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Established 1999
H E A LT H Y
ORGANIC
FRESH
Winner of the Ottawa Consumers’ Choice Award
1230 Wellington (at Holland), Ottawa
613-729-5973
The
Canadian Organic Grower
D EPARTMENTS
F EATURES
Guest editorial ...................... 4 Guiding organic research
WEED
Harvesting the numbers ....... 7
AND
PEST MANAGEMENT
Controlling weeds with ‘many little hammers’............. 10 Planting for pest control .............................................. 16
Tribute: Mary Perlmutter ..... 9
COVER CROPS
Contributing writers ............ 36
Crop rotation: The 19-year Glenlea study ................... 22
Canada’s Organic Science Cluster ................................. 38
Catch P if you can ........................................................ 26
Classifieds ........................... 77
Cover crops for disease suppression ............................ 34
AND
SOIL FERTILITY
Grazing green manures ................................................ 32
LIVESTOCK Managing internal parasites in sheep ......................... 40 Organic dairy cows: Health and welfare ...................... 44
GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION Canada’s Organic Science Cluster (OSC) is part of the Canadian Agri-Science Cluster Initiative of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Growing Forward Policy Framework. Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative The Science Cluster Initiative is led by the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC) and the lead industry applicant, the Organic Federation of Canada.
The Northern tomato: A hot topic .............................. 48 Perfecting the potting mix ........................................... 52
FRUIT PRODUCTION Immunizing apple trees: Gordon Braun ...................... 56 Growing apples using an organic philosophy .............. 58 Berries, berries, berries ................................................ 62
ENVIRONMENTAL
AND
HEALTH IMPACTS
Nitrates and nitrites in preserved meats ...................... 68 The carbon footprint of organic farms ........................ 70 Canadian Organic Extension Network........................ 74
Canadian Organic Growers Cultivons Biologique Canada www.cog.ca
Our Nature is Organic
Summer 2012 – 3
The
Canadian Organic Grower Editor Janet Wallace editor@cog.ca Contributing Editors Roxanne Beavers, Matthew Holmes, Anne Macey, Beth McMahon, Stuart McMillan, Gwen O’Reilly, Av Singh, Elizabeth White OACC Contributing Editor Joanna MacKenzie Advertising contact COG office (see address below) or ads@cog.ca Subscriptions / COG Membership www.cog.ca Production Karyn Wright, Foxboro, Ontario The Canadian Organic Grower is published by: Canadian Organic Growers (COG) 39 McArthur Ave, Level 1-3, Ottawa ON K1L 8L7 T: 613-216-0741 1-888-375-7383 F: 613-236-0743 office@cog.ca www.cog.ca COG Board of Directors: Daniel Brisebois, Rochelle Eisen, Janine Gibson, Geneviève Grossenbacher, Sheila Hamilton, Tony Marshall, 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. Š
Canadian Organic Growers, Inc. ISSN 1710-761X The Canadian Organic Grower Publications Mail #4076 8546 Cost per issue: $9.00 Volume 9, Number 3 Summer 2012
Cover: Andy Hammermeister explores the field of organics with student Jody Nelson at the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada. Photo credit: NSAC 4 – Summer 2012
GUEST EDITORIAL By Andy Hammermeister
Help guide the future of organic research in Canada Welcome to this special issue of The Canadian Organic Grower, dedicated to the science of organic agriculture! As Director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC), I am thrilled to shine a spotlight on some of the important and innovative work happening across the country to support you, the organic practitioners who will ultimately put this research to use. The OACC is presently working in collaboration with the Organic Federation of Canada to manage the Organic Science Cluster, an initiative that began in 2009 and will end in March 2013. Our Organic Science Cluster, a part of the Science Cluster Initiative of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Growing Forward Policy Framework, is providing funding for more than 50 researchers and collaborators working on 29 research and communication projects at 36 research institutions and facilities across Canada.* As you peruse this special issue of TCOG, you will find that many of the articles recount the work of the Organic Science Cluster (OSC). March 2013 will soon be upon us. With this in mind, we are now in the process of planning for the next Organic Science Cluster, which will hopefully begin in April 2013. Forefront in our minds when * For further details, including the initial proposal, lists of the research projects and participating researchers, and the latest results, go to www.oacc.info/OSC/ osc_welcome.asp. The Canadian Organic Grower
undertaking this process is ensuring that we have the greatest impact possible for the Canadian organic sector. Input from those on the ground—the people working in the organic community in Canada—is essential in meeting this goal, so farmers, processors, marketers and other stakeholders will be asked to participate in every step of the planning and project evaluation process. So, over the past few months, I have been asking organic farmers and other industry stakeholders two important questions: “What research would affect you as an individual?� and “What research would be of greatest benefit to the organic sector?�. As you can imagine, we will end up with a long list of potential research questions. Ultimately, we want to embark upon research projects that will have substantial impact, supporting the principles of organic agri-
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culture and the development of organic in Canada. To ensure that this goal is met, there are several steps that are followed to identify research priorities. We begin by consulting with organic farmers and others involved in organic agriculture in the country to identify any factors that might be holding back organic in Canada and also to identify any opportunities that exist. We then prioritize these possible research projects based on the potential level of economic, environmental and social impact. Practical issues must then be considered, such as: • What is the likelihood of success of this research? • How much will it cost? • How long will it take? • Are there researchers available that can do the work? And lastly, we look for potential sources of industry funding
www.cog.ca
that we can use to leverage money from funding sources like Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Almost all federal and provincial researchgranting programs require matching industry investment accounting for anywhere from 10–50% of the total project value. Often the most effective way for you, the proponents of organic agriculture in the country, to have a say in this process is to meet with your fellow producers, or others in the value chain (such as processors) to identify: • the most significant barrier (e.g., weeds, product quality, yield potential), • the most serious threat (e.g., insects, disease, GMOs), or • the greatest opportunity (e.g., new crop markets, product packaging, processing) in your production area. If you work together to identify a key problem, we will do our
Our Nature is Organic
best to find two or three dollars of funding for every dollar that your group, or an industry supporter, is prepared to commit. We’ll help you get hooked up with a researcher to work on your project. We want to hear from you! Please feel free to help us identify priorities for our next Organic Science Cluster by sending us a note or email answering the following four questions (see attached form and envelope). 1. What is the main barrier, threat or opportunity you would like to have addressed? 2. What is the research question you want answered that will allow you to address this barrier or opportunity? 3. How will this affect the organic sector (i.e., how many farms, acres, return/acre, markets, etc.)? 4. Who would likely provide cash to leverage funding to do this re-
Summer 2012 – 5
search (e.g., companies, farmer cooperatives, etc.)? The OACC is delighted to have had this opportunity to collaborate with Canadian Organic Growers on this special issue of TCOG. We hope that you will find the articles informative, useful and maybe even transformative as together we work towards supporting the science behind organic agriculture in Canada. Send your ideas or comments to Andy Hammermeister at ahammermeister@nsac.ca, 902896-7095 (fax), or Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada, Box 550, Truro NS B2N 5E3.
