The Grower July 2015 by The Grower

JULY 2015

CELEBRATING 136 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION

VOLUME 65 NUMBER 07

AGRITOURISM’S GROWING PAINS

How to make the Instagram moment a paying moment

Lavender fields forever? Jack Frost nipped that question in the bud in late May, freezing tender shoots which had emerged after another harsh winter. Anita and Steve Buehner along with lavender festival partners Jan and Harold Schooley are recalculating their options for what should be peak season in July. Their story offers insight into the tenacity required for agritourism ventures. Two years ago on a hot July day, this Waterford, Ontario photo shows the ephemeral beauty of what Bonnieheath Estate Lavender has to offer tourists. Photo by Glenn Lowson.

INSIDE Manitoba scores bigger potato acreage Page 5 Focus: Agritourism and farmers’ markets Page 13 Berry Focus

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www.thegrower.org P.M. 40012319 $3.00 CDN

KAREN DAVIDSON Waterford, Ontario – Scratch the surface of this calendarworthy shot and there’s a gritty story underneath. Ontario’s fledgling lavender industry has just endured its second harsh winter and then was tarnished with frost in late May. The agronomists are saying to cut the plants back to the base to encourage new growth and secondary bloom. “Staggered bloom is rarely a good thing,” says Sean Westerveld, OMAFRA’s ginseng and medicinal herbs specialist. “The plants will be under stress longer. This is a bit of a reality check. We’re growing lavender in less than an ideal climate.” Fortunately, these new lavender enterprises aren’t run by fledgling farmers. The Norfolk County Lavender Festival will go ahead July 4 and 5. Not to worry say Anita and Steve Buehner who transformed their tobacco farm in 2010 to launch Bonnieheath Estate Lavender and Winery. They have built considerable infrastructure – gift boutique, oil distillery, gazebo and parking – to

accommodate large groups of visitors to the farm. It takes a lot of hardscaping for soft selling agriculture. Soft selling is story telling. It’s not just about the retail store, but the experience of the farm – its setting, its history, its food. The question is whether this ‘teaching’ moment can become a ‘paying’ moment for the Buehner family and others. They hope tourists will still come to see lavender fields, whether it’s an Instagram moment or not. As a hedge, they have diversified with a vineyard so that they’re not quite so reliant on finicky lavender. Just in time for the 2015 season, they launched Folkin’ Hard Ciders made from 100 per cent Norfolk Countygrown apples and tart cherries. In five years, the Buehners’ have put their reputations on a website (www.bonnieheathestate.com) and on the map, literally. The destination was named one of Norfolk County’s Top 10 Amazing Places in 2014. Earlier this year, the farm received the Sustainable Tourism Ambassador Award from the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation.

“

We’re on track,

but the future is uncertain.” ~Anita Buehner

With about a thousand visitors during the two-day LavenderFest last July, two thousand for the remainder of the month and many more during the year, the plan is to double that number in 2015. An analysis of the business stats shows a shift from lavender to more sales on the beverage side. “We’re on track, but the future is uncertain,” says Anita Buehner. This year’s event is fortified by the Norfolk Lavender Culinary Trail, says Melissa Schooley, a co-organizer of the event. Twelve restaurants and specialty food shops throughout the county are infusing lavender into cocktails, sauces and desserts. It’s a true celebration of the lavender harvest throughout the month of July. If lavender doesn’t light up the field this year, other attractions in Norfolk County beckon. When weather crimps one crop, then this is where a critical mass of destinations close to each other makes sense. A few kilometres away, for example, is Ramblin’ Road Brewery Farm which is open year-round for tours and a tipple. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

PAGE 2 –– JULY 2015 THE GROWER

NEWSMAKERS

AT PRESS TIME… Health claims allowed for fruits and vegetables

On June 13, Health Canada published the Proposed Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations – Nutrition Labelling, Other Labelling Provisions and Food Colours in Canada Gazette Part I. Included in this proposed regulation are changes to the nutrition label and the listing of ingredients. Of particular significance to the fresh fruit and vegetable industry are the proposals to: • amend the regulations to permit, the claim “A healthy diet rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits may help reduce the risk of heart disease” • permit the above claim and other approved health and nutrient content claims to be made for eligible prepackaged fresh fruits or vegetables without a requirement for a nutrition facts table. In addition, Health Canada announced new public education

tools to encourage healthy eating, including a new “Eat Well Plate” visual. This aligns well with the Half Your Plate program launched by the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Public Health Association in January 2015. “We are thrilled that Health Canada has shown leadership on this issue,” says Ron Lemaire, president, CPMA. “When we began researching this campaign, Canadians were unanimous in stating that serving sizes could be confusing and that the suggestion to fill half of their plate with vegetables and fruit at every meal and snack was clear and simple to understand and follow. This also translates well to the grocery store, where we suggest that half of their cart be filled with vegetables and fruit so that they have healthier options to choose from at home.” The 75-day comment period on proposed regulatory changes to the nutrition information on food labels ends August 26.

perspectives, as well as best practice examples. Lorne McClinton’s exemplary reporting documents the dual life of a Jamaican worker who has worked for Ken Forth for 30 years. At Rock River, Jamaica, he’s Donald Lloyd Dyer. For seven months of the year, he’s Rocky in Canada. The story peels back the layers to show how his hard work has supported a family of four and how his daughter is the first to graduate from college. The story also highlights how well the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) works in term of legal employment, housing and health benefits. Ken Forth, president of Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS) gave unparalleled access to the photographer and journalist. For the entire story, go to: http://ow.ly/OfvJg

Photo courtesy OPMA.

OPMA also elected its new board of directors. Steve Bamford, Fresh Advancements Inc. is chair and Chris Streef, Streef Produce is past-chair. They are joined by these directors: Frank Bondi, Sobeys Ontario; Chris Cockle, POM Wonderful LLC; Angela Collins, Willson International Limited; Joe Didiano, Tomato King; Joe Dutchyn, Niagara Orchard & Vineyard Corp.; Paola Guarnieri, Toronto Wholesale Produce Association; Houman Madani, Metro Ontario Inc.; Greg Maffey, Walmart Canada; Dave Overall, Windmill Farms; Derrick Rayner, EarthFresh Foods; Frank Spagnuolo, Loblaw Inc. Alberta’s new NDP, 12-member cabinet welcomes Oneil Carlier, MLA for Whitecourt-Ste Anne as the minister of agriculture and forestry. Born in Val Marie, Sask., he was raised on his family’s cattle and grain farm. Before moving to Alberta in 2002, he spent 20 years with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as a geotechnical technician. He has 20 years of experience in the labour movement as a representative for the Public Service Alliance of Canada

Rocky finds fame in The Furrow Earlier this year, The Furrow Magazine published a photo essay and story about a seasonal worker at the broccoli farm of Ken Forth, Lynden, Ontario. If you’re not familiar with this publication, it’s an agricultural journal now published in 14 languages for John Deere GmbH & Co KG. With stellar photography, it provides a mix of current issues in farming with both local and international

The Ontario Produce Marketing Association (OPMA) has announced Virginia Zimm will be taking over the position of OPMA president from the retiring Ian MacKenzie in January 2016. She will start job shadowing in mid-August to prepare for the transition. Zimm brings 25 years of experience leading Faye Clack Communications, a marketing and PR firm that specializes in promotion of fresh food.

British Columbia welcomes Carl Withler as its new tree fruit and grape sector specialist based in Kelowna. He’s worked for several provincial ministries. He brings practical experience working in his wife’s family orchard and vineyard near Osoyoos.

Congratulations to the Johnston family from Bailieboro, Ontario who are featured on the cover of the 15th edition of Harvest Ontario. They sell fruits and vegetables from their on-farm market as well as the Peterborough Farmers’ Market on Saturdays. They are members of the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association and are MyPick Verified Growers with Farmers’ Markets Ontario. L-R: Nathan, Elizabeth, Craig, Melissa, Doug Johnston and Duke the farm dog. The Harvest Ontario guide includes an exhaustive list of agritourism attractions. They are available free while quantities last at Ontario Home Hardware, Home Building Centres and Home Furniture locations as well as select Ontario Travel Information Centres. For a digital version, go to www.harvestontario.com Ontario MPP for Huron Bruce, Lisa Thompson, launched her private member’s motion during Local Food Week. Called “Growing Agri-Food Jobs in Ontario,” the motion encourages agriculture and food literacy by ensuring the ministry of education includes a mandatory component of career opportunities associated with Ontario’s agri-food industry in the grades nine and 10 guidance and career education curriculum. Thompson’s motion will be debated for second reading on October 8. Amanda Green is the new tree fruit specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs based out of the Simcoe office. She will be responsible for crop production matters for apples and pears. Most recently, she held the position of tender fruit and grape specialist and weed management program lead, both with OMAFRA’s Agriculture Development Branch. Food and Beverage Ontario elected a new board of directors recently, with Michael Burrows, Maple Lodge Farms, becoming the new chair. Board secretary is Dave Shepherd, The Ippolito Group. Horticulture is well represented among the 15-member board including: Rob Anderson, Bonduelle North America, Paul Speck, Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery.

JULY 2015 –– PAGE 3 THE GROWER

COVER STORY

How to make the Instagram moment a paying moment

Harold Schooley and his daughter Melissa, a co-organizer of the Norfolk County Lavender Festival, look forward to welcoming visitors to the immaculately pruned farm of Apple Hill Lavender, gift store and Raging Bowl Pottery near Windham Centre, Ontario. “One of the biggest challenges is to get the traffic here,” says Harold Schooley. “While the farm is located just 0.6 kilometres from a major thoroughfare, we can’t get permission to erect a sign on that highway.”

