The Grower Newspaper October 2011

OCTOBER 2011

CELEBRATING 131 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION

VOLUME 61 NUMBER 10

A case history for value-added horticulture The Cider Keg adds sparkle to apples KAREN DAVIDSON Christmas is Thanksgiving for Cheryl Peck and her family at The Cider Keg. That’s because October to December is the biggest sales season for this fifthgeneration, 125-acre apple farm near Vittoria, Ontario. With onequarter of the apples destined for a value-added treat, the harvest tastes sweetest as sparkling cider, fruit spreads or pie in a jar.

“We always made apple cider as a fall tradition,” says Peck, general manager, “but the business started to grow with the retail store in 1990.” For starters, fresh cider was picked up in local stores in Simcoe, Paris and Brantford. Fortunately, this chain of independent stores was purchased by a leading chain and The Cider Keg business continued to grow.

Long before the buy-local movement, Peck and her parents, Tom and Joan Haskett, were developing The Cider Keg brand with a loyal clientele of other onfarm markets. Their apples had a ready market at the Norfolk Fruit Growers’ Association, but they also wanted to diversify from the staple commodity. Sparkling ciders offered a niche that separated The Cider Keg from other cider makers. Today, that strategy still works with their products sold in independent grocery chains, delis, cheese shops and other members of the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association.

INSIDE Ontario election: hot buttons for hort

Page 4

Focus: stewardship

Page 10

Bullish on greenhouse vegetables

Page 15

www.thegrower.org P.M. 40012319

Thanksgiving is a time for traditional foods such as pumpkin pie and apple cider. At The Cider Keg, sparkling cider is added to the menu with a distinctly Canadian twist of berries, rhubarb and sometimes saskatoons. Cheryl Peck celebrates the 21st year of her retail store near Vittoria, Ontario where a quarter of the apple crop finds its way into a jar or bottle. Photos by Denis Cahill.

While the retail outlet in Vittoria is well-known on the southern shores of Lake Erie, Peck concentrates on wholesale customers coast to coast, relying on their website (www.ciderkeg.com) and more recently, Facebook and Twitter accounts. Peck uses a variety of social media resources for frequent dialogue with wholesale and retail customers on what’s new for upcoming gift basket seasons. Their processed products mean that they can be bought for Christmas inventories with no fear of expired best-before dates.

The sparkling ciders – which represent a majority percentage of the business –- are particularly gift-worthy for celebratory occasions. The non-alcoholic product offers a champagne-type fizz.

To reach wholesalers, Peck exhibits at several shows including the Toronto Gift Show in August and the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention in February. The preserves, higher

in fruit and lower in sugar, embrace health trends. Future steps are to strengthen presence in specific Ontario markets such as Ottawa, Windsor and eventually the apple of everyone’s eye: Toronto.

“We’ve looked at export markets in border states to Lake Erie,” says Peck, “trying to duplicate our success in on-farm markets. And we’ve had interest from Asian countries and the Middle East.”

To support these marketing initiatives, Peck must maintain a stellar food safety program. It starts with custom-made steel processing machinery made by her father Tom Haskett and brother Mike. All the processing is on-farm, so she runs a gamut of food safety audits every year, ranging from chain stores’ thirdparty audits to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, local health department, global GAP and workmen’s compensation.

“The food safety programs

require extensive resources and time,” she says. “Our dedication to these details ensure a safe product for our own families and our customers. We’ve written our own food safety program, because if you don’t write your own, you don’t own it. A template from a consultant just doesn’t fit our operation.”

Peck says that the success of The Cider Keg is being expert at their own food safety, while finding time to innovate with new products and marketing.

‘Pumpkin in a Jar’ has been the most recent addition to the family with its savoury sauce used on top of baked brie, in cheesecakes or over ice cream, waffles, toast or crepes.

It’s those innovative products that propel The Cider Keg to the top of the invitation list when Canada is showcasing local foods. Her Sparkling Apple Strawberry Rhubarb Cider was served to leaders of the G20 summit last year.

“

We’ve written our own food safety program, because if you don’t write your own, you don’t own it. A template from a consultant just doesn’t fit our operation.

