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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. 5The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 MAY 2024 | Vol. 110 No. 5BERRIES Federal funding delay stalls berry research 7 HAZELNUTS Eastern Filbert Blight threatens to resurface 12 ORGANIC Chetwynd rancher leaves a lasting legacy 27 KATE AYERS BRISCO – BC wool producers saw a boost to bre prices in 2022, according to data Statistics Canada released April 19. Prices rose 61% compared to a year earlier, reaching $1.08 per kilogram. The increase is driven in part by more producers marketing their wool direct to consumers rather than through the Canadian Co-operative Wool Growers Ltd., based in Ontario. Jennifer Bowes of Riverside Farm in Brisco, a long-time advocate for sheep and wool sector improvements, says the co-op is paying about $0.40 per kilogram for lower quality wool and up to $8.82 per kilogram for premium wool. These are lower than what some producers are seeing through direct sales.In addition, innovative uses for wool, including wool pellets, may be introducing some competition to the market and bumping up raw wool prices. Fibre festivals have also gained traction in recent years, creating opportunities for producers to showcase and sell yarn and eece. “Hand-spinners are paying premium prices for wool,” she says. Peace sheep eeces fetch between $60 and $100 from bre artists, for example. But the data presented may not be completely accurate, Bowes notes. “I don't think they show the whole picture because they Adam Degenstein and his Clydes, Doc and John, placed third in the horse class at the 102nd annual Chilliwack Plowing Match at Greendale Acres, April 6. The plowing match, which also includes tractor classes, is always a crowd-pleaser and this year didn't disappoint. For more, see page 33. RONDA PAYNEBoost in wool prices welcomedPETER MITHAM VICTORIA – The province is poised to take over responsibility for farmed animal welfare in BC, following a report that recommends restricting the BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to companion animals. Policing of animal welfare, including that of farmed animals, has been the statutory responsibility of the BC SPCA since its founding in 1896, but the report says the time has come for a change. “The majority of the SPCA’s enforcement activities are associated with companion animals, and there is an Livestock oversight to changeProvince to oversee farmed animalsHorsepowerProvincial staff uPeace fleeces uRooted in your community® since 1973www.tlhort.com1-800-661-4559SeedPlant NutritionCrop ProtectionSuppliesService
2 | MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCabsence of capacity for proactive inspection of farms with livestock or poultry,” the report states. The lack of capacity to inspect farms compromises public trust, especially in farms unaliated with the commercial livestock organizations that have their own animal welfare programs. “These farms are not inspected at all,” the report states. “Some of them may have become livestock or poultry farms without having in place the experience and training needed to ensure the welfare of the animals they own.” The report recommends “creating a new inspection and enforcement function within the Ministry of Agriculture and Food to assume responsibility for implementation of the [Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] Act with respect to farmed animals.” BC SPCA’s mandate would be redened in legislation to limit its focus to “companion animals, wildlife in captivity and exotics.” However, it could also assist the agriculture ministry investigate incidents related to farmed animals. “The BC SPCA is a valued partner and they have done good, important work with respect to the inspection and subsequent enforcement of on-farm animal welfare complaints and issues,” the province says in a statement. “We will continue to work with the BC SCPA and the farming community to ensure the welfare of farmed animals.” But enforcement and compliance are secondary for BC Cattlemen’s Association general manager Kevin Boon, who sat on the 15-member committee the province convened last year to review its farmed animal welfare regime and make recommendations for improvement. Representatives of the enforcement, agriculture and processing sectors met 10 times between April and December 2023 and submitted recommendations in January. “It’s not about enforcement as much as it is about making sure that the welfare of the animals is looked after,” Boon says. He believes the report’s recommendations are good for both animals and those who care for them, with commodity groups likely to receive greater support for training of owners and handlers. “They’re very reasonable, and give a way forward for producers as well as making sure animal welfare is a priority,” Boon says. “[The report] also gives credibility to the programs that each of the commodities utilize.” The supply-managed groups, including dairy and poultry, have all implemented animal welfare programs and conduct regular audits of licensed operations. Cattle ranchers also have u Provincial staff recommended to oversee livestock investigationsu Peace fleeces see premium priceswelfare programs, such as the Veried Beef Production Plus program, while all producers have access to the national codes of practice that set a baseline for care and handling of their animals. The codes of practice were incorporated into the provincial regulation into the provincial Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act in 2019. However, sting operations by animal rights groups have regularly focused attention on on-farm practices, prompting the BC SPCA to pilot unannounced inspections in 2021. BC SPCA submitted a report to government following the pilot. The report has not been released, but BC SPCA chief prevention and enforcement ocer Marcie Moriarty said its recommendations were discussed with the province. “We are working with government on the farm animal welfare issue and the recommendations coming out of the pilot,” she told Country Life in BC in September 2022. The province initiated its review of the animal welfare regime ve months later. The recommendations owing from the study will aect everyone, not just commercial operations. While plans for the new inspection regime have yet to be unveiled, the report’s second recommendation makes clear that unaliated farms will be a priority for inspection. “The Ministry of Agriculture and Food should work collaboratively with other government agencies and relevant stakeholders to identify unaliated livestock and poultry farms and commence 15.1 inspections of them,” it states, referencing the section of provincial legislation that allows for on-farm inspections. “Once identied, these unaliated farmers can be informed of the minimum standards of care and regulations to which they must adhere.” Restrictions on information sharing mean it won’t be as simple as using Premises ID to locate livestock and poultry owners. “The information on Premises ID is protected,” Boon says. “There’s a level of condentiality there that we can’t breach.” There are also nancial considerations associated with the report’s recommendations. “For any of these to be enacted it would require an investment by government,” Boon says. The scope of the changes mean the BC SPCA is likely to retain its statutory mandate for animal welfare for awhile yet. “SPCA is going to remain where they’re at for the foreseeable future until we get something set up,” Boon says. “Government understands there needs to be a level of nancial support to whoever’s doing it.” However, the report reassures producers that whatever follows will be more predictable, and conducted by a dedicated team familiar with the agriculture sector. “There’s a huge opportunity for this new agency and SPCA to work together,” Boon says. “[But] it’s giving a little more safety netting for producers to understand when they’ll be inspected.” don't see wool as a commodity,” she says of Statscan. “I don't know if there's full disclosure from producers about the amount of sheep and their revenue from sheep.” While domestic demand for wool has increased, consumers may source from farther aeld. “Until the processing mills in Canada are able to have a higher output and increase their level of consistency to help bring the price down,” Bowes says, “people are still going to outsource yarn from England or Italy or the US where they can get that consistent material.” 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 6J2Mistaken identities In our April edition, the photo on page 26 is of Tayler Krawcyk, owner of Hatchet & Seed. He is the pond designer for Anneth Farm and described details of its design, construction and operation. In the photo on page 31, provincial livestock specialist Lori Vickers is on the left and Angela Clarke of Willow Row Farm is on the right. 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The BC Salmon Farmers Association, as well as the BC Shellsh Growers Association, have joined the BC Agriculture Council to advance their common concerns. BC SALMON FARMERS ASSOCIATIONCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 3PETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – Sector advocacy and support were reinforced as the BC Agriculture Council held its annual general meeting on April 20, welcoming two new member organizations and outlining various initiatives that promise to make the sector more resilient. No opposing votes were cast as members approved applications for membership from the BC Shellsh Growers Association and BC Salmon Farmers Association, which saw an opportunity to join with a like-minded organization so they could advocate around their common concerns. “We believe aquaculture is agriculture,” said Brian Kingzett, who described himself as a third-generation orchardist prior to pursuing a career in marine biology. Now the executive director of BC Salmon, Kingzett told the meeting that salmon farming is a $1.2 billion industry that shares many of the same concerns as the agriculture sector. This point was underscored by Nico Prins, executive director of BC Shellsh, who said limits on Crown tenure are among the factors that have stalled the growth of BC’s shellsh industry for the past decade. With farmgate revenues of $30 million, the 75-year-old organization wants to unite its concerns with other producers. This isn’t the rst time aquaculture groups have wanted to join with farm organizations. BC Salmon was a BCAC member from 2017 to 2021, when it chose to withdraw to focus on existential threats to itself from federal policies. While those threats still exist, Kingzett said the association believes it’s turning a corner. “We are hoping in the next month that we are going to see an announcement from the sheries minister that is going to allow us to innovate and start reinvesting in our sector,” he said. BCAC’s growing clout with government is appealing. “BCAC is seen as the go-to organization for nearly all cross-commodity consultation needs,” BCAC president Jennifer Woike told the meeting. She noted that BCAC was the rst industry association BC agriculture minister Pam Alexis met when she succeeded Lana Popham in December 2022. “Both federal and provincial governments are increasingly relying on BCAC for consultation and input relevant to BCAC’s member associations,” added BCAC executive director Danielle Synotte. “As a result, policies and programs adopted by both levels of government are also increasingly reecting these member interests.” Having stepped away from program administration in 2022, BCAC has focused increasingly on advocacy and policy. Sector support was ramped up with emergency preparedness as a new key priority. An application in partnership with the BC Cattlemen’s Association, BC Dairy, BC Poultry, BC Pork, BC Honey Producers and the Horse Council of BC secured $900,000 worth of provincial funding through the Food Security Emergency Planning and Preparedness Fund. “The purpose is to develop a broad, agriculture sector emergency response plan,” Synotte said. “Work is already underway.” There were also some notable nancial accomplishments. The past year was the rst one in which the Western Agricultural Labour Initiative was nancially independent of BCAC. This occurred even as WALI expanded programming, thanks in part to a new fee structure that saw expenses shared across all employers of foreign workers. “This has also enabled WALI to hire more sta, do more webinars, employer outreach and provide more services, all while improving existing services,” said BCAC treasurer David Mutz. BCAC itself will run a decit this year but sharing its lease expenses with the BC Greenhouse Growers Association and the BC Landscape and Nursery Association will help. In addition, ARDCorp was formally wound up last year, and its assets incorporated within BCAC. “While we are in fact forecasting a net loss, our cash position is strong and I’m feeling positive about our revenue opportunities for 2025,” Synotte said. This includes the BCAC employee benet program, which was launched at the meeting. While the program will not generate notable revenue for the 2024 budget, Synotte it’s coming for 2025. “This oering creates a revenue stream to support BCAC, and therefore the sector,” she said. 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Publication Mail Agreement: 0399159 . GST Reg. No. 86878 7375 . Subscriptions: $2/issue . $18.90/year . $33.60/2 years . $37.80/3 years incl GSTThe agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 Vol.110 No. 5 . MAY 2024Published monthly by Country Life 2000 Ltd. www.countrylifeinbc.comThere has been something called The Back Forty, or close to it, in all but two issues of Country Life in BC for the past 27 years. It moved from page to page several times until the fall of 2007 when it found its current home and format on page four. All together that adds up to more than 320 issues, the last 200 as an opinion piece here on the editorial page. I can guarantee, I’m more surprised than any of you. At an average of 700-750 words (“600’s not enough and 800’s too many”) it adds up to a veritable book of opinion and editorial. Long-time readers are forgiven if they are thinking they must have heard it all by now and surely there isn’t much more to say. Sometimes I wonder about that myself, and readily admit some of the ground covered here has been plowed more than once. To a certain degree this is inevitable because some parts of the script for agriculture never seem to change: up and down returns, ever-increasing input costs, ever-increasing regulation, marketing challenges, diseases, pests and weeds, the necessity of o-farm income, and weather, hanging over the whole enterprise like the sword of Damocles. I sometimes think the only thing more depressing than writing or reading about the vagaries of farming and ranching would be having to overcome them day in and day out and continue in spite of them. But that we all do. Looking back over seven decades, it is the resilience, perseverance and optimism of farmers and ranchers that is the compelling narrative of agriculture in BC. All of them are sorely tried on a regular basis as the challenges keep on coming and keep being overcome. Nature is the nature of agriculture and that probably has a lot to do with it. So does the fact that most of us are in this for the long haul – for generations in many instances. If you have been at it long enough, you will know a little something (or a great deal) about overcoming adversity and will be puzzled as I was by someone in the depths of despair because the Starbucks drive-through put the wrong sprinkles on their frappuccino. Oh, to share the clarifying perspective of calving chains and a breech birth at 3 am, or an overnight low of -30 in the vineyard or orchard. I am not averse to celebrating the good news in agriculture or turning to an occasional bit of whimsy, but when the time comes to write The Back Forty each month, I am hard-pressed to ignore the continual threats and challenges putting the innate resilience, perseverance and optimism of producers to the test once more. Without going into much detail, regular readers will be aware that unpredictable climate change and its various eects is a frequent topic. Fairly so, I believe, because its presence and eects are here to stay and could well be life-altering for much of the industry. Any endeavour based on the laws of nature will face dramatic, perhaps impossible, change without water. What seemed improbable scant years ago is now reality for some: no water in half of the year and underwater in the other half. Beyond climate is a worrying demographic: fewer producers farming less acres and growing ever older. And, of course, the economic realities that prevent the sector from presenting itself as a realistic business opportunity for young producers and even as a living-wage job for workers in many instances. There is a lost generation of young producers and agricultural workers, and agriculture is fading from rural culture. As noted in a previous Back Forty, for the rst time in 75 years my community has no functioning 4-H club. The robust enrollment of years past usually reected the presence of young families on farms and ranches. Once the generational link is broken, there my not be anything left to mend. For anyone concerned about The Back Forty turning into a broken record: fear not, this too shall pass. 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 | MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCShining a lightWorld Press Freedom Day occurs May 3, a reminder that not all countries are as fortunate as Canada to enjoy a free press, let alone freedom of expression. While the various media outlets in this country are plagued by tight margins and shrinking resources, not to mention the age-old gremlins of typos and technical issues, this paper is glad of an engaged readership. Seldom a month goes by without a note of appreciation for our coverage in general, and on occasion a strongly worded response to some report or other we’ve published. This was the case last month, with several readers expressing concern about a report from the Organic BC conference held in Penticton last November. The theme was “Building Bridges,” and the sessions included one discussing “farming at the intersection of multiple (often marginalized) identities.” By all accounts, the report accurately presented what was discussed, noting how the panel singled out one well-established farmers institute and made it – and by extension, farmers institutes across the province – appear unwelcoming. Without the freedom the press enjoys in this country, and an appreciation of its important role in knowledge transfer, our contributor would not have had access to attend the event, listen and report what was said. But the panel discussion, while touching on a current issue of importance as the demographics of the province change – and with it the agriculture sector – caused oence. While coverage of the event was accurate, the picture it painted of farmers institutes didn’t ring true. Diversity is alive and well in BC agriculture, with gender, race, sexuality, creed and any number of other elements present in barns and the boardrooms of farm organizations. Many of us can name someone who didn’t quite t in elsewhere who ts in agriculture. Diversity is our strength, and neither the panel nor the report captured our lived experience. Whatever the role of the press and other media in shining a light on the concerns of the day, it also needs to challenge popular assumptions and pieties. This is where a letter in this issue from the Coombs Farmers Institute provides an important counterpoint. 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 May the force be with you, PW!Perseverance, resilience carry us forwardWhile individual experiences of any group can be negative, there is also much good happening that oers a path forward and builds a bridge to the community we truly want to be. While everyone has a story, our life together as a community means recognizing that some complaints do more damage than the good lessons they deliver. All media is social, and a press willing to shine a light on individual stories also needs to be mindful of the much greater light that shines when the community as a whole nds its story told.
