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by PETER MITHAMOTTAWA – Capital spending across BC is setfor a fall this year but crop growers have littleintention of paring their spending.Statistics Canada’s annual survey ofinvestment intentions indicates that businessacross BC expects to spend 3.8% less oncapital expenses in 2016. But investments bythe province’s farmers will drop just 2.8%,thanks largely to lower spending by livestockproducers.Statscan had bullishly predicted $143.5million in fresh spending on capitalexpenses by the livestock sector last yearbut preliminary figures indicate actualspending totalled $136.8 million. Now,estimates are calling for a more conservativeinvestment of $131.4 million.Meanwhile, crop producers are expected tospend $108.5 million in 2016, a gure that’sbeen virtually unchanged for the past fouryears.Strong demand for local produce andfavourable exchange rates for those whoexport have given producers money to spendon land, buildings and equipment.Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’soverview of financial conditions forCanada’s farmers reported that BC cropreceipts rose 4% between 2014 and 2015and would rise another percentage pointthis year to top $1.5 billion. By contrast,livestock receipts are set to pull back 3%Postmaster, Please returnUndeliverable labels to:Country Life in BC1120 East 13th AveVancouver, BC V5T 2M1CANADA POSTESPOST CANADAPostage paid Port payéPublications Mail Post-publications40012122Vol. 102 No. 6Infrastructure Federal spending overlooks farmers, ranchers 11Poultry Avian influenza response training exercise 17Investment Demand, low taxes make farmland attractive 19Lifein BCThe agricultural news source inBritish Columbia since 1915June 2016 • Vol. 102 No. 6FIRB proffers stinging rebuke to hatching egg commission orderCapital investment trends lower for BCby DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – In a March 29 decision,the BC Farm Industry Review Board has notjust thrown out the BC Broiler Hatching EggCommission’s Amending Order 11 which“regularized” production of BC’s six Silkieand Taiwanese chicken hatching eggproducers, it has severely criticized theBCBHEC’s process in creating the order,going so far as to award costs to the threeappellants, something FIRB almost neverdoes.After ignoring BC’s specialty broilerbreeders for years, the commission decidedin 2011 that these producers were “non-compliant “ and would be “regularized.”In November 2013, it issued itsregularization program as Amending Order11. The program would give producers aquota amounting to half of their productionbetween 2009 and 2012.The order was almost immediatelyappealed by three of the producers: TrevorAllen of Skye Hi Farms Inc, Casey Van Ginkelof V3 Farm and Wilhelm Friesen and LillianFehr of W. Friesen Enterprises. Skye Hi andPlease see “FARM” page 2Please see “UNFAIR” page 2YCOUNTRYFormer land commission chair Richard Bullock and long-time Richmond city councillor and outspoken farmingadvocate Harold Steves are travelling the province on a public speaking tour on the “Future of Farming” in BC.They were in Duncan last month. Please see story on page 7. (Tamara Leigh photo)In a rare decision, FarmIndustry Review Boardawards costs to appellantsOn the road, again and againIRRIGATION LTD1-888-675-7999www.watertecna.comPROVINCE WIDE DELIVERYPROVINCE WIDE DELIVERYGrowing morewith less waterFREE PTO PUMPSee our ad on page 40for details!1-888-770-7333Quality Seeds ... where quality counts!YOUR COMPLETESEED SOURCE
UNFAIR PROCESS From page 1Country Life in BC • June 20162V3 also jointly operate T&CChick Sales. The three claimedBCBHEC used an unfairprocess to set the order, thatit does not represent “soundmarketing policy,” that itsallotment decision was wrongand that the 24% pro rataquota allocation increasewould still not permit aminimum ecient farm size.FIRB said using the 2009-2012 production as the basefor quota allocations “appearsto benet” the two largestproducers, Coastline Chicks(Kelly and Teresa Boonstra)and Rob and Pat Donaldson(Bradner Farms). Off and on productionIt notes Coastline, Bradner,Friesen and John Giesbrechtwere pioneer Asian eggproducers but Friesen’s eggproduction had lapsedbefore restarting in 2009.Sensing a marketopportunity, Skye Hi and V3started production in mid-2010. The sixth producer, K &R Farms (Ken Huttema andRob Vane), also began in2010 after acquiringGiesbrecht’s genetics.In its 39-page decision, theFIRB panel of Daphne Stancil,FIRB chair John Les and FIRBvice-chair Andy Dolberg saysthe BCBHEC decision violatesevery one of FIRB’s cherishedSAFETI principles: Strategic,Accountable, Fair, Eective,Transparent, Inclusive.Specialty sectorStrategic: “We nd acomplete lack of any strategicrationale in respect of thedecision-making to activelyregulate the Asian hatchingegg sector,” the panel states,noting the commission hadmade it clear after FIRB’s 2005Specialty Review that it hadno intention of regulating thespecialty sector. FIRB evencomplimented Skye-Hi and V3for “helping to develop astronger and more resilientAsian hatching egg sector.”Accountable: The panelstressed the BCBHEC was notaccountable to allstakeholders, calling its“preferential treatment of twoproducers … troubling.” Inparticular, FIRB noted theBCBHEC only allowed Skye Hiand V3 to comment on theproposed order if they agreedto allow their comments to becirculated to all six producers,yet withheld Donaldson’scomments until the order wasissued. Fair: FIRB pointed out thatnot all industry participantswere consulted prior to theorder being issued “which, initself, is unfair.” It added thatthe outcome of the order wasalso unfair, as it “signicantlyjeopardized the businesses offour of the producers while …allocating more quota to thetwo dominant producers thanthey had requested.”Eective: That led FIRB toconclude the order “wouldhave destroyed theappellants’ business … (and)… does not provide for orreect the current state of theindustry.“The outcome could havebeen damaging to a sectorwhere BC is a strong nationalleader,” it says.Transparent: FIRB statescategorically that the BCBHEC“did not nd the appropriatebalance” between opennessand the risk of a ‘race forbase.’ It notes there wereinadequate records of theconsultation process anddecries the commissionmembers’ “lack of awarenessof the 2005 Specialty Reviewwhich provided advice for …developing andimplementing a specialty orniche program.”Legal argumentBHBEC’s Reasons forDecision “do not read like adecision of a regulatormaking a strategic decision inthe best interests of theindustry. Instead, they readlike a legal argumentFARM REVENUES From page 1this year to just under $1.5 billion.The retrenchment is consistent with slightly lowerexpectations for overall farm revenues this year and ongoinglosses in the sector (at least on paper).Aggregate farm revenues will come in at just under $3billion this year, according to Agriculture and Agri-FoodCanada. This will translate into net cash income for the sectorof $327.8 million.However, when depreciation and other factors are factoredin, federal analysts expect the sector to post a net loss of $70.8million – the tenth year of red ink in the past 11.The bleeding is unprecedented in the province’s history,surpassing both the recession of the early 1980s and the GreatDepression. While the province has pledged to grow the agri-food sector’s revenues, margins have remained incredibly tightfor producers.Year Crops Livestock Total 2007 77.5 139.8 217.3 2008 79.1 142.6 221.7 2009 93.3 140.1 233.4 2010 93.3 140.1 233.4 2011 96.2 129.3 225.5 2012 102.7 127.4 230.1 2013 108.0 123.6 231.6 2014 109.6 134.2 243.8 2015 1 110.1 136.8 246.9 2016 2 108.5 131.4 239.9 1preliminary 2forecast Source: Statistics CanadaTABLE: Capital movesNew capital investment in B.C. farms, 2007-2016 ($ millions)justifying a particular decisionirrespective of industryrealities,” FIRB states.Inclusive: FIRB concludesthe commission “started froma narrow perspective andgave disproportionate weightto the views of the twolargest producers, to thedetriment of the overallinterests of the industry.”FIRB therefore threw outthe Order and has given theBCBHEC 90 days to determinewhether or not to regulateAsian egg production (usingSAFETI principles to makethat determination). If thecommission chooses toexempt the production ofSilkie or TC broiler hatchingbreeders, eggs or chicks, itsreport must include draftchanges to the scheme tosupport the exemption.If it decides to pursuesome form of regulation, FIRBhas given the BCBHEC afurther 90 days to completean appropriate consultation,enact a regulation and createan advisory committee toassist it going forward.Although FIRB declined toaward the appellants all theircosts, it did order the BCBHECto pay $7,500 each to Skye Hi,V3 and Friesen for theirtroubles.12:6(59,1*7+()5$6(59$//(<:H·YHEHHQSURXGO\IDPLO\RZQHGDQGRSHUDWHGVLQFHRSHQLQJLQ$QGZLWKWZREOHQGLQJSODQWVZH·UHRQHRI%&·VODUJHVWGLVWULEXWRUVRIJUDQXODUOLTXLGDQGIROLDUIHUWLOL]HUV2XUEX\LQJSRZHUDQGSUR[LPLW\WRWKH)UDVHU9DOOH\PDNHVXVWKHORJLFDOFKRLFHIRUWUXFNORDGVKLSPHQWV2.$1$*$1)(57,/,=(5/7'CALL FOR AN ESTIMATELARRY604.209.5523TROY604.209.5524 TRI-WAYFARMSLASER LEVELLING LTD.IMPROVEDDRAINAGEUNIFORMGERMINATIONUNIFORMIRRIGATIONFAST ,ACCURATESURVEYINGINCREASECROPYIELDS We service all ofSouthern BCwww.tractorparts4sale.caABBOTSFORD, BCBus. 604/807-2391Fax. 604/854-6708 email: sales@tractorparts4sale.caWe accept Interact, Visa and Mastercard MENSCH SAND THROWER W/JD LOADER QUICKATTACH ............... 3,700BALE SQUEEZE FLEXIBAL MODEL W/JD OR ALO QUICKATTACH ... 1,750KVERNELAND 2428 10 FT WIDE, 3 PT DISC MOWER/NO CONDITIONER, LIKE NEW ........................................................................................ $9,500CLAAS 470S SINGLE ROTARY RAKE, 15FT, GOOD CONDITION ...... 6,500NEW IDEA 3739 MANURE SPREADER, TANDEM AXLE ................. 14,500JD4200 FOUR BOTTOM ROLL OVER PLOW, SPRING TRIP................. 5,500JOHN DEERE 5500 4X4, LOADER, 83 HP, FWD/REV, OPEN STATION, LOADER ATTACH INCLUDED............................................................... 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June 2016• Country Life in BC 3Fun with fecesDan Hopkins, far left,was one of severalmembers of theOkanagan ShuswapSheep ProducersAssociation learninghow to use theFAMACHA card todetect anaemia insheep at a “Fun withFeces” workshopwith Dr Shaun Tryon,right, in Armstronglast month. Thepresentation alsoincluded fecalsample collectionand examination tohelp producersincrease theirhusbandry skillswhen it comes todealing with internalparasites in sheep.(Photo courtesy ofKaren Mernett)Ag council initiative hopes to increase public trustby DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – The BCAgriculture Council (BCAC) isscrambling for a newcommunications strategistand member relationsmanager after the abruptdeparture of Jaclyn Laic at theend of April.“It’s a super-high priority forus,” BCAC executive directorReg Ens said. “We wantsomeone as soon as possible.”He oered no explanationfor Laic’s departure, sayingonly it was by “mutualagreement.”In the meantime, KathyJames, who has been workingwith ARDCorp as a programmanager, is helping out withcommunication.Communication is a keyissue for the BCAC, having justspent part of their annualmeeting discussing how tobuild more public trust in thefarming community.Speaking at the BCGreenhouse GrowersAssociation annual meeting atthe end of April, BCAC chairStan Vander Waal says thecouncil is wrestling with “howwe get the average public tounderstand what it takes toget food on their table.”He notes a Farm CreditCanada survey showed just58% of the public trustfarmers, a drop of 4% since itssurvey ve years earlier.“Our objective is to raisethe level of trust from 58%back to 62% or even up to70%,” Vander Waal said.Ens said the council isworking with Jennifer Woronof the BC Dairy Association todevelop details of thestrategy.“We hope to present aproposed strategy to ourboard by the end of July, haveour member associationsagree to it by the end ofSeptember and start theimplementation inNovember,” Vander Waal said.EFP continues with ARDCorpMeanwhile, the council ispulling back on itsinvolvement in federally-funded programs. Ens notesneither BCAC/ARDCorp northe BC Food ProcessorsAssociations applied to deliverthe new federal-provincialtraceability and food safetyprograms in BC. WhileARDCorp continues to deliverthe Environmental Farm Planprogram, Ens expects to beout of 2016 funding for EFPBenecial ManagementPractices (BMP’s) by the end ofMay.“We had good uptake fromall over the province,” he said.An enhanced EFP programwith increased BMP funding isone of the things theCanadian Federation ofAgriculture is looking for inthe next federal-provincial-territorial agricultureagreement to begin in 2018.With agriculture ministersset to discuss GrowingForward 3 at their nextmeeting in July, the CFA hasreleased its report titled“Positioning CanadianAgriculture for ContinuedSuccess,” detailing its “asks”for the new agreement.In its summary, the CFAsays its policy and programrecommendations will enableincreased investment in thesector, promote adaptabilityto a changing climate andposition Canadian agri-foodproducts as the rst choice forsafe, quality food.The CFA is also calling forincreased investments inpublic sector research, providea higher percentage offunding for research clustersin specialty sectors andadditional funding forresearch in new sectors.It wants the government torescind the current Agri-Stability payment triggers andgo back to using a trigger of85% of the historical referencemargin. It also wantsgovernment to develop asupplementary program moresuitable to diversied farmoperations which often ndprots in one area mean theyare unable to access supportseven though their losses inanother area may be the sameas farmers only involved inthat one sector.The CFA continues to callfor a national food policy,stressing it needs to includeintegrated national foodsafety assurance systemswhich meet the needs of“producers, processors,retailers, regulators andconsumers.”The CFA also wants thenext agreement to supportprovincial branding initiatives,such as BC’s Buy Localprogram. Because theseprograms try to dierentiateproducts from one provinceto the next, they are barredfrom accessing GF2 funding. DENSITY WHERE IT COUNTSINVEST IN QUALITY®Matsqui Ag-RepairAbbotsford, BC604-826-3281Noble Tractor & EquipmentArmstrong, BC250-546-3141Noble Tractor & EquipmentKamloops, BC250-851-3101Huber Farm EquipmentPrince George, BC250-560-5431KuhnNor thAmerica.comIntegral RotorVB 2200 SERIES VARIABLE CHAMBER ROUND BALERSr+PVGITCN4QVQT6GEJPQNQI[RTQXKFGUEQPUKUVGPVVTQWDNGHTGGETQRƃQYr(CUVEQPUKUVGPVDCNGUVCTVKPIKPFKXGTUGEQPFKVKQPUr2TQITGUUKXG&GPUKV[5[UVGORTQFWEGUXGT[HKTODCNGUYKVJOQFGTCVGEQTGUr5KORNGJGCX[FWV[FTKXGNKPGCPFEJCKPUHQTTGNKCDKNKV[2TQFWEGUZCPFZDCNGU
We spoke in this space last month about the BCHydro and Power Authority’s (Hydro) accumulateddebt of more than $76 billion. That sum is more thanthree quarters of the total provincial debt. What isnot included in Hydro’s total is the cost of the Site Cdam on the Peace River. Site C will be the third Peace River dam on sitesproposed more than 60 years ago and will beHydro’s rst major dam project in more than 30years. There is no small amount of controversysurrounding the project. Hydro claims Site C power is necessary to meetpredicted demand in the coming decades and notesthat once in place, it will be the source of clean,reliable energy for the next 100 years. Opponents point to current demand, which hasgrown little in the past decade. The 5,100 GW annualSite C output is not currently required to meetdomestic demand and export markets are weak. All of this could change if and when the muchtouted LNG industry ever reaches lift-o and thoughthere is plenty of noise and engine revving, the rstight looks to be a long way o. This would explain the government proposing(somewhat ironically, many would say) to sell Site Cpower to Alberta as a low carbon power source forthe oilsand industry. I suspect Alberta might beinterested, all the more if they could somehow solvethat pesky bitumen pipeline dilemma.There is a long list of environmental concernsbacked up behind Site C. The ooding of 107 km of the Peace and itstributaries will submerge a total of 5,304 ha,including 3,433 ha of Class 1 to 3 land formerly inthe Agricultural Land Reserve. The ALR issue was solved in April 2015 whenOrder in Council No. 148 removed all the aectedlands in the largest exclusion in the ALR’s 44 yearhistory. Concerns from local First Nations as well asriparian wildlife habitat loss and risk to endangeredspecies have been dealt with as well. Work isunderway and completion is currently projected for2024.Of course, we have no way of knowing what thewhole thing will cost in the end. The Site C feasibilitystudy in 2007 cited a cost of $6.6 billion. By 2011, thegure had grown to $7.9 billion and now that theproject is up and running, the projected price tagexceeds $9 billion. Large construction projects seldom meet theirinitial cost estimates. The Johnson Street Bridgereplacement in Victoria was originally estimated tocost $63 million with completion in 2015. As it nowsits, they are aiming for completion in 2017 and thecost has ballooned to $97 million and rising. In 2009, the provincial government projected thecost of a new roof for BC Place Stadium at $365million. It was completed in 2012 at a cost of $514million and we will remember the Fast Cat ferriesthat started at $210 million and grew to $463million. My guess would be that in 2024, the nalSite C cost will be at least double the originalestimate. The pros and cons of the project are almostlimitless but the big question we need to ask isshould a Crown corporation already packing a $76billion decit be taking a $10 billion yer togenerate power it might not need? If Hydro wasn’t so far in hock, Site C might seemlike a prudent gamble but it is dicult to see how itsolves the problem of servicing a debt nearing (orover) $90 billion or gives any comfort to theagencies that scrutinize our nances and set theprovince’s credit rating.While it will provide employment opportunitiesduring construction and give the governmentsomething more substantial than LNG dreams tohang its hat on at election time next year, itultimately leads to the very real possibility thatHydro will end up parted out and sold o to relievethe government from the discomfort of shoulderingthe blame for its troubles. Sold or not, there is no scenario that doesn’t leadto ongoing consumer price increases.Editor & Publisher Peter WildingPhone: 604/871-0001 • Fax: 604/871-0003E-mail: countrylifeinbc@shaw.ca • Web: countrylifeinbc.comAssociate Editor David SchmidtPhone: 604-793-9193E-mail: davidschmidt@shaw.caAdvertising Sales & Marketing Cathy GloverPhone: 604/328-3814E-mail: cathyglover@telus.netProduction Ass’t: Ann Morris • Senior Researcher: Phil “Piffles” GordonCOUNTRYLifeAdvertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, that portionof the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance forsignature will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at theapplicable rate.In the event of a typographical error which advertises goods or services at a wrong price, suchgoods or services need not be sold at the advertised price. Advertising is an offer to sell, and maybe withdrawn at any time. All advertising is accepted subject to publisher’s approval.All of Country Life in British Columbia’s content is covered by Canadian copyright law.Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writer and not necessarily those ofCountry Life in British Columbia.Letters are welcome, though they may be edited in the interest of brevity before publication.All errors brought to our attention will be corrected.The agricultural news sourcein British Columbia since 1915Published monthly byCountry Life 2000 Ltd.Vol. 102 No. 6June 2016in B.C.1120 East 13th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5T 2M1 Publication Mail Agreement: 0399159 GST Reg. No: 86878 7375 Subscriptions: $18.90/year • $33.60/2 years • $37.80/3 yearsAll prices incl GSTSite C is risky business for BC Hydro, consumersThe Back 40BOB COLLINSCountry Life in BC • June 20164Speaking to producers at the PacicAgriculture Show earlier this year, farmbusiness consultant Charlie Touchettetold producers they need to be askingthemselves what people think of theirfarming. The generation that came ofage during the biotech debates of thelate 1990s has put food on the politicalagenda. Whereas the price of foodused to be the biggest concern forconsumers, now it’s the way that foodis produced. Was the animal treatedwell? Were the pastures it grazedtreated with pesticides? Were theworkers who picked the fruit andvegetables paid a living wage?When the furore over themistreatment of animals by a fewemployees at Chilliwack Cattle Salesmade headlines in 2014, it wasn’t justthe farm caught in the crosshairs ofactivists. Saputo refused to accept milkfrom the farm and then, a year ago,announced that it wouldn’t buy milkfrom dairies that didn’t treat theiranimals well.Earls Restaurants recently followedsuit, announcing it would only sourcebeef from suppliers who couldguarantee that their animals weretreated humanely. But theannouncement from Earls triggered abacklash because it claimed it couldn’tnd beef in Canada that met itsrequirements.It soon backtracked on the decisionto source exclusively from the USbecause sourcing local beef was just asimportant as sourcing animals thatdied free from distress.But more clashes between socialobjectives are likely in the future asemotion trumps science in the battlefor hearts, minds and dollars.Defenders of animals rights met inVancouver over the May longweekend to rally the troops and thegroup Direct Action Everywhereregularly meets to put pressure ongrocers to stop selling animalproducts on the grounds that there’snothing humane about treatinganimals as food. Restaurants, retailersand suppliers will face a greater arrayof social pressure to do what these so-called activists claim to be the rightthing in any given moment and caterto consumer demand.On the bright side, this may mean agreater range of niche markets forvendors to supply, and in turn a greaterability to secure premium pricing asSocial objectives have a costpeople ante up to keep a cleanconscience. The province, meanwhile,has pledged to enforce claims oforganic certication (and potentiallyothers) with legal protection.Greater revenues will help makefarming more viable. But the cost willbe greater scrutiny of farm practices byan unpredictable and self-righteousjudge, yet another variable demandingmanagement in what may well be theworld’s most unpredictable profession.
