Return to flip book view
Postmaster, Please returnUndeliverable labels to:Country Life in BC1120 East 13th AveVancouver, BC V5T 2M1CANADA POSTESPOST CANADAPostage paid Port payéPublications Mail Post-publications40012122Vol. 102 No. 1Preview 18th Pacific Ag Show will have more exhibits, variety 7Trade US repeals COOL for Canadian beef and pork 19Technology Non-browning GMO Arctic apple shows promise 35Lifein BCThe agricultural news source inBritish Columbia since 1915Vol. 102 No. 1 • January 2016New agplan setsoptimisticgoalsby DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – The BC Agriculture Councilis “disappointed” with a recent report from theCanadian Centre for Policy Alternatives titledCitizenship and Precarious Labour in CanadianAgriculture.Authored by Mexican-born Simon FraserUniversity sociology professor Gerardo Oteroand University of Guelph sociologist KerryPreibisch, the report discusses how citizenshipstatus aects agricultural employment. It isbased on questionnaires with 200 farmworkersand over 50 interviews with farmworkers,growers, industry representatives, advocacygroups and Canadian and Mexican civilservants.The report claims the South Asianimmigrant and Mexican migrant workers whomake up most of BC’s agricultural workforceare low-paid workers subject to “coerciveemployment practices with seriousconsequences for health and safety.”It claims poor working conditions are“rampant” in the industry.The report makes ve mainrecommendations:• If the market requires more workers, moreimmigration permits should be given so newimmigrants qualify for permanent residencyfrom the start. • The BC government should establish anemployment compliance team with randomspot-checks at worksites. Please see “OLD NEWS” page 2YCOUNTRYAg council pans farm labour reportby DAVID SCHMIDTVANCOUVER – Everybody wants tosee BC’s agriculture, agrifood andseafood sectors grow but not everyoneagrees on how to achieve that growth.On December 2, BC Minister ofAgriculture Norm Letnick joined BCagrifood and seafood leaders atCommissary Connect, a smallcommercial kitchen in Vancouver, tolaunch the government’s StrategicGrowth Plan for the sector. At the sametime, NDP agriculture critic LanaPopham and Independent MLA VickiHuntington were at the Legislature inVictoria to release the rst report of theOpposition Standing Committee forAgriculture and Food.The Strategic Growth Plan updatesthe 2012 BC Agrifoods Strategy andWhen your day job has the word “cowboy” anywhere in its description, there is no such thing as a snow day; the job stillmust get done no matter what the weather! Corben Clarkson, Willee Twan and Cody Popson have just sorted and pennedone group of feedlot calves and are returning to sort yet another group, even though visibility was severely challenged bythe big-akes blowin' about in the snowstorm. (Liz Twan photo)WhiteoutPlease see “UPDATED” page 21-888-770-7333Quality Seeds ... where quality counts!SEE YOU AT THEAG SHOWS!IRRIGATION LTD1-888-675-7999www.watertecna.comWINTER BOOKINGPROGRAMWINTER BOOKINGPROGRAMGrowing more with less waterWIN THIS!See our ad on page 3for details!
Agriculture Council directorRhonda Driediger, a Langleyberry grower and packer, gavethe strategy her conditionalapproval.“I think the agricultureindustry will be happy with theplan once we have had achance to review it,” she said.Strengthen Buy LocalShe praised thegovernment’s commitment toincrease industrycompetitiveness, productionacreage and yields, andstrengthen BC’s Buy Localculture, but stressed the needfor government to ensurethere is adequate funding tomake that happen. The six-member OppositionCommittee based its reportUPDATED PLAN From page 1Country Life in BC • January 20162OLD NEWS From page 1agricultural producers.The government’s strategyidenties 20 actions toincrease production, drivecompetitiveness and builddomestic, interprovincial andinternational markets. 25 recommendationsThe opposition’s reportmakes 25 recommendations toreduce regulatory, nancialand administrative barriers;help new and small farmoperators; increase knowledgeand information sharing,training and technicalassistance; adapt to climatechange; promote BC farmproducts and businesses,restrict the use of theAgricultural Land Reserve forcarbon sequestration or othernon-farm uses, particularly bynon-residents; and increasefunding for young farmers.Climate change is a newfocus for both the governmentand the opposition reports.The government has alsotaken up the mantra of “foodsecurity,” with Letnick claimingstrategies to increase exportgrowth will improve domesticfood security.“It puts more land intoproduction which can beredirected to domesticmarkets” if the need arises, hesaid.The government developedits strategy in collaborationwith the minister’s AgrifoodAdvisory Committee (MAAC)which includes leaders of theagrifood and seafood sectors,business community, localfood movement andagricultural post-secondaryinstitutions.MAAC member and BC• The BC Medical Plan shouldbe revised to giveagricultural workers healthcoverage immediately uponarrival.• BC should adopt Manitoba’s2009 Worker Recruitmentand Protection Act andregister migrant employersand recruiters so they can beheld accountable if theyviolate workers’ rights. • Greater attention must beplaced on the safetransportation and housingof farmworkers, includingenforcement, mid-seasoninspections and assessments. BCAC executive directorReg Ens says a lot of theclaims in the report are “oldnews” and the issues itidenties have beenaddressed. While he admits agricultureis a dangerous environment,he insists worker safety is “acritical issue for us,” saying“people who are treated wellwork better.“The industry continues toinvest time and energy toimprove worker health andsafety conditions,” he adds.In 2016, migrant workerhousing will be approved bycertied housing inspectors.As well, Seasonal AgriculturalWorker Program (SAWP)workers receive private healthinsurance coverage which isas good or better than thatavailable through BC Medicalfrom the day they arrive. The report also claimsSAWP workers are vulnerableto exploitation as they enterCanada with “time-limited,employer-specic workpermits.”However, Ens counters thatby saying SAWP workers haveoptions and can reach out totheir consulate if they’re nothappy.“The consulates inspectedabout 60 facilities last summerand have the power toprevent employers fromparticipating in the program ifthey do not comply withrequirements,” he points out. has a goal of increasing overallsector revenues to $15 billionper year by 2020. The 2012strategy set a goal of $14billion per year by 2017. By 2014, revenues hadreached $12.3 billion. Thatincludes total sales of $2.9billion from primaryagriculture, $0.8 billion fromseafood and $8.5 billion inmanufacturers’ shipments. Ofthat, $3 billion came from theexport market.Letnick said the 2012 planneeded to be updated since“we completed 47 of the 49action steps in three years.”The remaining two actionitems are included in the newstrategy which Letnick saysprovides clear direction for thesector to achieve economicgrowth, adapt to climatechange and maintain foodsupply security.The Opposition Committeesays government must domore to improve the businessenvironment for BCand recommendations oninput it received from writtensubmissions and publicmeetings across the provincein April, May, June andSeptember.“We listened to a range ofvoices from dierent regionsand made recommendationsbased on their feedback,”Popham said. “We heard noshortage of concern frompresenters about climatechange and food security, thelack of accessible meatprocessing facilities, non-resident ownership of BCfarmland and costly damregulations for ranchers. Ourrecommendations highlight anumber of areas in need ofmore attention from theprovincial government.”Huntington said thecommittee provided a forumfor British Columbians tobring their concerns andpriorities to legislators, sayingthat emphasizes the need tore-establish the SelectStanding Committee onAgriculture.“People across the provincedeserve a hearing whendecisions are being made thataect the future of agriculturein BC,” she said. “Thegovernment could do a lot ofgood by simply reinstatingthe committee.”Sarb Mund of Commissary Connect, Port Moody-Coquitlam MLA Linda Reimer, BC Minister ofAgriculture Norm Letnick and BC Agriculture Council director Rhonda Driediger unveil the new BCAgrifood and Seafood strategic growth plan at Commissary Connect in Vancouver, December 2.(David Schmidt photo)www.tractorparts4sale.caABBOTSFORD, BCBus. 604/807-2391Fax. 604/854-6708 email: sales@tractorparts4sale.caWe accept Interact, Visa and Mastercard CAT 910E LOADER, 80 HP TURBO, FWD/REV POWERSHIFT, FAIR CONDITION ............................................................................. 15,000MF 4230 4X4, ALO LDR, 85 HP, POW SHTL, 540-1000 PTO.......... 26,900 JD 5105 2WD, OPEN STATION, 45 PTO HP, LOW HRS . .................... CALLKUBOTA M5040 2WD, 45 PTO HP, LIKE NEW CONDITION ............ CALLJD 2130 2WD CAB, 3385 HRS, HYD PTO, HYD TWO SPEED, 540 PTO, TWO REMOTES .................................................................. 9,200 INTERNATIONAL 384 2WD, 3 POINT W/540 PTO, GOOD RUBBER 4,900INTERNATIONAL B414 2WD, INDUST LOADER, 3 POINT, 540 PTO. 5,500NH 676 MANURE SPREADER, TANDEM WALKING BEAM AXLE ...... 5,500NH 900 HARVESTER WITH GRASS & 3 ROW CORN HEAD. HYDR. OUTLET@ REAR. GOOD CONDITION..................................... 11,000FELLA 781 ROTARY FOLDING RAKE, 24 FT, GOOD CONDITION ...... 6,500Tractor/Equipment Repair Mobile Service AvailableGD Repair LtdNEW REPLACEMENT PARTSfor MOST TRACTORS & FARM IMPLEMENTSWe sellOEM KVERNELAND & FELLA PARTSwww.tjequipmentllc.com360-815-1597LYNDEN, WAALL PRICES IN US FUNDS2003 JD 8120 MFWD, 208 HP, 7755HRS, PWRSHIFT, 4 REMOTES,540/1000 PTO. $78,0002013 POTTINGER HIT 10.11 TEDDER,10 BASKET, 35'8" WORKING WIDTH$22,0002010 JD 8270R MFWD, 270 HP,POWERSHIFT, 4 REMOTES $79,000KUHN GA15021 4 BASKET FOLDINGROTARY RAKE, 48’ WORKING WIDTH,HEAVY DUTY FRAME $25,000
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 3Diafiltered milk biggestchallenge for dairy industryTPP compromise was “small price to pay” in maintaining supply managementDairy Farmers of Canada president Wally Smith. (David Schmidtphoto)by DAVID SCHMIDTVANCOUVER – Dairyproducers dodged a bullet inthe Trans Pacic Partnership(TPP) negotiations but theystill face plenty of challenges,Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC)president Wally Smith told theBC Dairy Conference inVancouver, November 24.Although the Canadiandairy industry had to give up3.25% of its market in the TPP,representing an annualrevenue loss of $190-240million, Smith called it “a smallprice to pay for maintainingsupply management foranother generation.” Other‘wins’ include protecting theCanadian Dairy Commission asa state-owned enterprise andmaintaining Canadian cheesestandards.Compensation, not subsidySmith trumpeted theConservative’s promised $4.3billion compensation packagefor supply management, but itwas never passed by Cabinet,meaning the new Liberalgovernment is not bound tohonour it. He insisted thepackage does not represent asubsidy; instead, he calls itcompensation for “anexpropriation of some of myproperty.” With the conclusion of theEuropean and TPP tradenegotiations, DFC is shifting itsattention to the Agreement onInternal Trade (AIT), whichgoverns interprovincial trade.The AIT is now being rewrittenand DFC wants to ensuresupply management ismaintained “so we have thesame assurances provinciallyas federally.” The biggest challengefacing the Canadian dairyindustry is not trade but theincreasing ow of dialteredmilk into Canada. At 85%protein, dialtered milk (alsoknown as MPI – milk proteinisolate) is “almost a solid.” BCMilk Marketing Board chair JimByrne notes processors use itextensively in making cheeseas it allows them to “get morecheese out of the vat.”“Ingredient”The Canadian BorderServices Agency denes it asan “ingredient,” meaning it isnot subject to either taris orvolume restrictions when itcomes into Canada. As soon asit crosses the border, however,the Canadian Food InspectionAgency calls it “milk,” meaningit can be used in cheese.Bureaucratic solutions“We have asked (the new)government to make this thehighest priority for the dairyindustry,” Smith said, addingDFC wants a political solution“because we never win inbureaucratic solutions.”“We can’t leave it the way itis,” Byrne added. He pointed out Canadaimported 60% more MPI’s in2015 than the year previous,saying that has led to twoother problems. Becauseprocessors now use morecream to “balance” the cheesemix, there is not enoughcream left to produce thebutter required, leading to aserious butter shortage. It hasalso increased the mountain ofskim milk powder (SMP),reducing that value.“We were selling SMP at$4,000 per tonne a year ago,now it’s $1,750 per tonne,”Byrne stated.“We are working on aningredient strategy with theprocessors to address this,” hesaid.Because of their use offoreign product, Smith saidthe major processors askedDFC to suspend its “little bluecow” logo before they woulddiscuss the ingredient issue. “The blue cow aects theirmargins,” he noted.Logo awarenessThat’s a non-starter for DFCas it has put a lot of eort intogetting Canadians aware ofthe logo, which identiesproducts made of “100%Canadian milk.” “We are linking the bluecow with our proActioninitiative,” Smith said.He said the eort is havingsome success, noting TimHorton’s is “bound anddetermined” to use only all-Canadian products.“That helps us,” Smith said,adding it is now up toconsumers to “pressureretailers for more blue cowproducts on the shelf.”BRYAN604-220-4879ALEXIS604-319-0376PACIFIC FORAGEBAG SUPPLY LTD.www.pacbag.comCome and see what's newwith us at thePACIFIC AG SHOW[BOOTH 1131]Biotal ProductsProudly carryingUnder the Terms of the Bylaws of the AssociationMembers are Directed to Take Notice of the127th Annual General Meeting of theBRITISH COLUMBIAFRUIT GROWERS’ ASSOCIATIONJanuary 29-30, 2016At the RAMADA HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE, KELOWNAFRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016 BUSINESS SESSION (1 PM–5 PM)• Annual Report of the Executive; • Financial statements, budget, and any Special Resolutions; • Annual reports of subsidiaries:• BC Research and Development Orchard Ltd. • Summerland Varieties Corporation;• Guest speakers and reports of industry organizations and companies;• Committee reports and resolutions for delegate consideration.SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2016 POLICY SESSION (8:30 AM–2 PM) • Guest speakers and reports of industry organizations & companies; • Special reports; • Committee reports and resolutions for delegate consideration; • Election of the BCFGA Executive at 2:00 pmSOCIAL - A Social will be held on Friday evening. All members andgovernment and industry organization representatives are invited toattend the social from 6 – 8 pm on Friday, January 29 at theRamada Hotel & Conference Centre, Kelowna. BC FRUIT GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION office: 880 Vaughan Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1Y 7E4250-762-5226 (T) (250) 861-9089 (F) www.bcfga.comAll members and industry andgovernment representatives welcome.Lunch provided on Saturday.LANGLEY 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
Last September, the BC Ministry of Agriculturereleased a document titled Regulating Agri-tourismand Farm Retail Sales in the Agricultural Land Reserve;Discussion Paper and Proposed Minister’s BylawStandards. The executive summary invites reviewand feedback from local governments preparatoryto the development of a Minister’s Bylaw Standardto guide local governments in developing bylawsregulating agri-tourism and farm retail sales on theALR.The last item in the document is an invitation tostakeholders in general to weigh in on theconversation. The discussion was scheduled to closeon November 30 but the deadline has beenextended to January 15. The extended deadlinelikely indicates wide-spread concern and commentfrom the “stakeholder” constituency.Agri-tourism and farm retail sales in the ALR areregulated by the Agricultural Land Commission,which details permitted uses and circumstances.Both uses are increasingly important components ofmany BC farms and both have been activelyencouraged by the ministry itself. In the 1990’s,government funded the establishment of the BCAgri-tourism Alliance to grow the sector and provideinput on its behalf. Former ministry staer BrentWarner was (and is) a highly regarded and tirelesslysupportive agri-tourism and direct farm marketingspecialist. There were even legislative changes madeto allow certain types and amounts of on-farmaccommodation. Inevitably, as these activities anduses increase and evolve, some of them will end upon the wrong side of the ALC’s regulatory fence.In early November, new ALC chair Frank Leonardspoke to the directors and various members ofagricultural committees of the Alberni ClayoquatRegional District. Leonard outlined plans to doubleor perhaps triple the number of compliance andenforcement personnel, explaining that there havebeen 600 ALC cease and desist orders issued thathave never been checked for compliance. AlthoughLeonard did not indicate what number ofcomplaints and violations pertained to agri-tourismand farm retail sales, it is likely they are driving theproposed Minister’s Bylaw Standard discussion.Two tiers of agri-tourism activityThe purpose of the ALC (short version) is topreserve agricultural land, encourage farming andencourage governments not to throw a regulatorywrench in the works. To this end, the ALC hasestablished two tiers of agri-tourism activities; Tier 1,permitted activities, and Tier 2, activities/events thatrequire ALC approval. The list of permitted activitiesincludes all of the usual ag related events: u-pick,pumpkin patch, school tours, livestock shows, farmstays, etc. Some of the events that require approvalseem like no brainers: mini train parks andhelicopter tours for instance. Others, less so. Someof the activities, like hosting a wedding on the farm,seem less likely to subvert the ALC’s purposes. To itscredit, the ALC has not outright banned Tier 2activities or events; they merely require approval.We might wonder, though, what criteria determinethe granting or denial of approval. What are theodds of success? What is the time frame forapproval? What does an application cost? These arenot questions that rightly fall within the Minister’sBylaw Standards discussion, but the intention ofincreased enforcement from the ALC and thelikelihood of more stringent bylaw regulation areraising concerns for many agri-tourism operators. There are another set of criteria within the ALCregulations that govern all agri-tourism activities.Most of the activities must be of a temporary orseasonal nature, and the income derived from anyof them must not exceed the income derived fromregular farm income. But what of the Okanaganorchardist who loses a crop to frost or hail. Must heor she then apply for approval to sustain the agri-tourism component of their business? Commonsense would say that there should be exceptionsmade, but bureaucracies seldom become moreexible as they grow.Agri-tourism and farm retail sales are critical tothe continued nancial success of many BC farms.While these activities should not thwart the generalintent of the ALR or provide an opportunity do anend run around it altogether, there needs to besucient exibility in the regulations and theirapplication to allow bona de farmers and ranchersto continue to engage in agri-tourism and farmmarketing activities that do not negatively impactthe current or future agricultural use of their land. A download of the discussion paper is availableat: [www2.gov.bc.ca]. (Search for agri-tourism bylawstandard.)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 “Xavier” 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. 102 No. 1January 2016in 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 GSTFlexibility, common sense needed for agri-tourism regsThe Back 40BOB COLLINSCountry Life in BC • January 20164Hope springs eternal, especially at theend of one year and the beginning ofanother.But the hard reality is that the changesoften needed to fulfil our hopes are hard tocome by.Consider this: in studies of patients whorequired bypass surgery, 90% couldn’tmake the changes needed to avoid futuretreatment, let alone prevent an early death.Kickstart those changes with a year ofprogrammed support, however, and thelifestyle changes needed to make adifference took root, with 77% of patientskeeping up their newfound health regimethree years later.The studies suggest opportunities forgrowing BC’s agriculture sector – and notjust through sales of heart-friendly foodsthat keep patients on the right track.Agriculture minister Norm Letnickannounced Victoria’s goal to boost theprovince’s agri-food sales to $15 billion ayear by 2020. Sales totalled $12.3 billion in2014, including approximately $3 billion infarmgate revenues. Stronger exports thisyear will likely see 2015 sales exceed $13billion.Bringing new land into production andboosting exports are two key ways thatgovernment wants to achieve its goals. Butgrowers have consistently pointed out thatmore support is needed to generatesuccess.Rhonda Driediger, echoing long-standing calls from the BC Fruit GrowersAssociation for government to boost itsfunding of the agriculture sector relative toGDP, said government funding needs to beup to the task.Opposition MLAs heard similar concernsduring a series of hearings on theagriculture sector last year, with calls forinvestment in everything from extensionworkers to the work of the AgriculturalLand Commission and other coordinatingbodies. Conservation officers and thosecharged with enforcing the laws andregulations governing agriculture in theprovince are also needed.It’s a brand new year, and here’s hopingit comes with the resolve of government toadequately support the common goal ofprosperity and success for BC farmers.Change we can support