“

The Ramblin’ Road Brewery Farm website offers an entertaining twist on where beer comes from. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 John Picard -- of Picard Peanuts’ fame - is a pioneer in pointing out that bottles of beer don’t pour out of a factory without starting as agricultural ingredients. His four acres of hops comprise 11 bittering, flavouring and aromatic varieties. Visitors can roam the grounds with a glass of beer in hand. If they time their visit for late August, they can see a home-built combine inverting the vines and stripping the cones. “I’m really excited about where

agriculture is at right now,” says Picard. “Farmers are good innovators and they are innovative at developing food products.” His line of farm-fresh beer includes a Country Lager, Country Pilsner and a Dakota Pearl Ale. He’s mined the name of a chipping variety of potato and transplanted it to a beer made from potato stock. A line of kettle chips made from Norfolk-grown potatoes rounds out the offering. The next frontier is marketing directly to consumers. Picard has a good start with his entertaining website (www.ramblinroad.ca) that promotes his

I’m really excited about where agriculture is at right now. Farmers are good innovators and they are innovative at developing food products.” ~ John Picard “new crop of cans” and “Twitter on tap.” Picard’s business model is to sell beer through local licensees in southwestern Ontario. This strategy reinforces the uniqueness of a local product. To grow the business, he’s hired an account manager to expand the list of licensees farther afield. The LCBO is not a target for mass sales, he says, due to the long list of craft beers already available. Michigan growers, he notes, fulfill 20

per cent of the craft beer market while Ontario growers own only three per cent of the craft beer market. When the first hops were planted in 2006, Ramblin’ Road Brewery Farm was the 40th microbrewery to start in the province and now there are more than a hundred. He says there’s plenty of room to grow new beers. As Picard says, “You may get lost getting here, but we’re in the middle of somewhere special.”

INTERNATIONAL UNITED STATES

CHINA

CALIFORNIA

UNITED KINGDOM

MICHIGAN

U.S. pear crop to be 2% higher

All U.S. apples welcomed

Record employment for farm workers

Cider gains popularity

Late frost nicks cherries

Growers from the northwestern United States predict the 2015 fresh pear harvest at almost 20.4 million standard boxes, about two per cent higher than the five-year average. Harvest is expected to start in late July, five to seven days earlier than normal. Green Anjou pears are estimated to make up 54 per cent of the crop with Bartlett expected to fulfill 21 per cent market share and Bosc at 15 per cent. Certified organic pears will comprise about five per cent of the total: 974,115 standard boxes. Top export markets for USA Pears are Mexico, Canada, Columbia and the UAE, as well as China and India.

All varieties of U.S. apples have been cleared for shipment to China. In a reciprocal deal reached earlier this year, China will allow more than Red and Golden Delicious apples to arrive on its shores. The Red Delicious variety has been popular due to its red colour signaling wealth and prosperity. This is good news for Washington state growers who produced 46 million boxes of Red Delicious apples in 2014 and were stymied with exports due to port disputes. According to the Good Fruit Grower, the Chinese no longer call for cold treatment for codling moth since the pest is now present in China.

Contrary to what economists predicted in the midst of an epic drought, California employed a record number of farm workers in 2014. That’s because farmers have shifted production to more labour-intensive – and lucrative - crops such as strawberries, nuts, wine grapes and some vegetables. About 417,000 workers, on average, were employed which is up by 6,000 from the previous year. Average pay is about $9 US per hour. The Sacramento Bee reported May 19 that farm labour has increased by 30,000 since 2004. Farmers fallowed only five per cent of the state’s irrigated cropland according to federal statistics and satellite photos.

The global market for cider is expected to grow by about five per cent a year to three billion litres by 2020. The Canadean Group, specialists in the beverage sector, says that the United Kingdom is still the largest market with 41 per cent of the global market share. However, the United States, Australia and South Africa are posting strong growth. Craft production and sensory fusion are the next steps for cider brands. Younger adults are interested in artisanal brands that are positioned around purity, high quality ingredients and extra care in the production process. Another marketing trend is to fuse cider with other alcoholic beverages.

Michigan’s cherry crop may be down 40 to 60 per cent due to a late frost May 20. Grapes and apples may not fare much better according to the Northwest Michigan Fruit Regional Report. Authors Emily Pochubay and Nikki Rothwell reported that the sweet cherry crop is variable. “Unfortunately, we have seen frost scars on some of our sweet cherries here at the station,” they write. Growers were advised to keep developing fruit covered, with warm and wet weather in the forecast which is conducive to American brown rot development. Tart cherries were also variable, but growers were more optimistic that there is a 50 per cent crop.

Source: Hortidaily.com

Source: BeverageDaily.com

Source: FreshPlaza.com

Source: FreshPlaza.com Source: FreshPlaza.com

PAGE 4 –– JULY 2015 THE GROWER

CROSS COUNTRY DIGEST CANADA

Canadian Senate endorses multi-pronged approach to bee health Canada’s National Bee Health Roundtable, formerly known as the Bee Health Forum, applauds the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry’s May 27 report on bee health which acknowledges that the issue is complex and multifactorial. “The standing committee consulted extensively on this important topic before delivering nine specific recommendations. Much like the Bee Health Roundtable (BHRT), the committee recognizes that many things contribute to bee health and only by addressing those factors broadly will we improve bee health in Canada,” says Rod Scarlett, co-chair of the BHRT and executive director of the Canadian Honey Council. The senate committee report recommends: • Bee importation from the U.S. be allowed, with an emphasis on improving the inspection of such imports • The bee health surveillance project (jointly funded by government and industry partners) be implemented on a continuous basis • Accelerating implementation of the National Bee Farm-Level Biosecurity Standard in hives

• The PMRA accelerate its conditional registration process in order to reduce the current number of conditional registrations granted to neonic active ingredients • The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development conduct a follow-up audit of PMRA • Improving access to new pesticides which could be safely used in beehives • PMRA continues to monitor bee mortality and concludes, without delay, its reevaluation of the three neonic insecticides • Increasing the amount and the duration of research funding targeting pollinator health • Improving management practices of beekeepers and growers while minimizing the use of chemical products and ensuring the availability of untreated seeds • Improving pollinator habitat by enhancing planting of wild flowering plants The BHRT appreciates the committee’s recognition of the work it is doing to improve best management practices for both beekeepers and growers, and improving pollinator habitat and is grateful for the call to increase research funding in areas already supported by many roundtable members. The BHRT is up to the challenge of the recommendations tasked to it in the Senate report and looks forward

Honey Bee Incidents Reported to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency

Figure 1: Comparison of the unique number of Ontario yards reported at planting over the last four years - as of June 11, 2015. During planting period there was ~70% decrease in the number of reported yards affected in 2014 compared to 2013, and in 2015 the reduction was ~80% compared to 2013. Source: PMRA to delivering results. “The senate committee report is very complementary to the recommendations that came out of the White House last week,” said Scarlett. “There appears to be real momentum behind the idea that only a well-rounded approach can make a true difference for the future of bees.” “We’ve seen a lot of engagement from

stakeholders on this issue willing to work together to ensure the continued prosperity of the beekeeping industry here in Canada. It’s these kinds of collaborative approaches that will result in real solutions to bee health challenges,” says Scarlett. Source: Canadian Honey Council news release

QUEBEC

Tenders to be issued for 40-hectare cucumber greenhouse Canadian-based Serres Toundra has partnered with AAB, a Netherlands-based horticultural service provider, to build a 40-hectare cucumber greenhouse in Saint Felicien near Quebec City. Tenders for the first phase are worth $40 million with three more phases to follow for a total of $100 million. The location is strategic due to its proximity to a local paper mill which will supply waste heat to the greenhouse. When completed, the building will include a section for propagation. Financing will be provided by banks as well as a pension fund and the government of Quebec according to the AAB’s news release. Cultivation expertise and propagation management will be outsourced to Dutch companies. The announcement was made during a Dutch trade delegation to Canada, which ran parallel to the visit of Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Majesty Queen Máxima.

MARITIMES

Potato tampering perplexes industry More cases of potato tampering were reported in May, triggering an Atlantic recall by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for some Loblaw and Strang’s Produce potatoes. On June 22, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced that funding of $1.5 million would help Prince Edward Island growers to acquire and install metal detection equipment to protect the food safety record of the industry.

Since the incidents started in the fall of 2014, no arrests have been made in the case of food tampering involving the deliberate insertion of sewing needles into potatoes. The Prince Edward Island Potato Board has extended its reward for information until October 31. Up to $100,000 is offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator. Anonymous tips are eligible for the reward.

JULY 2015 –– PAGE 5 THE GROWER

POTATO INDUSTRY

Bright spots reported in potato processing with new contracts Manitoba Statistics for Canadian potato plantings won’t be available until mid-July, but some patterns are already emerging for 2015. Manitoba’s acreage is up, returning to more traditional levels with contracts with Simplot, McCain Foods and Cavendish Farms. “My best guess is that we’ll be over 70,000 acres,” says Dan Sawatzky, general manager, Keystone Potato Producers’ Association, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. “Although contract volume is up 18 to 20 per cent, acreage will likely be up by only 15 per cent due to an early start to planting. Acreage will likely return close to 2013 levels but will remain below those of 2012.” While contract prices went down 1.5 per cent in the U.S., our contract prices went up three per cent due to currency exchange contributing to higher input costs. The attitude of growers was more positive with volumes returning closer to 2012 levels.” Manitoba plantings were timely in late April and early May, lending credence to the expectation for higher yields. In Manitoba, the potato industry is 79 per cent processing and 21 per cent fresh table potatoes. The three-year provincial average yield is 295 cwt/acre. “Processing companies kept volumes close to the same as last year in North America with some shifts within both the U.S. and Canada,” says Sawatzky. “There is additional volume in Washington, New Brunswick and Manitoba and less in Idaho,

Wisconsin and Alberta.” “While consumer demand is flat to down in North America, it is growing globally. Europe captured most of the growth last year due to strong production and the U.S. Pacific port worker slowdown. North America, however, should be positioned to regain export demand this year barring productions problems.” Alberta Overall crop remaining in storage is up 7.8 per cent compared to one year ago. Photo by Glenn Lowson

