The Grower Newspaper

JANUARY 2011

CELEBRATING 131 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION

VOLUME 61 NUMBER 01

Two under 40: weather vanes for the future

By Karen Davidson There’s a reason that the Old Farmer’s Almanac still holds an audience. Weather never repeats itself.

If forecasts could be true, every farmer would be rich, planting more, planting less. That’s not how it worked last year for Peter Schouten, partner in Heppell’s Potato Corporation in Surrey, British Columbia. After a late spring, with 30-day gaps in planting, the fall harvest was rained out with four inches in 36 hours. With 756 acres in potatoes alone, he lost $2 million.

“It’s tuition spent for knowledge gained,” says Schouten, who is also chair of BC Fresh, a company that annually markets $50 million of root crops for 52 farm families. “The sooner we can look back at this once-in-acentury event, the better.”

Crop insurance proved inadequate, covering perhaps 30 per cent of the input costs. The lobby for AgriRecovery funds has yielded nothing, not even a nod from the provincial government. A recent turnover in agriculture ministers means new briefings are needed to keep the file alive.

Ever optimistic, he is forging ahead with 2011 plans to grow high-quality crops and to offer top-rate service to clients. To reduce risk, he is cutting potato acreage to 540 acres and joint venturing on another 100. He will grow fewer types of potatoes while increasing the mix of high-value nugget potatoes.

Schouten’s high standards include food safety. He estimates this line item costs $40,000 annually for hair nets, gloves, staffing

Inside Ghesquiere Plant Farms goes bankrupt

Page 3

How old is the McIntosh apple?

Weather, good and bad, plays a pivotal role in the fortunes of the produce industry. Peter Schouten, Heppell’s Potato Corporation, Surrey, British Columbia, was photographed early in the 2010 potato season before he lost $2 million in the washout of fall harvest. He shares his business philosophy as he flips the calendar for a fresh outlook. and audits. With little crop to market this winter, there will be labour savings due to the fact he halved his staff from 67 to 30.

With his banker asking for more documentation than ever before on working capital and cash flow charts, he is spending more time on examining costs and margins. While the B.C. labour rate is one of the lowest in Canada at $8.00 per hour, there are plenty of items on the cost ledger.

“Numbers are important but I don’t want to lose the entrepreneurial flavour of this farm,” he says. “The farm has been in the Heppell family since 1920, but I can see that we have to be mind-

ful of every detail.”

The farm also grows pumpkins, squash and some forage crops for rotation, relying on certified seed for best results. In the balmy Pacific climate, they have planted as early as Feb 17th and never been later than March 1.

Between now and seeding, Schouten will be finalizing marketing plans for both the farm and BC Fresh. The flooding has caused a 15 per cent price increase in local potatoes with more price hikes expected as supplies dwindle. It will be important to communicate to consumers why those prices are going up to keep the loyalty of those who want

local produce.

Part of the plan is to continue putting the faces of farm families on the transport trucks of BC Fresh. This is a way of keeping the heat on grocery chain buyers who ultimately decide on what potatoes to buy at what price.

Although B.C. potatoes are consumed primarily within the province, growers are price-takers due to the volume of potatoes grown stateside in Washington and Idaho. “I’m not a big fan of the Canadian dollar right now,” states Schouten, referring to the ease of potatoes crossing the border at an at-par dollar.

On the whole, Schouten has

weathered the storm with a positive attitude, concentrating on what the farm does really well.

He’s not unlike many business people, digging in for the long haul. The irony is not lost on him that he irrigated his potatoes during a dry summer only to be flooded out. Compare his story to that of another grower in Ontario who agrees that profit can be measured in inches.

“Florida froze this morning,” says Bill Nightingale, Jr. “so I’m selling like crazy.”

Continued on page 3

Page 5

FOCUS: tracing produce from field to fork

Page 11

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PAGE 2 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

At press time…

Bunkhouses reassessed The Ontario government is changing the farm bunkhouses property tax classification from residential to farm beginning January 1, 2011. Approximately 2,000 bunkhouses are located on farms across the province, housing about 15,000 temporary or seasonal workers.

Farmers with residences that house temporary workers will pay the farm property tax rate, which is 75 per cent lower than the residential rate. Farm properties are assessed by Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.

OFVGA advises that you should check that your bunkhouse is taxed at the farm rate. If your bunkhouse has been taxed at the residential rate, appeal it to MPAC. “This change will ensure consistent property tax treatment for farm properties across the province,” said Dwight Duncan, Ontario Minister of Finance.

“Many of our growers are struggling with low prices and rapidly increasing costs that make it challenging to compete in a global marketplace,” says Brian Gilroy, chair, OFVGA. “Horticulture is a vital contributor of jobs and economic activity to this province and we appreciate this support from the government to help keep our sector viable.”

2010 potato harvest in Canada down 4 per cent The preliminary production estimate for the 2010 Canadian potato crop is 97,279,000 hundredweights (4,412,575 tonnes).

This is down four per cent from last year’s revised production, reports Statistics Canada.

Area planted was set at 356,700 acres (144,356 hectares), down four per cent, while area harvested is estimated down five per cent at 344,000 acres (139,217 hectares).

British Columbia experienced the largest decrease in production, down 48 per cent. Close to half of the planted area was not harvested due to extreme weather conditions during harvest. Saskatchewan showed the next greatest decrease, down 22 per cent, due to both area and yield decreases. Ontario’s production was up four per cent because of an increase in the area planted.

For the second year in a row, the value of the Canadian potato crop broke the billion dollar mark to come in at $1.1 billion. This is

down from the record $1.2 billion crop for 2008. The average value on all potatoes sold, consumed, seeded or fed to livestock was $11.61/cwt., compared to $11.98 the previous year.

Pillitteri Wines honoured

Richard Slingerland and Willow Pivarnyik, Pillitteri Estate Wines celebrate the honour with Steve Peters, Speaker of the Ontario Legislative Assembly (centre).

Red and white wines from Pillitteri Estates Winery in Niagaraon-the-Lake were chosen as the official VQA wines of Ontario’s Legislative Assembly for 2011.

More than 150 MPPs and staff voted on their preference from six Ontario VQA wineries in a late fall event. Pillitteri’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2009 Exclamation Reserve White received the most votes.

- Wayne Black, Youth-at-Large - Ron Dancey, Agri-Business/ Retail/Food Processor - Ed Dehooghe, Horticulture - Judy Dirksen, Livestock - Kelly Duffy, Youth-at-Large - Oliver Haan, Livestock - Ian Harrop, Supply Management - Don Lobb, Other Organizations - Don McCabe, General Farm Interest - Tom Posthuma, Supply Management - Gord Surgeoner, Agri-business/Retail/Food Processor - Brian Wiley, Grains/Seeds/ Oilseeds/Specialty Crops - Ezio Di Emanuele, Federal Liaison - Hugh Berges, Provincial Liaison

New outdoor hort show slated for September 2011 A new outdoor show geared specifically for horticulture is launching September 1 to 3 near Simcoe, Ontario. Under the management of Jordon Underhill, the first annual Canada’s Fruit and Veg Tech X-Change aims to showcase and demonstrate the latest in equipment and global technology.

Horticultural leader chairs Agricultural Adaptation Council Re-elected for a second term, Jim Rickard will continue to chair the Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC) which has committed $206 million to more than 2,500 projects over the last 15 years.

A new structure for the AAC Board was put into place at the December 2010 annual meeting.

The AAC Board continues to have 16 elected members, which includes 14 sectoral group directors and two youth-at-large directors. The two youth-at-large positions were added to attract youth representatives into leadership roles. There are also two non-voting liaison positions from governments.

The names and sectoral groups of the newly elected members of the Board and Executive are: - Chair: Jim Rickard, Horticulture - Vice Chair: John Kikkert, General Farm Interest - Treasurer: Fred Wagner, Grains/ Seeds/Oilseeds/Specialty Crops - Secretary: Kristin Ego MacPhail, Other Industries/Commodities

Vanden Bussche Irrigation is one of the first exhibitors to commit to live demonstrations.

Other specialized equipment manufacturers are expected on the 200-acre farm of Dale Vranckx. A 4,000 square-foot convention centre, upgraded buildings, asphalt parking lot and other amenities make this a hospitable meeting place on Lake Erie. The heart of Ontario’s horticulture industry is within a 90-minute drive.

The first two days of the event will be slated as professional industry days for producers only.

The final day will target the weekend farmer, consumers and rural property owners. A speaker’s program will be chaired by Dr. John Kelly, vice-president, Erie Innovation and Commercialization.

For more information, visit ww.fruitvegtechxchange.com or phone 226-381-0282.

NEWSMAKERS Leamington Area Drip Irrigation Inc was honoured at the Essex County Associated Growers for their pioneering work on piping water from Lake Erie.

Photo: Mars Lehr, Paul Tiessen, Peter Epp, Ken Hamm, Tom Keller, Len Driedger, Greg Dick, Ken Stasko. Missing: Wayne Palichuk (chair), Tom Dick, Four-E Farms, Glen and Todd Waites, Tri-B Acres. Ed Verbeke presented the award. Photo by Herb Sherwood.

Ontario Asparagus Growers elected Jason Ryder, Delhi as their new chair at a recent annual general meeting. Vice-chair is Murray Porteous, Waterford and Charles Welsh, Scotland, is treasurer.

Bette Jean Crews enters her third term as president, Ontario Federation of Agriculture with vegetable grower Mark Wales and Don McCabe remaining vice-presidents. Wales has indicated his focus is on municipalities while McCabe is focused on internal governance and projecting a united voice to government.

Dean Anderson, an Ontario farm safety leader, was re-elected for a second term as chair of the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association. Anderson is regional director, western Ontario with Workplace Safety and Prevention Services. Also acclaimed to the board of directors are: Denis Bilodeau, vice-president of L’Union des producteurs agricole and Andre Bonneau of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. Other members include: vice-chair, John Gordon, Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture; Bruce Johnson, executive director of B.C.’s Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Association, Lauranne Sanderson, associate professor at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and Billy Woods, a farmer from Torbay, Newfoundland.

Congratulations to Steve and Lisa Cooper, Zephyr, Ontario and Lauren and Ryan Maurer, Grenfell, Saskatchewan who were named Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2010.

Coincidentally, they are graduates of the George Morris Centre’s 2009 Canadian Total Excellence in Agricultural Management (CTEAM) program.

In memoriam. Ontario’s grape industry marks the untimely passing of Susan O’Dell, co-founder of EastDell Estates at Beamsville. She was a driving force behind the growth of vintner Diamond Estate Wines and Spirits.

Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow becomes chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee in the U.S. She is best known for winning expansion of programs for fruits and vegetables in the 2008 U.S. Farm Bill.

Glen Squirrell was re-elected for his second term as chair of the Ontario Potato Marketing Board. Chris Kowalski is vice-chair.

They are joined by directors Mac James, Harry Bradley, Shawn Brenn and Rick Wallce.

Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario welcomed Tom Miedema, Newmarket as their new chair and Mark Srokosz, Grand Bend as vice-chair at their annual general meeting. Mary Shabatura, Windham Centre, joins the board as a new director.

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JANUARY 2011 –– PAGE 3 THE GROWER

Ghesquiere Plant Farms Ltd has gone bankrupt Off-shore workers to be paid back wages

By Karen Davidson Ghesquiere Plant Farms Ltd, a 300-acre Simcoe, Ontario farm well-known for its propagation of strawberry plants and raspberry canes for domestic and U.S. customers, went bankrupt November 30. Financial problems ruptured when payroll could not be met by the nursery farm, leaving 136 Mexican and Caribbean workers without their last two weeks’ pay.

Under federal labour law, these workers are eligible for payment under the Wage Earner Protection Program to a maximum of $3,104 for unpaid wages.

“I’m confident the workers will be paid,” says Ken Forth, president of the Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS) program. “It’s never good news when there’s a financial problem, but I don’t think it’s a black eye for the industry. There have been 500,000 problem-free placements since the FARMS program started in

1966. We placed 15,400 workers in 2010.”

Century Services, a financial services firm and a secured creditor, confirmed that the foreign consulates immediately initiated paperwork for payment. “It’s a cumbersome process, but it does work,” says Tammy Kemp, director of risk and compliance, Century Services. “By law, the first $2,000 per worker must be paid by Century Services and the government covers the remainder up to the maximum coverage.”

Meanwhile, the first creditors’ meeting was held in Hamilton, Ontario on December 17. According to public documents on the BDO Canada website, creditors range from the Canada Revenue Agency ($1.3 million) to Scotland Agro Mart (over $500,000) to Ontario Strawberry Growers Association ($77,000).

Indeed, the berry growers have experienced “significant arrears since 2008,” says Kevin Schooley, executive direc-

tor, OSGA. “It’s cut into our nest egg for special projects.”

Two months ago, OSGA warned members to buy stock only from inspected premises, so concerned were the executive about impending developments. Schooley is advising members to place orders early for nursery stock from other businesses in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec to get the best variety selection.

According to the nursery farm’s website, the operation was started in 1959 by Belgian immigrant Herry Ghesquiere who made a solid reputation of the business.

Son Carl took over the farm management in 1995, hiring sales people in Florida and California. Since 2004, the farm has operated under Ghesquiere Plant Farms Ltd. Key website pages have not been updated since spring 2007, a clue that, in hindsight, communicates problems much earlier than recent months.

Two under 40: weather vanes for the future Continued from page 1 Just before Christmas, Nightingale was buying green peppers in bulk from growers in Florida, repacking in his Delhi, Ontario warehouse and selling to a major grocer.

A third-generation farmer, he took over the 1000-acre operation in the early 2000s and was joined by his sister, Carmina, in 2007.

The business has evolved in the last decade from being a grower to a grower-packer to a growerpacker-shipper. The objective has been to vertically integrate the business and to deal directly with the grocery chains.

Adopting the latest technologies, Nightingale Farms blazed a path on drip irrigation and covered structures, stretching the production season and maintaining a reputation for quality organic produce. The economic advantages of those pioneering moves only last a year or two until others come on stream. That “technology first” philosophy has completely changed in recent years due to grocery chain business practices.

The grocery chain buyers took on as many grower-packers as they could since 2005 and in the process, demanded far more product than could be sold, explains Nightingale. In the last three years, over-production has flattened margins.

“Now it’s efficiency over quality,” says Nightingale. “We are investing in semi-automated systems to compete with labour

Brief bio The bio: Bill Nightingale Jr. Age: 29 Farm: Nightingale Farms, Delhi, ON Business philosophy: “Maximize efficiency” Website: www.nightingalefarms.com

The bio: Peter Schouten Age: 40 Farm: Heppells Potato Corp., Surrey, BC Business philosophy: “There’s always a better way” Website: www.heppells.ca Bill Nightingale Jr. has been a pioneer in tunnel structures at his Delhi, ON farm. costs of $10.25 per hour and will trim our labour force by 20 per cent this year. Automated packaging, picking and harvesting are what’s necessary. Diesel fuel is cheaper than labour.”

The search for automated equipment and technology regularly leads them to horticultural centres of excellence: California, Spain, Holland and Israel. The marvel is that Israel lacks water, but its technology still out-performs other countries for

quality of produce.

Margins can’t be increased by technology alone. In Ontario’s high-cost environment, Nightingale has spread his risk by shifting some of his production to Florida and quitting high-labour crops completely. “Sure it’s nice to have the local food demand in your back pocket, but it only goes so far,” he concedes.

The business plan for 2011 is tight on every number. “We’re cutting back drastically on new

BC Fresh is unique in putting their family members on transport trucks that haul produce to markets in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.

trials and experiments,” says Nightingale. “It’s all about every penny.”

Like Peter Schouten, he’s had to close the book on 2010’s weather-related losses. Two backto-back heat waves in early August matured bumper crops of cantaloupes that had no market.

He dumped 20,000 cases of

cantaloupes on the ground for a loss of $200,000.

The irony is that the Ontario Produce Marketing Association just honoured Bill Nightingale with their “Fresh” award of the year, with a nod to his innovation and high-quality produce.

“This award cost more money than you can imagine,” he says, with black humour. “It might as well have been diamonds.”

PAGE 4 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

Competitiveness should be key issue in election year

By Karen Davidson With slim budgets and big issues, the Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario are digging deep for survival, both as an association and as individual growers. The umbrella group represents all unregulated vegetables from artichokes to zucchini.

The past year has challenged all growers with wage increases, energy hikes and gaps in fighting pests due to lack of controls or chemical resistance. “In articulating our concerns to the powers that be, we have communicated that the current approach to lobbying has failed our producers miserably,” according to outgoing chair Jeff Wilson at the December 16 annual general meeting.

