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Message Postmaster, Please return Undeliverable labels to: Country Life in BC1 36 Dale Road Enderby, BC V0E 1V4CANADA POSTES POST CANADA Postage paid Port payé Publications Mail Post-Publications 40012122Vol. 110 No.11The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 NOVEMBER 2024 | Vol. 110 No. 11FRUIT Apple harvest faces headwinds from co-op’s closure 7 REMEMBERINGNational award to honour David Schmidt’s legacy 9 GRAPES Island winery closes amid “perfect storm” 13 PETER MITHAM LANGLEY – The dairy sector is facing increased pressure from Canada’s international trade partners with New Zealand’s decision to escalate a long-standing complaint regarding Canada’s allocation of tariff rate quotas. New Zealand trade minister Todd McClay called Canada back to the negotiating table on October 18 regarding the issue, with discussions required by early November. “The New Zealand government expects our trade partners to treat our exporters fairly and within the rules of our agreements,” McClay said in a statement. “Canada is not doing that in respect to the dairy quotas that were negotiated and agreed with New Zealand.” Signed in 2015, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) gave New Zealand and Canada’s other Pacific Rim trading partners access to 3.25% of Canada’s domestic dairy market. Tariff rate quotas defining market access for 16 different dairy products were established, and soon came under fire. New Zealand and others argued that Canada was allocating TRQs to domestic processors, further processors and distributors in ways inconsistent with its treaty obligations. An arbitration panel last fall upheld Canada’s right to set TRQs, but ordered it to address New Zealand’s Now that's a soil sample! Kristina Anderson, left, watershed planner with the Kootenay Boundary Regional District, and Kootenay & Boundary Farm Advisor team member Rachael Roussin demonstrate a soil probe at a soil workshop in Grand Forks. See story on page 23. TOM WALKERDairy faces trade threatsPETER MITHAM KAMLOOPS – Two years of high cattle prices and low moisture have triggered a dramatic drop in BC’s cattle herd, but the bottom is in sight. The latest data from Statistics Canada indicates a 4% drop in Western Canada’s beef herd since 2022, not far o the national decline of 3%. But within BC, the decline on beef operations as of July 1 Passing the testMassive sell-off uDomestic demand uRooted in your community® since 1973www.tlhort.com1-800-661-4559SeedPlant NutritionCrop ProtectionSuppliesServiceBeef herd dropsRecord cattle prices make it challenging for ranchers to rebuild

2 | NOVEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCwas double the national average at 6%. “We’ve seen a 200,000-head drop across the country here in the past two to three years, and that’s indicative of what we’ve seen for drought,” says Kevin Boon, general manager, BC Cattlemen’s Association. “We have to adjust according to our feed supplies and our ability to keep them.” BC reported a total beef herd at July 1 this year of 447,800, down from 474,800 in 2022 and 507,300 in 2019. The declines reect massive sell-os last year as drought squeezed forage supplies, with many auction rings seeing record numbers of animals move through. Despite the large volumes, prices reached new records, too, as a rebound in consumer demand following the pandemic taxed supplies. Those high prices were hard to resist for producers who lacked feed, but also made it hard for ranchers to aord to rebuild their herds. “When you can get the price you can, it’s hard to keep the cattle from the sale barn,” Boon says. “It hasn’t been a quick rebound like we’ve seen sometimes because the price of cattle has been high.” Moreover, drought continues to keep forage supplies in check in the Cariboo and Peace regions. This winter’s moisture will dictate whether or not ranchers start to rebuild their herds in 2025 or wait. Boon himself is optimistic. “The predictions are that we’ll see the prices top out in the next two to three years,” he says. “That’s when we’ll likely see the regrowth and the retention of heifers.” u Massive sell-off, cautious purchases driven by forage shortageconcerns by October 20, 2023. This did not happen, and New Zealand is demanding that it does. Australia, Japan, Mexico, Peru and Singapore have joined New Zealand in contesting the TRQs. The challenge follows a similar US complaint under the Canada-US-Mexico free trade agreement (CUSMA) that resulted in Canada eliminating preferential allocation of TRQs to Canadian processors by February 2022. The US withdrew from the CPTPP in January 2017, in one of the first acts of former US president Donald Trump, meaning it is not a party to New Zealand’s complaint. However, a second US complaint last year alleged that Canada remained off-board with its CUSMA obligations by continuing to exclude retailers and food service companies from TRQ eligibility, among other issues. A decision last November came out in Canada’s favour. With US voters casting ballots November 5, the stage is set for further trade uncertainty, however. Regardless of whether Trump returns to the White House, both he and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris have pledged to review CUSMA. Harris voted against the deal in 2020. Exceeding expectations There is good news on the domestic front, however. Following a quota boost of 2% across the four western provinces on September 1, two incentive days for both October and November were announced in view of strong domestic demand. The days encourage producers to increase production in order to meet short-term demand spikes. “Demand has remained stronger than initially anticipated and milk production has not increased u Domestic demand offsets int’l challengesABBOTSFORD, BC Bus. 604/807-2391 email: tractorparts4sale@shaw.caWe accept Interact, Visa and Mastercard JOHN DEERE 410E BACK HOE, 4X4, TURBO, 4-IN-ONE BUCKET, EXTEND-A-HOE, GOOD CONDITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25,000 WHITE 2-70 FIELD BOSS, 2WD,CAB, 78HP,NEW RUBBER, HD REAR ARENA LEVELER INCLUDED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,500 JOHN DEERE 450 DOZER REBUILT ENGINE, NEWER TRACKS & CARRIAGE. GOOD CONDITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,500 JOHN DEERE 510 BACKHOE 2WD, REBUILT ENGINE, 8 SPEED, POWER SHIFT, 28”WHEELS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,500 MASSEY FERGUSON 265 CAB, LOADER, LOW HOURS, GOOD CONDITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,000 FORD 755 BACK HOE LOADER, 100 HP, FWD REV, POWER SHIFT TRANS GOOD CONDITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,500 MF 1135 WITH CAB, 6 CYL TURBO, 2WD, DECENT RUBBER . 12,500 LOEWEN BALE FORK WITH ALO LOADER ATTACH . . . . . . . . . . 1,495 BOBCAT LOADER BUCKET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,150 NEW REPLACEMENT PARTS for MOST TRACTORS & FARM IMPLEMENTSGD Repair LtdTractor/Equipment Repair Mobile Service Availableto forecasted levels,” the BC Milk Marketing Board told producers last month. “We’ve seen strong growth in demand for local dairy products,” says Casey Pruim, an Abbotsford dairy farmer and chair of the BC Dairy Association. Most of the demand has been from a surge in fluid milk consumption following years of declines, thanks in part to cost of living pressures. However, Pruim says the growth underscores BC Dairy’s long-standing calls for greater value-added processing capacity in BC. Data from Statistics Canada shows 12-month fluid milk consumption peaking in June 2020 at 354,287 kilolitres before dropping to 333,187 kilolitres in August 2022. Consumption has now roared back to the COVID-era peak, exceeding consumption during the pre-COVID era. “BC Dairy has called on all provincial political parties to commit to new incentives for dairy processors to enhance their capacity and support growth in the dairy processing industry,” he says. “We look forward to working with the next provincial government to deliver more food processing capacity to support the growth in our sector.” Helpingyou growyour Business.While a number of ranch properties have changed hands, the volume isn’t notably dierent from past years. Transactions tracked by Landcor Data Corp. indicate 45 ranch parcels changing hands in the rst nine months of this year versus 51 a year earlier. “There is not a huge dierence in ranches changing hands than the last few years,” says Tyler Ruttan with CLHbid.com, which sold Hat Creek Ranch at auction on October 1 for $8.25 million. “Prospective buyers came from many dierent geographical areas with dierent reasons for interest in the property,” Ruttan said. Common drivers of deals include family succession, expansion by family operations as well as large agri-business interests. There are also the recreational buyers looking for a legacy property. “Those types of things are interesting to watch, but it’s more interesting to see who’s investing in them and what that will make the future of the industry look like,” says BC Cattlemens’ Association general manager Kevin Boon. “It’s healthy to see some movement, but it’s also critical that we see the longevity.” According to Farm Credit Canada, BC farmland values returned to a growth trajectory in the 12 months ended June 2024, rising 6.6% versus a year earlier versus a the 3.1% decline in 2023. The increase helped push values to a new high for the province, and double where they stood in 2012. “Elevated borrowing costs, lower commodity prices and the increased price of land hasn’t deterred some buyers,” FCC reported. “Looking ahead, declining borrowing costs and a limited supply of available farmland should sustain the current high prices for farmland.” Ranch sales remain steadyFamily 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. 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FARMFESTNOVEMBER 19, 2024BC YOUNG FARMERS- Expand your network - Sharpen your skills- Gain actionable insights for the futureof your farm. BC Young Farmers is a committee of BC Agriculture Council. TICKETS NOW ON SALE!BCYF.CA EXCITING 2024 UPDATE! Don’t miss out on this exclusive eventpartnership with the AgEx Conference.Abbotsford's family-run K&M Farms is ready to talk turkey about chicken quota, which is largely held within industry networks centred on the big processors that make it hard for smaller growers to access. K&M FARMSCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 3PETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – Creating a more transparent means of exchanging and accessing broiler quota is the focus of a consultation the BC Chicken Marketing Board launched October 17. A quota exchange was the lead recommendation of a three-month consultation earlier this year on the sector’s new entrant program. “[The consultation] indicated a key issue in deciding new entrant policy parameters was equality and transparency of access to quota,” the board states in a discussion paper for the new consultation. “Bankers expressed the desire to have a clearer understanding of the value (cost) of quota to assess risk as lenders to new entrants. And previous new entrants pointed out the challenge to access quota.” While a quota exchange similar to what exists in the dairy and egg sectors can limit access to quota, the board says it facilitates “price stability; equity in distribution of quota for sale; equity in opportunity to purchase available quota; regular and somewhat predictable quota sales.” Right now, quota transfers occur privately through grower connections, word of mouth, or ads. A majority of quota is held within networks associated with the major processors, who own hatcheries as well as have slaughter capacity. “It makes it very dicult when another group wants to buy some quota that’s available,” said Mark Robbins, co-owner of K&M Farms in Abbotsford. "That’s why I think they’re having a review. … It’s virtually impossible to get quota under the system now, at least in small amounts." A more transparent quota exchange process would enable growers to make informed business decisions and give the marketing board a better understanding of quota market conditions. The current consultation aims to facilitate a comprehensive review of the issues aecting quota use and access among stakeholders in the BC chicken industry. A 10-member committee overseeing the consultation includes representatives of large, small, specialty and small-lot growers, as well as processor and banking interests. The three-month consultation includes an online survey open to all industry stakeholders until November 15, with written submissions accepted until January 17. The consultation complements revisions to the sector’s New Entrant Program, currently on hold. The existing program, which oers incentive quota on a “buy one, get one” (BOGO) basis, has been criticized for short-term spikes in the price of quota, in turn limiting access to new entrants and smaller growers seeking to expand. The quota use and access consultation not only complements the new entrant consultation but a specialty market allocation consultation this summer that resulted in a pilot project to allocate specialty quota on a 48-week, six-cycle (annualized basis). Together, the consultations reect an eort to update policies to reect current market conditions and grower realities. “They are both a part of the board’s ambitious strategic plan (2024-27) to ensure that we have in place up-to-date policies that facilitate an innovative and growing BC chicken industry,” BC Chicken executive director Woody Siemens says. BC Chicken isn’t the only marketing board reviewing its policies. The BC Turkey Marketing Board is reviewing its general orders and regulations with a goal to ensuring they reect the current and future state of the sector It released the results of a grower survey conducted as part of the review on October 16. The BC Milk Marketing Board also conducted a review of the dairy quota exchange, resulting in several rule changes that come into play December 1 governing exchanges of dairy quota on or after January 1, 2025. The changes aim for an exchange model that reects current market conditions. These include scrapping a rule that linked price changes to demand over three consecutive quota exchange periods. The length of time required to trigger changes in price was seen as restrictive. Ditching the rule means “the economics of supply and demand will determine the movement of the monthly quota transfer price.” The board has also removed the requirement for producers to oer a minimum volume for sale, again to ensure a more responsive exchange model. Chicken board considers quota exchangeConsultation aims to better understand quota use, accessExtreme High DigestibilityHigh Disease ResistanceBranch & Tap RootedPerforms in Heavier SoilsRapid Re-GrowthVery High QualityExtreme High DigestibilityHigh Disease ResistanceBranch & Tap RootedPerforms in Heavier SoilsRapid Re-GrowthVery High Quality1.800.282.7856 terraseco.comTerra Seed Corp Tap Root with Branch Root

Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, that portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for signature will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error which advertises goods or services at a wrong price, such goods or services need not be sold at the advertised price. Advertising is an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. All advertising is accepted subject to publisher’s approval. All of Country Life in British Columbia’s content is covered by Canadian copyright law. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Country Life in British Columbia. Letters are welcome, though they may be edited in the interest of brevity before publication. All errors brought to our attention will be corrected.36 Dale Road, Enderby BC V0E 1V4 . Publication Mail Agreement: 0399159 . GST Reg. No. 86878 7375 . Subscriptions: $2/issue . $18.90/year . $33.60/2 years . $37.80/3 years incl GSTThe agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 Vol.110 No. 11 . NOVEMBER 2024Published monthly by Country Life 2000 Ltd. www.countrylifeinbc.comA rainy October day, and time to give thanks and reect on the year past. The cows and horses are spending one of their last grazing days in the big middle eld. Even though the pumpkin u-pick is closed today, one family with schedule restraints has been admitted and has picked themselves a wheelbarrow load. Their nal stop is for a stful of u-pick blooms from the dahlia garden. There is much to be thankful for: the elds and crops, and the animals they feed, the rain that falls (and the river that lets us make rain when it doesn’t), the eld of pumpkins, the rows of brilliant dahlia blooms and – perhaps most important – all of those like the family today who come here to buy what we grow. We have made thanks for them central to our current messaging. Every year, we make half-hour wagon ride farm tours part of what we have to oer. The tour includes a 10-minute stop to observe the cattle close up and have a talk about some aspect of our farm or farming in general. The specic topic changes from year to year. This year, we focussed on the business model of our farm and much of local agriculture. The talk this time briey discussed weather, soil, water and biology, then asked if anyone could name the one omitted thing that made it all work. Few of them realized that the missing ingredient was riding in the wagon. As impressed as most of them always are by the up-close encounter with real agriculture, few of them actually recognized themselves as critical to the success of our particular farm where everything is direct-marketed. That most people do not see themselves as a crucial link to the success of local agriculture is indicative of the general disconnect between them. Explaining it to them and thanking them for making our farm work through their direct patronage is a crucial rst step in repairing that disconnect. Judging by their thanks and comments it is a welcome perspective many of them hadn’t recognized or considered. It is also an opportunity to discuss the benets and eects of direct buyer-to-seller transactions to local agriculture. And it is a chance to encourage them to seek out and support other direct-market producers in the community. The take-away for direct marketers can be enigmatic. Even though you might grow what customers want, you still need to sell it to them. Our customers fall mainly into two categories: meat buyers who are year-round supporters, and those who purchase pumpkins every October. While the meat customers are making an informed and discerning decision about a food purchase, pumpkin and dahlia buyers aren’t making food choices at all. Few of the pumpkins leaving here will ever nd their way to a dinner table; the dahlias have a better chance of that, but only as decoration. Price isn’t a consideration; there are pumpkins available as cheaply and more conveniently in most grocery stores. What the pumpkin customers want is the experience of walking through the eld to select their own pumpkin. They want to see all of the scarecrows along the road to the parking area. They want to see the pen of baby goats, they want to see the baby ducks, they want to choose from a dozen pumpkin varieties. They want to take the wagon ride to see the cows at the far end of the farm, and before they leave they might want to pick a bouquet of dahlias, too. They are willing to pay for all these things, and it would be a much harder sell without them. In essence, the farm itself is a powerful, value-adding, three-dimensional, multi-experiential, immersive packaging for the pumpkins that make the customers happy to be here and happy to be a part of sustaining local agriculture. It is a good news scenario for all concerned, and it’s hard to argue with that. 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 | NOVEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCMinority opinionThe 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 Lest we forget, PW!Remembering what makes it all worthwhileThe nal composition of the provincial legislature was an open question as this issue went to press, with the BC NDP having a one-seat lead over the BC Conservatives. All signs pointed to a minority mandate for Premier David Eby, with voter support for the NDP having ebbed signicantly since the 2020 election. Pam Alexis, agriculture minister at the time the writ was dropped, was among the casualties, losing the Abbotsford-Mission riding to Reann Gasper of the Conservatives. Alexis was shued into the role of agriculture minister in December 2022 as Eby put his stamp on government. Previously mayor of Mission, Alexis positioned her riding as the heartland of BC agriculture yet admitted having much to learn about the local industry. Eby now nds himself with a smaller cohort of MLAs, and veteran agriculture minister Lana Popham among the options. Popham, who took over the Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport portfolio as part of Eby’s cabinet shue, won her riding of Saanich South with a much broader majority than Alexis lost hers, testimony to her work cultivating connections. This knack won her friends in the dairy sector and others, even as she faced critiques from the mink sector and orchardists for her decisions. Meanwhile, Ian Paton won Delta South under the BC Conservative banner, a mid-campaign change that he vowed wouldn’t change his representation of his constituents. While the agriculture portfolio seems out of his reach for now, the sector will continue to have a champion in the legislature. But the real question is what comes next, given a minority government that will lean on the two BC Green MLAs for support. The election revealed sharp divisions on the BC landscape, and while the agriculture sector is a motherhood issue for parties on all sides of the house, urban issues will make, break and remake the next session of the legislature. Yet the tide of blue across the province’s Interior and northern Vancouver Island is a signal that rural issues matter to a vast swathe of the province. Those issues won’t be addressed by any one minister, whether agriculture, forests, indigenous relations or water, land and resource stewardship. A minority government wishing to make a big impact needs to get these issues right, just as the BC Conservatives need to nd a way to connect the concerns of their ridings with those of the urban constituencies that cast their support behind the NDP.

You may have noticed that Telus – perhaps it’s your phone, TV or internet provider – has a tab on its website called “Agriculture and Consumer Goods.” What might this mean for BC farmers? Telus Agriculture’s stated mission is “helping solve for ineciencies in the way we produce, distribute and consume food and consumer goods” using digital tools to connect a global supply chain from eld to fork, with full traceability to the end consumer. Data-enabled tools for the farm include “smart farming” sensors to gather operational data; analytics to help interpret the data; “precision agriculture” tools for targeted applications of inputs; and “internet of things” tools to track and manage equipment, livestock or crops. In the last few years, Telus has fully or partially acquired 13 data brands which it is renaming and grouping to serve agribusiness and animal agriculture. Of possible use to BC farmers are Herdtrax for cattle management or Farm at Hand, Decisive Farming, Agrian, Muddy Boots or AGIntegrated. You may have been using one or more of these services and have recently discovered that you are now a Telus customer. Telus Agriculture and Consumer Goods says it provides solutions for farm managers on 450,000 farms in North America and others in more than 20 countries. It was Gold dust in your fibre optic cableTelus Agriculture steps into farm data managementCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 5unable to say how many of those farms might be in BC. Hopcott Farms in Pitt Meadows produces cranberries and meats. Co-owner Travis Hopcott says he considered Telus Agriculture’s services through Muddy Boots. “It did not seem like a great t for us,” he says. “The tools seemed to be designed for Prairie farming.” He currently uses a data service from Quebec’s Hortau Inc. to manage frost and heat protection as well as irrigation. A network of sensors connected to the farm’s irrigation system reads key soil variables and provides real-time monitoring, response, reporting and analysis. Hopcott nds the service “super helpful” and would recommend it to other producers, especially for cranberries, but thinks most already use this kind of product. What Telus, as a telecommunications company (telco), brings to the farm data party is the infrastructure it has built and maintains: poles, routers and switches, cables and cellular towers, bre optic cables and networks, and data centres, all of which facilitate high-speed passage of the signals and services it Viewpoint KATHLEEN GIBSONtransmits and/or sells. Agriculture or health services are “verticals” to Telus’ core business: they facilitate outreach to specic customer categories, such as farmers. The agriculture vertical puts Telus into direct competition with businesses whose core competency is agriculture – like Cargill, ADM, Bunge, John Deere or Syngenta – which in turn are acquiring tech companies as their verticals. It’s a fair question which kind of parent company – ag or tech – can oer the most domain expertise for your farm’s data needs. If you work with Telus, you work with a publicly traded company that is going global. It has two corporate entities. Telus Corp., with a $24 billion market cap, is one of Canada’s Big Three wireless service providers and the dominant local carrier for internet, television and landline phone services in BC and Alberta. Telus Corp. holds 55% of the stock in Telus Digital (formerly Telus International), with a $1.38 billion market cap. When the latter went public in 2021, it was expected that Telus Health and Telus Agriculture would follow. To date, this has not happened. Telus Corp.’s 2023 annual report shows revenue from agriculture and consumer goods fell 2% from 2022, noting “subscription demand softness” and other issues. Telcos have particular challenges. One is navigating massive, rapid transitions in technologies, from landlines to cellular, broadband internet, bre optics and satellites. Another is acquiring wireless spectrum, which is auctioned to wireless providers by the federal government. From 2020 to date, according to one analyst with the free-market-leaning digital news outlet The Hub, telcos have had to spend more on acquiring spectrum ($29 billion) than on their networks ($25 billion). Telcos and data companies also have signicant carbon issues. Environment America, a network of 30 state environmental groups, suggests that today’s surge in energy-intensive computing like AI threatens America’s renewable energy transition. Other analysts believe net energy consumption with 5G will be up to ve times higher than with 4G. Telco advisors acknowledge the challenge of aiming for net-zero carbon in a context where networks are expanding and usage is growing in both volume and intensity. Like other carriers and platforms, Telus has realized that the data owing through its cables is gold dust (maybe yours) to be monetized: extracted, processed and fed back to the user (maybe you). There are energy costs and ownership questions to consider. A farm data mantra could be something like: “Know your data. Use only what you need. Control what’s yours.” The Canadian Federation of Agriculture is engaging in this discussion through its September 2024 report, Data as a Foundation for Sustainable Productivity Growth, providing perspective on farm data tools and some key considerations for industry and government. The report recommends developing a pan-Canadian data strategy focused on rural internet connectivity, precision farming techniques, advanced data analytics, standards development and interoperability. It also addresses farmers’ rights to their own information, recommending approaches like the Ag Data Transparent Initiative. Timely access to data and analytics can increase farm productivity and resilience and reduce waste and carbon emissions. Farmers need reliable internet access and useful data tools. You may need to shop around to nd both. Kathleen Gibson lives and grows food in Lekwungen territory/Victoria, BC. She has worked with industry organizations and government agencies in BC on a variety of agri-food policy issues. Lest weForget.%PXOUPXO3FBMUZtOE4U7FSOPO#$t0óDFPat | 250.308.0938QBUEVHHBO!SPZBMMFQBHFDBThea | 250.308.5807UIFBNDMBVHIMJO!SPZBMMFQBHFDB6475 COSENS BAY RD, COLDSTREAMwww.FarmRanchResidential.ca “Farmers helping farmers with their real estate needs”9.14 acres on the Shuswap River. Large 5 bed/3 bath 2-level home. 6.5 acres planted to red and white wine grapes. 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6 | NOVEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC3ZSFOJIDB.TOJMMPE3FMB: $ LDBXJMMJI #$7 )3XBDZSFOJIDBNTOJMMPSXX © 2022 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.COMBINATION.POWER & UTILITY:AN UNBEATABLE New Holland PowerStar™ Series tractors are the ideal blend of power and utility. Five models from 65 to 100 PTO horsepower are built to handle jobs in the back field, the barnyard, and everywhere in between. You’ll do it all with ease and comfort in the spacious VisionView™ cab with best-in-class visibility and the ergonomic Command Arc console. Choose between a 2WD or 4WD front axle, a transmission with a mechanical or power shuttle, and loads of factory-installed loader options to suit your needs.Put the combination of power and utility to work in a new PowerStar™ Series tractor. Stop in today or visit newholland.com.ARMSTRONG 250/546-3033 3520 Mill Street | hornbyequipment@shaw.ca SERVING OUR CUSTOMERS WITH SALES, SERVICE & PARTS FOR 50 YEARS!ARMSTRONG HORNBY EQUIPMENT ACP 250-546-3033 CHILLIWACK ROLLINS MACHINERY LTD 604-792-1301 CHEMAINUS ROLLINS MACHINERY LTD 250-246-1203 FORT ST JOHN BUTLER FARM EQUIPMENT LTD 250-785-1800 KELOWNA ROLLINS MACHINERY LTD 250-765-8266 LANGLEY ROLLINS MACHINERY LTD 604-533-0048 WILLIAMS LAKE GRASSLAND EQUIPMENT LTD 250-392-4024 VANDERHOOF GRASSLAND EQUIPMENT LTD 250-567-4446

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 7A group of former BC Tree Fruits growers have set their sights on the co-op’s Oliver plant, but it won’t help them with this year’s harvest. MYRNA STARK LEADERorganicfeeds@gmail.comPremium Feeds for Poultry, Hogs, and Dairy Cowscertified by Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd. CANADIAN ORGANIC FEEDSProudly certifying Producers and Processorswithin BC and Alberta.FVOPA provides year round certification services compliant with the Canadian Organic Standards (CAN/CGSB) and in accordance with the BC Certified Organic ISO 17065 recognized program. Products may be sold Canada-wide and in international markets. FVOPA ensures an efficient, professional certification process for all farm, processing and handling operations. Inspectors are lOlA trained and qualified making FVOPA a leading Certification Agency.Message 604-607-1655Email: admin@fvopa.cawww.fvopa.caPhone 604-789-7586P.O. Box 18591Delta, BC V4K 4V7Phone: 778-434-3070 PO Box 18511 admin@fvopa.ca Delta, BC V4K 4V7 www.fvopa.ca Proudly certifying Organic Operators across Canada Fraser Valley Organic Producers Association (FVOPA) offers organic certication services for producers, processors, packaging and labelling contractors, distributors, and various organic service providers. We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service and we welcome new members year-round. FVOPA certies to the Canadian Organic Standards and to the Canada Organic Regime (COR). Certied products may bear the Canada Organic logo and be marketed Canada-wide and internationally. Apple harvest faces headwinds from co-op’s closureGrowers work to resurrect co-op as court process unfoldsTOM WALKER KELOWNA – An incoming atmospheric river event in mid-October had Okanagan Similkameen growers scrambling to bring in their apples, one of the few fruit crops to have weathered last winter’s freeze event, but a greater challenge lies in post-harvest arrangements. Close to 30 million pounds were at risk of not having storage when BC Tree Fruits Co-op shut down July 26, and the lease of its Sexsmith Road warehouse by Novem Pharmaceuticals Inc. in September has been cold comfort While the facility was set to take 25 million pounds of apples, responsibility for the fruit lies with the parties bringing in the fruit for storage. Stang may have been an issue at the plant, too. “Refrigeration technicians with that [controlled atmosphere] skill set are in short supply,” says Tony DiMaria, a former BC Tree Fruits eldman and recently retired operations manager with Okanagan Specialty Fruits in Washington. “We had a hard time nding technicians when we were building storage in Washington last year.” Indeed, Novem didn’t get o to a good start. A forklift accident forced a closure over the Thanksgiving weekend, preventing Novem from receiving fruit. Novem did not respond to requests for comment prior to deadline. Meanwhile, the BC Fruit Growers Association (BCFGA) – whose members were largely co-op growers – is doing its best to provide eld support. BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food funding has allowed it to publish regular harvest bulletins that recommend when growers should pick. Yet it doesn’t replace the boots on the ground the co-op and sta at its Growers Supply subsidiary provided. Growers worry that without the coordinating role the co-op provided, fruit at dierent stages of maturity will end up being stored together, potentially shortening the life of the fruit and reducing sales. BCFGA organized a Canada GAP bridging program to address loss of the co-op’s Canada GAP certication, which supported growers without certication. “The province provided funds that growers could use to contract ve hours with a consultant who could help them prepare for the audit process,” says BCFGA general manager Melissa Tesche. “But only 71 of 180 BCTF growers have completed an audit.” Growers without Canada GAP certication will not be able to sell their fruit through the big retailers. Instead, some will likely try to move it through fruit stands or via peddlars, intermediaries who collect fruit and wholesale it to independent retailers. Others may simply choose to leave it on the tree. Many growers who placed their fruit with independent packers shortly after the co-op shut down are also at risk. “Growers are shipping fruit to independent packers without a contract and that makes them price-vulnerable,” says Amarjit Lalli, a Kelowna grower and former director of the co-op. “We are already being told that prices are down $9 a box from last year.” Lalli is rallying a group of 98 growers representing some 43,000 bins of apples who are seeking to restructure the co-op. Those Co-op u

