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Postmaster, Please return Undeliverable labels to: Country Life in BC 36 Dale Road Enderby, BC V0E 1V4CANADA POSTES POST CANADA Postage paid Port payé Publications Mail Post-Publications 40012122Vol. 107 No. 7The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 JULY 2021 | Vol. 107 No. 7RISK Farmers struggle to get insurance coverage 7 BEEFGrizzly bear encounters on the increase21 CLIMATE CHANGEGHG emissions two times higher than estimates25PETER MITHAM VICTORIA – For the second year in a row, BC farmers won’t have to worry about proving their properties qualify for farm class status. The province announced June 14 that all properties currently classed as farms with the BC Assessment Authority – more than 52,000 parcels provincewide – would retain that status on the 2022 tax roll. The move extends a regulatory amendment introduced last year to give small farms leeway in the face of COVID-19. The valuation day for the 2022 roll was July 1. “If the province had not taken action with a regulatory amendment last year, more than 400 farm properties with a history of sub-threshold income and many developing farms would have been at risk of losing their farm class for 2021,” the province says. BC agriculture minister Lana Popham says waiving the income requirement lets those farms “continue to focus on providing their amazing and delicious products we all enjoy.” But with consumers supporting local farmers more than ever last year, meeting the income threshold – $2,500 for properties of at least two acres, plus 5% of the value of any portion over 10 acres – isn’t the top concern for most farmers. “The threat of not achieving [the] farm status threshold is not there for most people. All of us can make it, easily,” says Raquel A historic heat wave pushed temperatures in the Okanagan well above 40°C at the end of June but that didn’t prevent 16-year-old Sunny Toor of Osoyoos from working alongside his parents pruning new grape vines at their vineyard in Kelowna. Workers remain in short supply this year, requiring everyone to pitch in to get work done. MYRNA STARK LEADER 1-888-770-7333 Quality Seeds ... where quality counts!YOUR BC SEED SOURCESee MIXED on next page oBCAC shifts to advocacyCouncil stepping back from program deliveryPETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – One of the biggest organizational shifts in BC agriculture since the 1990s will see the BC Agriculture Council focus on being an advocate for industry and exit the business of program delivery. “BCAC’s core role is that of an advocacy organization,” says Reg Ens, who will be stepping down as executive director of BCAC at the end of this month as part of the shift. “How do we use the resources that the industry has invested in us to best help the industry? That’s back to being the voice for the industry – an advocate for the industry.” Hot stuffGrowing more with less waterwatertecna.comttttttttIRRIGATION LTD1.888.675.7999 888 6 9999888669999 Diesel & PTO Pumps PVC & Aluminum PipeIrrigation ReelsDRIP IRRIGATIONCentre PivotsFarms keep tax statusSee LABOUR on next page o
LABOUR organization WALI also getting a makeover nfrom page 1MIXED messaging on farm status nfrom page 1BCAC represents 28 farm organizations in the province, filling the void left by the collapse of the BC Federation of Agriculture in 1997. However, through ARDCorp (BC Agriculture Research & Development Corp.), it has also administered government funding for the Environmental Farm Plan program and BC Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative. Program delivery also traces its roots back to the late 1990s, when governments saw the value in industry-led organizations delivering funding on their behalf. Rather than a handout, it was seen as a hand up, with farm organizations trusted to allocate the money wisely. Now, an emphasis on accountability means program delivery contracts have tighter terms. “Historically, there was some value governments saw in supporting associations, farm organizations, to have that capacity,” says Ens of program delivery. “Some of that spinoff value just isn’t what it used to be.” The result is a refocusing of the council’s energy on advocacy for farmers, while program delivery will move to a dedicated third-party organization. BCAC has recommended the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC for the role. “We would like to transition those over to IAF, with the teams intact,” explains Ens. “They have the structure. They’re set up for program delivery.” Indeed, investments over the past 18 months have allowed IAF to handle a record volume of funding in 2020. It has been actively seeking to expand its offerings, and chair Jack De Wit believes taking over ARDCorp’s responsibilities makes sense. “We made some major changes in technology so I think we’re very capable of taking on the business,” he says, noting that IAF – unlike BCAC – is not an advocacy organization. “We don’t lobby government. … It makes sense for BCAC to focus on advocacy and not on programs.” ARDCorp will continue to exist in the event it’s needed to run programs on an ad hoc basis, but BCAC will refocus its efforts on advocating for good programs rather than delivering them. New leadership Ens, for his part, will hand the reins of BCAC to Danielle Synotte, currently the council’s director of communications and stakeholder engagement. The two will work closely in the coming weeks and months to ensure a seamless transition of leadership. One of Synotte’s first major projects will be overseeing development of a new five-year strategic plan for BCAC. Development of the plan was a catalyst for Ens’ decision to step down after 12 years as 2 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCexecutive director. “I realized I didn’t see myself being here in three to five years, so then the next question is, if I’m not going to be here for the next five years, do I help steer the strategic plan or do I make room for the next person to lead the strategic plan?” he explains. “I decided on the latter.” Ens won’t be going far away, however. He’ll be stepping into a newly created position with another BCAC subsidiary, the Western Agriculture Labour Initiative. Ens says the new role with WALI will refocus him on business management. This was an area in which he was actively engaged while at MNP, where he spent 12 years prior to joining BCAC. It’s also something the farm labour file needs more than ever. An action plan will be developed over the next nine months that will allow WALI to expand from not only being a first point of call for farm labour issues but also a source of support with respect to both foreign and domestic labour. “We have to invest some serious time in that to help the industry, help farmers, help employers, help workers, too,” he says. The aim is for WALI to do primary triage on all labour issues in the farm sector, including analysis of issues. This will ensure labour issues receive focused attention while supporting BCAC’s efforts to advocate on specific files. “If we can move all the labour issues into a single desk, that should free up [Danielle’s] role a little bit more,” says Ens. “When it gets to the point where we need someone to advocate for industry, that would get handed over to BCAC and they would do the advocacy work.” Synotte looks forward to the simpler, more focused mandate for BCAC. With a background in business administration, she spent eight years with the City of Abbotsford, eventually serving as economic development coordinator. She joined BCAC in 2017 and looks forward to advancing its voice for members both within BC and nationally as a member of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. “We really want to focus on that value proposition to our membership, that BCAC is advocating effectively,” she says. “to verify the continuation of farm classification.” BC Assessment told Country Life in BC the information would “help in determining how farms are recovering from pandemic impacts.” Many farmers, including Kolof, were puzzled by the sudden change, especially after farmers spent time to provide paperwork that was suddenly no longer necessary. Meanwhile, she is among those waiting for more substantial changes to regulations governing secondary homes and meat Kolof of Hough Heritage Farm in Gibsons and president of the District A Farmers Institute. “The issue is not our gross income. The issue is our net income.” Kolof says many costs have doubled in recent years, including farm insurance, hay and feed costs. “What little profit I was making prior to COVID is gone,” she says. “That’s why people are closing up shop.” Ironically, the announcement came just two weeks after BC Assessment required farmers to submit farm income data from 2019 inspection. Both have been in the works for years, and farmers have yet to hear. “I don’t know why the things that help us take so many years,” she says. “[The tax change] is very much welcomed and appreciated, but we need secondary housing on farmland now, we need to open up meat processing and cut-and-wrap facilities now.” Hough says her own abattoir, the sole poultry facility on the Sunshine Coast, was fortunate to receive provincial funding but it is operating below capacity pending the meat regulation changes. The province has indicated that announcements on both the meat regulations and housing are in the works, but has yet to provide details. www.tractorparts4sale.caABBOTSFORD, BC Bus. 604/807-2391 email: tractorparts4sale@shaw.caWe accept Interact, Visa and Mastercard VICON PS602 FERTILIZER SPREADER, 3 PT, 1,000 KG CAPACITY . $2,200 MASHIO CM4500 14’ PWR HARROW W/ROLLER GD COND. . . . 14,000 VIBRA 8.5 FT 3POINT CULTIVATOR WITH HD SPRING LOAD 22” SHANK. 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Too much red tape leaves farmers frustratedLocal berry farmer says current rules waste her timeCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 3SANDRA TRETICK LANGLEY – One of the largest farms in Langley says local bylaws need to be more responsive to local agriculture. Rhonda Driediger, owner and manager of Driediger Farms Ltd., says the Township of Langley’s rural zoning bylaw is completely out of step with what the rest of the province is doing, especially with respect to accommodation for seasonal agricultural workers. When the bylaw was enacted in 2013, the township didn’t ask her opinion, even though she was chair of the BC Agriculture Council at the time. She subsequently co-chaired the council’s labour committee, and is frustrated that the bylaw was not written in a way that would respond to changing requirements. “These bylaws are out of date already. They refer to things that we no longer use as we made changes within the program, instead of referring to the program and say you have to be following the program and housing inspections,” says Driediger. “They worded it so that they would have to constantly change it.” Township sta says the zoning bylaw was based on standards set by the province’s agriculture minister. Since Langley is a regulated community, bylaws aecting farming must be approved by Victoria. Langley is one of four communities regulated under section 553 of the Local Government Act because they have bylaws that place restrictions on agriculture within a farming area. Approximately 75% of the township lies within the Agricultural Land Reserve. Although the average farm in Langley is approximately 25 acres, 73% of parcels in the ALR are smaller than 10 acres. That makes Driediger Farms, at 160 acres, one of the township’s largest farms. It grows strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. It also wholesales and distributes fresh and frozen berries throughout North America, Europe and Asia. While the blueberry harvest is done by machine and the farm has a regular contract crew, Driediger also relies on seasonal workers and has on-site accommodation. Langley farmers who provide temporary accommodation to foreign workers must le an annual declaration that housing will only be used for a specied period of time, are exclusively for their seasonal workers and that they meet the requirements spelled out in the bylaw. “Why don’t they just ask for a copy of my housing inspection and that will give them all the information they need,” says Driediger. “Instead, they want me to draw up this statutory declaration and go in and have a notary sign it. This is really a waste of everybody’s time.” Reducing red tape Langley’s agricultural advisory and economic enhancement committee (formerly the agricultural advisory committee) and the newer Future of Farming task force are looking for ways to reduce regulatory requirements for farmers with the aim of promoting farming in the municipality. This spring, the task force consulted the Langley Environmental Partners Society, the Langley Sustainable Agriculture Foundation, the Langley Farmers Institute (LFI), the provincial agriculture ministry and members of Langley’s farming community. Driediger says she was not among the farmers who were asked for feedback. The farmers institute held an event in March to get the ball rolling and seek input from members. LFI director Marcel Sachse says confusion about what the township allows on farmland and a lack of abattoir capacity are lingering concerns, but he is hopeful the farming task force will help. “The value of the farm task force is being a direct contact point for farmers, no matter the size of their business,” says Sachse. “Hopefully, this can facilitate solution-nding to any regulatory or bylaw issues farmers encounter.” The task force is still actively gathering information, preparing case studies and working on the recommendations it will present to Langley council later this year. Rhonda Driediger of Driediger Farms wants to see the Township of Langley’s agriculture rules streamlined, but a task force looking into reducing regulatory requirements hasn’t reached out to her. PICNIC CREATIVE
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Publication Mail Agreement: 0399159 . GST Reg. No. 86878 7375 . Subscriptions: $2/issue . $18.90/year . $33.60/2 years . $37.80/3 years incl GSTThe agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 Vol.107 No. 7 . JULY 2021Published monthly by Country Life 2000 Ltd. www.countrylifeinbc.comPublisher Cathy Glover 604-328-3814 . publisher@countrylifeinbc.com Editor Emeritus David Schmidt Associate Editor Peter Mitham news@countrylifeinbc.com Advertising Sales & Marketing Cathy Glover sales@countrylifeinbc.com Production Designer Tina Rezansoff You’ve always been cool, PW O, CanadaIn the spring of 1960, my mother purchased 10 acres with a modest house in a small rural community on central Vancouver Island. She paid $5,600 for it. It had poor soil and a well that could supply household demand if water use was carefully managed. One acre of similar property with an equally modest house in the same community recently sold for $800,000. Certainly, a jaw-dropping increase but understandable when compared to house prices in Vancouver and Victoria. According to Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver stats for May 2021, the average price for a detached house was more than $1.8 million, with an average selling time of 19 days. There were building lots in Surrey for $300 in 1960. If you want one today, you’ll need at least 300 times as much! Urban prices have been on the move for years pushed by growing demand and low interest rates. As pressure builds in one area it inevitably ows to the one next to it, and so on. That is why the half-acre and house up the road from here that sold for less than $40,000 20 years ago just changed hands for half a million dollars; it is why a condominium in Tono sold for $1 million more than the asking price; and it is why the farm at the north end of the valley that sold for $3 million last year is back on the market for $6 million. According to FCC’s Farmland Values Report, BC farmland rose in value by 8% in 2020. FCC estimates are based on actual sales, excluding the highest and lowest 5%. The average value per acre runs from $1,800 in the Peace to $100,800 on the South Coast. Other averages included $60,000 for Vancouver Island and $24,400 in the Okanagan. Given the interest from residential buyers it’s hard to imagine small acreages selling at any of these prices. Rising land prices are a conundrum for farmers and ranchers. Not so much if you are aiming to sell, but most assuredly so if you want to expand or are looking for a way to begin. Our land won’t become any more productive because a farm at the other end of the valley sold for $3 million, but it will probably be worth more money in the eyes of the BC Assessment Authority. Even though the farmland classication will shield us from property tax implications, you can bet somewhere down the road the Canada Revenue Agency will be looking for an actual market value. Unless the capital gains exemptions for agriculture keep pace with soaring land values there will be some serious soul-searching for the family members inheriting a farm or ranch. The fact Mom and Dad are handing it over to another generation should tell you they weren’t in it for the money. Nor should the inheritance come saddled with a big tax burden, deferred or otherwise, simply because other properties nearby sold for a price out of all proportion to their agricultural value. To paraphrase a marketing adage: it is six times harder to attract a new farmer than it is to keep an existing one. Applied to agriculture that ratio might be conservative. As land prices climb, they become prohibitive to anyone starting from scratch. It was once suggested by a well-meaning community food activist who professed to know several young people who wanted to farm but were thwarted by high land costs that older farmers (like me) should consider selling for less than market value to give them a chance. I suggested that he might consider selling his house for less than market value to give some of the young people I knew, who wanted to live at the lake in a house like his, a chance. Exposure to the real estate market will destroy the prospect of nancial viability on many farms and ranches. Avoiding a For Sale sign is the easiest way to preserve and sustain what has often been created by generations of hard work and dedication. Bob Collins raises beef cattle and grows produce on his farm in the Alberni Valley. The Back Forty BOB COLLINSHigh land prices limit farming opportunities We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.4 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCNews of hundreds of unmarked graves at the sites of former residential schools in Kamloops and Cowessess in the Qu’Appelle Valley east of Regina has shocked and troubled many. It can seem from a dierent era and of little relevance to agriculture. But in 1999, a couple of years after the last residential school in Canada closed, an assignment to write about Indigenous farmers led to a meeting with a potato grower at the Osoyoos Indian Band oce. To explain why he was farming, he drove us to a cemetery south of town where his parents were buried. It wasn’t the kind answer one could quote, but it sank deep. It has also come into sharper focus as the intergenerational impacts of Ottawa’s system for educating Indigenous people become clearer. The close relationship of Indigenous peoples, farmers and ranchers to the land has made them allies but also competitors since rst contact. But passage of the Indian Act in 1876 instituted a sharp divide, one that remains to this day. The act’s eects are far-reaching, and include the residential school system that prompted calls to not celebrate Canada Day this year. And yet Canada remains, its soils the foundation for Indigenous and non-Indigenous farmers and ranchers alike to cultivate, harvest and gather the food we enjoy every day of the year. All contribute to the bounty BC produces each year. Their stories and insights can help us learn to work better together now and in the future. It won’t be easy, and all sides need to work together to ensure government doesn’t replace the mistakes of the past with new mistakes. Reconciliation requires us to be partners, not adversaries. The rollout of changes in how Crown tenure is handled requires transparency so that all sides know what to expect. Well-intentioned policy statements that prioritize traditional Indigenous land uses over and above agriculture ignore the fact that, in many parts of the province, agriculture is integral to Indigenous livelihoods and self-suciency. Canada celebrates itself as a mosaic rather than a melting pot – a place where everyone has a chance to be themselves. What we often forget is that the pieces of a mosaic are often fragments. When the pieces come together, regardless of how they’re broken, the result can be beautiful. With more than 200 farm products produced in BC, we have a chance to show that Canada has space for everyone.
