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Postmaster, Please return Undeliverable labels to: Country Life in BC1 36 Dale Road Enderby, BC V0E 1V4CANADA POSTES POST CANADA Postage paid Port payé Publications Mail Post-Publications 40012122Vol. 110 No.12The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 DECEMBER 2024 | Vol. 110 No. 12FRUIT Court decision a bowl of cherries for Canada 6 WATER Island farmers fish for water solutions 9 DAIRY Demand for milk, lower input costs good for dairy 13 PETER MITHAM VICTORIA – Saanich South MLA and former organic farmer Lana Popham is back as the province’s agriculture minister. She returns to a role from which Eby shued her in December 2022 in favour of Pam Alexis, who lost her seat in October's provincial election. Popham’s eorts to cultivate connections during her rst term as agriculture minister won her friends across the Fraser Valley in the wake of the atmospheric river events that ooded Sumas Prairie in 2021, she also faced criticism from sectors for lacking a grasp on the business side of farming. “We’re excited,” says Casey Pruim, chair of the BC Dairy Association, which recognized Popham’s advocacy of the sector at its industry conference just days before her previous term as minister ended. “She’s super-familiar with the industry and she’s passionate about agriculture.” Production costs, access to water, and emergency preparedness will be on the table as BC Dairy continues ongoing conversations with the new government and a familiar minister. “The big benet of having Minister Popham back is the education is easy – she understands the industry already,” Pruim says. “The sta at the ministry will remain largely the same, so we’ll continue to work on the same projects.” Joining Popham as parliamentary secretary for This pair of Mexican workers was heading home in November after wrapping up fall pruning at a Kelowna orchard. With the 2024 growing season over, many operations are putting plans in place for the 2025 season before taking a well-deserved break over the holidays. | MYRNA STARK LEADERPopham back as ag ministerPETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – A sixth wave of highly pathogenic avian inuenza intensied in November, but response eorts kept pace as the number of infected premises grew. The average time from detection to depopulation at infected premises in November was 2.5 days, which emergency operations sta described as “incredible.” Two Heading homeShort pullet supply uPaton remains uRooted in your community® since 1973www.tlhort.com1-800-661-4559SeedPlant NutritionCrop ProtectionSuppliesServiceAvian flu response keeping paceRecovery time still uncertain for growers
2 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCteams from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency were deployed to the region to oversee depopulation last month, mitigating the risk of suering to the birds and infections at adjacent premises. Provincial funding has also ensured an adequate supply of carbon dioxide, the gas used in depopulation. “[Response time] has improved with the province assisting and sourcing CO2 storage, which helped a lot,” says Mark Siemens, an Abbotsford egg farmer whose premises was infected for the rst time in November. “That’s a big improvement from where we were in the past, but we still have room to grow, for sure, if this is going to continue.” Siemens lost 30,000 layers and 15,000 poults when the disease struck. His farm was one of more than 21 laying operations hit among the 52 premises infected between October 21 and November 22. Commercial farms have dominated the count, with just ve being non-commercial operations. The commercial farms are entirely in the Fraser Valley, home to the province’s largest concentration of poultry operations. While this year is tracking ahead of last year, when 42 premises were infected over the same period, the rapid response eorts and growers’ adherence to biosecurity protocols has helped limit the outbreak. Producer-led surveillance has also helped mitigate the spread of disease. The province’s chief veterinary ocer issued an order on September 17 requiring poultry to be kept indoors to mitigate the risk of infection, and the industry escalated biosecurity to red-level protocols on October 16. Co-mingling of ocks has since been banned, further tightening the controls. Meanwhile, testing of milk as part of the monitoring of dairy herds, which have seen infections in the US. Canadian dairy herds have so far tested negative for the disease, but producers have been arned to be on the lookout for signs of respiratory illnesses. Canada doesn’t currently vaccinate ocks, though the question has regularly come up in online townhall meetings held to address questions and concerns from producers. Two vaccines are currently registered for emergency use in Canada, but no mass vaccination campaign is planned for ocks or other livestock. CFIA veterinary program ocer Mandy Emery says vaccinations primarily benet long-cycle ocks, such as layers. However, a federal task force on poultry vaccines is expected to deliver a detailed cost-benet analysis of vaccinations later this fall that will help determine a path forward. “We want to limit infections to our poultry population,” she assured producers. “We don’t need any more challenges.” “[Vaccines] aren’t a nal u Short pullet supply will be next challenge for egg producersagriculture is Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu, who has been hailed in some quarters as promising a balanced approach to agricultural policy in the new government. Someone able to understand the business side of agriculture and its economic value to the province is a priority of the BC Agriculture Council, which has worked with the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC since 2020 to frame agriculture as an economic powerhouse through its Cultivating Prosperity initiative. “As a major contributor to u Paton remains opposition criticthe provincial economy, the British Columbia agriculture sector has been an important piece of our identity for more than a century," says BCAC president Jennifer Woike. "We look towards a close working relationship where together we enhance the competitiveness and growth of the sector.” Popham’s counterpart in the Opposition benches is Delta South MLA Ian Paton, shadow minister of agriculture for the BC Conservatives. Also of interest to farmers is the appointment of Sunshine Coast MLA Randene Neill to Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, where she'll be solution,” adds Clay Botkin, director of the industry’s emergency operations centre, warning that even vaccinated ocks are vulnerable to break-through cases. “They’re one tool in a complex situation.” The evolving landscape for the disease manifested in two ways in November. Typically caused by the H5N1 virus, one farm was found to be infected with H5N2. Also highly pathogenic, it hasn’t been identied elsewhere and is considered “a unique scenario.” “The H5N2 detection doesn’t mean anything dierent,” Botkin says. “The birds are still getting sick, and they look exactly the same.” A teenager in the Fraser Health region also became the rst known human case from a domestic infection. The youth, who had no international exposure or interaction with farm animals, remained in critical condition at press time. The case underscored the risk to human health, and the importance of poultry workers receiving u shots and taking other precautions. Uncertainty Back on the Siemens farm, uncertainty surrounds the timeline for recovery. “There’s a lot of unknowns as to what my roadmap to repopulation is really going to look like,” he says. The uncertainty is shared by other egg farmers, who have been hit hardest in the current wave of the disease. “When we get hit hard on the layer sector, it does make our recovery longer because the more farms that go down, the harder it gets to nd facilities to get pullets in,” he said. “Oftentimes on a layer farm you have a connected pullet facility, so you lose them all, all at the same time.” While national supply management agreements mean consumers won’t be short eggs, aected farmers will be scrambling for pullets. “Those become a scarce resource rather quickly, and then trying to nd places to raise them, so that does create a big bottleneck for us in terms of recovery,” Siemens says. “The more layer farms are aected, the less ability for farmers to help out their neighbours.” overseeing groundwater licensing. Langford-Juan de Fuca MLA Ravi Parmar will oversee Forests, a role of particular interest to ranchers. While detailed mandate letters have yet to be issued, the new cabinet has been instructed to focus on reducing costs for families, strengthening health care, making communities safer and building a clean economy. The mandate letters are important to BC Fruit Growers Association president Peter Simonsen, who says they'll outline the specic direction for Popham and her ministry in the new government. Agriculture has to ght for priority status within government, he says, and Popham's mandate letter will show where her ministry ts in the new government's agenda. "It all depends on the mandate letter," he says. WEEKLY FARM NEWSUpdatesSign up for FREE today.GD Repair Ltd. 604-807-2391
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 3PETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – High interest rates and tight margins put the brakes on farm equipment sales over the past year, but interest is steady as BC farmers look ahead to 2025. “We’re still quoting, and guys are in here today,” said Joel Venema, sales manager with Handlers Equipment in Abbotsford, on November 21. The positive attitude contrasted with the bearish outlook in Farm Credit Canada’s report on the farm equipment market released earlier in the day. Production of farm equipment in Canada fell 8.7% this year versus last, the report states, while new orders are down 9.2%, suggesting sales will continue to decrease. The declines mirror forecasts at some of the major manufacturers, with John Deere reporting a 16% drop in net sales in the year ended October 27, and a further decline of 10% to 15% next year. CNH Industrial (Case New Holland) reported a 19.5% decline in net sales in the nine months ended September 30, and anticipates a 22% decline for the full year. “Farmers are looking for cost-saving measures, including delaying purchases,” FCC senior economist Leigh Anderson said in comments accompanying FCC’s report. “But as demand slows and prices adjust, there may be opportunities for producers who are looking to invest in new farm equipment.” Compact equipment designed for blueberry elds and smaller acreages are a large part of Handlers’ business, and FCC numbers indicate sales of 100HP tractors and smaller fell 17% this year versus 2023. Meanwhile, sales of 100HP tractors and up were down just 8% while four-wheel drive (4WD) tractors remained above the ve-year average with a drop of just 5%. The declines will slow next year, but only 4WD tractors will see sales remain rmly above the ve-year average. A variety of factors have played into lower demand for smaller equipment. Blueberry growers have been squeezed by lower yields and lower prices, for example, while rising costs have hit smaller, lifestyle growers particularly hard. “I can’t pinpoint it to one thing, but interest rates and the cost of living don’t help,” Venema says. “People have to be willing to take on payments.” And it doesn’t matter if they’re buying new or used. “An older used piece, if it’s not an absolute necessity, guys are holding o,” he said. But four successive rate cuts by the Bank of Canada since June are sending the right message, setting the stage for renewed sales activity in 2025. “The trends to monitor as we go into 2025 are equipment prices, farm revenue, interest rates and the Canadian dollar,” said Anderson. “Lower interest rates combined with strong revenues in select sectors could make it a great time to invest in new equipment as it’s more aordable per acre. But a lower Canadian dollar could increase imported equipment prices.” The loonie has posted a net decline of ve cents versus the US dollar since last December, currently trading in the range of 71 cents. This will boost the price of imported equipment. But with weaker cash ows for various farm sectors in BC, many farmers may opt to make do with what they’ve got. Agriculture and Agri-Food Farm equipment sales down, but not outInterest rate cuts point to stabilization in 2025 Appraisal and Land ConsultingFarm & Rural ResidentialProperties in the Peace Country are our specialty.info@aspengrovepropertyservices.caaspengrovepropertyservices.ca#104, 1001-102 Avenue, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 2B9Anne H. ClaytonMBA, P App AACI, RIAppraiserJudi LeemingBHE, P App CRAAppraiser250.782.1088LANGLEY CHILLIWACK CHEMAINUS KELOWNA rollinsmachinery.com 1-800-665-9060USED TRACTORS NH BOOMER 40 2021, cab, ldr, 120 hrs (U33715) ..................................... 46,000 NH T5070 cab, loader, no bucket, 6,335 hours, 2012 (CNS830)............... 68,000 NEW HOLLAND T3.60F ROPS, 1,200 hours, 2020 ..................................... 39,000 NEW HOLLAND TN60SA super steer, turf tires, 2004 (U40235) ............. 20,000 FORD 7740 cab, 2WD, one owner, 11,300 hrs, new tires, 1992 (U33681). 19,500 FORD 1200, SL ldr, weight block, blade, new turf tires, 1982 (CNS831)...... 12,500 QUALITY USED EQUIPMENT NH 411 DISCBINE 1994, 9’ cutting width (U40272) ................................. 10,500 MCHALE FUSION Vario baler-wrapper, 14,000 bales, spare belt (U32135) ..CALL POETTINGER NOVACAT 301 + A9 triple DMC, rubber roll (U33674, U33675) ........................................................................................... 79,500 SUPREME 500T mixer wagon, good shape, 2017 (U33686)..................... 45,000 NH BC5070 small square baler, 2019, like new [U33470]......................... 42,000 VERMEER TM1400 mower, 18’, 2015 (U33591) .......................................... 37,800 CLAAS VOLTO 1320 T tedder (U33680) ...................................................... 33,000 Canada, which anticipated releasing an outlook for 2025 farm income this past May, has not issued a forecast, complicating the outlook for farmers’ purchase intentions. Speaking on background, one Vancouver Island equipment dealer pointed to high cattle prices being a benet, but constrained slaughter capacity is holding back investment. “If people are nding that it’s too complicated and too frustrating to try and get animals processed, they might just end up not having animals,” the dealer says. “It has a trickle-down eect.” Taylor Korkora, left, and Gabby Gagnon, harvest the last radishes of the 2024 growing season at Wise Earth Farm in Kelowna, prior to putting the two-acre farm to bed for winter. Since taking over the farm in 2022, the Gagnon family-owned operation has expanded production following regenerative practices and extended its season. Hoop houses have enabled the farm to supply fresh produce between April and the end of November to the Kelowna Farmers Market, local restaurants and through a box program to local households. | MYRNA STARK LEADERWinter harvestWEEKLY FARM NEWSUpdatesDirect to your INBOXKLY M WSateso yourINBOX
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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.110 No. 12 . DECEMBER 2024Published monthly by Country Life 2000 Ltd. www.countrylifeinbc.comThe votes have all been cast and counted, re-counted in several instances, and the 2024 BC provincial election is in the books. Having secured 45% of the popular vote and 47 ridings, David Eby and the NDP will form the next government. With 44% of the popular vote and 44 ridings, John Rustad and the Conservative Party of BC are consigned to the role of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. With 8% of the popular vote but only two ridings to show for it, the Green Party is caught in the middle. Unlike in 2017, when they held the balance of power, the Greens are in a quandary because the NDP technically has a majority without them and the Conservatives don’t quite have a majority with them. But perhaps this is putting the cart before the horse. The election was a dead heat, essentially, with no one claiming the support of half the electorate. This means that regardless of who was able to form government, the majority of votes were cast for someone else. We can thank our rst-past-the-post election system for this dilemma, but that horse has been whipped around the track before and seems unlikely to race again any time soon. So, what next? A look at the electoral riding map will quickly reveal the farmer’s and rancher’s old nemesis, the urban-rural divide. Simply put, the majority of NDP ridings are aggregated in and around the population densities of Vancouver and Victoria, and the Conservative ridings cover almost all of the rest of the province. There is support for both parties everywhere, but it is likely fair to assume that, overall, there are two distinct constituencies at loggerheads with one another. The rural (not Vancouver and Vancouver Island) area is not exactly the same divide agriculture runs into regularly. That divide, in fact, can exist just as easily and probably more frequently close to the big population centres. In the big picture, few voters give a hoot about the puzzling mystique of agriculture’s urban-rural divide. At something under 1.5% of the population, agriculture is politically less potent than the local chapter of the Taylor Swift fan club. Which means something else is at play with the provincial political divide. It probably has something to do with lived experience. In a nutshell: someone living a thousand kilometres away from Victoria, unemployed since the sawmill closed, in a house no one wants to buy, watching their neighbours and their home equity fading away, worrying about the day employment insurance payments run out and facing the reality that their uncertain future might well mean relocating to life in a travel trailer far from friends and family (with the unlikely prospect of ever nding a family physician again), doesn’t give a g about Skytrain extensions, billion-dollar sewer plants, weekend ferry line-ups, or promises from politicians who pretend they will somehow make it dierent next time around. The widespread pent-up stress, frustration and anger showed up at the polling booth to clearly delineate the political dichotomy in BC. What does this mean for agriculture? Probably more of the same. Under the circumstances, we can be thankful for the return of Lana Popham as Minister of Agriculture and Food. Ms. Popham has real-life farming experience and political experience as the agriculture minister from 2017 to 2022. We will be spared the usual run-around when someone who readily admits they can’t tell the steers from the heifers gets the job. Ms. Popham should know the issues and players in the agriculture constituency. Given the widespread voter disenchantment and the Opposition leader’s avowed determination to topple the new government at the earliest opportunity nipping at her heels, she, and the rest of the government caucus, will need