8 | NOVEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCYOURHelping YouWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATESURg YougYouWSu Co-opPRE-OWNED EQUIPMENT CASE IH MAXXUM 5250 Cab 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25,900 CASE IH FARMALL 95A MFD Rops Tractor with Loader . . . . . Call CLAAS JAG 870 SP Forage Harvester 10’ pickup & 6row cornhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Call for more details/pricing CLAAS ORBIS 600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Call for Details www.caliberequipment.ca MONDAY-FRIDAY, 8-5 | CLOSED SATURDAYS604-864-2273 860 RIVERSIDE ROAD ABBOTSFORD Unstoppable. For more than 50 years.CLAAS 2800 Center Delivery Rotary Rake , Just in . . . . . . . . . 35,900 KUBOTA DMC8536T Mid Pivot Mower Conditioner REDUCED 27,900 LEMKEN Rubin 10 4meter High Speed Disk, Demo Unit . . . . 79,360 MCHALE R6878 Center Delivery Rotary Rake . . . REDUCED 37,900 NH T4.75 Tractor ROPS MFD with Loader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47,5000% for 36 months on CLAAS Haytoolsgrowers represent close to 75% of the co-op's apple volume when it closed. “Restructuring is what the [Companies Creditors Arrangement Act] process is meant to be about,” he says. “It’s not a way to sell o assets and shut down the company. If the board had wanted to declare bankruptcy, they should have used section 194.1 and 194.11 of the BC Cooperative Act, not the CCAA application.” The grower group has set its sights on acquiring the Oliver packing plant and has hired accounting rm MNP to create a business plan. The province has directed the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC to pay growers the full amounts owed them by the co-op and assume their position among the unsecured creditors. IAF will in turn recoup the funds through the court process, allowing growers to be paid immediately. The funds are unallocated provincial monies IAF held in trust for programming, and don't represent a new infusion from provincial coers. But Lalli cautions growers about accepting a payout. “I am worried that if growers cease being creditors, they will not have a voice in any restructuring process,” Lalli says. “It is the growers who own the cooperative.” It is unknown how many growers are pursuing this route to recoup funds owed them. There is a great deal of value in the co-op, Lalli adds, and he doesn’t think it should be sold o for less than it’s worth. “The liabilities are $58 million, compared to assets in the area of $106 million if properties are valued at market conditions,” he says. “The [Vaughan Avenue] property in downtown Kelowna is assessed at $21 million and listed at $28 million, but it is worth much more. It should not be sold o for some $20 million for a quick buck.” Lalli’s group would like to see the property rezoned, an idea he says Kelowna supports. “We have talked to the City of Kelowna about rezoning in order to get the maximum value and they are willing to help,” he says. “With restructuring, we can make the co-op the best place to pack growers’ fruit.” Growers Supply locations sold Court process set to wind up by DecemberPETER MITHAM KELOWNA – BC Supreme Court approved the sale of Growers Supply locations in Kelowna and Vernon in early October as part of the winding up of the operations of BC Tree Fruits Co-operative. Court documents dated October 16 show Edmonton developer Taz Holdings Ltd., acquired 2605 Acland Road, Kelowna, for $9.5 million. Abbotsford-based Stonemark Investments Ltd., owner of Ritchie-Smith Feeds, Buckereld’s and other farm supply businesses serving the Lower Mainland and southern Interior, had its bid for the store at 1200 Waddington Drive in Vernon approved October 4. The purchase price was $3.2 million. TerraLink agreed to acquire $5.5 million worth of chemicals and fertilizers. It bought the chemical inventory for 60% of book value, while fertilizer stocks were bought for 30% of book value. The remainder of the inventory, valued at $4.6 million, was handed to Maynards Liquidation Group. Proceeds of the sales have yet to be reported. The disposition of Growers Supply is the prelude to much larger deals subject to court approval. Co-op property at 880 Vaughan Avenue in Kelowna is under contract and expected to transact in early December. Details of the oer were not disclosed. Novem Pharmaceuticals Inc. is expected to close on its purchase of the co-op’s cold storage facility on Sexsmith Road in Kelowna on November 29, provided “certain conditions” are met by the end of October. The deal hinges on nancing from government, which was in caretaker mode during the election campaign that wound up October 19. The fate of the co-op’s Oliver packing house is also pending. An update in early October to the timeline for winding up the co-op set the outside date for court approval of asset sales at December 13. The conclusion of the court process will set the stage for the co-op’s nal annual meeting, which has been set for April 30, 2025.

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 9National award to honour David Schmidt’s legacyProvincial association also planning a memorial fundCountry Life in BC publisher Cathy Glover, left, associate editor Peter Mitham and writer Myrna Stark Leader attended the Canadian Farm Writers Federation awards dinner in Halifax. CFWF / LAUREN MILLERPETER MITHAM CHILLIWACK – This month marks a year since the death of long-time Country Life in BC contributor and editor emeritus David Schmidt, a respected gure at farm events around the province and among his peers within the Canadian Farm Writers Federation (CFWF). During its annual awards ceremony in Halifax on October 5, CFWF announced that it would honour Schmidt’s legacy through the David Schmidt New Writer of the Year Award. The award, not presented this year, was launched in 2022. It recognizes a new CFWF member based on three published items from the previous 12 months in any Canadian media outlet. Winners receive a $500 cash award in addition to a certicate. Judging is by a panel of three CFWF board members, lifetime members or senators. Schmidt was part of the inaugural judging committee in 2022, making the award a tting tribute to his contributions. Schmidt began writing for Country Life in BC in 1985, and soon after joined the BC Farm Writers’ Association and by extension the CFWF. He served as president of both organizations and in 2017 received CFWF’s lifetime achievement award. A champion of agriculture, he sought to understand situation and report the facts correctly. In addition, the BC Farm Writers’ Association is developing a special legacy award in Schmidt’s memory. Top honours This year saw the CFWF honour several writers and agricultural communicators from BC who continue to aspire to the high bar Schmidt set over his 38-year career. Country Life in BC took top honours in two categories, Production Photography and People Feature. Photographer Kari Lynn Turner won gold for Roll Call, a photo in the January 2023 paper showing the herd at Ogilvie Stock Ranch in Kamloops falling into line as a round bale is readied to roll out on a winter day. Nelson correspondent Brian Lawrence won gold for the People Feature category for “Growing opportunities for fellow farms,” a prole of Nathan Wild and Emily Woody of Conuence Farms near Castlegar, published in August 2023. August 2023 also saw publication of columnist Kathleen Gibson’s award-winning Viewpoint “Reconciliation is more than just a land deal.” The piece won bronze for opinion writing. The winning streak continued in the September issue, with two more bronze awards. Tracey Fredrickson’s prole “O-the-grid organic farm thrives on eciency,” which told the story of Gary Diers and Inanna Judd of Tipiland Organic Produce – now Argenta Farms – was the bronze recipient in the People Feature category. Tom Walker’s technical feature, “Grasslands take carbon storage underground,” in the same paper also received a bronze award. In the Business Economics Reporting category, associate editor Peter Mitham won bronze for his clear presentation of the nancial challenges facing the dairy sector in February 2023, “Dairy farmers on the brink.” Contributors to Country Life in BC also won honours for submissions elsewhere. Vancouver Island correspondent Kate Ayers won silver in the Communication Short • Increase milk production• Increase heat detection• Reduce hoof & leg injuries• Reduce cull rates1.877.966.3546agritraction.com | agritraction.ca CHILLIWACK, BCwww.tubeline.ca 1.888.856.6613@TubelineMFGFind us oncategory for her farm safety piece, “Rate of child on-farm injuries unchanged for decades,” in the Spring 2023 issue of BC Holstein News (now Western Canadian Dairy News). In addition, Seth Steward won silver in the Electronic Media (Video) category for Stronger Together, a nine-minute mini-documentary about Sumas Prairie farmers aected by the ooding that devastated many of the region’s agricultural operations in November 2021. The video was part of AgSafe BC’s larger mental wellness in agriculture initiative. CFWF’s annual awards competition attracted 149 submissions from across Canada in ve categories. A total of 48 awards were presented. Country Life in BC congratulates all the winners.

10 | NOVEMBER 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 SERVICESUBC agriculture dean heads to Albertaof its kind in BC. Its mandate is to ensure the global competitiveness of the province’s food and beverage processors by supporting industry training as well as collaboration between researchers and industry on the development of innovative and sustainable food and beverage products, including packaging. Kitts is also the son of Dr. Warren Kitts, who served as dean of the faculty from 1975 to 1984. Yada, for his part, has been a team builder during his term as dean, stewarding the faculty through a period where diversity and inclusion became watchwords. He joined the faculty in 2014 following a teaching career at the University of Guelph, succeeding Murray Isman, who had served nine years in the role on the heels of Moura Quayle. “I have truly enjoyed the last 10 years at UBC, my alma mater,” Yada said in a farewell note on his departure. “It’s also been a great privilege to meet so many people from government, industry and Expert farm taxation adviceApproved consultants for Government funding throughBC Farm Business Advisory Services ProgramEnderby 250-838-7337Armstrong 250-546-8665 |t1VSDIBTFBOETBMFPGGBSNTt5SBOTGFSPGGBSNTUPDIJMESFOt(PWFSONFOUTVCTJEZQSPHSBNTt1SFQBSBUJPOPGGBSNUBYSFUVSOTt6TFPG$BQJUBM(BJOT&YFNQUJPOT$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 BCcommunity organizations, as we worked together to address mutual challenges.” — Peter Mitham Wine Growers head to retire Wine Growers BC’s longest-serving president and CEO has announced his retirement. Miles Prodan, who joined Wine Growers BC in October 2010 as executive director, will step down December 31. The decision reects both his personal priorities and the evolving needs of the association, which has undergone signicant changes during his tenure. Wine Growers BC chair Paul Sawler said the transition “comes at a time when the organization is poised for a strategic shift in response to emerging industry challenges and opportunities.” Prior to joining Wine Growers BC – known then as the BC Wine Institute – Prodan spent ve years as executive director and international market development specialist with the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association. The experience made him the ideal candidate for advocating on behalf of the BC wine industry, which was aiming to grow its share of the BC and Alberta markets. During Prodan’s tenure with Wine Growers BC, the industry notched a 6.4% increase in provincial market share for BC VQA wines, which are made entirely with BC grapes, and the sector grew to an economic impact of $3.75 billion. The wine stores operated under licences held by the organization for market development were assigned to Pattison Food Group, creating a $20 million wholesale channel. However, a comprehensive review of the association’s governance model earlier this year underscored the need for changes in the role of the CEO. Prodan will continue to serve in a contract capacity during the transition in leadership to ensure a seamless handing over of the reins. While a timeline to select a new CEO has not been set, some of the rst tasks have already been dened. These include establishing new marketing and advocacy initiatives that build on past successes and address ongoing and emerging challenges facing the industry. Those challenges include supporting wineries through the massive replanting and rebuilding program following two years of severe freezes that have left Okanagan growers facing the loss of nearly 99% of their crop this year. — Peter Mitham BC seeks crop reporters The province hopes to recruit industry volunteers to report on agricultural production conditions across the province. A new interim dean has been appointed to lead the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC. David Kitts was appointed to the role, eective October 1, following the departure of Rickey Yada, who served as dean for 10 years. The appointment caps a distinguished 40-year career in the eld of food chemistry and nutritional sciences for Kitts. Joining the faculty in 2012, he was most recently associate dean of research, playing a lead role in launching UBC’s new Food and Beverage Innovation Centre, scheduled to open this fall. The 10,000-square-foot centre is a core facility for the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s BC Food Hub Network and will be the rst Ag Briefs PETER MITHAMBased on similar programs in Alberta and Saskatchewan, the new initiative in BC launched this year with a handful of reporters in nine regions across the province. Reporters complete a brief, ve-minute survey each week with questions about the conditions found in their local area. Reports document moisture and crop conditions, seeding and planting progress, crop damage, access to water, as well as forage supply and pasture conditions. “Reports can be used by producers, producer organizations, government, and others interested in keeping informed of current agricultural production conditions in regions throughout the province,” the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food notes. The use of volunteer reporting teams to collect information has been in place in Alberta since 1940, and Saskatchewan has more than 200 reporters contributing information on the province’s agricultural conditions. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has also recruited volunteers for its agroclimate impact reports, which help federal sta identify climate and weather-related risks to agriculture in regions across Canada. The responses in turn support federal planning and programs addressing weather-related risks. Uptake from BC has not been the same as in other provinces, however. A special call for BC reporters for the federal program in 2019 noted just two active contributors from BC versus dozens in Alberta. — Peter Mitham Subscribe for FREE today!FARM NEWS UPDATEScountrylifeinbc.com

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 11Investment Ag reports banner yearProgram administration fees approach $6 millionPETER MITHAM VICTORIA – Demand for program administration in the agriculture sector, primarily due to government largesse, drove the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC to new heights in its latest scal year. The foundation’s annual general meeting, held online September 26, reported that IAFBC administered a record 29 programs in the year ended March 31, 2024. A total of $106.2 million, up 496% from a year earlier, from six funding partners was contracted for total funds administered of $133.4 million. A total of $39.5 million was disbursed to 2,032 projects. “The book of business is much larger than it used to be,” IAFBC chair Jack DeWit told Country Life in BC. “We had to bring on a bunch of new sta and get all the work done. It was denitely out of the ordinary with all the new programs that had to be developed and all the applications that needed to be processed.” The provincial government’s $200 million investment in food security over three years, announced in March 2023, drove much of the activity. IAFBC is entrusted with $100 million worth of programming under the food security initiative. A host of emergency response and resiliency programs add to IAFBC’s work, including recent iterations of the perennial crop renewal (replant) programs, agriculture water infrastructure program and Emergency Weather Preparedness. IAFBC also administers long-standing initiatives such as the Environmental Farm Plan and Benecial Management Practices programs, both of which were acquired in 2021 from ARDCorp, a BC Agriculture Council subsidiary formally wound up last year. “Sta, the leadership team and all the employees have stepped up to the plate,” DeWit says. “It’s still a work in progress as we speak and will be for the next couple of years until all the funds have been distributed and everything has worked through.” Operating revenues soar The volume of business has been a boon for the foundation, established in 1996 with a mandate to administer federal and provincial industry development programs. Operating revenues come from administration fees, which soared to more than $5.9 million last year from $2.4 million a year earlier. This was good news, given that IAFBC has been working to wean itself from dependence on the Growing Agriculture Trust established in 2021 with a vision of creating new programs to benet agriculture. “It was denitely a year where we were able to exceed our operation costs with admin fees, and we didn’t have to take any money from the trust fund. These are all good signs,” DeWit says. The fund has recovered to $18 million following a slump during the market downturn of the past couple of years. The fund is allocated 55% to xed-income investments and 45% to equities. DeWit isn’t taking the current boom in programming for granted, noting that the money being channelled to the sector is unusual. “The government is our No. 1 customer, but we are looking at other opportunities; we have the infrastructure and the sta to do dierent businesses that come along,” he says. “There are a lot of dierent organizations that have money that is out there to be applied for.” To keep costs in check, IAFBC has limited its directors to nine, achieving that this year with the departure of Angela Groothof as recording secretary. DeWit, Irmi Critcher and Dave Eto returned to the board for additional terms. This year’s meeting was short and sweet, lasting little more than 45 minutes, with 37 people in attendance. “We did what we had to do; we did our reporting and gave everybody the numbers,” DeWit says. “We oered the opportunity for questions; there was zero.” TRACTOR TIME VICTORIA 250.474.3301 | 4377C Metchosin Rd. 30 mins from Victoria & 15 mins from Hwy#1 in Metchosin.HANDLERS EQUIPMENTABBOTSFORD 604.850.3601 | 2635 Sumas Mountain Rd.HOUSTON 250.845.3333 | 2990 Highway Crescenthandlersequipment.comtractortime.com0%FOR 84MONTHSOn Select Models. Financing programs are subject to change at any time.MAHINDRA 6075WE HAVE MOVEDHYUNDAI HL955AIAFBC CHAIR JACK DEWITFARM NEWS UPDATEScountrylifeinbc.comSign upfor FREE today!YOURHelping YoupEEYOURHelping YouHelping pingpngYouniillHHpingoelpi

