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Postmaster, Please return Undeliverable labels to: Country Life in BC 36 Dale Road Enderby, BC V0E 1V4CANADA POSTES POST CANADA Postage paid Port payé Publications Mail Post-Publications 40012122Vol. 110 No. 6The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 JUNE 2024 | Vol. 110 No. 6ALC Illegal dumping surges on Fraser Valley farmland 7 POULTRY Chicken growers welcome new long-term pricing 13 LIVESTOCK Animal activists undermine mental wellness 19 TOM WALKER OLIVER – Stacks of dead vines line the roadsides between Oliver and Osoyoos as grape growers assess their losses following January’s devastating freeze event, which has virtually eliminated the chance of a harvest this year. The latest figures from the province’s Production Insurance branch peg claims for vine and yield loss this season at $55 million, more than double the $27.1 million paid out last year. But with funds starting to flow, growers like Rod King of King Family Vineyard in Naramata are optimistic. Production insurance will cover all of King’s operating costs this year. “It won’t cover the mortgage, but it will help me get my vines back up to speed,” King says. This includes retraining vines, cutting back the old trunk and training new growth at the base of the vine to be a new trunk and cordon system. “It will be an expensive year for us to put in all the labour to restructure our vines and there is no formula; each vine will have different needs,” he said. King has bought crop insurance since the 1990s, when he was growing tree fruits. While the premiums are a cost, this year – the first he’s ever made a claim – has proven its value. “We are very happy with Good weather kept Lower Mainland farmers busy in May, but dry conditions elsewhere in the province brought wildres and concerns about water shut-offs. Work must go on, however, and discing was part of the deal for this farmer in Langley. ANNA KLOCHKOCrop insurance claims soarPETER MITHAM VICTORIA – Plans to harmonize dairy sector governance across Western Canada and develop a massive processing plant in Blackfalds, Alberta, are facing renewed concern from the BC Farm Industry Review Board. On May 22, BC FIRB directed the BC Milk FIRB Directives question financesSummer plansMarketing board’s uCherry claims triple uRooted in your community® since 1973www.tlhort.com1-800-661-4559SeedPlant NutritionCrop ProtectionSuppliesServicesours dairy plans
2 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCMarketing Board to cease funding Dairy Innovation West, a milk concentration plant with a capacity of 300 million litres that promises to reduce transportation costs. The plant, owned 35% by BC producers in partnership with those across Western Canada under the aegis of the Western Milk Pool (WMP), is set to complete by the end of this year and begin operation in 2025. 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. Producers, already struggling with low returns, have increasingly expressed concern with the deductions. BC Dairy Association and the Dairy Industry Development Council (DIDC), with which it shares leadership, agreed to ante $1.5 million to cover payments through June 2024. Deductions from producer returns are set to resume in July but BC FIRB says the arrangement violates BC Milk’s pledge in May 2020 to refrain from investing milk board funds, “directly or indirectly” in DIW following a BC FIRB directive. “These are the types of fees that owners of a facility are typically responsible for paying,” BC FIRB told BC Milk last month. “They are clearly related to operation of the facility. They do not have a regulatory character, and do not appear to be capable of being characterized as being in relation to the promotion, control or regulation of the marketing of regulated product.” In fact, BC FIRB says, the payments appear “to be the Milk Board attempting to do indirectly what it has no statutory authority to do directly: that is, operate a milk processing plant.” Speaking at BC Milk’s online spring producer meeting April 12, BC Dairy Association’s representative to WMP, Mark van Klei, explained that a not-for-prot operating company will run DIW, interfacing on behalf of producers with the actual operator, Vitalus Nutrition Inc. of Abbotsford. The property is held by DIW Buildings and Land Co., a federally incorporated corporation headquartered in Calgary but owned by producers across the four western provinces. DIDC holds BC’s interest and is liable for $11.2 million worth of DIW’s $70 million construction loan. Van Klei said deductions from producer returns and the $1.5 million contributed by BC Dairy and DIDC constitute “support funding” during construction to cover $8 million worth of design, engineering and operating costs incurred between 2020 and 2023 that will ultimately be paid out of plant operations. The support funding is in addition to the $74.5 million project cost, which has increased from the $68 million quoted to producers last fall and is nearly 50% above the $50 million estimate initially given in 2019. “The cost of DIW has increased substantially, but so has the freight on interprovincial milk,” van Klei told producers in April, assuring them the DIW’s business case remains sound. When operating at full capacity, the plant will return upwards of $10 million to producers each year in reduced transportation costs. That vision now hangs in the balance with BC FIRB’s cease-funding order. WMP chair and Manitoba producer Henry Holtmann, who chairs the DIW steering committee, says DIW has sucient contingency funds to move forward with whatever funding arrangement BC strikes. “I’ll let them gure that out among them,” he says. Meanwhile, BC FIRB is also contesting plans by BC Milk and BC Dairy to share resources pursuant to memoranda of understanding submitted to BC FIRB last fall. “We have concluded that the proposed MOU between [BC Dairy] and [BC Milk] is inconsistent with the legislative scheme in British Columbia and the rules of procedural fairness, and we direct [BC Milk] not to sign it,” BC FIRB says in a May 1 letter to BC Milk chair Janice Comeau. Unlike in the other three u Marketing board’s funding of new milk plant contrary to legislationu Cherry claims tripleit,” he says. “Yes, there is a deductible, but it is for a one-off event like this … I can’t image the stress other growers are going through right now if they didn’t have insurance.” Tree fruit growers are also facing losses, led by cherry growers. Preliminary claims from cherry growers peg losses at $36 million, nearly triple the $12.3 million paid out last year. Those losses are related entirely to lost yields. Speaking to media earlier this year, BC Cherry Association president Sukhpal Bal said the January freeze event had left growers “reeling.” A spring frost in April has contributed to a lower forecast for this year’s crop, but BC Tree Fruits Co-op anticipates fruit to size up well. Family 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 6J2western provinces, BC has separate bodies for the regulation of milk production and producer advocacy. Any combination of the two creates a conict of interest, an issue highlighted by BC Milk hiring Leah Sheeld earlier this year as executive director, representing both BC Milk and BC Dairy at the WMP. “The duciary duty owed to both organizations makes it impossible for a reasonably informed member of the public to determine whether the executive director is making decisions or providing advice with a view to beneting the industry interests represented by [BC Dairy], or in furtherance of sound marketing policy in the public interest for [BC Milk],” BC FIRB notes. In addition to Sheeld’s hiring, BC Milk and BC Dairy are set to occupy shared oce space this summer as part of the overall harmonization of activities. But given the need to assure the public that marketing decisions are not beholden to producer interests, BC FIRB directed the two dairy organizations to pause their integration eorts, disclose any that have taken place to date and respond to its letter by May 28 with responses to 15 questions posed in an appendix to the letter. These include submitting any analyses done showing that the transformation initiative playing out among the ve western dairy organizations is “consistent with orderly marketing and sound marketing policy in British Columbia.” BC FIRB’s counterpart in Alberta, the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council, wants to ensure “the regulatory and duciary responsibilities of Alberta Milk continue to be upheld” within WMP’s emerging governance structure. However, it did not identify any specic concerns at this time nor provide a copy of its correspondence to Alberta Milk. Supervisory bodies in Saskatchewan and Manitoba generally support the transformation initiative, but only Manitoba has signed o on the arrangement. Saskatchewan’s review remains in the early stages. BC Milk declined comment. www.tractorparts4sale.caABBOTSFORD, 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. 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Saanichton Farm's Bryce Rashleigh (left) stands with long-time friend and mechanic Gus Underwood as well as daughter Allison (Rashleigh) Paul and her husband Jacob Paul. Underwood and Paul belong to the Wsanec people, for whom the Thunder Heart tree of Saanich held special signicance prior to being felled by a storm in 2018. Underwood received a print depicting the tree at the Saanichton Hall of Fame event, April 28. ILENE DUGUAYCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 3KATE AYERS SAANICHTON – On April 28, over 250 people attended the Saanichton Farm Hall of Fame hosted by the Rashleigh family to celebrate local farmers and mechanics for their contributions to the farm and broader community. “It was unbelievable. I've never seen anything like it,” says event organizer and Saanichton Farm owner Bryce Rashleigh. “My heart was touched and I hope it touched others. It was just the right thing to do.” Rashleigh was inspired to organize the event after news of yet another friend and long-time farmer facing dire medical news. “I said to [my wife] Jill, why do we wait until everybody's gone and then we talk about them. … These farmers are still here; why don't we do it?” Rashleigh says. “They farm all their life and they don't always feel appreciated.” Over the course of three weeks, Rashleigh pulled together a roster of valuable community members and government ocials to hand out the awards to recognize locals with a long history of producing food and xing the equipment that makes it possible. To start the program, Saanich-Gulf Islands MP and federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May inducted Brian Delbrouck into the Saanichton Farm Hall of Fame. Delbrouck was a John Deere dealer equipment mechanic for a number of years, then a lawn and garden mechanic who began working on Saanichton Farm in 2003. With 45 years of experience, he’s xed nearly every piece of equipment on the farm and neighbouring farms, Rashleigh says. “He's quit three times. But he can't quit,” he quips. “He's never taken his tools away. He’s still here one or two days a week.” BC agriculture minister Pam Alexis inducted Bruce Grant, an employee of 28 years at Saanichton Farm. Western Canadian Dairy News publisher Tars Cheema and BC United agriculture critic Ian Paton inducted Barry Youell. The Youell family operated the rst dairy farm on Vancouver Island and the sixth in BC to receive the coveted Holstein Canada Master Breeders shield. When they sold the cows in 1994, Barry Youell started haying with Rashleigh and he’s worked on Saanichton Farm every year since. “In my former life in the cattle and farm auction business, there was at one time nine dairy farms in the Saanich area, and I did a lot of business with them,” Paton says. “It was a great social event. I got to visit with farmer friends who I haven’t seen in years.” Through buying and selling cattle, Paton came to know and befriend the Youell brothers – Barry, Ron and Burt. Past farm employee and current Government of Yukon ocial Robyn Burns inducted lifelong farmer and plumber Brian Thompson, who is well known in the Central Saanich farming community for his straight rows and anity for pie and ice cream. In addition, Rashleigh inducted Don Henderson, a glass smith and sherman who always wanted to farm. He has worked on Saanichton Farm the last 20 years to help with the round bale business. During the event, several other local farms and mechanics were recognized, including Somerset Farm on Gabriola Island, Brackenhurst Farm in North Saanich, Mar Farms in Central Saanich, Galey Farms in Saanich, Claremont Poultry in Saanich and “machinist extraordinaire” Pat Hoole. “I’ve never seen anything promoted better, ever,” says Eric Boulton of Somerset Farm, whose 96th birthday happened to be the same week as the Hall of Fame event. He has been farming on Gabriola Island for 74 years alongside his wife Sue and now operates the farm with their daughter Alexa. “It's a huge honour. It's not something we tried to do, but when these things come along, it's a huge honour,” Boulton. “If Sue and I are still here, we would like to go and celebrate it every year,” Boulton says. “I think that farmers don't get enough recognition for all the sacrices and diculties of weather and storms and ferries. I don't think farmers get enough recognition in a sense of understanding exactly how people get fed.” Saanichton Farm launches Hall of Fame Community recognizes local farmers and mechanics Preventing Injuries | Minimizing ImpactEncouraging Worker Health & WellbeingReturn to Work Injury ManagementReturn to Work Injury ManagementEmployers and Employees have a Duty to Cooperate. Policies changed in British Columbiafor Return to Work on January 1, 2024Contact@AgSafeBC.ca1 (877) 533-1789(604) 881-6078 SCAN HERE!Have Questions?Connect with AgSafe! 250.307.5042 tf 1.877.707.5042 info@roostsolar.com www.roostsolar.com Roost Solar is a licensed electrical contractor with Red Seal Journeyman Electricians. As the only installer in the region with a NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional, we are committed to the highest level of quality, customer service, and technical expertise.Visit us online for informationabout How to get started and the Canada Greener Homes Grant and Greener Home Loan which offer up to $5000 in grants, and up to a $40,000 10-year interest-free loan for solar installations.TSBC License #LEL0209968Call or click for a FREE Solar Consultation and Estimate.Solar PV Arrays | Home Battery Systems | EV ChargersGo Solar and SaveAccess the Canada Greener Homes Loan -up to $40,000 in interest-free nancing for solar installationsJohn Pendray of Pendray Farms in North Saanich passed away on March 31 at 98 years and was inducted posthumously. While this year marked the inaugural event, Rashleigh sees the potential for an annual celebration. “It was amazing and the buzz that's happened since, people are still talking about that,” Rashleigh says. “It was totally worth thanking our farmers and our mechanics. They're all getting old, there's getting fewer of them. … I would do it again in a minute.” Those who attended were grateful for the opportunity to get together. The event wrapped up by highlighting young area farmers who contribute to the local food economy. “We recognized old, recognized new,” Rashleigh says. “Wouldn't it be neat if other people just took the time to honour their senior farmers because we’re getting older and we need help and maybe through admiring them, some young ones will go, ‘Wow, this could be possible for me.’”
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. 6 . JUNE 2024Published monthly by Country Life 2000 Ltd. www.countrylifeinbc.comIn June of 1957, I nished Grade 3 at Fleetwood Elementary School in Surrey, a ve-minute walk from home. The post-war baby boom was in full swing and suburbia, with all the trappings, was spreading like wildre. Electricity had moved beyond incandescent lights and radios and was starting to power new and modernizing industries, heat new houses, make hot water, and power a profusion of household appliances and gizmos. Less than 70 yards from our front door, the Trans-Canada Highway was gridlocked most Sunday afternoons with city motorists returning from weekend jaunts to the country. The neighbourhood sprouted another television antenna almost every week. The economy was booming, and lifestyles were changing. Social change was afoot, and cheap, abundant energy was at the heart of it all. Behind the scenes, talks were underway between the US and Canada that led to the signing of the Columbia River Treaty in January 1961 and the nal ratication and implementation in September 1964. The stated purpose of the agreement was to optimize ood management and hydroelectric power generation in the Columbia River drainage basin. The crux of the treaty called for BC to build three dams that would provide 15.5 million acre-feet of water storage capacity and allow the Libby Dam in Montana to ood the Kootenai River for 42 miles across the Canadian border. The US agreed to share the increased power generated as a result of the storage and timed release on a 50/50 basis. At the time of the treaty, that power was excess to BC’s needs and the government of WAC Bennett sold the rst 30 years of electrical entitlement to the US for a lump sum payment of $275 million, thus nancing the dam’s construction. There has been substantial ood mitigation on both sides of the border and both countries have shared the increased hydroelectricity generated. The controlled ow in the river has provided the water and power to create huge agricultural irrigation projects in areas of Washington that could not be farmed without it. Time marches on and the 60-year term of the treaty signed in 1964 expires in September. Eorts to modernize the treaty are ongoing, with ve rounds of discussions in 2023. Times have changed since 1964 and some pigeons appear to be coming home to roost. It is the old story of supply and demand. In 1964, it was straightforward: BC would supply the water and demand the power and the US would demand the water and supply the power. As it currently stands, power distributors in the US don’t have sucient domestic capacity to satisfy domestic demand and are balking at sending the existing treaty entitlement back to BC. They cite growing domestic demand, customer poverty, increasing industrial demand, environmental obligations, and unemployment among an extensive list of extenuating circumstances – all exacerbated by having to ll their shortfall by paying as much as $300 million to buy the Canadian entitlement they generated. BC had to import one-sixth of its power supply from Alberta and Oregon in 2013. BC Hydro won’t likely see the Columbia River Treaty power entitlement as a windfall of surplus power. Water levels in the Arrow Lakes reservoir reached a record low in 2023. Low snowpack and drought conditions will lead to more of the same. Continued low water levels might well render continued treaty discussion moot. BC would be ill-advised to maintain an obligation requiring it to send water it doesn’t have, and the US would be equally reluctant to promise power they might not be able to generate. In light of a current shortage and the absence of an allotment guarantee, BC will opt to manage water levels to maximize its own domestic generation. There is no elegant solution here. The demand for more electricity to power industrial growth, charge electric vehicles, and heat and cool more housing is outstripping the water available to generate it, water that’s also needed to irrigate farmland as well as being habitat essential to countless more species besides ourselves. There will be dicult priorities to establish and hard choices to make. Hydroelectricity might not be one of them. 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 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCOur home and Native landThe publication of ground-penetrating radar surveys that identied more than 200 possible unmarked graves on the grounds of the former residential school in Kamloops triggered a reckoning with our colonial legacy for people across Canada. Here in BC, where much of the province lies outside of treaties, this is very much our home and native land, as Canada’s national anthem puts it. But there’s another side to the expression, one that highlights a far more collaborative spirit. You can see it pictured on page 3, as Saanichton Farm owner Bryce Rashleigh presents a print of Thunderheart, an ancient oak tree estimated to be more than 400 years old that was felled by a storm in December 2018, to Gus Underwood. The oak was a landmark for the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples who named it, according to Underwood, a member of the Tsawout First Nation, who was among those honoured at a special event Saanichton Farm hosted on April 28. The tree stood on the original Saanichton Farm property, which the Rashleighs bought in 1936. And the rst family they met when they arrived was the Underwoods. Since then six generations of the two families have worked together, enjoying the mutual respect, partnership and community life that is the hallmark of the reconciliation encouraged for society at large. And it doesn’t stop at six generations. Rashleigh’s youngest daughter has married into the Tsartlip First Nation, deepening the family’s shared life with the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. Many of us could tell similar stories of our own families. Some of us have yet to uncover them, while other stories have yet to be written. Those legacies, known, unknown and yet to be, are worth remembering on June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day. Knowing our shared history should deepen our appreciation come Canada Day, which follows 10 days later on July 1. It should also inform how we look forward. 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 Sum-sum-summertime, PW!Water is essential for more than hydropower Ongoing eorts to make Indigenous peoples full partners in the stewardship of the province’s resources promise to formalize the personal relationships many of us have had. These won’t be furthered by entitlement but gratitude for a chance to reset and restore right relationships. The roots of those relationships run deep. The harvest can be rich, if we take time to cultivate it.
