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Stay Tuned Next Year as
Celebrates 60 Years in Publishing • Started as the BC Orchardist in 1959, serving the orchard industry. • Growers branched out and diversified over the years, so has Orchard & Vine Magazine. • Now serving readers with an inspiring mix of fruit, wine, berries, grapes, spirits as well as cider across BC and Canada. • Watch as O&V tantalizes your reading enjoyment with articles from generational grower families and so much more. 50th Anniversary 2009
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SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S EDITION
More inspiring and innovative in 2019! To advertise contact 778-754-7078 lisa@orchardandvine.net
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Photo by Lionel Trudel
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CONTENTS
The harvest of organic Pinot Gris at Switchback vineyard, ready for the crush pad.
6 Publisher's View – Lisa Olson 8 Event Calendar Photo contributed by House of Rose Winery
9 News & Events 17 Interview with BC Minister of Agriculture 20 2018 Wine Survey
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22 The Grape Report 26 VQA & the USMCA 28 Save-On-Foods & the VQA 29 The Fruit Report 31 2018 Fruit Survey 41 BC's New Stance on Organics 43 Safety Tips – WorkSafe BC
Photo contributed by BCTF
45 What it's Worth – Brian Pauluzzi
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47 Word on Wine – Laura Kittmer 49 Seeds of Growth – Glen Lucas Cover photo by the BCWI
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PUBLISHER’S VIEW | LISA OLSON
Sixty Years and Counting
T
Vol. 59, No 6 Year End 2018
his year has gone by so fast. Has it for you? I feel as though the year has just flown by.
Established in 1959 Publisher
Speaking of time flying by, did you know that this magazine has been around for 60 years? It started in 1959 as the BC Orchardist. I bet she (the magazine) still feels like she’s always 29, like the rest of us do, likely from all that fresh local fruit. I know some of you have been reading the magazine since the beginning and have many interesting and funny stories to tell. Feel free to drop me a line about your old stories. I love a good story and who knows they could get published.
Lisa Olson Editor Gary Symons Graphic Design Stephanie Symons Contributors
This industry has changed so much over the years and growers have had to adapt to changes in planting, new varieties, weather changes, technology changes and all the rules and regulations. Now there are new rules for liquor, organics, food safety and new trade agreements. You can read more inside this edition about what has happened during the year. How do you adapt to change? Are you open to change, do you accept what you can’t control right away, or stew and process it for a bit and then try to figure how you will handle things. We all have to deal with challenging situations sometimes. One thing I do feel is that situations have a way of working themselves
Photo by Kim Kanduth
Next year, we plan on telling some of those old stories from the generational families that are still operating today mixed in with the new and innovations we like to share with you.
out. I try to hope for the best, I think I learned from my grandmother’s positive outlook. I do find it interesting to watch how life unfolds. Thank you to all the readers that responded to our recent survey, it is so good to have your feedback and we really appreciate all your kind words. Read the responses inside this issue and if you want to be included next time, send us your email. Next survey is all about your tractor. All the best to you in 2019! Enjoy
Michael Botner, Roslyne Buchanan, Kim Kanduth, Laura Kittmer, Glen Lucas, Brian Pauluzzi, Ronda Payne, Tom Walker Contact lisa@orchardandvine.net Orchard & Vine Magazine Ltd. 24-2475 Dobbin Road Suite #578 West Kelowna, BC V4T 2E9 www.orchardandvine.net Phone: 778-754-7078 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:
Providing Canadian Grapevine Solutions BRITISH COLUMBIA Nathan Phillips p. 250-809-6040 bcsales@vinetech.ca 6
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YEAR END | CALENDAR
17th Annual Agri-Food Industry Gala January 23 Abbotsford, BC www.bcac.bc.ca Pacific Agriculture Show January 24-26 Abbotsford, BC www.agricultureshow.net
NOW SUPPLYING POWDERCOATED WINE BARREL RACKS !
Unified Wine & Grape Symposium January 29-31, 2019 Sacramento, California www.unifiedsymposium.org Islands Agriculture Show February 1-2 Saanich Fair Grounds, BC www.iashow.ca Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers AGM & Trade Show February 5-7 Kennewick, WA, USA www.wawgg.org Oregon Wine Symposium February 12-13 Portland, Oregon industry.oregonwine.org
Check out Gerard’s Equipment for any orchard or vineyard supply, located just south of Oliver on Highway 97.
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BCFGA AGM February 12-13 Penticton Lakeside Resort Penticton, BC info@bcfga.com Oregon Wine Symposium February 12-13 Portland, Oregon www.oregonwinesymposium. com
BC Horticulture Symposium February 20 Trinity Baptist Church Kelowna, BC kwise@bctree.com BC Cherry Association AGM February 20 Ramada Inn, Kelowna, BC admin@bccherry.com Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention February 20-21 Niagara Falls, ON www.ofvc.ca Certified Organic Association of BC Conference & Tradeshow February 22-24 Vernon, BC www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca Vancouver International Wine Fest February 23- March 3 Vancouver, BC www.vanwinefest.ca International Fruit Tree Association Annual Conference February 24-28 Rochester, New York www.ifruittree.org BC Association of Farmers’ Markets Conference & AGM March 8-10 Kimberley, BC www.bcfarmersmarket.org
YEAR END | NEWS & EVENTS
Christine Coletta Receives Founders Award On September 27, Christine Coletta, owner of Okanagan Crush Pad (OCP), has been presented the Founders Award at the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival. Coletta has been presented the award in recognition of her contributions to the BC wine industry. When presented the award in front of industry peers by industry veteran Harry McWatters of ENCORE Vineyards, Coletta said, "I was very touched to receive this award. It was emotional to see my name added to a trophy containing the names of people who have worked tirelessly to create a thriving BC wine industry over the past 30 years." This award is a further recognition for Coletta's passion and leadership in propelling the industry forward and rise to an international level. Coletta has worked tirelessly to advocate for and to improve the Canadian wine and culinary scene.
First “for ti fy” Conference Bolsters Industry By Roslyne Buchanan Launched as a one-day business conference and tradeshow for fermenters and distillers, Fortify (November 2018) at the Penticton Lakeside Resort inspired participants and confirmed the demand for professional development in the industry. Conference coordinators were Sandra Oldfield, Elysian Projects, and Carolyn MacLaren, Business Alliance for Artisan Fermenters and Distillers. “Together with our conference committee, we are gratified the Fortify Conference was a great success in year one,” said Oldfield. “Small producers of wine, beer, cider, and spirits came together to learn practical knowledge to better run their businesses. Combining different sectors makes everyone stronger and we are thrilled the participants saw value in collaboration as well.”
Generous sponsorship ensured a robust program with breakfast, refreshment breaks, lunch, beverage tastings and a post Social and Networking Event.
Supported by Buy BC, Fortify featured keynote, panel and workshop presentations from industry professionals and experts including a tradeshow. Themes and topics included finance and operations; human resources, government/regulatory; sales and marketing, and more.
As for the tradeshow, exhibitor Nicole Martinez, Infuse I.T./VinStream, said, “I’ll be busy following up on the valuable leads.”
Said Tyler Harlton, TH Wines, Summerland, “The sessions I attended were practical and offered information useful to small boutique operations as well as large enterprises. I stayed for the entire event and found it engaging right to the end.”
While the committee hasn’t had the opportunity for a full evaluation of the event to confirm dates and venue, watch fortifyconference.ca for details on Fortify Conference 2019.
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YEAR END | NEWS & EVENTS
Great Estates Wine Experience Centre Opens In Penticton By Michael Botner The opening of Great Estates Wine Experience Centre this fall adds credence to Penticton’s claim to fame as the principal stepping stone to South Okanagan wine country. Conveniently located at street level in an annex to the Penticton Lakeside Resort, the center houses a trio of tasting areas including a sizable Tasting Bar with wine selections rotated daily and a more intimate area targeted for guided wine and food pairings. In addition to clean, modern, uncluttered décor, an entire wall of windows allows light and views of gardens and lake to enhance the wine tasting experience. Tastings or flights at the Wine Experience Centre are designed for a purpose, according to Josie Tyabji, senior director of Great Estates Okanagan. “Our objective is to tell the story of grape varieties and distinct regions of the South Okanagan,” she says. “We focus on BC VQA wines from Great Estates vineyards and wineries under the umbrella of Arterra Wines Canada.”
Photo by Jon Adrian
Photo by Michael Botner
A stylized map on the wall identifies wineries (Nk’Mip Cellars, Jackson-Triggs, Inniskillin, See Ya Later Ranch and Sumac Ridge) and vineyards (Bull Pine and Bear Cub in Osoyoos, Dark Horse in
Sparkling wine and food pairing at the Great Estates Okanagan Wine Experience Centre.
The new Great Estates Okanagan Wine Experience Centre, at the Lakeside Resort in Penticton.
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the Golden Mile Bench sub-appellation, Black Sage Vineyard in the Black Sage Bench, and See Ya Later which, confusingly, is in Okanagan Falls but is not included in the recently-designated Okanagan Falls sub-appellation). Recently acquired Laughing Stock Vineyards in Naramata Bench is not poured or sold at the Wine Experience Centre at this time. Deeply rooted in the Okanagan since moving to North Glenmore from Calcutta, Tyabji has worked in the BC wine industry for over 30 years. Before that, in 1973, her father Alan Tyabji, an accountant born in Kashmir, joined a team recruited to run Calona Wines during a time of financial troubles. After a stint as general manager of Okanagan Vineyards (previously Viniterra) south of Oliver, Alan Tyabji took over the winery in 1987 as head of a group of investors. That same year, with a CMA degree earned in Vancouver, Josie Tyabji became general manager of the winery. It put her in the middle of the action at a time when free trade was introduced, hybrids were torn out on the south-facing, rock-strewn slope, and, in 1989-1990, replanted with a cornucopia of traditional vinifera grape varieties including the three major Bordeaux or Meritage red varieties, Zinfandel and Tempranillo by fabled winemaker Sandor Mayer. It was not until 1996 when Okanagan Vineyards was acquired by Niagara-based Inniskillin Wines that the name of the 23 acre vineyard was changed to Dark Horse.
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Highlight of the Wine Experience The following notes are highlights of an instructive wine and food pairing ably led by wine experience director Steve Ward: ■ Pairing of an elegant Stellar’s Jay Brut 2015 with mini-bagels topped by smoked salmon, cream cheese, onion and capers. Classic match-up takes acidity down in the wine, making the bubbly more enjoyable for many. ■ Nk’Mip Cellar’s rich, buttery 2016 Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay offers a touch of oak and a spine of crisp acidity. A wedge of triple cream brie served three ways: On its own, food does not soften oak in wine; Dipping brie in Chardonnay based lemon lime jelly brings out apple, pear fruit nuances in wine; dipping in a sriracha hot sauce destroys the wine. ■ Inniskillin 2016 Dark Horse Pinot Noir suggesting slight earth and black cherry accompanies a salad with strawberry, goat cheese, bittersweet chocolate pieces, olive oil, white and regular balsamic. Great pairing. Low-tannin red takes sharpness off goat cheese. ■ Sunrock 2015 Illumina is a unique blend of Shiraz and Zinfandel featuring loads of fruit and spice. Pairing with a slice of soppressata salami, blue cheese and olive oil elevates the jammy fruit component in the wine. ■ 2015 Black Sage Vineyard Meritage is a bold, full-bodied, fairly tight/tannic red. Serving with New York steak grilled Montreal steak spices does not significantly alter taste of the wine. Rock salt reduces tannins making wine more palatable. Tannins disappear when paired with black cherry candy sprinkled with a little rock salt.
