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Postmaster, Please returnUndeliverable labels to:Country Life in BC1120 East 13th AveVancouver, BC V5T 2M1CANADA POSTESPOST CANADAPostage paid Port payéPublications Mail Post-publications40012122Vol. 101 No. 9Allocation National agreement spells trouble for chicken growers 26Research Better care could avoid cattle fatigue syndrome 36Dairy BC industry disputes Statscan milk consumption data 41Lifein BCThe agricultural news source inBritish Columbia since 1915Vol. 101 No. 9 • October 2015Anti-dumpingorder buoyspotato growersby DAVID SCHMIDTDELTA – A decade ago, Canadian cranberrygrowers were getting about 175 barrels ofcranberries per acre. In the years since, the BCaverage has remained at about 175 barrelswhile Quebec growers have raised theiraverage to 300 barrels per acre with someelds with newer varieties producing as muchas 800-900 barrels per acre.The dierence is technology, HortauCanadian sales representative CarolineLetendre told BC cranberry growers duringthe biannual eld day at the BC CranberryResearch Farm in Delta, September 8.“We’re making the cranberry reach optimalgrowth so you can increase your yields,” shesaid as she demonstrated the company’sproprietary soil tension monitoring system.Wireless soil tension sensors detect plantstress and the web-based computer systemthen uses that information to apply just theright amount of water at exactly the time it isneeded. It also includes a temperature probeaccurate to 0.2° to apply water to protect theplants against frost damage.“The sensors give you an indication of howdicult it is for plants to access water,”Letendre said.She said growers should install one probein each irrigation zone although some of thelarge elds in BC may require two or morePlease see “BC” page 2YCOUNTRYby DAVID SCHMIDTSURREY – The longest-running anti-dumping order inNorth America has beenrenewed for another ve years.On September 10, theCanadian International TradeTribunal (CITT) announced thepotato anti-dumping orderhas been renewed for anotherve years ending inSeptember 2020. The initialanti-dumping order wasissued in 1984 and has beenrenewed, often withamendments, ever since.Renewal hearings are heldevery ve years and involve atwo-step process.First the Canadian BorderServices Agency (CBSA) mustdetermine whether dumpinghas occurred and whether it islikely it will continue to occur.The CBSA found in thearmative this spring. Then,the CITT must determinewhether that dumping hascaused and is likely to causematerial injury to producers.That was the subject of itshearing in August and resultedin the favourable ruling.The order means the CBSAcan apply duties to potatoesincluded in the order whenthey cross the US border intoBC, primarily fromWashington. The orderremains virtually unchangedand applies to white andrusset potatoes, excepting 40-80 count packages. The onlychange to the existing orderwas to add an exemption fororganic potatoes.Washington growers andBC wholesalers and retailersoriginally requested theorganic potato exemption 10years ago but CITT onlyResearch key in boosting cranberry harvestsYou’d be smiling, too!Gerry Martin,left, from BCFarm & RanchRealty, andjudge WilliamWikkerinkank the PNE’sreserve andgrandchampion 4-Hshowmen,AimeeTjernagel andJeremy Laity,from theGoldenEars 4-HCommunityClub. For morePNE results,please seepage 3.(Deanna Laityphoto)IRRIGATION LTD1-888-675-7999www.watertecna.comPROVINCE WIDE DELIVERYPROVINCE WIDE DELIVERY• DIESEL & PTO PUMPS• PVC & ALUMINUM PIPE• HARD HOSE IRRIGATION REELS• DRIP IRRIGATION• CENTRE PIVOTS• SAE AIRBLAST SPRAYERSGrowing morewith less waterexcluded them in this latestorder even though BC organicpotato growers have neveropposed the exemption.“The industry is verypleased with the outcome ofthe hearing,” says BC Freshpresident Murray Driediger. “Itmeans we can continue toexpand our russet potatoproduction and gives us someprotection against theridiculously low prices inWashington.”He claims Washingtongrowers have been selling ve10-pound bags for only $4.00when their cost of productionis over $7.00.BC Vegetable MarketingCommission general managerAndre Solymosi says whitePlease see “ABOVE” page 21-888-770-7333Quality Seeds ... where quality counts!FIELD CORNEARLY BOOKING
Tel: 604.852.4001Email: admin@prinsgreenhouses.comPrins Greenhouses38900 No. 4 RoadAbbotsford, B.C. V3G 2G2ConstructionSystemsSupplies38900 No. 4 Road . Abbotsford604.852.4001info@prinsgreenhouses.comwww.prinsgreenhouses.comBC CRANBERRY YIELDS CANʼT COMPARE TO THOSE IN QUEBEC From page 1ABOVE AVERAGE YIELD From page 1Country Life in BC • October 20152day gave growersdemonstrations ofbumblebees, honeybees andalfalfa leaf cutter bees. Whilebumblebees areacknowledged as the bestpollinators, supply is limited.“Bumblebees carry 10%more pollen than ourhoneybees,” reported MikeCampbell of Cambell’s GoldHoney Farm and Meadery,“but we make up for that withvolume.”He recommends growershave two to four hives peracre and ensure each hiveincludes a minimum of eightframes of bees and fourbroods, which will produce atleast 50,000 bees. Heencourages them to staggerintroduction of the hives tomatch the bloom. “Bees are very loyal. Oncethey nd a type of plant, theywill stick to it, even if thereare other more attractiveplants nearby. If there are notenough cranberry bloomswhen they rst emerge, theywill nd other plants and youwill never get them back tothe cranberries,” Campbelltold them.Pollination wasn’t an issuethis year.“You couldn’t ask for abetter year,” Mauza says. “Wehad a good bud set and goodpollination and the Brix is upbecause of the sun. We alsohave exceptionally good fruitsize. I’ve never seen theberries this big at this time ofyear.”Mauza expects yields to beup at least 10% over last year.He also expects growers toreceive better returns sincethe oversupply is “shrinking.”He notes Ocean Spray justreturned almost $2 per poundextra to growers for the 2013crop and expects a similarreturn for the 2014 crop,suggesting that trend couldcontinue into the 2015 crop.Since Ocean Spray is a co-op,members do not know howmuch they will ultimatelyreceive until the entire crop issold, which can take a year orlonger. zones. Noting the systemcosts between $125 and $150per acre per year, she claimsthe payback should be “oneyear or less.”Ocean Spray eldman BrianMauza does not dispute thevalue of Hortau’s equipment,admitting many BC growersoverwater their elds, butinsists that alone does notaccount for the productiondierence.He points out most Quebecelds are planted to newer,higher-yielding varieties thanStevens and other oldervarieties which are stilldominant in BC. Most BCcranberries are grown in peatsoils which require a higherdegree of management thanthe sand most Quebeccranberries are grown on. BCalso has cranberry tipwormand other pests and diseaseseither not present or not aswidespread in Quebec.The research farm isintended to address preciselythose issues.“It’s a learning curve withthe new varieties,” researchdirector Kim Patten says. Inaddition to being the BCfarm’s research director,Patten heads the WashingtonState University Long Beachcranberry research andextension unit and is involvedin the Oregon cranberryresearch program, giving him“the big picture” aboutcranberry production on theWest Coast.He is studying how thenew varieties do “in thewater,” noting that the berriesin the big BC elds can sit inwater for up to ve daysduring harvest.He is also looking atirrigation, fruit rot, fertigation,weed control and alternativefungicides, saying “we needsome non-Movento optionsfor tipworm control.” New varieties now beingtested in BC includeDeMOranville, CrimsonQueen and Mullica, whichcranberry breeder Nick Vorsaof Rutgers University in NewJersey calls the secondgeneration of cranberries(after Stevens and Pilgrim) aswell as Hanes and Walker, therst of the third generation ofcranberries.“We are in the infancy ofour breeding program. Ourhope is to get varieties whichwill use the extra nutrition inpeat soils to produce moreyield,” Vorsa said, addingfuture varieties need toproduce rmer berries for thesurging sweet and driedcranberry (Craisin) market andbe more climate-appropriate.“The new varieties takedierent management thanStevens and dierentmanagement in their rstthree years,” he stressed.Bumblebees bestPollination is key to gettinggood production in allvarieties. That’s why the eldand russet potatoes accountfor about 60% of BC’s totalpotato production whileDriediger notes the excludedcount sizes represent less than20% of those potatoes.“Most BC russet sales are inconsumer packs which are insmaller count sizes,” he says.Driediger says this isshaping up to be a banneryear for BC potato growers.“For the most part, quality andyield have been aboveaverage, especially if growershad irrigation.”Although there wereconcerns earlier in the summerthat the potatoes might notsize up well, based on theearly harvest, size does notappear to be an issue.Growers inspect one of the newcranberry varieties at the BCCranberry Research Farm in Deltaduring the Cranberry Field Day,September 8.(David Schmidt photo)www.tjequipmentllc.com360-815-1597LYNDEN, WAALL PRICES IN US FUNDS1999 PETERBILT, AUTOMATIC,BRAND NEW 22' SILAGE BOX, PTO,LIFT AXLE, TANDEM AXLE $54,0002005 NEW HOLLAND TG230 MFWDW/ DUALS, 230 HP, 4 REMOTES,POWERSHIFT $53,0001984 FORD LTL900 W/24' MEYERSBOX, CUMMINS, $23,0001998 ARTEX 1010 16' DUMPBOX,LEFT HAND DUMP, WITH SCALES,$15,000www.tractorparts4sale.caABBOTSFORD, BCBus. 604/807-2391Fax. 604/854-6708 email: sales@tractorparts4sale.caWe accept Interact, Visa and Mastercard MF 4230 4X4, ALO LDR, 85 HP, POW SHTL, 540-1000 PTO........ $26,900 KUHN GA 6002 TWIN SIDE DEL ROT RAKE, 19 FT WKG WIDTH . $12,500JD 5105 2WD, OPEN STATION, 45 PTO HP, LOW HRS . .................... 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October 2015 • Country Life in BC 3by DAVID SCHMIDTVANCOUVER – Cattle prices are high these days but this high?Larry Mierau Construction of Abbotsford paid $14,000 to claimthe grand champion steer at the annual PNE 4-H Auction inVancouver, August 25. The 1,400 pound steer was led into thering by Courtney Friesen of the Abbotsford 4-H Beef Club.Although Friesen intends to use most of the proceeds to nanceher university studies, the 19-year 4-H’er pledged to contribute10% of the proceeds to an orphanage in Thailand at which sherecently volunteered.Mierau also bought several other lots, making him one of thetop multiple buyers at the auction.Right behind Friesen was Hailey Erichuk of the Yale CountryBeef & Lamb Club. David McCann of Vancouver purchased her1395-pound reserve champion steer for $4 per pound, thendonated it to the Loving Spoonful food bank.It was one of several steers to sell for $4.00 per pound,bringing the average for the 63 4-H steers in the annual auctionto almost $5300, about double the price of commercial beefsteers.“Because of the high beef prices, some 4-H’ers didn’t receiveas much of a premium as in previous years but all the buyers stillpaid more than market value to show their support of 4-H,”noted chief auctioneer Ian Paton.About a dozen animal rights protesters tried to disruptproceedings by leaping into the ring as the steer auction was tobegin but 4-H leaders and others linked arms to quickly andpeaceably force them out of the arena. The crowd broke into aspontaneous chant of “4-H, 4-H” to easily drown out theprotesters’ sloganeering.While the steers are always the highlight, the annual auctionalso includes swine, lambs, goats and even rabbits.The rst live animal in the ring was a 409-pound market hogshown by Darla George of the Pitt River 4-H Swine Club. For thesecond year in a row, Johnston Packers of Chilliwack purchasedthe grand champion, this year paying $7 per pound.The PNE showed its support of 4-H by paying $5.50 per poundfor the reserve champion market hog shown by Brooke Olson-Fougere, also of the Pitt River 4-H Swine Club. The 29 hogs up forsale at the auction averaged just under $900.Harvey Krause of South Alder Farms in Aldergrove paid thehighest per pound price of the auction, $11 per pound, for thechampion 4-H market lamb. The 140-pound lamb was shown byShea-Lynn Seaman of Langley Lamb & Woolcraft Club.Langley Township mayor Jack Froese of JD Turkey Farms thenpaid $7.00 per pound for the reserve champion market lambshown by Josie Steeves of the Otter Lamb and Swine Club.Overall, the lambs average $835.00.That was almost $300 higher than the lambs averaged at theIPE 4-H lamb auction, which was held just over a week after thePNE auction.Buyers push marketvalue to support4-H at PNE auction*For commercial use only. Offer subject to credit qualification and approval by CNH Industrial Capital Canada Ltd. See your New Holland dealer for details and eligibility requirements. CNH Industrial Capital Canada Ltd. standard terms and conditions will apply. Depending on model, a down payment may be required. Offer good through November 30, 2015, at participating New Holland dealers in Canada. Offer subject to change. Taxes, freight, set-up, delivery, additional options or attachments not included in price. © 2015 CNH Industrial Capital America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland Agriculture 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. CNH Industrial Capital and New Holland Construction are trademarks in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.0% FINANCING OR CASH BACK*BONANZA BUCKSPLUSThis year’s Value Bonanza sales event gives you more SMART WAYS TO SAVE! It starts with BONANZA BUCKS – it’s like bonus cash just for buying select New Holland tractors and equipment. And, your savings continue with 0% FINANCING or CASH BACK in lieu of financing. But hurry! The clock is ticking. See us before this offer ends on November 30, 2015.See all the SMART deals at nhvaluebonanza.comMachineryLimitedROLLINSRCHILLIWACK • 1.800.242.9737 44725 Yale Road West • 604.792.1301LANGLEY • 1.800.665.906021869 - 56th Avenue • 604.533.0048Hamming it up! The Pitt River 4-H Swine Club dominated the PNE 4-H Festival swine show this year.Of the 12 hogs called into the Fed Hog Market Championship, nine were from the club. (Photoscourtesy of Gina Spencer)Judge Debbie Froese, centre, and Audrey Weins representing BCFarm & Ranch Realty congratulate Pitt Meadows 4-H Swine Clubmember Darla George, left, and her grand champion fed hog atthis year’s PNE 4-H Festival. Darla’s 4-H project sold for $7.00/lb. toJohnston Packers at the 4-H auction. (Gina Spencer photo)
We are now (at the time of this writing) at exactlythe half way point of the 2015 federal electioncampaign and there isn’t an agricultural plank to befound in anyone’s platform. Even the internet, theundisputed source of everything about anything,seems bereft of any serious election agriculturalinitiative. The sad reality is it is easier to nd a wiringdiagram for a 1959 Edsel than it is to unearth detailsof what agriculture might expect from the nextgovernment, regardless of political party. It’s not that you can’t scare up policy documentson line; all the parties have one – with the possibleexception of the NDP who allegedly deleted theirmost recent policy document because it didn’treect the party’s policy. The NDP document wasnot specic to agriculture so there is no telling whatpart of the deleted document was out of step. Google Liberal Party agricultural policy and youare greeted with a document titled “Rural CanadaMatters: Highlights of the Liberal plan for Canada’srst National Food Policy.” The title is followed by ashort message that manages to work good publicpolicy, urban/rural divide, buy local, our farmers,world’s highest quality foods, our families and ourenvironment into two sentences. It is signed byMichael Ignatie. The document rambles on for ve pages butgiven the fact that Mr. Ignatie has been out of theLiberal Party mix since 2011 and is presentlylecturing on human rights and foreign policy atHarvard University, we might fairly assume that hismusings are not currently relevant. The Green Party has a current (June 2015) andambitious document titled “Agriculture and a foodstrategy for Canada.” The Greens appear eager tomake some bold changes but it seems fair toassume they won’t be aorded the opportunity thistime around.The Conservative party has a “Policy Declaration:As amended by the delegates to the NationalConvention on November 2, 2013.” This is a long (65pages) and comprehensive document containingthe Conservative policy on almost everything.Agriculture gets two pages and includes thecomforting observation that “Food is one of thenecessities of life.” It also has a now redundantsection on the Canadian Wheat Board that promisesfarmers marketing choices. There is also an homageto supply management and a commitment toagricultural trade agreements. It is all party dogma,of course, across the political spectrum, and so far itlooks like all of the party leaders are willing to letthose sleeping dogs lie.Agriculture isn’t on the election issues menu forthe simple reason it’s not pushing any buttons onthe urban side of the big divide. That’s the sidewhere the overwhelming majority of votes are castand that’s where the focus is. Farmers and ranchersare only two percent of the population and wearen’t trending. That might seem odd given that “Food is one ofthe necessities of life.” That fact alone does giveagriculture enormous potential to “trend” with allthose urban voters and thereby nd some majorpolitical traction. Because it is so cheap and soabundant, most of our urban counterparts take it forgranted. More of them associate food with asupermarket than with a farm or ranch and only payattention when Avian Inuenza or Mad Cow hits thesix o’clock news, or some think-tank trots outanother supply management rant, or lays the highcost of housing at the ALR’s door. I have a wise neighbour who summed the urbanmindset up quite succinctly: “The trouble with a lotof people is that they’ve come to believe thatthey’re too smart to go hungry.” I think he probably hit the nail on the head and aslong as they’ve never been hungry and don’tbelieve they ever will be, they aren’t likely to worryvery much about it. In the absence of any meaningful agriculturaldiscussion or platform proposals, let’s propose oneourselves: Messrs. Harper, Mulcair, Trudeau and Ms.May: Given the steadily aging demographic ofCanadian farmers, and given the fact the productionof food, which is one of the necessities of life for allCanadians, is increasingly reliant on farmers who areover the age of 65, will you resolve to meaningfullyincrease Old Age Pension benets for Canadianfarmers and ranchers who forego their retirementyears to ensure the continued supply of wholesomeand nutritious food for all Canadians? (And giventhe fact that Canadian farmers and ranchers over 65years of age have little tolerance for long-windedights of political fantasy, please answer yes or no.)Editor & Publisher Peter WildingPhone: 604/871-0001 • Fax: 604/871-0003E-mail: countrylifeinbc@shaw.ca • Web: countrylifeinbc.comAssociate Editor David SchmidtPhone: 604-793-9193E-mail: davidschmidt@shaw.caAdvertising Sales & Marketing Cathy GloverPhone: 604/328-3814E-mail: cathyglover@telus.netProduction Ass’t: Ann Morris • Senior Researcher: Phil “Nipsy” GordonCOUNTRYLifeAdvertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, that portionof the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance forsignature will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at theapplicable rate.In the event of a typographical error which advertises goods or services at a wrong price, suchgoods or services need not be sold at the advertised price. Advertising is an offer to sell, and maybe 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 ofCountry 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.The agricultural news sourcein British Columbia since 1915Published monthly byCountry Life 2000 Ltd.Vol. 101 No. 9October 2015in B.C.1120 East 13th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5T 2M1 Publication Mail Agreement: 0399159 GST Reg. No: 86878 7375 Subscriptions: $18.90/year • $33.60/2 years • $37.80/3 yearsAll prices incl GSTAgriculture not on the radar in federal electionThe Back 40BOB COLLINSCountry Life in BC • October 20154The 4-H program has long beentouted as excellent training for ourfuture leaders – not only in agriculturebut in the community at large.4-H’ers get a thorough introductioninto the facts of life – and death.They not only learn the importanceof looking after animals in their carebut more importantly, they learn howto look after those animals. Anyonewho went to any of this summer’s fairssaw animals, be they cattle, sheep,hogs or poultry, which were beinglooked after with love and pride. Allwere well-fed, healthy and well-groomed. We compliment all the 4-H’ers who presented such a wonderfulpicture of agriculture to the urban andsuburban public who streamedthrough the barns. We thank them forbeing such enthusiastic and positiverepresentatives of our industry.The 4-H program teaches theseyoung people some important lifelessons. In every competition, oneperson is at the top and one at thebottom. It would be wonderful ifeveryone could be rst but that is notthe case now nor will it ever be,despite society’s futile attempt tohomogenize everything. Despite that reality, one of the bestfeatures of the 4-H program is that thestory doesn’t end there. We havewatched judges go up and down therows of 4-H competitors, not onlyexplaining to each one why they are intheir position and oering hints as tohow to improve it. For beef, lamb, hog and even rabbitclub members, the most importantlessons come at the end of the lastshow of the season when membersbring their animals into the auctionring knowing the animal’s next stop isat the abattoir. For many it is both amoment of sadness and a moment oftriumph. They are parting with a lovedone but also reaping the reward ofhaving cared for that animal. Thebetter they have nurtured both theiranimal and their potential buyer(s), thegreater their reward. What a wonderfullesson!4-H’ers at this year’s PNE 4-H auctionalso learned a most unwelcome lessonCoping– not everyone shares their love andunderstanding. So-called animal rightsactivists attempted to disrupt theauction with their stale sloganeeringthat only showed their ignorance ofwhat is involved in both 4-H andanimal agriculture. Unfortunately, thatlack of understanding is shaping thefuture of animal agriculture. That’s thefuture 4-H’ers will face if they decide tocontinue in animal agriculture as adultsand we only hope they are strongenough and dedicated enough tocope with it.
