Orchard & Vine Summer 2022 by Before & After Media

Combining Art & Wine at The Gallery Winery Cooling Down Berries in the Increasing Heat Cider Software 101 Canadian Winemaker Daniel Cosman

Summer 2022 $6.95

Display Until Aug.15, 2022 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40838008 www.orchardandvine.net

Summer 2022

CONTENTS

Raspberries grown in tunnels, find out how to beat the heat this summer growing season.

Publisher’s View – Lisa Olson

10 Events Calendar 12 News and Events 21 T he Gallery Winery: Sisters Tasha Campbell and Kirstin Wakal are combining their two passions for art and wine in their new West Kelowna winery.

Kirstin Wakal and Tasha Campbell of the Gallery Winery.

25 Cool it Down: Berries are a fragile fruit and weather events like the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome highlight the need for additional tools. 29 Cider Business 101: Making and selling cider is a business, but too few operations have the right software tools in place. 31 Word on Wine – Kelly Josephson 33 Marketing Mix – Leeann Froese 35 Money Matters – AJ Gill 37 Seeds of Growth – Glen Lucas

Cider business 101. 4

Summer 2022

38 Canadian Winemaker Series – Daniel Cosman Cover Photo by Kirstin Wakal: Tasha Campbell picking grapes at The Gallery Winery in West Kelowna.

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 PUBLISHER’S VIEW | LISA OLSON

Getting Hitched Without a Hitch I think my daughter and I could write a book on how to plan and organize a wedding in six days!

Vol. 63, No 3 Summer 2022

To be honest, the wedding had been in the works for a few years now. The rings had been purchased, but no sign of the wedding dress. Then, on a Sunday and with the blink of an eye, the perfect dress was located. Then, my daughter announced, “Mom, I want to get married on Saturday in the orchard at Paynter’s Market amongst the blossoms. They are so pretty right now and they may not last long.” Saturday was six days away, to which I offered an encouraging reply, “Well, if you’re determined and get busy you can make it happen.”

Lisa Olson

Blossoms make the perfect backdrop for a spring wedding. We all know how beautiful the blossoms look and how quickly they fall to the ground. Who says an event can’t be planned in the spur of the moment when you have the faith, determination and a little help from mom. Many thanks to Jennay Oliver from Paynter’s Fruit Market who generously allowed us to hold the event on her

Established in 1959 Publisher

Photo credit: Amazing Grace Photography By Brigitte Schlief

Editor

farm. We especially appreciated Jennay touring us around the orchard, pointing out all her favourite spots for photos and sheltered areas in case it rained a bit. I now see why so many couples choose to get married in an orchard or at a winery, as an outdoor wedding is so fresh and picturesque. We are so fortunate to have these sites available. After a lot of running around the day turned out

perfect and went off without a hitch. There was a little rain in the morning. Then, as the warm sun came out you could literally see the buds opening up as the couple were exchanging their vows. It was very lovely.

Gary Symons Graphic Design Stephanie Symons Writers Leeann Froese, AJ Gill, Kelly Josephson, Glen Lucas, Ronda Payne, Gary Symons Contact lisa@orchardandvine.net Orchard & Vine Magazine Ltd. Mailing Address 22-2475 Dobbin Road Suite #578 West Kelowna, BC V4T 2E9 www.orchardandvine.net Phone: 778-754-7078

Dreams do come true and you can read more inside this magazine. I hope your summer season goes well and without a hitch.

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.

All the best to you this summer season!

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40838008

Enjoy the magazine!

Undeliverable copies should be sent to: 22-2475 Dobbin Road Suite #578 West Kelowna, BC V4T 2E9

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VINEYARD OR ORCHARD POTENTIAL Westbank Centre - MLS® $2,499,000 Amazing property nestled among the vineyards of West Kelowna’s famous wine trail. 4500+ sq ft main house, 1100+ sq ft 2 bdr/2 bath carriage house, shop (wired with 220 volt power), barn, refrigerated cold storage, fruit trees, gardens.

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Attend the Wine Media Conference in September in the beautiful Lake Garda region of Italy.

Canada’s Farm Progress Show June 21-22 Regina, SK www.myfarmshow.com The International Cool Climate Wine Symposium 2022 July 17 - 21, 2022, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON., https://iccws2022.ca Feast of Fields Vancouver Island – August 28 Metro Vancouver - September 11 Okanagan - September 18 www.feastoffields.com Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show September 13 - 15 Woodstock, ON http://www.outdoorfarmshow.com Wine Media Conference September 29 – October 1 Lake Garda, Lombardia, Italy https://www.winemediaconference.org Fortify Conference Nov. 14-15, 2022 Penticton, BC https://fortifyconference.ca

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Stag’s Hollow Achieves Sustainability Certification Through SWBC Stag’s Hollow Winery says it has achieved certification under the Sustainable Winegrowing BC program.

www.facebook.com/stagshollowwine

“This certification process has been a big effort on the part of the team here at Stag’s Hollow, in the vineyard, the cellar, the wine shop and administration,” says winemaker Keira LeFranc. “It has enabled us to evaluate many of our existing structures and practices, to see the strides that we have made over the past twenty-five years, and to put processes in place to help us continue to improve over the coming years.” Both the winery itself and its two vineyards in Okanagan Falls, Stag’s Hollow Vineyard and Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard, have met all of the Year 0 criteria for the SWBC. Sustainable Winegrowing BC (SWBC) Certification is a made-in-BC program that sets a standard for the province and the rest of the country. The SWBC certification recognizes the industry responsibility to minimize its impact on the environment and maximize its contribution to sustainability. This means taking a holistic and systematic approach to all aspects

Vilem tending to the vines at Stag’s Hollow, newly certified by SWBC.

of the operation, including: enhancing soil health and carbon capture, promoting biodiversity, protecting waterways from contamination and degradation, using water wisely, minimizing inputs and outputs to create a regenerative system, and working to enhance employee health and safety and community wellbeing.

Hop-on Hop-off Wine Trolley Starts on the Naramata Bench Visitors to Naramata Bench will be able to take a hop-on, hop-off trolley service for the first time this year.

Photo credit: Grape Savy Wine Tours

A pioneer in Okanagan tourism, Grape Savvy Trolley Co aims to be the most convenient and affordable way to experience Naramata’s wine country. The service gives locals and tourists alike convenient access to all wineries, distilleries, cider producers and breweries in Naramata Bench, as well as attractions and small businesses The trolley will be stopping at several pre-selected stops on a continuous loop, allowing guests to access as many local establishments as desired during the day. Trolley Co will also feature an integrated web-app system to show a live map and location of where the Trolleys are located at all times, as well as seat count to ensure capacity availability.

Hop-on-hop off wine tour trolley coming to the Naramata bench.

The BC Fruit Growers’ Association supports labour for the tree fruit sector by participating in:

DID YOU KNOW? BCFGA supports BCFGA member farm labour needs by:

❶ The BC Agriculture Council’s Labour Committee and Western Agriculture Labour Initiative (WALI). ❷ The Canadian Horticulture Council’s Labour Committee. ❸ Intergovernmental Seasonal Agriculture Worker negotiations 12 Summer 2022

➔ Providing assistance to BCFGA members to complete Labour Market Impact Assessments for the Seasonal Agriculture Worker Program, backed by an accredited Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant. ➔ Offering a discount to BCFGA members who engage Green Spark Consulting Services to assist growers to navigate municipal bylaws and Agriculture Land Commission ruled for farm worker housing.