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YEAR END | NEWS & EVENTS
The Pacific Agricultural Show The ‘Big Show’ for BC farmers is back this year with another gigantic expo in host city Abbotsford. The Pacific Agricultural Show is BC’s largest agricultural show attracting over 9,500 farmers and producers with more than 300 exhibiting companies. Held from January 24-January 26 at the Tradex in Abbotsford, BC, this is the 21st year for the PAC and it sells out every year. If you want a booth at this show you better call and book it right away! The show offers an opportunity to learn from industry leaders during workshops and suppliers in the trade show area on everything from horticulture to livestock. The Horticultural Growers Short Course is organized by The Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Associatio. Thursday, January 24 is the Opening Reception. Workshops begin on Thursday as well and include information on raspberries, strawberries, vegetable, greenhouse, agro-forestry and floriculture. Friday it's farm business management, all berries, direct farm market, cannabis, potatoes, hazelnuts and agricultural water management plus the Keynote Address. On the final day, Saturday, it’s all about blueberries, organics and hops. This is one show that is educational and fun for the whole family. More information: www.agricultureshow.net
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YEAR END | NEWS & EVENTS
Vineyard Adventures Prompt New Children's Book "The Bear Whose Poo Turned Black" by Peter B. Smith Life on a Quadra Island, BC vineyard was turned upside down one autumn almost at harvest time when a black bear broke into the property and feasted on the grapes on 19 consecutive nights despite all the efforts of staff, backed up by conservation officers, to keep him out or to capture him. That's the basis for this true-life children's book where the adventures of bear and staff are related, mostly from the perspective of the bear himself.
how the staff could study the contents of the piles of poo left in the vineyard to determine upon which grapes the bear was feasting, culminating in the day when everything changed colour! The funnier moments sparked the ideas for the black-and-white cartoons which illustrate the book. The author was as close as anyone to the action when, as one of the staff, he was tasked with repairing the damage caused by the bear's repeated nocturnal visits.
Of greatest interest to most children would be
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SE KELOWNA - SOLD in just 10 days for over asking price! 20 acres of prime orchard or vineyard land on sought-after Pooley bench in SE Kelowna. The land has been in the same family for many decades making this a rare offering. Fairly flat with some minor undulations. Full grade A irrigation rights. MLS® $2,400,000
NORTH GLENMORE - JUST LISTED 11 Centrally located acres in Glenmore with mountain & city views, currently in hay. Updated 3 bed 3 bath home + a secondary home good for temp farm help. Fantastic location just a short stroll away from amenities & minutes to the airport & UBC-O. MLS® $1,455,000
RUTLAND Stunning views of lake & city from 8.98 acre apple orchard right in the city! Great proximity to city services, zoned A1 and in the ALR but a very strategic location on the border of medium density residential. Close to recreation, schools, airport & Orchard Park. MLS® $1,950,000
COLDSTREAM Private and serene lake view acreage with panoramic views of Kalamalka Lake and lush farmland. Almost 9 fertile acres backing onto 5000 acres of parkland. Access to the main trail of Kalamalka Lake Park right outside your back door, horseback riding couldn’t be more convenient. MLS® $1,390,000
PEACHLAND Phenomenal lake views & income from this Peachland acreage! 10 acre parcel, approx 7.5 acres planted to Stacatto cherries. Great elevation for late cherries. 4 bdr main house/2nd home and studio, detached oversize garage/workshop. MLS® $1,599,000
KEREMEOS 8.26 flat acres, 252 ft. fronting on Ashnola Road (runs parallel to Hwy 3). Easy access off the highway - terrific site for an ag business requiring good highway exposure. Insulated 26x42 fruit stand w/walk-in cooler. Modern, high density. Diverse mix of tree fruits. 1,330SF home w/dbl gar. MLS® $1,200,000
ELLISON 20 acre equestrian property. Home to well known Brooklyn Stables. Exceptionally well-designed training facility. Turnkey ready for your equestrian business. 10 acres in Hay production and a circular driveway built to handle full size rigs. MLS® $2,495,000
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YEAR END | NEWS & EVENTS
Further Funding Available To Support BC Beekeepers
“The BeeBC program is making it possible for our beekeepers to develop new and innovative ways to help our honey bees,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture. “A healthy population of honey bees and native pollinators in BC not only provides us with delicious locally-sourced honey, it supports our environment as well as our agriculture industry, so that British Columbians will have more BC products at their tables, now and for generations to come.” Popham announced BeeBC is providing an additional $50,000 in funding to beekeepers while attending the 2018 BC Honey Producers Association (BCHPA) annual general meeting in Victoria. The initial round of funding for the program was announced during the Day of
the Honey Bee in May 2018, with 11 projects now underway around the province. The projects range from educational programs and handson experience for youth, to studying queen bees and disease management in hives by local beekeepers. “Pollination services from beekeepers increases the value of crops in BC by hundreds of millions of dollars a year," said Kerry Clark, president of the BCHPA. "The annual funding to the BCHPA that the minister had already announced enabled research designed to address critical bee health issues. This announcement today adds even more opportunity for a range of local honey bee related projects in communities throughout BC.” The BeeBC program provides funding to smaller-scale community-based projects that support the health of BC’s bees. The fund provides support to research, explore, field-test and share information about best management practices associated with bee health.
Photo contributed by House of Rose Winery
Beekeepers around the province have another opportunity to apply for BeeBC funding to help with projects in their communities to support the health of bees in British Columbia.
Bee hives at the House of Rose Winery in Kelowna.
Popham also announced the further expansion of the province’s apiary inspection team, noting that the East Kootenay region will soon have its own bee inspector assigned to the area to improve efficiency and responsiveness to bee-related service requests. The new addition, as well as two new inspectors hired last spring, makes the current team the
largest and most comprehensive apiary inspection service the Apiculture Program has ever had in BC. The BeeBC program is administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture. For more information on BeeBC: http://iafbc.ca/ funding-opportunities/bee-bc
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YEAR END | NEWS & EVENTS
Recreational Cannabis Use in the Workplace
Support your soil and it will support you.
AgSafe is helping BC agriculture employers understand implications for health and safety programs after recreational use of cannabis became legal in Canada on October 17, 2018. AgSafe, British Columbia’s agriculture health and safety association, is helping industry employers understand the implications of the legislation for their workplace health and safety programs. AgSafe assures employers that basic health and safety program principles regarding impairment in the workplace still apply and recommends that employers focus on impairment and safety, rather than the individual’s use. Impairment is the diminished ability of an individual to function or behave in a usual or safe manner. An individual’s response and response time to THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, varies based on the amount consumed, method of consumption, and metabolism. AgSafe BC executive director, Wendy Bennett says, “An employee must be fit for work. The worker cannot be impaired at work, or pose a safety risk to themselves, co-workers or the public.” Employers have a duty to inquire about impairment in certain situations. If the employee puts their safety or the safety of others at risk; there is a motor vehicle safety incident or near miss; or the individual’s performance is having other serious impacts on co-workers. An employer must not knowingly permit an employee to remain at any workplace while that person’s ability to work is affected by alcohol, a drug or other substance, and endangering the safety of the individual or anyone else.
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YEAR END | NEWS & EVENTS
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Year-end Interview with BC’s Minister of Agriculture
BC Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham (center) visited one of BC's top cranberry producers during the Fall harvest.
By Tom Walker O&V talked with Agriculture Minister Lana Popham for our year-end edition. This is Minister Popham’s second year as Ag Minister, having been elected and appointed in May 2017. The first time O&V spoke to the Minister was shortly after the election, and the Ministry of Agriculture had just begun implementing the first policies from the new NDP government. In this interview, we focus on how these policies have begun shaping the fruit and wine industries.
O&V “What has gone well for the fruit industry over this time last year?”
Minister Popham “I think the tree fruit industry was quite pleased to receive the $5 million Tree Fruit Competitiveness fund. We are at a point with the industry where there needed to be some investment as far as
upgrading infrastructure and focusing on disease management and marketing opportunities. The BC Fruit Growers Association is administering the fund and they really took some time to figure out an effective application process. They have just begun taking applications, which will go through Investment Agriculture.”
do that, but I think this competitiveness fund brings it up to another level.”
“We’ll see what ideas growers have, but I know from speaking with them that some of the infrastructure they are using is very old and that is one thing that needs a lot of work. They may also want to take advantage of the Buy BC programing that we already have in place and access matching funds for marketing that way. We know they are always trying to expand their markets internationally and this may help. I don’t approve the applications, but I look forward to reviewing the ideas behind them, it is always pretty exciting.
Minister Popham
“We have continued to support the replant program. I think that it has been very necessary and we will continue to
O&V “Labour shortage is an issue across the fruit industry. Do you see a role for the BC government to support growers in their need for workers?”
“Absolutely. I had the pleasure of hosting the federal, provincial and territorial Ag Minister’s meeting in Vancouver this summer. That was one of the things we brought forward to Federal Minister MacAulay. Every province is suffering the same labour shortages. In BC with our Mexican workers there have been a lot of problems just on the speed of processing applications and because our season starts the earliest in Canada, we see the effects of a bad system earliest in the year. We have a task force in BC working with growers, the province and the Mexican Consulate through the BC Agriculture Year End 2018
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Council. We start to get workers by the third week of January and we have been told that that is going to be much more smooth. Now, we’ve been told that in the past, but we’ve had no reasons to believe that in the past. The Mexican Ministry of Agriculture has taken over the lead from a group of ministries. I have been told that there have been changes in Mexico on the way workers are processed and we are ready on our end.
in discussions as to how that might be implemented?”
Minister Popham “I think the year time frame of the agreement allows us time to adjust our own marketing strategies. But at this time, I can’t predict what that will look like. The wine industry is in good shape and this is a little setback. I think we are going to be fine. Programs like our Eat Drink Local campaign create domestic loyalty and that is a really fun project to be part of. Photo contributed by Government of BC
“We invited the Mexican consulate to BC Ag days this month. Often temporary foreign workers are in the background but we couldn’t operate without them, so we really wanted to be sure they knew how grateful we are for their efforts and that they are part of our agriculture industry.”
O&V “Can you tell us about the new legislation governing the ALR?”
Minister Popham
O&V
“I got a list of recommendations from the committee that did the public consultation on the ALR. Bill 52, that we tabled last week, deals with the top three issues on the land use side of things.
“One topic you discussed with me when you were in opposition was increasing the amount of local food going into public institutions like hospitals. How is that progressing?”
“We have made it extremely difficult to dump construction fill on ALR. The penalties will be very large fines and possibly even jail time now. We will be giving the Agriculture Land Commission that tool to use as well as taking a look at what they need for enforcement and compliance. We’ve got some pieces of agricultural land that have had up to 200,000 loads of junk on it. Some of this is rebar and concrete, but some of it is also toxic.
