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by PETER MITHAMOTTAWA – Parliament won’t be proceedingwith legislation that many farm organizationsfeared would criminalize a variety of livestockhandling practices.Bill C-246 was a private member’s billintroduced by Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, theLiberal MP for Beaches-East York in Toronto.Designed to improve animal welfare and banpractices such as shark nning, groupsincluding the Canadian Pork Council claimedthat it “greatly increases the risk of livestockproducers and companies facing criminalliability for producing, wholesome aordablefood.”Much of the fear stemmed from the bill’sprovision that “everyone commits an oencewho, wilfully or recklessly … kills an animal or,being the owner, permits an animal to bekilled, brutally or viciously.”MPs and the pork council alike argued thebill could see farmers and others subject tocourt action by animal rights groups forallowing their animals to be slaughtered.“They were concerned that there are somegray areas in the legislation,” says TrevorHargreaves, director of producer relations andcommunications with the BC Dairy Association.The concerns led to the bill not receivingapproval for second reading on October 5.While the association typically leaves federalPostmaster, Please returnUndeliverable labels to:Country Life in BC36 Dale RoadEnderby, BC V0E 1V4CANADA POSTESPOST CANADAPostage paid Port payéPublications Mail Post-publications40012122Vol. 102 No. 11Recognition David Schmidt honoured with lifetime achievement award 3Peace This could be final harvest for Site C dam opponents 9Debate Making a case for biosolids on Interior ranches 33Hazelnut growers have reasons to be optimisticAnimal welfare bill defeated See ANIMAL page 2The nal days of fall at a ranch near Houston in BC’s Bulkley Valley. (Tori Long/Pasture Poses Photography)See HAZELNUT page 3Filbert growershave nowhereto go but upGrowing more with less waterwww.watertecna.comWIN A TRIP TO VEGAS!WIN A TRIP TO VEGAS!Contact Your WaterTec Sales Rep To Enter Today!1.888.675.7999by DAVID SCHMIDTCHILLIWACK – The BChazelnut industry hasbottomed out, BC HazelnutGrowers’ Association directorThom O’Dell told a largegroup of current and potentialnew growers at the hazelnuteld day at Helmut Hooge’sfarm in Chilliwack inSeptember.Once ourishing in theFraser Valley, hazelnutgrowers started falling onhard times when EasternFilbert Blight invaded just overa decade ago. Since then,many long-standing orchardshave been removed and theremainder are heavily infectedwith the incurable disease. Seeing the writing on thewall, ve (now four) FraserValley growers and one onHornby Island worked withCOVER CROPSAVAILABLE!1-888-770-7333Quality Seeds ... where quality counts!The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915. November 2016 | Vol 102 No.11
ANIMAL WELFAREFROM PAGE 1COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 20162legislation to Dairy Farmers ofCanada, its nationalcounterpart, Hargreaves is nostranger to animal welfareissues.He participated personallyin the investigation ofChilliwack Cattle Sales Ltd.,whose owner plans to pleadguilty to charges at a courtappearance scheduled forDecember. A total of 20charges were brought againstthe farm, 16 of them underthe province’s Prevention ofCruelty to Animals Act.Hargreaves maintains,however, that no amount oflegislation can take the placeof good behaviour.“You can have all thelegislation that you want, butwhat you need is actualstrong industry practices atthe ground level,” he toldCountry Life in BC.Those are something hebelieves the BC dairy industrywww.tractorparts4sale.caABBOTSFORD, BCBus. 604/807-2391Fax. 604/854-6708 email: sales@tractorparts4sale.caWe accept Interact, Visa and Mastercard BOBCAT 753 SKIDSTEER 40HP DIESEL COMES WITH BUCKET .. $12,000BAUER IRRIGATION REEL 1400 FT HOSE W/GUN IN GD COND . 13,900 MASSEY FERGUSON FINISHING DISC 14 FT WIDE GD COND........ 4,500 NH 1432 CENTRE PIVOT, 13 FT, CUT FLAIL COND. 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Code of practiceSince 2014, dairy farmsacross the province havebeen expected to complywith the industry’s seven-year-old code of practice. Theassociation worked with theBC SPCA to incorporate thecode within BC’s animalwelfare legislation, making iteasier to prosecute farmerswho violate animal welfarestandards.Recent audits of animalcare practices at 73 dairyfarms found that a quarter offarms were non-compliant,but Hargreaves said that suchdiscoveries show that theindustry has a functioningself-regulation regime. Thesame holds true for tests thatsaw 11 farms ned $65,000this summer for sendingantibiotic-laced milk forprocessing. While bad on thepart of the farmers, eectiveprotocols meant that none ofthe milk ended up on storeshelves.“The public perceptiontends to be very often leaningtowards knee-jerk reactionstowards the negative, basedon a salacious headline by ajournalist rather than theactual reality of industrypractices,” Hargreaves said. “Ifthere weren’t tests in place,those tests wouldn’t bepositive. … It’s spun as anegative, but in reality it’s anoutward positive because ofan eective safety system.”EducationOngoing educationprograms ensure that existingprotocols will continue toserve industry and consumerswell. “We have a very strong self-regulating protocol on animalwelfare,” Hargreaves said. “Wekeep it a very topical subjectin terms of our variousconferences and seminars.” O’Dell to bring in six new EFB-resistant varieties fromOregon in tissue culture.Helped by a grant from theInvestment AgricultureFoundation of BC, the growersplanted the rst of the newtrees in 2011 and another setin 2013 in a trial to see howthey would perform.Hooge is one of theparticipants in the trial andnow has 230 Yamhill, 200Jeerson and 70 Sacajaweatrees as well as a few Eta,Theta and Gamma pollinatorsin his orchard.“Every fourth tree in everythird row is a pollinator,”Hooge said.He stressed the trees are“resistant” but not immune tothe disease, saying pruningcan keep the disease at bay, ifnot eliminate it altogether. “We started seeing someEFB in the new trees in 2013,”O’Dell reported, tellinggrowers to apply an approvedfungicide on young trees afterbud break and prune out andburn any aected limbs.Hooge has followed thatstrategy and his new treesshow few signs of EFB despitebeing located right next to hisheavily infected Barcelonaorchard.Both he and O’Dell say theyhave already learned a lotabout managing the newvarieties, including how andwhen to plant them. That wasobvious in Hooge’s orchard asthe 2013 plantings appear tobe more vigorous andproductive than the 2011plantings, despite being twoyears younger.Although this has been agood year for production,growers wrestled with what todo with their nuts. Because somany of the infected orchardshave been uprooted, therewere not enough nuts forJohn Vandenbrink, who hasthe only remainingcommercial-scale nut dryer inthe area, to run his dryer thisyear. Instead, most growerssent their nuts to Hooge fordrying, used other small-scaledryers or shipped their nuts toOregon for drying.New growersIn the meantime, O’Dell andthe other BCHGA directors aredoing all they can to interestnew growers.“We received an agricultureenhancement grant from theAbbotsford Foundation andare partnering with theUniversity of the Fraser Valleyand a farm in Abbotsford tomake the general public moreaware of hazelnuts,” BCHGApresident Neal Tebrinke said.O’Dell said hazelnuts areideal for small acreages,claiming “you canget enough nutsfrom two acres toget your farmstatus.”Denise Parkerof MNPconcurred, sayinghazelnuts could“help fund afarming lifestyle”and preservefarm status forcapital gainsexemption. Shepresented anenterprise budget prepared inJuly 2015 which suggests thateven though growers canexpect losses in the rst threeyears, that willlevel out as theorchard comesinto production.By year 20,growers will havegenerated a totalgross margin of$40,000 per acrebased on currentprices.O’Dell believesprices will onlyimprove, notingthere is a“growing(worldwide) demand for allnuts.”There may even be anoption for potential newgrowers who are interested inhazelnuts but may not havethe time or expertise to plantand/or manage the orchard.Custom servicesJames and Anthony Dick,who have years of experiencegrowing cedar hedging, areplanting ve acres ofhazelnuts on their ownproperty this fall and will thenoer that service to othergrowers.“We have the equipment toprep and plant an orchardand will purchase harvestingequipment to oer customwork services on a per hourbasis,” they said.HAZELNUT TRIALSFROM PAGE 1HELMUT HOOGEwww.tjequipmentllc.com360-815-1597LYNDEN, WAALL PRICES IN US FUNDSLOEWEN 3600 LIQUID MANUREVACUUM TANK, TANDEM AXLE, 28L-26 TIRES $15,000CADMAN IRRIGATION EQUIPMENTBIG END OF YEAR DISCOUNTSCALL FOR DISCOUNTED PRICESKUHN EL282-400 ROTOTILLERW/ROLLER PACKER, 13’ HEAVY DUTY,BUILT FOR UP TO 270 HP $18,900BODCO 7200 LIQUID MANURE TANKTRIPLE AXLE, 28L-26 TIRES $29,000
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC3For over 30 years, David Schmidt’s news and feature stories about BCagriculture have been gracing the pages of Country Life in BCand otherfarm publications across the country. In late September, he washonoured with a lifetime achievement award by his peers at theCanadian Farm Writers Federation annual convention in Saskatoon.Write on, Dave! (Allison Finnamore photo)by TAMARA LEIGHSASKATOON – Country Lifein BC’s own David Schmidtwas honoured with a lifetimeachievement award inSeptember by the CanadianFarm Writers’ Federation(CFWF). The award recognizeslong-serving members whohave madeoutstandingcontributions to theorganization and tothe agriculturalcommunications ormedia industries. Schmidt has beena leader within BC’sfarm writingcommunity for over30 years. His commitment andskill as a farm journalist isrecognized and respectedacross commodities andthroughout the province. “No one has written morewords about BC agriculturethan David Schmidt,” saysCathy Glover, who has workedwith David at Country Life inBC for the past 17 years. “He isthe face of Country Life in BCamong most of the farmleaders in this province, andhis reputation as a farmreporter is second to none.”Beyond the page, hiscommitment to therevitalization and leadershipof the BC Farm Writers’Association and the farmwriting community in BC hasbeen unwavering since hejoined the organization in1985. Nationally, he served aspresident of the CFWF from1997-99 and spent many yearsas the BC representative tothe national board. “David he has been anexcellent mentor andlongtime contributor to theBC agriculture media scene.It’s great to see him get thislevel of recognition,” saysCFWF president CrystalJorgenson.David grew up on a mixeddairy farm in the Fraser Valley,and has always stayed close tohis roots. He has a degree increative writing from theUniversity of BC and has beencovering agriculture for 31years. He has won numerousawards including beingnamed BC's Agriculturist ofthe Year in 2000 by the BCInstitute of Agrologists. “I don’t do it for the gloryand the honour, but it’s surenice to get the recognition,”says Schmidt, who acceptedthe award at the CFWF awardsdinner in Saskatoon. “Most ofthe jobs I’ve had over theyears have been throughreferrals and people I’ve metthrough this group. EvenCountry Life in BC was areferral.” “One of the things that Iappreciate writing aboutagriculture is that I have neverhad to compromise my ownvalues in writing about it,” hesays. “I’ve tried to be fair andhonest. I tried to write for myaudience and maybe that’swhy people are still readingme. I don’t write for the ladyin downtown Vancouver; Iwrite for the guy who’s tryingto make a living farming.”Known for his tremendousdepth of knowledge aboutagriculture and local history,Schmidt has earned therespect of editors, colleaguesand sources alike. “In the farming culture ofBritish Columbia, the words‘David Schmidt’ and“agriculture” go hand inhand,” says Peter Wilding, thenewly retired editor ofCountry Life in BC. “David hasalways had the respect offarmers, governmentrepresentatives, farmassociations andcolleagues. In the ageof shoddy journalism,bias and partisanship,David hasconsistently shownthe highest ethicalstandards in thepractice of his craftand has been aninspiration to many people.He’s never let us down.”Despite his years ofexperience and continuouspresence at agricultureevents across the province,Schmidt shows few signs ofslowing down or losing hispassion for agriculture. “The biggest reward is thatpeople still want to read mystories. I must be doingsomething right,” he says witha grin as he trots o to ndthe next scoop.David Schmidt honoured withlifetime achievement awardCountry Life in BC’s senior writer acclaimed“NO ONE HAS WRITTEN MORE WORDSABOUT BC AGRICULTURE THANDAVID SCHMIDT.”FAST MOWING, FAST DRYDOWNINVEST IN QUALITY®Matsqui Ag-RepairAbbotsford, BC604-826-3281Noble Tractor & EquipmentArmstrong, BC250-546-3141Noble Tractor & EquipmentKamloops, BC250-851-3101Huber Farm EquipmentPrince George, BC250-560-5431KuhnNorthAmerica.comDownload ourForageXpertapp today toƂPFVJGRGTHGEVtool to optimizeyour harvest! FC TC CENTER-PIVOT MOWER CONDITIONERS• Standard drawbar or 2-point Gyrodine® swivel hitch for tight turns• Lubed-for-life Optidisc® cutterbar and Fast-Fit™ blades• Finger, rubber roller or steel roller conditioning - adjustable to match any crop• Allows wide spreading to over 90% of cut width for accelerated drydown10'2", 11'6" and 13' working widths
Publisher Cathy Glover604-328-3814 . publisher@countrylifeinbc.comAssociate Editor David Schmidt604-793-9193 . davidschmidt@shaw.caContributing Editors Peter Mitham . Tamara Leighnews@countrylifeinbc.comAdvertising Sales & Marketing Cathy Gloversales@countrylifeinbc.comProduction Ass’t: Naomi McGeachy . Thanks, Peter!www.countrylifeinbc.comAdvertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographicalerror, that portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item,together with reasonable allowance for signature will not be charged, but thebalance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In theevent of a typographical error which advertises goods or services at a wrongprice, 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. Alladvertising is accepted subject to publisher’s approval.All of Country Life in British Columbia’s content is covered by Canadiancopyright law.Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writer and notnecessarily those of Country Life in British Columbia.Letters are welcome, though they may be edited in the interest of brevitybefore publication.All errors brought to our attention will be corrected.COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 20164BC politics has long had a reputation for colourfulcharacters: our second premier was Amor deCosmos, an advocate for agriculture andnoted eccentric. A generation ago, theAgricultural Land Reserve was createdunder the colourful Dave Barrett, whodidn’t shy from his own self-deprecatinginnuendoes when it was suggested hisunderwear was as red as his politics.Perhaps the most colourful politicianin recent memory was agricultureminister Corky Evans, famous for ahomespun manner that was often asserious as it was o-script. He famouslylost his teeth in the Legislature while pronouncingan unparliamentary term for horse dung oneafternoon and during the 1999 World TradeOrganization talks in Seattle, he encouragedprotestors to keep at it – one day, they could beagriculture ministers, too.Current agriculture minister Norm Letnick,however, has become the epitome of the colourfulpolitician by stripping to his briefs and shearing hisbody hair for an application of orchard-patternedbody paint.Letnick wasn’t trying to draw attention to himself,however.Since his ministry has limited funds for marketing,he was trying to raise awareness of thegovernment's tax credit for producedonations by farmers to food banks andother not-for-prots.While we applaud theminister for being a goodsport and would love to askMrs Letnick what she thinksof dem apples, his behaviorsuggests that provincial under-funding of agriculturehas gone a bit far.BC has long had areputation for funding itsfarm sector at a rate thatlags most other provinces and theminister’s stripped down marketingstrategy underscores the situation.A government that can’t provide itsown ministers with funding to advertiseprograms designed to help citizensneeds to seriously consider its priorities.Given the $500 million windfall theprovince touted earlier this fall, Victoriahas no excuse for not funding existingprogramming and telling farmers what’s available.Agriculture has been a bright light for provincialexports and there’s an election coming up. Promisesare sure to come. It would be nice to see theprovince invest in sectors that are actually making good.Letnick’s performance shows that it’s possible forthe farm sector to make do without cash.Just think what would happen if programming,extension services and other assistance received adue share of provincial funding.The naked truthIt’s all about effective communicationAs announced in the October edition, Country Lifein BC has a new publisher. The paper has been soldfor the eighth time in its 102-year existence. That ithas reached this age, is still thriving and has escapedthe clutches of the corporate media makes thispaper an anomaly. But while 102 years is a remarkable milestone,age alone is no guarantee of continued success.(The 141-year history of the Nanaimo Daily Free Pressended in 2016 when owner Black Press pulled theplug on the venerable paper.) No publication exists for more than a hundredyears without a close call and Country Life in BC is noexception. The timely arrival of publishers willing totake the helm and change course has kept thepaper o the rocks a couple of times – most recentlyin 2000, when it withered to half its current size. CommitmentIt sits in your hands now, thanks largely to theeorts of now retired publisher Peter Wilding, longtime editor Cathy Glover and veteran writer DavidSchmidt. As Glover takes over as Country Life’seighth publisher, her and Schmidt’s experience andcommitment should spearhead a seamlesstransition.Country Life in BC is published for a very specicaudience: commercial agriculture in BC. Writing toits interests allows the paper to focus exclusively onnews and issues that are important to BC farmersand ranchers. Flip through the paper: it is a nuts andbolts, meat and potatoes, low frills publication. It isrelevant to the commercial industry and thebusinesses supporting it. Check out the advertising:nuts and bolts, meat and potatoes, commercial ag. DauntingThis all seems like a pretty straight-forwardformula but there is a big complication to making itwork. It’s all ne and good to focus on BCagriculture, but it is a daunting task to get BCagriculture in a single lens. This is a big province andit has more climatic, geographic and agriculturaldiversity than any other in the country. It’s a longway from kiwis in Saanich to canola in Cecil Lake, orfrom 1,900 mm of rain in the Alberni Valley to 153mm in Ashcroft, or from an average January low of -17 in Fort St John to +6 in Victoria, or from shell shin Sechelt to silage in Sicamous. The dierences are endless. Climatic zones in BC range from 2 to 8, includingsome that are found nowhere else in the country.Only 3% of BC’s land area has agricultural potentialand much of that 3% is scattered in valleysthroughout the province. Those valleys areseparated by mountain ranges. The industry is geographically fragmented,climatically fragmented and dierentiated bycountless crops and cultural practices. Throw nearly20,000 farms into the mix and it’s not hard see whata tall order it is to stay engaged and informed in itall and communicate what is timely and relevantevery month. Country Life in BC has been doing justthat for more than 100 years and is committed tocarry on and build on that proud tradition. CommunicationWhile communication is what Country Life is allabout, eective communication is a two way street.We’re proud of BC agriculture and grateful for theopportunity to serve it. In order to do that evenbetter, we need to hear from you. What do you likeor not like about CLBC? What would you like moreof? Less of? What is missing? In the coming weeks(and months), some of you may be contacted bytelephone to answer a random survey. Please sparea few minutes to help us understand how we mightimprove. If you have something to tell us and youdon’t want to chance the random survey, pleaseemail your thoughts to [publisher@countrylifeinbc].The Back 40BOB COLLINS36 Dale Road, Enderby BC V0E 1V4 . Publication Mail Agreement: 0399159 . GST Reg. No. 86878 7375 . Subscriptions: $1/issue . $18.90/year . $33.60/2 years . $37.80/3 years incl GSTThe agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915Vol 102 No 11 Published monthly by Country Life 2000 Ltd.