It’s spring in British Columbia and with it comes all the promise of a new season of growth. The elds are green (for now … but that’s a whole other story) and at small farms all over the province, chicks and poults are being placed in brooders as the pastured poultry season ramps up for another year. I’ve been lucky enough to visit many of these farms and to hear about the many opportunities and challenges facing these producers. The potential for the growth of the pastured poultry sector is tremendous and the impacts it could have on local economies, food security and sustainability goals is exciting. Market demand for these products is higher than ever before. There are funding and educational opportunities to support producers adopting benecial management practices like multi-species rotational grazing. And, in an interesting twist, the new Farmgate on-farm slaughter licence means that small-scale producers can now legally slaughter almost twice as many chickens and about four times as many turkeys as they are legally allowed to raise. (The current regulations allow small-scale producers to raise up to 2,000 meat chickens per year under the BC Chicken Marketing Board’s Small Lot permit program.) Earlier this year, I attended the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association conference in Dallas, Texas. In the US, the pastured poultry industry is scaling up rapidly to meet the growing market demand. So much so, in fact, that Perdue, one of the largest poultry companies in the US, recently acquired a pastured poultry operation. Most of the producers I met in Dallas are operating on a much smaller scale than Perdue but on a much larger scale than their Canadian counterparts. 25,000 birds a year seems to be a comfortable number for many of the commercial producers that we spoke to. In Canada, our supply management system is an important component of our food sovereignty. The three pillars of supply management are supposed to ensure that farmers supply no more, no less than what the market demands; that farmers receive a fair income; and that imports are controlled to ensure a predictable and adequate supply. In general, supply management works well for the ve commodities it controls – dairy, broiler chickens, laying hens, turkeys and hatching eggs – but it also imposes unreasonable production limits on farmers who are trying to serve a unique and very separate niche market that commodity producers have little interest or motivation to ll themselves. On the dinner plate, pastured poultry may look similar to its commodity equivalents, but it is not the same. There is little overlap between the markets for inexpensive commodity poultry products and much pricier pastured ones. Most consumers of pastured poultry wish to eat pastured Pastured poultry producers face barriersRegulatory framework needs to adapt to support niche producers COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 5poultry products, or none at all. Consumers choose these dierentiated products for many reasons. The avour prole and texture is dierent and, nutritionally, it is known to be richer in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants, and is lower in saturated fats than conventionally produced poultry. There is also a movement towards production models that incorporate higher levels of animal welfare with organic and regenerative management practices. These are attributes consumers cannot nd in the grocery store. Ideally, our supply management system should recognize these dierentiated products and develop a place for them within the scheme. The BC Milk Marketing Board issued a call last month for producers of grass-fed milk; why not a similar initiative for pastured poultry? This market can be served by hundreds of small-scale farmers around BC operating outside of the mainstream commodity markets but they face serious challenges. The current system doesn’t provide a path to growth for them. BCCMB is not inviting applicants for new entrant quota anywhere in the province. Even if they were, the minimum amount is much larger than most pasture-based producers want to raise. Moreover, purchasing mainstream quota doesn’t pencil out for small-scale producers. The smallest amount of quota currently available in the most recent BCCMB newsletter would permit 34,000 birds a year at a cost of over $700,000. Quota holders are expected to produce year-round on an eight week cycle and to sell to the processors. Pastured poultry producers typically produce fewer batches seasonally and sell direct to consumer. Removing these barriers could unlock profound economic, food security and sustainability benets, transforming our agricultural landscape and positioning BC as a progressive industry leader. The growth of this sector does not come at the expense of conventional poultry. There are currently 72 Small Lot permit growers in BC. But an analysis of data SSMPA collected in a 2021 survey suggests there are more than 2,000 small-scale poultry producers across the province. If every small lot permit holder in BC were to raise 25,000 broilers next year, this would represent little more than 1% of the province's production. Every quota-holding chicken grower in BC has received a minimum of 20% free production quota. It only seems fair that this dierentiated market be given an opportunity to grow, too. The BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s own Regulated Marketing Economic Policy supports the growth and development of the pastured poultry sector and the development of new markets to facilitate industry growth and competitiveness. I believe that the BC poultry marketing boards are capable of responding in a constructive and equitable manner to the consumer demand and producer aspirations for major growth in the pastured poultry sector. British Columbia is a diverse, progressive province that oers opportunities for many dierent agricultural production models and products. It is time to embrace this diversity and the many benets that would come along with supporting the growth of a vibrant pasture-raised poultry industry. Julia Smith is executive director of the Small-Scale Meat Producers Association, which is currently undertaking a survey to gather more information about the sector. The ndings will inform recommendations to industry and policy makers. 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6 | MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCuufuE (Tax forms and BC Farmers’ Food Donation Tax Credit information provided by https://www2.gov.bc.ca)Craig EdwardsGF
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 7PETER MITHAM and RONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – BC’s industry-led berry research programs are stalled as growers enter a second year without funding from Ottawa. The province’s three strawberry, raspberry and blueberry associations collaborate on field research, including variety trials, with the support of federal research dollars under the national agricultural policy framework. But as of April 22, no funding had been received under the five-year Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP), which succeeded the Canadian Agricultural Partnership on April 1, 2023. A funding request was made when applications began being accepted at the beginning of March 2023. “The SCAP application was submitted on behalf of all three berries,” says BC Strawberry Growers Association manager Lisa Craig. Both BC Strawberry and the Raspberry Industry Development Council presented budget scenarios at their annual meetings at the end of March that accounted for the funding delays. One budget outlined a scenario in which the association operates on a cash basis, without the injection of federal funding. This is how the organization has operated since the previous federal funding ran out. An alternate budget anticipates the delivery of SCAP funds but also includes a number of cuts to keep the deficit anticipated from the funding delays in check. “Directors have voted to forgo their fees to get to a balanced budget,” Craig explains of BC Strawberry’s approach. Cash support for BC Agriculture in the Classroom’s Take a Bite of BC was also cut. The hope is that a packer or group of packers will instead donate berries directly in return for a charitable receipt. Raspberry growers hope to at least maintain existing research pending the arrival of federal funding. RIDC chair James Bergen says budgeting for 2024 has been a challenge. “It’s been extraordinarily difficult to figure things out with so many unknowns,” he says. Research expenses last year were half what they were in 2022, prior to the end of federal funding, but even this left $90,000 of expenses to be paid. “We continued with the breeding program [in 2023] but did a cash-managed situation,” Bergen says. This year, research will continue to be funded on a cash basis, but RIDC’s alternative budget will see $300,000 in additional research expenses if SCAP funding arrives and even a small surplus. “You’ll notice there is a surplus should SCAP come in,” he says. An accounting oversight in previous years is adding to RIDC’s budgeting challenges. The oversight indicated that council finances appeared better than they were. The council restated its 2023 and 2022 financial statements at a special general meeting in October 2023 that raised levies from $0.01 a pound to $0.02 to improve its financial position. While levies were up slightly given the 2023 increase in production to 9,906 tonnes from 8,070 tonnes in 2022, the lack of SCAP funds cut revenues to $154,419 in 2023, down from Federal funding delay stalls berry researchBerry organizations face cash flow challengesServing 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 250-838-6414www.hlaattachments.com 1-866-567-4162 $301,837 in 2022. Research dollars being the single largest budget item many grower organizations manage and a key source of cash flow, raspberry growers pushed RIDC for a long-term plan given the current challenges. “Do we have some sort of an end game here?” asked Arvin Neger of Mukhtiar Growers. Bergen said the council’s long-term vision for the breeding program has been for it to be self-sustaining. To this end, it recently approved the formation of a new committee including five to nine RIDC board members and growers to oversee the breeding program. “This is not just a committee to say yes or no. This is a committee to look at way to be bringing in funds as well,” Bergen said. Neger volunteered to join. Bergen added that selling proprietary varieties isn’t the only barometer of success. If new varieties are more productive than existing ones, this will boost revenue from levies, also equating to success. “It can be a net benefit,” he says. “That’s what that [committee] can talk about.” It was still a little early for much produce but Kelowna Farmers and Crafters Market opened for the 2024 outdoor season at its new location, April 6, in the city's Landmark district. A good crowd was on hand to check out the market, one of the largest in BC with an economic impact of about $16 million according to a recent BC Association of Farmers Markets study. MYRNA STARK LEADERMarket time
8 | MAY 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.RONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – BC strawberry research trials were signicantly impacted last year by the twin challenges of no federal funding and strike action by federal sta. Research funding through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP) was not yet awarded, an issue that remained unresolved as the 2024 growing season began. A two-week strike by the Public Service Alliance of Canada compounded the funding woes, resulting in sprays not being applied when needed to trial plots. Moreover, selections planted in 2022 for yield trials saw fruit harvested for the spring crop alone. The summer crop, an essential indicator of the performance of ever-bearing varieties, wasn’t collected. “Last year, we had a challenging season between the funding situation and a lack of stang at the Clearbrook station on Ag Canada’s part,” berry breeder and geneticist Michael Dossett says. “We are looking at another dicult year.” Selections from 2022 crosses were planted late, in mid-June. The extended sub-zero cold this past January delivered another blow, causing some winter damage to eld plots but also to seedlings in the greenhouse where vents froze in the open position. Some of the greenhouse seedlings are bouncing back, but others died from the cold. Most of the selections from 2022 crosses are June-bearing plants which, if they perform well, will be propagated for further analysis. “The 2021 crosses, some are looking very, very good,” says Dossett. “Some selections that were in that 2021 cohort, I’d say, were among the best fruit quality.” But any crosses that were planted in the ground will have one or more viruses and must be cleaned up prior to propagation for grower trials. “It takes a couple of years and it’s not inexpensive,” Dossett says. “We’re looking to moving some of these into a virus clean-up in the next year or two, but that will be funding-dependent.” Knowing crosses may be of interest to growers, yet facing funding challenges, means Dossett will have to make decisions with various stakeholders to determine the right timing for clean-up. Berry breeding takes up the majority of research funding, says plant scientist Eric Gerbrandt. He adds that until SCAP funds are received, it’s hard to know which research programs will proceed and at what levels. “What is funded, we don’t actually know yet,” he says. “Some [programs] may drop, some may be recongured.” Lygus, which has been an ongoing and signicant problem for strawberry growers, is at the core of a possible “trap and spray” research project using alfalfa as the trap crop. If successful, it could reduce the need to use chemical controls for lygus. “It’s based on work that’s been done in California in the past,” Gerbrandt says. ES Cropconsult will facilitate the project, which will be partly funded by the provincial government. However, it also depends on federal funds to proceed. Additionally, there is a goal to see more grower knowledge transfer and hands-on exploration around pests, crop updates and other berry industry news, projects that will also benet from federal funding. Strawberry trials face funding challengesProvincial initiatives hung up on federal issuesBC 10-2-1 is being considered as a “nice complement” to Albion, but research is being hampered by funding and labour challenges at the federal level. MICHAEL DOSSETT
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 9Dairy demand prompts quota increaseProvince funds new Abbotsford plant to grow production There’s nally some good news for BC dairy producers as processing capacity is set to rise. MYRNA STARK LEADERPETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – Dairy processing capacity is on the rise in Western Canada, and BC dairy producers have received an extra 3% quota to keep pace with demand. The increase approved February 1 has leveled out quota issuance to each of the four provinces in the Western Milk Pool at approximately 101%. “In previous years, we haven’t had the processing, so we haven’t been able to allocate all of our quota,” Jeremy Wiebe, executive treasurer with the BC Milk Marketing Board, told producers attending their spring meeting online on April 12. “But we have got some processing online in the past year so we have been able to allocate to 100% now, and in some provinces right up to 101%.” BC is one of two provinces at 101%, thanks in part to the expansion of milk processing capacity in the province. “We’ve been hearing really positive feedback from the processors on what’s taken place in the Western Milk Pool,” says Wiebe. “I’ve been on the milk board for 10 years, and I can honestly say I’ve never been as positive about processor expansion in the West as I am right now.” Saputo’s consolidation of its BC operations in a $240 million state-of-the art milk plant in Port Coquitlam three years ago as well as the plans Surrey’s Punjab Milk Foods Inc. announced last fall to consolidate its four locations in a 296,000-square-foot plant producing a variety of South Asian dairy products are both signs of the condence. And there’s more to come, with Vitalus Nutrition Inc. building a plant to process 500 million litres in Abbotsford. Colloquially known as the P500 project and backed with $25 million in provincial funding, it’s set to be operational by fall 2026. “It’s a big deal for the West. It’s going to result in a lot of quota growth for farmers,” Wiebe says. Production will need to increase 17% across the Western Milk Pool, starting with a 5% increase in the 12 months prior to completion followed by 4.5% in the rst year of operation. “We’re going to have to have a lot of increased production to supply this plant,” says Wiebe. “It’s complicated, and it probably won’t all be issued as quota. We might have to change a little bit of the ratio on how we pay for our milk to get more litres of milk and some more protein for the plant.” Written agreements are falling into place, but Wiebe cautions that delays are possible. The plant has faced signicant hurdles to date, with permission required from the Agricultural Land Commission as well as consultation with local Indigenous groups before construction began. “There have been a lot of delays already, and they were unforeseen, and there may be more unforeseen delays,” Wiebe says. Greater production volume means greater revenue for producers, who continue to grapple with the high cost of producing those volumes. BC Milk vice-chair Tom Hoogendoorn said a 1.77% increase to the farmgate price of milk that kicked in May 1 is good news, and follows on a 22% increase over the past ve years. The average WMP price has been 99 cents per litre for the last several months and is currently around $22 per kg of butterfat. “Farmers receive a pretty good price right now with an increase over the last two years, quite a big increase, and another expected May 1,” he told the meeting. “I know everybody doesn’t like the price; they want more, but this is what it is, and it’s quite strong, actually.” Despite “very concerning” declines in uid milk consumption overall, specialty products like ultraltered and lactose-free milk, as well as yogurt have seen strong growth. “The demand is quite strong; the growth over time is very strong,” Hoogendoorn said. “A real growth market right now is the ultraltered milk, like Fairlife. Extremely high growth, and lactose-free is up 10% year over year.” ATTENTION CATTLEPRODUCERSFly season is coming soon. Don’t let the ies torment your herd.Our Lewis Cattle Oilers help to eliminate pinkeye.We oer FREE delivery and set up of new oilers purchased.595 Acre Active Ranch 5 Titles | $3,500,0005770 Spring Lake Rd, 100 Mile, BCLEADER IN AGRICULTURAL SALES IN THE FRASER VALLEY WITH OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCELots 21, 24, 26 & 27 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC4 lots - 4.5 +/- Acres of Blueberries | $636,000 - $710,000T 604 793 8138 | bryanvanhoepen.com | 23.85 Acres | $2,470,0002689 Sutherland Road Agassiz, BC 92.95 Acre Blueberry Farm | $3,900,0004323 Humphrey Rd Agassiz, BCSOLD
