Our Nature is Organic
Spring/Summer 2013 magazine.cog.ca
Navdanya– protecting India’s biodiversity one seed at a time
Inside
Canada’s organic market $3.7B and growing
Growing fruit in cold climates
Biostimulants for improved plant health
SuStainable agriculture co-op • learn from experienced farmers and practitioners
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The
Canadian Organic Grower
D EPARTMENTS
F EATURES
Meet COG’s VIPs ................. 5 New growth is sprouting up across the country ~ and COG is no exception!
Growing fruit in the Great White North ................... 10
COG Publications ................ 22
Canada’s organic market ............................................ 14
Classifieds ........................... 29 The Last Word ..................... 30 A fairy tale retold
Steve Leroux sheds a little light on a few myths and misconceptions about growing (and selling) fruit crops on Ile Perrot (near Montreal). A new report states that Canada’s organic market is now worth $3.7 billion! For many Canadians, buying organic has become a regular part of their efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Biostimulants for improving plant health ................ 18 Phil Nauta talks about the effectiveness of products (such as kelp, sea minerals and fish fertlizer) that stimulate biological processes to improve plant performance.
Navdanya: an agricultural community ..................... 24
We’ve moved!! The COG national office is no longer located at
Av Singh takes us on a visit to Navdanya, a 50-acre biodiversity conservation farm and agricultural community in northern India, to demonstrate the value of a very different philosophical approach to farming.
39 McArthur Ave.
Our NEW address is:
COG 1145 Carling Ave. Suite 7519 Ottawa ON K1Z 7K4
Visit the new
Canadian Organic Grower website and share with your organic farmer networks: magazine.cog.ca
Contributors: Steve Leroux, Jordan Marr, Shauna MacKinnon, Phil Nauta, Av Singh Special thanks to: Lily Pepper for her contribution www.cog.ca
Our Nature is Organic
Spring/Summer 2013 – 3
The
Canadian Organic Grower Editor Beth McMahon editor@cog.ca Advisory Committee Roxanne Beavers, Matthew Holmes, Anne Macey, Stuart McMillan, Gwen O’Reilly, Av Singh, Elizabeth White Advertising contact COG office (see address below) or ads@cog.ca Subscriptions / COG Membership www.cog.ca
SEEKING A MENTOR FOR YOUR ORGANIC FARM? Participate in ACORN’s Grow A Farmer Mentorship Program!
FOR FULL DETAILS, PLEASE VISIT: www.growafarmer.ca
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Production Karyn Wright, Foxboro, Ontario The Canadian Organic Grower is published by:
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Canadian Organic Growers (COG) 1145 Carling Ave, Suite 7519, Ottawa ON K1Z 7K4 T: 613-216-0741 1-888-375-7383 F: 613-236-0743 office@cog.ca www.cog.ca
Twitter: @canadianorganic FB: /canadianorganic Pinterest: /canadianorganic Youtube: /user/cogtv Website: magazine.cog.ca Links to above: http://icondock.com/free/vector-socialmedia-icons
COG Board of Directors: Daniel Brisebois, Sarah Dobec, Rochelle Eisen, Janine Gibson, Geneviève Grossenbacher, Sheila Hamilton, Jordan Marr, Tony Marshall, Beth McMahon, Elizabeth Nelson, Tegan Renner, Vlad Skotar The editor cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of COG. Editorial content may not be reproduced without permission. ©
Canadian Organic Growers, Inc. ISSN 1710-761X The Canadian Organic Grower Publications Mail #4076 8546 Cost per issue: $9.00 Volume 10, Number 2 Spring/Summer 2013
Cover photo credit: Edwin Toone (www.edwintoone photography.com) Cover design: Beth McMahon
4 – Spring/Summer 2013
The Canadian Organic Grower
www.cog.ca
NEW GROWTH IS SPROUTING UP ACROSS THE COUNTRY ~ AND COG IS NO EXCEPTION!
