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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. 109 No.8The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 AUGUST 2023 | Vol. 109 No. 8 ACCESS Peace Region land-sharing proposal nixed 7 FRUIT Huge cherry crop sparks dumping allegations 11 FIRE Watchdog calls for overhaul of fire management 17 PETER MITHAM TAYLOR — Ranchers and livestock producers took it on the chin in 2021 and into 2022 as the heat dome then drought curtailed forage production in the Interior and on the Prairies. A repeat performance is shaping up this year, with low moisture levels on the Prairies set to reduce yields of feed grains. This will boost pressure on producers in BC, where hay production is down by half in many regions and grains were at a pivotal moment heading into August. “There denitely is going to be challenges with the drought,” says Jennifer Critcher, who farms near Taylor, just west of Dawson Creek. Critcher says she’s never seen it this dry this early in the season. While row crops are holding on, the prospect of an extended period of hot, dry weather is raising worries. “We just don't know what that's going to look like going forward,” she says. On July 14, BC followed Saskatchewan’s lead and announced a higher writeo level for grain and oilseeds so low-yielding crops could be used for livestock feed without impacting insurance benets. But even the diversion of subpar grains won’t fully cover the needs of livestock producers, many of whom are selling o animals to avoid having to feed them. “Unfortunately, the feed shortage is not unique to British Columbian and is being felt throughout western Canada,” the province said. Matt and Selena Lawrence know two heads are better than one in life and in business as they work to establish a hydroponic greenhouse in Cumberland producing four types of lettuce. The small-scale operation was ideal for the growing family, and makes efcient use of water resources to produce 2,000 heads of lettuce a week. Read their story on page 29. FOREST VALLEY ACRESDrought threatens feed supplyPETER MITHAM DUNCAN – Record-low water levels in streams and aquifers across the province have prompted the BC Ministry of Forests to crack down on illegal water use as drought conditions intensify. Several farms on southern Vancouver Island reported visits by natural resource ocers the week of July 18, days after the province elevated Vancouver Island to Level 5, the most severe of the province’s drought ratings. “It looks like they’re going after non-licensed users, which is what we would expect them Turning off the tapsIllegal water use targetedLettuce grow!Farmers urged uFeed shortage u1-800-661-4559www.tlhort.comForage & Turf Seed • Plant Nutrition Crop Protection•Supplies•ServiceRooted in your community® since 1973

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2 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC“The [agriculture] ministry is working closely with partners on the ground, such as the BC Cattleman's Association and BC Dairy, to identify additional sources of feed. If any additional feed is secured, it will be distributed to producers.” A survey of members by the BC Cattlemen’s Association indicates that more than 60% of ranchers say there is no hay available locally. The BC Cattlemen’s Association has hired a hay scout to identify possible suppliers across Western Canada and into the US. Bryce Rashleigh of Saanichton Farms on Vancouver Island led a “Hay East” initiative that sent Island hay to the Interior in 2021 but he says that won’t be happening this year. “Our yields are generally down 30% to 40%, so I expect all of the local forage production to stay on Vancouver Island,” he says. And it’s not over yet. Dry conditions that have been stalking the province since last fall continue to deepen, with eight of the province’s 34 water basins now at Level 5, the most severe on the province’s six-level drought scale. A further 13 regions were at Level 4 as of July 21, with dry conditions trending six weeks ahead of the historical norm. The conditions will further challenge dryland hay producers in the central and northern parts of the province who Mark Raymond, executive director of the agriculture resource division within the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, says have been most impacted by this year’s drought. Producers with access to irrigation are in a better position, with no watershed closures in place as of July 20 despite deteriorating conditions. Speaking to media on July 20, Dave Campbell, head of the River Forecast Centre with the BC Ministry of Forests said he didn’t see any immediate concerns to water supplies across the province, but noted that restrictions were subject to ongoing discussions. With les from Kate Ayers to do in a drought situation,” says Elaine Stovin, assistant general manager with the BC Cattlemen’s Association. The association reports that water for livestock has not yet been impacted by compliance eorts. The focus to date appears to be water for irrigation. A survey of BC Cattlemen’s members found water supplies for at least half were well below average for July. Well owners on Vancouver Island initially received letters from the BC Ministry of Forests’ Water Sustainability Branch warning of dry conditions in May, followed by invitations to voluntary reduce water use. “All water licence holders connected to drought-sensitive sources have been asked to reduce water use at this time,” ministry sta told Country Life in BC. “The province is actively monitoring conditions, and will restrict water usage by water licence holders if voluntary compliance does not result in the necessary reductions in usage to protect aquatic ecosystems.” Sta said unauthorized users in the Koksilah watershed were ordered to cease extractions in mid July. The campaign signals a move to proactive follow-up with unlicensed water users, including owners of existing wells. Owners of wells active prior to February 2016 had until March 1, 2022 to apply for a groundwater licence in order to keep their historic water rights and give them priority over other users during periods of scarcity. That scenario is now coming to pass. Speaking to media during the province’s regular drought update on July 20, David Campbell, head of the River Forecast Centre with the BC Ministry of Forests, said more than half of the province’s 350-odd streamow monitors are reporting ows at 5% of normal or less. This has been exacerbated by record-low precipitation. “In most areas of the province. we’re sitting at precipitation decits – the gap between how much rain we would typically see and what we have seen – in the range of 100 to 250 mm. In some areas of the coast, we’re seeing that those precipitation decits are on the order of hundreds of millimetres,” Campbell says. “We really are looking at the requirement for months of above-normal rainfall to get us back to a reset.” Groundwater gauges are also reporting exceptionally low levels, with close to half at 10% or less. “We really do see the impacts of what I might call a multiyear drought but also the long-term persistence of dry weather and lack of recharge,” he says. “Places like Vancouver Island, this is a record dry spell.” Signs of a greater focus on enforcement have been growing for several months. A natural resource ocer visited two farms on the Sunshine Coast last winter following reports of unauthorized water extractions. A broiler farm in the Duncan area – unnamed by both the province and the BC Chicken Marketing Board, which acknowledged the challenges of water availability in the Koksilah watershed – was ordered to stop drawing water in May pending the development of a mitigation plan to minimize its impact on streamows. It faced the threat of nes for its illegal extractions. The crackdown doesn’t surprise Haley Argen of Nature Tech Nursery in Courtenay “There are many who did not apply for a water licence and continue to use water,” she says. “The rst people who will get shut down are the people who haven’t applied for a licence and are using water, at this point illegally. That just seems like logic.” She expects natural resource ocers to be reasonable when it comes to shutdowns, shutting down other water users before cutting o farmers. But she says the only people in her watershed the ministry sent warning letters to were licensed well owners. “Residential users here? They all have wells, and none of them have been asked. Many of them probably don’t even know that there’s an issue,” she says. “What’s more important? The food that farmers are producing, or your swimming pool and your hot tub and your clean car and u Farmers urged to reduce water use u Feed shortage imminentFamily Farm Friendly Financial Planning Services.Holistic ﬁnancial planning for your family farm now and into the future. Patrick’s proven ﬁnancial and estate planning program provides income, security, and tax minimization to help ensure the most effective decisions are made now, and on an ongoing basis.Please contact me to schedule your complimentary, no-obligation discussion at 604.467.5321 | patrick.obrien@rbc.com References are available.1.877.272.2002 | www.patrick-obrien.ca#200-11980 227th St. Maple Ridge, B.C. V2X 6J2Prudent | Practical | ProfessionalDr. Patrick O’Brien, DVM, FMA, CIMSenior Wealth Advisor | Financial Planneryour fancy owers and your green lawn?” Similar tensions are brewing elsewhere. On the Sunshine Coast, outdoor watering, including by farmers, is cut o before indoor water users such as breweries and food processors face restrictions. Sunshine Coast growers are urging the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food to protect agricultural water use from local government restrictions, but the province has so far focused on working with farmers to upgrade irrigation practices and equipment. On June 27, the ministry announced a three-year program providing $20 million for agricultural water infrastructure including improved water storage and water-supply projects. 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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 3Triple-threat challenges Island, Interior producersKATE AYERS PORT ALBERNI – Between drought and wildfires, Terry Shannon of Shannon Farms in Port Alberni has experienced an “interesting summer” so far, and it’s only the middle of July. “Basically, we haven't had any real moisture here since the beginning of May – I would say basically less than a millimetre since then,” Shannon says. “The ground was actually dry when we finished our first cut. Shannon and his family milk around 200 cows and grow forage crops on just over 800 acres. Port Alberni has a unique microclimate that makes it a bit warmer than many other parts of BC, Shannon says, but it also makes rain essential. Spring rainfall over the past 40 years has averaged 234 mm. This year was in line with the historical average, but most of it fell in April. Since then, just 29 mm have fallen. “We have extensive irrigation on the farm. But irrigation is more of a Band-Aid, at least in the volumes that we can move, than a solution. It's not the same as rain by any means,” Shannon says. “Irrigation isn't for free either. There’s money spent moving it, money spent on parts and pieces keeping all the irrigation infrastructure running.” The farm has not seen a “normal” season since 2017, Shannon says. “Over the last five or six years, there has definitely been a change, certainly in the amount of moisture that we see during the growing season,” he says. Last year, for example, was dry through October but there was moisture during a critical six-week period of the growing season, which made a difference in feed production. To manage the feed shortfall, Shannon has bought hay and reduced cow numbers. In addition, the Cameron Bluffs wildfire continues to impact Shannon Farms due to ongoing closures of Highway 4, the only road into and out of Port Alberni. The fire came within 30 km of the operation. “Milk delivery is still being affected. They have to deal with these closures and single-lane alternating traffic. The milk trucks have been picking up at 6:30 am so they can get in and out before they close the road at 9 am. People are doing their best to work around it,” Shannon says. Grasshoppers on rampage In the Interior, drought conditions have brought on a “devastating” horde of grasshoppers. According to a BC Cattlemen’s Association survey, 40% of ranchers report moderate to severe grasshopper infestations. The worst impacts have been in the Thompson and Similkameen regions. “Last year there was a fair number of grasshoppers. This year it’s an epidemic on my properties,” says Linda Allison of Allison Creek Ranch in Princeton. “I have open native grasslands, I have a tiny bit of irrigated hay land and irrigated pasture and they have taken a lot of the grasslands right down to dirt in many places.” When Allison goes to turn on the sprinklers in the irrigated pasture, a carpet of grasshoppers lifts off with a buzz like a small airplane. The grasshoppers moved into the area around mid-June, so Allison ended up cutting a 40-acre hayfield early to try to salvage what was left of the crop. Catherine Brown of Copper Creek Ranch in Princeton also cut hay a week earlier than normal. “It'll affect feed quality because so much leaf is being robbed off the plant because that's what they go for. They eat a lot of the leaves and leave the stems,” Brown says. She is transitioning her ranch to regenerative practices and moving away from chemical sprays as a form of insect management. But this year, spraying made no difference. The grasshoppers were still rampant and caused extensive damage to forages. “Early June, I sprayed for grasshoppers, but because there are so many grasshoppers in areas that aren't sprayed, they've now moved into my hay field,” Allison says. Sixty years ago, Allison says the province ran a grasshopper control program. Grasshopper beds would be sprayed in late spring prior to emergence. The lack of spraying and prolonged dry conditions have created the perfect conditions for a population explosion. “Grasshopper eggs can stay in the ground for many, many, many years – 20 to 30 years – until conditions are good for them to hatch,” she says. “In my particular area in Princeton, we have not had huge snowpacks and we have not had a lot of rain for quite a number of years. So, I'm assuming that is what has precipitated the huge outbreak of grasshoppers that are here right now.” Thick as thieves. 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Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, that portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for signature will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error which advertises goods or services at a wrong price, such goods or services need not be sold at the advertised price. Advertising is an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. All advertising is accepted subject to publisher’s approval. All of Country Life in British Columbia’s content is covered by Canadian copyright law. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Country Life in British Columbia. Letters are welcome, though they may be edited in the interest of brevity before publication. All errors brought to our attention will be corrected.36 Dale Road, Enderby BC V0E 1V4 . 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.109 No. 8 . AUGUST 2023Published monthly by Country Life 2000 Ltd. www.countrylifeinbc.comWe live in a vibrant food democracy. Unlike our political democracy wherein various elections are held several years apart and a discouraging number of voters don’t even bother to participate, most people vote for their preferred food three times a day. How they exercise those food choices determines what the system that delivers it to them looks like, and consequently, where and how the food they eat is grown. For the past 50 years, these choices have been made in BC against the backdrop of a perceived feel-good food insurance policy aorded by the Agricultural Land Reserve. In most cases, the system that places food choices before consumers is so convoluted that precious few of them could ever connect the dots that would trace any of their choices to a specic piece of ALR land. It is accepted on faith that the government is saving farmland; therefore, someone must be farming it; therefore, that’s probably where the food comes from. Direct farm market customers, farm market supporters and home gardeners will be quick to point out how simply and directly they are connected to at least part of their food system. Unfortunately, they are a tiny constituency dwarfed by an overwhelming majority who cast their food system votes in favour of a few national and multinational grocery retailers, restaurant chains and home delivery services. Relatively few British Columbians live close enough to producing farms or markets to make signicant food purchases. Many who are close enough lack the time or desire to do so and even steadfast farm market supporters are likely regular supermarket shoppers as well. Convenience, selection and time are a winning combination and a sure vote-getter in the food democracy. Almost half of the land in the ALR belongs to someone. In the 2021 Census of Agriculture, BC reported 15,841 farmers or ranchers. The number of farms and the farmed acreage is in ongoing, steady decline. Fewer operators are farming less acreage. In 2021, only 25 cents of every dollar earned by BC farm or ranch operators was generated by agriculture. Some earned nearly all of their income through agriculture, but it provided little or none for the 66% who grossed less than $50,000. The ALR has been largely successful in protecting land capable of supporting agriculture from other uses, and providing some comfort to those who might worry where all that food in the supermarket comes from. What is abundantly clear is that the food system that has emerged in the last 50 years is not a good t with many of the farming operations that still exist. Large protable operations expand and nd a home supplying the system most consumers have voted for. The smaller ones are left to nibble around the nancial edges seeking an innovative prot strategy or throwing in the towel. There are a lot of hurdles. Doing something dierent or doing it better might be just the ticket but too often there is a bandwagon eect to any small successful endeavour that quickly leads to a saturated market that will lead to a ruthless culling. Survival may be a matter of nothing more than good luck or deep pockets. Recent visits to two Kelowna-area wineries are a case in point. One is a small multi-generational operation that runs almost exclusively on family labour. It has a loyal customer base. In looking to embrace the next generation, the owner would like to expand the vineyard. The asking price for productive vineyard land is currently $350,000 to $450,000 an acre, two and a half to three times as much as any lender considers prudent. The second is a large lakefront facility with moorage, restaurant, tasting program, retail store and private beach. The owner has made other land acquisitions including 310 acres in Rutland, 820 acres in Vernon and 13 acres of Osoyoos lakefront. All of this nanced with some of the $575 million dollars the owner realized from the sale of his dating app in 2015. Like so many small agricultural endeavours, success and succession will depend on growth of production or income. Given the challenges inherent in trying to establish or grow an agricultural business, a source of nancing and income is almost always a prerequisite of the expanded production that might lead to nancial success. If the ALR is going to remain relevant to retaining functioning agriculture on much of the land it is designed to save, there will need to be some broad political will to equip the land with more promise than a protracted and highly regulated struggle to make ends meet. For many, particularly small-lot producers, farming has become an exercise in nancially subsidizing the preservation of land in the ALR. Why do they bother? Is it really an integral part of the food system? The daily votes from the food democracy would seem to suggest otherwise. Bob Collins raises beef cattle and grows produce on his farm in the Alberni Valley. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.4 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCPublic serviceFifty years ago, a report from the Crop Quality Council in the US of a quip that’s become a maxim in some circles. Remarking on the challenges of forecasting future crop prices in the face of government measures, the report said one of the three phrases most likely to be met with scepticism was, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Thirteen years later, in August 1986, US President Ronald Reagan declared them the nine most terrifying words in the English language, transforming the penny-wisdom into a gold nugget. Despite the province’s announcement of some $200 million for various food security initiatives earlier this year, scepticism of government initiatives is alive and well in BC. It’s the anxious twin to the equally strong sense many in Canada have that government’s role is to take care of us, particularly the most vulnerable. And farmers are feeling particularly vulnerable these days, both from more variable and extreme weather patterns as well as competing expectations that have put them on the defensive against those who see them as providers of social goods and services well beyond local food security. While trying to manage the impact of a record drought on their operations, Vancouver Island farmers face visits from natural resource ocers keen to verify their water sources. In the Peace, local government endorsed an initiative to respect the treaty rights of local First Nations without consulting landowners, conrming mistrust of government’s good intentions. Others say that government programs need to have simpler applications with less paperwork so farmers can access their benets more easily. Some local governments are pursuing initiatives that aim to reduce paperwork and even bring agricultural expertise in house to directly address rural issues. A network of regional producer groups is creating opportunities for farmers to advise BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food sta, though how much of those conversations will translate into action has yet to be seen. Yet the signs are promising. Food democracy will decide relevance of ALRBack 40 BOB COLLINSPublisher 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 Dry enough for ya, PW?Government initiatives aren’t necessarily bad. But trust is something cultivated rather than claimed. The hiring of new extension sta over the past year, some of whom have long-standing relationships with growers is a good start. But plenty of work remains to be done before the public service is seen to be delivering what its name promises.