A good chunk of Alberta’s potatoes are destined for five processors: Cavendish Farms, Lamb Weston, McCain Foods Canada, Hostess Frito-Lay and Old Dutch. “We were two weeks early in planting and estimate 52,600 acres,” says Terence Hochstein, executive director, Potato Growers of Alberta. “About 40,000 of those acres are destined for processing.” As of June 22, the irrigated acres were at row closure, but seed potato acres in central Alberta were in desperate need of rain. Prince Edward Island The long arm of the 2014-15 winter delayed planting into mid-June on the island. The estimate is for the same acreage as last year, about 90,500 acres says Ryan Barrett, communications coordinator, Prince Edward Island Potato Board. Ontario In Ontario, plantings are stable at 35,500 acres says Kevin Brubacher, field

manager, Ontario Potato Board. Despite late frosts in some areas, most crops have recovered, especially with plentiful rain in June. With half of the crop destined for processing, growers were heartened with the news that PepsiCo is investing $12 million to update its Frito-Lay plant in Cambridge, Ontario. The provincial government will contribute $3 million through its Rural Economic Development Program. High-speed packaging systems are expected to improve competitiveness for its line of potato chips and other snack foods. These brands include Lay’s, Doritos, Tostitos, Cheetos and Ruffles. Potato Storage Holdings Report Agriculture Canada released its Potato Storage Holdings Report for the 2014-15 season on June 5. The balance of the overall crop remaining in storage is up 7.8 per

cent compared to one year ago says Kevin MacIssac, United Potato Growers of Canada. In his recent newsletter he offers the following analysis. The 18.6 million cwt compares to 17.2 million cwt in June 2014 and is the highest since 2007. Maritime holdings are up 32 per cent while western Canadian holdings are down 10.2 per cent. Central Canada is down as well, at 5. 4 per cent in Quebec and 11 per cent in Ontario, compared to 2014. The largest increase is in potatoes intended for utilization in the fresh market. If all potatoes that are available for this category get packed, there will be about 70 per cent more available than last year (2.9 million cwt vs. 1.7 million cwt). This pattern has intensified as each month has progressed throughout the marketing season. Western provinces have seen accelerated movement in the fresh market, while provinces such as Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick have experienced decreased movement. In the month of May, however, fresh disappearance in some provinces actually picked up. Quebec, for example, had record May disposition of their fresh potatoes going back almost 15 years. Ontario has also lowered its stocks on hand dramatically which will allow room for the new crop to come to market. The supply of potatoes destined for processing is up 5 per cent compared to a year ago. Source: Agriculture Canada Potato Storage Holdings Report, 2014-15 season.

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PAGE 6 –– JULY 2015 THE GROWER

CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL

Potato industry is out in front on sustainability initiative The Potato Sustainability Initiative brings together potato growers, processors, distributors and retailers under a single program to improve sustainability in the potato supply chain in the U.S. and Canada. In 2014, 242 Canadian growers participated as a requirement to service McDonalds processors. The Canadian Potato Council has two representatives on the steering committee: Vernon Campbell, Summerfield, Prince Edward Island and Mike Wind, Taber, Alberta. The project started in 2010 to develop an integrated pest management (IPM) practice survey for potato growers supplying McDonald’s. The goal was to promote, track, and report adoption of IPM and other best practices that help reduce pesticide use and risks. A group including growers, three potato processors— ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, McCain Foods and Simplot—McDonald’s, the National Potato Council (NPC), the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) and the IPM Institute agreed on a timetable. Over four growing seasons, the group perfected an online practice survey with more than 400 North American potato growers. Each grower responded to questions about a variety of best practices including crop rotation to help manage Colorado potato beetle and other pests, weather monitoring for forecasting diseases, and the need for fungicide applications and scouting and trapping for insect pests. Each practice was categorized as Basic, Steward, Expert, or Master reflecting a low-management to high-management level of implementation. Participating

Photo by Glenn Lowson

growers were able to benchmark their farm performance, practice by practice, to the average for their region, country or market segment (i.e., frozen, chip, fresh and seed). Individual data was secure, visible only to the grower or accessible by sharing to selected business

partners, while aggregated industry data was accessible for public inquiry. “The program has really evolved from pesticide practices to include soil stewardship, health and safety, and community involvement,” says Eric Ritchie, agriculture manager North America for food safety, sustainability and policy at McCain Foods in Florenceville –Bristol, New Brunswick. “The potato industry is out in front on sustainability initiatives and has a lot to share with other commodities.” The program’s benefits have been so compelling that companies such as H.J. Heinz/Ore-Ida Foods, Cavendish Farms and Basic American Foods have joined. A consolidated set of questions and improved user functionality was rolled out across North America in late 2014 as the Potato Sustainability Initiative (PSI) Survey. Moving forward, Ritchie says the survey will implement metrics such as nutrient use efficiency, water usage, waste reduction, worker health and safety, pesticide reduction in risk due to IPM and greenhouse gas/energy efficiency. Survey response validation by food companies is scheduled for late 2015 and third party auditing is to begin in 2016. Trends have shown a steady improvement in scores. In 2013, 97.7 per cent of surveyed growers achieved at least a basic level of IPM stewardship, with 48 per cent at the Master level of IPM practitioners. The annual overall rating index has steadily increased over four years, starting at 2.83 in 2010 and improving to 3.11 in 2013. Survey results can be found on the CHC and NPC websites.

Genome found in sweet potatoes could temper GMO debate A remarkable genetic discovery has been made in sweet potatoes by researchers from Belgium, Peru, China and the U.S. In a scientific paper published in March 2015, they report that among 291 tested accessions of cultivated sweet potato, all

contain one or more transfer DNA (TDNA) sequences. These sequences, which are expressed in a cultivated sweet potato clone (Huachano), suggest that an Agrobacterium infection occurred during its evolution. One of the T-DNAs is

present in all cultivated sweet potato clones, but not in the crop’s close wild relatives, suggesting that T-DNA provided a trait or traits that were selected for during domestication. This finding underlines the importance of plant-microbe interactions,

CHC partners in Bees Matter campaign CHC is partnering in a new campaign entitled Bees Matter (www.beesmatter.ca). Canadian agricultural organizations are

focusing on bee health in a positive, science-focussed approach. As part of the campaign, the Buzzing Gardens program offers

Canadians a free seed kit to plant a pollinator garden along with a leaflet about the factors that affect honeybee health.

The ‘AQUA Wetland System’ “A new breed of constructed wetland” AQUA Treatment Technologies Inc. designs and installs the ‘AQUA Wetland System’ (AWS) for tertiary treatment of many types of waste water including sanitary sewage, landfill leachate, dairy farm & abattoir wastewater, greenhouse irrigation leachate water & mushroom farm leachate water (i.e. manure pile leachate) and high strength winery washwater. The ‘AQUA Wetland System’ is operated out of doors and can achieve year-round tertiary treatment of wastewater. This sub-surface, vertical flow constructed wetland consists of sand & gravel beds planted with moisture tolerant plant species. Water is pumped vertically from cell to cell. There is no open or standing water. Treatment occurs through physical filtration & biological degradation. Plants shade & insulate the cells, cycling nutrients while preventing algae growth. There is no production of sludge. The AWS has been approved for use by the Ontario Ministry of Environment through over 40 Environmental Compliance Approvals. Recently the Region of Niagara began approving the AWS for treatment of ‘small flow’ winery washwater I.e. < 10,000 liters per day. Other agencies who have issued approvals include Health Canada, USEPA and OMAFRA. Recent projects include: 1) treatment & re-use of greenhouse irrigation leach water at greenhouses in Niagara & Haldimand 2) treatment of winery wastewater at Greenlane Estates Winery & numerous other in Niagara 3) treatment of landfill leachate at sites in Pembroke, Niagara and Alabama

For additional information please Contact Lloyd Rozema at: cell. 905-327-4571 email. lrozema@aqua-tt.com

and given that this crop has been eaten for millennia, it may change the paradigm governing the “unnatural” status of transgenic crops.

JULY 2015 –– PAGE 7 THE GROWER

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PAGE 8 –– JULY 2015 THE GROWER

Four shades of colour

JASON VERKAIK CHAIR, OFVGA In Ontario, this spring has gone from dry to wet, using the same pipe to put water on the field to save plants from certain death, only to pump water off the field four days later to prevent the plants from drowning. As things change the goal stays the same: a good yielding and high quality crop with a fair market price. Good farmers, despite the variations in weather, manage to produce quality and yields. Good governments should help us maintain a fair market place.

We are on the verge of a potential historic change. The climate is beginning to show signs of variations and sometimes erratic patterns. More models are warming up to the new possibilities. There have even been multiple shifts felt across the landscape, which has shaken what previous predictions and parameters would never allow. Some people may argue that this is history repeating itself; others may say we are in for something we have never seen before. I am referring here to politics, and like weather, we as farmers need to monitor future forecasts, understand the trends and respond to the outcomes, whether predicted or not. We need to use the knowledge we have gained and the tools in our possession. We have seen a historic change in Alberta, with its new provincial government changing from blue to orange. The Ontario province is painted red. In some areas, green is slowly becoming more of a presence. Our country right now is under a blue banner. The OFVGA must bring its

message to all levels of government – provincial, federal and interprovincial. We have federal files such as PACA, crop protection and trade, to name a few, that are being woven into provincial policy. This now creates differences between the provinces and provincial polices which are not aligned with the federal government. In Ontario, for example, the government has implemented a change in neonicotinoid usage, while the federal body, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency,

has a different set of guidelines. Also, carbon cap and trade in Ontario is being modeled after Quebec and California. In yet another divergence, Alberta’s proposal for a $15 minimum wage by 2018 could create competitive imbalances for farmers between the provinces. As each political party has different agendas, the OFVGA must continue to be engaged and work with the entire kaleidoscope of political colours both federally and provincially. We must be able to adapt to the changing of the

guard if and when it happens. We must understand how the different governments relate to each other. A federal election is not far off; there are rumblings and forecasting of a historic change. Is it possible that we go from blue to orange, or will red come through? Or will it stay the same in the end? What influence will green have? Maybe the colours will combine. As we respond to the variations of the weather, so also must we respond with the changing of the four shades of colour.

How do we get heard and are we listened to?