High production costs aect all segments of the value chain in agriculture, from farmgate to plate. Producers cannot make a living when input costs outstrip revenues; processors are sandwiched between the needs of the producers who supply them and retailers who face pushback from consumers, and more recently governments, who expect them to keep food prices in check. The challenges have been especially acute in the chicken sector thanks to the lack of a long-term cost of production formula reecting the unique combination of factors aecting hatching egg and chicken pricing in BC. This has created signicant uncertainty and even nancial hardship for producers. This changed May 22, with the ratication of a new cost of production (COP) formula for chicken producers. It will be phased in from June 30, 2024, marking a new era for the sector. The milestone marks a signicant step forward in our mission to ensure a fair, transparent and sustainable pricing model for the BC chicken industry. The new formula will see the pricing of live chicken based on cost recovery for an ecient grower while maintaining the high standards for our nationally certied On Farm Food Safety Program and Animal Care Program. The development of the COP formula was a COP formula heralds a new era for chicken growersCollaborative process reflects a common vision for a viable sectorCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 5comprehensive process that involved extensive consultations with stakeholders across the chicken supply chain. It ultimately culminated in the submission of a recommendation on October 30, 2023. The process included numerous stakeholder meetings, feedback sessions and third-party reviews to ensure that the formula accurately reects the costs incurred by ecient chicken growers in BC. The new COP formula is designed to bring transparency and fairness to the pricing of chicken in BC. By incorporating detailed cost components such as feed, chick, labour and other variable costs, the formula provides a clear and veriable method for determining prices. This transparency is crucial for fostering trust and ensuring that all stakeholders, from growers to processors, understand how prices are set and can rely on the fairness of the system. Sustainability is at the heart of the new COP formula. The model incentivizes ecient farming practices, ensuring that chicken production in BC is economically viable and embraces continuous improvement. The COP formula supports the long-term health of the industry. Adapting to market realities One of the key strengths of the COP formula is its adaptability. The formula is designed to be responsive to changes in market conditions, allowing for periodic adjustments that reect real-time changes in production costs. This exibility ensures that the pricing model remains relevant and fair, even as market dynamics shift. This doesn’t mean that the price farmers receive will always increase, of course; if market conditions change and grain prices continue to decline, then so will the live price of chicken. The COP formula provides a stable framework that supports long-term planning and investment. By ensuring that growers receive a fair return for their eorts, the model promotes stability and condence in the industry. Additionally, the focus on eciency and competitiveness helps BC chicken processors remain competitive in the national market. The new formula only aects pricing decisions at the farmgate, the price a farmer receives for growing chicken. Consumer prices for poultry are not set by farmers or the BC Chicken Marketing Board (BC Chicken). Under supply management, farmers receive a set price for the food they produce which represents a small fraction of the nal price. The chicken board does not control retail, distributors, restaurant, processor or other sellers’ prices. Next steps With the approval of the COP formula, BC Chicken will now focus on the implementation phase. This includes: 1. Transition Period: The COP formula will be phased in over the course of a year to allow all stakeholders to adjust to the new pricing paradigm. This phased approach ensures a smooth transition and provides time to monitor and respond to any issues that arise. 2. Continuous Monitoring and Improvement: BC Chicken will continuously monitor the COP formula's performance and make necessary adjustments to ensure it remains fair and eective. Regular updates to key cost components, such as the Feed Conversion Rate (FCR) and production volumes, will be made to keep the formula accurate and reective of current conditions. 3. Stakeholder Engagement: Ongoing engagement with all industry stakeholders will be crucial. BC Chicken will continue to work closely with growers, processors and other partners to address any concerns and gather feedback for further improvements. 4. Exploring National Approaches: BC Chicken recognizes the benets of a national approach to chicken pricing. We will advocate for a national COP-based pricing framework to ensure competitiveness and sustainability across the Canadian chicken industry. The approval of the new COP formula is a landmark achievement for the BC chicken industry. It represents a commitment to fairness, transparency and sustainability, setting the stage for a prosperous future. BC Chicken is proud of the collaborative eorts that have brought us to this point and looks forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders to ensure the success and stability of our industry. The achievement would not have been possible if the industry – growers, processors, regulators and other stakeholders – hadn’t worked together towards the common vision of a stronger sector. 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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 7PETER MITHAM HATZIC – A rocky outcrop on Stave Lake Road east of Mission oers a panoramic view of the Hatzic Valley, the at land and alluvial soils ideal for blueberries, nurseries, livestock and poultry farms. But in 2021, the valley also began attracting other kinds of operations. Dozens of trucks hauling ll from across the Lower Mainland began arriving, oering local property owners free ll and contracting with others for ongoing deposits. In some cases, the trucking companies themselves bought properties to deposit ll. “Two and a half years ago, trac on our roads increased and everybody noticed all these gravel trucks come in,” says Beata Kunze, a hatching egg producer and president of the Hatzic Valley Community Association. “[This] past year, a couple of trucking companies bought up blueberry farms and started using them as construction ll dumping sites.” The turnout on Stave Lake Road sits at the entrance to one of those properties. Just over 16 acres in size, it sold at the beginning of April 2023 for $1 million. Thanks to farm class status, its assessed value is just $15,372. But the rows of berries were soon being lled with a mix of excavation material and construction waste, drawing complaints that prompted the Agricultural Land Commission to issue a stop work order within three months of the property’s sale. It’s not an isolated incident. Close to 40 stop-work orders have been issued at properties in the Hatzic Valley since 2022 following complaints from neighbours. Dozens more orders have been issued across the Lower Mainland, with reports of illegal ll coming in from Matsqui Prairie in Abbotsford, the Columbia Valley in Chilliwack as well as within Metro Vancouver, which has historically been a hot spot for ll complaints. The issues are just up the road from Delta South MLA Ian Paton, agriculture critic for BC United, who says dozens of trucks have been delivering ll to 30 acres that were planted to potatoes until last year prior to a planned greenhouse expansion. While greenhouses are allowed on agricultural land, Paton is shocked at the kind of ll that’s arriving. “There’s a dump truck with a trailer behind it every ve minutes,” he says. “Why do we have to cover prime agricultural land with three feet of crappy ll material to build a greenhouse?” Paton has led a complaint, one of a growing number the Agricultural Land Commission is receiving. The number of les related to illegal ll in the year ended March 31 was up 44% versus 2021, hitting 476 versus 331 three years ago. The situation in the Lower Mainland is so dire that the ALC has assigned its six compliance and enforcement ocers to the region. “We want to gain some more compliance with this blatant dumping on agricultural land,” ALC operations director Avtar Sundher told Hatzic Valley residents who gathered for a community meeting on May 13. Representatives of Sran Trucking Ltd., one of the companies involved in the dumping, were also present. Illegal dumping surges on Fraser Valley farmlandALC compliance staff grapple with case loadHundreds of loads of ll cover blueberry bushes at a property off Stave Lake Road in the Hatzic Valley. ANNA KLOCHKOSundher says additional resources were allocated to address the issue with the premier’s blessing. “The focus on this valley, it all happened because … the premier, minister, our deputy minister were all involved,” Sundher says. “That allowed us to release resources from other parts of the province and bring them here. And we’re going to continue.” Property owners that ignore stop-work orders face penalties as well as remediation orders, something that’s happened with the property on Stave Lake Road. “There’s many more that are going to follow,” Sundher says. Remediation orders go on a property’s title, compromising the ability to sell the property until the illegal ll is removed and the property is restored to its original agricultural capability or better. Suppor soi-based agriculturDrinfarm fresh beerfarm fresh beerfarm fresh beerGrown and brewed on-farm in Ladner, B.C.www.barnsidebrewing.caAsk for us at your local Angry Otter Liquor StoreAsk for us at your local Angry Otter Liquor StoreAsk for us at your local Angry Otter Liquor Storewww.tubeline.ca 1.888.856.6613@TubelineMFGFind us on$AVINGS FROM START TO FINISH.There’s never been a better time to save on equipment or feed costs. For a limited time unlock savings instantly when purchasing any Tubeline inline model BaleWrapper, starting from 0% O.A.C. for 24 months OR $3,000 cash.Contact your dealer today to take advantage of this limited time offer.Remediation u
8 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCALC operations director Avtar Sundher discussed the challenges of clamping down on illegal ll activities during a community gathering of Hatzic Valley residents, May 13. ANNA KLOCHKOu Remediation or forfeiture PRE-OWNED EQUIPMENT CLAAS AXION 930 MFD Tractor, Consignment Unit . . . . . . . Call 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Just in | $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 . . . . . Just in | $23,500 CLAAS 970 SP Forage Harvester 10’ Pickup & 10Row Cornhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Call for more details/Pricing 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . $47,500The commission is also speaking with the attorney general and Crown counsel regarding further action. “We are in conversation with the Civil Forfeiture Oce,” Sundher says. “The proceeds of crime also includes the proceeds of regulatory oences. … We can actually hand the le over to that oce, and they can look at what gains were made from this illegal activity that they can recover.” While dumping on farmland is a perennial issue, the dramatic rise in les over the past year is almost certainly linked to the growing cost of soil removal. Revisions last year to the province’s contaminated sites regulation added tens of thousands of dollars to development costs because it required the characterization of soils from not only Schedule 2 sites (including gas stations and machine shops) but adjacent properties that may have been impacted by Schedule 2 sites. While the province has allowed greater leeway for professional judgment, the costs remain high and paperwork is also required for sites receiving aected soils. This has developers seeking cheaper disposal options, something Hatzic Valley residents pointed out. “When you dig a foundation for a highrise, as of last March the dirt does have to be tested as to where it goes,” one speaker said. “But the problem is no one wants to deal with it, so everybody just puts a blind eye on it.” A site on Farms Road in Mission that was slapped with a stop-work order May 1 is a case in point, with petrochemical smells reported at the site. (Sundher conrmed the report, but said he wasn’t aware of any testing conducted as part of BC Ministry of Environment investigations.) The lack of eective enforcement has made communities in the eastern Fraser Valley a dumping ground, according to speakers at the Hatzic Valley meeting, some of whom formed a working group April 30 to establish their own citizens patrol. They were complemented by members of the Leq'á:mel First Nation, but the arrangement isn’t sustainable for the long-term. “We can’t patrol our roads 24/7 forever,” Kunze says. While greater enforcement has meant a reprieve from truck trac, it doesn’t address the ll that’s been delivered to properties. This is where remediation is key, says Fraser Valley Regional District director Hugh Davidson, who represents Electoral Area F that includes the Hatzic Valley. “Without that remediation, at the end of the day for me it’s all a fail,” he says. Davidson would like to see ALC sta authorized to issue stop-work orders on the spot. But such changes are not on the books, Sundher says, adding that investigators need to follow due process to ensure any orders they issue are legally defensible. ALC sta have been told to work within the existing framework, which includes a budget that has increased by increments since the 33% boost delivered by the BC Liberals in 2016. “We’ve been given the reins to control as much as we can through the resources we have,” Sundher says. “We are committed as sta to use our resources as eciently as possible, try to nd new tools that we can [use] without having legislative changes.”
