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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. 108 No. 12The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 DECEMBER 2022 | Vol. 108 No. 12DISASTER Senate report highlights the need for flood plans 7 DISEASE More farms test positive for avian influenza 9 CROPS New apple varieties may improve profits 15PETER MITHAM KELOWNA – Training is the top priority for the province with a new round of funding intended to help stabilize and renew the province’s tree fruit industry. An infusion of $2.5 million announced November 17 will support the development of a tree fruit certicate program at Okanagan College and establish an extension service helping 250 growers annually improve fruit quality, increase production and enhance their farm businesses. "We are working directly with the industry, family farms and businesses to ensure they succeed into the future, and putting BC's apple growers in the best position to increase their eciency, production and protability," BC agriculture minister Lana Popham said in a statement. A portion of the funds will also ow to the long-running Okanagan-Kootenay Sterile Insect Release Program, which earlier this year benetted from a $375,000 investment in the BC Decision Aid System, as well as marketing initiatives. The ministry did not provide a breakdown of how the new funds would be allocated. The funding will run through March 31, 2024. The new certicate program at Okanagan College could launch next fall. “Our teams are moving forward to design the program and get it implemented now that it has been announced,” says Kevin Scott Walsh, the assistant vineyard manager at Tantalus Vineyards in Kelowna, was one of a hardy team of ice wine grape harvesters who started picking at 5 am on November 10 when temperatures were colder than the -8°C requirement for ice wine. MYRNA STARK LEADERNew money for fruit growersSee TREE on next page oPETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – The federal government has announced long-awaited compensation for supply managed groups impacted by market access granted when the Canada-US-Mexico free trade agreement (CUSMA) that replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020. A total of $1.7 billion will be paid to farmers and processors of supply-managed products, according to federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, speaking at a Quebec dairy See CASH on next page oOttawa dishes trade fundsDairy sector benefits most I spy ...Toll Free 1-800-661-4559Forage Seed produced by & available atWishing everyone aMerry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
TREE fruit extension nfrom page 1CASH timely as producers cope with increased input costs nfrom page 12 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCParnell, associate director, college relations. The program wouldn’t be the rst the college has developed for the agriculture sector. It previously developed a viticulture technician program in response to industry demand for training that would create a clear pathway for students beyond its more general viticulture certicate program. “We do work with dierent industries to tailor courses to what is needed in that particular industry so this will be another example,” Panell says. “We’re excited to begin oering this.” The extension funding builds on work a six-member committee led by SIR general manager Melissa Tesche undertook this year, including a grower survey, to identify grower priorities and ways to maximize existing resources. Some of those resources have been led by industry, such as BC Tree Fruits Co-op’s restoration of eld support services through Growers Supply Co. Co-op members receive up to 30 hours a year while non-members can pay for services. “The four pillars of funding announced are all important areas that will strengthen the future of our tree fruit industry,” co-op vice-president Laurel Van Dam says. “We applaud the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food for their leadership in this initiative to date and look forward to continue working together to improve the industry for our growers.” BC is home to about 400 commercial orchardists tending 15,200 acres of tree fruits. This is down by about 900 acres since 2016, almost entirely attributable to dramatic declines in apple acreage. The BC Fruit Growers Association says this points to a need for greater support in the form of a structured marketing proposal, transition assistance for growers and renewal of the provincial replant program. “The support for horticulture education, [SIR] and domestic and export marketing support are important to the normal operations of our tree fruit sector,” BCFGA president Peter Simonsen says. farm on November 14. “A lot of farms are struggling right now with the cost of feed, fuel and fertilizer, so the timing is good to have some help,” says Sarah Sache, a farmer in Rosedale and vice-chair of the BC Dairy Association. “We’re pleased to see the compensation to farm businesses is coming in the form of direct compensation.” Ottawa will provide $1.2 billion to dairy producers over six years beginning in 2024 through the Dairy Direct Payment program, Bibeau said. Payments are tied to quota, and works out to about $106,000 over six years for a farm milking 80 cows. Payments will decline over that period. “These funds will give producers the exibility to invest according to their individual needs,” the statement announcing the compensation said. Direct payments are a shift from the Dairy Farm Investment Program announced in 2017 following the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The ve-year program evolved into a direct-payments program when compensation was negotiated for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacic Partnership (CP-TPP). A further $300 million of the latest funding is earmarked for a new program Ottawa will develop in partnership with industry to “support innovation and investment into large-scale projects to add value to solids-non-fat, a by-product of milk processing.” “We were really encouraged to see the amount in processing and innovation, because those are the things that we need in Canada to continue to evolve the competitiveness of our businesses,” Sache says. Harmonized approach BC dairy producers are leading eorts in Western Canada to attract new processing capacity to the region through a new harmonized approach being taken by the Western Milk Pool. While it will be up to processors to determine how to use their allocation of the funds, Sache says everything is working towards greater investment in the sector. Processors will benet directly from an additional $105 million through the Supply Management Processing Investment Fund to support investments in dairy, poultry and egg processing plants. Originally set up to compensate for market access provided under the CP-TPP and CETA trade agreements, the fund is now worth $497.5 million. Poultry growers will receive just $112 million through the latest compensation package in the form of a top-up to the Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program, also rst established to provide compensation for market access lost under CP-TPP and CETA. The program will now make $803 million available to growers over the next nine years. The smaller amount reects the relative impact on the sector. Chicken growers, for instance, will ultimately face an additional 12.7 million kilograms of imports and a total of 102.8 million kg of foreign meat arriving under the three trade agreements. This amounts to about 11% of the domestic market while dairy farmers have lost nearly a fth of their domestic markets. “We did expect that a major portion of the funds in this latest announcement would be directed towards the dairy sector, which faced signicant concessions under CUSMA,” says BC Chicken Marketing Board executive director Woody Siemens. Dairy producers haven’t just lost access to domestic markets. CUSMA also gives the US a say in Canada’s dairy policy, prompting Dairy Farmers of Canada to declare Canada’s signing of the agreement “a dark day in the history of dairy farming in Canada.” Dairy is unique in this regard; the US does not have a say over policies for poultry or eggs. “It’s not something we’ve experienced before,” Sache explains, noting that the deal also limits where Canada can export its dairy products. “We’re simply not allowed to compete against [the US] in any markets they’re participating in around the world. … [And] if we make any signicant change to our internal dairy policy, they also have oversight over that.” Bibeau was chued by the announcement, which fulls Ottawa’s pledge to compensate the supply-managed sectors for concessions made under the three trade agreements. The several compensation packages work out to nearly $3.1 billion. “Promise made, promise kept,” she says. “We made a commitment to fully and fairly compensate the market losses suered by dairy, poultry and egg producers and processors, and that is what we have done.” Bibeau reiterates that Ottawa has no intention to give foreign producers further access to Canada’s domestic dairy, poultry and egg markets. “[I] reiterate our government’s commitment not to concede any further market shares under supply management during future trade negotiations,” she says. GD Repair Ltd. 604.807.2391
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 3Agriculture council asked to weigh in on committee reportPETER MITHAM VICTORIA – The province will work with BC’s largest farm organization to develop a vision for regenerative agriculture as a result of discussions at this years Ag Days lobbying event. "BCAC was presented, for the first time in our view, with a better sense of how government understands and is looking to support ramping up regenerative agriculture practices,” says Stan Vander Waal, a greenhouse grower in Chilliwack and president of the BC Agriculture Council. “That’s leading to further discussions now, which we’re happy to see. It ensures the core of agriculture has a voice in the conversation.” BCAC executive director Danielle Synotte says the council has been asked to gather insight from industry organizations that will inform a report nearing completion by the 17-member Regenerative Agriculture Advisory Committee appointed this past June. BCAC has no direct representation on the committee, which includes dairy farmer Mickey Aylard, fruit grower Avi Gill and Organic BC executive director Eva-Lena Lang, whose commodity groups are BCAC members. Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC CEO Michelle Koski co-chairs the committee with tech entrepreneur Glen Lougheed. “BCAC was approached to try and help with that, provide some deeper insight from industry,” Synotte says. “Agriculture has a vested interest in the work that’s being done on that file, so finding an opportunity to plug into that work is a big win.” The report will shape the province’s Regenerative Agriculture and Agritech Network, itself the product of a report by a food security task force, that’s intended to support farmers in combining regenerative agricultural practices with technology to create a more secure food system. Vander Waal says the province’s emphasis on food security, particularly its emphasis on local purchasing through Buy BC, is a good thing. But he also worries that an emphasis on reducing topline carbon emissions could be counterproductive by reducing yields. The province’s coupling of regenerative agriculture with reducing greenhouse gas emissions troubles him, especially coupled with federal ambitions to reduce emissions from fertilizer use 30% by 2030. “What that does that mean with regards to fertilizer usage?” he asks of the province’s intentions, noting that Europe’s so-called Green Deal aims to cut fertilizer use in agriculture by 20%. “They assure us that’s not the case here, but we’d really like to have more insight into that,” he says. “I feel it’s critical that it’s linked to yields, so that we don’t just go on what we call a hard reduction. … If our yields actually can increase by using less carbon to get to there, that should be considered a success.” Vander Waal would like to see farmers rewarded for becoming more productive while holding the line on emissions, but productivity seldom factors into government calculations. This year’s Ag Days event was held in-person for the first time since 2019 on October 24-25. BCAC held 37 meetings with five cabinet ministers and multiple MLAs, government staff and agencies including the BC Farm Industry Review Board and the Agricultural Land Commission. Key topics besides regenerative agriculture and environmental issues included rising input costs, farm classification and farm trespass. Some groups also brought specific requests on behalf of their members, such as the BC Landscape and Nursery Association. While appreciative of the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s support of the battle against Japanese beetle, representatives also asked for Proclamation granted! BC Liberal agriculture critic Ian Paton and BC Minister of Agriculture and Food Lana Popham ank BC Agriculture Council chair Stan Vander Waal during a reception at BC Ag Days in Victoria. BCMAF from your AGRICULTURE & AGRI-BUSINESS TEAMAll of us wish you a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!Melanie Lantz 604-217-2572 Quincy North 604-621-6795 Michele Anderson 778-986-2109 Steve Saccomano 604-703-5161 Grace Browne 604-799-2437 Iain Sutherland 250-515-0173 Parm Kooner 604-360-1740 Rick Tilitzky 604-360-5876Teresa McKinley 250-618-4316 a dedicated ministry specialist for the greenhouse, floriculture and nursery sector. Long-time specialist Dave Woodske retired in March 2020. In August 2021, responsibility for the sectors was handed to field vegetable specialist Susan Smith. A reception October 25 gathered more than 150 industry stakeholders with MLAs and government staff, kicking off the event. The issue of farm trespass took centre stage three years ago during the last in-person event, with government pledging to strengthen protections for farmers at the opening reception. But three years later, no greater penalties have been adopted to deter trespass. Indeed, while a judge felt 60 days was an appropriate prison sentence for the two convicted in the invasion of Excelsior Hog Farm in Abbotsford two years ago, extenuating factors resulted in a sentence of merely 30 days. An appeal by the two parties convicted means the sentences will not be served immediately. “There was acknowledgment of delays on this file,” Synotte says. “We want to see government held accountable on some of the commitments they made on trespassing. … We’re at a point in time where we can say we were patient, now let’s take a look at this and have some frank conversations about where this can go.” Regenerative ag tops Ag Days successesTurnin soi sinc 1899. Cultivatin Craf Bee sinc 2019.Grown and brewed on-farm in Ladner, B.C.www.barnsidebrewing.caAsk for us at your local beer storeAsk for us at your local beer storeAsk for us at your local beer store
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Publication Mail Agreement: 0399159 . GST Reg. No. 86878 7375 . Subscriptions: $2/issue . $18.90/year . $33.60/2 years . $37.80/3 years incl GSTThe agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 Vol.108 No. 12 . DECEMBER 2022Published monthly by Country Life 2000 Ltd. www.countrylifeinbc.comPublisher Cathy Glover 604-328-3814 . publisher@countrylifeinbc.com Editor Emeritus David Schmidt Associate Editor Peter Mitham news@countrylifeinbc.com Advertising Sales & Marketing Cathy Glover sales@countrylifeinbc.com Production Designer Tina Rezansoff Tis the season (for snowbirds), PW!According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word regenesis is a noun meaning renewal or rebirth. It is also the title of a recently published book by British writer George Monbiot. Monbiot is acclaimed for his views on political, social and environmental issues. The full title of his latest book is Regenesis: Feeding the world without devouring the planet. As the name suggests, it concerns itself with food and the environment, and agriculture has to be central to any discussion of feeding the world. The book begins in an allotment orchard Monbiot shares with several neighbours wherein he conducts a detailed examination of a spade full of earth, describing the rich and diversely populated layer of living soil. From this bucolic beginning he moves on to expose and correct what he sees as the myths and misunderstandings pertaining to farming and its relation to the environment. There are too many to explore here but we might get some sense of where things are headed if we fast forward to page 74: “This will come as a shock to many: there might be no more damaging farm product than organic, pasture-fed beef.” Monbiot is surely correct regarding the shock value of his observation, certainly to anyone who believed otherwise. But organic and pasture-fed accounts for an exceedingly small part of beef production and there are bigger sh to fry as we see on page 79: “Only when livestock numbers fall so far that their husbandry scarcely qualies as food production is animal farming compatible with rich, functional ecosystems.” Just to be clear, the livestock referred to includes chickens, pigs, dairy cattle, beef cattle and sheep; organic, pasture-fed, locally grown or otherwise. The book continues with descriptive narratives of three UK farms Monbiot believes may be templates for a better relationship between agriculture and the environment. All of them boast innovative, evoking terms like regenerative, organic, agroecology, crop rotation and no-till. The accounts of each farm are detailed and interesting and lightly sprinkled with irrelevant trivia (ie, the great grandfather of the current owner of the estate that rents land to one of the farmers was a motorcar enthusiast and philanderer who was said to be the inspiration for Toad in The Wind in the Willows.) What they have in common is that none of them are nancially viable in their own right. One relies on below-value rent from a land-owning benefactor; one is an inherited estate that has diversied by turning their grand house and outbuildings into a hotel, conference centre and wedding venue, and by recreating a 5,500-year-old neolithic long barrow. This, Monbiot observes, is not a folly, but an essential part of the farm’s economy. What looks like a grass covered mound is really a domed chamber with a long gallery attached. It has doors that align with the rising sun of the summer and winter solstices. There are small chambers built into the gallery walls where customers pay several thousand pounds to stow urns lled with their mortal remains. (We might fairly wonder if the ALC would see something similar as an essential part of any farm’s economy in BC.) The third farm was purchased outright and now boasts a “cavernous lecture hall” and a “vast banqueting hall” with kitchens. It also grows heavily subsidized wild birdseed and is subsidized by the owner to the tune of £100,000 annually. In summing up this chapter, Monbiot admits there are virtues and drawbacks to each farm and a lengthy list of requirements that need to be lled, concluding: “It sounds like a tall order. But I think it can be done.” Monbiot moves on to potential solutions. Including Kernza, a perennial grass bearing seeds that can be milled into our. He calls for further research into perennial crops but calls that the end of the road, urging all who have a choice of diets to “stop eating animals and nd a new source of protein and fat.” Which brings us to the chapter called “Farmfree.” Here we are introduced to Finnish scientist Pasi Vainikka who is fermenting Cupriavidus necator, a soil bacterium that draws energy from hydrogen. It produces beta-carotene and yields a our-like product that is 60% protein. Monbiot visited Vainikka’s lab and requested a pancake made from the nished product. He was moved to conclude: “It represents, I believe, the beginning of the end of most agriculture.” Regenesis will be widely read. Before you dismiss this as science ction, reect on how much of our daily lives was science ction a hundred years ago. It is an interesting and recommended read, not least as insight into some of the thought and narrative driving public perception of what we all do every day. Bob Collins raises beef cattle and grows produce on his farm in the Alberni Valley. The Back 40 BOB COLLINSWe acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.4 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCA winter’s taleThe darkest hour is just before dawn, so the saying goes. When the date of Christmas was set for just after the winter solstice, as the hours of daylight begin to increase, the day honouring Thomas the Doubter was placed the day before the solstice. There were more than a few Thomases on farms across BC on December 21, 1972, when the province’s recently elected NDP government under Dave Barrett declared a freeze on all farmland, save parcels smaller than two acres in size and any land in non-farm use as of June 21, 1972. What had been billed on the election trail that summer as a “New Deal for Farmers” that would zone land “for agricultural production so as to prevent such land being subdivided for industrial and residential use” had prompted property owners to le a urry of subdivision proposals aimed at evading the proposed restrictions. The land freeze triggered a torrent of protest. While praising plans to protect land and support farmers, the BC Federation of Agriculture told government that existing property rights deserved respect. The land freeze trampled private property rights, and an indignant BCFA secretary-treasurer Jack Wessel noted at the time, “the government avoids payment of compensation by denying that any devaluation occurs.” This paper sided with government, believing farmland needed protection, and predicting “the Agricultural Land Preservation Act will be a ‘best seller’ once it is introduced.” What’s now known as the Agricultural Land Reserve has indeed stood the test of time, though it remains controversial. Developers continue to eye it as the one thing that will alleviate pressure on Metro Vancouver’s industrial land base in a world where recent supply chain disruptions have underscored the importance of warehouse and logistics space. Meanwhile, what can and cannot be done on the protected land remains a live topic of discussion. Recent years have debated the nature and number of houses that can be built, whether contained growing systems deserve equal access to the land as soil-based systems, and whether commercial operations that process and sell primary products deserve a place in the ALR. An old legend holds that Christmas night, of all the nights of the year, is the one occasion animals are gifted with human speech. What would they say as the ALR turns 50? Most would give thanks for the space it’s given them, and ask that it also support the farmers who care for them. Regenesis: the end of farming as we know it
The challenges of BC ag industry advocacyWithout program delivery, how does BCAC step out of IAF’s shadow?COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 5signicant portion of BCFA’s annual operating budget. The development and administration of FII is an outstanding example of crisis-response policy entrepreneurship. It rallied the BC agriculture industry and strengthened its industry association. However, over time, the rise of other farm income stabilization programs and the gradual disappearance of the FII levies shrank BCFA’s income and contributed to its demise in 1997. There are pitfalls as well as potential with program delivery: today’s question is how BCAC can eectively congure itself without that option (or its risks). BCAC has wound down ARDCorp, its research body, and transferred delivery of the Benecial Management Practices and Environmental Farm Plan programs to the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. IAF, established in 1996, is an independent not-for-prot society with a board and membership that reects the agriculture and food sector. Twelve of BCAC’s 28 member industry associations are members of IAF, and its board includes representatives of the full agri-food value chain. IAF, with around $30 million in net assets, administers a suite of programs funded mostly by government contributions. BCAC is a registered lobbyist in BC with a commitment to policy advocacy on its six key issues: agriculture education; labour; environment and climate change; farm business; land use; and water. Questions arise. Could IAF’s delivery of government-funded programs and services for industry compromise BCAC’s advocacy (its representations to government)? IAF’s Cultivating Prosperity initiative co-sponsored a 2020 industry study and BCAC’s advocacy transition. Does IAF’s overall strength and its reach into BCAC operations risk co-opting or eclipsing BCAC’s overall eorts? This is not a question about the signicant utility of IAF programs or the wisdom of having farm organization representatives as its decision-makers. It’s a question about the autonomy of the partners. The best way to achieve eective policy and programs for the sector is for industry and government to work together without either telling the other what to do. Getting this right involves collaborating on shared interests while being clear about distinct interests and transparent about real or apparent conicts. It’s a ne balance requiring vigilance and eort: conict of interest – a key concept – can be dicult to discern or explain. On policy development (as distinct from program delivery), BCAC has an additional challenge related to the nature of the process. Policy negotiations are messy and best pursued behind the scenes. The necessary condentiality for such work in progress requires a low prole, at least until conclusions are reached and announcements can be made. Holding a pan-industry association together is no mean feat. Former BC agriculture industry leaders speak of the daily challenge of nding, encouraging and promoting common ground. It’s about managing enough creative tension to hold the outt together while identifying and dampening the forces pulling it apart. BCAC is a group of industry organizations vertically identied with their commodities. What makes up the horizontal glue? Besides policy work, how can BCAC cultivate its prole and justify its existence both inside and outside its industry? Leadership is key. Industry leaders can hold up a vision for agriculture with its strategic priorities and goals, celebrating its wins and learning from its losses, problem-solving for the whole. Critical to the inner workings are securing funding from diverse sources and attending to governance models that are supported as representative and fair. External threats are a strong unier. The big ones, identied in BCAC’s six issue areas, could be summarized as converging pressures on environmental, social and economic fronts that aect everyone in the industry and beyond. BCAC can develop radar for incoming threats and expertise to address them. Compelling narratives help. Each of BCAC’s programs contains stories: for instance, the Farmer ID card begs the question, “Who is a farmer?” This invites the industry to reect on itself and encourage the public to engage with food producers in broader ways. Many people are positively predisposed towards farmers: witness recent public opinion surveys and the supports oered for re and ood relief eorts. What BCAC is seen to be doing arguably matters as much as what it is doing. Members and onlookers will be reassured if they know the industry is strongly represented behind the scenes and also eectively convened and celebrated in public. Kathleen Gibson worked for the BC Federation of Agriculture from 1982-86. She is a retired policy analyst who lives and grows food in Lekwungen territory / Victoria, BC. My reaction on hearing in summer 2021 that the BC Agriculture Council (BCAC) was shifting from program delivery to advocacy was: “uh oh.” It helps an industry association to be identied with successful programs: you get some of the credit as well as an opportunity for good news stories. In December 1972, after the new NDP provincial government announced a freeze on transfers of agricultural land, the general farm organization of the time, the BC Federation of Agriculture (BCFA), engaged in a successful campaign to develop a farm income stabilization scheme. Some BC farmers recommended ghting the new legislation, but the organization decided to ask the province to write farm industry viability into the Agricultural Land Commission Act as a quid pro quo for putting agricultural land into a restricted zone. The government did not agree to that mechanism, but it did introduce the Farm Income Assurance Act (1973), companion legislation that allowed for commodity-specic farm income insurance (FII) plans. Each plan paid out in years when market returns failed to cover previously agreed costs of production (which included producer premiums for the plan). The terms of the scheme established a levy equal to 4% of producer premiums which was remitted to BCFA to administer the FII program. This levy made up a Viewpoint by KATHLEEN GIBSON%PXOUPXO3FBMUZtOE4U7FSOPO#$t0óDFPat | 250.308.0938QBUEVHHBO!SPZBMMFQBHFDBThea | 250.308.5807UIFBNDMBVHIMJO!SPZBMMFQBHFDB6475 COSENS BAY RD, COLDSTREAMwww.FarmRanchResidential.ca “Farmers helping farmers with their real estate needs”Build your dream home on 6-acre nicely treed, private property with great views. Perimeter fenced for livestock. Drilled well at 16.8 gal/min. Good building sites with hydro/gas service close to property entrance. Quick 7 minute drive to Lumby. MLS®10255251 $398,00078 RANGEVIEW RD, LUMBYCATHY GLOVER publisherDAVID SCHMIDT editor emeritusPETER MITHAM associate editorcontributors Kate Ayers Tracey Fredrickson Barbara Johnstone Grimmer Anna Klochko Brian Lawrence columnists Bob Collins Kathleen Gibson Anna Helmer Judie Steeves Ronda Payne Jackie Pearase Myrna Stark Leader Sandra Tretick Tom Walker graphics Tina Rezansoff office Betty Lee Longstaff From everyone at Country Life in BC, may the spirit of the holiday season be yours now & in the new year!