JOHN KELLY EXECUTIVE VP, OFVGA Listening and hearing. These are not the same thing. No matter what the occupation or circumstance, there will always be times when one needs to get a message across which is difficult for the listener to hear. In the same vein, delivering the message in the right way can make it more palatable on the recipient of that message. The consequences of delivering a message in a way that completely alienates the recipient often leads to the closure of further opportunities to be heard. This is why it is necessary to craft messaging about serious issues carefully, and to understand the potential consequences

that could result. Communication, as most know, is a two-way endeavor. If a message is delivered but not heard, its usefulness is severely limited. If the recipient does not want to hear the message, then again, it is not very useful. The most useful communication involves a message that is clearly articulated to a willing recipient. The recipient does not have to agree with the message, but must be willing to hear it. In the business of working with the government, with so many compounding issues and significant consequences, strong personalities and diverse communities, it is clear that delivering the message has to be done with consideration and thoughtfulness. While we may not always agree with the government of the day about an individual policy or regulation, it is necessary to consider the impact of one position on the ability to work with the government in other areas. We always need to be able to communicate our position on the many varied issues of the day in order to remain relevant. More and more, it is crucial to keep these lines of communication open. Understanding the

STAFF Publisher: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association Editor: Karen Davidson, 416-557-6413, kdavidson@ecomente.ca Production: Carlie Robertson, ext. 221, production@thegrower.org Advertising: Herb Sherwood, 519-380-0118, advertising@thegrower.org The Grower reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Any errors that are the direct result of The Grower will be compensated at our discretion with a correction notice in the next issue. No compensation will be given after the first running of the ad. Client signature is required before insertion. The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association is the sole owner of The Grower. All editorials and opinions expressed in The Grower are those of the newspaper’s editorial staff and/or contributor, and do not necessarily reflect the view of the association. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either whole or in part without the prior written consent of the publisher.

pressures that face the government is an important step in determining the communication strategy with these stakeholders. In Ontario, the current government is very focused on meeting the urban agenda as this is where the majority of their votes came from. It is with this in mind that the OFVGA works very hard at maintaining current lines of communication and developing new ones, to advocate and lobby on behalf of the grower. And it is not only with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, with whom the horticultural sector needs to be close to. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has an immense effect on the activities of farmers, from water and land use policies to newer controversial pesticide initiatives. The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, among others can influence the success and profitability of horticultural growers. And certainly communicating effectively with the Premier’s office is essential to the future of production in Ontario.

OFFICE 355 Elmira Road North, Unit 105 Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 CANADA Tel. 519-763-8728 • Fax 519-763-6604 The Grower is printed 12 times a year and sent to all members of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association who have paid $30.00 (plus G.S.T.) per year for the paper through their commodity group or container fees. Others may subscribe as follows by writing to the office:

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So with all of these diverse governmental stakeholders, how is it possible to effectively communicate with all of them. The OFVGA does not always agree with government direction and we have to let the policy makers and politicians know our position on policy, and it is up to the growers to drive those conversations. The Board of Directors of the OFVGA is made up of growers who understand the pressures horticulture faces and have been very active in putting forth positions to promote the perspective of fruit and vegetable farmers. It is obvious the government has an interest in our sector. In June the OFVGA, along with many other horticultural organizations, participated in a “market” at Queen’s Park. In a small way, hundreds of government workers, including some elected officials, were able to see the impact that this sector can have in Ontario. This was a very good opportunity to have people listen and to be heard. Indeed the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and his Parliamentary Assistant both made strong efforts to speak to all participants in the event, and it is evident that they have a strong desire to listen.

We want the other ministries to have the same level of interest in listening to the concerns of the sector and we must continue to communicate effectively across government. The growers of fruits and vegetables have had a lot to say to the government over the past several months. Growers have had significant input into discussions on climate change, water, agricultural land use, pension plans and other major government initiatives. All submissions made to the government by the OFVGA are online (www.ofvga.org) and we encourage all interested parties to get engaged with these documents. It takes a lot of effort to evaluate positions and input on various policies, consult with stakeholders and to develop appropriate responses to government legislative proposals. It is crucial that growers continue to be vocal and to make the government hear our issues. While we know we have delivered a lot of messages, the question that remains to be answered: Is the government listening and are we being heard?

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015

OFVGA SECTION CHAIRS

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Crop Protection Research Property Labour Safety Nets CHC

Chair Vice-Chair Fruit Director Veg Director Director

Jason Verkaik, Bradford Jan Vander Hout, Waterdown Norm Charbonneau, Port Elgin Mac James, Leamington John Thwaites, Niagara-on-the-Lake

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 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 Greenhouse

Charles Stevens, Newcastle Kenny Forth, Lynden John Thwaites, Niagara-on-the-Lake Neil Reimer, Vienna Bill George Jr., Beamsville Jason Verkaik, Bradford Mac James, Leamington Norm Charbonneau, Port Elgin Ken Van Torre, Burford Jan Vander Hout, Waterdown Don Taylor, Durham

Charles Stevens, Newcastle Harold Schooley, Simcoe Brian Gilroy, Meaford Ken Forth, Lynden Mark Wales, Alymer Murray Porteous, Simcoe

JULY 2015 –– PAGE 9 THE GROWER

PERSPECTIVE Look to Ontario farmers for local food

OWEN ROBERTS U OF GUELPH When it comes to food, it’s increasingly clear where Ontario is headed. The province believes local food is what consumers want, and it’s reacting accordingly. Its current course is not the way a lot of modern mainstream farmers want it to proceed. They feel their needs aren’t being met by the province, and that consumers see them as environmentally insensitive. The reality is that farmers are, and continue to be, the best environmentalists. Farmers must remind the public it’s them, not self-interest groups, who look after the countryside on their behalves, day after day, season in and season out. People who suggest farmers

are acting irresponsibly are looking after their own interests and ideologies, not that of most Ontarians. But unfortunately for farmers, when it comes to this issue, the horse has left the barn...and did so very quickly. The culture in Ontario has changed dramatically, and farmers need to find ways to co-exist with a movement that sees them differently. Education is vital. One of the best approaches is to show how all farmers, not just a select few, are purveyors of local food. Studies in the U.S. have shown consumers care that farmers feed the local community (more so than the global one). In Canada, I suspect the same thing applies and I’m sure it won’t be long before a study emerges showing that. Declaring yourself a local food producer -- and explaining the need for flexibility and elbow room to do what you do -- is truthful. Almost all commodities grown on Ontario farms end up as food. Those commodities are grown locally. It’s an easy connection. That won’t make the differences between the province and mainstream farmers go away. But it might move both sides closer to what they want – which is, appearing responsible to

consumers. I believe that to make the best of where the province is headed, farmers need to have their own local food strategy, however it looks. That became clearer last month, when Ontario released its first Local Food Report. The report stems from the Local Food Act of 2013, the first of its kind in Canada. Under this act, the minister is obliged to establish goals and targets for improved local food literacy, increased use of local food by the public sector, and increased access to local food. One way to increase access to local food is to produce more it, more of what consumers say they are looking for. This is the kind of production likely to receive new support from the province, as is the research that makes it meaningful. Then there’s the Local Food Strategy, which picks up on Foodland Ontario’s 92 per cent consumer recognition. Foodland Ontario was visionary. It was promoting local food even before the term was coined. Another local food feature supported by the province is a tax credit program, introduced to acknowledge farmers who donate local food to food banks. Not everyone can afford food, local or otherwise. This program helps

Bridget Visser, Holland Marsh Growers' Association at the Farmers' Market, Ontario legislature. food banks offer up local food, some of the best food available. Then there’s Local Food Week, which is now proclaimed as an official week in the province the first week of every June, just as local asparagus and berries are coming into season. One of the clearest local food success stories is what’s happened with University of Guelph food services. At a recent Guelph Chamber of Commerce breakfast, the university’s chief food procurement official Mark Kenny hit a home run with a presentation about what he called the institution’s local food revolution. It operates a local vegetable processing facility, and will soon

start making its own sausage. As well, this fall it will open a Pan Asian grill, featuring Ontario goat meat, among other commodities. The university, and everyone else, is looking to Ontario farmers for local food. This is a great opportunity to assimilate into a changing culture – without really having to make too much of a change, other than underline to Ontarians what you do. And what you do is grow the local food they crave. Sure, on the ground, it’s more complicated than that. But from consumers’ perspective, it’s as simple as that. They crave it, you grow it. Done and done.

Saskatoon berries are novelty at Ontario farmers’ markets

LAHAVE NAT ATURAL FA ARM MS 19 9 cultivars available

KAREN DAVIDSON While frost crisped the blossoms of apples, strawberries and blueberries in some parts of southern Ontario this past spring, the Saskatoon berry has thrived. Thanks to its heritage in western Canada, these bushes have proved their winter hardiness near Waterford, Ontario. About 2.5 acres are in production at Rowen Farms, operated by John and Barbara Rowen. “Saskatoon berries are easy to grow, but, because of the southern location and the lack of any added chemicals on the Rowen Farm, it takes 10 to 11 years before a serious crop is produced,” says Barbara Rowen. She demonstrates how the flexible branches can be bent downwards to strip the stems of

the fruit clusters. While they are not certified organic growers on paper, they do not use crop protection products in their orchard. By the first of July, harvest will be underway. Under Rowen’s watchful eye, a contractor manages his labourers through the hand-picking process. Rowen supervises the sorting process. Pick-your-own, pre-picked retail or wholesale saskatoons are available About 50 per cent of the production is frozen for use in pies and jams, while the remainder is sold fresh. Saskatoon berries are relatively rare in Ontario, but certainly a welcome novelty at farmers’ markets. Local demand is such that the Rowen’s have planted another eight acres which should come into production in the next couple years.

Th he Haasskap Berry. Natuura urally l Inspi Inspire red! d! Have you discovered the Haskap berry yet? Grown in Japan and Russia for centuries, this unique, delicious berry is ga aining huge momentum with h growers and food-lovers alike in Nova Scotia and On ntario! At LaHave Natural Farms, a we’re helping to pionee er Haskap and can advise you on growing and maintaiining a healthy and successful Haskap orchard.