There was a eld day a fewyears back where organizersasked the 20 or so people inattendance to introducethemselves by sharingsomething they’ve learnedabout agriculture in the pastyear.“Be careful what you sayabout the competition,because tomorrow you mightbe working for them,” pipedup an employee for one of thebig chemical companies.It was sage advice in the eraof mergers and acquisitions,which judging from the newsof late, is far from over yet.But those words also cometo mind in the context of the2015 federal election, the endresult of which, at this point, isanybody’s guess.There’s some concernamong farmers andagricultural industry that farmand food issues are gettingthe short shrift. On one hand,agriculture should be at thetop of any politician’s list.After all, without it, we don’teat. But on the other, it’sunderstandable why it falls othe political radar. Farmershave done their job so well,consumers have the luxury oftaking the availability of foodfor granted.Ag is a tough sellAnd let’s face it. Topics thatare important to farmers, suchas the Trans-Pacic TradePartnership and itsimplications for supplymanagement, research andbusiness risk management area tough sell against MikeDuy and a sliding Canadianloonie when campaignorganizers are coming up withcatchy sound bites.So there is a concertedeort right now to get farmersengaging with candidates.It’s not just about decidingwho you should support.The days are long pastwhen the farm vote coulddetermine who ran thecountry. The reality today isthat farmers make up lessthan two per cent of thepopulation. They must workwith who they get.Which brings us back to thepremise so wisely spoken bythat chemical companyemployee.Your future depends onhow well you connect with allthe candidates, not just thefavoured ones, or the onesdeemed by the latest pollsmost likely to succeed. AsPreston Manning once said,it’s not good enough to tellpoliticians why your proposalis good for you; you mustspell out why it’s good for alltheir constituents, whether ornot they come from a farm.There is another dimensionto this reaching-out businessthat bears carefulconsideration in the era ofsocial media.We’ve observed before thatfarmers and theirorganizations are pretty goodat lobbying the policy-makers.And there is no question thatthey are an importantconstituency when it comesto setting the business,environmental and socialparameters under whichfarmers operate.But events of late leave uswondering whether politiciansany longer have much say inthe “how” in food production,especially when it comes tofarmers’ so-called “sociallicence.”In the era of social media,you don’t have to be anexpert, a journalist or animportant public gure togain an audience. You onlyhave to produce a messagethat people are receptive tohearing.People with something tosay were once restricted tocoee clutches and letter-to-the-editor campaigns. Nowthey have the potential toreach millions throughblogging, tweeting or postingon Facebook.They aren’t targeting thepoliticians. They are aiming atthe hearts and minds of thepeople who eat – knowingthey will vote with theirdollars.It’s rewriting the book onmarketing and changing thedynamics of publicengagement.The Mercy for Animalsvideos that capture animalabuse in intensive farmingoperations are changingindustry practices, and notonly because the abusers arecaught and charged under thelaw. These videos’ impact onpeople’s opinion of foodproducers brings aboutchange far quicker than thecourts or politicians candeliver.Farmers need to advocate for their issues in federal electionDays are long past when the farm vote could determine who ran the countryOctober 2015 • Country Life in BC 5ViewpointLAURA RANCEAs a result of the mostrecent exposé of workersstomping birds on aTennessee chicken farm,McDonald’s, through TysonFoods Inc., cancelled theoperation’s contract. Thatoperation is no longer inbusiness.This wasn’t a political orlegal decision. It was marketbased. It’s swift,unchallengeable, non-negotiable and irrevocable.Eorts by agribusiness toget laws enacted to protectfarmers from this kind ofundercover activity are beingsuccessfully challenged in thecourts. Idaho’s ag-gag law wasrecently struck down by ajudge who ruled it violatedthe right to free speech.He also found the “how” offood production is a matter ofimportant public interest.On a brighter note, thePetersen Bros., three Kansasfarm boys that becamefamous worldwide with theirparody rap “We’re farmingand we grow it” are examplesof how social media outreachcan work in agriculture’sfavour.People don’t want slick PR;they don’t want ocial orexpert opinions. They want toconnect. It’s a two-way street.Laura Rance is editorof Manitoba Cooperator.In the era of social media, you donʼt have to be anexpert, a journalist or an important public figure togain an audience. You only have to produce amessage that people are receptive to hearing ... Itʼsrewriting the book on marketing and changing thedynamics of public engagement.Downtown Realty4007 - 32nd Street, Vernon, BC V1T 5P2Toll Free: 1-800-434-9122www.royallegpage.caPAT DUGGANFarm | Ranch | ResidentialBus: 250/545-5371 (24 hr) Cell: 250/308-0938email: patduggan@royallepage.ca“Farmers helping farmers with their real estate needs”www.OkLandBuyers.caLUMBY / WHITEVALE56.5 acres of excellent farmland. Mostly level w/approx 50 acres cultivated.Bessette Creek divides property with legal easement to access the back portion.Currently planted to alfalfa and grass. In an area of good ground water supply.Many building sites offer privacy and valley views. Short drive from Lumby inpicturesque rural area close to amenities. MLS®10106062 $425,000LUMBY / WHITEVALE2016 Tree Fruit Replant ProgramANNOUNCEMENT:The updated requirements of the 2016 Replant Program will be available in late September on the BCFGA Website, www.bcfga.com. The deadline for applications is November 16, 2015. An horticultural advisor is required to help prepare and sign individual applicationsfor the 2016 Tree Fruit Replant Program. a. A list of qualied advisors will be provided on the BCFGA website, or contact theBCFGA. b. An example of a high quality project will be provided on the BCFGA website.c. A series of reports on replanting and varieties are available and should be referenced when preparing a 2016 Tree Fruit Replant Program application. Linksare available on the BCFGA website.The Replant Program provides funding for quality projects. Applications will be ratedby a committee of horticultural experts. 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Country Life in BC • October 20156by DAVID SCHMIDTCHILLIWACK – Hazelnutgrowers could be raking in theprots – if only they had nutsto sell. “This year’s crop is good forthe trees that are healthy,”Helmut Hooge said during theBC Hazelnut GrowersAssociation (BCHGA) eld dayat his Chilliwack orchard,September 12. “If we didn’thave Eastern Filbert Blight(EFB), we’d have a bumpercrop.”In January, Haley Argenreported growers were getting$2 per pound for jumbo nuts,$1.70 per pound for smallernuts and up to $5 per poundat the farm gate or farmersmarkets for their 2014 crop. Hooge expects to get atleast that much again this yearbut Agassiz grower BryanGingerich suggests the pricecould be even higher, sayingOregon processors are payinggrowers US$2.25 per poundfor good quality nuts.However, few growers willbe getting those returns asEFB has decimated the localindustry.The Fraser Valley used to behome to up to 1,200 acres ofhazelnuts but new BCHGApresident Neal TeBrinke saysless than 200 acres of maturehazelnut trees are left.That’s because Barcelona,Ennis and DuChilly, the threemain hazelnut varieties grownin BC, are all highly susceptibleto EFB. There is no cure for thewind-borne fungal diseasewhich has been in Oregon forover three decades and rstappeared in Abbotsford in2002. Tear them outMany growers have beentearing out their trees ratherthan watch them die a slowdeath from EFB. That includesthe Seabird Island Indian Band,which used to have Canada’slargest hazelnut plantation,FVHGA past president PeterAndres, and Penti Hanninen ofCanadian Hazelnuts, who notonly stripped his orchards inAgassiz and Greendale, butalso closed his Agassizprocessing plant and on-farmstore, selling that property to aneighbour.“I still have a passion forhazelnuts but I couldn’t aordto operate the plant, run thestore and pay the mortgagewhen there are no nuts,”Hanninen says.Andres took out the rest ofhis mature trees rather than“have to look at half-deadtrees.”As a result, TeBrinkeestimates this year’s harvestwill be down to less than200,000 pounds compared toover a million pounds whichthe area once produced.Although Canadian Hazelnutshas closed, the Eagle NutProcessors receiving anddrying station in Chilliwack isstill open for business, givinggrowers at least one outlet fortheir nuts.The eld day salutedAndres who stepped down asBCHGA president this springafter holding every position onthe executive over the pasttwo decades.New generation“This is a year of change,”he told growers at the eldday. “It’s time for a newgeneration to deal with thenew generation of hazelnuttrees.”That does not mean he andthe other older growers arerushing out the door. Andres,Hanninen and Hooge arethree of the six growersparticipating in an InvestmentAgriculture-funded trial of newEFB-resistant varieties fromOregon.Seabird Island has alsobegun a replant programwhich will restore their entireorchard with new varieties.Hooge toured growersthrough his trial plot. Itincludes 100 Jeerson treesplanted in July 2011 and 400Yamhill, Sacajewa andJeerson trees (along with afew Eta, Theta and Gammapollinators) planted in Apriland June 2013.Most are doing well, atestament to their resistancesince they are located right infront of Hooge’s infectedBarcelona trees and thereforesubject to a lot of diseasepressure. “These varieties grow well inOregon and we are doing trialsto check their compatibilitywith our conditions,” he says.Protectant sprayHe has found Sacajewa tonot be as resistant as the othervarieties and therefore urgesgrowers to apply a protectantspray to the trees for at leastthe rst two years.He has found Jeersons“sucker like mad” so need tobe controlled before reachingmaturity.Andres said his trial treesare also doing well, tellinggrowers “there’s vastopportunity” in hazelnuts ifthey plant the new varieties.Gingerich seconded that,presenting an enterprisebudget which projectsmargins of over $3,000 peracre per year in years eleven totwenty of the orchard. Theprojections are based on amature yield of 2,500 poundsBlight has wipedout much of BC’shazelnut industryHelmut Hooge points out one of his new four-year-old Jeerson hazelnut trees to fellow growersduring the BC Hazelnut Growers Association eld day at his farm in Chilliwack. (David Schmidt photo)See “OPTIMISTIC” page 7KuhnNor thAmerica.comINVEST IN QUALITY®2044 & 2054 PROPUSH® BOX SPREADERSrSimple push-off design with no chains for fewer moving partsrPoly floor and sides promote self-cleaning to prevent material builduprWide, consistent, 25' to 30' spread pattern440 & 540 heaped cu. ft. capacitiesFAST UNLOADING CAPABILITYMatsquiAg-RepairAbbotsford, BC604-826-3281Noble Tractor & EquipmentArmstrong, BC250-546-3141 Noble Tractor & EquipmentKamloops, BC250-851-3101
October 2015 • Country Life in BC 7A grand pairOPTIMISTIC REBOUND From page 6BC Hazelnut Growers Association president NealTeBrinke, right, thanks Peter Andres for hisservice to the industry. Over the past two plusdecades, Andres held just about every role onthe BCHGA executive. (David Schmidt photo)per acre and a nut price of Cdn$1.75 perpound which Gingerich insists are bothextremely conservative.“BC is blessed with a climate that can growthis crop,” added Thom O’Dell. In 2010, he andArgen formed Nature Tech Nursery in Langleyto bring the new EFB-resistant varieties fromOregon to BC in tissue culture, then propagatethem for local growers. O’Dell is coordinating the trial andcompiling the results. “We are particularly looking at the timing ofowering and pollination,” he said.by DAVID SCHMIDTALDERGROVE – Vic and Judy Redekop did nothave to travel very far to become the premierexhibitors of the 2015 West Coast Hereford Club(WCHC) Mark of Excellence Show. That’s because theshow was held at Redekop’s North Blu Farms,September 12.Perhaps there is something to be said for holdinga cattle show on a farm. The WCHC show attractedeight exhibitors and 32 entries, a greater number ofboth exhibitors and entries than the Hereford showhad at the IPE a week earlier, even though Herefordwas the IPE’s feature breed this year.Like he did at the IPE, CCR 5500 Barcode 38B, ayearling bull from Copper Creek Ranch in Princeton,took the male grand championship. Making theselection this time was judge Murray Andrews ofSaskatchewan. Copper Creek Ranch was also namedthe premier breeder of the show.In another repeat from the IPE, two-year-old GHUptown Destiny 25A, shown by the Paul family ofOakridge Farms in Aldergrove, was named the grandchampion female.Named the reserve champion female of the showwas Tlell 57U Carla 4Z, shown by Smith Farms ofAbbotsford.Redekop also earned one of the championships,receiving the reserve champion bull banner for hisyearling, Square-D Century 957B. Century was theonly one of the four champions not to have beenshown at the IPE.Billy Paul (cow) andKen Paul (calf) ofOakridge Farms inAldergrove led GHUptown Destiny25A and her 2015calf to the grandchampionship ofthe West CoastHereford Club MOEshow in Aldergrove.Canadian HerefordAssociationpresident DarylKirton presentedthe banner.(David Schmidtphotowww.caliberequipment.caCALIBER EQUIPMENT LTD.34511 Vye RoadAbbotsford, BC V2S 8J7604-864-2273JAGUAR.Multi-talented.STORE HOURSMONDAY-FRIDAY, 8-5SATURDAY, 8-12Closed SundaysTILLAGEIH 470 18' DISK HARROW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,500JD 1750 PLANTER 6 ROW WITH LIQUID FERT. AND CHEMICAL BOXES . . . 27,500JOHN DEERE 3600 PLOW, 5 BOTTOM, DRAWBAR PULL . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,100HAY TOOLSCLAAS 75T TEDDER 6 BASKET 24.5’, EXCELLENT CONDITION . . . . . . . . . $6,900CLAAS 870T TEDDER 28.5’ HYD. FOLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL FOR DETAILSCLAAS 8700 SELF PROPELLED MOWER TRIPLE DECK MOWER CALL FOR DETAILSFELLA 4000 4 BASKET ROTARY RAKE, 40’ RAKING WIDTH . . . . . . . . . . $29,900NH 315 SMALL SQUARE BALER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL FOR DETAILSPZ FANEX 730 6 BASKET 24’ TEDDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,900
Country Life in BC • October 20158Conservation matters“The national park is a blunt instrument,” remarked BCMinister of Environment Mary Polak in comments to theOsoyoos Daily News this past April. “[It] is not neededbased on the toolbox that the province can supply inprotecting the land, the endangered species and the wayof life of the people in the South Okanagan-Similkameen.”Many local ranchers couldn’t agree more, favouring themore exible prospect of a provincially regulatedconservation area if formal protection for three areastotalling 84,140 acres in the South Okanagan andSimilkameen valleys ever comes to pass.The area is largely Crown land, but also includes privateland holdings and tracts entrusted to Nature Conservancyof Canada, now one of the largest landholders in the area.Residential development and the expansion of the wineindustry have both prompted concerns that the sensitivelandscapes of the region receive adequate protection,from the antelope brush of the southern Okanagan to thegrasslands on the slopes above the valley oor.However, Mark Quadevlieg, who worked as a wildlifebiologist in the early 1970s prior to returning to work thefamily ranch, says management is what the area needsrather than a hands-o approach.“It’s a re-maintained ecosystem,” he says. “[A park]really isn’t the right vehicle for this area. It needs to bemanaged, not protected.”Protection, without controlled burns or some othermeans of managing the pine and grasses that provide fuelfor wildres, creates a dangerous situation, especially insuch close proximity to residential uses.Quadevlieg says the range use plans that the provinceexpects permit holders to uphold acknowledge this.“It’s in your range use plan that you know you have torespect the value of the endangered species and manageaccordingly,” he says. “It’s all there. It just has to beenacted and tightened up as far as the enforcement[goes].”Stories by PETER MITHAMOLIVER – South Okanaganranchers whose range fallswithin a proposedconservation area remainstaunchly opposed to theinitiative without writtenguarantees regarding ranchingand other activities.The province backtrackedon plans in August for 84,140acres in the South Okanagan,initiating a 60-day publicconsultation that ends October12 regarding a vision forprotecting the lands asconservation areas underprovincial legislation or anational park reserve. Bothalternatives, sketched out in anintentions paper also releasedin August, include theparticipation and respect forthe interests of local FirstNations.“We’re quite frustrated, asranchers,” says MarkQuadevlieg of the SouthernInterior Stockmen’s Associationin Keremeos, and the second-largest rancher on the aectedlands. “The way the provinceleft it … there wasn’t enoughsupport.”Indeed, as late as this pastApril, environment ministerMary Polak told the OsoyoosDaily News, “Christy Clark is notinterested in renewingdiscussions with Ottawa on aproposed national park.”While those opposed to anational park took province atits word, proponentscontinued to rally support.“It kinda turned it aroundthat it looked like there was agroundswell of support, whichis still kind of questionable,”Quadevlieg says. “It’s a toughone. There’s quite an interface.It’s not like the Nahanni. You’vegot settlement lands around it,and people are pretty directlyimpacted.”Quadevlieg would beamong those most impacted,as his herd numbers about1,000 cattle, plus a feedlotOK national parkconsultations willend this monthOliver-area rancher Mark Quadevlieg is frustrated that the province has back-tracked on its positionregarding a proposal for a national park. (File photo)Please see “TENURE” page 9ZZZORHZHQZHOGLQJFRP1(: 0DQXUH6SUHDGHUGXDOSXPSVODUJHIORWDWLRQWLUHVKHDY\GXW\VWXGD[OHSUHYDFOLJKWVKRVHIURQW PDQGRRU8VHG,PS*DOORQ7DQGHP$[OH0DQXUH6SUHDGHU/ )ORWDWLRQ7LUHV:DOO\SXPSUHDUERRP5(%8,/7+RUL]RQWDO)HHG0L[HU5(%8,/7+RUL]RQWDO)HHG0L[HU5(%8,/7+RUL]RQWDO)HHG0L[HUIW +3 0DQXUH$JLWDWRUIW +3 0DQXUH$JLWDWRUͩͦͧ͡SO\SO\/ SO\/SO\/SO\SO\/ SO\/ SO\/ SO\62/'• REBUILT 592 HORIZONTAL FEED MIXER $36,000• REBUILT 350 HORIZONTAL FEED MIXER $21,000• REBUILT 350 HORIZONTAL FEED MIXER $22,000• 15FT. 100 H.P. MANURE AGITATOR $2,500• 23FT. 100 H.P. MANURE AGITATOR $4,150• 15 FOOT 60 HORSEPOWER REBUILT AGITATOR $2500 • 23 FOOT 100 HORSEPOWER REBUILT AGITATOR $4200
October 2015 • Country Life in BC 9operation nishing about 1,400 calves atany given time. He winters about 2,500head, haying about 1,000 acres for useon the farm and selling to others.While the BC Ministry of theEnvironment told Country Life in BC thatany conservation area would respectexisting land uses and tenure (includingprivate ownership) and would beunaected by the designation of anysort of conservation area, Quadevliegisn’t about to rest easy.Provincial standards provide greaterleeway for existing uses than thefederal National Parks Act, whichprohibits grazing save as amanagement strategy and then, onlyon a year-to-year basis.“That’s not very strong tenure ifyou’ve been ranching for 100 years,” hesays. “I need a change to the park actbefore I’m prepared to ranch [so] thepublic has a clear realization that I havea right to be there.”He doesn’t feel that exists right now,notwithstanding governmentguarantees. The provincial chapter ofthe Canadian Parks and WildernessSociety has received $2,800 from WestCoast Environmental Law in Vancouver“to ensure that the proposed NationalPark habitat is protected from livestockgrazing.”“They’re not buying into it,”Quadevlieg says. “They’re trying to geta park and they’ll work to extinguish usthe day they have it.”Sally Kilburg, president of the SouthOkanagan Real Estate Board,acknowledged that some landownersremain anxious, not knowing howproperty rights will be aected andfearing the worst. (The province hasbeen unable to say how manylandowners are within the areasaected.)“People who own larger holdingsdown there [fear] that it will have anegative impact on their ability in thefuture to sell their property, or its valuewould go down because there wouldbe some uses that would be limited,”she says.But she feels that’s nonsense,pointing to the economic benets thatwould ow from a conservation area,and the boost this would give propertyvalues.“Keremeos … would be the portal toa national park,” she says. “Ultimately, itwould raise the property value.Properties that are around, in theUnited States, Yellowstone NationalPark or Yosemite – those little townswouldn’t even be there if it weren’t forthe national parks. They would havebeen deserted long ago, and yetthey’re bustlin’ little towns.”Back at his ranch, Quadevlieg sayshis business is bustlin’ as it is.Cattle and hay prices are both upand that means good times for localranchers.“We’re actively trying to make aliving in this and things are quite sweetright now,” he says. “The hay price ishot and the cattle market’s good. It willcost Parks Canada more on a willingbuyer-willing seller [basis] to put us outof business.”Weather impacting herd retentionsWild weather across the West thissummer has made for good times forranchers.While some ranchers have lost rangeand stock to wildres and others haveseen their forage crops hit by droughtand water restrictions, the worst oftimes mean those with cattle and hayare experiencing some of the best oftimes.The national herd stands at 13million head, the smallest it’s beensince 1991.Canfax, the market analysis divisionof the Canadian Cattlemen’sAssociation, says slaughter numbersremain below last year, despite sales bymany ranchers, and that’s keepingprices strong.Ranchers who opt to keep stock –often heifers for breeding – and arewilling to pay for hay, will not only haveincreased cash ow from the animalsthey do sell, but also the support ofprograms that government and variousnancial institutions have launched tosee them through the cash crunch.Ottawa, for example, has oered todefer taxes on cattle sales this year,while Alberta’s government-runAgricultural Financial Services Corp.expects to pay upwards of $1 billion todrought-struck farmers. Together, theleeway encourages ranchers to stay inbusiness rather than disperse theirherds.This will in turn keep beef priceshigh, Canfax says, maintaining strongmarket conditions – the weathernotwithstanding – into 2016.TENURE COULD BE REDUCED TO A YEAR‑BY‑YEAR AGREEMENT From page 8Depending who you listen to, support for or against a national park proposal inthe South Okanagan is once again gaining momentum. (File photo)
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October 2015 • Country Life in BC 11BC potato varietytrials unaffected byextreme weatherby DAVID SCHMIDTDELTA – Once little morethan an afterthought, the BCpotato variety trials eld dayhas become one of the mostimportant dates on thecalendar for local potatogrowers.“The project costs us about$25,000 per year but it’s wellworth it,” says BC Potato andVegetable GrowersAssociation president BillZylmans.Close to 100 growers andindustry representatives cameto Brent Kelly Farms in Delta,August 27, for the day. Theycompared over 90 varieties ofwhite, red, yellow, russet andcoloured potatoes. Just over50 were planted in replicatedtrials while the remaining 40,most numbered varietiesfrom the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada breedingprogram in Prince EdwardIsland, were demonstrationvarieties.“If you see a demonstrationvariety you think we shouldfollow up on, let us know andwe may include it in areplicated trial in future,” trialcoordinator Heather Mebergof ES Cropconsult toldgrowers.Most varieties had been inthe ground 105 days and eachvariety showed theproduction from 10 hills,allowing a fair comparison.Although Volare, a cream eshpotato from Parkland SeedPotatoes of Alberta, appearedto have the highest yield, italso had the most blemishes.Potatoes in the replicatedtrials were planted in threegroups. While the rst groupwas intended for the eld day,potatoes in the second andthird group will be harvestedand yield data presented atnext year’s Pacic AgricultureShow. Many of the potatoeswill be given to secondaryschool teaching kitchens sotheir students can not onlylearn the attributes ofdierent potatoes but oertheir assessments of theirtaste and cooking and bakingcharacteristics.Like most crops grown inthe Fraser Valley this year,potatoes are maturing earlierthan usual. While growerswere gathered in the eld,Kelly trucks were steadilydelivering loads of newpotatoes to the washing andgrading plant across thestreet.“We are starting to harvesta week earlier than usual,” saidLaura Matthews of PacicPotato Corp, one of the area’slargest growers.She noted the weather inDelta had been so good thisyear, they were able to growboth peas and beans on oneof their rotational elds thisyear.“I’ve never heard of thatbefore,” Matthews said. Whileeach crop had reduced yields,which has been reported bymany growers, she said thatwas oset by the fact theywere able to grow two cropsinstead of just one. Potato growers and produce buyers had a chance to compare new potato varieties during the annualBC Potato Variety Trial Field Day at Brent Kelly Farms in Delta, August 27. Thrifty Foods buyer Trevorfound this unusual specimen among one of the new selections from the Agriculture & Agri-FoodCanada potato breeding program. (David Schmidt photos)Volare, a white potato from Parkland Seed Potatoes in Edmonton,had the highest yield among all the varieties on display at theannual BC Potato Variety Trial Field Day. The variety also appearedto have the highest number of blemished tubers.The 3PH Box Scraper by MK Martin provides both small and large property owners with affordable options for grading with their line of box scrapers.For more information on grading, scraping and leveling products contact MK Martin.These rugged land movers come in a range of sizes from 8 to 12 feet and feature a variety of options ensuring the right con-figuration for your needs.This two in one combination of leveling and scraping makes short work of your grading and leveling jobs. Available mounts for skid loaders and 3PH.Note: Models may not be exactly as shown.
