Return to flip book view
Postmaster, Please return Undeliverable labels to: Country Life in BC 36 Dale Road Enderby, BC V0E 1V4CANADA POSTES POST CANADA Postage paid Port payé Publications Mail Post-Publications 40012122Vol. 110 No.7The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 JULY 2024 | Vol. 110 No. 7ORCHARDS Stabilization initiative yet to bear fruit 7 BEEF Persistent drought conditions have ranchers on edge 13 ABATTOIRS Telkwa producers step up to provide slaughter services 21 PETER MITHAM BURNABY – The BC Milk Marketing Board will not resume deductions from producer returns to fund Dairy Innovation West (DIW) following a request from the BC Farm Industry Review Board. BC FIRB directed BC Milk on May 22 to cease any participation in funding arrangements for DIW, given its status as a regulator rather than a shareholder in DIW. BC Milk told BC FIRB in February it had made two payments totalling $310,335.45 funded by transportation levies BC Milk deducts from producer returns. The deduction amounted to 23 cents per hectolitre, a small amount in itself, but signicant as producers continue to wrestle with tight margins. The deductions were set to resume this month. BC’s share in DIW are held by the Dairy Industry Development Council, which anted $1.5 million this spring to cover BC’s portion of $8 million in costs not covered by the project’s $70 million construction loan from Farm Credit Canada. There was no update at press time how BC would cover its remaining share of the $8 million (a sum of approximately $1 million). “[DIDC] is working with fellow shareholders on solutions to ensure the project is a success,” a statement to Country Life in BC says. BC FIRB says it is in discussions with BC Milk regarding its activities with respect to DIW and the larger transformation initiative underway within the Western Milk Pool. A well-maintained irrigation system makes for well-maintained orchards, as Lake Country orchardist Bruce Naka demonstrates during the Lake Country Farmers Institute social at the Alfred family’s 99 Rows Venue and Vineyard on June 5. “This high-density orchard is about 40 years old,” said Naka, “and it shows that if you install a good irrigation system and maintain it, it lasts.” Water is anything but a dry topic for farmers, many of whom are facing a third year of drought despite a reprieve this spring as cool weather brought gentle rains to the southern half of the province. | MYRNA STARK LEADER BC Milk halts deductionsKATE AYERS ABBOTSFORD – Ottawa has denied millions in funding to the three municipalities hit hardest by the 2021 atmospheric rivers. Abbotsford, Merritt and Princeton received written notice at the end of May that their applications to the federal Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund were rejected due to a lack of information. The application packages each totalled more than 500 pages, leaving the mayors Feds refuse long-awaited financial support Liquid goldPromise betrayed uRooted in your community® since 1973www.tlhort.com1-800-661-4559SeedPlant NutritionCrop ProtectionSuppliesServiceDisaster fund denied
2 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC“abbergasted,” according to Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens. “This is the most productive farmland in the country, and for us to get zero … I mean, we knew we weren't going to get the whole amount, but we were expecting a substantial chunk,” Siemens says. “We were just absolutely astounded.” The three municipalities each received similar responses, the only dierence being the recipients addressed at the top of each letter. Abbotsford’s long-term DMAF application included three projects totalling $1.6 billion, Siemens says. If approved, $66 million would have been used for upgrades to the Barrowtown Pump Station, $870 million for a new Sumas River pump station and $120 million for ood storage and habitat enhancement work. Earlier this year, the province announced $76 million for the rst of the three projects, increasing the Barrowtown Pump Station’s resiliency with wing walls to protect the facility. A round of federal funding would have supported design work and the ordering of equipment. “This [provincial funding] was a very clear message to the federal government that the province takes this issue in our valley, here in our region, in our province, very seriously,” Siemens says. In Merritt, $48 million was requested to reinforce the Main Street bridge as well as to repair pump stations and other damaged equipment. In addition, as part of the Coldwater Land Acquisition Plan, the city requested $21 million to acquire land and build a dike that would protect over 1,270 homes. Merritt will continue to push for federal support and met with DMAF representatives on June 12. “The one thing that will never happen with this mayor and council is we'll never let this ball stop rolling. We need to protect our citizens,” says City of Merritt mayor Mike Goetz. “Considering we had Minister Blair here telling everybody how much he had our back and we wouldn't be forgotten, the exact opposite has happened.” The dairy sector also expressed disappointment in the decision. “Infrastructure failure poses a signicant threat to Sumas Prairie farms, who generate economic benets for the Abbotsford community, in addition to contributing to our provincial food supply,” BC Dairy general manager Jeremy Dunn says in a statement. “It is crucial for government to take the steps needed to ensure that our local and provincial infrastructure is upgraded to protect our homes, our businesses and our provincial economy from future impacts related to extreme climate events fueled by ongoing climate change.” The new federal funding would further the initial recovery work funded through a historic, $228 million recovery package former federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and her BC counterpart Lana Popham announced in February 2022. The funds followed a December 2021 visit to Oranya Farms in Abbotsford to see rst-hand the damage the ooding had caused and pledge their governments’ support for the sector. Oranya owner Corry Spitters operates four farms on Sumas Prairie and lost about 200,000 birds in the ooding that fall. “They came to my farm,” says Spitters, who considers the latest federal rejection a betrayal. “Bibeau assured us with Lana Popham … that Ottawa was going to be there to x this problem, to be there to support the local farmers. And now they're reneging on it.” Siemens says the ball is now in the province’s court. “Next steps are really to get people to make this a federal government issue. The province [has] given us some good support, but we'll be relying on them to amplify our voice,” he says. u Promise betrayed, says farmer who hosted ag ministersFamily Farm Friendly Financial Planning Services.Holistic financial planning for your family farm now and into the future. Patrick’s proven financial and estate planning program provides income, security, and tax minimization to help ensure the most effective decisions are made now, and on an ongoing basis.Please contact me to schedule your complimentary, no-obligation discussion at 604.467.5321 | patrick.obrien@rbc.com References are available.1.877.272.2002 | www.patrick-obrien.ca#200-11980 227th St. Maple Ridge, B.C. V2X 6J2Meanwhile, UBC researchers are calling for the return of Sumas Lake, drained to create Sumas Prairie in 1924, as a means of creating a more ood-resistant landscape. The idea doesn’t hold water for producers. “Did anyone ask them where the food is going to come from?” asks Gary Baars, who owns a dairy farm in the Sumas area and grows hay and cash crops. “There's lots of studies out there, but a lot of them don't have anything to do with what's practical or pragmatic. They're looking at it from simply one angle.” Many farmers are grappling with high input costs and public pressures without university researchers telling them they shouldn’t be farming their land, he adds. Where else would farmers grow the high-value nutritious vegetable crops that thrive in the at’s soils, he asks. “You can't even grow a lot of those crops on other land in BC,” he says. “That's why you don't see everybody leaving here even though it's ooded. It's not like you can just go farm the same crops in Chilliwack or Delta. It's just not that simple.” UBC researchers propose a buy-out of properties on the lakebed, which they say would cost around $1 billion based on assessed values. The report doesn’t take market value into account or factor in lost revenue and other costs, but money is the least of the issues for Baars. What’s really at stake is food security. “The issue is that there's thousands of acres of phenomenal farmland that are feeding people,” he says. “There are millions of people that live within 100 kilometres of the Sumas ats that literally get fed fresh produce a large part of the year from that land. … People are going into food banks, and we have a food crisis in our country. Why would you drown farmland? Unless you have an answer to that, there's no point talking about the math.” Siemens agrees. “This is the most productive farmland in the country. We have three, four generations of families that have poured their heart and soul into [their farms]. This is not just their homes and their life, this is provincial food security,” Siemens says. “[And] if we're going to relocate those farms, where on earth do you think we are going to nd that productive of farmland in the province of British Columbia?” Sumas First Nation did not respond to an interview request before deadline, but Chief Dalton Silver has gone on the record speaking against displacing those living, working and farming on Sumas Prairie, saying it would echo the injustice done to his own people when Sumas Lake was drained. MEA CULPA We were mortied when several readers called us out on the photo used with the story Chicken growers welcome new longterm pricing in our June edition. The photo was of caged laying hens, not broilers. We sincerely apologize for the error (and welcome photos of your meat birds).ABBOTSFORD, BC Bus. 604/807-2391 email: tractorparts4sale@shaw.caWe accept Interact, Visa and Mastercard MAHINDRA 4565 2WD, 52 PTO HP, 400 HRS, LIKE NEW . . . $35,000 WHITE 2-70 FIELD BOSS, 2WD,CAB, 78HP,NEW RUBBER, HD REAR ARENA LEVELER INCLUDED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,500 JOHN DEERE 450 DOZER REBUILT ENGINE, NEWER TRACKS & CARRIAGE. GOOD CONDITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,500 JOHN DEERE 510 BACKHOE 2WD, REBUILT ENGINE, 8 SPEED, POWER SHIFT, 28”WHEELS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,500 KIOTI DK4510 4X4 LOADER, 45HP, SHUTTLE W/8 SPEED, CANOPY, 2500 HOURS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27,000 FORD 755 BACK HOE LOADER, 100 HP, FWD REV, POWER SHIFT TRANS GOOD CONDITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,500 MF 1135 WITH CAB, 6 CYL TURBO, 2WD, DECENT RUBBER . 12,500 LOEWEN BALE FORK WITH ALO LOADER ATTACH . . . . . . . . . . 1,495 BOBCAT LOADER BUCKET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,150 NEW REPLACEMENT PARTS for MOST TRACTORS & FARM IMPLEMENTSGD Repair LtdTractor/Equipment Repair Mobile Service Available“This is not just their homes and their life, this is provincial food security ...” ROSS SIEMENS, MAYOR OF ABBOTSFORD
Sunshine Coast Farmers Institute president Mel Sylvestre looks forward to working with a consultant the regional district will hire to chart a path forward for agricultural water use. | FACEBOOK / GROUNDED ACRES ORGANIC FARM COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 3PETER MITHAM GIBSONS – Water restrictions won’t impact Sunshine Coast farmers again until at least 2029, following a June 13 decision by the regional district to extend a two-year exemption for food production through 2028. “We’re thankful that at least the exemption was given, and we’re looking at the ve years as giving us that time to work on policy and work with the consultant we will hire,” says Mel Sylvestre of Grounded Acres Organic Farm in Gibsons and president of the Sunshine Coast Farmers Institute. Ground Acres is one of 46 commercial farms in the Sunshine Coast Regional District that will benet from the exemption. The distrct says the farms produce about 3% of the region’s food needs. Of 46 farms, Sylvestre says about 15 produce food and ve lack farm-class status, meaning they’re not covered by the exemption. An untold number of other food-producing properties will continue to face restrictions the next time the district adopts Stage 4 restrictions, which ban outdoor use. A sta report found that 36 commercial farms served by the district’s Chapman water system and metered accounted for 1% of all water used during the 18 days of Stage 4 restrictions last September. This amounted to an average use of 1,926 litres a day, each more than three times the 597 litres residential users drew. Sunshine Coast farmers have long challenged the ban, both on the basis of local food security as well as the environmental benets irrigation supports. “They currently have one tool in place to control water, and that’s outdoor versus indoor, and we’re one of the high-volume businesses that are outdoor,” Sylvestre says. She would like to see all commercial water users treated the same, so that outdoor water users aren’t asked to cut back when breweries, manufacturers and industrial users – all of which are classied as indoor water users – are allowed to continue using water. “It’s kind of an insult. We’re an essential service,” she says. Many if not most other regional districts in the province exempt food crops and farms from outdoor watering restrictions, provided drip irrigation or targetted systems (such as hand-watering rather than broadcast sprinklers) are used. In the Central Okanagan, all manner of farm operations are exempt from watering restrictions; in the Comox Valley Regional District, the most severe restriction cuts o horticultural uses but permits livestock watering. All regional districts in the province are currently at Stage 1 or 2 restrictions, which typically set forth watering schedules for residents. Just one small system in the Cowichan Valley was at Level 3, but no farmers are aected. The province as a whole has seen an improvement in moisture levels since the beginning of the season, with just seven of the province’s 34 water basins facing possible or likely adverse impacts at press time. A year ago, 21 basins were at risk. However, this doesn’t mean municipalities aren’t urging residents to be cautious. Fraser Valley Regional District sta saw no need to tighten water restrictions in mid June based on data from the 14 small water systems it oversees. However, it is urging residents to hand-water plants with a view to conservation. It adds that the systems are not designed to serve agricultural users, including small-lot growers. “Farming wells are regulated under the new BC Water Sustainability Act and overseen by the province,” a statement to Country Life in BC says. Sunshine Coast sta have put the onus back on small-lot farmers to help themselves. “Resilience of our farming community means adapting and preparing for a future of increased temperatures, evapotranspiration, drought, and costs of water supply and infrastructure,” it says. Sylvestre says the Sunshine Coast Farmers Institute supports more ecient irrigation practices, but she also looks forward to policy changes. “It’s frustrating, but at least we’re moving forward,” she says. “We’re hearing from the board of directors that they want to support us; they’re just lacking [the policy] tools.” Watering exemptions extended Sunshine Coast farmers enjoy five-year reprieveFOR BAGGED or BULK ORDERSDarren Jansen Owner604.794.3701organicfeeds@gmail.comwww.canadianorganicfeeds.comCertified by Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd.Preferred supplier for British Columbia Ministries & Parks Canada.Bill Everi“ Buy made in BC PWP Products and support many local small businesses”The PWP treatment process achieves a far superior penetration and retention quality, increasing the lifespan of vineyard trellis posts 2-3 times longer. PWP superior quality fence and trellis products for orchard and vineyard add years of prot to your infrastructure.Black Creek 250.295.7911 TF 1 877.797.7678 bill@pwppost.com www.pwppost.com 1821 Crowsnest Hwy. Princeton, BC V0X 1W0 PWPAsk For Us By NameAsk For Us By Name PWP Premium & PWP Select at local dealers.OrchardVineyard & Berry Trellis
Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, that portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for signature will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error which advertises goods or services at a wrong price, such goods or services need not be sold at the advertised price. Advertising is an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. All advertising is accepted subject to publisher’s approval. All of Country Life in British Columbia’s content is covered by Canadian copyright law. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Country Life in British Columbia. Letters are welcome, though they may be edited in the interest of brevity before publication. All errors brought to our attention will be corrected.36 Dale Road, Enderby BC V0E 1V4 . Publication Mail Agreement: 0399159 . GST Reg. No. 86878 7375 . Subscriptions: $2/issue . $18.90/year . $33.60/2 years . $37.80/3 years incl GSTThe agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 Vol.110 No. 7 . JULY 2024Published monthly by Country Life 2000 Ltd. www.countrylifeinbc.comRapidly advancing articial intelligence (AI) has been leading the technology parade for several years. Over the past year, there has been a surge of research and innovation focussed on marrying AI’s impressive capabilities to machines: essentially, giving robots a thinking brain. The result could be game-changing. Modern farming is no stranger to robotics: cows are commonly milked by them, elds are irrigated by them, and any rancher who has stopped for a meal at the Coldwater Restaurant in Merritt over the past couple of years has probably been served by one called Rosie. All of these actions are achieved by mechanical devices performing specic tasks controlled by programmed computers. The generation of robots currently coming to life are altogether dierent. Three months ago, Figure, a robotics start-up, released a video of their AI robot named Figure (go gure). Figure the robot is asked to describe what it sees on the table before it. It gives a detailed description, including the questioner with his hand on the table. When asked if it could give the questioner something to eat, it picks up the apple and drops it in his hand. When asked why it responded that way, it says, “The apple was the only edible item on the table.” This is followed by more requests for action and explanation and culminates with Figure the robot giving a verbal self-appraisal of its performance. It is quite remarkable; you can see it for yourself at [https://youtu.be/Sq1QZB5baNw?si]. For a robot capable of understanding verbal instructions, recognizing multiple objects, knowing which one is food for a human, and verbally presenting the rationale for its choices and actions, the possibilities are endless. Could the same intelligence that recognized the apple and picked it up not be equally capable of picking an apple o a tree? Could it not be matched with a row-straddling harvester with six arms and 12 hands? Tesla has developed a robot with nger-tip sensors sensitive enough to allow it to pick up raw eggs and place them in a carton. The technology is developing exponentially and so will its uses. Look for them to play an increasing role in hospitals and care facilities; schools and universities; prisons, hotels and restaurants; retail stores, warehouses, manufacturing facilities … As populations age in developed nations, there will be personal assistance robots able to provide around-the-clock housekeeping, personal care and companionship: to the point of sharing remembered reminiscences and conversing on topics of personal interest. If that sounds a bit creepy, listen to Figure the robot on You Tube then compare a current aairs conversation, a game of cribbage and a chapter from a new novel with another morning of sit-com reruns in front of a television. In the short-term, AI robotic applications may be limited by cost and prot potential. But the writing is on the wall: once acquired, a robot needs maintenance and energy. Otherwise, it is always at work, it never gets a paycheque, has no need of employment insurance, holiday pay, personal days or sick days. Beyond an allowance for depreciation and recycling, it needs no retirement planning. Skills and training upgrades will be downloaded autonomously. Safety committees and job grievances will be a thing of the past. Ditto statutory holidays and overtime. Hiring policy and performance reviews will become prot calculations made constantly by AI. It could be as simple as an AI robot answering calls and dispatching a eet of self-driving taxi-cabs. There is little doubt that in certain instances AI robotics will be a conventional job killer, but as we have all seen, many jobs are at risk because no one cares to do them. In speaking to a human worker at the Coldwater Restaurant, it became clear that Rosie the robot waitress wasn’t hired to do away with a job. No one else wanted it. It is very possible that Rosie’s presence actually saved some jobs. One thing seems certain: AI robots are going to become commonplace and transformative in some workplaces, to the point of redening what a job is or isn’t. Is a job is a series of tasks that someone does for pay still a job if no is willing or able to do it? Or is it a business challenge looking for a technological solution? 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 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCWho stands on guard for thee?Choosing a front-page story is easier when there’s a major announcement or disaster commanding everyone’s attention. But in the run-up to press day this month, what stood out was how largely uneventful this season has been – at least so far as disasters go. While the province has been warning of drought, which has been acute from central through northeastern BC, the major weather story of the year has been the January freeze event that devastated fruit crops. Without wishing to minimize the fundamental challenge this poses the sector, what’s largely unfolded this growing season is a reckoning with the eects. But the reckoning is proving as damaging as the initial losses. A federal rejection of disaster mitigation funding for municipalities, the next layer of support for the damage farm communities suered in 2021, means close to $2 billion in critical infrastructure funding will have to be found elsewhere. The lack of an AgriRecovery package for fruit growers and the wine sector means they’ll have to bootstrap a recovery program while the boots themselves are down at the heel and likely needing a new sole. Meanwhile, growers can’t shake fears of further bad weather. Temperate weather on the South Coast – the only region in Canada forecast to have below-average temperatures this summer – is deserving of gratitude, but the past few years have made it hard to give thanks lest the worst befalls them. Summertime, and the living ain’t quite easy. And yet July kicks o with Canada Day, a time to celebrate the opportunities we enjoy and which attract others from around the world. We remain a temperate clime, even as more extreme weather strikes. We also have governments that, for all their faults, seem keenly interested in agriculture even if they’re increasingly divorced from the daily realities of farming or caught up in bucolic notions of what it should be like. It’s a similar story for the public. Recent disasters have enhanced public empathy for farmers, even as the same public rails against grocery bills biting into their disposable income and opt for cheaper, often imported or The 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 Never mind the heat, you're always cool, PW!Redefining labour as a technological problemmass-produced items, rather than local options. The next time a disaster hits, farmers can count on government and the public saying all the right things. Similar to the national anthem, we sing the familiar words but often overlook what it means to stand on guard. Government, and the public at large, need to put the words into action if farmers are as integral to the true north strong and free as they claim.
The BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food is introducing a new regional extension program. The long-running Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP), initially established by the BC Agriculture Council in 2008 as the BC Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative and wound up in 2023, is the result of a seven-month engagement process. The ministry conducted a seven-month engagement process about the new service. Mark Raymond, executive director of Extension and Support Services, describes the work of his branch as “part of the climate-environment file,” with funding sources that include Clean BC at the provincial level and cost-shared contributions from the 2023-28 Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership at the federal level. There is a strong regional focus to the extension remix. CCAP resources have been pulled forward into seven regional guidebooks. Raymond describes shifting to a more active mode – from climate adaptation to mitigation, for instance – and “moving the projects to be more producer-focused and on the ground [for] producer value and benefit.” He also recognizes that knowledge transfer needs to be “something more tangible that producers can learn from, as opposed to a report on a shelf.” The branch has 61 personnel in four units. “We’re trying to improve the coordination of extension in the regions,” Raymond says, and he is encouraging his staff to be out on farms more, while noting that the 16 regional agrologists can’t get to every farm, and efficiencies must be found with program delivery in group settings. National governments are now making the case for agricultural extension. A 2022 report from the North American Agricultural Advisory Network endorsed by agriculture ministers from Canada, the US and Mexico cites a high – around 60% – economic return on investment in extension programming. As the report’s Canadian authors say: “Huge payments made to compensate for climate change may be reduced with modest investments in the extension of risk mitigation strategies. If Canada is looking for a good public investment – extension is a winner.” BC’s extension service is rebounding from drastic cuts in the 1980s and 1990s. Field personnel declined by half to two-thirds and private services, mostly from farm supply companies such as Growers Supply Co., filled some of the farm liaison gaps. In this period, the rise of personal computers and then Internet access enabled government to offer increasing amounts of information online. A pandemic-induced jump in activity now supports more interactive and recorded meetings and webinars online as well. Stronger commitments Extension needs to be a two-way conversation The ministry rolls out its new program; producers wait and seeCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 5from government, more funding, thoughtful leadership in the ministry and a team of smart professionals: could this be just what farmers need and want? For Lynn Lashuk, long-time tree fruit producer and secretary of the Lake Country Farmers Institute, the jury is out. While she has high praise for her regional agrologist, a recent “Decoding Drought” workshop reinforced her concerns about what can get lost in translation between industry and government. Government personnel were asked to explain the regulatory context behind the water shut-off orders that shocked farm communities last season. They delivered their presentations but could not satisfy farmers’ need for information about how to avoid or mitigate problems this season. “We know the consequence,” says Lashuk. “If we lose our water, we lose our farms.” She was glad government staff showed up but “super disappointed in the actual way the events were structured.” There’s a lot to unpack here, much of it generic to any modern interface between government and industry sectors. Both parties inhabit a physical land base increasingly prone to serious disruption and feel uncertainty about how to address this. They also share a digital world brimming with far more information than they can possibly assimilate or use – some of it unreliable – and a proliferation of distribution channels. This makes communication complicated. But that’s where the similarities end. Farmers manage tangible processes in real time in physical situations that are gradually becoming more unstable and sometimes dangerous. Government personnel follow and extrapolate with analyses and responses to define and manage “issues.” Political decision-makers package these efforts into policy “solutions.” When they meet, the parties’ situations are unequal. Agency personnel are paid to show up and deliver their message. Farmers pay by stepping away from their businesses, and are additionally constrained to learn government terminology in order to participate. Such encounters, according to Lashuk, come off as “one-way and top-down,” reinforcing a sense that “we don’t speak a common language.” Lashuk’s deepest concern is the damage extension suffered when the government “disconnected it from people, so it doesn’t build relationships.” Online information puts the onus on users to “ask the right question for them to give you the answers.” The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that over-reliance on digital connections weakens any practice, government or business. Far from being obsolete today, government-industry relationships are more important than ever. If farmers know who in government to call, a short conversation can swiftly make useful connections. Conversations can build trust; anyone who feels heard is more ready to collaborate. BC’s extension service can take a pull on the disconnects Lashuk describes. It can consciously foster two-way information exchange. It can ensure producers’ time is valued, especially when they are asked for advice. It can acknowledge producers as the foundation of the sector in both experience and knowledge and as both teachers and learners. For farmers and ranchers, a key success measure for extension’s renewal will be the extent to which such respect is demonstrated. Kathleen Gibson lives and grows food in Lekwungen territory/Victoria, BC. She has worked with industry organizations and government agencies in BC on a variety of policy reforms. Viewpoint KATHLEEN GIBSON%PXOUPXO3FBMUZtOE4U7FSOPO#$t0óDFPat | 250.308.0938QBUEVHHBO!SPZBMMFQBHFDBThea | 250.308.5807UIFBNDMBVHIMJO!SPZBMMFQBHFDB6475 COSENS BAY RD, COLDSTREAMwww.FarmRanchResidential.ca “Farmers helping farmers with their real estate needs”Meticulously kept 37-acre horse property in North Okanagan. 3200 sq ft 4 bed/3 full bath home built in 2009. Open design, chef’s kitchen. 32x50 shop/garage; 4 stall barn; 36x60 hay storage; round pen, 70x140 arena. Licenced drilled well. MLS®10315920 $2,750,000705 CREIGHTON VALLEY RD, LUMBYEinbock 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.com
6 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCOver 90,000 acres of farm land for sale on our website right now!+1 (866) 263-7480 | info@clhbid.comHigh Barr PlateauSelling July 24, 2024Fort St John, BC1 Parcel, 5,665 ± AcresAn almost unheard of 5,665 contiguous acres of land selling as 1 Parcel located in the Peace River Assessment District.STARTING BID $4.1MLEARN MOREHat Creek Ranch CollectionSelling August 15, 2024Cache Creek, BC Parcel, 74,716 ± AcresForge your ranching legacy amidst the breathtaking vistas of British Columbia, a land evered worldwide for its natural splendor. STARTING BID $5.9MLEARN MORE
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 7TOM WALKER OLIVER – The deep black of dying plum trees stands in stark contrast to the vibrant green of the adjacent cherries in Pinder Dhaliwal’s orchard in Oliver. Yet on closer inspection, many of the cherry branches have little if any fruit and several branches are dying. The nearby peach trees have no fruit at all and many are struggling to push a full canopy of leaves. Across the orchard, a row of apple trees appears to be doing fine, but multiple cracks in the bark just above the graft union are an open invitation to pests and pathogens. It’s a grim scene, and Dhaliwal’s orchard is but one of hundreds of orchards and vineyards across the Okanagan, Similkameen and Creston valleys blasted by successive years of extreme weather. The cumulative effects of the 2021 heat dome, back-to-back freeze events and a bloom-killing spring frost this year have been devastating for fruit farmers in BC. “This has brought the industry to its knees,” says BC Fruit Growers Association president Peter Simonsen. Dhaliwal’s family have Stabilization initiative yet to bear fruit Orchardists leaving the sector as extreme weather grinds marginsOliver orchardist Pinder Dhaliwal stands next to a row of trees struggling to push a full canopy after successive years of extreme weather. | TOM WALKERsays. Woodpeckers are already finding insects in the plum trees and Dhaliwal says he will need to remove and replant them. “All our work will go into rehabilitating the other trees and vines to support them to get back to health and hopefully have a reduced crop next year,” he says. “But we just don’t know if the trees will survive through the heat of the summer.” Matsqui Ag-Repair Abbotsford, BCNorth Valley EquipmentArmstrong, BCNorthline Equipment Pouce Coupe, BCHuber Equipment Prince George, BCSmithers, BCVisit your local KUHN Hay & Forage dealer today!Invest in Quality®www.kuhn.comGA SERIES | Single-, Twin- or Quad-Rotor Rotary Rakes 10'6" – 48'3" working widths • mounted, semi-mounted & trailed modelsPRODUCE UNIFORM, FLUFFY WINDROWS• Exclusive hyper-tangential tine arms provide clean raking without roping• Rotary gear case allows for low maintenance and long life• Long, 昀exible tines provide gentle raking to ensure minimum leaf damage• Adjustable tine height and swath curtain for easy adjustments to match crop conditions www.hlaattachments.com 1-866-567-4162 Provincial programs ubeen fruit growers since 1981, and have steadily diversified their business with apples, cherries, plums, peaches and, more recently, grapes. A farmstand direct-markets the tree fruits, part of a business plan designed to mitigate the risks of farming. But the effort is no match for Mother Nature. “Our grape buds froze during the January cold event and we will have no grapes this year,” Dhaliwal
8 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Provincial programs aren’t enough to offset extreme weather challengesThe existential threat facing the industry has been a long time coming. Six years ago, the province established the Tree Fruit Industry Competitiveness Fund, a precursor to the Tree Fruit Industry Stabilization Initiative launched in 2021 that resulted in 19 recommendations. The initiative, led by the province’s former tree fruit and grape specialist Adrian Arts, convened various committees to work through the recommendations. Growers and industry stakeholders took on some initiatives while others fell to the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food. With much of the committee work completed, the initiative is winding down. The province did not make Arts available for this story, despite repeated requests, but the ongoing challenges facing growers underscore the fact the industry is even less stable than it was six years ago, with the number of growers falling dramatically. “That has a lot to do with what Mother Nature has thrown at us over the last several years in combination with inflation, a huge apple crop in the US last year and the timing of the cherry crops,” says BCFGA general manager Melissa Tesche. She says much of the committee work focused on data collection, extension, new varieties, labour and cross-commodity communication and collaboration. “These have all been positive initiatives that support the industry,” she says. “If the last two years had been good crop years, we would be having a different conversation. Unfortunately, extreme weather challenges have continued to pummel crops and almost every grower I have talked to is thinking about getting out of farming.” The rush for the exits is a question of financial survival. “The individual grower is no better off; actually, they are worse off than they were three years ago,” Simonsen says. No money for reinvestment This has left fewer dollars available for participating in the Perennial Crop Renewal Program the province launched last year. “It is one of the most generous programs we have ever had,” says Tesche. “But taking advantage of the program requires that growers have funds on hand to reinvest, and you can only reinvest when you have a profit. It’s been a long time since growing fruit was profitable.” Some growers accessed funds for pull-outs last year and some planting took place this spring, but the program is quite prescriptive on varieties. The cherry and grape industries have been told to revise the market assessment reports required to secure funds for planting. This means most won’t likely be planting before next spring. A number of recommendations from the stabilization initiative were never actioned, such as financial support for fruit farmers. Simonsen says he realizes that government dollars are stretched and that there are many priorities including health care and housing, but he notes that BC funding for agriculture is a lower proportion of the sector’s GDP than for any other province in Canada at just 2.5% last year. Indeed, a BC Agriculture Council analysis of Statistics Canada data indicates the national average is 11.3%, led by Saskatchewan at 26.5%. “Just to tie with New Brunswick, which has the next lowest share of government investment, the budget for BC’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food would need to be increased by roughly 45.7% or $59.5 million,” BCAC states. “That would represent an increase from $130.1 million in the 2024-25 budget to $189.6 million in 2025-26.” Simonsen notes that Washington apple growers, who sell twice as much fruit in Canada as Canadian growers do, received a $2,000 support payment last year and will likely see additional support this year. “Washington growers were impacted by the same freeze events as those in BC and the governor has declared a state of emergency in Okanogan County just across the border,” he says. Business risk management programs, which provincial staff regularly encourage farmers to access, get a failing grade from industry. “The current programs were designed for occasional bad years, not multiple climate disasters in a row,” notes Tesche. “Successive years of loss have resulted in declining reference margins and reduced pay-outs.” She believes a climate resilience and recovery fund could complement existing programs, a role AgriRecovery funds have not fulfilled. “AgriRecovery funds have not been triggered for any of the recent climate disasters,” Tesche says. “Not for the heat dome of 2021, nor the back-to-back cold snaps following. It is imperative that growers are able to access adequate financial relief after extreme weather events.” Cold comfort Crop insurance has also been cold comfort. The most affordable programs have a deductible of 50%, a loss that must be experienced across all farm sites rather than specific blocks. This makes it more difficult for growers who mitigate risk with orchards at various locations to secure compensation. “If one block in Summerland is wiped out by hail, you don’t get to claim that specific loss,” Dhaliwal says. Dhaliwal’s orchard has a silver lining as the sun glints off a cordon of lush vines at the margins with maturing grape clusters. “Those are table grapes,” Dhaliwal explains. “At least we will have something to sell in the fruit stand.” CohortWholesale.comTechnical and sales support provided byAlways read and follow label directions. Gatten® is a registered trademark of OAT Agrio Co., Ltd. Copyright ©2021 Nichino America, Inc. Worried aboutPowdery Mildew?Get Gatten!Gatten® fungicide Gatten®acts on multiple stages of powdery mildew development, delivering both preventative and post-infection control.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 9Industry first as mushroom workers unionizeUnion certification is likely a rare instance in the farm sectorHighline Mushroom workers have voted to unionize, hoping the move improves working conditions that requires them to harvest at least 56 pounds of fungi an hour to achieve minimum wage. | HIGHLINE MUSHROOMSAcross North America Little & Large, Local & Long, Port to Dealer, Farm to Farm and anything in between.Call or email Dave for freight solutions.Versatile Ramp -to- Ground capabilityPETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – The mushroom sector represents the largest employer of farm workers sourced through the federal Temporary Foreign Workers Program, and now 150 of those workers at Highline Mushrooms in Abbotsford have unionized. The certication vote in mid June saw the farm workers approve membership in United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1518, in what the union says is a rst for migrant workers in BC. “These workers are an essential part of the BC workforce and community. We look forward to sitting down with the employer as soon as possible to negotiate a fair collective agreement,” says local president Patrick Johnson. A union statement says certication of the union at Highline means “both migrants and workers with status” will be represented. The union says health and safety issues were key concerns of workers. It alleged that temporary foreign workers spend “long, gruelling hours, being paid by the piece or making barely over minimum wage.” Successive piece rate studies for the province have found data for the sector dicult to obtain, but industry sources say workers in the Lower Mainland typically earn well above minimum wage because the local cost of living demands it. An experienced worker can sometimes earn twice the statutory minimum, which is currently $17.40 an hour. The current piece rate for mushrooms is $0.319 a pound, meaning workers would have to harvest 56 pounds an hour to match the minimum wage. “It doesn’t matter how you calculate it – you have to be more than minimum wage, otherwise people won’t work for you,” one grower told Country Life in BC in 2018 when the province undertook its last review of the piece rate system. But the industry didn’t participate in the study, according to the report led a few months later by Karen Taylor, an agricultural economist and now an instructor at UBC. This made it dicult to gure out wages, and how those compare to the legal minimum. It also raised concerns about worker safety. “We did not receive any direct input from mushroom growers or pickers,” she noted in her 2019 report. “Problems arise in guring out work hours, which are often not recorded. This omission of reporting hours may factor into potential safety malpractices in the industry because it is not known when the worker is on site in the barns, which can be a signicant safety concern.” The study indicated that 27% of workers in the Lower Mainland are temporary foreign workers, primarily from South Asia and Vietnam. The union is optimistic that collective bargaining will make positive changes. BC produces approximately 35% of Canada’s mushrooms, with South Mill Champs being the Lower Mainland’s other major grower. BC welcomed 15,670 foreign farm workers last year, primarily from Mexico. Whether the unionization bid at Highline inspires others is another question. The Western Agriculture Labour Initiative, a subsidiary of the BC Agriculture Council that works with member organizations to nd solutions for issues related to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, is squarely focused on policy rather than labour relations and could not comment. “WALI does not provide labour relations support or advisement to employers,” WALI says in a statement to Country Life in BC. Workers have the right to unionize, adds BCAC executive director Danielle Synotte, and employers need to address the situation as best they can. TRACK WATER LOSS LANGLEY CHILLIWACK CHEMAINUS KELOWNA rollinsmachinery.com 1-800-665-9060USED TRACTORS FORD 7740 cab, 2WD, one owner, 11,300 hrs, new tires, 1992 (U33681) .....CALL NH WORKMASTER 105 cab, SL loader, 250 hours, 2021 (U32946)....... $87,000 NH T5070 cab, loader, no bucket, 6,335 hours, 2012 (CNS830)............... 68,000 NH BOOMER 41 loader+bucket, turf tires, 560 hrs, 2014 (U33636) ........ 27,500 NEW HOLLAND TN60SA super steer, turf tires, 2004 (U40235) ............. 20,000 FORD 1200, SL ldr, weight block, blade, new turf tires, 1982 (CNS831) ...... 12,500 QUALITY USED EQUIPMENT MCHALE FUSION Vario baler-wrapper, 14,000 bales, spare belt (U32135) CALL POETTINGER NOVACAT 301 + A9 triple DMC, rubber cond (U33674, U33675) ........................................................................................... 77,000 NH FP240 29P grass, 3PN corn, crop proc [CNS786] ............................. 47,500 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 NEW HOLLAND H7230 flail DMC, 9’2” (2.8m), 2012 [U40221] ................ 18,000 NEW HOLLAND 3PN corn head, good shape, 2008 (U33075) ...................CALL PROGRESSIVE TD65 Tri-Deck rotary finishing mower (U40236) ............. 9,500 SITREX ST-520 H tedder (U40262, in Chemainus)........................................4,850