Minister Popham
“We are proposing to change the ALR back to one zone. When we looked at what has happened over the last four years, we realized that it just created a lot of confusion and a lot of administrative burden. When I hear people say we need zone 2 because when I am not farming in the winter I have a mechanics shop and I fix vehicles, well you can do that in zone 1 or zone 2. “And we have addressed mega mansions. We have created a maximum house size of 5400 sq. feet. If you want to get bigger than that you will have to go through your local government to apply to the ALC.”
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“Well it’s not as easy as I thought it was in opposition! “We will be doing a pilot project in Kelowna in this coming year. It is going to be possible to move more BC food into the hospital system. I have been talking with apple growers about what do you need to help set up institutional processing lines? Especially something like apple sauce how do we get that processed so that it is available to go into hospitals? Hopefully we will be able to make some bigger changes after the pilot project. “It is not only going to give more opportunities for people to eat BC food in the hospital system, but it is going to create more manufacturing jobs as well. But it’s a bit like turning a cruise ship around … it is not fast.
O&V “Given the side letter that was signed at the USMCA on US wine going on BC grocery shelves, is your Ministry involved
O&V “How do we get free trade for wine between our own provinces? “
Minister Popham “Oh, my goodness! How long have we been having that discussion? That came up at the provincial territorial meeting in the summer. There are some provinces that are for it and some that aren’t. I was working pretty closely over the spring and summer with the Quebec Agriculture Minister talking about how we could get that going between us and they had an election. There is a new Minister and I have to start that process all over again. It’s like molasses in January, unfortunately.”
O&V “Anything else you would like to add?”
Minister Popham “I would like to share an event we had yesterday that affects the whole province. ‘Every Chef Needs a Farmer Every Farmer Needs a Chef’, was a provincial crop planning and menu planning session in downtown Vancouver. Farmers from all areas of the province and chefs mostly from the Lower Mainland were able to network for a full day and figure out what chefs need farmers to grow and what farmers are growing that chefs didn’t know about. Some really interesting partnerships have already begun. That is an annual event we are going to continue on with because agriculture and food production are an economic driver across the province.” ■
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russ@kiliad.ca Year End 2018
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ORCHARD & VINE WINE SURVEY 2018 It seems the one constant in Canada's wine industry is growth. While the seasons change, and the climate changes, Canada continues to see strong and lasting growth in acres planted, number of wineries, wine prices, revenues and profits. Our country is overcoming the prejudices of consumers who saw the 'Frozen North' as too cold to possibly turn out a quality wine. In every other way, change is the other constant. We surveyed wine producers in the Okanagan Valley to get a snapshot of the industry. Our thanks to the many producers who passed on their knowledge about the most successful varietals, the shift to organic, and the growth in their business.
What was your best producing varietal grown this year? Merlot Gewurztraminer Pinot Noir Chardonnay Riesling Marechal Foch Cab Franc Pinot Gris Syrah Cab Sauvignon Semillon Siegerebbe Ortega Pinot Blanc Gamay Noir
20 Year End 2018
Are you organic? 13% YES 45% NO BUT WORKING TOWARD IT 42% NO NOT WORKING TOWARD IT
Are you currently expanding your winery business? 45% Expanding by planting more grapes 34% Expanding in the cellar to produce more wine 34% Not at the moment 28% Expanding to accomodate more visitors
Photo contributed by BCWI
3% Building a whole new winery
Reader Comments We are responsible growers who use organics as much as possible.
We are working towards being more sustainable but will not be looking for organic certification at this time.
Photo by Mark Simpson
We are aiming for sustainable growing versus fully certified organic.
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The Grape Report 2018 Wine grape growers had to stay on top of their vine management in order to have a solid season according to the experience of Val Tait, general manager and winemaker with Bench 1775 on the Naramata Bench. She knows full well there are no two identical seasons. “I’ve been doing this for about 28 years and we’ve never had the same thing happen [two years in a row], though the dates we’re picking at are pretty much average,” she says. With 86 vineyard acres, an excessive amount of manual labour was required on Tait’s site as the heat and moist soil created a “tremendous amount of green growth,” but at least irrigation wasn’t required until summer months. However, this growth brought heightened alertness to the ongoing labour issue which led some growers to struggle. “It was super challenging to keep up on that canopy growth,” she notes. “We
ORCHARD & VINE WINE SURVEY 2018
had to be in the vineyards quite a bit. We handle the vines normally about seven times in the vineyard; it was something like 14 times this season. That’s something you can’t anticipate. We’re getting these unpredictable weather things at weird times too. You just have to think about how that’s affecting the vines [now] and how that’s affecting the vines in the long term.” Then with what Tait calls an increased amount of regulatory red tape with foreign workers, vineyards (and other crops) were scrambling even into June. “We always try to source and have staff that are local,” she says. “But not that many people want to be involved in farming.” As the grape canopy grew and grew, even the heat of summer couldn’t help. The sun was filtered by a smoke screen preventing the excess heat from holding the canopy growth back. Fortunately, Tait says, there wasn’t a lot of smoke particulate in her region, but the vines
Photo by Lionel Trudel
By Ronda Payne
Duncan Billing, director of viticulture at Secrest Mountain Vin
How was your business affected by the smoke this year?
20% SAME
50% DOWN
Photo by Shawn Talbot
30% UP
Reader Comments I think people will still come to visit, but hopefully the smoke will settle down within the next couple of years. Tourists can only handle smoke so many times before they stop visiting entirely. 22 Year End 2018
BBQ on the patio at Hester Creek in the South Okanagan with Chef Butters.
July and August business was down 15% but we made it all up in September and October.
The smoke did affect visitors. I am concerned about the long term effect it will have on future planning of our tourists.
ORCHARD & VINE WINE SURVEY 2018
continued their green growth, allowing for big berries. “Right now, the fruit quality is phenomenal. The aromatic quality is amazing,” she says. "With the cool nights you get phenomenal tannins and flavours and colours.” Tait notes fruit yield is definitely up for her vineyard, while 2017 was more of a moderate yield. “It’s going to be more like 2016, which is good, everybody needs fruit,” she says. “If you have adjusted your crop levels and been able to put in the work in the vineyards, the quality is phenomenal. The cooler you can ripen that fruit, the better it’s going to be. You just never know when you’re going to get a killer frost. But no matter what conditions get thrown at us, it seems like we’re able to get everything [harvested].”
neyard, during the Pinot noir harvest.
The first days of October had Tait worried ripening wouldn’t happen, but as the sun came out for some late 'summer' weather, things improved dramatically
making her much more confident. “You have to be in the vineyard more often and the timing has to be right,” she notes. “It’s a matter of putting in time and labour when you need it. It’s not difficult, it’s just that timing is critical.” Tait faced few pests this year, though noted powdery mildew was again something to watch and stay on top of. Most vineyards were able to keep it at bay with powdered sulphur or oils. The demand for grapes is still on the rise with a lot of competition for growing lands. While Tait was able to secure a six-acre Peachland parcel for planting that was previously unfarmed, she notes these opportunities are diminishing dramatically. Wineries are driving up the planting of grapes, but there aren’t many independent farmers involved in the growing and there’s simply not enough land to go around. Tait feels that vintners will be happy with how the season turned out. ■
Regarding tourism and the term Smokanagan, do you feel visitors will continue to visit the Okanagan and BC in August next year? Not if we call it the Smokanagan as you did in this question. 3 years turns people off.
Visitor count was way off when we had the smoke and after as well.
Our visitors were down significantly but our sales were up as we had visitors who were here for wine and not as many people looking for something to do while on vacation but not that interested in wine.
I am hoping people are optimistic that what we have experienced will not be an every year event. They may adjust the timing of their vacation.
I think people will still come to visit… tourists can only handle smoke so many times before they stop visiting entirely.
93% YES
We also had construction on our road, so it is tough to say how much of it was due to that. By mid August, we felt as if many tourists left. It really slowed down towards the end of August too considering that should still be a peak time of year for us. Year End 2018
23
ORCHARD & VINE WINE SURVEY 2018
What would you like the government to do to support growth in the wine industry?
Photo contributed by Riverstone Estate Winery
Implement the recommendations of the task force!!!
Protect our industry, otherwise it could be the same as the fruit industry. There is a lot of money that goes into the vineyard and winery business, we need to make it survive. Opening the grocery wine market to the US will hurt our industry. Work on opening the provincial borders so Canadian wine can be sold all over Canada.
Open interprovincial trade.
Protect the growers right to farm and BC wine in grocery.
Treat all of us fairly, allowing cannabis to be ordered and shipped across provincial borders, yet not allow wine/ alcohol does not make sense nor is it fair.
Photo by Severine Pinte, winemaker at Le Vieux Pin
Let the land-based wineries work with the commercial wineries. Allow land-based wineries the ability to buy grapes, juice and or wine from commercial wineries. wineries.
More support for small producers at BC Liquor stores, secondary retail outlets for wineries. Protect our grocery store viability.
We just want to grow our grapes and make our wine. Stop allowing a few people in the industry, run the industry. Independent grower and producers need support as they also deserve it. Don't get me started on fair. Compensate the pioneers that are allowing so many wineries to be successful. 24 Year End 2018
Photo contributed by Stag's Hollow Winery
Do more, less talk.
Minimize regulations and allow the consumer to make the choices they wish without interference.
Photo contributed by Mark Simpson of BC Wine Studio
Make room for small wineries in the government stores.
The Government should spend dollars fixing the BCLDB. The BCLDB needs a complete overhaul in practices and procedures. They are incompetent, taking way too long to make price changes even with products not sold in Government stores. The way they make us report our sales is also time consuming and basically has us make up numbers. Also they failed miserably in their attempt to "level the playing field." All it did was make the system more unwieldly. It's ridiculous how inefficient and behind the times they are as compared to other province's liquor control boards.
Please ignore anything that VQA recommends They clearly are not the friend of the Small wineries.
Ensure we retain the excise tax exemption on BC wine. Give us more incentives and cut taxes.
Protect the industry from unfair competition and do not tax it more.
Cost of labour is high. Quit raising minimum wage. Wine will have to become more expensive.
Photo by Bradley Cooper
Photo contributed by BCWI
Keep the SAWP program reasonable.
Provincial government support is minimal to negligent.