 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

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West Kelowna Vineyard Path Proposed

West Kelowna’s city council is reviewing a proposed walking and cycling path that would run for 2.5 kilometres along Boucherie Road, from Ogden to Green Bay roads. “As a popular route for locals and visitors, it includes several wineries, breweries and dining destinations. The road is well used by commuting residents whether by car, bike, e-bike, walking or other active transportation forms,” writes Allen Fillion, City of West Kelowna’s Director of Engineering and Operations, in a report to council. “Boucherie Road also has a significant amount of commercial vehicle traffic and as well is a busy transit route. With such varied uses, it is imperative that the safety of the public is prioritized. Creating a safe corridor for the users is a priority.” If approved, construction on Phase 1 of the project would start this summer. This phase would see the multi-use path built below Boucherie Road through the vineyards, between Green Bay and Gregory roads. Fillion’s report states both Quail’s Gate and the Hatch wineries support the project. Construction on Phase 2 of the project would start in 2023, and this would extend the pathway up to Ogden Road. The total cost of the project is expected to be $3.9 million, with Phase 1 costing $1.3 million and Phase 2 costing $2.6 million.

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

AgriStability Enrolment Deadline Extended for 2022 BC farmers and producers now have until June 30 to enrol in the Federal-Provincial-Territorial AgriStability Program, giving them an extra two months to assess their risk-management needs.

Photo credit: Nejron | Dreamstime.com

“Our government is doing everything it can to support producers to ensure they make it through the challenges today and are better positioned for the future,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “Many producers are facing stress and uncertainty due to circumstances beyond their control. This step to extend the enrolment deadline will help more producers manage the impact of challenges facing their farm operations and provide them with more time to take advantage of the support available under AgriStability.” Under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, AgriStability provides income protection to farmers and producers who experience large financial declines caused by production losses, disease outbreak, increased costs or declining market conditions. “BC’s agricultural community has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as climate-related weather impacts from droughts, heatwaves, wildfires and floods, so we want to ensure we have their backs and allow extra time for those who may need AgriStability most to apply,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture and Food. “Recognizing the hardships faced over the past year and the likelihood that we’ll continue to see climate-related

14 Summer 2022

impacts and disruptions, we are urging eligible farmers and producers to sign up so they can have peace of mind that they’ll have financial assistance if needed.”

 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Okanagan Crush Pad Appoints Darryl Brooker CEO Okanagan Crush Pad in Summerland has appointed veteran winemaker Darryl Brooker as its new CEO.

“Steve and I had come to a critical point: plan to sell, or develop a dynamic succession plan. It’s evident that we chose the latter by bringing Darryl into our wine family,” says Coletta. “We are excited to drive forward doing what we love, and with Darryl’s help build a stronger wine culture in our business and provide key support for Matt and Duncan, replacing our reliance on outside consultants. I’m confident that I speak on behalf of the entire BC wine industry in welcoming Darryl back. His talent and vast experience is rare in our field,” she added, “and we all felt the loss when he briefly departed to a different industry.” Brooker holds degrees or diplomas from the Wine Executive Program at University of California Davis (2018), the University of Adelaide, and Charles Sturt University, Australia. He’s held senior roles at Cedar Creek Estate Winery and with Andrew Peller, among others.

Photo credit: Lionel Trudel

Brooker takes over the top role at OCP, which was previously held by the winery founders Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie. The founders view the appointment of a CEO as a key part of their succession plan, as they turn their attention to the next phase of their company.

“I always had in the back of my mind that I would work in the wine industry again,” says Brooker. “I didn’t feel my story had finished and I know I still have a lot more to give to BC and Canadian wine. It just had to be a winery that I truly believed in the vision and potential. OCP, Christine, Steve, Matt, and the entire team have impressed me since the beginning.”

Summer 2022

 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Kitsch Wines Planting Trees with the Help of BC Wine Drinkers Kitsch Wines is turning bottles into trees, helping plant 38,400 trees in Mahabana, Madagascar. These trees have helped sequester roughly eight tons of CO2, or the equivalent emissions of 1,800 cars driving for one year.

Photo credit: www.facebook.com/kitschwines

Kitsch launched their 2021 Unoaked Chardonnay on April 22, with five trees being planted for every bottle. The winery’s goal is to plant 60,000 trees this year. Every tree planted is monitored and verified by @veritreeofficial to ensure the work is done. Built using blockchain technology, veritree is the world’s first, fully integrated platform allowing businesses to collect and manage ground-level data on conservation projects. The planting partners, using veritree technology, securely plant and monitor the trees planted, creating jobs and ecosystem benefits for years to come. Each tree planted comes with a unique, trackable tree code.

Kitsch Wines Unoaked Chardonnay and the 38,400 trees planted in Mahabana, Madagascar.

On-the-ground data linked to each tree planted is verified and securely transmitted to the winery’s portal to track progress, showing its impact in real-time.

New Ownership at Fairview Cellars The acclaimed Fairview Cellars winery is changing hands, as owner Bill Eggert passes the torch to a new generation. The new owners are wife and husband duo Danielle and Dermott Hutton.

Photo credit: SMC Communications

“The first time I had dinner with Danielle to talk about her taking on a role as general manager at the winery, I told her I don’t want someone looking at this as a job; I want someone who will look at it as a lifetime,” remembers Eggert. “That’s exactly what I got.” Eggert has owned the winery for more than 25 years, and hands it off to people who know the business. Danielle has been the General Manager at Fairview since February of 2020, and Dermott is currently learning the farming practices under Bill’s expert tutelage. “Bill has entrusted us with continuing his legacy,” said the couple. “We will focus on ensuring that his dedication to cultivating amazing fruit and making the terroir driven wine that we are known for, carries on.”

Bill Eggert with new owners Danielle and Dermott Hutton.