10 | JULY 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 SERVICESHigh costs stall South Okanagan food hubOkanagan Agricultural Innovation Centre was envisioned as a place for entrepreneurs in the agritech and food processing spheres to work alongside each other. Now known as the Okanagan Food and Innovation Hub, the project has received $850,000 from the province as part of the BC Food Hub Network initiative. Okanagan Crush Pad, a venture of local business leaders Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie, stepped up to build the food hub at its property in Garnet Valley but now says high construction and nancing costs make its involvement impossible. Lornie recommended LocalMotive as an alternative builder. LocalMotive expressed interest in being a food hub tenant when the province granted $800,000 to the project in 2023. Its draft memorandum with Summerland now reverses the role, with the food hub set to be LocalMotive’s tenant. Originally slated to open this summer, the hub must obtain a building permit by March 2025 or risk losing the $400,000 the province has yet to deliver for the project. Community Futures of Okanagan Similkameen has pledged to raise $2 million for construction as well as $300,000 for equipment. —Peter Mitham Expert farm taxation adviceApproved consultants for Government funding throughBC Farm Business Advisory Services ProgramEnderby 250-838-7337Armstrong 250-546-8665 |t1VSDIBTFBOETBMFPGGBSNTt5SBOTGFSPGGBSNTUPDIJMESFOt(PWFSONFOUTVCTJEZQSPHSBNTt1SFQBSBUJPOPGGBSNUBYSFUVSOTt6TFPG$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 BCBC farm income plummets The nal numbers are in, and they’re worse than forecast. BC’s agriculture sector posted a net loss totalling $263.7 million last year, the biggest ever, trumping last year’s loss of $194 million and the previous record loss of $252 million reported in 2008. While the total loss includes paper losses such as depreciation, even net cash income was at its lowest in a decade, totalling $383.6 million on record farmgate receipts of $4.9 million. But the incoming money didn’t go as far as it once did, with net cash income working out to less than 8% of revenues, the lowest since 2008. “It's no surprise that net farm incomes have unfortunately declined in British Columbia,” said Danielle Synotte, executive director of the BC Agriculture Council. “Even as BC farmers and ranchers continue to excel in the quantity and quality of what they produce, the agriculture sector has faced successive years of unprecedented increases to input prices.” While government has limited control over macroeconomic forces, Synotte says the province and industry need to work together to identify actions that can “meaningfully alleviate” the nancial pressures facing the sector and improve net farm incomes. However, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada forecast a grim outlook for BC producers this year. While anticipating a 2% increase in farmgate sales to $4.8 billion (already achieved last year), it expects net cash income will drop 12% due to a 24% decline in program payments. While lower program payments reect fewer farmers tapping business risk management programs, downward pressure on revenues in past years due to extreme weather can also lower payouts. Nevertheless, the outlook for total net income had Statscan seeing red. According to projections, BC’s farm sector is set to lose $304.9 million this year. —Peter Mitham Supply management limits food inflation Research at the Agri-food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University indicates that Canada’s system of supply management plays little role in food inflation. Reviewing changes in food prices since 2017 as tracked by Statistics Canada, Dalhousie researchers found an average increase of 30.2% for all food products. Just three supply-managed products exceeded the average, with eggs showing the greatest increase at 37.9%, followed by cream at 30.9% and butter at 30.7%. “Butterfat products and eggs are exceptions, having increased more than the average since 2017, but not Yet another option is on the table for a planned food hub in Summerland, which has been in the works for more than eight years. LocalMotive Organic Delivery, which received a $3 million grant from the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC in January to construct a commercial food storage and distribution facility in Summerland, is now the front-runner for hosting the facility. Summerland council endorsed a motion June 11 to develop a memorandum of understanding with LocalMotive for the project. The agreement hinges on LocalMotive being able to nd a site for the 16,000-square-foot facility. Conceived by Summerland council in 2015, the Ag Briefs PETER MITHAMby a significant margin,” the lab’s senior director Sylvain Charlebois notes. Chicken and cheese reported the slowest growth in the period, with drumsticks up just 14.5%, whole chicken up 17.5% and cheese up 20.7%. “Based on the evidence over the last decade, it is hard to conclude that supply-managed products have significantly exacerbated the cost of food for Canadians,” Charlebois concludes. Any increases that did occur were likely driven by changes in input costs, limited supply driven by events such as avian influenza and supply chain issues. However, Charlebois says supply management hasn’t prevented higher retail prices. “For supply management to better serve Canadians, reducing retail price volatility and lowering industrial prices should be key objectives for policymakers,” he says. Charlebois adds that the lower average growth in pricing for supply-managed products may reflect that prices were already high, especially relative to neighbouring jurisdictions such as the US. Statscan data indicated that milk averaged $6.43 a jug in Canada versus $4.95 in the US in April. Whole chicken was $2.74 a pound in Canada versus $2.67 a pound in the US. By contrast, tomatoes were $1.91 a pound in Canada versus $2.68 in the US. Romaine lettuce was $3.70 a head in Canada versus $3.88 a pound in the US. —Peter Mitham
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 11Orchard industry bids farewell to a staunch leader Gerald Geen fought for financial stability for growersKnown for his kind and generous nature, orchardist Gerald Geen passed away June 7. He was 87. | EMILY GEENTOM WALKER KELOWNA – The BC fruit industry lost a fellow grower, a friend and an advocate with the passing of Gerald Geen in Kelowna, on June 7, at the age of 87. Known for his prodigious work ethic, his kind and generous nature, and a keen and inquiring mind, Geen was an example and a champion for growers in the Okanagan Valley. His agricultural roots began at an early age, picking apples on the family farm in Kelowna and cherries for his uncle. After completing a Bachelor of Science in agriculture at UBC, Geen began the rst of ve careers with a stint as assistant district horticulturist in Penticton. He returned to university to earn his teaching certicate and taught math and science in Kelowna for nearly 20 years. He was a leader in the BC Fruit Growers Association, serving as president, and went on to a successful real estate career, retiring at the age of 72. His unocial sixth career found him as an ambassador for son David Geen’s cherry company, Jealous Fruits. Geen planted his rst 20 acres of apples early in his teaching career and went on to purchase and lease other properties. “I remember my dad getting up at 4 am to put on a couple of tanks of sprays before he would be back in the house to get ready to go to teach,” his son David recalls. “He had a tremendous work ethic but also a kind and gentle nature and a real ability to teach. … We were touched by the comments that were submitted to his obituary, many of them by former students.” Bearing fruit Gerald and his wife Kay’s sons didn’t fall far from the tree. Jerry has taken over his father’s real estate business, Kevin is a pilot with Air Canada and David farms 1,100 acres of cherries, 70 acres of apples and seven acres of peaches. “I beneted by those same attributes that dad had,” says David, who is equally committed to sharing his knowledge. Geen waited till the age of 83 to plant his rst cherry trees, but his connection with the fruit goes back to his university days. As a summer student, he worked with Dr. Karlis Lapins, the Summerland Research and Development Centre cherry breeder who developed self-fertile later-season cherries including his namesake Lapins variety. “When I started planting cherries and we got to 10 acres planted, Dad cautioned me that was probably about enough for a high-risk crop,” David recalls. “And you know, maybe this year he was on to something.” Geen always took a keen interest in his son’s cherry business. After his retirement from real estate, he became actively involved in the company. “He regarded 72 as far too early to be retired,” says David. “He met with visiting customers and international clients and would give them orchard tours and take them to dinner. He had the time available and was a really popular man with our customers from around the world.” Geen’s support went beyond being an ambassador. He would forward important trade articles for David to read, he accompanied David on trips to other cherry-producing regions and always closely monitored the weather. “His most recent call would have been April 17 ahead of that spring frost we had, asking what can I do to help?” says David. The diversity of Geen’s interests and his curiosity was undimmed even in his later years, David says. “Dad played the piano, was a car enthusiast who knew every detail about his latest purchase and was an accomplished skier up until about four years ago,” David says. He was also a big defender of agriculture. “Dad didn’t like it when agriculture was being an afterthought and didn’t receive the government attention or scal attention that it should have been receiving,” says David. Gerald’s time at the BCFGA began with participation in regional and district councils, committees, and as a board member. He served as president from 1985 to 1994. During his time as president, Gerald was known for staunchly defending the Whole Farm Income Insurance program that put many growers on a level nancial footing. Under his tenure, the national industry also won its rst trade action against the dumping of US apples. David recalls a successful trip to Ottawa. “Dad and Martin Linder went to Ottawa and met with Prime Minister Mulroney after the horrically low apple prices of 1987-88,” David says. “They had carefully planned who was speaking to what piece and what they would give on and they came back with a paycheque. It wasn’t much, but it was something. He was quite proud of that.” Greenhouse Ground CoverGreenhouse FilmProtection NetsMulch Film Landscaping FabricsShade Nets Bale WrapsBunker CoversSilage BagsTwine & Net WrapsHay TarpsForage & Grain Seed1.800.663.6022office@silagrow.com5121 - 46 Ave S.E. Salmon Arm, BCPick Up & Delivery Only 112-18860 24 Ave. Surrey, BCNOW AVAILABLETrellis NettingsandPolycarbonate Panelssilagrow.com
12 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCRangeland Equipment Ltd Cranbrook B.C. 250-426-0600 Timberstar Tractor Vernon B.C. 250-545-5441 Harbour City Equipment Duncan B.C. 778-422-3376Matsqui Ag Repair Abbotsford B.C. 604-826-3281 Northern Acreage Supply Prince George B.C. 250-596-2273Unlimited HourPowertrain Warranty0%FinancingCASHBack Offers*Cannot be combined with any other offer. Rebates and/or financing based on the purchase of eligible equipment defined in promotional program. Additional fees including, but not limited to, taxes, freight, setup and delivery charges may apply. Customers must take delivery prior to the end of the program period. Some customers will not qualify. Some restrictions apply. Unlimited Hour Warranty available only on non-commercial use. Offer available on new equipment only. Pricing and rebates in Canadian dollars. Prior purchases are not eligible. Offer valid only at participating Dealers. Offer subject to change without notice. See your dealer for details. © 2022 DAEDONG CANADA, INC. KIOTI CANADA.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 13Tax deferral helps, but rain is what’s neededAlthough drought ratings have improved in the southern Interior, a low snowpack and resulting low streamows have ranchers considering their options for managing their herds and forage potential. | BACK VALLEY RANCH595 Acre Active Ranch 5 Titles | $3,250,0005770 Spring Lake Rd, 100 Mile, BCLEADER IN AGRICULTURAL SALES IN THE FRASER VALLEY WITH OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCELots 21, 24, 26 & 27 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC4 lots - 4.5 +/- Acres of Blueberries | $530,000 - $610,000T 604 793 8138 | bryanvanhoepen.com | 23.85 Acres | $2,400,0002689 Sutherland Road Agassiz, BC Custom home 5 acres w/horse barn & 7,000 hedging trees | $2,990,00010862 McSween Rd Chilliwack, BCKELLY SINOSKI CACHE CREEK – A lack of spring runo has forced a BC ranch to pump water for irrigation for the rst time in 46 years, making for a costly start to the season. Suzanne Fradette, who runs Back Valley Ranch between Cache Creek and Savona with Jerry Steves, says the low snowpack has resulted in two creeks that usually collect runo for her hayelds running dry. The creeks typically produce enough water for 30 sprinklers each. Fradette says they did hook up one “sad little sprinkler,” but stream ows only powered three sprinklers at most. “We didn’t get any of that spring run o, which is free water,” Fradette says. This meant they had to start pumping water out of nearby Cultus Lake about a month and a half before they usually do, costing about $80 per day. The situation is becoming more common around BC, following an extremely dry winter that has left many communities parched. On March 1, the provincial snowpack was averaging 66% of normal, prompting the province to announce an investment of $83 million in water infrastructure, such as sloughs and water systems, to help farmers and ranchers prepare for potential drought and wildres. BC received moderate rain throughout May and June, and despite an early melt of low-elevation snowpack in April, this year’s overall snowmelt has remained seasonal, with around 52% of the annual snow accumulation melted by early June, according to the BC Wildre Service. This is a signicant improvement compared with 2023, where a record hot May led to 86% of the snowpack melting by June 1. However, the provincial snowpack is still far below normal, averaging 57% throughout BC. BC Wildre Service says the low snowpack is expected to limit surface runo, stream ows and moisture recharge, which will signicantly aect ongoing drought conditions into summer 2024. The Thompson-Okanagan, where Back Valley Ranch is located, and Kootenay Boundary regions both saw improvements in the drought outlook to moderate, while the communities of Quesnel and Williams Lake experienced a drop in severe drought rating, reporting 188% and 213% of normal monthly precipitation, respectively. However, surrounding areas remained in severe drought due to continued low dugout levels, feed supply shortages and delayed pasture growth. David Zirnhelt, president of the Cariboo chapter of the BC Cattlemen’s Association, says everyone is waiting to see how the season unfolds, following an early but cold spring and recent rains. “It’s wait and see because right now our pastures will get a good hit from this rain and may recover,” he says, noting one of his streams started running again after a dry spell but it will be short lived. “In the Chilcotin, they’re still welcoming the wet weather.” As for hay, he says the mild winter resulted in less being fed, giving ranchers a reprieve going into this season. But if a drought occurs, it will come fast, he says, which could have major repercussions on local ranchers. “You can’t feed your way out of a drought; you have to restock.” Fradette says she expects a comparable situation to last year in terms of drought. She is not concerned about getting hay as they order ahead, and Back Valley Ranch grows it own. However, the increased costs of trucking will hit their bottom line. Last year, they paid $100,000 for hay – $30,000 more than expected – to ensure feed for their 130 head of cows, calves and yearlings. As a result, she and Steves have started to raise their nished meat prices to cover increased costs. Finished cut-and-wrap beef costs, for instance, are now at $12.75 a pound and expected to rise to $14.75 a pound next year. “If that doesn’t work, it’s cutting back on the number of animals to get more out of our hay and pastures but that’s a last resort,” Fradette says. “We need to pay our bills and live. We’re certainly not getting rich o this thing.” Livestock deferral The Canadian government is trying to get ahead of the situation. In June, federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay announced an early Drought uPersistent drought conditions have ranchers on edge