Agriculture should be more than seasonal workMore needs to be done to promote farm work as a career optionCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 5for ripeness and handle the crop gently, growers are – quite literally – at a loss. Domestic workers don’t see agriculture as a career path, however. According to the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council, the proportion of jobs in the BC farm sector that go unlled each year is roughly 8%. It’s even worse when circumstances collide, such as delays in the arrival of workers combined with an early onset of harvest. This was one of the issues facing fruit growers this year, who were still awaiting the arrival of backpackers from Quebec as hot weather accelerated the cherry crop. While tree fruit growers issued an open invitation to locals to come help them bring in a massive crop of cherries, a similar strategy last year didn’t quite reap the rewards expected. Many found the high-paying physical work a bit too physical. Some stayed for a few days, then disappeared. Taking the job seriously enough to show up consistently – or to admit that you’re not cut out for it – may be even more rare than having the right skills. The demand for workers is even more mystifying given that unemployment in the sector last year was approximately 8.5%, according to Statistics Canada. While this compared favourably to the overall economy, it highlights how many farm workers are not actually working. Why the disconnect? The standard reasons often relate to a mismatch in skills or location relative to the available jobs. This is where the Western Agriculture Labour Initiative is hoping to shed some light. Created in 2007 with a focus on foreign workers, WALI operates as a subsidiary of the BC Agriculture Council. But a new general manager position has been created that will see it expand to help farmers nd and keep domestic workers. A strategic planning process this fall will lay the foundation for work to develop “a long-term strategy for securing and retaining domestic workers.” But all the planning in the world won’t do any good unless people want to work in the sector. And that requires a change of heart. This is where initiatives such as the Grow Your Future initiative led by Ann Walsh on behalf of the horticulture sector are important. A series of ‘Day in the Life’ videos and a job-match tool aims to increase awareness of what agriculture has to oer and change how that work is perceived. The tagline “Grow Your Future” also points to the need for workers to be able to see a career path for themselves. This is something the BC wine industry recognized almost a decade ago as part of a study that identied a need for better training and strategies to provide year-round employment so workers could stay in the sector rather than leave in the o-season – and possibly never come back. A combination of local training that leads to local job experience also helps create networks that give new entrants the support they need, whether they’re working for someone else or starting their own farm. Rather than starting fresh with skills and experience acquired elsewhere, it ensures workers are part of the community from the start. They can focus on building on the connections they’ve got, and realizing their ambitions. While there’s camaraderie to be had among the youth who come for a working holiday or as a rite of passage, too few workers see that passage leading to a career in farming. It’s a seasonal job for them rather than a year-round – or lifetime’s – career. Bridging that divide is a key opportunity for anyone wanting to grow a new generation of farmhands. Peter Mitham is associate editor of Country Life in BC. One of the most surprising revelations of the COVID-19 pandemic is not how important foreign workers are to the country’s food supply. This was known well before the pandemic closed borders and sparked a rapid response from government to make sure the ow of these essential workers didn’t grind to a halt. BC welcomed more than 15,750 temporary foreign farm workers last year, nearly 2,500 more than in 2019. But even with arrivals of foreign workers trending higher this year, fruit growers in the Okanagan have put out renewed calls for domestic workers to help them harvest their fruit. This is the big surprise. Even with those much-needed foreign workers, farms are still short of labour. Domestic workers are still needed, even as the number of foreign workers continues to rise. Cherries, apples and other crops don’t lend themselves to machine harvesting. 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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 7Farmers struggle to get insurance coverage Climate events, low rates have triggered hard marketDaniela and Quentin Bruns spent four months trying to insure their Mara dairy farm, Hamberlin Holsteins Ltd. SUBMITTEDMower ConditionersKuhnNorthAmerica.comVisit your local British Columbia KUHN dealer today!INVEST IN QUALITY®www.kuhn.comTHE MOST COMPLETE HAY LINE Cut • Dry • HarvestSave time, money and improve hay quality with KUHN.THE HAY AND FORAGE TOOL SPECIALISTS Mowers Mergers Rotary Rakes Wheel Rakes Tedders Harvesting high-quality hay and forage is the focus of KUHN's hay tool innovation. Our commitment is to help yougain a maximum return on investment by providing products known for performance, reliability, and longevity.Matsqui Ag-RepairAbbotsfordNorthline EquipmentPouce CoupeHuber Farm EquipmentPrince GeorgeSmithersJACKIE PEARASE SALMON ARM – A hard market cycle for the insurance industry is making it harder for some farmers to get insurance coverage. It took four months for Mara dairy farmers Quentin and Daniela Bruns to secure insurance for their 180-acre certied organic operation with about 65 cows. Their struggle to nd an insurance company willing to cover their farm, Hamberlin Holsteins Ltd., was exacerbated by claims for a burned tractor in 2019 and a new barn roof lost in a wind storm in 2020. Typically, such clients remain with their insurer until the claims are o their history but the insurance company covering the Bruns pulled out of the industry. “I know we have two claims; I don’t want to be the bleeding heart and say, ‘Oh, poor me.’ But that’s what insurance is for. And at the time, they didn’t say don’t claim it because you’ll never get insurance again,” notes Daniela Bruns. “But, you know, when you start thinking about the fact that you have no insurance, re insurance, I go to bed pretty nervous sometimes. I think, ‘Holy sh*t, that’s scary.’” Commercial risk advisor Rosy Mounce of broker CapriCMW in Salmon Arm initially contacted 20 insurance companies to nd coverage for the farm. Not one said yes. “We went back to the insurance companies we thought were the best candidates and we pushed harder,” Mounce says. “We said, ‘You not oering them any options is going to be the dierence between this farm operating and not.’ There’s the social responsibility here. These are farmers; we need to support them.” Bruns says initial quotes came in at $35,000 but they brought the cost down by splitting their insurance between two companies, undergoing a credit check, and only insuring the house, dairy barn and shop/hay shed. The trailer used by an employee and another being rented are only covered for liability. “You’ve got to insure what makes you money, what brings in your income at least,” she adds. “Everything else we would just have to accept as a loss, which is pretty nuts.” They are relieved to have coverage but even with less insured, the price increased to $21,000 from $18,000 last year. Bruns initially contacted the BC Dairy Association to nd help securing coverage. BCDA producer and public aairs director Christine Terpsma said just the one producer has contacted them about insurance challenges. Bruns did eventually get The Co-operators to have a look at their le but Mounce had a tentative plan worked out by then. The BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries has elded about six inquires about the high cost of commercial insurance for individual farm businesses and farmers institutes. “We understand the impacts of rising insurance costs on farmers seeking to re-insure their properties,” states the ministry. “It’s important to note that government does not set See FARM on next page o
8 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCFARM insurance rates not sustainable nfrom page 7continue until insurance companies are once again earning healthy prots. “It’s not good news for farmers to hear that rates are going to continue to go up but we can’t leave it where there’s only a handful of insurance companies oering coverage and then a bunch of people don’t get coverage,” she says. “It’s not enough just to acknowledge that this was bad. Let’s not be in this situation again in the next 10 years. Let’s nd a way to make this more sustainable, to make the pricing sustainable.” Bruns sleeps better now that they have coverage but she says solutions are needed to prevent farms from collapsing under the cost and stress of obtaining and retaining insurance. “We’re a small farm and when you start to have to pay those kinds of amounts, it’s just not sustainable. We can’t do that every year,” notes Bruns. insurance rates or regulate pricing. The factors that are contributing to higher insurance prices are occurring all over the world.” Mounce has 18 years of experience in the insurance industry, 16 of them in farm insurance. She says the current hard market was triggered after a 10-year soft cycle of constant insurance rates was followed by several years with catastrophic climate events – res in Kelowna and Fort McMurray, ooding in Calgary – resulting in billions of dollars in losses. Insurance companies were paying out more than they were bringing in. As a result, some pulled out of the industry, others stopped providing certain classes of insurance, such as farm, and many changed qualication criteria and upped their rates. “That’s all it took to completely disrupt the whole industry,” says Mounce. She estimates a quarter of her farm clients are having signicant problems acquiring insurance. “Like they genuinely are questioning if they will be able to get coverage and if they can, if they will be able to aord it.” Mounce says it is important that producers understand the factors that can result in higher rates. This includes houses with old wiring and plumbing, the age or condition of a home or agricultural operation, and claims history. “The insurance companies that are out there, they’re benetting from 100 years of claims experience. They have the numbers on how much they pay out for every dollar of insurance they bring in.” She has proactive conversations with her farm clients to ensure they are not being complacent about how much coverage they have, what is being covered, when to make a claim, or what they can do to bring down their rates. “Do I invest in my property to make it more attractive to an insurance company? I always think that’s a better solution than spending more money on insurance,” she notes. “It’s a lot more fun to deliver good news than it is bad but these last two years has taught us that I would rather deliver bad news up front than put people through what some of our farms have gone through.” No easy solution CapriCMW worked with consultants to explore the captive insurance market as a possible solution for agricultural producers but found several drawbacks. “When you look at a captive, you only want to make sure you’re only taking on farms in excellent, best of class condition because it’s literally your money out of your wallet that’s going to pay for your neighbour’s barn that burned up,” explains Mounce. “When we talked with these consultants, they all ultimately came back and said if you don’t have $5-10 million in premiums being spent on insurance, it won’t work. So $5 million in premiums with an average farm paying $10,000. How many farms is that? That’s a lot of farms and they have to be the best quality.” Mounce says group insurance can work for some types of agriculture but the farms often have to t into a specic box for it to work, something often not achievable. Mounce suggests the government could have a role in aiding farmers by providing a rebate program or grants. Making insurance more attainable will attract more and new companies into the market. She says the hard market cycle with rising rates will New milk board chairA veteran of the Vancouver business world is the new chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board, succeeding outgoing chair Ben Janzen on July 31. Janice Comeau brings 30 years of experience in nance and strategic advisory roles to the position. She most recently spent three years as chair of the BC Land Titles and Survey Authority and is a director of Sugarbud Craft Growers Corp., a publicly traded cannabis producer based in Calgary. She previously held positions overseeing nance for private label snack maker Snack Alliance Inc. and Versacold Logistics. She has also worked in the real estate development and tech sectors. The marketing board’s announcement of her appointment describes Comeau as delivering “nancial leadership, accountability, strategic insight, and performance improvement for both entrepreneurial and public rms in growth or change.” Comeau’s two-year appointment runs until July 31, 2023. The announcement also acknowledged Janzen’s many years of service, thanking him for “his signicant contributions and dedication to the industry” over the course of 21 years as a board member. —Peter Mitham bcfarmandranch.com | 1-888-852-AGRI (2474)Professional experience, industry connections and rst hand farming knowledge, our team gets the job done!604.852.1180 or info@bcfarmandranch.com
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 9Pretty but toxic – to livestock and the environment. Black henbane, also known as stinking nightshade, has been recently added to the Invasive Species Council of BC’s most unwanted list. FILE PHOTOProudly offering quality farm equipment and wholesale farm product delivery across BC.Call, email or visit us onlineinfo@reimersfarmservice.com855.737.0110reimersfarmservice.comCheck out our Einbock Tillage Equipment For Organic FarmingTine Weeders t3PX$SPQ$VMUJWBUPSTr3PUBSZ)PFT $BNFSB(VJEBODF4ZTUFNAND On In StockAEROSTAR Tine WeedersDELTA Drain Tile Cleaner *NQSPWFT%SBJOBHFr$POEJUJPOT4PJMr&DPOPNJDBM 3FMJBCMFr-PX.BJOUFOBODFr4BGFBOE1SPWFOSPECIAL PRICING On In Stock SANDRA TRETICK WILLIAMS LAKE – Farmers and livestock producers in the Interior should be on high alert for black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger), a relatively new addition to the Invasive Species Council of BC’s most unwanted list. Distribution of this medicinal plant, also known as stinking nightshade, has been conrmed in the Cariboo, Okanagan-Similkameen, Thompson-Nicola and East Kootenay regions. Black henbane is toxic to cattle and horses, making it a particular concern for ranchers. Poisonings are rare due to the plant’s pungent odor and unpleasant taste, but it can also harbour crop pests that impact farming operations. It typically occurs in disturbed areas including open rangelands, roadsides and riparian areas. The plant’s spread makes a recent provincial announcement of $12 million to ght invasive species as part of the StrongerBC economic recovery plan all the more timely, according to the ISCBC. The council received $8 million to detect and remove invasive species over the next 15 months. The funding will provide training and support jobs that help control black henbane and other unwanted species. ISCBC executive director Gail Wallin says the funding is good news for BC farmers and ranchers because there’s never enough money that goes to combating invasive plants on the ground and there’s never enough people trained on how to identify, inventory and respond. “There’s always more work to be done and never enough people,” she says. “Our goal is creating 200 jobs across the province and we’ve already got 100 of those jobs up and running.” The rst phase is now running in a dozen locations, including Vernon, Ashcroft, Salmon Arm, Grand Forks and Nelson. Many projects have an agricultural focus. The council has hired four people in each region on four-month contracts. They receive training on invasive plants, pesticide application and plant removal techniques and other job safety information, such as Bear Aware, a course that teaches about safety in bear country. Then they are put to work on lands identied through partnerships with local organizations to augment existing projects in each area. “We can put people to work but we don’t know where,” she says. “We work with local land managers, the provincial government, First Nations and local governments to identify sites that need work.” That work includes both inventory and treatment, and removal may be done manually or chemically, typically involving herbicides applied with a backpack sprayer. Invasive species tend to move quickly in disturbed landscapes and through areas where people and equipment move, such as roadsides and recreational trails. Both often abut agricultural land. The remaining $4 million of the StrongerBC funding will fund established invasive species management partnerships with Indigenous groups, regional invasive species organizations, local governments and others. It is also supporting planning and expanded invasive species control eorts by the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries and three other provincial ministries. PlantWise provides options In May, ISCBC also relaunched an expanded version of its long-running PlantWise program. PlantWise raises awareness of invasive plants. The new program targets nurseries, garden centres, box stores and landscapers as well as the public. “We’ve had PlantWise for a while but we expanded it with input from the horticulture sector to include more plants. We also added green roof plants, aquatic plants and trees,” says Wallin. A key part of the program is called Grow Me Instead. It highlights the most problematic invasive plants in BC and oers up a variety of native and exotic plant alternatives that are not as risky. One of the plants on the list is baby’s breath, which is posing a problem on grasslands in the Cariboo. When baby’s breath invades grazing land, it reduces native grasses and forage for livestock and wildlife. Grow Me Instead lists ve responsible alternatives that oer similar characteristics and colour. “We’re working with the trades and the box stores because that’s where a lot of the plants are sold,” says Wallin. “There is a lot of scientic debate about which cultivars are good, which are safe alternatives and which aren’t. We have to work with the experts.” The BC Landscape and Nursery Association, whose membership includes nursery growers, landscape professionals, retail garden centres and the associated landscape horticulture trade, has worked with ISCBC on PlantWise for more than 10 years. “We really want to minimize the use of invasive horticulture varieties because we simply don’t want any impact on the natural environment out there,” says BCLNA chief operating ocer Hedy Dyck. “That being said, because BC has so many growing zones, what is invasive [on the south coast] like ivy is an annual in Prince George. There are quite a few plants like that.” $12 million allocated to fight invasive speciesBlack henbane among the weeds targeted by new fundingYOURHelping YouYOURHelping YouHelpingpingplpinYoulHHpingoeDon’t forget to RENEW your subscription toCountry Lifein BC
10 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCDustin Stadnyk CPA, CAChris Henderson CPA, CANathalie Merrill CPA, CMATOLL FREE 1-888-818-FARM | www.farmtax.caExpert farm taxation advice: • Purchase and sale of farms • Transfer of farms to children • Government subsidy programs • Preparation of farm tax returns • Use of $1,000,000 Capital Gains Exemptions Approved consultants for Government funding through BC Farm Business Advisory Services ProgramARMSTRONG 250-546-8665 | LUMBY 250-547-2118 | ENDERBY 250-838-7337View over 100 listings of farm properties at www.bcfarmandranch.comBC FARM & RANCH REALTY CORP.Buying or Selling a Farm or Acreage?GORD HOUWELING Cell: 604/793-8660GREG WALTON Cell: 604/864-1610Toll free 1-888-852-AGRI Call BC’s First and Only Real Estate Office committed 100% to Agriculture!PROFESSIONAL SERVICESEditor, Re: Salmon farm closures should raise alarm, April 2021 The following is a response to Tom Walker's article in the April edition where he thinks that salmon farm closures should raise alarm. He avoided mentioning how devastating open net sea pen salmon farms are to our wild salmon and all who rely on the salmon. It is not that sh farming is bad, the point is that it must be done in a contained land-based operation. In Norway, the cost to produce a kilogram of sh in a sea cage has now converged with land-based production. The company Atlantic Sapphire has tremendous success in North America raising salmon in this way. A must-read is Alexandra Morton's book titled Not on My Watch, which exposes the sad truth about open net salmon farms going back to the very start. Also, a recent Quirks and Quarks program on CBC radio featured Dr. Gideon Mordecai of UBC who spoke very profoundly about the terrible impacts on wild salmon from viruses including PRV and sea lice. Open net salmon farms will never be allowed on Haida Gwaii. Noel Wotten Tlell, Haida GwaiiNo place for farmed salmonLetters Pitt Meadows mitigation proposed by CP RailCP Rail is proposing to reuse topsoil and address drainage and irrigation issues to mitigate impacts of a logistics facility planned for 100 acres of farmland in Pitt Meadows. CP held three open houses in June as part of the second phase of a public consultation prior to submitting its proposal to the Canadian Transportation Agency. Agriculture was one of four areas of concern following the rst phase of public consultation, which ended January 15. “In the rst round of consultation, we heard concerns about the loss of agricultural land; questions about drainage, ooding and water management,” says Joe Van Humbeck. “We also heard concerns about balancing the importance of rail to get products to market with the importance of preserving farmland.” Discussions with the Pitt Meadows agricultural advisory committee led to making topsoil from the site available to local farms. Community feedback led to agricultural drainage criteria being included in technical studies now underway. The technical studies focus on agricultural drainage and irrigation systems, the quality and quantity of soil available for farming and the transport of agricultural goods by rail. Van Humbeck says federal law requires CP to maintain adequate infrastructure to serve clients, including the agriculture sector. He says CP’s plans align with Vancouver Fraser Port Authority growth forecasts as well as a federal goal to boost agricultural exports to $85 billion by 2025. This spring’s federal budget included nearly $2 billion “to strengthen Canada’s trade corridors, including roads, railways and port facilities,” something farmers should welcome according to federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. But farmland advocates in BC, including the Agricultural Land Commission, don’t. “[We] cannot support the CP Logistics Park Proposal because of the permanent loss of scarce highly capable agricultural land that would result and the disruptive eects of the development on surrounding agricultural lands and farm operations,” ALC chair Jennifer Dyson told CP in a March letter. During a June 24 townhall, participants cited her letter, challenging CP’s use of the property. Ag Briefs EDITED BY PETER MITHAM“I don’t think that CP has taken into account how scarce and how important this asset is, and the potential long-term consequences of failing to preserve agricultural land,” said local resident Heather Emmett, who has helped rally opposition to the project. But railway construction is considered essential and isn't subject to ALC approval. The latest public consultation ended June 30. The ndings will set the stage for a third round later this year, prior to submission of a formal application. —Peter Mitham Agassiz land exclusion refused BC’s Agricultural Land Commission has stood rm against a bid by the District of Kent to exclude four parcels totalling 43 acres for residential development. Often referred to as the Teacup properties, the parcels were designated a residential reserve in Kent’s ocial community plan in 2001. But in 2005, the ALC told the district “that any plans to develop this area for non-farm uses would be inconsistent with the ALC Act.” The commission reiterated its position in 2014, and conrmed it in its latest decision, issued June 14. “The Commission nds that the District’s residential growth objectives do not outweigh the mandate and purpose of the Commission to prioritize protecting the size, integrity, and continuity of the ALR and its use for farming,” it said in rejecting the application. The commission also noted that a majority of public correspondence on the matter “expressed signicant concern with the concept of displacing prime agricultural land for residential development.” While the district applied separately to include a much larger tract of 101 acres and proposed various developer-funded initiatives to support local agriculture, the commission said it didn’t change the exclusion. “The concept of swapping lands is conceptually awed in that it presupposes the overall outcome will result in a ‘net benet’ for agriculture when, in fact, the removal of agricultural land from the ALR to facilitate non-agricultural development represents a loss of agricultural land,” the decision reads. The decision by the ALC executive committee, chaired by Jennifer Dyson, was unanimous. Kent has up to a year to request a reconsideration of the decision. However, it can only do so if it can provide new and relevant evidence regarding the application or it presents evidence that the decision relied on false information. The district will hold an in camera discussion regarding the decision during its meeting on June 28. District councillor Kerstin Schwichtenberg, the sole elected ocial to vote against submitting the exclusion application, says the situation is complicated but she stands by her objections to using the Teacup lands for residential development. “The best farmland is not where we should look to build our homes,” she says. —Peter Mitham BC Ag Expo resumes Many agricultural events heaved a sigh of relief in early May when the province announced its four-step restart plan, which saw the province lift intraprovincial travel restrictions June 15. While this year’s plans called for an in-person event with public health protocols in place as stipulated by the provincial health ocer, the restart plan promises a far more normal experience for attendees. “We are so excited that we will be seeing all those familiar faces again,” says BC Ag Expo Society president Evelyn Pilatzke. “Our fair is more than just competitions. It is our extended 4-H and agricultural family having a chance to get together, learn and compete and grow together.” An online version of the event took place last year, and was very successful under the circumstances. Over 125 youth from the Cariboo, Shuswap, Okanagan, Boundary and Thompson Nicola regions participated in the 4-H and open categories. The fair typically attracts 300 youth entrants plus adults. But without the social aspect of an in-person gathering, it wasn’t the same. “The 4-H program is a hugely important part of many of our families’ lives and one of our society’s main purpose is to promote and encourage youth involvement,” says Pilatzke. Happily, sponsors and buyers stood by the event last year and have continued to support the society as it prepares for this year’s event. Planning for other youth programs is underway, says 4-H BC. Its biennial Youth Action event, which typically brings youth aged 14-15 together for a ve-day event, will take place as a day camp at three separate locations in the Fraser Valley, Okanagan and Kootenay regions. —Peter Mitham
