Orchard & Vine Summer 2017

A Sparkling New Winery on Okanagan Lake Transformation at Ripples Winery Seasonal Worker Debate Penticton Farmers' Market

Summer 2017 $6.95

Display Until July 31, 2017 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40838008 www.orchardandvine.net

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Photo by Gary Symons

The view of Penticton from Poplar Grove on the Naramata Bench.

Features 20 A Sparkling New Winery on the Shores of Okanagan Lake 26 T ransformation and Diversification at Ripples Winery in Abbotsford 31 Interest in Sparkling Wines Bubbles Over

Cover Photo: Sabrina Jensen of Vancouver enjoys a JoieFarm RosĂŠ at the Picnique outdoor dining area on JoieFarm Winery in Naramata during their opening in May. Photo by Gary Symons

Photo by Ronda Payne

46 Canada 150: Penticton Farmers' Market

Ripples Winery is diversified and includes a greenhouse business. Page 26 4

Summer 2017

Regulars 6 Publisher's View – Lisa Olson 8 Calendar 9 News & Events 33 Girl with a Pen – Ronda Payne 37 Seeds of Growth – Fred Steele 41 Legal Libations – Denese Espeut-Post 43 Go Green – Ryan Elizabeth Cope

Photo by Gary Symons

45 Word on Wine – Laura Braman

The wine is pouring at Peachland's fabulous new Fitz Winery. Page 20

Summer 2017

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 PUBLISHER’S VIEW | LISA OLSON

One Change Can Lead to Many

Vol. 58, No 3 Summer 2017

I

can’t help but notice how this industry is growing and expanding and how sometimes a single turn of events can help make things better.

Established in 1959

Wine, orchards and general agriculture provide so many more opportunities when they are combined than they do when operating alone. Orchards and berry growers in wine regions often produce fruit wine and other value-added products. Honey farms infuse wine into their honey, and tour companies now include farms along with their wine tours.

Sometimes farms that start out with one crop transform completely to another, such as the case with Ripples Winery inside this edition.

Graphic Design

The owners started out producing meat, added a nursery business, and then planted blueberries that are now used to make fruit wine.

Now the family are winning awards, proving that while change is a process and you might not know where you are headed at the time, it’s fun to look back and see how it all started.

More women than ever are farming and providing food in Canada, and BC tops the list at 37.5% according to the latest Census of Agriculture. There were 26,430 farmers in B.C. in 2016, and nationally women accounted for 28.7 per cent of all farm operators. If more women are interested in farming then that will help sustain the industry against the overall aging of farmers across Canada.

One surprise turn of events saw farm

Publisher Lisa Olson

Stephanie Symons Photo by Kim Elsasser mpa

Contributors Lisa Braman, Ryan Elizabeth Cope Denese Espeut-Post, Kim Lawton, Ronda Payne, Fred Steele, Gary Symons Sales, Marketing & Social Media Manager

inspectors uncovering deplorable and cramped living conditions for our hard working foreign workers on a few properties. While bad news in itself, this knowledge is already bringing about a welcome change, and will help all workers achieve better working and living conditions.

Holly Thompson Circulation info@orchardandvine.net Orchard & Vine Magazine Ltd. 1576 West Kelowna Road West Kelowna, B.C., V1Z 3H5

The percentage of farms with poor living conditions was very low, so I am grateful and proud of the majority of our farm owners who respect their workers and provide a safe and comfortable working environment.

One of our readers commented last fall, saying they like the format of the magazine that brings the interest of the two farming communities together ‘under one roof.’ We like to think so too and enjoy bringing together many aspects of these communities since there are so many crossovers.

All the best to you this season!

E-mail: info@orchardandvine.net www.orchardandvine.net Phone: 250-769-2123 Fax: 1-866-433-3349 Orchard & Vine Magazine is published six times a year and distributed by addressed mail to growers, suppliers and wineries in the Okanagan, Kootenays, Fraser Valley, Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Washington State and across Canada. Orchard & Vine is also available online.

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40838008

Undeliverable copies should be sent to: 1576 West Kelowna Road West Kelowna, BC V1Z 3H5

Providing Canadian Grapevine Solutions BRITISH COLUMBIA Nathan Phillips p. 250-809-6040 bcsales@vinetech.ca 6

Summer 2017

QUEBEC Alexandre Jacquel p. 905.984.4324 qcsales@vinetech.ca

NOVA SCOTIA Ian Kaye p. 902.740.2493 nssales@vinetech.ca

ONTARIO Wes Wiens/Tina Tourigny p. 905.984.4324 sales@vinetech.ca

Cert no. SGS-COC-006263

BC Wine Grape Council 18th Annual Enology & Viticulture Conference & Trade Show Monday, July 17 & Tuesday, July 18, 2016 Penticton Trade Show & Convention Centre

Conference Highlights Vineyard Floor Management for Sustainable Viticulture, Dr. Kerri Steenwerth, USDA at UC Davis, and Dr. Tom Lowery, Summerland RDC Sustainability and Economics in Wine Production, Dr. Bruce Zoecklein, Virginia Tech, and Dr. Karl Storchmann, New York University Water Stress Monitoring and Detection Using IR Sensors, Remote Imaging, and Drones, Dr. Krista Shellie, USDA in Idaho, Dr. Pat Bowen, Summerland RDC Grape Pest and Disease Identification and Management Strategies, Dr. Susanna Acheampong, BCMAF, Dr. JosÊ Urbes Torres, Dr. Tom Lowery, Dan O’Gorman, and Dr. Sudarsana Poojari, Summerland RDC Evaluating Grape and Wine Quality, Dr. Wendy V. Parr, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand, and Dr. Matthias Schmitt, Hochschule GEISENHEIM University, Germany Molecular Approaches to Studying Water Stress and Yeast Strains, Dr. Dan Durall, UBC, Dr. Vivien Measday, UBC and Dr. Simone Castellarian, UBC The Elusive Nature of Minerality in White Wine, Dr. Wendy V. Parr, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand There will also be a Special Session on Sustainability, Climate Change and Wine Production, Research Updates, Workshops, an All Speakers Panel, Research Posters, Tradeshow Presentations, a Sensory Workshop featuring Alternative Varieties, and much more.

Visit the Tradeshow - Over 100 exhibitor floor displays Sponsored by

For more information contact Carolyn MacLaren, Conference Coordinator Tel:778 878 6145 email: conference@bcwgc.org or visit: www.bcwgc.org

Summer 2017

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Photo by Barb Aguiar

 SUMMER | CALENDAR

Jen Vincent and Kirstin Hunter cool off under parasols at last years Feast of Fields.

VinExpo 2017 June 18 - 21 Bordeaux, France www.vinexpo.com BC Enology & Viticulture Conference July 17 - 18 Penticton, BC www.bcwgc.org/conference i4C+ International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration July 21 - 23 http://coolchardonnay.org

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Summer 2017

International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show July 26 - 27 San Francisco http://ibwsshow.com Feast of Fields Okanagan - August 13 Vancouver Island – August 27 Metro Vancouver - September 10 www.feastoffields.com Naramata Bench Tailgate Party September 9 D'Angelo Winery Naramata, BC www.naramatabench.com Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show September 12 - 14 Woodstock, ON www.outdoorfarmshow.com

 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

JoieFarm Opens a Whimsical Outdoor Bistro in Naramata From five star restaurants to rustic picnic areas, Okanagan wineries are rightly renowned for adding value to the wine tasting experience.

And in May the JoieFarm Winery on Naramata Bench upped their game even farther with the opening of Picnique.

A sophisticated but light-hearted approach to the outdoor wine picnic, Picnique is led by Alex Sielmann, the owner of the Gorgeous Georgia’s Ice Cream bar.

The Picnique outlet is very simple; a small stand with a woodfired oven, turning out great sandwiches, finger food, and authentically Neopolitan style pizzas.