to hit the ground running. Bob Collins raises beef cattle and grows produce on his farm in the Alberni Valley.We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.4 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCGoodwill wantedThe Back 40 BOB COLLINSPublisher Cathy Glover 604-328-3814 . publisher@countrylifeinbc.com Associate Editor Peter Mitham news@countrylifeinbc.com Advertising Sales & Marketing Cathy Glover sales@countrylifeinbc.com Production Designer Tina Rezansoff Jingle those bells, PW!The election’s over. What now?December, culminating in Christmas, is hyped as a time of wonder and surprise, not least of all for the peace and goodwill heralded by angels, and occasionally even manifested within communities and families. BC farmers haven’t had an easy year of it, but they haven’t had the worst of it, either. Many regions experienced a relatively normal year so far as weather goes, despite provincial warnings of looming catastrophe that required defensive action to ensure adequate water, cooling and the well-being of livestock, crops and workers. Ranches in many areas were able to lay in some extra hay, and farm operations were largely spared this year’s wildres. Okanagan fruit growers were the exception, with grapes and stone fruits facing signicant losses. This delivered a collateral surprise against a backdrop of enthusiasm for buying local: consumers were willing to support their local fruit stand even if the produce on oer was from the US. “Places like Loblaws import fruit all the time,” Paynters Fruit Market in West Kelowna observed this summer. “Our customers are ne with it.” Yet the overall lack of surprises this year may have been the biggest surprise, catching us unawares after successive years of extreme weather. Combined with the normalization of social life in the wake of the pandemic, it was an opportunity to consider what life could be like going forward – if only we could relax. But this fall’s election showed voters weren’t resting easy with deep divisions returning a minority government. The appointment of a familiar agriculture minister has been welcomed as continuity. Surprises aren’t going to be helpful to agriculture; better the devil you know, as one farm leader remarked. What could stability look like as a new year approaches? A good rst step would be to recognize agriculture as an economic driver – not of places like Vancouver and Victoria, which have their own concerns, but of Vanderhoof and Vernon and countless other rural communities. A key issue in the urban-rural divide is a false equivalency of the two. But if economies are interdependent, they’re also profoundly local, and the local importance of agriculture needs to be acknowledged, and supported. Providing ongoing support to agriculture is a logical next step. The sector has long complained that it receives less than its share of government expenditures relative to its contribution to the provincial economy. What was hailed as a historic, $200 million investment in food security programming in March 2023 is widely considered a one-time infusion, raising questions about what comes next. And funding for the agriculture ministry itself is often framed in terms of topline issues such as farmland protection and emergency preparedness rather than the day-to-day supports that make farmers’ lives easier. This isn’t to say the province isn’t listening. Regional agrologists and provincial specialists are, for the most part, well-liked and responsive. But in many cases, politicians need to do a better job of hearing what needs to be done for the sector, rather than hearing what needs to be done to support public messaging to urban voters. Because ultimately, farmers have votes, too, as the electoral map clearly showed. Dasher on Dancer on Prancer on Vixen on Comet on Cupid on Donner on Blitzen
Participants in the Canadian Farm Writers Federation conference in Nova Scotia this fall were given a genuine taste of the province when they toured Scotian Gold Co-op in the storied Annapolis Valley. SweeTango, a club variety apple that’s been a boon for local growers, was among the standouts as the busload of writers heard how the co-op has adapted for a new generation of growers and consumers. But if SweeTango was the star of the show, it’s just one of many varieties grown in the province. The annual crop estimates Fruit and Vegetable Growers Canada run indicate that Nova Scotia grows all but two of the 19 commercial varieties tracked. Moreover, fully 10% of the 2.4 million bushels of apples Nova Scotia will harvest this year aren’t among the top commercial varieties. This points to a commercial production more diverse than anywhere else in Canada. Ontario, the largest apple-growing region in Canada with a 2024 harvest pegged at 8.8 million bushels, concentrates on just 13 of the top commercial varieties. Meanwhile, BC is dependent on Ambrosia and Gala, which account for more than two-thirds of the 3.8 million bushels we produce. Nine varieties make up a third, while others account for less than half a percent of the crop. The focus on just two BC orchard sector needs more than salesCommercial success is good, but is consumer engagement the price?COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 5varieties was bred of innovation, with the province allocating tens of millions of dollars to support orchard renewal with high-value varieties since 1991. A new round of funding last year required industry to conduct market assessments to identify the varieties most likely to deliver returns. While such studies chart a forward path, Nova Scotia shows that the future is often accessed through our roots. The historic diversity of the province’s orchards has given local growers a starting point, not a sunset clause. While many varieties may not be suitable for supermarkets, they create a sense of place – one that grocers celebrate on a seasonal basis, securing hometown street cred with consumers. A revolving selection of apples from Jersey Macs and Paula Red to Gravenstein and Cortland oer avours rarely found outside the region. This year has seen the demise of the BC Tree Fruits Co-op, a company intertwined with the history of BC. Originally the brand under which the various co-operative packinghouses marketed their fruit, it became the natural banner under which BC’s four major co-operative packinghouses merged in 2008. Yet as the co-ops came together, the industry was fragmenting. Growers set up their own independent packinghouses, and consumers were opting for cheaper imports at the big grocers as local became less well-dened. And even if consumers Viewpoint PETER MITHAMbought local, the embrace of the major commercial varieties thanks to the replant push meant they were seldom buying something that couldn’t be grown elsewhere. Ambrosia was the exception, and its promise was a path to nancial stability for growers. Restricted production made it a reliable option, levies funded marketing and research that supported sales, and people genuinely liked it. Yet the numbers show that BC may have put too many apples in one basket. Pinning your fortunes on commercial success isn’t wrong, but sales hinge on more than market penetration. Consumers will support local, but often as not it requires giving them a sense of ownership, allowing them to jealously savour something special and advocate for it with others. So what’s BC’s path forward? The marketing commission under discussion for the past several years could provide a structure, but it’s the intangible ingredients that guarantee success. These include a recognizable, agship brand. The goodwill BC Tree enjoyed made it very much an extension of the grower community, and of BC as a whole. But with growing competition from independent packers at home and abroad, it became one of many brands serving a market with no historical ties to the iconic leaf logo. Which domestic tree fruit brand today has anything like the resonance or recognition the BC leaf enjoyed? There’s also a need to identify key varieties that can be successful here, something the province’s industry stabilization plan recommends. But it also means nding what may not do well elsewhere, allowing the industry to claim something no one else can. Ambrosia used to be like this. I remember proudly taking it home to family, before it was widely grown, and excitedly telling a vendor selling the variety at a market in northern Italy that I, too, was from BC. Salish and Nicola, with their distinctly BC names, have the potential to generate the same enthusiasm, but they’ve never been promoted to the same degree. Aurora Golden Gala is another missed opportunity. Handling issues saw it quietly ushered o the retail stage almost as quickly as it arrived. But what if we cultivated – both literally, and in the marketplace – such unique and hidden BC gems? Consistent with the forward-looking and innovative nature of BC’s orchard sector, they speak to the spirit of discovery in the eld and on the table as well as any of the rarer, now-heritage varieties largely limited to sales at farmers markets and roadside stands. The diversity of our crop has been lost in the push for nancial viability. But the persistence of lesser-known varieties in Nova Scotia reminds us that we may have lost the potential to attract consumers seeking unique items in an increasingly homogenous world. That’s a loss not just for consumers, but our farmers and agricultural heritage, too. Peter Mitham is associate editor of Country Life in BC and a former contributor to Good Fruit Grower. %PXOUPXO3FBMUZtOE4U7FSOPO#$t0óDFPat | 250.308.0938QBUEVHHBO!SPZBMMFQBHFDBThea | 250.308.5807UIFBNDMBVHIMJO!SPZBMMFQBHFDB6475 COSENS BAY RD, COLDSTREAMwww.FarmRanchResidential.ca “Farmers helping farmers with their real estate needs”ENJOY THE VIEW from this 7.35 acre property in North BX. Recently renovated 4 bed/2 bath home with many modern updates. 26x59 garage/shop with loft, 2 functional storage sheds. Ap-prox 6 acres cultivated. Close to Vernon MLS®10326302 $1,490,000PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION 5454 MADDOCK RD, VERNONCATHY GLOVER publisherPETER MITHAM associate editorcontributors Kate Ayers Vanessa Farnsworth Tracey Fredrickson Martina Graf Anna Klochko Brian Lawrence columnists Bob Collins Kathleen Gibson Anna Helmer Judie Steeves Ronda Payne Jackie Pearase Kelly Sinoski Myrna Stark Leader Sandra Tretick Tom Walker graphics Tina Rezansoff office Betty Lee Longstaff
6 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCKEY FEATURES• ActiveDrive 8 dual-clutch transmission delivers a wider range of working speeds without torque interruptions• Advanced technology of MultiControl Armrest and MultiFunction Handle places most-frequently used functions in one hand for easy operation• Shift gears and change direction from the optional advanced loader joystick• ActiveClutch II technology allows you to easy stop without using the clutch pedalADVANTAGES• Smooth shifting and fast direction changes• Operate your loader with ease for better accuracy and less fatigue • Push button shifting• No mechanical range changesSCAN TO SEE THE MAXXUM IN ACTIONView videos to learn more about the features that make the Maxxum with ActiveDrive 8 your ultimate taskmaster.All 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.com 123 PLACEHOLDER STREET, PLACEHOLDER SUBURB, ZIP+02 123 456 789 - WWW.DEALERSITE.COMMAXXUM® ActiveDrive 8860 Riverside Rd. Abbotsford V2S 7P6 604-864-2273 | caliberequipment.ca See us at the Pacic Ag ShowMerry Christmas & Happy New Year TOM WALKER SUMMERLAND – Could a cherry by any other name be as sweet? A federal court in Washington State believes so, and recently upheld Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) claim to the successful Staccato variety against attempts by a Washington grower to market it under a dierent name. In late August, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Washington denitively ruled that a cherry marketed as “Glory” is actually Staccato, a commercially successful late-season variety developed by AAFC and managed by Summerland Varieties Corp. (SVC). Glory was allegedly discovered as a chance seedling in a Washington orchard but DNA analysis presented by AAFC ocials proved otherwise. “When we rst heard about this new late season cherry named Glory down in Washington state we were curious and started investigating,” says SVC general manager Sean Beirnes. “The Glory tree looked like a Staccato tree. It blossomed, matured and ripened at the same time as Staccato, and the fruit looked and tasted the same as Staccato.” Nursery mixup The saga traces its roots to the 1990s when Washington’s Van Well Nursery agreed to grow and test Staccato cherry trees on behalf of AAFC. The agreement didn’t permit plant sales, however, a tree from the test plot was included in a shipment of Sonata (another AAFC-developed variety) Wenatchee-area grower Gordon Goodwin received. When the trees grew out and began to bear fruit, Goodwin noticed that the fruit on one tree ripened some 20 days later than the Sonata trees in the block and was dierent. He claimed it must have been a spontaneous mutation or a “sport mutation” of the Sonata trees, something that seldom happens. “When a grower discovers a commercial nursery-grafted tree in their orchard is dierent than the others, their rst presumption should be that it was a mix-up at the nursery,” Beirnes says. But instead, Goodwin, who is also a pastor, claimed it was a gift from God. He patented the variety and licensed it to Van Well Nursery with fruit shipped through Monson Fruit Co. That infringed on the hard work Canada’s breeders had put into developing the Staccato variety. Frank Kappel, who named Staccato prior to retiring as head of the federal cherry breeding program at the Summerland Research and Development Centre in 2011, attended the trial in Washington as an expert witness for the federal government. He said developing a new cherry variety represents 25 years of work and care. “It takes that long from rst crossing, growing out the seedling into a tree and harvesting and evaluating the fruit for a wide variety of traits,” he explains. To safeguard this investment, Staccato plant material and fruit are not only protected by plant breeder’s rights agreements but tightly controlled under a business arrangement between AAFC, SVC, and Stemilt Growers, the sole authorized US packer and marketer of Staccato cherries. Breeders, not just growers, need to see a return on their investment. And in the case of federally developed varieties, it’s an investment funded by taxpayer dollars. “In the US, breeding programs are attached to universities and the prot from a new patented variety goes back to the breeding scientist and the university,” Kappel explains. “But here at Summerland, the royalties … go back to the crown and into the program, so in eect it’s owned by all Canadians.” Having proven that Glory is Staccato, AAFC plans to pursue claims against Van Well, Goodwin and Monson for conversion, the unlawful possession and use of Staccato plant material for their own purposes. They also face claims for false advertising and business interference. A timeline for next steps has not been announced. The Canadian government has claimed victory after a federal judge in Washington state ruled a cherry variety marketed as Glory is, in fact, the Staccato variety developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. | SVC / NICK IBUKICourt decision a bowl of cherries for CanadaWashington pastor faces claims for conversion
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 7
8 | DECEMBER 2024 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 SERVICESSturko leads apple marketing commission consultationspackinghouses to ensure they are aware of, and engaged in, the process. Sturko is well-positioned to lead the initiative, having been a key player in development of the province’s stabilization plan for the orchard industry as well as chairing the industry’s project management committee investigating orderly marketing. The committee was supported by the BCFGA, but the association itself has maintained a neutral stance with respect to the various options, including development of a marketing commission. “The intention is for a transparent process that provides unbiased information, so that our industry can make a well-informed decision about whether a commission makes sense,” BCFGA recently told members. The ultimate establishment of an apple marketing commission would require the support of BC apple growers in a non-binding vote and enabling regulation by the provincial government. Discussions regarding an apple marketing commission began in 2021, with the idea of it being a potential successor to the New Tree Fruit Varieties Development Council, which held its nal annual general meeting this year. — Peter Mitham Expert 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.comRossworn HendersonLLPChartered Professional Accountants - Tax Consultantsartered Professional Accountants - Tax ConsultanCALL FOR AN ESTIMATE LARRY 604.209.5523 TROY 604.209.5524 TRI-WAY FARMS LASER LEVELLING LTD.IMPROVED DRAINAGE UNIFORM GERMINATION UNIFORM IRRIGATION FAST, ACCURATE SURVEYING INCREASE CROP YIELDS We service all of Southern BCNew BC field vegetable specialist Karina Sakalauskas is the province’s new eld vegetable specialist following the retirement of Susan Smith this month after two decades with the province’s agriculture ministry. Smith’s contributions were recognized at the BC Certied Seed Potato Growers Association’s annual general meeting in Squamish on November 19. Smith joined the BC Ministry of Agriculture in 2004 and became a trusted resource for local growers, rst in eld vegetables and later in the organic and nursery sectors. Sakalauskas joined the ministry in 2017 and her work has paralleled that of Smith since. Originally acting berry specialist, Sakalauskas became the province’s hazelnut specialist, and served briey as interim organic sector specialist. She was appointed ornamental greenhouse and nursery sector specialist earlier this year, lling the gap created in 2020 following the retirement of respected greenhouse and nursery specialist Dave Woodske. Smith, who was appointed to Woodske’s role with greenhouse vegetables in 2022, was succeeded this spring by Rajiv Dasanjh, who is overseeing closed environment agriculture, including greenhouse vegetable, ower, and cannabis production. — Peter Mitham Slash smoke challenge planned Smoke from slash piles is in the crosshairs of a northern BC resident, who says improvements in how slash burning is managed haven’t erased the issues it poses. “We’ve been trying to address the slash smoke problem here in the Bulkley-Nechako region for 15 years or more,” says Ray Chipeniuk, a Smithers resident who has won previous battles against forest industry practices. “Every fall, in particular, the logging operators burn tens of thousands of slash piles, as a result of which smoke blankets the whole area, sometimes without intermission, for weeks on end,” he explains. Wildre smoke has well-known impacts on crop health, delaying maturity and in the case of wine grapes, potentially contributing o-avours to wine. Chipeniuk’s focus is on the human impacts, however. “Many farms in fact are contiguous with Crown land on which logging and slash burning take place,” he says, noting that his own property was once engulfed in smoke from 120 slash piles burning as close as 500 metres. “For several days, the smoke was so bad we couldn’t stay in our house, while visibility outside at times was reduced to less than 50 metres,” he says. “Provincial burning regulations have changed since that time, but they remain a sorely Inner Harbour Consulting principal Derek Sturko, a former assistant deputy minister and chair of the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission, has been hired to facilitate development of a proposed apple marketing commission. The BC Fruit Growers Association (BCFGA) was spearheading an investigation of orderly marketing for the sector until this spring, when it asked the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC to take on the project. The closure of BC Tree Fruits Cooperative in July temporarily paused the work, but it has since resumed. Several rounds of grower consultations have taken place to date, and the current emphasis is engaging apple Ag Briefs PETER MITHAMinadequate means of addressing the worst health and safety aspects of slash smoke.” While the BC Wildre Service regularly gives notice of slash burning, the forest industry isn’t always as courteous. Chipeniuk is seeking traction for a class action lawsuit, and is advertising for class members to join the initiative. — Peter Mitham Mushroom farm fined Highline Mushrooms West Ltd. has been ned $152,310 by WorkSafeBC over the absence of a qualied rst aid attendant at its Abbotsford farm. "The rm failed to ensure it provided rst aid attendants and services adequate for promptly rendering rst aid to workers,” WorkSafeBC reported, noting that this wasn’t the rst violation for the company. Highline workers voted to unionize earlier this year, with health and safety concerns being one of the leading issues. While the largest ne levied against a farm employer in recent months, it wasn’t the only one. WorkSafeBC ned Pure Sunfarms Corp. of Delta $87,185 for multiple violations in August, including failing to secure compressed gas cylinders and ensure equipment was capable of safely performing its intended function. The nes are currently under review. — Peter Mitham