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Reconciliation is more than just a land dealShifting Indigenous-settler relationships create new challenges for agricultureCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 5contact with Europeans: however, unlike in Eastern Canada, there was no acknowledgement of Indigenous rights and no negotiation with Indigenous inhabitants prior to European settlement. The British-American Oregon Treaty of 1846 established an international border at the 49th parallel, and the British Colonial Oce issued the Hudson’s Bay Company a grant to draw settlers to Vancouver Island and set up a Crown colony. The British assumption of Crown sovereignty continued from there. The Crown-Indigenous relationship from the 1850s onwards can be summarized as a power struggle over land ownership and use, described in settler terms as opening the West (the land seen as largely empty and available for development and resource extraction) and described in Indigenous terms as a systematic, deliberate process of dispossession, dependency and oppression. In recent years, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Indigenous protests and works by Indigenous and settler scholars and authors have brought to wide public attention the instruments of colonial domination, such as the Indian Act and residential schools, and the related costs Indigenous peoples continue to pay. Agriculture was recruited into the colonial experiment, with Britain inviting farmers to settle and take up land in Canada. (My grandfather and father took advantage of this.) According to Indigenous farmer Jacob Beaton of Tea Creek Farm in Gitxsan territory, many Indigenous peoples in BC were originally agriculturalists but had to fall back on hunting and gathering because under the terms of the Indian Act, lobbied for by settler farmers, Indigenous people were limited, among other measures, to farm sizes of no more than 20 acres and with hand tools rather than mechanical implements. The sticking point at the heart of this unnished business is that the Crown, having built a settler state on its unsupported land claim, refuses to relinquish sovereignty or control. Indigenous peoples insist these facts be understood and their pre-existing sovereignty be recognized and appropriately addressed. The provincial government, with the federal government, has been moving towards increasing recognition of Indigenous rights and self-determination. The BC Treaty Commission was formed in 1992 to develop “fair and durable treaties and agreements” with First Nations. About half of the 203 eligible First Nations (dened as Indian Act bands) decided to join the multi-year, six-step process. Eight have completed treaties. Other First Nations have refused to join, saying the treaty process fails to fully address the central question of Indigenous sovereignty. In 2019, the provincial government passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) and the treaty commission updated its guiding policy to reect this. Currently a DRIPA Secretariat is working on alignment of existing legislation with DRIPA with a ve-year (2022-27) cross-government action plan that touches on agriculture, as well as forests and water. How this will aect the central question of Indigenous sovereignty remains to be seen. For agriculture, Barnett sees reconciliation as involving “learning from and including traditional knowledge in our food system and land management, supporting food security in Indigenous communities, and advancing issues around rights and title. “Indigenous groups will increasingly hold leadership and decision-making roles in legislation, policy and planning,” she says. “Whether we're talking about wildlife, trees, soil or water, increasingly there's going to be Indigenous governments involved.” These shifts could impact how agriculture accesses and uses lands and resources, which Barnett acknowledges is “challenging and scary for individual producers.” Information can help. Your commodity or farm association or the BC Agriculture Council may have resources on reconciliation issues; there is a lot online. It will also be important for producers to participate in government land and water use planning processes, as well as help with industry associations’ committee work. Barnett views reconciliation as an opportunity to build community and good personal relationships with Indigenous neighbours and hopes to see more opportunities for stakeholders and Indigenous communities to build understanding and collaborative solutions. John Anderson, who ranches near Merritt in Syilx territory, agrees. “We look after big chunks of Crown land that we share with our First Nations neighbours,” he says. “We need to have land users clearly understand what the relationship of our native people is with the land and … work with them to make that happen.” The place we call BC and its story would not exist without the presence of Indigenous peoples. All of us who live here are fortunate to do so, and those of us who benet from the Crown’s claim have a responsibility to understand our history and its implications, and to seek good relations with our Indigenous neighbours, even to ask how we can be better citizens of the territories we acknowledge. Kathleen Gibson lives and grows food in Lekwungen territory/Victoria, BC. She is a food systems policy analyst some years into reconciliation work. Acknowledgement of Indigenous territory is becoming common practice at the start of meetings. It’s a reminder that ownership of BC’s land base remains contested and unresolved, and it implicates the agriculture industry in a complex, entangled, ongoing relationship with Indigenous peoples. It’s also a reminder of the responsibility for reconciliation. “Our operation relies heavily on licenced access to public land and resources, and as we know, British Columbia is largely unceded territory, which means that there's actually legal questions around who owns the land,” says policy analyst Andrea Barnett, who ranches near Savona in Secwepemc territory. In the settler view, today about 94% of the 95 million hectares governed by the civil province of BC is publicly (government) owned provincial Crown land, 5% is privately owned, and 1% is federal Crown land. Indigenous-owned land is less than 0.5% of the whole. In the Indigenous view, the online First People’s Map of BC shows the provincial land base covered by intersecting and overlapping territories of Indigenous peoples and 20-30 language groups. Most of the Indigenous territory in the province is unceded: land that has neither been surrendered to, nor legally acquired by, the Crown. 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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 7Peace landowners say they want to be consulted before any future land-sharing arrangement with Treaty 8 First Nations. An initial proposal met stiff resistance in June and the proposal was withdrawn. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / AW MCPHEE Farm & Rural ResidentialProperties in the Peace Country are our specialtyAnne H. ClaytonMBA, AACI P App, RIAppraiserJudi LeemingBHE, CRA P AppAppraiser250.782.1088info@aspengrovepropertyservices.ca www.aspengrovepropertyservices.cawww.hlaattachments.com 1-866-567-4162 KATE AYERS FORT ST. JOHN – Widespread opposition from landowners in the Peace has nixed a bid by four First Nations to initiate a treaty land sharing arrangement in the region similar to one that exists in Saskatchewan. Doig River, Halfway River, Prophet River and West Moberly First Nations – all signatories to Treaty 8 – had initially won support for a proposal put forward by Scion Strategies Ltd. principal and former Dawson Creek mayor Dale Bumstead that would allow First Nations members to access private land to exercise their treaty rights, including gathering medicines, hunting, shing, harvesting and holding ceremonies. However, information spread through a social media campaign by opponents raised concerns among landowners. “The proposal being brought forward is to allow First Nations persons access 24/7, 365 days a year at will, without permission, to carry out their cultural activities,” local resident and former dairy farmer Esther Pedersen, now a hay and horse farmer, said in a notice emailed to local residents about the meeting. “This includes gathering plants and mushrooms, but also includes hunting.” The notice attracted a raucous crowd to a meeting the Peace River Regional District hosted at the Pomeroy Hotel in Fort St. John, June 8, where the lack of consultation with landowners took centre stage. “Discussion and opinion of local landowners and agricultural producers has not occurred,” Landry Women’s Institute president Lynn Norman wrote in her submission to the committee, noting that the institute isn’t against treaty land sharing in itself but landowners need to be consulted. The Peace River District Women’s Institute expressed similar sentiments in its statement. “Peace River District Women’s Institutes is concerned that the rural landowners were not informed of this concept of ‘Treaty Land Sharing,’” says institute secretary Jill Copes. “Most landowners are willing to allow people on their land, but with permission and respect. … The RD has also indicated that they would re-establish the Agriculture Advisory Committee to provide a voice for the rural residents.” Saskatchewan model The proposed Treaty Land Sharing Network is modelled on a similar but unaffiliated initiative in Saskatchewan that was launched in July 2021. While it has been celebrated in the farm media, it didn’t come to be without first addressing producer concerns. “The idea for the Treaty Land Sharing Network was really a response to diminishing land access for Indigenous people and also very real concerns about safety when it comes to land access,” says co-founder of Saskatchewan’s Treaty Land Sharing Network Valerie Zink. “And farmers wanting to come together to create safe spaces that Indigenous people can access.” Discussions with ranchers and producers in the area about the network began in 2018 and those involved established partnerships with First Nations’ community leaders as well as other individuals, organizations and tribal councils across Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 communities. “The only people who are members of the network are those who want to be, who agree with the principles and protocols of the network,” Zink says. “It's an initiative of landholders who wanted to, you know, move forward differently in Saskatchewan and who felt an urge to take some concrete action at a grassroots level. … So, it's really coming from landholders.” Because of the positive experiences within and Peace Region land-sharing proposal nixedFirst Nations withdraw bid success of the program in Saskatchewan, Zink has been involved in discussions with a group in Alberta that proposed a Treaty Land Sharing Network pilot program in April 2022. However, the group in Saskatchewan was not part of any conversations or consultations on the proposal in BC. “We have no affiliation whatsoever with this initiative in BC and just want to be clear about that. Because Proposal lacked consultation u

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8 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Proposal lacked consultationPRINCE GEORGE | KAMLOOPS | KELOWNA | OLIVER | CHILLIWACK | LANGLEY | NANAIMO WWW.PCE.CA | 1-877-553-3373HOVER YOUR SMARTPHONETO SCAN THE QR CODE FORALL OUR PRAIRIECOASTEQUIPMENT SPECIALSFOR ALL IN-STOCKCOMPACTUTILITYTRACTORSO%OVER 60MONTHS** See your local PrairieCoast equipment dealership for full details. Some restrictions apply.Financing on approved John Deere Financial credit only. Limited time offer which may not be combined with other offers.GEAR UP4FALLtheir process and protocols are very different,” Zink says. While the network in Saskatchewan was led by landowners, the Peace initiative was led by consultants and landowners left out of the process. Bumstead attended the June 8 meeting at the invitation of the regional district. He assured the crowd that Indigenous people would need permission from the landowner before accessing the property. Participation from landowners is completely voluntary. He also noted that the network is merely a concept at this stage with no implementation framework at this time. In Saskatchewan, it took three years from the initial proposal to implementation. However, the room grew loud with shouting and protests against the idea as Bumstead spoke. While some ranchers are not entirely against the idea, they would like more information about conditions and liability surrounding their land’s use by First Nations members. “All Scion needs is a website and a mailout to all local land title-holders with pamphlets describing what land sharing is and its history,” Pedersen says. “We surely don’t need [government] involved with this process, except maybe to help guarantee landholders are not legally responsible for land-sharing users while on the property and that no extra insurance must be purchased to facilitate land-sharing on any level.” The meeting was cancelled abruptly an hour after starting when the Fort St. John fire department arrived and the fire marshal deemed the meeting room over capacity. However, opponents to the proposal were heard. On June 17, the regional district notified Scion Strategies Ltd. that it had withdrawn its support for the Treaty Land Sharing Network. “This was never a PRRD-led program, and when residents expressed clearly that they did not want it in this region, the board made the decision to advise Scion Strategies its proposed Treaty Land Sharing Network would not be endorsed by the PRRD as a local government until landowners are in agreement,” the regional district said in a statement. In addition, the four First Nations involved announced the withdrawal of the proposal on June 28, saying the circulation of “misinformation” on social media made it difficult to proceed. “What happened was a large portion of the people up here – landowners – got the idea through misinformation that the First Nations would have access to the land, and we couldn't stop it,” says Montney rancher Helen Harris. “But that wasn't true. That wasn't what they were proposing. … And if they did want to come and they asked we would probably say sure.” Harris, along with other landowners, would have been much more receptive to the idea if they were involved in the proposal from the start. No consultation “Our problem with it is that we were not consulted. We were never asked,” Harris says. “When you bring a proposal forward, you should invite both parties to the table from the beginning to discuss. And this was the part that we were really offended by. The government does not represent landowners because most of the time their government initiatives are actually burdensome to us.” On July 14, the PRRD issued an apology to all who attended the June 8 meeting, acknowledging the genuine concerns of landowners and pledging to more open, proactive communication. Following the meeting, the board received a letter from Prophet River First Nation, Halfway River First Nation, Doig River First Nation and West Moberly First Nation that expressed disappointment over the negative tone of the meeting. The regional district has since apologized directly to those First Nations and meeting attendees. “We are disappointed that an initiative intended to bring our communities closer together by building trust and working relationships has resulted in greater division instead,” PRRD board chair Leonard Hiebert says in a statement. “This situation demonstrates the importance of open and proactive communication, and we commit to working together with our residents and our neighbours to pursue opportunities to build relationships and address concerns as they arise.” Doig River First Nation were not available to comment before deadline. “The government does not represent landowners because most of the time their government initiatives are actually burdensome to us.” HELEN HARRIS Montney rancher

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 9Sinkholes blamed on Fraser Valley pipeline workWeeds move in as remediation falls short of promisesHorizontal drilling for the Trans Mountain pipeline led to vertical drops as sinkholes appeared on Rob Rindt's farm in Langley. Remediation efforts have yet to pay off. SUBMITTEDSANDRA TRETICK LANGLEY – Langley farmer Rob Rindt has been dealing with several sinkholes on his farm at 78th Avenue and 240th Street this spring. In June, one large sinkhole about 30 feet deep appeared in his potato eld on the east side of 240th following four smaller ones on the west side near his property line. Rindt farms along the route of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. It’s an area where contractors were using a technique called horizontal direction drilling under 240th. “One guy told me they’re the guys that come in, punch a pipe through, make a mess and then the remediation crew will come through after and x it better than it was,” says Rindt. As a short-term x, gravel was dumped into the hole. He’s still waiting for the remediation. “They’re going to have to dig all that stu out or hydrovac it out or whatever they’re going to do and we’re gonna x it properly,” he adds. Rindt is the general manager of Western Turf Farms, which grows sod on elds in Langley and Abbotsford. He also started Roots & Wings Distillery with his partner Rebekah Crowley in 2015. For most of the pipeline route, crews dig trenches, lay the pipe and backll the area. But in restricted workspaces and when crossing under roads, railways and watercourses, trenchless construction methods such as horizontal direction drilling are employed. In a statement, Trans Mountain said localized sinkholes are not unexpected when they encounter challenging ground conditions. Horizontal direction drilling wrapped up at 240th Street in Langley in June. Backlling, cleanup and remediation work will continue through the summer. As if sinkholes weren’t bad enough, Rindt also has problems with weeds taking over his sod elds in Abbotsford, where construction crews dug traditional trenches to lay the pipe. The topsoil was scraped o beforehand and set aside. “We grow sod, so we don’t want contamination from weeds or other grasses. Back in the beginning, I told them I wanted [the topsoil] hydroseeded in our sod blend so at least our grasses are growing and going to seed so it won’t contaminate our elds,” notes Rindt. “There was something lost in communication. They just mulched it. They didn’t put our seed in that I had ready for them. [Now] we’re dealing with invasive grasses that are blowing weeds throughout the elds.” Even though roughly 481 kilometres, or half the length of the pipeline expansion, crosses agricultural land, it’s hard to nd any other major concerns with the project from BC farmers along the route. Dairy, chicken and egg producers don’t seem to be raising concerns with their respective industry associations. Invasive plants were a concern ranchers raised during the planning stages, but BC Cattlemen’s Association general manager Kevin Boon said the issue was addressed in pre-pipeline consultation. Bruce McTavish is the senior agricultural consultant on the expansion project. He referred Country Life in BC back to Trans Mountain media relations, who did not answer whether other farmers or ranchers along the route had raised concerns during construction. “Each situation is dierent and requires a collaborative approach to understand our landowners’ unique concerns,” Trans Mountain said in a statement. “Our goal is to protect the environment, have as little impact as possible and, where we do have an impact, ensure we return the land to its original function.” The pipeline expansion will =`\c[Gi\gXiXk`fegcfn#gfn\i_Xiifn#Z_`j\cgcfnDXeli\jgi\X[`e^sc`hl`[jfc`[J`cX^\gXZb`e^glj_`e^:XkZ_Yl^^pCXe[c\m\cc`e^<oZXmXk`e^;`kZ_Zc\Xe`e^;iX`ek`c\`ejkXccXk`fe-'+/'*0./(mXc_XccXZljkfdX^7^dX`c%ZfdServicingMetro Vancouver and all of the Lower MainlandFamily owned and operated since 2021Greenhouse Ground CoverGreenhouse FilmProtection NetsMulch Film Landscaping FabricsShade Nets Bale WrapsBunker CoversSilage BagsTwine & Net WrapsHay TarpsForage & Grain Seed1.800.663.6022ofﬁce@silagrow.com5121 - 46 Ave S.E. Salmon Arm, BCPick Up & Delivery Only 112-18860 24 Ave. Surrey, BCVisit our website for informative content and detailedproduct descriptions.silagrow.comtwin the original 1953 pipeline from Edmonton to the West Coast and nearly triple capacity from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels per day. Construction is 90% complete and the pipeline is expected to go online early next year. Ination, supply disruptions, catastrophic ooding and construction challenges have been blamed for ballooning construction costs since the federal government purchased Trans Mountain from Kinder Morgan for $4.5 billion in 2018. Initially pegged at $5.4 billion in 2013, the project is now expected to come in at $30.9 billion. A public opinion poll conducted by Research Co. in June indicates that 55% of British Columbians agree with the federal government’s decision to reapprove the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion in 2019 but nearly half are disappointed with how the project has been handled by the feds.

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10 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCView 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 Ferries steps up protocols for hay shipmentsregulations. It noted that all dry, baled hay transported via BC Ferries is considered dangerous and must be reported as such. “Drivers must declare all dangerous goods at the terminal ticket booth, through an attendant, or vessel officer,” the memo states. “A dangerous goods shipping document is required for hay regardless of weight or number of bales.” While each individual bale does not need a placard, the transport unit carrying the hay must display the placards if the total weight is 500 kg or more. (The unit of measurement is important. The audit also called out BC Ferries for a hay shipment where the weight was given as pounds rather than kilograms.) BC Ferries is providing free placards to haulers to facilitate compliance. “Hay must be secured within a closed vehicle, or the load must be completely covered with tarps to prevent random ignition,” BC Ferries adds. However, the Crown corporation reports no recent ignition events involving hay. “We don’t have any reports of hay fires over the past five years,” says Deborah Marshall, executive director, public affairs with BC Ferries. Unbaled or loose hay used for feed or bedding during transport is exempt from the regulation. Wet and contaminated hay is prohibited. — Peter Mitham Bird processing goes mobile For the last two years, Ben Glassen of Nanaimo’s Glassen Farms has processed his own chickens and turkeys for retail sale as well as undertaken custom slaughter of poultry and game birds for personal consumption by others. But last month, he hit the road and began processing birds at neighbouring farms which he helped to obtain Farmgate Plus licences so he could set up shop on their properties. With a Farmgate Plus licence, they’re able to host Glassen’s mobile abattoir on their properties. “They need to produce 50% of the product that goes through the plant. And then the other 50% can be custom [work] from other small farms in the area,” Glassen says. “And so, my goal is to get these farms their licence, and then run my business to serve their farm and other farms in the area, including my farm.” So far, Glassen has navigated three Nanaimo-area farms through the A federal inspection of dangerous goods protocols at BC Ferries this spring means hay haulers must now declare their loads as dangerous goods, regardless of size. Transport Canada says the inspection took place March 20 and identified 14 violations of the federal Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations. One of the violations was related to hay not bearing a dangerous goods placard. In the past, BC Ferries staff would often give farmers with a couple of bales on board a pass when it came to paperwork, but that’s changed following the federal audit. A memo to haulers in late June reminded them of their obligations under federal Expert farm taxation adviceApproved consultants for Government funding throughBC Farm Business Advisory Services ProgramEnderby 250-838-7337Armstrong 250-546-8665 |t1VSDIBTFBOETBMFPGGBSNTt5SBOTGFSPGGBSNTUPDIJMESFOt(PWFSONFOUTVCTJEZQSPHSBNTt1SFQBSBUJPOPGGBSNUBYSFUVSOTt6TFPG$BQJUBM(BJOT&YFNQUJPOT$ISJT)FOEFSTPO$1"$"-PSFO)VUUPO$1"$"5PMM 'SFF1-888-818-FARM |www.farmtax.comRossworn HendersonLLPChartered Professional Accountants - Tax Consultantsartered Professional Accountants - Tax ConsultanCALL 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 BCAg Briefs PETER MITHAMlicensing process and he hopes to add more. Glassen processes on Mondays and Fridays and farmers can now book slaughter dates on The Good Place Abattoir webpage. “We’re starting at 100 birds a week and we would like to build to 200 or 300,” he says. “In the first week after announcing it, I have a dozen different farms that are booked in.” His original trailer has been renovated to handle the new, broader mandate. “This past spring, we renovated the interior of the trailer into a commercial kitchen space with washable walls, a sink, lights, electricity, all of the things,” Glassen says. Ultimately, Glassen want to build a dedicated team to manage the trailer. “My long-term goals are not necessarily to continue running and owning this thing,” he says. “I just need to be a customer.” Beyond the poultry processing trailer, Glassen eyes building out a red meat version and perhaps even a brick-and-mortar retail butcher shop where farmers can get their animals processed and have a venue to sell their products to consumers. — Kate Ayers Penticton agriculture committee fails Penticton says it needs nine people to form an agriculture committee, and just seven applicants stepped forward during a brief application window this spring. The idea of reviving the committee, one of 33 in the province prior to its disbandment in 2021, was therefore shelved. Orchardist Annelise Simonsen, who sat on the previous committee was invited to apply for the new committee this spring less than two weeks’ prior to the application deadline of March 24. Her application was never acknowledged. Simonsen wonders why the city didn’t ask previous committee members to suggest additional members. “I could have recommended many people,” she says. “In fact, that’s how I became part of the committee, maybe two years ago. They were having a hard time filling the positions so they reached out to farmers and different people within the city.” While committee work is time-consuming both in terms of staff resources and the volunteer hours members contribute, she noted that the previous committee met infrequently. This resulted in a backlog of work and elongated approval times for projects. Some items when she joined had been awaiting the committee’s consideration for nine months and more. Penticton isn’t the only municipality to scale back its civic committees. Surrey drew fire in 2021 for a streamlining of civic committees that saw its Agricultural and Food Policy Committee rolled into an Agriculture, Environment and Investment Committee. The move was subsequently reversed. — Peter Mitham Helping you grow your business. you ours.