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VQA & the USMCA The future of international wines on BC grocery store shelves post NAFTA is not clear By Tom Walker
Photo contributed Rocky Creek Winery
The future of international wines on BC grocery store shelves in our post-NAFTA world is not clear. The recent signing of the US Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA, the “new NAFTA”) and a side letter agreeing to allow US wines to be sold in BC grocery stores, has put the BC VQA wine industry into a wait and see pattern. Some things will stay the same and some things will likely change. “We are certain that the original BC VQA licenses will remain intact under the new USMCA,” said Miles Prodan, Director of the BC Wine Institute, (BCWI). “While the side letter provides for the sale of US wines in BC grocery stores, it is not clear as to how that will happen.” The Wine Institute developed the BC VQA store licenses for the industry during the 1980’s and still has responsibility over them, Prodan explains. “Originally licenses were put together to give the early farm gate and estate wineries a venue to sell their products off-site as a way to develop their sales,” says Prodan. But not many wineries operated them, he added. “When the BC Vintners Quality Alliance was established there were 21 licenses that were aggregated and given
the rights to sell any BC VQA wines.” Industry veteran Harry McWatters, president of Encore Vineyards was adamant when O&V spoke to him late last year. “The BC VQA licenses were grandfathered into NAFTA,” McWatters pointed out emphatically. Indeed he should know, as a co-owner of Sumac Ridge he was granted one of the first off-site licenses in the province. “Those licenses, granted and controlled by the Institute, were grandfathered into the original NAFTA to be allowed to sell only BC VQA product.” Prodan confirms. The third party operators of those licenses have existed in various forms of private retail stores over the years. A couple of better known ones are the store in
Save On Foods now sell 100% BC VQA wines only, in 18 of their stores under operating agreements with the BC Wine Institute. They are the only grocery store operators of BC VQA licenses. Save On has gone on the record that they are committed to supporting BC wines, but they haven’t actually come out and said that they won’t carry US or International wines. That worries Sandra Oldfield who developed Tinhorn Creek vineyards with her husband Ken and partners. “That’s why I am challenging Daryl on Facebook,” (Daryl Jones the CEO and spokesperson for Save On) says Oldfield. “They have an obligation to continue the VQA wine sales that they were licensed to do.” Oldfield says she is not really sure why the US is so keen to push BC wines aside and get shelf space. “Realistically we are so small in comparison,” she says. “All our BC production together doesn’t equal the output of one of the big California wineries I used to work for.” Orchard & Vine talked to Steve Moriarty, Wine Director for Save On Foods for more go to page 28.
ORCHARD & VINE WINE SURVEY 2018
26 Year End 2018
NO 36%
YES 64%
70
80
Will the new United StatesMexico-Canada Agreement affect your wine business?
Reader Comments Grocery shouldn't have happened at the expense of the VQA wine stores closing down. The loss of those VQA stores was a foolish move from a business perspective. Those stores created a lot of loyal dedicated customers for many wineries… too bad this has been put to an end.
It will force producers who sell in grocery stores to up their game to be able to compete. Lower grocery sales. VQA sales once were a significant channel, but sold out by BCWI. California wines continue to dominant channels, segments, marketing, events, etc.
Penticton that has long been in the BC Wine Information Center and Discover Wines in Kelowna and Kamloops. “It was a good business model for me,” says Tracy Gray, former owner of Discover Wines. “I had staff who knew the product and could provide customer service far and above the LDB, and it was all local which has a strong following.” But as Gray points out, she had limited shelf space and could not carry a full range of BC VQA producers. When the provincial government allowed wine sales in grocery stores three years ago, Save On Foods worked with the Wine Institute to have BC VQA wine sales in a number of their stores across the province, by acquiring the BCWI operating agreements for many of the orig-
inal VQA licenses. This changed the wine sale landscape, but not the regulations. Gray’s Discover wine licenses were two that Save On acquired in a business transaction, but they didn’t buy the licenses, because they cant. “The BC industry, through the Wine Institute actually still owns and controls those licenses,” explains Prodan. “We have an operating agreement with Save On for them to use those licenses to promote and sell BC VQA product only.” In theory, Prodan points out, those licenses could be taken away from Save On. BC VQA wine sales in Save On have been great for the industry says Prodan. Save On states their goal is to have a selection from every VQA winery in the province. They have given smaller wineries access
ORCHARD & VINE WINE SURVEY 2018
Tasting room 100% 89%
Crush club or online
79%
Grocery store
76%
Restaurants
76%
On site
66%
Government Liquor stores
34%
But to muddy the waters, the provincial government created two more licence categories of their own. Smaller BC wine sales areas are showing up in other grocery stores, principally in Loblaws (“Super Store” and “Independent”) stores. They sell 100 per cent BC wines, but are not restricted to BC VQA. Along with that increase in exposure came increased attention from other wine making countries who began to eye those grocery store shelves and the happy customers who emptied them. “We told them that would draw attention,” says Prodan. “Those 12 licenses were sold through auction by the province to the retailers and are not part of the NAFTA agreement.” The BC government has also allowed “store within a store” style wine shops where customers would be served independently of the grocery store. Those stores are allowed to carry international wines, beer and spirits. “The interesting thing is that none of these stores have been built so far,” says Prodan. “So the province actually does allow for international wine sales in grocery stores, it’s just that there aren’t any.”
Where do you sell your wine?
Private liquor stores
to retail sales in larger centers that they might not have had otherwise and Save On has enjoyed championing the local product.
But getting back to the original BC VQA licenses, they remain grandfathered into the new trade agreement. “We do have the new USMCA,” says Prodan, “but it still recognizes those licenses that belong to the BC Wine Institute.”
On the new cannabis legalization, are you concerned? 3% I 'll be looking for opportunities
“We now also have a side letter to USMCA, an agreement between the US and Canada to allow US wines to have access to grocery shelves,” says Prodan. “But we don’t know what that will look like.”
The US doesn’t have an issue with the BC wines being on the shelf, they have an issue with BC wines being the only ones 14% Happy about it, been a long time coming. on the shelf, Prodan explains. “We don’t have a problem with that, we compete with foreign wines already, he points 17% Concerned about my staff and workers. out. “But how that will take place will become clear over the next 13 months 28% Concerned how this will affect my visitor experience and DUI and is really up to the provincial government to determine.” ■
10% Don't like it one bit.
62% A possible adjustment, not too concerned.
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27
Save-On-Foods & VQA: An interview with Steve Moriarty, Wine Director at Save-On-Foods Orchard & Vine talked to Steve Moriarty, Wine Director for Save On Foods about their VQA wine stores. O&V: Are you able to give me a little background on how you got into the wine business?
Photo by Gary Symons
Steve Moriarty: We are a locally owned and based company, focused on innovative and local BC Business priorities, our primary goal is to find and support new trends and source new opportunities, local wine was and is a natural complement to our local business support business plan… we saw it as a tremendous new opportunity to give our customers, more local, more convenience and more meal solutions. O&V: Was Save On actively working with the government to get grocery wine sales launched? Steve Moriarty: We were not actively working with the government other than to indicate that we were interested if an opportunity became available. O&V: Did you have a preference for BC wine at the time? Steve Moriarty: Absolutely as a singular priority! O&V: Were you considering the VQA licenses that were out there? Steve Moriarty: We considered a lot of different scenarios, but, really the only footprint that supported our local BC wine priority was to explore the BCWI VQA licences format. O&V: How did you come to acquire the BC VQA licenses? Were they all business transactions like with Tracy Gray at Discover? Were some of the licenses not active in retail at the time? Steve Moriarty: Our first two licenses were essentially dormant VQA licenses that had previously been closed, the rest of the Licenses were being used by 3rd party Agreement Holders of which we had to purchase their business and rights to their Agreement with the BCWI. O&V: How have wine sales progressed in your stores? Do you have numbers on
28 Year End 2018
sales and growth that you are able to share with me?
level of government on any possible changes to your current practice?
Steve Moriarty: We are a private company and do not share sales data publicly. We can say we are delighted with the customer response, support and appreciation for our Local Wine Only selection.
Steve Moriarty: The BCWI owns the VQA licenses, and as the legal owner they would be the party involved in any discussions. We are not in discussions regarding the SWS licenses we own.
O&V: With the new USMCA, I understand that the BC VQA licenses are “grandfathered in” from the old NAFTA. How does your business interpret that?
O&V: Do you feel there is any pressure on your business from government to change and open shelf space to US wines?
Steve Moriarty: Our interpretation is that these licenses are exempt from any competition agreements signed after NAFTA. O&V: Do you believe the side letter agreement for US wine sales in grocery will affect your current practice of selling only BC VQA? Steve Moriarty: Nothing stops us today. We could sell non BC wine today, the business model exists, we just choose not to. So further to that, we have no interest in NOT supporting 100 % locally made Wine. We have no indication that the future will force us to sell any products that we have no interest in selling and that no component in the agreements could force the sale of any products… O&V: Are you in discussions with either
Steve Moriarty: Regardless of any pressure, we understand that we have no legal obligation to sell anything we don’t want to. O&V: Are you at this time considering selling US wine in Save On stores? Steve Moriarty: At this time we have no plans to alter our current business plan/ strategy that focuses only on 100% locally produced wine. O&V: if not, do you have any sense of how this trade promise might be carried out in BC? Steve Moriarty: While we are not experts on the agreement nor any promises made, today and in the near future, there is no existing legislation that provides any framework nor the regulatory directions to proceed. So any speculation is purely hypothetical. ■
Photo by Viorel Dudau | Dreamstime.com
The Year in Fruit 2018
Farmers Show Off Good Yield in a Challenging Year By Ronda Payne Despite thick smoke from this year’s raging forest fires and pricing pressures, most BC fruit growers were able to adapt and bring in an “average” or even an “above average” year in most sectors. Every fruit-growing year is different and while ups and downs are expected, it’s seldom that most fruit commodities have an average or above average season in the same year. Such was 2018. Certainly there were challenges – there always are – but the smoke from devastating forest fires seemed to work for growers more than against and pests were kept at a minimum. If there is a dark note on this year’s fruit report, it’s that growers are facing increasing pressures when it comes to pricing. It remains to be seen how changes in US trade and Canadian exports to new partner countries will impact an already stressed system for many farmers. Combine this with ongoing labour challenges
and it’s enough to make a grower pull out their hair… or possibly their crops. For now it’s time to take a deeper look at the 2018 fruit season: Fewer but bigger apples Apple growers like fourth-generation Lance Davison of Davison Orchards in Vernon are happy with the quality and volume they are seeing this year. “What we found was that what we were down in yield, we made up a lot in quality,” he says. “It was kind of a different year in that way. We saw a lot of fruit colour and size before ripeness, which is a big difference. The ripeness and sugar came after that.” Hank Markgraf, grower services manager with BC Tree Fruits noted overall yields are down about 20 to 25 per cent, but echoed Davison’s comments that the fruit size is much larger than last year. “At the end of the day it will turn out to be similar for growers to how it was
last year as we’ll pack more for that key size we want them to be in,” he says. “We’re probably packing similar, if not more packs per bin because it’s all marketable sizes. You kind of want to write this down in the text book and say, this is the year you need.” Weather certainly played its part. The heat and sun of May got apples off to a great start so they were already established when June’s rains came, cooled things off and helped with growth. The heat in August was tempered by the smoke and Davison notes this helped keep sun burn down, but it did impact the family’s agritourism operations. “For our business… tourism was down, so that part of it hurt us,” he says. Markgraf says the smoke doesn’t impact the fruit, and agrees it did provide sunburn control. “It we didn’t have the smoke, I think we would have seen a lot more fruit sunburn,” he notes. “It was much better tree Year End 2018
29
growth with the overcast smoky skies that we had again.” The early, sunny spring set growers up with good pollination levels. As the season progressed, irrigation was needed due to the heat, but Markgraf says growers are set up to meet that need. Then the cool September and rain storms (he notes it’s the third coldest September on record in Kelowna) were ideal for apple production. Harvests were about a week ahead of usual. For Davison, the harvest was a little more challenging than usual with the wet weather.