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 13Island winery closes amid “perfect storm” Interest rate hikes, tourism lows take tollLinda and Mark Holford are calling it quits after 20 years of winemaking on Vancouver Island as post-pandemic demand tanked this year's sales. FACEBOOK / ROCKY CREEK WINERYGreenhouse Ground CoverGreenhouse FilmProtection NetsMulch Film Landscaping FabricsShade Nets Bale WrapsBunker CoversSilage BagsTwine & Net WrapsHay TarpsForage & Grain Seed1.800.663.6022office@silagrow.com5121 - 46 Ave S.E. Salmon Arm, BCPick Up & Delivery Only 112-18860 24 Ave. Surrey, BCNOW AVAILABLETrellis NettingsandPolycarbonate Panelssilagrow.comKATE AYERS COWICHAN BAY – After two decades of business on Vancouver Island, Rocky Creek Winery closed its doors on October 13. “As a small business, as farmers, we've managed to survive for 20 years and there are ups and downs,” says winery co-owner and president Linda Holford. “But for some reason this down isn't recovering and we just can't wait another year.” Holford and her husband Mark have a ve-acre vineyard, with an estate winery and tasting room in Cowichan Bay. While the couple overcame challenges and celebrated successes through the years, COVID-19 ultimately ended their business. “We've been struggling for the last four years since COVID and [especially] the last two years after the interest rates got raised so high and so quickly. Everyone's excited that the interest rates are going down, but it's [a] snail’s pace compared to how quickly they were put up,” Holford says. “It went from like one month I was paying a normal bill and then the next month I've lost a third of my operating budget just to pay interest. We thought the loans were a lifeline. Now they’re a noose.” At the onset of the pandemic, Holford applied to the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) program, which provided eligible small businesses and not-for-prots up to $60,000 in emergency funding through loans that were initially interest-free and partially forgivable. Businesses that repaid their CEBA loans before January 18, 2024 were forgiven $20,000 of the principal. Following that date, interest increased to 5% per annum. To avoid higher payments, Holford paid o the loan with a line of credit, which was on top of a variable rate business loan. From records of past seasons, she gured that strong summer tourism trac would cover the debt, minimizing the impact of higher interest costs. But trac in August and September that usually generates enough revenue to carry the business through until spring, didn’t show up. “This year, tourism was so bad for us,” Holford says. “The numbers have been the worst in 19 years. … We thought, we just have to cut the cord and nish because I can't keep doing this.” Tourism slump Wine Growers BC board chair Paul Sawler says tourism was also down in the Okanagan, but he believes economics is a bigger factor in the challenges BC wineries are facing. While larger wineries can take advantage of wholesale markets, small and medium-sized wineries take a greater hit from lower tourism numbers that rob them of direct sales, Sawler adds. Holford says there’s been a long-term shift in consumer expectations when they visit wineries. “Wine touring is changing. It's not like I'm going to wineries and I want to learn your story and talk about wine. I'm seeing a lot more tour operators and it's more like, ‘let's go around and party’ versus let's learn about farming,” Holford says. The couple have bulk wine and grapes for sale but no one in BC is interested in buying despite the decimation of the domestic grape crop, Holford says. Instead, Okanagan growers are sourcing grapes from Washington due to a similarity in terroir. Sawler adds that most grape contracts are signed in May and June, meaning grapes made available this fall are late to the party. “We had to make those commitments very early,” he says. While the Holfords had visions of retiring on their estate, they’re now forced to sell their equipment and property. “We have no options on that one. We have to sell it, or I don't know what's going to happen,” Holford says. The property is listed for just short of $1.4 million, but there’s been limited interest. “It's been like a ghost town since we put things on our website,” Holford says. “I just can't nd anyone to buy. … The foreign buyers aren't coming in anymore and, after all the publicity of what's been going on, I don't think a lot of Canadians want to buy a winery. … I'm talking about that perfect storm. There are all these little factors that are adding up, oddities that I can't recover from.” Sawler says the Holfords aren’t alone. “In March 2023, there were 330 licensed grape wineries LANGLEY CHILLIWACK CHEMAINUS KELOWNA rollinsmachinery.com 1-800-665-9060USED TRACTORS NH T5070 cab, loader, no bucket, 6,335 hours, 2012 (CNS830)............... 68,000 NEW HOLLAND T3.60F ROPS, 1,200 hours, 2020 ..................................... 39,000 NEW HOLLAND TN60SA super steer, turf tires, 2004 (U40235) ............. 20,000 FORD 7740 cab, 2WD, one owner, 11,300 hrs, new tires, 1992 (U33681). 19,500 FORD 1200, SL ldr, weight block, blade, new turf tires, 1982 (CNS831) ...... 12,500 QUALITY USED EQUIPMENT MCHALE FUSION Vario baler-wrapper, 14,000 bales, spare belt (U32135) CALL POETTINGER NOVACAT 301 + A9 triple DMC, rubber roll (U33674, U33675) ........................................................................................... 79,500 NH FP240 chopper, 3PN corn, crop proc [CNS786] ............................... 47,500 SUPREME 500T mixer wagon, good shape, 2017 (U33686)..................... 45,000 NH BC5070 small square baler, 2019, like new [U33470]......................... 42,000 VERMEER TM1400 mower, 18’, 2015 (U33591) .......................................... 37,800 CLAAS VOLTO 1320 T tedder (U33680) ...................................................... 33,000 Perfect storm u

14 | NOVEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCCranberry crop trending below five-year averageQuality suffering due to dry weather, harvest delaysWhile he normally manages the cattle side of the business, Brad Hopcott was the king of the world harvesting cranberries on a sunny mid-October day at Pitt Meadows' Hopcott Farms. RONDA PAYNEin the Pitt and Fraser rivers have made for a challenging year. “Water has delayed us tremendously this year. In Pitt Meadows, it’s always been a struggle.” Hopcott’s rst berries were ready early but BC Cranberry Growers Association executive director Mike Wallis says many growers are a couple of weeks later than usual because overnight lows – similar to 2022 – aren’t low enough for berries to colour up. Others are delaying harvest due to low water levels. “Harvest is proceeding smoothly with quality and quantity and we are condent that all growers will have a safe and highly productive harvest,” says Stephanie Nelson, chair of the BC Cranberry Marketing Commission. Pricing forecasts from Ocean Spray are on par with last year, according to Hopcott, though domestic consumption is dropping back to pre-pandemic levels. A 2020 viral TikTok video of Idaho Falls resident Nathan Apodaca skateboarding, drinking cranberry juice and lip-syncing to Fleetwood Mac’s song “Dreams” contributed to stronger interest in cranberry juice among younger consumers during the pandemic. However, Hopcott says few visitors to the farm mention it now. Cranberries are largely pest-tolerant. While blackworm and reworm can be issues, they are also relatively easy to control. Weeds like horsetail are also problematic, but not this year. BC’s cranberry harvest will be 95% complete by the rst week of November. 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They’re engineered from the ground up, then tested in the harshest conditions around the world, for more power, versatility and long-lasting operation. These machines are purpose-built to provide unmatched lift capacity and the power to pull heavier implements through the toughest jobs, with the next-level comfort of our deluxe cab and features. Come demo the 6700 Series today, and don’t be surprised if this ends up being the last tractor you ever buy. IT’S THE MOST POWERFUL HEAVYWEIGHT IN ITS CLASS. RONDA PAYNE PITT MEADOWS – Cranberry growers are seeing a decline in yields this year, pulling down overall harvest volumes. This year’s harvest began on September 16, and all signs point to a harvest short of the ve-year average of nearly 945,000 barrels. “It’s not a lot below the ve-year average,” says Travis Hopcott of Hopcott Farms in Pitt Meadows. “But it doesn’t seem like it’s going to get better.” Newly renovated elds are providing good volumes of fruit to Ocean Spray receiving stations this year, but the grower-owned co-op doesn’t feel it will be enough to oset lower yields. Worse, fruit quality is also down. Growers used to having 90% to 95% usable berries are achieving about 85% this year, Ocean Spray reports. The cause is undetermined at this point. “If the trend is 85% usable, we’ll probably be the same,” says Hopcott. “But I’ll be disappointed if we’re not in the 90s.” Quality doesn’t improve the longer the fruit is in the eld, and Hopcott says harvest was delayed this year for a number of reasons. “We were ready [to harvest] the rst week of September, but the receiving station wasn’t open and there wasn’t enough water,” he says. “It’s taken forever to ood. We haven’t delivered anything [to the receiving station] so we don’t know what our own quality and yield will be yet.” Water is an ongoing issue as it’s essential for ooding bogs to enable harvest but a dry fall and low stream ows u Perfect stormlisted in British Columbia. Today, there are 307. That's not an insignicant drop,” he says. “I'm sure all of these people have their own stories and it's not all pandemic funding, it's not all tourism. But there's certainly been pressure on wineries in general. It's not a one-o thing.” Nevertheless, the Holfords are grateful for their loyal customers and community, who rallied around them during the pandemic and drove online sales to new heights. “Farm life is a passionate sort of community,” she says, “and without that community I wouldn't be here for 20 years. I want to thank everyone that has been a part of this.”

New standards close loop on greenhouse pesticide leaksCertification isn’t the hassle it’s made out to be, say growersConsultant Jeanine West, centre, spoke to BC Landscape and Nursery Association members about how to apply for Protected Agriculture Stewardship certication and why it’s important. RONDA PAYNECOUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 15595 Acre Active Ranch 5 Titles | $3,250,0005770 Spring Lake Rd, 100 Mile, BCLEADER IN AGRICULTURAL SALES IN THE FRASER VALLEY WITH OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCEBare lot - 4.5 +/- Acres of Blueberries | $485,000T 604 793 8138 | bryanvanhoepen.com | 23.85 Acres | $2,270,0002689 Sutherland Road Agassiz, BC Custom home 5 acres w/horse barn & 7,000 hedging trees | $2,850,00010862 McSween Rd Chilliwack, BCSOLDSOLDSOLDSOLDLot 21 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BCSOLDRONDA PAYNE LANGLEY – Greenhouse growers who require Protected Agriculture Stewardship (PAS) certication to be able to buy pest control products were encouraged by recent comments that the process wasn’t as bad as expected. Burnaby Lake Greenhouses production manager Ken Van der Ende spoke about his experience in obtaining certication as part of a panel at the Grow West Coast conference put on by the BC Landscape and Nursery Association at KPU Langley on September 27. “We heard about it rst in 2020. We forgot all about it, then it came back,” Van der Ende says of the PAS program. “The chemical companies were behind it, so it wasn’t going to go away. In the end, it was a good process.” Widespread rumblings specic to greenhouse chemical use causing water quality issues began around 2016 and led to the national PAS standards coming into eect on May 19, 2023. CropLife Canada and the Agrichemical Warehouse Standards Association manage the PAS program processes including the training of auditors and issuing certicates. All greenhouse operators started having to show certication when purchasing any registered pest control product in January 2024. “There’s going to be a cost [to prove standards are met],” Van der Ende says. “But the rationale to that cost is we can’t produce our crops without it.” Jeanine West, a consultant with Ontario-based PhytoServ, works with both nursery and oriculture greenhouse operations and has been assisting growers with earning their certications. “My interest is making it make sense,” she says. “The real question is, why did we have to do this in the rst place?” She explains that watercourses in areas with greenhouses tested positive for chemicals used in greenhouse production. Creators of those products, including Bayer, BASF and Syngenta, needed users to be environmentally responsible so they backed the creation of the PAS program. West says greenhouses represent a risk because chemicals are sometimes discharged “through the pipe out the back door” and there is no breakdown of chemicals when they reach the water. In an open growing environment, chemicals pass through the soil and may have an opportunity to break down. “We are not the biggest sector for these companies,” West says. “We want to be responsible.” There are two categories of greenhouse growers in the PAS program. Category 1 growers have closed-loop systems where irrigation and chemicals are delivered via pipes or other conveyance systems with no release of materials outside the greenhouse. These growers need certication and are inspected by auditors who observe the greenhouse systems. They determine the issuing of a basic certicate, which has four mandatory protocols, or a certicate of excellence, which has 19 protocols in addition to the four mandatory ones. The rst step is registering and obtaining a temporary PAS certicate and an auditor will be assigned. “It’s about risk,” West says. “If you’re part of both [categories] you’re still considered category 1. If you’re in doubt, talk to your association or contact CropLife.” Closing the loop One of the mandatory protocols is a water management assessment demonstrating that closed-loop systems are in fact closed. “It’s proving that there’s no valve at the bottom letting the pipe ow into the creek,” she says. Several types of tests are used to check the integrity of water management, including dye, pressure and fog. “This is where there is a ton of exibility, in the test methods,” West says. “The program itself is intended to be exible while still addressing risk.” Certification supports u

16 | NOVEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Certification supports good greenhouse managementTesting is required every six years unless there are major changes to the operation’s systems. Growers need to recertify every two years. Category 2 growers have open systems, such as hoop houses or benches on a soil base. These growers need to complete a declaration about their operation and only need to show a PAS waiver when purchasing pest control products. Those who don’t use pesticides don’t need to register for either a waiver or certicate. Art Guite is a Langley consultant and PAS auditor. He’s had 75 greenhouses assigned to him in BC. “We’ve had 25 who have completed the audits,” he says “And 40 have had the info sent to them. When they’re ready for it, they’ll get in touch with me and that will be when they can’t get chemicals.” Ten of the 75 were Category 2 growers and were eliminated from the list. Guite also works with resellers of chemicals so that they ask for certication. He cautions growers to know if they are Category 1 or Category 2 and not to allow chemical sellers to automatically note them as Category 1. He advises that growers “don’t get scared about it,” because it’s a good management program that is keeping safety at the forefront and allowing for continued access to chemicals. “If you’re using integrated pest management systems or GAP programs, if you’re complying with these, you’re likely okay anyway,” he says. Water systems specialist Micah Butler, with Dordt Water Management in Ontario, says the PAS program information was confusing at rst, but the application of the protocols is practical. He has been helping his clients prepare for the auditor visit and testing. “It’s been good for me getting involved with growers,” he says. “It’s been rewarding as well. I’ve got no interest in pushing them to do it, but they’re going to have to do it.” The reward of going through the process is truly closing the loop of a closed-loop system and there are additional benets over time. One of the most common vulnerabilities he sees in a greenhouse is the oor drain. “It helped growers reintegrate their water, and the fertilizer and other chemicals,” he says of ensuring the loop is closed. Dropping a dye tablet in the water system and looking at the ponds and creeks isn’t practical in large irrigation systems, Butler says, adding that the exibility around testing is a good thing. He has used a mix of visual inspections and dye but mostly pressure testing. “There is a range of ways to do the tests,” he explains. The process of readying for the test was done in-house at Burnaby Lake Greenhouses, says Van der Ende. The 36 acres of buildings were originally built in 1982 with the most recent major construction in 2004. “We have a lot of dierent systems, so we had to do it in-house,” he explains. “The whole facility was tested in a day once we gured it out.” He described the test as “simple” once they were prepared. The additional benet was that the sta member who managed the system was retiring and the system needed to be dened. The need for PAS testing forced the process forward. While Van der Ende was reluctant about the process, he says it wasn’t as expensive as it might have been because the preparations were done in-house. “We all want to see less pesticides in our water,” says West. “We all want to see compliance with label requirements and continued access to agri-chemicals.” She adds that there is no plan to expand the program beyond greenhouse growers at this point. CropLife Canada will no longer sell pesticides to greenhouse growers who lack Protected Agriculture Stewardship certication. FILE