10 | MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCView over 100 listings of farm properties at www.bcfarmandranch.comBC FARM & RANCH REALTY CORP.Buying or Selling a Farm or Acreage?GORD HOUWELING Cell: 604/793-8660GREG WALTON Cell: 604/864-1610Toll free 1-888-852-AGRI Call BC’s First and Only Real Estate Office committed 100% to Agriculture!PROFESSIONAL SERVICESProvincial funding for UFV labHorticulture in March. The federally funded position will support a five-year research program Erland will lead into the climate impacts on berry production systems and their resilience. The work will benefit from the new purpose-built lab. “Up to this point, I have been doing research in temporary lab space, shared with teaching, with the BERRi lab being my research group,” she says. “This will let us do a lot of the work we have been limited in doing; either sending things out for analysis or just not possible.” The lab will also facilitate many of the research projects Erland already has on the go to support berry growers, with notable cranberry and blueberry projects gaining growers’ attention. “This research will enable us to answer questions like, which varieties perform well under climate change? Which suffer? Why? And can we mitigate these effects?” Erland says. “Maybe we find Expert farm taxation adviceApproved consultants for Government funding throughBC Farm Business Advisory Services ProgramEnderby 250-838-7337Armstrong 250-546-8665 |t1VSDIBTFBOETBMFPGGBSNTt5SBOTGFSPGGBSNTUPDIJMESFOt(PWFSONFOUTVCTJEZQSPHSBNTt1SFQBSBUJPOPGGBSNUBYSFUVSOTt6TFPG$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 BCways to better protect plants at a certain time of year to mitigate those effects.” — Ronda Payne BC Tree sells packinghouse site BC Tree Fruits has sold the 87-acre property in Kelowna where it intended to build a state-of-the-art packing house. “After the decision to move to Oliver, the fate of the property was a done deal,” says Amarjit Singh Lalli, a co-op member and orchardist in Kelowna. “We have incurred so much debt that this property had to be sold.” BC Tree Fruits bought the property at 3330 Old Vernon Road for $6.5 million for in May 2019 as part of its “One Roof” plan that envisioned the consolidation of the co-op’s North Okanagan packing facilities at the site, together with office space, cider operations and a destination cidery. But it abruptly changed tack in August 2022, backing off the Kelowna site in favour of its existing plant in Oliver, where there was room to expand. The property saw strong interest and sold March 19 to a local cherry grower for $9.85 million, or $250,000 above the asking price of $9.6 million. — Peter Mitham, with files Tom Walker The Berry Environmental Resilience Research and Innovation (BERRi) lab at the University of the Fraser Valley, Chilliwack, is set for renewal after receiving more than $1.2 million this spring. The province announced an award of $617,125 from the BC Knowledge Development Fund on April 4 to match a grant from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund in March. Together, the two provide $1,234,250 to renovate and equip the 980-square-foot lab with the technology to examine plants and berries down to the molecular level. UFV berry horticulture research director Lauren Erland leads the BERRi lab and was appointed Canada Research Chair in Berry Ag Briefs PETER MITHAMRe: “Farmers institutes need to embrace change,” April 2024 I take oence to the message implied in Vanessa Farnsworth’s article. Besides the one individual who was quoted in the article, how many of the other almost 50 farmers institutes in BC did she visit, and other members did she speak to? This minuscule representation of farmers institutes from the Organic BC panel cannot represent the wide diversity of our organizations throughout the province. At the Coombs Farmers Institute, we are constantly looking at and oering insight into farming and agricultural changes. We embrace change, if it can logically be seen for the good of all. We do nd our membership to be aging but the demographic is quite diverse and is currently about 60% female. We are made up of beef, dairy, goat, sheep, hog, poultry bees/honey, fruit, vegetable and ower growers. At our meetings, we introduce and welcome new members and give them an opportunity to share (if they like) what their operations and goals are all about. We communicate online to all members and provide as much information as we can regarding upcoming agricultural events, education opportunities and government programs. We have also oered our support to members who have faced red tape bog-down and have been instrumental in getting bylaws and even legislation changed and upgraded. We are not unique, as I have visited with the next farmers institute in the region adjacent to our own (Nanaimo-Cedar) and nd they function much the same and see diversity in their membership as well. The newest established farmers institute, South Island, has a very wide diversity of individuals that includes producers and operations of every size. We admire their “Sustainer Series Program” which honours both younger and experienced producers, by providing opportunity for older farmers to mentor the younger farmers. So, Ms. Farnsworth, you have painted all the farmers institutes in the province with the same brush, and I don’t believe you have put any research into this topic at all. Bruce Bickle, president Coombs Farmers Institute Letters Speaker, story hits a nerveYOURHelping YouHelping YouSignSign up today forfor freeupy eeWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATES
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 11ABBOTSFORD 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%PETER MITHAM SURREY – The BC Vegetable Marketing Commission is looking beyond past troubles to a bright future as it starts to rebuild its financial resources and eyes expanded membership. “We are getting our house in order,” commission chair Derek Sturko said in his summary comments at the end of the meeting. “We are very serious about implementing the agency accountability framework, having strong compliance. … The way we’re doing our finances is being adjusted to reflect the need to support those activities.” The commission focused on agency accountability last year, a move that came on the heels of a supervisory review by the BC Farm Industry Review Board and legal challenges that highlighted the need for greater transparency. “We’re making an effort to get out more to meet the industry and also understand if there’s any concerns and convey the message and the value of the commission to the industry,” Solymosi said. The efforts mean greater expenses in the year ahead. Travel and meeting expenses are expected to increase, with overall costs associated with regulatory efforts to increase by $80,000 as the new accountability framework is implemented. The commission is budgeting $100,000 for legal fees, in anticipation of ongoing costs associated with appeals. The commission is also making much-needed investments in technology which will also boost expenses, shifting it from Excel-based record-keeping to more robust systems. “We need to make sure we have the systems in place and that we can continue to do our job if our systems crash,” Solymosi said. But there was also good news on the heels of a 2023 financial report that indicated total assets held by the commission had increased to $1.5 million, thanks largely to a $600,000 increase in restricted assets, primarily funds held in trust for industry research. Marketing levies The commission’s cash flow last year was assisted by an increase in marketing levies, which added $239,000 to revenues. While expenses also increased, especially legal fees related to its recent supervisory review and appeals processes at the BC Farm Industry Review Board, as well as salaries, Langley accounting firm Aterna Advisors Inc. reported that the commission effectively broke even from a cash standpoint. This sets the stage for an increase in reserves this year, providing the commission realizes the $93,000 surplus projected in its 2024 budget. “This is mostly due to increased licence fees for agencies,” Solymosi explained. “BCVMC reserves will begin to build up. … After six years of being depleted, we need to do that.” The ultimate aim is to start returning levies to producers. “That is key,” Solymosi said. “Once we do have our reserve funds built to the level that we need, we will look at returning any excess funds to producers.” This year’s expansion of BC Veg’s mandate to the whole province rather than just the region below the 53rd parallel is increasing the number of producers served by and benefitting from the commission’s work to ensure orderly marketing for BC vegetables. While the commission held steady at 10 marketing agencies this year, the number of licenced greenhouse producers increased by two to 52 and wholesalers increased by three to 38. The gains offset the loss of one storage crop producer and one producer shipper (who opted to sell through an agency). “Most of production is in District 1 [the Lower Mainland], but we do see a trend where there is more acreage being planted in District 3 [the Mainland south of the 53rd parallel] with cheaper land prices there,” Solymosi added, noting there has also been an expansion of acreage on Vancouver Island. The broader mandate will bring increased compliance and enforcement activities in the year ahead. Statistics presented by analyst Deborah Oyebanji noted that storage crops, primarily potatoes, increased to their highest level since 2017 on the back of a large crop totalling $104 million. Greenhouse sales rose to $396 million thanks to strong growth in prices for tomatoes on the vine. Commission elections saw Hugh Reynolds and Ken Sandhu chosen to represent storage crops and greenhouses, respectively, for three-year terms beginning May 1. Natalie Veles was also reappointed as an independent commissioner. BC Veg finds its footing to a bright futureCommission getting its house in order after six tumultuous yearscountrylifeinbc.comThe agricultural news source in BC since 1915.
12 | MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCPLUS CLEAROUT PRICING ONSELECT MY22 & MY23COMPACT UTILITY TRACTORS*0% O.A.C., $1500 implement credit with purchase of a new compact utility tractor. Talk to your PrairieCoast equipment sales representative for all pricing and sale details today.VISIT US ONLINE ATWWW.PCE.CAOR SCAN THE QRCODE TO SEE ALLOUR SPECIALS:Nanaimo | Chilliwack | Langley | Kamloops | Kelowna | Prince GeorgeON SELECT COMPACT UTILITY TRACTORS 0% FOR UP TO84 MONTHS LIMITED TIME OFFEREXTRA $1500 IMPLEMENT CREDITfor new Compact Utility Tractors1.877.553.3373Limited Time OfferRONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – It’s news no one wants to hear. A new strain of Eastern Filbert Blight, responsible for the near-complete destruction of BC’s hazelnut industry following its introduction to the province in 2005, has reared its head in Oregon. “We have collected spores from this [rst diagnosed] orchard and are inoculating trees,” says by Nik Wiman, associate professor with Oregon State University (OSU), at a talk at the Lower Mainland Horticulture Conference in January. “After one season, we were able to see a new strain of EFB.” More concerning is that newer tree varieties, resistant to the strain responsible for causing destruction in BC, are showing more signs of the new EFB infection than those that are not considered resistant. Many BC orchards are planted with the same varieties (Wepster, McDonald, Yamhill) as the infected Oregon orchards. “It was originally found on Jeerson but since then we’ve been doing some surveying and we’re nding it on a lot of the new varieties,” Wiman says. “We have several orchards [infected] now.” First discovered in an orchard near Woodburn, Oregon, surveys indicate the new strain of EFB has spread. The search from the rst orchard progressed downwind, where spores were suspected to be blowing, and found multiple orchards with the new EFB strain. “This is hugely concerning,” Wiman says. “It’s a very fast-moving situation. Unfortunately, we’re going to have to go back to spraying. Hopefully this is not coming your way [to BC], but we’re really concerned right now.” Part of the problem may be ornamental varieties like twisted hazel are attractive to consumers unaware of the virus and its ability to spread. He saw some ornamentals at a garden centre with visible EFB cankers. “People don’t know, then wonder why their tree is dead in two years,” he says, adding these consumers don’t understand the harm their decorative tree can cause. It isn’t just a case that signs of infection may not appear until 12 to 18 months after purchase; people simply don’t know the signs. Breeders at Oregon State University have been working to develop trees resistant to the many strains of EFB that have been identied in the Eastern US. “We’ve always known the eastern strain could be a problem,” he says. “We already knew that our resistance was not holding up in that environment of New Jersey.” However, it’s unknown whether the EFB strain that came to the Pacic Northwest in the 1960s and later infected BC trees has mutated on its own or whether the new strain migrated from the Midwest or East Coast. Varieties available in BC lack resistance to the new EFB strain. In 2019, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency considered allowing imports of hazelnut trees given the development of EFB-resistant varieties. However, feedback received during the consultation process prompted CFIA to shelve the idea, although it told Country Life in BC it may revisit the proposal in the future. Currently, only plants raised from tissue culture are permitted entry. Optimistic about market growth In spite of risks, Don Hooge, co-owner of hazelnut processor Fraser Valley Hazelnuts in Chilliwack, is optimistic about the future of the industry. Delivering a market outlook at the conference, he stated that yields are increasing now that BC’s new EFB-resistant orchards are entering full production. “It’s up 35% to 40% over last year,” he says. However, the 211,000 pounds of nuts Fraser Valley Hazelnuts received last year is a far cry from the million-plus pounds seen between 2006 and 2010. The company is banking on the new strain of EFB not hitting BC the way the previous strain did. It is making big investments in infrastructure. “We’ve got a new cracker that we’re going to be installing,” says Hooge. “We’ve got a new sheller; we need a new rocker. There’s a lot happening. We’ve got lots of capacity. We’re probably going to do some expanding as production [within the industry] increases.” A bright spot Hooge notes is that everyone who has purchased nuts from Fraser Valley Hazelnuts has reordered, so he feels the biggest challenge is simply getting the word out. They have been connecting with bigger retailers to garner interest in locally produced hazelnuts. Eastern Filbert Blight threatens to resurfaceBC hazelnut growers given heads-up on a looming plague