Growing up on the farm inthe 1960s, two events causeda dramatic shift in the family’seating habits.First, the cow died. She wasreplaced with skim milkpowder, which scienticallyspeaking, oered similarnutrition, was less expensive,stored better and was muchmore convenient thanmaintaining a cow andmilking two times a day.But it tasted terrible. Thefamily lore is my olderbrothers paid for their rstbicycles by drinking milk aftermy parents oered to paythem a penny a glass.The dangers of butter!The second major shift alsoinvolved dairy. Butter at thedinner table was replaced by asimilarly sized brickresembling lard. Except it wasmade from plant-basedsources and came with abright orange packet of dye tomake it look more like thebutter. This occurred after myfather was diagnosed withhigh cholesterol and told toavoid eating saturated fats. Atthat time, eggs were alsodeemed dangerous.The science of the daypronounced margarine as amuch healthier choice andthat was widely disseminatedto the public through media,dietitians and the medicalprofession. Thirty years later,they started reporting thenew science that showed thathydrogenating vegetable oilto make it solid created transfats, which are nowconsidered worse than thesaturated fats in butter.We are now told the linksbetween cholesterolin our foods,cholesterol in ourbodies and our long-term health are muchmore nebulous.All of this came tomind last month while sittingin on an Agricultural Instituteof Canada (AIC) conferenceand workshop on how to getresearch results into thehands of end-users.A background documentidentied key challengesfacing researcherscommunicating aboutscience. One is that theprocess from research to enduse is no longer “linear” or a“pipeline” as it was back in thedays when most research wasconducted by publicinstitutions. Researchers madea nding, they told everyoneabout it, industry adopted itand the public good wasrealized.More stakeholders involvedSandra Schillo, assistantprofessor of the Telfer Schoolof Management at theUniversity of Ottawa, told theconference that takingresearch ndings through toconference had a lot to sayabout so-called “mommybloggers” and unscienticattacks on modern productionpractices. They point topublications such as The RealDirt on Farming as a crediblesource of information.However, it also makes somechallengeable claims, such assaying Canadians enjoy one ofthe lowest-cost food basketsin the world.That assertion is based onthe percentage of annualincome spent. By globalstandards, Canadians arerelatively wealthy and theirfood is relatively expensive.When people are told to“trust the science” or “thescience says … ” it comesacross as doctrine. Science is aprocess for discovery, not abelief system.The trouble with science isthat it keeps changing.Presenting the latest ndingsas a fact leads to confusionand skepticism as newinformation comes forward.The public becomesespecially wary when “Thescience says … ” lecturecomes from someone withsomething to prove – whetherit is a company seekingregulatory approval for a newproduct or critics of modernagriculture.Do farmers really want alldecisions about food to bebased strictly on science? Ifthat were the case, consumerswould be gobbling up thescientically-proven safeprotein sources such asmealworms and yeast grownon waste paper. The sciencesays those protein sources arefar more ecient than beef orchicken.Larura Rance is editor ofManitoba Co-operator.The trouble with science is that it constantly changesThe scientific method is a process for discovery, not a belief systemViewpointLAURA RANCEJune 2016 • Country Life in BC 5implementation these days ismuch more complex and notalways driven by end-userneeds. There are morestakeholders involved, rangingfrom regulatory agencies,public/private partnerships,and a public that appears tobe increasingly skeptical thatthe purveyors of science haveits best interests at heart.“Social licence”The public is distancedfrom the farm and has nodirect economic stake in thevalue chain, yet – to theindustry’s chagrin – it caninuence when and how newtechnologies or practices areintroduced throughsomething that’s come to beknown as “social licence.”“Ninety per cent ofrespondents agreed there is aneed to bridge the gapbetween researchers andconsumers in order to retainagriculture’s social licence tooperate and produce,” the AICbackgrounder said.The documentacknowledged that theconsumer’s role in theresearch value chain has beenpoorly recognized in the past.But respondents also noted“that many consumers are notopen to learning facts basedon science.”What constitutes a factwhen it comes to foodscience? 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S250.753.4221PARKSVILLE587 Alberni Hwy. 250.248.3243SAANICH1970 Keating Cross Rd. 250.652.9188SALMON ARM1771 - 10th Avenue S.W. 250.832.8424WEST KELOWNA2565 Main St., Hwy. 97 South 250.768.8870ABBOTSFORD31852 Marshall PlaceCanadian Owned and Operated100%NEW LOCATION•Livestock Feed•Fertilizer• Grass Seed• Pet Food & Accessories•Fencing• Farm Hardware•Chemicals. . . . and a whole lot morePrivate 159 acres w/2 good homes. Beautiful valley/mountain views. Approx.100 acresgravity irrigated hay & pasture land. Perimeter/cross fenced. Large former dairy barn w/many good outbuildings incl 24x28 shop, 50x60 hay cover. 5 bed main home; olderguest cottage w/3 beds. About 25 min from Lumby. Would be great as a B&B, cattle orhorse business or combo of all the above. 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June 2016 • Country Life in BC 7by TAMARA LEIGHDUNCAN – FormerAgricultural Land Commission(ALC) chair Richard Bullock hasjoined with Richmond Citycouncillor Harold Steves totour the province advocatingfor the protection of farmlandand the Agricultural LandReserve (ALR). On a sunny spring eveningin the Cowichan Valley, thepair drew a mix of localfarmers, interested public andrepresentatives from all levelsof local government for acompelling talk on the past,present and future of farmlandin BC. It was the sixth in agrowing list of joint speakingengagements that has had thepair on the road since October. Threats to the ALRAfter providing a concisehistory of the ALR, Stevesturned the discussion to whatlocal government can do topromote local agriculture andaddress threats to the ALR.The veteran councillordescribed how the City ofRichmond is usingdevelopment cost charges tobuy parkland and move it intoagricultural production.“When we brought in theALR, it provided farmlandprotection, farm incomeassurance, industrial landprotection, BC’s rst allotmentgardens and a land bank toprovide land for youngfarmers. It was provinciallysupported agriculture,” saysSteves. “Today in Richmond,we have municipally-supported agriculture.”Community garden plotsIn recent years, the City ofRichmond has bought lands,including the Terra Novadevelopment, now know asthe Terra Nova Rural Park, tobe used for non-prot farmingthrough the Kwantlen FarmSchool, as well as communitygarden plots for individualsand schools. “Most people see it as apark; we see it as a way ofproviding food to the future,”says Steves.Other initiatives includereturning the old “FantasyGardens” property back intoproduction as incubator farmsand allotment gardens. It maybe one of the only golfcourses in the province to bereturned to farming.Despite the progress beingmade in Richmond, Stevessays speculative real estateinvestments, the removal ofthe Massey Tunnel and theSite C dam are all majorthreats to the future offarmland and the ALR.“With the Site C dam, we’lllose 30,000 acres of the bestalluvial soil in the province. It’senough land to feed a millionpeople. We need to expandour vegetable productioncapacity, not take it away,” hesays. “This dam is not cleanpower when we are losing theability to feed ourselves in thefuture.”Bullock carried the secondhalf of the evening with apassionate condemnation ofthe current provincialgovernment and theirchanges to the ALC.Rare and precious“We’ve been talking aboutfarmland and problems withkeeping it for 40 years,” saysthe past chair of thecommission. “We all agree thatfarmland is rare and precious.It’s high time that somebodyin provincial oce stands upand says hands o offarmland. Agricultural landshouldn’t be the rst optionfor municipal growth; it shouldbe the last one. That’s why Igot red.”Bullock is critical of thechanges to the ALC since hisdismissal in May 2015. InHigh profile farm advocates take Future of Farming on the roadaddition to establishing two-tiered protection foragricultural land in dierentparts of the province, thegovernment decentralizedthe decision-making authorityby replacing the provincialreview panel with six regionalpanels.Six land commissions“There is no single ALCanymore – we have six ALCsand nobody is talking for theprovince. The only thing thechair does now is direct trac;there’s no input or direction,”says Bullock. “They are trying to ne-tunethe ALR through individualapplications and thecommissioners have pressurescoming at them from everydirection,” he adds.According to both Bullockand Steves, the future offarmland in BC rests with theemerging awareness of theimportance of local foodamong urban consumers andthe growing desire of youngpeople to take up the businessof farming. When asked howmunicipalities can help, Stevessays local governments have arole to play in helping makeland available to youngfarmers. He points to the Cityof Richmond’s incubator farmprogram and the need tochange tax structures toprevent people from buyingfarmland and letting it gofallow. “Regional districts andmunicipalities need to havesta dedicated to agriculture.That would go a long way tocodifying agriculture asbusiness in our communities,”says Bullock. “On ALR land, the best andhighest use of the land isagriculture. This is the mostprecious resource we have inthis country,” he adds. “If youthink somebody else is goingto feed us when we gethungry, think again.”Richard Bullock and Harold Steves touring province toenlighten, increase awareness about ag land reserveTractor safety trainingfor all farmers in BC, at no cost!www.AgSafeBC.caAgSafeFORMERLY FARSHABook today!Call: 1.877.533.1789 Contact@AgSafeBC.caTRAINING CO-SPONSORED BYConsistant spreading.Quality forage.“Serving British Columbia proudly since 1946”MachineryLimitedROLLINSRChilliwack – 1.800.242.9737, 44725 Yale Road WLangley – 1.800.665.9060, 21869, 56th Avenue2 YEAR FACTORY WARRANTY ON ALL EQUIPMENTHIT 8.91 Tedder Asymmetric tines sweep up all of the crop Patented MULTITAST system oers unrivalled ground following Robust DYNATECH Rotors designed for dicult conditions Even spread thanks to high tine to rotor ratio
Country Life in BC • June 20168by DAVID SCHMIDTSURREY – BC greenhouse vegetablegrowers and other “carbon-intensiveand trade-sensitive” industries couldbe “severely impacted” if Canadadoesn’t get its proposed nationalcarbon pricing tax plan right, saysAbbotsford MP Ed Fast. “Every time we adopt environmentaland climate change policy, it has aneect on our economy,” he told the BCGreenhouse Growers Association(BCGGA) annual meeting in Surrey,April 22. “I am concerned we willembark on a (carbon tax) programwhich will be a disaster.” He says Ontario’s green energy planhas resulted in the highest electricitycost in North America and calledEurope’s cap and trade system an“absolute disaster.” He said BC’s“revenue-neutral” system (whichprovides a carbon tax rebate togreenhouse growers) the “best model.”Now the opposition critic forenvironment and climate change, Fastwas the architect behind both theEuropean Union (CETA) and TransPacic Partnership (TPP) trade dealswhen he was Minister of InternationalTrade in the previous Conservativegovernment and strongly defendedboth initiatives.He said CETA puts Canada“ three tove years ahead of the US” in thatmarket while TPP “sets the rules for21st century trade in the Asia-Pacicregion. If we don’t set those rules,China will.”He said the TPP protects Canada’sNorth American trade. Since that isimportant to them, he exhortedgrowers to “assert yourselves to thenew trade minister. Let her know yousupport the TPP.”While the US continues to be amajor market for BC greenhousevegetables, the BCGGA is also pursuingmarkets in Japan and India. “We are in the nal stages of gettingapprovals to allow peppers into Japanand have initiated the process to allowgreenhouse vegetables to be sold inIndia,” BCGGA executive director LindaDelli Santi reported.While a new carbon tax policy couldbe a concern, the cost of carbonshouldn’t be, says Nick Caumanns ofCascadia Energy.“Don’t worry,” he told growers,saying proven natural gas reserveshave doubled in the past decade.“There’s lots of gas and it’s everywhere.There’s lots of pipeline capacity andyou won’t have to compete withChina. There’s enough gas to meetevery need until 2035 at a price below$4 per gigajoule.”Growers may have the trade deals,natural gas pricing and carbon rebatesthey need, but do they have the publicsupport they also need? That’s whereBC Veggie Day comes in.Previous veggie days have been a“great success” and the next was to beheld in late May with opengreenhouses in Abbotsford and Deltaand displays in 27 Superstores and 158Overwaitea/Save-On Foods stores,BCGGA president Peter Cummingssaid. While those help build publictrust, he is concerned the current focuson social licence has the potential toget “out of control.” He notes allretailers now conduct food safetyaudits and some are even auditinggrowers’ employment practices.Delli Santi says WorksafeBC is alsoputting more pressure on the industryto improve worker safety. “In the fall,WSBC started a concentrated eort tohave our employers prove the stabilityof the pipe support/pipe rail/cartsystems.” As a result, WSBC and the BCGGAwill cost-share a study to develop apractical and aordable solution,which could include changes to boththe systems and the WSBCrequirements.While making strides in some areas,the BCGGA has yet to getcogeneration back into BC Hydro’sstanding oer program.“We will continue to talk about itbut I’m not hopeful,” Delli Santi toldgrowers.Greenhouse growers cautioned about federal carbon taxEd Fast Nick CaumannsMore Crops. Less Ash.604-864-227334511 VYE ROAD ABBOTSFORDSTORE HOURSMONDAY-FRIDAY, 8-5 SATURDAY 8 TIL 12NH H7550 MID PIVOT MOWER CONDITIONER13’ CUTTING WIDTH $26,900 CLAAS 3900TC MOWER CONDITIONER, 12.5’ CUTTING WIDTH $29,900MCCORMICK CX105MFD CAB TRACTOR$28,900JD 7450 PRODRIVE SPFH4X4 KP, 10' GRASS PU, 676 6 ROW CORNHEADCALL FOR PRICING.JOHN DEERE 3600 PLOW5 BOTTOM, DRAWBAR PULL$4,100NH 315SMALL SQUARE BALER CALL FOR DETAILSPre-ownedTractors &Equipmentwww.caliberequipment.ca
June 2016 • Country Life in BC 9Feds promise dairyindustry mitigationpackage: CETAby DAVID SCHMIDTOTTAWA – Dairy Farmers ofCanada (DFC) are relieved thegovernment has committedto provide compensation forany losses farmers may incuras a result of the Canada-Europe free trade agreement(CETA). When ratied, CETA willallow the European Union toship an additional 17,700tonnes of cheese into Canadaper year, which DFC estimateswill cost dairy farmersbetween $110-150 million peryear in revenues and marketshare.ConcessionsOn May 2, federal Ministerof Agriculture and Agri-FoodLawrence MacAulay andMinister of International TradeChrystia Freeland announcedplans to help the Canadiandairy industry adjust to thosemarket access concessions.Saying the governmentremains committed to thesupply managed sector, thetwo ministers noted an“appropriate mitigationpackage is necessary for theCanadian dairy industry.”They promised to meetwith industry by thebeginning of June to discussthe government’s proposedmitigation package, saying itwill include transition supportfor both producers andprocessors. DFC said it is “lookingforward to working togetherto discuss what (themitigation) will look like –using the joint CETA/TPP(Trans Pacic Partnership)package announced October5, 2015 as a starting point.” That day, the then-Conservative governmentcommitted up to $4.3 billionto support supply-managedproducers and processorsthrough the implementationof CETA and the TPP tradedeals.“Keep producers whole”Their proposed packageincluded an IncomeGuarantee Program to “keepproducers whole” byproviding 100% incomeprotection to producers for 10years and additional incomesupport for ve more years; a10-year Quota ValueGuarantee program to protectproducers against reductionsin quota value when thequota is sold; a ProcessorModernization Program tohelp processors improve theircompetitiveness and growth;and a Market DevelopmentInitiative to help supply-managed groups promoteand market their products. Amounts estimatedAt the time, thegovernment estimated atypical dairy farm couldreceive about $165,600 overthe 15 years of the program, atypical chicken farm couldexpect about $84,100, atypical turkey farm couldexpect about $88,000, atypical egg farm could expectabout $71,500 and a typicalhatching egg farm couldexpect about $191,700.Those initiatives were neverpassed by either Parliament orthe Cabinet and thereforeneed not be honoured by thecurrent government.DFC wants government toimmediately include a fundingprogram for new investmentsinto additional processingcapacity, saying “the time tomake those investments isbefore the implementation ofthe deal.”Nat’l turkey stocks up; BCunder-produced in 2015by DAVID SCHMIDTSURREY – BC turkey growersdid not quite ll their quota inthe last quota year, endingApril 30.“Our year-end productioncame in 0.2% underallocation,” BC TurkeyMarketing Board vice-chair LesBurm told growers at theirmeeting in Surrey, May 10.That may be a good thingas Canadian turkey stocks areup 5.6 million kg.“The market is too soft rightnow,” said Shawn Heppell, BC’sformer national and nowalternate national director.“Sales were down at bothChristmas and Easter.”Underproduction has notbeen an issue in Ontario whichwas recently ned foroverproduction. TurkeyFarmers of Canada rulesgoverning overproductionpenalties mean BC will receive$36,000 per year for the nextthree years to be used inmarketing. Burm said the board isdeveloping a marketingprogram targeting Asian andSouth Asian consumers. Asiansconsume a lot of chicken butnot much turkey. In fact, someAsian languages do not evenhave a word for turkey.Burm acknowledged the BClive price is still below themargin the board and growerswant, but thatcould change.“Ontario feedcosts went up sothat should helpus,” he toldgrowers, but notedBC costs are alsoincreasing so thatmay not be asmuch help asgrowers need. Growers alsoheard apresentation ondarkling beetle control fromJe Glover of Elanco. Known inthe poultry industry primarilyfor its coccidiods, Elancopurchased Novartis AnimalHealth two years ago, bringingwith it the relatively new Agitabeetle and y control products.Darkling beetles “can keepa lot of diseases percolating inyour barn” by acting asvectors. They are usually foundin the litter under the feedpans as that gives them awarm, damp home with plentyof feed. When birds are goneand feed pans are empty, theywill burrow into the insulationin the walls until the next ockarrives, causing damage to thebarns themselves.If not controlled, a darklingbeetle infestation can quicklyget out of hand. Glover notesan adult female canlive 10-12 monthsand lay up to 2,000eggs in a lifetime.“A full cycle canhappen in 46 daysat 32°C.” He told growersto get the beetles“when they’retravelling” bypainting a one-metre strip ofpesticide along thebase of the walland the edge of the oor afterthe barn has been cleaned anddisinfected. He urged growersto monitor their barns beforeand after a treatment toensure the program isworking.He stressed Agita is notregistered for whole barntreatments, saying if growersneed to do a whole barntreatment, “it’s a sign yourcontrol program is notworking.”Currently, Elanco’s Agitaand Bayer’s Tempo are the twoproducts available for darklingbeetle control. Since Agita is aneonicitinoid and Tempo apyrethroid, Glover says eachshould be used for two tothree ocks, then alternatedwith the other to avoid abuildup of resistance.A Firsthand Understanding Of Your Family’s Wealth PrioritiesMark Driediger, CFP, Senior Wealth AdvisorAssante Financial Management Ltd.www.MarkDriediger.com | (604) 859-4890 Farm Transition Coaching Customized Portfolio Strategy Retirement Income PlanningPlease visit www.assante.com/legal.jsp or contact Assante at 1-800-268-3200 for information with respectto important legal and regulatory disclosures relating to this notice.Your Farm. Your Family. Your Future.Les BurmEligibility Requirements• Schedule 2 Highways, Schedule 1 Highways, and Railway Corridors.Secondary (sideroad) paved routes may also be considered.• Must be a livestock producer.• Fence must be part of an existing fencing system to contain livestock.Application forms available at:http://www.cattlemen.bc.ca/fencing.htmCall TOLL FREE 1.866.398.2848 to have an application mailed to you.Application DeadlineAugust 31, 2016 for consideration for the 2017 construction year.NOW accepting applications for theProvincial Livestock Fencing Programalong travel corridorsProvincial Livestock Fencing Program
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June 2016 • Country Life in BC 11by PETER MITHAMKAMLOOPS – The federalbudget may have grabbedheadlines with plans for $120billion worth of infrastructurespending over the nextdecade but the news waslittle comfort to residents ofrural BC who want attentionpaid to roads, dykes and otherworks in their communities.While the province hasinvested millions in highwayupgrades over the pastdecade, information providedto Country Life in BC byprovincial sta indicatefunding for rural and forestservice roads has languished.The last major infusion ofcash occurred nearly a decadeago when Victoria allocated$75 million for rural side roadimprovement and $72 millionto maintain roads worn downby the resource sector.Today, engineers with theBC Ministry of Forests, Landsand Natural ResourceOperations – headed byformer BC Agriculture Councilexecutive director SteveThomson – receive $18million a year for capitalprojects and maintenance ofapproximately 12,000kilometres of forest serviceroads, bridges and majorculverts. The money is spentlargely on high-trac routesserving communities, ruralresidences and high-valuerecreation sites.Out in the cold areranchers such as Tom andLinda Hancock of ChisholmCanyon Ranch, who live threeand a half hours north ofLillooet on West PavilionRoad.When the Hancocks startedranching on the area in 1979,the road was regularlymaintained. By 2004, summermaintenance had beenterminated. Then, a year ago,the province informed the sixranching families at thefarthest end of the road thatwinter maintenance wouldalso end.“We got a letter saying theyweren’t going to maintain it inwinter; they were just goingto drop it and if we wanted touse that road, then we wouldhave to hire a contractor andget insurance for liability andlook after the road ourselves,”Linda Hancock explains.“There’s no way we can aordto go hire a contractor andthen buy the insurance to topit all o and do the road foreveryone else to use. It’s justcrazy.”Hancock contacted thepremier as well as theRural road maintenance and fencing are big issues in BC’s interior where, in some instances, cost,labour and even liability have been downloaded onto farmers and ranchers. (Photo courtesy of BCCattlemens Association)Federal infrastructure spending overlooks farmersGovernment downloading maintenance on roads, dykes a hazard to agricultureministers responsible fortransportation, forestry andagriculture but was told theroad was a forestry road andnot eligible for regularmaintenance – regardless ofwhat it received in the past.“They don’t get it,” saysHancock. “I’m really at a loss ifthe government won’tactually talk to you.”Poor road conditions arehampering the delivery of hayand other necessities forfarming operations and theHancocks have had to investin maintenance to ensureaccess to the Big Bar ferry,which shortens the trip to 100Mile House where Tomreceives cancer treatments.Blackwater Rd needs helpOther communities facesimilar challenges.The Blackwater Roadbetween Quesnel and PrinceGeorge, for example, hasn’tbeen maintained sinceupgrades to Highway 97; itruns through several popularrecreation areas as well as theprovincially-funded BaldyHughes TherapeuticCommunity and Farm.Kevin Boon, generalmanager of the BCCattlemen’s Association, saysthe province’s practice ofcontracting out maintenanceleaves roads vulnerable toneglect. 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Country Life in BC • June 201612“Rural roads just don’t getas much of the maintenance,”he says. “The maintenancecompany that’s hired to lookafter it … may concentratemore on the used, trackedroads and just do [the others]when they have to.”Dyke troubleAnother element of BC’srural landscape that’sconcerned some residents isthe state of dyking along theKootenay River.Construction of the Libbydam in Montana under theColumbia River Treaty hasmeant better ood controland, in turn, the ow of theriver such that erosion hasdecreased.But a report BCGEngineering Inc. of Vancouverprepared for the province in2012 noted that variations inriver ows through the late1990s “induced a cycle ofwetting and drying thatappears to weaken the banksand result in bank erosionfrom toppling of soil wedges.”Changes since 2000 havereduced the damage andvegetation has taken root thathas helped stabilize thelevees, but Cyril Colonel, along-time resident of theCreston Valley, believes morecould be done.Dyking systems continue todeteriorate, he feels, undoingthe dyke improvements localfarmers undertook followingthe devastating oods of 1938and 1948. He would like to seegreater reinforcing of localdykes to prevent erosion andprotect the several cattleoperations in the CrestonValley, among otheragricultural businesses.“Downstream benets inthe millions of dollars(possibly now billions) havebeen funnelled intogovernment coers and theColumbia Basin Trust,” he saidin a letter to Country Life in BC.“[But] it seems they arecontent to let hundreds ofthousands of tons … of dykematerial slough into the riverannually.”The province’scommunications sta wereunable to provide anyinterviews or insights on theissue.Neglected issueBut for Boon, maintenanceis a neglected issue when itcomes to infrastructure.While he cheers theprovince’s investment in newfencing along highways, hesays there needs to be a long-term vision for maintainingwhat’s been created. Betweenregular wear and tear, not tomention natural disasters –last summer’s Rock Creek redestroyed several kilometresof new fencing – it’simpossible for the province tomaintain what it has without astrategy.“We’ll never keep up with itat the rate we’re working onit,” he says. “By the time youwork your way through it, theones you rebuilt 20 years agoare up for replacement again.”And many stretches ofhighway fencing are mucholder than 20 years; fencingalong the Coquihalla, forexample, is approaching 30years old, and some stretchesnear Kamloops areapproaching 40 years.“All of that fence is goingto have to be replaced,” Boonsays, bluntly. “I don’t think ourgovernment plans enough forthat.”Variations in river ows on the Columbia River are causing huge wedges of the dyke to slough intothe river. Locals are calling for government to invest in ongoing dyke maintenance to the situationbefore it has any further impact on farms and ranches in the region. (Photo courtesy of Cyril Colonel)DYKE MAINTENANCE From page 111.866.567.4162Cuts From The Bottom Up.Maximize your productivity, reduce costs, and save valuable time with a Bale Knife from HLA Attachments. Available in 3 sizes, the Bale Knife uses a serrated cutting edge to easily cut through your 4, 5, and 6 foot silage and hay bales. A proprietary system grabs the wrap and bale netting holding it securely as the bale is sliced and drops free keeping bale netting and wrap out of your mixers and feeders.It’s unique design allows for bales to be cut a mere 6” off the ground making it ideal for use in areas with low overhead.Visit www.hlaattachments.com/baleknife for more information.www.hlaattachents.com www.horstwagons.com• Bearings on king pins for no sway trailing• Includes 2 shoes and 2 Universal Pads• 2 Ratchet straps to secure load• 4 Wheel steering• 4 Wheel electric brakes• 4 Wheel independent ROAD FLEX suspension• 30 ft. wheelbase with reinforced bottom rail• Wheel Fenders• Running lights on fenders and rails• Light kit (Red Lenses)• 2-5/16 ball hitch and safety chains• Vehicle Identification Number for Licensing• Double Spring Balancer• 235/85 R16 (F Range) Highway trailer tire on 16 x 6 x 6 rim