2016HORTICULTUREGROWERS’SHORT COURSEPh: 604-556-3001growers@agricultureshow.netThis project is supported by Growing Forward, a federal-provincial initiativeHorticulture GrowersShort Course 2016January 28-30Tradex, AbbotsfordIn partnership with thePacific Agriculture Show 7+856'$< )5,'$< 6$785'$< Lower Mainland HorticulturalImprovement AssociationTHURSDAYRaspberries t Strawberries t Vegetables t Potatoes t GreenhouseOpening Reception t Agricultural & Municipal Biogas ForumFRIDAYFarm Business Management t Keynote AddressAll Berries t Vegetables t Direct Farm Markets t WaterAgricultural & Municipal Biogas ForumSATURDAYBlueberries t Organic t HazelnutsUrban Agriculture t Hops/Micro-BreweryREGISTER ONLINE AT WWW.AGRICULTURESHOW.NETRegistration includes Trade Show entry and all Growers’ Short Course SessionsFirst, the bad news. Farmersaround the world did a greatjob last year. The good news?Farmers around the world dida great job last year.Such is the unfortunatereality of the grain market. Asspeakers at last fall’s CerealsNorth America conference inWinnipeg said, the world is“awash with grain,” which hasdriven prices into thedoldrums. Unless there’s some“good” news (perversely, as insomeone else having a poorcrop), it seems there is littlechance of a turnaround anytime soon.It’s been a long time sincewe heard as much bearishnews as we did at lastNovember’s conference. Thetwo words “set aside” evensurfaced, a reference to the1950s to 1980s US policy ofpaying farmers not to growcrops in order to reducesupplies and increase theprice. That was combinedwith holding government-owned stocks in reserve, andnot releasing them until theyreached a target level.Freedom to FarmThose policies worked butin the 1980s the USgovernment said it was tiredof being the only one holdingup prices and accusedcompetitors of takingadvantage of them with all-out production. That led tothe Export EnhancementProgram, which gavegovernment-held stocks toexporters as a bonus formaking sales, and eventuallyto the “Freedom to Farm”policy in 1995. That meantthat farmers were free to growas much as they liked andsubsidy programs would bebased on revenue, notproduction.The US government furtherjuiced production with biofuelsubsidies and more than 40%of the corn crop is not usedfor ethanol. That was in the“We’re going to run out of oiland be held hostage to theSaudis” days. Today, we’re inthe “US is almost self-sucientin oil” days. Now, gasoline ischeaper than ethanol and USoverall fuel consumption hasdropped, so ethanol demandhas stalled.Soaring greenbackThe subsequent strength ofthe US economy combinedwith other world troubles hasmeant that the greenback hassoared compared to othercurrencies. On one hand,that’s been good news forCanadian producers. Theweaker loonie has partly osetprices relative to the US. Thebad news is that othercurrencies have droppedmuch further. If you’re aBrazilian soybean producer,it’s party time. In Brazilianreals, soybean producers arereceiving as much as they didin 2012 when the price wasUS$17 per bushel. So there’seven more incentive for themto continue all-outproduction.The same applies to theBlack Sea countries that,combined, are now theworld’s largest exporters ofwheat. The weakness in theRussian ruble and Ukrainianhryvnia means they’re alsopartly isolated from lower US-denominated prices, allowingthem to be even morecompetitive. The US andCanada combined are now ata record-low 26% of the worldwheat market.If you’re looking for hopeon the demand side, it mightbe awhile. In his presentation,Dan Basse of AgResourcesnoted that not only hasbiofuels demand plateaued,so has the sharp rise in percapita calorie consumption inAsia. He forecast that worldper capita consumption willonly increase modestly, partlybecause an aging populationdoesn’t eat as much,especially meat. As for theever-increasing worldpopulation that we hear somuch about needing to feed,Basse noted that it’s actuallyexpected to drop in Russia,Europe and Japan, whichhave been among the largerper capita consumers untilnow.China has recently been amajor driver of importdemand but a recurringtheme at last fall’s conferencewas just how large China’scorn stockpile has become.This is a government-heldreserve that must be releasedfor sale when the stocks arethree years old. The USDAputs the stockpile at 90million tonnes but tradeestimates range as high as 200million. Either way, China’sfeed grain imports are likely toslow dramatically.El Niño and La NiñaIf you’re rather uncharitablyhoping that a crop shortfall(somewhere else, of course)will turn things around, youmay have to wait awhile. ElNiño has been getting plentyof headlines recently, butweather specialists at theconference were mixed onwhether it would have mucheect, except possibly in theBlack Sea region. There wasmore consensus that a switchto a La Niña phase later thisyear might cause more cropproblems.Blip and a bullBut with so muchproduction now spread intonewer regions such as theBlack Sea and South America,total world production is nowmore stable, and made evenmore so by the increasinglywidespread adoption ofmodern farming practices.Just as in the past, sooner orlater there will be anotherproduction blip and anotherbull market. But the evidenceis that the blip will be smallerand the bull market will beshorter.Farmers have beenresponding for all those callsto feed the world. Once again,they’re not being rewardedfor their eort.John Morrissis associate publisherof Manitoba Co-operator.ViewpointJOHN MORRISSBoom or bust: either way farmers get the shaftTotal world grain production well distributed and more stableJanuary 2016 • Country Life in BC 5TRACTOR & EQUIPMENT LTD.KAMLOOPS580 Chilcotin Road250/851-3101TOLL FREE 1-888-851-3101ARMSTRONG4193 Noble Road250/546-3141TOLL FREE 1-800-661-3141NOBLECASE 445-3 SKID STEER, 2009, CAB, 4170 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,900CASE 2290 1980, 128 HP, CAB, NO 3 PT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500CASE IH 885 1987, 72 HP, 4X4, CAB LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,500CASE IH 4694 1986, 219 PTO HP, DUALS 1000 PTO, 4 REMOTES . . 25,500NH TS115A, DELUXE 2004, 95 HP, CAB 4X4, LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41,800NH6610S 1999, 80 PTO HP, 2X4, CANOPY, ONLY 750 HRS . . . . . . . . 22,500NH 3045 45 HP, 4X4, CAB, LDR, LIKE NEW ONLY 120 HOURS . . . . . . 36,500KUBOTA B21 13.5 HP, 4X4, ROLLBAR, LOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,500WHITE 6065 63 PTO HP, 4X4, ROPS, ALO 640 LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,500CASE 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 DC 92 9’2” CUT, 2 TO CHOOSE FROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,500 | 21,000CASE 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 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”, TWINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29,500JD 456 4’X5’ SILAGE SPECIAL, TWINE & WRAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,900www.nobletractor.comHAPPY NEW YEAR!642 ENDERBY-GRINDROD RD, ENDERBY | Lease this modern dairy facility for $7,000 per month+ utilities. Germania rapid exit 2x6 herringbone milk parlor w/large drive thru barn, alley scrapers,~140 freestalls. Quality calf/heifer housing, calving & treatment area. High capacity manurelagoon. Very comfortable set up w/easy cow flow. 2 homes also available for lease. Owner willingto grow and harvest forage for tenant at market value. Located in the beautiful North Okanaganbetween Vernon and Salmon Arm in the heart of dairy country.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.ca
PRESENTING SPONSORGOLD SPONSORFor more information: 604.291-1553 | info@agricultureshow.netwww.agricultureshow.net201518TH ANNUALTRADEX Exhibition Centre, Abbotsford AirportShowcasing the latest and most INNOVATIVE EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGYfor the agriculture industry. Featuring over 280 exhibitors covering200,000 square feet!Thursday - Saturday 9 am - 430 pmJanuary 28, 29 & 30January 28, 29 & 30PARKING COURTESY OFCountry Life in BC • January 20166DAIRY TENT SPONSORBC’SLARGESTAGRICULTUREEVENT OF THE YEAR!See you at the show!TRADEX Exhibition Centre, Abbotsford AirportShowcasing the latest and most INNOVATIVE EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGYfor the agriculture industry. Featuring over 280 exhibitors covering200,000 square feet!Thursday - Saturday 9 am - 430 pmFor more information: 604.291-1553 | info@agricultureshow.netwww.agricultureshow.net
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 7The Pacic Agriculture Show at Abbotsford Tradex is expanding again this year, with nearly 300exhibitors and a fully packed agenda of producer meetings and workshops. (File photo)by DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – BC’s biggestagriculture show of the year isreturning to the Tradex inAbbotsford, January 28-30.Now in its 18th year, thePacic Agriculture Showannually attracts over 7,000people, including about 2,000farmers who come forinformation on a wide varietyof subjects and for the chanceto meet friends and viewhundreds of farm-relatedexhibits.“We have close to 300exhibitors this year,” says PAStrade show co-ordinator JimShepard.The number and variety ofexhibitors continues toincrease. When larger exhibitsleave, they are replaced bymultiple smaller exhibits.Some of the larger exhibits areshrinking their indoor exhibitspace by displaying theirequipment outside. Therewere about 80 pieces ofequipment outside last yearand Shepard expects at leastthat many this year.“As equipment sizesincrease, there isn’t room forthem inside,” he notes.Two tents provideadditional covered space. TheMNP Pavilion at the south endof Wing 2 will be home of thegrowers’ luncheon, PettingZoo and Farm Museum, andthe site of Thursdayafternoon’s openingreception. The ScotiabankPavilion on the east side willbe used for the dairy lunch onThursday, a new products andideas showcase on Friday andthe BC Dairy Association’sMobile Dairy Classroom onSaturday.Trade show entry isincluded with registrations forthe Horticulture Short Course,BC Dairy Expo or Agriculturaland Municipal Biogas Forum.Persons wishing to visit thetrade show only can buytickets at the door for $14 foradults, $10 for seniors and4-H’ers. Children under 14 areadmitted free. Trade showadmission is good for multipleentries all three days.Parking is free all three days,thanks to the support ofKubota, which will also beoering a “ride and drive”demo of selected equipmenton Thursday.BC Agri-Food GalaAs usual, the BC AgricultureIndustry Gala at the RamadaPlaza in Abbotsford,Wednesday, January 27, willprecede the Pacic AgricultureShow. The Gala is a “celebration”of agriculture’sachievements in the pastyear and the people whohave made it happen, saysBC Agriculture Councilexecutive director Reg Ens.“The Gala acknowledgesindustry leaders,” he says.As such, it will be used topresent the BCAC LeadershipAward and a new farm safetyaward from AgSafe.Agriculture In the Classroomwill also recount its successesin the past year while theOutstanding Young Farmerprogram will present its 2016winner.There were still seatsavailable in early Decemberbut Ens says they are goingquickly.”We sell out everyyear.” For tickets, call BCAC at866-522-3447 or visit:[www.bcac.bc.ca].BC Dairy ExpoThe BC Dairy Expo alsobegins the day before theTrade show upsexhibits, varietyfor its18th eventagriculture show with thepopular annual Dairy Farm SelfTour, January 27.The two farms likely toattract the most interest areGracemar Farms in Chilliwackand Bileena Holsteins inAgassiz. At Gracemar, farmerswill be able to see a roboticrotary milking parlour.Installed by Pacic DairyCentre, the 60-stall GEADairyProQ parlour is the rst ofits kind in North America. AtBileena, Pacic Dairy installedBC’s rst GEA MI-one doublebox robotic milking system.Unlike other robotic milkers,the MI-one uses a one-stopattachment to prepare,stimulate and milk the udder.The system also includes GEA’sCowScout herd health andactivity monitoring system.Please see “PACIFIC” page 8Thank you to the 2016 Biogas Forum sponsors: Registration only $20 before January 11th for Farmers & Students The Biogas Forum is proudly presented by ARDCorp & Canadian Biogas AssociationTo sign-up or for more details about the2016 Biogas Forum, please visitwww.agricultureshow.net/agri-energy-forum2016 Agricultural & Municipal Biogas Forum: Closing the Loop January 28th - 29th, 2016 at Tradex, Abbotsford Learn about biogas, potentialnutrient value, and theopportunity to producefuel for machinery2016 Agricultural & Municipal Biogas Forum: Closing the LoopPACIFIC AGRICULTURE SHOW PREVIEWBC Agri-Food GalaBC Dairy Expo
Country Life in BC • January 20168Four other farms completethe 2016 tour. In Abbotsford,Whatcom Acres Farm will bedemonstrating its new LelyVector automatic feedingsystem while Crossroads DairyFarm will tour people throughits new 40-stall DeLavalinternal rotary herringboneparlour in the morning only.Dale Jerseys in Mission willshow o its new drive-throughbarn complete with twoDeLaval robotic milkers, ananimal-friendly Surebond SafeFloor and Artex comfort stallswith Gel Mats. Sand beddingand three Lely Astronautrobotic milkers are highlightsof the new barn and milkingfacilities at West River Farm inRosedale.Farmers should pick up atour guide from the BCMinistry of Agriculture or dairyequipment suppliers fordirections and each farm’svisiting hours. Complimentarylunches will be available atGracemar Farms and DaleJerseys.Because robotic technologyrequires dierentmanagement approaches, theBC Dairy Expo at the PASThursday morning will featureDr. Jerey Bewley of theUniversity of KentuckyDepartment of Animal andFood Sciences. He will discussthe economics andimplementation of precisiondairy technologies for mastitisprevention, cow comfort andlameness prevention.Following Bewley,University of BC Faculty ofLand and Food Systemsassistant professor of animalreproduction Dr. Ronaldo Cerriwill describe his research intostrategies to overcome sub-fertility in dairy cows, such asthe use of automatedmethods to detect estrus,ovulation time and healthdisorders.The morning will concludewith a 30-minute presentationon Dairy Farmers of Canada’sproAction Initiative. Interested farmers canregister at the door Thursdaymorning. Cost of the sessionsis $20 and includes theScotiabank BBQ lunch at noonand a three-day pass to thetrade show.Biogas ForumSince its addition to thePacic Agriculture Showprogram six years ago, thePacic Agri-Energy Forum hasbeen encouraging theadoption of new technologiesto create value out of farmwaste by producing biogasand other types of energy on-farm.This year the forum is notonly “closing the loop” butadjusting its focus to includeboth agricultural andmunicipal biogas production.The forum begins Thursdayafternoon with an update onthe state of on-farm biogas inboth Canada and the US. It willbe followed by a discussion ofnutrient management issuesassociated with biogastechnologies. Farmers wholearned about and toured theanaerobic digester atSeabreeze Farms in Deltaduring last year’s forum shouldbe interested in an update onthe Trident Nutrient RecoverySystem, now that it has beenoperating for a year. They willalso get initial results of eldapplication trials for digestate.Friday morning will be ofmore interest to municipalocials as it discussesmunicipal biogas projects inboth BC and Sweden. Fridayafternoon will look at the useof biogas as a renewablenatural gas vehicle fuel.Farmers wishing to attendjust the Thursday afternoonsession can do so for $20 ifthey register by January 12.Registration for the entireforum is $65 before January 12and $95 thereafter. Register at[www.agricultureshow.net].AgricultureFor the last two years,Kwantlen PolytechnicUniversity Institute forSustainable Food Systems hasbeen presenting some verypopular small farm sessions atthe Pacic Agriculture Showon Saturday.This year, KPU and theUniversity of the Fraser Valleyare combining forces to lookat urban agriculture, Saturdaymorning. Participants will learnwhat urban agriculture is andhear from several people whoare already engaged in thisemerging eld.In the afternoon, TomBaumann of UFV will chair asymposium on hopproduction and processing, acrop which shows a lot ofpromise given the increasingconsumer interest in anddemand craft breweries.Horticulture Short CourseThe Horticulture GrowersShort Course began as a shortcourse for strawberry andraspberry growers over sixdecades ago and berries arestill the backbone of theprogram. Thursday’s sessionsare aimed at strawberry andraspberry growers whileSaturday’s sessions focus onblueberries. Growers will learnabout disease and pestmanagement, mulches, soilfumigation, new varieties andmarket outlooks. Highlightedspeakers include DavidGombas of the United FreshProduce Association, MartineDorais, the most recentaddition to the research staat the Agassiz Research &Development Centre, LisaWasko DeVetter ofWashington State UniversityDepartment of Horticulture,and berry breeders from BC,Washington and Oregon.Friday afternoon allgrowers will get the latestinformation on SWDmonitoring and managementand the impact of the newWater Sustainability Act.University of Californiastrawberry and caneberryspecialist Mark Bolda willdetail strategies to managelygus bugs and stink bugsand present the latestresearch on soil fumigationoptions.Friday morning’s sessionsare all about improving farmbusiness management. In theTerralink Room, three expertsfrom the US and theNetherlands will describe theuse of robotics, also known asprecision agriculture, inagricultural production andprovide their insights into howit will impact how farmsoperate in the future.“Come prepared or send inadvance the challenges yourfarm faces and let’s discussways to continue on the pathto precision and data decisionfarming,” says keynote speakerLisa Prassack, a Colorado agri-food innovation expert anddata strategy consultant.The new WaterSustainability Act, now cominginto eect, will have a hugeimpact on farming in thefuture. Friday morning in theDirect Solutions Room,growers will learn how the actdiers from the old Water Actand what provincial resourcesare available to manage wateron the farm, particularly inlight of a changing climate.Of course, you have tomake money to farm, andthat’s not always easy. To helpyou manage the nancial risks,senior MNP sta will present atwo-hour symposium onmanaging risk and uncertainty,including the use ofAgriStability and private sectorrisk management tools, Fridaymorning in the BASF Gallery.Potatoes & Field VegetablesWhat are the mostpromising new potatovarieties? How do you managetrips and wireworms inpotatoes? How can you usebiotic inputs to manage soilsfor growing potatoes? Theseare the questions to beanswered at the potatosession in the BASF GalleryThursday morning. Speakersinclude Colorado potatoPlease see “PACIFIC” page 9PACIFIC AGRICULTURE SHOW PREVIEWBiogas ForumUrban & Specialty AgHorticulture Short CourseBusiness ManagementPotatoes & Field VegetablesProudly 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.cawww.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.