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 9Island farmers fish for water solutionsOngoing licensing challenges fuel frustration, innovationNew farmer Jaclyn Kirby has been told she will not qualify for a water licence because she’s on an at-risk aquifer, so she’s pivoted to dryland farming. | SUBMITTEDJoin Innovative producers, ranchers and farmers from BC, Alberta and the Pacific Northwest.Lower Mainland Horticulture ConferenceBC Dairy Lunch & LearnKATE AYERS BLACK CREEK – Water challenges are still top of mind for Vancouver Island growers despite a wet fall, and they say the province needs to make it easier to capture and store the liquid wealth for future growing seasons. While the province has committed $100 million to the Agricultural Water Infrastructure Program for on-farm water storage and related projects, conicting regulations have created confusion for producers. Meanwhile, thousands of groundwater applications remain backlogged at the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS), which has stepped up compliance and enforcement eorts this year. Nursery operators and blueberry growers in the Fraser Valley as well as farms on Vancouver Island received visits this summer from natural resource ocers investigating water use. Under the Water Sustainability Act, existing groundwater users had to apply for groundwater licences by March 1, 2022. The province expected to license extractions from an estimated 20,000 wells, but just over 8,000 applications have been received to date. Of these, fewer than 2,500 licences were issued by mid-November, with 575 applications abandoned for a variety of reasons. Many producers say the application process has been confusing, stressful and sometimes expensive, and many have yet to receive licences despite being subject to annual fees for groundwater use. The confusion and frustration came to a head in 2023 in Westwold, when Sec. 88 sh protection orders under the Water Sustainability Act shut down forage irrigation. BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food sta responded with drought and water management workshops, but some producers say they’re still receiving conicting information. “I've got a pamphlet from the Ministry of Agriculture from a seminar I went to and they're telling you, ‘Go ahead, dig a pond, you can do this, you don’t need a licence,’” a Comox Valley producer says, requesting anonymity because of heightened concerns over provincial enforcement eorts. “The same day I was at a meeting with WLRS where they shut a farmer down and were oering them a ne.” In August, Fiona McQuillan of Merville’s Fireweed Water management u
10 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Water management workshops short on take-awaysFarmstead hosted a ministry-run eld day showcasing her irrigation pond for use in eld vegetable and greenhouse production. She considers her family fortunate in having access to water because they’ve come close to needing to turn o the taps in the summer even with designated storage capacity. “It was one of the reasons why we purchased the farm, because it had a very large irrigation pond,” McQuillan says, who bought the farm eight years ago with her husband Jens. They have layers, pastured pigs and three commercial hoop houses for fruit and vegetable production on six acres. “From the drought, we’ve been worried, we've been scared, but we've been okay,” McQuillan says. She is concerned about the province issuing curtailment orders at the peak of summer when her plants have owered, and fruit is on the vine. The farm is located in the Tsolum watershed, which was one of four areas where forage irrigation was shut down last year, but irrigation of fruit and vegetable crops continued to be allowed. “If you stop irrigating then, you're going to have some serious crop loss. We're just in uncharted territory and every summer is going to come with the serious potential for a really seriously negative outcome.” While the government is working to improve communication with producers on agricultural water management through workshops, specic information is needed for individual farms. “Did anybody walk away from that with a ton of great information? No,” McQuillan says of the eld day on her farm. “I've been through a lot of these government seminars and honestly, I don't really feel l... I've really learned something that's going to make a huge dierence.” Farmers want to implement eciency upgrades, improve production and continue to be viable. But many tools and techniques cost money. “You can do drip irrigation and timed irrigation and be super-careful, but if we keep going into droughts, we'll get to a point where we just can't grow it unless we invest in infrastructure that honestly we cannot aord,” McQuillan says. “You can talk blue in the face, but if we simply can't aord the system, then it does nothing for us.” She would like to see seminars backed with capital investments into farms to kick-start projects along with faster water licence approvals for farmers. WLRS says it’s taken 1,055 days to issue decisions to date from the time applications were rst submitted. Most of that time was spent waiting for sta to take a look at it. Once in the hands of a water ocer, processing has taken an average of 289 days. McQuillan submitted her licence application in 2021 but has yet to receive a decision. WLRS sta say processing times have improved following the formation of a task force this past spring to clear the thousands of backlogged applications, but progress remains slow. The current processing rate is 70 decisions a month, versus 32 prior to last February. Word of mouth Jaclyn Kirby in Black Creek learned about groundwater licensing through conversations with other local producers. She began leasing a quarter acre on an old farm property in 2021 and launched Yellow Boot Farm. But because she was new to the land and it was a new business, she needed to apply as a new user. She gathered the required information, paid the $250 application fee and was prepared to submit the paperwork. WLRS told Kirby she could apply if she wanted but would not be approved because she is on an aquifer of concern. “How can a new farm start up if you're not going to supply anyone with any water licences?” she asks. A dugout is not an option for Kirby because the hole would take up valuable production space. Consequently, Kirby has turned to dryland farming and has been running pilots through Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the Oregon-based Dry Farming Institute and identied crops that can survive with minimal inputs even during the driest of Augusts. For the little water she needs, Kirby credits the landowners for installing a rainwater capture system. “If I had to set that up on my own, I would have just quit. I don't have an extra $10,000 to get all the infrastructure, learn how it works, maintain it all,” she says. To help others, Kirby and KPU have hosted two on-farm workshops and plan to host more next year. With les from Peter Mitham “How can a new farm start up if you're not going to supply anyone with any water licences?” JACYLN KIRBY YELLOW BOOT FARM
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 11Economic summit makes case to buy localPanelists share insights on logistics, food sovereignty and policy The team at Springford Farm in Nanoose Bay, led by Ross Springford (second from right), sees an opportunity for local food as supermarket prices keep rising. FACEBOOK / SPRINGFORD FARMMatsqui Ag-Repair Abbotsford, BCNorth Valley EquipmentArmstrong, BCVisit your local KUHN TMR Mixer today!Invest in Quality®www.kuhn.comA MIXER FOR EVERY OPERATION147 – 1,960 ft3 mixing capacitiesVT 256 Twin-Auger MixerTHE MOST COMPLETE MIXER LINE IN THE INDUSTRYWe are committed to creating innovative mixers that will provide a quality ration and years of low-maintenance service. VS/VSL Single-Auger Vertical Mixers3100/RA/RC Reel MixersVXL Triple-Auger Vertical Mixers4100/BTC 4-Auger MixersHappy Holidays!USED EQUIPMENT NH 1036 BALE WAGON, 70 BALES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500 SHAVER #10 POST DRIVER, SKIDSTEER MOUNT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,500 JD 568 2012 ROUND BALER, 17,000 BALES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL JD 348 SMALL SQUARE BALER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,500 KUB RTV900 2008, 3,200 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL USED TRACTORS TORO 328D 48” MOWERS, 2,900 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,000 KUB F2880 2006, 1,411HRS, 60” REAR DISCHARGE . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,500 KUB GF1800-4W, 2010, 1,100HRS, NEW 60” MOWER DECK . . . . . 16,900 KUB L2501HST 2017, TRAC/LDR/BACKHOE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,500 KUB B2601 2022, TRAC/LDR/BACKHOE, 27HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39,500 KUB M6-111DTCC 2019, LDR, 300 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135,000 NEW INVENTORY KUBOTA RAKES, TEDDERS, MOWERS, POWER HARROWS - CALL! RAIN-FLO MULCH LAYERS, MULCH LIFTERS & TRANSPLANTERS, IN-STOCK OMH PROSCREEN, TOPSOIL SCREENERS. 68”, 78” AND 108” MODELS CONSTRUCTION KUB SVL75-2HWC 2016, CAB, HYD CPLR, 2,000HRS . . . . . . . . . . 63,500 KUB SVL75-2 CAB, HYD CPLR, STD FLOW 1,100HRS . . . . . . . . . . . 71,500 KUB SVL95 2020, CAB, HIGH FLOW, 225hrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99,375 CASE 420CT 2007, TRACK LOADER, ROPS, 1,750HRS . . . . . . . . . . 45,000 CASE TR320 2012, TRACK LOADER, 2,100 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55,000 CAT 289D 2019, TRACK LOADER, CAB, 1621 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66,000 TORO TX1000 2017, MINI TRACK LOADER, 300HRS . . . . . . . . . . . 29,500 TORO 22473 TRENCHER, 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,500 KUB KX080-42 2019, HYD Q/A, 2 BKTS, THUMB, 590HRS . . . . . . 145,000 KATE AYERS NANAIMO – Producers face perennial challenges and opportunities in enhancing food security and resilience amidst uctuating global markets and shifting local climate conditions. On October 24, the annual State of the Island Economic Summit in Nanaimo saw ve panelists discuss how Vancouver Island farmers are looking ahead. Island producers supply just 2% of what Island residents consume, a drop from nearly 10% in 2012. But sixth-generation producer Ross Springford of Nanoose Bay said high retail food prices present an opportunity for local producers to take share. Rather than paying retail prices that have been pushed up by freight costs, consumers should opt for equally expensive local produce whose prices reect production costs rather than shipping. “We’ve certainly seen a shrink in the dierence between imported food costs and what we can produce here,” he says. “When you’re trying to decide on a nickel or dime dierence between something that is grown locally and something that’s imported, that’s where … consumers can certainly help producers.” The Cowichan Valley Co-operative Marketplace (Cow-op), a marketing and distribution co-operative in Duncan, recently analyzed items listed on the online sales platform it oers local growers and processors. While some are more expensive than those at the grocery store, many are comparably priced and some are even cheaper. But it's come at a cost, as keeping local prices in check narrows the co-op's margins while benetting consumers. "The sale price ends up being quite a bit lower than it Cooperation vital u
12 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Cooperation vital for Island food securitywould normally be,” Cow-op board chair and Fruit Forest Farm owner Danielle Belleeur says of the co-op’s model. Ultimately, consumer dollars will help or hinder small and mid-scale operations, Springford adds. While this price gap shrinks and local food becomes more competitively priced, there are some hard realities of producing on an island, says Steve Hughes of St. Jean’s Cannery in Port Alberni. “We are never going to be a low-cost producer,” he says. “So, we need to innovate, provide value to people – whether that’s through attributes or place.” But many wholesale producers or growers looking to scale up must punch through an increasingly centralized marketplace. “Canada, as a grocery food entity, is fairly oligopolistic. There are some 800-pound gorillas that operate in the food area, and it can be challenging for people to deal with those sorts of entities,” Hughes says. Campbell Woike, the third-generation operator and general manager of Farmer Ben’s Eggs in Cowichan, noted that the Island needs more independent grocers that can compete with Sobeys, Loblaws, Costco and Walmart, for example. The bigger the store, the harder it is for local producers to garner shelf space. “Lots of these national grocers and brands put an emphasis on ‘we support local’ and ‘choose local rst,’ and then they are tied to a national contract without a local supplier and people are not having that local choice on the shelf when it comes to eggs or other products,” he says. “It’s important to continue that conversation whenever I have a chance to talk to a gorilla and put an emphasis on that.” Country Grocer North Island operations director Tyler Large insists that consumers and independent grocers alike should advocate for and support local food production to ensure Island producers can garner access to retail options. “We need to be the advocates in the room and work together and extend the hand,” Large says. “As a tight-margin industry, the dollars and cents do matter to us in order for us to grow and be more competitive on the Island. … But we need to be okay with making a little less on the Island stu and be those advocates for the rest of the team here in the room and all those up and down the Island.” Large estimates that Country Grocer holds about 10% of Vancouver Island’s grocery market. Another topic covered in the session was the value of and opportunity for collaboration, especially with transportation. “Logistics are a huge glass ceiling,” Hughes says, because producers, processors and retailers often operate in silos. The Island needs to nd easier ways to integrate with the Vancouver distribution model, he suggests. “The time, eort and cost of bringing things to and from the Island is always going to be an impediment,” Hughes says. As the devil’s advocate, Springford notes that if farmers produced more on the Island, logistical challenges could be reduced. In addition to collaboration, innovation can support food sovereignty on the Island. In 2019, the Woikes built the Island’s rst and only enriched colony layer barn that boosts sustainability, animal welfare and egg cleanliness. But the Island is roughly 600,000 layers short, Woike says, creating room for up-and-coming producers to ll the gap. Woike and Springford are proponents of keeping quota on the Island, instead of it potentially moving to the mainland after farm sales. This transfer became easier in 2022 after rules that prevented o-Island movement of quota were abolished. Springford also believes raising minimum income requirements for farm-class status could increase the land supply for new entrants by encouraging more intensive production. Simplify regulations In the highly regulated aquaculture sector, Cermaq Canada sales director Nick DiCarlo would like to see a simplied regulatory environment rather than fewer regulations. The current environment is confusing, with two sets of rules. “We would love to see a Canadian Aquaculture Act and give us one lane to operate in,” he says. “Right now, the Canadian government is monitoring aquaculture by the seat of their pants and they’re not really sure what to do and there seems to be two sets of rules – one for Atlantic Canada and one for Pacic Canada.” At the company’s peak, Cermaq Canada produced about 25,000 metric tonnes of fresh Atlantic salmon a year. This year, it yielded between 7,000 and 8,000 tonnes of sh. Two of the sector’s challenges include lack of supply and limited production capacity, DiCarlo says. “We do this in conjunction with our First Nations partners. … We used to farm both in Campbell River and Tono and now we have slowly isolated to just the Tono area,” DiCarlo says. In addition, Hughes supports the idea of government playing a larger role in agritech advancements and emergency planning. “There really isn’t a strategy around food security. I don’t think that there is any real plan whatsoever from a government standpoint. We saw the [effects] from the atmospheric rivers a couple years ago [and] from COVID-19,” he says. “I don’t think we’ll be off the big challenge cycle anytime soon so there needs to be quite a lot of coordination about how do we even feed people, how do we deal with emergencies, how do we deal with road blockages. … [Emergency response] was all driven by industry and there’s no one at the helm of any of that stuff.”