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 17BCLNA budget deficits continue Optimism prevails as cost savings kick inPaula Baxter hangs out with Mike Kato and John Doe at the BC Landscape and Nursery Association AGM in Langley, September 27. RONDA PAYNERONDA PAYNE LANGLEY – The 71st annual general meeting of the BC Landscape and Nursery Association at KPU in Langley on September 27 had some nancial downsides, but optimism prevailed through the meeting and into the picnic-style get together that followed. “There have been some turbulent times in the last few years,” says BCLNA chair Paula Baxter. “I feel like we are turning a corner.” Baxter expressed her condence in Coreen Rodger Berrisford, who took on the role of chief operating ocer last year and will have her title changed to executive director this year. “We had a lot of education events this year as well, like pruning and irrigation workshops, IPM workshops, and we launched a new communication tool,” Baxter says. The member info-blast known as the Friday File was transformed into a topic-specic e-blast and monthly bulletin including more information about the board and sta to improve transparency with members. Downsizing to a new Abbotsford oce space shared with the BC Agriculture Council and subletting its Langley oce, helped trim expenses. While the 2024/2025 picture is greatly improved, it isn’t quite smooth sailing. “The good nancial market conditions have favoured growth in investment income for the association and some of the earnings from that investment have been used to help oset the year’s operational costs,” BCLNA treasurer Simon Traskey notes in the report, delivered in absentia. “The budget income had been overestimated for 2023/2024. A reduction in membership was signicant in this regard.” Chris Draaistra, the landscape chair, presented more detail on Traskey’s behalf. “We’ve been very conservative with our plan for the coming year to be realistic,” he says. “The income is o by about $500,000 from last year.” This reduction in income was due to reductions in federal and provincial grants, which Draaistra says have changed considerably. This cut the income line to $79,000 from $149,000 in the previous year. Almost all expense items were also cut, including subcontractor costs since permanent sta were added. “We realize that there’s a cash crunch in the association so we’re just going to have to manage things better,” Draaistra says. Nevertheless, the budget projects a $92,000 decit and is expected to draw on the legacy fund to meet the shoftfall. The organization has total assets of $3.6 million, with $1.3 million held in the industry development council fund. Thanks to strong investment gains, last year ended in the black instead of the decit projected. Rodger Berrisford committed to getting the organization out of its decit position. “In the next two years, our board is committed to getting those numbers on the right side,” she says. “BCLNA has been working with some signicant challenges. There are signicant infrastructure needs.” A highlight of the year was the 22 applications to the National Landscape Awards of Excellence. Two of these BC projects were acknowledged among the just 15 Circle of Excellence award recipients from across the country. The BCLNA Code of Ethics was updated and passed in a special resolution “to strengthen respectful communication,” says Baxter. There were also changes to the bylaws for gender neutrality and revisions to meet the Societies Act. There were no changes to the board as all previous members stood for re-election. There were no new nominations so all were elected by acclamation. The late Hedy Dyck, who served BCLNA for more than 20 years, was part of the meeting’s new business. Mike Kato of Kato’s Nursery noted a garden will be built in Chilliwack, where Dyck grew up, to honour her. The Green Cities Foundation will fund the project. Heike Stippler, BCLNA’s Canadian Nursery Landscape Association director, says that in her last year of life, Dyck requested the BCLNA donate to the Green Cities Foundation which turns unused or non-beautied spaces into attractive areas. “It’s logical to use this in turn to honour her,” Stippler says. “We’re going to brainstorm some possible locations and some ideas of things to do. Kato says the committee will talk to the City of Chilliwack to nd a suitable spot for the memorial. “It’s going to be a great legacy for Hedy,” he says. Join Innovative producers, ranchers and farmers from BC, Alberta and the Pacific NorthwestLower Mainland Horticulture Conference Ag Innovation Forum | BC Dairy Lunch & Learn

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 19Saanich vegetable grower Katie Underwood had great success with her radishes this year, but carrots planted in soil incorporating compost from a local supplier were a disappointment. SUBMITTED KATE AYERS SAANICHTON – Small-scale organic market gardeners in Saanich and the Saanich Peninsula have few options when it comes to fertilizers and soil amendments, meaning growers often work with whatever they can get. “There's really no animal manure from organic animals available, so getting animal manure is tough,” says Saanichton’s Northbrook Farm owner and former Organic BC president Heather Stretch. “Due to our high land prices and our topography and all kinds of other limiting factors, it's difficult for most farmers in this region to have our own livestock.” According to Statistics Canada, Vancouver Island had 177 beef and 52 dairy farms in 2021, down from 332 beef and 83 dairy farms in 2016. The most ideal situation would be to have a closed-loop system where on-farm livestock could provide soil fertility, but that isn’t practical for most small-scale island farms, Stretch explains. For many years, Island producers used Sea Soil from Port McNeill, created from a mixture of fish, bark and other organic matter from the logging sector. However, the company recently ceased selling in bulk to farmers in favour of 32-litre plastic bags for home gardeners. Producers now have only a handful of retailers that sell products listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute for use in certified organic systems, and suppliers have little incentive to batch-test their composts because growers have no other option. “Why would they go to that extra expense?”Stretch asks. “And all of us are really, really stretched right now with labour costs and input costs going up. Price pressure is very, very real. For me as a producer, even adding that extra $100 for nutrient testing of each batch of compost just isn't going to happen. There's just no margin to do that, unfortunately.” That occasionally creates problems for growers. Crop failures Katie Underwood of Saanich’s Peas n’ Carrots Farm and Katy Emmanuel of North Saanich’s Tiny Farm Food believe that compost from the same source, Farm to Garden Organics in Victoria, may have caused repeat crop failures in their operations. Underwood bought three batches of compost from the supplier and began using it in summer 2023. Poor carrot germination occurred where she had applied and incorporated the compost, though she acknowledges several factors could be at play. “When my carrots did not germinate last fall, I asked for a test of the batch that I purchased, but they informed me that they didn't have a test from that batch, so they gave me a test from a different batch,” Underwood says. This year’s early-season seedlings had a 10% germination rate where compost was applied. By July, Underwood had harvested just five bunches of carrots from a 60-foot bed. “I've missed out on four successions of carrots, which are huge sellers for me, and other direct-sown crops, too,” she says. “I've had great success with transplanted crops after removing the element of screened compost in my transplants.” With three batches of compost in the soil, Underwood will take a third of her half-acre plot out of production next season in the hopes of remediating the area with cover crops. Underwood asked Farm & Rural ResidentialProperties in the Peace Country are our specialtyAnne H. ClaytonMBA, P App AACI, RIAppraiserJudi LeemingBHE, P App CRAAppraiser250.782.1088info@aspengrovepropertyservices.ca www.aspengrovepropertyservices.caFarmers hamstrung by lack of compostBad compost blamed for Saanich crop failuresGermination rates plummet uDon’t forget to RENEW yourSubscription.USED EQUIPMENT NH 1036 BALE WAGON, 70 BALES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500 SHAVER #10 POST DRIVER, SKIDSTEER MOUNT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,500 JD 568 2012 ROUND BALER, 17,000 BALES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL JD 348 SMALL SQUARE BALER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,500 KUHN FC 353GC 11’ 6” CENTRE PIVOT MOW/COND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL KUB RTV900 2008, 3,200 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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20 | NOVEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Germination rates plummetBAA@L=QERIIPFKPQA=@LBPQO=TҶ Nutrient CompositionҶ Small Particle SizeҶ Excellent Pource ofBbbre (NDF)Ҷ Blkpepq`kqSrmmhvҶ ԣ50% cost of PtrawҫCM][pepҬWhyXl]Oat hulls an effective ^ilX`]]rn]h\]l for siol rations?LIMITED AVAILABILITYFKQEABO=PAOS=IIAV=K@FKQAOFLO>?CALL ORQE FOR MORE INFORMATION:ҶҶSejeh[oqlRv`Sqo[tMixes EfficientlyPerfect for Sqo[tR`mh[^`j`kqNo long-term Ptorage OequiredFeed Cost SavingsFeed Cost SavingsҼenvironmental engineering companies about comprehensive soil and batch tests, but she found the cost was often more than an entire load of compost. On October 10, Underwood raised the topic of organic compost testing at a Peninsula and Area Agriculture Commission meeting but with just one supplier of organic compost, she feels stuck. “It's set me back. I'm not meeting my financial goals and I'm not meeting my customers’ expectations,” she says. Farm to Garden Organics did not respond to a request for comment before deadline. Emmanuel bought five yards of compost in May from the same supplier, and she believes the product was not composted properly, which has resulted in some financial loss. “I tarped it because rain was coming, and within a couple weeks I had less than half of the compost I started with it. It had just broken down so quickly,” she says. “It clearly was not properly composted when I got it for more than half of it to disappear.” Emmanuel suggests the compost was too hot and thereby detrimental to all the plants she grew in it. “Everything just died or has not performed well that was planted where I spread it,” she says. She requested a batch test and received one from January. When she followed up about more recent comprehensive batch testing, the company did not respond. “There's that lack of transparency and sending an outdated test result doesn't actually give me any information,” Emmanuel says. In a different but similar instance, a wholesale non-organic grower in Saanich, who requested anonymity, purchased four cubic yards of potting mix from Peninsula Landscape Supplies Ltd. in Sidney. The company told them that the product was used by reputable growers in the area, which later was found to be a false claim. “They didn’t want you to go there when they were mixing it,” the source says. “It wasn’t until we seeded everything … and watering it that the dirt washed down, and the sand came to the top. Sand was not an ingredient when I called these people and it was chocker-block full of sand.” The batch they received resulted in boron toxicity and high salt content in the soil as well as brown root rot fungus in the plants, which was confirmed by tests at both a private lab and the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food. This year’s germination rate was around 50% versus a typical rate of 95%. “The farm is going down. We were just absolutely rattled and devastated. … We are toast,” they say. Peninsula Landscape Supplies did not respond to a request for comment before deadline. Fortunately, the South Island’s tight-knit group of producers can be a support network when trying to trouble-shoot issues and identify reliable suppliers. “What does help are organizations like the South Island Farmers Institutes and Young Agrarians, and the social networks that exist among organic farmers,” Stretch says. “That peer-to-peer knowledge sharing is hugely helpful in not necessarily filling in the gaps of compost availability, but at least crowdsourcing knowledge of how best to mitigate the challenges.” Study shows Island producers face steep fertilizer costs Fertilizer and organic input costs are higher in Vancouver Island and Pemberton than the Lower Mainland, research shows. BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food climate change extension specialist Amy Norgaard conducted a study in 2018 and 2019 as part of her master’s studies at UBC. She observed 20 mixed vegetable farms across three regions that all used organic inputs. “We did note that the cost of inputs used by farms in the trials were higher in Pemberton and on Vancouver Island, compared to the lower Fraser Valley,” Norgaard says. “We didn't nd any major dierences between Pemberton and Vancouver Island, through … denitely some of the most expensive composts we saw being used were on Vancouver Island.” The research team drew the association between high-density livestock areas and greater availability and aordability of those livestock manures, which is what they saw in the lower Fraser Valley. The team also found that winter cover crops serve Island farms well in providing soil fertility. “Vancouver Island farmers denitely benet from favourable conditions for growing winter cover crops and those winter cover crops can be a really valuable source of carbon and nitrogen, which are kind of the two pieces that compost and manure are seen as being a valuable source of,” Norgaard says. “There are obviously other nutrients in compost and manures, but manures are really major sources of carbon for a lot of farms. So, these farms at least can benet from being able to grow some winter cover crops.” Producers with valid Environmental Farm Plans can apply for funding through the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC’s Benecial Management Practices program to help cover the costs of cover cropping for soil health and erosion control and nutrient management planning, which includes compost and manure testing. —Kate Ayers

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 21Native knowledge, good practices lead range tourGood management practices essential to grassland healthSixty-ve members of the Pacic Northwest Society of Range Management (including 10 or so members from the US) toured three sites around Merritt as part of their annual general meeting, October 2. TOM WALKERHELLO BC CATTLEPRODUCERSThere is no need to run your cows through two or three times for lice control. Let a Lewis cattle oiler do the work for you.Time to think about lice control.email: audreycifca@gmail.com395 Kinchant Street, Quesnel, B.C. V2J 5A3Producers can apply for an advance on calves, yearlings, lambs, bison, forage and grain up to $1,000,000.00 with the rst $250,000.00 being interest free. Plus, interest relief through the Advance Payments Program is available to association members on their feeder cattle purchases.TOM WALKER MERRITT – The BC chapter of the Pacic Northwest Section Society of Range Management held its annual general meeting and eld tour in Merritt, October 2. “Field days and workshops have been the primary way SRM has supported the sharing of information to its members,” says Greg Tegart, second vice-president of the BC chapter and one of the tour organizers. “They provide an opportunity to see the range environment and observe responses to management practices. People are able to share and discuss ideas and develop friendships.” The day began at Laurie Guichon Memorial Grasslands Interpretive Site, a development constructed about 10 km south of Merritt and maintained by the Nicola Watershed Community Round Table. The site honours Guichon, a Nicola Valley rancher who was an active member of the round table and envisioned an interpretive centre as a way to promote grasslands to the greater public. “The story goes that Laurie was on a bus tour from the Lower Mainland coming into the Nicola Valley when someone remarked, “It sure is a shame they cut down all of those trees,” recalls Rachel Riley in her introductory remarks for the day. “That was when he decided to dedicate his life to teaching about the grasslands and all that they provide to us.” And they provide a lot. “Grasslands are an integral part of who were are,” says David Walkem, a Cooks Ferry Indian Band member and stewardship advisor with the Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly based in Merritt. “They provide food for our people and are part of the concept of ‘Tmixw’ – everything you see around us.” Walkem says the Sylix (Okanagan) and Secwe’pemc (Shuswap) peoples who shared the area understood and had words to describe how plants relate with one another and grew together. “Then when I studied for my forestry degree I was learning about relationships in ecosystems from textbooks,” he says. “It is ultra-important that all of us who use this Tmixw’ learn to work together to better manage it.” Native grasslands cover less than 1% of BC’s land base, but stretch as far as the eye can see when you look out from the city of Merritt. “Grasslands and the ranches that are based here create the rst dollars that drive the economy in our Monitoring grassland health u