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 11Huge cherry crop sparks dumping allegationsBC growers battle tsunami of fruit following May heatHigh quality local cherries command a premium that BC growers jealously defend – especially this season, as cheap imports have surged. MYRNA STARK LEADERTOM WALKER KELOWNA – Unusually warm weather across the Pacic Northwest in May has cherry crops colliding in the market, with BC growers alleging dumping by US growers. A below-average volume of fruit arrived in Canada from the US in May, according to trade data, as cool spring weather delayed maturity. But a burst of hot weather mid-month quickly saw cherries come online on both sides of the border. “We are still seeing a fair amount of US cherries from California and Washington states coming into stores and it’s really pulling down the market,” Glen Lucas, general manager for the BC Fruit Growers Association, said in early July – a time when BC fruit is usually gaining ground against imports. “Usually by late June, early July, the US crop is nished and sold, and our cherries in the South Okanagan are coming on strong and can supply the BC market,” he says. But a variety of reasons means there’s still US fruit around, often sold alongside and at the same price as BC cherries. One reason is a large crop, something growers on both sides of the border are experiencing, and slow sales Stateside over the July 4 holiday. “They had to put a lot of cherries into storage. It’s poor quality and we suspect that they are dumping it into our market,” Lucas says. The suspicions were strong enough that BCFGA asked the Canada Border Services Agency to keep an eye on cherry imports. Dumping occurs when a product is shipped into a country at less than the cost of production. In the case of cherries, that’s less than $2.45 a pound. “We have alerted the Canadian Border Services Agency and asked them to monitor pricing and quantities of imports which is the rst step of an anti-dumping trade action,” Lucas says. Growers hope that the request to monitor imports will deter dumping and prevent the matter from escalating, something that would be costly for everyone. “[It] will hopefully send a signal to US packers that this is not the right business practice,” he says. “There is always the option to pursue a Cheap imports uYOURHelping YouWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATESURg YougYouWS1-888-852-AGRI (2474) | info@bcfarmandranch.com bcfarmandranch.comWhen you think of buying or selling “a farm” you may think of a barn, tons of animals and land. But we also specialize in small acreage real estate.Visit our website to view over $300,000,000 in current inventory.From the hobby farm to the estate home on 5 acres Our team has you covered!Gord Houweling-PREC604.793.8660gordhouweling@gmail.comRajin Gill - PREC778.982.4008rajin@rajingill.caJohn Glazema778.201.2474agri@bcfarmandranch.comGeorgia Clement250.378.1654georgiaclement_2@hotmail.comGreg Walton604.864.1610greg@bcfarmandranch.comGordie Blair250.517.0557gt.blair@live.caVeer Malhi - PREC778.241.7451virbinder77@gmail.comGordon Aikema250.306.1580gordon@bcfarmandranch.comSteve Campbell250.550.4321s.campbell.sells@gmail.comEmma Rose604.614.9825emma@bcfarmandranch.comChristine Lybbert 604.230.6835marketing@bcfarmandranch.comRobbi-layne Robertson250.453.9774rlr@bcfarmandranch.comSusanne Walton604.309.9398sw.bcfr@gmail.comAlec Yun778.859.8011alecyun@icloud.comAmanda Leclair604.833.1594amandaleclair@live.comRuth Meehan604.309.2295ruthma.meehan@gmail.comTravis Walton604.226.9317travisjwalton@outlook.comAmy Brattebo-PREC604.613.1684realestate@amybrattebo.ca

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12 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCCheaper US imports are the pits for BC cherry growers, whose fruit is often sold alongside them in similar packaging. TOM WALKERu Cheap imports hurting growersThe BC Fruit Growers’ AssociationDID YOU KNOW?supports research projects for the tree fruit sector:BCFGA funds research projectsApple Pests and Alternative Control StrategiesUÊApple Crop Load Management: Enhancing UÊThinning Predictability and Tree ResponseExtending Storage Life and Maximizing UÊQuality to Reduce Post-harvest Apple LossIntroducing our new Horticulture and Research Project Manager, Gail NelsonResearch funding:Effect of water stress on Ambrosia fruit.UÊCover crops for drive alleys.UÊHot water fumigation of fruit trees.UÊMolecular markers in cherries.UÊDetection of Little cherry disease.UÊCherry fruitlet nutrient analysis.UÊ 1.800.619.9022 info@bcfga.com www.bcfga.com trade action, but it is expensive and time-consuming.” Dumping creates issues for BC growers because it gives retailers a reason to pay domestic producers less. Summerland grower and BCFGA vice-president Deep Brar has heard reports that US packers are even selling cherries on consignment, a practice illegal under international trade agreements. “They’ll deliver them without an agreed price and take whatever the retailer will oer them, just to clear out their coolers,” he says. Keith Hu, who oversees cherry export markets at the Washington State Fruit Commission, says the industry has no comment at this time regarding the allegations. Brar describes the situation as “just brutal” and puts a lot of blame on the retailers, who use lower prices for US fruit to extract concessions from BC growers. This can add up. Save-On- Foods in Kelowna was selling US cherries for $8.99 in mid-July ($5.99 to loyalty card holders), a signicant premium over the import price for fruit that was in worse shape than the bags of BC fruit mixed in with them. “They get provincial grants for ‘Buy BC’ programs and then they turn around and do this,” Brar says. “A family won’t pay the $20 for rotten fruit, they’ll buy bread and milk but they won’t buy cherries.” Save-On-Foods did not respond to a request for comment. Waiting it out Brar says some growers have held o picking or are holding cherries in coolers until the US fruit leaves the market so they can get a better price. Brar delayed his own picking until July 13. “It’s always a risk,” he explains. “The fruit looks still looks great on the trees but I know guys that already have fruit in their coolers and we are worried that there may be a ood of BC cherries.” Brar is concerned BC packers will start to undercut each other in a race to move fruit, compounding the price pressures seen early in the season. “If guys are trying to move stu that’s been packed, there could be a race to the bottom as they try to empty their coolers,” he says. “And it’s early in the season. The bulk of the cherry crop is still to come.” Brar says there was a similar situation about 10 years ago but margins weren’t as tight. “Growers were able to absorb the 70-80 cents a pound return, but costs have gone up so much since then,” he says. A decade ago, diesel was $1.40 a litre versus $1.90 today. Scholar, a post-harvest fungicide, was $750 a gallon but now sells for $1,300 a gallon. The cost of fertilizer has also increased 40%. Statistics Canada reports that BC cherry acreage has increased 55% over the past decade to 6,946 acres producing 18,814 tons of fruit in 2022. This compares to 185,000 tons in neighbouring Washington. Brar doesn’t think the Okanagan is over-planted to cherries but he does think growers need to consider what volume the market will bear. “Some guys are learning a lesson that you can’t plant in a cold area like Salmon Arm,” he says. Small fruit won’t sell One packer has told growers not to bother picking small fruit as it won’t sell and the grower will get a bill instead. Several Kelowna area packers are already sending small fruit to the landll. Lucas hopes the situation rights itself later in July, when US packers won’t be looking for markets. “By then we should see stronger pricing for our growers,” he says. Brar is also hopeful, but Jennay Oliver of Paynters Fruit Market, a large grower and retailer in West Kelowna, is not as optimistic. A small crop last year meant high prices, but that’s not the case this summer. “There are a lot of excellent BC cherries around this year. I am getting calls almost daily from growers looking to sell,” she says. “But the price is certainly lower than last year, and once it is down, I’m not sure it will come back up.” Oliver says that she has to keep an eye on what the big retailers are charging. This season, her prices have typically been below $5 a pound, sometimes as low as $3.50 a pound. “I have to keep my prices below theirs, in order to keep my local customers, even though I know I have a high quality product,” she says. Both Lucas and Oliver say buying local is key to solving the crisis growers face. “That’s really important,” says Oliver. “It doesn’t matter whether you shop at Walmart or Save-On, buy local. If we stop buying imported fruit, the retailers will stop carrying it.”

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 13Soil, leaf testing key to gauging nutrient needsBlueberry growers urged to test at regular intervals at AGMFull board: Provincial berry specialist Carolyn Teasdale stands with BC Blueberry Council directors (left to right) Sunny Brar, Jason Smith, Rupinder Aujla, Kyle Thind, Anthony Wagner, Harjot Toor, Harmeet Dhillon, Humraj Kallu, and Hardil Gill. RONDA PAYNERONDA PAYNE ALDERGROVE – Measuring nutrients in blueberry elds isn’t a one-and-done activity. While some growers prefer to do leaf sampling and others lean towards soil sampling, BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food nutrient management specialist Josh Andrews would like to see farmers reaping the benets of both options. “When you get to the point of seeing visual signs of nutrient deciencies or overages, it’s really not likely [you’ll] be able to correct it that season,” he told about 100 growers at the BC Blueberry Council annual general meeting, June 22. Because of that lag time in making necessary changes, he suggests using both forms of sampling to have the most robust picture of what plants are experiencing in the eld. “Why would I soil test when we know leaf analysis is the best method for measuring nutrients in blueberries?” he asked. “The rst reason is pH. The second thing is EC – electrical conductivity – kind of a measure of your salinity.” Soil testing allows growers to determine the nutrient levels in the soil at a given moment. This can drive the application of supplemental nutrients for the future season as well as reviewing previous nutrient application uptake in the most recent crop. The two types of sampling work hand-in-hand to create a more complete picture of the crop. Leaf sampling should be done between mid-July and mid-August and at the same growth phase in the plants each year. “Just be careful you’re getting enough samples per eld,” he cautioned. “About ve samples.” Soil sampling should also be done at the same time each year. If sampling in spring, take the samples before fertilizer application. “It’s always important to keep these records just to see what’s happening year after year after year,” he said. Results from both types of tests should be compared to standard ranges as well as previous years’ results. A soil pH outside the desired range of 4.5 to 5.5 will take time to return to the ideal. “Soil pH doesn’t change super-quickly, but it’s good to have that information,” he says. “If we can maintain pH, we can keep a greater amount of our available nitrogen in the soil.” If pH is too high, elemental sulfur can be applied prior to planting. If a eld is already planted, Andrews suggests breaking the sulfur application into a number of smaller applications. “Don’t expect it to take eect until next year,” says Andrews. “It’s a year-long process to lower your soil pH.” Post-harvest soil nitrogen measurements can tell growers how much nitrogen was not taken up by the crop. Post-harvest N should be 70% or less of what was applied, he says. “If you applied 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre, you want your post-harvest nitrogen to be 70 pounds or less,” he says. If deciencies are identied from summer leaf analysis, those corrections should be made in the spring. While some fall applications are eective, they come with an increased risk of frost injury and reduced fruit bud set. Spring in Nevada Andrews’ presentation was followed by the business meeting, which saw seven new directors elected by acclamation: Hardil Gill, Rupinder Aujla, Anthony Wagner, Harjot Toor, Sanehvarinder (Sunny) Brar, Tejinder Badyal and Kyle Thind. The board elected Jason Smith to stay on as chair for another year. In his report for the year, Smith focused on the weather. “Who would have thought we’d have summer in October?” he said. “Then this year, maybe there’s less spraying [for damp-loving pests] but for folks who are relying on granular [treatments] for their plants, it’s been pretty hard with no rain. This year it was like spring in Nevada.” Smith noted that funding for pollination research has been ongoing. “No bees, no owers, no berries,” he says. “It’s really important to us.” Promotional activities in the future will fall under the “Grab a Boost of Blue” messaging created in collaboration with the US Highbush Blueberry Council. Other international eorts are being explored by export consultant Thomas Payne to access more opportunities in the Indo-Pacic region. Additional partnerships that keep BC blueberries in the international eye include one with Mumbai-based food distributor Anysaya Fresh; Latitude New Zealand; and Japan’s Witan Associates. Meanwhile, Canadian Berry Week was celebrated in South Korea with the help of the BC trade oce and that Canadian Embassy in Seoul. TRACTOR TIME VICTORIA 250.474.3301 4377C Metchosin Rd. 30 mins from Victoria and 15 mins from Hwy#1 in Metchosin.HANDLERS EQUIPMENTABBOTSFORD 604.850.3601 339 Sumas WayHOUSTON 250.845.3333 2990 Highway CrescentMORE Built-in WeightFinancing programs are subject to change at any time.

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 15Rotational grazing has kept the grass green at C-Jay Ranch in Houston, but drought has meant it's nowhere near what's needed to keep the herd fed through the season. C-JAY RANCHUSED EQUIPMENT KUBOTA K76249H 76” SKIDSTEER SNOWBLOWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500 KUBOTA AP-SC2572, 72” SKID CUTTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500 DAN SM40, S/S POST DRIVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,500 KUB DMC8032T, 2022, MOWER-COND, AS NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000 KUB RTV-X1100C, 2021, V-BLADE, SANDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45,000 NH 1033 BALE WAGON, 105 BALES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,500 NH 1036 BALE WAGON, 70 BALES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500 SHAVER #10 POST DRIVER, SKIDSTEER MOUNT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,500 USED TRACTORS KUBOTA T2380 2017, 48” DECK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,500 TORO 328D 48” MOWERS, 2,900 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,500 KUB F2880 2006, 1,411HRS, 60” REAR DISCHARGE . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,500 JD 4200 2001, TLB, 1,570 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,500 JD 4700, 2000, TLB, 2,735 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,500 KUB M5-111HDCC24, 2021, TRACW/ M32 LDR, 35HRS . . . . . . 115,000 KUB GF1800-4W, 2010, 1,100HRS, NEW 60” MOWER DECK . . . . . 16,900 NEW INVENTORY NEW GREENWORKS COMMERCIAL CORDLESS BLOWERS, CHAINSAWS, STRING TRIMMERS, HEDGE TRIMMERS, LAWNMOWERS. 82/48 VOLT KUBOTA RAKES, TEDDERS, MOWERS, POWER HARROWS - CALL! RAIN-FLO MULCH LAYERS, MULCH LIFTERS & TRANSPLANTERS, IN-STOCK OMH PROSCREEN, TOPSOIL SCREENERS. 68”, 78” AND 108” MODELS CONSTRUCTION KUB SVL75-2HWC 2016, CAB, HYD CPLR, 2,000HRS . . . . . . . . . . 63,500 KUB SSV65P 2021, CAB, HYD CPLR, 130HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64,850 KUB SSV65HFRC 2015, H&F, CAB, HYD CPLR, 350HRS . . . . . . . . 47,500 KUB SVL75-2 CAB, HYD CPLR, STD FLOW 1,100HRS . . . . . . . . . . . 71,500 TORO TX1000 2017, MINI TRACK LOADER, 300HRS . . . . . . . . . . . 29,500 TORO 22473 TRENCHER, 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,500 KATE AYERS & TOM WALKER VANDERHOOF – A massive sell-o of the BC cattle herd is underway as drought conditions across the province have ranchers scrambling to nd pasture and source hay. “It’s a disaster in the making,” says Vanderhoof rancher Mike Pritchard of the deepening drought, who says conditions are twice as dry as he’s ever seen in 30 years of ranching. “I had to dig a pit the other day and I went down four feet before the soil was damp.” The result is parched pastures, which have been cropped down hard by his animals, which he rotates through every four days. “I’m not sure where I’m going to put them next,” he says. Producers across the province are in a similar bind, says the BC Cattlemen’s Association, which has surveyed its members on current conditions. Dry weather that set in last fall has continued into this summer. “[We] have had an astonishing 250 responses in just a week,” says BCCA assistant general manager Elaine Stovin. The high number of responses from the Hwy16 corridor, Vancouver Island and the Peace region indicate the breadth of the problem. “Ninety percent of those regions tell us they are facing severe, extreme or in some cases unprecedented drought conditions,” she says. Forage production is down 50% to 75% across the province, with Vanderhoof-area producers reporting production down 80% for this time of year. “Hwy 16 and the Peace typically supply hay to the rest of the province,” notes Pritchard. “We don’t have carry-over from previous years and production is way down.” The lack of forage this summer, and the prospect of tight supplies this winter, means many ranchers are sending animals to market earlier than ever. There are two large sales coming up at BC Livestock Co-op in Vanderhoof. The rst, on July 21, will handle 1,900 head. Demand was so great that a second sale was scheduled for the following week, with 900 animals lined up as of mid-July. “Usually at this time of year it’s around 300-500,” Pritchard says. Pritchard says ranchers are pulling cull cows and yearlings o grass early to preserve pasture and take advantage of good pricing. But it’s the volume of cow-calf pairs that troubles him most. “There is a crap load of cow calf pairs out there,” he says. “If we get a bit of rain like is forecasted they may hold on to them for a week or two but ultimately they are coming to town because the grass has just quit growing.” Producers are stuck between a rock and no grass. “Last year, which was a particularly good year, we had 1,200 bales o our place. This year it was 128,” says Chris Yates of Lemieux Creek Ranch in Telkwa. Yates raises grass-fed beef and the sheer lack of grass was among the factors that prompted her to reduce her herd by half this year to just 25. Even then she may end up having to buy feed before they head to market. “We have to watch it; we may end up feeding them before they go to market,” she says. “I know there are many, many loads of cattle leaving the valley right now ... I don’t think this has happened before and it’s been unpredictable. What this means for the future, I don’t know.” Adrienne Dickson of C-Jay Ranch in Houston has been unable to send her registered Angus and Herefords to summer pasture this year due to the dry conditions. “We're going to sell a lot,” she says of plans for the herd. “We're not going to keep any bull calves this year.” Like Pritchard, her family has never seen it this dry in their 30 years of ranching. “In the early 2000s, we had drought but it didn't come this early,” she says. “It started last September. You get some dry seasons and whatnot, but it's just staying dry. And that's pretty uncommon.” The province has asked Ottawa to support an AgriRecovery program for livestock producers aected by drought and wildre. “The next step is to have both teams from the province and the federal [government] review the situation,” federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says. “We are processing this request as fast as possible.” Ottawa is also identifying regions for the livestock tax deferral provision, which allows producers to defer the proceeds from herd dispersal as a result of drought to the following tax year, freeing up cash ow for the purchase of replacement animals. But good genetics can’t be replaced so easily, and Pritchard worries for the future of the industry after this year’s sales. “I’ve had people at the yard crying that they are selling o mother cows. That means they are draining their herd’s bank account,” he says. “They will lose a whole generation of genetics and it will take years to recover.” Drought prompts cattle sell-off Forage production is down 50% to 75% across province

