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Vol. 106 No.9

The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 SEPTEMBER 2020 | Vol. 106 No. 9

PANDEMIC

Field days feeling the pinch of social distancing rules 7

ALR

Changes to land commission kick in this fall 11

BEEF

Short-term roller coaster for beef market

by PETER MITHAM

VICTORIA – BC farmers

won’t have to worry about

their properties losing farm

class status on the 2021 tax

roll.

The province announced

July 29 that all properties the

BC Assessment Authority

currently classies as farms

would continue to hold that

status for the coming year.

“Our government is

committed to helping farmers

maintain their farm

classication for 2021 to

ensure they can produce the

food people in BC rely on,”

said Selina Robinson,

provincial minister of

Municipal Aairs and

Housing, whose portfolio

includes BC Assessment.

The exemption does not

apply to properties subject to

a legal change, including a

change in ownership or

subdivision, according to the

province, nor to any property

with a change in use or where

a lease is expiring.

New applications for farm

class and retired farmer

designations will be

processed as usual.

Provincial regulations

require that properties

between 2 and 10 acres

generate at least $2,500 to be

classed as farms by BC

Assessment. Smaller

properties must generate

revenues of $10,000 while

larger properties must

generate $2,500 plus 5% of

the actual value of the farm

property in excess of 10 acres.

Property assessments are

based on market value as of

July 1 each year, though

valuations are reviewed until

Amir Niroumand and farm manager Melanie Buffel are creating an opportunity for city dwellers to experience planting, growing and harvesting food

for themselves and others at a 40-acre community farm Niroumand has created in Agassiz. While it doesn’t pretend to be commercial scale, the farm

provides food to as many as 120 people in season. The story is on page 45.

PHOTO / RONDA PAYNE

Farms to retain tax status

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Under

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roof

Ag ministry to

oversee

abattoir

inspections

by TOM WALKER

VICTORIA -- The BC Ministry

of Agriculture is taking over

meat inspection in the

province on December 1,

consolidating oversight of the

sector.

“Eective December 1,

2020, all slaughter activity

licensed under the Meat

Inspection Regulation for

class A, B, D, and E meat

slaughter licenses will now be

regulated under the Ministry

of Agriculture,” the province

announced August 19.

See MORE on next page

Creating community in abundance

MORE inspections are key nfrom page 1

INCOME requirement waived nfrom page 1

“It’s about time,” says Nova

Woodbury, executive director

of the BC Association of

Abattoirs. “It’s good news. We

have been calling for more

accountability and more

oversight of D and E licences

for a long time now. Having

licensing and oversight of all

slaughter facilities in BC being

provided by the Ministry of

Agriculture will be a benet to

all those involved in meat

processing."

A and B slaughter facilities

are currently under the

agriculture ministry. A

provincial meat inspector

observes the processing of

every animal.

D and E plants, which are

only allowed in 13 designated

regions of the province, have

been overseen by the

regional health authorities

and have no minimum

inspection requirements

other than a site inspection to

obtain their licence.

Meat from D and E facilities

can only be sold within the

regional district where it was

processed, and must carry a

“Not Government Inspected.

For sale only in the Regional

District of ____” label.

The change also pleases

Julia Smith of the Small Scale

Meat Processors Association.

“This is something pretty

much everybody involved in

the meat industry agreed

needed to happen,” she says.

The report of the province’s

Select Standing Committee

on Agriculture, Fish and Food,

published in September 2018,

called for the agriculture

ministry to look for ways, “to

expand current meat

inspection and enforcement

services.” A second

recommendation required

“the Ministry of Agriculture

(or their designate) to

increase resources to enable

engagement with Class D and

E licensed facilities to ensure

increased inspections at those

facilities, including slaughter.”

The latest government

announcement lacked details,

promising an intentions paper

this fall. But it did recognize a

number of benets to moving

all authority under the

agriculture ministry, including

new economic opportunities,

strengthening the resiliency

of the BC food system,

streamlining administration of

licenses, improving

consistency in the

administration of D and E

licences throughout the

province and increasing the

frequency of inspections to

ensure food safety and animal

welfare are maintained.

“More inspections is a key,”

says Woodbury, noting that

some regional health

authorities fail to inspect D

and E plants even once a year.

She would also like to see

the inspections review actual

slaughter practices to ensure

operators are slaughtering

animals correctly.

The BC Association of

Abattoirs looks forward to

hearing details of the changes

that will occur, particularly

those related to “streamlining

licensing to reduce

administrative burdens.”

“We are interested to know

if some of these changes will

apply to the inspected Class A

and B abattoirs to encourage

more of them to open

throughout the province," she

says.

Smith is optimistic that the

changes will create

opportunities.

“We are hoping that

bringing everybody under the

Ministry of Agriculture will

remove the regional

restrictions on sale and

broaden the market

opportunities for small

processors,” she says. “Meat

that is safe to eat in the

Thompson Nicola region

should be safe to eat in

Squamish.”

But the current capacity

situation across the industry

worries Smith.

“We are disappointed with

the pace at which this is

happening and there is a real

urgency now,” she says, noting

that the province began

discussion of D and E facilities

in spring 2018. “All levels of

processing in the province are

running at out.”

Farmers bought and raised

more animals this year

because of demand during

the COVID-19 pandemic while

others kept animals back to

nish for themselves, she

explains.

“There is a tremendous

number of animals that are

market-ready this fall,” she

says. “I am begging for spring

processing dates for my own

animals already.”

The glut of animals will end

up being processed some

way, says Smith.

“We really hope that it will

be in a facility with the proper

oversight,” she says.

Regional health authorities

retain responsibility for new

Class D licences until

December 1, but the

agriculture ministry does not

expect the transition in

oversight to have any impact

on licences in process.

2 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

late fall prior to assessment

notices being distributed the

rst week of January.

According to BC

Assessment, approximately

51,000 properties in the

province are classied as

farms. The number is

relatively stable from year to

year, with approximately 200

applications for farm class

status each year.

The province says it is

unclear how many properties

risked losing farm class status

prior to the recent change “as

it is still very early in the farm

production cycle.”

However, BC Ministry of

Agriculture sta said it was

aware that this year has been

challenging for some smaller-

scale farms in BC thanks to

COVID-19. The pandemic has

cost them market

opportunities and prevented

them from undertaking work

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that allow them to bring land

into production.

“With that, the BC

government made the

decision to waive minimum

income requirements for BC

farm operations,” the ministry

said. “We made the decision

to proceed now, so farmers

know we have their back and

they can continue to focus on

the upcoming seasonal

harvest.”

The move “closely aligns”

with the province’s supports

for agriculture and small

business under its COVID-19

action plan, according to the

province.

While the move targets

small-scale farms, it comes

against a backdrop of

ongoing calls to boost the

income farms require to

qualify for farm status under

property tax rules.

Raising the threshold is

something the BC Agriculture

Council has been advocating

for years, saying the current

thresholds are too low,

making it too easy for

properties to qualify as farms.

The current thresholds were

set in 1993, and remain the

lowest in Canada.

BCAC maintains that the

province needs to focus on

ensuring legitimate farms are

using the properties, then

assessing uses in that context.

BCAC chair Stan Vander

Waal has maintained in the

past. “We’re looking … to

make sure that the benets

are not extended to non-ag

uses of farmland.”

"We have not heard of this

being a widespread issue

among BC farmers and

ranchers," says BCAC

executive director Reg Ens

regarding the latest

announcement. "Assistance

may be needed in specic

cases this year where sales

were drastically impacted by

the pandemic."

With les from

Myrna Stark Leader

Armyworm

keeps its distance

this summer

Monitoring program continues

by JACKIE PEARASE

ARMSTRONG – The

Western yellowstriped

armyworm did not wreak

havoc on North Okanagan

farms this spring but

monitoring by the BC

Ministry of Agriculture will

continue to the end of the

summer.

“We are not home-free yet.

We are still catching low

numbers of moths in some of

our traps but no worms to

date,” said ministry

entomologist Susanna

Acheampong in mid-August.

The initial outbreak in the

region in 2018 saw

armyworm populations rise in

August so the ministry wants

to monitor the situation until

the season is over.

The pest starts as a moth in

the spring, laying eggs that

hatch into voracious worms

that feed for two to three

weeks. There may be three to

four generations of the pest

each season, with the last

generation overwintering in

the soil as pupae.

With a diet of more than 60

plant species including

forage crops, vegetables,

ornamentals and weeds, the

yellowstriped armyworm can

do considerable damage to

farms.

The black, yellow-striped

worms rst spotted near

Armstrong in July 2018

caused considerable crop

damage. Pheromone traps

were placed the rst week of

May 2019 at about 10 farms

aected in 2018.

The rst reports of the pest

in 2019 came in early May

and rose through that month.

A second hatching in July

resulted in smaller numbers

of the worm.

The ministry asked

producers to be vigilant in

monitoring and to take steps

to control the pest on farms

to reduce and prevent the

spread of the worms.

Acheampong says there

are a number of reasons why

the pest might appear in a

region one season but not

reoccur in subsequent years.

“Armyworm outbreaks can

be sporadic and may be due

to wind currents if it is a

species that is blown in from

another region,” she explains.

“Diseases and parasitoids can

also lead to population

crashes.”

She says management

strategies by farmers are also

key to controlling the pest.

A provincial tip sheet urges

farmers:

• do not move or sell hay

immediately after baling, as

armyworm larvae take

refuge under swaths or

bales;

• store bales for one to three

weeks prior to transport to

allow worms to move out or

die;

• inspect bales to ensure

there are no worms before

transporting or selling;

• inspect purchased hay for

worms prior to unloading;

• clean hay equipment, farm

trucks and other equipment

with an air or water spray to

prevent worms from

travelling between farms;

• inspect equipment coming

onto your property for

worms.

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 3

Smile with your eyes

Farmers markets have a different look and feel this year, but they continue to be a valuable venue

for producers. Scott Hanley of Eagle Bluff Orchard in Oliver was at Penticton's farmers market. He

says despite sellers and customers being asked to take precautions and less foot trafc, everyone is

adjusting to the new way of doing business. Pink caution tape prevents customers from feeling the

produce and the potential spread of germs. Eagle Bluff is a family-run orchard, growing mostly

peaches, nectarines, cherries, apricots and plums.

PHOTO / MYRNA STARK LEADER

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The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915

Vol.106 No. 9 . SEPTEMBER 2020

Published monthly by Country Life 2000 Ltd.

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Start it up, PW!

Fall back

September is here, and with it a sixth month of COVID-19 is drawing to a

close. Stores and schools are reopening, the 7 o’clock cheers for caregivers that

rippled like a stadium wave across the province’s urban neighbourhoods have

long since faded and shoppers continue to adjust to evolving rules of

engagement at grocery stores.

But the pandemic continues, just like production on the province’s farms. But

how will consumers access that food this winter? Poking and prodding produce

is frowned upon, bulk foods are now prepackaged, and as this issue went to

press, Loblaws was moving to make face masks mandatory across its operations.

Distancing is no longer a social practice, as risk-management removes the

human touch from food sales.

On the one hand, consumers are seeing rst-hand the importance of food

safety protocols. But the loss of choice will be a rude awakening for others. Some

bulk food outlets have made investments in better dispensing systems while

small-volume items like wheat, barley and rye akes have disappeared. (Rolled

oats are always in season, however.)

While panic buying was the hallmark of the pandemic’s early days,

convenient, hassle-free access to the foods we’ve become familiar with is likely

to be this fall’s trend. Buying local eggs, grains, fruits and vegetables from the

farm next door, or the local grocer, will increase as people opt for the safe and

familiar to see them through the long winter ahead. They’re the fall-back options

when times get tough, and many local producers will be glad to feel the love.

But international trade is also key. Canada and BC are respected

internationally for providing safe, high-quality food. Many inputs for our farms

and processors come from abroad. Keeping trade owing could be a challenge if

COVID-19 becomes an entrenched disease that keeps factory output low,

especially in the o-season, and pinches farm labour supplies. The pandemic

may have us buying local, but selling global will be o the table, and its loss

shouldn’t be underestimated.

The good news in all this is that agriculture remains an essential service, and

eating an essential activity. While our choices of what to eat may be limited,

people need their daily bread and farmers are the ones supplying it. Many have

taken advantage of the pandemic to nd new routes to market. Whether these

become established relationships after the pandemic ends is another question,

Apparently, tapioca is the new bathroom tissue. A city-wide search of major

grocery stores failed to turn up a single box, only empty shelf space reminiscent

of the panic-induced dearth of

bathroom tissue in the early days of

the COVID-19 shutdown. Although

COVID-19 transportation and

processing disruptions have aected

tapioca, the root of the problem (no

pun intended) predates the virus.

Drought in Thailand, which accounts

for more than 40% of global exports,

has limited supply to a growing market. Shortages and rising prices were

predicted last year with an anticipated decrease of 30% to 50% in Thailand.

Much of the increased demand for cassava/tapioca results from its use in

making ethanol.

While the shortage of tapioca is largely due to drought, the COVID-19

pandemic will make its absence from grocery store shelves even more keenly

felt. Not as widely as the bathroom tissue panic last spring perhaps, but just

enough to prove the Rolling Stones had it right 50 years ago: You can’t always

get what you want.

It’s still the case now, six months into the pandemic with no end in sight. The

second wave of cases expected in the fall began two months early. Despite an

auspicious start to reducing case numbers in the spring, the Phase 3 reopening

of BC’s economy has caused a sharp spike in reported infections. The average

daily cases in BC went from 10.6 on July 1 to 67.4 on August 14. The number

seems set to climb exponentially, and unless it can be curtailed, the planned

school reopening in September may be, at best, ill-advised. If the current surge

continues until it merges with the expected fall wave, we might nd ourselves

doing an about-face on our COVID-19 response and returning to Phase 2 and

the prospect of hoarding bathroom tissue again.

Regardless of how the curve is managed in BC, COVID-19 is destined to shape

our social and economic life for the foreseeable future. The worldwide push to

develop a vaccine seems destined to bear fruit soon (Russia is claiming success

already), but the logistics of immunizing a substantial part of the world’s

population will require many months of concerted eort. Even when it is done

there will still be unanswered questions: will the vaccine provide permanent

immunity? Will COVID-19 mutate and start all over again? Is there another

coronavirus with similar stealth transmission characteristics waiting for a human

host?

Many of the measures and behaviours we have used to combat COVID-19 are

unlikely to change. Don’t expect the Plexiglas shields and hand sanitizer

dispensers to disappear any time soon. There will be enough unease to make

some degree of social distance a social norm. Any activity requiring large

numbers of people to stand or sit shoulder to shoulder with strangers is in for a

rough ride: public transit, professional sports, air travel, cruise ships, and fairs

and exhibitions. On the other side of the coin, activities with built-in social

distance and requiring few participants will be in demand. The surges in

camping, bicycle sales, RV sales, boat sales, auto parts, lumber yard supplies, and

seed and home gardening supplies all point to behavioural re-focussing.

While social distance is a fact of life for many of us on our own farms and

ranches, COVID-19 and its consequences haven’t spared agriculture: outbreaks

in processing facilities, outbreaks among SAWP employees, shortages of SAWP

and domestic workers, and restrictions on farm sale and agritourism activities.

For some, the eects are trickle-down; for others they are direct. Either way they

require the same refocussing, subtle for some, profound for others, that is

happening in the broader world.

While the Rolling Stones pointed out we can’t always get what we want, the

song ended with the observation that “if you try sometimes, you just might nd

you get what you need.” Let’s hope we all nd that.

Bob Collins raises beef cattle and grows produce on his farm in the Alberni Valley.

The Back Forty

BOB COLLINS

but either way the shifts underscore a sector that’s dynamic and responsive.

The province deserves credit for supporting online sales this summer and its

ongoing support of local producers through programs such as Buy BC, which is

increasingly seen at retail. Unlike some other provinces, BC quickly developed

programs aimed at protecting farm workers and communities from COVID-19.

While we’re all responsible for reducing the spread of the disease in

communities, the province set a national example for how to manage the

disease among farm workers.

The future of the pandemic is unwritten, but it’s fuelling a generational shift in

food systems. This should include greater support for rural infrastructure,

something meat producers have long called for and which growing interest in

local food requires.

Finding what we need in a COVID-19 world

4 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

Exports play a vital role in BC’s farm economy

BC producers exported to more than 151 countries last year

recent webinar that global

recovery is expected to be

strong and soon – if not in

the latter part of 2020, then

mid 2021, depending on how

countries manage the second

wave of COVID-19. Most

countries that have

experienced a second wave

have fared better than

expected. With adequate risk

management tools, Hall says

trade can proceed.