Food security depends on saving BC’s farmlandNOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC5nanced and has limitedenforcement ocers tomonitor all of BC.In the Blenkinsop Valley, onthe Saanich Peninsula,however, the FarmlandProtection Coalition[www.farmlandprotection.ca]has found success inaddressing the parking ofindustrial vehicles on farmlandin an unlikely place: thenance department. Businesslicenses issued by municipalgovernments have weightrestrictions. Violators can bened and re-issue can behalted.Municipal and regionalgovernments are alsostepping up to createfarmland trusts to protectfarmland by using tax dollarsto acquire farmland, then leaseit back to farmers. We must remain vigilant.Monitoring is dicult to dofrom an oce and requiressupport from the public. If weall work together, we cancreate food security in BC.Future generations arecounting on us.Nathalie Chambers is arestoration ecologist and co-author of Saving Farmland;the ght for real food. She andher husband, David, operate the27 acre Madrona Farm inSaanich and grow 106 varietiesof organic produce, supplyingup to 4000 customers and 15restaurants 12 months a year.Madrona Farm is protected byThe Land Conservancy of BC.Many people don’t knowthat BC, a world renowned hotspot of marine and biologicaldiversity with some of the bestgrowing conditions in Canada,is food insecure. In fact, it’s themost food insecure provincein the country, with thehighest use of food boxprograms in Canada. Even therocky provinces of NewBrunswick and Newfoundlandare more food secure. You might be starting toget suspicious. How can themost biodiverse province befood insecure? The largest obstacle to foodsecurity in BC is the price offarmland. Speculators valuefarmland as residential realestate, putting it out of reachof most farmers. This marketfailure adds to our collectivefood insecurity and deniesfarmers access to the land.This opens up theseirreplaceable lands to non-farm uses. The second major obstacleto food security is theindustrialization of farmland.Allowing non-permittedindustrial uses to continue onfarmland pollutes soils andwatersheds and furtherinates the price of farmland.Humans are not the onlybenefactor of farmland weneed to consider. There areover 450 species of native beesin British Columbia, including35 to 40 species ofbumble bees. The rusty-patched bumble bee isthe rst bee to make afederal endangeredspecies list in NorthAmerica. Thesepollinators are essential toagriculture, pollinating 35% ofthe food most prominent inthe human diet. The last remaining high-value conservation lands in BC– wildlife corridors, watershedsand endangered ecosystems –all run through farmland. If weare not protecting thesevalues, ecosystems will suer.Birds, bees and frogs dependon these lands.The Agricultural LandCommission (ALC) managesthe Agricultural Land Reserve(ALR). The commissionregulates land uses on around4.7 million hectares of ourfarmland; its basis is a piece oflegislation whose originalvision was that of a land trust. Lands within the ALR wereto be increased by 30% toaccommodate a growingpopulation. Sadly, this hasnever occurred. Supporters of the ALRargue it has slowed the loss offarmland. However, thesuccess of the ALR may lookgood on paper, with no largelosses, but not all soil iscreated equal. Soils taken fromthe south and added to northdo not represent a fair deal. Since the inception of theALR, southern BC, the LowerMainland, Vancouver Islandand the Okanagan – arguablyhome to the best farmland,with the best climate inCanada – has experienced anet loss of more than 35,000hectares. In 2014, in spite ofmassive opposition, ourcurrent government wassuccessful in dismantling theALR. The reserve was brokenup into northern and southernsections with more relaxedregulations in the north toallow oil and gas developmenton farmland easier. The Site Cdam project beingchampioned by our currentgovernment will see 30,000acres of fertile farmland on thePeace River ooded for aproject that opponents arguewe do not need. We’ll lose landthat could feed a millionpeople. We’ll lose a signicantcultural area and wildlifehabitat for grizzlies and wolves. Who should you call whenyou notice industrial vehiclesand non-permitted uses onfarmland? On the ALC website,it lists all of the permitted useson farmland, and hascomplaint forms. 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MLS® 10113905. $798,000.Downtown Realty4007 - 32nd Street, Vernon, BC V1T 5P2Toll Free: 1-800-434-9122www.royallegpage.caPAT DUGGANFarm | Ranch | ResidentialBus: 250/545-5371 (24 hr) Cell: 250/308-0938email: patduggan@royallepage.ca“Farmers helping farmers with their real estate needs”www.OkLandBuyers.cawww.countrylifeinbc.comWe are proud to be your agriculturalnews source in British Columbia. Country Life in BC is this province’s onlymonthly farm publication that coversnews and events all our commercialfarmers and ranchers need to know.We look forward to expanding ourcoverage online and on social mediain the months ahead. Thank you to our loyal readers and advertising clients for their continuedsupport. It means everything to us!Subscribe to Country Life in BC
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 20166by TAMARA LEIGHVICTORIA – The City of Surrey andDistrict of North Saanich wererecognized for Leadership andInnovation in Agriculture at the Unionof BC Municipalities (UBCM)Community Excellence Awards inVictoria, September 29. The awards arepart of a co-operative initiative by theBC Agriculture Council (BCAC), the BCMinistry of Agriculture and UBCM torecognize the important role thatmunicipalities play in supportingagriculture.“Municipal governments areplaying an increasingly important rolewhen it comes to regulations andenforcement and supporting thedevelopment of the agriculture andfood industry in their communities,”says Reg Ens, executive director ofBCAC. “We thought these awardswould be a great way to work with theprovince to recognize whatcommunities were doing in this area.”The City of Surrey received anaward for their BioPod Initiative, whichaims to stimulate agri-techdevelopment, provide opportunitiesfor careers in agriculture andstrengthen the local food system. TheBioPod is a partnership between thecity, the University of the Fraser Valley(UFV) and the John Volken Academy(JVA), a Surrey-based addictionsrecovery institution. The high-tech twin greenhousesprovide a test-site for developmentand demonstration of newtechnologies for the commercialgreenhouse sector. At the same time,the initiative is providing agriculturalskills training and certication forstudents at the academy. The projectis part of the City of Surrey’sAgricultural Protection andEnhancement Strategy, with fundingthrough the Investment AgricultureFoundation of BC and support fromJVA, Anor Growers and the City ofSurrey. “It’s all about the partnerships,”says councillor Mike Starchuk, chair ofthe City of Surrey’s Agriculture FoodSecurity Advisory Committee, sharingthe credit with UFV for bringing thetechnology and vision and the JohnVolken Academy for their enthusiasticsupport and embracing theopportunity for their students.“We are proud to receive this kindof recognition. From the city’s pointof view, we wanted to see what typesof innovation could come out of thisthat could be applied here andelsewhere in the world,” he explains.“If the BioPod initiative continues togrow the way it is, it is going tochange an entire industry.”SandownThe District of North Saanich wasrecognized for its role in the SandownAg council recognizes civic support for farmingSurrey and North Saanich win leadership and innovation awards in agriculture: UBCMThe BioPod Initiative provides agricultural training and research in a demonstrationgreenhouse in Surrey and was recognized by the BC Agriculture Council during an awardsceremony in Victoria this fall. (Photo courtesy of the John Volken Academy)See SANDOWN page 10The BC Young Farmers (BCYF) would like to thank our 2016 sponsors. Your support and generosity is building the next generation of farmers in BC. Through your support, BCYF held several events for farmers aged 18 to 40 in 2016. These events provided educational material in a social setting – BCYF members learn important business principles that we incorporated into the management of the family farm. BCYF events provide important networking opportunities for BCYF members as we meet with fellow young farmers, business leaders, and educators.Without your generous support BCYF would not have been able to hold events for our members.On behalf of BCYF Directors and members we thank you and look forward to working with you in 2017 as we continue to provide educational and networking opportunities for BCYF members – the next generation of BC’s farmers. Our program in 2016 included:s A booth at the Pacific Agriculture Show – an opportunity to promote the work that BCYF does and recruit new members. s Sending BCYF members to Vancouver to attend the national Canadian Young Farmers Forum. An event that exposed BCYF Directors and future BCYF directors to national agricultural issues and world-class networking and education opportunities. BCYF took the lead in organizing a tour of local farms for conference delegates. s Events with local MLAs and MPs – important events to build connections, attach faces to agriculture, and to discuss challenges and opportunities facing agriculture and young farmers. sFarm tours – BCYF toured local agri-businesses providing educational and networking opportunities. Our most popular tours continue to be those that involve hands-on experiences. s Farm Fest – a one day event with top notch educational sessions. These year’s focus includes diversification of farm finances, retail food trends and our keynote Elaine Froese speaking on what we wish our parents understood.BC Young Farmers Thank Our 2016 SponsorsBC Young Farmers Thank Our 2016 Sponsorswww.bcyf.caYou’re Invited toFarm Fest 2016Farm Fest 2016 Saturday, November 19th UFV Chilliwack Campus 5579 Tyson Road |Trades and Technology Center Rivers Dining Room.Doors open at 3pm for registration. Join fellow young farmers for an afternoon of educational sessions & networking. Stay for a social & buffet dinner, followed by entertainment by our keynote Elaine Froese speaking on What We Wish Our Parents Understood. The event is free. Please see our website www.bcyf.cafor more information and to register.IRRIGATION
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC7by PETER MITHAMVANCOUVER – It’s the kind of help fewfarmers can expect to see: Vancity CommunityFoundation has bought $150,000 in startupnancing that Vancouver urban farm operatorSOLEfood Farm Inc. received from VancityCredit Union in 2011.“We own the loan. We’re able to restructure itin a somewhat more exible way through thefoundation,” explained Derek Gent, executivedirector of Vancity Community Foundation. “Itremoves the immediate payment burden.”SOLEfood originally launched in 2009 as anoshoot of United We Can, a social enterprisethat works with binners and low-incomeresidents on Vancouver’s Downtown East Side.It became the operating entity of CultivateCanada Society, a separate registered charitychaired by Salt Spring Island farmer MichaelAbleman, in March 2011.SOLEfood sought and received funding forexpansion from the Radclie Foundation, aninitiative of mining magnate Frank Giustra, andVancity, which provided a loan of $250,000.Over the past ve years, it has also receivedmore than $750,000 in nancial support fromother charities and issued receipts for morethan $85,000 from donors, according to federaltax lings. It has also enjoyed access tomunicipal properties across Vancouver atfavourable rents. (It pays the city $1 a year for itssite at Main and Terminal, for example.)Nevertheless, long-term nancial stability hasescaped it. While it managed to accumulatenancialassets worthnearly$110,000 bythe end of2015, wagesfor the 20 to25 workers itemploys are akey expense.Its charitableprogram hascost it $1.4million since2011. To meet itsoperatingexpenses,SOLEfood hasregularlyturned to thepublic forassistance.A campaignin 2014 raisedmore than$32,000towards a goalof $100,000.The fundsaimed to support the launch of two retailoperations designed to boost sales andgenerate added revenue. (It was donatingexcess food to the tune of $22,000 a year at thetime.)However, the plans fell short of expectations.“We opened the Granville Island Sole Foodretail store in September of 2014 and closed itin July of 2015,” Ableman told Country Life in BC.“The overhead was killing us, the sales withinthe food court area where we were locatedwere weak, and we did not see any way ofresolving what were very foundationalproblems.”Gent hopes a $10 million endowment fundthat Vancity Community Foundation haslaunched in tandem with buying the loan willdeliver SOLEfood the long-term nancialstability it needs.“They want to put the organization in aposition where they’re not burdened by anannual fundraising campaign,” Gent said.“They’re aiming big at this point, and are goingto try and raise as much as possible.”Gent has pledged to reduce the amount ofSOLEfood’s debt for each dollar contributed; hesaid donors have already pledged tens ofthousands.“What we’ve basically said is, as theendowment grows – which sits as an asset ofthe foundation – we’re willing to write down theamount of the loan as an asset on our balancesheet,” Gent said. “We thought if we couldremove the burden and at the same timeincrease the incentive for fundraising, that’sgoing to put the organization in a strongerposition down the road.”Gent said the jobs SOLEfood gives peoplewho might not otherwise have work are part ofits rationale for supporting the venture.“The objectives of that business are farbeyond just growing food,” he said. “The best-case scenario is where the business model paysfor all the social benets but those are very hardto come by. It’s a tough business to make gojust on a pure business basis. I think mostfarming is challenging these days.”Tough row to hoeSOLEfood isn’t the only urban farmer to ndurban production a tough row to hoe.Alterrus Systems Inc. and its subsidiary, LocalGardenVancouverInc., declaredbankruptcy inJanuary 2014,15 monthsafterlaunching a6,000-square-footgreenhouse ata city-ownedparkade indowntownVancouver.The liabilitiesof the twocompaniestotalled $5.3million, morethan half ofwhich wasowed toVancity CapitalCorp.During thePacicAgricultureShow earlierthis year,speakers at the conference’s rst-ever urbanfarming segment spoke of the challenges facingurban farmers who want to make a socialimpact. Nick Hermes, a permaculturist, said aculture of encouragement had developed thatcould celebrate even failed projects.“Celebrating failure – they’re really into that,”Hermes said of the growers he works alongside.However, Chris Thoreau, co-owner ofVancouver Food Pedalers Co-operative, hasshown that success is possible through carefulmanagement. Thoreau, another beneciary ofVancity funding, has parlayed the support he’sreceived into a greenhouse operation producingmicrogreens that rings up revenues of $200,000a year. That’s enough to support wages for vepeople working seven hours a day.Urban farm seeks stable financial footingStatistics Canadareports that 59% of BChouseholds grow fruits,herbs, vegetables orflowers for their own use.Now, the BC governmentis encouraging thepractice with up to$250,000 in funding to beshared among 10communities for projectsthat help residents growtheir own food.“The goal of Grow LocalBC is to provide a deeperconnection between BCfood, BC communities andthe people who live inthem,” the governmentsaid in announcing theprogram at the Union ofBC Municipalitiesconference. “By encouraging BritishColumbians to grow theirown fresh fruit andvegetables, they will helpstrengthen local food-supply security.”Projects eligible for thefunding include educationinitiatives that supporthome food production.This isn’t the first timethe province has steppedin to encourage homefood production. 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NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 9by JONNY WAKEFIELD FORT ST JOHN – On adrizzly September afternoon,Ken and Arlene Boon stoodon a hillside overlooking thePeace River, detailing whatthey’ll lose to the Site C dam.As president of the PeaceValley Landowners’Association, representingdozens of farmers andranchers who will be aectedby the dam’s 83-kilometreood zone, Boon has giventhis tour many times.At the bottom of the hill ona bend in the highway is amarket garden lled with fruit,vegetables and a rain-soakedstand of sunowers. Alongthe river, a pair of teepeesstand in a hayeld, leftoverfrom a culture camp Treaty 8First Nations members heldthis summer. On top of one ofthe benchlands that line thearea, known as Bear Flat, is theBoons’ log home constructionbusiness and homesteadwhere Arlene's family haslived for three generations.Now, with a highwayrealignment around theproposed reservoir set tobisect their land, the Boonsare facing the bleak prospectof bringing in their lastharvest and ultimately losingtheir home.“We’re losing everything,”says Arlene. “We’re looking athaving to start over.”Since former premierGordon Campbell revived theidea of a third Peace Riverdam in 2010, the Boons havebeen the face of agriculturalopposition to Site C. In thelead-up to the government’sdecision to green-light theproject, the Boons attendedcountless hours of reviewpanel hearings in Fort St John.They’ve addressed TVcameras on the steps of theVancouver court house afterlegal challenges. Last winter,they helped lead a protestcamp that blockedconstruction for weeks – astand that eventually earnedthem and six others a courtinjunction. But after years of ghting,the Boons received theirocial buyout oer from BCHydro in August. “Seeing an oer andknowing there’s a deadline, itis disturbing,” Ken Boon says.“And it brings a new reality towhere we’re at. It’s a little hardto take.”While the Boons havenothing in writing, theirlawyer says BC Hydro hopesto have them o their land bythe end of the year. The damis scheduled for completion in2024 but sections of Hwy 29between Fort St John andHudson’s Hope need to berealigned above the oodreserve before the river isdiverted. BC Hydro wants tobegin rebuilding eight-and-a-half kilometres of highwaythrough Bear Flat early nextyear. When contacted,however, Site C spokespersonDavid Conway would not givea specic date by which theBoons must leave.The rst highway crewsappeared on the Boons’property this summer.First, it was geotechnicalworkers with drilling rigs totest the soil and rock for theroadbed – creating a line ofboreholes across the propertyjust metres from the Boons’home.The archaeologists camenext. Parts of the yard havebeen transformed into a digsite, with square-metresections cordoned o withpink and yellow tape. The dighas turned up hundreds ofpieces of chert, a aky,obsidian-like rock used by theregion’s early residents fortool making. Some of thearrowheads tested positive forbualo DNA – additionalevidence that the Peace Rivervalley was a trading hub forplains and coastal FirstNations.“There’s a reason why thehomes are all on this stretchalong Bear Flat,” Ken says overcoee at their kitchen table.“It’s because it makes sense tobuild homes on thesebenches. They all have goodsprings, and we’re notdisturbing good farmland.That’s the same reason thearchaeologists are nding somuch here – because it’s beena desirable place for man tolive for 10,000 years – andHydro wants to put a roadright through it.”In September, the BoonsThis could be final harvest for Site C dam opponentsWith a deadline to leave their landlooming, Peace Valley farmers Kenand Arlene Boon may realize theirfarming days are over years beforethe waters riseare dividing time betweenharvesting their crops andnding a new place to live.Driven down land valuesSince BC Hydro rstproposed Site C in the 1970s,farming in the valley hasbeen, in part, an act ofdeance. BC Hydro and theCrown own 93% of the land inthe ood reserve, which hasdriven down land values anddiscouraged large-scaleagriculture in the valley.According to the Joint ReviewKen and Arlene Boon stand over Hip Peace Produce, a market garden that operates on their property atBear Flat. With Hwy 29 set to be realigned through the centre of their property, the Boons are bringing inwhat could be their last harvest. (Photo Jonny Wakeeld/Alaska Highway News)SEE LAST HARVEST PAGE 10TM Trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. Used under license, where applicable.YOU HAVE A VISION. WE CAN HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN.For more information on our complete suite of services, contact one of our specialists or visit us at scotiabank.com/agriculturalservicesHenri PeetersDirector and Group Lead 604.798.7396henri.peeters@scotiabank.comKimberly Ross, M.Sc. (Ag.Ec.)Sr. Client Relationship Manager 604.302.2620kimberly.ross@scotiabank.comLaurens Breugem, CPA CASr. Client Relationship Manager 604.845.4760laurens.breugem@scotiabank.comLee Gogal, BBASr. Client Relationship Manager 604.308.1657lee.gogal@scotiabank.com
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201610LAST HARVESTFROM PAGE 9SANDOWNFROM PAGE 6Panel appointed to scrutinize the project, agriculture in thevalley generates just $220,000 a year. Those who do farm alongthe Peace enjoy long daylight hours in the summer, rich alluvialsoils and warmer temperatures than farms at higher elevationsaround Dawson Creek and Fort St John.Around 30 residents of the valley will be directly aected bySite C according to BC Hydro, either by highway realignment orthe ooding itself. Of those, ten will likely have to move fromtheir homes or rebuild them elsewhere on the property. BCHydro says it will pay “fair market value” for the land – aconcept which Ken says is practically non-existent in an areathat has, for decades, been set aside for a reservoir. Keeping up the fightThe Boons are intent on keeping up the ght against thedam. They say it’s an unnecessary, outdated mega-project thatwill destroy good farmland and infringe on First Nations treatyrights. BC Hydro, meanwhile, says its electricity system will facean eight per cent shortfall in capacity in ten years without Site C. Whenever the prospect of BC Hydro’s buyout comes up, Kentalks about buy-back clauses if a court case or change ingovernment derails the project. He says he hopes he’ll neversee a cent of the money. But the rst summer of work on their farm has already takena toll. Arlene’s mother, who lived in a converted school houseon the property, recently moved to an apartment in Fort StJohn to escape construction.If the Boons are forced from the property, they have optionsto stay in the valley on other family land. But if the river theylove becomes a reservoir, would they want to?“Every direction you look here, these hills are anticipated toslide (into the river)," Ken says. “We won’t know for many yearswhat this valley is going to look like. It might be just a real uglysloughed-in slough. So we’re being expected to makedecisions now without knowledge of what it will look like.Would we really want to stay in the valley?”Jonny Wakeeld is a reporter for the Alaska Highway News andDawson Creek Mirror.Ken Boon walks past an archaeological site on his property, part of mitigation work for the Site C dam.(Jonny Wakeeld/Alaska Highway News photo)The innovative design of Case IH True-Tandem® Disk Harrows provides a distinct advantage over traditional double-offset designs. Symmetrical gang arrangement reduces implement speed sensitivity and reduces sidehill implement bias for better tractor following over rolling terrain. And industry-leading features, like the rugged mainframe and exclusive crimped-center Earth Metal® blades, make it easy to tackle the toughest conditions. Agronomically designed to create a level, well-mixed seedbed output, Case IH True-Tandem Disk Harrows deliver the crucial rst step toward maximizing your yield potential. 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When the owners ofthe 96-acre parcelopened discussions aboutdevelopment options for theland, the district negotiatedan agreement that will see 12acres removed from theAgricultural Land Reserve forcommercial development andthe remaining 84 acresreturned to the communityfor agricultural use. “Often, redevelopment isabout maximizing the highestand best use of the land,”explains Rob Buchan, chiefadministrative ocer for theDistrict of North Saanich, whowas the lead planner on theproject at the time. “Goingback to agriculture is counterto that general trend.”The award recognized theeorts of the District of NorthSaanich to including farmers intheir planning process for theSandown lands project andthe resulting commitment todevelop agriculture resourceson the majority of the originalarea. In order to develop a sharedvision for the future of the site,the district enlisted theassistance of the CapitalRegional Food and AgricultureInitiative Roundtable (CR-FAIR)to host a series of communityoutreach events and ensurethe input from the hundredsof participants in the processcontributes to determiningthe future agricultural uses ofthe site and enhancingagricultural opportunities inthe district.Work on the Sandownredevelopment project is stillin process. The land ownershave recently submitted theirdevelopment applications andwork remains to be done toreturn the land to agriculturalproduction but, with thecommunity fully behind theproject and the recognition ofthe work, Buchan is hopeful asthe project moves forward.“It’s a very positive thing tobe recognized for doingsomething well,” he says. “It’smeaningful to the community,and is nice to have an outsideorganization and peers saythis is award-worthy.”Subscribe at www.countrylifeinbc.comWe now accept major credit cards
