigrated to Canada from India in 2000 and started his small-animal veterinary practice in 2002. In 2011, he started farming, a natural move that reected his roots in Punjab, a largely agrarian province in India. “Being from Punjab, I feel connected with land and farming. So, I decided to start agriculture here, too” he says. When asked about priorities for BC blueberries, Dalbir says improving the sector’s competitiveness is key. While marketing is important, it goes beyond that. “In some neighbour countries the cost of production is relatively low due to cheap land and labour availability. Competing with them at the international level reduces the prot margins of the growers,” he says. “I aspire to have BC blueberries recognized, and for that, we are focusing on the varietal improvement of the blueberries.” It’s also important to grow local skills. “We also want to educate the growers so they can increase their prot margins,” Ag Briefs EDITED BY PETER MITHAMhe says. “Additionally, we will work to get maximum funding and grants for the farmers from the province.” Many of the more than 600 growers who farm the province’s 27,000 acres of blueberries are Indo-Canadian, and Benipal believes he can make the kinds of connections needed to support them. “The Punjabi growers of the region can now directly contact the newly appointed chair and share the problems in their mother tongue (Punjabi),” says Harpal Singh, a blueberry grower in Abbotsford. —Sarbmeet Singh Islands Trust defers policy statement Gulf Islands farmers have some breathing room to digest and comment on sweeping changes proposed for the Islands Trust policy statement. Trustees soundly defeated rst reading of the bylaw at a special meeting on July 8, with just six in favour and 16 opposed. Instead, trustees voted 24 to one to defer consideration of rst reading until December 2021. The decisions reected growing concern from islanders about how the sheer volume and scope of changes would impact them. A need to acknowledge First Nations and the trust’s commitment to reconciliation drove the proposed changes, as well as eorts to address concerns regarding climate change and the serious shortage of aordable housing on the islands. The current policy statement was adopted in 1994. In the weeks leading up to the meeting, farmers raised alarms because they weren’t involved in drafting the proposed new agricultural land stewardship policies and were particularly uneasy that agriculture would no longer be recognized as a “traditional and valuable activity” in the trust area. The Pender Island Farmers’ Institute (PIFI) is relieved that trustees moved to delay rst reading. PIFI president Barbara Johnstone Grimmer says the postponement gives institute members time to discuss the document and provide more meaningful and informed feedback. “The farmers’ institute will be reviewing the proposed changes in detail then discussing this with our local trustees,” she says. “For sure we will be watching the process closely.” The rush to rst reading didn’t sit well with many islanders. A petition garnered 700 signatures asking trustees to halt rst reading. At a virtual town hall the evening before council met to discuss the proposed policy statement, most of the 47 speakers asked for rst reading to be deferred and for in-person town halls to be held on each island. While rst reading has been deferred, work on the policy statement won’t stop. Trustees have requested that it be referred to First Nations, regional districts and other agencies having jurisdiction in the trust area. Between now and September, trustees will also share the draft policy statement with their communities and ask for feedback, although it is unclear whether farmers will be specically invited to comment on the agricultural policies that could impact their livelihoods. “We can’t provide engagement specics at this point,” says trust communications specialist, Vicki Swan. “The plan rst needs to go to the Executive Committee for review and possible revisions before approval.” www.tjequipmentllc.com 360-815-1597 FERNDALE, WA ALL PRICES IN US FUNDS1993 KENWORTH T600B W/ 20' PARMA SILAGE BOX, BARN DOORS, 10 SPEED, DETROIT 60 SERIES $29,250LIQUID MANURE PUMPING SYSTEM CORNELL PUMP, CRANE, HYD FEEDER PUMP, 400 HP, UP TO 2400 GPM, 8" SUCTION & DISCHARGE $43,000AVAILABLE SOON 1995 WHITE 6195 WORKHORSE 4WD, 222 HP, POWERSHIFT, 2964 HOURS 1990 JD 4255 4WD, 133 HP, POWERSHIFT, 6241 HOURS 1988 JD 4250 4WD, 133 HP, POWERSHIFT, 7607 HOURS 1987 JD 4450 4WD, 155 HP, POWERSHIFT, 7745 HOURS 1995 FORD 8970 4WD, 240 HP, POWERSHIFT, 8915 HOURS 2007 MF 583 W/ LOADER, 4WD, 80 HP, 4600 HOURS YOURHelping YouWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATESURg YougYouWSThe trust has allocated $75,000 for this new round of community and First Nations engagement. —Sandra Tretick BCAC’s consumer research yields four key findings BC Agriculture Council’s fourth annual consumer research survey suggests consumers’ perceptions of farmers, the ag industry and the province’s food supply chain have strengthened since 2018. One key nding from this year’s survey is that British Columbians continue to have very positive views of BC farmers. The results show that 96% of respondents believe that farmers provide good/quality products, 80% believe farmers care for the animals they raise and are environmentally conscious, 90% agree that farmers are trustworthy/reliable, and 73% believe farmers treat their workers fairly. While the perception of consumers on most of these topics has improved since the rst study in 2018, worker treatment returned close to the benchmark level of 71%. Secondly, local origin and certication are important to a vast majority of shoppers and can largely impact the purchasing decision for many, the council’s survey found. The top three factors consumers rank as important and that impact purchasing decisions include high quality (95%), convenience (95%) and low price (81%). Grown and raised in BC sentiments also play a role in purchasing decisions for 67% of respondents while 58% consider production certications when making purchasing decisions. The third key nding is that British Columbians who have recently visited a working farm are more likely to be impacted by local origin and have more positive opinions of BC farmers. These in-person visits increase consumer awareness of the food system and visitors are more likely to value local and farm-related attributes when buying fresh products, compared to non-visitors. Lastly, the food system remains important to British Columbians. Overall, the data suggests that there is a growing appreciation for the importance of agriculture and BC’s food system, the results show. The council conducted the 2021 online survey between May 12 and 15 among 831 BC residents. —Kate Ayers
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 11Provincial meat licensing overhaul effective OctoberSmall-scale producer survey will support future advocacyPETER MITHAM & TOM WALKER MERRITT – The province has formally announced details of the new three-tier licensing structure for meat processors promised earlier this year. The four existing classes of licences will be streamlined, with on-farm slaughter allowed across the province. Provincially inspected A and B licensees will be consolidated in a new Abattoir class, with no restrictions on slaughter volumes or sales. Two on-farm slaughter categories will exist: Farmgate Plus, allowing slaughter of up to 25 animal units (25,000 pounds) and o-farm sales anywhere in the province, and a Farmgate licence allowing slaughter of up to ve animal units (5,000 pounds) and sales within 50 km of the licensee as well as within the licensee’s regional district. The changes take eect October 1. New licences will be valid for ve years. All licensees must take the SlaughterRight training course, launched in February as one of the rst key changes following consolidation of meat inspection under the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. All facilities will be inspected at least once a year, with more frequent inspections according to assessed risk. “We've been so pleased to see this announcement,” says Ava Reeve, executive director of the Small-Scale Meat Producers Association, which was rst briefed on the changes at the end of March. “We appreciated being included in the process, and we're happy to see many of our recommendations reected in these new regulations.” SSMPA hopes the new system will reduce processing bottlenecks and increase producer revenues. “We look forward to seeing many farmers and ranchers take this opportunity to grow and diversify their businesses,” says Reeve. Survey launched SSMPA launched a survey in early July to get a better understanding of the sector and the impact of the licensing changes. “There is no hard data available right now,” she explains. “Nobody is counting the small livestock producers. We need to know numbers and we need to know their concerns, so we can serve those producers.” SSMPA board members are all producers and developed the survey, says Reeve. “We also have regional representatives who are a new addition to the SSMPA team and they reviewed the survey as well,” she says. “The goal was to capture the really important questions for our sector.” A small group of producers formed SSMPA in 2017 but membership is hard to pin down. However, Reeve says there are up to 3,000 small-scale meat producers across the province. She wants to hear from both current and past meat producers to know the issues they face and, if they're former producers, why they left the sector. This will help SSMPA develop proposals for solutions. The survey is comprehensive and asks for producer details and concerns, including unlicensed slaughter. “We know illegal slaughter is happening across the province and we would like to hear what the needs of those producers are, why they are choosing to do something that is so risky and whether there is anything we could change about the regulatory system to bring them into the fold,” says Reeve. “I don’t think there are many people who prefer to be doing their slaughter illegally, but there is some reason they are choosing to do that. We would like to know what those reasons are.” The survey will also help assess the anticipated impact of the new regulations, adds Reeve, as well as any barriers small-scale producers perceive. “In anticipation of the announcement, we made sure that our survey will help us study the impact and success of these regulatory changes,” says Reeve, noting that insurance coverage, restrictions on use of Agricultural Land Reserve properties and low protability remain concerns. All responses will be anonymous, giving many producers the first opportunity they’ve ever had to detail their practices and their reasoning honestly without fear of repercussions. “Honest responses are absolutely essential to the value of the results,” says Reeve. “We are not a government organization. … We will not share raw data. All responses will be aggregated into a report.” Despite the challenges of summer work, weather and wildres, Reeve hopes for a good response. The survey takes just 15 minutes to complete. The survey is open until August 20 and can be completed online at [smallscalemeat.ca/survey] or by calling 250-999-0296. Farm freshOn a warm Sunday afternoon last month, 13-year-old Manraj Randhawa was offering farm-fresh blueberries for sale in front of his parents’ 15-acre farm in Aldergrove. While many growers machine-pick fruit, fresh-market berries such as these still receive the gentlest treatment when picked by hand. MYRNA STARK LEADER
12 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCNew tech could build a better cattle fenceResearch aims to save ranchers time, money with e-fencingA new project that would help producers create virtual fencing for their cattle using GPS and LTE cell signals has received an injection of funding from the BC Agritech Grant program. CLIFTON RANCHPROVINCIAL LIVESTOCK FENCING PROGRAMApplications Close: August 31, 2021View program updates at cattlemen.bc.ca/fencing.htmOce: 1.778.412.7000 Toll Free: 1.866.398.2848email: fencebc@cattlemen.bc.ca In partnership with:Have you herd? VBP+ TrainingWorkshops or Webinarsare Free!Looking to learn moreabout how to raisehealthy beef cattle?Open to producers of allsizes!free to all beef producersin bc!KATE AYERS KAMLOOPS – The BC Cattlemen’s Association is leading the development of a virtual fencing project that promises a more dynamic solution to managing cattle on range. The initiative involves wearable collars that allow farmers to track cattle movement and create virtual fences using GPS and LTE cell signals. BCCA general manager Kevin Boon hopes this new tech can facilitate more controlled cattle movement and improved land management. For example, the virtual boundaries can help the sage grouse, an at-risk species in the Prairies. “These birds have a nesting area that may move each year and it is important to keep cattle out of that area for the month or two that the sage grouse is nesting,” he says. “(The collars) allow us to build a fence virtually for short periods of time without the added costs of physical fencing.” The project will be the rst of its kind for Canadian beef cattle. “There was interest there to utilize collar technology that has been developed and used elsewhere. But when we went to use the (collars) here, they weren’t compatible with our cellular technology,” Boon says. Telus expressed interest in the project and connected BCCA with A4 Systems of Calgary and Two Story Robot of Kamloops to develop and build equipment that would work in BC’s diverse environments. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the province are also partners in the project. A4 is building the hardware and software for the initiative, including the physical collar cows wear. It is also providing data analysis. Two Story Robot is providing a user interface platform for ranchers. Telus is supplying telecommunications support. A4 has designed the prototype collars to address infrastructure issues related to BC’s complex terrain and lack of cellular connectivity in some regions. “If the collar is not within reach of a cellular network, it has been designed to capture information and store it inside the collar and the collars are solar and movement-powered,” says A4 Systems CEO Patrick Charest. “The GPS signal that is collected can either be transmitted or stored into a memory bank in the collar. As soon as the animal gets within reach of any type of signal, the data is sent to the server in one shot. The collar doesn’t need a cellular connection to warn the animal that it is approaching a virtual fence because (the cues are) all locally managed by the collar.” Ideally, cattle will learn to stay within set virtual boundaries when the collars emit audio tones or another stimulus as the animals approach a boundary. But these aspects are still in development and the team needs to conduct behavioural studies on the cattle to ensure the tech does not present any animal welfare concerns. “Field testing will start this summer … in a controlled environment,” Boon says. While some BCCA members initially expressed Producer Check-o Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333skepticism, more stakeholders are showing interest in the project’s potential, he adds. “If ranchers could say they’ll never have to pound another staple or x another wire, they would be more than happy. When we talk to people within the ranching community, it is a matter of them saying, ‘put me down’ and ‘I want to be the rst one to receive it.’ There is a lot of excitement about the potential and there is a realization that what we are doing is dierent.” He expects the technology will be commercially available in the next two to three years. BCCA received $350,000 to develop the virtual fencing project through the BC Agritech Grant program. The province staked $7.5 million for the program to help BC agritech, agriculture and technology companies increase sustainable and regenerative food production. A total of 21 organizations received grants through the program in March.