- Cheryl Peck

PAGE 2 –– OCTOBER 2011 THE GROWER

AT PRESS TIME… Voters go to the polls New site for Royal’s Harvest Market October 3 PEI, NWT October 4 October 6 October 11 November 7

Manitoba Ontario Newfoundland Saskatchewan

Driving awareness of farmers and farming issues in an urban environment isn’t easy but the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association (HMGA) has been actively involved with Sustain Ontario, an environmental group, this election season. Their logo (above) is a testament to their dedication.

Other groups include the Toronto Food Policy Council and FarmStart. A series of webinars are encouraging voters to learn more about how the different levels of government interact and why the Ontario government plays a key role in food systems change.

All candidates are being asked about their positions on land use, red-tape bureaucracy, energy costs and a long list of issues that are making horticulture uncompetitive with other jurisdictions.

“We’re not interested in politicians’ colours, but rather their characters,” says Jamie Reaume, HMGA. “The key thing is to contact your candidates and be sure to vote October 6.”

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair invites market gardeners and local food producers to exhibit at the Royal Harvest Market. Building on last year’s pilot, the Harvest Market will be repositioned in Hall C, near the Family Fun Zone. This new location situates the market near other agricultural displays such as honey and maple, vegetables and preserves.

For more information and a vendor application, please contact Melanie McDougall at 416-263-3430 or mmcdougall@royalfair.org.

Quarry proposal requires environmental assessment On September 1, the Ontario minister of the environment announced that the Highland Companies’ quarry submission will be subject to an environmental assessment. This is a major development since last month’s cover story in The Grower detailing plans for a quarry on prime potato land.

In response, a company statement said: “The Highland Companies reconfirms its commitment to pursue approval of the proposed Melancthon Quarry, despite (the) unprecedented announcement from the Minister of the Environment (MOE) to subject the project to the Environmental Assessment Act (EA).

NEWSMAKERS Highland is proposing to build an aggregate quarry in Melancthon, Ontario, away from environmentally sensitive areas like the Niagara Escarpment, Greenbelt, and Oak Ridges Moraine. This project will help meet the demand identified by the government of Ontario for a reliable, secure and long-term source of high quality aggregates.

John Lowndes of The Highland Companies said, “We are confident that a truly transparent and independent assessment of the proposed Melancthon Quarry will demonstrate that we have taken a responsible and balanced approach to aggregate extraction that provides a long-term supply for the province while also protecting the community and the environment. We were surprised by the recent announcement of an EA, especially since we were already in talks with various government ministries and were complying with the rigorous requirements of the Aggregate Resources Act, the Planning Act, the Environmental Protection Act, and the Ontario Water Resources Act.” For those protesting the quarry, fundraising activities continue unabated. A YouTube video, (google Mega Quarry Film]) was released in Toronto on Sept 21.

The Canadian Chefs Congress will be at the centre of a major event, Foodstock, in Melancthon Township on October 16.

www.Hot-Potatoes.ca

Congratulations to Ed Hughes who has been named 2011 Grape King. He farms more than 20 acres of VQA premium quality vinifera grapes near Beamsville, Ontario and also operates a business selling high-quality grapes to amateur wine makers and a number of wine clubs in southern Ontario.

Ed Hughes, right, receives his Grape King chain of office from last year’s Grape King Debbie Inglis, his former professor from Brock University and an area grape grower. Photo courtesy Grape Growers of Ontario.

K. Helen Fisher is the new tender fruit and grape specialist for OMAFRA. Based in Vineland, she will be working with growers, researchers and industry to provide best management practices for these Ontario crops. She has enjoyed a long career as a plant physiologist and grape breeder, working with the Horticultural Research Institute of Ontario before its transition to the University of Guelph.

Her teaching credentials also include Brock University and Niagara College.

The Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC) has announced that Fred Webber will become its new president, succeeding Stephen Whitney who is retiring at the end of the year. Webber has served as vice-president of trading assistance since the organization was established in 1999. Prior to that posting, he was employed by the Produce Reporter Company in a similar capacity and has also been a marketing specialist with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act regulatory branch.

In a related announcement, the DRC has hired Luc Mougeot as vice-president. Most recently, he served as senior advisor to the Canadian Destination Inspection Service and has served in various management capacities including assignments in the offices of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s president and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada ‘s minister.