Country Life in BC • October 201512by PETER MITHAMABBOTSFORD – Rural municipalities are endorsingtighter controls on the use of manure as fertilizer,following the province’s review of existing policies.Using manure to enrich soils is a time-honouredpractice among farmers but neighbours have oftenraised a stink about practices related to nutrientmanagement and the application of biosolids tosoils.Waste management features prominently in theenvironmental farm plans of most livestockoperations, with containment of waste being aspecic concern. Containment structures of somesort are now de rigueur for livestock operations, ashift from a generation ago when waste wasdeposited at the end of many barns and left tocompost until needed.Yet with the Fraser Valley alone producing morethan 2.8 million cubic metres of manure each year,the load has become too much to bear. Raspberrygrowers typically used poultry manure for fertilizerbut applications at the wrong time of year canpollute local aquifers.Similarly, contamination of local aquifersprompted councillors in Spallumcheen to urge theprovince to tighten controls in its revisedAgricultural Waste Management Regulation during apublic consultation that ended September 15.During a meeting at the end of August,Spallumcheen councillor Christine Fraser said theregulation won’t protect aquifers unless it bans theuse of manure as a soil amendment altogether.“Regardless of how they change the regulations,it’s not about protecting the aquifers because theyare still allowing euent to be sprayed,” Fraser toldcouncil on August 24.And regardless of what the regulation says, itlacks teeth if there’s no monitoring or enforcement,councillor Todd York added.“There is a lot of regulation, but there doesn’tseem to be any boots on the ground,” he said.Hot spotSpallumcheen has been a hot spot in currentdebates over waste management, thanks to concernover practices at the H.S. Jansen & Sons dairy farm,which relocated from Matsqui a decade ago.Jansen & Sons’ application of manure to its eldscorrelated with nitrate levels increasing beyondacceptable levels in local aquifers. The farm wasned for its waste management practices in 2012and this year, authorities imposed a moratorium onthe farm’s spraying of euent after the rst cut ofalfalfa pending a study of impacts on groundwater.Spallumcheen council and local residents havealso asked the regional district to consider theseimpacts in the new agricultural plan beingdeveloped for the Regional District of NorthTighter controls sought for waste managementMunicipalities are asking the government to tighten up controls on the application of biosolids (manure) on farmland during its review of the province’s Agricultural Waste Control Regulation. (Cathy Glover le photo)Please see “RIGHT” page 13ExclusivelyKrone Exclusive Camless Pick Up- Fewer Moving Parts & 30 % Faster Rotation Verses Conventional Pick Up Increased Capacity & Low Maintenance The Bale Chamber- Dry Hay & Silage Ready Two Separate Chain & Bar Elevators Dense, Well Shaped Bales Easy Operation- Low Horsepower Requirement ISOBUS Compatible Automatic Oiler & Banked Grease Zerks Act now forEnd-of-YearPricing!ABBOTSFORD 1.888.283.3276KELOWNA 1.800.680.0233VERNON 1.800.551.6411MORE USED TRACTORS & EQUIPMENT ATwww.avenuemachinery.caMORE USED TRACTORS & EQUIPMENT ATwww.avenuemachinery.ca
October 2015 • Country Life in BC 13by PETER MITHAMVANCOUVER – Agriculturehas long been at the heart ofthe Pacic National Exhibition– best known these days forthe Playland midway – andeach year for the past decadean invitation-only list of guestsputs its heart into raising fundsfor the next generation offarmers with an auctionsupporting the BC Youth inAgriculture Foundation.This year’s guests includedPNE president and CEOMichael McDaniel, vice-president of HastingsRacetrack operator GreatCanadian Gaming Corp.Howard Blank, and former BCMLA Val Roddick and herhusband Noel, long-timemembers of the farmingcommunity on WesthamIsland.Altogether, attendees at “AnEvening for Agriculture” onSeptember 3 raised $36,000during a live auctionconducted by auctioneer IanPaton and a silent auctionfeaturing diverse prizeoerings.The proceeds exceeded lastyear’s tally by approximatelyPNE fundraising auctionsupports young farmersMoney raised will finance scholarships, AITC, 4-HOkanagan.Jansen & Son hasparticipated in the province’sEnvironmental Farm Planprogram but Karen Murray,who co-ordinates theprogram on behalf of Ardcorp,told Country Life in BC last yearthat the plan is voluntary andfarmers have been reticent toparticipate for fear of beingheld to strict standards.“[They’re] worried thathaving gone through this andfound all these things,somebody’s still going tocome knocking on their doorand hold the regulation bookup,” she said.But if farmers are reticent toembrace tougher regulations,municipalities are alsohamstrung by another pieceof legislation that’s beenunder review – the province’sFarm Practices Protection Act.Spallumcheen council hadto let the province act in thecase of the Jansen farmbecause Right to Farmlegislation limited itsinvolvement.Spallumcheen councillorswould like more leeway toregulate local farmingoperations in a manner thatreects local concerns andcircumstances.Right now, only a handfulof municipalities have thisprivilege but enjoy it at theexpense of having to runmunicipal bylaws past the BCMinistry of Agriculture.But it restricts municipaldecision-making, andmunicipalities such as Deltahave expressed openness tochanges that would givemunicipalities more leeway toregulate agriculture. Otherswould like to see a levelplaying eld for municipalitiesacross the province in termsof what they can and cannotdo.Discussions regarding Rightto Farm legislation willcontinue this fall; the provincehas not set a timeline forchanges to the AgriculturalWaste Control Regulation,which has been underdiscussion since 2009.RIGHT TO FARM From page 12Originally adopted in 1992, the province’s AgriculturalWaste Control Regulation is more than manure; it alsoaddresses livestock access to watercourses, deadstock,agricultural byproducts, woodwaste and construction waste.Key provisions of the proposed regulation include:• Prohibiting the direct discharge of manure by humans intosurface and ground water (the deposit of manure bylivestock in the natural course of grazing is allowed);• Maintaining existing emission standards for biomass-fuelledboilers and heaters;• Requiring greater protective measures in areas at risk ofpollution;• Using non-regulatory tools to facilitate and foster goodagricultural practices. • Applying penalties “using a compliance matrix based onfactors such as the significance of the impact to theenvironment and human health, non-compliance history,the willingness of the individual to share information andrespond, and their due diligence in responding to theevent.”Nitty gritty of proposed regs$7,000 and helpedboost the backingfor thefoundation’s threekey programs: the4-H ScholarshipProgram, whichoers two $2,000scholarshipsannually tooutstanding BC4-H members forpost-secondaryeducation; the IanPaton Sr.MemorialScholarship, a$2,000 prize awarded tostudents pursuing post-secondary education inagriculture and who have abackground in agriculture; andthe BCYA grant program, whichfunds not-for-prot groupssupporting youth in agriculture.Recent beneciaries of thefoundation’s grants includethe BC Agriculture in theClassroom program, which hasreceived $10,000 annually forthe past several years and BC4-H, which received $12,000last year.The programalso providestravel assistanceso 4-H memberscan travel toVancouver forthe annual 4-HFestival at thePNE, which packsout the livestockbarns at HastingsPark and givescity-dwellers agenuine slice ofrural life.The foundationwas originallyestablished in 1959 with theassistance of George Norgan,president of Lucky LagerBrewing Co. (then an frequentadvertiser with Country Life inBC). Known as the NorganFoundation until 2004, its namechanged to reect its missionrather than its origins. BCYAcommittee members includerepresentatives of theagriculture community as wellas PNE sta.The foundation’s currentchair is Bob Brandsma ofAbbotsford.Ian PatonNEWS & INFORMATIONYOU NEED to GROW!SUBSCRIBE TODAYSEE PAGE 42 FOR ALL THE DETAILSThe agricultural news source inBritish Columbia since 1915COUNTRYLifein BCTRACTOR & EQUIPMENT LTD.KAMLOOPS580 Chilcotin Road250/851-3101TOLL FREE 1-888-851-3101ARMSTRONG4193 Noble Road250/546-3141TOLL FREE 1-800-661-3141NOBLECASE SR 200 SKIDSTEER, 2012, ONLY 100 HRS, CAB, AIR . . . . . . . 42,500CASE 2290 1980, 128 HP, CAB, NO 3 PT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500CASE IH 5230 1995, 90 HP, CAB, 4X4, 510 LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31,500CASE IH 885 1987, 72 HP, 4X4, CAB LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,500CASE IH 485 1987, 43 HP, ROPS, LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,500MCCORMICK MC100 2001, 83 HP, CAB, 4X4, Q940 LDR . . . . . . . . 31,500JD 2955 86 HP, 4X4, ROPS, JD 265 LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,500JD 2140 70 HP, JD145 LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,900NH 3045 45 HP, 4X4, CAB, LDR, LIKE NEW ONLY 120 HOURS . . . . . . 36,500KUBOTA M7950 DT 75 HP, 4X4, CAB, LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500KUBOTA B21 13.5 HP, 4X4, ROLLBAR, LDR, ROTOVATOR . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,500CASE IH 8820 WINDROWER, 1995, C/W 21” DRAPER HEAD . . . . . . . 24,000CASE IH DCX101 10’4”, 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,900CASE IH 8312 1997, 12’ CUT, SWIVEL HITCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500CASE IH 8309 9’2” CUT, 1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,900NH 1411 2003, 10’4” CUT, RUBBER ROLLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,900JD 925 2000, 9’9” CUT, FLAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,500HESSTON 1160 12’ HYDROSWING, 1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,950HESSTON 1160 12’ HYDRO-SWING, 1989 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,900HESSTON 1320 2000, 9’2” CUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,900KUHN GA7932 ROTARY TWIN RAKE, NEW IN 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,000RECON 300 2012, PULL TYPE HAY CONDITIONER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,800 NH 316 Q-TURN, HYD DENSITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,900NH BR7090 2012, 5’X6” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29,500JD 100T 1992, 32”X32” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,500www.nobletractor.comHARVEST GREAT VALUE!meridianeq.comMERIDIAN EQUIPMENT CO., INC.5946 Guide Meridian, BELLINGHAM, WAPH. 360.398.2141 • email: meridianeq@msn.comTRACTORS • TRUCKS • IMPLEMENTSFARM EQUIPMENTAUCTIONSATURDAY, OCT 17Fall Consignment
Country Life in BC • October 201514COUNTRY Lifein BC1120 East 13th AveVancouver, V5T 2M1Phone 604/871-0001 • Fax: 604/871-0003Email: countrylifeinbc@shaw.caThe Agricultural News Sourcein B.C. since 1915Canada Post will not deliveryour Country Life in B.C. if theychange your postal code, yourstreet name and/or address.Please let us know of anychanges as soon as possible.MOVING?by PETER MITHAMVICTORIA – Langford isasking the province’sAgricultural Land Commission(ALC) to excludeapproximately 120 acres ofrocky and degraded farmlandfrom the Agricultural LandReserve (ALR), coupling thebid with public assurancesthat it will hit up landownersfor funds to support farmingelsewhere in the municipality.“Langford has statedpublicly that should theselands come out of the ALR,and should the owners seekrezoning – because thecurrent zoning only permitsone house and agriculture –that council will, at that time,require as an amenity, a cashcontribution to the city [that]the city will then reinvest inagriculture,” explains MatthewBaldwin, director of planningfor Langford.Standard formulaProvincial guidelinesrequire municipalities tonegotiate so-calledcommunity amenitycontributions, or CACs, withlandowners on a case-by-casebasis at the time of rezoning.Many municipalities havedeveloped a standard formulafor guiding the negotiation,which hinges on theanticipated increase in value aproperty will experiencefollowing rezoning.CACs have become alucrative source of revenue formunicipalities seeking fundsfor public amenities such asspace for community groupsand childcare facilities. Arecent provincial report foundthat between 2000 and 2010,the tally of CACs thatmunicipalities across theprovince charged developerseach year rose from $100million to $720 million.Baldwin declined to saywhat the properties, ifexcluded, could be rezonedfor. Surrounding uses includeresidential, commercial andlight industrial – uses that areall prohibited within the ALR.“We can’t have a vision withrespect to these lands whilethey’re still in the ALR, otherthan agriculture,” Baldwinsays. “We’re not going to talkabout hopes.”But that wasn’t always thecase.Updated planningThe roots of Langford’s bidto exclude the properties liesin an exercise undertaken 10years ago intended to updateplanning documents for thearea.“What became apparentwas that landowners had adierent vision for their land,and we started to incorporatethose ideas into that SouthLangford plan,” Baldwin says.“[We] were quickly remindedby our solicitors and membersof the community that no, youcouldn’t have a local area planthat was inconsistent with theALR.”Council adopted a newocial community plan (OCP)in 2008 but in the meantime italso commissioned C&F LandResource Consultants Ltd. toprepare an inventory of localfarm lands. The inventorybecame the basis for severalexclusion applications whichprompted the formation of anagricultural advisorycommittee to review theapplications. (Brian French,principal of C&F, wasappointed to and remains amember of the committee.)However, the trickle ofapplications eventuallytotalled a sizeable acreage,and Langford decided topursue a single exclusionapplication for a total of 43properties.Baldwin declined to referVictoria suburb submits plan to remove 120 acres from land reserveView over 100 listings of farm properties atwww.bcfarmandranch.comBC FARM & RANCHREALTY CORP.Buying or Selling a Farm or Acreage?GORD HOUWELINGCell: 604/793-8660GREG WALTONCell: 604/864-1610Toll free 1-888-852-AGRI (2474)Call BC’s First and OnlyReal Estate Office commited 100% to Agriculture!ProfessionalServicesHelping industry build & implement practical & sustainable programs & publications To see past projects and potential scope of services visit www.qfirst.ca Ph: 604-309-3509 E: qfirst@telus.net For more information or to pursue an idea contact: Annette Moore B.Sc.(Agr), M.Sc., P.Ag. Quality First in Agriculture Inc. Jack Reams P.Ag. Agri-Consultingv BC Farm Business Advisory Services Consultantv Farm Debt Mediation Consultantv Organic Consultantv Meat Labeling Consultantv Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) ConsultantPhone: 604-858-1715 Cell: 604-302-4033Fax: 604-858-9815 email: marlene.reams@gmail.comCONFIDENTIALITY GUARANTEEDwww.agri-jobs.ca | Phone: 604-823-6222 | Email: info@agri-labour pool.comWe do the work for you! Agri-jobs.caOur business is helping your business GROW, since 1974.Connecting employers with the right employee!Contact us to nd out how we can fill your position:Looking for HELP on your farm?DustinStadnykCPA-CAChrisHendersonBBA, CPA-CANathalieMerrillCPA, CMATOLL FREE 1-888-818-FARM | www.farmtax.comExpert farm taxation advice:• Purchase and sale of farms• Transfer of farms to children• Government subsidy programs• Preparation of farm tax returns• Use of $813,600 Capital Gains ExemptionsApproved consultants for Government funding through BC Farm Business Advisory Services ProgramARMSTRONG 250-546-8665 | LUMBY 250-547-2118 | ENDERBY 250-838-7337further questions to the city’sagricultural advisorycommittee, chaired by NormaStewart.Championing CAC benefitsLangford councillor LillianSzpak also sits on thecommittee and, as actingmayor, contacted local ALCpanel vice-chair JenniferDyson earlier thisyear seeking todiscuss theproposedapplication andchampioning thebenets CACscould confer onagricultureelsewhere inLangford.ALC chair FrankLeonard responded to theletter stating that CACs wouldnot factor into any decisionregarding an applicationconcerning the properties, butencouraged Szpak to speakwith Dyson.Szpak declined to commenton the current state of theapplication until counciladopts a bylaw regarding theproperties at issue.“Although it's more about apolicy and putting forward ofthose properties … [we’re] notto speak to it or receive anyinformation pertaining to it,even inadvertently,” she toldCountry Life in BC.Baldwin, however, says it’shigh time the properties wereexcluded because they’re notviable to farm – somethingborne out by the C&F reportprepared by French.“We’re suggesting that theproperties that are beingexcluded should never havebeen included in the rstplace,” Baldwin says. “You’retalking about lands that, themajority of them, are probablyrocky, treed, untillable, and theremainder has been degradedover the years … and had theirtopsoils shipped o to gardenbeds in the rest of Victoria.”If developed, town pledges it will dedicate “community amenity contributions” to agriculture“We canʼt have a vision with respect to these lands whiletheyʼre still in the ALR, other than agriculture. Weʼre notgoing to talk about hopes.”Matthew Baldwin, director of planning for Langford
October 2015 • Country Life in BC 15by DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – A routinemeeting between BCBlueberry Council chair JasonSmith of Fraser Berry Farmsand his local MLA, Abbotsford-Mission MLA Simon Gibson,led to the pair teaming up toco-host the rst annualAbbotsford-Mission BlueberryBBQ, August 29.“Simon has so manyblueberry growers, packersand processors in his riding,we thought it would be goodto have a blueberry BBQ,”Smith said.Unfortunately, that day’swind and rain storm forcedthem to move the BBQ fromSmith’s farm to the MatsquiCommunity Hall. Althoughattendance was mostly limitedto industry friends, Smithhopes future BBQ’s will have amuch larger audience.Trial run“This year’s event is sort of atrial run,” he said “In future, wewant to involve the wholecommunity so they get to seethe berries and learn howimportant the industry is tothis area.”It was appropriate for Smithto host the event since hisgrandfather was the rstperson to plant blueberries inAbbotsford, that taking placein 1949.Since then, hundreds ofgrowers have joined the partyand Abbotsford now has thehighest concentration ofblueberries in the FraserValley, which in turn hasbecome the highest blueberryproducing area in NorthAmerica.“We initially estimated 162million pounds for this yearbut then downgraded thatestimate a little when thedrought set in,” BCBCexecutive director DebbieEtsell said. Both she and BCBC directorNancy Chong noted the earlyseason Duke berries were “alittle smaller” than usual butthe late season Elliotts andAuroras were bigger. Chongsaid the mid-season Bluecrops(still the main variety grown inBC) also had “a better cropthan in the past three years,”suggesting the mid and lateseason varieties had time toacclimatize to the hot weather.“If you had an irrigationsystem you were better o,”she said.As a result, Etsell believesthis year’s nal yield will comeclose to the original estimate.Chong noted the seasonstarted and ended at leastthree weeks earlier than usual.“We only machine pick andnormally start July 22 to23.This year we started July 3.Growers who hand-pick wereeven earlier. There werepickers in the elds in June.” SWD not as bad as thought“This is the oddest season,”says retiring BC Ministry ofAgriculture berry specialistMark Sweeney. “It’s beenconsistently warmer and driersince January. With the earlywarmth, we were worried wewould get frost damage laterbut that never happened. Wealso worried about SWDbecause we had high ypopulations in the spring butthe problem was not as bad aswe expected. Most growershandled it well.”Although the industry hadhoped to send a lot of berriesto China, packers andprocessors did not have thetime to adjust their protocolsto meet Chinese requirements.“Only Berry Haven andSilver Valley were able to shipfruit to China this year but weexpect many more next year,”Etsell said.Berry King, which alreadyships blueberries to the US,Japan and Australia, is one ofthe processors hoping to addChina to their market nextyear. The Lallys built their newpacking and processingfacilities to accommodateorganic production but havenot yet made the transition.“This year, we would havebeen able to grow organic butwe need year after year of thistype of weather,” Berry Kingpresident Rajinder Lally said. A few more yearsHe says the industry needs“new varieties and newtechnologies” before it cangrow organic berries “on acommercial scale,” adding heexpects that will take “anotherthree to ve years.” Berry breeder MichaelDossett is trying to nd newvarieties appropriate for FraserValley conditions and earlyresults are promising.“There’s some incrediblefruit quality in the varieties wehave,” he says.“We made 41 selections outof 6,000 plants last year andexpect to make two dozenselections this year,” Dossettsaid, stressing that will notresult in 65 new varieties. “Halfwill get rejected outright aftertrials and a third will only beused as parents.”Blueberry projections ontarget despite weatherPNE AgriculturalAdvisory Committeemember Bob Brandsma,right, presented thispainting to Rob, Meganand Jason Lepp ofAbbotsford’s Lepp FarmMarket during the PNE4-H Auction. The Leppswere recognized asSustainable Long-TermSupporters of 4-H at thePNE.(David Schmidt photo)Thanks foryour supportMOREisLessKioti RX 7320Kioti ck 2510DO MORE THIS FALL WITH A KIOTI TRACTOR AVAILABLE AT MATSQUI AG REPAIRMatsquiag RepairSales, Service & PartsEst.1989LT D34856 Harris Rd, Abbotsford BC |604-826-3281www.matsquiagrepair.comDEALS OF THE MONTH:Kuhn Master 100 plough..................................................................................$12,000.00Massey ferguson 350 disc..................................................................................CALL DAVE Fella TS 631..........................................................................................................$9,500.00Terra nova power harrow.................................................................................Call Davecheck out our website for more used inventory
Country Life in BC • October 201516