For further informa orrmation and plant sales, sales contact Lynn Pettypiece: Tel: 902 527 2139 Cell: 902 209 2912 2 email: lynn@lahavenaturalfarms.com 1776 Northﬁeld Rd, Blockhouse, Nova Scotia B0J 1E0 1 www.lahavenaturalfarms.com www.haskapa.com m

PAGE 10 –– JULY 2015 THE GROWER

Closing the loop: Using farm and processing-generated waste to produce biogas BRUCE KELLY Following last month’s article on food waste, I thought I would check with the Canadian Biogas Association to see how its thirty plus, on-farm digesters are working to use organic waste to produce biogas and energy. Although it has been reported that 40 per cent of food is wasted, biogas system operators have to work hard to find sources of organic materials to supplement manure which is the primary feedstock for on-farm digesters. Materials high in fats, oils and sugars are highly desirable to supplement the manure feedstock though any organic material can be blended into the feed-stream mix. The 40 per cent waste value was defined in the 2010 Food Waste in Canada report by the Value Chain Management Centre as “the quantifiable difference in value between what is produced on farms, then processed, distributed and sold every year, compared to what is consumed.” Although this may be an economist’s definition of food waste, it is highly misleading as it implies that the waste at each level of the system is retrievable, usable and safe to consume. Product is indeed lost at many steps along the processing system including through harvesting losses, trim, imperfect products and food safety. However, it is naive to assume that these byproducts/waste are or ever were fit for consumption. The largest amount of loss -almost 20 per cent of the total -occurs at the consumer level, consisting of spoiled food, past expiry dates, etc. Municipalities indicate that participation rates in green bin programs can be as low as 30 per cent because apartments and businesses do not have the ability to sort waste streams. The food system has a proven track record and long history of efficiency. Diverting and selling what might appear as waste (e.g. bakery waste) to other industries such as the livestock feed industry has always been good business. Secondary products from ren-

dering, bakery, milling, and ethanol production can all be used by other industries and divert materials from landfill. The food processing and animal processing sectors sell everything possible out of their facilities to virtually eliminate organic waste that goes to landfill. There are three main sources of organic material for farmbased biogas plants: farm-based inputs (including manure), crop residues and organic material from commercial and industrial sectors (including food and beverage processors). Diverting organic waste to a biogas plant instead of a landfill is good for business and good for the environment as it significantly lowers greenhouse gas emissions, returns nutrients to the soil, reduces risks to ground water, generates renewable energy, creates jobs, and increases energy security. If your operation produces organic materials you don’t use, the Canadian Biogas Association can connect you with the closest biogas system to your operation. There are more than 30 farm-based systems in Ontario. Closing the Loop is a collaborative initiative of the Canadian Biogas Association, working with municipalities, food processors and organic generators to direct organic material to biogas systems and where possible, produce renewable natural gas (RNG). For fleets switching to compressed natural gas (CNG), the RNG can be blended with conventional natural gas – which further reduces fleets’ greenhouse gas emissions. Using modern technology, and organic material no longer suitable for consumption, Closing the Loop builds on visionary work by leading municipalities that have a sustainable focus and are moving to reduce emissions and transportation costs, while recycling organic materials. As an example, a vegetable processor could contribute organic waste to a biogas facility and consider using RNG as a delivery vehicle fuel (or work with their trucking company). This would contribute to the sustainability objectives of the company, lower its greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to

renewable fuel production. One such project here in Ontario is with the innovative agricultural engineering firm Faromor in Shakespeare, where local trucking and transport companies will soon be able to fill up with compressed gas made from renewable local sources. “There is a lot of great momentum building,” says Stephanie Thorson of the Canadian Biogas Association. “No one had heard of RNG until recently and now municipalities across the country and some private companies understand the compelling case for closing the loop on organic materials.” How can you close the loop for your company? Farms with organic waste products or processors who generate organic byproducts should talk to their waste management company about sending material to biogas systems to improve their sustainability record. Interested parties can also talk to their waste management company about fueling with CNG and RNG. Visit www.biogasassociation.ca/ CTL for more information, or contact sthorson@biogasassociation.ca or bruce@farmfoodcare.org. Bruce Kelly is environmental program manager, Farm & Food Care.

COMING EVENTS 2015 July 4-5

Lavender Festival, Prince Edward County Lavender Farm, Hillier, ON

July 4-5

Norfolk County Lavender Festival, Apple Hill Lavender and Bonnieheath Estate Lavender and Winery, Windham Centre and Waterford, ON

July 8-9

Canadian Horticultural Council Summer Tour, Niagara region

July 9-10

Canadian Potato Council Meeting, Richmond, BC

July 11

Phytocultures Ltd Technical Information Haskap Session, Clyde River, PE

July 12-17

International Farm Management Association & Congress, Quebec City, QC

July 14

Ridgetown Vegetable Open House, Ridgetown Campus-University of Guelph, Ridgetown, ON

July17-19

International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration, Vineland, ON

July 21

Ontario Apple Tour, Harrow, ON

July 22

Summer Visit for New Apple Cultivars and Rootstocks, St. Joseph-du-Lac, QC 1:30 pm

July 22-23

Fresno Food Expo, Fresno Convention and Entertainment Centre, Fresno, CA

July 27 – 30 World Potato Congress, Yanqing, Beijing, China August 1

Food Day Canada

August 4

Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association Summer Tour, Kentville, NS

Aug 8 -9

Perth Lions Garlic Festival, Perth, ON

August 12

Elora Research Station Potato Day, Elora, ON

August 13

Peak of the Market 17th Annual Family Fun Day, Winnipeg, MB

August 20

Ontario Potato Field Day, HJV Equipment, Alliston, ON

August 20

Processing Vegetable Field Day, New York State Agricultural Experimental Station, Geneva, NY

Aug 20-21

U.S. Apple Crop Outlook and Marketing Conference, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Chicago, IL

JULY 2015 –– PAGE 11 THE GROWER

RETAIL NAVIGATOR

Cost increases should not be surprises

PETER CHAPMAN Cost increases are a necessary evil in our industry. They are also one of the most difficult messages to deliver to retailers. Nobody wants costs to go up and it can lead to a strain on the relationship between suppliers and retailers. This month I will share some insights on how to manage your cost to the retailer and how to maintain a positive relationship through cost increases. Work in advance You should be talking about your costs throughout the year to plant the seed for an increase. If you talk about costing during different meetings it does not seem like such a difficult discussion when you need to take it up. Educate the retailer on the different cost components of your business. You should make sure you understand the category you compete in. There are some commodities where costs change every week and others where the cost increases are implemented during certain times of the year. There are also times in the year when the retailers will not accept a cost increase on value added or consumer packaged goods items. They want their employees focused on selling during the key holiday period so do not expect any movement leading up to November and December. Share the good news and the bad news A cost increase should never be a surprise to the retailer. Keep them up-to-date on what is happening in your industry. If you are starting to experience commodity cost increases for raw materials or packaging cost increases let them know in advance. This will prepare them for the conversation to come in a few months. It never hurts to say “we are able to hold the line for six months as we had a contract price.” Most retailers spend considerable time to understand what is happening in the produce industry. Chances are if your business is experiencing increasing costs of production other growers are as well. They do respect you for being informed

about your industry. Labour is always a good topic of conversation. Retailers are very familiar with the increasing costs of labour. It is a challenge for many businesses. Focus on how your company is being proactive to find the right people however there is a cost and the facts are that minimum wage is increasing which drives up all segments of the organization. You should always think of the good and the bad. Not every cost is increasing so you need to present a realistic picture. Recently we have seen fuel costs go down and retailers know this. If you were in the same chair last year looking for a cost increase due to the cost of fuel you know they will remember the conversation. Keep your increases regular It is never great to deliver cost increases but do not put it off. Your business will be strained and at some point you will have to catch up. It is better to keep the cost moving in line with your cost of production as opposed to requiring a 10 per cent increase to stay in business.

on what the cost will be going forward. If you have any stories about your cost increases with your customers it would be great to learn more. You can send them to me at pchapman@gpsbusiness.ca.

used to be when I was at Loblaw. The sales in this department were higher than the seafood department. Overnight it just evaporated as the technology evolved. The retailers had to find new initiatives to replace these sales.

RETAIL NEWS

WHAT’S IN STORE?

Blacks to disappear from the retail landscape

How do you look from below?

You can influence the retail Most cost increases result in a retail price change. Do the math to understand what your retail will be. Use the category margin they are making on your product today and calculate where the price point will go with the new cost. You might be better to increase by a few pennies more and the retail will still be the same. The pennies add up!

One thing is constant about retail, it is always changing. Blacks photography stores announced they would be closing this year. It is no surprise as consumers print photos at home or share them on their phone. When I read the news it reminded me of how important the photo-finishing department

A number of retailers store their extra inventory on the top shelf on the retail floor or in some cases it returns to the back shop. You should think of your case as much more than just a box to ship in. Make it easier for people to find your product. If your product is out of stock you want it to be easy to find. Look at the photo

here from the employee’s point of view. It is not hard to tell which product might get worked back to the shelf and which one will sit on the top shelf until an employee has time to look in the boxes. It’s more than a cardboard box! Peter Chapman is a retail consultant, professional speaker and the author of A la cart-A suppliers’ guide to retailers’ priorities. Peter is based in Halifax NS, where he is the principal at GPS Business Solutions. Peter works with producers and processors to help them navigate through the retail environment with the ultimate goal to get more of their items in the shopping cart. pchapman@gpsbusiness.ca.