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 9grower Brendon Rockey,Heather Meberg and Kiara Jackof ES Cropconsult and AgassizResearch and DevelopmentCentre scientists Bob Vernonand Wim Van Herk.Vernon will be back in theBASF Gallery Thursdayafternoon to oer advice onmanaging cabbage rootmaggots in brassica crops. Theafternoon will also includehelp in managing weeds ineld vegetables and a paneldiscussion on managingpowdery mildew in cucurbits.The BASF Gallery will havemore information for eldvegetable growers Fridayafternoon. Topics include okra,table beets and sweetpotatoes. BCMA eldvegetable specialist SusanSmith and Renee Prasad of theUniversity of the Fraser Valleywill also provide highlights ofthe 2016 BC Field VegetableProduction Guide.Greenhouse Vegetables Want to add a new crop toyour greenhouse? How aboutChinese /Indian eggplant orstrawberries? Learn aboutthese opportunities fromVillam Zvallo of the VinelandResearch & Innovation Centreand Chieri Kubota of theUniversity of Arizona, Thursdaymorning in the DirectSolutions Room. Greenhousegrowers will also learn aboutthe impacts of productionpractices on fruit quality, theuse of chlorine dioxide todisinfect irrigation water and anew ventilated latent heatconverter for greenhousedehumidication.FloricultureThursday afternoon in theDirect Solutions Room,researchers and extensionworkers from Ontario,California and the Netherlandswill discuss topics of interest tooriculture growers. They willoer helpful tips on the use ofbiocontrols, insecticiderotation, height control oforiculture crops and discussthe latest robotic systemsavailable to growers.Organic ProductionWhat products are availablefor organic growers and howcan they best be used? Whichvegetable varieties are best fororganic production in theFraser Valley? How iscommercial compost made?Those are just some of thequestions to be answered atthe organic sessions in theBASF Gallery. The full day ofpresentations will concludewith an update on the CanadaOrganic Standards andThe backbone of the Pacic Agriculture Show is its producer presentations on everything from energyto crop production. (File photo)Permitted Substances List. HazelnutsFor the third year in a row,the BC Hazelnut GrowersAssociation will be holding itsannual meeting at the PacicAgriculture Show. The annualmeeting will be held Saturdayafternoon in the DirectSolutions Room and includethe latest data from theongoing BC trial of new EFB-resistant cultivars as well asinformation on yields andmarkets for the new varietyfrom Larry George of Oregon’sGeorge Packing Company.Farm Direct Marketing Ronda Payne haspresented stories aboutfarm direct marketers inCountry Life in BC and otherpublications and on theweb for years. Fridayafternoon in the DirectSolutions Room, she willengage local directmarketers in an interactivediscussion of how to growtheir business by simplytelling their story. That is not the only way topromote a farm directmarketing business. Oeringadditional insights will beNorth American Farm DirectMarketing Associationexecutive director CharlieTouchette, one the mostwidely sought-after speakerson direct marketing. To complete theafternoon, Patrick Murphyof Vista D’Oro Farms andWinery will describe hisprogression from sellingon-farm and at localfarmers markets to beingretailed in London’sprestigious Harrodsdepartment store.Registration Growers who register forthe Horticulture GrowersShort Course by January 11pay only $80 for the firstrepresentative and $80 forall other representativesfrom the same farm.After January 11, allregistration fees increase to$120. Lunch tickets areavailable at $19 each whenyou preregister or for $23 atthe door. Selected sessionsqualify for credits in thePesticide Applicators LicenseRe-certification Program.Participants can registeronline or download aregistration form at[www.agricultureshow.net].Greenhouse VegetablesPACIFIC AGRICULTURE SHOW PREVIEWFloricultureOrganic ProductionHazelnutsFarm Direct MarketingRegistrationMatsquiAg-RepairAbbotsford, BC604-826-3281Noble Tractor & EquipmentArmstrong, BC250-546-3141 Noble Tractor & EquipmentKamloops, BC250-851-3101VT 100 SERIES VERTICAL MAXX® TWIN-AUGER MIXERSr4GFGUKIPGFEQPGCWIGTURTQXKFGUWRGTKQTHGGFOQXGOGPVCPFCWIGTENGCPQHHr(TQPVUKFGCPFTGCTFQQTQRVKQPUƂVCYKFGTCPIGQHHGGFKPIUKVWVCVKQPUr5KORNGFGRGPFCDNGJGCX[FWV[FTKXGsEWHVOKZKPIECRCEKVKGUrVTWEMVTCKNGTOQFGNUFAST, COMPLETE MIXING AND PROCESSINGKuhnNor thAmerica.com+08'56+037#.+6;®
Country Life in BC • January 201610Mahindra’s Technological Advantage to Meet Tier IV THE WORLD’S #1SELLING TRACTOR Cleaner & Greener Exhaust More efficient fuel combustion due to multiple injections per cylinder stroke. Significant reduction in NOX and Particulate Matter. Higher Injection Pressure Reducing visible engine smoke Diesel Oxidation Catalyst Exhaust after treatment device means no regeneration No Diesel Particulate Filter No filter replacement Saves time & money No DPF Burn Off Required No operator involvement No need to create high heat in engine No Urea or DEF Fluid Required Safer, Cleaner, Quieter Meets Tier IVStop by your local Mahindra Dealer to find out moreWhat Does The Advanced Common Rail Diesel Technology (MCRD) Mean to You? HANDLERS EQUIPMENTAbbotsford: 604-850-3601NOBLE TRACTORArmstrong: 250-546-3141TRACTOR TIME Victoria: 250-474-3301mahindracanada.caMahindra invested over $30 million in engine technology to make your work life easier.See us at thePACIFIC AG SHOW | JAN 28-30TRADEX ABBOTSFORD
0000.000.000aNteertS0000CAR THTMIS moc.etsireleademaNnwToemaROTC 11Mahindra 4035WITH LOADERMahindra 4035WITH LOADERMAX 24WITH LOADERModel 2555 WITH LOADER#1 SELLING TRACTORIN THE WORLD!Mahindra’s mCRD Technologyeliminates DPF and DEF.Call your local dealer to find out more! ON THE PURCHASE OF ANY MAHINDRATRACTOR WITH TWO MAHINDRA IMPLEMENTS (INC. BACKHOE) Hurry in for$1,000CASH BACKHANDLERS EQUIPMENTAbbotsford604-850-3601 (225)AURORA TRUCK CENTRE Houston250-845-7600TRACTOR TIMEVictoria250-929-2145ASK US ABOUT REDUCED PRICING ON OUR LAST TWO TIER 3 UNITS!!ASK US ABOUT REDUCED PRICING ON OUR LAST TWO TIER 3 UNITS!!January 2016 • Country Life in BC
Country Life in BC • January 201612by DAVID SCHMIDTVANCOUVER – When BCDairy Association presidentDave Taylor of ViewfieldFarms in Courtenay talksabout good animal care andtop quality milk, it’s morethan just talk. At the BCDAannual meeting in Vancouver,November 27, Taylor wasgiven the second-annual BCMilk Quality Award for thebest milk in the province lastyear. Earning second placehonours was anotherVancouver Island dairyman,Fred Wikkerink of WikksviewFarms in Cobble Hill.To qualify for the award, aproducer must have thelowest average somatic cellcount and bacterial platecount for the dairy year withno infractions for antibioticsor other impurities in themilk.Good animal care andquality milk are twocornerstones of DairyFarmers of Canada proActionInitiative (PAI) which is nowbeing rolled out across thecountry.Animal careNew BC PAI co-ordinatorElizabeth Schouten toldproducers the milk qualitycomponents are now fullyimplemented even thoughsix BC milk producers are stillnot registered for theCanadian Quality Milkprogram. The BC MilkMarketing Board madeanimal care mandatory inSeptember but Schoutennotes it will take two years tovalidate all producers.Validations before September2016 will not include allcomponents of the program,as Holstein Canada classifierswill not begin performingtechnical assessments untilthen.With the first three PAIcomponents now in place,trials are beginning ontraceability and biosecurity.Traceability means beingable to track a live animalfrom the farm of origin to theslaughterhouse, explains DFCnational traceability co-ordinator Melissa Lalonde. Itincludes premises ID, animalID and movement tracking.“ID is the glue that holds allthe proAction partstogether,” she told producers.A decade ago, traceabilitywas promoted to managedisease outbreaks like hoofand mouth or BSE and hasproved its value in avianinfluenza outbreaks. Today,however, it has a more criticalAnimal welfare, milk quality cornerstones of BC dairy industryHe walks the talk. BC Dairy Association president Dave Taylor, left, of Vieweld Farms in Courtenay(rst) and Fred Wikkerink of Wikksview Farm in Cobble Hill (second) received the 2015 BC Milk QualityAwards from BC Milk Marketing Board chair Jim Byrne, at right, during the BC Dairy Conference inVancouver. (David Schmidt photo)role to answer consumerconcerns about where theirfood comes from.All cattle premises,including auction marts, musthave a unique premise ID andeach animal is expected tohave a tag in each ear.Producers should tag a calfbetween one to ten days ofage and activate the tagwithin seven days. Animalmovements must berecorded the day they occurand tags retired within sevendays of an animal’s death.Two years to “practice”Lalonde said producershave the next two years to“practice” before traceabilitybecomes mandatory.Traceability is critical toeffective biosecurity, saysJosh Waddington ofGreenbelt Veterinary Servicesin Chilliwack. Although it hasnot been a high priority formany dairy farmers, he saysthat needs to change. “There are consequencesfor not doing biosecurity,”Waddington said.DFC’s draft biosecurityprogram sets out mandatoryminimum requirements andincludes a two-pagequestionnaire to help farmersassess their biosecurity risksand responses.He calls the people pickingup deadstock a farm’sbiggest biosecurity risk.“You need to developstandard operating protocolsfor such things asvaccinations and vehiclemovements,” he said.Elizabeth Schouten
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 13BC Holstein Branch AGM recognizes Ben Cuthbert for serviceby DAVID SCHMIDTVANCOUVER – Ben Cuthbert ofSilvermaple Farms in Ladysmith isbest known in the dairy industry forhis years as a BC Milk Marketing Boarddirector. For the past year, he hasserved as BC’s director of HolsteinCanada. But he is also a good cowmanand the BC Holstein Branchrecognized that at their annualmeeting in Vancouver, November 25.Cuthbert was presented with BCHolstein’s prestigious 2015 cow of theyear award for Silvermaple DamionCamomile. Now owned by ButlerviewFarm of Illinois, Camomile was thereserve grand champion of the WorldDairy Expo in 2011 and twice namedan All-Canadian and All-Americancow.“It’s great to have bred a cow likethat,” Cuthbert said, singling outStanhope-Wedgwood for “getting thiscow to the pinnacle” of the Holsteinshow world.Shows in declineThe number of shows, however,continues to decline. Although BCHolstein and Westcoast Holsteinspartnered to present a successful BCSpring Show and Sale in March, theCentral Fraser Valley club’s fall showwas cancelled in 2015 due to lowentry numbers.“Hopefully, there will be a fall shownext year,” BCH show committee chairMatt Langelaan said.Cuthbert was not the only Holsteinbreeder the AGM recognized. Thebranch also conferred honourarymemberships on Harry Bailey andJohn Blair. Regular attendeeA member of Holstein Canada forover 60 years, Bailey has been aregular attendee at the Royal WinterFair in Toronto, often leading top BCshow cattle. He was the rst presidentof the Upper Fraser Valley HolsteinClub, BC Holstein president in 1971-72, and BC Holstein secretary-eldman in 1977-78. He also made hismark as an exporter of BC Holsteingenetics to Japan and other foreignmarkets. Although his comment was notspecically directed at Bailey, HCsecond vice president Orville Schmidtacknowledged his contribution,noting “it’s a feather in (BC’s) hat toget the respect for your cattle thatyou do in Japan.”Blair served on the BC Holsteinboard for almost 30 years, acting aspresident in 1987-88. He alsorepresented BC at Holstein Canada foralmost a decade, serving as HCpresident in 2003-14. He began hisshow career as a 4-H’er, earning the4-H grand championship at the PNE in1959. His commitment to youth ledLong-time dairymen Harry Bailey and John Blair conferred honourary membershipsHolsteinCanada BCdirector BenCuthbert, atright, ofSilvermapleFarms inLadysmithreceives theaward for the2015 BCHolstein Cowof the Year,SilvermapleDamionCamomile,from BCHolsteinsdirector BrianHamming.(David Schmidtphoto)Please see “BC” page 14JAGUAR.Multi-talented.STORE HOURSMONDAY-FRIDAY, 8-5SATURDAY, 8-12Closed SundaysTRACTORSMCCORMICK CX105 MFD CAB TRACTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $28,900JD 7450 PRODRIVE SPFH, 4X4 KP, 10' GRASS PICKUP, 676 6 ROW CORNHEAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL FOR PRICING.TILLAGEJOHN DEERE 3600 PLOW, 5 BOTTOM, DRAWBAR PULL . . . . . . . . $4,100HAY TOOLSCLAAS 870T TEDDER 28.5’ HYD. FOLD . . . . . . . . . . CALL FOR DETAILSNH 315 SMALL SQUARE BALER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL FOR DETAILSPZ FANEX 730 6 BASKET 24’ TEDDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,900www.caliberequipment.ca604-864-227334511 VYE ROADABBOTSFORD
Country Life in BC • January 201614Graham BoltonFCC Senior Relationship ManagerMeet GrahamIn 12 years at FCC, Graham’s helped hundreds of Canadian producers build their dreams. Like everyone on your FCC team, Graham knows your industry and he’ll get to know you.1-800-387-3232 fcc.caAgriculture is our way of life toohim to become one of thefounders of the WesternCanadian Classic (WCC) showin the early 1980’s. Money invested in WCCand other initiatives for youth“is never a waste,” BCHpresident Kevin Antonsensaid. In 2015, the branchhelped BC youth attend theWCC in Alberta, sponsoredthree young adults at theHolstein Canada YoungLeaders Program in NewBrunswick and sent twoothers to the Manitoba Dairy$en$e Workshop.Holstein registrationsHC chief executive ocerAnn Louise Carson said BC isleading the way inregistrations andclassications with HolsteinCanada. In 2015, BC Holsteinregistrations were up 9% andclassications up a whopping25%. She told local breedersHC will only take registrationsonline after moving to its newherdbook software at the endof January. That won’t aectmany breeders as only 5% ofBC registrations are still beingdone on paper. Almost halfare now being done byCanwest DHI.Canwest DHI marketingand eld services managerRichard Cantin noted 63% ofBC dairy herds are now onDHI, the highest percentagein ve years. That includes 35herds using robotic milkers.He also complimented BCbreeders on the health oftheir animals. In the rst threeweeks DHI tested for subclinical ketosis, they foundonly 15% positive tests. In thenext three weeks, thatdropped to 8%, the lowestpercentage in Canada andwell below the predicted 25%positive.BC LEADING IN REGISTRATIONS From page 13Harry Bailey, left, and JohnBlair, centre, were named the2015 honorary members of theBC Holstein Branch. Making thepresentation was branchpresident Kevin Antonsen.(David Schmidt photo)HonouredFormer Island Farms president John Pendray, left, receivedthe BC Dairy Industry Achievement Award from Gerry Adamsof the BC Dairy Historical Society during the BC DairyConference banquet. (David Schmidt photo)
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 15by PETER MITHAMGUELPH, ON – California’sdrought seems set to run for afth year, but University ofGuelph analysts suggest itwon’t be the key cause of foodprice ination in 2015.While this winter’s El Niñoweather pattern promisesprecipitation to California’sparched farmland, with earlysigns pointing to a wetterwinter than last year amid thedeepest drought in 120 years,water experts in Davis,California report that thiswinter’s precipitation “mayrell California’s drought-diminished reservoirs, but itwon’t do much to restock theseverely depleted aquifers.”Snowpack in the SierraNevada, which suppliesvaluable runo to irrigationnetworks, was looking goodbut the US Drought Monitornoted in early November that“given the long-term nature ofthe drought in much of the FarWest, only scattered areas ofimprovement were noted.”The University of Guelph’sFood Institute believes thatwetter conditions could leadto increased production insome parts of California, whichcould keep prices in check.“Production capacity couldbe less of a concern andwould increase productexports, particularly inCanada,” the report led bySylvain Charlebois observes.“Vegetable and fruit pricescould be aected as a result,making procurement easier forimporters.”But for consumers, thoseincreased imports will come ata price, thanks to exchangerates that have made itemssold in US dollars moreexpensive.Canada’s dollar wasplumbing 12-year lows in mid-December, buying just 73 UScents. This is a far cry fromFebruary 2013, the last timethe two currencies were atparity.Charlebois and hiscolleagues believe the dollarcould drop yet further in 2016,plunging through 70 US centsand pushing grocery priceshigher.Consumers will cope“For every cent drop in thedollar over a short period oftime, currency-exposed foodcategories like vegetables,fruits and nuts are likely toincrease by more than 1%,”the report states. “Manyvegetables, fruits, processedand grocery products are likelyto continue to increase in2016. Unlike meats, it is morechallenging to nd substitutesfor these products, soconsumers cope with higherprices.”Guelph’s Food Instituteexpect food prices could rise2% to 4% in 2016. This isconsistent with a reportedincrease of 4.1% in groceryprices in 2015, described as“signicantly above ination.”It’s also above the anticipatedSagging dollar trumps drought in food price risegain of between 0.7% and 3%.“This means the averageCanadian household likelypaid about $325 more for foodin 2015,” the report states,before going on to note thatspending will continue toincrease in 2016, thanksalmost exclusively toexchange rates.“Our forecast predicts theaverage household couldspend up to $345 more onfood in 2016,” it says.The relative impact ofdrought and the dollar is seenin the forecast for vegetables,which were expected toincrease 5.5% to 7.5% in 2015,but in fact rose 10.1%. Theforecast for 2016 calls for anincrease of just 2% to 4%,thanks to diminished droughtimpacts and better hedgingpractices.Similarly, prices for fruit andnuts leapt 9.1% in 2015, butthe forecast for 2016 is a shadelower than last year’s forecastat 2.5% to 4.5%.Chances are consumers willtake the increases in stride,however. While they maymean pain for lower incomefamilies, gains in averagehousehold income are likely todull the impact.Indeed, Food Freedom Day– when the CanadianFederation of Agriculturereminds the country of justhow cheap food in Canada is –is tentatively set for February3, 2016. That’s three daysearlier than last year, a signthat Canadians continue topay a diminishing share oftheir earnings to be fed well.A depreciating loonie is going to hurt Canadian consumers at the grocery checkout. (File photo)February 12-13, 2016 Cowichan Exhibition ParkVancouver Island’s Largest Agriculture Event of the YearOver 60 Exhibitors featuring the latest in equipment and technology in the industry.Plus 2 full days of informative conference sessions, displays and educational exhibits.FEBRUARY 11: CLIMATE ACTION INITIATIVE FARM TOUR & PANEL SESSIONREGISTER ON LINE FOR THE FARM TOUR AND PANEL SESSIONFor more information: Shari Paterson 250-748-0822 cowex@shaw.ca or conference registration visit our websitewww.iashow.caNEW!A Firsthand Understanding Of Your Family’s Wealth PrioritiesMark Driediger, CFP, Senior Wealth AdvisorAssante Financial Management Ltd.www.MarkDriediger.com | (604) 859-4890 Farm Transition Coaching Customized Portfolio Strategy Retirement Income PlanningPlease visit www.assante.com/legal.jsp or contact Assante at 1-800-268-3200 for information with respectto important legal and regulatory disclosures relating to this notice.Your Farm. Your Family. Your Future.