22 | NOVEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCLong-time SRM members Rob Dinwoodie, left, Mike Malm, centre, and current PNWSRM president Tim Ross, right, inspect a Gallagher tumblewheel that acts as a post for electric fencing and makes it easy to roll the fence line to a new location. TOM WALKERu Monitoring grassland healthProducer Check-o Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333Einbock 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.comvalley,” notes rancher John Anderson. “That is particularly important now that the last of the four lumber mills in the valley has an empty log yard, and the copper mine is projected to close in two to three years.” A key part of stewarding grasslands and rangelands is monitoring their health, which allows ranchers to make informed management decisions, notes Mike Dedels, executive director of the Grassland Conservation Council of BC, referencing the Grasslands Monitoring Manual for British Columbia, which GCC rst published in 2009. “Laurie Guichon was a member of the GCC and provided a valuable rancher’s viewpoint in the early days of the organization,” Dedels adds. “Ranchers will want to monitor for ecosystem health and production.” SRM past-president Wendy Gardner, an assistant professor at Thompson Rivers University, led attendees through the ve key indicators that the monitoring manual considers. “There are ve booklets that lead you through topics that will enable you to score your grassland site … against a reference example that would be typical for the region where your site is located,” says Gardner. “We developed the tool to be as user-friendly as possible for ranchers. It looks at plant communities, but it also looks at key indicators that score back to ecological processes.” The monitoring tool rst evaluates the composition of the plant community, an estimate of the bunchgrass cover of the site. Next, it looks at the plant community structure, determining if the expected plant layers are present. Thirdly, nutrient and hydrological cycling functions are gauged by assessing the litter and/or biological crust available at the site. Site stability is considered next as existing or potential erosion on the site is evaluated, and lastly the presence and problem of invasive plants is measured. Timing of your assessment is important, Dedels notes. “You should be consistent and sample at the same time every year,” he says. “If you are monitoring a pasture that is grazed in May, you would want to do your sampling in late June after the pasture has had time to regrow.” The sight selected for sampling should support the type of information being sought to direct management, Gardner says, adding that notes and photos really enhance the breadth of knowledge collected. “You can go back a couple of years later and really compare your site development,” he says. “If you don’t like what you see out here, the question you have to ask yourself is what can I do to change things,” Gardner says. “Do I change when I am putting cattle out here, do I change the time I put them out, or do I change the duration? What can you do with your management practices to achieve the objectives that you have?” The latest (2019) range monitoring tool is available online at [bcgrasslands.org/ resources/]. Electric fencing was the topic of the afternoon session led by members of the Small-Scale Meat Producers Association. Rancher Nelson Patry shared how he used electric fencing this past August to rotationally graze eight yearlings. “A third cut on this pasture isn’t that great and I wanted to start some rotational grazing. I developed a rotational grazing plan with Environmental Farm Plan consultant Rob Dinwoodie,” Patry explains. “We used the electric fence to move the cattle across the six-acre pasture over a 26-day period.” The electric fence was very eective, Patry notes. “I only needed one strand and it only took one touch for the cows to stay away from it,” he says. “My aim was to improve soil health and organic matter. I do soil tests year over year on this eld, so I am interested to see the results this fall.” One look at the thick grass and alfalfa mix gives an indication of pasture health. “I was really surprised at the level of regrowth that happened and I was able to put the animals back across half of the eld for a second pass,” Patry says. “I expect we will have even better results after our second and third years.” The fence required minimal work, Patry says. “I moved the line once a day and it really only takes the time to walk up to the top of the eld pulling out posts, moving the line forward and, putting the posts back in as you walk back down,” he explains. Patry says the cows eagerly moved forward onto new grass when he moved the wire each day, but the alfalfa grass did not give the best weight gains. “Feed this rich will move through the cows’ digestive system pretty quickly,” he notes. “I estimate that the weight gain was about the same as on range, but I have improved this pasture at the same time.”

Field days give farmers the dirt on soil managementRegular, consistent sampling can reveal long-term trendsKootenay & Boundary Farm Advisor Andrew Bennett, left, Kettle River Farm owner Owen Broad and provincial nutrient management specialist Josh Andrews prepare a collar to test soil water inltration rates. TOM WALKER COUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 23BCHA President Kym Jim 403-358-8935 BCHA Secretary Janice Tapp 250-699-6466 www.bchereford.ca MMORE POUNDS, , MORE CALVES, , MORE PROFITIT Herefords are known as the eciency experts Used in a crossbreeding system Herefords boost pregnancy rates by 7% and add $30 a head in feedlot profit Hybrid Vigor, Longevity and Disposition BEEF | VEAL | BISON | LAMB | GOAT | DEERALL SIZES MARKET GOATS & LAMBS Provincially Inspected Abattoir info@meadowvalleymeats.com (604)465-4744 EXT 10518315 Ford Road, Pitt Meadows BC Book your Workshop orWebinar Training today! vbp@cattlemen.bc.cawww.vbpplus.caTOM WALKER GRAND FORKS – The BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food sponsored a series of soil eld days in conjunction with Kootenay Boundary Farm Advisors group in early October. “Our purpose is to help you understand the basic techniques of soil sampling and why you would do it,” says soil carbon agrologist Ahmed Lasisi, who led o the October 8 session at Kettle River Farm in Grand Forks. Only when you know what’s in your soil will you know what you need to add, Lasisi explains. “If you are adding any kind of inputs into your soil, it makes sense to know what is in there rst,” he says. “Soil testing gives you the information you need to plan nutrient applications in order to maximize your crop production, your economics and the environment. Imagine what happens when someone’s crop only needs 50 pounds of nitrogen, but they apply 100 pounds.” Lasisi led participants through the process of collecting a soil sample, something he says doesn’t have to involve special equipment. “You want to gather an aggregate sample of your eld based on one management zone, such as elds that look alike, or what crop the farmer grows there,” he says. “For a eld up to 10 acres, you would need 10 to 15 samples.” Consistent sampling around the same time every one to three years will reveal trends. “Fall will give you an indication of the post-harvest uptake of your crop and give you time to complete the lab work and plan for spring,” Lasisi says. “In areas where high winter rains or snowfall could cause nutrient leaching, a spring sample will be a more accurate picture of what is available at the start of the growing season, but the lab results may not be back in time for your planting as they could take three to four weeks.” Regardless of the time of year, growers must wait two months after a nutrient application before sampling their elds, Lasisi cautions. A soil probe is a handy tool, but a shovel or trowel are equally eective. “It is important to take a representative sample from dierent typical areas of your eld, but avoid weird areas such as a low-lying spot, where soil has been eroded or where you load your spray tank,” Lasisi notes. “Clear away any surface residue so plant matter is not included and collect a sample of the rst 15 centimetres of soil.” Growers should mix the samples thoroughly in a bucket, dry them away from direct sunlight, then bag approximately two ounces and send them to a lab. Testing is only the rst step. Knowing how to interpret the results and action them is critical. Fortunately, all workshop attendees will have the costs of a soil sample covered by the ministry and sta are available to help with interpretation and recommendations. “We hope to do more of these workshops and start to build a repertoire of what’s happening with soils across the province,” says regional agrologist Lindsay Hainstock. Overall soil health isn’t strictly about chemistry, notes Josh Andrews, a nutrient management specialist with the province. “Soil has to be healthy in order to perform the functions that you want it to,” he explains. There are many online guides available to soil health, including the app LandPKS. “There are lots of indicators to look for and ways to measure them,” Andrews says. He led the group through a variety of eld measures. “You want to be looking over time to see what is happening in the context of your management practices,” he says. “These will all help you evaluate the soil’s ability to grow crops, hold nutrients, inltrate water or support recreation,” Andrews says.

24 | NOVEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCMFG OF MINI SKID STEERS AND A VARIETY OF ATTACHMENTS INCLUDINGBRUSH MULCHERS | PTO POWER PACKS | FLAIL MOWERS | ROTARY BRUSH CUTTERSTREE PULLERS | FELLER BUNCHERS | EXCAVATOR ADAPTERS | SCREW SPLITTERS | STUMP GRINDERSAUGER DRIVES | TREE SPADES | TREE SAWS & SHEARS | BOOM MOWERS | TRENCHERS | PTO GENERATORSBAUMALIGHT.COMAdair Sales & Marketing Company Inc. 306-773-0996 | info@adairreps.comLocate A Dealer OnlinePTO GENERATORSPre-order your BaumalightGenerator now for delivery in8 weeks and get an 8% discount.I am eating far too many of the little carrots that fall through the cracks in the brush washer. I call them “family driving carrots”, and it’s worth going to great lengths to capture them. They are in a bin to the left as you walk into the cooler. Help yourself. I have a lot going on right now, and compulsive carrot nibbling helps me cope. We are in a sprint to the nish line, which is the day it starts snowing. Not that the farm work ends on that day; it just changes. No more eld-related tractor work is the main characteristic of post-nish line life. Leading up to it, there is a lot of pressing eld work. Afterwards, no eld work. It all gives me plenty of material for possible article topics. Although of dubious entertainment value, I think I will end up touching on most of it anyways. I can tell I am in the mood for a disjointed, tangential and non-committal structural thesis for this month’s article. It won’t be fascinating. The reader may reasonably choose to wander o and leave me to it. It could go well, or it could not. Let’s proceed. I’ll touch briey on the provincial election. Two candidates (from dierent parties) have asked for an endorsement from us, and I have simpered and deected and generally been too chicken to declare for one or another. Frankly, I worry about alienating potential or existing customers. As it turns out, I care more about selling potatoes and carrots than I do about suggesting who to vote for. Glad I was able to process that here – my thinking on this topic has been claried. Moving on. Let’s hash out the weather situation. It is this: the rains have begun, and it feels like we have reverted to the old-fashioned Pemberton weather patterns of yesteryear. The mud is building daily, and it’s impacting the farming operations. The “old” normal fall weather in Pemberton ran a predictable course: once the rain began falling, the mountains would disappear behind low, moisture-lled clouds, appearing for a few hours later in November covered with snow almost to the valley. Everyone would go into high harvest gear ahead of the mud. The laggards would get their tractors, harvesters and potato trucks terribly and legendarily stuck, and we’d see the rst frost. All very straightforward, with very low appeal to those seeking real estate investments or trying to make money in anything but potatoes. Times have changed, though, and the warm, dry and stunningly beautiful autumns of the very recent years have bedazzled us all into forgetting about mud. It’s been quite lovely, notwithstanding the trust issues developing around what exactly is going to happen next, climatically speaking. Our mixed vegetable growers have been able to make fortunes in late fall tomatoes and fresh greens, our estate people have enjoyed their expensive vistas of snow-capped alpine peaks free of devaluing mist, and I condently came to expect a mud-free, late fall carrot harvest. The almost daily rain and the ensuing muddy diculties, therefore, are a bit of a shock. So far, there is no danger but I can imagine that an early frost would be horrifying. Cue the carrot harvesting panic on our farm. Somehow, I managed to forget, discount and/or ignore how increasingly dicult the harvesting process becomes when it rains consistently. We lift the carrots with an old potato harvester, and then go behind and put them in buckets. Massive muddy mixtures of cracked carrots, fronds and weeds plug up the lifter, the carrots themselves cling to the mud, the mud clings to the carrots, the mud is brought to the washing area, the hoses are taken to the mud, and I discover a hole in my rubber boots. I have to get back to it now. Anna Helmer farms in Pemberton where she endorses the Farming in British Columbia podcast. Politics and weather make for a mucky fallA return to traditional weather patterns is making carrot harvest a challengeFarm Story ANNA HELMERFall weather, fall threatsBC’s poultry sector shifted to red-level biosecurity protocols on October 16 as fall weather rolled in. The move followed a positive detection of highly pathogenic avian inuenza at an egg farm in eastern Washington, which the BC Poultry Association linked to migratory bird activity. BC saw a signicant increase in wild migratory bird populations in early October, and producers have been reporting an increase in sick birds. While sick birds had yet to yield a positive test for avian inuenza at press time, the H5N1 virus responsible for the disease is known to be in wetlands along the Pacic yway and east into the Fraser Valley, home to the province’s highest concentration of poultry operations. The rst detection in fall 2023 occurred October 20 in Chilliwack. Since 2022, more than 6 million birds in BC have died as a result of avian inuenza. — Peter Mitham

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 25On-farm innovation fuels turnaroundReducing emissions boosts a sustainable visionLaura and Nigel Francis had ambitious goals when they left Vancouver Island to start farming in the Kootenays – and they’re reaching them. SUBMITTEDTRACEY FREDRICKSON CRESTON – After eight years of careful, steady growth, Nigel and Laura Francis of Cartwheel Farm near Creston were ready to take their market garden to the next level. Since 2022, they have invested signicantly in state-of-the-art equipment and technology in their quest to operate fossil fuel-free and grow more food throughout the year. At a farm tour organized by Young Agrarians in September, the Francises described how they got into farming in the rst place and the benets they are realizing by investing in innovation. The couple was living on Vancouver Island where Nigel was about to attend university to pursue law and Laura was building her career in community and economic development. “The path before us just didn’t seem right,” Laura says. “We really wanted to make a dierence in the world.” While attending an online course in food sustainability through the University of California, Berkeley they realized that farming was an option that would feed their souls, their family and their community. During a vacation in the Kootenays, they fell in love with the Creston area and in 2014 purchased a two-acre property that had been farmed organically for two decades. “Even though we didn’t have any farming background, it felt like the idea we had been waiting for,” Nigel says. A year later, they started weekly produce deliveries to about 30 families in the Creston area. Today, Cartwheel’s CSA program helps feed 150 families a week with over 140 varieties of vegetables, herbs and fruits. It also supplies restaurants and grocery stores throughout the Creston Valley. The community connection is reinforced by a weekly blog and recipe sheet Laura prepares. “We take the responsibility of providing quality food for our customers very seriously,” Laura says. “Creston is experiencing renewed vitality as the community becomes more concerned about food security. By supporting our business, our customers are also helping to build the area’s food culture and ecological renewal in some way.” Solar panels An energy assessment showed that 97% of the farm’s greenhouse gas emissions was from heating its original greenhouse with natural gas. To address this, the couple invested in a 96-panel solar array which supplies energy to two new greenhouses. By the time the solar panels were installed in 2023, the farm was already in peak heat and other tasks took priority over starting a new garden around the panels. New beds will be created next spring with the hope that leafy 250.307.5042 tf 1.877.707.5042 info@roostsolar.com www.roostsolar.com The only installer in the region with an NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional, committed to the highest level of quality, customer service, and technical expertise.TSBC License #LEL0209968Visit online or call our oce for info on how to get started!Solar PV Arrays | Home Battery Systems | EV ChargersRoost Solar is a licensed electrical contractor with Red Seal Journeyman/woman Electricians. INSTALL SOLAR TODAY AND ACCESS BOTHThe BC Hydro Rebate for up to $5,000 on solar installations, and up to $40,000 in 10-year, interest-free financing through the Canada Greener Homes Loan program. NEW Solar RebateBC Hydro has just announced a new rebate for up to $5000 for solar installations!Technology reduces footprint uFOR ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO GO UPVAN DER WAL EQUIPMENT (1989) LTD. 23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6 604/463-3681 | vanderwaleq.com 5080T TELESCOPIC WHEEL LOADER