June 2016 • Country Life in BC 13Langley Township to pay farmers for enhancing environmentby DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – TheTownship of Langley is thelatest organization to throwits weight, and its money,behind the non-profitEcological Services Initiative(ESI).Long championed byKootenay rancher DaveZehnder, the ESI programcoordinator, ESI is a researchand development pilotproject which contractsfarmers to enhance theenvironment. Farmers receiveannual payments forcontributing to a healthyecosystem by maintainingand enhancing their land toensure a clean water supply,erosion control, pestmanagement and habitatpreservation. A single ranchIt began in 2010 with asingle ranch in the Kootenays.Supported by the RegionalDistrict of the East KootenaysLocal Conservancy Fund(LCF), the farmer wascontracted to fence a riparianarea to protect and enhance asensitive lakeshore.After that project showedpositive results, the programmoved onto Phase 2,establishing another 30demonstration sites acrossdifferent regions of BC andAlberta.“This phasehelped determinethe viability of theconcept in thelarger inter-provincial contextand laid thegroundwork forPhase 3,” Zehndersays.Phase 3 began in2014 with the aimof furtherdeveloping thepayment modeland expanding it toinclude 60 sites inthree regions: theKootenays,Okanagan andLower Mainland. Each regionhas been further divided intothree sub-regions: ColumbiaValley and Koocanusa in theKootenays, South and NorthCentral Okanagan Valley andLangley and Agassiz in theLower Mainland.Langley has been a strongsupporter of the programsince coming on board lastyear, hosting a meeting inearly March to promote theconcept. Despite minimalpublicity, the meetingattracted about 50 people.“We are committed tosigning up 10 farmers for thethree-year pilot project andwe already have six or seven,”says Dave Melnychuk, chair ofthe Langley SustainableAgriculture Foundation(LSAF) and an EnvironmentalFarm Plan (EFP) advisor.Participating farmers must belocated along the main stemof Bertrand Creek and allowaccess to their lands formonitoring and ecologicalassessments. “Comes at a cost”“Farmers take care of theland so that the land can takecare of us,” Melnychuk says,stressing that while farmerswant the resource to remainsustainable, “it comes at acost.” Langley Township mayorJack Froese, a specialty turkeyproducer and processor,notes agriculture “plays ahuge role in the townshipand it is vital to all of us thatwe ensure our sustainablefood production. Ourcommunity is home to halfthe farms in MetroVancouver, and we also haveacres of wetlands, forests andcreeks to protect.” Noting the townshipcreated a SustainabilityCharter to help guide it intothe future, Froese says theLangley ESI “addresses manyof the charter’s objectives,including strengthening ouragricultural economy,conserving and enhancingour environment andincreasing biodiversity andnatural capital.”Diverse fundingThe township is providingup to $120,000 for the three-year project estimated to costabout $350,000. The balanceof the funding will come fromESI’s other funding partnerswhich include LCF, the RealEstate Foundation, FraserValley Conservancy, ColumbiaBasin Trust, the CanadianWildlife Service andEnvironment Canada’sHabitat Stewardship Program.Zehnder says Langley hasbeen “exceptionallysupportive,” calling theproject one of ESI’s “moreadvanced” projects. “Theyhad the foresight to want aprogram like this and came tous for help with it.”Although the pilot ESIprogram is aiming for aconclusion in 2020, Zehnder’sultimate goal is to have aPayment for EcologicalServices (PES) programincluded as an adjunct to theEFP program. “We have trained EFPadvisors to be the front endof the program,” he says.“They go out to the farms,work with the farmers to getthem signed on, then do theassessments.”“We’re very pleased withthe interest,” Melnychuk says,noting Metro Vancouver hasalready done a video for localcommunity TV as part of itsSustainability Initiativesseries. The LSAF is alsohoping to highlight theprogram at its annual fallworkshop.Dave Zehnder Dave Melnychuk“We are committedto signing up 10 famersfor the three‑year pilot project,and we already havesix or seven.”... Participating farmersmust be locatedalong the main stemof Bertrand Creek ...Ecological Services Initiative willprovide annual payments tocontribute to a healthy ecosystem MONTHOF THE TUREFEA lil851521 i .noitacirbulnoC.ebulraegW09nietareposgniraeB•.setalpraew&slaesenocbrellornekmiTderepatelbuodhtab-liO•.sloopsrecapsleetsdetacirbaf”½01•dedaerht,tfftahsgnagyolladnuor”8/12•. emarfebutralugnatcerre”8/3x”4x”6•OODEL225G DIN WIANDEMTTA22222LDDOMMM Phone 403-347-2646ve., Re#3, 7491-49 AAv.kelloughs.comwww’42&,”6’12,”6’91,’81•lbdehcton”62x”61/5•g&kcajhctihbl0007•t/ss/tikesoh&stnemgesuardyh”21x”5&”8x”5•.slortnocgnilevelfleS•tfa-errofdedaol-gnirpS•raobdluomytudyvaeH•seilbmessabuhtlob8•melpmiylp851x5.21•e vitisoptnatsn-oudw/csgniraeb.sdnehtobTSWWCSG DIWSSTTT555 lty 1-888-500-2646, AB. 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Country Life in BC • June 201614by DAVID SCHMIDTAGASSIZ – Goodbye PARC.Hello ARDC and SRDC.Agriculture and Agri-FoodCanada has decided torename its 20 research centresas Research & DevelopmentCentre and name each oneafter the town or city it islocated in.As a result AAFC has retiredthe Pacic AgricultureResearch Centre (PARC) nameand replaced it with theAgassiz Research &Development Centre (ARDC)and the Summerland Research& Development Centre (SRDC).“It was very confusing whenboth the Agassiz andSummerland sites were namedPARC,” ARDC associatedirector Sankaran Krishna-Rajtold the University of BC DairyEducation and ResearchCentre advisory meeting inlate April. When the two centresoperated under the PARCbanner, Agassiz wassubservient to Summerland.Although Krishna-Raj sayseach centre now operatesindependently, the federalgovernment directory listsAgassiz, Summerland and theGrassland Applied TechnologyCentre in Kamloops under theCoastal Region (Pacic)umbrella. All three report toregional director Joyce Boye,whose oce remains inSummerland.After AAFC ended its dairyprogram in Agassiz a few yearsago, losing four scientistpositions, and other scientistswere moved or not replacedafter retirement, the centreappeared to be on its last legs.However, the Liberalgovernment appears to begiving the ARDC new life.Berry production researchFeds rename research and development centresby PETER MITHAMFORT ST JOHN – Wildreshave kept residents of Fort StJohn and area on tenterhooksas evacuation alerts haveshifted with the ames overthe past six weeks.The re season got o to anearly start in mid April when awildre near the farmingcommunity of Baldonnelprompted an evacuationorder. When the order wasrescinded, the Beatton-AirportRoad re had taken centrestage, and it continued toburn into May. At deadline,130 properties were under anevacuation order and anadditional 95 were on alert.Meanwhile, the SiphonRoad blaze, which hasconsumed more than 150,000acres in BC and Alberta,continued to burn, triggeringits own evacuation alerts.The res, while minor incomparison to the devastatingconagration that sweptthrough Fort McMurray at thebeginning of May anddisplaced close to 100,000people, come following aremarkably dry winter.While parts of northern BCfound themselves snowboundlast winter, this year broughtless snow than expected. Stawith the river forecast centrewith the BC Ministry of Forests,Lands and Natural ResourceOperations reported that theprovince’s snowpack was itslowest ever on May 1, at 53%of normal.Regional snowpacks rangedfrom 12% in the Northwest to17% in the Liard region, whilethe Peace was a relativelycomfortable 68% –comparable to VancouverIsland (70%) and the SouthCoast (78%). By contrast, theMay 1 report pegged theSouth Coast and VancouverIsland at 14% and 12%,respectively. The Okanagan, bycontrast, was at 57% a yearago, whereas this year it’s at75% of normal.But the fact that all but theThompson region is wellbelow historic norms is awake-up call for resourcemanagers, which are botheyeing water supplies aswarm, dry conditions kick othe summer and attempting togauge re risks across theprovince.Steps have been taken tobolster buer zones betweenresidential communities andthe backcountry in the LowerMainland while in theOmineca region west of theRockies in the North CentralInterior, controlled burns haveoccurred to limit the risk ofwildre.Berry earlyMeanwhile, in the FraserValley, warm dry weather hasprompted one of the earliest-ever strawberry harvests.Some growers were pickingfruit on May 10 withraspberries not far behind.The early onset of ripe fruithad some growers anxiousthat this growing season couldsee a repeat of last year whenberries ripened so quickly thatgrowers couldn’t keep up withthe crops. Strawberries wereno sooner on the market thanraspberries began owing in –and then a rush of blueberriesmeant many growersabandoned raspberries for themore lucrative blue tide.This year, many growersexpect raspberries andblueberries to hit markets bythe rst week of June.Snowpack points to tough fire season in the northEarly heat, low precipitation kick-starting early crop for FV berriesscientist Martine Doraismoved to Agassiz fromQuebec last summer, PaulAbram is coming from Quebecto replace Agassiz’s retiringresident entomologist DaveGillespie, and the centre hasbeen given approval to add atleast three more scientists inthe next few months.“We expect to add a plantpathologist, weed scientistand an agro-ecosystemsecologist,” Krishna-Raj said.AAFC regionalcommunications ocer SarahGodin reports that betweenthe time Krishna-Raj addressedthe advisory meeting and mid-May, the centre had alreadyadded two more people.While Krishna-Raj told themeeting ARDC has about 40employees, including vescientists and sevenprofessionals, Godin toldCountry Life in BC “as of May11th, there are 56 sta and 23students working at ourAgassiz centre.”AAFC says ARDC’s missionis to be “a world leader inresearch on peri-urbanagriculture. This research willseek to improveunderstanding of the ows,interactions and impacts ofagriculture systems withindensely populated regions.”Krishna-Raj says Agassiz isparticularly suited to thatresearch, noting the FraserValley features agriculture “inits most intensive form in themost densely-populated area.”He says its research willfocus on PEAT: improveProductivity, enhanceEnvironment, improveAttributes and addressThreats.There are other signs ofrevitalization at Agassiz asworkers reroof, repair andrepaint its iconic heritage barn.AAFC senior media relationsocer Patrick Girard says the$375,000 project will “protectand maintain existinginfrastructure while alsopreserving the nature of abuilding of historicalsignicance.” Built in 1892, thebarn is now primarily used forstorage as it is deemed unsafefor occupancy.VALLEY¿FARM¿DRAINAGE31205 DEWDNEY TRUNK RD. 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June 2016 • Country Life in BC 15REASON 3: Our Alexander Knives, when paired with our patented Vertical Knives, create an unparalleled cutting action. The curved carbide coated cutting edge and angle of the Alexander Knives increases the aggressiveness of cut to improve the processing rate of round baled forages, especially coarser forages. Our Vertical Knives, which are mounted on our slide plate, improve processing and feedout of high forage rations. Together with our four other exclusive auger features, we produce a faster and more uniform mix than sluggish conventional augers, which typically take too long to process forage, resulting in too many fine particles in the shakerALEXANDER KNIVESVERTICAL KNIVESSIX REASONS WHY OUR SQUARE-CUT AUGER RESISTS SORTING:www.JAYLOR.com | 800.809.8224SIX REASONS WHY OUR SQUARE-CUT AUGER RESISTS SORTING:REASON 3: Our Alexander Knives, when paired with our patented Vertical Knives, create an unparalleled cutting action. The curved carbide coated cutting edge and angle of the Alexander Knives increases the aggressiveness of cut to improve the processing rate of round baled forages, especially coarser forages. Our Vertical Knives, which are mounted on our slide plate, improve processing and feedout of high forage rations. Together with our four other exclusive auger features, we produce a faster and more uniform mix than sluggish conventional augers, which typically take too long to process forage, resulting in too many fine particles in the shaker box. Nutritionists say if you want to resist sorting you’ll need a TMR with optimum shaker box results, and with a Jaylor you can deliver that ration every time.SIX REASONS WHY RESISTS SORContact your local dealer for a demo today:AVENUE MACHINERY CORPAbbotsford 604.864.2665Vernon 250.545.3355by PETER MITHAMVANCOUVER – Consumershave developed an appetitefor local food that respectssocial values, but farmers arending themselves caught inthe crossre as restaurants usepastoral farm scenes toillustrate what goes on at thefeedlot and slaughterhouse.The latest battle saw EarlsRestaurants Ltd., a 66-locationchain of upscale eateriesbased in Vancouver, comeunder re for announcing itwould source its beef fromKansas. Earls claimed thatbecause Canada couldn’tprovide enough beef raised inaccordance with the CertiedHumane standard developedby Humane Farm Animal Careof Herndon, Virginia.Humane Farm AnimalCare’s 53-page document forbeef production coverseverything from food, water,windbreaks and lighting tofarm management (includingfarm dogs), transportation andslaughter, which must occur inabattoirs that meet therequirements of animalwelfare celebrity TempleGrandin.Earls said its chefs “lookedfor a ranch that could supplytheir volume and still meet thestrict Certied Humanestandards,” going so far as toput themselves into theanimals’ hoofprints.“Chefs headed out to seethe ranches and thebutchering facilities forthemselves. They lled theirwater bottles up from theA screen image of Earl’s homepage on April 28 extols theVancouver-based restaurantchain’s commitment to“conscious sourcing” but publicpushback has put local (or atthe very least, Canadian) beef atthe top of their priority list.Ranchers take heat from Earls over finishing practicesBC-based restaurant chain backtracks on its purchasing decision to source beef only with Certified Humane standardcows’ water sources andtasted the feed, a mix ofnaturally ranch-grown grainsand grasses and the spentgrains from the local brewery,”Earls said.But according to Earlsspokesperson Cate Simpson,ranch conditions are the leastof the chain’s worries.“The concern is rarely ifever at the ranch or the farm.It’s the next couple of stagesof the cattle’s life; one wouldbe the feedlot, and then onewould be the slaughterhouse,”she told Country Life in BC. “Alot of ranchers contacted usand said to us, ‘Y’know, wedon’t give our cattleantibiotics as a rule (unlessthey’re sick). We don’t give ourcattle any growth hormones,we don’t give our cattle anysteroids, and we send ourcattle o to market and wewould love to know at thatnext stage that they alsoaren’t getting antibiotics orgrowth steroids. But we don’tknow that.’”Simpson said “there’s a verystrong lobby group” that“chose to make the fact thatwe weren’t getting our beeffrom Canada the issue.”However, the lack of asingle supplier able to providethe volume of CertiedHumane beef that Earlsrequired prompted thecompany to rethink itspurchasing decision. Peoplelove local farmers, Earlsdiscovered, and as a result ithas chosen to use severalIronically, while the pressure is on industry to certify itsproduction practices, Earls Restaurants Ltd. continues topurchase several products that either lack third-partycertication or aren’t advertised as such on its menu.Cate Simpson, spokesperson for Earls, says that suppliersacross Canada supply it with chicken and eggs produced inaccordance with Humane Farm Animal Care’s CertiedHumane standard.However, chicken sold at its Ontario locations aren’taudited and can’t be advertised as such.Similarly, all pork comes from suppliers in Canada butremains “ethically treated” because Earls has been unableto work with audited Certied Humane suppliers.Vegetables are organic where possible, with EvergreenFarms of Surrey supplying produce for all of Earls’ BCrestaurants from June to October, Simpson says.Since a year-round supply of fresh, local organicproduce isn’t available and it doesn’t use frozenvegetables, Earls keeps its supply options open by neverdescribing its produce as organic.“There’s times of the year that we have to bring in somevegetables from California, just because of the nature ofthe growing season,” Simpson says. “We get 100% of ourvegetables locally, out of BC, from June until late October,and then we have to start looking elsewhere.”Multiple sources for Earls’ foodPlease see “MULTIPLE” page 16www.AgSafeBC.ca#AgSafetyChampFARMERS HELPING FARMERSNominate yours today at Call WaterTec Today and Get Your Free Estimate !vern@watertecna.com kristen.weir@watertecna.comMECHANIZED IRRIGATIONGrowing More With Less Water CENTER PIVOTS, LINEARS, CORNERSToll Free in Canada 1-855-398-7757
Country Life in BC • June 201616feedlots and abattoirs thatdon’t meet Earls’ standards.Kevin Boon, generalmanager of the BC Cattlemen’sAssociation, doesn’t blameEarls for trying to do the rightthing, but he doesn’t thinkranchers should take the rapfor nishing practices.“They are being pushed, alot of times, by consumers thatwant to make sure they’redoing the right thing andeating properly and I get that– I agree – but there’s notenough investigation doneinto what is actually beingdone,” he says. “Part of thatcomes from the fact that whilewe make the informationavailable, we don’t push it outthere.”He would like to seeranchers and the rest of theindustry respected for doingthe right thing, even it isn’tsubject to a third-party audit.Canada’s traceability systemsare top-notch and ranchers aresending animals to market inthe best possible condition.“We’re doing pretty mucheverything on there and betterand more; it’s just that we do itvoluntarily and we don’t havesomeone come in and put astamp on it,” he says. “Peoplethink that when we producecattle, we’re just in a factorymode and we’re just in it forthe money and everythingelse. They don’t understandthe true feeling and emotionthat goes into this.”by PETER MITHAMSecuring stable supplies of certied products isn’t the onlyhurdle restaurants face as consumers demand more local menuitems. McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Ltd. is scrambling to ndeggs that will allow it to launch an all-day breakfast option whichhas proven popular with time-strapped consumers in the US.Cheap and portable, Egg McMuns are a handheld breakfastsolution that would boost business for Canada’s egg farmers byup to 30 million eggs a year – 25% more than McDonald’scurrently buys.But it simply isn’t able to secure enough under Canada’sexisting interprovincial trade regime.Sylvain Charlebois of the University of Guelph’s Food Instituteand a professor in Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculturesays McDonald’s commitment to fully source its eggs from cage-free hens by 2025 will be dicult under supply management inCanada.“With Canada's quota-based egg supply system, that kind ofgrowth would be complicated,” he wrote recently.A faint hope lies in a recent decision in New Brunswickfavouring the interprovincial movement of alcohol underSection 121 of the British North America Act, which could freethe movement of all manner of agricultural products in Canada.Dan Albas, the Conservative MP for Okanagan-Coquihalla, isurging that the New Brunswick decision be referred to theSupreme Court of Canada to avoid confusion – a move thatcould reshape interprovincial trade rules.“Our supply management system will have eggs destroyedbefore they cross provincial borders,” says Arnold Schwisberg, aery lawyer who represented the defendant in the NewBrunswick case. “McDonald’s is being stymied from rolling out aprogram that their customers want … because they don’t knowthat they can get a reliable supply of sucient eggs because ofour supply management system.”suppliers to meet its needsrather than just one.“We’ve changed how we doour purchasing so that we willnow reach out to dierentsuppliers in Alberta than weare for the rest of Canada forour beef,” Simpson said. “We’lltry to get as much as we canby working with multiplesuppliers instead of workingwith one supplier.”The majority of BC beefgoes to Alberta for nishingand slaughter, ending its life inSupply managementblamed for lack ofall-day Egg McMuffinsMULTIPLE SUPPLIERS From page 15BC ranchers are largely doing the “right thing” when it comes to their beef herds but many can’tprovide third party audits and have no control over what happens when those animals are shipped tofeedlots and slaughter. That’s creating supply challenges for companies basing their marketingstrategies on certiable humane or ethical allegiances. (File photo)Unlimited possibilities exist for this very desirable property!271 acres, 2 titles on fertile Fraser River bench minutes to Quesnel. Was very profitable market garden business. Location offers warm micro-climate well-suitedfor corn, root crops, alfalfa hay; would make good organic farming operation.Currently uses pivot & 2 reels for hay on ~129 acres; 90 acres in pasture. Couldsupport 65 cow/calf herd. Modern 3500 sq ft 4 bed home, second 3 bed home,rental studio, workshop, large barn, corrals, cattle handling facilities, 2 greenhous-es, marketing store w/cooler, root house, chicken-processing facility w/walk-in cooler, freezer. 