Country Life in BC • January 201616also on sale Rite-Mins 16:16 Beef Mineral Supplementwhen you present this ad.$5 off!Rite-Lix cattle tubs untilDEC31stCountry West Supply All of your equine and livestock feed needs available! Chilliwack 1-877-37358 // Armstong 1-250-546-9174 www.countrywestsupply.comby MARGARET EVANSEDMONTON – Acontroversial bill that Alberta’sNDP government says willensure its 60,000 farm andranch workers will have thesame basic protections thatother workers in the province– and across Canada – havereceived for decades passedthird and nal reading onDecember 10, in spite ofpublic demonstrations againstthe legislation. The original purpose of Bill6, the Enhanced Protection forFarm and Ranch Workers Act,was to ensure farms andranches would be subjected toOccupational Health andSafety legislation to preventfarm and ranch incidents thatcan result in injury or death; itprovides Workers’Compensation Boardinsurance coverage to supportworkers injured on the job,and farms and ranches wouldbe included in theEmployment Standards andLabour Regulations legislationallowing investigators toreview an injury, accident ordeath related to thecommercial operation. “Everyone deserves a safe,fair and healthy workplace,”said Lori Sigurdson, Minister ofJobs, Skills, Training andLabour. “With this Bill,workplace legislation will nowextend to farms and ranches.The rules we implement mustrespect the unique qualities ofthe farm and ranch industry,and I look forward to workingwith industry members todevelop rules that makesense.”The trouble is, what the Billis delivering isn’t what familyfarms and ranches want. Whenthe Bill was rst oated,contradictions misinformedthe agricultural community.Information from WCBcontradicted thegovernment’s position onmandatory coverage thatincluded children working onfamily farms. Traditionally, children,neighbours and friends havealways pitched in to help atheavy load times like calving,haying and harvest. But underthe original text of Bill 6, WCBcoverage would bemandatory. The threat to the uniqueoperation of family farmserupted in anger at manytown hall meetings and theNDP government was forcedto clarify the intent andmeaning of Bill 6 withamendments. According toAlberta Agriculture website,the proposed amendmentswould:• make clear WCB coveragewould be required only forpaid employees, with anoption for farmers to extendcoverage to unpaid workerslike family members,neighbours and friends;• make clear that OccupationalHealth and Safety standardsapply when a farm employsone or more paid employeesat any time of the year. Farm and ranch workers willbe protected by theOccupational Health andSafety Act with regulationsbeginning January 1, 2016.Workers’ Compensation Boardcoverage for employed farmand ranch workers will also bemandatory as of that date.Changes to Alberta’sEmployment Standards andLabour Relations legislationwill come into eect in thespring of 2016, followingconsultations with industryregarding exemptions thatmay be needed for uniquecircumstances such as seedingor harvesting. But thegovernment will continue towork with the industry overthe next year to developdetailed occupational healthand safety technical rules forfarms and ranches. Those rulesare expected to be in place in2017. What matters is that theunique workplacecharacteristics of farms andranches are recognized. At thetime of writing (mid-December), furtheramendments to the Bill areAngst on the farm in AlbertaControversial bill that endeavours to provide farmworkers with more protection under increasing fireexpected.“No one has condence inthe NDP,” says GaryWestergaard of GW EquineServices in Sherwood Park.“Agriculture is very diverse.There are grain growers,feedlots, cattle, horses. Butthey just want to pass (the Bill)as a blanket policy. It’s got thewhole province riled up. Anamendment doesn’t cut it.People want it stopped.”There was so much angeramong the farming communitythat a convoy of trucks, semi-trailers, tractors, ranchers onhorseback and a smorgasbordof specialized agriculturalequipment made its way toOkotoks in early December to atownhall-style forum. Hundredsof protesters have shown up atthe legislature to tell thegovernment to slow or kill thebill. “We appreciate theconcerns farmers and ranchershave raised,” says Oneil Carlier,Alberta’s Minister ofAgriculture and Forestry. “Tobe clear, Bill 6 is not in any waygoing to aect children doingtheir chores, participating in 4-H or learning the familybusiness. It does not preventneighbours, relatives andfriends from helping eachother out during busy times. Itdoes not apply to recreationalactivities such as riding horsesor hunting on farmland. “What Bill 6 does is bringAlberta farm and ranch safetystandards in line with otherprovinces and ensure that if awage-earning employee isinjured or killed on the job,that person and their familyhave the same access tonancial supports asemployees in other sectors.”See the latest in 100+ horsepower tractors from New Holland. They use leading edge ECOBlue™ HI-eSCR engine technology to give you increased power and effi ciency. These engines breathe clean, fresh air, optimizing their combustion, power, torque and fuel economy. That’s New Holland SMART.EXPLORE THE POWER OF BLUET7 SERIES TRACTORS 110 TO 210 PTO HPT8 SERIES TRACTORS 205 TO 315 PTO HPT9 SERIES 4WD TRACTORS 370 TO 620 RATED ENGINE HP© 2014 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affi liates.Performance • Effi ciency • Simple • Consistent• Effi cient power and productivity• Leading edge technology that optimizes combustion, power, torque and fuel economy™MachineryLimitedROLLINSRCHILLIWACK • 1.800.242.9737 | 44725 Yale Road West • 604.792.1301LANGLEY • 1.800.665.9060 | 21869 - 56th Avenue • 604.533.0048SEE US AT THE PACIFIC AG SHOW JAN 28-30Photo courtesy of CBC
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 17by RONDA PAYNEWHONNOCK – Perhaps thenew alternative crop in BC isone that’s been around foryears – if only in theunderground economy.Unfortunately, water concernskeep Whonnock residentsfrom welcoming the new pot-growing Tantalus Labs withopen arms. The fact that Tantalus is alegal medical marijuanaproducer isn’t the concern ofresidents in the east MapleRidge community; it’s theirsensitive Grant Hill aquifer thathas turned them against theoperation. Birgit Mischke, a residentnear the project, says the factthe operation is growing pot isirrelevant to the area residents. “Our concern is the water,”she notes. “Even if he wouldgrow lettuce, or tomatoes, orcucumbers, or dandelions ordaisies.”The Grant Hill aquifer hasbeen an issue for a number ofyears. Residents like Mischke,Mitch Jensen and former MLADennis Streifel all say thatsummers are particularlydicult for Whonnockresidents as many wells rundry. Some residents haul waterto their properties eachsummer. Dan Sutton, managingdirector with Tantalus Labs,has taken steps to addressresident concerns. “Tantalus Labs believes ourmaterial investment in watermanagement strategies shouldallay rational concern,” Suttonsays. “Tantalus Labs hasvoluntarily commissioned theservices of an independentthird party hydrologicalengineer. This engineer hasstated in writing and in thepublic domain that as long asthe well is operated as per ourbuilding permit applicationthat ‘[the engineers] do notanticipate any impacts to thesource aquifer or adjacentwells’.”The hydrological reportdoes not allay resident fears ofincreasing water shortages,however. “He can potentially aectany well in the area,” Mischkesays. “There’s not enoughwater here for the residents.”When complete, Tantalus’soperation will be an 115,000square foot greenhouse facilitydesigned to grow cannabiswith the aid of the sun. Sutton notes the traditionalbasement or warehousegrower has far less eciency,especially when it comes tonatural resource inputs. Suttonbelieves Tantalus can buildsoftware to create moreecient data management tobetter manipulate theenvironment in thegreenhouse to improveproductivity.“They are paying about 20times as much in electricity togive the plant less ecientlight quality,” he says, “so in agreenhouse, we will takesunlight and combine it withthe environmental control. Theelectricity savings show up notonly in the carbon savings, butalso on the balance sheet.”Despite this, residents in 64homes within 500 meters ofthe Tantalus facility have thepotential to be impactednegatively, according toJensen. He has the greatestunderstanding amongresidents when it comes to theaquifer as he and wife Silviehave done research on localaquifers, particularly the GrantHill one, for a number of years.It has unique challenges,dierent from other aquifersand has been labelled asvulnerable by the Ministry ofForests, Lands and NaturalResources.“Mr. Sutton should havedone his homework prior tolocating in an area that islocally known for its watershortages,” says Jensen. “Thereare no industrial scale farmingactivities in Whonnock for aWhonnock residents believe aquifer at risk with large-scale pot growerWhonnock residents have been protesting the construction of a new greenhouse to grow medicalmarijuana – but it’s not the nature of the crop that has them up in arms. They say the area’s aquifer isalready inadequate to service existing residences and farms and they’re convinced the greenhouseoperation will lead to further water shortages. (Jo Sleigh le photo)ProfessionalServiceswww.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?View 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!reason.”Sutton notes the site waschosen because “the District ofMaple Ridge has been moreamenable to agriculturalcannabis operations thanother regions.”It is not known if Sutton wasaware of the community’songoing water problems atthe time Tantalus purchasedthe site, which is in theagricultural land reserve. “We have investedapproximately $500,000 in aclose to 5,000 cubic meterreservoir to house rainwaterrecaptured from our roof,”Sutton says. “We estimate thatabout 90% of our water needswill be accommodated by thissystem.”Streifel and Jensen bothnote that the rainwater Suttoncaptures will reduce the waterreturned to the aquifer.“Rain harvesting has comeup within [Sutton’s] programstream a few times now, withlittle account that even usingthat water commodity thenPlease see “PROTEST” page 18Helping 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. 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 250-838-7337Jack Reams P.Ag. Agri-Consultingv BC Farm Business Advisory Services Consultantv Farm Debt Mediation Consultantv Organic Consultant & Inspectorv Meat Labeling ConsultantPhone: 604-858-1715 Cell: 604-302-4033Fax: 604-858-9815 email: marlene.reams@gmail.comCONFIDENTIALITY GUARANTEED
Country Life in BC • January 201618PROTEST From page 17by DAVID SCHMIDTVANCOUVER – For dairyfarmers, bigger is better – ifyou can aord it.“Bigger has benets butyou have to do it smart,”KPMG partner David Guthrieof Chilliwack told producers atthe BC Dairy Conference inVancouver, November 26.“An increased herd sizeincreases the productionmargin but it also adds debtload,” added KPMG seniormanager Matt Creechan.Guthrie, Creechan andKPMG senior principal DavidMetzger presented initialresults of a benchmarkingstudy KPMG is conductingwith some of its dairy clients.The study currentlyincludes 47 producers withparlours and 17 producersusing robotic milkersalthough Creechan says theyare open to having moreparticipants. Farms range insize from as little as 40 kgs toas much as 900 kgs ofcontinuous daily quota (CDQ),with an average of 197.7 kgsof CDQ.Creechan says feed, labourand production expenses eatup 62% of farm revenues,leaving only 38% to covermanagement wages,amortization, debt servicing,taxes and prot. Feed costs upWhen feed costs shot up acouple of years ago, theamount of cash coming out ofthe barn to those costs wasonly $7.34 per kg shipped. Asproducers changed theirmanagement, that increasedto $8.77 per kg in 2015.However, Creechan notesproducers also increased theirdebt load during the sameperiod. Even thoughproducers received quotaincreases of over 10% in thepast two years, their debt loadincreased from $22,154 per kgin 2013 to $23,186 per kg in2015. Given the above numbers,KPMG calculates that addingone kg of quota would add$3,171 in annual cashearnings.“This would be theexpected cash available topay for the nancing of thatkilogram purchased,”Creechan explains.This would not covertoday’s cost of quotaamortized over 15 years at a3.5% interest rate althoughfarmers may be able toleverage the purchase usingtheir existing cash ow and/orassets, such as their land base.“You need to manage cashow and pay attention todebt servicing costs,” Guthriereminded producers.As if that is not enough tothink about, Metzger advisesproducers to also think abouttheir corporate structure. Henotes there are taxadvantages to incorporationsince corporations whichqualify for small business taxrates pay less than a third ofthe marginal personal incometax rate for people earningover $100,000 per year. However, he warned thecost of land and quota maydisqualify some farmers fromthe small business category.“If your assets exceed $15million, you’re a largebusiness,” he pointed out.Benchmarking study weighs the pros and cons of dairy herd sizeimpedes the replenishing ofground water sources thatwould normally rechargeaquifers, creeks, rivers, etc. onthe broader scale,” says Jensen.Last March, a communityforum was held. Maple Ridgemayor Nicole Read explained itwas the biggest turnout she’dseen at such an event. “We had to open the backdoors and put tents up,” shenotes. The forum was followed bya rally in Whonnock in May. While a great amount ofresearch has been done onboth sides, the reality of thesituation won’t be conrmeduntil early 2016 when theoperation begins productionfollowing completion ofconstruction and approval isgranted to Tantalus fromHealth Canada. Unfortunately, if water doesrun short in Whonnock,residents are uncertain if themunicipality will come to theiraid. “[The municipality] had toldus water was not theirresponsibility; it’s a provincialresponsibility,” says Mischke.“We have to buy our water andthere’s community wells; thatwe have to look after our ownproblems.”Read says the municipalitydoesn’t regulate the aquifer –that it does fall underprovincial jurisdiction – butlocal government is“encouraging and requiringthe provincial government toexercise due diligence.”“This is a very real concernfor Whonnock residents andfor the city,” Read notes. “Thecity is investigating in terms ofmonitoring what the provinceis doing in order to protectthis.”Matt Creechan1.866.567.4162Your 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
Tel: 604.852.4001Email: admin@prinsgreenhouses.comPrins Greenhouses38900 No. 4 RoadAbbotsford, B.C. V3G 2G2ConstructionSystemsSupplies38900 No. 4 Road . Abbotsford604.852.4001info@prinsgreenhouses.comwww.prinsgreenhouses.comJanuary 2016 • Country Life in BC 19by PETER MITHAMOTTAWA – Canada’s beefand pork producers scored amajor victory against the US asthis issue of Country Life in BCwent to press.US lawmakers passed anomnibus bill on December 18that included a provisionrepealing Country of OriginLabeling (COOL) requirementsfor pork and beef.Canada’s long-standingcomplaint against COOL wasdecisively upheld by anarbitrator with the World TradeOrganization (WTO) onDecember 7, clearing the wayfor retaliation in the form of$1.1 billion a year worth oftaris against a number ofimports from the US.“It’s time to put this behindus,” said Chrystia Freeland,Minister of International Trade,in a conference call with mediaon December 16.Freeland and Minister ofAgriculture and AgrifoodCanada Lawrence MacAulaywere in Nairobi, Kenya,attending World TradeOrganization meetings andCOOL was a hot topic withtheir American counterparts.Freeland said all parties weresensitive to the need to restoreand maintain good traderelations between the twocountries, but the decisionrested with lawmakers.Freeland and MacAulay saidthat nothing but the repeal ofCOOL provisions for beef andpork would prevent Canadafrom proceeding withretaliatory taris.“It must be repealed or wewill retaliate,” MacAulay said.US lawmakers’ decision torepeal COOL in advance oftaris was welcomed in Ottawaand Victoria, where BCagriculture minister NormLetnick – who has largely lethis federal counterpart leadthe charge – issued astatement praising the bill’spassage.“Throughout this longprocess, the British Columbiangovernment has stood side-by-side with BC cattlemen and theCanadian government to doour utmost to ensure BC foodproducts have fair access to USmarkets, and that the termsand spirit of all signed tradeUS repeals COOL requirments for Canadian pork and beefby PETER MITHAMABBOTSFORD – While thehuman population of theLower Mainland is getting ushots to protect against illness,a duck shot with avian u isconrming the poultryindustry’s decision to move toa yellow alert level inNovember to ward o thethreat of disease. A wild duck downed by ahunter in the last week ofNovember was found to becarrying the H5N2 virus, ahighly infectious strain of avirus that has devastated localpoultry ocks in the past.A control zone wasestablished by the CanadianFood Inspection Agency (CFIA)in December 2014 after vesites were investigated for thevirus.This year, Ray Nickel ofthe BC Poultry Associationsays the industry wanted to beprepared for the disease andupped its alert level to yellowin mid November.A yellow alert level requiresenforcement of the controlledand restricted access zones onthe farm, a step above merelyidentifying and monitoringthese areas. Specically, onlyessential visitors are allowedinto areas with controlledaccess, no contact with otherpoultry operations are allowed,and no mortalities are allowedto leave the zone without CFIAor veterinary approval.Restricted access zones areto be locked when authorizedpersonnel aren’t present, andenhanced monitoring of ockhealth is required.Restricted access also limitsthe potential for interactionwith wild bird material and therisk of virus transmission.These measures mean therisk from the virus discoveredat the end of November islimited because there’s littlechance the bird, its tissues orfeces and those of its fellowswould reach a commercialpoultry operation.Poultry producers take flu precautionswww.kelloughent.com1-888-500-2646403-347-2646#3, 7491 - 49 Ave., Red Deer, AB. T4P 1N1Series 400/500/600 Single Offset Disc1/2”x30” notched blades - 13” spacing1/2”x32” notched blades - 14” spacing1/2”x36” notched blades - 17” spacing10’ to 14’ widths5/16”x26” notched blades - 10.5” spacing18’ to 24’ widthsSeries 225TSWTriple Section Wing DiscSeries 225Single Offset DiscSeries 225DOW Flexible Tandem Wing DiscSeries 275/325 Single Offset Disc5/16”x26” notched blades - 10.5” spacing3/8”x28” notched blades - 12” spacing10’ to 16’ widths5/16”x26” notched blades - 10.5” spacing 24’ to 38’ widths5/16” x 26” Notched blades10.5” spacing 8’ to 16’ widthSeries 155 & 155G Single Offset Disc 6’9” to 12’ widthsSeries400/500/600Single Offset DiscSeries 275/325Single Offset DiscSEE US AT THE AGRI-TRADENov 7 - 10See you atthe PacificAgriculture ShowJanuary 28-30agreements are adhered to,”he said.While the US Cattlemen’sAssociation had supportedCOOL, the NationalCattlemen’s Beef Associationalso cheered the policy’srepeal, noting that it had costits members millions (primarilyin management costs) and thecountry much goodwill in itstrading relationships.COOL is only one of severaltrade topics Freeland andMacAulay were discussing withcounterparts at WTO meetingsin Nairobi last month.There’s also signicantinterest in Canada’s approachtowards the Trans-PacicPartnership, negotiation ofwhich was completed daysbefore October’s federalelection.A consultation process isnow underway, anddiscussions withrepresentatives of theagricultural sector are takingplace in Nairobi as part ofPrime Minister Trudeau’spledge to gather feedback onthe deal. MacAulay saiddefense of supplymanagement remainedfundamental to thegovernment’s assessment withrespect to the deal’s impact onthe agriculture sector.“Transparency andconsultation is very central toour government,” Freelandsaid. “We are very much inlistening mode.”ISLAND TRACTOR & SUPPLY LTD.DUNCAN – 1-888-795-1755NORTH ISLAND TRACTORCOURTENAY- 1-866-501-0801www.islandtractors.comUSED EQUIPMENTBOBCAT S250 800 HOURS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43,750KUBOTA F3680 60” MWR, GRASS CATCHER . . . . . . . . . . . 10,600KUBOTA L35TLB CAB, 2600 HOURS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,500NH FP230 W/ 27P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $21,500NH 1037 BALE WAGON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,500NH 565 SM SQ BALER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17,500NH LS150 SKIDSTEER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,500TAARUP 338 MOWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,500USED TRACTORSKUBOTA B1700 TRACTOR/LOADER, 1350 HRS. . . . . . . . $9,500JD 2305 600 HRS, 2010, LDR/54” MOWER DECK . . . . . . $13,500NH TS100 7800 HRS, TIGER BOOM MWR, FLAIL HEAD $21,500JD 7405 4WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $23,000NEW INVENTORYNH H7320 9’ 2” DISCBINE (ONE LEFT). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $23,950NH PROROTOR 3226 DUAL ROTOR CTR DEL RAKE . DUNCANNH BC5060 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19,950NH BC5070 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALLNH BC5070 HAYLINER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALLNH BR7060 CROP CUTTER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39,000NH BOOMER TRACTORS (20, 25 & 33 MODELS) CALL DUNCANHappy New Year !