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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 7Senate report highlights need for flood plansDairy farmers shore up emergency responseSarah Sache, vice-chair of BC Dairy, acknowledges that emergency response planning could always be better. RONDA PAYNEHas Basic Grooving LetYou and Your Cows Down?We Can Fix at Permanently.Barn Floor Traction & CowComfort that Lasts Decades!1-877-966-3546OUR MACHINES ARE CUSTOM MADE AND PATENTED.If anyone says they do what we do it is a lie! We are the ONLY Providers ofTraction Milling in the World.Join the thousands of Happy Farmers and Cows!Agritraction.com28 YEARS OF TRUE TRACTIONCelebratingSANDRA TRETICK CHILLIWACK – When dairy farmers on the ooded Sumas Prairie started evacuating their herds to buddy farms in November 2021, West River Farm in Rosedale took in eight bottle-fed calves. “They were freezing cold,” recalls dairy farmer Sarah Sache. “They were in the water, so it took quite a lot of work to keep them alive.” West River Farm was further from the ooded area, so its involvement in the buddy program was minimal, but still vital to the overall rescue eort. Dairy farmers lost 420 cows with losses totalling upwards of $100 million. “[It was] denitely an emergency response unlike any other we have conducted in the past,” says Sache, vice-chair of the BC Dairy Association. “We’re working on planning for that more for the future.” Other industry sectors did not fare as well. Ocial estimates in the aftermath of the ooding pegged livestock losses at 628,000 chickens and 12,000 hogs. Johnny Guliker, owner of Trilean Pork, was one of the hog farmers directly impacted by the ooding. He shared his story with the Senate standing committee on agriculture and forestry as part of its investigation into the oods that overwhelmed the Fraser Valley. “I got pretty well wiped out in this ood,” Guliker told the committee. “When you have a lot of things, animals and people you are trying to rescue, you always seem to do the wrong things.” He described how they tried everything to save their hogs. They built walls to keep the feed dry. When the rst set of dikes failed, they chased the smaller animals to the higher part of the facility. They FARMNEWSupdatesto yourinboxwww.countrylifeinbc.comhad few resources left when the second dike broke on the other side of the ats. “The water just came higher and all of them drowned,” Guliker explained. “Those were futile eorts.” Guliker was the only producer directly impacted by the ooding who spoke to the Senate committee as it conducted hearings on four days between April and June. Other presenters included the BC Agriculture Council and ve producer groups (chicken See SENATE on next page o
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On October 27, just as the Fraser Valley was bracing for its rst atmospheric river this fall, the Senate released its report, Treading Water: The Impact of and Response to the 2021 British Columbia oods. The report highlights the causes and impacts of the oods, support measures and lessons learned from the recovery eorts. It makes three recommendations: urging the federal government to work with the BC government and local municipalities to develop a comprehensive Fraser Valley ood plan, providing easy and timely access to natural disaster relief and coordinating with the US government on the management of transboundary waters. “We heard that 87% of the dykes in Southern Mainland BC were in disrepair and 73% would fail just by water going over the top,” says senate committee chair Rob Black. “There’s signicant work to be done. We hope those three recommendations will spur government on.” Sache says the recommendations are consistent with BC Dairy’s perspective. “It’s good to see [these] plain language recommendations that will help to put some of these pieces that are much needed for food security into the future into place,” she says. “Obviously, there’s still a lot of work that needs to go into it, but the report acknowledges that this is going to need to be across levels of government to get this done. I think that’s kind of the key takeaway. It’s not one level of government or one group’s situation to deal with. It’s going to be a collaborative, signicant process that’s going to need to be ongoing always.” Developing consensus Steve Litke, director of water programs with the Fraser Basin Council, agrees. “There is still a way to go in developing consensus on region-wide ood priorities,” Litke says. “Some guidance may come from a new BC ood strategy, which is now in development and expected next spring.” Litke says that many communities rely on ood protection dikes as a primary defence, and most of those dikes don’t meet current provincial standards for height or seismic resilience. “Signicant upgrades across the region will be needed for dikes to be eective in a large ood event,” he adds. Government estimates developed in consultation with industry put the cost of ood-related damages to Fraser Valley farmers at $285 million. Monica Mannerstrӧm, an engineer with Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, further added that damages “would be at least tenfold” should the Fraser River overow its banks. The Fraser Basin Council estimates $1 billion of direct impact to the Fraser Valley’s agricultural sector if ooding were similar to the 1894 freshet. Federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau thanked the Senate committee for its study and acknowledged that recent extreme weather events, like the BC oods, have allowed the federal government to learn and improve its processes. “In collaboration with the provinces, we have made improvements to the business risk management programs and all have supported the idea of incorporating climate risk in the future,” Bibeau says in a statement e-mailed to Country Life in BC. “In addition to the great resilience of producers and their willingness to build back better, what I retain from these disasters is the great collaboration between the aected provinces and the federal government, which allows programs to be deployed quickly.” Quickly is a subjective term. Many of the producer groups raised concerns about how long it took for payments to ow to producers. In an interview with Country Life in BC before the Senate report was released, BC agriculture minister Lana Popham acknowledged that a similar ooding event could easily happen again this year. “We’ve been working with the associations and trying to support them as they shore up their emergency preparedness response plans,” said Popham. “We expect things to happen again. And so we’re trying to help producers prepare.” She highlighted BC Dairy’s tabletop exercise, and their work on developing an inventory of livestock transport and suggested moving cows to buddy farms or areas of higher ground earlier in an emergency scenario. In an e-mail , the BC Ministry of Forests noted that the province continues to work alongside First Nations, local governments and other partners to reduce ood risk in the Fraser Valley and that many components toward a comprehensive plan for ood mitigation have been advanced through work on the Lower Mainland Flood Management Strategy. In March, former premier John Horgan and Washington State governor Jay Inslee announced a transboundary initiative to respond to Nooksack River ooding. Two technical site visits took place in July and September. As the one-year anniversary of the ood approached, the BC Ministry of Transportation announced the reopening of Hwy 8 to all vehicle trac, once again connecting Spences Bridge and Merritt, and Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Attorney General, announced $1.6 million in Disaster Financial Assistance funding for permanent repairs to the Sumas River main dike. The work was expected to wrap up in November. With les from Kate Ayers
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 9More farms test positive for avian influenzaSector shifts from emergency response to managementKeep your birds indoors! That’s the message the BC Chicken Marketing Board is telling producers after a surge of avian inuenza outbreaks in the province last month. FILEWITH OVER 29 YEARS OF EXPERIENCEWe oer our clients the best service there is in the real estate industry ensuring there are no unanswered questions or concerns.43013 Adams Road, Greendale Chilliwack A rare nd! Just under 10 acres oering a variety of opportunities. Operated as a state of the art dairy facility up to April 2022. 2907sq.ft. well maintained house, plus four barns. MLS C8044605 | Asking $3,250,000PETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – A new wave of premises tested positive for highly pathogenic avian inuenza in mid-November after a period of calm. Cases were conrmed at seven commercial ocks in Abbotsford and Chilliwack, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. An eighth non-commercial ock in Bulkley-Nechako also tested positive. The cases pushed the number of BC birds infected by this year’s outbreak past 300,000. A total of 36 premises have been aected, including 14 commercial operations. Turkey growers have been the hardest hit. “AI is not going anywhere, any time quickly,” says BC Chicken Marketing Board executive director Woody Siemens. Siemens urged growers attending an October 26 meeting in Abbotsford to maintain their red biosecurity status, which has so far prevented farm-to-farm transmission of the H5N1 virus that causes the disease. But the prevalence of this year’s virus in wild bird populations has led the BC Poultry Association to shift from an emergency footing to disease management. Reducing contact with wild birds has been focus of this year’s control and prevention eorts. With the current strain showing signs of becoming entrenched in wild ocks, a long-term separation between domestic and wild ocks will be dicult to enforce. Some production systems mandate that birds have access to pasture, but provincial orders renewed in September require commercial producers keep ocks indoors until further notice. K&M Farms in Abbotsford sought to be exempted from the requirement as a small-lot producer. According to orders issued by the province this spring, small producers following the biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat Producers Association could continue pasturing birds outdoors. BC Chicken refused K&M’s request, resulting in an appeal the BC Farm Industry Review Board heard in September. A decision is expected in the new year. “We do support the orders and did what we could,” K&M owners Mark and Jill Robbins told Country Life in BC, noting, “There is a challenge in how the chief veterinarian’s orders relate to small commercial ocks.” Determining best practices is challenging at the best of times, and the October 26 meeting included a panel of local growers discussing how they manage their ocks. Cleaning and disinfection practices, critical in the wake of an AI outbreak, were a key topic. “With organic, cleaning is the only tool we have for disease mitigation,” said Brad Driediger of Windberry Farms, an organic grower in Abbotsford. To keep his ock healthy, he does a full cleaning and disinfection twice a cycle, once before the birds enter the brood barn and again before they move into the growing area. “I shovel out the manure then pressure wash every square inch of the barn, then disinfect the entire barn both after the three weeks that they spend in the brood area, then after the three and half weeks that they spend in the growth area,” he explained. “So they’re getting a full, brand new, pressure-washed barn as if they had AI.” Cleaning twice a cycle is not for everyone, however. Dr. Neil Ambrose, a veterinarian who now raises broilers in Abbotsford, said the volume of water required may not be available while contracting out the chore is costly. He recommended focusing on eliminating as much organic material as possible, lifting it o with soapy water. Ambrose favours rounding out the process with fumigation, something fellow Abbotsford grower Je Miles does every cycle. “We pressure-wash our feed lines and feed pans every single ock, and the whole barn – walls, oor – gets pressure-washed at least once a year,” he said. “We fumigate and do all the fancy stu every ock.”
10 | DECEMBER 2022 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 Turkey names executive directorCommission before a lateral transfer within the federal government returned her to Vancouver and the Agriculture and Agri-food Canada regional oce for BC. Similar to Benoit, Veles is uently bilingual. This will be an asset in discussions with growers in Eastern Canada, particularly Quebec, helping foster national cooperation. Raised on a dairy farm in Cloverdale, Veles’ rst-hand experience of agriculture is also an asset. Veles has her sights set on a revamped marketing plan for BC turkey. A new strategic plan for the marketing board is also on tap for 2023, but she wants to understand the current state of the industry before pursuing any major changes. “I am just trying to get a really good handle on how things have been done and what industry priorities are before changing too much,” she says. Avian inuenza is also on the agenda as the poultry sector moves to a long-term management plan for the disease, shifting from the current emergency response stance. Turkey growers have been among the hardest-hit segments of the poultry industry this year. The move to BC Turkey is not the only major change for Veles this year. This spring, she was one of two independent directors appointed to the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission. She also married this summer, prior to which she was known as Natalie Janssens. — Peter Mitham Province rebrands hort course The annual horticultural growers’ short course will be organized by the province in 2023, according to the Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association, which has hosted the 65-year-old educational program since its inception in 1958. Rebranded as the Regenerative Agriculture and Growers’ Short Course, the event will be presented by the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food in partnership with LMHIA and the Pacic Agriculture Show. The latter will continue to operate the trade show that runs in parallel with the short course. “We are expecting the 2023 event to be bigger and better than ever,” said LMHIA executive director Sandy Dunn in a note to sponsors on November 7. According to the province, LMHIA will remain fully involved in program development. However, the province is adding ‘Regenerative Agriculture’ and ‘Indigenous Reconciliation’ sessions to the lineup. Its 'Every Chef Needs a Farmer' event will also take place at the show. The ministry is also hiring a conference planner to assist with delivering the show, and will bear the majority of expenses for the show. This includes a grant of $25,000 to LMHIA in exchange for input into conference topics, promoting the conference to horticultural producers and managing conference registration. Venue costs, audio-visual coordination, speaker costs, catering, and advertisement of the show through a third-party event planner will be borne by the ministry. LMHIA traditionally bore many of these costs, but last year’s hybrid show saw the ministry provide funding to cover the costs of audio-visual coordination and speakers. The ministry will also subsidize registration fees, which began last year at $110 for the rst person from an organization and $100 for each additional person. This year, the registration fee will be a mere $15. The event will take place January 26-28, 2023 at Tradex in Abbotsford. This marks a return to its usual dates after shifting to the end of March this year following public health concerns related to the omicron variant of COVID in the run-up to the show last winter. — Peter Mitham Growers Supply expands Growers Supply Co., a division of BC Tree Fruits Co-operative, is partnering with ViviGro Sustainable Solutions Ltd. of Saskatoon to expand throughout the Pacic Northwest. A new company, Ropana Grower Solutions Ltd., will oer the companies’ services and products to growers in the Lower Mainland and elsewhere in BC as well as Washington and Oregon. Growers Supply and Vivgro will continue to operate in Natalie Veles is the new executive director of the BC Turkey Marketing Board and BC Turkey Growers Association, succeeding Michel Benoit, who stepped down in April after more than 15 years as general manager. Veles comes to the board from Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC, where she served for three and a half years as program director. She began her new role November 1. “I was always very intrigued and interested in the [supply management] system and working for producers in that way,” she says, noting that the turkey sector has given her a warm welcome. “Everybody’s been really keen to help me out and get me oriented to the industry.” Veles began her career as an economist and policy analyst at the Canadian Dairy Ag Briefs EDITED BY PETER MITHAMExpert farm taxation adviceApproved consultants for Government funding throughBC Farm Business Advisory Services ProgramEnderby 250-838-7337Armstrong 250-546-8665 |t1VSDIBTFBOETBMFPGGBSNTt5SBOTGFSPGGBSNTUPDIJMESFOt(PWFSONFOUTVCTJEZQSPHSBNTt1SFQBSBUJPOPGGBSNUBYSFUVSOTt6TFPG$BQJUBM(BJOT&YFNQUJPOT$ISJT)FOEFSTPO$1"$"-PSFO)VUUPO$1"$"5PMM 'SFF1-888-818-FARM |www.farmtax.c omRossworn HendersonLLPChartered Professional Accountants - Tax Consultantsartered Professional Accountants - Tax Consultantheir home markets. “Ropana will have its own management team reporting into a board of directors consisting of representatives from both Growers Supply and ViviGro,” says BC Tree Fruits vice-president Laurel Van Dam. Growers Supply operates six locations in the Okanagan and Creston Valleys. Due to nancial considerations, BC Tree closed a seventh location in Keremeos in November 2020. — Peter Mitham Cattleliner accident One of the worst motor vehicle accidents in BC involving livestock took place November 11 on Hwy 16 east of Vanderhoof. More than three dozen calves were killed in the wreck, which saw a fully loaded cattleliner spin 180 degrees and land in a ditch. The cattleliner was travelling from the BC Livestock Co-op in Vanderhoof following the bred and regular sale there earlier in the day. Vanderhoof yard manager Mike Pritchard told CBC that the accident was one of the worst livestock fatality incidents he's ever seen in BC. Ranchers in the area 40 km east of Vanderhoof rescued 71 calves from the wreckage. Others were rounded up from the surrounding woods in the hours and days that followed. The driver was unharmed. The incident is the second major accident this year involving a cattleliner. On August 28, 27 head of show cattle returning from the Western Canadian Classic junior dairy competition in Brandon, Manitoba were killed in a head-on collision with a lumber truck. Three drivers also lost their lives. — Peter Mitham CALL 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 BCServing 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 250-838-6414
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 11Economic outlook challenges farm margins Cost pressures remain in play for producers Producers are being urged to have business risk management plans in place – whether to weather the latest storm or the possibility of an economic downturn. 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On November 4, the federal government published its fall economic statement, which pointed to several risks to the economic outlook. In the report’s “downside scenario,” Canada would enter a “mild recession” in the rst quarter of 2023 and the real gross domestic product for the year would drop 0.9%. “It would be good to have a government that actually had a plan to get out of the recession and we do not have a government that is in any way coming up with a plan,” says Chilliwack chicken grower Dennis Flokstra, Lower Mainland director with the BC Chicken Marketing Board. He plans to sharpen his pencil even further next year to try to pay o as much debt as possible and cut costs, no small feat this winter given the high cost of energy needed to heat his barns. “We run a pretty tight ship; I'm not even sure where we would give a little bit,” he says. “We still have to supply heat to the birds, and we still have to treat them as good as we can.” The higher costs eventually get passed on to consumers, which will be aected “big time” as producers’ costs get passed along. He hopes the province will move ahead with changes to how it collects the carbon tax from growers, giving them a break up front rather than requiring them to apply for a rebate. While Flokstra is wary of the impact interest rates may have on the industry, he’s condent farmers can ride out a potential recession. Indeed, the outlook is positive for agriculture’s ability to handle and recover from an economic slowdown. “Our expectation is that most farm families would weather a recessionary environment, perhaps better than some industries or people working in consumer goods or other retail-based business that are less immune to recessionary pressures,” says Royal Bank of Canada’s national director of agriculture Ryan Riese. “The demand for farmers’ products may change, to some degree. But we are working largely with fairly inelastic products where consumers do need to eat.’ But a recession isn’t a sure thing. Farm Credit Canada vice-president and chief economist JP Gervais notes that a recession is typically dened as two consecutive quarters of negative growth in GDP. Canada could simply see zero economic growth in back-to-back quarters, for example, not negative growth. This means the situation wouldn’t be labeled a recession. “I don't think it's an automatic outcome or an assured outcome that we will get a recession,” Gervais says. If there is a recession, Gervais says “a very, very strong labour market” means consumer spending may be a minor consideration. While higher interest rates are expected to slow down consumer purchases, wages increased 5.4% over the last year and Gervais says that could help oset the impacts of a slowing economy. For producers, the impact of an economic downturn will depend on whether the recession happens solely in the Canadian economy or is widespread in the global economy. “If it was just a recession in Canada, I don’t think the impacts would be signicant for farmers,” Gervais says. But a global economic recession could mean lower protability for producers who buy and sell commodities on the global market. “If we look at most of the commodities grown on Canadian farms, a lot of those commodities are tied to some extent, and in a lot of cases, to a really large extent, to world demand,” Gervais says. Poultry and dairy are inuenced by domestic factors because of supply management, but beef, pork, grains and oilseeds, and fruits and vegetables are all tied to the global market. “So, if the world economy slows, demand for these commodities is going to weaken. Weaker demand means lower prices,” Gervais says. In addition to an uncertain economic climate, producers continue to face unpredictability in terms of fertilizer price and availability due to the war in Ukraine. Wages will continue to climb, too, Gervais predicts. BC’s minimum wage increased to $15.65 per hour on June 1, and the province’s average annual ination rate will guide any increase announced in 2023. To help weather the storm of uncertainty, producers should have business risk management plans. These plans consider how interest rates, ination and commodity and input prices, for example, impact bottom line and nancial risk, Gervais says. But producers do not need to navigate these waters alone. “Anytime something like this happens, it's a good reminder to put the pen to paper and sit down with those other people who are integral to your operation and map out where you want to go with your future,” says Riese.