Part of the thinking is that it’s no longer enough to walk the corridors of political power. With only 52,000 Ontario farmers and 318 farm organizations, demands to government are diluted. More effective, says Wilson, is using the power of mass media to reach consumers and build demand for local vegetables.

partly to educate consumers about the year-round supply of root vegetables. Food-centred events with farmers serving their favourite soups have attracted thousands along with spin-off publicity in major metropolitan newspapers.

“We don’t use words like commodities because, for consumers, they only know oil and gold,” says Reaume. “Putting a face to farmers who are highly trusted has worked for us.”

Reaching out to consumers is savvy strategy, especially given the thousands of newly arrived Canadians. “Those of you who don’t go to places like the Ontario Food Terminal may not realize the changing face of our industry -the change in buyer patterns and grower make-up is dramatic,” says Wilson.

Just a handful of growers have experience with the changing trends of the last three years where Asians are taking over green grocers and beating the chain stores in the produce aisle. At the same time, Indo-Canadians are financing farms and getting into

These yellow beans were harvested at the farm of Larry Verbeke in Ontario's Essex County. Photo by Korinne Robertson.

Wilson gave the floor to the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association which has led an aggressive campaign to win the hearts of consumers in the Greater Toronto Area. Jamie Reaume, executive director, explained that their 113 farmers have expanded the notion of the salad bowl to the soup bowl,

vegetable production. The question is how to tap into this growing community.

No matter who is growing vegetables, production challenges remain. With so many different kinds of vegetables, it is difficult to prioritize research. The cycle of research funding is in full swing

The 60th Annual Muck Vegetable Conference Holy Martyrs of Japan Parish Centre 167 Essa Street Bradford, Ontario

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In a first, a vegetable farmer made a cameo appearance in the 2011 Face of Farming calendar. The popular calendar, published by the Ontario Farm Animal Council, is distributed to politicians and media.

Look for Kyle Horlings, a fourth-generation vegetable farmer in the Holland Marsh near Bradford. He came home to farm with his father, siblings and grandfather after graduating from the agricultural program at Ridgetown College. with difficult decisions for Simcoe Research Station, a key hub for horticulture, supervised by the University of Guelph.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs allots $54 million to the

University of Guelph, but not all that money is destined for research. A portion is earmarked for administration but, more controversially, growers have learned there is an allotment to the arts department.

This news does nothing to abate the frustrations of vegetable growers struggling to research clubroot resistance in cabbage or bacterial rot in tomatoes. For yet another nuanced view on the needs for researching organic and conventional methods, go no further than Dr. Catarina Saude.

“A disease is a disease whether the producer is growing organically or not,” says Saude. “We need to look at pathology problems, not just leafy vegetable problems.”

For those who wish to insure their crops, the Fresh Market Vegetable Acreage Loss program is available through Agricorp. In three years, the insurance program has grown to 75 farmers who, in 2010, insured 9,941 acres. The claims paid have equaled just over $713,000 for $1.8 million in premiums. Customers are not going up, but acreage is, according to Stacey Cahill, industry specialist, Agricorp.

Even with the best insurance program and research back-up, growers must make peace with the markets. It’s tough to figure out how Quebec-grown broccoli can sell for $14 per case in Montreal and $8 per case in Toronto.

Weather. Pests. Markets. Somewhere in this story is the black humour of a Far Side cartoon.

JANUARY 2011 –– PAGE 5 THE GROWER

MARKETING

Saskatoon berry pitch sealed with a drink

Sandra Purdy prepares her saskatoon berry pitch to the CBC program, The Dragon’s Den. Aspiring entrepreneurs face five multi-millionaires, each with the expertise and money to turn infant ideas into grown-up fortunes. Arlene Dickinson was hooked.

By Karen Davidson Call it Purdy’s PR gambit.

Pitching saskatoon berries to the CBC’s prime-time Dragon’s Den takes moxie. But that’s exactly what Sandra Purdy and Allison Ozog did on October 13 with their television appearance asking for an investment of $250,000 in Prairie Berries in exchange for 49.9 per cent of the company.

The fact that den masters Kevin O’Leary and Robert Herjavec claimed ignorance of the western Canadian superfruit was waved away by Calgarian Arlene Dickinson whose local knowledge

proved pivotal in seeing the potential for sales. In fact, Dickinson said she would invest if she could have 10 per cent royalties on every pound of saskatoons sold over current levels of 400,000 pounds per year. Purdy agreed.

Even if Purdy had come away with no investment, she knew she would win unparalleled awareness of saskatoon berries and her Keeler, Saskatchewan-based company with an audience of 500,000.

“When I started the Dragon’s Den process, I didn’t plan for the aftermath,” says Purdy. “After the show aired, we received 250

Anniversaries pose unique marketing challenges What do the Hungarian pianist Ferenc Liszt and the McIntosh apple have in common? Both are celebrating a 200th anniversary in 2011.

As marketers seize upon these milestones to shed a spotlight on a tried and true brand, the question becomes how relevant is a product today at 200 years. Happily, the story of the McIntosh apple -discovered in Dundela, Ontario – has long legs. Ontario Apple Growers has hired the promotional agency, Faye Clack Communications (FCC), to celebrate not only McIntosh apples but 13 other commercial varieties.

“There is such a long family history to the McIntosh apple that we’ve chosen Family Day, February 21, to host a winter apple ball in Canada’s largest ballroom,” says Kelly Ciceran, manager, Ontario Apple Growers.

The free event, to be held at Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle hotel from 11 am to 2 pm, will focus on family activities ranging from apple tastings to arts and crafts. For kids and those young at heart, there’s the opportunity to dance the McIntosh Macarena.

Organizers will attempt to break the current World Guinness Record for apple bobbing which stands at 266 people. Long after the event, the promotion beat will continue with McIntosh apple recipes.

For consumers, the McIntosh continues to be the most widely available variety, with 25 per cent of the Ontario apple crop consisting of this variety. Although production is down more than 30 per cent in 2010, more than 66 million pounds were harvested in Ontario.

The variety is well-known across Canada, with orchards in British Columbia, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

emails and I did 16 media interviews.”

“When I started the Dragon’s Den process, I didn’t plan for the aftermath.” -Sandra Purdy Prairie Berries wants to become the next Ocean Spray of North America, raising the profile of saskatoons to the superfruit status of cranberries. She can fairly call the berry a superfruit with its ample array of anthocyanins which fight cancer and a long list of maladies. Already, Purdy has deals with Dairyland to incorporate saskatoons into yogurt and

with Lassonde Juices to mix with fruit drinks. She now wants to go to the next level by promoting saskatoons as an ingredient for heart-healthy foods.

Will it take millions of dollars to earn success as some dragons suggested? Time will tell, but the Dragon’s Den pitch may turn out to be one of the more creative ways to get the 120-acre orchard and Individual Quick Freeze (IQF) facility on the map. Purdy also leads the Saskatoon Berry Council of Canada, creating a critical mass of growers and processors to polish the berry’s profile.

While the on-air deal looked exciting, due diligence remains.

Purdy and Dickinson met in Toronto in early December to discuss the fine print. Prairie Berries is currently an ingredient supplier, but Purdy hopes that one day soon saskatoon berries will be fruit readily available in retail.

As Purdy is fond of telling, three cranberry farmers once started with a dream too. And that dream turned into Ocean Spray.

Editor’s note: to see the pitch, go to www.youtube.com and search CBC Dragons Den 5-4 Prairie Berries.

PAGE 6 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

Revenues from Ontario asparagus seed breeding bring potential and challenge

By Karen Davidson With the asparagus seed business exceeding $600,000 from Ontario growers, customers in the U.S. and the U.K., directors are investigating a business model that would be at arm’s length from the Ontario association.That’s a key issue says Jason Ryder, newly elected president, at the recent Ontario Asparagus Growers’ Marketing Board (OAGMB) meeting.

“We’re looking at the parameters for seed production,” says Ryder. “It’s about how to supply replanting needs in the U.S. and getting more out of our breeding resources here.”

Thanks to the breeding efforts of Dr .Dave Wolyn and Paul Banks from the University of Guelph and Bill Sanders, summer seed production manager, there was a 98 per cent increase in Ontario asparagus seed quantity in 2010. Ontario growers benefited from being able to order seed quantities up to and exceeding 15 per cent of their equivalent acreage for replanting. (1 acre = 1 unit = 20,000 seeds). Replacing older fields with a newer, more vigorous hybrid variety is essential to gaining higher yields and production efficiency.

Stepping up production also required providing capacity and ensuring quality. “We purchased a Phair Seed Cleaner that reduced the amount of time to clean seed by one to two days,” says Marvin Karges, executive director, OAGMB. The association is also looking at investing in a highvolume seed counter. “This will become increasingly important as we endeavor to increase our seed units each year.”

Paul Banks (l), a University of Guelph researcher and Marvin Karges, Executive Director of Ontario Asparagus Growers’ Marketing Board are pleased with the seed business.

Equally important is continued investment to increase the impact of Millennium cultivars and other University of Guelph varieties for trial and production in world markets. To date, almost $2.3 million has been generated in seed sales since 1999. Originally funded by the Canadian Horticultural Commission Tax Remission program which concluded in 1998, the association is further committed to $1.3 million of research with the University of Guelph and the Agricultural Adaptation Council over the next three years.

Asparagus is one of the horticultural crops that is quickly becoming globally commoditized, reports Jeff Wilson, director research and seed development, OAGMB. While China is the volume producer, Peru continues its

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push in the number two spot, with 28,000 hectares in 2010 and average yields of 11.5 tons per hectare (FreshPlaza.com, September 9, 2010).

Labour, energy, regulatory burdens and land use policies all contribute to Ontario having the highest cost of production of any jurisdiction. It’s still a struggle to com-

pete against imports with fresh, local product that’s early – as it was in 2010 – then shut down by frost, only to come on strong again.

More research is required on soil-borne diseases and their management, specifically phytophthora. Michigan State University has done work to the point that no recommendations exist for current plantings, says Wilson, but new plantings offer an opportunity for management to be incorporated into the breeding program.

Still to be investigated is the role of plant nutrients in relation to overall plant health. The relationship of plant nutrients/health to human nutrition is yet to be explored, with the role of rutin yet to be determined.

Plans for a mid-season market

for number two grades is under study. To date, work on an individual quick freeze (IQF) plant has been frustrated by lack of Ontario processors and inexpensive imports.

Ontario’s 98 asparagus producers stewarded fewer acres in 2010 (2,540) than mid-decade reflecting agriculture’s trends in all commodities for fewer farmers. There are 57 growers with less than 20 acres reports Karges.

“If the planets align, we could have a very profitable seed business and substantially fewer Ontario growers in the years ahead,” says Karges. “We need to resolve how to reinvest the value of the seed business back into the industry that returns the largest benefit. This is the challenge.”

JANUARY 2011 –– PAGE 7 THE GROWER

Board briefs Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) December 2010 Following are highlights from the OFVGA board meeting held December 16, 2010. The purpose of this brief is to keep you up-todate on the issues that the OFVGA is working on, as well as projects and initiatives the organization is involved in.

Audit report Representatives from Tonin & Co. LLP reviewed their draft audit report with the Board for the OFVGA fiscal year ended October 31, 2010. Final financial statements will be presented to the OFVGA membership at the annual general meeting in January 2011.

Labour Tony Dean, a former provincial Deputy Minister of Labour, tabled a report to the Minister of Labour in early December following a review of Ontario’s occupational health and safety prevention and enforcement system. Dean, with the support of a panel of safety experts from labour and employer groups and academic institutions, looked at a range of issues, including safety practices, impact of the underground economy on health and safety practices and legislation and how it serves worker safety.

Canadian Horticultural Council Research priorities for Growing Forward II - OFVGA’s representative to the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC), Murray Porteous, attended an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) consultation session focused on research needs and priorities for the next Growing Forward program. Some discussion focused on how to move innovation forward.

Due to a change in federal government policy on information sharing, AAFC no longer provides information publicly on various research projects and initiatives being worked on. This limits the ability to develop international research collaborations and inhibits producers and industry from accessing cutting edge research work. Only published papers on completed research are currently available.

Sustainability – Porteous also represented CHC at a dialogue meeting on the future of Canadian agricultural sustainability. The session included representatives from the entire food supply chain, from input manufacturers and producers

to major retailers. The group is looking at how the future of agricultural sustainability can be handled in Canada. In Europe, consumer demand is driving the industry towards environmental labelling of food products – for example, the carbon footprint associated with the production of a particular food item – and there is concern in Canada that if the industry does not become involved in this area, standards and rules may be dictated by activist groups.

Farmer participants at the meeting stated that it’s important that any initiatives in this area be simple and affordable for farmers to implement and be compatible with the various existing programs growers are already involved in.

Research Research priorities – A meeting of edible horticulture commodity groups to set research priorities for the sector was held in November.

The meeting was convened by the OFVGA and commodity groups were asked to bring three short term and three long-term priorities to the meeting. Staff from the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (VRIC) has been working to evaluate the input from the meeting, distil it to determine commonalities amongst the commodities and apply it to the Ontario Research Advisory Network system set up by OMAFRA. It is expected this process will become an annual event to gather grassroots input into research priorities.

The following broad themes emerged from the discussion: • Production efficiency – mechanization and how to reduce labour costs • Environmental sustainability – understand and improve the environmental sustainability of the production system • Enhancing product quality and availability – includes extending shelf-life of produce and lengthening the production season and enhancing product quality • Crop protection – long-term need for understanding of pest dynamics and resistance development and short term needs for problem solving in specific crops • Food and health – taking advantage of public focus on health and disease prevention strategies by understanding, defining and quantifying health benefits of horticultural products.

Crop Protection Representatives of the OFVGA crop protection committee met

with senior staff at the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently. Several key crop protection issues were discussed: • Sevin – As this product, an insecticide used in fruit and vegetable production, is currently under review, growers have agreed that it be removed from the approved products list of the Grower Requested Own Use (GROU) program. Growers agreed to this move in order to support the manufacturer that is involved in the review process, deciding it is better to have access to the product in the long term than risk the chance of losing it if the manufacturer cannot fund the review. The GROU program lets farmers buy an identical crop protection product in the United States at considerably lower cost and import it into Canada for their own use.

• Telone – Telone, a soil fumigant, has been withdrawn from the market by its manufacturer due to a request by PMRA for extra data concerning the possibility of trace amounts of Telone being detected in the water table. OFVGA has asked PMRA to reconsider so that Dow will reinstate the product.

There are no known environmental or health problems with Telone and there is currently no replacement product available for growers in Canada.

• Resistance – Growers are continuing to push the issue of pest resistance to crop protection products. If this issue is not addressed, the industry will have to keep registering more and more products in order to keep on top of pest threats to horticulture crops.

Grower Requested Own Use – Eleven new candidate products are being evaluated by PMRA for inclusion on the GROU product list. A decision is expected midwinter. The GROU program allows growers to apply for permits to import approved crop protection products from the United States that are identical to ones available in Canada provided they are for their own use. Some products are available in the U.S. at a lower price than in Canada. More information on the GROU program can be found at www.hcsc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/agri-commerce/import/_grou-piapda/indexeng.php.

New products – A considerable number of new generic products is becoming available and OFVGA will provide information as it

emerges. Several new active ingredient registrations are also pending.

Safety nets SDRM program proposal OFVGA Chair Brian Gilroy, CEO Art Smith and Safety Nets Chair Mark Wales met with provincial agriculture minister Carol Mitchell on December 7 to present a risk management program proposal for the horticulture sector. The OFVGA safety nets committee developed a modified Self Directed Risk Management (SDRM)style program for edible horticulture in lieu of the cost of production-based Risk Management Program (RMP) that had previously been considered. The diversity in edible horticulture – over 100 regulated and non-regulated crops – made the collection of data required for the creation of an RMP program difficult, and there were concerns about potential trade implications from exportdependent commodities.

Leaders of the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition (OASC) had a follow-up meeting with Minister Mitchell on December 16. All OASC commodity group members with the exception of Ontario Sheep have now presented their sector-specific risk management program proposals to the Minister. The Minister continues to reiterate that grass-roots support for these programs is critical and that provincial groups must continue to press a lobby at the national level to bring the federal government to the table. A follow-up meeting with the Minister and OASC leaders will take place in January.

Infrastructure program – The next round of consultations for Growing Forward II will take place at the end of March and early April. The OFVGA safety nets committee is now working on parameters for an infrastructure program for horticulture that would provide funding for onfarm infrastructure improvements.

The draft parameters will be presented to the Board at its next meeting in February.

Tornado assistance – The Ontario Tornado Assistance Initiative funded under AgriRecovery has provided $572,000 in assistance to 13 apple growers affected by the 2009 tornado that struck the Meaford, Ontario area. Growers received $45 per tree lost in the disaster.

Property Bunkhouse taxation – The Ontario government announced on December 13 that farm bunkhouses will be taxed at the farm property class tax rate effective January 2011. These buildings had long been assessed as farm buildings for tax purposes, but some have started to become subject to residential assessment in recent years, resulting in dramatic and unexpected tax increases payable by some farmers. Growers with bunkhouses are encouraged to check their assessments and if a residential assessment has been applied, to proceed with an appeal to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.