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 13Delta farmers welcome irrigation study Second intake station needed as streamflows declineEinbock 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.comFOR BAGGED or BULK ORDERSDarren Jansen Owner604.794.3701organicfeeds@gmail.comwww.canadianorganicfeeds.comCertified by Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd.KATE AYERS DELTA – With water supplies more unpredictable due to shifting precipitation patterns and lower streamows, Delta farmers hope a new irrigation study will support calls for a new long-term source of irrigation water. “Irrigation is so important. … If we didn't have water, I don't think we would be here anymore; we would have left already,” says Clarence DeBoer, a dairy and cranberry farmer in East Ladner. “It applies to the vegetable guys as well. They wouldn't be doing this either.” DeBoer’s Eagle View Farms Ltd. raises most of its own forage on deeded land, the only farm in the community with pivots. The system is essential to yield forage in a growing season compressed by pressure from grazing waterfowl early in the season. “Every growing day is important,” he says. “We can irrigate the whole farm within about three or four days if we need to. But every day is crucial. When you lose [an entire crop] in the springtime, then you need to make up for it in the rest of the year.” Fortunately, the City of Delta recently received a $135,000 grant through the Food Security Emergency Planning and Preparedness Program to study a second irrigation intake location. Local farmers have been pushing for this work since January 2009 when construction of the South Fraser Perimeter Road began. “When the South Fraser Perimeter Road was built, we originally got … [the Tasker Pump Station] as part of a settlement to oset the loss of agriculture,” DeBoer says. “When we put that system in, we actually fought for that second intake somewhere along the Alex Fraser Bridge.” Government being government, DeBoer says, they never delivered on the second station. Today, the Fraser River freshet is occurring earlier in the year, snowpacks are melting faster and sea levels are rising, so the notorious salt wedge – a layer of saline water that heads upriver at high tide beneath the layer of freshwater coming downstream – is reaching the Tasker pump station. “I think it’s a great step forward,” says producer and Delta Farmers Institute president Jack Bates. “With climate change, we are really worried about the salt wedge in the river. There isn’t enough water coming down and the salt pushes up. Even last summer there were times when our irrigation, where the intake is, they couldn’t have it running because there wasn’t enough good water there.” DeBoer says several more irrigation intakes are located downstream from Tasker, but they are no longer viable for agricultural use past mid-July due to high salinity levels in the water. Another potential threat to freshwater availability is the eight-lane tunnel proposed to replace the existing George Massey tunnel. The existing tunnel serves as a kind of sandbar in the river, DeBoer explains, holding back freshwater and obstructing the salt wedge. The new crossing is an “immersed tube tunnel” whose eect on the salt wedge is unknown. DeBoer hopes Delta’s study will consider the eect of the new tunnel on streamows. The development of land near Burns Bog is another threat. DeBoer says an intake would need to be installed near the Alex Fraser bridge before the proposed industrial development advances to ensure local producers have access to water at that location. The several variables in play add to the urgency of a second irrigation intake for farmers. “It allows us the opportunity to maybe get fresh water longer and later in the season,” DeBoer says. “And you know, if one intake goes down, you got another one bringing water. But in this day and age, with all the things that are taking place in agriculture, we feel that second intake is more important than ever to make things viable here.” Delta plans to hire a consultant this summer with the study wrapping up in 2025. “It’s well needed and even if it doesn’t happen for a few years, at least we have the groundwork to move forward when the time comes,” Bates says. Amidst cherry trees, Molly Thurston of Pearl Agricultural Consulting hosted a BC Decision Aid System eld day on April 17 at the Gurjit Pabla Farm in Lake Country. Thurston and Pabla are both Lake Country Farmers Institute directors. The institute is promoting several events to encourage producers to connect. Topics included proper personal protective equipment during spraying, potential and active pests and diseases in fruit trees, as well as treatment products. MYRNA STARK LEADERTree talk
14 | MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCFarming has always been hard, but lately it lot harder.AgLife Connector training can help you recognize and supportfarmers in your community who are struggling.AgLife Connector training is mental health awarenessagricultural community. It is provided at no cost.Learn more and sign up at AgLife.caPETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – Celebration was the order of the day as the province’s association for farm and ranch health and safety held its annual general meeting on April 10. “AgSafe made signicant strides in many areas over the past year, earning recognition for work in various areas,” Wendy Bennett, executive director of AgSafe BC told nearly four dozen attendees participating online. Bennett noted the association’s receipt last spring of a Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Award for its innovative programming as well as the induction of long-time superintendent of eld operations Reg Steward into the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame. AgSafe safety advisor Emily Kerr was also recognized for being named a Canadian Occupational Safety young achiever. There were also several milestones on the outreach side. “AgSafe cemented working relationships with organizations and individuals on issues such as mental health, emergency preparedness response and recovery, and temporary foreign worker resources,” Bennett reported. AgSafe Cares Charitable Foundation was established to support those facing stress or crisis. The venture provides mental health support as well as disaster relief to farm workers and their families. AgSafe worked with the BC Dairy Association to understand and address the risks silage combustion pose, and also continued to collaborate with the Western Agricultural Labour Initiative to provide safety plans and other support to foreign workers. An app is under development that will help the group understand safety requirements in BC, and how they can ensure their own on-job safety. On-farm safety is improving, according to the most recent data from WorkSafe BC. The sector’s injury rate fell versus 2020 and 2021 in 2022, the last year for which statistics are available. “The serious injury rate came down in 2021 to the lowest it’s been in ve years, and continued to hover around the same in 2022,” Bennett said. The overall injury rate for 2022 was 2.59 per hundred workers, and within these, the serious injury rate was just 0.5 per hundred workers. Bennett said the decline in injuries reects the eectiveness of safety programs undertaken around the province with AgSafe’s support, a fact underscored by the number of orders WorkSafe BC issued falling to 1,473 in 2022. “This would indicate that farmers are doing a better job of meeting the requirements for occupational health and safety,” Bennett said. “We hope to see those numbers continue to move in the right direction.” On a less positive note, the number of warnings and nes WorkSafe BC issued to farm employers increased to their highest level since 2019. AgSafe elected Lisa Craig, Campbell Woike and Hugo Velazquez for three-year terms and Tadhg O’Leary and Paula Baxter for two-year terms. Departing directors Krista Harris and Jennifer Ross were thanked for their years of service. “Their knowledge and expertise will truly be missed,” Bennett said. AgSafe chair David Nguyen, director of health and safety, environmental at mushroom grower South Mill Champs, was unable to attend the meeting due to a serious incident involving emergency services. However, Bennett delivered his comments to the meeting. “AgSafe has grown from being ‘the safety guy’ to a trusted resource for so many health and safety topics and situations,” Nguyen said, expressing condence in the future. “You will continue to see AgSafe grow in its eorts to better support all of agriculture in health, safety and emergency preparedness in an eort to see agriculture in BC free from workplace injury, illness and death.” AgSafe BC celebrates accomplishmentsFewer injuries, collaborative relationships keyForeign worker numbers riseBC farms welcomed 10,970 temporary foreign workers last year, according to preliminary data released April 18 by the federal government. This was up 5% from 10,487 workers the previous year, and 17% above the 9,363 workers welcomed to the province in 2019. The majority of employers were horticulture operations, led by greenhouse, nursery and oriculture businesses at 4,620 employees, orchards at 4,149 and vegetable growers at 1,036. Ranches were the largest employers in the livestock sector, with 368 temporary foreign workers. Statistics Canada also broke out employment by farm size. The country’s largest farms – those with more than $2 million in annual revenue – made the most use of foreign workers, with 73% of the total working on these operations. However, even the country’s smallest farms – those with less than $100,000 in farmgate sales – were also signicant employers, with nearly 5% of the national total. The statistics include all classes of foreign workers, both participants in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program as well as the ag stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. — Peter Mitham
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 15Volunteers remain the backbone of successful fairsBC Fairs conference focuses on volunteer recruitment, governanceBC Fairs president Tom Harter, left, shares a laugh as he expresses appreciation to Tim Carson, CEO of the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies, for his governance workshop. TOM WALKER<H;;FJEFkcfeh(+&&:_iYekdjedI[b[Yj?hh_]Wj_edH[[bi><KI<<CK?@JJGI@E>>*0'&*''$efZfdglk\i**#0-->*0'&*,'$efZfdglk\i*,#(,'>*0'&*/'$efZfdglk\i*0#)+0H[[biWh[Yecfb[j[m_j^ifh_dab[hWdZ_db[j^ei[$nXk\ik\ZeX%ZfdCXe^c\p -'+$//)$.+',:_`cc`nXZb../$)0/$)+''N`cc`XdjCXb\),'$*0/$..,.FREE freight to ranch or farm site while supplies lastNXk\iK\ZTOM WALKER PENTICTON – Some 40 delegates from across the province attended the BC Association of Agricultural Fairs and Exhibitions (BC Fairs) Learning Exchange in Penticton, April 14-16. “We changed the title from ‘conference’ to ‘learning exchange’ a couple of years ago because that is really the focus of our event,” says BC Fairs executive director Janine Saw. The presence of younger delegates is something that has changed over the past ve years. “Going back 10 years, most of the people at this event were retired, but that is no longer the case,” says BC Fairs board president Tom Harter. “I believe it is because younger people see fairs as an important family event and want to see them continue in their communities.” Volunteers are the backbone of an agricultural fair. They always seem to be in short supply, but they always seem to come through and the event goes on as planned. “We have about 450 volunteers at the Interior Provincial Exhibition,” says Harter, a director on the IPE board. “We could always use more and that would lighten the load, but we have never been in a position where we had to cancel the event.” A session on volunteers discussed recruitment strategies such as media ads, posters in the community and information sessions with pizza. “We always put out an extra call about 10 days before the event,” says Stephen Kass, treasurer of the Vancouver Island Exhibition in Nanaimo. Volunteers are always recognized for their contribution, he adds. Besides a free fair pass, volunteers are usually fed (often with tickets to on-site vendors), given a t-shirt and a follow-up thank you. The management structure of fairs is as diverse as the communities that support them. The Agassiz Fall Fair and Corn Festival is entirely volunteer-run. “We have no paid sta,” says Victoria Brookes, who has been volunteering at the fair for 52 years and is currently the president of the event. The Cowichan Exhibition falls within the job description of Cowichan Exhibition Park executive director Shari Paterson, whose full-time job entails managing the building and grounds, including pickleball courts and wedding venues as well as additional events such as the Islands Agriculture Show. Regardless, as a non-prot society, a volunteer board of directors runs each fair. Boards evolve and change over time, and running a board requires a set of procedures on how the board is to govern. Tim Carson, CEO of the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies, gave a governance workshop that was well attended. “A board of directors operates at the 50,000-foot level,” Carson says. “They deal with the ‘what’ and sta and committees deal with the ‘how’ of putting on the event.” Boards have a set of bylaws that are the basic rules of the organization. Boards also have a set of policies that describe what the organization will be doing and they have procedures that contain the details to take policies into action. All three of these can be modied or changed with agreement, and should be written down together with the board’s strategic plan, the vision, mission, mandate and values. And they should be reviewed regularly. “This written information serves to orient new board members and also as a reminder to the current board as to how things are done,” says Carson. Carson covered common governance issues, including lack of clarity around roles and a lack of strategic focus. He also addressed communication ow, transparency issues and group dynamics. “One thing I must stress is that the board speaks as one voice,” Carson says. “All board members must publicly support a decision of the board even if there was not unanimous support.” Successful society governance is a complex and detailed topic, Carson acknowledges; indeed, his presentation was three hours long. To help build governance capacity, the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies has developed a governance game that will help orient new board members and serve as a review for current members. “It’s generic, so it can apply to any type of board,” Carson says. The game is available through BC Fairs for a fee. 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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 17Winemaker and viticulturist Severine Pinte has been recognized with the Wine Growers BC Leadership Excellence award. SUBMITTEDTree Fruit Growers: Join or Renew your 2024 BCFGA MembershipAt the BCFGA, our mission is to· Advocate for the interest of growers· Foster collaboration within the industry· Promote sustainable practices to ensure the continued success of fruit farming in BC Together, our collective voice is strong.1. LMIA Application Assistance2. Valuable Information: via weekly newsletters, Ag publication subscriptions, Tree Fruit Production Guide, seasonal farm labour information, extension advice, spray schedules, and more.3. Member Support: • Monetary incentives for programs like EFP completion ($250) and COR/ Worker Safety ($250-$500). • Discounts & Partnerships like the TFW Housing Building Permit application discount, and Crop Tracker digitized Spray Records & GAP modules (free for members)Representing Growers Since 1889.1.800.619.9022 info@bcfga.com www.bcfga.com 880 Vaughan Avenue, Kelowna, BCMEMBERSHIPMEMBER INCENTIVESeasy scanQR linkKATE AYERS OLIVER – Since 2013, the Wine Growers BC Leadership Excellence Award has recognized those whose work in the elds of media, research, policy, regulation, education or advocacy have advanced the sector. This year, as the BC wine industry faces an existential threat from successive years of weather disasters, Severine Pinte, winemaker, viticulturist and managing partner of Enotecca Wineries and Resorts, was awarded for her dedication to steering the industry through its challenges. “She's an absolute force in the BC wine industry and she is so well loved and regarded by everybody here and always lends her time and expertise to various boards and committees,” says Wine Growers BC acting communications director Lindsay Kelm, who chaired the awards committee. “She just always goes above and beyond to support everybody in the industry.” Pinte’s career began in Southern France, where she graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Montpellier. There, she attained a Master’s degree in viticulture and oenology and a National Diploma of Oenology. She then apprenticed and worked in France, Canada and Australia. In 2010, Pinte and her family moved to the Okanagan where she began working at La Stella winery in Osoyoos and Le Vieux Pin in Oliver. Pinte was drawn to BC by a desire to be part of a growing and dynamic wine industry. “I like its dynamism and it's still very new, so there's still lots to build, and the climate is very challenging,” Pinte says. “The grapes, the terroir, the soil, they’re excellent. It's very unique. It's a very micro-region in the whole world of wine and it has so much potential. That is very motivating.” With experience leading sustainability projects in France, Pinte brought an eye and drive for moving the needle on reducing the environmental footprints of wineries. Celebrated leader a force in BC wine sectorSeverine Pinte reflects on past, looks forward in BC’s wine sectorSustainability uGreenhouse 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.com