14 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Droughtlist of regions eligible for the livestock tax deferral provision in 2024. The list includes a sizable chunk of the Cariboo, which Zirnhelt says is a big breakthrough for the region. The list also includes hard-hit drought areas such as the Bulkley-Nechako, Fraser-Fort George, Kitimat-Stikine, North Coast, Northern Rockies and the Peace River and Stikine regions. “It’s hard to get back on your feet when you sell out,” Zirnhelt says. The provision allows livestock producers to defer a portion of their income from sales until the following tax year. The income may be at least partially oset by the cost of reacquiring breeding animals, thus reducing the tax hit from the original sale. Fradette says even if her region were on the list, she doubts it would help as she has never accessed any government assistance. She is instead crossing her ngers for rain. “I’ve never seen one penny of actual assistance,” she says. “I’m not holding my breath.” RONDA PAYNE LANGLEY – The old adage “if you don’t like our weather, wait a minute” has been true in berry elds throughout BC this year with rain, sun, wind and hail, sometimes all on the same day well into June. Rhonda Driediger of Driediger Farms in Langley says her June-bearing and everbearing varieties were heading towards average yields when three days of rain hit in the second half of June. “We’ve spent the last few days picking for processed and we’ve had the u-pick open, but three days of rain is just not good when you’re trying to do a soft fruit,” she says. “It was a lot of water and it was hail as well out here.” She says the crop was on time with berries of average size. While some plants made it through the winter freeze okay, others did not. “It’s kind of sad to see some of the second-year elds looking rough,” she says. On Westham Island in Delta, Kevin Husband of Emma Lea Farms says his berries are exceptional this year, with timing about average, but he expects a longer harvesting window due to the cool spring weather. “The quality from this year is spectacular,” he says. “It’s like the best fruit we’ve had.” His yield is above average and picking has been much easier thanks to cooler weather. Despite the positives, sales have been challenging. “There’s been a large push of berries from the US,” he says. “They’re really cheap. It’s been a bit of a struggle that way.” Because imported berries have become a year-round expectation, he thinks consumers may have become accustomed to their bland avour prole. Retailers that normally promoted local berries over imports are caught up in the low prices as much as consumers are. “It’s got the consumer looking a lot harder at the prices,” he says. Instead, Husband has been talking to his customers about the benets of local berries; their sustainability and lower environmental footprint. In Abbotsford, Doc Braich of JK Agro says his strawberries had some winter damage and the wet spring hasn’t been benecial. “With wet weather, there’s been big issues with slugs,” he says. He has seen strong demand for local berries and good sales. However, his rst crop of everbearing strawberries had good size, but lacked weight and colour. He’s hoping the July/August crop is better. “When the sun started to shine, the fruit got sweeter,” he says. Blueberry optimism Braich says it will be a little while before he knows how pollination went in his blueberries. Back at Driediger Farms, the Duke and Calypso varieties are looking good, and Driediger expects the season will be “pretty good, better than last year.” “Pollination was good. There was a tiny bit of hail damage which will dry up and fall o,” she says. Bluecrop is looking average. Signs of scorch are still prevalent and she says even when there is fruit on a bush, the eld overall may be under disease pressure. “If people haven’t been diligent in removing scorch [infected plants], they are showing a lot of scorch symptoms,” she says. Provincial berry specialist Carolyn Teasdale says moderate May temperatures gave blueberries a longer bloom window. BC Blueberry Council chair Jason Smith feels pollination will depend on the region’s micro-climates and localized weather conditions. “Everything happens at dierent times,” he says. “But it’s denitely been a gentler year on the plants.” The cool, wet weather has been good for fruit development, although it also boosts disease pressure and makes it hard for growers to get on their elds. He believes the season will be average. “Overall, I’d say things are okay and much improved from last year’s extreme decrease in production,” says Smith. “This year is a lot better, but it’s not a year I’m going to remember as great. I’ll remember it as okay.” Raspberry watch In raspberries, Driediger expects good demand for fresh berries but says the processor demand is down. “It’s not moving as great as it has the last couple of years, so we’ll see what happens.” Lacklustre season expected for berriesGrowers anticipate moderate yields with localized weather patternsPRE-OWNED EQUIPMENT CASE IH FARMALL 95A MFD Rops Tractor with Loader . . . . . Call CLAAS JAG 870 SP Forage Harvester 10’ pickup & 6row cornhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Call for more details/Pricing CLAAS ORBIS 600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Call for Details CLAAS 750 Tedder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,300 www.caliberequipment.ca MONDAY-FRIDAY, 8-5 | SATURDAYS, 8-12604-864-2273 860 RIVERSIDE ROAD ABBOTSFORD Unstoppable. For more than 50 years.CLAAS 880 Center Delivery Rotary Rake . . . . . . . . . . . . . $23,500 KUBOTA DMC8536T Mid Pivot Mower Conditioner . . . $31,900 KUHN GF7802THA Tedder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $18,700 MCHALE R6878 Center Delivery Rotary Rake . . . . . . . . 45,000 NH T4.75 Tractor ROPS MFD with Loader . . . . . . . . . . . . $47,500
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 15Islands Trust turns 50Updated policy statement raises questionsGulf Islands Food Co-op president and grower Roz Kempe says a new draft of the Islands Trust policy statement is more accommodating of agriculture's diversity. | SUBMITTEDPolicy improvements u1-888-852-AGRI (2474) bcfarmandranch.comVisit our website to view over $500,000,000 in acreage inventory.#1 in farm and acreage salesagriculture itself is subject to the Islands Trust’s policy statement, now under revision as part of the Islands 2050 initiative launched in 2019. The update is the rst since 1994, and the draft statement addresses concerns that have come to the forefront since then, including reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, climate change and aordable housing. A draft proposed in 2021 was shelved due to resident opposition. Many farm groups, KATE AYERS and PETER MITHAM SALT SPRING ISLAND – When the Islands Trust governing council met on Salt Spring Island on June 18-20, it took a moment to acknowledge its 50th anniversary as a special-purpose government stewarding more than 450 islands and the waters of what’s now known as the Salish Sea. Created on June 5, 1974, the Islands Trust was one of a number of progressive initiatives the Dave Barrett government implemented with a view to protecting British Columbia at a time of heightened awareness of its precious natural resources and the wide variety of benets they provide. Originally designed to protect the Gulf Islands in the same way the Agricultural Land Reserve protects farmland, many farmers say the Islands Trust has delivered diminishing returns. “Deep down, their idea of protecting farmland is just to protect it where absolutely nothing gets done on it,” says John Money, whose family farmed on Saturna Island and who served on the Islands Trust council for 21 years until 2010. “I’m all for protecting farmland, but let’s realize what you’re protecting it for.” The original vision of protecting what made the Gulf Islands unique worked for several years but Money says the trust seems to have lost its way, paying less attention to sustaining complete communities on the islands. “The Islands Trust has too many people trying to protect this perceived dream of living in utopia, but the fact is, everywhere should try and remain self-sustaining, so if you’re going to have a community, you need a mix of people and you need an economy,” he says, “You’ve got to meet a balance.” The trust operates under the oversight of the BC Ministry of Municipal Aairs, and its wide-ranging responsibilities mean that agriculture is one of many interests it’s trying to balance. While the Agricultural Land Commission Act regulates 264 acres of farmland within the entire Islands Trust area (about 14% of the land base),
16 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Policy improvements avoid prescriptive definitions The AccuMixTM model AMX1000S Self Loading Self Propelled Feed Mixer allows one operator to perform all cattle feeding with a single machine, without leaving the seat. It is the only North American designed and manufactured machine of its kind.TOUGH.RELIABLE.ACCURATE.Cab With A View! The spacious cab offers many standard features such as air ride, heated seats and heated front windshield - just to name a few.All that with an amazing view!Load QuicklyLoad your feed quickly and ef昀ciently into the tub. The self-loading arm option allows for a single operator to do all the feeding with one machine.Controls Touchscreen display and ergonomic joystick allows the operator to easily control the functions of the machine. Engine The Cummins B6.7 six cylinder diesel engine delivers 310 HP, offering the highest torque in the industry. Sliding rear engine cover provides quick and easy hassle-free access for service.Armstrong, BC250-546-3033Chilliwack, BC604-792-1301Proudly supported by:including the Pender Island Farmers Institute, criticized a lack of transparency and consultation regarding the wording and policies around agriculture. “We had some pushback around some of the regulations and thinking that was going on, and that communities and people are not necessarily ready for some more restrictive legislation,” says Islands Trust council chair Peter Luckham. The rst iteration of the statement was too prescriptive, says Gulf Islands Food Co-op president and grower Roz Kempe. “If they were saying it should be sustainable, regenerative agriculture, that's good, but then who are they to say what that is? How would they dene that?” she says. “They're getting a bit too far down into an area they shouldn't be.” On May 30, the trust council considered a second draft of the policy statement outlining ve policies for local farmland: identify and protect agricultural lands for current and future use consistent with the Agricultural Land Commission Act; minimize any adverse impacts of land uses from adjacent properties on agricultural lands; ensure roads and utility corridors are appropriately situated to minimize agricultural land fragmentation; strive to preserve, protect and encourage sustainable farming and sustainability of farming; and strive to address land uses and activities that support the economic viability of farms without comprising the land’s integrity. The new draft does not dene “agriculture” or “regenerative,” and provides a generic denition for sustainable – “capable of being maintained indenitely.” Kempe is pleased that the new draft addresses housing and water, two issues that directly impact island producers. “Housing is a massive issue,” Kempe says. Agricultural Land Commission rules govern what happens within the ALR, and Islands Trust council members regularly correspond with the ALC to address issues related to farmland and food production. But the Islands Trust has no published guidelines regarding what kinds of agritourism it deems acceptable and aligned with its own mandate to steward the Gulf Islands. This includes units for vacation rentals, which the province has allowed so that farmers can diversify their revenue but which could also be addressing the shortage of Gulf Islands farm workers. “It's very much a gray area for the Islands Trust, and whether to allow buildings to be constructed for agritourism,” Kempe says. “The short-term vacation rental is such a problem area. Is that providing housing for temporary farm workers?” Luckham says farm worker housing is important, but the jurisdiction of the ALC. “Farm worker housing is an important element, and the Agricultural Land Commission has been restricting in the kinds and types and shapes of housing on agricultural land, and rightfully so. They don't want any kind of housing to impact the agriculture there,” says Luckham. “We certainly look towards a future of more equitability there associated with housing and farmworker housing, particularly seasonal types of housing.” Support for infrastructure including farmers markets, roads, composting facilities, abattoirs and water are embodied in the policy statement, Luckham says, but once again points to the ALC as the ultimate regulator. “There will denitely be some impacts. Ultimately, however, the Agricultural Land Commission has the authority to allow or disallow certain kinds of activities or exemptions,” he says. Water is the one issue where the Islands Trust has greater authority, Kempe says. While it doesn’t regulate groundwater, it has the power to regulate the forestry companies operating within its area. By engaging with forest managers, the Islands Trust could signicantly benet local aquifers. “A lot of people don't understand the physiological connection between forests and groundwater,” Kempe says. “I think if the Islands Trust could be successful in truly preserving and protecting [our forests], then agriculture would be better o.” Following further council meetings this summer and a six-month public consultation period this fall, the new policy statement could be implemented as early as next year, setting the stage for the trust’s next 50 years. “We're committed to taking as much time as is necessary for everyone to understand what this means,” Luckham says. “We are interested in looking at how to alleviate hurdles … to support those in our community that are struggling to farm. We will be working with those communities rather than against them.” Islands agriculture at a glance The Islands Trust is home to 246 acres of protected farmland, but the total area farmed is much larger at approximately 6,000 acres. Census of Agriculture data from 2021 reports 171 farms on Salt Spring and the southern Gulf Islands. Gulf Islands farms primarily produce fruit and vegetables, poultry, eggs and sheep. The majority of farms are less than 70 acres in size, and generate revenues of less than $10,000 a year. Total revenues approach $5 million. —Peter Mitham
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 17Land Act, water issues aired at Cattlemen’s AGMAdvocacy key to beef association’s mandate 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 $100,000.00 being interest free. Plus, interest relief through the Advance Payments Program is available to association members on their feeder cattle purchases.TOM WALKER KAMLOOPS – Advocacy is an important role for many agriculture associations across the province and a strength of the BC Cattlemen’s Association. “We get respect in Victoria due to our honesty and frankness,” BCCA general manager Kevin Boon said in his opening remarks at the association’s 96th annual general meeting on Zoom, June 7. “You don’t always see the work that your directors do on the ground,” Boon adds. “But meetings with provincial government leadership, including the premier and our president’s trips to Ottawa, are extremely important parts of the work that we do. And that is all supported by our strong committee participation.” BC Beef Day in Victoria, an annual meet-and-greet event with the public and politicians on May 14, was well attended with over 550 burgers served. “We did have an audience with the premier and Minister Alexis, and we were able to bring issues forward directly to the premier, something we don’t always get the opportunity to do,” says Boon. “This kind of direct conversation with the government leadership is valuable.” Many of the issues that ranchers lobby for, such as water, drought, wildres, and disaster response, are ongoing. While changes to the Land Act proposed in January are now on hold, BCCA expects them to resurface in the near future. The changes would give local Indigenous governing bodies joint decision-making powers and/or consent prior to a decision involving Crown land tenures. They were met with strong opposition from BCCA and many other tenure holders across the province. “The proposed changes lacked clarity and scope,” says Indigenous Aairs committee chair Larry Rast. “We got the government to back o and pause these proposed changes.” But ranchers fully expect the government to revive the initiative in the future. “We are continuing to push back on this issue,” Rast says. Uncertainty around the changes rattled tenure holders but it also had an eect on community spirit, says John Anderson, chair of BCCA’s ad hoc Indigenous Relations committee. “The way the Land Act changes were rolled out cast a long shadow over relationship building this past year,” he says. Ranchers and their Indigenous neighbours both play a long game, he says, while governments come and go. “Government policy such as we saw with the Land Act can divide communities, which is dicult to reconcile, Shared visionuBEEF | VEAL | BISON | LAMB | GOAT | DEERALL SIZES MARKET GOATS & LAMBS Provincially Inspected Abattoir info@meadowvalleymeats.com (604)465-4744 EXT 10518315 Ford Road, Pitt Meadows BC BC Minister of Agriculture and Food Pam Alexis presented BC Cattlemen’s Association president Brian Thomas with a declaration noting May 14 as BC Beef Day. The annual gathering outside the Parliament Buildings in Victoria puts the spotlight on BC’s beef sector and its major contributions to BC food security. | FLICKR / BCMAF1800 sq ft rancher with a great 昀oor plan; 1580 sq ft detached shop w/2 bay doors, plus other outbuildings, tons of parking. Option to add a second home; lease income potential.All this for under $2.3 million make this a FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY. Call today!Gabe Kadoranian (604) 818-0623Welcome to Paradise! 62180 Delair Road, Hope25 Private Acres of level farm land surrounded by mountains and the Fraser River. gabe@evolvereg.com www.evolvereg.com
18 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Shared visionso it is important for us to initiate the conversations rather than wait for someone else to lead them,” he says. Anderson says community partnerships are key should the water restrictions irrigators faced in several watersheds last summer return this season. “We have a rancher in our area initiating conversations with other water users on the Nicola River and I think that is the beginning of an example where I’m not even sure having government involved is helpful at all,” Anderson says. “Talking with folks involved, coming up with a shared vision of what we want to see and moving forward as opposed to having other people speak for us will be pretty hard for the government to ignore.” Relationship building will also be a key component of the Forest Landscape Plans that are to be developed across the province. Four pilots are currently underway, and while Premier David Eby announced the initiation of eight more last fall, no further information has come, notes Mike McConnell chair of the Land Stewardship Committee. BCCA reps have participated in the two FLP pilots that involve range interests and a report is being completed to review the process, including what works and what does not. “These are to be local plans prepared by local people,” McConnell says, adding that a training package is being prepared to bring members up to speed on the process. “BCCA may need to nd members to represent our industry at each of these tables around the province as they get underway.” Dam file frustrating While the province has allotted $80 million to expand the Agriculture Water Infrastructure Program (in addition to the initial $20 million), support for existing dam structures is lacking. “The province continues to download the costs of dam maintenance on dam owners, many of whom are ranchers,” says Judy Madden, chair of the Environmental Stewardship Committee. “This is an ongoing and frustrating issue. At times it feels like we are pushing a rope uphill.” Another concern for Madden’s committee is the draft Grizzly Bear Stewardship Framework, released last July and open for comments through October. “This document has an unconscious urban bias towards conservation without appropriate consideration of the impacts of decisions on rural and remote communities,” Madden says. The committee has pushed for improved grizzly population counts and mapping, promoted human and livestock safety (self-defence) without penalty and the establishment of a three-strikes policy for aggressive/habituated bears. “The government has been receptive to our chats and we won’t stop on this issue,” says Madden. The meeting marked the last for Brian Thomas as BCCA president, who has been succeeded by Werner Stump. Thomas oered some remarks about the association’s work in his nal remarks. “We have to advocate for our industry,” he says. “We have to stay out in front of the issues and we have to stay in the government’s face. If we don’t, they will think we are agreeing with what they are doing.” ABBOTSFORD 604.850.3601 339 Sumas WayHOUSTON 250.845.3333 2990 Highway CrescentVICTORIA 250.474.33014377C Metchosin Rd. 30 mins from Victoria and15 mins from Hwy#1 in Metchosin.@tractor timeequipmenttractortime.comhandlersequipment.com@handlersequipmentFinancing programs are subject to change at any time.eMax$0 DOWN | 0% INTEREST7 year Powertrain WarrantyHYUNDAI EXCAVATORHX48AzFINANCINGAVAILABLE0%Eye-to-eyeWhile ranchers keep an eye on markets, this cow was keeping a close watch on a visitor who joined her for dinner in a Kelowna pasture last month. Gentle rains and cool weather have kept pastures green and made for more temperate conditions so far this summer, a refreshing change from last year. | MYRNA STARK LEADER