October 2015 • Country Life in BC 171The supply-managedsector is the largestcomponent of BCagriculture. Will youmaintain supplymanagement in the face ofchallenges from within andoutside the country? Whataction will you take to closethe loopholes allowing dairyand poultry products tocircumvent border controls?What will you do to improvedomestic rail shipments ofthe feed grains essential toBC poultry, dairy and otherlivestock producers?Conservative:Our Party has alwayssupported supplymanagement and we willcontinue to do so. OurConservative government hassigned free trade deals with 39countries all while protectingthe three pillars of supplymanagement. When issuesarise with respect to borderloopholes, we work withindustry to address them. Wehave held the railways toaccount to ensure grain andall bulk commodities can getto market domestically and toport facilities in a timely andecient manner.Liberal:The Liberal Party ofCanada supports supplymanagement. Canada hashistorically managed tokeep supply managementwhile still giving othercountries access to ourmarkets. It doesn’t have tobe any different now. TheHarper Conservativesconducted TPP negotiationsin secrecy withoutconsultation and ignoringthe people who do theheavy lifting in oureconomy. Liberals will actdifferently, working withfarmers and producers tobring back fairness andstrengthen the middle-classand the Canadian economy.2Describe your approachto business riskmanagement in agriculture.What actions will you take tohelp producers adapt tochanging climatic andeconomic conditions?Canada goes to the polls on October 1931852 Marshall PlaceJust o Marshall rd., West of Clearbrook rd.Did You Hear?To Better PastureOctober 1stOur AbbotsfordStore is MOOvingIn late August, Country Life in BC submitted sevenquestions regarding agricultural issues affecting BC farmersand ranchers to the federal Conservative, Green, Liberal andNDP parties. Unfortunately, we received responses only fromthe Conservative and Liberal parties by our mid-Septemberdeadline. We are providing the questions we asked and theresponses we received in hopes it will help our readers makemore informed decisions when going to the polls, October 19.Conservative:We continue to workconstructively with ourpartners in the provinces andindustry to ensureprogramming meets thediverse needs of producersacross Canada. Farmers needaccess to programs that arebankable and predictable. As agovernment, we haveestablished livestock priceinsurance and increasedinvestments in crop insurance,which remains a producer'srst line of defence. At thesame time, we continue tohave in place a full suite ofbusiness risk managementprograms to ensure farmersare protected during times ofunforeseen market disruptionsor natural disasters.Liberal:Business Risk Management(BRM) programs providegovernment-supportedinsurance for farmers whoseincomes fall due to disease,extreme weather or otherunexpected events. Manyfarmers criticize existingprograms as complicated,unpredictable andinadequate. Liberals believethat farmers facing nancialhardship through no fault oftheir own should be givenbankable, predictable supportto avoid nancial catastropheand that the security of ourfood production system mustbe maintained. SuccessfulBRM programs are best whendesigned by farmers forfarmers.3Discussions on the nextve-year federal-provincial agriculturalagreement have begun.What are your priorities forthe next agreement? Will itbe based on or even includea long-term nationalagricultural strategy ascalled for by the CanadianFederation of Agriculture?Conservative:A re-elected Conservativegovernment will continue towork with industry to ensuretheir priorities are being wellserved by investments inresearch and innovation.Our party understands thatresearch and innovation arefundamental to Canada’sagricultural success. That iswhy we have increasedinvestments in research andinnovation by 50%. In addition,our Conservative governmenthas supported initiatives toenable farmers to share theirstories with consumers athome and abroad to furtherinstill condence in Canada’sfood system.Liberal:More broadly, Canadabadly needs greater and moredurable economic growth.Under Mr. Harper, Canada hashad the worst rate ofeconomic growth since R.B.Bennett in the GreatDepression. The Canadianagriculture and agri-foodsystem accounts for nearly 7%of GDP; boosting its growth iscritical to build a strongereconomy. A Liberalgovernment will pursue abroad-based approach toachieve that goal, includingimproving BRM programs,addressing our graintransportation system andstrengthening our globalmarketing and market-access.4Free trade agreementsare necessary to ensureexport markets for some ofour sectors but couldthreaten others. What is yourposition on the Trans PacicPartnership and otherinternational tradenegotiations and how will youbalance competing interests?Please see “CANADA” page 18Paid in part byMark Driediger, CFP, Senior Wealth AdvisorAssante Financial Management Ltd.101 – 33386 South, Fraser Way, Abbotsford, BC V2S 2B5 (604) 859-4890 | www.MarkDriediger.comInsurance products and services are provided through Assante Estate and Insurance Services Inc. United Financial is a division of CI Private Counsel LP. Please visit www.assante.com/legal.jsp or contact Assante at 1-800-268-3200 for information with respect to important legal and regulatory disclosures relating to this notice.• Holistic Financial Planning • Intergenerational Farm Transfer• Wealth Management Solutions• Investment Planning• Tax Planning• Estate Services• Insurance Planning• Retirement & Income PlanningOur SpecialtiesYour Farm. Your Family. Your Future.Succession Expertise for Generations8476 DEROCHE LANDING ROAD, DEROCHEGreat hobby farm with 7.34 perimiter fenced acres, gated drive. 3 bed home incl updated vinyl windows &granite counters. Income suite & detached cabin. 4 stall livestock barn plus 2 low 20x100’ barns for chickens,ducks or? and 18'X40' detached workshop/garage w/220 wiring, oil pit. Room to garden, apple trees & treenursery. Minutes east of downtown Mission. 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Country Life in BC • October 201518Conservative:Canadian producers rely on trade to sell upto 80% of their product. When we took oce,Canada had free trade agreements with vecountries. Thanks to our aggressive tradepolicy, Canada now has free trade agreementswith 44 countries. We have achieved thishistoric trade success while protecting thethree pillars of our supply managementsystem and we will continue to do so.Liberal:Canada’s prosperity starts with its middleclass, and Liberals know that trade industriespay on average 50% higher wages than non-exporting industries, which will giveCanadians more money in their pocket. Wesupport free trade; Canada is a trading nationthat needs free trade agreements like the TPPbecause they create jobs for Canadians andcontribute to economic growth and long-termprosperity. Canada has in the past signed freetrade agreements that did not jeopardize oursupply management. However, how canCanadians trust that Mr. Harper is protectingsupply management and negotiating in goodfaith when he is acting with his usual secrecyand keeping Canadians in the dark about thedeals made at the negotiating table? 5Agriculture producers rely on theSeasonal Agricultural Worker Programand Temporary Foreign Worker Program toll their labour requirements. Will youcontinue to maintain those programs andeven expand and/or enhance them?Conservative:Recognizing the uniqueness of theagriculture industry, there have been nochanges to the Seasonal Agricultural WorkerProgram for primary producers. In addition,our Conservative government works with theprovinces on the express entry program,which enables businesses to identify shortfallsand bring in skilled labourers who have thegoal of becoming Canadian citizens.Liberal:The Conservatives badly mismanaged theTemporary Foreign Workers (TFW) Program.After allowing a massive uncontrolledexpansion, they tried to shut it down aftermedia reports of abuse. From one extreme tothe other, both wrong.A Liberal government will x the TFWprogram and ensure it is returned to itsoriginal purpose: lling jobs when qualiedCanadians cannot be found. We will create apath to citizenship for foreign workers andmake more detailed labour marketinformation available. Liberals recognize thatthe agriculture sector has unique labourneeds as a rural, seasonal industry producingperishable products, and our reforms willreect that reality.6Few Canadians have a direct connectionwith food producers and many groupsare providing misinformation about foodproduction. How will your party helpCanadian farmers tell their stories andimprove consumer condence in theCanadian food system?Conservative:Our Conservative Party understands thefundamental role that agriculture plays in ruralcommunities across Canada, and the value itcontributes to our overall economy. As agovernment, we have supported initiatives toenable farmers to share their stories withconsumers at home and abroad to furtherinstill condence in Canada’s food system.Canadian producers have an excellent story totell when it comes to environmentalsustainability, land use, animal husbandry andoverall farm practices, and our ConservativeParty will continue to work with them so theirstory is heard across Canada and around theworld.Liberal:In order to have condence in our foodproduction, Canadians need to havecondence in the regulation andmanagement of the sector. But a report fromthe Auditor General found that under theConservatives, ocials from the CanadianFood Inspection Agency (CFIA) do not haveenough time available to deliver properquality verication and have been skippingfollow-up procedures after a food recall; theConservatives’ solution to this ‘lack of time’was cuts and layos.In fact, the Auditor General concluded that“even when the government identies aproblem, it takes too long to develop andimplement solutions.” That is worrying andsheds light on this government’s lack ofcommitment when it comes to the basicsafety of Canadians in communities across thecountry.A Liberal government will ensure Canada’sfood safety system is eective and minimizesrisks so that we can assure Canadians that thefood on their dinner tables is safe.Furthermore, we will support the promotionof the “Canada Brand” and its association withsafe, high-quality products.7Certain pesticides allowed in othercountries are not allowed in Canadaeither because they are deemed toxic topeople and/or the environment or becausecompanies have chosen not to register themin Canada because of the limited size of ourmarket. What will you do to ensure thesame standards are applied to importedfoods as demanded of our domesticproducers?Conservative:Health Canada and the CFIA are responsibleto ensure that all imported foods meet thesame high safety standards applied to ourdomestic producers and food products. Inaddition, the Beyond the Borders Initiative putin place by Prime Minister Stephen Harper andUS President Barack Obama ensures thatCanada’s high safety standards for pesticidesare met while allowing farmers and businessesto access the latest technologies.Liberal:Canadians expect the food they feed theirfamilies to meet the same quality, safety andenvironmental sustainability standards,regardless of whether that food is produceddomestically or internationally. A Liberalgovernment will continue to stringentlyregulate pesticides to ensure they poseminimal risk to human health and theenvironment. We will ensure that the CFIA hasthe resources and legal tools it needs to beable to take enforcement action against theimport of products that do not meet Canadianregulatory standards. Furthermore, we willcontinue to work with other governments toalign the processes used to regulate pestcontrol products and ensure the protection ofCanadians’ health and our environment.Canada goes to the polls on October 19PRE-ORDER NOW!Quality Pre-Owned Tractors & EquipmentARTEX SANDTHROWER . . . . . . . . . 2,750BOBCAT BACKHOE, SKID ST MNT CALLCASE MAXUM 120 PRO W/LDR . . 72,500FORD 1500 4X4 W/LOADER . . . . . . . 4,500FORD 5000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500GASPARDO PLANTER 4 ROW . . . 35,000JOHN DEERE 3140 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500KVERNELAND PX100 PLOW . . . . . 39,500MF 135 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALLMF 245 2WD W/LOADER . . . . . . . . . 7,500MF 285 4X4 LOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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October 2015 • Country Life in BC 19Embracing technology acritical addition to the toolboxBig Data is all the rage withfarm experts these days –precision this, variable that,and take a look at how muchmore info you can get if youhave a drone ying over thefarm!Sure, the kids love this kindof stu, but it seems likeoverkill. Surely you don’t needmountains of data in order tofarm.Don Triggs is no kid, buthe’s embraced this movementand made information-gathering a pillar of CulminaFamily Estate Winery. His 56acres of vineyards near Oliver,B.C. are as intensivelymonitored as any ground inthe country. And his rationaleis as simple as can be.“It’s not about technologymaking decisions for us,” saysTriggs. “It’s about gettingbetter information so we canput more quality in thebottle.”The winery’s website[www.culmina.ca] has detailedinformation on how it wascreated, but here’s thesnapshot version. In 2006,Triggs, then 62, left VincorInternational – a company hefounded and built into theworld’s eighth largest winecompany – following a hostiletakeover. Not ready to retire,he started searching theOkanagan for a very specicpiece of ground, one with theattributes of the bestvineyards in Bordeaux.After nding ve sites withsimilar degree days asBordeaux, that also matched iton something called theHuglin Index (which factors inthe sunlight hours per daywhen photosynthesis isoccurring), Triggs persuadedthe property owners to lethim take some soil samples.Not little ones, but pits(some dug by an excavator) sothat nutrients, minerals, waterinltration and drainage,rooting depth and organicmatter could be analyzed.About 90 soil pits were dugon the ve sites and duplicatesamples were analyzed twice– once in Guelph and once inFrance – to ensure no detailwas overlooked.“We wanted to plantBordeaux red varietals, withcabernet sauvignon being themost challenging in BC, andwe didn’t want to plantanything that was just goingto be average,” says Triggs.Things only got morecomplicated after that. The 56acres were divided into 44“micro blocks,” with anirrigation zone for each halfacre. In each micro-block, metre-longprobes measure soilmoisture at vedierent depths,and solar-poweredweather stationscontinuouslymonitor temperature, evapo-transpiration, solar radiation,relative humidity, rainfall andwind speed and direction.“We also have a pressurebomb instrument that we lugaround in a very largesuitcase,” says Triggs. “Weactually put leaves into it andemploy nitrogen pressure tond out the exact amount ofmoisture in the leaf ready forutilization by the plant. We doevery block between 11 and 2every day right up to the naltwo weeks before ripening,then we slow it down to everyother day.”At this point, you might bethinking expense is no objectif you have enough money.Not so. This is all about thebottom line.“Our family has beenfarming for ve or sixgenerations,” says Triggs, whogrew up on a Manitoba grainand cattle operation. “Ourdaughter has joined us andwe hope future generationswill continue the vineyard.Like any business, it has tohave a viable return oncapital.”Data – detailed, accurate,and plentiful – is key to that.“While we may be the rstto install this comprehensivevineyard monitoring system inCanada, lots of wineries aredoing what we’re doing inother wine-growing regions ofthe world. We’re using scienceto make better decisions.”And those decisions aremade in the eld, not in anoce. It takes an hour a dayfor Culmina’s vineyardmanager and winemaker toreview the day’s data andtweak irrigation or nutrientdelivery systems. During theday, he’s out in the vineyards,using his iPhone to make on-the-spot adjustments.Making better decisionsisn’t just about what happenstoday, but knowing what youdid in the past, says Triggs.“One of the mostwonderful things about datacollection is it gives us aperfect memory,” he says.“When we taste a wine veyears from now, we can goback and look at thetemperature data, all theirrigation and nutrient records– even to the point of seeingif there was a brokenirrigation valve at a criticaltime.”That example is specic towinemaking. But not theprinciple.“My mother used to say,‘Experience is the summary ofmistakes – you only get it ifyou see them,’” says Triggs.That old wisdom is worthremembering in this new age.Whether it’s grapes orveggies, cows or canola, yourability to know more aboutwhat’s taking place is growingDon Triggsby leaps and bounds everyyear. 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Country Life in BC • October 201520Ranchers on standby as river levels fluctuateby TOM WALKERMERRITT – On again. Butmaybe o again.Ranchers on the ColdwaterRiver received some reprievewhen the Ministry of ForestsLands and Natural ResourcesOperations (MFLNRO) allowedthem to resume night timeirrigating on August 19. However, a new reductionorder was issued onSeptember 2. Designed to bemore responsive to riverconditions, the new orderallows for both full time andnight time irrigation, as well asfull suspension of river wateruse. But the new order raisesthe bar. The Coldwater nurses30% of the famous Thompsonriver steelhead and as thosesh migrate in the early fall,they will need higher waterlevels to move upstream.As reported in theSeptember edition of CountryLife in BC, all licencees on theColdwater, a river that liessouth of Merritt, were issued awater restriction notice onJuly 31, limiting their irrigationto overnight only, from 6 pmto 6 am. As water levelscontinued to drop due toprolonged droughtconditions, all irrigation wassuspended on August 11. And then it rained.Precipitation was recordedAugust 13, 14 and 15 and byAugust 15, the water levelshad moved over 1500 litresper second, more than threetimes the 480 lps level thatMFLNRO deemed critical. Butstill they waited, looking forsome stabilization of the riverlevel and a higher seven dayaverage. “The previous order… wassuperseded on August 19when average ows over aseven day period exceeded480 lps,” explains the mostrecent ministerial order.Ranchers were allowed toresume night time watering.Subhead hereBut river levels trendeddown again and near the endof August slipped below thecritical 480 lps. This time, theseven day average was in theranchers’ favour and theirnight time irrigation was notstopped. Mother Nature camethrough again when a lateAugust storm broughtsignicant rainfall to the coastand more importantly, theCoquihalla Summit, which isthe headwaters for theColdwater.River levels jumped to 7000lps, the highest recordedsince June of this year andranchers were allowed toresume full time irrigation onSeptember 2.However, steelheadswimming upstream needmore than 480 lps.New order issued“Full-time irrigation will bepermitted in accordance withindividual water licenses aslong as ows exceed 1,160litres per second,” says thenew order. “If ows fall below1160 litres per second,irrigation will be curtailed (6pm to 6 am). If ows fall belowthe minimum ows requiredof 960 liters per second, allirrigation will be suspended”The order also requires twoweekly assessments of owlevels and rain forecasts tobetter time restrictions.Because the Coldwater isan important sh stream, itcomes under the FishProtection Act. “The Fish Protection Actdoes not operate on the basisof FITFIR (First in Time; First inRight). The order is based onwhat is required to protectvulnerable sh populations,” aministry spokespersonexplained by email.What is the solution?Build a reservoir. TheColdwater is in a toughposition. MFLNRO points outhere are three types ofstreams in BC. Some streamshave no sh. There arestreams that have sh and areservoir that can beregulated. And there arestreams with sh and nooperating reservoir, like theColdwater.What a dierence 30km makes! This photowas taken August 17while irrigation hadbeen halted on theColdwater. These greenalfalfa elds just northof Merritt are courtesyof Nicola Lake that actsas a reservoir for theNicola River. NicolaRiver licenses wereunaected by the areastage 4 droughtconditions that turnedthe hillsides brown.Ranchers were allowedto water round theclock. Water is spilledover the Nicola dam tosupport sh stocks asneeded. (Tom Walker photo)PRESENTING SPONSORGOLD SPONSORFor more information: 604.291-1553 | info@agricultureshow.netwww.agricultureshow.net18TH ANNUALJANUARY 28-30, 2016PARKING COURTESY OFBC’s Largest Agriculture Event of the year!Showcasing the lastest and most innovative equipment & technology for the agriculture industry.Featuring over 250 exhibitors covering 150,000 square feet!Plan now to be part of the tradeshow!PROUDLY SUPPORTINGTradexExhibition Centre(AbbotsfordAirport)Abbotsford
October 2015 • Country Life in BC 21Based on the re level advisory signs put out for forests, these Drought Level signs will be placed inareas of high agricultural trac in the Cowichan Valley. (Tamara Leigh photo)Cowichan launchespilot farm waterplanning tool kitby TAMARA LEIGHDUNCAN – If BC farmerswere looking for a “dry run”on climate change scenarios,the summer of 2015 provideda glimpse of the kinds ofsummer conditions expectedto become more commonthroughout much of theprovince. The extended hot,dry summer moved waterissues to the top of the list forproducers everywhere.The BC Agriculture & FoodClimate Action Initiative has anumber of projects underwayin regions across the provinceto proactively address waterissues from water storage toirrigation and drainage issues.In the Cowichan Valley, workhas just been completed onthe Integrated Farm WaterPlanning Pilot project to test atool kit developed to helpfarmers assess and plan forwater supply use anddrainage on farm.“Practical planning tools areneeded to assist producers toevaluate and reduce potentialimpacts associated withclimate change,” says EmilyMacNair, program co-ordinator for the BCAgriculture & Food ClimateAction Initiative. “One of thechallenges we have is that thetypes of risk, and suitableadaptations, are specic to theregion and to the individualfarm operation. We arehoping that tools like theIntegrated Farm WaterPlanning Toolkit can beadapted to assist producers inother regions to prepare for,and mitigate, climate changeimpacts at the farm level.”Water plans for 9 farmsAs part of the pilot project,water plans were completedfor nine farms ranging fromseven to 200 acres, marketgardens to dairy farms. Afacilitator walked producersthrough a set of questionsfocusing on water supply,water storage, drainageissues, water quality andwater use.“The tool kit focuses onpriority areas where there arestrong needs, concerns orphysical limitations. In mostcases, it was either watersupply or runo and drainagebut for a few farmers, it wasboth issues,” says ColwynSunderland, project managerfor Kerr Wood LeidleAssociates, the engineeringrm that developed the toolkit and pilot.Once gaps have beenidentied, a menu ofstrategies and resources builtinto the tool kit that can helpproducers deal withchallenges and manage therisks and uncertainties.“When we look at individualfarms, a lot of the benetcame down to identifyingknowledge gaps about howwater is managed and used,and understanding how muchwater is available,” he adds. “Ifwater ows when the pumpturns on, the assumption isthat the water is there.”Awareness issuesWithout metering wateruse and monitoring ow rates,it is dicult for manyproducers to get an accurateread on the amounts of waterused or the amount stored.Those who rely ongroundwater instead ofsurface water have even lessawareness of the water levelsand whether they aredepleting aquifers.Water data is going tobecome increasinglyimportant as new WaterSustainability Act comes intoeect next year and producershave to start the process ofgroundwater licensing. “We recommend thatproducers begin monitoringgroundwater levels andgetting baseline data so atleast they have numbers topoint to if there is a problemdeveloping,” says Sunderland.David Tattam was the rstfarm to go through theIntegrated Farm WaterPlanning process andeventually joined the teamthat piloted the tool kit.“Sometimes when you'rebusy farming, you just have toget the water on the cropsand you don’t get into thedetails,” says Tattam. “Overtime, things happen to yoursystem, be it general wear oradapting to changes inclimate. The integrated farmwater planning process madeus focus on our irrigationsystem and some of theoptions we have to do thingsbetter with the system wehave.” “A lot of the value comesfrom having someone withwater and irrigation expertiseto walk through the processand provide pointers basedon the dollars available andwhat you are trying toachieve,” he adds.The BC Agriculture & FoodClimate Action Initiative hasbeen working with industryand local and provincialgovernments to develop toolsand resources to supportclimate change adaptation inBC’s agriculture sector. Theinitiative has collaborated inthe production of six regionaladaptation strategies, andprovided funding throughGrowing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative,for the implementation of 25locally led projects as part ofthose plans.Let’s grow together.We are pleased to welcome Greg Ksinan as the newest member of ourteam to be based in Abbotsford. Greg joins BMO with over 20 years banking experience, and the last 7years managing a Commercial Agriculture portfolio. Greg brings withhim a dedication to his clients and knowledge of the industry. He willbe a great addition to this strong team. Outside of work, Greg’s family keeps him quite busy. He likes to hike,cycle or ski various venues in the local area and is involved in hissons’ soccer league, helping develop their skills both on and off thepitch. Greg joins the Agricultural Team and looks forward to working withhis existing and new clients.Email: greg.ksinan@bmo.comGREG KSINANGreg.Ksinan@bmo.comIAIN SUTHERLAND, P.AgAGRICULTURE MANAGER604-504-4978604-751-0292iain.sutherland@bmo.comSTEVE SACCOMANOSENIOR AGRICULTURE MANAGER604-504-4976604-703-5161steve.saccomano@bmo.comLANA DUECKDIRECTOR OFAGRICULTURAL MARKETS604-504-4980lana.dueck@bmo.comLYNN LASHUK, P.AgMANAGERAGRICULTURE250-979-7827lynn.lashuk@bmo.comLANGLEY 1-888-675-7999WILLIAMS LAKE 1-855-398-7757www.watertecna.comWIN THIS!WINTERBOOKINGPROGRAMOrder now and be eligible* to wina NEW ATV at thePacific AgricultureShow in AbbotsfordJanuary 30, 2016*PROOF OF QUALIFYING PURCHASE REQUIRED;SOME RESTRICTIONS APPLY