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 11www.canadianorganicfeeds.comFOR QUALITYCERTIFIEDORGANICFEEDS FOR BAGGED or BULK ORDERS:Darren JansenGeneral Manager604/794-3701organicfeeds@gmail.comCUSTOM ORDERSCertified to Canadian National Standards MONTHOF THE TUREFEA lil851521 i .noitacirbulnoC.ebulraegW09nietareposgniraeB•.setalpraew&slaesenocbrellornekmiTderepatelbuodhtab-liO•.sloopsrecapsleetsdetacirbaf”½01•dedaerht,tfftahsgnagyolladnuor”8/12•. emarfebutralugnatcerre”8/3x”4x”6•OODEL225G DIN WIANDEMTTA22222LDDOMMM Phone 403-347-2646ve., Re#3, 7491-49 AAv.kelloughs.comwww’42&,”6’12,”6’91,’81•lbdehcton”62x”61/5•g&kcajhctihbl0007•t/ss/tikesoh&stnemgesuardyh”21x”5&”8x”5•.slortnocgnilevelfleS•tfa-errofdedaol-gnirpS•raobdluomytudyvaeH•seilbmessabuhtlob8•melpmiylp851x5.21•e vitisoptnatsn-oudw/csgniraeb.sdnehtobTSWWCSG DIWSSTTT555 lty 1-888-500-2646, AB. T4P 1N1ed Deerr,.kelloughs.com.shtdiw.seda.sehcnerrewgna.skcoltropsnarth tpedw/c&srednilyctfftilleehwcilu.leveltropsnart,ylbmessaepyttsamt.sreparcsdr.s.serreittnem• 12.5 x 15 8 ply implement tires• 8 bolt hub assemblies• Heavy duty mouldboard scrapers• Spring-loaded fore-aft mast type assembly, transport level• Self leveling controls• 3 - 5”x12” hydraulic wheel lift cylinders c/w depth seg-ments & hose kits/transport locks• 7000 lb hitch jack & gang wrenches• 5/16” x 26” notched blades• 18’, 19’6”, 21’6”, & 24’ widthsKelowna cracking down on land reserve abuseneighbour.” You go backthrough the air photos of theproperty and you realize it’s afarm, but now it’s an RV park. “Not only has the footprintof the RV park expanded butthe rest of the property is notbeing farmed because there istoo much revenue generatedat the RV park and there is notthe motivation to farm. “About ve years ago, westarted to make sure thatfarming was the primaryactivity on the property andstarted targeting the abusers,”Cashin explains. “We havebeen in court dealing with anumber of these.”“It is supposed to beseasonal; it’s supposed to befor tourists, not permanent; itcan’t become low-incomehousing. You have to watchthe footprint; it can’t take overthe property,” Cashin says. “Butmore important than anythingelse, you’ve got to farm. Youcan’t have agri-tourism withoutagri; it just doesn’t work.” Cashin acknowledges thatseveral older RV parks closer tothe lake have been turned intocondos. “Council wonders if maybewe should be looking at landson the outskirts of town andspecically zoning them fornew RV parks.”It’s a popular spot forwealthy folks who are not usedto being told no. “Some just don’t care. Allthey want is their 8,000 squarefoot home in the middle of anorchard,” says Cashin. “And itdoesn’t help that the realtorhas told them they can build aby TOM WALKERKELOWNA – Todd Cashin isthe person in charge ofkeeping agriculture inKelowna’s Agriculture LandReserve. With 50% of the cityzoned A-1 (agriculture), it’s abusy job but Cashin doesn’thave to go it alone. He issupported by Kelowna citycouncil and a strongAgriculture AdvisoryCommittee.“Kelowna is full ofentrepreneurs,” explainsCashin, the suburban and ruralplanning manager at KelownaCity Hall. It’s this drive, plusopportunity, that causesproblems with A-1 land withincity limits. “You see guys getting intothe construction industry orlandscaping and maybe theycan’t aord industrialcommercial space. So, theystart leasing cheaper farm landand running the business outof their house,” says Cashin.“By year ve, all the guys aremustering on that property at7 am creating noise,compacting soil, maybestripping and selling the soiland starting to storeequipment and materials.” Cashin says they are seeingan increase in those situations.“So, we decided we weregoing to target one area andtry and get the community tobuy in.”“We went to council withwhat we call the BenvoulinCorridor AgricultureCompliance Strategy, toldthem we were going to be fairbut rm. But this was theproblem.” Cashin says they are lookingat individual cases and tryingto work with businesses to becompliant.“We really want to minimizenon-farm use. If you want tohave a small business whichwe can support, constructionor landscaping can’t be yourprimary use.” Council recently turneddown an application for non-farm use. The property hadbeen leased since 2003 andhad expanded as a landscapeand irrigation business. Kelowna mayor CollinBasran summarized council’sposition. “I recognize you are tryingto take some measures tobring it up to compliance byplanting more nursery stockand make it more of a farmventure," he was quoted assaying. "But this to me is clearlywhat we are trying to stop inour community." Councilrefused to forward theapplication to the AgriculturalLand Commission (ALC). Theapplicant was sent back towork with city sta to makethe operation compliant.A second thorn in Cashin’sside comes from RV parks. “We were seeing RV parkspopping up or peopleenquiring saying, “I want tobuild an RV park like myTRACTOR & EQUIPMENT LTD.KAMLOOPS580 Chilcotin Road250/851-3101TOLL FREE 1-888-851-3101ARMSTRONG4193 Noble Road250/546-3141TOLL FREE 1-800-661-3141NOBLECASE IH MAXXUM 125, 2010, 3100 HRS, 105HP, CAB, 4X4, LDR . . 79,800CASE 2090 1982, 108 HP, CAB, 3PT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,500NH 3045 45 HP, 4X4, CAB, LDR, LIKE NEW ONLY 215 HOURS . . . . . . 36,500MF 5613 2015, 100 PTO HP, CAB, 4X4, 16X16 POWERSHIFT TRANS, MF946 LDR, ONLY 345 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107,500MF 4608, 2013, 450 HRS, 67HP, CAB, 4X4, LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48,900JD 6420 2005, 90 HP, CAB, 4X4, SHUTTLE, ONLY 1530 HRS . . . . . . 63,500JD 4650 1985, 165 HP, CAB, 4X4, 3PT, POWERSHIFT . . . . . . . . . . . . 47,500JD 3130 80 HP, 2X4, CANOPY, JD 148 LOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13,500NH 1412 1999, 10’4” CUT, FLAIL CONDITIONER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,900MF 220 SERIES II WINDROWER,1999, C/W 18’ DRAPER HEADER . 21,500CASE IH DC102 2010, 10’4” CUT, ONLY 80 ACRES USE . . . . . . . . . . 25,900NH 488 1999, 9’2” CUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,800NH 1037 104 BALE, 3 WIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,500VERMEER 554 XL 4’X5’ SILAGE SPECIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,800BRANDT VSF BALE PROCESSOR C/W BIG SQUARE BALE KIT . . . . . . . . . . 8,900ARTEX 14’ HIGH DUMP WAGON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,500www.nobletractor.comHERE COMES WINTER!Farming needs to be primary use or else ...second residence on theproperty. ““I’m meeting with a womanwho has a built a carriagehouse on her million-dollarproperty,” he says. “Ourpaperwork says she applied tobuild worker housing and nowshe and the real estate agentare mad at me. It’s not rightthat we become the bad guys.” The Agriculture AdvisoryCommittee (AAC) is a hugepart of the process. Cashin saystheir level of expertise hasreally helped. “We re-structured thecommittee so we look forsomeone with a soilbackground, someone with anirrigation background and weare always looking for anorchardist.” The AAC knows what’sgoing on in the communityand they know about agri-business. “They can’t be BS’d,” saysCashin. “Applicants used tosay, “It’s impossible for me tofarm.” and the committeewould say, “Oh well, okay; it’simpossible to farm.” Now, theyare asking tougher questions.There are people out therewho do very well at farming inour community.”Experience with wetlands 15years ago gave Cashin a modelto follow. “Filling in wetlands used tobe the thing to do andalthough we had awesomepolicy in place, I couldn’t bean enviro-cop. It wasn’t untilwe got community buy-in thatwe started to see success,” herecalls. “Nowadays, if you seeSee ABUSE page 12
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201612For additional funding opportunities and information: T 250.356.1662 E funding@iafbc.caW iafbc.ca facebook.com/InvestAgBC twitter.com/iafbc PROGRAM FUNDING BYMaking an impact in B.C.’s agriculture and agri-food industry for 20 years.iafbc.ca/impactiafbc.ca/impactThe Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C. has been deliveringgovernment funding to B.C.’s agriculture and agri-food industries since1996. Together with our government funders, we are supporting innovationsand enhancing local and international sales of B.C. grown and made products.For more information and to readImpact Assessment of Government Funding Delivered by the B.C. Investment Agriculture Foundation, go toiafbc.ca. ECONOMIC IMPACT 2$355M In its fi rst 20 years,IAF has delivered government funding to more than 1,700 projects.1 Converted to 2015 dollars2Converted to 2015 dollars3 Person-years ofemployment generatedthroughout the Province2,824JOBS GENERATEDJOBS GENERATED33 TOTAL INVESTEDTOTAL INVESTED11$192M“We would proobablyhave done 10 too 15percent of what wwedid with the BuyLocal BC program if fwe were on our own.”.”Bryan Marshall, General Manager of Hapifoods a B.C. Government’s Buy Local Programparticipant.ng the US market“… Havingdditional marketas an ade us a strongermade mpany that cancompHUEHWWHUSULFHVȋRHB.C. Agrifood &BSeafood Export Program Stakeholder“The funding was criticalbecause it made itpossible for us to trysome […] new productsthat nobody else in themarket is making. […] We are a small organi-zation and the fundingGHȴQLWHO\GHFUHDVHGWKHrisk that we had to taketo try this new product.” Canada-B.C. Agri-Innovation Program Stakeholder“We have manycranberry researchers from all over NorthAmerica, standing therewith envy in their eyeswishing they had a centrelike this to work at.”Jack Brown, Chair of theBC Cranberry Marketing Commission speaking about the cranberry research facility that was partially funded through IAF delivered programs.FUNDING OPPORTUNITIESB.C. GOVERNMENT’S BUY LOCAL PROGRAMAGRI-FOODENVIRONMENT INITIATIVEFOOD & BEVERAGEPROCESSING INITIATIVEAGRICULTURAL AREA PLANNING PROGRAMGROWING FORWARD 2• BC AGRIFOOD & SEAFOODEXPORT PROGRAM• CANADA-BC AGRI-INNOVATION PROGRAM• BC AGRICULTURE & FOODCLIMATE ACTION INITIATIVE TAX REVENUE GENERATED$10M
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 13Fruit growers oeredincentive to improve foodsafety trainingby TOM WALKERKELOWNA – Members ofthe BC Fruit GrowersAssociation (BCFGA) will getan incentive to help cover thecosts of participating in foodsafety programs thanks to arecent dividend fromSummerland VarietiesCorporation (SVC), a whollyowned subsidiary of theBCFGA.As growers themselves, theBCFGA executive has directexperience with food safetyprograms. “We know the cost, eortand occasional frustration ofimplementing food safetyprograms on the farm,” saysBCFGA president Fred Steele.“At the same time werecognize the benet of foodsafety in giving condenceand promoting our apples,cherries and soft fruit.”BCFGA members willreceive a one time payment of$425 to help cover the costsof enrolling in a food safetyprogram such as CanadaGAP(Good Agriculture Practices).“We feel that giving thegrower a one-time break byproviding an incentive willstrengthen our industry’scommitment to food safety,”says Steele.Costs for a program likeGAP can range for $425 (theminimum yearly fee formembers of BC Tree Fruit Co-operative under a group plan)to several thousand dollarsper year paid to otheraccrediting bodies. Programsalso require signicantamounts of time and oftenlead to changes to farmpractices and record keeping.While a grower will have toiletfacilities, a new certicationABUSE From page 12Worst nightmareany kind of equipmentworking around a wetland,people are on the phone.” “For the most part, it isreally just changing theculture,” says Cashin.“Reminding people that thesebeautiful vistas we see is farmland and it’s what makesKelowna great.”Kelowna is in the midst ofdrawing up a new agricultureplan and Cashin says that willhelp with the “culture” hetalks about. “Absolutely something hasgot to change or we aren’tgoing to be a farmcommunity. It’s just going tobe estate lot after estate lotwith somebody mowing$2,500 worth of alfalfa everyyear just to keep the farmstatus,” he warns. ”If that iswhat we want to do, great,but I don’t think that’s whatour community needs in thefuture. We need local food.”DEALER INFO AREAAfA fA fA fA funnunnunnunnnnny ty ty ty ty tyhinhinhinhinhing hg hg hg hg happappappappappensensensensenswhwhwhwhwhen en en en enenyouyouyouyouyouotetetetetest st st st sstdridridridridridve ve ve vevea Ka Ka KaKa KKIOTIOTIOTOTIOTIOTIOTIIIIII®®®®WUDWUDWUDWUDWUDFWRFWRFWRFWRFWRUIUIUIUIUIRURURURURUWKHWKHWKHWKHWKHȴUȴUȴUȴUȴUVWVWVWVWVWWLPWLPWLPWLPWLPHHHHH$O$O$O$O$OOWOWOWOWOWKRVKRVKRVKRVKRVRVHWHWHWHWHWWKRXKRXKRXKRXKRXRXJKWJKWJKWJKWJKWV\V\V\V\V\RXRXRXRXRXKDGKDGKDGKDGKDGDERDERDERDERDERXWXWXWXWXWEX\EX\EX\EX\EX\LQJLQJLQJLQJLQJDQDQDQDQDQRWKRWKRWKRWKRWKHUHUHUHUHUEUDEUDEUDEUDEUDQGQGQGQGQGSHSHSHSHSHUKDUKDUKDUKDUKDSVSVSVSVSVRQHRQHRQHRQHRQHPRPRPRPRPRUHUHUHUHUHHȊIDȊIDȊIDȊIDIDPRXPRXPRXPRXPRXVȋVȋVȋVȋVȋȋGLVGLVGLVGLVGLVDSSDSSDSSDSSDSSHDUHDUHDUHDUHDU$$$$$QGQGQGQGQGVXGVXGVXGVXGVXGGHQGHQGHQGHQGHQO\O\O\O\O\WKWKWKWKWKHRHRHRHRHRQO\QO\QO\QO\QO\WUWUWUWUUDFWDFWDFWDFWDFWRURURUU\RX\RX\RX\RX\RXȇOOȇOOȇOOȇOOOOHYHYHYHYHYHUHUHUHUHUEX\EX\EX\EX\EX\LVLVLVLVDDDDD.,2.,2.,22.,27,7,7,7,7,© 20© 20© 20©20©2015 15 1551515 KIOTKIOTKIOTKIOTKIOTIIIIITraTraTraraTractorctorctorctortorComComComComCompanypanypanypanypanya Da Da Da DaDivisivisivisivisivisioniononionionof Dof Dof Dof Dof Daedoaedoaedoaedoaedng-Ung-Ung-Ung-Ung-USA, SA, SA, SA, SA, Inc.Inc.Inc.Inc.IncKioti.comPX Serieschangeyourmind.powerThetoYOUR BC KIOTI DEALERSABBOTSFORD Matsqui Ag Repair ................... 604-826-3281 www.matsquiagrepair.comVERNON Timberstar Tractor ................... 250-545-5441 www.timberstar.caDUNCAN Harbour City Equipment .......... 778-422-3376 www.harbourequipment.comPRINCE GEORGE Northern Acreage Supply Ltd... 250-596-2273 www.northernacreage.ca604.556.7477DUNCAN5410 Trans Canada Hwy. 250.748.8171KELOWNA103-1889 Springfield Road250.860.2346NANAIMO1-1277 Island Hwy. S250.753.4221PARKSVILLE587 Alberni Hwy. 250.248.3243SAANICH1970 Keating Cross Rd. 250.652.9188SALMON ARM1771 - 10th Avenue S.W. 250.832.8424WEST KELOWNA2565 Main St., Hwy. 97 South 250.768.8870ABBOTSFORD31852 Marshall PlaceCanadian Owned and Operated100%•Livestock Feed•Fertilizer• Grass Seed• Pet Food & Accessories• Fencing• Farm Hardware• Chemicals. . . . and a whole lot moreby TAMARA LEIGHABBOTSFORD – Farmers inthe Fraser Valley will have anopportunity to receivevaluable information on arange of water-related topicsby attending the Fraser ValleyAgricultural WaterManagement Symposium onThursday, November 17. This free event will provideinformation about how tooptimize water use andimprove drainage. “The workshop is unique asit will include information onall aspects of agriculturalwater management, fromsupply to irrigation anddrainage, and there will bebreak-out sessions featuringspecic information for berrygrowers, landscape andnursery operations and thedairy sector,” says EmilyMacNair, manager of the BCAgriculture & Food ClimateAction Initiative. Theworkshop is identied as apriority project in the FraserValley Adaptation Strategiesplan, released in the summerof 2015. During thedevelopment of the plan,producers highlightedinformation gaps around thefuture of agricultural water inthe Fraser Valley and raisedconcerns about the changingregulatory context governingwater use, as well as the waysthat climate change mightinuence both supply anddemand of water during theagricultural productionseason.Producers can register forthe workshop online at:[https://fraservalleyagriculturalwater.eventbrite.ca].Funding for this workshopis provided in part by thegovernments of Canada andBritish Columbia through theInvestment AgricultureFoundation of BC and the BCAgricultural Research &Development Corporationunder Growing Forward 2, afederal-provincial-territorialinitiative. Water workshop for farmersFire crews were still mopping up after an early morning barn re just hours before the farm was setto host the North Okanagan Plowing Match in Armstrong, October 1. No one and no livestock was hurtin the re that destroyed one barn. (Naomi McGeachy photo)
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201614ProfessionalServicesView over 100 listings of farm properties atwww.bcfarmandranch.comBC FARM & RANCHREALTY CORP.Buying or Selling a Farm or Acreage?GORD HOUWELINGCell: 604/793-8660GREG WALTONCell: 604/864-1610Toll free 1-888-852-AGRI (2474)Call BC’s First and OnlyReal Estate Office committed 100% to Agriculture!Helping industry build & implement practical & sustainable programs & publications To see past projects and potential scope of services visit www.qfirst.ca Ph: 604-309-3509 E: qfirst@telus.net For more information or to pursue an idea contact: Annette Moore B.Sc.(Agr), M.Sc., P.Ag. Quality First in Agriculture Inc. Jack Reams P.Ag. Agri-Consultingv BC Farm Business Advisory Services Consultantv Farm Debt Mediation Consultantv Organic Consultant & Inspectorv Meat Labeling ConsultantPhone: 604-858-1715 Cell: 604-302-4033Fax: 604-858-9815 email: marlene.reams@gmail.comCONFIDENTIALITY GUARANTEEDDustinStadnykCPA, CAChrisHendersonCPA, CANathalieMerrillCPA, CMATOLL FREE 1-888-818-FARM | www.farmtax.caExpert farm taxation advice:• Purchase and sale of farms• Transfer of farms to children• Government subsidy programs• Preparation of farm tax returns• Use of $1,000,000 Capital Gains ExemptionsApproved consultants for Government funding through BC Farm Business Advisory Services ProgramARMSTRONG 250-546-8665 | LUMBY 250-547-2118 | ENDERBY 250-838-7337www.agri-jobs.ca | Phone: 604-823-6222 | Email: info@agri-labour pool.comWe do the work for you! Agri-jobs.caOur business is helping your business GROW, since 1974.Connecting employers with the right employee!Contact us to nd out how we can fill your position:Looking for HELP on your farm?www.agri-jobs.ca | Phone 604-823-6222 | Email info@agri-jobs.caby PETER MITHAMVICTORIA – Strongrevenues in the agri-foodsector are putting more cashin the pockets of BC farmers,claims the province, and that’stranslating into fewerbankruptcies among farmbusinesses.Touting record agri-foodsector revenues of $13 billionin 2015, BC agricultureminister Norm Letnick saysthe sector is economicallystrong.While an August reportfrom Farm Credit Canadawarned that limited liquidityleaves BC farms vulnerable toshifts in markets, Letnickbelieves dierently.The increase in net cashincome that the agriculturesector saw in 2015 is a case inpoint. It rose 21.5% in 2015 to$440.1 million, up from $362.3million in 2014.“Our farmers, our ranchers,our producers, our sherswere able to pocket $440million,” he said. “This recordincrease of over 20% since2014 means more jobs, morerevenue for BC farmers,ranchers and shers, moreprots and strengthens BC’sfood security.”Good news storyStatistics from the federalOce of the Superintendentof Bankruptcy bear out thatgood-news story.Just three businesses in thegeneral grouping of“agriculture, forestry, shingand hunting” declaredbankruptcy in 2015, downfrom 39 in 2008.Sector bankruptcies havebeen in the single digits forthe past ve years, and below40 since 2007.The shift coincides with adecade in which overall netfarm income afterdepreciation has been largelynegative. This isn’t necessarilya sign of greater scaldiscipline on the part ofproducers, but rather strongerfarm cash receipts and steadyinvestments in technology.“There’s been increasedinvestment on equipment andtechnology so, as a result,costs have shrunk as a resultof eciencies, so the balancesheet is healthier – in general– across the board,” Yan-YanLee, an accountant and farmbusiness advisor based inVancouver, said. by TAMARA LEIGHDUNCAN – The wait for anew regional agrologist toserve the south island is over.Derek Masselink will ll theposition with the BC Ministryof Agriculture, taking regionalresponsibility for VancouverIsland from Victoria up toLadysmith and across to PortRenfrew, as well as thesouthern Gulf Islands. Masselink got his start inagriculture spearheading theUBC Farm initiative and hasspent the past 13 yearsworking in the south islandarea as a consultant onindividual farm plans, workingwith municipalities onagriculture-related planningissues, as well as a number ofagriculture area plans aroundthe province. He brings adiverse skill set tothe position,including abackground inwildlife ecology,landscapearchitecture andagroecology.Derek has workedin a wide varietyof areas including:protected areasplanning, FirstNations and treatynegotiation, landscapeplanning and management;agroecology and agriculturaldesign; education forCanada’s strengtheningdollar following the nancialcrisis allowed farmers toimport equipment at anadvantage; meanwhile, thereversal in the loonie’sfortunes in the past threeyears has made exports amore lucrative area ofbusiness.Meanwhile, a consumerpreference for local foods hascreated market opportunitiesfor many growers. Many nowadd value to their products,helping them secure morevalue than they used to see.This has helped cash owand in turn kept bankruptcieslow.“It comes about two ways –increased revenues ordecreased costs,” Lee said ofthe improved nances thathave kept farmers back fromthe brink. “In this case, it wasa combination of both.”Agri-food bankruptcies remain on low sidesustainability; governance;community development; andorganizationaland projectmanagement. “What I’vebeen focused onsince leaving UBCis establishingconnectionsbetween peoplewho aren’tinterested andconcerned withagriculture andthose that aretrying to make aliving runningfarms and farm systems,” saysMasselink. “I’m interested inhow to bring people togetherto understand the challenges,and developing anappreciation of whatagriculture can be incommunities.”“I feel very fortunate to beable to work with acommunity that I really loveand respect,” he adds. New superintendentChris Zabek, regionalagrologist for Fraser ValleyNorth, has taken onresponsibility asSuperintendent of Farmers’Institutes. He took on theadditional role in March thisyear following the retirementof Greg Taggart.The Superintendent ofFarmers’ Institutes isappointed under the Farmers’and Womens’ Institutes Act tocarry out administrativefunctions under the act,including incorporation ofnew farmers’ institutes,changes to bylaws orconstitutions and receivingannual reports and nancialstatements. “Taking on this role wasinteresting to me partiallybecause my work as a regionalagrologist brings me intocontact with people involvedin farmers institutes, and theyare so passionate,” says Zabek.“These people live andbreathe agriculture, and wantto do the best for agriculture.You can’t help but bump upagainst that attitude and beinspired by it.”Familiar faces in new roles at ministry DAVE MASSELINK
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 15Winter has come early for Peace River grain farmers. (Photo courtesy of Irmi Critcher)by TAMARA LEIGHDAWSON CREEK – Farmersin the Peace woke up to whiteelds on October 1, creating aharvest headache foreveryone with crops stillstanding. “It’s winter up here,” saysIrmi Critcher, who is usuallycombining in early October.“The season has shifted by amonth. We were in the eldearly in April, and now wehave a dump of snow inOctober.”Weather patterns duringthe harvest season have beenextremely wet, starting with amajor rainfall in earlySeptember that soaked theelds just when the rst cropswere ready for harvest.“It was very disappointing.We had a really beautiful cropthis summer. We had heavyrain in June, but the crop wasat a stage where it couldhandle it,” Critcher explains.“With the cold, wet weatherthis fall, there’s going to be alot of wheat around that couldhave been #1 milling wheatbut will end up as feed.”The early snowfall iskeeping BC Ministry ofAgriculture’s ProductionInsurance team busy.“We’re not thinking it’s acomplete disaster at thispoint,” says Lonny Steward,manager for Business RiskManagement. “Overall, thePeace harvest is way aboveaverage this year. They werelooking at a really good yearand have lost the top end oftheir yield that would helpthem be successful.”“The ones that have amajority of acres snowedunder could result in claimsbut we aren’t sure yet if thoseacres can be salvaged laterthis fall or in the spring,” headds.The production insuranceteam is processingnotications from producersand will be inspecting farmswith severe losses andworking with farmers toestablish what their yieldscould be in the coming weeks. Steward says some crops,like canola, may be able tooverwinter and harvestsuccessfully in the spring. Lessresilient crops, like peas, areexpected to be a total loss. “Where we’re expecting thebiggest loss is on oats north ofFort St John. Those crops areprobably the most severelyaected,” he adds. For many who grow oncontract, including Critcher,downgrades in quality mayleave them looking for newmarkets.“Dierent companieshandle it dierently. Somecompanies roll the contractforward to the next year soyou can grow the crop againand see whether you canmeet the criteria. Othercompanies honour thecontract and let you deliveryour crop but give a hugediscount on price becauseyou didn’t meet the qualityspecs,” she explains. “The other thing we aredoing is looking for brokersthat specically handle feedgrain. We don’t want to bestuck going into next yearwith feed grain in the bins,”adds Critcher.Production insurance mayoer some relief for thequality loss through theirminimum grade guarantee. “All of our crops oer aminimum grade guarantee. Ifthe grade falls below theguarantee, we’ll convert thevalue of the quality loss intoyield and pay out that way,”say Steward. Using red wheat as anexample, he explains thatproduction insurance will lookat the price dierencebetween the speciedminimum grade (No. 3) andfeed wheat. If the dierence is15%, then the total yield forthat crop will be reduced by15%, and they will pay a largerclaim.While there will be somegrowers with severe losses,overall Steward expects thatmany of the farmers in thePeace will either havemanaged to get a goodportion of their crop inalready, or will nd a way toget it o and recover somevalue.“Peace region farmers aresome of the most progressiveand aggressive farmers in thecountry for being able toharvest their crop quickly,”says Steward respectfully,noting that many haveinvested in grain driers andspecial equipment for workingin wet conditions. “If there’sany possible way to get thecrop in, they’ll get it in.”“The incredible eorts theymake to get crops in quicklyhave probably minimized thelosses this snow has caused.They manage a lot of theirown risk, and when they havedisasters, productioninsurance is in place to help.”Early snow downgrades harvest in the Peaceby TAMARA LEIGHDAWSON CREEK – Extremeweather events in the Peaceseem to be the norm this year.Heavy rains in June causedcatastrophic ooding inDawson Creek, Chetwynd,Pouce Coupe and Fort StJohn, washing out bridgesand roads and leaving manyrural residents cut o from therest of the province. The provincial governmenthas announced a $2.5 millioninvestment to help the PeaceRiver Regional District withmitigation work to reduce therisk of ooding in the future. Itis hoped that the work,including debris removal, re-sloping and re-vegetation,will be completed before thewinter freeze.The $2.5 million is inaddition to close to $1 millionprovided to individuals andapproximately $4 millionexpected to be paid out tolocal governments in thePRRD through the provincialDisaster Financial Assistanceprogram following the oodsin June. The total estimated cost ofdamages from the JunePeace River rainfall eventcould reach close to $100million.Production insurance adjustersare still assessing losses$2.5 million invested in Peace flood preventionMK Martin’s Pull Type snowblowers connect to your tractor’s 3PH. The hitch facing design allows you to drive straight forward pulling the hitch instead of backing it into the snow, allowing you to easily guide the blower around objects. This also means you no longer have to keep looking over your shoulder when blowing snow or driving into a cloud of blown snow.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201616Sam Bourgeois, AgvocateApple Producer “We know the work weput in to grow safe,healthy food. We’rethe ones who shouldtell our story.”Learn more at AgMoreThanEver.ca.Be somebody who does something. Be an agvocate.Misplaced prioritiesRe: Port development trumps BCagriculture (October 2016)I was extremely disheartened toread the federal minister ofagriculture’s comments. Sadly, the minister has prioritizedthe industrialization of the Fraser Riverdelta over the protection of Canada’smost productive agricultural land. One has to wonder where theminister thinks future farm exports willcome from if we continue to pave overlocal topsoil. In my riding of Delta South, weknow these pressures all too well. ThePort of Vancouver’s position that localagriculture is “almost meaningless”and that the port has “supremacy”over the farmland protection laws ofour province has long been cause forconcern. The minister’s comments make ourcontinuing ght to protect 1,500 acresof Delta farmland from industrializationby the port completely meaningless.Vicki HuntingtonMLA Delta SouthOttawa misled by portIt is alarming that the new Liberalgovernment of Canada is being completely misled by the Port ofVancouver. It is dicult to believe the statement by the federal Minister ofAgriculture, Lawrence MacAulay, inreference to BC agricultural land protected by the provincialAgricultural Land Reserve: “LowerMainland farmland could be sacricedto ensure agri-food exports can moveto market quickly and eciently.”Canada wants to increase export-ready agri-food exports to China andother Asian countries. It is ironic thatthe Port of Vancouver claims it needsto industrialize Canada’s best farmlandin order to export agricultural products.There is no evidence to support theclaim that we need to industrializefarmland. This is a ploy by the Port ofVancouver to expand its real estateholdings, which will enrich the Crowncorporation and associates. It hasnothing to do with sensible port business.Exporting agricultural products hasbeen, and continues to be, importantto the Canadian economy. It can continue without using precious BCfarmland. The largest increase in agriculturalexports is from wheat and other grainswhich are being accommodated by amassive new grain terminal in NorthVancouver.In terms of processed foods, whichwere stressed in the article, Vancouverexported 20% more tonnage in 2010than in 2015.Fraser Surrey Docks is a wonderfulterminal with a large stretch of industrial land which is ideal for theexport of specialty crops andprocessed foods. The current plans forfunneling dirty US thermal coalthrough this great site are uneconomical and a waste of our precious port lands. The prime minister and federal ministers of agriculture, transport, natural resources, environment, sheries and trade don’t seem to beaware that they are being duped bythe Port of Vancouver. Isn’t it time tostop listening to paid lobbyists andold guard civil servants and advisors?Isn’t it time to listen to public concerns about protecting the“ecosystems of the Fraser River delta,which interactively support theworld’s best salmon river, Canada’srich farmland and Canada’s mostimportant bird area for shorebirds,waterfowl and birds of prey?Susan JonesDeltaSelf-interest winsPeter Mitham’s article in theOctober issue regarding exportgrowth contains astonishingstatements: [Port authority presidentand CEO Robin] Silvester believes localagriculture is “almost meaningless”when it comes to local food security,which, coupled with [Silvester’s]arrogant pronouncement that the Portauthority has “supremacy” over theAgricultural Land Reserve, is anoutrageous expression of self-interest,ignorance of the potential of our localgrowers, and a frightening abdicationof our need to take more control ofour local food supply and agriculturalsector.[Silvester’s] view is “screw localproduction, access to quality foodproducts, food security,” and just shipit all away and be utterly dependenton fragile import sources.Port authority and its self-interestedagenda wins in this scenario; futuregenerations of Canadians lose.Mark PigottKelownaLettersMinister’s comment doesn’t sit well with readersWhoops!The toll-free number forBC Cattlemens that appeared inour “New guide simplies well licencing” story on page 9 of theOctober edition was incorrect. Thecorrect number is 1-877-688-2333.We apologize for the error.