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June 2016 • Country Life in BC 17by DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – On May 16-19, the BC Ministry ofAgriculture, with the supportof the Canadian FoodInspection Agency, held anavian inuenza responsetraining exercise for industryreps, BCMA and CFIA sta inAbbotsford. The sessions alsoincluded observers from theBC Centre of Disease Control,the BC Ministry ofEnvironment, the City ofAbbotsford, and Agricultureand Agri-Food Canada.The $25,000 exercise wasfunded by Growing Forward 2and follows the BCMA’spurchase of two sets of mobilegassing equipment. Each setof equipment ts into the backof a pickup truck and includesthree in-barn distributionmanifolds, one truck manifoldand 500 feet of hose.Depending on the size of aninfected barn, one or both setscan be used. The equipment ishoused at the BCMA’sAbbotsford Agriculture Centreso it can be deployed as soonas the BCMA animal health labconrms an AI outbreak.“We’re trying to focus onthat rst barn,” says BCMAchief veterinary ocer Dr. JanePritchard, who led the exercisein conjunction with CFIAnational operations specialistDr. Sandra Stephens. “We want to do the rst 48hours really, really well,”Pritchard said. “Our goal is tohave the gas turned on (toeuthanize the infected birds)within 48 hours of when mylab conrms the diagnosis.” Industry spokesman RayNickel had an infected farmduring the 2004 AI outbreakwhich resulted in the totaldestruction of the FraserValley’s commercial poultrypopulation. Although hisfarms escaped the 2014-15outbreak, he noted it still tookve days before the birds inthe rst infected premiseswere euthanized.“The quicker we can containan incident, the better itprotects the industry,” Nickelsaid, pointing out eachinfected premise results in aquarantine zone. That not onlyimpacts the infected farm butevery other producer withinthe quarantine zone. Given thedensity of the Fraser Valleypoultry industry, eachincidence could impactmultiple farms. “Our objective is to get arapid response,” agrees turkeygrower Garnet Etsell, who hasbeen intimately involved indeveloping industry’sbiosecurity protocols. Hecalled the training exercise agood experience for bothindustry and governmentparticipants.“If we can get any closer tobeing prepared then (theexercise) is well worth it,” saysBC Chicken GrowersAssociation president DaleKrahn, noting almost everyonefrom the industry’s EmergencyOperations Committee wasinvolved in the exercise.BC Broiler Hatching EggCommission director AllanCross, who has yet toexperience an actual outbreakon his farm, called it“invaluable. It’s reallyimportant that we have all theprotocols in place and that allpartners are trained.”He says industry has alreadymade great strides, noting 2014-15’s extremely infectious H5N2strain only hit 11 premises.He gave much of the creditto the supply managementsystem, calling it “a realadvantage we have asCanadians. It’s good for foodsecurity and good for farmsecurity. As producers, we allknow each other and throughour marketing boards, we canwork together.”The on-farm training tookplace on a local broiler-breeder farm using a barnwhich had just had its ockremoved (at the end of itsnormal 60-week lifespan).Although there were no birdsin the barn and no diseaseoutbreak, the farm was treatedas if it had just been hit by AI.That meant the farm wasdivided into “cool,” “warm”and “hot” zones, with separatelanes established for foot andvehicular trac. Protocolswithin each zone and formovement between zoneswere explained in detail and,in most cases, practiced byparticipants in the exercise.Even the media invited to ashort demonstration wererequired to don suppliedboots, coveralls, hairnets,gloves and respirators beforemoving into the hot zone,then get their bootsdisinfected and plastic bootiesadded before going into thebarn itself. They then had toremove all the extra clothingand have their bootsdisinfected again beforeleaving the hot zone. “Since some strains of AIhave the potential to transferto humans, we have to ensurehumans are fully protectedbefore they enter a hot zone,”Stephens explained.That means anyoneentering a hot zone is wearingtwo sets of coveralls, gloves, arespirator, two sets of boots,goggles and head coverings,with everything fully sealed toensure nothing gets intocontact with the person.Large turnout for AI drillWITH A SWITCH WE HAVE CHANGED YOUR WORK.6 Series Cshift. 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In addition to the technological innovation, comfort also plays an important role: the cab of the 6 Series Cshift, with a renewed style, has a new console that, together with a more efficent air conditioning system, guarentees a better distrubution of the air and better climate control. www.matsquiagrepair.com 604-826-3281 34856 Harris Rd | Abbotsford BCTwo BCMinistry ofAgricultureemployeesdemonstratethe procedurewhich wouldbe involved inleaving the“hot zone”during an AIoutbreak.(DavidSchmidtphoto)
Country Life in BC • June 201618by SEAN MCINTYRESALT SPRING – A small,community run abattoir onSalt Spring Island is on thecusp of reaching the nextlevel following majorrenovations to expandservices and draw in newlivestock producers.“We've done the crawling;now we're ready to do thewalking,” says Michael Hogan,a Salt Spring Island AbattoirSociety board member.“We’re not running yet, butit's going to make it. We justneed a bit more enthusiasm.”The push to build anabattoir on the island ofroughly 10,000 residentsarose about a decade agowhen stringent provincialregulations all but slammedthe door on meat producersin the Gulf Islands. Theconsequences wereimmediate. Production oflamb, chickens and beefplummeted to all-time lowsbecause of the high cost totransport animals to certiedabattoirs on Vancouver Island.Farming advocates formedthe not-for-prot Salt SpringIsland Abattoir Society basedon recommendations in theisland’s 2008 CommunityFarm Plan, a road map thatoutlined how Salt Springcould restore its cherishedagricultural legacy.Six part-timersAccording to 2015 statisticspresented at the group’sannual general meeting lastmonth, the abattoirprocessed nearly 10,000 lbs oflamb, about 9,000 lbs ofchicken and a little less than4,500 of turkey. The facilityemploys six part-timeemployees and contributesabout $55,000 to the localeconomy through wagesalone.Abattoir sta andvolunteers say a big push tomarket the facility and gettingSalt Spring abattoireyes big payoff afteryears of investment the green light for beef andpork production this summerbode well for the society’sfuture.“We are just starting togenerate income and revenuenow,” says David Astill, thesociety’s president. “We’rehoping to be open moreoften and to oer morevariety of animals, of course,and just hoping to expand asa business.“We’re growing strong, andwe’ve got great hopes.”Renovations in excess of$25,000 have producedupgraded pen and kill areas,reinforced gates and a biggeroor area.Healthier now“The working area is somuch healthier,” Astill says, ona recent tour of the kill oor.“We thought we could getaway with what we had, butwe really couldn’t. The wholeidea was to strengthen it allup so we can handle beef andpork because we couldn’thandle that before. It washard enough working with asheep so trying to put a cowin here was impossible.”By working with otherfarming groups in the GulfIslands, the abattoir societyhas made modest inroads toget local products to marketsin the Gulf Islands, Victoriaarea and the Lower Mainland.In spite of the progress, Astilllikens the task of spreadingword about local meat topulling hen's teeth. He says training andkeeping sta is a persistentproblem, one that’s beingincreasingly felt at facilitiesacross the province.Nurtured employeesAstill says the Salt Springabattoir emphasizes continualtraining and safety awarenessto nurture employees. Hewants to see further work inthe community devoted toawareness of island-bredmeats and online marketing.“We’re going to be a reallyrare bird because mostabattoirs only deal with oneor two types of meat, andwe’re trying to doeverything,” Astill says.“There's a real lack of capacityon Vancouver Island. There'sopportunity there, and ifthere's opportunity that ispositive,. I think we'll take it.”From left, Salt Spring Island Abattoir Society president David Astill with volunteers Murray Coates andMichael Hogan. The team devoted many hours and much building expertise to the facility's recentupgrades. (Sean McIntyre photo)Renovations and upgrades willallow processing of beef, hogswww.AgSafeBC.caTRAINING EQUALSPRODUCTIVITYKuhnNorthAmerica.comMM 902 MERGE MAXX® MERGERr(NQCVKPIJGCFRTQXKFGUENGCPEQPUKUVGPVRKEMWRQXGTKTTGIWNCTITQWPFr#PVKYTCRIWCTFUKORTQXGOGTIKPIKPNQPIUVGOOGFETQRUr9KPFIWCTFJGNRURTQFWEGWPKHQTOHNWHH[YGNNHGGFKPIYKPFTQYUr/WNVKRNGETQRFGNKXGT[QRVKQPURTQXKFGHNGZKDKNKV[RKEMWRYQTMKPIYKFVJrYKPFTQYEQPHKIWTCVKQPU+08'56+037#.+6;®GENTLE CROP HANDLING FOR MINIMAL LEAF LOSSMatsqui $J5HSDLUs$EERWVIRUG%&s
June 2016 • Country Life in BC 19by PETER MITHAMLANGLEY – High land valuesmake it dicult to justifyfarming in the LowerMainland.Just ask Bonneeld Inc., aToronto company that investsin farmland. Bonneeld hasscouted a number ofinvestment opportunities inBC but has largely ruled outMetro Vancouver and theFraser Valley because the costof acquiring land undercutsany return possible from sales.“We haven’t really looked,frankly, in the Lower Mainlandarea because valuations tendto be a bit stretched,” saysMarcus Mitchell, director,portfolio operations forBonneeld.Kent Mullinix, director of theInstitute for Sustainable FoodSystems at KwantlenPolytechnic University,recently made a similar pointto Country Life in BC.“We essentially have a falsefarmland price economy, and afood economy delinked fromthe price of farmland here,” hesaid. “The value of farmland inMetro Vancouver … really isn’teconomically serviceable byagriculture.”The conundrum raises thequestion of what to do withfarmland if farming doesn’tmake sense.While urbanites do battleover the question of vacanthomes, Vicki Huntington, theindependent MLArepresenting Delta South, tookthe province to task in Mayover vacant farm properties.Kwantlen researchersrecently completed a reportfor credit union Vancity thatestimated that just half theagricultural land in the LowerMainland is being used forfarming. Another quarter oflocal farmland has potentialbut isn’t in production.Huntington pointed to theEmri Group’s control of 774acres on Barnston Island, andthe renewal through industrialproperty broker Ron Emersonof options on farmland in herown riding as deals that willdisplace farming in favour ofother uses.“We know holdingscompanies are buying upfarmland,” Huntington said ina statement distributed tomedia. “These companiesseem convinced the ALR is inits dying days and that theAgricultural Land Commissionwill be sympathetic toremoving land for non-farmpurposes. The governmentcould end this attitudetomorrow if it took a rmposition that farmland was forfarming, period, end of story.”Emri Group principal DavidDemand pressures, low taxes make farmland an attractive investmentEmri sees matters quitedierently, however.Situated within theAgricultural Land Reserve andprotected as green spaceunder Metro Vancouver’sRegional Growth Strategy, hisparcels are designated andused for farming.Contacted by Country Life inBC, Emri said he has noimmediate plans to redevelophis holdings on BarnstonIsland. (Huntington hadn’tasked him this before makingissuing her statement.) Giventhe number of variables atplay, he refused to speculateon what the future could hold.Situated in the middle ofthe Fraser River betweenSurrey and Pitt Meadows,without standard municipalplanning oversight, BarnstonIsland is home to the KatzieFirst Nation and farms; landuse is subject to the provinceand Metro Vancouver.“There is no way anindividual is going to go inthere and say, ‘This is what theland is going to be,’” Emri says.An application to exclude1,100 acres, or about 85%, ofthe island from the ALR in2003 was quashed in 2006.This saved it from industrialdevelopment but it also madeProfessionalServicesView over 100 listings of farm properties atwww.bcfarmandranch.comBC FARM & RANCHREALTY CORP.Buying or Selling a Farm or Acreage?GORD HOUWELINGCell: 604/793-8660GREG WALTONCell: 604/864-1610Toll free 1-888-852-AGRI (2474)Call BC’s First and OnlyReal Estate Office commited 100% to Agriculture!Helping industry build & implement practical & sustainable programs & publications To see past projects and potential scope of services visit www.qfirst.ca Ph: 604-309-3509 E: qfirst@telus.net For more information or to pursue an idea contact: Annette Moore B.Sc.(Agr), M.Sc., P.Ag. Quality First in Agriculture Inc. Jack Reams P.Ag. Agri-Consultingv BC Farm Business Advisory Services Consultantv Farm Debt Mediation Consultantv Organic Consultant & Inspectorv Meat Labeling ConsultantPhone: 604-858-1715 Cell: 604-302-4033Fax: 604-858-9815 email: marlene.reams@gmail.comCONFIDENTIALITY GUARANTEEDDustinStadnykCPA, CAChrisHendersonCPA, CANathalieMerrillCPA, 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 ExemptionsApproved consultants for Government funding through BC Farm Business Advisory Services ProgramARMSTRONG 250-546-8665 | LUMBY 250-547-2118 | ENDERBY 250-838-7337Vicki Huntingtonthe island an anomaly at theheart of a rapidly urbanizingregion that’s in short supply ofindustrial land.It’s that pressure that’smade it an attractive prospectfor investors like Emri, who istaking the long view. Whateverhappens to the land, he’scondent that it will deliver areturn as the region evolves –as a showcase for local foodproduction, or some moreintensive use.Moreover, barring a disaster,the land itself can onlyincrease in value as the regiongrows.The options Emerson haswith landowners in Deltaoriginally pegged land valuesat close to $200,000 an acre, ahandsome sum for farmerslooking to retire.Tom Davidowould bring land intoproduction while investors – ifthat’s what they are – patientlywait for land to appreciate invalue.Ultimately, this would keepland in production, and bolsterarguments against rezoningfor other uses.“The continuation of lowincome thresholds mayactually discourage furtherinvestment in agriculture,particularly in MetroVancouver where the pressureto use highly productiveagricultural land for non‐farmpurposes is high,” the Uplandreport stated. “One of the bestways to protect theagricultural land base andpromote agriculturalinvestment is to use farmlandfor farming.”Given the tax regime in BC,the long game is fair ball, saysTom Davido, director of theUBC Centre for UrbanEconomics and Real Estate.Speaking to the Vancouverchapter of the AppraisalInstitute of Canada-BritishColumbia, Davido said BCreal estate oers returns thatare “very capital gains-driven”compared to rental income orsome other form of dividend.Appreciation in land value isattractive because it avoids thetax consequences associatedwith dividends.“You can hold real estatevacant or use it as anoccasional use property, andyou’re not giving up much ofyour return,” he said.While the protected natureof farmland limits the upwardpressure on values, a recentreport that Upland AgriculturalConsulting prepared for MetroVancouver echoed Davido’sconcerns by urging a higherincome threshold forproperties to receive farm taxstatus – something between$3,500 and $7,500.The aim would be toencourage production onzoned agricultural land inorder to receive the benet oflower holding costs. Thiswww.agri-jobs.ca | Phone: 604-823-6222 | Email: info@agri-labour pool.comWe do the work for you! Agri-jobs.caOur business is helping your business GROW, since 1974.Connecting employers with the right employee!Contact us to nd out how we can fill your position:Looking for HELP on your farm?www.agri-jobs.ca | Phone 604-823-6222 | Email info@agri-jobs.ca
Country Life in BC • June 201620by JUDIE STEEVESKELOWNA – Growers can’t remember ever picking cherriesin the south of the valley at the end of May before, yet earlyand warm spring weather has broughtall tree fruits on in the Okanagan weeksahead of normal this year.Estimates by the BC Tree FruitsCo-operative are for a record crop ofcherries, at 12 million pounds, up fromlast year’s 10.5 million pounds.Not only did spring begin early, it waspunctuated by record hot weather on anumber of days and no signicant frostevents that would cause damage totrees or fruit.Growers were on pins and needlesthrough spring, anticipating a frost thatcouldwipeout theearly crop while it wasespecially vulnerable to lowtemperatures. But, there wasno frost through March andApril, which is unusual.Early, warmer springThe agriculture ministry’stree fruit specialist, CarlWithler, reports fruit maturityis three weeks earlier thannormal and at least ve daysearlier even than last year,which was another very earlyspring that stayed warmerthan normal.Oddly, fruit is at a similarlevel of maturity throughoutthe valley, he notes, where ina normal year, it’s a week orso earlier in the southern partof the Okanagan than thenorth.“It’s pretty uniform up anddown the valley,” he says,adding, “That could causesome issues and challengeswhen it comes time toharvest. Finding enoughlabour could be an issue.Crops will come o in ashorter time frame.”Collapsed season?All fruits, from cherries,through apricots, peaches,apples and pears, are atearlier stages of growth thannormal and it’s looking like itwill be a collapsed season,instead of strung out.Last year surprised growersEarly crop couldcreate labour issuesfor fruit growersBritish Columbians will probably have local fruit sooner than usual this summer. (Judie Steeves le photo)Carl Withlerwww.AgSafeBC.ca#AgSafetyChampFARMERS HELPING FARMERSNominate yours today at Please see “MILD” page 21Unreserved Public Farm AuctionBrent & Dianne TowerRolla, BC | June 21, 2016 · 11 amAuction Company License #303043 & 309645Directions: From DAWSON CREEK, BC, traffic circle, go 5 km (3 miles) East to the intersection of Hwy 49 & Rolla Rd, then North 18.5 km (11 miles). Yard on East Side. GPS: 55.91615, -120.13385Rod Thibeault Agricultural Territory Manager Alberta, British Columbia, Peace Region .. rthibeault@rbauction.comFor more information: Brent Tower: .., bdtower@pris.caFor complete list of details visit: rbauction.com | .. Prairie Star I Ft New Holland CXSpra-Coupe Ft John Deere — Kenworth TB Kenworth TB BL & Kenworth TB BBL*Consignments Welcome—please call Rod Thibeault
June 2016 • Country Life in BC 21MILD WINTER MEANS MORE PESTS From page 20Number of growing days increasing in Okanaganwith continued early maturity fromspring through harvest making it a goodlearning experience for them for thisyear, he added.“They went through last season indenial that things could be as early asthey were,” Withler says.Anyone who is still calendar spraying,he adds, had better throw the calendarout the window.On the other side of the coin, it wasalso a very mild winter, aected by thewarmer ocean currents of El Nino, whichmeans insect pests had no dicultysurviving winter. Withler says growerswill have to be very alert to keep on topof controls.“I expect there will be challenges withinsects,” he says. “Growers will have tobe careful.”Last year was also the lowest year everfor production insurance claims, Withlernotes, despite the fact it was also a veryearly year. There were no signicant hailor frost events to cause losses.BCTF forecasts an increase in tonnageof 20 to 25% across all commodities thisyear.“Mother Nature has provided ourgrowers with very warm spring daysleading up to bloom, resulting inanother early start to the summer fruitseason this year,” notes BCTF marketingmanager Chris Pollock.To help celebrate the grower familiesbehind the favourite summer fruits, BCTFwill launch two pre-roll video adsbeginning in late June telling the storiesof two of the 500-plus grower families ofthe co-operative. They will be on socialmedia as well.Western Canada and the US remainthe primary market for BCTF cherries,with the remainder marketed and sold tokey o-shore markets throughpartnership with Sutherland SA ProduceInc.Withler is predicting a good crop ofsmaller-sized apples this year, due to anexpected hot summer and larger crop.It’s always possible the weatherpattern could change and the early startto the season could slow down but that’snot the forecast, he adds.by JUDIE STEEVESSUMMERLAND – Extremeweather is having a variety ofimpacts on tree fruits, reportsresearch scientist DeniseNeilsen of the SummerlandResearch and DevelopmentCentre.For instance, last year wasa very stressful growingseason for trees, fruit and fortree fruit growers. Theclimate is changing andweather is becoming morevariable, she warns.Enough heatGenerally, climate tells uswhere things can be grown,she explains. For instance,it’s important there beenough heat to mature acrop and the growing seasonneeds to be long enough.For tree fruits, it’s alsoimportant to know what theminimum wintertemperatures are.Growingdegree days haveincreased atSummerlandsince the 1980sand there aremore frost-freedays and aphenomenaldecrease in thenumber of verycold days inwinter – dayswithtemperatureslower than -20 C,In fact, there havebeen none since1996, she reports.At the otherend, there hasbeen an increasein the number ofhot days (over 35C) since the mid1990s and thatcan reduce fruitsize and cause damage tofruit.High temperatures at theend of the growing seasonalso make it difficult to getgood colour on apples, shenotes.In 2015, warmtemperatures began early inspring and they remainedhigher throughout theseason, making bloom andharvest earlier for bothcherries and apples.As well, there was an earlydrought, which could impactfruit development early on inthe season for both cherriesand apples.More soil moistureNot enough water wasbeing supplied at importantperiods in the developmentof fruit, she explains.This year, there is more soilmoisture as growth began inthe spring, so she feels therewon’t be the issues with earlywater stress.However, warmtemperatures early on mirrorlast year’s (and may even beahead of 2015) so anotherearly spring will keepgrowers on their toes.FARM COUNTRYAUGUST 20–SEPTEMBER 5Come out and experience BC’s remarkably diverse agriculture industry. Featuring the crowd-favourite Discovery Farm exhibit plus a whole barn full of exciting animal displays.PACIFIC SPIRIT HORSE SHOWAUGUST 24–SEPTEMBER 5Competitions in: Junior Amateur Jumping, Draft Team, Indoor Eventing and HCBC Heritage Qualifi er classes in English, Western and Dressage. Also featuring HCBC Horse Day on August 27.ENTRY DEADLINE: JULY 22, 2016604-252-3581 • agriculture@pne.ca • COME CELEBRATE AT BC’S LARGEST AGRICULTURE SHOWCASEPNE 4-H FESTIVALAUGUST 20–23Offering over 30 types of project competitions as well as provincial programs for judging, speak and show and educational displays. Travel assistance offered to clubs outside of the Fraser Valley through the BC Youth in Agriculture Foundation. ENTRY DEADLINE: JUNE 24, 2016It’s theof summerBEST PARTDenise Neilsen
22.4HP | 4WDPowerful diesel engineTwin Touch™ Foot ControlsHydrostatic transmission Power steering Folding ROPS1023E & D120 LOADER$66.66348 SQUARE BALER630 MOWER CONDITIONER NEW 6E TRACTORSHigh capacity - 93 strokes per minuteSmooth & continuous auger feeding systemSuper relieable and easy to maintainSolid square bales that stack like bricksLow-Profile cutterbar for a fast, clean cut3 Year Cutterbar WarrantyPatented JD Shearhub protectionImpeller or Roller Conditioners3 Models from 105 to 135HpOptional 24 Speed / 40Km PR TransmissionsAdd a matching H310 John Deere LoaderEverything you need, nothing you don’tKAMLOOPS 250 573 4412 | KELOWNA 250 765 9765 | CHILLIWACK 604 792 1516 | LANGLEY 604 530 4644 | 1-877-553-3373 WWW.PRAIRIECOASTEQUIPMENT.COMLEASE PROGRAM Valid from April 8 2016 to June 30 2016. Items may not be exactly as shown, accessories & attachments cost extra. Taxes, set-up, delivery, freight, and preparation charges not included. Pricing may vary between models, see dealer for details. Additional fees may apply. Programs and prices subject to change without notice, at any time, see dealer for full details, some restrictions apply. Lease oer: 60 months / 5 year term at a nance rate of 2.9%. The personal lease max hour usage will be 100 per year. 500 in total. A charge will occur if the equipment goes over these hours. The residual value at the end of the term will be 60%. Quoted Prices may or may not include property & sales tax. Insurance, warranty, and fees quoted with this oer are included in the Cost/Hour Calculation. Please see in store for full lease details. Items may not be exactly as shown, accessories & attachments cost extra. Taxes, set-up, delivery, freight, and preparation charges not included. Prices are based on the US exchange are subject to change. A documentation fee of up to $250 will be applied on all nance oerings. Additional fees may apply. Programs and prices subject to change without notice. See dealer for full details some restrictions apply. 0% APR purchase nancing for 4 years on new John Deere Select Hay Tools. Down payment may be required. Representative Amount Financed: $50,000, at 0% APR, semi-annual payment is $6,250 for 4 years, total obligation is $50,000, cost of borrowing is $0. Semi-annual payments/ cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed/ down payment. MSRP cash price based on highest priced product in series: $75,087 (includes $50 documentation fee). Cost of borrowing based on Representative Amount Fin *Oer valid from March 1, 2016 to July 31 2016. Minimum nance amount may be required; representative amount does not guarantee oer applies. The charge for amounts past due is 24% per annum. Additional dealer fees may apply. Financing on approved John Deere Financial credit only. See dealer for details. Limited time oer which may not be combined with other oers. Discounts or other incentives may be available for cash purchases. By selecting the purchase nancing oer, consumers may be foregoing such discounts and incentives which may result in a higher eective interest rate. 0% APR purchase nancing for 60 months on select new John Deere Tractor. Down payment may be required. Representative Amount Financed: $50,000, at 0% APR, monthly payment is $833.33 for 60 months, total obligation is $50,000, cost of borrowing is $0. Monthly payments/cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed/down payment. MSRP cash price based on highest priced product in series: $80,186 (includes $50 documentation fee). Cost of borrowing based on Representative Amount. March 1, 2016 to July 31 2016 Minimum nance amount may be required; representative amount does not guarantee oer applies. The charge for amounts past due is 24% per annum. Additional dealer fees may apply. Financing on approved John Deere Financial credit only. See dealer for details. Limited time oer which may not be combined with other oers. Discounts or other incentives may be available for cash purchases. By selecting the purchase nancing oer, consumers may be foregoing such discounts and incentives which may result in a higher eective interest rate.0% FOR 48 MONTHS OROver $2000 off cash price0% FOR 48 MONTHSAND $1350 OFF0% FOR 60 MONTHS OR$4050 Cash DiscountBI-WEEKLY LEASE PAYMENTS OF(Personal Use Lease)Country Life in BC • June 201622