Meeting with provincial government representatives - OFVGA Safety Nets Chair Mark Wales, together with OFA President Bette Jean Crews, met with agriculture minister Carol Mitchell and finance minister Dwight Duncan on December 15 to discuss a variety of issues. These included: • Developing a definition of farming - there is currently no official definition in the province of Ontario as to what is considered to be farming. A committee will be formed between producers, OMAFRA and Finance to help develop a definition.

• Agriculture-specific water taking permits – the current permit to take water program includes agricultural users together with municipalities and high volume users. Farm organizations have long been asking for a specialized permit program for farmers. It was agreed that OMAFRA and Ministry of the Environment representatives would work with agriculture to move this issue forward.

• Environmental goods and services payments – a working group involving Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and OMAFRA will look at what other jurisdictions are doing regarding environmental goods and services payments and how this might be addressed in Ontario.

Targeted product development to increase competitiveness of the fruit and vegetable sector OFVGA has submitted a funding application to the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP) for a project to help identify new fruit and vegetable crops that could potentially be grown in Ontario and Quebec.

Continued on page 28

PAGE 8 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

Dollars to plan on

Brian Gilroy Chair, OFVGA

G’Day and Happy New Year!

If our last board meeting is a bellwether of things to come, 2011 will be no less challenging than last year.

We are working on a SelfDirected Risk Management (SDRM) program that will be more flexible for our growers.

We are excited that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has committed $6 million over three years to develop a school snack program in the far north. Our own Northern School Snack Program which offers fruits and vegetables to

northern Ontario school boards is a template that offers many lessons for the future. As well, we look forward to the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion doubling its efforts in 2011, with briefing of health units and logistics planning.

But most importantly, we are announcing a pilot program for the next two years that will inject funds directly into our sector groups for research and marketing.

The payout formula is based on the percentage of membership and container fees paid to the OFVGA

by farmers and associations of the various commodity sectors.

Research and marketing funds would be made available in 2011 as follows: Apples: Asparagus: Berries: Fresh Grapes: Ginseng: Grapes: Greenhouse: Potatoes: Tenderfruit: Unreg Veg:

$15,390 $2,010 $6,000 $4,140 $3,660 $4,860 $127,800 $24,600 $39,390 $72,150

Specific parameters around the program and distribution of funds will be determined early in 2011.

We look forward to finalizing the details at our first board meeting February 10.

But first, we look forward to fresh input from the members at large at our annual general meeting, January 10 – 12 in Niagara Falls. It’s a great networking event.

Wishing every grower good planning weather this winter.

Correcting Agri-Stability

Art Smith CEO, OFVGA We have recently been asked to identify the changes required to Agri-Stability that would make it a workable program for our sector.

Before Agri-Stability can be fixed we need to first understand its current deficiencies.

The whole concept of Agri-Stability and CAIS before that, goes back to 2000/2001 and was a change in direction away from entitlement-type Business Risk Management (BRM) programs to needs-based programs.

My point is not to argue which is better because that depends on one’s own circumstances or

opinion but rather to make a few comments on the current program.

The reality is that the concept or adoption of reference margin protection goes back to 2000/2001 ie protect an individual farmer’s margin; the concept was born however in a time of a 75 cent dollar. The method of how to handle negative margins was also born at that same time. I have been told on numerous occasions that it was felt that government should not support bad farm management and hence the treatment of negative margins was established.

Unfortunately this suggests that the thinking of the day was that if farmers were experiencing negative margins for any period of time that they must be poor farm managers. I would suggest that no one envisioned our dollar at parity with the U.S. greenback nor did anyone envision the massive increase in input cost such as oil, fertilizer and labour, all of which lie outside the control of farmers.

Back in 2000 the impact of global trade had not been fully felt, we were still protected by low currency valuations relative to our number one trading partner and

the availability of produce from all corners of the earth was just starting.

Herein lies the biggest part of the problem: farmers absorbing these new costs while not being able to recover these costs from the marketplace. Typically the only thing going up are the costs and not the returns. As a consequence the margins continue to erode . . . all outside the control of most farmers.

The first thing that I would like to see is to amend the reference margin calculation to recognize the additional costs outside the control of producers that can not be recovered from the marketplace, for example labour rates. By using the actual wages paid in the production margin calculation while at the same time taking out any increase over and above inflation would help protect the margin. Of course Agri-Stability payments do not cover the entire shortfall, but 70 per cent payment goes a long way to relieve the financial pain of this social policy.

Farmers as employers would still contribute their portion to social policy. This same process could be

used for all government-legislated costs and in this way the total cost of these social programs is not downloaded directly onto the back of farmers. The cost would be largely borne by government (society) as it should be.

Other things that need to be changed would be the negative margin viability test. This is where a farmer has more than two negative margin years in his/her Olympic average. When this happens the farmer has no coverage whatsoever, hardly fair in these times of eroding reference margins.

Another issue is the rising value of the Canadian dollar. I’m not sure if this can be directly accounted for in the national safety net program but it speaks loud and clear as to the inability for most in our sector to recover these ever increasing costs and is a major factor for the financially difficult times that most in our sector are experiencing.

Outside of the Agri-Stability program it may be time to develop a long overdue national food strategy so that we can measure the effectiveness of the BRM plan.

Then there is the issue of caps both in Agri-Stability and AgriInvest. Regarding Agri-Invest caps there is no simple answer; there are those who want smaller caps and those who want bigger or no caps at all. The way I look at it is that if this is an agricultural program and not a social program and since this is supposed to be needs-based then it follows that there should be no cap.

Regarding Agri-Invest there is no question that the cap and the contribution rate are just too small for if you empty your account in one year you will be left with a deficiency or short fall in your account for several years until it can be rebuilt so that there is equivalent of 15 per cent annual net sales in that account.

These are just some of the issues that will need to be addressed before Agri-Stability and Agri-Invest can be a workable program for the edible horticulture sector.

For what it is worth, it’s the way I see it.

Labour pains affecting bottom line

Adrian Huisman Ontario Tender Fruit Producers

Ask any producer of fresh horticultural crops how the 28 per cent increase in the minimum wage has affected them and they will all tell you that they have not been able to recover these increases from the marketplace and that reality threatens to put them out of business. In the tender fruit industry alone, the number of growers has declined from 550 to 360 in just five years.

At least one local politician gets it. Re-elected Lincoln Mayor Bill Hodgson has called on his new council to “fight for the town’s agricultural sector over the

next four years, at a time when international and national pressures continue to challenge local growers.”

He stated further that “as an agricultural ‘Greenbelt’ community, they must continue to pressure both senior levels of government to step up to the challenge of profitability in the farm sector.”

Ron MacDougall, an Ontario representative on the National Producer Advisory Committee also gets it. At a recent meeting of the Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council (OACC), Ron stated that “Innovation is a word

STAFF Publisher: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association Editor: Karen Davidson, 416-252-7337, kdavidson@ecomente.ca Production: Carlie Robertson, ext. 221, production@thegrower.org Advertising: Herb Sherwood, 519-380-0118, hsherwood@cogeco.ca

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Others may subscribe as follows by writing to the office:

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we are hearing a lot these days.

The agri-food industry in this country has always been innovative and forward thinking. Profitability is what moves any industry forward, and therefore we need to address those issues that inhibit profitability. Profitability also helps with innovation. We have laws and regulations in Canada that our competitors do not have to deal with, that increase our cost of production. How do we compete when those extra costs are beyond our control?” The 28 per cent increase in Ontario’s minimum wage is just one example.

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Vice-Chair Fruit Director Veg Director Director

Brian Gilroy, Meaford Mac James, Leamington Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-Lake Jason Ryder, Delhi Len Troup, Jordon Station

Apples Fresh Vegetable - Other Tender Fruit ON Asparagus Grws’. Mkg. Brd. GGO/Fresh Grape Growers Fresh Vegetable - Muck ON. Potato Board Small Fruit/Berries ON. Ginseng Growers’ Greenhouse

Brian Gilroy, Meaford Jason Ryder, Delhi Len Troup, Jordan Station Lonnie Duwyn, Delhi Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-Lake Jason Verkaik, Bradford Mac James, Leamington Norm Charbonneau, Port Elgin Doug Bradley, Tillsonburg Jim Veri, Exeter

Now to add to our labour pains, we anxiously await the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Fraser vs Ontario case which threatens to give the agricultural workers the right to unionize and collectively bargain possibly including the right to strike during harvest.

Time will tell. The results could be devastating.

We strongly agree with the Local Food movement and thank our many supporters at the consumer and retail levels but at the end of the day, there must be a profit.

OFVGA SECTION CHAIRS Crop Protection Research Property Labour Safety Nets CHC AGCare/Nutrient Man.

Charles Stevens, Newcastle Harold Schooley, Simcoe David Lambert, Niagara-on-the-Lake Ken Forth, Lynden Mark Wales, Alymer Murray Porteous, Simcoe Charles Stevens, Newcastle

JANUARY 2011 –– PAGE 9 THE GROWER

Looking back and looking forward

Mark Wales Garlic Growers’ Association of Ontario As the 2011 garlic crop stays nestled under a varying blanket of snow, growers met on Saturday Dec 11 for the annual fall meeting.

After a year of some of the strongest demand and best prices for our crop, it was an opportunity to look at what happened and what the future will bring.

We had a growing season that had extreme drought in the deep

southwest, a lot of heat units everywhere, and more than sufficient rainfall in many areas.

We had some scattered and very serious damage due primarily to bulb and stem nematode. Becky Hughes from New Liskeard pointed out that nematode numbers will build up in a cool wet year (2009) and you will always see the damage effect in a hot drier year ( the hot being the key). For growers who had an infestation it was devastating. As well there have been growing challenges in China, California and other areas.

Along with rampant inflation in China which has increased the cost of all their produce and thankfully made their garlic a scarcer and more expensive commodity, all of these factors as well as overwhelming Canadian consumer demand for our product have resulted in some great selling and pricing opportunities.

So what will this mean for the 2011 and future crops? With

demand strong and prices to growers ranging from $5 to $10 per pound depending on where and in what form you sell, the outlook is very positive. One major chain has put Ontario garlic back on the shelves in their high-value stores and have realized that they must pay a decent price in order to have the best product for their customers. Seed was in very short supply and will continue to be for some years to come. As growers we are looking to increase production from bulbuils as a possible way to increase acreage sooner.

However more research in

proper methods needs to be done as historically growing from bulbuils has not always been successful. As an association we will be doing some research and posting the info for members on our website.

We will be applying for a sizeable Agricultural Adaptation Council grant to continue with our Clean Seed program development in light of the problems with bulb and stem nematode. It was pointed out by researchers at the meeting that fumigation has no effect.

Because of the nature of garlic, you can sterilize the soil but if you plant infected garlic cloves then you just perpetuate the problem and the weather will determine how bad your damage will be.

Crop rotation helps but you would typically need to wait at least five years before returning to an infected field and again, if you plant infected seed then you still have the problem.

We will be looking during the

project on how to quickly increase the supply of clean seed for growers.

So all in all, a well attended fall meeting with lots of input from members. We have lots of work for the years ahead. One other item that we did discuss was price.

With any product you have to always be careful not to price yourself out of the marketplace.

Garlic, although unique, may still need to remember this. At some point as price rises, the goodwill and pent-up demand for our product could evaporate if prices get too high. As growers we do of course need to ensure that we get the best return for our crop, so that is what we will have to balance in determining next season's price points.

On behalf of myself and your association, I hope the holidays have been good to you and your family as we all look forward to producing the best garlic in the world.

OFVGA 152nd Annual Meeting and Convention Silent auction contributors Below is a list of the generous contributors who have donated items to the association on behalf of the 152nd annual general meeting.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their generosity.

Sherwood Marketing Jack & Gjan Scott Plasponics KlipKit Cindy & Steve Clay Parks Blueberries Kwazar Sprayers Ayr Farmers Mutual Sarjeant Co. Ltd Data Media Clients of The Grower Union Gas Richmond Motors, Chatham Van Kesteren Hyundai Pride Seeds Pioneer Canada McGrail Farm Equipment The Links of Kent: Golf Club Deer Run Golf Course Janzen Equipment

R J Equipment Ricter Web Printing Comfort Inn, Chatham Blenheim Chrysler Landini, McCormick Canada Delhaven Orchards Ltd. Smith & Wilson Winery Country View Golf Course Reif Estate Winery Travelodge, Chatham Comfort Inn, Chatham Red Pine Inn, Alliston Boston Pizza, Chatham Casa Bella, Chatham T-Bones Steak House, Chatham Borealis Grille & Bar, Guelph Licks Hamburgers, Guelph Shoeless Joe’s, Guelph Kent Farm Supplies Ltd.

Blenheim Community Golf Club Baldoon Golf Club Deer Run Golf Course Ridgetown Golf Club Tilbury Gulf Club Via Rail Viewpoint Estate Winery Sunnybrook Farm Estate Winery Tim Hortons Head Office Cardinal Golf Club Ayr Turf & Trac Inc. Lailey Vineyard Winery Strewn Winery Stonechurch Vineyard Swiss Chalet Boston Pizza Turtle Jacks Aberfoyle Mill Talisman Resort

Country View Golf Club Peller Estates Winery Sunnybrook Estate Winery Ontario Beekeepers Association City of Guelph, Tourism City of Niagara Falls Bank Of Nova Scotia Landini, McCormick Canada Kubota Canada John Deere, Agraturf Union Gas Red Pine Inn, Alliston Pelee Days Inn, Leamington Crown Plaza, Niagara Falls Supreme Full Service Car Wash Diamond Detailing Farm Credit Canada Guelph City Mazda Victoria Park Golf Club, Guelph

Joseph’s Estate Wine Inc. Coyote’s Run Estate Winery Bank of Nova Scotia Home Hardware, Chatham, ON Victoria Park Golf Club, Guelph Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario Wine Kitz Andrews' Scenic Acres Mamma Maria's, Chatham, ON Wellington Motors Guelph City Mazda The Savvy Farmer Inc R.W. Thomas Inc TD Canada Trust Dupont Canada Farm Credit Canada Supreme Full Service Car Wash

If you are interested in donating to the silent auction, please contact Herb Sherwood at 519-380-0118

For registration form and agenda visit www.ofvga.org OFVGA Annual General Meeting and Convention Policy As the OFVGA prepares for its 152nd annual meeting, the association would like to remind its member organizations of the following policy – put in place in 2004-05 – in order to ensure proper delegate preparation and resolutions submission.

• All member organizations are entitled to one (1) delegate per 50 members within their respective organizations, maximum of five (5).

• All member organizations are to provide to the OFVGA the number of its active membership.

• All resolutions should be brought forward, in writing, by December 15 of each year.

• Any of the member organizations who are required to submit their director’s name in advance (currently seven of the 10 board affiliates) should do so by December 15 of each year.

NOTICE is hereby given that the

152nd Annual Members and Directors’ Meeting of the

Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers’ Association will be held in

Niagara Falls, Ontario at The Crowne Plaza Hotel January 10, 11 and 12, 2011 Election of Directors of the Association will take place as well as dealing with resolutions and any other business that may arise.

PAGE 10 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

This could be the year consumers embrace quality

Owen Roberts University of Guelph Heading into the New Year, something’s happening in the food sector that’s giving University of

Guelph Prof. Sylvain Charlebois hope that finally, consumers are realizing the words “cheap” and “food” are not joined at the hip.

This bodes well for Ontario fruit and vegetable growers; this could indeed be the year consumers embrace quality instead of quantity.

Charlebois, the associate dean of research for the University’s College of Management and Economics, keeps a close eye on food distribution. He says that in 2010, specialty store sales (such as delis and bakeries) across Canada jumped an impressive 10 per cent.

In the food sector, which measures change in small increments, that's considered a major jump.

Comparatively, convenience store purchases, which often involve snacks and cheap calories, fell four per cent.

To Charlebois, that means the message may be getting through that quality comes at a price…as does food safety, including traceability.

Canada does a pretty good job at food safety. Charlebois, who produces a bi-annual report card on food safety in the world’s 17 richest countries, ranked Canada fourth this year.

That may seem high, given some well-publicized problems we’ve had.

But consider the times you never hear of instances when food

is safe – which is the overwhelming majority of the time, day in and day out. That doesn’t make the news. Disasters do, which are tragic, and reverberate throughout society. But in reality, they are few, and far between. All things considered, food safety in Canada is almost as good as it gets anywhere.

But when it comes to tracing the source of problems, we’re not so good. Charlebois ranks us 13th of 17, for several reasons.

First, our country is huge and the distances we need to move food simply make traceability more difficult.

