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2 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCcommunities that water violations are an ongoing concern,” the province says. “Additional water enforcement tools such as AMPs will help to reduce the cumulative eects of authorized and unauthorized uses on water quantity and quality.” The BC Ministry of Forests, which oversees groundwater licensing, said last year it didn’t plan to be unreasonable with well owners who haven’t applied for licences and are now using water illegally. It foregrounded education over enforcement, but noted that groundwater users needed to submit applications. “We are serious about the need of users getting this done and we urge groundwater users to get their applications in,” a statement from the ministry said. However, the end of the education period is now in sight. Prior to adopting the new regulation, expected by early 2024, the province must establish the basis for determining a violation has occurred; how penalties are assessed and imposed; how users are notied; the requirement to provide for an opportunity to be heard; a process for the recovery and payment of penalty amounts; the authority to enter into compliance agreements and how they may be applied; and appeals process and other legal and procedural details. A groundwater licence not only secures a well owner’s right to use the resource, but provides them with certainty over costs. Well owners are liable for fees on all groundwater use from 2016. The fees reect an estimate of the amount of water used for a particular purpose. Well owners who did not register their existing wells prior to the March 1, 2022 deadline lost their historic water rights and must now apply as new users. The BC Ministry of Forests was unable to say by deadline how many existing well owners who lost their historic water rights after March 1, 2022 have since applied for licences. “The BC government announced a historic $200 million investment in BC food security last month and is working hard to develop programs that support innovation, climate resiliency and increased production for all crop producers in BC,” sta with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food told Country Life in BC on April 19. “This includes a new perennial crop renewal program.” Plans for approximately $35 million of the food security funding have yet to be disclosed, but the new replant program will likely make up a signicant portion. The province has oered a range of replant programs over the years, the largest being the long-running tree fruit replant program that debuted in 1991. The government invested $65 million in the program over the course of 30 years, resulting in thousands of acres of orchards being replanted with new, more valuable varieties. “It was very successful and while the funding never kept up to rising costs, the program had been continually recognized as a worthwhile incentive that shows faith in the industry,” says BC Fruit Growers Association president Peter Simonsen, noting that growers invested large amounts of money for every dollar of government spending, resulting in spino benets for rural communities beyond the direct impact on growers. “It was continually renewed with little debate and is the model adopted and currently enjoyed by hazelnuts and raspberries.” But the province failed to renew funding when the latest iteration ended in 2021, much to the chagrin of growers. This past winter, BCFGA discussed establishing and operating its own replant program if the province didn’t step up. It wanted to see a program launched this spring. While the new initiative remains under discussion, BCFGA general manager Glen Lucas is encouraged by the province’s commitment to launch a revamped and expanded program. “BCFGA has supported the renewal of a tree fruit replant program for about ve years and is pleased that funding is being directed to a multi-commodity perennial replant program,” he says. “[We] will be working with government to see new tree fruit and grape replant programs put in place for 2024.” Other sectors in line to benet include hazelnuts and raspberries, as well as blueberries and wine grapes. These four sectors have been hit hard by disease and extreme weather events, making replant assistance a critical element of recovery eorts. Hazelnut growers have received $500,000 since 2018 to renew and expand plantings as part of an industry renewal program in the wake of Eastern Filbert Blight, which devastated the sector following its discovery in BC in 2001. The latest instalment came a year ago, and while the sector received intimations of new funding prior to the new scal year beginning April, it has yet to receive rm word. The province has also made up to $690,000 available to raspberry growers for renewal projects through the end of 2023. The latest instalment of $300,000 last year was framed in part as a response to ooding in November 2021. Previous instalment addressed damage to canes from extreme winter events as well as market shifts. Representatives from the BC Hazelnut Growers Association and Raspberry Industry Development Council were not available for comment on the province’s new plans. Grape growers, who saw tonnage decline by a third between 2018 and 2021 and could see a further decline of up to 56% from the ve-year average this year, are also keen on replant funding. Blueberry growers, who received $5.7 million for replanting 700 acres following the Sumas Prairie oods of November 2021, are also keen on replanting. The province announced funding for a “blueberry rest program” supporting blueberry growers who remove blocks that have become unproductive due to scorch virus and plant cover crops but replant funds have yet to be announced. The rest program was funded through the province’s regenerative agriculture initiative. Georgina Beyers, who is overseeing the province’s vision for regenerative agriculture and agritech, told OrganicBC’s annual conference last year that future replant programs could mandate regenerative practices. While initiatives such as the raspberry replant program help growers respond to the impacts of climate change, she said the ministry could provide specic direction to growers in future. “[It] is certainly an area where the ministry could provide emphasis on the adoption of regenerative practices,” she says. “Not only could the ministry support replanting but also the way in which you replant and the way in which you care for that crop.” u Province could link replant funding to regenerative practices u Province sharpens compliance effortsFamily Farm Friendly Financial Planning Services.Holistic ﬁnancial planning for your family farm now and into the future. 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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 3Ongoing diversification, collaboration characterises farmPETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – During a tag-team presentation that told the story of their family’s third-generation farm, brothers Travis and Brad Hopcott of Hopcott Farms in Pitt Meadows displayed the teamwork helping them capitalize on the challenges facing agriculture in the Lower Mainland. “We are siblings working together on the same property, same business. It’s pretty unique,” says Travis, who oversees the farm’s cranberry operation and foreign labour. “We’re really proud of that success and we think it really adds to the sustainability story.” It also added up to the brothers being named BC/Yukon Outstanding Young Farmers at the March 28 event in Abbotsford. The original farm of 105 acres purchased by the brothers’ grandfather Fred Hopcott for $9,000 in 1932 is now 185 acres, of which 55 acres are leased. Originally a dairy (one of the original barns is still in use), it has diversied over the years with the addition of a feedlot operation in 1957 and 72 acres of cranberry bogs in 1996. In 2000, an agritourism dimension was added with a corn maze followed by a retail shop in 2006 that expanded by 150% to 15,000 square feet in 2015. The corn maze became a wedding and events venue in 2018, and last year a provincially inspected abattoir was added. All this has happened despite being in the middle of a rapidly urbanizing region home to 2.5 million people. Each day, 20,000 vehicles pass, a fraction of the larger market served by farm’s wholesale deliveries to local retail and foodservice clients. “It’s a great opportunity for us,” Brad says. “The word entrepreneur gets thrown around a lot, and to me that is the denition of growers, producers,” says Travis. “We’re proud to follow that entrepreneur spirit on the exact same farm (our grandfather) started.” The brothers are also happy to bring others along with them. “We work with about ve ranches, all throughout the Interior, some of which we’ve been working with for decades,” says Brad. The same spirit of collaboration made the invitation from Ocean Spray to farm cranberries appealing. “One of the reasons we established cranberries was just the model of Ocean Spray itself,” says Travis. “It’s a cooperative owned by some 700 farm families. All the proceeds go directly back to the farming families.” He says a similar spirit of collaboration – which requires humility – is what he values in the farm’s sta of nearly 80 people that includes both locals and immigrants from Mexico to Mauritius. “When you’re that size, culture is so important. So the No. 1 quality we want to see is humility,” he says. The farm is also working in partnership with natural systems. Rations for the thousand head of cattle it handles each year are grown on-farm. Crop analyses are helping reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers and maximize use of the farm’s own composted manure and slaughterhouse waste (also oered for sale to the public), while a nutritionist is helping ne-tune rations. “There’s denitely a lot of eciencies that we’re gaining as well as reducing our feed waste and that helps the animals as well as upping our gains per day,” Brad says. The abattoir, built at a cost of $5 million, compounds the benets by providing greater control over the production process while at the same time reducing stress for the animals. “The yields that we’re discovering on our carcasses have been substantially better than what we were doing before,” Brad says. A similar investment is also taking place in the farm’s cranberry bogs, where more than 14 acres have been replanted to a new variety that performs better in the eld and in the market. Brothers Travis and Brad Hopcott of Hopcott Farms in Pitt Meadows were named the BC/Yukon Outstanding Young Farmers March 28 from a strong set of candidates. PETER MITHAMHopcotts named Outstanding Young FarmersWhile the Hopcotts have left the corn maze behind, they’ve found new ways to engage visitors. “We view ourselves as producers, but we also view ourselves as an agritourism attraction, so we try to provide as much of an experience as possible,” Travis says. Windows behind the fresh case allow retail customers to see carcasses – dry-aged for 21 to 28 days – being broken down by the butchers and let them ask questions. It’s part of an approach that includes visitors in the farm experience, just as hosting weddings weave the farm into the stories of visitors. The brothers’ stewardship and development work won out against strong showings by Johannes and Julaine Treur of Creekside Dairy in Agassiz and Matthew Carr of Linden Lane Farms of Krestova. Both runners-up have also invested signicantly in expansion and community endeavours as well as environmental projects. Having won the regional competition, the Hopcotts will travel to Laval, Quebec for the national nals, scheduled for November 22-26. Greenhouse Ground CoverGreenhouse FilmProtection NetsMulch Film Landscaping FabricsShade Nets Bale WrapsBunker CoversSilage BagsTwine & Net WrapsHay TarpsForage & Grain Seed1.800.663.6022ofﬁce@silagrow.com5121 - 46 Ave S.E. 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Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, that portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for signature will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error which advertises goods or services at a wrong price, such goods or services need not be sold at the advertised price. Advertising is an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. All advertising is accepted subject to publisher’s approval. All of Country Life in British Columbia’s content is covered by Canadian copyright law. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Country Life in British Columbia. Letters are welcome, though they may be edited in the interest of brevity before publication. All errors brought to our attention will be corrected.36 Dale Road, Enderby BC V0E 1V4 . Publication Mail Agreement: 0399159 . GST Reg. No. 86878 7375 . Subscriptions: $2/issue . $18.90/year . $33.60/2 years . $37.80/3 years incl GSTThe agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 Vol.109 No. 5 . MAY 2023Published monthly by Country Life 2000 Ltd. www.countrylifeinbc.comThere is a talented machinist with a small shop a few minutes’ drive from our farm. We have had occasion to seek his expertise many times over the last 40 years. He took his shingle down and retired some years ago, but retirement has been a lengthy process. Thanks to his good nature, he is still willing to do small jobs for long-time customers like me. Recently, I dropped by to pick up the clutch adjustment tool he made for my old Ferguson tractor restoration project. The conversation turned to the growing number of calls pleading for his services. One was from an industrial customer he weaned several years ago who is unable to nd anyone still in business with the ability – or inclination – to ll their needs. The job involves tolerances to four decimal points of an inch. Precise, but possible with skill and the right equipment. He agreed, but the obvious question is: where would the customer have been without him, and where will they be in a year’s time if he sticks to his guns about retirement? The concerning fact is that even if he re-opened full time, he likely wouldn’t ll the demand. This is a single symptom of the broad shortage of skilled labour bedevilling the Canadian economy. It is a problem slicing through every sector. A shortage of qualied sta cancels BC Ferries sailings nearly every weekend. By midsummer, it may be a daily occurrence. There is a stang crisis in health care from top to bottom. My long-time family doctor has postponed his overdue retirement for one more year and there are no promising signs of a replacement. Building contractors are turning down work and restaurants are curtailing hours of operation because of stang challenges. Trucks with permanent help wanted signs and contact info attached are commonplace. A storefront without a ‘help wanted‘ or ‘now hiring’ sign is rare. Nothing about the situation is new to agriculture. It has been decades since we have been approached by anyone seeking a summer job on the farm. Seasonal picking and harvesting jobs often go begging, and abattoirs are curtailing volumes or closing their doors province-wide. Labour shortages in primary production and the infrastructure that supports it are shrinking the industry. The farmers institute in our valley recently celebrated the 125th anniversary of its founding. The turnout was sparse compared to the number that packed the same hall 30 years ago. Production has dwindled and for the rst time in 70 years there is no active 4-H club. Demographics oer a sobering picture of why we are in this x. We have an aging population. The number of people 65 and over is growing six times faster than the number under 15. The youngest members of the Baby Boom generation will still be turning 65 for the next eight years. We have a declining birth rate. The current rate of 1.4 is far below the static replacement rate of 2.1 and the average age of rst-time mothers is now 31.3 years. Without immigration, our population would already be falling. We have an increasing life expectancy. In 1950, it was 68 years; in 2023 it is 83 years. Even if there is no further increase, there will be Baby Boomers living well into the second half of the 21st century, with a hefty generation of Millennials hot on their heels. Population growth is the only way out of this pickle; either by doubling the birthrate or attracting more immigrants. The birthrate is currently headed down, so it looks like it’s immigration, foreign workers or bust. A good deal of agricultural labour is currently supplied by temporary foreign workers and immigrant labour has been a major contributor for decades past. As the farm sector ages and shrinks it needs some enlightened and timely changes that will address the labour shortage. Enlightened and timely are not words that necessarily cross paths with government policy but there is practical advice regarding what to shoot for and how to make it happen available from within the industry. The rst step will be mustering the political will to achieve it. Pitter, patter! Bob Collins raises beef cattle and grows produce on his farm in the Alberni Valley. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.4 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCFreedom to growThis year marks the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day (May 3), a day the United Nations has designated to celebrate the fundamental principle of press freedom. This is a freedom whose importance in Canada was defended by Nova Scotia newspaper publisher Joseph Howe during his trial for criminal libel in 1835 as a result of his uninching coverage of the colonial government. “Leave an unshackled press as a legacy to your children,” he told the court, something subsequent governments have largely done even as they impose tighter controls on the information available to journalists. Canada ranks 51st in the world for access to information, according to the Centre for Law and Democracy in Halifax. Here in BC, the province has begun charging $10 for freedom of information requests. World Press Freedom Day also acknowledges the lives of journalists killed in the line of duty, something not often seen here but not uncommon in war zones. In Ukraine, which ranks 18th in the world for access to information, at least 15 journalists were killed following Russia’s invasion last year. Our own contributor, Anna Klochko, who returned to Ukraine this winter and has resumed her work with Latifundist Media reporting from the country’s farms – including some near the frontlines – can attest to the dangers. While trade media may not be doing the cutting-edge investigations that topple governments, we are critical to knowledge transfer and the formation of communities. Venturing into war zones to nd out how farmers and businesses are managing, adapting and innovating is not unlike those braving oodwaters and re to show the impact of natural disasters on farms and food security in our own country. Journalists are critical to telling the stories that not only make history but demand innovation – and in the case of trade media, highlight those innovations most likely to make a dierence. The sheer volume of information available to farmers now makes reliable information more important than ever, and publications like this one are often less about breaking the news than navigating it. Print remains important as a step back from the madding crowd of online echo chambers, but the cost of producing and distributing it is rising alongside other farm inputs. Just as for farmers, higher input costs are among the biggest existential threat print publications such as ours face. But as the oldest independently owned farm paper in the country, we’re proud of the role we play in the knowledge economy and are committed to helping new generations of farmers succeed. Thank you for being integral to that success. Demographic shifts underpin farm labour crisisBack 40 BOB COLLINSPublisher Cathy Glover 604-328-3814 . publisher@countrylifeinbc.com Editor Emeritus David Schmidt Associate Editor Peter Mitham news@countrylifeinbc.com Advertising Sales & Marketing Cathy Glover sales@countrylifeinbc.com Production Designer Tina Rezansoff Hello, PW

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Bridging the information gap in agricultureFarm organizations, media and farmers all have a role to play COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 5of the complex challenges farmers and ranchers face. Interestingly, they also could not point to a single go-to source of information if they were curious to learn more. As with so many other things, social media sensationalism seems to shape opinions and attitudes about modern farming and ranching. For the past ve years, BCAC has been proactively working to close the communication gap and play a vital role as a clearinghouse of information for the public and government. In collaboration with our 29 member associations, our work is informed by this breadth of experience and the diversity of ways in which people farm and ranch in BC. Together, the producers represented by our member associations account for more than 96% of farmgate sales in the province. Engaging with and drawing upon this wealth of knowledge allows us to condently deliver the most relevant feedback to government and the public, and it has been key to successfully advocating for the needs of the sector. This research and consensus-building requires hard work and meaningful intention by all parties involved. But the results speak for themselves. In 2022, BCAC continued eorts to proactively build its policy development work. This included nalizing position papers addressing six priority issues most widely shared among our members: climate change and the environment, water security and management, access to labour, land use and the integrity of the Agricultural Land Reserve, the responsiveness of farm business programs to on-farm needs, and the need for greater education and awareness about agriculture. These papers provided some of the basis for our conversations at Ag Day in Victoria last fall, and we know that the province has since looked to these papers for guidance. Moreover, the province increasingly approaches BCAC as a reliable source of insight on the issues of the day. Journalists and media, such as this publication, are also critical to informing the public and challenging misperceptions of the sector. For example, we were overjoyed when BCAC experienced a urry of interview requests from media outlets in April, following the publication of a Royal Bank of Canada report about a potential shortage of farmers in the next decade. This is because many of those enquiries came from As British Columbians, we enjoy the benets of living in a province with a rich and diverse agriculture sector. But a declining number of people are directly involved in agricultural production. This creates a knowledge gap on farming practices that is readily lled with misinformation and myths. It has never been more important that producers share their stories, raising awareness in their communities about the joys and challenges of their work or what goes into making the things that nourish and uplift us. This includes engaging with the public via farm tours or participating in meetings with dierent levels of government to provide direct feedback when proposed changes could impact the viability of farming. Last year, the BC Agriculture Council commissioned a survey of more than 1,000 British Columbians by the Canadian-owned marketing research and analytics rm Leger. By and large, respondents expressed strong support for the sector but were unaware Viewpoint PAUL PRYCE ! " #$%&'&$()ATTENTION FARMERS! www.bcac.ca)*$+',*%'',*+',Complete our producer survey and be entered for a chance to win! %PXOUPXO3FBMUZtOE4U7FSOPO#$t0óDFPat | 250.308.0938QBUEVHHBO!SPZBMMFQBHFDBThea | 250.308.5807UIFBNDMBVHIMJO!SPZBMMFQBHFDB6475 COSENS BAY RD, COLDSTREAMwww.FarmRanchResidential.ca “Farmers helping farmers with their real estate needs”Great home on 3.24 acres. 2 bed/2 bath custom built rancher, 20x40 in-ground pool. Dbl detached garage/carport. New roof, heat pump. 64x84 industrial heated shop w/office & bathroom, 28x50 storage building. MLS®10271606 $1,750,000189 CREIGHTON VALLEY RD, LUMBYPERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION Scan Me!&EducationConsultationSafetyFor the AgricultureIndustry in B.C.Professional Advice Relevant to Your Safety Concernsindividuals who were not just ‘reporters’ in search of a quick soundbite but journalists in the truest sense of the word, striving to understand the deeper causes of the problem. Thanks to that spirit of curiosity, and the dedication to share any learnings with the public, there is now a national conversation about the cost pressures facing farmers, how to attract more people to careers in agriculture, and the possibilities and limitations of agritech. Even if this conversation does not translate into immediate action from government, it lays the foundations for success in future eorts to ensure the sustainability of the sector. It is appropriate to note here that May 3 is World Press Freedom Day, an occasion which has been honoured for the past 30 years. It was established to recognize that information is a public good and that we all benet when journalists are free from fear or favour in the curation of that good. After all, in the absence of considered enquiry and carefully compiled facts, imaginations can run wild and come to awed conclusions, even if well-intentioned. No one is immune to misinformation, but the best antidote to fake news is real news. On World Press Freedom Day, let us reect on how much our prosperity in British Columbia depends on our ongoing commitment to open communication, and let us also look ahead to what more we can do together to grow understanding of the work of our farmers and ranchers. Paul Pryce is the Director of Policy at BC Agriculture Council, having joined the team in February 2022. With 15 years of experience in government relations and agricultural trade, he has previously served as a counsellor at the Embassy of Canada to Japan and was principal advisor to the Consul General of Japan in Calgary.