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16 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCUrban farm almost shut down by noise complaintLast-minute change saves small-scale farm Danyelle Brown's farm could hit the century mark next year after Nanaimo animal control ofcers let her keep her roosters. SUBMITTEDKATE AYERS NANAIMO – Danyelle Brown of Mossy Rock Urban Farm was visited by Nanaimo animal control ocers on July 7 to notify her that all but 12 of the 100 birds on her property had to be removed by the following Tuesday after her roosters triggered a noise complaint. Brown and her husband have been farming 2.5 acres at the corner of Ninth Street and Park Avenue for the last two years. Her in-laws owned the property for 11 years before the couple took over the operation. Brown breeds heritage birds and sells eggs, seasonal vegetables and starter plants. It was only recently that she discovered that their property is zoned R1, also known as Single Dwelling Residential. Only AR1, Rural Resource, and AR2, Urban Reserve, permit agricultural use. “We always assumed that we were grandfathered in. We were a farm for 99 years,” Brown says. “It has always been a farm. There used to be ve-acre farms around us and now it's all development around us. We're one of the last chunks of land that has any farm animals or agriculture.” Brown was devastated to learn that her entire livelihood could be swept away by one neighbour’s complaint. “I'm about to lose everything that I've worked for. … And if we can't do this, we've lost a part of our community, we’ve lost what we've always done and I’m at a loss for words,” Brown says. “We're not just some little backyard lot. I have the means to take care of the animals, I have the time and the passion to do it. And for it to be taken away from the community, it just seems so wrong.” On July 10, the City of Nanaimo called Brown and said she can keep her birds. In a statement to Country Life in BC, the city said a review of the case determined that Brown’s property is greater than 4,000 square metres and roosters are permitted. “As such, no further enforcement action will be taken at this time,” the city says, noting its happiness “to support local agriculture and food security.” It will be reviewing its animal responsibility bylaw to avoid similar confusion and anxiety for property owners in the future. Mossy Rock Urban Farm is not the only small-scale farm that has faced challenges from complaints and zoning issues related to operating in or near urban areas. Pet pig under microscope Also on Vancouver Island, a Saanich Peninsula couple has been managing a dierent kind of complaint that brought the BC SPCA to their property adjacent to the popular Lochside Trail. Owners Marjolyn and Frans Winkel were told July 5 that their 18-year-old sow must be examined by a veterinarian or euthanized within ve days following a passerby’s concern over the pig’s appearance. The pig has a skin condition brought on by aging which they treat daily, the Winkels say. A vet examined the pig last year following a previous complaint to the SPCA. The couple paid for the examination, which found the pig to be healthy. The couple would prefer the pig to live out her life naturally, and in peace. They also can’t aord the vet fees every time a passerby unfamiliar with livestock complains. Fortunately, they won’t have to foot the bill this year. On July 10, the SPCA oered to have a vet examine the pig. MFG OF MINI SKID STEERS AND A VARIETY OF ATTACHMENTS INCLUDINGDRAINAGE PLOWS | TREE SPADES | TREE SAWS & SHEARS | BOOM MOWERS | PTO POWER PACKSBRUSH MULCHERS | ROTARY BRUSH CUTTERS | PTO GENERATORS | AUGER DRIVES | FLAIL MOWERSTREE PULLERS | FELLER BUNCHERS | EXCAVATOR ADAPTERS | SCREW SPLITTERS | TRENCHERS | STUMP GRINDERSBAUMALIGHT.COMAdair Sales & Marketing Company Inc. 306-773-0996 | info@adairreps.comLocate A Dealer Online

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 17Ranchers say too much fuel is left on forest floor after loggingBC Wildre Service worked with members of the Yunesit'in First Nation west of Williams Lake to proactively burn 50 hectares last October to improve the resilience of the land using traditional burning practices. SUBMITTED BCHA President John Lewis 250-218-2537 BCHA Secretary Janice Tapp 250-699-6466 www.bchereford.ca 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 VICTORIA – On June 29, the province’s independent watchdog for forest and range practices released a report citing urgent action as 45% of public land is at high or extreme threat of wildre. “Fire prevention and suppression policies over the past century have led to a buildup of fuel in our forests and have contributed to the loss of natural rebreaks in some areas,” Forest Practices Board chair Keith Atkinson said in releasing the report. “These shifts, combined with forestry policies and climate-change eects greatly increase the risk of catastrophic wildre. We’re already seeing the consequences this year with its unusually early start and record-setting wildres.” Montney rancher and Peace River Regional Cattlemen’s Association president Dave Harris has experienced the result of fuel build-uo more than once. “When [the Siphon Creek] re went through [in 2016], it consumed and burned a lot of standing timber. Logging companies came in and logged what they thought was salvageable and left the rest,” Harris says. “They also leave a considerable amount of coarse woody debris laying on the forest oor, which is their new practice.” In July 2021, a windstorm knocked down whatever standing dead wood remained from the re ve years earlier. The wildre and wind combination left a 30-mile-long swath of burnable material, Harris says. As a result, he discussed his concerns and the need to clean up the debris with the Peace River Regional District, the BC Ministry of Forests, and Canfor, the company that owns the logging rights in most of the aected area. “Canfor was the most honest about it because they said there wasn't enough prot for them to do that,” Harris says, noting that the province was more reticent given its obligations to First Nations. Fast forward to this spring when the wildre season arrived in May due in part to warm temperatures and a severe drought that began in the fall. The Stoddard Creek re encroached on Harris’s property but, thankfully, the only signicant loss was fencing. Harris, along with other area ranchers, is certain this year’s historic wildre season in the Peace could have been prevented with better landscape maintenance. “There was a tremendous fuel load that was left here. And it was almost criminal negligence to do this because it wasn't only my ranch, but there's other ranches and farms east of me that could have been impacted if it wasn't stopped on our property,” Harris says. “And this was all part and parcel of this material that was left lying and they had two years to do something about it. It would have cost the government money or somebody money, but to leave a potential hazard like that is actually appalling.” Harris had spent quite a bit of time and money cleaning up the debris on his property following the storm but with the fuel left on Crown land, the Stoddard Creek re was all-consuming and burning hot by the time it reached Harris’s ranch. The FPB report says that bold and immediate action are required by the province to align policies and programs across all levels of government to achieve landscape resilience. Landscape re management addresses forest fuel build-up, improves landscape resilience Using fire to fight fire uWatchdog calls for overhaul of fire management

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18 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Using fire to fight fireand reduces wildre risk, including creating fuel breaks, increasing the diversity of tree species and ages, decreasing forest density and using cultural and prescribed burning. While re is at the centre of the board’s concerns, proponents believe it can also be part of the solution. “You can look at archaeological evidence, and you don't see the scale of massive wildres that you do on the landscape as you do today,” says UBC assistant forestry professor and Gathering Voices Society executive director William Nikolakis. “We contend that’s because we built these unhealthy landscapes. It's not just climate change.” Gathering Voices focuses on advancing environmental stewardship programs for First Nations across Canada. Nikolakis works with First Nations communities to revitalize knowledge, connect people to landscapes and apply re in a strategic way. “What we're proposing is not a silver bullet. It's to have Indigenous peoples and other communities restore the land by working with Indigenous knowledge,” Nikolakis says. “Putting re on the land is one of those tools to help build resilient landscapes. What we propose is a practice that's been used for millennia. And that's to apply re twice a year: in the spring, while snow is still on the ground, and during the late fall, which helps clear up debris from the landscape.” These practices would require a paradigm shift in how the province manages re, which supports the board’s recommendations. “Indigenous re management is a unique thing. It's a very dierent practice from what a bureaucracy does,” Nikolakis says. “We don't use drip torches because if the land is not ready to burn, it’s not ready to burn. If you're working for the wildre service, you've got timelines and deadlines and schedules. … That can actually have a negative impact on the land base.” As a result, Nikolakis would like to see Indigenous re management operate independent of the province. The Forest Practices Board’s recommendations follow other provincial investments in wildre mitigation programs, including $98 million for BC Wildre Service wildre prevention work and projects, $100 million to expand the FireSmart program, $25 million for the Forest Enhancement Society of BC for wildre risk reduction activities in communities adjacent to high-risk Crown land, and increasing the annual budget of the Crown Land Wildre Risk Reduction program to $40 million. The initiatives align with the recommendations of the latest report, says BC forests minister Bruce Ralston in a statement to Country Life in BC. “The Forest Practices Board report reinforces that we need to keep working with our partners and taking critical steps to strengthen and expand wildre planning, preparedness and response,” he says. As of July 21, 1,452 res had burned 1.5 million hectares in BC. For generations, the Tsilhqot’in used controlled burning to prevent catastrophic summer wildres. Once banned, these practices are slowly being integrated into how the province manages the risk of wildre. SUBMITTED

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 19“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.comemail: audreycifca@gmail.com395 Kinchant Street, Quesnel, B.C. V2J 5A3Producers can apply for an advance on calves, yearlings, lambs, bison, forage and grain up to $1,000,000.00 with the rst $350,000.00 being interest free. Plus, interest relief through the Advance Payments Program is available to association members on their feeder cattle purchases.KATE AYERS VERNON – Three BC ranchers were selected as semi-nalists for this year’s Canadian Cattle Young Leaders program. Cassie Marchand of Vernon, Kayla Shallard of Hixon and Brett Squair of Lumby, along with 21 other semi-nalists from across the country, are invited to attend the annual CYL selections competition taking place during the Canadian Beef Industry Conference August 15 in Calgary. Each of the BC representatives hopes to take away something dierent to advance their careers and passions in the industry if selected to be paired with an experienced mentor. Cassie Marchand helps with marketing and social media at her family’s Clifton Ranch in Keremeos and raises cattle in Vernon with her husband and his family. As the fourth generation on the Clifton Ranch, Marchand is thrilled to be bringing up the fth generation in the same sort of family-oriented environment. “It was how I was raised, and we did everything together. We didn't really even know we were working but we were just spending time together and learning things as we go,” Marchand says. “So that's probably the thing I like the most, is that it's how I grew up, being with my family with my grandparents, and then raising my kids in that same way.” Marchand learned about the CYL program through her friends Erika Strande-Stewart, Laura Code and Andrea van Iterson as well as her sister Cassie Marchand, pictured with daughter Jessie, son Wylie and husband Wade, is one of three semi-nalists from BC competing for this year’s Canadian Cattle Young Leaders program. SUBMITTEDCYL semi-finalists share positive outlookBC’s ranching sector in good hands with optimistic young ranchersMegan Clifton – all previous program participants. “They all had really good things to say about it. And it’s just a good way to build network and … have a chance to meet new people across the country that are kind of the same mentality,” Marchand says. Because of her work on the education and public aairs committee with the BC Cattlemen’s Association, as an agricultural lender with the Bank of Montreal and her experience as a cattle rancher, Marchand would like to focus on beef advocacy and public trust if selected as a nalist. “I have all these clients that I advocate for now and for our families and just wanting to like dive a little bit deeper into that and see how we can bridge the gap between consumers and producers, and just connecting people,” she says. “As we go forward, we're getting further and further removed from people having access to farms and understanding where their food comes from.” Most recently, Marchand participated in BCCA’s Meet a Rancher event at her local Save-On-Foods store. “It was great. … We had a lot of people come through and [had] some good discussion with them,” she says. “And then we did a fundraiser for the BC Children's Hospital and we sold our hamburgers, so it was just a really good afternoon.” Starting from scratch Also a beef producer and agricultural advocate, Kayla Shallard of Hixon’s KMS Land and Cattle Co., looks towards continuous improvement on her ranch. “Before this, I had managed some other agricultural entities – beef, dairy, you name it. And then started having kids, and it is hard to do that kind of stu with kids,” Shallard says. “I took a plunge on 60 leased cows three years ago and was able to make it work. I jumped in with both feet and haven’t looked back.” Today, Shallard manages the ranch full-time raising 200 head of cattle, pigs, lambs, chickens and turkeys. “It’s pretty hard to make it on just cow-calf these days, so we’re pretty creative,” Shallard says. “We do a lot of direct-to-consumer [sales] and farmers markets to sell our products. Grass-fed and grass-nished pasture-raised meat is kind of our thing.” Shallard was introduced to agriculture through the Prince George 4-H club in which she was a member for nine years and a leader the last ve. Indeed, creativity is one way Shallard has been able to Young leaders u

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20 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCColleen Larson, left, lends a helping hand to her niece, Kayla Shallard, at one of the farmers markets Kayla brings her grass-nished beef to. Kayla hopes to be paired with another rst-generation producer through CYL. SUBMITTEDFCC.CADREAM. GROW. THRIVE. If you produce it, process it, pack it or move it, we 昀nance it. Partner with the only lender 100% invested in Canadian agriculture and food. And that includes businesses like yours.1-800-387-3232Taking care of agribusinessu Young Leaders going full tiltgrow her operation. As a young rst-generation rancher, land and capital are hard to come by. So, she has leased land from Prince George to Quesnel, leased cattle, participated in hay shares and worked with Young Agrarians. “That kind of generated a little bit of enough cash ow to actually present something to Farm Credit [Canada],” Shallard says. “Lots and lots of hustling for lack of better terminology. We're full, full, full-tilt every day.” As a previous Cattle Young Leaders program semi-nalist, Shallard is eager to build on the skill set she’s acquired in the ve years since last applying. Between then and now, she’s been involved with the Prince George Cattlemen’s Association and BC Young Farmers, raised three boys and established her ranch. “I'm pretty excited to get back at it because my career has denitely blossomed in those ve years. And I even remember, last time I was in that position, you know, people always ask you like, where do you see yourself in ve years?” Shallard says. “This is denitely not it.” Shallard imagined herself managing someone else’s farm or some sort of oce job in agriculture. “But not running my own farm, not owning my own farm and farming every day. It's denitely been an uphill battle but it's been good,” Shallard says. She looks forward to the beef conference this month because she says industry meetings “restart the re.” Without an engaged younger generation, she says there won’t be anyone to ll the gaps left behind by those aging out of the industry. If selected, Shallard would like to be paired with a mentor who has also started a ranch from the ground up and can oer some of their insights. “I nd I go through everything kind of on my own and you fail and at times it sucks,” Shallard says, hoping to be paired with someone whose faced similar challenges as she is. Part of the solution Brett Squair of Lumby has also identied some challenges that the beef sector faces and wants to be a part of the solution. The third-generation farmer, along with his dad and a hired hand, runs about 500 head of cattle. As a partner at Davidson Lawyers in Vernon, he and his siblings are “weekend warriors,” helping on the ranch whenever they can while also pursuing o-farm careers. “Calving season is my favourite time of year. I'm a night owl and an early bird,” Squair says. “So I actually love being up at all times and working with the cattle.” As a practicing lawyer for the last seven years, Squair has noticed that the beef sector and agriculture industry in general lack sucient succession planning. It’s something he’d like to address if named as a nalist. “I nd that lot of the industry is sort of with an older group of people. And they're not really putting much thought into succession planning or thinking about how to eectively transfer their properties, my own family included to a certain extent,” Squair says. “And so, my goal for the program … [is] being appointed with a mentor who focuses sort of on working with agricultural groups with their succession planning.”

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 21Grain producers share experience during field dayBCGPA AGM and tour provided learning, social outletUNBC professor Theresa Adesanya (second from left) led a discussion on soil compaction during the BC Grain Producers' eld day, and received an update from Peace Region Living Lab project director Akim Omokanye. SUBMITTEDSR 100 GII SERIES SPEEDRAKE® Wheel Rakes18’10” - 23’4” working widths • 8-,10- and 12-wheel modelsVisit your local British Columbia KUHN dealer today!INVEST IN QUALITY®www.kuhn.comMatsqui Ag-RepairAbbotsfordNorthline EquipmentPouce CoupeHuber Farm EquipmentPrince GeorgeSIMPLICITY. VERSATILITY. QUALITY.Adjust windrow widths independently to match crop pickup widthsFast, easy switching betweenSuperior terrain following withoutRear wheels raise last forcleaner windrow endsKATE AYERS CECIL LAKE – The BC Grain Producers Association annual general meeting and farm tour on July 12 brought farmers together from across the Peace Region for a social gathering and peer-to-peer learning. “We had a pretty successful day. … Everyone showed up early and ready to go into the annual general meeting,” says producer and former BCGPA director Jennifer Critcher. About 45 people attended the AGM at the Cecil Lake Community Hall, a mixture of producers and other industry stakeholders. “We had some really good discussion about the future of the organization and all the positive things that we've been doing in the last year,” Critcher says. The newly elected board includes Malcolm Odermatt, Ed Hadland, Hannah Willms, Ty Cusack, Ernest Wiebe, Amias Dirks, Kevin Thiessen and Miles Wuthrich. Following the AGM, 60 people joined for the farm tour on a 27°C day. “We looked at some land clearing that a young producer is doing and a producer that has more experience with land clearing talked about the learnings that he had in his operation and there was some of that knowledge sharing and mentorship from a more experienced producer to a younger producer,” Critcher says. Next, the group visited a planter trial and could compare conventional seed drill and precision drill plantings of canola. “We were able to take a look and see what the plant stand counts were for those elds and also the producer brought out the actual seeding implements so producers could kind of kick some tires and look at everything,” Critcher says. “It was just really great conversation that was had and comparing dierent implements and lots of breakout groups happened.” Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist Jason Casselman spoke about the challenges of growing canola in dry conditions. Also, BC Peace Pest Monitoring Project research manager Keith Uloth spoke to potential pests that could become prevalent as the crop ripens. The next stop included a corn grazing trial. “We don't grow a lot of corn up here. So, it was interesting to go and take a look at corn, and with the hot dry conditions that we’ve had, the corn is quite advanced,” Critcher says. Lastly, the group stopped at one of the region’s Living Lab project elds. “A producer is having some challenges with some compaction on his elds just given the really wet conditions that we've harvested on the last couple years and then now they're really dry and so he's doing cover cropping to try and break up the compaction,” Critcher says. Along with a presentation from UNBC assistant professor Theresa Adesanya on soil health and management, producers were able to view compaction and inltration testing to see the dierences between the cover crop and annual cropping systems. Despite the heat cutting the tour a bit short, producers appreciated the opportunity to talk and learn from each other. “The opportunities for producers to go and talk to somebody and learn from other people's mistakes and learn from other people's successes is a really great way to share that information,” Critcher says. “And I think especially coming out of COVID, people are really needing that social engagement as well with their neighbours and their fellow producers.” Despite the severe, ongoing drought and wildres in the Peace region, producers’ outlooks are positive. “There denitely are challenges, but grain producers and specically producers in the Peace region I think, are super resilient,” Critcher says. “And I think that even though we're in a challenging drought situation, I think people are already looking to what they can do next year and how they can get this crop o successfully. So denitely, overall … given the re situation and the drought situation, it was actually remarkable how positive everybody was.”