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 17by PETER MITHAMABBOTSFORD – BC agri-food exports hit a record highin 2015, with mushroomssecond only to blueberriesamong the top fresh produceitems shipped overseas. But mushroom productionis a dangerous business, as the2008 deaths of three workersat A-1 Mushroom SubstratumLtd. in Langley highlighted.(Two other workers were leftwith permanent brain damagefollowing exposure tohydrogen sulde in theincident.) More recently, twofarms and a compostingfacility owned by Abbotsfordgrower Huu Quach hit thenews in September oversafety violations.Yet the headlines obscurethe fact that farm safety, forthe most part, has improved instep with productivity. Whilefarmers have made signicantinvestments in equipment tocut labour costs, they’ve alsotaken steps with the help ofWorkSafeBC and AgSafe(formerly FARSHA, the Farmand Ranch Health and SafetyAssociation) to mitigate on-farm risks.Claims for serious injurieshave averaged 0.6 per 100workers in the past ve years,while overall injury claimshave averaged 2.6 over thesame period.The sector’s average isslightly higher than the BCaverage, but the stable rate ofinjuries show that mattershaven’t gotten worse. That’spartly a result of training byAgSafe, which trains workers’to recognize potential risks.“We do the safety training,”says Wendy Bennett,executive director of AgSafe.“We’re not teaching peoplehow to operate. We’reteaching them to make surethat they’re looking at all thesafety pieces.”This is especially importantas mechanization increases.“We have had a hugedemand, and it’s primarily forequipment safety training –so, forklifts and tractors,” shesays. “Those are the two thatwe end up doing a lot of.Tractors, statistically,throughout North America,are responsible for themajority of fatalities in someway, shape or form.”The number of equipmentincidents are what promptedWorkSafeBC to focus onawareness initiativesspecically designed for theagriculture sector.“We were seeing a lot ofserious injuries resulting fromthe use of machinery in theagriculture industry. We’retrying to bring someeducation around that,” DougPasco, an industry specialist atWorkSafeBC assisting theagriculture sector, says. “We’vepartnered with someequipment dealerships tobring that information outthere. We also partner withAgSafe.”AgSafe provides the hands-on training that is beyond themandate of WorkSafeBC, aregulatory agency thatengages in inspections,investigations andcompensation programs.This year, a particular focushas been ladder safety, acampaign originallydeveloped for theconstruction sector butreoriented to farmers becauseof the signicant number ofincidents involving falls fromheights.Second only tooverexertion, falls fromheights account for 15% ofclaims. When coupled withfalls at grade, tumbles accountfor 29% of injury claims. Bycomparison, workers caughtin, struck by, or otherwiseengaged with a vehicle orStockingupSURREY – A farmer is dead following anaccident involving equipment in Surrey onOctober 6. Kenneth Mark Nootebos, aged 51,of Surrey was part of a crew working on amechanical beet-harvesting project on avegetable farm located at 15675 40 Avenue.According to the BC Coroners Service,Nootebos became entrapped in some of themachinery. He was deceased at the scene“WorkSafeBC fatal and serious injury ocersand prevention eld ocers are standing by,ready to investigate once the RCMP andcoroner are nished with their investigation,”reported Scott Money, a spokesperson forWorkSafeBC.The incident followed the serious injury inSeptember of an orchardist who sueredmultiple broken bones in his upper and lowerbody when he started a tractor that was still ingear.“The worker was run over,” WorkSafeBCreports, bluntly.BC farms stay focused onsafety as productivity surgesInjuries are costly in many waysWorker dies on Surrey farmCranberries were $2 apound at this year’sCranberry Festival inhistoric Fort Langley.According togovernment stats,only 1% of BC’scranberry crop is soldfresh. 50% is used tomake sweeteneddried cranberries,40% is made intojuice and 9% is soldwhole frozen. 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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201618BC agriculture minister Norm Letnick created quite the buzz last month when he had his body paintedand posed in a Kelowna apple orchard to generate awareness for the farmers’ food donation tax credit.The tax break is offered to farmers who donate agricultural products to registered charities like foodbanks or school meal programs. (Photo courtesy of BCMA)A Firsthand Understanding Of Your Family’s Wealth PrioritiesMark Driediger, CFP, Senior Wealth AdvisorAssante Financial Management Ltd.www.MarkDriediger.com | (604) 859-4890 Farm Transition Coaching Customized Portfolio Strategy Retirement Income PlanningPlease visit www.assante.com/legal.jsp or contact Assante at 1-800-268-3200 for information with respectto important legal and regulatory disclosures relating to this notice.Your Farm. Your Family. Your Future.drainage is our specialtyVALLEY FARM DRAINAGE31205 DEWDNEY TRUNK RD, MISSION • Fax 604-462-7215604-462-7213 • www.valleyfarmdrainage.comProudly supporting Canadian industryusing Canadian productLASER EQUIPPED & GPS CONTROLLED TRENCHED AND TRENCHLESS APPLICATIONSSUPPLIERS OF CANADIAN MADE BIG O DRAINAGE TUBINGequipment account for 26% ofaccidents.Orchardists have been aparticular focus for thecampaign, thanks to wetweather this year that madeharvest conditions morehazardous.“There was so much moreweather this year than therehad been the year prior thatmany more people had theladder slip or the rungs werewet,” Bennett says. “A lot ofadditional precautions wouldhave had to have been taken.And some did and somedidn’t.”WorkSafeBC lists just twoladder-related investigationsin the orchard sector this yearon its site: one from February,in which a pruner fell from theseventh step of a nine-footladder, and another in Julywhen a ladder toppled whilebeing relocated.“We had a discussion with[the BC Fruit Growers’Association] in the summerbecause we take a look attrends and see what’shappening,” Pasco says.“We’ve noticed thatapproximately 40% of theirinjuries are coming from fallsfrom elevation and wewanted to highlight that forthem.”BCFGA sta have sincedrawn the issue to members’attention, pointing out thatfewer accidents mean fewerclaims and lower premiums.Over the past decade,premiums have dropped from2.7% to 1.55%, and theassociation wants it to staythat way.“If ladder safety accidentrates are not improved, it ispossible that rates could go ashigh as 3.5%, which is threetimes the current premiumrate,” a recent newsletterwarned. That could costorchardists an extra $200 to$2,000 a year in premiums.BCFGA is working todetermine if particular crops,such as cherries, are moresusceptible to accidentsinvolving ladders to pinpointwhere training eorts shouldfocus.“It’s really early stages,”Pasco said. “But it is an areawhere they could be proactivein.”SAFETYFROM PAGE 17VICTORIA – The CertiedOrganic Associations of BC(COABC) is leading thedevelopment of a new on-linesystem will help new entrantsachieve certied organicstatus.COABC will conductconsultations and outreachwith growers andstakeholders over the comingmonths to ensure that theproject considers stakeholderneeds. The system will savefarmers time through a moreecient and streamlinedprocess and also be used as asource for sector-wide data tohelp provide ongoing,reliable, up-to-date statisticsabout the sector. The accurate data willbetter indicate theopportunities within theorganic sector for new andexpanding growers andsupport the planning ofbusiness growth andincreased revenues. The datawill also be used to helpidentify opportunities invalue-added food productionand encourage strategicgrowth.A pilot of the system willlaunch in 2017 with fullimplementation scheduled forJanuary 2018 when the BCgovernment will require allfood and beverage productsmarketed as "organic" in BC tobe certied under either aprovincial or nationalcertication program.The project hasreceived $117,000 infunding from thegovernments ofCanada and BritishColumbia deliveredthrough programs oered bythe Investment AgricultureFoundation of BC.Tamara LeighFourth ode is a wrap MAPLE RIDGE – The BCAssociation of Farmers’Markets held its fourth annualOde to a Farmer poetrycontest to celebrate Farmers’Appreciation WeekSeptember 12 to 18. Close to100 poems were receivedfrom six regions. Four judges reviewed andranked the poems to come upwith a winner for each region.The grand prize winner isGerald Eggert of Chilliwackwith his poem “The FarmWife.” Each of the winnersreceived a gift certicate toone of the 135 farmers’markets around the province. See the winning poems at[http://www.bcfarmersmarket.org/fresh-market/farmers-appreciation-week-2016#Poetry].Ronda PayneNew online tool for organicsAg BriefsEDITED BY TAMARA LEIGHSee AG BRIEFS page 19
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 19Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton examinePinot Noir grapes they picked at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery inWest Kelowna during their Okanagan stop in September. Mission Hillpresident Ian Morden looks on. (Canadian Heritage photo)Arctic Fuji headedsouthSUMMERLAND – Earlyspring of 2015 marked theocial deregulation of ArcticGranny and Arctic Goldenapples in the US and now thethird apple from OkanaganSpecialty Fruits (OSF) – theArctic Fuji – will join them. The non-browning applevarieties have fallen undercriticism for a variety ofreasons, including thepotential impact the fruit mayhave on Okanagan farmers(specically organic growers) –yet OSF has received positivefeedback on the apples.Because the apple has beenaltered through science-basedgene silencing, Arctic applesdo not brown when cut,dropped or bitten. The rst commercial harvestoccurred in early October withthe Arctic Golden. It will beprocessed into sliced applesand sold in test marketsthroughout North America inearly 2017 according tostatements from IntrexonCorp. OSF is based inSummerland but is a whollyowned subsidiary of Virginia-based Intrexon Corp, acompany involved in creatingbiologically-based products.Ronda PayneWater infrastructureneeded: cattlemenKAMLOOPS – The provinceneeds to invest ininfrastructure for waterstorage, the BC Cattlemen’sAssociation (BCCA) told acommittee of government andopposition MLAs.The association was one ofa number of presenters to theSelect Standing Committee onFinance and GovernmentServices that met in Kamloops.BCCA general manager KevinBoon made therecommendations to thecommittee."It's an investment not justfor agriculture but there'shuge value to manage owsfor sh and recreation," he saidin an interview.The association is calling ongovernment funding tomaintain existing dams and tocreate new areas in plateauregions of BC to hold backwater, something he said isimportant to adapt to climatechange."We don't have a slow meltand runo through the year;this April, so much melted soquick."BC Cattlemen also called forrenewed funding to help slowgrowth of invasive plants,including knapweed, onCrown land.Cam FortemsProduction insuranceimprovementsVICTORIA – Changes to theproduction insurance programhave been introduced to helptree-fruit growers manage therisk of crop losses by hail,spring frost, excessive rain,ooding, drought and wind. Wind will be added as a"quality peril" to the program.Fruit damaged by wind andremaining on the tree will beadjusted the same as haildamage. There will bechanges for cherry growers,including additional coveragefor new cherry plantings andthe time between purchasingquality coverage andcoverage coming into eect isbeing extended from two tofour days. Deadline for applications isNovember 30, 2016. Tamara LeighAG BRIEFS From page 19www.LEMKEN.caPrepare your fields for seeding in just one pass with the LEMKEN RUBIN compact-disc. The RUBIN’s full-surface cultivation and optimal soil-trash mixing will work in all kinds of residue and smooth out ruts so your fields are seed-ready after a single pass. Prepare your fields with the LEMKEN RUBIN and see how Blue works!The LEMKEN RUBIN is the only compact-disc with:Q Individual 24” concave, serrated discsQ Designed with 2 rows of rebound harrows for uniform crumbling and levelingQ Preset spring protection for individual discsQ 19 models ranging from 8 to 40 feetBlue Works(604) 864-2273www.caliberequipment.ca(250) 938-0076www.vdmachinery.ca
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201620by PETER MITHAMKAMLOOPS – Reports of predationare up, rustling reports are down, butwhat’s really troubling cattle countrythis fall are wood thieves.High cattle prices last year sawmany animals butchered in the eld, aphenomenon that hasn’t been aspronounced this year. Prices havefallen and, while ranchers are stillrounding up cattle, there haven’t beenthe kinds of gruesome reports BCCattlemen’s Association generalmanager Kevin Boon was hearing lastyear.What is going missing is theweathered wood that lend a rustictouch to condos in the LowerMainland where new construction hasoutstripped the availability ofweathered timbers.“It’s not cattle that’sgetting rustled, it’s ourfences getting stolen,”Boon told Country Life inBC. “We know of probablyabout $50,000 worth oflumber that’s been stoleno the Coquihalla in thelast month or two.”While the fencing alongthe Coquihalla is due forreplacement after servingits purpose for more than30 years, Boon says thepremature removal is creating a hugerisk to cattle and motorists.“A lot of the places where we haveunderpasses for the cattle to go underthe Coquihalla, we have wood planksto guide them in,” Boon explained.“[The thieves] are comingin and they’re justchainsawing them o, soit’s leaving a wide openhole onto the highway.”The thefts come aheadof the nal year of a $14million provinciallyfunded fence-buildingprogram across theprovince. While many ofthe fences are barbed-wire construction, thedamage to theunderpasses underscoresthe vulnerabilities facing theinfrastructure.The situation also underscores theneed for an enforcement ocerdedicated to range issues.RCMP Corporal Ralph Overbyretired in 2015 and has not beenreplaced. Many local policedetachments nd themselves hard-pressed to keep up with criminalactivity, leaving many ranchersfrustrated.On the positive side, Boon saidverication of losses attributed topredators is up. While livestock deathsaren’t in themselves good news, thereare more resources available tocompensate ranchers.“We have a little more money beingpaid for losses, so that helps,” Boonsaid.Wolves appear to be the primaryculprit this year, prompting some toback a cull, but bears have been less ofa problem thanks to weatherconditions that left them with morefood than last year’s drought. Ranchers square off against wood rustlersWeathered fencing has become a prime target by those seeking the rustic look in home decorKEVIN BOONNew hires toinvestigate ALR complaintsby PETER MITHAMABBOTSFORD – Theprovince has made good on apledge to bolster enforcementof regulations governing theAgricultural Land Reserve.Derek Sturko, the province’sdeputy minister of agriculture,made the announcement atthe annual meeting of theUnion of BC Municipalities.The news was seized upon asa sign that farms would haveto stick to recently announcedagri-tourism regulations.However, the move simplymade good on a pledge touse $1.6 million added to theland commission’s budget thisyear for heightenedenforcement.The hiring of four newocers boosts thecommission’s complianceforce to six. However, ocersaren’t about to go looking fortrouble. With complaintstumbling in from across theprovince, they’ll have morethan enough to doinvestigating the issues beingbrought to their attention.Abbotsford mayor HenryBraun told Country Life in BCthat city ocials know of atleast 450 parcels where non-compliant activities are takingplace. He was counting on theALC’s beefed-up budget andincreased resources forenforcement of thecommission’s regulations todovetail with plans inAbbotsford to get tough withnon-compliant uses ofprotected farmland.
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC21WISE INVESTMENT: Devan Jansen, left, of Grindrod, was presented with one of two 4-H dairyscholarships sponsored by RBC Wealth Management, Vernon, this year. The $1500 scholarship was splitbetween Devan, who is taking agricultural and mechanical courses, and Erin Drydyk, from Armstrong,who is studying agriculture management at Olds College. Making the presentation at the NorthOkanagan Holstein Club Fall Sale in Armstrong, September 28, was RBC investment advisor EricWikjord and IPE president Ted Fitchett. (Gary Booy photo)by PETER MITHAMCALGARY – Times aregetting tougher for rancherstrying to move cattle tomarket with the loss of yetanother feedlot in WesternCanada.Western Feedlots of Albertaannounced in September thatit plans to lock the gate on 59years of business in early 2017.The closure eliminates one ofCanada’s largest feedlots,which in turn supplied two ofthe country’s largest beefpackers – Cargill Ltd. and JBSUSA Holdings Inc. (formerlySwift Foods).Combined with a shrinkingherd in Western Canada, theclosure will mean less work forpackers and potentially lessmeat from Canada’s rancheshitting the country’s tables.“Our peak capacity inWestern Canada was 1.75million head,” Brian Perillat,manager and senior analystwith Canfax, the marketanalysis division of theCanadian Cattlemen’sAssociation in Calgary, said.“With the Western closurewe’re down to about 1.35million.”With limited slaughtercapacity of its own, BC sendsthe majority of its beef cattle toAlberta for processing. Manyalso went east for nishing,thanks to the integration of theprocessing sector.However, Western’s closurefollows on the demise ofSouthern Plus Feedlots inOliver this fall, meaningranchers face fewer optionswhen it comes to shippingtheir beef.Those with a capacity of1,000 head or more havedeclined from 200 ve yearsago to 150 today. There arealso 20 to 50 smalleroperations, but they handle afraction of Western Canada’sherd.The result is a moreconsolidated industry that willput greater pressure on prices.This, in turn, will squeezeranch incomes, whichbenetted from high priceslast fall.Shrinking herdWestern Canada’s herd hasshrunk over the past year butprices haven’t increasedbecause demand for beefremains low. Meanwhile, thebig grocers have put the leanon suppliers to provide themwith more for less.“Packing plants have beenpaying less for the cattle, forsure,” Perillat said. “[Retailers]are managing their margins; ofcourse, they’re going to wantto buy it as cheap as possible.”The lack of a domesticsupply can easily become aliability, however, especially asgrocers and restaurants seekto capture an increasinglypicky consumer. The lack of a singledomestic supplier for CertiedHumane beef put Vancouver-based Earls Restaurants Ltd. inthe cross-hairs of ranchers andconsumers earlier this year, forexample. The rm had lookedto Kansas for its beef ratherthan rounding up stock fromsmaller suppliers in Canada.“Chefs headed out to seethe ranches and thebutchering facilities forthemselves. They lled theirwater bottles up from thecows’ water sources andtasted the feed, a mix ofnaturally ranch-grown grainsand grasses and the spentgrains from the local brewery,”Earls said in announcing itsprogram.But, like Dorothy, Earls isn’tin Kansas anymore.The backlash prompted itto work with the growingnumber of small feedlots –primarily in Alberta – whonish their cattle in ways thatmeet emerging marketdemands.“We are seeing more nichesupply chains,” Perillat said.While exact numbers arehard to come by, AlbertaCattle Feeders AssociationCEO Bryan Walton believes themajority of consumers aresticking with conventionalbeef.“There are always niches forgrass-fed, and what Earls islooking for,” Walton said. “[But]I would argue that mostCanadians are happy with theconventional product.”Meanwhile, export demandis growing. A new plant is setto open in Balzac, Alberta bythe end of the year, and plansare also taking shape for a newfacility in Prince George. Bothare export-oriented but standto benet from the closure ofWestern Feedlots.“It will probably, in someaspects, give an opportunity,”says Kevin Boon, generalmanager of the BCCattlemen’s Associationregarding Western Feedlots’closure. “One of the reasonswe’re looking at a facility in BCis the closer we can keep thecattle to the grain and to thepacking plant, the moreeconomical it is. … [Western’sclosure] gives opportunity forus to build.”Beef outlets narrowas feedlots closeWestern’s demise could be opportunityfor proposed Prince George facilityWIN A TRIP TO VEGAS!Fall | Winter Booking ProgramProof of Qualifying Purchase Required; Some Restrictions Apply.www.watertecna.comLangley 1.888.675.7999 Williams Lake 1.855.398.7757Contact Your WaterTec Sales Rep To Enter Today!Diesel & PTO Pumps | PVC & Aluminum Pipe | Hard Hose Irrigation Reels | CentER PivotsWilf Smith WILLIAMS LAKE STOCKYARDS250.398.0813Cheryl Newman KAMLOOPS STOCKYARDS250.320.0870WEDNESDAYNOVEMBER 9HUGE WILLIAMS LAKEBRED COW SALESATURDAYNOVEMBER 12VANDERHOOFCOW HERD DISPERSALMONDAYNOVEMBER 21KAMLOOPSBRED SALE 3 DISPERSALSFRIDAYNOVEMBER 18VANDERHOOFBRED COW & REGULAR SALEMONDAYNOVEMBER 14OKANAGAN FALLSBRED COW SALEWEDNESDAYNOVEMBER 30WILLIAMS LAKEBRED SALEDeCody Corbiere VANDERHOOF STOCKYARDS 250.524.0681Al Smith BC WIDE MARKETING 250.570.2143Shawn Carter OK FALLS STOCKYARDS250.490.5809NOVEMBER 2000 COWS &BRED HEIFERSWEDNESDAYSASASATTURDAYMONDAwww.bclivestock.bc.ca
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201622Forage trial in Central Interior considers climate change adaptationStories by CHRIS YATESVANDERHOOF – A foragetrial project in the CentralInterior is wrapping up for twoof the participants and willcontinue until December fortwo others. Demonstrating InnovativeForage Production Practices toIncrease Climate ChangeAdaptation was a projectdesigned by the BC ForageCouncil and BC Ministry ofAgriculture and implementedby Dr. Catherine Taraso ofAgrowest Consulting andMinistry of Agriculture (BCMA)agrologist Lavona Liggins ofPrince George. “In a project like this, youexpect to meet around 60% ofyour objectives but thesefarmers have done such goodwork that we will have met allour goals by the end ofDecember,” Dr. Taraso says. Butch Ruiter of Vanderhoofplanted Winfred kale at twolbs to the acre with oats at 70lbs to the acre in June 2015 tosee how the kale would aectforage quality for swathgrazing. Despite a slow startdue to drought, the kaleresponded to fall rains andstarting in November, Ruitersays he “sampled once a weekand there was no change intoDecember.” The feed wasproviding 19% proteinconsistently.This year, Ruiter plantedboth Winfred and Hunter kaleat two pounds to the acrewith his oats.“I’ll sample the brassicas inthe swath this time to seehow the values hold in aswath because that is oftenhow I’d end up feeding it.” Ruiter will have a betteridea of the full extent of thebrassica benets once he getsthe readings on feed qualityinto December. Jon Solecki of Grassy Plainswill also wait for feed qualityresults in December for acomplete picture of hisresearch. He planted twoseparate plots each of westernwheat grass, crested wheatgrass, creeping red fescue,meadow brome and Russianwild rye at 20 lbs per acre. Dr.Taraso said some of thesevarieties were a “bit of astretch” for the areas but “atthe same time, this is a climatechange adaptation programso he wanted to look at somethat wouldn’t be traditionallygrown in the area and see ifmaybe they’ll grow there now;things are changing.”Each side of the dividedeld had the ve varieties.One side had no fertilizer andon the other, he had balegrazed his herd for the veprevious winters and waslooking to see if the passivefertilization made anydierence to the yield andquality of the crops.Dr. Taraso said last yearSolecki looked at how manyplants established in year oneand this spring, he looked athow many plants were stillButch Ruiter (L) of Whispering Winds Farm in Vanderhoof takes questions about the Hunter Kale heplanted to increase feed value in his swath grazing. The Winfred kale he planted with his oats retained19% protein into December last year. (Chris Yates photo)See FORAGE TRIAL page 23Top-notch seeds!OUR TEAM OF EXPERTS British Columbia / EvergroGurnaib Gill Fraser Valley gurnaib.gill@cpsagu.ca 604 835-3124Balkar Gill Fraser Valley balkar.gill@cpsagu.ca 604 825-0366Terry Stevens Vancouver Island terry.stevens@cpsagu.ca 604 883-5361Ben Yurkiw Fraser Valley and BC Interior ben.yurkiw@cpsagu.ca 604 830-9295OntarioWarren Peacock wp@norseco.com 519 426-1131 | 519 426-6156ManitobaGilliane Bisson gbisson@norseco.com 514 295-7202Maritimes Yves Thibault, agr. yt@norseco.com 418 660-1498 | 418 666-8947Customer service order@norseco.com 800 561-9693 | 800 567-4594Martin DeslauriersSales Manager Vegetable Division mdeslauriers@norseco.com 438 989-4863norseco.com