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 9Truck stopCommercial parking underscores competition for land Urban land constraints are boosting truck parking and other unauthorized uses of farmland. RONDA PAYNEPETER MITHAM LANGLEY – A lack of aordable land has made farms the default option for many non-farm uses across BC, with the Agricultural Land Commission elding a growing number of complaints. The number of investigations related to non-farm uses within the Agricultural Land Reserve totalled 384 in the year ended March 31, a 43% increase over 2021, according to ALC statistics. Unauthorized parking of trucks and RVs is a key issue, with the number of cases soaring in recent years as the shortage of truck parking in the Lower Mainland has grown. By some estimates, the region needs 3,000 to 5,000 truck parking spots to meet demand. This has led to a growing number of bylaw violations in Langley, Abbotsford and other municipalities. Twenty years ago, anyone having land was given a temporary use permit allowing truck parking, says Amit Kumar, president of the Canadian Trucking Association of BC, which is advocating for more parking spaces. But today, many of those properties have been swallowed by industrial and residential development and municipalities have tightened controls on temporary use permits. “Court orders are being sought to remove trucks from properties which were once issued TUPs,” he says. But the need remains, pushing trucks onto farm properties, a cheaper option than the $500 to $800 a month commercial operators charge. Township of Langley allows three commercial vehicles on rural properties as an accessory residential use, but violations of the bylaw led to 881 tickets being issued for illegal truck parking last year. RV parking is an emerging issue on farmland outside the major cities. Clusters of RVs have been familiar sights along Produce Row in Vancouver and other industrial areas around the Lower Mainland for more than a decade, but high housing costs have led to a growing number of cases in the Okanagan and elsewhere. Vernon changed its rules in November after a couple evicted from their rental home took up residence in an RV on their parents’ property within the ALR. The couple had contested nes totalling $2,400, arguing that ALC rules allowed a secondary residence. A rural property in Armstrong with 12 pads for RVs, fully serviced with electricity, water and sewage facilities also sparked concern among neighbours, who contacted Country Life in BC noting that the property was formerly planted to alfalfa. However, Armstrong planning manager Laurie Cordell said the development did not violate any rules. “They’re allowed to have RVs, and they’re allowed to use it for tourism, but they’re not allowed to use it for full-time residential use,” she said. “They are allowed a certain number of agritourism accommodations. So as long as it’s used for that, it’s permitted.” The view was backed up by ALC operations director Avtar Sundher, who said enforcement ocers have visited several sites, issuing a remediation order to one property in Lake Country last fall with nine permanent all-year RVs. “[We] are currently looking at two to three other sites that are doing the same thing [and] we will likely be ordering them to remove the unauthorized use,” he said. Kumar and others say clear rules and prompt permitting is needed to ease the pressures on farmland, whether from illegal parking, dumping of ll or other uses. This is where Abbotsford hopes to set the pace. Its ongoing AgRefresh initiative is drafting a commercial truck parking strategy that aims to take the pressure o local farmland. Abbotsford reported more than 139 cases of non-compliance with its truck parking rules last year, with 300 tickets upheld. Most cases of non-compliance were on farmland, where truck parking is limited to two vehicles. An open house at the end of April sought public feedback on the strategy, which will update the existing strategy adopted in 2011. The six options don’t include opening up farmland, but that doesn’t mean advocates aren’t hopeful. Kumar is among them, and BC United leader Kevin Falcon has also voiced support for the idea, pledging to make it a permitted use within the ALR if elected. ©2022 AGCO Corporation. Massey Ferguson is a worldwide brand of AGCO Corporation. AGCO and Massey Ferguson are trademarks of AGCO. All rights reserved. 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10 | JUNE 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 SERVICESBC Veg puts northern expansion on hold$5,000 of regulated product. Northern BC is home to fewer than 23% of the 15,841 BC farms enumerated in the 2021 Census of Agriculture. These include 15 potato growers, or about 18% of the provincial total, with other vegetable growers accounting for less than 5% of the province’s growers. BC Veg said it was not aware of any commercial producers of regulated crops in northern BC, and framed the move as a natural extension of its role in anticipation of future production. “There’s no reason not to,” BC Veg general manager Andre Solymosi told Country Life in BC earlier this year. “With climate change and the technologies in enclosed structures that can be applied now, we’re thinking you could see more farming happen up there.” However, many northern growers professed ignorance of BC Veg and its role in ensuring orderly marketing, prompting the decision to Expert farm taxation adviceApproved consultants for Government funding throughBC Farm Business Advisory Services ProgramEnderby 250-838-7337Armstrong 250-546-8665 |t1VSDIBTFBOETBMFPGGBSNTt5SBOTGFSPGGBSNTUPDIJMESFOt(PWFSONFOUTVCTJEZQSPHSBNTt1SFQBSBUJPOPGGBSNUBYSFUVSOTt6TFPG$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 BCdefer expansion until January 1, 2026. “Numerous persons and organizations have since sought clarication with respect to the expanded geographical scope of regulated vegetables,” a May 13 notice declared. “The commission will pass an amending order that eectively defers the implementation of this expanded geographical scope until January 1, 2026.” A consultation is planned that will help BC Veg understand “the nature and extent of vegetable production” in northern BC and which crops and farm operations will be subject to regulation. —Peter Mitham Mink appeals dismissed A challenge of the province’s shutdown of the BC mink sector has failed. A decision dated May 7 in BC Supreme Court dismissed challenges ve of the province’s mink farms led last fall to the province’s decision in November 2021 to shut down their sector by next year. The province, former agriculture minister Lana Popham, provincial health ocer Dr. Bonnie Henry and former chief veterinarian Dr. Rayna Gunvaldsen were named in suits launched by each of the ve farms: C&A Mink Ranch Ltd., Dargatz Mink Ranch Ltd., Dogwood Fur Farms Ltd., Engerbretson Fur Farm Ltd. and Williams Fur Farm Ltd. The ve lawsuits each alleged “misfeasance in public oce and constructive taking” by the defendants, allegations which Justice Amy Francis said are awed. Francis ruled that “the plaintis have failed to plead facts capable of establishing that any of the defendants acted unlawfully” and further that “the claim of constructive taking is fundamentally awed.” Francis said that the enactment of the order in council shutting down mink farming in the province, even if “for political reasons rather than public health reasons” is not unlawful. Meanwhile, the alleged benets owing to the province from the industry’s shutdown – including “the preservation, promotion, and protection” of both public and animal health and welfare – are “completely untethered to the plaintis’ property.” Therefore, Francis ruled, there were no grounds for claims of “constructive taking” of the farmers’ property by the province. Francis consequently dismissed the ve lawsuits outright, denying them the right to amend their claims. The dismissal of the ve suits follows the failure of a challenge the Canada Mink Breeders Association and British Columbia Mink Producers Association made in 2022 regarding the November 2021 order in council. The industry, which produced 318,000 mink a year at the time of the order, must cease all operations by 2025. —Peter Mitham Concerns among northern BC growers over the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission’s expanded mandate has put the brakes on the expansion. BC Veg’s mandate changed January 1 to cover the entire province, not just the area below the 53rd parallel. BC Veg regulates the production, sale and distribution of 20 storage, greenhouse and processing crops. These include all varieties of potatoes; yellow onions; tops-o beets and carrots; and greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers as well as selected lettuces. Producers growing less than a tonne of regulated product are exempt from licensing, as are commercial producers selling less than Ag Briefs PETER MITHAMYOURHelping YouHelping YouSignSign up today forfor freeupy eeWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATESShuswap awards watershed grants The Shuswap Watershed Council’s latest round of water quality grants has selected ve farms to receive a total of $59,961 for projects that protect and improve water quality in the region. The grants will assist Sunnybrae Winery and Vineyards in Tappen to install a fertigation system, which doses irrigation water with a precise amount of fertilizer and applies it directly to grape vines, reducing the risk of run-o. Gietema Farms in Grindrod is also improving the accuracy and eciency of fertilizer applications, using its grant funding to install a Precision GPS system to improve fertilizer and seed delivery. The other three recipients are livestock operations, which will use their funding to prevent manure from entering watercourses. These include Syme Farms in Salmon Arm, which is improving its on-farm manure storage, as well as Foxtrot Dairy in Salmon Arm and a farm property Jerey and Kristy Czepil are developing along Kingsher Creek in Enderby, both of which are installing livestock control fencing to protect riparian areas. The ve recipients bring the total number of water quality grants issued by the council to 18 since the program launched in 2020. While the grants themselves total $238,130, in-kind contributions more than double the total value of the water quality projects. —Peter Mitham
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 11YOURHelping YouWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATESURg YougYouWSCFIA nabs Enderby abattoir for violationsNumbers show BC plants generally compliantAcross North America, Little & Large, Local & Long Port to Dealer, Farm to Farm and anything in between.Call or email for freight solutions.Versatile ramp -to- ground capabilityKATE AYERS ENDERBY – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has announced eight charges under the Health of Animals Act against Enderby farmer and meat processor Richard Yntema. The Yntema family runs a small game farm and processing plant in the North Okanagan where they raise deer, wild boar and lamb. Since 2008, their abattoir Valley Wide Meats has processed livestock and other animals, including bison, cattle, deer, emu, goats, hogs, ostrich, water bualo, sheep and rabbits. CFIA alleges that Yntema fed animals specied risk material, which the CFIA denes as “the skull, brain, trigeminal ganglia, eyes, palatine tonsils, spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of cattle aged 30 months or older, as well as the distal ileum of cattle of all ages.” CFIA further alleges that the farm fed meat or meat by-products to swine or poultry as well as animal parts or carcasses to livestock or poultry. In addition, the charges allege that Yntema obstructed or hindered an inspector, and made a false or misleading statement to an inspector. Yntema made his rst court appearance in Salmon Arm on April 23, followed by a second appearance May 7. The federal inspection agency has had previous run-ins with Yntema regarding the Health of Animals Act. In November 2020, he was in court for six charges of obstructing and hindering investigators and six charges of failing to provide relevant information to health inspectors about untagged animals that arrived for slaughter. In June 2020, the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy visited Valley Wide Meats following neighbours’ complaints of birds dropping slaughter waste on their properties. The investigation resulted in a penalty for failing to provide records on request. In 2016, Yntema pleaded guilty and was ned $1,000 for failing to secure animals and the unlawful possession of live wildlife. Yntema did not respond to an interview request before deadline. Compliant BC is home to 151 provincially inspected abattoirs holding Abattoir, Farmgate Plus and Farmgate licences. The BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food says a total of 55 meat hygiene inspectors across BC oversee compliance and ensure adherence to animal welfare and slaughter hygiene standards at these abattoirs. Inspections at Abattoir-licenced facilities occur every time an animal is slaughtered, as mandated by law, to ensure operators follow regulations and standards set by the BC Meat Inspection Regulation, BC Food Safety Act and Abattoir Code of Practice document. “Generally, BC licensed abattoirs maintain a good record of compliance under the BC Meat Inspection Regulation,” the ministry says. “It is important to note that non-compliance cases pertaining to the slaughter of animals falling under federal regulation – i.e. transport issues, tagging violations etc. – are reported to the CFIA for follow up.” According to the CFIA, the agency receives less than ve animal health referrals a year from BC about possible non-compliant activities in provincial abattoirs. Regular inspections and trained sta are critical to maintaining high standards of food safety and animal welfare, the province says. 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CrushedTrunks of dead vines are stacked like cordwood by the roadside in the southern Okanagan last month as grape growers take stock following January's severe freeze event. Most estimates indicate this year's grape crop will be down by 95%, with virtually no vineyards left unscathed. Up to half the region's vineyards could end up being removed, while others will be retrained with the hope of producing a modest crop in 2025. Wine Growers BC is encouraging the public to support local wineries, which continue to seek support to tide them through the difcult days ahead. TOM WALKER
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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 13Chicken growers welcome new long-term pricing Buyers warn of higher costs to consumersA new live pricing formula will address broiler growers' production costs, but not all will benet from the change. FILE PHOTOAGRICULTURE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMNEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITY!This program aims to increase adoption of ecient irrigation infrastructure and improve agricultural water supply and management in BC. Three Funding Streams:Stream 1: Producer ProjectsStream 2: Community ProjectsStream 3: Assessments, Engineering Studies or PlansLearn more: www.iafbc.ca/awpPETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – A new long-term pricing formula that reects production costs takes eect for BC chicken growers this month. The new formula was ratied by the BC Farm Industry Review Board on May 22, and will ensure that the live-weight price growers receive for their birds reects nancial realities on the farm. This could be 10 to 15 cents above what growers might otherwise receive, based on modelling submitted last fall. This is good news, given that many farms have seen little to no operating margin in recent years as feed and other costs skyrocketed in 2021 through 2022. “Growers welcome the new long-term pricing formula,” said BC Chicken Growers Association president Brad Driediger of Windberry Farms in Abbotsford. “Rising production costs over the past three years have put signicant pressure on margins.” But there’s a catch. The new pricing formula is based on the costs of “an ecient grower” and could make a bad situation worse. “This may not be the solution for all BC growers’ concerns, as it does not guarantee all farms a return on their individual cost of production,” BC FIRB notes. Driediger agrees, warning BC FIRB earlier this year that the use of eciency metrics is a “competitiveness tax” that will result in more than half of growers not recovering their costs of production. “We fail to see how an industry can survive within the regulated supply management system if more than 50% of the producers are not receiving their full costs to produce food,” he said. Driediger pointed to the challenges facing dairy producers, noting that an unresponsive pricing structure contributed to more than 40 dairy farms being sold last year. The new formula will have impacts throughout the value chain, from hatching egg producers through to poultry processors. The new live pricing formula will establish what processors pay chicken growers as well as impacting the price of broiler chicks – a critical input for producers – and what hatcheries pay for eggs from hatching egg producers. While a price linkage agreement between the BC Chicken Marketing Board and BC Hatching Egg Commission was established in 1995 that promised both an equal rate of cost recovery, the Primary Poultry Processors Association of BC challenged the arrangement in 2009, requesting a formal supervisory review of the BC chicken industry on pricing, governance, and biosecurity issues. This resulted in a new pricing model that took Ontario and Prairie pricing into account (given the national nature of the industry) plus a xed dierential, but pricing changes in Ontario in 2015 fueled calls for a revised pricing structure. The new pricing formula is the result, the culmination of eight years of consultations, interim decisions, appeals and sometimes acrimonious discussions, particularly as production costs soared in 2021 and remained high through 2022. BC FIRB says the result is a fomula that ensures “a reasonable return to chicken growers while accounting for processor competitiveness.” A phased implementation beginning June 30 and running over six production periods (48 weeks) will be monitored for impacts on growers and processors as well as hatcheries and hatching egg producers. BC FIRB has directed the BC Hatching Egg Commission to develop “a veriable and responsive” cost of production formula for hatcheries to ensure their viability. Buyers have warned that the new pricing formula could mean higher prices for consumers. “British Columbians already pay the highest retail price for chicken in the country, 40% higher than the Canadian average,” says Restaurants Canada, whose members have seen chicken sales soar post-pandemic. “The approved price increase could lead to another 10% increase to the price of chicken for BC restaurants and consumers over the next year.” BC FIRB says price increases aren’t guaranteed. “If the cost of feed in BC were to go down, the proposed BC formula results in a lower price of chicken,” it says. Details of implementation will be released in the coming weeks, with a virtual townhall session planned to further discuss the pricing formula’s implications.