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 19Good management leads to positive outcomesRestricting access by cattle to riparian areas and lakes in Tunkwa Provincial Park was a rst step in protecting the park’s vulnerable grasslands. | TOM WALKERProducer Check-o Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333 Known as the eciency experts, the Hereford breed has been an icon of the Canadian beef industry for more than 100 years. Today the beef industry is facing more challenges than ever. U琀lizing Hereford gene琀cs in crossbreeding programs can help producers meet those challenges head on. BCHA Secretary Janice Tapp 250-699-6466 BCHA President Kym Jim 403-358-8935 TOM WALKER KAMLOOPS – The annual Grasslands Conservation Council of BC (GCC) eld day visited Tunkwa Provincial Park on June 8, with participants learning about the park’s creation and management of the surrounding grasslands. Tunkwa Provincial Park was created in 1996 to protect a portion of the area’s extensive mid-elevation grasslands, as well as lakes, wetlands and forests on the South Thompson Plateau between the towns of Logan Lake and Savona. Both Tunkwa and adjacent Leighton Lake, are man-made, the result of damming by ranchers in the mid 1800s. Both remain within the grazing licences of Indian Gardens Ranch, operated by GCC chair Bob Haywood-Farmer. The area is popular with recreationists for the excellent shing as well as hunting and backcountry activities. By the mid 1990s, the BC Forest Service recreation site campgrounds on each lake were being heavily used and the surrounding landscape was suering. “The area was getting trashed,” says Denis Lloyd, a forest ecologist and key member of the park creation process who now serves as GCC treasurer. “Bob [Haywood-Farmer] and I sometimes had conicting views at the time, but I think the benet to the grasslands, the lakes and wetlands, the aspen copses and the overall biodiversity of the area has been very positive.” Lloyd says some environmentalists wanted to keep cattle out completely. “But we needed ranchers on side; they are major players in the landscape management. We were looking for a consensus to develop a park system in the southern Interior,” he says. Indian Gardens’ cows were impacting the area and they had few tools to manage them, Bob’s son Ted Haywood-Farmer explains. “Pre-1995, the whole thing from one horizon to the next was one big open area,” he recalls. “Without any fencing, after turnout, cattle would come up at the beginning of June and go right to the shores of Tunkwa Lake.” Summers were spent keeping the cattle away from the lake. “I remember how sore my butt would get as a kid spending eight hours a day in the saddle,” Haywood-Farmer chuckles. “Keeping them there was good for breeding but they would over-graze the area.” Lloyd says a compromise was reached at the table. “We fenced o a few sizable areas to protect and be a representative example of what these landscapes would look like in an ungrazed situation,” Lloyd says. The rst benet to cattle management was a perimeter fence through the park and the surrounding open grasslands. “We were able to keep the cows out of the lakes and wetlands without having to come up every third day and drive them out,” Haywood-Farmer says. That fence also helped with the ranch’s grazing rotations. “It allows us to use the timbered area that is more dominated by pine grass early in the season when the pine grass has a higher feed value,” he explains. “And it lets the hard grass in the open country have the whole growing season to produce. That grass is of greater value to us in the fall when it is dormant than the pine grass is, and we can move our animals in to feed on it.” The province also provided a grazing enhancement fund to support additional fencing that allowed the Haywood- Farmers to build more cross fencing to further manage their animals. But all those fences disappeared in August 2021 when the Tremont Creek re destroyed over 63,000 hectares, including almost the entire park. Both Lloyd and Haywood-Farmer say they need the fences back. “I had the opportunity to be in one of the protected areas just before the re and it is amazing how the area had improved with two-foot high fescue and a diversity of wildlife,” Lloyd says. “We need those fences back so the area can recover again.” “I think we may still have two-thirds left to rebuild and we are still having real problems with our cattle management because we don’t have the fences,” he says. Grasslands tour puts spotlight on common ground
20 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCARMSTRONG HORNBY EQUIPMENT ACP 250-546-3033 CHILLIWACK ROLLINS MACHINERY LTD 604-792-1301 CHEMAINUS ROLLINS MACHINERY LTD 250-246-1203 FORT ST JOHN BUTLER FARM EQUIPMENT LTD 250-785-1800 KELOWNA ROLLINS MACHINERY LTD 250-765-8266 LANGLEY ROLLINS MACHINERY LTD 604-533-0048 WILLIAMS LAKE GRASSLAND EQUIPMENT LTD 250-392-4024 VANDERHOOF GRASSLAND EQUIPMENT LTD 250-567-4446NEW T7 HEAVY DUTY WITH PLM INTELLIGENCE™THE POWER OF INTELLIGENCE WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF INTELLIGENT FARMING.Designed for you and by you, the new T7 Heavy Duty with PLM Intelligence™ delivers leading all-around performance and comfort demanded by today’s largest contractors and arable farmers.See the new T7 Heavy Duty and put intelligent farming to work. Or visit newholland.com today.SEE WIDER New Horizon™ Ultra cab with +8% cab volume and +11% glass areaOPERATE QUIETER Quietest tractor cab ever at just 66 dBATHINK SMARTER The most connected tractor with efficiency-boosting PLM® IntelligenceFEEL STRONGER Up to 313 hp with maximum torque available at just 1,400 rpm© 2021 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.COMMITTED TO AGRICULTURE in BRITISH COLUMBIA LANGLEY | CHILLIWACK | CHEMAINUS | KELOWNA 1-800-665-9060 www.rollinsmachinery.com
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 21Telkwa producers step up to provide slaughter servicesBut complex approval process remains a source of frustration When the local abattoir shut down earlier this year, Marlene Thimer and her partner Paul Murphy had to process their own meat birds and start the lengthy application process for a slaughter licence. | SUBMITTEDKATE AYERS TELKWA – The recent closure of the only local slaughter facility in the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako has forced local producers to take matters into their own hands. “If I'm entirely honest, this is not something that we really wanted to be doing at this point in our lives,” says Paul Murphy, who with Marlene Thimer runs Happy Pig Organic Farm in Telkwa. “But when we don't have any other options and we want to continue raising poultry, this is really the only way that we could see to make it work.” The family have raised pigs, cattle, sheep, broilers, layers and turkeys since 2008. Starting as a hobby operation, Happy Pig Organic Farm has evolved into a commercial operation that supplies meat products to the local community. But in March, Bulkley Valley Custom Slaughter in Telkwa closed with little advance warning to growers. “We had 300 chicks that were a week old when we found out that [Bulkley Valley Custom Slaughter] wasn’t opening this year,” Murphy says. While local ranchers Joyce and Rene Dieleman and their children took over the existing facility to process red meat under the name DJ Meat Locker, poultry isn’t yet on the menu. The closest poultry processor is a three-hour drive away, but it was – and remains – fully booked. “We borrowed slaughter equipment and we processed them ourselves,” Murphy says. “We didn't have a licence, so I can't sell them. I have 300 very large meat birds in my freezer that I guess we're going to be eating for ve years to come because there was no way to get a licence and nowhere to get them processed.” Murphy isn’t alone. “In this area, there's lots and lots of small farmers, hobby farmers. And they depend on the local abattoir,” says Joyce Dieleman. “I'm talking like beef, sheep, hogs, goats, all of it. And it's important for them to have their product processed locally in order for them to survive. You can't be shipping your animals o to Vanderhoof, Prince George, because you're not going to be making any money. The prot will be [tied] up in transport.” Murphy and Thimer are in the process of applying for a Farmgate Plus licence, which allows producers to process 25,000 pounds of liveweight animals, or approximately 3,500 meat birds. But there’s a catch – within the Agricultural Land Reserve, Too many levels uPROGRAM CONTACT:Email: hay@cattlemen.bc.caCall or text: 250.306.6277ACCESS TOFEEDAVAILABLETO ALL LIVESTOCKPRODUCERSThis program is intendedto link producersexperiencing droughtand feed shortages withsuppliers who have feedavailable. REACH OUT TO US IF YOU HAVE FEED AVAILABLE We will need:Type of hay and quality Bale type & size Equipment to unloadAbility to handle a b-train or step-deck deliveryYour contact information & location
22 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Too many levels of government involved in application process: abattoirs*Offer valid with 20% of purchase price down. Loaders are factory installed. Items may not be exactly as shown, accessories,attachments, and implements cost extra. taxes, set-up, delivery charges not included. A documentation fee of up to $349.Programs and prices subject to change without notice. See PrairieCoast equipment for full details. Some restrictions apply.Offer valid until July 31, 2024 while supplies last. Financing on approved John Deere Financial credit only. Limited time offerwhich may not be combined with other offers. QID#30819116 1025R w/loader. QID#30819678 1025R loader/back.DEEREDAYSNanaimo | Chilliwack | Langley | Kamloops | Kelowna | Prince George1.877.553.3373 WWW.PCE.CAON ALL COMPACTUTILITY TRACTORS 0% FOR 72MONTHS GET UP TOVISIT US ONLINE ATWWW.PCE.CAOR SCAN THE QRCODE TO SEE ALLOUR SPECIALS:the limit is just 10,000 pounds. “If someone's going to make an investment to process birds, unless you do a lot of birds yourself, you need to process birds for other people to pay for your equipment,” Murphy says. “If you're restricted to 10,000 pounds a year, that's nothing. We would eat up most of that just with our production.” While the long-term plan is to upgrade to an abattoir licence, Murphy and Thimer currently have their hands full navigating the Farmgate Plus licence labyrinth. Properly lling out applications for multiple ministries is the rst hurdle. Even as a former forestry consultant who has experience with provincial agencies and bureaucracy, Murphy has found the process arduous. For example, the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako needs to approve the non-farm use of the land, the Agricultural Land Commission needs to approve non-farm use rezoning for the facility, the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure must permit commercial use of their 30-year-old access road, Northern Health must issue a Food Premises Permit and the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food must approve the processing facility after construction. “I'm not asking for them to hold my hand, but … it's a little bit like an onion,” Murphy says. “If you read on their website, it seems very straightforward, but as you dive into it, every time you take a layer o, it's like ‘oh, there's more stu I have to do, and oh I have to do this and oh I have to do that.’” The application process could be more streamlined with one contact person who could communicate with each of the required parties on the applicant's behalf, Murphy says. “All these ministries, all these people, agencies, they develop these application forms, and these people know their eld of expertise inside and out. So, when they make an application, it's from the perspective of someone that really knows what they're talking about,” Murphy says. “Basically, you have the farmer or the applicant going through these applications and just scratching their heads wondering why the hell they're asking this information or what pertinence does this have to the situation.” But perhaps the most concerning and worrisome part of the whole application process is the upfront cost required without a guarantee that approval will follow. Murphy sent his facility design to the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food for feedback, but they won’t look at it until construction is complete. “They won't do it,” he says. “Basically, [it’s] go ahead and spend your $100,000 or $150,000 on your processing facility and then we'll come and inspect it and tell you what's wrong with it, and then you can x it and then maybe we'll grant you your licence.” Murphy has already paid nearly $3,000 in application fees to the regional district and ALC. Small-Scale Meat Producers Association executive director Julia Smith says the association has helped many of its members secure funding, but acknowledges that the approvals process is tough to navigate. There’s no set timeline for licence approvals that would give producers clarity around what to expect. The province was unable to provide its average approval time prior to deadline. Murphy hopes to receive his Farmgate Plus licence by August – but that’s assuming no further obstacles after three months of challenges. Dieleman family feels feed, labour crunch While the spring and summer are slower seasons for abattoirs, the Dieleman family has felt the impacts of feed and labour force shortages since acquiring the abattoir formerly operated as Bulkley Valley Custom Slaughter. “April, May, June and the beginning of July are pretty slow times,” says Joyce Dieleman of Dieleman Ranch and DJ Meat Locker in Telkwa. “Everybody's turned their animals on grass and with a shortage of feed from last year with the drought and everything, a lot of people sold their products o in the fall.” As a result, the abattoir is open for processing two days a week, but the family will increase availability as the need arises. An abattoir wasn’t part of the long-term plan for the ranch, but family members have stepped up to provide this essential service to the community. Joyce and her son Nathan worked at the former Bulkley Valley Custom Slaughter for three years and now her daughter Chelsea Jaarsma along with Chelsea’s husband Eric have come on board. The ve family members have formed a partnership to assume abattoir duties. But even with family support, the Dielemans could use a few extra hands during the busy season. Running both a ranch and an abattoir is no easy feat. “Starting businesses and operating an abattoir specically is challenging. But our biggest challenge is the labour force. We're having problems nding employees,” Dieleman says. “And that's pretty much everywhere. This is kind of a little specialty thing, and a lot of people can't do it. We’re denitely looking for employees all the time.” —Kate Ayers
Tour showcases sustainability of Abbotsford farmsResource recovery and innovation underpin resilienceManure and pre-consumer food waste nd a new home at BC Biogas where Brendan Van Biert manages the transition from waste to fuel. | RONDA PAYNECOUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 23PRECISION AG APPLICATORSEmbrace Versatility with our Fully Licensed, Compliant and Insured Drone Solutions.Custom Drone Spraying s Precision Seed & Fertilizer Spreading s Cherry DryingMinimize environmental impact with tailored precision applications that boost crop health and yield for Orchards, Farms, Pastures and Rangeland.State of the Art equipment for precise application of seed, fertilizer and spray.Cherry Drying InnovationGentle, low noise and efficient drying to preserve cherry quality.Maximize EfficiencyMinimize CostsAdvanced Drone TechnologySERVING THE THOMPSON OKANAGAN AREADean Bartel 250.351.9279 deanbartel81@gmail.com Call us today to book your acres!RONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – The annual Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce agriculture tour on June 14 played up sustainability, highlighting places where waste products traditionally seen as liabilities become assets. Some dairy farmers say manure is the smell of money, and that’s true at Fraser Valley Biogas, which takes excess manure from local dairies and upcycles it with other organic matter, including food waste, fats and oils. “Only two products leave here: natural gas and a high-nutrient-value soil amendment,” says plant general manager Brendan Van Biert. “We are the rst facility [in Canada] to do renewable natural gas to a utility pipeline.” Purchased by EverGen Infrastructure in 2021, the site went through a redesign that repaired damage from that fall’s oods and doubled its capacity. Key buildings and equipment were set on stilts to ensure continuous operation in case of future oods. The plant stores waste products until needed so that they are never touched by rain. Before becoming part of the next bio-digester blend, non-manure waste is deposited into a tank that is heated and held at between 30°C and 40°C for an hour to neutralize pathogens. It’s then mixed with manure (which makes up at least 51% of the mix) and put into the biodigester. Manure and anything else suitable for the digester is picked up free of charge from farmers, while other organizations pay a tipping fee (incoming organics are weighed). Contributing farms receive the soil amendment free. “We assist them with nutrient management and planning,” says Van Biert. “We actually apply [the soil amendment]. It’s a great benet for the farmers.” Having grown up on a dairy farm, then going to work in the oil and gas industry for a couple of years, Van Biert feels working at Fraser Valley Biogas is a “nice mash-up of the two” occupations. “I’m even more excited about the net benet for agriculture than I am for the natural gas component,” he says. The plant is expected to produce about 140,000 gigajoules of renewable natural gas in 2024 with the hope for 180,000 to 200,000 next year. Waste recovery in another form is taking place at the Fraser Valley Gleaners, which has been saving food from the landll for 25 years and rescues about two million pounds a year. The not-for-prot organization takes cull Gleaning up uQuality Pre-Owned Tractors & EquipmentBOBCAT 751 skidsteer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500 JAYLOR Mixer Wagon 4575 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500 MASCHIO C300 tiller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,500 MF 1742 tractor, AWD with cab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27,500 MF 4707 4WD, load, low hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70,000 MF 4708 tractor/loader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59,500 TECKUCHI TS60V skidsteer (low hours) . . . . . . . . . 50,000 TURBOMATIC 600 lt sprayer with side cannon . . . . 8,500 WALLENSTEIN M130 manure spreader . . . . . . . . . 17,500 WN WL60T articulating loader 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85,000 WACKER NEUSON 8085T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47,500www.masseyferguson.usWe’ve invested heavily in the future, and the new Massey Ferguson® 6700 Series tractors are unlike any mid-range we’ve ever built. They’re engineered from the ground up, then tested in the harshest conditions around the world, for more power, versatility and long-lasting operation. These machines are purpose-built to provide unmatched lift capacity and the power to pull heavier implements through the toughest jobs, with the next-level comfort of our deluxe cab and features. Come demo the 6700 Series today, and don’t be surprised if this ends up being the last tractor you ever buy. IT’S THE MOST POWERFUL HEAVYWEIGHT IN ITS CLASS.