Don’t procrastinate Your category manager knows your business has to be profitable and maintain the ability to supply their stores. They will never tell you but they do need successful suppliers. Big beautiful stores with no products are not successful. It is true there will be someone in line to take your shelf space but if your product does contribute to their offering and is a part of the category strategy then they do need you there. Make sure the cost increase is part of the overall presentation. Maintain a balance of where your product is going in the future and what you are doing to drive traffic and sales in their store. If you have been talking about cost all year it is easier to say that you have an increase if you delivered a message six months ago about the cost of packaging going up. Understand your category manager. Some will always push back on cost -- you need to know that -- and build it into your starting point. Others will accept what you have been sharing all year. The most important thing is to have the conversation and agree

Only rins sed containers can be recycled

Helps keep collec ction sites clean

Use all th he chemicals you purchase

Keeps collection sites safe for workers

Maintain you ur farm’s good reputattion

No o exccuse no ott to o! Now, take your empty e fertilizer containeerrs along for the ride! i

PAGE 12 –– JULY 2015 THE GROWER

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION

Board briefs

Photo by Denis Cahill The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association (OFVGA) board met on June 18, 2015. Topics included safety nets, upcoming consultations on labour and crop protection. Safety Nets Eight states and two provinces have signed the Great Lakes Annex Agreement. The targets announced include a 20 per cent nutrient loading reduction. In the long term, a larger reduction is considered. Highlights of the agreement include recognition of poor sewage treatment on the other side of the lake and poor storm water management. The agricultural focus is on the best management practices that need to be adopted to meet targets. There is concern that there were no definitions of nutrients represented. The Ontario Ministry of Energy is focusing efforts on long-term energy conservation and is looking at buildings using power. In 2015 any building more than 250,000 square feet will have to report annually its water usage, energy usage, and greenhouse gas emissions calculation. By 2017, anyone with a

building more than 50,000 square feet will need to report on monthly energy uses (gas, hydro, etc.), and water usage, using an online database used to calculate greenhouse gas emissions. In agriculture, this can capture greenhouses, packing sheds, grading sheds, value-added buildings, feedlots, and dairy. An Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) posting is expected soon with a regulation to follow. Data needs to be captured immediately, especially for 250,000 square foot operations and over since they must report this year. It is proposed that reporting be annual, however, every five years a consultant must review processes to make sure that information is accurately obtained. A comment period is to be decided once the EBR posting comes out. It appears that SDRM enrolment has not been impacted after the requirement for Agri-Stability was removed. It is recommended that anyone with funds still remaining should consider withdrawing them to be placed elsewhere. The frost in May will impact the payout on Crop Insurance. While there is no information on the effects yet, $1 million in

•

Agricultural * Commercial * Industrial

50 Years of Excellent Service

claims for reseeding mostly in soybeans and corn is projected. Labour The Labour Issues Coordinating Committee (LICC) is participating with Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) in consultations with Ontario government representatives “Changes in the Workplace” to discuss the uniqueness of agriculture, without specifically touching on specific labour acts. By September 18, 2015 OFVGA can submit a response to the consultations. LICC also has meetings with Minister of Labour, Kevin Flynn in July and with Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and International Trade, Michael Chan. A temporary worker registry is going to be set up. The impact on the Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Program is yet undetermined. It is recommended that farmers participating in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Program make a photocopy of their workers’ contracts once work commences. Crop Protection The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Glen Murray has appointed two beekeepers to the Ontario

WAYNE DU

Controlled Atmosphere

905-685-4255 www.pennrefrigeration.com info@pennrefrigeration.com 18 Seapark Drive, St Catharines ON, L2M 6S6

Pesticide Advisory Committee (OPAC). The appointments did not go through the normal nomination process for appointment/selection; they were simply appointed. The total committee size is now at 17. The Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) global database is up and running. This information can be shared amongst commodity groups and there is no cost involved this year. Four of six spots have been taken up, but it should be noted that spots can be shared. Property Sustainable food production continues to be a topic that a number of organizations are working on. The Horticulture Value Chain Roundtable’s Sustainable Working Group is bringing together best management practices for a number of key farming activities. The Canadian Horticultural Council Sustainability Committee’s first meeting took place on June 15. The Ontario Farm Sustainability Group will be holding an update session on June 23. Discussions include revising the Environmental Farm Plan to become the sustainable farm plan. A survey / questionnaire has been developed by United Fresh to look at an operation’s sustainability.

Developing a Canadian Centre for Food Integrity is a priority for Farm and Food Care (F&FC). The need to build consumer trust in today’s food system is the primary mandate of this organization. The need for farmers to be involved in the conversation about how food is grown has never been more important. Canadian Horticultural Council A definition for reusable plastic containers (RPCs) has now been refined and there is a request for a pilot project to conduct sampling on RPCs to see what’s occurring in practice. The costs for conducting this project should be borne by the RPC sector. Health Canada will permit the promotion of healthy diets rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables to reduce risk of heart disease. This will occur in five years. Agri-Science Cluster 2 – Year 2 interim reports on the apple and potato projects have now been posted online and include: • Activity 3 – Apples – Improving Tree Fruit Storage Using Weather Based Predictors • Activity 12 – Apples – New Biological Control Agents for Postharvest Diseases • Activity 1 – Potato – Nitrogen for Improved Yield, Quality and Profitability

Posters for on-farm food safety

Refrigeration (All Types) Heating, Air Conditioning

Photo by Glenn Lowson

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has developed a series of Good Agriculture Practices posters that are available free of charge to producers. Attention livestock producers – we’ve now revised the original poster on Proper Animal Health Product Use and added a new one on Mixing Medicated Feed. The posters are 8 ½ x 11" in size

and available in English/Spanish or French/Spanish. They are rip and weather resistant making them durable enough to use in and around your farm. The posters provide visual instructions for best practices on a variety of topics including: • Hand washing • Food handling • Proper use of hand sanitizers • Proper toilet use • Food storage and packaging • Vehicle inspection for food transportation

Food safety practices contribute to competitive, productive and sustainable agri-food business. For more information and to see our posters, visit the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs website at www.ontario.ca/goodagpractices or call us to order your posters, 1877-424-1300. Wayne Du is food safety advisor, OMAFRA.

JULY 2015 –– PAGE 13 THE GROWER

FOCUS: AGRITOURISM AND FARMERS’ MARKETS

Eight tips to freshen your market stall display Farmers’ Markets Ontario provides many resources to its members, including the marketing talents of Tracy Lamb, Mopani Communications. She presented an array of tips to the annual general meeting held at last winter’s Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention. Pricing is always a key debate. Price your produce too

low and you’ll run out of product too soon. Price it too high and people will just browse. Promote value, not price: freshness, quality, flavour, picked at peak. Customers usually look for quality first, then price. Use odd numbers: $1.89. Offer volume discounts -- $5 each or three for $12. Package and price to fit customers’

needs: small (singles), medium (couples) large (families). For more illustrated tip sheets, go to www.farmersmarketsontario.com or call 1-800-387-3276.

Shelter that welcomes • Protection from sun, rain • Canopy to brand your stand

Flow that works • Customer-friendly: easy to get up close and move around • Vendor-friendly: room for all • Bags at start, cash at end

Signage: Label everything! • Use colour. • Make all type legible from three to five feet. i.e. for maximum impact, each inch of letter height equals one foot of reading distance. • Laminate signs to weatherproof them. • Use a chalkboard, not a whiteboard. • Be descriptive: don't just tell - sell! • Use three bullet points per product. • Provide cooking info/recipes for unfamiliar products. • Offer samples: people want to try before they buy. • Show your prices (customers shouldn’t have to ask). • List one to three sizes and prices per sign. • Use pictures (farm logo, produce, aerial view of farm, farm activities).

Packaging that meets customers’ needs • Pre-package some products; let customers bag others. • Have a quick and easy grab-and-go section. • Bundle products (e.g., stir-fry medley, soup veggie pack, salsa-making kit).

Use all three dimensions • Use the width, depth and height of your stand. • Customers shop from the hip up; low or ground levels get missed. • Easy reach: keep everything within three feet of the customer. • Use as much table frontage as possible. • Use tiered displays and shelves. • Have produce spilling out of boxes and barrels. • Show off your awards. • Keep displays piled high. • Keep products spaced out neatly and evenly.

Photos courtesy of Tracy Lamb

Colour, colour, colour! • Use colour to create a mood. • Use contrasting colours for interest (but not too busy). • Coloured tablecloths should enhance produce colours. You are on display, too!

Sense of abundance • Use baskets of different sizes (each one piled high). • Keep displays looking full. • Restock constantly.

• Be visible and identifiable (name tag). • Be friendly and welcoming: SMILE! • Lose the sunglasses – make eye contact. • Know your products – be ready to answer questions. • Share recipes and tips (quick prep, storage, usage). • Look involved – constantly tidy your stand and signs. • Make info announcements every few minutes. • Create sales opportunities: suggest other products to complement a recipe.

PAGE 14 –– JULY 2015 THE GROWER

FOCUS: AGRITOURISM AND FARMERS’ MARKETS

Do these global trends have traction in Canada? KAREN DAVIDSON Subscribing to John Stanley’s e-newsletter is a good way to travel the world for new marketing ideas without

John Stanley offers advice to members of the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association.

spending any air miles. The Australia-based retail consultant spoke at the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention this past winter as a guest of the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association.

The Italian Co-op built a supermarket of the future, complete with degradable shopping carts. Is this an idea which could work at farmers’ markets?

Since then, he’s been to Milan, Italy, the site of this year’s World Expo with the theme of food and food production. He shares some of the trends which he feels will soon migrate around the world.

Food trucks designed for special purposes are moving up-scale. Is this an idea which would work at an on-farm market? Could you try a food truck fair?

Raise spirits, invest profits Agritourism is flourishing across Canada, often taking inspiration from its local history. Nova Scotia is a laudable example with this spring’s launch of the Good Cheer Trail, Canada’s first winery, craft brewery and distillery trail. The Good Cheer Trail references the province’s rich culinary history dating back to 1606 when Samuel de Champlain established the Order of Good Cheer in Port Royal. As the first gastronomic society in the New

World, the feasts raised the spirits of the early settlers. Running from June 1 to October 31, this new culinary trail (www.goodcheertrail.com) includes 14 wineries, 12 craft breweries, five distilleries, five brew pubs and two historical experiences at Port Royal and Fortress of Louisbourg. To visit all destinations would take a tourist from Yarmouth to Cape Breton. A digital passport is available on the website.

Tips for selling “local” at farmers’ markets Know your story and use it to connect with consumers JESSICA KELLY Local means different things to different people. Recognize that for some consumers “buy local” is not about distance, local can also mean the personal connection with the individual or family that grew or produced their food.

For ‘locavore’ consumers, it is essential to bring your farm story to your market stall. Photos of your farm, maps to show your location, signs to share your farm history are all great relationshipbuilding tools. If you have hired staff working at farmers’ markets, they should be trained to tell your farm story just like they are fami-

ly! For customers who visit your market stall but may not have the opportunity to visit your farm, social media can be a great tool for sharing your story and day-today farm activities. Team up There is a deeply rooted

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network of local food enthusiasts, so team up and work together to amplify the voice spreading the word about buying local. You can do this by selling at a market of like-minded farm vendors who are committed to sharing the “buy local” message and regularly work together to plan special events or promotions. Look beyond your farmers’ market community and ask yourself: who else is in the local food game? Seek out opportunities to collaborate with restaurants, grocery stores, on-farm markets, and school programs. You may find unexpected partners in organizations that don’t work directly with food but with related causes such as rural economic development, education, or health and wellbeing. Collaborations with businesses and organizations can help to build your farm brand, draw new customers to the market, or open up new business opportunities for your farm.