26 | NOVEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCCartwheel Farm’s BIOvator in-vessel composter converts about 1,000 pounds of waste into useable compost in six days – and it’s saving them money. TRACEY FREDRICKSONu Technology reduces footprintSNOWEverything you need for winter. Whether your needs are big or small, we offer specially engineered snow equipment designed to maximize efciency and tackle any job with ease.MADE FORSnowBladeSnowPusherAvailable on select: SnowPushers, SnowWings, and SnowBlades.Visit hlasnow.com for our full lineup of snow productsgreens will do well in the microclimate created by the panels’ shade. “Since the panels came online in July, we’ve produced all our own energy plus energy stores for the future,” Nigel says. He estimates the farm has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by half this year compared to 2023. An assessment will be done at the end of the season. New greenhouses In the meantime, the solar array is used to heat two new greenhouses brought in from China. The structures provide year-round crop protection from the elements and will help extend the farm’s growing season with minimal energy use. The 39 by 114-foot greenhouses have louvres at the top that can be opened, and the sides rolled up for ventilation. Each greenhouse is equipped with a curtain; when the sun sets, motors roll them down over the whole structure, trapping the day’s heat and insulating against the cold. The curtains are expected to reduce if not eliminate the need for active supplemental heating. If heating is required, it will be provided by electric heaters, powered by the farm’s solar array. The Francises rst learned about this technology through workshops provided by the Rural Routes to Climate Solutions project. The learning events showcased year-round growing solutions being used successfully by Dong Jianyi at Freshpal Farms in Olds, Alberta. Dong, a former geologist, was shocked to nd no passive solar or insulated growing structures in Canada; they’re commonplace in parts of China. He took the leap to develop his own four-season farm and became passionate about educating Canadian growers about the value of the technology. Dong became a friend and mentor to the Cartwheel team. He supported them in purchasing and importing the greenhouses and provided additional help during construction. “It was quite a feat putting Serving the Okanagan and Fraser Valley We’ve been proudly family owned and operated since opening in 1976. And with two blending plants, we’re one of BC’s largest distributors of granular, liquid and foliar fertilizers. Our buying power and proximity to the Fraser Valley makes us the logical choice for truckload shipments. OKANAGAN FERTILIZER LTD 1-800-361-4600 or 250-838-6414them up without an English parts list or manual of any kind,” Laura says. “Dong’s guidance has been invaluable.” Cartwheel Farm is one the rst farms in Canada to use this style of insulated greenhouse. The Francises hope that by showcasing this style of greenhouse they will inspire others to use the technology. In-vessel composter Once the solar array and high-tunnel greenhouses were installed, the couple purchased a BIOvator in-vessel composter originally designed for the livestock processing industry. The 22-foot all-steel unit is fed about 1,000 pounds of waste each week. Stainless steel paddles mix waste material such as culled fruit or exhausted plants with wood chips – or in the case of Cartwheel Farm, spent grains from a local brewery. “Like many other farms our size and scale, we used to have open piles of compost where the temperature was checked regularly and they were protected from the rain, a process that took months to produce usable compost. With the new composter, it’s a six-day process from start to nish. We get a large square tote of compost every week at huge cost savings,” Nigel says. “Some of our ginger is used by the same brewery we get the grains from to produce their own products,” adds Laura. “It’s been a great relationship for our farm, the brewery and the community.” Cartwheel’s environmental footprint is being further reduced by a new electric delivery van that replaced a well-used diesel van. One of only a few in use in BC, the new vehicle has a greater capacity, sliding doors for easy access and a lower centre of gravity. All-wheel drive and autonomous braking also help make deliveries in the mountainous Kootenays safer. When the day’s deliveries are done, it charges up overnight and is ready to go the next day. Good investments While the Francises invested signicant funds of their own into their farm infrastructure, they also benetted from funding opportunities through the BC On-Farm Technology Adoption Program, Columbia Basin Trust, the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC, BC’s Benecial Management Practices Program, and the BC Extreme Weather Program. They have also invested in the health of their family. “Because we’re in a small community and have close relationships with our customers, our sons Caleb and Edwin are growing up knowing the value of good food and sharing it with the community. They take produce to their doctors, teachers and friends – ensuring the people who matter to them are well fed,” says Laura. “We don’t want to be much bigger, just more ecient while reaching our goal of being fossil free,” Nigel adds. “We’ve seen many farms start up only to fold under the pressure of attempting too much, too soon. But this has been a turnaround year for us. We’re condent we’re making good investments.”

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 27Cover crop improves soil health while delivering feedBC Living Lab project manager Foster Richardson says rye grass is proving to be an effective cover crop when planted with corn. RONDA PAYNERONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – Rye grass is showing significant potential as a relay crop in silage, according to BC Living Lab team members who held a field day showcasing best management practices (BMPs) at Vyefield Farms in Abbotsford, October 10. “It performs well when under-seeded in the corn,” says Foster Richardson, a project manager with the BC Living Lab initiative. “It survives under the corn. And its feed quality is very high when compared to other fall crops.” Rye grass has a high nutrient value, and its growth isn’t impeded by that of silage corn, making it an ideal crop to plant among the corn to provide a fall cover crop, stabilizing the soil, taking up excess nutrients and ensuring water percolation. These functions help boost soil carbon, improving soil quality while providing more on-site forage. Many fall cover crops are mixes of cereals that include rye grass but the majority of seeds in traditional mixes struggle to grow when planted in the shade of the corn as part of a relay system. Straight rye grass is underseeded when the corn is at the four to six-leaf stage at a rate of 22 to 27 pounds per acre. When corn is harvested in the fall, the rye grass is left to grow through the winter and harvested in the spring. Yields of over two tons of rye grass per acre have been seen in the Fraser Valley prior to April 15. Italian rye grass has a higher fibre digestibility, better overall feed quality and higher feed intakes when compared to cereals or other cover crop options. “It benefits the soil by being an active growing crop,” Richardson says. “It has typical cover crop benefits. The research all shows that as long as you’re planting after that four-leaf stage … you don’t lose any [corn] yield.” The rye grass study had six test sites and Mike Witt, project agrologist for the BC Living Lab project, says all of the farms will be continuing with the study because of the positive results. “We are demonstrating an increased adoption of BMPs that support economic and environmental benefits amongst other things,” Witt says. “This is showing that rye grass can be a viable option for building on-farm resilience for nutrient management and forage quality benefits.” As the project continues, the role project staff will provide information and tools to make the process more successful. “We’re just helping Matsqui Ag-Repair Abbotsford, BCNorth Valley EquipmentArmstrong, BCNorthline Equipment Pouce Coupe, BCHuber Equipment Prince George, BCSmithers, BCVisit your local KUHN Hay & Forage dealer today!Invest in Quality®www.kuhn.comMM 301 MERGE MAXX® | Merger9'10" working widthGENTLE HANDLING, MINIMAL LEAF LOSSFloating head provides consistent, clean pickup over irregular groundCross conveyor produces uniform, 昀uffy, better feeding windrowsPickup design handles crop to reduce leaf lossLarge-diameter gauge wheels minimize dirt and stones[farmers] with implementation,” Witt says. “We’re assisting them with soil sampling and other sampling, like the nutrient value, weight and composition of the rye grass and then helping with the interpretation of the results of those samples.” Shabtai Bittman, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, said growers are looking for more sustainable practices such as relay cropping. Relay cropping of Italian ryegrass in silage corn was initiated 25 years ago as part of an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada study into reducing water contamination, but the results are proving successful in other areas as time passes. The process of relay cropping using rye grass has improved over time. Bittman has seen greater success with rye grass in the US, but he hopes the BC Living Lab studies will lead to greater adoption in Canada. Rye grass gets boost from Living Lab project2024 CORN HYBRID RESULTS

28 | NOVEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCKenneth is all dressed up and ready to ride“You might be jumping the gun there a bit,” said Newt. “You’re going to have to do a little groundwork before you saddle up.” “Groundwork? How much is that going to cost?” “Only some of your time. Tell you what, I’ll put Rocket …I mean Duke, in a box stall this morning. If you’ve got time after lunch, I can show you the ropes a little. How does that sound?” Kenneth agreed and Susan cooked him bacon and eggs. “Here you go, pardner,” she said as she slid his plate onto the table. “Real cowboys don’t wear their hats at the table,” said Newt. Every time Kenneth glanced up, Susan and Newt were staring at him. Lunch time was a long way o. He rose when he nished, thanked Susan, and said he’d be back after lunch. Newt asked where he was headed to, and Kenneth said he was going to see Delta. Newt asked if he’d check the mailbox if he got anywhere near the general store. Susan called Newt a meanie after Kenneth left. Delta was pouring herself a cup of coee when she saw Kenneth’s truck come down the driveway. He was on the porch by the time she When we left o last time, Kelcey Willis from the feed store had outtted Kenneth Henderson with everything she had convinced him he needed to start trail riding with Delta on the Duke of Connaught. Rural Redemption, Part 176, continues ... Kenneth left the feed store and headed for home with a truckload of new horse stu. He asked Newt if there was a spare bedroom in the house where he could keep it. Newt said no, there wasn’t, but there was a tack room in the barn that would be a perfect spot. “Why do they call it tack?” “Force of habit, I suppose,” said Newt. “It’s easier than saying tackle.” Kenneth looked confused. “You’ve heard of shing tackle?” asked Newt. “Well, saddles and bridles and such are horse tackle. Tack for short.” “Oh,” said Kenneth, still puzzled. “Let’s get down to the barn and see what you’ve got then.” Newt watched with growing amazement as Kenneth lugged all of his new horse gear into the tack room. They had to re-arrange Newt’s modest assortment of saddles and bridles to make room for it all. “Looks like you hit the jackpot down there at the feed store,” said Newt. “What do you mean? This is all stu Kelcey said I needed to go riding.” “Appears she’s done a bang-up job of getting you set up. That’s some fancy looking gear. No one will be able to say you don’t mean business.” Kenneth nodded in proud agreement with Newton Pullman’s endorsement of his purchases. “One thing I need to ask,” said Kenneth. “What about boots. We had to buy special riding boots for Ashley when she started riding.” “Good point. Judging by your saddle, I’d say you’d be needing some cowboy boots and there’s a place in town that sells that kind of thing.” An hour later, Kenneth walked through the door of Country Style Work and Western Wear and Boots. Before long, a young man name-tagged Jimmy was pulling the bootstraps of half a pair of $300 starburst pattern leather Rodeo-Pro cowboy boots onto Kenneth’s right foot. Shortly after, Kenneth was wearing both boots, standing two inches taller and striding around the store under the admiring gaze of all the Country Style sta and clientele. In a matter of minutes, Jimmy was able to re-box the boots and persuade Kenneth to buy a pair of Ryder jeans to go with them. Kelli from Country Style appeared with two pearl snap Tru-West shirts that she thought would look fantastic with the boots and pants. Kenneth asked which one she thought would look better, the red one or the black one. Kelli said either one would go great with a black hat. Kenneth said he’d take them both and went to try on some hats. He paid nearly $900 and left with the boots, pants, shirts, hat and a complimentary red polka dot bandana. Kenneth came into Newt’s kitchen fully dressed for the West the next morning. “Think I’m ready,” he said. “Ready for what? The half-time show at the Calgary stampede?” said Newt. “To go for a ride on the Duke.” Susan was speechless, trying to take it all in. Woodshed Chronicles BOB COLLINSopened the door. The sight of Kenneth in full cowboy regalia stopped her in mid-swallow. She eyed him from hat to heels and her face started to twitch. Kenneth was in the middle of saying good morning but before he could nish, Delta’s shoulders shrugged forward and she sprayed a mouthful of coee all over his brand-new boots, then started coughing and gagging. Kenneth took her arm and put a hand on her back. “Are you all right, Delta?” Still coughing, Delta raised her right hand and started nodding her head. She managed to gasp out a barely audible ,“It’s okay, I’m alright.” She remained slumped over with her hands on her knees until she got her breath back and her voice returned. “You just surprised me, that’s all,” she said as she stood up. She stepped back and gave him another good look. After a valiant 10 second struggle not to, she broke out laughing. She closed her eyes and regained her composure several times but started laughing again every time she looked at him. Finally, she tilted her head back and covered her face with her hands. “Delta, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?” “Nothing is wrong,” she said, talking through her hands. “Your outt just caught me o guard, that’s all.” It dawned on Kenneth that she was laughing at him. “What’s wrong with it?” he asked defensively. “What is it exactly you’re aiming for?” “It’s a riding outt, for when we go riding the trail. What do think it is?” “To be honest, I thought maybe you were planning to ask me to a square dance contest. Not that there’s anything wrong with square dancing, I just think maybe your get-up is a little over the top.” Kenneth gave himself a quick once-over. “What’s wrong with it? They seemed to think it was just ne at the place I bought it.” “The hat and the pants and the shirt are probably alright, but those boots are awful fancy.” “Too much, you think?” “Too much for trail riding; maybe okay if you want to take up line dancing. And what possessed you to buy the polka dot bandana?” “I didn’t buy it. They gave it to me. They said it went with all the rest of it.” “Maybe they thought you were planning to hold up the stage,” said Delta. ... to be continued Thousands of BC farmers and ranchers turn to Country Life in BC every month to nd out what (and who!) is making news in BC agriculture and how it may affect their farms and agri-businesses! www.countrylifeinbc.com/subscribeCREDIT CARD # _________________________________________________________________ EXP _____________ CVV _____________ o NEW o RENEWAL | o ONE YEAR ($18.90) oT WO YEARS ($33.60) o THREE YEARS ($37.80) Your Name _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________ City __________________________________________ Postal Code ________________ Phone _________________________ Email ________________________________________ MAIL TO: 36 DALE RD, ENDERBY, BC V0E 1V4 subscriptions@ countrylifeinbc.com Please send a _______ year gift subscription to ______________________________________________________________ Farm Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________________________________________________ City _________________________________________________ Postal Code ________ ______________________________ Phone _________________________ Email _______________________________________________________________

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 29Vet student grateful for bursary supportStudent strikes a fine balance with cash awardDanielle Groenendijk grew up on her family’s dairy farm on Vancouver Island. Now in her second year at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, she has been awarded the J.R. (Tim) Armstrong Bursary. SUBMITTEDRONDA PAYNE CHEMAINUS – Danielle Groenendijk, a second-year student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, says the Tim Armstrong Memorial Bursary in Agriculture and Journalism from the BC Farm Writers’ Association is helping her develop a well-rounded foundation for her future career. “It helps a lot financially,” she says of the bursary awarded in early 2024. “There’s always kind of a balance of getting experience that you need and want, but you also have to pay for school. Scholarships really help with that. It takes a little bit of the burden off of stressing in the summer.” The $1,000 bursary allows her to occasionally take a break from work when needed as well as to attend vet calls as a volunteer observer and helper where she gains valuable hands-on experience to help guide her studies and future. “I’ve always enjoyed doing the sciences. I enjoyed academics,” Groenendijk says. “I’ve also always loved being on the farm. [Becoming a vet] was always on my mind. I found it intriguing and thought it would be a cool career.” While earning her B.Sc. in biology and kinesiology at Vancouver Island University, she spent a year playing volleyball overseas. After graduating, she applied for one of BC’s seats at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and was accepted. “Veterinary medicine would be an awesome career,” she says. “And it would also be fabulous to have for the family farm.” Groenendijk’s parents Chris and Henrietta run Greendike Farm in Chemainus, an English translation of the family’s name. The farm has a milking herd of 160. “My father’s parents started it when they immigrated from Holland,” Groenendijk says. “My dad is an only child, so he and my mom took it on.” Her parents are still the primary operators of Greendike, but her brother Doug (who was on the first season of the reality TV show Farming for Love), operates nearby Legend Dairy and works on both. Groenendijk and her husband Ben Westwood plan to return to Vancouver Island and assist her parents at Greendike when her four years of veterinary studies are complete. By learning how to strike a good balance now, she’ll be equipped to manage the demands of dairy farming and veterinary practice. Bursary applications Groenendijk’s bursary is named for J.R. (Tim) Armstrong, the long-time publisher and editor of Country Life in BC who died in 1979. Following his death, individuals and organizations came together to celebrate his contributions to journalism and agriculture through a bursary. Dozens of students have since received support towards their goals via the annual award from the J.R. (Tim) Armstrong Memorial Fund, administered by the BC Farm Writers’ Association. A minimum of one $1,000 bursary is given each year with recipients selected by a committee of BC Farm Writers’ Association members. Students interested in applying for the Tim Armstrong Memorial Bursary in Agriculture and Journalism can find the application cover page and checklist at [BCFWA.ca] under “Bursary & Links.” Eligible students must be enrolled in their second year or higher of a full-time program in either agriculture or journalism at a Canadian post-secondary education institution. The application deadline is December 31. YOURHelping YouHelping YouHelpinlpingYoulHHelping YoLest weForget.