Export dependent

Several sectors including

cranberries, blueberries, tree

fruits, meat products,

prepared food and

greenhouse products

depend on export markets. It

is important to maintain

trade during this time,

keeping established trade

relationships and building

new ones. One strategy

mentioned by Global Affairs

Canada is to target new US

cities. While the US has

projected declines in

agricultural imports, Canada

went to 151 other countries.

China was the second-largest

export market, importing

more than $450.2 million of

our agricultural exports.

Japan followed at $208.2

million.

So how has the pandemic

affected trade in agricultural

products to date? One way to

measure

this is to

compare

the year-

to-date

value of

exports

to last

year’s

exports over the same

timeframe.

BC agricultural exports

from January to May 2020

were $552.6 million, up 12%

compared to the same period

a year earlier. However,

exports increased in some

regions while decreasing in

others.

The strongest performance

was with the more developed

countries and those with

which we have trade

agreements. Exports to

Europe have more than

doubled in the first five

months of 2020 compared to

all of 2019. On the flip side,

however, China sales have

dropped over 30% and Japan

has also decreased 8%. The

overall increase of 1% in sales

to Asia-Pacific region is due,

in part, to exports to South

Korea, Nepal, Australia and Sri

Lanka, which have more than

doubled.

What does the future look

like in this crazy time?

Peter Hall, chief economist

with Export Development

Canada, pointed out in a

Since March, when

COVID-19 began to hit home

here in Canada, we have all

had to make significant

adjustments to our lifestyles,

farms and businesses.

Lockdowns, shutdowns and

social distancing have

changed our lives. The

pandemic has also given us

an opportunity to focus on

our food system and how we

can support the local food

economy as a community.

While strengthening our

local food system for BC

farmers and ranchers as well

as BC residents is primary, it

is important to note the key

role exports play in our

economy. Agricultural trade

has continued throughout

this pandemic, showing how

important BC food is not just

to BC but to a surprising

number of countries

throughout the world.

How important are

agricultural exports in BC?

In 2019, BC agriculture and

seafood exports were valued

at over $4.6 billion. Processed

food exports accounted for

$1.6 billion of those exports;

the value of processed food

exports has increased more

than 42% since 2015.

Who are we trading with?

The United States is our

largest trading partner,

importing just over 72% of

the exports at $3.4 billion in

2019. However, products also

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 5

has fared well so far. The

USDA Ag Trade Forecast, May

2020, reported that US

imports of agricultural

products are projected to

decrease 2% in fresh fruit,

vegetables and beer this year.

However, BC increased trade

in all these areas over the

same time last year. BC

exported just under $5

million of beer to the US in

2019; in the first five months

of this year it had exported

more than $2.1 million worth.

The CUSMA trade agreement

that replaced NAFTA may

help maintain Canada’s

markets in these areas.

Given the current tense

relationship with China, it is

not expected that this market

will increase anytime soon;

however, other markets like

South Korea, Hong Kong and

Singapore are showing more

activity and may be channels

into the China market.

There are several sources

of advice on trade and

funding assistance in

developing new markets at

the BC Ministry of Agriculture

as well as Export

Development Canada and

Global Affairs Canada.

Assistance in funding export

research and activities is

provided through the

Investment Agriculture

Foundation of BC on behalf

of the federal and provincial

governments.

In the end, we must

support our local food

system, buy local and do

what we can to strengthen it,

remembering that also

means supporting trade in

agriculture and seafood

products.

Coreen Rodger Berrisford is

the owner of Coran Consulting

and general manager of the BC

Cranberry Marketing

Commission. She has worked

with agricultural groups in BC

over the past 20 years in

exporting, trade analysis,

project management and

accessing government

funding.

Viewpoint

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DELTA – Many farmers

block o their calendars for

the eld days that give them

a chance to share

information, learn and

socialize.

This year will be dierent,

however, as ongoing

restrictions designed to curb

COVID-19 has changed the

format of most eld days.

Alexis Arthur, owner of

Pacic Forage Bag Supply Ltd.

in Delta, says she might be

hosting two eld days this

summer, one in Matsqui and

the other in Sumas. If they go

ahead, they will be dierent

from the usual setup. While

her events normally feature a

steak BBQ under a tent as

part of the draw, sitting

together and buets aren’t on

the menu this year.

“When you hear the

numbers [of COVID-19 cases]

getting higher, as a business I

have to be mindful,” she says.

She had intended on

hosting four eld days, and

explained the parameters the

events would have to follow

to the co-host businesses and

farmers. Subsequently, two

events were cancelled, one

because underlying health

issues at the host farm made

hosting unwise.

“In light of the rising

numbers, I basically said I’d

like feedback and I’d like to

know if everyone is

comfortable having the

events on their land,” she

explains. “We’ve gone from

having four to … [possibly]

two. With those increasing

[COVID-19 case] numbers, I

think people are getting a

little more anxious.”

Whether or not any eld

day events proceed, Arthur

will complete the trials on all

viable plots from the four

sites and collect information.

To do so, she will set up the

elds in usual eld day crop

fashion to examine the trial

forage. She may invite a few

individuals to come out to

gain the information rst-

hand without the formalities

of a eld day.

She’s keen to share

information because it’s been

a tough year for growers of

forage crops such as corn.

“There’s valuable

information that they can get

their hands on. It was a

bloody hard year for [corn],”

she says.

Results of trials Pacic

Forage conducted will be

posted online and Arthur

intends to add short videos

detailing information about

varieties.

“Maybe we put some

money we put towards BBQs

to an eective video,” she

says.

Okanagan Fertilizer trialed

15 corn varieties this year but

opted to skip its eld day.

“What we are thinking is if

people want to go look at the

new varieties, we can take

them out there individually,”

says sales agronomist Caleb

Stuart.

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results will be useful to

growers.

Strawberry, raspberry and

blueberry growers also

missed out on their eld days

this year. Blueberry growers

are still expected to have an

annual general meeting in the

fall, but a eld day is unlikely

to be part of the event.

Integrated Crop

Management Services (ICMS)

is still considering options for

a eld day, says BC regional

manager Grant McMillan.

“At this point, we may run it

based on appointments,” he

says. “We still have been

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The prospect of prolonged restrictions on

large public events has prompted BC’s biggest

agriculture show to go online in 2021.

Originally scheduled for Tradex in Abbotsford

on January 28-30, the Pacic Agriculture Show

will pivot to a virtual format in 2021 with plans

for the 2022 event to return to Tradex, says

show manager Jim Shepard.

“We’ll be pivoting and producing a world-

class virtual show,” he says. “There’s all kinds of

reasons for doing it.”

An online portal will allow visitors to explore

the trade show oor, which will reect the usual

layout at Tradex. They’ll be able to visit booths,

have private chats with vendors, access product

information and even enjoy the virtual petting

zoo.

The education dimension will also continue,

with the show’s partner conferences also

moving online. The Horticultural Growers’ Short

Course, Cannatech West and Ag Innovation Day

have all agreed to run their programs.

Shepard is excited about the opportunities

the virtual space provides, including inviting

speakers from around the world in addition to

the short course’s usual presenters.

He also sees an opportunity to expand the

show's reach and inuence to an even wider

audience.

Shepard expects to send packages outlining

the event and explaining registration

opportunities to show exhibitors in mid-

September.

“Everyone seems pretty keen to make this a

success,” he says. “We’re going to have virtual

farm tours, virtual demonstrations, all highly

interactive and in real time.”

—Ronda Payne

Pacific Agriculture Show goes virtual

doing small tours whenever a

client needs to look at the

trials.”

The BC Potato & Vegetable

Growers Association potato

variety eld day is a popular

event that typically draws

interest from across the

country. Organizers modied

it to respect COVID-19

protocols, limiting attendance

to 20 people an hour and

eliminating the food

component.

Kootenay and Boundary

Farm Advisors cancelled its

spring and summer eld days,

but coordinator Rachael

Roussin resumed the events

when the province moved to

Phase 3 of its reopening plan.

She plans to host six eld

days before December but

the events will be tightly

focused and attendance

limited to no more than 20

people in keeping with

provincial health orders.

“The eld days are specic

and targeted in their

approach and theme,” she

says. “Agriculture is an

essential service and people

haven’t stopped [farming].

Life is continuing for the ag

sector and this is supporting

them. We have done some

online extension events.

They’ve been awesome, but

everyone says you can’t beat

face-to-face.”

FIELD nfrom pg 7

FILE PHOTO / MYRNA STARK LEADER

AgSafe makes

changes to

board structure

Changes to bylaws endorsed by

members in online meeting

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ABBOTSFORD – A new era

for farm safety in BC dawned

last month as farm sector

representatives approved

motions to rename the

province’s largest farm safety

organization the AgSafe

Agriculture Association and

recongure its board of

directors.

“Today marks the rst time

that AgSafe has made

signicant changes to the

bylaws,” AgSafe chair Don

Dahr told a special general

meeting held via

videoconference on August

11.

The association debuted in

1993 as the Farm and Ranch

Safety and Health

Association, a partnership of

the province (through

WorkSafeBC), employers

(represented by the BC

Federation of Agriculture,

now the BC Agriculture

Council), and workers

(represented by the Canadian

Farmworkers Union).

But a governance review

last fall by Kyle Pearce,

principal of think:act

consulting in Vancouver,

agged a risk that the CFU

could dissolve, jeopardizing

AgSafe’s future.

CFU was originally

established in 1980 to

represent a workforce made

up largely of Indo-Canadians.

It has been a signicant

contributor to standards

governing farm workers, a

fact Dahr acknowledged in

his comments.

“I want to thank [CFU] for

providing worker perspective

and bringing strong board

members to the AgSafe table,”

he said, noting that it led the

way in providing leadership

and advocacy for

farmworkers at a time when

there was none.

But leadership of CFU is

aging and union members

have been considering the

organization’s direction.

One option is revamping

to better address the current

needs of farmworkers, many

of whom are migrant workers.

However, the governance

report for AgSafe agged the

potential of the union’s

dissolution.

This could jeopardize the

governance of AgSafe, which

relies on the union for half its

appointed board members.

(BCAC provides the other

half.)

“The purpose of redrafting

the bylaws, including the

composition of the board, is

to ensure that AgSafe has the

ability to operate legally as a

non-prot society,” Dahr said.

The half-hour meeting

attracted 28 people, of which

13 cast votes on three

motions. The rst provided

for the organization’s new

name; the second replaced

the association’s bylaws; and

the third appointed a

transitional board of

directors.

The three motions were

voted on as one, with 10

votes cast in favour, one

opposed and two

abstentions.

CFU representative Nina

Hansen cast the opposing

vote. Hansen declined

comment but earlier this year

told Country Life in BC the CFU

was not on the verge of

dissolving.

The new bylaws provide

for an elected board of three

to seven directors, with four

directors being employers,

one being a worker

representative, another

industry member less than 40

years old and one person

interested in health and

safety issues.

The transitional board

includes current AgSafe chair

Don Dahr, incumbent

directors Eric Bomhof and

Andrea van Iterson as well as

Lisa Craig, Rhonda Driediger

and David Nguyen.

Workers have scant

representation on the

transitional board, though

most directors have

signicant experience with

farm and workplace safety

issues.

Dahr, for example, is a

former director of industry

and labour services at

WorkSafeBC. Driediger is co-

chair of BCAC’s labour

committee while Nguyen is a

former AgSafe consultant

now working in the

mushroom sector. Bomhof

coordinates human resources

and health and safety at the

Vandermeulen Group in

Abbotsford.

The changes relate strictly

to AgSafe's governance, and

will not aect the delivery of

services.

Makin’ hay

Ranchers in the Williams Lake area had to wait longer than usual to put up hay this year, but the wait

has been worth it. There was an abundance of grass after a soggy spring.

PHOTO / LIZ TWAN

10 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

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by ANITA DESAI

VANCOUVER – Metro

Vancouver is developing a

climate action plan, and it

wants to hear from the

region’s farmers.

The region, which includes

21 municipalities from

Vancouver to Langley as well

as Tsawwassen First Nation, is

working to ensure a steady

reduction in climate change,

vowing to become carbon-

neutral – one where carbon

emissions fall to zero via

reduced emissions and

benecial practices – by 2050.

A plan to reduce emissions,

store carbon and increase

climate resilience for the

agricultural sector over the

next 30 years was outlined in a

recently published discussion

paper.

Conor Reynolds, division

manager of air quality and

climate change policy for

Metro Vancouver, emphasizes

the sense of urgency in

accelerating this initiative now.

“Local governments have

been on the forefront of

climate action for nearly two

decades, and climate change-

related strategies and actions

have long been incorporated

into Metro Vancouver’s utility,

growth management and air

quality plans,” he says. “Now,

we are consolidating all those

strategies and actions in one

plan: Climate 2050.”

Reynolds says the regional

district plans to work with the

agricultural sector to achieve a

carbon-neutral future by 2050.

The Climate 2050 plan and

other initiatives aim to identify

steps local farms can take.

“Development of Climate

2050 and the Clean Air Plan

will help identify the actions

needed to achieve carbon

neutrality and to reduce

emissions from all sectors

including the agriculture

sector,” he says.

Key goals are accelerated

reductions in greenhouse gas

emissions, energy eciency

improvements, increased use

of clean renewable energy

such as electricity and

biofuels, and making the most

of advancements in carbon

capture and sequestration

technology.

“Farmers play a critical role

in reducing emissions from

agricultural activities,”

Reynolds says, noting that

other industries and levels of

government also need to

support eorts to achieve the

targets.

Without a clear course of

action, Reynolds says the

region’s farmers will face

signicant challenges.

“Climate change

projections for the region

show that over the coming

decades we will experience

hotter, drier summers with an

increased wildre risk, and

warmer, wetter winters,” he

says. “These changes will aect

everyone, including farmers

and the agricultural sector. As

the same time, reducing

emissions to achieve carbon

neutrality and avoid the worst

impacts of climate change will

require all sectors to adopt

new technologies and

practices.”

While reducing the region’s

carbon footprint has been a

long-standing goal, the

COVID-19 pandemic has not

made the process easier. It has

also complicated the

gathering of feedback on

future actions.

“COVID-19 has been a

major disruption for

governments, farmers and

communities and has

highlighted the importance of

preparedness and resilience,”

says Reynolds. “In terms of

impacts on Climate 2050,

Metro Vancouver has moved

to an online-based

engagement process.”

Program support

The BC Agriculture and

Food Climate Action Initiative

shares Metro Vancouver’s

concerns regarding the

impacts of climate change. It is

also working hard to develop

tools and resources to increase

the capacity of agriculture to

adapt to climate change.

CAI director Emily MacNair

says two key programs have

supported industry’s eorts to

respond to climate change

over the past seven years.

“Since 2013, we have

focused on climate change

adaptation, primarily through

the delivery of programs: The

Regional Adaptation Program

(RAP) and the Farm

Adaptation Innovator Program

(FAIP),” she says.

RAP is geared towards

adaptation programs by

organizations, while FAIP

focuses on research initiatives.

“RAP brings together

producers, agricultural

organizations and

government sta and

agencies to collaboratively

identify priority climate

impacts and strategies and to

implement actions that

support agricultural

adaptation,” she says. “FAIP

delivers funding for farm-level

applied research projects that

help producers adapt to the

impacts of climate change,

such as hotter and drier

summers and increasing and

shifting pest populations.”

Within Metro Vancouver,

MacNair notes that a regional

adaptation strategies pan has

been released for Delta.

A total of 10 projects across

the province have received

$1.4 million through FAIP for

ongoing work between 2019

and 2023. CAI adds that out

sources have granted nearly

$500,000 in additional funding

to support FAIP projects and

advance applied research on

climate change adaptation.

BC Ministry of Agriculture

has identied the urgency as

well, announcing that farmers

on Vancouver Island and the

Southern Gulf Islands will

receive support in adapting to

climate change.

A plan announced by the

federal and provincial

governments identies a

number of strategies for

increasing resilience of

producers in the region. This,

along with $300,000 in

funding through the Canadian

Agricultural Partnership, will

help to support and achieve

these strategies.

Metro Vancouver targets carbon-neutral future

Agriculture will be a key player in addressing a shifting climate

There hasn’t been a huge rush in ALR exclusion applications in advance of changes September 30 to how the land

commission will process applications. PHOTO / PETER MITHAM

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 11

Changes to land

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BURNABY – Changes to

how the Agricultural Land

Commission does business at

the end of this month are

raising questions about what

the future holds.

This summer has seen at

least two municipalities move

forward with exclusion

applications in advance of

new rules that take eect

September 30. In the six

weeks ended August 19, the

ALC received four exclusion

applications versus three in

the same period a year earlier.

These included bids by

Kelowna to exclude 40 acres

for a transit centre and the

District of Kent’s request for 43

acres designated for

residential development.

The increase in applications

may not be dramatic, but both

come ahead of changes that

make local and First Nation

governments the sole entities

able to seek exclusions from

the ALR.

The rules also require

municipalities to hold public

hearings prior to seeking

exclusions, something not

currently required.