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC23there. Although results werespotty at rst, by fall, the cropswere looking better. “And as we move into thewinter, he’s going to startharvesting samples and we’llsend them in for foragequality analysis.”At this point, the Russianwild rye seems to haveoutperformed in terms ofyield despite the weeds thathave interfered in all of theplots, and the crested wheatgrass planted in the passivelyfertilized eld is clearly heavierthan the same variety grownin the unfertilized eld. “Testing will tell howpassive fertilization mightaect quality and yield andwe’ll also see how qualitychanges over time,” said thescientist.High-yield alfalfaWayne Ray, who has 2,200acres south of Fort Fraser, waslooking for a high-yield alfalfavariety when he plantedVision and a ve-way blend inseparate plots. Vision and theblend were seeded at 12.5 lbsand 25 lbs per acre in June2015. This year, the ve-wayblend at 25 lbs per acre hadthe best yield at 3.5 tons tothe acre dry weight. The 12.5lb per acre blend gave a littleover 2.5 tons, Ray said. Thehigh-density Vision outputwas just under 2.5 tons peracre while the low was justunder two tons per acre.Varieties in the ve-wayblend included a combinationof 30% TH2, 30% Haygrazer,15% Rugged ST,15%Response WT and 10%Runner, all with dierent rootsystems and growth patterns,which might explain why itperformed so well despite thesummer rain that delayedharvest. The mix might alsoexplain why it crowded outmost of the weeds thatpopped up in the other plots,Ray added.Seeding rates“The nal establishment inthe fall really reects theseeding rate; you typically gettwice as many plants whenyou seed twice as manypounds of seed,” Tarasoconcluded. She added theblend was taking nutrientsfrom various soil levels ratherthan just one due to thedierent root systems; they’renot competing with eachother for the same resourcesand perhaps that was also anadvantage.Traugott Klein managescrops for Vanderhoof hayexporter Tophay Agri-Industries Inc.“What we tried to nd outin this trial was which varietyretains the protein the bestuntil cutting time, when theweather is right to cut, and itis very clear that there is adenite dierence amongvarieties.” Klein said he was lookingfor protein levels of at least18% minimum to meet marketdemands. Of the six alfalfavarieties tried – Hybrid 2410,Leader, WL319, TopHand,Dalton, and Stealth – Kleinsaid Dalton and Stealth werethe best, Top Hand and WL319 were okay and Hybrid hadmixed results.Klein’s assistant, SarahMueller, conducted most ofthe research in terms ofsampling and analysis andsaid in the rst year the cropswere seeded at 18 lbs per acreand irrigated. No irrigationwas needed in 2016 and whileWL319 and Top Hand had thehighest protein levels fromearly to late bud stage, theyand Leader reached maturityin early June.“In this area, we can’tharvest dry hay in early June.“She added that by the timethey did their rst cut June 28,Leader Top Hand and Hybridhad lost value but Stealth andDalton met Tophay’s qualitystandards and maintainedthose protein levelsthroughout the variousgrowth stages.Funding for the project is provided by theInvestment AgricultureFoundation Climate ActionInitiative, through theGrowing Forward 2 program,as well as the Ministry ofAgriculture, BC ForageCouncil, Omenica BeetleAction Coalition, NechakoRegional Cattlemen and theNechako-KitimaatDevelopment Fund Society.Preliminary results of theresearch is available online inVANDERHOOF – Simplicityand planning are key togetting useful results when itcomes to independent on-farm research trials, saysMinistry of Agricultureagrologist Lavona Liggins. Liggins addressed theissue of time and complexityduring a forage field day toshow the progress beingmade on a climate changeadaptation project underwayin the Central Interior. “These farmers had accessto Dr. Tarasoff and me andother resources for theirresearch so it was possible todo fairly complex work,”explained Liggins. “Forindividuals who don’t havethose resources, it will beimportant to keep the goalssimple and straight forward,especially at first.”Liggins and Dr. CatherineTarasoff of AgrowestConsulting agreed the bestway to ensure success with aproject is to first decide on aclear question and to look forone thing at a time, such asyield. They said one-questionprojects are less work andmore apt to meetexpectations. According to Dr. Tarasoff,planning is another majorcomponent to successfulresearch. “If a certain type of seed isneeded, then make sure it’savailable at an affordableprice. Find out whatmachinery will be neededand whether or not it’savailable; find out if there’ssomeone else who might beinterested in your researchand see if they’d be willing tobe a part of the project. Oncethe planning is done, theproject is half way there,” saidTarasoff.Tarasoff is in the process ofupdating a producer-orientedmanual for conductingindependent research on-farm. “It will apply to livestockproducers, orchardists,market gardeners, anyonewho is involved inagriculture.” She expects to have themanual available through theBC Forage Council byChristmas. the BC Forage Council sectionof the FarmWest website andnal results will be postedthere in December.Catherine Tarasoff, Agrowest Consulting (Chris Yates photo)Good planning essential FORAGE from page 22
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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201626First and Still Foremost.604-864-227334511 VYE ROAD ABBOTSFORDSTORE HOURSMONDAY-FRIDAY, 8-5 SATURDAY 8 TIL 12JD 250 SKID STEERNEW TIRES 12-16.5 $18,500CLAAS PU 380GRASS PICK UP12.5’ WIDTH $4,900UNIFARM CW4404 BASKET3 PT HITCH TEDDER $3,900NH H7550 MID PIVOT MOWER CONDITIONER13’ CUTTING WIDTH $26,900 CLAAS 3900TC MOWER CONDITIONER, 12.5’ CUTTING WIDTH $29,900JD 7450 PRODRIVE SPFH4X4 KP, 10' GRASS PU, 676 6 ROW CORNHEADCALL FOR PRICING.Pre-ownedTractors &Equipmentwww.caliberequipment.caLook to CLAAS for all your hay and forage needs and experience success across the entire harvesting chain. The CLAAS family of prod-ucts offers rugged durability and continuous reliability. CLAAS balersand hay tools have been leading the way with innovative technologyand an unparalleled range of features suitable for any size operation.by CHRIS YATESQUICK – Genomics as a tool forbuilding a strong commercial beefherd is a relatively new idea for mostsmaller ranchers in Canada, so DeltaGenomics CEO Michelle Miller had herwork cut out for her when sheintroduced the concept in an hour-long presentation at the Bulkley ValleyCattlemens’ eld day, October 1. “Genomics is a new eld of sciencethat can help producers manage theirherds and improve their protability,”she told producers as she explainedhow DNA markers can be used toselect replacement heifers. “It also has the promise ofenhancing the quality of meat whilepromoting environmentalsustainability,” she added. “A genetic test will tell you whetheryour calf’s going to be black or red,”Miller explained, addressing thedierence between genetics andgenomics. “There’s a test for that, for$20.”Genomics will look at broaderquestions, like which heifers willincrease eciency and protability.Deciding on replacement heifers isnot simple, she admits, but if youknow what traits you’d likeemphasized or balanced in your cows,then genomics can help.Delta Genomics oers two optionsfor testing: Gold and Silver.“(With) gold, you get 13 traits; silveryou get six,” she explained. Traits aredivided into maternal, performanceand carcass. The silver test is $35 peranimal. Producers can submit eitherhair or blood samples.Miller used the results from a silvertest using hair samples from sevenheifers to demonstrate what genomicscan add to what the farmer alreadyknows from records and experience. “It’s a tool – an addition to theinformation you already have.”Miller told the group the mostimportant thing to do before testing isto decide what it is they want in theirherd. “What are the traits you value themost in a cow? ... In these heifers, itwas calving ease, stayability, RFI(residual feed intake), marbling andtenderness, and average daily gain – inthat order.” Miller said ve of the six traits in areranked from one to ten, with tenbeing highest. (Lower numbers arebetter on RFI results.) The value placedon each trait is based on thousands ofDNA markers collected from Angusand several other breeds in the US.“Genomic testing is much morecommon south of the border amongcommercial and purebred producers.There hasn’t been as much interest ingenomics in Canada so far, but it’sgrowing,” she said. Some Canadianpurebred associations and breedersare using DNA testing to validate EPD(expected progeny dierences)numbers which are in widespread use.She showed how to take the resultsfor each animal and match themagainst the numbers from the othersin the test group to come up with aranking from rst to last (one to sevenin this case), from most desirable toleast. If only three or four of the sevenheifers will be used as replacements,this test will help the rancher decidewhich are the best ones to keep tohelp build the herd.“Our goal is to increase theprotability, competitiveness andsustainability of the Canadian livestockindustry and we do that through theintroduction of genomic technology,helping move science from research atthe university into industry,” Millerexplained.The eld day was hosted by PoplarMeadows with nancial support fromGrowing Forward 2, Bulkley ValleyCattlemen, Bulkley Valley Dairymenand the BC Horn Levy fund. Genomics will help build a better beef herdMichelle Miller, Delta Genomics (Emily Bulmer photo)
Apples waiting for the juicer. (Photo courtesy of Fields Forward)by TOM WALKERCRESTON – Creston’s recent“Press Fest” was a goodexample of how the plannedpurchase of a mobile juicepress can support and growcommunity agriculture. “It certainly gave us moreprole for our anticipatedpurchase,” says Fields Forwardco-ordinator Paris MarshallSmith. “We have been doingmost of our outreach with thelocal orchardists (by) gettingletters of intent with thosewho will want to use theservice. This was a gooddemonstration for them ofwhat the machine can do. Itwas also good to connect withthe schools who we expectwill be involved with us aswell.”On October 4, all sevenCreston and district areaschools were representedwhen 200 children and adultvolunteers worked throughthe day to press, juice andvacuum-pack 13,000 poundsof local apples. “In return, each schoolreceived 75 ve-litre boxes ofjuice. The schools were able touse the juice either as afundraiser or in their mealprograms, which several ofthe schools have,” saysMarshall Smith. “All of the apples weredonated by three commercialorchards in the community,”says Marshall Smith. “Oneorchard with cold storagedelivers 40 pounds of applesweekly to one of the localschools as part of theirbreakfast program. But theyare usually done by January.By donating to the juiceprogram, which would in turnbe donated to the lunchprogram, they could extendthat donation through theyear.”Fields Forward (FF) is therst project to be funded bythe Creston and DistrictCommunity Funds initiative.The initiative is charged withallocating $600,000 entrustedto them by the ColumbiaBasin Trust for investment inlocally-driven communitychange. Three communitypriorities were identied: childand youth wellbeing,community nance, andagriculture and food systems.FF received just over $250,000to fund the rst three years.Marshall Smith is the full timeco-ordinator.“We are trying to build thenotion of how do we takeresponsibility as a communityfor the work to feedourselves,” says MarshallSmith. “If that is a worthy goal,then how do we do thattogether?” Over 80 producers,organizations, businesses andlocal governments from Yahkto Riondel have collaboratedin FF to establish a foodventure collaborative. Mobile juicer initiativeinspires community outreach“This area has so muchpotential,” Marshall Smithadds. “We have a climatesimilar to the Okanagan,amazing soil and a diversity ofproduction that allows forthat vision to feed ourselves.”The collaborative identiedthe purchase of a mobile fruitand vegetable press as theirrst priority. “Part of the reason we aredoing this is that theorchardists came to us,”explains Marshall Smith. “Theyhad experience with themobile press last year and theywant the service in the valley.”Juice is a shelf-stable value-added product that providesgood marketing opportunitiesand it is seen as a way tocontribute to rebuilding oldorchards in the area. “A lot of our communitieshave a history and remnantsof an orchard industry,” saysMarshall Smith. “There is anopportunity to reinvigoratethose orchards, replant andcreate more industry.” Okanagan Mobile Juicingfrom Vernon was back for itssecond visit this fall but itmakes sense for locals to havetheir own plant rather thanbringing one in for a shortterm, Marshall Smith says. “The benet of having itlocally is that the juicer will beable to respond to orchardistsas the apples are coming othe tree, or as the cherries areripe.” “We are also working withcherry producers to accessculls from the packing linethat currently go to thelandll,” says Marshall Smith.“One small packing house weare working with produces6,000 pounds of culls a day soSee JUICER page 28NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 27Emerald Bay Ag Serviceswww.emeraldbayag.comGPS GUIDANCE CONTROL PRODUCTS36 Months | 0% Lease Rate on all Trimble Products until 12/30/16Minimum $12,5000 purchase | Upon Approval250.550.0545 Doug Macfarlane, CCA750 DISPLAY WITH EZ-PILOT STEERING & RANGEPOINT CORRECTION SIGNALIn field soil and environmental monitoring stations for irrigation & crop managementNDVI Sensing for recording plant vigor and real time VR nitrogen application.Sensor platform for producing soil texture and PH maps for crop management.Informed Farming With TechnologyVisit our showroom to see more!Whether it’s a field test or screen test, our MT500D tractor delivers astandout performance. The MT500D cab is perhaps the roomiest, quietestand most technologically-advanced cab we’ve ever created – puttingoperator comfort at a premium. See for yourself byscheduling a demo through or catch the MT500Din action at TheEdgeOfFarming.com.SEE THE EDGE OF FARMINGSTARRING THE MT500DVan Der Wal Equipment (1989) Ltd.23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6604/463-3681 | vanderwaleq.comREADY FOR WINTER?Massey Ferguson 4600 Series
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201628even if we capture half ofthose, it’s a lot.”And perhaps the cherrymash could be used as animalfeed. “We talked to one pigfarmer in the community andshe told us if we could supply1,500 pounds of mash, whichis about what we gured wewould have a day, she wouldbe saving $73,000 in feedcosts.”FF hopes to purchase themobile juicer this winter foran estimated cost of $230,000.It would create twopermanent part-time and twoseasonal jobs. Other projectsinclude designing andbuilding a permanent farmer’smarket park and creating aexible labour pool,particularly for spring and fallseasons.by DAVID SCHMIDTABBOTSFORD – Today,most commercial poultryproducers grow their chickensand turkeys indoors. Evenfree-run and free-range birdsspend as much time indoorsas out.That is not the case at K&M Farms in Abbotsford,perhaps the only growers inBC with truly pasture-raisedpoultry.“We started with 50 birdsabout 15 years ago. Then wegot new entrant quota andnow grow about 4,500chickens and 1,400 turkeys ayear,” explains Jillian Robbins,who runs the 12-acre farmwith her father, Mark, arecently retired BC Ministry ofAgriculture agrologist.The birds are grownseasonally, chickens from Mayto October, and turkeys fromMay to December. TheRobbins buy their birds asday-old chicks. They spendtheir rst two to three weeksin a brooder house, thenmove into moveable outdoorshelters for the rest of theirlives. That is a total of 70 daysfor the chickens (mostcommercial chickens aregrown for only 35 to 40 days)and 22 weeks for turkeys.Shelters are moved weekly togive the birds new areas toforage in.“We promote our birds asgrown so they can expresstheir natural behavior,” Jilliansays, noting the pasture issupplemented with grain.K&M’s birds are larger andheavier than mostcommercially-raised birds.Chicken dress out at about sixpounds while turkeys are 20to 25 pounds dressed.“Slaughter can be an issueas most abattoirs aren’t set upfor our size of birds,” Jilliansays. “Fortunately, RossdownFarms has the equipment tohandle them so they do ourslaughtering and cutups. Theyare just down the road so itworks very well for us.”Everything is sold throughtheir on-farm store or at thewinter farmers’ market inVancouver.“We have ve fresh pick-updays per year for chicken andtwo for the turkeys,” Markexplains.Lending land to new farmersA few years ago, K&M Farmsstarted oering a corner oftheir land for new farmers totry their hand at growingvegetables. ChelseaMcDonald, Andre Lagace andLucy Brain, who callthemselves the Lone GoatMicro-Farm, use a quarter-acreto grow vegetables for a CSA(community-supportedagriculture) box program andselected local chefs and to sellat a stand during K&M’s freshpick-up days. Lone Goat wasstarted two years ago and thepartners plan to continue at K&M for at least another year.The vegetables are grown in asmall hoop house and in aseries of outdoor raised beds. McDonald, who also hasher own landscaping business,admits the small farm “is aromantic notion of growingfood,” but says “it’s a lot morefun than mowing lawns.”“It’s a complementaryproduct for us. It allows us tooer more than just meat,”Jillian says.“There’s a need for peopleto have access to land and thisallows new farmers to try itout on a small scale and see ifit works for them,” Jillian says,adding, “it’s a complementaryproduct for our meat sales.”K&M does not charge thefarmers for the land. Instead,they are required toparticipate in the fresh pick-updays and allow the Robbins topick vegetables from the plotsfor their own dinners.There’s always one that stands out from the herd. In the dairy business, there’s always one that goes its own way. That picks its own path. That refuses to follow. It’s the same when it comes to tractors. It’s true, you won’t see a lot of Fendt tractors on farms, but the ones where you do see them are some of the best operations around. That’s because when it comes to capability, dependability and just sheer toughness, there is no tractor that comes close to a Fendt. Stand out from the herd. See what a Fendt can mean for your operation.Fendt is a worldwide brand of AGCO Corporation. © 2015 AGCO Corporation. AGCO is a registered trademark of AGCO. All rights reserved. AGCO, 4205 River Green Parkway, Duluth, GA 30096. FT15N003STfendt.com/usABBOTSFORD 1.888.3.3276KELOWNA 1.800.680.0233VERNON 1.800.551.6411www.avenuemachinery.caA different approach to commercial poultry productionWhen this farm says “pasture-raised,” they really mean itJUICER From page 27
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 29by TOM WALKERKELOWNA – Members ofthe BC Fruit Growers’Association (BCFGA) will getan incentive to help cover thecosts of participating in foodsafety programs thanks to arecent dividend from theSummerland VarietiesCorporation (SVC). As growers themselves, theBCFGA executive has directexperience with food safetyprograms. “We know the cost, eortand occasional frustration ofimplementing food safetyprograms on the farm,” saysBCFGA president Fred Steele.“At the same time, werecognize the benet of foodsafety in giving condenceand promoting our apples,cherries and soft fruit.”BCFGA members willreceive a one time payment of$425 to help cover the costs ofenrolling in a food safetyprogram such as CanadaGAP(Good Agriculture Practices).“We feel that giving thegrower a one-time break byproviding an incentive willstrengthen our industry’scommitment to food safety,”says Steele.Costs for a program likeGAP can range for $425 (theminimum yearly fee formembers of BC Tree Fruit Co-operative under a groupplan) to several thousanddollars per year paid to otheraccrediting bodies. Programsalso require signicantamounts of time and oftenlead to changes aecting farmpractices and record keeping.While a grower will have toiletfacilities, a new certicationmay require a higher numberper worker, for instance. Theremay be new trainingrequirements for sta whichwould be paid for by growers.SVC was formed 20 yearsago to help owners organizeand regulate new fruit varieties. “SVC is having successhandling some of the newvarieties of cherries andAmbrosia apples,” says BCFGAgeneral manager Glen Lucas.“They get a share of theroyalty proceeds.”Although realizing a prot isnot the principal objective ofthe company, there has been aprot. “This is their rst dividendever and it is appreciated bygrowers,” adds Lucas.“I think it is a realopportunity to say food safetyis here and we need torecognize the eort andencourage growers tocontinue supporting theprogram,” says Lucas.Lucas was a member of thecommittee that worked onGAP standards ve years agoand he’s concerned aboutadditional requirements forgrowers. “If you introduce standardsone at a time, you can getwhat I call ‘standards creep’that can actually increase thevolume of standards,” he says.“It’s key to focus on the mostimportant aspects of foodsafety versus perhapsidentifying a new situationwhich is of very low risk andyet regulating that.” BCFGA will ask theCanadian Horticulture Councilannual convention toadvocate for a single, sensiblefood safety program to avoidmultiple competing retailprograms.“An example of retailerstandards that we have anissue on is that Costco has saidthat pickers cannot bringwater bottles into theorchard,” says Lucas. “We thinkthat’s unreasonable.Apparently, they can use theCostco water bottle but nottheir own.”Lucas says it’s a humansafety concern. “It’s very hot when pickersare working in the summer.Heat stroke is a life threateningcondition,” he points out. “Wehave to get our retailers toback o in implementingthese ad hoc rules.”BCFGA is pushing fornational standards. “We support CanadaGAP”Lucas says. “We avoid multipleretailer programs by goingwith GAP but Costco is goingits own way.” “They also ask that we testthe water. Well, it’s municipalwater. It probably gets testedmore than Costco requires,”Lucas says. “It’s an unfairpractice.”“We will be pushing for afair trade code of practice(such) as they have in Australiaand the UK,” says Lucas. “Indealing with retailers, this isthe thin edge of the wedge forgrowers.” Fruit growers offered incentivefor food safety trainingAs a hands-on grower, BC Fruit Growers’ Association president FredSteele knows how important it is to have safety protocols in place.(Tom Walker photo)Tractor safety trainingfor all farmers in BC, at no cost!www.AgSafeBC.caAgSafeFORMERLY FARSHABook today!Call: 1.877.533.1789 Contact@AgSafeBC.caTRAINING CO-SPONSORED BY“Serving British Columbia proudly since 1946”MachineryLimitedROLLINSRAG CENTRE: Chilliwack44724 Yale Road WestChilliwack, BC V2R 4H3604-792-1301HEAD OFFICE: Langley21869 - 56th AvenueLangley, BC V2Y 2M9Toll Free 1-800-665-9060Toll Free 1-800-242-9737 www.rollinsmachinery.ca
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Our innovative, high-quality spreaders will provide superior performance with years of low-maintenance service.ProTwin® Slinger®ProSpread® CommercialEasySpread®ProPush®ProSpread®by PETER MITHAMRICHMOND – While thecollapse of bee colonies acrossNorth America hasprecipitated angst among city-dwellers, beekeepers workingthe trenches are strugglingwith limiting the risks coloniesface.Presenters at the annualconference of the BC HoneyProducers’ Association inRichmond last monthdiscussed the good, the badand the bugly of hive healthand colony cultivation.The best news of the daywas mycologist Paul Stamets’announcement of a patent fora new method of ghtingvarroa mite, arch-enemy ofcolonies across the continent.“This is a paradigm-shiftingdiscovery,” Stamets, presidentof Fungi Perfecti LLC inOlympia, Washington, toldmeeting attendees.Stamets didn’t happenupon the connection betweenbees, fungi and pest controlby accident.Since the mid 1980s, he’dobserved bees feeding onmycelium, the vegetative partof fungus which is high insugars. Through his work inthe forest sector, he was awarethat red-belted polypore wasadept at metabolizing DDTwhile another fungi,Metarhizium anisopliae, is toxicto termites.Working with WashingtonState University entomologyprofessor Steve Sheppard,they researched the potentialfor M. anisopliae to ght varroamites.Hives that were treated withM. anisopliae exhibited greaterresilience against varroa mites.Moreover, trials with red-belted polydore and amadoufungi suggested that bees thatingested these fungi havelonger lifespans and greaterresistance to certain viruses,thanks in part to their ability tometabolize pesticides.Game changerThe idea that fungi-munching bees are better ableresist pests and disease is agame-changer, Stametsdeclared.It’s also timely.Pests, pathogens, pesticidesand poor forage are the fourkey enemies honeybees face,said Michele Colopy, programdirector at the PollinatorStewardship Council in Akron,Ohio.All of these work together insome combination or other topush a colony towardsHoney producers urged to stand up for their coloniesMichigan entomologist and bee businessconsultant Larry Connor told the annualconference of the BC Honey ProducersAssociation that $1,000 a hive isn’t anunrealistic income.However, a tide of honey from China isbeing blamed for putting that target out ofreach for many commercial beekeepers.Canadian Press reported in Septemberthat prices had dropped 50% from a yearago, reecting a glut on the market. Whilesome producers received more than $2.00 apound in 2015, this year prices were closerto $1.00 a pound.According to Statistics Canada, theaverage price nationwide last year was$2.43 a pound, the third year in a row priceshad been above $2.00.However, the topic of falling prices didn’tcome up in responses to Connor’s talk.This may be because BC beekeepersreceived more than twice the nationalaverage for their product last year – $5.27 apound.According to Statistics Canada, theprovincial honey harvest totalled nearly 3.7million pounds from 45,571 colonies fromAldergrove to Terrace.Honey prices spiral downmore engaged – somethingthat Colopy also encouraged.While beekeepers can takesteps to improve the hiveenvironment by regularlyremoving wax that may havebecome contaminated withtoo many toxins, she urgedbeekeepers to engage theirneighbours and regulators.“It’s our livestock and ourlivelihood. And we have a rightto protect that. We have tostand up for our bees,including taking legal action.”Reporting bee killsKey issues in Canadaincluded the need to reportbee kills, a process she saidneeds improvement. Whileher organization helps USbeekeepers le reports withthe right agencies, she said itwasn’t immediately obvioushow beekeepers could goabout doing so in Canada.Moreover, the PMRA needsto hear from beekeepersabout the impacts newchemicals might have oncolonies.“We want the labels to dothe right thing but when we’renot involved as beekeepers,we get bad labels,” she said.“We cannot leave this toothers to educate them aboutwhat our bees do.”collapse, rather than a singlefactor.“If we want to protect bees,we need to look at their whole,real-world environment,” shetold BC beekeepers.Hives can harbour up to 121toxic chemicals, Colopy said,with at least 50 coming fromtree fruit orchards alone.The result is toxic mess inwhich the sum of thechemicals is far worse than anyindividual element on its own.Rather than point toneonicotinoids, the currentposter-child of bad chemicals,Colopy said advocates shouldbe looking at the full range ofsubstances beesencounter.“It’s not onething; it’s not justone pesticide,”she says. “Ourlittle ying dustmops encounter aton of things.”The liveliestdiscussion of themeeting,however, focusedon the buglyproblem ofpesticidemanagement.Several in the audiencechallenged Virginia AbbottColony collapses are the result of a multitude of factors: pests, pathogens, pesticidesfrom the PestManagementRegulatoryAgency (PMRA), adivision of HealthCanada, for theagency’s focus onregulation andreactivemanagementversus a strongermonitoring andcompliance role.However,Abbott said thePMRA can onlystep in when aproduct has been misused.She urged apiarists to becomePAUL STAMETS