14 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCChange in tone for water management Premier credited for driving a more collaborative approachTOM WALKER KAMLOOPS – The province appears to be moving in a more proactive direction when it comes to managing possible drought situations this summer. “I’m not usually one to give a plug to the government,” says BC Cattlemen’s Association general manager Kevin Boon, “but I believe Premier Eby is responsible for the change in tone to listen and work on this together.” At drought response workshops held last fall and early this year, Water, Land and Resource Stewardship staff spent a good deal of time explaining the enforcement sections of the Water Sustainability Act that authorize the shut-down of agricultural water users. Staff explained some of the process and data that led to curtailment orders on forage irrigators on the Little Salmon, Koksilah and Tsolum rivers last summer. However, potential fixes were not discussed. That changed in early March. “The ministry wants to be more proactive rather than reactive,” WLRS regional hydrologist Nicole Pyett told a March 9 engagement session in Lake Country. “Last year was painful.” Boon says he sees a number of positive initiatives. “Anything to do with water does not happen overnight,” Boon acknowledges. “But we are seeing good discussions taking place between agriculture, WLRS and First Nations.” This summer, a water liaison officer will be assigned to the Little Salmon River watershed. The officer will be a go-between for producers and government and help producers collaborate on an irrigation schedule similar to what producers developed along the Koksilah River in 2020. “This will be a person that producers can contact for information,” Boon says. “For this year, that is about the best we can hope for.” Boon says there are more eyes on the issue. “I think there have been lessons learned in terms of communication and the need for management on the ground well in advance and talking about where this is going on a day-to-day basis,” Boon says. There are also plans developing for the longer term. “WLRS has brought a group together including Splatsin First Nation and [Department of Fisheries and Oceans] that is meeting and identifying who is doing what projects and what effects they will have for the river,” he says. “In the longer term, they are looking at how they can create storage to supplement the flow needs for fish at critical times so that it won’t affect irrigation. There is water for irrigation but not enough for fish.” Right now, this work will involve identifying tributary creeks below Falkland that could be suitable to build projects that can store water that could be released in times of shortage. “When the fish start to spawn we can let that water go and it alleviates the problem of restricting everybody else,” Boon says. But the current regulatory climate means it won’t be easy to launch such a project. “Right now, there are a lot of roadblocks,” Boon notes. “We need the government to step up in terms of licensing and managing the storge and the liability involved with building a dam.” Boon says responsibility of dam management is an important piece. “Up till now they have depended on agriculture to build and manage the dams,” he notes. “But even if we create something with agriculture-designated money, it doesn’t mean that it should be the responsibility of some rancher to pay the licensing and upkeep on a structure.” The Watershed Security Strategy and Fund announced in April 2023 could play an important role, Boon says. “We are depending on that initiative to give us a mechanism to build a plan on every watershed to create a healthy watershed supply and management system,” he explains. “We need to plan for all the needs that are on a system rather than just waiting for it to fall out of the sky.” Ranchers have been pressuring both the federal government, which oversees fish habitat, and the province, which oversees dams, to become involved. “I think there is a willingness on the part of both levels of government to do that,” Boon says. “If they want to manage fish, they’ve got to manage water.” “We need to plan for all the needs that are on a system rather than just waiting for it to fall out of the sky.” KEVIN BOON | BCCA GENERAL MANAGERDrought Assistancefor B.C. farmers Production Insurancehelps producers manage the risk of crop losses caused by drought, hail, spring frost, excessive rain, flooding, and other risks. Agriculture Water Infrastructure Programprovides B.C. farmers with cost-shared funding to invest in water infrastructure. Access to Feed Programsupports farmers and ranchers experiencing drought and feed shortages with available feed supplies. AgriStabilityoffers low-cost whole farm protection and financial support for when operations face large income declines.The Government of B.C. has supports available for farmers during drought.As water scarcity becomes more common, we’re working with B.C. farmers to provide tools to prepare, and financial assistance to help with recovery.Learn more and apply for supports: gov.bc.ca/AgDrought
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 15Better scheduling tools needed for abattoirs Labour crunch forces industry to consider new options BC Meats' board of directors marked 15 years of growth at this year's conference in Harrison Hot Springs. TOM WALKER 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.Producer Check-o Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333TOM WALKER HARRISON HOT SPRINGS – It’s been 15 years since a group of seven meat processors got together and formed the BC Association of Abattoirs, now known as BC Meats. “You were brave enough to stand up and come together for the benet of the industry,” says BC Meats president Bonnie Windsor in her address to the BC Meats annual general meeting in Harrison Hot Springs, April 19-20. “You must be proud of what we’ve grown to be.” And they have grown. The annual meeting attracted 50 participants pre-COVID, but there were around 100 registered at this year’s event. “Part of our growth is that we are adding more value to our program,” says BC Meats program and nance manager Sandy Vanderbyl. “In addition to our speakers, our trade show has expanded and we have added more fun events.” Vanderbyl says that in addition to the usual evening banquet, silent auction and Chad Maarhuis Memorial Photo Competition, this year included an equipment buy-and-sell, a wine pull and a live auction. Heey Creek rancher Paul Devick, co-owner of Rangeland Meats, gave an overview of Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC programs. An IAF board member, Devick says funding for IAF program funding has nearly doubled over the past year, from $80 million to $150 million. “The $80 million water infrastructure program is a big one,” Devick says. “The uptake for that has been huge, with over 300 applications, and the upcoming Traceability Adoption Program will be important for us in the meat business.” The program began accepting applications May 9 for cost-shared funding for traceability systems, practices, infrastructure and technologies. Gavin Last, executive director of the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s Food Safety Branch, gave an update on modernizing poultry inspection. “There is a potential for line speed increase while maintaining and increasing food safety,” says Last. While processing inspection has traditionally assessed both quality (such as trimmable bruises or broken wings) and food safety outcomes, the new direction is to transfer the quality components to plant sta and have inspectors concentrate solely on food safety. A recent pilot project in BC has proven eciencies, Last says. “There has been better deployment of inspection sta, and we have seen line speed increase and with that, the opportunity for increased production,” he says. “These are the successes that have been demonstrated in federal CFIA plants and internationally, for decades.” BC Meats executive director Nova Woodbury reviewed some industry changes. “There has been more movement than in other years,” she says. Sundowner Meats in Lumby, Farmcrest Foods in Salmon Arm and KML in Falkland as well as Bulkley Valley Custom Slaughter all closed operations in the past year. Two new poultry processors have opened on Vancouver Island, and a new full-scale abattoir, Yankee Flats Meats, opened south of Salmon Arm. “They started as a farmgate [abattoir] when Rocana closed two years ago,” Woodbury says. “They now oer custom slaughter and cut-and-wrap for beef, lamb, pigs, and poultry.” Benchmarking initiative uATTENTION: 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.
16 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Benchmarking initiative provides best-practices guide for small abattoirs The team at Yankee Flats has also opened a farm store in Vernon that features their own meats as well as a wide variety of products from other local producers. Woodbury also outlined a recent pilot with the UN Mexican Workers Initiative. “The UN agency that oversees migrant workers wants to set standards for the ethical treatment of their workers,” she says. “We should take it as a huge compliment that they are doing a pilot in Canada.” This presents an opportunity for processors to bring in Mexican workers, Woodbury points out. “This is not an easy process and you have to follow all of the regulations for bringing in foreign workers, but you can get your foot in the door and there is the opportunity that more workers will come,” she says. Scheduling meat processing is often complicated, particularly during the fall, and she’s been discussing electronic options with the province. “This is one of the outcomes that was noted in our capacity study,” says Woodbury. “I have been talking with various branches of the Ministry of Agriculture about developing some form of e-scheduling.” BC Meats has reviewed an app that has been piloted in Ontario, but Woodbury doesn’t feel it would meet all their needs. “It was not a very robust system and it still involved a lot of interaction and phone use,” she says. “We hope to be involved in a follow-up study to nd a better solution to the faithful desk calendar.” Industry standard benchmarking guides are an important reference tool for businesses, but they are lacking for the meat processing industry. “We couldn’t nd any benchmarks for small abattoir operations,” Vanderbyl says. “So we put together a set of our own.” BC Meats interviewed 12 operators in BC and developed a best-practices guide that includes various suggestions for abattoir operators. These include setting production goals, having well-trained sta, processing multiple species, having specialized production equipment, having an understanding of departmental costing, doing more value-added processing, and enhancing traceability. Capacity studies have shown that the main bottleneck in the meat processing industry is the lack of cut-and-wrap facilities. “You can often nd a processor who can slaughter your animal but the challenge is nding a place to have the carcass butchered,” says Woodbury. BC Meats sponsored the rst-ever “Best Butcher” competition May 4 at Hopcott Farms in Pit Meadows, in an eort to elevate the image of the trade and attract more sta. BC Meats often feature a personal story during their annual meeting and this year was no exception. Reno DeGianni, who co-owns Stuers Supply Co. in Langley with his business partner Bill Leathem, entertained with the story of how they developed their sausage-making supplies company. Chop-chop! Butchers get trainingAn introductory meat processing course in Kelowna this summer aims to help train workers for an industry that is chronically understaed. “It’s a desperate situation,” says instructor Dave Semmelink of Creekside Meats, a provincially inspected abattoir in southeast Kelowna. “There is a huge need for labour in the meat processing industry, from abattoirs to custom meat-cutting facilities, specialty sausage kitchens and even grocery store deli departments.” The course will be hosted at Creekside Meats, which is licensed to process cattle, hogs, lamb, goat and poultry. “The course is fully funded by WorkBC,” Semmelink notes. “That covers all the instruction and allows us to provide students with a full kit of knives, safety gear and even help with travel and accommodation.” Running from July 8 to August 30, the eight-week course will give students a broad introduction to the industry. “We cover everything from animal welfare, slaughter, butchery skills, including specialty cuts, smoking, curing and sausage-making, and food safety,” Semmelink says. “The emphasis is hands-on and, apart from an introduction, if students want to specialize on a particular aspect such as sausage-making, we can customize their experience for that.” Students will also receive FoodSafe and Occupational First Aid Level 1 certication, key qualications employers want sta to have. Despite the hard work, meat processing can be a good career and pays well. “I just oered someone $100,000 to be my head meat cutter,” he says. “But we hear lots of stories of workers trying out for two or three weeks and then leaving.” Semmelink taught a similar course at North Island College on Vancouver Island for ve years. The current course is oered in partnership with the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project Society. “My course is built around hands-on. That is what students have told me they want,” he says. “This will give them the experience they need to go out and get a job.” —Tom Walker
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 17Nutriva Group general manager Bill Vanderkooi is ramping up expansion of his herd of Wagyu cattle by using surrogate cows. Wagyu beef is coveted for its exceptional marbling and avour. RONDA PAYNE“Serving and Supporting the Community Together”PROVINCIALLY INSPECTED ABATTOIR B.C. #34ALL SIZES MARKET GOATS & LAMBS604.465.4752 (Ext 105)FAX 604.465.4744 ashiq@meadowvalleymeats.com 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 RONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – A web of relationships have allowed Hiro Wagyu, an Abbotsford-based company under the Nutriva Group, to expand the reach of Japan’s renowned Wagyu beef in Western Canada. Nutriva general manager Bill Vanderkooi says Hiro Wagyu began about three years ago in partnership with Portugal’s Wilco Onderdelinden, who had originally acquired Wagyu genetics from Japan and was raising Wagyu in BC as a hobby. “We had a facility, the capacity, the infrastructure and the interest and the capacity to grow the production,” says Vanderkooi. “We just rolled his genetics into [Hiro Wagyu].” Wagyu genetics were exclusive to Japan until the rst exports in 1976. That opened an international window to what’s regarded as a living national treasure in Japan, but in 1997 the export of live animals and genetics was banned. Wagyu – which means “Japanese cow” in Japanese – come from a select group of four cattle breeds, and all Wagyu cattle outside of Japan can be traced to those exported between 1976 and 1997. Onderlinden recently moved on from Hiro Wagyu but the company is working with the lines he started. With production of about two head a month, Vanderkooi anticipates growing to ve a month by next year. Growth is being facilitated by using Holstein cows at a dairy in Rosedale as surrogate mothers for Wagyu embryos. The calves divide their lives between Rosedale and Bakerview Farm in Abbotsford, where they’re ultimately nished for slaughter. Using surrogates shortens the production timeframe, allowing Hiro Wagyu to grow its herd faster than waiting a year for each of its Wagyu cows to bring their embryos to term. Jessie Curtis, farm manager with Hiro Wagyu and Bakerview Farm, says the practice allows each cow to have multiple calves on the go at the same time. “We collect eggs twice a month,” Curtis says. Once calves are born in Rosedale, Curtis sends hair from each of them to the Australian Wagyu Association to include DNA in the association’s growing database of Wagyu animals and their lineage. Genetic analysis of the calves’ DNA allows Hiro Wagyu to have a better picture of their potential as breeding stock. High-end Wagyu bulls of Japanese lineage from the US and Canada currently provide semen for Hiro Wagyu’s dams. “Right now, we’re implanting maybe 16 to 18 [embryos] a month and are getting seven to eight calves from that,” Curtis says. While using surrogates is accelerating herd growth, little else about the breed is fast. “It takes twice as long [as Angus] to grow these cattle. It’s like a ne wine,” says Vanderkooi. “To raise one of these from calf to nish, it’s typically 32 to 34 months. Everything is double.” Weight gains are tracked every 200 days and that data is also supplied to the Australian Wagyu Association. The nishing at Bakerview Farm allows the animals to relax prior to slaughter. “It’s about animal comfort and environment and nutrition,” says Vanderkooi. “We’ve got that right on. Just really good management practices on raising beef.” The marbling Wagyu beef is known for comes from the animals’ genetics, according to Vanderkooi. The fat is also considered healthier, because it’s a softer, less saturated fat, so even when cuts are chilled, the fat doesn’t get as hard as the fat of other breeds. Slaughter occurs at Hopcott Farms in Pitt Meadows while Vancouver’s Two Rivers Meats cures the meat and distributes cuts to retail and foodservice customers. Consumers can also order cuts through the Hiro Wagyu website. Surrogate cows beef up ranchJapanese pedigrees expand via embryo transfers
18 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC3ZSFOJIDB.TOJMMPE3FMB: $ LDBXJMMJI #$7 )3XBDZSFOJIDBNTOJMMPSXXª TFUBJMmGBSPTFJSBJEJTCVTTUJ7/MBJSUTVEO*)/$PUEFTOFDJMSPZCEFOXPTFJSUOVPDSFIUPZOBNEOBTFUBU4EFUJO6FIUOJEFSFUTJHFSLSBNFEBSUBTJEOBMMP)XF/EFWSFTFSTUIHJSMM"$--BDJSFN"MBJSUTVEO*)/$Plan ahead for your equipment and production needs. Act now to lock in the best pricing and secure the equipment you need for the season ahead. Make smart decisions for a successful year. That’s the right move. And it starts at your New Holland dealer. Stop in today!MAKE THE RIGHT MOVE FOR TOMORROW,TODAY.3ZSFOJIDB.TOJMMPE3FMB: $ LDBXJMMJI #$7 )3XBDZSFOJIDBNTOJMMPSXXARMSTRONG 250/546-3033 3520 Mill Street | hornbyequipment@shaw.ca SERVING OUR CUSTOMERS WITH SALES, SERVICE & PARTS FOR 50 YEARS!ARMSTRONG 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 250-567-4446
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 19Meadow Valley Meats plant manager Azhar Kazi says the support of family and friends was critical to his recovery from the toll an activist sting operation took on his mental well-being last year. RONDA PAYNEPRECISION 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!Animal activists undermine mental wellnessFights for animal rights ignore basic human dignitiesTOM WALKER HARRISON HOT SPRINGS – Recent years have seen an uptick in sting operations by animal rights activists. While these attacks have an impact on business operations and reputation, they also exact a very real human toll that’s seldom recognized or addressed. This was the reason BC Meats executive director Nova Woodbury invited Meadow Valley Meats plant manager Azhar Kazi to speak at the group’s annual general meeting, April 20. Meadow Valley Meats was targetted by the animal rights group Animal Justice Canada in 2023. “When I rst approached Azhar, he was reluctant to speak about the incident, but he told me a bit about how it had aected him personally and it was heart-breaking,” Woodbury recalls. “I immediately told him that is what we needed to hear about at our AGM.” Kazi describes the experience as a “life-changing event” he’ll never forget. “It’s been over a year now, but I don’t think it is an experience that anyone would ever forget,” he told producers. On the morning of February 22, 2023, Kazi says he was approached by a person at the door of the plant. “They thrust a phone in my face and started asking me if I knew about a video that was going to be televised later that day and if I had any comments about it,” he recalls. Kazi said he did not, but began to steel himself for what might follow. “I realized that this was just the beginning and I needed to take a deep breath before jumping into it,” he says. “And then I started calling the people I needed to call.” In fall 2022, sta had found four cameras no larger than a dash cam hidden above the plant’s kill oor and receiving pens. “My rst feeling was one of betrayal,” Kazi says, searching for words. “This is something that you feel will never happen to you.” And then he saw the faces on the members of his team. “They look at you like, what the hell?” he says. As the plant manager, Kazi says he felt the onus was on him. “It was like I had failed them, that this had happened because I hadn’t done enough,” he says, as questions began ooding him. “Who were these people who had done this? Are they still working in the plant? How did they get inside?” The location of the cameras showed that they were placed by someone who knew the plant layout. Inside job u