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS YOUR LOCAL EXPERTS IN VINEYARD, ORCHARD AND AGRICULTURAL REAL ESTATE VALUATIONS

Support for B.C. Farmers’ Markets

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The BC Farmers’ Market Expansion Program is getting more funding from the BC and Canadian governments. “Each public market is a privileged meeting place between our agri-food producers and consumers where relationships of trust are built,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “While supply chains are under pressure, using shorter supply chains is one way to promote food self-sufficiency. This new investment will allow many of British Columbia’s public markets to be even better equipped to serve their communities.” The BC Farmers’ Market Expansion Program is reopening, making $142,500 available to eligible farmers’ markets that did not receive funding in the first round. Each successful applicant can receive as much as $15,000. “Farmers’ markets are the heart of our communities, and it’s extremely important they’re able to continue operating, especially during times of need such as emergencies,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture and Food. “The response to the initial round of funding was so great that it was clear we needed to help more markets in their efforts to expand and operate during critical times. This will help support local food security and build a strong food economy for BC.” Funding for this one-time, reimbursement-based program is being shared by the federal and provincial governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and is being delivered in collaboration with the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets. The program will help farmers’ markets grow and to operate during emergencies, while supporting the markets’ long-term success and contributing to resilient local food systems. “The BC Farmers’ Market Expansion Program has made everything we have been working toward a reality,” said Madeline BouretteKnowles, executive director of the Esquimalt Farmers’ Market, a recipient of program support in the first round of funding. To apply, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/fmexpansion

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Brock Launches National Facility For Virus-Free Grapevine Plant Material

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Brock University has launched a critical new program to protect grape growers from viruses that affect their wines. According to an article in the Brock newsletter, the university is launching a new facility that maintains high-quality, virus-free plant materials and eliminates viruses and other pathogens of concern in grapevines. The national grapevine germplasm repository project, led by Sudarsana Poojari, Senior Staff Scientist at Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), is funded by the Ontario Grape and Wine Research Inc. (OGWRI), Canadian Grapevine Certification Network (CGCN-RCCV) and Brock University. “With changing climatic conditions and the need for new and agronomically improved grapevine varieties that suit local climatic conditions, it is critical for Ontario’s grape and wine industry to have access to virus-free grapevine material of varieties that are both popular and of regional importance,” says Poojari. The facility is only the second in Canada, and the only one in Ontario, the country’s largest wine producer by acreage and litres produced. This initiative has provided a tremendous opportunity for CCOVI and Brock University to serve as a backup facility to maintain the National Grapevine Germplasm Repository at the Canadian Food Inspection’s Plant Virus Diagnostic Facility in Saanich, BC, says Poojari.

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Having a ready supply of virus-free material “creates opportunities in domestic and global trading for Canada, benefiting growers, nursery owners, custom propagators and academic researchers in viticultural and breeding programs,” he says. Grapevines are vulnerable to infection from many different types of plant viruses, which are commonly spread in vineyards by planting new vines that have been propagated from infected grapevine material. Some viruses can be spread by certain species of insects in vineyards. Once a plant virus infects a grapevine, there is no cure, says Poojari. Some plant viruses negatively impact vine performance, reducing yield, fruit quality and over wintering success of the vine.

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18 Summer 2022

“It’s important to start with virus-free vines and to maintain them by following the best pest management practices,” he says. “We don’t want to start with virus-infected vines and assume that they will do well in field conditions.” CGCN-RCCV Chair Hans Buchler says the network is “excited about the development of an additional clean plant repository for the Canadian grape and wine sector.” “We hope this is a first step toward substantially increasing the availability of virus-tested, second generation propagating material to be used by the certified virus-free Canadian grapevine nursery trade,” he says. “This will be a great contribution to the sustainability and growth of the domestic grape and wine industry.”

 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Okanagan Crush Pad is the First Canadian Winery to Join IWCA Members share best practices that lessen climate change impacts in vineyard and winery operations so that the global wine industry can act collectively to decarbonize, applying direct solutions that avoid purchasing carbon offset credits.

Summerland’s Okanagan Crush Pad Winery is now the first Canadian winery to join the International Wineries for Climate Action. IWCA is open to any winery, from any country, and employs a three-tiered membership system that allows a diversity of wineries to join. Okanagan Crush Pad has been accepted as an applicant member having committed to an ISO-14064 audited baseline greenhouse gas inventory. The winery team now has one year to meet IWCA membership requirements and become a silver or gold level member. “I am proud that the winery team is devoted to this process and to making a full effort to take our land stewardship commitment to the next level,” said OCP founder Christine Coletta. “We started our sustainability push in 2011 by converting our vineyards to organic farming and then in 2014 obtaining organic certification for our winemaking facility. We can now push this commitment

beyond farming and winemaking to incorporate all aspects of our business.” Founded by Familia Torres in Penedes, Spain and Jackson Family Wines from California, IWCA sets out to galvanize the global wine community to create climate change mitigation strategies and decarbonize the industry. The association is a collaborative working group of environmentally committed wineries taking a science-based approach to reducing carbon emissions across the wine industry.

“It is important for us to take a deep dive into our practices with a set goal and timeframe in which to achieve the next level of IWCA membership,” said OCP’s new CEO, Darryl Brooker. “Some of the first steps we will take is to conduct a greenhouse gas emissions inventory, followed by an ISO-14064 audit. “We will be working with Josh Prigge of Sustridge, an industry leading sustainability consulting firm, to guide us through the initial process,” Brooker added. “Once this is complete, we will commit to annual reductions in greenhouse gas emissions achieving a 33% reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2050. We are also pleased that through IWCA membership we are also a participant in the United Nations’ Race to Zero Campaign.”

Summer 2022

 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Photo credit: Government of British Columbia

200 Land Matches

An effective health and safety plan involves everyone. The planning decisions you make today can affect the health and safety of workers tomorrow.

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The BCLMP, delivered by Young Agrarians has achieved more than 200 matches, bringing farmers and landholders together to strengthen the province’s food supply.

The BC Land Matching Program has just achieved more than 200 matches, bringing farmers and landholders together to strengthen the province’s food supply. Sarah Wilson is the operator of Pendleton Farm, a rotational vegetable market garden in Merville in the Comox Valley. She was supported by the BCLMP to help develop her lease agreement with the landholders. “As a new farmer starting a business, I didn’t have access to capital for purchasing land and I was lucky to connect with the landholders I now lease the property Pendleton Farm is on,” Wilson said. “Young Agrarians and the BC Land Matching Program provided us with professional knowledge and support as we negotiated the lease, and both the property owners and I were made much more comfortable by having these resources, which help people get off to the right start when navigating all the hurdles of farming.” The BCLMP is delivered by Young Agrarians and offers support from the program’s five land matchers. “Affordable access to land is the number one barrier that new and young farmers need to overcome today to start farms,” said executive director Sara Dent.

THE GALLERY WINERY Combining Art & Wine in West Kelowna

By Gary Symons Anyone who has started a winery knows just how tough a business it can be, and two sisters in the Okanagan Valley city of West Kelowna can certainly vouch for that. Kirstin Wakal and Tasha Campbell are now the proud but slightly worn out owners of The Gallery Winery, which is also an art gallery and events facility. But the sisters, who are so close they literally finish each other’s sentences, also said the process was a grind that left them doubting they’d ever succeed. “It is so daunting,” said Tasha. “It was seven years of just really working hard, and you don’t get any wine out of it for the first three or four years, right? You’re just taking care of the grapes and nothing in return. So really, all you have is hope, and in the meantime you’re learning how the vineyard works and what to do.” In fact, there came a point when the work was so hard, and the prospect of success so far away, that the decision to press on came down to a coin toss. “Yeah, we were flipping a coin,” the sisters recalled. “Literally heads we do this, or tails we don’t, so yeah, we really almost quit. We were right on that fence, and we could have gone either way. I mean, it was like, what are we doing? “It was a combination of all the challenges, and then just when you think you’ve made Kirstin Wakal picking grapes in the West Kelowna vineyard. Summer 2022

Photos contributed

The Gallery Winery in West Kelowna.