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by DAVID SCHMIDTAGASSIZ – The University ofBC Dairy Education andResearch Centre in Agassizkeeps getting bigger. Lastyear, it completed its scholars(student) residence, step vein its six-step plan. Now it is onto step six: attracting andretaining more “top-notch”graduate students and sta,DERC director Jim Thompsontold the annual UBC DERCadvisory committee meeting,April 21.“We just got the go-aheadfor a new faculty position,”Thompson said, adding heexpects it will take one to oneand a half years to get theright person.Thompson expects the newfaculty member to work withdairy cattle but the exact areahas not been determined. “Itcould be animal nutrition orenvironmental impact.”“We will make the criteriasolutions to reproduction. Hehas been trying to nd waysto “mitigate the use of timedAI programs and still get thesame reproductiveperformance.” He believes it ispossible, saying there is verylittle dierence in pregnancyrates “if you maximize estrousdetection.”One of his students, BrunaSilper, is now trying to gureout why some cows exhibithigher estrous expression andwhether estrous activity canbe increased. “Can we select for it?” sheasks. To keep students like Silbercoming, Thompson says DERCneeds to up its scholarships.Students can already apply fora $5,000 per year scholarshipfrom the Jim ShelfordEndowment funds, and $2,500scholarships from the JohnYoung Endowment Fund andthe BC Dairy Association DairyIndustry Research andEducation Committee. Childrenof Westgen members are alsoeligible for scholarships fromWestgen (not limited tostudying at UBC). Calling graduate students“the engine in the lab,”Thompson said “we have tofund them so they can aordto be in the lab full-time,”noting that requires about$20,000 per year per student.One of those students,Alison Vaughan, describedthe project she has beenworking on, trying to toilettrain calves. If they can betrained to urinate anddefecate in a specic area, itwould reduce bedding costs,disease and lameness issuesand improve overallcleanliness.While there was “a lot ofskepticism,” Vaughan’sresearch shows it is possible.“Six of seven calves wereCountry Life in BC • June 201624UBC dairy research centre attracting new hires, grad studentsquite broad and see what weget,” notes NSERC industrialresearch chair in animalwelfare Nina von Keyserlingk.“The richness of our group isthat we work well as a groupand we need someone whowill t.”The most recent addition toUBC’s faculty was RenaldoCerri who is in the third yearof a study into sustainableDERC director Jim ThompsonUBC PhD student Alison Vaughan (David Schmidt photos)NEWS & INFORMATIONYOU NEED to GROW!SUBSCRIBE TODAYSEE PAGE 42 FOR ALL THE DETAILSThe agricultural news source inBritish Columbia since 1915COUNTRYLifein BCtrainable.”She is now developing acomputerized system whichuses visual and thermalimaging to detect when andwhere calves are urinating anddefecating and reward themwhen they “go” where theyare supposed to. DERC is not only educatingstudents and, as in Vaughan’scase, animals, it is also helpingeducate farm workers and thepublic.Dan McDermid ofGreenbelt Veterinary Servicesaid DERC is critical to thedairy production technicianLevel 1 apprenticeshipprogram. The programincludes three months of self-study combined with veafternoons and two days atDERC in the fall, three ve-dayweeks of intensive study andpracticums at DERC in thespring and 1,000 hours of on-farm experience. It includestraining on safety, proper useof pharmaceuticals, cowmilking and cow handling.“We had 10 peoplecomplete the program thispast year,” he reported, sayingseven of nine passed the nalexam. (One has yet to write it.)He notes the program hastrained about 50 apprenticessince it was begun in 2010.Thompson said DERChosted over 3,000 people lastyear, giving them “a broadeducation about the dairyindustry in Canada.” Althoughthe annual Agassiz Cycle Tourbrings out the most visitors,individuals and groups canshow up at any time. As anexample, he noted the centrehosted 62 students from aCoquitlam middle schoolearlier in the week.Let’s grow together.BMO is pleased to announce the appointment of Carlie Fleenor to our GVCCAgriculture Team, based in Chilliwack. Carlie joined BMO in June 2014 as a commercial account manager. Bornand raised in Chilliwack, she is very involved in the community, serving onboards for the Chilliwack Society for Community Living and Big BrothersBig Sisters. She is currently vice president of the Chilliwack Minor HockeyAssociation.When not at work you can find Carlie at the hockey rink with her husband watching their son, Ryan. Carlie is excited about her new role andis looking forward to working within the agriculture community.CARLIE FLEENORcarlie.fleenor@bmo.com604-793-7256You can call on yourBMO Agri-Specialist to help yougrow your business.IAIN SUTHERLAND, P.AgAGRICULTURE MANAGER604-504-4978604-751-0292iain.sutherland@bmo.comSTEVE SACCOMANOSENIOR AGRICULTURE MANAGER604-504-4976604-703-5161steve.saccomano@bmo.comLYNN LASHUK, P.AgAGRICULTURE MANAGER250-979-7827lynn.lashuk@bmo.comDIANE MURPHYVICE PRESIDENT, AGRICULTURE604-504-4980604-302-8784diane2.murphy@bmo.comwww.tjequipmentllc.com360-815-1597LYNDEN, WAALL PRICES IN US FUNDS1988 JD 4050 2WD, 130 HP,4987 HOURS, POWERSHIFT,540/1000 PTO, 2 REMOTES $29,5002003 JD 8120 MFWD, 208 HP, 7755HRS, PWRSHIFT, 4 REMOTES, $65,0002001 CLAAS JAGUAR 870 CHOPPER 6 ROW CORN HEAD, 2801 ENG HRS,1703 CUTTER HOURS, 2WD $110,000‘15 CADMAN 4000 REEL (DEMO)4"X1250' HOSE, HONDA OHV 5.5 HPAUTOMATIC GUN CART STOP $33,000
June 2016 • Country Life in BC 25Sequestering carbon through soil managementThe ability to decreasegreenhouse gases andsequester carbon to mitigateglobal warming is right at ourfeet. Well, actually, under them.While farm soil producesthe world’s food and bre, italso has huge potential tohold carbon. The Earth’satmosphere holds about 830petagrams (1 trillionkilograms) of carbon, andhumans add about 20petagrams of carbon to theatmosphere every year. Soils,however, hold about 4,800petagrams of carbon to adepth of two metres, six timesthe amount of carbon in theatmosphere. And scientistsbelieve soils can hold more. The key lies in soundagricultural practices totighten the soil-nitrogen cycle.The benets, of course, areenhanced soil fertility, greatercrop yields, improved soildiversity and a reduction oferosion, runo and waterpollution. Technology now“We can substantiallyreduce atmospheric carbon byusing soil,” says JohannesLehmann, Cornell Universityprofessor of soil and cropsciences and co-author ofClimate-smart Soils publishedin Nature, April 6. “We have thetechnology now to beginemploying good soil practices.We will always need todevelop better soilmanagement practices andthe developments in the pastdecade show us that we canstill improve on our currentpractices. But we already havea basket full of options thathave not been fully explored.And what is more, choosingthe most appropriatemanagement at the rightlocation and time is theapproach that will generatethe most benet over theshort term. That requiresknowledge and an integrationof information leveragingmodern informationtechnology.”Lehmann says the criticaltechnology to tackle bothproduction and carbonsequestering will include theneed to take advantage ofdata that addresses aparticular problem. And thatcould be very site-specic. “We [will] need to know thedata for each part of a farmer’seld, what its properties are,and merge that with weatherdata and managementinformation to optimize thesystem.”There is no one singleapproach that ts allconditions to soilmanagement. All approaches,Lehmann said, should be onthe table in order to choosewhere they generate thegreatest environmental andsocietal benets for everyone.One huge plus, heemphasized, is to preservenative ecosystems whilerestoring marginal land toperennial forest orgrassland. While in manycases we see extensiveland clearing formonoculture production,many old-time farmersunderstood decades agothe value of preserving somebush or slough for wildlifeconservation. This landmanagement approach wasbased on personal values. AsLehmann says, carbonsequestering is not just aboutthe science. It is about all thecultural, political and socio-economic components thatbest benet soil management. Land users, farmers andproducers can addressgreenhouse gas emissions andsequester carbon using severalmethods. Some stakeholderswill benet from the latestinformation and decision toolsto deal with their own uniquesituations. Those tools, or approaches,may include reduced tillage,improved grazingmanagement, crop rotation,nutritional management,application of biochar, covercrops and perennialvegetation for inactiveproduction elds. The key is toapply the tools with thegreatest benets to climate,income and crop productivity. Currently, Lehmannbelieves, opportunities tosequester carbon and reducegreenhouse gas emissionsthrough soil managementtechniques areunderappreciated. Carbon capture andsequestration is a set oftechnologies in which CO2 iscaptured from power plants orindustrial sources and injectedinto deep porous rockformations at least a mileunderground. Overlaying therock formations are non-porous layers that serve totrap the gas and keep it fromseeping upwards to thesurface. Geologic formationsthat often make suitablesequestration sites includedepleted oil and gas elds,deep coal seams, and salineformations. However,sequestering carbon throughgood soil managementpractices has huge benetsbeyond simply trappingcarbon underground.Invest in food security“If we pump CO2 ingeological layers, we have justmitigated climate change,often at enormous costs,” saysLehmann. “If we restore theworld’s soil organic matter, wehave not only mitigatedclimate change but alsoinvested in food security andnatural resources for futuregenerations.”He adds just how much isachievable depends on theimplementation strategies andthe socio-economic and policyconstraints. The shift in thisapproach to soil managementshould be a global shift sincecarbon knows no geopoliticalboundaries. Helping farmers everywhereunderstand the manyadvantages of good soilpractices will clearly be a hugebenet to many generationsto come.ResearchMARGARET EVANSCattle producers in British Columbia are invited to attend the annual meeting of the Cattle IndustryDevelopment Council on June 20 at 1:00 p.m. at the South Thompson Inn in Kamloops.A proposal to increase the cattle check-off (levy) in BC from $3 to $5 per head will be pre-sented to the meeting. Special guests will report on work successes and plans related tothe check-off funds. This meeting is your opportunity to learn about the proposed increasein the check-off and to share your views. The Canadian beef industry came together to develop the National Beef Strategy presenting a 5-year plan about how organizations can work together to best position the Canadian beef industry for greater profitability, growth and continued production of a high quality beef product ofchoice in the world. Achieving the Strategy goals requires an increase in the national check-off fromthe current $1 per head to $2.50 per head. The provincial levy which supports project work of thefour provincial cattle associations is proposed to increase from $2 per head to $2.50 per head.Agenda:• CIDC Annual Report from Chair (Linda Allison)• Auditors’ Report & Financial Statements for 2015-16Cattle Industry Development Council & Beef Cattle Industry Development Fund• Provincial Association Reports • National Check-off Agency Presentation (Melinda German)• Other BusinessAll cattle producers who pay check-off are eligible to attend and participate in discussion and voteon any motions or resolutions.Meeting will be followed by a social hour with light refreshments. To assist with arrangements,please let us know if you plan to attend. Call our secretary, Hallie MacDonald, at 1-877-688-2333or email hallie@cattlemen.bc.caNOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETINGMonday June 20, 20161:30 p.m.South ompson Inn & Conference Centre3438 Shuswap Road East, Kamloops, BC ph: 250-573-3777CattleIndustryDevelopmentCouncilCattleIndustryDevelopmentCouncilThe Cattle Industry Development Council is a group of volunteer cattle producers elected by the four provincial cattle associationsto administer the CIDC levy (check-off), the Beef Cattle Industry Development Fund and the Horn Levy Fund.Cattle Industry Development Council#4-10145 Dallas Drive, Kamloops, BC V2C 6T4Phone 250-573-3611 www.cattlefund.netCIDC Check-offBCID Fund9WorkBeef atCheck-offCheck-offCIDC 9Ch9f9heck-of9at9W9Beef 9ork9WoFundCI-D FundBCID
& V¶¶VDGGDDQD& %GHLIILLUULH99H IHH% & V¶¶VDGGDDQD&Producti %GHLIILLUULH99Haon ProgrraProductimpleSied fopvelDe IHH%am ustrTTrcal. ctiar. Pmple, by psruceodpror ed f ed.ust.sroducer, by p 1:hP -866-398w 398- emeltBP@cat V:ilam E8482mthbp./vac.bc.nemelttac.www ac.bc.neLet rkemaonioseb ement pl you imelphusstrke - rds ndatadriven son- ty safed foormfa carlmani a&ty curiiose ement forrds , yy,e car .Country Life in BC • June 201626by RONDA PAYNEMAPLE RIDGE – It’s alwaysgood for a laugh amongfarmers when “city folk” don’tunderstand that only femalemomma cows produce milk.That’s just one of manymisnomers about the dairyindustry that sisters EmmaDavison and Jenna Bock workto change on a regular basis.While farmers understandthat girls (cows) make the milk,they may not know that girls(the sisters) make the bestcheese. It’s a symbioticrelationship between GoldenEars Cheesecrafters and theirneighbouring uncle’s (KevinDavison) Jersey dairy cows. The Davison family hasbeen on the land in MapleRidge since 1902 when thegirls’ great, great grandfatherstarted the farm. “Jenna and I are fthgeneration,” says Emma. “There are roughly 300cows; it uctuates, they milkabout 100 at a time,” Emmasays. It’s a special situation oflocation that makes it possiblefor the girls to get the milkfrom their uncle’s cows andonly those cows. “He is the rst pick up in theMaple Meadows area,” Jennaexplains of her uncle’s farm. Given that the Davison’scow’s milk is sold through theBC Milk Marketing Board(BCMMB) like any other dairyproducer in the province, it’sthis rst pick-up at the farmthat leads to the rst delivery,next door. The remainder ofthe Jersey milk stays in thetransport tank to be mixedwith milk from other dairyfarms in the area. “They always pick uparound 5,000 liters every twodays,” says Jenna, who is thecheesemaker at Golden EarsCheesecrafters. “We’re gettingbetween 3,000 and 6,000 litersa week.”It’s a signicant amount ofmilk and while the sistersaren’t involved in the dailyGirls make the best cheeseoperations with the cows, theydo talk to the herd nutritionistand can state with certaintythat these are grass-fed Jerseycows. “We’re hoping to be able totake more [milk],” Jenna saysof growth of the cheese-making business. She addshaving the BCMMB is a goodthing. “It’s a good system, itmeans the dairy farmers aregetting paid.”The system certainly workswell here. Jenna gets the highprotein and high butterfatcontent she needs to makethe best cheese and Emmatakes on the tasks ofmarketing, sales and front-endmanagement. “We help each other out,”says Emma. “But we’re totallypolar opposites. She’s totallyhappy being behind thescenes.” Behind the scenes is exactlywhere the magic happens andit all starts with the milk.Including butter, there areclose to 18 kinds of cheeseproducts produced at GoldenEars Cheesecrafters and Jennaexplains the milk stagedetermines what variety ofcheese will be made. “There’s a lot of timemanagement,” she notes.“We’ll do three to ve cheesesin a day.”In their fth year ofbusiness, things have changedand grown in the retail end ofthings. In addition to cheesesand other locally producedproducts, the on-site bistrooers breakfast, lunch andhigh-tea as well as specialevents. No matter what it is, it allcomes back to the cows andthe farming. The sisters doseminars and events to helpthe public understand theimportance of the Canadianmilk supply. “We teach milk seminars,”Emma says. “Specically onCanadian dairies… but you’dbe surprised how manypeople have no idea there areno antibiotics, hormones orsteroids in Canadian milk.”“It’s crazy how many peoplejust don’t understand,” Jennaadds. The girls regularly advisepeople to look for the bluecow symbol on all dairyproducts so they know theyare getting 100% Canadianmilk products.Value added. Sisters Jenna Bock (with baby Daphne) and EmmaDavison are using milk from their uncle’s Jersey farm to createartisan cheeses in Maple Ridge. (Ronda Payne photo)Be ready for anything.Quality Pre-Owned Tractors & EquipmentBOBCAT BACKHOE, SKID ST MNT CALLCLAAS 6 BASKET TEDDER . . . . 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June 2016 • Country Life in BC 27Cattlemen confident over outcome of pending trade dealStories by TOM WALKERKELOWNA – BC Cattlemenare hopeful that the TransPacic Partnership (TPP) willbe signed. “Any trade deal is huge forus,” says BCCA generalmanager Kevin Boon. “But theTrans Pacic Partnershipespecially.”If the agreed-upon tradedeal is ratied by the 12member countries, it willcreate the largest free tradezone in the world. Canada’sfree trade status will continuewith the US (with somechanges) but expand toinclude Japan and otherPacic Rim countries, for atrading bloc of 800 million.Those people encompass 40%of the world’s gross domesticproduct. “Japan is the crown jewel,”says Boon. “Any deal thatJapan is a part of, we have tobe there at the table,especially when you get 11other countries.” Right now, Canadian beef isat a disadvantage to Australia,the dominate player in theJapanese market. “Japan and Australiaalready have a bilateral freetrade agreement so, currently,we are paying a 38.5% tariinto Japan and Australia isdown to 27.5,” Boon explains.“Australia is in the processwith their deal to get down to9%, so coming on to the TPPputs us immediately on thesame footing as Australia.”Not being on board wouldbe costly. “If other countries dobilateral agreements and weare not part of it, we feel wewould lose about 80% of ourbusiness into Japan.”“Canadian cattle producerssold about 19,000 tonnes toJapan for about $103 millionin 2014,” Boon says. “Wedropped 5,000 tonnes to14,000 tonnes and the valueKAMLOOPS – Foreignownership of feedlots andprocessing facilities could limitreturns to BC cattle producersand the processing industry,says BCCA general managerKevin Boon. “While we don’t mind someforeign investment, we wantto be very careful that theydon’t own the whole thing,”says Boon, as he outlinedprocessing and marketingstrategies for Country Life inBC.With foreign ownership,Boon says there is a risk thatthe whole beef carcass getsshipped back to the owningcountry, or it goes over as aquarter or a half. “We want to keep theprocessing dollars here inCanada,” he says. “When you are selling beef,I kind of look at it as a chopshop,” Boon quips. “When youcarve up a car, you sell thispart here to the guy who paysthe most.”Both Japan and China willtake nearly everything as theyare such big markets and theydo have similar eating habits,but they will pay more forcertain cuts, Boon explains.“They don’t use as big a cut.It’s a smaller amount and theyuse a lot of what we callsecondary cuts,” Boon says.“Short ribs are huge overthere. We get a huge prot. Infact, you go and try and buyshort ribs in Canada (but) theprice has gone up because wehave so much demand forthem in Asia. We can’t supplyenough.”Vietnam pays a premiumfor oal, he adds. “While we can still selltongues here, the liver theheart and organ meats tendto bring in a higher price inVietnam or South America,”Boon says. “Cuba takes asmuch liver as we can supply,as the Big Mac is 80% liverthere. It is getting that cut tothe best market.”Its not just about thetonnage. “After BSE hit and we wereable to get rid of our livers toCuba, it upped our value onevery carcass by $11.00.”BC ranchers wary of foreign investmentdropped by $10 million to $93million in 2015. Part of thereason is Australia came inwith their free tradeagreement.“If the TPP goes through,we feel we could go up toabout $300 million in sales,double to triple where we arenow so, right there, it is huge,”Boon adds. And if it is notratied, “we would probablydrop to $23 million. It wouldjust be specialty cuts; verylimited access.” Boon says he understandsit will have an impact onJapanese beef producers. “The consumers love ourproduct; the farmers overthere don’t,” he says.“My understanding is thatthe 38.5% tari is what paystheir subsidies. When the taridisappears, their subsidiesdisappear, so that is why thefarmers don’t like it.”A round of the negotiationsthat Boon attendedrepresenting Agriculture andAgri-Food Canada in talks withJapanese farmers “was thePlease see “TARIFFS” page 28INVEST IN QUALITY®Matsqui Ag-RepairAbbotsford, BC604-826-3281Noble Tractor & EquipmentArmstrong, BC250-546-3141Noble Tractor & EquipmentKamloops, BC250-851-3101Huber Farm EquipmentPrince George, BC250-560-5431KuhnNorthAmerica.comDownload ourForageXpertapp today toƂPFVJGRGTHGEVtool to optimizeyour harvest! UNIFORM, FLUFFY WINDROWSGA SINGLE-ROTOR ROTARY RAKESr/CUVGTFTKXGIGCTDQZHQTKPETGCUGFTGNKCDKNKV[CPFVQWIJPGUUFWTKPIKPVGPUGWUGr&QWDNGEWTXGFVKPGCTOURTQXKFGENGCPTCMKPICPFKPETGCUGFHQTYCTFURGGFr5WRGTKQTTCMKPISWCNKV[ETGCVGUHNWHH[HCUVFT[KPIYKPFTQYUYKVJQWVTQRKPIr.QPIƃGZKDNGVKPGUVQWEJVJGETQRLWUVQPEGPGCVN[NKHVKPICPFFGRQUKVKPIKVKPVQVJGYKPFTQYsTCMKPIYKFVJUBuckaroo watches over his bovine friends. (Liz Twan le photo)