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 13Buchler recognized for practices, generosityGrapegrower has advanced viticulture and the industryGrapegrower and longtime industry advocate Hans Buchler has been named Viticulturist of the Year by the BC Grapegrowers Association. TOM WALKERTOM WALKER OLIVER – Representatives from the BC Grapegrowers Association, the wine industry and the Summerland Research and Development Centre presented veteran Oliver grape grower Hans Buchler with the second BCGA Viticulturist of the Year award in late June. “This award was developed to celebrate the growers in our industry who are pushing forward the quality of fruit, while also being a present and positive member of the grape growing industry,” says BCGA president John Bayley, vineyard manager at Blasted Church Vineyards. “It was designed to highlight those growers that produce the top-quality grapes that go into making BC’s best wines.” A dedicated organic grower with a long-time contract to supply Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna, Buchler has been tending 30 acres of grapes at Parkhill Vineyard just northwest of Oliver since 1982. “Hans, you have not only approached your land with respect from the outset in the 1980s but you continue to farm the vineyard in that capacity,” Bayley told him at the award presentation on June 24. Buchler’s work outside the vineyard also distinguishes him. “Not only is your farming an impressive example to the industry, but your continuous involvement in industry organizations and participation in the advancement of several aspects of our industry has also set you apart,” says Bayley. Buchler is a founding member and past chair of the BC Winegrape Council, a levy-funded organization that coordinates and funds research and education on viticulture and enology. He is currently the council’s research chair. Summerland research scientist Tom Lowery says Buchler’s support for research goes back 25 years. “I met Hans in 1996 when we got the rst grape project through the R&D committee.” says Lowery. “He really pushed for research and that subsequently led to getting more positions at the research centre. He continues to support us, often previewing literature reviews and newsletters and adding his comments.” Lowery’s colleague at Summerland, Pat Bowen, adds that Buchler has an ability to plow through regulations. “That is an amazing skill and it’s backed by a deep knowledge, a sense of fairness and an ability to be diplomatic,” she says. Buchler is also president of the Canadian Grapevine Certication Network, an organization that works to ensure a supply of clean, quality grapevine material for growers and supports research on all aspects of grapevine health. Buchler also represents the BC Agriculture Council on the Okanagan Basin Water Board. It is an impressive resume, and several speakers quipped that Hans has spent more time in meetings than in his vineyard. But if anything, his grapes have benetted from his committee work. “This (industry) experience is surely a large part of why your grapes are held in such high regard by Summerhill Winery and why your family’s name and vineyard is stated so clearly on some of their labels,” says Bayley. “This is a signicant part of this award – an exceptional grower must of course grow fruit worthy of exceptional wine.” Quiet grace Buchler accepted the award with his usual quiet grace, sipping a glass of Summerhill Brut, a wine made from his grapes. The organic practices in his vineyard have been a work in progress for 30 years, he notes. “I have brought the vineyard to the point where it is self-sustaining in terms of inputs,” he explains. “Over the last several years I have not had to add any additional nutrients to the soil. The cover crop of mostly vetch is established to the point where it provides nearly all the nutrients that the vines need.” Buchler is known for his willingness to assist other growers. “You have also used this experience to mentor and support some of our industry’s top viticulturists,” says Bayley. Kalala Organic Estate Winery owner Karnail Sidhu, recipient of the inaugural viticulturist of the year award in 2020, benetted from Hans’ guidance during his time as Summerhill’s vineyard manager and later with his own vineyard. “Hans has always been my go-to person for questions about organic viticulture. He has told me all his grape growing secrets,” says Sidhu. “But the one secret he has not told me is how he nds time to do all the work that he does.” Buchler received a $2,000 bursary to further his education as part of his award. AgSafeBC.caTake your s afet yprogram to the next level.Certificate ofSAFETYCORRecognition“Serving and Supporting the Community Together”PROVINCIALLY INSPECTED ABATTOIR B.C. #34ALL SIZES MARKET GOATS & LAMBS604.465.4752 (Ext 105)FAX 604.465.4744 ashiq@meadowvalleymeats.com
14 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCTOLL FREE: 1-877-553-3373 WWW.PRAIRIECOASTEQUIPMENT.COMPRINCE GEORGE 250-561-4260 | KAMLOOPS 250-573-4412 | KELOWNA 250-765-9765 | CHILLIWACK 604-792-1516 | NANAIMO 778-441-3210EARLY ORDER PROGRAMFOR LARGE FRAME TRACTORSORDER NOW for SPRING 2022!HUGE FACTORY DISCOUNTSGUARANTEED PRICING2022 FACTORY BUILD SLOTS ARE GOING FAST! TALK TO THE EXPERTS AT PRAIRIECOAST EQUIPMENT TODAY!First certified sustainable wine makes debutDecade-long process holds growers’ feet to the fireTOM WALKER NARAMATA – The rst wines bearing the Sustainable Winegrowing BC label rolled o the bottling line in Naramata this spring. Naramata-based Tightrope Winery axed the labels to its white wines from last year’s vintage, having completed the third-party audit process to become the province’s rst certied sustainable vineyard and winery. “We are so pleased to be at this milestone,” says Sustainable Winegrowing BC program manager Katie Pease. Pease notes that the program has been 10 years in the making, thanks to a small but very dedicated industry committee. “That is our greatest strength,” says Pease. Tightrope co-owner and viticulturist Graham O’ Rourke recalls initial meetings at the Summerland Research and Development Centre with federal scientists and industry veterans. “A lot of us felt that a comprehensive and accountable program that encompassed every aspect of the growing and vinting process was important for the industry as it developed in BC,” explains O’Rourke. “We thought it was critical to connect all aspects of the winemaking process from vine to bottle, from how you manage your waste to how you calculate your greenhouse gas emissions.” While there are several sustainable wine programs across the world, this is a made-in-BC program. “That’s one of our strengths,” says O’Rourke. “We were able to look at the variety of programs that are out there, from New Zealand to Ontario, and develop one that matches our region, our climate, our situation.” While early sustainability programs would provide a list of best practices a winery or vineyard should follow, Pease calls SWBC a ‘sustainable 2.0 program.’ “We ask the participant to prove what they say to the auditors about energy use and water conservation, even waste management,” she explains. “We actually have a calculation that is a baseline for an aspect of an operation. It can show us where improvement might be needed as well as show improvement over time.” O’Rourke says this helps to avoid greenwashing. “This program holds your feet to the re,” he explains. “You have to prove everything to the program auditors, and when they come back in three years you have to be able to show improvement.” Pease says there are multiple benets to third-party certication. “Being good stewards is where the world is headed, from small producers to Fortune 500 companies,” she explains. As more consumers look for a sustainably produced product, Pease says certication is a way for the wine industry to share its sustainability story. “It helps the industry lift itself by being able to tell a story that has weight.” Ultimately, it helps producers improve their practices. “You tighten your belt and ultimately save time and money,” adds Pease. Prospective vineyards or wineries start with an online assessment and when they feel they are ready, they can apply to SWBC to be audited. Auditors include former Tinhorn Creek Vineyards co-owners Sandra and Kenn Oldeld, agrologist and retired provincial grape specialist Carl Withler, winery consultant Bradley Cooper and Veried Beef Production Plus auditor Brad McNish. Producers nd they will need to gather a lot of data together to present to the auditors. “I consider myself a strong record-keeper and I have traceability, but a lot of what they ask for I have in my head or on my computer,” says Severine Pinte, winemaker and viticulturist for Le Vieux Pin and La Stella wineries, who piloted the audit in 2019. “But the program has led me to organize it all into binders that I can present to the auditors.” While small independent businesses have led the way with certication, Andrew Peller Ltd., which owns six wineries in the Okanagan, is pursuing certication, too. “Peller is a certied grower in Ontario under the Viticulture Sustainability program there,” says Pease, who expects most of its vineyards to achieve certication this year. TIGHTROPE WINERY
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 15Metro Vancouver greenhouse growers singled outIn its draft 2021 Clean Air Plan, Metro Vancouver wants to work with the BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association and others to explore opportunities to reduce emissions from greenhouses, like improving energy performance and transitioning to using more clean, renewable energy. FILE PHOTOInsurance products and services are provided through Assante Estate and Insurance Services Inc. Please visit www.assante.com/legal.jsp or contact Assante at 1-800-268-3200 for information with respect to important legal and regulatory disclosures relating to this notice.Financial planning for farm families Farm transition coaching Customized portfolio strategy Retirement income planningDriediger Wealth PlanningMark Driediger, CFP, FEA, Senior Wealth AdvisorBrent Driediger, BAA, CPA, CMA, CFP, Wealth Advisorwww.DriedigerWealthPlanning.com | 604.859.4890 Assante Financial Management Ltd.SANDRA TRETICK BURNABY – Metro Vancouver will be asking the agriculture sector to decrease greenhouse gases (GHG) and ne particulates if its draft Clean Air Plan receives approval later this year. Metro Vancouver air quality planner John Lindner says every sector has a role to play to help the region achieve a 45% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030. This aligns with science-based targets aimed at keeping global warming to 1.5°C and supports Metro Vancouver’s commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050. Of the four sectors the plan highlights, agriculture is the least signicant contributor to the region’s GHG emissions, accounting for just 4%. The other three – transportation, buildings and industry – account for more than 90%. But the small size of the sector means it also has fewer options for reducing its contribution. While the other sectors have 14 options, agriculture simply needs to cut back. Metro Vancouver would like to see the sector cut GHG emissions 35% from 2010 levels and ne particulate matter emissions reduced by 10% from 2020 levels. That works out to a cut of 150,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases and 50 tonnes of air contaminants. To reach the target, the draft plan focuses attention on heaters and boilers in greenhouses, agricultural equipment, and livestock as the primary opportunities. Reducing open-air burning and transitioning to renewable energy sources are suggested actions, along with a pilot study on the impacts of zero-emission equipment, such as electric tractors, and incentives to encourage farmers to make the switch. Singled out While BC’s greenhouse sector supports the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the board, it feels like it’s being singled out. BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association executive director Linda Delli Santi says growers already capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from their natural gas-red boilers to fertigate their plants. Plants need CO2 for photosynthesis and growth. “We need to supplement CO2 for our plants because greenhouses are a closed environment, and the plants quickly use all of the ambient CO2 at rst morning light,” says Delli Santi. “Supplementing with captured CO2 produces a healthier, stronger plant with a higher yield.” Delli Santi says the industry regularly adopts new practices and technology to improve performance, and that natural gas is viewed elsewhere as a clean source of energy. That’s not the case in BC where it’s one more fossil fuel and electricity is seen as the green choice for meeting targets. But she says greenhouse growers use heat storage, insulated pipes and thermal curtains to ensure they’re getting the most out of their natural gas, which can be costly. Incentives needed Before releasing the draft for comment this spring, Metro Vancouver shared its clean air plan with the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. The region’s agricultural advisory committee (Delli Santi is the vice-chair) reviewed it as did the Township of Langley’s agricultural advisory and economic enhancement committee. The commenting period wrapped up in mid June and that feedback was shared with the region’s climate action committee on July 16. Metro Vancouver agricultural advisory committee chair Mike Manion says the people he talked to in the agriculture community were concerned that the region’s actions in support of the plan might place them at a disadvantage to farmers in the rest of the province. He says farmers would prefer incentives to move to zero-emission equipment or reduced energy consumption in greenhouses. “If Metro wanted to run a challenge to come up with better ways to improve energy eciency in greenhouses or they wanted to oer incentives for growers, I think that’s a great plan,” he says. He’s less supportive of new legislation at this time, especially in the wake of COVID-19. “We could potentially have a food security crisis here,” says Manion. “Let’s not do anything right now that further encumbers our growers. We really need to support growers to make sure we can keep the shelves stocked if anything like this ever happens again.” Sta intend to bring a nal draft of the plan to Metro Vancouver later this year. Once approved, actions will be implemented through 2030, but any new regulations or substantial changes to existing regulations will likely trigger their own engagement process. Additional actions on reducing greenhouse gases and adapting agriculture to a changing climate will be identied in the Climate 2050 Agriculture Roadmap. A draft roadmap is currently under development, and is expected to be released later in 2021 or early in 2022. Ag targetted to reduce emissions in Clean Air Plan
16 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC info@clhbidcom British Columbia | Alberta | Saskatchewan | Manitoba2 quarters selling just 9 miles northwest of Fort St. John, BC selling as two parcels. Parcel 1 has power to former building site and natural gas along east perimeter. Unique landscape, amazing views and surrounded by pavement on three sides. See Website for Starting Bids.Montney PanoramaAugust 24, 2021 Fort St. John, BCFully fenced quarter just 1.5 miles south of Swan Lake, BC, and less than one mile from the Alberta border. With SLR, a unique lake experience and a Starting Bid of $200,000, you will want to check this one out. The potential that comes along with this purchase truly is ‘Borderline Unreal.’Borderline UnrealAugust 25, 2021 Swan Lake, BC13 contiguous quarters selling just north of High Prairie, AB. Take advantage of the low Starting Bids, significant rainfall, income from SLR and Vendor Financing! will be the opportunity to purchase the entire assemblage ‘en bloc’ after the sale. See Website for Starting Bids. Cattle Drive CountryOctober 6, 2021 High Prairie, ABTurn-Key ExperienceWhen it comes to selling farm or ranch land, our full-service team works with you from your very first call to handing you a cheque at closing. We walk the entire walk with you.Maximum ValueAnyone can create a sale but you need lasting lifelong results. We monetize your land in a manner to ensure maximum value for a lifetime of work.World-Class MarketingFinally: a specialized platform for selling agricultural land! All sales are seen worldwide, and are seen by all potential buyers - neighbors, friends, farmers, and investors.Strategic Packaging & ‘En Bloc’Instead of the “take all or nothing” approach, our innovative ‘En Bloc’ feature for selected sales allows certain bidders to also bid on individual parcels and/or the entire farm.Why CLHbid.com?Selling Farm Land, It’s All We Do