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 11Farmers say new policy statement devalues agIslands Trust document heads to first reading without consultationProposed changes to the Islands Trust policy statement include a preference for small-scale, sustainable regenerative agriculture. KRISTINE MAYES / ISLANDS TRUSTSANDRA TRETICK PENDER ISLAND – Agriculture in the Gulf Islands will no longer be recognized as a traditional or valuable activity if Islands Trust approves a new policy statement, set for rst reading in July. The proposal is informed by input from the local community and more than 20 First Nations who have treaty and territorial rights and title within the Islands Trust area gathered as part of the Islands 2050 consultation, launched in September 2019. The current policy statement has been in place, largely unchanged, since 1994. “Words such as ‘traditional’ have been removed from the draft of the new Policy Statement to ensure that [it] is aligned with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action,” says Islands Trust communications specialist Vicki Swan. The proposed changes are driven by a need to acknowledge First Nations and the council’s commitment to reconciliation, and to address climate concerns, housing aordability, population growth, water supply constraints and expanding development pressures, adds Swan. “Islands Trust wants to ensure that impacts to land are minimized to ensure that cultural heritage and traditional cultivation areas and harvesting areas are not impacted,” she says. Surprised by changes The changes are a big surprise to the Pender Island Farmers’ Institute (PIFI), which saw a rst draft of the proposed changes in the second week of June. The draft didn’t come via their local trustees, raising concerns about the transparency of the process. “One of the farmers gave us the heads up and suggested that we take a look at it,” says PIFI president Barbara Johnstone Grimmer, who also chairs the North Pender Island Agricultural Advisory Commission (NPIAAC). “They were alarmed that the trust is pushing this to rst reading without community consultation.” At the crux of the matter is a lack of involvement in the changes aecting agriculture and the speed at which the process is moving ahead. In presentations to the communities made during Islands 2050, there was no indication that sweeping changes to agriculture policy were on the table, and prior to nalizing the draft for rst reading, the trust did not specically ask any members of the local farming community or any of the organizations representing farmers for their feedback on the proposed changes. That will come in the next phase of engagement, following rst reading. NPIAAC members, some of whom are also PIFI members, were unaware of the proposed changes. The group was shocked that agriculture as a traditional and valuable activity in the trust area was to be removed from the trust policy statement. “It appears to be throwing agriculture under the bus,” declares Johnstone Grimmer. “It has not been shared with our communities by our local trust committee yet, and next month [July] it will get rst reading.” Once nalized, all 20 ocial community plans and land use bylaws for the 13 local trust areas must be consistent with this document. If passed, the trust will no longer endorse applications for inclusion of land into the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). The trust expects applications would go directly to the Agricultural Land Commission for a decision and not via local trust committees. Other changes include a precautionary approach to the stewardship of agricultural lands and the preference for small-scale, sustainable regenerative agriculture that is supportive of local climate action and food security, respectful of Indigenous harvesting areas, and protective of the environmental integrity of the trust area. There is a focus on advocating for the provincial government to establish incentives and guidelines to support local farmers. 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12 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCBarbara Johnstone Grimmer, of Fir Hill Farms, is president of the Pender Island Farmers Institute. Her son Isaac Grimmer's family has lived and farmed in the area since 1882. SANDRA TRETICKPROCESS flawed nfrom page 11sales@baumalight.com | BAUMALIGHT.COMDale Howe 403-462-1975 | dale@baumalight.comMFG A VARIETY OF ATTACHMENTS INCLUDING: BRUSH MULCHERS | ROTARY BRUSH CUTTERSSTUMP GRINDERS | PTO GENERATORS | AUGER DRIVES | TRENCHERS | DRAINAGE PLOWS | TREE SAWS & SHEARSTREE SPADES | BOOM MOWERS | TREE PULLERS | FELLER BUNCHERS | EXCAVATOR ADAPTERS | SCREW SPLITTERSWording around low-carbon agriculture as a means to reduce climate vulnerability has also been added. According to the trust, the draft of the new policy statement denes a general approach to all aspects of land use that is consistent with the Islands Trust mandate, and that “prioritizes the safeguarding of protected area networks, freshwater sustainability, a healthy marine environment, and Indigenous cultural heritage.” Other industries impacted It isn’t just the farming community that is concerned. This approach is being applied to all activities the statement covers, including forestry, housing and transportation. The proposal places an outright ban on all docks except for property that is only accessible by boat. Local posts by concerned residents started appearing on islands-based Facebook groups days before Islands Trust announced the draft policy statement was going for rst reading. Behind the scenes, the policy statement barely made it onto the July 8 council meeting agenda. A program committee meeting in mid-June saw trustees, who were starting to hear concerns from constituents, equally divided on rushing the draft through. A tie vote on deferring rst reading meant rst reading would proceed. An ad hoc group from several islands is distributing a yer throughout the region encouraging people to voice their concerns to the premier and demand that trustees halt this process now. The current timeline for rst reading has a lot of detractors and a petition is circulating to request a deferral until community consultations can take place. “The Trust Policy Statement is an overarching document that guides our ocial community plans and land use bylaws,” says Johnstone Grimmer. “We have concerns that agriculture will be signicantly, and negatively, impacted by this rushed and awed process.” PIFI met on June 23 to approve a letter to the premier and agriculture minister. Meanwhile, others, including some past trustees, have already written. Former long-term Saturna Island trustee John Money was worried about the process and the proposed changes. His letter condemns the unseemly haste at which the draft is being hammered through with little or no input from the communities aected by the statement. He’s also concerned that “good agriculture” will be determined by the Islands Trust and notes that Gulf Island farmers have been very successful growing food and fruit for the last 100 years. Another former trustee, Jane Perch of South Pender Island, expressed concern in her letter about the challenges of making any substantive changes to the wording once rst reading is approved. She wants the process stopped now. On the evening before rst reading on July 8, trust council will hold a two-hour virtual meeting to encourage public input. Each person will be allowed to speak for two minutes. Perch’s letter called this a sham. Concerns have also been raised that the proposed policy statement will apply a one size ts all blanket over the whole region, centralizing control and reducing the unique character of each trust area. Agriculture importa nt Tensions have simmered for years between those focused on the trust’s preserve and protect mandate and those who argue that the Islands Trust Act give local trustees some leeway for establishing policies to tackle issues like housing aordability and needs specic to local areas. It appears to be coming to a head. But the Islands Trust will continue to advocate on behalf of farmers, says chair Peter Luckham. “Through the 18-month consultation, we learned that agriculture is clearly important to residents of the trust area, and it’s reected in the draft of the new policy statement,” says Luckham. “Read the document cover to cover to get a holistic perspective, and discover how Islands Trust proposes advocating for farmers with the provincial government.” Luckham encourages residents to register for updates and participate in the three-month consultation process that will follow rst reading on July 8. The trust would like to see the new policy statement approved by the province next summer, before the next municipal elections. Money told Country Life in BC that the trust has noone with an agricultural background within its payroll. “The policy used to say farming was part of what the communities are all about,” says Money. “Now the Islands Trust has removed that statement and they say that they should dictate what is good farming.” The BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries is taking a hands-o approach for now. It provided a statement to Country Life in BC that it understands the proposed changes are more about broader eorts to increase food suciency in the Gulf Islands and pursuing farming that considers regenerative, agro-ecology, greenhouse and other techniques. The trust was established in 1974 and is under the jurisdiction of the BC Ministry of Municipal Aairs. The trust’s mandate is to preserve and protect the islands and surrounding waters in the southern Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound, often referred to as the Salish Sea. The area is home to 26,000 residents, 10,000 non-resident property owners and 28,000 Coast Salish. The current and proposed new policy statements, along with a series of FAQs published since islanders started raising questions, are available on the trust’s website.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 13Even though the provincial government has created a new Regenerative Agriculture and Agri-tech Network, BC Assessment is slow to recognize the idiosyncrasies in developing a farm using a regenerative approach. They have repeatedly denied farm status to one farm in the Kootenays. PAUL SAWATZKYFOR BAGGED or BULK ORDERSDarren Jansen Owner604.794.3701organicfeeds@gmail.comwww.canadianorganicfeeds.comCertified by Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd.Farm status elusive for regenerative agricultureTransparency missing from assessment decisionsKATE AYERS WYCLIFFE – Regenerative agriculture practices are spreading as consumers use their purchasing power to push for social and environmental change. Many producers recognize the ecological benets and the provincial government has created a new Regenerative Agriculture and Agri-tech Network to support innovation in the eld. “This network will support both innovation in BC’s growing agritech sector and the adoption of new technology to improve production and eciency,” says the ministry’s public aairs ocer Dave Townsend. “This will help make farming more sustainable and use agriculture as a tool to help mitigate the impacts of climate change.” But developing farms incorporating regenerative practices say the province’s investments ring hollow based on their experience with BC Assessment. Paul Sawatzky was born and raised on a farm in southwest Saskatchewan. He studied biology at the University of Saskatchewan and worked in the eld of wildlife biology and forage production, nally spending 10 years regulating pesticides at the federal level. Since moving to BC in 2008, he has applied twice to BC Assessment for developing farm status for his 82-acre property in Wyclie, a small community between Cranbrook and Kimberley, as he prepares the land for hay and other crops. Both applications were denied because BC Assessment says the property doesn’t meet the criteria for a developing farm. He rst applied for developing farm status in 2019. When he was turned down, he appealed. “I’ve been through the rst two stages of the appeal process. I disputed the panel’s ndings and went through to the second stage, but then I withdrew my appeal altogether. It started to suck too much of my energy and time,” he says. Sawatzky’s plans to incorporate regenerative agriculture practices include implementing rotational grazing and planting forage crops to build soil organic matter. “While this land is in the ALR, the topsoil here is almost non-existent. It’s clay and rock beneath the soil surface. With regenerative agriculture and intensive grazing, you can take marginal land and make it much more productive,” he says. This year he applied again with a plan to plant forages and run ve yearling steers on his property and sell them in the fall as grass-fed beef. But that wasn’t good enough for BC Assessment, which indicated that his planting dates, expected income date, and income amount did not meet the requirements outlined in the BC farm classication regulation 411/95. “BC Assessment said the animals had to have been on the property since last fall,” he explains. While this is a standard practice for large ranches that helps manage market risk, according to the BC Cattlemen’s Association, it’s not how smaller producers like Sawatzky operate. “You don’t overwinter them. You get them in the spring, graze them until early fall, and then you take them to an abattoir,” he says. “Yet they say that, according to their legislation, you have to have the cows the fall before.” Galling Being refused a second time was particularly galling because the province is waiving the income requirement for farm status for a second year in a row. But new applicants still need to qualify. The denial of farm status for Sawatzky in 2019 means he had to meet the income threshold of $2,500 plus 5% of the value of the farm property in excess of 10 acres. Sawatzky did not meet this requirement because no income was generated this year and is not anticipated until 2022, according to the BC Assessment senior appraiser assigned to the le. Yet the measure was specically designed to help developing farms like Sawatsky’s. “If the province had not taken action with a regulatory amendment last year, more than 400 farm properties with a history of sub-threshold income and many developing farms would have been at risk of losing their farm class for 2021,” says a June 14 government release, noting that developing farms will once again benet in 2022. Sawatzky’s plan to use the perennial forages to improve his soil does not comply with BC Assessment’s legislation, even though forage production is a legitimate agricultural use. This is because BC Assessment says hay requires “less than one year before harvesting.” See FARM on next page oRoost Solar is committed to the highest level of quality, customer service and technical expertise. 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14 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCFarm management – whether conventional, organic or regenerative – has no bearing on whether a property qualies for farm status, says BC Assessment. PAUL SAWATZKYMarketing British Columbia to the World®www.landquest.comToll Free 1-866-558-LAND (5263)“The Source” for Oceanfront, Lakefront, Islands, Ranches, Resorts & Land in BC®LOON LAKE RANCHLOON LAKE, BCLOG HOME AND ACREAGE IN THE SOUTHERN GULF ISLANDSOCEANFRONT HOME OR RETREATDENNY ISLANDRIVERFRONT STARTER RANCH OR HOBBY FARM WITH TIMBER - QUESNEL, BCRARE LAKEFRONT PROPERTY WITH 2 CABINS - FAWN LAKEKULLAGH LAKE RANCHNICOLA VALLEYESCAPE TO REFUGE COVE IN THE HEART OF DESOLATION SOUND MARINE PARKSIDNEY ISLAND OCEANFRONT COTTAGE LOT 64 - SOUTHERN GULF ISLANDSPICTURE PERFECT CABIN & RECREATION PROPERTY - GERMANSEN LANDING, BCTROPHY PIECE! LAKEFRONT PARADISERADIUM HOT SPRINGS, BC2,277 acres, 12 titles, 1,500± ft on Loon Lake. 3,994 AUM Range permit for 800 head, 4 pivot irrigation system. Follows Loon Creek Valley for 8 km to Upper Loon Lake. 4 hours from Vancouver on a paved road. Leased until end of 2022. $4,995,000Three bedroom custom log home on five acres with sunny southern exposure on Galiano Island’s south end. Excellent walkability, close to Bellhouse Provincial Park, beach accesses, ferries, and south end amenities. $1,285,000Central Coast home or business opportunity on 1.65 waterfront acres. Ocean views with three very well built structures, a dock and boat launch and excellent recreational value. Property is cleared and waiting for your creative landscaping. $449,000140 riverfront acres in warm micro-climate. Signi昀cant timber value. 2,296 ft2 3 bedroom, 3 bath home with a view of the Fraser River. Detached garage / shop. Set up for horses, round pen / riding arena, loa昀ng shed and tack shed. Riverfront campsite. 20 minutes south of Quesnel. $925,000Stunning lakefront property with 2 cabins on 10 acres in the heart of the Fishing Highway. This cozy retreat features 335 ft of frontage onto a well-known 昀shing lake, Fawn Lake. Nestled against the trees, the privacy and calmness of this property is second to none. $425,000320 acre Kullagh Lake Ranch, 50 acre private lake in charming Nicola Valley. Architecturally designed home with high-quality 昀nishings and sweeping views of the lake and rolling grasslands. 3 hours to Vancouver. Under hour to Kamloops and Merritt. $3,495,0001.71 acres with 500± feet of oceanfront in Refuge Cove, the heart of Desolation Sound Marine Park. Custom built 1,150 ft2 2 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom seasonal / year-round residence constructed in 2006. Guest cabin, sheltered private dock and all the comforts of home. $699,0002.5 acre trophy oceanfront on Bootlegger Point. Easy low bank access to spectacular sandy beach & adjacent to parklike Conservancy. 1,384 ft2 2 bdrm, 2 bath + loft cottage has huge windows & wraparound deck. Panoramic ocean views As good as it gets in the Southern Gulf Islands! $1,595,0003,000± ft2 log home carefully designed, and skilfully crafted with comfort in mind. 5 bedrooms, open concept kitchen, living / dining space, the sun-soaked residence is a perfect location to gather with family and friends. The region is renowned for its hunting and outdoor activities. $649,000The premier Columbia Valley acreage: 1.4 km of lake frontage on beautiful Baptiste Lake set against the Rocky Mountains, Crown land then Kootenay National Park. This is truly a one-of-a-kind property ideal for a private nature paradise with lots of established trails for recreation. 160 acres. $1,500,000RICH OSBORNE 604-328-0848Personal Real Estate Corporationrich@landquest.comDAVE SIMONE 250-539-8733DS@landquest.comFAWN GUNDERSON 250-982-2314Personal Real Estate Corporationfawn@landquest.comSAM HODSON 604-809-2616Personal Real Estate Corporationsam@landquest.comMARTIN SCHERRER 250-706-9462martin@landquest.comLandQuest® Realty Corp CaribooJOHN ARMSTRONG 250-307-2100john@landquest.comJASON ZROBACK 1-604-414-5577 JAMIE ZROBACK 1-604-483-1605DAVE COCHLAN 604-319-1500dave@landquest.comCHASE WESTERSUND 778-927-6634Personal Real Estate CorporationCOLE WESTERSUND 604-360-0793MATT CAMERON 250-200-1199matt@landquest.comVisit our Website“This policy is applied to all developing hay farm applications across the province consistently,” says the appraiser. Other qualifying agricultural uses are granted between one and six years or between seven and 12 years to develop before harvest and sales occur, including berry elds and fruit orchards. BC Assessment relies on “industry standards and norms” to set appropriate establishment periods for agricultural products listed in the farm classication regulation. The regulation itself is silent on establishment periods, however, making it dicult for landowners to understand the criteria for BC Assessment’s decisions. “Industry standards are such a misused phrase. Unless they’re written down and people are abiding by that standard and they are formalized, you can’t just use anecdotal hearsay and say that’s an industry standard,” Sawatzky says. “I spent two years of my life researching forage crops. Forages aren’t annuals.” BC Assessment’s inability to produce an explanation for industry standards highlights what Sawatzky considers fairness issues in the organization’s procedures. “The people assessing properties have absolutely no knowledge in … classifying farm land. That fact becomes very apparent in our conversations,” Sawatzky explains. “They also don’t understand their own legislation nor how to apply it. Yet when you go before the rst review panel, they side with BC Assessment.” The fact the assessment process doesn’t accommodate farms implementing regenerative practices is also at odds with the province’s promotion of the adoption and innovation of such practices. “BC Regulation 411/95 does not currently distinguish between regenerative farming practices and traditional farming practices at this time,” BC Assessment told Sawatzky. BC Assessment’s manager of quality standards and practices Peter Alexander conrms this. “Organic and regenerative practices are more of a farm management practice than an agricultural use for qualifying a property for farm class under the existing regulation,” he says. “There is no specication of production or management practices.” Disconnect Regardless of the farm or management type, there seems to be some disconnect between the BC Assessment legislation and on-farm practices. Sawatzky would like to see provincial assessors receive more training in farm classication. “Their job as an arm of the provincial government is to work for people who pay property taxes. To facilitate understanding, not to throw up road blocks,” Sawatzky says. “There should be agronomy training for these people who decide farm status. The information and knowledge they use needs to (be) publicly available so that they can be held accountable.” FARM status denied nfrom page 13
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 15Maple Ridge farmers feel unsupportedGrowers ask mayor, council to show support for local agRayne Beveridge is frustrated by the length of time it is taking Maple Ridge to approve his on-farm cafe at Yellow House Farm. RONDA PAYNE616 ACRE RIVERFRONT FARM 35305 Cariboo Hwy, Prince GeorgeUÊvÀÌ>LiÊ{Êi`ÀÊiUÊÀ>ÃiÀÊ,ÛiÀÊÀÌ>}iUÊiÀV>Ì>LiÊ/LiÀUÊÀi>ÌÊvÀÊ>ÀiÌÊ>À`i]ÊÊÊÊÊ>ÀÞÊÀÊiivUÊ-Ê,ÓxÈxnnÇÊÊÊÊf£]Óx]äää°ääBob Granholm RE/MAX7iÊ>«Ì>ÊÊ,i>ÌÞ250.938.3372Serving the Okanagan and Fraser Valley We’ve been proudly family owned and operated since opening in 1976. And with two blending plants, we’re one of BC’s largest distributors of granular, liquid and foliar fertilizers. Our buying power and proximity to the Fraser Valley makes us the logical choice for truckload shipments. OKANAGAN FERTILIZER LTD 1-800-361-4600 or 250-838-6414RONDA PAYNE MAPLE RIDGE – Situated between the mountains and the Fraser River, Maple Ridge is home to more than 200 farms but some local farmers feel the municipality isn’t making the sector a priority. Pascale Shaw, a school trustee, member of the city’s agricultural advisory committee and owner of Rainbow Eggs Farm, says the city has set aside opportunities to inspire interest in agriculture. One was a push for backyard chickens in June 2019 that council voted to close to future discussion. “I’m a big believer in people learning about agriculture,” she says. “We need to encourage people in agriculture.” She sells eggs, dahlias and plant starts from her roadside stand and is always working on something to promote agriculture in the community, like the third annual Whonnock Giant Pumpkin contest scheduled for this fall. Because of high land prices, she says the idea of allowing urban chickens was a “gateway to farming” for those who wouldn’t otherwise have direct contact with food production. She feels that bringing more agriculture to the community must come from education, encouraging interest and support from multiple levels of government. “During this pandemic, I don’t once recall any one government saying, ‘go out there and grow some food’,” she says. Down the road from Shaw, Rayne Beveridge has 21-acre Yellow House Farm and is putting nishing touches on his farm-based Sunower Café. The mixed-use farm launched commercial production last year with a community-supported agriculture program. This year, plantings will supply both the CSA program and the new on-farm café. Beveridge expects the café to take about 50% of what he produces and plans to move that to 80% in time, but he says delayed inspections and other red tape has prevented him from opening. "When I speak to elected ocials, they have acknowledged the issue; they express desire to x the issue," he says, adding that he feels the lack of agricultural support has become more of a habit. "Shifting perceptions can be a challenge." Shaw thinks one solution is to create a separate government body to jump in and fast-track approval of any agricultural business in the community. She would like the local mayor and council to stand up for local agriculture. Councillor Gordy Robson, who sits on the agricultural advisory committee with Shaw, agrees that Maple Ridge doesn’t oer much support to local agriculture. While there have been successes, they’re rare. “This year, the agriculture committee has successfully brought down the tax rate on farmland,” he says. “We found out we were one of the highest in the Fraser Valley and now we are in line.” Now, the committee is trying to nd solutions to reduce the cost of water for farms and is also looking at improving drainage on lands in Albion Flats that the Agricultural Land Commission has declined to remove from the ALR several times. Beyond this, Robson wonders what the municipality can do to make a dierence. “There’s not a lot that we know we can do,” he says. “Right now, operating a farm in Maple Ridge, you gotta love the lifestyle because you’re not making any money. On a local level, I don’t know that we can do anything about that.” The bigger issue is food security, says Beveridge. “If our food security issues become worse, this community is going to be relying on farms like ours,” he says. “What we’re doing here is important.” But Robson doesn’t think food security is an issue for the community. His wife, Mary, is the executive director of the Friends in Need Food Bank. Robson says fears of having enough food during the pandemic last year were overcome when the milk marketing board and others stepped up with contributions. “We were concerned that the clients we have wouldn’t be able to eat,” he says. “We were happy to learn that the marketing boards were our salvation. We were able to subsist on foods in BC. That wouldn’t be true if we didn’t have marketing boards.” But he says traditional methods of agriculture need to change for the future. “How we do agriculture is not sustainable,” he says. “Down the road, we’re probably going to be eating vegetables grown from a high-rise tower. And eat meat grown in a petri dish. I don’t think we need to say we’re saving this land to grow food.” Lifestyle is part of farming in Maple Ridge, says Shaw, as is supporting the eorts of people like Beveridge. “Out here, we don’t borrow sugar. We grow giant pumpkins, we catch each other’s llamas,” she says. “When someone is trying to do something to promote agriculture, those are the kinds of things we should be supporting.”