Country Life in BC • June 201628Fungicides hope to limit botrytis resistance in raspberriesTARIFFS From page 27most uncomfortable meeting I think I have ever been in,” hesays. “They literally told us, ‘Why don’t you guys go to China;they really want your beef.’”“That 38.5 is a high tari but we still sold $100 million ofproduct into there,” Boon points out. “You bring that down to9% and it is going to do nothing but increase.” It is not just about the tari, Boon points out. “He who is there rst establishes the clients and once youhave those, it is harder to get them to change. If Australia, NewZealand and the US are in there and we are not or we are inthere at a dierent rate, we are still going to lose.”“If we had not got into Korea when we did (at the beginningof the year), we would probably have lost so much ground wewould have spent ve years trying to regain it.” “The other part of TPP is the developing countries that havelarge populations that are going to evolve somewhat the wayChina and Japan have,” Boon says. “In Vietnam, Malaysia (and)Singapore, we are starting to see more wealth. We don’t have alot going in, but we are starting to see huge potential there andagain, being on the same playing eld as our other tradingcompetitors is huge.” Boon says he recognizes the impact the TPP will have onsupply managed industries. “But remember, 20% of our beef sales are dairy cattle.”“If TTP fails and doesn’t go ahead, then the biggest priorityfor us is to do a bilateral agreement with Japan.”by RONDA PAYNEABBOTSFORD – Botrytis,also known as grey mold, isstill something of a mystery,which doesn’t makecontrolling it any easier. TobinPeever of Washington StateUniversity spoke to growers atthe 2016 Pacic AgricultureShow to help them improvethe ecacy and longevity offungicides in controlling thedisease in raspberries.Unfortunately, Botrytis isfound virtually everywhere –from the eld to thegreenhouse – and can growon all kinds of plants. It travelsquickly and loves the mild,wet winters common in theLower Mainland. Fungicide focus“We don’t really understandthe raspberry and how thatinfection works,” Peever says.“We’re very focused on usingfungicide in controlling thisdisease.”What is known is that thedisease gets into the plantsthrough multiple points – notjust the owers as was oncebelieved. This may be why theBC product guiderecommends starting thespray of fungicides at 10%bloom of owers and torepeat weekly or as necessary.“Do we really know what ‘asnecessary’ is?” Peever asks.“Not really. We are currentlyvery reliant on these calendar-based sprays.”Peever’s study took wildHimilayan blackberries as thebaseline of sensitivity todierent fungicides. In 2015, anumber of Washington berrycrops were also sampled. Thefungicides tested in thestudies included Elevate (aFRAC group 17), Rovral (FRAC2), Switch (FRAC 9), Switch(FRAC 12) and Pristine (FRAC7). “There is a lot of variationfrom eld to eld,” Peeversays. “There’s a lot ofinsensitivity in all thesepopulations.”Reuse the sprayFortunately, what isbecoming more commonlyknown in all crops is that as acertain fungicide is removed,in time, the insensitive strainsof Botrytis decline and thatspray can be eectively usedagain. This was seen withRovral (though use was keptto a minimum to prevent theprevious insensitivity) andElevate. In the case of Elevate,it was removed from use in2012 but by 2015, four of 13elds that weren’t sensitive tothe product in 2012 wereonce again sensitive to it. “We need to reduce thenumber of sprays from eachFRAC group,” he notes.Knowing the FRAC groupsis very important according toPeever who says to not pay asmuch attention to productnames or trademarks as toFRAC groups. He also advisesreducing reliance on site-specic fungicides by mixingthem with non-site-specicfungicides like Captan. He also points toalternating high-risk[sensitivity] fungicides withother fungicides fromdierent FRAC groups. Aside from fungicides,Peever stresses theimportance of managementand knowing the eld.“Use alternative diseasecontrol methods wheneverpossible, integrated diseasecontrol” says Peever. “I thinkmonitoring is very important.”He adds it is important tofollow the need of the plantsrather than a calendar when itcomes to spraying and to beaware of the correlation of thehistory of fungicide use to itsinsensitivity. Selections mustbe made to help reduceinsensitivity and keep ecacyof certain sprays high.To further promote planthealth, he pointed to thebasics: promote air circulationby pruning the canopy soplants are not left wet for longperiods of time. Plus, deadplant matter and othersources of inoculum must becleared and minimized. By observing the historicaluse of fungicides and payingstrict attention to FRACgroups, growers may be ableto increase the tools in theirtool box to ght Botrytis.Tobin PeeverPUSHING THE LIMITS OFV270 GEN:2Lift Height 130.3"Rated Capacity 2,700 lbs.V330 GEN:2Lift Height 131.2"Rated Capacity 3,300 lbs.Vertical-LiftSKID LOADERSGehl is pushing the limits of innovation and performance once again with the all-new V270 GEN:2 and V330 GEN:2 vertical-lift skid loaders.Add in the V400, the world’s largest skid loader, and you have a robust, vertical-lift product offering designed to meet the specific needs of each operation.gehl.comDEALER INFOV400Lift Height 144"Rated Capacity 4,000 lbs.34511 VYE RD . ABBOTSFORD604/864-2273www.caliberequipment.ca34511 VYE RD . ABBOTSFORD604/864-2273www.caliberequipment.caGrey mold, or botrytis, can build up resistance to sprays. Growersneed to have an educated approach to control. (File photo)
June 2016 • Country Life in BC 29by TOM WALKERROCK CREEK – Fred Marshallhas a separate shed for his reghting equipment. A waterpump, 1,500 feet of hoses, aback-pack sprayer and a driptorch are neatly arranged nextto shovels and a polasky. Asharpened chain saw sitsopposite gas cans that areready to be lled. (The fuel isstored further away.) There’s awater tank that goes in theback of his pick up and agenerator to provide back-uppower for his house.The family property hasbeen “re safe” prepared:brush and trees cleared backfrom buildings and fuelsremoved from the nearbyforest oor. A green lawnsurrounds the house and anadjacent pond holds water foran emergency.That might seem like over-kill to a resident of Langley,but Marshall is a registeredforester, agrologist, arborist,rancher and rural propertyowner. He teaches reghtingcourses and consults on resafe plans.Marshall is ready to “stayand defend,” a term rstcoined by the Australians whohave a well-developedprogram for rural propertyowners to protect theirhomes. He says stay anddefend is a property owner’sright under BC law. And it is aright that was not respectedduring the Rock Creek re lastsummer.“There was a lot ofconfusion and a lot of hardfeelings during the re,” saysMarshall from his ranch justoutside of Midway, about 20km east of Rock Creek. “One woman was evenarrested by the RCMP forrefusing to evacuate after shewent through a roadblock togo and support her husband,”says Marshall, with obviousindignation. “She was led awayin hand cus and taken to aneighboring farm.” Luckily, she was able tosneak back and help herhusband. They successfullydefended their property andprotected 20 Arabian horses. “This should absolutely nothave happened,” saysMarshall. “These wereexperienced reghters whohave spent time in Australia.They had the equipment, theskills and the escape routesnecessary to be safe andproactive.”The RCMP was caught inthe middle, Marshall explains. “They were enforcing whatis incorrectly called anevacuation ‘order’ when it isreally only arecommendation.”He says it comes down tomisleading wording inlegislation surroundingevacuation procedures and aneed for more education forall levels of service involved inre command. While Marshall fullysupports the need for safety ofthe general public, he sayswhen the highways are closedand road blocks set up,residents can’t get in and outof their land. “What about someone whowas away when theevacuation alert was given butwants to go in and check on ordefend their property,” heasks. “What about going forsupplies to sustain you to stayand ght, or taking equipmentover to your neighbours?” Marshall believes it wouldbe relatively easy for residentsto sign a waiver absolving thegovernment of responsibility. “When the regional districtissues the evacuationrecommendation, thatconcludes their liability toinform the public,” he says.“If you have the properequipment and are trained touse it, if you have properescape routes and arephysically and mentallyprepared to do the job, thenyou should be allowed to stayand protect your property,”Marshall says. “In fact, you willbe helping out the reghters.” The public has aresponsibility to be educated,Marshall stresses. “You can’t force somebodyto be informed and the homeowner ultimately has to makethe decision for themselves,”says Marshall. “I would hatethe government to ever takethat right and freedom awayfrom us.”When to stay and defend, and when to leaveBeing prepared is crucial when it comes to protecting farm, livestock from wild firesNine months after the re that ripped through Rock Creek last summer, a new highway fence is upbut it will be a while before the area will have enough grass to support cattle. 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June 2016 • Country Life in BC 31by DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – Covercropping is certainly acommendable soilconservation practice. It hasbecome so commonplace onBC farms, it may even beconsidered a “normal farmpractice” but only whenconditions permit.That was the conclusion theBC Farm Industry ReviewBoard (FIRB) reached in adispute between the City ofAbbotsford and MohinderKapoor and the lessee ofKapoor’s Sumas Prairie farm,Randy Sihota of CanadianFarms Produce. Sihota hasbeen growing carrots,pumpkins, potatoes and othervegetables on Kapoor’s and/orother Sumas Prairie farmssince 1991.Abbotsford brought thecomplaint to FIRB inSeptember 2014, in its role asarbiter of the Farm PracticesProtection (Right to Farm) Act.Abbotsford City director ofdrainage and waste water RobIsaac complained that Kapoor(Sihota) failed to plant a covercrop or use other mitigationmethods following the 2013growing season. He claimedthat resulted in soil inlling thecity’s ditch in the followingmonths through wind erosion,resulting in maintenance costswhich the city wasunsuccessful in recoveringfrom Kapoor/Sihota.FIRB acknowledged that atleast some of the soil “resultedfrom a farm operation (theharvesting of potatoes fromone eld in the fall of 2013)conducted as part of a farmbusiness” on the Kapoorproperty and accepted thatthe city was “aggrieved” by theinlled ditch.The city cleans its networkof drainage and irrigationditches across Sumas Prairieand the former Sumas Lakebottom annually, recoveringthe costs through annualdrainage and dyking charges.It hoped to use this decision toassist its initiative to chargeindividual landowners whenmultiple cleaning measuresare required.Abbotsford’s expert witness,consultant Bruce McTavish,said winter winds are a majorsource of soil erosion onSumas Prairie, with sandy soil,like that on Kapoor’s farm,being particularly susceptible.Abbotsford SoilConservation Associationpresident Peter Reus, who hasbeen growing vegetables on anearby property for over 30years, told FIRB cover croppingis an important soil protectionpractice, as are avoiding soilcompaction, leaving anchoredcrop residue (e.g. stubble) onthe eld, establishing treerows, snow fences or otherwindbreaks. He harvests hispotatoes in September, thengrows cereal crops and usesstraw for eld cover. Sihota does not disagreewith Reus’ suite ofconservation practices, notinghe grew cover crops on theKapoor property before 2013as well as in 2014 and 2015.However, Sihota said heavyrains delayed his harvest in2013. Because heavy rains alsofollowed the harvest, he wasunable to take equipmentonto the eld to employ a soilconservation measure. “Weather dictates what youare going to do,” Dave Khakh, aneighbouring farmer, told theFIRB panel, adding “when theweather allows you – you usethe best measure possible.”Both McTavish and Sihota’sexpert, University of the FraserValley professor of horticultureand crop consultant TomBaumann, noted there is greatvariability in cover croppingfrom year to year. Theypointed out 5% of the land inSumas Prairie was not plantedwith a cover crop in 2014while only 1% did not have acover crop in 2015 whenconditions were near ideal.Baumann said this showsfarmers will plant cover cropswhen conditions make itpossible.That said, the panel had nochoice in nding that “soilconservation practices can belimited, and at timesprevented, by weather andeld conditions, especially forfarmers who harvest late in thegrowing season.”It concluded that failure touse a cover crop is a normalfarm practice when elds aretoo wet or it is too late in theyear while planting a cover cropis a normal farm practice whenweather conditions permit.FIRB rules in favour of farmer in cover crop disputeWorkshops establish priorities for climate adaptationby TOM WALKERKELOWNA – The Climate ActionInitiative held a second series ofmeetings in the Okanagan earlier thisyear, focusing on climate changeadaptation strategies and actions wheregrower, industry and municipalparticipants discussed priority needsestablished in December workshops. Important issues facing the Okanaganinclude changes to pest populations, anincrease in extreme precipitation events,warmer and drier summers andincreasing wildre risk. As group facilitators reported out, acommon problem emerged. Much workis underway by individual groups, but it ishard to get the word out. Communication and networkingaround pests was a concern, says LisaScott, who facilitated the changes to pestpopulation discussions. “Loss of extension services throughthe Ministry of Agriculture and loss ofresources has been identied asproblematic,” Scott says. “There is lots ofinformation and groups available butthey are spread out. We could use acentral place to pull it together.” Participants heard about theWashington State University Decision AidSystem, a web-based platform designedto transfer information on weather,insects and diseases and providemanagement recommendations for treefruit growers.Knowledge transfer, improvingeducation and out reach around the whyand how to take action to repair riparianareas was key. “That knowledge transfer is ne,” saysEmily MacNair, “but there needs to beenough resources to assist theimplementation.” “There is a challenge doing anythingwith a very complex and dicult systemof regulations and policies,” MacNairadds. “It will discourage people fromtaking action on riparian issues.”Better farm, municipal and regionalplanning around re breaks, road andegress locations and human andlivestock evacuation were seen asimportant wild re strategies.Attendees saw a need for moreconsistent and clear communication ofdrought levels. Provincial levels are not inline with basin levels, Samantha Charltonpoints out. Okanagan farmers want avoice in how water reductions areundertaken. “If there is to be a cut back, can someproducers reduce more or lessdepending on crops or whether the farmis just for tax status?” Charlton asked.“The most important idea for me todaywas the tool that Washington state isusing (for pest management) andbringing the farmers together to usethat,” says Lake Country orchardist AlanGatzke. “I see that as something that isrealistic, can happen quick and can makeSee “MEETINGS” page 31TRACTOR & EQUIPMENT LTD.KAMLOOPS580 Chilcotin Road250/851-3101TOLL FREE 1-888-851-3101ARMSTRONG4193 Noble Road250/546-3141TOLL FREE 1-800-661-3141NOBLEMCCORMICK MC100 2003, 83 HP, ROPS, ALO LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,500CASE 2290 1980, 128 HP, CAB, NO 3 PT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500CASE 2090 1982, 108 HP, CAB, 3PT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,500NH TS115A, DELUXE 2004, 95 HP, CAB 4X4, LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41,800NH 3045 45 HP, 4X4, CAB, LDR, LIKE NEW ONLY 120 HOURS . . . . . . 36,500MF 5613 2015, 100 PTO HP, CAB, 4X4, 16X16 POWERSHIFT TRANS, MF946 LDR, ONLY 345 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107,500JD 3130 80 HP, 2X4, CANOPY, JD 148 LOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13,500CASE IH 8820 WINDROWER, 1995, C/W 21” DRAPER HEAD . . . . . . . 24,000CASE IH DC102 2010, 10’4” CUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,900CASE IH 8312 1997, 12’ CUT, SWIVEL HITCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500CASE IH 8330 1998, 9’2” CUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,950JD 920 1995, 9’9”, CUT, ROLLER CONDITIONER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500HESSTON 1160 12’ HYDROSWING, 1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,950RECON 300 2012, PULL TYPE HAY CONDITIONER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,800 NH BR7090 2012, 5’X6”, TWINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29,500KUHN VB 2160 4’X5’ OPTICUT, NEW 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44,800CASE IH 8455 4’X5’, TWINE TIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,900CASE IH 8465 5’X6’, TWINE TIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,900www.nobletractor.comREADY! 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Country Life in BC • June 201632by DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD –When youcome to a fork in the road,take it.David Janssens of NikomeklFarms in Surrey used thaticonic Yogi Berra quote todescribe his progression froma young lad growing up on hisfather’s dairy farm to hisposition today as owner ofthat farm, its conversion toorganics and his travelsthrough various dairyorganizations. Janssens’ route has includedmany twists and turns, andeach turn (or fork) even thosewhich turned out to be deadends –was worth it.“Each fork oers newchallenges and newopportunities,” he toldMainland Young MilkProducers (MYMP) at theirannual meeting in Abbotsfordearlier this spring.Janssens lives in the samehouse he grew up in but hasnot spent his entire life on thefarm. After graduating, hewent to the University of BC,earning rst a bachelor’sdegree in agriculture then aMaster’s in BusinessAdministration. Althoughmany young farmers nowhave a postsecondaryeducation, that was rare inJanssens’ day. “I know of onlytwo other BC dairymen of myage who have a universitydegree,” he stated.Armed with his degrees, hewas hired by a bank toevaluate farms struggling withthe 20% or more interest ratesof the early 1980’s. He had aunique, yet simple and highlyaccurate way to determinewhich farms the bank shouldcontinue to support. “I would visit a farm fourtimes. If the farmer came outof the house two or moretimes, I wouldn’t support it,”Janssens said. “I wanted to seethat the farmer was willing toput in the work requiredbecause hard work does payo.”His experience with thebank proved the value of hardwork and that money has avalue over time, even iftoday’s interest rates nowmake it a very low value.He took another fork whenhe returned to the family farm.He soon realized he was notas good a cowman as some ofhis friends so he joined the BCHolstein Branch “to surroundmyself with cow people,”eventually becomingpresident.“You absorb some of thatknowledge by osmosis,” hetold young producers, “whichallowed me to improve myoperation at home.”During his tenure with theBC Holstein Branch, he wasinvolved in hosting thenational Holstein convention.That provided the opportunityto interact with top cowmenYoung dairy farmers urged to embrace opportunities and challengesfrom across the country,creating lifelong friends.“You can develop a realsense of camaraderie on aboard,” Janssens says. “Evencasual conversations are at ahigher level with people youhave served with onorganizations.” His next fork was joiningthe Westgen board, where hewas instrumental in creatingthe Westgen EndowmentFund. Again he rose to thetop, becoming president.“I was president when thebulls left in 2010,” Janssensnoted. He learned the value ofteamwork as the organizationpulled together to getthrough that challenging andtraumatic time.His time at Westgenincluded a lot of travel andvisits to farms across thecountry. Some of those farmswere organic and he returnedhome convinced “we couldduplicate that on a largerscale.” So, in 2008, Janssenstook another fork, convertingand now milking just over 500cows organically.After completing his time atWestgen, Janssens tookanother fork, running for theBC Milk Marketing Board.Although he lost the election,he says that eort, too, wasworth it.“If I hadn’t done it, I mighthave spent the rest of my lifeasking ‘what if’,” he said,adding “defeats are as good alearning experience assuccesses.”With that fork proving adead end, Dave took the nextfork, joining the Mainland MilkProducers and BC DairyAssociation boards and beingnamed BC’s representative toDairy Farmers of Canada(DFC).Janssens says his time on allthe boards has beenextremely rewarding. “It’s areal pleasure to work withfarmers who are thinkingprovincially or nationally.”He concluded by urgingyoung dairymen to follow hisexample and take the forks inthe road when they come up.Doing just that is Jaredde Jong of Rose Gate DairyFarm in Abbotsford, whostepped o the MYMP boardto become the dairyrepresentative at the BCAgriculture Council.De Jong credited MYMP forpreparing him for his new role.“I thank this association for allthe opportunities it aordedme the past two years,” hesaid, noting that includedattending the DFC annualmeeting in Vancouver lastsummer and the FutureLeaders Conference inCalgary.MYMP members thenre-elected Lorene Barnum,Nicholas Janssens (David’sson) and Ryan Thibaudier tonew two-year terms and choseKevin Mammel over AdrianWesteringh to take over theposition De Jong formerlyheld.a big dierence. I hope thatyou make progress in makingthat a reality for us.”Recent meetings havenalized the OkanaganRegional AdaptationStrategies plan and it isawaiting governmentapproval. 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June 2016 • Country Life in BC 33by PETER MITHAMABBOTSFORD – Tightergroundwater management ishere but even though rulesgoverning extractions havekicked in, there’s nothing toprevent contamination.Decades of nitratespercolating into theAbbotsford-Sumas aquiferhave yet to end despite yearsof analysis; a similar situationnow faces households thatdepend on the Hullcar aquifernear Spallumcheen.There’s simply no processfor addressing groundwatercontamination in Canada, saysCathy Ryan, a geoscienceprofessor at the University ofCalgary who has studiedaquifers in the Fraser Valley.“It’s quite remarkable to methat in the Abbotsford aquifercase, the contamination hasbeen known about andmonitored in some detail fordecades,” she told Country Lifein BC. “It behoves us as asociety to do something aboutit.”But that’s not likely tohappen because of thecomplex nature of aquifersand government reluctance toregulate the farm sector.Despite running underparticular properties, there’soften not a single source ofcontamination.“The deeper you get intothe groundwater system, thelonger the water has been inthe ground and the further it’stravelled from,” she said. “Tonger one farmer for one well,unless they have a reallysignicant amount of land inthe capture zone of the well,wouldn’t be appropriate,wouldn’t be fair. That’s thehard thing.”What is known is that evencommon agricultural practicesincrease the risk of aquifercontamination. Variables suchas precipitation and soilpermeability may aect howquickly contamination occurs,however, contamination isalways possible under theright mix of circumstances.“We have sucient scienticinformation to understandstandard agricultural practicescannot be conducted over allvulnerable aquifers withouthaving groundwatercontamination,” she says. “Sobest management practicesare ineective, I think.”But that isn’t howgovernment has approachedthe issue.“All levels of government,the way that they have dealtwith our understanding ofagricultural impacts on waterquality, is to have bestmanagement practices,” Ryansays. “The problem is thatProvince reluctant to regulate aquifer contaminationfarmers will notimplement bestmanagementpractices if they’regoing to cut theirbottom line.”Nevertheless,industry has steppedup in an eort toavoid regulation.Better manuremanagement hasowed from the SustainablePoultry Farming Group whilethe Mainland Milk ProducersAssociation issues advisoriesto its members in an eort toraise awareness and forestallproblems.“We encourage ourproducers for November,December and January not tospread, and then there’s alsothe manure spreadingadvisory,” says HolgerSchwichtenberg,president of theMainland MilkProducersAssociation and aparticipant in the BCNutrientManagementWorking Group. “Butit’s not written in thelaw. It’s up to eachproducer. We trust theproducer to adhere to therules and, of course, not all ofthem always do.”Schwichtenberg isn’t awareof elevated levels of nitrates inthe Abbotsford-Sumas aquifer,a marked change from the1990s and early 2000s whenstudies indicated that as manyas 40% of wells drawing fromthe aquifer recorded nitratelevels in excess of 10 parts permillion – the acceptablethreshold for drinking water inCanada and the US.Centre of the stormWhile industry action hashelped mitigatecontamination in the FraserValley, the farm at the centreof the storm nearSpallumcheen is eectivelyghting a solo battle madeworse by the fact that it’s thenewcomer to the region.While the aquifer has seenelevated nitrate levels in thepast, matters changed whenHS Jansen & Sons broughttheir herd to the area in 2006.When nitrate levels in theaquifer rose and authoritieseventually ordered locals notto drink the water, localslooked to the farm as thecause. “It’s the new kid on theblock,” Schwichtenberg says.“That was going to be alightning rod no matter whathappened.”But the province hasdownplayed the suspicions,saying more tests arenecessary and arguing thatlarge livestock operationshave been present in the areafor decades (implying that anadditional 1,000 dairy cattleare of little import).Schwichtenberg, for hispart, would prefer to seeindustry self-regulate and be agood neighbour.“That may be a bit of anaïve, utopian way of lookingat it, but that’s what we’rehoping for,” he says.www.avenuemachinery.caABBOTSFORD1.888.283.3276MEET THE NEW GUYEasy-to-maintain Kubota Tier IV Diesel EnginesStandard 2-speed travelSide lights for expanded operator visibilityRoll up door with wide operator’s areaVERNON1.800.551.6411KELOWNA1.800.680.0233Cathy Ryan