Second, we follow the U.S. And it ranks 14th. In the U.S.,

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association

traceability is not revered to the same degree as it is in Europe, for example. And given that we trade the most with the U.S., our system is only as good as it needs to be to satisfy that country’s demands.

Unfortunately, as long as we distance ourselves from European standards, we’re also denying ourselves access to a 500-million person market.

Finally, we live in a country where consumers are not used to paying for food safety, including traceability. There’s a belief that it’s built into the cost of food, or that it just happens. It doesn’t, of course, and presently we don’t pay enough for food to introduce many new measures at additional costs.

Likewise, Ottawa is reluctant to add another layer of food safety rules, because it knows neither it, nor consumers, nor the food industry wants to pay for them.

152nd Annual General Meeting and Convention January 10, 11 and 12, 2011 Crowne Plaza Hotel, Niagara Falls 5685 Falls Avenue, Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 6W7

Registrant Information Name

Member Organization

Mailing Address

City/Town

Province

Postal Code

Telephone

Fax

Please return completed form to The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association 355 Elmira Road North, Unit 105 Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 Tel. (519) 763-6160 x 116 Fax (519) 763-6604

Registration Fees Full Registration - 2 days + Monday Banquet

$135.00

(includes: two breakfast tickets, two lunch tickets & a Monday evening banquet ticket, convention package, attendance to meetings, and Chair’s reception)

On-site Registration

$150.00

(includes: two breakfast tickets, two lunch tickets & a Monday evening banquet ticket, convention package, attendance to meetings, and Chair’s reception)

Daily Registration

$100.00

(includes: one breakfast and one lunch ticket, convention package, and attendance to meetings. (Chair’s reception - Banquet ticket not included) Tuesday, January 11, 2011 or Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Please indicate day of attendance.

OFVGA Banquet ONLY

$50.00

Monday, January 10, 2011

Grand Total

$

(On-site registration will be charged an additional processing fee.)

13% HST (Business #10779-7821 R.T.) included in all prices.

Method of Payment

Payment to be made by cheque or credit card. Print or type clearly.

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Card Number Signature Note: Credit card information provided here is for registration fee payments only.

Instructions • • • • • •

Complete this form and mail or fax to the OFVGA. Faxed forms MUST contain credit card information. Invoices will not be issued.

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Only one person per form. This form may be photocopied.

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Print or type all information. Please make a copy for your records.

A room block is in place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. A special overnight accommodation rate of $69.95 traditional room or $99.95 fallsview room (plus taxes) single/double occupancy until December 10, 2010, request special convention rate for OFVGA. After this date, room rate not guaranteed. Please make your reservations directly with the hotel by calling 1-800-519-9911. Check in time is 3:00 p.m., check out time is 11:00 a.m.

• No AGM registration refunds after 4:30 p.m. on December 15, 2010.

But Charlebois thinks that mentality is changing, and points to the rise in sales at specialty shops. By patronizing those outlets, consumers are saying, for a change, they’ll pay more for quality. Could this cultural shift include the idea that quality includes safety? We’ll see.

All this bodes well for the fruit and vegetable industry, which is challenged by traceability because it’s tougher to define lots than it is with, say, livestock. If food traceability is considered in the context of the entire value-chain – that is, from the manure that was applied to the fields to grow food, to the shelf-stockers who last touched it – then traceability becomes an intrinsic part of food safety, not just something that happens when there’s a calamity or a recall.

Charlebois thinks consumers will be more inclined to pay for traceability and safety if they can actually see it in action, in common places such as grocery stores, represented by modern technology. For example, bacteria-sensitive food packaging has been developed at the University of Guelph and elsewhere, that turns colour in the presence of contamination. You don’t need a government agency to tell you how soon that food is about to spoil, and that the quality is lacking.

That’s the new food safety and traceability: Accessible, applicable and understandable. Welcome to 2011.

JANUARY 2011 –– PAGE 11 THE GROWER

FOOD SAFETY AND TRACEABILITY

Electronic tracking set to revolutionize produce industry Stories by Karen Davidson Wracked by spinach and tomato/pepper recalls a couple years ago, the North American industry is targeting 2012 for a supply-chain-wide traceability system for every case of produce.

Surveys indicate that 70 per cent of those selling to the U.S. are pledged to meet that goal, including a half dozen Canadian companies such as BC Hot House Foods, Langley and Mastronardi Produce, Kingsville, Ontario.

At the outset, the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) set ambitious milestones. The fall 2010 milestone of sharing Global Trade Item Numbers (GTIN) with buyers was pushed back due to lack of alignment between growershippers but otherwise, the program continues with several pilots in the U.S. By the end of 2011, three milestones should be met: ability to show human-readable GTIN codes on cases, to encode information in a bar code and to read and store information on inbound cases. By 2012, the target is to read and store information on outbound cases.

“There is still extensive work to address,” says Jane Proctor, vice-president, policy and issue management, Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA).

Four working groups are looking at master data, implementation, communications in the value chain and technical aspects. These “workhorse” groups are now joined by a new leadership council which met for the first time in October 2010.

For the initiative to succeed, high-level executives are needed throughout the chain to be engaged and invested in the process. Two Canadian companies, The Oppenheimer Group from British Columbia and JD Marketing, Leamington, Ontario have representatives on this new council.

“The council acts as one voice, one vision,” says Jim DiMenna, JD Marketing. “We need to manage through the rough waters as to what retailers and foodservice expect from traceability. The key is to have input so that there is no fragmentation.”

The key concerns for the industry are measuring the return on investment and analyzing whether technology exists to accomplish the goals.

“It’s great to say we’ll have traceability in a packing house with access to electricity, but it’s harder to execute under field conditions. After we achieve our basic goals, will other parties demand case traceability or piece traceability? The challenges for us in Canada are no greater than many producers in the U.S. With the emphasis on homegrown and locally grown produce, the issue of traceability also questions the produce going to farmers’ markets.

No one is exempt from worrying about food safety.”

“Significant improvements have been made on the ability to capture information during the picking process for outbound cases for distributors,” says Proctor.

While the costs of hardware, software and logistics to meet these goals can be significant, fundamental shifts in attitudes are now appearing. “Having printers in the field to generate labels has not been typical, but some of the larger grower-shippers are now seeing benefits beyond traceability,” says Proctor. “They are removing inefficiencies in current systems.”

Some of these benefits are reduced shipping errors, increased speed of invoicing and faster payments of those invoices, better

Source: Produce Traceability Initiative, October 2010 inventory management and better more surgical. business practices. In the event of The PTI has so many tentacles a product recall, producers can be to coordinate that an additional

two interest groups are following developments: the Association Interest Group of which Proctor is co-chair and the GSI Interest Group. These groups consist mainly of U.S. organizations, however the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers is an active member of the Association Interest Group.

For detailed information on PTI, go to www.producetraceability.org. An Implementation Guide for Growers is useful for those who don’t pack produce and who are starting to research the process.

Editor’s note: A detailed article “Bar coded for life” was published in the January 2010 issue of The Grower. We have archived this companion piece on the website for future reference.

THE ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION

agenda

152nd Annual General Meeting January 10, 11 & 12, 2011

Monday, January 10, 2011

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Registration Office Opens - Brock Room 5:00 p.m.

Reception & Banquet Cocktails - 5:00 - 6:00 p.m Opening Remarks Dinner - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Niagara Room Chair address Award of Merit Guest Speaker - Bruce Vincent Silent Auction - 3:00 - 9:30 p.m

7:00 a.m.

Registration Office Opens - Brock Room

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Break

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

Registration Office Opens - Brock Room Breakfast Buffet 8:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

Ontario Apple Growers Board AGM - Elizabeth Unregulated Veg - Canadian A/B Unregulated Fruit - King George Room 10:00 a.m.

Annual General Meeting Welcome - Niagara Room Opening Remarks - Deputy Minister John Burke 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

• Chair’s report • CEO’s report • Bylaws • Election of Directors • Financial report 12:00 p.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Election of Chairperson 12:15 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Guest Speaker – Sandra Jones, Foodland Ontario 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Labour Section Luncheon and Business Meeting • Chair report • Committee Business Labour Guest - Ken Langer, WSIB

7:30 a.m.

Buffet Breakfast - Brock Room 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Research Section Business Meeting - Niagara Room • Chair report • Committee Business Research Guest - Ahmed Bilal, Vineland Research & Innovation Centre - John Kelly, Erie Innovation & Commercialization

10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Safety Nets Section Business Meeting • Chair report • Committee Business Safety Nets Guest - Neil Currie, Ontario Federation of Agriculture 11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Chemtura Sponsored Golden Apple Award Luncheon open to all 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Annual General Meeting continues.

• Resolutions • Adjournment

The 152nd Annual General Meeting and Convention will be held at: The Crowne Plaza Hotel Niagara Falls, Ontario Annual General Meeting and Section Business Meetings will take place in the Niagara Room

1:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Property Section Business Meeting • Chair report • Committee Business Property Guest - Margaret Walton, Planscape 3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Break 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Crop Protection Section Business Meeting • Chair report • Committee Business Crop Protection Guest - Warren Libby, “The Savvy Farmer”

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION 105-355 Elmira Road, North Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 Ph: 519-763-6160 Fax: 519-763-6604

PAGE 12 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

FOOD SAFETY AND TRACEABILITY

A grower shares the dirt on food safety Just for starters, Pier 27 Produce has a food safety advantage with a block of 800 acres for carrots, onions, parsnips and beets.

Besides reducing travel from fields to their packing and warehouse operation near Keswick, Ontario, it’s easier to identify and track the myriad of production inputs from variety to harvest date.

“Whenever we conduct a mock recall, we discover that the weakest link is keeping track of receipt of raw product,” explains Gary Smith, plant manager, Pier 27 Produce. A strong agronomic program with the best-performing varieties and cultural practices results in produce that’s easier to wash, pack and store. Harvesting a rough patch in the field with diseased or decayed vegetables immediately starts a ripple reaction.

Consider an example from last summer’s hot season. A carrot variety that had normally performed well did not hold up under high temperatures.

“A carrot may look dirty and beautiful in the box, but when it’s washed, all the imperfections show,” says Smith. “Hot core temperatures of the carrots resulted in splits, a less than ideal raw product for the two-inch peel that was contracted.”

“Our main varieties that we

The Smith family (left to right) Mike, Gary Jr, Gary Sr, Brad, Paul Sr, Ian, and Paul Jr take food safety seriously with a third-party auditor and monthly “best practice” reviews. Photo by Jamie Reaume. seem to use every year are Cello Bunch, Envy, Enterpize and Sugar Snax from Seedway and Stokes,” says Smith.

That is what’s involved in selling carrots to two plants of a major U.S. salad producer. In this case, the carrots are peeled and cut before being shipped stateside to be shred for salads. The food safety requirements are rigorous for a cut product, including vari-

ety, seeding date, field number, harvest date and pack date.

With 50 per cent of Pier 27 Produce going to the U.S., food safety is a key determinant for ongoing business. It’s been an uphill learning curve in the last two years as Smith contracted NSF Davis Fresh, a third-party auditing firm from California. In addition to regular audits, he has hired a local consulting firm to

conduct mock recalls and to advise on food safety on a monthly basis.

He now has standard operating procedures for food safety that include cleaning schedules, line swabs, microbiology sampling of drains and employee training. One of the surprise elements of a recent audit was the questioning of employees on how they performed certain procedures.

“Implementing training ensures

the whole team is on the same page,” says Smith. “Everyone wears disposable aprons, arm sleeves, gloves and hair nets.”

An audit is a lot of work, Smith admits, but when food safety practices are part of the everyday routine, then there’s nothing to fear from an audit.

Most recently, the company installed a state-of-the-art metal detector that exceeds North American requirements. A grant from OMAFRA and the Growing Forward program defrayed the total outlay.

But that’s small comfort with bigger challenges ahead for waste water treatment. Smith is researching how to meet different requirements from government and local conservation authorities. Depending on the season, the business uses anywhere from 10,000 to 300,000 litres per day of chlorinated water for processing. He’s looking to enhance environmentally friendly ways to handle waste water.

Each client’s specifications vary. Smith is searching for a software program that will help with the food safety requirements. To date, he hasn’t found it. When the computer goes down, where do you turn for daily information?

Smith still believes in manual record-keeping for his day pack.

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JANUARY 2011 –– PAGE 13 THE GROWER

FOOD SAFETY AND TRACEABILITY

An auditor shares the dirt on food safety For two years now, apple grower Harold Schooley has been conducting audits for QMI-SAI Global across Ontario. With 45 audits per year and review of another 45 self-audits, he is gaining a nittygritty view of how producers are faring.

“I can’t audit your head,” Schooley says. “Too often, growers will have the facts in their head, but the records need to be written to be audited and verified.”

The good news is that the food safety programs are working.

“The scores are going up and it’s very gratifying that people are taking this seriously and have corrected issues raised in last year’s audit,” says Schooley. A recent recall (due to Salmonella) of imported produce that was repacked in Ontario was virtually handled in a matter of hours because of the excellent traceability system the packer had put in place.

All that said, Schooley has some pertinent advice for growers on how to improve.

1) Start with, or update to, the most current 2010 manual published by the Canadian Horticultural Council. (See full details on page 18 of this issue) Contact your respective commodity group to obtain the password so that you can download the manual and appendix from the website. Proceed to the first of 24 sections for the how-to material.

2) Hire an advisor as an individual or as a group to get started with on-farm-food safety. Both private consultants or OMAFRA can be commissioned for this. The basics are water, hygiene and san-

The processing line of two-inch peeled carrots at Pier 27 Produce (see story opposite) shows the metal detector positioned on the moving belt of carrots.

itation. Safe use of fertilizers, manure and pest control products is also stressed.

3) Once the consultant has brought you up to speed take responsibility for your own food safety program and record

keeping. Too many times, the auditor will arrive and the grower won’t know where the records are or how procedures have been executed.

4) Use the CanadaGap forms or develop your own that are fully

equivalent to CanadaGAP. Too often, growers will develop their own forms and they don’t contain the same information or requirements. Spray records are a good example. You can use your own but make sure they contain all the required information you will be scored on.

5) Understand water testing.

Know when to take water tests, where to take them from and how to read the test results.

6) Keep hygiene a top priority among your staff. A training session is not enough. The topic must be kept current and top-of-mind

every day. Do this with signs in the appropriate places. And insist on frequent hand-washing.

7) Record lot numbers of pest control products. PCP numbers don’t change, but lot numbers do.

8) Take notes on calibration of sprayers. It’s not enough to just copy the procedure into your records. You need to show the math of how the application was calculated in accordance with the label.

9) Write down cleaning and sanitizing procedures (they are not the same thing). Post these for easy reference in the appropriate areas. Record when these are carried out.

10) Use clipboards with a pen on a string. Record-keeping sheets are not useful if the pen has gone missing or the records are kept in an office away from the action.

Keep these as handy as possible for appropriate staff and ensure they sign or initial the records.

11) Post your illness policy in a bunkhouse or on a bulletin board where workers will read it. Communicate with staff that they should not report to work if they are ill.

12) Tabulate information in binders in an orderly fashion.

This saves time for the auditor and for you.

13) Conduct a mock recall. Most retailers don’t like to participate in these activities but at the farm level, it’s important to do this once a year. Here’s a sample situation.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency detects contamination on your product on the retail shelf (for example: a pathogen, wood or glass splinters, a chemical residue). How do you proceed from here. A mock recall would describe your process in detail.

14) Complete and submit the seven-page self-audit questionnaire as close to harvest as possible if you are on the four-year program. Answer all questions.

15) Get over being mad about food safety and its associated costs. Just get on with the job.

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PAGE 14 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

FOOD SAFETY AND TRACEABILITY

Panel to be chaired by specialist in agriculture and food law Ron Doering, a partner in Ottawa’s legal firm Gowlings and specialist in agriculture and food law, will be chairing the new Ministerial Advisory Board on food safety issues. The panel was announced by federal agriculture minister, Gerry Ritz, on November 18. The announcement meets one of the 57 recommendations of Sheila Weatherill who examined the 2008 Listeria outbreak that resulted in more than 20 deaths.

The panel is expected to examine one of the current food

safety issues, recently explored in a series by the Globe and Mail: how to monitor imported food.

“You can’t test your way to food safety,” Doering told The Grower, in his first interview as chair. He recalled the Guatemalan raspberry crisis a few years ago when a Canadian inspector reported thumbs-up after a firsthand look at the operation. What happened is that the water used on inspection day wasn’t the water used a week later when no one was looking.

Unfortunately, the

raspberries were washed in water contaminated with the protozoan parasite, Cyclospora. And that’s the lesson learned about the costs of 24/7 testing of perishable goods.

“If you open the back of a truck – and remember there’s 5,000 to 6,000 trucks a day from the U.S. – the Canadian state can’t possibly monitor all the produce,” says Doering.