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 7www.tubeline.ca 1.888.856.6613TL1100RTL1700SRWraps round bales up to 6’ in diameter. Runs in automatic mode using either tractor hydraulics or as a standalone wrapper with the optional power pack. Wrap round or square bales in either manual or fully automatic operation when equipped with required options. Standalone operation with available power pack.Visit us online for complete listing of features and options.Nick Warmerdam is rethinking his business plan after his 200-acre wholesale cut ower business on Sumas Prairie was ooded in 2021. RONDA PAYNESANDRA TRETICK ABBOTSFORD – On a bright sunny day in early April, Nick Warmerdam points out his oce window at No. 4 and Marion roads to a spot about half a kilometre away across the Trans-Canada Highway. “The dike broke over there,” says Warmerdam, recalling when Sumas Prairie ooded in November 2021. “The water came through here fast. We had about six feet of water on the elds.” While his crew was busy hand-pulling rogue daodil bulbs from his tulip elds further south along Marion Road in preparation for the start of the Abbotsford Tulip Festival in mid April, Warmerdam opened up about the ood and its aftermath. “I was actually in Mexico when it happened,” he recalls. “Here on this side of dike, it went from no evacuation alert to immediate evacuation the next morning. I [spoke] to my son at 6 o’clock. By the time we nished the call, the police had come by to tell him to get out.” Warmerdam considered rushing back to Abbotsford, but after speaking to a few of his neighbours, he heeded their advice and stayed put for another week. The owner of Lakeland Flowers, a commercial cut ower wholesaler, he made arrangements to divert three containers of tulip bulbs already en route from the Netherlands and cancel other orders that hadn’t shipped yet. “We lost a little bit of money, but we didn’t lose it all,” he says. Cancelling his seasonal workers was also a high priority. The rst group was due to arrive from Mexico the following week to begin preparations for the 2022 growing season. Lakeland Flowers has relied heavily on seasonal agricultural workers since the BC program began in 2004. Before the ood, Warmerdam was normally getting 80 to 90 workers to supplement a local crew of six to 10 people. When Warmerdam returned to Abbotsford from Mexico, he waded through three feet of water to reach his house. Inside, there were telltale water marks on the walls at around 18 inches and a thick layer of mud over everything. It had been built just four years earlier, and he spent a week clearing out garbage Tulip grower makes the shift to agritourismSumas Prairie flood fast-tracks new business directionand mud, ripping out wet drywall and insulation and airing it out. Then, together with his son, two workers and some volunteer help, his attention turned to his four acres of greenhouses and warehouses where water decommissioned the automated equipment and deposited three inches of mud. “The priorities at the time were to get the electrical service working again and then get my heating for the greenhouse working so that if it started to freeze hard, we wouldn’t lose all of the water piping in the greenhouse,” he says. The power and heat was working just in time for the freeze that followed in late December. But this April, areas that normally would be teeming with activity and lled with plants was eerily empty with just a couple of crews repairing equipment and only a fraction of the area devoted Recovery funding u

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8 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC  Chassis with ideal ground tracking  Hydraulic working width adjustment.  Very convenient operation on request  Comfortable road transportMore success with PÖTTINGER.TOP 1252 CChilliwack – 1.800.242.9737, 44725 Yale Road WestLangley – 1.800.665.9060, 21869, 56th AvenueChemainus – 1.250.246.1203, 3306 Smiley RoadPÖTTINGER CANADATel. 450-372-5595, www.poettinger.ca 2 year warrantyCHILLIWACK 1-800-242-9737 | 44724 Yale Road West LANGLEY 1-800-665-9060 | 21869 56th Avenue CHEMAINUS 1-250-246-1203 | 3306 Smiley Rd KELOWNA 1-250-765-8266 | #201-150 Campion StreetPÖTTINGER CANADATel. 450-372-5595, www.poettinger.cau Recovery funding shouldn’t be cappedto trays of tulips, lavender and peonies. The equipment has yet to be fully xed, but Warmerdam is hopeful that much of it, including a $600,000 tulip buncher from the Netherlands, can be salvaged. As the ood water owed over Marion Road it created a cascading waterfall eect on the far side and the current undermined the road base creating giant holes. He found his neighbour’s tractor upside down in one of them. His own elds were under water for about three weeks. Warmerdam has a total of 200 acres. Most of his peonies survived the ood, but some didn’t produce owers last year. He says they look more promising this year. Warmerdam received some emergency funding for losses to his tulip and daodil bulbs that were in the ground, which he used to replace stock, but he ran into the $3 million cap before he nished replanting. Crop insurance covered some of the income he lost on his bulbs, but he wishes the limits had covered more than just a part of his losses. “That’s going to work against [the government’s] goal of having people invest in agriculture if they only cover losses up to a certain size,” he laments. Insurance has been another challenge. “Dierent things were insured by dierent companies,” he says. “It’s a fairly big place so it’s a little harder to get coverage.” His equipment was covered but he learned, much to his surprise, that he didn’t have ood insurance on his buildings. Following a bunkhouse re in 2018, his long-time underwriter didn’t renew his coverage and he had to nd a new provider. He was given to understand that he had ood coverage, but that wasn’t the case. He is currently in litigation. Warmerdam says the whole experience has been “kind of stressful.” “There’s a lot of chaos and then there’s a lot of uncertainty,” he says. “You can’t x everything all at once. What to start with? What to put o? What to get help with? It actually requires quite a bit of thought and planning to deal with it.” Shift in direction Warmerdam turned 60 in early April. That milestone, combined with the ooding, has made him re-evaluate his business and streamline his activities. “I don’t really think that I’m interested in climbing the hill of getting back to where I was,” he says. “The ood and the short and long-term repercussions from [it] spurred me to cut back a little quicker. I’m getting used to not putting myself under as much pressure.” Previously he was doing greenhouse tulips as well as eld daodils, tulips and peonies, but he says it’s dicult to operate a wholesale cut ower business with as many as 80 people in the eld picking owers, especially after his business was interrupted for two years. Although he bailed out of the 2022 season and spent the year cleaning up, he did manage to do a sunower u-pick last summer. “You kind of need to have the momentum. It just looked like the right time to cut back on the wholesale cut ower activities and switch over more to retail,” he says. Going forward, he expects wholesale will only be 10% of his business with the rest of the focus on retail and agritourism. Despite that, he was intending to start shipping eld tulips to the United Flower Growers Co-op auction by mid April with peonies to follow. He’s missed out on the last two years, although he did send some sunowers to auction last summer. Warmerdam has about 45 acres of tulips, including 27 acres earmarked for the tulip festival. He plans to selectively harvest tulips from the festival elds to leave enough blooms so visitors don’t notice a “few are missing.” He also has plans to extend the season for his agritourism business. The tulip festival ends at Mother’s Day but he’s diversifying to include other owers. “We’re trying to extend that through Labour Day,” notes Warmerdam. “We planted some acres of lavender and I’ve bought some hydrangea plants.” There’s also the peonies and he’s planting lupines and sunowers again. An experiment with winter canola didn’t pan out this year, but he’s hoping the plants may yet ower in time for the festival. This is a business model he thinks he will enjoy doing for quite a few years. “If you’re doing it all yourself when you get closer to 60, the little details start to get to you more,” he says. “I think what I’m doing now, I can do for a long time. I like that.” Tulip festival returns It’s been four years since the last tulip festival was held in Abbotsford, but this year’s event promises to be an even bigger spectacle than ever. Spanning 27 acres along Marion Road, Lakeland Flowers will display more than 70 varieties of the spring blossom, including fringe tulips and double tulips, as well as a legacy tulip named after the farm’s founder, Peter Warmerdam. It is the largest tulip festival in Canada. Current owner Nick Warmerdam relaunched the festival this year after the pandemic shut it down and its founder, Alexis Szarek, moved to Armstrong in 2021. Alexis is Nick’s daughter. The Abbotsford Tulip Festival, which began April 14 and runs until Mother’s Day, is the start of six months of ower festivals on the farm. In addition to tulips, there are 20 acres of sunowers and ve to 10-acre plots planted with daodils, blooming cover crops, hydrangea, peonies and lavender, more than 100 acres of owers in all. The festivals will run through Labour Day. Szarek is holding her second annual Bloom Tulip Festival in Armstrong from May 4 to 27.

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 9Insurer steps up to cover farmgate abattoirsChange sets the stage for the sector’s growthwww.hlaattachments.com 1-866-567-4162 TOM WALKER MERRITT – Small-scale meat producers across the province are resting easier following Peace Hills General Insurance’s announcement in April that it will cover farmgate abattoirs. “It’s very good news. We’ve been working on this for over two years,” says Julia Smith, executive director of the Small-Scale Meat Producers Association. “We had been back and forth with other insurance companies and were really getting nowhere.” The shift came when SSMPA contacted Crystal Piggott, a client executive with BFL Canada in Salmon Arm. “She approached Peace Hills and we have been able to put together a package,” Smith says. “Knowledge was a key hurdle. People don’t understand what is going on in our industry.” But Crystal Piggott, whose father was a butcher for 30 years, did understand. “When Julia approached me, I knew what she was talking about,” says Piggott, who received the additional background from SSMPA she needed regarding current farmgate slaughter regulations. “When I learned that all licence holders must take a SlaughterRight course and that they are subject to yearly inspections, I was able to have a company agree to add a small liability onto a farm policy to accommodate those small farms that do their own slaughter, cutting and processing,” Piggott says. Piggott has been insuring farms for 25 years, but she says there have always been two obstacles: no on-farm slaughter and no meat sales direct to consumers. But Edmonton-based Peace Hills was prepared to listen, and take into account the small number of animals on-farm processors are handling. “They agreed to insure on-farm slaughter with a farmgate licence and we developed a second farm and liability policy to accommodate farmers that want to sell their own meat,” Piggott says. Piggott is now working with an inspected poultry abattoir that saw their premiums skyrocket this year. “We have a better solution for abattoir businesses as well,” she says. Piggott says she wanted to make sure there weren’t any gaps in the coverage package. “The problem is if you are doing meat sales, for example, and it’s not listed in your policy, that invalidates your entire coverage,” she explains. SSMPA members get a discount. “I’ve already been able to send a number of our members over to Crystal and it more than covers your membership fees,” says Smith. “I think this will lead to more farmgate licences when producers realize they can be insured.” The change will help a restructuring of the province’s meat inspection regime in October 2021 deliver on its promise of greater slaughter capacity in the province. Prior to the deal with Peace Hills, insurance companies had declined coverage or charged exorbitant premiums that outstripped returns from on-farm processing. (The most generous class of farmgate licences allows farmers to process no more than 25,000 lbs of live weight.) “Unfortunately, producers quickly discovered that this legal activity was virtually uninsurable,” says Smith. “And if they wished to continue on-farm slaughter, they would be in the untenable position of not having insurance.” SSMPA asked the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food to conduct a survey of producers regarding the problem which could be used to approach insurance companies but were told it didn’t have the resources. Instead, the province provided $2,600 to support an SSMPA survey. It attracted 114 respondents, of which 88% identied as meat producers who were selling direct to consumers. “We found that 35% of those surveyed had no insurance at all,” says Smith. “Aordability was the biggest obstacle, followed by nding a provider and obtaining the desired coverage.” Now that Peace Hills has stepped up to the plate, those numbers are improving and she expects slaughter capacity to grow. Straight and narrowChilliwack Plowing Society president Francis Sache of Rosedale topped the reversible plow class during the 101st annual Chilliwack Plowing Match at Greendale Acres, April 1. Other winners included Brent Holcik of Chilliwack in the antique tractor class, Ryan Keeping in the Chilliwack tractor class and Abbotsford alderwoman Patricia Ross in the politicians class. DAVID SCHMIDT

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10 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCView over 100 listings of farm properties at www.bcfarmandranch.comBC FARM & RANCH REALTY CORP.Buying or Selling a Farm or Acreage?GORD HOUWELING Cell: 604/793-8660GREG WALTON Cell: 604/864-1610Toll free 1-888-852-AGRI Call BC’s First and Only Real Estate Office committed 100% to Agriculture!PROFESSIONAL SERVICESAgSafe board puts mental wellness front and centreabove water, it has become obvious that “we are stronger together.” Bennett said the COR (Certicate of Recognition) program continued strong in 2022 with 12 new employers receiving their rst certication and another 12 being recertied. Despite that, she admitted the 2021 agricultural safety data was “disappointing,” with an average industry rate of 3.09 per 100 workers, the highest it has been in the past six years. It is also well ahead of the overall BC average of 2.24 injuries per 100 workers. Even though the serious injury rate is still higher than the provincial average across all sectors, it decreased signicantly from the ve-year average. There was only one change to the board, with Chilliwack dairy producer Tony DeGroot replacing Armstrong cattle producer Andrea van Iterson. Nguyen and Ajay Randhawa were reelected by acclamation. —David Schmidt Climage Change Adaptation Program winds down The future of a dedicated program to help farmers adapt to a changing climate is unclear with Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC’s announcement that it is no longer delivering the long-running Climate Change Adaptation Program. The program was funded under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the ve-year agricultural policy framework which ended March 31. The new policy framework, known as the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, began April 1 with few details available about what climate change adaptation programming will involve. “Specic program details regarding the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership Agreement will be announced in upcoming months,” the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food says in a statement provided to Country Life in BC. The province says future programming aims to be more producer-engaged, with applied research and a focus on climate mitigation, adaptation and overall environmental sustainability. Programming will “continue and expand” existing CleanBC-supported initiatives such as the Benecial Management Practices Program, the Extreme Weather Preparedness Program and Farmland Advantage. In March 2022, IAF assumed responsibility for delivering the Climate Change Adaptation Program from the Climate & Agriculture Initiative of BC. Created by the BC Agriculture Council in 2008, CAI had delivered adaptation projects funded through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership on behalf of BCAC subsidiary ARDCorp and IAF for the four After previously being one of its safety ocers, David Nguyen returned to AgSafe BC as its chair last year. “[It] feels a bit like coming home,” Nguyen told the AgSafe AGM in Chilliwack, April 11, saying “it’s amazing how much AgSafe has grown” since the days he was an employee. Both he and executive director Wendy Bennett noted mental wellness was a huge focus for AgSafe in the past few years. “During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many more producers turned to AgSafe for guidance and resources. Following the oods, many producers in aected areas did the same,” Bennett stated. She said that as farmers begin to get their heads Expert farm taxation adviceApproved consultants for Government funding throughBC Farm Business Advisory Services ProgramEnderby 250-838-7337Armstrong 250-546-8665 |t1VSDIBTFBOETBMFPGGBSNTt5SBOTGFSPGGBSNTUPDIJMESFOt(PWFSONFOUTVCTJEZQSPHSBNTt1SFQBSBUJPOPGGBSNUBYSFUVSOTt6TFPG$BQJUBM(BJOT&YFNQUJPOT$ISJT)FOEFSTPO$1"$"-PSFO)VUUPO$1"$"5PMM 'SFF1-888-818-FARM |www.farmtax.comRossworn HendersonLLPChartered Professional Accountants - Tax Consultantsartered Professional Accountants - Tax ConsultanCALL FOR AN ESTIMATE LARRY 604.209.5523 TROY 604.209.5524 TRI-WAY FARMS LASER LEVELLING LTD.IMPROVED DRAINAGE UNIFORM GERMINATION UNIFORM IRRIGATION FAST, ACCURATE SURVEYING INCREASE CROP YIELDS We service all of Southern BCAg Briefs PETER MITHAMprevious years. The abrupt change raised concerns at the time about knowledge transfer and research extension to agricultural stakeholders. IAF says CCAP resources will continue to be available on the program’s website. It referred questions regarding the program to AgriService BC. — Kate Ayers Wage pressures increase BC’s minimum wage will rise in step with ination June 1, putting further strain on farm employers already struggling with high input costs and a labour crunch. An increase of 6.9% to $16.75 an hour will give BC the highest minimum wage of any province in Canada. Piece rates for 15 hand-harvested crops will also increase by 6.9%, eective January 1, 2024. Statistics Canada reports that about 10% of BC workers receive minimum wage, but many farm workers receive wages signicantly above the existing minimum wage when they’re hired. During the last quarter of 2022, newly hired farm workers in the Kootenays were being oered an average of $16.90 an hour while those on Vancouver Island were being oered $17.80 an hour. Data from last summer indicate that Lower Mainland farmers oer lower starting wages, at $16.20 an hour, well above the $15.65 minimum at the time. The increase on June 1 means they’ll face a signicant increase in payroll costs, compounding the impact of a new statutory holiday (National Truth and Reconciliation Day, September 30), providing ve paid sick days per worker and the employer health tax that replaced Medical Services Plan premiums in 2019. Many foreign workers will also see a wage boost, as their wages must be the higher of the minimum wage or the National Occupational Classication (NOC) rate for their sector, which begin at $16.05 an hour for the majority of agriculture roles. —Peter Mitham Raspberry growers hopeful Raspberry growers are ready for a boost after two very dicult years. “It doesn’t look like there’s too much frost damage from winter,” says James Bergen of Abbotsford’s Bergen Farms of bud break. “We could sure use a good raspberry season after the last two, that can only be described as very disappointing.” BC produced just 3,648 tons of raspberries in 2021 and 5,290 tons in 2022, according to Statistics Canada. Acreage has continued to decline as well, to 1,980 acres in 2022 from more than 2,900 acres in 2018. The disappointments have taught Bergen that there are things beyond his control no matter how good the situation currently looks and how prepared he is. “There’s lots of time left between now and harvest and the heat dome taught me that I can do everything right up to harvest and it only takes one to two days to undo all of the hard work, investment and planning,” he says. — Ronda Payne

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 11Lucas marks 25-year milestone with fruit growers Stable leadership has helped orchardists adapt to changeServing the Okanagan and Fraser Valley We’ve been proudly family owned and operated since opening in 1976. And with two blending plants, we’re one of BC’s largest distributors of granular, liquid and foliar fertilizers. Our buying power and proximity to the Fraser Valley makes us the logical choice for truckload shipments. OKANAGAN FERTILIZER LTD 1-800-361-4600 or 250-838-6414WITH OVER 29 YEARS OF EXPERIENCEWe oer our clients the best service there is in the real estate industry ensuring there are no unanswered questions or concerns.8450 Gibson Road, Chilliwack 34.79 acre cranberry farm in East Chilliwack. Currently producing three varieties of cranberries for Ocean Spray with Class A shares. The perfect opportunity to start your farming dreams.MLS# C8049150 | Asking $3,900,000-'+$.0*$/(*/MYRNA STARK LEADER KELOWNA – In the ever-changing fruit sector, one of the few constants is Glen Lucas. This month, Lucas will mark his 25th year with the BC Fruit Growers Association, where he’s now general manager. “When I started at the BCFGA I was 39 and probably, in many ways, not ready. But they gave me the opportunity,” says Lucas who studied agricultural economics at UBC and initially worked in banking. But he soon moved to the BC Federation of Agriculture, precursor to the BC Agriculture Council. However, it was 10 years working with BC Dairy Herd Improvement Services of Chilliwack (now Lactanet) with and on behalf of producers that inspired him. “We had 40 eld sta that would go out to the farms and measure the milk production. We started up a lab,” he recalls with pride. “Then I worked for the hog marketing commission for a short time, but I grew up in the Okanagan and we had three kids so I came to BCFGA.” Lucas says his direct connection with farmers is one of three reasons he enjoys the job. “There's this commonality amongst growers. Their hearts are in it. We've seen some consolidation, and in the Okanagan, a couple of large family farms really expand, but they’re still family farms, people highly engaged in their operations, and that keeps it very interesting,” says Lucas. Reason two is the opportunity to work with his admin team and in partnership with numerous elected boards and presidents, each with their own style. Some presidents were innovative, like Russell Husch, while others like Joe Sardinha had an amazing skill at bringing people together. Penny Gambell was the rst female association president. The current BCFGA board, with four members under 40, brings yet another unique range of abilities and perspectives. “These younger directors are innovative, energetic and results-driven. I’m used to building a detailed plan with some recommendations and having the board really dig into it and then take a decision,” he says. “It's almost upside down with this group. They are coming up with great ideas, nding agreement quickly and then saying run with it, so that’s exciting for me.” Without Lucas, the organization would have faltered long ago, says Fred Steele, who served as president from 2014 to 2018. “He’s a great communicator, a steady, strong voice for the industry, able to galvanize support. He’s also unassuming, but with a reputation of being strong A reputation for leading with strength and fairness has helped Glen Lucas juggle competing concerns and kept fruit growers on track over the past 25 years. MYRNA STARK LEADERand fair, and an ability to get people back on track,” Steele says. “He has a look without saying anything that says, ‘If you’re going to go there, you do so at your own peril.’” Lucas’s unappable demeanour may have come from his schoolteacher father. “If someone's upset, there's a reason. Let's talk about. Figure it out,” he explains. Lucas was able to build on a strong foundation. Summerland Varieties Corp. and a test orchard were initiatives that predated him that he says have delivered signicant benets to association members. His work administering the now-defunct tree fruit replant program helped modernize many orchards. However, his 25 years with the association also includes missed opportunities. “We've lost ground on marketing with the consolidation of retailers,” he says. “When I rst came, I was told marketing is none of the BCFGA’s business. That message remained and I've respected it, but I don't think I should have. We should have been much more forceful … It's not right – undercutting or growers selling below the price of US apples. It’s ridiculous when BC product should be getting a premium.” As to the third factor keeping Lucas engaged, he’s enthusiastic about the potential to use technology to improve how growers do business. Lucas shifted meeting agendas from paper to digital formats, and sees the potential of articial intelligence to improve codling moth control through enhanced release schedules for the Sterile Insect Release program. “Technology excites me. It’s making improvements and doing better. That's always motivating,” he says.