it and it’s going to work out, here comes another huge challenge. Opening a winery is almost like a video game where you’re fighting to get to the next level, and then you do it, and then it’s okay, next level, and next level after that.” Fortunately for everyone who now gets to enjoy the Gallery’s wine, the sisters not only persevered but really triumphed by adopting mentors who helped them through the tough times, and helped develop some high quality Okanagan wines. Tasha is an artist while Kirstin is a photographer, but the two more or less fell into the wine business after they decided to try to get farm status for an acreage their parents bought in 1980. A wine consultant, Gary Strachan from Summerland, told them the site was ideal for wine grapes, as it boasts a sloping parcel with perfect southern exposure, and sits over the moderating influence of Okanagan Lake’s sparkling Gellatly Bay. So the two sisters waded in with bulldozers to clear the land in 2013, planted some Ehrenfelzer, Orange Muscat and what may be the most northerly stand of Malbec grapes, and started in as grapegrowers. That venture was successful, and encouraged by Strachan, the sisters began to believe they could pull off opening a full estate winery. “Gary kept encouraging us that we can do this and we would, and every week we would meet with Gary and we’d say we can do this right, Gary? And he would say yep, so we just kept going.” Another mentor was Michael Bartier of Bartier Bros. Vineyard and Winery, a critically acclaimed winery in the Black Sage Bench region in Oliver. Bartier was buying their grapes, and not only gave them good advice, but also helped them make their first vintages at his facility in Oliver. The trick, however, was how to get the wine to his winery. “You’ve heard of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants?” jokes Kirstin. “Well, we’re the Sisters of the Traveling Tanks! We literally set off with our tanks down to Oliver and he made the wine for us in 2018 before we had our own winery set up.” Once the winery was built, the sisters still had the problem of how to make their first vintage, and felt they really needed some more experienced help. That’s where their social game really came into play. The family owned a massive armoire from a castle in Hungary, filled with ornate carvings. They had seen the new Crown & Thieves winery built by Jason Parkes, and they’d heard he was looking for unique antiques. 22 Summer 2022

Large open space under the iron chandeliers with a tasting large custom made harvest tables. The Gallery Winery, as in bell’s artwork on all the shiplap walls.

“I was like, that place looks like a castle, so I just DM’d him a picture of the armoire, and of course he was interested, so we made a little deal between friends,” Kirstin says. “He helped us make our wine, and now our armoire is sitting there in the Crown & Thieves!” In return, that wine is now known as “Between Friends,” a reminder of the importance of winemakers helping each other when things threaten to go sideways. The Gallery Winery had yet another dire adventure as the sisters prepared to make the first wine they crushed themselves, using a new crush ordered from Germany. It was at that point they learned all about the global logistics crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which threatened utter disaster. “The grapes are ripening, the heat dome has happened, and we’re all ready to go, but the press we ordered from Germany way back in the spring is still stuck on a cargo ship sitting outside Seattle,” the sisters recalled. “And we’re like, are you kidding me? It was what you might call a pressing issue!” Luckily, the press arrived literally in the nick of time, and with help from friends who poured in to help pick the grapes in record time, the sisters successfully put out their best wine to date. True to form, they call the wine 11th Hour, “because it was literally the 11th hour to pick the grapes, and our winemaker came in at the 11th hour to help us make the wine.”

bar at one end and options for seated tastings on the “art gallery”, also features winery co-owner Tasha Camp-

Before there was a winery building, the first small crop of Malbec was used to learn winemaking basics from consultant Gary Strachan, including how to de-stem and then cold soak the juice and skins together, a process known as maceration. Summer 2022

For anyone thinking of starting their own winery, the sisters say stubbornness is key, but so is looking for help from other winemakers and mentors in business. The Okanagan winemaking community is tightknit and filled with people who are more than willing to help fellow winemakers.

“There’s being a farmer, and you’re growing grapes, and then you’re making wine from those grapes, so that’s a different skill set,” she explains. “And then there’s the marketing and the selling of the product. So it’s actually like having three different businesses all wrapped in one, all interdependent on each other but all with different skill sets. So that’s what we were finding; that there was just so much to learn along the way.”

Photos contributed

That’s critical, Kirstin says, because there is a daunting amount to learn.

The vineyard was planted in 2015, and the sisters became “garagistas” with a small crop of grapes in 2017 which they used to learn winemaking basics.

Despite all the hard work and the frequent crises, the sisters now say they are overjoyed they persevered and opened the winery, a light and airy space filled with beautiful arts and crafts and with a friendly, light-hearted vibe. “It was hard, for sure, really hard,” they say. “Before all we could see in front of us was this huge hill we had to climb up, but now we’ve gotten to the top, the winery is open, and we can now look down and enjoy the view. I mean, we almost can’t believe we’ve actually done it, and wow, we own a winery!” ■

Ehrenfelser prunings were collected in 2015 from a local winery which they then took to Summerland Greenhouses where the cuttings were then self rooted to make plants for their vineyard. 24 Summer 2022

Cool it Down

Photo credit: Barmalini | Dreamstime.com

Berries are a fragile fruit and weather events like the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome highlight the need for additional tools.

Summer 2022

Photo credit: Vismax | Dreamstime.com

Extreme Heat - It’s very unlikely to happen again without climate change. It’s very likely to happen again before the end of the century with climate change. Trevor Hadwen By Ronda Payne In late June 2021, farmers looked at their crops and wondered what, if anything, could be done to protect them from the excessive heat. Some fruits, like blueberries and raspberries, took an unusually harsh beating. “You can literally grab some of the leaves and they crumble,” David Mutz of Abbotsford’s Berry Haven Farms said of his raspberries at the time. “The fruit size is tiny and we’ve been running overhead [irrigation] guns to try to get some moisture in the plants and some evaporative cooling.” Every berry grower experienced losses, some more than others depending upon the type of berries they were growing, the varieties and the climate in their micro-region. The heat is likely to come again When considering how berries fared in the 2021 heat event, raspberries were hit hardest, with blueberries second, strawberries third and cranberries had the least amount of damage, but were definitely not left unscathed. Unfortunately, while the heat dome was unprecedented, it will probably happen again in the future. 26 Summer 2022

At a workshop in late 2021, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada agroclimate specialist Trevor Hadwen said BC’s 2021 drought was the most significant and severe on record since the Canadian Drought Monitor began in 2003. Before climate change, historical data would have indicated such an event would not repeat. But, with climate change, it’s only a matter of time. “It’s very unlikely to happen again without climate change. It’s very likely to happen again before the end of the century with climate change,” Hadwen says.

Reflective tarps to cover picked fruit have shown promise in protecting blueberries, but while this option adapted from the forestry industry helps with harvested fruit in high temperatures, it does nothing to protect unharvested berries.

With previous years of drought, the soil in many areas was already dry, creating additional plant health concerns. Depending upon the plants and region, these concerns included increased and new pest pressures, increased and new diseases, poor pollination, reduced plant vigor and other factors.

Cranberry growers make use of artificial cranberries from shapeways.com to stay aware of internal berry temperatures. The berry substitutes last all season and perform similarly to real cranberries. It’s another tool that aids in understanding what is happening in the field.