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 17As extreme temperatures are predicted to become the norm, BC dairy producers are considering their options to reduce heat stress among their cows. FILE Silagrow.com1.800.663.6022 | office@silagrow.comMulch FilmLandscaping FabricsShade Nets Bale WrapsBunker CoversSilage BagsTw i n eNet WrapsHay TarpsForage & Grain SeedVisGreenhouse Ground CoverGreenhouse FilmsProtection NetsSALMON ARM 5121 - 46 Ave S.E. SURREY 112-18860 24 Ave (PU & Delivery Only)Serving all of BC• Increase milk production• Increase heat detection• Reduce hoof & leg injuries• Reduce cull ratesCall For A 10% -15% DISCOUNT TODAY1.877.966.3546www.agritraction.com | CHILLIWACKFiXaTion CloverFrosty CloverCrimson CloverDC Red CloverHybrid CloverWinter PeasFall RyeHybrid Fall RyeWinter Wheat1.800.282.7856 Find out more at terraseco.comFiXaTion CloverFrosty CloverCrimson CloverDC Red CloverHybrid CloverWinter PeasFall RyeHybrid Fall RyeWinter WheatTerra Seed Corp Healthy Soil with COVER CROPSKATE AYERS CHILLIWACK – The unprecedented heat this summer has producers and consumers alike wondering what life will be like in the future as climate projections anticipate further temperature increases across the province. The Pacic Climate Impacts Consortium at the University of Victoria says Chilliwack could average as many as 29 days over 30°C each year, up from eight today. This will help boost the average annual temperature in the Fraser Valley by up to 4.3°C by 2050. Temperatures will not only increase, the range will also grow as temperature extremes become part of the new normal. The eastern Fraser Valley will be among the areas most impacted, with a temperature spread of about 12°C to 15°C, compared to a historical range of around 9°C and 11°C. Livestock and poultry in the Fraser Valley are especially vulnerable to extreme heat events. The area is home to 50% of the province’s dairy operations and nearly 40% of BC’s poultry and egg producers. Since the optimal ambient temperature range for dairy production is between 0°C and 20°C, higher temperatures will negatively impact productivity and cattle health. Some adverse eects of heat in animals include higher respiration rates, increased sweating and water consumption, lower feed intake, reduced fertility, lower butterfat content and lower milk production, a BC Agriculture & Food Climate Action Initiative (CAI) report says. A research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that heat stress can cost farmers upwards of several hundred dollars per cow per year. The potential impacts of higher temperatures on animal health and productivity are prompting producers to future-proof their barns. Some approaches include raising the ceiling height to allow for more airow, investing in larger and more powerful fans, and using evaporative and conductive cooling techniques. Bill and Jenny Van Reeuwyk of Summershade Farms Ltd. in Abbotsford were prepared for June’s heatwave, but their cattle were still impacted by the heat. “In the new barn we put up four or ve years ago, it’s completely open with huge fans and we’re going to put misters in there after what happened this year,” says Jenny. The cattle’s milk production dropped and they were less active but the Van Reeuwyks were fortunate to not have lost any animals to the heat. Indeed, ventilation plays a signicant role in keeping cattle cool. Barns with large curtains help maximize air ow and improve the eectiveness of evaporative cooling over the animals, the BC Climate Change and Agriculture Initiatives report says. Natural ventilation, circulation fans and exhaust ventilation are most commonly used in the dairy sector. “We put up a new barn just a few years ago and built it with very large side curtains. It’s wide open on the sides so the wind can ow right through. That really helps keep the cattle cool,” says Mark Ricka, a dairy producer in Chilliwack. “We have fans placed everywhere in the barn so there are no dead spots of air.” Ricka also installed fans in each robotic milking room so the cattle always have air moving overhead. His 200 milking cows also fared okay during the heatwave, but feed intake dropped a bit and they stood more than normal. Enderby dairy farmer Rene Miedema, who has been involved in interpreting the Climate Action Initiative report as a member of the Dairy Industry Research and Education Committee (DIREC), uses natural ventilation and fans to keep his 110 milking cows as comfortable as possible in the summer heat. In his 12-year-old barn, they installed “large curtains so that we can open up the Helping cattle keep their cool in the heat Dairy farmers share how they beat the heat in their operationsSee CURTAINS on next page oYOURHelping YouHelping YouSignSign up today forfor freeupy eeWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATES
18 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCCURTAINS, sprinklers and misters keep dairy cows comfortable nfrom page 17barn. We are lucky the barn is oriented east to west, so we have a lot of natural air ow,” he says. “Our summers in the Okanagan are fairly warm so we added two 72-inch variable-speed fans. They have made a tremendous dierence. Our barn does remarkably well until 35-36°C, which is good, but I don’t think anybody was ready for 40-45°C.” In addition, evaporative cooling is an eective way to cool cattle in dairy barns. Sprinklers and misters are the most common and eective tools in areas with low humidity. “We put up a soaker rail. When the cows come up to eat, there are nozzles that point down and spray the cows’ backs while they’re in the feed alley,” Ricka says. “It’s not a mist. It’s more of a soak with a garden hose. It cools them down because they get wet and then the fans move air overhead.” Conductive cooling is another strategy farmers can use to cool their herds. Waterbeds, for example, can be used under bedding to remove excess heat from cattle. Piping under the bedding area is another option, which circulates cold water. Radiant barriers and breeding initiatives are other approaches to manage heat. “We put solar panels on our barn and I noticed the next summer they acted as a radiant barrier. It was a happy accident, because they denitely lowered the temperature in the barn,” Miedema says. The needs of each operation are unique, and the ecacy of tools will vary from farm to farm. Producers should consider operation size, location and costs of additional equipment required, water consumption and the amount of operation and maintenance that are required to implement each mitigation strategy. “I think after this heat wave, a lot of farmers will look at misters if they can manage it. We have a lot of tools, I’m just not sure what tools are available to manage over 40°C,” Miedema says. “Everyone was quite shocked with that heat. When I was walking through the barn, my fans were going full bore and it was like walking through a blast furnace. There is going to be a lot of talking amongst farmers. I will connect with farmers with misters to see how they made out in the heat. That’s the next logical step for me and then after that, I don’t know.” Fortunately, research is ongoing to gather more information and evaluate the applicability of dierent technologies in the dairy sector as the eects of a changing climate make themselves felt across the province. Enderby dairy farmer Rene Miedema says an unexpected benet of installing solar panels on his dairy barn has been their ability to act as a radiant barrier. BC DAIRY ASSOCIATION
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 19Free recycling of ag plastics for northern BC Cleanfarms partners with three regional districts to recycle plasticsSilage and bale wrap, along with baler twine, are among the single-use agricultural plastics to be recycled in two Cleanfarm pilots in northern BC. FILESANDRA TRETICK DAWSON CREEK – Single-use agricultural plastics are convenient for farmers and ranchers, but disposing of them can be a headache. Plastics like baling twine, grain bags and silage wrap cannot be reused. Cleanfarms, a national industry-led organization based in Ontario that develops and operates programs to recycle waste agricultural products, estimates that BC farms generate 3,600 tonnes of plastic waste each year. With burning and burial out, many farms face the option of taking them to a landll and paying the tipping fee or storing them on-farm until a better solution arises. Now, that solution may have come to farmers and ranchers in northern BC. Cleanfarms has partnered with three regional districts to pilot the collection of an array of plastics over the next three years. The goal is to reduce plastic farm waste from entering landlls and give farmers and ranchers an environmentally sustainable way to dispose of agricultural plastics at no charge. Programs in the Peace and Bulkley-Nechako regions were announced in June and a third in Fraser-Fort George is slated to come online by the end of July. The Peace is the largest regional district in BC and the average farm size, at nearly 1,500 acres, is more than four times the provincial average. Although most forage seed in the area is binned rather than bagged, plastic bags have become an increasingly popular method for storing grains. Cleanfarms estimates that farmers in the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) generate about 70 tonnes of used grain bags and baler twine annually. They are working with the district to collect these materials at eight sites across the region. “This is a special new program for farmers and for the agricultural community that addresses ag plastics and we are pleased to partner with Cleanfarms to make it happen,” says PRRD board chair Brad Sperling. “We look forward to seeing excellent results from PRRD farmers that will lead to a better understanding of how to achieve zero plastic waste in the agricultural sector in years to come.” Collection sites are located at the Cecil Lake, Prespatou, Tomslake, Rolla and Buick Creek transfer stations as well as the Bessborough, Chetwynd and North Peace regional landll sites. The pilot launched July 5 and was expected to be fully operational by the end of July. It’s too early to report any results, but PRRD solid waste manager Gerritt Lacey says interest is high. He is excited to see how the pilot develops in the coming years and how best to collect and handle the material. “At this time, we have only just started to hand out the bags for the collection of twine,” says Lacey. “We have had some members of the public asking about acceptance of the large grain bags as well as take an interest in the grain roller that we are hoping to oer to producers on a rental basis.” BC Grain Producers Association vice-president Jennifer Critcher says Peace grain farmers really want the pilot to succeed. “Grain bag usage has grown for the last decade and disposal of the used bags has been a concern,” she says. “The grain farmers in the See BC on next page o
20 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCBC has good track record nfrom page 19British Columbia: Okanagan, Interior, KootenayCleanfarms 2021Unwanted Pesticides & Old Livestock/Equine Medications Collectionis coming to your region this fall!Cleanfarms.cainfo@cleanfarms.ca @cleanfarmsOkanagan, Interior, Kootenay – Oct. 12 to 22Look for details on locations & dates later this summer and check out Cleanfarms.ca – see "Unwanted/Outdated Products" under "What to Recycle & Where"Old Obsolete Livestock/Equine Medications Collection What’s InOnly livestock/equine medications used by primary producers in the rearing of animals in an agricultural context or horse owners• Identified with a DIN number, Serial Number, Notification Number or Pest Control Product number (PCP No.) on the product label• Unlabeled animal health product – identify it by writing UNKNOWN across itWhat’s Not• No needles/sharps• No ear tags• No medicated feedUnwanted Old Pesticides What’s InOnly agricultural or commercial solid and liquid pesticides, insecticides & herbicides identified with a Pest Control Product number (PCP No.) on the label• Adjuvants: only open with partial amount le; no full, unopened containers• Unlabeled pesticide, insecticide & herbicide product – identify it by writing UNKNOWN across it• Seed treatment products• Growth retardants with a PCP numberWhat’s Not• No aerosols, even pesticides or animal health products• No treated seed• No rinsate• No household hazardous waste (residential waste, oils, paints, etc.)• No foam makers, sanitizers, soaps, iodine, acids, premise disinfectants• No fertilizer or micronutrientsLook for the PCP number on the label. If there is one, it's accepted; if there isn't, it's not!Partner2021_CF_OBSOLETE_COUNTRY_LIFE_IN_BC_8.167x9.indd 1 2021-07-21 11:57 AMregion are really interested in seeing the success of this program.” PRRD is chipping in $43,416 for the three-year pilot. Bulkley Valley program In the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (RDBN), the Cleanfarms pilot is targeting bale wrap, silage bags and bunker covers in addition to baling twine at seven collection sites. This area of the province, centered along Highway 16 from Vanderhoof to Smithers, is predominantly ranching and forage country. An estimate on the annual amount of these types of plastics generated in the area is 215 tonnes. RDBN’s Area A director and chair of the waste management committee, Mark Fisher, notes that BC has a strong track record as a leader in waste reduction and recovery programs. “This is a positive step toward more eective waste management in our community and our province,” says Fisher, who is particularly excited to see the development of more local end-market options for materials. The collection sites are located at the Fort St. James, Smithers/Telkwa, Southside, Burns Lake, Vanderhoof and Fraser Lake transfer stations, and at the Knockholt landll. The RDBN board approved $96,501 for the three-year pilot with a collection target of 30%. Similar to Bulkley-Nechako, the Regional District of Fraser Fort George (RDFFG) is also home to cattle and forage production. The Cleanfarms pilot was approved by the board in May with a budget of $79,521 over the three years. Set to start in late July, collection of baling twine, bale wrap and silage lm will Farmers in the Okanagan, Interior and Kootenays will once again be able to safely dispose of unwanted pesticides and old livestock and equine medications when Cleanfarms returns to the area this fall. There will be no cost to farmers to dispose of their materials as the crop protection industry, in partnership with the Canadian Animal Health Institute, covers the cost of operating the program, including transportation to a facility for high-temperature incineration. The program will run from October 12-22 at 11 locations. In the meantime, Cleanfarms urges farmers to gather their items for collection and place them in sealable or spill-proof containers. Locations and dates will be posted on Cleanfarms’ website once they have been conrmed. The program travels to dierent regions of BC each year on a three-year cycle. The last time the program visited the southern interior was in 2018 and the next opportunity will be in 2024. The Peace region will be targeted next year, followed by the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island in 2023. On its last sweep through the southern interior, farmers dropped o 16,250 kg of unwanted pesticides and 222 kg of medications. The Cleanfarms pilots are funded in part through the federal Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program. —Sandra Tretick take place at the McBride transfer station. Cleaning essential Used agricultural plastic that isn’t cleaned or properly sorted messes up the recycling process and can lead to the materials being rejected. The onus is on farmers and ranchers to properly prepare the materials for recycling before taking them to a collection site. Cleanfarms’ website provides more information on how to prepare these items for collection. Cleanfarms’ contractors will pick up the material from the collection sites and transport it to recycling facilities in Canada and the USA where it will be processed for reuse in new products such as car parts and plastic bags. “Every silage bag, bale wrap and bunker cover, and every kilometre of baler twine requires natural resources and energy to manufacture,” says Cleanfarms executive director Barry Friesen. “By recycling, we ensure that we use the materials to their full extent, which fuels a circular economy for agricultural products in Canada. That’s something we can all get behind.” Cleanfarms plans to expand pilots like this, which target used agricultural plastic across the country, to achieve a goal of zero plastic waste to landlls in agriculture. The aim of the pilots is to establish logistics and eciencies before they expand the programs, and to help stabilize markets that accept these agricultural plastics. The three pilots should help Cleanfarms dramatically increase the volume of plastics it collects in BC each year. Last year, it collected 37.4 tonnes last year, down from 57.7 tonnes in 2019 and below the three-year average of 45.8 tonnes. The projects are part of a national initiative to boost agricultural plastics recycling that has received $1.1 million through the federal Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program. The share for the three BC pilots is $219,438. The three regional districts are responsible for covering 50% of the costs associated with pilot delivery in their region. Cleanfarms handles program implementation and education. Pesticide collection returns to the southern interior YOURHelping YouYOURHelping YouHelpingpingplpinYoulHHpingoeDon’t forget to RENEW your subscription toCountry Lifein BC