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 13Cow-op urges community to buy local Online sales have fallen dramatically since the pandemicCowichan Valley Co-op general manager Kyle Campbell is looking to the future after a fundraiser offset a decit triggered by a 30% drop in sales this year. | COW-OPSuppor soi-based agriculturDrinfarm fresh beerfarm fresh beerfarm fresh beerAsk for us at your local Angry Otter Liquor StoreAsk for us at your local Angry Otter Liquor StoreAsk for us at your local Angry Otter Liquor StoreGrown and brewed on-farm in Ladner, B.C.www.barnsidebrewing.caKATE AYERS NANAIMO – Over the last couple of years, the Cowichan Valley Co-operative Marketplace (Cow-op) has faced increasing competition and declining revenues. This fall, staff issued a call to action to South Island consumers. “Mostly, the biggest challenge is financial. It's expensive and it's difficult in the valley to pay rent, pay salaries and still keep our margins low, and to make us competitive,” says Cow-op board chair and Fruit Forest Farm owner Danielle Bellefleur. Originally incorporated by the Cowichan Green Community Society in 2014, the co-op has operated its online marketplace since 2015. The co-op previously faced financial troubles in 2017 but retrenched and has gradually grown its home delivery business to 98 households. While sales grew 10-fold overnight during the COVID-19 pandemic, the co-op saw a 30% decline in sales between 2023 and 2024. The dramatic shift is one experienced by other businesses as consumer spending reverted to pre-pandemic norms. Cow-op cannot pinpoint the cause of the drastic reduction, but suspects the perception that local food is less affordable has driven consumers to larger grocers that can buy at scale and offer lower prices as a result. For small-scale producers in the area, grocers of any size are unlikely to entertain a conversation about stocking small lots of produce. “Most of the local grocery stores … will not buy from small farmers, period – won't talk to you, won't see you, nothing,” Bellefleur says. The Cow-op offers marketing and distribution services – two time-consuming and costly items – to its members, providing a critical link between consumers and producers for growers who don’t have any other retail outlet. Slim margins Up until October, the non-profit was facing a $46,000 deficit, due to a shortfall in revenue from lower sales and an increase in labour and transportation costs. A 10-year anniversary harvest dinner, along with matching contributions from Community Evolution, halved the deficit but raising prices to maintain margins isn’t necessarily a solution. “We're very hesitant to raise margins. We don't want to make things more expensive,” Bellefleur says. Cow-op’s producers cannot afford to take a lower price for their products, and on the co-operative’s side, most grants do not cover day-to-day operating costs. Bellefleur encourages people to support local food security and farmers by seeking a local alternative to mass-market products. “The more resilient and the more we can support a local food economy, the better it is for everyone,” she says. “If you actually compare the price of what organic produce is in grocery stores to what we are selling on our market, … it's as cheap or cheaper, generally, and it is way healthier because it's grown in really great conditions and you're getting it the day after. You just can't access anything like that in any kind of other store.” FARMNEWSupdatesto yourinboxwww.countrylifeinbc.comSNOWEverything you need for winter. Whether your needs are big or small, we offer specially engineered snow equipment designed to maximize efciency and tackle any job with ease.MADE FORSnowBladeSnowPusherAvailable on select: SnowPushers, SnowWings, and SnowBlades.Visit hlasnow.com for our full lineup of snow products
14 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCThank you to all our sponsors.For your generosity and support of the BC Dairy Industry Conference.
Demand for milk, lower input costs good for dairyDairy quota increase coming January 1Ho! Ho! Ho! It should be a merry Christmas for dairy producers as they look forward to a quota increase in the new year, thanks to increased demand for dairy products. | FILE PHOTOCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 15• Increase milk production• Increase heat detection• Reduce hoof & leg injuries• Reduce cull rates1.877.966.3546www.agritraction.com | CHILLIWACK, BC4,400 sq ft home with 24.41 Acres of farmland | $2,250,000651 Maple Falls, Columbia Valley, BCLEADER IN AGRICULTURAL SALES IN THE FRASER VALLEY WITH OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCEBare lot - 4.5 +/- Acres of Blueberries | $485,000T 604 793 8138 | bryanvanhoepen.com | 23.85 Acres | $2,270,0002689 Sutherland Road Agassiz, BC 7.9 acres of farmland| $2,000,000574 Sumas Way, Abbotsford, BCSOLDSOLDSOLDSOLDLot 21 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BCPETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – A rise in demand for dairy is good news for producers, who will see margins expand in 2025 as farmgate milk prices hold steady and costs fall. Recapping market conditions at the BC Milk Marketing Board’s fall producer meeting in Abbotsford, October 28, Kevin Mammel noted that milk utilization is up, with processors using every drop they can. This has led to incentive days being oered to producers in BC and across the four Western Milk Pool provinces through March 2025, as farms try to boost supply to meet demand. Moreover, the marketing boards in the four western provinces are issuing a 2% increase to continuous daily quota eective January 1 to eligible producers. “This increase in daily quota is being issued to meet the continued strong demand in both the uid and industrial markets that is forecasted to continue into calendar year 2025,” an announcement regarding the increase stated. This is the third quota increase since February 2024, and comes in advance of projected demand at the new plant Vitalus Nutrition plans to begin building in spring 2025. (Supply to Vitalus will not be met solely through quota increases.) The announcement followed the Canadian Diary Commission’s decision November 1 to leave farmgate milk prices essentially unchanged next year in view of lower production costs. The farmgate milk price will fall by 0.02% on February 1, a marginal decrease compared to the sharp increase in the BC blend price over the past two years as uid milk consumption has increased. CDC reviews cost of production data annually for more than 200 farms across Canada, including 22 in BC. The data feeds into a national cost of production, weighted by province (BC’s share is 9%), working out this year to a national average of $90.36 per hectolitre (hl). On the plus side, that’s below the current net blend price BC producers receive of $101.33 per hectolitre. But no one wants to see a price decline. “We were expecting this,” Mammel told producers in the run-up to the CDC’s announcement. “Your COP has gone down; it has also gone down in other parts of the country.” The most signicant drop came in the price of purchased feed, which fell $2.85 per hectolitre. This more than oset increases in labour, taxes and interest charges. “This is an extreme year; costs have come way o from $93.09 to $90.36 this year. We would have needed a big CPI increase to see a positive increase in the blend price,” Mammel said, referencing costs from two years ago. Sharply higher consumption of uid milk is emerging as a good news story for producers and will help oset the impact of the national pricing announcement. “When you put more milk into Class 1A, in uid, you create more revenue per litre, and that puts your blend price up,” he explained. New approach BC Dairy Association general manager Jeremy Dunn discussed the new approach to transforming the Western Milk Pool into a truly regional body. Rather than adopting a new governance structure, an initiative challenged by regulators in several provinces, the four western provinces are now seeking a collaborative relationship. Recent announcements regarding incentive days and quota increases illustrate the new approach, emphasizing the role of the provincial marketing boards in the decision. This is in keeping with a concern of the supervisory bodies in each province that the marketing boards retain decision-making authority within their respective jurisdictions. Questions regarding the cost of the transformation initiative, now abandoned, were not answered.
16 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCThe Lower Mainland Horticultural Conferenceis a three-day conference held in conjunction with the Pacific Agriculture Show in Abbotsford. The conference features informative sessions on production practices, pest management, water management, climate adaptation and market insights, with a focus on the blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, potato, field vegetable, greenhouse vegetable, floriculture, ornamentals, hazelnut and organics sectors in the Lower Mainland. The conference is delivered in partnership with the Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association and the Pacific Agriculture Show.The Islands Agriculture Show is a two-day conference for horticultural and livestock producers of all sizes on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Held in conjunction with an agricultural trade show, the conference provides producers with the opportunity to get the latest information on research, farming practices and market opportunities from some of the industry’s most knowledgeable experts. The Islands Agriculture Show is delivered in partnership with the Islands Agriculture Show Society. The Southern Interior Horticultural Show is a two-day conference focused on the apple, cherry, and grape sectors in B.C. Held in conjunction with a horticultural trade show, the conference provides producers with the opportunity to get the latest information on research, farming practices and market opportunities from some of the industry’s most knowledgeable experts. The Southern Interior Horticultural Show is being delivered in partnership with the B.C. Cherry Association, B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association, B.C. Grapegrowers’ Association, B.C. Wine Grape Council, Sustainable Wine Growing B.C., Wine Growers British Columbia, Okanagan-Kootenay Sterile Insect Release Program, New Varieties Development Council, Summerland Varieties Corp., and Okanagan Horticultural Advisors’ Group.Lower MainlandHorticultural ConferenceJanuary 23-25, 2025TRADEX, Abbotsford, B.C.Islands Agriculture ShowJanuary 31 – February 1, 2025 Cowichan Exhibition Park, Duncan, B.C.Southern Interior Horticultural ShowFebruary 12-13, 2025Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, B.C.Enhance Your Knowledgeat B.C.’s Top Agriculture Conferences!The Ministry of Agriculture and Food presents three educational conferencesto support a competitive, sustainable and resilient agricultural sector in British Columbia.To register or for more information, please visit: gov.bc.ca/agriconferencesFunding for the conferences is provided through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 17Replant program begins accepting applications But solution doesn’t address growers financial problemsLeft behind: Provincial replant funding is much-needed help for growers upgrading their orchards, but it falls short of providing the immediate nancial assistance required to address cash-ow issues in the face of short crops and low prices. | MYRNA STARK LEADERAgSafe Safety Representa琀ves are available throughout Bri琀shColumbia to help your business when and where you need them.Merry Christmas& Seasons Greetingsfrom AgSafe.1 (877) 533-1789 | AgSafeBC.caEinbock Tillage Equipment For Organic FarmingEconomical Reliable Low Maintenance Safe and Proven Order now for guaranteed next season delivery.Tine Weeders Row Crop CultivatorsRotary Hoes Camera GuidanceSystemsOrder now forguaranteed next season delivery.DELTA Drain Tile CleanersImproves Drainage & Conditions SoilEmail us today at: info@reimersfarmservices.comTOM WALKER KELOWNA – The enhanced replant program announced earlier this year for tree fruit and grape growers began accepting applications in November, but it may not be the support industry needs. “[We] had been lobbying for long-term stable replant funding for many years and this was a generous amount of money, but those asks started before growers got beat up by the heat domes and two years of deep freezes,” says BC Fruit Growers Association general manager Melissa Tesche. “We heard from many of our members that they were barely surviving financially and they definitely don't have cash on hand to reinvest in their orchards right now." Cash flow is also a problem for grape growers. Many vineyards have extensive vine death from extreme cold events in December 2022 and January 2024 as well as the effects of trunk and leafroll diseases. By some estimates, more than half the vineyard acreage in the province will need to be replaced. In many situations, entire vineyards will need to be removed and replanted, leaving owners without any income for up to five years. “I worry that there will be some growers without extensive cash reserves who will struggle to recover from this,” says Michael Kullmann, winemaker at Osoyoos Larose and a director with the BC Grapegrowers Association. But the new program runs five years, giving growers plenty of time to tap into the $24 million allocated for tree fruit projects. A total of $70 million is available for perennial crops, including wine grapes and berries. (Unlike in previous rounds, hazelnuts are not included.) The applications will be scored based on criteria including a confirmed order for plant material, an Environmental Farm Plan as well as a business plan and enrollment in crop insurance. Funding will be awarded to high-scoring applicants first, until the program allocations are exhausted. The five-year timeline for the program is important, says Sam DiMaria an apple and pear grower in Kelowna. “I don’t make a snap decision on a replant. It is something I plan for over a number of years and I need to plan ahead to order trees,” he says. Kullmann says nurseries will need time to ramp up production, too. “It will take a minimum of two years for a vineyard to be able to order vines, particularly given the clean plant material restrictions that require ordering from certified clean nurseries in Canada and the US only,” he says. Osoyoos Larose has removed 45 acres of vineyards that were planted entirely with French clones which it plans to replace. “The French grape nurseries are the gold standard across the world, although they may not completely align with the Canadian requirements,” Kullmann says. “We are recommending that growers put their orders into France pending a decision in the spring to allow French vines to be sourced.” But time is money. While the government has encouraged growers to cover crop land pending the arrival of clean nursery stock, which will boost their sustainability score, DiMaria says it shows the government is out of touch with industry. “This shows a real disconnect,” he says. “The most expensive part of replant is not the cost of the trees, or the trellis, or the wires, it is the time that the land is out of production.” A commercial grower schedules their replant to avoid downtime, DiMaria says. “When I plan a replant, I pull the old trees out in the Replant funding u
18 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCIt wasn’t the harvest BC grapegrowers were looking forward to this fall as hundreds of acres of grapevines were pulled out in the wake of last winter’s killing freeze. | MYRNA STARK LEADERu Replant funding helpfulFarming has always been hard, but lately it lot harder.AgLife Connector training can help you recognize and supportfarmers in your community who are struggling.AgLife Connector training is mental health awarenessagricultural community. It is provided at no cost.Learn more and sign up at AgLife.cafall and plant new ones the following spring,” he says. “I can’t afford to leave my land empty.” The cost of leaving land fallow isn’t covered by the program, which is limited to purchases of plant material. Funding varies depending on whether the grower is purchasing nursery stock (50%) or propagating their own (100%) and whether or not they made a production insurance plant loss claim this year (25%). The program will fund projects of one to 20 acres, or 15% of existing acreage (whichever is greater), to a maximum of $500,000. Apple and cherry growers are not eligible for assistance if they wish to replant with grapes, but grape growers will receive funding to replant with tree fruits. There are no restrictions on varieties of tree fruits, but older varieties such as Lambert and Bing cherries and Spartan and Red Delicious apples are not recommended. Grenache and Mourvèdre grape varieties are not eligible as they’re vulnerable to frost damage, and growers wishing to plant Gewürztraminer must present a solid business plan for doing so. IAF staff will screen applications and 10% will be selected for further audit and review. Those that fail may be ineligible for funding. A report and an on-site field inspection must be completed before funding is released. The program aims to support the replacement of existing acreage with “climate-resilient varieties that produce in-demand, premium fruit.” A clear definition of what constitutes a climate resilient variety doesn't exist. Knowing what's in demand is relatively easier. There are a number of new, premium apple varieties available worldwide, but they’re only available under a club program. A club would require a certain size of acreage and a commitment to grow and pack to a certain standard. That could be tough for small growers, especially following the demise of BC Tree Fruits. “A club program here would require a group of growers to get together under some sort of corporate structure and commit to participate. That group would need a contract with a packer,” explains Tesche. “There is a project underway that is looking at what sort of corporate structure might allow BC growers to access club varieties.” Tesche says that grower feedback is a key to future program improvements. “We have seen improvements already over last year’s Perennial Crop Renewal Program and it is important that we let the government know how this new program is working, because they have been listening to feedback,” she says. FARMNEWSupdatesto yourinboxwww.countrylifeinbc.com