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 23Range management showcased on tourPreservation and restoration of Kootenay grasslands highlightedPNW Society for Range Management members listen as range ofcer Shawna Larade (right) describes the rejuvenation of the surrounding pasture. TOM WALKERFOR BAGGED or BULK ORDERSDarren Jansen Owner604.794.3701organicfeeds@gmail.comwww.canadianorganicfeeds.comCertified by Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd.BROILER/BREEDER CHICKEN FARM ON 6.8 ACRESr%FUBDIFE4IPQTr#JSERVPUBr#BSOT&RVJQNFOUr3FOPWBUFETRGU#FESN)PNFr3PPNGPSGVUVSFGBSNFYQBOTJPO8310 PREST ROAD, CHILLIWACK, BCHow much is your home worth... get INSTANT PROPERTY VALUE now!www.yourpropertyvalue.netTOM WALKER CRANBROOK – BC range managers had an informative tour of a number of sites around Cranbrook following their directors’ meeting June 22. “We haven’t had a tour of the Kootenays in a long time,” says PNW Society of Range Management BC chapter president Amanda Miller. “They have a lot of excellent projects they are working on and it was great to be able to showcase some of them on our ‘Giving back to the grasslands’ tour.” Miller says there were 55 registrants for the tour including 10 members from the US. Goats, re, Christmas trees and reseeding projects were featured throughout the day with the focus on ecosystem restoration. “I think the presentation on prescribed burning drew the most interest and comments,” says Miller. “We hear about prescribed burns as a range management tool but we don’t often get a full overview of the practice.” Tim Ross of Ross Range and Reclamation Services in Cranbrook led the day with a talk on the use of domestic goats to control invasive silver cinquefoil on Ktunaxa First Nation land. “We wanted an alternative to herbicides as this area contains a number of traditional plants such as bitter root and wild onion,” Ross explains. “The goats were seen as a more ecological alternative.” The project ran over ve summers using 200 goats supported by handlers and herd dogs. “The goats were out in the morning and evening and they were very ecient at curbing the cinquefoil,” says Ross. But the species has proved persistent, and Ross believes long-term treatment is needed as cinquefoil seeds can remain viable for up to 15 years. Important outcomes Reducing re risk and maintaining forage are two important goals for range managers and stops on the tour demonstrated how prescribed burning and Christmas tree harvesting can help them meet those objectives. As forested range lands mature over time, small conifers often encroach onto forage land. In order to maintain the forage density and reduce the re hazard those small trees pose, range managers can remove the trees to restore the balance of forage and larger trees. A low-intensity prescribed burn is one eective way of removing those small trees but Charlie Willis of Kootenay Tree Farms would like to sell them. “In the early 1960s, the Columbia Trench used to ship as many as 1.6 million naturally grown Christmas trees every year,” says Willis. “There is still an incredible demand for them and I can get $20 a tree.” Willis and his team currently direct harvest young trees that have an acceptable shape, prune a tree over several years to achieve a desirable shape, or harvest the top of a taller tree and then allow the stump to regenerate up to a dozen new trees. “We are able to keep the tree encroachment in check and use it to provide a second income stream,” says Willis. “It’s not that this is a better way than prescribed burning, but if we knew a year or two ahead of the planned burn, we could get in and harvest the marketable Christmas trees before the burn takes place.” An afternoon stop featured a site involving invasive species control and reseeding. Range ocer Shawna Larade described the project as “wholesale landscape level conversion from scrub non-productive forest to agronomic grasslands.” In the 1970s and 80s, ranchers cleared 1,500 acres in the Horseshoe Lake area, broke the land and seeded it. “Anecdotally, they got good forage production for three to ve years with their dry land seeding,” recalls Larade. “But there was no other investment, no other inputs and over time the pastures became non-productive with invasive yellow hawkweed and sulphur cinquefoil.” “Our goal was to improve the ecosystem and help manage elk impacts to other areas of the valley,” she explains. They established a forage base that could potentially lure elk into the area and that could be conditioned by grazing cattle. “This was very much a cooperative project between [the] Agriculture and Forest ministries, First Nations and ranchers,” says range agrologist Hanna McIntyre. The rst step was a full herbicide treatment. Then local rancher Tony Pighin ran a harrow behind a skidder to scar up the soil. A seed mixture was applied along with a fertilizer application, followed by herbicide treatments. “Initially we have had high success in increasing the forage available and reducing the invasive plants, but we will still need to monitor for long term resiliency,” says McIntyre.

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24 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCMarketing British Columbia to the World®www.landquest.comToll Free 1-866-558-LAND (5263)“The Source” for Oceanfront, Lakefront, Islands, Ranches, Resorts & Land in BC®Visit our Website62 ACRE OFF-GRID MICRO-HYDRO POWERED FARM - GERMANSEN LANDINGFERTILE RIVERFRONT ACREAGE WITH SUBDIVISION POTENTIAL - MABEL LAKE, BCFERTILE PARCEL IN THE WILDLIFE RICH REGION OF BERYL PRAIRIE, BCPHILLIPS ARM AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE CORDERO CHANNEL343 ACRES OF “PEACE IN THE COUNTRY” FORT FRASER, BC10 ACRE OCEAN VIEW WILDERNESS PROPERTY - GALIANO ISLANDOFF-GRID RANCH WITH SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS5.4 ACRES IN 3 TITLESLEVEL FORT ST. JAMES RIVERFRONT $649,000 $2,750,000 $725,000       $979,000     $919,000    Priced to Sell at $619,000 $899,000     $295,000FAWN GUNDERSON 250-982-2314Personal Real Estate Corporationfawn@landquest.comRICH OSBORNE 604-328-0848Personal Real Estate Corporationrich@landquest.comCHASE WESTERSUND 778-927-6634Personal Real Estate CorporationWESTERN LAND GROUPJASON ZROBACK 1-604-414-5577 JAMIE ZROBACK 1-604-483-1605BC LANDPRO GROUPJOHN ARMSTRONG 250-307-2100Personal Real Estate Corporationjohn@landquest.comDAVE SIMONE 250-539-8733DS@landquest.comSAM HODSON 604-809-2616 Personal Real Estate Corporationsam@landquest.comKURT NIELSEN 250-898-7200kurt@landquest.comMOOSEHORN MEADOWS RANCH BURNS LAKE, BCLOG HOME AND ACREAGEBURTON, BC $825,000 $620,000KEVIN KITTMER 250-951-8631kevin@landquest.comMATT CAMERON 250-200-1199matt@landquest.comTOM WALKER CRANBROOK – Prescribed burning is an important tool for both range health and wildre management. Participants in the BC Society of Range Management tour in June got a thorough explanation on how prescribed burns are conducted. Andre Chalabi is the Cranbrook re zone planning ocer for cultural and prescribed re. “This particular area was logged in 2012 and it was originally designed to be followed with a burn,” Chalabi says, showing the tour a site that experienced a prescribed burn this spring. “When you look at the recovered grass it certainly looks more vibrant than the adjacent cover that has not had a disturbance.” It takes a lot of work to prepare for a burn and to nd conditions that match the objectives, Chalabi explains. “This burn was really well executed,” he says. “We wanted to cover 75% of the unit, kill the trees up to three metres tall and rejuvenate the grasses and herbaceous species, and all three of those were met.” Any burn can look very devastating to the untrained eye, Chalabi says, even a low intensity burn. “Flames were shooting up three metres tall and there was some crowning,” he recalls. “But the important thing is that there was minimal to no impact to the soil. The soils were still fairly wet and now seven to eight weeks later, the site looks very well recovered.” Chalabi says that his position as a planning ocer for cultural and prescribed re is a new one. “Our role is not just to help deliver local projects but to build capacity across the province to deliver prescribed re programs and to integrate with First Nations and the delivery of cultural res,” he explains. Burning is much cheaper than either mechanical or manual methods, Chalabi says, but there is a need for shelf-ready burn plans across the province and a maintenance/follow-up program. Delivering prescribed re is not an easy thing, Chalabi notes. A ne fuel moisture code of at least 83 is required. “That means it is dry enough to ignite and carry re,” he says. Temperature should be a minimum of 18ºC and wind speed should be a maximum of 25km an hour. The burn plan for the 350 hectares Chalabi showed the tour required 24 sta including a burn boss and a dedicated First Aid attendant in addition to ignition and re-holding sta. The crews lightly graded existing roads and built some guards around the entire unit. “The objective is to keep the re in the box,” says Chalabi. “You start at a midpoint and begin to slowly spread out along the perimeter, igniting as you go.” A helicopter helps ll in the blanks. “The helicopter rotors draw enough air that the re starts pulling into itself,” Chalabi explains. “And a machine on the helicopter drops ping pong balls lled with potassium permanganate that have glycol added just as they are ejected from the aircraft. The balls ignite as they reach the ground and ll the center of the unit with re.” Smoke is the biggest challenge to residents, says Chalabi. “We were able to start before noon and it took us around two hours by the time we were done,” he explains. “There was a little lingering smoke later in the day, but it’s up to 72 hours max.” Post-re they reseeded the guards, as well as any areas that had a more extensive depth of burn, to prevent invasive plants from coming in. Prescribed burns improve range healthBurn plans are required to ensure fire meets management goalsJust months after a prescribed burn, the forest oor is showing signs of recovery. TOM WALKER

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 25A strong turnout at the All Canada Sheep Classic in Barriere, July 6-8, saw 14 breeds judged during the main show and strong pricing for animals at auction. BC PUREBRED SHEEP BREEDERS ASSOCIATION1.604.363.8483FARMREALESTATE.COMEXCLUSIVE FARMREALESTATE.COMLARGE CATTLE GRAZING BLOCKID#1102347 • HUDSONS HOPE, BC194.2 ACRES194.2 ACRES403.308.1737HANKVANHIERDEN24,823 ACRES24,823 ACRES$7,300,000$7,300,000FEATURED PROPERTIES403.849.8211CHRISVEENENDAAL403.308.1737HANKVANHIERDEN18.56 ACRES18.56 ACRESEXCLUSIVE FARMREALESTATE.COMMARKET GREENHOUSEID#1102272 • NANTON, AB2.09 ACRES2.09 ACRES311.28 ACRES311.28 ACRES$3,500,000$3,500,000MLS® FARMREALESTATE.COMRECREATIONAL INVESTMENTID#1102333 • VANDERHOOF, BC194.2 ACRES194.2 ACRES403.308.1737HANKVANHIERDEN1097 ACRES1097 ACRES$1,495,000$1,495,000KATE AYERS BARRIERE – A successful show and solid sale point to a healthy commercial sheep sector in the province and across Canada. This year’s All Canada Sheep Classic was held at the North Thompson Agriplex and Curling Club and hosted by the BC Purebred Sheep Breeders Association. “The event went very well. It’s nice to come out of the COVID times. I was talking with a lot of people and it's nice to have a lot more social interaction,” says North Saanich sheep producer and association president Richard Herlinveaux. “A lot of breeders came from all over Western Canada and even Eastern Canada and it was nice to see everyone there.” The 2022 iteration of the event was in Ancaster, Ontario, where Herlinveaux says people were still hesitant to travel and numbers were down. This year’s event was well attended in-person as well as online. The stands were always full and the show and sale were streamed via Direct Livestock Marketing Systems. “We filled every hotel room from Little Fort to Clearwater to Barriere almost right into Kamloops,” says Herlinveaux. Despite the thermometer hitting 38°C for most of the three-day event in July and a one-day power outage, the event marched on and the organizers were thankful for no smoke or fires. “We had one heck of a junior show before the classic began. We had 62 entrants in the junior show, and they brought 87 sheep,” Herlinveaux says. “That’s a good size 4-H junior show. We had people coming from Quebec, Ontario as well as Saskatchewan driving out and a large contingent from Alberta.” The impressive participation of the next generation of sheep farmers is positive for the sector, says sheep producer and Canadian Sheep Breeders Association director Bev Greenwell. On Friday, 47 consignors of 14 breeds presented their sheep to judges Andy Pittman and Greg Rosenke, who provided the show placements for 172 animals. The supreme champion ewe was an Ile de France fall ewe lamb (Wrangler 240K) from Sheep Wrangler Farms in Alberta, which was sold to Morinville Colony Ltd. in Alberta for $2,900. The supreme champion ram was a polled Dorset yearling ram (G & L Brien 1K) from Brien Sheep in Ontario, which was sold to Peaceview Colony in the Peace Region for $1,800. The supreme champion flock was awarded to the North Country Cheviots consigned by Don and Deborah Wytinck of Nanaimo. Following the show, the association held a banquet, which was attended by over 200 people. They served local salmon, chicken, roast lamb and wine. Sale highlights The highlight of Saturday’s sale was a Suffolk spring ram lamb (Jordan Big Game 400L) from Jordan Livestock in Rimbey, Alberta that sold for $5,000 to Newtown Suffolks in New Brunswick. The highest selling female was a North Country Cheviot yearling ewe (Coneygeers Miracle X 3K) from Don and Deborah Wytinck in Nanaimo that sold for $3,000 to Ferme Chartrand in Quebec. Overall, buyers from eight provinces purchased 156 of the 172 animals offered for sale. Indeed, the intent of the classic is to be a “genetic exchange,” Greenwell says. “So, you keep the genetics quite open right across Canada,” she says. “And with this kind of sale on purebred stock, we can look forward to improved carcass weights at the slaughterhouses hopefully, and improve our quality, generally.” Almost 44% of the sale animals sold for over $1,000 and a significant number sold for over $2,000 with up to five bidders for each animal, Herlinveaux says, which kept the auctioneers busy. This year’s prices averaged $1,035 for ewes and $1,420 for rams, up from last year’s averages of $803 for ewes and $1,325 for rams. “It was a smaller sale, but the quality was there, and the prices reflect that,” Herlinveaux says. “It’s good to see the commercial guys paying a really high price for a good ram to improve their flocks. There were a lot of good sheep that weren’t just going to show flocks. They were going to the commercial guy, who is producing lambs and all the really high-priced ewes went off to purebred flocks to go produce purebred rams for the commercial industry.” Animals were also sold to 4-H programs so that junior participants could upgrade their show strings, Herlinveaux adds. New to the BC-hosted classic was a fleece show, organized by Lynne Anderson and judged by Carole Berube. In total, 40 fleeces were judged in the down, long wool and fine wool categories. Best in show was the white long wool submitted by Laurie Morris from Disdero Ranch in Barriere. Next year’s All Canada Sheep Classic will be held in Richmond, Quebec. Sheep breeders flock to BC for national showJunior show, strong sale prices were key highlights IISBA, in partnership with the BC Sheep Federation, invite all levels of producers to a weekend of hands on workshops, vendors and guest speakers.SEPTEMBER 8, 9, 10, 2023Coombs Fairgrounds 1014 Ford Road, Coombs, BCFEATURING: Woody Lane, PhDLivestock nutritionist and forage specialist1BTUVSF.BOBHFNFOUt'MPDL/VUSJUJPOt)VTCBOESZ *NQSPWF8PPM2VBMJUZt8PPM)BOEMJOH.PSFFor more details or to register please email:iisbapresident@gmail.com

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KAMLOOPS BCCIRCLE CREEK RANCH, HWY 5A,*BEEF-SHEEP-HORSE-PHOTOGRAPHY-POULTRY*WWW.PROVINCIALWINTERFAIR.COMVISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR SCHEDULE OF EVENTS -WWW.P RO VIN CIALWINTE RFAI R.C OMVISIT OU R WEB SIT E FOR SCHE DUL E OF EVENT S -WWW.PROVINCIALWINTERFAIR.COMVISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR SCHEDULE OF EVENTS -PROVINCIALWINTER FAIR4-H & OPEN SHOW AND SALE4-H & OPEN SHO W AN D SALE4-H & OPEN SHOW AND SALESEPTEMBER 202322-25,SEPTEMBER 202322-25,SEPTEMBER 202322-25,Come celebrate local agriculture withfun family events!Livestock ShowsLivestock Auction“Buy Local”SuperDogsEntertainmentVendorsKid Zone&ScavengerHuntGrapes & Grill Wineand Food PairingEvent26 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCOn point! A picker prepares wool bres for carding and combing, preparing it to be spun into yarn. SUBMITTEDKATE AYERS VERNON – Joanna deMontreuil has quite a yarn to spin after a road trip across Canada transformed her long-time knitting hobby into a new business venture for her and her husband Chip. “My mom taught me to knit when I was a kid and I've done it o and on. And in the last probably 10 years, have done it quite a lot,” deMontreuil says. “[But] I hadn't really put that much thought into where my yarn came from.” That changed with a family road trip last year to the East Coast. DeMontreuil wanted to buy yarn from every province, which proved to be more dicult than she expected. But in Prince Edward Island, her family stopped at a yarn shop and the business owner mentioned Belfast Mini Mills Ltd., a local company that builds mill equipment for small-scale producers to process raw eece into value-added products like yarn. While the family did not have time to make a detour to check out Belfast’s mini mills, deMontreuil was intrigued. So, on the way back home, the couple arranged to meet with Anna Hunter of Long Way Homestead in Manitoba who owns a Belfast Mini Mill and provides tours to those interested in the craft. The visit planted the seed and deMontreuil and Chip spun the idea into a business. “We got home and just started planning it out and looking for equipment,” deMontreuil says. The couple own ve acres on the outskirts of Vernon. It’s home to laying hens, a few sheep and a vegetable garden. DeMontreuil, 36, grew up on a hobby farm with horses while Chip, 41, grew up in Fredericton, so running a mixed farm was a relatively new venture for them in addition to full-time o-farm jobs as professional foresters. DeMontreuil’s research led her to a used Belfast mini mill in Tennessee, which was shipped to their farm in March. The couple received operational training from a Belfast technician in early July. During this entrepreneurial journey, they quickly discovered that their operation does not t into any of the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s funding boxes, even though their business will provide a valuable service for the livestock sector. “Getting funding to buy the wool mill, that was basically the rst hurdle, and realizing that it's really hard to get business loans if you don't have an existing business with proven track record,” deMontreuil says. “The wool mill occupies this sort of space between agriculture and arts. The federal government and the province of BC have funding programs, but Farmers look to fill wool processing gapVernon couple endeavours to start processing fibre this fallnothing really ts with what we're doing. … Agriculture programs are really geared towards producing food and wool is sort of a byproduct of an agricultural food product.” So, the couple have funded everything themselves, with opening scheduled for this fall. The couple’s eorts have already received ample positive feedback from producers, who either ship their wool to the province’s sole mill in Kamloops or to mills east of the Rockies. “We got a huge response when we went public in the BC Sheep Producers’ Facebook group,” deMontreuil says. “There's denitely a need for it. The scale of bre farms in Vernon is not huge … but those small producers are, I would say, very excited that we are coming online pretty soon.” Once the mill is up and running, the couple hope to process 4,000 pounds of eece a year, which equates to 15 pounds a day. In the meantime, producers have donated wool to deMontreuil so that she and Chip can practice before charging customers for their work. Dani Haak of Creekside Family Farm outside of Enderby donated wool and is excited to see a local business take up processing for local sheep producers. For now, it’s mostly learning to do by doing since mentors and learning opportunities for bre processing are far and few between. Fortunately, Tappen sheep farmer, eece dyer and certied eece judge Lynne Anderson was ready and willing to share all her knowledge to help the couple get started. “Somebody else has to be able to hold this knowledge and hopefully, if I teach her, she'll teach three other people,” Anderson says. “I'm always just handing o what I know because this is a very small industry and if we're not generous and if we don't share it, we run the risk of losing it.” Right now, Anderson uses two Alberta mills to process her mixed ock’s eeces but hopes to be able to switch to deMontreuil’s mill for roving yarn to reduce turnaround times and transit costs. “A local bre mill that is organized and will run on time is everything,” Anderson says. In addition to knowledge transfer, Anderson endeavoured to raise awareness about bre production by coordinating a eece show at the All Canada Sheep Classic that ran in Barriere over three days in July. “I do feel it's a worthy pursuit to promote Canadian wool. … We should not be in a position where we are having to rely on other countries for our wool,” Anderson says. For deMontreuil’s part, she looks forward to becoming another piece of the local bre economy, helping build it out and seeing her knitting projects from start to nish. “I think just looking out at our eld and watching our sheep grazing, imagining, you know, making a garment out of their wool,” she says. “It connects you to the animals and the breed of sheep. … I think just seeing the whole process come around full circle will be really rewarding.”