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 21Xaxli’p focus on community need, economic developmentsales@baumalight.com | BAUMALIGHT.COMDale Howe 403-462-1975 | dale@baumalight.comMFG A VARIETY OF ATTACHMENTS INCLUDING: BRUSH MULCHERS | ROTARY BRUSH CUTTERSSTUMP GRINDERS | PTO GENERATORS | AUGER DRIVES | TRENCHERS | DRAINAGE PLOWS | TREE SAWS & SHEARSTREE SPADES | BOOM MOWERS | TREE PULLERS | FELLER BUNCHERS | EXCAVATOR ADAPTERS | SCREW SPLITTERSLocate A Dealer OnlineKATE AYERS LILLOOET – Xaxli’p First Nation is looking to agriculture to increase local food security, create jobs and drive economic development with the help of federal funding. Formerly known as the Fountain Band, Xaxli’p is an Indigenous government of about 250 members located about 15 kilometres north of Lillooet. “Being semi-remote and having a large number of elders in the community, food is expensive and we want to improve the long-term food security for our community members,” says Xaxli’p economic development ocer Lyle Leo. “A big part of this (project) also is to establish and maintain Xaxli’p cultural identity here in the Fountain Valley. It’s a viable territory to start fostering being the main stewards of the lands and resources. They can be productive with the lands and water.” In 2019, the community started a high-level assessment of “where the Xaxli’p came from, where they are planning to be and where they are at now,” he says. A top objective is increasing local food security through crop production. “(It’s a) cost-eective opportunity for acquiring healthier food closer to home. Many don’t have safe and ecient transportation to purchase fresh food,” he says. The rst step towards a viable local food system was acquiring land. Xaxli’p recently spent $900,000 to purchase around 400 acres of rangeland, giving it 1,000 acres. The next step will be developing critical infrastructure, such as an irrigation system to provide a consistent water supply. Xaxli’p received $87,340 from Ottawa last year through the federal Indigenous Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative and the AgriDiversity Program for an agriculture community readiness project to undertake a market study, a land capability assessment and an irrigation water source assessment. It is currently identifying the best crop options and developing a business plan. Based on the capabilities of the land examined to date, Xaxli’p is considering poultry production, winter vegetables, four one-acre garden parcels surrounded by fruit trees, a produce store and garden tours. Ultimately, the community hopes to diversify into agri-tourism. “We want to start building an economy,” says Leo. “We hope the federal government continues supporting Indigenous agriculture with some infrastructure dollars as we move forward.” The project is one of 16 across Canada that received $4 million in federal funding that support Indigenous food systems initiatives, provide equitable access to healthy food and increase the participation of under-represented groups in the agriculture and agri-food sector. Xaxli’p has also received up to $7,000 in Indigenous agriculture development funding from the province to establish and enhance a community garden and a long-term food security plan. On July 5, the provincial and federal governments announced a new intake for Indigenous entrepreneurs and communities to access up to $150,000 to support new and existing farm and food businesses. To date, the program has supported 48 communities and entrepreneurs through $297,390 in funding. The province hopes to further advance Indigenous agriculture through the new BC Indigenous Advisory Council on Agriculture and Food (IACAF), announced last month. The rst of its kind in Canada, the 15-member council will guide the full integration of Indigenous food production within the mandate of the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. Council members are appointed by the agriculture minister for terms of up to two years. The inaugural chair is Okanagan Indian Band chief Byron Louis, with members drawn from Indigenous communities from across BC, including the Tsawwassen First Nation, Splatsin First Nation and the Fort St. John Métis Society. The council operates as a secretariat within the agriculture ministry and will hold meetings four times a year. The group is working to advance reconciliation, respect for Indigenous rights and support self-determination goals in the ag and food sector, a July 14 provincial release says. The ministry and council are working together on a three-year strategic plan to advance shared priorities. Among the objectives for the current year is identifying Indigenous priorities for inclusion in the federal-provincial policy framework that will follow the Canadian Agricultural Partnership in 2023. —With les from Peter MithamIndigenous farms plow new ground with fundingJulie Situ of Vincent Farms Inc. in Richmond was working right alongside her crew last month, harvesting month-old baby bok choy which the farm sells to Loblaws for sale at Superstore and T & T Supermarket. MYRNA STARK LEADER It’s easy being green
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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 23Blumen Fields Flower Farm owner Nadine Charlton has transformed ve acres of her 54-acre property east of Enderby into a prolic garden of blooms that she sells at the local farmers market and to orists throughout the North Okanagan. JACKIE PEARASE JACKIE PEARASE ENDERBY – Operating a ower farm is a dream come true for Nadine Charlton, even if it’s not all sunshine and roses. Charlton began Blumen Fields Flower Farm on Mabel Lake Road, six minutes east of Enderby, in 2018, one year after purchasing the 54-acre property with husband Chris and her parents. The farm fullls Charlton’s passion for sustainability and provides an outlet for her creative talent, honed over 20 years as an interior designer. The farm has literally grown up around the family as colourful blooms and foliage slowly replaced a ve-acre eld that sat fallow for at least 20 years. Growing up on a grain farm in northern Alberta, Charlton is no stranger to hard work but transforming ve acres into a working ower farm over the past ve years using no-till techniques and natural pest and disease control methods has been an eye-opener. “This is more work than I think anyone could have imagined it would be,” she says. “I grow over 450 varieties of owers … and every one has dierent requirements for everything – from seeding to fertilizing to when to harvest to the bugs that go with it. It’s a lot to try and manage.” She uses no pesticides, herbicides or fungicides and the soil is remediated via occultation using black silage tarps. “While the crop dies down, the micro-organisms then come up to eat the crop and produce a healthier soil,” she says. “I don’t have to worry about any compaction by doing that. I don’t have to bring in extra amendments, which is very important to me.” Portions of the eld not yet under cultivation are cover-cropped in fall rye, with Charlton taking over sections as required. She lays out the elds using the architectural design program AutoCAD, a tool familiar from her work as an interior designer. “I knew that I wanted to increase every year but I’m denitely just letting the market dictate how much I’m increasing,” she notes. “I map out how many of each plant I think I’m going to need for the following year based on how many stems they put up and then I’ll determine how many I need and then it comes to working with AutoCAD to put them in rows.” She grows all her annuals and most of her perennials from seed and starts the shrubbery as bare-root plants. As a master gardener with an eye for design, Charlton looks for unique, trendy and colourful blooms and foliage. The eld is alive in colour and texture that includes perennials, thousands of annuals planted successionally to ensure blooms throughout the summer, rows of peonies, lilies and roses in a rainbow of colours, dierent grasses and shrubs. Charlton endured a number of setbacks including a wind storm in the rst year that took out a large tree providing the only shade for her hydrangeas. Hungry deer necessitated taller fencing. This winter, she lost the eucalyptus she had overwintering for the past three years. Although mild with little snow, the winter also wrought havoc on her roses, taking out a large portion of the 500 plants that are the bread-and-butter of weddings. “They take about three years before they start producing. I’ve got this cost in the ground that I’m waiting on. I cut from them fabulously last year and then a lot of them, probably about 60% to 70%, were wiped out this year. It’s a big deal,” she says. She also encountered a mite that destroyed about 300 white delphinium seedlings within a week while not touching any of those planted at the same time in an adjacent row. She called the BC Ministry Flower farm meets growing demandSustainable methods used on Enderby farmSee FRESH on next page oSEPTEMBER 24-27, 2021CIRCLE CREEK RANCH &EQUESTRIAN CENTRE; KAMLOOPS BCSAVE THE DATECOVID-19 FAIR UPDATES AVAILABLE @WWW.PROVINCIALWINTERFAIR.COM& AUCTION INFOLIVE AUCTION - MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021
24 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCFRESH-picked blooms last longer nfrom page 23Agricultural Grade Products - Made in the U.S.A. Contact your local Nelson Irrigation dealer today!TAP INTO OUR WEBINAR SERIES! NELSONIRRIGATION.COMROTATOR®TECHNOLOGYREIGNSNEW HANGINGSPRINKLER SOLVESPROBLEMS FORORGANIC GROWERS15-50 PSI8.5-75 GPH9-16’ RAD.Introducing the S7 Spinner - a new Nelson innovation designed to combatrising energy and labor costs. The S7’s modular design allows quick and easynozzle exchange - and the Quick Clean (QC) technology reduces irrigatorhours — simply turn, flush and reconnect. Special insect protection helpsprevent plugging or stalling. Find out more at WWW.NELSONIRRIGATION.COMof Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, which took samples. “At this point, they think it was the mite but mites are not supposed to kill the plant,” she says, noting that mites typically prey on other insects. “They can’t gure it out.” She is currently awaiting results from a mite expert in Ontario. Charlton takes a hands-on approach to dealing with pests that threaten her very lucrative dahlia crop. “There’s about three or four bugs that just love to ravage dahlias and the only way I can organically keep them as a perfect ower is to place a little organza bag on them while they’re still in bud,” she says. “The ower then opens in the organza bag the bugs can’t get into. Anything left is devoured or stained or bitten.” The learning curve rose sharply last spring when the pandemic hit and weddings were cancelled. Most of Charlton’s spring owers went into the compost but the year was not as bad as expected. “It turned out that as COVID went on and on and on and people were stuck in their houses, people wanted owers in their houses. That’s the same reason houseplants took o.” Charlton sells to about 45 orists and oral designers from Salmon Arm to Penticton. She also does wedding packages for venues and sells at the local farmers market, her farm gate and to a limited number of subscribers. “I have 20 subscriptions right now. I’m careful to keep it at a pretty exclusive number because I sell to so many orists, I need to be careful that I am always kind of managing inventory in both directions.” Providing only locally grown, in-season owers can be dicult when up against a market inundated by owers grown and shipped across the world. She says her clients continue to use her owers because she can provide blooms too delicate to ship and her owers simply last longer. “Most owers that are coming from around the world have been cut for at least a week before it will ever get to a orist. Most are closer to two weeks. You can only expect so much from a ower,” Charlton says. “Mine gets harvested one day and it’s at the orist the next day. The amount of time it’s got for the vase life for the client is vastly dierent.” Work to prove the reliability and quality of her owers has paid o for Charlton in the form of a loyal clientele. Floral designer Sarah Keegstra of Kaye Fleur in Vernon has used Charlton’s fresh and dried owers for almost three years in each of the approximately 15 weddings she does annually. She says Charlton’s sustainable approach to farming is an extra draw for her customers and allows her to elevate her designs. “Nadine's owers are so gorgeous and really vast in variety. She is always growing and expanding her ower eld to include new textures and all kinds of colour ranges,” Keegstra adds. “She truly is one of the best in the business.” Anxious to keep and grow her client base, Charlton is constantly working to stretch her season. She currently harvests until October, plants her rst seeds in mid-December, and harvests her rst tulips in mid-January. “I’m scheming on how to get owers for those (missing) months. I would like to be able to provide fresh owers all year long that is still not own in, they’re still locally grown. That’s my goal. Now I’m at about nine months.”Nadine Charlton looks over the last of her snapdragons grown in a hoop house before she turns over the beds for a new crop. JACKIE PEARASE
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 25New resources support small-lot pork producersSwine health critical to small and large producers alikeSNOUT TO THE GROUND: Small-scale hog producers account for 98% of BC hog farms. A variety of resources are available to help them keep their herds in top health, preventing disease outbreaks that could be devastating to producers of all sizes. JEAN-PHILIPPE MARQUIS / TSWWASSEN FARM SCHOOLSee DISEASE on next page oKATE AYERS ALDERGROVE – Commercial and small-lot hog operations dier in size and production methods but farmers share the same goals of producing high-quality pork and maintaining herd health. The average number of pigs per farm in Canada last year was 1,814, says Statistics Canada. But large operations in BC are rare with just 14 producers regulated under the BC Hog Marketing Commission in 2020. In January, 770 farms in the province reported having hogs and the average herd size is 112 pigs, according to Statistics Canada. The number of small-lot operations is increasing across the country but Dr. Egan Brockho, owner of Prairie Swine Health Services in Red Deer, Alberta, says “there is no denitive denition for small-scale producers.” “A small-lot producer can be someone with one or two pigs ... or upwards of a couple hundred pigs,” he says. But commercial and small-scale producers alike must register their animals with PigTRACE if they “move pigs from one premises to another,” he notes. PigTRACE is mandated by federal law to track all pig movements in Canada to improve food safety and disease control and prevention. As part of this program, producers must obtain premises ID, movement declaration and animal ID. All pork producers, regardless of farm size, should abide by the requirements outlined in the National Farm Animal Care Council’s Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs. This code of practice discusses the role biosecurity plays in managing animal health. Farmers should have protocols in place to prevent and treat diseases in herds. Diseases are introduced to pigs through direct and indirect contact. “Direct contact is pig-to-pig transmission of a disease,” says Brockho. “If you have two or three pigs on your farm and you purchase two more from Farm B and two more from Farm C and one more from Farm X … you increase the risk of either introducing a new disease or creating instability within the herd.” The new animals may not be used to the diseases the current pigs carry and the original pigs on the farm may not be able to handle the increased disease load as new animals are introduced. This can result in sickness. Other means of direct contact include borrowing or trading boars and taking pigs to fairs. To limit spread through direct contact, farmers should source new pigs from high-health herds and always ask about disease status before purchasing new pigs, says a veterinarian at PSHS, Dr. Hollyn Maloney. “Quarantine new pigs on arrival for six weeks prior to mixing them with pigs you currently have on farm and monitor pigs in quarantine for evidence of disease,” she adds. Wildlife pose threats Wildlife, including feral pigs, can also present disease risks. “Wild birds and pigs can carry diseases that can pass to domestic pigs,” says Maloney. “Rodents moving between farms can also move diseases between these farms. There is increased risk of windborne diseases if there are multiple producers close together. Any producers that are within 2 km of each other are at an elevated risk and some diseases can travel even further on a very windy day.” Sources of indirect contact disease transmission include farmers’ trucks and trailers, preowned pig feeders and handling equipment, visitors and contaminated feed. To prevent the introduction of disease, Maloney recommends washing farm vehicles that have visited other farms or events, such as auctions and fairs, where they may have been exposed to disease. YOURHelping YouWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATESYOURping Youpingpgpping YouiWSWSSign up for FREE todayQuality Pre-Owned Tractors & EquipmentANDEX 773 RAKE . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500 CASE 415 CULTIPACKER . . . . . . 12,500 FARMKING RB10FK WHEEL RAKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500 JAYLOR MIXER WAGON . . . . . . . . 13,500 JCB 409 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47,000 JD 348 BALER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,000 KUHN FC313 MOWER TG . . . . . 20,000 KUHN 4 BOT ROLLOVER PLOW . . . . 19,900 KUBOTA BX2200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500 KVERNELAND 4032 MOWER . . 16,000 MASCHIO 4.5 M PWR HARROW COMING MASCHIO DC4000 POWER HARROW . . . . . . . . . . . .12,500 MF 1523 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,000 NH 570 BALER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,000 TYCROP HIGH DUMP 16’ . . . . . . . 9,500