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 19Maggie Freeman, in the entomology lab at the Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Hood River, Oregon, shows how a spectrometer can assess starch in leaves. | SUBMITTEDRONDA PAYNE KELOWNA – Research in Oregon could expand the options available to BC cherry growers ghting Cherry X disease. Growers currently scout orchard blocks for symptoms of the parasitic disease, then send samples of plant tissue for testing. “Molecular lab testing is necessary to conrm the presence of the phytoplasma,” says Katie Goldenhar, plant pathologist with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food. “If similar symptoms arise in the same block that a tree has tested positive in, growers should immediately remove the tree.” Symptoms of X disease in cherry trees are small, misshapen fruit that’s pale in colour and has a bitter taste. Infections in peach, nectarine and plum trees will cause yellowing, curled leaves with shot holes. The fruit will be small, deformed and may drop prematurely. Trees can’t recover from X disease, so removal is the only option. The rst conrmed case of Cherry X disease in BC occurred in 2022 near Cawston, says Goldenhar. An orchard in Kelowna tested positive for the disease in 2023 and another near Osoyoos in 2024. “All positive and adjacent trees were immediately removed and follow-up sampling at these orchards is ongoing,” Goldenhar says. “X disease symptoms are primarily seen on the fruit near harvest and can be easily missed or mistaken for other tree issues.” Lab testing expensive Kelsey Galimba of the Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Centre at Oregon State University says lab testing is a long and expensive process and her team wants to make diagnosis faster, easier and cheaper. “This would then allow for more testing to be done, which should mean more infected trees are identied sooner,” she says. Galimba’s team has been collecting data for two years and believes using a spectrometer to identify the starch levels in the leaves of infected trees is a promising option. Starch isn’t normally stored in plant leaves, but when the phytoplasma associated with Cherry X is present, the veins of the plant are blocked. Sugar created by photosynthesis has nowhere to go and converts to starch. Ideally, the starch will have a unique spectral “signature” to allow positive identication. “Using spectral data was inspired by a number of manuscripts that have been published in the last ve or so years,” says Galimba. “These papers showed that it’s possible to identify other phytoplasma and bacteria-caused diseases like apple proliferation in apple and citrus greening in citrus.” Data to date has been more conclusive for older trees, and Galimba is pursuing further research to better understand why. “I’m not sure if it has to do with tree age or if it has to do with infection age, or if it has to do with methodology,” she says. “It could also be due to dierent strains.” Since the disease isn’t present in every leaf, multiple leaves per branch are needed for a denitive result. If X disease could be reliably and aordably diagnosed using spectral data, infected trees could be identied and removed sooner. Prevention key “Prevention is the rst step,” Goldenhar says. “The X disease phytoplasma can be spread via propagation so access to clean nursery material is important when planting a new orchard. Tree removal when positive for X disease phytoplasma is crucial.” Reducing the risk of infection is also key. Controlling leafhoppers, identied as vectors of Cherry X disease, is one strategy. Removing alternate hosts is also important. Weeds such as dandelion, lambsquarters, wild carrot and plantain have tested positive for X disease in US orchards, making their removal an important part of orchard health. 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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 21Trade imbalance baffles honey producersMuch of the buzz focuses on queens and bee healthBC Honey Producers Association president Steve Clifford (standing, third from right) poses with members of the association executive and regional reps during the association's annual meeting and education days in Vernon at the end of October. BCHPA / LEILANI PULSIVERBC AGRI-FOODINDUSTRYGALABC Agriculture Council is thrilled to welcomeyou to the industry's premier event of the year!Buy now for early bird pricing.January 22, 2025Abbotsford, BCBuy tickets at:bcac.ca/galaticketsTICKETS ON SALE!TOM WALKER VERNON – “My name is Dan. I’m a beekeeper and I need help,” quipped BC Honey Producers Association second vice-president Dan Mawson during opening remarks at the BC Honey Producers Association annual general meeting and education days in Vernon, October 25-27. “Beekeeping is a disease that you can catch. I am fully infected and I am here this weekend for therapy.” Beyond the jokes, the conference was a chance for honey producers to tap into the industry’s hive mind. “These conferences are a way to stay connected,” says outgoing BCHPA president Heather Higo giving a nod to the “Bee Connected” theme of the weekend. “It’s so good to get together and gain new information on how to manage our bees.” BC has more beekeepers than any other province, and while the majority have 20 hives or less and can be termed hobbyists, they produced 6 million pounds of honey in 2023. “That’s nearly 7% of the Canadian total,” says Je Lee, who stepped in as Canadian Honey Council rep when long-time delegate Stan Reist experienced medical issues last year. “That ranks BC in fth place in production behind Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.” The US and Japan are the main destinations for Canadian honey, which exported more than 7,000 tonnes worth $46.3 million in 2023. Canada is also a net honey importer, however, bringing in 7,405 tonnes of honey worth $57.4 million in 2023. That trade imbalance, which has existed since 2021, worries Lee. “Those numbers are going the wrong way,” says Lee, who notes that domestic producers are receiving less per tonne for their honey – particularly this year – than Canada pays other countries for imports. Trade is just one of the many issues the Canadian Honey Council works on for its members. Currently, the CHC is closely monitoring a risk assessment the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is developing for the importation of bee packages from the US. While Canadian beekeepers may import queen bees from either California or Hawaii, packages have been banned since 1987. The most recent risk assessment in 2014 cited the threat of varroa mites, small hive beetle, American foul brood, and Africanised honey bees. Consultations for the new risk assessment opened November 7 and submissions are being accepted through January 9, 2025. Domestic bees u
22 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Domestic bees, the safest bet for beekeepers, are in short supplyBAUMALIGHT.COMAdair Sales & Marketing Company Inc. 306-773-0996 | info@adairreps.comMFG OF MINI SKID STEERS AND A VARIETY OF ATTACHMENTS INCLUDINGBRUSH MULCHERS | PTO POWER PACKS | FLAIL MOWERS | ROTARY BRUSH CUTTERSTREE PULLERS | FELLER BUNCHERS | EXCAVATOR ADAPTERS | SCREW SPLITTERS | STUMP GRINDERSAUGER DRIVES | TREE SPADES | TREE SAWS & SHEARS | BOOM MOWERS | TRENCHERS | PTO GENERATORSPTO GENERATORSPre-order your BaumalightGenerator now for delivery in8 weeks and get an 8% discount.Canadian beekeepers rely on bee imports. Overwintering bees can be dicult, with winter mortalities in BC this year averaging 24%. This is below the 65% loss reported in Quebec, but the losses are beyond the ability of Canadian beekeepers to cover on their own. “We actually had less queens coming in this year to support the industry,” Lee notes. “That is forcing a downsizing.” Provincial apiarist Paul van Westendorp is an advocate of BC beekeepers raising their own queens and replacement bee colonies. “Be conscious of where you get your bees,” van Westendorp cautioned in his report. “Stock from the other side of the fence is not always better. Domestic bees are always your safest bet.” Van Westendorp noted that the Ukraine has recently been removed from the list of countries that have CFIA approval for imports due to a concern over the threat of the tropilaelaps mite. Tropilaelaps originates in Asia and is now on the eastern edge of Europe and migrating west. “We do not want this pest in our hives,” says van Westendorp. “It is worse than varroa, and the two together would be devastating.” But mites are not the only pests beekeepers face. Small hive beetle monitoring The province conducted an extensive hive monitoring initiative this spring to search for small hive beetle. Three additional bee inspectors were hired and checked more than 2,500 colonies in the Lower Mainland between March and July. “We found only 12 adults and two reproductives,” says van Westendorp. Small hive beetle ies into the Lower Mainland from American colonies that have started the year pollinating almond groves in California. After working in the south, those colonies are placed along the Canada-US border under contract to pollinate Canadian blueberry farms. Van Westendorp says he is not overly concerned about small hive beetle. “This bug is not very happy in our environment; it’s a tropical beast. Things are pretty quiet in colonies this fall,” he reports. As he often does, van Westendorp put in a plug for beekeepers to complete the two annual surveys the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food conducts for beekeepers with 10 or more colonies. The spring survey is focused on understanding winter losses and the fall survey helps to determine production, revenue and disease challenges for the industry. “These surveys help us make sense of what is happening in the industry,” he explains. “They are completely anonymous and they help back up the services such as inspection, extension, and lab services that are available from the government for all beekeepers free of charge.” Pesticide compliance Laura Feeney, pesticide compliance and enforcement ocer for BC and the Yukon with Health Canada, gave an overview of her role during the meetings. Feeney noted that the Pesticide Compliance Program (PCP) is no longer under the Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). “PMRA continues their role in pesticide regulation and administering the Pest Control Products Act,” she says. “My work on the promotion and enforcement of the Pest Control Products Act is now separate.” While answering questions regarding PMRA’s work is no longer her job, Feeney is happy to connect apiarists with people who will. “There is also a new public engagement portal that allows you to contact PMRA on a number of topics,” she adds. Feeney says that PCP’s goal is to “protect human health and the environment by ensuring compliance through the Pest Control Products Act.” She says she does that through inspections that verify compliance, educating users, following up on complaints and answering questions. Compliance centres around ensuring products are used in accordance with label directions. “You are responsible for reading the entire label (front and back) and following the instructions when you use any pesticide product,” Feeney says. “Following the label protects you, the operator, and it also protects your bees.” She advises producers not to rely on memory as label information is constantly being updated by the federal government. This can also aect the use of product purchased in a previous year, as the label may have changed. “It’s always best to search your label through the online information portal to get the most up to date information,” Feeney explains. Neighbours must also follow their labels to ensure bee health. “If you are concerned that someone else is not following the label requirements and may be endangering your bees, it’s best to have a conversation with them rst,” says Feeney. If that fails, Feeney says a producer can rst le a complaint and if the matter remains unresolved, a violation report. “This requires your name and contact information,” Feeney notes. “Some people might not want to do that; they just want us to know there is a problem without being associated with it.” Complainants who want to ensure anonymity can le a voluntary incident report, but she says that makes it dicult to follow-up. “If I don’t know who to contact about the inappropriate behaviour, it makes it hard for me to nd them,” she says.GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONSWe deliver ChristmasCheer, every monthof the year:)WeC
Pilot addresses gap in distribution infrastructureKootenay project works to solve regional supply chain IssuesFrom left to right, Damon Chouinard, executive director, Central Kootenay Food Policy Council; Amanda Verigan, marketing manager for the Kootenay Co-op, and Rebecca Richard of Hedgehog & Heron Consulting. | KOOTENAY CO-OPCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 23Register now for this free event! labtolandbc.eventbrite.caLab to Land Advancing water & soil researchfor agricultural resilienceJanuary 15-16, 2025 | 9am-12:30pm PSTJoin us online to explore regional research helpingfarmers and ranchers adapt to climate change - fromaddressing drought to enhancing soil health.Hosted by the BC Agricultural Climate Action Research NetworkSupported by the BC Ministry of Agriculture and FoodVIRTUAL WORKSHOPTRACEY FREDRICKSON NELSON – A pilot project to transform food distribution in the Kootenays is underway through the Central Kootenay Food Policy Council (CKFPC) with the goal of building a more ecient, cost-eective and sustainable food distribution system across the region. “The Kootenays is a large geographic area and home to a broad network of interconnected people and food-related businesses from meat, vegetable and dairy products to value-added beverages, canned foods and other products,” says CKFPC executive director Damon Chouinard, who says a regional scope is especially important in food-system research and decision-making. “Yet there is only one primary cold storage truck moving through the area and some smaller independent carriers.” The gap prompted development of the Grow and Connect Kootenay Distribution Project, one of three BC pilots taking place under the “Grow and Connect Interior” umbrella which also includes projects in the Kamloops and Boundary regions. All three pilots use the Grow and Connect software developed by TruGIS Consulting, specialists in GIS data tracking applications. In the Kootenays, the software is being used to automate the food distribution process, improve communication between producers, carriers and retailers, and create cost-eective options for producers to move their products throughout the region. “It’s challenging for our small-scale seasonal producers to nd a carrier they can aord. Those that are successful are usually transporting their own goods within the region, a time-consuming, inecient process that takes them away from producing. As a result, there are numerous examples of missed opportunities for new business, late deliveries and lack of capacity among producers to ll retail orders.” Rebecca Richards of Hedgehog & Heron Consulting initiated the Kootenay distribution pilot while working in rural and economic development out of Trail. Richards was contracted by CKFCP in 2023 to continue championing the project. “Initially, we looked at supply chain issues in multiple sectors and there was particularly strong interest from the food and agriculture sector,” Richards says. More than 30 producers, carriers and retailers have expressed interest in using the system, shared information about their transportation needs and participated in testing of distribution routes. Once the automation of existing food transportation routes is completed, a critical focus will be establishing aggregation points where multiple producers can drop o, store and consolidate goods to be picked up by participating carriers. Eventually the software will include an order status tracking application so that suppliers, retail customers and carriers have timely access to information about orders. Professional carriers can use the system to realize more business opportunities and ensure full loads when their trucks are on the road. Users can also conrm or adjust delivery times, and check on how products are stored and handled during transportation, and at aggregation points. A working model is expected to be available by mid-2025. At that point, system users will be able to use the information in the system to collaborate on the development of new routes and business partnerships. It is hoped the supply chain model will be adopted by other communities in BC. Kootenay Co-op marketing manager Amanda Verigan is enthusiastic about the potential. The co-op is the largest independent consumer-owned natural foods retail co-operative in Canada, and a major retail supplier of Kootenay-made food products. “This project has really grown from the initial concept to creation of real-life applications,” she says. “It demonstrates the importance of food supply research and how issues can be solved when multiple organizations work together to address them.” CKFPC was established in 2016 to promote a coordinated approach to resolving issues related to hunger, agriculture, land and water. It supports networking, public education, and research around local food systems in both municipal and rural areas in the central Kootenays.