.DPORRSVō.HORZQDō&KLOOLZDFNō/DQJOH\www.prairiecoastequipment.comOffers Expire Oct 31, 2015 Toll Free 1-877-553-3373.07RS6SHHGFFJDV+397ZLQ(QJLQH,QGHSHQGHQW)RXU:KHHO6XVSHQVLRQ&977UDQVPLVVLRQOE3D\ORDG&DSDFLW\HGHG550 Base G&Y\S\Retail $11,863On Sale $10,594(QMR\IRU0RQWKVFlyer Price Reduced to $99940):'+3&DE7UDFWRU-RKQ'HHUH3RZHU7HFK'LHVHO(QJ)53RZU5HYHUVHU7UDQVPLVVLRQ(FRQRP\3720):'+3&DE7UDFWRU-RKQ'HHUH3RZHU7HFK'LHVHO(QJ)53RZU5HYHUVHU7UDQVPLVVLRQ(FRQRP\372+3-RKQ'HHUH3RZHU7HFKHQJLQH*30SUHVVXUHFRPSHQVDWHGK\GUDXOLFV)53RZU4XDG7UDQVPLVVLRQ,QGHSHQGHQW530372John Deere 5055E TractorJohn Deere 5085E TractorJohn Deere 6105M Tractor,QFK0RZHU'HFN.DZDVDNL97ZLQ(QJLQH+\GUR7UDQVPLVVLRQ&RQYHQLHQWGXPSIURPVHDWEDJJHU'HFN'HFNX300RRetail $5808On Sale $4999 0RQWKV1R3D\PHQWV1R,QWHUHVWGreat for Fall Cleanup! Items may not be exactly as shown, accessories & attachments cost extra. Taxes, set-up, delivery, freight, and preparation charges not included. Prices are based on the US exchange are subject to change. A documentation fee of up to $250 will be applied on all finance offerings. Additional fees may apply. Programs and prices subject to change without notice, at any time, see dealer for full details, some restrictions apply. Prices based off a 25% down payment. Offer valid from March 1, 2015 until October 31, 2015. Financing on approved John Deere Financial credit only. For purchases on your Multi-use Account. Offer is unconditionally interest free for the first 360 days. After the 360 day period, for eligible purchases of goods and services: 1) a minimum monthly payment of 2.5% of the original amount financed is required; and 2) finance charges will begin to accrue immediately on amount financed at 17.9% per annum. Minimum purchase amount may be required. A statement of account will be provided monthly. Representative Amount Financed: $10,000, at 17.9% APR, monthly payment is $250 for 62 months, total obligation is $15,500, cost of borrowing is $0. Semi-annual payments and cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed and down payment. MSRP cash price based on highest priced product in series: is $17,383. Cost of borrowing is based on Representative Amount Financed and not MSRP cash price. In the event you default on this or any John Deere Financial Multi-use Account transaction, interest on all outstanding balances on your Multi-use Account (including on this and all other Special Terms transactions on your Multi-use Account) will begin to accrue immediately at 19.75% APR/AIR from the date of default until paid in full, and you will be required to make monthly payments on your Multi-use Account equal to 2.5% (personal use) of the original amounts financed plus interest. *Offer valid from March 1, 2015 until October 31, 2015. Financing on approved John Deere Financial credit only. 0% APR purchase financing for 60 months on new John Deere 1 Series Sub-Compact Utility Tractors. Representative Amount Financed: $10,000, at 0% APR, monthly payment is $166.67 for 60 months, total obligation is $10,000, cost of borrowing is $0. Monthly payments/cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed/down payment. MSRP cash price based on highest priced product in series: $14,696 (includes $50 documentation fee). Cost of borrowing based on Representative Amount Financed not MSRP cash price. Minimum finance amount may be required; representative amount does not guarantee offer applies. The charge for amounts past due is 24% per annum. Must use when advertising a RSX: Before operating or riding, always refer to the safety and operating information on the vehicle and in the operator’s manual. 3.9% APR purchase financing for 60 months on new John Deere Utility Vehicles. Down payment may be required. Representative Amount Financed: $10,000, at 3.9% APR, monthly payment is $183.71 for 60 months, total obligation is $11,022.60, cost of borrowing is $1,022.60. Monthly payments/cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed/down payment. MSRP cash price based on highest priced product in series: $18,130 (includes $50 documentation fee). Cost of ± Valid from March 3, 2015 until October 31, 2015. Minimum finance amount may be required; representative amount does not guarantee offer applies. The charge for amounts past due is 24% per annum. Additional dealer fees may apply. Financing on approved John Deere Financial credit only. Visit our New Store at 44158 Progress Way Chilliwack, BC!Country Life in BC • October 201522
TRACTORS! TRACTORS! TRACTORS!TRACTORS! TRACTORS! TRACTORS!HAY AND FORAGE!ROUND BALERS!ROUND BALERS!$2,500JD 3970 PULL TYPE FORAGE HARVESTER, METAL DETECTOR, 7FT GRASS PICKUP #388920U1$13,400NH BR780A RD BALER, 07, MEGAWIDE, TWINE,SURFACE WRAP, C/W CHEMICAL APPLICATOR #433273U1$12,900JD 935 MOCO 11FT, 6INCH ROLL CONDITIONING #324143U2$9,900JD 735 MOCO, 11FT 6IN, IMPELLER CONDITIONER #653744U1$11,900HAYBUSTER 2650 BALE PROCESSOR #036690U1$119,900JD 6125R, CAB, MFWD, 16 SPD POWERQUAD PLUS TRANSMISSION, H360 LOADER ONLY 395 HOURS #09916902$114,900JD 6125R, CAB, MFWD, 16 SPD POWERQUAD PLUS TRANSMISSION, H360 LOADER ONLY 862 HOURS #09917001$29,500JD 6320L, OPEN STATION, MFWD, LOADER WITH 3RD FUNCTION 80 PTO HP #664862U1$24,000JD 5420N, CAB, MFWD, 12/12 TRANSMISSION, 2 SCV, 65 PTO HP #641791U1$12,500JD 530 MOCO, 9FT 9 INCH IMPELLER CONDITIONER #537403U1$26,900CASE IH DC163 MOWER CONDITIONER, 16FT, STEEL ROLLS, SWIVEL HITCH, MID PIVOTCALL FOR PRICING JD 6710 SELF PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTER, PRWA, 3M GRASS PICKUP, #56813U1$3,000FORD 3000, OPEN STATION, 2WD #436355U1$9,500JD 1840, OPEN STATION, 2WD , 60HP, LOADER, BALE GRAPPLE #563678U1JD 5325, CAB, MFWD, 12/12 POWER-REVERSER, 55HP, 3200 HRS #108582U1$82,500JD 6430, CAB, MFWD, 24 SPD AUTOQUAD TRANSMISSION, 673 LOADER, 3814 HRS #099116801$32,500MF 4270 OPEN STATION, MFWD REVERSER, LOADER, 100PTO #604041U1$54,500NH TG210, CAB, MFWD, DUALS, 210 HP #637496U1$35,000KUBOTA M8540 NARROW, CAB, MFWD, 2332 HRS #593359U1$3,000CASE IH 1594, CAB, MFWD, RUNS WELL #625811U1$39,900FELLA SM911 (12) & SM310 (11) TRIPLE MOWERS 27FT, 3IN #290580U2Toll Free 1-877-553-3373Kamloops 250.573.4412ps 412Kelowna250.765.97651-NEW STORE!CHILLIWACK 604.792.1516a765NECH60Langley604.530.4644+30):'+\GUR7UDQVPLVVLRQ9HU\ORZKRXUV5HPDLQLQJIDFWRU\:DUUDQW\WRFKRRVHIURPWRFKRRVHIURPWRFKRRVHIURPStarting at $19,990$96,5007DQGHP([FHOOHQW&RQGLWLRQ/RDGHGZLWKRSWLRQV#623043U2$31,000$6,900HESSTON 1130 HAYBINE,9FT 3IN, SICKLE MOCO #668734U1$14,500JD 567, MEGA WIDE PU, HIGH MOISTURE KIT, PUSH BAR, 540 PTO #619216U1+30):'(+\GUR7UDQVPLVVLRQ9HU\ORZKRXUV5HPDLQLQJIDFWRU\:DUUDQW\WRFKRRVHIURP6WRFNXSRQ2LO)LOWHUVDQG6DYHGXULQJRXU2FWREHU6DOHJOHN DEERE 2032R NH BIG BALER 340Call for Pricing#098651U2JOHN DEERE 4066RJOHN DEERE 5101E&DE0):'+33RZHU5HYHUVHU-'/RDGHU+UV2SHQ6WDWLRQ0):'/RDGHU372+33RZHU5HYHUVHU #618154U1#09798701JOHN DEERE 6330MF 5455 TRACTOR0):'ZVXVSHQVLRQ+3Z,30,977UDQV3726&9+,'/LJKWV+/RDGHU#633758U1#526587U1JOHN DEERE 8235R JOHN DEERE 66503UHPLXP&DE7UDFWRU0):'Z6XVSHQVLRQ$XWR4XDG7UDQV/RDGHU372+36HOI3URSHOOHG+DUYHVWHU+3.HUQHO3URFHVVRU$3835:$+UV/RQJ6SRXW$32,500$85,900$189,900$109,900$46,500October 2015 • Country Life in BC 23
Country Life in BC • October 201524by TOM WALKERKELOWNA –The BC FruitGrowers Association (BCFGA)released a drought policy inlate August. General managerGlen Lucas had anopportunity to present thepolicy to the monthly meetingof the Okanagan Basin WaterBoard. “This can be considered adiscussion paper that speaksto some of the aims of ourgrowers for a secure supply ofwater that is aordable,” Lucassaid. Lucas added he was“looking for feedback andsupport over the long term inan attempt to get a commonapproach from purveyors.”A corner stone of theBCFGA position is for acommon drought policyamong all Okanagan waterpurveyors for agriculturalFruit growers release drought policyirrigation. “We recognize that thereare dierent needs among thepurveyors,” says Lucas. “Thefall shut o time is going to bedierent in Osoyoos than it isin Armstrong.“ Priorities are differentLucas acknowledged theVernon area, with its primarilyreservoir fed systems, willhave dierent priorities thanthe Similkameen which ismostly wells and river use, orOliver, which is primarily lakefed. “Our 550 growers interactwith regional districts,municipalities and individualwater purveyors from theborder up to the Shuswap,”Lucas said. “We are looking forsome uniformity. We can’t doextension to our membersand say these are the rules,because there are 20 dierentrules.“Secondly, the BCFGA policystates that agriculture waterrationing should beimplemented only afterextreme water restrictionshave been implemented forrecreational use andlandscaping. “We produce food and it isalso a commercial business forus,” Lucas pointed out.“Driving up past the local golfcourse, which is also abusiness, I notice they arewatering along the edge ofthe road where no one isgolng. And they are pouringa fair amount on it; they areon sand. That needs to bereduced before you come tothe food producers.”Summer use jumpsA 2011 report by theOkanagan Basin Water Boardshows the domestic per capitadaily water use in theOkanagan is 675 liters perperson per day. Bycomparison, the Canadianaverage is 329 liters perperson per day. Worse thanthat, Okanagan summer wateruse jumps to 1000 liters perperson per day. The majorityBCFGA general manager Glen Lucas chops up a Gala apple at theBCFGA sampling booth at the Interior Provincial Exhibition inArmstrong, September 5. (David Schmidt photo)of that consumption goes todomestic outdoor watering(lawns) which accounts for24% of all water used in theOkanagan. By comparison, allagricultural use is just overtwice that at 55% of allOkanagan water. “We need to start lettingour lawns go brown like theydo on the coast,” says Lucas.“That’s what I do.”Next, the BCFGA is lookingfor hierarchy of deployment. “In situations where there isneed for extreme rationing inan instance of multi-yeardrought, we would like to seethe signicant investment thatis made in fruit trees to beconsidered against the cost ofreplanting, say, a hay eld,”Lucas said. “The investmentfor a high density appleorchard at 2178 trees per acreand $10 a tree is nearly$22,000,” Lucas pointed out.That would be before the costof removal of the old trees,planting, trellising, irrigationand labour.“That is a tough call,”Discussion paper advocatesplanning for the long termCALL FOR AN ESTIMATELARRY604.209.5523TROY604.209.5524TRI-WAYFARMSLASER LEVELLING LTD.IMPROVEDDRAINAGEUNIFORMGERMINATIONUNIFORMIRRIGATIONFAST ,ACCURATESURVEYINGINCREASECROPYIELDS See our complete inventory atFarmersEquip.comLYNDEN, WASHINGTON888-855-4981PRICES IN US DOLLARS2008 CASE IH PUMA 195 16SP POWERSHIFT, LX770LOADER, NICE TIRES, 80%TREAD FE#22554$120,0002012 MAGNUM 290 FE#19120 POWERSHIFT,4 SETS REMOTES, BUDDY SEAT, REAR DUALS $149,950ROTO-MIX 653-16 MIXER BOX 3 AUGER HORIZONTIAL, NOSCALE, STAINLESS FLOORFE# #22757$12,500VOLVO L50B WHEEL LOADER1670 HRS ON REMAN MOTOR,BKT/FORKS, HYD QUICKCHANGE BUCKET, GOOD TIRES,FE#20050$39,950JOHN DEERE 94005,400 HRS, FR/R DUALS, 3PT, 4 SETS OF REMOTESFE#23347$84,950ONE, TWO & THREE YEARSUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE. See our ad on page 42 for rates!It’s your business.And you need to keep up date on the news andevents that affect you and your farm operation.It’s what we have been doing for almost a century!Subscribetoday!COUNTRYLifein BCThe Agricultural News Source inBritish Columbia since 1915admitted Lucas, adding thatlivestock would take priorityover plants. “But we are sayingthere is a distinction inagriculture and we shouldthink about this ahead oftime.”Agriculture irrigationshould not be rationed usingpricing.“Within the allocation,which is usually two acre feetper year, we shouldn’t see theprice go up because there is adrought,“ said Lucas.Technology for efficiencySupporting the continuedadoption of technology forgreater eciency was alsoemphasized. “I have not seen hand-moved sprinklers in anorchard in a long time,” Lucassaid. “Now we are usingequipment that ismanufactured in Israel, wherethey conserve every drop ofwater.” “We support purveyors inseeking provincial and federalfunding to expand waterstorage reservoirs. We need,together as the Okanagan, toget the attention of theprovincial and federalgovernments,” says Lucas.“We have seen droughtconditions in Summerland,for instance, where therewere some farms that werereally threatened by theconditions and the solutionwas to build the dam higherto capture more of the springrun off.”
October 2015 • Country Life in BC 25by TOM WALKERSALMON ARM – It’s thethird weekend in July andHazel Manser of Larch HillsWinery is worried that she willsell out of her Lemberger redwine. With only six cases left ofthe soft-dry yet fruity red, sheis sure that will happen overthe next two weeks. Mostproducers would be ecstatic,but for Hazel it’s a mixedblessing.“If I don’t have any red wineproduct until next spring, thenI can’t sell anything,” she says,explaining that whencustomers come for a tasting,they want a mix of white andred wines. With several otherreds on the tasting list, thatwon’t happen until later intothe fall. “If I can’t provide productfor the government liquorstores, then I lose my shelfspace,” Hazel adds.Larch Hills, located at thevery north end of theOkanagan valley, is at a crossroads faced by other familyrun small farm businesses.They have become a victim oftheir own success. “Now we are forced to growbigger and produce morewine,” says Hazel. “Otherwise,we will lose our market share.We buy more grapes toproduce more wine to keepthe ow going.”From 5 to 15 acres plantedWhen the Mansers boughtthe winery 11 years ago, therewere ve acres planted withthe cool climate grapes thatsuit their location. They’venow expanded that to 15. “We have 100 acres of landbut I beg my husband toplease stop clearing land,” shejokes. “We still run thevineyard like we did when webought it; just my husbandand me.”Production has grown from2,500 cases when theypurchased the winery to 7,000cases this season. About halfof that is from their owngrapes and the remainderfrom contract growers in thewarmer central and southOkanagan. Varieties limited“Due to our elevation (2,500feet, the highest winery in BCand likely all of Canada), weare limited in the varieties ofgrapes we can grow,” explainsHazel. The winery is known fortheir signature whites: Ortega,Madeleine Angevine andSiegerrebe. “Forget growing reds uphere; they need a longer timeto ripen,” she says.Along the way, the Mansershave invested heavily inequipment which allows themto expand and still managethe work load. “When we bought thewinery, all of our equipmentwas around 70 years old,”recalls Hazel. “The rst year, wewent to trim our vines; thehedger that Jack had builtwouldn’t work with the oldtractor so I drove the quadand Jack sat on the back witha home-style hedge trimmer.” New stainless wine tankseventually replaced theindustrial grade PVC. A newlter system from Germanyreduced a 20-hour lter timefor each tank down to half anhour. But perhaps the biggestinvestment that saves themost time is the new bottlingline. “We used to ll all 72,000bottles by hand,” explainsHazel. Each bottle was pickedLabour of love forfamily owned wineryWith its reds nearly sold out, LarchHills is a victim of its own successup ve times to ll, cork, shrinkwrap and label. “This newbaby can kick out 1,300bottles an hour,” Hazel jokes,while showing o the newbottling line to a tour of farmwriters.But if you have such aninvestment, there has to be areturn, Hazel points out. “You can’t say, ‘Oh, thegrandchildren are coming thisweekend. I’m not going tospray.’ You have to look afteryour crop. “I get people who arewowed by the idea of growinggrapes but they have no ideahow much work it takes.”Happy faces all day“The speech I give youtoday is the one that I give allsummer,” says Hazel. “Whenthe tasting room is full, I haveto acknowledge the people atthe back of the room andperhaps bring out a glass forthem to start tasting. I amrunning to the storage roomto get a case of wine orworking the till, but I like whatI am doing. I see happy facesall day,” she adds.A happy customer is onewho tells others and that’s thebest advertising, says Hazel.Repeat customers come backevery year. “They bring me pickledLarch Hills winery owner Hazel Manser strikes a Vanna pose as she reveals the winery’s newestacquisition: a bottling line that will “kick out” 1,300 bottles an hour. Previously, they lled all 72,000bottles by hand. (Cathy Glover photo)Let’s talk about COR todayFARSHA.BC.CA | 1.877.533.1789AGRI CULTURESafePROTECTYOUR TOMORROWSeatbelts save lives!Seatbelts save lives!Please see “HANDS” page 26® Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia.This ground supports your farm’s growth. And so do we.Agricultural BankingFor over 180 years, Scotiabank has been helping farmers and agri-businesses grow and prosper. Our integrated banking solutions can assist in the day-to-day management of your business for now and in the future. For more information on our complete suite of services, contact one of our specialists or visit us at scotiabank.com/agriculturalbanking Henri PeetersDirector and Group Lead604-798-7396henri.peeters@scotiabank.comKimberly Ross M.Sc. (Ag.Ec.) Sr. Client Relationship Manager604-302-2620kimberly.ross@scotiabank.com Laurens Breugem, CPA CA Sr. Client Relationship Manager 604-845-4760 laurens.breugem@scotiabank.com
by DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – Oneagreement is coming to anend while another doesn’tappear to be even getting othe ground, a very smallcontingent of Fraser Valleychicken growers were told attheir regular meeting inAbbotsford, September 16.“I am very disappointedwith the turnout at thismeeting and you should be,too. This is a multi-milliondollar industry and you shouldbe encouraging your friendsand neighbours to come andlearn about the issues,” BCChicken Growers Associationpresident Ravi Bathe told thefew growers present.The multi-year pricing andcatching agreement betweenBC growers and processorsends with the next productionperiod while thememorandum ofunderstanding re a newchicken allocation agreementall provinces signed lastwinter appears to be fallingapart.He said negotiations on anew agreement betweengrowers and processors is“moving along,” tellinggrowers he expects littlechange in the nextagreement.However, BCChicken MarketingBoard vice-chairGreg Gauthier says“we’ve stalled oreven movedbackwards” on anew nationalallocationagreement.“The furtherprocessingcomponent is thestumbling blockright now,” he said,adding he believesthere will be an agreement “atsome point. There’s going tobe compromise but someprovinces want morecompromises than others atthe moment.” The new nationalagreement has been an issuefor years, Gauthier noting thele was “already on the table”when he was appointed to theBCCMB over ve years ago.In the meantime, bothGauthier and Bathe believegrowers can expect toproduce more chicken in themonths to come.“Production is set onprocessor margin and it’s ashigh as it’s ever been and thatusually leads to moreproduction,” Bathe said.Unfortunately, that chickenis being produced at ever-lower prices, drivenby a change inOntario’s cost-of-production pricingformula. Gauthiersays the BC boardwill meet with theOntario board toget details of thenew formula. If it isfound the Ontarioformula is toodetrimental to BC,the BCCMB andBCCGA could makea joint submissionasking the BC Farm IndustryReview Board to change thepricing linkage between BCand Ontario.The board also announcedit is giving producers ofantibiotic-free (ABF) chicken a10% over-under productionsleeve. Gauthier said thesleeve is needed becausegrowers are experiencinghigher-than-usual mortalitiesas they learn to produce theABF chicken.“We think the mortalitieswill go down as growers gainmore experience so we arelimiting the sleeve to just thenext six periods,” he says.ABF chicken currentlyrepresents less than 1% of BCchicken production but thesuccess of programs likeA&W’s antibiotic-freemarketing program shows thepotential is there forsignicant expansion of thesegment.Country Life in BC • October 201526HANDS ON WINERY From page 25National allocation agreementspells trouble for chicken growersby DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – After seven years at the helm, AlSakalausakas retired as executive director of the BCEgg Marketing Board at the beginning of September.The BCEMB has gone outside the world ofagriculture for his replacement, appointing DwightYochim as its new executive director effectiveSeptember 8.Yochim comes to the BCEMB from the MetroVancouver Aboriginal Executive Council where he wasits chief executive director. He previously served asexecutive director the Truck Loggers Association,national director of the US WoodWorks program anddirector of professional practice and forest stewardshipwith the Association of BC Forest Professionals.Yochim freely admits he is not an agriculture expert,saying his area of expertise is in “running non-profitorganizations.”Plenty of varied experienceThe BCEMB expands that. In its announcement toproducers, it says Yochim’s expertise includes workingwith and for boards and committees, governmentrelations, strategic planning and implementation,development of annual plans and organizationalpolicy, benchmarking, monitoring and reporting onprogress, media liaison, communications, multi-stakeholder consultation, business development,financial management, and building strong links withassociation members. BCEMB chair Brad Bond says Yochim’s experienceand background “will be a great asset to BCEMB as wego forward.”Yochim says his job is to deliver the vision of theBCEMB “to our 132 members (licenced producers) andgovernment.” He says his goal is to increase theboard’s transparency and accountability and “deepenthe depth of our consultation.”New executivedirector appointedto egg boards&IELDTESTEDTILLAGEEQUIPMENTs-ODELHAS/ILBATHBACKTOBACKTAPEREDROLLERBEARINGSMOUNTEDINHEAVYDUCTILECASTHOUSINGCW$UOCONESEALS"EARINGSOPERATEINA7GEAROILFORCONSTANTLUBRICATIONsvXvNOTCHEDDISCBLADESFRONTANDREARvSPACINGsvHEATTREATEDALLOYSTEELGANGSHAFTSs,XvPLY(WYIMPTIRESONBOLTHUBSsvXvHYDRAULICCYLINDERGROUPHOSESTIPSDEPTHSEGMENTSs3INGLE7IDTHSs$OUBLE7IDE#3, 7491 - 49 Ave., Red Deer, AB. T4P 1N11-888-500-2646 403-347-2646www.kelloughent.comSeries 225Single and Doublewide Offset DiscSINGLE OFFSET DISCNow available from ROLLINS MACHINERY CHILLIWACK | LANGLEYbeets, home made salsa andowers,” she beams. “It showsyou that people like to comehere. It’s almost like extendedfamily.”“We are not wine makers ina three piece suit; we arefarmers,” says Hazel, taking apoke at Okanagan wineriesthat are owned by investors orgroups of physicians. “For some people, owning awinery is a status symbol. Butthey are not farmers. Theyhave to hire cheap labour todo the work in the vineyard.They are not winemakers sothey have to hire a winemakerto make their wine and thenthey need a fancy building.”Larch Hills has a tiny wineshop by comparison.But then, at $15 to $18 abottle, their wines areaordable. “People come to me andsay our wines are too cheapbut I say our wines are not toocheap; the others are tooexpensive.”“Sometimes I complain tomy husband that we workseven days a week,” says Hazel.“I come home from town andsomeone is blocking thedriveway and I can’t getthrough and I get impatientand then I slow down andremember they are looking atthe view.“We are not a fancy wineryby a lake but when you seethe panorama, it isbreathtaking.”Ravi BatheMONDAYS 11 AM STARTSLAUGHTER, FEEDER & MISC LIVESTOCKWEDNESDAYS 1 PM START DAIRY & SLAUGHTERMONDAY, SEPT 28MONDAY, OCTOBER 19YOUR COMPLETE MARKETING OUTLETABBOTSFORD • 604/864-2381 • 604/855-7895FEEDER SALESMcCLARYSTOCKYARDS LTD.BC’s best cow market for over 40 years!34559 MCCLARY AVENUE . 