TRACTORS! TRACTORS! TRACTORS!TRACTORS! TRACTORS! TRACTORS!HAY AND FORAGE!ROUND BALERS!ROUND BALERS!$10,500JD 935 MOCO, 11FT 6 INCH, 1000 RPM, CONDITIONER ROLL #324134U2$9,500JD 926 MOCO, 9FT, 9 INCH, IMPELLER CONDITIONER #671410U1$17,900JD 630 MOCO, 9FT, 9 INCH, ROLL CONDITIONER #677392U1$52,500JD 6420 CAB, MFWD, 24 SP POWERQUAD TRANS, AIR SEAT #416134U2$104,900JD 6125M, MFWD, 24 SPD POWERQUAD TRANS, 125HP, JD H340 LOADER, #09981401$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 #614791U1$59,900JD 6710 SELF PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTER, PRWA, 3M GRASS PICKUP, #56813U1JD 5325, CAB, MFWD, 12/12 POWER-REVERSER, 55HP, 3200 HRS #108582U1$32,500MF 4270 OPEN STATION, MFWD REVERSER, LOADER, 100PTO #604041U1$19,900MCCORMICK F95, CAB, MFWD, NARROW, 2 SCV #644817U1$52,900CASE IH MAXXUM 110, CAB, MFWD, 110HP, LH REVERSER #676203U1$27,900KUBOTA L3540, CAB, MFWD, HST TRANSMISSION, LOADER, 260 HOURS #580135U1$35,000KUBOTA M8540 NARROW, CAB, MFWD, 2332 HRS #593359U1$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 604.792.1516a765Langley604.530.4644+30):'+\GUR7UDQVPLVVLRQ9HU\ORZKRXUV/RDGHU5HPDLQLQJIDFWRU\:DUUDQW\WRFKRRVHIURPWRFKRRVHIURPWRFKRRVHIURP$20,800$96,5007DQGHP([FHOOHQW&RQGLWLRQ/RDGHGZLWKRSWLRQV#623043U2$31,000JD 2355, O/S, 2WD, 3688 HRS, VERY NICE CONDITION #665780U1$16,500$6,900HESSTON 1130 HAYBINE,9FT 3IN, SICKLE MOCO #668734U1$1,200DEUTZ KH4S, ROTOR TEDDER, OLDER BUT GOOD CONDITION #195398U1$7,950FELLA TH790 TEDDER, 25FT 6 ROTOR, MANUAL FOLD #209181U1$8,500NH 658 RD BALER, 4 FT, TWINE ONLY #022207U1$14,500JD 567, MEGA WIDE PU, HIGH MOISTURE KIT, PUSH BAR, 540 PTO #619216U1$11,900CN RBX 453, 2007, 4X5 BALES, JUST SERVICED #665780U1+30):'(+\GUR7UDQVPLVVLRQ9HU\ORZKRXUV/RDGHU5HPDLQLQJIDFWRU\:DUUDQW\WRFKRRVHIURP$114,900JD 6125R, CAB, MFWD, 16 SPD POWERQUAD PLUS TRANSMISSION, H360 LOADER ONLY 862 HOURS #09917001$28,900JD 5520N, O/S, MFWD/ LOADER, 3700 HRS, 16.9-24 TIRES #638421U3JOHN DEERE 2032R NH BIG BALER 340PP$46,900JOHN DEERE 4066RJOHN DEERE 6125R&DE7UDFWRU0):'6SHHG3RZHU4XDG7UDQV-'+/RDGHUUG)XQFWLRQ #09981301#09798701JOHN DEERE 6330JOHN DEERE 72302SHQ6WDWLRQ0):'5HYHUVHU372+3$OR/RDGHU372+L9ROXPH%XFNHW#604041U1#658613U1MF 4270 JOHN DEERE 67103UHPLXP&DE7UDFWRU0):'Z6XVSHQVLRQ$XWR4XDG7UDQV/RDGHU372+36HOI3URSHOOHG+DUYHVWHU+335:$381HZ.QLYHV5HFHQW6HUYLFH$119,900$85,900$32,500$59,900$109,900&DE7UDFWRU0):'6SHHG$XWR4XDG7UDQV372-'+/RDGHU7ULSOHPLG6&9 #416134L1Have a Safe and Happy New Year! Country Life in BC • January 201620
Sale expires January 31, 20163032E TRACTORRetail: $34,282Sale Price $ 28,529SAVE UP TO $5753!Plus Enjoy 0% for 60 Months (6HULHV8WLOLW\7UDFWRUV&\ORU&\O±+3$GGD&DE-RKQ'HHUH/RDGHU(&$GGGGGGGGBorn to WorkEnjoy 0% for 60 MonthsOR up to $5200 Cash DiscountEnjoy 0% for 60 MonthsOR up to $7800 Cash DiscountM is for Muscle06HULHV7UDFWRUV±+3/([FOXVLYHIXOOIUDPHGHVLJQ$GGDPDWFKLQJ-RKQ'HHUH/RDGHURetail: $34,282Sale Price $ 28,529Si5Packaged with a D160 Loader & 72” Loader Mounted Angle Blade06L7W0 6 L 7 W+3'LHVHO(QJLQH3RZHU6WHHULQJ+\GURVWDWLF7UDQVPLVVLRQ:'SURYLGHVPD[LPXPWUDFWLRQ)ROGLQJ5236Happy New Year! It’sTime to SAVE BIG!Enjoy Even More Savings this Year!RII3RZHU*DUG:DUUDQW\RIID6HULHV7UDFWRURIID6HULHV7UDFWRUCall today for Green Fever Pricing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ñ*HWRIIWKHDJUHHGXSRQSXUFKDVHSULFHRIDQHZ-RKQ'HHUH(&\OLQGHU6HULHV8WLOLW\7UDFWRU0D[LPXP&DVK'LVFRXQW2IIHUFDQQRWEHFRPELQHGZLWKDGYHUWLVHGILQDQFLQJ$WWDFKPHQWVDQGLPSOHPHQWVVROGVHSDUDWHO\6RPHFRQGLWLRQVPD\DSSO\6HH\RXUSDUWLFLSDWLQJGHDOHUIRUGHWDLOV2IIHUVXEMHFWWRDYDLODELOLW\DQGPD\EHGLVFRQWLQXHGRUPRGLILHG7D[HVVHWXSGHOLYHU\IUHLJKWDQGSUHSDUDWLRQFKDUJHVQRWLQFOXGHG(26:'6WDUWLQJIURP-'4onths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anuary 2016 • Country Life in BC 21
Country Life in BC • January 201622by DAVID SCHMIDTOTTAWA – Agriculturedidn’t even rate a passingreference in the Liberalgovernment’s rst thronespeech December 4.“That’s not a surprise,” saysBC Agriculture Councilexecutive director Reg Ens,pointing out the urban-centric party doesn’t have asingle Liberal MP from a ruralriding west of Ontario.One of the shortest-everthrone speeches, it reiteratedmany of the promises theLiberals made during theelection, including a moreopen and transparentgovernment.“In these chambers, thevoices of all Canadiansmatter,” Governor GeneralDavid Johnston read.Agriculture intends to putthat statement to the test.“We know we have ourwork cut out for us to makesure we have our issuesheard,” Ens says, calling it apositive sign that one of therst things LawrenceMacAulay did after beingnamed Minister of Agricultureand Agri-Food Canada was totalk to the CanadianFederation of Agriculture.With no mention ofagriculture in the thronespeech, one has to readMacAulay’s mandate letter foran indication of wheregovernment intends to go.“Your overarching goal willbe to support the agriculturalsector in a way that allows itto be a leader in job creationand innovation (and) be moreinnovative, safer, andstronger,” Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau told MacAulay.Priorities he set for theministry include:• an Agri-Food Value AddedInvestment Fund to providetechnical and marketingassistance to help foodprocessors develop newvalue-added products• a food policy that puts morehealthy, high-quality food,produced by Canadianranchers and farmers, on thetables of families across thecountry• agricultural research tosupport discovery scienceand innovation, withfunding allocations toinvolve producers• a reassessment of the farmincome safety nets now inplace and development of anew multi-year agriculturalpolicy framework to replaceGrowing Forward 2 whichexpires in 2018• help agriculture adjust toclimate change and betteraddress water and soilconservation anddevelopment issues• participate in a full review ofthe Canadian graintransportation system.Agriculture snubbed in throne speechby DAVID SCHMIDTREGINA, SK – Okanaganwinemaking pioneer Anthonyvon Mandl was one of vepeople inducted into theCanadian Agricultural Hall ofFame at an awards banquetduring the Canadian WesternAgribition, November 22.Nominated by former BCcabinet minister Wally Oppal,von Mandl was recognized forhis eorts in putting theOkanagan Valley on theinternational wine map.Von Mandl began his careerin the Canadian wine industryin 1972 as an importer andmerchant of ne wines. In 1981, he purchased thenear-bankrupt Golden ValleyWinery in West Kelowna, thenone of only vewineries then in theOkanagan. Herenamed it MissionHill Family Estatewinery and turnedit into a world-classdestination winery,thereby raisinginternationalawareness for agri-tourism in this province.Mission Hill soon gainedinternational recognition andawards, including “BestChardonnay in the World” in1994 and “World’s Best PinotNoir” in 2013. It was chosen as“Canadian Winery of the Year”six times from 2001 to 2013. Today, VMF (von MandlFamily) Estates owns fourwineries – Mission Hill, CedarCreek EstateWinery, Martin’sLane and the newCheckMateArtisanal Winery,and over 900 acresof vineyards.Von Mandl alsoowns the MarkAnthony Group(wine merchants)and is the founder of bothMike’s Hard Lemonade andthe Turning Point Brewery. Other 2015 inductees wereformer Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada wheat breederRon DePauw ofSaskatchewan, formerSaskatchewan premier GrantDevine and the late EdgarWard Jones, a founding fatherof 4-H in Canada.Von Mandl enters Canadian ag hall of fameAnthony von MandlVALLEY¿FARM¿DRAINAGE31205 DEWDNEY TRUNK RD. MISSION Phone: 604/462-7213www.valleyfarmdrainage.com Fax: 604/462-7215Open Trenching • Trenchless • Sub-IrrigationLaser Equipped • Irrigation Mainlinesdrainage isour specialtyQuality Pre-Owned Tractors & EquipmentAGCO ALLIS 4650 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALLARTEX SANDTHROWER . . . . . . . . . 2,750BOBCAT BACKHOE, SKID ST MNT CALLCASE MAXUM 120 PRO W/LDR . . 72,500GASPARDO PLANTER 4 ROW . . . 35,000JCB 409 WHEEL LOADER . . . . . . . 45,000KUBOTA L2350 4WD . . . . . . . . . . . . CALLKVERNELAND PX100 PLOW . . . . . 39,500KVERNELAND 3 BOTTOM PLOWS . CALLMF 285 4X4 LOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALLMF 285 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,500MASSEY FERGUSON 298 . . . . . . . . . 8,500MECHANICAL TRANSPLANTER 5000 . 21,500MILL CREEK 57 SPREADER . . . . . . . CALLMISC VEGETABLE EQUIP . . . . . . . . CALLNEW HOLLAND TM150 . . . . . . . . . 47,000NH 1033 BALE WAGON . . . . . . . . . . 7,000RINIERI TRL150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,500SLIMLINE 200 GAL SPRAYER . . . . . CALLSUNFLOWER 7232 23 FT HARROW 17,500Van Der Wal Equipment (1989) Ltd.23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6604/463-3681 | vanderwaleq.comBook your winter service now!SUNFLOWER 1000 SERIES DISC HARROWS are the #1 choice for seedbedpreparation.The Sunflower Model 1435 flexible tandem disc harrow combinesaggressive gang angles and weight with superior design and control to achieveexcellent field performance. And it’s available in seven widths from 20’ 7” to 35’10” with the choice of full-concavity 22” or 24” blades. PART WORK HORSE. PART SHOW HORSE.SEE THE EDGE OF FARMING STARRING THE MT500DWhether it’s a field test or screen test, our MT500D tractor delivers a standout performance.The MT500D cab is perhaps the roomiest, quietest and most technologically-advanced cabwe’ve ever created – putting operator comfort at a premium. See for yourself by schedulinga demo through or catch the MT500D in action at TheEdgeOfFarming.com.Ground Breaking Solutions | SunflowerAnd flexes its muscle for HEAVY lifting.Our new Massey Ferguson® 4600 Series mid-range tractorcombines muscle and maneuverability for loader work. Its powershuttle transmission lets you go forward to reverse and backwithout clutching. Just another example of how we’re using global innovation to help you farm your world.SMOOTH. NIMBLE.Happy New Year!
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 23by TOM WALKERSALMO – Fresh from a successfulpilot project this past summer andwith a newly developed business plan,the Kootenay and Boundary FoodProducers’ Co-op (KBFPC) is lookingforward to a successful 2016. As their business plan outlines, theco-op came about as a solution to aproblem and as an opportunity. Theproblem is that farming andsecondary food processing in the WestKootenays is not economically viable.The opportunity? West Kootenayresidents spend $266 million a year onfood and 95% of that food is imported,yet demand for local food is strongand increasing, the plan notes, amongboth consumers and wholesalebuyers.What small farmers across theKootenay region lack is infrastructureto organize, distribute, store andmarket their produce. Collaboration is the solution. A for-prot co-op that operates a food hub,KBFPC will allow farmers andprocessors to scale up production tobe more nancially successful andbetter meet the growing demand forlocal food. The farms are out there. The 2011census for agriculture across the entireCentral Kootenay and KootenayBoundary Districts identied 728 farmswith nearly $48 million in gross farmreceipts. A survey by the WestKootenay Permaculture Co-opAssociation in 2014 found the vastmajority of farm incomeswere less than $30,000.“The studies had allbeen done,” says KimCharlesworth, who is amember of KBFPC’ssteering committee. Butdespiterecommendations forbuilding a regional foodsystem, ve reports fromthe likes of the regional district andColumbia Basin Trust sat on shelves. A former Nelson city councillor andself described “volunteer in foodactivist circles,” Charlesworth says theyrealized “if we wanted to build it, wewould have to do it ourselves.”A feasibility study in 2014supported by the BC Co-opAssociation ”told us more or less whatwe already knew,” says Charlesworth. Keen producersPhone surveys that were part of thestudy were a beginning of relationshipbuilding. The steering committeewent out to communities across theregion that fall. Meetings in Creston,Argenta, Salmo and Nelson showedpositive support and a small numberof keen producers in the Salmo areaformed the initial working group. “We brainstormed what kind of astructure we wanted,” saysCharlesworth. “We decided on a for-prot co-op.” Led by a six memberelected board of directors, the for-prot model suits the entrepreneurialobjectives of the members.Incorporation documents were drawnup last winter with the assistance ofZoe Creighton from the UpperColumbia Co-operative Council.“We had hoped to have ourbusiness plan completed by the spring(2015),” says Charlesworth. Despitethat, they developed a pilot project forthe 2015 summer that started in Julyand ran for 14 weeks.“We put together a marketbrokerage and distribution service,”explains Charlesworth. A part time co-ordinator was hired to work with threefarmers. “We had four retail outlets,one secondary producer and tworestaurants buying from us.” The co-ordinator contacted farmersto determine what products wereavailable and worked with localretailers to place orders. Growerswould pick and pack to order and alocal shipper delivered. Ferraro’sFoods, Kootenay Market and KootenayKim CharlesworthNew Kootenays growers’ co-op off to promising start95% of food is imported in spite of strong support to buy localCELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR!Let us tempt you with something to ABBOTSFORD 1.888.283.3276KELOWNA 1.800.680.0233VERNON 1.800.551.6411SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE GREAT SPECIALS. www.avenuemachinery.caBook yourwinter servicetoday!MF 1635 W/DL120 LOADER2011, A/C, 4WD, AG TIRES, STEREO, 35 ENG HP, 28 PTO HP, POWER SHUTTLE TRANS, 813 HRS. $26,250MASSEY FERGUSON 7622DEMO UNIT PRICED TO SELL!200 ENGINE HP, ANALOG & DIGITAL INST PANEL,$212,950 CASH2009 VALTRA N141LS AC11.2SELF LEVELING LDR, 4WD, A/C, BALE SPEARW/GRAPPLE FOR BIG SQUARE BALES, 48 KM TOPSPEED, 2200 HRS. $89,9002012 BOBCAT T190 COMPACT TRACK LOADER,HEAT & A/C, HYDRAULIC BUCKET COUPLER, AUXHYDRAULICS, NEW TRACKS, ELECTRIC PLUGADDED, 1399 HRS. $42,9002004 FENDT 930 4WD, VARIO TRANS, AIR TRAILERBRAKES, BUDDY SEAT, FRONT WEIGHTS, FRONTFENDERS, STEREO, 300 ENGINE HP, 4 SET OF REARREMOTE HYDS, 10,240 HOURS. $95,500MF 4270-4 W/LOADER4WD, 675 LDR, DUAL REMOTES,REAR WHEEL WEIGHTS, 99 PTO HP,APROX 4,000 TOTAL HOURS $38,900 2010 KRONE BIG X6508 ROW CORNHEAD, 12 FT GRASSHEAD,897 HRS ON THE CUTTER,980 HRS ON THE MACHINE. $350,0002013 BOCAT T870 COMPACT TRACK LOADER,BACK-UP CAMERA, TRACK SUSPENSION, HEAT, A/C,HIGH FLOW, 2 SPEED, HYDRAULIC BUCKET COU-PLER, 86" BUCKET, 352 HRS. $81,500JOHN DEERE 7215R2012, 4WD, 215 ENGINE HP, 4 SETS OF REARREMOTE HYDS, 540/1000 PTO, STEREO, 830 HRS.$169,9002014 FELLA TS10055CENTRE DELIVERY RAKE, 2 POINT HITCH,28' TO 32' 10" WORKING WIDTH.$39,500See our entire line-up offarm tractors & equipment at thePACIFIC AGRICULTURE SHOWJANUARY 28-30ABBOTSFORD TRADEXPlease see “TIME” page 24KBFPC will allow farmers and processorsto scale up production to more financiallysuccessful and better meet the growingdemand for local food.
Country Life in BC • January 201624See our complete inventory atFarmersEquip.comLYNDEN, WASHINGTON888-855-4981PRICES IN US DOLLARS2008 CASE IH PUMA 195 16SP POWERSHIFT, LX770LOADER, NICE TIRES, 80%TREAD FE#22554$120,000’96 KUBOTA L235025 HP, GEAR DRIVE, LB400LOADER, 540 PTO, TURF TIRESFE #23278$8,95006 NH TM1554WD, AC, HEAT, 850TL SELFLEVELING LDR, 5185 HOURS FE #22791$59,950VOLVO 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$84,95012:6(59,1*7+()5$6(59$//(<:H·YHEHHQSURXGO\IDPLO\RZQHGDQGRSHUDWHGVLQFHRSHQLQJLQ$QGZLWKWZREOHQGLQJSODQWVZH·UHRQHRI%&·VODUJHVWGLVWULEXWRUVRIJUDQXODUOLTXLGDQGIROLDUIHUWLOL]HUV2XUEX\LQJSRZHUDQGSUR[LPLW\WRWKH)UDVHU9DOOH\PDNHVXVWKHORJLFDOFKRLFHIRUWUXFNORDGVKLSPHQWV2.$1$*$1)(57,/,=(5/7'Natural gas supplymanagementcascadiaenergy.caVanc: 604-687-6663VanIsl: 250-704-4443TIME SAVER From page 23Bakery were just some of theretailers that were orderingfrom KBFPC.The rst thing the co-opdoes is keep the farmer athome, working his cropsrather than out selling.Member Willy Fuder gures hesaves a full day a week. Otheradvantages can includesharing of productionknowledge, equipment,business expertise, the costsof storage and trucking andeven crop rotation, allowingmembers to grow what issuitable to their land andexpertise, as well as thedevelopment of a brand tosupport marketing.Pilot projectThe Columbia Basin Trustprovided money for thebusiness plan, which was justcompleted in November. Theplan expands from the pilotproject to continue andextend the brokerage anddistribution services, as well asdevelop cold storage andmarketing. Future goalsinclude feed and mulchpurchase and delivery, ashared labour pool and a valueadded processing facility.“We learned a tremendousamount on every level withour 2015 pilot,” saysCharlesworth. “We are veryexcited to be expanding ourdistribution service in 2016 aswell as adding a storagefacility.”Charlesworth says theyhave nine producers signedup for 2016 so far and havecontracted cold storage inSalmo, which is the center ofthe target region. But will they buy? The answer seems to be aresounding yes. Charlesworthsays retailers like KootenayMarket in Castlegar have longbeen champions of “buyEditor, Re: Enriching the soil with valueable waste,page 19, November 2015I have been asked as president of theFriends of the Nicola Valley Society topresent the other side of the biosolidsdebate.Our view is that farmers, ranchers andforestrypersonnel havebeen duped.The marketingpitch is thenitrogen,phosphorous and organic matter. This,however, is only half the story. You see, there is a reason why it isgenerally given away for free. The wastewater treatment facilities need to get rid oftheir piles of sewer sludge (the collectedand concentrated residuals left over aftercleaning the water).This represents everything a city poursdown its drains: household chemicals,industrial toxins, pharmaceuticals, solvents– you name it. Farms, ranches and forestsare being used as disposal sites for thisend-product – sold as “beneficial biosolids”– quite a spin! Many countries have ended this methodof dealing with waste. For instance, arecent German study concluded “it wouldbe advisable to gradually phase out theuse of sewage sludge so as to avoid diffuseloads of potentially harmful substances insoil.” So, too, the Swiss have stoppedbecause of “the risk of irreversible damageto the soil, the danger to public health andpossible negative effects on the quality ofthe food farmers produce.”Our government has made claims aboutlots of oversight to protect health. If theproduct is, as they say, "stringentlyregulated," then why out of the thousandsof toxins known to be in biosolids are onlyabout a dozen tested for? And how did theSuzuki Foundation recently find very toxiccomponents in the bisosolids delivered tothe Nicola Valley from the Lower Mainland?The water treatment process does a finejob getting toxins out of the environment.Why in the world would we start spreadingit back over Mother Earth so it can re-enterthe food chain, and re-toxify our lives? If biosolids are deemed to be safe, thenwhy do food companies like Campbell’s,DelMonte and Whole Foods reject produceraised with biosolids? Why do dozens offarm, health and environmentalorganizations like the Sierra Club, DavidSuzuki Foundation, National Farmers Unionand the Center for Food Safety opposeusing biosolids where we grow food andgraze animals?There are greener methods of dealingwith this toxic burden. Methods likepyrolysis rid the environment of the toxins,have almost zero emissions and returnenergy back to the grid. Let’s get on the right side of history, andkeep the environment toxin-free for thenext generation! Don Vincentww.biosolidsbc.com The other side of the biosolids debateLetterslocal.” Ferraro Foods in Trailand Rossland is back on theprogram for next year. “Preliminary conversationssuggest that all seven of ourcustomers from last year willbe repeats,” saysCharlesworth. “As well, theKootenay Co-op in Nelson iswanting to work with us.” “At our rst annual generalmeeting in November, anamazing 25 food producersshowed up” saysCharlesworth. “Some werefarmers, some were secondaryproducers. Our membershiphas doubled and we know weare on the right track” Where would the group liketo be in ve years? “At least owning one of ourown trucks,” musesCharlesworth. “Having about30 members throughout theregion who are producingenough to have vital incomesfrom their farming or theirvalue added processing sothey can stay on their farmsand farm and produce foodand we can do the rest of thework for them.”