Country Life in BC • June 201634by TOM WALKERGRAND FORKS – In 2008,Grand Forks needed aprovincially licensed meatprocessing facility. That’s whenlocal agriculture interestsformed the Grand Forks andBoundary RegionalAgricultural Society and beganthe process of acquiring amobile abattoir for theircommunity. The ag society hasgone on to be a leader insupporting the local foodsystem and the abattoir theypurchased could best bedescribed as a “Cadillac.”“The cost was nearly$400,000,” recalls Danna O’Donnell, who with herhusband Brandon and threechildren, farm just outside ofGrand Forks. That cost wascovered by local fund raisingand grants, including a$240,000 contribution byWestern EconomicDiversication Canada.Danna knows there was aneed for the plant. Her familyraises a full complement of2,000 free range meatchickens that she sells atfarmers markets in GrandForks, Rossland and Nelson. Twice a year“Okanagan PoultryProcessing has a mobile unit,”says Danna. “They would makearrangements ahead of timeand come down to GrandForks twice a year. She wouldbe here a week or howeverlong it took, and we wouldtake our birds there.”But there was a real needfor local processing services. “She got so busy in theOkanagan – her business reallytook o. It wasn’t worth hercoming down here,” saysDanna. That meant theO’Donnells and other Boundaryarea poultry producers weredriving to Kelowna, more than200 km away. “It puts so much extra stresson the birds,” she says.Self-contained unitThe 40-foot state-of-the-artplant was built by Tri VanTruck Body in Ferndale, WA.The completely self-containedunit is lined with stainlesssteel. It has a UV ltrationwater system that can supplythe 300 gallon water tank. Anon-demand hot water heaterprovides water for sterilizationand there is a diesel back-upgenerator that can run theplant, the chill room and theon-board air conditioner. “It’s probably the mostadvanced unit in theprovince,” says Danna.The mechanical room has adesk for the on-site provincialinspector and there is a built-in washroom as well.The plant is mobile and theag society plans on taking it tothe Grand Forks Fall Fair toshow how meat is processed(and to keep the wheelsturning), but it has apermanent home at theO’Donnell farm. Grow the business“It is owned by theagricultural society,” explainsDanna. “They hire my husbandto be the manager and as afamily, we donate ourCadillac of mobile abattoirs sets up in Grand ForksYEAR GEARBOXLIMITED WARRANTYNew for 2016 comes the Pulsar Plus for tractors rated between 40 - 60 HP. This updated mower features not only Category 1, but also Category 2 and Quick Tach mounting options to fit your equipment. With a cutting path ranging from 60” - 84”, and a cutting height of 2” - 10” with the standard floating top link, this mower will get the job done the first time. To ensure even cutting and shredding every time, the deck has been outfitted with 3 blades covering more area on each pass.For more information contact your nearest MK Martin dealer or visit us online.GET THE EDGE ON SPRING CUTTING.management skills to take thephone calls and do thebookings. We work in the unitfor an hourly wage when it istime to process so it is in ourinterest to grow the business.” That gives the plant apermanent home withelectrical, potable tested waterand grey water (for thedischarge) hook ups. Processing starts at theback of the unit. A 10-foot tail-gate drops to become aplatform where the kill rack,scalder and plucker are set upfor poultry. An overheadcanopy provides shade. The birds are passedthrough into the main roomfor evisceration and cleaningand then into the chill room tobe brought down to 4C. Unique labelsA $10,000 electronic scaleand label machine comboproduces an individuallydesigned label for thecustomers that goes on thevacuum-sealed package. Dana says while the full costof the unit was covered bygrants, there wasn’t money forstart up. “Community Futuresstepped in and provided aloan. Retired butcher DaveSloan helped get them going.“We worked through theprocess and wrote operatingprocedures for each step,” saysDanna. “Nova Woodbury, nowwith the BC Association ofAbattoirs, really helped usorganize the steps into abinder.”The majority of the businessis poultry with a Class Alicense.“At this time, people areable to sell their chickenswhole; the demand for cut andwrap is not there,” says Danna.“But we are starting todevelop operating proceduresDanna O’Donnell is dwarfed by a state-of-the-art mobile abattoir she helps manage on behalf of theagricultural society that spearheaded its $400,000 purchase. (Tom Walker photo)Please see “KILL” page 35BCHA Secretary Janice Tapp 250-699-6466 BCHA President Murray Gore 604-582-3499 bchereford.ca
June 2016 • Country Life in BC 35Victor Vesely and Margit Nelleman pick tea leaves from the “rst ush” ofbushes they started planting in 2010. They plan to market their teastarting this fall through their tasting room near Duncan and online.(Tamara Leigh photo)KILL AND CHILL From page 34It’s finally tea time in Duncanby TAMARA LEIGHDUNCAN – Vancouver Island’sonly tea farm is celebrating its rstfull harvest this spring andexpects to release its rstCowichan tea by early fall. VictorVesely and Margit Nellemanplanted their rst 100 tea plants(Camellia sinensis) in 2010 andnow have 800 plants over twoacres. It takes three or four yearsbefore plants are in fullproduction.“Honouring the way of tea, theslowness and tradition, we waitedan extra year until the plants werereally ready,” says Teafarm co-owner Vesely. “We are thrilled tonally be able to share it.”Tea is one of the most labourintensive agricultural crops in theworld. All of the harvesting workis done by hand, picking only therst two leaves and bud of theplant. The crop comes in seasonal“ushes” and each ush hasseveral harvests as the bud setsregenerate after plucking. Therst ush is in early spring, thenplants go semi-dormant and notush again until mid-summer,then again in late-summer andearly fall. Leaves from the “rst ush” willbe used to make Canada’s rstestate-grown green tea, to bereleased at a special celebrationon Canada Day. In the Chinese teanaming tradition, Vesely andNelleman have called their rstoering Frog Green SpringHarvest, inspired by the sounds ofspring on the farm.“A green tea is going to be thenicest tasting with the leaves thatwe have picked this spring,”Vesely explains, noting thecharacter of the leaves changesseasonally, making it suited todierent styles throughout theyear. “The summer ush will involvemore hot, dry weather andprobably lend itself to more of anoolong style. For the winter, weare looking at a white tea and areexperimenting with a maple-smoked tea.”Canada’s rst estate-grownteas will be available in limitedquantities at the Teafarm tastingroom near Duncan, or throughtheir online store,[www.teafarm.ca].to cut and wrap for the future.”The Class B license allowsthem to slaughter (“kill andchill,” quips Danna) beef, porkand lamb but those animalsmust be cut and wrappedelsewhere. Most of the poultryequipment is packed away toprovide room for the largeranimals.“We have great co-operation with the regionaldistrict composting program,”says Danna. “They take all ofour oal. (SRM are frozen forcorrect disposal.) We call themahead of time and they havesomeone there with a backhoe and they cover it upimmediately. There is nosmell.”Danna says theconvenience of the plant ishelping to grow the localindustry. “People are saying ‘I’vealways wanted to try meatbirds and now that the facilityis convenient, I can,’” she says.“You catch them the nightbefore when they aresleeping; you drop them o atthe abattoir in the morning,you come back after dinnerand pick them up.”KuhnNorthAmerica.comINVEST IN QUALITY®MatsquiAg-RepairAbbotsford, BC604-826-3281Noble Tractor & EquipmentArmstrong, BC250-546-3141 Noble Tractor & EquipmentKamloops, BC250-851-3101Visit your localKuhn KnightDealer today!FAST UNLOADING CAPABILITY2044 & 2054 PROPUSH® BOX SPREADERSrSimple push-off design with no chains for fewer moving partsrPoly floor and sides promote self-cleaning to prevent material builduprWide, consistent, 25' to 30' spread pattern440 & 540 heaped cu. ft. capacitiesby TAMARA LEIGHDUNCAN – Southern and Central VancouverIsland farmers bade farewell to two regionalagrologists at the end ofApril. Wayne Haddow spent 26years in the CowichanValley as the regionalagrologist for the BCMinistry of Agriculture. Hereceived a warm send ofrom a hall full of localfarmers and politicians inthe Duncan area. Haddow,who has an apple orchardin the area, is looking forward to focusing onexpanding and diversifying his farmoperations. Rob Kline has also retired from his positionas regional agrologist for the Victoria area. Theretirements leave the farming communitywithout a regional agrologist from theRegional District of Nanaimo south to Victoria.According to the BC Ministry of Agriculture, nodecision has been made yet on theirreplacements.In the meantime, local governments andfarmers can contact any of the ministry’soces or sta for assistance through therecently launched AgriService BC, at1 888-221-4141 or [AgriServiceBC@gov.bc.ca].AgriService BC is a toll-free phone and e-mailservice to connect farmers and agri-businesseswith the people and information they need tohelp their businesses succeed and grow.Southern VancouverIsland loses tworegional agrologistsWayne Haddow
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June 2016 • Country Life in BC 37by RONDA PAYNEALDERGROVE – A new cropis making news in BC – asurprising one at that. Trues.The pricey delicacy does wellin the Lower Mainland’sclimate but potential farmersneed to have more than land.They need time and luck. It’s a 10-year wait beforetrues start to form on oakroots, according to JohnNeudorf who has a true farmin Aldergrove. “It’s been a very steeplearning curve on this wholething, but it’s interesting,”Neudorf says. “A lot has beentrial and error.”On his 10 acre farm, threeacres are planted with trees insoil inoculated with thePerigord true, sometimesknown as the French blacktrue. It may sound simple: buyinoculated soil, sprout trees,plant trees, then wait, andwait. And wait. But like somany things in life, it’s far fromsimple. Farming trues is partscience and part great luck. It’s not like crops where youplant a seed and based ongermination rates, a plantgrows – there are noguarantees with trues.Because the soil is inoculatedand the trues form theirsymbiotic relationship with thetree roots, how the soil isprepared is key. “Obviously, it’s the soil,”Neudorf says. “Personally, Ireally think the success thefolks in Western Australia havehad is the soil chemistry.”Neudorf knows it can bedone in BC. The few truegrowers in the province haveproven they can do it. Neudorfhad a handful of Bianchettotrues this year, which he sayscan coexist with the desiredPerigords. Surprisingly, with truesseeming like a fairly new crop,the True Association of BCwas formed back in 2004 (alittle before Neudorf plantedhis trees) with the intent ofcoming together to create aviable Perigord true industryin the province. Neudorf is thevice president of theassociation which provides anincredible amount ofinformation on the website at[www.bctrues.ca].“There are a number ofpeople in Vancouver that havefully trained truedogs,” says Neudorf,explaining the levelof interest in theindustry.While trues cangrow on the rootsof oaks, they also do well onroots of hazelnuts, which dueto Eastern Filbert Blight (EFB),has added another wrinkle tothe local true plan. Neudorf’s350 hazelnut trees have eitherdied or will be dead soon, butthe trues will continue togrow as long as the roots areviable. “Five years from now, Iprobably won’t have anyhazelnuts,” he says. He hopes by the time theroots are no longer viable, theroots of his 150 oak trees willhave spread throughout thesite to take over trueproduction. EFB is not the onlychallenge with true farming;there is also the case ofmistaken identity. The trueBrumale and the trueIndicum look identical toPerigord but apparently don’ttaste as good, making themless valuable. The Bianchetto truesNeudorf harvested earlier thisyear were not the targetvariety – and are a sign oftrue contamination in theoriginal inoculation – but it’snot bad news given theirability to co-exist with thePerigord. In terms of value,Truffles require luck and a whole lot of patience44725 Yale Road West • Chilliwack • Ph: 800.242.9737 • 604.792.130121869 56th Avenue • Langley • Ph: 800.665.9060 • 604.533.0048VENTURI AIR SPRAYERS3-POINT AND TRAILER MOUNTOur Venturi Air Sprayers produce high air velocities that shear the liquid to 50 micron fog sized droplets, which penetrate and cling to all areas of the plant foliage.The above blueberry/raspberry heads have 3 zone penetration whether on a 3-point hitch sprayer or trailer sprayer. The simple, unique design of our sprayers insures easy calibration and low maintenance.T55AE-800 W/BLUEBERRY HEAD SHOWNP50S W/BLUEBERRY HEADwww.canadianorganicfeeds.comFOR QUALITYCERTIFIEDORGANICFEEDS FOR BAGGED or BULK ORDERS:Darren JansenGeneral Manager604/794-3701organicfeeds@gmail.comCUSTOM ORDERSCertified to Canadian National StandardsCountry WaysBianchetto trues are worthabout $500 a kilo, less thanhalf of what Neuforf saysPerigords are valued.“With the Bianchettos,production should ramp up.We should get some Perigordsthis winter,” Neudorf notes.“I’m on the right track at least.”Neudorf believes the key iskeeping the pH level high, inthe range of 7.5 to 7.8. Inaddition to the liming requiredto maintain those levels, thetrees need to be pruned andthere is eld maintenance. “The liming is probably thenumber one thing we have todo,” he says. In giving advice to thoseinterested in the industry(along with the spare land andtime required), Neudorf pointsto the approach of theAustralians. “They cultivate the soilunder the trees, it drives thetrues a little bit deeper andkeeps the eld mice fromthem,” he says. “Just a verylight tilling of the soil. Till thesoil two to three years beforeyou plant [the trees] withheavy applications of lime. Ithink that would change a lotof things.”Trial and error is inching John Neudorf closer to a successful harvest of (mostly) Perigord trues onhis Aldergrove acreage. Grown at the base of oak or hazelnut trees, it can take 10 years before trueswill start to appear. (Ronda Payne photo)
Country Life in BC • June 201638Shana and Gavin Miller own and operate Upper BenchWinery and Creamery in Penticton. It’s a country meetscity couple with a shared background in knowing howto work hard. (Susan McIver photo)Wine and cheese make the perfect business planPenticton couple merge skill sets for a delicious pairingby SUSAN MCIVERPENTICTON – Gavin and Shana Miller havecombined their respective skills as award-winningwine and cheese makers and a capacity for hardwork to build a thriving business.The Millers own Upper Bench Winery andCreamery located in Penticton. The couplepurchased their seven acre vineyard, wine makingfacilities and tasting room in February 2011.“It was in receivership and the vineyard had beenneglected badly,” says Gavin, who is in charge of thevineyard and wine production.The couple spent the following year restoring thevineyard, renovating the tasting room and building acreamery. Upper Bench opened in May 2012.“Our reception has been great and our businesscontinues to grow year after year,” Shana says.At the time they purchased the Upper Benchproperty, Gavin was the winemaker at Painted RockEstate Winery.“Painted Rock won four Lieutenant Governor’sawards for the wines he made,” says Shana, who hasreceived national recognition for her cheese. She wasfeatured as the Dairy Farmers of Canada’s CheeseHero in the fall 2015 edition of All You Need is Cheese.Originally from near London, England, Gavin metShana, a native of rural Nova Scotia, in the Okanagan.“We’re a country meets city couple with a sharedbackground of knowing how to work hard,” saysShana. The Millers recently celebrated their 20thwedding anniversary.In 1997, Gavin took the viticulture course atOkanagan College and subsequently worked as anassistant winemaker for several local wineries.Meanwhile, Shana was busy caring for the couple’stwo children and for some years, honed her skills ascheese maker at Poplar Grove.Today, she hand-crafts a variety of washed-rind,brie and blue cheeses made from 100% pasteurizedCanadian cow’s milk from D-Dutchmen Dairy inSicamous.All cheeses are gluten and additive free.“We also make cheese cakes for special occasions,”Shana says.During the season, Shana sells cheese at thePenticton Farmers’ Market.“It’s great to talk with the customers,” she says.Upper Bench’s 2016 wine list contains seven winesincluding the newly released 2012 Estate CabernetSauvignon and 2014 Riesling.“I believe that great wine starts in the vineyard.Our bold reds and crisp whites reect the vintageand soil of the vineyards where they are grown,”Gavin says.Upper Bench wine is made from grapes grown bythe Millers and other select Naramata farmers andwithout the use of chemicals.“My goal is to produce 5,000 cases. Last year, wedid 3,800,” Gavin says.Upper Bench wine and cheese are available at thetasting room and online.“Our Curds and Corks Club is the coolest club inthe whole world,” Shana says. Members receivequarterly shipments of wine and cheese and enjoymany perks such as invitations to the annual Pick-upParty and discounts on additional purchases. The Millers attribute much of their success to theirNo excuse not to!EEEEEEmmmmmmmpppppttttttyyyyyyyy PPPPPPPPeeeeeeeessssttttttttiiiiiiiiccccciiiiidddddeeeeeee CCCCCoooooonnnnnnttttaaaaiiinnnnnnneeeeerrrr RRRReeeeccccyyyyyyyyyyyyccccccllliiiinnnnggggggggggg PPPrroooogggrraaaammm>>>>>>>#1Only rinsed containers can be recycled #2Helps keep collection sites clean#3Use all the chemicals you purchase #4Keeps collection sites safe for workers#5Maintain your farm’s good reputation FFFFFFooooorrrrrr mmmmmooooooorrrrrrrreeeee iiiiinnnnnffffffooooorrrrrrrrmmmmmmaaaaaatttttttiiiiiiiioooooonnnnnnn oooooorrrrr ttttoooo fifififififinnnnnnnddddd aaaaa ccccccoooooollllllllleeeeccccccttttttiiiooooonnnnnn ssssiiitttteee nnnnnneeeeaaaaaaaaaarrrrr yyyyyyoooouuuuuu vvviiiissssiiiiiitttcccllleeeaannfffaaarrmmmmmmss..ccaattt{{{{{{{Now, take your empty fertilizer containers along for the ride!excellent employees, several of whom have workedat Upper Bench for years.“It gives us great satisfaction to see the youngpeople who work for us prosper and succeed in life,”Shana says.
June 2016 • Country Life in BC 39by RONDA PAYNELANGLEY – Along 16thAvenue in Langley is a newaddition to the CampbellValley Wine region – FraserValley Cider, the product ofUK expat Rachel Bolongaro.It may not be wine but theindependent, farmer-madeapproach will likely appeal tolocal wine connoisseurs.While this year’s batch ofcider comes from apples offleased land in the Okanagan,next year Bolongaro expectsto be using her own appleswhich are far from the eatingtype. This is where her ciderprocess mirrors that of thewineries. Different applesThe Okanagan applesweren’t exactly what she waslooking for but what she’splanted is – similar to howtable grapes and winegrapes differ, so too doapples. And, just like avineyard has different tastingvintages of the same grape,so will her cider.“I’m not going to growanything that the Okanagangrowers grow better,” shesays. “We grow apples thatare called spitters.”Named because of theheavy tannins that cause theneed to spit them out aftertaking a bite, the 30-plusvarieties of sour heritageEnglish and French apples(including a few russets andCox’s orange pippins) shehas chosen will make greatcider. Bolongaro believes theplanting done in 2015 willproduce enough to managethe second round of ciderwhen she begins productionin the fall of this year. Cheap labour used!There are now close to4,000 trees planted on six ofthe site’s 12 acres. Bolongaroand her husband made useof cheap labour (friends andfamily bribed with a pulledpork lunch made from localheritage pig) to get the first1,800 in. While resourcesfrom the Ministry ofAgriculture helped in treeselection, Bolongaro also hasa consultant agrologist sherelies on.“Some of the graftingdidn’t take,” she notes. “Andwe lost some [of the trees]over the winter. We handwatered all our trees throughthe summer. It was just akiller year. I tried to focus onwhat we had done right; 95%[of the trees] are still okay.”There are also a few peartrees (about 60 in total)around the edge of theorchard to allow for pearcider in the future.Mystery treesUnfortunately, there willbe some mystery trees in theorchard as the labelling donein 2015 bleached in the sunmaking the tags illegible.Eventually, Bolongaro plansto label the rows knowingwhat varieties are in each.There is still plenty ofspace to add more treeswhich will come asBolongaro learns whatapples work best for thecider. It will come down towhat grows and produceswell, combined with whatcider customers enjoy.Before buying the land, shehad soil tests done andfound the site rough andbare, but perfect for growingapples. Two passionsIt is the culmination of twoof Bologaro’s passions. “I’ve always wanted a plotof land,” notes Bolongaro.“And I have always made myown cider.”This year, her cider willNew craft apple cideryfocuses on unique fruit30-plus varieties of sour heritage English and French “spitters” cultivatedUK-born Rachel Bolongaro is taking her passion for making ciderto new heights on a Langley property she has planted with avariety of cider apple trees. (Ronda Payne photo)include several choices forcustomers. Ice cider – wherethe apple juice is frozen,similar to ice wine; cyser – amix of apple juice andhoney; and four differenttypes of cider: dry, housecider, honey blend andelderflower cider. She hopesto add an apple raspberrycider in the future.The cider market,according to Bolongaro, isthe fastest growing beveragemarket in North America.Much like the craft beerindustry moved north fromOregon and Washington, sotoo is the craft cider market. Although the buildingthat houses the cideryturned out well, Bolongaronotes it could have beenlarger.“We’re so pleased withhow it turned out,” she said. Unfortunately, it wascreated as large as theLangley Township wouldallow on the site, so anyexpansion plans will have towait.www.AgSafeBC.caTRAINING EQUALSPRODUCTIVITYSERVICE ANYWHERE!FREE ESTIMATES CALL 604-530-2412MENTION THIS AD FOR SPECIAL DISCOUNT!Replacing gravel or dirt and repaving withasphalt invari ably guarantees a healthy increase in your farm’s value, now and intothe future. We have the men and equip-ment to do the job right the first time. We own our own asphalt plantand we’ve been paving BC for nearly 40 years! Paving the way to 100% customer satisfaction!New & improved min bloc with higher levels of trace minerals & vitamins. ideal for on-pasture supplementation.All of your equine and livestock feed needs available at: Armstrong // Country West Supply // 1-250-546-9174 Creston // Sunset Seed Co. // 1-250-428-4614 Wasa // Wasa Hardware & Building Centre // 1-205-422-3123NOW WITHSEL-PLEXCIDC Check-offBCID Fund9WorkBeef atCheck-offCheck-offCIDC 9Ch9f9heck-of9at9W9Beef 9ork9WoFundCI-D FundBCID Producer Check-Off Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net | 1-877-688-2333