20 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Inside job likely responsible for cameras 1.604.363.8483FARMREALESTATE.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$2,690,000“They had to know what we do, what happens where and how we do it. It had to be someone who was in the plant several times or who was working there. And I kept thinking about that over and over,” he says. Kazi says his theory is that it was a contract worker who had come into the plant to complete a job, didn’t like what they saw, contacted animal activists and placed the cameras. “We looked at our own CCTV footage and we were able to see how they came into the plant,” he explains. “It was like something out of a movie. It was uncanny how they knew the blind spots from our surveillance and they dodged all our cameras. But who it was, I have no idea.” Animal Justice Canada claims they did not take the footage, but took responsibility for releasing the video. When Kazi was told the footage would be on the news, he immediately thought of Excelsior Hog Farm in Abbotsford, where busloads of people invaded the premises in April 2019, including the barns. “I hired a security company to be ready if this was to happen,” he says. Similar to when the cameras were found, questions began to ood Kazi’s mind. “The rst was a feeling of guilt. Where was I? How did this happen? How did I not see this? All these questions start coming to your mind,” he says, sending him into a hypervigilant mode. “I didn’t sleep that night after I saw the video. I was back at the plant at 4 o’clock in the morning. I wanted to be there in case someone shows up,” he says. “I wanted to be with the guys I work with and I didn’t want them to think I wasn’t there for them.” Threatening calls Hateful voicemails began taking over his phone, rather than the daily orders from customers. “There were threats of what they were going to do to me, but also wishing worse things to my family and people who work with us,” Kazi says. “And those who answer the phone in the head oce were getting worse calls than I was getting.” Most of the calls came at night, he says. “I realized they were not brave enough to phone during the day when we were there working,” Kazi says. “They wouldn’t call and talk to us face-to-face.” Besides guilt, Kazi also began to feel fear. “I tried putting on a brave face, but most people knew that I wasn’t my normal self,” he says. Sleeping was dicult. “For me, sleeping is a reward for accomplishing a good day’s work, but if I feel there is something I could have done better, that keeps on my mind,” he says. “When I heard about the experiences of customers, other sales reps or employees over this event, it really caused me anxiety and stress.” Checking the security cameras at the plant became second nature even when he was home and, unable to let go of his sense of responsiblity, he began to retreat into himself. “I started to avoid going to meet friends,” he says. “What if they asked me? Did they know? What did they think about it?” Meanwhile, the team Kazi works with was wondering if they could be held liable. “They were wondering if they should hire a lawyer in case they were sued, or will people press charges against them,” he says. “For myself and for my workers, there was a time I told them to take dierent routes home so they could not be followed as easily.” Family, friend support Ultimately, it was Kazi’s tness regime that began drawing him back out of himself together with the support of his wife and daughter. “My tness coach had called a couple of times to check on me as I hadn’t been for four or ve weeks,” he says. “I nally called him back and he told me things were ne. The group I work out with has known me for over 10 years and they know the kind of person I am.” Trusting his tness group was the rst step Kazi needed to get back to normal, and he began hearing from his customers, too. “The majority of customers were supportive,” he said. “Many have been to our plant; they know what we do. And I got a lot of support from them.” Serving 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 250-838-6414Common ground is impossibleCommon ground is impossible with activists, says Meadow Valley Meats plant manager Azhar Kazi, recapping the biggest lesson following an Animal Justice Canada sting operation in February 2023. “We can never please them, no matter what we do,” he says. “These activists have a problem with ‘what’ we do. … Regardless of how humane you are, it is never going to be enough.” Moreover, everyone in the sector is vulnerable. “They found a way into our plant and if they want to, they can get at you,” he says. Truth is secondary to the activists’ agenda, he adds, with videos edited to deliver a specic message. One particular frame, out of 60,000 minutes of footage collected at the plant, was used multiple times in the seven-minute video released to media. “We noticed that the same particular frame was used multiple times, zooming in and out and from dierent angles, so it looked dierent in the video but was the same frame,” he says. The plant is now less accessible to the public. “We don’t allow tours, but we stopped even allowing customers into the plant,” Kazi says. Meadow Valley also used to allow farmers to drop o animals after hours, but have stopped. It also keeps a log of who goes in and out of the building and conducts background checks on contractors. “You also need a good security system, and you must make sure that you monitor it and check why that alarm has gone o,” he says. Anything that’s out of place also needs to be followed up. “Do physical scans of your property,” Kazi says. “We didn’t before, but we do now.” While activist groups will always try to emphasise the negative, Kazi encourages processors to take pride in their business, which keeps people fed. “Our job is never going to be as beautiful as designing a bouquet of owers,” he says. “But I have aways been proud of what we all do as producers, farmers, processors and stores, and it is something we need a reminder of.” —Tom Walker @countrylifeinbcFollow Us for farm newsFfnbcwsFOR ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO GO UPVAN DER WAL EQUIPMENT (1989) LTD. 23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6 604/463-3681 | vanderwaleq.com 5080T TELESCOPIC WHEEL LOADER
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 21Farmers protest access issues at rail trail openingALR owners demand easements over permitsNorth Okanagan farmers with land adjacent to the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail voiced their concerns with the project during the opening of a pilot section in Enderby on May 10. JACKIE PEARASEmore.brandt.ca/hotdealsChop chop! Get to Brandt Ag, call 1-833-893-3334, or visitLower FinancingGet rates as low as 1.9% nancing for 36 months on zero-turn riding mowers or 0% nancing for 84 months on compact utility tractors!Bigger SavingsCash in on big savings like $400 o zero-turn riding mowers or $1950 o compact utility tractors.More SupportYou can always count on Brandt to deliver the support you need, on the phone or on your turf!Keep the grass greener on your side of the fence! Bag big savings on John Deere riding mowers and so mulch more at Brandt Agriculture until July 31!Some restrictions apply. See dealer for details. Oers end July 31, 2024. DEALS ON DEERE!JACKIE PEARASE ENDERBY – Farmers cast a shadow over an otherwise sunny day celebrating the grand opening of the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail’s initial section between Splatsin and Enderby on May 10. “This trail … represents the power of partnership, the spirit of unity and the promise of a vibrant future,” Shirley Fowler, chair of the Regional District of North Okanagan, which owns the trail in partnership with the Columbia Shuswap Regional District and Splatsin te Secwépemc. “It’s been talked about, but this is unprecedented collaboration,” adds CSRD Chair Kevin Flynn. “I've been involved for 20 years; this will be the biggest legacy project any of us … [will] ever be involved in.” A crowd of 110 people attended the ceremony, including about 50 farmers who showed up with their tractors and trucks. The RCMP were also present, observing the farmers’ peaceful protest that included dozens of signs asking for easements rather than permits to access their properties adjacent to and/or straddling the rail trail route. “They in no way impeded the ceremony here today,” notes Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo. “They have some concerns, that I think, rightfully so, need to be addressed.” Approximately 35 kilometres of the 50-kilometre trail lie within the Agricultural Land Reserve, crossing 171 properties between Sicamous and Armstrong. There are 28 crossings dating from when the trail was a rail line. No special permits were required to cross the track bed when the route was a rail line, but the trail’s ownership group is issuing crossing permits to adjacent landowners that have thrown ongoing access in doubt. Sixteen crossing permits have been issued to date, in accordance with bylaws governing the trail. Jeanette Netzel, who with her husband Ken farms in Armstrong that will be accessed by crossing the new rail trail, says farmers were present to educate the public about their concerns as property owners. “We are looking for permanent access across the rail trail to either access our farms, homes, livestock, barns or, in other situations, cross over the railroad to access our water source, the Shuswap River … water pumps, water lines to water livestock and fields.” Netzel says permits can be ALC conditions u
22 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu ALC conditions weren’t met before trail construction begancancelled and bylaws can be changed, giving farmers no long-term security for access. This can affect not just a producer’s ability to farm their land but also the land’s value. Splatsin Kukpi7 (Chief ) Mike Christian acknowledged the farmers’ concerns in his comments. “We do hear you, we do recognize this difficulty that we’re going through; it’s a little bit of a challenge but we do have solutions in place,” he says. “I wanted to ensure that we’re here, we’re listening.” Christian says permits are the solution because easements are costly and could cause problems in the future. He says crossing permits aren't meant to be cancelled. “Our goals of this plan are to protect the environmental, agricultural and Splatsin cultural values,” he says. He hopes to discuss concerns with farmers in a meeting scheduled for June 11. Netzel is not satisfied with such assurances. “If there are no plans to cancel, then give us a registered easement. If you’re not going to cancel anything then why aren’t you putting that in writing?” The Agricultural Land Commission approved the proposed trail in February 2021, but requested a report prior to trail construction confirming that appropriate steps were taken to identify and resolve issues of concern or conflict with the trail for ALR landowners. The decision did not say whether crossing permits or easements are required, a question that’s currently before the ALC. Netzel wants to see the outstanding questions resolved before the trail’s remaining 48 kilometres are constructed. “The condition here is to resolve the conflict before you build? Let’s do that first then let’s all build it together,” says Netzel. “We all want to come to a resolution, we all agree on that, but it’s got to be done the right way.” The trail’s owners say they have consulted with farmers since 2019, something Netzel disputes. She says agricultural producers have never been asked, either before or after the protest, to formally submit their concerns. Kyllo says the ALC decision on the rail trail proposal is clear with respect to ALR land and the need to address the concerns of adjacent farmers. “To my knowledge, and it’s pretty apparent from the number of farmers that are here today, that that objective has not yet been attained,” he adds. “There’s some really valid concerns that need to be addressed but I’m confident that this is such a good project with such broad support that we’ll eventually get to where we need to be.” Splatsin has applied for a $12.5 million grant through the federal Active Transportation Fund for completion of the rail trail. Netzel says the trail is inevitable and good for the Shuswap and North Okanagan so she is not against its development. She does believe that construction should not progress further until ALR landowners’ issues are better addressed as required by the ALC. Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo speaks with Enderby farmer Jeanette Netzel who owns property that will be access across the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail once it is built. JACKIE PEARASE Magister® is a registered trademark used under license by Gowan Company, L.L.C. REGISTRATION NO. 34544 PEST CONTROL PRODUCTS ACT. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS.COH ORTwholesale.comTechnical and sales support for Magister®is provided by Cohort WholesaleMagister® SC Miticide Magister, offering broad spectrum mite control, along with advantage of powdery mildew control.Mindful ofMites &powdery mildew!ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 23Matsqui Ag-Repair Abbotsford, BCNorth Valley EquipmentArmstrong, BCVisit your local KUHN TMR Mixer dealer today!Invest in Quality®www.kuhn.comVT 200 SERIES VERTICAL MAXX® | Twin-Auger Mixers320 – 760 ft3 mixing capacities • truck & trailer modelsFAST, COMPLETE MIXING AND PROCESSING Front, side and rear discharge MYRNA STARK LEADER KELOWNA – A new UBC Okanagan research project undertaken in partnership with sta at the Summerland Research and Development Centre aims to determine if sustainability and protability can work hand-and-hand to give Okanagan apple growers a competitive edge. Over the summer, UBCO Master’s student and project lead Jared Brown wants to speak with Okanagan apple producers about their 2021-2023 varieties, yield, electricity and fuel use, irrigation methods and other variables. “Farmers are very busy so I’m happy to come to their orchard and conduct the survey whenever it’s convenient for them. I’m hoping to speak with about 100 conventional growers,” says Brown. Brown, whose science studies focus on sustainability, will use the data to create benchmarks for the supply chain of conventional Okanagan apples. The benchmarks will be developed based on the European Union’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology and proposed category rules for tree fruit products. The PEF, introduced in 2013, provides specic guidance for measuring the environmental performance of a product throughout its lifecycle. “Even though there are limited exports of BC apples to the European Union (EU), PEFs are increasingly becoming part of EU policy around importing products, including food,” Brown explains. “While compliance isn’t mandatory yet, it’s likely PEFs will soon be a condition of access into EU markets and we don’t have any measure on how Okanagan apple production compares.” PEF-based benchmarks could give local farmers a competitive advantage by demonstrating compliance levels with an emerging international standard. “Additional export opportunities into the EU may also help increase the demand for Okanagan apples, potentially giving farmers more negotiating power for how much their products sell for at home,” Brown adds. Phase 2 of the study will determine if incorporating the practices of organic mulch around apple trees, which studies have shown can help conserve water, increase nutrient cycling and suppress weeds, could benet the environment while potentially reducing the need for irrigation, fertilizer and herbicide inputs. “Resources for making mulches out of wood chips and bark are readily available and aordable in BC. However, environmental impacts of producing and transporting mulch could outweigh any reductions in impacts from reduced irrigation, fertilizer, and herbicide needs. There’s limited research in this area,” he explains. “Yet the BC apple industry has been facing nancial challenges for the past few years and is seeking new, innovative solutions to help.” Brown thinks Okanagan producers will rate well in terms of how eectively they use water given the region’s dry climate, but he suspects less PEF compliance in other areas. “I suspect the use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides will need to be targeted if farmers want to meet PEF standards.” Brown has connected with industry groups like BC Fruit Growers Association as well as packinghouses to help spread word of the study. “The Product Environmental Footprint is Shifting exports Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization indicates that Canada exported 68.3 million metric tonnes of apples in 2022 valued at approximately $51.3 million. BC apples held a 43% share of the value, according to federal trade data, with Vietnam, the US and India being the top three destinations. BC apple export value fell in 2023, according to federal trade data, dropping to $18.9 million. While exports to Vietnam and the US topped shipment value, Mexico edged out India to rank third among recipients, followed by Germany in fourth place – the only EU country among the top 10 destinations for BC apples in the past decade. —Peter Mitham Sustainability benchmarks in the works New metrics could give apple growers a competitive edgeUBCO master’s student Jared Brown hopes to be busy this summer gathering information from Okanagan apple growers that will provide a benchmark for sustainability performance. CLAY ROPER-DANIELSwidely recognized as a best-in-class model for measuring and communicating environmental performance,” says BCFGA horticulture and research project manager Gail Nelson. “A better understanding of how our production systems match up could help producers capitalize on missed marketing opportunities in the EU to promote Canadian or BC apples as sustainably grown or environmentally friendly.” Nelson says the results may also provide insights into which areas within the apple production lifecycle have the most signicant environmental impacts, helping focus mitigation and improvement eorts as well as Benecial Management Practices (BMPs) that can aid in creating a more sustainable and resilient industry. “I know every orchard is dierent and specic rules don't always work for everyone,” says Brown. “What I want to do is provide suggestions of what farmers could do to improve their environmental performance and what benets they may get.” Brown says Phase 1 ndings could be shared at conferences early in the new year. Conventional apple producers interested in participating in the study should contact jscottb@mail.ubc.ca. Participating growers will receive a $50 gas card in recognition of their time. Grower information will be kept anonymous, used only for this study, and safely housed at the university. Benchmarks should be complete by the end of the year.
24 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 25New raspberries hold promiseLong-anticipated raspberry varieties will benefit growers Breeding the perfect raspberry for BC growers that will tolerate machine harvesting and resist root rot is a priority for the BC Raspberry Industry Development Council. FILE PHOTORONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – Raspberry growers have a bright future to look forward to as years of research bring locally adapted varieties of raspberries closer to reality. Berry breeder and geneticist Michael Dossett presented his annual update on the raspberry breeding program at the BC Raspberry Industry Development Council annual general meeting in late March. “First and foremost, our primary objectives in the program are to try to provide value to growers in the industry,” he says, noting traits like machine harvestability and root rot tolerance are at the top of the list of needs, alongside yield and fruit quality. “If the yields hold up on the 1855.14, this will probably be the choice.” While no variety checks all the boxes, 1855.14 is a standout in grower trials. The midseason berry has “beautiful fruit quality” according to Dossett, is a vigorous growing plant and is about 10% to 15% larger than Chemainus. It also is a very rm berry, making machine harvesting easy and clean. If yields hold at high levels, it will likely be rolled out to growers for commercial growing. Variety 1855.14 is an industry cross, meaning it is property of the berry breeding program rather than an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada variety. The other variety growers have expressed signicant interest in is 10-79-33 which yields well but is ready a few days after Meeker, which makes it less desirable given that earlier berries are better. Dossett explained that early ripeness and yield are opposing traits in berries, so some varieties that show promise in high yields will not be early season berries. A sibling to BC 1855.14 is late-season variety 1855.11. All other traits make it a solid variety and growers who have trialled it have asked for more plants, but moving later into the season with harvest is not what most growers want. “It certainly has a lot of yield potential,” he says. “It is a few days later than Meeker, which is not the direction we want to go.” Both 1855.11 and 1855.14 have been anticipated by growers due to their superior performance when compared to Meeker and Chemainus. Both were fast-tracked through the breeding program to shave a number of years o the journey from initial selection to eld testing. Dossett invited growers to consider taking part in evaluating selections from the program. It can take nine to 12 months to propagate and do phytosanitary testing, so he urges growers to ask as soon as they are thinking about putting in new plantings. Other varieties that growers may want to consider planting for trials are BC 10-71-27 which is great for machine-harvestability and has adequate yields at present, but Dossett notes that yields go up over the years, not down. Variety 10-79-33 is mid to late-season but has excellent yields and BC 1653.7 has solid fruit quality and potential for root rot and raspberry bushy dwarf virus resistance. More time is needed to assess the performance of these plants. An ongoing challenge is the lack of new funding for variety development research through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP). The three berry groups – raspberries, strawberries and blueberries – submitted a funding application over a year ago to the program, but as of last month, there was still no word of when a new round of funding could be expected. This has eectively left breeding work in a holding pattern. Nevertheless, 4,500 new seedlings made it into the ground last year and a new yield trial of 182 plots were established. IQF trials were also initiated. “We continued with the breeding program [in 2023] but did a cash-managed situation,” James Bergen, chair of RIDC says. Littau did not donate a harvester for trials in 2023 as it did in past years, but the program was nevertheless able to borrow one from Townline Farms for a few weeks. This was returned before all harvesting was completed, leaving researchers to hand-harvest fruit. “Without the labour to hand-pick all of our trials, we prioritized gathering yield data from only the most important selections under consideration,” says Dossett.