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Priced right $875,000160 acres on the picturesque Pend-d’Oreille River in Nelway, BC. Totally private sanctuary with 2 creeks. Level river frontage with great building locations. Fantastic climate for gardening and self-suf昀cient living. Southern property line is the Canada-U.S. border. Strong second growth timber. $699,0004,000+ ft2 custom built, off-grid, luxury log home on 11 acres on Charlotte Lake. This amazing wilderness, lakefront property offers a second 3 bedroom B&B furnished cabin, numerous outbuildings and a large list of included items. Perfectly set up to operate a small luxury business. $1,750,000Three bedroom custom log home on five acres with sunny southern exposure on Galiano Island’s south end. Excellent walkability, close to Bellhouse Provincial Park, beach accesses, ferries, and south end amenities. $1,285,000142 acres 5 km from D’Arcy provides privacy for an off-grid experience. You can be in Pemberton in about 30 minutes or Vancouver in under 3 hours. Open up the lake views with some aggressive pruning to recapture the SE exposure. This is the best value for land in or around the Lower Mainland! $429,000One of the most beautiful lakefront resorts in all of British Columbia. Canim Lake Resort offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy endless lake activities and is the ideal vacation spot for the whole family. 3 cabins, 20 RV sites, lodge with restaurant and suite, owner’s residence and much more. $2,299,000Well established Country Pub on 5.31 acres located in an area of equestrian acreages. Licensed for 134 inside and 38 patio occupants + off-premise sales. Upper level contains a newly renovated suite, of昀ce space and storage. 26 stall, 7,000 ft2 horse stable. Great upside potential! $2,300,000High quality acreage in the Wycliffe area with gorgeous views of the Purcell & Rocky Mountains. 210 acres with 100± irrigated in 3 separate 昀elds + some additional pasture & lightly forested land. 3 Reinke pivot irrigation lines included. Would make a beautiful farm / ranch. Estate sale offered at $1,200,000Established farm produces premium quality blueberries, wines and mead, from fruit to bottle. Exceptional growing methods, mineral-rich soil and climate combined with a beautiful home and equestrian infrastructure create the ideal business and lifestyle mix. $4,850,000Well established organic farm on 24.4 acres within the ALR with city services. Includes 5 bedroom main home, 2 bedroom home for farm hand, 2.5 acres of market garden, a market store, 6 greenhouses, pasture for livestock, 2 barns and numerous other outbuildings. $1,599,000RICH OSBORNE 604-328-0848Personal Real Estate Corporationrich@landquest.comSAM HODSON 604-809-2616Personal Real Estate Corporationsam@landquest.comFAWN GUNDERSON 250-982-2314Personal Real Estate Corporationfawn@landquest.comDAVE SIMONE 250-539-8733DS@landquest.comROB GREENE 604-830-2020rob@landquest.comCOLE WESTERSUND 604-360-0793 CHASE WESTERSUND 778-927-6634Personal Real Estate CorporationKEVIN KITTMER 250-951-8631kevin@landquest.comMATT CAMERON 250-200-1199matt@landquest.comJOHN ARMSTRONG 250-307-2100Personal Real Estate Corporationjohn@landquest.comJAMIE ZROBACK 1-604-483-1605 JASON ZROBACK 1-604-414-5577Visit our WebsiteIf producers choose to buy used equipment, they should make sure it is properly sanitized before bringing it onto the farm. Restricting visitors is also important. “Preferably people should not have been in contact with other pigs that day if they are visiting your pigs. Visitors should wear boots and coveralls from your farm when visiting,” says Maloney. Farmers should have separate pairs of boots to use when handling pigs. “We know from reports in eastern Europe and around the world that simple things like changing your boots make a huge dierence in preventing disease introduction,” says Brockho. Feed can be another disease source. “We always recommend producers purchase a commercial premix or complete feed. Many producers also feed kitchen scraps or get waste from grocery stores,” Maloney says. “This (approach) is a great way to reduce waste but does present challenges.” She notes that pigs should not be fed pork products, which can carry African Swine Fever. “Pigs will become infected if they consume a contaminated product,” she warns. Jamie Shaw of Shaw Family Farms has heritage pasture-raised pigs in Aldergrove. He works with food recycling companies to reduce feed costs but is careful about what products he feeds to the pigs. Other husbandry practices that small-lot pork producers should implement include pain management, appropriate methods to administer euthanasia, sunburn prevention and proper housing. “People aren’t aware that castration and tail docking … are painful. We should take the steps to mitigate that (pain). We have tools available, such as water-soluble oral Meloxicam,” says Brockho. Proper euthanasia presents another challenge for pork producers. Some farmers may not know that identifying humane endpoints and administering euthanasia are important aspects of animal care, Maloney says. “A lack of training means pigs that are badly injured or sick … are not euthanized in a timely manner, which is a serious welfare concern. Many producers also do not have an appropriate means of euthanasia available,” she adds. “Another challenge can be management of exposure to sun or cold. Since many (small lot) systems have access to outdoors, proper shelter is essential. Breeds with pink skin are prone to sunburn just like we are, so producers need to provide sucient shade.” Raising pigs is a rewarding venture, but it’s also a lot of work. Producers need to know what they are getting into before bringing animals onto their properties. “Pigs are smart and (new owners need to) be prepared for them,” Shaw says. “If you think you’re going to build a pen out of skids, you will end up chasing those pigs in your yard.” Shaw was able to tap the expertise of others to ensure the proper care of his animals, but the federal and provincial governments have developed resources for small lot pork producers. BC Pork released its Small Lot Pork Producer Resource Manual last year and the Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians has a Canadian Small-Scale Pig Farming Manual. “If you have questions, reach out to your swine veterinarians. That is what they are trained to do and what they’re there for,” says Brockho. “I know my team spends a lot of time working with small-holder pork producers and we love that interaction.” Shaw Family Farms in Aldergrove works with food recycling companies to make use of unsaleable food, but they are careful about what products they feed. Herd health is critical to the success of its pasture-raised pigs. SHAW FAMILY FARMS
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 27James and Chelsea Keenan raise heritage hogs on their farm in Salmon Arm. Her property is double fenced to prevent hogs from escaping or feral hogs breaking in. SUBMITTEDLangley 1.888.675.7999 Williams Lake 1.855.398.7757Contact Your Watertec Sales Rep for a Free Estimate.CENTER PIVOTS & LINEARSRONDA PAYNE SALMON ARM – BC has yet to develop a homegrown population of feral pigs, and the province wants to make sure it stays that way. Alberta, Idaho and Montana are home to sizeable populations, posing a signicant economic and environmental problem to farmers and residents. “We know what they can do and how hard of an issue they can become and how dicult that they can be to eradicate,” says Emily Lomas, terrestrial invasive fauna specialist with the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “They are a high-risk species, so we are interested in any and all occurrences of them.” BC has no native swine, so all feral pigs in the province are formerly domesticated animals or their descendants. These can include commercial breeds and wild boar introduced for meat production and hunting. While almost all areas of BC have seen escaped or released animals, if a wild breeding population was to become established, the province would have a serious problem. “Pigs can be a safety concern on roads, can damage land through their rooting and wallowing behaviour and can pose a disease transfer risk,” she says. “There are feral pigs in Alberta and there have been sightings of them up in the Peace region. It’s certainly a possibility that they could [become established in BC].” Chelsea Keenan of Keenan Family Farms in Salmon Arm considers the risk of feral pigs in BC is minimal, but she still keeps her own hogs secure to ensure that they remain enclosed and protected from outside diseases. Her heritage hogs are double-fenced and pasture-raised which keeps them happy, without much interest in escaping. “Our pigs are domesticated. They’re very food-driven,” she says. “They’re going to stay where they get fed. I don’t see our pigs getting out as a threat as much as I would see wild boar coming in.” The biggest risk with a wild population in Keenan’s opinion is disease, but with dogs that keep their hogs in line and the legal ability to shoot feral pigs, it stays a low concern on her radar. She takes care to ensure diseases are unlikely by following best practices such as not feeding the pigs meat scraps. “We do know to be really diligent about not feeding food scraps to our pigs because of the transfer of the swine u,” she says. “Most producers are diligent about not feeding meat scraps.” Additionally, new animals are seldom introduced to the farm as Keenan does her own breeding. All animals are born and raised on the 35-acre site. Keenan thinks smaller farmers are at greater risk of accidental release or introduced diseases. “Smaller producers, someone just doing four or ve pigs for themselves, may have more risk,” she says. “They might not have the safeguards as someone like us doing it full time.” However, she hasn’t heard of anyone being concerned about African Swine Fever (ASF), which has not been found in Canada to date. The BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries says it’s working with the federal government and industry to reduce the risk of diseases like ASF. It says the disease would be very dicult to eradicate if it began circulating among feral pigs. This makes prevention key, according to Lomas. “In the invasive species world, often prevention is the best way of dealing with things,” she says. “It is an incentive for owners to maintain their fencing.” Lomas says it’s illegal to release pigs for any reason and encourages farmers to capture any escaped animals quickly. She advises anyone who spots a pig in the wild to contact local farmers to determine if the animal is a recent escapee; if not, report sightings via [www.gov.bc.ca/ invasive-species]. BC going full boar against feral pigsAWOL swine from Alberta, the US threaten BC’s hog industryCALL FOR AN ESTIMATE LARRY 604.209.5523 TROY 604.209.5524 TRI-WAY FARMS LASER LEVELLING LTD.IMPROVED DRAINAGE UNIFORM GERMINATION UNIFORM IRRIGATION FAST, ACCURATE SURVEYING INCREASE CROP YIELDS We service all of Southern BCLittle & Large, Local & Long, Europe & N. America Port to Dealer, Farm to Farm & Anything in BetweenVersatile Ramp to Ground Capabilities
28 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCWe are BC’s only brokerage devoted 100% to agricultural real estate. If you are thinking of selling or looking to buy farm or acreage property big or small, trust our experts in the eld.With 200+ years combined experience, industry connections and rst hand farming knowledge, our team gets the job done!info@bcfarmandranch.com | 1-888-852-AGRI (2474)I do love plunging into the raspberry bushes for a morning snack. The rst ripe berries were cooked in the heat dome, of course, but the subsequent waves have been sublime, particularly the ones growing in the shady depths. In any other year, “shady depths” in the raspberry patch would be regrettable in terms of optimal production. Not this year. This concept joins about a zillion others that were once uncountenanced and are now reasonable to consider. I am struggling hard to resist using the over-used word of the year: unprecedented. Unprecedented (I give up) is the new sustainable (throwing it in for fun), and I think they might be inextricably linked. They are certainly both irritating words. Beyond that, however, I think I am on to something. Before last year, for example, it seemed a total impossibility to drop the big city markets. Now look at me. You won’t nd me in the city. The decision to drop that massive revenue stream has opened up all sorts of possibilities, including the one where I don’t burn out in a blaze of glory years before my time. We also dropped some critical crops: celeriac, most notably. Here is a vegetable that over-uses time from seeding in March to harvest in late October. There must be no weeds anywhere at all, near-constant irrigation and we have no mechanical support for harvest or washing. Slight pangs of regret will be felt when eager chefs with big budgets are turned away, but they will be well drowned out by the scratching of my pen crossing out jobs on the to-do list. We even hard-heartedly plowed up the parsnips. Most of them had failed to germinate and those that did were so very late to the party that the weeds were already sky high. Gone in an instant, my dreams of ivory, frost-sweetened parsnips glowing alongside burly, brown russets and crunchy, orange carrots at the winter markets. Gone, too, the hours of pulling them by hand in freezing mud and standing in the icy spray of the washer. We reseeded with carrots, a crop for which we have capable equipment, sensible germination rates and a harvest window during reasonable weather. Yesterday, I kicked o the local market season with only one type of potato and nothing else on the table save a nice bouquet. What’s unprecedented about this is that I previously assumed nancial success at markets depended on at least two full tables groaning under the weight of artfully merchandized mixed vegetables, in addition to the potato display. I was certain of it. Now, I just sell potatoes, and after 25 years of doing so, I nd I am perfectly capable of building a very saleable display with only one variety. I was wrong about the mixed vegetable requirement. What’s more, not one customer asked where the other vegetables were. Except carrots. The people want carrots. I look forward to getting the other potato varieties to market, as to be honest, there is only so much one can do to merchandize one variety: bulk large, bulk small, large pre-bagged small, small pre-bagged large, large in a box, small in a bigger box. Next week I can probably add White Rose, Red La Soda and the earliest shoppers might see some Sieglinde. The Red La Soda are so far the variety of the year: beautiful plants, well-sized and early tubers that taste fabulous. I am personally aware of quite a number of people growing them from Pemberton seed this year and I hope they are experiencing the same thing. Good potatoes are foundational to contentment: a consistently precedented fact. Anna Helmer farms with her family in Pemberton, and the heat dome has undeniably dulled her edge. Farm Story by ANNA HELMERReaping more by sowing less makes perfect sense Success isn’t always measured by abundance; manageable is a good thingU-picks that saw record trac last year as homebound families headed to berry elds for one of the few socially acceptable – and socially distanced – activities during the pandemic saw a more regular ow of visitors this year. “Last year, overall, it was busier during the weekdays. People were working from home and there was no school,” says Katie Leek of Emma Lea Farms on Westham Island. “This year it wasn’t as busy on weekdays but weekends were busier.” It was a similar story at Krause Berry Farms in Langley, where strawberries coloured up during the heat wave but school wasn’t yet out, leaving fewer people than last year to pick them. Protocols introduced during the pandemic helped manage visitor numbers. “We made changes last year that have made it easier, even this year, to carry on with the u-pick,” says Krause. Both Leek and Krause are keeping an eye on their blueberries. The heat wave has had a noticeable impact on both operations, and Emma Lea’s plantings were also hit by hail at the end of May. U-pick demand stays steady