12 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCSave 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. Find efciency and heavy-duty reliability in Nelson Control Valves. Achieve unmatched uniformity with eld-proven Rotator® technology.SR150 BIG GUN®ARC TIMERACV200800 SERIESCONTROL VALVESR2000WF ROTATOR® & MINI REGULATOR DRAIN CHECKRONDA PAYNE NEW WESTMINSTER – Demand for local food has soared over the past decade and BC farmers markets want to be the go-to source for fresh local produce. An economic study planned for 2023 promises to show just how much the sector has grown since the last study in 2012, when direct sales at the province’s 159 farmers markets were estimated at nearly $114 million. “This study is going to include up to 65 markets,” says BC Association of Farmers’ Markets executive director Heather O’Hara, who announced the new study at the association’s annual conference in New Westminster, November 4. Costing $225,000, funded in part by $40,000 of federal-provincial funding, the report will be led by University of Northern BC professor David Connell, who undertook previous studies in 2006 and 2012. Connell will work with a project manager and coordinator along with a team of volunteers to survey 65 markets, double the number of markets contacted in 2012. It’s a worthwhile investment according to O’Hara, who says the association’s markets, as a collective, are bigger than a lot of other agriculture sectors. “The data really matters,” she says. For example, the 2006 study helped the Skeena Valley Farmers’ Market in Terrace prove it brought people into the city’s downtown and helped local businesses despite speculation to the contrary. In New Westminster, market managers used the 2006 and 2012 studies to justify the closure of 4th Street and recruit new vendors by illustrating the volume of visitors and benets to the area. Michael Albert and his wife Marie-Eve Fradette of Apple Quill Farm between Kimberley and Cranbrook look forward to the 2023 study. It will help them in the annual planning of what they produce on their 3.5-acre market garden. “I spend a lot of time bolstering my knowledge,” Albert says. “We study what goes in and what comes out. This information would be useful. I don’t know yet how much it would help me, but I’m pretty sure it would.” He says the Kimberley and Cranbrook markets are great for small producers like themselves. “It cuts out the middleman. It costs me a lot of money to take my produce somewhere that takes a cut from it,” he says. Markets that participate in the study will receive a $200 honorarium to assist with the volunteers needed for crowd counts, one-on-one interviews and discussions with nearby businesses. “This (study) is going to be bigger and better,” Connell says, which will use the same methods as before in order to ensure direct correlation is possible, including consumer surveys, crowd counts and local business surveys. “Research will be collected over June, July and August,” he adds. “We will be strategic where and how we deploy. It’s an issue of sta can’t be at all of them on the same day.” Sales data is expected to be part of the information, but it will depend on which markets have the data available and are willing to share it. Often, only larger markets have the resources available to collect this type of information. “It will be better, stronger, more powerful information for sharing,” says O’Hara. While some vendors say they would prefer data to be collected during the peak months of August and September, Connell noted the study will take seasonal and weather variations into account. BC agriculture minister Lana Popham says data from the lower-volume months is of interest to the ministry. “We’re interested in knowing the exact data in those low-production months,” she says. “That’s what we need to know, to get more money for those small and medium-sized growers and greenhouse growers.” She added that this desired funding would be to help ramp up production in traditionally o-season months. Farmers markets launch economic impact studyUp to 65 markets will be studied in first report since 2012HEATHER O’HARA
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 13WALI delivers labour update to grapegrowers Seasonal presentation highlights recent changesTemporary foreign workers are a critical resource for Okanagan grape and tree fruit growers, numbering 5,800 last year. MYRNA STARK LEADERFOR BAGGED or BULK ORDERSDarren Jansen Owner604.794.3701organicfeeds@gmail.comwww.canadianorganicfeeds.comCertified by Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd.Insurance products and services are provided through Assante Estate and Insurance Services Inc. Please visit www.assante.com/legal.jsp or contact Assante at 1-800-268-3200 for information with respect to important legal and regulatory disclosures relating to this notice.Financial planning for farm families Farm transition coaching Customized portfolio strategy Retirement income planningDriediger Wealth PlanningMark Driediger, CFP, FEA, Senior Wealth AdvisorBrent Driediger, BAA, CPA, CMA, CFP, Wealth Advisorwww.DriedigerWealthPlanning.com | 604.859.4890 Assante Financial Management Ltd.MYRNA STARK LEADER KELOWNA – Securing foreign farm workers is a complicated process, but BC grapegrowers received a timely update on protocols and issues from the Western Agriculture Labour Initiative on November 4. “Our growers are really committed to the program and the skills that foreign labour brings and this is one way we can support them,” says Tyrion Miskell, program administrator of BC Grapegrowers Association. WALI general manager Reg Ens said securing workers through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) is a highly bureaucratic process, with many aspects beyond industry’s control. A top issue is that Canada has just two key employees in Mexico processing every application, known as a labour market impact assessment (LMIA). A new WALI employer portal worked well but some changes will be made to rectify issues like workers showing up on multiple applications with work permit status. To avoid the delays seen with receiving workers in 2022, growers are encouraged to complete LMIAs for 2023 according to specic need. If “no substitutions” is indicated, and a worker misses an appointment in their home country, there is an opportunity to reschedule the appointment as they won’t automatically be replaced with a substitute. However, if the worker chooses not to come, the employer needs to submit a change request. Ens encouraged employers to le more than one LMIA, especially if a specic worker is key to their operation. Extending work permits once workers are in Canada is dicult. A better solution is to show a “double arrival” on the application, which enables a foreign employee to come to BC, return home (for Christmas, for example), then return to Canada without needing a new application. Growers were reminded that if they hire through the agriculture stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program using a private recruiter, the recruiter must be licensed with the BC Ministry of Labour. They also heard that applications can be lled out six months ahead of arrivals, so the sooner growers apply the better. “We received applications this year looking for workers in the same month, which just isn’t possible,” says Ens. Details are still being nalized, but the cancellation process will change in 2023. The proposed process is that workers must be booked for travel within 30 days of the requested arrival date. If workers say they will wait for a certain employer, Mexico will leave them assigned to that specic farm. If they don’t respond, they will be reassigned. Details are still to be nalized. WALI fees need to be paid prior to applications being sent to Mexico and are changing because the provincial government is no longer subsidizing WALI’s operating costs. The fee increases are based on the size of the farm and number of housing spaces. Ens encourages employers to pay attention to Service Canada (ESDC) rule changes introduced in September to better protect temporary foreign workers. These address employment agreements, access to healthcare, worker rights, information sharing as well as prohibiting directly or indirectly recovering a fee related to recruitment from foreign nationals and more. Specic to housing, WALI has petitioned the provincial government to support mid-season inspections and to clarify what owners require. “Most participants are providing good housing, but 1% aren’t,” says Ens. Housing inspection information is moving to the online portal to improve consistency between inspectors. LMIAs can be held up if businesses fail a housing inspection. Workers are also asking for job sites to have access to high-speed Internet to be able to stay in contact with family in their home countries. The vls has received multiple international awards:Agritechnica innovation award 2011, silver Germanyeima innovation award 2012 ItalyEquitana innovation award 2013 GermanyWEIDEMANN T4512 COMPACT TELEHANDLERBETTER WORK FLOWVAN DER WAL EQUIPMENT (1989) LTD. 23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6 604/463-3681 | vanderwaleq.com
14 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCNuria Morn has been making good progress as program lead of the BC Honey Producers Association technology transfer program. JULIA COMMONTOM WALKER ABBOTSFORD – A long-term eort by the BC Honey Producers Association to build a technology transfer program to support industry development appears to be paying o. A program announced at BCHPA’s annual general meeting last year saw program lead Nuria Morn hit the ground running. “The technology transfer program has unfolded at a phenomenal pace under Dr. Morn’s leadership,” says BCHPA president Heather Higo. Morn has been working with honey bees since 2006 as a researcher, extension worker and beekeeper. She worked as a researcher at the Honey Bee Research Centre at the University of Guelph and as a bee inspector in Ontario before accepting the position in BC, where she is also an adjunct professor at UBC. A steering committee of BCHPA members representing both commercial apiaries and hobbyists, the provincial apiculturist and a UBC professor oversee the tech transfer program, which aims “to promote bee health and productivity, and to advance the sustainability of the beekeeping industry in British Columbia through research, education and knowledge transfer.” Morn says all TTP work is conducted under the themes of Best Management Practices, Integrated Pest Management, Sustainability and Education. The program has an annual budget of $235,000. The BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food kickstarted the program with $175,000 in annual funding between 2021 and 2023. BCHPA members have approved an industry contribution of $10,000 a year. Additional grants and sponsorships will make up the key to obtaining matching funds from donors,” Higo says. BC was the last province in Canada to develop a tech transfer program for its honey producers and Morn had to work from scratch. She hired an administrative assistant and a summer and fall intern, as well as established accounting systems and reporting guidelines. Grant applications, equipment and transportation were also on her agenda. With the basic pieces in place, Morn now faces the major challenge of securing long-term funding. The program’s rst project centres on the control of varroa mites. “Varroa destructor is one of the most damaging pests that beekeepers have to deal with,” Morn says. Morn says one of the best ways to control them is through an IPM approach, something that relies on constant monitoring of mite levels in hives to decide which IPM tools to use. “We are investigating what levels of varroa mites in a hive indicate the time for treatment,” she says. “We have been monitoring sites across the province and sampled mites and honey in an attempt to establish what would be an economic threshold that impacts the function of the hive and time to take action.” Current practice is 3%, but she says the ecacy of that level is subject to debate worldwide. rest. “Funding from the BCHPA is important, as it shows support from the association, which is Beekeepers abuzz about tech transfer program All the pieces are in place after a successful first yearMorn says the program monitored more than 200 colonies from 13 dierent beekeepers in ve dierent regions across the province this year in search of answers. “We want to determine if the 3% threshold is relevant or if we need to revise it,” she explains. But she needs more data from across the province. “BC is huge, and we have dierent conditions and dierent beekeeping techniques, so we have initiated a citizen science project to provide additional monitoring,” Morn says. “We now have 27 participants and we are looking for more to input their data online.” A second project is studying the transmissibility of European Foulbrood (EFB). “We hope to come up with recommendations to reduce the transmission of EFB between bee yards,” says Morn. On the education side, the program has developed three pilot workshops and given 15 presentations on topics such as bee biology, queen-rearing, IPM and fall colony management. The rst presentations were over Zoom and Morn says it has been great to get out and meet beekeepers across the province. They have also conducted two roundtables with industry, government, university and federal researchers from both BC and Alberta. “We discussed what is happening in BC, what are the main challenges, what beekeepers want to see and what actions we need to take so we can develop a long-term strategy to address all those situations,” she says. FOLLOW USLIKE US@countrylifeinbc6075 Cab with GrapplerMORE BUILD-IN WEIGHTTRACTOR TIME VICT ORIA 4377C Metchosin Rd. 250.474.3301 30 minutes from Victoria and 15 minutes from Hwy#1 in Metchosin.HANDLERS EQUIPMENT ABBOTSFORD 339 Sumas Way 604.850.3601HOUSTON 2990 Highway Crescent 250.845.3333
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 15New apple varieties may improve profitsCommittee recommends growers consider “club” varietiesABBOTSFORD1-888-283-3276VERNON1-800-551-6411You don’t have time to be second guessing the parts you’ve put in your machine. Choose AGCO Genuine parts for quality and peace of mind.TOM WALKER SUMMERLAND – An industry committee formed in response to the province’s tree fruit stabilization initiative believes international club varieties can help support the growth of BC’s apple industry. Summerland Varieties Corp., which manages the licensing of BC-developed tree fruit varieties, is leading the new committee formed in January on the recommendation of the stabilization initiative’s Path Forward report. “This effort has come out of the Path Forward recommendation to establish a comprehensive process to support the acquisition, development and marketing of new apple varieties for BC growers,” general manager Sean Beirnes explains. “We have identified nine varieties that are grown and marketed successfully in other countries, and even other provinces, that would be suitable and available to BC,” says Beirnes, who wouldn’t disclose the nine varieties. The varieties are known as club varieties. They’re branded and production is limited to select growers who can meet stringent quality standards. Two examples are Smitten and SweeTango. Beirnes says the work is in addition to the apple breeding program at the Summerland Research and Development Centre. “We are also working on several Summerland-developed apples that we will need to launch to the market and build a brand for,” he says. The new varieties committee is only looking into apples that already have a brand and are familiar to local consumers. “If these apples are going to be sold on our shelves, shouldn’t they be grown by British Columbians?” Beirnes asks. The nine varieties fit BC growing conditions as well as harvesting and packing windows. Beirnes doesn’t think growing high-quality fruit will be an issue, however. “BC has as good or better growing conditions for apples than anywhere else in the world,” he says. But despite those good conditions, apple growers have been struggling over the last several years as they face tough weather and market situations that frequently garner them returns lower than the cost of producing their fruit. The shine is off the apple for BC growers of Ambrosia, who are now looking at international club varieties to boost their fortunes in a competitive marketplace. SWEETANGO.COMSee NEW on next page o
16 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCNEW apple varieties promise better returns nfrom page 15The BC Fruit Growers’ AssociationDID YOU KNOW?supports members through programs:BCFGA provides free magazine subscriptions to Orchard and Vine, Country Life in BC, The Grower and Good Fruit Grower (NEW!).BCFGA provides assistance to members to complete Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program applications, backed by an accredited Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant.Free printed spray schedules.EFP Incentive Program ($250). Green Spark Consulting Services - Discount on housing bylaw assistance. COR Safety Certification Incentive ($250). NEW!1234Part of the problem is basic supply and demand. There is a large supply of the locally developed Ambrosia variety being grown for BC’s existing markets, something BC Tree Fruits Co-op predicted back in 2016 when royalties stopped being collected on Ambrosia. “With the replantings that have been going on, we expect that our Ambrosia production may double in the next five years,” then-BCTF marketing manager Chris Pollock said at the time. “We will need to continue to develop markets for those apples as growers who plant now,will be looking for returns in five years.” It is something that Beirnes has seen in apple-growing regions across the world. “It’s natural that when growers no longer have to pay a royalty to plant a variety, a lot of growers who have sat back and watched others do well with that apple will go all in,” he says, noting that plantings soared when SVC stopped collecting royalties on the variety. But growers haven’t profited from the variety like those elsewhere have. Profitable abroad “Ambrosia is one of the only profitable apples for most of our international growers, while here in BC it is not profitable for most growers,” says Beirnes. This shows that the club model works, he says. “When you have an apple that has been an open variety after it came off royalty protection in BC that is not profitable, but was released as a club model everywhere else in the world and those growers are doing great, that tells you something,” he says. Beirnes says that club apple programs offer a number of solutions to this type of over-supply. “Club apples are managed varieties with marketers and their growers paying a licence fee to plant the trees and agreeing to produce a certain amount and quality of fruit,” he explains. “In return, the variety manager regulates the number trees that are planted in order to match the market conditions, and establishes quality standards and branding for the apple. Time and again we have seen club models be successful for growers over the last 30 years.” Industry talk has often been that BC orchards are too small for club apple managers to consider, but Beirnes says that is not true. “A single grower in Washington can be the size of the entire BC industry for example,” he notes. “But what surprised me is when we contacted these club apple managers, they were all keen to have production in BC.” That interest is based on the premise that there is a market among apple consumers for locally produced club varieties, Beirnes explains. “The managers already know that consumers buy imports of their apples and they believe that a locally grown product will appeal to Western Canadian buyers,” he says. A club system could also provide some of the data that is currently missing in the industry. The varieties, acreage, production volume, grades and number of apple growers and packers in BC is not readily available, a gap the Path Forward document also recommends addressing. A club apple program covers all of those data points, says Beirnes. “This allows the managers to make business decisions on planting acreage, packing and marketing, something that is currently often left up to the individual growers themselves in BC,” he says. There is work to be done to ensure that a BC group can meet the needs of a variety manager. “They will want an assurance of stability and collaboration within the industry, as no one marketer right now is big enough to take on a club variety on their own,” says Beirnes. “But I do see the industry being more collaborative.” The club model begins with licensing the marketer first who then nominates growers who will be authorized to grow the fruit for distribution through that marketer. “There is ministry money set aside for the marketers and growers so if they do find a variety, they know there will be costs accessing that variety,” Beirnes says. Ease the burden A renewed apple replant program could help ease the financial burden that growers take on when they pull out a producing orchard, replant at a cost of $30,000 an acre and wait some five years before they see significant production. “My experience is that the replant program is very innovative, and I don’t see that in any other jurisdictions,” Beirnes says. “It has been a really intelligent and effective incentive to help growers to switch into more profitable varieties.” silagrow.com | 1.800.663.6022Salmon Arm & Surrey, BCSilage PlasticsForage & Grain Seed InoculantsHorticulture PlasticsPackaging PlasticsAppraisal and Land ConsultingFarm & Rural ResidentialProperties in the Peace Country are our specialty.Anne H. ClaytonMBA, AACI P App, RIAppraiserJudi LeemingBHE, CRA P AppAppraiser250.782.1088info@aspengrovepropertyservices.cawww.aspengrovepropertyservices.ca#104, 1001-102 Avenue, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 2B9