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201632by TAMARA LEIGHNANAIMO – It might sound apocalyptic but the discovery of“Zombie ies” in honey bees on Vancouver Island is causingmore hype than harm for BC bee colonies. In August, a Nanaimo-area bee keeper raised the alarm aftershe found the rst conrmed case of parasitic forad ies inCanadian honey bees. John Hafernick is a biologist from SanFrancisco State University and director of ZomBeeWatch.org, awebsite that tracks the spread of parasitic ies that havebecome widely known as “Zombie ies” in North America.“This is a native y that people have known about since 1924but before this, we have only seen it in bumble bees and nativewasps. It ismuch morerecent inEuropeanhoneybees,” saysHafernick. The y isdistributedfrom thesouthernUS toFairbanks,Alaska andis now beenfound inhoney beesacross North America. They lay eggs in the abdomens of theirhosts while they are out foraging. When the larvae hatch, theyconsume the bee from the inside out and then discard thespent host. Infected bees become increasingly disoriented asthe eggs hatch and will often leave the hive at night and yerratically around lights. While the forad y may be becoming more prevalent,commercial beekeepers on Vancouver Island have bigger issuesto deal with. “It’s another issue that beekeepers need to be aware of butwe are more concerned about small hive beetle and varroamite,” says Bob Liptrot of Tugwell Creek Honey Farm & Meaderyin Sooke. “The bigger issue is bees and pesticides, but that’s theelephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about.”A veteran beekeeper, Liptrot says honey bees are becomingmore susceptible to parasites and pathogens when they arestressed by exposure to pesticides. The persistent movementand migration of commercial bee colonies also contributes tothe spread of disease.“We move bees around, and with the bees go all the nastylittle bugs and germs they carry. That’s going to spread foradies way faster than they could on their own,” he says. “This isnot another varroa mite calamity. They are just anotherannoyance in the background and they are probably here tostay with the climate change that we are experiencing.”Zombie bees notso scaryMedia hype is an overreaction FOR SALETURNKEY WHOLESALESOIL PACKAGING BUSINESS• With equipment and well establishedcustomer base• Located in the Lower Mainland• Gross sales approx. $375K – 400K per year• Business to move to your location by 2017For further information reply toSoilbusiness4sale@gmail.comAll inquiries will be answered promptlyZombie ies are not a major threat to BC bee hives. (Photos courtesy of Tugwell Creek Honey Farm)BOB LIPTROTPROGLIDEF3100 & R3100 MOWERShot At: Nicomekl Farms, Surrey BCNEW ON THE LOT 3FACEBOOK.COM/MATSQUIAGREPAIR@MATSQUIAG@MATSQUIAGREPAIRYOUTUBE.COM/MATSQUIAGREPAIRMATSQUIAGREPAIR.COM34856 Harris RdAbbotsford BC V3G 1R7604-826-32813D Ground Tracking Technology: The integrated suspension allows the mowing unit to move completely independently from the front linkage. This guarantees the best possible pattern of movement of the mower unit by allowing the cutter bar to immediately respond in an up and down, or left and right motion to changes in ground conditions.Other Great Features: -All gearbox drive -Fast fit blades-2 speed gearbox -Suspension right to left
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 33MERRITT – Don Vincent has a small farm 25km west of Merritt where he has planted twoacres of fruhburgunder, a cool-climate Germanvariety of the pinot noir grape. He is aninstructor at the Nicola Valley Institute ofTechnology, a post secondary institutiongoverned by the aboriginal community. Andhe is a member of Friends of the Nicola Valley,a group opposed to the spreading of biosolidsin the Cariboo Grasslands restoration project.“SYLVIS and the local ranchers are carryingout experiments using the big city’s sewersludge as fertilizer,” says Vincent. He says hisgroup doesn’t accept the name biosolids. “About a decade ago, a PR machine wentinto high gear to formulate a nice soundingword. They came up with biosolids ... We seethat as a term that has been cooked up and itis not a scientic term.” Vincent says he hasn’t been up to thegrasslands sight. “They cancelled the information day that Ithink was just a propaganda piece when theyfound out that people with a lot ofinformation, like scientist John Werring fromthe Suzuki Foundation, were going to come upand ask some awkward questions,” he says.Vincent dismissed a four-year study vettedby Ryerson University scientist LyndaMcCarthy. “I see it as nothing more than a cherry-picked summary of articles that supports thegovernment and the industrys’ pre-determined outcomes,” Vincent says. “Theymade sure that they only chose the sciencethat supports their claims that everything isne, it is safe when in fact there are many,many studies out there which say the opposite– that it is actually a very bad practice tospread big city toxins over rural environmentswhere they can get into the food chain andjeopardize water systems and soil.”“Toxic waste is the waste coming out of thewaste water treatment centers and it’s toxic;it’s full of toxins,” he adds. Vincent conrmed,by his denition, the presence of a toxin makesit toxic.“I think the point is we should be taking aprecautionary approach rather than this riskyand reckless one,” says Vincent. “We believestrongly that we should be trying to reducethese toxins and not be introducing them intorural areas and the food chain.”Vincent says there are alternatives “Cities like LA and London and Switzerlandand Japan are turning towards gasication andpyrolysis so they are able to get energy fromthis resource and at the same time rid theirenvironments of this,” he says. “Yes, there is aninitial cost but in the long run it will be payingfor itself. In his own backyard, the city of Merritt had aprivate contractor compost their biosolids. “Right now, because of the moratorium thatthe ve chiefs in the area have sensibly put inplace, they are stock-piling it,” Vincent says.“They are talking to various players in thegasication area to get more information andsome quotes to see if we can put somethingtogether.” Making a case for biosolids on interior ranchesControversial use of treated wasteshows positive impact on grasslandsStories by TOM WALKERCLINTON – Stepping out ofthe truck, I think to myself thatthese south Cariboograsslands don’t look verygrassy. Parched, crumbly soilshows between small clumpsof grass that are barely as highas my hiking boots. I’m notlooking at the towering bunchgrass I remember 40 years agoas I headed south fromKamloops through Knutsfordon my rst trip to Merritt.It isn’t from lack of rainfall.Area ranchers I’m talking totell me it’s been one of thewettest summers they canrecall. Indeed, about 30meters away, the grass is thickand green, not quite the “bellyhigh to a horse” of legends,but perhaps knee high andhigh enough that it’s fallingover in the late Septembersunshine. There is a thickthatch layer, native grassescrowd out the weeds, and thesoil is dark and rich-looking.Same land, same rainfall.What’s the dierence? Thelush green patch is ademonstration plot that hasbeen treated with biosolidsfrom the Lower Mainland.Lawrence Joiner speaks in asoft tone as he describes thesoil on his 5,000-hectaredeeded rangelands. “When the ministry rangeagrologist tested it, the resultscame back: no nitrogen, noorganic matter,” says Joiner ashe addresses a tour of his OKRanch restoration project. “Icame up from the coast so Iwas used to putting chickenmanure on the grass to makeit grow.” He says he tried chickenmanure and cow manure andchemical fertilizers butnothing helped. “Let it rest, said theagrologist, and I did,” saysJoiner. “But it didn’t improve.”Overdrawn“You can think of the soil asa bank,” explains John Lavery,an agrologist and biologistwho works with SYLVISEnvironmental. “At somepoint, the bank became overdrawn.” There’s talk of over-grazingand the eects of the droughtin the 1930’s. This area west ofClinton up against the FraserSaving rural areas from urban sludgeJohn Lavery from SYLVIS Environmental provides a hands-on demonstration of biosolid material being usedto fertilize grassland in BC’s southern interior. (Tom Walker photo)See BIOSOLIDS page 34
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201634River used to have enoughfamilies for two schools andnow there is but one family.Looks like compostAn hour later, I’m standingnext to a 2,000-square-meterbiosolids pile that looks likecompost. In fact, it is verysimilar to compost. Thismaterial started as municipalsewage in the Lower Mainlandbut has been treated in ananaerobic digestion processmuch like composting and itmeets the regulatorystandards of “Class A”biosolids. The slang term is“municipal sludge” but that’swrong. It’s not sludgy at all. It’sa stable pile, slightly moist andnearly odorless. That’s right.This poop smells like thebottom of a marsh if you wereto stir it with a stick. John Lavery, far right, points to a section of grassland that was treated once with biosolids 14 years ago.(Tom Walker photo)BIOSOLIDSFROM PAGE 33Lavery grabs a handful andit clumps together like dampdirt. He explains this pile hasbeen here for perhaps twodays. A manure spreaderworks the nearby grasslandsin a manner that is practicedin hundreds of locations incountries around the world.“Scandinavia, Europe, SouthAmerica, the United States ...”Lavery rattles o a list.The team at SYLVIS havecontracts with several BCmunicipalities to manageroughly 25,000 wet tonnes peryear at the OK Ranch. That willcover between 300 and 500hectares of Joiner’s land ayear. The rest goes over toAlberta. Joiner says the eect of therst test applications in theearly 2000’s was “immediate.”The steers that grazed on testplots were up to 150 lbsheavier than their range-fedcousins. OK Ranch range grasshas about 10% proteincontent. If you feed that grassbiosolids, the protein jumps to19-22% and slowly drops overfour years back to 10%. Evenafter four years, averageforage production onbiosolids plots was 2,280 kgper hectare compared to 460kg per hectare, untreated.The treated land greens upearlier in the spring, fadeslater in the fall and the tallergrass is easier for the cattle tograze through light snow.Joiner says his animals canstay at least a month longeron pasture and that means amonth less of buying hay. “This is such a valuableresource,” says Joiner.ComparisonsThe last stop on the tour isto view a test plot that hadone application of biosolids in2002 when the project rststarted. Half of the fenced-oarea was treated and half hasbeen resting. The non-treated,rested area is marginallybetter than the grazed landoutside the fence. But theaects of one application ofbiosolids 14 years ago aremarked. The gaps betweenthe clumps of small bunchgrass are lled in. It is clearthere is organic matter in thesoil that supports a healthyrange eco-system. That “soilbank” that Lavery describedearlier has had a majordeposit and it is maintaining ahealthy balance sheet. www.AgSafeBC.caUse the right toolsfor the job1.866.567.4162www.hlasnow.comHLA Snow is committed to providing customers with innovative equipment. With a comprehensive line up of snow and ice management tools, HLA Snow has the right blade, bucket, or spreader to meet your needs.HLA Snow products are engineered and field tasted by our dedicated staff. They bear the cold and scrape their knuckles in real world environments to ensure that when you receive your HLA product, it performs as promised.Around your acreage or around the town HLA Snow equipment stands up to winter so you can while you take your seat.For more information contact HLA Snow or visit us online.
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 35www.bchereford.ca BCHA President Murray Gore 604-582-3499 BCHA Secretary Janice Tapp 250-699-6466 Residual Feed Efficiency Research 1350 Hereford bulls tested in past 4 years PROVEN FEED EFFICIENCY We aim to help your boƩom line! by TOM WALKERCLINTON – John Lavery, abiologist and agrologist withSYLVIS Environmental, enjoysmaking a point by chewingrange grass growing on landthat has been treated withbiosolids. But is he dancingwith the devil? Can scientists detect traceelements of chemicals that aredeemed harmful to humansand animals in treatedbiosolids? Certainly. Does thatmean that the biosolids aretoxic? Two ibuprofen after a day ofdigging in the garden are nottoxic; they make me feel a lotbetter. However, a full bottle ofAdvil would be toxic andmight cause me serious harm.“Presence is not equal toimpact,” says Dr. LyndaMcCarthy, a professor in theDepartment of Chemistry andBiology at Ryerson University,speaking in Vancouver in earlySeptember. Dr. McCarthyprovided an overview ofndings of the literaturereview, Risks Associated withApplication of MunicipalBiosolids to Agriculture Lands ina Canadian Context.The literature review is a250 page report on the studyof 1000 sources that addressthe biosolids question. It’savailable on the CanadianWater Network site. “It covers every question wecould possibly imagine,” saysMcCarthy, a former federalscientist who specializes inecotoxicology.The truth is we humanshave a lot of chemicals in ourenvironment. Scientists havecome to label them ‘EmergingSubstances of Concern,’ orESOCs. When you sit in your car,your butt is encased inBrominated Flame Retardants(BFR’s). We don’t want thatseat to burst into amesduring a vehicle crash but ifyou ate a car seat, it might notbe very good for you.When biosolid treated soilsfrom the OK Ranch weretested, they found BFRs at aconcentration of .000008%.The dust that you breath inyour car is likely to have 1,000times more concentration.When you brush your teeth,you have a 1% solution ofantimicrobial compoundssuch as Triclosan in yourmouth – one of the reasonsthey tell you not to swallow.OK Ranch soil has .00002%Triclosan.Can some of thesesubstances make their wayinto the grass that Lavery iseating? McCarthy says no. In astudy she has just completed,Assessment of EcologicalImpacts and Characterization ofPriority Emerging Substances ofConcern, she grew plants in sixdierent samples of municipalbiosolids from across Canada.Then she sent the plant tissueto be analyzed. “None of the plant tissueshad taken up any of theseorganic compounds (ESOCs),”she concludes.The overall questionMcCarthy and her team setout to answer was: does themere presence of biosolids inthe environment equaladverse impact to livingbiota? Their conclusion afterfour years and workingthrough 1,000 scienticstudies was “land applicationof biosolids at provinciallyregulated rates is a verysustainable strategy.”McCarthy says sheapproaches a study like thisexpecting to nd an impact.“My job is to get harmfulsubstances out of theenvironment,” she says.As a researcher, she foundthe study frustrating. “All I see is no impact. Nojournal wants to publish apaper with no impact,” shejokes. “I’m out of funding.”“We need to develop anhonest national biosolidsdialogue,” says McCarthy. “Wecan shut down pulp mills andmanufacturing plants, we canget rid of cars, but humansjust keep on pooping.”They may be helping to restore habitat but are biosolids really safe?The Sham:BC Government Biosolids ReviewThe opening paragraph of this document sets the stage for everything that follows: “Biosolids are treated and stabilized wastewater treatment residuals ...largely benecially re-used as a soil amendment in agriculture or other applications, including landscaping and site reclamation.” This is PR speak – not science! The bias is palpable. This is not an objective look at relevant science regarding risks associated with the disposal of sewer sludge. When a reviewputs forth only documents which support a pre-determined outcome, it is propa-ganda. This review is nothing more than a cherry-picked summary of articlesthat support government and industry agenda. There are many scientists who arguedisposing of a city's toxic sewage on farmland presents a serious threat tohuman health. Their research was not included as it individually and collectivelyraises red ags concerning the practice of land disposal of sewer sludge. Go towww.biosolidsbattleblog.blogspot.ca to see a selection of overlooked peer-review articles.Biosolids in the Nicola ValleyAs predicted, the contaminants of real concern were not even examined in thegovernment’s sampling project: superbugs, prions, nanomaterials, microplastics,pharmaceuticals, personal care products, (PBDEs) and ame retardants (PBDEs).Doing so would not support their pre-determined outcomes. This is key to understanding why this government decided to relegate First Nations participation in this study to “observer” status. The Chiefs wanted input with objective, arm’s-length scientists at the table. The government could not allowthat! The Chiefs had no option but to leave this biased project.A few observations on Minister Polak’s Press statementsMinister Polak proudly states the government is raising the safety limits on twocontaminants in biosolids. Two! Out of the tens of thousands of toxins known tobe in all biosolids, yet there is no mention of all those other worrisome contaminants. She claims environmentalists around the world are in favour ofdispersing toxic sewer sludge on farmland. How, then, does she explain that theSierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, The Rodale Institute, the National Farmers Union, The Suzuki Foundation and hundreds of other environmental, health and farm organization as well as food processing companies like Heinz and Del Monte, oppose using “biosolids” to grow our food?For more information, visitwww.biosolidsbc.com2016 Corn Silage Trial Results available soonFARMWEST MEMBERS WILL BE NOTIFIEDPFCA BOOKS MAKE GREAT GIFTS!• Cool Forages - Advanced Management of Temperate Forages• Advance Silage Corn ManagementBiosolids from the Lower Mainland being spread on grasslands outside of Clinton. (Tom Walker photo)
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NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 37by TOM WALKERKELOWNA – Consider composting to improve thelong-term viability of your farm. That was themessage delivered at a Compost Matters forum atthe Pacic Agri-Food Research Centre (PARC) inSummerland earlier this year.“I see composting in BC has been on the upswingin the last few years,” says Environmental Farm Planadvisor Pete Spencer. “But we stopped fundingmanure storage; maybe that’s why we are gettingquestions on compost,” he quipped.“It’s all about the nitrogen, but it’s not about thenitrogen,” says Tom Forge, a PARC research scientist.“We know that it’s way more than fertilizer butinevitably, it’s compared to fertilizer.”While compost comes up short on nitrogen(composted manure may contain only half thenitrogen of fresh manure), the composting processconverts the nitrogen to a stable form that is lesssusceptible to leaching. Additionally, when youcompost manures with high carbon to nitrogenratios, composting reduces the ratio, makingnitrogen immediately available to the plants.Soil health management“Think of it as soil health management rather thanjust nutrient management,” says Forge. Whethermixed into the soil or simply used as a mulch,compost adds organic matter and reduces fertilizerrequirements. In sandy soil, that increased organicmatter helps hold onto moisture, something farmersshould be considering more in times of climateadaptation. In clay soil, compost can improvedrainage. There are other benets, Spencer points out.Composting manure greatly reduces the volume ofthe manure, makes it easier to storeand easier to move in instanceswhere you are not applying itimmediately. “And it sure improves your sociallicense,” he adds. “Odour and ies arenot an issue with compost.”There are some costs involved. “It takes time to make and time tounderstand how to use it,” agreesSpencer. “A lot of people are used tohaving the fertilizer company comeout and do a soil test and tell themhow much to apply. And you have tohave the space to store it.” If you are looking at using awindrow turner, for example, they areexpensive but it could be partially funded underyour Environmental Farm Plan, Spencer adds.You have to follow the rulesThere are some regulations to follow. If youcompost your own materials and use the composton your own property, the regulatory requirementsfrom the Agriculture Waste Control Regulation(AWRC) currently apply. The same is true if you bringin materials from another location to compost anduse only on your own property. Again, you followthe AWCR.However, if you bring in materials to compostfrom another location and then distribute thecompost elsewhere, you are now a compostingfacility and the rules are much more complex. TheOrganic Matter Recycling Regulations and theAgriculture Land Commission have regulations youmust follow.Or you could buy it. Many municipal landll sitesoperate a composting program toutilize urban and farm wastes.Indeed, the Kelowna “GlenGrow”program is overwhelmed with cherryculls in July that can jam up theirwindrow machine.“There is this negative perceptionthat municipal compost must bebad,” says Forge. In fact, a Class Acompost license requires a rigorousset of tests be conducted on theproduct “compared to, say, rawmanure which has minimalregulation.”Composting can be an importantpart of your Environmental Farm Plan,says Spencer. “It comes under the nutrient management plan.” The nutrient management plan itself can befunded at 100% up to $2,000. Once you have anutrient management plan and have identiedareas of risk and set out an action plan, you canapply for funds to support an on-farm compostingprogram.Participants are eligible for 30% funding up to$25,000 for composting technologies that areappropriate for their generated waste. That may bethe windrow turner or an industrial composting bin. Funding of 30% up to $5,000 is also available forengineering and technical design work if you areplanning a cement bin to store your nishedproduct, for example.Spencer has a couple of words to would-beapplicants.“Be organized with your paper work. Work withyour EF planner and be ready to go in April whenthey open to receive applications.”There’s money for farmers who compost TOM FORGEDon is using less electricity. Don is using less electricity. ww.bcefp.ca | 1-866-522-3447 Don Hladych Vale Farms, Lumby B.C. Don Hladych Vale Farms, Lumby B.C. 71 000 Canadian Farms have an ENVIRONMENTAL FARM PLAN 71 000 Canadian Farms have an ENVIRONMENTAL FARM PLAN