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12 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCAlways read and follow label directions. Gatten® is a registered trademark of OAT Agrio Co., Ltd. Copyright ©2021 Nichino America, Inc. Worried aboutPowdery Mildew?Get Gatten!Gatten® fungicide Gatten®acts on multiple stages of powdery mildew development, delivering both preventative and post-infection control.PETER MITHAM KELOWNA – With the weather delivering crushing losses to many vineyards this year, calls are growing for changes to provincial regulations governing wine content. An extreme cold event on December 21-22 saw temperatures in the province’s major wine-growing regions fall below -20°C for a sustained period, with temperatures reaching as low as -30°C in Kelowna and West Kelowna. “Due to the severity of bud damage caused by the extreme cold event, the 2023 harvest is projected to be signicantly reduced, with an estimated … 39% to 56% reduction in grape and wine production,” Wine Growers BC reports. According to the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, 423 claims for yield and vine loss have been received from 196 policyholders. “It is still too early to dene the full extent of losses and it is anticipated that some vines may further deteriorate during the peak summer stress period in August,” sta told Country Life in BC. While losses were widely expected, work by Ben-Min Chang of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Summerland Research and Development Centre conrmed the breadth and extent of the damage. Chang surveyed 13 vineyards in dierent areas of the Okanagan Valley and collected buds from 18 dierent varieties earlier this year. Working with wine producers, Chang assessed the level of damage and found that crop losses are most likely at vineyards in Osoyoos, ranging from 55% to 71%, followed by Lake Country and Vernon at 49% to 73%. Kelowna and West Kelowna could see losses of between 43% and 71% while the damage in Oliver ranges between 46% to 67%. “Together, these regions account for more than 70% of historical wine grape yields,” Wine Growers BC reports. White varieties appear to be less impacted than red varieties, with this year’s Malbec crop on track for losses of up to 98%, Syrah down nearly 96% and Merlot down 76%. While strategic pruning can assist in vine recovery and mitigate the losses, an industry committee is preparing a proposal that would ask the BC Wine Authority to consider changes that would give wineries more exibility in sourcing grapes when crops fall short. A report Cascadia Partners prepared last year for the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food found that extreme weather patterns associated with a changing climate were responsible for three successive years of short crops between 2019 and 2021. It recommended rethinking the varieties eligible to be grown in BC, an issue taken up by the wine industry committee that advises the BC Wine Authority, which is charged with enforcing the province’s Wines of Marked Quality regulation that sets out the standards for BC wine. The committee is surveying industry this summer on issues including varieties, content rules and alternative packaging in an eort to update the regulation. “We have a grape list in the regulation, and the regulation is restrictive, so if you want to try some new varieties that are emerging from dierent parts of the world that show great potential … it could be two years before you have the ability to use those grapes,” says Derek Kontkanen, director of winemaking operations with Arterra Wines Canada. “We’re looking at how we can facilitate … experimentation.” Relaxing content requirements is another area of interest. “According to the regulations if you put BC-Okanagan Valley on it, you’re only allowed 5% from one of the other geographic indicators,” Kontkanen says. “But if you look at Australia, New Zealand, California, Washington and Ontario, all allow 15% from another region.” In addition, at least 85% of the grapes used to make vintage-dated wine must have been harvested in the year indicated. A varietal wine must also be made at least 85% from grapes of the named variety. In a year like this, the rules could challenge a Merlot producer on the Golden Mile Bench just south of Oliver as they prepare for the 2023 vintage. Allowing greater exibility could permit growers to source grapes from outside an indicated region, vintage or variety so long as quality standards are met. “In a short crop, if you have more fruit in one valley you can move it into another valley,” Kontkanen says. “You should have more exibility to blend.” Kontkanen hopes the advisory committee will have a proposal ready for the wine authority’s review this fall. If accepted, the changes will go to a vote in an industry plebiscite. To pass, the changes will require a double majority of both growers and wineries, following which they’ll be submitted to the province for incorporation within regulation. Climate change spurs call for new wine rulesVariety, content rules on the table as grape growers tally lossesHelping you grow your business. you ours.

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 13The BC Fruit Growers’ AssociationDID YOU KNOW?supports members through programs:BCFGA provides free magazine subscriptions to Orchard and Vine, Country Life in BC, The Grower and Good Fruit Grower (NEW!).BCFGA provides assistance to members to complete Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program applications, backed by an accredited Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant.EFP Incentive Program ($250). Green Spark Discount -TFW housing permitting. COR Safety Certiﬁcation Incentive ($250). One-time Incentives: BCFGA 2022 Food Safety Incentive ($455). BCFGA Crop Input Incentive.12345Pilot proposed to address worker shortfallBCFGA says changes to SAWP would open access to smaller farmsTOM WALKER KELOWNA – A recent study commissioned by the BC Fruit Growers Association recommends piloting a group employer system as the association looks to improve the mobility of foreign workers. The initiative aims to address a key dierence between Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and the US H-2A visa program and could help smaller farms access foreign workers. “A key dierence between our SAWP program and the US H-2A foreign worker program is that in the US, a group of farm employers or an association can be the designated, or lead, employer on the application,” BCFGA general manager Glen Lucas explains. “Workers are then able to be transferred between farms within the employer group as many times as are needed, given the crop schedule.” Current SAWP regulations require that only one employer be the applicant and allow for only two transfers between farms. If farm A originally employed the SAWP worker, the worker could be transferred to work at farm B for a time, come back to farm A, then return to farm B for a second stint before ending back at farm A for the remainder of their time in Canada. “This has worked in the past, but since COVID we are seeing that it is increasingly dicult for smaller farm employers to nd help,” Lucas says. When the SAWP program debuted in BC in 2004, Lucas says foreign workers were enough to ll a gap in the labour pool. “When the program was started, we were hearing of crop losses because of worker shortages, both in the apple industry and in blueberries,” Lucas recalls. When larger farms – those able to provide at least 240 hours of work per season and worker housing – brought in SAWP workers, there were still enough local farm workers available to smaller farms, Lucas explains. But a worrisome trend is developing. “We are starting to see smaller farms lose the older workers that they have relied on,” he says. “That’s the impetus to look at some changes. There is a need for more worker mobility between farms like we see in the US.” BCFGA is proposing a pilot, which could begin next year, to explore the concept. “We are cautious,” says Lucas. “We don’t want to put the entire SAWP at risk. It brings around 5,000 workers into the Okanagan.” Other commodity groups have expressed interest, but Lucas says proof of concept is needed rst. “We will take a serious look at this trial and we are hopeful for good discussion with other associations and commodity groups as to how it has worked,” he says. The program won’t just improve access to workers. “Currently, the host employer’s housing remains empty as they move to live at the transfer farm,” he says, suggesting that central housing could be possible. “And transportation costs from the home country could be spread between a number of employers.” A Spanish-language immersion course in Guatemala eight years ago has delivered unexpected benets for Coral Beach Farms Ltd. in Lake Country. “I had just been hired as a horticulturist (at Coral Beach), we had Mexican SAWP crews and I needed to be able to speak to our sta,” says Coral Beach operations director Gayle Krahn of her decision to attend the three-week immersion course in San Pedro, Guatemala. “One of the reasons I picked Cooperativa Spanish School was the social projects that they support. Part of your tuition goes back to building homes in the community,” she says. “And I ticked the box for homestay to get the true immersion experience.” The husband of her host family was one of the founders of the school and served several years as principal. “Mynor Cortez and I talked about our need for workers and whether we would consider Guatemalans,” Krahn says. “After I went back for a month in the fall of 2016, he oered to come up and work in the summer of 2017 as a team leader,” she says. Mynor and his brother-in-law were team leaders again in 2019 and that fall, Coral Beach began making preparations to bring in a group of Guatemalan workers. “Our rst crew was 100 workers for the 2020 season,” says Krahn. “As Guatemala is not a member of the SAWP program, we have to bring them in under the [Temporary Foreign Worker program’s] Ag Stream.” Compared to SAWP, the TFW Ag Stream option places greater responsibility on the Canadian employer, including organizing worker recruitment and transportation. Krahn says that works to employers’ advantage. “One of the reasons this works so well for us is that Mynor is able to recruit and screen workers,” she explains. “He knows all our routines and rules. He looks for people with a farming background, with the idea that we can build crews who will return for a number of years.” Unlike SAWP, Ag Stream employers must make their own travel arrangements, but Coral Beach has sta to help with that. “We are able to look for deals with our ight arrangements and if we need to reschedule a ight, we have control over that, too,” Krahn says. Last year, Coral Beach brought in 355 men and 70 women from Guatemala and this year Krahn anticipates hiring 455 men and 70 women. “The ladies will work in our packing plant,” she says. “They are a real addition to our work force. Women don’t often work outside the home in Guatemala and they are really positive about their experience here in Canada.” Krahn says part of the reason the program works so well is that the workers have full time support. “We now employ Mynor as a full-time liaison. He has great leadership skills and works hard to meet the needs of more than 500 employees.” The bonus, Krahn says, is that he no longer needs to work at the school during the winter. Coral Beach has built an extensive collection of worker housing but they’ve turned to another seasonal Okanagan industry when more is needed. “We have workers housed at both Silver Star and Big White ski hills,” Krahn says. “We run buses to and from the work sites and the workers really enjoy the cool and quiet up at the mountain.” It’s not just eld and plant workers that have arrived from abroad. “We now have two farm managers from South Africa,” Krahn says. “The citrus industry is going through challenges down there. We have been able to recruit two managers who just love it here, compared to the social unrest in South Africa.” Though they actively recruit across Canada and the US Pacic Northwest, the local cost of living rules it out for most candidates. Krahn says at the height of season Coral Beach will have nearly 1,000 foreign workers, including SAWP workers from Jamaica and Mexico. “We try to employ as many locals as we can, and we still have the summer backpackers coming, though that was really hit by COVID,” she notes. “But the fruit industry in BC would not be possible without foreign workers.” —Tom Walker Guatemalans boost foreign farm workforce “Since COVID we are seeing that it is increasingly difcult for smaller farm employers to nd help.” GLEN LUCAS BCFGA GENERAL MANAGER

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14 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCSingh Valley Farm is in Abbotsford, BC and grows blueberries. When Kulwant Singh Sandhu purchased the in the highbush blueberry industry, and works with the BC Blueberry Council, which is how he connected with Kulwant. farm and the environment. One suggestion was to install a shelterbelt around the farm to reduce pesticide drift onto the road and neighbouring properties. completed to determine the scope and location of the of choice. This evergreen shrub has dense branches and broad leaves; It is fast growing, easy to prune to shape, and is happy from full shade to full sun. These features make it in its stems and branches as it grows, as well as attracting pollinators.planting in the winter was hard due to the rain and frozen that can support his work on the farm. He is particularly interested in things that will support pollinators, as he previously worked with bees and wants to again in the future.- territorial initiative. Additional funding has been provided by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC.Visit www.iafbc.ca/efp to learn more!“Its height goes up to six to eight feet and berries stay below the six feet, because we prune every year. Usually, sprayer nozzles are equal to the berry, and when the wind blows drift won’t pass the Laurel trees because they are thick. In the next few years, they will stop the drift.”Kulwant Singh SandhuSingh Valley FarmRead the full story and watch the video at www.iafbc.ca/efp-singh-valleyENVIRONMENTAL FARM PLAN + SINGH VALLEY FARM

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 15KuhnNorthAmerica.comVisit your local British Columbia KUHN dealer today!INVEST IN QUALITY®www.kuhn.comMatsqui Ag-RepairAbbotsfordNorthline EquipmentPouce CoupeHuber Farm EquipmentPrince GeorgeDRY WITH THE SPEED OF LIGHTExclusive DigiDrive®couplers provide low maintenance and long lifeMultiple options andadjustments for teddingin various crop conditionsReduce drying time withsteep pitch angles and asymmetrical tinesHydraulic folding provieseasy transport betweenwork and 昀eldGF 102 / 1002 SERIES Rotary Tedders8’6” - 56’5” working widthsIsland farmer fined for environmental infractionsProvincial approvals caught up in permit backlogKATE AYERS COBBLE HILL – Gordon Truswell of G.T. Farms in Cobble Hill is facing $32,100 in administrative penalties following inspections that determined his farm fell out of compliance under the Code of Practice for Agricultural Environmental Management. Truswell has been accused of illegally dumping slaughter waste on his property and his neighbours are concerned about groundwater contamination and degradation of the Koksilah watershed and river. “We've been farming here for 40 years now. The alleged dumping consists of a waste product that is used for composting and reusing it on our tilled elds,” Truswell says. “The complaints and allegations are not science-based. I have a professional agrologist who specializes in environmental issues looking after things. We have taken water samples that show no indication of contamination from any runo.” As part of the farm’s nutrient strategy, Truswell mixes ground-up wood chips with slaughter waste from Island Farmhouse Poultry in Cowichan Bay. The mix is composted and used to fertilize crops on 300 acres of workable farmland. “We use it on our elds, and it works really well by increasing the sustainability of the fertility and organic matter of our land, versus chemical fertilizers,” Truswell says. Truswell’s eorts to apply a green fertilizer and reduce input costs have only resulted in headaches and complaints. “Everybody wants recycling along with increased use of organic fertilizer, as long as it’s not in their backyard. We are recycling local material into natural compost, which helps reduce the carbon footprint and that is what the government tells us we should be doing,” he says. Truswell purchased synthetic fertilizer this year and one load costs $70,000, he says. “We are trying to cut back on our costs as fertilizer and grain prices have increased more than 50% year over year. These prices do not make farming sustainable,” he adds. Complaint driven A farm inspection on January 23, 2020 was triggered by a complaint through the Report All Poachers and Polluters line. “There are a few neighbours that have recently bought acreages around our farm over the last ve years that do not agree with what I'm doing,” Truswell says. “They do not understand farming, business or agriculture so they constantly complain about our farming practices.” One neighbour often ies a drone over Truswell’s property to see what’s going on and takes photos. The inspection ocer found the farm to be out of compliance in such areas as not covering the compost pile in a high precipitation area and allowing leachate from the compost pile to escape the on-site collection area. The ocer also noted that the compost pile was not maintained in a way that prevented the attraction of wildlife to the pile and the temperature of the pile was not monitored at least once each week. At the time of the inspection, Truswell was in the process of developing a new location for his composting and wood residue storage area in a rock quarry on his property. The process remains ongoing. Truswell has a permit from the Agricultural Land Commission with a $10,000 bond to move forward with the project, but it’s being held up by the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “We have applied for a new, permanent site, but are being held up by ministries, mainly the Ministry of Mines. At one time they told me I was at the bottom of the pile; that they did not have enough sta to handle the workload,” Truswell says. “The ocer of Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation indicated that they have no interest in agriculture. … They just don't care. I stuck my neck out to carry on and we should have had the site up and running by now.” Truswell has also applied to the province under the Organic Matter Recycling Regulation to operate a composting operation, says the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. There is no timeline for approval. A follow-up inspection by ocials last November determined Truswell was still not in total compliance. And a February 10 report from the Ministry of Environment recommends further monetary penalties. Between the agrologist and legal fees to appeal the allegations, Truswell estimates he’s facing up to $50,000 in out-of-pocket expenses. Warning Island Farmhouse Poultry was issued a warning on February 24 through its aliation with G.T. Farms for discharging waste under the Code of Practice for slaughter and poultry processing without a valid authorization, which is an oence under the Environmental Management Act. “We recently became aware that one of our contractors, G.T. Farms, has not been complying with provincial environmental regulations regarding waste from our poultry processing facilities in Cowichan Bay,” Island Farmhouse Poultry operations manager Wendy King says in an emailed statement. “We recognize the concerns of residents and apologize on behalf of the contractor. The health of our communities and the environment is important to us.” The business is working with the BC Ministry of Environment to comply with the regulations and will be sourcing new contracted service suppliers, she adds. Truswell admits it is very expensive and dicult to keep up with changes within the Code of Practice, which came into eect March 1, 2019, but he continues to try his best with the support of an agrologist. Since the introduction of the code, which replaced the Agricultural Waste Management Regulation, the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy has issued about $117,135 in administrative penalties to ve businesses under the Environmental Management Act. Some of the non-compliance cases include failure to comply with a pollution abatement order, general record-keeping requirements and unauthorized discharge. In Truswell’s case, he’s up against a rock and unhappy neighbours. “It just takes away from the overall picture. I'm trying to make things work to operate a viable and sustainable farm by working together locally,” he says. “However, it is really sad to watch as the state of BC agriculture continues to be threatened by some consumers who complain about the high costs of food. … The right to farm in BC is quickly disappearing and may not exist much longer.” countrylifeinbc.comThe agricultural news source in BC since 1915.