24 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCBees are complex organisms and Jenny Campbell from Campbell's Gold Honey Farm and Meadery explains their value to agriculture during a Chamber of Commerce tour of Abbotsford farms. | RONDA PAYNEu Gleaning up BAUMALIGHT.COMAdair Sales & Marketing Company Inc. 306-773-0996 | info@adairreps.comMFG OF MINI SKID STEERS AND A VARIETY OF ATTACHMENTS INCLUDINGTREE SPADES | TREE SAWS & SHEARS | BOOM MOWERS | PTO POWER PACKSBRUSH MULCHERS | ROTARY BRUSH CUTTERS | PTO GENERATORS | AUGER DRIVES | FLAIL MOWERSTREE PULLERS | FELLER BUNCHERS | EXCAVATOR ADAPTERS | SCREW SPLITTERS | TRENCHERS | STUMP GRINDERSvegetables and processes them into a healthy dried soup mix. Seniors, students, new immigrants and others volunteered 46,000 hours in 2023 to clean, chop, dry and combine the vegetables and pulses into 100-serving packages. “We could automate it, but we would have a revolt,” says oce manager Malinda Rogusky. “They love doing it.” The mixes are boxed and prepared for shipping by other faith-based organizations, which manage distribution through their own programs. A 40-foot shipping container holds more than a million servings of food headed around the globe to regions where children may only get a meal every three days. The Gleaners obtain produce from about 10 farms on a regular basis and another ve or 10 they reach out to periodically. “This organization is run entirely on donations,” says general manager Joel Pasma. Bees While Fraser Valley Gleaners repurposes vegetables, Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm and Meadery supports the work of bees transforming nectar and pollen into honey. The eight-acre operation has been a family farm since 1987 and opened to the public in 2006. Judy and Mike Campbell started the business on their way to retirement, and now their daughter Jenny Campbell is taking over after spending 13 years working abroad as an educator in more than 20 countries. Fruit trees and bees dominate the landscape behind the barn, which runs on geothermal heating. The family is planning to upgrade the electrical system and to incorporate solar power to become net-zero. Bee health is a major concern for the farm’s 60 colonies, challenging eorts to grow to 100. Varroa mites, for example, get into cells with developing bees and lay eggs that mature as the bee does. “We’re managing something we can’t see,” Campbell says of the mites’ tiny eggs. “That’s how 28 dierent viruses, or more, get into the bees.” She says US beekeepers lost 48% of their colonies last year to various causes. “That’s a massive loss to agriculture,” Campbell says. Ensuring agriculture thrives takes new ideas and Maan Farms is constantly evolving. The estate winery that was added to the farm in 2013 has been popular and was pitched on Dragon’s Den. Growth in fruit wine sales have caused the family to add an automated press and two new 20,000-litre tanks with plans for two more. Farm operations manager Gurleen Maan says people have long eaten strawberries but didn’t have that experience with wine grapes. “Our whole mission is to change that perception of fruit wine; to sit at the table with grape wine and hold our own,” she says. There is minimal water added to the fruit wine so customers know they are getting two pounds of berries per bottle. There are still plenty of berries for u-pick and retail sales from the farm as not everything goes into the wine, but new methods are being used to grow strawberries, including an innovative 2.5-acre greenhouse that produced its rst crop in 2022. “We actually didn’t plant any strawberries in the ground this year,” says Maan.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 25Agritech company aims for the starsProtein farm draws funding for fungal food sourceMaia Farms CEO Gavin Schneider successfully pitched his agri-tech company’s plant-based protein meat substitute during the Farmers Den competition at the Pacic Agriculture Show earlier this year. | ANNA KLOCHKOATTENTION: VANCOUVER ISLANDCATTLE PRODUCERSTo purchase parts or oilers call us, and be directed to your nearest Vancouver Island distributor.CURRENTLY SEEKING SALES DISTRIBUTORS FOR THE LOWER MAINLAND.PETER MITHAM VANCOUVER – Six months after beating out four other start-ups in the Farmers Den event at the Pacic Agriculture show, Vancouver-based Maia Farms is shooting for the stars. “Since we won the competition, we have been awarded rst place in the Deep Space Food Challenge, and our system was deployed at the Canadian Space Agency,” says Maia Farms CEO Gavin Schneider. The company received $50,000 in the Agripreneur category at Farmers Den, which saw entrepreneurs with established agricultural or agri-tech companies pitch their ventures to a panel of four nanciers and agritech specialists. “We are building more than a company. It’s a commitment to building a better future for farming, where we can nourish life while protecting the planet,” Schneider told the panel, highlighting projections of 10.4% compound annual sales growth with its rst-in-Canada product. That product is CanPro, a textured protein with a meat-like texture that delivers 66 grams of protein with every 100 grams served. The protein density is greater than red meat, while also being high in bre and providing a full daily dose of iron – a critical issue in developing nations. CanPro is the result of biomass fermentation, a “scaleable, ultra-ecient process” that uses oyster mushrooms to upcycle spent grains and legumes to create a cost-competitive protein. One calorie of inputs becomes one calorie of CanPro, a 100% conversion rate that compares favourably to beef, which has a 4% conversion rate. Carbon emissions are also 16% that of chicken, which is often seen as a healthier, more environmentally friendly protein than beef. “We’ve developed a process to farm mycelium to create a protein-rich ingredient that will one day have as profound an impact on agriculture as the Haber process did on the 20th century,” claims Schneider, referencing the German discovery that fuelled the rise of synthetic fertilizers and ultimately the Green Revolution that spawned industrial agriculture. “Maia Farms displayed a keen sense of what they were trying to accomplish in order to provide a nutritious, sustainable and environmentally conscious protein alternative,” says Steve Saccomano, senior agri-business development manager with Royal Bank of Canada, part of the judging panel. “Their business plan was solid, and they presented very well.” The other judges that included investor Don Campbell of Cutting Edge Research Inc.; Meghan Larson of Farm Credit Canada; and Lenore Newman, a member of the province’s Food Security Task Force and a professor at the University of the Fraser Valley. But as with any of the novel food ingredients being developed in the Lower Mainland, from the milk components Vitalus Nutrition Inc. of Abbotsford is marketing or the cricket ours touted by UBC, adoption is the big question. Schneider recognizes this. “It’s one thing to stand on this stage and tell you that we can grow a lot of this stu, but it’s another to stand on this stage and tell you that we can sell a lot of this stu,” he told the standing room-only crowd at Farmers Den. The funding from Farmers Den, while a drop in the bucket of $2.3 million secured to date, allowed Maia Farms to hire a sales person. This spring, the company shipped its rst 1,000 kg of product to local manufacturers of meat alternatives and potential international clients. “It was a helpful drop at the right time,” Schneider says. Building on mentorship from Saber Miresmailli, founder of North Vancouver agritech star Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc., Schneider has high hopes for the year ahead. Maia Farms moved into its own oce space on April 1 after sharing space with Ecoation, and now employs nine people. Online sales of CanPro to consumers are planned for later this year. “[Farmers Den] was a great opportunity … and we’re directly creating job opportunities here in Metro Vancouver because of it, so we’re grateful,” Schneider said.
26 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCNO COSTLY DPF@matsquiagrepairCall today to demo any of our McHale models today!www.matsquiagrepair.com34856 Harris Rd, Abbotsford BC V3G 1R7604-826-3281BUILT TO LAST THE NEW FUSION 4 PLUSMCHALE FUSION 4 - THE MOST ADVANCED INTEGRATED BALER WRAPPER RANGEThe McHale Fusion 4 Range has been developed with a focus on operator comfort and machine performance, while still ensuring the renowned simplicity and reliability is maintained.Some Fusion 4 Plus Standard Features Include: - 2.1 m Profi-Flo Heavy Duty Pick-Up- 25 Knife Heavy Duty Rotor- Drop Floor Unblocking System- 18 Roller Bale Chamber-11/4” Chain on the Bale Chamber- Automatic Progressive Greasing System- Film or Net Binding- Automatic Oiling System- ISOBUS Compatibility
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 27Irene and Eugen Wittwer family and their family manages 270 hectares of their own land, 60 hectares of private lease land, and approximately 2,000 hectares of Crown leases. | SUBMITTED1.604.363.8483FARMREALESTATE.COMGETAWAY FARM ID#1102430 • SICAMOUS, BCwSerenity and luxury overlooking Mara Lakew4 Bed, 3 bath home with a walkout basementwPaved driveway, 30’ x 45’ shop and hay shedwFishpond, nearby creek, and natural beautywCo-listed with Chase Westersund - LandQuest Realty Corp.HANK VAN HIERDEN REALTOR® 403.308.173739.3 ACRES39.3 ACRES$2,690,000$2,690,000MARTINA GRAF TELKWA – W Diamond Ranch was one of dozens across north-central BC impacted by last year’s severe drought and the ensuing hay shortage that prompted many producers to downsize their herds. "We had to buy extra hay. Fortunately, we got it from the Bulkley Valley region," says Eugen Wittwer, who is no stranger to forage issues having served as a director of the BC Forage Council. “We also had to sell more animals last autumn than originally planned.” But for Wittwer, who started W Diamond Ranch with his wife Irene and extended family in 1994, last year was just the latest in an agricultural journey that’s taken them from Bern, Switzerland to the Bulkley Valley and constantly challenged them to innovate and adapt. "We made a life-changing decision as a family to leave our homeland in search of more land. There had to be mountains or else it would have been dicult for me,” Wittwer says. “It wasn't necessarily easy. But it wasn't dicult, either. For us, emigrating to Canada was logical.” The entire family relocated: the Wittwers’ two children as well as his parents Alfred and Ursula Wittwer and his siblings Manfred and Marlies. Budget cutbacks that threatened to close Canada’s embassy in Bern resulted in an accelerated visa process that saw the entire family obtain a residency permit within two months. The family began emigrating in fall 1993, arriving in Canada unable to speak a word of English but ready to learn. The farming practices were also dierent than those practiced in Switzerland, but they also learned these. “We learned quickly,” Wittwer says. “The machinery, the animals and the wildlife handling were dierent than Embracing regenerative cattle ranching Swiss ranching family faces climate change head-onBSE prompts change uServing 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 250-838-6414we knew. We had to learn many things anew.” Rooted in a rich agricultural heritage, Eugen's connection to farming began on the slopes of the Dürrenberg Alp in Switzerland's Kandertal region. Despite limited land, his family's involvement in breeding Hinterwäldler cows showcased their determination and innovative spirit. "We owned very little land and had to lease additional land to feed the animals. This being said, in Switzerland, land is rare and hard to get," Wittwer says. "We also kept searching in Switzerland, but we were always unsure if the productive land would be aordable and worth the price.” The Wittwer family's pursuit of suitable land led them beyond Switzerland. While they explored properties in France, Canada's vast opportunities proved irresistible after a captivating honeymoon here in 1985. By 1992, after they collectively decided to emigrate to Northern BC, they purchased a 665-acre farm, including a Crown lease on 4,950 acres of range. To maintain the property’s farm status, they had to immediately buy Farm & Rural ResidentialProperties in the Peace Country are our specialtyAnne H. ClaytonMBA, P App AACI, RIAppraiserJudi LeemingBHE, P App CRAAppraiser250.782.1088info@aspengrovepropertyservices.ca www.aspengrovepropertyservices.caanimals and start farming. "Farmers in the valley were very welcoming, and we could ask them for advice,” Wittwer
28 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCRegenerative practices adopted after the BSE crisis hit Canada's beef industry in 2003 have made for a healthier, more productive operation at W Diamond Ranch in Telkwa. | SUBMITTEDu BSE prompts change© 2024 Vestaron Corporation. All Rights Reserved. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS. C OHORTwholesale.comTechnical and sales support for Spear®Lep is provided by Cohort WholesaleNew peptide technology. SPEAR® LEP insecticide provides a new mode of action that effectively targets lepidopteran pests on vegetables and otherhigh-value field crops. Five years of field trials and more than 550 K+ applied com-mercial acres show SPEAR LEP delivers the efficacy of synthetics with the safety and sustainability of biologicals. With no known resistance or cross-resistance, SPEAR LEP works as a stand alone or in rotation with conventional insecticides as a powerful new IPM tool for your operation. • New MOA - IRAC group 32• 0-Day PHI• 4-Hour REI • MRL ExemptA revolution in crop protection®™says. “We also put little bells on our cows, like we used to do in Switzerland. It didn't bother anyone; on the contrary, it turned out to be an attraction for many locals who came to see it.” The journey wasn't without hurdles. The farm required signicant investment from the get-go, prompting the family to take jobs in forestry to sustain the operation. Gradually, the herd grew and by 2003 they were breaking even with a cow-calf operation running 170 cows. But then came the BSE crisis. The market collapsed, and the calves yielded only half the prot. "We said to ourselves, ‘This doesn't make sense. We're a farm, and we should function like a business. Either rely on subsidies or remain independent and ensure we can sustain the operation ourselves,’” Wittwer says. Determined to be self-sucient, they began processing their own animals, which focused them on practices aimed at maximizing both the productivity of the herd and the quality of the nished meat. Raising their own animals brought a sharper focus on raising the animals with a view to maximizing both the productivity of the herd and the quality of the nished meat. This in turn led to exploring alternative feeding options. Successfully transitioning the herd to grass-fed in 2019, the Wittwers began to prioritize soil health and regenerative practices that add up to more sustainable livestock management. Wittwer says the soil is the most valuable asset, and managed grazing and other regenerative practices have led to sustainable weight gain in the animals and healthier agriculture overall. "Since the BSE crisis, we stopped using articial fertilizers. We had no more money. We had to nd other solutions. Since then, we've been working according to the principles of regenerative agriculture,” Wittwer explains. “For example, we no longer use chemicals for parasite prevention in animals. Residues of these chemicals enter the soil with urine. This burdens the soil organisms and disrupts soil balance and thus soil health." Moreover, regenerative grazing practices give the cows more freedom to eat according to their needs. "Our cows can choose what to eat – legumes, herbs, and bushes. Since we stopped treating, we've seen how our animals' feeding behaviour has changed,” he says. It’s also made the grasslands more resilient. While forage yields were down during last year’s drought, Wittwer is optimistic for this year. “I've observed that our grassland recovers well even after the dry summer in 2023," he says. Today, 80 female cows, 150 cattle – a mix of breeds, mainly Hereford and Angus cross – and three bulls graze at W Diamond Ranch, which embodies the Wittwers' collective eort and commitment to sustainable farming. They continue to manage nearly the same acreage as 30 years ago, having added just 150 acres of leased land to their holdings. Their journey has not merely been about farming, but also about the resilience of the extended family. "We've always worked together as a family and have always been open to helping others. That was the case in Switzerland, too,” Wittwer says. “Sometimes, my mother had 25 people at the table. Not much has changed, really.”