This concerns Jim

Grieshaber-Otto of Cedar Isle

Farm in Agassiz, who feels the

District of Kent’s public

engagement process was not

in the spirit of the new

regulation. Public feedback

was being sought when the

COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Approximately 55% of district

residents opposed the

district’s plans but it voted in

July to pursue the block

exclusion without a public

hearing after the initial

information session.

“The district seems to have

rushed to submit its

application before the new,

more restrictive rules apply,”

Grieshaber-Otto contends in a

submission to the ALC.

ALC CEO Kim Grout says

there has been no rush to le

applications in advance of the

rules changing, either from

municipalities or from

individual landowners.

While the exclusion

applications led this summer

make up 10% of the 38

applications the ALC received

in the period, total

applications in the period

were down from 59 a year

ago.

“It is possible we will see an

upswing in applications but it

is not showing yet in the data,”

Grout says.

Centralized

Bill 15 also did away with

the system of regional panels,

centralizing decision-making.

While regional representation

is being maintained, new

regulations aim to make

decision-making faster and

more ecient. All existing

commissioners remained in

place under the new structure,

announced March 12.

However, the chair of the ALC

will now have greater input on

government’s appointment of

new commissioners. This has

many observers anxiously

watching what happens when

the terms of 11 land

commissioners expire in

October.

There are 15 land

commissioners besides the

chair, meaning the next round

of appointments will dene

the character of the

commission as it adjusts to

governance changes made

under Bill 15.

District A Farmers Institute

questions whether the new

process is suciently free of

political interference, however.

It notes that the province’s

agriculture minister has the

nal say over appointments,

even though the ALC operates

independently of government.

While the lieutenant

governor in council must

appoint the chair, the

Agricultural Land Commission

Act species that “the minister

must appoint the other

members after consulting

with the chair.”

“[How] does not increase,

rather than decrease, political

interference (an issue the

minister has stated she is

concerned about)?” asks Janet

Thony, president of District A

Farmers Institute.

According to the ALC, all

candidates for appointment to

the commission must present

themselves through the

Crown Agency and Board

Resourcing Oce.

“The way things have been

working since the legislation

changed is CABRO sends the

ALC any resumes/CVs they

receive that appear to t with

the knowledge requirements

in the legislation, and the

chair of the ALC (and/or

commissioners the chair

appoints) interviews

candidates and based on

those interviews makes

recommendations back to

CABRO,” explains Grout,

noting that CABRO then

liaises with the province’s

agriculture minister, who

makes the nal decision.

Covid19 has curtailed some

of our Corn Trial BBQ’s. We are

offering a discount of $5/Bag off

early corn seed orders received

by October 31, 2020.

The Ribeye will return in 2021.

Text or call

Alexis

604.319.0376

Visit our Facebook page

and web site to view

Trial Site Videos at the

end of September.

12 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

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Aaron Gregory greets migrant workers at a Creston campground set up to provide support services, including

COVID-19 training, before they head off to work at area orchards and farms. PHOTO / TOM WALKER

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 13

Creston initiative keeps workers, town safe

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CRESTON – Fields Forward,

the Creston Valley food and

agriculture organization, has

been supporting area

orchardists to keep their

families, the townspeople and

fruit pickers safe from

COVID-19 this summer.

“It has been a huge

concern,” says Fields Forward

coordinator Elizabeth Quinn.

“We are a small valley of

23,000 with no known

community cases and people

were worried.”

The disease wasn’t

specically identied at a

community roundtable held

in May, but Quinn interviewed

farmers and pickers to get a

sense of their concerns

around COVID-19.

“We listened to people and

read between the lines,” says

Quinn. “The whole situation

was really overwhelming.”

From that, Fields Forward

took the initiative.

“We were able to do some

of the heavy lifting for the

farmers,” says Quinn.

First o, they organized a

meeting with AgSafe in June

that 25 orchardists attended.

“AgSafe took them through

their website and outlined all

the resources that were

available,” she says.

Next, they were able to hire

Ellen Lauther, formerly of Just-

a-Mere Organic Farm near

Creston, as a coordinator. She

had overseen similar work at

Just-a-Mere, an organic fruit

operation with a focus on tree

fruits.

“Ellen has a broad

background in farming and

she was able to work with

some 15 orchards to set up

their own COVID coordinators

and start putting in the

enhanced infrastructure for

on-farm picker camps,” says

Quinn.

Quinn says BC Ministry of

Agriculture resources made it

easier to provide support to

growers.

“The templates that were

provided gave the orchardists

an outline of what they would

need to consider when

setting up a COVID safety

plan for their farm,” she says.

All told, she says some

farmers spent up to $10,000

to set up their camps

correctly, including room to

spread out tents, extra Porta

Potties and wash stations,

extra cooking facilities and

COVID-19 protocol signage.

With everything ready in

the orchards, the town

needed some way to organize

the incoming workers. Rather

than have them camping in

the rough, the town, with

provincial assistance, reserved

space in a local RV park as a

staging ground for incoming

workers.

“The camp gives workers a

safe clean place to get set up

while they look for work and

then move on to picker

camps in the individual

orchards,” explains Aaron

Gregory, the camp

coordinator who is also an

economic development

coordinator for the region.

Kozy Tent & Trailer Park was

leased as a base camp for

pickers.

“It works out for everyone,”

says Gregory. “The pickers

have a good place to stay

while they look for work and

the RV park owner has steady

reservations from mid July to

mid August.”

Gregory and his assistant

are able to help with job

searches (listings are posted

on a job board) and the

COVID-19 awareness testing

that all pickers must

complete.

“We also have a separate

tent set aside in case a worker

with symptoms needs to

isolate before going on to

seek medical help,” Gregory

points out. It hasn’t been

needed and Quinn says there

have been no reported cases

among orchard workers.

Pickers are having no

diculty nding work.

Indeed, there is a shortage of

pickers.

“I’m getting phone calls all

the time,” says Quinn. “I talked

to one orchardist (August 10)

who says she only has 50 of

the 90 workers she would

normally need.”

Quinn says growers are

saying they will stretch their

picking season as long as they

can in order to get in as much

fruit as possible, but she is

hearing that some blocks may

be abandoned.

Well-received

“I am hearing that our work

has been well received,” says

Quinn.

Gregory, who grew up in

the community, concurs.

“By being proactive and

showing the orchard families,

the community and the

pickers that we had

procedures in place really

reduced everyone’s anxiety,”

he says.

A follow-up discussion is

planned with the community

in the fall to reect on what

worked and what might be

needed for next year.

Quinn notes that while

COVID-19 has forced growers

to spend money at an

unexpected time, camp

improvements always pay o

in the long run with the best

camps getting the most

applications.

“If workers have a choice,

they will always want to work

for the orchard with the best

camp facilities,” she says.

14 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

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Three candidates have

been selected to participate

in the BC Milk Marketing

Board’s new entrant program.

The program’s selection

committee interviewed a

shortlist of seven candidates

and chose Katie and Kelvin

Lagemaat, Breanna & Jarrod

Simpson and Marlayna Van

Hoepen.

The three have until

December 31, 2021 to begin

production.

The winners were selected

from an initial pool of 77

applicants. A shortlist was

announced in February of

this year, and candidates

were required to submit

documentation, including a

business plan, to the board

by June 1. The selection

committee interviewed the

shortlisted applicants who

provided

business plans to

identify those

who would most

benet from

assistance and

who

demonstrated

the greatest

potential for long-term

success in dairy farming.

“Every candidate was

asked questions that allowed

the committee to conduct an

evaluation of their skills and

assessed their abilities for

successful long-term on-farm

operations and

nancial/policy

administration,” the board

explained in announcing its

selection.

Applicants who failed to

be selected may reapply for

consideration during the next

selection of candidates in

2021.

Details of the process,

which will select candidates

for production starts in 2022,

will be announced in fall

2020. The program aims to

average three new entrants a

year.

The new entrant program

provides incentive quota of

15 kilograms of Continuous

Daily Quota (CDQ) to new

entrants plus up to 8

kilograms of matching CDQ

on a 1:1 ratio basis during the

10 years of the program.

—Peter Mitham

Top vet

appointed

BC has a new top vet.

Dr. Rayna Gunvaldsen was

appointed chief veterinarian

on July 10, succeeding Dr.

Jane Pritchard, who had

served as top vet since 2013.

A graduate of the

University of Saskatchewan,

Gunvaldsen specialized in

herd health and regulatory

medicine. Her studies also

included specializations in

large animal clinical sciences

and swine inuenza. The BC

Ministry of Agriculture notes

that she is trained in

emergency preparedness and

management.

Gunvaldsen’s experience

includes time with the

Canadian Food Inspection

Agency (CFIA) as

Saskatchewan’s foreign animal

disease veterinarian.

Pritchard’s retirement at the

end of March has allowed for

a revamp of the branch’s

structure. Her role included

leading the BC Ministry of

Agriculture’s Plant and Animal

Health Branch as she was the

top executive within the

branch. The plant health unit

lacked a director, but that is

set to change.

Pritchard’s responsibilities

will now be spread among

several people. Ursula Viney is

overseeing the branch as a

whole in the role of operations

director while Gunvaldsen is

chief veterinarian, overseeing

animal health. Directors are

being sought for the animal

health lab and plant health

unit.

Prior to her retirement,

Pritchard described her work

as enjoyable and rewarding.

The opportunity to make a

dierence both during her

tenure and by leaving a solid

foundation for her successors

was a source of great

satisfaction.

—Peter Mitham and

Barbara Johnstone Grimmer

BC youth offer

perspectives

British Columbia has three

representatives among the 25

members selected for the new

Canadian Agricultural Youth

Council.

Sara Kate Smith, Jessica

Leung and Marcus Grymonpré

are the council’s three

members from BC, and bring

a diverse set of perspectives

and skills to the council.

Smith may well be the best-

known, having made her mark

as chair of 4-H Canada’s Youth

Advisory Committee and

being Canada’s representative

at both the United Nations

Committee on World Food

Security conference and the

UN Innovation Symposium for

Family Farmers. Partly due to

her lobbying, the UN Food

and Agriculture Organization

created a youth advisory

committee to help guide

policy-making.

Jessica Leung was a co-op

student with Agriculture and

Agri-Food Canada in Agassiz

while a student at Simon

Fraser University. “Beyond

research, I have been involved

in reporting regional climate

impacts on agriculture and in

consulting in integrated pest

management,” she notes in a

brief description of her

background introducing

council members.

University of the Fraser

Valley graduate Marcus

Grymonpré hopes to speak for

new entrants to farming.

“I believe my unique

perspectives relate to

generating awareness and

excitement about the industry

to attract new entrants,

especially youth with no prior

agriculture experience,” he

says in his introduction.

Originally announced by

federal agriculture minister

Marie-Claude Bibeau on

January 24, the council will

meet twice a year to “identify

new and emerging issues,

enable on-going dialogue on

challenges and opportunities,

share information and best

practices, and provide advice

on the strengths and

weaknesses of policies and

programs aecting the

agriculture and agri-food

sector.”

Candidates between 18

and 30 years old were invited

to apply for membership, and

more than 800 people

applied. Unsuccessful

applicants may be contacted

to participate in other ways

with government in the

future, notes the

announcement of the

council’s members.

—Peter Mitham

Dairy industry selects new entrants

Ag Briefs

EDITED BY PETER MITHAM

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 15

Financing

the future of

agriculture.

At BMO, we know that farming is more than just

a business – it’s a way of life.

And as a longstanding supporter of the BC farming

community, we’ve been committed to agriculture

since we began working with farmers in 1817.

Sheep producers told to bear with wildlife

Conservation officers encourage

conflict avoidance

Donkeys, not dogs, work best to protect the ock from predators at Parry Bay Sheep Farm on Vancouver Island.

PHOTO / PARRY BAY SHEEP FARM

by BARBARA JOHNSTONE

GRIMMER

METCHOSIN – A black bear

has been killing sheep in the

Metchosin area on Vancouver

Island since July and unlike

previous occasions, the BC

Conservation Ocer Service

(COS) is stepping back and

asking farmers to step up

prevention eorts.

Twenty-one sheep from

various farms have been killed

to date. Ten of the bear kills

were at John and Lorraine

Buchanan’s Parry Bay Sheep

Farm. An additional ve sheep

are missing.

“I believe four were chased

into the ocean,” says John

Buchanan. “One was found on

the beach across the harbour.

I don’t know yet how many of

these will be paid for.”

Producers are eligible to

receive compensation for

most losses if it can be proven

to the standard requirements

for the provincial Livestock

Protection Program.

Conservation ocers have

been called out to help but

have not responded with

assistance to remove the bear.

The District of Metchosin sent

a letter to the BC COS in mid-

July and Metchosin mayor

John Ranns was assured that

conservation ocers would

dispatch dogs if a scent

remained on the kill.

“Nobody has come out,”

says Ranns.

A statement the BC

Ministry of Environment

provided Country Life in BC

says the COS has been

working with Metchosin

farmers to minimize the

number of sheep lost to bears

and the number of bears

killed.

“These strategies include

educating farmers on best

management practices

regarding livestock, including

installing an electric fence,

locking up sheep in a barn

overnight, regularly checking

the condition of the herd and

the use of livestock guardian

dogs,” says the statement.

“Proper livestock husbandry

management is critical to help

reduce predation and lessen

livestock losses. If these

practices are not followed,

this can result in a wildlife

conict and the possible

destruction of a bear that

could have been prevented.”

The province says

conservation ocers have

been active in Metchosin,

responding to complaints and

encouraging farmers to follow

best practices to reduce

conicts.

“Conservation ocers

strongly encourage farmers to

implement best practices to

protect both livestock and

wildlife,” the statement says.

“Livestock management

techniques are always

encouraged to help prevent

conicts from happening in

the rst place.”

Donkey patrol

Buchanan has tried to

comply with the

recommendations, adding

guardian donkeys to his ocks

and electric fencing to some

elds. He adds that guardian

dogs would be dicult to

manage in the semi-

developed area of Metchosin.

“I do believe the donkeys

help,” says Buchanan. “There

was a cougar hanging around

one eld that had two small

donkeys in it. That night it

moved a couple of miles and

killed a sheep with no

donkeys present. When we

had the kill and the lambs

chased into the ocean in East

Sooke, we moved a donkey

out there. The pasture was

large, and the bear came and

killed one and took one away.

We moved them to a smaller

eld and had no more

problems. Now we have

electric fencing there and the

problem stopped.”

But the mitigation eorts

aren’t cheap. Buchanan spent

$2,000 to upgrade the fence

and $500 on maintenance.

The cost of three donkeys,

feed and farrier is another

$2,000. He gures it would be

too expensive to electrify the

entire 10 miles of fencing at

all the holdings where he

grazes sheep.

The Buchanans have the

largest sheep ock on

Vancouver Island, utilizing

small leased pastures around

the region, and providing

infrastructure to the sheep

community by running a

small inspected abattoir.

“By far the biggest issue for

me, though, is if we are

pushed o pastures, that will

reduce sheep numbers, and

threaten the slaughterhouse

and our ability to maintain the

delivery of lamb to town. That

is bad for the industry,” says

Buchanan.

“On a brighter note,” he

adds, “COVID-19 has increased

our demand to a level that

can maintain the business and

allow me to buy when

everybody has lambs.”

Traps better

The province’s statement

adds that conservation

ocers rarely use tracking

dogs when responding to

bear conicts, “as the

circumstances in which they

are eective are very limited

and can pose additional

safety risks to the public and

ocers. Live trapping using a

variety of techniques is a

much safer and eective

option.”

The position the COS has

taken has been frustrating for

Ranns.

“Traps and snares have

proven to not be eective in

our community and run the

risk of trapping bears that are

not a problem,” says Ranns.

“This is a problem that goes

beyond the threat to our

farming community. There is a

concern for the public and

our visitors who use our

hiking trails, which are the

main corridors that the bears

use. These people are city

people and not bear aware.”

Ranns is concerned that

the bear will be back worse

than ever in September, as he

builds up fat stores for the

winter.

Producers encountering

predator kills of their ock are

encouraged to call the

Ministry of Environment RAPP

Line for assistance at 1-877-

952-7277 or #7277 on the

TELUS Mobility network. To

report a livestock predator

loss, call 1-844-852-5788 and

the Livestock Protection

Program will provide

verication and mitigation for

cattle and sheep producers.

16 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

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Go with your gut. JAGUAR.

Disease has sheep producers on defensive

Wild sheep advocates say domestic sheep are to blame for bighorn deaths

by BARBARA JOHNSTONE GRIMMER

PENTICTON – The ongoing and controversial

conict over interactions between wild and

domestic sheep has ared up following a

pneumonia outbreak in a wild sheep herd south of

Penticton.