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16 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCApply for Funding to Grow Your Farm Business Skills! For More Info and to Apply Visit: www.bcyf.ca • Canadian Centre for Food Integrity’s Public Trust Summit (October)• BC Organic Conference (November)• Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference (November)Funding for this program is provided by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.• AgEx (November)• Small Business BC Education (On demand)• COGA Webinars (Current)BC Agriculture Council and BC Young Farmers, a committee of BCAC, are thrilled to announce that the funding for the 2023 Skill Development Program is open! Young farmers between the ages of 19 - 40 can apply for funding towards attending various skill development events, conferences, and training opportunities. Apply for funding towards:DAVID SCHMIDT CHILLIWACK – After 15 years as a director, including the past seven as chair, Stan Vander Waal has stepped down from the BC Agriculture Council board. Stepping up may be a better term, however, as Vander Waal has taken on a new role as BC’s director at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. He notes the council has undergone signicant change in the past 18 months, led by the transition in executive directors from Reg Ens, who is now general manager of Western Agricultural Labour Initiative (WALI), to Danielle Synotte and including the addition of Paul Pryce as policy director. “We (now) have the highest-functioning organization ever,” says Vander Waal, adding Synotte and Pryce have done great work on policy development. “Policy is the foundation of what we can do. It gives us discussion points as we talk to government.” “Government relations is why BCAC exists,” he told the BCAC annual meeting in Chilliwack, April 11. “Bringing a unied voice to government is critical.” Vander Waal says government relations have improved recently, claiming “we now have the best relationship with government in my tenure.” “We’re poised to work well together,” he says, adding, “I would like to see that continue regardless of the ag ying over government.” Vander Waal is proud of having had a hand in creating WALI, saying it serves farmers well in both the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) and the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program. Among other things, WALI advocated for viable housing guidelines and got government to provide quarantine housing for incoming workers during COVID. While there have been a lot of changes recently, Vander Waal says there are more to come. “I expect BCAC to add more capacity while still keeping membership dues reasonable. Farmers need these supports,” he says. The changes are not just occurring at the sta level. The AGM approved adding the BC Hazelnut Growers Association as BCAC’s newest member and there were four changes on the board of directors: Alex Vander Eyk replaced Vander Waal as the oriculture rep; Brian Thomas took over the beef, pork and other livestock position; Len Smit is the new director from the nursery sector; and Jennifer Woike takes over as the poultry rep. Woike is not only the new poultry director but has the enviable task of replacing Vander Waal as BCAC president. Despite being a BCAC newbie, the 2009 BC/Yukon Outstanding Young Farmer has a long history in politics, having previously served as a BC Egg Marketing Board director, North Cowichan city councillor, and 2018 BC Summer Games Society president. Joining Woike on the 2023 BCAC executive are Sarah Sache (vice-president), Ray van Marrewyk (treasurer) and Niklaus Forstbauer (director-at-large). They may not have as long a tenure as Vander Waal did, as the AGM approved a nine-year term limit for directors. Synotte told members BCAC is focused on “reducing our decit,” saying board and sta are working on new revenue options. The board is budgeting for an increase of almost $100,000 in the dividends it receives from its relationship with Co-operators Insurance and is also expecting increased uptake of its Farmer ID cards. Synotte noted last year’s ID card sales exceeded the budgeted amount by about $35,000 and was one reason BCAC was able to show a surplus last year after incurring a decit of almost $80,000 in 2021. Synotte also reported on results of a Leger poll into public opinions and feelings on BC agriculture. The poll determined a relatively weak overall knowledge of BC agriculture among the public. While the public has empathy and positive feelings for BC farmers, they are not particularly interested in learning much more about them. “This provides a challenge for BCAC in engaging interest going forward,” the Leger report stated, telling the agriculture community not to rely on consumers searching out information. Instead, it will need to “grab” attention, Leger states. On a positive note, Leger pointed out there doesn’t seem to be a single source of information about agriculture in BC “which perhaps suggest an opportunity for BCAC to ll the role.” BCAC is already attempting to do that, transitioning the We Heart Local social media campaign to put more focus on BCAC and its farmer-members. Leadership changes herald a year of transitionVander Waal steps down after seven years as BC Agriculture Council chairSTAN VANDER WAAL

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 17Colony losses top agenda for beekeepersMixed signals as beekeepers open their hives this springRestocking hives with domestic rather than imported bees will help the BC honey sector develop stronger, more resilient colonies and prove the market for locally reared stock. MYRNA STARK LEADERClearingGradingIrrigationDrainageDrivewaysLandscaping604.316.1240Farm & Rural ResidentialProperties in the Peace Country are our specialtyAnne H. ClaytonMBA, AACI P App, RIAppraiserJudi LeemingBHE, CRA P AppAppraiser250.782.1088info@aspengrovepropertyservices.ca www.aspengrovepropertyservices.caTOM WALKER KAMLOOPS – The coming of spring is often a time of joy for beekeepers. “It is such a relief to come out of winter and get our hands on our bees,” says BC Honey Producers Association president Heather Higo. But there is also a degree of uncertainty as they open their hives and discover how colonies have overwintered. “I am hearing stories of both high winter losses and of high survival,” says Higo, addressing the BCHPA semi-annual business meeting and education day in Kamloops, March 24-25. “But to get an accurate picture, it is essential that we all complete [provincial apiarist] Paul [van Westendorp]’s survey.” On average, BC beekeepers lose about 30% of their hives over the winter due to starvation, mites, poor queens, weak colonies and weather extremes. “Last spring, it was 32% losses in BC but much more across Canada,” notes van Westendorp as he recaps last year’s survey ndings. The Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists reports an average loss of 45.5% across Canada in 2022, with provincial averages ranging from 15% to 57%. “If a dairy farmer lost 30% of their animals it would be all over the news but for beekeepers losses don’t mean that you stop,” he notes. Each year, beekeepers need a source to replace those bees. While they could eventually split their remaining colonies as they expand over the summer, or purchase splits from other producers, beekeepers usually want a colony that is up and running in the spring. Past BCHPA meetings and education days have focused on breeding local replacement stock and it is a focus for BCHPA’s recently established Technology Transfer Program. A number of apiarists across the province raise and sell queens and replacement packages as part of their business, but it isn’t enough. This means stock must be imported from other countries. “It is important for our industry to develop locally bred stock,” says Creston beekeeper and BCHPA 1st vice-president Jeff Lee. “We need to get off the import track.” Van Westendorp cautioned members against relying too much on imported stock. “We often think that some fancy-doodle stock from away is better,” he says. “But there is an inherent risk in getting stock from anywhere else other than what is produced in the province.” Canadian Honey Council representative Stan Reist reported that packages imported from Australia and New Zealand are arriving without problems and in good shape this spring. He also notes that Ukraine and Italy have been approved as sources for replacement bees to Canada. Adulteration of honey is an increasing concern worldwide as fraudsters continue to dilute honey with other sugars and undercut prices for the real thing. In 2022, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency tested 182 samples of honey – 109 domestic and 73 imported – at both the retail and distributor level. Just five of the Canadian samples were found to be unsatisfactory while 15 imports failed. “CFIA has the authority to pull that funny honey off the shelves and destroy it,” Reist notes. BC researchers have developed both Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry testing techniques but both require databases of samples of authentic honey to compare their “fingerprints” with samples being tested. Reist urged members to continue to send in honey samples several times a year in order to deepen the database. Reist also explained that the varroa mite control product oxalic acid combined with glycerin has been approved by the PMRA and is expected to be available to purchase this summer. Van Westendorp repeated the caution he made in the fall against beekeepers using liquid Amitraz under the trade name of Taktic to treat varroa mites. “This water-soluble form of Amitraz was withdrawn from use on bees in Canada and the US and it is a prohibited chemical in Europe,” he says. Monitoring for the Northern Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia) – a pest formerly known as the Asian Giant Hornet – began again in April for the third and likely final year. “There were no sightings of the giant hornet in either BC or Washington state last year,” van Westendorp says. Diane Dunaway was thanked for her many years of service as the Thompson- Cariboo provincial apiary inspector. Gary Martin will take on her role while Jim Davison covers duties in the North Okanagan-Shuswap. Technology transfer program lead Nuria Morfin outlined action items for the coming year. “This is the last year of our three-year funding from the provincial government,” says Morfin. “Securing long-term funding for the program as well as the fund-matching opportunities that are available is a top priority.” Morfin says that in addition to work begun last year, such as the research into the threshold at which varroa mite losses pose an economic threat to beekeepers, the TTP will focus on workshops and hands-on learning for 2023, including best management practices in beekeeping, IPM, queen-rearing and selective breeding. “I hope to meet all of the beekeeping clubs across the province this summer,” says Morfin. “And we will also be looking at the recommendations of the newly completed sector analysis study.” This semi-annual business meeting and education day was a hybrid event with 77 registrants attending in person and 57 online. “We are planning our fall AGM in Abbotsford with a focus on in-person attendance,” says Jeff Lee. “A full conference with a trade show and sponsors allows us to recover conference costs and is a source of revenue for the association. With our commitments to funding the tech transfer program, we are hoping for a good turnout.”

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 19Western Milk Pool will benefit BC dairy farmersInitiatives target a healthier, more profitable dairy sectorPETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – BC, and the Lower Mainland in particular, is a high-cost region for dairy production, but the Western Milk Pool is one way industry is working to address challenges as a whole. “Status quo isn’t really an option, and to be successful and be protable in the future we really need to come together as the Western Milk Pool,” says BC Milk chair Janice Comeau, who reported on steps being taken to unite the ve dairy organizations in Western Canada. “This transformation is our best option to succeed going forward.” Originally announced last September, the 25-year-old Western Milk Pool is transitioning to a new governance model that will see its ve member organizations share expertise and resources. Comeau outlined the progress to date on the transformation, explaining that a new board – scheduled to hold its rst meeting April 25 – will provide direction to a new general manager (interviews are in progress). BC will have three representatives on the new board, including two members from BC Milk and a third from the BC Dairy Association. The initial representatives include Comeau, Jeremy Wiebe and Holger Schwichtenberg. Other provinces will have two members each. Directors will serve two-year terms, to a maximum of four terms. The board also has the option to appoint an external director to provide special expertise. The term will likely be limited to one year. In addition, an advisory panel of industry stakeholders will be established to provide specic expertise. “We’ll use this council to help inform the board on policy issues or strategic issues,” Comeau says. Sta will also reach out to producers to obtain advice on farmer-specic issues. The aim is for broad consultation on issues towards a consensus-based decision-making model grounded in data. Provinces will each have one vote, and four votes will be required for approval. The united approach will benet BC producers struggling with high production costs. A recent KPMG study for the BC Dairy Association based on a survey of 27 farms lays out the dire realities facing producers. Preliminary ndings BC Dairy general manager Jeremy Dunn presented at the meeting showed that feed costs and the cost of debt are proving the toughest items for producers to manage, particularly in the Lower Mainland. Between 2021 and 2022, purchased feed excluding grain increased 35% while the cost of feed grains increased 26%. Surging interest rates added to the toll, with production costs per kilogram of milk increasing $1.20 in the Lower Mainland for every percentage point increase in the Bank of Canada’s policy rate. This compares to just $0.52 cents on Vancouver Island and $0.04 in the Interior. “These are all things you know you’re feeling, but we need to be able to help government understand what that means to farmers,” Dunn said. “If the province, federal government, the industry wants successful dairy farms in BC – or possibly dairy farms in BC – we need to look at the protability and the actual sustainability and viability of your businesses.” The sharp increase in costs BC producers face aren’t met by price increases, which are set nationally. This means that many producers are receiving less for their milk than it costs to produce. “We’re putting a ton of eort into growing the market but a lot of times your revenue is determined by the national formula,” Dunn said. “We can only inuence the national formula so much.” A new freight zone could be put in place to accommodate the growing number of producers in the lower-cost Okanagan region, but BC Milk vice-chair Tom Hoogendoorn indicated that there’s no easy solution. Have to have-not Historically, he says, “the Maritimes have always been the poor cousins.” “Now we’re the poor cousins,” he says, noting that for the rst time he can recall, producers in New Brunswick didn’t complain at national meetings this spring. In fact, times are so good in Eastern Canada that the national price may actually decrease, to the detriment of BC. “I think you’ll see the milk price coming down, so that’s another sad thing to think about,” he says. This is where the Western Milk Pool can present a united front in the interests of BC, which accounts for about a third of its producers. “The advantage of being part of the pool is we now have four provinces focused on trying to x the BC issue,” says Comeau. “This isn’t just a BC issue, it’s a pool issue, and we need to x this.” YOURHelping YouHelping YouSignSign up today forfor freeupy eeWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATES100 Mile HouseNew Cal Rabbit FarmAbbotsfordBlackwood Building CentreAgassiz Building SupplyAldergroveOtter Co-OpArmstrongCountry West SupplyAshcroftAshcroft Building CentreCastlegarMitchell SupplyChilliwackCANEX Building SuppliesCountry West SupplyClintonClinton Building SupplyCranbrook / KootenaysTop CropCrestonGrowers SupplyCourtenayTop Shelf FeedsDuncanTop Shelf FeedsGrand ForksBoundary Home Building CentreHoustonBulkley Valley Home CentreKamloops / MerrittPurity FeedKelownaGrowers SupplyKeremeosQC LtdLangleyCountry LumberDawson Brill LumberLillooetLillooet BuildersLogan LakeFence ‘N More Supplies LtdMaple RidgeHaney Building CentreNanaimoCountry West SupplyOkanagan / OliverGrowers SupplyParksvilleFenceline ProductsPembertonAnimal BarnPentictonGrowers SupplyPitt MeadowsOtter Co-OpPowell RiverPowell River Building Supply Top Shelf FeedsPort AlberniBeaver Creek Home CentrePrincetonFletcher’s Building CentreQuadra IslandQuadra Island BuildersRock CreekFreeman’s Farm & Vet SupplySalt Spring IslandWindsor PlywoodSecheltGibsons Building CentreSmithersSmithers Feed StoreSorrentoSorrento Building CentreTelkwaBulkley Valley Home CentreVernon Growers SupplyWasa / East KootenaysWasa Hardware & Building CentreWilliams LakeBeaver Valley FeedWinlawSlocan Valley Home Hardware 250.295.7911 TF 1 877.797.7678 bill@pwppost.com www.pwppost.com 1821 Crowsnest Hwy. 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20 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCPETER MITHAM & SANDRA TRETICK ABBOTSFORD – Dairy producers affected by the Sumas Prairie floods of November 2021 were assured March 28 that flood mitigation remains a top issue for government. Recent efforts include bringing BC agriculture minister Pam Alexis up to speed. “Within two weeks of being on the job, she was on a dairy farm and we took her to Blair Schurmann’s place so she could hear from him what he experienced,” BC Dairy Association general manager Jeremy Dunn told the BC Milk Marketing Board’s spring producer meeting in Abbotsford. BC Dairy says dike upgrades are critical, and it is reminding government that it’s responsible for public safety. “‘What would you like to tell dairy farmers who are living behind the exact same dike they lived behind two years ago? The dike that’s in worse shape today than it was two years ago because of the flood?’” he says the association asks government. “It’s a very real problem.” Having seen what the force of the water did to his operation in 2021, Nick Warmerdam of Lakeland Flowers says recent repairs to the dike haven’t resolved his concerns. A short-term solution would be controlled overflows, which he says are a lot cheaper than moving dikes and building pumphouses, two other elements in the long-term flood mitigation plan Abbotsford approved last June. Controlled overflows would let some water through on purpose. That would reduce the water level and prevent any breaches that would destroy the dike. “If I could talk to someone directly in the government, I’d really like them to start looking at doing that, because it’s one of the things that wouldn’t cost near as much money and they could do it faster,” says Warmerdam. The time needed to secure funding and effect the improvements needed to protect farmers is a long-term venture, Dunn says, complicated by the number of stakeholders involved. But lobbying is having an impact, he says, noting that Abbotsford officials have shifted from seeking funding for the entire $2 billion preferred option approved last year to focus on garnering support for a new Sumas River pump station estimated at $800 million. “In an effort to address the urgent need for additional flood protection for our community, the city has since suggested decoupling … the Sumas River pump station from the rest of the plan,” a city statement to Country Life in BC says. “A Sumas River pump station would provide immediate benefits and enhanced flood protection to the businesses and residents of Sumas Prairie, as well as protection for our province’s key transportation corridor along Highway 1 for the movement of goods and services.” Dunn says the pump station alone isn’t a perfect solution, but it’s a step forward. “It’s not built yet, it’s not promised – it’s $800 million – it’s going to take a bit of time to get that, but it’s on the right track,” he says, urging dairy farmers to speak up. “Any time one of you is around elected officials, remind them that 62 dairy farmers were evacuated from their farms because they were deeply under water,” he says. “You have to keep reminding them or they will forget.” Farmers urged to lobby for flood mitigationAbbotsford makes Sumas pump station a top funding priority0% FOR 60MONTHS $27,995$32,595AFTERREBATE $378PER MO REGULAR PRICE ++OR SAVE AN EXTRA $1,500 WHEN YOU PAY CASH1025R WITH LOADER+DEERESEASONOR SAVE AN EXTRA $1,500 WHEN YOU PAY CASH0% FOR 60MONTHS $36,995$43,695AFTERREBATE $498PER MO REGULAR PRICE 1025R WITH LOADERAND BACKHOEACT NOW FOR OUR LIMITED TIMESALE DURING DEERE SEASON+*Offer valid with 20% of purchase price down. Loaders are factory installed. Items may not be exactly as shown, accessories, attachments, and implements cost extra. Taxes, set-up, delivery charges not included. Prices are based onthe US exchange and may be subject to change. A documentation fee of up to $349 will be applied to all ﬁnance offerings. Additional fees may apply. Programs and prices subject to change without notice. See PrairieCoast forfull details. Offer valid until 05/31/23, while supplies last. Financing on approved JD Financial credit only. Limited time offer which may not be combined with other offers. QID#28527881 1025R , QID#28528044 1025R W/ LBH.+PRINCE GEORGE | KAMLOOPS | KELOWNA | CHILLIWACK | LANGLEY | NANAIMO WWW.PCE.CA | 1-877-553-3373Controlled overows could help mitigate the risk of uncontrolled ooding on Sumas Prairie as happened in November 2021. LAKELAND FLOWERS

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 21BC steps up to permanently double vet seatsBut stakeholders question the impact for Northern BC Veterinarian Don Richardson, with wife Leslie, is looking to retire soon but a lack of vets willing to work in northern BC mean his practice will close, further limiting access to services in the region. SUBMITTEDExtreme High DigestibilityHigh Disease ResistanceBranch & Tap RootedPerforms in Heavier SoilsRapid Re-GrowthVery High QualityExtreme High DigestibilityHigh Disease ResistanceBranch & Tap RootedPerforms in Heavier SoilsRapid Re-GrowthVery High Quality1.800.282.7856 terraseco.comTerra Seed Corp Tap Root with Branch RootKATE AYERS MALAKWA – BC has stepped up to fund 40 seats at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, making good on an initial investment last year with promises of permanent funding. This is double the number of seats funded in the past, and welcome news to livestock producers. “It’s been very dicult to access veterinary care in rural British Columbia, particularly in the north,” says Shuswap rancher and BC Cattlemen’s Association vice-president Werner Stump. “In Northern British Columbia, an animal practitioner would typically look after 7,700 head of livestock. That’s approximately double the provincial average. As an association, we don’t believe that’s sustainable and that’s why we’re incredibly happy to hear the announcement.” The pledge, made March 23, represents a commitment of $21.8 million over three years that builds on an initial contribution of $10.7 million last year to fund the seats, lowering tuition for BC students enrolled in the WCVM’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at the University of Saskatchewan. The funding means students will pay about $11,000 per year in tuition versus upwards of $69,000 in unsubsidized tuition costs. The funding comes via StrongerBC’s Future Ready plan and is intended to be permanent. Vets welcome the news as they’ve been under immense pressure in the past few years Provincial funding udue to the high demand and low supply of veterinarians and vet technicians. “It’s one of the best things that the veterinarian association has heard in the last few years. … We’ve been working on this since 2018. And they nally agreed that that was a good thing to do,” says Vancouver veterinarian and Society of BC Veterinarians representative Dr. Rob Ashburner. A report in 2018 indicated an additional 200 veterinarians were needed over the following two years. While the new funding doesn’t fully meet the need, it will help alleviate the shortage, Ashburner adds. BC’s chief veterinarian Dr. Theresa Burns also mentioned the importance of this funding in helping to address the shortage of practitioners, during a Centre for Organizational Governance in Agriculture webinar, April 11. However, veterinarians who live and work in Northern BC are sceptical students will seek out work where the shortage is most acute. “That’s grand, we get 20 new grads, but where are they going to go?” says Dr. Don Richardson, rancher and owner of Haida Gwaii’s rst and only veterinary facility. “They're not going to go to Burns Lake, they're not going to go to Haida Gwaii. They're going to go to the Fraser Valley,” he says. “They are going to go where the money is, where the people are.” A veterinarian for 44 years, Richardson is looking to fully retire but is having a hard