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 29KATE AYERS CEDAR – Cedar Organics, situated 20 minutes south of Nanaimo, initially caused some waves in the community when the property sold in July 2019 and the new owners announced plans to convert the former potato farm into an outdoor cannabis operation. After much community debate and many town hall sessions, Cedar Organics was able to move forward with its plans for eld-grown cannabis, one of the few producers on Vancouver Island doing so. Most producers favour indoor environments where growing conditions are tightly controlled. While some community members did not like the idea of living beside a cannabis producer, the potential environmental impact of the farm was the key issue. “The bigger concern was the impact on Quennell Lake,” says the Regional District of Nanaimo’s acting general manager of strategic and community development Paul Thompson. “Quite a few people depend on the lake for their water supply.” He says the concern applies to any intensive agriculture operation, not just cannabis. The use of fertilizers and other inputs sparks concerns of water pollution at the site due Cannabis grower has the ‘happiest worms’ Cedar Organics employs circular agriculture practicesEliot Korney hand-plants cannabis seedlings at Vancouver Island’s only (legal) outdoor cannabis farm, Cedar Organics. SUBMITTEDto the property’s proximity to the lake. Some community members also had similar concerns about the former potato farm. The previous land owner had installed eld drainage and occasionally pumped water o the eld in the spring. Other concerns were more specic to the cannabis operation, including smell, water usage and waste production. The regional district raised these concerns with the province. “[We] sent letters to various ministers to look at producing a crop guide for cannabis,” says Thompson. A comprehensive guide has yet to be released. However, like all farms, cannabis operations must responsibly manage their waste and not cause pollution. “In British Columbia ... the Code of Practice for Agricultural Environmental Management regulates the agricultural by-products of cannabis farming,” says the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “Licensed cannabis growers must comply with the … AEM Code,” the ministry states. “This regulation came into eect in February 2019 to better protect water, soil and air quality by requiring that environmentally protective agricultural practices be followed on agricultural operations.” Some of these practices include adhering to setbacks from drinking water sources, watercourses and property boundaries; ensuring contaminated water, solids, and air contaminants do not cross property boundaries or enter watercourses or the water table; and ensuring Changes to the Code of Practice for Agricultural Environmental Management (AEMCoP) took eect July 15. The BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy’s environmental standards branch says the changes clarify language and correct errors. The amendments include revising denitions; clarifying the agricultural operations and agricultural activities to which the code applies; addressing the storage and use of nutrient sources other than agricultural by-products and wood residue; conrming a ve-year expiry date on a nutrient management plan (NMP); and training requirements for producers preparing NMPs. Notable revisions include adding “water from equipment, washing or other sources” to the denition of “wastewater,” new protocols for record-keeping related to mortalities and the handling of specied risk material (SRM), and new protocols to reduce the risk of pesticide drift and runo into watercourses. Record-keeping related to pesticide applications has also been tightened. The denition of an “experienced person” and “qualied professional” has also been changed to stipulate that such individuals must have “successfully completed a course in nutrient management planning, oered in British Columbia and approved by a director” with the environmental standards branch. — Peter Mitham AEMCoP updates take effect“Serving British Columbia proudly since 1946”Machinery LimitedROLLINS RToll Free 1-800-242-9737 www.rollinsmachinery.comChilliack 1.800.242.9737 | 44725 Yale Rd W Langley 1.800.665.9060 | 21869 - 56th Ave Chemainus 1.250-246.1203 | 3306 Smiley RdChilliwack 1.800.242.9737 . 47724 Yale Rd W Langley 1.800.665.9060 . 21869 56th Ave Chemainus 1.250.246.1203 . 3306 Smiley Rd Kelowna 250.765.8266 . 201-150 Campion StToll Free 1-800-242-9737 www.rollinsmachinery.com info@rollinsmachinery.caYou’ve tried the rest.Now try the BEST.See IDEAL on next page o
30 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCCASE IH DC 102 SOLD! MOWER COND, 10’4 CUTTING WIDTH $17,400 CLAAS 780L CENTER DELIVERY SOLD! ROTARY RAKE $11,500 CLAAS 860 SP FORAGE HARVESTER 12.5’ PICKUP & 6 ROW CORNHEAD $93,700 CLAAS JAG 870 SP FORAGE HARVESTER CALL FOR DETAILS CLAAS 970 SP FORAGE HARVESTER 10’ PICKUP & 10 ROW CORNHEAD CALL FOR MORE DETAILS/PRICING CLAAS 4000 4-ROTOR RAKE CALL FOR DETAILS X 2 FENDT 930 MFD CAB TRACTOR CALL FOR DETAILS NH BB340 LARGE SQUARE BALER CALL FOR DETAILS SUPREME INTERNATIONAL 700T MIXER WAGON TWIN SCREW CALL FOR DETAILS VEENHUIS MANURE TANKER TRIPLE AXLE WITH BRAKES $140,000 Pre-owned Tractors & Equipmentwww.caliberequipment.ca STORE HOURS MONDAY-FRIDAY, 8-5 SATURDAYS 8-12604-864-2273 34511 VYE ROAD ABBOTSFORD More Crops. Less Ash.nutrient sources are applied at rates that do not exceed the requirement for crops. Cannabis operations must also abide by the federal Cannabis Act regulations for waste destruction while protecting the environment. To eectively manage cannabis waste, operators should compost waste plant materials, responsibly manage liquid wastes, properly handle and apply nutrients, manage odour and air emissions and properly dispose of cannabis oils and concentrates, as outlined in a ministry fact sheet. The Cedar Organics team uses organic and regenerative farming practices on the 24 acres occupied by upwards of 30,000 cannabis plants, but are not yet certied organic. The crop is transplanted from greenhouses and planted outdoors in June and July and is harvested from the end of August through to the second week of October, says Cedar Organic’s director of cultivation Kevin Emery. Collectively, he has 47 years of experience growing cannabis commercially and as an enthusiast. “Cedar is in a banana belt, even for Vancouver Island, and we sit in a pocket of fossil soil,” he says. The Class 1 peat soil, the unique microclimate and access to the same groundwater that feeds Quennell Lake means ideal growing conditions for cannabis. “Once the plants are established, they can water themselves because the water table is fairly shallow here,” says Emery. The soil is a combination of peat bog and lake bottom, which allows for good aeration and root development, he says. “We have a good soil biome, so we don’t have to feed the plants much. Less nutrients are applied than in greenhouse production because of the fertile soils. Everything we feed (the plants) is based on sh hydrolysate and fossilized kelp extract and fermentations,” says Emery. “We are not dealing with mineral salts or petrochemical fertilizers. They aect the cannabis avour and quality. We deal with natural-based and organic products. We don’t use any product that is poisonous or toxic to insects or humans.” Cedar Organics also uses integrated pest management, including companion planting, predatory wasps and lady bugs and soil nematodes. Runo from the eld is a concern, acknowledges The fertile soils adjacent to Quennell Lake means Cedar Organics does not have to rely on petrochemical fertilizers. The soils also act as a lter that protects the local environment from run-off for its outdoor cannabis operation. SUBMITTED Emery, but he says the soils allow for a natural ltration process. Cedar Organics has completed the required risk assessments and complies with provincial regulations. “When the oods happen in the winter, the surface water and water table can mix with the lake water. But any runo won’t head to the lake before a long digestion process in the ground and soil bacteria,” says Emery. “The previous owner switched to organic farming before selling the property, so it’s been a long time since the site represented 1940 to 1980s Green Revolution farming. It’s been inching its way towards a fully organic farm for a while. Our soil samples haven’t shown any problems.” Cedar Organics composts all waste plant material and solid byproducts of processing. “Nutrients are tied up in the structure of the plants and we introduced vermiculture to enrich the compost. We have the happiest worms on the Island,” Emery says. “Next year, we are going to grow cannabis with this nutrient-rich compost made from pot. It’s a perfect circle and we don’t waste anything.” IDEAL conditions nfrom page 29
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 31Forging new successes with the family farmSiblings continue parents’ legacy with their partnersSisters Anna Steedman, left, and Lin Egan, right, co-own Winderberry Nursery and Edible Acres Farm, Cafe and Catering in Windermere, having taken ownership of the business their parents bought in 1984. 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But there are moments of adventure in that. I love being able to raise our kids here on the farms, and around plants and owers.” “I can denitely second the growing thing,” adds Steedman. “There’s a feeling you get when you walk into a greenhouse that’s full of growing things.” Their parents, Jack Steedman and Glenda Wah, bought the nursery in 1984 when it had just 2,500 square feet of greenhouse space. The sisters started working at the nursery with summer jobs fresh out of high school, Anna more begrudgingly than Lin. Both eventually attended college before returning to Winderberry – Egan with her husband Oliver and Steedman with her partner Randy MacSteven – to carry on and expand their parents’ operation. “It was a bit of a succession plan,” says Egan. “Oliver and I bought the property from them several years before we purchased the business from them. We had made the decision many years before; it just took a long time to actually do it.” They began expanding the retail greenhouses in 2008 and now have 25,000 square feet, 10 times the space in 1984. In addition to owers and bedding plants, it also oers tree and shrubs. “They were operating a level they were comfortable operating at,” says Egan. “When we came in and took over managerial roles, we expanded how much we were growing. Our mom said, ‘If you’re coming into the business, you have to bring a stream of income.’” Lin had earned a degree in sustainable agriculture at UBC, eventually working on the UBC farm, while Oliver had studied economics, worked in landscape irrigation and construction, and drove a forklift. Their combined skill sets suited their new endeavour at Winderberry, as well as the creation of Edible Acres. “When we moved back from Vancouver, Oliver and I started a little farm garden plot,” says Egan. “We grew too much.” That led the couple to develop a CSA program, which now oers weekly produce boxes to up to 40 members during the height of the growing season. The farm now has about ve acres set to produce, and having water rights to Windermere Creek ensures irrigation is always available. “This is kind of our saviour,” says Egan. The cafe, now in its sixth year, came later, a logical pairing of the abundance that Lin and Oliver were growing and the catering company run by Steedman and MacSteven. “We had this vision of combining the two because we were growing all this food,” says Lin. Steedman had her sights set on veterinary medicine, but an unexpected pregnancy changed her plans, and she stayed with the farm, working in the greenhouse in the spring and catering with MacSteven in the summer. The couple eventually joined Lin and Oliver as co-owners, and the partnership is now in its third year. MacSteven attended George Brown College, and later cooked at Fairmont Château Laurier and the Fairmont Ban Springs before becoming the executive chef at Panorama Mountain Resort. His passion for cooking developed early in life, with a desire to expand his palate beyond his mother’s cooking. “I was tired of her food,” he says. “I love my mom, and I love her food. My brother and I started making our lunches in Grade 5. In high school, I started taking home ec, and just started cooking and baking.” At Edible Acres Cafe, MacSteven uses as much seasonal farm-fresh produce as possible in his breakfast and lunch menus. The 50,000 garlic bulbs planted each fall, comprising 20 varieties, inspired him to save the often discarded scapes from the compost heap, creating the Great Scape garlic dip line, sold in eight Kootenay grocery stores. The dips proved so successful that Edible Acres’ scapes are now supplemented with those from other growers. Prior to the pandemic, the owners enjoyed planning events so that customers could experience the farm’s FOR BAGGED or BULK ORDERSDarren Jansen Owner604.794.3701organicfeeds@gmail.comwww.canadianorganicfeeds.comCertified by Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd.See ORGANIC on next page o
ORGANIC certification sets Edible Acres apart nfrom page 3132 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCABBOTSFORD1-888-283-3276VERNON1-800-551-6411Massey Ferguson tractors are designed to be as reliable as you are.Showing up each and every day is a calling, one we take seriously. RELIABILITYRELIABILITYGIVE YOURSELF THE AVE NUEbounty in a fun and lively atmosphere. These have included live music and dancing in the greenhouse, Scotch tasting with a paired menu, and “eld dinners” in tents set up among the crops. “We got meat locally, but they were very veggie heavy,” says Steedman of the dinners. Edible Acres Farm is certied organic, the only one in the Columbia Valley, as are the farms that supply it. Certication required little change in growing practices, but allows the farm to verify its products. “My parents never used any pesticides or chemicals,” says Lin. “We wanted to have some sort of verication. At that time, everyone would say ‘organic’, and as a consumer, I would question it. If you’re certied, then yes, you are.” The certication is almost necessary when interacting with dozens of customers each time Edible Acres attends one of the several farmers’ markets in the region, including Invermere and Kimberley. “We wanted to stand out,” says Oliver. “Not everyone knew who we were. To the new person who arrives to our booth, it means something. If you're selling to local people that know you, it’s not as important. “One lady asked today, ‘How organic are you?’ Right there, that was kind of a reason. We don’t have to explain every time. We’ve spent a lot of time educating people what organic is.” “We’ve ‘veg-umacated’ a lot of people,” jokes MacSteven. That education doesn’t apply only to the end result. They also promote soil health when customers pick up new plants and shrubs. “We encourage people to start from the ground up, and invest in their soil,” says Oliver. “We make our own soil. That’s unique. A lot of greenhouses just use pre-mix. That works the same as the cafe – everything is made from scratch.” Their soil even includes certied organic coee bean cha from Kicking Horse Coee. “That’s a cool little symbiosis,” says Oliver. That high-quality soil ensures a good start for the farm’s bedding plants, all grown from seed, both for walk-in customers, as well as commercial clients including towns, golf courses and hotels. “One of our popular crops is non-stop begonias, and we start those in the rst week of December,” says Lin. “That’s one of our baby crops. We could easily order in from suppliers. Some years, if we lose a crop, we order from suppliers. But they’re not as good a quality. When we start 10 seed trays of begonias in the basement, we have more control.” Customers appreciate that dedication to quality, which builds on the tradition of service started over 35 years ago. “Because our parents held out for us, it’s kind of a legacy,” says Lin. “We denitely want to continue the feeling they created,” says Steedman. “We’ve started to see a change. People used to walk through the door and ask for Jack or Glenda. Now they’re asking for us. That’s kind of cool.” Oliver Egan harvests garlic scapes from some of the 50,000 bulbs planted at Edible Acres Farm. BRIAN LAWRENCE