26 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC Biopolin is a registered trademark of ICBpharma © 2024 Andermatt Canada Inc.COHORTwholesale.comTechnical and sales support for Biopolin®is provided by Cohort WholesaleBiopolin®• Extended attractiveness of flowering crops for pollinators thanks to Slow-Release Technology™• Improves crop weight and quality.• Attracts honeybee, bumblebee, mason bees and other pollinators to flowering crops.• Dissuades bees from foraging outside of the target crops to other competitive plants.Sustainer Series offers insight, communitySouth Island Farmers Institute wraps up successful extension programKATE AYERS SAANICHTON – The South Island Farmers Institute hosted seven sessions over the winter that brought together local producers to address topics of regional concern. Each session was structured to have a local long-time producer or “sustainer” discuss challenges and successes in his or her operation for 40 minutes and then a subject expert would cover o another 40 minutes on current topics including farm classication, grant applications, insurance and estate planning and farm-use water rates. “Everybody really stuck around,” says series organizer and institute vice-president Katie Underwood of Peas n’ Carrots Farm in Saanich. Some participants spoke and engaged with fellow local farmers hours after the session had concluded, she adds. Producer feedback noted networking as one of the main benets of attending. “Lots of people [were] just feeling that much more connected to their community,” Underwood says. “Because we have an aspect of it where it's connecting or educating our community on topics of regional concern, it really helped people broaden their understanding about what's going on community-wise as well in terms of things that might impact agriculture.” City’s Edge Farm founder and Sustainer Series attendee Sol Kinnis appreciated the opportunity to hear from local producers who have farmed on the Island for generations and shared their stories. Producers discussed how farming and operations have evolved over the years and raised issues that threaten local food production, including infringing urban and rural boundaries. As a farmer new to the area, meeting with local producers and learning from them has helped Kinnis feel more settled in Central Saanich. She recently moved her main operations from a 0.67-acre parcel in Saanich to a three-acre plot of land near Keating Cross Road. Even with 15 years of farming experience, Kinnis is always eager to learn and experiment to grow her 40-vegetable market garden. “I pretty much learned how to become a farmer by learning from other farmers,” Kinnis says. In future sessions, she would like to learn more about water management strategies in the area during drought. Besides the Sustainer Series and the ve-day Farmer to Farmer hands-on workshops, eld days and conference held in February, SIFI has more events and series planned for the summer and fall. “We're really excited to host the Innovation Series this year where we're encouraging our farmers to continue learning, bring their innovations, what makes their business more innovative and also just fun farming hacks,” Underwood says. The initial idea for the events is to tour farms or have farmers showcase the tools and practices they’re using to make farming more ecient. “We really want to nerd out with everybody,” Underwood laughs. South Island Farmers Institute vice-president Katie Underwood is pleased with the reception SIFI’s outreach programing is receiving. FACEBOOK / PEAS N’ CARROTS FARM
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 27YOURHelping YouWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATESURg YougYouWSKPU showcases greenhouse innovationsAcademics show off their work during industry tour BC Minister of Agriculture and Food Pam Alexis was among those who toured a state-of-the art greenhouse at KPU’s Langley campus in April. RONDA PAYNEEinbock 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.comRONDA PAYNE LANGLEY – Ongoing work at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Langley campus to establish year-round berry production was the focus of an April 18 workshop and tour hosted by the BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association. About 20 BCGGA members learned how vegetable production could benet from the work, part of the Weston Family Foundation’s Homegrown Innovation Challenge, as well as future tools KPU hopes to incorporate into its evolving strawberry production system. “Our project has two main themes: plant health and energy,” says KPU Institute for Sustainable Horticulture director Deborah Henderson. “We included robotics and AI [articial intelligence]. If we could do out-of-season production better, we could future-proof our food systems.” While the berry project is just in the second of three phases, it’s already yielded several lessons that can be applied to greenhouse vegetable systems, Henderson says. “The greenhouse infrastructure is already there and our focus was improving that greenhouse infrastructure,” she says, explaining how the scope of the berry project easily applies to vegetable growing. Infrastructure is just one piece of the puzzle. The system also aims to address energy costs, labour and lighting, as well as be carbon-neutral, pesticide-free and water-conscious. Surrey-based Argus Control Systems Ltd. is a key partner in “putting it together,” Henderson says. “Argus will be integrating data from microclimate sensors,” she says. “You have to gure out how to use that information. That’s what they do. They collate the information so we can interpret it.” Argus senior engineering manager Naghmeh Garmsiri says greenhouse sensors measure indoor factors like temperature, humidity, CO2 and light, as well as outdoor factors like rain, pressure, temperature and wind direction. “We implement all the action-ators,” she says of heating, cooling, vents, fans, lights, valves, misters and other environmental control systems. “We’re bringing that data in and making it available to the grower to make better decisions.” Participating with Henderson’s team in the Weston Challenge makes Argus better at serving growers, both fruit and vegetable. Another partner with a solution suitable for both types of growers is North Vancouver’s Ecoation, which provides a handheld unit to help predict pest pressure. “It helps to forecast what’s happening with pests and diseases. Almost instant forecasts,” Henderson says. “They’re working on an automated arm that, when attached to this [handheld] unit, if it nds a pest, it will get the right biological and apply it.” Pest control is also being explored with a generalist mite, Anystis baccarum, which will prey on thrips, spider mite, white y and smaller aphids. Powdery mildew, a fungal disease aecting both strawberries and greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers, is being addressed in the KPU greenhouse with tools from UV-C light to biofungicides. Soon there will be a hydroxyl generator from Radical Clean Solutions LLC of New York. “The idea is it will take spores out of the air,” Henderson. “As researchers, we can take out those biofungicides and see what happens.” Hydroxyl radicals have been used to clean up after disasters like oods, and unlike ozone generators, Plants will talk u
28 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCKPU is partnering with technology suppliers to test innovative systems designed to improve plant health and growth. RONDA PAYNEu Plants will talk to growersOur John Deere 6R Tractors are among thesmartest tractors ever built, featuring a widevariety of John Deere Precision Ag Technologies.Connected TechnologyBigger, Faster and Clearer More Accuracy and Long-Term RepeatabilityPLUSDisplayG5™StarFire ReceiverSeamless Streaming of your Farm Data™JDLinkModemPrecision Ag Essentials Package with Display, Receiver & Modem Limited Time Sale Price $5,999Nanaimo | Chilliwack | Langley | Kamloops | Kelowna | Prince George | 1.877.553.3373Scan here to learn more aboutPrecision Ag Technologies orvisit us online at www.pce.ca*Pricing is for a limited time only. Please see your sales representative for details. hydroxyl is safe for human-occupied spaces. The hydroxyl generator introduces ultraviolet light to air with a titanium catalyst to create hydroxyls from water vapour. The hydroxyl radicals deactivate viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms through a chain reaction of radical generation. Ideally, Henderson wants to see plants tell humans what they need through technology that captures biosignals. Swiss company Vivent Biosignals, can generate output from each plant that can ag issues including iron deciency, open a vent to make the plant more comfortable, or signal how gentle the touch of certain workers is. “There is a single output for each plant and also a group output,” she says. “We want the plant to tell us how it’s doing. Basically, get the plant to control its own climate.” Another aspect of that climate is lighting, and full-spectrum LED lights from Sollum Technologies Inc. of Montreal are allowing for individual light zones within a single greenhouse bay. “They calculate the light coming in and they can add to it,” Henderson says. “You give them the recipe.” The three zones of light KPU has set up will allow for another berry trial in the future to determine the best durations and types of light for strawberry growing in a greenhouse environment which could shape similar trials in vegetables. Heat capture Perhaps one of the greatest challenges for greenhouse growers is heat due to BC’s high energy costs and the inability to store energy. SFU mechatronics systems engineering professor Majid Bahrami hopes to change that. “Waste heat is the largest untapped energy resource on the planet; 60% of the primary energy becomes waste,” says Bahrami, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Alternative Energy Conversion Systems at SFU. Waste heat, generated by working systems and not otherwise used, can be captured through thermal storage. Bahrami has been working on a waste heat sorption transformer for about a decade. “We are going to test this in Deborah’s greenhouse soon,” he says. “It runs on low-grade heat of less than 100°C. Our system does not have a compressor, there’s no electricity, there’s no noise. More importantly, it can store heat as well as cold.” While many tout electrication as the solution, Bahrami notes that the power grid would need to increase by 200% in order to meet the current demands of the transportation sector alone. Henderson is excited by the future addition to the greenhouse infrastructure. With heat exchangers and a geoeld already in place, the sorption system can expand what exists without using more energy. “If you have energy, you can store it in this system regardless of how it’s made,” she says. “So, there’s no need to have all the clean energy generation systems, though you can store the energy from those, too.”
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 29Don’t forget to RENEW yourSubscription.Cranberries studied for climate resilienceWhen the heat is on, which cranberries perform best?UFV researcher Lauren Erland is using open-topped mini greenhouses to test the potential effects of climate change on cranberries grown at the BC Cranberry Research Farm in Delta. SUBMITTEDCranberries uRONDA PAYNE DELTA – Cranberries are the second largest fruit crop in Canada behind apples, and a new project funded by the BC Cranberry Marketing Commission is looking at what happens to cranberries faced with increasing temperatures. The project at the BC Cranberry Research Farm in Delta uses rectangular, open-topped warming chambers similar to those used to assess climate impacts in the Arctic tundra, explains Lauren Erland, Canada Research Chair in Berry Horticulture and director of the Berry Environmental Resilience Research and Innovation lab (BERRi) at the University of the Fraser Valley. “It’s a mini greenhouse or heating dome that you put in the eld,” she told the two-day Pacic Northwest Cranberry Congress in early March. “It focuses the heat from the sun the same as that you would in a greenhouse. You see about a two-degree rise in temperature in the eld within the containers.” The units have temperature and moisture sensors to ensure ground moisture levels are the same both within and outside the unit – even when the temperatures are dierent. Because the tops of the units are open, they receive the same irrigation treatment as adjacent plots. The project, launched last year, aims to better understand and predict climate resilience and response in dierent varieties, helping the industry understand which varieties are best-suited to BC’s cranberry growing regions. “Over the course of last year’s growing season, we looked at some standard growing measures,” she says. These include factors like phenology, yield, plant health and fruit quality. “Not surprisingly, the increased temperature increased the phenology,” she says. “All of the uprights get taller in these domes and they start to form runners.” Runners were a surprising and unwelcome development, sapping energy from fruit production. The shift to increased runner development was most pronounced in the weediest plots. The outlier was Mullica Queen, which presented a lower volume of runner growth when compared to all other varieties. Runner growth reduced fruit production. “We saw a reduction in yield across all the varieties,” she says. “We’re seeing one-third of the yield.” The variety with the greatest amount of runners MFG 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 GRINDERSBAUMALIGHT.COMAdair Sales & Marketing Company Inc. | 306-773-0996 | info@adairreps.comLocate A Dealer OnlineFELLER BUNCHER
30 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu CranberriesFARM NGWe’re a crucial part of your industry. Recycling used oil is like preparing your farm at the end of the season, you need it ready for the next cycle. Help us recycle your used oil, fi lters and antifreeze at interchangerecycling.comOccasionally, I use this column to point out gaps in my farming knowledge. It’s a good way to kickstart the learning process. I am not going to spend any time listing the previous gaps because: my ego. Read back if you must. Today’s topic is grease and oil. There is a widely varied palette of clothes-staining products for every non-flesh moving part on the farm. And I don’t really have a firm grasp on what goes where. The limit of my grease expertise hovers around being able to change the canister in the grease gun without getting too much of it on my clothes and in my hair. I’ve developed a vague inkling that not all grease is the same because there has been a “special” grease gun about the place since dad got an excavator. However, as I have deliberately managed to avoid any sort of maintenance relationship with this very fussy piece of equipment, I had yet to grasp the concept. It all came to a head the other day when we were in the process of replacing all the spades on the spader cultivator and checking each bearing housing. Parenthetically, it’s amazing how 20 years of spading reduced the spades to about a quarter of their original size. We didn’t really register that until last year, when we couldn’t understand why our tilth wasn’t very deep. With new spades, it now goes halfway through the earth’s crust. Back to the fascinating grease details. The bearings are contained in these housings, you understand, and there must be grease in the housing to protect the bearing, or so I gather. For this, we use “0” grease. I’ve never even heard of this type of grease, and I didn’t know grease had numbers. The “0” grease is required for the spader because I guess it is the perfect viscosity and it won’t leak out when it gets hot in the bearing housing. It doesn’t require topping up unless the end cap is blown off and it is filled with dirt instead. Which I have now seen. Just to complete this incredibly technical treatment of grease types, the number – from 000 to 6 – is assigned to the grease type by an institute devoted to the task. My mind is blown, I can tell you. I realize I am likely the last farmer to learn about 0 grease, but there you have it. I will not oppress you with the 89 varieties of potatoes I can recite if you will lay off about my grease types and application ignorance. Moving on to oil, I find myself on firmer ground, yet still quite flabbergasted at all the varieties. We use gear oil, lube oil, transmission oil, hydraulic oil and engine oil – all this and more. For the tractor fluids, I just follow the directions in the manual, or do what dad tells me to do. But there are so many variations and exceptions. Floor jack oil, fork lift oil, transmission oil that goes in gearing of the walk-behind rotavator, gear oil that goes in the something else of the something else. I really can’t keep track. I have taken to writing on everything with a Sharpie, hoping to nail it all down eventually. (I am concerned to note how few machines on the farm feature Sharpie messaging near the oil port. This practice requires more consistency.) And, of course, the fellow that comes to do our more complicated tractor repairs has strong-ish opinions on brand names. Is oil not oil? No, it is not. Something about the quality of the additives, and how it’s stored. So, there’s that to concern myself with, too. I hope I can get it all straight before fossil fuels are over. Pretty sure I have time. Anna Helmer farms in the Pemberton Valley and somehow managed to carve 100s of words out before submission. Grease is the way we are feelingWho knew there were so many types? Farm Story ANNA HELMERalso had the greatest reduction in yield, as expected. But fruit quality did not seem to be impacted, though one variety’s fruit was more elongated than usual. Erland plans to take nitrogen samples from control plots and dome spaces this year to better understand what is happening. There will be other nutrient and plant health measures taken as well. She is also watching for the eects of January’s freeze event. “Being a scientist, I jumped out to the eld right away,” she says. The results were counter-intuitive to Erland. “We see an increase in bud damage in the warming treatments, so that’s kind of interesting,” she says. “This is only one year of data, so we need more data. Especially with the buds.” She wants to see a full season’s eects of the warming units on the buds. She also wants to look at varieties like Vasanna to see if the minimal runner development seen in Mullica Queen as a result of the mini greenhouse units is found in other varieties. “We’d like to keep the domes out there for at least three years,” she says.