Jason Beer, a teacher at Eastview Secondary School in Barrie, won the Teacher Recognition Award at the opening ceremonies of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show. Presented by Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc., the award is based on four main criteria: creativity and utilization of agricultural information, an interdisciplinary approach, advancement of educational standards and student impact.

Kim Pham-Huy is the new communications officer for the Canadian Horticultural Council. She takes over from Katie McKimmie.

The Quebec Produce Marketing Association has elected a new slate of directors for 2011-2012. They are: Robert Beauregard, AgriMondo, president; George Pitsikoulis, Canadawide, past-president; Pat Calabretta, Sobeys Quebec, first vice-president; Marie Gosselin, Serres du St-Laurent (Savoura), second vice-president; Sophie Perreault, QPMA executive director.

Make it a Point. =PZP[ Hot-Potatoes.ca I` November 30, 2011 [V YLKLLT `V\Y /V[ 7V[H[VLZ YL^HYK WVPU[Z MVY [OL NYV\W [YPW [V 7VY[\NHS HUK VY UL^ JHZO YLIH[LZ

(S^H`Z YLHK HUK MVSSV^ SHILS KPYLJ[PVUZ /V[ 7V[H[VLZ PZ H YLNPZ[LYLK [YHKLTHYR VM )H`LY

Calling innovators The Premier's Award for AgriFood Innovation Excellence program is accepting applications until November 14, 2011. The program recognizes innovators who contribute to the success of Ontario’s agri-food sector.

Program applications will be reviewed by two independent panels made up of representatives from across Ontario's agri-food

industry.

Submit your application postmarked by 5 p.m. on Monday, November 14, 2011 to: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs 1 Stone Road West, 3rd Floor Guelph, Ontario N1G 4Y2 Attn: Premier's Award On-line at: www.ontario.ca/agrifoodinnovation E-mail: premiersagrifoodinnovationaward@ontario.ca

OCTOBER 2011 –– PAGE 3 THE GROWER

How to irrigate business growth

Quality starts in the orchard with Cheryl Peck checking the hand-harvested apples.

Growth is hard under circumstances of drought: lack of labour, lack of financing, lack of strategic partners in marketing, packaging and distribution. The hardest step is to water the business beyond $500,000 to a million and then

to double it again. In the quest for success, it’s easy to forget an exit strategy. Once that business is built, how do you take the money out of it rather than just guarantee yourself a job for life.

There are many Cheryl Peck’s who are striving for the next level. David Sparling, professor and chair, Agri-Food Innovation and Regulation, Ivey School of Business, provides some insight.

“This is a point that many entrepreneurs reach and then decide to stop,” says Sparling. “Up to here, they are running a very successful family business and adding significant value to their crop. The next step brings changes that many farmers and small business people aren’t interested in: a major scale-up.”

Growth means more investment, more staff and most importantly, the challenge of managing more complex relationships with suppliers, customers and investors.

Building more scale certainly justifies investment in equipment and food safety. At that point, the next hurdle is to maximize use of the upgraded facilities and several questions arise. Does that mean a wider range of products from different crops? Can some raw materials be imported at slow times of the year?

Some businesses have made the jump such as Organic Meadow, eastern Canada’s leading organic dairy and Rowe Farms, an Ontario-based butcher and local food retailer. They did it through Investeco Capital Corporation, a Toronto-based private equity group that is looking to invest in agriculture and health. Investeco is launching a $40 million fund this fall with a view to investing in small and medium-sized food companies with at least $2 million in annual revenue.

“Investeco is picking up on two key growth trends, organic and health,” says Sparling. “Farmers should understand that investors have expectations and they’re usually not looking for 10 per cent but 30 per cent returns. Invest-

Sparkling ciders are showcased in the on-farm retail store at The Cider Keg at Vittoria, ON. ments are usually based on a number of years, contingent on milestones. If those objectives are met, then more money is invested. These are complex relationships to manage and entrepreneurs must recognize that venture capitalists usually need an exit strategy, either through an initial public offering or through the sale of the company.”

The Ivey School of Business offers an executive development program to entrepreneurs called “Quantum Shift.”

The five-day developmental program is designed precisely for business people contemplating the next jump and helping them to calculate how to structure their businesses.