The advisory board includes: - David Chalack, an Alberta cattle industry leader

- Keith Downey, Saskatchewan canola research pioneer - Rob McLaughlin, former dean Ontario Agricultural College - Harold Bjarnason, former Agriculture Canada associate deputy minister - Marcel Groleau, Quebec dairy farmer - Brooke Taylor, former Nova Scotia agriculture minister

The food safety risk of imported food Is Canada doing enough?

By Ron Doering Every time we get a recall of imported food we have another round of huffing and puffing that we’re not doing enough to protect Canadians; the media spend a day or two pushing scary stories about the awful dangers of imported food. The most recent alarm originated from the release of an internal Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) audit. So, I’m often asked: is Canada doing enough?

That was the question the CFIA president posed to the CFIA auditor. Asking him that is like asking my barber whether I need a haircut. To auditors, you can never do enough. They are bound to say that there was “inadequate monitoring,” an inadequate “performance measurement framework” and inadequate “risk management processes.” Filled with every bureaucratic audit-speak cliché you can think of (but thin on

practical solutions), the internal audit unnecessarily alarmed the Canadian public through the media hype that it predictably generated.

The same president that ordered the audit then had to instruct the CFIA vice-president of Operations to write letters to editors to “clarify the facts and assure Canadians that all food sold in Canada, whether domestic or imported, must be safe, in line with federal requirements” and, of course, that “we will continue to improve our management of imported food safety.” The response to the internal audit received no media play, so this self-inflicted wound served to undermine Canadian confidence in our food supply while doing little to enhance the safety of imported food.

The most significant result of the audit was the pre-emptive announcement prior to the audit’s

release that the CFIA intends to consult Canadians on possible new regulations to enhance the safety of imported foods. These consultations will likely highlight the need to modernize the CFIA’s computerized import system. No doubt the CFIA will resurrect the earlier legislative proposal to require more importers to be licenced.

These reforms, if enacted, will enhance efficiency but do little to improve food safety. There will be few other changes in the way we regulate imported foods. That’s because there is very little more that the state can do that will actually make a real difference. While the state makes and enforces rules, its essential role, necessarily, is to be the auditor of the industry’s risk management systems. In the case of imported food it can, and does, carry out limited surveillance border inspections and verification audits of other countries’

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systems, allocating resources according to safety and economic risk (we still over inspect meat for trade reasons, but that’s another story). But the state couldn’t begin to audit the tens of thousands of plants in the 193 countries from which we import food. Moreover, an audit on Wednesday doesn’t guarantee what happens on Thursday. A doubling of inspection at the border would still leave most imported food uninspected — we get 6,000 truckloads of food from the U.S. every day!

The primary responsibility must rest with industry, which is finally getting serious in having comprehensive third-party audits of foreign suppliers. Most large companies are adopting a range of

audit/assurance systems, and these are slowly being co-ordinated through the new Global Food Safety Initiative. But there is still a long way to go. When problems arise, and they will given the size of the import trade, the CFIA will activate its excellent recall system.

The CFIA is mostly doing what it can, even if it’s not seen as enough.

Ronald L. Doering, BA, LL.B., MA, LL.D, is a past president of the CFIA. He practices food law in the Ottawa offices of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP. E-mail him at Ronald.doering@gowlings.com.

Reprinted from Food in Canada, November/December 2010 issue.

JANUARY 2011 –– PAGE 15 THE GROWER

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PAGE 16 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

FOOD SAFETY AND TRACEABILITY

Safe products, happy employees We asked Joe Sbrocchi, chair of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s Industry Technology Advisory Committee to comment on food safety. He also sits on the food safety committee of Mastronardi Produce, Kingsville, Ontario.

His extensive experience with two major retailers in Canada, and now in his role as VP Sales and Marketing with Mastronardi Produce, positions him well to answer some questions for The Grower.

The food safety program is a major topic of focus for the large greenhouse vegetable company relative to their clients throughout North America.

He collaborated with ..colleagues within their business in both Canada and the United States.

The Grower: Given the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI), what steps are underway at Mastronardi Produce to comply? Do you plan to meet 2011 milestones?

Sbrocchi: Yes Mastronardi Produce will be in a position to comply with the PTI published milestones. At this point we feel confident in our abilities in this area, and carry out mock recalls so that we can feel secure that we’re protecting human life and our retail customer’s reputation, should the real dilemma ever manifest itself.

It can be argued that in today’s world, to not approach this topic in a manner such as this is simply tempting disaster. As for seeing things through the lens of business; it is our position that if we do

the right things, the business goals will be realized in due course.

Virtually all retail and food service customers have clearly indicated their focus on food safety and the underlying linchpin of efficient trace and recall. These mandates come from the highest echelons of these organizations.

Given the grave consequences that result in anything that even resembles a lackadaisical approach towards these directives, companies that do not take the utmost care and emphasis on Food Safety today, put themselves at risk of not being around in the future.

The linking piece to the Food Safety puzzle is the need for an efficient fast and effective ability to trace issues to their root cause at the speed necessary to protect our consumers.

The short answer is that traceability is fundamental in delivering this end goal.

The Grower: What additional personnel or technology, over and above your already-robust system, are required to meet these milestones?

Sbrocchi: In our case, the only additional technology was to have all our growers purchase the printers and software in order to print the PTI conforming labels. Time was needed to generate the many codes. We are currently rolling out a new enterprise-wide system and are just now ensuring that all our item codes match so that our system recognizes them enterprise wide.

The Grower: When you conduct

mock product recalls, what have you learned that may be of use to others? Beyond the usual suspects of E. coli, salmonella and listeria, are there other watch-outs?

Sbrocchi: In past mock scenarios, one significant finding was to take the recall beyond the first tier that is to know your customers and to the 2nd or 3rd level customer that they may sell your product to in order to ensure effective traceability of your branded product once it has left your custody.

Regardless of who may be in possession of your branded product, it’s your brand image, you own it, you’ve developed it and it needs to be protected.

Your product may also be in a customer’s own private label. I’m sure any of your readers who are selected to supply such items is aware of the rigour that is associated with becoming and retaining that status. If you are doing so with any private label, why would you be different in approach to your own label? In fact a key benefit of being exposed to such programs is learning how to scale processes and protocols across your entire enterprise.

As for the other “watch-outs” beyond the key strains of the three main pathogens cited -at this time we are not testing for other pathogens instead however we make sure that yeasts and moulds that contribute to some of these pathogens are controlled wherever possible.

The Grower: Describe how you use bioluminescence technologies and what are its benefits.

Sbrocchi: ATP / bioluminescence technology is used by our Sanitation Staff as a quick and rapid initial check on the effectiveness of sanitation. Tests are done daily at the end of the sanitation shift.

Sanitation Staff do not know in advance which site will be tested.

Once an area has been cleaned and sanitized, Sanitation Supervisor will conduct tests on individual sites and obtain a reading in just under one minute. If results fall under a pre-determined low threshold then site is considered effectively cleaned and is released for production. If results fall between a low to medium threshold, then the site is considered OK for production yet is put on notice for extra cleaning during the next sanitation shift. If site is above a medium threshold, then site is considered to not be effectively cleaned. The site is then recleaned and retested before production. Readings are recorded in an ATP Site Register and tracked by facility and Sanitation Staff.

This rapid response indicator for effectiveness of cleaning is very useful for fine-tuning the Sanitation Program especially for hardto-reach and hard-to-clean areas.

The Grower: Describe the components of your post-harvest testing program.

Sbrocchi: Our Post-Harvest program is used to test the safety and quality of our inbound and finished products, and to conduct research on new packaging technologies. Our Post-Harvest Specialist and Microbiologists maintain the program by measuring and

reporting quality and microbiological attributes (these could include weight, shape, size, colour, firmness, defects, sugars, acidity, presence of pathological & spoilage organisms, and check packaging for integrity, labeling requirements and customer specifications). All information is traceable, and can be reported back to the production staff or grower for immediate corrective action if needed.

The Grower: What role does packaging play in preventing contamination? Are you using or researching new packaging materials?

Sbrocchi: All of our suppliers take frequent samples and test them for contamination. All supplies are carefully packaged and sealed from the environment. We are constantly researching and testing new materials and packaging formats introducing a few new items every year both from a product and also from a packaging perspective.

In addition, the microbiology program tests packaging for presence of pathological and spoilage organisms. All packaging must be pre-approved by either the CFIA or the Department of Food Safety in the U.S. to ensure that it meets government regulatory requirements.

The Grower: Food safety protocols cost a lot of money. As a line item, what percentage does food safety represent in total cost of production?

Sbrocchi: Our investments and costs for maintaining a certified food safety and quality management system are quite high.

Considering however the multiple food safety scares prevalent to our industry over the last ten years, and the level of importance deemed by ourselves, our customers and the end consumers of our products, we see food safety programs as a permanent and necessary part of the business similar to the need for insurance.

We have facilities in Canada and U.S., and have highly educated staff running multiple food safety and quality programs for our corporation, and maintain working laboratories. For an organization of our size – the costs are significant. Yet we feel this investment of time and money is well worth the expense, given that it’s the right thing to do. Since we’ve implemented our food safety and quality management system, we’ve seen rejections and complaints decrease, our relationships with our customers and government agencies improve, and an unexpected added benefit is that employee morale has improved.

People take pride in and like working for a company that makes safe and quality products. We don’t just talk it -we live it.

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PAGE 18 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

FOOD SAFETY AND TRACEABILITY

Updated OFFS Manuals and audit checklist to be released for 2011 export markets. New Appendix R developed to provide further guidance to producers/packers who must meet this requirement. • Analyses done by an accredited laboratory (e.g., water tests) must be performed to standards equivalent to ISO 17025. • Section 12: New text added to procedures in employee training and employee illness section. • Product release procedures were added to Sections 18 and 21. • Section 23: Annual mock recall required. New Appendix Q added to help producers/packers meet this requirement. • Section 24: Annual internal audit required.

Other updates (please note this is not a complete list) • Composting procedure added to Appendix C, as requested by

users. • Clarification that requirements related to Water for Fluming and Cleaning (Section 15) also apply to ice slurry/slush. • Clarification to Section 11.

Personal Hygiene Facilities: if employees are using water and sanitizer to wash hands, paper towel is needed to dry hands first, in order to maximize the effective-

ness of hand sanitizer. • Inclusion of some field vegetables grown for processing within the scope of the OFFS Manuals: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, peas and sweet corn. • Clearer definitions included for tertiary water, biosolids, sewage sludge, and other key terms. • Section 6: Commercial fertilizers can be stored with agricultural chemicals, as long as: - co-storage is not prohibited by regulation - fertilizers and agricultural chemicals are each kept in a separate, designated area within the storage - fertilizers are contained in a bag, jug, tote, etc. • Section 15. Water for Fluming and Cleaning: Clarification to the

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CanadaGAP is issuing updates to the OFFS Manuals for 2011.

The 2011 version incorporates previously released updates as approved by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) in 2010, as well as a few other minor improvements. Updated versions will be issued on the CanadaGAP website as they are finalized: • Combined Vegetables v.5.1 • Greenhouse v.5.1 • Tree and Vine Fruit v.5.1 • Leafy Vegetable & Cruciferae v.5.1 • Small Fruit v.5.1 • Potato v.5.4 Some updates required in order to complete GFSI benchmarking included: • In Section 6. Agricultural Chemicals, new requirements were added for product destined for

requirements for water used to wash, hydro-cool, cool, flume or rinse leafy vegetables and cruciferae. • Modifications made to Ice handling and storage procedures in Section 16. • Section 17: Market ready packaging materials must be stored at least 8 cm away from the wall.

An announcement to all CHC members and industry affiliates will be communicated once all new manuals are posted. Program participants will receive a CD copy directly by mail. All members will have access to the latest manuals at www.canadagap.ca/ en/manuals/offs-manualdownloads.aspx.

The implementation date (effective date for certification purposes) of all updates will be April 1, 2011.

Review the changes To familiarize yourself with the changes, please download the Revisions documents, which track the changes that have been made to the manual since the previously released version. These can be found on the website www.canadagap.ca in both English and French.

Manual Differences Summary and Audit Checklist Updates to the Manual Differences Summary and Audit Checklist will also be released in due course. The most recent versions are available for download on the website or by contacting the CHC National Office at 613-226-4880, Ext. 206 or offs@hortcouncil.ca. Photo by Mastronardi Produce.

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Please note that nominations for the 2011 CHC On-Farm Food Safety (OFFS) Technical Working Group will be accepted until January 25, 2011.

The Technical Working Group (TWG) serves a technical advisory role to the CHC Food Safety Management Committee, which is responsible for governance and maintenance of the CanadaGAP program. Nominees with food safety and commodity-specific expertise are sought. Appointment to the TWG is made annually by the Management Committee, which attempts in constituting the group’s membership to balance regional representation, knowledge of different horticultural crops and various types of production/storage/packing. Announcement of the appointments for 2011 will be made by the Food Safety Management Committee at the CHC AGM in March.

Currently the group meets once a year face-to-face, and holds conference calls as needed. Travel and meeting expenses are paid for by the CanadaGAP program.

To submit a nomination, email offs@hortcouncil.ca by January 25, 2011.

JANUARY 2011 –– PAGE 19 THE GROWER

AGCare 2010 year in review – highlights and achievements

By Lilian Schaer for AGCare As the New Year unfolds and AGCare works its way towards an amalgamation with the Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC), we want to take a few minutes to look back at the organization’s achievements and highlights from the year just passed.

Operational alliance with Ontario Farm Animal Council A discussion paper on the OFAC/AGCare amalgamation has been circulated to founding member boards, chairs and staff which includes highlights from a joint strategy session and the Memorandum of Understanding that has been developed between the two organizations. AGCare is seeking input to ensure the new organization meets the needs of its members. A proposed structure for the new entity will be presented to the memberships of AGCare and OFAC for discussion and the issue will be voted on at the annual meetings of both organizations in April 2011. AGCare and OFAC have very similar mandates and over the past five years, have been sharing staff resources, office space and most projects.

Virtual farm tours unveiled AGCare launched its new virtual farm tours in November 2010.

Online visitors can meet real Ontario farmers and tour real farms that grow grain, field vegetables, fruit and greenhouse vegetables - without putting their boots on. The tours are hosted at www.virtualfarmtours.ca. A CD of all the tours, along with a newly developed teacher’s guide – containing curriculum connections for all grades and suggested classroom activities – has been distributed to every elementary and secondary school in the province. The resource was also featured at the recent Science Teachers Association of Ontario annual conference.

Great Lakes Water Quality Advisory Panel In 2010, potato grower Chris Kowalski served as AGCare’s representative on the Stakeholder Panel for the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement as one of three seats designated for agriculture.

The panel’s purpose was to advise Canadian negotiators during negotiations concerning amendments to the Canada – U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, which may have impacts on irrigation and permits to take water.

Clean Water Act and Waste Diversion Act AGCare submitted responses to the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) on both the Clean Water Act (regulations addressing the development and implementation of source protection plans) and the Waste Diversion Act. The Ministry of the Environment began a review of Ontario’s Waste Diversion Act in 2008 and in October 2009, released a report that included proposed changes to the Act. Environmental Farm Plan updates

Two AGCare representatives, Henry Denotter from Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association and Jim Poel of the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers, participated in the updating of two chapters of the Environmental Farm Plan program dealing with crop rotation/management and farm waste management.

Proactive media project completed The three year proactive media project wrapped up in the spring of 2010. Close to 200 farmers participated in media training sessions throughout the course of the program. Five farm tours were held for media and food professionals in the Toronto and Ottawa areas, where participants came from a wide variety of publications and media outlets, including the Food Network, Toronto Sun, Toronto Star, Kraft and Food and Drink, as well as many cookbook authors and freelance writers. The project also included development of the Farming Sources website, a onestop shop for media looking for sources and information about Ontario agriculture and a media program that saw over 40 op/ed columns published in Ontario newspapers over the life of the project.

Agriculture in the City Event The Agriculture in the City event held at Erin Mills Town Centre in Mississauga in October featured 20 agricultural exhibitors as well as a demonstration stage.

AGCare and OFAC took the lead in organizing this event on behalf of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and a committee of farm groups. The goal was to bring agriculture to an urban environment in order to reach out to nonfarm consumers about food and farming.

Public outreach projects: Farm Creativity Contest, Faces of Farming, Dirt on Farming This marked the first year that AGCare was a partner in OFAC’s Farm Creativity Contest. On a provided postcard, kids from junior kindergarten to Grade eight draw pictures about farming, farming practices or farm animals and write about what they’ve drawn.

Prizes are available in each of three categories. AGCare also partnered in several of OFAC’s successful public outreach efforts to ensure positive environmental messaging about all kinds of farms was put forward. One example, the Faces of Farming project, is sent to media, politicians, and grocery stores across the province.