Raspberries and blueberries, like fruit trees, are in the soil for many years, so understanding the soil becomes that much more important. Tools like climate and weather stations, data and modelling will become increasingly necessary for growers to manage drought and extreme heat to save not just crops, but improve long-term plant health.

If you can’t take the heat, use a sprinkler David Bryla, a research horticulturalist with the USDA’s Crops Research Unit in Corvallis, Oregon, has been exploring ways to mitigate damage in high bush blueberries. Studies primarily conducted by his former PhD student, Joy Yang, helped define variables for effective evaporative cooling practices.

Photo credit: Barmalini | Dreamstime.com

While the studies had been ongoing for a few years in Elliott and Aurora varieties, 2021 was an opportunity to put their feet to the fire, so to speak. Damage is worse when the heat is sudden and plants don’t have the opportunity to acclimate, which is exactly what happened during the heat dome. “Last summer it resulted in a considerable amount of fruit damage,” he said of the heat events. “It can occur in both green and blue coloured fruit in blueberries and it can occur in any cultivar.” Fruit damage such as softening, shriveling and necrosis (death of tissue) was seen within one to three days after an extreme heat event when the weather was hotter than 35 degrees Celsius and when berries were seven to 11 degrees hotter than the ambient temperature. Berries at the green stage are more vulnerable than at the blue stage, perhaps due to the formation of wax

and cuticle layers. “Aurora was a worst-case scenario,” he says. “Now we know it is very susceptible to heat damage. Elliot is more resistant to heat damage.” In some cases, Aurora growers had 100 per cent losses of their crops. “This last summer we saw considerable benefits of evaporative cooling of blueberries,” Bryla says. “We saw significant effects on berry weight. Larger berries, lower brix, I think that’s dilution. We had a measurable effect on fruit firmness with cooling.” But most fields are now irrigated through drip systems, so there is a need for a secondary system for cooling. “With drip there was a considerable amount of damage,” he says. “We lost about a pound of fruit per plant.”

Using overhead sprinklers and micro sprinklers, cooling management should begin when air temperature reaches about 32 degrees Celsius during early stages of fruit development and at about 35 degrees during later stages. Yang found that 20-minute cycles (on for 20 minutes, off for 20 minutes) were the most effective cooling method. This kept berry temperatures at about the same level as constant irrigation but without the high levels of water use and increased pest and disease pressures that accompany wet fields. “We don’t have much data at this point on evaporative cooling in raspberries because up until this last summer, it’s not something we really expected to need too much of,” he says. Future studies will look at specifics in blueberry evaporative cooling and the cost benefit of tools for raspberries. Summer 2022

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Preston Farris, production manager with Reiter Affiliate Companies, notes that growing raspberries under poly tunnels protects the crop from a variety of environmental factors and can help with heat mitigation. The organization’s entire raspberry crop is grown in tunnels. “The plastic type is going to be the biggest variable in heat mitigation,” he said of tunnel choices. “The UV plastic can be one tool to diffuse that UV light and protect the berries. The fruit can take a lot of heat, but what it can’t take is a lot of direct UV.”

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With UV being the primary cause of sunburn in raspberries, a plastic that assists with diffusing it can help prevent crop damage. However, like anything in farming, there are numerous trade-offs. Timing of crop harvests will be impacted by the levels of UV protection chosen. While the UV blocking is beneficial in high-heat timeframes, it may have a negative impact on spring or fall crops. Diffusing the UV light impacts pollinators as well. With the smaller size of bumblebee nests, these can be positioned inside the poly tunnels. Honeybee hives are left outside the tunnels, but this leads to challenges if neighbouring farms have crops flowering in open fields. Different poly manufacturers have different levels of diffusion, shade and other factors inherent in their plastic. If more shade is needed, the tunnel structure provides a frame for shade cloth, creating a level of temporary protection. “All of these things are balances,” Farris said. “You take away the sun one day, the next day, you’re going to have less.” In terms of shape and size, wider and taller tunnels generally allow for more airflow, therefore staying cooler than narrower and shorter structures. A longer tunnel is also going to retain more heat than a shorter tunnel due to reduced airflow. “It’s really important if you’re going to use poly tunnels to think about what your desired outcome is,” he summarized. Sadly, what felt like a once-in-a-lifetime event is bound to occur again. Growers may not be able to mitigate all their losses, but with ongoing studies and learning from others, there may be ways to reduce the risk. ■

Cider Business Management 101

Making and selling cider is a business, but too few operations have the right software tools in place. By Ronda Payne Sit down class, the business side of cider school is now in session. Fortunately this class’s teacher, Josh McKinney, CEO and co-founder of Ekos, a US-based craft beverage software provider, doesn’t remind anyone of a high-school algebra teacher lofting a pointer at mind-numbing slides. Instead, he wants to see cider businesses grow and expand by doing things better, smarter and easier.

Photo contributed

“We exist to help you all run your craft business better,” he said in his workshop. “We are well aware you don’t want to spend 10 hours behind your computer, so we try to make that easier for you.” Unfortunately, craft cideries in the US haven’t been making things easier for themselves, according to a recent Ekos survey. “In terms of tech adoption, craft beverage producers put themselves at B+,” he says. “Cideries, specifically, scored themselves as a C average.” Marks like that aren’t going to get a cidery in with the cool kids. Although the data is US-based, it doesn’t take a psychology professor to see that Canadian producers are bound to be quite similar.

You need to find the best technology for you, different software solutions that connect to all the parts of the business. Josh McKinney

Fit is what makes the grade Ekos offers software solutions, but there are plenty of options available including Canadian CraftMetrics and BC-based QUALO for domestic choices. However, choosing software based on whether it’s north or south of the 49th parallel is unwise. The right software is all about fit, flexibility and function, so comparing needs to options is essential. “You need to find the best technology for you,” says McKinney. “Different software solutions that connect to all the parts of the business. We’re not talking about a cell phone, we’re not talking about a laptop… we’re talking about software.” Business management software was seen as the top technology cideries couldn’t live without. Where this varied was in how

software was viewed. Some felt using a spreadsheet was doing the trick. Unfortunately, spreadsheets can’t integrate with payment systems, assist with quality control or make supply management easier. In a COVID-rattled world, people are purchasing cider differently and the right software solution can make sales and distribution a whole lot easier. Know your sales channels Direct-to-consumer sales increased exponentially during the pandemic, causing many cider operations to explore delivery, distribution and other ways to get product into hands and mouths. McKinney says, of survey respondents with an ecommerce platform, 81 per cent sell cider and 52 per cent sell merchandise; 72 per cent offer

pickup and 72 per cent offer shipping. The majority (82 per cent) use a third-party distributor and 45 per cent do their own distribution. It all points to complex interactions within many operations. If a third-party distributor is at the loading dock for pick-up, a team member is loading a direct delivery, a number of online customers are coming in for product pick-up and there’s walk-in traffic… well, it’s easy to see how things can get lost if data isn’t collectively captured. “Please, please, please, keep track of all the people buying from you to get a feel for how you’re selling over time,” he says. “Most craft makers are still using manual methods. It gives me anxiety.” If sales people have orders in their phones, Summer 2022

the tasting room tracks orders on a pad by the phone and distributor orders are in emails, what happens if phones go missing or the notepad is accidentally thrown out? These aren’t good methods to record sales. Not only do you want to track all sales within one centralized tool for convenience, the aggregate data results in better decisions. “Have all the information in one place,” he says. “Something you can track over time.” Tracking permits a view of SKU trends: where they sell, how they sell and their future potential. For example, if a dry cherry

flavour is selling by the keg, but individual bottle sales are falling off, you might remove it from the bottling line. A dry heritage apple blend is very popular in the tasting room but not at third-party liquor stores, so it may be something offered only to club members. “It’s digging into your sales information,” says McKinney. “Data is your friend. What’s selling well, what’s not selling well, maybe even helps you be more efficient in the business.”