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 25By the time most of youread this, yet anotherChristmas season will havecome and gone. As most of us age, webecome wiser (at least, onewould hope that is the case)and realize that Christmas ismore about giving thanreceiving. In this increasinglymixed up world we exist in, ithas never been morenecessary to remind ourselvesto be kinder, nicer and moreconsiderate of all others eachand every day, not just atChristmas. Please try to goforward in that mindset intothe New Year. I am going tomake a concerted eort to dothat as I see daily examples ofhow selsh we have becomeas a society on many fronts.That said, there are manyexamples of just the opposite,demonstrating acts ofextraordinary kindness andcaring. One such instancecame in the form of a recent,municent donation to the BCCattlemen's Association,announced to the public inthe late fall. One ordinary work day inmid-August, BCCA executiveassistant Becky Everett sat ather desk dealing with the dailymail delivery, opening lettersand parcels. All was business-as-usual until Becky slit open asmall white business envelopewith a Vancouver returnaddress from a rm of trustlawyers, the contents ofwhich transformed theday into the realm ofextraordinary!Double checking toensure that she wasindeed seeing that manyzeros, Becky realized the BCCattlemen's Association hadjust received a totallyunheralded donation in theamount of $500,000! Wowzers!Holy cow! Who gives a giftthat sizeable so quietly,without any fanfare or priornotice?The answer in an act ofseless generosity and caring:the Riedemann sisters, Sophieand Myra. Residents of theLower Mainland for the past38 years, the two sisters spentmore than half their earlierlives residing on the AlkaliLake Ranch, their family-owned and operated cattleranch, and although life andcircumstance made for thechange of address in the late1970's, in their hearts theynever fully vacated theCariboo or the cattle industry.F ortunateRecent beneciaries of anunexpected inheritance, eachconcluded that they werefortunate (sucient) in all life'sneeds and therefore, in aposition where they could justpay it forward. After a kitchen tablediscussion, the decision wasmade to contribute the moniesto the BCCA in memory of theiryoungest brother Martin, whopassed away in tragiccircumstances in 1975 at AlkaliLake. He was owner of AlkaliLake Ranch at the time.Newly-named theCattlemen's Martin RiedemannRiedemann familypays it forwardSisters Sophie andMyra Riedemannhave surprised the BCCattlemen’sAssociation with anunprecedenteddonation in honourof their brother,Martin Riedemann.Martin once ownedAlkali Lake Ranchwhere the womenspent theirchildhood.(Photo courtesy ofthe Riedemannfamily) Check out www.bchereford.ca for a Hereford breeder near you BCHA Secretary Janice Tapp 250-699-6466 BCHA PresidentMurray Gore 604-582-3499 February 20, 2016 —21st Annual ProducƟon Sale, Pine BuƩe Ranch, BC Livestock Co-Op Kamloops, March 26, 2016 — 43rd Annual Dawson Creek All Breeds Bull Sale, VJV AucƟon Mart Dawson Creek April 9, 2016 — 41st Annual Vanderhoof All Breeds Bull Sale, BC Livestock Co-op Vanderhoof April 14&15, 2016 — 79th Annual Williams Lake Bull Show & Sale, BC Livestock Co-op Williams Lake Canada’s Verified Beef Production Program Ph: 1-866-398-2848 Email: VBP@cattlemen.bc.ca www.cattlemen.bc.ca/vbp.htm Simple. Practical. Trusted. Developed for producers, by producers. Let us help you implement market-driven standards for on-farm food safety, biosecurity & animal care. Market MusingsLIZ TWANFund, the massive donationwill perpetuate scholarshipsand bursaries for BC youth,students seeking post-secondary education in theagricultural and related eldsand ensure a dearly lovedbrother will be foreverremembered by an industryhe so loved and appreciated. The cattle industry ishumbled, thankful for theirsupport; a wealth of goodfortune for the coming NewYear!Martin Riedemann
INNOVATIONIS HERE AT MATSQUI AG REPAIRMatsquiag RepairSales, Service & PartsEst.1989LT DMATSQUIWWW.MATSQUIAGREPAIR.COM34856 HARRIS RD, ABBOTSFORD BC V3G 1R7604-826-3281COME BY AND SEE MATSQUI JCB AT THE PACIFIC AGRICULTURE SHOW 2016! WE WILL BE LOCATED IN BOOTHS 1108 + 1110We look forward to seeing you there! Country Life in BC • January 201626
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 27The heartrending but rewarding taskof raising a physically handicapped lambPhysically-challengedpeople get treatment such asphysio and occupationaltherapy, suggestions on howto adapt to live with theirdifficulties and prostheticdevices to assist them inliving a more normal life. Recently, a few farmers andtheir lambs have beengetting some help, too.Lambs, calves, goats, chickensand other farm animals areknown to have been fittedwith different sorts of splintsand devices, including Felix,the New York state lamb thathad a 3-D printed prostheticleg made for him.Their owners, though, needto show determination toobtain help.Gerry and Patricia Porterknow all about this. They runa dog kennel andindividualized customboarding service for dogs andhorses in addition to theirown chickens and a sizeablesheep operation at HarmonyValley Farm in the PaxtonValley, half an hour fromKamloops. 200 St Croix ewesPatricia spent over 30 yearsbreeding, raising andadvising on horses whileGerry has spent many yearsraising cattle and pigs. Theybought their first ewes fouryears ago and routinely selltheir better lambs forbreeding stock and the restas market lambs. They nowhave nearly 200 St Croixbreeding ewes, and managedto lamb three times in twoyears.They decided on sheepbecause there is a bigknapweed problem in theirarea, and their St Croix seemto love it.But their heart went out toBlue, their “challenged”young April 2015-born ramlamb, named for the colour ofthe vet wrap that was boundabout his leg constantly. Theydid not have it in them toslaughter him.Now, he is running aboutwith the help of a dog wheelchair.Difficulty nursing“At birth, he wobbled upand nursed on his mother,who developed mastitis,”recalls Gerry. “At about theage of two weeks, wenoticed one leg wasdragging behind himand he was havingdifficulty nursing.” They bottle fed andcared for him and histwin sister in an individualpen.“We struggled with himfrom then on,” Patriciacontinues. “We did not knowthe cause of his leg problem.He had x-rays which revealednothing broken and vetsthought his leg was juststrained. He seemed to be inpain and hardly ate anything.We gave him pain medicationand anti-inflammatories. If westopped, he was in such painhe refused feed. After thatcame natural remedies to tryto get him weight-bearingincluding every kind ofbandage, splint and otherhelp that we could think of –herbs, homeopathy,acupuncture, magnets,massage, Reiki and our ownchiropractor, you name it – toget him through. Then, inearly August we saw himwalking on his bad leg again!”They hoped his problemswere over. But after twoweeks, Felix’s good leg gaveout which, they conjectured,was from the extra strain ofhaving compensated for hiserstwhile bad leg for so long.They almost gave up. They knew most farmerswould “just bonk him on thehead,” as Patricia puts it. But,they didn’t have it in them todo that. Some vets suggestedthey stop concentrating onhim and focus on all theirother animals. “We researched on theinternet and asked around. Aretired visiting vet who wasboarding her dog with ussuggested a dog wheel chairto take the weight off his hindend and give his tendons andligaments time to hopefullyshorten and heal. “We investigated thatoption. But we are just sheepfarmers and dog boardersand cannot pay well into thefour figures for such specialtyequipment. Bloomed overnight“And then a dog trainerfriend found us a used dogwheel chair and helped to gethim fitted with it. We put it onhim on November 20 and heseemed to bloom overnight.”They take it off himovernight so that he can liedown and rest, but in themorning he is raring to goand impatient for them to getit on him quickly.“His mobility and quality oflife is so much better – andalso, alas, his libido! He buttedme this morning,” exclaimedPatricia laughing.A ram lamb in Salmon Arm was given a second chance at life withthe aid of a used dog wheel chair. (Photo courtesy of Gerry andPatricia Porter)Wool GatheringsJO SLEIGH• 2015 Corn Silage Trial data is posted•T-sum Calculator: a method to determine when to make the first application of nitrogen fertilizer in spring® Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia.We’re proud to support Canadian Agriculture Producers and Agribusiness Partners.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.comCUSTOM 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 • January 201628Community gardens keep agriculture thriving in Burnabyby PETER MITHAMBURNABY – Communitygardens may not becommercial-scale agriculture,but agriculture in Burnabymight well be lost without thepresence of a 40-year-oldcommunity garden in theheart of its traditional farmingarea.“Burnaby’s Big Bend hasthis long history of agriculturalproduction tied to these smalllots,” says Jim Wolf, a seniorlong range planner forBurnaby. “It would appear thatwe’re not only protecting,we’re increasing the overallgrowth of agriculture in theBig Bend area.”The proof lies in a reviewBurnaby conducted of itsagricultural lands in 2011, therst comprehensive analysissince a provincial land useinventory in 2003. During theperiod, nearly 70 acresentered production. The citynow has 319 acres of activelyfarmed land and there aremore farmers working theproperties than ever before.Altogether, they generatemore than $11.5 million inannual sales.“Although on the surface itmay seem those lands areunder threat, I would argue,no,” Wolf says. “We’re actuallyseeing an increase inproduction, and a lot of take-up. There’s a lot of peopleseeking out those lands. We’reactually seeing a higher take-up of agricultural lands forproduction than we have inthe past.”The blossoming ofagriculture in the heart of arapidly developing area hasbeen noted since 1995, evenas vegetable farms werediminishing. But the heart ofthe renaissance may well lie inthe establishment of anallotment garden as part of aprovincial initiative in 1974.Fantasy GardensOne community gardenhad already been establishedin Richmond by the provinceon the site later known asFantasy Gardens, and EdieFisher asked Burnaby councilif something similar might notbe possible on lands withinthe newly created AgriculturalLand Reserve.Sta considered the report,and council agreed to lease14.5 acres to the province foran allotment garden. Workersfrom the BC Ministry ofAgriculture prepared the landTwo happy gardeners get more than just produce from their community garden plot in Burnaby’s BigBend area. “We love being in the outdoors, experiencing nature up close and personal, getting ourngers into the oil and smelling its richness, enjoying the comradeship of like-minded gardeners, andrelishing the garden’s plentiful bounty of really tasty and nutritious produce and the gorgeous freshowers.” (Supplied photo)and installed servicing for 372plots, also serving as resourcesta for the gardeners duringthe summer.“It was socializing throughgardening, but also foodproduction,” recalls JimMactier, one of two summerstudents who worked on theBurnaby garden and preparedthe ground with a rototillernicknamed Howard.The gardens in Richmondand Burnaby were joined bydevelopments in Victoria andelsewhere as part of theprovince’s desire “to aordparticipants the opportunityof getting on the land to growtheir own vegetables.”While many of thegardeners were middle class,the objective was to increaselocal food production andfood security on land ideal forthe purpose.“It’s actually tied to this veryinteresting cultural history ofthe Big Bend … right back tothe 1890s,” Wolf says.Popular with immigrantsThe market gardenmovement of the late 19thcentury saw acreages in thearea broken up into two-acreparcels that a family couldeasily cultivate to supply theirown needs, and those ofneighbours. The parcels werepopular with immigrants,especially the Chinese.“You could have a couple ofacres, you could producestrawberries, small fruits,bunch vegetables and actuallyhave a comfortable living andeven if you didn’t sell them,you could sustain your familyon a small lot,” Wolf explains.“Burnaby’s little communitydown there supplied most ofthe bunch vegetables for thelocal markets well into the 20s,30s and 40s. … It was urban; itwas close. So you could cutyour vegetables and havethem to the market that veryday. It really created this littleeconomy that worked quitesuccessfully, and still worksThe establishment of allotment gardens in1974 may be the heart of the renaissancePlease see “AG” page 29Matsqui Ag-RepairAbbotsford, BC604-826-3281Noble Tractor & EquipmentArmstrong, BC250-546-3141Noble Tractor & EquipmentKamloops, BC250-851-3101Huber Farm EquipmentPrince George, BC250-560-5431KuhnNor thAmerica.comINVEST IN QUALITY®Kuhn is committed to helping you succeed by building quality machines for mowing, conditioning, tedding, raking, merging and seedbed preparation.THE HAY AND TILLAGE TOOL SPECIALISTS
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 29AG ZONE From page 28quite successfully.”But zoning changes in 1948designated everything belowMarine Way as industrial,eectively ending thedevelopment of new farmsand increasing pressure onexisting operations.The local communitypushed back, however,galvanizing support formaintaining the city’sagricultural zones. A newcommunity plan for the BigBend area in 1972 reinstatedthe area’s agricultural zoningand recognized theimportance of local farms tothe local economy.“The community, thegrassroots in the 1960s and1970s, turned around the ideathat all this amenity should belost,” Wolf says, and theallotment gardens were aresult of the new awareness.Chris Mann, a member ofthe Burnaby and RegionAllotment Garden Associationthat has leased the gardensfrom the city on ve-yearterms since 1979 and overseesits operation, is thankful forthe chance the gardens giveyardless city-dwellers likeherself to grow their ownfood.Good for the soul“We’re all extremelygrateful that this land is stillavailable,” she says. “I live in atownhouse so I don’t have aplace to grow anything, andmy friends are the same. Wegrow owers and vegetables,so we get to have plenty offood from the garden, as wellas beauty, too, which is alsogood for one’s soul.”But the key role thegardens have played inensuring parcels within theALR remain in production isn’tlost on her.“It’s remarkable andwonderful that this landcontinues to thrive as anagricultural area,” she says.“It’s so big, and it’s remaineddedicated to agriculture forover 40 years.”While other municipalitiesquestion how to bringunderutilized parcels intoproduction, communitygardens have given Burnaby asolution that is now bearingfruit – and vegetables – for anew generation of farmerswho are making a go as small-lot producers serving localmarkets.“Where we have preservedland for agriculture and havepreserved, through ourpolicies, the ALR boundaries,we’ve been very successful,”Wolf says. “Those lands havebecome increasingly morevaluable to producers to users,and the lands have beentaken up.”Chris Mann,left, has beengardening inBurnaby’s BigBendcommunityplots for almost10 years. Sheoriginallyjoined to helpout a friend andeventuallystayed longerthan that frienddid. Below,Country Life inBC’s Lisa Bealleexercises hergreen thumb atthe communitygarden.(Suppliedphoto)I. Paton & Associates Ltd.Call usfor honest and reputableFarm Auction serviceswww.patonauctions.comCONDUCTING FARM RELATEDAUCTIONS IN BCSINCE THE 1960’sIAN L. PATON604/940-0852ian@patonauctions.comPROFESSIONAL LIVESTOCK& FARM EQUIPMENTBC’s BIGGEST ANNUALFarm EquipmentCONSIGNMENT AUCTIONSATURDAY APRIL 30HERITAGE PARK CHILLIWACKAUCTION SERVICES &APPRAISALSAUCTION SERVICES &APPRAISALS“Serving British Columbia proudly since 1946”MachineryLimitedCOMMITTED TO AGRICULTURE in the FRASER VALLEYwww.rollinsmachinery.caAUTHORIZEDKVERNELANDDEALERROLLINSRTRACTORSFORD 6640 1994 2WD, CAB (U30091) ........................................... 14,900FORD 8340 TRACTOR 2WD, W/CAB, 1994 (U31067) ...................... 19,900JD 870 TRACTOR 1997, 440 LDR,FLAIL MOWER (FORD 917A) (CNS582) ............................................. SOLD!KUBOTA L4630 4WD, 2005, 2600 HRS, 39 PTO HP, CAB, AC (U30107) ............................................................................ 19,800NH 60-865 4WD, CAB, NARROW, 60 HP, 2,725 HRS (U02176) ....... 17,500QUALITY USED EQUIPMENTBOMFORD B578 FLAIL HAMMERS (U31054) ................................ 12,500YEAR END CLEARANCE! KVERNELAND 401 POWER HARROW, 4 M, NEW (N30411) ......................................................................... 23,500NH 900 FORAGE HARVESTER GRASS HEAD, 2 ROW CORN HEAD, CROP PROCESSOR (CNS578) .............................................................. 6,900JF STOLL FCT 1050 HARVESTER, 2008, HYD TONGUE SWING, HY DUMP HOSE KIT, 3 ROW CORN HEAD, 72” GRASSHEAD, GOOD CONDITION (U31065) ......................................................... $12,500LOEWEN 580 MIXER WAGON 1995 GOOD WORKING CONDITION, 54O RPM PTO (U30993) ................................................................... 11,500NH FP240 HARVESTER 2009 C/W CORN HEAD, KERNEL PROCESSOR, VERTICAL SPOUT EXT, NEW KNIVES (U31055) ................................. 26,900NH FP240 HARVESTER ONLY, NO CROP PROCESSOR, HYD. DUMP HOSES, HYD. TONGUE SWING (U30438) ...................................................... SOLD!NH H7330 DISCBINE MOWER, FLAIL CONDITIONER, STD TONGUE, 10’4” CUT (U31005) ......................................................................... SOLD!NH FX25 HARVESTER 4WD, 1998, 2100 CUTTERHEAD HRS, NEARLY NEW 346 WINDROW PU, 4 ROW CORNHEAD, W/KERNEL PROCESSOR & METALLERT, (U30841) ...................................................................SOLD!WALLENSTEIN GX900 BACKHOE W/15” BUCKET (CNS504) ........... 6,500CHILLIWACK • 1.800.242.9737 | 44725 Yale Road West • 604.792.1301LANGLEY • 1.800.665.9060 | 21869 - 56th Avenue • 604.533.0048rDION CORN HEADrGEARMORE SPRAYERSrPOTTINGER TILLAGEPACIFICAGRICULTURE SHOWAbbotsford Tradex | Jan 28-30On display at the
Country Life in BC • January 201630DEALER INFO AREAAfA fA fA fA funnunnunnunnnnny ty ty ty ty tyhinhinhinhinhing hg hg hg hg happappappappappensensensensenswhwhwhwhwhen en en en enenyouyouyouyouyouotetetetetest st st st sstdridridridridridve ve ve vevea Ka Ka KaKa KKIOTIOTIOTOTIOTIOTIOTIIIIII®®®®WUDWUDWUDWUDWUDFWRFWRFWRFWRFWRUIUIUIUIUIRURURURURUWKHWKHWKHWKHWKHȴUȴUȴUȴUȴUVWVWVWVWVWWLPWLPWLPWLPWLPHHHHH$O$O$O$O$OOWOWOWOWOWKRVKRVKRVKRVKRVRVHWHWHWHWHWWKRXKRXKRXKRXKRXRXJKWJKWJKWJKWJKWV\V\V\V\V\RXRXRXRXRXKDGKDGKDGKDGKDGDERDERDERDERDERXWXWXWXWXWEX\EX\EX\EX\EX\LQJLQJLQJLQJLQJDQDQDQDQDQRWKRWKRWKRWKRWKHUHUHUHUHUEUDEUDEUDEUDEUDQGQGQGQGQGSHSHSHSHSHUKDUKDUKDUKDUKDSVSVSVSVSVRQHRQHRQHRQHRQHPRPRPRPRPRUHUHUHUHUHHȊIDȊIDȊIDȊIDIDPRXPRXPRXPRXPRXVȋVȋVȋVȋVȋȋGLVGLVGLVGLVGLVDSSDSSDSSDSSDSSHDUHDUHDUHDUHDU$$$$$QGQGQGQGQGVXGVXGVXGVXGVXGGHQGHQGHQGHQGHQO\O\O\O\O\WKWKWKWKWKHRHRHRHRHRQO\QO\QO\QO\QO\WUWUWUWUUDFWDFWDFWDFWDFWRURURUU\RX\RX\RX\RX\RXȇOOȇOOȇOOȇOOOOHYHYHYHYHYHUHUHUHUHUEX\EX\EX\EX\EX\LVLVLVLVDDDDD.,2.,2.,22.,27,7,7,7,7,© 20© 20© 20©20©2015 15 1551515 KIOTKIOTKIOTKIOTKIOTIIIIITraTraTraraTractorctorctorctortorComComComComCompanypanypanypanypanya Da Da Da DaDivisivisivisivisivisioniononionionof Dof Dof Dof Dof Daedoaedoaedoaedoaedng-Ung-Ung-Ung-Ung-USA, SA, SA, SA, SA, Inc.Inc.Inc.Inc.IncKioti.comPX Serieschangeyourmind.powerThetoYOUR BC KIOTI DEALERSVERNON Timberstar Tractor ................... 250-545-5441 www.timberstar.caDUNCAN Harbour City Equipment .......... 778-422-3376 www.harbourequipment.comPRINCE GEORGE Northern Acreage Supply Ltd... 250-596-2273 www.northernacreage.caby DAVID SCHMIDTHASTINGS, NZ – TheChinese market is seeing redand New Zealand fruit growersare hoping to capitalize onthat.Red is a very importantcolour to the Chinese and theyassociate it with better health,says Brian Ennis, chiefexecutive ocer of Prevar Ltd.in New Zealand.An entity similar to theSummerland Varieties Corp(SVC), Prevar is co-owned byApple & Pear Australia, PipfruitNew Zealand and Plant & FoodResearch. New apple and pearvarieties are bred by Plant &Food Research of New Zealandunder contract to Prevar whichthen commercializes them.“Our objective is to breedsuper sweet apples withresistance to major pests anddiseases which can be grownin low or no-sprayNZ apple growers look to China for export growthKiwifruit remains largest horticultural trade cropNew Zealand is an islandcountry in the southwesternPacific Ocean. The countrygeographically comprises twomain landmasses – that of theNorth and South Island andmany smaller islands. NewZealand is situated some1,500 kilometres (900 mi)east of Australia across theTasman Sea. It has an area of267,710 km2(103,738 mi2),making it slightly smaller thanJapan and a little larger thanthe United Kingdom. It was oneof the last lands to be settledby humans. During its longisolation, New Zealanddeveloped a distinctivebiodiversity of animal and plantlife. The capital city isWellington, while its mostpopulous city is Auckland.Associate Editor David Schmidt recently returned from the 2015International Federation of Agriculture Journalists conferenceheld in New Zealand. On the 3-week tour he visited diverseagricultural operations in the country.Over the next few months, Country Life in BC will present a seriesof feature articles from his experiences.management systems,” Ennisexplains.New Zealand is the rstapple breeding program in theworld to use whole genomeselection which Ennis says willcut breeding time in half.Since being formed 10 yearsago, Prevar has licenced fournew apple cultivars: Sweetie,Smitten, Honeymoon andRockit, but Ennis is mostexcited about the progressbeing made on developingred esh apples for theChinese market. The new apples are basedon germplasm obtained inKazakhstan in 1980. Type 1 hasa red to dark red esh which isvisible throughout the growthof the apple while Type 2 has alight red esh which onlycolours up at ripening.“Both types are close to pre-commercial release and weexpect them to be in themarket in three to ve years,”Ennis says.Not all promising new applevarieties come out ofestablished breedingprograms. That is the case withPlumac, a very tasty new applewhich was a chance discoveryin a New Zealand orchard,much like Ambrosia wasdiscovered as a rogue tree inCawston. However, unlikeAmbrosia, which is licensedand marketed by SVC, thediscoverers of Plumac havenot only kept the rights buttrademarked it as the Koruapple.“You can only protectyourself with plant breedersrights for 23 years. It takes you15 years to develop the varietyso you only have seven yearsto recoup your investment,”explains Andy McGrath ofMcGrath Nurseries. “We havebranded our apple as Koruand are setting up a globalproduction system for it so wecan retain the rights for muchlonger.”McGrath has the capacityand experience to take onsuch a major undertaking ashis is one of, if not the largest,fruit tree nursery in NewZealand (he grows 350,000apple, cherry and apricotseedlings and 750,000rootstocks annually) and alsoalready holds New Zealandlicensing rights for Honeycrispand other new fruit varieties.Although New Zealand onlygrows 0.5% of the world’sapples, it accounts for 4% ofworld apple exports – a valueof almost NZ$550 million.Almost half of their appleexports are to China and otherAsian countries, 15% head tothe UK and 10% to the US. Apple exports are dwarfedby exports of kiwifruit whichtotaled NZ$930 million in2014.“Kiwifruit is New Zealand’sbiggest horticultural exportcrop,” says Zespri innovationmanager Bryan Parkes, notingit has the highest nutrientdensity and highest vitamin Ccontent of any fruit.Despite New Zealand’sannounced anity for “free”trade, all its kiwifruit isexported by Zespri, which isowned by current and formerkiwifruit growers.“Single desk marketingallows scale, a united brandand co-ordinated marketing,”Parkes explains.Although everyoneassociates kiwifruit with NewZealand, it is not native to thatcountry. It originated in theDr. Brett Ennis, chief executive of New Zealand pipfruit breedingcompany, Prevar, points to some of the new apples and pears thecompany is developing. (David Schmidt photos)Please see “KIWIS” page 31