JoieFarm was packed during our visit. The winery has successfully combined a casual fun atmosphere with gourmet quality food and you can buy a bottle of wine at retail to enjoy with your meal.

Photo by Gary Symons

The winery supplies bocce balls and a bistro area on the patio, but a lot of the guests just pull up a blanket in the grassy picnic area. Also, dogs and families are welcome, and there’s a selection of sodas for the kids.

Picnique is yet another great example of Okanagan wineries innovating to provide a better experience for the customer, while creating more onsite demand for their products.

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards is Served Buy Local Funding Tinhorn Creek is providing a good example of how the Buy Local program can help BC wineries and value-added farm producers.

Tinhorn Creek applied for and received $25,000 to help market a new wine being released this year.

With funding up to $25,000, the company is creating brand concept and design for the new product.

The funding received will be used to launch a campaign to promote the new wine release and to host tasting events for media and trade representatives to increase awareness of Tinhorn’s products and brand.

“With the support of the Buy Local program, Tinhorn Creek was able to develop a program focusing on innovation in our vineyards and cellar, and then package these micro-lot wines for the enjoyment of our customers,” says sales and marketing manager Jan Nelson.

“These wines will also be shared with media and influencers in order to promote awareness and help advance the reputation of the B.C. wine industry as a world-class wine growing region.”

The Buy Local program is offering $8 million in funding for 2017/2018 for opera

tors in the agriculture, food and seafood sectors. Funding is primarily geared toward enhancing local marketing efforts.

If you’d like to find out more about grants from Buy Local, go to http://iafbc. ca/funding-opportunities/buy-local/ Summer 2017

9

 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

BC Tree Fruits Expanding in Winfield With New Apple Bagging Line BC’s fruit industry has been growing rapidly over the past decade, and the BC Tree Fruits Cooperative is growing with it.

The BC Tree Fruits Cooperative has announced plans for a major expansion of the Winfield packinghouse.

The facility is applying to add space for a new apple bagging line. If approved, the new line would be designed, installed and ready for operation prior to the 2017 apple crop starting this upcoming fall.

BC Tree Fruits continues to be a leader within the industry in Western Canada and says this new line expands the packing capacity by 30%.

The construction and installation of this new line will provide 66 new jobs to the District of Lake Country and helps ensure locally grown, premium apples continue to be handled and packed by local employees.

“We are excited to begin the work on this expansion,” says BC Tree Fruits CEO

Stan Swales. “This facility handles the majority of our grower member’s apples grown in the Kelowna and Vernon area, so this expansion is imperative to ensure the quality and packing capacity of locally grown apples.”

The Winfield packinghouse is one of four packinghouse facilities for BC Tree Fruits and only handles apples during the entire crop season (fall into the following spring). The other three facilities are located in Kelowna, Oliver and Osoyoos.

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

New Tasting Room & Patio Part of Serendipity Winery Expansion

Serendipity has undertaken a huge expansion of their existing winery on Naramata Bench, ready for the summer tourism rush.

The central piece of the expansion project is a large and luxurious tasting room, with a licensed outdoor patio where guests can enjoy wines by the glass, and perhaps the occasional light snack during special events.

Serendipity is partly famous for the massive arched doors to the winery, fronted by a cast iron sculpture of a man enjoying a glass under a tree.

The new section of the winery echoes those architectural notes,

with smaller but identically shaped doors, arched windows, and more cast iron sculpture.

Look straight up when you’re enjoying a glass at the tasting bar and you’ll the arch of the door is matched by an arch in the ceiling.

The builders cleverly ran iron barrel straps across the arch, so the ceiling appears to be an elongated wine barrel.

Serendipity’s 2nd-in-Command Katie O’Kell (hilariously, that really is what it says on her business card) says the winery will also have a second outdoor patio available for weddings, parties and other events.

Photo by Gary Symons

Fans of Serendipity’s excellent wines will get a welcome surprise when they visit the Debeck Road winery this year.

Renovation was still underway during our visit, but should be completed this month.

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Grand Sommelier Express Returns to KVR Steam Railway The members of Bottleneck Drive present a tasting experience on-board the elegantly restored Kettle Valley steam train, showcasing delicious offerings from local wineries alongside the natural beauty of Summerland.

The Grand Sommelier Express returns for a second year on June 24, 2017.

“Delicious wine, food, ciders and beer, Summerland scenery, and the beautiful steam train combine for an event you will not find anywhere else.”

Following a sparkling reception, guests will enjoy the scenic 90-minute train ride with wine poured by informative proprietors and winemakers.

Photo contributed

“We are excited to partner with the historic Kettle Valley Steam Railway again this year to bring guests an experience that is absolutely unique to Bottleneck Drive,” says Bottleneck Drive President Christa-Lee McWatters-Bond.

The tour includes a trestle-side stop to sample Bottleneck Drive’s hand-crafted beer and ciders.

A three-course dinner paired with Bottleneck Drive wines follows the train

trip. Entertainment includes live music and an attractive live and silent auction.

For more information, including ticket sales, visit www.bottleneckdrive.com or contact info@bottleneckdrive.com.

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

2017 Best of Varietal Awards Results After tasting 550 wines and 26 varietals, it all came down to Wild Goose Vineyards and Winery as the Best Wine of the Year in the Okanagan.

The 14 judges at the 2017 British Columbia Best of Varietal Wine Awards chose the 2016 Mystic River Gewurztraminer as the Wine of the Year, in results announced on May 4 by the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society.

The event marks the official launch of the Spring Okanagan Wine Festival.

The Awards are open to all licensed BC wineries that use 100% fruit grown in the province.

This year the competition was divided into different price categories, those being an under/over $19 category for whites, and an under/over $25 for reds.

The judges were chosen from the trade including renowned sommeliers, restaurateurs and recognized wine media from across western Canada and features a unique judging process that allows each panel of judges to evaluate all of the wines in any given category enabling a direct comparison for selecting the best wines.

Wine of the Year Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery – Mystic River Gewürztraminer 2016 Best Cabernet Franc Bench 1775 Winery – Cabernet Franc 2013 Best Cabernet Sauvignon Nk’Mip Cellars Winery – Qwam Qwmt Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Best Chardonnay $19 + 50th Parallel Estate – Chardonnay 2015 Best Chardonnay < $19 Nk’Mip Cellars Winery – Chardonnay 2015 Best Dessert Style Wine Northern Lights Estate Winery – Seduction 2016 Best Gewürztraminer Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery – Mystic River Gewürztraminer 2016 Best Icewine Volcanic Hills Estate Winery – Riesling Icewine 2014 Best Merlot Cassini Cellars – Nobilus 2013 Best Pinot Blanc Kraze Legz Vineyard & Winery – Skaha Vineyard Pinot Blanc 2016 Best Pinot Gris $19 + Hillside Winery – Unoaked Pinot Gris 2016 Best Pinot Gris < $19 Arrowleaf Cellars – Pinot Gris 2016 Best Pinot Noir $25 + Privato Vineyard and Winery – Grandé Reserve Pinot Noir 2012 Best Pinot Noir < $25 Arrowleaf Cellars – Pinot Noir 2015

Best Red Blend Other $25 + Cassini Cellars – Quattro Collector’s Series 2012 Best Red Blend Other < $25 Monte Creek Ranch Winery – Hands Up Red 2015 Best Meritage Blend $25 + Sandhill Vineyards Estate Wines – Small Lots Two 2014 Best Meritage Blend < $25 Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery – Red Horizon 2014 Best Riesling $19 + Kitsch Wines – Riesling 2015 Best Riesling < $19 Arrowleaf Cellars – Riesling 2016 Best Rosé $19 + Tinhorn Creek Vineyards – Oldfield Reserve Rosé 2016 Best Rosé < $19 Arrowleaf Cellars – Rosé 2016 Best Sauvignon Blanc Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery – Dry Rock Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Best Single Red Varietal Other - $25 + Blasted Church Vineyards – Holy Moly 2014 Best Single Red Varietal Other < $25 Thornhaven Estates Winery – Pinot Meunier 2014 Best Single White Varietal Other $19 + Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery – Morio & Friends Muscat 2016 Best Single White Varietal Other < $19 Inniskillin Okanagan

– Chenin Blanc 2016 Best Sparkling Noble Ridge Vineyard and Winery – The One 2012 Best Syrah Black Hills Estate Winery – Syrah 2014 Best Syrah Based Blend CedarCreek Estate Winery – Senator’s Red 2013 Best Viognier Red Rooster Winery – Rare Bird Series Viognier 2016 Best White Blend $19 + Inniskillin Okanagan – Viognier/Gewürztraminer Discovery Series 2016 Best White Blend < $19 Thornhaven Estates Winery – Brooklyn’s Blend 2016 The full list of winners is available at: www.thewinefestivals.com

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Pilot Project Funding for Viticulture Technician Program Okanagan College is launching a two-year pilot project offering a viticulture technician program, with the support of the BC government.