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22 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Provincial funding should be retroactiveMFG OF MINI SKID STEERS AND A VARIETY OF ATTACHMENTS INCLUDINGDRAINAGE PLOWS | TREE SPADES | TREE SAWS & SHEARS | BOOM MOWERS | PTO POWER PACKSBRUSH MULCHERS | ROTARY BRUSH CUTTERS | PTO GENERATORS | AUGER DRIVES | FLAIL MOWERSTREE PULLERS | FELLER BUNCHERS | EXCAVATOR ADAPTERS | SCREW SPLITTERS | TRENCHERS | STUMP GRINDERSBAUMALIGHT.COMAdair Sales & Marketing Company Inc. 306-773-0996 | info@adairreps.comtime nding replacement vets to carry on his practice and solely relies on locum veterinarians. “It's dicult. We can't seem to get anybody. People don't want to commit to a job that ties them down. They don't want to move to this end of the world,” he says. “We don't have a problem getting people to come for two weeks or three weeks or a month, but to commit to a year or six months – it’s just not happening.” With veterinarians aging out of practice or stepping back from the profession and few graduates heading north, the pressure on the few professionals working in the area is building. Rural communities suffer A recent economic impact study of veterinary medicine in BC found that the ratio of large animals to veterinarians working in large or mixed animal practices in urban BC was between 3,000 and 3,500 animals per veterinarian. The ratio jumps to between 7,700 and 8,900 animals per veterinarian in rural and Northern BC. The work was conducted by MNP LLP with support from the BC Cattlemen’s Association, BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and other Northern BC organizations. Proponents of the study argue that a veterinary program made and taught in BC would enable students from the north and across BC to study and practise in the province. Indeed, many vets working in Northern BC grew up in the area and that’s what drew them back to practising in or near their hometowns. Prince George’s Murdoch Veterinary Clinic owner and lead vet Dr. Christine Murdoch was born and raised in the area and opened her business in 1991. “When I applied to veterinary school, you know, more than 30 years ago, the province of BC funded 20 seats. And that has not changed in 30 years. Whereas over that time, the demand for veterinarians has increased,” Murdoch says. While she is happy to hear more students are supported through this funding, relieving the pressure on general practitioners is also an issue of attraction and retention. “The opportunities for graduating veterinarians have increased. So now, veterinarians that graduate don't necessarily go out and practice in general practice. They have so many other options available to them,” Murdoch says. “Increasing our pool of veterinarians is nothing but a good thing, and the hope would be that when you increase your number of seats to students from your province, that the majority of the students will come back then return to general practice.” Opposition opinion is mixed about the announcement. “We’re obviously ecstatic by getting the answers that we’ve been pushing for for years,” says Delta South MLA Ian Paton and agriculture critic for BC United (formerly the BC Liberals). “[But] we’ve fought tooth and nail for probably four years now to get all these 40 seats subsidized by the province.” Paton would like to see recent unsubsidized students given retroactive payments for their tuition and rebates for students who commit to working in large animal veterinary care in rural and remote BC. Third-year WCVM student Ruth Patten hopes the province will oer retroactive payments to cover the full tuition of non-subsidized students. “The current proposed investment only covers two of the four years of the tuition being charged to BC Non-IPA (Non-Interprovincial Agreement) students in our program, but disregards the previous debt incurred by [existing students],” Patten says. Following the announcement, non-subsidized BC students are still out $200,000 with approximately $1,000 in monthly interest charges on their loans, Patten says. These students have reached the maximum amount that Scotiabank is willing to oer Canadian vet students, she adds. “We are the next wave of vets set to graduate next spring, and as someone who desires to work as a rural vet, I'm curious to know whether we will be now fully supported and recognized as the BC students we are for the entirety of our program, or remain unsupported for half of it,” Patten says. “I hope that in reviewing the goals of the investment, the government would oer retroactive payments of our loans incurred during the waiting process and permanently remove this issue from the memory of young BC veterinary students for good, and by doing so enable us to get to work where we're needed most.” Canadian Food Inspection Agency ocials revoked the last primary control zones established in the Fraser Valley to control last fall’s outbreak of highly pathogenic avian inuenza on April 22. The decision puts the major production area in the clear, three months after the last detection on January 22 and just over a year after the rst case in the current outbreak was detected on a North Okanagan broiler farm on April 13, 2022. Just one control zone remains in the province, around a non-commercial premises in Summerland. While new cases have been detected in Eastern Canada, BC has so far been clear this spring as migrating birds return from southern climes. The disease has impacted nearly 3.7 million birds on 103 properties in BC over the past year. — Peter Mitham AI pause

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 23Cloudy skies and rain weren’t exactly unwelcome in Kelonwa in late April. The region has been experiencing “severe drought” conditions heading into spring. MYRNA STARK LEADERFOR BAGGED or BULK ORDERSDarren Jansen Owner604.794.3701organicfeeds@gmail.comwww.canadianorganicfeeds.comCertified by Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd.Einbock Tillage Equipment For Organic FarmingEconomical Reliable Low Maintenance Safe and Proven Order now for guaranteed next season delivery.Tine Weeders Row Crop CultivatorsRotary Hoes Camera GuidanceSystemsOrder now forguaranteed next season delivery.DELTA Drain Tile CleanersImproves Drainage & Conditions SoilEmail us today at: info@reimersfarmservices.comKATE AYERS WEST KELOWNA – The growing season is o to a smoother start than last year for Kings Garden Family Orchard owner Rochelle Neumeier in West Kelowna, but below-average precipitation over the winter has many growers waiting to see what follows. “We got a late freeze, so we lost 80% of our crop last year,” Neumeier says. “This year has been able to hold back those temperatures, so we’re just starting to see those blossoms come out. I’m constantly watching that overnight temperature because -2°C was what got us last year.” Kings Garden grows pears, plums, peaches, apricots, raspberries, garlic, apples and grapes. The apricots are the rst crop to bloom in the season and buds have formed on the plums, Neumeier says. “If we get that warm winter and they start to bloom early and then you get a late freeze, that is a bad thing,” she adds. “But it seems to have been a gradual warm-up this year, which is great because they haven’t wanted to bud.” The farm’s soil moisture seems to be holding well, despite Agriculture Canada reporting severe drought conditions in the Kelowna and Vernon areas on March 31. “Last year, we probably got more snow dumps than this year but … we got deep wet snow and it’s been helpful to get us started,” Neumeier says. “We get a ton of snow where we are. … Everything is looking good.” However, growing and drought conditions vary by region. Eric Feehely at Silverstar Veggies in the Vernon foothills woke up to an inch of snow on April 18. “I was hoping to be seeding today and yesterday but this last snap of cooler nights has put me up and we just got about an inch of snow here this morning,” he says. “It’s surprising to see that much white stu on the ground out there today.” But it’s been a dry spring so far in his area, with Feehely already irrigating three weeks earlier than usual The conditions align with what much of the province is experiencing. From July 2022 to March 2023, the province experienced a widespread precipitation decit, except for the Cassiar Highway, says Environment and Climate Change Canada warning preparedness meteorologist Armel Castellan. “We're looking at even some of the recent rains that have been noted but are really, essentially, a drop in the bucket that's not completely empty, but certainly in that range of 45%, 60% or 70% of normal over a long period of time,” Castellan said during a provincial brieng on April 13. “Not just a few weeks or a couple of months but, really, over the last three seasons.” In the short-term, cold coastal waters due to a third consecutive La Niña winter will have a cooling inuence over BC weather through the spring. Heading into the summer, BC may see warmer temperatures from the impending El Niño pattern. BC is at 88% of normal snowpack for April 1 but the Chilcotin, Lower Thompson and Boundary areas are at or well over 100% of normal levels. While the key freshet risk period is over May and June, spring weather is the critical factor in freshet ooding, says BC River Forecast Centre head David Campbell. Extreme weather, including hot or wet conditions can lead to ooding, even in areas with normal or below normal snowpack. In the short term, cooler spring temperatures will likely delay the onset of snow melt and could result in further snow accumulation, which could bump up ooding risk in some areas, Campbell says. However, he notes that rivers have extremely low ows in most regions of the province this spring due to a dry fall. Also indicative of the relatively dry conditions are the 11 res that the BC Wildre Service tended to in the rst two weeks of April that exhibited aggressive re behaviour for this time of year. Right now, a “normal” spring looks to be in the cards, which would result in scattered showers across much of the province, says BC Wildre lead forecaster Matt MacDonald. It’s still too early to predict the number and severity of wildres in July and August because conditions depend on June precipitation, which cannot be forecast this far in advance, MacDonald says. However, continued snowpack growth will decrease the likelihood of early season lightning-caused res. The likelihood of early-season grass res depends on the persistence of valley bottom snow. Last fall’s elevated drought conditions will persist until signicant and prolonged precipitation is observed, he adds. To support British Columbians through the increasing weather extremes, the province made a historic $359 million investment last year in the BC Wildre Service for prevention, preparedness, response and recovery eorts. The service now has 113 new full-time sta members, 2,000 re personnel and 700 contractors who are ready for the upcoming re season, says EMBC wildre operations director Cli Chapman. Persistent drought points to risks aheadBut El Niño pattern could return weather patterns to “normal”

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 25TOM WALKER ARMSTRONG – The rolling fields north of Armstrong are home to dairy, chicken and grain farms, and the large concrete barn on Mark van Deursen’s property doesn’t seem out of place until you look inside. “We have 16 containers inside and each one can produce 5,000 heads of lettuce every 36 days,” explains van Deursen, co-owner with his wife Lesley of Green Lion Farms. Van Deursen was looking to diversify his farming operation, which includes 500 acres of organic grain for animal feed. He was interested in a crop that would serve a local market and lettuce fit the bill. “I looked into field lettuce, which is weather-sensitive and requires a lot of inputs, and greenhouses are very costly,” he explains. He settled on a vertical farming system from Langley-based CubicFarms Systems Corp. that provides a 365-day growing environment. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) systems have grown in popularity in recent years because they allow production in less than optimal conditions. There is a container farm in Prince Rupert on BC’s wet northwest coast and one in Yellowknife, both supplied by The Growcer Inc. of Ontario. Container farms have a small footprint and don’t need soil, so they can be tucked into the back of a parking lot. But increasingly, they are being viewed as commercial-scale growing systems that provide a more stable growing environment in a shifting climate. “The huge commercial lettuce growers in California are looking to container Armstrong greens grower targets local nicheContainer farms take root, boost food security, proponents sayOrganic grain producer Mark Van Deursen has taken diversication to new levels with his vertical lettuce farm. Housed in 16 containers, he’s harvesting lettuce from a warehouse in Armstrong every 20 days. TOM WALKERfarms to reduce the risk of weather events and have a sustainable supply of product,” notes van Deursen. Each 40x8-foot container is a separate farm unit with the equivalent growing area of a football field. Green Lion Farms currently grows six different types of lettuce as well as microgreens. “We definitely had to figure out what works on our own, but the system has worked for us,” says Van Deursen. “It’s a really good business model; the numbers are good.” Van Deursen says he sources his lettuce seed – specifically developed for hydroponic growing – from Holland, while the microgreen seeds are from Saskatchewan. “We direct seed into peat pods that are placed in our two propagation containers and 14 days later we simply move that pod into a grow-out system,” he explains. Inside the grow-out container, 250 20-foot horizontal metal grow-trays balance and are chain-driven to rotate in a circle, much like a Ferris wheel, allowing for consistent exposure towards and away from the LED grow lights. Fertigation is computer-controlled to run along the bottom of the tray and water the roots and then returns to be recycled and reused. An app controls temperature, humidity, air Year-round local lettuce uYOURHelping YouYOURHelping YouHelpingpingplpinYoulHHpingoeDon’t forget to RENEW your subscription toCountry Lifein BCQuality Pre-Owned Tractors & EquipmentAGCO ST41A 4WD plus loader, 750 hrs. . . . . Coming soon ANDEX 773 Rake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500 BOBCAT 751 Skidsteer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coming soon CLAAS DISCO 2650 Mower, 8 ft 5 in cutting width 8,000 FELLA SM 320 Disc Mower, 3 point Hitch . . . . . . . . . 9,000 HARDIE BNL 50 three point Hitch sprayer New . . 3,500 JAYLOR Mixer Wagon 4575 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500 JD 348 Baler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,500 JD 990 tractor, loader, AWD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coming soon KUBOTA M7-151 Premium, with 245 Hours . . . . . .135,000 MF 1742 tractor, AWD with cab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27,500 MF 1835M tractor, loader Backhoe, 40 Hours . . . . 52,000 MF 4609 tractor with 931 loader, 2215 Hours . . . . . 49,000 MF 6713 tractor, cab, AWD, 207 hrs . . . . . . . Coming soon TURBOMATIC 600 lt sprayer with side cannon . . . . 8,500 WN 8085T articulating loader, coming soon . . . . . . 47,500 WN WL60T articulating loader 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85,000VAN DER WAL EQUIPMENT (1989) LTD. 23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6 604/463-3681 | vanderwaleq.com Worth its weight. The 90 series machines were designed to handle particularly heavy materials - in silos or with a large number of big bales. Machines of this size prove their worth. They work efficiently and sustainably in conjunction with the latest engine technology (level V). Climb aboard!9580T

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flow and watering. “This system uses between 96% and 98% less water than a field system,” notes van Deursen, who draws his water from a well. Twenty days after transplant, the 80-100 gram living lettuce is harvested and packed into a plastic-lined shipping box. “We wheel a packing table up to the container, take out the tray and remove each lettuce, trim the outer leaves and pack it,” says van Deursen. “It’s repetitive work, but there is no heavy lifting.” Four full-time and two part-time staff run the operation, which is easy to keep clean. It’s also free of pests, which eliminates the need for chemical inputs. But it does use a lot of electricity. “I had to upgrade my hydro to three-phase,” says van Deursen. “Hydro and trucking are my biggest 26 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Year-round local lettuceSeeds, imported from Holland, are planted in peat pods and placed in propagation containers until they’re moved at 14 days to one of the vertical growing carousels. TOM WALKERCohortWholesale.comTechnical and sales support provided byCrack the cherry cracking code!Lalstim Osmo • Minimizes yield losses caused by rain-induced splitting• Works quickly and provides protection for several weeks• Excellent tank-mix partnerAlways read and follow label directions. Lalstim Osmo is a registered trademark of Lallemand Plant Care. Copyright ©2023 Lallemand Plant Care. CRACK THE C DElallemandplantcare.com operating costs.” Heat generated from the HVAC systems is circulated throughout the building to reduce costs and the lights are turned off during the day. “It’s interesting. We tried running the lights 24 hours a day but we found that the plants grow faster when they have a six-hour dormant period,” says van Deursen. The majority of sales are to restaurants and retail chains through Sysco. Microgreens are supplied to Loblaws and van Deursen expects to be supplying lettuce to Sobeys by May. “What chefs like in particular is the consistency of the product and the long shelf life,” says van Deursen. “We ship the microgreens on the mat they are grown on and chefs can snip off what they need.” Green Lion also supplies several organic delivery businesses across the Okanagan and do direct sales from the farm. “There is lots of interest in this sustainable product, but you eventually run out of supply,” says Van Deursen. Future plans call for expansion. “I just don’t have the volume to supply a large chain like Earls,” van Deursen says. “And I would like to be in more of the local, smaller independent grocery and farm stores, so I have more local exposure.” Food bank benefits Lake Country Food Bank in Winfield is one local outlet, where executive director Joy Huxton says 21 two-dozen boxes of living lettuce arrive each week from Green Lion. “This is such a welcome donation,” says Huxton. “We don’t get a lot of high-quality local fresh produce to distribute, so this is a wonderful addition to the food bank.” Boosting local food security was part of the initial vision for the project, and van Deursen is glad to see it being realized. “Nutritious food should be available locally all year long,” he says. “It is not just about selling local, my wife Lesley and I believe it’s also about supporting those who can’t afford it.” YOURHelping YouHelping YouSignSign up today forfor freeupy eeWEEKLY FARM NEWS UPDATES

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 27Ranch owner pleads guilty and fined after charges laidA Chilcotin rancher is facing nes of nearly $1 million after lling in sensitive sh habitat to expand forage areas between 2019 and 2021. FILE“Serving and Supporting the Community Together”PROVINCIALLY INSPECTED ABATTOIR B.C. #34ALL SIZES MARKET GOATS & LAMBS604.465.4752 (Ext 105)FAX 604.465.4744 ashiq@meadowvalleymeats.comKATE AYERS ALEXIS CREEK – Felix Schellenberg of Altherr & Schellenberg Cattle Co. faces $955,000 in penalties for sh habitat destruction in and near the Kleena Kleene and Little Chilcotin rivers. Schellenberg was found to have lled in kilometres of sh channels and a traditional shing site between 2019 and 2021 to expand pasture acreage. On February 28, Schellenberg pleaded guilty to oences under the federal Fisheries Act and provincial Forest and Range Practices and Water Sustainability acts. According to court les, the company faced seven counts of harmful alteration of sh habitat, 45 counts of unlawfully constructing or maintaining works on Crown land, 44 counts of unlawfully engaging in any activity on Crown land and 20 counts of making changes in and about a stream dating back to June 2019. Williams Lake provincial court ordered A&S, which includes the Pasture to Plate and Rafter 25 Ranch subsidiaries, to pay $500,000 in remediation costs plus $455,000 in nes. In addition, it must post a $750,000 bond for salmon habitat remediation with a 10-year remediation order to restore impacted areas. But the monetary penalties don’t make up for the harm the ranch committed to sh habitat and community well-being, the Tŝilhqot'in Nation says. “It’s a company that doesn't care or put much value in the waterways that support our spring chinook salmon,” Tŝilhqot’in National Government Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Joe Alphonse told Country Life in BC. “A company like that has no regard for the environment. We don't want them in our territory. All the provincial leases should all be revoked.” The investigation into habitat destruction on Schellenberg’s ranch and range tenure was led by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans because the management of sockeye, pink, chum and chinook salmon is a federal responsibility. The Ministry of Forests’ Natural Resource Ocers assisted in the investigation. When Schellenberg was taken to court, he sought support from Lee Hesketh, a rancher and Farmland-Riparian Interface Stewardship Program manager. DFO initially encouraged Hesketh to intervene and nd some common ground but he was subsequently told not to get involved because the province was following through with prosecution. Know your rights To avoid habitat damage and adverse situations with the provincial and Indigenous governments, Hesketh recommends ranchers complete an environmental farm plan. “Become informed with knowing what your rights and responsibilities are,” he says. “I’ve been asked by the agriculture sector to try to help support having farmers and ranchers be able to do a lot of things on their own. I understand that because as a rancher, we've always taken care of things ourselves. But the challenge with dealing around water is that a lot of times I nd ranchers think that they know how to do things when they really don't.” Hesketh also understands that ranchers want to do things as cost-eectively as possible, but they must be mindful of possible outcomes. “I’ve been to a number of places where people want that little bit of extra hay eld and it's not worth it. … The river needs those corridors,” he says. Indeed, riparian areas are important for ecosystem health and farm viability during weather extremes, so it’s in a producer’s best interests to protect and maintain them. “We’re still dealing with the recent Merritt situation with the ooding that happened down there,” Hesketh says. “Some of the places that actually held together was because they had a healthy riparian corridor and we made eorts previously to do protection works. That riparian corridor is your insurance policy.” Felix Schellenberg was unavailable for comment before deadline. Fish habitat compromised by ranch operationHave you herd? VBP+ TrainingWorkshops or Webinarsare Free!Looking to learn moreabout how to raisehealthy beef cattle?Open to producers of allsizes!free to all beef producersin bc!