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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 17Have you herd? VBP+ TrainingWorkshops or Webinarsare Free!Looking to learn moreabout how to raisehealthy beef cattle?Open to producers of allsizes!free to all beef producersin bc!Producer Check-o Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333KATE AYERS KAMLOOPS – Beef cattle farmers and ranchers from across the province gathered virtually for BC Cattlemen’s Association’s 93rd annual general meeting on June 9 to discuss ongoing committee projects and submitted resolutions. The group addressed numerous pressing and contentious issues that BC ranchers face and how the association plans to move forward to ensure sector viability. BCCA president Renee Ardill provided an update on committee activities from the past year. While the group had to conduct most business by teleconference or virtual meetings, the association continued advocating for its members. BCCA’s environmental stewardship committee, for example, is “trying to get the government to build a comprehensive wildlife plan that manages all species, including predators, and includes inventories and forage enhancement,” says Ardill. “They are also advocating for predator management as part of the caribou recovery plan, monitoring the province’s new initiatives to protect species at risk, and calling on the government to take action on the rural dumping problem.” Following the merger of the livestock industry protection and research committees, the beef production and innovation committee was born. The group is “working on resolutions from past AGMs to review the value of bonds and consider establishing a vendor security fund. … Options to nance a fund are underway,” Ardill says. The fund would compensate producers in the event a livestock dealer defaults on payment, protecting them from loss. The public aairs committee continues to share relevant and accurate beef sector information with students. They are creating comprehensive beef kits for primary, intermediate and secondary students in collaboration with Agriculture in the Classroom. The Indigenous aairs and Indigenous relations committees worked together to build a position statement for the association. The statement as drafted says the association looks toward building understanding and connection with Indigenous peoples. “Indigenous peoples and ranchers share a connection to the land and hold many values in common, having been neighbours across generations throughout rural British Columbia,” the statement says. “The BC Cattlemen’s Association recognizes the deep connection that many Indigenous peoples and communities have with the lands and resources they have used for centuries.” BCCA wants to facilitate collaboration between ranchers and Indigenous communities to ensure continued access to the land and water resources and will seek opportunities to work together for the benet of all. Pandemic challenges BCCA general manager Kevin Boon briey addressed the processing challenges ranchers faced at the beginning of the pandemic. Fortunately, thanks to a government set-aside program for fed cattle, the quick implementation of personal protection protocols and packing plant upgrades, the disruption caused by plant shutdowns had a much smaller impact on live cattle inventories than expected, he says. Boon then welcomed BCCA’s newest regional association, the Vancouver Island Cattlemen’s Association. In Boon’s report, he also mentioned the ongoing issue of illegal trespassing on private lands. “We continue to meet with government and other provincial livestock associations to work towards stronger protection for agriculture producers in BC,” Boon says. “We have urged the solicitor general to increase the penalties and expedite the laying of charges when trespass does occur.” Water access and use continue to be contentious issues for BC ranchers. BCCA’s water committee has been working closely with the government to develop a livestock watering regulation, Boon says. The government proposed a three-tier registration process dividing producers into three groups based on herd size. While the proposal had some positives, the water sub-committee had concerns about mandatory licensing and lack of protection during periods of water scarcity. “The recommendation that BCCA carried forward was that the Crown licensing be tied to the AUM [animal unit months] and that a mandatory licence only be required where water was in short supply,” Boon says. “BCCA has also made it clear that during times of scarcity, livestock should be guaranteed access to water supplies as they are low volume users and it is an animal welfare concern to deny this access.” Currently, there is no regulation in place and the province has paused work on the livestock water regulation for at least a year, says BCCA’s water sub-committee chair Linda Allison. Water, land issues remain a priority for BC ranchersCrown land management needs signficant improvementsSee BC BEEF on next page oA moo-ving experiencePatrick and Karen Huestis of Coppertone Farms in Abbotsford delivered a Hereford bull to Prevost Island in April. The bull went by ferry to Salt Spring, then by barge to Prevost Island, a traditional way of delivering livestock to the Gulf Islands. The barge was supplied by BWL Marine Services Ltd, owned by Greg and Kym Bellavance of Salt Spring. This is the third time Patrick has delivered a bull to the de Burgh family's farm. Coppertone 72C Gator is now with his own herd of Hereford cows at Prevost Island Farm. LIAM MURRAY
18 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCBC BEEF should be up and running in August nfrom page 17Agricultural Grade Products - Made in the U.S.A. Contact your local Nelson Irrigation dealer today!TAP INTO OUR WEBINAR SERIES! NELSONIRRIGATION.COMROTATOR®TECHNOLOGYREIGNSNEW HANGINGSPRINKLER SOLVESPROBLEMS FORORGANIC GROWERS15-50 PSI8.5-75 GPH9-16’ RAD.Introducing the S7 Spinner - a new Nelson innovation designed to combatrising energy and labor costs. The S7’s modular design allows quick and easynozzle exchange - and the Quick Clean (QC) technology reduces irrigatorhours — simply turn, flush and reconnect. Special insect protection helpsprevent plugging or stalling. Find out more at WWW.NELSONIRRIGATION.COM“The bad news is that we do not have a stockwater regulation yet. The good news is that we also do not have a stockwater regulation that won’t work for our industry,” she says. “In the meantime, the Water Sustainability Act requires all use to be licensed unless it is for domestic use or mineral exploration.” Boon also reminded producers to apply for groundwater licences before March 1, 2022, but the association is urging the province to consider a further extension of the application deadline. The land stewardship committee is strongly promoting the need for improvements to Crown land management, Boon says. “They have been encouraging government that there needs to be a renewed focus on forage on their land base and that it needs to be part of a landscape-level planning model that not only looks at timber supply but also at managing the available forage,” he explains. “The committee has presented some key principles that we feel are necessary for range planning and the health of the land. BCCA has also met with the Agricultural Land Commission on this issue, encouraging them to ensure that Crown ALR land is being given consideration by government in how it plans and implements non-agriculture use.” Boon also discussed conicts between wildlife, livestock and ranchers. Wolves are the top predator that ranchers manage on their properties. Fortunately, the livestock protection program (LPP) administered by BCCA helps ranchers deal with canid predation. “We know it does not address all of the problems out there and that it is quite restrictive in that there are very precise and stringent conditions in the permit we must operate under,” Boon says. “However, it is a program which is very defendable and has shown some very tangible results. Meeting the scrutiny of government and the public is extremely important when it comes to understanding the balance needed and the impact predators have on the livestock sector.” Overall, the LPP continues to be a successful and responsive initiative across the province. In 2020, the program acted on 459 les, which is down 6.3% from 2019 and down 24% from 2018, says BCCA’s LPP coordinator Cam Hill. “This is a clear indication that the program is achieving its intended goals in reducing conict with canids,” Hill adds. Bear conicts are on the rise, however. Since the cancellation of the grizzly bear hunt, conict reports have steadily increased. The encounters are also becoming a human safety issue, says Boon. “Overall, wildlife is not well managed in the province. Much of this mismanagement is due to a ‘single-species’ management approach rather than a full multi-species plan,” says Boon. “We encourage government to implement a system where all wildlife is managed as a unit so that a balance is created that is sustainable for the health of all of the species, not just a few that the public feel are important.” Provincial support for plant upgrades One of BCCA’s largest projects last year was the launch of BC Beef Producers Inc., which took possession of the former KML plant in Westwold last fall. Upgrading the 20-year-old federally inspected plant was supported with $1 million from the province’s StrongerBC economic recovery plan. “It was oered to us because of the value of having the plant operational if further federally inspected processing was needed because of the impact that COVID was having on the meat processing industry,” Boon says. “That infusion was major for us and part of the reason we are able to be up and running for our scheduled opening in August.” Boon says the plant will give producers a chance to market locally grown beef directly to consumers under a “Genuine BC Beef” label. “The brand is completely owned by the producers and allows them to cut out all of the middlemen in the process of getting what they raise to the marketplace,” he says. Producers who invest in the company and are a part of the brand can keep all of the prot from the revenue that their animals generate right through to the consumer, he adds. While producers must invest into the company, the brand allows them to add value to the cattle they raise, Boon says. The meeting wrapped up with discussions on seven resolutions submitted by the association’s 17 regional associations. The resolutions covered issues including the grizzly bear hunt, noxious weeds, carbon sequestration, rural landowner obligations, an ALR exit strategy, dugout licensing, and invasive plants on Crown land. With les from Tom Walker “The bad news is that we do not have a stockwater regulation yet. The good news is that we also do not have a stockwater regulation that won’t work for our industry.” LINDA ALLISON BCCA WATER SUB-COMMITTEE CHAIR
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 19Water licensing process needs streamlining Cattlemen provide six-point action plan to governmentThe province is refusing to grant further extensions to next February’s deadline to apply for groundwater licences, but BC Cattlemen’s says the complicated application is working against efforts to license existing well-owners. FILEPROVINCIAL LIVESTOCK FENCING PROGRAMApplications Close: August 31, 2021View program updates at cattlemen.bc.ca/fencing.htmOce: 1.778.412.7000 Toll Free: 1.866.398.2848email: fencebc@cattlemen.bc.ca In partnership with:“Serving and Supporting the Community Together”PROVINCIALLY INSPECTED ABATTOIR B.C. #34ALL SIZES MARKET GOATS & LAMBS604.465.4752 (Ext 105)FAX 604.465.4744 ashiq@meadowvalleymeats.comTOM WALKER KAMLOOPS – With a shocking lack of licences issued ve years into BC’s groundwater licensing regime, the BC Cattlemen’s Association has sent the province a six-point action plan to forestall disaster next year. The province says it’s not going to be giving non-domestic groundwater users any more time to apply for a groundwater licence and maintain their historical priority under the new rst in time, rst in right (FITFIR) groundwater management system. This could result in thousands of existing users losing their historical priority and be treated as new users, possibly with a reduced allocation. “The BC Cattlemen’s Association would like to see every rancher who wants a water licence be able to successfully obtain one,” BCCA president Renee Ardill writes in a May 31 letter to agriculture minister Lana Popham, natural resources minister Katrine Conroy, whose ministry oversees FrontCounter BC which processes the licence applications, and environment minister George Heyman. The letter urges the province to simplify the application process and support producers who need it; extend the application deadline; prioritize applications from farmers and ranchers; and streamline the approval process, expediting applications for existing users. BCCA general manager Kevin Boon says there have been few changes since the province introduced ranchers to the licensing process at their annual general meeting in Penticton in 2016. Delegates sat through a two-hour presentation accompanied by some 80 pages of handouts. “That 80-page handout on how to ll out an application says a lot,” he says. There have been just over 4,000 applications since then and fewer than 1,300 licences granted. While there have been some improvements in the process, they’re nowhere near what’s needed, says Boon. This is why the rst requests on the action plan are for a simpler application and greater assistance to producers in lling them out. “I want to be clear that it is not the fault of the FrontCounter employees,” says Boon. “But we would like someone from the Ministry of Agriculture who understands our needs to help producers with their application.” Boon says the application requires far more detail than is necessary. “BC Cattlemen’s has always supported the well licensing process. It’s a way for our members to secure their historic water rights, and for the province to better allocate water, but the government is being overzealous,” he says. A rancher with two wells on two dierent pastures is required to calculate the details of how water from each well will be used. “That’s impossible to predict one year to the next,” says Boon. A rancher might rotate cows into a pasture for the early spring and summer and irrigate and mow for the rest of the year, but next year he might plow and reseed that pasture. The two activities require dierent volumes of water. “These application requirements have the potential to really impact a rancher’s choice of management practices,” says Boon. Boon says the applications should be as simple as “100 cows use 30 gallons of water a day,” giving the rancher a licence for 3,000 gallons a day. “It doesn’t matter which one of those wells it comes out of, when they are both on your licence,” he says. Hours online Since the application process is entirely online, it can take hours for ranchers to navigate the details, especially with the speed of rural Internet. Their reality doesn’t always match the FrontCounter BC estimate that applications can be completed in less than 90 minutes. “If a rancher can’t get their application completed after six hours, he is not going to be eager to sit down and try it again.” Boon points out. BCCA would like to see the application deadline extended until the province has sorted out the livestock watering regulations and operators can provide an overview of their water needs. BCCA would also like government to streamline the review and approval process to give priority to applications from existing users before approving new applications from non-farm users, such as bottling plants. Within these, food and livestock production should be top of the heap because they’re an essential services. There is also a concern that applications for a seasonal use, such as a dugout built to capture run o water, will be subjected to the same long waiting time that groundwater licences have suered. “The rancher with that dugout may not get approval for four years and that severely restricts his management plans,” notes BCCA assistant general manager Elaine Stovin. Boon says that ranchers have lost faith after experiencing this dicult start up and trust drops even further when ranchers know the low number of licences that have actually issued. There is no communication and applicants have no idea if their paperwork has even been received for processing. “When we phone to ask, we are told if our cheque has been cashed that means they’ve received the application,” says Boon.
20 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCKATE AYERS KAMLOOPS – Canada now holds negligible risk status for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). Delegates to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) general session made the decision on May 27. The shift to the lowest level of risk for transmission of BSE makes Canada eligible for expanded access to foreign markets for more beef products, previously limited by BSE-era restrictions. “We were in a dicult position to be competitive with other countries that were not dealing with BSE,” says BC Cattlemen’s Association general manager Kevin Boon. “This (designation) puts us back on an even keel with other exporting countries and it opens up the products that we can market around the world that we couldn’t before.” Producers will be able to market more specied risk material, for example. “It has a lot of potential for us to capitalize and put more dollars per animal back into the pocket of beef producers,” says Boon. Negligible risk status will also allow processing plants to align their requirements with those of international players. BSE created additional requirements for the Canadian processing sector, which put plants at an economic disadvantage compared to others in the global marketplace, notes the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. The development comes 18 years since Canada reported its rst case of BSE in May 2003, a discovery that closed international markets to producers. Many groups played a role to achieve this designation and help Canada’s beef sector weather this storm, including farmers and ranchers, the government, veterinarians and consumers. “The cattle industry has been hit hard by (BSE), but we would not have come through it in the shape we did if it was not for the Canadian consumer,” says Boon. “They got behind us and showed their trust in the safety of our products … by increasing Canadian beef consumption. It shows the value of buying local. I cannot stress enough how important our consumer was to help our industry survive.” While Canada developed some markets by exceeding special criteria for beef production and processing, the sector experienced losses between close to $5.5 billion between 2003 and 2006. In addition, the sector lost 26,000 producers between 2006 and 2011. Canada reported its last case of BSE in an animal born more than 11 years ago. This, combined with demonstrating eective control and surveillance measures, gave OIE delegates condence to grant Canada negligible risk status. Canada ‘negligible risk’ for BSE Lowest-risk designation will expand export markets and improve producers’ bottom lineThe Canadian cattle sector lost 26,000 producers between 2006 and 2011, after BSE closed international borders to Canadian beef and cattle exports in 2003. LIZ TWAN KAMLOOPS | Darrell Comazzetto 250.319.3992WILLIAMS LAKE | Wade McNolty 250.398.0429VANDERHOOF | Mike Pritchard 250.524.0681OKANAGAN FALLS | Shawn Carter 250.490.5809AUCTIONEERSLarry Jordan 250.319.0873 | Wayne Jordan 250.319.0872 Wayne Pincott 250.395.6367MARKETING TEAMAl Smith 250.570.2143Kenny Allison 250.571.9045Wilf Smith 250.267.3898BC LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS Proudly Supporting BC Ranching Since 1943www.bclivestock.bc.caHead Oce: 250.573.3939 Fax: 250.573.3170 kam@bclivestock.bc.caJULY SALES July 20 - Kamloops Regular SaleJuly 22 - Williams Lake Regular SaleJuly 23 - Vanderhoof Regular SaleAUGUST SALESAug 9 - Williams Lake 4H SALEAug 10 - Kamloops Regular SaleAug 12 - Williams Lake Regular SaleAug 13 - Vanderhoof Regular SaleAug 17-18 Vanderhoof Online Equipment SaleAug 21 - Vanderhoof 4H SALEAug 23 - OK Falls Regular SaleAug 24 - Williams Lake Regular SaleAug 26 - Williams Lake Regular SaleAug 27 - Vanderhoof Regular Sale NextLot & Purebred Rep. Elysia Penner 250.570.1415https://bclivestock.nextlot.com KAMLOOPS250.573.3939WILLIAMS LAKE250.395.7174OKANAGAN FALLS250.497.5416VANDERHOOF250.567.4333“THE PRICE SETTERS”Contact Our Team for Exciting Fall Marketing Options!By calling your local yard and booking cattle we can run our sales more eciently. Starting August 3rd, 2021 you can book calves for the fall run.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 21Grizzly bear encounters on the increase Ranchers encouraged to engage with gov’t, learn bear behaviourBC ranchers maintain the province lacks current information on where grizzly bear populations are increasing and the impact these populations might have on the beef cattle sector. FILE BCHA Secretary Janice Tapp 250-699-6466 BCHA President John Lewis 250-218-2537 Farm and Rural Residential Properties in the Peace Country are our specialtyAnne H. ClaytonMBA, AACI P App, RIAppraiserJudi LeemingBHE, AIC CandidateAppraiser250.782.1088info@aspengrovepropertyservices.caKATE AYERS VANDERHOOF – As cattle return to remote rangelands for the summer, BC ranchers are expressing concern about the recent increase in grizzly bear encounters. “Files concerning wolves and coyotes have been continuing to decline over the last four years,” says rancher and BC Cattlemen’s Association livestock protection program coordinator Cam Hill. “The overall number of bear complaints received has changed little over the past two years; however, we are seeing a noticeable shift from black bear attacks on livestock to more kills by grizzly bears,” he says. BCCA’s 2020 cattle loss survey reported a total of 524 cattle lost to predators. Those losses were valued at $627,120. Last year, ranchers lost a total of 1,768 cattle to predators, sickness, suspected theft and other causes. Although statistically the livestock protection program does not dierentiate between black bear and grizzly bear attacks on livestock, Hill has noted a signicant increase in grizzly bear attacks in some parts of the province recently. The LPP mainly deals with canids (coyotes and wolves) and raven damages through its trained veriers, while the conservation ocer service manages bear and cougar complaints. When it comes to managing predator encounters and mitigation, the livestock protection program encourages “awareness when it comes to grizzly bears and how to reduce conict through best management practices,” Hill says. The program’s 50 wildlife specialists help with mitigation outreach to producers. The program is results-based. “We respond to complaints of losses, injuries and harassment from predators. Complaints are veried by trained individuals and documented through photographic evidence. Any action that we take, whether it’s mitigation or paid compensation, it must be defendable,” Hill says. “We’re not reacting just based on hearsay or perceived concerns. They are documented and veried complaints.” Reducing conflicts To reduce conicts with predators, Hill recommends that producers keep their herds healthy and properly manage deadstock. Producers can also place bells on older cows because the unnatural sound deters bears and wolves, understanding the bear populations on their properties and learning about bear behaviour, Hill says. On his ranch, Hill recently had a grizzly bear saunter through a herd. The bear didn’t bother with the cattle at the time, but he red a few warning shots to spook it and ensure it didn’t get too comfortable around the livestock. Hill is one of many ranchers who has had grizzly encounters that were far too close for comfort. The North Okanagan Livestock Association submitted a resolution at BCCA’s annual general meeting for the provincial association to lobby government to reinstate the grizzly bear hunt to bring the province’s grizzly bear population under control and to legally entitle agricultural producers to protect their families, livestock and crops from habituated grizzly bears. “I speak to producers daily and the conversation always rolls around to bear issues. We have a lot of grizzly bear interactions. Remarkably, our losses are low considering how many bears producers are seeing on their lands,” Hill says. To draw attention to the issue, producers need to let government know the impact bears have on their animals and their livelihoods. “It is important that as producers, we engage government at every opportunity and try to make them understand that these concerns are real,” Hill says. “When we did have a hunting season, grizzlies were one of the most-studied species in the province and since the removal of the season, it seems there is a lack of interest and drive to understand what is happening with populations. The government has no information that populations are increasing.” Survey says A 2018 survey indicates that the grizzly population on the eastern slopes of the Rockies in Alberta has more than doubled in the last 13 years. This population survey was conducted by a research team at fRI Research in Hinton with support from Alberta Environment and Parks, Alberta Forest Productions Association and the softwood industry. Grizzly bear DNA samples collected over the years have been used to establish a database for the province. Grizzlies are also moving towards the Lower Mainland, with several sightings in Whistler last year. “Everyone else around us is acknowledging that there is an increase in grizzly bears, yet our government doesn’t see that as a priority right now. It’s a priority for producers but also for anyone who works or plays in rural BC,” Hill says. Producers who experience predator damages on their farms should contact their local conservation ocer service through the RAPP (Report All Poachers and Polluters) line, Hill says. BCCA delivers the livestock protection program alongside the BC ministries of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development and Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. The program has an oversight committee with representatives from both ministries, BCCA, the BC Sheep Federation and BC Trappers Association.