The province is providing $628,000 to support a two-year pilot project for the program, developed in partnership with the BC Wine Grape Council.

“Having experts from our industry helps shape the curriculum, and the program itself will mean that students are well prepared for important roles in our vineyards and businesses when they complete the diploma,” said Lynn Bremmer, chair of the BC Wine Grape Council.

“Just as viticulture and wine-

like canopy management, pest control, pruning, training vines and sensory evaluation, as well as occupational health and safety.

making have progressed and matured in recent years in BC, so too is the education and training that is available here. Government support and the college’s efforts are truly appreciated.”

The diploma was supported through the Sector Labour Market Partnerships (LMP) Program, which helps to ensure that training and education programs in B.C. are aligned with industry’s labour-market needs and priorities.

The pilot project will see 20 students begin their studies this fall toward the twoyear viticulture technician diploma.

The diploma is designed to provide hands-on, theoretical and practical knowledge that will allow students to eventually work as part of a vineyard management team. The program is structured around the viticulture growing season, providing opportunities to develop and apply skills

For the BC government the move is meant to support growth of an already large driver for employment and economic growth. Figures from the Ministry of Agriculture show that:

• The B.C. wine industry’s $2.8 billion economic impact is a significant driver of the province’s economy.

• More than 12,000 people throughout the province have jobs as a result of the wine industry.

• B.C. wineries welcome over one million visitors a year, generating over $476 million in tourism-related economic impact.

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Summer 2017 15

 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Photo by Government of BC

Local Fave Fernie Brewing Expanding Beyond the Rockies

Owner, Murray Pask, and business manager, Lenka Hawrys, welcomed East Kootenay MLA Bill Bennett to Fernie Brewing.

Located in the Rocky Mountains, where work and play mix with copious amounts of fresh air, locally crafted beer by the Fernie Brewing Company is giving British Columbians a taste of the outdoor life with every sip.

In 2003, the Pask family noticed something missing from their small Rocky Mountain coal mining town – a local brewery. The business started in the family barn, and has now grown and expanded into a larger facility to keep up with the demand for their delicious and refreshing brews. With a passion for their craft, the Pasks have discovered a way to mix work and play.

But brand manager Abi Moore says the young brewery initially struggled to get the word out past their local market.

“As a locally owned and operated B.C. business distributing throughout the province, we have found that our brand awareness is often limited to our local Kootenay market,” Moore says. “Residing closer to the Alberta border than the B.C. craft beer hubs of Vancouver or Victoria means we often aren’t associated with being a local B.C. brand."

Now Fernie Brewing is receiving funding from the provincial government’s Buy Local program. The program supports local agrifood and seafood companies

to help promote their products through Buy Local initiatives.

Fernie Brewing is receiving up to $75,000 to launch a marketing campaign to increase brand awareness and distribution in B.C., to give consumers throughout the province the opportunity to have a taste of the local brew.

“Fernie Brewing Co. is very excited to be a part of this Provincial funding program,” says Moore, adding it will allow the company to promote its products throughout BC, and particularly in the major population centres of Vancouver and Victoria.

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

BC Wineries & Breweries Receive Funding stand with our agricultural neighbours.” said Kazuko Komatsu, president and CEO, Pacific Western Brewing Co.

lovers all around the globe.

Photo by Government of BC

The Buy Local program has committed almost $1.6 million in funding to B.C.’s beer and wine industry since 2012 to supPacific Western Brewing was established in 1957 on a fresh water spring in Prince port food security in B.C. and help local George. Over the past 60 years, the com- businesses grow and thrive in the company has achieved many milestones. TheT:4.9”petitive market. brewery is bringing B.C. flavours to beer

¿Cuál es nuestro próximo destino?* BC wineries and breweries are getting a major boost this year to help market their products.

*

Translation: Where are we going next?

From soil, sunshine and scenic vineyards to local small town brews, B.C. wineries and breweries are giving British Columbians a diverse sensory experience that is as extraordinary as the province itself.

One example is Pacific Western Brewing Company, which is receiving up to $30,844 of Buy Local funding. As B.C.’s largest independent, locally owned brewery, the company has crafted a beer made solely with ingredients from B.C. called Cariboo Springs Lager. The funding will help launch marketing campaigns and create promotional materials for the new brew.

¡Panamá!* *

T:7.5”

The provincial government’s Buy Local program is providing 15 B.C.-based wineries and breweries with a combined total of up to $456,193 in funding to promote their local products through buy local projects, such as advertising campaigns and developing promotional materials.

Translation: Panama!

You’ve worked hard and now it’s time to reward yourself!

Every eligible purchase you make earns Hot Potatoes® reward points that you can redeem for the group trip to Panama, cash or maybe even both. Just don’t forget to pack a Spanish-to-English dictionary and a muy grande sense of adventure! And check the website later this year to discover the final itinerary.

Learn more at Hot-Potatoes.ca or call 1 877-661-6665

The creation of Cariboo Springs Lager from local ingredients is supporting B.C.’s farmers and families that help make Pacific Western Brewing’s craft possible, while bringing a passion for local agrifoods and great tasting beer together.

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Summer 2017 17

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A Sparkling New Winery on the Sh

By Gary Symons The wine industry is like any other; it goes through cycles, and certain wine products trend upwards or downwards over time.

Right now what’s hot is the growth of sparkling wines, not just here in Canada but around the world. Sparkling wines like Prosecco or Spanish Cavas are taking over a larger and larger share of the market, so it’s not surprising the production of sparkling wines is starting to bubble over here in BC. The latest entrant into the sparkling race is a serious contender.

Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards Winery is located overlooking Okanagan Lake just north of Summerland, and is focused on production of sparkling wines made in the traditional Champagne style. The winery was founded by the Fitzpatrick family, who are among the early winemaking pioneers in Canada.

Senator Ross Fitzpatrick bought the Cedar Creek vineyards way back in 1986, and he ran the winery with wife Linda and son Gordon for three decades, before selling to Mission Hill owner Anthony von Mandl.

That put the focus on the Fitzpatrick’s new winery effort, and Fitz opened its doors this spring.

President Gordon Fitzpatrick says the focus on making sparkling wines was partly a business decision, but partly dictated by the land itself.

The Fitz vineyards were planted more than 20 years ago, mainly with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which are the primary grapes used in Champagne. The family later planted Meunier, the third grape used in more sparing amounts when making classic French Champagne.

The new Fitz Winery opened between Summerland and Peachland in Spring 2017.

20 Summer 2017

Photo by Gary Symons

hores of Okanagan Lake

Summer 2017 21

The old fashioned wooden riddling racks used in traditional Champagne in the caves under the Winery.

With that mix of fruit, and a location that preserves the acidity needed for a superior sparkling wine, Fitzpatrick says it just made sense to go for the bubbles.

“The reason we decided to do sparkling wine is because we think the site is ideally suited to it,” Fitzpatrick says. “We planted Greata Ranch 20 years ago, and you know, the land kind of tells you what wines you should be making.