AGCare supported the new version of the Real Dirt on Farming as well, with 100,000 copies printed late in the fall of 2010. View all these projects online at www.farmissues.com.

Farm Care Foundation launched The Farm Care Foundation, an initiative of AGCare and OFAC, was launched in October 2010 and will focus its activities on ensuring

public trust and confidence in food and farming. The new foundation, a registered charity that is a separate entity from both OFAC and AGCare, will focus on several key objectives, including building relationships with new donors and developing an effective and professional fundraising program to support OFAC and AGCare initiatives, such as regional and national agri-food awareness and issuespecific work related to the environment and farm animal care.

As the New Year unfolds and AGCare works its way towards an amalgamation with the Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC), we want to take a few minutes to look back at the organization’s achievements and highlights from the year just passed.

Operational alliance with Ontario Farm Animal Council A discussion paper on the OFAC/AGCare amalgamation has been circulated to founding member boards, chairs and staff which includes highlights from a joint strategy session and the Memorandum of Understanding that has been developed between the two organizations. AGCare is seeking input to ensure the new organization meets the needs of its members. A proposed structure for the new entity will be presented to the memberships of AGCare and OFAC for discussion and the issue will be voted on at the annual meetings of both organizations in April 2011. AGCare and OFAC have very similar mandates and over the past five years, have been sharing staff resources, office space and most projects.

Virtual farm tours unveiled AGCare launched its new virtual farm tours in November 2010.

Online visitors can meet real Ontario farmers and tour real farms that grow grain, field vegetables, fruit and greenhouse vegetables - without putting their boots on. The tours are hosted at www.virtualfarmtours.ca. A CD of all the tours, along with a newly developed teacher’s guide – containing curriculum connections for all grades and suggested classroom activities – has been distributed to every elementary and secondary school in the province. The resource was also featured at the recent Science Teachers Associa-

tion of Ontario annual conference.

Great Lakes Water Quality Advisory Panel In 2010, potato grower Chris Kowalski served as AGCare’s representative on the Stakeholder Panel for the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement as one of three seats designated for agriculture.

The panel’s purpose was to advise Canadian negotiators during negotiations concerning amendments to the Canada – U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, which may have impacts on irrigation and permits to take water.

Clean Water Act and Waste Diversion Act AGCare submitted responses to the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) on both the Clean Water Act (regulations addressing the development and implementation of source protection plans) and the Waste Diversion Act. The Ministry of the Environment began a review of Ontario’s Waste Diversion Act in 2008 and in October 2009, released a report that included proposed changes to the Act. Environmental Farm Plan updates Two AGCare representatives, Henry Denotter from Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association and Jim Poel of the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers, participated in the updating of two chapters of the Environmental Farm Plan program dealing with crop rotation/management and farm waste management.

Proactive media project completed The three year proactive media project wrapped up in the spring of 2010. Close to 200 farmers participated in media training sessions throughout the course of the program. Five farm tours were held for media and food professionals in the Toronto and Ottawa areas, where participants came from a wide variety of publications and media outlets, including the Food Network, Toronto Sun, Toronto Star, Kraft and Food and Drink, as well as many cookbook authors and freelance writers. The project also included development of the Farming Sources website, a onestop shop for media looking for sources and information about Ontario agriculture and a media program that saw over 40 op/ed

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columns published in Ontario newspapers over the life of the project.

Agriculture in the City Event The Agriculture in the City event held at Erin Mills Town Centre in Mississauga in October featured 20 agricultural exhibitors as well as a demonstration stage.

AGCare and OFAC took the lead in organizing this event on behalf of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and a committee of farm groups. The goal was to bring agriculture to an urban environment in order to reach out to nonfarm consumers about food and farming.

Public outreach projects: Farm Creativity Contest, Faces of Farming, Dirt on Farming This marked the first year that AGCare was a partner in OFAC’s Farm Creativity Contest. On a provided postcard, kids from junior kindergarten to Grade eight draw pictures about farming, farming practices or farm animals and write about what they’ve drawn.

Prizes are available in each of three categories. AGCare also partnered in several of OFAC’s successful public outreach efforts to ensure positive environmental messaging about all kinds of farms was put forward. One example, the Faces of Farming project, is sent to media, politicians, and grocery stores across the province.

AGCare supported the new version of the Real Dirt on Farming as well, with 100,000 copies printed late in the fall of 2010. View all these projects online at www.farmissues.com.

Farm Care Foundation launched The Farm Care Foundation, an initiative of AGCare and OFAC, was launched in October 2010 and will focus its activities on ensuring public trust and confidence in food and farming. The new foundation, a registered charity that is a separate entity from both OFAC and AGCare, will focus on several key objectives, including building relationships with new donors and developing an effective and professional fundraising program to support OFAC and AGCare initiatives, such as regional and national agri-food awareness and issuespecific work related to the environment and farm animal care.

PAGE 20 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

The ideal red raspberry cane density

By Becky Hughes and Adam Dale, University of Guelph Red raspberries can be divided into two groups, those that bear

fruit on the first-year canes, called primocanes, and those that fruit on the second-year overwintered canes, called floricanes.

Production System

# canes/m2

Primocane fruiting

10-16

Floricane-fruiting Annual System

5-8

Floricane-fruiting - Biennial System - Non-bearing year - Bearing year - Non-bearing year 10-16 - Bearing year - Non-bearing year - Bearing year

Distance (m) between rows 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 2.0 2.5 3.0 2.0 2.0 2.5 2.5 3.0 3.0

Most raspberries we currently grow in Ontario are floricanefruiting, or summer-bearing cultivars. These are usually grown # canes/linear m of row fruiting vegetative 15-24 ---20-32 ---25-40 ---30-48 ---10-16 10-16 12-20 12-20 15-24 15-24 20-32 20-32 25-40 25-40 30-48 30-48

Ideal number of red raspberry canes for the various production systems and row spacings (center to center).

Adapted from Dale (1989).

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under one of two management systems. In the annual system, the vegetative primocanes and the floricanes grow together. After harvest the floricanes are removed and the primocanes continue to grow and produce a crop the following year. Each year, there is competition between developing primocanes and the bearing floricanes. In a biennial system, the row is mowed to the ground every second year. Primocanes develop, in the absence of floricanes, the first year and produce fruit in the second year. Raspberries in this system are picked every two years.

During the fruiting year, primocane growth is usually suppressed until the first harvest to reduce competition with the floricanes, and give higher yields.

Fall-fruiting, or primocanebearing raspberries such as Autumn Britten and Heritage are usually mowed to the ground every year and the primocanes bear fruit late each summer and into the fall.

Yield in summer-bearing raspberries is influenced by cane density, cane size and primocane competition. Most studies on the ideal cane density for red raspberries were completed over 20 years ago. These studies took place in Europe and North America where cultural practices, row spacing and cultivars varied. Dale (1989) reviewed these studies and concluded that if the cane density was calculated on the total land area, the cane density for maximum yield was remarkably consistent.

He concluded that the ideal fruiting cane density in the traditional annual production system is between five and eight fruiting canes per m2 of total land area.

Bushway et al. (2008) recommend lower cane densities of three-five canes per linear foot with nine feet between rows, or four-six canes per m2 of total land area.

In a biennial floricane-fruiting system with primocane suppression, cane density can be doubled as there is little or no competition from non-fruiting canes.

Most growers prune based on the number of canes per linear meter of row. The above table gives the ideal number of canes per linear meter for various row spacings. In each scenario, the row

width should be maintained at 30 cm or less. As cane density in summer-bearing raspberries is increased, the yield per cane decreases, there are fewer fruiting laterals, fewer fruits per lateral and smaller fruit (Dale, 1989). In these cultivars, growers have to balance increased yield per unit area with decreasing fruit size and increasing disease pressure as cane density is increased.There may also be a relationship between cane density and winter injury in floricane-fruiting varieties with less dieback at lower cane densities (Buszard, 1986).

In primocane-fruiting raspberries, research suggests that the number of fruiting canes over the whole season should be similar to that used in biennial cropping.

Yield is influenced by both cane density and the length of the growing season. However, fruit size in primocane-fruiting raspberries is not decreased as cane density increases (Bushway et al., 2008).

Many growers maintain a maximum row width of 30 cm and don’t thin canes in primocanefruiting cultivars. The recommended cane density is currently between 10 and 16 canes/m2. Current research on cane management in high tunnel primocane-fruiting raspberries in Quebec appears to confirm the recommended densities.

These numbers are a guideline only, because cultivars, management practices, disease control, growing conditions such as high tunnels, and other factors will affect yield. However the lesson to be learned is that the ideal number of canes per meter of row changes with row spacing.

References Bushway, L., M. Pritts and D. Handley. 2008. Raspberry and Blackberry Production Guide for the Northeast, Midwest, and Eastern Canada. NRAES-35. 157 pp.

Buszard, D. 1986. The effect of management system on winter survival and yield of raspberries in Quebec. Acta Hort. 183: 175-181.

Dale, A. 1989. Productivity in red raspberries. Hort. Rev. 11:185228

Social media and networking

By Pam Fisher, OMAFRA berry crop specialist Everyone is talking about Twitter and Facebook and YouTube, and how to use these social networking tools to market your business and your message. I recently heard a great speaker on this topic. Dan Toland works for the Ohio Farm Bureau as a communication specialist.

Dan has published a guide for farmers on using social media.

This is a great resource for growers who are wondering how to get started with these new tools.

Link to the publication “Dis-

cover Your Social Web, an Ohio Farm Bureau Guide to Social Media� http://ofbf.org/uploads/SocialMedia-Guide-V2_single-pagesPRESS.pdf Link to the Ohio Farm Bureau Social Media web page: http://ofbf.org/media-and-publications/social-media/ You can also learn more about social media for marketing your business by attending the Ontario Berry Growers Association Annual Meeting Feb 22. in St. Catharines. For more information contact info@ontarioberries.com

JANUARY 2011 –– PAGE 21 THE GROWER

Ontario Berry Growers meet February 22-24, 2011 The Ontario Berry Growers Association will hold their annual meeting on Tuesday February 22, 2011, at the Four Points Sheraton Suites, in St. Catharines. Berry meetings continue at the 9th Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention, February 23 at Brock University. The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention will be held February 23 through February 24, with speaker sessions covering a variety of industry specific topics, educational workshops, the Farmer's and Friends evening networking event and a tradeshow featuring over 150 exhibitors highlight this year's event.

For more information on the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention: www.ofvc.ca For more information on the Ontario Berry Growers Association meeting: Kevin Schooley, 613-258-4587 or info@ontarioberries.com

9:30 am - Berry Pest Management: Integrating New Insect Control Products, Pam Fisher, OMAFRA 10:00 am - Be Ready for Spotted Winged Drosophila, Hannah Fraser, OMAFRA 10:30 am - Soil Revitalization with Compost for Improved Strawberry Production, John Lewis, Agrapoint, Nova Scotia 11:00 am - Management of Nematodes in Berry Production Systems: With Special Reference to Soil Quality, Dr. George Bird, Michigan State University, Michigan 11:30 am - Pesticides, Sustainability, Stewardship and Consumer Perception, Dr. Steve Savage Cirrus Partners, Evergreen, Colorado 12:15 - 2:00 - Lunch & Trade Show

Ontario Berry Growers Association – Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention Berry Program Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - Four Points Sheraton Suites, St. Catharines 9:00 am - Our Newest Strawberry Cultivars and How We Select Them, Dr. Adam Dale, University of Guelph 9:30 am - Production Insurance for Strawberries, Rebecca Metzger, AgriCorp

2:00 pm - National Berry Marketing Initiative, Karen Fenske, StratPoint Solutions, Vernon, B.C. 12:00 pm - OBGA Annual Meeting & Lunch 1:30 pm - Chateau Herbicide for Strawberries, Tom Tregunno, Engage Agro

10:45 am - BREAK

2:00 pm - Weed Control in Row Middles (panel discussion), Kristen Callow, OMAFRA, Mr. Tigchelaar, Tigchelaar Berry Farms, John Cooper, StrawberryTyme Farms, Rob Chesney, Thames River Melons, Norm Charbonneau, Hi-Berry Farm

11:00 am - Raspberry Cane Management for Improved Production, John Lewis, Agrapoint, Nova Scotia

2:30 pm - Preventing Drift and Spray Burn Problems, Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA and Jason Deveau, OMAFRA

11:30 am - Marketing, Promotional Materials and Videos for OBGA Members, Kevin Schooley, Ontario Berry Growers Association

3:30 pm - Round Table Discussions. Join 2 of the 4 discussions, 30 minutes per round.

1. Choosing a Sprayer for Small Fruits, Ross Parker, Red-Trac International &

10:00 am - Grower Profile – Belluz Farms, Thunder Bay, Kevin Belluz, Belluz Farms, Thunder Bay

North American Strawberry Growers Association meets February 8-11, 2011, Tampa, Florida The 7th North American Strawberry Symposium (NASS) will be held Feb. 8–11, 2011, at the Doubletree Hotel, Tampa Westshore in Tampa, Florida. The symposium will be held jointly with the 35th Annual Meeting of the North American Strawberry Growers Association (NASGA), and will attract many growers and industry members and researchers.

This is an excellent opportunity to learn about recent research and to explore the ever-changing face of the strawberry industry in North America and around the world.

On Wednesday, Feb. 9th the program features 14 speakers who will provide world views on strawberry production, and marketing and pest management. This will be followed by a dynamic and interactive presentation on marketing your business, from keynote speaker, Mr. Bill McCurry.

On Thursday, Feb. 10, the

NASS program will consist of four oral sessions on topics including strawberry production methods, pest management, fruit quality, and breeding, genetics and genomics.

NASGA will host a concurrent session focusing on marketing and grower profiles looking at successful growing and marketing of strawberries.

On Friday Feb. 11, check out the impressive strawberry industry in central Florida. An all-day bus tour of the Plant City growing area is planned for Friday Feb. 11th.

More than 300 scientists, growers, agribusiness and students are expected to attend the 2011 conference. This exchange of information is vital to the continued health and improvement of the North American strawberry industry and international advancement of strawberry research.

The program and other information can be found on line at www.nasga.org.

Jason Deveau, OMAFRA 2. Pest Management for Day Neutrals, Pam Fisher, OMAFRA 3. Finding a Weed Control Solution, Kristen Callow, OMAFRA, Dr. Rob Nurse, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 4. Using Facebook, Twitter and Social Media, Kevin Belluz, Belluz Farms and Will Heeman, Heeman Strawberry Farm 4:30 pm - Adjourn 7:30 pm - Strawberry Fertigation Seminar, Sponsored by Plant Products.

8:15 pm - OBGA social time and refreshments Ontario Berry Growers Association – Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention Berry Program Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - Brock University, St. Catharines

2:30 pm - Marketing our Farm with Social Networking and other Internet Tools, Kevin Belluz, Belluz Farms, Thunder Bay 3:00 pm - Ontario Consumers’ Motivations for Buying Local and Organic Produce: Insights on Local Strawberries, Dr. Isabelle Lesschaeve, Vineland Research & Innovation Center 3:30 pm - Marketing Berries (panel discussion) 1. New PYO ideas Sharon Judd, Meadow Lynn Farm 2. Farmers markets Gerry Rochon, Jardin Rochon 3. Satellite stands Paul Ralph, Cedar Hill Berry Farm

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PAGE 22 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

An organic grower’s newsletter whets the appetite David Cohlmeyer, Cookstown Greens, is a well-known supplier of organic vegetables to Toronto’s restaurants.

His reputation as a grower is fortified with a newsletter that’s jam-packed with background on chef-friendly varieties and production practices. Here’s a sample of recent offerings.

One of our earliest variety trials (in 1989 and 1990) was to determine the best leeks for our southern Ontario soil and climate. We quickly determined that hardy “winter leeks� tended to be too dirty for convenient use in busy kitchens and they were too tough to smoothly emulsify into fine food creations. “Summer leeks� were easier to keep the interior clean and their flavour and texture were much more delicate. From our point of view in the garden and from our chefs’ point of view in the kitchen, Titan Leeks were the clear choice. But in 1999 seed production for these suddenly stopped. Evidently “agricultural experts� banned the sale of Titan in the E.U. due to its pale green leaves - in the belief that dark coloured vegetables were more nutritious.

With no European market, seed companies immediately ceased providing the better tasting pale varieties.

I immediately searched the world for the last remaining Titan Leek seeds. I obtained one little packet from a seed company in India. I continue to save this wonderful variety from extinction by going through the labour-intensive, fouryear process of growing these out for seed. These beauties are now available.

Winter Radishes are an under-appreciated class of vegetables. Unlike the common round-red forms, these can only be grown for fall harvests. They store very well in root cellars throughout the winter – hence their name. The stunning magenta flesh of round Valentine Radishes is sweet and only a little nippy raw; and absolutely scrumptious when lightly cooked (grilled, sautÊed, or steamed). Green Flesh Radishes are a small daikon radish that has a propensity to push itself out of the soil into the sunlight and thereby turn green. Prepare these in the same ways as red flesh ones. The robust flavour of Black Icicle Radishes is for true radish connoisseurs. They are superior in flavour and convenience to the more common round black radishes.