Andy Hammermeister is Director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC), and Assistant Professor at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College.
6 – Summer 2012
The Canadian Organic Grower
www.cog.ca
HARVESTING THE NUMBERS
T
his issue of The Canadian Organic Grower marks an important moment of collaboration for the Canadian Organic Growers. Thanks to the initiative of our editor, Janet Wallace, Summer 2012 TCOG offers our readers important information on the extensive research led by the Canadian Organic Science Cluster (OSC). Only a few years ago, we would have been challenged to fill our pages with Canadian organic research and now, we need an expanded issue to squeeze it all in. One area of organic research that remains incomplete and unfunded is that of statistics and market research. Each year, COG’s dedicated statistician, Anne Macey, pieces together the numbers and partial information received from certification bodies. The certifiers volunteer to provide this important information, but details such as acreage, crops and livestock numbers are too burdensome for most to compile without compensation. Invariably every year, some certifying bodies will not submit their information, leaving substantial gaps in our figures and understanding of organic production in Canada. Recently, the statistics for 2010 were finalized and revealed that certification in Canada is in decline.
Province
Number of Canadian certified producers 4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 ‘92
‘94
‘96
‘98
‘00
‘02
‘04
‘06
Farms/primary producers 2010
BC
475
471
–0.8%
124
57
AB
319
275
–10.6%
59
15
SK
1123
938
–16.0%
72
3
MB
168
158
–5.9%
34
3
ON
716
685
–4.3%
248
18
QC
956
1054
10.25%
291
143
NB
56
56
0.0
13
1
NS
47
43
–8.5%
20
2
PEI
48
43
–10.4%
6
3
NFL
2
2
0.0
3
0
YK
4
6
50.0%
0
0
NT
0
1
0
0
3914
3732
870
245
www.cog.ca
‘10
Between 2009 and 2010, more than 180 farms dropped certification, down to 3732 farms. Quebec, the only province with a mandatory provincial organic regulation, was the only region showing a pattern of growth. Due to the significant decline of grower numbers in Saskatchewan (down 16%), Quebec now has the largest number of organic growers in the country. Anecdotally, we know that some Prairie growers dropped certification when the record-high grain prices of 2007–08 were closely followed by the economic retraction and recession in 2009 and 2010,
Farms/primary producers 2009
Totals
‘08
Change in no. Processors Handlers of primary (includes food (includes packers, producers manufacturers brokers & retail) from ‘09 & seed cleaners)
–4.6%
Our Nature is Organic
Summer 2012 – 7
which affected the grain sector more than many others. We have also been told that many farmers simply retired, and that others dropped certification in provinces that don’t require it for intraprovincial sales. Furthermore, our statistical information on processors and handlers is limited to the number of businesses, with no indication of products, type of operation or volumes. This basic information is essential for the continued development of the organic sector. How can a researcher quantify the value or potential impact of a project? How can a government assess the impact of a provincial regulation
if there are no reliable statistics on acreage and production levels?
COG—helping to connect the farmer’s organic fields to the organic consumer’s fork. Canada’s lack of statistical information is also noticed internationally, evident in the annual World of Organic Agriculture book published by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). In this publication, many countries with far fewer resources have much more detailed production information, as well as market data. The Government of Canada has a role to play here; indeed, one could argue that the Organic Products Regulations require that this sort of information is collected and used as part of the government’s oversight of the sector. Without this most basic of information on the sector—who is certified, where they are, what they grow—how can they hope to truly oversee organics in Canada? And how can we hope to strategize and grow our sector? The Canadian Organic Office of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has said they will develop
an informatics system to collect this type of information, but it is only in the conceptual stage, years away from implementation. In the meantime, the national organic organizations in Canada are determined to create or support a system for reliable and accurate organic production and processing statistics. We don’t know the exact means to accomplish this, but we’re looking for a better way at approaching organic statistics in Canada: one more way we are helping to connect the farmer’s organic fields to the organic consumer’s fork.
—Beth McMahon Executive Director beth@cog.ca
Save the Date! 3rd Annual Organic Week: September 22–29, 2012 www.organicweek.ca
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The Canadian Organic Grower
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