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28 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCHereford breeder Maxine Bell is being remembered as an experienced horsewoman who spent many hours out on range checking cattle. SUBMITTEDKATE AYERS VANDERHOOF – Earlier this year, the Yellowhead Hereford Breeders’ Association awarded three ranching families with honorary life memberships. Jack and Nell Welch of Sturgeon Point Farm in Vanderhoof were recipients of a life membership for their commitment to the Hereford breed and being members of the 43-year-old association for 40 years. “It was a surprise but a nice one,” says Nell. “We enjoy the friendships we had through the Hereford association. They’re a good network and part of our working family.” The couple bought their farm in 1969, which at the time only had ve acres of cleared land. So, they spent several years getting the property ready for cattle, Nell says. They bought their rst Herefords in 1978. Today, they run about 32 cows and 15 calves on 450 acres. Jack was the Hereford representative on the Vanderhoof Bull Sale committee and the Welches sold their bulls at the sale from the 1980s into the early 2000s. The couple raised horned Herefords and Nell articially inseminated cows each year to introduce new bloodlines and continually improve their herd. “Eventually that became too much work and they switched to all-natural service. In the last 10 years, they have introduced polled Hereford bulls into their herd,” says BC Hereford Association secretary Janice Tapp. Elsie Brigden of Bridgen Herefords in Quesnel also received an honorary life membership. “Elsie and her late husband Al held one of the earliest memberships in the YHBA,” Tapp says. The couple began farming in Quesnel in the 1970s and participated in the Vanderhoof Bull Sale for many years. However, they were best known for selling their bulls at the Williams Lake sale for over 40 years, Tapp says. “Elsie still keeps a few cows around and helps out around the farm as much as possible,” Tapp adds. Maxine Bell of Vallee Creek Ranch in Houston received a life membership, too, before passing on March 21 at the age of 75. The family’s ranch was established in 1948 after Maxine’s father Harry Anderson moved to the area with soldier settlement money and married Jule Munger, says Bell’s granddaughter Haley Bell. The ranch also includes land that has been in the family since 1919. Today, the ranch is overseen by the family’s fth generation. The family calves about 200 head and they background yearlings to sell in the fall. “Maxine developed rugged, range-ready cattle which were able to ourish in the rough, mountainous pastures, which formed part of the ranch and range,” Tapp says. Bell sold bulls at the Vanderhoof and Williams Lake sales for many years. She was a well-respected cattle judge in BC and Alberta, being one of the few women to judge at the World Hereford Conference on horseback. Bell was also supportive of young people wanting to get into the cattle business. “She taught me more than anyone else has about true grit and being a handy cowgirl – from roping calves and breaking colts to shoeing horses,” Haley says. The lifetime membership holds great signicance for the Bell family, as it recognizes Maxine’s dedication to the Hereford breed and association. “Rarely do you see one woman with eight or 10 horned Hereford bulls at a sale doing it all by herself, and that’s what she instilled in my sister and I – put in the work, and it will pay o,” Haley says. “I will always be thankful for what she has taught me and the impact she has on my life.” The YHBA was established in 1980 to bring together Hereford breeders along Highway 16 (the Yellowhead) for social and promotional events, Tapp says. Ranchers honoured BC Hereford recognizes three families

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 29Veteran cattle seller Al Smith retiresForty years of cattle sales give way to travel plansAfter 40 years marketing beef cattle in BC, BC Livestock’s Al Smith is retiring. SUBMITTEDemail: audreycifca@gmail.com395 Kinchant Street, Quesnel, B.C. V2J 5A3Producers can apply for an advance on calves, yearlings, lambs, bison, forage and grain up to $1,000,000.00 with the rst $250,000.00 being interest free. Plus, interest relief through the Advance Payments Program is available to association members on their feeder cattle purchases.Producer Check-o Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333www.cattlefund.net 1.877.688.2333KATE AYERS KAMLOOPS – BC Livestock Producers Co-op marketing specialist Al Smith retired at the end of April after 40 years in the cattle-selling business. “I started selling cattle for Jordan Auctioneers in 1983. Then I started with the BC Livestock Producers Co-op in 1989 running the stockyards at OK Falls,” Smith says. But his experience in the cattle sector goes back even further. “I was born and raised on a ranch in Nicola. Basically, when I turned 16, I started working in the back of the yards for BC Livestock in the mid-70s … where we pushed cattle onto the scale and then into the sale ring,” Smith explains. At the time, Smith’s family ran a Hereford/Angus cross cow-calf herd. Smith’s career with the co-op has taken him to all three sale yards – Okanagan Falls, Williams Lake and Vanderhoof – as well as the head oce in Kamloops, where he nished o his tenure. His fondest memories throughout the years are from attending cattle sales and talking with producers. “I’ve met a lot of people and it’s been a great experience,” Smith says. “I will always have lots of good memories, especially working with ranchers, producers, the public and … cattle.” BC Livestock is thankful for Smith’s work over the years. “Al Smith has been a huge part of the cattle industry in BC and with BC Livestock Co-op,” says rancher and co-op general manager Cordy Cox. “He could always be counted on. Al seemed to make friends wherever he went. … He’s dedicated most of his life to BC Livestock Co-op, and I know that every one at the co-op as well as all the producers in BC are grateful for everything that he's done for the industry.” The co-op hosted a retirement party for Smith following the Williams Lake sale on April 20. Smith wrapped up sales responsibilities after the Vanderhoof regular sale the following day and is now excited to travel the province. “[I’m] going to do some travelling throughout BC even though I’ve been around BC a lot,” he says. “I’m looking forward to visiting and seeing a lot of my old customers all over BC and relax and enjoy life.” The 86th annual Williams Lake Bull Show and Sale, April 13-14, saw lower volume than previous years with just 39 bulls on oer. But prices were up slightly from last year, says Al Smith from BC Livestock. The top seller was an Angus bull bought by Willow Ranch in Knutsford for $7,100. The next two highest sellers were Hereford bulls which sold for $6,600 to G & B Jacobsen in Bike Lake and $6,250 to Simpson Ranching in Rocky View County. The overall average price of all bulls sold was $4,748.72. BC Livesetock general manager Cordy Cox hopes that the bull sale committee can bring ranchers back to the event in the future. “It is disappointing to see lighter numbers at the Williams Lake Bull Show and Sale because … there's a lot of tradition that's woven into that sale,” says Cox, noting that it’s been held long enough to be a living “piece of the history of the cattle industry in this region.” “I understand that people are moving in dierent directions and wanting to have their own private sales, but I'm really hopeful that the bull sale committee can bolster some more support and get through to the producers on what an important event it is to be able to showcase their animals to that many people and hopefully continue on with it and get the numbers back up,” she says. —Kate Ayers Angus bull tops Williams Lake Bull Sale

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 31The Okanagan Food and Innovation Hub will be the largest of the province's 14 planned food hubs. LOCALMOTIVE“Serving British Columbia proudly since 1946”Machinery LimitedROLLINS RToll Free 1-800-242-9737 www.rollinsmachinery.com info@rollinsmachinery.caChilliwack 1.800.242.9737 . 47724 Yale Rd W Langley 1.800.665.9060 . 21869 56th Ave Chemainus 1.250.246.1203 . 3306 Smiley Rd Kelowna 250.765.8266 . 201-150 Campion StToll Free 1-800-242-9737 www.rollinsmachinery.comChilliack 1.800.242.9737 | 44725 Yale Rd W Langley 1.800.665.9060 | 21869 - 56th Ave Chemainus 1.250-246.1203 | 3306 Smiley RdChilliwack 1.800.242.9737 . 47724 Yale Rd W Langley 1.800.665.9060 . 21869 56th Ave Chemainus 1.250.246.1203 . 3306 Smiley Rd Kelowna 250.765.8266 . 201-150 Campion StSPRING FEEDING MADE EASYTRACEY FREDRICKSON SUMMERLAND – Okanagan Similkameen food producers wanting to scale up through value-added processing are a step closer to accessing the resources they need. On March 15, the province announced $800,000 towards completion of the Okanagan Food and Innovation Hub (OFIH), a 10,000-square-foot facility that will be the largest of 14 locations in the BC Food Hub Network. Ten are currently in operation. Food hubs provide shared commercial food-processing and innovation space that helps increase the volume of food grown and processed locally. Like other food hubs across North America, OFIH aims to create more jobs and address food safety and security issues. “The project has been an area of focus for the District of Summerland and our partners since 2013 as we looked at opportunities to develop the value-added agriculture and agritech sectors in the region,” says Brad Dollevoet, development services director for Summerland. “The distance many farmers are from food processing facilities, the cost of accessing processing equipment and limitations to their infrastructure and financing are the most common barriers to pursuing value-added food processing opportunities.” There are more than 2,500 food processors in BC producing value-added products. The food and beverage processing sector is the second largest manufacturing sector in the province after forestry, with $11.1 billion in sales in 2020. While the Okanagan Similkameen region grows the majority of BC’s grapes, peaches and plums, it is home to just 10% of BC’s food processors. As a result, many local growers ship their produce to the Lower Mainland or Alberta for processing. But a growing number of farmers in the region are keen to embrace value-added processing to diversify their operations and increase revenues. The majority began as hobby operations, however, and lack the Okanagan food hub a step closer to realityCentre will be the largest of 14 planned for the provinceFood hub u 250.307.5042 tf 1.877.707.5042 info@roostsolar.com www.roostsolar.com Roost Solar is a licensed electrical contractor with Red Seal Journeyman Electricians. As the only installer in the region with a NABCEP Certiﬁed PV Installation Professional, we are committed to the highest level of quality, customer service, and technical expertise.Visit us online for informationabout How to get started and the Canada Greener Homes Grant and Greener Home Loan which offer up to $5000 in grants, and up to a $40,000 10-year interest-free loan for solar installations.TSBC License #LEL0209968Call or click for a FREE Solar Consultation and Estimate.Solar PV Arrays | Home Battery Systems | EV ChargersGo Solar and SaveBe resilient to rising energy costs and take advantage of the Canada Greener Homes Grant and Loan Programs.Helping you grow your business. you ours.

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32 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Food hub capitalizes on Summerland's history of research and innovation business and technical skills needed for market development and scaling up production. “Moving into value-added processing is the low-hanging fruit for producers to compete in today’s economy,” says Charles Cornell, general manager of Community Futures Okanagan Similkameen, a major partner in the project. “Many government contracts, supermarket chains and export markets have strict standards for facilities that process food products. The food hub will provide small producers and entrepreneurs a place to test, develop and fulfill orders until they are large enough to invest in their own facility.” The hub will also have implications for food waste recycling. Currently, 25% of food produced in the region is culled. The hub aims to discover opportunities for cull product and prevent it from entering the region’s landfills. "Small-scale farmers are throwing away part of their profits in the form of waste products that could be made into value-added," says Cawston-based Joppa Wills, an experienced producer, processor and agriculture consultant and past director on the board of the Small-Scale Food Processors Association. "With the range of commercial equipment that will be available through the food hub, producers will have a local facility and support for testing out ideas for equipment and processing what they grow.” Summerland was selected as the location for the hub due to the area’s long history of agricultural research and innovation. The community hosts the internationally recognized Summerland Research and Development Centre and is close to UBC Okanagan and Okanagan College, which provide complementary training and research programs. Hub users will have access to a HACCP-certified commercial kitchen, temperature-zoned storage space, packaging equipment and a food testing laboratory. The facility will also provide services around product development consulting, food testing, meeting room space and co-working space. The local non-profit society is expected to manage the day-to-day operations of the hub. Summerland created a business plan for the project in 2020 which was initially called the South Okanagan Food Innovation and Processing Hub. Soon after the plan was finished and potential locations identified, COVID-19 brought the project to a halt. By 2021, the buildings proposed to host the hub were no longer available and the needs of businesses in the region had changed. With funding received from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), the district hired Greenchain Consulting to update the 2020 business plan. The facility was renamed the Okanagan Food and Innovation Hub to reflect its benefits to the wider region. Building on the research conducted for the initial business plan, the revised 2020 plan provides options for a location in Summerland, letters of support and survey results from numerous producers and stakeholders and a five-year operational plan and budget. The project is currently focused on securing funding to cover set-up costs and operational losses for one to two years. Five years out Full development of the hub is expected to take five years, after which it is expected to be profitable. Forty-three jobs will be created to establish the facility and approximately $1,250,000 will be invested in the local economy. “With the recent funding from the government of BC and a detailed, updated business plan in place, we are ready to pursue an additional $1.2 million from higher levels of government that is still needed for the project to proceed,” says Dollevoet. Widespread support for the project has come from farmers, entrepreneurs, regional, provincial and federal government agencies, industry associations, accelerators and business incubator programs and partners. Over 78 food businesses across the Okanagan have indicated they would use the facility, with nine of those businesses willing to provide equity stakes of $5,000 towards the project. “The cost of land and operating in the South Okanagan has increased significantly, requiring local agricultural producers and processors to find methods and new product development to remain competitive in a global marketplace,” says Penticton chief administrative officer Donny Van Dyk. “The education and research component of the proposed food hub is key.” Thomas Tumbach started his company, LocalMotive in 2005 to help develop local food distribution networks that connect organic farmers with consumers in the BC Interior. “Like many other producers in the area, we are looking to make the most of what we grow through value-added processing,” says Tumbach. “This facility will help increase the possibility of primary production and create opportunities for new value-added revenue streams.” Dollevoet says the OFIH will be a flagship facility for Summerland and surrounding communities, attracting users from as far as Vernon and Princeton. “Our land base and economies rely on agriculture and the food hub is a valuable economic initiative that will grow the sector,” adds Cornell. “As a long-time Okanagan resident and hobby gardener, having the hub here also means that if my kids want to test out a food idea, there is an opportunity for them do that which wouldn’t exist otherwise.” PRE-OWNED EQUIPMENT CASE IH MAGNUM 190 SOLD! 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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 33Agassiz dairy farmers Gerald Struys, left, and Duane Post take a breather beside some of the bales made during an agricultural plastics collection day in early March. SUBMITTEDSANDRA TRETICK AGASSIZ – Normally when you see farmers baling, they’re wrapping forage to feed their livestock. That wasn’t the case among dairy farmers in Agassiz on March 9. They were baling their bale wrap. The event was a bi-annual collection day coordinated by the Kent Agricultural Plastics Recycling Society, an informal group of local dairy farmers that have been working on recycling their agricultural plastics since 2014. Unlike previous events, the plastics weren’t simply being bagged for shipment to a recycling centre. This time, the farmers were testing out two dierent styles of compactors to create bales for more ecient storage and transportation. “It would be easier to truck it if it was in bales, so that’s where the compacting all started,” says Gerald Struys, one of the participating dairy farmers. “As farmers, we didn’t like seeing all this plastic going into the landll or being burnt.” The collection days originally started when the District of Kent ran a pilot project that lasted for three years. When it ended, local farmers got together to keep it going. In those days they were stung as much plastic as they could into big fertilizer bags and paying $20 per bag to cover shipping to a recycler in Vancouver. Every four to ve months they would ll two shipping containers, each holding 30 bags. When the recycler notied them two years ago that they would no longer take their plastic, the group began searching for an alternative. That’s when they happened upon Cleanfarms, an Ontario-based non-prot that runs programs to address agricultural waste. This year, Agassiz farmers brought their plastics to Cordine Farms where they could try out two compactors to make standard-sized bales. “[The compactors] can squeeze this plastic into very tight 500-600 pound bales which are much denser and easier (to manage),” adds dairy farmer Holger Schwichtenberg, who heads the society. “It’s more space ecient.” Cleanfarms contributed one of the compactors, which Agassiz farmers converted from manual to hydraulic. It’s lightweight and made with recycled plastic timber. The other one was a prototype built by students in the welding program at the University of the Fraser Valley. It is heavy duty, more like an industrial compactor you’d see at a recycling centre. The idea for that one arose out of a Kent agricultural advisory committee meeting attended by UFV welding program technician Pierce Stoeckly. He and welding instructor Matt Olafson developed the prototype, built by 10 of their students. The UFV advancement oce provided the funding. Even though the two units are at opposite ends of the spectrum, Struys said they both worked ne. Other local farmers are using cardboard compactors to achieve the same results. Cleanfarms has since sent an additional 10 hydraulic compactors to Agassiz which have been distributed to farms that participated in the pilots. Cleanfarms estimates that farmers in BC use around 1,000 tonnes of bale wrap every year. It accounts for 25% of all agricultural plastics used in the province. This spring Agassiz farmers collected 60 bales (50 of bale wrap and 10 of silage covers) weighing in at 30 tonnes (66,000 pounds). Cleanfarms arranged shipping to Lethbridge, where the bales will be consolidated with plastics from other programs and sent to recyclers in Alberta and Pennsylvania. Each type of plastic will be made into pellets that end up as post-consumer recycled content in products from exible packaging to pots and containers. Twelve compactors have also been sent to northern BC, where Cleanfarms is running ag plastic recycling pilots in the regional districts of Fraser-Fort George and Bulkley-Nechako. Each regional district received six. Most funding for Cleanfarms pilots comes through the Canadian Agriculture Strategic Priorities Program, but the Dairy Farmers of Canada also contributed funding last year as part of their eorts to help dairy farmers reach net zero emissions by 2050. Cleanfarms executive director Barry Friesen, executive director of Cleanfarms says the value of pilots like these lie in guring out what’s going to work in a particular region and scaling it up, as well as nding markets for recovered materials. He notes that some provinces have already made collection mandatory through legislation, but BC has not. 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34 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCTOM WALKER KELOWNA – Michigan State University cherry researcher Greg Lang challenged BC Cherry Association members to prep their orchards now to be ready for tomorrow’s technologies when they met in Kelowna for their annual general meeting in February. “Will the orchard you plant in 2023 be suitable for the technologies of 2028 and beyond?” Lang asked meeting participants. One answer for cherry growers may lie in the single-plane fruiting wall aorded by the upright fruiting oshoots (UFO) training system pioneered in neighbouring Washington, where Lang spent six years teaching. The system trains two central leaders from young trees in opposite directions along a cordon wire like a grape vine. Six fruiting leaders are then trained upwards from the cordons and supported by a middle and top wire. “The UFO system also optimises light harvest eciency that contributes to fruit avour and rmness,” Lang says. UFO is the focus of a 10-year trial that ran from 2010 until 2019 and included growers in BC, Michigan and New York. The trial with Skeena cherries at the Summerland Research and Development Centre proved itself the top-yielding training systems of four trialled on trees grafted on three dierent rootstocks. The system also makes the fruiting wall more accessible to mobile platforms from which workers can prune, thin and later pick fruit. “Pickers are 50% faster with a UFO system as opposed to a central leader tree,” Lang adds, noting that it also facilitates robotic harvesting. Rain, shade or insect covers can be draped from the trellis system to protect fruit, while a narrow, consistent canopy allows accurate spray penetration. This facilitates the use of sensor-activated spray nozzles. Research on UFO and other fruiting systems is part of Lang’s work as part of the North American research group NC140, originally formed in 1995 to examine rootstocks but which has since evolved to include training systems. The NC140 program has been testing high-density planting systems supported by a post and wire trellis, similar to what is now common in the apple industry. Most of BC’s cherry production systems are based on central leader trees with multiple fruiting branches radiating out from a main trunk with a “traditional” bushy tree. But as growers look to increase production in the face of increasingly expensive and less available labour, and to take advantage of advances in spray and pruning technology, they are looking at moving from a bushy three-dimensional cherry tree to a narrow two-dimensional tree. This is where the UFO system is appealing. “Industry is always striving for more yield and better quality with improved eciency,” says Lang. The evolution of cherry production systems in the US over the past 25 years show what’s possible. US growers have doubled production even though acreage has increased just 70%. While high-density plantings and evolving pruning systems have helped boost BC cherry production, acreage and production each increased in lockstep. Both increased 123% between 2002 and 2022. With more ecient production systems, growers may be able to make better use of their land, and be ready for the technologies that will help them work smarter, too. Upright fruiting system makes orchards future-friendlyBetter management, yields are possible for growersMultiple modes of actionson your toughest pests.Cormoran® Insecticide• Broad-spectrum rapid insect knockdown combined with extended residual control• Controls all damaging stages of target insects, including eggs, immatures & adults• Convenient co-formulation replaces the need to tank-mix different products• Registered for apples, blueberries, cherries, strawberries and many other fruit & vegetable cropsAlways read and follow label directions. Copyright ©2021 ADAMA Ltd. Cormoran® is a registered trademark of ADAMA Ltd.Technical and sales support provided byCohortWholesale.comA cherry tree trained in an Upright Fruiting Offshoot (UFO) system from the NC140 2010 Skeena rootstock and canopy training trial at Summerland Research and Development Centre. AAFC