18 | MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Sustainability, adaptation are priorities for award-winning viticulturist“One of my dreams was to eventually get certification here and so when I came in, I joined the Sustainable Winegrowing BC program. And then I was part of the launch of the certification,” Pinte says, who now chairs the organization. La Stella and Le Vieux Pin were certified sustainable in July 2021, and currently participate in a living lab experiment to find the optimal cover crops for the South Okanagan. “The idea is to increase the soil health and so if the soil is healthy, the plant will be healthier and then the grapes will be more balanced and eventually we will probably be able to decrease our sprays because the plant will be resistant to more disease and fungus,” Pinte says. The vineyard team also monitors irrigation and records plant response to optimize and ultimately limit water use. In addition, Pinte inspires, motivates and supports women working in the wine sector. Mentor The opportunity to work with Pinte is initially what piqued Ruth King’s interest in applying for her current role of program manager with Sustainable Winegrowing BC. “Between her legendary winemaking, viticulture practice and her position as chair of the Sustainable Winegrowing BC committee, her name has become synonymous with sustainable BC wine. Our motto is ‘inspired people growing outstanding wine’ and this is Sev all the way,” King says. “Sev is like the Lorax of Dr. Seuss's story; she speaks for the small producers and the real producers of premium wines in our province, the growers.” King notes that Pinte is also a successful, hands-on businesswoman who spends a significant amount of time in the vineyard and winery sorting grapes, managing the press, tasting product, writing grants and organizing the team and work for the next day. “Sixty per cent of my job is planning and organization and then I do a lot of work on the sustainability program that we have now implemented at the two wineries and vineyards,” Pinte says. “And lots of updating and lots of research [about] what's coming up. There's a lot of research around creating a carbon calculator for the wine industry, so [I’m] trying to participate in that.” Pinte’s dedication to sustainability and hard work in the sector resulted in a previous award in spring 2023 when she was knighted to France’s 140-year-old Order of Agricultural Merit by the France’s consul general in Vancouver. Increased collaboration Over her 14 years in BC’s wine sector, Pinte has seen increased collaboration take shape. Indeed, it’s been essential to her own success. “It's not just because of me that I received this award,” she says. “It is because I am working within the wine industry with people; the collaboration piece and the teamwork is very important.” This cooperation has translated into broader awareness of what’s needed to elevate the sector overall. “A lot more people are more and more in tune with the dirt, with the terroir and a lot more growers and winemakers are taking care of the land and then making sure that they are growing balanced grapes, not just seeing dollars on the vine,” Pinte says. “Because of that, we've seen a tremendous increase in the quality of the wine.” Looking ahead to this year’s growing season, patience and planning will be key, Pinte says. “Not every block will react in the same way. That's the lesson that we got from last year. So, I think it's just patience and wait and see,” she says. “We're trying to cut expenses … [and] save money ahead of time. There's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to manage the inventory.” Pinte isn’t a catastrophist when it comes to the industry’s weather woes. She says it’s still too early to tell if a replant will be needed this year, as no one has a crystal ball that can predict the outcome of January’s frost event. “Very challenging winters have forced the industry to look at our practices and I think we've identified that maybe there's some varietals that might not be planted in the right spot,” she says. “Sustainability is a big word, but I think there's a lot more people in the industry that are understanding the importance of being part of that movement and I think over the years we'll see a lot more people being certified and growing, living, working and managing in that way.” CohortWholesale.comTechnical and sales support provided byAlways read and follow label directions. Gatten® is a registered trademark of OAT Agrio Co., Ltd. Copyright ©2021 Nichino America, Inc. Worried aboutPowdery Mildew?Get Gatten!Gatten® fungicide Gatten®acts on multiple stages of powdery mildew development, delivering both preventative and post-infection control.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 19BAUMALIGHT.COMAdair Sales & Marketing Company Inc. 306-773-0996 | info@adairreps.comMFG OF MINI SKID STEERS AND A VARIETY OF ATTACHMENTS INCLUDINGTREE SPADES | TREE SAWS & SHEARS | BOOM MOWERS | PTO POWER PACKSBRUSH MULCHERS | ROTARY BRUSH CUTTERS | PTO GENERATORS | AUGER DRIVES | FLAIL MOWERSTREE PULLERS | FELLER BUNCHERS | EXCAVATOR ADAPTERS | SCREW SPLITTERS | TRENCHERS | STUMP GRINDERSTOM WALKER PENTICTON – An amendment to Pattison Food Group’s VQA wine store licences isn’t sitting well with BC grape growers. On March 26, Wine Growers BC allowed Pattison Food Group (PFG) – which operates 20 of the 21 existing licensee stores within its Save-On-Foods locations – to carry wines that aren’t made entirely from BC grapes, a fundamental requirement of wines to carry the VQA label. “BCGA represents, promotes, and advances the interests of grapegrowers in BC and aims to work toward stable, protable markets for BC grapes and wine,” says BCGA president Sue deCharmoy. “BCGA does not support the decision by WGBC to amend its agreement with the Pattison Food Group.” While imported wines may be sold in BC grocery stores, the agreement between WGBC and Pattison stipulates that only BC VQA wine will be sold in Save-On-Foods. The BC VQA designation is a legislated origin and quality standard for BC wines established in 1990 in response to the Canada-US free trade agreement. Developed to support the BC wine brand, the VQA designation recognizes wines that meet certain quality standards as assessed by a qualied panel of tasters. Only wines made in BC entirely with the juice of BC grapes are eligible for the designation. “The BC industry through Wine Growers BC owns and controls those licences and has an operating agreement with Save-On for them to use the licences to promote and sell BC VQA product only,” WGBC CEO Miles Prodan conrms. He describes the VQA program and Save-On-Foods as “crucial” to the success of the industry. Prodan says PFG requested an amendment to the current operating agreement to remove the 100% VQA restriction. “While still committed to 100% BC Wine, PFG have proposed opening the agreement to allow the listing of ‘value-priced’ non-100% BC wine to fulll lower price-tier demand and to maintain their declining wine customer base,” Prodan says. The request also anticipates reduced production following the freeze events of the past two winters, Prodan adds. PFG says changing customer preferences and buying habits, wholesale price increases and diminishing allocation have made its licences unprotable. Allowing wines bottled in BC from domestic and foreign wine would allow Save-On to oer cheaper options to consumers with better margins, but those wines could have minimal BC content. “BC wine cannot compete with lower-priced wine from the rest of the world as BC wine is based on the cost of wine production in BC from BC grapes,” notes deCharmoy. “The cost of production reects the cost of land which includes the limited suitable agricultural land and intersects with the desire of the population to live in areas suitable for farming soft fruits and grapes.” Rod King has operated King Family vineyard in Naramata for over 30 years and is disappointed that Pattison moved to put imported blends on its shelves without working with the industry rst. “I’m on the board of the BC Wine Information (VQA) store in Penticton and the manager there tells me there is a fair amount of VQA product in the $10-$15 price point,” King says. “If we boxed some of that product, it could give PFG a BC alternative.” Prodan says the concession to Save-On includes limits on the amount of shelf space devoted to non-VQA product as well as appropriate signage. The arrangement will be reviewed every six months. King says signage is vitally important to ensure consumers know what they’re browsing. “The cellared-in-BC wine absolutely must be labelled very clearly that it is made from imported grapes or juice, so the consumer clearly knows what they are buying,” King says. “And it should only be allowed for the next two production years.” BCGA is worried that the BC brand will suer if the practice persists. “The BC brand is extremely important. If cheap wine gets a foothold in the VQA stores, it could stay that way,” deCharmoy says. “Consumers are going into a VQA shop but I think only a small portion of them will look closely at the label. They may think they are supporting BC growers but they aren’t.” Cheap wine poses a threat to VQA labelGrapegrowers question allowing international blends in VQA stores“BC wine cannot compete with lower-priced wine from the rest of the world ...” SUE deCHARMOY BC Grapegrowers Association
20 | MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 21Beekeepers face a tough year with weather, pestsImported bees a risk, but CFIA is reviewing the rulesA shortage of blossoms in BC’s fruit growing regions is resulting in the cancellation of pollination contracts for many apiarists. MYRNA STARK LEADERwww.tubeline.ca 1.888.856.6613@TubelineMFGFind us on$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.TOM WALKER KAMLOOPS – Weather and potential impacts from the US bee industry were hot topics at the BC Honey Producers Association (BCHPA) semi-annual business meeting in Kamloops, March 22, which attracted 56 members in person and another 30 on-line. Weather is often a signicant issue for beekeepers, directly impacting colony survival. But this past January’s freeze event will also have an indirect eect, killing o a major source of revenue for Interior beekeepers as well as a source of spring forage for their bees. The freeze event January 11-13 promises a signicant reduction in cherry blossoms and few, if any, on peaches, apricots and plums. This nixes an important source of income for many beekeepers in the province. “We have seen a wholesale cancellation of fruit pollination contracts,” says Je Lee, a Creston-area beekeeper. “I know of one beekeeper who normally places 400 hives in orchards and all of those contracts have been cancelled by the fruit grower.” Lee doesn’t rely on pollination for income but acknowledges that fewer blossoms in the Creston Valley could mean less food for bees. “We will be okay as we have other sources of food, but it could reduce honey production for some,” he says. BCHPA, with support from the Canadian Honey Council, is working to quantify how much damage BC beekeepers will experience and whether or not they might be able to qualify for AgriRecovery funds. “There will be a direct loss of revenue and honey production may be lower in hives that have missed the food source,” says BCHPA president Heather Higo. “We have had excellent support from the AgriRecovery people so far.” On the pest front, US bees have been ngered as the source of small hive beetle, a pest that has not been seen in BC for over 20 years. The pest began appearing in the Abbotsford area last summer and American colonies placed close to the border are believed to be responsible. The potential for imported bees to further impact the industry worries BC beekeepers. There is much controversy around the health of bee colonies that are hired to pollinate blueberries. Some BC blueberry growers who are within ying distance of the US border have turned to American beekeepers to pollinate their crops when local bees are not available. US beekeepers place their hives right along the border and the bees will y across and pollinate the bushes. Small hive beetle is a federally reportable pest that has become established in Ontario, Quebec and New Small hive beetle uVAN DER WAL EQUIPMENT (1989) LTD. 23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6 604/463-3681 | vanderwaleq.com Sulky DX 20 precision spreader1.5 ton economical spreader Equally capable of spreader cover crops at low rates or fertilizer at high rates, at widths up to 60 ft.
22 | MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Small hive beetle is creeping its way up from across the borderBrunswick. It rst appeared in BC back in 2016, but did not become established. There were also sightings in 2018, according to provincial apiculturist Paul van Westendorp. “Given our warming summers, it may be here to stay,” he warns. “As an African pest, they like hot dry conditions.” Van Westendorp regards small hive beetle as a “minor pest” that should not signicantly aect strong healthy colonies, but given its federal status, any sightings must be reported to Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Mandatory inspections of infected apiaries are required as well as all within a 5 km radius. Neither bees nor equipment can be moved from infected operations until the apiary is given a two-week clean bill of health, van Westendorp explains. “We have hired three additional inspectors who will be conducting a full survey in the next few weeks, and we hope beekeepers will report any ndings,” he told the meeting. These restrictions will not only impact local operations this spring, but potentially Prairie beekeepers who have over-wintered their hives in the Lower Mainland and may not be able to bring them home. Many commercial beekeepers from the Prairie provinces import bee packages in the spring to replace colonies that have died over the winter rather than growing new colonies on their own. Currently Canadian beekeepers may bring in bee packages from Ukraine, Italy, Chile, Australia and New Zealand. However, importing packages from approved countries can be fraught with diculty and there is a signicant lobby to bring in packages from the US, a practice that has been banned since 1987. CFIA conducted an updated risk assessment in 2013 and concluded that “there is still a high probability of introducing diseases and pests into Canada due to importation of honey bees from the continental United States.” Africanized honey bees, antibiotic-resistant American foulbrood, small hive beetle and amitraz-resistant varroa mite were additional hazards the report linked to the importation of honey bees from the US. Partly in response to continued lobbying from Prairie operators, CFIA initiated a further review last August. Higo says BC producers will accept whatever the CFIA concludes. “With respect to border openings, your BCHPA has agreed to support the science-based risk assessment on US packages that is currently being carried out by the CFIA and not to have that decision be politically based,” she says. “We expect to get results on that later this spring.” Canadian Honey Council representative Je Lee explained that CFIA’s report will go out for consultation and discussion before a nal decision is rendered. “Even if the CFIA were to change the ruling and allow packaged bees in from the US, it is likely the earliest it could be would be next spring,” Lee says. Changes to transport regulations will aect beekeepers in a number of ways, most importantly the requirement of keeping a paper log when moving bees beyond a160 km radius of their operation. It’s a fairly complicated process, Lee says. “The commercial beekeeping committee will be putting together a circular that demysties this for all of us,” he says. “This is important because if you go through a weigh scale and you don’t have the required paperwork, you could be subject to a ne.” Van Westendorp took beekeepers to task for not participating in the province’s annual spring and fall surveys. “We only had a 20% participation in the 2023 spring survey and I could not even make a report at all in the fall as there were so few returns,” he says. “Beekeepers receive a lot of services from government that are not available to other commodities. It might become hard for you to justify those services if we don’t have the data to back them up.” Tech transfer program steadyThe BC Honey Producers Association’s Technology Transfer program has been up and running for just over two years. The initial two years of provincial funding is paying o, with the program working to support a healthy, productive and sustainable beekeeping industry with access to research, educational resources and suitable technology. Speaking at the BCHPA semi-annual business meeting in April, program lead Dr. Nuria Morn gave an update on the program’s work, which now relies on the nancial support of industry, business and non-prot funders as well as federal and provincial programs. The program’s success depends on collaboration with industry, university researchers and tech transfer teams in other provinces. “It has been great for the last two years to have all these people reach out and being able to participate in all these projects,” Morn says. The program has run 47 workshops in all regions of the province with an emphasis on Integrated Pest Management (IPM). It has administered 11 dierent projects, published numerous educational videos and will soon launch an on-line beginning beekeeping course. —Tom Walker