Crooked Horn Farm’s Angela Weir and Gord Spankie have been farming veganically in the Kootenays since 2009. THOMAS NOWACZYNSKI 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, BCVisit our website for informative content and detailedproduct descriptions.silagrow.comTRACY FREDRICKSON WINLAW – Angela Weir and Gord Spankie met as children at their families’ cabins in the Kootenays, a fateful beginning to a lifelong partnership. The two went in dierent directions before reconnecting as adults in Vancouver where Weir worked as a cook and Spankie ran a painting company. The childhood friends discovered a shared passion for delicious food, and both of them ate a plant-based diet and dreamed of starting a farm some day. “We got to the point where we wanted to do something positive with our life and our work by providing healthy food for our community,” Weir says. “While looking for a place to settle, we fell in love with the Kootenays all over again,” says Spankie. “The community seemed to be more organically focussed and we could see there was good opportunity for us here.” Spankie was a vegan and inuenced Weir’s transition from a vegetarian diet to veganism. Vegans do not eat food that comes from animals, including dairy products and eggs, while vegetarians may include dairy and eggs in their diet. According to Statistics Canada, in 2019 there were approximately 2.3 million vegetarians in Canada, up from 900,000 in 2004. Another 850,000 people considered themselves vegan. BC had the highest number of vegan farms in the country that year while the Atlantic and Prairie provinces had the lowest. A 2021 report by Bloomberg Intelligence predicted plant-based foods could make up 7.7% of the global protein market by 2030 with a value of over $162 billion, up from $29.4 billion in 2020. Farmers who embrace new types of farming to meet the growing demand have the potential to gain important new markets for their produce. For Weir and Spankie, veganic farming – which avoids animal inputs to build healthy soil – was simply part of their lifestyle. “As vegans, it was important to us to practice veganic farming methods,” says Weir. “We jumped in without a whole lot of farming knowledge, determined to learn and overcome whatever challenges came our way.” The couple wasn’t totally green in terms of their agriculture education. Inspired by pioneers in the organic movement such as Elliot Colman and Ian Tolhurts, Veganic farm thrives in the KootenaysCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 31Crooked Horn Farm meets the demand for plant-based foodNine-acre farm uUSED 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 . . . . . . 115,000 KUB GF1800-4W, 2010, 1,100HRS, NEW 60” MOWER DECK . . . . . 16,900 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74,750 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
32 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Nine-acre farm provides produce to grocers, consumers year-round 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.Mahindra 1635 HST$0 DOWN | 0% INTEREST7 year Powertrain WarrantyHYUNDAI EXCAVATORR35Z-9AFINANCINGAVAILABLE0%they worked in Costa Rica as participants in the Worldwide Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) program who do homestays on organic farms and are commonly referred to as WWOOFers. Weir was also a WWOOFer in New Zealand. While living in Vancouver, the couple operated a small community garden. Weir has a certicate of Specialization in Organic Agriculture from Nova Scotia Agriculture College. In 2009, they purchased a nine-acre property on the Slocan River and renamed it Crooked Horn Farm. Surrounded by mountains and trees, wetlands, shrubs and hedgerows, the property provided a diverse habitat for insects, birds and other wildlife. The soil lacked structure and key nutrients, however. Initially, the couple used a rototiller to turn the lacklustre soil. Then, for years, they did most of their work by hand, using a hoe to hill up potatoes and make raised beds. “We were in our 30s and could do that back then,” says Weir. “We used our tractor for bigger tilling jobs but it is really heavy and further compacted the soil. We also had a small rototiller to mix in amendments and turn under cover crops and crops that were nished.” In 2019, they purchased a second-hand walk-behind Grillo tractor that came with an attachable power harrow. The power harrow smooths the soil, breaks up clumps and helps with weed control. “The Grillo has really improved our eciency and ability to ip beds by ailing and then harrowing, without disturbing the soil layers,” adds Weir. Heavy-duty silage tarps minimize the need for tillage and reduce weed pressure while preparing the soil for planting. “We reuse and recycle materials wherever we can,” points out Weir. “Some of these tarps can last a decade.” Over 15 years spent navigating their way to success with veganic farming, Crooked Horn has earned a reputation for providing high-quality, nutrient-dense, organic produce. These include greens, carrots, beets and other root crops, with up to 45 dierent vegetables in production at one time. “You name it, we probably grow it,” says Spankie. Large blocks of beds are dedicated to growing produce sold wholesale to the Kootenay Co-op, Canada’s largest food co-op located in nearby Nelson. The farm also supplies a few smaller grocers and operates a thriving CSA program and roadside stand year-round. The couple has experimented a great deal with alfalfa, which veganic gardeners plant as a cover crop to build nitrogen and maintain soil fertility. They use organic alfalfa pellets fermented with compost and molasses, a mixture that took them three years to perfect. Seed meals, kelp, rock phosphate and other minerals and micronutrients may also be added. Recently, they bought a woodchipper to explore the benets of woodchips as a compost ingredient. Several high tunnels are fundamental to production, including two that Spankie modied with metal wheels and pipe track rollers to help extend winter production. “Instead of pulling out a crop and replacing it with another, we can grow crops like spinach over the winter and, in April, roll the tunnel back over starts for another crop,” he explains. Two other tunnels were made in the Kootenays by Matthew Carr of Linden Lane Farms, a specialist in production horticulture and a nalist for BC-Yukon 2023 Outstanding Young Farmer Award. Carr’s tunnels are of commercial-grade steel and have a unique gothic design with straight sides allowing snow to slide o easily. A farmer can stand up in these units and manoeuvre large equipment. “These dierent types of tunnels are saving us time and eort while helping to increase our winter production,” says Spankie. The couple’s approach to responsible land stewardship is also reected in permaculture projects on the property. In 2016, they were approached by the Slocan River Streamkeepers Society to recreate wetlands on the farm. Since the project was completed, the area is once again a vibrant habitat for frogs, toads, dragonies, salamanders and other creatures. Balanced lifestyle The farm has hired seasonal sta for the last two years to help with the increased workload resulting from year-round production. It is always looking to connect with experienced and motivated seasonal farm hands or apprentices for potential employment. “We’ve made these changes slowly as we could aord them,” says Weir. “My advice to other farmers as they manage their expenses is to be clear on how big you want to be and why. Don’t go too big too fast, and trust that investments in your farm will gradually help become more ecient and protable.” This past year has been a turning point for Weir and Spankie as they make room for a more balanced lifestyle. They have pulled out of farmers markets to spend more time planning, trying out new crops for winter production and revisiting their marketing strategies. Another focus is developing Spankie’s smoked hot sauce recipe into a value-added product. The original cold-room storage has been expanded and it will soon be time to update the refrigeration and irrigation systems. “We’re committed to farming for the long-term,” says Weir. “It’s what we do.” Helping you grow your business. you ours.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 33Hot solution for better hay comes to CanadaEnderby farmer impressed with hay qualitySteam power: Enderby farmer Ken Netzel's Harvest Tec Dew Simulator injects hot water into windrows to rehydrate alfalfa leaves, saving time and enhancing the hay's nutritional value. CATHY GLOVERwww.hlaattachments.com 1-866-567-4162 JACKIE PEARASE ENDERBY – Hay producer Ken Netzel’s new farm tool is also new to Canada. Netzel has the first 720 Dew Simulator sold in Canada by Wisconsin-based Harvest Tec. The specialized equipment is designed to add water, heated to about 240˚F, into windrows before baling using a series of rotating tines. The tines go straight in and out, without disturbing the windrow or knocking off leaves. “It’s spraying that water throughout the windrow and evenly distributing the water throughout the windrow,” Harvest Tec product sales manager Scott Wangsgard explains. “[The hot water] opens the pores of the hay and allows the hay to absorb that moisture … Being able to rehydrate those leaves so they can get into the bale, that’s where all the nutrition is for the animal.” The unit rehydrates dry alfalfa to an ideal 14% to 16% moisture, which is particularly attractive in arid locales. The hay also packs better, resulting in more weight per bale, he notes. Netzel put the machine to use on his 90 acres of alfalfa and alfalfa grass in rural Enderby last season and found it worked as advertised. He says the Simulator reduced what used to be a three-day job of raking and baling to a nine-hour job. “That’s part of the good news. The rest of the good news is for each pound of steam you put on, you get about five pounds of leaf,” he adds. “That’s the key. A better quality product, which brings more customers.” In the past, high morning humidity in the heat of summer and the time required to let the hay dry sufficiently to bale often left him baling sticks. And, by the third day, the bales were not as green as a hay farmer wants. This higher-quality product added about 15% to his bottom line in sales last year. Netzel appreciates the ability of the machine to produce both small and large bales that he wants for hay sales. His customer base consists mainly of horse owners, all of which demand alfalfa for its nutritional value. An economic study by Earl Creech and Ryan Larsen of Utah State University, highlighted on Harvest Tec’s website, puts the net benefit from using the technology at $16.28US per acre, with a cost of $5.42US per acre. The Simulator has been sold since 2017, with about 50 units sold in the US, mainly in drier climates like Texas, Utah and Arizona. Harvest Tec has also sold machines to Mexico, Australia and China. Netzel had a bit of a learning curve, determining how much time is needed between adding the water and baling to ensure ideal bale quality. “That’s why you have to have radio communication between the two so the guy baling can slow down or tell the guy putting the steam on that he can go faster, whatever the case might be,” he says. The unit uses microwaves to determine moisture content in the hay. “The microwave moisture sensors are the best for measuring moisture at the back of the bale chamber,” says Wangsgard. He estimates water usage to be between seven and 10 gallons per ton added to alfalfa, which will vary with different crops and the speed of baling. Netzel says his water usage for 90 acres was 6,500 gallons. Harvest Tec now has a second model, the 721 Dew Simulator, which is fabricated with a stainless steel coil to extend its lifetime and reduce rust problems. Netzel is impressed with how his unit performed overall and amused by the ripple of excitement it caused during haying season as neighbouring farmers took notice of the unusual implement. “I had people wanting to see it but I was busy making hay so I didn’t encourage a lot of people to come,” he laughs. FOR BAGGED or BULK ORDERSDarren Jansen Owner604.794.3701organicfeeds@gmail.comwww.canadianorganicfeeds.comCertified by Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd.Helping you grow your business.Helpingrowbus
34| JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCMYRNA STARK LEADER CHILLIWACK – A quartet of BC farmers hit TV screens on May 29, featured in the second season of the BC-based reality TV show Farming For Love. The series’ 10 episodes tracks four farmers as they seek a life partner who ts into their agricultural lifestyle. One of the series’ stars is 28-year-old Josh Matzek of Chilliwack. Matzek typically spends his time working alongside his dad Bob at Westar Dairy, a 200-head operation at Chilliwack. He supplements his income and lifestyle as a full-time sales rep with TerraLink. “I actually applied to be on the rst season of the show but saw the show’s booth again at the Pacic Agriculture Show in 2023 and it worked out this time,” says Matzek. His dad started the dairy in 2003 and serves as alternate executive director on the WestGen board. “My dad is very similar to me. He loves talking. He loves showing o the industry and the farm, so he thought this show was a very cool way to do that. My mom is more laid back and reserved so she thought I was a little nuts to be on the show,” says Matzek, decked out in cowboy hat and a grin. Westar’s milking herd numbers 100, with the milking done by two robots. The farm also crops 120 acres with grass as well as corn, which they’ve just nished seeding. “We lmed in fall 2023 so we were able to show how the end of season works on the farm. Coming on a dairy farm is a little eye-opening for a lot of people who aren't familiar with it, right? All the eort and work and time that goes into making that glass of milk,” he says. Another positive was being able to interact with the three other farmers seeking a match. Dairy farmer Erin Harris from Creston’s Kootenay Meadows bought her farm from her parents, Wayne and Denise Harris in 2023. Erin’s passion is the approximately 100 head of grass-fed Jerseys and managing 900 acres of organic grain, alfalfa and pasture. Two-spirit and gay Rosedale horse and cattle farmer Kirkland Douglas is a former rodeo champ who claims to be as comfortable on the farm as in the city. His father, Lincoln Douglas, was chief of Cheam First Nation, east of Chilliwack. Rounding out the cast is beekeeper and orchardist Mischa Chandler from Lillooet. He runs Golden Cariboo Honey, founded by his great-grandparents, John and Peggy Chandler, in 1952. “The audience will be able to witness the 24/7 hard work, challenges and passion that it takes to run a successful farm,” according to series producer Lark Productions, based in Vancouver. “It’s also a rare opportunity to showcase the people and all their grit, determination and love it takes to bring food to Canadian tables.” Matzek says he and his family considered if the show would paint his career in a positive light or draw negative attention. “We denitely thought about it. But we take pride in our animals. Our farm is clean and tidy, and our animals are our livelihood. What you put in you get out, so I take a lot of pride also in being able to show o my farm and show o what the industry really has to oer,” he explains. Lark says Josh was a no-brainer for the cast since he represents one of the largest agricultural sectors in Canada, is outgoing, ready for love and has a great moustache. While Matzek couldn’t share if he found “love,” he says showing o the farm and the beautiful Fraser Valley with its mountain backdrop was one best parts of the experience. Playing host to multiple beautiful women on the farm was “right up there,” he adds. Farming for Love airs on the CTV Network. BC farmers seek a match on national TVReality series showcases the opportunities of rural life and loveJosh Matzek is one of four BC farmers starring in a national reality show. CTVCohortWholesale.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 JUNE 2024 | 35Langley broiler farm scales up tech to stay coolHeat exchange system reduces costs, improves flock healthBrian Mykle can dial in his broiler barn's climate from in-barn controls, or his phone, for a more efcient operation. ANNA KLOCHKOFarm & 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.caPETER MITHAM LANGLEY – Brian and Mirella Mykle consider themselves lucky. The couple operate Mykalb Broilers Ltd. in Langley, a third-generation broiler farm with a capacity of up to 108,000 birds a cycle. Shortly before the June 2021 heat dome rolled across the province, killing 620,000 poultry including more than 415,000 broilers, their barns were empty. The flock had shipped just days before. But the heat dome alerted them to the need to dial in climate controls on the barn. The Mykles had been one of the first in the area to install tunnel ventilation when they built their barns in 2011. The system boosted air flows through their 480-foot long barns but the prospect of more extreme weather meant it just wasn’t enough. Moreover, energy costs kept rising, making it expensive to keep the barns at 33°C while brooding the young chicks during the initial days of the production cycle. This prompted the Mykles to look at heat exchange systems with the idea of capturing waste heat as foul air is vented from the barns and using it to warm fresh air pulled into the building. But many existing systems were undersized for their needs. One quote was for a set of 12 units per barn, each with a capacity of 5,000 cubic metres an hour. The smaller size was less efficient, recovering no more than 60% of the waste heat. A system designed by Vencomatic Group of the Netherlands offered a step up. The massive units, distributed by United Agri Systems Inc. of Abbotsford, can handle up to 25,000 cubic metres an hour. Mykle went to the Netherlands to see the units in action, and ended up ordering four – currently the largest installation in BC. “We recuperate up to 75% of the heat and put it back in the barn, where normally we would just vent that air back out and lose it to the environment,” says Mykle, who flipped the switch on the units at the end of April. “The gas was only on for the first seven, eight, nine days, and then after that these machines were reintroducing the heat back into the barns, enough to keep the barns warm. We were hardly using any gas from day 12.” The larger units are more efficient at conditioning large volumes of air, reducing gas consumption. Better air quality also promises to contribute to healthier, more productive birds. The tubes of the exchanger absorb heat from the waste air while eliminating particulates, moisture and ammonia for cleaner exhaust. Fresh incoming air passes through the tubes and is heated up, then blown into the barn at a set humidity level that also makes it easier to manage barn temperature. “When they’re baby chicks, we don’t want them over 50% humidity,” Mykle explains. “When we started this cycle, we were at 33% humidity in this barn, which is amazing. And as this is running, we didn’t go over 50% humidity.” Previously, he says he’d be lucky to limit humidity to 60%, and often it would be above 75%. Drier air is better for the birds, being easier to breathe and contributing to drier litter that contributes to flock health. “Better humidity means drier litter. Drier litter means a healthier bird, so if you have a healthier bird you’re going to have better feed conversion,” he says. “[And] if I get a better weight of a bird, then I get a better return.” Mykle says the cumulative effect of better birds and reduced demand for inputs like sawdust litter means the heat exchange system promises to pay for itself in five to seven years. “I’m making a savings of about 20% on my sawdust, so that’s a big cost savings there, and then the gas savings. And I hope the feed conversion will boost that,” he says. Fred Meyerink with United Agri in Abbotsford said he’s received orders from an additional four farms this spring, testimony to growing interest in the systems. “There’s been some grants available from the government to try to get your farm more efficient,” he said. “[They] can choose what the humidity inside their barn is, as well as gas savings as well as giving birds a better, natural environment.” Mykle acquired full ownership of his family’s operation a year ago. With grandchildren coming up, he hopes the investments – funded in part through the province’s provincial Beneficial Management Practices program and the federal Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program – will position the family farm for a fourth generation. “When the new technologies come out, we look at it, and if it looks interesting enough to put in or if it’s the way everyone’s going, we jump on it,” he says. “Gas prices are through the roof, and when you look at the [gas] reduction and payback on it, it was a no-brainer to do it.”