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36 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu Wool isn’t recognized as an agricultural commodityproducts, all while paying farmers a fair price. Knutsson pays between $5 and $20 per pound, depending on the price set by the producer, the quality of the wool, and the breed. Statistics Canada data from 2020 show that on average, BC producers receive $0.29 per pound of eece, sitting only slightly ahead of Ontario and Quebec producers. Alberta producers receive the highest price point at $0.72 per pound. This data also reports that just over 18,000 pounds of raw wool were purchased from BC farms in 2020, compared to 64,154 pounds a decade earlier. McIvor and Knutsson would like to see more mid-sized bre mills in the province, but like abattoirs, these businesses require specialized equipment, zoning, space, skilled workers and face high start-up costs. “Milling is a major problem. We don't have enough mills and we don't have enough variety of mills,” Knutsson says. Belfast Mini Mills, manufactured in PEI, are becoming increasingly popular for small-scale producers who want to process eeces on site. But these smaller mills cannot do scaled productions, which cuts into Knutsson’s margins, she says. Larger mills in Alberta and Ontario, for example, can process 2,000 pounds per day, which is too much for small businesses like the Small Bird Workshop, Knutsson says. Link can process between 100 and 125 pounds of eece at her mill each month. She has always had a passion for natural bres and the mill gives her some exibility while raising a young family. But she says mills don’t last long in communities in part because the work isn’t overly protable. “Unless you love what you do, I recommend not getting into it because you're not going to make a whole lot of money. You're not here to make your millions,” Link says. “Sometimes I work for free. So that's why you don't see a lot of mills last very long; because they get tired of working for free.” Link is grateful to have support in her husband, who is a machinist and can x the equipment when it goes down, and her parents, who enjoy working in the mill without a wage. She describes BC’s bre sector as a small supportive community and would like to see producers make money from eece. “If they could make money o of having bre sheep and raising sheep just for their bre … that would be a huge boon but unfortunately, I don't know if that's going to happen even in my lifetime,” Link says. No recognition Another issue is that the provincial and federal governments do not recognize wool as an agricultural commodity. “It’s not within an ocial commodity category so it is not treated as anything. It does not exist to the government,” McIvor says. “That means there is no special funding for it.” Without investment in the sector, producers have little incentive to improve eece quality. “Farmers have just given up on it like they've tried, and they just see wool as a waste product,” Knutsson says. She’s even seen a trend of producers moving towards hair sheep because shearing is not required. “In terms of biodiversity, we're at risk of losing some of our rare breed, old genetics sheep that were the foundational roots for most of our modern breeds,” Knutsson says. These issues are not going unnoticed but time, expertise and funding constraints hinder improvement. The Campaign for Wool in Canada is a platform for engagement and education to show Canadians the benets of wool as a bre and the importance of the domestic wool industry. Knutsson is on the organization’s national wool standards and wool valuation working groups in an eort to raise the protability and prole of the bre sector. The objective of the standards, once complete, is to promote consistent wool quality. Completion of the wool valuation project would enable the campaign to present the sector’s overall worth to the government, in hopes of recruiting better support. “I think the big thing is that there's some really good work going on. It's just going to take time. It's not going to be easy overnight x,” Knuttson says. Vancouver Island Fibreshed advocate and bre artist Francine McCabe from Stz'uminus First Nation is supporting farmers and consumers on each side of the supply chain. She purchases raw eeces from producers on Vancouver Island and spins them herself to make handwoven tapestries and textiles. In addition, McCabe is publishing a book in October called Fleece and Fibre: Textile Producers of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. “We have a ton of bre here and so much variety. It’s crazy,” McCabe says. Artists on the Island are interested in small batch processing but often don’t know where to nd it. So, McCabe decided to write a book to connect producers with consumers as well as grow the regional textile economy. The book will feature over 20 breeds, including sheep, llamas and alpacas, and over 40 farmers who have eece available for artisans. McCabe would also like to see the bre sector garner more recognition. “I would love to see if we could get some more support from the government for those people looking to start their own businesses,” she says. “More infrastructure startups for people with bre; recognize bre as a product that we could really be utilizing. … It’s a resource that is kind of being pushed under the carpet right now.” Marketing British Columbia to the World®www.landquest.comToll Free 1-866-558-LAND (5263)“The Source” for Oceanfront, Lakefront, Islands, Ranches, Resorts & Land in BC®Visit our Website63 ACRE HOBBY FARM WITH CHARMING COUNTRY HOME - QUESNEL, BCSUPERB SIDNEY ISLAND OCEANFRONTSOUTHERN GULF ISLANDSNAKISKA GUEST RANCHCLEARWATER, BCNORTH END FARMSALT SPRING ISLANDAFFORDABLE STARTER RANCH CLOSE TO TOWN - PRINCE GEORGE, BCSUBDIVIDABLE RURAL ACREAGEWITH CREEK - TROUT LAKE, BCSECLUSION AT ITS BESTWELLS, BC10 ACRE OCEAN VIEW WILDERNESS PROPERTY - GALIANO ISLAND                 2  $525,000 $449,5002 $2,999,000 $11,500,000      $1,179,000      $459,000            $310,000    Priced to Sell at $595,000COLE WESTERSUND 604-360-0793 Personal Real Estate CorporationWESTERN LAND GROUPRICH OSBORNE 604-328-0848Personal Real Estate Corporationrich@landquest.comROB GREENE 604-830-2020rob@landquest.comKEVIN KITTMER 250-951-8631kevin@landquest.comSAM HODSON 604-809-2616 Personal Real Estate Corporationsam@landquest.comMATT CAMERON 250-200-1199matt@landquest.comFAWN GUNDERSON 250-982-2314Personal Real Estate Corporationfawn@landquest.comDAVE SIMONE 250-539-8733DS@landquest.comLAKEFRONT EQUESTRIAN ESTATELAC LA HACHE, BCOFF-THE-GRID RETREAT AND RECREATIONAL OASIS - NELSON ISLAND $4,100,000 $2,198,000JOHN ARMSTRONG 250-307-2100Personal Real Estate Corporationjohn@landquest.comJAMIE ZROBACK 1-604-483-1605JASON ZROBACK 1-604-414-5577BC LANDPRO GROUP

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 37Sweet business, small profits for honey producersSector analysis highlights opportunities to improve margins=`\c[Gi\gXiXk`fegcfn#gfn\i_Xiifn#Z_`j\cgcfnDXeli\jgi\X[`e^sc`hl`[jfc`[J`cX^\gXZb`e^glj_`e^:XkZ_Yl^^pCXe[c\m\cc`e^<oZXmXk`e^;`kZ_Zc\Xe`e^;iX`ek`c\`ejkXccXk`fe-'+/'*0./(mXc_XccXZljkfdX^7^dX`c%ZfdServicingMetro Vancouver and all of the Lower MainlandFamily owned and operated since 2021TOM WALKER KAMLOOPS – If you want to make money as a beekeeper in BC, diversify your operation and put time into colony management. This was a key nding of a honey industry sector analysis recently completed by economist and UBC research associate Miriam Bixby for the BC Honey Producers Association. The study was funded with $75,000 announced by former provincial agriculture minister Lana Popham at the association’s annual general meeting in Kamloops last fall. “We only had a short window of time to get the study underway and completed,” BCHPA president Heather Higo told the 2023 semi-annual meeting in Kamloops, March 24. “Within weeks, we had Miriam working on this and we are excited to hear the results.” Bixby’s study included only a small sample of the provincial industry, at just under 1%, of the total 4,300 beekeepers in the province in 2022. The 40 respondents manage 7,397 colonies or 12% of BC’s 63,000 colonies. “I would call this a small cohort scenario, and when you have a small group responding there is perhaps a greater room for error,” BCHPA 1st vice-president Je Lee points out. “But it is still phenomenal information.” Respondents represented the full range of beekeepers in the province from those with fewer than 10 colonies to operations with more than 700. They also hailed from all regions of the province. But size doesn’t matter when it comes to turning a prot, Bixby found. “Protability is statistically not a function of operation size,” she notes. Honey production by itself was the greatest revenue activity for producers sampled, followed by those who had both honey production and bee sales. Next in number were those who had honey production, bee sales and commercial pollination, and one operation produced honey and had commercial pollination revenue as well. Honey production alone doesn’t make a producer a lot of money. While the average sale price per pound ranged from just $4.10 in the South Coast-Islands to nearly $10.30 in the North Coast, the average prot is only $0.87 a pound or $56.92 per colony. “When an operation diversies its revenue sources from honey only to include queen and/or nuc sales, prots increase,” Bixby says. Labour often excluded Beekeepers often don’t include labour costs for themselves or family when they calculate prots, but when they do, and even when they do more work than hired workers, they still make money, Bixby notes. “When unpaid labour is included in the variable cost calculation, an operation that further diversies from honey only to include bee sales and commercial pollination accrues the highest prots,” she says. While commercial pollination adds to prots, it also increases treatment costs to ensure hives are protected against mites, nosema and American and European foul brood. Increased bee production, labour and colony treatment costs all generate positive returns to revenue, Bixby says. “Treatment costs are highly signicant in this model,” she says. “Each additional dollar spent on treatment costs will give you an additional $23.63 in total revenue. So spend the money on treatment and you will see the reward at the end of the day.” Homegrown is the way to respond to winter losses, according to the survey’s ndings. “Replacing lost colonies with splits is more protable than replacing them with packages,” Bixby says. Bixby’s recommendations follow much of what the BCHPA has long advocated for Bees uCOMMITTED TO AGRICULTURE in BRITISH COLUMBIA rollinsmachinery.comCHILLIWACK • 1.800.242.9737 . 44725 Yale Road West • 604.792.1301 LANGLEY • 1.800.665.9060 |. 21869 - 56th Avenue • 604.533.0048 CHEMANIUS • 1.250.246.1203 . 3306 Smiley Road KELOWNA • 250.765.8266 . #201 - 150 Campion StreetNEW! SUPREME 700T, FEED MIXER (N32578) .............................................. $69,500 POTTINGER SERVO 35S, PLOUGH, 5-FURROW ROLLOVER (N32886) 48,000 CUB CADET LAWN TRACTORS, 2023 UNITS, RIDE-ON, O’TURNS .......... 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He was one of but a few competitors at this year’s match. In fact, there was not a single entry in the BC junior championships; it was left to the “old-timers” to show their stuff to enthusiastic spectators, among them 80-year-old Jim Mar of Saanich and 96-year-old Dave Reid of Sardis, who took a few steps behind Dugan Montjoy’s team of Black Percherons. Montjoy later guided his team to rst place in the horse class. It, too, is struggling, as only three teams showed up to compete this year. DAVID SCHMIDT

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38 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCu BeesABBOTSFORD1-888-283-3276VERNON1-800-551-6411Precision machinery demands precision parts. AGCO Genuine parts are precisely that.and is the direction of the new technology transfer program. “Programs and resources to support diversication to include bee sales and commercial pollination will generate increased protability for beekeepers,” she says. Research into IPM and best management practices for colonies used for pollination could reduce treatment costs and improve their health, Bixby says. Provincial support to breed bees resistant to diseases and selected for local hardiness and survival would also be of help to the industry. “And labour support and business and nancial advice would improve beekeeper protability and sustainability,” she adds. Validation This study validates a lot of the issues that BCHPA has tried to address, says Higo. “What we have been striving to do with queen and nuc production in order to make ourselves more sustainable makes sense from a biological perspective,” Higo says. “We have the weather. But I didn’t realize that it would make such economic sense. That’s a real eye-opener.” The potatoes are waking up to spring by showing signs of sprouting. Somehow, despite determined eorts at preventing it from happening, they’ve sensed that the days are longer and that there is slightly more warmth in the sun. No longer content with conforming to the standards of a sedentary indoor tuber destined for the fresh market, they are suddenly inclined to get outside, get into the ground and get growing. This transformation from sedate table potato to totally rebellious seed potato is called breaking dormancy, and it’s an inevitable expression of potatoness. Frankly, it’s always a bit disappointing when this happens with the eating potatoes. One day they are perfection, and you congratulate yourself for selling good-looking potatoes into April; literally the next day there is an almost imperceptible budding around the eyes. Certainly, very few big-city market customers will notice that, so they are still saleable. However, the sprouts will soon be hard to miss, and you will be earnestly told (by those city people) that you’re not supposed to eat sprouting potatoes. It’s not true, and it’s very inconvenient that this piece of agricultural lore has survived all these generations removed from the farm. So much of value has been lost, yet this piece survives. Meanwhile, the sprouts are getting bigger and it’s getting very time-consuming to snick them o before displaying the potatoes. Sprouty potatoes are not suited to the city, and you know their days are numbered at market. I can totally relate, although it has taken me decades to gure that out. In my 20s, I lived in the city and worked full-time at inside jobs. I didn’t have a strong connection to agriculture at that time – the farm was too far away, I was too busy and I wasn’t needed. In retrospect, it’s possible to identify several springtime subpar job performance occurrences. I more or less lost interest in doing anything that wasn’t outside. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was acting like a seed potato, yearning to express my most farmy self, and no longer conforming to expectations. In the early years of my adult farming career, I annually returned to the big city to work over the winter. I still didn’t really get it, but I knew I should end the contracts by the end of March before the urge to get outside to see what needed doing became problematic. Even that became a stretch. I did this for ve seasons before giving up the city completely, generally managing to quit the jobs before being red (but not always). Now here I am, a permanent full-time farmer, and I am still not getting enough springtime bonre-and-raking time. It’s my own fault now. Yesterday was at least 15° and I was in the cooler and roothouse all day long making up seed potato orders. I can’t blame the farm entirely for my lack of outside farming time, but I should know better than to deprive myself of it. However, as I had vowed not to mention the weather in this article, we must immediately move on. I’ll try again next month but there is a strong compunction to address that topic … Let’s see. We should continue to focus on seed potatoes, as that is a strong theme at this time of year and requires concentration. We’ve got them almost all out the door, those that are going. The nal phase will be the mail-outs. Northern BC and Alberta, Prince Edward Island and downtown Toronto all must wait for the unreasonable overnight freezing temperatures to ease. Shoot. There’s the weather again. No comment. Anna Helmer farms in the Pemberton Valley where the farms are pricey and the farmers are not. Spring is sprouting – as are the potatoesFarm Story ANNA HELMER

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 39Sugar alcohol a sweet solution for SWD controlResearchers make headway on low-impact control tool Researchers have determined that adding sucralose (aka Splenda) to erythritol increases the effectiveness of the spray to control SWD. The sticky residue, however, can make berries more challenging to machine-harvest. FILERONDA PAYNE SALEM, OR– The last two years have been hard on raspberry growers and while spotted wing drosophila was a small negative compared to the 2021 heat dome, growers may nd that a sugar substitute is a welcome ally in the ght against the pest. During a March 10 caneberry production workshop in Salem, Oregon, USDA Agriculture Research Service research entomologist Jana Lee described how erythritol, a sugar alcohol, may be the Achilles heel for SWD. “We know it kills spotted wing as well as many other insects,” she said. Ongoing eld trials have shown promising results. One grower reportedly had SWD reductions of 64% to 93% by doing three weekly sprays. USDA-ARS research scientist Man-Yeon Choi specializes in insect biochemistry and tried a spray that combined erythritol and sucrose. “It makes it sweeter and makes them want to eat it more,” says Lee. The mixture led to a 49% reduction in SWD numbers in the six weeks following spray application. However, it comes with some concerns, including stickiness in the eld and the fact it isn’t fatal immediately. The tests then looked at sucralose, commonly known as Splenda. Sucralose was just as attractive to the ies, but the mixture caused them to die faster than the sucrose blend. Stickiness in eld settings was also slightly lower. “The y that is fed sucralose is very dehydrated compared to a normal y,” she says. Other questions explored in the research were around fruit quality and impacts to benecial insects such as bees. “It did aect the fruit quality because it makes the berries stickier,” Lee says. “It is water-soluble, so can be washed o with rain or irrigation.” In a dry season, the fruit will have a sticky residue from the spray at harvest which may be problematic for equipment. There were no other impacts on mold formation, fruit rmness, skin penetration or Brix levels. While the foliage of some leaves showed spotting, the research found no evidence of phytotoxicity. In tests with bees, the erythritol was not an attractant. Additionally, because the spray isn’t applied until the berries start to change colour, there is no risk to bees at pollination. “We force-fed bee larvae erythritol and they survived just ne through to adulthood,” she says. “So that’s good news.” Although it is a non-toxic substance to humans, some individuals are allergic to erythritol which may lead to concerns during spray periods or with the removal of residue from fruit before it is sold. Putting the substance in eld traps is one possibility, but it does take longer to attract and kill the ies. Prior to commercial release, the mixture will need to be registered as a pesticide. Despite the challenges that need to be addressed, using erythritol to help control SWD populations looks promising. “We do know that erythritol can reduce SWD egg-laying under eld conditions and that the fruit being harvested seems to have the same quality parameters [as non-sprayed fruit],” Lee summarizes. Top-Quality BrandsPerformanceGuaranteed(604)-206-5505sales@klopequipment.com58251 Laidlaw Rd, Hope, BC V0X 1L2USED EQUIPMENT KUBOTA K76249H 76” SKIDSTEER SNOWBLOWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500 KUBOTA AP-SC2572, 72” SKID CUTTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500 DAN SM40, S/S POST DRIVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,500 USED TRACTORS KUBOTA T2380 2017, 48” DECK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,500 KUBOTA BX2360 2010, 1,900HRS, TRAC/MWR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,750 TORO 328D 48” MOWER, 2,900 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,500 GRAVELY ZTHD60 2017, 60” ZERO TURN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,500 KUB F2880 2006, 1,411HRS, 60” REAR DISCHARGE . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,500 KUB F3990 2015, 72” SIDE DISHARGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,500 JD 4200, 2001, 1570HRS, TRAC/LDR/BH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,500 NEW INVENTORY: NEW GREENWORKS COMMERCIAL CORDLESS BLOWERS, CHAINSAWS, STRING TRIMMERS, HEDGE TRIMMERS, LAWNMOWERS. 82/48 VOLT KUBOTA RAKES, TEDDERS, MOWERS, POWER HARROWS - CALL! RAIN-FLO MULCH LAYERS, MULCH LIFTERS & TRANSPLANTERS, IN-STOCK OMH PROSCREEN, TOPSOIL SCREENERS. 68”, 78” AND 108” MODELS CONSTRUCTION KUB KX057-4GA 2014, 3,800HRS, CAB, RUBBER, ANGLE BLADE, 2 BKTS…68,250 23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6 604/463-3681 | vanderwaleq.com VAN DER WAL EQUIPMENT (1989) LTD.When you have a lot of ground to cover and productivity is key, a Ferris zero turn mower with suspension technology is the best choice.