When we left o last time,the town folk had gathered forthe celebration of CecMontgomery’s life and, ofcourse, Henderson wouldn’tattend. At the same time, hewas becoming moredisenchanted with the vealbusiness. Rural Redemption(part 73) continues ...Four days after thecelebration for CecMontgomery, a cold ridge ofhigh pressure gusted in andcollided with the seeminglyendless parade of winterrainstorms overnight.Christopher alerted thehousehold Friday morning.“Guess what? It snowed andthe power’s o and there’s nowater.”Deborah glanced at thebedside radio by habit. Itsblank face was lost in thedarkness. She found her robeand slippers with the glowfrom her cell phone and madeher way downstairs. The housewas noticeably cold. Ashleywas in the kitchen with herarms wrapped tightly aroundherself.“It’s freezing out there andthe snow is like past Chris’sknees.”“Where is Chris?”“He’s gone to the barn tocheck the calves. He can’t mixmilk replacer because there’sno water.”Deborah turned the kitchentap just in case the waterwasn’t really o.“Trust me, Mom. I tried ittoo; there’s no water.”Kenneth arrived rubbing thesleep from his eyes. “What time did the powergo out?”“I don’t know,” saidDeborah.“Me either, Daddy.What dierence does itmake?”“If we knew what timeit went out, we’d knowhow long it’s been o.”Ashley looked toward herfather. “Really, Dad?”“I’m going to phone Hydroand I’d like to know how longwe’ve been without power.”“Ten minutes at least, Dad.”Deborah wrapped herhands around the carafe in thecoee maker. “It can’t havebeen o for very long. Thecoee is still pretty warm.”Kenneth poured himself alarge cup of the lukewarmbrew and called the hydroemergency number. He putthe phone down two minuteslater. “What do those idiotsexpect us to do now?”“What idiots are you talkingabout?”“The hydro idiots! AccordingCountry Life in BC • June 201640The WoodshedChroniclesBOB COLLINSSudden snowstorm finds Henderson in a foul moodFact checking on fencesto the message on their so-called emergency line, thepower is out all over the placeand it might be tomorrowbefore they get all of it xed. Inthe meantime, we’re supposedto sit here in the cold and darkwith half a pot of cold coee.How long do you think it willbe any of the stupid roads getplowed?” Deborah was chuckling.“That’s hard to say. Theyprobably plow them as fast asthey can. I don’t think theysave the stupid ones for last.”“Fine, Deborah. Laugh it up.All of this might look like justanother exciting day in HillbillyHeaven right now but I’ll betyou’ll be singing a dierenttune before the day is over. It’sbloody cold in here already.”Christopher stamped thesnow o his boots on the backporch and opened the doorinto the summer kitchen. Hewas carrying an armful ofrewood and kindling. “I bet there won’t be anyschool today. The snow’s overmy knees and there was ice onthe calves’ water pail. With anyluck, it will take them days toplow the road.”“What are you going to dowith all this?” asked Kennethnodding to wood and kindling. “I’m going to light a re inMr. Olson’s old stove so we cancook some breakfast and I canmelt some snow to make thecalves milk replacer.”“This old relic. How do youknow if it even works?”Christopher shrugged hisshoulders. “What’s not to work? All youdo is light a re in it and itgoes.”“And who taught you tolight a stove?”“C’mon, Dad, it’s not rocketscience. Paper, kindling, match.Lisa lights the stove at herplace all the time.”“Are you telling me that theLundgren’s still use a woodstove?”“I bet they do when thepower’s out. And Lisa’sgrandma still uses it when shemakes bread every week. Lisasays bread tastes better if it’sbaked in a woodstove.”In the kitchen, Ashleycocked an ear. “Hear that? I think there’swater running in the toilet. Trythe tap, Mom.”“The water is on,” they saidin unison. Kenneth returned to thekitchen. “What do you mean thewater’s on?” He toggled thelight switch several times.“How can there be water whenthere’s no power? It doesn’tmake any sense.”Deborah realized thatKenneth still didn’t know thetruth about the real source oftheir water. The rst re in two yearswas crackling in Tiny Olson’sold Enterprise wood stove.“There are lights down onthe road,” said Ashley, “andthey‘re turning up ourdriveway.”A farm tractor with a frontend loader chugged up thedriveway and stopped besidethe house. A moment laterChristopher greeted NewtPullman at the back door.“Morning, everyone. Justwanted to drop over and seehow you folks are making out. Isee smoke in the chimney andyour water should be back onso it looks like everything isunder control.”“Why should our water beback on?” demanded Kenneth.Newt glanced at Hendersonand gave his head a little twist. “If you folks are all set, I’ll beon my way. I’ll plow yourdriveway on my way out. Iexpect I’ll be doing drivewaysmost of the morning but I’lldrop back in this afternoon tosee how you’re making out.Maybe we can have a little chatabout your water then.”To be continued ...EVERY PURCHASE COMES WITH A FREE PTO PUMP1-888-675-7999www.watertecna.comMODEL 9300TURBINE DRIVESPRINKLER | INLET HOSEDIGITAL TACH$24,800MODEL 100/400TURBINE DRIVESPRINKLER | INLET HOSEDIGITAL TACH$29,400MODEL 110/400TURBINE DRIVESPRINKLER | INLET HOSEDIGITAL TACH$35,490SPRING SAVINGS ON REELS*GET REEL THIS SUMMER!MANUFACTURED BYPROVINCE WIDE DELIVERYbut in most of the rest of BC, itis not necessarily correct that ifyou have cattle on private land,it is your responsibility to fencethem in. That only applies if theadjacent land is private land ina pound district or is Crownland over which you do nothave a range agreement(grazing licence or permit). It is also not always true thatif your cattle are on Crownrange, you do not have tofence them. If the adjacentland is private land outside apound district, that would betrue. But if it’s within a pounddistrict, the landowner couldseize the livestock and/or suefor damage (regardless ofwhether they came o Crownland or private land). Under theForest and Range Practices Act,you would be responsible forkeeping the livestock o of anyCrown land over which you donot have a range agreement orgrazing lease.The clearest reference I’veseen on this issue is page 6 to 8of the BC Ministry of AgricultureFencing Fact Sheet 307.050-1,New Fence Construction(originally chapter 1 of the BCMinistry of Agriculture FencingHandbook).Keith Carroll, Dawson CreekEditor:Re: Fences aren’t Forever,page 18, May 2016I’m afraid the fourthparagraph may have added tothe confusion on this issue. Ican’t speak for areas (such asnorthwest BC, West Kootenays,Vancouver Island, and theLower Mainland) withoutdesignated livestock districts,Lettersjeffmc@shaw.ca250-616-6427 or 250-758-8454 JEFF MCCALLUMVANCOUVER ISLAND FARM EQUIPMENTNEW & USED TRACTORS & FARM EQUIPMENTMake ISLAND Farming Easier!MCHALE R5 BALE HANDLERS 2 MOVING ARMS . . . . . . FROM 2800NH BR644 4X5 ROUND BALER, STRING, RECENTLY SERVICED 8,000 DEUTZ AGROPLUS 87.SELF LEVELLING LDR, 4X4, OPEN STATION, 1300 HRS, 85 HP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,500KVERNELAND 7517 WRAPPER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500KUHN KNIGHT PS 150 VERTICAL BEATERS. NEAR NEW . . . . 45,000HIGHLINE 6000T BALE PROCESSOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,000JCB 170 SKID STEER. NEW TIRES. 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June 2016 • Country Life in BC 41The wallpaper on mycomputer monitor with anaccompanying message, “Lifeis short, enjoy the simplethings,” says it all. Someonehas photographed three potsof geraniums, multi-colouredand in full bloom, a tinycactus in a fourth pot, a Maycalendar and those powerfulwords. Within thatcombination is a dailyreminder of what’s reallyimportant. In the days prior tosubmitting this piece, I triedhard to force my mind to goin a different direction but itsimply wouldn’t co-operate.For me, and for millions ofothers, raging, wild forestfires in Alberta, BC and nowSaskatchewan dominate theTragedy brings out the best of human kindness, gratitudeI. Paton & Associates Ltd.AUCTION SERVICES &APPRAISALSCall usfor honest and reputableFarm Auction serviceswww.patonauctions.comCONDUCTING FARM RELATEDAUCTIONS IN BCSINCE THE 1960’sIAN L. PATON604/644-3497ian@patonauctions.comPROFESSIONAL LIVESTOCK& FARM EQUIPMENTFarm Equipment &Livestock AuctionsSpecial EventsFundraising &Charity AuctionsFreelanceAuctioneeringnews as well as my musings.The sad reality is thatsomething as essential to lifeas fire, if out of control, canbecome a force ofdestruction. Overthe centuries, we’veharnessed fire tocook our food, heatour homes andbring light intodarkness. In fact, thediscovery of fire is lauded as amajor step forward in theprogress of mankind; theproblem is, when it’smishandled or even worse,deliberately set, it unleashesa behemoth of devastation.Deep gratitudeAlthough I try to avoidpolitically charged or time-sensitive events, this month Iwant to record not only myshared sense of sadness forthose who have lost so muchbut also deep gratitude forthose who have given somuch. And yes, I’ve alsoexperienced a sense ofintense anger at hearingarson is suspected in as manyas ten of the British Columbiaconflagrations. In it all,however, there’s a sense ofdeep gratitude for those menand women who have putthemselves in harm’s way forthe greater good. Back to the importance ofenjoying the simple things oflife. A recent media interviewwith an appreciation-filledFort Mac evacuee reinforcedthe importance ofremembering what reallymatters. He expressed histhanks, then added thisthought: “If only we could getused to treating each otherwith kindness.” So succinctlyprofound. Life is short so let’s takeadvantage of the time wehave to stamp out thedestruction caused bybitterness and replace it withthe kind of generosity andcompassion that’s currentlybeing displayed by Canadiansacross this nation. Butenough of my ramblings andon to another subject. Musical choral feastBy the time this issue ofCountry Life in BC ispublished, it will be June.Gardens should beflourishing and crop seedingand spraying pretty muchcompleted. Here in PowellRiver, we’re getting set forour biannual (as in everyother year) musical choralfeast. Instructors andperformers of all ages andfrom countries around theworld are welcomed to ourcommunity for a week ofperformance andcompetition.It probably was the firstthing that convinced me Ireally wanted to live here.Over the years, I’ve alsolearned to love andappreciate the geographicisolation we enjoy.Having said that,geographic isolation doeshave its challenges, a realityour community is currentlyexperiencing. Betweenvandals and thugs dumpingand setting fires to all sorts offlammable products and anearby wildfire not far from aheavily forested area, we arefaced with the fact we couldeasily need to evacuate ourquiet community.Trouble is, there’s nohighway out of here exceptfor ferries and other boats.Great appreciation goes outto those volunteer firefighters who extinguishedthe blaze as well as to thosecity and emergency servicesplanners who are dedicatingtime to figuring out anevacuation plan. (Well, to mycredit, I did try to change thesubject!)A Wannabe FarmerLINDA WEGNERKeeping Worksafe costs under controlIt’s late in the day andthere’s still so much work tobe done but it’s time foreveryone to go home – thework will still be theretomorrow. As a worker comesaround the corner, he slipsand falls and you can tell he’shurt. After helping him up, hesays he’s ne and that a goodnight’s rest will be all heneeds. But the next morning, hecalls and tells you he can’twalk very well and that he isgoing to see a doctor. Now it’sa WCB claim and there’snothing you can do about it,right? Wrong! You have a transitionalwork program at your placeand you are able to oer yourworker modied duties untilhe is ready to return to hisregular role. This worker will stop by theworkplace on his way to thedoctor and pick up thepaperwork. The doctor willevaluate his functionalabilities and provide you witha form that details whatmodications to make to keepthis person at work. Youplanned for this, so you have alist of possible tasks that canbe done within the limitationsof this injury. Your WCB cost nowconsists of one doctor visitand one day of wage loss.Your worker will be happybecause there is nointerruption of wages and it isclear that you care for yoursta. You will be happybecause you have continuityand have minimal down-timeand you save money now andfor years to come. It really isthat simple. Contact AgSafe to put yourtransitional work program intoaction.Wendy Bennett is the executivedirector of AgSafeBC.Farm SafetyWENDY BENNETTIt’s your business.And you need to keep up date on the news andevents that affect you and your farm operation.It’s what we have been doing for over a century!Subscribe today!ONE, TWO & THREE YEARSUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE. See our ad on page 42 for rates!COUNTRYLifein BCThe Agricultural News Source inBritish Columbia since 1915www.AgSafeBC.caROPS & SEAT BELTSSAVE LIVES!www.AgSafeBC.caROPS & SEAT BELTSSAVE LIVES!www.AgSafeBC.caROPS & SEAT BELTSSAVE LIVES!FOR SALETURNKEY WHOLESALESOIL PACKAGING BUSINESS• With equipment and well established customer base• Located in the Lower Mainland• Gross sales approx. $375K – 400K per year• Business to move to your location by 2017• Will consider partial nancing or ALR property in Lower Mainland or on Vancovuer IslandFor further information reply toSoilbusiness4sale@gmail.comAll inquiries will be answered promptly
Country Life in BC • June 201642The power of pulsesSocca Tart with Oliver Tapenade (Judie Steeves photo)I was worried they’d find somethingMammograms save lives. Make an appointment, not an excuse. Get expert advice and share your stories atgohave1.comSocca Tart with Olive TapenadeSince this is the UN International Year of Pulses, it seemsappropriate somehow to discuss a book that’s all about thoselittle beans and peas and lentils – along with one that takesthat a couple of steps further, into foraging for some really wildfood.I knew pulses were really good for me, but after reading ThePower of Pulses, published by Douglas & McIntyre, I’m amazedat how many benets there are to this mighty little vegetable,including environmental and economic as well as nutritional.Just so you know:they use half the non-renewable energy; areself-sustaining and self-fertilizing; renewnitrogen in the soil, are ahigh-value protein; richin bre, vitamin B and low on the glycemic index.Contributing to this book is Dan Jason, who owns SaltSpring Seeds on Salt Spring Island, and who is passionateabout the growing and eating of pulses. He provides pages ofdetailed information in this book on dierent varieties of peasand beans, and he oers hundreds of varieties of seeds on hiswebsite.About half the book contains Dan’s information aboutgrowing and harvesting them while the other half is vegetarianrecipes using them, by Hilary Malone and Alison MaloneEathorne.I decided to try the recipe for a Socca Tart, a traditionalsnack in southern France and in Italy, made from chickpeaour. It’s known as chana our in India, and readily availablehere.I really hope that my experience with it is no indication ofhow usable the other recipes in the book are because I hadto get rid of my rst batch ofbatter and startagain. After doinga bit of researchinto what the usualratio of our towater is for this tart,I reduced theamount of our by1.75 cups and theresult was muchbetter, so that’swhat I’ve altered therecipe to.Not inspiredI also received abook called The UrbanHomesteadingCookbook: forage,farm, ferment and feastfor a better world, byMichelle CatherineNelson, which was also published by Douglas & McIntyre.However, I’m afraid I couldn’t nd a single recipe in it that I feltinspired to try, so you’re on your own there.It is, however, an intriguing look at ethical eating andearthwise consumption, written by an urbanite with adoctorate in conservation biology, who advises you to keep‘micro-livestock’ such as rabbits, quail, honeybees and cricketsin your high-rise apartment to produce gourmet food.I guess I’m a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, but I draw the line atgrinding up insects to make our, and I’m not sure I want toshare my home with rabbits and chickens. One large, orangecat is bad enough.I’ve had the experience of growing interesting things on thefood in my fridge without resorting to discovering mushroomsand sprouts in my closet.However, it’s a lovely-looking book, with some fascinatinginformation, and I do cheer on the idea of digging out andserving up invasive plants like purple loosestrife, Japaneseknotweed and daisies.While I’m not averse to picking wild blackberries orharvesting young nettles or dandelion greens, it’s all a matterof how far you’re committed, I guess.If you’re adventurous or looking to start a conversation, pickit up and learn how to cook a new dish.Friends and family will love you for it, as long as you don’ttell them until afterwards what was in it.Once I altered this recipe from the pulses book, this was delicious, with a good tapenaderecipe to spread on top. The recipe authors, while admitting the original recipe called for toomuch chickpea our, suggest two cups of loosely-packed our rather than one cup is needed,but suggest you use up to 1.5 c. lukewarm water, added gradually, until the batter is like pancakebatter, so you may wish to take their advice.1 c. (250 ml) chickpea our 1/2 tbsp. (7.5 ml) cumin 2 tbsp. (30 ml) oil, divided1 tsp. (5 ml) salt 1 c. (250 ml) waterIn a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the chickpea our, salt, cumin, water and a spoonfulof the oil. Rest this batter for at least an hour at room temperature.TAPENADE:1 garlic clove 1/3 c. (80 ml) Cerignola olives, pitted juice of half a lemon1 rounded tbsp. (20 ml) capers small bunch parsley 1/3 c. (80 ml) olive oil1/3 c. (80 ml) Nicoise or Kalamata olives 1/4 c. (60 ml) feta cheese pea shoots or baby greensIn the bowl of a food processor, combine all tapenade ingredients except the olive oil andgarnish. Pulse the mixture to coarsely chop. Pour olive oil (I used less) through the top of themachine and pulse the mixture until just combined. Place in a at dish and set aside.About 15 minutes before baking, pre-heat oven to 450 F. Place remaining spoonful of oil on alarge baking sheet and pre-heat the pan in the oven until the oil is hot, about ve minutes.With a spatula, carefully add a quarter-inch layer of batter to the hot oil, tilting the sheet so thebatter covers the entire surface. Cook just until the sides and middle begin to colour, about twominutes. (I doubled that, and I feel it should have cooked a bit longer yet...)Flip socca onto a cutting board. Slice and serve warm topped with the tapenade, garnishedwith pea shoots or baby greens. I haven’t tried this yet, but this recipe from the pulses booklooks really good, so I hope you like it.1/2 c. (125 ml) brown lentils, rinsed 1 tbsp. (15 ml) olive oil pinch of allspice1 c. (250 ml) water 2 shallots, nely chopped 3 tbsp. (45 ml) 35% cream1 bay leaf 2 cloves garlic, minced salt and pepper, to tasteJude’s KitchenJUDIE STEEVESPlease see “LENTIL” page 43Lentil & Mushroom Pate
June 2016 • Country Life in BC 43LENTIL & MUSHROOM PATE From page 42FIRE ORDERS From page 291 sprig fresh thyme 2 c. (500 ml) thinly-sliced crimini mushrooms2 tbsp. (30 ml) butter 1 tbsp. (15 ml) Madeira wineIn a pot over high heat, bring lentils and water to a boil. Add bay leaf and thyme and reduceto a simmer; cover and cook until lentils are tender and water has been absorbed, about 20minutes. Remove from heat and let stand.Combine butter and oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft andtranslucent; add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and cook until soft.Remove from pan and deglaze it with Madeira wine.In a food processor or high-powered blender, combine lentils, mushroom mixture andallspice. With the motor running, add cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.NAME ____________________________________________OLD ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________________________________PHONE ____________________________________________NEW ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________________________PHONE ____________________________________________COUNTRYLifein BCCanada Post will not deliver your Country Life in BCif they change your postal code, your street nameand/or address. If your address changes, please fillout the form below and mail or fax it to us, or useemail. Thank you!1120 East 13th AveVancouver, B.C. V5T 2M1Email: countrylifeinbc@shaw.caPhone 604/871-0001 • Fax: 604/871-0003June 16CHANGE OFADDRESS?Lola!Regional districts are incharge of emergencyoperations (re, ood,earthquake, wind events).They issue the three levels ofevacuation notice: Alert, Orderand Rescindment. While thechair of the regional districtissues the notice, the chiefadministrative ocer directsemergency operations. An ALERT is just that. It tellsresidents that danger levelsare rising and they should beready to evacuate and movelivestock to safe areas.An ORDER, however, is notan order. It means thatresidents should evacuate asthere is imminent danger. “It’s really arecommendation,” saysBoundary area resident FredMarshall, commenting onevents during last summer’sRock Creek re. You cannot beforced to leave your property.To make things worse, themedia often calls it a“mandatory” evacuation order.It sounds scary and it’ssupposed to; it got most of theresidents of Fort McMurray outto safety. (That is, “most”In Australia the policy is“prepare, stay and defend, orleave early.”Australians are encouraged tostay home and actively defendtheir property from wildres. Thekey word is “Prepare.”Homeowners go throughan annual training programrun by local re agencies andare provided with suppliessuch as hoses, radios andprotective clothing. A paper published byresearchers at the University ofCalifornia Berkley and theRMIT University in Melbournepoints out the “benecialculture of preparationinherent in the policy.”Residents take ownership tore safe their homes.That can be compared tothe ‘evacuate and let thereghters take care of it ‘practice common across NorthAmerica. This approach hasnot reduced property loss andit could increase the risk forpeople if evacuations arecarried out at the last minute.Indeed, many of the civilianinjuries that occur in a wildreare when people are caughtoutside or in their vehiclestrying to escape.because some chose to staybehind.)The government, of course,will intervene in the case ofminors or persons withdisabilities.A RESCINDMENT tellspeople it is safe to return totheir property.BC’s provincial EmergencyProgram Act is currently underreview. When Marshallcontacted the Ministry ofForest, Lands and NaturalResource Operations with hisconcerns, he received a replyfrom the Minister of StateNaomi Yamamoto. “You are correct regardingyour observation that althoughthe current Act provides localgovernments or the Minister theauthority to issue an evacuationorder, there is no authority tocompel competent adults toleave their private propertyonce the order is made,” shewrote. “While emergencyresponders warn residents ofthe imminent risks of remainingin an area subject to evacuation,it is ultimately the responsibilityof the individual to voluntarilyevacuate.” Marshall says he hopes thereview will lead to a change inthe wording. “If someoneorders you to do something,common understandingmeans you have to do it.”What they do in AustraliaNEW POLYETHYLENETANKSof all shapes & sizes for septic and waterstorage. 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Call 604/462-9465.USED EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: 1975 MackTandem Truck with Artex silage box, front& rear unload. $16,000; 9 foot Ag Bagger,$5,000; 892 New Holland Forage Harvester,$3,000. Call David 250/567-2885.Toll Free 1-888-357-0011www.ultra-kelp.comULTRA-KELPTMCelebrating 30 YearsFor Healthy LivestockAnimal Feed Supplement100% Natural60 Minerals • 12 Vitamins• 21 Amino AcidsFlack’s BakerviewKelp Products Inc, Pritchard, BCMF 2775 TRACTOR, 166 HP, CAB, DUALS,rear hydraulic outlets, low hours, $7,000.Call 250/567-2607.TAKE YOUR PICK!$6500David Brown 885, 46 HPDavid Brown 1200, 67 HPMassey Ferguson 1085, 85 HPMassey Ferguson 1155, 155 HPLeyland 385 c/w Loader,2 buckets & bale forkBelarus 10M3, 3 pt hitch(open to offers)Phone 250/838-7173PUREBRED SHORTHORN YEARLING bullsfor sale. Call 778/240-7233.FOR SALE APPROX 75 KM NORTH OF YortonSK, Very productive 4620 acre grain farm inthe black soil zone. In a good rainfall area withall the land in one block. Lots of grain storageand machine sheds house, natural gas, goodwater supply. Enquire via E-mail atsaskfarm@outlook.com or call 306/516-0070.STEELSTORAGECONTAINERSFOR SALEOR RENTjentonstorage@gmail.com604-534-2775NH 1049 BALE WAGON. 162 bales. Verygood shape. $14,500. Call 778/574-5869.EZEE-ONFRONT END LOADERS#125 Hi-Lift, c/w 8’ bucket, $4,000#90 c/w Q/A 7’ bucket& Q/A bale spike, $3,500Both are in excellent condition.Call 250/567-2607(Vanderhoof)EQUIPMENT DISPERSAL:2010 JD 946 centre pivot mowerconditioner 13.5’, steel rollers, nicecondition, $12,650.NH 790 harvester, grass head, metaldetector, nice condition, $3,500.NH 900 forage harvester, c/w grass head,metal detector, good condition, $5,500.LEWIS CATTLE OILER DOUBLE ARM cattlescratcher, $550.8’ 3-PT MOUNT aerator, $850.OVERUM HD 3 BOTTOM PLOW, spring tripbottoms skimmers coulters $3,000;TWO BADGER 16’ TANDEM AXLE silagewagons, w/roofs, shop stored, excellentcondition, $6,500 ea.Call Tony 604/850-4718.NATURALLY GROWN, ORGANIC HORSEhay, $250 per ton. Also dairy hay, alfalfa,$250 per ton. Call 250/838-7173DeBOER’S USEDTRACTORS & EQUIPMENTGRINDROD, BCJD 7400 MFWD c/w cab, 3 pt, ldr 64,000JD 6410 MFWD, cab & ldr 54,000JD 6400 MFWD, cab & ldr 49,000JD 6400 MFWD, w/ldr 29,500JD 4240 cab, 3pt hitch 18,500JD 1830 diesel, with loader 10,500JD 2630 diesel, 65 HP w/ldr,comp engine rebuild 12,500JD 1120 diesel, w/ldr 10,500NH 1032 bale wagon, 70 cap. 5,500NH 1400 SP combine, diesel w/14’ directcut platform, 1400 original hours 8,500JD 220 20’ disc, ctr fold, complete newset of blades 16,500Ed DeBoer • 250/838-7362cell 250/833-6699Curt DeBoer • 250/838-9612cell 250/804-6147
Country Life in BC • June 201644The New M7 offers superior hydraulics and sophisticated control to get the job done quickly and efciently. Kubota’s V6108 engine delivers 168, 148, or 128 HP (3 models).THE KUBOTA M7 Power is the key to superior tractor performance, and the M7 has plenty of power. But when a particularly tough job demands even more power, the M7 activates its Power Boost, and the engine instantly delivers more power to let you nish what you started.CLEAN, DEPENDABLE, FUEL-EFFICIENT POWER —AND PLENTY OF IT.COMING SOONYour BC Kubota Dealers ...ABBOTSFORD AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 604/864-2665 COURTENAY NORTH ISLAND TRACTOR 250/334-0801 CRESTON KEMLEE EQUIPMENT LTD 250/428-2254DAWSON CREEK DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 250/782-5281DUNCAN ISLAND TRACTOR & SUPPLY LTD 250/746-1755 KAMLOOPS DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 250/851-2044KELOWNA AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 250/769-8700 OLIVER GERARD’S EQUIPMENT LTD 250/498-2524PRINCE GEORGE HUBER EQUIPMENT 250/560-5431 QUESNEL DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 250/991-0406 VERNON AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 250/545-3355