“We have Mount Aeneas behind us here which causes the sun to disappear on us about two and a half hours earlier, giving us what we call ‘the gift of shade’. That allows us to grow grapes with high natural acidity that are ideally suited to doing both the bubbly and the site specific still wines we make here.”

The winery will have the capacity to produce 8,000 cases per year, of which 3,000 to 3,500 will be sparkling. The choice of focusing heavily on sparkling was also a business decision based on clear market trends.

“Sparkling wines have been trending upward for several years,” Fitzpatrick says. “The lower price points of wines like Prosecco have helped, because people try that and then they want to explore the higher end sparkling wines as well.”

The trend worldwide has been double digit increases in sparkling wine consumption for the past five to seven years, and that is echoed here in BC.

Thousands of bottles of Pink Mile Rosé in the caves under the Winery.

22 Summer 2017

Over the last year, for example, the dollar value of sparkling wine sold in BC increased by 19 per cent, and the volumes sold increased by 16 per cent.

Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards Winemaker

Photos by Gary Symons

Sarah Bain is a New Zealand winemaker who began her career working in the celebrated Central Otago wine region in 2004. Her career has been based mainly in Central Otago at two leading organic & biodynamic producers.

She worked first at Burn Cottage making premium quality Pinot Noir and then at Quartz Reef, one of New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading producers of Traditional Method sparkling.

She also worked in California and Germany before settling in at Fitz.

Sarah is pictured here with her dog Titan.

Summer 2017 23

Wine making equipment on the balcony overlooking Okanagan Lake.

We’re making our sparkling wines in exactly the same way they do it in Champagne, the difference is that we are firmly rooted in British Columbia.

- Gordon Fitzpatrick In other words, buyers are purchasing more sparkling wines, and they are starting to gravitate toward the more expensive, higher-end products.

The Fitzpatricks decided to go all out in producing a superior sparkling wine in the Champagne style. They had the right grapes. The next step was to hire the right winemaker. That turned out to be Sarah Bain, a New Zealand winemaker who began her career working in the celebrated Central Otago wine region in 2004.

tinuously tilt the bottles so the sediment can be consolidated in the bottle, and then easily removed before corking.

In the old days winemakers would have to continuously move thousands of bottles of wine by hand, but further into the cave are new automated riddling machines that put 504 bottles through their series of gyrations over a period of five days.

Fitzpatrick says the winery is sparing no expense to produce a quality product, but at an affordable price.

Bain started out at Burn Cottage making premium Pinot Noir, and then at Quartz Reef, one of New Zealand’s leading producers of Traditional Method sparkling wines. She also worked in California and Germany before settling in at Fitz.

“We’re making our sparkling wines in exactly the same way they do it in Champagne,” he says. “The difference is that we are firmly rooted in British Columbia, and we are also about one-half the price of French Champagne.

Downstairs, below the bistro and tasting rooms, a massive excavation opened up a wine cave where the still and sparkling wines are produced. There are old fashioned wooden ‘riddling racks’ used in traditional Champagne making to con-

“We wanted to price ours so it could be an every week occurrence, not just something you have at weddings or celebrations. Our slogan is, ‘why wait to celebrate?’.”

24 Summer 2017

The winery's Fitz Bistro includes a seating area on the licensed

Fitz Bistro located next to the Sparkling Tasting Bar.

Photos by Gary Symons

patio with stunning views of vineyards, mountains and Okanagan Lake.

Champagne buckets in the tasting area.

Summer 2017 25

Transformation and Diversification

Photo courtesy of www.rippleswinery.com

This fruit winery with a twist brings all the senses

By Ronda Payne

Sometimes the world changes, and you have to change with it. This is especially true in agriculture where changes in the markets force changes in what is grown on the farm. The Ripple Winery in Abbotsford, BC is an example of that type of change.

Owners Caroline and Paul Mostertman are familiar with the hard work of farming. The couple bought their beautiful 20 acre farm in East Abbotsford back in 1981 when it was a far less glamorous pig farm, a segment of agriculture they were already well-accustomed to.

greet visitors at the entrance.

The Mostertman’s worked in the pork industry for 28 years until prices bottomed out and the writing was on the wall; it was time for a change. In 2000 Caroline started a nursery on the site while she also planted about 15 acres of blueberries. Now, Ripples is a far cry from the pig farm it once was with the sounds of flowing water and sights of beautiful plants and trees dipping their leaves to

“The water plant pond business has stayed pretty stable,” Caroline says. “We are the most extensive pond store in the Lower Mainland. It’s a very small segment of the gardening business, but a very stable one.”

That flowing water is what makes this up-and-coming fruit winery so unique.

Ripples gets its name from the passionate focus the couple has on pond supplies. The on-site nursery carries plants, fish and hardware specific to ponds.

If it goes into a pond, you’ll find it at Ripples. Most of the customers are on a firstname basis and love to linger and chat Caroline Mostertman, Bonnie Boes, Melanie Thompson and

26 Summer 2017

at Ripples Winery

Photo by Ronda Payne

together in one site.

Charlie are part of the work crew.

Summer 2017 27

Ripples owners Caroline and Paul Mostertman.

Every day is different. Sometimes it’s too much of a challenge but I wake up every morning happy to be doing this.

- Caroline Mostertman The Ripples crew working in the greenhouse.

because they’ve become loyal long-term patrons, shoppers and friends.

Two large greenhouses nurture a wide range of water plants while koi swim in the ponds, flashing their bright colours at the surface as visitors walk past. A pergola covers a sitting area just outside of the newly-created, walk-up tasting room and a large stamped concrete and paving stone picnic area invites guests to the farm to linger and take in the sounds – or lack thereof – inherent in being in the midst of farm country on a well-loved acreage.

Each day, Caroline looks forward to getting her hands on the plants and in the soil. She has a number of helpers on her team that feel the same way. They all seem to revel in the ability to commune with nature and share the bounty with others. Bonnie Boes and Melanie Thomp28 Summer 2017

son (who is Ripples new marketing manager) are part of the work crew, along with eight-year-old Charlie the dog.

“It’s a huge juggle, but I have a great team of people,” Caroline says. “It’s a great little community.”

While the untrained eye sees no sign of the old pig farm, Caroline points to the building that houses the winery noting it’s the former pig barn. Obviously a lot of renovating happened to make it Paul’s haven and a home to blueberry inspired potables.

“We’ve always split up the work,” she notes. “Paul’s strength is the winemaking, I love the plants.”

They tried making blueberry juice first but found it was too expensive.

“There was too much waste,” says Caroline.

Photos by Ronda Payne

“It became a good fit to make blueberries into wine,” Paul adds.

So in 2015 they turned from juice to wine after talking about it extensively and agreeing they wanted berries that were as clean and organic as possible. The machine-harvested varieties are Reka, Liberty and Draper.

“That’s the blend we make our wine from,” she adds.

Of course there’s a big difference between the idea of making blueberry wine and actually making it.

“We found that out once we started,” she says.

The couple brought on wine consultant Laurent Lafuente who is a distiller by trade, but also consults on a number of fruit wines and has an excellent understanding of the qualities of good wines.

Summer 2017 29

“He’s been a huge benefit to us,” Caroline says and adds that Lafuente and Paul work well together in the winery.”

“He doesn’t have any hang-ups about fruit wines,” Paul notes about Lafuente.

“I came from a whole different background. We basically rely a lot on the expertise of Lafuente.”

Caroline sees the winery, which had its grand opening on May 6, as a way to enhance and grow the business that’s already established. The vision is to keep it small and personal, just like the pond business.

“We will be a small backyard winery that produces very high quality wine,” she notes. “We’ll be a destination.”

Recognition of the quality of Ripples Winery wines has already begun with awards for two of the four different creations. Cu-Pe-Re (cupere means desire) won gold in a local competition at a fruit winery meeting and bronze at the Cascadia wine competition. An-The-Ia (which Caroline says means nectar of the gods) won silver at Cascadia. Another wine name, Intemperance, means over-indulgence.