T
hank you to everyone who joined us in person and via webinar Saturday May 4th for our 2013 AGM. For those of you who missed it, we reflected on the many positive changes that have happened at COG over the last year and could not help but get excited about the year to come as we move forward with greater sustainability at our organization. One big change at COG is our new participatory governance structure. This structure allows our supporters to have a greater voice at COG and provides our Board of Directors more leadership opportunities. Six new committees have emerged that will be governed by our Board of Directors, supporters and chapter representatives. If you would like more information about these committees or would like to participate on one, please contact Ashley at office@cog.ca. With these changes set, we look forward to taking on new challenges, projects and leadership in the year to come. As Canada’s only national organic charity, we rely on our supporters and their generous donations of time and money to ensure that we are successful in fulfilling our mission as organic educators. To this end, we are excited to announce our 2013 volunteer Board of Directors.
best-selling books!). Dan is one of the 5 members of Tourne-Sol co-operative farm in Les Cedres, Quebec. Tourne-Sol produces certified organic vegetables, flowers, seeds, seedlings and herbal teas on 12 acres rented from an organic grain farm. Tourne-Sol’s products are distributed through a 250-share CSA, farmers’ market and on-line seed catalogue. Dan is also on the USC Canada board of directors and on the steering committee for the Eastern Canadian Organic Seed Growers Network. Many thanks go to Daniel for his years of leadership at COG—we will miss him as president but he will stay on the board as a member-at-large. If you would like to keep up with Dan you can follow him on his blog (goingtoseed.wordpress.com).
COG welcomes our new President Rochelle Eisen (BC)
Daniel Brisebois (QC) finishes his term as COG’s President
Daniel Brisebois is the outgoing president of Canadian Organic Growers and co-author of Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers (one of COG’s www.cog.ca
The backbone of Rochelle’s expertise is her 26 years of assurance (verification, certification and standards), extension and consulting work in and outside the organic sphere. Like Einstein, she believes “What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right” and assurance programs are a means to level ecological playing fields. She also works in a collaborative relationship with Dr. Brenda Frick and Gunta Vitins under the banner of Resilient Solutions Consulting. Rochelle is involved with the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s Salmon Safe agriculture program and has also worked as a reviewer for ISEAL’s Standard-Setting Code of Good Prac-
Our Nature is Organic
Spring/Summer 2013 – 5
tice and WWF’s Sustainable Aquaculture Dialogues. Rochelle remains engaged with the BC Wine Authority and holds a position on both the CFIA’s Standards Interpretation Committee and Canada’s Organic Value Chain Roundtable. Last but not least, Rochelle sits on the board of her local farmers’ market, the Penticton Farmers’ Market.
Meet the Executive Committee Tegan Renner (NB), Vice President Tegan has been involved in the organic sector since she joined COG’s Perth-Waterloo-Wellington chapter as staff in November 2009. Working at this regional level, she was able to gain not only perspective on COG’s role and relationship with its chapters, but also familiarity with the operations of National. All of this experience will be a considerable asset to her decision-making role at the National level. While her experience is Ontario-centric, she also has an Atlantic Canada perspective to bring, as she has been living in New Brunswick and working for the Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network (ACORN) since April 2012. Tegan is well-aware of the diversity of this organization across the country, and looks forward to connecting to others with a passion for COG and finding ways to strengthen our solidarity and impact as an organization.
Janine Gibson (MB), Secretary An author, educator and public speaker, Janine is an organic crop, livestock and process inspector with 20 years experience. She lives on a small mixed farm off the grid, using solar and wind alternatives near Steinbach, Manitoba. Janine was also the recipient of the Manitoba Eco-Network Environment Award. She is a Past President of Canadian Organic Growers, and currently holds the position of Prairie Chapter Representative. Janine’s goal is to help COG increase organic acres across Canada. 6 – Spring/Summer 2013
Vlad Skotar (ON), Treasurer Vlad Skotar has been a member of the National Board of Directors as the Ontario Chapter Representative and Treasurer since 2011. He has been a member of COG since 2007 and has served as a member of the Toronto chapter steering committee since 2009. Vlad believes that the future success of COG will depend on our ability to leverage our standing as a national grassroots organization that builds personal connections between our members and chapters, thus uniting organic farmers and consumers. COG is also uniquely positioned to influence the organic industry to help it address the challenges it faces: making organic food more affordable and accessible to all, fostering the evolution of the organic standard, ensuring the rigor and integrity of certification and engaging the skeptical consumer in a meaningful conversation about why organic is not just an overpriced lifestyle choice. Vlad has a BS in finance and an MBA. He is an accountant who has worked in various roles in corporate finance in the pulp and paper, packaging, engineering services and hospitality industries.