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 27Smart tools point a way to more efficient weeding Field day demonstrates a new option for vegetable growersTidy weed-free rows require less work with mechanical weeders, especially those that learn by doing. PETER MITHAMGrown and brewed on-farm in Ladner, B.C.www.barnsidebrewing.caA true, terroir inspired Hazy IPA. Our farm grown Pilsner malt and Cascade and Chinook hops combine with white wheat to create the perfect balance of body, bitterness, and juiciness.Ask for us at your local beer storeAsk for us at your local beer storeAsk for us at your local beer storeSuppor soi-based agriculturDrinfarm fresh beerfarm fresh beerfarm fresh beerLANGLEY CHILLIWACK CHEMAINUS KELOWNA rollinsmachinery.com 1-800-665-9060NEW! CUB CADET lawn tractors, 2023 units, ride-on, o-turns ...................... CALL POTTINGER LION 403 power harrow [N33420] .................................... CALL POTTINGER TOP 962C tedder [N33417].................................................. CALL POTTINGER TOP 882C rake [N33422] ..................................................... CALL NH T7.315 tractor .................................................................... COMING SOON NH DB313F flail disc mower [N32824] .................................................. 55,000 USED TRACTORS KUBOTA BX1860 no loader (CNS816).................................................. $13,015 KUBOTA L3901 STRC w/loader, 1310 hrs (CNS815)............................ 28,000 KUBOTA M7060 2019, cab, no loader, 200 hRS [U32830].................... 67,000 NH T3.80F orchard tractor, 25 hours (U32843) .................................... 45,000 NH WORKMASTER 105 cab, loader, low hours (U32946) .................. 87,000 QUALITY USED EQUIPMENT MCHALE FUSION VARIO 2017, 14,000 bales [U32135] ....................... 73,900 MASCHIO 105 Rototiller, like new (CNS810) .......................................... 3,750 WALLENSTEIN MX50G Manure spreader (CNS813) ........................... 4,800 BUHLER Triplex mower 18’, like new [CNS794] .................................. 19,900 KVERNELAND 9084C Rake, 26’ (U33029) .............................................. 18,900 KVERNELAND 9476C Rake 2017 (U32957)............................................. 33,700 NH FP240 Chopper 29P Grass, 3PN Corn Crop Proc (CNS786) ........ 47,500 PETER MITHAM LADNER – A cloud of dust follows a farm labour contractor’s minibus as it turns o Hwy 17 into a eld of sweet corn. A crew of 16 exit, weeding implements in hand and begin working their way down the rows. The scene is a familiar one on vegetable farms across the Lower Mainland, where the cost of weeding, roguing and generally keeping the rows tidy can add up to $500 and more per acre each season. For a hundred-acre farm, that’s at least $50,000 worth of weed control before all the other inputs are factored in. And some of those inputs are disappearing. Regulatory reviews are leaving growers with fewer options than ever for controlling weeds, meaning old-fashioned tools are often among the few left in the box. But in the eld next door to the workers tending the sweet corn, Rollins Machinery Ltd. hosted a demonstration June 29 that showed an alternative to manual weeding or even some of the mechanized options that have gained traction in recent years. A new entrant to the BC market, the Stout smart cultivator has a modular construction that allows it to be congured for a variety of farming systems and uses. The software denes the functionality, which can be changed via an update from the Stout servers. The hardware can handle level or raised beds, till or no-till systems and a variety of crops with a few simple adjustments. The cultivator was developed by Stout AI of Salinas, California, which has deployed 50 units worldwide, with more than 7,000 hours of eld work logged. The system is trained on an image database that helps it distinguish between various types of produce and weeds, pests and whatever other undesireables need clearing from the eld. Regular updates keep the system current, drawing on a federated learning system that uses data distributed across multiple devices now in the eld rather than being dependent on information stored at a single location. In short, the machines talk to each other, and even if one of them goes down, the learning goes on. Since it’s an image-based system, it has the potential to evolve into a crop estimation tool among other applications. Stout CEO Brent Shedd says it’s not there yet, but the direction is clear. The demonstration in Delta this summer focused on its use in a level eld of cabbage. The eld was dry, but weeds were showing signs of emerging. Give them a week, participants said, and the eld would be full of them. The cultivator aimed to prevent that from happening. With the implements adjusted to the eld height and row spacing, the cultivator moved down the row and plucked weeds – or what it thought were weeds – from the row. While highly ecient, it soon became apparent that calibrating the equipment requires real-world knowledge of eld conditions. Dry conditions and a lack of irrigation meant the plugs of cabbage had yet to take root. The speed of the cultivator saw several topple over, while the direct-seeded nature of the plugs meant an inconsistent spacing that the unit had yet to learn. Slowing down improved its performance, and the rows began to look neater, and cleaner. “It’ll be a lot smarter a year from now,” quipped Shedd. Rollins territory manager Gerald Neufeld said the target market is organic and other producers trying to control weeds without access to conventional herbicides. “Chemicals that were the go-to thing three or ve years ago are no longer available,” he says. Smart weeders aren’t new to BC, even if the Stout cultivator is. The Garford Robocrop InRow weeder is distributed locally, while a Surrey company, Eleos Robotics Inc. garnered attention three years ago with its autonomous ‘RoboWeeder’ designed to zap weeds with a microwave in perennial cropping systems. The autonomous device did not reach commercialization, however. Pricing for Stout AI’s starts at $406,000 for a two-row unit and runs to more than $900,000 for larger models.

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28 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC PRE-OWNED EQUIPMENT CLAAS AXION 920 MFD TRACTOR CONSIGNMENT UNIT CALL FOR DETAILS CLAAS AXION 930 MFD TRACTOR CONSIGNMENT UNIT CALL FOR DETAILS CLAAS ORBIS 750 CORNHEAD CALL FOR DETAILS CASE IH FARMALL 95A MFD ROPS TRACTOR WITH LOADER CALL FOR DETAILS CLAAS JAG 870 SP FORAGE HARVESTER 10’ PICKUP & 6-ROW CORNHEAD CALL FOR MORE DETAILS/PRICING CLAAS 970 SP FORAGE HARVESTER 10’ PICKUP & 10-ROW CORNHEAD CALL FOR MORE DETAILS/PRICING JD 956 MOWER CONDITIONER $32,900 SOLD! KUHN GF7802THA TEDDER $18,700 NH T4.75 TRACTOR ROPS MFD WITH LOADER $47,500 www.caliberequipment.ca STORE HOURS MONDAY-FRIDAY, 8-5 OPEN SATURDAY 8-12 604-864-2273 860 RIVERSIDE ROAD ABBOTSFORD More Crops. Less Ash.I want to extend my grateful thanks to the big food company CEOs who are taking the brunt of the blame for this food price ination situation we are hearing so much about. I think it’s very nice of them, even if they are paid well for it. For those of us wallowing around at the other end of the food system pay grade, it provides a convenient smoke screen as we busily jack up our prices and never ever consider going back down again. I am late to the price-raising party. Apart from nally reacting to the rising price of diesel with a very slight increase to our wholesale price, our rates have been the same for years, and always on the high side. That has recently changed. It seems everyone has caught up and indeed left us behind. At market, we are now on the low side. Of course, there has been an almost a redemptive quality to the experience of witnessing conventional potato prices at the grocery store steadily rise towards, and in some cases meet, our market price: I just knew cheap food couldn’t last forever. Still, it’s odd that our prices would be similar. I wonder if they are pricing in CanadaGAP certication? A month ago, we applied for CanadaGAP and my self-righteous, detrimental, altruistic approach to pricing began to drown in a sea of tangled paperwork, costly upgrades and excessive water testing. CanadaGAP (stands for Good Agricultural Practices) is the federal government’s mandated on-farm food safety program designed to protect consumers from food-borne illnesses caused by the consumption of fresh vegetables. Remember the listeria on spinach a few years ago? And E.coli seems to nd its way onto leafy greens with some regularity. CanadaGAP is a response to all that. The easier thing would have been to mandate some factual, consumer-empowering signage at the point of sale describing growing conditions and inputs, with answers to questions of particular interest serving as the framework. What is the source of irrigation water? What soil amendments are being used? Where are these farms located in relation to slaughter facilities and other intensive livestock operations? Such information would surely then inspire thorough – and perhaps thoughtful – at-home produce washing. The truth may not be palatable in all cases, however, and detrimental to sales. Unacceptable, I am sure. Instead, we have CanadaGAP. Is CanadaGAP going to result in fewer romaine recalls? Perhaps it will. I am assuming that sort of thing is tracked. Is it going to make small potato farmers like us indescribably frustrated (although look at me trying to articulate) that because some farms seem to need help knowing when to avoid using poopy water and sewage sludge, we must add to our collection of costly certications? Yes, it is. I was hopeful that we would be able to sidestep CanadaGAP. I thought if we avoided it for long enough, someone in charge would notice that it obviously needs to be adjusted, amended, updated and modied to t farms like ours. No such luck, however, and our major distributor made it mandatory for this season. We heaved a massive sigh, paid the registration fee and embarked upon the process. One month in, we are $4,000 poorer with more spending to come, and we have almost daily conniptions over compliance. Consumers are going to have to pay for this. On the plus side, we have been cleaning up the place. Getting rid of the accumulated otsam and jetsam of generations of farming is not necessary to certication, but it is proving cathartic. I must be careful that during frequent ts of pique over CanadaGAP I don’t over-do it, however. You never know, for example, when the old, ripped 10x15 tent canopies, long since replaced, will come in handy. I’ll hang onto them just in case. Anna Helmer farms in the Pemberton Valley and this became one of her more heavily self-edited articles. Doing the “right” thing comes at a pricePaperwork will save us all from food-borne illness, right?Farm Story ANNA HELMERWe applied for CanadaGAP and my self-righteous, detrimental, altruistic approach to pricing began to drown in a sea of tangled paperwork ...

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 29Island couple future-proof new farm operationLand costs and water scarcity drove business decisionsMatt Lawrence holds one of the 2,000 living lettuce plants Forest Valley Acres ships each week for sale at retail within 48 hours of harvest. SUBMITTED100 Mile HouseNew Cal Rabbit FarmAbbotsfordBlackwood Building CentreAgassiz Building SupplyAldergroveOtter Co-OpArmstrongCountry West SupplyAshcroftAshcroft Building Centre Black CreekBlack Creek Farm and Feed SupplyCastlegarMitchell SupplyChilliwackCANEX Building SuppliesCountry West SupplyClintonClinton Building SupplyCranbrook / KootenaysTop CropCrestonGrowers Supply CourtenayTop Shelf FeedsDuncanTop Shelf FeedsGrand ForksBoundary Home Building CentreHoustonBulkley Valley Home CentreKamloops / MerrittPurity FeedKelownaGrowers SupplyKeremeosQC Ltd LangleyCountry LumberDawson Brill LumberLillooetLillooet BuildersLogan LakeFence ‘N More Supplies LtdMaple RidgeHaney Building CentreNanaimoCountry West SupplyOkanagan / OliverGrowers SupplyParksvilleFenceline ProductsPembertonAnimal BarnPentictonGrowers SupplyDan ZellerPitt MeadowsOtter Co-OpPowell RiverPowell River Building Supply Top Shelf FeedsPort AlberniBeaver Creek Home CentrePrincetonFletcher’s Building CentreQuadra IslandQuadra Island BuildersRock CreekFreeman’s Farm & Vet SupplySalt Spring IslandWindsor PlywoodSecheltGibsons Building CentreSmithersSmithers Feed StoreSorrentoSorrento Building CentreTelkwaBulkley Valley Home CentreVernon Growers SupplyWasa / East KootenaysWasa Hardware & Building CentreWilliams LakeBeaver Valley FeedWinlawSlocan Valley Home Hardware 250.295.7911 TF 1 877.797.7678 bill@pwppost.com www.pwppost.com 1821 Crowsnest Hwy. Princeton, BC V0X 1W0 PWPPrinceton Wood Preservers is proudly Celebrating 50 Yearsfence postspoles grapevine stakestree stakestrellisingdoweled post & rail fencingrewoodBill EveriThe Everitt-Marion family is also celebrating 30-years of owner-operation at the mill and treating plant. PWP’s focus continues to be PWP Premium brand high quality kiln dried, pressure-treated products that meet CSA standards for MOTI and MOF projects. Our team also launched a PWP Select economy grade line in 2022.From Vancouver Island to Quebec, the Yukon Territory to California, buy the name that lasts. Buy Princeton Wood Preservers Ltd.Preferred Supplier for British Columbia Ministries and Parks Canada.Black CreekAsk For Us By Name PWP Premium & PWP Select at the following trusted dealers.KATE AYERS CUMBERLAND – First generation farmers Matt and Selena Lawrence knew they wanted an acreage and to raise their family on a farm, but securing land and water for a large-scale operation in the Comox Valley was not in the cards. However, after creating a viable farm business model, the couple were able to secure a mortgage and loan to buy a ve-acre property in Cumberland and construct a hydroponic lettuce facility. “Land is very expensive up here,” Selena says. “We thought, what can we farm small-scale that is sustainable if we can only aord up to ve acres of land? We couldn't have these massive cornelds and you know, water is very scarce on the Island. … So, we decided a greenhouse was going to be our best bet.” The couple bought the property in June 2022, incorporated their business as Forest Valley Acres and ordered a greenhouse from Harnois Industries in Quebec. Delivered with instructions, greenhouse assembly was more of a challenge than Matt, a Red Seal carpenter, expected – even with his father’s help. “Coming from working with wood as a carpenter to putting up the steel infrastructure frame with polycarbonate was denitely a challenge,” he says. “It probably took us twice the amount of time that we had budgeted. We had budgeted maybe three months but then the snow came, and we didn't have that roof on.” The unnished building sustained some damage during a late November snowstorm, but once cleaned up, the gas tters and electrical contractors were able to complete installing the building systems and commission the facility. “There's a thermometer, humidity sensor, sheet screens, fans and a cooling system and heater,” Lawrence says. “It stays between 21°C and 24°C at all times all through the year.” With some help from Matt’s parents, the couple now manage a fully operational Nutrient Film Water recycling uDon’t forget to RENEW yourSubscription.

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30 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Water recycling keeps things greenShare Your ViewsHow do we improve soil health and carbon capture in BC’s agricultural sector? What technology and supports are needed?Register to speak by September 1, 2023Provide written or video input by November 17, 2023For more information, visit bcleg.ca/AgCommittee or call 250 356 2933 or toll-free 1 877 428 8337Select Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fish and FoodTechnique hydroponic system in which nutrient-rich water continuously ows down the channels past exposed plant roots. Any unused solution is captured at the end of each channel, returned to the reservoir, remixed for nutrient balance and recirculated to the plants. The system recycles up to 95% of the water, Lawrence says. The plants consume about 100 gallons of water per day, which is replaced by their service well. It has been able to keep up with the daily demand so far, but the couple are considering alternatives as drought conditions persist on Vancouver Island. One option is to buy municipal water from the Comox Valley Regional District at $1.50 per 400 gallons and truck it back to the farm. The other option is to dig a deeper well, but Lawrence says that’s a $20,000 project. Now that their facility is up and running, the couple hope they can get an environmental farm plan audit and apply for some funding or grants to help cover the cost of a new well. On June 27, the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food announced the $20-million Agricultural Water Infrastructure program that will be administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC over the next three years. The program consists of three funding streams that support the improvement of water storage and delivery systems and agricultural water supply assessments, engineering studies or plans. Water scarcity a limiting factor Carmen Wakeling, owner of Eatmore Sprouts and Greens in Courtenay, says water scarcity is a signicant limiting factor on regional production. Each week, Eatmore produces about 10,000 pounds of sprouts, which are 99% water. This means a signicant volume is regularly removed from the farm. One of the main reasons Carmen and her husband bought their property was because it has two very deep wells that draw from the Quadra sand aquifer. “The aquifer actually takes quite a long time to empty and recharge so probably the impact to us is about a six-month time from when we have an extreme weather event,” Wakeling says. “We’re really lucky because we have wells here so we can actually go online and see the wells on a regular basis and access all that information.” The data allows Wakeling to plan half a year ahead if they experience drought conditions. She also has a drought plan and staged approach as to what they would do as a business if water access became restricted. “We're not being impacted this second, but we're certainly paying attention and we certainly know that we could be.” Patience At Forest Valley Acres, April marked the start of the couple’s rst growing season. They planted their rst seeds on Easter, passed the CanadaGAP food safe certication in May and harvested their rst plants on June 1. In July, the couple were selling their lettuce at mid-Island Quality Foods, Thrifty Foods, the Real Canadian Superstore and their farm stand, with logistical support from Vancouver Island Farm Products Inc. From farm to grocery store should only be about 48 hours, Lawrence says, which together with having the lettuce’s live root ball attached extends its shelf life. Forest Valley Acres currently supplies four varieties: green leaf, red leaf, green and red butter lettuce with seeds sourced from West Coast Seeds and Stokes Seeds in Ontario. In their rst month of production, patience was the biggest lesson learned, Lawrence says. “We expected the sales to be there right away. … We hit the market when it was lettuce-growing season for everyone,” Lawrence says. “Our germination rates and our crop loss percentages are not exactly where we want them to be because we're kind of still learning. We're experimenting with seeds. We’re switching delivery companies to have better distribution.” Despite the steep learning curve and evolving logistics, the couple are still providing products for local residents. Other destinations for their lettuce include local schools and Comox Valley Food Bank. Lawrence provides elementary students with fresh greens through the Salad Bar program. “We were having some product that didn't quite make the requirements for the grocery stores but was still like a very ne product, very edible. … And I tried to gure out how to kind of get rid of that product and be able to provide somebody with lettuce instead of just having it in our little farm stand,” Lawrence says. “It warms my heart as a mom being able to help these kids get some really fresh, local, clean produce.” As they continue to rene their production techniques, the couple’s goal is to grow between 1,800 and 2,300 heads of lettuce per week. Right now, they can harvest about 2,000 plants over two days each week. They have a storage cooler on site that can hold about 4,800 heads of lettuce. Moving forward, the couple eye consistency and expansion. “Where we placed the greenhouse on the property, we could have up to four greenhouses. They're a gutter-connect greenhouse, so you actually connect them side by side,” Lawrence says. “I would say the next ve-year plan would be to add another greenhouse, whether it's going to be lettuce or a dierent product in that greenhouse expansion is denitely in the works.” However, the expansion will have to wait until Lawrence has a bit more time as her hands are now full with two boys under the age of four and another child due in September.