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VALLEY¿FARM¿DRAINAGE31205 DEWDNEY TRUNK RD. MISSION Phone: 604/462-7213www.valleyfarmdrainage.com Fax: 604/462-7215Open Trenching • Trenchless • Sub-IrrigationLaser Equipped • Irrigation Mainlinesdrainage isour specialtyOctober 2015 • Country Life in BC 27Writer should check factsRe: Peter Mitham article,page 6 August 2015 Site Ccourt challenges persist.I read this article withdismay. Before writingmisleading articles he shouldcheck the facts rst: the31,500 acres of farmland lost isa gross misrepresentation.The total footprint of Site Cis 9,330 hectares or 23,000acres, which includes the oldriver bottom, island (mostlygravel) and alluvial deposits atstream mouths (also mostlygravel) plus some hillsides.Currently, onlyapproximately 540 Ha or 1,300acres are being farmed andmuch of the remaining actualfarmland is small isolatedparcels with limited or noaccess by land.It is inconceivable that ahandful of diehards woulddeprive 1.5 million BCresidents (450,000 homes) ofclean, renewable electricity.Williston Lake (third largestin North America, largest inBC) has 74 trillion litres of free,clean, renewable energyalready stored. It only makeeconomical sense to reusesuch a resource.Bill BououxFort St JohnHay shortage could result in more beef cattle marketed this fallHeard many hair-raisinghay stories yet? I have! Hay (orlack thereof) seems to be oneof the main concerns as wehead into yet another winterin the interior of BC. You mayhave to barter your rst-bornto acquire a winter feedsupply or all theshortage/high-cost hypecould just blow over; atempest-in-a-haystack.In the historical past ofagriculture in BC, Kamloops(and surrounding area) wasgenerally regarded as theheart of British Columbia'scattle country and althoughoutts like the Douglas LakeCattle Company (the grand-daddy of them all) still remain,the heart of the industry hasshifted north.As cities and civilizationencroach on agricultural landin the southern (and moretemperate) regions of BC,those wishing to expandagricultural productions haveto look elsewhere foraordability to purchase landfor development.Here in the Cariboo, as well,herd numbers have shrunkconsiderably. Many outts arebereft of beef cattle as agingowners have retired from thedaily labour of cattleproduction. Some of theaforesaid retirees rent outtheir grass pasture whileothers leave their grasslandsuntouched. That can bebenecial in the short-term ifthe grassland has seenperiods of overgrazing. A littlerest goes a long way torejuvenation (for all things). However, like anything else,too much of a good thing canalso be detrimental tooptimum overall health.Underutilization raises thespectre of wild re, ever-present in the arid or semi-arid climatic conditions weseem to face of late.Rebuilding herd numbersseems to be occurring on asomewhat limited basis butthe drought-like conditions ofthe past two summers havehit the feed resourcesrequired to nourishthose additionalbreeding females prettyhard. In many parts ofBC, and in fact NorthAmerica, someoptimistic producers arebeing forced to marketanimals before realizing theexpected returns.No doubt about it, beef isnally big business in our partof the world. This, from anonline article found on theCanada Beef website: "Fromsome 83,000 farms andranches across Canada, morethan 3.5 billions pounds ofbeef are produced each year.Canadians consume a wholelot of beef. In fact, beef is themost popular protein in theretail fresh meat section,representing 39% of freshmeat sales dollars or, to put itanother way, it's worth $2.2billion."Where is the beef? Well,they’re about to hit themarket and every producer iswondering the same thing:what prices are we going toget? There have been a fewsales but as October begins,the volume of calves on oerskyrockets!Prices so farOn September 17 inWilliams Lake, BC Livestockput 1260 head through thering; a good mix of calves andyearlings on oer. Ed and Cheryl Monical sold200 yearlings on the day. The822 lb. steers traded up to263.50, heavier steers (892lbs.) brought 250.25 and thelighter bunch (732 lbs.) wentto 284.00. The heifers tradedas follows: 803 lb. Angusyearlings went for 249.75; the829 lb. group fetched 246.75while their 700 lb. heifersnotched 261.00. Dale James of Big Lakewatched his 902 lb. blacksteers ring the buzzer at255.75, then 30 head of C1Ranch's open yearling heifers(847 lbs.) brought 246.00. Lars and Carol Satre sold100 heifers. A liner load of 601lb. steers went to 265.25;heavier steers (882 lbs.) tradedCIDC Check-offBCID Fund9WorkBeef atCheck-offCheck-offCIDC 9Ch9f9heck-of9at9W9Beef 9ork9WoFundCI-D FundBCID Producer Check-Off Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net | 1-877-688-2333at 256.75 while their 757 lb.heifers topped out at 260.50.Trinity Valley Ranch sawsales of 326.00 for their 490 lb.steer calves. They received284.25 for their 602 lb. group,and the lightest steers (369lbs.) leaped up to 412.50.Eighteen head of theirSimmental/Red Angus crossheifer calves (510 lbs.) went at297.00. Dizzy D Ranch sold 412 lb.black steer calves for 365.00.Vic/Lyda Sharman's 586 lb.steer calves brought 285.00,their 517 lb. heifer calves wentfor 300.00. Savour every morsel of beefon your plate!Market MusingsLIZ TWANHe may be black and he may be in the show string of well known Angus breeders Tanya and MontyBelsham’s Poplar Meadows Angus, but this black brute is actually a Simmental. And a grandchampion at that! BF Special Consensus caught the eye of beef judge Tim Massie at this year’s IPE.(Sweet Iron Photography photo)Letters
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October 2015 • Country Life in BC 294-H lamb clubsinspire and educateThere was a slightlydierent avour to 4-H clubsin the Lower Mainland thisyear. Many polished seniormembers have aged out ofthe clubs in the last two years,leaving competition resultsmore open to dierentmembers and clubs. The topresults were shared betweenthe six participating clubs ofSaanich, Pitt River, Langley,Otter, Chilliwack and Creston,says 4-H leaders Kathy Hopeand Heather Gilliland, both ofwhom contributed much tothis column.At Maple Ridge Fair,Creston 4-H leader LisaBrowne, a granddaughter ofthe late Jock Campbell whocontributed so much acrossCanada in the middle of thelast century, retrieved hergrandfather’s trophy, formerlyfor supreme breeders ock atthe PNE’s open show, andreassigned it for the 4-H lambshowman competition atMaple Ridge. She alsodonated keepermonogrammed sheep coatsfor the champion and reservechampion in the same class.The senior champion, “byuke” she emphasized, washer daughter, Ada Browne.At the Chilliwack show,Kathy Hope was enthusiasticabout the involvement of 4-H’ers. Chilliwack is the onlyFraser Valley sheep showwhich has open and 4-H’ers inthe same barn at the sametime, and both groups benet.It also means the 4 H-ers cancompete in the open show .At the PNE, leaders wereequally enthusiastic at thepresence of former 4-H’ersand their young families whowere talking of enrolling theirchildren in 4-H when theywere old enough.All members complied withthe new National Code ofPractice regulations regardingthe slightly longer tail lengthrequirement, Hope noted. For 4-H, the PNE providesmuch to keep membersoccupied and challenged andthis, together with thesocial contact withfellow members, isenough to keep mostyoung people excitedand wanting to cometo the show year afteryear. The sheep competitions –showmanship, best ewe lamb,yearling and market lamb –may provide the agriculturalcore for the youngsters butthere is a whole lot morethroughout the year includingherdsmanship and livestockmanagement, record keeping,lamb selection, speeches,socializing, publicpresentation of their projects,and the popular 4-H dance.Learn how to win, and lose“Kids do better when theirparents are able to come to allthe meetings. Being a 4-Hleader is like being a parentand a teacher,” explainsHeather Gilliland. “The kidsneed support, encouragementand help in growing and selfawareness, especially at thebeginning or when things gowrong for them. Sometimes,things get tough. They learnhow to win or lose gracefully,at times with excitement, attimes painfully. They oftenneed mentoring and a leaderto help and inform. They alltry hard and with enthusiasm.Parents help here, too, bybeing realistic whether theirchildren win or lose.”An example of this waswhen both the senior andintermediate rst placewinners did not place in theoverall championship class.Shae-Lynn Seaman, 16, was “tickled” to win champion market lamb at the PNE 4-H Festival this year,especially because the ewe was the ospring of one of her own older ewes. She also was the seniorshowman champion – her rst two big wins after ve years in 4-H. (Photo courtesy of Heather Gilliland)Always touted as a separateclass, nevertheless it is oftenthe class winners who get it.“Always a lesson to all of us,junior and open, to never stopshowing your animal to itsbest,” says Hope.She also says that over 70%of the projects in the marketlamb and ewe lamb classeswere born on the members’farms. Thus, they are livingwith the results of theirs andtheir parents’ breedingprogram over a couple ofseasons.www.JAYLOR.com | 800.809.8224Contact your Local Dealer for a Demo Today...SquareCut AugerRapidDischargeProcessing KnivesUndercarriageOptions Mixer LevelShaker BoxNEW 5000 SERIESIsland Tractor&Supply Ltd.North IslandTractorAvenueMachinery Corp.AvenueMachinery Corp.Duncan, BC250.746.1755Courtenay, BC250.334.0801Abbotsford, BC604.864.2665Vernon, BC250.545.3355Wool GatheringsJO SLEIGHProudly 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 Admin cell: 604-789-7586PO Box 19052 Email: admin@fvopa.caDelta, BC V4L2P8 www.fvopa.caCUSTOM SLAUGHTER SERVICES PROVIDEDServing the Community TogetherWANTED: ALL SIZES MARKET GOATS & LAMBSashiq@meadowvalleymeats.com604/465-4752 (ext 105)fax 604/465-474418315 FORD ROADPITT MEADOWS, BC V3Y 1Z1PROVINCIALLY INSPECTED ABATTOIR BC#34• BEEF• VEAL• BISON • LAMB • GOAT • DEERMEADOW VALLEY MEATS
Country Life in BC • October 201530Ed Kielstra of Vyeeld Farms used the forage corn variety eld trial toshow growers how his soil additives contributed to deep corn roots.Deep roots were a blessing this year as drought conditions forcedcorn to reach deep to access needed water. (David Schmidt photo)by DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – PacicForage Bag (PFB) usually holdsits silage corn eld days justbefore the harvest begins.That was not the case thisyear, however, as harvestinghad already begun when PFBheld the rst of its three BCeld days at Vyeeld Farms inAbbotsford, August 28.“This may be the earliestharvest on record,” AlexisArthur of PFB said.For some, the harvest mayhave been too early.“There is no need to rushthe harvest this year,” Arthurtold growers. “You want a lotof leaf and a lot of grain so letthe corn dry down before youharvest.”For other growers, theharvest may not have comesoon enough. A day after theVyeeld eld day, a severewindstorm ripped throughthe Fraser Valley, topplingtrees, knocking out power anddamaging many corn elds.“There was lodging in threeof the six cornelds I haveseen since then,” Arthur saidin mid-September.The long summer droughtstunted growth in many eldsand that may have been ablessing in disguise as thewind seems to have blownover rather than into theshorter corn. On the otherhand, elds with higherdensity plantings and goodaccess to water, shot uphigher than usual, makingthem more susceptible towind damage.“Where the wind hit thecorn head on, there wassignicant lodging, especiallyalong the perimeter of theelds,” Arthur said.PFB’s Sumas Prairie corntrial was moved to Vyeeldthis year as its long-termhosts, Fadholm Farms, wentout of business last year. SinceVyeeld is also a corn seeddealer, this year’s trial wasexpanded to include not onlyArthur’s Thunder Seed andPride lines of forage corn butalso several varieties from DeDell, a family-owned Ontariocorn seed company whichVyeeld also markets. As aresult, growers were able tocompare more than twodozen varieties at the trial.Although most varieties wereRound-Up Ready with severalalso including resistance tocornborer and army ants, thetrial also included severalcertied organic varieties.However, since all varietieswere treated the same, nonewere grown organically.The eld day also gavegrowers the chance to view apair of deluxe new harvestersfrom John Deere and Claas, afeature which may beexpanded in future.“The Kielstra family reallywants to make their eld day ago-to event for dairy farmers,”Arthur said.Because of the long, hotsummer and because theplants had access to good soiland adequate water, allvarieties, including high heatunit varieties, seemed tothrive this year.“Yields are really hit andmiss this year. Growers onVancouver Island tell me theyare getting huge yields butthe Kielstras reported pooryields from some of the eldsthey already harvested,”Arthur said at the trial.Vyeeld is also the BCdealer for the Farm For Protprogram and used the trial topromote the FFP nutritionalprogram. Farmer-developed,the program is intended toimprove the soil, balancenutrition and maintain andenhance productivity.“We put Agri-Remedy andAgri-Achieve down when weplant to improve soil tilth,then spray with True Solutionstarter fertilizer and add FFPvegetable oil to improve theecacy of weed and pestcontrol products,” Ed Kielstraexplained.He dug a deep trench inthe eld to show farmers howAgri-Remedy and Agri-Achieve, which had beenapplied to the eld for thepast three years, loosened upthe soil, allowing corn roots toreach up to two feet in length,giving the plants access tomore water and nutrients.Wind (not drought) affects corn trials1.866.567.4162Your Game Face for FeedingTo maintain quality feed it’s important to keep air out. When si-lage is faced with a regular bucket, deep cracks and fissures can form. Air can penetrate through these cracks, feet deep into the silo potentially causing premature spoilage and reducing the quality of the feed. One of the best ways to avoid this is to keep a clean, smooth face that doesn’t trap air or moisture. The HLA silage facer is designed to help you better manage your silage and maintain your feed quality. Not only does the facer help you maintain the face of your silo, it also gives you more control of how much feed you remove further reducing waste.Let HLA Attachments help you get your game face on.2000Series Blade3200W Series SnowWing5500 Series SnowPusherScatter Shot Orbital Spreaderwww.hlaattachents.com www.hlasnow.com
October 2015 • Country Life in BC 31Banner sponsor Hal Muxlow of Valley Genetics, left, was proud of the Jersey champions of the InteriorProvincial Exhibition. From left, Allison McAvoy, judge Ian Crosbie of Saskatchewan, reserve grandchampion Glorybound Apple Comerica led by Gina Haambuckers of Sunny Hill Jerseys of Enderby,grand champion Starcrest Blackstone Aviana led by Kirsty McAvoy with Ashlee and Jim McAvoy ofStarcrest Farms in Armstrong. (David Schmidt photos)Judge Ian Crosbie ofSaskatchewan, left, stands bythe grand champion Holsteinsat the Interior ProvincialExhibition in Armstrong,September 2. Joining him wereDave Vanderspoel ofShadynook Farms in Enderby,reserve grand championAmities Dorcy Lauthia led byMark Van Vlerken of MarvleHolsteins in Enderby for Marvleand Shadynook, grandchampion Hamming WindbrookDarlina led by Dave Hammingwith Zoey, Brian and TayaHamming of HammingHolsteins in Vernon.by DAVID SCHMIDTARMSTRONG – DonHendrickson showed his firstJersey calf as a first-year4-H’er in Delta in 1949. Morethan 65 years later and now amostly-retired dairyman inEnderby, he still retains anactive interest in the showring and good cattle.On September 2, heproved that by earning thepremier Jersey breederdesignation at the IPE DairyShow in Armstrong.The 2015 show wasdedicated to the DeWit familyof DeWit and GoldensetHolsteins of Sicamous. Long-time exhibitors, the DeWitshave showed continuously atthe IPE since 1971. Goldensetshows no signs of slowingdown, earning the Holsteinreserve junior championshipbanner with their senior calf,Goldenset Doorman Efferon.The IPE is now the largestopen dairy show at a BC fairwith exhibitors paradingalmost 100 animals beforejudge Ian Crosbie ofSaskatchewan. The showalternated between Holsteinand Jersey classes, eachbreed bringing identicalnumbers into the ring: 25 ineach of the junior shows and23 in each of the seniorshows. No favoritismDespite being a renownedHolstein breeder, Crosbieshowed no favoritismtowards the black and whites,choosing the championJersey as the show’s SupremeChampion. That honour wentto Starcrest BlackstoneAviana, a four-year-old shownby Jim and Kirsty McAvoy ofStarcrest Farms in Armstrong.Aviana also won the IPE’sfirst-ever Jersey Supercowclass, based on acombination of the cow’sshow placing and productionrecord and includes a $500prize from BMO.The Holstein Supercowaward and its $500 prize fromScotiabank went toDeWit familyhonoured at IPESunnyhome Burns Red Retashown by Hamming Holsteinsin Vernon. The Hammingfamily was a dominant forcein the Holstein ring, earningboth the premier breeder andpremier exhibitor bannersafter also showing the seniorand grand championHolstein, three-year-oldHamming Windbrook Darlina,and the junior championHolstein, the intermediatecalf winner, GoldensetDoorman Pandora.Earning the reserve seniorand reserve grand championHolstein banners was AmitiesDorcy Lauthia, shown byShadynook Farms and MarvleHolsteins of Enderby.Shadynook and Marvle alsocaptured the Jersey juniorchampionship with theirjunior yearling, WC MadmanLeola.The remaining Jerseychampionships went to BlueBell Muffin (reserve juniorchampion) shown by BlueBell Dairy of Chilliwack andGlorybound Apple Comerica(reserve senior and reservegrand champion) shown byMichael and GinaHaambuckers of Sunny HillJerseys in Enderby. Although they did not earnany of the championships,Michael’s parents, Thys andWilma Haambuckers ofGlorybound Holsteins andJerseys, were named thepremier Jersey exhibitors.www.canadianorganicfeeds.comFOR QUALITYCERTIFIEDORGANICFEEDS FOR BAGGED or BULK ORDERS:Darren JansenGeneral Manager604/794-3701organicfeeds@gmail.comCUSTOM ORDERSCertified to Canadian National Standards & V¶¶VDGGDDQD& %GHLIILLUULH99H IHH% & V¶¶VDGGDDQD&Producti %GHLIILLUULH99Haon ProgrraProductimpleSied fopvelDe IHH%am ustrTTrcal. ctiar. Pmple, by psruceodpror ed f ed.ust.sroducer, by p 1:hP -866-398w 398- emeltBP@cat V:ilam E8482mthbp./vac.bc.nemelttac.www ac.bc.neLet rkemaonioseb ement pl you imelphusstrke - rds ndatadriven son- ty safed foormfa carlmani a&ty curiiose ement forrds , yy,e car .
Country Life in BC • October 201532BC Angus breeders dominate at IPE beef showThe Belshamfamily of PoplarMeadows inHouston was aneasy winner ofthe Angusbreeder’s herdclass afterwinning most ofthe individualribbons in thelarge Angusshow at theInteriorProvincialExhibition inArmstrong.(David Schmidtphoto)BCBFA BC BREEDER & FEEDER ASSOCIATIONAPP (ADVANCE PAYMENTS PROGRAM) FOR BC PRODUCERSFEEDER ASSOCIATIONS LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM •BRED HEIFER ASSOCIATIONS LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAMFinancing for feeder cattle, sheep and bred heifers/cows is available throughout B.C. from Co-operative Feeder and Bred Heifer Associations. The Province provides a loan guarantee to the Association’s lender. All persons are eligible who reside in British Columbia, are at least 19 years ofage and own or lease a farm or ranch. Financing for feeders is for a one year term. Financing for bred heifers/cows is over a 5 year term.Cattlemen, please contact your local association:FOR INFORMATION CONTACTBCBFA BC BREEDER & FEEDER ASSOCIATIONLINDY GILSON, 5641 BASTIN ROAD, QUESNEL, BC, V2J 6R1Phone: 250-992-8483• Fax: 250-992-8489 email: bearvlly@telus.netADVANTAGES TO THE LIVESTOCK PRODUCER• Reliable source of credit available on short notice from the Association• Interest rate is competitive or better than on an individual basis• 5% deposit on feeders & 10% deposit on bred heifers allows producersto continue during periods of limited cash flow• The association is controlled by the members • Livestock mortality insuranceB.C. Cattle Industry Development Council Partner“Producers Working for Producers”Cariboo Bred Heifer CooperativeCariboo-Chilcotin Cooperative Feeders AssocFraser Nechako Bred Heifer Cooperative AssocQuesnel Cooperative Feeders AssocSecretary Lindy Gilson, QuesnelPh 250/992-8483 • Fax 250/992-8489 Ph 250/991-8413email: bearvlly@telus.netCentral Interior Feeders Cooperative AssocSecretary: Audrey Cooper,VanderhoofPh 250/567-2049• Fax 250/567-9049 email: cifcasecretary@uniserve.comOkanagan Feeders Cooperative AssociationSecretary: Michele Lypchuk, ArmstrongTel 250/546-2638 • Fax 250/546-8037 email: ml@rhllp.caLakes Feeders Cooperative AssocLakes Bred Heifer CooperativeSecretary: Mary McEntire, Burns Lake Ph 250/694-3653 • Fax 250/694-3653 email: smcentire@lakescom.netNorth Peace B.C. Feeder CooperativeNorth Peace B.C. Bred Heifer Cooperative AssocSouth Peace Feeder CooperativeSouth Peace B.C. Bred Heifer Cooperative AssocSecretary: Connie Patterson, Dawson CreekPh 250/782-6272 • Fax 250/782-1881 Ph 250/219-0791email: pcc@neonet.bc.caTHE ADVANCE PAYMENTS PROGRAM IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR ALL BC PRODUCERS.Producers can apply for an advance on calves, yearlings, lambs, bison, forage and grain up to $400,000.00 with the first $100,000.00being interest free. Plus, interest relief through the Advance Payments Program is available to association members on their feedercattle purchases. Application forms are available at www.bcbfa.ca or by contacting your local association or the BCBFA office.CIDC Check-offBCID Fund9WorkBeef atCheck-offCheck-offCIDC 9Ch9f9heck-of9at9W9Beef 9ork9WoFundCI-D FundBCID by DAVID SCHMIDTARMSTRONG – BC AngusAssociation president TomdeWaal of Harvest Angus inPrince George has to beextremely pleased with the IPEBeef Show in Armstrong,September 4-6.Not only was Angus thelargest individual breed showby a wide margin, but deWaalpersonally took home a lion’sshare of the banners and prizemoney.Judge Brad Gilchrist ofOntario selected HarvestBlackbird Jo Jo 13A as thesenior and grand championAngus, then joined co-judgesTim Massie and Greg Pugh ofAlberta to make her theshow’s Supreme Championfemale, earning her a $500bonus and automatic entryinto the Regina AgribitionSupreme Championship thisfall. DeWaal added another$1,250 to his earnings when JoJo 13A won the Stars of theFuture. Although an automaticwinner as the only entry inyear three, she was deserving,having also placed rst as acalf in 2013 and as a yearlinglast year.DeWaal also got o to agood start at this year’sfuturity, placing rst in the calfclass with Harvest Dr Valor 5C.Valor 5C was also the reservechampion female calf in theAngus show. Placing just ahead of her inthe Angus show but justbehind her in the Stars of theFuture calf class was PMRosebud 77’15, shown byTanya Belsham of PoplarMeadows in Houston. Thepremier Angus breeder andexhibitor, Belsham also tookhome the reserve senior andreserve grand championfemale Angus banners withSouthland Jewel 275T and thegrand champion Angus bullbanner with May WayBreakout 1310. Breakout thenwent on to claim the SupremeChampion bull honours,giving the Angus breed bothIPE Supreme Championships.The award for reserve grandchampion Angus bull went toRed Shiloh Buzz Bout Loaded9B, shown by Alberta’s ShilohCattle Company.Poplar Meadows alsogured in the Simmental show,earning grand champion bullhonours for BF SpecialConsensus. Massie then choseSCSF Black Income 31C fromSilvercreek Simmentals ofSaskatchewan as the reservegrand champion Simmentalbull. He gave both femaleSimmental championships toLone Star Angus of Alberta –the grand going to RF Intense359A and the reserve to Chub’sSugar Rush 9B. Lone Star alsowon the Sires of Tomorrowclass with another of their bullcalves, Rock Star Capone 5C,and took home $1,000 aswinner of the jackpot steerclass.Although he did not get thechampionship banners,Abbotsford’s Lorne Websterwas the premier Simmentalbreeder and exhibitor.It was almost a foregoneconclusion that the IPEPinnacle’s Unmentionables 4U,the grand champion bull,Pinnacle’s Crushin It 18C, andthe reserve grand championbull, Pinnacle’s Chicks Dig It21C.Despite being this year’sfeature breed, Herefordexhibitors only brought out 26entries for Massie to judge. Heawarded the female grandchampionship to GH UptownDestiny 25A, shown by KenPaul of Aldergrove, and thereserve grand championshipto Blair-Athol 70X J Lo 14B,shown by Smith Farms ofAbbotsford.Copper Creek Ranch ofPrinceton, the premierHereford breeder andexhibitor, took both bullchampionships, winninggrand with CCR 9500 Barcode38B and reserve with CCR719T Carl 21C. Carl 21C alsoearned the reservechampionship in the Sires ofTomorrow class. Lowline breeders, who aretrying to drum up interest intheir line of smaller Anguscattle, marketing them as idealgrass-fed cattle for smalleracreages, opened the breedshows with a parade of 25entries before judge Gilchrist.The show was led byHighpoint Lowlines of Victoria,who were named the premierLowline breeders andexhibitors after showing thegrand champion female,Highpoint Lottie 1Z, reservechampion female, HighpointLucy, and grand championbull, Highpoint Revelation.Named the reserve championLowline bull was Alta WD 40BIL 110A, shown by Big IslandLowlines of Alberta.New to the IPE Beef Showwas a $1,500 scholarship fromthe Royal Bank of Canada andRBC Dominion Securities inVernon. The inauguralscholarship was awarded toHeather Fisher-Leblanc ofQuesnel, who also earned thesenior high aggregate awardin the junior show. RBC andRBC Dominion Securities arealso providing a $1,500scholarship to a participant inthe IPE 4-H Dairy Show, butthat winner was not to beannounced until the end ofSeptember.Supreme Championshipswould go to BC exhibitors, asnine of the ten individualbreed champions came fromthis province – a refreshingchange from past years whenAlberta exhibitors oftendominated.Earning $500 for toppingthe jackpot yearling heiferclass was Greenwood PLDBrandy, shown by PinnacleView Limousins of Quesnel.Gilchrist also made Brandy thejunior and grand championfemale in a very small multi-breed show. Pinnacle Vieweasily earned both the multi-breed show’s premier breederand premier exhibitor bannersafter also showing the reservegrand champion female,www.bchereford.ca BCHA President Murray Gore 604-582-3499 BCHA Secretary Janice Tapp 250-699-6466 Residual Feed Efficiency Research 1000 Hereford bulls tested in past 3 years PROVEN FEED EFFICIENCY We aim to help your boƩom line!