Markgraf added, “Wild swings in weather cause you problems. We didn’t have any wild swings. It was more consistent in finishing varieties, rather than being on top of each other [as it was last year]. Harvest has been variety, after variety, after variety. Just the way you’d expect it to be.” The cooler June weather did bring a few pest pressures according to Davison. Fungicides were important, but he felt there wasn’t a huge impact because he was on top of spraying. Pest issues included the standard leaf roller aphid and codling moth, which were well managed according to Markgraf. The apple clearwing moth is growing from area to area, but he feels it is manageable.
Photo contributed by Davison Orchards
“We didn’t see a huge impact from it. I don’t know what usual is anymore,” he says of the weather and early harvest. We were definitely earlier than last year. So probably about average.”
Lance Davison of Davison Orchards.
We were maybe down in yield (for apples), we made up a lot in quality… we'll pack more for that key size we want them to be in. Lance Davison “On the disease side, it was a pretty easy year I’ve got to say. We all put on some apple scab control and some powdery mildew control and just went on,” he explains. “We are concerned about how
fast the brown marmorated stink bug will move in the next couple of years. It’s being found in downtown Kelowna.” Markgraf is also concerned about losing some pesticides over the next couple of years. Quintec, Admire, Clutch and some of the neonics will be lost. “It’s not going to mean we have nothing to spray, but it does restrict us now,” he says. “There’s a couple of other things that are being looked at for 2019. It affects everybody. We’re all equally affected by it.”
Photo contributed by BCTF
Mainly a Honeycrisp grower, Davison notes about 35 acres of the family’s 50 apple acres are under five years old. The family grows Ambrosia, Gala and a range of other varieties. Changing the acres up is a trend Markgraf is seeing among growers. The overall apple acreage is flat but old blocks are coming out and new blocks are undergoing replanting. Pricing on apples is anticipated to be slightly up from last year, but it was too 30 Year End 2018
early to tell at the Orchard & Vine deadline. According to Statistics Canada, BC had a little under 111,000 marketed tons of apples last year. Fast and Furious Cherries
Photo contributed by Davison Orchards
The cherry harvest came and went quickly again this year. Much like 2017, the heat moved growers from one variety to the next without much time for pausing, let alone a full stop, in between. The warm, early spring provided good pollination and allowed for fruit to grow to about a row size bigger than last year according to Markgraf who also noted yields were up slightly. Pricing is expected to be up slightly compared to last year, primarily due to increased fruit size. “The end varieties kept coming on faster and faster and faster,” he says. “We thought we were going to have a long season and [the heat] probably shortened our season by about two weeks. Continued on page 32
Fruit packing at Davison Orchards.
Orchard & Vine Fruit Survey 2018
Fruit Growers Tell it Like it is At Orchard & Vine, we want to share not only what’s going on in fruit-growing, but also what’s going on with fruit growers. Thank you to the grower-readers who responded to this year’s survey. We know how busy you are and appreciate you taking time to share your experiences so others can learn and benefit. This more personal look at the year times perfectly with our annual fruit report, in that the human side to issues are often overlooked in a busy production-based industry yet we are able to capture a snapshot of them. This year, cannabis was included in the survey and (spoiler-alert) not many of you are thrilled about it. You’re also concerned about the shortage of available labour and want the government to make changes. We also asked for your insights into the unfortunately repeating issue of BC’s wildfires and how they impact your business. A lot of you are preparing to retire. We hope you’ll share this issue with an upand-coming grower and let them know the things you gain from reading.
What types of fruit do you grow? Apples 44% Cherries 44% Plums 28% Niche Berries 24% Grapes 20% Peaches 20% Blueberries 20% Raspberries 20% Vegetables 20% Nectarines 16% Strawberries 16% Apricots 12% Pears
Did you replant this year?
39%
Said yes and replanted with cherries, raspberries, blueberries, honeycrisp and ambrosia apples.
8%
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We had average fruit [quality] to start, but then as we got into the mid and late season varieties, that quality picked up, so that firmness and sweetness picked up.”
Shelley Kempf, co-owner of Kempf Orchards notes her family U-pick operation had a good season that may have been slightly up in yield in certain varieties. The early hot spring made for a good start, but irrigation was required earlier to compensate for the hot summer and the humidity caused problems for later varieties in the heat. The smoke from wildfires didn’t impact growing, but it certainly caused challenges for workers in the orchards during the days of smoke-cover. She notes that weather is always the biggest challenge. “A lot of people did lose their later varieties,” she says. “We had to leave about half our [later] crop in the trees. It had to do with watering. A very humid summer this year. Just created mildew in the fruit and once you’ve got it, there’s not much you can do.” She noted certain sprays needed to be applied earlier, but it was hard to anticipate the grip the mildew had on later cherries. Kempf is seeing success with Crystalina, an early variety that has been popular with U-pick customers and may help move the orchard out of mildew pressure.
Photo by Barmalini | Dreamstime.com
Statistics Canada data noted last year’s sweet cherry harvest was 25,887 tons, significantly higher than previous years. This increase in yield is likely due to increased acreage coming at a cost to apple and pear acreages as well as previously non-orchard lands being planted.
The weather was very good for pollination and cell division early in the season, so size was up from last year. Kevin Day
ORCHARD & VINE FRUIT SURVEY 2018
“Powdery mildew got some growers at the end,” agrees Markgraf. “As we move into late varieties – staccato and centennial and others, we are just going to have to be on top of powdery mildew control. It likes hot and dry, and that’s what we had.”
Are you planning to retire soon? What are your plans?
Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) reared its head of course, as is normal for later varieties of fruit. Kempf says growers used to spray once or twice a season for SWD but are now spraying upwards of weekly.
Stay working into my elder years along with my family
“It’s a big deal. It’s way worse than it ever was,” she says. “You have to be on top of it.”
Looking to lease my land
40% Retire in 1-5 years 28%
8% My children will take over the farm 8%
4% Sell the property
32 Year End 2018
“When you’ve got good size, the market likes it, they keep buying.” Double Down on Soft Fruits “It was a much smaller crop this season compared to other seasons,” says Markgraf of the soft fruit harvest. “Peaches were down, apricots were down, nectarines were down. Somewhere around 20 to 25 per cent.” He describes it as a difficult season, believing yield was down primarily due to fruit size in peaches, nectarines and apricots, but notes there were no new diseases or pests in soft fruits and the acreage appears to be holding its base at this time. “The market would probably accept more [soft fruits], so there is probably some room for more acreage, but it’s hard to get people to plant,” he says.
She adds Kempf Orchards wasn’t hit too hard with SWD because they sprayed early and often. Markgraf found the same result with other growers. He says that while everyone worries about SWD and cherries it wasn’t as much of an issue this year since everyone was on top of it. “It was a great season,” says Markgraf.
Plum and prune yields were down slightly this year from last year’s 1,624 tons reported by Statistics Canada. Peaches, with this year’s decline in yield, will probably dip below 5,500 tons for 2018. Nectarines had a rough year last year at just 787 tons and apricots were also down in 2017 at 875 tons. It is unlikely that 2018 numbers will be any better for soft fruit growers. Pears up in size and quantity The pear season is on par with apples with larger fruit than last year and Markgraf says there have also been higher yields than last season. However, Kevin Day of Day’s Century Growers
What advice would you give a young farmer starting out today? Get a good education. Do your homework before getting into a particular type of farming. Make thorough plans, because it won't be easy. Be very well informed prior to starting. Be prepared to work long hours, lots of government red tape, join trade organizations, have deep pockets. It's a tough business. Very limited government assistance. Start small and try not to get into debt. Sell direct to the public, eg. farmers markets. Lease land . Replant to high density and new varieties. Start off from leasing because it is not affordable to purchase. Focus on quality. It is the best factor for building value.
Continued on page 34
Don’t over expend on expensive machinery. Long term leases on orchard land are great if you can get them. YOUNG FARMER Farm in a community that supports farmers and not just the farm land! BC would not fall in this category.
9% EXPANDING
Be innovative and look for new varieties and ways to market your product.
35% LOOKING TO RETIRE 57%
Young Agrarians are a great group.
What stage in business life are you at?
Don't take advice from old farmers.
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notes his 40-acres of pear volume was up overall, along with tonnage, but only because younger trees were producing. His individual tree yield wasn’t up.
The heat wave in August… that put plants into heat stress… caused a decline in late season yields.
“The weather was very good for pollination and cell division early in the season, so size was up from last year,” he says. The Anjou pears developed cork spot more than usual due to the longer hot, dry weather, but nothing of significant concern and irrigation was at standard levels for Day. “Very clean fruit this year, good quality,” he notes. “Sugar content, taste is very, very good. The fruit moved a lot faster than normal, so there you had to pay attention to that. Even though we had three or four days of rain that basically stopped the harvest, we didn’t get into a drop situation. But the fruit was softer than normal. I would be surprised if it’s going to be any issue. I would think it’s going to be a benefit to the consumer that the Anjous are going to be riper at harvest. They matured very rapidly. Quicker than normal.” Smoke wasn’t too much of an issue for Day until Bartlett picking, when it was a challenge. “The majority of my volume was out-
James Bergen side that [smoky] parameter, but yes, in August when picking the Barletts it was definitely an issue. It was irritating,” he says. “We managed to harvest about the same weight per person.” Markgraf notes there were no real issues with pears this year, at least nothing that wasn’t manageable. There are some new varieties of pears in different areas in the world, but as Day notes, there’s nothing really new in BC. Ontario is experimenting with a couple of varieties from Niagra, like Harrow Crisp, and Cold Snap that Day has planted and is trying out. “Everybody’s trying to get something new with their pears,” he says. “There’s some proprietary varieties. As far as pear root stocks, there’s lots of work being done developing a winter-hardy dwarf root stock in the states so that it can be planted more like apples are; that can
go to a more high-density planting and handle the temperature drops.” There isn’t much fluctuation in pear acreage. With the lack of options for new varieties, there isn’t much reason to renovate fields, though growers like Day continue to expand, adding more blocks slowly. He believes the pricing on pears will be slightly down this year compared to last year’s. No Glut of Strawberries Strawberry growers had a more challenging year than most fruit growers. David Mutz of Abbotsford’s Berry haven Farms, notes the yield of everbearing berries was down about 20 per cent on his farm when it came to processed berries due to a shorter peak. “Normally we see a two to three week Continued on page 36
ORCHARD & VINE FRUIT SURVEY 2018
Are you concerned about the cannabis legislation? 46% Not too concerned. 23% Don't like it one bit. 20% Looking for new opportunities and products surrounding this 12 % Concerned about my staff and workers 12% Happy about it, been a long time coming.
I lost my hired man of the last two years to the industry. He liked the higher pay and the 'fringe benefits'. 34 Year End 2018
How did the forest fires affect you?
41%
Found the air quality unpleasant
22%
Said the smoky air caused a drop in tourism visits or farm gate sales.
52%
Said that work went on as usual, with some reporting working shorter days and others reporting asthma.
ORCHARD & VINE FRUIT SURVEY 2018
Photo contributed by Riverstone Estate Winery
Which issues should the BC government address to further support the industry?
Photo by Dusan Kostic | Dreamstime.com
Changing labour standards and seasonal agricultural workers could have serious problems for competitiveness. Labour shortage is a great concern and continued support of the SAWP is needed. Don’t over-expend on expensive machinery. Long term leases on orchard land are great if you can get them. Get rid of employeer health care tax on SAWP workers, it's totally double dipping.