Red Icicle Radishes are like round-red types, but their carrot shape makes slices and julienne more convenient. All of these radishes can be deliciously quick-pickled, but be forewarned they become sulphurously smelly when stored

overnight.

Baby turnips are not baby rutabagas! With the long springs enjoyed in Europe and Japan, turnips are considered a luscious spring specialty. Spring turnips are not practical with Ontario’s typically abbreviated springs. But our extended autumns provide exceptional turnips – and they store very well in our winter root cellar. So we get to enjoy their scrumptious flavour and beautiful colours all through the fall and winter. Baby White Turnips are the classic colour and mildest tasting. Quickly cooked Baby Red Turnips are red and white; slower cooking turns them a gorgeous pink. Baby Amber Turnips have wonderful cinnamon-y aroma. Long-thin purple-topped Japanese Turnips provide wonderful presentation ideas, and they also taste great. With all turnips, take care to not overcook them.

Since many customers have prejudices against “turnips,�another moniker is advised. How about French navet, Scottish neep, Italian rapa, Spanish nabo, or Japanese kabu?

In 2002 and 2003 we tried a wide assortment of various coloured cippolinis. Both we and our chefs selected Red Cippolini Onions as the “best.� Then several terrible summers in Italy meant that no seeds were available – until the spring of 2010. In the mid-90s we did trials on Dahlia Root varieties. Our favourite variety ceased being available in 2002. (I have not heard why.) Suddenly this year seed was once again available. Both of these wonderful vegetables are on our now available list.

We have been putting together a poster (see photo at left) to demonstrate how we grow our premium produce. I thought you might like to see this work-in-progress for a view of Cookstown Greens from the air.

The top two fields are in the “New Farm� that we purchased in 2006. We have been growing plough-down crops that help convert soil from the previous cropping system of cash crops into soil better suited for the coming vegetable crops. Cash crops (corn-wheat-soybeans) require a preponderance of soil bacteria; vegetable crops do best with a fungal orientation.

Continued on next page

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JANUARY 2011 –– PAGE 23 THE GROWER

Organic grower’s newsletter Continued from page 22 Summer buckwheat is excellent for stimulating this conversion. These fields will be our primary production fields next year.

Below this you can see late seeded main crops of beets and carrots to be ready for November harvesting. Below this are summer cover crops of sorghum and sunflowers which provide tons of organic material to feed our army of soil organisms – bacteria, fungi, amoebas, protozoa, nematodes and of course earthworms. These in turn know how to provide our vegetable crops with exactly the nutrients they require to assure pest resistance, superior flavour, and

extended shelf-life.

Below these are vegetable crops of Jerusalem artichokes, potatoes, squash, leeks, drying tomatoes, and peppers. Under the large blanket are winter radishes and turnips protected from insect pests. To the right of this are mid-summer crops of carrots and beets.

Below this is our field of baby salad and mustard greens. The next fields have more cover crops to prepare the soil for future leafy greens.

The greenish/grey coloured leaves are asparagus soaking up the summer sunshine in preparation for next spring’s harvest.

COMING EVENTS 2011 January 5, 6

18th Annual Southwestern Conference, Ridgetown, ON

January 10 – 12

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association 152nd Annual General Meeting, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Niagara Falls, ON

January 24, 25

Scotia Horticultural Congress, Old Orchard Inn, Wolfville, NS

January 25, 26

Ontario Processing Vegetable Industry Conference, Hilton Hotel and London Convention Centre, London, ON. For information: opvg@opvg.org

January 26, 27

Manitoba Potato Production Days, Keystone Centre, Brandon, MB

January 25 – 27

Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association Annual Convention, Old Orchard Inn, Greenwich, NS

January 27 – 31

30th Annual Organic Agriculture Conference, Guelph University Centre, Guelph, ON For information: www.guelphorganicconf.ca

January 27 – 29

Pacific Agriculture Show/Horticultural Growers’ Short Course, Tradex, Abbotsford, BC

February 8

OMAFRA On-Farm Food Safety Workshop, Desbarats, Algoma District

February 8 – 10

Canadian International Farm International Centre, Toronto, ON

February 9

OMAFRA On-Farm Food Safety Workshop, Sturgeon Falls

February 9 – 11

Fruit Logistica, Berlin, Germany

February 14

New Brunswick Potato Conference, E.P. Senechal Centre, Grand Falls, NB

February 17

Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS) Annual General Meeting, Roma Club, Leamington, ON 9 am to noon

February 23

Ontario Berry Growers Association Annual General Meeting, Four Points Sheraton Suites, St. Catharines, ON

February 23, 24

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention, St. Catharines, ON

Mark calendar for Organic Conference The Guelph Organic Conference welcomes Tom Manley, Homestead Organics as its keynote speaker for a presentation titled “Our Common Thread: Organic Food through the Generations.”

“Being chosen as the Guelph Keynote for the 30th anniversary makes our three generations ponder the long and hard road that organic agriculture has traveled,” says Manley. “While we were not there at the ‘modern day’ organic start-up in the 1960s, our farm

was actually in the family in the 1860s, when organic was the only option. Since ‘re-conversion’ to organic in 1985, we have seen many changes and challenges. We are also trying to set the foundation of where the business and the organic sector may go in the next decades. The big question is: how can organic move from two per cent to 10 per cent or even 100 per cent of agriculture, assuming that this is the real objective?”

Protect your business information

By Steve Chapelle If you received the news that there has been a fire, break-in or flood at your farm office, and that the flames, thieves or water have rendered the business information on the computer(s) indefinitely unavailable, what would you do next?

Clients, suppliers, lenders and partners will have to be told of the interruption and they'll all have the same question: When will you be back up and running? They'll want assurance that it will be soon, because, as they'll each presume... you have offsite backups of your data, correct?

The American Express Small Business Monitor reports that nearly half of small business owners have no significant business continuity plan, and 80 per cent of them admitted they had next to no plan to prepare one. A business continuity plan requires neither a great deal of time nor money, and should be seen as a logical extension to the business' existing data backup process, an essential function that must be regularly completed by all businesses.

Business interruptions occur in varying degrees. For example, a loss of power causes the computer to shut down improperly, forcing the read/write heads of the hard drive to come to an abrupt halt.

This can have a damaging effect on the information you have stored there. This risk can be minimized by connecting the computer to an uninterruptible power supply, or UPS. Other lurking threats include viruses and spyware, aka ‘malware.’ Viruses will damage Windows and/or other installed programs, while spyware monitors your internet behaviour, the greatest danger being a spyware trojan that sneaks onto your system and captures keystrokes which of course include IDs and passwords of any environment you access.

Installed and updated antivirus and antispyware software must exist on every computer.

A firewall - software that pre-

vents unauthorized access from the internet to computers - should also be resident and active on all computers. It can also prevent any malware that gets past your antivirus or antispyware software from communicating with its home server until it is detected and removed at the next full antivirus or antispyware scan.

Wireless networks, convenient and growing in popularity, pose another danger and should not be used unless configured to utilize their encryption feature. Unencrypted wireless networks are vulnerable to unauthorized access such as the monitoring and unauthorized gathering of private information by Google's Street View camera vehicles this past summer.

Eventually comes the day when your computer must be put out to

pasture, but that hard drive still holds years of confidential business information. Preventing it from inadvertently changing ownership can be accomplished in two ways. If the hard drive is intended for re-use, it should first be permanently erased using a (free) program that meets RCMP or US Department of Defence secure erasure criteria. For drives that are too small for practical re-use, removal from the computer and drilling three or four holes through them before dispatching to the computer parts graveyard will ensure that your confidential business information remains just that.

Steve Chapelle is an information security expert who teaches best practices to small business operators. More information is available at www.stevechapelle.ca.

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PAGE 24 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

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CLASSIFIEDS 72' 3PH harvest aid used two years $12000.00 OBO. Automatic Old Mill tray seeder comes with top coater mounted on a 10' conveyor, mint condition $6000.00. Two round tables 5' and 6' $600.00 each or $1000.00 for pair. Two 6 row cucumber pickers $2000.00 each. Two row high clearance Holland transplanter with liquid fertilizer $3500.00 call 519.476.4623

JANUARY 2011 –– PAGE 25 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 EQUIPMENT

NURSERY AND ROOTSTOCK

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NEW & USED QUALITY FRUIT TREES • APPLE on M9 and M26 • PEAR on Quince ]

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ASPARAGUS ROOTS Jersey Giant

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Fall is the best time of year to buy, lease, or trade for best pre-season pricing and more time to recondition, advertise, and sell your trade.

LOW DRIFT SPRAY TOWERS to fit any TURBO-MIST - IN STOCK NOW SPECIAL: Turbo-Mist 600 gal. Narrow, centrifugal pump, hydraulic controls, 14.5L tires, used one season, full warranty . . . . . . . . . . . $20,000 Turbo-Mist 500 gal Narrow, short turn hitch, nice, clean . . . . . . $14,900 Turbo-Mist 400 gal, Low hrs, spotless cond. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coming John Deere H.D. 10 ft rotary mower, hydraulic sideshift centre pull to wide offset, new blades, paint, low profile tires . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,500 Seppi 200 flail mower/mulcher, almost new . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,900 Perfect KV220 7ft. HD flail mower/mulcher - all new hammers.$4,400 Perfect KG220 7ft. HD flail mower/mulcher - only 2 yrs . . . . . Coming ** Instant photos to you by e-mail - all advertised items ** Perfect H.D. Flail Mulchers for Orchard Brush Perfect Rotary Grass Cutters - Many Styles + Widths Seppi Flail Mowers for Grass and Prunings Seven Variable Width Mowers - Auto Tree Sensing Votex Rotary Mowers and H.D. Flail Mulchers with Side-Shift Wanted: For Cash, Trade, or Consignment Clean Sprayers, Mowers, Bin Carriers, Narrow Orchard Tractors

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Wrightland Farm RR 1 • 1000 Ridge Rd. Harrow, ON N0R 1G0 Keith: 519-738-6120 Fax: 519-738-3358

TRACEABILITY

ScoringAg.com for EXPORTING to USA: Traceback and Trace-up systems,

TREE NUTS

PROVEN:

Exclusive grower of select grafted nut trees and minor fruits.

Cultivars are tested in our own experimental orchards.

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Choose from Persian and black walnut, heartnut, butternut, chestnut, hazel, pecan, hickory, gingko, pine nut, mulberry, persimmon, pawpaw, fig & more.

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For advertising in The Grower, call Herb Sherwood at 519-380-0118

PAGE 26 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 CONTAINERS

IRRIGATION

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Established in 1939

Wellington Wood Products (1972) Ltd. Manufacturers and Suppliers of:

• Corrugated Baskets & Masters • Wooden Baskets • Plastic Containers & Bags • Cider Supplies • Waxed Cartons • Custom Corrugated Cartons * Triple Wall Bulk Bins

• Wooden Hampers • Apple Packaging & Cartons • Berry Containers & Masters

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A large INVENTORY of all types of packaging.

We can deliver your order DIRECTLY TO YOUR DOOR. For current, competitive pricing call

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Wellington Wood Products 410 Sligo Road West Mount Forest, ON N0G 2L0 519-323-1060 wwp@wightman.ca

Wellington Wood Products 1587 "B" County Road 34 Ruthven, ON N0P 2G0 519-326-2394

COTTON AND CANVAS FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

MARK ALLOTT General Manager

LOUTH & NIAGARA ORCHARDS P.O. Box 43 • Virgil, Ontario • L0S 1T0 • 905-468-3297 4000 Jordan Road • Jordan Station, ON • 905-562-8825

BEV ADDEMAN

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• Berry Boxes • Waxed Cartons • Crop Protection Material

ORGANIC CONFERENCE

30TH ANNUAL GUELPH ORGANIC CONFERENCE & EXPO Jan. 27-30, Guelph Univ. Centre - full details: www.guelphorganicconf.ca

Free Expo/Tasting Fair, 154 booths, Jan. 29-30 only.

Meet suppliers, certifiers, samplers.

An intensive, leading-edge 35 workshop program for growers, by paid admission.

Brochure, info & prices: (519) 824-4120 ext.56205.

Watch for our special OMIF-funded promotion 'A Local Organic HomeComing' as part of this Generation Organic event.

Be there in January!

• PVC, ABS, Poly, Copper • Stainless, Brass, Steel Product Lines • Drip & Micro Irrigation • Septic & Sewer • Drainage & Culverts • Berkeley Water Pumps

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Supplying Fruit and Vegetable Growers with: • Baskets • Masters • Fertilizer • Vineyard Trellis Supplies

for Water Systems

489 Main St. W., Grimsby, ON. L3M 1T4

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JANUARY 2011 –– PAGE 27 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 IRRIGATION

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PAGE 28 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

Environmental advocate to speak at OFVGA AGM Farmers must unite and start taking charge of the public debate on sustainable food and farming. That’s the message Montana logger and environmental advocate Bruce Vincent will bring to his keynote address at the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) annual meeting and banquet January 10.

Vincent is a third-generation logger from Montana who, during the past 20 years, has given speeches throughout the United States and around the world, has testified on natural resource issues before the U.S. Congress and has appeared on several news programs including “60 Minutes.”

Continued from page 7 The goals of the project include identifying new products and varieties to meet the needs and demands of consumers, develop new varieties for testing, assess

In his address, Vincent will explain how the timber industry in North America lost its social license to harvest the forests, the lessons agriculture can learn from that loss and what is being done to re-introduce consumers to the farmers who provide their food.

“Farmers are very active environmentalists but we often don’t talk about the many positive things we’ve done – and continue to do – to protect our earth, air and water,” says apple grower Brian Gilroy, chair of the OFVGA. “Bruce Vincent is an excellent speaker and will have several great examples to share with Ontario’s fruit and veg-

production and cultural issues related to the growth and sale of these new crops in Ontario and Quebec and complete consumer analysis of new varieties and packaging design options.

Board briefs

Research will be conducted in Ontario and Quebec in partnership with the Quebec Horticulture Council. The CAAP program in Ontario is administered by the Agricultural Adaptation Council.

etable growers about his experiences in trying to bring some balance to the sustainable food and farming discussion.”

“Farmers are very active environmentalists but we often don’t talk about the many positive things we’ve done – and continue to do – to protect our earth, air and water.”

A decision on the application is expected in mid-winter.

OFVGA funding pilot program The OFVGA has been looking at various options for funding the

Novator Cabbage

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organization moving forward. In 2009, the OFVGA rebated $250,000 in retained earnings back to its member organizations.

Board members passed a motion to establish a two year pilot program that would set aside $300,000 a year for two years to be allocated to sector groups for research and marketing. The allocation of dollars will be based on the percentage of membership and container fees paid to the OFVGA by farmers and associations of the various commodity sectors.

Research and Marketing Funds Available: Greenhouse: $127,800.00 Apples: $15,390.00 Unreg Veg: $72,150.00 Potatoes: $24,600.00 Tenderfruit: $39,390.00 Berries: $6,000.00 Fresh Grapes: $4,140.00 Asparagus: $2,010.00 Ginseng: $3,660.00 Grapes: $4,860.00 Specific parameters around the program and distribution of funds will be determined in the very near future.

By-law review The OFVGA Management Committee conducted a review of the organization’s by-laws this fall to look at potential changes related to governance issues. The Board agreed to send several recommended by-law changes to the OFVGA annual general meeting in January to be voted on by membership.

Policy regarding late resolutions The Board agreed to bring a resolution to the 2011 AGM that seeks to change how late resolutions will be dealt with effective for the 2012 annual meeting. The resolution proposes to require a passing vote of 80 per cent for late resolutions while resolutions submitted on time require a simple majority of 50 per cent plus one.

Annual General Meeting The OFVGA annual meeting will be held January 10 – 12, 2011 at the Crowne Plaza in Niagara Falls. Registration information is available on the OFVGA website at www.ofvga.org.

The next OFVGA board meeting will be held February 10, 2011 at the OFVGA office in Guelph.