Members-at-large Tony Marshall (AB) Tony and his wife Penny own and operate Highwood Crossing Farm and Highwood Crossing Foods based in High River, Alberta. The certified organic foods grown, made and distributed by Highwood Crossing can be found in select stores and fine restaurants across Canada. Tony has been a promoter and advocate of organic agriculture for over 20 years. He is the recipient of a Growing Alberta “Innovation in Agriculture” award acknowledging his contribution to developing, marketing and distributing value-added organic foods in Canada.
Elizabeth Nason (NB) As a consumer of organic products, Elizabeth believes that it is important to have a central body to help consumers know local organic producers, as well as educating and ensuring fair treatment for the producers. She feels COG plays an important role in edu-
The Canadian Organic Grower
www.cog.ca
cating everyone, from the local consumer to the politician who creates legislation that affects agriculture in Canada. She also believes that Canada needs to be a leader in organics, not only for the people, but also for the environment. Elizabeth is an excellent addition to the COG board, as she understands the issues for consumers and also the issues for the growers, as her family operates Springbrook Cranberry Inc., a certified organic cranberry farm in New Brunswick.
Beth believes that the need to re-energize the organic movement is essential to building a better future for our soil and children. She looks forward to working on the board of COG to help the organization build more funding capacity. “This is Canada’s only organic charity and a tremendous benefit to our community. With increased support of COG, so too will the work of the organic movement be supported and flourish.” —Beth
Jordan Marr (BC)
Beth McMahon (ON)
As the past Executive Director of the Canadian Organic Growers and the Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network (ACORN), and current voluntary editor of The Canadian Organic Grower, Beth has a deep understanding of organic growers and eaters across Canada. She is also a past recipient of the Gerrit Loo Memorial Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to organic agriculture in Atlantic Canada. www.cog.ca
Jordon is a certified organic veggie grower with his partner Vanessa at The Homestead Farm in Peachland, BC. They are entering their third season of production for their own business. Prior to that, Jordan completed two farming apprenticeships; one in Nova Scotia with a certified organic beef producer and another on Vancouver Island with a non-certified organic veggie grower. In his spare time, Jordan produces a blog and a podcast for his farming- and gardening-focused website, The Ruminant (theruminant.ca). Jordan also volunteers with the farming apprenticeship organization Stewards of Irreplaceable Land (SOIL) and sits on the board of his local farmers’ market. Our Nature is Organic
Jordan holds the position of British Columbia Chapter Representative.
Sheila Hamilton (AB)
Sheila and her husband Ron purchased their farm near Armena, Alberta, in 1992 and immediately began the process of organic certification. Sunworks Farm was certified as organic in 1997 and the Hamilton family started raising their first flock of poultry for sale to the public that year. Sunworks Farm now raises a variety of organic poultry and livestock which they direct market at farmer’s markets in Edmonton and Calgary, as well as to selected restaurants and a private school. The farm has a mentorship program where individuals interested in sustainable organic farming practices live with the family to learn every aspect of the farm business, as well as the full depth of what the family believes in. Education in all aspects of organic agriculture, from the implementation of the new Canadian National Standards to the consumer who purchases organic products, is very important to Sheila. Sheila also has experience being a part of, or chairing, many non-profit boards.
Spring/Summer 2013 – 7
Geneviève Grossenbacher (QC) Geneviève is COG’s outgoing VicePresident and is passionate about local food and organic agriculture. After studying alternative food systems at York University’s Faculty of Environmental Studies, Geneviève traveled to Cuba to promote urban agriculture before coordinating a farm-to-school project in 75 institutions across Quebec. She is the author of a storybook and of two educational kits to help students make more responsible food choices. She recently joined USC Canada where she works to engage the public in campaigns that promote vibrant family farms and strong communities around the globe. Geneviève is honored to continue serving on COG’s board to help cultivate its inspiring mission.