The bacteria, Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovi),

can infect wild sheep if they encounter animals

carrying the organism, such as domestic sheep and

goats.

Reports from the public in mid-July of sick lambs

led to two lambs being shot and sampled by

provincial wildlife ocers. Both lambs were

conrmed to have M. ovi. Ocers are working with

provincial wildlife veterinarian Dr. Helen Swantje to

test bighorns from the aected herd as part of their

investigation.

Wild sheep advocates have focussed on domestic

sheep as the cause of M. ovi transmission to wild

sheep through direct contact and are pushing the

province to take action, but the BC Sheep

Federation says the issue is complex.

“BCSF would very much like to see a resolution to

the conicts between wild sheep advocates and the

domestic sheep industry concerning pathogen

transfer from domestic sheep to wild sheep,” a

statement from the federation says. “BCSF is

committed to developing a path forward based on

sound science and clear thinking.”

It says US conservation groups are presenting its

eorts as inadequate.

“The Wild Sheep Foundation based in the US

lobbied heavily in the Yukon to achieve a control

order there to restrict sheep and goat farming and

are continuing to do so in Alberta, Alaska and BC,”

says the BCSF statement. “There is absolutely no

evidence to support the claim that domestic sheep

have caused the recent occurrences of M. ovi in BC

herds of bighorn sheep and until such time that the

science is more conclusive, BCSF is committed to

using best management practices to run our

domestic ocks and being involved in searching for

answers.”

Research on M. ovi and the causes of pneumonia

outbreaks in wild sheep are ongoing. Work in

Washington indicates that the pathogen host range

extends beyond the group of ruminants known as

Caprinae, and is found in healthy moose, caribou

and mule deer as well as diseased mule and white-

tailed deer. South Dakota research shows that the

removal of M. ovi positive carriers from within a

bighorn herd resulted in no detection of M. ovi or

pneumonia in herds following removal, indicating

that the existence of M. ovi-positive wild sheep can

allow disease to persist in populations.

BCSF participated in a study Dr. Scott Mann of

Thompson Rivers University undertook in 2017 to

determine the presence of M. ovi in BC’s domestic

sheep ock. The study revealed that of 290 domestic

sheep tested on 29 farms in areas at high risk of

contact with bighorns, 13% tested positive for M. ovi.

The bacteria was present in 31% of the 29 ocks

tested. Of the 100 domestic sheep tested in the

South Okanagan, three sheep tested positive for M.

ovi and all were from one ock.

M. ovi often displays no symptoms in domestic

sheep but it may reduce productivity under some

conditions. M. ovi can be cultured from pneumonic

lungs in domestic sheep and goats, but it is not

considered very pathogenic in domestic ocks and

never kills sheep by itself.

“It is more an indication of poor ventilation and

stocking densities in housed sheep,” says University

of Guelph professor of ruminant health

management Dr. Paula Menzies. “We don’t see

disease in pastured sheep.”

BC has been a leader

Swantje says BC has been a leader in addressing

M. ovi through a collaborative approach with

domestic sheep producers. BCSF is part of an active

working group, along with the BC Goat Association,

Wild Sheep Society, BC Ministry of Agriculture and

BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource

Operations and Rural Development.

BC veterinary pathologist Glenna McGregor

acknowledges BCSF’s and the BC Goat Association’s

willingness to engage on this issue.

“They’ve put in a tremendous amount of time and

eort and have been willing to sit at the table and

explore solutions and that is so important,” she says.

“Right now, the working group’s goal is to ll the

knowledge gaps and focus on the knowledge gaps.

The organism is common in sheep in BC, and work is

being done to educate the producers and public

and use voluntary measures. The problem is

complicated.”

She notes that the issue is contentious across

North America, wherever there are wild sheep. BC is

not alone, but it’s showing leadership on the issue

despite what critics may say.

“We’ve had multiple comments from our

American counterparts about how jealous they are

that our sheep and goat industries are willing to

engage with this issue and actively look for

solutions,” says McGregor.

A control order put in place in the Yukon restricts

domestic sheep production. McGregor says a control

order in BC is unlikely to be eective, due to its cost

and heavy-handed approach.

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 17

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Pandemic creates

virtual season for

4-H clubs

PNE hosts drive-thru event

It’s the year of the drive-thru, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PNE reported lots of trafc through its 4-H

and agriculture displays when it opened its gates to vehicle trafc August 22. PHOTO / PNE

Keepsake Ornament

Contest 2020:

Watch for the release of the

2020 design later this fall

October:

Scotiabank

Charity Challenge Virtual

Marathon

November:

Show your 4-H Colours Month

Wear your favourite

green on November 4th to

celebrate 4-H!

4-H British

Columbia

What’s happenning at

this Fall 2020

2020

Run, walk

or donate in

support of 4-H BC.

Details at

www.4hbc.ca

by JACKIE PEARASE

VANCOUVER – BC 4-H

groups continue to nd new

ways to show and market

their animals as the season

comes to an end this month.

The PNE went with a virtual

showmanship competition for

beef, swine, dairy, dog, goat,

lamb, rabbit/cavy, poultry,

llama and non-livestock

projects with prize money for

the top three nishers in

junior and senior divisions.

Winners were announced

during the 2020 PNE Drive-

Thru Fair held August 21-30.

PNE organizers invited 10

members of one 4-H club to

attend each day. They trained

their animals, participated in a

mock show and engaged with

visitors in their vehicles.

PNE agriculture manager

Cheryl Chevalier says a small

virtual auction was also added

August 19-20 to aid club

members who could not nd

a private buyer.

“We realize that what we

have to oer 4-H members

this year is a fraction of what

we would regularly be able to

oer, but if it helps normalize

things for even just a few

members and helps everyone

get through this dicult and

unexpected time, then it is

worth it to us,” Chevalier adds.

Langley 4-H parent Sarah

French registered two of her

sons, Gabriel, 14, and Vincent,

11, for the virtual

showmanship competition

but passed on the auction.

“I think (Vincent) is the only

one in his club that can

actually participate because a

lot of the kids thought it was

cancelled and they had their

pets processed,” she notes.

The family typically

supports the auction with a

purchase but this year they

will keep one side of beef and

sell the other.

“It was easier to arrange

private buyers two months

ago than it was to worry

about it once you’ve already

got hundreds of pounds of

beef,” French adds.

She said the online option

was a great way to keep 4-H

going for the kids but it did

take some convincing.

“It’s been a bit more arm-

twisting for the kids because

they’re in summer mode and

there’s not the camaraderie.

For my older son, I kinda had

to beat him up to encourage

him to complete this,” she

says. “There’s just a lack of

motivation for a lot of the

kids. My kids are lacking

motivation because they are

motivated by the excitement

of peer interaction, not doing

this from afar.”

The kids also missed the

mentorship from experienced

members this year, she says.

Invitation-only

The Nechako Valley

Exhibition in mid-August went

ahead with limited 4-H

displays in the yards and an

invitation-only auction.

The Interior Provincial

Exhibition in Armstrong on

August 29 went with a hybrid

event, combining a live

outdoor auction with an

online option.

The BC Ag Expo in Barriere

is hosting a virtual fair and

online auction for 4-H

members September 25-28.

Kamloops’ annual Provincial

Winter Fair will nish its

condensed event this year

with an on-site and online

auction held September 28.

In late July, the BC Ministry

of Agriculture announced it

was supporting an adapted

Food for Thought program

this summer. The conference

was held as six one-day

agriculture awareness

programs for 4-H members

aged 14 to 15.

Virtual farm tours and

agricultural presentations for

small groups were oered in

Abbotsford, Rock Creek,

Kamloops, Williams Lake,

Vanderhoof and Saanich.

BC 4-H manager Aleda

Welch said the organization

worked hard to adapt 4-H

programs and events to meet

pandemic regulations.

“We’re having to really

stretch this year. We hope the

4-H community is getting a

good experience from this

but we do hope things are

back to normal next year,” she

adds.

To further support 4-H over

the next year, the BC

government is providing

$87,000 in annual funding,

$63,000 for youth farm safety

and outreach programs to

support underrepresented

groups, and $3,000 for a Buy

BC 4-H Instagram contest that

encourages 4-H members to

celebrate BC products on

social media.

18 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

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Potatoes grow on part of a 50-acre farm at the Southlands development in Tsawwassen. PHOTO / COLLEEN BURKE

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 19

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by PETER MITHAM

DELTA – An ambitious

farm-oriented residential

development launches in

Tsawwassen this month in

what promises to be a

landmark test of whether

farming can be an integral

part of the urban fabric.

“We’re trying to foster this

idea of people coming

together around food. It’s not

just the farming or the

farmers market. It’s trying to

gure out how we curate that

down to the scale of where

people live,” says Sean

Hodgins, president of Century

Group, which plans to build

950 homes on the Southlands

property formerly farmed by

the Spetifore family.

The project has attracted

10,000 registrants. Although

just a few hundred are likely

to be serious buyers, Hodgins

considers the response “very,

very good.”

“At a very simplistic level I

think they say, ‘yeah, that’s

good,’” he says. “It’ll be

interesting to see how deep

the connection is.”

The history of farmland

and development in Delta is

typically one-sided. Some

members of the Delta

Farmers Institute have

quipped that “blacktop is the

last crop” as hundreds of acres

of farmland have disappeared

under commercial, industrial

and port development in

recent years.

But after several long and

contentious public hearing

processes, a deal was struck in

2014 that saw 20% of the 535-

acre property designated for

residential development

while the remainder was

given to the municipality for

green space. Approximately

275 acres was placed in the

Agricultural Land Reserve,

and of this, 50 acres is being

leased by the Century Group

for the community farm at

the heart of the new

development.

“[Delta] got a very good

deal out of this,” says Hodgins,

which paid the municipality

$9 million to upgrade

irrigation infrastructure so the

property could be farmed.

With the launch of sales

this month, beginning with

76 townhomes and cottages,

public response to the

concept is being put to the

test. The community farm

operated by Seann Dory,

formerly of SOLE Food Street

Farms in Vancouver, and

partner Suzy Keown, will

anchor an on-site farmers’

market that begins mid

September.

“It could really move things

forward by a decade in the

way that we think about

localized agriculture,” project

manager Brad Semke said

when the development

received approval in 2014.

Hodgins’ inspirations for

Southlands was in part the

Serenbe development in

Atlanta, which was also an

example of how people don’t

always come for what’s

oered.

“The reality is, many people

were just coming for the

homes,” says Hodgins. “We’ll

see how we make out. …

We’ve joked – we haven’t put

it in our marketing material –

but, ‘Southlands may not be

for you.’ … Having the tractors

going at 6:30 in the morning

may not be the thing.”

But he also steps back and

says an agrihood isn’t a

community unto itself. To

really work, and for the

farming component to be

more than a local amenity,

the development has to be

integrated into the local

fabric. This is something the

development’s location

promises to make possible.

“What we’re counting on is

not the 950 homes we’re

going to be building to make

our farmers market hum. It’s

the 20,000 people in

Tsawwassen and the

unbelieveable number of

people that come out to

Boundary Bay Regional Park

Delta development puts agrihoods to the test

Developers need to show a net

benefit to agriculture

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20 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

each summer weekend,” says

Hodgins. “It’s gone nuts,

especially in this pandemic.”

Other developments

The project follows on

proposals in the mid-2000s

for vineyard-oriented

developments in the

Okanagan. Most of them

failed to be realized when the

nancial crisis hit, but Frosst

Creek Development Ltd. in

Chilliwack has found success

with Creekside Mills at Cultus

Lake.

Built on a former cattle

farm, the project worked

closely with the Agricultural

Land Commission and Fraser

Valley Regional District to

achieve a net benet to

agriculture.

Ten acres of the 79-acre

site is in production, with

lavender, vegetables, wine

grapes, tree fruits, nuts and

other crops. A three-acre

community garden oers 80

garden boxes and a Langley

winery may use some of the

wine grapes this year. Some

of the produce is sent to local

community organizations.

“Everything is edible, cutable or pickable in terms

of the common area,” says Steven Van Geel, whose

family is developing the site. “Everybody who

bought in here had probably never heard of the

Agricultural Land Commission before, but they got

heavily educated. … A lot of them are embracing it.”

Similar to Century Group, the Van Geels worked

closely to ensure a portion of the property would

be farmed. The entire property was originally zoned

for agriculture, and an exclusion of four acres was

required for the residential portion.

But a restrictive covenant was placed on six acres

outside the ALR that limit future uses to those

allowed by the Agricultural Land Commission Act.

The odd shape of the acreage meant it wasn’t

included in the ALR but the ALC worked with the

Fraser Valley Regional District

to ensure it was protected.

“If we were just to take

land out and not give

anything back, I’m sure they

would have denied us

completely,” says Van Geel.

“They saw this as increased

agricultural capacity for a site

that was otherwise a run-

down farm.”

The experience sets a

precedent for a 43-acre site in

Agassiz, known locally as the

Teacup properties. An

agrihood development is one

option for the site, says the

District of Kent, noting it

“accommodates the

residential growth of the

townsite while incorporating

the agricultural signicance of

the land.” It describes it as “an

innovative compromise” and

has led an exclusion

application for the site.

Neither the District of Kent

nor Neal teBrinke, who has

spoken on behalf of the

owners, responded to

requests for comment.

Van Geel says developers

trying to exclude land from

the ALR for such projects face

more challenges making their case for a net benet

to agriculture. The diculties aren’t insurmountable,

however.

“We got a little bit lucky in that the whole land

wasn’t in the reserve,” he says. “They could use this

as a template, to see what we did. … If you follow

through with what you say, it could turn out into

something really special.”

Hoe, hoe, hoe! Community participation supports food production at Creekside Mills in Cultus Lake. PHOTO / CREEKSIDE

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The provincial government is proposing a three-tier system to regulate livestock watering on private and Crown

range. PHOTO / KARI-LYNN HOFFMAN

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 21

Three-tier system

being floated for

livestock watering

Proposed policy stops short of

water guarantees

HE BREED YOU CAN TRUST

ish

ish C

olum

bia

BCHA President

John Lewis

250-218-2537

* Fer琀lity * Eciency * Longevity *

www.

heref

ord.ca

BCHA Secretary

Janice Tapp

250-699-6466

by TOM WALKER

VICTORIA – The province

released an update on its

proposed livestock watering

policy at the end of July.

The document is the most

recent step in a process that

has been on-going for the last

10 years as BC ranchers seek

assurance that their animals

will have access to water at all

times, particularly when they

are on Crown range.

BC’s Ministry of

Environment and Climate

Change Strategy is proposing

a policy to classify and

regulate cattle watering on

three tiers, based on the

location and number of cattle

accessing the water.

On private land, ranchers

may water up to 20 cattle as a

Tier 1 user, without

registration. Users with

between 20 and 200 animals

fall into Tier 2. Watering more

than 200 animals requires

authorization as a Tier 3 user,

which must include approval

from Indigenous governments

and may take into account

environmental ow needs.

Registration for Tier 2 users

will be a ‘streamlined process’

the policy update says. Tier 3

users will receive a full licence.

Both tiers will pay water rental

fees, and be regulated on a

rst in time, rst in right basis

during times of scarcity.

The policy update provides

some of the assurances that

the BC Cattlemen’s

Association has been seeking,

says assistant general manager

Elaine Stovin. BCCA does have

a number of concerns, however.

“We are concerned about

the extra regulatory burden

that registration and

authorization will place on

both ranchers and the

province,” she says, noting

there have been a number of

challenges around

groundwater licensing.

She points out that fewer

than a quarter of the 4,000-

odd groundwater licence

applications have been

completed by the province

since 2016.

Rather than the blanket

approach being applied

across the province, BCCA

would prefer registration

requirements be based on the

amount of water available in

an area, recognizing the

dierences between the

eastern Cariboo and the south

Okanagan, for example.

“We are suggesting that the

government look at a risk-

assessed approach based on

what they did with ag waste

regulations,” Stovin says. “In

areas of higher risk and more

frequent shortages, they

might look towards a licence

approach.”

The province has stopped

short of guaranteeing water

for livestock welfare in times

of shortage.

“The province is engaging

with the livestock sector on a

proposal to amend the WSA

so that water security can be

provided to the sector. The

proposal would allow

provincial decision-makers to

assign water rights to ranchers

that recognize their historic

use of water,” the BC Ministry

of Environment and Climate

Change Strategy explained in

a statement provided to

Country Life in BC.

“We would be happy to see

if they would provide some

protection for livestock

drinking water in times of

scarcity,” says Stovin.

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22 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

Short-term roller

coaster for beef

market

Global marketplace supports

long-term optimism

What will your calves be worth this fall? Two speakers at the CBIC conference originally slated for Penticton in

August, but delivered online, tried to provide answers. FILE PHOTO

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 23

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PENTICTON – The markets

session at the virtual Canadian

Beef Industry Conference

featured presentations from

Canfax manager and senior

analyst Brian Perillat and Brett

Stuart, president of Colorado-

based market research rm

Global AgriTrends.