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 17Lauren Erland is the University of the Fraser Valley’s new berry horticulture research director. RONDA PAYNEUFV grows its berry research capacityNew researcher, new lab focus on growers’ needsThanks!For a Great Fall Auction! RONDA PAYNE CHILLIWACK – A background in wild berries and medicinal plants could be the cure for what ails the Fraser Valley berry sector as Lauren Erland steps into the role of berry horticulture research director at the University of the Fraser Valley. Erland joined UFV’s agriculture department in July with a mandate that allocates 80% of her time to research and 20% to teaching. She will be looking at a wide range of properties in the Vaccinium genus which includes blueberries and cranberries. “My research background is in a mixture of medicinal plants and chemistry,” she says. “I studied melatonin and serotonin in plants for my PhD. One of the reasons I came to berries is they produce a lot of melatonin and serotonin.” Given her role overseeing berry research at UFV, she’ll be spending plenty of time doing tissue analysis in the university’s Berry Environmental Resilience Research & Innovation (BERRI) lab in Chilliwack. “That’s where we’ll start,” she says. “Plant tissue culture and chemical analysis for avour proles, nutritional analysis, compounds in the plants that make them survive better.” She also hopes to be a resource growers can turn to when they face challenges. “If they’re looking for a resource that will help them with how much water they’re putting out and when, that’s the type of information I can give them,” she says. “I can generate new information when there’s a void.” Using the lab’s controlled environment chambers, Erland will conduct tests on irrigation and other practical aspects of plant management. It’s part of UFV’s aim to provide greater support to the berry industry. When a grower faces a new challenge such as extreme heat or ooding with limited resources, Erland hopes to assist with advice on how to redirect resources to the best outcome. Tom Baumann of Expert Agriculture Team, who specialized in berries at UFV until his retirement in 2021, notes the berry industry needs more research assistance. “We’ve got about 35,000 acres in blueberry, which is the biggie, and we’re very worried about the viruses, particularly the scorch virus,” he says. With the BC Blueberry Council, researchers and advisors working together towards common goals – such as addressing the growing threat of blueberry scorch virus and weather-related impacts from ood and excess heat – there is more likelihood of nding solutions for the blueberry industry. UFV’s hiring of Erland dovetails well with what he sees happening in the industry. Her unconventional background may bring new ideas to the problem, but with signicant research underway through other stakeholder groups before her hiring at UFV, she will need to nd her t in the industry. “We’re coming up with innovative methods,” he says, such as an SFU study using drones to capture aerial images to analyze light patterns and identify sick plants before they show symptoms to the naked eye. The drone study is led by Eric Gerbrandt, research director for the province’s strawberry, raspberry and blueberry groups with close ties to UFV. A graduate of the school, he returned in 2012 during his plant science studies at University of Saskatchewan to work with Baumann at the Pacic Berry Resource Centre. He eventually became an UFV instructor. Erland’s appointment adds to current research in the region. “There are incredible research needs. [Erland] can be put to use for those. She needs to build up a program and build up the linkages with the industry,” he says. A lack of funding means the UFV lab isn’t fully built out, but Erland hopes the lab will complete by late 2023. Students from a number of programs will rotate in and out of the lab on a continual basis. Two students help currently and there will be three more next semester. Erland’s view of her students’ input is not dissimilar from her own background, bringing a new perspective to berry research. “My role is to generate that basic fundamental science, but also to use that to benet the region,” she says. “It’s basic fundamental and applied research for industry and community, including the grower community. Hopefully I can be a good resource.” terraseco.comTerra Seed Corp
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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 19Jody Murdoch, foundation production manager at Bayer's new seed production facility in Cranbrook, outside the building's state-of-the-art equipment maintenance and repair wing. TRACEY FREDRICKSON BC AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRYgalaWEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2023Champion Sponsorwww.bcac.caA night of mingling, great food, and drinks! Visit our website to learn more and purchase your tickets. Tickets On Sale Now! TRACEY FREDRICKSON CRANBROOK – A new canola seed production facility in Cranbrook is supporting Bayer Canada’s work with growers throughout the East Kootenays to produce high quality canola seed, the No. 1 source of farm revenue for Canadian farmers. Canola is an important global commodity and considered one of the most versatile, healthy, low-in-saturated-fat cooking oils. Canola meal is a staple in animal feed products and billions are tagged for investment in crushing facilities in southern Saskatchewan to use the grain for biofuels, a cleaner alternative to diesel. All told, 22 million acres are devoted to growing canola in Canada. Bayer has been producing canola seed in the Kootenay region since 1999. The area’s unique geography, climate and access to remote field locations allow parent seeds to be grown in isolation, protecting the mother plants from any sources of contaminating pollen. “Quality seeds are clean seeds, free of weeds and pathogens,” explains Jody Murdoch, foundation production manager at the Cranbrook facility. “What we do here is strictly growing and cleaning. Just one seed can produce a plant that yields a thousand seeds, and a single spore or blemish could ruin an entire crop. That’s why the process for growing and processing canola seed is meticulous.” After 20 years, the company outgrew its original location in downtown Cranbrook and built its new 6,500-square-foot facility in the city’s industrial area in 2020. Due to the pandemic, the official opening was delayed until this September. The new building is more than four times the size of the original location and houses seed preparation rooms, a cold storage area that can store seed reserves for many months, greenhouses, an office and meeting space. The company employs 15 people year-round and up to 23 at peak harvest, including seed technicians, irrigation production managers, safety and quality technicians, and administration staff. Al Driver, country division head of Bayer Crop Science Canada, says Bayer invested in the new site “to provide farmers with innovative, industry-leading canola technology and products, with the highest quality seeds to maximize growers’ yields and returns in a sustainable way.” Virtually all canola parent seed grown for Bayer and its seed partners originates from the Cranbrook site. It takes approximately 30 days post-harvest to dry the seeds, take samples to determine quality and package them before they are sent to the company’s commercial facility in Lethbridge, Alberta for final seed processing and shipping to retailers and distributors. Lethbridge is one of the largest canola plants in the world, shipping Bayer opens new canola seed production site up to 30,000 tons of canola seeds per year. The company’s partnership program with local farmers is unique in the East Kootenays. Twenty-three growers in 16 communities lease parcels of land to Bayer, which allows canola to get its start in ideal conditions. “This revenue helps with farm income in a region where farm income levels are generally quite low,” says Rachael Roussin, coordinator for the Kootenay and Boundary Farm Advisors (KBFA). “Bayer brings a level of precision and technology to agriculture production that is not otherwise seen in the Kootenays. Interestingly, it took a global/multinational company to realize the potential for seed production in our region.” Diversification opportunity Tyler Morrison is third-generation owner of C & C Farm in Wardner, east of Cranbrook, and president of the Kootenay Livestock Association. He grows hay and canola and operates a cow/calf operation on his 1,700-acre farm. For over two decades, Morrison has leased See CANOLA on next page oFARMNEWSwww.countrylifeinbc.comFARNEWWeekly updatesto your inboxCranbrook facility partners with Kootenay farmers to grow seed
ve acres to Bayer to grow canola. “The rst year we do a rough preparation of the land, then Bayer’s irrigation and seed crews come in to install the irrigation system and plant the seeds,” explains Morrison. “After that, Bayer manages the crop to harvest stage to produce parent seeds. This partnership allows us to derive revenue from our less productive land.” Further north, Je Braisher raises beef cattle and does forestry work on over 5,000 acres near Golden. Braisher is also an environmental consultant with a strong background in nancial management and knows the importance of diversication in dicult times. “When we started working with Bayer in 2006 it was a really dicult time in the beef cow and forestry industries and I was looking hard at ways to diversify,” he says. “Leasing out land to grow canola helped us do this and continues to be an important part of our business model. Regular income from leasing out even a few acres helps us plan better and maintain a sustainable business.” Braisher adds he also likes the program because there is exibility for him to be involved hands-on where he chooses including the pre-growth land preparation and restoration stages. “I just really enjoy digging in the dirt,” he says. A ve-acre parcel can be used once every seven years, then the company comes in and restores the land for future production. Bayer’s eld sites in the Kootenays use drip irrigation systems that save water and increase irrigation eciency. Cover crops are used to improve soil health, reduce erosion, and increase organic matter and soil fertility. The process also includes a comprehensive recycling program for a variety of materials. Morrison’s farm is one of the locations where Bayer works with growers to educate the community about agriculture. Its Pizza Farm program sees grades 3 and 4 students visit the farm to plant canola seeds, observe the same seeds at various stages of growth and harvest them. Up to 400 children have visited a Pizza Farm over a two-day period, enjoying a pizza lunch before leaving with a sunower to grow at home or in the classroom. This popular program was on hold during the pandemic but is expected to resume in the summer of 2023. Darren Brewer, business development ocer for the City of Cranbrook, says the Bayer facility makes an important contribution to agriculture in the region. “Many people don’t realize how much farming is done in this part of the Kootenays,” says Brewer. “To have a world-class crop science research and development facility working one-to-one with local farmers is truly innovative. We are really pleased that Bayer has chosen to invest long-term in our community.” 20 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCCANOLA seed production adds value to marginal land nfrom page 19Marketing 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 WebsiteEXECUTIVE LAKEFRONT HOME AND ACREAGE - PUNTZI LAKEPRIME AGRICULTURAL LANDMISSION, BC5.4 ACRES IN 3 TITLESLEVEL FORT ST. 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Priced to Sell at $595,000FAWN GUNDERSON 250-982-2314Personal Real Estate Corporationfawn@landquest.comRICH OSBORNE 604-328-0848Personal Real Estate Corporationrich@landquest.comKURT NIELSEN 250-898-7200kurt@landquest.comLandQuest® Realty Corp Comox ValleySAM HODSON 604-809-2616Personal Real Estate Corporationsam@landquest.comJOHN ARMSTRONG 250-307-2100Personal Real Estate Corporationjohn@landquest.comMATT CAMERON 250-200-1199matt@landquest.comJASON ZROBACK 1-604-414-5577 JAMIE ZROBACK 1-604-483-1605DAVE SIMONE 250-539-8733DS@landquest.comNORTH END FARMSALT SPRING ISLAND, BCThe iconic North End Farm is a rare offering of 164.86 acres, with a kilometer of walk-on waterfront, 3 homes, multiple barns, and farming infrastructure with a mix of 32 acres hay / pasture and mature coastal timber. Operating as a productive produce and farmers market, this property has been long known for serving the island residents. Trail systems throughout allow access to all parts of this uniquely diverse property, permitting access for equipment and recreational use. After 60 plus years in the same family, this crown jewel of the West Coast is ready for its next chapter. $11,500,000KEVIN KITTMER 250-951-8631kevin@landquest.com CHASE WESTERSUND 778-927-6634Personal Real Estate Corporationchase@landquest.comA tractor prepares the soil for canola planting. The relative isolation of the Kootenays makes it ideal for producing clean canola seed for growers in the Prairies and Peace region. BAYER CANADA
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 21Growing local capacity important, but elusive“The Island has an insatiable brand,” says Ross Springford of Springford Farm. “That’s something to hang our hat on,” he told delegates at the Vancouver Island Economic Summit in Nanaimo in October. FACEBOOK / SPRINGFORD FARMFEB 3-4, 2023 • DUNCAN, BC • WWW.IASHOW.CA • 250-748-0822 • COWEX@SHAW.CAVancouver Island’s Largest Agriculture Event of the YearShowcasing the latest and most innovative equipment and technology for the Agriculture industry. Conference and vendor registration at www.iashow.ca.KATE AYERS NANAIMO – The fragile state of Vancouver Island food systems was underscored at the Vancouver Island Economic Summit in Nanaimo, October 26-27, where several presenters noted that local producers grow just 5% of what the Island consumes. In addition, the Island has just three days’ worth of food at any given time. But creating a more resilient food system faces several challenges, according to speakers during the agri-food sessions of the summit, which also addressed health care, housing, labour and climate challenges on Vancouver Island. Climate change has been a glaring challenge for livestock producers like Springford Farm in Nanoose Bay, where Ross Springford and his family have layer chickens and a small beef herd. “Trying to keep 14,000 chickens cool was a bit of an experiment, but it was like that for the balance of the industry,” he says of the extreme heat producers across BC faced at the end of June 2021. The atmospheric rivers last fall also caused concern around his feed supply with railways and highways closed. In an eort to be more proactive in response to weather extremes, the Springford family are implementing changes on the farm when feasible to mitigate the eects of increasingly unpredictable weather. “We basically went 100 days without rain and now we’re going to get 100 days of rain, it sounds like. It certainly aects everything we look at with respect to the timing of putting in crops,” Springford says. “On one eld we were on Plan C, because we went from too wet to too dry in a sprint.” Over the last couple of growing seasons, Springford has had to be exible with his crop production plans due to sudden changes in weather. In addition, limited slaughter capacity on the Island inhibits business expansion. “The capacity and scale that we’ve lost have really aected a lot of the animal agriculture on the Island,” Springford says. “We lost a signicant poultry processing plant in Metchosin 30 years ago. … One of the biggest challenges we face is processing and it has forced a lot of us into direct marketing. It ultimately came down to survival and being able to keep going.” With food coming from fewer places on the Island and producers having fewer processing options, food security and business resiliency come into question if, say, a natural disaster on the Island knocks out one of those few processors or they decide to close. Labour an issue The labour shortage and lack of aordable housing for workers also impacts producer bottom lines and business decisions. The anticipated lack of available skilled workers and seasonality of the work are what drove Kyle Michell, chief operating ocer of Field Five Farm in Saanichton, to take up grain farming when he returned to his family’s farm in 2015. “Our whole malting facility is 100% automated so it runs seven days straight. It was expensive but in the long-term it’s very cheap because it requires way less labour. We’re starting to automate more and more technology in our farm: GPS, auto steer, yield monitoring. That’s all helping,” Michell says. For new or young entrants in the industry or those looking to expand, land prices are a huge barrier. According to Farm Credit Canada’s 2021 Farmland Values Report, farmland prices on Vancouver Island increased by 6.3% last year, ranging between $14,000 and $90,000 per acre. While this increase is just a third of the province’s 18.1% gain in land values last year, new entrants are pushed out of the market. But for those who can aord to get in, Vancouver Island’s food quality and consumer awareness are two strengths that agri-food businesses can leverage to boost protability. “The Island has an insatiable brand. We have an aware consumer who is looking to support and eat local. It’s certainly prevalent in our big brands like Island Farms, Island Eggs and some of those brands have been going for some time and people have a tendency to search those out in the retail store. That is something to hang our hat on,” Springford says. “There is a high demand from the consumer and there’s a low supply.” Island Good, for example, is a place brand to help shoppers easily identify local products. Trademarked and licensed by the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance, the brand and logo promote Island-made products in major grocers and small business platforms. Other opportunities that could support greater local food production include bringing more Agricultural Land Reserve parcels into production, boosting agricultural education and apprenticeship opportunities on the Island and using technology to increase on-farm eciencies, the panelists say. Overall, producers see Island agriculture as fresh, diverse and creative with loads of potential for growth and bolstering resilience. WEEKLY FARM NEWSUpdatesSign up for FREE today.Island farmers identify challenges at summit
22 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCKATE AYERS NANAIMO – Developing more localized and resilient food systems on Vancouver Island depends more on consumers spending their food dollars locally than government support, presenters told the Vancouver Island Economic Summit on October 26. Island producers are competitive in high-end niche markets because of their high-quality products, but Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC CEO Michelle Koski says investment is needed now to build opportunities so local producers can create a more resilient local food supply for all market segments. Past policies have impacted Island agriculture and have entrenched the notion that competition takes priority over local food security. “It’s been 30 years since we signed those free trade agreements, and the No. 1 thing has been trade, trade, trade,” Koski says. “Export development, export markets, got to go overseas to make money. … Here’s all the programs to be competitive. And now everyone is going, ‘Oh, maybe that wasn’t so great. Maybe we need to rethink that.’ So, it’s going to take time for the commercial sector and bigger players and federal government to shift.” While BC and Canada overall will always be major exporters of agri-food products, federal and provincial governments should update policies and programs that build more resilience into local communities, Koski adds. Fortunately, the shift to localized approaches and valuing farmer contributions to society have started with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agricultural Climate Solutions program, which supports Living Lab projects that focus on carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation. The province has also added committees and programs to support sustainable and ecient food production. In June, BC’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food created the Minister’s Advisory Group on Regenerative Agriculture and Agritech. The ministry also launched the Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program in August, which includes a funding stream for knowledge and technology sharing for regenerative agriculture practices. “What I see in BC and with the federal government, there is more of an understanding of the challenges farmers are facing with production because of climate change. I see a huge emphasis on serious program dollars for producers to ght climate change and to adapt and be resilient,” Koski says. “I think the notion is coming around to pay for ecological goods and services. I mean 20 years ago, this was an absolute non-starter in Canada.” Koski believes that governments now recognize that producers are valuable contributors to climate change mitigation and expects that farmers could soon receive nancial compensation for preserving the environment though regenerative agriculture and best management practices. Jennifer Dyson of Port Alberni’s Coleman Meadows Farm and chair of the Agricultural Land Commission says putting more productive agricultural land into food production, restoring lost agricultural infrastructure and giving the next generation a foothold in the industry will help strengthen localized food systems going forward. But investment and policies are nothing without consumers, says Ross Springford of Springford Farm in Nanoose Bay, who also presented during the summit. Consumers need to demand local food for producers to see a point in producing it, Springford says. Cheap food mentality “We have to back away from living in a society where we think it is our social right to have the cheapest food. … Until we change that, we will never have a ourishing local food movement,” he says. “Buy local where you can, create that demand. Ultimately, there’s not a government program that’s going to solve industry. In our industry, it has to come from someone seeing opportunity, and if we create enough opportunity, that’s when people will get courageous enough to knock on someone’s door who has some vacant land or use a program to nd land. If there’s enough opportunity in the marketplace, then the free market will take care of itself.” But change won’t happen overnight. “It’ll take some time because we consolidated a lot of our processing in agriculture in the province,” he says. Whether it be dairy, meat or fruits, centralized processing means that Island food is coming from fewer places and limits business expansion. “Doing that little bit extra all the time will cost a little bit more in the short term. But once people have an opportunity to get product, those businesses can start to scale up and reduce their overhead and per-unit costs. It will help employ local people, [and have a] trickle-down eect,” Springford adds. Consumer demand key to local food productionSpeakers at economic summit discuss how to build supply chain resilience Purchase a gift SUBSCRIPTION toCountry Life inBCthegiftthat givesall yearinfo@agricultureshow.netOver 30 0 Exhibitors Showcasing Innovative Agriculture TechnologyJanuary 26 - 28