Only 40 business entrepreneurs are accepted annually through a nomination process conducted by KPMG Enterprise. The next session is slated for May 6 – 11, 2012 in London, Ontario.

INTERNATIONAL IN DEVELOPMENT

IN COMPETITION

IN TRANSIT

IN NEGOTIATIONS

Diagnostic test for potato cyst nematodes

Berries top apples in Britain

Turkey’s hazelnuts earn $1.78 B

Veggies grown on supermarket’s roof

Berries have overtaken apples, by a stem, as the most popular fruit in Britain. In the past 12 months, berry sales increased by 13.3 per cent, and now make up 18.4 per cent of Britain’s £4,160 million fruit market. Apples accounted for 18 per cent. Citrus fruits are third at 14.8 per cent, according to a survey of fruit growers.

Many favourite berries have been dubbed ‘superfoods’ by health experts. Blueberries, in particular, are attributed with anthocyanin antioxidants which treat a wide range of medical conditions.

In the U.K., covered planting has assisted in extending the growing season while investment in research and development has increased the quality, volume and appearance of the crops grown.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

Turkey, home to the world’s largest hazelnut production, earned $1.78 billion in its latest season ending August 31, 2011.

According to the Black Sea Hazelnut & Products Exporters' Union, Turkey exports to 90 countries including Canada.

With a Ferrero Rocher plant in Brantford, Ontario, the search is underway for orchardists to start hazelnut groves to provide a local supply. It takes six years to obtain a marketable crop but once mature, the trees can produce for 40 years. The international company has exacting standards for nut size. Any Ontario production would likely be directed towards Nutella spreads says John Kelly, vicepresident, Erie Innovation and Commercialization.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

Bright Farms, a New Yorkbased firm is negotiating with 10 supermarket chains to build and operate hydroponic greenhouses on their rooftops. The firm would put up $1.5 million to $2 million to build and operate the greenhouse, selling 500,000 pounds of produce to the supermarket for a 10-year contract.

The company says it has letters of intent with 10 supermarket chains in the United

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist has created a diagnostic test that identifies the type of nematode infesting potato growers’ fields.

Xiaohong Wang, a molecular biologist with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Ithaca, N.Y., has filed a patent application on the monitoring tool.

There are two types of potato cyst nematode (PCN): the golden and the pale. Distinguishing between the two is important because breeders have developed golden nematode-resistant potatoes but have yet to develop varieties that resist the pale cyst nematode. If the pale cyst nematode is found in a field, potatoes cannot be grown there.

Source: potatobusiness.com

Did You Make Your Local Sprayer Assessment Clinic???

phillipsfs.ca

Yes???? No????

We Can Help!!!!!!

States with the first of the greenhouses expected to open in 2012.

Benjamin Linsley, vice president of business development and public affairs for the company, said they are also exploring options in Canada, but those conversations are private and too premature to announce.

For a head of lettuce in New York, up to 50 per cent of its value goes to the cost of transportation. According to Bright Farms, each greenhouse will generate $1 to $1.5 million in revenue per year; will mitigate around 740 tons of Co2 emissions per year from each greenhouse and will use up to nine times less water, saving around five million gallons a year.

Bright Farms has been consulting on a demonstration greenhouse at Whole Foods in New Jersey.

Source: Toronto Star

CALL 1-800-811-6238

info@phillipsfs.ca price parts service

PAGE 4 –– OCTOBER 2011 THE GROWER

What’s at stake in Ontario’s October 6 election The entire issues platform, as outlined by the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association, can be found at www.ofvga.org. Here is a summary.

Ask: • Continued efforts by the Ontario government to lobby for federal support of provincial safety net programs.

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SECTOR FACTS AND FIGURES

Issue: Establishment of a PACA-like trust – fair and ethical trading practices

• The fruit and vegetable sector supports 30,000 on-farm jobs in rural Ontario, as well as a further 8,700 jobs specific to horticulture and specialty crops.

• More than 125 different fruit and vegetable crops are grown in Ontario with an estimated annual farm gate value of $1.5 billion.

• In dollar terms, the largest sector of the industry is greenhouse vegetables, with an estimated annual farm gate value of $550 million.

An investment in agriculture is good for the economy, the environment and is a smart, perhaps lowest cost way of preserving jobs and local services in rural communities.