Perillat found it hard to give

a denitive answer to the

question on every BC

producer’s mind – “What will

my calves be worth in the

next couple of months?” –

however Stuart was very

bullish on the prospects for

beef in world markets in the

coming years. International

markets are very important for

the Canadian cattle industry,

Perillat notes, considering 45%

of all Canadian cattle and beef

is exported.

Perillat describes the

current Canadian cattle

market as a roller coaster.

“We’ve been going on the

y for 2020 that’s for sure,” he

says. “There is always some

sort of roller coaster going on,

but this has been a darn

extreme roller coaster.”

There has been a pretty

good recovery from the

depths of the pandemic

Perillat says, adding, “Things

are looking up a little more

than they were earlier this

summer.”

That’s something considering

what has happened over the

last ve months.

There are a number of

factors producers need to

watch in terms of cattle

numbers and the impact that

can have on the market,

Perillat says.

To begin with, there were

9% more cattle on feed in

Western Canada at the start of

the year than in 2019, but that

was in response to increased

feeding capacity, more

slaughter capacity and higher

slaughter numbers.

“2019 was one of our

biggest slaughter years in

decades,” says Perillat.

But with plant interruptions

and closures due to the

COVID-19 pandemic, the

number of cattle able to be

processed in April this year

was a multi-decades low of

only 20,000 head compared to

70,000 in March 2020.

Processing plants have

bounced back and in the two

months ending mid-August

were able to process more

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24 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

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cattle than in the same period

in 2019.

“The packers have done

very well at focusing on fed

cattle rather than cows,” notes

Perillat. “They have been able

to work somewhat through

the backlog of animals in the

feedlots and some animals

have gone east and south.”

Perillat expects that to

continue.

“We are picking away at

[the backlog] and we may see

non-fed cattle stay on grass

through the fall if the weather

cooperates for grazing

conditions,” he says. “But we

did place 150,000 more calves

on feed last fall and my

caution is that those calves

are out there, and it is adding

some pressure to the market.”

US markets are showing

good strength, more so than

Canada, he adds.

“Their year-on-year feed

numbers did not have the

year-over-year increase we are

stuck with and they are in a

little bit better shape working

through their backlog,” he

explains.

Overall, the industry has

been eective at slowing

cattle feeding down.

“Carcass weights are in line

with a year ago, even a little

below, so that is not

suggesting the backlog is as

pressing on the market as

anticipated,” Perillat says. “It

shows we are able to market

the cattle we need to and

manage feeding programs. I

think we are going to manage

through it, but those cattle are

still out there.”

Fed cattle prices were by far

the hardest hit with some of

the lowest levels in a decade.

“We treaded into the 120s

and we are still in the 130

range,” Perillat says.

Those numbers are not

totally unprecedented for the

summertime, but with the

numbers of cattle left to

move, that is going to limit

the upside for September and

October when all the calves

hit the market.

Calf prices are stable now in

the 2.20 range, Perillat says.

“There are a lot of positive

market fundamentals from

the demand side and the

supply side as we head into

2021,” he notes. “And we may

see better prices return.”

However, with feedlots

sustaining losses as they are

now with fed cattle prices well

below a year ago, there is

concern heading into the fall

run, he adds.

“The pressures of losses in

the feedlot sector ($200-$300

an animal) may weigh on calf

prices in the fall,” he says. “The

question is, are feedlots going

to continue to bet on the

market rising in 2021?”

While the cow-calf operator

has had some protable years,

margins have shrunk since

2015, Perillat says.

“Heading into 2020 fall run,

they had a fairly expensive

winter due to feed costs,” he

says. “Margins continue to

shrink but they are not the

huge losses they see at the

feed-lot level and may be near

break-even depending on

operations.”

Canadian herd numbers

stabilized after the protable

years of 2014-15, inuenced

by some areas of drought

from 2017 through to 2019.

“Calf numbers continue to

shrink and we now have less

calves coming to market

during the fall run,” Perillat

says. “But the US does have

herd numbers so there will be

cattle out there.”

With the loonie creeping

up towards 76 cents versus

the US dollar, Perillat says

ranchers will see an impact.

“I always use the rule of

thumb, when the loonie goes

up a penny, that impacts our

calf prices four to ve cents a

pound.”

“If you are selling calves a

huge impact for feedlots is the

feed costs,” he says. “If feed

costs do come down, that

could support our calf prices.”

Perillat says futures are

projecting higher prices in

2021 than in 2020.

“The futures are not as high

as last year at this time, but

they are up substantially,” he

says. “It could be both

optimism or reality that

supply can align.”

When looking at futures,

Perillat says the $2.00 calf level

always comes back to roost.

“Despite all the challenges

in the market, there is still

support at those levels., he

says.

That number is not as high

as it has been but not a

disaster, either.

“There is pretty good

support at $2.00, but lots of

risk in the market,” he says.

“We can’t rule out any of the

supply chain issues that we

have seen. Hopefully, the

market can see past the

headwinds of the fall and look

positive for 2021.”

BOUNCING back nfrom page 23

Beef

prices up

Beef prices rose faster than

any other grocery item sold in

BC during the COVID-19

pandemic.

Statistics Canada reports

that BC retail prices for

stewing beef rose 41% in the

four months ended June

versus the pre-pandemic

average, reaching to $19.68

per kilogram. Striploin cuts,

the most expensive grocery

item at $33.93 per kilogram,

also rose 41%.

On a month to month basis,

beef prices staged the largest

monthly increase since May

1982.

“This followed the COVID-

19-related closure of several

large beef processing plants

and the reduction in operating

capacity at other plants, in

both April and May,” Statscan

noted.

Pork plants also closed as a

result of COVID-19 outbreaks

and prices in BC rose

signicantly during the period,

though less sharply than beef

prices. Pork loin cuts were the

most impacted, rising 30% to

$11.76 per kilogram.

Chicken was largely

unaected by plant closures

but saw prices drop as

producers scrambled to ad-

dress lower demand from

foodservice channels. Chicken

cuts fell 2% to 5%, with

chicken breasts impacted the

least. Breasts averaged $13.02

per kilogram in BC, down 2%

during the pandemic but 2%

higher than June 2019.

—Peter Mitham

Market analysts are hopeful the global demand for protein will help with fall prices. FILE PHOTO / LIZ TWAN

Global outlook

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Disease outbreaks are boosting

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by TOM WALKER

PENTICTON – While Brett

Stuart calls the current global

beef market an “unprecedented”

situation,” he says there is

much to feel positive about

when you take a long-term

view of global markets.

“If you are under 30, you

have never seen the kind of

losses we are seeing in the

cattle markets,” says Stuart,

president of Colorado-based

market research rm Global

Agritrends, in his address to

the Canadian Beef Industry

Conference in August.

Stuart says there are two

biological

Black Swans in the

world these days: COVID-19

and African Swine Fever.

“When we combine the

two, it is a staggering market

situation,” he says.

Yet Stuart feels these are

both temporary crises that do

not aect the long-term

world outlook for protein.

COVID-19 has clearly

interrupted the beef supply

chain.

“There are currently 1.5

million cattle backed up in

feedlots in the US,” Stuart

explains, and they’ll remain

there for months.

COVID-19 has moved

consumers away from

restaurants to retail, but a

solid underlying demand for

beef remains.

“America says, ‘Don’t short

us on beef,’” Stuart says. “We

will pay more for beef.”

Stuart noted a lot of “noise

and confusion” around the

novel coronavirus that causes

COVID-19.

“It is still too early to make

bold predictions about COVID

and protein impacts three, six,

or even 12 months out,” he

says.

African Swine Fever has

been a gamechanger for

global protein, Stuart says.

One third of the global

swine herd died last year, and

75% of the world’s hogs are

threatened. ASF is now in

Europe, centred in Poland,

and appears to be moving

towards Germany, a major EU

pork producer.

“It is a very strong virus for

which there is no vaccine,”

says Stuart. “They are building

fences in Poland to curb the

movement of wild boars

across the country.”

China, the world’s largest

consumer of pork, has

suered the most from ASF.

The country has lost 60% of

its swine herd and become a

massive protein importer.

“China’s imports of pork,

poultry and beef have soared

to US$2.2 billion per month

now,” says Stuart. “But that is

not enough to ll the gap and

the Chinese consumer will

simply be eating less protein.”

The gap should be more of

a market opportunity than it

is.

“If I went out to the cattle

world and said one third of

the global beef herd is going

to be dead this year, cattle

futures would go through the

roof,” Stuart notes.

Chinese consumers are

paying ve to six times the US

retail pork price. While this

should create a prime market

opportunity for exporters,

Stuart notes that China is not

a free-market economy.

“The politics in China is

restricting access to their

market,” he says.

Chinese beef demand will

drive more imports, Stuart

believes. Greater China

(China, Hong Kong and

Vietnam) will buy US$16

billion worth of beef this year,

more than double four years

ago. A lot of that is from the

southern hemisphere, but

Stuart says it’s still positive for

the global market.

“COVID and ASF are the

here and now,” Stuart says.

“That, of course, is what

absorbs our time but if you

look at the long-term picture,

there is cause for optimism.”

The global beef herd has

not grown for the last four

years, Stuart says. Growth in

North America is at and

Australia is recovering from

several years of drought.

But the world’s population

continues to grow, consumer

spending will increase and

Stuart expects a global

protein shortage will result.

“I don’t think we can

produce enough to meet the

demand,” says Stuart. “More

food may be consumed in the

next 100 years than was

consumed in the last 7,000

years.”

From where he stands,

everything looks pretty solid.

“I think we are going to be

shipping beef to China in the

second half of the year. It’s a

great time to be a farmer,” he

says.

Five grants awarded to on-farm

projects in Shuswap

26 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

by JACKIE PEARASE

SHUSWAP – The Shuswap

Watershed Council is putting

its money where its vision is.

SWC, a collaborative, non-

regulatory program, is

promoting “enhanced water

quality that supports human

and ecosystem health and the

local economy in the Shuswap

watershed” with $65,470 in

grants to ve farm-based

water quality improvement

projects.

The organization approved

the grants after a call for

submissions from landowners

and farmers for nutrient

management initiatives to

help keep nutrients on land

and out of the water.

The results of a joint

research project with UBC

Okanagan helped direct the

grant program.

The research team

collected and analyzed water

samples from 100 dierent

sites along the Shuswap and

Salmon rivers over three years.

The study’s results points to

small streams, ditches,

groundwater and surface

water run-o in valley

bottoms as key contributors

of nutrient-rich water to the

two rivers. Agricultural uses

contribute more nutrients on

a per-acre basis than other

types of land use.

Mike and Sarah Schroeder

received funding to further

their eorts at using cover

crops to capture nutrients and

improve soil health.

The couple grow certied

organic grains and some

forage crops for food and

animal feed as well as produce

eggs at Lakeland Farms next

to the Salmon River just

outside Salmon Arm. They

expect to have their 300-acre

farm entirely under cover

crops this winter.

Mike Schroeder says the

grant will help Lakeland

demonstrate the benets of

cover crops to farmers and the

environment.

“We do generate a bunch

of nitrogen with cover crops.

We also activate phosphorus

with some of our cover crops

like buckwheat. And we

capture nutrients and hold

them in place instead of

letting it leach away during

the winter,” he notes. “I do

want to show that farmers are

being proactive; if there is a

problem coming from farms,

that they’re being proactive in

dealing with it.”

Rewarding such proactive

eorts is the aim of a project

the BC Cattlemen’s

Mike Schroeder of Lakeland Farms planted buckwheat to replace a eld of underperforming corn this season. The

cover crop will be plowed under once it goes to seed to provide a winter cover crop that will improve soil health

while helping to prevent soil erosion into the Salmon River. PHOTO / JACKIE PEARASE

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Application forms and the updated requirements of the 2021 Tree Fruit

Replant Program are now available on the BCFGA website, www.bcfga.com.

Project applications (along with the required documents) will be received

by November 30, 2020. Please avoid the last minute rush and get your

application in early.

An horticultural advisor is required to sign individual applications for the 2021

Tree Fruit Replant Program. The following information will be provided to assist

growers in completing applications.

a. A list of qualied advisors.

b. Program operational policies.

c. A series of reports on replanting and variety performance

and selection are available and should be referenced when

preparing a Tree Fruit Replant Program Application.

The Tree Fruit Replant Program provides funding for quality projects.

Project approval is subject to funding availability and is allocated by the date of

receipt of applications. Completed projects are veried by inspection and must

attain minimum program standards.

The Tree Fruit Replant Program is a 7 year program,

funded by the Province of BC.

2021 Tree Fruit Replant Program

Association is undertaking in

partnership with the Splatsin

First Nation with the

assistance of an $18,200 grant.

BCCA program manager

Lee Hesketh says the project

to upgrade fencing to exclude

livestock from riparian areas

will rst seek out farmers and

ranchers who initiated riparian

area fencing projects on their

own or with the regional

Salmon River Watershed

Roundtable in the late 1990s

to early 2000s.

The project starts with

producers along the Salmon

River who want fence posts at

no charge to maintain or

improve existing fencing.

“I think it’s a good way of

the Splatsin getting out and

working with the farming and

ranching community to

promote stewardship and

getting something done on

the ground as well to help the

people who have invested for

quite a few years already,” says

Hesketh. “The goal is, if this

works, if we get uptake on it,

to keep it rolling for several

years both on the Salmon

River and the Shuswap River

as well.”

At Swaan Farms, Neil Swaan

has completed the installation

of a Harvestore system that

pumps euent from a

manure pile into a tank for

reuse as fertilizer.

“Not only is it a benet to

the environment by keeping

run-o out of the water, it’s

also a way for the farm to

collect nutrient-rich euent

for appropriate use later,”

Swaan says.

Enhanced on-farm nutrient

management is the focus of a

project at Grass Roots Dairies,

where Gary and Kathy

Wikkerink are moving a

nutrient-laden water storage

facility to a concrete structure.

Merel and Barrie Voth of

Hillside Dreams Goat Dairy

have already started their

project, which received the

largest grant of $20,500. It

includes ood mitigation,

bank stabilization and

improved manure

management systems,

including holding ponds.

SWC chair Paul Demonek

says the council has a duty to

act on the research ndings.

“Our water quality here is

still quite good, and through

working together we hope to

keep it that way,” states

Demenok. “The last thing we

want is to look back 10 or 20

years from now and think, ‘We

really should’ve done

something sooner.’”

SWC directors and invited

guests will tour the project

sites this fall.

A continuation of the grant

program next year is at the

discretion of the council.

A summary of the nutrient

research done in partnership

with UBC Okanagan is

available at

[www.shuswapwater.ca].

Council supports

efforts to improve

water quality

1-888-770-7333

BILL

AWMACK

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 27

Find resources to prevent injuries at worksafebc.com/agriculture

An effective health and safety plan involves everyone.

The planning decisions you make today can affect the health and safety of workers tomorrow.

Newer orchardist takes on key ministry role

Arts believes knowledge transfer is key to success of tree fruit and grape industries

by MYRNA STARK LEADER

SUMMERLAND – Adrian

Arts, a self-taught Summerland

apple and cherry grower, is

the BC Ministry of Agriculture’s

new tree fruit and grape

specialist.

Arts succeeds Carl Withler,

who retired in March after

more than ve years in the

role.

Arts grew up in Victoria and

worked in the restaurant

industry before returning to

school and studying geology

at Lakehead University in

Thunder Bay. Graduating in

2014, his plans to work in the

oil sector fell at so in spring

2015 he took a job at Carcajou

Fruit Company Ltd. in

Summerland. He had no

agriculture experience.

Owners Jan and Keith Carlson

told him he might be

overqualied for orchard

work, but gave him a shot.

“That rst pruning season, I

fell in love with farming,” says

Arts. “I had no idea how to

grow cherries but they were ...

willing to share their

knowledge and helped me network with other

farmers.”

“He liked the variety of tasks,” says Keith Carlson.

“There isn't a daily routine. Every season is dierent.

Adrian likes growing food … We paid him a wage to

work for us, and he worked hard.”

“We tend to hire people for their attitude and

work ethic rather than their knowledge about

agriculture. With the right attitude, a farm worker

can learn the skills on the job,” adds Jan Carlson.

Arts began assembling land

when the Carlsons introduced

him to retiring orchardist

David Lane. Lane, a cherry

breeder at the Summerland

Research and Development

Centre from 1974 to 1994, was

part of the team that

developed the Sentennial,

Stacatto and Sweetheart

varieties that laid the

foundation for BC’s sweet

cherry industry. He leased Arts

an acre of cherries and two

acres of Asian pears to give

him a start in the business.

One day, Lorraine Bennest

from Bennest Orchards

stopped by his orchard and

introduced herself.