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 29• Increase milk production• Increase heat detection• Reduce hoof & leg injuries• Reduce cull rates1.877.966.3546www.agritraction.com | CHILLIWACK, BCTOM WALKER ENDERBY – Cow manure is an excellent source of nitrogen that can support on-farm forage production, but its use is a balancing act. Too much, and the excess can leach into adjacent watercourses; too little, and the crop will suer. “The ultimate goal is to have a whole farm nutrient budget that matches crop removal with the inputs, so that you are not over-applying and having the risk of run-o,” explains Mike Witt of Forage Based Solutions in Lavington, speaking at a BC Institute of Agrologists eld day at Trinity Dairy in Enderby last fall. The eld day allowed BCIA members to hear about the Living Lab projects for nutrient management and cover cropping that Trinity is participating in. Trinity supports 185 milking cows on its 330 acres of land and they don’t have any trouble emptying their manure pits. “We have more acres here than I feel we have manure for,” says Ryan van Dalfsen, a director of Trinity Dairy. The farm is almost crop-load zero, van Dalfsen explains. They buy some straw and sell some horse hay. “We have the right amount of land for our animals,” he says. “And yet we have to buy over 30 tonnes of nitrogen fertilizer to feed our orchard grass in the summer.” Witt points out that once manure is applied, it starts to break down and lose some of its benecial properties. “Liquid dairy manure is a pretty optimum fertilizer coming out of the gate,” Witt says. “You want to get as much value out of the manure as possible so you are not throwing money away.” Blasting manure o the top of a spreader onto bare ground risks the loss of 50% of the ammonia content, Witt says. “You need to apply it as close to the ground as possible, or preferably incorporate it,” he stresses. Witt explained that any sort of tillage after application really helps to incorporate the manure into the soil, but it’s a dicult and unpleasant job. “It’s really hard to get the tractor over those manure puddles in the spring,” says van Dalfsen. “If you don’t get it into the ground within 24 hours it smells, and cleaning up your equipment afterward is nasty.” But there is a tool for that. Trinity was able to acquire a used manure injection unit from the US at signicantly less than the $600,000 cost of a new one and engineer it to suit its needs. “There is a disc that opens a slice in the ground followed by a shank that blasts the manure about ve to six inches into the soil,” van Dalfsen explains. The soil then settles back over the slice covering the manure. “We are able to apply 9,000 to 10,000 gallons of liquid to a eld and when you look across it you might see a dribble,” van Dalfsen says. “If you drive across with a tractor the manure will come squirting out of the ground, but after a few days of drying you don’t even know you’ve been across the eld with the machine.” Witt spoke of a second producer who is using a splay-foot applicator that is able to press the liquid manure down to the soil through eight inches of a grass crop. Van Dalfsen says that would be an improvement over Trinity’s summer broadcast applications. “We try to get over a eld with irrigation to help incorporate but we often can’t do it fast enough,” he says. “By day two, it’s baked onto the leaves, the smell lingers and the nutrients begin to be lost.” Dairy manure pits are full by spring and a manure application before seeding corn is ideal. “We know how many gallons we want to get on the corn,” van Dalfsen says. “We have also put it on our second crop of alfalfa and it really shows up visually on the crop we did get it on.” The manure provides more than just nitrogen. “Soils that have a regular manure application see a spike in biological activity 60-90 days afterwards,” Witt explains. “We are applying nitrogen and we are feeding the bacteria that is helping to break down the organic matter from the manure that has been applied previously, making even more nutrients available.” But what if a farm ends up applying too much manure? “You should be testing your soil every year to make sure that your balance is right and you are getting the best use of your nutrients,” says Witt, noting that the province’s Code of Practice for Agricultural Environmental Management requires testing every three years. If a post-harvest nitrate soil test (sampled at one foot) shows greater than 89 lbs N per acre (or 100 kgs N per hectare), producers need a reduction plan. This could mean applying less manure, or planting a fall crop that will take it up. “We have several Living Lab projects here in the North Okanagan that are applying fall cover crops,” says Witt. Fall cover crops are common on Lower Mainland dairy farms, but Witt says Okanagan farms use a dierent seed mix. “We like fall rye over other cereals as it starts growing at about 2°C, whereas some of the others need 5°, and it also handles the lower winter temperatures better,” he explains. A fall cover crop has many benets. Besides using up excess nitrogen, it can protect the soil from erosion. The roots also help reduce soil compaction. “We also see less weed pressure on ground that has had the rye thrown on it,” van Dalfsen notes. There is also the potential that the rye may be harvested in spring for forage before being plowed under, but it has to dovetail with plans for corn. “You have to make sure you don’t screw up your corn crop,” van Dalfsen warns. “Corn is such an important majority of the forage value. It’s what our milk is produced on.” Trinity is happy to be involved with the Living Lab projects. “With something like the fall rye, there is a cost and you don’t necessarily note the return, but sometimes it’s the unseen things in farming that pay the most,” van Dalfsen says. “That’s the approach that we like to take.” It’s not what, it’s how you spread itThere’s an art to applying manure for the highest nutrient valueUSED EQUIPMENT KUBOTA K76249H 76” SKIDSTEER SNOWBLOWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500 JD XUV560E 4S GATOR 2019, 4 SEATER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,500 NH 1033 BALE WAGON, 105 BALES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,500 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 USED TRACTORS KUBOTA T2380 2017, 48” DECK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,500 TORO 328D 48” MOWERS, 2,900 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,000 KUB F2880 2006, 1,411HRS, 60” REAR DISCHARGE . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,500 KUB M5-111HDCC24, 2021, TRACW/ M32 LDR, 35HRS . . . . . . 105,000 KUB GF1800-4W, 2010, 1,100HRS, NEW 60” MOWER DECK . . . . . 16,900 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 SSV65P 2021, CAB, HYD CPLR, 130HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64,850 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 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 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
30 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCThere’s a new garden tool on the farm. It’s standing out like my sore nger which, having been crushed in some metal last week, now gets banged on everything all the time. Yesterday I replaced all the tines on the rotavator and banged it seven times. Breathlessly hard. Where was I? Ah, yes, the new rake. It does not meld into the crowd of old hoes, rakes and shovels that comprise our rather large quiver of inherited tools from ancestral gardens. The hoe from my mom’s great-aunt is my favourite. The long wooden handle ts perfectly into the hands and allows the operator to maintain a comfortable upright position, with the arms swinging easily. There’s no need to hack as seems to be necessary with modern versions; one simply oers guidance to the blade. The metal, which holds a wicked edge, glides at a predatory angle through the dirt, slicing weeds like an assassin. They are dead before they even know it. So, back to this new rake. I got it because the old rake, which I believe to be almost 50 years old, nally dropped one too many tines. Mom had found an on-farm replacement, of course, this one made entirely of bamboo and probably around 175 years old. Perhaps my grandfather stashed it in the back of the barn once he realized it was a useless garden rake. Something in its geometry is wrong and it, too, is missing the all-important tines, although it is certainly lightweight. The new rake came from an actual store, and that’s obvious. Its handle is an unnaturally bright and peppy yellow, made of a non-wood material, and features an irritatingly thick foam sheething on the top few inches, likely thought necessary for grip. But that’s not where mom would grip it. I’ll cut it o and apply hockey tape. Obviously, it hasn’t yet found acceptance on mom’s garden tool line and it’s languishing at some distance, casting a glow amongst a collection of garden stakes. The two old broken rakes are still hanging in the active rake location, lined up with all the other grey-handled, long-service tools. Okay, that’s enough about garden rakes. What I really wanted to do was lament the challenges of seed bed preparation when all your fertility and most of your weed and pest management is derived from long rotations and cover cropping. It seems impossible to predict ahead of time what sort of cultivation program will be required to form the cash-crop seed bed, and I don’t think I have followed the same pattern once in 25 years. Farming with conventional methods appears more predictable: kill the forage (chemically), rotavate in the fall, plow, rip and/or disc, and rotavate again. At some point, the fertilizer is applied and an arsenal of weed, pest and fungal killing sprays await deployment. Even elds that have been in forage for years succumb to this treatment and planting occurs into a ne tilth absent competition from old forage growth and other impediments. I’m not saying I am jealous, but I do see the benets. The problem with long-rotation cover-cropping is that so much happens during the rotation that will aect cultivation for the cash crop. I can’t even describe it all. Start by imagining the bed prep for the various cover-crops (there are usually at least three). Now apply weather variables. At the end of all that, it’s hard to kill the well-established forage, and it’s hard to arrive at a dreamy uy tilth seed bed without destroying all the organic matter the cover cropping and long rotation was meant to produce in the rst place. The system works but it is anything but straightforward. Now. Wouldn’t it be so nice if a new yellow rake with a gimmicky foam handle was a tidy metaphor for regenerative farming practices? Yes, but I can’t quite gure it out. Anna Helmer farms in the Pemberton Valley and has coped with her very rst injury preventing ecient typing. A rake’s progress has no endFarm Story ANNA HELMERStrong tractor market REGINA -- Tractor sales will remain strong this year, according to Farm Credit Canada. A forecast at the end of April indicates a mere 2% decline nationwide this year to approximately 1,100 four-wheel drive (4WD) tractors sold. “Farms are now looking to upgrade their aging 4WD tractors. So even with inventory levels expected to improve by the end of the year, sale volumes are expected to trend above the ve-year average,” FCC senior economist Leigh Anderson says. Declining interest rates could spur equipment purchases, FCC adds, while drought risks and tighter margins thanks to high input costs could dampen sales. A small interest rate cut June 5 of 25 basis points was good news, but FCC says farmers will need “to work with all their partners including dealers, farm advisors, and nancial institutions in nding the right piece of equipment that has the greatest protability on a per acre basis.” With the right choice, FCC says farmers can secure long-term productivity gains — Peter Mitham
Ranchers follow beavers for water storage solutionsBeavers can mitigate floods, wildfires on the landscapePond levellers help control the depth of water upstream of a beaver dam to prevent ooding. The pipe lies on the pond oor following installation, which is a team effort. | COWS AND FISHCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 31KATE AYERS KAMLOOPS – While beavers are often considered a nuisance in agriculture and were nearly hunted to extinction during the fur trade era, the iconic critters can provide a wide range of environmental benets. Some producers are realizing those benets by welcoming beavers on their properties or using beaver dam analogues (BDAs), structures designed to mimic the form and function of natural beaver dams. “It's really kind of picked up momentum over the last three or four years,” ," says BC Cattlemen’s Association general manager Kevin Boon. For example, early last year the BC Wildlife Federation launched the 10,000 Wetlands project, which is focused on beaver-based restoration. It’s designed to mitigate environmental challenges by installing 100 BDAs across the province. “There used to be beavers everywhere across the landscape and they really did help shape our rivers and our waterways,” says BC Wildlife Federation beaver restoration assessment lead Jen Rogers. “Then, because of the fur trade and because of that history of trapping, we have since lost a huge driver for maintaining hydrology and hydrological health in our watersheds.” Most of the federation’s projects are in the Thompson-Okanagan, Kootenay and Cariboo regions. “We're generally looking at sites that are higher in the watershed as they have a bit more of a hydrological impact downstream by capturing and retaining that water higher up,” Rogers says. “[BDAs] are able to supplement those low- ow conditions during drought times [and] slowly release that water and really help to keep water in the creeks and available for wildlife, for sh, for people.” Where beavers exist, some producers are actively managing populations to restore wetlands, riparian areas and sh habitats. Beavers can mitigate the impacts of oods and droughts by storing and slowly delivering water throughout the year. Their dams act as speedbumps, slowing the movement of water so it can soak in and recharge the groundwater. This increased water availability in streams and underground can improve forage and water quality for livestock. “It's like soaking up a sponge and when it gets hot and dry later in the summer, it'll be released further downstream as cool ground water,” says Miistakis Institute conservation analyst Holly Kinas. “That provides important drinking water for not only livestock but also wildlife.” Located in Calgary, the not-for-prot institute has run beaver coexistence projects for the last decade through a partnership with Cows and Fish Riparian Management Society. Beaver dams can also create refuge habitats for wildlife during wildres. “It creates a break when there is a really intense wildre that's rapidly burning through a landscape,” Rogers says. “The re will follow that path of least resistance, so it'll burn through the really dry vegetation. But when it hits this vegetation that's been saturated because of the water table, it will usually kind of skirt around it and that creates these really vital refuge habitats and pockets within the watershed that aren't burned.” However, since beavers are wild animals, ranchers cannot dictate where they build dams. This means they can inadvertently plug culverts and irrigation intakes or ood roads. As a result, producers must manage expectations, Rogers says, and install coexistence infrastructure such as pond levellers, exclusion fencing and tree wrapping. If producers want to welcome beavers onto their properties, they can create a metre-deep pool of water to provide sucient protection from predators. For food, beavers are a generalist species but prefer willow, aspen and cottonwood. Overall, as ecosystem engineers, beavers can help manage water storage throughout the year but also cause headaches and unintended damage if not carefully managed. “You’ve got to look at the whole system and build a plan. It's just one of the tools on that landscape used to help mitigate [water]. It's not the silver bullet,” Boon says. “We need every tool we can to be able to store and manage water. So that's just one more way of doing it and it's nature's way.”
32 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCNew beginnings for Kenneth, and for Deborahface vigorously, from chin to eyebrow. Doug pulled a dog ball out of his pocket and threw it down the skid road. Flo was o like a shot, sprinting after it. “Where were we?” he said. The next kiss lasted all of six seconds before a cell phone started ringing. “That sounds like me,” said Deborah. “I’m pretty sure it’s me,” said Doug. It was the same ring tone for each. Doug glanced at his call display, then punched in. “Hi…yes. I can see who it is. Funny you should call me now; I’m just talking to your mother. What’s up?” “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” “It’s all good, Ashley. I was just introducing her to Flo.” “Who’s Flo? I don’t think I’ve met her.” “Probably not. Your mom can tell you all about her later. I’m guessing you have something else on your mind. What can I do for you?” “I don’t know if you heard but I’m sitting with Mrs. Harrison this summer.” “I did hear and thank you for doing that. Is Gladdie okay?” “She has good days and bad, but mostly good. It’s her 100th birthday next month and I’m hoping to plan a celebration with some of her best friends. I wonder if I might be able to talk to you. Mrs. Harrison says she has known you your whole life and she speaks very highly of you.” “I didn’t realize it was 100 years. Glad was never one to bang her own drum or have much of a fuss made over her, but it would be nice to have a chance to get some of the old guard together and make her listen to just how special she really is. I’d be happy to talk to you about it, but you’ll have to do me a favour.” “Sure, what is it?” “Now that you’ve graduated, you’re not one of my students anymore. Let’s ditch Mr. McLeod and just go with Doug from here on in?” “Fine by me, but I don’t know how mom’s going to like it. She’s always been kind of a stickler for the Mr. and Ms. thing.” “I’ll talk to her about it. Text me with a time that works for you.” The call ended, Flo was back with the ball and the opportunity for any more truly spontaneous kisses was gone. Deborah laced her ngers through Doug’s, and they wandered back down the skid road toward the future, with Flo leading the way and Duchess bringing up the rear. ... to be continuedThousands 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 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 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 _______________________________________________________________ When we left o last time, Deborah had oered Kenneth advice about how to repair his relationship with Delta, which he graciously accepted. Now, Deborah had some mending to do of her own. Rural Redemption, Part 172, continues ... Deborah sat on the edge of Tiny’s rock blu and wondered about the cosmic odds that would place her there and become the setting for such a life-altering junction in her life. Surprisingly, her talk with Kenneth had been emotionally liberating. When he disappeared back down the old skid road, their past with all of its hurts and frustrations and childish nonsense went with him. Now, without having moved an inch, she sat dangling her legs over the ledge, nally ready for her future to begin. She closed her eyes and listened to the warm afternoon breeze in the forest around her. Duchess rose stiy with a single woof. There was a black dog with white feet and white ag on its tail stopped in the middle of the road 100 feet away. The dog checked over its shoulder and started wagging its tail. Doug McLeod emerged from the trees and gave the dog’s ear a reassuring scratch. Duchess woofed again. “For heaven’s sake, Deborah, call o your dog. It’s only me.” It was said in jest and Duchess was already wagging her tail in excited fury at the promise of company of her own kind. By the time Doug walked to the base of the stone ledge, the dog was above with Duchess. “It’s good to see you again,” said Deborah. “Thanks for coming on such short notice.” “Good to see you, too, and the pleasure’s all mine.” “I see you’ve brought a friend.” “That’s Flo. Where I go, Flo goes.” “Why don’t you come up and join us?” When Doug reached the top of the little blu, Flo was pressed against Deborah’s side having her tummy rubbed. “Sorry,” said Doug. “She’s sort of crazy when it comes to tummy rubs and ear scratches.” “Don’t be sorry. She’s absolutely delightful. How old is she?” “Seven months.” “What kind?” “Border collie.” “I didn’t realize you were a dog person.” “Haven’t had one for a few years now but I started feeling pretty lonesome, and Tommy Fairclough’s Flossie had pups by a dog from Wales. I went to have a look and this one picked me.” “She picked you?” “Yes. I was sitting on a little stone wall in Tommy’s back yard. He turned them all loose so I could watch them for a while. Some were spoken for, and this was one that wasn’t. After a few minutes, I realized little Flo was up on the wall beside me. I gave her ears a little scratch and she started growling at any other pup that came near me. Just seemed like it was meant to be somehow. “You said there was something you wanted to say to me?” Deborah nodded and patted the ledge beside her. Doug sat down next to her. “I guess I’m just curious to know where you and I are?” Doug looked at her quizzically. “The top of Tiny’s blu by the looks of it.” “Not that, silly. I mean us, together.” “You mean like girl and boy us?” “Yes, I felt like we were…something.” “So did I, Deborah, but that was months ago, and I didn’t hear a word from you. What was I supposed to do?” Doug was struggling to keep a straight face. “Is there someone else?” she asked. “Well, the thing is, I’m kind of with Flo now.” “So, are you saying I’ve been replaced by a dog?” “Yeah, but a really good dog.” Doug was starting to chuckle, and Deborah was starting to catch on. “So, if you’re kind of with Flo, do you think there might be room anywhere in your relationship for me?” “Fine by me, but you’ll have to clear it with her rst. What do you have in mind?” “How about this?” said Deborah as she leaned over and kissed him. The kiss lasted all of six seconds before Flo stated licking the side of Deborah’s Woodshed Chronicles BOB COLLINSThe agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915.SUBSCRIBE
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 33Mary Forstbauer grant funds new farmer’s dreamsMoney will be used to purchase equipment for small farmTien Nguyen admits she lacks experience, but her passion for farming and her desire to learn stood out among applicants for the BC Association of Farmers Markets’ Mary Forstbauer Grant this year. | SUBMITTEDwww.tubeline.ca 1.888.856.6613@TubelineMFGFind us onNITRO 275RS SPREADERSACCUMUL8 & RETRIEVERBALEWRAPPERS SILAGE RAKEr#BMBOTB$MPWFSr'PSBHF,BMFr#FSTFFN$MPWFSr%BJLPO3BEJTIr$SJNTPO$MPWFSr'PSBHF4XFEFr)ZCSJE$MPWFSr'PSBHF5VSOJQ"TLVTIPXRONDA PAYNE CLEARWATER – Buying land and tools to farm hasn’t been an easy journey for Tien Nguyen, but with the help of the Mary Forstbauer Grant from the BC Association of Farmers Markets, things have become a little bit easier. “I got a calling, I think,” says Nguyen of her desire to farm after coming to Canada from Vietnam 25 years ago. “It was always in my mind.” She ocially launched Tien Farm in Clearwater in fall 2022 when she moved to the community but didn’t think she could win the $500 grant because she lacked experience. “I’ve got a passion to do it but I don’t have any experience,” she says. “It was a big surprise for me to get this.” Nguyen’s family wasn’t on board with her desire to farm. Her father was afraid that having land but not living on it could result in it being taken away. There was also a reluctance to leave the city, which seemed safer to her family. While she often thought about buying land and farming, it wasn’t until she lost her job in 2007 that she began trying to grow food at the family’s Surrey home. “I started to do gardening in my home in my back yard,” she says “But with big trees we can’t grow anything and we can’t raise chickens in Surrey.” With her passion stoked again, Nguyen began to look for fertile land in Langley but found the prices too high. “I went to the bank and they said no. If I buy a house with land, they will lend [money to] me, but if I buy land by itself, they say no,” she says. “I try to get my brother, my sister, nd someone to co-sign with me … everyone shook their head. They say ‘no, we’re not going to do farming.’” Vancity was the answer, pre-approving Nguyen for a mortgage as she stayed in motels around the province looking for property she could farm. She found vacant land in Clearwater, north of the North Thompson River. In addition to bringing new berry plants and fruit trees to the land, she would also bring water because there was none on site. In time, a neighbour gave Nguyen access to water and ultimately sold her the property next door to her rst small farm. This is when she took the plunge, moving to Clearwater rather than travelling back and forth from Surrey. She now farms one acre on her own. “Every year, I came back in the springtime and plant some trees,” she says. “Each year, I build it up.” She grows blueberries, raspberries, haskaps, “all the kinds of berries I can nd,” along with cherries, apples, prunes and pears, as well as vegetables. She had crabapples, but most of those trees died. “This spot doesn’t work with them,” Nguyen says. “The rst couple of years, I didn’t have any experience so I learned along the way.” She also asked other farmers for their help and started interplanting owers with berries to promote pollination and control weeds. She has built her soil up with compost and puts landscape fabric down on the paths. Because she sells what she produces at the Clearwater farmers market, she was eligible for the BCAFM grant. She’ll be using the money for new equipment on her farm, such as trellises for tomatoes and peppers. She’d been using string previously. Her hope is to generate an income from farming and hire help so that she can grow the business while also having more control over her time. Right now, she works well past nightfall. “I try to minimize my expenses until I can generate some income,” she says. “I’m still doing hands-on learning and don’t want to go deep into debt.” The Forstbauer family reviews grant applications each year and Lindsay Forstbauer reects on why Nguyen was the applicant selected for 2024. “I recognized with fondness the naivete that so many of us experience when we are faced with setting up a market stand for the rst time or needing to ask neighbours for help and advice, trusting that kind strangers will step up for us to boost us along the steep learning curve of market gardening,” Forstbauer says. “Tien’s good humour, optimism and perseverance shone through her words and I sense that she would be a grower and vendor that Mary would be pleased to bestow her considerable knowledge on.”
34| JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCSome foods are more versatile than others. For instance, muns can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, for a snack or with dinner. If you make them yourself, instead of buying the oil and sugar-laden versions from the store, you can choose how many dierent whole grains you put into them, whether you substitute some skim milk or yogurt for the oil the recipe calls for, and whether you add fresh fruits or vegetables, cheese or onions, to them instead of chocolate chips and candy. Scones and pancakes are also friendly, exible foods to which you can decide to add whole grains, cheese, fruits or vegetables for a bit of extra nutrition in your family’s diet. They can also be served any time of day, including high- end cocktail parties or patio parties, as long as you make them interesting and bite-sized. Or, you can make a plainer mun, drop, pancake or scone, and top it with an interesting cheese, spicy jelly and/or herbs or vegetables. There is an endless variety of containers we can serve bites of food in or on and many of them are edible ones. It’s limited only by your imagination. Try small sweet or spicy peppers, slices of cucumber instead of crackers, ribs of celery, squash boats or lettuce cups. Finger food is perfect patio food, and it’s even better if the container can be popped into the mouth as well. While we have delicious fresh produce such as rhubarb, lettuce, green onions and fresh herbs available, let’s make maximum use of their unique avours to perk up our appetites and inspire meals. Incidentally, did you know that rhubarb is low in calories and high in benecial vitamins and minerals, dietary bre and antioxidants? With warmer weather, this is the perfect time to enjoy the patio, whether it be as large as a football eld or a tiny balcony. Nothing enhances the avour of food like eating it outside, so there’s another reason for taking it out to the patio. Patio food for summerSwap out the rhubarb for blueberries or apples, as the succession of summer crops comes to market. JUDIE STEEVESJude’s Kitchen JUDIE STEEVESRHUBARB DROPS OR MUFFINS2 c. (500 ml) chopped rhubarb 1/2 c. (125 ml) olive oil 1/2 c. (125 ml) white sugar 1/2 c. (125 ml) brown sugar 1 tsp. (5 ml) vanilla 1 egg 1 c. (250 ml) plain, fat-free yogurt 1 1/2 c. (375 ml) white our 1 c. (250 ml) whole wheat our 1 tsp. (5 ml) baking soda • Preheat oven to 375° F. • Chop rhubarb into small pieces and set aside. • Beat sugar and oil until well mixed (I used a whisk) and add egg and vanilla and beat together until smooth. • Add yogurt and mix in; then add our and baking soda. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in rhubarb pieces. • Fill 12 mun cups and top each with a pinch of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. • Put into pre-heated oven. • With the remaining batter, drop by spoonful onto a silicon-lined baking sheet and top with a pinch of the remaining sugar and cinnamon mix. • Put into the oven with the muns and remove them all when the timer goes o, about 25 minutes in total. • Serve while still warm, but also delicious cold. Don’t tell anyone these are full of vegetables, but rhubarb is a vegetable! The drops were delicious: crisp outside and moist inside. They’re tiny muns! I made a few of each with this one large recipe.LETTUCE CUPS WITH GINGER PORK & MINTSmall lettuce leaves, for the cups Filling: 1/2 c. (125 ml) zucchini 1/4 c. (60 ml) red pepper 4 green onions 1 clove garlic 1 tbsp. (15 ml) minced ginger drizzle of oil 1/2 lb. (227 g) lean ground pork 1/4 tsp. (1 ml) chili akes 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) sea salt freshly-ground black pepper • Rinse lettuce leaves and dry well. • Cut zucchini and red pepper into very small cubes and mince green onions, garlic and ginger. • Drizzle a little oil into a wok or frypan over medium-high heat and add the ginger and pork, stirring until the meat has lost most of its pink. Season with salt and pepper. • Push to the side and add zucchini, cooking for a minute or two. • Add red pepper and green onions and garlic and cook for a minute or two longer. • Season with chili akes and stir in. Remove from the heat. • Combine drizzle ingredients, except the mint. • Close to serving time, put a dollop of lling in each of the lettuce cups and drizzle each with the sauce. • Garnish with fresh mint leaves, chopped or whole. • Make 30 or 40, depending on the size. These crisp, refreshing little bites are full of avour and make great nger food. No cutlery is needed, though a plate would probably be nice. These can be as small, or large, as the lettuce cups you use.ZUCCHINI PANCAKES WITH TARRAGON2 c. (500 ml) grated zucchini 1 small onion 1 tsp. (5 ml) fresh tarragon 1/2 c. (125 ml) whole wheat our 1 tsp. (5 ml) baking powder 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) salt 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) pepper 1 egg • Coarsely grate zucchini, chop up onion nely and mince fresh tarragon. That herb is particularly good with the zucchini and onion, but without it, you could try substituting other fresh herbs. • Sift dry ingredients and fresh herbs until well mixed and sprinkle over the vegetables. • Mix thoroughly. • Beat egg and add it to the mixture, blending in well. • Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased frypan on medium-high heat, turning each as it browns. These can be served for breakfast, with cheese, bacon or sausages, as a vegetable dish with dinner, or they can be made tiny, to serve as nger food or an appetizer.Topping: 1/4 c. (60 ml) brown sugar 1/2 tsp. (3 ml) cinnamon Drizzle: 2 tbsp. (30 ml) Asian sweet chili sauce 2 tsp. (10 ml) fresh lime juice 1/4 tsp. (1 ml) Sriracha hot sauce
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2024 | 35TRACTORS/EQUIPMENTREAL ESTATEFOR SALEFOR SALEHAYBERRIESIRRIGATIONCOLD STORAGEFor Tissue Culture Derived Plants of New Varieties of Haskaps, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Saskatoon Berries and Sour Cherries, Please Contact:DISEASE FREE PLANTING STOCK OF NEW BERRY CROPS 4290 Wallace Hill Road, Kelowna, BC, V1W 4B6info@agriforestbiotech.com250.764.2224www.agriforestbiotech.com NEW POLYETHYLENE TANKS of all shapes & sizes for septic and water storage. Ideal for irrigation, hydropon-ics, washdown, lazy wells, rain water, truck box, fertizilizer mixing & spray-ing. Call 1-800-661-4473 for closest distributor. Manufactured in Delta by Premier Plastics premierplastics.com DON GILOWSKI 250-260-0828 Royal LePage Downtown Realty Ltd BUYING OR SELLING OKANAGAN FARM, RANCH OR ACREAGE? COURTENAY HEREFORDS. Cattle for Sale: yearling bulls and bred heifers. John 250/334-3252 or Johnny 250-218-2537.PYESTERDAY’S TRADITION - TODAY’S TECHNOLOGYMANAGERS Phil Brown 250-293-6857 Catherine Brown 250-293-6858 ccr.princeton@gmail.com www.coppercreekranch.com PRINCETON, BC Raising registered polled & horned Herefords & F1s. BREEDING BULLS FOR SALE.LIVESTOCKJD 315 13’ HD DISC, 21” BLADES, FRT & REAR 9,500 JD 940 12’ ROLLER HARROW, CROW FOOT FRONT, SOLID REAR 8,500 JD 3155 4WD CAB 265 LDR 105 PTO HP 42,000 JD 6300 4WD OPEN PLATFORM W/640 LDR 36,000 JD 1630 W/LDR 15,000 ED DEBOER 250/838-7362 cell 250/833-6699 CURT DEBOER 250/838-9612 cell 250/804-6147CUSTOM CUTTING &BALING 3x4 BIG SQUARES SILAGE BALING/WRAPPING ED DEBOER 250/833-6699 CURT DEBOER 250/804-6147EDVENTURE HAY SALES ENDERBYZcXjj`Ô\[j7Zflekipc`]\`eYZ%ZfdfiZXcc1-'+%*)/%*/(+C@E<8;J1),nfi[jfic\jj#d`e`dld(*gclj>JK#\XZ_X[[`k`feXcnfi[`j%),;@JGC8P8;J1),gclj>JKg\iZfclde`eZ_M[WYY[fjcW`ehYh[Z_jYWhZi$EQUIPMENT DISPERSAL • FIRESTONE radial 8000, 460/85R38 (18.4/R38) 70% tread, $950 • JD CLAMP-ON DUALS 18.4-38, $2,500 TONY 604-850-4718RINIER EL 140 IN-ROW TILLER SN 17859 $8,500 Call 778-241-1665 ADVERTISING THAT WORKS!AVAILABLE NOW Fire suppression systems, pumps, protection for farms, 2 - 1/4 mile Used Valley 2015, low hours clean, 1 - used Zimmatic 1,600 ft , Used Hose reels, 2,000 ft 12 in 25,000ft 10 in HDPE, 10,000 ft used steel pipe in all sizes. "New" Pierce Pivots, T.L Pivots, lease available , New Hose reels RM Brand, Idrio, Diesel Pumps, End centrifugal pumps, submersible pumps, freq drives, Pump stations, plug and play water treatment systems, 30 years experience. Talk to Brock @ Dynamic Irrigation Kamloops 250 319 3044FEEDERS & PANELS that maintain their value!ROUND BALE FEEDERS BIG SQUARE BALE FEEDERS FENCE PANELS CATTLE & HORSE FEEDERSHEAVY DUTY OIL FIELD PIPE CRADLE FEEDERS. Single big square or 2 round bales Outside measurement is 8 feet x 12 feet Silage bunk feeders For product pictures, check out Double Delichte Stables on Facebook www.doubledelichtefarms.ca Dan 250/308-9218 ColdstreamLIVESTOCKDEAN SPADY, Presidentspadylivestock@gmail.comGARY WOOD, Vice Presidentsemiahmooshorthorns@shaw.caCRAIG ELACHIE SHORTHORNSPurebred Registered SHORTHORN STOCKBulls, Cows, Heifers and Calves AvailableGrant & Barbara SmithBALMORAL FARMS 250.253.0133 1802 Tappen Notch Hill Rd. Tappen, BC V0E 2X0‘Pride in Traditional Quality’PACIFIC JET OPTICAL SORTER Designed for use with blueberries or cranberries. Ready to place in a production line to reduce labour costs in sorting. Located on Vancouver Island. Asking $16,000 CALL 250-743-9464 or email svanhouwe@outlook.comUSED TRACTORS & EQUIPMENT GRINDROD, BCDeBOER’SAUGUST DEADLINE JULY 20$15$301976 CHEV C65 Tandem Dump Truck, Aluminum box, 427 on propane, runs good. $6,500; Manure Spreader, JOHN DEERE Model 40T, $3,000; Hay BALE SLED, bunches up approx. 40 bales, $1,200; HAY RAKE, 4 wheels, $1,000; HAY WAGON 16’6”, $1,000. CATTLE SQUEEZE, hydraulic, like new, $4,000; MF 135 tractor, $5,000. Call Shawn (604) 615-3646email us at subscriptions@countrylifeinbc.comHave you moved?Or has Canada Post changed your mailing address?We won’t know unless you tell us.COLD STORAGE/COOLER SPACE • Located in Sumas Prairie • Ideal for berry, fruit and vegetable storage • 4500sqft & 9000sqft coolers available • Loading dock, Power Pallet Jack, 24hr access • Brand new cooling equipment • Available June-November • Pricing depending on usage CALL OR TEXT MARCUS 604-308-9803BOOK YOUR MARKETPLACE AD BY JULY 20
36 | JULY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCSeasons may change, but Kubota’s reliability and performance remain constant. For everyday farm chores, the M series tractors from Kubota are your best choice year-round. With up to 200 hp, these tractors deliver top performance and come with an industry-leading standard 2-year limited warranty for unmatched dependability.BUILT FOR THOSE WHO DO IN B.C.Avenue Machinery Abbotsford 604-864-2665 Kelowna 250-769-8700 Vernon 250-545-3355VISIT YOUR LOCAL KUBOTA DEALER TODAY.Douglas Lake Equipment Dawson Creek 250-782-5281 Kamloops 250-851-2044 Surrey 604-576-7506Gerard’s Equipment Ltd. Oliver 250-498-2524Huber Farm Equipment Prince George 250-560-5431 Smithers 250-847-3610Island Tractor Courtenay 250-334-0801Duncan 250-746-1755Kemlee Equip Ltd. Cranbrook 250-489-5337 Creston 250-428-2254*Dealer may sell for less. Dealer order/trade may be necessary. Prices, payments and models featured throughout may vary by dealer. Some restrictions apply. See your dealer for complete details. Offers valid only at participating dealers in Canada and are subject to change, cancellation or extension at any time without notice or obligation. For all offers: taxes, applicable fees (including, but not limited to, governmental environmental fees, administration fees, set-up fees, dealer fees, and delivery fees), insurance and registration are extra. Freight is included. Dealer order/trade may be necessary. Minimum down payment of 10% required for financing offers on turf and agricultural products. Specifications, features, illustrations and equipment shown online are based on the latest available information at the time of publication. Although descriptions are believed to be correct, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. We reserve the right to make changes at any time, without notice or obligation, specifications, accessories, materials, models, prices, payments and other information. Some models are shown with optional equipment available at an extra cost.Discount shown available on a new and previously unregistered M7-2 is $7,500.00. Excludes M7-132D.Financing available on approved credit.Offer valid until06-30-2024.SAVE $7,500*EXCLUDES M7-132DM7 SERIES LIMITED TIME OFFER