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 33Cutworm study looks at damage below groundThree-year project seeks to define significant thresholdsMegan Gray of E.S. Cropconsult is studying the impact and habits of variegated (inset) and black cutworms, as well as bertha armyworms, have in root crops in the Fraser Valley. SUBMITTEDServing the Okanagan and Fraser Valley We’ve been proudly family owned and operated since opening in 1976. And with two blending plants, we’re one of BC’s largest distributors of granular, liquid and foliar fertilizers. Our buying power and proximity to the Fraser Valley makes us the logical choice for truckload shipments. OKANAGAN FERTILIZER LTD 1-800-361-4600 or 250-838-6414RONDA PAYNE DELTA – Pheromone traps in root crop elds throughout the Fraser Valley are helping researchers determine the behaviours of variegated and black cutworms and bertha armyworm. Megan Gray of E.S. Cropconsult is in the second year of a three-year project to better understand pest pressure levels and underground crop damage to help dene threshold levels for pest management activities. “What we’re trying to test is whether or not they feed underground. They are nocturnal. At night they go under the top couple of inches of soil,” Gray says of cutworms. “We’re not entirely sure if, as cutworms, they do have the opportunity to recede into the ground to feed.” With their preference for soft tissue, cutworms attack young growth and foliage rst, potentially killing the plant. In a year with heavy cutworm pressure, the feeding behaviour may change to feeding on tubers underground. “They like to feed on the soft tissues of the plants. If the foliage is killed … they would have no foliage to feed on. Then they could feed on the crops underground,” she explains. This could lead to economic damage of root crops like potatoes and table beets. Gray says there may even be species that attack carrots and turnips. Cutworms were collected from trial elds and incorporated into planter pots of potatoes. Damage was noticeable on the tubers, but the severity was based on a few factors. If foliage damage was severe, tubers were less impacted. However, tubers closer to the soil’s surface were more likely to be damaged. Variegated cutworm was the most common species found in the 14 Delta, Abbotsford and Surrey elds studied in 2020. Bertha armyworm is next most common and black cutworm occurred least of the species being studied. Variegated cutworm also has the greatest amount of uctuation in volumes from year to year. When Gray took on the study in 2019, she saw up to 300 or 400 variegated cutworm moths per pheromone bucket trap, many times higher than the 10 to 60 seen in other years. Correspondingly, the larvae pressure was higher in 2020. Multiple years of data are necessary to dene outbreak years as there are no current thresholds for what constitutes an outbreak. Gray’s data builds on a similar trapping and monitoring study E.S. Cropconsult undertook from 2017 to 2019. “The [variegated] moth numbers uctuate a lot from year to year,” she says. “We’re back to seeing those numbers to a maximum of 50 per trap.” While black cutworm numbers are low, they are being caught in the traps, but are not being seen as larvae in the elds. Variegated larvae always stay a grey-brown colour with yellow diamonds throughout their larval growth before pupating. Bertha armyworms change colour and pattern as the larvae grow. Eggs are laid in clusters under leaves. “It’s important to conrm what we’re seeing as larvae in the eld is the same species as the moths being captured,” Gray explains. “If [growers] know what species they are expecting to nd … it wouldn’t be dicult to set up a trap and check it on a weekly basis. If they can see when the larvae are showing up, they can better time their spray.” She recommends walking the eld to look for feeding damage on foliage and identify hotspots. Traps allow growers to know if populations have reached a point that they should walk the eld looking for larvae and determine a control strategy. In the study, it was six to eight weeks from peak numbers of moths trapped before eld damage was heavy enough for spray recommendations. Gray says cutworms tend to be a localized pest, creating hotspots within a eld rather than infesting an entire eld. In the study, 23 hotspots were found leading to nine with spray recommendations. “One eld might have a bunch of hotspots, but a couple of elds over might be pretty clean,” she says. “You’ll see patches of hotspots where the larvae were feeding. You might have to do a few walks up and down the eld just to see if you can see some of that feeding damage.” Knowing the species ensures the right kinds of pheromones for trapping and counts that may trigger sprays. Currently, the variegated and black cutworm pheromones are the most eective, but decrease as the season progresses, while the ecacy of bertha armyworm pheromones marginally increased over the season. Gray points growers to the BC Vegetable Production Guide for pest management actions if cutworms are found in the eld. 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34 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCBeet growers see red over leaf minerPest ruins look of beet greensRONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – While most BC farmers grow beets for the root only, the growers who sell them complete with the nutrient-rich greens face special challenges. Renee Prasad, instructor in the Agriculture and Technology department at University of the Fraser Valley, says leaf miner larvae can give the leaves a lacy appearance “In our climate, it’s always there; it’s always present,” says Prasad. “We will nd eggs every week.” A scientic threshold of tolerance hasn’t been identied for leaf miner in fresh beets. Instead, there are what Prasad calls “operational thresholds” which are “better than nothing.” “It’s a real problem for farmers market and also for fresh market [sales],” she says. “The beauty of the leaf is as important as the beauty of the beets themselves. This is a crop we can grow locally and it would be nice to get some of the money into local growers’ hands.” Mike Nootebos of Mary’s Garden in Surrey says leaf miner doesn’t destroy the bunched beets he sells at his market. “I don’t want to have to spray for it,” he says. “It’s not bad enough for me to bother.” Malathion is the only tool registered for control of leaf miner in beets. Susan Smith, industry specialist for eld vegetables with the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, says it would be helpful to have more tools as well as information about other management practices to reduce the pest. “A lot of people that are growing for the greens end of that market are wanting to use as few chemical tools as possible,” she says. “It’s one of those sort of minor-use crop issues where it can be dicult to get the attention that it needs.” She adds that a number of vegetables don’t have many management tools, making it important for farmers to have a solid understanding of pest biology and management practices to give leaf miner the shaft. Armyworm pressure low Four years after an unusual outbreak of true armyworm on Vancouver Island and in the Fraser Valley, BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries sta continue to monitor for the pest and other threats to the region’s forage crops. Provincial entomologist Tracy Hueppelsheuser noted that trapping caught just 10 true armyworm moths on Vancouver Island and six in the Fraser Valley over several weeks this spring. The pest can rapidly devour healthy grass and corn crops, making it a signicant threat. “So far, it is good news,” says Hueppelsheuser in a report to the BC Dairy Association. “True armyworm moth catches are very low for 2021 in all regions and there have been no reports of forage-feeding caterpillars.” True armyworm is not known to overwinter in Canada. However, it can migrate to BC from southern regions. The infestation in 2017 was attributed to moths that drifted north on wind currents in historically large numbers from the southern US. The moths laid eggs and the larvae devastated healthy grass and corn crops while experts scrambled to nd out what was going on. This year’s discovery of so few moths is a relief to forage producers. Corn earworm, fall armyworm, western yellowstriped armyworm and western bean cutworm are also on scientists’ radars but individuals have not yet to be caught on Vancouver Island or in the Lower Mainland. Trapping will continue until at least August 31. — Peter Mitham Contact your local Mahindra DealerTRACTOR TIMEVICTORIA 4377C Metchosin Rd. 250.474.330130 minutes from Victoria and 15 minutes from Highway#1 in Metchosin.trac tortime.comPREMIUM TRUCKPRINCE GEORGE 1015 Great Street 250.563.0696WILLIAMS LAKE 4600 Collier Place 250.398.7411premiumtruck.cahandlersequipment.comHANDLERS EQUIPMENTABBOTSFORD 339 Sumas Way 604.850.3601HOUSTON 2990 Highway Crescent 250.845.3333Mahindra Max26 with TillerMahindra 4540
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 35CFIA research scientist Penny Greenwood says goat producers are eager to be able to use genotype data to select goats that are genetically expected to be scrapie resistant. FILE PHOTOwww.hlaattachments.com 1-866-567-4162 • Grapple clamps on to any Class II fork frame with walk through guard Grapple shown mounted on HD55 pallet fork.• Minimum 12 GPM required• Secondary metering drum regulates flow onto the belt• 12” wide high abrasion rubber belt with 1 ½” paddles• Discharge from either side Straw/Lime model shown.• Includes 2-½”x 8” cylinders• Main bucket material ¼” end plates and clam floor bottom• Available widths 66”, 72”, 78”, 84”• Loader and skidsteer models available SINGLE ARM LOG GRAPPLESINGLE ARM LOG GRAPPLESIDE DISCHARGE BUCKETScrapie is a fatal disease aecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. It is part of the family of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) that includes BSE in cattle, chronic wasting disease in deer and elk, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Classical scrapie is a reportable disease in Canada and the infection is widely recognized to be an abnormal prion protein. While normal prions are present in every bird and mammal, an abnormal prion, when entering a healthy animal, can alter existing prions and change them into the disease-associated form. Now, genotype data collected from several scrapie-infected goat herds in Canada and evaluated by Canadian Food Inspection Agency researchers have shown the potential to breed goats for genetic resistance to the disease. The researchers have also referred to ongoing research ndings from North American and European studies. “Scrapie is present in Canadian farmed sheep and goats at a very low level,” says CFIA research scientist Dr. Penny Greenwood. “In recent years, scrapie was found on a number of goat farms, with some cases related to spread between the farms. In Canada, the last conrmed cases of scrapie were in 2019.” The goat industry is segmented into three sectors: chevron (meat), dairy (milk) and bre (mohair and cashmere). According to the 2016 Census of Agriculture, there were 230,034 goats on 5,627 farms in Canada, a 2% increase from 2011. Ontario had the largest goat population at 130,219, while British Columbia reported a population of 14,508. Greenwood says that animals become infected with classical scrapie through exposure to other infected animals and a contaminated environment. Scrapie is most commonly spread from an infected female to her ospring or other animals exposed to the birth environment where uids and tissue from the placenta contain large quantities of infectious scrapie prions. “Animals incubating the disease without clinical signs can also be a source of infection to others,” she says. “Infectious prions have been found in milk, feces, saliva and urine so transmission may also occur by these routes.” Based on the genetic research data, goats with a single copy of either the S146 or K222 alleles have shown a strong degree of resistance to natural infection of scrapie. “The level of resistance to disease in a genetic line is strongly associated with the presence of [these] particular alleles,” says Greenwood. “The frequency of these alleles varies across breeds and between dierent herds. Although multiple strains of classical scrapie have been identied, current evidence indicates that these particular alleles are associated with strong resistance.” The evidence, she says, comes from studies of diverse goat herds in Europe and North America. Selective breeding of sheep for genetic resistance to scrapie has been conducted in parts of Europe for two decades and there is no evidence that the scrapie agent has mutated to overcome this resistance. Researchers have further dened the two alleles naturally occurring in Canadian goat breeds. Allele S146 is most often found in meat breeds such as Boer and Savannah as well as the Nubian dairy breed. The K222 allele, while found less often, is mainly detected in Toggenburg (dairy) herds. As more goats are genotyped, these alleles could show up in other Canadian breeds. Research explores scrapie resistance in goatsNo cure, no treatment makes genetics the best tool for eradicationResearch by MARGARET EVANSGreenwood says that the feedback the CFIA has received to date is strongly supportive of their latest research on genetic resistance to classical scrapie in goats. “Producers use private laboratories to conduct genotyping of their goats for scrapie resistance,” she says. “There are several labs across North America to which producers can submit their samples [but] the CFIA does not have data on the number of samples that have been submitted. The proposed genetic approach is currently the most eective and economical means of protecting our national herd from scrapie.” CFIA has been conducting surveillance for scrapie in sheep since 2004 but the lack of a national identication system makes it dicult to do the same for goats. Greenwood says that, with no cure, no treatment and no vaccine for scrapie, the agency continues to engage with collaborators on developing technologies to detect scrapie earlier and mitigate the impacts of the disease on infected herds. Both the national agency and the goat industry are working toward the goal of Scrapie eradication tips CFIA recommends goat producers follow these practices to support scrapie eradication: • use pre-approved identiers to identify goats (or place identiers on them before they leave the farm), until mandatory national identication is in place for this sector; • increase the submission of mature goats for scrapie sampling; • reduce inbreeding; • select goats bred for genetic resistance for scrapie, and • buy goats from herds enrolled on the Scrapie Flock Certication Program (SFCP).
36 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCDon’t miss a single issue of Country Life in BC!SubscribeNEWS & INFORMATION YOU NEED! Thousands of BC farmers and ranchers turn to Country Life in BC every month to nd out what (and who!) is making news in BC agriculture and how it may affect their farms and agri-businesses! Your Name _______________________________________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________________________ City ________________________________________ Postal Code __________________________________ Phone _________________________ Email ____________________________________________________ www.countrylifeinbc.com/subscribePlease send a _______ year gift subscription to ________________________________________________ Farm Name ______________________________________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________________________ City ________________________________________ Postal Code ________ _________________________ CREDIT CARD # _________________________________________________________________ EXP _____________ CVV _____________ o NEW o RENEWAL | o ONE YEAR ($18.90) o T WO YEARS ($33.60) o THREE YEARS ($37.80) MAIL TO: 36 DALE RD, ENDERBY, BC V0E 1V4 | subscriptions@countrylifeinbc.com When we left o last time, Eunice’s plans to make Ashley’s graduation memorable were pushing into high gear with a little help from Newt Pullman, Clary Garrison and a 1928 Packard. Rural Redemption, Part 137, continues. Newt led Clay Garrison to the lean-to on the side of the shop where Colonel Meldrum’s 1928 Packard coupe was stored. “What do you think?” asked Newt. “I’ll bet you haven’t come across one of these before.” “Not to touch,” said Clay. “But I just might know this particular one.” “How so?” asked Newt. “Well, if I’m not mistaken, there’s a picture of my mom riding in this car in a parade the year she was a 4-H ambassador.” Newt scrolled through his memory bank. “Yes, I remember that. Must have been 30-some years ago. The car looks just the same, but you’d have a hard time recognizing the driver anymore. There’s plans afoot to get Ashley to her graduation. Part of it is you driving her in the Colonel’s old pride and joy here.” “You sure?” “Absolutely. Seems like poetic justice, don’t you think? Thirty years after your mom rides it in the fall fair parade, her son hauls his sweetheart to her graduation in it.” Clay admitted that a picture of it would take the guess work out of getting a Christmas present for his mother. Susan and Newt gave him a rundown of Eunice’s plan. Clay said they could count him in. They swore him to secrecy, and he was on his way. Susan waved as he left. Newt raised his hand. “You know what I nd funny?” she asked. “Nope.” “It’s how people here never move their hands when they wave.” “Nothing funny about that; they teach us that in school.” “They teach crummy waving in school?” “Not waving. Sign language. See, the rst thing Graduation plans sworn to secrecyWoodshed Chronicles by BOB COLLINSyou learn in school is you can’t say or do anything unless you hold your hand up. If the teacher asks a question and you know the answer, you can’t just cut to the chase and say what it is. You have to give a hand signal that you know it and wait to see if it was a rhetorical question or does the teacher really want to know. “You also need to hold your hand up when you need to get to the washroom. It’s the same signal as when you know the answer, so it gets confusing sometimes. Kind