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Staying competitive Consumers are a fickle bunch. Like teenagers picking a prom date, they can’t stay consistent. They want something new. Cideries and other alcohol producers are up against numerous market offerings. Therefore, having an excellent product is just the start. There has to be a strategy to keep customers interested. “Gen Z is getting a lot of disposable income,” he says. “How do you get that product in front of them?” He recommends social media, but advises that the strategy that worked a year or two ago may not work today. Trends change regularly and need to be monitored and modified. Hiring someone, or bringing in a consultant or freelancer for online channels can help create some buzz while also improving a direct-to-consumer strategy. Pricing plays a part in ongoing sales as well and this links back to the business software. One aspect of pricing is ensuring competitiveness, but understanding the costs of each SKU is definitely a pass/fail element. Without this information it’s impossible to know if money is coming in or trickling out. Understanding business margins gives the comfort to purchase a new tank or accept the need to make do for another year. “Technology should be used to drive efficiencies in the business,” McKinney says. “You want to know what’s happening real time and know what’s happening in all the different parts of the organization.” Class dismissed! ■

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 THE WORD ON WINE | KELLY JOSEPHSON

From a Challenging Year Comes Remarkable Quality BC Wine centrated flavours, and balanced acidity. The intricacies of such a one-of-a-kind growing season are best reviewed in detail in the full report, with data sourced from industry participants at WGBC’s annual Winemakers and Viticulturists Forum and Vintage Survey. This spring, Wine Growers British Columbia (WGBC) released the annual BC Wine Grape Vintage Report which revealed 2021 as another harvest of impressive quality achieved through expert vineyard management during a record-shattering year for wine regions across the province. Overall, wine growers throughout British Columbia agreed that 2021 will be remembered for low yields but intensely flavoured fruit resulting in wines of remarkable character, con-

BC Wine Grape Vintage Report 2021 Highlights In the Okanagan Valley, an already hot and dry summer was punctuated by a heat dome which settled on the area from the end of June through early July. These conditions contributed to the lower than anticipated yield in some varieties and vineyards, but also presented a silver lining of low disease pressure and an exciting quality of fruit.

While wildfires were a notable occurrence in the Okanagan Valley and surrounding regions, the majority of BC winegrowers observed that the higher, thinner smoke cover did not negatively impact the grapes. “The 2021 wines are tasting delicious. Whites have some tension, lots of flavors and concentration. The rosé wines are really fruity and have a nice backbone of natural acidity. The reds, while maturing slower for some of the varieties, are showing nice full ripe tannins and lots of vibrant fruits,” says Severine Pinte, Winemaker/Viticulturist and Managing Partner for Le Vieux Pin Winery and LaStella Winery. “Despite the challenges mother nature threw at us,” she adds. The Similkameen Valley expe-

rienced very similar conditions to the neighbouring Okanagan Valley, including an early and compacted harvest challenged further by staffing shortages felt in multiple industries. It is a testament to the passion and dedication of BC grapegrowers that no negative impact on production was reported. In the face of weather and staffing obstacles, this observation from Charlie Baessler, winemaker/owner of Corcelettes Estate Winery is echoed throughout BC wine country: “With quantities down, we just wish we had more fruit!”. All the BC interior regions were reached by the summer heat dome, recording higher than average growing degree day levels. The hot weather certainly impacted yields, with crops

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down as much as 30-40% in most varieties, but the wines maintained a nice balance. “Overall, the wines have a bit more phenolics due to the heat and intense, ripe flavours, but they’ve kept the crisp, refreshing acidity,” says Wes Johnson, winemaker/ owner of Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery in the Kootenays.

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The coastal regions, which typically experience cooler, wetter conditions, report “one of the hottest growing seasons on record,” says Bailey Williamson, winemaker at Blue Grouse Estate Winery in the Cowichan Valley. “A few more growing degree days make a huge difference,” he said. Temperatures required for the production of BC Icewine (-80C) occurred mid-December and wineries intending to vinify the frozen fruit collectively brought in just 35 tonnes, the lowest yield on record. Though Icewine from 2021 may be considered a rare commodity, Late Harvest yields reached an estimated 101 tonnes. The Wine Growers British Columbia Vintage Report is available to BC wine lovers and industry professionals alike and an essential tool to understand and promote the exceptional wines that came from the eventful 2021 growing season. Read the full BC Wine Grape 2021 Vintage Report on WineBC.com. Learn more about BC Wine with the Wines of BC Ambassador Program Course Level One online certification using promo code ‘BCWINE22’ for complimentary access ($75 value). Be sure to download the award-winning Wines of BC Explorer App for insider knowledge on everything BC wineries have to offer! ■ Kelly Josephson, Communications Manager, Wine Growers British Columbia, #BCWineMonth @WineBCdotcom

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 MARKETING MIX | LEEANN FROESE

When Should Your Winery Sponsor An Event?

After two years of practically no gatherings, everyone has pent up demand and the event calendar for all industries is PACKED. Marathons are happening, festivals, sporting events, and concerts are back, and fundraising galas are in the calendar again. Now that things are open, I am getting increasingly asked for wine sponsorship from our clients, but our clients are not really in the mood to say yes and give product away. Can you blame them? BC wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries have been hit particularly hard over the last few years. With floods, fires, a global pandemic, and supply chain shortages all leading to increased costs, beverage alcohol companies are ready for a break! When they are already doing all they can to keep their

businesses sustained, the idea of giving away their goods is not appealing.

must have some sort of personal connection to the charity that they are supporting.

But sometimes it makes sense to say yes. While exposure does not pay the bills, with the right event you get business exposure and a chance to connect with new customers. You need to decide what is right for you and your business, so here are some things to consider, and some of the reasons why sponsoring an event is a good move.

At Blue Grouse Estate Winery in the Cowichan Valley, the team is known for getting involved in the community. “There are so many who ask, and the need is great,” say owner Paul Brunner. “We obviously can’t give to everyone, so we try to keep it focused to a few who fit our criteria, so the impact is meaningful. As a family we favour children and women’s issues, plus things in support of animals, but we get input from the winery staff as well. We also look to support things that can impact the well being of our staff or the industry we work in.”