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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 23Cherry crop coming on strong across BCGrowers scramble for workers to handle huge cropFrom rst blush to ready-to-pick. The 2021 cherry harvest was just getting underway in mid-June in southern portions of the Okanagan Valley. Growers were hand-thinning what looks like a bumper crop. MYRNA STARK LEADERG`Zkli\jhl\jflk_$]XZ`e^/'XZi\jZlii\ekcp`e_Xpgif[lZk`fe%,'o(+/_XpjkfiX^\#*$jkXccYXien&kXZb#j\m\iXcflkYl`c[`e^j#Zifjj$]\eZ\[#knfn\ccj%Fg\eZfeZ\gk#lg[Xk\[dX`e_fd\j\Zfe[i\j`[\eZ\%('+'DXY\cCXb\I[#CldYp)#).,#''';fe>`cfnjb`),'%)-'%'/)/sF]ÔZ\1),'%,+,%,*.([fe^`cfnjb`7^dX`c%Zfdnnn%[fe^`cfnjb`%ZfdTOM WALKER KELOWNA – The rst bins of cherries arrived at the door of the BC Tree Fruits packinghouse on June 13. “These are from our most southern growers,” explains the co-op’s strategic Initiatives director Laurel Van Dam. The fruit included a combination of Cristalina, Santina, Chelan and Tieton, all early season varieties. Van Dam says the co-op is expecting a larger harvest than last year, when the crop was aected by weather and a lack of labour to gather the available fruit. “We had a good bloom and a heavy fruit set this year so overall tonnage is larger than last year,” she says. “Growers did do some hand-thinning and we always hope for larger fruit as it gets us a premium in export markets.” Coral Beach Farms Ltd. in Lake Country was expecting its rst fruit by the end of June. Its cherry orchards range from Kelowna north to Pritchard on the Thompson River. “Even our early varieties are still pretty green,” says horticulture director Gayle Krahn. “Our spring weather was excellent. Warm enough for lots of bee activity.” Coral Beach hand-thinned its crop this year, but Krahn says it was a tough call to make after last year. “We’ve not been as aggressive as we could be. It’s risky. It takes a lot of guts to thin after you’ve had a short crop like last year,” she says. Many growers are concerned about fruit size. A large proportion of the BC crop ships to markets in the US, Europe and Asia. Asian buyers in particular pay a premium for large BC cherries. “Despite thinning, we really won’t know the size of the fruit until it is picked,” says Van Dam. BC Tree Fruits supplies both domestic and international markets, giving it some exibility depending on fruit size. “We have to be agile, and bend to what the fruit is telling us and what the market is demanding,” she says. “If the fruit is not suitable for export sales then we simply don’t ship it.” Much of southern BC has been without signicant rainfall this spring. Agriculture Canada reports that Kelowna and Vernon have had their driest spring on record and currently classify the area as experiencing “severe drought.” “We had to turn on our irrigation early. Normally we don’t have to until after bloom,” says Krahn. “We didn’t have much snow cover this winter and the ground was really dry going into the spring. A couple of days of showers would be good right about now both for the trees and to keep the dust down.” Rain in mid-June forced growers in the south to use wind machines to dry their fruit before picking, but current forecasts call for a continuation of dry weather that should ensure a good start to the season. “We don’t try and predict what the total crop will be,” says Van Dam. “The weather is such a critical factor in cherry production.” And a lot can happen over BC’s long cherry season. New varieties and high-elevation plantings allow growers to harvest cherries right up to the end of August. Labour remains a challenge for cherry growers. While workers from the SAWP program have largely been able to arrive his year, the process for obtaining work permits is slower and many arrived later than growers hoped. Coral Beach was advertising for workers eligible to transfer from other farms in June to help with the cherry harvest. It’s also counting on an uptick in backpackers as public health restrictions ease, facilitating travel. “We are expecting there will be more travelling backpackers this summer with the easing of COVID restrictions,” says Krahn. “And we are always actively recruiting locals.” BC Tree Fruits is also actively looking to recruit workers. “We are focused on ensuring we have the labour to pack the fruit we receive,” says Van Dam. 1. On-line, print the spray schedules yourself. Access the www.bctfpg.ca website. 2. Order on-line, pre-printed spray schedules. | BCFGA will print and mail the spray schedules to you (free of charge for BCFGA members, $3 per schedule for others). https://www.bcfga.com/orderform.php?pageID=3183. Contact the BCFGA for pre-printed spray schedules. Call Brenda at 250.762.5226 (Ext. 2) and leave your name and phone number. (when leaving a message, please speak slowly and repeat the phone number.) We will return your call to conrm your information and order request.BC FRUIT GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION1.800.619.9022 (Ext. 1)www.bcfga.ca3 ways to get printed spray scheduleswww.bctfpg.ca
24 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCBC Tree Fruits relaunches field serviceTwo grower support staff hiredTOM WALKER KELOWNA – The past two seasons have seen BC Tree Fruits Cooperative members on their own when it comes to horticultural advice. The co-op red most of its eld services sta in a cost-cutting move by former president Jeet Dukhia in November 2018, and the remainder subsequently resigned or retired. Certainly, grower support can be a thankless job with no guarantee of success. Co-op members are under no obligation to follow suggestions that support sta make, nor are they under any requirement that they deliver top quality fruit to the co-op. Yet whenever the co-op handles poor quality fruit, it reduces the returns for all growers. But the lack of a eld services team is at odds with the co-op’s recent eorts to improve the quality of incoming fruit. This is why co-op CEO Warren Saranchan is now reconsidering the program. “We need to reassess the support that the cooperative provides to our growers,” he told growers at their annual general meeting last fall. And the co-op has reassessed. Jobs posted On June 11, BCTF advertised for two grower support sta, one for either end of the Okanagan Valley, to provide “assistance to growers of the cooperative with the overall goal to support growers in their objective to grow quality fruit that meets the needs of the co-op’s selling market.” “We have reimplemented what was historically known as grower support,” says Saranchan. The new positions will operate within Growers Supply, the co-op subsidiary that sells farm supplies to both tree fruit and grape growers through ve locations in the Okanagan and Creston valleys. “Growers will have the ability to not only get horticultural advice, but that same person will be able to place the order for that grower,” says Saranchan. “We are trying to integrate the horticultural support with the product knowledge, which I think will ultimately increase the services we provide to our growers and our customers.” Saranchan says grower members have told the board loud and clear that this support is important to them and they needed to put it back in place. The board listened. “Our intent is to hire trained and experienced professionals who can go out and advise growers in the eld,” says Saranchan. “We see this as a major step forward.” Saranchan believes the co-op is setting up a model where quality leads the way. “The BC tree fruit industry needs to be known for high-quality product that buyers around the world can rely on,” he says. “If we do that, I really like our chances.” Greater support of growers combined with operational changes within the co-op are boosting those chances. “With the renewed focus on quality and the changes that have been made to the structure of the contracts, there is a joint interest to focus on maximizing the quality of the fruit that comes in,” he says. “Our stated intent is to work with growers to improve, and if a grower is not able to demonstrate those improvements, then we do need to sit down and have a very practical conversation with that grower about what the future looks like.” WARREN SARAFINCHANYOURHelping YouHelping YouSignSign up today forfor freeupy eeWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATESContact your local Mahindra DealerTRACTOR TIMEVICTORIA 4377C Metchosin Rd. 250.474.330130 minutes from Victoria and 15 minutes from Highway#1 in Metchosin.tractortime.comPREMIUM TRUCKPRINCE GEORGE 1015 Great Street 250.563.0696WILLIAMS LAKE 4600 Collier Place 250.398.7411premiumtruck.cahandlersequipment.comHANDLERS EQUIPMENTABBOTSFORD 339 Sumas Way 604.850.3601HOUSTON 2990 Highway Crescent 250.845.3333Mahindra Max 26with Tiller
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 25UBC applied biology professor Andy Black, left, and graduate student Patrick Pow, right, are studying greenhouse gas emissions in Delta. SUBMITTEDwww.hlaattachments.com 1-866-567-4162 • Independent grapples for clamping of awkward loads• Tine and grapple tips are AR400 material• Compact models available• 1-1/4” shaft diameter• 2-1/2” spacing between tines• Points are 5/8” thick, 400 Brinell high strength steel• Compact models available• Grapple clamps on to any Class II fork frame with walk through guard Grapple shown mounted on HD55 pallet fork.BRUSH GRAPPLESINGLE ARM LOG GRAPPLESTONE FORKBARBARA JOHNSTONE GRIMMER VANCOUVER – A ground-breaking study measuring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vegetable, blueberry and forage crops in the lower Fraser Valley is providing information that will help researchers and farmers improve eciencies and develop best management practices (BMP) to reduce emissions while maximizing yields. It is the rst long-term study in BC to measure GHG emissions from agricultural crops year-round. The researchers found that directly measured GHG emissions in this study were twice as high as the estimated values that are usually used. By measuring continuously over the entire year, they also determined that the non-growing rainy season lost considerable GHG emissions from the soil. With specialized gas measuring equipment, the researchers also evaluated dierent best management practices (BMPs) to identify farm practices that could reduce GHG emissions. On the rise Agriculture accounts for about 8.5% of Canada’s GHG emissions, and agricultural soils account for 40% of emissions from the agriculture sector. “In the last two decades, the emissions from agricultural soils have been increasing,” says UBC applied biology professor Andy Black, who leads the Biometeorology and Soil Physics group. “That is the real concern.” UBC received $1.8 million in 2017 through Agriculture and Agri-food Canada’s Agriculture Greenhouse Gas Program. Backed by $27 million, the program supports 20 projects across Canada researching GHG mitigation practices and technologies that can be adopted on the farm. The four-year research project at UBC aims to quantify and mitigate GHG emissions from high value agricultural crop production systems in BC. The goal was to estimate annual net GHG emissions of major crops in the lower Fraser Valley and develop best management practices to minimize GHG emissions and maximize crop production while minimizing fertilizer use. In addition to Black, other researchers include associate professors Maja Krzic and Sean Smukler and research associate Rachhpal Jassal. Collaborators include the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust, the Delta Farmers Institute and the Agassiz Research and Development Centre. Greenhouse gas emissions of nitrous oxide (N20), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (C02) were measured using a micrometeorological approach using eddy-covariance, which measures GHG exchange, respiration and photosynthesis, at the scale of a farm eld. This technology can provide seasonal and annual farm-scale carbon sequestration estimates. “This means that the eectiveness of soil sequestration BMPs can be assessed within a year or two of having been applied, rather than having to wait 10 years before changes in soil carbon storage are measurable by soil sampling,” says Black. The study also used ux chambers to measure GHG coming out of the soil. The direct measurements allowed the researchers to estimate emissions by moving from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) default Tier 1 or country- dened Tier 2 emission factors to the more rened Tier 3 emission factors. Black and his graduate student Patrick Pow used an eddy-covariance system to measure GHG uxes every 30 minutes above a blueberry eld at Emma Lea Farm on Westham Island in Delta. The 10-month study indicated that GHG emissions twice as high as estimatesGround-breaking study helps understand greenhouse gas emissionsSee SOILS on next page o
26 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCSOILS are losing carbon nfrom page 25the eld was a weak carbon sink, with moderate N20 emissions which has a global warming potential 298 times higher than C02. Methane emissions were negligible. “It was surprising to see the eld losing carbon to the atmosphere,” says Black. The input of sawdust turns around the balance [creating a net gain], and the carbon [emission] source becomes a carbon sink.” Pow remarked that mowing the grass aisles reduced the amount of carbon sequestered and impacted the GHG balance. Fertilizing increased N20 emissions, as did rainfall. Emissions exceeded Tier 1 and Tier 2 estimates by two-fold. The GHG emissions were mainly C02, with N20 at 21.7% and methane at 3.5%. Soils are ne-textured, low-lying, ooded soils – resulting in low oxygen, increasing denitrication, and generating N20. Methane is a minor component. Losing soil organic carbon is a real concern. “Important result on the carbon side, it’s a worrying thing, the agricultural land is losing carbon,” says Black. “Photosynthesis can’t keep up with what is removed as crops – we harvest a high proportion of net photosynthesis; some is decomposed which is lost as C02 to the atmosphere.” Carbon is important for healthy soils and according to Black, soils need a reasonable level. Carbon is important for microbes, aeration and holding moisture. Manure and compost are also important. “We need to concern ourselves with cover crops, leaving plant material in the eld, and consider inputs like compost and manure,” says Black. “Otherwise, soils will continuously lose carbon.” Black suggests that what is needed is the coordination between animals and crops so that the system can “begin to integrate more eciently.” Black says that there is potential with biochar. “Biochar is a big advantage because it will stay in the soil for a long time, confer important properties while at the same time, change carbon balance from negative to positive,” says Black. Pow is completing three years of continuous GHG measurement from a forage study at Agassiz, utilizing manure slurry which improves the carbon balance. Rain increases GHG emissions Ningyu Quan, a Master’s student with Black, examined GHG emissions and carbon sequestration in potato and pea elds in Delta at Reynalda Farm applying the eddy-covariance system. The Westham Island silt loam soil had 60% of its annual GHG emissions triggered from rainfall events during the non-growing season. The annual N20 emissions greatly exceeded Tier 1 and 2 estimates. Methane emissions were low and inconsequential. Quan suggests that BMPs such as cover crops and correct N applications that consider the 4Rs – right source, right rate, right place and right time – need to be developed. “Carbon sequestration happens during growing season, with photosynthetic activities and dierent crop types, but no long-term carbon sequestration has been seen,” says Quan. Chantel Chizen, a Master’s student with Krzic, examined fertilizer, temperature and moisture responses with potatoes. Fertilizer rates, moisture and temperature impacted GHG emissions. It is recommended to producers to match fertilizer rates to crop needs, avoiding residual fertilizer in the eld which can increase emissions during the rains in fall and winter. Smukler recommends adoption of several BMPs by a high proportion of producers to oset the GHG emissions from agriculture in the Fraser Valley. Nutrient management best practices (4R), winter cover crops, grassland set asides, hedgerows and woody riparian buers all can oset annual emissions, but he cautions that it would require a high adoption rate with all available BMPs to make a dierence. “Key caveats are the huge assumptions in analysis and large uncertainties,” says Smukler. “Adoption rates are key, and we need to integrate global warming potentials (GWP).” Best management practices Other BMPs being examined are reduced tillage, biochar, green manures like summer cover crops, alleyway management and drainage tiles. Tile drains manage moisture and help with establishing cover crops in the fall. They can also help reduce emissions in some soils. A Master’s student of Smukler’s, Paula Porto, has studied the impact of drainage on GHG emissions in blueberry elds. She has concluded that poorly drained elds emit more C02 and N20, but more research is needed to determine if this holds true for dierent soil types and climates. Soil moisture can lead to low oxygen, more denitrication and more N20 emissions. “It will take widespread adoption of several best management practices to bring down these emissions,” says Smukler. “We need to concern ourselves with cover crops, leaving plant material in the eld, and consider inputs like compost and manure.” ANDY BLACK APPLIED BIOLOGY PROFESSOR, UBCCASE IH DC 102 MOWER COND, 10’4 CUTTING WIDTH $17,400 CLAAS 780L CENTER DELIVERY ROTARY RAKE $11,500 CLAAS 860 SP FORAGE HARVESTER 12.5’ PICKUP & 6 ROW CORNHEAD $93,700 CLAAS JAG 870 SP FORAGE HARVESTER CALL FOR DETAILS CLAAS 970 SP FORAGE HARVESTER 10’ PICKUP & 10 ROW CORNHEAD CALL FOR MORE DETAILS/PRICING CLAAS 2800 CENTER DELIVERY ROTARY RAKE $32,500 SOLD! 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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 27Group EFPs protect sensitive ecological areasFarmers work to improve water quality in vulnerable watersheds“Serving British Columbia proudly since 1946”Machinery LimitedROLLINS RToll Free 1-800-242-9737 www.rollinsmachinery.comChilliack 1.800.242.9737 | 44725 Yale Rd W Langley 1.800.665.9060 | 21869 - 56th Ave Chemainus 1.250-246.1203 | 3306 Smiley RdChilliwack 1.800.242.9737 . 47724 Yale Rd W Langley 1.800.665.9060 . 21869 56th Ave Chemainus 1.250.246.1203 . 3306 Smiley Rd Kelowna 250.765.8266 . 201-150 Campion StToll Free 1-800-242-9737 www.rollinsmachinery.com info@rollinsmachinery.caYou’ve tried the rest.Now try the BEST.KATE AYERS LANGLEY – Environmental Farm Plans are now being oered to groups of property owners as part of a collaborative approach to watershed management. Similar to individual EFPs, the new group plans enable farmers to assess agricultural impacts on water quality and quantity, biodiversity and climate change issues. For large geographic areas, they provide a higher-level risk assessment compared to individual plans. Stakeholders identify agri-environmental risks and work to resolve or eliminate those risks along a watershed. While group EFPs have been exercised in the province before, the rst two group projects under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership debuted last year along Bertrand Creek in Langley and the Koksilah River, southeast of Duncan. These revamped group EFPs build upon past projects, as they are more collaborative and include property owners, community organizations and regulatory bodies as parts of the equation. In recent years, property owners along Bertrand Creek in the Township of Langley have noticed lower river ow in the summer. Critically low water levels compromise ecological health and water sources in the area. Bertrand Creek connects to a variety of waterways and is a tributary of the Nooksack River. The creek is a travel route for endangered sh and an environmental health indicator for the region. The creek and its tributaries have also had long-standing issues that stretch south of the border. An international working group was set up in 2016 to address water bacteria levels that aected farmers in Washington. With more than 600 properties in the watershed, coordinating a group response to the dangers facing the creek was no small feat. But engaging a majority of landowners to improve the creek’s health increases the chance of eecting signicant changes. “There are a lot of people and each of them can have an impact and we should be more aware of how we look after our own properties,” says Dave Melnychuk, a Fraser Valley planning advisor with ARDCorp. “Like with many things, when people work together, you can accomplish a lot more than individuals. In the watershed, issues cross boundaries and to have a positive impact you need more than just one (person) working on it.” Melnychuk and his team went out in the community to gauge interest in forming a group EFP. “We got two groups in the north and south ends of the watershed that have indicated they want to work together,” he says. The team drafted a report for the province and ARDCorp board of directors “on how to further the group EFP philosophy in the Bertrand Creek watershed and how they can take this on.” Important role While launching group EFPs can be challenging, they serve an important role. “You need to have a galvanizing issue that seriously aects producers to get them to work together. The plan needs a champion in the community to show the issue is important,” says Melnychuk. Water quality and quantity issues aect everyone and have major eects on ag production. On the Island, producers in the Cowichan watershed experienced success in their rst group EFP project about seven years ago. After water samples taken in 2012 and 2013 showed unsafe levels of E. coli in the Koksilah River, the Cowichan Watershed Board Converting from hand-move to centre-pivot irrigation has helped a farmer in the Koksilah watershed conserve water. This change increased the efciency of irrigation to 85%, up from the previous 65%. WAYNE HADDOWand BC Ministry of Environment partnered on a two-year program to monitor water quality. “(A) group EFP was created and pretty well all producers in the watershed got on board, which is huge,” says Cowichan Watershed Board executive director Tom Rutherford. “It indicated a willingness to try and address the issues.” He says the group EFP also “brought producer awareness levels up so practices improved and it helped farmers with infrastructure.” When Rutherford and his team repeated the same water quality tests in 2017 and 2018, E. coli from bovine sources was still evident but levels were an order of magnitude lower, he says. Following on the heels of the water quality group EFP, 19 farmers in the watershed are working to tackle water quantity issues in the Koksilah River through irrigation eciency and water storage solutions. In the Koksilah River, contributing factors to water level decline include climate change, water use and land use, says Rutherford. “When you look at the data, on the east side of Vancouver Island we are seeing more precipitation in the winter with warmer temperatures. See MORE on next page o