Capitalize on existing local food brands It is a big investment, in time and money, to develop a wellknown brand. If you’re showcasing your local products at your farmers’ market, be sure to capitalize on the recognition of existing local food brands or initiatives. For example, when a vendor uses the Foodland Ontario logo, they are associating themselves with a highly-recognized brand that 94 per cent of shoppers know as a promoter and supporter of local food. You may also want to consider connecting to local food initiatives in your city, county or region such as the Savour Ottawa, Niagara Culinary Trail, Prince Edward County’s Taste of the Country, Savour Toronto, Savour Stratford, or Savour Muskoka. Jessica Kelly is direct farm marketing specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

JULY 2015 –– PAGE 15 THE GROWER

FOCUS: AGRITOURISM AND FARMERS’ MARKETS

Haskap adds unique flavour to the local food market KAREN DAVIDSON When Logie Cassells’ drinks to the success of LaHave Natural Farms, it will be to the colour of dusky blue of haskap berries. It’s not far-fetched with a locally made haskap gin in the works by Steinhart Distillery. Based in Blockhouse, Nova Scotia, the upstart business has gained quick traction since 2010 with its novel member of the honeysuckle family. Adapted to boreal Siberian climates, the haskap has survived the Maritimes’ long winter with ease and will be ready for harvest this month. The berry’s unique flavour -- akin to a blueberryraspberry cross -- is further boosted by its high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants. “Agriculture is natural theatre,” says Logie Cassells, managing director, LaHave Natural Farms. “We work to connect consumers with nature and offer beautifully branded and displayed products.” The timing of these locally produced juices, jams and jellies under LaHave’s haskapa brand has intersected with the local food movement. It also doesn’t hurt that the Nova Scotia products fit into the “buy local” mantra of Sobeys Canada. Headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, the grocery chain has supported the haskapa line in 150 of its

“

Agriculture is

natural theatre. We work to connect consumers with nature and offer beautifully branded and displayed products.”

~ Logie Cassells Maritime stores. Plans are to expand the LaHave and investor orchards to more than 300 acres with their carefully selected varieties by 2020 and the Haskap Growers’ Association of Nova Scotia is actively recruiting members for further acreage. Cassells thinks the industry is an exciting one to lure young farmers back to agriculture and value-added enterprises. “Longer term, agritourism is very important to Nova Scotia,”

Haskapa products were proudly displayed at the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention in Niagara Falls, Ontario earlier this year. Pictured are Phil Oswald and Lynn Pettypiece from LaHave Natural Farms. Photo by Denis Cahill. says Cassells. “Look at how powerful the grape industry has

turned out to be.” In the meantime, LaHave

Close-up of haskap berries, jammed full with antioxidants. Natural Farms will open a haskapa shop in the nearby resort town of Mahone Bay this sum-

mer. For more information, locals can attend the LaHave Natural Farms Open House on July 11.

PAGE 16 –– JULY 2015 THE GROWER

Wild hosts of Spotted Wing Drosophila Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii), or SWD, is an invasive insect pest that has the potential to damage many fruit crops, including berries and other soft fruit. SWD is a matter of concern for growers because the flies lay their eggs in fruit and larvae develop inside the fruit, making it unmarketable. In addition to attacking crops, SWD feeds on many kinds of wild fruit found in the landscape. These wild hosts are often present in wooded areas near fields or in hedgerows between fields. SWD can lay eggs in wild hosts that produce fruit early in the season, and then spread into crops when the wild hosts are done fruiting.

4. Pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica): Hardwood deciduous trees with fruit ripening in August.

It is important to recognize these wild hosts so that you can monitor for SWD on your farm. Place traps in wild hosts in early spring. Be aware that the first SWD infestations on your farm will probably be adjacent to these wild hosts, so look for crop damage in these areas first. Identification of wild hosts Some of the most common wild hosts of SWD you may encounter are listed below. This is not a complete list; information on other wild hosts can be found in the links listed under “Additional information.”

1. Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.): Originally introduced as an ornamental, this bush is abundant along woods and lanes and railway tracks. It is one of the earliest wild fruits in the area. Research from New York suggests that more SWD per gram of fruit emerge from wild honeysuckle than from any other fruit. Produces fruit mid-June to mid-September.

2. Brambles (Rubus spp.): Wild raspberry and blackberry species can be found in hedgerows and uncultivated areas near fields. They produce fruit from early June to late September.

3. Mulberry (Morus rubra): Mulberry trees are mostly found in southwestern Ontario and other areas where Carolinian forest species thrive. They fruit in late June and early July and are potentially another early season host for SWD.

5. Elderberry (Sambucus spp.): This bush with very showy white flowers blooms in July and fruits in August. The fruit is highly attractive to SWD.

6. Dogwood (Cornus spp.): There are many different types of dogwood, including those with blue berries and white berries. We have found SWD in both, which fruit in August and late summer.

7. Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana): This tall succulent weed with fuchsia coloured stems produces dark berries in mid- to late August and is a good late season host for SWD.

8. Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica): A thorny bush that grows in hedgerows, field edges, and unmanaged areas. Buckthorn is also a host for soybean aphid and brown marmorated stink bug. Buckthorn is a noxious weed species and should be removed from field edges where possible. Flowers in May and June, with berries ripening in early August. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

JULY 2015 –– PAGE 17 THE GROWER

BERRY FOCUS

Wild hosts of Spotted Wing Drosophila

9. Yew (Taxus spp.): A coniferous shrub or tree with red berries and small seed cones. Management strategies Since crops adjacent to wild

hosts are at highest risk for early damage, it is important to be aware of nearby wild hosts that

could support build-up of SWD populations. Do not attempt to spray wild hosts with an insecticide. This futile exercise could do more harm than good (since wild hosts are also an important refuge for beneficial insects, insect predators and other pollinators) and it is also illegal. As well, because wild hosts for SWD are so abundant we do not think it is practical to try and remove them from your farm. However, it is probably beneficial to control wild brambles around the edges of your fruit crops. Be aware of the timing of fruiting of wild hosts. SWD may move into crops when wild hosts are done fruiting, so this is a key

time to focus on monitoring and pesticide application on crops. SWD has many wild hosts where it probably completes one or more generations. The role of these wild hosts is not completely understood. We expect that some of these hosts support early generations of SWD which then migrate to susceptible fruit crops. On the other hand, wild hosts often provide habitat for beneficial insects that help to control crop pests, including SWD. More information on wild hosts of SWD

spotted wing drosophila in North America” (Oregon State University): http://www.ipm.msu.edu/uploads/ files/SWD/em9113.pdf “Controlling weed hosts of spotted wing drosophila” (OMAFRA): http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/engl ish/crops/hort/news/allontario/ao0 213a4.htm “Buckthorn species are wild hosts of spotted wing drosophila” (OMAFRA): http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/engl ish/crops/hort/news/allontario/ao0 213a5.htm

“Non-crop host plants of the

Spotted wing drosophila project for 2015 PAM FISHER After four years of monitoring for Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) at 50-100 sites each year in Ontario, we think this pest is here to stay. Every year we capture the first SWD flies in late June or early July, around the end of June strawberry harvest and

the time of summer raspberry harvest. Every year the trap captures quickly escalate, with SWD pressure being extremely high during blueberry and fall raspberry harvest. We have consistently found damage in all the berry crops except early strawberries, and suspect cherries have been damaged as well. Our message to growers is to protect susceptible

soft fruit crops if they are ripening when SWD flies are active. However, we have noticed that trap captures on individual farms do not predict the potential for crop damage on that same farm. We sometimes find damage before SWD are caught in traps at that site. We think it is more useful to consider trap captures in an area, rather than an individual

Figure 2: SWD flies trapped in Ontario, by region, 2014.

County

# of sites

Essex

Kent

Lambton

Huron

Grey

Elgin

Middlesex

Oxford

Brant

Norfolk

Haldimand

Niagara

Wellington

Halton

Durham

Prince Edward

Kawartha

Northumberland

Quinte West

Stormont

Ottawa/Carleton

Table 1: Regional monitoring locations for SWD traps in 2015

farm. We also think that growers should focus their efforts on recognizing the first signs of damage to fruit. Immersing fruit in salt water to float out SWD larvae is also a good tool for growers to assess their SWD management programs. To support berry growers in their management of SWD, the Ontario Berry Growers’ Association (OBGA) and OMAFRA have teamed up to run a regional SWD monitoring program in 2015. The project will be coordinated by Erin Hanna, who works for the OBGA. Traps will be placed at approximately 30 representative sites across the province, from Harrow to Georgian Bay to Ottawa. Volunteers from agribusiness, private consultants and OMAFRA students will pick up the traps and send them to Vineland, where OMAFRA students will process the trap contents. Weekly reports on SWD activity will be sent to berry growers through the Berry Bulletin, and available to all growers on ONfruit@wordpress. com as well as in Hort Matters. Pam Fisher is OMAFRA’s berry specialist.

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BITS AND BITES

VQA wines available at more farmers’ markets As part of Ontario’s strategy to increase awareness of local foods and beverages, the province launched a first-of-its-kind pilot program last year to allow VQA wines to be sold at farmers’ markets. Since launching in 2014, 78 wineries and 172 farmers’ markets across the province have participated in the pilot program, with sales of more than $1 million dollars. This season, Ontarians can

look for VQA wines at their local farmers’ market by looking for a purple VQA sign or by using a mobile-friendly map to find a market participating in the program. Photo right: Christine James, Greenlane Estate Winery. Photo courtesy of Grape Growers’ of Ontario.

MEDIA WATCH

A vegetable for (almost) every letter of the alphabet KAREN DAVIDSON Disclosure: I’ve come to know author Rose Murray in the last decade and treasure her cookbook “Hungry for Comfort” for so many useable, no-fail recipes. So it’s with pleasure to introduce her latest publishing venture: Rose Murray’s A-Z Vegetables. Released June 8, this 220-recipe cookbook is well-timed for many reasons. It’s at the forefront of the farmers’ market season and would make a stunning addition to any market stall. How often do customers wrinkle their nose at a bunch of beets, not knowing what to do with this earthy vegetable?