Sarah Dobec (ON) It is with great enthusiasm that Sarah joins the Canadian Organic Growers Board. Sarah believes organizations such as COG are vital for consumer education, collaboration for the sector and a voice for organics. She is eager to be a part of this work. Her skills and experience in management, planning, teaching and PR are certainly an asset to the organization. In addition, her time spent as a CRAFT intern on an organic farm was pivotal in furthering her understanding of the importance of organic practices and principles. She is a certified Holistic Nutritionist and believes organic methods are essential for a sustainable future. As an individual, and as an employee of The Big Carrot Natural Health Market, she is honoured to volunteer her time and creativity to this beneficial organization. 8 – Spring/Summer 2013
The Canadian Organic Grower
www.cog.ca
Meet COG’s new staff In keeping with the new shared leadership model at COG the Executive Director position has been divided into two new positions: Director of Operations and Director of Outreach. Let us introduce you to the two ladies who fill these shoes and make up COG’s National Office.
Ashley St Hilaire: Director of Operations
tional systems and procedures that keep COG National ticking. She is a recent graduate from the University of Guelph; holding a Masters Degree in Geography and an Undergraduate Degree in Environmental Sciences. She plans to continue improving COG’s organizational sustainability and operational efficiency so that we can remain a fortified leader of organic agriculture in Canada.
Candace Battig: Director of Outreach
Ashley has been an incredible asset to COG since she started last fall as our Office Manager, Project Coordinator and jack-of-alltrades. This past April, she enthusiastically welcomed the opportunity to take on new responsibilities as our Director of Operations and will now oversee all the administrative and opera-
www.cog.ca
Organic Agriculture Program Coordinator: Candace is the newest member of COG, having o n l y b e e n with us since April. Candace has just finished her degree and is graduating in June from the University of Ottawa with a BSc Major in Biology and a Minor in Chemistry. She is a foodie with a passion for science, sustainability and the envi-
Our Nature is Organic
ronment. Combined with her belief in the importance of increasing awareness of our current food system and its flaws; in April she challenged herself to abide by the rules of the 100 mile diet for a year. Calling it her 200 Km challenge, she is documenting her journey through mslocavore.com. A high energy individual with ideas always buzzing around in her head, Candace has an extensive background working and volunteering at various levels in non-profits and is eager to see what she can accomplish at COG!
Get Involved with COG Today! • Volunteer • Join a committee • Donate As Canada’s only national organic charity, COG is the voice for organics in Canada. Your support is essential to ensure we can continue our valuable charitable work. Visit www.cog.ca or contact office@cog.ca to find out how to get more involved.
Spring/Summer 2013 – 9
COG is Canada’s only national organic charity and your participation is essential to ensure our voice is heard. We have big plans for 2013 ~ updating our library, publishing new books and expanding our Landshare Canada project. We need your support to implement these plans. Donate to COG today and help us continue to be the voice of the organic movement in Canada. Mail:
Suite 7519 – 1145 Carling Ave. Ottawa ON K1Z 7K4 Phone: 1-888-375-7383 Online: www.cog.ca/get-involved/donate-to-cog/
Thank you for your continued support! 28 – Spring/Summer 2013
The Canadian Organic Grower
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HELP WANTED We run a small rural daycare, located on a 12 acre organic farm, near Dundas Ontario. ECE certified or equivalent. Individual must have a strong work ethic, love working with children and like the outdoors. Accommodation/apartment available. Please fax resume to 905-627-5171 or email mordensmeats@gmail.com SPROUT GROWER Are you concerned your food does not contain all the vitamins and minerals you need? Did you know sprouts are considered nature‘s Super Food? This simple sprouter grows edible organic sprouts in 24–48 hrs. Cathy’s Crawly Composters — More than just worms. 1-888-775-9495 www.cathyscomposters.com FOR SALE Manure compost for sale from During Farms Ltd., located in Alliston, ON. Compost is approved for use in organic agriculture by ECOCERT. For more information, please call 705-435-9197 or cell 705623-2940. FARM FOR SALE 640 cultivated & hayland acres at Davidson, SK. Yard includes 3 bedroom home, bins, well, dugout, power & natural gas. Must be a certified organic producer accredited with an organic certification body. Email backtofarm@live.com for further information.