The couple also makes wine gummies (their wine is sent to the producer of the gummies), wine salt (a full bottle of wine makes three small jars of the glittering salts) and plan to have blueberry ice cream for guests.

“We make that here,” Caroline says of the salts. “It has a really unique flavour.”

The attractive high-end packaging and labelling plays an important role as well in customer perception and appeal.

Up until the grand opening in May, the Mostertmans hadn’t sold their wine.

They’ve created, sampled and shared, but never sold a single bottle.

“We’ve been building up our inventory,” she notes. “We’ve only just started and we haven’t sold our wine yet. It was a bigger investment than we expected, but 30 Summer 2017

Photo by Ronda Payne

Two of the four wines are fruit ports that hit the mark with a distinctive taste, but no cloying over-done flavours. In fact, while Paul is a rookie fruit winemaker with a consultant to help things along, the product at Ripples Winery is downright delicious. In the wings, Paul is also working on a cranberry wine and is exploring the idea of a pumpkin wine.

The old pig barn has been renovated and transformed into a rustic winery.

we decided if we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it right.”

Providing unique wine and a unique setting makes Ripples Winery the ideal location for special occasions like weddings, birthdays and other celebrations. Paul also sees the farm’s position near the freeway as a huge bonus. Tour buses on their way to wine country in the Okanagan and those going through the Rockies are the ideal customers to stop and enjoy wine, a picnic and even feed the fish in the ponds before they continue their travels.

“We get to meet a lot of different people,” says Paul.

“We just love what we do. We enjoy chatting to people,” Caroline says. “And being your own boss. Every day is different.

Sometimes it’s too much of a challenge but I wake up every morning happy to be doing this.”

A lot of Ripples’ regular customers were looking forward to the winery opening despite the fact that their original relationship with the Mostertmans is through pond supplies. One might not think that pond supplies is a natural fit for a winery, but it all comes down to relationships, spending time together and sharing great products and experiences.■

Photos by Kim Lawton

INTEREST IN SPARKLING WINE BUBBLES OVER

By Kim Lawton Sparkling wines are the hottest trend in the business right now, and BC winemakers are moving to take advantage of this rapid growth.

Winemakers from around the province gathered recently at Okanagan College to discuss the bubbling field of sparkling wines. Attendees had the chance to hear from international experts about different methods of producing sparkling wine, share best practices and try products from around the world.

Sparkling wine production in BC is getting more popular and many wineries are either launching or expanding their sparkling wine line. Norman Cole, owner of Artus Bottling and one of the organizers of this lecture explained, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a significant opportunity for BC wineries to further expand into the very popular sparkling wines category. Worldwide consumption and demand for sparkling wines is increasing. BC wineries are seeing this trend first hand with consumers

Speakers Norman Cole, Thierry Lemaire, Denis Bunner, Marcello Galetti.

seeking out this style of wine. In other wine regions around the world, sparkling wines represent a higher percentage of a winery's business than we see here in BC and wineries here are responding.â&#x20AC;?

This lecture brought in international experts to share their worldwide best practices and to discuss the range of different sparkling wine styles and production options. Marcello Galetti, a wine consultant in Italy, discussed different Italian Summer 2017 31

sparkling wines including Prosecco and Lambrusco. Marcello also gave a presentation on the Charmat method.

On the incredible growth in Prosecco, now at 400 million bottles produced a year, Galetti explained, “Prosecco is a lifestyle choice. It is perceived by the consumer as a product with an excellent relationship between quality and price.”

Prosecco is relatively quick to produce and the price point, often ranging from $17-$25 a bottle, reflects this.

Conversely Champagne, the name given to sparkling wines produced in France,

are wines that take significantly more time and labour to produce. These higher-priced sparkling wines can be considered a status symbol and often range in price from $50-$80 a bottle or more.

Denis Bunner, Assistant Chef de Cave at Champagne Bollinger, presented the main styles found in Champagne. Denis explained that “... with 306 million bottles of Champagne produced annually, they are seeing strong growth in Champagne sales, but also peaks and valleys as Champagne sales reflect financial crises.”

Jonathan Rouse, Director of Food, Wine and Tourism and Associate Dean of the

Jason James, the Winemaker for Sumac Ridge, Black Sage Vineyards and Steller’s Jay participated in the lecture. “I think making sparkling wine can be more complex than people think, so when you get a chance to listen and talk to experts like those present at this lecture, you do it.

I always gain an idea or method to improve our sparkling wines,” said James.

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Okanagan School of Business at Okanagan College mentioned, “This lecture is perfect timing as wineries in BC expand their interests in sparkling wine. It also ties in extremely well with relationships that Okanagan College is developing with European viticulture and oenology education institutions, such as the Avize Viti Campus in Champagne. The intent is for student and faculty exchanges with two students from the Avize Vit Campus visiting the Okanagan this summer on internships, providing an excellent opportunity to bridge knowledge, cultures and values among our respective regions.”

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This lecture was part of the Bottling Excellence Lecture Series provided by Artus Bottling and Nuance Winery Supplies, with the support of Okanagan College. Thierry Lemaire, Owner of Nuance Winery Supplies explained, “We’re very pleased to bring such talented international expertise to BC. The goal of this lecture and our ongoing Bottling Excellence Lecture Series is to help wineries continue to improve the quality of their wines by bringing them leading edge presenters, technology and worldwide best practices." ■ For more information or to be included on the invitation list for future lectures, email Norman Cole at norman@ artusbottling.com or Thierry Lemaire at thierry@nuancetrade.com.

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Get to Know Thy Customer Strong sales come not from selling, but from understanding customers and their wants. steps to reaching customers easily, without all the pain.

member who is interested and/or experienced in marketing, but for those without this kind of resource the challenge can definitely be daunting.

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arketing is not always the forte of growers and farmers. Even some operators in the wine business, known for superior marketing activities, struggle with understanding and reaching their prime customers. Those with available funds might make use of a contracted expert or they may have the luxury of a team

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“People suffer around reaching their customers,” he says.

“Everybody in business is working in business as a salesperson, but customers don’t want to be sold to.”

Unfortunately, a daunting task can lead to avoidance and avoidance of marketing activities can lead to the collapse of a business.

Morton explains that instead of hard selling, good marketing is about aligning customers and products. He advises that if growers take the time to consider why they do what they do they are more likely to offer products people want, be able to understand who those customers are, and know how to market to them.

Fortunately, Gary Morton of Morton Horticultural Associates in Nova Scotia understands how challenging marketing can be for farmers and growers who prefer to work in the dirt than to struggle with customer analysis. He spoke at the Pacific Agriculture Show about the five

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“You’re going to have to get closer [to your customers]

than you ever have before,” says Morton. “If you think about these things and apply them to your business, you will find success.”

Success also comes from doing things that bring customers to trust, believe and ultimately buy. This is where Morton’s five steps to reaching customers come into play.

Who is the customer “There are more choices today than there ever was in history,” Morton says.

He advises farmers to “get to know their DNA” in order to understand how to offer the right products to customers.

This generally includes under-

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standing preferences in terms of food, obviously, but also in terms of how they shop, spend their time and all the nuances that make them the ideal customer.

By looking at existing customers and identifying common threads it will start to reveal the patterns that make customers choose certain products.

Competitive advantage Every business has something that makes it unique and stand out. Farmers and growers must learn what gives them an advantage over others.

“I like to call this your superpower,” notes Morton. “You have to [offer] value that other [businesses] aren’t.”

Identifying unique points will give a farmer an advantage to communicate. Morton explains that it’s best to talk to customers, not at them. This is done by reaching them the way they want, be it online, via email or even at farmers’ markets in person.

Once the best communication strategies are identified, Morton recommends communicating more often in order to educate, and to build relationships, authority and trust.

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“You need some good stories to tell to sell your product,” Morton says.