The cranberry research farm in Delta is providing growers with invaluable information about variety yields. FILE COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 23Across 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 capabilityRecommended Transportation Supplier forFarm & 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.ca))8:I<J@EJFLK?J?LJN8G@E:CL;<JC8B<=IFEK22 acres includes approx. 6 acres on Phillips Lake in peaceful Turtle Valley. Recently renovated 1624 sq.ft. Rancher (3 beds & 2 baths). Currently set up for horses. Tons of water, Olympic sized outdoor dressage ring, round pen area, tack room, hay storage, and a 15 acre hay field with water rights and irrigation system.8661 Skimikin Road, Chase BC | $1,374,000Call/Text Marshall 250-515-3454 | marshallmah18@gmail.comG8I8;@J<]fik_\_fij\cfm\i#_fYYp]Xid\i#fiÔj_\idXe%RONDA PAYNE DELTA – Vasanna, the cranberry variety Rutgers University released in 2020, continues to perform well in eld trials at the Delta-based cranberry research farm. “It’s our strongest performer at the research farm,” UFV associate professor Renee Prasad told the two-day Pacic Northwest cranberry congress on March 1. Vasanna is a slightly more elongated berry as opposed to the more traditional spherical berry. It was rst planted at the research farm in 2015, when it was still a numbered selection. While the variety tends to be biennial, yields exceed its competitors even in its o years. The average yield for all varieties at the research farm is over 300 barrels per acre, based on data collected from the farm’s ve elds since 2015. Vasanna yielded a whopping 500 barrels per acre in 2022, then fell back to 300 barrels an acre last year. “This shows this [biennial] thing of higher one year and lower one year, but Vasanna has never been below 300 barrels per acre,” Prasad says. The majority of cranberry varieties at the farm, both named varieties and numbered selections, come from the Rutgers program as well as Valley Corp. There are also some heritage varieties. “What we’re interested in, is looking at bud and bloom phenology, so for this work, we go in every two to three weeks starting in April,” Prasad says. “Harvest, of course, is the big task. Our varieties are hand-harvested.” The rst harvest of the year is usually between September 18 and 22. Total berries and berry weight are tracked as is the marketable berry count based on Ocean Spray standards. Ocean Spray’s lab looks at rmness and colour in sample amounts of each variety harvested. Because they are hand-harvested, all varieties come in above the fruit quality minimums. “2023 was a slightly reduced [yield] year compared to 2022, however it was one of our top three years coming in at an average of over 350 barrels per acre,” Prasad says. Variety BG was below 300 barrels per acre for 2023, but had been above 300 for the three years prior. Mullica Queen was also lower in 2023 than in 2022 and shows biennial highs and lows, though these are much less dramatic than those of Vasanna. “It’s been fairly consistently over 300 [barrels per acre] for most of the nine years,” Prasad says of Mullica Queen. Haines was down from 2022 but was over 300 barrels per acre in 2023 and Demoranville followed the same pattern. Like Vasanna, Demoranville shows a biennial pattern. Valley King and Crimson Queen both bucked the trend and had higher years in 2023 than in 2022. Valley King had its highest yielding year in the past nine at 400 barrels per acre. “For most of the varieties, the average yield over nine years is over 300 barrels per acre at the cranberry research farm,” Prasad says. “Your actual yield might be higher or lower, but what we like to emphasize is the relative performance.” BG is the only variety that hasn’t averaged over 300 barrels per acre over the nine years, coming in at 280 barrels per acre. Comparatively, Vasanna sits at 425 barrels per acre over the nine years. In 2023, the top three performing varieties were Welker, Valley King and Crimson Queen, all at over 400 barrels per acre. Crimson Queen is also another high performer over the last nine years, though not quite to the levels of Vasanna. Among the numbered varieties, 98-11 may be of interest for late harvest because of its slow colour development. While yields follow a biennial rhythm, it is hoped to be the next variety Rutgers releases. “For all the nine years, it’s Cranberry congress focuses on productionVasanna remains a standout at the BC research farmCranberries uYOURHelping YouWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATESYOURping Youpingpgpping YouiWSWSSign up for FREE today
24 | MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Cranberries© 2024 Vestaron Corporation. All Rights Reserved. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS. COHORTwholesale.comTechnical and sales support for Spear®Lep is provided by Cohort WholesaleNew peptide technology. SPEAR® LEP insecticide provides a new mode of action that effectively targets lepidopteran pests on vegetables and otherhigh-value field crops. Five years of field trials and more than 550 K+ applied com-mercial acres show SPEAR LEP delivers the efficacy of synthetics with the safety and sustainability of biologicals. With no known resistance or cross-resis tance, SPEAR LEP works as a stand alone or in rotation with conventional insecticides as a powerful new IPM tool for your operation. • New MOA - IRAC group 32• 0-Day PHI• 4-Hour REI • MRL ExemptA revolution in crop protection®™over 300 barrels per acre,” Prasad says. There was quite a volume of high-yield selections planted in 2015. Prasad has narrowed these down to the top six. They are planted alongside a genetically true Stevens, BC’s former favourite, to compare performance. Variety 20-30 is showing consistently strong performance, yielding an average of more than 300 barrels per acre over the past four years. It’s also a slightly larger, heavier berry on average. “You can see that all six yield over 300 barrels per acre [averaged] over the four years,” Prasad said, showing a slide of yields. A look at the phenology in 2023 is showing that some of the high-yielding numbered varieties like 20-30 are moving into stages of development slightly quicker than Mullica Queen and Haines. “At least based on one year of data,” she says. “You might have to apply fungicides earlier or consider having your fruit worm spray go on earlier because they enter phenology dierently. That would be an important consideration if we were to move forward with these varieties.” Cranberry organizations staying strong looking to the future The British Columbia Cranberry Marketing Commission held its annual general meeting on February 28 followed by the BC Cranberry Growers Association on March 5. Both organizations commented on the favourable growing season for cranberries, with above-average yields and an outstanding 1.3 million barrels of production. While it’s great news for growers, BCCGA chair Lynn Kemper says climate change and extreme weather incidents continue to challenge growers and the organization received IAF and provincial funds for cost-shared replant funding for the BC Cranberry Sector Development and Sustainability Project. Revenues for BCCGA in 2023 were higher than in 2022, thanks to an increase in membership dues and research funding, but these were taken up by research expenditures and funds to the Canadian Cranberry Growers Coalition; neither of which were expense items in 2022. This resulted in a net loss for the year. Grant Keefer and Joe Rodwell were acclaimed to the board of BCCGA to renew their terms. The BCCMC reduced its levy for the 2023 season to US$0.05 a barrel. “Over the years, aligning our levy with the US has enabled us to amass signicant reserves,” says BCCMC chair Stephanie Nelson. “Considering the dissolution of the US Cranberry Commission, we can maintain our programs and services with these reserves while signicantly reducing the BC levy.” Despite the levy reduction, revenues were on par with 2022 and resulted in a net gain. BCCMC said goodbye to long-time accountant Agatha Clu, who retired. BCCMC acting executive director Jack Wessel thanked her for 18 years of service. “You’ve been very good to us,” he says. Two director positions were available to be lled but just one valid nomination was received and Je Hamilton of Iron River Farms was acclaimed to ll it. —Ronda Payne
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 25Mobile slaughter trailers rolled outSeven new trailers planned with assistance of provincial fundingBrodey Bolen of Bolen Livestock in the Kootenays explains the functionality of a mobile slaughter trailer to producers attending the SSMPA “Meat-Up” in Armstrong earlier this year. CATHY GLOVERemail: 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.Employers are responsible for the safety of their workers. Educate new and young workers to identify hazards and minimize risks.KELLY SINOSKI WILLIAMS LAKE – The Cariboo region could be next in line for a mobile slaughter trailer that would not only ease the stress and cost for producers having to travel hours to the nearest abattoir but provide help in climate emergencies such as wildre and ood evacuations. The Small-Scale Meat Producers’ Association (SSMPA) hopes to deploy up to seven mobile slaughter units across the province, including the Cariboo, after receiving $1.3 million in funding from the BC Food Security and Emergency Planning and Preparedness Program. “We already have three slaughter trailers, but this is a bit of a dierent model: not only would it be deployed to deal with the pressing need for kill and cut and wrap but it would be deployed in an emergency,” says SSMPA executive director Julia Smith. SSMPA is currently working on a framework for the project and will seek applications from communities and operators in regions identied with climate vulnerabilities, which she says “seems to be anywhere in BC right now.” The idea is to lease the mobile slaughter trailers to local butchers with cut-and-wrap facilities. The butcher will not only use them for on-farm kills but in the event of emergencies such as wildres, oods or a disease outbreak. If a rancher is told to evacuate but has animals that need to be processed, the butcher can go directly to the farm to kill the animal before taking the carcass back to the shop to cut and wrap. “In addition to a day-to-day increase in accessing slaughter services in the community, we’re also able to bring resilience and a situation where people can get their meat processed in an emergency,” Smith says. SSMPA provided a demo of its existing slaughter trailers in the Peace and Kootenay regions during the Cariboo Meat-Up event in Williams Lake, March 23, co-hosted by SSMPA and the Central Cariboo Community Food Hub. The theme “strengthening local food systems and climate resilience” attracted 85 people. Food hub coordinator Robin Hunt, owner of Big Rock Ranch in 100 Mile House, says the region has a signicant need for slaughterhouses and cut-and-wrap facilities. She stopped raising pigs in 2019 and chickens in 2021 because of limited capacity at local abattoirs. When Findlay Meats closed in 2020, Hunt was travelling from 100 Mile House to Barriere – a 150-kilometre drive. Others have faced similar dilemmas, according to a 2021 SSMPA survey. People were quitting the business or producers were scaling back because of limited slaughter capacity as well as cut-and-wrap services. About 35% of all producers surveyed reported using unlicensed slaughter at one point or another for meat destined for market. “A lot of people were going under or out of business because of the lack of abattoirs,” Hunt says. The situation changed after the province changed the meat licensing regime in 2021 to allow on-farm slaughter of up to 25 animal units (25,000 pounds) and o-farm sales anywhere in the province. The changes also allow an entry-level licence that permits slaughter of up to ve animal units (5,000 pounds) and sales within 50 km of the licensee as well as within the licensee’s regional district. Hunt says she would have kept her business going if the changes had happened earlier. “A lot of challenges people face is having capacity for people to do it,” Hunt says. “A cut-and-wrap facility is something we really lack, and it would be great to see more of those in our region. I think a lot of them are really tapped out.” Smith says the mobile slaughter trailers will dovetail nicely with existing abattoirs and cut-and-wrap facilities, operating primarily during the busy fall and winter seasons. “You can still send animals to the abattoirs; this will just get you through the busy season,” she says. Smith says she’s pleased the province is starting to see the value in mobile trailers, as her “inbox and phone is blowing up” with interested parties. SSMPA is in discussions with the Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek-Dog Creek), 58 kilometres northwest of Clinton, to get a local slaughterhouse or mobile facility on the BC Cattle Co. Ranch. ?Esdilagh First Nation Government is also doing a feasibility study on a meat-processing facility. “We’re really excited with opportunities to work with local First Nations on this,” Smith says. Other discussions at the Cariboo Meat-Up included climate adaptive resources and farm and food safety as well as safety overall coming into re season. Attendees were also able to trial electric utility farm bikes and watch an electric fencing demo.
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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 27Charlie Lasser spent 50 years ranching in Chetwynd after getting his start in Pitt Meadows. EVA-LENA LANGBCHA Secretary Janice Tapp 250-699-6466 BCHA President Kym Jim 403-358-8935 “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.comRONDA PAYNE CHETWYND – Mention the name Charlie Lasser within organic farming circles and stories about ingenuity and having a vision for the future will abound. The 92-year-old Chetwynd farmer and rancher passed away on December 9, 2023, but left an indelible mark in his wake on younger farmers and others in the industry. “As a young farmer, the challenges that we’re facing and getting started up and everything, he really inspired me with his dedication,” says Tristan Banwell of Spray Creek Ranch near Lillooet. “To be in his 90s and be dreaming and planning, we can only hope that’s where we’ll be at that age.” Banwell was fortunate to get to 5,200-acre Lasser Ranch to interview Lasser in spring 2023 for a virtual tour as part of the Organic BC eld day series (the video is available at [https://bit.ly/3w3aAiM]). The tour was meant to focus on Lasser’s seaweed feed program for his beef cattle, but Lasser drove Banwell around the property for hours, talking about numerous aspects of the operation. It’s something Banwell relishes to this day and will for years to come. “I’m so fortunate to have met him and seen his farm,” Banwell says. “Being there and driving around with him, it was a very special thing to experience.” While meeting Lasser was an experience, Lasser himself had a wealth of it. But that’s to be expected when someone has farmed their land for more than 50 years Chetwynd rancher leaves a lasting legacy Charlie Lasser remembered after a 70-year career in agricultureOrganic farming uYour MarketJust Got BiggerExport Navigator provides FREE localized export support for eligible businesses in B.C.Find an ExportAdvisor Todayexportnavigator.ca/昀nd-an-advisorProducer Check-o Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333
28 | MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Organic farming was conventional when Lasser started and is curious enough to keep improving. Lasser and his late wife Edith moved to Chetwynd in the mid-1970s after farming in Pitt Meadows for about 20 years, where Lasser had been a municipal councillor. Up north, he served as mayor of Chetwynd, was a board member for numerous organizations, a Lion’s Club member and at his death had more than 600 head of cattle and more than 1,650 acres, mostly in forage crops. Genuine is the word Pacific Agriculture Certification Society executive director Verna Wagner chooses to describe Lasser. He was treasurer of the society for a decade. “I was in communication with him quite a bit. That’s how we built our relationship,” she says. “I remember Charlie telling me that he was farming organic from basically the day he was born. He said he was organic before organic was a word.” That history gave Lasser a “bone of contention” with the word conventional, according to Wagner. “In his mind, organic should have actually been called conventional,” she says. “Organic was the means of farming since the beginning of time.” Lasser came from a long line of Swiss dairy farmers and was proud of both his lineage and the experiences he gained in his youth. Wagner also describes him as very wise, “not just because of his age,” and social. “He loved to laugh. He was a real storyteller,” she says. “He always had a kindness about him to be able to help people that needed help.” Helping others was Lasser’s way, and even into his late 80s he was making his way 1,000 kilometres or more south to attend Organic BC conferences, which is how Banwell met him and grew to appreciate his input and wisdom. Lasser would attend educational sessions and wait for the Q and A portion to share his own insights and questions on the various topics presented. Lasser’s constant desire to learn and try new things was apparent to Marcel Schulze, who got his start as Lasser’s ranch hand about 10 years ago. Schulze came to the farm not knowing much about beef ranching, but absorbed knowledge from Lasser and other sources. “We were very close. Out of work even, too,” Schulze says. “I was with him every day. I was over there making dinner for him. Just hanging out … talking about cows. Talking about what he wanted to do. It was a good, fun time.” Schulze says Lasser always had big ideas and wanted to try new things he’d come up with himself. Over the years, the two would discuss plans more often, determining the best way to approach things and assessing if an idea was worth trying out or not. Schulze credits Lasser for giving him confidence. “I’m glad that Charlie was bringing me into it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else,” he says. Lasser had a 20-year plan ahead of him when he died. He’d told many people, Banwell included, that when he was younger, he thought he’d work to 100, then retire and travel. Perhaps his purpose on the farm is what allowed him to live to be a nonagenarian. Perhaps it was that he continued trying to solve problems he came upon. “Okay, you go ahead, you got a problem. So, you look at it, you come up with an idea and it doesn’t work. That doesn’t mean it’s a loss,” Lasser said in his interview with Banwell. “That’s part of a success, ‘cause now you got one less thing to worry about. You know that won’t work, so you try the next one and by the time you try your third one, you’ve got an answer. Don’t get discouraged because it doesn’t work immediately.” Altruistic Wagner says Lasser’s contributions through organizations like PACS have been altruistic. “He’s done so much for the organic industry and PACS throughout the years,” she says. “He’s done it just to be a contributor without any expectations. Just totally heartfelt. He was a very selfless person. Just a pleasure to be around.” She noted how his innovations in seaweed were driven by an interest in reducing carbon emissions. He also tried to find ways to encourage cows to eat Canada thistle so they would include it in their grazing rather than ignore it. “He was old school. Everything was paper and fax machine,” she says. “But as far as cattle and ranching, he was very open-minded and creative.” PACS gave Lasser a plaque last year to recognize his contributions to the organization and its members. Lasser’s son Bob has taken over as ranch manager, and Schulze will continue on as ranch hand. They have already acquired some Gelbvieh bulls to begin increasing the size of their future animals. It’s a progression of the land that meant so much to Lasser. His son and Schulze are working together to create a new vision for the ranch. Lasser summarized what mattered most to him in his video interview with Banwell. “The important thing is, in life, that you help other people,” he said. “People don’t realize, some of these [committees and organizations] I’ve been on, the reason I’m on there was to help. If you can do that, then you’ve done your job.” Helping you grow your business.HelpingrowbusBC LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS Proudly Supporting BC Ranching Since 1943Spring Equipment Sales!Live & Online Biddingwww.bclivestock.bc.caLIKE US & FOLLOW US for Sales & Event Updateshttps://bclivestock.nextlot.comKamloops250-573-3939Williams Lake250-398-7174Vanderhoof250-567-4333OK Falls250-497-5416 t1-64."/:.03&*5&.4tContact one of our Team Members today to list your equipment!May 11th Williams Lake May 25thKamloops June 1st VanderhoofVANDERHOOFMike 250-524-0681 Elysia 250-570-1415KAMLOOPSLarry250-319-0872 Wayne 250-319-0873Kenny 250-571-9045WILLIAMS LAKEWade 250-398-0429