of like if drivers give the same signal no matter which way they’re turning. The only time you start wiggling your ngers is when you’re giving the bathroom signal and the teacher can’t see you or gures it might be good fun to ignore you. Wiggling your ngers means there’s nothing rhetorical about you needing to get to the washroom and everyone’s going to be sorry if you’re not on your way pretty quick. “Once you’re done with school, you don’t need to hold up your hand to give answers or get permission to pee anymore but seeing how everyone’s learned to do it anyhow, using it to say hi or bye gives everyone a chance to do something useful with their education.” “So, what are you saying? Clay left here thinking I was trying to hurry him on his way because I needed to use the bathroom?” Newt nodded. “Probably. I’d say there’s a pretty good chance your bladder is the big topic of conversation over there right now.” Susan wondered if she would ever be able to see someone wave again without remembering Newt’s explanation. “Do you think he’s serious about her?” said Susan. “Do I think who is serious about whom?” “Do you think Clay is serious about Ashley? You called her his sweetheart.” “He’s been around for a year and a half now. He seems serious enough to me.” “She talks about him all the time. I think it would break her heart if he up and left.” “I don’t get any sense of that. Clay comes from a good family and Ashley is wise beyond her years. There’s no explaining the aairs of the human heart but I’d bet good money on those two.” “Deborah is worried because she’s so young and they seem so serious.” “See if I’ve got this straight? She’s going to be 18 before the summer’s over, her mother is worried she’s too serious about her boyfriend, and her grandmother is worried her boyfriend isn’t serious enough about her. The best thing is probably for both of you to leave them alone.” “Easy for you to say. Bad relationships run in her family. Neither of us want hers to be the third in a row.” “I’m betting Ashley is well aware of that, and I’d be real surprised if she ends up going down the same road. Let’s just concentrate on getting her through her graduation.” vvv Susan brought Deborah up to speed with the graduation plan. They agreed Susan would have the best chance of talking Ashley into a dress and once she had it, Deborah should be able to convince her to have some pictures taken. Christopher said if he said anything about her graduation, she was sure to get suspicious so it would be best if he remained politely indierent. He said he was certain Lisa Lundgren would want to help with the after- party. Susan said she would call Kenneth so he could make plans to be there. They all agreed the party should be a modest gathering of a few close friends and family and they should keep the whole thing an absolute secret. Susan called Kenneth later in the day to share the plan and make sure he would be there. “This is the rst I’ve heard of it, Mother. I can’t see any good will come of me being there. I’ll send a gift.” “For heaven’s sake, Kenneth, give your head a shake. We are trying to make this a special day for Ashley. You are her father. Start acting like one and bring the gift with you when you come.” Kenneth started to grumble but Susan said she didn’t want to hear it and he needed to man up and show up. And clam up, too, because it was a surprise. Lisa’s mom, Cynthia Lundgren, called to say Christopher had asked Lisa if she wanted to help with a surprise graduation party for Ashley and Lisa thought it might be nice to have a big cake and if it was alright with Susan, Cynthia would be more than happy to make one. When Susan told Newt about the cake oer, Newt said she should take her up on it because Cynthia learned to bake from her grandmother, and nobody could bake the way Cynthia Eberhardt used to. In fact, the fall fair trophy for most points in baking was named after her. Susan called Cynthia back to thank her and ask her to keep it a secret. ... to be continued
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 37KuhnNorthAmerica.comVisit your local British Columbia KUHN dealer today!INVEST IN QUALITY®www.kuhn.comMatsqui Ag-RepairAbbotsfordNorthline EquipmentPouce CoupeHuber Farm EquipmentPrince GeorgeSmithersStandard drawbar or 2-pointGyrodine® swivel hitch for tight turnsAllows wide spreading to over 90%of cut width for accelerated drydownLubed-for-life Optidisc®cutterbar and Fast-Fit® bladesFinger, rubber roller or steel roller conditioning - adjustable for any cropFAST MOWING, FAST DRYDOWNFC TC CENTER-PIVOT Mower Conditioners10’2” - 14’4” working widthsRONDA PAYNE ALDERGROVE – A much-beloved tree in many Lower Mainland backyards, the sour cherry produces fruit desired by chefs, bakers and brewers for its strong avour. While just 125 tons of the fruit is produced in BC each year, a fraction of the province’s lucrative sweet cherry crop, it’s been the sweet spot for the Horsting family of Cherry Jubilee in Aldergrove. Jo-Ann Horsting and husband Marinus have owned the four-acre farm for 42 years, rst planting Montmorency and Morello sour cherries in 1980. During that rst decade, what Horsting refers to as the “big years of production,” their fruit sold on the world market. Marinus’s uncle got them into the crop. He’d had 20 acres of the trees and was a part owner of frozen food company Westvale Foods. The Horstings picked their fruit and sent it to Westvale for processing. Canada was and remains a small producer, harvesting just 8,100 tons in 1985, or less than 1% of the global sour cherry crop of more than 1 million tons. The big players were machine harvesting their fruit, something the Horstings’ small scale didn’t warrant. “We were hand-picking fruit that was machine-picked globally,” says Horsting. So they turned their attention to the fresh market and began to sell locally. They found customers hankering for the fruit. “The majority of our clients were octogenarian European ladies up on 10-to-12-foot ladders,” she says. “We used to say, ‘When all of our customer die, then who’s going to take over?’ Beer. We didn’t see that coming.” Craft brewers seek out sour cherries for their sharp fruit avour, something muted in the prole of sweet cherries. The demand is a good thing for the Horstings, especially this year, when their entire crop was damaged by the extraordinary late June heat wave. Typically sought out by chefs, European bakers and curious foodies as well as brewers, this year’s cherries were only good for juice. The skins slide o the sunburned berries when pitting, leaving a messy bunch of esh that won’t work for pretty desserts. But brewers don’t care about the mess; they want the avour. So the cherries remain on the tree until their sugars develop to more than 15%, which is the Horstings’ standard. “The industry standard for sugar content in a sour cherry is 12%,” she says. This focus on delivering the best avours is what has led to a more robust oering at the orchard. “Trees are like people, they produce lots when they are young,” she says. “They live to about 25 or so.” That makes the Cherry Jubilee trees – in tree years – older than the European women who rst clamoured for the opportunity to climb a ladder and pick the Horstings’ cherries. In the early years, bacterial canker wiped out a number of trees and the Horstings replanted that block. However, as the trees have aged, disease pressures have reduced the orchard to less than half its original size and they’ve not replanted. “To replant these trees would require a huge investment in infrastructure,” she says. With climate change, the cool weather that characterized the region has disappeared and irrigation has become an issue. Where drainage was the focus of the property in the 1980s, now they’ve got to pipe in water. “I remember years when we were picking in the absolute pouring rain,” she says. “In the last seven years, the date from full bloom to harvest, we’ve seen that reduce from 90 days to 75. That happened gradually over time.” The focus now is to maintain the trees and add other oerings that appeal to foodies. “We’re looking at the farm-to-table realm because we’ve had chefs [buy] and we’ll do things for them,” she explains. “We have black currants, we have gooseberries.” They have also started growing peppers that originate from New Mexico, and true Italian tomatoes. “We’re not doing run-of-the-mill stu,” she says. “We’re on the fringes. We’re doing things no one else is doing. We’re going to continue the diversication.” Now retired from their day jobs, the Horstings say it’s important to provide products their customers want, while ensuring work on the farm is kept at a manageable level. Cherry grower diversifies as orchard declinesSour cherries hit by a changing climate, changing tastesJo-Ann Horsting and her husband Marinus have maintained an orchard of sour cherry trees in Aldergrove for 42 years, but the trees are aging out and the demand for fruit isn’t what it used to be. RONDA PAYNE
38 | AUGUST 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCThis is a spicy, avourful way to barbecue chicken. You could use boneless breasts or thighs. 3 tbsp. (45 ml) lime juice 2 tbsp. (30 ml) olive oil 2 tbsp. (30 ml) fresh rosemary 1 tsp. (5 ml) minced garlic • Combine fresh lime juice and olive oil. • Put the garlic and the whole spices with the ground ones in a spice grinder and pulverize. Add to the lime juice and olive oil mixture. • Use this marinade to coat the chicken pieces well and refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes or up to four hours. • Oil barbecue grill and pre-heat to medium. Barbecue chicken pieces until just cooked through. • Serves 4-6. MEXICAN CHICKENLet watermelon add colour to your summer greens. JUDIE STEEVESEats for a hot summer dayThis is a refreshing salad for a hot summer day, with the juicy sweetness of the melon contrasting with salty feta cheese and fresh basil or mint over crisp greens with a drizzle of lime. 2-4 c. (500 ml-1l) greens 2 c. (500 ml) cubed watermelon 1/2 c. (125 ml) crumbled feta cheese • Tear greens such as spinach, crisp lettuce or a mix of greens into a serving bowl. • In another bowl, combine chunks of watermelon, crumbled feta, chopped sweet onion such as Walla Walla or Vidalia and sprinkle with the juice of half a lime and the sea salt. • Mix together gently and spoon over the greens. • Sprinkle shredded fresh basil or mint over top, along with a handful of sun-dried black olives. • Serves 2-4 WATERMELON & FETA SALAD1/4 c. (60 ml) chopped sweet onion 1/2 lime, juiced 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) sea salt 1 tbsp. (15 ml) shredded basil or mint a few sun-dried black olives 1 tsp. (5 ml) cumin seeds 1 tsp. (5 ml) coriander seeds 1 tsp. (5 ml) chili powder 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) salt Use grilled fresh BC corn for the best avour. Great with spicy chicken or ham, pork or taco chips. Vary ingredients and quantities to your taste, but chop nely. 3-4 cobs grilled corn sweet red pepper sweet red onion cucumber jalapeno pepper • Shuck and grill the corn on the cob on the barbecue, scraping it o the cob into a bowl with a variety of other ingredients, once it’s cooked. • Finely dice about a half a red pepper and a small red onion, along with an English cucumber and jalapeño pepper, to your taste. • Combine lime juice, cider vinegar, nely-minced garlic, paprika, cumin, and salt and pepper, to your taste. • You may also add minced Roma tomatoes, avocados and/or green peppers—or with the sweetness of fresh, local B.C. peaches or nectarines. Sprinkle with minced fresh cilantro leaves. . MEXI CORN SALSA1 tbsp. (15 ml) lime juice 1 tsp. (5 ml) cider vinegar 1 clove minced garlic 1 tsp. (5 ml) paprika As the mercury climbs, my inclination to turn on the oven or stove dips, so the barbecue is one of my go-to answers to the requirement to put meals in front of people by the middle of the hot weather season. Salads are another mainstay. Appetites jaded by this summer’s heat also need a pick-me-up with a punch of avour from fresh herbs, garlic, ginger, lemon and lime, along with a pinch of spicy heat. As summer winds down, gardens, farmer’s markets and produce sections boast a bounty of late-ripening BC summer fruits and vegetables, from tree fruits and berries, to squashes, melons, tomatoes and peppers. Enjoy their full avours before the snow ies and their lushness is replaced by the bland avours from produce imported from warmer climes, or by the summer avours altered by canning, freezing, drying or preserving in oil. Now is the time to capture those delicious fresh avours in preserves of one sort or another. You likely can dry your third harvest of herbs such as oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage, and you may already have pesto in the freezer made from the abundance of basil grown amongst your tomato plants. I freeze extra tomatoes whole on a sheet pan and toss them into a freezer bag ready for a variety of uses until next season. You can also can them or dry them. Most important of all, enjoy all the fresh BC produce now, while it’s at its peak. Jude’s Kitchen JUDIE STEEVES1/4 tsp. (1 ml) pepper 6 boneless chicken breasts or 6-8 boneless thighs 1 tsp. (5 ml) cumin salt pepper cilantro leaves Don’t forget to RENEW yourSubscription.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2021 | 39TRACTORS/EQUIPMENT TRACTORS/EQUIPMENTLIVESTOCKIRRIGATIONREAL ESTATEREAL ESTATEWANTEDFOR SALEHAYSEEDBERRIESFor Tissue Culture Derived Plants of New Varieties of Haskaps, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Saskatoon Berries and Sour Cherries, Please Contact:DISEASE FREE PLANTING STOCK OF NEW BERRY CROPS 4290 Wallace Hill Road, Kelowna, BC, V1W 4B6info@agriforestbiotech.com250.764.2224www.agriforestbiotech.com NEW POLYETHYLENE TANKS of all shapes & sizes for septic and water storage. Ideal for irrigation, hydropon-ics, washdown, lazy wells, rain water, truck box, fertizilizer mixing & spray-ing. Call 1-800-661-4473 for closest distributor. Manufactured in Delta by Premier Plastics Inc. premierplastics.com. Feeders & Panels that maintain their value!ROUND BALE FEEDERS BIG SQUARE BALE FEEDERS FENCE PANELS CATTLE & HORSE FEEDERSHeavy duty oil field pipe bale feeders. 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Silverhills Lowlines 250-547-6465 littlecow@telus.netZcXjj`Ô\[j7Zflekipc`]\`eYZ%ZfdfiZXcc1-'+%*)/%*/(+C@E<8;J1),nfi[jfic\jj#d`e`dld(*gclj>JK#\XZ_X[[`k`feXcnfi[`j%),;@JGC8P8;J1),gclj>JKg\iZfclde`eZ_M[WYY[fjcW`ehYh[Z_jYWhZi$SEPTEMBER DEADLINE AUG 22Irrigation Pipe | Traveling Gun/Hose ReelsPivots | Pumps | Power UnitsCall for a quote on Irrigation Design and our current inventory of new & used Irrigation Equipment.Several used 1,200ft pivots & used hose reels available now.TALK TO BROCK 250.319.3044Dynamic Irrigation beyedynamic@gmail.com HAYLAGE EXCELLENT QUALITY HAYLAGE Delivery available on Vancouver Island and along the Trans Canada Hwy corridor in BC. 250-727-1966• LOAD TRAIL TRAILER, 2015, 18’, 14,000 lb axles, side-in ramps, 1000 km, New Cond. $6,800 • NEW HOLLAND 8 row hyd fold corn head for a self propelled har-vester, Claus style, can be fitted to JD, $12,500. • IH and GEHL 3 row corn heads, $1500 each • FELLA TEDDER 6-Star, folds back, low acres, $5500 • KUBOTA FLAIL MOWER, 50” 3ph, $1950. • FLAIL PADDLE MOWER, 9’ Draw-bar Pull, Swath Boards, 540 PTO, $1750. • FLAIL CHOPPERS with Spouts, NH 5’, $1750. 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Lots of updates. MLS R2590538 $549,900 ESCAPE the city. Two lots in Willor River, 22,500 sq ft. MLS R2591708, $49,900 BRING your ideas. 4.07 acre building lot in Miworth. MLSR2593015 $175,000 STUNNING LAKE VIEWS. Execu-tive home, 3 bed/4 bath. MLS R2593375 $769,900 PRIVATE acreage south of Ques-nel. 5.9 acres, 6 bed/3 bath home, garage, barn, workshop. MLS R2594685. $355,000 145 ACRES Develop into a farm or private retreat. 5 bed/2bath home. MLS R2565420, $649,900 COUNTRY ESTATE 5 acres, 2,800 sq ft 3 bed/3 bath home; horselovers delight. 2-bay shop. MLS R2556910 $889,900 69+ ACRES ON RIVER Approx 50 acres in hay. River, road access. MLS R2569334 $785,000 RANCH PARADISE 700 acres, 5 titles, 2864 sq ft ranch-style main house. Shop, barn, greenhouse, 160 acres in hay. MSL C8038028 $1,244,421 VANDERHOOF 5.15 building lot. R2575990 $79,900 GRAND FORKS 27.74 acres less than 5 miles to US border. MLS 2456824 $1,200,000 CONCRETE & GRAVEL BUSINESS Full line of equipment. Comes with lease for gravel extraction. MLS C8020796 $599,900 10070 MCBRIDE TIMBER RD. An outstanding agricultural 445 acre property enjoys a pastoral private setting & lovely views of moun-tains to the east. This attractive home was extensively renovated in 1998 plus some recent updates. MLS R2604494 55 ACRES Development potential close to airport. MLS R2435958, $599,900 112.02 ACRES IN CITY LIMITS. Potential for development. MLS R2435725. $1,300,000 PRINCE GEORGE & AREA RURAL LOTS see MLS: R2531431; R2531443; R2603761; R2603767; R2603772; R2603775 Carrie Nicholson PREC* 250-614-6766 couADVERTISING THAT WORKS!YOURHelping YouFARM NEWS UPDATESURg YougYouWS1-888-770-7333
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