24 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC@matsquiagrepairCall today to demo the SILOKING SelfLine 4.0 today!www.matsquiagrepair.com34856 Harris Rd, Abbotsford BC V3G 1R7604-826-3281The SILOKING SelfLine 4.0 System sets a new standard when it comes to increased efficiency, productivity and profitability. This innovative feeder proves that placing your trust in the technology of one of the world’s leading professional feeding equipment manufacturers means setting a new standard for what is possible in your farming operations. THE NEW STANDARD
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 25Don Gayton shows how a knapweed plant has been compromised by predator insects during a eld day at Havenwood Ranch. “Knapweed is collapsing across the Okanagan Valley,” says Gayton. “We will never be rid of it entirely but biological controls have really reduced it.” | TOM WALKERmeadowvalleymeats.com 1.800.665.9731 email: audreycifca@gmail.com395 Kinchant Street, Quesnel, B.C. V2J 5A3Producers can apply for an advance on calves, yearlings, lambs, bison, forage and grain up to $1,000,000.00 with the rst $250,000.00 being interest free. Plus, interest relief through the Advance Payments Program is available to association members on their feeder cattle purchases.TOM WALKER VERNON – A reliable, consistent water supply is key to supporting rotational grazing in the arid landscapes of the Okanagan Valley. “It can hit 38°C here in the summer,” says Mark French, who with his sister and North Okanagan Livestock Association president Lani French hosted a rotational grazing field day at Havenwood Ranch in the hills southwest of Vernon. Reclaimed wastewater from the city of Vernon is treated and piped to the MacKay reservoir where it provides irrigation water for local sports fields and agricultural land used for grazing and tree seed production. “The MacKay reservoir must be drawn down continually from April to October,” explains Lani. “So we have a consistent supply of water that allows us to put 85% of our home ranch under irrigation and we never really have to worry about water.” The Frenches have a pivot for their hay field as well as a travelling gun to water their pastures. “We were able to install the pivot four years ago, just before the prices went up,” Mark says. “It saves labour, our electricity cost to pump water has gone down by half and it is more efficient at controlling the amount of water that we put on that alfalfa field.” The combination of water and Okanagan sunshine (without wildfire smoke) made for an excellent hay crop this year. “Our hay barn hasn’t been this full in 20 years and we have hay outside as well,” Lani says. “I don’t think we will use half of it. It’s a nice position to be in.” The 17-acre calving pasture is also irrigated for grass hay after turn out. “Sometimes we take two cuts but this year we only needed one,” Lani comments. Rotations begin after the Simmental-Angus calves are born when 65 cow-calf pairs head to a south-facing slope of dry range just above the ranch to take advantage of early bunchgrass growth. “They really like that bunchgrass,” says Lani. But they don’t stay long. “The bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue and rough fescue that are native to ranges in the Okanagan are the meat and potatoes for cattle,” notes agrologist and grasslands ecologist Don Gayton. “But they did not evolve under bison grazing pressure like Prairie grasses, so it’s very important to not overgraze them to ensure a good regrowth.” Over-grazing weakens the native grasses and makes them more susceptible to invasives like cheat grass or knapweed. “Spring growth is the key for these grasses, so it is a real benefit to rest them every two or three years,” Gayton says. Those native grasses have a major role in carbon sequestration, Gayton explains. “They produce a Rotational grazing field day tracks progressBetter pastures, better herd health through intensive managementRotational grazing u
26 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCRotational grazing helps spread around organic material that enriches the soil and nourishes the pasture. | TOM WALKERu Rotational grazing pays offBCHA President Kym Jim 403-358-8935 BCHA Secretary Janice Tapp 250-699-6466 Book your Workshop orWebinar Training today! vbp@cattlemen.bc.cawww.vbpplus.caProducer Check-o Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333massive amount of very fine fibrous roots, going down sometimes a metre or more into the soil,” Gayton says. “A third of those roots die every year and become organic matter deep in the soil which has a real value in carbon sequestration.” An ability to retain protein is also unique to these grasses. “They are able to hold their protein content well into the fall as they dry up while most other grasses export their nutrients down into the ground as the weather cools,” says Gayton. “Those three species cure on the stem so this time of year you can find bluebunch with 7% all the way up to 12% protein.” After a couple of weeks on the spring range, the herd is split in two. About a third of the pairs go out to a range above Carrs Landing. “It’s about as dry as you can get and the water usually runs out in September so we bring them home mid-August just to be sure,” says Lani. A second group go to a neighbouring 300-acre leased pasture from May to September. And the third group rotate through three home pastures that total 240 acres. The first is also the winter-feeding pasture, and the practice of moving feeding sites spreads the organic matter from the hay and cows across the field. “We know that the soil organic matter in this field is improving,” says French. “We get better grass and fewer invasives” Putting water to the grass also changes the mix, says French. “We see more Kentucky bluegrass, orchard grass and clover. They respond to the irrigation and also recover from grazing better,” she notes. “Around the end of August, we bring everybody home for three weeks before we ship out our calves.” After the calves leave, the cows are turned back out to climb the hill for a second feed on the bunchgrass range that’s regrown over the summer. “After two good frosts we bring them back to graze the alfalfa field and in about two weeks it’s time to start feeding them,” Lani says. There is a whole basket of names and techniques for rotational grazing, Gayton says. “Continuous grazing, rotational grazing, rest rotation, deferred rest rotation, savory grazing, management intensive grazing – they all boil down to the same thing,” he says. “You have several pastures and you move the cows in an appropriate way. It may be a 1-2-3-4 rotation the first year and a 4-3-2-1 the next.” Rotational grazing is all about balancing the intensity of animals with the area that you have, says Gayton. “You don’t want to overpower the grass, but you also don’t want the animals wandering around and selecting what they eat,” he says. “It will take a couple of years to work out your rotation sequence and you also have to figure in the expense of cross-fencing and a fresh water source in each pasture.” Lani says they are already seeing positive results. “We’ve only been doing this for three years but we see that our mother cows are healthier, they breed better and they hold their weight when they are carrying a calf,” she says. “Our calf weights are also up, so all round we see benefits. We think there is room now to increase our herd size.” Survey says A producer survey by Statistics Canada in 2022 found that the primary motivations for BC producers adopting rotational grazing include on-farm conservation needs (48%), followed by a high level of confidence in the effectiveness of the practice (45%). This is above the Canadian average, where 40.5% of producers expressed confidence in being able to adopt the practice successfully. Nationally, beef producers reported a 36% confidence level. Dairy producers led the country in terms of seeking the conservation benefits as well as being confident in the potential benefits for the operations, with more than half of producers citing these reasons for their adoption of rotation grazing practices.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 27Choosing the right seed for the right eld is one thing, but getting the perfect cob really depends on the cooperation of Mother Nature. | ICMS / GARY COUKELLServing the Okanagan and Fraser Valley We’ve been proudly family owned and operated since opening in 1976. And with two blending plants, we’re one of BC’s largest distributors of granular, liquid and foliar fertilizers. Our buying power and proximity to the Fraser Valley makes us the logical choice for truckload shipments. OKANAGAN FERTILIZER LTD 1-800-361-4600 or 250-838-6414RONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – Knowing how silage corn may perform before buying seed is essential to ensuring the right choices are made for the future. But, uncertainty around future weather patterns should lead farmers to consider planting more than one variety – ideally including one for lower heat units. “The things we think about are: which one do I like best? What could come and get me from a pest management situation? How’s the spring going to be? And what’s going to be the fall pattern?” says Alexis Arthur, owner of Pacic Forage Bag Supply. “Maybe make some choices where you’ve got some of this and some of that so you’re covering a few bases.” Arthur sees putting low heat units in slower elds and mid or high-range heat unit varieties in stronger elds as a good balance. “It’s been four years of a lot of heat. This year didn’t provide that heat,” she says. Heat units in BC are dierent than those in Ontario, the Prairies and the US, so Arthur urges growers to talk to their rep rather than just trusting the package notes when choosing varieties. Learning more about seed and not pinning hopes on one variety is underscored by trials Arthur observed in Abbotsford and Enderby this summer. Vyeeld Farms on Sumas Prairie was planted with 28 hybrids on June 11 and the crop harvested on October 17. “In the low heat units, there was a very successful Pride Seeds [variety],” Arthur says. “Overall, the low heat units came through very well in this lower heat season. Especially in their starch production.” Not all the mid-heat or high-heat products were able to nish, and while they looked “beautiful and showy,” according to Arthur, they lacked the necessary starch for great feed. The stalks were tall and “willowy” but lacked full cob production. “You’re losing nishing time at the back end if you’re losing time at the front end,” she says of the cool springs at the front of the growing season and unpredictable falls at the back. “Even days on the front end could be weeks on the back end.” The results are not surprising given that reports indicate a reduction of, on average, 150 heat units across the province in 2024 compared to 2023. “In that mid-range, some of the really good production went to Pride as well as some to DLF Pickseed,” Arthur says. Moisture content was higher, in the 70s, whereas last year it was in the 60s. Similar results with high-heat unit varieties not nishing were seen in the Enderby trial, organized by Sila Grow. Twenty hybrids were planted on May 20 and harvested on October 3. “Overall the moistures were pretty low,” she says. “Some of the yields, compared to previous years, were perhaps a little lower.” She says a low-heat Thunder Seed variety had an “excellent” yield and a higher-heat unit Pride Seeds variety managed good moisture and a positive nish. But cob production was lacking in the higher-heat unit varieties, with overall smaller cobs related to the cool spring. “It absolutely aected emergence and early development,” Arthur says. “I think we see that in the back end.” Cool spring challenges high-heat cornLower heat unit silage corn saw equal or better performanceCorn trials uFOLLOW USLIKE US@countrylifeinbc1.800.663.6022 | silagrow.comterraseco.comTerra Seed Corp
28 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Corn trials FOR MORE INFORMATION and to find out if you are in a vulnerable aquifer recharge area or phosphorous-affected area, visit gov.bc.ca/NutrientManagementPlan, scan the QRCODE, or contact AEMCoPenquiries@gov.bc.ca.Code of Practice for Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM Code)UPDATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PLAN REQUIREMENTSAs of July 15, 2024, phosphorus-affected areas have been phased-in for nutrient management plan (NMP) requirements. YOU WILL NEED AN NMP FOR THE SPRING 2025 growing season ifyou areoperating in a vulnerable aquifer recharge area or a phosphorus-affected areaidentified in the AEM Code and you: apply nutrients (i.e., manure or fertilizers) to your land, and have an agricultural operation with a total agricultural land base of five hectares or more (this includes horticultural operations), and have a post-harvest nitrate soil test result of 100 kg N/ha (89 lb N/ac) ormore ina vulnerable aquifer recharge area, or have a phosphorus test of 200ppm or more in a phosphorus-affected areaShe expects farmers will need to supplement forage corn with more grain to achieve proper dietary volumes from this year’s harvest. “There’s going to be a need for grain supplementation,” Arthur says. “I think the digestibility going in will be higher. The cows will eat it up, but they’ll probably go through it a little quicker.” Rootworm pressure Rootworm pressure was an issue this year, even for farmers who haven’t had to deal with the pest in the past. “If you saw bugs this year, you’re going to see more next year,” Arthur says. Ideally, crop rotation is the best strategy for control, but she says the seed companies also oer a number of rootworm-resistant varieties including some in low and mid-heat units in addition to the typical high-heat unit varieties. A dealer of seed primarily on Vancouver Island, Richmond, Surrey, Delta and Langley, Arthur has stepped away from being a distributor. Instead, she works alongside other dealers like Vyeeld Farms and Ag Solutions in the Fraser Valley and Sila Grow in the Interior. RONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – ICMS regional manager Grant McMillan runs the fee-for-entry CowChow variety trials and had seven companies with 18 varieties at his Matsqui test site in Abbotsford and 17 in Salmon Arm this past season. Planting in Abbotsford was on May 13 with harvest on October 12. The average yield was 28 tons per acre. Strong yields were seen in DeKalb high-heat varieties (DKC42-04RIB, DKC44-80RIB and DKC45-74RIB) as well as in a Horizon mid-heat variety (HZ 2220) and an NK Seeds mid-heat variety (NK8558-AA). In Salmon Arm, planting was on May 30 with harvest on October 10. The highest yields were seen in a Horizon mid-heat variety (HZ 2220), a high-heat variety from Pride Seeds (A5686G2 RIB), a mid-heat variety from Proven Seed (PV 62683SRR) and a high-heat variety from Greenfield Genetics (EXP 90DV). While yield is an important measure, McMillan says plenty of other variables factor into selecting the right seed, including lodging, or stalk breakage. “When looking at the results, it’s not always about the yield,” he says. “At harvest we look at lodging and then moisture content. We also do a sample for feed analysis,” he explains. “Depending on the farmer and the program, they might have different numbers they look for or different things. One farmer might be big on starch, one might be big on protein.” Lodging was a much greater concern in Salmon Arm, where a September windstorm contributed to all varieties experiencing lodging at harvest. Just two varieties showed lodging in the Abbotsford trial, and then only a small amount. “If I’m planting late, I need a lower heat unit and how does that compare? It’s not always about the total tonnage, you have to look at the quality side, too,” McMillan says. He advises growers to look at this year’s data as well as results from previous years at [www.cowchow.ca]. “You need to look at this data for what fits into your growing schedule,” he says. “Or, you might have a field that’s wet and that is your first thing to harvest, so you might need a lower heat unit.” As was the case in Pacific Forage’s trials, McMillan also saw high starch volumes in mid and low-heat unit varieties. In Abbotsford, NK Seeds mid-heat variety (NK8558-AA) had the second-highest starch content at 47.1%, Greenfield Genetics achieved 43.8% starch with low heat variety, Exp 82 DV and Horizon’s mid-heat variety HZ 2220 had 42.4% starch. Good starch content was also seen from a range of other mid and high-heat varieties. In Salmon Arm, one low-heat Proven Seed variety (PV 61177SRR) had the third-highest starch content at 41.9% while DLF’s mid-heat variety DLF 2495RR was the second-highest starch content producer at 46.9%. “We’re always looking at getting better data,” says McMillan. “Right now, CowChow is focused on corn silage, but we want to make that the go-to for feed information for cattle. We’ll be expanding the trial program into other crops. We’re always looking at how we can get better.” It’s not all about the yieldCorn trials consider all the variables in producing ideal feed
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 29Panel celebrates waste reduction strategiesFarm Fest addresses plastic and animal byproducts Round bales make a convincing snow fort, but collecting the used wrap is a year-round priority for CleanFarms. | MYRNA STARK LEADERRARE OPPORTUNITY - Nestled along the Shuswap River, this exceptional 74-acre farm is perfect forthose seeking an agricultural lifestyle. It features two stunning European-built homes, a cozy cabin,and a suite in the barn, offering ample space for multiple families. The property is loaded withamazing features. A large vegetable garden, a dairy and milking parlour, a concrete-floored coverallbuilding, and a horse barn for all your animal and feed storage needs. A large farmers market store isideal for selling produce. It features cooling rooms, display coolers, a large freezer, and a backupgenerator. The land, currently planted with alfalfa, yields phenomenal crops. Two pristine creeksprovide super clean water for irrigation, ensuring your crops thrive. River islands on the propertyoffer endless recreational opportunities. The current feed inventory, animals, and equipment canbe bought separately, providing a turnkey solution for starting or growing your farming operation.This farm is more than a property; it's a lifestyle. With beautiful homes, extensive farming facilities,fertile land, and abundant water resources, it offers a perfect blend of comfort and functionality.Seize the opportunity to own this agricultural paradise and make your farming dreams a reality.Beautiful 67 acre lot with 4 bedroom home! This recently updated home is 3400+ sq ft.and features an open kitchen and living room with a wood burning fireplace. Primarybedroom on main floor featuring a walk in closet and 5 piece en-suite bath with soakertub. There is an additional 2 bedrooms and 1 full bathroom on the main floor. Downstairsthere is a bedroom, large rec. room / family room, as well as workshop that can double asadditional storage space. Outside you will find a large garden with raised garden beds fullof herbs and strawberries, as well as a playhouse and swing set. There is also a chickencoop with a large outdoor chicken run and an insulted shed with power. This lot ispartially irrigated and is mostly all farm able land. (37507896)26 BYERS, CHERRYVILLE, B.C. - $1,600,0001519 HWY 6, CHERRYVILLE, B.C. - $2,800,0005 Acres in Rosedale – 5 Bed/3 Bathstunning home. A brand-new 3-bay shop with an upper-floormodern 2,000 sq/ft suite. Suiteincludes 4 bedrooms, 2bathrooms, and AC! There are 2large layer barns & 1 pullet –20,00 Bird Quota. Additional shopw/ bathroom & 65KW generator.Price includes quota & inventory.51380 NEVIN ROAD,CHILLIWACKSOLD!PENDING49262 YALE ROAD,CHILLIWACKMeticulously 38.81ac estate w/ two homes.3700+ sq ft main house is a beautifulcustom-built home w/wood fireplace &vaulted ceilings. The secondary home is1900+ sq.ft. Operational broiler/breederw/1 pullet & 2 layer barns includes. 