28 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCMORE demands on water sources increase need for protection nfrom page 27HAVE YOU COMPLETED AN ENVIRONMENTAL FARM PLAN? No cost. Con昀dential. No obligation. To book an on-farm appointment, call 1-866-522-3447 (toll free) or visit www.bcefp.ca for program information.So, we have less snow pack. Snow pack is nature’s built-in reservoir as it melts in the spring and summer. It helps keep water levels higher in the summer,” he says. “The other signicant trend is hotter, drier and longer summers.” In addition, over the last 40 years, surface and groundwater extraction have increased signicantly and there is no denying that how we use the land aects the water that is available, adds Rutherford. The disappearance of old-growth forest also has a signicant impact on water utilization in the upper watershed, says Environmental Farm Plan advisor for southern Vancouver Island Wayne Haddow. “The average age of trees has declined signicantly. The young trees are at a maximal growth rate and take up a lot more water than old growth trees,” he says. Fortunately, farmers are collaborating to reduce their draw from the Cowichan watershed through on-farm innovative projects. Indeed, farmers can access support, resources and infrastructure to improve practices through group EFPs and allocated funds. “A group EFP provides an opportunity for farmers to work together to get on the same page when they’re facing a particular challenge. I think there is a lot of value in that because ag producers are really innovative and passionate about the work they do,” says Rutherford. The group philosophy “provides an opportunity to work with subject matter experts and dig into challenges such as nutrient management, irrigation or pest control.” The group aspect also allows stakeholders to collaborate outside of their silos. “The people who manage water don’t talk to the people who manage forests, who don’t talk to the people who manage agriculture, who don’t talk to people who manage linear development, who don’t talk to the people who manage sh,” Rutherford says. “Sometimes I think of the watershed board as a dating service, trying to bring people together.” Holistic management Dismantling those silos and bringing people together are major challenges when trying to manage the watershed in a holistic way. But the work that happens through the group EFPs is a step towards addressing that issue, he adds. Indeed, the applications of group EFPs are ubiquitous, says ARDCorp’s director of environmental programs Darren Brown. “Now that we have had success in developing group EFPs that are focused on water sustainability, we can take the lessons learned and apply them to other vulnerable systems in British Columbia,” he says. The collaborative eorts of farmers, the planning advisory network and member associations were critical to the success of these projects, Brown adds. Farmers who are interested in joining a group EFP or learning more can contact their local EFP advisor or ARDCorp, which oversees the EFP program. ARDCorp is a wholly owned subsidiary of the BC Agriculture Council. Young trees take up signicantly more water than old growth trees, and is one of several contributing factors to a decline of surface and groundwater. FILE
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 29United Flower Growers CEO Bob Pringle says ower prices are up 35% from this time last year. RONDA PAYNE Little & Large, Local & Long, Europe & N. AmericaPort to Dealer, Farm to Farm & Anything in BetweenVersatile Ramp to Ground CapabilitiesGET REEL THIS SPRING!GET REEL THIS SPRING!Langley: 1.888.675.7999 Williams Lake: 1.855.398.775790/300 (3/3.5" x 985ft) No computer*$25,900.00100/420 (3.3/4" x 1380ft) No Computer*$31,400.00110/450 (3.7/4.33" x 1476ft) Computer*$41,600.00Reels are complete with Sprinkler & Inlet Hose!Reels are complete with Sprinkler & Inlet Hose!Free PTO Pump or $2500 Discount on Select Irrigation Reels!Free PTO Pump or $2500 Discount on Select Irrigation Reels!SANDRA TRETICK BURNABY – COVID-19 has been the big story in BC’s oriculture industry and the past year has been a textbook case study in supply and demand. When public health restrictions took eect in March 2020, demand initially plummeted. Cruise ships cancelled orders. Big events like graduations and weddings were called o. In the major ower-growing regions of the world, workers stayed home, crops weren’t planted and smaller growers dropped out. This led to a worldwide decrease in production of cut owers and owering plants. Even when buyers could nd product, it was dicult getting it shipped anywhere because planes weren’t ying. In Canada, as imports declined and local production was curtailed, the overall supply plummeted. At rst there was a lot of panic and uncertainty in the industry, but then things began to shift. The rst inkling that things were looking up appeared as Mother’s Day drew near. Speaking at the Lower Mainland Horticulture Improvement Association short course at the end of January, Chilliwack grower Brian Minter noted that people were trying to make their homes more beautiful because they were home more. Chain stores saw double-digit increases in cut ower sales. Minter pointed out that with demand up and imports all but non-existent, eld production in BC increased last summer to ll the void. This included new entrants coming into the industry and larger growers expanding. And they weren’t just growing your average garden-variety owers. “There’s absolute diversity in the types of owers that were replacing the imports and they’re being produced here,” said Minter. “Local growers are suddenly nding their normal market has increased.” Minter said summer prices are usually low because the volume of products goes up when eld crops are available, but last year the prices stayed very high through the summer, into the fall and right through Christmas. Sales of Western Canadian owers typically go to the western provinces and the Pacic Northwest, but even that changed as buyers back east were having trouble getting owers from their usual sources. “Our local growers are now beginning to sell their owers to eastern Canada and that’s putting a little bit of pressure on supply,” explained Minter. Flower shipments from BC even made it to the Netherlands. World-class United Flower Growers Co-operative Association (UFG) in Burnaby, which runs the second-largest oral auction in the world, has been shifting the way it operates. Its Dutch auction operates three days a week and has been going since 1963. In a Dutch auction, the price starts high and drops until a buyer purchases the product. There’s not much activity on the oor this year, as nobody attends in person anymore. It’s all electronic and everything has shifted online. Instead of waiting until auction day, more buyers are choosing to order directly from growers through an ordering feature called Greenhouse Direct. UFG CEO Bob Pringle says direct sales volumes are up and auction sales are down slightly. “When volumes are low and demand is very high, the grower’s phone rings more,” says Pringle. “The trend this year with COVID has been more and more direct sales.” Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are two peak times for the co-op and prices were sky-high this year. Flower growers see sky-high demandPandemic disruption seeds blossoming opportunitiesSee FLOWER on next page o
30 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCFLOWER power nfrom page 29ABBOTSFORD1-888-283-3276VERNON1-800-551-6411The badge on the front is the certi昀cate of authenticity. Tractors that exceed in durability, from a dealer the meets the demands of British Columbian farmers.ENDURANCEENDURANCEGIVE YOURSELF THE AVE NUE“They’re hitting records. Mother’s Day, our prices were up 35% from year-ago levels,” says Pringle. “This has been going on all year. We’re seeing very high prices.” Pringle says there are about 200 commercial ower growers in the province and UFG works with most of them. The co-op has 72 members. These are predominantly the larger growers and represent the vast majority of production in the province. Sales are roughly 70% cut owers and 30% plants and nursery stock. To support its members, the co-op contracted Coreen Rodger Berrisford in November as the executive director of industry activities. The role includes issues management and member communications. She has been active on a number of les including export access, she set up a new website for growers and she organized a well registration seminar with the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. Rodger Berrisford previously worked with the BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. What UFG doesn’t do is extension, but Pringle acknowledges there is a need for this since the province’s oriculture and greenhouse vegetable specialist, Dave Woodske, retired in spring 2020. Smaller and beginning growers tend to have more need for extension services and Pringle says they are seeing a lot of new growers entering the industry with a trend towards microgrowers that want to expand to commercial scale. “We used to share a specialist in the Ministry of Ag,” says Pringle. “We’ve been in discussions with the province to have a replacement.” The agriculture ministry is in the process of lling the greenhouse and nursery vacancy. It’s reviewing priorities and demand in collaboration with the BC Greenhouse Growers Association, United Flower Growers and the BC Landscape and Nursery Association. There is no timeline for lling the position. BC is home to Canada’s second largest oriculture industry. BC growers generated $347.4 million in farm cash receipts in 2020. The sector accounted for 24% of the Canadian total and 8.6% of total provincial farm cash receipts. With les from Peter Mitham Tulips in bloomThere were signicant changes to the Fraser Valley’s two major tulip festivals this year. Chilliwack Tulips celebrated its 15th year with 25,000 visitors between April 11 and May 2 after being forced to cancel the event last year due to COVID-19. Tulips of the Valley Holdings Ltd. hosts the annual spring festival which features 6.5 million tulip bulbs in bloom, two acres of hyacinths and three acres of daodils on its 20-plus acre farm. Festival co-founder Kate Onos-Gilbert says this year’s attendance was half that of the 2019 tulip festival, but turnout was steady every day until the province imposed intra-provincial travel restrictions aimed at curbing the latest wave of COVID-19. But oraphiles will have another chance to take in the blooms this summer. “We will be holding our fourth annual sunower festival in late July, early August,” says Onos-Gilbert. Bloom, a smaller tulip festival in Abbotsford, also cancelled its 2020 event due to COVID-19. It had also suered ooding in 2019 that destroyed a lot of its bulbs. The Szarek family subsequently made the decision to relocate to Spallumcheen near Armstrong and recreate the experience there, albeit on a smaller scale. Bloom founder Alexis Szarek says she plans to have the North Okanagan’s rst tulip festival operational by spring 2022. “I think the bulbs are going to be more expensive than normal because the cut ower industry is doing really well,” says. “We’re hoping that once we buy our stock we can harvest them and start to reuse our own bulbs.” —Sandra Tretick
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 31Alberni-Clayoquot pilots a model to strengthen agricultural supportAlberni-Clayoquot Regional District agricultural support workers Anna Lewis, left, and Heather Shobe set up the ‘Home-Grown Grocery Event’ for the 2019 Alberni District Fall Fair. SUBMITTEDKATE AYERS PORT ALBERNI – A new initiative in the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District promises to enhance provincial frameworks and provide producers with a stronger collective voice at the province’s decision-making table. The regional district’s new Systems Change Project looks to overcome the limitations of the existing Agricultural Plan Implementation Project with the help of a $300,000 grant from the Vancouver Foundation. The grant follows an initial $20,000 the foundation granted in 2019 to pilot an improved model for regional agricultural support (RAS). “That was to look at the system as a whole and to see where we can have more inuence,” says ACRD’s agricultural support coordinator Heather Shobe. The project helped the group identify limitations in what it can accomplish at the local level because of regulatory constraints and the unique contextual issues of the region, she adds. “Out of that project, we made some recommendations and published a nal paper,” she says. This year’s grant will let the regional district “see what we can do to overcome those limitations,” Shobe says. A review of existing ACRD agricultural programing and engagement with other organizations from across the province helped the group identify two key needs to better serve the ag community: funding and collaboration. “We found that all RAS organizations had challenges with core funding. They work with project-based funding and very limited resources,” says Shobe. “One of the things we help with is distributing core funding to organizations. We are also helping to build a really strong bridging platform between organizations so that we work collaboratively as a region.” The Systems Change Project aims to provide the resources and structures to connect all groups because “a collective of organizations can do more than one on its own with a limited budget,” says Shobe. While the project is in-part focused locally, ACRD hopes the systems approach facilitates greater information sharing at the provincial level as well. “By having this RAS program that is grounded within the region, our priorities are determined within the region. And because we have strong connections with regional producers, we are a great place to help ensure their voices are shared upwardly through the system,” says Shobe. “In the longer-term, we would like to see stronger structural connections between regional organizations and the province. We want to have a stronger voice in program development, policies and scalability of projects.” The RAS Systems Project will be implemented over three years and each year will have a different focus, Shobe says. “The first-year focus is to develop simple evaluation metrics and tools that RAS organizations can use because we know that is something we struggle with widely. … We are trying to come up with simple tools to show our value and define our roles,” she says. Regional collaboration can be challenging and expensive, so the RAS project is looking to shift that reality. Collaboration is a key objective over the next three years. “We are working outwardly with other organizations across the province who are working similarly within the regional perspective. There is a lot we can learn from each other,” says Shobe. “We can bring lots of different voices together and engage different elements of our region that may not be as strongly involved in food and ag, like school districts or municipalities. We can talk to them about policies. That collaboration and our strong direct connections with producers are really important.” ACRD’s Expanding the Influence of Regional Agricultural Support report defines RAS organizations as 403.347.2646rtf 1.888.500.2646rhugh@kelloughs.com Clean machineLIKE NEW1/4” x 24” Notched Blades F & R2 3/16” Alloy Steel Gang Shafts New W211 Ball Bearings F & R Dual Wheels/New 670 x15” Tires 4”x 8” HYD. 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into it.” The garden has also led to a partnership with the East Kootenay environmental organization Wildsight, which has a shed on the property housing equipment free to borrow, including an apple press, tree pruners, dehydrators and fruit processing equipment. Funston’s work takes her to the opposite end of the spectrum with Cranbrook Food Recovery, which collects food that is usable but not COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 33Utilizing the Community Connections Society of Southeast BC’s new commercial kitchen, Cranbrook Food Recovery staff member Kate Sulis makes cookies using ingredients that grocery stores would have sent to the landll. The kitchen is also used by Farm Kitchen, a program that assists food-focused entrepreneurs. BRIAN LAWRENCESee NOTHING on next page oPrograms add value to Kootenay agricultureBRIAN LAWRENCE CRANBROOK – When East Kootenay food producers aren’t yet ready to develop their own commercial kitchens, they can turn to Farm Kitchen, which oers the space and equipment needed to launch and sustain their endeavours. Farm Kitchen is one of a handful of programs the Cranbrook-based Community Connections Society of Southeast BC has established to promote and develop food security in the region. Farm Kitchen assists food-focused entrepreneurs, the Public Produce Garden oers hands-on experience with growing food, and Cranbrook Food Recovery saves surplus food from the landll. “The resilience of a community is only as good as the resilience of its food systems and water systems,” says food programs coordinator Meredith Funston. “You want to look at how to build up the supports for each other in the community.” Created mainly to assist entrepreneurs, the Farm Kitchen facility has seen everything from juice processing to baking, and not just by producers based in Cranbrook. One baker, who has since retired, made a 250-km round trip from Sparwood twice a month to use the kitchen, a necessity to operate her business. “Commercial kitchens lower the bar so people can get involved sooner,” says Funston. “The idea is to act as a business support for people who need a commercial kitchen.” Farm Kitchen and the food recovery program are located in a 6,300-square-foot warehouse constructed by the Cranbrook Food Bank, which moved into the building in April. (The facility includes a small amount of oce space for the organization.) Farm Kitchen’s new location allows it to meet the needs of even more producers, with ample walk-in cooler and freezer space, industrial ventilation making a six-burner gas range ideal for simmering and sauteing, and access 24 hours a day. “Any sort of processing that they need to do, the kitchen is open for it,” says Funston. For those who aren’t ready to be producers, Community Connections’ Public Produce Garden may be the place to start. Located near downtown Cranbrook, the social service agency’s open-gate garden is focused on growing food and encouraging newcomers to gardening. “That space is mostly for ‘growing’ gardeners,” says Funston. “It’s not a high production space; it’s more of a community engagement space. Anybody can come in and plant; anybody can come in and harvest.” Much of this year’s produce, such as carrots and raspberries, has yet to develop but the scapes of garlic planted last fall are evident. “This is a way for people to connect with what they could grow, and taste it, and actually nd out what they like,” says Funston. “Even if people don’t want to grow, it’s connecting them with foods they can access here.” The education provided by sta and volunteers can help individuals bolster their own food security by growing a little bit, as well as develop the understanding that time spent doesn’t guarantee success. “When you try and fail miserably at growing cauliower, for example, it makes you appreciate deeply the profession that farmers are engaged in,” says Funston. “When you go to the farmers market and hear people kvetching about the price, you know the work that has gone Kootenay food producers enjoy support every step of the wayCarrie Nicholson PREC* 250-614-6766 DISCOVER PRINCE GEORGE! FANTASTIC find in Beaverley. 5 bed/3 bath home w/suite on 7.52 acres. Lots of updates. MLS®R2590538 $549,900 ESCAPE the city. Two lots in Willor River, 22,500 sq ft. MSL®R2591708, $49,900 BRING your ideas. 4.07 acre build-ing lot in Miworth. MLS®R2593015 $175,000 STUNNING LAKE VIEWS. Executive home, 3 bed/4 bath. MLSR2593375 $769,900 PRIVATE acreage south of Quesnel. 5.9 acres, 6 bed/3 bath home, garage, barn, workshop. MLS®R2594685. $355,000 NEARLY 500 ACRES of prime farm land on Fraser River, almost all in cultivation. 5 bed/3 bath home, outbuildings. Turn-key cattle ranch and/or prosperous haying enterprise. MLS®R2444096 $1,400,000 145 ACRES Develop into a farm or private retreat. 5 bed/2bath home. MLS®R2565420, $649,900 COUNTRY ESTATE 5 acres, 2,800 sq ft 3 bed/3 bath home; horselovers delight. 2-bay shop. MLS®R2556910 $889,900 69+ ACRES ON RIVER Approx 50 acres in hay. River, road access. MLS R2569334 $785,000 RANCH PARADISE 700 acres, 5 ti-tles, 2864 sq ft ranch-style main house. Shop, barn, greenhouse, 160 acres in hay. MSL®C8038028 $1,244,421 VANDERHOOF 5.15 building lot. R2575990 $79,900 GRAND FORKS 27.74 acres less than 5 miles to US border. MLS® 2456824 $1,200,000 COUNTRY LIVING Vanderhoof, 64.7 acres, 5 bed/2 bath home. MLS®R2579792 $367,700 CONCRETE & GRAVEL BUSINESS Full line of equipment. Comes with lease for gravel extraction. MLS C8020796 $599,900 10070 MCBRIDE TIMBER RD. An outstanding agricultural 445 acre property enjoys a pastoral private setting & lovely views of moun-tains to the east. Home extensively renovated in 1998 plus some recent updates. MLS R2490397 55 ACRES Development potential close to airport. MLS R2435958, $599,900 112.02 ACRES IN CITY LIMITS. Potential for development. MLS R2435725. $1,300,000 MOUNTAIN RESORT on 82.2 acres. 17 furnished chalets, 50 RV campsites. MLS®C8019821 $5,500,000 PRINCE GEORGE & AREA RURAL LOTS see MLS: R2531431; R2531443; R2460090; R2460086; R2460089; R2461054
34 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCThe Public Produce Garden run by Community Connections Society of Southeast BC offers hands-on experience with growing food in an urban garden near downtown Cranbrook. BRIAN LAWRENCENOTHING goes to waste nfrom page 33RENN Mill Center Inc. has a corporate policy of continuous improvement and development; therefore models and specifications are subject to change without any advance notice.H&S Bale WrappersLW1100 LINEWRAP™ BALE WRAPPER features a new EFI engine for fuel savings, and an updated hydraulic system for faster wrapping! 4’ to 6’ round bales 5’ to 6.5’ square bales Remote Start/Stop/Steer Self-propelled optionH&S Rakes Available in 12, 14, and 16 wheel models The most flexible rakes on the market Overhead frame design for high capacityRENN Mill Center Inc., RR#4 Lacombe, AB T4L 2N4The full line of H&S agricultural equipment is available from RENN Mill Center, the exclusive distributor in Western Canada.Call to find your local dealer.TEL: 403-784-3518 | www.rennmill.comsaleable. A cracked lid on a bottle of oil or a split in a bag of our means those products can’t be sold – even one broken egg in a dozen would ensure the entire carton is thrown out. “Our model is to collect that food, sort it into what’s suitable for human consumption, and what’s suitable for farm use,” says Funston. “We want to ensure it’s going to the highest use.” Over 90,000 pounds has gone to small-scale farmers as animal feed, with the rest donated to 18 schools and community programs, including the food bank and Salvation Army, or processed into other food – turning dozens of overripe bananas into banana bread, for example. Community Connections is designated a Good Food Organization with Community Food Centres Canada, allowing access to resources, training and grant funding. It launched the recovery program in June 2019, and has collected 420,000 pounds of food to date valued at nearly $770,000. Save-On-Foods, Real Canadian Superstore and Walmart are on the pickup list, as is COBS Bread. “What we've been able to do is plug a few of the gaps,” says Funston. “We collect from the Real Canadian Superstore on days the food bank doesn’t. And we’ve partnered with Save-On-Foods seven days a week for unsold food, and they give us everything.” The program recovers what Funston describes as an “unbelievable” amount of bread – an embarrassment of riches that led to a partnership with Kimberley’s Bohemian Spirits. The distillery turns the bread into vodka. Passion for food The wide range of programming suits Funston well. She has a degree in political science, and an avid interest in gardening, cooking and the network of food systems in the region. A move from Fernie to Kimberley in 2012 allowed her to better pursue gardening. She started working for Community Connections in 2016, in a role focused on developing food literacy – simply put, “knowing how to access food, regardless of what money you have, and then knowing how to use that food.” Funston hosted cooking sessions in Community Connections’ previous kitchen for groups of seven prior to the pandemic. Rather than having them stand and watch while Funston taught them, she encouraged everyone to try their hand at cooking in an eort to create better connections between them. “It is so much better to get people in a group to teach each other,” says Funston. “We’re all teaching each other. I think the character of that kind of learning is important to foster.” How vital those community links were was especially evident in the early days of the pandemic, when social media feeds became populated with people baking – with some people online, and even a few in Cranbrook taking it a step further and learning to create sourdough starter. “That’s not just bread making, that’s bread making,” says Funston. “When things got tough, people did connect into those networks. I think that was really encouraging.” With the new location operating, Funston is looking forward to seeing how those networks and relationships can expand, especially with producers who now have access to a rst-rate kitchen, which can adapt over time. “Advocating for the infrastructure in the community to turn into consumables” is one of her key goals. “We’re open to discussing equipment needs,” says Funston. “We denitely want to hear what people need, and talk it out.” In the immediate future, she will work to create perennial gardens along the food bank fence line, engage more garden volunteers and use the new location to expand food recovery. “I love food, so it’s kind of thrilling to be nding the best use for food,” she says. @countrylifeinbcLIKE US @co