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 31Instrumental insemination boosts bee vigourResearch to develop locally adapted bees gains groundPutting bees in the family way requires putting them under the microscope, says Iain Glass, but the results will be visible across the province and beyond in the form of stronger colonies. RONDA PAYNERONDA PAYNE VANCOUVER – Bees are getting a helping hand from researchers keen to create a locally adapted source of queens and drones for local apiaries. “What we need to do is generate good lines of bees that we want,” says Heather Higo, president of the BC Honey Producers Association. “We need a proper breeding program so that the proper genetics can be followed for both the queen line and the drone line.” Anyone who’s attempted to trace a family tree knows how complex genetic lines can be. Toss in a queen that has multiple drone partners and that family tree becomes an unruly bush. Tracking of every sprout, twig and branch is essential for proper selection of the right bees. “It needs to be well-structured and well thought out,” she explains of potential breeding programs. “You have to keep track of the genetics of those lines. There’s a lot that goes into it.” Selection of the right traits is the point in any livestock breeding program whether its focal point is chickens, sh or bees. It’s akin to pruning the branches of the family tree that have undesirable traits. A breeding program to achieve this end is coming soon from BCHPA and its Technology Transfer Program, which launched in 2022. Led by program manager Nuria Morn, the program leverages her experience in Ontario’s bee breeding program where she witnessed the increase in desireable traits. “I’m encouraged by what we’ve accomplished in just a year and a half [through TTP],” says Higo. “We’re hoping we can keep the program going.” Current research includes economic thresholds of Varroa mite and identication of European foulbrood in BC. Selective breeding is often supported by instrumental (articial) insemination and speeds up the process that improves the health and vigour of colonies, says Sue Cobey, the queen bee of instrumental insemination and honeybee breeding. “Breeding queens is one of the most complex things because they mate with many drones,” she says. “And, they respond to selective breeding very well.” Now approaching retirement, she and her husband Tim Lawrence have begun scaling back on a lifetime of work and hundreds of colonies at their home in Coupeville, Washington to about 50. However, she is still involved in consulting on about 60,000 to 70,000 colonies. Her focus is breeding for specic traits, just as any livestock breeder would do. While she says interest in instrumental insemination in bees is growing, having a breeding program in place is the starting point to creating healthy local colonies. “Honeybees are really susceptible to inbreeding so you need a really big population,” she says. “I tell people to get as much genetic diversity as possible, then select the most diverse [bees].” She suggests picking out the top 50 breeders from the existing colonies, creating about 300 colonies from them, then again selecting the top 50 breeders and repeating the process. Occasionally bringing in carefully selected drones helps keep the gene pool diverse. It takes a lot of evaluation and observation to select the right bees for the local environment. “You’re always selecting better,” she says. “But every time you bring something in, you have to be careful. You keep pulling out the top performers over time. You’re going to have more vigorous bees; you’re going to have less disease problems. They’re going to be more productive.” Control is the word used in any method of selective breeding. But controlling a queen’s wanton ways is about as easy as controlling a teenager with a set of car keys. Breeding better bees “Honey bees will forage about a two-kilometre radius,” says Iain Glass, executive director of Vancouver-based Ensure Hive Future, a non-prot involved in education and research designed to create better bees in BC. “Drones and queens do a mating ight. They can easily go a 10-mile radius.” Combine that willingness to go the distance for a booty-call with the need to mate with multiple partners, and the ability to guide the queen’s ospring goes down signicantly. 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32 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Controlled breeding key to successABBOTSFORD1-888-283-3276VERNON1-800-551-6411You demand nothing but excellence - and we deliver. Avenue Machinery, your trusted destination for AGCO Genuine Parts.Researcher Iain Glass hopes a way with bees will give bees a way forward. RONDA PAYNEabout 100 kilometers north of Campbell River to better control outcomes of selective breeding. In the Lower Mainland, with tens of thousands of pollinators, there’s bound to be a mutt in the pack looking to mess things up. Glass says it’s nearly impossible to control breeding in that kind of environment. “For any kind of genetic program to work, you either need a closed o area with a density of bees,” he says, stating 40 or 50 colonies is the starting point. “Or you need instrumental insemination where you’ve been highly selective about the drones.” Queens need to mate with at least 15 drones, and preferably upwards of 40. If she is a chaste queen, the colony is likely to boot her out. To avoid this and to speed up the selective breeding process, apiarists engage in instrumental insemination. The practice is common in all livestock, but in bees, breeders forgo a full-arm glove for needles and other specialized insemination equipment. “It’s denitely something that could be made to work for us,” Higo says. “But it’s expensive and there aren’t a lot of people who are trained to do it. I’ve not gotten good enough at it to say I can do it.” The practice is commonplace in colder climates like Poland and the Czech Republic. Cobey recently brought back bee semen from Slovenia with Brandon Hopkins, assistant research professor in Washington State University’s department of entomology. Hopkins has been studying cryopreservation of bee semen. Cobey says the damage in preserved sperm is about the same as it is in equine sperm, but without cryopreservation, bee sperm is fully viable for about two weeks, then gradually declines. “I spend probably seven to 10 times more time collecting the drone semen [than inseminating queens],” says Glass. “That’s the stu that really takes a while. It’s all done under a microscope. It takes me about two minutes to inseminate a queen.” All this is done with specialized equipment and breeding strategy that will lead to the best traits for pollination and vigour. “It’s simply a tool to control breeding,” says Cobey of insemination. “It’s nothing more than that.” Higo echoes Cobey’s statement saying the breeding program is the most important aspect of creating locally-adapted bees. With the ability to store bee semen, Glass is hoping to work with Hopkins on a project to gather bee germplasm at the end of the season to then inseminate queens before the subsequent season. This would give the honeybees a jumpstart on pollination with locally suited genetics rather than reliance on imported bees that are susceptible to numerous problems. “There are still drones in the reweed in October,” Glass explains. “We could have locally adapted queens for that season. That would be a game-changer if we could get that in place.” Swapping queens between BC and Ontario has proven disastrous, and he stresses that local bees are the key to the future of better honeybee pollination. “If we created this industry of harvesting the drone semen and stored it in an incubator, we could have queens, local queens, available for the BC industry in late February or early March,” he says.

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 33Pass Creek farmers Nathan Wild and Emily Woody operate Conuence Farm, offering home deliveries of seasonal produce and value-added products. BRIAN LAWRENCEBRIAN LAWRENCE CASTLEGAR – With lush crops in the garden, blue sky above the mountains and dozens of swallowtail butteries itting around, Conuence Farms is an almost idyllic location. There’s no tractor engine sputtering — no noise, really, but the birds chirping. That’s the way Pass Creek farmers Nathan Wild and Emily Woody like it, using hand tools to work, as they focus on no-till farming, promoting regeneration with a focus on making the soil healthier. Their half-acre garden north of Castlegar received a single tilling to open it up but otherwise they try to keep the soil’s microbial system thriving. For example, instead of pulling out spent crops, they cover the patch with clear plastic to create a mulch, raking away what’s left. “If you never till; those microbes stay in the soil,” says Wild. “A lot of microbiology does not like the sunshine,” adds Woody. They follow four guidelines: disturb the soil as little as possible; keep it covered as much as possible, such as with mulch; keep it planted as much as possible; and, keep it planted as diversely as possible. To encourage further soil health, they use only fertilizers certied organic or approved for organic use, including compost, glacial rock dust, organic feather meal and alfalfa. The husband-and-wife team started Conuence Farms in 2019 and have honed their business model to focus exclusively on online sales and home deliveries. It’s been well received by customers, particularly those with no time to visit a farmers market or who don’t want the commitment to a weekly produce box. “We’re trying to be a one-stop shop for all your veggie needs,” says Wild. “We feel that more people are eating locally because of it.” “Our goal is to get as many people eating local food, year-round,” adds Woody. Interest is equally as high, and possibly higher, in the winter, which is a challenge for a small farm. “This is only half an acre —we couldn’t grow enough to meet the demand,” says Wild. To do so, they buy from other farmers, including producers in the Slocan Valley, Grand Forks, Salmo and Creston. “We don’t try to grow everything because we collaborate with each other,” says Woody. “We focus on fresh, perishable food.” In the early days, when they oered subscription boxes, a lettuce crop failure resulted in a serious shortage, but they were able to pick some up from other farmers. With very few wholesale channels to sell o excess produce, many farmers are already looking for ways to sell o their stock, especially storage crops as winter nears, conrming the importance of this aspect of their business model. “In the fall, we collect lots of carrots, for example, and buy lots at once and store them,” says Woody. “The farmers don’t have to store them, and they get paid all at once.” Meanwhile, the couple grows vegetables, culinary herbs and owers for customers to buy through their website, as well as for value-added products, such as pesto, pickles, candied jalapenos and salsa, all made from their own recipes in a commercial kitchen in nearby Winlaw. They grow ground cherries for jam, used in their thumbprint cookies, made using our from grains grown in Armstrong and ground in a stone mill that came from Austria. There’s more baking, too, such as bake-at-home cookies and pies, as well as sourdough waes. To ensure the baking arrives frozen and the veggies arrive cool, Wild and Woody are up at 2:30 am twice a week to deliver from 5-7:30 a.m. Holistic approach uGrowing opportunities for fellow farms Sustainable practices creates outlets for other small-scale farms79 Acres Irrigated250+ Cow Dairy Farm4 Bed Main House & 2 MobilesNEWLISTING *112 Acres + House Listed Separately& 200+ Acres Pot. for Sale or Rent.**All the quota, animals and equipment potential for sale

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34 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Holistic approach It’s been a winding road for the couple to get to this point. They met at the Shambhala Music Festival near Salmo in 2015, a pairing that would point Wild’s life in a new direction, thanks to Woody’s keen interest in agriculture. “I’d never set foot on a farm,” he says. “I didn’t know people farmed on such a small scale.” His background as a holistic nutritionist encouraged his desire to eat healthier, and he wanted to help combat climate change, an ideal that aligned with Woody’s. “Farming felt like one of the way to do something about climate change,” she says. “And I didn’t want to work inside.” She grew up on a Wisconsin hobby farm and attended a high school where she took an elective seasonal agriculture program during the last two weeks of each school year. She later studied ecological agriculture and community development at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. After they married in 2017 (Woody immigrated to Canada the following year), they settled in Wild’s hometown of Edmonton, starting a large garden on a vacant city lot. It allowed them to feed themselves, but they aspired to something greater. “We just wanted to homestead,” says Wild. “We wanted to be self-sustaining and live in the Kootenays.” An oer of land near Kelowna brought them to BC in 2019, and they started Conuence Farms by growing owers and vegetables in a pasture behind their rental home. Their eorts to farm and oer a veggie box program were wildly successful – and resulted in a bumper crop of zucchini, among other veggies, which they left in a cooler with a donation jar on the side of the road by their property. “We actually made decent money from the tip jar,” says Woody. They expanded Conuence to half an acre in 2020, which would be their last season in Kelowna. Young Agrarians matched them with landowners at Tulaberry Farm in Passmore, a community in the Slocan Valley, nally allowing them to start farming in the Kootenays in 2021. “We just had a dream and just decided to make it happen,” says Woody. “We moved here with no money, no connections.” After getting through that summer’s intense heat dome, which saw temperatures rise to 45°C, followed by a month of thick wildre smoke, they looked forward to normalcy in 2022 – which is when the owners, after four decades of farming, decided to sell the land. The region’s close-knit farming community came to the rescue: a devoted customer oered a lease for a place to live and a half-acre of land to farm while another gave them an interest-free loan that helped cover an insulated storage container and others donated hand tools they no longer used. “We were blown away by the community spirit,” says Wild. They tilled the garden just once last fall, and then planted this spring. With crops such as kale, bok choy and lettuce growing lushly, it’s almost hard to imagine the garden is brand new. As the couple has learned, leasing land is no guarantee of permanence, so the next step is to nd at and sunny land of their own. Until then, they’re happy to be bringing fresh, healthy food to West Kootenay residents. “My life has purpose and I’m making a dierence,” says Wild. “Making a dierence is really important for me,” says Woody. “I’d be a pretty depressed person if my work didn’t matter.” Nathan Wild harvests one of several kinds of kale grown at Conuence Farms. BRIAN LAWRENCESave water, save energy, save labor and do a better job of irrigating. NELSONIRRIGATION.COM Automatically change the arc of throw on traveling Big Gun® sprinklers. Low pressure R2000FX Rotator® has unparalleled radius of throw. Maximize radius and uniformity with the R3030 Pivot Rotator®. R2000FXROTATOR®R3030ROTATOR®SR150 BIG GUN®ARC TIMERIRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY50 YEARSFIELD-PROVEN CONTACT YOUR LOCAL NELSON DEALER TODAY!

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 35The dual-bay manure shed at Dragony Acres is seen as an example of how LEPS can help landowners do more with what they have while protecting the environment. FILERONDA PAYNE LANGLEY – Healthy watersheds are fundamental to life, and the mission of Langley Environmental Partners Society, a not-for-prot founded on August 5, 1993. Thirty years later, LEPS is still helping farmers and environmentalists share common goals with education and support. “Peter Scales was the rst environmental manager of the Township of Langley,” says LEPS executive director Nichole Marples. “He had this brainchild to create this non-prot society.” Scales had no detailed maps of local watersheds and watercourses, so he gathered students, volunteers and grant-funded employees to help. “He had students in hipwaders walking and [plotting] points,” Marples explains. “We’ve got almost 2,000 kilometres of water courses.” There was even more agricultural land in Langley at that time than there is now, and tension between those adamantly supporting agriculture and those ensconced in the environmental camp was thick. LEPS works to show the two areas can be supported together. “It’s less about environment versus farm, or sh versus cow, and more of a collaborative community in how we work together to support both of those things,” Marples says. When the watercourses were being mapped out, it became clear that parts of some waterways provided good habitat and others did not. It led to nding improperly managed manure piles, cow crossings and other issues that degraded the environment. “That took them from the back of the property to the front of the property to ask them if they would be interested in how we could work together and help with land conservation issues,” Marples explains. “[The federal department of ] sheries was the main funder of it for many years.” This stewardship work was the basis of the organization for about the rst decade before it branched out into species at risk in the waterways, manure management programs, local eating and more. More recently, it has conducted water testing on behalf of the province and participated in international working groups to address water quality on both sides of the Canada-US border. Lisa MacBurney, co-owner of Dragony Acres with her husband Doug Sweeting, didn’t have an understanding of manure or eld management when she started their horse farm in South Langley about 20 years ago. While they covered the manure pile with a tarp, it wasn’t breaking down into compostable matter, potentially impacting both the Anderson Creek and Murray Creek watersheds. “Then I heard about LEPS doing free seminars on pasture management,” she says. “They also came out and evaluated the property and gave an understanding of what the soil needed and the weeds we had.” While the couple tried to manage the pastures themselves, as soon as they worked the abandoned areas, weeds took hold and ourished. “They came out and did these evaluations, told us what we should do,” MacBurney says. “They suggested mowing and nitrogen and lime, that kind of thing. Then we discussed the manure management and the processing of compost and how that kind of thing works.” As a result, Dragony Acres soon sported a concrete- walled, two-bay manure shed that showcases how to manage manure and ensure it becomes benecial to the land. The process was so successful that the site hosted tours for those who wanted to see an example of excellent management practices. MacBurney has even been asked to visit other property owners’ land to help them lay out their structures. While LEPS oers Manure Link, which Marples describes as “the Craigslist of poo,” MacBurney makes use of the manure from the average of nine horses on her property on the four acres of hay and additional pasture. Manure Link connects those with composted manure to others who need it. Marples recognizes that farmers want to be good stewards of their land, but the tasks to support it fall lower on the list. Many are also expensive. Working with Dave Zehnder and Farmland Advantage allows LEPS to provide help more aordably. “We get it,” she says. “People just don’t have the time. Being able to use government money to protect the stream helps, and then they get a little bit of a stipend.” Everything LEPS does is grant-based, so activities are possible because of government funding, private funding through organizations like Vancity and student and volunteer time. It’s a balancing act, just like the balance between urban and rural living. “There’s this great access to nature that people really value,” she says. “I really hope LEPS can continue to provide that support and build that bridge of the promotion of agriculture and its heritage in Langley and how we’re balancing that with the environment.” A 30th anniversary party celebrating LEPS’s success will be a Langley Eats Local event held August 3 at MacInnes Farms’ Locality Brewing. Partnerships underpin success of Langley stewardship programLEPS celebrates 30 years of unity with farmers, environmentalistsFOR ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO GO UPVAN DER WAL EQUIPMENT (1989) LTD. 23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6 604/463-3681 | vanderwaleq.com 5080T TELESCOPIC WHEEL LOADER

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36 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCGladdie reminisces about long-ago truth or dareWhen we left off last time, Ashley and Gladdie were off to a great start as summertime companions. Rural Redemption, part 161, continues ... Gladdie and Ashley were instantly comfortable with one another. Their conversation never lagged, and Wendy heard her mother laugh more in the following week than she had since she was a girl herself. On Friday, Wendy told Ashley she was leaving to go back home for three weeks. She thanked Ashley again for being such a wonderful companion for her mother. She also told Ashley she had some special news to tell Gladdie and she wanted Ashley to be there, too. After breakfast they all gathered in the summer kitchen. Wendy explained she’d had a phone call from her granddaughter Tracey. “Tracey and Will are expecting; I’m going to be a great-grandmother!” “Congratulations,” said Ashley. “So I guess someone is going to be a great-great- grandmother, huh?” Wendy said it sure did and they both congratulated Gladdie. Gladdie said she hoped she’d be around long enough to see it. Wendy said she was certain of it. Ashley said it wouldn’t make any sense at all to make it this far and not stick around for something as special as a great-great-grandchild. Gladdie agreed and said it would give her something to shoot for. The day after Wendy left, Ashley and Gladdie sat down for morning tea. “Glad, have you ever thought of writing down any of your stories?” “I can’t imagine who would want to hear any of my old tales. Most of the folks who were part of them are gone now.” “All the more reason to tell them I would think, and I’ll bet this great-great- grandchild of yours might be interested to hear about your shenanigans someday. What do you think?” “Ashley, you are probably the only teenager in this district who has even said the word shenanigans, let alone knows what it means. It does give it an air of intrigue, I must say. I’ll do the remembering if you’ll do the writing. Wherever would I begin?” “How about your first day of school?” “Or the day Avery came home from the war,” said Gladdie wistfully. “Yes,” said Ashley. “Stuff like that. Maybe the first time you realized you caught his eye, or a time you did something crazy because someone dared you.” Gladdie broke into a broad grin. “Oh, you might just be onto something there, my girl. We could kill two birds at once telling that one.” “Two birds at once?” “You know, two birds with one stone? Avery always used to say it ‘two birds at once.’ You see, I first caught Avery’s eye and did something crazy on a dare on the same day.” “Sounds great,” said Ashley. “So tell me.” “I’m the only one alive who remembers it. If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone else until you’re the only one alive who knows it.” “Deal,” said Ashley. “There were four of us girls: Alice Ballard, Ruthie McLeod, Astrid Ingebrietsen and I. We were all the same age and we went all through school together and we were best friends. It was in the summer of 1939. I can still remember it like yesterday. We were 16 and it was hot. Ninety degrees in the shade hot. We all went swimming in the river by the big maple tree in Balfour’s long field. We had been in and out of the water all afternoon and we were sitting in the shade at the bottom of the bank right beside the water. It was nearly time to start home, but Alice had been trying to get us to play truth or dare all afternoon. I wasn’t keen on truth or dare but Ruthie said we owed it to Alice to play one round before we went home. “Right off the bat, Alice asked Astrid who was the first boy she ever kissed. Astrid hummed and hawed for a bit and finally admitted it was Noel St. Jaques at the skating party on Frasers’ slough back in February. That opened a few eyes because Noel was four years older than us and brought Gracie Kelly to the skating party with him. “Then Astrid asked Ruthie who was the first boy she ever kissed, and Ruthie said it was Alice’s brother Danny, which was no surprise because she told us all before anyway. “Then Ruthie asked me who was the first boy I ever kissed, and I said I was too much of a lady to talk about it. Ruthie said I didn’t need to talk about it – just say who it was. “I said I’d rather take the dare than give them the satisfaction of knowing who got to kiss me first. They spent a couple of minutes whispering, then Alice asked if I was sure I wanted the dare. “Truth is, no boy had kissed me yet, but I wasn’t about to admit it, so I took the high road and told them I was no chicken, so dare away. “Alice says, ‘Okay then, brave little heart, we dare you to take off your bathing suit and swim to the other side and back with no clothes on!’ “Before I had a chance to say no, they started going ‘buk-buk-buk’ and making chicken noises. I said I had nothing to prove to them and Astrid said I had to prove I wasn’t a chicken to them. “There hadn’t been a soul anywhere around all afternoon, so I agreed that if one of them climbed up and looked over the bank to see if the coast was clear, I’d do it. “Alice went and gave me all clear, so I took off my suit and waded over the shallows halfway, then swam to the other side and got out so my feet were on dry ground, then went right in again and headed back. “I was wading back across the shallows when I heard Alice say, “Hello, Avery. You going to try a little fishing?” “Avery was pretty shy but I suppose he nodded because Alice starts telling him there’s a dandy fishing spot right here so he should come and see for himself. “The next thing I know, I’m standing stark-naked in two feet of water when Avery Harrison hops over the bank 20 feet in front of me.” “What did he do?” “Just stood there with his mouth open staring at me.” “What did you do?” “Well, I didn’t have enough arms and elbows to cover everything up, so I fished a rock out of the river and brained him with it.” ... to be continued Woodshed Chronicles BOB COLLINSThousands 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! CREDIT CARD # _________________________________________________________________ EXP _____________ CVV __________ o NEW o RENEWAL | o ONE YEAR ($18.90) oT WO YEARS ($33.60) o THREE YEARS ($37.80) Your Name ______________________________________________________________________________ Farm Name _____________________________________________________________________________ City ______________________________________ Postal Code __________________________________ Phone _____________________ Email ______________________________________________________ MAIL TO: 36 DALE RD, ENDERBY, BC V0E 1V4 subscriptions@ countrylifeinbc.com www.countrylifeinbc.com/subscribePlease send a _______ year gift subscription to _______________________________________________ Farm Name ____________________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________________ City _________________________________________________ Postal Code ________ _______________ Phone _________________________ Email ________________________________________________