October 2015 • Country Life in BC 33Interior preps for disposalof pesticides, medicationby RONDA PAYNEVANDERHOOF – If all good dogs go to heaven, what aboutthe medications that were once used on them? Or their bovinecounterparts? Or, for that matter, what about the pesticides outin the back shed that haven’t seen the light of day in a while?Yes, unused and obsolete pesticides and livestockmedications can go to heaven – at least they can in BC’sInterior, Okanagan and Kootenay regions during this year’sCleanFARMS obsolete collection program. The program allowsfarmers a free, responsible way to dispose of pesticides andlivestock medications that often accumulate on a farm.Russel Hurst, director of the collections programs, noted thatdue to the geography of the province, CleanFARMS splits BCinto three-year regional rotationsfor collection. AlthoughCleanFARMS introduced theinclusion of livestockmedications into the programlast year, it will be the rst timethese three locations can takeadvantage of it locally. “This is the second year of[CleanFARMS] partnering withthe Canadian Animal HealthInstitute (CAI),” Hurst said. “It’sthe rst time the program of thisscope is oered to the folks inthe Kootenays, Interior andOkanagan.”The pairing of CleanFARMS and CAI is ideal because of thehand-in-hand use of pesticides and livestock medications; bothcan be an essential addition to an agricultural operation.Farmer’s may nd that safely disposing of these products,however, is problematic, but CleanFARMS makes it easy.“We take any agricultural pesticide so long as it has a labelon it,” noted Hurst. “As long as the farmer can state the productis a pesticide, we’ll take it, no questions. If the product does nothave a label, we ask that the grower write on the side of it witha permanent black marker what it is.”Additionally, any livestock medication in liquid, pill or pasteform is acceptable. The collection program will not take domestic pesticides,treated seed, medicated feed, needles or sharps.“For those kinds of things, farmers can contact their localmunicipality,” Hurst said. Check CleanFARMS website at[www.cleanfarms.ca/programs_obsolete_pesticide_collection_british_columbia] for location addresses.Next year, the program will be in the Peace region inconjunction with Alberta. CleanFARMS ensures all products collected are transportedsafely and incinerated, which means it may be a little more likehell than heaven for unused pesticides and animal medications.She’s number oneHeather Fisher-Leblanc of Quesnelreceived the $1,500 IPE Junior BeefScholarship from Eric Wikjord of RBCDominion Securities in Vernon duringthe IPE Beef banquet, September 6.Wikjord and RBC Agriculture Servicessenior account manager Alan Cartercombined forces to oer both theJunior Beef Scholarship and a $1,5004-H dairy scholarship at the IPE for therst-time ever. (David Schmidt photo)BE READY.SEE US TODAY. Case IH is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or afliates.34511 Vye RoadAbbotsford, BC V2S 8J7604-864-2273www.caliberequipment.caCase IH Maxxum® series tractors are designed to handle the multiple tasks of livestock operations, row-crop applications and roadside mowing. The proven SCR-only engine technology delivers more power with less fuel and a power boost of up to 25 HP moves you through tough conditions without losing speed or productivity. The high-visibility roof panel in the Surround Vision cab gives you 4.5 square feet of upward visibility for loader operation and the optional industry-leading cab suspension reduces the shock loads to the operator by 25%. Easy-access service and 600-hour maintenance intervals maximize your uptime.POWER AND PERFORMANCEMADE SIMPLE.34511 VYE RD . ABBOTSFORD604/864-2273VANCOUVER TOLL FREE 604/857-2273CHILLIWACK TOLL FREE 604/795-2273www.caliberequipment.caNEW & USED EQUIPMENT SALES • PARTS • SERVICECOLLECTION DATESCentral InteriorVanderhoof October 20Williams Lake October 21Prince George October 22Quesnel October 23OkanaganKamloops October 20Vernon October 21Kelowna October 22Oliver October 23KootenayCreston November 4Cranbrook November 5
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October 2015 • Country Life in BC 35Danny Post stands in his soft fruit orchard in Summerland. EP Orchards oers customers the choice ofpicking fruit themselves or buying it already picked. (Susan McIver photo)by SUSAN MCIVERSUMMERLAND – Donnyand Denese Espeut-Post,owners of EP Orchards inSummerland, oer customersthe choice of picking fruitthemselves or purchasingalready picked fruit.“We went to Summerlandthis morning to pick organicpeaches at EP Orchards. Kidshad so much fun and wereseriously the sweetestpeaches we have ever tasted,”an enthusiastic mother blogs.Tourists from the LowerMainland and the Prairiesappreciate the opportunity toexperience an Okanaganorchard rst hand and tastefresh-o the tree fruit.“I come here often to pickmy fruit. It’s always good,”says neighbour LindaCarnegie.Six years on the jobBoth natives of Manitoba,Donny and Denese were livingin Edmonton when theypurchased their 8.2 acreproperty in February 2009.The couple had over 300old, poor quality apple treesremoved and mulched beforethey arrived in Summerland afew months later.With a law degree from theUniversity of Alberta, Deneseestablished a law practice,Avery Law Oce, in her newhometown. A smallpercentage of her practice isdevoted to wine law.“Some areas of wine law arealso applicable to orcharding,such as land and equipmentleases, employment and landuse matters,” Denese says.A carpenter by trade,Donny built the family homewhile developing the orchard.He also keeps a careful eyeduring the day on the couple’stwo children, Veda, 5, andKasen, 3.“My mother-in-law, EudoraEspeut, is a great help with thechildren,” Donny says.Having grown up on a grainfarm, Donny had insights intoagriculture but needed toacquire specic skillsapplicable to fruit growing.“Some of my neighboursare experienced fruit farmers.They’ve been very helpful,” hesays.Organic techniquesStill a work in progress, EPOrchards now producespeaches, nectarines, apricotsand plums. All fruit is grownusing organic techniques butthe orchard itself is not yetIf only they could get rid of the gophersocially certied organic.“Of our 130 peach trees,about half are Fair Havenswhich were here originally,and the other half Glo Havenwhich we planted in 2011,”Donny says. Nectarines are kingNectarines are the largestplanting with approximately300 trees of two varieties –Red Gold and Earliblaze.“The Red Golds ripen laterand have a good shelf life,”Donny says.EP Orchards include twovarieties of apricots – Goldbarand Hargrand, a varietydeveloped at the HarrowResearch Station in Ontario.This year’s crop of Duarteand Red Heart plums is quitelow due to a frost on theblossoms, Donny explained.Rodents, weeds and insectsare problems in addition tothe weather. Pocket gophershave been a particular plaguethis year.“They gnawed the roots o20 trees so far. I’ve caught 76which doesn’t seem to haveslowed them down one bit,”Donny says. Previously, he’slost only a few trees each year.These small rodents spendmost of their timeAlberta couple makes a go ofit with Okangan soft fruit orchardunderground eating roots,but will also eat stems aboveground.As with all growers who useorganic principles, weedcontrol, often done by hand,is a constant struggle.“Mullein, also known as thetoilet paper plant, is a bigproblem,” Donny says.Signicant insect pestsinclude the peach borer andtwig borer along with antsand earwigs. Looking to the future,Donny says, “I’d like to obtainorganic certication for theorchard, increase the amountand types of peaches and, ofcourse, get rid of thegophers.”Matsqui Ag-RepairAbbotsford, BC604-826-3281Noble Tractor & EquipmentArmstrong, BC250-546-3141Noble Tractor & EquipmentKamloops, BC250-851-3101Huber Farm EquipmentPrince George, BC250-560-5431KuhnNor thAmerica.comPRIMOR 4270 M BALE PROCESSORr'CUKN[CFCRVUVQXCTKQWUOCVGTKCNUCPFDCNGV[RGUr7PKHQTOFKUVTKDWVKQPQHOCVGTKCNCETQUUVJGDNQYKPIFKUVCPEGr2TGEKUGEQPUKUVGPVOCVGTKCNRNCEGOGPVWRVQHGGVCPFr5GNHNQCFKPIHQTQPGOCPQRGTCVKQPYKVJKPECDJ[FTCWNKEEQPVTQNU2TQEGUUGUZTQWPFCPFZZNCTIGUSWCTGDCNGUrEWHVECRCEKV[+08'56+037#.+6;®CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE WHEN BEDDING OR FEEDING5 x 6 round bales Now Processes
Country Life in BC • October 201536Animal welfare critical in avoiding cattle fatigue syndromeResearchers with theCollege of VeterinaryMedicine, Kansas StateUniversity (KSU), along withcolleagues at Iowa StateUniversity and Texas TechUniversity, have documenteda fatigue syndrome aectingfeedlot cattle.In 2013, some employees atabattoirs in the United Statesreported concerns andobservations that recently-arrived cattle were slow andhad diculty moving. Theyalso had clinical signs such asrapid breathing with anabdominal component torespiration, lameness, shortstiened strides and changesin blood chemistry. Theirsymptoms were very similar topig fatigue syndrome. The study began on cattlein 2013 and resulted in alandmark research paperentitled "Description of anovel fatigue syndrome ofnished feedlot cattlefollowing transportation"which appeared in July in theJournal of the AmericanVeterinary Medical Association.“This syndrome has beenidentied in the swine industryand had not been identied incattle until our work thatstarted in 2013,” says DanThomson, Jones professor ofproduction medicine in theCollege of Veterinary Medicineand director of the Beef CattleInstitute at KSU. “Our paper places anemphasis on cattle stress atthe end of the feeding periodwith items such as heat load,animal size, cattle handling atshipping, time of day ofshipping, animaltransportation and otherissues that could be causingstress of large cattle during thesummer time.”The study revealeda potential linkbetween beta-agonists, which aresupplements fed tocattle to promotemuscle growth, and lamenessissues. "I think this paper is the rstpublication of the interactionbetween beta-agonists andlameness issues in cattle," saysSteve Ensley, a veterinaryclinician and toxicologist atIowa State University. “Thebeta-agonists are widely usedin cattle and pig feeding andthere is very little informationabout adverse eects. Morework needs to be done, butthis is a great start.”Matabolic overloadGuy Loneragan, professor offood safety and public healthat Texas Tech University, saysthat part of thepathophysiology points to asort of metabolic overload. "While we don't know thecause, it appears to bemultifactorial in nature butwarrants further investigation,"he says. "It is important to beable to share case reports likethe ones described. While it isnot always as thorough as aFatigue cattle syndrome isn’t widespread and hasn’t been identied in Canadian feedlots. Studiesindicate cattle management techniques (low stress vs high stress) are factors in whether FCSsymptoms surface. (Liz Twan le photo)case report of hospitalizedanimals, these eld-basedobservations are neverthelessof value and, under Dr.Thomson's leadership, wewere able to dig relativelydeeply into these events andprovide a report to share withour profession."According to the CFIAwebsite[www.inspection.gc.ca], theagency approves the use ofcertain beta-agonist productscontaining zilpaterolhydrochloride for weight gainand improved feed eciency.But it noted as a caution thatanimals may exhibit increasedrespiratory rates as well asother physiological signs. The Beef Cattle ResearchCouncil in Calgary noted ontheir website[www.beefresearch.ca] thatthere have been concernsabout the use of beta-agonistsin livestock in popular mediaand some importing countrieshave a zero tolerance policyfor certain kinds of thesupplement which aects thespecics of trade negotiations. “Fatigue cattle syndromedoes not occur frequently andit is the culmination ofmultiple stressors whennished cattle are loaded atthe feedlot, transported to theabattoir and penned at thetime prior to slaughter,” saysThomson. “I don’t know of anyreported problems in Canada.” Reynold Bergen, sciencedirector with BCRC, says thecouncil conducted research oncattle transportation withAgriculture and Agri-FoodCanada. “We tracked half a millioncattle in, out and aroundAlberta and followed cattleconditions coming on and othe trucks. One grouptravelled less than 400 km; theother over 400 km.On the short haul, 99.99% ofcattle were coming o with nolameness issues and no visibleproblems. On the long haul,99.98% of cattle were comingo with no lameness.”Low stress handlingBergen conrmed that lowstress handling of cattle has aclear positive outcome ontheir health and welfare, a factalso evidenced in anotherstudy at the Beef CattleInstitute at KSU and reportedonline at[www.bovinevetonline.com]. In the summer of 2014,researchers conducted astudy at commercial cattle-feeding facilities with finishedcattle. Cattle were randomlyassigned to two differenthandling treatmentsinvolving either low-stresshandling or aggressivehandling. Results showedaggressive handling inducedFCS symptoms while lowstress handling resulted incattle showing no signs.The researchers say it isimportant for the beefindustry and veterinarians tolearn as much as possibleabout cattle fatigue syndromein order to proactivelymitigate the condition andplace cattle welfare at top ofmind while expanding theresearch base.ResearchMARGARET EVANSValley Auction Ltd., Armstrong BC Valley Auction Ltd., Armstrong BC VJV Dawson Creek, Dawson Creek BC VJV Dawson Creek, Dawson Creek BC B.C. Livestock Producers Co-Op Association, Kamloops BC B.C. Livestock Producers Co-Op Association, Kamloops BC Okanagan Falls Stockyard, Okanagon Falls BC Vanderhoof Auction Market Ltd., Vanderhoof BCWilliams Lake Stockyards, Williams Lake BC Thursday, October 23, 2014Thursday, November 6, 2014Monday, September 22, 2014Monday, October 20, 2014Tuesday, October 21, 2014Tuesday, October 28, 2014Monday, October 27, 2014Friday, October 24, 2014Wednesday, October 22, 2014RANCHER ENDORSED CALF SALESVJV Dawson Creek Auction, Dawson Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friday, September 25BC Livestock, Vanderhoof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friday, October 9BC Livestock, Williams Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wednesday, October 21Valley Auction, Armstrong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thursday, October 22BC Livestock, Vanderhoof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friday, October 23VJV Dawson Creek Auction, Dawson Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friday, October 23BC Livestock, Okanagan Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monday, October 26BC Livestock, Kamloops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuesday, October 27BC Livestock, Williams Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wednesday, October 28Valley Auction, Armstrong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thursday, November 12STILL LOOKING!!BC Angus is looking for a new Secretary/Treasurer!VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR CONTACT JILL SAVAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION
October 2015 • Country Life in BC 37It wasn't only drought and re that had south Okanaganorchardists concerned about their trees, it was wind that actuallyimpacted them most. Wind that blew through the region in mid tolate August toppled trees laden with fruit. (Photo courtesy ofOliver Daily News)Autumn brings strong prices, exodus from weather woes of summerby PETER MITHAMABBOTSFORD – Summer’srough and arid grasp onsouthern BC ended withAugust as a massive lowpressure system broughtcooler temperatures and rainto many parts of the LowerMainland and southernInterior.But it also brought thestrongest winds ever seen atthat time of year, triggeringthe largest single loss ofpower BC Hydro everregistered.Winds gusting up to 90kilometres an hour uprootedtrees, downed power linesand left livestock operators inthe Lower Mainlandscrambling for assistance toget generators up andrunning.The winds came on theheels of a whirlwind thatswept through the Okanagantwo weekends earlier, fanningthe ames of the TestalindenCreek re near Oliver – stillburning across rangeland inearly September – andbattering orchards.“I have never seen anythingquite like it,” says Fred Steele,a Kelowna orchardist andpresident of the BC FruitGrowers Association, whosurveyed the damage and hasbeen helping growers applyfor crop insurance. “It skippedhere and there. The treeswould be blown over in onearea; some places the treesweren’t blown over. It almostlooked like a twister. I’ve neverheard of one there. It lookedreally bizarre; it wasn’t astraight strip all the waydown.”The winds snapped wires,scattered fruit and left postsand trees bent and broken.Any fruit remaining on thetrees was badly damaged.“For the guys who got hit, itwas pretty substantial,” Steelesays. “It’s not going to cripplethe industry or anything, butto the farmers that areaected, it’s prettysubstantial.”It’s a similar story in theranching industry, which as awhole was singed by wildresbut which cost Ian and BevSmith of Rock Creek theirhome and other ranchers theirstock. (A rm tally of the lossesisn’t yet available.)Hay prices boostedBy the same token, the dryweather that provided perfectconditions for re alsoshriveled crops, boostingprices for hay. However, highprices for some also left others– especially those in dry areas– with diminished crops,forcing them to make toughdecisions regarding theirherds heading into winter.And even for those growerswho did bale a bumper cropof hay, caught between theblades of grass werenumerous grasshoppers.If not quite a Biblical plagueof locusts, the voraciouscritters were numerousenough – photobombingposts on social media, even –prompting one director of theThompson-Nicola RegionalDistrict to call for re-enactment of the province’sGrasshopper Control Act.Repealed in 1998, the actprovided for a tax to fundcontrol initiatives throughoutthe Interior.But if wind, drought, re,and locusts combined to cutcrop yields, cooler weather inSeptember has alreadyresulted in the lifting of somerestrictions on water use.Higher prices for the crops yetto be harvested also seemscertain as drought continuesto plague the western half ofthe continent.Food prices climbDrought conditions inCalifornia remain severe and aUniversity of Guelph forecastearlier this year projectedincreases of 3% to 7.5% in theprice of fruits and vegetables.The latest report fromStatistics Canada conrmsthis, noting overall food pricesrose an average of 3.1% year-over-year this summer, withprices at grocery stores up3.5%. SEPTEMBER 19, 2015 Ranch Equipment Auction Sale Cheryl Moore, Lone Butte OCTOBER 3, 2015 Ranch Equipment Auction Sale Dave Daku, KelownaOct 1st Williams Lake - Regular SaleOct 2nd Vanderhoof - Regular SaleOct 5th Ok Falls - Regular SaleOct 6th Kamloops - Calf & Yearling SaleOct 7th Williams Lake - Calf SaleOct 8th Williams Lake - Regular SaleOct 9th Vanderhoof - Pre-Sort SaleOct 13th Kamloops - Calf & Yearling SaleOct 14th Williams Lake - Calf SaleOct 15th Williams Lake - Regular SaleOct 16th Vanderhoof - Regular SaleHigher Prices Takes Buying Power! Fall Run & Ranch Equipment Auction Dates>«ÃÉ"Ê>ÃÊÓxä°xÇΰÎÎÊÊUÊÊ7>ÃÊ>iÊÓxä°În°än£ÎÊÊUÊÊ6>`iÀvÊÓxä°xÇä°Ó£{ÎOct 19th Ok Falls - Regular + Calf SaleOct 20th Kamloops - Calf & Yearling+AngusXOct 21st Williams Lake - Calf Sale Oct 22nd Williams Lake - Regular SaleOct 23rd Vanderhoof - Pre-Sort SaleOct 26th Ok Falls - Regular + Calf w AngusXOct 27th Kamloops - Calf & Yearling w AngusXOct 28th Williams Lake - Calf SaleOct 29th Williams Lake - Regular SaleOct 30th Vanderhoof - Regular SaleSLASR SREEBOTOCCTOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTESBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSAROOOCBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCTTTTTTTTTTTTTOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSFor more information, please call CleanFARMS at 877-622-4460 or visit www.cleanfarms.caReturn your unwanted or obsolete pesticides and livestock medicationsFarmers: safely dispose of your unwanted agricultural pesticides and livestock/equine medications at one of the following locations, for no charge.Program supported by:British Columbia®OBSOLETE COLLECTION CAMPAIGNDate Town Ag Retailer AddressBritish Columbia (Interior)Tuesday, October 20 Vanderhoof Glen Dale Agra Services 1055 Hwy 16 WWednesday, October 21 Williams Lake 153 Mile Fertilizer 5101 Frizzi RoadThursday, October 22Prince GeorgeFoothills Regional Landll 6595 Foothills BoulevardFriday, October 23 Quesnel Quesnel Agro 1280 Quesnel-Hixon RoadBritish Columbia (Okanagan Region)Tuesday, October 20 Kamloops Purity Feed Ltd 471 Okanagan WayWednesday, October 21 VernonGrowers Supply Company Limited1200 Waddington DriveThursday, October 22 KelownaGrowers Supply Company Limited2605 Acland RoadFriday, October 23 OliverGrowers Supply Company Limited5911 Sawmill RoadBritish Columbia (Kootenay Region)Wednesday, November 4 Creston Truscott Farms 3016 Hwy 3Thursday, November 5 Cranbrook Top Crop Garden, Farm and Pet 2101 Cranbrook Street N
Country Life in BC • October 201538by SEAN MCINTYREGALIANO ISLAND – There’sa new kind of market that’spopped up in the Gulf Islands,and organizers warn shoppersto come prepared.“It’s not people comingwith little wicker baskets,” saysEmma Luna Davis, acoordinator of the GalianoFood Program. “It’s for thepick-up trucks.”Davis is talking aboutOctober’s annual Stock UpMarket on Galiano Island.Whereas traditional farmers’markets provide tourists andlocals with fresh, seasonalproduce, the Stock Up Markethas a far more utilitarianmotivation: lling pantries andfreezers for the winter.“It’s all about getting readyfor hibernation,” Davis says.So rather than fresh-pickedgreens and eat-o-the-vinetomatoes, shoppers canexpect tables loaded withstaples like potatoes, parsnips,onions and beets. Somevendors oer partially bakedfrozen loaves of bread,preserves or locally sourcedmeat and sh; othersspecialize in pickled ordehydrated goods.“The focus is on items thatstore well,” Davis adds. “Thismarket emphasizes whatpeople can take home in bulkquantities to feed theirfamilies over thewinter months.”Galiano’s Stock UpMarket grew from asimilar ventureinitiated nearPortland, OR, whereorganizers tapped intothe surging interest in localfood and people’s curiosityabout food-preservation skillslike canning, dehydrating andcuring. More than bulk bargainsBesides oering marketgoers bulk bargains on rootvegetables, the Stock UpMarket provides handyinformation about ways tostore produce over the winter.There are workshops,handouts and plenty of localfarmers to answer anyquestions shoppers may have.Islanders can also rent a fooddehydrator, picklingequipment or a vacuum sealerthrough the Galiano FoodProgram to process theirbounty.“We talk a lot about foodGaliano Island sprouts autumn Stock Up MarketThis market has a far more utilitarian motivation: filling pantries and freezers for the winterwww.tubeline.ca 1.888.856.6613Built with smaller operations in mind, the Nitro 375RS is constructed with top grade materials to handle real day-to-day farming. With standard features including robust apron chains, hungry vertical beaters, and an adjustable guillotine end gate, you can rest assured that the Nitro 375RS will not only provide the consistent spread you’ll need, but also limit your time in the field. Contact Tubeline for more information on the Nitro 375RS or other models.sustainability on GalianoIsland but the winter is alwaysa really challenging time to befood sustainable,” says Davis.“The market oers inspirationto help you make it last andlearn the best way to keep lotsof things.“We’re all experimenting.”Similar markets in largercommunities have cashed inon the cachet associated withlocal produce and thepopularity of do-it-yourselfknowledge, but Galiano’s1,200 full-time residents havesome practical motivations tomake it to market day.Limited ferry sailingsGroceries on the island arelimited and what’s available isoften more expensive due toshipping charges. Residentswho make a trip to the LowerMainland or Vancouver Islandspend at least two hours toget to and from the island,face limited ferry sailings andusually need to pay upwardsof $100 for the trip.“We really don’t want tohave to make many trips totown,” Davis says.Participants at the 2014event recount people liningup outside the doors ofGaliano’s historic communityhall. It took less than threehours for nearly everything tosell out.The Stock Up Market runson the Saturday followingThanksgiving weekend.Timing is geared to ll the gapbetween the island’s busysummer market season andthe onset of wall-to-wallChristmas fairs that beginevery November.This year’s event takes placeon Saturday, October 17 at theGaliano Community Hallbetween 10 am and 1 pm. Formore information about themarket or details andinspiration about how tolaunch a similar venture inyour community, visit[www.galianofoodprogram.ca].Country WaysA dierent kind of farmers market that facilitates shoppers who want to stock up for winter withstorage vegetables like spuds and onions and preserves attracts a good crowd on Galiano Island. (Filephoto courtesy of Emma Luna Davis)Emerald Bay Ag Services The latest technology helping you “Farm Smarter” Doug Macfarlane, CCA Vernon 250.550.0545 www.emeraldbayag.com x Steering and Guidance Systems x AutomaƟc Variable Rate Control x Data Logging and Traceability