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 35Growers hit hard by blueberry scorch virus Many growers will have to tear out fields and replantBlueberry scorch virus is killing blueberry bushes in the Fraser Valley. SARBMEET SINGHSARBMEET SINGH ABBOTSFORD – Fraser Valley blueberry farmers are worried by the spread of scorch virus in local elds. Growers fear that this will lead to a decline in yield and additional costs. Blueberry scorch, caused by blueberry scorch virus, was rst reported in BC in 2000. The virus is believed to be transmitted by aphids. Red line patterns can be seen on leaves of infected plants. Besides that, a yellowing of leaf margins and low number of blossoms can also occur. The blueberry plants can also appear twiggy as a result of virus infection. The plant dies in the end. “The virus has attacked the crop in large extent this year in the Fraser Valley,” says Linda Seale from Blueberry Junction in Abbotsford. “A large number of growers, including me, are sending their samples to the labs. The treatment cost will be an additional burden on the growers this year.” There are more than 11,000 hectares of blueberries in BC tended by more than 600 growers. While the extent of the damage is unknown, it will likely reduce yields in infected elds. “Around 50% of plants at my farm are aected from the virus. The aected plants are dead,” says Rajinder Singh Lally from Lally Farms in Abbotsford. “In such a scenario, it will be a challenge for us to maintain supply at the previous year’s level. The attack is more visible on late- season varieties.” Lally plans to pull out infected plants and replant with healthy plants next year. “We are planning to destroy all these plants in order to minimize damage in upcoming years and we will be replacing the plants,” he says. “More than 1,700 blueberry plants are planted in one acre and on an average one plant costs around US$5.” The disease is especially hard on new growers trying to make a start, such as Prabhjot Singh Dhaliwal, also of Abbotsford. “We bought the farm last year and it was our rst crop, and we were extremely excited,” he says. “It is very disappointing to see the plants dying in the eld. Initially, I was not able to understand the reason.” Dhaliwal says he will have to replant next year, an unexpected cost. The BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries says the BC blueberry industry is seeing an increase is blueberry scorch virus this year but directed questions to the BC Blueberry Council. But the council is unaware of the extent of damage in the region. “Neither the extent of blueberry scorch virus infection nor the severity of economic damage to the BC blueberry industry have been directly quantied. In recent years, the number of infected plants has increased, and blueberry scorch virus can now be detected throughout most of the production region,” the council said in a written statement to Country Life in BC. The council has a research director supported by a levy on growers. It says eorts to understand the virus remain ongoing. “It is too early to say for certain which factors are the most important drivers of increased infection rates. However, as we know about viruses in general, a higher rate of infection means a greater reservoir for future spread of the virus,” the council’s statement said. In the meantime, the council advises growers to destroy infected plants. Provincial plant pathologist Siva Sabaratnam with the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries in Abbotsford encourages growers to work together to ght scorch. “We encourage farmers to work as a community with their neighbouring farmers to take a coordinated eort to control the spread of the virus and to reduce the amount of virus present in the elds. With a coordinated eort, it should be possible to reduce the spread of the virus and its impact in subsequent years,” says Sabaratnam. 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36 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCCanadian researchers are studying what causes porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome in pigs to help producers select for healthier animals and help reduce the use of antibiotics. FILEPorcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a devastating viral disease in pigs. The virus presents with two clinical conditions. Infection during pregnancy leads to abortion, fetal death and congenital infection. Post-natal pigs suer respiratory infection. The virus can disrupt normal immune function which can increase a pig’s susceptibility to secondary infection. Getting a greater understanding of the virus has driven ground-breaking genetic research by Genome Alberta and the University of Saskatchewan. “A group of Canadian researchers has been working with international colleagues for several years to understand the role of host genetics in variation in susceptibility to PRRS virus,” says Graham Plastow, professor of livestock genomics, University of Alberta. “One of the rst results was the identication of a single mutation or ‘SNP’ (single nucleotide polymorphism) that explained increased susceptibility or increased resistance to the virus in growing pigs. More recently, we showed in growing pigs that this resistant variant also contributes to increased resilience in a polymicrobial disease challenge which includes PRRS.” A polymicrobial disease is the result of multiple pathogens. SNPs (pronounced ‘snips’) are the most common types of genetic variation. Plastow said that another component of the research work led by Dr. John Harding, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, found a SNP that explained variation in fetal survival. “In this case, the eect appears to be linked to thyroid metabolism and a project is underway to try to understand the biology and if this can lead to new treatments or selection of more resistant animals,” says Plastow. He explains that PPRS virus infection causes a profound hypothyroidism that lasts for a couple of weeks and can occur in all ages of animals. “Understanding the mechanism and consequences of this disruption in the thyroid hormone system have been the primary focus of our recent research,” he says. “In fetuses, the disruption appears to be at the level of the thyroid gland rather than at the higher levels of regulation in the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. Our preliminary data also suggests the production of other hormones produced in the adrenal gland may also be disrupted.” Daunting losses The economic impact of PRRS is daunting, costing the industry in Canada alone about $100 million a year. Annual losses in the United States can reach $664 million. “The number of pigs in Alberta is a relatively small proportion of this total, largely due to greater distances between hog farms than in eastern Canada or southeastern Manitoba,” says Plastow. A recent outbreak in Ontario grower-nisher operations cost producers $4 million due to reduced pig performance the following year. PRRS virus is an RNA virus that mutates rapidly. Variation in the virus and recombination between the variants mean that the emergence of new strains remains a huge challenge. “The virus also disrupts the immune system so that although vaccination helps reduce the impact, it does not provide a broad cross-protection from the disease unlike some vaccines for other disease agents,” says Plastow. The results of the study looking at resilience in growing pigs are promising in terms of being able to select for animals that recover more quickly than the average pig. He says that this will reduce the impact of the PRRS virus in the future. “In terms of fetal infections, resilience is much more complicated to study, as well as improve, because of the litter eects. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of transplacental infection and fetal demise has been our primary focus and we are making progress there.” The goal of the research project has been to nd out if these mechanisms are associated with fetal viability when confronting the infection. By conrming this association, it will be possible to select more PRRS resilient fetuses. This will allow for alternative breeding methods to control PRRS rather than rely on genetic modication or editing. Plastow says that if enough data can be collected in outbreaks or challenge experiments then it is now possible to use genomic selection which allows the resilience phenotype and breeding value of an animal to be predicted at birth by genotyping a DNA sample. This will help the industry select for healthier animals and will ideally help reduce the use of antibiotics in pork production. Going forward, the research team will continue to investigate the mechanisms of PRRS resistance and hopefully see opportunities to select for more disease-resilient pigs. “Such pigs will be able to mount an eective immune response that help animals recover more quickly when infected by a range of pathogens [leading to] reducing the need for drugs.” Genetic research may help manage pig virusPRRS costs industry $100 millionResearch by MARGARET EVANSjwww.tjequipmentllc.com 360-815-1597 FERNDALE, WA ALL PRICES IN US FUNDS1993 KENWORTH T600B W/ 20' PARMA SILAGE BOX, BARN DOORS, 10 SPEED, DETROIT 60 SERIES $29,250LIQUID MANURE PUMPING SYSTEM CORNELL PUMP, CRANE, HYD FEEDER PUMP, 400 HP, UP TO 2400 GPM, 8" SUCTION & DISCHARGE $43,000AVAILABLE SOON 1995 WHITE 6195 WORKHORSE 4WD, 222 HP, POWERSHIFT, 2964 HOURS 1990 JD 4255 4WD, 133 HP, POWERSHIFT, 6241 HOURS 1988 JD 4250 4WD, 133 HP, POWERSHIFT, 7607 HOURS 1987 JD 4450 4WD, 155 HP, POWERSHIFT, 7745 HOURS 1995 FORD 8970 4WD, 240 HP, POWERSHIFT, 8915 HOURS 2007 MF 583 W/ LOADER, 4WD, 80 HP, 4600 HOURS BUILT TO KEEP GOING. 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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 37Carrots need conscientious managementRONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – Mixed crop farmers wouldn’t dare skip planting carrots. The root vegetable is a staple in many kitchens and is sought out in the grocery store and farmers’ markets. But tools to control carrot rust y – the vegetable’s main pest – are slim pickings. Renee Prasad, an instructor in the agriculture and technology department at the University of the Fraser Valley, has been studying carrot rust y for a few years using threshold standards established by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada entomologist Bob Vernon. The adult carrot rust y looks like a small housey that lays eggs at the base of carrots and parsnips. When the eggs hatch, larvae burrow into the soil to dine on the maturing roots. “The maggot or larvae will tunnel the roots and really bad carrot rust y damage will make the root unsaleable,” Prasad explains. “It’s a very manageable pest, if caught early.” Monitoring the eld is essential for early intervention because only Cypermethrin is available for control of adults. There are no chemical controls for the larvae. The most eective chemical control occurs when traps capture 0.2 ies per day, the indicator for potential economic damage. “We have a very eective monitoring program for carrot rust y,” she notes. “We really can reduce the number of insecticide sprays.” But there are risks with having just one tool. This makes targeted applications all the more important to help reduce the risk of a resistant y population developing. Mike Nootebos, owner of Mary’s Garden in Surrey, uses sticky traps for monitoring, but nds it challenging to stay on top of the pests. “I just spray every couple of weeks,” he says. “But every year I’ll lose a pile of my carrots because they are not saleable. I’ll abandon the patch. I do rotate, but I only have 20 acres so I can’t really move them too far.” Susan Smith, industry specialist for eld vegetables with the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, says the lack of tools is concerning. “The larval phase is the phase where we do not have tools right now for carrot rust y because of the loss of some Instructor Renee Prasad, left, and and Karli de Haan, right, a graduate of the UFV agriculture program, change carrot rust y traps. RONDA PAYNEwww.tubeline.ca 1.888.856.6613@TubelineMFGFind us onSPREADERSACCUMUL8 & BALE GRABSBALEWRAPPERS ACCELERATORSquaring off against the carrot rust flyof the older chemistries that have longer residuals and have some issues regarding their persistence in the environment,” she says. “We’re really in need of some new chemistries.” Nootebos will check his crop regularly for damaged roots so that he knows if there’s value in harvesting them. “When it’s more than 40%, 50% damage, it’s not worth paying my pickers,” he explains. “I’ll take handfuls up to look and see if there’s damage.” Smith would like to see more information exchanged between growers about carrot rust y. “It’s a pretty strong y,” she says. “It would be good if growers could cooperate and share information about what they are seeing.” Information about monitoring for carrot rust y is presented in the province's online production guide for carrots so that growers can take on the task themselves. However, those like Nootebos may want to contract out the work. “If you don’t have time for crop monitoring yourself, many growers pay for the service,” explains Prasad. “As soon as the carrots come up, you want to get the traps in.” Some growers have been trying physical controls in addition to pesticides. A specialized mesh can cover the crop to keep carrot rust y out, for example, but is very expensive initially and must be used in tandem with solid management practices. “It’s kind of like a mosquito screen,” Prasad says. “It can last 10 to 15 years.” Smith says applying the mesh in a eld where the y has been present is problematic because larvae in the soil may continue their lifecycle – and damage – under the mesh. “You have to manage the area where you are planting,” she says. “You have to control the weeds under [the mesh cover]. Lots can go wrong if you don’t understand the biology of the pest and the needs of the crop.” BC produced almost 9,000 tons of fresh carrots in 2020 with a farmgate value of more than $7.1 million. We calculate growing degree days and corn heat unit
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Use larger implements and change ranges and gears easier with new transmission and horsepower options. Save fuel and inputs and stay on track with AutoTrac™ guidance. Reduce downtime by tracking maintenance updates and Mobile Connectivity. All with the great maneuverability, versatility and visibility of the rede昀ned 5M Utility Tractor.Passing lightly over the weather, with nothing more than a wondering and grateful look at another out-of-the-blue torrential rainstorm, I will happily announce that my swimming pool is complete. It is basically a gloried section of the drainage ditch. A piece of plywood plugs the upstream culvert, fresh water is piped in and a sump pump at the other end completes the elegant assembly. Tadpoles, water spiders and other little life forms also swim. It’s a bit swampy. I jumped in anyways the other day, after making a deliberate eort to overheat. Oh, it was glorious. Body and mind refreshed. Most of the others were unconvinced, however. To attract more human swimmers, some renements may be necessary: clear water, for example, or perhaps more realistically a shady cabana instead of a thistle-strewn, bare dirt, sun-baked, equipment storage lot for a shoreline/changing area. I suppose there’s room for improvement without inadvertently creating an agritourism experience, but I hope it’s not necessary. People may nd themselves less fussy about murky water and water-born wildlife when the temperatures soar. And as for agritourism, one is right to approach with caution. My pool may in fact serve as a nice metaphor for my feelings around agritourism: both concepts are appealing and popular, but in practice hard to perfect. I am not sure how long this metaphor will last, but I will prod it along a little further. The pool: fun, energizing, increasingly necessary to working in high-heat summers. The cost: water-quality fuss-fests and perhaps an outside shower to use after the swim as there seems to be some scum on the water … orange, foamy scum … However, I am not willing to install or care for a liner, use chemicals or shower before jumping in. Agritourism: I want to be a celebrity farmer and engage in agritourism, but that doesn’t mesh well with the performance of actual farm work. The result is a somewhat unsatisfying yet curiously manageable mix of roaring success, failure to launch, brief appearances in the spotlight, and toiling in obscurity … not to mention swimming alone. I’ll tie o the metaphor before it becomes any more tortuous. In 2005, my friend Lisa and I started quite a successful agritourism event which we called Slow Food Cycle Sunday. We chose the third Sunday of August, which in Pemberton is the one weekend of the summer where reasonable weather can be expected – not too hot, not too cold, rain unlikely yet likely recent, high chance of potato owers and fresh mown hay, low chance of freshly applied Roundup (although I subversively and perversely hoped otherwise – there is such a thing as too bucolic). We wanted the participants to go by bike because we felt that was the best way to cover the 50km round trip while optimizing exposure to farming without having to set foot on every single place. We also felt biking would help maintain the high appetite necessary to support all the food vendors along the way. We ran it for a few years before turning it over to the local tourism group. By then it was a monster. Thousands of people casually expecting a premium country farm bike tour experience mobbing the valley not only on the stipulated event day, but every day of the spring, summer and fall. It created a lot of non-farm work for farmers. The COVID break has been lovely, but the road is lling again with sight-seeing bike riders – more and more every day. I anticipate a big summer of agritourism, and I need to put some thought into how attractive to make the farm or there won’t be much farming going on. Anna Helmer farms in Pemberton with her family and is quite talkative but hard to pin down. Bike-riding sightseers are hitting the road againAgritourism has its perks but it does get in the way of actual farmingFarm Story by ANNA HELMER
Written plans set the tone for farm families, workersFarm safety is a year-round jobEverybody needs a break. And taking breaks is part of the TELL formula used to remind farm operators and their employees to stay safe on the job. COPPER T RANCHCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 39AgSafeBC.caTo work as a fruit picker in B.C. workers must successfully complete the COVID-19 Awareness course.COVID-19 AWARENESS FOR FRUIT PICKERS IN B.C.Insurance products and services are provided through Assante Estate and Insurance Services Inc. Please visit www.assante.com/legal.jsp or contact Assante at 1-800-268-3200 for information with respect to important legal and regulatory disclosures relating to this notice.Financial planning for farm families Farm transition coaching Customized portfolio strategy Retirement income planningDriediger Wealth PlanningMark Driediger, CFP, FEA, Senior Wealth AdvisorBrent Driediger, BAA, CPA, CMA, CFP, Wealth Advisorwww.DriedigerWealthPlanning.com | 604.859.4890 Assante Financial Management Ltd.KATE AYERS LANGLEY – No matter how routine farm work is, agriculture is a high-risk industry where even ordinary chores carry the risk of serious and even fatal injury. At Copper T Ranch located on the north shore of Fraser Lake, it’s the solitary jobs that pose the greatest risk to workers, such as fencing and checking cattle, say co-owners Trevor and Janice Tapp. Handling cattle can also be dangerous as the animals can be unpredictable, they add. This ranch is a 1,000-acre cow-calf operation that raises mainly purebred Hereford cattle. The family calve out approximately 80 registered cows each year and their herd can range from 140 to 200 animals depending on the time of year. “Recognizing, managing and controlling risks and hazards is an eective approach to protect farmers, their families and workers. The approach must include the examination of big-picture items, taking a holistic approach to health and safety,” says AgSafeBC’s regional consultant for Vancouver Island Melissa Lacroix. From 2014 to 2018, the top four leading causes of injuries in the agriculture sector were overexertion (18%), fall on the same level (15%), fall from elevation (14%) and struck by machines or livestock (14%), according to WorkSafeBC. To protect themselves and their workers, farmers should ensure they consider safety an integral part of doing business and understand that safety is not just simply an add on, Lacroix says. Farmers should have an eective health and safety program to identify the hazards, record management of the risk and inform workers, she adds. “An eective health and safety management system will focus on managing three main aspects: the technology, the human component and the organization. The (system) provides consistent and thoughtful management of the interaction between them.” Developing a written farm safety plan is good business practice. Reducing injuries and damage helps protect and retain sta members and avoids extra business costs, according to AgSafeBC. “Farm workers who establish practical and realistic safety procedures can create a culture of safety in the workplace and more people will adhere to best management practices,” says Lacroix. “Actively supervising and correcting behaviours and actions when necessary, is not only good business but will likely lead to more successful implementation of your safety management system.” The Tapps explain that Copper-T Ranch workers use the “TELL” system: • Tell me where you are going and what job you are doing • Every two hours (or less) check in or I’ll be checking on you • Long days require breaks – so make sure you take one o and on • Let me know when you are back at the yard Everyone on site has a cell phone or some way to communicate with each other about who is doing what job, they say. Workers are also encouraged to ensure that handling systems and equipment are in good working order before they start. According to 2019 data from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, the three industries that submitted the most lost-time claims across the country are health care and social assistance (49,118 claims), manufacturing (36,432 claims) and construction (28,111 claims). The agriculture, forestry, shing and hunting industrial groups landed ninth out of 21 industries with 12,539 claims. Keeping kids safe But farms are dierent from most other high-risk workplaces in that they’re often a family home, too. This means pets and children will be present, complicating risk management. “Whether those children are beginning to work at the site or are simply present, there are hazards that are largely unique to farming,” says Lacroix. “Children need proper instruction, supervision and must adhere to applicable rules and laws guiding the tasks they are able to perform. Inexperience with livestock or equipment and attempting to do tasks beyond their abilities are often contributing factors in child mishaps on farms.” To help protect children from safety risks on farms, parents can “enforce family and workplace safety rules, model safe behaviour around machinery and animals and provide proper task and safety training for older children working on the farm,” Lacroix says. To reduce risks and make their operations a safe place to live, work and play, the Tapps suggest that farmers and ranchers be smart and always think ahead of what might and could happen, communicate workplace safety plans so that everyone knows what to do should something happen and to be prepared with re extinguishers and rst aid kits and make sure everyone is aware of the location of these items. To reduce farm injury rates, WorkSafeBC will focus its initiatives in the agriculture sector in 2021-2023 on falls from the same elevation and falls from moveable ladders, musculoskeletal injuries and activities related to cannabis extraction. Overall, “farmers can be proactive, identify hazards, assess the level of risk and implement mitigation strategies and control measures,” Lacroix says. They “need to guard against complacency, avoid taking shortcuts, provide training to family members and workers and ensure the competency of those performing farm work. Farmers are legally required to do their part in creating a safe and healthy work environment.”