Picking labour is getting more difficult to obtain every year. Quebecois students are not coming like they used to.
Photo contributed by Rhonda Driediger of Driediger Farms Market
Just leave us alone.
Improved and simpler taxation. If investments are being made into improving farm output the incentives need to be in place.
More grants for the farmers not administration.
Protect farmers not just farm land. We are losing our farming knowledge.
Photo contributed by BCTF
If we want to grow food in Canada there will have to be changes. Young people can't afford to buy land to farm.
Stop increasing labour costs, assistance with trade barriers such as high tariff in China and MRLs in EU.
The grape virus disease, leaf roll has become a very serious and potentially limiting disease in the South Okanagan support in research, funding for replanting and pest control products are needed.
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peak. This year it caught us off guard. It came about three to four days earlier than we expected… and it didn’t last as long as other years,” he says. “We went from super long to short in the blink of an eye.”
Photo by Jiri Vaclavek | Dreamstime.com
The glut of berries Mutz normally sees didn’t really materialize. He generally sends the excess to be processed but this year he only sent about half the usual amount. James Bergen of Bergen Farms in Abbotsford found the same drop in yield, and one that extended into the later season for everbearing growers. “The heat wave in August… that put the plants into heat stress, so they weren’t pushing as many flowers, so that caused a decline in late season yields,” he notes. Mutz says the high heat caused a longer gap between the spring crop and the fall crop due to less flowering activity. For diseases, powdery mildew was a big issue for growers, coming on strong and harder to fight. Mutz says it was worst in his newly planted field while the overwintered fields weren’t as bad, yet was near extreme levels in some fields. Thrips and lagus were at typical levels and manageable, yet overall, berries were of good quality with firm fruit, but berry size was down slightly. Overall pricing for strawberries is expected to be lower than last year. Mutz notes pricing was similar to last year, but was lower during the peak period for many growers. Competing with California fresh berries pushes pricing down according to Bergen, especially since the peak (while shorter) coincided with that of California’s. Dead Cells Show up in Raspberries Bergen is also the chair of the Raspberry Industry Development Council (RIDC) and noted this raspberries faced a new concern this year – single dead cells (druplets) found randomly in berries. According to an article in the RIDC newsletter, the symptoms seen in berries fall outside the “typical description for any known problems,” as reported by growers, packers, consultants and BC ministry experts. It was not a variety-specific issue. “I didn’t see much of it in my fields,” Bergen says. “There’s lots of speculation about what caused it. Some people are 36 Year End 2018
There were pricing issues (for blueberries) in the glut of a market. The price bottomed out. Jack Bates saying because some raspberry fields are on the older side, maybe one thing led to another. But it’s all just speculation right now. It’s going to be monitored for next year.” SWD was a problem late in the season, with fall berries taking the brunt of the pest and growers maintaining spray programs for control. Fortunately, there was nothing significant in the way of disease. Raspberry bushy dwarf continues to show as a concern, but the berries infected with it have been planted for at least seven years and show it will spread. There was very little mold pressure this year even with the early rains. Bergen feels the rains helped get the size up over last year’s berries and notes they grew firmer as the season progressed. The majority of raspberries go to processing and while yields look like they will be higher than last year, pricing is expected to be lower. “There is a push somewhat from local retailers to support local,” says Bergen. “But because raspberries are such a fragile berry and don’t have the shelf life, it’s a lot harder to get an in, in the retail market when there’s berries with a lon-
ger shelf life.” The market is challenging for raspberry growers. With reports of some processors refusing berries in the US and uncertainty around markets, the RIDC is working to find solutions for issues like cheap import products. The overall acreage of raspberries is being reduced and while some will go back into raspberries, other acres will be lost to different crops. “There’s a few varieties I’m excited about, but they’re a few years away,” notes Bergen. With no new options for planting, those growers considering replanting are limited in choices. “That’s what every grower is struggling with right now, is what to grow. There was a release five, six years ago, called Squamish,” he says. “Some growers are quite excited about it, others are wait and see.” Growers also need an earlier, higher yielding variety for processing to avoid any overlap with blueberries. When blueberry harvest begins, both pickers and packing are lost to the blue fruit.
Bergen says raspberries do acclimatize somewhat to the high heat when it is a gradual rising and lingering heat. Sun damage occurs more often (depending upon the variety) when the heat spikes quickly. Harvest began in mid-June this year, which was somewhat earlier than average due to the hot spring. Freezing rain in February did cause damage to some canes, but Bergen notes it wasn’t overwhelming. Overall, he felt it was a good season for growing raspberries. Unfortunately, the market isn’t providing the support growers need. Another Wave of Blue Blueberries will definitely have a high yield again this year with estimates from Jack Bates, chair of the BC Blueberry Council, of at least 155 million pounds, up about 20 million pounds. Bates notes other than last year’s low, this has been the average for recent previous years.
Pricing continues to be a challenge for growers with the blue glut of berries seen coming from BC, Washington and Oregon where berries ripen at approximately the same time. “Of course there were pricing issues in the glut of a market,” he says. “The price bottomed out. It’s basically the same every year.” Bates hopes the processed berries will end up with about the same pricing as last year and noted late season fresh berries usually receive a bit of a spike in pricing. Fruit size was average and quality was “pretty good all around,” although he notes some quality issues may have occurred at the end of the growing season. No new varieties are on the horizon for
at least five years although some growers are pulling their blueberries out and putting different varieties in. A high note for BC’s blueberry growers is the June 23 to 27 International Blueberry Organization’s summit coming to Vancouver in 2019. Great Growing Season for Cranberries Cranberry harvests began on Sept. 19 this year with growers seeing good results to this point. New varieties are bringing yields up in good sized berries with nice colour. “There’s 6,500 acres of cranberries in BC and I would say there’s about 40 acres in fresh fruit,” says Grant Keefer of Yellow Point Cranberries and board member
“Fresh is at 70 million and 85 million is frozen processed,” he says. “A good portion is IQF.” He described the year as exceptional with the hot dry weather. The smoke from the Interior helped with keeping the sunburn down, though there was definitely some damage.
SWD was mostly kept in check with spraying every seven to 10 days, but there were pest spikes in the second week of August.
Photo by Province of BC
“It’s hell to work in,” Bates says of the smoke.
Lana Popham visiting a cranberry farm in the Fraser Valley.
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with the BC Cranberry Growers Association. “There will be no expansion [in acreage], there is no room for more.”
growing region, the season was about a week to 10 days behind, due in part to the smoke cover.
However, with new varieties creating higher yields, any future room for more berries will be taken up by the larger production volumes.
The biggest push from growers is Ocean Spray’s desire for fruit suitable to its Craisin products. The ideal size is ½ to ¾ inch in diameter and the company was short on “Craisin quality fruit” last year.
A couple of new varieties Keefer is interested in are from Integrity Propagation from New Jersey. Still just numbered, Keefer notes 9-25 and 9-11 are both interesting. “Overall, I think it was a pretty decent year for [pests],” he says. “No surprises definitely.” The only issue seen by Brian Dewit of Riverside Cranberries was too much heat, but otherwise he felt it was a “pretty optimal” growing season. One grower he spoke to even reported a harvest of 45,000 pounds from one of his 10 acres. “Every variety is different,” he says. “The results I’m getting back, very little rot, pretty good sized berries, colour is good.”
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He notes the harvest would likely have begun even earlier had it not been for the smoke. He feels, depending upon the
Pricing for cranberries is expected to be roughly the same as last year. New Association for Table Grapes Perhaps the biggest news in table grapes was the introduction of a new association – the Okanagan Table-Grape Growers Association (OTGA). “We really do have better product than the other [table grape growers],” Alan Wikenheiser, owner of Caralyn Vineyards says of Association growers. “It’s always very concerning. We do get lumped in with some poor quality growers. We formed our own association, tried to tighten things up.” Wikenheiser, owner of Caralyn Vineyards felt the season was up slightly over previous years, but added the last three years have been quite good. While his harvest of 12 acres of Coronation and Bath will
generally yield about 10,000 boxes, he saw about 10,800 this year. The quality is what counts though and Wikenheiser believes this will be what makes this year stand out. At D&M Djordjevich Vineyards in Kelowna, Mildred Djordjevich notes that her family’s grapes are sold at farmers markets, by farm gate or privately to others. She feels the six acres the family harvested this year were of good quality. “I think it was lovely this year,” she says. “[Yield] was average, it was very nice, even though we had smoke all the time, but they did really nicely. They really got their sugar up. We’re happy with what we’ve achieved.”
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The picking was a slight challenge for the Djordjevichs due to the rain and wetness, but it wasn’t an insurmountable challenge. Wikenheiser notes there weren’t a lot of pests this year. Even the spotted wing drosophila (SWD) didn’t make much of an impact, and the smoke kept the heat down a bit to prevent the vines from shutting down, though it may have kept the sugars down very slightly and may have slowed ripening. While pricing hasn’t been determined for the table grapes to be sold and marketed through BC Tree Fruits, Wikenheiser feels pool pricing will be up over last year.
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“It was a good year for us,” he says. “There’s a lot that goes into it, but it’s getting harder and harder. It really does test you. Food Safe is getting brutal. But it’s a good life. It’s very good.” Potential table growers are also seeing it as a good life. While overall numbers of acres planted are down slightly, there is the potential for increases as new plantings are going in. Fruit growing is not a job for the faint of heart. It’s long hours, sometimes uncertain paydays and unpredictable forces constantly pushing back. However, there are rewards, even when the season has been challenging and if there’s anything to celebrate (and there are many things) it’s the strength of community formed by farmers who support one another.
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California Grape Growers Seeing Healthier Terroir, Heartier Vines With Organic Vermicompost Canadian grape growers now have access to an innovative, organic soil amendment that’s improving vineyard soil quality and producing healthier, more resilient vines in California. Developed in California and tested by growers, university researchers and the United States Department of Agriculture, TerraVesco® Vermicompost has demonstrated its ability to improve the quality and yield of grape and orchard production. It is the first vermicompost solution of its kind available north of the border. Grape growers know better than anyone that quality wine depends on healthy terroir. TerraVesco Vermicompost enables growers to naturally accelerate the quality, fertility and porosity of their soil by increasing organic content and microbial diversity, which in turn enables increased nutrient uptake in plants. The pay-off starts right away during transplant. Growers are seeing lower levels of transplant shock and increased take rates during the in-field transplant process. Already within the first year, vines are more resilient against certain soil-born pathogens and weather extremes including cold, damp conditions, which is important in a Canadian climate. Established vineyards continue to support soil and plant health by using the vermicompost as a top dressing. “We started using this innovative soil amendment to produce Ellepots by A.M.A.TM for California wine grape and tree nut growers more than 40 Year End 2018
five years ago, and we’ve seen the benefits first hand,” says Rick Bradt, Managing Director, A.M.A. Horticulture Inc. “By bringing this product to Canada, our aim is to help our wine industry compete by producing healthier, more resilient plants.” TerraVesco’s proprietary production process uses pre-composted organic dairy manure to eliminate weed seeds and harmful pathogens. Millions of red wiggler worms convert the manure into an organic soil amendment that is consistent in texture and performance from batch to batch. It is CDFA-certified and OMRIlisted in Canada and the USA. “Sustainable solutions like TerraVesco Vermicompost are helping our industry move away from chemical-based products while continuing to drive high yields, high quality products and strong
bottom lines,” says Connie Bradt-Monsma, Managing Director, A.M.A. Horticulture Inc. “We’re proud to bring this solution to Canada to support our wine grape and orchard growers, and help cultivate the future of horticulture.” TerraVesco Vermicompost is available in Canada at A.M.A. Horticulture Inc., a solutionsfocused distributor that has been serving the horticulture industry since 1982.