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40 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCOne step forward; two smelly steps backWhen we left o last time, Kenneth was gleefully clearing blackberries with the MF 285 when the tractor suddenly came to a stop with one wheel rmly entrenched in the septic tank. Kenneth’s done it again. Rural Redemption, Part 158, continues. It took Kenneth nearly 10 seconds to regain his equilibrium and pull the fuel shut-o knob. When the tire stopped spinning, the fountain of euent fell from the sky and left a ne mist hanging in the air. An errant breath of summer breeze wafted it gently sideways where it settled gently onto the Massey Ferguson 285 and its bewildered operator. “Are you okay?” called Delta. Kenneth was silent, still trying to piece together the precise nature of his predicament. Al from Jiy Electric joined Delta on the back porch. “Trouble?” he asked. “I think the tractor is stuck in the muddy spot.” Al snied the air. His nose wrinkled and he squinted his eyes. “I’m no plumber,” he said “but I’d bet money he’s gone through the top of your septic tank. We should get him o the tractor.” They coaxed Kenneth o the tractor and on to solid ground. Al pointed out to him that the tractor was stuck in the septic tank. “I know that!” snapped Kenneth. “Alrighty, then,” said Al, then told Delta she might want to drag out the water hose and give Kenneth a good squirting down before she let him in the house. Delta left Kenneth behind the house with soap, a towel, and a hose full of stunningly chilly water. She called Newt and explained the predicament and asked if he would hunt up a change of clothes for Kenneth. Susan got the clothing together while Newt recruited Christopher to help him. “Your Dad’s got the tractor bogged down in the septic tank at his new place. Let’s go up and see if we can lift it out.” They threw a length of chain and some tools into the pickup and headed for the old Corbett place. They found Kenneth behind the house beside a pile of soggy clothing wearing nothing but a bath towel around his waist. “Good morning,” said Newt. “Really? What can you see that’s good about it?” asked Kenneth. “Could be a lot worse.” “How could that be?” asked Kenneth. “I’ve been covered in sewage and hosed down with ice water. I’m standing here wearing a lthy towel, the stupid septic tank is probably ruined, and it will probably take a crane to get the tractor out. I’m not seeing how it could possibly be a whole lot worse.” “Well, for one thing, it doesn’t look like Harriet Murray has got wind of it yet, so you won’t be on the front page of the paper again. And the rest of it’s not as bad as you think. Your mother’s sent along a change of clothes, there’s a good chance we can rescue the tractor without hiring a crane, and the septic tank was probably done-for anyhow, so there’s no great sorrow there.” “Are you planning to invoke a miracle from St. Hayseed the Divine to raise the tractor?” asked Kenneth. “Nothing quite that dramatic. I was thinking more like using 10 feet of chain and a little common sense, but we could try it your way instead if you like.” “Oh, please go ahead. I’d really like to see just how good old country know-how and a piece of chain are going to pull this o.” “You just sit tight and keep your eyes peeled for 10 minutes or so and you just might see for yourself,” said Newt. “Come on, Chris. It’s show time.” Newt drove down close to the tractor. He asked Chris to pull the hose down and spray o the seat and pedals and steering wheel. Newt took the chain and an eight foot 6x6 to the far side of the tractor. “Chris, I’m going to show you something Hank Meyers showed me when I was about your age. Pay attention so you’ll remember how so you can explain it to someone your age when you’re as old as me. They shoved the six-by-six under the tractor in front of the stuck wheel and chained it around the rim. Newt climbed aboard started it up, shifted into the lowest gear and locked the brake on the other wheel. Kenneth was watching from the high side. He called Delta to come and watch with him. “This should be good for a laugh.” Newt let the clutch out and the stuck wheel climbed slowly onto the six-by-six and out of the septic tank. “Well, butter my behind and call me a biscuit!” said Delta. “Do you see that! It’s a miracle!” “That’s no miracle; it’s some sort of trick.” “Well, it’s a darned good one, that’s for sure,” said Delta. “I’m going inside to get dressed. With any luck, I won’t have to listen to Pullman crow about it for the next half hour.” Delta stayed outside so she could thank Newt and Christopher for rescuing the tractor and ask how they did it. “Kenneth thinks it’s some sort of trick.” “He’s right about that,” said Newt. “There is a bit of a trick to it but it’s pretty straight- forward once you’ve seen it done. It’s a little trick Chris knows now.” “Maybe he could show Kenneth how it’s done.” “I think the trick Kenneth needs to learn is how to stay out of this sort of scrape in the rst place,” said Newt. Newt said they should be on their way and to say goodbye to Kenneth for him. Delta went inside to nd Kenneth when they were gone. “You were right,” she said. “It was a trick.” “I know it was a trick. I told you that. It’s been one trick after the other ever since I came here. Once you’ve been here long enough, you’ll see for yourself.” Delta frowned. “What is this poor-little-me act you are always performing? It wasn’t a trick to make you look dumb; it was a trick to get the tractor out of the septic tank. It worked like a charm and, if anything, it saved you from having to hire a crane or whatever else you had in mind and really making a spectacle of yourself. Common decency says you need to thank both of them for bailing you out and even if that sticks in your craw, I don’t see how you’ll be able to avoid it as long as you are staying in his house.” “Don’t judge me, Delta. You have no idea of what I’ve had to put up with.” “That’s right. I don’t know what you think you’ve put up with so I can only judge you by what I do know. So, here’s what that is: you’ve already told me more than once you want us to live together; nothing is ever your fault; it’s always part of some sort of sinister conspiracy plot to persecute poor you. Since we’ve met, you’ve been lost in the woods and stuck in a swamp, got stuck in a hayloft, and driven your tractor into the sewer. I get it: you feel kind of dumb for parking the tractor in the septic tank but instead of admitting it was a mistake or an accident, and instead of thanking your lucky stars you didn’t get hurt and the tractor isn’t broken, and you have a son and a neighbour willing to help you out, you launch into this whole conspiracy and victim routine. Quite frankly, it’s just a big red ag for me. My sense is you are hoping that buying this place would be a step forward toward a relationship with me. And maybe it could be, but all the rigamarole this morning isn’t helping your cause. It’s a case of one step forward and two steps back.” ... to be continued Woodshed Chronicles BOB COLLINSThousands of BC farmers and ranchers turn to Country Life in BC every month to nd out what (and who!) is making news in BC agriculture and how it may affect their farms and agri-businesses! CREDIT CARD # _________________________________________________________________ EXP _____________ CVV __________ o NEW o RENEWAL | o ONE YEAR ($18.90) oT WO YEARS ($33.60) o THREE YEARS ($37.80) Your Name ______________________________________________________________________________ Farm Name _____________________________________________________________________________ City ______________________________________ Postal Code __________________________________ Phone _____________________ Email ______________________________________________________ MAIL TO: 36 DALE RD, ENDERBY, BC V0E 1V4 subscriptions@ countrylifeinbc.com www.countrylifeinbc.com/subscribePlease send a _______ year gift subscription to _______________________________________________ Farm Name ____________________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________________ City _________________________________________________ Postal Code ________ _______________ Phone _________________________ Email ________________________________________________ SubscribeThe agricultural news source in BC since1915.

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 41Invermere market garden thrives by putting soil firstRetirement project began early for the Wilker familyAt one point, Dale and Kathleen Wilker considered changing the name of Old Blue Truck Farm to Old Blue Truck Ranch when they realized they couldn’t grow vegetable crops without signicant upgrades to the soil. SUBMITTEDEurope & North America, Little & Large, Local & Long Port to Dealer, Farm to Farm and anything in between.Versatile Ramp to Ground Capabilities!TRACEY FREDRICKSON INVERMERE – Visitors to Invermere, the hub of the Columbia Valley, may not associate the area with agriculture even though its farming and ranching history goes back generations. Cattle ranching and forage production dominate thanks to the region’s powdery glacial till lacking organic matter. While fruits and vegetables of exceptional quality do grow in the valley, the growing season is considerably shorter than other areas in BC and residents have largely depended on food from outside the region. Dale and Kathleen Wilker recognized the challenges when they started Old Blue Truck Farm in 2007, and their daughter Ellen was right there with them. “Dale and I developed a real passion for ensuring, that as a family, we could nd ways to ensure we can survive through anything: power outages, food price increases and other external factors,” says Kathleen. “Growing vegetables for us simply evolved into the desire to help support the community by providing local food that is healthy and reasonably priced.” Both Dale and Kathleen have full-time jobs. Dale is an architect by training with a keen interest in energy conservation, and Kathleen is a professional planner. Neither had much farming experience, but their concern about food security was unstoppable. “Our goal was to build the farm up over several years and have a small farm to run in our retirement,” Dale says. After two years of searching, they purchased 1.6 acres in the Agricultural Land Reserve in Invermere. The property came with a pond and water rights but had not been farmed for many years. Dale maintains that his volunteer experience on the board of Groundswell Community Passive Solar Greenhouse and Gardens bolstered his farming interest and skills. The non-prot Groundswell Network Society began construction of its 2,400-square-foot curved-wall greenhouse in 2008 to “teach people of all ages how to grow crops regeneratively,” says its website. More than 300 community volunteers helped with the building, which is unique in Canada. With Dale’s background in construction and building passive solar houses, he was invited to join the Groundswell team to help build the greenhouse. He was a Groundswell board member and later the director from 2006 to 2014. “Groundswell was also the stepping stone for this old guy to learn to grow food,” says Dale. “We dove in headrst without really thinking through all the challenges we were going to face,” says Kathleen. “Growing food for sale takes a lot of time, commitment and physical eort. The rst part of the journey was to improve the soil and make it functional for growing.” It was their daughter Ellen who encouraged a much faster evolution of the farm. Ellen had always been interested in agriculture and as a teenager she worked at Edible Acres, an established farm in nearby Windermere. She went on to become a Sustainable Agriculture intern, managing the University of Victoria’s community gardens followed by six months managing the University of Georgia’s organic farm in Costa Rica. On completing her bachelor’s degree in geography and environmental studies, she and a girlfriend decided to get Old Blue Truck up and running within ve years. “The whole area we are in was used for cattle grazing and growing hay until the 1970s,” Ellen points out. “It was really tough dealing with the rhizome grasses and clay soil that lacked the nutrients needed to grow produce. We could have built up the soil by using cover crops and adding compost and manure, but we wanted to get it going sooner than the time that would take. While we had hoped to be a no-till farm, we realized we needed to till initially to get rid of the grasses.” That is the only time the Wilkers have tilled the land. Dale explains why the farm is focussed on “growing soil rst.” “Plants can’t get nutrients on their own,” he says. “They need soil life – insects, worms, nematodes, protozoa, fungus and bacteria – so that the more than 80 minerals they need are in a form the plant roots can absorb. Things like tilling, using chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides and soil compaction all kill soil life and make the minerals unavailable to the plants.” Composting is an important part of the farm’s soil development strategy. “We compost all we can using large compost piles and bulk compost bins, but the engine of the farm is an old freezer turned into a worm composter,” says Dale. “The red wiggler worms devour our food waste, turning it into a soil life factory. Then we ush our pond water through the system to make a compost extract which we use every time we turn or prep a bed.” “The biggest challenge for us has been balancing life with the demands of the growing season,” says Kathleen. “Often when a crop is ready for harvesting, we put all other activities and responsibilities aside in order to not lose the time and eort we’ve put into planting and growing it. No matter how tired we are after a long day at our jobs, we have to get out there and get the crop in, bagged and prepped for sale. But it is so satisfying to see people bite into one of our carrots, or even a garlic scape, and see their joy and surprise at the inux of avour that hits their mouth,” she says. “I’m looking forward to another season discovering new ways to do things to save time and eort – and my back!” “It's been a process of ‘Build it and they will come,’” Dale adds. “We started out with the goal of growing nutrient-dense food and have shown this can be done on just 1.6 acres.” Old Blue Truck oers farm tours in the summer to share its story and inspire others to farm. It sells up to $30,000 of fruit, vegetables, herbs, plants and owers each season, with garlic being one of its largest crops. The Wilkers are regulars at the Invermere Farmers and Artisans Market, distribute a “Fresh Weekly” email, and have a farm stand featuring their signature truck at the end of their driveway. “We’ll see what the future holds when we decide to retire,” says Dale. “We may be happy staying small and spending a lot of time showing people how and what we have done.” Track crops and insects www.farmwest.com

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42 | MAY 2023 COUNTRY LIFE IN BCWhile chives may be the rst edible sprout to pop out of the ground each spring, it’s far from the only one. Consider asparagus, that delicate, crisp bud we love to pick early in the spring, before it becomes a long, thin, tough stem with ferny foliage and berries. Or, enjoy the rst stalks of rhubarb. They sprout early in spring, but you must wait until there’s a stalk to pull and you must remove the leaves. They contain high levels of oxalic acid which can be harmful to your health. The tart avour of that red stalk is delicious paired with any sort of sweet, from strawberries to honey or sugar. One of the delights of spring is the parade of baby vegetables, including micro greens, tiny herb leaves, beet greens, little spinach and lettuce leaves in all sorts of colours and textures and avours, or mini vegetables such as young radishes, carrots, peas and bok choy. In fact, if you want to garnish your salad with something a bit dierent, toss on a few viola owers or the petals of Baby veggies are a taste of springA delicious Rhubarb Tart Cake means spring has denitely arrived. JUDIE STEEVESGAYLE’S RHUBARB TART CAKEThis is a wonderful way to enjoy that controversial (you either hate it or love it) garden stem, rhubarb, clasped between a not-too-sweet tart and a crisp topping. This could also be made with fresh BC plums or other fruit. Tart Shell/Cake: 2 c. (500 ml) our 1/2 c. (125 ml) butter 1 tsp. (5 ml) baking powder 1 beaten egg • Preheat oven to 375° F. • Combine the our, butter, baking powder and egg with a fork or pastry blender. Reserve a cup of the mixture to crumble over the top of the lling and press the remainder into an 8x10-inch baking dish or a similar-sized tart pan. • Mix the lling ingredients and spread over the base of the tart in the pan. • Crumble the reserved cup of the cake mixture (perhaps combined with a few spoonfuls of chopped walnuts) over the top of the lling and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. • Bake for one hour. • Let cool for a half-hour or so before cutting. Filling: 4 c. (1 l) chopped rhubarb 1 1/2 c. (375 ml) sugar 1/2 c. (125 ml) our 1/2 c. (125 ml) melted butter 2 beaten eggs Topping: sugar and cinnamon, to garnish chopped walnuts (optional) SPECIAL SCRAMBLES FOR MOMThese are really easy to make, so even the kids could prepare a special meal for mom on her day. The emphasis is on fresh spring herbs from the garden, which are perfect with eggs. Steam some asparagus spears to serve alongside. 4 eggs 1 tbsp. (15 ml) fresh minced chives 1 tbsp. (15 ml) fresh minced parsley 1/4 c. (60 ml) minced ham • Crack the eggs into a medium-sized bowl. • Pick fresh herbs from the garden, rinse, dry and mince them. • Mince a bit of ham or other luncheon meat, along with a bit of green or red pepper. • Melt a dab of butter in a non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. • Beat the eggs well with a whisk, then add the herbs, ham and peppers, along with some fresh ground black pepper and combine well. • Pour into the pan and move the eggs around as they cook, ensuring the uncooked parts are tucked under the cooked parts of the egg. • Be careful not to overcook the eggs and let them get dry. It only takes a second for the eggs to go from perfect to over-done. • Sprinkle a little salt over the top and serve. • Serves 2 to 4. 1 tbsp. (15 ml) minced sweet pepper 2 tsp. (10 ml) butter salt and pepper, to taste Jude’s Kitchen JUDIE STEEVESThe first greens of spring pack a flavour punchsuch owers as chives, lavender, roses or marigolds. Before the heat of summer, plant, grow and pick lots of lettuces and other greens to toss into your salad bowl, because as soon as it gets hot, they’ll wilt and go to seed for the season – or you’ll be buying them from cooler climes. Fresh spring sprouts such as chives and asparagus would be perfect served up for your favourite mom for Mother’s Day, which is May 14, alongside a super-easy breakfast that she’ll love: scrambled eggs. My granddaughter is learning to cook and French toast and scrambled eggs are two of the rst things she’s comfortable making for the family. They are an easy way to get youngsters started in the kitchen. Today, the microwave is probably the rst appliance kids learn to use as it generates so little heat that it’s less likely to result in burns to little ngers. Asparagus lends itself well to microwave use, but it’s critical it not be over-cooked. Always remember some cooking continues to occur after the spears are removed from the oven.

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC MAY 2023 | 43BOOKYOURMarketplace Adby JUNE 19TRACTORS/EQUIPMENTREAL ESTATEFOR SALEFOR SALEHAYHAYSERVICESBERRIESIRRIGATIONFor Tissue Culture Derived Plants of New Varieties of Haskaps, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Saskatoon Berries and Sour Cherries, Please Contact:DISEASE FREE PLANTING STOCK OF NEW BERRY CROPS 4290 Wallace Hill Road, Kelowna, BC, V1W 4B6info@agriforestbiotech.com250.764.2224www.agriforestbiotech.com NEW polyethylene tanks of all shapes & sizes for septic and water storage. Ideal for irrigation, hydroponics, washdown, lazy wells, rain water, truck box, fertizilizer mixing & spray-ing. Call 1-800-661-4473 for closest distributor. Manufactured in Delta by Premier Plastics premierplastics.com Feeders & Panels that maintain their value!ROUND BALE FEEDERS BIG SQUARE BALE FEEDERS FENCE PANELS CATTLE & HORSE FEEDERSHEAVY DUTY OIL FIELD PIPE CRADLE FEEDERS. Single big square or 2 round bales Outside measurement is 8 feet x 12 feet Silage bunk feeders For product pictures, check out Double Delichte Stables on Facebook www.doubledelichtefarms.ca Dan 250/308-9218 Coldstream DON GILOWSKI 250-260-0828 Royal LePage Downtown Realty Ltd BUYING OR SELLING OKANAGAN FARM, RANCH OR ACREAGE? COURTENAY HEREFORDS. Cattle for Sale: yearling bulls and bred heifers. John 250/334-3252 or Johnny 250-218-2537.PYESTERDAY’S TRADITION - TODAY’S TECHNOLOGYMANAGERS Phil Brown 250-293-6857 Catherine Brown 250-293-6858 ccr.princeton@gmail.com www.coppercreekranch.com PRINCETON, BC Raising registered polled & horned Herefords & F1s. BREEDING BULLS FOR SALE.RAVEN HILL MEADOWS: Purebred North Country Cheviot yearly ewes and rams for sale. 250-722-1882. NanaimoLIVESTOCKLIVESTOCKIt’s the top linethat makes the Bottom LineBC SHORTHORN ASSOCIATION Scott Fraser, President Bob Merkley, BC Director 250-709-4443 604-607-7733DeBOER’S USED TRACTORS & EQUIPMENT GRINDROD, BCJD 1630 W/LDR 15,000 MF 165 DSL W/LDR, CANOPY 9,000 JD 3140 4WD, 95 HP W/CAB, LOW (4,500) HRS 20,000 JD 5500 4WD, DSL, ROLL BAR & CANOPY W/LDR, 5,200 HRS 28,000 JD 6400 W/CAB & LDR 60,000 JD 1630 W/LDR 16,000 OLIVER 12’ disc 3,750 ED DEBOER 250/838-7362 cell 250/833-6699 CURT DEBOER 250/838-9612 cell 250/804-6147CUSTOM BALING 3x4 BIG SQUARES SILAGE BALING/WRAPPING ED DEBOER 250/833-6699 CURT DEBOER 250/804-6147EDVENTURE HAY SALES ENDERBYAvailable now, 4- 1/4 mile Used VALLEY, ZIMMATIC, T.L. PIVOTS, 3- Used 1,000 ft, 1,250 ft Hose reels, 10,000 ft 12 in 8,000ft 10 in HDPE, Steel pipe in all sizes used. Dealer for Pierce Pivots, T.L Pivots, lease your new or used pivot, Hose reels, RM, Idrio, diesel pumps, centrifugal, sub-mersible, freq drives, pump stations, 30 years experience. Talk to Brock! 250 319 3044ZcXjj`Ô\[j7Zflekipc`]\`eYZ%ZfdfiZXcc1-'+%*)/%*/(+C@E<8;J1),nfi[jfic\jj#d`e`dld(*gclj>JK#\XZ_X[[`k`feXcnfi[`j%),;@JGC8P8;J1),gclj>JKg\iZfclde`eZ_M[WYY[fjcW`ehYh[Z_jYWhZi$EQUIPMENT DISPERSAL • LOEWEN 422 vertical mixer wagon, scales, side-shift feed conveyor, good condition, $13,000 • LOEWEN SUBSOILER, 2 shank, 3 pt hitch, $2,500 • LOEWEN BOX SCRAPER, 3 pt, with rubber, like new, $800 • WINPOWER 30/20 kw pto generator on trailer, exc cond. $3,500 • JD CLAMP-ON DUALS 18.4-38, $2,500 TONY 604-850-4718Craig Elachie ShorthornsGrant & Barbara Smith | Balmoral Farms 250.835.0133 craigelachieshorthorns@gmail.com 1802 Tappen-Notch Hill Rd Tappen BC V0E 2X3by MAY 20Manure Spreader, JOHN DEERE Model 40T, $3,500; Hay BALE SLED, bunches up approx. 40 bales, $1,500; HAY RAKE, 4 wheels, $1,200; HAY WAGON 16’6” with new deck, $1,500. Call Shawn (604) 615-3646SEEDALFALFA SEED For Sale. Tap root blend for hay and pasture. North Okanagan produced. Common #2, $125 for 44 lb bag. Larry 306-580-3002, Armstrong200 ROUND BALE SILAGE. First cut, good feed. $60/bale. South Surrey, Peter, 604-538-4435PACIFIC JET OPTICAL SORTER Designed for use with blueberries or cranberries. Ready to place in a production line to reduce labour costs in sorting. Located on Vancouver Island. Asking $19,980. CALL 250-743-9464 or email svanhouwe@outlook.comCall us today for a free consult: 604-835-5155WE PAY CA$H FOR TREES!WANTEDGOING CONCERN POULTRY FARM or QUOTA I'm interested in purchasing broiler, layer, or egg hatching operation. Must be located in BC. Manny 250-689-4119 IN GOOD CONDITION. 36” ROW SPACING | 2 ROW or 4 ROW (2 row is preferred) Call Stephen at J.S. Nature Farms 604-842-7770 POTATO PLANTERHOG EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Concrete slats, SS feeders, plastic walls, feed bins and more. In good condition and reasonable prices. Chilliwack Ard @ 604-819-3678JUNE DEADLINE MAY 20HAY FOR SALE Large quantities of 3x4 hay & 4x4 WRAPPED SILAGE BALES. Located in Salmon Arm. WE DELIVER. 250-804-6081CASE 3850 disc harrow $6,800 MF DISC HARROW $3,850 KUHN FC300G mower cond; needs one cutter bar bearing & new skirting $1,500 KUHN FC350G in good running condition but needs new skirting $2,500 or both mowers for $3,000 ROCK PICKER We removed tons of rocks off our fields with this converted potato harvester that has a very large rock catch box with hydraulic rock dump control $3,500 FARM EQUIPMENTCARL 604-825-9108Have you moved?604.328.3814subscriptions@countrylifeinbc.comOr has Canada Post changed your mailing address?We won’t know unless you tell us.subscriptions@countrylifeinbc.com

CLBC May 2023

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