But it’s also in keeping with the Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s initiative, Half Your Plate. Fill half your plate with fruits and veggies for a healthier diet. One of the challenges is reminding consumers of the earthy flavours of vegetables that emerge with different cooking techniques such as roasting and grilling. Rose Murray has been a fixture of Canadian Living for decades, however she’s very current with modern tastes. Roasted eggplant soup with mascarpone swirl sounds delicious. And she’s totally hip to using savoury spices such as cumin. It’s these updates to classics that put

vegetables at the centre of the plate. “I did lots of research at the farm museum in Milton,” says Murray. “How did vegetable seeds first come to Canada?” Murray answers that question with lots of historical references, quoting from pioneer Catharine Parr Traill. Happily, consumers don’t need root cellars anymore, but they do need to dig into a vaster repertoire of recipes. This is a straightforward book that raises the humble onion to new heights, gives kudos to kohlrabi and ends with zest on zucchini. The hard copy book is available in local retailers and at Chapters/Indigo for $24.95.

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MINOR USE CRAIG’S COMMENTS

Source of the rumour

CRAIG HUNTER OFVGA Most of us spend some time at a “local”, be it a diner, a café, a Tim’s or its equivalent. At most of the ones I have dropped into this spring, discussions are ongoing amongst groups of ‘regulars’ who appear to know each other very well. These locations act like the old sign posts that the Romans would put up where three roads would intersect. The information shared on the signs became known as ‘trivia’ meaning where three roads meet: (tri= three, via= road) Maybe we need to coin a new word for the output of the modern version. On the first Tuesday of June I overheard some excellent ideas. The first one concerned a local boat owner. He apparently had a leak in his boat and has had it for a couple of years with no success in finding and fixing it. This year the leak is worse. The solution to him was quite simple- buy a bigger pump to keep up with the water ingress. This in fact may be thousands of dollars cheaper than an actual repair, and allows him to continue to enjoy the use of his boat. What a novel approach! Perhaps the take-home message from this one is to look outside the box to find an answer that suits you, and ignore ‘conventional’ wisdom when it doesn’t suit your needs (or pocketbook). In another conversation, a grower (apparently) was bemoaning certain policies of the current Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Knowing how politics work, he recognized that since the minister was appointed by the Premier, and since she

could not be seen to openly disagree with (his) policies, then perhaps she could/should reward him for the efforts to date by giving him just Climate Change to deal with as a minister, and to then appoint a new minister just for Environment. This would allow the existing minister to have all his time to focus on climate change. This could be a huge task, and involving the federal government as well as other provinces and indeed a global approach. There would be lots of scope to be incredibly busy. A new minister for environment could begin the healing process with growers by working alongside the agriculture minister. There is a lot of fence mending to be done, and opportunities to work together once again with the agriculture community. I am not sure where his idea came from but this sounded like he had done some deep thinking. Once again, the coffee and donut acting as brain food seem to be a winner. The big rains that finally came in late May created some problems that could be considered comic if they weren’t so expensive. I saw a loaded spreader ostensibly being pulled by a 100HP tractor that had mired into soft wet sand. It in turn was chained to a 250HP tractor that looked like it too had dug itself in. I guess the idea of at least lightening the load on the spreader had been rejected because of the hand labour that might have been entailed. Further, the idea of unhitching the spreader was also (apparently) dismissed. The fact that a useful tractor was currently un-useful for some time ahead was likely overlooked. Obviously there was only one rigid way being looked at to solve the problem, where other approaches might have got it all done. I am not sure how or if they finally resolved the mess. The reason this scene seemed so comical was that over 30 years ago I saw much the same thing occur in the field behind my home at that time. A small tractor with a mower was cutting grass and weeds when it got stuck in a wet-hole that the driver was likely

After a spring of coffee shop talk, starting out fresh sounds like a good idea. Photo by Denis Cahill. unaware even existed. The driver left and came back about an hour later with a school bus to tow out the tractor. You guessed it- the bus got bogged down too. Next came a much bigger tractor and chain. Yes, it got bogged down too! They had never disconnected the school bus from the first tractor and created an almost impossible task for tractor number two. The mess was cleared up when the biggest tow truck from town arrived. The driver anchored it well away from the bog, and proceeded to haul out the three bogged units one at a time using a long cable. I am sure the bill came to hundreds of dollars. All this because they had not planned well ahead, had not looked at the problem with an open mind to resolve the problem, and in the end had to pay for a big job when they shouldn’t have had to. We can apply all of these examples to dealing with current problems. The first and most important step is to be very inclusive in setting about solving the problem. The next step is to consider all input BEFORE taking any action or creating anything on paper. Having everyone included and committed to finding a solu-

tion ahead of time saves a huge amount of time in the long term. Any alienation along the way makes everything harder to do. One last example of how bad planning and lack of foresight ends up costing (the taxpayer in this case) a lot of unnecessary money is also near to home. Railways have been abandoned all over the province, and in our county they are almost all gone. To the north on our main NS highway there was an overpass over a now-abandoned rail-bed. This overpass was built in the 1950s because of many accidents at a level crossing. To the south of it, a mere seven kilometres away was an underpass from another railway that had only been constructed in 1969, for the same reason. With the railways gone, the county decided to eliminate the two bridges to save on maintenance. Both had costly price tags, so compromise was the considered (only) way to go. The bridge at the north end was eliminated, but the large amount of fill on site in the long highway leadup ramps was deemed too costly to haul away. The top six feet of the embankment was pushed into the former gap where the railway

had once run, and the highway repaved albeit with a stupid up and down ramp of 30 feet accomplishing nothing. The debate on the southern underpass renovation took another three years! Finally they have opted to only fill in half of the depth of that underpass. You guessed it- the cost of bringing in all that fill would push up the cost by another $1million. Now they plan to do the work during this summer so as to create the maximum inconvenience for motorists. At the end of the day there will still be a dip in the road, but it may be smaller than the ones who agreed on this plan! There must be a right and left brain thing going on where “pile of dirt seven kilometres north can fit into underpass gap to the south” never got considered. It is not like a lot of well-paid engineers are not at work here: just a lack of planning and foresight, and the deep pockets of taxpayers to cover the extra costs. Let us hope that the basic common sense of the coffee shop intelligentsia can be brought to bear on what should be simple problems to resolve. The cost of the coffee is well worth the wisdom heard.

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JULY 2015 –– PAGE 23 THE GROWER

CROP PROTECTION

Sprayers 101: New application resource launched for #spray15 Pesticide applicators have a new friend in www.sprayers101.com. The website was launched in mid-June by two Canadian sprayer specialists: Tom Wolf and Jason Deveau. “Applicators want to do the best job possible and are always looking for information and advice,” says Jason Deveau, application technology specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). “We recognized a need to provide that information more effectively. That’s why we developed a site that combines horticultural and field crop information.”

Tom Wolf is a sprayer specialist based in Saskatoon with more than 25 years of research experience in field sprayers. His company, Agrimetrix Research & Associates, reaches thousands of applicators across Canada through presentations and workshops. He launched the new website at Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina, Saskatchewan. “Each year, producers spend more time in their sprayers than almost any other piece of equipment. Most of my clients’ fields are now treated three to five times per year. The investment and the stakes are high,” says Wolf. “Applicators deserve the best information on how to maximize pesticide performance and minimize environmental impact. Sprayers 101 is the ideal means to provide that information.” Deveau and Wolf use a variety of approaches to get their message out, relying on Twitter to

invite applicators, agronomists and educators to Sprayers 101. Facts, often spiced with humour, are delivered via stories, images, videos and apps. International sprayer specialists have started to submit information to post on the site, creating an unparalleled resource for all things pertaining to sprayers. The site is mobilefriendly and scales to the phones that applicators rely on for information gathering. At present, there are more than 75 articles, 25 videos and 25

powerpoint presentations on the site plus countless tables and illustrations. The website is searchable by key words. In recent years, Deveau has developed significant resources for airblast sprayers, however only five to 10 per cent of horticulturists are spraying bushes, trees and vines. By teaming with Wolf, expertise in field spraying is now added to the mix. Jason Deveau, OMAFRA’s application technology specialist, offers spraying tips at a potato sprayer clinic.

When you find something that works, you stick with it. Arysta LifeScience is proud to offer some off the most trusted names in crop protection for the hortticulture market, along with some relatively new names. METTLE®, a Group 3 Fungicide with enhanced systemic activity for powdery mildew control in grapes and stra awberries. And KASUMIN™, a highly effective bactericid de to protect apples and pears from orchard-threatening fi fire blight, as well as offering bacterial disease supprression in fruiting vegetables. Tw wo great products to ad dd to your crop protection toolbox. Forr the whole story, visit www.gowithwhatworks.ca.

Always read and follow label directions. MAESTRO, MAESTRO logo, ELEVA ATE, ELEVA ATE logo, KANEMITE, KA ANEMITE logo, SHUTTLE logo, ORTHENE, DECREE and DEECREE logo are registered trademarks of Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC. SHUTTLE is a registered trademark of Agro-Kanesho Company C . KASUMIN is a trademark of Hokko Chemical Inddustry Co., Ltd. METTLE and the METTLE logo are trademarks of ISAGRO S.p.A. Arysta LifeScience and the Arysta LifeScience logo are registered trademarks of Arysta LifeScience Corporation. ©2014 Arysta LifeScience North America Corporation, LLC. CDNH-1301

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Disease contro o ol that adds s up. up

Pristine® fungicide delivvers broad-spectru um control of key diseases d ® with ith a single prod product. ct Pristine also pro provide ide es the benefits* of AgCelence A which may include incre eased growth efficie ency and stress ma anagement. ® Custtomer Care at 1-877 7-371-BASF (2273)) or visit Call AgSolutions A agso olutions.ca for more information. *AgCele ence benefits refer to products tha at contain the active ingredient pyraclostrobin.

Alwa ays read and follow w label directions s. AgSoluttions is a registered trade-mark off BASF Corporation; AgCelence and a PRISTINE are registered trade e-marks of BASF SE; all used with w permission by BASF Canada Inc. © 2015 BASF Canada Inc.