Doing Good Is Worth It – When The Fit Is Right Being a good member of the community and a leader in giving sets a good example for being socially responsible. The public looks fondly at companies that care for their community and spread positive messages. People have an incentive to support your company if you’re invested in the local community. Find out what matters to your customers and choose the causes that align with their values. To collaborate and donate their wine, winery teams look for long-term and meaningful connections with charities, or they

Blue Grouse is known for its support of The Forum, the BC Hospitality Foundation, and Duncan-area community initiatives, but perhaps is most known for its support of Nourish Cowichan, who prepare hampers and gives food to families that are going through financial insecurity. “I think that when you feel that your contribution has a meaningful impact (something

measurable) it helps,” Brunner continues. “With our donations to Nourish Cowichan, for example, we know about how many children can be fed with our donations (last year about 10,000 meals).” Christine Coletta, owner of Okanagan Crush Pad in Summerland, agrees with this stance. “While many charities are more than worthy of support, it is smart planning (for a charity) to find a potential winery partner and create long term strategic alliances and programs,” she says. “At OCP we have formed our relationships with charities that are near and dear to our hearts, and we focus our annual giving to them.” Okanagan Crush Pad is known for its work with the BC Hospitality Foundation, Pacific Assistance Dogs Society, Ovarian Cancer Canada, Cystic Fibrosis Canada, and varying environmental initiatives such as the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society. “At some point, those relationships cycle out,” says Coletta, “and only at that point do we look for a new charity partner.”

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Visibility for Your Brand Is a Reason to Support

tactics that promote the event should bring you along for the ride.

Find the right charity partner that will make sure that, as a sponsor, you get your brand in front of a large audience. The days of having a logo in a program and on signs only as an offer for exposure are in the past now. How can the event partner make sure you are included in all their promotional materials, press releases and swag, and are given spotlight in their newsletter and on their social media channels, as well as verbal shout outs at the event? Is there a media package and ads for the event? Any packages and

On the flipside, you can also share the news and what you are doing with a charity in all your marketing too, and on social media, which should be appealing to the charity as well, as this gives the charity a chance to advertise its event and message to your audience, which offers a potential new audience for the charity. Timelines and Lead Time Matter To make the most of a partnership’s opportunities for visibility, ample lead times

are required so that the charity partner can learn your company’s messaging and share it with their teams, incorporate your company into the event marketing plan, and have enough time to make sure that your business is included in ads, press releases and in other advance outreach. Coletta has some advice for charities. “It’s easy to pick up the phone and ask for a few cases of wine, but there is little thought to the benefit to wine producers. All too often, wineries or sale agents are targeted for last minute requests. Those cold calling three weeks in advance of an event are usually not successful.” Sometimes You Can Get A Tax Receipt “If we donate to a Canadian registered charity then the cost of the donation can be deducted from income and reduces tax, so there is an incentive to donate,” says Brunner. “I suppose, if it can be substantiated, all costs related to the charitable donation would be deductible. However, in our case with Nourish Cowichan, we sell the wine and donate only a portion of the sale ($1/ bottle), so the cost of shipping and the tasting room staff, etc. would be incurred in any case. We would not expect to make a tax claim for this. It’s part of our cost of doing business.” Can You Handle The Hard Costs? “Depending on the venue where the event is taking place, some venues will not accept donated wine,” Coletta notes. “In this case the venue must buy it from the winery and the winery makes a cash contribution to match the wine tab to the charity. If it is a festival event style, we need to add in staff travel, labour, product, and one-on-one. It is not cheap and often our return doesn’t measure up.”

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HEAD OFFICE: Langley

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So, if you can make a true partnership with a charity that represents a cause you really care about, and know that there are hard costs involved, then getting involved and sponsoring an event can be right for you. ■ Leeann Froese owns Town Hall Brands – a marketing and graphic design agency with 25 years experience branding and promoting beverage alcohol, food, and hospitality. See more at townhallbrands.com or on social @townhallbrands

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 MONEY MATTERS | AJ GILL

Agristability: Understanding the Details Beyond the Form observed that can influence the accuracy of your payment calculations: Incorrect Classification of Allowable and Non-Allowable Items

At first glance, the AgriStability Form seems simple. There is a section for revenue and expenses, a section for acres and quantities produced, and a section for accrual adjustments and inventory reporting. It may seem like a small task to complete to participate in a beneficial risk management program, but the accuracy and details of that information reported can substantially influence the participant’s payments. Here are some of the top issues

The AgriStability program focuses on revenues and expenses that are specifically related to the farm’s current crop and its inputs. As such, it’s important to correctly classify the farm’s income and expenses. Allowable income should include revenue for the farm’s crop sales but other items that need to be considered include: • Allowable government assistance: Certain assistance should be reported with allowable income but not all government assistance should

be included. It’s important to consult AgriStability’s Program Payment Lists to identify the correct classifications. • Resale of any commodities purchased for resale: If your farm or packing plant purchases any crop to be resold, the revenues related to these commodities need to be isolated and reported separately as non-allowable income. • Income from a crop share arrangement: If your farm participates in a crop share arrangement and pays the landlord either a portion of the crop or its proceeds, only your farm’s portion of the revenue should be reported. If you are a landlord, there are very specific rules about eligibility to participate in AgriStability and

the administration should be advised of your arrangement prior to enrollment. While the form highlights the most common allowable and non-allowable expenses, other items to consider are: • Trees and vines purchased for planting: Not all tree and vine purchases are treated equally. For AgriStability, the purpose of the planting drives the treatment of its reporting. Spot replantings for dead and damaged trees or vines are allowable expenses but replanting a block of trees or vines may not be. Also, trees and vines purchased to expand the acreage of your operations are considered non-allowable as they are increasing the farm’s operations.

Grow your opportunities With MNP’s help.

Whether you are seeking to grow your operation, enhance its performance, or minimize your tax exposure, MNP’s Tori Keiffer, AJ Gill, and Geoff McIntyre help you capitalize on every opportunity. Geoff McIntyre, Leader, Food and Beverage Processing and Agriculture, Okanagan 250.979.2574 | geoff.mcintyre@mnp.ca MNP.ca

Summer 2022

• Arm’s length salaries: This program code should be used to report not only payroll for unrelated individuals but also the cost of board and travel for those employees. If your farm employs temporary foreign workers, you may be missing out on additional expenses related to these employees. Allowable expenses are very specific for AgriStability purposes and participants should be familiar with the most common ones. Coding of expenses for accounting and descriptions of those expenses becomes extremely important once enrolled to ensure that expenses are being reported correctly. Incorrect Reporting of Productive Capacity The productive capacity of a vineyard or orchard is based on its acres in production. While it may seem that disclosing the acres is as simple as inputting the total acres for the form, the factors outlined below may require additional information to be provided to AgriStability: • Enrollment in production insurance: If the farm is enrolled in production insurance, you should be reviewing the planting history of your farm annually to ensure that it is correct, and that all insured acres are reflected. AgriStability receives these details directly from