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 23Comox Valley farmers were invited to provide input into a proposed update of the region’s agricultural plan. DIANE SPRINGFORD / FILEFinancial supports needed, producers sayUSED EQUIPMENT MAS H125 TILLER, 2012, 50” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,500 KUBOTA K76249H 76” SKIDSTEER SNOWBLOWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500 USED TRACTORS KUBOTA T2380 2017, 48” DECK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,500 KUBOTA BX2360 2010, 1,900HRS, TRAC/MWR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,750 TORO 328D 48” MOWER, 2,900 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,500 KUB GR2110-54 2010, Diesel, 54” deck, grass catcher . . . . . . . . . . . 9,000 GRAVELY ZTHD60 2017, 60” ZERO TURN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,500 KUB F2880 2006, 1,411HRS, 60” REAR DISCHARGE . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,500 KUB F3990 2015, 72” SIDE DISHARGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,500 JD 4044M 2021, 265HRS, TRACTOR W/ LOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46,950 NEW INVENTORY: 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 KUBOTA K008-2 2001, 2,700hrs, 2 BKTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,500 KUBOTA KX080-4 2016, 1800HRS, RUBBER, THUMB, ANGLE BLADE, 2 BKTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118,500 KATE AYERS MERVILLE – Mid-Island producers met on October 25 to discuss the importance of producer involvement in the creation of a modernized Comox Valley Agricultural Plan (CVAP). The area’s current plan was developed in 2001. Arzeena Hamir of Amara Farm in Courtenay and members of the regional district’s policy council pushed to have it modernized. “Our ag plan was 20 years out of date. … When things come into an ag plan, those are the things that get funded,” Hamir says. “That's how programs get started. And it's just a fantastic way, I think, to connect the whole farming community.” About 20 producers attended an information session at Merville Hall that shared how the agricultural plan can impact their operations and why they should get involved in shaping its objectives. But regional district sta talked a lot about policy. “You could just sort of see people's eyes glazing over, like, why would I invest all my time and energy into policy?” Hamir says. “What farmers want to know is, what is this? How is this going to help? Maybe not their own farm particularly, but just how is it going to help the sector.” However, attendees still had group discussions around their pain points in the industry and some changes they would like to see included in the agricultural plan. “We had a good conversation about food insecurity and prices and supports, or lack thereof, for farmers,” Hamir says. “Just the huge drop in gross margins for farmers in the valley and around the Island.” The rise in input costs came up frequently throughout the evening. “Shipping, bringing inputs from elsewhere onto the Island, the cost has increased,” Hamir says. “BC Ferries doesn't necessarily or always give farmers any kind of preferential treatment or discounts or anything like that.” Producers also talked about lack of abattoir space and the potential for a local food hub, which could help farmers aggregate equipment, product and marketing. In 2021, the regional district completed a feasibility study for a local food hub. “To look at if there was interest in a food hub and the issue has been like, what model and how big and which farms and all of that so, it's kind of gotten stuck in a bit of a feedback loop,” Hamir says. “I know a lot of vegetable growers themselves are maybe not ready to do value added yet, because they're just so busy. But they would absolutely benet from aggregation.” Hamir would like to see the regional district put in more eort to highlight and educate consumers on the importance of supporting local farmers, especially during the current economic climate. “On Tuesday, a local resident posted a photo of iceberg lettuce at Quality Foods being sold for $6.99 a head,” she says. “And literally, at the farmers’ market on Saturday, … farmers were selling heads of lettuce and salad mixes for $4 or $5. Why are people not connecting the dots here?” Producers would also appreciate more local government resources put towards farmer supports, including sta positions dedicated to farm success, extension services and economic development services, Hamir says. The new agricultural plan is still a ways down the road, but community engagement and preliminary discussions are a starting point for the future of food production in the Comox Valley. “One of the comments that was brought up multiple times was that not only do we have Indigenous farmers, but also the buyers … [who] are residents,” Hamir says. “Farming isn't just happening in a vacuum. So, having the input of the whole food system is really important. … I'm looking forward to deepening the discussions.” Uplands Agricultural Consulting began work on the plan this summer and will continue through 2023 to revamp the CVAP. “Through a community-based and forward-thinking approach culminating in a new CVAP, it is the hope and intention that long-term resiliency and sustainability of the regional agricultural and food sector and the greater food system is strengthened allowing it to grow, ourish and prosper into the future,” the regional district says. CVRD’s planning department was not available for an interview before deadline. Comox Valley ag plan undergoes overhaul—— 2023 ——Regenerative Agriculture and Growers’ SHORT COURSE | January 26 - 28, 2023 | TRADEX, Abbotsford, BC THURSDAY, January 26Regenerative Agriculture • Floriculture • Greenhouse Vegetable • Indigenous Reconciliation Agri-Tech/Innovation • Raspberry/Strawberry FRIDAY, January 27 All Berry • Potato • Cannabis • Every Chef Needs a Farmer • Vegetable • HazelnutSATURDAY, January 28 Blueberries • Organic • Hops To register or for more information, visit : www.agricultureshow.netPresented by the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food together with the Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association and the Pacic Agriculture ShowFunding for the Short Course is provided in part by the governments of Canada and British Columbia through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.Attend in Person or by Webinar
24 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCThank you to all our sponsors.For your generosity and support of the BC Dairy Industry Conference.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 25Salt Spring Abattoir marks 10th anniversaryFacility is a cornerstone of island’s farm community Mike Lane of Ruckle Heritage Farm on Salt Spring Island isn’t able to process all his livestock through the Salt Spring Abattoir, but its close proximity means fewer trips off the island for processing. SUBMITTEDAll rights reserved. Case IH is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or afliates. www.caseih.comREDEFINING CLUTCH TIME.The drive for productivity never ends. Neither does a Maxxum® series tractor. These workhorses move from eldwork to daily chores with ease — thanks to features such as the new ActiveClutch II™. It gives you the power to slow or even stop the tractor just by depressing the brake pedals, all without touching the clutch. To take productivity to the next level, visit caseih.com/activedrive.CONTACT US TODAY!Dealer Name 1 Dealer Name 2000.000.0000www.dealer_url.comDealer Address 1 Dealer Address 2 City, State Zip860 Riverside Rd. Abbotsford V2S 7P6 604-864-2273 www.caliberequipment.caMerry Christmas & a Happy New Year from all of us at Caliber Equipment KATE AYERS SALT SPRING ISLAND – On November 12, food producers and consumers came together to celebrate the Salt Spring Abattoir’s 10-year anniversary. For the past decade, the not-for-prot facility has provided an essential service for livestock producers on the island. A farmer on the island for the last 32 years, Ruckle Heritage Farm manager Mike Lane has used the abattoir since its doors opened in September 2012. “It's vitally important for the farming community on Salt Spring,” he says. “I feel like even with the abattoir’s presence here, there isn't enough access to those facilities for the people that want or need [processing].” Lane and his wife Marjorie raise chickens, turkeys, goats, sheep and cows on the 82-hectare property owned by BC Parks. While the Salt Spring Abattoir cannot take in all their animals during the season, it saves Lane a few time-consuming ferry trips to Vancouver Island each year. “It's basically a minimum ve-hour round-trip of the 100 and some kilometres instead of just 15 kilometres down the road to the local abattoir,” Lane says. Production should stay on the island from start to nish, he adds. Fortunately, thanks to the eorts of a mostly volunteer-based group, island raised and processed meat is more likely now than it was before the abattoir opened. From conception to management and everything in between, the facility has been a community eort. Former Salt Spring Island Agricultural Alliance chair Anne Macey, along with members of the farmers institute, examined the viability of building a community abattoir in 2004 after new federal meat regulations came into eect due to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). “It was a few years after that that the [Salt Spring Island] Agriculture Alliance kind of got involved with fundraising because we identied agriculture infrastructure was a key to our farm plan, which we published in 2008,” Macey says. The plan reported that between 2004 and 2008, chicken production dropped by 54% and sheep and cattle numbers dropped by 44% on the island. “An abattoir was identied as being really important and … we were going to lose agriculture on Salt Spring if we didn't do something,” she says. Not-for-profit Early into the feasibility study, it was evident that an abattoir business was not an “economical proposition,” Macey says. To make the model work to serve livestock producers, the group decided that a community enterprise managed by the not-for-prot Salt Spring Abattoir Society was the best approach. The idea for a mobile abattoir was raised but trying to coordinate with producers and the ferry schedule was a logistical nightmare. Fortunately, a local farmer oered up a piece of land to build a permanent abattoir and the society received a $350,000 government grant to get started. The society continued to raise funds through community fundraisers and abattoir construction began in 2010. “We opened at the end of September 2012. Thanksgiving turkeys, I think, were the rst thing we did,” Macey says. “By January the following year we’d done a bit more work and got a bit more money so then we could open for lambs. It went along and we gradually over the years raised money to do what we needed to do. It was 2016 before we were able to do hogs or cattle.” FARMNEWSupdatesto yourinboxwww.countrylifeinbc.comSee STAFFING on next page o
26 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCSTAFFING challenges nfrom page 25As a non-prot that largely operates o grants and fundraisers, all upgrades are gradual. “Originally, the challenge was having money to buy what we needed and the equipment and everything,” Macey says. “We did that through community fundraising eorts, like the fall fair and things like that.” Now, the challenge is stang. “The biggest challenge right now is nding skilled people who want to do the job. I mean, it's hard to bring people to Salt Spring. If we have people wanting jobs, we don't have housing,” Macey says. “Or we have people that are juggling a few dierent jobs and can work one day a week, which is great. But it doesn’t give us the core sta we need.” As a result of constantly training new people who can help on occasion and serving mixed-farm producers, the abattoir’s eciency takes a hit. “We are providing a service for the farmers which means we try and do lambs and chickens, turkeys and sheep. It's not designed for any one [species] in an ecient way and we're always changing equipment in and out,” Macey says. “So, it's hard to make money but at the same time, we want to provide the service that people need. It's not easy, but it's been interesting.” Over 60 producers use the Salt Spring Abattoir each year – those from the island as well as farmers who come over from Saturna, Galiano and Vancouver Island. But the facility continues to face challenges even as it celebrates a decade in operation. “I think it’s struggling like a lot of other small abattoirs in BC are,” Lane says. “It needs a helping hand from some level of government because the aging volunteers that got it going and run fundraisers all the time can't keep it up forever. And if the community loses this service, it's going to be devastating to the agricultural components of this community.” Expansion underway Macey hopes that the abattoir’s current expansion project, thanks to a $222,525 provincial grant, will increase the facility’s capacity and make the space more functional. “We did as much as we could last winter before we had to open to make some money,” Macey says. “We couldn't carry on the work that needed to be done because it interferes with operations. As soon as we shut down at Christmas, the crew will be back in January, and we will join the addition to the current building. … So, we're hoping that'll be nished by March.” While the abattoir faces funding and stang hurdles, producer demand for processing and consumer demand for local meat keep the wheels turning. “I think what we've learned is that there really isn't support for this industry in terms of training people ... [and] we have to remain optimistic that we can nd solutions,” Macey says. “We've learned that there is an appreciation for local food. … I think it's becoming even more important that we maintain local food systems.” Mike Lane says the Salt Spring Abattoir needs fresh blood as the volunteers who started it get older. SUBMITTED
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 27A eld day hosted by the Kootenay and Boundary Farm Advisors this fall looked at Doug Fossen’s stand of corn in Rock Creek. TOM WALKERemail: audreycifca@gmail.com308 St. Laurent Avenue 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 $250,000.00 being interest free. Plus, interest relief through the Advance Payments Program is available to association members on their feeder cattle purchases.BCHA President: John Lewis 250-218-2537 BCHA Secretary: Janice Tapp 250-699-6466 TOM WALKER KAMLOOPS – BC ranchers plan to develop practical on-farm best management practices for winter grazing through a $1.6 million Living Lab project. Backed by a $54 million investment from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the projects are called “living labs” because the experiment designs and practices can evolve over time in response to ndings and producer input. The ve-year program led by the BC Cattlemen’s Association and BC Forage Council was announced in August, one of 13 projects across Canada. It will study extending the grazing season, and winter feeding strategies. “That was the pinch-point for ranchers when we were doing our engagement sessions in the fall of 2021,” says project coordinator Amanda Miller. “They really wanted some specic research on what works where, across the province, as well as the economics of a practice.” Miller says there is a lot of information available on winter feeding and many producers have been trying dierent techniques on their own. “We have some research out of AAFC Agassiz, but we wanted to make it as practical and as regionally specic as possible and develop BMPs for BC,” Miller says. The extended grazing season and winter feeding BMPs that will be explored in the project include annual and/or alternative cover crops for fall-winter grazing, standing crops such as corn for winter grazing, fall cover crops for extended fall or spring grazing and bale grazing. The Living Lab project will operate in a number of ways to serve the diversity of needs across the province. There will be two mother research sites, one attached to Thompson Rivers University and one to the University of Northern British Columbia. Lauchlan Fraser will lead the project at TRU and Michael Preston will be the lead at UNBC, where the high-level research work will take place. Having the two dierent research sites gives the project a range of conditions to study, but the practical eldwork will be done through daughter sites scattered across the province. The daughter sites will be working farms and ranches Ranchers undertake ‘living lab’ project UNBC will be headquarters for high-level researchwhere the project will develop strategies that work for a specic region. “We had a rancher from the Shuswap on our development committee, who explained that one year he can have a great corn crop and the next year it is under water in June and dies,” Miller says. “Not only does he lose the inputs, but the land has been out of production for that season.” Bale grazing might be an excellent strategy in some parts of the province, but with increasing elk populations in the Kootenays, she notes that Cranbrook ranchers would be feeding the elk rather than their cattle. Fall cover crops will be dierent in the Cariboo compared to along Hwy 16. “It is hugely dierent across the province,” says Miller “We are such a diverse province.” The project will also support ranchers if an experiment falls short. “We have a collateral fund to support ranchers if things go sideways,” Miller says. “They are taking a risk experimenting and we don’t want them to lose out on forage.” She adds that there has been lots of interest in being daughter sites, which have yet to be chosen, and more are welcome. There is no timeline for the start of research.
28 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCNO COSTLY DPF@matsquiagrepairCall today to demo any of our JCB models today!www.matsquiagrepair.com34856 Harris Rd, Abbotsford BC V3G 1R7604-826-3281MERRY& BRIGHT THE JCB TM 320 ARTICULATED TELESCOPIC HANDLERThe JCB TM 320 articulated telescopic handler combines the featuresand benefits of a JCB wheel loading shovel and JCB telescopic handlerfor maximum versatility around the farm. In addition to articulated steering and telescopic reach, the JCB TM 320 Agri articulated telescopic handler is ideally suited to a huge range of attachmentsfor maximum productivity. Schedule your demo today! Merry Christmas and Happy New Yearfrom all of us at:
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 29Copper deficiency challenges BC bison productivityPregnancy rates dive as a result of poor nutritionBC Bison Association members headed to the hills above Kamloops in late October to view bison at Big Valley Bison Ranch. The ranch runs about 400 head. CONRAD SCHIEBELCOMMITTED TO AGRICULTURE in BRITISH COLUMBIA rollinsmachinery.comCHILLIWACK • 1.800.242.9737 . 44725 Yale Road West • 604.792.1301 LANGLEY • 1.800.665.9060 |. 21869 - 56th Avenue • 604.533.0048 CHEMANIUS • 1.250.246.1203 . 3306 Smiley Road KELOWNA • 250.765.8266 . #201 - 150 Campion Street TRACTORS JD 5090GN 900 HRS, CAB, 4WD, BERRY TRACTOR [U32597] 64,900 KUBOTA M7060 2019, CAB, NO LOADER, 200 HRS [U32830] .. 67,000 NH T4 120 ROPS, LOADER, LOW HOURS [N31691] ................ 79,600 NH TS6.140 [N 31304] ......................................................... 96,500 NH T6.165 9100 HRS, 2014 [U32747] .................................. 57,500 NH WORKMASTER 105 CAB, LOADER, LOW HOURS (U32946)…. 87,000 QUALITY USED EQUIPMENT BUHLER TRIPLEX MOWER 18’, LIKE NEW [CNS794] .......................... 19,900 CASE 161 DISC MOWER, ROLLER CONDITIONER [U32495] ............ 16,900 CUB CADET LAWN TRACTORS NEW 2022 UNITS, RIDE-ON, O’TURNS . CALL KVERNELAND 9476C RAKE 2017 (U32957)....................................... 33,700 MCHALE FUSION VARIO 2017, 14,000 BALES, [U32135] ......... 85,900 MCHALE 3100 FRONT DISC MOWER [U32621]........................ 17,000 MCHALE R3100 REAR DISC MOWER [U32620] ....................... 17,000 NH FP240 GRASS CORN PROCESSOR [CNS792] ..................... 69,000 NH FP240 CHOPPER 29P GRASS, 3PN CORN CROP PROCESSOR (CNS786) ............................................................................. 47,500 NH 575 HAY BALER HYD PICKUP/TENSION [CNS779] .............. 16,000 POTTINGER 155VC ROUND BALER/WRAPPER [U40143] ......... 105,000 STACKLINER 1044 BALE WAGON [U32420] .............................. 6,500 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!Producer Check-o Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333TOM WALKER KAMLOOPS – The BC Bison Association conference, tour and annual general meeting in Kamloops, October 24-27, gave members an opportunity to share best practices, learn new approaches and represent the industry on government matters. “It’s very important for members to meet and talk to one another,” says BCBA president Conrad Schiebel of Turtle Valley Bison Ranch near Chase. “Bison have some very specific health and herd management needs that are not common to other livestock and we also need to continue to lobby for legislative changes.” The association’s AGM attracted 35 members representing 22 of the province’s 50 licensed bison farms. All told, BC bison ranchers manage 10,055 animals. During the conference’s Animal Health Emergency Management session, talk turned to monitoring herd health and several members shared their initial shock when they discovered animals that displayed alarming symptoms of copper deficiency. “We had animals that were losing weight, had mangy coats and were so stiff they couldn’t move their hind legs,” says Dave Baxter of Baxter Bison Ranch in Clearwater. “There is a lack of copper in the soil in parts of central BC,” says Schiebel, and this leads to lower levels in feed. “The other cause is high levels of other minerals that bind with copper, such as molybdenum and sulphur, which make the copper molecules unavailable for absorption in the gut.” Members shared how they went through diagnosing the issue, including testing feed, water and ultimately a liver sample from a deceased animal. “Ranchers have lost three or four animals a year due to copper deficiency,” says Schiebel. Copper deficiency can also lower pregnancy rates. Vaccinations Any number of issues can arise when ranching a herd of large, wild animals. While discussing Canadian Food Inspection Agency protocols, the question of how to vaccinate a bison came up. Several members shared their experience with using dart guns as an alternative to collecting the animals and passing them through a chute and squeeze in order to inoculate. A late afternoon tour at Big Valley Bison Ranch in the hills above Kamloops continued the discussion. Ranch owner Chris Kayat runs about 400 animals, a mid-sized herd for BC that uses a set-up quite different than for a smaller operation. “It’s really important for us See GAME on next page oFARMNEWSwww.countrylifeinbc.comFARNEWWeekly updatesto your inbox
30 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCGAME vs livestock nfrom page 29"SFZPVSFBEZGPSXJOUFS :FTXFTIJQBMMPWFS$BOBEB$BMMVTGPSBRVPUFto see how other producers set up their pens and handling systems,” says Schiebel. Bison are regulated under the Game Farm Act, something the association has been trying to eliminate for 30 years. Its most recent appeal went to Victoria this past April. “BC is the only jurisdiction in North America that categories bison as game,” says Schiebel. “All others consider farm-raised bison to be livestock, with no adverse consequences to the industry or wild herds.” Provincial regulations place bison at a disadvantage to other livestock. “The annual fee and inventory log are seen as an unnecessary expense and time-user that probably doesn't cover the government's administrative costs and isn't required of other livestock producers,” Schiebel says. Regulations stipulating fencing and handling system requirements are good but the Canadian Bison Association has developed its own code of practice. “Our code is more far-reaching and should be considered the standard guiding document for anyone venturing into the bison ranching business,” Schiebel says. Schiebel questions whether the industry needs government administrative oversight to control bison on designated properties. “BCBA would argue that given the investment producers have all made into their businesses, they are no dierent from any other livestock producer,” Schiebel explains. “When you consider a bull goes for $5,000, they will spare no expense in protecting their investments within their fence lines.” It’s not in a bison’s nature to wander from the herd, Schiebel explains. Those that do usually have a reason. “If they are curious about animals on the other side of the fence or have a lack of food or water, they may escape but they are habituated to where they live and will usually come back,” he says. “They are very social herd animals,” he adds. “A lone bison will not be happy on your farm; we recommend a minimum of 13 or 14 animals.” TOM WALKER KAMLOOPS – Developing a written plan is critical to helping livestock producers to cope with animal health emergencies, and BC bison ranchers received plenty of tips at their annual conference in Kamloops, October 27. A key source of information is a producer handbook for bison ranchers from Animal Health Emergency Management (AHEM), a project of Animal Health Canada, which grew out of the work of the National Farmed Animal Health and Welfare Council. AHEM resource development lead Todd Bergen-Henengouwen says AHEM’s goal is to develop capacity to respond to animal diseases within the Canadian livestock sector. The bison handbook follows a standard template used for handbooks developed for multiple livestock sectors across Canada, Bergen-Henengouwen says, including beef and dairy cattle, sheep, horses, goats and hogs. “This handbook was developed together with the Canadian Bison Association over the last year and follows your code of practice,” he says. Bergen-Henengouwen says animal health management should be part of a suite of risk management protocols producers develop for their operations. “The AHEM goal is to help you develop a plan to respond to animal diseases, but these risks are very similar to re, ood and drought in that they all aect your animals’ welfare,” says Bergen-Henengouwen. “Response is key because we know, despite our best eorts, animal diseases do happen and we want to be able to take this massive problem that we could have and make the impacts less severe.” The co-mingling nature of the livestock sector makes it high risk for the spread of disease, Bergen-Henengouwen notes. Whether you are looking at feedlot alley in Alberta, the concentration of pork production in southern Saskatchewan or a liner of sheep collected from a number of small farms, he says the risk for disease transmission is high. “Livestock moves across the country,” Bergen-Henengouwen says. “Depending on the level of biosecurity you have, there is always the risk of animal diseases entering your farm.” Disease outbreaks continue to happen across the world, says Bergen-Henengouwen. “When animals contract a federally reported disease, the country must report it to the international livestock body and that will aect their trade status,” Bergen-Henengouwen explains. “We all know what happened with BSE.” He estimates that a large- scale foot-and-mouth disease outbreak could cost the Canadian livestock industry $65 billion. According to a UK government assessment, a 2007 outbreak in that country cost British livestock producers nearly $101 million. Emergency management Bergen-Henengouwen says emergency management includes four phases: preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation and prevention. The responsibility for animal health rests with the individual producer. “The care and well-being of your animals are your responsibility, not CFIA’s,” he stresses. “In the case of an outbreak of a federally reportable disease, they will direct you, but you do the work.” On-farm biosecurity is the rst step for keeping disease at bay. Monitoring your herd for early detection is crucial, and isolation and/or quarantine is key to limiting disease impact. “Prevention, early detection and limiting further spread are key producer responsibilities,” Bergen-Henengouwen says. But if prevention eorts fail, producers need an organized, written response plan to help guide them through a situation. AHEM provides templates for everything from visitor logbooks for biosecurity to mass depopulation and disposal protocol to assist with plan development. Bergen-Henengouwen recognizes that an emergency situation may not always unfold according to a template, however. “There is always a list of things that you should do, and realistically, a list of things that you can do,” he says. A key question will always be at what point in time do signs point to an emerging situation that requires professional attention. Bergen-Henengouwen notes that the decision is based on information such as a sudden onset of clinical signs, rapid spread of symptoms, failure of animals to respond to treatment and herd history such as recent contacts or new introductions to the herd. “The communication you have with your vet is key in an animal health situation,” he stresses. BCBA members spoke about the lack of experience with bison that some local vets may have. “That is where the networks you establish with your association are so important,” he says. Bison ranchers briefed on emergency protocolsHandbooks provide templates for disease response during health emergencies