October 2015 • Country Life in BC 39by SUSAN MCIVERSUMMERLAND – HarvestDays, a celebration ofSummerland’s agriculturalheritage, began in mid-September and runs throughthe middle of this month.A multitude of festivedisplays featuring scare crows,picket fences, straw bales andpumpkins line streets of thissouth Okanagan town.Two Summerland women,Linda Beaven and MaryanDennison, initiated theconcept of decorating theirhome town in a harvesttheme.“We got the idea whendriving through Colfax,Washington four years agoand saw how beautifully thestreets were decorated,”Dennison says. Colfax is atown of about 2800 residentslocated in the wheat-growingsoutheastern part of the state.Since visiting Colfax, thetwo friends thought aboutdoing ‘something’ and thendecided to act this summerwhen Beaven said, “Let’s justdo it.” Summerland councilenthusiastically endorsed theconcept when Beaven andDennison presented their ideain mid-July.“The attractive displays notonly celebrate our agriculturalheritage but also attractvisitors and showcases localbusinesses and artists,” saysmayor Peter Waterman.Subsequently, SummerlandRotary Club agreed to sponsorthe event which has receivedwide-spread communitysupport.“We had an overwhelmingresponse from businesses,not-for-prots andindividuals,” says Beaven, whois particularly pleased with theresponse from a Summerlandyouth initiative developmentgroup. The group madedisplays featuring picketfences for the two mainentrances to Summerlandfrom Highway 97.Beaven’s husband, John,pitched in to make 40 threefoot high picket fences usedelsewhere in town.Advocating for agriculture, one street at a timeTwo women behind Summerland street displayI’m not sure if it’s really myage but it seems this year hasbeen put on fast forward.We’ve skipped from droughtand nearly unbearable heat tothe nip of fall in the air andthe prospect of winter. It’shard to believe that it’salready October, month ofharvest and the ocial seasonof Thanksgiving.As far as harvest goes, myhands are stained with thejuice of the 80 pounds ofapples and 30 pounds ofplums I processed over theweekend; the stain will washo fairly quickly but in themeantime, no manicure couldbe so attractive to me as theevidence of a bountiful crop.There is so much for which togive thanks.Having said that, I struggleeach year to approach thesubject in my weekly andmonthly articles. It’s not thatI’m ungrateful for the goodthings in my life, it’s just thatit’s far too easy to recite a listof items when heartfeltappreciation has beensquelched by the challengesof life. In saying that, I can’thelp but think of those whosaw their homes and theirlives consumed by res thissummer. Sometimescircumstancescan make it hardto give thanks. Far lower onthe scale ofimportance,some days I ndit hard to get out of bed anhour earlier than I’d like sothat I can go walking. Earlierthis month, however, Idecided to consciously givethanks as I completed eachlap. I call it tracking my thanksand here’s what I came upwith.For starters, and in order tohave this make more sense, I’lldescribe the oval where I andmy trusty cane spend timetogether.Perched atop a plateau thatoverlooks the Pacic Ocean,this all-weather 400 metre,rubber-asphalt running trackhas become a destination ofchoice for me; it’s easy on theAlways so muchto be thankful forTwo Summerland women, Linda Beaven, left, and Maryan Dennison, initiated the concept ofdecorating the town in a harvest theme. The two friends are shown above with three of the scarecrows they made for the displays lining the town’s streets. (Susan McIver photo)Meanwhile, Dennison,Beaven and a couple offriends had lots of fun makingnumerous scare crows thatnow watch ‘the goings on intown’.“It’s been a real communityeort,” Dennison says.As examples, she notesorchardist Lorraine Bennestdonated 40 apple boxes,farmer Billy Boerboomsupplied gourds andpumpkins and Health CareAuxiliary Thrift Shopprovided clothing for thescare crows.“And well over a dozenvolunteers helped put up thedisplays,” she adds.Special attention was givento safety issues associatedwith the displays. Use ofammable materials wasminimized, for example; scarecrows were not stued withstraw but rather with battingor plastic bags.Also, displays weredesigned so they could bebrought inside at night.Beaven and Dennison lookforward to Harvest Daysbecoming an annual eventwith additional displaysoutside the downtown core.A Wannabe FarmerLINDA WEGNERSee “THANKFUL” page 40Agri-Food IndustryCall now to book your tickets or discuss sponsorships by contacting BC Agriculture Council at: info@bcac.bc.ca 604.854.4454 www.bcac.bc.ca your tickets now! support our gala silent auction items space is limited new options available show off your product!Wednesday January 27, 2016Ramada Plaza & Conference Centrecelebrating BC agricultureCall now to book your tickets or discuss sponsorships by contacting booBC Agriculture Councillt at: info@bcac.bc.ca 604.854.4454 wwwbbmsmsmsmsyyouououourrrr tiitititititikkckckckckcktetetetetetssss nononononow!w!w!w suuupopooopopopopoprtrtrtrtrtrtrtoooooururururggggllalalalalaaaaasisisiileleleleleletntntntntntaaaaucucucucucitititititiononononiiiiiitettetetetemmmmm!w!w!w!w!upupppuppppppoduct!space is limited new options available show off your prod ew Reserve Sponsor Donate
Country Life in BC • October 201540THANKFUL From page 39old bones and best of all,there are four distinct views toponder as I complete each lap.Starting out, a turn of thehead to the right aords astunning vista of ocean andislands. A number of newhouses line the street besidethe track, among them thehome of our mayor and hiswife. I think of our troubledworld and give thanks for ourfreedom and for the eorts inour community to oer solaceto families who do not havewhat we enjoy. Approaching the southernarc in this oval, the viewchanges to a forested area.Henderson learns that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned12:6(59,1*7+()5$6(59$//(<:H·YHEHHQSURXGO\IDPLO\RZQHGDQGRSHUDWHGVLQFHRSHQLQJLQ$QGZLWKWZREOHQGLQJSODQWVZH·UHRQHRI%&·VODUJHVWGLVWULEXWRUVRIJUDQXODUOLTXLGDQGIROLDUIHUWLOL]HUV2XUEX\LQJSRZHUDQGSUR[LPLW\WRWKH)UDVHU9DOOH\PDNHVXVWKHORJLFDOFKRLFHIRUWUXFNORDGVKLSPHQWV2.$1$*$1)(57,/,=(5/7'Plans for this property includelogging and the constructionof a school for incomingforeign students. Knowninternationally for itsinnovative programs, ourschool district is alreadyactively engaged with China’sSino Bright schools in a planto bring several hundredstudents from there to ourcommunity. I’m thankful forthe opportunities presentedto our young people.Down the other side of theoval and to the right aretowering mountains. Howdoes one adequately expressthanks for the beauty, thestrength and the protectionthey contribute to our isolatedcommunity?Finally, looking straightahead as I enter that nal arc, Isee the Army, Navy and AirCadets buildings. So manymemories of the years ourgranddaughters attended; somuch for which to be grateful.Perhaps its my age or theplight of refugees (after all, 47years ago I married a man whoed the havoc of World War2), but I am moved to tearseach time I think of thesacrices made by the menand women serving at homeand abroad. Military, police,emergency services…the listgoes on and I thank you fromthe bottom of my heart.Oh, and one more thing:each year on October 28, Icelebrate another cancer freeyear and believe me, I amthankful!When we left o last time,Henderson had been put rmlyin his place by Ms Swift, a no-nonsense type of civil servant. Tocap o a miserable day, Janicealso laid down the law and saidgoodbye. Rural Redemption(part 65) continues ...Kenneth Henderson arrivedback at his oce at 2:30. Hewas greeted by Erica Swift’sbaleful stare. She glanced atthe wall clock then back atKenneth. Her eyebrows raisedas if she expected him toexplain himself. He stared backat her and raised his owneyebrows. It was a small silentbattle that Kenneth won. EricaSwift dropped her eyes backto her desk and slid a sheet ofpaper toward him.“Here is an email messagefrom Mr. Grimwood regardingyour duties to the committee.”Kenneth picked up theprinted email and retreated tohis oce. The upshot was thathe had no current duties,other than to preserve thecondentiality of the non-existent committee. The chairwould be ocially named intwo weeks. It had beendecided that, in the meantime,his presence in the oceserved no purpose and heshould consider himself onvacation and await thepleasure of the new chair. Kenneth picked up hisphone and sent Janice a textmessage pleading for anothermeeting. He sent twomore as the afternoonwore on. Just beforefour, his phone rang. Hegrabbed it frantically.“Thank God youcalled!” He was greetedby a brief silence.“Is that you Kenneth? Isthere something wrong?” Itwas his mother. He said there was nothingwrong and he had beenthinking about her, that wasall. She said she needed to talkto him about the sale of thehouse and what was tobecome of all of the furnitureand art work and that the twoof them needed to nalize hisfather’s estate with the lawyer;when did he think he might beable come back to the city?started raising Cain so I got ridof him.”“How much did you sell himfor then?” asked Deborah.“Gave him away, actually.”“What do you think he’sreally worth now?”“According to the WesternProducer, horses are going foraround 30 cents a pound.”“I mean for a riding horse ora pet.”Newt chuckled. “I gave him away. I doubtyou’d be able to do the samenow.”“Kenneth’s no fool. I can’timagine what ever possessedhim to buy a horse in the rstplace, let alone pay thousandsof dollars for this one.”“A man doesn’t have to be afool to be fooled. I expectDevaney lled his head with allsorts of nonsense and if a felladidn’t know any better, hemight start believing it all.Your husband isn’t the rstperson who has paid MervynDevaney too much for a horseand I don’t expect he’ll be thelast. Did you say he paidthousands?”“Apparently.”“How many thousands?”“I don’t know. We had aght about it at Christmas andhe’s hasn’t said anythingabout it since. Do you think if Iwent to see Mr. Devaney Imight be able to get him totake him back and giveKenneth his money back?”“You might be able to gethim to take Rocket back but Idoubt he’d be willing to returnanything near what yourhusband paid for the Duke ofConnaught. I’ve known Mervfor a long time. The best thingmight be if I go and have a talkto and see if I can appeal to hisbetter nature and try to worksomething out.”“It doesn’t seem to me likeMr. Devaney has a betternature,” said Deborah.Newt smiled just a little. “Everyone has a betternature,” he said. “The trick isgetting them to take it out andshow it to you.”To be continued ...“I’m expecting an importantcall. If I don’t get it, I couldprobably come in a couple ofdays. I’ll let you knowtomorrow.”He kept texting Janice untilshe replied just before noonthe following day. “STOP THIS!”He headed for theHenderson Mansion on theafternoon ferry.Who’s that knocking?While Kenneth was waitingin the ferry line-up, Deborahwas knocking on NewtPullman’s door.“Deborah, what brings youthis way?”“I came looking for a littleadvice about Rocket. What arewe going to do with him?Kenneth paid a fortune for himand Edna says he’s probablynot safe enough or soundenough for anyone to ride.”Newt asked her in andmade tea.“Edna’s probably right onboth counts. I’d hate to seeAshley riding him. He’sdeveloped quite a knackgetting rid of his riders overthe years and he’s as old as thehills to begin with. You can tellby the way he’s walking thathe’s not far o lame rightnow.”“How old is he?”“Depends on who you askbut I know for a fact he mustbe pushing 30 at least. Seemslike half the folks in thecountry have owned him atone time or another. This isn’tthe rst time he’s been here.”“You owned him?”“Yeah, for a couple of years,nearly 20 years ago. I boughthim for the girls to ride whenthey came to visit in thesummer but he was foreveripping them o and theirmother got wind of it andThe WoodshedChroniclesBOB COLLINS2015 SPONSORS GOLD Farm Credit CanadaSILVER Clearbrook Grain • BC Broiler Hatching Egg Commission • Insure wealth • BC Egg Producers Association • PrairieCoast Equipment • Ritchie Smith Feeds • BC Milk Marketing BoardMEDIA SPONSOR Country Life in BC INDUSTRY SPONSOR BMOBC/YUKON OYF 2016NOMINATION DEADLINE: DECEMBER 1, 2015REGIONAL AWARDS EVENT: JANUARY 12-13, 2016For more information, contact jenwoike@shaw.ca
October 2015 • Country Life in BC 41A heartbreaker for any dairy producer, this sign in Vancouverappears to support statistics that says milk consumption is on thedecline in Canada. (Peter Mitham photo)BC dairy industry disputesStatscan milk consumption databy PETER MITHAMVANCOUVER – BC’s dairyindustry is dissing a report thatclaims milk consumption isdeclining, arguing thatconsumers are simply tradingup to value-added milkproducts.Statistics Canada guresindicate that per-capitaconsumption of milk fell 18%between 1995 and 2014 andnow stands at 74 litres. Areport in the Globe and Mailpegged Canada’s changingdemographics, including newimmigrants for whom milk is aluxury or simply not a regularpart of their diet, as the causeof the decline.While the Globe and Mailduly sought conrmation ofthe phenomenon fromUniversity of Guelph professorSylvain Charlebois, a frequentcommenter on food issues,the BC Dairy Association wascheesed o.“The story is wholly untrue,”Trevor Hargreaves, director ofproducer relations andcommunications with theindustry association, toldCountry Life in BC. “Milkconsumption is going up; it isnot going down.”However, statistics postedby the Canadian DairyInformation Centre indicatethat uid milk sales in BC havedropped from 339 millionlitres in 2010 to 298.7 millionlitres today. Those numbersinclude everything from wholemilk to buttermilk.Counterintuitively, sales of1% and skim milk have takenthe greatest hit, as well asbuttermilk.Rather than having a coldglass of the white stu,consumers are more likely toconsume milk as cheese, icecream and a host of othernon-beverage items.“Canadians consume moredairy than they did previously,but they do it dierently; theydon’t do it through uid milk;they do it through other dairyproducts,” Hargreaves said.“Whether or not they’reconsuming uid milk orthey’re consuming cheese,they’re consuming milk. Theproduct is needing to becreated in larger volumes, notsmaller volumes.”However, there’s a cost tothe shift.Producers receive more forfresh, uid milk, making anydrop in sales more than a dropin the proverbial pail when itcomes to income. Yet the losshas been oset by increases inindustrial milk, which hastypically accounted for morethan half of all milk sales in BCover the past two years.Hargreaves addeddomestic consumption of uidmilk consumption has alsoincreased in the past yearthanks to a drop in cross-border shopping as exchangerates have shifted and madeUS groceries more expensivethan in previous years.Domestic uid milkconsumption has alsoincreased in the past yearfrom previous years becausecross-border shopping hasdropped.Year-to-date sales of wholeand 2% milk in particular areabove 2014 sales, which inturn were above 2013 sales.NAME __________________________________________________OLD ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________________________________________________NEW ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________________________________________PHONE __________________________________________________COUNTRYLifein BCCanada Post willnot deliver yourCountry Life inB.C. if they changeyour postal code,your street nameand/or address. Ifyour addresschanges, pleasefill out the formbelow and mail orfax it to us, or useemail.Thank you!1120 East 13th AveVancouver, B.C. V5T 2M1Email: countrylifeinbc@shaw.caPhone 604/871-0001 • Fax: 604/871-0003Oct 15CHANGE OFADDRESS?Lola!THANK YOU TO ALL THE 2015 4-H SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS!Ardgowan Black AngusAT&H Industries Inc.Audrey WiensAVENUE Machinery Corp.Barbara RichardsonBC Branch Holstein Assoc.BC Farm & Ranch Realty Corp. BC Hereford Breeders’ Assoc.BC Purebred Sheep Breeders’ Association BC Shorthorn Association BC Simmental AssociationBeaver LandscapeBiomaxx Wastewater Solutions Inc.BMO Bank of MontrealBordermaine FarmsBramble Brook FarmCanadian Purebred Sheep Breeders AssociationCandy Cane Farms Ltd. Ceadrow FarmChucklin’ AcresCircle S FarmsColin MacDonald Colortec– Creative Print SolutionsCustomline Enterprises Ltd. Dan Dick and Kim Ross & FamilyDavis Quality MeatsDeep Creek FarmDraper Creek FarmsElizabeth HallElmbridge FarmsFarm Credit CanadaFraser Valley Angus ClubFraser Valley AuctionFraser Valley Footprints 4-H ClubFraser Valley Llama & Alpaca ClubFriesen Construction Ltd. Golden View FarmGray FamilyHafeli & Hildebrand Air Show Announcers Hawkins FamilyHopcott MeatsHutton Performance HorsesIn Memory of Art MclaryIn Memory of Ken MallinsonJoan KerrJohn and Margaret FriesenJonkman EquipmentKevin and Helga O’BeirneKrieckside’s PBGV’sKubota Canada Ltd.Lepp Farm MarketLower Mainland Sheep Producer’sLower Mainland Shorthorn ClubMartiann HolsteinsMcDonald & Ross Construction Ltd.Meadow Valley Meats —Pitt MeadowsMoore Performance HorsesMSH Holdings Ltd. Murrick Insurance Services (Oakridge) Ltd.Oishi FamilyOtter Co-opPenfold Homes Ltd. Pool Energy Systems Inc.Ritchie Smith FeedsSanta’s UnlimitedSharon HallShepherd’s Haven & the Walker FamilySlyce Hair StudioSnowy River Sheep StationSouth Alder FarmsSpady FarmsStreet Smart ContractingT.C. CluckersTapdimer FarmTom Barichello, Sharron Gibbs & FamilyTom O’Reilly Memorial FundUnited Agri SystemsUnseen AcresValhalla FarmsValley Livestock SuppliesWest Coast Hereford ClubWestgenWhite Van ServicesWoods FamilyWynnyk Farms“Canadians consumemore dairy than theydid previously, but theydo it differently; theydonʼt do it through fluidmilk; they do it throughother dairy products.”Trevor Hargreaves
Country Life in BC • October 201542Some people love leftovers just as they are, but often either you’re missing part of the mealbecause it was all eaten up, or you just don’t like facing the same meal a second time. That’swhere a good pot pie makes its entrance, whether the original meal was a pork, beef or lambroast or steak or a chicken. I would substitute chicken stock for the beef if making chicken orpork pot pie.This beef one was terric paired with the national award-winning CedarCreek 2012 Meritage,with its lush berry avours.1 onion 1 clove garlic 1 tsp. (5 ml) dried thyme1 celery stalk drizzle of oil 2 tbsp. (30 ml) our2 carrots 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) salt 1/2 to 3/4 lb. leftover beef4 mushrooms 1/4 tsp. (1 ml) pepper 1 c. (250 ml) beef stockPre-heat oven to 375 F.Chop onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms and crush garlic.Heat oil in a frypan over medium-high heat and add onion, celery and carrots and sauté forthree to ve minutes until soft.Mix salt, pepper, thyme and our and add to onion mixture. Stir, scraping bits o the bottomof the pot, for three to ve minutes.Meanwhile, chop up and trim leftover beef roast or steak into small pieces and heat stock.Add beef stock and simmer for two or three minutes, stirring until thickened. Stir in beefpieces.Pour into a deep nine-inch pie dish.Make pastry for the topping and place on top of the pot pie. Cut a few slits in the top of thecrust.Bake in a 375 F. oven for 30-40 minutes or until brown.With cooler fall weather, it’s time to turn to comfort food likesoups, stews, pastas, meat pies and casseroles.It’s both ecient and economical to cook so there are greatleftovers that can be incorporated into brand new dishes in thenext day or two, so keep that in mind when planning meals.Vegetables generally cook more quicker than meat, soleftover meat is easily combined with veggies to make a quickleftover meal.For that reason, don’t hesitate to make extra meat on theweekend when you have a little more time for preparing meals,so you have some left with which to make a second meal acouple of days later.Even an extra steak cooked on the weekend can be simplysliced and tossed with a hearty green salad for a meal duringthe week, or with noodles and thinly-sliced vegetables for apasta dish.Meatballs can be usedin a tomato sauce,stued into pitas withyogurt and fresh vegiesor in soup.And, there are endlesspossibilities with cooked chicken or turkey, from salad or soup,to pasta dishes or fried rice, with sauces or just as a snack or asandwich.Leftover roast can become meat pie, or be ground up withvegetables for a shepherd’s pie, as my Mom used to do afterour traditional Sunday night rib roast.And then, of course, there’s the Thanksgiving turkey whichinvariably results in a number of yummy leftover meals, fromcurried turkey to hot turkey sandwiches or turkey salad. Likechicken, it’s a very versatile leftover meat.If there’s lots, freeze a chunk to make a casserole or saucydish in a week or two when the bird itself is just a memory.Life would sure be boring without seasons. Without seasons,we wouldn’t have seasonal fare. Matching food to what’savailable and what tastes good in heat or cold weather makeslife much more interesting.So give thanks we got through that hot, dry summer andenjoy the food of fall.Hearty leftoversComfort food from left overs: Beef Pot Pie (Judie Steeves photo)Jude’s KitchenJUDIE STEEVESPlease see “MINESTRONE” page 43I was worried they’d find somethingMammograms save lives. Make an appointment, not an excuse. Get expert advice and share your stories atgohave1.comLeftovers Beef Pot PiePlease mail your application to1120 East 13th Ave Vancouver, BC V5T 2M1 604.871.0001SUBSCRIBE TODAY!SUBSCRIBE TODAY!The agricultural news source inBritish Columbia since 1915COUNTRYLifeYin BCNAMEADDRESSCITYPOSTAL CODETEL EMAILo NEW o RENEWAL | o 1 YEAR ($18.90) o 2 YEAR ($33.60) o 3 YEAR ($37.80) (Prices include GST | Cheque or money order only please)NEWS & INFORMATION YOU NEED!Join thousands of BC farmers who turn to Country Life in BC eachand every month to find out what (and who!) is making news in BC agriculture and how those events (and people!) may affect theirfarms and agri-businesses!
October 2015 • Country Life in BC 43MINESTRONE SOUP WITH LEFTOVERS From page 42This was made with just some slices of leftover cooked bacon, but you could add someleftover hamburger or ground meat from a previous meal, or other thinly sliced cooked meat.2 slices leftover cooked bacon 2 celery stalks 1 medium potato4 carrots 1 garlic clove 6 tomatoes2 medium onions 8 c. (2 l) beef (or chicken) stock 1/4 c. (60 ml) parsley1 c. (250 ml) Savoy cabbage 1 1/2 c. (375 ml) water 1/4 c. (60 ml) parmesan cheese2 leeks 1/2 c. (125 ml) elbow macaroni Salt and pepper, to tasteChop leftover, cooked bacon into dice.Slice carrots and chop onions. Cut cabbage into thin strips and slice leeks and celery.Heat a drizzle of oil in a large soup pot and add the onions, then the leeks, cabbage, carrotsand celery and stir. Mince the garlic and add once the vegetables have softened a little.Add the beef or chicken stock, bring to simmering and let simmer for about 25 minutes in all.Meanwhile in a smaller pot, boil the water and add the macaroni, cooking until just done, notsoft. Drain and set aside. Also, chop the potato into small cubes and peel the tomatoes and chopthem up. You could substitute equivalent tinned or canned tomatoes.After the soup has been cooking for about ve minutes, add the potatoes, and 15 minutes orso later, add the tomatoes and cooked macaroni, cooking for a further ve minutes.Add the minced parsley and parmesan cheese just before serving and season, to taste, withsalt and freshly-ground black pepper. Serves 4-6.Fore! (a good cause)by DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – The 2015 BC Turkey andEgg Golf Tournament was another rousingsuccess.The annual event, held September 9, is co-sponsored by the BC Turkey GrowersAssociation and Fraser Valley Egg ProducersAssociation. Susan Mallory of the BCTGA saysthis year’s tournament again raised “about$50,000” which is donated to the UnionGospel Mission.The UGM uses the fund to buy eggs andturkeys for its meal program, making theevent a “win-win” for producers. Producers notonly support the tournament but many alsogo into the UGM in Vancouver’s DowntownEastside or in Mission to assist with serving themeals, particularly at Thanksgiving andChristmas when the turkey is most welcome.From left, BC Turkey Marketing Board vice-chair Shawn Heppell, BC Turkey Growers Associationchair Steve Heppell, Darin Nessel and Andrew Janzen were among the many foursomes whocame out to the annual BC Turkey & Egg Golf Tournament in Langley, September 9. 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FOR SALE: 2 new 24ftsilage troughs; JD MANURE SPREADER /straw spreader with spinners; TWO 75HPPUMPS. Please contact for more info,250/378-4955; email: info@ranchland.caDOUBLE 6 BOUMATIC PARLOUR. Completeor parts. Includes: meters, takeoffs,pipeline, receiver jar, plate cooler, wash,vacuum and pulsation systems, lobevacuum pump, index rails and crowd gate.Call Bert 604/796-2617.EQUIPMENT DISPERSAL. OVERUM HD 3BOTTOM PLOW, spring trip bottomsskimmers coulters $3,000; LOEWEN 2000GAL TANK $5,000; BRILLION 8’ GRASSSEEDER 3 pt $2,500; 2011 Case SR130skid steer, 217 hrs., $19,500; 2013 CaseSR150 skid steer, 1,012 hrs., $25,500;KUHN 16’ FOLDUP TEDDER, pull type,$2,750; AGRIFAB HEAVY DUTY singleaxel manure spreader, floatation tires,$2,750; MF 231 2WD TRACTOR, $5,500;LOEWEN 16’ AGITATOR, $1,500;BRILLION 12’ cultipacker, $4,500; Ford 3pt flail mower, $600; IRRIGATIONPACKAGE w/Perkins 4 cyl diesel withpump on trailer, pipe wagon with 11 5”pipes, & 24 4” pipes, complete $5,000.Call Tony 604-850-4718.
Introducing Kubota’s All New M-6Join the expanding Kubota family and experience what quality built and precision made mean to your farm. See your dealer for more information on our new hay tool line and be ‘Kubota ready’ this fall.s .EWMOWERCONDITIONERSs $OUBLEROTORRAKESANDTEDDERSs !NDOURNEW"63#3UPER#UT SILAGEBALERWITHTHREEVARIABLEBALEDENSITY OPTIONSkubota.caJoin the expanding Kubota family and experience whatLimited time only.See your dealer for details.Pre-Sellprogram in effect!ABBOTSFORD AVENUE MACHINERY CORP. 1521 Sumas Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604/864-2665 COURTENAY NORTH ISLAND TRACTOR LTD. 3663 South Island Hwy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250/334-0801 CRESTON KEMLEE EQUIPMENT LTD. N.W. Boulevard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250/428-2254DAWSON CREEK DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 11508-8th Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250/782-5281DUNCAN ISLAND TRACTOR & SUPPLY LTD. 4650 Trans Canada Hwy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250/746-1755 KAMLOOPS DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 706 Carrier Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250/851-2044KELOWNA AVENUE MACHINERY CORP. 1090 Stevens Road Hwy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250/769-8700 OLIVER GERARD’S EQUIPMENT LTD. 97 South . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250/498-2524PRINCE GEORGE HUBER EQUIPMENT Upper Mud River Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250/560-5431 QUESNEL DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT Highway 97 North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250/991-0406 VERNON AVENUE MACHINERY CORP. 7155 Meadowlark Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250/545-3355 Country Life in BC • October 201544