These will be stories that people remember. They may be about the farm itself, the types of products grown there, how they are grown or stories about family. Stories are unique and personal. They give customers a glimpse of what goes on behind

the scenes, which is what they want to know. They want transparency and a sense of understanding who their farmer or grower really is.

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The “Git’n” Strategy Morton explains this as an appealing offer to engage customers in the marketing tools. One example he gives is if someone finds a grower on Facebook, that grower might have the prospective customer click through to a website where they can sign up for a newsletter and receive access to a free event. By making an appealing offer the prospective customer is more likely to become a customer.

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Morton says continually reaching out is essential to keep customers. Ongoing contact, updates and information will grow a relationship with trust. Offers for existing customers may play a part, but the nurturing of the relationship is the primary objective.

Morton believes that by following these five steps growers are more likely to have success in connecting with their customers.

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“You need to reach out to them and continually reach out to them,” he says. ■

Pat Duggan Real Estate

In addition to being a regular contributor to Orchard & Vine Magazine, Ronda Payne occasionally speaks about marketing to farmers and other groups. Before becoming a freelance writer, Ronda spent more than 15 years as a marketing expert in various industries. Contact her at ronda@eybenconnected. com or visit http://girlwithapen.ca/

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Top Nursery Returns to Canada with Strict Vine Testing Process

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or nearly fifteen years, the name Euro Grapevine Nursery was synonymous in Canada with highquality virus tested grapevines. Eckhard Kaesekamp chose to immigrate in 1987 from Germany to Ontario, Canada and brought with him Europe’s best practices in grapevine growing. He expanded his nursery into the region’s top source for grapevines and built many friendships among wine grape growers—friendships that still exist today.

In 2001, Eckhard had the opportunity to serve Northern California and the Napa Valley growing region, and he decided to take up that challenge. He continues his successful California nursery today and has differentiated his nursery with a singular focus—growing virus tested vines.

He’s never forgotten how Canada embraced him and helped him get his start, and he still takes great pride in serving the Canadian grapevine market, providing growers with grapevines that are as healthy as possible.

Eckhard uses the strictest testing process available. He tests each individual plant to ensure a clean, high-quality vine. This is unique from most of his competitors, who only test a sample of vines. He’s able to provide this level of testing with only minimal added cost to the customer. It’s a thorough, transparent process that represents a big difference between his independent family-owned nursery and large corporate nurseries.

His nursery has sold millions of vines, all of them with a strong record of success.

No matter where the rootstock or bud wood originates from (certified blocks, or the new 2010 protocol), nothing beats the peace of mind that is brought about by individual plant testing before grafting season. This gives Eckhard’s customers the utmost confidence they have a

Eckhard Kaesekamp has differentiated his nursery with a singular focus – growing virus tested vines. clean product and helps to protect the enormous investment that vineyard owners make in their operations.

The vine testing process at Knights Grapevine Nursery—the successor to Eckhard’s original Canadian-based Euro Grapevine Nursery—is simple, but crucial. It starts with the selection of healthy vines. Then, samples are taken from each and every plant. Samples are sent to the lab for testing, and the lab sends back results. Once positive results are confirmed, grafting is performed.

Eckhard has access to the largest grapevine selection in the world, and since 2014, in response to the outbreak of red blotch, he has tested every plant for viruses. There are no exceptions. It’s this level of care for his product that makes his grapevines exceptional.

Whether it was through his original Euro Grapevine Nursery, based in Canada, or his thriving California-based Knights Grapevine Nursery, Eckhard Kaeskamp understands that protecting vines against viruses means nothing less than protecting a vineyard owner’s future.

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or the past few years, we have been spreading the positive message about the tree fruit industry and its resurgence.

At the time of this writing - early May the good news is born out by significant facts. The latest census figures show tree fruit acreage grew by six percent over the past five years and farm gate sales jumped by fifty percent. With growth come growing pains. Growers face many hurdles in expanding and intensifying their production. One of the challenges was getting adequate numbers of workers, but the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) has largely solved this challenge. However, the on-farm housing of farm workers is being challenged by some neighbours, and a balance must be achieved by local government regulators. Growers are accepting and working with all of the challenges to their growth and success. Otherwise, the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) as we know it will vanish.

The message about optimism and hope is gaining momentum. Coupled with a proposed program to rejuvenate the industry with bare ground planting, this new found optimism has lifted the spirits of farmers.

But, as with all things. progress comes with its own set of challenges. With the expansion and intensification of the tree fruit sector, obtaining adequate labour can be a problem. This was foreseen more than a decade ago, when berry and tree fruit associations made the case for bringing the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) to BC. SAWP actually started 50 years in Ontario, coinciding with post-war industrial development in

In BC, our demographics led to a shortage of labour later than Ontario, so the SAWP program was only introduced in 2004. In the Okanagan, a total of four Mexican workers came in 2004, and in 2016 the Okanagan agricultural sector hosted 2,085 Mexico and 707 Caribbean Commonwealth farm workers. Today, if the workers were all in one place that would count as one of the largest private employers in the Okanagan!

The change and increase in the agricultural workforce has resulted in some unusual claims from neighbours. For example, we have heard more than once that the workers are ‘slaves’. This is very offensive to the industry, which has long

been community-based and workers are considered part of the extended family.

Workers are not indentured. Their work visas allow them to work for a particular employer, as one would expect, but the workers are free to leave the farm and stay in Canada for the duration of their visa. If a farm is not achieving the high standards of the program, then workers have been transferred to another farm that does meet the standards, despite the claims of activists that say this does not happen. Growers often provide for workers in ways that no other workplace would contemplate.

For example, the original employer of those four Mexican workers is still in contact with two of the workers living in Mexico.

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One grower paid for the airfare for a worker to return home for his father’s funeral.

Farmers are invited to visit with workers in their home country, to see directly the benefits of the farm work for the Mexican and Caribbean families.

Several growers have sponsored the landed immigration applications for some of their workers.

The agriculture sector supports landed immigrant status for foreign farm workers that help with our harvest, as seen in the successive waves of immigrants since Confederation that take on the long work hours, tough manual labour, risks, wide-ranging skills and incredible determination it takes to farm in Canada.

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SAWP has many safeguards to protect workers, unlike other temporary worker programs. For one thing this program has oversight by the Canadian and foreign governments of Mexico and the Caribbean. There is a lot of regulation, which is a good thing though sometimes cumbersome. First, foreign workers get all of the rights, protections and benefits of Canadian workers. The international agreement on SAWP then additionally regulates hours of work, transportation, housing and most importantly recruitment (done by the foreign government’s Ministry of Labour, not a ‘people smuggler’).

Having solved one problem, another emerges - the one sticking point with some in the local communities is another level of regulation, on worker housing.

Worker housing originally consisted of picker’s cabins in orchards. Over time many cabins became sub-standard, and there were not enough of them for the larger contingent of workers needed in a modern, intensive orchard. The city and industry have in recent years come to an agreement that housing for temporary workers must be temporary, not permanent. Thus the advent of work camps and Atco-type trailers. Temporary housing ensures that, if ownership of the ALR property changes and the new owner does not require the housing, it can be removed (rather than creating an unauthorized rental headache for the local government).

With the growth of the industry, especially the acreage of cherries and apples,

challenges to meet the new growth have occurred. With more and more crops maturing the tree fruit sector will need people to thin, prune and pick the fruit from ever increasing yields. Many of these workers will be local and not require housing, but housing must be provided for foreign workers and work camps are being constructed.

So where does worker housing fit into the equation? Farms in the Okanagan are integrated into the urban landscape.

They provide a backdrop for recreation such as cycling and tourism. There is a disconnect between the farm life and the urban understanding of what a farm does. Here is a prime reason. One hundred years ago fifty percent of Canadians were in some way directly or indirectly connected to agriculture. Today that number has decreased to two percent.

With new technology and farm size increasing, things are changing. Farm consolidation over the past several decades has resulted today in a situation where the largest 6.2% of farms account for fifty percent of farm acreage.