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 31Ruth King is passionate about sustainability, and that makes her a perfect t as program manager for the Sustainable Winegrowing BC program. SUBMITTEDRotary RakesKuhnNorthAmerica.comVisit your local British Columbia KUHN dealer today!INVEST IN QUALITY®www.kuhn.comMatsqui Ag-RepairAbbotsfordNorthline EquipmentPouce CoupeHuber Farm EquipmentPrince GeorgeTHE MOST COMPLETE HAY LINE Cut • Dry • HarvestSave time, money and improve hay quality with KUHN.THE HAY AND FORAGE TOOL SPECIALISTS Mowers Mower Conditioners Mergers Wheel Rakes Tedders Harvesting high-quality hay and forage is the focus of KUHN's hay tool innovation. Our commitment is to help yougain a maximum return on investment by providing products known for performance, reliability, and longevity.KATE AYERS KELOWNA – With a passion for production and sustainability, Sustainable Winegrowing BC’s new program manager Ruth King looks to make her mark on the province’s wine sector. Originally from Boston, King pursued her secondary education in environmental horticulture at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Surrounded by world-class wine regions, including Paso Robles and Edna Valley, King found herself immersed in the wine world. Her interest in wine grew organically and lead to enrolling in wine and viticulture courses throughout her undergrad. Upon graduating in 2007, King continued to work in the horticulture industry for another three years. As a dual citizen, she moved to Vancouver to be closer to family in 2008. After more than a dozen years of managing gardens and working in greenhouses and garden centres, King was ready for a change and moved to Melbourne, Australia to participate in a grape harvest. King knew then that winemaking was what she wanted to pursue for her next career path. She returned to Canada in 2011 and completed WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) Levels II and III and earned her winemaking certicate through UC Davis in California. She settled in Kelowna with her young family in 2018. In September, King took on the roles of program manager for SWBC and winemaker at Kitsch Wines in Kelowna, where she brings 13 years of experience in the wine sector. As a mother of three children under the age of six, King needed a career that was exible but still allowed her to pursue her passions for wine production and sustainability. “Having a full-time year-round job as a winemaker is tricky, because my husband also works, and having a family and two working parents can be a lot. Luckily, I found this job that works so well,” King says. King is grateful to work alongside SWBC’s board liaison and chair Severine Pinte. “She's an idol of mine. Just a champion winemaker, and all-around amazing human. I also get to work on pushing the needle on sustainability, which is something that's dear to my heart,” King says. In her position with SWBC, King wants to promote sustainability in the sector through education and extension and grow the SWBC hires a new program managerRuth King brings years of experience to her new role See MORE on next page oFARM NEWSupdatesto yourinboxSign Up for Free today.
MORE than ticking boxes nfrom page 31PRINCE GEORGE | KAMLOOPS | KELOWNA | CHILLIWACK | LANGLEY | NANAIMO WWW.PCE.CA 1-877-553-3373* O.A.C. $264 per month over 72 months, pre-tax. QID# 27732586. Offer valid with 20% down. Some restrictions may apply. Contact PrairieCoast equipment for full details. Offer valid until 12/31/2022.OR SAVE AN ADDITIONAL $1000WHEN YOU PAY CASH!DON’T WAIT FOR THE SNOW, GET WINTER READY TODAY!$264 PER MO.for 72 Months*limited quantities still availableHUGE SALE ON ALL REMAININGMODEL YEAR ‘22 1023E TRACTORSorganization’s membership. “I think just getting everybody to understand even what sustainability really is and how it's not a one-time ticking of boxes and certicate, but more about continuous improvement,” King says. She also wants to ensure producers approach and appreciate sustainability for its holistic operational benets. “It ties in a lot of aspects, not just soil health or vineyard health or wastewater management,” King says. “It's really everything. It involves the economic viability of a business, it's the people and the community as well. So, the whole concept and program is something I really believe in.” SWBC created a certication pathway in 2011 as a self-assessment program, with standards set by the organization’s governing industry panel. In 2019, former program manager Katie Pease revamped the standards, which include UN Sustainable Development Goals, to an outcomes and improvement-based format. Pease was not available for an interview before deadline. To further build o Pease’s foundational work, King is developing a more user-friendly certication platform and incorporating sustainable packaging, support for employees of diverse backgrounds and Truth and Reconciliation into the SWBC standards. “I will be looking to the UNDRIP and TRC as well as advice from local Indigenous leaders to incorporate an Indigenous Relations chapter,” King says. “Some things I will include are recognition of unceded territories for each business, identication of local Indigenous groups, support of cultural rights and identity of local groups including specic members a business can call upon for guidance on culturally sensitive topics, and suggestions to have signage and printed items translated to local Indigenous languages.” SWBC’s rst certifying year was 2021. To date, a total of 14 vineyards and wineries have achieved certication. The vineyard certication process focuses on two main on-farm practices, King says: integrated pest management and water usage and management. For wine growers interested in certication, King suggests producers complete their Environmental Farm Plans through the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC rst because doing so will open up funding opportunities and check o much of the information third-party auditors will look for during their SWBC review. A winery on the Naramata Bench, 1 Mill Road, began its certication process last year. “I fundamentally believe in [the program], in terms of its sustainability objectives and charter in striving for a holistic approach to farming and growing wine,” owner and winemaker Ben Bryant says. Bryant has worked with King on other projects and looks forward to seeing how the program and certication can add value to wine produced across the province. “I think she will be fantastic for the program,” Bryant says of King. “Her appointment is only going to further strengthen the aspiration and hopefully the number of properties, either vineyards or wineries, that become certied through the program.” SWBC is a project of the BC Wine Grape Council that manages sustainability certication and provides educational resources and training to businesses that want to establish sustainable practices. In addition to King and Pinte, the project’s team includes 20 directors. 32 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCHow does certification benefit producers? Sustainable Winegrowing BC’s certication process pulls a lot of operational information into one place, including vineyard, winery, human resources, and on-site restaurant and accommodation practices, for example. “You can start to scrutinize how those weigh into your bottom line, where your eciencies are, and where opportunities are for improvement,” SWBC program manager Ruth King says. “I think one of the obvious benets to this certicate, is you do end up saving money just in identifying ways to improve and cutting your utility bills, using less herbicides, cultivating compost on site instead of buying fertilizer and nding more sustainable ways to approach dierent aspects of your business.” Other potential benets include identifying areas of excellence to showcase to consumers and fostering relationships with regulators, employees and the community, SWBC says. In addition, King notes that certied businesses have access to “workshops, education and knowledge share sessions; support for things like grant application writing; and a newsboard for deadlines and opportunities for funding.” —Kate Ayers
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 33Better communication marked wildfire seasonRanchers pleased with successful collaboration Lone Prairie rancher Warren Fowler was the rancher liaison between Peace region producers and the BC Wildre Service this year. SUBMITTEDMay the warmth of family,friends and communitymake your season bright.Merry Christmasfrom AgSafe.Preventing Injuries | Minimizing ImpactEncouraging Worker Health & WellbeingAgSafeBC.ca1-877-533-1789www.tubeline.ca 1.888.856.6613@TubelineMFGFind us onNITRO 275RS SPREADERSACCUMUL8 & RETRIEVERBALEWRAPPERS SILAGE RAKEKATE AYERS HUDSON’S HOPE – Now that the smoke has cleared from the Battleship and Connell Ridge Complex res, producers are praising the BC Cattlemen’s Association’s and BC Wildre Service’s joint Rancher Liaison Program. The initiative facilitates open lines of communication and streamlined important processes, including permitting that allows ranchers to access properties and livestock during an evacuation order. In the nearly 30 years that Angie Watson has ranched in the Hudson’s Hope area, her family has experienced their fair share of wildres. The Mount McAllister re in 2014, for example, came within 60 metres of their house, and planning was quick and frantic. “The McAllister re came upon us a lot faster simply because it actually started here in the valley, just a few miles from our place,” Watson says. “There wasn't certainly as much warning with that one. It was a little more urgent of a situation, so basically then I ran downtown to get some supplies, came back, and the RCMP had the road blocked.” Despite being urged to evacuate, Watson was allowed back onto the ranch. “We chose to stay and we felt quite condent that our lives weren’t in imminent danger, and we just couldn't see walking away and leaving the place,” Watson says. During their experience this summer with the Battleship Mountain re, Watson notes that the lines of communication were far superior than during the McAllister re. “We got daily updates from our district, from our mayor. He sent out emails and I'm sure he was getting his information from BC Wildre [Service],” Watson says. With the ranch based just 3.5 km north of Hudson’s Hope, the family received an evacuation order from the Peace Regional District on September 10. At its peak, the furthest-reaching east ank of the re burned about 4 km from the W.A.C. Bennett Dam and 8 km from the District of Hudson’s Hope. With this advanced information, the family could prepare for worst-case scenarios. “We had our tractor and disc hooked up and ready to go. So, we were just kind of monitoring the situation,” Watson says. With 150 head of cattle and 70 horses to care for and the equipment to manage some re risks, the Watsons chose to stay on the ranch. The close ties and collaboration between the rancher liaisons, producers and BC Wildre Service meant that the Watson family did not face scrutiny for their decision to remain on the ranch. “We appreciated the fact that we were allowed to stay put and not to be harassed, not be intimidated at all,” Watson says. “I think they did an excellent job.” Familiar face Lone Prairie rancher Warren Fowler acted as the rancher liaison between Peace region producers and the BC Wildre Service. He also provided the family with daily updates. “The position that they gave Warren, the liaison between forestry and ranchers, I think that worked extremely well,” Watson says, “because it's kind of a familiar face showing up and keeping See WILDFIRE on next page oFOLLOW USLIKE US@countrylifeinbc
34 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCWILDFIRE updates timely nfrom page 33Burns appreciated being welcomed as part of the BC Wildre Service team right away and the willingness to get information out to ranchers as conditions changed. Fowler and Burns t into operations seamlessly, says Shannon Street, information ocer with BC Wildre Service incident management team No. 3. “They were both absolutely fantastic to work [with],” Street says. “Having that local connection to be able to tell us, you know, who's around, what kind of cattle are out there, who’s potentially impacted. They were valuable resources for us.” While most of the 44 rancher liaisons for this year have some experience in emergency management, program manager and Cache Creek rancher Norene Parke developed a protocol manual for all liaisons, so everyone was prepared heading into their roles this year. Parke has heard a lot of positive feedback from ranchers, but she is already looking to improve response during next year’s wildre season. “We're going to sit down as a group – the team from this year – and look at what worked well, what we could do better, ideas for moving forward and how to enhance the manual,” says Parke, who has 28 years of experience in BC emergency health services. “So, we'll put great minds together and move forward for next year.” Overall, the cooperation between ranchers on the ground and the BC Wildre Service gave producers overall peace of mind. “I do believe the Rancher Liaison Program relieved the frustrations of past years of agricultural folks aected by wildre; trying to get localized real-time information to plan their response and obtain permits to access range tenures,” Burns says, who ranches just south of Wardner and has long served in search and rescue operations and 18 years in the RCMP as a dog handler. Watson agrees. “I think that the lines of communication were certainly wide open this year, and I think you can never go wrong with that,” Watson says. Government extends extreme weather support In September, the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food announced the second intake of funding through the $1.5 million Extreme Weather Preparedness for Agriculture program. The application period closed on October 25 but was designed to allow eligible farmers to access up to $35,000 in cost-shared funding to improve operation resiliency to wildres, ooding and extreme heat. In the rst intake this summer, the province approved 50 applications and doled out $440,000 in project funding. “Preparation is the best defence to an emergency, and I encourage BC farmers and ranchers to improve their resiliency to wildres, ooding and extreme heat events by applying for funding through the Extreme Weather Preparedness for Agriculture program,” says BC agriculture minister Lana Popham. “The program supports projects like retrotting farm buildings for wildre preparedness, assisting ood resilient feed storage and improving barn cooling systems, all of which increase farm and ranch safety and strengthen their business models, as well as contributing to our ongoing eorts to support food security and the food economy in British Columbia.” —Kate Ayerstabs on you.” While the area covered by the evacuation order included 2,700 beef cattle, 640 bison, 370 poultry and less than 200 horses, goats and sheep and other animals, the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food did not receive any direct requests for assistance with livestock relocation. Ranchers’ response to the Rancher Liaison Program has been positive and they are grateful to be in the loop during such critical situations, Fowler says, who worked for the BC Wildre Service for 25 years. “The ranchers themselves were extremely pleased to get information, which was their complaint in previous instances. They were never informed properly and didn't know what was going on and often the rst thing they saw was somebody in uniform telling them they had to evacuate,” he says. “I gave them the contact information for myself as well as the wildre service and that made it better for them if they had questions about what was going on.” During the Battleship Mountain Fire, incident management team members travelled with Fowler for a day to get to know some of the producers in the area and see how they were doing. “I was quite impressed with the fact that they wanted to know what the producers were thinking and feeling. I think it was pretty successful,” Fowler says. “The producers of this program are learning that they can work with government. … I think that was just a big step because before it was an us-against-them sort of thing. I think this helps to dispel that feeling.” Valuable resources As rancher liaison for the Connell Ridge Complex re in the East Kootenays, Gord Give a gift SUBSCRIPTION toCountry Life inBCthegiftthat givesall year
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 35Retail partnerships add value to small farms’ productionSupermarket brands can showcase new local productsCherry grower Danny Turner turned cull cherries into juice and a brand that his local retailers have embraced. There’s lots of potential for farmers who go the value-added route, he says. SUBMITTEDProudly offering quality farm equipment and wholesale farm product delivery across BC.Call, email or visit us onlineinfo@reimersfarmservice.com855.737.0110reimersfarmservice.comCheck out our Einbock Tillage Equipment For Organic FarmingTine Weeders t3PX$SPQ$VMUJWBUPSTr3PUBSZ)PFT $BNFSB(VJEBODF4ZTUFNAND On In StockAEROSTAR Tine WeedersDELTA Drain Tile Cleaner *NQSPWFT%SBJOBHFr$POEJUJPOT4PJMr&DPOPNJDBM 3FMJBCMFr-PX.BJOUFOBODFr4BGFBOE1SPWFOSPECIAL PRICING On In Stock meadowvalleymeats.com 1.800.665.9731 TRACEY FREDRICKSON CRESTON – Danny Turner is an experienced organic cherry grower who operates Just-a-Mere Farm in Creston. Through his rm, Kootenay Peaks Advisory, he is also delivery executive for Basin Business Advisors, an advisory service for businesses in all sectors in the Columbia Basin region funded by Columbia Basin Trust. In his opening presentation to the 2022 Basin Business Food Expo, October 4, Turner shared his personal story on how small-scale farms can move beyond production to increase the value of their local food. The shift for Turner took place eight years ago when he found himself wondering what to do with a large number of cherries that had rotted, split or were too small to put on the market. He connected with Remo Trovato of Okanagan Mobile Juicing in Kelowna, and after three days of processing his cherries into a sweet mix of mash and juice, he knew he was onto something. “I could see so many options as to what I could do with those cherries,” Turner recalls. He started making three-litre bag-in-box juice for Ferraro Foods in Rossland, Pealow’s Independent Foods in Creston and the Kootenay Co-op in Nelson. “These stores provided incredible exposure by displaying our products, often next to national brands,” says Turner. Soon his juice was going to market in glass bottles and professionally labelled with the Just-a-Mere Farm name. The farm now produces 12 juice products made from apples and cherries as well as dried apple and cherry chips. “Value-added is when you take a raw product and make it more valuable,” he says. “By doing this, you can increase your price, increase the volume you sell, and increase the size of the market into which you are selling. Primary food producers have an opportunity to increase the value of their local food products by entering the on-farm or small-scale processing sector.” To be successful, Turner adds, new processors need the support of local retailers and restaurants to list and promote their products to consumers. “Value-add won’t work if you don’t have both parties at the table.” National brands that are “imported” into a region may be available at a lower price than local products due to scale of production. “While small-scale processors cannot compete with these manufacturers on price, we can compete on quality,” Turner says. “But it’s not as simple as just switching local products for imports – large retailers think long-term and have marketing spends in place. We need retailers to advocate for our products to gradually shift the ow from imports to local products.” Brian Pealow, who moved to Creston in 2017 and became owner of Pealow’s Independent Grocer, is a hero in this regard. Your Independent Grocer is a brand owned by a division of Loblaw Companies, Canada’s largest grocer. Pealow has used the strength of that brand and his discretion as manager to highlight Just-a-Mere’s products. “He uses the power of Loblaws to help a new local processor build product,” Turner explains. “The processor can leverage promotions, seasonality and store marketing to – in partnership with the store – build sustainable demand. When I realized how this worked, I could determine exactly how much product I needed to produce and when I needed it.” Since the days when Turner helped pioneer bag-in-box juice in the Kootenays, Just-a-Mere and other Kootenay farms have started producing a wide range of value-added products, from jams and jellies to sauces, seasonings, salad kits, fruit leather and beef jerky. “At the start, you have to be okay with making less money,” says Turner. “There will be products that are thrown away, lower margins and transaction costs. But eventually this creates a foundation for setting realistic targets and sales around import substitution.”