31,328transferable quota. Huge Shop with 5overhead doors and a 5-stall horse barnwith a second insulated shop. A largeoutdoor patio, pond & a horse arena. Twowells for irrigation and a 105 kW generatorfor farm & house.604-316-3244www.garybaars.comgarybaars@gmail.comRONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – Reducing on-farm waste has been an important topic for years, but farmers are putting a renewed emphasis on ways to share their wins while also finding beneficial solutions as food insecurity and climate disasters dominate public concern. “We really need to focus on making progress … not perfection. We actually are already sustainable in a lot of ways we shouldn’t ignore,” says George Dick, owner of Dicklands Biogas during a panel discussion at the BC Young Farmers Farm Fest in Abbotsford, November 19. Dick entered the biogas business seeking a better way to manage manure on his dairy farm as well as to diversify income streams. “As farmers, we’re good at managing biological processes,” he says. “So, if we look at that digester very similar to a cow and treat it that way, then that’s how you’re going to be the most successful in biogas.” The panel’s moderator was fifth-generation farmer Tyler Heppell, production manager with Heppell’s Potato Corp. in Surrey. He outlined the importance of establishing partnerships and making use of existing programs like the BC Farmers’ Food Donation Tax Credit, which offers a 25% provincial tax credit on food donations to charities such as the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. The Greater Vancouver Food Bank serves 15,000 people every month, giving it the kind of scale a larger grower like Heppell’s can supply. “We love partnering with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, because they serve a lot of clients and they can take a lot of potatoes off of us at once,” Heppell says. “As well, they believe in donating whole food to people.” With food donations worth $1.2 million last year, Heppell’s was able to reduce its provincial tax bill to almost nothing. It’s a good example of an opportunity where everyone benefits. “Farmers are very busy people and they’re very focused on the task at hand and the $20 or $30 an hour tasks, when oftentimes, partnerships like this are $1,000 an hour jobs that you’re saving your company,” he says. “There’s a lot of opportunity here because this is something that’s really needed.” Plastic recycling Pilot projects to recover agricultural plastics have kept Ontario-based CleanFarms special projects coordinator Carly Fraser busy over the last five years. With a focus on twine, bale wrap and silage plastics, she coordinates with a range of organizations. “On one end, we work with end-markets to convince them to take in plastics from agriculture,” Fraser says. “Some of that’s relationship-building and kind of destigmatizing the plastics that might be available through agriculture. A lot of it is developing the logistics of how are we getting it from farms, consolidated in larger quantities. Then we can send it to a recycler.” Partnerships with governments focus on financial aspects like grants or other incentives. “The pilots allow us to work through all of the different challenges that we might see and develop into a program that can become permanent,” she says. One pilot program underway is the adoption of the Kent Agriculture Plastics Recycling Program by CleanFarms. The District of Kent program began in 2011 but farmer participants lost their recycler in 2020. “The farmers in the Fraser Valley are facing different challenges than maybe some of the very large operations outside of Lethbridge,” she says, acknowledging how BC farmers have traditionally struggled due to low volumes. “We’re able to scale our solutions.” Sam Agassiz, plant manager with West Coast Reduction in Vancouver, says making feed and renewable fuels from rendered animal waste ensures full use of animals. “We’re a fourth-generation family-owned business,” Agassiz says. “And we’re the largest independent animal rendering company in Canada.” West Coast Reduction recycles over one billion pounds of animal byproducts each year. “Rendering has always been the underground recycling,” he says. “The technology really hasn’t changed. If we built a new plant today, it’s going to look similar to what we’ve built in the past.” To find new ways to make the business more sustainable, rendering plants are reducing water consumption, recovering heat and finding other efficiencies. FARMNEWSupdatesto yourinboxwww.countrylifeinbc.com
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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 31www.tubeline.ca 1.888.856.6613@TubelineMFGFind us onorganicfeeds@gmail.comPremium Feeds for Poultry, Hogs, and Dairy Cowscertified by Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd. CANADIAN ORGANIC FEEDSMYRNA STARK LEADER VERNON – Global sales have blossomed from an opportunity Rosemary and Christian Whelpdale discovered by accident on their four-acre farm in Vernon. “We had this native elderberry growing from under our shed,” explains Rosemary. “It was going to topple our shed and each time we cut it down, it came back more beautiful than ever.” Growing up on a grain and seed farm in the Peace, Rosemary knew that if something grows wild in a place, it likely has what it needs in the local environment. The Whelpdales had bought what’s now known as Elderberry Fields in 2017. The southwest-facing, gently sloping site had overhead irrigation and produced low-quality hay but they wanted a higher-value crop. Since the land had been spray-free, they hand-planted an acre of garlic and managed it along organic lines (but never sought certication). The cloves were processed into a line of freeze-dried garlic products. But the crop proved unprotable, demanding an unsustainable amount of labour. Rosemary’s parents advised her to “search for a perennial replacement crop.” With Rosemary’s interest in immunity-boosting plants, the Whelpdales sourced cuttings of eight to 10 varieties of elderberry from Elderberry Grove, an established producer in Salmon Arm and one of three in the Okanagan. Planted in 2021, 2022 and 2023, the predominant varieties include American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), European or black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) and blue elderberry (Sambucus cerulea), the species that threatened to topple their shed. Plants are spaced two feet apart in 400-foot rows with 12-foot row spacing. The plants, which are pruned back to about two feet each fall, grow to eight to 12 feet high during the season. Their early plants are close to mature, producing owers and berries. “At this point, it's an expensive hobby, but that's how farming starts”, Rosemary says. “The intent is making money, hopefully next year, but starting any berry crop, you have a lot of upfront input costs.” They installed drip irrigation, mulch the plants to maintain moisture and lower soil temperature in hot weather, and fertilize with chicken manure and a kelp-based product. “Our black PLA pipe expanded and contracted quite a bit, so we ended up putting a tiny quarter-inch line from the drip so that it could go on the plant. It’s been a learning curve and a lot of work,” she says. Generally, the plants have proved hardy but so are pests. “I was told deer don't eat elderberry, and they may not in other places, but they sharked our rst crop. Overnight, we lost about 50% to 60%,” explains Rosemary. Christian, a general contractor, resolved the problem by attaching eight-foot poles to the fence around the former hayeld and installing electric fencing at eight feet. It’s worked, and deters bears, too. The poles also provide perches for local hawks, who help keep voles in check. Starlings control hinges on reective tape the couple installed this year that cut losses from 35% last year to 10% this season. The rst crop of blossoms is removed because they don’t produce good fruit. Hand-harvesting the berries runs six weeks, from August to September. To preserve their high antioxidant content, the Whelpdales freeze-dry the berries and place them in cold storage. Having outgrown their own freeze-drying capacity, this year’s crop is going to a Vancouver company that can process 1,000 pounds in 48 hours, the same time they require to process 16 pounds. “Learning how to manage cold chain integrity has been a challenge. Berries don't last long unless they either get frozen or put in a fridge of some sort. But, the beautiful thing about elderberries is that they release more antioxidants after freezing,” Rosemary says. The berries, as well as the rst ush of blossoms, are the basis for a line of wellness products, including tinctures and syrups using the owers and the berries. This fall the Whelpdales will sell pruning cuttings. Rosemary has also made kits customers can use to make their own syrups or beverages, meeting demand for a more aordable product. The beverage industry has also been a good source of sales. “I really enjoy experimenting and seeing what works, what tastes good, what people like,” Rosemary says. Products are marketed online, through social media and at farmers markets. An Global sales blossom from native berry Elderberry Fields cultivates a species growing wild on the farmElderberries uRosemary Whelpdale and her husband have started a new crop and business on a Vernon hillside with elderberries. The business uses both the owers and the berries to produce their self-invented product line. | VANESSA GARRISON
32 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Elderberries !"#$%&FARM FEST 2024 aliate program that oers a 10% discount to buyers, with 10% commission for aliates, supports market penetration. “This way, you're not just putting money out there and hoping money comes back. You know that it's a sale,” she comments. “We ship all over the world, mostly within Canada, but to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the States.” Provincial funding supported the production of a written business plan and environmental farm plan, the latter being key to obtaining another grant that’s given them access to the services of business coach Andrea Gunner. The Whelpdales have gained knowledge and support from Rosemary’s parents, other elderberry growers and the agricultural community at large. “Elderberries are still so new in Canada. We’re always working to try to grow the best plant and product we can. And, we have this amazing group of local farmers that come together to support each other and help each other out,” says Rosemary. “If we've got something going wrong, if they can help, they will, and vice versa. We share knowledge.” So, funny thing. The winter weather is not unfolding the way I thought it would. Anyone else in that boat? I mean, where are the frosts? The snow squalls? The zero degrees rain mixed with snow? There’s plenty of standard-issue mud making life dicult, but I can’t go into the details here. I talked about mud last article, and everyone knows you can only bang on about it for so long before eyes glaze over and pages ip. Exciting news: we have a grizzly bear infestation. After having eetingly seen exactly one grizzly in my entire life up to now – and that happened over 40 years ago – I have in the past two years gazed upon several right here in the back yard. The rst opportunity for the leisurely contemplation of a grizzly bear occurred over dinner at the neighbours (wealthy dentists from the States). I walked over as usual, and was electried to spy a proper grizzly about 10 feet from the door to which I was heading. I stood frozen in fear, whilst gradually registering the fact it was far more interested in grazing the lawn than mauling me. I moved to the door without further ado, and we spent some time clustered around the window studying the magnicent animal before deciding it was time to move it along. At that point (as if the lawn grazing wasn’t a good enough clue, along with the proximity to highway trac, houses and people), we realized that we weren’t in the presence of the stereotypical wild version. The magnicent fascination vibe began to fade. He was unmoved by barking dogs and could not care less about the increasing volume of our yells and waving arms. We gave up and sat down to dinner. I walked past it again after dinner. Since then, as I say, they have become common viewing. On our farm, they mainly graze the lawns and elds, but they have also messed around in the fuel shed and destroyed two skookum chicken houses. They have been on the porch and in the barns. They respect strong electric fences and charging trucks with horns and lights. The vibe has declined even further to something akin to menacing rat. There has been a well-organized grizzly conservation eort active in our area in recent years. I think the idea was that grizzlies from the strong northern population would transit the outer fringes of the Pemberton Meadows on their way to populating the adjacent wilderness regions. I don’t think it was anticipated that the animals would settle into the valley because conventional grizzly wisdom is that they don’t like trac, elds, roads, noise, farms, dogs and people. None of that applies to our growing grizzly population: they are attracted and captivated. There is food growing in the elds, ungulates in the forests, sh in the rivers, and all kinds of new and exciting cuisine. Cover crops! Fuel cans! Chicken shed lumber! The living is easy, hunting is banned, and the views are to die for. There’s some question as to whether they’re even bothering to hibernate any more. The conservation people are scrambling to catch up with the new habits of this somewhat urbanized grizzly population. They must also contend with the human population – some in the throes of rarely stimulated hunter-gatherer and survival instincts, and others who think you just have to explain things more clearly to the bears so they can make better choices in life. We are being asked to co-exist, but Pemberton is no longer some remote outpost of civilization, carved out of the wilderness with nature dictating the course of human existence. These grizzlies are not wild and majestic: they like to graze lawns and try door handles. They’re still grizzlies, however. I’m not sure it’s worth the eort. Anna Helmer farms potatoes in the Pemberton Valley and tried not to rant. Why hibernate in such a friendly valley?Farm Story ANNA HELMERWEEKLY FARM NEWSUpdatesDirect to your INBOXKLY M WSateso yourINBOX
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 33Red Truck Trees opened on November 21 for the 2024 season. The team has cut Fraser, Nordmann and Noble rs but there remains plenty of u-cuts in the eld. | FACEBOOK / RED TRUCK TREES KATE AYERS CHILLIWACK – While the last four years have not been overly cheery for the Christmas tree sector due to various extreme weather events, 2024 offered a kinder growing season in the Lower Mainland with critical rainfall and summer temperatures closer to seasonal norms. “It's a good growing year this year. Lots of rain, cooler temperatures all through summer. So, we didn't see near as much burning on the needles,” says Pine Meadows Tree Farms co-owner Tim Loewen of Chilliwack. Indeed, timely rains in some regions prompted tree growth, which will help with future supply. “It seems like this year is a turnaround, especially for the BC area, because they have had so many years in a row from the extreme flooding to the heat domes to the forest fires,” says Canadian Christmas Trees Association executive director Shirley Brennan. “They've had to combat a lot, and this year Mother Nature was a little bit gentler.” That said, Loewen is still seeing the impacts of the 2021 heat dome in his plantations where the second-generation producer mainly grows true fir and some spruce trees for wholesale, u-cut and fresh cut. “A lot of the younger ones that got so badly damaged, we’re trying to push them through harvest now they're of size and they still do show where literally the trees got burnt back so far that they're misshapen a little bit,” he says. “We're hoping in the next couple of years to flush through the rest of that and move along. But I always try and tell customers that your tree tells a bit of a story and in that year, we had a heat dome and then a flood.” Indeed, even for established producers, heat, drought and wildfire continue to present risks to their businesses. Tight supplies “The last three or four years we've had drought and really hot summers, and it really affects the new plantings,” says owner of South Surrey’s Red Truck Trees Larry Whitehead. “One- or two-year-old seedlings don't have much of a root system to withstand drought.” During last year’s drought, he lost almost all the seedlings on his five-acre farm. He wasn’t alone; he talked with another grower who lost 4,000 seedlings, the equivalent of nearly four acres of production. The effects of weather means tree supply is tight, but still adequate thanks to forward-planning by producers. “I'm importing trees again this year. We've imported trees every year for over 10 years now that we've either brought from eastern Canada or up from the States,” Loewen says. “I'm short this year on trees for sure, like our own production. … We've got a lot of trees that aren't good enough quality because of weather events. Supply is quite limited this year, but I think people will always get their tree. It just might not be the tree they want.” According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, between 2011 and 2021 BC lost 230 Christmas tree farms and 3,333 acres. With demand up and acreage down, BC brings in trees from other provinces and south of the border. “I get calls from California, Jamaica and other parts of the world looking for BC-grown Christmas trees. And we don’t even grow enough to supply our own retail customers,” Whitehead says. “We need to probably do a feasibility study to educate government on this industry. I don’t think they are paying any attention to this industry and as a result it’s continued to decline year after year.” Whitehead estimates BC imports about one million Christmas trees every fall from Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, Quebec and Ontario. To help meet the growing demand for real, local trees around the holidays, the BC Timely rains support Christmas tree supply2024 offered reprieve from significant weather challenges Trees uFOLLOW USLIKE US@countrylifeinbc
34 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Trees Christmas Tree Association has put in a concerted effort over the last year to recruit new growers to the sector. The association attracts curious potential growers with a booth at Abbotsford’s Pacific Agriculture Show in January, fields questions through its website and shares information through its executive members, says BCCTA director Ryan Murphy, owner of Maple Ridge’s Murphy’s Christmas Tree Farm. At the national level, the Canadian Christmas Trees Association has also been working to increase awareness and interest in trees. “One of the things that we're talking about is how do we get the younger generation into Christmas tree farming,” Brennan says. “It's just having those conversations more so than focusing on educating the public. … Our message has changed on the national front.” For example, new entrants can diversify their operations to also offer annual crops and cut down the time between investment and return, Brennan says. “We are seeing more and more young people coming into farming and they're looking at this from a totally different perspective. It's not just farming Christmas trees or it's not just farming pumpkins, it's agri-tourism. They want you coming to their farms more than once a year,” Brennan says. “So that 10-year-old paycheque is happening faster. … Those all around agri-tourism and sustainable practices in our industry are key things that we continually work on.” Positive outlook Overall, growers are positive about the upcoming holidays and potential harvests. “We had met with some of our delegates in BC and they were really positive about the upcoming season,” Brennan says. “We've still had our weather issues, but they weren't anything like they have been in the last few years, so our farms are up, they're vibrant.” For now, producers are waiting for a frost. “The trees do look pretty good for the most part this year, so we're happy about that. We need a frost because it helps us big time,” Loewen says. “We distinctly try to wait for a frost before we harvest trees because it sets the needles in harder, and it makes them more resilient.” Many Christmas tree businesses in BC are open for business by December 1. This year’s BC Christmas Tree Association annual general meeting in Maple Ridge focused on networking and sharing skills to new and upcoming growers. “It actually went really well,” says association director Ryan Murphy of Murphy’s Christmas Tree Farm in Maple Ridge. “We were expecting 60 and I think we ended up with about 75 to 80 farms represented.” Held in September, the event focused on helping new growers connect with more experienced producers who could show them a few trade secrets. “Some of our senior members … gave different tips and demonstrations in the field,” Murphy says. “Some of them are our larger growers here in BC, so it's a really good source of information for anybody, particularly the guys that are coming into the industry.” The day also covered such topics as disease risks, pesticide and fertilizer applications, and pruning and shearing techniques. “Some of them are in year two or year three, which is still pretty new and they're starting to experience things that we saw years and years ago,” Murphy says of younger growers. “You can read about it and you can YouTube things, but when you actually come into the field and you have somebody experienced talking to you … [you realize] there's different contrasts to different techniques.” —KATE AYERS BCCTA AGM opportunity for knowledge transferTRACTOR TIME VICTORIA 250.474.33014377C Metchosin Rd. 30 mins from Victoria and 15 mins from Hwy#1in Metchosin.HANDLERS EQUIPMENTABBOTSFORD 604.850.36012635 Sumas Mountain Rd.HOUSTON 250.845.3333 2990 Highway Crescent MAHINDRA 26with snowblowerWE HAVE MOVEDHYUNDAI HL955Ahandlersequipment.comtractortime.com