Employment is even more concentrated,

with the largest 25 percent of farms accounting for about fifty-five percent of the industry payroll. Many small operations and young people entering the industry are buying up small farms and amalgamating them into larger operations. Medium size operations are shrinking.

their idyllic beauty. With the ALR, we need to ensure that the agricultural parcels are viable in the sense of a modern, competitive world. We were promised a productive, viable ALR when it was instituted in 1973. Public support for the ALR has not waned, and associations of growers now support the ALR as well.

One can see how these changes are presenting a concern for local government, neighbours and farmers alike. Fortunately we have the Agriculture Land Reserve to ensure we have farmland to feed people locally and elsewhere. With the preservation of farmland comes the responsibility to ensure that the farmland is used productively and that agricultural producers do not face undue barriers and hurdles to remain competitive.

Retirees, urban escapees and others have entered the equation and purchased lands both at the edge of the farms or on the surrounding hills and they are perplexed as to how this industry reinvented itself. What most do not understand is the tree fruit industry is over 128 years old, has survived many challenges, and continues to evolve.

Enter the age of urban expansion. Many thought this was a wonderful place to retire and bask in the sun and be part of a bucolic local agrarian lifestyle complete with the memories of an industry that was based more on subsistence than on feeding the other 98% of humanity.

Without the ALR, we could chop up the agricultural land into country estates that are not productive but valued for

We can dispute the meaning of consultation until the cows come home; the fact of the matter is there has been a disconnect between the wishes of the rural urbanite transplants, the simple solutions of local governance and the farmers that need the workers to pick the ever-increasing volume of fruit. A balance needs to be achieved, but the lowest common denominator is a viable, productive ALR. We cannot accept less, or the foundation of the ALR will crumble.

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Permanent housing is not going to prevail so what is the answer? Workers are needed in the thousands, spread over the valley. Non-permanent housing is the solution, with the possibility of decommissioning worker housing on acreage that is not going to be farmed.

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Some residents don't want any housing in their neighborhood, which is impractical. Farmers want to make use of their land in the most efficient way and are frustrated by what they feel is a lack of input.

There is a solution out there. Communities need to lay out some rules and find a balance that works best for all citizens.

Listening to the discussion and being a part of it, I believe a solution is close. For example, a farmer could build to a formula of one foreign worker per acre with a cap of 60 beds per farm. In exchange the farmer would be granted the right to have additional camps on other nonadjoining farm parcels he or she owns.

This would both decrease the footprint in any one location and at the same time allow the farmer to conduct his or her business without being overly limited in the amount of on-farm housing.

The economic input of the orchard industry is important to us all. This is borne out by the latest census which suggests 776 million dollars in economic activity is generated for the Okanagan Valley.

Economically and health-wise, as well as food sustainability-wise, agriculture contributes to the well being of us all. It is paramount that a solution to the issue of worker housing is found soon. ■ Fred Steele President BCFGA

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info@orchardandvine.net 40 Summer 2017

 LEGAL LIBATIONS | DENESE ESPEUT-POST

Use Life Insurance to Preserve Your Estate tial tax burden for one’s estate.

istration of an estate. In addition to income taxes, other factors that may increase the need for liquidity in one’s estate include probate fees, executor’s fees, trustees’ fees, professional fees and charitable and other cash gifts made in one’s Last Will.

D

o you have an estate plan? Estate planning is really the advance preparation for the two things you can count on at the end of your life, death and taxes.

At the time of death, income taxes often create the greatest need for liquidity in one’s estate. When I refer to liquidity, I mean that funds are readily available to the executor of one’s estate for the admin-

Let’s consider an example of how this may unfold. Smith is a 68 year old deceased man who is divorced and survived by one healthy adult child. At his death, Smith was the sole owner of 2 pieces of property, his primary residence and a recreational cottage. Let’s assume that Smith purchased the cottage for $75,000 many years ago and its FMV is now $350,000. He was also the sole owner of shares in a private corporation (FMV of $400,000) which he incorporated early in life. Smith also owned an RRSP valued at $250,000 and named his child as his beneficiary.

In Canada, while there is no estate tax, there is a deemed disposition of all property owned by deceased person for its fair market value (FMV) immediately before death.

What this really means is a deceased person is treated as having sold all of their property just before death for FMV. It does not matter that there is no actual sale or disposition of this property. So, this can create a large poten-

Smith’s estate will pay con-

siderable tax in the year of his death. Assuming Smith claims the principal residence exemption for his primary residence, his recreational cottage will be deemed to have been sold for its FMV, $350,000, just prior to his death. This will result in a capital gain of $275,000 ($350,000 - $75,000) for tax purposes. As Smith started his corporation, the initial cost of his shares would likely have been nominal. With an FMV of $400,000 at death, Smith will have a $400,000 capital gain for tax purposes. Further, the full amount remaining in Smith’s RRSP, $250,000, will be fully taxed. In our simple example, Smith has a $675,000 capital gain of which, one half will be added to his income in the

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year of death ($675,000/2 = $337,500). In addition to the extra income of $337,500, we must add the fully taxable RRSP amount of $250,000. So, Smith has additional income of $587,500 resulting from the deemed disposition which is over and above his typical income sources. Of course, this amount would also be taxed at Smith’s highest marginal tax rate.

Please keep in mind that the above example is a simple example and does not consider various tax exemptions and tax planning strategies that can be adopted in order to minimize the tax payable by an estate upon death. Such exemptions and strategies may include the capital gains exemption, principal residence exemption, spousal rollover and pipeline planning for corporations amongst others.

Also, there are also some personal planning strategies that can be implemented during life to achieve one’s intended dispositions and goals upon death. It will be important to speak to your legal and tax advisors as you are working through your personal and estate plan.

Tax resulting from a deemed disposition on death essentially means that there is tax to pay without a corresponding income source because the deceased person has not actually sold any assets which would result in an influx of cash. Unless the estate of the deceased person has resources within it to cover a large tax burden, life insurance should be considered.

One important benefit and a fundamental use of life insurance is the provision of cash to satisfy not only the income tax burden realized in the year of death, but the other potential estate costs which increase the need for liquidity mentioned above. If Smith had insurance on his life, payable to his estate upon his death, Smith’s estate would receive a tax-free cash payment which could then be used for his liabilities and other estate needs.

Typically, life insurance will be the least expensive way to fund estate liabilities (compared to borrowing money or liquidating assets for example) and it is paid exactly when it is needed.

Take the time to go speak with your insurance advisor, determine if life insurance would benefit you and if so, the amount of coverage required based upon your personal circumstances and the manner in which the insurance policy should be owned. ■

42 Summer 2017

 GO GREEN | RYAN ELIZABETH COPE

Save the Planet, Save Money...with Fruit?

C

onsumers with purchasing power appreciate having the ability to vote with their dollar, especially when it comes to food.

This is one of the best ways consumers can take a stand for a cause they believe in.

In this valley, supporting local food while also saving the environment is that cause.

But, how do producers and fruit retailers in the Okanagan stand to benefit from this movement?

As a consumer on a tight budget, I am always looking for a worthwhile deal. As an environmentalist, I’m also looking for the deal that will save me money while also saving the planet. For me, this means avoiding excessive plastic bags at the till; bringing my own produce bags to fill up with oranges at the grocery store; and avoiding plastic straws like the plague.

stands and packing houses, giving consumers the ability to see behind the scenes into your operation is a big deal.

It’s what makes you, the producer, seem real. It’s why we get a shot of good feelings after spending money to buy a basket of cherries, freshpicked and still warm from the summer sun at your U-Pick farm; but we don’t get those same fuzzy feelings buying avocados from Mexico at the grocery store in the middle of winter.

From a business perspective, I see this as a golden opportunity. Now more than ever, in a world filled with thoughts of “food security,” and news headlines screeching about a plastic-filled ocean by 2050, many consumers want to know the food they’re eating is safe, locally produced, and isn’t trashing the planet. If you needed a new marketing plan for 2017, this is it; sustainable fruit retail.