36 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCProud of our roots since 1928Customer Serviceorder@norseco.com 514 332-2275 | 800 561-9693 450 682-4959 | 800 567-4594Our Team of ExpertsBen Yurkiw British Columbiaben.yurkiw@norseco.com 604 830-9295Martin Deslauriers Sales Managermartin.deslauriers@norseco.com 438 989-4863Genetic barcoding and next-generation sequencing (NGS) are helping Kwantlen Polytechnic University undergraduate student Erick Samera track down microbes responsible for methane production in cattle, helping farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions “By collecting millions of sequences from DNA in the cow rumen, we can identify all the species of bacteria, archaea and fungi that are present in the rumen,” Samera says. “In particular, we are interested in how diet aects a type of archaea called methanogens.” Methanogens, as the name implies, generate methane. But how much they produce depends on a cow’s rations. “We are using this to try and understand how the cow’s diet aects the population of these microorganisms in the rumen,” Samera explains. Samera ran this sequencing process for a variety of nishing diets. The project began in the summer and data collection and analysis are ongoing. The work is as part of a larger project at KPU’s Applied Genomics Centre in Surrey that focuses on producing alternative feedstock for beef cattle that could lower animal methane output. Researchers can complete these advanced studies and research thanks to the lab’s unique equipment, which was purchased expressly for community-oriented research. With these technologies and highly specialized machines, Samera is sequencing all the DNA found in the rumen. “Genetic barcoding is a way to identify an organism’s species by reading a short sequence of their DNA, much like how a grocery store scans barcodes to identify products at the register,” Samera says. “Where traditional techniques can only perform that sequencing reaction on one DNA sample at a time, next-generation sequencing allows for millions of sequencing reactions to occur simultaneously.” The high-throughput genetic barcoding and NGS broadens the scope of data the team can process, which bolsters and accelerates their research. “In clinical work, for example, instead of sequencing just one gene, NGS can be used to sequence every human gene in a single run – all 20,000 of them,” Samera says. Since its inception in January 2019, the AGC strives to use genomic tools and resources to nd solutions for the agricultural industry, says centre director Paul Adams. “We go out to dierent companies, even some provincial organizations and federal government organizations working in agriculture, and identify concerns, issues or challenges that they might be facing in agriculture,” he says. “[We] then gure out if there's ways in which our tools and our expertise in genomics might be able to help solve some of those problems through research and development projects.” In addition to sequencing cattle microbiomes, genetic barcoding can be used to identify pathogenic or invasive species or make connections between clinical symptoms and infections in livestock. Samera is grateful for the direct training and mentorship by faculty members and lab sta that the research opportunity oered. “Working at the Applied Genomics Centre at KPU has been a really pivotal part of my undergraduate career. The experienced faculty and sta, as well as my peers, provide an encouraging environment to challenge myself and improve my skills,” he says. “It has also exposed me to a variety of areas of research, particularly here in BC. … Our research projects don’t just contribute to scientic knowledge; they contribute to the community.” Samera credits lab and faculty collaboration for his positive experience. “Across each step of the project – from collecting samples to computational analysis – each member of the team has had a pivotal role to play and knowledge to contribute from their own experience,” he says. “This kind of work wouldn’t be possible without everyone’s collective expertise. Although I hope to apply this experience more directly to my future career in research, there are many skills I have developed from this project that easily apply to my academic career and beyond.” He hopes that his research acts as a foundation for future students to build o of and study ever-expanding datasets in genomics research. “As an applied research lab, we put a lot of focus on developing tools and techniques that will be eective in the eld,” Samera says. “Directly, the protocols and workows that I’ve helped develop will be immediately applicable to every metagenomics research project we currently have, and the ones we will take on in the future.” Metagenomics is often used to study a specic community of microorganisms taken from an environmental sample. On graduation, Samera wants to pursue more research in this area. “I look forward to more opportunities in genomics and microbial research at a graduate level. In addition to contributing to the scientic community, I hope that my future research can be applied directly in the eld,” he says. Researchers barcode bacteria to fight farting cattleKPU research uses advanced tools to address methane emissionsResearch by KATE AYERS
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 37Young butchers make their markBC competitors showcase skills on world stage Taryn Barker was one of two BC competitors at the World Butchers’ Challenge this year. She owns The Little Butcher in Port Moody and is passionate about her trade. RONDA PAYNEKATE AYERS PORT MOODY – Taryn Barker and Ronnie Keely were two BC representatives on Canada’s rst-ever team in the World Butchers’ Challenge this year. Their experiences have inspired each of them to improve professional development opportunities in the province for those new to the sector. Barker of The Little Butcher in Port Moody had nothing but positive reviews of the competition, which took place in Sacramento, September 3. Barker’s career started in high school with a customer service job at George’s, a local butcher shop in Langley. “I worked there for about seven years. I was managing, scheduling and cutting a little bit of meat but not a lot,” Barker says. “My then-boss wanted to open another store and he just asked if I would be interested.” Following six years of co-ownership, she obtained 100% of the business, rebranded and moved the shop to Newport Village in Port Moody. Now 33, Barker has owned The Little Butcher for 10 years. The opportunity to own a butcher shop came up before she was able to go to school for formal training. However, Barker is enrolled in the Industry Training Authority’s meatcutter apprenticeship program, oered in partnership with Thompson Rivers University, with a view to becoming a certied meatcutter in the new year. Up until now she has learned to do by doing through the help of her past employer and textbook study. In 2018, keen to expand her repertoire, Barker travelled to New Zealand to participate in a butcher competition. “Their butchering is way more advanced – just the courses, the competition, like everything around butchery – they just have a lot more education and things going on for it,” Barker says. About ve months after she returned to BC, Barker saw posts on Instagram about Canada’s budding butcher team. She then sent an application to Peter Baarda, the team’s captain. After completing 12 assignments over three months and submitting photos and have enough butchers nor cut-and-wrap facilities, he adds. “Not a week goes by where I don't get approached by some area of BC looking for more avenues for training meat cutters. We have a huge shortage,” Davison says. “Small-scale farming has videos of her creations, in 2019 Barker was chosen to be one of eight team members. The team was supposed to compete in 2020 but the pandemic delayed the event until this September. During the competition, each team had three and a half hours to transform a side of beef, side of pork, whole lamb and ve chickens into a butcher’s case display. The Canadian team had two breakers, two trimmers and two nishers. “I was one of two nishers, … so we were doing all the garnishes, all the seasonings, getting all the marinades ready, cutting vegetables,” Barker says. “Then we were stung, tying and plating the meat and putting it out on the table for display.” The solo Butcher Apprentice and Young Butcher competitions were also part of the program. Passion for meat-cutting Ronnie Keely of family-owned Kam Lake-View Meats Ltd. in Cherry Creek was one of two Canadians to participate in the Young Butcher Challenge. For this category, the 14 competitors had two and half hours to display a beef top sirloin, half a lamb, two chickens and pork loin with a belly attached, complete with garnishes, labels and cooking instructions. Keely knew his assignment inside and out and credits his skills and passion for meat cutting to being surrounded by the craft all his life. “I just kind of grew up working here, [but] I never actually planned on being a butcher. I wanted to be more into the culinary aspect of it,” Keely says. “So, I went and took every course I could in cooking and then last-minute decided to go into the Retail Meat Processing program at TRU and ever since then, haven't really looked back.” Since graduating from Thompson Rivers University in 2009, he has worked full time at his family’s business. He heard about the World Butchers’ Challenge at a BC Meats meeting when he ran into one of his university instructors. About 15 students enter TRU’s Retail Meat Processing program each year, says the program’s assistant teaching professor Corey Davison. Despite over 90% of graduates staying to work in BC, the province does not See MEAT on next page oHIGH EFFICIENCY. HIGH ACREAGE. HIGH YIELDS. 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38 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCMEAT nfrom pg 37MFG OF MINI SKID STEERS AND A VARIETY OF ATTACHMENTS INCLUDING: BRUSH MULCHERSPTO POWER PACKS | FLAIL MOWERS | ROTARY BRUSH CUTTERS | PTO GENERATORSTREE PULLERS | FELLER BUNCHERS | EXCAVATOR ADAPTERS | SCREW SPLITTERS | STUMP GRINDERSAUGER DRIVES | DRAINAGE PLOWS | TREE SPADES | TREE SAWS & SHEARS | BOOM MOWERS | TRENCHERSBAUMALIGHT.COMAdair Sales & Marketing Company Inc.306-773-0996 | info@adairreps.comPTO GENERATORSPRE-ORDER YOUR BAUMALIGHTGENERATOR NOW FOR DELIVERY IN8 WEEKS AND GET AN 8% DISCOUNT.quite a demand for meat cutters and a lot of the older generations have retired and they're having trouble getting someone young to sort of get in there and take over the reins. To sustain the local food movement, it's pretty vital that we keep producing [butchers] in BC so we can keep BC-raised product on BC tables.” Competitions and screen time could help attract and retain workers in this trade, Davison says. “I think capitalizing on sort of the sexiness of the food networks that’s been accomplished with the culinary world,” he says. “I think there's a lot of misconception about this trade. That it’s like a dirty, bloody, messy job. Yes, the abattoir is one side, but the polished craftsmanship to take an animal and display it in a high-level butchery and make sausages and charcuterie, that is quite a skill.” Barker and Keely were blown away by the skills, styles and expertise of their teammates and competitors. Keely hopes that through his participation and experiences, he can encourage more people to enter the trade. Barker agrees. “We don't have a lot of that in BC,” she says of programs and supports for butchers. “So, I really hope we can kind of grow that and push that because we need people to work and you want something exciting for them to look forward to and things that are intriguing.” My nerves are shot. I was diagnosed by a customer. She marched right up to me at market the other day and said, “I’m a seer and I can tell your nerves are shot, but you’re okay, right?” The following emotions and reections ashed though my mind before I forced a smile and tried to upsell her carrots: who says things like that? I am perfectly ne; I might not be okay; got it in one, missy; my nerves are totally shot; I’m always tired at this time of year, but this is on another level. They are this way because this season has been so darned touchy and continues to be so. The weather provides a background of uncertainty, and so does all the ddling I am doing with the business model. The underwhelming Sieglinde crop adds a layer of let-down, and feelings of market performance anxiety are bubbling up. Remarkably enough, I consider it a successful season. No way to achieve that without straining something – the nerves, in this case. The weather seems to range from awful to interesting, and it’s unsettling. Something always seems to be happening that is unseasonable, unprecedented, unexpected, extreme, not enough, too much, and/or over the top. Ironically, today’s weather may possibly be conforming with the climatical norms typical of early winter in this region, but I am not nding it relaxing. Climate conformity is no longer normal and the whole thing is making me nervous. What on earth is going to happen next, how will it impact our farming, and will we make successful adjustments? It’s no secret that I have been playing with revenue streams over the past couple of years and now we’ve reached peak change: no big city markets till the winter markets begin. While it is nancially more comfortable (and some would say sensible) to make revenue as early as possible, I have decided we will make most of our revenue as late as possible, saving the summer for on-farm farming and the odd day o. With my plan fully activated, we did just that and more. For the most part, we never got too behind on the farming. Not only that, we had the luxury of easing up on productivity during hot summer afternoons. There was no pressure to dig potatoes before they were ready just to get to market and then sell them in the searing city heat. I attended our local market 15 minutes down the road and avoided the ridiculous summer weekend trac on the highway. I swam in alpine lakes. Turns out I need nerves of steel to deal with the consequences of having a tolerably enjoyable summer. We are now at the pointy end of the season, and this had better work. Now we need to pay for the new clutch in the middle tractor, a new front end in the little truck, all that expensive fuel, the new irrigation pump and motor, the restock of shipping boxes, and all the labour we used on the extra big carrot crop. Nerves are on edge. Furthermore, uncharacteristically, and despite the delightful autumn heat dome, we nd ourselves doing just-in-time farming. We planted garlic on literally the last day of the year that it was possible to do so. We got the irrigation winterized minutes ahead of the freeze and the valuable and vulnerable equipment went under cover as the rst winter storm broke out. The big rotavator clutch failed or we would have had the fall eld prep done at the last minute, too – instead, it just isn’t done. So, the customer is right. My nerves are shot. I like the expression, though, so will likely pull through. Anna Helmer farms in Pemberton and never misses a beat unless it’s necessary or unintentional. Shot nerves are the price of success this yearFarm Story by ANNA HELMER
A three-year project that reduced post-harvest irrigation in cherry orchards by as much as 50% has shown no negative impacts to trees or their fruit. MYRNA STARK LEADERCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022 | 39Reduced water use doesn’t hurt cherriesUBC Okanagan research points way to less irrigationHAPPY HOLIDAYS!from 4-H British Columbia@4HBritishColumbia@4HBritishColumbia@Official4HBCTOM WALKER KELOWNA – BC cherry growers may be able to cut back on their irrigation after harvest by as much as 50%, with no impacts to the trees or fruit quality, thanks to research at UBC Okanagan. “This postharvest decit irrigation (PDI) study has been a three-year project,” says UBC biology professor emeritus Louise Nelson, who introduced the two biology grad students who conducted the study at a eld day in Kelowna in early September Kirsten Bevandick and Elizabeth Houghton researched the eects of reducing irrigation after fruit harvest in ve commercial sweet cherry orchards during the 2019, 2020 and 2021 growing seasons. The orchards were located in Summerland, Kelowna and Lavington at sites ranging in elevation from 415 to 755 metres. All were planted with the Sweetheart variety on Mazzard rootstock between 2006 and 2013. “This study builds on earlier research investigating PDI in sweet cherry in the Okanagan and other semi-arid fruit growing regions, such as the Mediterranean,” notes Bevandick. The study aimed to determine the eects that 25% and 50% reductions in post-harvest irrigation would have on the trees, and determine the costs and benets of adopting PDI in Okanagan cherry orchards. A range of factors were tested in order to determine impact on the trees. “We measured plant water stress, photosynthesis, fruit yield and quality, tree growth, spring ower bud phenology, ower bud cold hardiness and soil moisture and gas exchange,” explains Bevandick. The trees did just ne, based on the results of testing in the years following the post-harvest water reduction. The fruit didn’t suer either, measuring up at harvest and after six weeks in storage. “The reduction of either 25% or 50% had no eect on preharvest plant water stress and photosynthesis the season following the PDI application,” Bevandick explains. “There was also no eect on tree growth, fruit yield and fruit quality, nor on ower bud spring phenology or cold hardiness.” Growers are able to reduce irrigation amounts after harvest with no eect on tree health and yield, Bevandick says. “And interestingly, we believe that growers may be watering more than they need to across the entire season,” she says. Lower minimums Current cherry watering practices are well within the estimates of the BC Agriculture Water Calculator, Bevandick notes, but further research could identify lower minimums than those currently in place. The research team determined that reducing post-harvest irrigation by 50% saved an estimated 643,000 litres of water per hectare compared to full irrigation for both 2020 and 2021 at all sites. That’s not a huge nancial incentive if you belong to an irrigation district, notes Bevandick, but it’s signicant for growers with their own water licence. “If you are setting up your own irrigation system, this data can help you determine what capacity you need,” Bevendick says. Growers at risk of running out of water will also be able to understand how much water stress a tree can take. There are societal benets as well, as water demand from all users is expected to increase in the Okanagan due to climate change. Climate change has also given Okanagan cherry growers the condence to expand orchards to higher elevations within the valley and more northerly locations. The study included a Carcajou Fruit Co. planting at 750 metres while Coral Beach Farms Ltd. has the most northerly cherry orchard in North America at Pritchard along the South Thompson River. “As the industry has expanded into more extreme growing sites, there is an increased risk of greater weather variability and extremes,” explains Elizabeth Houghton. One of Houghton’s contributions to the PDI study was to determine how the reduction of water aected ower bud hardiness. “Flower bud damage can reduce both fruit yield and quality,” she says. “So it was important to determine if the reduction in irrigation impacted bud hardiness.” Houghton’s work determined that there was no eect on bud hardiness and the data she collected has been turned into an open-source predictive model available to growers this fall for both Sweetheart and Lapin varieties. “The model will give you real-time estimates of the fruit bud’s ability to withstand cold temperatures throughout the winter,” she says.