40 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCSubscribeThousands of BC farmers and ranchers turn to Country Life in BC every month to nd out what (and who!) is making news in BC agriculture and how it may affect their farms and agri-businesses! Your Name _______________________________________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________________________ City ________________________________________ Postal Code __________________________________ Phone _________________________ Email ____________________________________________________ www.countrylifeinbc.com/subscribePlease send a _______ year gift subscription to ________________________________________________ Farm Name ______________________________________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________________________ City ________________________________________ Postal Code ________ _________________________ When we left o last time, Deborah had just sworn Eunice and Lois to secrecy after slipping that she was ling for divorce from Kenneth. Rural Redemption, Part 136, continues. When Deborah got home from the general store, she told Ashley about the job oer to sit with Gladdie Harrison. Ashley was puzzled and wondered how sitting with someone could even be a job. Deborah said she wasn’t exactly sure and it would be best if Ashley talked it over with Eunice Montgomery. Ashley phoned Eunice, who invited her to come for tea. “She asked me to come for tea,” said Ashley, somewhat puzzled. “It’s a visit, honey. An excuse to visit and talk.” “She said she’d be home all morning so I could come anytime.” Ashley knocked on Eunice’s door a half hour later. “Good morning, Ashley. Thank you for coming.” “Good morning, Mrs. Montgomery.” “Oh, just Eunice, please dear. If you call me Mrs. Montgomery, no one will know who you’re talking about.” They sat for tea and Eunice said that Gladdie had asked her to see if Ashley might be interested in sitting with her. Ashley said she admired Mrs. Harrison but she was worried that she wouldn’t be very good company and wouldn’t know what to talk about. Eunice said the whole trick was to listen and she was certain the two of them would have lots to talk about, and sometimes it was a comfort just to have someone’s company without a lot of talk. And if she was worried about it, she could try it out for a week or two, then decide. Ashley agreed and the conversation turned to her graduation from high school. “Do you have your grad dress picked out yet?” asked Eunice. “No. I’m not sure I even want to go. There isn’t going to be a dance or anything, just a kind of parade where everyone pulls up in a car and gets out to get their diploma.” “Has anyone asked to take you?” “Clay said he’d take me, but it doesn’t seem worth it to get all dressed up to do a few laps around the school and he said he was sorry because all he had to take me in was his pickup, so I said that was okay because I’d be just as happy to give it a miss anyhow.” “You’re only going to graduate from high school once and it would be a crying shame if you didn’t go, Ashley. Put your grad dress on and get a nice picture with some of your friends at least.” “I just don’t want to make Clay drive me around while I make a spectacle of myself. “ “What spectacle? You’re a talented, intelligent and beautiful young woman and your parents have every reason to be proud and they’ll be sad if you don’t go. And I’m willing to bet that Clay Garrison would be tickled pink to be seen anywhere with you. What do your mom and dad have to say about it?” “Well, I’m not sure Dad even knows when it is. Mom says I should get a dress anyhow, in case I change my mind.” “Your mother is a smart woman.” “I know, but I don’t think I’ll be changing my mind.” Eunice took Ashley to Gladdie’s to break the news that Ashley was going to sit with Gladdie a few times to see how they got on, and if it worked out she would take the job for the summer. Then she dropped her o at home. Three minutes after she dropped Ashley o, Eunice drove up Newt’s driveway. Newt met her on the porch. “Morning, Eunice. What brings you this way?” “We need to do something about Ashley next door.” “What’s on your mind?” “She says she’s not going to her graduation, and that doesn’t seem right to me.” “I’m not sure how I can help but maybe you should come in for a cup of coee. You might of heard that Ashley’s grandmother is hanging her hat here these days.” Susan joined Newt on the porch. “So, it’s true then. You never know with one of Frank’s rumours.” “It’s true, alright,” said Newt. “All the better,” said Eunice, “because it’s a grandmother’s prerogative to put an oar in the water when it concerns her granddaughter. And by the way, congratulations to you both.” Eunice told them about Ashley planning to skip her graduation and Clay Garrison feeling bad about showing her o in a pickup and didn’t they think it would be crying shame if they couldn’t gure some way to get her to her own graduation? “I don’t know that I’d worry too much about the pickup,” said Newt grinning. “If I remember correctly, Eunice, Cec took you home from your rst date in his pig truck.” “That wasn’t planned, and I was long past being in high school. This is dierent. I’ve got a better idea.” “Let’s hear it,” said Newt. Susan poured coee and they all sat at the kitchen table. “It goes like this,” said Eunice. “You’ve still got that old Colonel’s car. I heard you had it on the road just recently. Right?” Newt nodded. “Well, then, maybe you could stick Ashley and Clay in the rumble seat instead of the pickup and drive them into school so she can get her diploma and some pictures taken. I think she’s on the verge of letting her mom buy her a dress so, Susan, maybe you could make sure she still does that?” “Yes. I let her pick out a dress for me for my rst date with Newt, so she owes it to me.” “Perfect!” said Eunice. “So, when the day comes you talk her into getting dressed up for some pictures, then Newt drives Clay over and he talks her into going to the park for some pictures and once she’s in the car, you drive her into the school. How does that sound?” “Downright diabolical,” said Newt. “I like it except for one thing. How would you feel if I showed Clay the ropes and we let him drive her himself?” “Even better,” said Eunice. “We could have a get-together here to celebrate after,” said Susan. “Better still!” said Eunice. “And I’ll make a big cake with congratulations on it.” Eunice bid them farewell and Newt phoned Clay Garrison and asked if he was busy. Clay said that he was coming by to pick up Ashley in an hour. Newt asked if he could drop by for half an hour on his way there. Clay was there 20 minutes later. Newt and Susan met him in the yard. “What’s up?” asked Clay. “Are you taking Ashley to her graduation?” said Susan. “Yes, but she’s not all that keen on the whole idea.” “Maybe you could help us change her mind?” “How?” “Come on out to the shop. There’s something I want to show you. I don’t suppose you’ve ever driven a 1928 Packard by any chance?” ... to be continued Eunice plans a graduation to rememberWoodshed Chronicles by BOB COLLINSCREDIT CARD # _________________________________________________________________ EXP _____________ CVV _____________ o NEW o RENEWAL | o ONE YEAR ($18.90) oT WO YEARS ($33.60) o THREE YEARS ($37.80) MAIL TO: 36 DALE RD, ENDERBY, BC V0E 1V4 | subscriptions@countrylifeinbc.com
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 41Kettle Valley farmers get more time to growCo-op premises expand to serve an increasing membership Small but mighty. Skye Fletcher of Thimble Mountain Farm is starting small but thinking big. Having the Kettle Valley Food Co-op handle marketing gives him more time to develop his farm. SUBMITTED2021 BC AG EXPO2021 BC AG EXPOSAVE THE DATERONDA PAYNE GRAND FORKS – Many farmers would rather grow food than market it. Working with wholesalers or cultivating direct sales channels takes time away from growing high-quality produce. But the Kettle Valley Food Co-op in Grand Forks is smoothing the path to market for growers, and a move into new premises will help it serve even more producers. “We are a 12-month-a-year operation,” says co-op president Nancy Gabrielse of Kettle River Farm. “The co-op provides the marketing structure for you as much as possible.” Gabrielse has sold produce from her four-acre market garden and half-acre orchard through the co-op, which formed in 2008. Co-op market manager Mike Tollis says one benet to farmers and other producers is an online system that’s easy to use and fully supported by the co-op. Customers order their week’s items by Tuesday through the co-op’s website, then pick their order up on Thursday, the same day as farmers deliver product to the warehouse. Producers post their products and set their prices; the co-op takes 20% of revenues and there is no set amount of product required. The online tool allows for sales reports, messaging and other tracking. “Producers know on Tuesday what they’ve sold for Thursday,” says Tollis, who is trying to make it easier for farmers to make a living. “We’re trying to keep it as simple as possible.” Time-saver The co-op beats spending eight or more hours at a farmers market, says Skye Fletcher of Thimble Mountain Farm. Fletcher is a new farmer, in just his second season, but the co-op is already helping boost the value of his produce and ower sales. “I wanted to do a whole bunch of crops … and gure out what I don’t want to do next year,” he says. “I’ll probably cut in half and do maybe 20 crops next year.” With an education in horticulture and more than a decade of working in organic fertilizer and soil health, Fletcher is in the ideal position to create a highly productive farm. Knowing the co-op was there to serve as a sales channel pushed him to put more of an investment of time and money into the half-acre he has started with for annual crops. He also has a food forest with fruit trees, bushes and other perennials underway. “Last year, I just did a few crops and sold them at the food co-op, which was good,” he says. “But, I wanted to diversify a bit so I wasn’t holding a metric tonne of perishable food.” He was able to see how he could establish more farm sales for the future and decided to diversify his opportunities by adding restaurants and farmers markets to his repertoire. “[The co-op is] denitely easier than farmers markets,” he says. “You have to be there about 12 minutes a week. They sell my food for me and my owers.” Because of pre-ordering, food waste is kept to a minimum and Tollis explains there’s no stocking of shelves. “Grand Forks is not a huge community. It is optimal for growing. We can grow a lot of things here and people are really into it,” he says. The pandemic pushed more people to the co-op. It now has 43 producer suppliers, with more signing up. Producers are also members, which number more than 500. Approximately 80 order from the co-op each week. Lifetime memberships are $100 for producers and $50 members. While crop and livestock producers represent the majority of suppliers, there are also products like local baked goods, coee, honey, pasta and body-care items. “I think we’re really focused on expanding our customer base, expanding our producers,” says Gabrielse. “We can market for the farmers so they don’t have to. We’re hoping to provide more and more customers to [producers] and there’s also the farmer-to-farmer connection.” She feels that people who have begun shopping at the co-op during the pandemic are likely to continue to do so as life returns to normal. “Those that want to go local will stay with us, I’m sure.”
42 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCFor a simple, seasonal dessert, a stemmed glass or dish full of colourful cherries, strawberries, raspberries or blueberries drenched in this tangy, but voluptuous velvet is both tasty and lovely to behold. It’s a light, but delicious touch of fresh sweetness following a ne meal. Vary the fruits to your taste. 4 c. (1 l) berries sprinkle with sugar, or not, to taste 2 c. (500 ml) plain yogurt 4 tbsp. (60 ml) brown sugar • Prepare fruit by hulling, stoning and cutting it up. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar, if you wish. • Blend yogurt (I use fat-free), sugar and liqueur of choice until well-mixed. Pour over fruit in glass sherbet dish or bowl and add toppings as desired. • Serves 4-6. TIPSY BERRIESSummer is the ideal time to cook a roast on the barbecue. JUDIE STEEVESMid-summer barbecues make cooking easyThis is a delicious use for your fresh garden herbs, or those just purchased from your neighbourhood farm, the farmer’s market or produce section of the market 2 lb. (1 kg.) sirloin tip or top round beef roast 2 cloves garlic 1 tbsp. fresh sage (packed) 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary • You may choose to use a more tender cut of meat, like the eye of round or even a ribeye or tenderloin roast of beef, in which case the overnight marinade is less important. In that case, marinate for an hour or so. • Sliver one clove of garlic and cut slits in the roast, all over, and insert the slivers. • Mince the other garlic clove and combine with packed tablespoons of fresh, chopped sage, rosemary and thyme and freshly ground black pepper. Add three tablespoons or so of dry red wine and mix well. • Pack the fresh herb and garlic mixture all over the roast and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight. • Remove a half hour before you’re ready to barbecue and insert the rotisserie and its claws into the meat. If you don’t have a rotisserie for your barbecue, just sear the roast on all sides, then cook in the centre of the barbecue, with only the outside burners on and the one under the roast o. • Otherwise pre-heat the barbecue and set up the rotisserie with its cargo of meat, turning the heat down to moderate or even low. Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t burn on the outside, turning the burners down a bit if needed. Barbecues are all dierent so cooking a roast is very individual to each one—and to your taste. • Use a meat thermometer to judge doneness. We like ours rare-medium-rare, so we remove it at 140°F or so and leave it to rest for 10 minutes, tented with foil or a deep lid. • Carve and serve with skewers of summer vegetables, like colourful peppers, onions, zucchini and mushrooms. • Soak fresh cobs of corn, from which you’ve just removed a couple of outer leaves, in water for an hour or so before grilling them to serve alongside. HERBY BARBECUED ROAST1 tbsp. fresh thyme freshly-ground black pepper 3 tbsp. dry red wine fresh-ground sea salt2 tbsp. (30 ml) brandy or triple sec sprinkle of nutmeg shaved chocolate chopped almonds It always seems odd to me that the beginning of summer in June actually signals the beginning of shorter days, even though they can be hot ones. It seems as if summer has already said goodbye before July gets its foot in the door and presents us with our warmest weather. Whatever the weather, July and August are mid-summer and use of the barbecue is front and centre for a lot of us. Once you plan a protein to cook on that primitive re, it’s far more fun to add veggies and all the rest of the meal around the barbecue too. Either that, or prepare a otilla of salads which can be made ahead of time, ready to present with the barbecued main dish, once it’s ready. Outdoor cooking and entertaining around the barbecue is perfect in these COVID-19 times because you aren’t sharing indoor air with anyone. Being prepared ahead of time with make-ahead sides, or sides that can be nished on the barbecue outside, allows you time to enjoy the company of family and friends while you cook the meal you’re all going to enjoy. There are lots of special occasions during the summer, from birthdays and anniversaries to weddings and wins, not to mention the occasional event like Canada Day and BC Day when we celebrate our community. Barbecue celebrations are a great way to mark such occasions and make a wonderfully friendly, informal get-together. With that in mind, don’t hesitate to invite your guests, whether family or friends, to bring along a meal addition, like dessert, an appie or a side dish. Every little bit helps to lighten the load on the host and adds to everyone’s enjoyment. Paper plates and napkins also help with cleanup and there are lots of bright, colourful ones available for a very reasonable price. After more than a year of not being able to entertain, it’s a joy to be able to welcome friends and family back onto the deck or into the yard to get caught up and have a few chuckles together. Jude’s Kitchen JUDIE STEEVEScountrylifeinbc.comvisit us online
countrylifeinbc.comvisit us online TRACTORS/EQUIPMENT TRACTORS/EQUIPMENTLIVESTOCKIRRIGATIONREAL ESTATEWANTEDFOR SALEHAYSEED1-888-770-7333BERRIESFor Tissue Culture Derived Plants of New Varieties of Haskaps, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Saskatoon Berries and Sour Cherries, Please Contact:DISEASE FREE PLANTING STOCK OF NEW BERRY CROPS 4290 Wallace Hill Road, Kelowna, BC, V1W 4B6info@agriforestbiotech.com250.764.2224www.agriforestbiotech.com NEW POLYETHYLENE TANKS of all shapes & sizes for septic and water storage. Ideal for irrigation, hydropon-ics, washdown, lazy wells, rain water, truck box, fertizilizer mixing & spray-ing. Call 1-800-661-4473 for closest distributor. Manufactured in Delta by Premier Plastics Inc. premierplastics.com. Feeders & Panels that maintain their value!ROUND BALE FEEDERS BIG SQUARE BALE FEEDERS FENCE PANELS CATTLE & HORSE FEEDERSHeavy duty oil field pipe bale feeders. Feed savers, single round bale feeders outside measurement is 8’x8.5.’ Double round bale feeder measurement is 15’x8’. Silage bunk feeders. For product pictures, check out Double Delichte Stables on Facebook Dan 250/308-9218 ColdstreamFOR SALEToll Free 1-888-357-0011 www.ultra-kelp.comREGISTRATION NO. 990134 FEEDS ACT Keeping Animals Healthy The Natural Way FLACK’S BAKERVIEW KELP PRODUCTS INC Pritchard, BC (est. 1985)GREAT SELECTIONQUALITY PRICETerra Seed Corp1.800.282.7856terraseco.comPacifc Forage Bag Supply Ltd.www.pacificforagebag.comCall 604.319.0376Carrie Nicholson PREC* 250-614-6766 STUNNING MOUNTAIN RESORT on 82.2 acres. 17 furnished chalets, 50 RV sites. Year round business – perfect wedding, family renion venue MLS®C8019821 $5,500,000WANTED: FARM LAND TO RENT In N. Okanagan for conversion into organic alfalfa seed production. Also interested in renting second cut hay land for $200/ac. Alden 204-979-7457 a_braul@hotmail.com DON GILOWSKI 250-260-0828 Royal LePage Downtown Realty Ltd BUYING OR SELLING OKANAGAN FARM, RANCH OR ACREAGE? COURTENAY HEREFORDS. Cattle for Sale: yearling bulls and bred heifers. John 250/334-3252 or Johnny 250-218-2537.PYESTERDAY’S TRADITION - TODAY’S TECHNOLOGYMANAGERS Phil Brown 250-293-6857 Catherine Brown 250-293-6858 ccr.princeton@gmail.com www.coppercreekranch.com PRINCETON, BC Raising registered polled & horned Herefords & F1s. BREEDING BULLS FOR SALE.RAVEN HILL MEADOWS: Coneygeers bloodlines - call for seedstock. 250-722-1882. NanaimoIt’s the top linethat makes the Bottom LineBC SHORTHORN ASSOCIATION Scott Fraser, President Bob Merkley, BC Director 250-709-4443 604-607-7733PREMIUM HAIR BRED SHEEP FOR SALE Foundation St. Croix breeding stock (year round breeding): maternal excellence, parasite resistance, height/length, small bone/less fat. PUREBRED REGISTERED WHITE DORPER ewe lambs (robust, fast gain, large carcass with high meat yield). All excellent health, ideal conformation, clean genetics. 250-375-2528 or 250-682-8538 LOWLINE semen for sale. Silverhills Lowlines 250-547-6465 littlecow@telus.netSandy Macrae Office: 2502488801 Cell: 2502284126 sandymacrae@shaw.ca GORGEOUS MOUNTAIN VIEW ACREAGE WITH 2 SEPARATE TITLES• 20.7 acres w/mountain/pastoral views • Several outbuildings incl 50x54 barn • Perfect location minutes from Qualicum Beach • Hobby farm, vineyard, market garden potential • Lovely character home, plus second residence • MLS 867201 and MLS 867197 • $2,598,000 or $1,349,000 ea ZcXjj`Ô\[j7Zflekipc`]\`eYZ%ZfdfiZXcc1-'+%*)/%*/(+C@E<8;J1),nfi[jfic\jj#d`e`dld(*gclj>JK#\XZ_X[[`k`feXcnfi[`j%),;@JGC8P8;J1),gclj>JKg\iZfclde`eZ_M[WYY[fjcW`ehYh[Z_jYWhZi$AUGUST DEADLINE JULY 25EQUIPMENT DISPERSAL • LOEWEN AGITATOR 18’, 100 HP prop, nice condition, $2,500. • LOEWEN SUB-SOILER 2-shank, big shoes, mint, $2,500 • 1988 FORD 7710 2WD, 4172 hours, cab, air cond., stereo, 12 speed w/high low power shift, 87 HP, two sets remotes. Very nice original tractor. $26,500 TONY 604-850-4718Irrigation Pipe | Traveling Gun/Hose ReelsPivots | Pumps | Power UnitsCall for a quote on Irrigation Design and our current inventory of new & used Irrigation Equipment.Several used 1,200ft pivots & used hose reels available now.TALK TO BROCK 250.319.3044Dynamic Irrigation beyedynamic@gmail.com SCOTTISH HIGHLAND Bulls for sale. 250-546-3646FARM HELP WANTED Duties to include farm equipment operation and maintenance, farm repairs, cattle feeding. Fraser Valley. 604-838-4574.ROUND BALED HAY & HAYLAGE This is good quality organic feed with no chemicals – for horses or dairy and beef cattle. Nice tight well-wrapped bales baled May 22 with no rain. $65/bale. Volume discounts. Carl 604-825-9108.REGISTERED TEXEL & CANADIAN ARCOTT RAM LAMBS Available after July 1 ALBERT & DENA FINLAY 250-546-6223 nlaysfarm@gmail.com | nlayfarm.comHAYLAGE EXCELLENT QUALITY HAYLAGE Delivery available on Vancouver Island and along the Trans Canada Hwy corridor in BC. 250-727-1966LOOKING TO RENT a small farm space. If you have a farm with some unused space or shelter, Im interested in renting from you to start a little hobby farm. 604-727-7593, vradeka@gmail.com• LOAD TRAIL TRAILER, 2015, 18’, 14,000 lb axles, side-in ramps, 1000 km, New Cond. $6,900 • NEW HOLLAND 8 row hyd fold corn head for a self propelled har-vester, Claus style, can be fitted to JD, $12,500. • IH and GEHL 3 row corn heads, $1500 each • FELLA TEDDER 6-Star, folds back, low acres, $5500 • KUBOTA FLAIL MOWER, 50” 3ph, $1950. • FLAIL PADDLE MOWER, 9’ Draw-bar Pull, Swath Boards, 540 PTO, $1750. • FLAIL CHOPPERS with Spouts, NH 5’, $1750. FOX 7’, $2950 • KUHN GC300G Disc Mower Con-ditioner, 10’ cut, low acres, $12,500. • NH 258 and 260 Rakes with tow bar, V-Combo set, $5900. • VICON WHEEL RAKES, 4 to 8 wheel, 3ph, drawbar and V Combi-nations, $350 to $2200. • HAY WAGON and Utility Trailer Chassis, $200 to $2000. • NEW BALE SPEARS for Skid Steer and loader bucket mount, $150 to $550. • FORD 4610 TRACTOR, 60HP, Nar-row, Low Profile 2wd, Nice Cond, $11,500 • FORD UTILITY TRACTOR, 57 hp, Cab, 3ph, PTO, mid-mount Sickle Mower and front mount detachable Angle Broom, Ex Military, Less than 1000 hrs $15,500. • HYSTER 3PH FORK-LIFT, Heavy Duty, $2300, Other Fork-Lifts and attachments. • JIFFY/CRAWFORD HYDUMPS, 14’, $2500 to $6000 • HAY, 400-16’ by 18’ Bales on trailers, can deliver, OFFERS! CALL JIM FOR ANY HARD TO FIND ITEMS ABBOTSFORD 604-852-6148 FARM EQUIPMENT/TRAILERDeBOER’S USED TRACTORS & EQUIPMENT GRINDROD, BCLOOKING TO BUY USED JD TRACTORS 60-100 HP JD 7810 75,000 JD 5105 2WD, 2006, 1,400 HRS 15,000 [ADD LOADER TO 5105 3,500] JD7600 MFWD 45,000 JD620 21’ disc dbl fold 20,000 ED DEBOER 250/838-7362 cell 250/833-6699 CURT DEBOER 250/838-9612 cell 250/804-61472017 JCB FASTRAC 4190 Identical to a Fastrac 4220 (ie. self-leveling suspension all around, cool-ing system, specification, etc) Up rate to 235 HP, does have 540/540E and 1000/1000E PTO speeds. 1200 hrs, 4WS. Front linkage & Front PTO with Hydraulic services to the front, GPS ready, 600/70 R30 tyres-all very good. LED work lights, luxury leather heated seat, electric mirrors, in cab cooler box, tinted rear win-dows, headland turn assist, rear inner mudguard fenders, climate control, performance monitor, and Radar, full spec, as new condition. C/W Fully loaded Quicke Q7m pres-tige front loader with all the added extras; Q-companion weighing sys-tem, electric joystick controls, hy-draulic locking euro headstock, electric soft ride, multicoupler, & loaded work lights. $220,000 CAD Contact Ueli, 250-546-7959• 2015 INTERNATIONAL TERRASTAR 4WD extended cab, automatic trans, custom factory built flat deck with hydraulic lift gate, duel large under deck high quality polished stainless locking storage boxes. This truck is just like new out of the show room with only 17000 km. Perfect truck for any one who wants to improve their business efficiency with a better image. Ideal truck for farmers, land-scapers, traffic control business. Also great truck for delivery work for feed stores. This truck is a must see • POTATO HARVESTER converted to a heavy duty rock picker. Asking $3,500 Contact Carl 604-825-9108 or email ourgoodearth@live.comCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC JULY 2021 | 43STEAM BOILER 125 psi 3.2million BTU automatic. Fired by natural gas. Last inspection Jan 2019. Last used July 2019. Good condition. Weighs approximately 10,000 lbs. can load for a purchaser. $6,500. Offers consid-ered. Contact Mike at 250-463-5888
44 | JULY 2021 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCIdeal for both the toughest construction jobs and the most precise landscaping jobs, the SSV Series is as agile as it is powerful. Featuring a large assortment of attachments, your SSV is a versatile base for grapples, rotary cutters, graders, tree pullers and much, much more.NEED A POWER LIFT?kubota.ca | 1521 Sumas Way, Box 369Abbotsford, BC V2T 6Z6(604) 864-9568avenuemachinery.caAVE010OLIVER GERARD’S EQUIPMENT LTD 250/498-2524 PRINCE GEORGE HUBER EQUIPMENT 250/560-5431 SMITHERS HUBER EQUIPMENT 250/847-3610 VERNON AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 250/545-3355 ABBOTSFORD AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 604/864-2665 COURTENAY NORTH ISLAND TRACTOR 250/334-0801 CRESTON KEMLEE EQUIPMENT LTD 250/428-2254 DAWSON CREEK DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 250/782-5281 DUNCAN ISLAND TRACTOR & SUPPLY LTD 250/746-1755 KAMLOOPS DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 250/851-2044 KELOWNA AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 250/769-8700 PROUD PARTNER OF