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 29Virtual fencing could be a reality for ranchersCost savings and ease of use are compelling attributesLANGLEY CHILLIWACK CHEMAINUS KELOWNA rollinsmachinery.com 1-800-665-9060USED TRACTORS NH T5070 cab, loader, no bucket, 6,335 hours, 2012 (CNS830).......... 68,000 NH BOOMER 41 loader+bucket, turf tires, 560 hrs, 2014 (U33636) ... 27,500 NEW HOLLAND TN60SA super steer, turf tires, 2004 (U40235) ........ 20,000 QUALITY USED EQUIPMENT NH FP240 29P grass, 3PN corn, crop proc [CNS786] ........................ 47,500 SUPREME 500T feed mixer, 2009, 540 rpm PTO (U33583) .................. 45,000 NH BC5070 small square baler, 2019, like new [U33470].................... 42,000 VERMEER TM1400 mower, 18’, 2015 (U33591) ..................................... 37,800 KVERNELAND 9476C Rake 2017 [U32957]............................................. 33,700 POETTINGER HIT 6.80T tedder, 2019 (U40243) .................................... 21,000 NEW HOLLAND 3PN corn head, good shape, 2008 (U33075) ..............CALL KVERNELAND 9084C rake, 26’ (U33029) ............................................... 18,900 NEW HOLLAND H7230 flail DMC, 9’2” (2.8m), 2012 [U40221] ........... 18,000 NEW HOLLAND H7330 flail DMC, 10' 4' (3.2 m), 2014 [U40172] ........ 14,500 PROGRESSIVE TD65 Tri-Deck rotary finishing mower (U40236) ........ 9,500 TORO Z MASTER Z453, 48” zero turn, 2004, [U33445] ........................ 4,625 Start counting your CORN HEAT UNITS TOM WALKER OKANAGAN FALLS – Cows with collars may soon be coming to BC. Ranchers across the US Northwest are moving to install virtual fencing systems on their ranges and it’s something that has caught the eye of Okanagan Falls rancher and BC Cattlemen’s Association president Brian Thomas. Thomas says he was sceptical at rst. “I thought it was the gooest thing I had ever heard of that you could connect your cows to a satellite and tell them where to go,” he chuckles. “But I’ve been down to Washington State a couple of times to learn about it, and it really works.” Similar to BC, wildres have destroyed hundreds of kilometres of fencing on American operations. “Some of their ranges were burnt out 100%,” says Thomas. “But they don’t get much nancial support to rebuild and they started to gure they needed to do something dierent.” Building barbed wire fences is expensive, in the range of US$25,000 to US$30,000 per mile, says Jay Kehne, associate director with Conservation Northwest in Washington, who discussed virtual fencing during a BC Institute of Agrologists webinar, April 17. “Sitting at home, a rancher can put 25 miles of virtual fencing on the ground costing $27,500 in less than ve minutes that will control 300 cow-calf pairs on 34,000 acres and the rancher could remove, add to, or change locations of all those fences the next day or week as needed,” Kehne says. “To construct that same 25 miles of barbed-wire fence would cost US$500,000.” Thomas says the technology to run the system is not that daunting. “I asked one of the fellows we visited, who was older, if he was scared of the technology and he said no,” Thomas recalls. “He told me he goes into his front room in the morning, turns on his computer and the screen for Herd Manager comes up. He can tell where all his cows are, where they have been, and if they are in the fence or outside.” Kehne gave an overview of the Vence, the system from Merck Animal Health that producers are using in Washington. Vence claims 177 installations across the US, with 18 in Washington. Cattle are tted with a battery-run ‘Cattle Rider’ collar that contains a GPS transceiver that tracks their location and a radio transceiver that communicates with a portable base station that is placed on the ground. These portable base stations have the potential to cover between 5,000 to 10,000 acres depending on terrain. Fence lines are drawn on a tablet or computer using the Herd Manager system. Once in place, the virtual fence uses sound cues and an animal-safe electric pulse to help cattle move away from the boundary. The Vence system has the ability to keep cattle in as well as out of a given area. It performs best as internal crossfencing within a permanent boundary fence as well as barrier fencing to keep cattle out of an area. “I talked with a producer who had never been able to keep cattle grazing on a hillside,” Thomas says. “When I looked at the area, it was amazing how you could see a line where the cattle had grazed up to and then they had stopped and the grass was a foot high.” Kehne believes that virtual fencing enables ranchers to manage the landscape in a way they have always wanted A beautiful spring-is-coming day and quality cattle brought out a full crowd to the 49th annual Vanderhoof All Breeds Bull Sale, April 13. Bidding was steady and competitive, leading to some of the strongest prices ever seen at the sale. High seller was an Angus bull from Henkel Creek Angus. He sold to Golden Meadows Farm in Fort Fraser for $11,000. North 40 Red Angus sold lot 36 to Adams Farm, also in Fort Fraser, for $9,250. Copper-T Ranch sold the top selling Hereford to Lee Migvar of Prince George for $8,250. High selling Simmental came from Crosby Cattle and went Murray Richards’ way for $8,000. The breed averages all exceeded $5,500. Sixteen Angus averaged $6,833. JANICE TAPPBullishFencing u
30 | MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Fencing Could garlic be less complicated?I really do like growing garlic as a cash crop, even though for several years it’s been on the chopping block. I am glad the axe was never swung with nality. We’ve come a long way. The garlic has been in the relegation zone due to the exorbitant amount of labour required to meet best garlic growing practices. The crop was either to be banished to the home garden or dierent standards needed to be set. I think it has gained a reprieve judging by the fact that I am about to write an entire article about how much I like growing it. During this years-long probationary period, the garlic crop was subjected to tough love, whereby its labour-sucking supports were gradually (I am not a monster) removed and it was left it to survive or die (but I can certainly harden my heart). First, we stopped mulching it. The soil, and the precious compost lavished upon it, would be its mulch. I assumed it would not survive because everyone mulches garlic, but it came up just ne, and with no more weeds than normal. The next year, we used the potato planter for planting, with the covering discs pulled well apart. Gosh, that was fast. We went behind, right-sided the seed and covered the rows using hoes and rakes. Emboldened, and facing a planting window imminently slamming shut in an early-onset winter situation, we planted with the planter again the next season, this time pulling the closing discs back together. Desperate times: the seed plopped into the ground facing in all directions and the row was covered over with dirt before anyone could right-side it. Planting was down to about an hour from the full 40 it used to take, but at what cost? It worked. Last fall, we went so far as to inadvertently abandon our seed bed preparation standards: no uy loam for the garlic. Down it went on the hard pan with the compost and available loose soil scraped over top by the closing discs. Never say die! New best garlic crop practices: no mulch, plant willy-nilly with a potato planter into the best seed bed we can provide given all the other fall jobs needing attention – minimal till totally acceptable. It’s very relaxing. I really noticed my buoyant mood today when I went out to do the rst mechanical cultivation on the beautifully growing crop. It felt so business-like to have a cash crop coming up rst thing in the spring that hadn’t already sucked a whole bunch of money away. I think the next thing to go is the hand-weeding, an impossibility made possible by the Treer tine weeder. I am nally ready to publicly talk about this Treer cultivator. I had to wait until I could condently assert that it wasn’t a crop massacre taking place upon every use, but a reasonably precise and thorough weeding. Three seasons have passed since the rst tentative and innitely stressful use of the machine. We have spent countless hours crawling around attempting to quantify the various settings. We have endured traumatizing misjudgements and maladjustments. We have come to marvel at its almost magical ecacy. Hand-weeding will perhaps not be abolished this year, realistically, as the garlic crop is located on the far side of some very boggy elds preventing tractor access till now. But soon, as the secrets of successful Treer-ing yield to our entreaties, tears, temper tantrums and increasing condence, we may yet declare a triumph over hand-weeding. One task remains to rework: the hanging and cutting down of the crop, a job that eats up an unacceptable amount of time. I notice some people just lay it down on racks. Surely not. Anna Helmer farms with her family and friends in the Pemberton Valley and had better enjoy garlic while she can because the potatoes are ready for planting. Farm Story ANNA HELMER but couldn’t aord to given the cost in hard fencing. As well as replacing physical fencing, the Vence system supports rotational grazing. Fence lines can be easily moved to support a grazing plan and encourage cattle to move into a new area. “You can open a gate in the virtual fence,” Thomas explains. “Then you can move the perimeter fence inwards to get the cattle moving into a new area.” Cows are social animals and if one manages to move through the virtual fence, they’ll likely want to return to the herd. ”That is easy with Vence as there is no deterrent when they walk back though the ‘fence,’” Kehne says. There are extra benets for wildlife in addition to excluding cattle from a sensitive area. “Animals don’t get hung up on a virtual fence,” Kehne explains.” Ducks Unlimited is interested in the technology to keep animals out of wetland areas, Thomas says. “There a lot of interest up here,” he adds. “I believe one rancher has ordered collars from the Gallagher system to try out this year.”
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 31KATE AYERS KAMLOOPS – Mild and dry winter conditions through the BC Interior suggest that grasshoppers could pose problems for ranchers again this year. “It could be a really bad year and I think it's going to depend on the weather,” says Purity Feed technical sales and service representative Ryan Comeau, who says last year was a disaster for many growers. “Lots of hay elds were totally wiped out by grasshoppers and you could actually see them move from the grasslands adjacent into the hay elds.” Approximately 40% of ranchers reported moderate to severe grasshopper infestations last August, according to a BC Cattlemen’s Association survey, with the most damage in the Thompson and Similkameen regions. While producers cannot control the weather, they can develop pest management strategies, which should start with scouting, says Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada pest management scientist Jennifer Otani. “Scouting earlier is going to be really important, especially if the weather stays warm and dry this spring,” she says. “That egg hatch can start a lot earlier.” Scouting usually begins in June, but Otani says producers should be on the lookout in May. When scouting, producers need to know what they’re looking for because not all grasshoppers are considered agricultural pests. In BC, the two-striped, clear-winged, migratory and red-legged grasshoppers often cause damage above economic thresholds in eld crops. The Prairie Pest Monitoring Network has species identication resources to help producers recognize detrimental insects. While the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network has over a century of grasshopper density data and can better predict population outcomes for each season, BC does not collect comprehensive information on grasshoppers. “We don't have any data,” says BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food entomologist Susanna Acheampong. “I received a lot of reports of grasshopper damage from dierent areas last year. … We got quite a few reports from the Thompson-Nicola region.“ Several elds were decimated at Allison Creek Ranch in Princeton last year as a result of drought and ‘Hopper management starts early this yearRanchers urged to start field scouting in MayPeace braces for grasshoppers The Peace Region sat at the highest level of drought at the end of last year with little snow or moisture to speak of so far in 2024. As a result, specialists predict high grasshopper populations this growing season. The Peace Region Forage Seed Association pest monitoring research manager Keith Uloth conducts annual grasshopper surveys in the Fort St. John and Dawson Creek areas as well as Vanderhoof. “In the Peace Region [last year], the populations were actually low but that is because of the species that are mostly prevalent in the Peace Region,” he says. The dominant species in the northern growing region are the Bruner’s spur-throated and two-striped grasshoppers. “If we are comparing it to what the Alberta Peace saw last year, the BC Peace should probably have high grasshopper numbers this year,” Uloth says. “The conditions last year were really favourable and we saw high non-pest grasshopper numbers in the Peace Region. With the lifecycle of the Bruner’s spur-throated grasshopper and two-striped grasshopper, they could be high this year.” These two species follow a two-year life cycle, which lines up for a potentially high population density this year in the North. —Kate Ayers grasshopper damage. “The drought and the grasshoppers certainly worked in tandem to reduce the available grass,” says ranch owner Linda Allison. “When cattle came home from summer grazing on Crown lands in mid October, they immediately went on feed as there was no pasture available. It has been a long feeding period for those cows and they are getting very tired of hay.” Grasshoppers are hard to control because they grow and can move quickly. “Once they start developing wings and they are mature and they are ying, it's almost impossible to control them,” Acheampong says. Allison sprayed her grasslands for grasshoppers last June but won’t be doing the same this year. “Quite frankly, it was a waste of my money as they just moved in from adjoining areas and there were multiple hatches right up until September,” she says. Overall, producers and ranchers will need to be vigilant this year and use integrated pest management to manage a potentially large grasshopper population. “We are hoping at least we get some rain and that may help a little bit,” Acheampong says. “Last year was a bad year. We know that the hoppers were around; they laid eggs. It will come down to whether we are going to get more moisture in the spring during the hatching [period] and that will at least help reduce the populations a little bit. But it is all dependent on what May is going to be like.” PRE-OWNED EQUIPMENT CLAAS AXION 930 MFD Tractor, Consignment Unit . . . . . . . Call CASE IH FARMALL 95A MFD Rops Tractor with Loader . . . . . 