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 31KIWIS NOT NATIVE From page 30Chinese forest and wasoriginally referred to as theChinese gooseberry. In fact,there is still more kiwifruitgrown in the Northern thanthe Southern Hemisphere.However, since the rst exportscame from NZ, it becameknown as kiwifruit, regardlessof where it was grown.“We lost the brand so weare now rebranding our fruitas Zespri,” Parkes says.While traditional kiwifruithas a green esh, Zespri,through the government-owned Plant & Food Research(P&FR), started developing ayellow-eshed kiwifruit severaldecades ago, bringing it ontothe market early this century. Itcaught on quickly with bothgrowers and consumers. By2005, Zespri Gold represented25% of total NZ kiwifruitproduction and its share hasgrown steadily ever since.Parkes believes it will not belong before production ofyellow-eshed kiwifruitexceeds green-eshed fruit.Then disaster struck. PSA, abacterial kiwifruit vine disease,came in to the orchards andtore through the gold kiwifruitvariety, which was particularlysusceptible to the disease.“PSA arrived in our orchardon August, 5, 2011. By October25, we had cut out 85 hectaresof our 100 hectare orchard,”recalls Leighton Oats, generalmanager of Bay Gold, one ofNZ’s larger growers.Fortunately, P&FR wasabout to release a second goldvariety. Not only was it asgood as the original goldvariety, but it was PSA-resistant. Zespri sped up therelease and growers quicklyreplanted to the new variety.“It is not immune to PSA butwe can manage it,” Oats says,adding the experience hasactually benetted theindustry. “We thought wewere good growers before,but we’re much better now.We no longer move plantsfrom one area to another.”“We could have had apotentially dierent scenario ifwe didn’t have the resistantvariety ready,” says RachelBrodie of Trevalyan, one ofNZ’s leading kiwifruit packers.As they are doing in apples,P&FR is now developing a red-esh kiwifruit, again in hopesof catering to the Chinesepreference for red-esh fruit. McGrathNurseries inHamilton,New Zealand,created thiscustom-builtsprayer for itstree fruitnursery stock.Above: Zespri innovation manager Bryan Parkes in the test orchardfor the New Zealand kiwifruit breeding program.www.canadianorganicfeeds.comFOR QUALITYCERTIFIEDORGANICFEEDS FOR BAGGED or BULK ORDERS:Darren JansenGeneral Manager604/794-3701organicfeeds@gmail.comCUSTOM ORDERSCertified to Canadian National StandardsAll rights reserved. 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. www.caseih.comBE READY.SEE US TODAY. The new all-purpose Case IH Optum™ series tractor delivers the power to handle any application in a smaller, lighter package. Available in 240 and 270 PTO horsepower options, Optum tractors provide optimal power-to-weight ratio for haulage, tillage, grain carts, mowing and baling – plus, hydraulic capabilities to run planters and seeders. Maximize available power and increase mechanical efciency with the reliable CVT transmission. Improve productivity and operator comfort with a suspended front axle, and gain better traction and more exibility with rear axle multiple spacing options and dual wheels. Work longer with roof cap LED work lights that last longer and provide greater light intensity. And enjoy the ultimate in operator comfort with all around visibility and a Multi-Control Armrest. WHOEVER SAID “BIGGER IS BETTER” NEVER OWNED AN OPTUM.CALIBER EQUIPMENT LTD.34511 Vye RoadAbbotsford, BC V2S 8J7604-864-2273www.caliberequipment.ca34511 VYE RD . ABBOTSFORD604/864-2273VANCOUVER TOLL FREE 604/857-2273CHILLIWACK TOLL FREE 604/795-2273www.caliberequipment.caNEW & USED EQUIPMENT SALES • PARTS • SERVICESEE YOU AT THE PACIFIC AG SHOW, ABBOTSFORD TRADEX | JAN 28-30
Country Life in BC • January 201632NEW T6 Series tractors give you unmatched comfort, visibility and maneuverability with higher power and performance that you can feel. In short, these heavy- duty, 95 to 125 PTO horsepower tractors streamline your productivity. That’s New Holland SMART.• ECOBlue™ HI-eSCR Tier 4B Engines for ultimate power and efficiency• Long 104- to 110-inch wheelbase for smoother ride, better traction• Horizon™ cab with even more comfort and ease• New headlights and LED work lights for better night visibility and productivity• Factory-designed for loader work and fully loader readySTREAMLINE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY.STREAMLINE YOUR© 2015 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.KAMLOOPS 706 CARRIER RD | 250.851-2044DAWSON CREEK 11508 - 8 ST | 250.782-5281 TOLL FREE 1-800-553-7482VISIT YOUR BC NEW HOLLAND DEALERS TODAY!DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT LIMITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KAMLOOPS 250-851-2044 | DAWSON CREEK 250-782-5281 Toll Free 1-800-553-7482FARMCO SALES LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KELOWNA 250-765-8266GRASSLAND EQUIPMENT LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WILLIAMS LAKE 250-392-4024 | VANDERHOOF 250-567-4446HORNBY EQUIPMENT ACP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARMSTRONG 250-546-3033ROLLINS MACHINERY LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHILLIWACK 604-792-1301 | LANGLEY 604-533-0048 TOLL FREE 1-800-242-9737
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 33Rural policing falls short of what’s needed, say ranchers, wineriesby PETER MITHAMKAMLOOPS – Butcheringand burglaries haveskyrocketed in rural BC overthe last year, prompting callsfrom ranchers and wineryowners for greater policing oftheir properties.Rustling and poaching ofcattle increased noticeablyacross the province this fall, intandem with a spree ofburglaries at wineries acrossthe south Okanagan.“We are seeing … highnumbers that are missing insome areas,” BC Cattlemens’Association executive directorKevin Boon says. “It isdenitely on an increase fromwhat we had before.”Coldstream Ranch, forexample, has lost nearly adozen animals, some of whichwere butchered in broaddaylight and theirforequarters left to rot. Othershave disappeared entirely.Additional cases areworking their way through thecourts in Dawson Creek andKamloops but in most of theincidents, the culprits remainat large.“It’s really hard to pinpointwhat our suspects are,” Boonsays. “With predators, there’sother things that show signs;when we just lose the cattle,those signs aren’t there.”The problem has beenparticularly acute this yearbecause the value of cattlehas more than doubled. “Two, three years ago, thatanimal that was out there wasworth probably $800 or $900,”he says. “[It’s] now worth$1,800 or $1,900.”With dozens of cattle nowmissing, the cost to ranchers isin the tens of thousands ofdollars – but with rural policedetachments understaed,the losses may well be a costof doing business.The province’s contractwith the Royal CanadianMounted Police (RCMP)provides for a constable toaddress livestock crimes, butthe position has been unlledsince March 2015 when thesole remaining constableretired. (Originally, there weretwo.)“We are yet to have hisreplacement named,” Boonsays. “We are meeting withRCMP in the coming weeksbut we need to get this in toplace sooner than later.”Winery theftsThe situation will soundfamiliar to wineries in thesouth Okanagan, where aspate of break-ins this fallprompted Glenn Fawcett,president of Black Hills EstateWinery, opposite Oliver, tolaunch a petition onChange.org asking theprovince to commandeeradditional resources to thelocal RCMP detachment.The detachment isresponsible for a swathe ofthe southern interior that runsfrom Manning Park in thewest to Bridesville in the east,and from the US border northto Summerland.To provide police servicesto the area, RCMP have anocer on call when ocersare not on duty, explainsCorporal Dan Moskaluk, whohandles media relations forthe Mounties in the SouthOkanagan from oces inPenticton.“[The] Oliver and Osoyoosdetachment, as many smallcommunities throughoutBritish Columbia, do notoperate on a 24-hour on-dutypolice presence,” he says. “Wedo have to provide 24-hourpolice coverage in the sensethat if there’s a call received,an ocer seven days a week,24 hours a day, [is] there torespond on a call-out basis.”That’s cold comfort tothose who signed the petition,many of whom provided vividtestimony of the eect theregion’s rising crime rate hashad on their lives andlivelihoods.Sumac Ridge Estate Wineryin Summerland, for instance,has been broken into morethan 10 times over the courseof 18 months, while a sisterproperty in Oliver has been hit15 times.See Ya Later Ranch, alsoowned by parent VincorCanada, had quads taken atthe end of November, but GPStags allowed the equipment –and the suspects – to beapprehended.Still, the need for greaterpolice resources remains.“Based on what we haveheard, there are two groups ofculprits,” Fawcett says. “Ibelieve the three caught atSee Ya Later Ranch are justone of the groups.”Mosklauk, however, says noamount of police presencecan stop thieves.“We could have extraocers on and that still won’tguarantee to eliminate thefts,”he says.Boon agrees that it’simpossible to keep an eye onproperties and livestock allthe time, even with the mostsophisticated surveillanceequipment. However, ifranchers are ready to spend adime on prevention, policeneed to be ready to spend thedollars need to cure theproblems that crop up.“It’s highly urgent that wedo so,” he says.Even though beef prices are falling, they’re still a valuable commodity and ranchers throughout theprovince have been tallying losses to theft over the past year. (Joan Trask le photo)February 20th Kamloops 1:00pm Annual Pine Butte Ranch Horned Hereford Production SaleMarch 5th Williams Lake 1:00pm Prime Time Bull Sale & Cutting Edge Cattle Bull SaleMarch 8th Kamloops Valley Charolais Bull Sale RRTS CharolaisMarch 12th Williams Lake Harvest Angus Bull SaleMarch 19th Kamloops 12:30pm Angus Advantage Bull SaleMarch 21st OK Falls All Breeds Bull SaleMarch 26th Vanderhoof 1:00pm Northern Alliance Black & Red Angus Bull SaleApril 2nd Williams Lake 1:00pm Best Bet Bull Sale, Mitchell Cattle Co. & GuestApril 9th Vanderhoof 12:00pm All Breeds Bull SaleApril 14 & 15th Williams Lake Williams Lake Bull Show & Sale ll SaleTuesday January 26thKamloops is hosting a complete herd dispersal of 350 bred cows for Bar M RanchBCLBCLEligibility Requirements• Schedule 2 Highways, Schedule 1 Highways, and Railway Corridors.Secondary (sideroad) paved routes may also be considered.• Must be a livestock producer.• Fence must be part of an existing fencing system to contain livestock.Application forms available at:http://www.cattlemen.bc.ca/fencing.htmCall TOLL FREE 1.866.398.2848 to have an application mailed to you.Application DeadlineAugust 31, 2016 for consideration for the 2017 construction year.NOW accepting applications for theProvincial Livestock Fencing Programalong travel corridorsProvincial Livestock Fencing Program
Country Life in BC • January 201634Losses spur ranchers to call for controlled elk huntby CHRIS YATESQUICK – Elk are grazers.They eat grass and they don’tcare where they nd it.Farmers elds and foragestockyards are a favouritehangout. What was once asmall herd satised by whatgrows on undevelopedrangeland in the Bulkley Valleyhas become several herdsspread across farmers’ eldswreaking havoc on feed, stock,fences and crops. So say thefarmers.“We don’t want to wipe elkout. We’re farmers. We livewith wildlife all the time. Wewant them controlled so theydon’t put us out of business,”says Bulkley Valley rancherLynda Dykens. “We’re lookingfor a balance, the same as wehave with deer, moose andbears.” Dykens was addressing agroup of about 20 concernedcattlemen, dairymen andhunters gathered at RoundLake Hall in Quick last monthat a meeting sponsored by theAgriculture Wildlife Programand Skeena RegionalCattlemen’s Association. Theprovincial government will notacknowledge there’s aproblem until there’s proof ofnumbers, she told heraudience. The only way to getpermission for an elk hunt willbe to count.Dykens says she’s beenworking with Bulkley ValleyCattlemen (BVCA) chairpersonMatt Taylor and membersRene Dieleman and HaroldKerr to attract governmentaction. Through the SkeenaRegional Cattlemen’sAssociation, the foursome arecirculating an Elk PopulationForage and Fencing DamageSurvey to establish how manypeople have had elk on theirland, losses suered andwhere they are located.They’ve written letters to atleast 14 government bodiesand, as a result, the AgricultureWildlife Program (AWP) hasagreed to support their eortsto put together a case for ahunt. With the help of Ministry ofAgriculture representativeJohn Stevenson, the four havetaken the surveys completedso far and transferred theinformation onto a map of thearea showing where there hasbeen damage, what has beendone and how many elk havebeen sighted. There are reddots across the valley andbeyond.No map neededDykens’ audience didn’tneed a map. Most had lostfeed for their cattle, fencing,newly planted elds and evenyoung stock taken by thewolves that follow the elkElk are nightfeeders. Thisfellow isenjoying asalt lick leftout for RobertKirsch’s cows.Bulkley Valleyranchers arecalling forbetter controlof elk herds inthe region.(Chris Yatesphoto)herds. “I know of one rancher wholost 13 calves last summer towolves following elk. That’s aloss of $1,200 to $1,500 peranimal.” One member of theaudience said his neighbour’shorse was attacked by a bullelk and $1,600 later, was onthe mend. Another said elkhad been seen running horsesthrough a fence. “They run cattle away fromtheir feeders and keep themaway,” said another.Forage producer RobertKirsch owns 600 acres in Quickand said he sells hay tofarmers from the Bulkley Valleywest to the Queen CharlotteIslands and has done so formany years. He has 7,000 balesunder cover and has tomaintain the cover todiscourage the elk that nowbunk down year round on hisland. His problem is theirpenchant for eating his feedbefore he can get it harvested,and destroying croplandbefore the forage can grow.He also worries that theregular highway crossingsbetween his elds is going toresult in a serious vehicleaccident.Multiple herdsBow hunter Adam Moleski,whose work takes him throughthe region, says he’s seen 63elk at one time on Kirsch’selds and at least six six-pointbucks at one time. When askedif there is more than one herdin the area, Moleski said, “I’veseen them all the way up thehighway to Houston fromSmithers. I have seen a bigherd in Evelyn and theCoalmine area in Telkwa, manyaround Babine Lake, and thereare tons of them on theLawson Road. Other people Iknow have seen lots aroundHazelton, Francois Lake nearBurns Lake, the Tatlow Roadarea and I know a farmer whohas lots on his place out inDriftwood. It’s safe to say theyare everywhere now.”Discussion ranged fromways to do a reliable count,ways to conduct a responsiblecull, how to protect land andforage and how to get thegovernment’s attention onwhat is becoming a livelihoodissue for farmers.It was decided to strike acommittee includingrepresentation from all groupspresent to gather enoughpertinent information topresent a convincingargument for the need tomanage the elk population.Matsqui $J5HSDLUs$EERWVIRUG%&sKuhnNor thAmerica.comMM 902 MERGE MAXX® MERGERr(NQCVKPIJGCFRTQXKFGUENGCPEQPUKUVGPVRKEMWRQXGTKTTGIWNCTITQWPFr#PVKYTCRIWCTFUKORTQXGOGTIKPIKPNQPIUVGOOGFETQRUr9KPFIWCTFJGNRURTQFWEGWPKHQTOHNWHH[YGNNHGGFKPIYKPFTQYUr/WNVKRNGETQRFGNKXGT[QRVKQPURTQXKFGHNGZKDKNKV[RKEMWRYQTMKPIYKFVJrYKPFTQYEQPHKIWTCVKQPU+08'56+037#.+6;®GENTLE CROP HANDLING FOR MINIMAL LEAF LOSS
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 35Okanagan Specialty Fruit marketing manager Joel Brooks. (DavidSchmidt photo)by DAVID SCHMIDTLANGLEY – In the last fewdecades, such geneticallymodied (GMO) crops ascorn, soybean and cottonhave become popular withfarmers. GMO crops are nowgrown by 18 million farmersin 28 countries, OkanaganSpecialty Fruits (OSF)marketing communicationsspecialist Joel Brooks told theBC Young Farmers Farm Festin Langley, November 21.He calls GMO technologyjust another step in plantbreeding. For millennia,farmers and researchers havebeen using selective breedingtechniques to improve plants.Corn is an example. In 7000BC, it was a plant with tinykernels containing little or nosugar and could be grownonly in selected climates.Today, corn is grown aroundthe world and its kernels arehuge and lled with sugar.Push backAlthough farmers have had“phenomenal results” withGM crops, Brooks admitsconsumers have been“pushing back” against GMO’sbecause they haven’t seenany real benets forconsumers. OSF believes itstechnology does oerbenets to consumers andwill therefore turn the tide ofpublic opinion towardsbiotechnology.Okanagan apple andcherry orchardists Neal andLouisa Carter founded OSFin 1996 with the intentionof offering the industryand consumers somethingto reverse the steadydecline in appleconsumption. They believethey have accomplished thatwith the non-browning Arcticapple.Science provenPrior to settling in theOkanagan, Carter had workedas a bioresource engineeraround the world, and usedhis experience to develop thescience behind the non-browning apple. The sciencewas proven early this centuryand approved in both Canadaand the US in 2015. Brooksexpects the rst Arctic applesto become widely available in2017.He stresses the Arctic appleis not a new variety, rather itis a technique which inputs agene into the leaf of an appletree. The gene causes thetreated tree to “silence” thepolyphenol oxidase (PPO)enzyme which causes thebrowning.Although the technologycan be applied to any applevariety, OSF has to date onlyapplied it to Golden Deliciousand Granny Smith varieties.Fujis and Galas with thetechnology are now in eldtrials.A bruiserBrooks says consumers canclearly see the benets of thetechnology, proving it bysmashing two apples, one theArctic apple and the other anon-Arctic version of thesame apple against thepodium at the beginning ofhis talk. At the end of his 20-minute speech, he cut openboth apples. The bruise in theconventional apple wasalready turning brown whilethe Arctic apple showed nochange in colour.“Arctic apples look andtaste better,” he insisted.Brooks said over half ofconsumers consider browninga signicant issue, adding40% of apples are neverconsumed, largely due tobrowning. He admits an initialsurvey of consumers foundthat 51% do not want a non-browning apple but isconvinced a focus onconsumer education willchange that. GMO crops can offer benefits to consumersCIDC Check-offBCID Fund9WorkBeef atCheck-offCheck-offCIDC 9Ch9f9heck-of9at9W9Beef 9ork9WoFundCI-D FundBCID Producer Check-Off Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net | 1-877-688-2333While opinion polls still show opposition to the British Columbia-developedArctic apple, advocates are convinced there is a market for non-bruising fruitCountry WaysVan Der Wal Equipment (1989) Ltd.23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6604/463-3681 | vanderwaleq.comSee our new Wacker Neuson lineup at the Pacific Ag Show!• Hydrostatic four-wheel drive and articulated steering• The tilting driver's cab provides optimum service access• Strong lifting and biting forces• Choice of two cabin types with different heights and features• Wide range of attachmentsTHE CLASSIC WL52TH522 TELEHANDLERSW24SKID STEERThe 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 • January 201636Henderson gets a dose of the wrong end of a veal dealWhen we left o last time,Henderson was unimpressedthat Deborah was keen to playthe part of Daisy Mae in thespring musical of Lil Abner.Meanwhile, Merv Devaney waslaying the groundwork to set upHenderson for the second time.Rural Redemption (part 68)continues ...Mervyn Devaney calledKenneth Henderson’s cellphone late in the evening ofthe following day to arrange atime to deliver the calves thatwould launch him on the fasttrack to agricultural prosperity.Merv said the calves wouldsettle in best if there weren’ttoo many people around. Theyagreed that after lunch, whenDeborah would be o to townand the kids were at school,would probably be best. Kenneth was cursing thestripped remains of theChristmas tree onto the frontporch when Merv Devaney’spickup pulled his battlescarred horse trailer up thedriveway. Merv tooted thehorn three times as he passedthe house and headed for thebarn. He was backed up andwaiting at the barn door whenKenneth arrived. “Where do you wantthem?” asked Merv.“I’m not sure. Howmany are there?”“Four.”“I can’t take four.There are only twostalls,” said Kenneth.“No problem. You can putall of them in together in therst one there.”Merv swung the trailer’stailgate open and KennethHenderson caught his rstglimpse of the veal business.There were four black andwhite calves eyeing himsuspiciously from the trailer’sgloomy depth.NEWS & INFORMATIONYOU NEED to GROW!SUBSCRIBE TODAYSEE PAGE 38 FOR ALL THE DETAILSThe agricultural news source inBritish Columbia since 1915COUNTRYLifein BC604.556.7477DUNCAN5410 Trans Canada Hwy. 250.748.8171KELOWNA103-1889 Springfield Road250.860.2346NANAIMO1-1277 Island Hwy. S250.753.4221PARKSVILLE587 Alberni Hwy. 250.248.3243SAANICH1970 Keating Cross Rd. 250.652.9188SALMON ARM1771 - 10th Avenue S.W. 250.832.8424WEST KELOWNA2565 Main St., Hwy. 97 South 250.768.8870ABBOTSFORD31852 Marshall PlaceCanadian Owned and Operated100%We Have Moved31852 Marshall Place, West of the Clearbrook Road RoundaboutMake sure to pay us a visit at our NEW ABBOTSFORD LOCATIONwww.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, BC250.545.3355The WoodshedChroniclesBOB COLLINS“They look kind of spindly.”said Kenneth. “What kind arethey?”“Holsteins,” said Merv. “Butdon’t let the size fool you.They grow real quick. Hop inand send them my way and I’llsteer them into the stall.”Kenneth climbed gingerlyinto the trailer and joined theknot of calves. He waved hishands in the air over theirheads and pleaded with themto “shoo.”“How do you make themgo?” asked Kenneth.“Stick your thumb in itsmouth and back up when itstarts sucking.”Kenneth straightened upscowling. “Come on, Devaney. Whatdo you take me for? You mighthave played me for a suckeronce but it won’t happenagain.”Merv climbed into thetrailer. “Watch this,” he said as helaid his hand on the neck ofthe closest calf and tickled histhumb into its mouth. The calfstarted to suck and followedMerv’s thumb all the way tothe box stall. “Nothing to it.”Kenneth stuck is thumb intothe next calf’s mouth andstarted leading it out of thetrailer. The calf gave its head aviolent thrust and dragged arazor sharp incisor the lengthof his thumb. “Owwwww, he bit me!”Kenneth stood grasping hisbleeding thumb and suckinghis breath through clenchedteeth.“Probably mistook you for acream-pu,” muttered Merv ashe climbed back into thetrailer. It took ten minutes ofconcerted coaxing andshoving to convince theremaining calves todisembark. By the time it was over,Kenneth Henderson was in alather; angry, sweat soaked,and blood stained. There wasa particularly foul smellingsubstance soaked into theright leg of his trousers fromthe hip to the knee. Kennethpinched the sticky pant legand tried to pull it away fromhis leg. “What the hell is this?” hedemanded. “It stinks!”The unloading ordealhadn’t weighed nearly asheavily on Merv, who mannedthe thumb-sucking part andleft the pushing to Kenneth.He was chuckling in spite ofhimself.“That there is a by-productof the cattle business. There’llbe lots more where that camefrom. If you’re careful aboutsaving it, you can put it onyour garden in the spring andgrow yourself some prizewinning pickles for the FallFair.Kenneth glared at Merv. “What the hell am Isupposed to do with themnow?”“Just feed them and keepthem clean and make surethey don’t get sick and you’llbe away to the races.”“What do they eat?”“All they need is milkreplacer for now. You’ll wantto start them in a bit of hayand starter in a week or so. Ibrought you some milkreplacer.”Merv went to his truck anddragged a bag of milk replacerthat had been in the bottomof his freezer for longer thanhe could remember. “There’s enough here for acouple of days, ‘til you get tothe feed store,” said Merv.“There’s a little plastic cup inthere. One cup morning andnight for each one should do ituntil they grow a little. Lookslike you’re all set to go so I’llleave you to it.” Merv hesitated as heclimbed into the truck. “One more thing,” he said.“You should probably takeyour pants o before you goin the house.”Kenneth walked to thehouse cursing MervynDevaney every step of theway. He dropped his trouserson the laundry room oor andheaded for the shower.Deborah was coming throughthe door with two arm loads ofgroceries as he walked out ofthe bathroom.“What on earth is going on?It smells to high heaven in thelaundry room. Did Duchess doher business back thereagain?”To be continued ...