“She said, ‘I’m Lorraine. I’ve

been farming for 40 years and

you need to talk to my brother

because he wants to retire,” he

recalls.

Bennest introduced Arts to

her brother, Gord Shandler of

Shandler Orchards, and he

eventually took over his

property, too.

Arts now leases ve

properties which he operates

under the banner of his

consulting company, Kamla Orchard Management.

These include an acre of 30-year-old Lapins cherries,

an acre of pears and eight acres of 15 to 20-year-old

When plans to work in the oil sector fell through, Adrian Arts took a job at an orchard. In a few short years, he’s

become the BC Ministry of Agriculture’s new tree fruit and grape specialist. PHOTO / MYRNA STARK LEADER

See PLANS on next page

Touring Okanagan orchards and asking lots of questions has fast-tracked a steep learning curve for Adrian Arts.

He’s growing a variety of fruit on several parcels in the Okanagan. PHOTO / MYRNA STARK LEADER

PLANS to expand nfrom page 27

28 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

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He wants to expand his

Salish production. To help

condense his harvest season

from mid-August to October,

he’s planning to plant seven

acres of late-season cherries.

He’s also considering peaches

to ll a niche market, as well as

some more pears to bring the

fruit back to public attention.

His sales are diversied to

cushion market impacts.

Some fruit is packed on farm

but most is sold through

private packers who ship

domestically and for export.

Everything’s an experiment

With his science education

and love of learning, Arts

thinks of everything he does

as an experiment. In his rst

year, he visited more than 50

orchards. He would ask other

growers who the best and

worst producers were, then he

would go visit them. Most

were happy to let him watch,

and learn.

“Many producers aren’t

technically trained in farming.

We don’t have a tree fruit

school in the Okanagan,” he

says. “They’ve spent their

whole lives honing their craft

so having someone they call

young – at almost 40 –

wanting to learn farming, they

are excited and generous with

their knowledge.”

Although farmers produce

similar products, he says

everyone farms a bit

dierently. With so many

variables, each has something

to teach.

“Everyone wants you to

succeed. They take so much

pride in what they do and

know the industry is going

through a shake-up and they

want to do what they can to

provide information to help

the next generation,” he

explains.

He’s hopeful being a farmer

himself will be a benet to his

new job. He needs to learn

more about grapes, but he

plans to nd the best and

worst growers, just as he did

with tree fruits.

His new role means he’ll be

busier since he does most of

his own orchard work right

now. He learns to do by doing

and wants to perfect

something before hiring sta

to take on the task. As an

example, he learned to

manage his scion-rooted,

overgrown Ambrosia trees

and their unripening fruit by

applying growth regulators,

and following the summer

pruning, watering and

fertilizing plan he learned

from other producers.

Arts’ has also benetted

from his industry work. He

chaired Summerland’s

agricultural advisory

committee, was vice-chair of

the New Tree Fruit Variety

Development Council, and

represented the BC Fruit

Growers Association on the

Okanagan Water Stewardship

Council that advises the

Okanagan Basin Water Board.

While some farmers

question his commitment to

and time spent with

committee work, Arts has

observed some disconnect

between farmers and

decision-makers and hopes to

help bridge that, particularly

with some of the challenges

facing the industry. He cites

climatic shifts, a lack of new

apple varieties and annual

decreases in grower returns.

“There are no easy answers

but hopefully if everyone puts

their heads together and is

working together, a solution

can come from it,” he says.

Arts hopes Canadians

increasingly recognize the Buy

BC label and see value in

supporting local producers of

apples, grapes and value-

added products. Producers

also need to step up and

embrace innovation and new

varieties.

“If we’re serious about the

apple industry, we really have

to think about what’s new and

be cutting edge,” he says.

It’s clear that Arts wants to

make a real dierence. He tells

the story of talking with Carl

Withler at a cherry association

meeting during Carl’s rst

month as tree fruit specialist

in 2014.

“I was thinking, this guy has

a very interesting job because

you can talk to everyone, get

information and maybe make

some positive change. Now, I

have the opportunity.”

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 29

by SARBMEET SINGH

ABBOTSFORD – Blueberry

growers have turned to

mechanical harvesting in

unprecedented numbers this

year due to a shortage of

labour and impacts of COVID-

19.

While growers usually

employ thousands of hand

harvesters, this year saw

hundreds of machines

harvesting berries across the

Fraser Valley.

Although farmers have

been using machines for

several years, many did so out

of necessity this year rather

than choice.

Sarbjit Kaur Gill from Prairie

Fruit Farm in Chilliwack says

he was forced to lease a berry

harvester this season.

“We have Duke and

Bluecrop varieties at our farm.

Usually, we prefer rst picking

with hands while the second

picking is performed with the

machines. However, due to

shortage of labour, we used a

machine for the rst picking

as well,” he says. “I feel this was

a very bad year for the

farmers. Firstly, we couldn’t

procure the machine and

secondly, the wet condition of

the eld made operating it a

challenge, causing us great

nancial loss.”

Rajinder Singh Lally, owner

of Lally Farms in Abbotsford,

believes mechanical harvesting is the future of berry

picking.

“The delay in picking results in over-ripening of

berries, which leads to a decline in price of the fruit.

As there was a shortage of labour, we used three

machines per farm to pick the fruit. From this

experience, I feel that machines are a more cost-

eective alternative and we are planning to

purchase more machines in the coming years,” says

Lally.

But the results don’t please everyone.

“I have been engaged in agriculture for 40 years.

Last year, we used machines on less than 10% of our

acreage but this year approximately 40% of our

acreage was picked by machines. We deal in the

fresh market but this year, I had to go for processing

due to mechanized harvesting,” says one

disappointed Abbotsford farmer, who did not want

to be named.

Cost savings

Mechanized picking and hand picking each have

their advantages, the chief one being cost.

While hand picking costs around 50 to 60 cents

per pound, mechanical harvesting costs just 15 to 20

cents a pound. Hand picking is much slower in

comparison to mechanized picking. On average, one

picker can pick up to 400 pounds of berries whereas

a machine can pick up to three acres in a day, or

upwards of 60,000 pounds of berries.

Despite the apparent advantages, mechanized

picking does have a downside. Machine-harvested

berries are mostly used for processing and the prices

for processed berries are much less compared to the

fresh market.

“In the fresh market, blueberries can be sold at $1

to $2 per pound during the season. On the other

hand, the processed berries can fetch up to 60 to 65

cents per pound only. While it saves the picking cost,

there is a decline in the prots made from the

mechanically harvested berry," says Kerry Seale, from

Blueberry Junction in Abbotsford. “We felt the

labour pains during the previous years. So, we

decided to grow some varieties that can be easily

picked with machines.”

The labour issues associated with COVID-19 have

more growers considering such moves this year.

“Due to CERB and COVID, there was a huge

shortage of labour. Many farmers opted for

mechanized picking this year,” says Anju Gill,

executive director of the BC Blueberry Council. “In

case of mechanized harvesting, prior arrangements

like pruning are required well ahead of the

harvesting. Due to lack of these arrangements, it led

to ineective picking by machines also. However, at

the same time, there are some growers that grow

berries for processing only and they always pick

using the machines.”

Parm Bains, president of Westberry Farms in

Abbotsford, says machines have been popular

among farmers for several years as farmers looked to

cut costs as production has grown and labour costs

have risen.

“There has been a signicant rise in the

production and acres of blueberries in British

Columbia during the last few decades. In the 80s, we

had 20 million pounds of berries and last year we

had over 200 million pounds,” says Bains. “Around

17,000 to 18,000 workers are needed but only

around 6,000 pickers are available. More and more

machines are coming to the market every year as

farmers are trying to save money on picking side.”

The shortage of pickers was front-and-centre this

year due to COVID-19, among other factors.

“Farmers struggled to pick berries,” says Bains.

“Fields were wet. Besides labour, machines were also

not available in time.”

While more berries went to processing, Bains says

it’s dicult to gauge the impact on grower revenues.

“At this moment we are hoping for better prices

in comparison to last year,” he says.

Unprecedented rise in machine harvesting

COVID-19 labour shortage accelerates mechanization trend among berry growers

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Linda and Kerry Seale stand by the harvester used for picking berries at Blueberry Junction in Abbotsford. PHOTO / SARBMEET SINGH

30 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

by RONDA PAYNE

MOUNT VERNON, WA –

Blueberries need a soft

landing and soon, equipment

manufacturer Oxbo

International Corp. will have

commercially available over-

the-row harvesters modied

to facilitate rmer fresh berries

post-storage.

A study at Washington State

University’s Small Fruit

Horticulture Research and

Extension Program in Mount

Vernon focused on rening

the catch plate structure and

material to reduce the amount

of berry bruising during

harvest.

The greatest impact a berry

experiences, and therefore the

greatest risk of bruising that

leads to softness, is the drop

from the plant to the machine’s

catch plate during harvest.

“We’ve been working on

harvester technology for a

long time,” says Kathryn Van

Weerdhuizen, market

manager, berry, vineyard and

olives with Oxbo. “We’re in our

fourth season of working with

Lisa [DeVetter] and Dr.

[Fumiomi] Takeda with the

USDA.”

The project began through

the USDA but the Washington

and Oregon state agriculture

departments have funded it in

the last two seasons. DeVetter,

an assistant professor with

WSU, and her master’s student

Yixin Cai have learned in

collaboration with Oxbo that

a softer landing surface is

more important than

reducing the drop height.

Replacing the material on

the catch plate and

suspending it to include an air

gap reduces the impact as

berries land in the collection

area of the harvester. The

material used this year was

softer and rubbery to the

touch.

“This is the fourth iteration

of the material,” explains

Weerdhuizen. “It’s got good

longevity in the eld.”

Reducing damage to

machine-harvested fruit is a

concern of Agriculture and

Agri-Food Canada berry

researcher Michael Dossett,

who says the modications

make sense. He believes

growers will adopt Oxbo’s

technology.

“It’s tremendously exciting,”

he says. “At the end of the day,

I think it’s the one to be the

most successful.”

He says it may not be a

silver bullet, but it will

denitely be better than

what's currently available.

“Even if this machine

doesn’t get us fully there in

terms of machine harvest for

fresh, I think that any

improvements you make in

terms of the shock of the

berry hitting things inside the

machine is going to improve

quality,” he says.

Cai says this year’s harvest

is showing promising results.

“There is more dierence in

the rmness,” she says. “A lot of

local growers, they are very

interested in this harvester.

The grower who worked with

us this year, they are happy

with the result. … They will

probably purchase the

[modied] harvester after this

season.”

Duke and Draper varieties

showed improved rmness

after storage in 2019

compared to berries collected

using a conventional

harvester. Results for 2020

appear similar.

The rst pick of blueberries

this season didn’t show a

signicant dierence in

rmness from those collected

with a conventional harvester.

However, there were statistical

dierences in berry rmness

in those from the second pick.

“Starting from day seven to

day 14, you can start to see

statistical dierences,” Cai says.

“I think that this is a promising

result.”

Hand-harvested berries will

still have the best results in

terms of rmness but machine

harvestability has grown in

importance with increased

labour costs and the reduced

availability of pickers. The

modied Oxbo harvester may

provide growers with a new

option for harvesting fresh

berries that reduces the

reliance on hand-harvesters.

“Historically, the biggest

advancements in mechanical

harvest of horticultural crops

have been through a

combination of innovative

engineering like this and

genetic improvement,” says

Dossett. “One of those will

only get you so far. If you do

both of them in tandem, you

can do a lot of things.”

Dossett’s research

continues to look at

producing varieties that

machine harvest better than

existing varieties. While the

modied catch plate is

important, research on other

aspects of fresh fruit

harvesting will continue in BC.

“It would be unwise of us to

change one thing and say

‘okay we xed it’ and ignore

the others,” says Dossett.

Weerdhuizen agrees, saying

there is no one single element

that will remove bruising

issues. Rather it is several

factors that each will lead to

better quality.

She anticipates commercial

sales of Oxbo harvesters with

the softer catch plate will

begin in 2021. The ability to

machine harvest fresh fruit

and sell it or ship it with fewer

concerns of quality expands

markets available to growers

and increases protability.

“We have multiple

[growers] using the modied

machines,” says Weerdhuizen.

“It reduces impact to a level

that we don’t see the bruising

under the skin. It gives it a

longer shelf life.”

Softer landings mean better blueberries

A modified harvester catch plate results in firmer fresh fruit after storage

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by MYRNA STARK LEADER

KELOWNA – A new train-the-trainer

sprayer calibration course developed by

the BC Ministry of Agriculture is ready,

but delivering the course – which

includes a hands-on component – in a

way that respects public health

protocols is proving a challenge.

“A lot of growers go through a basic

calibration, but we’d like to see a more

detailed one,” says Ken Sapsford,

pesticide specialist with the BC Ministry

of Agriculture.

The province spent $100,000 over

three years to develop the new course,

which addresses the use of backpack,

boom and air blast sprayers. The three-

day course gives participants the

information needed to calibrate spray

equipment and share that knowledge

with others, extending the reach of the

province’s extension and support services.

In addition to ensuring properly

calibrated equipment to meet Canada

GAP guidelines for fresh fruit and

vegetables, the course promises to help

applicators navigate the often tricky

interface between rural and urban properties.

The course material was drafted by two

consultants. Then, University of Alberta professor

emeritus Linda Hall, a specialist in weed science with

the school’s Faculty of Agricultural, Life and

Environmental Sciences, reviewed and modied the

content.

“I put more emphasis on the technical aspects of

spraying calibration, like nozzle choice which

inuences droplet size, canopy penetration to

reduce drift and give better pest control,” says Hall.

The course was piloted at sessions in Kelowna and

Chilliwack in March, prior to COVID-19. Sapsford says

several key changes were made as a result of

feedback from session attendees, which included

Health Canada compliance ocers, independent

crop consultants and growers.

Pilot session participants had experience with

pesticides, but not necessarily calibration. Sapsford

says their feedback urged more hands-on experience

earlier in the course. Sapsford says most people use

the area covered and the application

rate to gure out calibration but there

are some newer methods that can be

helpful.

Day one of the course focuses on

how to teach adults and delves into

reading product labels. Day two is in-

class calibration. On day three, the

students demonstrate what they know

by becoming the instructors using real

equipment.

“We were hoping to run some of

these new train-the-trainer workshops

this winter but with COVID, I’m not sure,”

says Sapsford. “We just need to nd a

way to get this out there so it’s on-going.”

Instead, he’s hoping post-secondary

institutions will incorporate the course

within their oerings.

Another hurdle is access to

equipment to practice on at the same

time as classroom training. Producers

typically have more time for training

during shoulder seasons. But in late fall

and early winter, it becomes more

challenging to learn about sprayers

outdoors. Water in the sprayer freezes,

for example.

Sapsford says the course will benet crop

consultants, grower associations, retailers and

individual growers who have larger operations and

want to designate someone to become the in-house

trainer, saving on multiple enrollment costs while at

the same time ensuring calibration is done correctly,

pre-empting potential problems or complaints.

“If calibration is correct, farmers will also spend

less money on their products as well as have better

coverage,” says Hall.

Touching the equipment was encouraged as part of practicing how to teach others about

sprayer calibration. These students from a variety of sectors were test pilots for new

provincial course materials which will be rolled out this fall. PHOTO / MYRNA STARK LEADER

32 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

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by TOM WALKER

CRESTON – Enquiring

minds, a blend of science and

engineering, and a search for

a niche market have led Ben

and Claudia Herrera to build a

specialty grain farm and our

milling business in Creston.

“When we came 13 years

ago, we were looking for a

small ag community to settle

in after working overseas in

the oil industry,” explains Ben.

“I had visited an uncle in

Creston in the summers as a

child and it really t the bill.”

They considered various

farming opportunities but

the idea of grain, a non-

perishable product, caught

their interest and Treasure

Life Flour Mills was born.

The two elevators in the

centre of town tell the story

of a long-standing grain

industry in the Creston valley,

but Ben and Claudia weren’t

looking to go mainstream. An

interest in ancient and

heirloom varieties and a

desire to farm organically led

them to build a speciality

farming and milling business

that produces around 500 MT

of a variety of ours a year.

Ben gladly shares his

knowledge of grains acquired

on the quest for suitable

varieties to grow on their

farm. There are 43,000 grain

varieties across the planet,

and 21,000 of those are old

varieties, he explains.

“But when you start

looking for ancient grains,

you nd that there aren’t

many left,” he says.

Finding the best

Their search for seeds has

led them to phone elderly

farmers, searching out

specialty seed banks and

connecting with like-minded

growers across the globe.

Sometimes they would be

lucky to get a ve-gallon pail

of seed. Other times, it was

only a 10-gram handful.

Along the way they

purchased an entire heirloom

seed bank from the University

of Edmonton that held 48

varieties, and a pack of seeds

that a retired farmer had kept

in his freezer for 47 years. All

told, their own collection now

sits at 280 varieties.