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Our Nature is Organic
Spring/Summer 2013 – 29
THE LAST WORD A fairy tale retold My partner Vanessa and I (and that’s partner in both the professional sense and the hubba-hubba one) do not own the land we’re farming. We’re on a lease at The Homestead, an organic farm in Peachland, BC, that has been under the care of Joe and Jess Klein for nearly 30 years. It has been certified organic for nearly as long. That we would start out our farming careers on leased land was inevitable. Much of BC’s best farmland is also coveted real estate. And so, land prices being what they are (Keith Richards high), and returns on farming being what they are (Barry White low), the die is cast for us for the foreseeable future. Such is the case for the majority of aspiring farmers I’ve met in the last few years. That’s how long I’ve been farming—about five. Which is long enough to observe the differences between ownership and leasing, and to judge whether they are significant. I believe they are, and for that reason, I think that two of the three little pigs in the fairy tale are terribly misunderstood. The way you probably interpret the story is that the first two pigs were layabouts, no doubt terribly spoiled as piglets, whose goal was to build a house with the least possible exertion. One chose sticks and one chose straw, and both became homeless when an ornery wolf easily blew their houses down. The third pig, a well-bred chap with a great work ethic, built his house of bricks and confounded his foe. I think what really happened was that the first two pigs didn’t own the land they built on, and so, lacking the long-term tenure that could 30 – Spring/Summer 2013
by Jordan Marr
give them certainty about their future, built houses that could be easily dismantled and transported if such a need arose. So you see, it wasn’t indolence that led to their troubles with the wolf; it was a hot real estate market. This interpretation reflects our situation at The Homestead. It also represents the first and last bedtime story my nieces ever allowed me to tell them. Many of the purchasing decisions we make for our business are influenced by our lack of longterm tenure. This past winter we decided we needed a deer fence around our garden and opted for plastic netting mounted on half inch conduit tubing. A pretty flimsy set-up—even lazy pigs would be skeptical—but it works, and the 800 feet we needed can be taken down in a couple of hours and will fit into the back of our small pickup truck. One frightening scenario as a leaseholder is what will happen if in a couple of years we have to relocate far enough away to make keeping our current customers an unreasonable prospect. The most challenging part of building our business has been developing markets for our produce, and my heart breaks in anticipation of having to start all over again in a new community. Meanwhile, our landlords have been kind and trusting enough to let us market under their farm’s name. Another notable difference when leasing, is the added challenge of maintaining a cordial relationship with the landowners. If I may toot our collective horns, Joe and Jess, and Vanessa and I, are killing it. Three years in to the arThe Canadian Organic Grower
rangement, we enjoy the same healthy relationship we managed to achieve early on. But our success takes work: frequent (and boy do I mean frequent) communication, a fair bit of compromise, and lots of patience (I know I do stuff that drives them bonkers). It also helps that Joe and Jess really want us to succeed with our farming. So far I’ve focused on why leasing is challenging for Vanessa and me. But it also matters for any community concerned with maintaining and improving its farmland. There is no better motivation for practicing good stewardship than long-term tenure over a given set of resources. What did my friend yell out that time he launched a mini-van off of speed bumps in an alleyway in his Hertz? “If it’s a rental, don’t be gentle!” Well, we try to be gentle. But our priorities are definitely different than our landlords. As it happens, we’re at a point in our lives where a short-term situation suits us. And we couldn’t imagine having more supportive landlords. But eventually we’re going to want the predictability and permanence that land ownership is the best at offering. Whether we, and more importantly, the bulk of farmers in our position, will be able to afford it is another question.
Jordan Marr started his farming career as an apprentice on farms in Nova Scotia and Vancouver Island. He publishes a blog about small-scale farming innovations and other good ideas for farmers called The Ruminant and he also produces The Ruminant Podcast, which focuses on knowledge transfer to farmers. www.cog.ca
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Don’t miss another issue of The Canadian Organic Grower Magazine - essential reading for all organic growers and enthusiasts. Published three times per year, we are Canada’s only national organic publication (and have been for over 30 years!). All donations over $20 will also receive a charitable tax receipt. We are Canada’s Organic Charity! Your donation also supports: Dozens of Canada-wide school and community garden projects Assisting with development of training materials, workshops, and conferences for organic farmers Helping produce books, fact sheets, kits and videos for everyone interested in organics Providing operational support for COG’s nine regional chapters and national office Ensuring a strong voice for organic integrity in Canada
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