situation calling for agenerous dose of cautiouskindness.Then there’s climatechange. Much of the debateas to the reality of globalwarming has dissipated; theallowable rate of rising globaltemperature and the best wayof addressing it, however, isstill underconsiderable debate.I won’t introduce myfeelings regardingthe subject of oilinto the discussionbut suce it to say,each individual canand should treat the earthwith respect. For me, thismeans using my homemadecloth shopping bags as partof my commitment to livingby the maxim of reduce,recycle and reuse. It’s notmuch, but if all us 35 millionCanadians did our best, thedierence would equal thecontents of an entirecontainer of that goodness-brand of lubricant.Above all, it’s the old butproven principle ofdemonstrating kindness inour own back yard. We all facecontentious situations atsome point in our lives but it’show we treat one anotherthat aects the way we willface next December. Or nextmonth, or next week. Or, howby LINDA WEGNEROnce again, we’re standingon the verge of the unknown.Last year, it was the same: wewondered what awaited us in2015, and in all the Januarysbefore that, we did the same.Now, peering into 2016, wecan merely guess what liesahead. Only by looking backis it possible to put the fullimpact of those 365 days,compressed into twelvesomewhat equal months, intoperspective.Let’s face it, though.Looking ahead has thepotential either to scare thewits out of us or to excite uswith new challenges. In myquest to pen somethingmeaningful regarding thecoming year, I came across anarticle that puts my nebulousthoughts into rock-solidwords. The writer of this pieceof wisdom is unknown to mebut here’s what was said:“There is a story of an oldman who carried a little can ofoil with him everywhere hewent and if he passedthrough a door thatsqueaked, he poured a littleoil on the hinges. If a gate washard to open, he oiled thelatch. And thus he passedthrough life lubricating allhard places and making iteasier for those who cameafter him.” I couldn’t have expressed itbetter myself. Now, in my ownwords, here are a few of mypersonal thoughts regardingthe uncertainty and thepromise of the coming year. First, I am proud to be acitizen of a country thatwelcomes those in need. Doesthe thought of tens ofthousands of refugeesarriving en masse bring with itpotential danger? Of course.That fear could be realizedbut we’ve also got our ownhome-grown perpetrators ofhate crime. I’m married to aman who, along with hissiblings, escaped the horrorsof Nazi Germany; they andtheir ospring now proudlycall Canada home. I guess youcould cite this as a currentA Wannabe FarmerLINDA WEGNERJanuary 2016 • Country Life in BC 37Make a differencein the new year,one day at a timewe face ourselves tomorrow.Disagreements can wounddeeply but by judiciouslyapplying the oil ofreconciliation, we could makea dierence in our world. Ifthat doesn’t work, no oneneeds that healing touchmore than we do.In closing, here’s a quoteby Bill Vaughan: An optimiststays up until midnight to seethe New Year in. A pessimiststays up to make sure the oldyear leaves. Happy New Year to each ofyou, no matter when or howyou celebrated the event.May your days be lled withdeep satisfaction, resolvedproblems and a sense ofmeaningful accomplishment.Oh, and keep your oil canlled! There are many aroundyou who need its healingcontents.CALL FOR AN ESTIMATELARRY604.209.5523TROY604.209.5524TRI-WAYFARMSLASER LEVELLING LTD.IMPROVEDDRAINAGEUNIFORMGERMINATIONUNIFORMIRRIGATIONFAST,ACCURATESURVEYINGINCREASECROPYIELDS Golden yearGolden Ears 4-H Community Club members celebrated their success at an annual awardsbanquet in late October. Members participated in many events including, communications,judging, writing, education displays and project competitions. Everyone in the Golden EarsCommunity Club is looking forward to next year. (Photo courtesy of Naomi Carson)British Columbia Angus AssociationANGUS BULLSSEEDSTOCK SALES | EVENTS March 5Prime Time & Cutting Edge, 1 pm Williams LakeMarch 7Select Sale, Dawson CreekMarch 12Harvest Angus, Williams LakeMarch 19Angus Advantage, 12:30 KamloopsMarch 26Northern Alliance Bull Sale, 1 pm VanderhoofApril 2Best Bet, 1 pm Williams LakeApril 2Gumbo Gulch Bull Sale, 1 pm Dawon CreekApril 9Vanderhoof All Breeds, 12 pmApril 14/15Williams Lake Bull Show & SaleBC ANGUSTom DeWaal . President . 250.960.0022Jack Brown . Field Man . 778.593.7410Jill Savage . Secretary . 250.679-2813www.bcangus.caLIZ TWAN PHOTOare a better buy in BCNEWS & INFORMATIONYOU NEED to GROW!SUBSCRIBE TODAYSEE PAGE 38 FOR DETAILSThe agricultural news source inBritish Columbia since 1915COUNTRYLifein BC
With the holidays over, many of us make the decision topush away from the table, to substitute baked for fried; to havelarger servings of lean vegetables and smaller ones of meat, orto concentrate on such simpler food as stir-fries and stewswhere vegetables are king.It’s important that you remember that life doesn’t have to bea choice between eating to live and living to eat.There are lots of delicious ways to cook meals that arehealthy for you, too. With very little eort, you can make muchhealthier meals from scratch than any packaged meal you canbuy from the store or afast-food outlet.Open yourpocketbook in theproduce store, at thefarmers’ market or in theproduce section of yoursupermarket instead ofbuying the more expensive and less healthy prepared,processed, canned or frozen foods – or fast foods prepared by acolonel or a clown. Try reducing the quantity of bread and buns in your dailydiet, and buy only whole grains rather than white, and rightaway, you’ve made another healthy change in how you eat byreducing the empty calories you take in.Instead of cake, cookies or candy for dessert, opt for freshfruit, and for snacks, turn to fresh fruit or vegetables instead ofover-salted, doused-in-fat and laden-with-sugar options from apackage.Simple food doesn’t need a package, nor added salt, oil andsugar.All our best chefs are convinced of the importance of eatingfresh, local foods, made from scratch, and we now just have toconvince them to reduce the fats and salt in what they create –or we can choose to eat such creations only occasionally.During these short, dark days of mid-winter, a specialcandlelight dinner, served in front of a roaring re will add alittle extra sparkle to help push away the dark and you can planfor the coming of longer, lighter days.Country Life in BC • January 201638Jude’s KitchenJUDIE STEEVESThis is a healthier alternative to the traditional chicken breast or veal stued with cheese andham and with a creamy sauce poured over it. This one is not fried in butter, but baked insteadand I used a low fat cheese, light prosciutto ham and a stful of spinach in each. There’s no full-fat, rich, creamy sauce either, but it was yummy.2 chicken breasts Flour, to dredge chickensea salt and fresh-ground black pepper 1 egg2 c. (500 ml) baby spinach leaves 1 tbsp. (15 ml) cold water3 slices lean prosciutto ham 3/4 c. (175 ml) Panko bread crumbs1 oz. (28 g) light Swiss cheese Salt and pepper, to tastePre-heat oven to 400 F.Carefully slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, to reduce its thickness. Don’t slice allthe way through, so you can open up the breast to ll it. Place a piece of waxed paper over it andgently pound it with a pan, the at side of a cleaver or a wooden mallet where it is thickest, toeven out the thickness.Season the breast. Wilt the spinach leaves in the microwave for a minute and let cool.Slice the cheese and cover one half of each breast with slices, using just a quarter of thecheese. Top with the cooled spinach, then another quarter of the sliced cheese and the thinly-sliced ham. Repeat with the other chicken breast.Close the breasts to sandwich the lling in. You may use a couple of toothpicks to hold eachtogether.Prepare a breading station with an egg beaten with a drizzle of cold water in a at dish andthe bread crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper in another. Dust the breasts with our beforeimmersing in the egg and then dipping into the crumbs.Lay each breast in a baking pan covered with parchment paper.Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until just cooked. Serves 2-4.Leaner cuisineBaking makes this cordon bleu easy. (Judie Steeves photo)Please see “ARLAʼS” page 39I was worried they’d find somethingMammograms save lives. Make an appointment, not an excuse. Get expert advice and share your stories atgohave1.comBaked Chicken Cordon BleuPlease 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 EMAIL(Prices include GST | Cheque or money order only please)PLEASE SEND A ____ YEAR GIFT SUBSCRIPTION FROM TO:NAME:ADDRESS:CITY: POSTAL CODE:o NEW o RENEWAL | o 1 YEAR ($18.90) o 2 YEAR ($33.60) o 3 YEAR ($37.80) Join thousands of BC farmers who turn to Country Life inBC every month to find out what (and who!) is makingnews in BC agriculture and how it may affect their farmsand agri‑businesses!NEWS & INFORMATION YOU (& YOUR FRIENDS) NEED!
January 2016 • Country Life in BC 39This recipe originated from a friend who had a ranch down the road from us in the Cariboo.This is not only delicious, but it’s suitable for those who cannot eat wheat, because it’s thickenedwith cornmeal instead of our.2 lb. (1 kg) lean beef 1 tsp. (5 ml) salt2 cloves of garlic, minced 4 to 6 carrots, sliced1 onion, sliced 1 or 2 stalks of celery, sliced2 1/2 c. (625 ml) beef or chicken broth 1 tbsp. (15 ml) minced jalapeno peppers2 tsp. (10 ml) dried oregano 2 tbsp. (30 ml) cornmeal1 tsp. (5 ml) cumin powderTrim meat and either cube it or cut into thick strips.Heat oil in a Dutch oven and brown the meat and onions, adding the minced garlic, then thebroth and spices, except the hot peppers. (You could leave them out if you’d prefer.)Add sliced carrots and celery.Bring to bubbling, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for a couple of hours, either on thestove or in a medium oven.When the meat is tender, stir in minced peppers and cornmeal and bring back to bubbling,simmering for a half hour longer, until the sauce is nice and thick.This could also be cooked in a slow cooker, all day on low, then the peppers and cornmealadded for the last hour of cooking.This is good served on squares of cornbread or on brown rice.Serves 6 to 8.ARLAʼS BEEF STEW WITH SPICES AND CORNMEAL From page 38CLASSIFIEDDEADLINE FOR FEBRUARY 2016 ISSUE: JANUARY 2325 words or less, minimum $10 plus GST • Each additional word: $0.25DISPLAY CLASSIFIED: $20 plus GST per column inch1120 East 13th Avenue, Vancouver V5T 2M1Phone: 604/871-0001 • Fax: 604/871-0003E-mail: countrylifeinbc@shaw.caWeb: www.countrylifeinbc.comNEW/USED EQUIPMENTLOOKING FOR A JOB?NEED EMPLOYEES?WWW. AGRI-LABOURPOOL.COM604-823-6222SINCE 1974IRRIGATIONWATERTECIRRIGATIONLTD604/882-74051-888-675-7999CASH FOR BATTERIESDON’T THROW AWAYTHOSE OLD BATTERIESTHEY ARE WORTH MONEY!We recycle all types of batteries, lead acid toforklift industrials ... and the best part is wepay you cash on the spot.Will buy yourscrap forklifts, too!David at 778/668-4890Quick Cash 4 BatteriesFARM REAL ESTATE FOR SALEELITE PEMBERTON SEED POTATOESCERTIFIED ORGANIC AND BIODYNAMIC ,$125 per 50lb box, $100 on orders over 10boxes, plus shipping: Yukon Gold, Sieglinde,Red Chieftan, Cal White, Gemstar Russet,Russian Blue, Ulla/Rinegold Russet. Nowbooking orders for 2016 growing season.Contact 604/894-6618, helmer@direct.ca ororder on-line at [helmersorganic.ca].125 ACRES OF PRIME AGRICULTURE landin the heart of the Okanagan valley, current-ly a cow cafe set up, many outbuildings.Call Don Gilowski 250/260-0828 or[dongilowski@gmail.com] DowntownRealty Ltd.EMPLOYMENTFOR SALEToll Free 1-888-357-0011www.ultra-kelp.comULTRA-KELPTMCelebrating 30 YearsServing Western Canadian Agriculture100% NaturalAnimal Feed Supplement& FertilizerFlack’s BakerviewKelp Products IncPritchard, BCLIVESTOCKGOOD GROUP OF 5 COLOUREDAND 2 WHITE ROMNEY EWE LAMBSAvailable late August on.Correct, well grown and healthy.Lovely fleeces. Twins and triplets.Weigh between 90 and 110 lbs.Vaccinated. RR or RQ.Sell with/without papers.$325\350 a head for 2.1 Col romney ram lamb. $350\$400.Call 604/462 9465or emailjoannasleigh@aol.comHAY FOR SALE, ALFALFA AND ALFALFAgrass mix. Big and midsize squares. Call250/567-3287.DeBOER’S USEDTRACTORS & EQUIPMENTGRINDROD, BCHAPPY NEW YEAR!JD 6400 MFWD w/ldr 29,500JD 6400 mfwd cab sl ldr 49,000JD 6410 mfwd cab sl ldr 54,000JD 4240 cab 3pt hitch 18,500JD 1120 dsl ldr rb canopy SOLDJD 220 disk 19 ft W center fold 14,500JD 220 disk 20 ft W center foldnew blades 16,500JD 2130 diesel, 66 HP 10,500IHC 12’ grain drill w/GSA SOLDKvernland 4X16 plow 3 pt 3,250CASE 430 skid steer ldr, 2006, cab& AC, 1050 hrs, premium unit 25,000JD 1830 diesel, with loader 10,500Ed DeBoer • 250/838-7362cell 250/833-6699Curt DeBoer • 250/838-9612cell 250/804-6147ALFALFA FOR SALE3x4x8Barn Stored250/567-7714Toll Free 1-888-357-0011www.ultra-kelp.comULTRA-KELPTMCelebrating 30 YearsServing Western Canadian AgricultureCongratulations to:ROMYN HILL FARM LTD BRAD & JODI ROMYN • SORRENTO,B.C.2014 TOP PRODUCTION HERDBC HOLSTEINFlack’s Bakerview • Kelp Products IncPritchard, BCCORN SILAGE FOR SALEDELIVERY AVAILABLEFOB CURTIS FARM, ARMSTRONG PRICE DEPENDS ON VOLUMEPHONE TED 250/260-0009OR PHONE TXT DAVID250/308-8121NEWPOLYETHYLENETANKSof all shapes & sizes for septic and waterstorage. Ideal for irrigation, hydroponics,washdown, lazy wells, rain water, truckbox, fertizilizer mixing & spraying.Call1-800-661-4473for closest distributor.Web: [www.premierplastics.com]Manufactured in Delta byPremier Plastics Inc.Quality PrivacyCedar Hedging For SaleEmerald, ExcelsaMENTION THIS AD &RECEIVE 10%OFF YOUR ORDERFREE LOCAL DELIVERY ONORDERS OF 25 OR MORE CEDARS• Discounts for large orders available• We have all sizes 3’ +Installation services availableWholesale/Retail604/217-2886www.fraservalleycedars.comFOR SALE FOR SALE FOR SALENAME ____________________________________________OLD ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________________________________PHONE ____________________________________________NEW ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________________________PHONE ____________________________________________COUNTRYLifein BCCanada Post will not deliver yourCountry Life in BC if they changeyour postal code, your street nameand/or address. If your addresschanges, please fill out the formbelow and mail or fax it to us, oruse email.Thank you!1120 East 13th AveVancouver, B.C. V5T 2M1Email: countrylifeinbc@shaw.caPhone 604/871-0001 • Fax: 604/871-0003Jan 16CHANGEOFADDRESS?Lola!
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 • January 201640spring.See us at thePacific Ag ShowThe all newM7 tractor andKubota skid steerswill be unveiled atPacific Ag!