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32 | MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCThe slugfest may be over but it’s Delta’s turn to fight a better oer came along. Kathi became the new publisher/editor and called Harriet Murray into her oce on her rst day. Harriet assumed it was going to be the end of the road for her and was abbergasted when Kathi said because Harriet was the longest serving contributor, her advice would be invaluable to understanding why the paper had made the long slide to near insolvency and what they might do to save it. Harriet said the paper needed stories that would make folks want to read it again. She said there was a time when the advertising covered the costs. But the Internet made o with most of that and nobody cared a g for pothole stories, and you couldn’t sell advertising unless more people read the paper. Kathi agreed, and asked Harriet to look for an example. It was why Harriet Murray was over the moon when Junkyard Frank phoned from the middle of a stght in Delta Poindexter’s yard and made her prophecy came true. Kathi approached the story with professional caution, worried about naming the men and showing their faces on the front page, no less. Harriet said to forget naming them at all – just refer to them as suspects and blank out their eyes with black rectangles like they do in the grocery store tabloids. She said folks loved crime and mystery, especially if it was close to home, and she was willing to bet if they had something sensational for a headline to run over the picture the paper would sell out. Kathi told Harriet to go for it, and all the papers were gone in two days. Fern, who spent her days soliciting advertising on the phone and dunning reluctant customers for payment, said she was shocked because three people had actually called her to ask about advertising in the next paper. And didn’t that seem kind of odd? ttt The same day the paper came out, Kenneth called Deborah. “Deborah, it’s Kenneth.” “I do still recognize you voice, Kenneth. Ashley and Christopher aren’t here just now.” “It’s you I need to talk to. Could I come by?” “Sure. But if this is something about the divorce, it would best be left to the lawyers, don’t you think?” “It’s not about the divorce. It’s about me. I need to ask you about me.” ... to be continued SubscribeThe agricultural news source in BC since1915 Thousands of BC farmers and ranchers turn to Country Life in BC every month to nd out what (and who!) is making news in BC agriculture and how it may affect their farms and agri-businesses! www.countrylifeinbc.com/subscribeCREDIT CARD # _________________________________________________________________ EXP _____________ CVV _____________ o NEW o RENEWAL | o ONE YEAR ($18.90) oT WO YEARS ($33.60) o THREE YEARS ($37.80) Your Name ____________________________________________________________________________________________ City ________________________________________________ Postal Code _______________________________________ Phone _________________________ Email _______________________________________________________________ MAIL TO: 36 DALE RD, ENDERBY, BC V0E 1V4 subscriptions@ countrylifeinbc.com Please send a _______ year gift subscription to ______________________________________________________________ Farm Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________________________________________________ City _________________________________________________ Postal Code ________ ______________________________ Phone _________________________ Email _______________________________________________________________ When we left o last time, Delta had eectively broken up a slugfest between her surprise suitor, Vern Jones, and Kenneth Henderson, but not before the RCMP were called to intervene. Rural Redemption, Part 170, continues. Kenneth Henderson and Vernon Jones were questioned and held by the RCMP for nearly three hours before they were released with a stern warning from the arresting ocer. Delta was waiting for them when they came out. “You two need a ride.” “How’s that supposed to work?” asked Kenneth. “I’m not riding anywhere with him.” “The same goes for me,” said Vernon. “Y’all listen to me. That wasn’t a question. I said you need a ride, so get in the truck, the pair of you. Kenneth, sit up front, and Vernon, get in the back. Put your seatbelts on and button your lips.” They climbed into the truck. Neither of them was happy but it was obvious that Delta was in no mood for any backtalk. She climbed in and looked from one to the other. It was hard to say who got the worst of the ght. Vernon had a split lip and a swollen eyelid; there was swelling under Kenneth’s left eye and the start of what promised to be a spectacular shiner. “What in the name of Satan was all that supposed to be? Y’all carrying on like you were still in grade school.” Both men started to speak but Delta wasn’t having any of it. “NO! Not another word. Next one who says anything is going to get out and walk to Frank’s to fetch your truck. Y’all just sit there and listen now. Vernon, for the life of me, I don’t know what you were thinking of, landing on my front porch guring you would just sweep me o my feet. I’m surprised you didn’t bring a ring and a preacher. Then you give me some load of baloney about being divorced and being sweet on me for years. I talked to Linda so I know what the real story is, so my advice to you is get your truck back from Frank and grow up and go home as fast as you can. Apologize to your kids and ask Linda if maybe she’ll take you back. And don’t get your hopes up too much about that. Either way, don’t come calling here again. Understand?” Vernon barely nodded and Delta turned to Kenneth. “Lord knows, Kenneth, I don’t know what to make of you. One minute you’re full of sweet talk and the next you’re mean-mouthing someone or feeling sorry for yourself, and now this. Sometimes, I see a glimmer of kindness and generosity that intrigues me, but mostly I see an insecure little boy with a mean streak and the idea that everyone is out to get you. After this morning, you’re down to your last chance with me, so here’s my advice to you: get your truck from Frank and go home and grow up, then gure out who you want to show me a week from now when you come calling on me. Understand?” Kenneth was silent. “Am I being clear to both of you? “Are we clear? “Boys, this would be where y’all say, ‘Crystal.’” Delta pulled into the junkyard and Vernon got out and went in to see Frank. Kenneth started to tell Delta he was sorry, but she raised her hand. “Don’t say it, Kenneth. Come back in a week and show me.” “But I have thought about it. I was coming to talk to you this morning.” “You’re down to your last chance. I suggest you go home and study up, so you can get it right. Are we clear?” “Crystal,” said Kenneth. ttt The whole aair hit the local newsstands three days later. It replaced the entire rst page in a last-minute substitution for the planned pothole exposé. TWO ARRESTED IN LOCAL SLUGFEST screamed the headline over the picture Frank took of Kenneth and Vernon in handcus being loaded into police cars. The coverage was part of a recent sensationalist shift at the paper. Long-time publisher Dickie Metcalf had died and left the struggling paper to his grandson, Wilson. A conglomerate came calling with an oer to buy it. Wilson was inclined to sell but was frankly oended by the attitude and the amount oered. Wilson’s wife, Kathika Kuar – Kathi to most folks – was a UVic grad with a minor in journalism and publishing and convinced Wilson to keep the paper going at least until Woodshed Chronicles BOB COLLINS
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2024 | 33Plowing ahead102nd Chilliwack plowing match engages all agesTaking the measure: Straightness, covering weeds, rmness and packing, general appearance, crown and nish are scored at the Chilliwack Plowing Match. RONDA PAYNERONDA PAYNE CHILLIWACK – For youngsters, seeing a team of horses pull a plow with a person guiding it is straight out of a storybook. But the stories came to life April 6 as Greendale Acres in Chilliwack hosted the 102nd annual Chilliwack Plowing Match for young and old alike. “It was my dad’s dream to have this event come to the farm,” says Vanessa Oddy, who co-owns Greendale Acres with her two sisters. “We’ve really created more of a community event. It’s a historical community event. It’s a family event.” The plowing match relocated from Rosedale to Greendale Acres in 2017 and, aside from informal matches that were closed to the public in 2020 and 2021 due to public health restrictions during the pandemic, the parking lot has been packed during the day-long competitions each year. Oddy estimates upwards of 1,000 people attend. While horse-drawn plowing is great fun to watch, this is serious business to those competing as well as to the judges. Dugan Montjoy of Lillooet has competed in horse-drawn plowing 27 years in a row. “When I started, there used to be a ton of plowmen. Everyone got older and older,” he says. “The young ones, we want to keep it going. You have to think, if we stop this, do you think it will ever start up again? No. We have to keep it going.” He says the competition plot he plows with the aid of his two horses is 170 by 133 feet. It’s a lot of ground to cover, especially when someone is looking to see how straight the rows are, how the earth folds over and how the nal row nishes up the edge of the plot. Overseeing the activity was 96-year-old Jim Stevenson who had plowed in his younger years and also served as a judge for 17 years. His father had been a champion plowman. “Straightness is one thing,” he says of the ner points. “The plow is set up in such a way that the furrows won’t fall in on themselves. And neatness at the end – you get points for that.” Phil Rogers also hails from Lillooet. He’s been plowing for 20 years in the Chilliwack competition. “It’s because we love it,” he says. The plowing event isn’t only for the horse-drawn equipment. There are a variety of categories to watch and each is equally disciplined, with people jumping o tractors with measuring tapes to inspect the state of their rows. “I plowed with the antiques in the past,” says Ray Ramey from his mid-70s White-brand tractor. “I’m into old stu, I’m into plowing and I’m into farming.” Organizer Jim Sache says there’s a lot to observe in the tractor plowing competition Ramey was competing in. He points to a neighbouring plot to explain what he’s looking for. “See this crown? The weeds gotta be covered. All that should be buried,” he says. “There can be no weeds showing.” Straightness, covering weeds, rmness and packing, general appearance, crown and nish make up the 100 total possible points in the tractor competition judging. The other competitions have similar categories on judging charts to mark and tally scores and select winners. The champions were announced at the end of the day. In the horse class, Dennis Ryan took rst, Rogers came in second and Adam Degenstein placed third. The open class saw Gerry Norrish take rst and Brent Holcik came in second. The antique class gave Tyler Evans rst place, Henry Slootweg second and Al Pearson third. The reversible class brought Francis Sache a rst place win and Bill Higginson second place. In the BC class, Pierre Sache placed rst, Mark Brummel came in second and Jim Mar in third. Most points in a day was awarded to Pierre Sache. There was also a community leaders class. Deputy mayor of Abbotsford Patricia Driessen placed rst and there was a tie for second between Chilliwack-Hope MP Mark Strahl and Ken Popove, mayor of Chilliwack. Helping you grow your business.Helpingrowbus©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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vegetables than when they were rst created – a nod to our healthier-eating lifestyles. You’ll actually nd what are often described as ‘retro dishes’ appear quite regularly in this column. Now, whether that makes me ‘vintage’ or my column ‘modern’ is up for conjecture. Your choice. A dessert which can be served with air, but which is hardly a new invention, is the Baked Alaska. Being a chocoholic, I prefer the Brownie Baked Alaska, and instead of one whole dessert, prepared in a large format, I tried smaller ones. You could also make them in mun tins for individual baked Alaskas if you’re willing to fuss a bit more. Some more food that is considered nostalgic today are tuna noodle casserole, shepherd’s pie, cheese fondue, devilled eggs, corn dogs, pineapple upside down cake, cheese balls and poke cake. Do any of those bring back childhood memories? Good or bad? Moms can seem like ‘vintage’ beings, and since May features a special day 34| MAY 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCYou’ve probably heard of or even bought retro or vintage clothing, furniture and even trinkets, so why not retro food? And, what is retro food? My research indicates it can go back as far as a creation in the 1700s –or just back to the 1950s, 60s or 70s. Many old-fashioned, popular dishes made a comeback in those decades, with slight twists of modernity. Well, today, that’s happening again. But, instead of toasting the uy meringue on a Brownie Baked Alaska by popping it into the extremely hot oven of your wood stove, today, you can just pull out your little propane-fuelled kitchen torch that you use for Creme Caramel. No need to dig out the tiger torch from the workshop! In the “everything old is new again” category are meatloaf, mac and cheese and strogano, with all containing far more Retro food for a ‘vintage’ Mom on her dayYou need to plan ahead, but this Baby Brownie Baked Alaska is worth it! JUDIE STEEVESJude’s Kitchen JUDIE STEEVESBABY BROWNIE BAKED ALASKAS4 oz. (113 g) dark baking chocolate 1/2 c. (125 ml) butter 2 tbsp. (30 ml) cocoa 3/4 c. (175 ml) dark brown sugar 2 eggs 1/2 c. (125 ml) our 1/4 tsp. (1 ml) salt 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) vanilla 1/2 c. (125 ml) chocolate chips • Preheat oven to 325° F. • Melt butter with dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler until just melted and combined, adding the dark brown sugar and stirring to dissolve. Cool slightly. • Lightly beat two large eggs and mix in. • Whisk our, cocoa and salt together. If you sift the cocoa rst it eliminates lumps. Then mix these dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture with vanilla. • Add chocolate chips if desired. (Course, they’d only be double chocolate brownies without, right?) • Pour into greased 8x8x2-inch pan. • Bake for 25 minutes, cool and cut into the size of pieces needed for your bowls. This size would work for four four-inch bowls, which could be halved or quartered to serve. For a dramatic dessert, set before each of your guests a aming or browned meringue-topped dessert of ice cream and brownies or cake. Think of it as the State of Alaska, with the ice cream the igloo and the meringue snow. Wiki says it was created in 1867 in honour of the US purchase of Alaska from the Russia Empire (for the price of $7.2 million!). Preparation of the dessert should begin at least a day ahead of serving. Triple Chocolate Brownies You could buy a mix, or pre-baked brownies or make this great recipe for decadent Triple Chocolate Brownies.Meringue 1/4 tsp. (1 ml) cream of tartar 1/4 tsp. (1 ml) vanilla 1/4 c. (60 ml) white sugar 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) vanilla • To assemble, spritz individual custard cups or fruit salad bowls (you could also make mini ones in cupcake pans) with a bit of oil and line with light plastic lm, letting it lap over the sides of the bowls. • Slightly soften ice cream to allow you to press it into the lined bowls. We love raspberry or strawberry with the chocolate. You could use two avours, topping the berry one with pistachio or mint or the other way around. Smooth the top and bring the plastic lm up over the top. • Freeze solidly, preferably overnight. • You could also freeze the brownies to make sure they are really cold, but the main thing is to ensure they are not warm or they’ll melt the ice cream before you can assemble dessert. • When you’re ready to assemble the dessert, warm the bottom of the bowls of ice cream slightly in warm water and push the plastic lm o the top of each, tipping each one over onto the brownie circles, on a at surface such as a baking pan that will t into the freezer. • Put into the freezer for an hour; not much longer or the brownie will freeze solid and be dicult to eat. Meringue • When separating your eggs, ensure no yolk or other fat gets into the whites. Don’t use a plastic bowl. • Prepare the meringue by whipping the egg whites with the cream of tartar, adding the vanilla, then the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s completely dissolved. I use the big whisk on my stand mixer but you can also whisk by hand or use the beaters. • Beat until sti, glossy peaks form. • Pre-heat the oven to 400° F, or get your baker’s torch ready to brown the meringue. • Using a spoon or an oset spatula, spread the meringue over each of the very cold, frozen ice cream and brownie combinations, making sure the meringue seals the bottom of each dessert, and swirling it for a nice texture. • Bake for four minutes or so, just until the meringue browns nicely, or brown it with the torch. • Makes three or four to divide and serve six to eight. Ice Cream 1 pint of raspberry, cherry, strawberry, mint, pistachio, vanilla, or even chocolate. All go well with the brownie base. You may use just one avour, or layer two or three avours, or use Neapolitan to get a variety of colour and avours in one go.where we honour our favourite moms, this seemed like an appropriate month to prepare some retro food for her, as a treat. Baby Brownie Baked Alaskas is actually a pretty easy recipe, but also pretty special, like Mom. We served the Brownie Baked Alaskas with an Okanagan Spirits Raspberry Liqueur, which we drizzled over each dessert as well. Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery is based in Vernon, BC and their liqueurs are made from fresh, local fruit and a small amount of natural cane sugar. They are created from scratch and the raspberry one is positively bursting with intense raspberry avour. There are also blueberry, cherry, blackcurrant, cranberry, haskap, rhubarb, huckleberry, sea buckthorn and maraschino liqueurs available.
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