BC’s New Stance on Organics The province’s new regulations for those using the term organic kicked in September 1 By Ronda Payne Publicly announced way back in September, 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture’s new regulations around the term ‘organic’ took effect on Sept. 1, 2018. Producers and processors had three years to prepare and become federally or provincially certified to claim food and beverage products are organic. Prior to this shift, there was no monitoring of BC products labelled or claimed as organic within the province, but goods moving inter-provincially were regulated. According to a fact sheet, the ministry says the change is to bring peace of mind to consumers who can trust that a product
8
the BC Association for Regenerative Agriculture, which is one of the nine certification bodies under the Certified Organic Association of BC (COABC). Samantha Graham, administrative assistant with COABC notes it is up to producers and processors to choose the best certification body (CB) for their business depending upon fit, location and whether they will export products outside of BC.
labelled as being organic is in fact just that. Shirlene Cote of Earth Organic Farm is part of Glen Valley Organic Farm Cooperative and notes the farm has been certified for about 20 years so the change doesn’t impact the two businesses that operate on the site. “The two businesses are still audited separately,” she says. “They [auditors] come out, we organize so that we’re all on the farm together. Then some things are audited together because we have some things that are shared, like barn space… then other things are separate, like inventory.”
“Six CBs are regionally accredited certifiers and three CBs are COR (Canadian Organic Regime) accredited certifiers,” Graham says. The COR accredited certification bodies are able to provide certification for trade outside BC.
Glen Valley Organic Farm Cooperative is certified through
“Both types of CBs can certify products to the British Columbia Certified Organic Program (BCCOP),” she notes. “Meaning they are suitable certifiers for operators trading products exclusively within BC.” Costs for certification vary among providers and there is an additional fee for COABC membership. Graham notes
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that while membership has increased over the last few years, there is no data to support whether or not it is because of the new provincial regulations. There are currently more than 750 members of the organization. Premium Grapevines and Rootstock
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“The COABC membership fee is calculated on a sliding scale based on gross organic income and is collected by the CB annually on COABC’s behalf,” Graham says. Cote, who grows fruit (berries, apples, pears and plums), vegetables and eggs, hasn’t noticed much discussion of the new regulations among other growers, but she adds the timing of implementation is during harvest. She doesn’t anticipate much change as a result of the new regulations at the farmers’ markets in Vancouver where she sells her products. She also offers CSA boxes (Community Supported Agriculture).
Grapevines
“Even at the farmers markets and stuff it’s always been regulated for us. We were already required to only put up a sign if you were certified,” she says. “Some people might be calling their CSA organic and they’re not certified. Most people, that I know anyways, that aren’t certified, are very careful with their wording.”
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She notes that those who aren’t certified might make verbal claims like “we practice organic, but we aren’t certified.” It’s an important distinction because the Ministry of Agriculture fact sheet notes the term organic is now a protected label in BC. That means, it can only be used on food or beverages produced or processed in BC that meet certification conditions.
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The fact sheet also states that other grammatical forms, phonetic representations and abbreviations or symbols of organic are covered by the protected label status. Thus, using a representation like “Our apples are Or-Gan-Ick” would be liable for the graduated enforcement COABC will implement. However, legal business names are exempt from the status. Enforcement is based on the ability to produce proof of certification when requested by the ministry. Without certification, penalties such as fines may apply, though there is no explanation of what enforcement may look like on the ministry’s fact sheet. Cote is glad she doesn’t have to worry about the issue but notes others – especially at farmers’ markets – will be at risk if they don’t follow the rules.
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“When I could I did. I grabbed an opportunity that allowed me to certify. I’ve never seen it really be an issue,” she says. “It would be interesting, other markets I’ve heard that there have been problems. It will be interesting to see how much more things are regulated.” She says one of the biggest issues at farmers’ markets is ensuring vendors are selling their own products and can stand behind claims of organic, locally-grown or spray-free. ■
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SAFETY TIPS | WORKSAFE BC
Your Guide to Protecting your Workers
H
ave you reviewed your health and safety program recently? A healthy and safe workforce is a cornerstone in the success of your business and a well-planned program supports that goal. A health and safety program helps you to:
poor condition of equipment and tools. Schedule them often enough to prevent unsafe working conditions from developing. Use a checklist to ensure your inspections are thorough and consistent. • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Make sure the appropriate PPE is available to all workers and that workers are trained in its use.
• Incident investigations – Investigate incidents and “near misses.” Correct any issues to identify what needs to be changed to prevent future events. • Health and safety meetings – All workplaces benefit from regular health and safety meetings. Small businesses may only need short, informal chats to share concerns or questions, while larger
• Prevent injuries and disease • Promote a positive health and safety culture • Identify and control hazards in the workplace • Limit financial losses from injuries, disease, and increased costs Every workplace is different, and aspects of your program may depend on the size of your business. However, every program must include the following components to be effective:
An effective health and safety plan involves everyone. The planning decisions you make today can affect the health and safety of workers tomorrow.
• Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) policy – Your policy is a statement of your commitment to a healthy and safe workplace. Include the aims and priorities of the program, and outline the responsibilities of employers, supervisors, and workers in supporting the program. Post it prominently in the workplace and review it annually to see if any changes need to be made. • Orientation and training – Orient new workers before they begin a new job. Demonstrate the task and supervise them to see that they understand safe work procedures and the health and safety guidelines. If you have workers returning after procedures or equipment have changed, be sure to provide training for them, too. • Written instructions ensure consistent work habits. Present the information simply and clearly, and consider the language requirements of your workers. For high-risk activities like lockout, confined space entry, and working alone, you must have written procedures. • Regular inspections – Inspections help to spot potential problems such as the hazards of a particular location or
Find resources to prevent injuries at worksafebc.com/agriculture
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businesses might hold more structured events. Keep a record of each meeting, including who attended and what was discussed. • First aid – Timely and effective treatment can reduce the severity of workrelated injuries. First aid requirements vary, depending on the hazards and risks of each workplace, the travel time to the nearest hospital, and the number of workers.
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• Record keeping – Written records of training, first aid incidents, inspections, and safety meetings are part of due diligence. They also provide helpful details to assess to the success of your health and safety plan, and suggest ways to strengthen it. Some records are required by the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and can act as supporting documentation if an incident occurs.
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• Emergency response plan – Create a plan for workplace emergencies such as fires, explosions, chemical spills, or natural disasters to ensure employees understand how to respond effectively in an emergency. These resources help you meet the requirements of an effective health and safety plan: • Health and Safety for Wineries and Vineyards • How to Implement a Formal Occupational Health and Safety Program • Small Business Health & Safety Log Book • Small Business Primer ■ Find these resources and information about the OHS Regulation at worksafebc.com/health-safety.
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WHAT IT'S WORTH | BRIAN PAULUZZI, AACI
How to Enhance the Value of Your Farm to purchase orchards, vineyards and farms. Below are a number of characteristics an accredited Commercial Appraiser is bound to consider when evaluating a producing agricultural property. LOCATION
N
ow that winter is here, orchardists can enjoy the calm after the storm; a time for regrouping, new undertakings and future planning. If you intend to sell, refinance, bequeath or simply upgrade your orchard or vineyard next season, here are a few things to consider over the cold months. Sometimes, it just takes a little rethinking and ingenuity to maximize your value so you’re ready to strike when the market is hot. Commercial Real Estate Appraisers are regularly called upon to assess the value of agricultural properties and businesses for acquisition purposes and succession planning. More often than not, financial institutions require a formal Market Value Appraisal report in order to approve financing for those looking
Certain locations bring unique advantages. It’s important to know your area and maximize on its benefits. Similkameen Valley orchards, for example, are relatively isolated from the larger, well-established fruit producing regions of the Okanagan Valley. For anyone looking to acquire or create an organic orchard or vineyard, the benefits of such a secluded location are extremely attractive. Organic fruit and wine production continues to be a growing and well organized market segment. If your land is located in an area favourable to organic production, now might be the time to consider steps toward certification. Increasingly, orchardists situated along busy roadways are taking advantage of their locations to sell directly to the consumer.
SIZE
WATER
While farming less than five acres is typically considered a “hobby”, cultivating anything on 10 or more acres denotes a bona fide agricultural endeavor. As a result, farms in the five to 10 acre range remain in high demand due to their ability to accommodate either venture. Growers looking to alter the size and marketability of their land can do so by expanding or reducing farm size within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) through the elimination of common lot lines, or through a boundary adjustment, providing a few conditions and approvals are met.
Does your orchard or vineyard benefit from access to a natural water source? If so, your land offers a rare benefit in these hot, dry times. This is especially true for those who have provincial rights or licenses to surface or ground water. Once formal rights are secured, it’s important to ensure they are enforceable and transferable to new owners once you sell your farm. It’s also necessary to use the water and maintain any infrastructure related to its distribution so the provision remains relevant and functional.
Recent trends show orchardists and viticulturists expanding operations and increasing economies of scale through the purchase of neighbouring properties, as discussed in our last article. For those farming more than 10 acres, growing through consolidation and the purchase of adjacent land parcels reduces the cost of operations per acre, making the agricultural business more attractive to potential purchasers.
An understanding of soil types is fundamental to agricultural management practices and best results. Knowing the type of soils your farm is situated on can also help you market your property to purchasers looking for specific soils to support the growth of certain crops. A qualified Commercial Appraiser pays close attention to soil types, referencing BC Ministry of Environment mapping and reports to calculate
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the accurate value of an orchard or vineyard. FRUIT VARIETALS
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Productivity differs greatly between grape vine types and orchard tree varieties. Fruit trees in particular can remain productive for lengthy periods of time (over 20 years) while the popularity of fruit varieties may decline quickly due to changing consumer demands. As a result, it’s nearly impossible for orchardists to predict, and immediately react to, market fluctuations. Yet, it’s essential to know the current popularity of your existing varieties. Provincial statistics, coupled with industry knowledge, regarding the dollar per pound value of both tree fruits and wine grapes should be consulted when planning to remove, replace or start new plantings. PAPERWORK When the snow falls, one can always catch up on dreaded paperwork. The title to your land holdings, for example, may need attention if it includes redundant or unenforceable encumbrances that might worry a potential purchaser. These can include covenants such as shared irrigation agreements that were valid 50 years ago but no longer have meaning. To safeguard your agricultural land value, its best to review and remove any obsolete encumbrances from your land title documentation. When it comes to property taxes, most growers are wellversed in the intricacies of the ALR and its benefits. For those not located within the ALR, only the farmed portion of your land is valued at legislated farm rates. To maximize farm classification, it’s important to ensure BC Assessment is calculating property value based on accurate land use. Lastly, up-to-date business financials are always beneficial to the valuation of a producing agricultural property. These reflect your ability to run your orchard, operate your business and sell your crops. If you are thinking of selling, pull the shoebox of receipts off the shelf this winter and have an accountant prepare financial statements based on your latest sales season. ■ Brian Pauluzzi is an Okanagan-based Commercial Appraiser (AACI) and owner of NCA Commercial Inc. in Kelowna. www.ncacommercial.com
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THE WORD ON WINE | LAURA KITTMER
The Fourth Annual Judgment Of BC ney. Ninety-nine wines were tasted to come up with the final 12 BC representatives.
kling wines with BC placing fourth, fifth and sixth.