But that’s only the

beginning. It takes three to

four years of careful

propagation – a process

involving planting, harvesting

and replanting by hand – to

produce enough seed for a

past, some of which were “fun

grains,” says Ben – like the

Baxter wheat found in a cave

in New Mexico in 1956.

Once the plots are large

enough, samples are milled

the baking qualities assessed.

Their research has led them

to settle on 23 varieties that

they now plant on a rotation.

They select just nine grains to

plant each year.

“We have been milling and

selling now for ve years,”

says Claudia.

“The grains that are grown

test plot on a commercial

scale.

But that’s only the

beginning. It takes three to

seven years of propagation –

a process involving planting,

harvesting and replanting by

hand – to produce enough

seed for a commercial

planting. Some test plots

have been lost to deer and

mice, and others have

suered from drought (three

years ago, drought in the

valley led the Herreras to

pause the trials).

They have had as many as

90 test plots going in the

Wheat growers tap into heirloom grains

Creston

business feeds

deep-seated need

for alternative

wheats

See HEIRLOOM on next page

Ben, Max and

Claudia Herrera mill

the grain they grow.

PHOTO / TOM WALKER

34 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

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selected because they

produce the best yield in our

conditions and are the easiest

to grow and harvest and mill

with our current technology,”

Ben explains.

“But heirloom grains have

a avour and nutritional

values that modern wheat

doesn’t have,” adds Claudia.

Niche market

A move away from the

Wonder Bread culture to

more artisanal bakeries and

breads has created a market

for specialty grains, and the

ours that are made from

them, and most often it is an

older variety that has come

back into favour.

Ladoga wheat, for

example, a regular crop for

Treasure Life, is a spring

wheat that originated in the

Ukraine.

“It was brought to Russia

by Ukrainian settlers in 1654

and came to Canada from

Russia in 1887,” Claudia

explains.

Ladoga breads have a rich nutty

avour and can have up to 30 times

more nutritional value than breads

made from commercial white ours,

Ben says.

While all wheats contain gluten,

the amount of gluten varies greatly

between wheat varieties. If you

compound that with current farming

and milling practices, consumers may

develop a wheat sensitivity. Treasure

Life grains are not genetically

modied, are grown organically and

milled on site with no additives to the

our.

“We have stories from customers

who have a sensitivity to commercial

our, but are able to tolerate our

products,” Claudia says.

The Herreras own and lease a total

of 900 acres in the Creston Valley and

they also source from an organic

grain farm in Alberta. The grains are

milled using both modern steel

impact mills and old stone mills,

several of which Ben has sourced as

antiques, restored and retrotted

himself, as the manufacturers are no

longer in business.

Normally, they employ up to three

people full-time in the mill. As with

other our mills, business exploded

when COVID-19 hit.

“We had 14 people

working and were pulling 18-

hour days,” says Ben. “I had to

get a couple more of my old

mills up and running. We

were able to keep up with

the our demand, but we

could not source enough

paper bags at one point.”

Ben says demand is back

to a more normal volume

now.

“I was getting up to 100

calls a day during the height

of the pandemic,” he says.

Their products are

distributed across BC to

specialty bakers and food

stores and also sold through

Organic Matters, the Nelson-

based organic ingredients

company that delivers across

Canada and the US. In

addition to a variety of ours

including wheat, spelt and

rye, they oer oats, a blended

hot breakfast cereal and a

specialty pancake mix.

It was a quest for the

perfect pancake mix that led

to tracking down the antique stone

mills.

“Ben wanted pancakes like his

mother could make with the ne our

she got from her hand grinder,”

explains Claudia. “He was sure if he

could track down an old commercial

stone mill he could make the best

pancakes. He found the eight mills

that we use today and the pancakes

are the best.”

The Herreras grow their own wheat for milling on the benches above Creston. PHOTO / TREASURE LIFE FLOUR MILLS

HEIRLOOM grains have niche appeal nfrom page 33

High-flying plans grounded

by pandemic protocols

Rising moth populations show need for more control

The transport of infested bins between orchards is one reason there is

an increase in codling moths this season. PHOTO / TOM WALKER

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 35

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KELOWNA – The

Okanagan-Kootenay Sterile

Insect Release (OKSIR)

program is an essential

service during the COVID-19

pandemic, but it’s ying more

slowly these days.

“Our focus is on keeping

sta safe and that has slowed

things down for sure,” says the

program’s general manager

Melissa Tesche.

One casualty has been a

high-ying initiative to train

sta in the operation of

drones to release sterile

codling moths into BC

orchards to ght their native

cousins.

Washington State

University entomologist Betsy

Beers has spent three years

demonstrating the

eectiveness of orchard-

specic releases delivered by

drones. The technology is

appealing to OKSIR, which

has been granted an

exemption from new

Transport Canada regulations

prohibiting the carrying of

living organisms on board

drones.

“In two hours, a drone

operator can cover the same

territory it would take a rider

a day and a half to cover,” says

Tesche. “We are all set up to

go.”

But protocols designed to

curb the spread of COVID-19

means sta training sessions

including in-eld pilot

training have been

impossible.

“COVID kyboshed our

training plans,” she says. “The

American company was not

able to come in due to the

border restrictions.”

Tesche is now hoping

training will take place this

fall, with a refresher course in

the spring to prepare sta to

ght the moth in 2021.

Control slipping

Codling moths are

increasingly a pest of

economic concern around

the world, and BC is no

dierent. While the area-wide

OKSIR program remains an

overwhelming success across

the Okanagan, Similkameen

and Shuswap valleys, surveys

indicate that control is

slipping in some orchards.

Of the nearly 8,000 acres

OKSIR covered in 2019, 44%

were considered moth-free,

down from 50% in 2018.

Another 32% had low moth

pressure, with populations

holding steady or declining.

But 23% of the acreage saw

moth populations increase,

up from 20% in 2018. Tesche

says the worst 10% of

orchards account for 70% of

wild moth populations.

Orchard management is a key

factor where populations are

increasing.

“We have absentee owners

who have abandoned their

orchards,” she says. “And we

see an increase of boutique

growers, small orchards, often

organic, that the owner has

planted to qualify for farm

status and owners are not as

on top of the moths as they

should be.”

The poor returns

commercial growers have

seen over the last several

years have also had an

impact.

“Growers don’t have a lot

of extra cash right now,” she

notes, explaining that they

might be moving from a

seven-day spray schedule to a

10-day interval. “That reduces

the ecacy of the treatment

and they might be shooting

themselves in the foot by

having those gaps in

coverage. It’s tough, because

you also have to keep the

bank balance alive.”

The moths are also

spreading into new areas,

something Tesche blames on

the movement of infested

bins. Codling moths live in

the crevices of wooden fruit

bins stacked in the corner of

an orchard. If the bins are

moved to another property

without a thorough cleaning,

the moths hitch along for the

ride.

“In terms of spreading

infestation to an area that

didn’t have a problem and

now all of a sudden does, bin

movement is the major

culprit,” she says. “Once moths

are established in an orchard

we are just suppressing them

with our sterile moths and

asking the grower to use

supplementary tactics such as

spraying to drive that

population down.”

Despite the many changes

that have taken place as a

result of COVID-19, moth

production at the program’s

Oliver facility has not been

aected.

“Our facility is fairly

spacious and divided into

production zones, so we are

able to keep a safe distance

between workers,” says

Tesche. “Breaks and lunch

times are staggered, and we

have been able to get some

picnic tables outside.”

Two specic challenges

have emerged, however.

The rst is supply chain

woes that have delayed

delivery of feed ingredients

for the moths’ diet.

“What usually takes one

week for delivery might

actually be three or four,” she

says. “So we have ordered the

bulk of our ingredients and

stockpiled them rather than

ordering fresh every month.”

The second challenge is

with sta illnesses.

“If anyone is feeling ill at all

we direct them to 811 and

often the advice is to be

home for 10 to 14 days,”

Tesche says. “We support that,

but now you have a two-week

absence for something that

might normally be two days.”

w ww.countrytractor.ca

CLAUDIO ROTHENBACHER

778.921.0004

claudio@countrytrac tor.ca

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36 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

by RONDA PAYNE

VANCOUVER – Applying

the right amount of nutrients

to optimize crop yields is a

goal of both conventional

and organic farmers, but

organic farmers have fewer

nutrient amendments to rely

on, making correct

applications a blend of

guesswork and science.

Optimizing nutrients for

yield is part of the equation,

but soil health is another.

Sean Smukler, associate

professor of applied biology

and social science with the

Faculty of Land and Food

Systems at UBC, discussed

building soil health in organic

vegetable production in an

August 13 webinar hosted by

BC Young Farmers.

“It’s a buzzword today, for

sure,” he says of the term “soil

health.”

He explains that soil health

goals can include aspects like

improving ltration,

increasing water holding

capacity, increasing nutrient

cycling and storage,

producing a healthy crop and

more. Key tenets of soil health

are minimizing disturbances

to the soil, supplying organic

matter and keeping the soil

covered when possible.

“Soil health is a holistic

denition and a holistic

concept. It’s really dicult to

measure,” he says.

Physical indicators of soil

health include water storage

capacity or bulk density;

chemical indicators might be

pH, available phosphorus or

available potassium but no

ocial standards dene it.

Smukler explains that

regardless of the measures,

nutrient management is a

central aspect of soil health.

Unfortunately, soil health

generally is low on the list of

reasons for nutrient

management, falling below

maximizing yields and crop

quality, minimizing costs and

labour and environmental

factors.

“Nitrogen availability is

usually the target for our

nutrient management plan,”

he says.

Just 1% to 3% of organic

nitrogen in the soil is available

to plants. Compost and

manure provide levels of 10%

to 30%, but this comes with

guesswork. These sources

don’t include the labels

conventional farmers often

get with commercial fertilizer

products that provide

application levels. Individual

crops needs must be

considered, too, so what is

good for one part of the eld

is not for the other if they

grow dierent crops.

“We are trying to balance

what [nutrients] we put on

with the crop demand,” he

explains. “We know that more

isn’t always better. We reach a

maximum yield and after that

we don’t get any real return

from those applications.”

The key to determining

nutrient needs is to know

what’s in the soil and what a

crop requires. Mismatching

nutrient application and crop

needs can lead to reduced

yields, nitrate leaching,

phosphorus build-up and

other issues. It also wastes a

farmer’s time and money.

Smukler recommends soil

testing.

“If we know how much is

coming o the eld [in the

crop] we can know how

much to put on [when we

know what is in the soil],” he

says. “Make sure that there’s a

feedback mechanism. You’re

checking and you’re

adjusting.”

Trials his team conducted,

funded in part by the BC

Agriculture and Food Climate

Action Initiative, found that a

hybrid of low compost and

certied organic blood meal

fertilizer was eective in

matching the nitrogen and

phosphorus demands of the

crop. This was the best of the

four options to meet nutrient

needs. The other methods

included municipal compost

that met phosphorus

requirements (known as low

compost); municipal compost

that met nitrogen

requirements (known as high

compost) and poultry

manure that met nitrogen

requirements.

“We usually end up adding

too much phosphorus,” he

says. “High compost is a

much more typical

application approach, they

put on as much compost as

they can or they are targeting

the nitrogen needs of the

crop and that typically ends

up in more phosphorus than

the crop can use. It can take a

long time to bring down the

phosphorus once it’s been

built up.”

There are also trade-os to

consider. For example, the

application best for crop

yields may produce an excess

of greenhouse gases.

“We’ve been gathering

data for the last ve years

from these nutrient

management data trials.

Putting it all together may

help modelling,” he says.

“Climate change is going to

make results today very

dierent from tomorrow.

Trying to use nutrients

judiciously is the best

approach. We want to be

ecient in our nutrient use.”

Organic soil requirements

need science, guesswork

Soil tests can help determine nutrient needs

This one must be about potatoes. It’s all I am doing

right now. Digging and selling potatoes. Might as well

write about them, too. It will not be a chore, reeling o

650 words on potatoes.

I’ll just follow my

thoughts.

You know you can

almost live on

potatoes, right? They

contain bre, protein,

more potassium than

bananas, and all kinds of vitamins and minerals. I think

they get a lot of this right from the soil. The elds certainly

look drained once the potatoes are out. You can add it all

back with chemicals or by building organic matter using

cover crops for ve years. One way or another, those elds

need to be brought back into shape for the next time they

grow potatoes.

They are hard to dig by hand, aren’t they? Anyone that

has dug more than three or four plants in a garden bed

realizes this in a hurry. It’s very desirable to have some sort

of mechanical harvester. We have a Grimme SE 75-30.

Gorgeous machine. It can dig through the most

outrageous jungle of potato vines and weeds. Ultimately,

the potatoes ow into the hopper and the weeds are

deposited in its wake, roots up in the sun.

It arrived on the farm 12 years ago. I remember its

arrival: looming massively on the at deck, fresh o the

boat from Germany. The only tractor with the correct

clevis hitch turned out to be the tiny blue tractor that my

grandpa had driven up from city in the 60s.

I almost cried. Not only because it seemed inevitable

that something would go very wrong as the harvester, with

its nine-foot wheel base spilling over the sides of the at

deck, was sure to run over the teeny tiny tractor tugging

away at it, but because it was at that moment that I really

understood that mom and dad were investing very long

term in the farm. It is a statement piece: this is a potato farm.

I also cried because its arrival meant we didn’t need to

use the 1953 Farmall 300-with-potato-harvester-

attachment anymore. What a nightmare that machine was.

It was supposed to be a step up from my great-

grandfather’s potato lifter, which was new around the

same time round wheels were invented. At least the

harvesting experience was sort of peaceful, shuing

along on our knees lling buckets.

The Farmall belched and bucketed along, bellowing black

smoke. Dad drove and performed mechanical miracles on

the y. The crew were draped all over it separating potatoes

from the dirt and plants. My sister was perched on a

platform o the end of the chain juggling laundry baskets

as they lled. I was madly driving to and fro collecting full

laundry baskets, delivering empty ones and running the

washing line. Everyone was always cranky, as I recall.

All that is well behind us now, so there is no need to

dredge up all these old stories. The Grimme is magnicent,

as I think I mentioned, although certainly tears have been

shed upon it over the years. That time I wrenched the

bunker delivery arm into a corkscrew is etched forever in

the annals of “things that went really wrong with the

harvester.”

Not today, though. This was a banner day. We sauntered

out on a whim after enough family members expressed a

willingness to crew, and promptly dug 7,000 pounds of

potatoes. I was driving about as slow as possible, while the

belt loading the bin was going very fast and the potatoes

were thick upon it. They were just pouring out. I don’t

believe we have ever grown a more beautiful and

abundant crop of Sieglinde potatoes.

I think the cover crop method of soil replenishment is

working ne. The potatoes are actually glowing.

Anna Helmer farms with her bubble in the Pemberton

Valley and hopes to never get over potatoes.

The right machine

makes harvesting

potatoes a breeze

And the right cover crops will

make the potatoes glow

Farm Story

by ANNA HELMER

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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 37

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For decades, farmers have

benetted from cover

cropping when a winter or

cover crop is seeded right

after the summer crop is

harvested.

But relay cropping,

developed by Shabtai Bittman

with Agriculture and Agri-

Food Canada in Agassiz, is

improving on that system. In

relay cropping, a winter crop

is sown about a month after

the main summer crop has

been planted. Essentially,

farmers double-crop their

elds, allowing them to

produce more forage,

eliminate a time-management

bottleneck and protect the

environment.

A cover crop planted soon

after the summer crop is

established would be well-

rooted before winter sets in.

But a lot depends on what

cover crop would work best

with the main crop.

The research on exploring

the values of relay cropping

was undertaken at both the

UBC Dairy Education and

Research Centre in Agassiz

and AAFC’s Agassiz Research

and Development Centre.

Trials were carried out on a

variety of small plots and strip

plots from Agassiz to

Abbotsford using 40 dierent

crop combinations.

Crop varieties, seed

volumes, planting methods,

when to plant, and irrigation

practices were all part of the

trials to arrive at a choice of

cover crop that ultimately

worked best with corn and

which would prove to be the

most disease-resistant. The

expectation was that the

system would be an excellent

form of forage, soil and

environmental management

and farm production

eciency.

The successful trials

showed that tetraploid

biennial Italian rye grass was

the cover crop of choice

planted between six-leaf corn

rows at a rate of 25 to 30 kg

per hectare. This year, the

researchers have taken the

study to the next level,

growing the combination of

corn and Italian rye grass in a

150-acre eld, large enough

to mirror commercial

production.

Given cold, wet spring

conditions, corn was not

planted until May 28. On June

29, the Italian rye grass was

planted with an interseeder

moving between the corn

rows.