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 35Keep it simple – from concept to execution – is the best advice for on-farm demonstration projects. | RACHAEL ROUSSINVANESSA FARNSWORTH PENTICTON – On-farm research projects could help producers grappling with the impacts of a changing climate understand and adapt to the new realities. “Whether you’re growing alfalfa or cabbages or corn or lettuce, it doesn't really matter,” says Catherine Taraso, a Kamloops-based agrologist and owner of Agrowest Consulting Scientists. “All producers are probably experiencing something where you’re like, ‘I had my traditional farming practices. We’ve been doing it this way for decades, if not generations, and the changes in climate are throwing a monkey wrench into how I do things.’” Although this kind of producer-led research goes by many names, Taraso likes to refer to it as on-farm demonstration research to highlight that the results aren’t intended for publication but instead provide a producer with site-specic data they can use to optimize their farm operations in the face of a changing climate. “It’s very personal to what you want to do. It’s [intended] to answer a very specic need or question that you have,” Taraso told Organic BC’s annual conference in Penticton last fall. You don’t need to be out there on your hands and knees counting how many seedlings came up. It should be quick and fast and you should be able to incorporate it into your everyday practices without a ton of extra work.” To be successful, Taraso says this kind of research needs to conform to a specic set of criteria, including what she refers to as her Rule of 10. “If you’re doing forage, you throw 10 hoops out there. If you’re measuring yields, you need to have 10 broccolini plants or 10 blueberry bushes,” she says. “Probably the hardest part is just to make sure that you have enough sampling. That's not to make you do unnecessary work, it’s so that you’ll have condence in your results.” In recent years, Taraso has assisted farmers in determining the best timing for cutting alfalfa, the seeding rates that produce the most cost-ecient alfalfa yields, the eectiveness of forage radish in increasing the inltration of snowmelt into compacted soils, and the impact of mulching on soil moisture uctuations in a cherry orchard. “Sometimes the hardest thing for the producer is to decide what they want to do,” she says. “There are so many ideas, farmers often don't really know how to get started. It just seems overwhelming.” Taraso notes that it isn’t her job to tell a farmer what issue their research project should focus on, pointing out that producers are typically well aware of what knowledge they lack and how it prevents them from optimizing their farm operations. Her job is to guide farmers and support them through the process so that they end up with results that are both accurate and actionable. “You know what your farming operations are,” she says. “You know where you’re either struggling with not being able to do what you were traditionally doing or where you see opportunities to diversify or try something new.” Taraso advises farmers not to stray too far from what’s familiar when determining what their on-farm research projects are going to be. Building on knowledge they already have is often better than taking a leap into the unknown with a new crop or process that’s completely divorced from their accumulated experience. “I always suggest that people don't try to reinvent the wheel,” she says. “With on-farm demonstration research, take something that you already know works … and just change one little thing about it.” Taraso has some additional advice for anyone contemplating doing some on-farm research. “The key part is dening your goal, knowing what you want to do, why you want to do it, and how it’s going to feed back into your goal and then sticking with the program,” she says. “And keep it really simple.” On-farm research doesn’t have to be complicatedThe objective is to end up with accurate and actionable resultsFARMNEWSupdatesto yourinboxwww.countrylifeinbc.comfrom 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 Parm Kooner 604-360-1740Teresa McKinley 250-618-4316 Alecia Karapita 250-318-8142 Lauren Klade 604-217-3950 Justin Van Dorp 604-824-5034 FOR ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO GO UPVAN DER WAL EQUIPMENT (1989) LTD.3080T TELESCOPIC WHEEL LOADER 23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6 604/463-3681 | vanderwaleq.com
36 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCSome manners would go a long way with Deltaelse together. The trail you’re on is a dead end and I’m not going there. You keep working on your horse and knock the dust o those manners and we’ll see how it goes.” His shoulders gave a resigned shrug and he said goodbye as he went through the door. “Don’t forget your hat, pardner,” called Delta. ttt Kenneth went to the store to check for mail. He didn’t have his box-key, so he went inside to ask Lois to sh it out of the back of the box for him. Junkyard Frank was still at the coee club table. “Is that you, Mr. Henderson?” “Of course, it’s me. Who did you think it was?” “I do beg your pardon, Mr. Henderson. As God is my witness, I could have swore you were the ghost of Taller O’Shea himself come back from the grave.” “Okay, Frank. I’ll bite,” said Kenneth. “Who on earth is Taller O’Shea? And why on earth would he want to come back here?” “I nd it hard to believe you never heard of Taller O’Shea. He’s about the best singer with the best band we ever had here. Was a time when he’d play two or three times a year at the community hall. Once he even came and played for the Valentine’s When we left o last time, Kelli from Country Style had Kenneth all decked out in full cowboy regalia – and when he arrived at Delta’s the next day, she was unable to stie her amusement at the get-up. Rural Redemption, part 177, continues ... Delta set two cups of coee on the kitchen table. Kenneth pulled out a chair and started to sit down. “Are you really serious about this cowboy thing?” asked Delta. “I’m really serious about you.” Good answer, thought Delta. “So, you should probably know, real cowboys don’t wear their hats to the table.” Kenneth ducked out from under his hat. “In fact, real cowboys take their hats o when they come into the house.” “Okay; I’ll bite. What would a real cowboy do with his hat?” “I believe a real cowboy would hang it on one of the coat hooks in the hall.” said Delta. Kenneth took his hat to the hall and was about to sit down again when Delta caught his eye. “What now?” “A real cowboy wouldn’t sit down before a lady, especially one he was really serious about.” Kenneth was growing frustrated and just a little angry. “Give me a break, Delta. Is there some secret code of cowboy conduct I need to know about?” “It’s not a secret code, and it’s not just for cowboys. Where I was raised, we called it manners.” “I know what manners are,” said Kenneth, just a little bit crossly. “I thought women’s lib did away with all that hold-the-door and call-me-a-lady malarky.” “Women’s liberation is no excuse for poor manners, Kenneth. Good manners needn’t be condescending. I think you’ll nd most women will give you the opportunity to be a gentleman. I certainly will.” “How are you supposed to know if they will or won’t? Just because they are women doesn’t mean they are ladies.” “Ah, my grandmother Poindexter gave excellent advice about that: she said a gentleman should always assume a woman is a lady until she demonstrates otherwise. Manners don’t count for much if you don’t use them, do they? I’m curious, did you treat Deborah like a lady?” Kenneth pondered the question in silence. “Well?” said Delta. “Deborah was my wife; she didn’t expect that kind of treatment.” “Didn’t expect it or just didn’t get it?” “What are you driving at, Delta? Are you saying I don’t have manners?” “I’ve been down this road before, Kenneth. Rickey was all the charming Southern gentleman when we got together, but it wasn’t long before all that started fading away and I was just along for the ride – taken for granted and playing second ddle to his big ego and grand ideas. Just like Deborah was.” “You don’t know anything about me and Deborah.” “Oh, Kenny,” chuckled Delta. “Don’t you know that ladies like to talk to one another? About all kinds of dierent things? Especially about what they might have in common?” Kenneth was exasperated. “I came here to talk about me and you going riding horses on the trail. I bought all of these clothes and a truckful of horse stu so me and you can go riding horses on the trail. How did we end up here, criticizing my manners and comparing me to your ex-husband?” “We ended up here because this is where we have to go before we go anywhere Woodshed Chronicles BOB COLLINSdance. Even brought his little daughter along to sing a couple of songs before the drinking and ghting got started. Used to sell out the day the posters went up every time. One time, one of Wendell Gates’ daughters came to the dance and ran o with the banjo player when it was over.” “Wendell Gates?” “Yeah, Wendell used to own the Texaco garage in town, and he had four pretty daughters but no sons. Wendell said the girls were all too pretty to be working in the garage, so he sold it after he got too old to keep up with it.” “Very interesting,” said Kenneth. “When was all this then?” “All what? All the dances, or the elopement dance, or when Wendell sold the garage?” “The dances will do.” “Oh, there was a pile of them, right through the 50s and maybe the early 60s. I was a high stepper back in those days, boy.” “Before my time I’m afraid,” said Kenneth. “Mine, too,” said Lois handing him a stful of yers from the mailbox. “Take my word for it, Lois, when Mr. Henderson gets himself all duded up like this he looks like Taller O’Shea himself. I bet if you took his picture and put it up a poster you could still sell out the hall.” Frank got up and grabbed Kenneth’s hand. He said it was just like shaking hands with Taller O’Shea himself and took a sele while he was at it. The word was out by the time Kenneth got back to Newt’s with the yers. “How was everything at the store?” “Same gang of mists, same old BS.” “You must have just missed all the excitement then. Apparently there’s someone who looks just like Taller O’Shea in the store. Old Frank seems pretty excited. He even took a picture.” “You knew this Taller person then?” “Oh, I sure did. Everybody around here knew Taller O’Shea back in the day. He even put out some records. Sold some at the dances. There might even be one or two still in the old record cabinet. One time at one of the dances one of Wendell Gates’ daughters, Carol if I remember rightly, ran o with one of the band members. The bass player, I think.” “So I hear,” said Kenneth. “And let’s hope that’s the last I hear of it.” But that was far from the last that Kenneth Henderson would hear of Taller O’Shea. ... to be continued 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! www.countrylifeinbc.com/subscribeCREDIT CARD # _________________________________________________________________ EXP _____________ CVV _____________ o NEW o RENEWAL | o ONE YEAR ($18.90) oT WO YEARS ($33.60) o THREE YEARS ($37.80) Your Name _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________ City __________________________________________ Postal Code ________________ Phone _________________________ Email ________________________________________ MAIL TO: 36 DALE RD, ENDERBY, BC V0E 1V4 subscriptions@ countrylifeinbc.com Please send a _______ year gift subscription to ______________________________________________________________ Farm Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________________________________________________ City _________________________________________________ Postal Code ________ ______________________________ Phone _________________________ Email _______________________________________________________________
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC DECEMBER 2024 | 37Young rancher honoured for leadershipMaartje van Lindert receives Brian Good Memorial ScholarshipMaartje van Lindert is using the Brian Good Memorial Scholarship she won to study at Lakeland College in Alberta. She and her ancé have big plans to raise purebred Angus in the North Okanagan. | SUBMITTEDKATE AYERS ARMSTRONG – Maartje van Lindert and her ancé Cole Hoefer of Armstrong are doing their part to lower the average age of farmers in BC while developing high-quality Red Angus for Western Canada. Van Lindert’s passion for and commitment to advancing the beef sector won her the top 2024 Brian Good Memorial Scholarship from the Canadian Angus Foundation, valued at $3,000. “It was quite emotional for me,” van Lindert says of the award. While she loves learning, high school was a challenge as she juggled her studies with full-time work as a recent immigrant. But her ambitions and visions were clear in the essay that accompanied her scholarship application. “I wrote exactly what we wanted to do, what my interests and everything are. … We want this to be our lifelong career path,” van Lindert says. “It was one of the rst times in my life I felt proud to be able to accept something like this and I was very appreciative of it coming from the [Canadian] Angus Association. That was very cool since we are new members.” The nancial impact is also signicant in helping fund her post-secondary education. Van Lindert, along with her parents and two older brothers, immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands in 2005. The family purchased acreage in Salmon Arm and leased land to livestock producers as they established themselves. “We had horses and cows boarding just to help pay for some bills and help my parents out. And I just really gravitated towards that. I was really excited about agriculture,” says van Lindert. This led her to join the local 4-H club, showing horses through the club for six years. In 2015, van Lindert met Hoefer, who was showing commercial Red Angus cattle. “I absolutely fell in love,” she says of the cattle. “Within two months, I went to his grandparents’ place and I bought my rst set of animals.” From there, the couple built up a commercial herd at Hoefer’s farm in Armstrong, becoming the third generation at the helm. Cole’s grandparents bought the property in 1972 and used to have 3,000 pigs. He has been managing daily operations of the grain and hay farm since 2012 with help from his dad. Last year, van Lindert and Hoefer inherited Ricardo Creek Ranch and decided to transition to purebred Red Angus. “We only have 12 [cows] right now,” van Lindert says. “I said to Cole, ‘If we’re going to do something, let's do something that counts and something that we can turn into a career, not just some extra cash.’” To build out their herd, the couple went to the 2023 Canadian Western Agribition with a plan to buy between ve and 10 animals, but the sharp rise in cattle prices last fall meant their budget maxed out at two. Instead, they walked through the barns to network with purebred producers and met Sheldon Kyle from Kenray Ranch in Saskatchewan. They ended up buying nine of his heifers and used artical insemination to breed half of them to a purebred bull and the other half to a commercial bull. This fall, van Lindert bought a heifer calf from Rafter SJ Angus in the Peace region near Montney. “We have big plans and we're wanting to get to probably 150 head,” van Lindert says. “We've got a couple potential big pasture contracts lined up that we're trying to work with and taking over some pastureland from Cole’s grandparents.” The couple, who plan to marry next year, are also looking into grants to support the development of their operation. “We were just in awe at what some of these producers are doing in the purebred world, and we didn't want it to be something that was on the back burner,” she says. A solid education is part of the equation, with the Brian Good scholarship supporting van Lindert’s studies in the two-year animal science technology diploma program at Lakeland College in Alberta. “Cole and I just really want to see this cow career turn into something big,” she says. “A huge part of it was the education, but also just the opportunities and the doors that the college can open for you. I've been here three months, and I cannot believe how many things we are already implementing on the farm.” The Brian Good Memorial Scholarship honours former Canadian Angus Association sta member Brian Good, who passed away in July 2022 following 21 years of service with the association. Two awards totaling $5,000 are presented each year to post-secondary students, recognizing overall livestock industry commitment, community involvement and leadership activities. The inaugural scholarship was presented last fall. This year’s recipients also included Kasen Wilson of Drumheller, Alberta, who was awarded second place with $2,000. Purchase a gift SUBSCRIPTION toCountry Life inBCthegiftthat givesall year
38 | DECEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCDecember is a busy month, with the ocial arrival of winter at the solstice, December 21, and the start of gradually longer hours of light each day; Christmas and Hanukkah; then the conclusion of the calendar year with a New Year’s Eve celebration at the end of December. Food, of course, is a highlight of all our celebrations, often with traditional foods being brought out, triggering memories of past celebrations and the people who shared them with us. There’s lots of emotions ying around during this month as we remember loved ones who have passed on and the occasions we’ve marked in the past with them, and as we contemplate the future and make plans for what we wish to accomplish in a new year. Getting together with loved ones, whether friends or family, is a feature of events during this month, and everyone needs to eat, so celebratory foods are in order. Finger food and sweets often highlight the oerings, so I’ve tested a few possibilities for you to try this December as you meet with loved ones and share a celebration or two and a bite. Remember that moderation is responsible and healthy, as you are tempted to have just one more sweet square or beverage. Don’t be ashamed to say, “No, thank-you,” or turn away from that appealing tray of drinks or rich food. You’ll feel better in the end for your forbearance at the time. And, on the healthy kick, in what is often a month of not very healthy choices, try to stay active in December, despite the ice and snow outside, the cooler weather and shorter days. At the least, take a walk every day; at the best, go skiing or snowshoeing for a few hours, or head south and go golng or hiking every day under sunny skies. Whatever you do, have a fun December celebrating each day as it dawns and welcoming in a new year with open arms and high expectations. Much to celebrate in DecemberThese mini latkes with a dot of lemon cream are delicious appetizers, no matter what the occasion. | JUDIE STEEVESJude’s Kitchen JUDIE STEEVESMINI LATKES WITH LEMON CREAM DROPSLatkes are traditionally served during Hanukkah, but these little appies would be suitable for any occasion. 2 Russet potatoes (about 1 lb.) 1 small onion 1 egg 2 tbsp. (30 ml) our 1/4 tsp. (1 ml) chili akes salt and freshly-ground black pepper oil, for frying, with butter, for avour Lemon Cream Drops: 3 tbsp. (45 ml) cream cheese 1 tbsp. (15 ml) plain yogurt 1/2 tsp. (3 ml) minced lemon zest 2 tsp. (10 ml) lemon juice 1 tsp. (5 ml) minced chives or green onions • Grate Russet potatoes and mince onion into a medium-sized bowl. Add egg and beat, then add the remaining ingredients and mix well. • Heat a generous drizzle of oil and a dab of butter in a large frypan over medium-high heat and dab small spoonfuls of the mixture onto the pan, pressing down to make a bite-sized, at cake. • Turn when the bottoms are nice and brown and crisp. Remove when the other side is brown too, about 10-15 minutes in total. • Serve hot. • To make the Lemon Cream Drops, soften the cream cheese and add yogurt and lemon juice. Zest a lemon and mince it nely; mince chives or the green part of a green onion and combine with the cream cheese mixture. • Add a dab to each little potato pancake, garnished with a bit of minced green. • Makes about three dozen appies. FROZEN YOGURT PUMPKIN PIEThis is a refreshing, make-ahead dessert that’s perfect to follow a turkey dinner – or any meal. Graham cracker crust base: 2 c. (500 ml) graham cracker crumbs 1/4 c. (60ml) sugar 1/3 c. (80 ml) butter Filling: 1 1/2 c. (325 ml) plain canned pumpkin (or 12-15 oz. roasted) 1 c. (250 ml) brown sugar 1 tsp. (5 ml) cinnamon 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) allspice 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) cloves 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) nutmeg 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) salt 8 c. (2 l) vanilla frozen yogurt • Pre-heat oven to 350° F. • Prepare the crust by melting the butter in a large glass bowl in the microwave oven and adding the sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Mix thoroughly and press into the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes and cool completely. • To make the lling, combine mashed pumpkin, sugar and spices in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil; then remove from heat and cool. You may roast your own pumpkin, peel and mash to use instead of the plain canned pumpkin. • Combine the pumpkin mixture with the frozen yogurt and spoon onto the graham cracker crust base. • Freeze for at least a couple of hours. Remove to fridge for a few minutes before slicing to serve. Food makes the season extra special
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