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201638Researchers aren’t sure why Jersey and Holstein cows react differently to serotonin but it is inspiring newresearch that could help dairy farmers improve herd health. (File photo)The chemical serotonin hasbeen shown in a researchstudy to increase calciumlevels in the blood of Holsteincows and the milk of Jerseycows right after birth at a timewhen, for many cows, calciumlevels drop.A research team led byassistant professor LauraHernandez in the Departmentof Dairy Science, University ofWisconsin-Madison, studiedthe potential for serotonin toincrease the calcium levels inboth the milk and the bloodof dairy cows. They infused achemical that converts toserotonin into 24 dairy cows inthe run-up to giving birth. Halfthe cows were Jersey and halfSerotonin deflects milk fever in dairy cows were Holstein. Calcium levelsin both the milk andcirculating blood weremeasured throughout theexperiment.Dairy productssuch as milk, cheeseand yogurt are theprimary source ofcalcium for humansand the demand forcalcium-rich milk is high. But ittakes a toll on dairy cows andsome ve to 10% of the NorthAmerican dairy cowpopulation suer fromhypocalcaemia (also known asmilk fever), one of the mosthighly recognized diseases indairy cattle among farmers. Calcium is essential forbone, tissue, smooth muscleand muscle strength andnerve function. However, thelowest concentration of bloodcalcium usually happens from12 to 24 hours before calving,then returns to normal in ahealthy cow within two tothree days after calving. Hypocalcaemia is a majorhealth issue in dairy cows. It isassociated withimmunological and digestiveproblems, decreasedpregnancy rates and longerintervals betweenpregnancies. In its clinicalform, it can manifest asmuscle tremors, coldears/nose, and the cow oftengoing down due toinsucient calcium for musclecontraction. These all pose aproblem for dairy farmerswhose protability dependsupon regular pregnancies anda high yield of calcium-richmilk.“All mammals get someform of hypocalcemianaturally at parturition toallow for mobilization ofcalcium from bone tissue tohelp with milk synthesis,” saysHernandez. “The diet of ananimal (or human for thatmatter) is incapable ofsupporting both the mother’sphysiology along with thesynthesis of milk. Calcium canonly be mobilized from bonewhen the bloodconcentrations fall below thenormal systemic physiologicalconcentration for an animal.That being said, dairy animals(and some litter-bearingspecies, like dogs) are moreprone to hypocalcaemiabecause of the amount of milkthey are producing. Dairycows take a day or two afterparturition to stimulate theirnatural bone resorptionmechanism so they canstruggle at birth withmaintaining their owncirculating calciumconcentrations.”PreventionWhile there has beenresearch into the treatment ofhypocalcaemia, not much hasfocused on prevention. Inrodents, it has been shownthat serotonin (a naturally-occurring chemical commonlyassociated with feelings ofhappiness) plays a role inmaintaining calcium levels.Based on this knowledge,Hernandez and her teaminvestigated the potential forserotonin to increase calciumlevels in both the milk andblood of dairy cows. “Our research has shown sofar that serotonin stimulatesproduction of the parathyroidhormone-related protein bythe mammary gland,” shesaid. “This hormone isnaturally produced by themammary gland duringlactation in order to activatethe mechanisms necessary tostimulate bone resorption andtherefore calcium liberationinto the circulation.”While serotonin improvedthe overall calcium levels inboth the Holstein and Jerseycows, it happened in dierentways. Treated Holstein cowshad higher levels of calcium intheir blood, but lower calciumin their milk (compared tocontrols). The reverse was truein treated Jersey cows and thehigher milk calcium levelswere particularly obvious inJerseys at day 30 of lactation,suggesting a role forserotonin in maintaininglevels throughout lactation.The serotonin treatment hadno eect on milk yield, feedintake or on levels ofhormones required forlactation. “Most of our research hasfocused on the Holstein dairycow on a large scale,” she said.“We do know that Jersey cowshave higher milk calciumconcentrations, as well as totalfat and protein, than aHolstein. We are unsure whythe two breeds respond indierent ways but as dairyscientists, we do need to domore research on Jersey cowson the whole because itappears that their physiologyis dierent than that of aHolstein.”The team is currentlyworking on numerousexperiments to betterunderstand the specicmechanisms that underlieserotonin’s actions duringlactation and how it variesbetween the two breeds. Thehope is that a procedureusing serotonin can bedeveloped as a preventativemeasure againsthypocalcaemia which wouldallow dairy farmers tomaintain their cows’ healthand milk production, as wellas business protability.The results of the studywere published in the Journalof Endocrinology.ResearchMARGARET EVANSCIDC Check-offBCID Fund9WorkBeef atCheck-offCheck-offCIDC 9Ch9f9heck-of9at9W9Beef 9ork9WoFundCI-D FundBCID Producer Check-Off Supports Beef Industry Projects.www.cattlefund.net | 1-877-688-2333But Holsteins respond differently than JerseysCALL FOR AN ESTIMATELARRY604.209.5523TROY604.209.5524 TRI-WAYFARMSLASER LEVELLING LTD.IMPROVEDDRAINAGEUNIFORMGERMINATIONUNIFORMIRRIGATIONFAST,ACCURATESURVEYINGINCREASECROPYIELDS We service all ofSouthern BC
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 39by CATHY GLOVERWILLIAMS LAKE – Commercial cattle prices may be slumpingbut there appears to be some optimism among seed stockproducers given healthy returns at two purebred sales this fall. An outcross Red Angus heifer calf consigned by Houston-based Blast Angus sold for $11,000.00 at the Pacic InvitationalSale in Williams Lake, September 24. Billed as a “genetic gem,”the heifer traces back to Frank and Dianne Strimbold’s LadyHeather pedigree. With a Black Angus parent on both sides ofher pedigree, Red Blast Lady Heather 36D is a completeoutcross for Red Angus breeders and more than enough reasonfor Six Mile Ranch in Saskatchewan to shell out big bucks toown her. Another heifer calf entry from Brent and Lia Long’sBlast Angus, Blast Blackbird 18D, sold for $5,250.00 to DunlevyRanch in Williams Lake. This is the fth year for the all-breed female sale in WilliamsLake. Prices were decent overall. A bred Angus heifer, HarvestPrincess 71C, consigned by Harvest Angus out of PrinceGeorge, sold for $4,500.00 to Clint Ellis of Aldergrove. A Hereford heifer calf, SF 668 Ruby 1D, consigned by SmithFarms of Abbotsford, sold for $4,000.00 to Everett Himech ofHouston.Harris Ranch of Tatlayoko Lake took a fancy to the top sellingSimmental consignments, both coming out of Crosby Cattle inVanderhoof. They paid $4,000.00 for the high selling heifer calf,XBAR Miss Diva 20D, and $4,400.00 for Crosby’s bred heifer,XBAR Countessa 38C.This year’s donation heifer, a Red Angus from Mike andBrenda Wheeler’s North 40 Red Angus herd in Vanderhoof,went to Tom deWaal who sent her back through the ring whereshe sold for $2,800.00, half of which deWaal donated back to BCAngus. In all, 27 sale lot averaged $3,348.00.Tlell bull off to SemexPrices were equally impressive for Richardson Ranch. ThisSeptember marked the seventh year Don and Leslie Richardsonof Tlell, on Haidi Gwaii, have hosted their online sale. (Saleprices include freight o Haida Gwaii and delivery as far east asLloydminster.)High seller was a bull calf, Tlell 200Z Dandy 1D, who sold toSemex Alliance in Guelph for $9,000.00. Out of a rst calf Tlell-bred heifer and by an American bull, 1D had a birth weight ofjust 78 lbs but his 205-day weight clocked over 800 lbs. Semexhas renamed him (Tlell 200Z Totem 1D), the Richardsons haveretained 100 straws of semen and will show him at FairFairInternational in Edmonton, November 9 to 13, along with threeother Tlell-bred bulls before he goes to stud.Matts Red Angus in Smithers picked up yearling bull, Tlell10Y City Boy 1C, for $4,400.00. A show heifer, Tlell 10Y Darlin16D, sold for $4,900.00 to Garilyn Morris in Red Deer, AB. Three exportable embryos sold for $1,650.00 and are headedto Moeskaer Herefords in Denmark. Others went to Germany, atestament to how far-reaching the online sale has become.In all, ten lots averaged $4,430.00. Twelve embryos on oeraveraged $492.00. The sale ran over four days in lateSeptember. Purebred cattle sell wellPrices respectable at fall salesBest budsAnd winners, too! BC 4-H member Mariah Mitchell’s Speckle Park cross calf, Macey, was the reservechampion calf at the Provincial Winter Fair in Barriere this fall. (Photo courtesy of the North Okanagan4-H Beef Club)CIDC Check-offBCID Fund9WorkBeef atCheck-offRed or Black, Angus is Best!Red or Black, Angus is Best!BC ANGUSTOM DEWAAL . PRESIDENT . 250.960.0022JILL SAVAGE . SECRETARY . 250.679-2813www.bcangus.cawww.bcangus.ca
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201640by RONDA PAYNEABBOTSFORD – Weeds are one of the mostexpensive issues in a vegetable eld. Spraying orhand-picking takes time and money so the methodchosen has to be as eective as possible. Dr. Darren Robinson, horticultural crop weedmanagement associate professor with the Universityof Guelph, has been studying the control of weedsin vegetable crops for a number of years. He spokeabout his most recent ndings at the PacicAgriculture Show last January.“I work on weed management systems that workon the production systems the growers currentlyhave,” he says. “The goal is to start with a clean eldand to keep it clean.”Having spent a considerable amount of timestudying weeds in corn and other crops, Robinsonadvises growers to choose the best pre-emergenceherbicide for the eld by taking into account thestrengths and weaknesses of post-emergenceherbicides. The pre-emergence products he lookedat were Primextra II Magnum and Integrity. The costs for both products were found to besimilar for 10 to 12 week controls in a similar rangeof weeds like annual grasses and broadleaf weeds.While Robinson notes corn is fairly tolerant to theingredient atrazine, he also says certain conditionscan increase the potential for crop injury. Re-cropping can be an issue depending upon farmpractices.“There are several vegetable crops that can beinjured the year after Primextra II Magnum is appliedand that denitely is a consideration,” he says. “Westill get signicant yield reductions.”Those yield reductions can be more than 50%and Robinson has found it’s evenworse when Callisto is mixed with it.Another downside is the fact there issome control over pigweed andlamb’s quarters, but not full seasoncontrol. There is no control fromPrimextra II Magnum in triazine-resistant weeds. While Integrity is slightly cheaper,the price dierence is minimal forabout the same weed control.Robinson notes there is control oftriazine-resistant weeds withIntegrity, but it’s not as eective onyellow nutsedge as Primextra IIMagnum. There were no crop rotation orrecropping issues with Integrity but Robinson notes,“we can’t use early post-emergence in corn,”meaning Integrity is not as timing-exible asPrimextra II Magnum. “Integrity causes injury ifapplied post-emergence. It can go to as severe asplant death.”Knowing the differenceFor post-emergence options, Robinson points toAccent and Callisto. Like the pre-emergencetreatments, with these tools, it’s necessary to knowwhat weeds are the most problematic, such asunderstanding the dierence between crabgrassand fall panicum.Accent did not oer any residual control andRobinson found crabgrass and yellow foxtail dicultto control due to continual emergence. This productcan also impact recropping but the risks are muchless than that of other products, except in the caseof hybrid corn. “There are some hybrids that arereally, really sensitive to Accent,” hesays. These cases of injury were quitepronounced when Accent was mixedwith Basagran causing whatRobinson notes as “signicant injury,”while Pardner mixed with Accentcaused a lesser degree of injury.Pardner is good in controllinglambs quarters but not pigweed. Itcan also injure corn, possibly settinggrowth back if applied in hot, humidconditions. Callisto oered an excellentextended period of control tocrabgrass if applied post-emergence but, again,hybrid varieties are at risk. “If applied post-emergence, we can see signicanthybrid sensitivity,” Robinson says.”It also can cause impacts on growth the followingyear. While the plant matter above ground ishealthy, below ground (as in carrot or onion) growthmay be an issue. Permit has been known to impact some hybridvarieties as has Basagran Forte. The latter can alsocause injury in non-hybrid varieties but is generallytemporary. Robinson also notes Impact mixed withatrazine will provide good post-emergence controlof lambs quarters, pigweed, wild buckwheat, wildmustard and yellow foxtail.“You can’t just relay on pre-emergence or post-emergence [products] to control these weeds,”Robinson summarizes. “You have to have a strategythat looks at both.” Preparing for next year’s weeds in corn and other cropsDR. DARREN ROBINSONFCC Drive AwayHungerThanks a million (well 6.75 million, actually)Our generous partners, community volunteers and supporters helped FCC Drive Away Hunger make a difference to Canadians for the 13th year in a row, collecting 6.75 million meals. Our deepest thanks to all.Baker Newby LLP | Clearbrook Grain & Milling Co. Ltd. | Lulu Island Winery Ltd. RDM Lawyers LLP | Rossdown Farms & Natural Foods NATIONAL GOLD SILVER PLATINUM @FCCagriculture #FCCDriveAwayHunger
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 41CUSTOM SLAUGHTER SERVICES PROVIDEDServing the Community TogetherWANTED: ALL SIZES MARKET GOATS & LAMBSashiq@meadowvalleymeats.com604/465-4752 (ext 105)fax 604/465-474418315 FORD ROADPITT MEADOWS, BC V3Y 1Z1PROVINCIALLY INSPECTED ABATTOIR BC#34• BEEF• VEAL• BISON • LAMB • GOAT • DEERMEADOW VALLEY MEATSTubeline Bale Boss Processors provide consistent shredding of your large square bales. With optionsfor loader mount and trailed units the Bale Boss line of processors has the right model for your application.^Bale BOSS 1 ^Bale BOSS 2 ^Bale BOSS 4Contact Tubeline for more information or to find a dealer near you.The BC Sheep Federationhosted their annual meetingand two days of speakers inWilliams Lake in lateSeptember, attracting over 75breeders from all over theprovince. Dr. Woody Lane, a nutritionand forage specialist fromOregon, led an interestingdiscussion that highlightedthe importance of lettinggrass rest after grazing andnot cutting until it had grownback to at least three inches,and up to eight in height. This,he said, "gives the grassenough top growth to utilizesun and warmth and send theresulting energy down to theirroots so they can growfurther, and in their turn, sendmore energy, minerals andvitamins into the top growth." "Worm larvae," he noted,“does not usually climb overthree inches from the groundso if the sheep are eating fromthe leaf growth above thatlevel, they will not beconstantly reinfectingthemselves with a new load ofparasites."After ingestion by thesheep, it is these nal stagelarvae that complete their lifecycle as worms, which laymore eggs and get droppedon the pasture to further thecycle and do ongoingdamage.Lane elaboratedfurther.“In hotter summerareas such as theInterior and furthernorth, the larvae try tokeep away from the middaysummer heat and migratedownwards towards thecooler ground, whereas incooler and wetter areas, suchas the Fraser Valley, they mayclimb to and stay at thatheight."Thus grazing above therecommended three inchlevel increases grass growthand the sheeps’ uptake ofimportant nutrients, and alsoprevents or very muchreduces the sheep reinfectingthemselves with a new load ofparasites. Lane's and Dr. StephanieKrumsiek’s presentations wereLet your grass growWool GatheringsJO SLEIGHespecially popular because oftheir engaging and energeticdelivery, their down-to-earthpractical approaches based onestablished research, theiracademic backgrounds andthe way the informationcoming from both of themmelded together: Lane’s froma nutritional and pasturemanagement perspective;Krumsiek's from a parasitecontrol viewpoint.Conference guests ErinWilson from Burns Lake andGord Blankstein from Langleyalso found Lane’s commentson pasture managementparticularly engaging. Wilson took notes.“To check your eld’sholding capacity," Lane toldhis audience, “you might trythis method. Take a 12x11.5”area in a typical area of theeld. Cut the grass theredown low to the ground. Dryit out (in the microwave or byother means), weigh it andmultiply this by 100. Dividethe above result by thefollowing: Multiply thenumber of sheep you want tograze there and the amountof dry matter intake they willneed according to their bodyweight and condition usingpublished tables to calculatethis. “This will give you thenumber of days you can keepthe sheep there beforemoving them on to their nextBrian Shaw from Canadian Co-operative Wool Growers demonstrated how to skirt, roll and packeeces during the BC Sheep Breeders convention in Williams Lake, September 30. Shaw also discussedthe best sort of skirting table and the selection of breed types and crosses to maximize the quality ofeece. (Photo courtesy of Mike Doherty)Sheep producers flock to conferencefor info on forage, parasitesSee SHEEP page 42The Lower Mainland Sheep Producers Association is celebrating 40 Years in the community! We would like to invite our members, past, present and past Presidents to join us for an evening of fun. St. Georges Anglican Church Hall 9160 Church Street, Fort Langley 7:30pm | December 1st, 2016For more info or to join us please contact Marianne.sheepproducers@gmail.com 604.530.8670 www.lmspa.ca
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201642pasture or, if necessary, aholding paddock or barn."Research has proven thismethod to be both practicaland accurate.Dwayne Webb from Quesnel found Lane’ssuggestion to try a mixture ofkale and rye grass (or a similarcombination of brassica andgrass) to increase feed valueand extension of the growingseason useful. Lane will bepublishing a second book in2017 titled Forages andGrazing, to be stocked byCCWG. “His advice on how best toprepare the weaning of bottlelambs at about four weeks ofage might really save us,” saidWebb.Krumsiek, a veterinarian inWilliams Lake, comparedavailable dewormers, theworm’s life cycle, recent andupcoming research, andmentioned there may be twonew dewormers available in2017. "This was the best $90 that Ihave ever spent,” said Wilson,after the conference hadended. "This was so informativeand helpful that it is dicultto say which was the mostuseful and interesting," agreedIan Brennan from 100 MileHouse. “We have been a bitinclined to pass on previousworkshops or talks but havingbeen to this one, we willdenitely be going to the nextones.” Cariboo Sheep BreedersAssociation president MikeDoherty expressed hisgratitude to the membershipfor their enthuasiasm inorganizing the conference.Christmas partySheep producers in theFraser Valley are invitedattend the Lower MainlandSheep Producers Associationannual Christmas potluck,December 3 at St AndrewsChurch in Fort Langley.LMSPHA hosts monthlymeetings, usually with aneducational component,September to June. This is agreat time to meet some ofyour fellow breeders. SHEEP SYMPOSIUMFROM PAGE 41I recently wrote a businessfeature article about acompany owner who retiredafter serving his communityfor three decades. Hisreputation for integrity andservice is outstanding and aspart of his choice for areplacement, he went to greatlengths to ensure thatwhoever purchased thecompany would uphold thosestandards. Next, because he and thecompany are located outsidea major metropolitan centre, itwas essential that hisreplacement be willing to re-locate with the intent ofremaining there.Lastly, this person neededto accept the counsel andmentorship of those moreexperienced. Along with theowner, most of his employeesstayed during the transition,oering help and support.As I pondered this monthof November and itsimplications, I recalled thatarticle. Though notthematically related, itreminded me of the poem somany of us learned asstudents in elementary school.“In Flanders Field, the poppiesgrow… To you, from failinghands we throw the Torch, beyours to hold it high, if yebreak faith with us who die,we shall not sleep thoughpoppies growin FlandersField.”Passing thetorch is not amatter to betaken lightly. The gentleman featured inmy article certainly did not. Henoted academic qualicationsalone were not sucient; asimportant as knowledge was,it needed to be supplementedwith the ability to relate toand care for each client.For me and for allcontributors to and readers ofCountry Life in BC, the torchhas been passed from PeterWilding to Cathy Glover. Fromall that I’ve observed over thesix or more years since I’vehad the privilege ofcontributing to this paper, thechoice of successor has beenexcellent. I want to to expressmy great appreciation toPeter, to Cathy and to thereaders of my column. I didn’thave the privilege of beingraised on a farm but from mygrandparents and from mymother, I learned the deepsatisfaction that comes withhands in the dirt, carrots fromthe backyard garden and afreezer and pantry wellstocked with food. Years spentRoyal delegationin rural Saskatchewan onlyintensied my appreciation forthe incredible work done byour farmers. My great thanksto all!Armed forcesUp there with them is thehonour that needs to bebestowed on members of theCanadian Armed Forces. Bethey army, navy or air, it isbecause they have given ofthemselves for the sake of ourPassing the torchMembers of the Boundary “C” 4-H Club (from left to right, Marijka van Kuik, Alec Elliot, SarahMacDonald, Jade Fossen, Adele Fossen, leader Greg MacDonald and Analia van Kuik) were the ofcialrepresentatives of BC 4-H when Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, visitedMission Hill Winery on their royal tour through BC in September. (Photo courtesy of Boundary “C” 4-H Club)freedom. It is for each of us tofollow their example in ourpersonal corners of the world,to remain staunch in ourcommitment to uphold theprinciples of integrity and tobe willing to learn from everycircumstance. When Lieutenant ColonelJohn McCrae composed hisnow world-famous poemduring the second battle ofYpres, Belgium on May 3,1915, he probably could nothave imagined the power ofhis words. What he longed for,however, was that the torch offreedom from war and all thatprovoked it in the rst placewould be passed to everysucceeding generation. To allthose current members of theCanadian military, thank you! In closing this monthlyepistle, I send mycongratulations and my bestwishes: Peter, may you andyour wife, Linda, enjoy allyou’ve wished for in this newseason of your life; Cathy,continue holding the torchhigh! Peter has chosen well! celebrating Canada’s 150 yearsReserveyour tickets now!space is limitedSponsorsupport our gala new options availableWednesday January 25, 2017Quality Hotel &Conference Centreproudly sponsored by:Wannabe FarmerLINDA WEGNER
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC43REASON 3: Our Alexander Knives, when paired with our patented Vertical Knives, create an unparalleled cutting action. The curved carbide coated cutting edge and angle of the Alexander Knives increases the aggressiveness of cut to improve the processing rate of round baled forages, especially coarser forages. Our Vertical Knives, which are mounted on our slide plate, improve processing and feedout of high forage rations. Together with our four other exclusive auger features, we produce a faster and more uniform mix than sluggish conventional augers, which typically take too long to process forage, resulting in too many fine particles in the shakerALEXANDER KNIVESVERTICAL KNIVESSIX REASONS WHY OUR SQUARE-CUT AUGER RESISTS SORTING:www.JAYLOR.com | 800.809.8224SIX REASONS WHY OUR SQUARE-CUT AUGER RESISTS SORTING:REASON 3: Our Alexander Knives, when paired with our patented Vertical Knives, create an unparalleled cutting action. The curved carbide coated cutting edge and angle of the Alexander Knives increases the aggressiveness of cut to improve the processing rate of round baled forages, especially coarser forages. Our Vertical Knives, which are mounted on our slide plate, improve processing and feedout of high forage rations. Together with our four other exclusive auger features, we produce a faster and more uniform mix than sluggish conventional augers, which typically take too long to process forage, resulting in too many fine particles in the shaker box. Nutritionists say if you want to resist sorting you’ll need a TMR with optimum shaker box results, and with a Jaylor you can deliver that ration every time.SIX REASONS WHY RESISTS SORContact your local dealer for a demo today:AVENUE MACHINERY CORPAbbotsford 604.864.2665Vernon 250.545.3355www.AgSafeBC.caCHECK YOURPOSTURE – SITTINGOR STANDINGby SUSAN MCIVEROKANAGAN FALLS –Former marine engineer andenvironmental entrepreneurDavid Rendina has turned hisinnovative talents to methodsof producing better grapesand making outstanding wine.“While travelling the worldat sea, you have a lot of timeto think about what you wantto accomplish,” Rendina says,reecting on his time as amarine engineer and hisdecision to help theenvironment in practical ways.Rendina’s intellectualproperty patents and businessinterests include a patent fortwo-dimensional materials(sheets of substances a singlemolecule or a few nanometresthick) that improves thestorage of hydrogen gas andthe functioning of batteriesused in electric-poweredautomobiles. “In conjunction with theUniversity of Texas, I workedon a catalyst for removingsulphur from diesel fuels,”Rendina said.In 2010, Rendina and wifeBeverlee Jones bought a four-hectare vineyard in OkanaganFalls, almost exclusivelyplanted to Pinot Blanc grapes,and opened Black Dog Winerytwo years later.The switch from engineerto winemaker isn’t sounexpected considering thatRendina is the fourthgeneration of his family tomake wine, starting with hisgreat-grandfather in Italy.“I learned how to makePinot Bianco from mygrandfather in New York whenI was nine years old, workingin the evening,” Rendinarecalled.Today, Rendina and Jonesmake 2,000 cases of theirCirius Black Pinot Biancoannually from 30-year oldvines in the classic NorthernItalian style.Harvested at peaksweetness, the grapes arepressed, not crushed, to allowthe juice to run free.“This technique results in afull-palate wine that reectsmore of the character of thearea,” Rendina says.Rendina and Jones strive toraise grapes using as littlepesticide as possible.Last year, they capturedozone from air, infused it intowater and sprayed theozonated water on grapes.“It acts like a bleach, killsthe fungi and does not leaveany chemical residue on thegrapes,” Rendina explains.Preliminary evidencesuggests that ozonated watermay remove smoke taint fromgrapes.Rendina has also built amobile cross-ow ltrationsystem to primarily servicesmaller vineyards.“In a single pass, the systemtakes wine to a level that isclear enough for bottling,” heexplains.He also has a business,Okeg, which supplies kegs towineries.“We can put the lteredwine into kegs or the winery’sown tanks,” he says.Currently, Rendina isworking on ways to use themarc (sometimes calledpomace) – the skins, stemsand seeds leftovers from thewine making process.“If fermentation hasoccurred, we take o thealcohol to make grappa,” saysRendina, who may work with alocal distillery to make themarc-based brandy.The alcohol-free marc is fedto soldier y larvae which inturn are fed to sh kept insmall ponds.The robust sh producemore ospring with all shexcreting nitrogen-rich wasteproduct into the pond waterwhich is used to irrigate andnurture the vines.“I won’t make any moneyfrom this. I’m just trying tosolve problems,” Rendina says.Meanwhile, he and Jonesare kept busy in the vineyardand cellar and enjoying life.Proudly certifying Producers and Processorswithin BC and Alberta.FVOPA provides year round certification services compliant with the Canadian Organic Standards (CAN/CGSB) and in accordance with the BC Certified Organic ISO 17065 recognized program. Products may be sold Canada-wide and in international markets. FVOPA ensures an efficient, professional certification process for all farm, processing and handling operations. Inspectors are lOlA trained and qualified making FVOPA a leading Certification Agency.Message 604-607-1655Email: admin@fvopa.cawww.fvopa.caPhone 604-789-7586P.O. Box 18591Delta, BC V4K 4V7Phone: 778-434-3070 Admin cell: 604-789-7586PO Box 19052 Email: admin@fvopa.caDelta, BC V4L2P8 www.fvopa.caThese vineyard owners are problem solversAn inquisitive mind and a tastefor wine has made the transitionfrom marine engineer to captainof the vineyard an easy one forDavid Rendina. (Susan McIverphoto)With a little helpfrom their Italianheritage