30 | NOVEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCSet aside the politics of the region for a moment and enjoy the spicy, mellow avours of the Middle East and unusual combinations of avours that will warm you up as you cuddle in front of the re. Sometimes, you can even watch a few of those white akes drift down from the sky outside the window in November, which makes it feel even cozier as you enjoy traditional Mid-East spices such as cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, sumac, cardamom and saron. Then imagine marrying dice of sweet carrots and zucchini from the summer garden with imported raisins and dates, and nuts, in a warm side dish using Canadian bulgur. This is a perfect time of year to try something new and dierent; to experiment with unique textures and avours that will wake up the taste buds while warming the tummy. I am having great fun testing out dierent combinations of ingredients in my new tagine, a avour-enriching roasting vessel with a tall, cone-shaped cover for braising lamb, chicken or prawns in a slow oven. Delicious spices will perfume the air and tease the taste Warm up with new, exotic flavours Mid-East Bulgur Pilaf with local vegetables and exotic spices will warm up your home this fall. JUDIE STEEVESJude’s Kitchen JUDIE STEEVESbuds of your guests while you all enjoy a glass of wine before dinner is ready. And a bulgur pilaf is the perfect accompaniment to those juicy braised dishes full of last summer’s tomatoes, ROASTED SPICED WINTER SQUASH CUBES2 c. (500 ml) winter squash cubes drizzle of olive oil 2 tsp. (10 ml) good balsamic vinegar 1 tsp. (5 ml) brown sugar 1 tsp. (5 ml) cinnamon 1 tsp. (5 ml) cumin powder 1/4 tsp. (1 ml) cayenne pepper 1 tbsp. (15 ml) fresh, minced ginger salt and pepper, to taste • Peel and cut winter squash into one-inch cubes and spread out on a sheet pan drizzled with olive oil. Turn about to coat the pieces with oil. • Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with brown sugar and spices, then mince fresh ginger and arrange on top. • Roast in a 400° F oven for 20 minutes or so. • Serves 6. There’s lots of vitamin A and C in the orange esh of winter squashes such as Hubbard, butternut, acorn and others, plus it’s high in bre and antioxidants and it tastes delicious too.MID-EAST BULGUR PILAF1 small onion, diced 3 c. (750 ml) chicken stock drizzle of olive oil 1.5 tsp. (7 ml) turmeric 1.5 tsp. (7 ml) cinnamon 1 tbsp.(15 ml) fresh minced ginger salt & pepper, to taste 2 c. (500 ml) uncooked bulgur 1/4 c. (60 ml) raisins 1/4 c. (60 ml) diced, dried pitted dates 1 small zucchini, sliced or cut into small dice • Soften minced onion in a little olive oil and add ginger and other spices, including salt and pepper. Pour in chicken stock and bring the mixture to bubbling. Remove from the heat and stir in the bulgur, raisins and dates and zucchini. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes., then fluff the bulgur with a fork. • Whisk the lemon juice and olive oil and drizzle over the bulgur pilaf. Toast the thinly-sliced almonds a medium-hot frypan, but don’t take your eyes off them for a minute or you’ll test your smoke alarm. (Just passing that on for a friend!) Garnish with the toasted almonds. • Serves 6. Lots of dierent avours to pique the taste buds in this side dish and it’s quick to prepare and good for you too. juice of a lemon 2 tbsp. (30 ml) olive oil 1/4 c. (60 ml) sliced almonds, toasted perked up with exotic spices and sometimes some dried fruit pieces. We were recipients of a friend’s bounty this fall: a huge Hubbard squash, which we turned into a delicious squash soup full of spices and other vegetables; and a sheet pan full of spicy/sweet roasted squash cubes reminiscent of the Middle East. They went really well with another of my tagine creations, but would be terric with any meat dish, especially roasted or barbecued. Enjoy the fresh harvest of fall, from winter squashes to the last tomatoes, root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, parsnips and turnips and take the opportunity to begin making long-cooking main meal dishes such as stews in the crockpot or on the stove or in the oven. Yum. After avoiding the oven during a hot summer, now’s the time to return to casseroles and meatloaves, making bread from scratch and even putting a roast in the oven. The change in seasons is exciting from a harvest standpoint, as well as the change in temperature and all that allows us to begin anew, so take advantage and enjoy.

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC NOVEMBER 2024 | 31TRACTORS/EQUIPMENTREAL ESTATEREAL ESTATEFOR SALEHAYBERRIESWANTEDIRRIGATIONFLORISTFor Tissue Culture Derived Plants of New Varieties of Haskaps, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Saskatoon Berries and Sour Cherries, Please Contact:DISEASE FREE PLANTING STOCK OF NEW BERRY CROPS 4290 Wallace Hill Road, Kelowna, BC, V1W 4B6info@agriforestbiotech.com250.764.2224www.agriforestbiotech.com NEW POLYETHYLENE TANKS of all shapes & sizes for septic and water storage. Ideal for irrigation, hydropon-ics, washdown, lazy wells, rain water, truck box, fertizilizer mixing & spray-ing. Call 1-800-661-4473 for closest distributor. Manufactured in Delta by Premier Plastics premierplastics.com DON GILOWSKI 250-260-0828 Royal LePage Downtown Realty Ltd BUYING OR SELLING OKANAGAN FARM, RANCH OR ACREAGE? COURTENAY HEREFORDS. Cattle for Sale: yearling bulls and bred heifers. John 250/334-3252 or Johnny 250-218-2537.PYESTERDAY’S TRADITION - TODAY’S TECHNOLOGYMANAGERS Phil Brown 250-293-6857 Catherine Brown 250-293-6858 ccr.princeton@gmail.com www.coppercreekranch.com PRINCETON, BC Raising registered polled & horned Herefords & F1s. BREEDING BULLS FOR SALE.JD 348 BALER $16,500 FARMHAND BALE ACCUMULATOR W/PUMP 2,500 FARMHAND GRAPPLE 950 JD 6405 2WD, OPEN PLATFORM, 16 SPEED TRANNY 26,000 NH BB960A 3X4 BIG BALER, LOCAL UNIT, RECONDITIONED AS NECESSARY 28,000 JD 315 13’ HD DISC, 21” BLADES, FRT & REAR 9,500 JD 940 12’ ROLLER HARROW, CROW FOOT FRONT, SOLID REAR 8,500 JD 3155 4WD CAB 265 LDR 105 PTO HP 42,000 JD 6300 4WD OPEN PLATFORM W/640 LDR 36,000 JD 1630 W/LDR 15,000 WANTED: TANDEM MANURE SPREADER ED DEBOER 250/838-7362 cell 250/833-6699 CURT DEBOER 250/838-9612 cell 250/804-6147CUSTOM CUTTING &BALING 3x4 BIG SQUARES SILAGE BALING/WRAPPING ED DEBOER 250/833-6699 CURT DEBOER 250/804-6147EDVENTURE HAY SALES ENDERBYADVERTISING THAT WORKS!AVAILABLE NOW Fire suppression systems, pumps, protection for farms, 2 - 1/4 mile Used Valley 2015, low hours clean, 1 - used Zimmatic 1,600 ft , Used Hose reels, 2,000 ft 12 in 25,000ft 10 in HDPE, 10,000 ft used steel pipe in all sizes. "New" Pierce Pivots, T.L Pivots, lease available , New Hose reels RM Brand, Idrio, Diesel Pumps, End centrifugal pumps, submersible pumps, freq drives, Pump stations, plug and play water treatment systems, 30 years experience. Talk to Brock @ Dynamic Irrigation Kamloops 250 319 3044FEEDERS & PANELS that maintain their value!ROUND BALE FEEDERS BIG SQUARE BALE FEEDERS FENCE PANELS CATTLE & HORSE FEEDERSHEAVY DUTY OIL FIELD PIPE CRADLE FEEDERS. Single big square or 2 round bales Outside measurement is 8 feet x 12 feet Silage bunk feeders For product pictures, check out Double Delichte Stables on Facebook www.doubledelichtefarms.ca Dan 250/308-9218 ColdstreamLIVESTOCKDEAN SPADY, Presidentspadylivestock@gmail.comGARY WOOD, Vice Presidentsemiahmooshorthorns@shaw.caCRAIG ELACHIE SHORTHORNSPurebred Registered SHORTHORN STOCKBulls, Cows, Heifers and Calves AvailableGrant & Barbara SmithBALMORAL FARMS 250.253.0133 1802 Tappen Notch Hill Rd. Tappen, BC V0E 2X0‘Pride in Traditional Quality’USED TRACTORS & EQUIPMENT GRINDROD, BCDeBOER’S1976 CHEV C65 Tandem Dump Truck, Aluminum box, 427 on propane, runs good. $6,500; Manure Spreader, JOHN DEERE Model 40T, $2,600; Hay BALE SLED, bunches up approx. 40 bales, $900; HAY RAKE, 4 wheels, $700; HAY WAGON 16’6”, $800. CATTLE SQUEEZE, like new, $3,500; MF 135 tractor w/loader, $5,000. Call Shawn (604) 615-3646Top DORPER RAM LAMBS ready to go for sale. Bryan, call or text 250-706-7077 ADVERTISING THAT WORKSFairbanks balance beam platform LIVESTOCK SCALE, 7.5 ft x 17.5 ft 20,200 lbs. We are looking for the fol-lowing to purchase (WANTED): ap-prox. 80 inch good used rotovator 3PH (Howard or ?) info@ranchland.ca, 250-378-7820WANTED: One or two-row POTATO DIGGER. Conveyor style pick-up. Any condition. Don 50-709-5258iFor ALL your FLOWER NEEDS!Locally owned, serving the Lower MainlandBUCKETS FLOWERS604-870-2994abbotsfordflorist.comcall for20%OFFZcXjj`Ô\[j7Zflekipc`]\`eYZ%Zfd-'+%*)/%*/(+C@E<8;J1),nfi[jfic\jj#d`e`dld(,gclj>JK#*'g\i`eZ_;@JGC8P8;J1),gclj>JKg\iZfclde`eZ_M[WYY[fjcW`ehYh[Z_jYWhZi$HELPING YOUGROW YOURBUSINESSDecember deadline November 16 Donna Jager REALTOR®Personal Real Estate Corporation250.228.1270Parksville-Qualicum donnajager@royallepage.ca2740 Northwest Bay Rd, Nanoose Bay, BCIncredible 21 + acre farm property, perfectly set up for horses in the heart of Nanoose Bay. Close to trails, wonderfully updated 3 bed home, includes a 1 bed in-law suite, multiple paddocks, pasture areas and quality shelters for animals. 11 stall barn, with caretaker suite above. 100x200 sand riding ring. Fruit trees and SO MUCH MORE.Oered at $2,400,000 MLS #9682167522 Island Hwy, Black Creek, BCHard to nd large acreage on Vancouver Island: 130-acre farm with 2 homes. Excellent highway exposure. Main home is 4 bed, + den, 3 bath; second dwelling is 2 bed, 1 bath. Numerous outbuildings. Approximately 1,000 blueberry plants. Extraordinary value for someone wanting a large farm property on Vancouver Island. Located close to shopping, beach, shing,skiing and more. Oered at $1,999,000 MLS# 9480367087 Mays Road, Duncan, BC39.45 acres nestled in the heart of the Cowichan Valley in a quiet area. This property has stunning mountain views, sunsets, and sunrises. Only 6 minutes to town, this area is known for excellent growing conditions. 4 bed, 2 bath home, + 2-bedroom dwelling, + bachelor suite,+ a farm store, an income producing blueberry patch and productive hay elds AND SO MUCH MORE. co-listed with Maegan Morton, RealtorR ExP.Oered at $2,399,000 MLS# 977412Specializing in Farms, Acreages & Equestrian Properties on Vancouver Island. I live it,,I love it,,I know it.

32 | NOVEMBER 2024 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCAVENUE MACHINERY Abbotsford 604-864-2665 Kelowna 250-769-8700 Vernon 250-545-3355VISIT YOUR LOCAL KUBOTA DEALER TODAY.DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT Dawson Creek 250-782-5281 Kamloops 250-851-2044 Surrey 604-576-7506GERARD’S EQUIPMENT LTD. Oliver 250-498-2524HUBER FARM EQUIPMENT Prince George 250-560-5431 Smithers 250-847-3610ISLAND TRACTORCourtenay 250-334-0801Duncan 250-746-1755KEMLEE EQUIP LTD Cranbrook 250-489-5337 Creston 250-428-2254Get ready to conquer the farm, the job site, or the trails with Kubota’s rugged RTV lineup. Built for power, utility and reliability, these machines pack serious muscle with a towing capacity of up to 1,168 lbs. Whether you’re hauling, towing, or just having fun off-road, the Kubota RTV line up is your go-to for getting it done—with a little extra thrill on the side.BUILT FOR THOSE WHO DO IN B.C.