“We’ve taken that research

and put it on a scale that

farmers can relate to,” says

UBC farm manager Nelson

Dinn. “It’s ne under scientic,

controlled conditions but

what sorts of challenges

are there in elds on a

commercial level? That’s

why we did it on a

larger scale to see how

it would work. We know

there are a lot of

advantages. It’s a good

environmental strategy. It’s

good farm eciency since,

[with the grass in place] it’s

one less job to do in the fall.

There is improved soil quality,

soil health, and the rye grass

takes up excess nutrients left

by the harvested corn.”

The immediate pay-o to

relay cropping is that,

depending on yields, forage

and livestock feed is available

year-round and soil

protection, weed

management, and

environmental sustainability

all come into

play. With the

corn harvested,

the ryegrass

will benet

from excess

nutrients as

well as direct

sunlight during the

fall which could

increase growth by 30%.

Dinn says that four to ve

weeks is a good time to go

into the eld to plant with

minimal damage to the

young corn.

“Go slow with the

equipment. Watch the turns.

But the gains you are getting

from having a second crop

outweigh any damage you

might do,” he says. “It’s all a

balancing act. And it’s all

depending on weather.

Spring weather was

challenging in the Fraser

Valley this year.”

Dinn says that many

farmers practice traditional

cover cropping but that

means more cultivating after

the summer crop is o, more

compaction of the soil, and

more work when daylight is

decreasing which leads to

more time considerations.

“You want that winter crop

established so that it can hold

the soil down,” he says. “By

spring you will have a great

crop. This year, the rye grass

came up in about ve days.

Come corn

harvest, we

won’t have to

do anything

further. Nor

do we have to

worry if the

corn comes

o late as the

grass crop is

already well established. The

amount of daylight is not an

issue.”

The corn will come o in

September and the ryegrass

will be harvested next spring,

most likely at the end of April

or early May. With the rye o,

the land will be cultivated,

and the next season’s corn

planted followed a month

later by the ryegrass.

Relay cropping checks all the boxes

System developed in Agassiz offers many benefits to growers

Research

by MARGARET EVANS

“It’s all a balancing act. And it’s all

depending on the weather.

”

UBC FARM MANAGER NELSON DINN

38 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

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CHILLIWACK – Two BC

greenhouse operators say

COVID-19 has changed their

industry, likely forever.

Stan Vander Waal is

president and owner at

Rainbow Greenhouses Inc.,

which has operations in BC

and Alberta, as well as chair of

the BC Agriculture Council.

Brian Minter and his family

own Minter Country Garden, a

retail and greenhouse

operation. Both farm in

Chilliwack.

On August 12, both men

represented BC on a panel as

part of Virtual Grower Day,

organized by Greenhouse

Canada. The annual

professional development and

networking conference had

originally been scheduled to

take place in Abbotsford (its

rst time in BC) but was

moved online in response to

COVID-19.

Ontario greenhouse

owners Bob and Carmen

Mitchell of SunTech

Greenhouses Ltd. of Ottawa,

which grows indoor tomatoes,

and Len Ferragine, owner of

Bradford Greenhouses Garden

Gallery in Bradford, Ontario,

which supplies plugs and

liners, joined Minter and

Vander Waal.

While this season has been

very challenging, the potential

for a resurgence of COVID-19

this fall means many growers

are implementing risk

mitigation strategies and

adapting.

BC designated greenhouses

and garden centres as

essential services early on in

the pandemic, along with

other farm operations. This

was positive, said Vander Waal.

Vander Waal’s operation

didn’t close but Minter’s shut

down for ve weeks, mostly

out of concern for sta health

and visitor safety. The

shutdown gave Minter time to

examine and adapt processes

to the new market

environment.

“We learned a lot in the ve

weeks,” he said.

Pivoting quickly to online

sales allowed him to maintain

sales at a third of what they

were prior to closing.

“We realigned our entire

store and this will be our best

year in history,” he said, adding

that consumer behaviour is

forcing change. “The writing is

on the wall with Amazon and

everything else.”

Minter continues to try to

predict the impact COVID-19

will have on sales.

“Our consumer is 35 to 65,

in an upwardly mobile group,

so we’ve been lucky but

disposable income may

become an issue,” he said.

However, he remains

optimistic about Christmas

sales, expecting people will

want it to be a bright spot

after a stressful and restricted

year. He expects sales will

match or surpass last year’s.

Minter and fellow panelists

say demand is for local

products – food, plants that

produce food and plants to

beautify their space or oer

cheer to others.

Chrysanthemums are selling

about a month earlier than

normal in the west and east,

for example. Coloured owers

were hot sellers, although a

couple of panelists said

additional work was needed

to size up certain plants,

especially on the West Coast

where Minter said 12 weeks of

spring rain slowed early-

season consumer demand.

All are coping with added

work to address business and

health issues.

“I don’t have a magic bullet.

We’re working hard to gure it

out,” said Vander Waal,

commenting on his

operation’s risk mitigation

planning. “The question is not

so much if but when we will

see an infection in one of our

work groups.”

With seasonal workers on

his site, Vander Waal says

plans must be in place that

address working with health

and government ocials to

ensure operations continue in

the event of an outbreak. A

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 39

Flower growers ponder COVID-19 impacts

See STAFF on next page

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40 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

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shutdown in March or April

would have a signicant

impact on the nursery.

Sta safety continues to

be top of mind for all. At

Minter’s greenhouse, a sta

member returning from a

wedding in Alberta was

asked to self-isolate. In

other operations, smaller

sta work teams have been

formed to limit contact

among employees.

All panellists said nding

employees if their regulars

are ill is next to impossible,

but they also know they

must move forward.

“We’ve been in this for

35 years. There have been

challenges all along the

way and we’ve survived. I

hope that this is the same,”

said Vander Waal, who is

proceeding with substantial

expansion plans at

locations in BC and Alberta

in 2021.

However, most of the

growers plan to simplify

their businesses and

streamline operations.

“We can’t be everything

to everyone,” said Vander

Waal, explaining that he’ll reduce varieties.

“We’re being very targeted in what we bring in,”

adds Minter, who will focus on what people have

bought in the past.

After an initial cutback on production plans for

Christmas, Vander Waal said it’s back up.

“We’ve shipped 65% of our garden mums out the

door. All summer long I’ve seen foliage moving out

at an unbelievable pace that we’ve been bringing in

from Florida. The consumer seems to have an

insatiable demand,” he says.

With fewer planes ying, logistics is an issue.

Growers need to stay on top of shipments of live

material to ensure it’s arriving in a timely fashion and

in the best health. Minter

said product must be

booked early due to a

shortage of nursery stock

on the West Coast.

These and other factors

will impact pricing. While

Vander Waal hasn’t

experienced large increases

in plug costs, production

costs are up. In Ontario,

Ferragine threw out

$250,000 worth of plugs,

managed with half his sta

and spent more than

$250,000 dollars on

personal protective

equipment.

Rising expenses need to

be made up somewhere for

businesses to break even

but the marketplace isn’t

necessarily receptive to

higher prices.

“This is one of the times

where we’ve found that the

price risk falls on the

business owner and we

need to try to price for

that,” said Vander Waal.

Minter is also cognizant

of trying to balance what

the economy will do to

public perception.

“Scientists are thinking 12-18 months for a viable

vaccine and I think you have to look at the longer

term … are we going into a recession?” said Minter.

“I’m a little concerned about pricing because we

don’t want to be accused of price gouging,

especially when we are considered an essential

service.”

The pandemic forced Minter Country Gardens to incorporate online sales this spring, a change Brian Minter says

mirrors Amazon-led changes to retail businesses. PHOTO / MINTER GARDENS

Loren Taves has raised prices to offset the added costs Taves Family Farm has incurred as a result of the COVID-19

pandemic, and he’s prepared to explain that to his customers. PHOTO / RONDA PAYNE

COUNTRY LIFE IN BC SEPTEMBER 2020 | 41

by RONDA PAYNE

ABBOTSFORD – Labour was

a key issue in agriculture

before COVID-19 hit, and the

pandemic has further

complicated the outlook.

But the need to follow best

practices remains as

important as ever, according

to Jennifer Wright, senior

human resources advisor and

stakeholder engagement

specialist with the Canadian

Agricultural Human Resource

Council.

This creates obstacles even

to common practices such as

hiring, training and

discharging workers. While

many farmers like face-to-face

interviews, those may not be

possible given social

distancing measures.

“It’s just not business as

usual,” she says. “But there’s

lots of ways to work around

that.”

Wright says it’s still possible

to identify great job

candidates, even if the

methods aren’t familiar. She

recommends using social

media and online job boards

to post positions rather than

community papers (while

newspapers are an essential

service, many have curtailed

distribution) or sharing hiring

needs at in-person

commodity group meetings.

Videoconferencing tools

like Zoom and Skype have

become part of the process

this year, Wright says, serving

as both interviewing and

training tools.

She recommends using

e-mail for employment,

benets and payroll

documentation wherever

possible. Videos and webinars

are useful online training

tools.

She also recommends

creating a standard structure

when hiring multiple

candidates for similar

positions. This is important

anytime, but especially so

during COVID-19.

“You want to be organized,

you want questions that are

well-thought out,” she says.

“Asking the same questions of

every candidate.”

Online job search

Loren and Corinne Taves of

Taves Family Farm in

Abbotsford typically employ

both foreign and domestic

workers for their production

and retail operations, but this

year has meant changes.

Corinne oversees hiring

and hasn’t encountered many

challenges but the farm

becomes more active in

hiring as fall approaches. She

uses online job-search and

hiring sites like

Indeed.com.

“I have just put

out Indeed ads and

used their

screening tests to

decide who to hire,”

she says. “Other

than hiring a few

less people, I don’t

think it will be

super-dierent

here.”

Given the obstacles to

securing foreign workers this

year, Loren would like to hire

more local workers. But this

can be equally challenging.

“Canadians aren’t

interested in the type of work

agriculture oers,” he says.

Wright says that shifting to

local labour is important, but

she understands the trials

facing the Taves and other

growers.

“It’s not always easy for

producers, but sometimes it’s

necessary,” she says. “If you

build a good reputation

locally, that will also help you

with your recruitment and

retention.”

No matter where labour is

from, it remains the most

signicant cost for growers.

This is especially true on the

retail side, where an attraction

is open regardless of how

many people feel comfortable

walking through the gates.

“I have less people coming

through … but I still need

close to the same number of

people to be on site,” says

Taves.

This has forced him to raise

prices, spreading the xed

labour costs over a lower

volume of sales. He will be at

the gate during peak season

to personally explain the

higher costs to all customers.

There are also the costs

associated with personal

protective equipment (PPE)

and changes in the

workplace. Wright says

employers need to respect

these at all stages of hiring

Best practices must guide COVID-19 hiring

Procedures are changing, but it’s

still possible to hire great workers

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Taves Family Farm

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42 | SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY LIFE IN BC

When we left off last month, Kenneth

and Deborah had gone their separate

ways when they arrived home from

their vacation. Kenneth headed to the

condo in Victoria alone, hopeful to

meet up with Janice after convincing

Deborah she would be better to self-

isolate at the farm. Deborah didn’t put

up much of a fight. Rural Redemption,

Part 126, continues.

Deborah pondered the news that

someone who sound like Janice

Newberry had left Kenneth a

message that his office was closing

until further notice.

“Should I send a text and tell him?”

asked Ashley.

Deborah said not to bother

because she was sure he was in

touch with someone at his office

already.

Christopher returned from the

barn and said that Lisa Lundgren’s

mom said there was going to be a

rule that everyone had to stay six feet

away from everyone else. Ashley said

you only had to stay away from

strangers and if it was someone you

were already close to, it didn’t count.

Christopher said that wasn’t the way

Lisa’s mom told it.

Christopher was soon off to help

Newt with some fencing and Ashley

left to do barn chores at Fitzpatrick’s.

Deborah and Susan were alone at

opposite ends of the porch.

“How did things go around here?”

asked Deborah.

“It was wonderful to spend time

with Ashley and Christopher. We had

some great conversations.”

“About what?”

“Oh, Chris told me all about cow’s

stomachs and all about Lisa, and how

pretty she is, and how smart she is,

and how pretty she is, and how much

he likes her, and wait until I see how

nice she is, and she’s really pretty, too.

Ashley told me all about Clay and

how much she likes him and how

she’s hoping their relationship will

move to the next level.”

Deborah’s jaw dropped.

“What does she mean, next level?”

“It’s okay,” said Susan. “She’s just

hoping Clay will ask her to go steady.”

“How can you be sure that’s what

she meant?”

“I asked her.”

“Did she tell you anything else?”

“Umm. Huh. She told me I was an

absolute fox.”

Deborah smiled.

“Well, it sounds like you’ve had a

lively time of it.”

“Oh, that’s not the half of it, I’ve

been asked out on a picnic, got

flowers from a secret admirer, gone

shopping for a sexy dress with my

granddaughter, been stood up on a

dinner date and rescued by a gallant

diner, gone out for dinner with the

neighbours who came and fixed your

barn, and invited to live with a man

I’ve only known for two weeks. I’ve

had more excitement in the last two

weeks than I’ve had in the last 10

years.

“What about you? What was the

highlight of your trip?”

“Not nearly so exciting,” said

Deborah. “It was the day Birdie Wissel

and I went swimming with the pigs.”

Deborah spent the next hour

telling Susan about the vacation. She

barely mentioned Kenneth and,

coupled with the fact he’d gone to

stay alone in the city, Susan started

reading between the lines.

She came straight to the point.

“Are you two okay?”

“Us?” said Deborah. “Us like we? I’m

okay and Kenneth is okay, but WE are

definitely not okay.”

The conversation went on until

mid afternoon. Newt sensed Susan’s

turmoil when she returned. He asked

if anything was wrong. Susan said

only that she was tired and excused

herself for an afternoon nap. Newt

didn’t buy it.

vvv

Newt was awakened at 4:30 the

next morning by the sound of Rocky

whining softly and scratching at his

bedroom door. Rocky slept under the

coat rack by the back door in the

mud room. If there was something

up, he would stand guard at the door

and alert the household and warn off

unwelcome company with loud and

persistent barking. Whining wasn’t in

his nature.

Newt opened the door and flipped

on the hall light.

“What’s up, boy?” he asked.

Rocky’s tail wagged twice, and he

turned and started down the hall. He

stopped and looked back at Newt

and whined again.

“You want out? Okay, let’s go.”

Newt followed Rocky to the back

door. The water bowl was half full

and there was still food in the dish.

Nothing unusual. Rocky had started

leaving some of his dinner for the

morning more than a year ago.

Newt opened the door and let

Rocky onto the porch. His ears were

pricked, and he stared intently into

the darkness. Newt listened carefully

for some sound of trouble in the hen

house but there was nothing but a

sigh of breeze.

Rocky ‘s head lifted, and his tail

started to wag as if he recognized a

friend.

“Anyone there?” called Newt.

There was no reply, but Rocky gave

another whine and walked into the

night.

Newt waited for five minutes and

gave a couple of whistles but there

was no sign of the old dog. Newt

closed the door and left him to it.

Rocky preferred to stand watch

outside when he sensed trouble.

He wasn’t back when Newt

checked the porch at 6:30 but Rocky

always made a tour of inspection first

thing in the morning. Just after seven

the phone rang.

“Newt? It’s Deborah. Rocky is here,

up by Tiny’s old workshop. I think you

should come over.”

Newt found Rocky lying at the

shop door. He was still except for the

hair along his back that lifted in the

wind. Newt knelt beside him and

rubbed a lifeless ear.

“So, this is where you were off to.

Was Tiny calling you? Is that who you

could hear? You’ve been a good boy

for a long time and I’m sure going to

miss you, but I guess you and Tiny

have been waiting long enough to

see each other, heh?”

Deborah had walked up from the

house and stopped 20 feet from the

shop.

“Is he gone?”

“He is,” said Newt. “Gone to be with

Tiny, I’d bet. He was fussing at 4:30

this morning like he could hear

something. He took off when I let him

go and headed for here, I guess. He

used to spend a lot of time up here

with Tiny.”

“Odd,” said Deborah. “Princess

woke me up at 4:30, whining and

scratching at the door, too.”

“Not so odd maybe. Dogs can hear

things we can’t. Why not Tiny? You

once told me yourself you felt like he

was right here with you in the shop.”

Newt gave Rocky one last pat on

the head and stood up.

“Wonder if you would consider

letting me bury him up here by the

shop?”

“Of course.”

“Maybe you should see what

Kenneth thinks about it first.”

“To hell with Kenneth,” said

Deborah. “You go ahead. Rocky has

more right to be here than Kenneth

has to say he can’t.”

... to be continued

No place like home for Deborah and the dogs

Woodshed

Chronicles

by BOB COLLINS

2274 Loon Lake Road

2 bed/2 bath, 2116 sq.ft

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