Recently, I have begun investigating where my food comes from, an act I would encourage for all consumers, regardless of wallet size. In doing this research, which is by no means extensive, I have come to the conclusion that in the age of endless data, rampant social media, and an interconnected planet the likes of which we’ve never seen before, discovering how our food is made is relatively easy...but we’re not all doing it. Here in the Okanagan, this task is practically a walk in the park (or, cherry orchard, as it were) and in fact, many consumers do this every summer, as the produce stands lining the highways begin opening their doors for the season.

This past fall I had the good fortune to do just this and got a glance into the world of apples. Having just recently arrived in BC from coastal Maine, I was clueless to the fact this valley is famous for its fruit and agrifarm tours.

My first visit to De Simone Farms in Rutland absolutely blew my mind. By walking the path of an apple, from tree to box, I learned so much about the process it takes to get our food from point A to B and learned it’s complicated getting that box to market.

In the advocacy world, there is a tendency to demonize certain kinds of packaging for the way they harm the environment. The poster child for

As owners of these fruit

this campaign is the plastic shopping bag, made to last forever, but used for only a handful of items and then thrown away. Plastic eating utensils came next, then drinking straws, and for a while, we were even getting up in arms over produce stickers, with a movement to eliminate and replace them with laser-etched produce tags.

As we walked past the machines adhering stickers to each apple, destined for grocery store shelves across Canada, I asked Pierre De Simone, Operations Manager for the packing house, about the likelihood of this new technology taking off.

His response was, “When was the last time you ever saw anything laser-etched?” The fact of the matter is that the machines capable of laserprinting specific PLU numbers on fruit are expensive, to the point of being cost-prohibitive for most medium-sized packing houses. Even largescale fruit packers are not making a move toward this technology. Instead, they are choosing enhanced stickers that give retailers more information at the point of sale.

Taking this walk through De

Summer 2017 43

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Simone’s packing house with Pierre allowed me to see the operation with my own eyes, and get a direct, straight answer from him about my packaging questions. In short, the retailers demand certain packaging, and in order to stay in business that demand has to be met. Produce stickers, a menace to the packers and consumers alike, are not going anywhere anytime soon.

From the consumer point of view, tackling issues like this often seem fruitless (no pun intended) when we realize the scale at which food is being produced, packed, and shipped globally. So many of these operating rules and regulations are difficult to change, and if change happens it will be slow and laborious. In some cases, the smaller and more local the business, the more flexibility they will have in making packaging decisions that help meet their bottom line, and also show the customer that they care about the environment. It’s not so easy for a large, international food distributor, and this is perhaps a serious consequence of having a globalized food system. With so many interconnected parts, making one change will invariably mean making many changes across many groups, and that takes time.

With change at the operations level not necessarily a timely option, it has to come from elsewhere and this gets back to a new way of marketing, already beginning to take hold but in need of a major boost. How do we tackle these problems of waste and local food at once? At the point-of-sale, the place where the produce meets the consumer! The beauty of addressing the waste issue at this point in the food system is that it can be done in ways that benefit both the producer and the consumer, and are quick to implement!

At produce stands, offer recycled boxes, bins, or totes to haul produce away, instead of traditional plastic bags.

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Offer customer incentives. Encourage your customers to return used containers for a discount on their next purchase of fruit, or sweeten the deal by enacting a bring-your-own (bag, box, bin) policy and reward customers who do so with a percentage off their order.

In the event that a plastic bag is necessary (even a hardened environmentalist will admit that delicate cherries need some extra TLC after they’ve been picked!), consider switching to a bag that contains a high percentage of recycled material, typically found at bulk cost, reasonable for even small-scale operations.

Reusable bags are always in style. If you have the means and it makes sense for your business, consider bulk-ordering highquality reusable bags, branded with your business’s logo.

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While not all consumers are concerned about saving the planet, the beauty in creating consumer-facing policies like these are that they will work anyway because typically, saving money is something that consumers do care about. By giving people incentive to change their behavior you are not only saving yourself money in the long-run, but you are also building a relationship with your consumers that will make them want to come back for more. ■ Ryan Elizabeth Cope Junior Watershed Biologist FunFrog Creative Communications C: 250-899-7887 https://sevenintheocean.com

 THE WORD ON WINE | LISA BRAMAN

Huge Growth for BC Wine and Grape Industry ernment’s BC Liquor Policy Review and subsequent recommendations,” adds Prodan.

Wine Institute. “BC wineries and grape growers, the majority of whom are small, family-owned agri-businesses, support 12,000 full-time jobs in the province through economic impacts.”

A

recent industry research study found that Canada’s wine and grape industry is enjoying a boom time, having grown 33 per cent since 2013 to $9 billion in 2015.

Of that total, the province of BC contributes 31 per cent.

Provincially, the BC wine and grape industry is a significant driver of the economy, contributing $2.8 billion in 2015.

The figures come from the recently released report “Canada’s Wine Economy – Ripe, Robust, Remarkable”, authored by Frank, Rimerman and Company.

“Our wine and grape industry is seeing phenomenal growth,” says Miles Prodan, President and CEO of the BC

The province has implemented 90 per cent of the 73 recommendations including allowing 100 per cent BC wine sales at local farmers’ markets and on select grocery store shelves. These changes are providing consumers with expanded access and choice to purchase BC VQA Wine (certified 100 per cent BC grapes).

British Columbia is home to approximately 929 grape growers with a combined acreage of 10,260 grapebearing acres (including wineries).

The report found that using a four-year average of grape production, approximately 27,745 tonnes of grapes are produced annually while wine grape sales totalled $47.2 million, or an average of $1,703 per tonne.

Consumers are taking advantage of the selection and quality offered by BC winemakers. Since March 2014, provincial BC VQA market share has grown by 355,000 cases and a record high of almost 17%; BC Liquor Store sales are up by 110,000 cases; restaurants up by 48,000 cases and private liquor stores are up by 31% or 72,000 cases.

Vineyard development was estimated to have generated $3.85 million. This makes BC the second largest wine grape producing province in the country next to Ontario in terms of acreage, tonnage, and wine grape sales.

The number of wineries in BC is also increasing. In 2005, approximately 81 wineries were in operation. Currently, 275 grape wineries are licensed in the province, most of which

“Another reason BC’s wine industry is flourishing is a result of the provincial gov-

are open to the public for tastings, tours, and special events.

BC wineries are also home to many award-winning restaurants, often open year-round, that offer farm-to-table local fare. And visitors are loving it.

The report showed that one million tourists visited BC wineries in 2015, generating an economic impact of $600 million.

To support the growth of winery visits, the BC Wine Institute developed a Wine and Culinary Tourism Strategy.

Now entering year two of the strategy, the focus is on growing the number of visitors to BC Wine Country from the Lower Mainland of BC, and neighbouring Alberta and Washington State.

As the title says, the BC wine and grape industry is certainly ripe, robust and remarkable.■ Lisa Braman,Industry Communications Manager at the British Columbia Wine Institute www.winebc.org

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Summer 2017 45

P ENTICTON FAR M ERS ' M A R KE T From its humble beginnings in Gyro Park in 1991, the Penticton Farmers’ Market has grown into one of the most vibrant and successful “farm to city” food microsystems in BC. Today, the PFM is held every Saturday in the 100 block of Main Street in downtown Penticton from May until October.

The society also hosts four indoor Winter Markets at the Shatford Centre for the Performing Arts during November and December.

Photos contributed by the Penticton Farmers' Market

The PFM society is made up of approximately 45-50 annual members consisting of local farmers, crafters, bakers and prepared food vendors. All PFM vendors make, bake or grow their own products.

Busy days at the PFM, Patti Lemare (top right), Barbara Etter (center), Farmersdotter (bottom right).

46 Summer 2017

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