Thousands of BC farmers and ranchers turn to Country Life in BC every month to nd out what (and who!) is making news in BC agriculture and how it may affect their farms and agri-businesses! 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/subscribe40 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCPlease send a _______ year gift subscription to _______________________________________________ Farm Name ____________________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________________ City _________________________________________________ Postal Code ________ _______________ Phone _________________________ Email ________________________________________________ Kenneth explores the old Corbett farm When we left off last time, Kenneth was following fast-talking realtor Gordon Sayles – Sales sells fast – back to his office to sign “one sweet deal” for the old Corbett farm. Rural Redemption, Part 153, continues ... Kenneth Henderson followed Gordon Sayles to the real estate office in town. The sales agreement was signed, and the legal process was set in motion. Gordon Sayles hung a sold sign right under the Sayles Sells Fast part of the For Sale sign less than two hours after he put it up. Old Jimmy Vincent took it all in on his way to the store. Junkyard Frank was still sitting at the coffee club table when he arrived. “Morning, Jimmy. I ‘spose you noticed Corbett’s old place is up for sale?” “I don’t think so,” said Jimmy. “I know so!” declared Frank, “Saw the sign with my own eyes not more than a half- hour ago.” “You sure?” “I’d bet money on it.” “Now you’re talkin’,” said Jimmy. “Do you think you could afford the price of a cup of coffee?” “You’re on.” “And you’re paying then. It might have been for sale a half-an-hour ago, but a lot can happen in half an hour. I just passed there and there’s somebody hanging a sold sign on it already.” Frank expressed his surprise in words that didn’t suit Lois. She reminded him of the store rules about cussing or taking the Lord’s name in vain. Frank said he was sorry; it was just because he was surprised and that he figured it might have been Henderson that bought it because he lit out like a scalded cat as soon as he got wind of it being for sale. Jimmy said it seemed about right. Lois said they shouldn’t be jumping to any conclusions. But truth be known, they’d already made the leap. vvv Kenneth asked for a house key, but Sayles told him that wouldn’t happen until the sale was finalized, probably in a week. Kenneth asked if he could take a look around the outbuildings and fields. Sayles told him to fill his boots. Kenneth walked a couple of laps around the house then turned his attention to the barn. It was an odd structure but in better shape than it seemed from outside. There was even a concrete floor and a hayloft more than ten feet above. There was a ladder leaning up into a hole in the loft floor. He climbed it cautiously, until he ran out of rungs and the top half of him was through the hole. He stood for several seconds while his eyes adjusted to the darkness. There were a few bales of very old hay and random heaps of who knows what. There were cobwebs everywhere. He pulled out his cellphone and tapped it into flashlight mode. He held it above his head and twisted to see just what treasures came with the bargain. As he turned, all of his weight shifted to one side and the ladder twisted with him. One side-rail lifted off the ground and the other started sliding across the barn floor. Kenneth felt it sliding out from under him and lunged for one of the hay bales. He managed to fold himself over the edge of the loft and get hold of a bale string with his right hand and a crevice in the floorboards with the fingertips of his left. The ladder clattered onto the barn floor below. After 30 seconds of desperate writhing and pulling, he was laying face down on the loft floor. Somehow, in all the excitement, his cellphone had pulled a disappearing act. He got to his knees and began groping for it. He went over every inch within arms reach three times over then began crawling farther afield. Using the hole in the loft floor as a reference, he envisioned a grid and began a methodical pat down of the loft. After 20 minutes, he was in the middle of it, cursing the stupid ladder and the particular idiot who must have put it there. As luck would have it, Delta called, and the phone started ringing. As fate would have it, the stupid phone was somewhere far below, cozied up with the stupid ladder. By the time Kenneth scrambled to the hole, the phone stopped ringing. He couldn’t see it at first but two minutes later it started to ring again. He took a step back, peered through the hole obliquely, and spotted it, face down between the ladder rungs, several feet to the side. The only escape from the hole would require a ten-foot free-fall onto the stupid ladder and concrete floor. He began fumbling through the gloomy loft hoping to find some means of escape. A ladder perhaps? Or a length of rope? Alas, no such salvation was at hand. There was an assortment of sheet metal poultry appliances he didn’t recognize, and sundry bits of agricultural paraphernalia that had lain undisturbed since Diefenbaker was prime minister. Eventually, he came across the loft door on the end wall. He lifted the wooden latch and gave it a tentative push. It creaked open six inches. Kenneth found if he pushed hard enough, it would open a foot but as soon as he let go some unseen hand would return it back to six inches. He considered leaning into it with his full weight but realized if it opened suddenly he would probably land head-first in the blackberry jungle below. All the while the phone rang reliably at a 10-minute interval. Kenneth pushed the door open as far as he could and started calling for help. Half a mile away, as the crow flies, Lorne and May Davis were relaxing on their deck with their dog Oscar at their feet. Oscar sat up suddenly. His ears were perked, and he stared intently into the woods. May wondered why. Lorne figured he heard something out in the woods, a racoon maybe. Oscar laid back down, but he was back up a minute later. “Something out there’s got his attention,” said May. “You don’t think it might be that joker in the beaver pond again, do you?” Lorne chuckled. “I doubt we’ll see any more of Mr. Henderson. I don’t hear anything. Oscar’s probably dreaming about being a pup again.” The house phone rang and Lorne went in to answer it. He called out to May and said it was for her. When they came back out 10 minutes later, Oscar was gone. Oscar was no spring chicken, but he was still a good listener. By the time he was at the beaver pond, the faint calls he could barely hear back at his house had become distinct. He followed them right into the barn at the old Corbett place. “Halloo, who’s there?” said Kenneth. “Woof!” said Oscar, “Woof, woof, woof!” ... to be continued Woodshed Chronicles by BOB COLLINS
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022| 41The Donaldson clan of Bradner Farms in Abbotsford marked a century of farming this year. SUBMITTEDFamily farm finds new markets by diversificationBradner Farms in operation for over 100 yearsKATE AYERS ABBOTSFORD – Bradner Farms in the Fraser Valley has been operating under the skillful, innovative and knowledgeable management of the Donaldson family since 1912. This multi-generational commitment to food production resulted in the family’s recent receipt of a Century Farm Award. Fourth-generation farm owner Sarah Yoder expresses pride in her family’s legacy and resilience through 100 years of farming. Also, she enjoys being able to work alongside her family while “providing quality products for other families,” Yoder says. In 1902, Caleb and Winifred Manuel travelled from Newfoundland by train. The couple settled in Bradner, where they cleared the land and built a farmhouse. In 1912, they began farming daodils, poultry and dairy. Caleb and Winifred’s son Buller Manuel took over farm operations in 1953. When he passed in 1976, his will left the farm to his daughter Muriel Joy and her husband Robert Flett Donaldson. The couple moved into the original farmhouse and added beef cattle to the operation. Their son Robert Allan Donaldson bought the farm in 1984 and he expanded into the organic market. The farm began producing organic milk and poultry in 2000, and in 2002 built an organic feed mill to supply themselves and other BC producers with organic feed. Specialty poultry were a natural diversication, with Bradner Farms raising pigeons, silkies, Taiwanese chickens and gamebirds, including quail and partridge. Today, Bradner Farms Hatchery supplies the Asian specialty market with Taiwanese and silky birds and specialty chicks to BC producers. While continuously growing their farm, Robert and his wife Patricia grew their family with four children. The couple’s children, Sarah Yoder, Pamela Krause and Robert Donaldson Jr. continue to operate the farm as the fourth generation. The family is also busy raising the fth generation. Indeed, the family’s foresight allowed them to establish the Bradner Farms brand in markets that were not fullled at the time, including organic, South Asian and East Asian food markets. In the long run, the farm’s diversication has allowed all family members to remain on the farm, each with involvement in the various enterprises. The siblings have further grown the farm to include robotics, organic beef cattle, water bualo, and grain crops. In Bradner, Yoder and her husband Bud milk about 100 cows under Golden Gate Farms. The farm has a robotic milker, which they added in 2015. The couple are also involved in the water bualo operation, specialty hatching egg operations, the organic feed mill, Bradner Farms Organic Chicken Co. and Bradner Farms Hatchery. In Ashcroft, Robert Jr. and Torrie Donaldson milk about 500 cows in a carousel and grow crops under Bradner R Farms. Also in Ashcroft, Pamela Krause and her husband Jordan have a cow-calf and nishing operation under Bradner Farms Cattle Co., are partners in Bradner Farms Hatchery and Bradner Farms Organic Chicken Co., are specialty and mainstream hatching egg producers, do beef custom feeding under Semlin Valley Ranch and grow onions and potatoes for BC Fresh. “We just thought it was an ideal climate for growing quality feed and raising our livestock,” Krause says. The relocation from Bradner to Ashcroft enabled the family to grow from 20 cow-calf pairs to about 600, she adds. “I think the biggest thing is we were so landlocked down here in Abbotsford, and up there, there was so much untouched land, and it was all irrigated,” Yoder says. “So it was the only opportunity really that we could … expand.” J.R. (Tim) Armstrong Memorial Bursary for Students in Agriculture or Journalism ProgramsApplication Deadline:December 31, 2022The Tim Armstrong Memorial Bursary is open to British Columbian students who are enrolled in their second year or higher of a full-time agriculture or journalism program at a university, institute or regional college in Canada.www.bcfwa.ca/bursary--links.htmlContact: Ronda Payne, Scholarship Chairronda.eyben@shaw.caThe family can now grow their own feed for the cattle and graze the animals all summer long. In 2018, the family added water bualo to Yoder’s enterprise at Golden Gate Farms. “We saw a demand for this special type of milk, mostly with the East Indian population in British Columbia,” Yoder says. “It's very good for making bualo mozzarella. Most retailers are importing it from Italy. So, we thought if we could build that domestically, we could establish that market.” Today, in addition to the immediate Donaldson family, the farm employs between 80 and 100 sta who help the family with daily operations. “We’re large scale, but we're family run,” Yoder says. “Everything from the day-to-day farming, to the production planning, to the sales and marketing, it’s all done with help of employees but specically by the family directly, which I think is kind of a special thing.” Yoder also credits the family’s reputation and devoted customer base to the farm’s long-standing history, quality control through vertical integration and Robert Allan’s mentorship, innovation and kindness. Robert Allan passed on August 11. Fortunately, he was able to see his family accept the Century Farm Award this summer. “He was a mentor, not just to all of his kids and grandkids, but to many in the industry,” Krause says. “He had a passion for the farm but also for his family. So, he showed us how he could balance that with a growing business. … We try and do that the best that we can.” Overall, the Donaldson family continue to exemplify teamwork and their passion for farming. “We’re honoured to be part of what people feed their families,” Krause says. FOLLOW USLIKE US@countrylifeinbc
42 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCDecember is a busy and festive month for most of us, with lots of opportunities to enjoy either small or large gatherings in front of the fire with a selection of appetizers and a beverage. Fancy restaurants and celebrated chefs would serve complex appies that are sure to please, but take hours to prepare. Not all of us have the time or the expertise. But, what’s the bottom line? Eye appeal and flavour seem to me to be top priorities on the list of what you want to achieve by serving snacks to friends or family – or even workmates. With what’s easily available now at the supermarket and the vegetable market, and what you preserved last summer when the basil was full and green, you can pretty easily come up with some simple finger food that’s inspirational. For instance, there are some delicious flatbreads available everywhere you turn now. They have rustic shapes and cook up crisp and crunchy and there’s an endless variety of toppings you can adorn them with. In a pinch, you can substitute tortillas, pita breads or naan bread. (I make pizzas all the time with whole wheat tortillas. Just scale back the amount of topping you use, in consideration of their thin crust.) SMOKED SALMON & CAPERS FLATBREADFestive flatbreads, dips & spreadsStore-bought atbreads can turn into delicious appetizers for holiday parties. JUDIE STEEVESJude’s Kitchen JUDIE STEEVESBelow are a couple of flatbread ideas, and a couple of years ago in this space, I suggested a blueberry and feta flatbread with thyme and rosemary that’s delicious, too. But, if you’re looking for a novel way to serve a dip or a spread, consider lining a small, round bowl with plastic film and packing your shrimp dip, hummus, spinach dip or crab or cheese spread into the bowl. This is perfect for taking as your contribution to a party, because it travels so well. Just tip out the bowl onto a platter or plate, lift up the bowl and carefully peel off the plastic film, leaving a nice, round shape for people to spread or dip into. Use your imagination to garnish it with fresh vegetable sticks in whatever shape you like; fresh chopped herbs to complement the dip; or a scattering of roasted chopped nuts. Scatter a few crackers or pita crisps around the shaped dip or spread and you can invite everyone to dig in. Whatever you make, try to make it easy on yourself by preparing food you can do ahead so you can enjoy the party yourself. Oh, and Happy whatever-you’re-celebrating… Chopped fresh chives Capers Fresh dill, for garnish With a base of cream cheese on the prepared crust, this is an unusual combination of flavours which make music together in your mouth. You may substitute a more expensive cured salmon, like lox or gravlax, for smoked salmon. Prepared flatbread crust Cream cheese Chunks of smoked salmon Sweet onion, chopped • Bake the flatbread crust as instructed on the package, usually in a preheated 425° F oven. Set it on the bottom rack of the oven, without a pan, so the bottom of the crust crisps up, for about 10 minutes. • Remove from the oven and immediately spread with cream cheese and top with the salmon chunks, chopped sweet onion, fresh chives and capers and garnish with fresh bits of dill. • Slicing depends on the shape of your flatbread and whether you want to serve it as a light lunch or as an appetizer.SPINACH & FETA FLATBREADBasil pesto dabs Crumbled feta cheese Tomato dice Minced spicy pepperoni This is quick and simple to prepare and makes a great light lunch or, cut smaller, appetizer-sized pieces to have with a glass of wine or beer. Prepared flatbread crust Handful of fresh spinach leaves Grated Parmesan cheese Grated mozzarella cheese • I use a purchased flatbread crust and lay on all these ingredients in the order listed above. • Bake in a preheated 425° F oven, on the bottom rack, without a pan, so the bottom of the crust crisps up nicely. Remove when bubbly and the bottom is crisp, about 10 minutes, depending on your oven. • Slice as you wish. I use a Chinese meat cleaver to chop it corner to corner, then side to side, and then I cut each of those pieces in half to make thin spears for an appie.Celebrate the holidays in style with delicious appetizers
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2022| 43BOOKYOURMarketplace Adby JUNE 19TRACTORS/EQUIPMENTREAL ESTATEREAL ESTATEFOR SALEFOR SALEHAYBERRIESIRRIGATIONFor 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, wash-down, lazy wells, rain water, truck box, fertizilizer mixing & spraying. 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 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: Coneygeers stock - ewe lambs available. 250-722-1882. NanaimoLIVESTOCKIt’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, BCWANTED: USED JD TRACTORS 60-100 HP JD 115 12’ DISK 6,500 JD 6400 W/CAB&LDR 60,000 JD 1830 W/LDR 16,000 JD 1830 W/LDR 15,000 JD 7200 4WD OPEN STATION PWR QUAD TRANSMISSION CALL JD 1630 W/LDR 16,000 OLIVER 12’ disc 3,750 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 ENDERBYFOR SALE in Osoyoos: 2 electronic cherry PACKING LINES, 1 apple packing line, harvest bins, and other assorted packinghouse equipment. Please contact Tony for more details 250-498-7705Available 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. Dealer for Pierce Pivots, T.L Pivots, lease your new or used pivot, Hose reels, RM, Idrio, diesel pumps, centrifugal, sub-mersible, freq drives, pump stations, 30 years experience. Talk to Brock! 250 319 3044Carrie Nicholson PREC* 250-614-6766 Carrie Nicholson PREC* 250-614-6766 EQUIPMENT DISPERSAL • LOEWEN 422 MIXER WAGON, good condition, $13,500 • LOEWEN SUBSOILER, 2 shank, 3 pt hitch, $2,500 • LOEWEN BOX SCRAPER, 3 pt, with rubber, like new, $800 • LOEWEN AGITATOR 18’, 100 HP prop, nice condition, $2,000 • WINPOWER 30/20 kw pto generator on trailer, exc cond. $3,500 • 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 2X3JANUARY DEADLINE DEC 17DISCOVER PRINCE GEORGE PRINCE GEORGE & AREA SUBDIVISION LOTS: PARADISE ESTATES: R2688574; R2688580; R2688588; R2588581 and more lots available in this sub-division. 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. 56 CITY ACRES Zoned AF, bring your ideas MLS R2716736 $2,599,900 160 ACRES west of PG, Zoned RU3, MLS R27229 $369,000 BUCKHORN LAKE Beautiful 8.5 acres with 2600 sqft log home. MLS R2707052 $740,000 PARADISE FOUND updated log home on 42 acres. $749,900 MLS R2691271 COUNTRY GEM 3 bed/1 bath home of 2.2 acres. R2711734 $379,900 DOME CREEK 160 acres with tons of potential. MLS R2702148 $599,900 SALMON VALLEY 370 acres; 3 titles. 150 ac cleared, MLS R2675843 $599,000 STUNNING MTN RESORT on 82.25 acres, 17 chalets, 50 camps. MLS C8040948 $4,850,000 CATTLE RANCH 1,280 acres; 5 bed/3 bath home. Fenced, outbuild-ings; MLS R2677116 $2,100,000 CONCRETE BUSINESS Robson Valley, MLSC8040939, $759,000 PARADISE IN THE VALLEY 192 acre private estate, custom home, out-buildings to die for. MLS R2720083 $1,450,000 SAXTON LAKE ROAD: R2610535 R2610527; R2610554 and more lots available in this area. CRANBROOK HILL 77 acres w/dev potential minutes from UNBC. MLS R2640598 $1,500,000 HART HWY 54.95 acres. MLS R2640583. $750,000. CLOSE TO THE LAKE 8.3 acres. MLS R2610880 $295,000 74 ACRES w/ 20,000 sq ft bldg., 40 acres cultivated. MLS C8041167 $1,700,000 ESCAPE the city. Two lots in Willow River, 22,500 sq ft. MLS R2591708, $28,900 69+ ACRES ON RIVER Approx 50 acres in hay. River, road access. MLS R2685535 $838,000 55 ACRES Dev potential close to airport. MLS R2707390, $699,000 TREED LOT on edge of the Fraser. MLS R2622560 $250,000 2 LOTS IN ONE PKG! 3.55 acres residential Quesnel R2657274 $289,000 80 ACRES/TIMBER VALUE Zoning allows ag, housing, forestry & more. MLS R2665497 $495,000 15 MINUTES TO PG ~58 acres with timber value. Mostly flat lot with lots of potential. MLS R2665474, $395,000 HWY FRONTAGE 190 acres w/exc potential for subdivision/commercial ventures. MLS R2660646 $799,000 CHIEF LAKE RD 5 acres ready to build. MLS R2715818 $150,000 BRAND NEW! 2022 SR1-built home by owner. 1 bed/1 bath, open floor plan, Whirlpool appliances, soaker tub. $170,000. Buyer to move. 250/832-4729 HUGE POTENTIAL! 64 acres, RR1 zoning, close to amenities. MLS R2736609 $1,200,00 SALMON VALLEY 120 acres 30 min from downtown PG. MLS R2736769 $250,000 42-ACRE PARADISE Updated 3 bed/3bath 3248 sq ft log home, 35 minutes from downtown PG. MLS R2726021 $664,900 WRIGHT CR RD 195 acres undisturbed bare land. MLS R2655719 $699,000 36+ACRES in PG, prime for busi-ness. MLS C8046015 $6,900,000 21 ACRES PG in city limits on Hwy 16, MLS R27163337 $595,000 TABOR 7.61 acres short drive from town. MLS R2716743 $129,900 DOME CREEK 160 acres with tons of potential. MLS R2702148 $579,900by December 17Baler, NEW HOLLAND 2004’ Model 570, $14,000; Tedder, CLAAS 2006’ Model 52T, 17’6” Hyd. Fold, $7,000; Tedder, CASE 2003’ Model IH 8309, 540 PTO, 9’2” Cut, $8,000; Manure Spreader, JOHN DEERE Model 40T, $4,000; Hay BALE SLED, bunches up approx. 40 bales, $2,000; HAY RAKE, 4 wheels, $1,500. Call Shawn (604) 615-3646 DISCOVER PRINCE GEORGEADVERTISING THAT WORKS!4x3 BIG SQUARES, first crop, $250/ton; Round bales, first crop, $90 ea. 250-833-6699; 250-804-6147First cut 3X4 BIG SQUARE bales, various hay, Creston. Call Stewart, 604-308-6222.ROUND BALES good tight, high quality, well-wrapped. $95/bale. Carl 604-825-9108ROUND BALES 1st cut hay, 4x4, 600 lbs. $120 per bale George gfhaack@gmail.comFARM NEWSupdatesto yourinboxSign Up for Free today.
44 | DECEMBER 2022 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCTasks get tough as temperatures drop and winter imposes its demands, from clearing snow to braving the cold. Tackle the season head-on with Kubota’s powerful equipment and attachments to blow and sweep snow from the comfort of a Cold Climate Cab. After all, winter is Kubota season. Visit us ad let us help you get winter ready.GET WINTER READY.PROUD PARTNER OFkubota.ca | OLIVER GERARD’S EQUIPMENT LTD 250/498-2524 PRINCE GEORGE HUBER EQUIPMENT 250/560-5431 SMITHERS HUBER EQUIPMENT 250/847-3610 SURREY DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 604/576-7506 VERNON AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 250/545-3355 ABBOTSFORD AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 604/864-2665 COURTENAY NORTH ISLAND TRACTOR 250/334-0801 CRESTON KEMLEE EQUIPMENT LTD 250/428-2254 DAWSON CREEK DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 250/782-5281 DUNCAN ISLAND TRACTOR & SUPPLY LTD 250/746-1755 KAMLOOPS DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 250/851-2044 KELOWNA AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 250/769-8700 Wishing you the very best of the festive season, and a happy new year.