36 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCA little soul searching could go a long waydidn’t ask. Maybe that would be a good starting point.” A sudden spark of anger rose in Kenneth, but it faded just as quickly as it came. He thanked Deborah for making time to talk to him, and for speaking so frankly. He stood up to go and offered a hand to help her up. “You go ahead,” said Deborah. “I think I’ll stay here a while and enjoy the woods.” Duchess began thumping her tail again as soon as he was gone. Deborah gave her a pat. “I know what you mean girl,” she said. “He was never very nice to you either, was he?” An afternoon breeze stirred in the high branches of the big firs. Deborah realized that the talk with Kenneth had somehow lifted the weight of all the loveless years of their marriage from her shoulders. She thought of her advice to be honest with yourself and express your truth. A raven landed in the branches overhead. Its ancient truth beckoned through the trees and was answered by a chitter that arrived on a whistle of feathers. Deborah slid her cell phone out of her pocket and scrolled in a number. It rang three times. “Hello, Deborah.” “Is that you, Doug?” “Yes, it is. Who were you hoping for, exactly?” “You, exactly.” “Okay, good. How have you been?” “I’m fine. It’s been a while since I’ve heard from you.” “It has but that’s not because I didn’t want to call. You said you wanted to let things cool down until after the divorce was finished.” “I did and I apologise for not calling sooner.” “Well, here you are. What’s up?” “I’ve been doing some soul-searching this afternoon and I realized there is something I need to say to you. I was wondering if you might be able to drop by?” “Sure. I can come now if you like. Are you at home?” “Yes and no. I’m home but not at the house. Do you know where the rock bluffs are up the old skid road behind Tiny’s little shop?” “Yes ma’am. I used to have a secret hideout up there when I was a kid.” “I’m there now, sitting with Duchess and eavesdropping on some ravens. Do you think you can find me?” “I believe so. I’ll bring Flo along in case you try to hide.” “Who is Flo?” “You’ll see, we’ll be there in half an hour.” ... to be continued The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915.SUBSCRIBEThousands 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 off last time, Kenneth and Vernon had made the front page of the local paper. Meanwhile, Kenneth called Deborah looking for advice. Rural Redemption, Part 171, continues ... Deborah was leaning against the post at the top of the front porch stairs when Kenneth arrived. “Thanks for seeing me,” said Kenneth. “Why, exactly, am I seeing you?” “I didn’t come to argue, if that’s what you think.” “Good, because it’s not my intention, either, if that’s what you think.” “Please, Deborah, I came because I need your help. I just want to talk to you.” Deborah was taken aback; she couldn’t remember the last time she heard Kenneth say please to anyone. She agreed and suggested they go for a walk through the woods up to the rock bluff behind the house. She called Duchess to come with them and the old dog rose stiffly and wagged her tail all the way there. The bluffs were in the afternoon shade, but the rock was still warm from the mid-morning sun. Deborah sat on the edge with Duchess, who gave her cheek several determined licks. Kenneth sat several feet away. Deborah decided to let him speak up when he was ready. “Was I that bad?” “Bad how?” “Did I treat you badly?” “You made me feel badly, Kenneth. Inadvertently to begin with, I think, but deliberately at the end. Isn’t it a little late to be doing this now?” “Not for Delta, I hope.” “If this is about you and Delta, you really need to talk to her about it, don’t you think?” “I can’t. I mean, she won’t – yet, anyhow. I suppose you’ve seen the paper?” “Yes. Not one of your better moments, I’d say.” “She’s angry, and disappointed with me. I’ve got one more chance to make things right, but I don’t know what to do.” “And I’m assuming you want to make things right with her?” “Very much, but I’m not sure she feels the same way.” “Just how do you think she feels? More to the point how do you think you make her feel? Happy?” “Apparently not.” “Okay, for what it’s worth here goes: she’s divorced, and if she’s happy about that, it could only be because she had an unhappy marriage. Either way, the last thing she’s going to want is to be with someone who makes her unhappy again. I don’t know why you are the way you are, Kenneth, and it would probably take a month of Sundays to figure it all out. I doubt if that’s a project Delta wants to take on, even if you are willing. So, forget yourself. Make this about Delta. Not about how she makes you feel. How do you make her feel? Before you do anything or say anything, ask yourself how it’s going to make her feel. Don’t tell her what is going to happen; ask her what she wants to happen. “I know that’s not your nature but unless you change it, what reason would she have to want to have anything to do with you? If you really want to be with her, you should want to make her happy. If you really care about her, tell her and show her. If you don’t, just say so and leave her be.” Kenneth sat soaking it all in. “I’m sorry, Deborah. I never meant to make you unhappy.” “Let’s be honest, at the end you did mean to, and even before that, you never tried very hard not to. Has it occurred to you that maybe it just isn’t in you to love anyone but yourself?” “I hope that’s not true.” “For your sake, I hope so, too,” said Deborah. “But there is a mountain of evidence that points that way. “Do you know what the kids are up to?” “What? No one has said anything to me.” “Maybe that’s because you Woodshed Chronicles BOB COLLINS
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 37Quesnel leader receives national 4-H awardErin Rossmann recognized at Vancouver eventKersley 4-H Club leader Erin Rossmann, left, pictured here with club member Heidy Singer, was honoured with 4-H Canada’s highest honour this spring when she was named National Volunteer Leader of the Year. SUBMITTEDKATE AYERS QUESNEL – Erin Rossmann has helped manage the Kersley 4-H Club for over 10 years, work recognized at the 4-H Canada Leadership Summit on April 13 in Vancouver with the 2023 National Volunteer Leader of the Year award. “It was a shock,” Rossmann says. “It really is a true huge honour to be able to be recognized and 4-H is one of the only volunteer organizations that really honours their volunteers the way that they do in such a huge way.” Over the three-day summit, Rossmann participated in workshops that addressed topics including positive youth development, risk management, conict resolution and building safe and inclusive spaces. “It was an amazing trip. It was an amazing whole weekend and very, very well done,” Rossmann says. Local clubs, 4-H British Columbia and BC agriculture minister Pam Alexis also contributed to the event. On the summit’s second day, delegates explored Granville Island and took part in a 4-H Makers Market with handmade goods for sale, thanks to 4-H BC. Alexis welcomed guests and Valley 4-H Beef hosted a Make and Take craft session. “It was an absolute honour to present Erin Rossmann with our National Volunteer Leader of the Year award at our leadership awards event this past April,” says 4-H Canada interim CEO Hugh Maynard. “Her dedication to creating an inclusive, accepting space for every one of her youth members is what 4-H is all about. Her story is no doubt an inspiration to our sta, members, volunteers and supporters across the country.” Rossmann’s husband Kurt participated in 4-H as a kid, and it was a priority for the couple to have their three children participate in the program. Because the Rossmanns’ children each have neurological disorders, they have rst-hand knowledge of the importance of accommodating children of all abilities. It was Rossmann’s mission to make a safe and inclusive environment for all youth to get involved in the community. “Whether you're neurodivergent or you're neurotypical, it works for everybody,” Rossmann says of the club. Rossmann and her family run a purebred Limousin herd on 500 acres, but she loves the multi-project aspect of the Kersley club. Projects revolve around each child’s interest, including livestock, crafts and outdoor living. Her favourite part about volunteering and leading the club is seeing the kids grow throughout the year, exemplifying the club’s motto, “see it, do it, teach it.” “Watching their skills, their condence, then becoming young women and men … is so awesome,” she says. The 4-H club meets 11 months of the year and meetings are often run by members with the help of leaders to present a new skill or topic each session. The club also gives back to the community by helping with BC AGRICULTURAL EXPOBC AGRICULTURAL EXPOBC AGRICULTURAL EXPOSEPTEMBER 20-23, 2024SEPTEMBER 20-23, 2024SEPTEMBER 20-23, 2024NORTH THOMPSON AGRIPLEXNORTH THOMPSON AGRIPLEXNORTH THOMPSON AGRIPLEXLivestock AuctionSeptember 23, 2024Buyer‘s Breakfast @ 8:30amAuction @ 10ambcagexpo.caCelebrate 4-H Youthat ourProvincial AgricultureShowcase!FreeFree AdmissionAdmission All weekend!All weekend!BeefSheepHorsePhotographyRabbitDogCavySmall EngineGardeningGoatLeatherworklocal events such as Quesnel’s Billy Barker Days. “They learn how to do some more public speaking and explain and show how to do things,” Rossmann says. The 4-H judging rally oers critical thinking opportunities in which members must compare dierent items, rank them and explain their decisions, Rossmann adds. Members also learn about record keeping, budgeting and livestock husbandry. Club members showcase their projects at their Achievement Day during the Quesnel and District 4-H Annual Show and Sale in August. Rossmann received the award for her involvement and leadership in 4-H, but she credits the help of other leaders throughout the years. “There is no way that I could be able to be nominated [for] this position without the huge, amazing support that I have within my other leaders of the club and district,” she says. “They all have helped me grow to become the leader that I am today.”
38 | JUNE 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCIt’s the celebration time of year and a grand excuse to whip up some special meals. In my mind, food is always part of a celebration. June is considered wedding month, which means there are lots of wedding anniversaries in June, right? The official beginning of summer is also in June, on the 20th, when the hours of daylight are at their longest in the year. It’s also when the gradual slide into autumn begins, with the hours of darkness growing longer every day through summer, until September, with the fall equinox, when dark and light hours are equal. With the onset of summer, it’s time to clean up the barbecue for the season, if you haven’t already. Welcome to summer, and all that entails! June also features our annual homage to Dads, with Father’s Day celebrated Sunday, June 16. I always think of meat as the feature of a special meal for Dad, but I may be a bit old-fashioned. Nevertheless, my favourite Dad always gets a meaty meal. These spareribs combine all those thoughts in one So much to celebrate in JuneIt’s time to bring out the barbecue and try a little something different with your veggies. JUDIE STEEVESJude’s Kitchen JUDIE STEEVESDAD’S SPARERIBS2 lb. (1 kg) pork back spareribs 1 onion 1 tbsp. (15 ml) fresh ginger drizzle of oil 2 garlic cloves 1-2 tsp. (5-10 ml) jalapeno pepper 1/4 c. (60 ml) cider vinegar 3 tbsp. (45 ml) brown sugar 1/2 c. (125 ml) ketchup 1 tbsp.(15 ml) Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. (5 ml) Sriracha sauce 1 tsp. (5 ml) chilli powder 1/2 tsp. (3 ml) dry mustard 1/2 tsp. (3 ml) sea salt 1/2 tsp. (3 ml) freshly ground black pepper 1/4 tsp. (1 ml) cayenne pepper • Finely mince onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper and ginger. • Soften the onion and ginger in a drizzle of oil in a small pot on medium heat and stir until the onion is transparent. Stir in minced garlic and jalapeno and cook for a minute. • Add remaining ingredients, stirring well and bringing to bubbling for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. • This can be made up ahead of time, or while the ribs are cooking on the barbecue. • To cook the ribs, sprinkle with a nice spicy barbecue rub (or just salt and pepper) and enclose completely in heavy foil. • Heat the barbecue to 450° F or so, set the foil-wrapped ribs, bone side down, in the middle of the barbecue, then turn o the burner they are on and close the lid of the barbecue. • Let them cook on indirect heat for about one to two hours, depending on the size of the rack of ribs, trying to keep the heat about 300° F. • Remove from the foil (be careful you don’t get burned by the hot foil, and be aware there will be hot oil in the package) and place directly on the re-lit barbecue, over medium heat, until brown on both sides. Slather on the basting sauce, lowering the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Baste and turn for just a few minutes before serving. • Serves 2-3. package, since they’re cooked on the barbecue as a nod to the beginning of summer; and they’re meat so I figure your favourite father will appreciate them on his day. Either the ribs or the stroganoff make a great celebration meal if you have a wedding or anniversary in June, too! Finally, the end of June brings Canada Day on July 1 –a fantastic opportunity to celebrate being Canadian. Celebrate away! You’ve heard of Dad’s cookies. They aren’t made by Dad, but, like these ribs, they’re for your best dad. This is a favourite old recipe, spiced up a bit with a knob of ginger, three peppers and a dash of hot sauce.BEEF STROGANOFF1 tbsp. (15 ml) oil 1 onion 1/2 lb. (227 g) mushrooms 2 cloves of garlic 2 lb. (1 kg) lean beef 1/4 c. (60 ml) whole wheat our 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) salt 1/4 tsp. (1 ml) pepper 10 oz. (300 ml) or so of beef broth 1/2 c. (125 ml) dry, white wine 1 tbsp. (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce 2 stalks celery, chopped 4 carrots, sliced 1/2 c. (125 ml) plain yogurt or sour cream 1/4 c. (60 ml) dry white wine • Heat oil in a deep frypan or Dutch oven, and saute sliced onions and mushrooms until the onions are limp. Add minced garlic. • Meanwhile, dredge strips of lean beef, perhaps from a round steak or roast, in our seasoned with salt and pepper. • Remove mushroom mixture and set aside. • Add a drizzle of olive oil and a pat of butter to the pan and brown the beef strips. • Add beef broth, tinned or homemade, and Worcestershire Sauce, along with chopped vegetables. • Stir and bring to bubbling, then return the meat to the pot; turn the heat down and simmer slowly until the meat is tender, an hour or two if using a less-tender cut of beef. • You may cook it on the lowest heat on top of the stove or put it into a 350° F oven. • Finish by adding yogurt (I use fat-free) and wine and warm it through. • Serve on at noodles, sprinkled with fresh herbs, if available. • Serves 4-6. This rich and avourful sauce with strips of lean beef is delicious. Wiki says this dish originates from Tsarist Russia, with the classic onions and sour cream (I now use fat-free yogurt), but it became globally popular thanks to the French in the late 1800s, then arrived in North America in the 1950s and was big in the 1960s. I still make it regularly.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JUNE 2024 | 39TRACTORS/EQUIPMENTREAL ESTATEFOR SALEFOR SALEHAYBERRIESIRRIGATIONFor Tissue Culture Derived Plants of New Varieties of Haskaps, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Saskatoon Berries and Sour Cherries, Please Contact:DISEASE FREE PLANTING STOCK OF NEW BERRY CROPS 4290 Wallace Hill Road, Kelowna, BC, V1W 4B6info@agriforestbiotech.com250.764.2224www.agriforestbiotech.com NEW POLYETHYLENE TANKS of all shapes & sizes for septic and water storage. Ideal for irrigation, 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 7410 4WD CAB, LDR, GRAPPLE 78,000 JD 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 MF 165 DSL W/LDR, CANOPY 9,000 JD 1630 W/LDR 16,000 ED DEBOER 250/838-7362 cell 250/833-6699 CURT DEBOER 250/838-9612 cell 250/804-6147CUSTOM BALING 3x4 BIG SQUARES SILAGE BALING/WRAPPING ED DEBOER 250/833-6699 CURT DEBOER 250/804-6147EDVENTURE HAY SALES 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!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’SJULY DEADLINE JUNE 22$15$30Manure 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, $6,000. 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.Don’t forget to RENEW yourSubscription.
40 | JUNE 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