production insurance which are then used to calculate the farm’s structure change adjustment. If this information is incorrect, it could influence not only your production insurance coverage but your AgriStability payment as well. • Uninsured acres: If your farm has any uninsured acres, these should be separately disclosed to AgriStability along with their planting history. As mentioned above, differences in productive capacity can impact payments as it drives the structure change adjustment. A structure change adjustment is an adjustment that AgriStability makes to compare your prior years’ production margins with the margin of your farm’s current structure. The structure of a farm often changes year-to-year depending on the crops produced and the age of its trees and vines. This adjustment is completed to make prior year’s information more comparable to the current operation. With that said, if details on the age of the trees and vines, or composition of crops, is incorrect, it may produce an incorrect structural change adjustment influencing potential payments. Missing or Incorrect Accrual Adjustments Farmers have the benefit to elect to use cash or accrual reporting for taxes. AgriStability uses modified accrual reporting which means that even if you report on a cash basis, certain accrual adjustments are required to your application to accurately report income and expenses in the correct period. It’s important these are reported annually. On the other hand, if your farm reports on an accrual basis, there should be no accrual adjustments reported on the application as these are already reflected in your reporting. Final Comments AgriStability is part of a suite of business risk management programs offered in British Columbia to support agricultural producers. While crop insurance might cover some losses; AgriStability protects against declines in net farming income due to market prices, production losses, and / or increased costs of production, like rising labour costs. As such, this unique program relies on the reporting of the applicant to calculate any declines. ■ To learn more about the program and for assistance with the application process, please contact AJ Gill, BC Leader, Agriculture Risk Management Services at 250.469.6488 or aj.gill@mnp.ca

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 SEEDS OF GROWTH | GLEN LUCAS

Ironing Out the Problems With Nursery Tree Imports of Oriental Fruit Moth in the Okanagan.

Access to nursery trees grown in BC and the US has been problematic in the most recent years. The issue with BC grown trees is climate impact on the tree in the nursery fields. If percentage survival or quality of the nursery trees falls due to climate, then so does profitability. Another issue in the past has been disease incidence, especially for nurseries in the Lower Mainland of BC. Losses have been heavy in recent years and there are fewer BC nurseries willing to invest and take the chance. That means that dependence on imported trees will increase, but foreign nurseries have a unique hurdle in selling trees into BC, namely, the issue of fumigation. Fumigation of imported trees is required due to the absence

In order to minimize this risk, imported trees are fumigated with methyl bromide to ensure the pest is not introduced to BC with the imported tree stock. A side effect of fumigation is that not only are insects killed, but the methyl bromide also weakens the tree. Weak trees lead to more losses. Not only does the importer face the effort and cost of using methyl bromide, but higher claims are also expected. As a result, importers have been less willing to do business with BC growers. The BCFGA has partnered with other organizations to help replace the fumigation requirement with a Oriental Fruit Moth control method that is more benign and easier to manage. To start, the BCFGA commissioned two reports to assist with an industry initiative, including Commercial Examination of the Supply of Nursery Stock in British Columbia, by James Calissi, P.Ag, and Request to Remove Fumigation Requirements for Nursery Fruit Trees that are Shipped into British Columbia, Directive D-87-

29: Import Requirements; and Domestic - 7: Domestic Requirements, by Don Magnusson, P. Ag. These documents are available on the BCFGA.com website, under News and Events (More)\ Publications\Presentations and Reports. In addition, the BCFGA has benefited from its 2020 experience in developing a systems approach for export of apples to the European Union. A systems approach would rely on trapping results, an IPM program, and other practices to minimize the risk of introducing the pest, in this case Oriental Fruit Moth. We also looked at what products are registered for use on Oriental Fruit Moth, and noted that there is a broad range of products currently available to assist with eradication or control. The following organization have been involved in the process: Molly Thurston, Okanagan Horticultural Advisors Group; Jesse MacDonald, AAFC; Lindsay King and Adrian Arts, BCMAF; and the BCFGA. It has been a team effort. The intent is to have a systems approach in place for Spring 2023,

but that will require two steps: 1. The importer group will need to make a formal request of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The Washington State nurseries have engaged a contractor-consultant to put together a formal request and commence development of a Systems Approach. 2. The CFIA will need to study and make a decision on a systems approach. With continued effort, the BC tree fruit sector will see the elimination of the fumigation requirement for imported nursery trees. In summary, the BCFGA is taking an active role to eliminate the fumigation requirement for imported tree fruit nursery trees to BC. A new, IPM-based systems approach would take the place of the fumigation requirement. Together, we and the many organizations involved are hoping and planning for improved access to imported nursery trees for next Spring. Growers can help by placing tree orders early, to avoid last minute disappointment. ■ Glen Lucas, www.bcfga.com

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 CANADIAN WINEMAKER SERIES | DANIEL COSMAN

Winemaker Daniel Cosman of Enrico Winery Nestled in the beautiful Cowichan Valley, you’ll find the picturesque, 50-acre Enrico Estate Winery, owned by winemaker Daniel Cosman. This month we’re featuring Cosman for his role in helping put Vancouver Island wines on the map. In 2015, Enrico Winery blew everyone away by winning the British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards, one of the most prestigious awards for fine wine in the country. It was also a bit of a shocker for the industry, as this was the first time in its 13-year history that a Vancouver Island wine - the 2014 Tempest Ortega - had taken away the top price at the LG Wine Awards. “The amazing micro-climate allows us to grow 8 different varietals, ranging from fruity whites to full-bodied reds that are unique to Vancouver Island,” Cosman explains. He credits the land and that unique climate for the fact Enrico wines are winning medals across Canada and the United States. O & V: How did you get started in the wine industry?

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Daniel Cosman: Before and during university I worked in restaurants where I was exposed to some very knowledgeable industry people who introduced me to, and taught me a lot about wine. I just decided one day that this was what I was going to do. I wrote to every winery in BC and got a few responses. The rest is history. O & V: Where did you go to school or apprentice? Daniel Cosman: I would say that my first real opportunity to learn and grow in the industry was at Vigneti Zanatta in the Cowichan Valley. Jim Moody is a great winemaker and I learned a lot from him. O & V: What is your favourite varietal to work with, and why?

Daniel Cosman of Enrico Winery in Mill Bay, BC.

Daniel Cosman: For me it is not so much about varietals, but wine style. Sparkling wine on Vancouver Island is really exciting. Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are mostly used, with a smattering of Chardonnay.

fermentation, barrels. It is no wonder we find wine mysterious and intoxicating.

O & V: What is the best thing about your job? Daniel Cosman: Constantly learning in a milieu of creativity is the best part of my job. I have been in the industry nearly twenty years, and I still feel like there is a lot to learn; there is much that is not understood. There are so many variables; varieties, clones, rootstock,

O & V: Is there a particular wine or vintage that you have made that you are most proud of? Daniel Cosman: The 2020 Enrico Pinot Gris was a great wine, but I am most proud of the “Charme de L’Île” project, which I spearheaded. The idea was for Charmat style wines produced on Vancouver island. It really took off. ■ www.enricowinery.com

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An Okanagan vineyard and winery consulting company with more than 30 years experience in Bordeaux and Okanagan estates • Terroir • Vineyard • Winemaking • Expertise • Confidentiality www.pascalmadevon.ca

38 Summer 2022

Phone: 250.488.8497 Email: p.madevon@shaw.ca

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