JANUARY 2011 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PAGE 29 THE GROWER

Minor use update for Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario

By Jim Chaput, OMAFRA Provincial Minor Use Coordinator URMULE registrations 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; field vegetables â&#x20AC;˘ Aliette â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Belgian endive (Phytophthora) â&#x20AC;˘ Ridomil Gold â&#x20AC;&#x201C; radish, spinach (downy mildew) â&#x20AC;˘ Gaucho â&#x20AC;&#x201C; crop group 6, legumes (seed treatment) â&#x20AC;˘ Success/Entrust â&#x20AC;&#x201C; asparagus (asparagus beetles) â&#x20AC;˘ Actara â&#x20AC;&#x201C; crop group 8, fruiting vegetables (aphids) â&#x20AC;˘ Dual Magnum â&#x20AC;&#x201C; carrots, non-bell peppers, transplanted mustard greens (weeds) â&#x20AC;˘ Matador, Warrior â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CG6 and all corn types (WBC); carrots (CRF, CW) â&#x20AC;˘ Admire â&#x20AC;&#x201C; petiole leafy vegetables; subgroup 4B (aphids) â&#x20AC;˘ Rimon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; snap beans (ECB, FAW, TAW); field peppers (ECB); crop group 5, Brassicas (DBM. ICW, CL) â&#x20AC;˘ Dynasty â&#x20AC;&#x201C; seed treatment on crop groups 1A, 1B, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 (Rhizoctonia) â&#x20AC;˘ Upbeet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; red beets (weeds) â&#x20AC;˘ Proline â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sugar beets (leaf spot, Rhizoctonia) â&#x20AC;˘ Pristine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; celeriac (leaf spot), CG 5 (diseases) â&#x20AC;˘ Command â&#x20AC;&#x201C; crop group 9, cucur-

4, 5, 8; cucurbit vegetables, crop group 9; okra (insects) â&#x20AC;˘ Concept (deltamethrin + imidacloprid) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; potato, tomato, CG 5A (insects) â&#x20AC;˘ Eragon/Integrity (saflufenacil) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sweet corn (weeds)

bits (weeds) â&#x20AC;˘ Decis â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all corn types (WBC) â&#x20AC;˘ Coragen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sweet corn (ECB, CEW); crop group 5, Brassicas (swede midge) â&#x20AC;˘ Poast â&#x20AC;&#x201C; lettuce (grassy weeds) â&#x20AC;˘ Aatrex + Pardner â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sweet corn (giant ragweed) â&#x20AC;˘ Reason â&#x20AC;&#x201C; crop group 5, Brassicas (downy mildew) â&#x20AC;˘ Switch â&#x20AC;&#x201C; crop subgroup 1B (Botrytis) â&#x20AC;˘ Assail â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sweet corn (aphids) [final label pending] Other registrations 2010 via URMUR, Joint reviews â&#x20AC;&#x201C; field vegetables â&#x20AC;˘ Quintec (quinoxyfen) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; melons, pumpkin, winter squash, lettuce (powdery mildew) â&#x20AC;˘ Coragen (chlorantraniliprole) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; tuberous, corm vegetable crop subgroup 1C, additional pests CG

Emergency use registrations 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; field vegetables â&#x20AC;˘ Confine (potatoes) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; late blight, silver scurf â&#x20AC;˘ Carzol (dry bulb onions) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; onion thrips â&#x20AC;˘ Intercept (Brassica GH transplants) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; swede midge â&#x20AC;˘ Scholar (carrots â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PH) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; white mold

Active URMULE projects underway - Sugar beets (Serenade) - Red beets (Select, Betamix, Ser-

enade) - Carrots (Reason, Allegro, Sencor, Clutch, Scholar, Cyazypyr, Nortron, Prowl) - Parsnips (Select) - Belgian endive (Venture) - Potato (Scholar, 2, 4-D, chloropicrin, Lance [reduce PHI], Poast [reduce PHI], Superior oil 70) - Radish (Flint, Cyazypyr) - Rutabaga (Muster, Assail, Clutch, Cyazypyr) - Sweet Potato (Dual II Magnum, Scholar, Clutch, Chateau, Coragen) - Celeriac (Actara, Gesagard) - Crop subgroup 1B (Rimon) - Crop group 1 (chloropicrin) - Onions [dry] (Raxil, Elevate, Success, Titan, Movento, Cyazypyr, Agrimek, Allegro) - Onions [green] (Titan, Elevate, Success, Frontier, Movento, Agrimek, Coragen, Lorsban) - Garlic (Scholar, Raxil) - Leeks (Lorox) - Bulb vegetables crop group 3 (chloropicrin, Presidio, QGU42) Celery (Matador, Clutch, Chateau, Poast) - Lettuce (Dithane DG, Gavel, Elevate, Clutch, Ranman, Ridomil Gold, Prowl, Allegro, Actinovate, Venture, QGU42) - Spinach (Dual II Magnum, Cruiser, Switch, Ranman) - Parsley (Ridomil Gold, Quadris, Lorox) - Rhubarb (Callisto) - Leafy Vegetables crop group (Apron, Rimon, Reason, Fulfill, Actara) - Brassica Vegetables group (Frontier, Success, Matador, Rimon, Intercept, Aliette, Quadris, Goal, Coragen, Ranman, Movento) - Cauliflower (Actigard) - Broccoli (Acrobat, Rovral, Chateau) - Cabbage (Brigade) - Brussels sprouts (Poast Ultra) - Snap beans (Quadris, Coragen, Prowl) - Peas (Assail, Coragen, QGU42) Pepper (Command, Acrobat, Switch, Allegro, Kasumin, Chateau, Actara, QGU42, V10208) - Field tomato (Dual Magnum + Sencor [fresh], Prism + Sencor,

Agriphage, Sumagic, Prism [rate increase], Actinovate, Switch) - Eggplant (Acramite, Kanemite) - Fruiting vegetables crop group 8 (Actara, Clutch) - Cucumber (Dual Magnum, Reflex, Oberon [reduce PHI], Botanigard) - Winter squash (Garlipro) - Cantaloupe (Dual Magnum [pre], Allegro) - Cucurbit crop group (Assure, Nova, Acrobat, Acramite, Cruiser, Applaud, Ranman [aerial], chloropicrin, QGU42, Vivando, Tanos, Pristine, Actinovate, Matador, Clutch, V-10208) - Sweet corn (Movento, Coragen [WBC]) - Asparagus (Folicur, Authority, Flint, Callisto) - Artichoke (Movento) - Herbs (Intrepid, Revus [basil], Chateau [mint], Serenade, Aim) - Wasabi (Quadris) Current & On-going Minor Use Issues: â&#x20AC;˘ The impact of workload at PMRA and AAFC-PMC â&#x20AC;˘ The need for a new URMUR program and fee structure â&#x20AC;˘ The need for program 914 to truly address the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;technology gapâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;˘ The long-standing issue of nonharmonized data requirements â&#x20AC;&#x201C; i.e. occupational exposure, formulation changes, safety factors, MRLs â&#x20AC;˘ The need to recognize resistance management issues as a key minor use priority For summaries of minor use crop registrations, priorities and active projects visit: www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/cr ops/minoruse/index.html

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PAGE 30 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

Minor Use Craig’s Comments

Craig Hunter OFVGA Everyone must have heard a few ‘lawyer jokes’ by now. I may have even recounted a few of them myself! In my community there are many lawyers, several of whom I count as friends. I know they will back me on the following epistle.

The Ontario Grower Pesticide Certification Program came into being when like-minded individuals recognized the merits of being able to interact with the public and say that they as farmers were educated on pesticides, their use, their environmental and health effects, and on safe practices. It was also thought that for more restrictive products, that such certification would at least allow them access, which may have been denied to those not so trained. All this came after the Vendor Certification Program had been initiated starting in 1979, leading to courses being available by 1982. This was a team effort spearheaded by Croplife (or CACA as it was known in those days-Canadian Agricultural Chemicals Association) along with representatives from the

Lawyer joke or true story?

Ontario environment and agriculture ministries. It was the first successful program of its kind in Canada, and has led to many other programs in other provinces, and I dare say was the impetus for the later CCA programs and the CCSC program of Croplife for its field staff and ‘use recommenders.’

These two programs were accepted here and made mandatory under the Ontario Pesticides Act. When the growers asked for this, the ministry staff was incredulous! Who had ever heard of growers actually asking for mandatory anything?

The whole point of this has been a very successful program, which has continued to this day.

Well, almost!

Here is where the lawyer ‘story’ starts. When the original programs were developed and enacted, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) lawyer of the day (we called him ‘Leo the Lawyer’ with great respect) did a good job of taking the program parameters and making them fit the needs of legislation. He had the pesticides file for years, and while we didn’t always agree with him, he was respected and even asked for our guidance when there was more than one way to approach an issue.

Leo retired a few years ago, and moved away- and trouble soon moved in!

Fast forward to late winter 2008. The Ministry lawyers were, Quote: ‘hard at work.’ The new legislation to ban cosmetic pesticide use was being developed in strict secrecy. Even folks who had a need and obligation to review the

contents were virtually unable to see it or effect change. Part of the problem was that ‘the lawyers’ (so I was told) were determined to use the opportunity to make many other changes to the Act and Regulations. The ministry staff also used this opportunity to make certain changes, an opportunity that was denied to any other interested group wanting changes. When the new Act and regs were actually made available to be reviewed, the ‘Cosmetic’ changes were highlighted, and it was on those that all attention was focused. Some of the other changes were noticed and comments made, but even with a fine eye for detail, no one was able to catch them all. That is, until a recent Steering Committee for the Ontario Pesticide Education Program (OPEP) met earlier this fall.

Low and behold, another change became apparent, and here is where the lawyers must have been having a day of days. They (so we were told) made these changes, and elicited no consultation whatsoever with the affected parties.

(That would be all Certified Growers and Certified Vendors) In their dubious wisdom??! they changed the titles and certification status of almost 30,000 people! Plus, they impugned the knowledge, standing and worth of all non-certified farmers in Ontario! They must have stayed up nights (billable hours!) to find a simple way to do this- in their own twisted ways they were creative!

How and what did they do?

They changed the names of the programs, the title and implications of the currently certified, and have possibly cost the program

(we hope the government) untold thousands of dollars. Get ready for it.

The lawyers decided that from henceforth, that we would be called “Qualified Growers, or Qualified Vendor Outlet Representatives”!

That by definition means that the rest are “un-qualified” farmers? That all other vendor employees are “un-qualified” employees?

What does this say about their implied abilities? What does it say about public or even government perception of these individuals?

These programs and terms have been with us for almost 30 years!

There have been over 100,000 who have taken or re-taken these courses and been ‘certified.’ The term ‘Certified’ actually means something across Canada and beyond. It wasn’t just ‘dreamed up’ as the lawyers must have done for their terminology! Ah, if they had only asked!??

All the course materials will need to be re-printed with these changes, unless this stupid decision is reversed. All the ‘certificates’ out there will need to be reissued. All the publicity, many of the videos, and other material will need to be changed. Great expenses- for what and for whom? For appeasement of a government lawyer? (I bet they will try to weasel out of the need for changes to save a buck and keep both versions around to further muddy the water and create confusion!)

I want to run a quiz, and will accept answers all month with a prize for the most inventive- but they must be realistic! How do YOU define a government

lawyer? A-la David Letterman, here are my top ten. (With apologies to all the ‘good guys’ like Leo!) (Maybe this only applies to one ministry’s lawyers?)

1. Can’t get a real lawyer job 2. For some reason, need to work in the big smoke (and like it) 3. They are congenitally unable to ‘consult’ on any issue 4. Came 202nd in a class of 207 5. Spent time at six different firms while articling before passing the bar exam 6. Have no friends at private firms to recommend them for a real job 7. Love to cause controversy 8. Fit in well with other non decision-makers 9. Earnestly believe that they and only they are correct on every issue And last but not least 10. Have 31 blue pin-striped suits or skirts and a burning need to wear one every day Hopefully this travesty will be reversed, if not by the lawyers, then by wiser heads heading for a fall election in rural Ontario! I can just imagine all the newly ‘unqualified’ farmers who will be so impressed with their new status.

None of this need to have occurred if consultation with appropriate people had been followed. Furthermore, a simple check across Canada would show that ‘certified’ is THE accepted terminology. Perhaps in the future no changes would be contemplated beyond those immediately needed for the issue at hand- in this case the cosmetic ban. Allowing lawyers and staff a free hand to indulge in whimsical changes should be “banned” instead!

Growers receive funding to solve resistant weed issues

By Kristen Callow, OMAFRA Weed Management Program Lead Horticulture The Holland Marsh Growers’ Association and La Fédération des producteurs maraîchers du Québec are eager to get project work underway to solve multiple and cross resistant weed problems in the carrot, onion and leafy vegetable producing regions in both provinces.

Herbicide-resistant weed populations have been found throughout greater than 50 per cent of the carrot, onion and leafy vegetable growing area in Ontario and Québec, encompassing more than 20,000 acres. In

some cases, the weed species are showing resistance to two or more herbicide groups resulting in total crop failures from weed competition. This project will determine the extent and mechanism of herbicide resistance in each weed species and develop best management practices and alternative integrated weed management to ensure producers remain competitive. If producers in both provinces do not find solutions and management strategies to control and mitigate the spread of the resistant weeds species immediately, they will no longer be able to produce vegetable crops on their land.

This project will provide new cultural

The Source...

and chemical tools to manage and prevent the spread of resistant weed species. The successful completion of this project and adoption of the Integrated Weed Management (IWM) Best Management Practices (BMP) will ensure that producers in both regions have crops to harvest and continue to remain competitive. Results will benefit producers across Canada, particularly in British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Québec.

A great team of researchers and extension personnel from the University of Guelph, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, OMAFRA and MAPAQ are collaborating

on this large research project to find the best solutions possible for the growers.

The Holland Marsh Growers’ Association and La Fédération des producteurs maraîchers du Québec are grateful to the Bradford Co-operative Storage Ltd., Syngenta Crop Protection Canada Inc. and TKI Novasource for their generous funding contributions to this project.

Funding for this project has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP). In Ontario this program is delivered by the Agricultural Adaptation Council.

for Fungicides, Miticides & Insecticides in Horticultural Crops

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JANUARY 2011 –– PAGE 31 THE GROWER

Switch WG Fungicide label expanded to include gray mold control on crop subgroup 1B and Alternaria control on ginseng

By Jim Chaput, OMAFRA, Minor Use Coordinator, Guelph The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of an URMULE registration for Switch 62.5 WG Fungicide for control of gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) on crop subgroup 1B, root vegetables (except sugarbeets) and control of Alternaria leaf blight (Alternaria panax) on ginseng in Canada.

Switch WG Fungicide was already labeled for a number of diseases on a range of specialty crops in Canada.

This minor use project was initiated in 2009 by the minor use office of OMAFRA as a result of minor use priorities established by growers and extension personnel in Canada. The minor use label

Bravo ZN fungicide registered for potatoes Potato growers should be aware that Bravo ZN, a new formulation of Bravo fungicide now includes zinc. Bravo ZN supports the development of healthier potato plants resulting in an improved defense against early blight.

Like Bravo, Bravo ZN is a broad-spectrum, contact fungicide offering protection against late blight, Botrytis vine rot and early blight. It is an effective fungicide that should be incorporated as the base of a preventative program.

Bravo ZN includes the unique WeatherStik technology, a patented surfactant technology from Syngenta, which maximizes the product’s ability to stick to plant surfaces to better prevent infection, even after heavy rainfall.

“Mitigating disease pressure through a strong preventative fungicide program is a crucial component of maximizing crop performance,” explains Tara McCaughey, technical crop manager for Syngenta Canada.

For optimal convenience, Bravo ZN is a liquid formulation, eliminating dust, improving mixability and eradicating plugged nozzles. It will be available in 2011 in 10 L jugs and 450 L totes.

expansion for Switch WG Fungicide is a significant step towards developing a more robust and sustainable pest management toolkit for these diseases in Canada.

The following is provided as a general outline only. Users should consult the complete label before using Switch WG Fungicide.

Switch WG Fungicide can be used for control of gray mold on root vegetables in crop subgroup 1B (except sugarbeets) at a rate of 775 – 975 g product per hectare as a foliar spray. Switch WG Fungicide can be used for control of Alternaria leaf blight of ginseng at a rate of 975 g product per hectare as a foliar spray.

A maximum of two applications per crop can be made at an interval of seven to 10 days if conditions

remain favourable for disease development. In general begin applications prior to or at the onset of disease. Do not apply within seven days of harvest for root vegetables and ginseng.

Switch WG Fungicide should be used in an integrated pest management program and in

rotation with other management strategies to adequately manage resistance.

Follow all other precautions and directions for use on the Switch WG Fungicide label carefully.

The label expansion project for root vegetables and ginseng was

sponsored by the minor use office of OMAFRA as a result of priorities established by producers in Canada. We also wish to thank the personnel of Syngenta Crop Protection Canada Inc. for their support of this registration and the personnel of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency for evaluating and approving this important pest management tool.

For copies of the new minor use label contact Jim Chaput, OMAFRA, Guelph (519) 8263539, Sean Westerveld,OMAFRA Ginseng Specialist at Simcoe (519) 426-4323, Marion Paibomesai, Vegetable Crops Specialist at Guelph (519) 826-4963 or visit the Syngenta Canada website at www.syngenta.ca

PAGE 32 –– JANUARY 2011 THE GROWER

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