T
he Wines of British Columbia were put to the ultimate test at the fourth annual Judgment of BC on October 24, pitting 12 BC Wines against 12 acknowledged global benchmarks. We are proud to announce BC ranked first and second among the flight of Bordeauxstyle red blends, standing up against wines from Bordeaux and Napa Valley. California came out on top for the flight of traditional method spar-
• Cabernet Franc • Cabernet Sauvignon • Chardonnay • Gamay • Gewürztraminer • Malbec • Merlot • Muscat Ottonel
Hosted by the BC Wine Institute, and curated by Vancouver-based wine expert DJ Kearney, the Judgment of BC took place in Kelowna in the heart of wine country, during which 39 international and national wine judges blind tasted and ranked 12 traditional method sparkling wines and 12 Bordeaux-style red blends. Six were from BC and six were international benchmarks.
Twenty-six top wine professionals from around the world and across the country had just spent four days immersed in Wine BC BootCamp. Hosted by Master of Wine Rhys Pender and the British Columbia Wine Institute, the group delved deep into BC’s wine culture learning, tasting and discussing everything BC wine during a series of Master Classes, panel discussions and regional visits. A further 13 Canadian wine critics and sommeliers descended on the Okanagan Valley to join the group for the Judgment of BC blind tasting.
The BC wines selected for the Judgement were hand chosen through a blind tasting by a Selection Committee of Barb Philip MW, Rhys Pender MW, Dr. Janet Dorozynski, Kurtis Kolt, Michaela Morris and Jason Yamasaki, led by DJ Kear-
• Orange Muscat • Pinot Blanc • Pinot Gris • Pinot Noir • Riesling • Sauvignon Blanc • Sovereign Coronation • Seyval Blanc
Such close attention from the world’s top wine influencers
• Shiraz • Syrah • Vidal • Viognier • Zinfandel • Zweigelt
Among the international guests, Vancouver born Terry Threlfall, Wine Director at Selfridges & Company in London, England expressed his impression on BC Wine at the BC Wine Institute’s export seminar following the week’s events. He noted in his presentation, “The evolution of the BC wine industry has been extraordinary, the wines showing a real sense of place. Canada is the new and shiny thing amongst sommeliers and restauranteurs. Doing
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on what is happening with BC wine is exciting and humbling. Top palates from the UK, USA, Asia and across Canada descended on the Okanagan Valley, all of whom were enthusiastic about the quality of the wines they tasted.
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exercises like the Judgment of BC is fun but also educational. Most of us couldn’t decipher which wines were international and which were BC. Those benchmark wines were some of the most highly recognized wines in the world, showing how high the bar has been set in BC.” British wine writer for the Yorkshire Post Christine Austin remarked, “It’s been the most fascinating exercise. BC Wine can stand up on the world stage with their own character, flavours, personality and hold their head up high against some of the best wines in the world.” “Many regions say they can produce a variety of styles. The Okanagan Valley is unique due to its climate and geology in actually being able to produce many grapes and styles at high quality,” noted Master Sommelier James Tidwell from Texas, USA. “I look forward to the day when these wines are more recognized in the international market.”
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Jeremy Siddall District Vice President Pacific Agriculture Services British Columbia 250-681-4656 jeremy.siddall@td.com
Alyssa Meyer Account Manager BC Interior 250-470-3028 alyssa.meyer@td.com 1633 Ellis Street, Unit 310, Kelowna
Ted Hallman Account Manager BC Interior 250-470-3029 ted.hallman@td.com 1633 Ellis Street, Unit 310, Kelowna
Michelle Curcio Account Manager Vancouver Island 250-246-0859 michelle.curcio@td.com 1-351 Trans Canada Highway, Duncan
Dave Gill Account Manager Abbotsford & Fraser Valley 604-870-2224 baldev.gill@td.com 32817 South Fraser Way, 2nd Floor Abbotsford
Lynda Ferris BBA, CAPA Account Manager Abbotsford & Fraser Valley 604 870 2222 lynda.ferris@td.com 32817 South Fraser Way, 2nd Floor Abbotsford
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48 Year End 2018
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Vancouver based wine writer, educator and international judge Michaela Morris was impressed by how well the BC sparkling wines showed. “Most of my top ranked wines in the sparkling flight turned out to be from BC which I found very impressive,” she said. Katelyn Peil, Wine Director for the Heavy Restaurant Group in Seattle, was also enlightened by the tasting. “The wines are exciting and fresh with a purity of fruit that also offers a sense of place. It is amazing to see the caliber of wines coming from this region and the rest of the world should be paying attention.” The BC Wine Institute hosts educational programs, seminars, blind tastings and in-region familiarization tours throughout the year attracting top wine professionals to our region and gaining worldwide recognition for the Wines of British Columbia. These initiatives allow the industry to gain insights and knowledge into how we compare internationally as a critical part of ensuring we continue to make high quality wines and celebrate the success and growth of our industry collectively. ■ For the Judgment of BC results and list of judges visit WineBC.com. Laura Kittmer is the Media Relations Manager at the British Columbia Wine Institute. www.winebc.org @WineBCdotcom
SEEDS OF GROWTH | GLEN LUCAS
BCFGA Questions Proposed TFWPA workplace safety. Local inspectors are authorized to inspect farm worksites for compliance to the Workplace Safety Regulations. Penalties can be assessed.
for available jobs. There are several parts to the program, but the most important for agriculture are: • The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP)
O
n October 29, the BC provincial government introduced the “Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act”. If the proposed law is passed, it will create a registry of employers of Temporary Foreign Workers, or TFWs. The purpose of the registry is to make it illegal to employ TFW’s without the registration. For example, if there is a breach of TFW requirements (including all workplace protections in place in BC), then the registration will be cancelled. Since registration is required to employ TFWs, cancelling the registration will remove the ability to employ TFWs from that particular employer. The Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program allows access to foreign workers for employers who demonstrate a shortage of Canadian workers
• The Pest Management Regulatory Agency is authorized to take samples for residue testing and observe workplace safety with regard to the use of pesticides, especially reentry intervals and following other pesticide label instructions. Penalties may be assessed for non-compliance.
• The Low Skill Program - Ag Stream Should employees, whether TFW or Canadian, be protected in the workplace? Absolutely! As BCFGA President Pinder Dhaliwal recently pointed out at a grower meeting, there are currently many, many protections, both legislative and organizational, for SAWP foreign workers in BC. Here are a few:
• The Consulate and Liaison Services monitor compliance with BC and Canadian law, and work to bring any issues into compliance, with removal of workers possible in extreme cases.
• Employment Standards Act regulates workers pay and there are provisions for workplace audits and inspection of records. A team inspects farm worksites every summer (in 2018 focusing on the Fraser Valley, but in 2017 active in the Okanagan). Monetary penalties may be assessed, and these penalties increase rapidly for repeated non-compliance. •
WorkSafe
BC
• Integrity Service Branch of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) does unannounced visits to the workplace to ensure compliance with standard employment agreements and the requirements of the SAWP or AG Stream programs. Penalties may be assessed for noncompliance, or employers
regulates
banned from the TFW programs. • For SAWP and the Ag Stream Programs, housing is inspected by independent inspectors every year to meet a housing standard. If housing standards are not met, even for conditions which might be rectified easily with proof of compliance later (e.g. new batteries required in the smoke detector), then the application is declined. While employer associations (such as the BC Fruit Growers’ Association and Western Agricultural Labour Initiative) seek to make these regulations sensible, we clearly recognize that program standards are needed for the credibility and availability of the program to be maintained. The regulations are there to ensure that workplaces are safe and fair. However, where we had one Employment Standards Act (ESA), with the ability to audit and assess penalties for non-compliance, we now have ESA plus the Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act. Why the du-
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plication? How will this result in higher compliance than simply providing education and enforcing the original workplace regulations? These questions has not yet been answered directly by government. Another question is “What will be the administrative linkages between ESA and whoever is going to administer the Temporary Foreign Workers Act?” We do not know. All the information collected by the new registry is already available to the government, so obtaining previously unavailable information is not the purpose. Although the registry provides the power to deny the registration of an employer and therefore deny workers where there is non-compliance, this power already resides with Service Canada and with consular and liaison services of foreign governments. Employer associations’ main question to government: “Is the extra red tape going to result in increased compliance, or is it just another layer of bureaucracy with resources that could be better expended in education of employers and employees on workplace regulations”? We are also not clear whether the new legislation will apply to the “backpacker” program which sees open work permits provided to a limited number of youth coming to Canada to travel and work. The BCFGA is interested in increasing the number of foreign workers under the International Experience Program - or “IEP”, also called the “backpacker program” - which allows a number of Canadian youth to travel and work in foreign countries and in exchange a number of the foreign country’s youth to travel and work in Canada. I sometimes refer to the IEP as an exchange program, as
50 Year End 2018
there are limited numbers of work permits issued for a particular country. Unfortunately, the foreign youth have to apply for the Work Permit before their arrival in Canada. As with most youth, the awareness of bureaucratic requirements is low, so many backpackers arrive without the Work Permit. The BCFGA has proposed that IEP Work Permits be issued after arrival in Canada, which is already the practice in New Zealand. A final issue with the government’s registry of TFW employers is privacy of information. The principle is that information should not be collected and retained by government unless there is a use for the information. The fear is that retaining information that is not needed will result in a needless exposure to a risk that the information will be improperly released or stolen. In a time when governments and businesses are thinking twice before collecting and retaining personal information, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program registry has not demonstrated adequately the rationale to collect and maintain information that already resides elsewhere in government, and for a purpose which duplicates existing regulation. In summary, the BCFGA remains committed to protecting the ongoing availability TFW programs by seeking compliance with workplace regulations. A robust education program is the best place for government to spend scarce tax dollars in order to improve compliance with workplace regulations. The BCFGA would like to see government focus on an educational approach combined with existing regulation and inspection/compliance efforts. Growers already deal with enough red tape. ■
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INTRODUCING KUBOTA’S NEW M4 AND M5 NARROW TRACTORS.
Built with the power you expect from Kubota, the new M4 and M5 Narrow tractors are designed for work between vines and powerful enough to be part of the M Series line-up. Their final Tier IV Diesel engines deliver up to 91 PTO HP. Improved hydraulics and a redesigned cab make these tractors the perfect combination of size and strength.
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3663 S. Island Hwy
250-334-0801
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250-428-2254
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4650 Trans Canada Hwy
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706 Carrier Road
250 851 2044
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1090 Stevens Road
250-769-8700
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