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 37Christmas tree growers look to scale up local National conference in Salmon Arm showcases BC practicesHippity-hop! Christmas tree growers say the time is right for new entrants to the sector as market dynamics shift in favour of local production. RONDA PAYNEHuesken says, while subalpine, Korean and Turkish rs have also exhibited drought resistance. He looks forward to hearing more at the BC Christmas Tree Association’s annual conference in Salmon Arm, September 7-9. It will be held in conjunction with the Canadian Christmas Trees Association, showcasing BC to a national audience. One of the speakers will be Chal Landgren, former Christmas tree extension speciality at Oregon State University, who will discuss growing trees in drought. One of his recommended strategies is planting seedlings in the fall so that they can become established in advance of the following season. Cover cropping with legumes and other plants can also help retain soil moisture while reducing scald from radiant energy reected back to the trees from bare soils. Tours on Friday will PETER MITHAM SALMON ARM – Christmas trees are the last thing on most people’s minds in the heat of August, but the province’s growers are hard at work tending the trees that will be the centrepiece of holiday celebrations in homes across the province this December. Rising freight costs for the million-odd trees BC imports from eastern Canada and the US each year are putting the emphasis back on local production after years of decline. Between 2011 and 2021, Statistics Canada reports that growers dropped from 506 to 276 while production fell from 6,476 to 3,143 acres. “The long-term solution for Christmas trees in the province of BC is to produce them here,” says Paul Huesken of Woodsong Christmas Trees in Lindell Beach near Chilliwack and president of the 107-member BC Christmas Tree Association. “You would think in a province with this landscape of billions and billions of trees and so much real estate that wouldn’t be an issue.” But high land costs create a barrier to entry for younger growers, meaning many producers are small, family-run operations with less than ve acres in production. This compares to thousands of acres in production at operations in neighbouring Washington and Oregon. “It would be nice to see a bit more land made available and programs where individuals could apply for use of those lands, because I don’t see farmland going down in price any time soon,” Huesken says. One option, he says is making use of the right of ways under transmission lines or along the Trans Mountain pipeline route. “You have this beautiful blank canvas of Crown land now that would be suitable for growing trees on,” he says. Right of ways were an option for Carl Karding, who www.tubeline.ca 1.888.856.6613@TubelineMFGFind us onNITRO 275RS SPREADERSACCUMUL8 & RETRIEVERBALEWRAPPERS SILAGE RAKEServing 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 250-838-6414grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Mission and now operates KarMac Christmas Trees in Salmon Arm. Since 2001, he’s leased 4.5 km along a BC Hydro right of way in the Scotch Creek area for tree production. Partnerships with two local nurseries have allowed him to also raise seedlings that supply growers around the province. “It is not really nancially viable to buy land for the purpose of growing Christmas trees unless it’s for investment,” he says. “The people who are interested in buying trees already have land and they want to do something with it.” Christmas trees are a viable option for people seeking farm class status for property tax purposes. “People want to put something on there and Christmas trees are a good alternative,” he says. This is where the provincial association is trying to support growers, especially as more extreme weather creates more challenging conditions for growers. “I’ve been growing trees since 1987, but I’m reassessing what I’m growing,” Huesken says. “Some species that we’ve grown in the past successfully, if you don’t have irrigation you’re going to have trouble these days – and that’s Fraser r, because they’re native to the Appalachians.” Okanagan growers have been having success with concolour (white) rs, showcase cone collecting and the work being done at the provincial seed orchard and seedling producer PRT Growing Services Ltd. in Tappen. There will also be a shearing demonstration and a review of spray trials on Karding’s trees undertaken in June by Michael Cunningham, Canadian forestry business manager with Belchim Crop Protection.YOURHelping YouWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATESURg YougYouWS

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38 | AUGUST 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCWell, it’s summer and the living is supposed to be easy, outdoors and fun. Of course, food is always a feature of every special occasion and a patio party isn’t one without great nger food. For me, making parties great means the host and hostess get to have fun too, and that means doing the prep ahead of time. Finger food appetizers can be complicated to make and involve lots of last-minute work, but those don’t see the light of day very often in my kitchen. Instead, I concentrate on the ones that are pretty special but don’t require lots of work and can be prepared ahead of time, all ready to be plated, or browned, then served when the guests have arrived with expectant taste buds. I planted kale again this year, so it’s important to me to nd recipes in which kale can star without turning o friends and family who profess to not like this nutritious member of the Patio fare for the lazy days of summerSoft inside and crispy out, spud puffs make a nice appetizer or side dish. JUDIE STEEVESEXCELLENT APRICOT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKEThis is a scrumptious way to use fresh apricots when they’re in season, or substitute frozen or canned fruit. Topping: 2 tbsp. (30 ml) butter 1/3 c. (75 ml) dark brown sugar Cake: 1/2 c. (125 ml) butter, softened 2/3 c. (150 ml) sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. (5 ml) vanilla 1/2 tsp. (3 ml) almond extract 1 c. (250 ml) our • Preheat oven to 350° F • Heat butter in a 10-inch cast iron pan or a nine-inch square cake pan and when foam subsides reduce to low and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the butter, along with the cinnamon. • Meanwhile, halve and pit the apricots. Remove pan from heat and arrange the apricot halves, cut sides up, close together, on top. • Sift dry ingredients in a small bowl. Beat butter with sugar in a larger bowl at medium speed until pale and uy, three minutes or so. Beat in eggs one at a time and add vanilla and almond extracts, then continue to beat until mix is creamy and doubled in volume (about two to three minutes). • Reduce speed to low and add our mix in three batches, alternately with the milk, beginning with the our mix. Beat just until combined. • Gently spoon batter over apricots and spread evenly without disturbing the fruit. • Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Put a cookie sheet under the pan, just in case a bit of butter bubbles up. • Remove from the oven, run a knife around the sides and invert a large plate over the pan and turn over so the cake is on the plate. Carefully lift the pan o the cake. 1/4 c. (60 ml) oat bran 1/4 c. (60 ml) cornmeal 1 1/2 tsp. (8 ml) baking powder 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) baking soda 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) salt 3/4 c. (175 ml) milkSPUD PUFFSThese are great cooked in the air fryer for a lling appetizer, or to serve with a protein for a meal. They’re soft inside and crisp out. For a spicier avour, add more chilli akes to this. Minced pepperoni would also add a great hit of avour. 2 medium potatoes 1/2 c. (125 ml) kale 1 tbsp. (15 ml) nutritional yeast 2 green onions 1 garlic clove 1/2 tsp. (4 ml) chili akes, to taste • Clean, cook and lightly mash two medium potatoes. I did not remove the skin. • Clean and mince the kale and soften in the microwave for a minute or two before adding to the potatoes. • Season with nutritional yeast, minced green onions, garlic and chilli akes and mix in well. • Beat an egg and mix in with a scoop of oat bran and shredded parmesan cheese. Combine it all, adding salt and pepper, to taste, and more chill akes if you like it spicier. • Roll into small balls, bite-sized for an appetizer and a bit larger if it’s part of your main meal. • Roll the balls in crisp bread crumbs such as Panko, and spritz them with a bit of oil spray. • Cook in the air fryer at 400° F for about 10 minutes, or until heated through and crisp on the outside. • Serves 4. 1 egg 1/4 c. (60 ml) oat bran or crumbs 4 tbsp. (60 ml) shredded parmesan salt and pepper, to taste crisp bread crumbs spray of oil Jude’s Kitchen JUDIE STEEVESEasy appetizers, desserts for summertime cabbage family. It’s known as a superfood due to the amounts of vitamin A, B6, C, K, folate, bre, lutein, zeaxanthin, carotenoids, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, zinc and manganese in it. Potatoes, particularly when you leave the skin on, are a good source of prebiotic and important antioxidants; as well as calcium, magnesium, folate, potassium and B6. But, you don’t have to tell your party guests or family that what they’re eating is good for them. All they need to know is that it’s good! It’s hardly even a recipe, but for a very simple, delicious, but nutritious patio appetizer, use the fresh tiny tomatoes from your garden and slice a few cukes, spread with a smear of cream cheese and basil pesto and top with a halved tomato. You can also add a bit of black olive to the top, but you might need to spear the whole thing with a toothpick then! Make good use of the bountiful harvest of fresh, local produce available at this time of year and spread the joy of great avours. Enjoy summer on the patio, or in a park, a wild meadow or a mountain top. 1 tsp. (5 ml) cinnamon 20 or so small fresh apricots

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC AUGUST 2023 | 39TRACTORS/EQUIPMENTREAL ESTATEFOR SALEFOR SALEHAYHAYEVENTSSERVICESSEEDWANTEDBERRIESIRRIGATIONFor 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, hydroponics, 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 premierplastics.com Feeders & Panels that maintain their value!ROUND BALE FEEDERS BIG SQUARE BALE FEEDERS FENCE PANELS CATTLE & HORSE FEEDERSHEAVY DUTY OIL FIELD PIPE CRADLE FEEDERS. Single big square or 2 round bales Outside measurement is 8 feet x 12 feet Silage bunk feeders For product pictures, check out Double Delichte Stables on Facebook www.doubledelichtefarms.ca Dan 250/308-9218 Coldstream DON GILOWSKI 250-260-0828 Royal LePage Downtown Realty Ltd BUYING OR SELLING OKANAGAN FARM, RANCH OR ACREAGE? COURTENAY HEREFORDS. Cattle for Sale: yearling bulls and bred heifers. John 250/334-3252 or Johnny 250-218-2537.PYESTERDAY’S TRADITION - TODAY’S TECHNOLOGYMANAGERS Phil Brown 250-293-6857 Catherine Brown 250-293-6858 ccr.princeton@gmail.com www.coppercreekranch.com PRINCETON, BC Raising registered polled & horned Herefords & F1s. BREEDING BULLS FOR SALE.RAVEN HILL MEADOWS: Purebred North Country Cheviot yearly ewes and rams for sale. 250-722-1882. NanaimoLIVESTOCKLIVESTOCKIt’s the top linethat makes the Bottom LineBC SHORTHORN ASSOCIATION Scott Fraser, President Bob Merkley, BC Director 250-709-4443 604-607-7733DeBOER’S USED TRACTORS & EQUIPMENT GRINDROD, BCJD 4200 3-BOTTOM ROLL-OVER PLOW 5,500 JD 830 ROTARY MOCO, 9 FT CUT W/FLAIL CONDITIONER 23,500 JD 1630 W/LDR 15,000 MF 165 DSL W/LDR, CANOPY 9,000 JD 5500 4WD, DSL, ROLL BAR & CANOPY W/LDR, 5,200 HRS 28,000 JD 6400 W/CAB & LDR 60,000 JD 1630 W/LDR 16,000 ED DEBOER 250/838-7362 cell 250/833-6699 CURT DEBOER 250/838-9612 cell 250/804-6147CUSTOM BALING 3x4 BIG SQUARES SILAGE BALING/WRAPPING ED DEBOER 250/833-6699 CURT DEBOER 250/804-6147EDVENTURE HAY SALES ENDERBYAvailable now, 4- 1/4 mile Used VALLEY, ZIMMATIC, T.L. PIVOTS, 3- Used 1,000 ft, 1,250 ft Hose reels, 10,000 ft 12 in 8,000ft 10 in HDPE, Steel pipe in all sizes used. 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Talk to Brock! 250 319 3044<dX`c1ZcXjj`Ô\[j7Zflekipc`]\`eYZ%ZfdfiZXcc1-'+%*)/%*/(+C@E<8;J1),nfi[jfic\jj#d`e`dld(*gclj>JK#\XZ_X[[`k`feXcnfi[`j%),;@JGC8P8;J1),gclj>JKg\iZfclde`eZ_M[WYY[fjcW`ehYh[Z_jYWhZi$8l^ljk@jjl\;\X[c`e\1Alcp).#)')' EQUIPMENT DISPERSAL • FIRESTONE radial 8000, 460/85R38 (18.4/R38) 70% tread, $950 • LOEWEN 422 vertical mixer wagon, scales, side-shift feed conveyor, good condition, $13,000 • LOEWEN BOX SCRAPER, 3 pt, with rubber, like new, $800 • JD CLAMP-ON DUALS 18.4-38, $2,500 TONY 604-850-4718Craig Elachie ShorthornsGrant & Barbara Smith | Balmoral Farms 250.835.0133 craigelachieshorthorns@gmail.com 1802 Tappen-Notch Hill Rd Tappen BC V0E 2X3Manure Spreader, JOHN DEERE Model 40T, $3,500; Hay BALE SLED, bunches up approx. 40 bales, $1,500; HAY RAKE, 4 wheels, $1,200; HAY WAGON 16’6” with new deck, $1,500. Call Shawn (604) 615-3646PACIFIC JET OPTICAL SORTER Designed for use with blueberries or cranberries. Ready to place in a production line to reduce labour costs in sorting. Located on Vancouver Island. Asking $19,980. CALL 250-743-9464 or email svanhouwe@outlook.comCall us today for a free consult: 604-835-5155WE PAY CA$H FOR TREES!HAY FOR SALE Large quantities of 3x4 hay & 4x4 WRAPPED SILAGE BALES. Located in Salmon Arm. WE DELIVER. 250-804-6081DISCOVER PRINCE GEORGE CATTLE RANCH/EQUESTRIAN 445 acres 25 minutes to PG, 4 bed/3bath updated home, 250 acres hay/pasture R2792594 $1,650,000 CLOSE TO AIRPORT 80.49 acres, multi-use zoning R2702887 $699,900 KELLOG CREEK RANCH 5 titles, 7000 acres range, 2200 sq ft home, guest cabin C8059864 $1,899,900 SHADY REST Mobile & RV park on 23.87 acres, Hwy 16, Houston C8049762 $1,450,000 ROBSON RD 5 bed/4bth custom built home on 11 acres R2744370 $999,900 BUCKHORN LK RD House w/garage, workshop on 8.5 acres. R2707052 $690,000 56 CITY ACRES Zoned AF, bring your ideas R2716736 $2,399,900 160 ACRES west of PG, Zoned RU3, R27229 $369,000 PARADISE FOUND updated log home on 42 acres. $749,900 R2691271 COUNTRY GEM 3 bed/1 bath home of 2.2 acres. R2711734 $379,900 DOME CREEK 160 acres with tons of potential. R2702148 $399,900 SALMON VALLEY 370 acres; 3 titles. 150 ac cleared, R2675843 $599,000 STUNNING MTN RESORT on 82.25 acres, 17 chalets, 50 camps. C8040948 $4,850,000 CATTLE RANCH 1,280 acres; 5 bed/3 bath home. Fenced, outbuildings; R2677116 $2,100,000 CONCRETE BUSINESS Robson Valley, C8040939, $759,000 PARADISE IN THE VALLEY 192 acre pri-vate estate, custom home, outbuildings to die for. R2720083 $1,425,000 SAXTON LAKE ROAD: R2610535 R2610527; R2610554 and more lots available in this area. CRANBROOK HILL 77 acres w/dev po-tential minutes from UNBC. R2640598 $1,500,000 HART HWY 54.95 acres. R2640583. $649,900 CLOSE TO THE LAKE 8.3 acres. R2610880 $224,900 74 ACRES w/ 20,000 sq ft bldg., 40 acres cultivated. C8041167 $1,700,000 ESCAPE the city. Two lots in Willow River, 22,500 sq ft. R2591708, $28,900 69+ ACRES ON RIVER Approx 50 acres in hay. River, road access. R2775277 $838,000 55 ACRES Dev potential close to airport. R2707390, $675,000 80 ACRES/TIMBER VALUE Zoning allows ag, housing, forestry & more. R2665497 $449,900 15 MINUTES TO PG 58 Acres, mostly flat lot with lots of potential. R2665474, $349,900 HWY FRONTAGE 190 acres w/exc po-tential for subdivision/commercial ven-tures. R2660646 $650,000 WRIGHT CR RD 195 acres bare land. R2655719 $649,900 21 ACRES PG in city limits on Hwy 16, R27163337 $595,000 TABOR 7.61 acres short drive from town. R2716743 $109,000 PRINCE GEORGE & AREA SUBDIVISION LOTS: PARADISE ESTATES: R2688574; R2688580; R2688588; R2588581 and more lots available in this subdivision. GLADTIDING ESTATES R2687614; R2687593; R2687125; R2687155 and more lots available in this subdivision. CHIEF LAKE ROAD: R2689813; R2689815; R2689817 and more lots available in this subdivision. PRIME DEVELOPMENT 28 acres at Otway & Foothills Blvd MSL R2774437, $3,900,000ORGANIC FALL RYE Seed For Sale: Cleaned with germination and organic certificate. Produced from certified seed in Armstrong. $650/MT. Call Alden at 204-979-7457PEPPER/PUMPKIN WASHER Working and in good condition Asking $25,000 obo Call or email for more information 604-576-1727 admin@heppells.ca SUMMERS 700 ROCK PICKER Almost New Condition $9500 Call Loren @ 778-241-1665 or loren@tavesfamilyfarms.com REGISTERED TEXEL RAMS 2021 proven ram and a selection of Registered March 2023 ram lambs available at the farm. ALBERT & DENA FINLAY 250-546-6223 nlaysfarm@gmail.com | nlayfarm.comTOP DORPER ram lambs, ready to go. Text or call 250-706-7077 or email: cunningham@bcinternet.netHAY/SILEAGE, dry, well-wrapped, good quality bales for horses/cows; also well wrapped haylage and silage, good tight bales, $95/bale, 604-825-9108We have a PARMITTER TR33 ROUND BALE WRAPPER, the rubber off the roller is coming off. Looking for a new or used Pre-Stretcher Assembly (Tension Roller). Located on Vancou-ver Island. Email gmhof@shaw.caCarrie Nicholson PREC* 250-614-6766 SEPTEMBER DEADLINE AUGUST 264x3 BIG SQUARES, first crop; Round bales, first crop, 250-833-6699; 250-804-6147The Great Spallumcheen Farm & Food Festival & NORTH OKANAGAN PLOWING Match, Sept 24, 10-3, Fieldstone Organics. Plow Match inquiries: Arthur, 250-346-3411

CLBC August 2023

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