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201644CHILLIWACK – The growing demand for local producthas created lots of opportunities for BC agricultureproducers and processors, Meadow Valley Meats generalmanager Chris Les told Chilliwack Agricultural Tourparticipants in September. MVM is one operationcapitalizing on those opportunities. “I think local is a trend, not a fad,” Les said.MVM began its life as Fraser Valley Meats, a retailbutcher shop in Chilliwack, in 1969. It transitioned to a full-service abattoir and wholesaler early this decade, buildingits main facilities in Chilliwack in 2010 and expandingthem two years ago.“We now have six locations in the Lower Mainlandincluding abattoirs in Surrey and Pitt Meadows, sevendelivery trucks and 140 employees. Half work inChilliwack,” Les told the group.MVM processes about 10,000 head of beef and about7,500 lambs and goats annually as well as distributingbeef, poultry and pork from other suppliers in BC andAlberta. Their customer base includes other butchershops, specialty retailers and white table restaurants.Recently, the company started sourcing beef fromnorthern Okanagan ranches, labeling it as 63 AcresPremium Beef and oering full traceability from the farmto the retailer. Although most BC beef goes to abattoirs inAlberta and Washington, Les says MVM’s new 63 Acresprogram “keeps $4 million of beef in BC annually.”Abattoir cashing in ondemand for local productRoom for more expansionThe hop revival in Chilliwack is a work in progressMembers of the Chilliwack Agricultural Tour watch a load of hops being fed into the harvester at ChilliwackHops. (David Schmidt photos)Meadow Valley Meats general manager Chris Les look on as ameat cutter demonstrates the ne art of cutting up a quarter ofbeef during the Chilliwack Agricultural Tour. & V¶¶VDGGDDQD& %GHLIILLUULH99H IHH% & V¶¶VDGGDDQD&Producti %GHLIILLUULH99Haon ProgrraProductimpleSied fopvelDe IHH%am ustrTTrcal. ctiar. Pmple, by psruceodpror ed f ed.ust.sroducer, by p 1:hP -866-398w 398- emeltBP@cat V:ilam E8482mthbp./vac.bc.nemelttac.www ac.bc.neLet rkemaonioseb ement pl you imelphusstrke - rds ndatadriven son- ty safed foormfa carlmani a&ty curiiose ement forrds , yy,e car .Stories by DAVID SCHMIDTCHILLIWACK – With MolsonCoors set to relocate itsbrewery in Chilliwack, it wasno surprise that the ChilliwackAgricultural Commissionchose to feature hops andbeer on their 2016 tour inSeptember.Hops were once a staplecrop in eastern Abbotsfordand Chilliwack, with over 3,000acres in production. However,by the mid 1970’s, all thosehops had been taken out aslarge breweries reduced thehop content of their beer andgrowers in Yakima Valley tookover the remaining market.That changed in the early2000s with the advent of craftand microbreweries and brewpubs. There are now over5,000 small breweries in theUS and close to 150 in BC.Those breweries not only usemore hops but many havebuilt their business on being“local,” which includes usinglocal hops.That created an opportunityfor local hop production toagain become protable.Leading the resurgence isJohn Lawrence of ChilliwackHops. What began as aretirement project ve yearsago is now a boomingbusiness employing 15.“I came in at the right time,”Lawrence told the tour, sayinghe grew about 15 varieties ofhops on 200 acres this yearand expects to be at 350 to400 acres next year. Most hopsare grown on a sharecropperbasis. The landowner providesthe land, Chilliwack Hopsprovides the plants,management, harvesting andmarketing and the companyand the landowner share therevenue.To do that, Chilliwack Hopshas the largest hop nursery inCanada, producing 100,000plants in 10 greenhouses,three hop harvesters (eachharvesting an acre per day),expansive dryers, a pelletizerand vacuum packagingequipment. The dryers andpelletizer turn 1,500 pounds offresh hops into 400 pounds ofdried pellets. Each pound ofdried hop pellets is enough toproduce 10 gallons of IndiaPale Ale or 40 gallons of lagerbeer.“It takes just 24 hours fromharvest to packaging,”Lawrence says.A 2013 study said BCbreweries could support 500acres of hops but that numberhas since grown exponentially.Both the number and size oflocal craft breweries areincreasing. Central City, BC’slargest craft brewery, aloneuses 150 acres of hops,Lawrence stated, adding he isalso developing a growingexport market.“We have sold our hops to30 US states, Mexico, CostaRica and Russia. Our goal is tobecome an exporting countryinstead of a net importer.”Tim Armstrong Memorial Bursaryin Agriculture and JournalismIn memory of JR (Tim) Armstrong's outstanding contribution toBritish Columbia journalism and the agricultural industry, a bursaryin the minimum amount of $1,000 is awarded each year from the proceedsof the JR (Tim) Armstrong Memorial Fund. The fund is raised by publicsubscription and administered by the BC Farm Writers' Association. Applications for the 2016 scholarship are now being accepted.Contact Bob Mitchell 604-951-8223 or robert_mitchell@telus.net. We are pleased to congratulate Kasha Foster of North Vancouver onbeing awarded the Tim Armstrong Memorial Bursary for 2015. At thetime of receiving the award Kashawas enrolled in third year in theGlobal Resource Systems program atthe University of British Columbia inthe Faculty of Land and Food Systems.www.bcfwa.ca
When we left o last time,rehearsals for the springmusical had turned steamy asDeborah and Doug locked lipswith the newly appointed co-director enthusiasticallyoering encouragement. Deborah Henderson andDoug McLeod drew awayfrom one another stiy. Thespontaneous kiss lingered ontheir lips. Val Zimmer staredfrom one to the other.“Wow! I can’t imagine howwe could make that anybetter. Keep singing it thatway and you’ll bring thehouse down.”Deborah looked briey intoDoug’s eyes, then droppedher head and looked into thewings. Worry crossed her face.Doug stared across at her.The moment was becomingawkward.“So, are we done here fornow?” asked Doug.Val glanced at her watch. “Yes, I think we can leave ithere for now. I’m expectingMrs. Eberhardt and Mrs.Lundgren to discuss the setsany minute.”“We’ll be o then,” saidDoug. “Thank you, Val. Give usa shout when you get therehearsal schedule sorted.”“Thanks, Val. I’ll be intouch,” said Deborah.Deborah headed for thedoor. Doug followed her toher car.Apologies“Deborah, I’m sorry. I don’tknow what I was thinking.”“Don’t be sorry. I couldhave stopped you. Did I seemunwilling?”Doug shook his head. “No.”“Maybe it’s like the songsays: “You deserve a gal who’swillin’.” But you know there’snowhere for this to go, right?I’m not going to complicatethe kids’ lives.” “What about you?”Deborah shook her head. “I can’t complicate my lifeand leave the kids out of it.”“And Kenneth?”Deborah chuckled. “Yes. What about Kenneth?Everything about Kenneth iscomplicated enough already.All the more reason to avoidany more.”“You’re right. Do you thinkwe can make it through thismusical?”“I think things might bemore complicated if we don’tNOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC45elevator and hammered thedown button. When theelevator door opened 20seconds later, he foundhimself face to face withJanice.“Janice.”“Hello, Kenneth. You looktired.”“I need to talk to you.”“Here in the hallway?”“How can I see yousomewhere else? Swift won’teven tell me when you’re inthe oce and you don’tanswer any messages I send.Can we go somewhere andtalk now? For a few minuteseven?”Janice glanced down at herphone. “I have a meeting in 15minutes. Come back to theoce and I’ll see you now.And remember, through thatdoor, I’m Ms. Newberry.”Kenneth nodded andfollowed her back into theoce.Erica Swift saw them bothat the same instant. Shelooked perplexed.“Hello, Erica,” said Janice. “Iwill be in Mr. Henderson’soce for a short meeting.Please let me know when Mr.Shaer arrives.”“I have a message for you,”said Erica.Janice asked Kenneth towait for her in his oce, thenasked for the message.“It’s not really a message. Ijust thought that if it’ssomething important with Mr.Henderson, you might wantme to schedule somethingformal.”“There is no need for that,thank you. Mr. Grimwood hasbrought your concerns aboutMr. Henderson’s oce hoursto my attention and I amtaking the opportunity todiscuss it with him. The soonerWrong place, wrong time for the Hendersons12:6(59,1*7+()5$6(59$//(<:H·YHEHHQSURXGO\IDPLO\RZQHGDQGRSHUDWHGVLQFHRSHQLQJLQ$QGZLWKWZREOHQGLQJSODQWVZH·UHRQHRI%&·VODUJHVWGLVWULEXWRUVRIJUDQXODUOLTXLGDQGIROLDUIHUWLOL]HUV2XUEX\LQJSRZHUDQGSUR[LPLW\WRWKH)UDVHU9DOOH\PDNHVXVWKHORJLFDOFKRLFHIRUWUXFNORDGVKLSPHQWV2.$1$*$1)(57,/,=(5/7'we deal with this sort of thingthe better, correct?”“Of course,” said Erica,chagrined that Mr. Grimwoodhad shared her tattle. Irregular hoursJanice walked throughKenneth’s door. “Mr. Henderson, it has cometo my attention that you havebeen keeping irregular hours.”She put a nger to her lipsto halt Kenneth’s reply andshut the door.“So there’s a reason for this.You must be aware that you’rein a shbowl in here? Shereports everything toGrimwood. What is it you needto talk to me about?” “You must know what it is. Ican’t stand us being this way. Iwant a chance to make thingsright again.”He sounds pathetic,thought Janice. “I won’t do this and youcan’t do this unless you wanteverything to blow up in yourface and you can bet I have nointention of being collateraldamage if that happens. Youlook dreadful. There’s nothingyou’ll have to attend to for thenext couple of weeks. Whydon’t you take some of thebackground reading hometomorrow and work fromthere? I can square that withGrimwood.”Kenneth nodded. “Alright, but there’ssomething I need to know. Areyou seeing that guy you werewith at New Years?”“Oh, for heaven’s sakeKenneth, have you heard aword I’ve said? Forget us andgo home and get some rest.”“I need to know.”Janice shook her head indisbelief as she walked to thedoor. She opened it, thenturned back to him.“Oh, one more thing, Mr.Henderson. The answer toyour question is a deniteno.”To be continued ...make it through. But we’regoing to have to forget aboutthe hugging and kissing;agreed?”“Agreed,” said Doug. They went their separateways but were each in theother’s mind for therest of theafternoon. Deborahrelived the squeezeof Doug McLeod’spowerful arms andthe rm and ardentpressure of his lips.She thought of Kenneth’spassive embrace and tried toremember how long it hadbeen since he kissed her aspassionately, or if he ever had. Doug could still feel theelectricity that tingled in hisspine when he put his armsaround Deborah and the smellof her hair and how she’dstiened and forced her lipsagainst his when they kissed.Each of them silently cursedtheir timing and circumstancesand stared apprehensively atthe complicated emotionalvoyage that lay before them.ObsessedKenneth was changuncomfortably in his oce.Nothing of any importancecrossed his desk and hisinteractions with Erica Swiftverged on outright hostility.Janice Newberry was seldomin her oce and wasunavailable to him when shewas. He made a habit of takinglate lunches and drinkingScotch all afternoon. He wasobsessed with Janice andincreasingly desperate toplead his aection to her. He left his oce in themiddle of a Thursdayafternoon after a terseexchange regarding the timeof his return with Erica Swift.He walked sullenly to theThe WoodshedChroniclesBOB COLLINSCOMMITTED TO AGRICULTURE in the FRASER VALLEYwww.rollinsmachinery.caTRACTORSNH T4.115 DEMO, 4WD, ROPS, LOADER, 140 HRS, BALANCE OF WARRANTY – U31215 .............................................. $67,900FENDT 309 TRACTOR, NO LDR, FRONT 3 PT HITCH & PTO 22,000NH WORKMASTER 55 4WD, NO LDR, 155 HRS, LIKE NEW ....23,500FORD 6640 – U30091 ....................................................................... 14,900KUBOTA L4630 – U30107 ................................................................19,800FORD 545A – U31132 – 2WD-LOADER-INDUSTRIAL .............13,300NH L170 SKIDSTEER – U31143........................................................16,500QUALITY USED EQUIPMENTNH 195 MANURE SPREADER HYD. 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NAMEADDRESSCITYPOSTAL CODE TEL EMAILCOUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201646As the weather gets colder and the days shorter, ourattention turns to food that’s comforting and lling as well aswarming. Gone are the light salads and cold plates that are sorefreshing on hot summer days – it’s time to welcome stewsand soups, casseroles and more substantial fare.To save time, I like to make bigger portions of favouritemeals so there are leftovers that re-heat well to make a secondmeal a couple of days later, or meals that freeze well so thereare portions tucked awayfor a quick meal downthe road.At this time of year,we also have dierentoptions when it comesto the vegetables thatgrace our tables and nourish our bodies. In an eort tomaintain my commitment to eating fresh and local foodsgrown by my neighbours and friends in agriculture, I opt forlong-keeping root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, turnips,potatoes, onions and rutabagas. Luckily, we have a burgeoninggreenhouse sector that provides us with cucumbers, peppers,tomatoes and a variety of other vegetables.So, our options are not very limited. Even on the fruit side ofthings, we not only have fresh BC apples and pears available tous through the winter months, but also freshly-frozen berriesand other fruits which were grown, harvested and processed insummer to capture and keep those avours alive for us tobrighten the winter months.Many of us also canned summer favourites such as tomatoesand peaches or dried herbs and fruit, ready to release theiravours when akes of snow are spiralling down outside.So, dream up a menu, push away the dark with candles andrelight, and invite some friends over for a meal of homegrownBC meat, sh, cheese and produce.BEEF AND SPINACH CASSEROLECREAMY CHICKEN AND VEGETABLESJude’s KitchenJUDIE STEEVESGet cozy withcomfort foodThis is a great dish for a potluck supper or a meal-in-one-dish dinner for the family or for company. Allthe mess and dishes can be cleaned up ahead of time, then the casserole popped into the oven beforeguests arrive, or at the last minute, while you relax. You could add chopped kale to this as well and it’sdelicious. I have made extra to freeze for another meal a week or two later. Pair it with the CedarCreek2013 Platinum Desert Ridge Merlot which has complex, spicy avours that are perfect with the complex, spicy avours of this special casserole.1 lb. (454 g) lean ground beef 12 oz. (300 g) spinach or kale 1 c. (250 ml) mushrooms1/2 tsp. (2 ml) nutmeg 1 tsp. (5 ml) oregano salt and pepper to taste1 egg 1/2 c. (125 ml) Swiss cheese 1 large onion1/4 c. (60 ml) butter 1/4 c. (60 ml) our 1 c. (250 ml) chicken stock1 c. (250 ml) milk 2 c. (500 ml) uncooked pasta 1/4 c. (60 ml) Swiss cheese• Brown ground beef and wilt chopped spinach (or kale) and sliced mushrooms. (I use a wok.)Turn o the heat and add beaten egg and spices.• In another fry pan, chop up onion and saute in some of the butter until limp, then add the restof the butter. When it's melted, add the our and stir and cook for a minute.• Slowly add warm chicken stock and whisk in well until it thickens, then gradually add milk untilit thickens. Stir in a half cup of cheese.• Meanwhile cook pasta such as macaroni, shells, bow ties or corkscrews until just 'al dente.'• Pre-heat oven to 350 F.• In a large greased casserole dish, layer pasta, ground beef mixture, sauce and then repeat,ending with sauce. Sprinkle the top with grated cheese.• Bake for about 30 minutes. Serves 4-5.This is simple and delicious; an easy one-dish meal to make in a hurry for company or just the family.You could substitute pork for the chicken for a quite dierent avour and you could add your choice ofspices such as a garam masala with the salt and pepper for a change. Serve with rice or pasta for acomplete meal. It can be re-heated in the microwave, in the oven or on top of the stove in 20 minutesor less, ready to serve.3 lb. (1.4 kg) chicken 1 large onion 1 c. (250 ml) mushrooms1 c. (250 ml) carrots 1/2 c. (125 ml) celery 1/2 red pepper1/2 green pepper 1 tbsp. (15 ml) oil 2 tbsp. (30 ml) our1 tsp. (5 ml) salt 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) pepper 1 c. (250 ml) plain yogurt• I like to use thigh pieces, but any will do just ne, even a whole chicken which has beendisjointed. Skin the pieces.• Chop vegetables and set aside.• Pre-heat oven to 325 F.• Briey brown chicken in a Dutch oven or frypan in a drizzle of oil.• Remove to a plate, or to the casserole dish you’re planning to cook it in.• Cook chopped onion in hot oil over medium heat until just limp, then add to chicken pieces.• Lower the heat, and in the remaining fat, briey brown our, salt and pepper, stirringconstantly.• Stir in plain (I use fat-free) yogurt, blending until smooth and thick.• If using a Dutch oven, add chopped vegetables to the sauce, and return chicken and onions.Otherwise, pour sauce over the chicken in the casserole and mix in chopped vegetables.• Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until vegetables and chicken are cooked through. Serves 5-6.Comfort food at its best: beef and spinach casserole. (Judie Steeves photo)WHOOPS! In the October edition of Jude’s Kitchen, we neglected toadd the headline for the second recipe, Simple, Spicy Soft Tacos,above the bold text, “Taco Seasoning.” We apologize for theoversight and any confusion it may have caused. PLEASE MAIL TO36 Dale RoadEnderby, BC V0E 1V4(Prices include GST | We now accept major credit cards!oNEW oRENWAL |oONE YEAR ($18.90) oTWO YEARS ($33.60) oTHREE YEARS ($37.80) Join thousands of BC farmers who turn to Country Life in BC everymonth to find out what (and who!) is making news in BC agricultureand how it may affect their farms and agri-businesses!NEWS & INFORMATION YOU (& YOUR FRIENDS) NEED!www.countrylifeinbc.com
NOVEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC 47IRRIGATIONOBITUARIESLIVESTOCKWANTEDFOR SALEFOR SALEHAYNEW/USED EQUIPMENTWEB HOSTINGWATERTECIRRIGATIONLTD604/882-74051-888-675-7999NEWPOLYETHYLENETANKSof all shapes & sizes for septic and waterstorage. Ideal for irrigation, hydroponics,washdown, lazy wells, rain water, truckbox, fertizilizer mixing & spraying.Call 1-800-661-4473for closest distributor.Web: [www.premierplastics.com]Manufactured in Delta byPremier Plastics Inc.EZEE-ONFRONT ENDLOADERS#125 Hi-Lift, c/w 8’ bucket, $4,000#90 c/w Q/A 7’ bucket& Q/A bale spike, $3,500Both are in excellent condition.Call250/567-2607(Vanderhoof)COURTENAY HEREFORDS. FIVEPOLLED Hereford bulls for sale. Onetwo year old/four yearlings. Cow/calfpairs also for sale. 250/334-3252.HORSE HAY, TIMOTHY GRASS MIXWITH SOME ALFALFA, APPROX. 750LB BALES. SINGLE WRAPPED INPLASTIC, NO RAIN, $50 EACH. 250-567-9092 VANDERHOOF.WANTED: 1209 JD SWATHER FORPARTS, 250-547-6747Host your website with us.ProfessionalLocal ServicePROUD HOST OFwww.countrylifeinbc.comFIELD READY EQUIPMENT:NH 1033 BALE WAGON, 104 bales,nice cond, $6,200JD 467 SQUARE BALER, hyd tension,low bale count, $9,000NH 258 AND 260 V-rake combo$6,000JD 670 RAKE, drawbar pull, wheeldrive, $1,800KUHN FC300G DISC MOWER,10’, lowacres, finger conditioners, $12,500NEIMEYER 6-STAR TEDDER, $2,400CLAUS ROUND BALER, $4,9002 JIFFY/CRAWFORD HYDUMPS, 14’$3,200 and $6,500NH CORN HEAD, 8-row, hyd folds to 6row, Claus model, can be fitted ontoJD, $16,000RANSOMES JAGUAR RIDE-ONMOWER 4x4, 72”, Kubota diesel, 1200total hrs, $8,500NORTE CAR/EQUIPMENT TRAILER,18’ tandem, 14,000 lbs GVW, beavertail, ramps, bumper pull, only 2000original km, $,5400Abbotsford, call Jim 604/852-6148.Heavy duty oil field pipe bale feeders. Feedsavers, single round bale feeders outsidemeasurement is 8’x8.5’ Double round balefeeder measurement is 15’x8’. Silage bunkfeeders. Prices start at $900. Also DrillPipe 2 3/8” or 2 7/8” by appr. 30’ long.Call Dan 250/308-9218 Coldstream, BCCATTLE AND HORSE FEEDERSFOR SALEThese feeders maintain their value!TIMOTHY HORSE HAY $150/TON,Cow Hay $95/ton at Creston BC,Trucking available. 250/428-6453 or250/428-6520.Toll Free 1-888-357-0011www.ultra-kelp.comULTRA-KELPTMCelebrating 30 YearsFor Healthy LivestockAnimal Feed Supplement100% Natural60 Minerals • 12 Vitamins• 21 Amino AcidsFlack’s BakerviewKelp Products Inc, Pritchard, BCDeBOER’S USEDTRACTORS & EQUIPMENTGRINDROD, BCJD 7400 MFWD cab, 3 pt, ldr64,000JD 6410 MFWD, cab & ldr 54,000JD 6400 MFWD, cab & ldr 49,000JD 6400 MFWD, w/ldr 29,500JD 4240 cab, 3pt hitch 18,500JD 1830 diesel, with loader 10,500NH 1032 bale wagon, 70 cap. 5,500NH 575 baler 10,500JD 220 20’ disc, ctr fold 14,500JD 4200 4 bot rollover plow 6,500JD 450 10’ seed drill w/grassseed attachment 4,950JD AW 14’ tandem disk 2,500JD 230 Dbl fold 24’ 16,500JD 780 400 BU spreader, comp newfloor, hydraulic end gate 12,500JD 346 baler 6,500KVERNLAND 4x16” 3 pt plow 2,500ED DEBOER250/838-7362 cell 250/833-6699CURT DEBOER250/838-9612 cell 250/804-6147Edventure Hay SalesGRINDROD, BC1st crop orchardgrass/alfalfa mix.Big bales 3x4x8.4'x5' rounds/same mix.Silage bales.Call for pricing & possible delivery.250-838-7362 or 250-833-6699It is with great sorrow that weannounce the passing of William(Bill) Freding who passed awaypeacefully at the age of 73, athome in his sleep. He will be forever be remembered andmissed by his wife DarleneFreding, His daughter KerriHinsburg her spouse and grandchildren. He will be missed and loved forever by his family andfriends, we have not only lost atruly great man, but an irreplaceable leader in the agriculture community andprovince.A Celebration of Life will be heldon Saturday, October 29, at 2pm, at Southern Plus Feedlots,in Oliver. In lieu of flowers, donations are being acceptedfor a scholarship of fund inmemory of Bill Freding. For further details please contactfreding@telus.netIn loving Memory WILLIAM (BILL) FREDINGOctober 16, 1943 ~ October 18, 2016Country Life in BCMARKETPLACEBook your ad by email:classifieds@countrylifeinbc.comOr call604-328-3814LINE ADS25 words or less, minimum $10 plus GST Each additional word: $0.25DISPLAY CLASSIFIED $20 plus GST per column inchDEADLINE for December issueNovember 16We now accept major credit cards!When your business is a little off the beaten path, it is essential to keep your name in front of your customers. What we likemost about advertising in Country Life in BC – aside from knowing it is read by our customers all over the province – is thatwe can provide just a bit of information and they take that and come up with a great ad each and every issue. So we can concentrate on other things – like selling tractors and hay equipment! Mike Van Der WalAdvertisingthatWORKS!“A great ad eachand every issue”Mike Van Der WalHelping youGROW YOURBUSINESSAdvertising InquiriesCathy Glover604.328.3814 . sales@countrylifeinbc.comwww.countrylifeinbc.com
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 201648Power is the key to superior tractor performance, and the M7 has plenty of power. But when a particularly tough job demands even more power, the M7 activates its Power Boost, and the engine instantly delivers more power to let you finish what you started.kubota.ca | The new M7 offers superior hydraulics and sophisticated control to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Kubota’s V6108 engine delivers 168, 148, or 128 HP (3 models).CLEAN, DEPENDABLE, FUEL-EFFICIENT POWER —AND PLENTY OF IT.*See your dealer for complete details.084%ForMonthsFinancingOAC*Your BC Kubota Dealers ...ABBOTSFORD AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 604/864-2665 COURTENAY NORTH ISLAND TRACTOR 250/334-0801 CRESTON KEMLEE EQUIPMENT LTD 250/428-2254DAWSON CREEK DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 250/782-5281DUNCAN ISLAND TRACTOR & SUPPLY LTD 250/746-1755 KAMLOOPS DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 250/851-2044KELOWNA AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 250/769-8700 OLIVER GERARD’S EQUIPMENT LTD 250/498-2524PRINCE GEORGE HUBER EQUIPMENT 250/560-5431 QUESNEL DOUGLAS LAKE EQUIPMENT 250/991-0406 VERNON AVENUE MACHINERY CORP 250/545-3355 PROUD SPONSOR OF