Canadian growers selling into the U.S. are protected under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), but U.S. growers selling into the Canadian market do not have the same protection. The industry needs the support and willingness of the government to provide the regulatory framework necessary to make this program a reality. This falls mostly under federal jurisdiction but will require provincial government support to move forward.

Issue: Federal involvement in provincial safety net programming

Issue: government downloading of program costs with societal benefit

There are distinct differences between the agricultural sectors of the Canadian provinces. These are differences in climate, production, markets, legislation and programming. The federal government must respect these regional differences when developing safety net programming, including allowing for federal participation in provincially or regionally specific initiatives.

Ask: • Government to work collaboratively with farmers in advance of implementing new programs or changes to existing initiatives.

• Government to be respectful of additional costs being downloaded onto farmers and provide offset programming to compensate.

Ask • Provincial government to work with Ontario farmers to help secure federal government implementation of a PACA-like trust

Issue: Consistent taxation for on-farm value-adding businesses

and promotion support to commodity, farm and food organizations.

Ask: • Government and agriculture to develop an acceptable definition of farming for taxation issues so that consistent taxation practices can be implemented.

• Government to recognize on-farm valueadding activities as normal on-farm practices

Issue: Sufficient financial support for on-farm environmental and food safety programs Ask: • Increased funding levels for on-farm food safety and environmental cost-share programs to allow more farms the opportunity to participate in these initiatives.

Issue: Regulation reduction Ask: • Streamlining of regulatory approval processes and better co-ordination between government departments and other agencies involved in regulator processes.

Issue: Investment in research programs Ask: • Continued financial support of important short-term research initiatives like ORD, FIP etc., as well as for core research activities, like pest management and resistance.

• Implementation of longer-term research programming that takes into account that some research can take many years to complete successfully, due to its complexity.

• Maintain Ontario’s research capacity Issue: Continued support for the Ontario Market Investment Fund program Ask: • Continuation of the OMIF program beyond its original four year mandate, which ends in 2012, to provide marketing

Issue: Support for heat and power cogeneration projects Ask: • Policy change to enable the implementation of co-gen projects in areas beyond the five urban centers selected by Ontario Power Generation, to boost the production of green energy.

Issue: Continued support for Foodland Ontario and Buy Local initiatives Ask: • Continued financial support by the provincial government of Foodland Ontario and Buy Local programs Issue: Promoting Healthy eating through fruits and vegetables Ask: • Recognition of the key role fruits and vegetables play in healthy eating.

• Expansion of the northern Ontario school snack program into a province-wide initiative

ProGuard Row Cover Premium Frost Protection

Plastic mulches, ground cover, twine and wood stakes

Gintec is a world renowned provider of innovative growing solutions from the ground up!

R.R.1 , Windham Centre, Ontario NOE 2A0 Phone: (877)443-4743 Fax: (519)443-8120

OCTOBER 2011 –– PAGE 5 THE GROWER

The Olympians of farm journalists visit Canada KAREN DAVIDSON Guess who’s coming to dinner? For a week?

Connoisseurs of farming and food flew from around the globe to savour Ontario’s harvest for a few brief days in mid-September. The Canadian Farm Writers Federation (CFWF) played host to 250 colleagues from 34 countries in a choice of tours to Lake Huron, Lake Erie or Lake Ontario. Owen Roberts and Lilian Schaer, congress co-chairs

Dean Tiessen, president, Pyramid Farms Ltd, had a dramatic backdrop of miscanthus to show global reporters, explaining how 28,000 tonnes of “elephant grass” and wood are pelleted and used for fuel to heat 37 acres of his family’s Leamington, Ontario greenhouse. Besides sequestering carbon, the 1,000 acres of billowing grass is ground cover for pheasants. During the media scrum, a deer made a guest appearance, underlining his message of sustainability.

Mike Tiessen (right) of Prism Farms answers questions from American journalist Paul Queck on the life cycle of Campari tomatoes under 10.5 acres of double poly film and 7.2 acres under glass. He also showed a test trial of miscanthus chips which are being used as a growing media for tomato vines. They are very promising for greenhouse cucumbers as well.

and well-known to our readers as columnists in The Grower, led many volunteers who organized tours that started in Guelph and ended with a rendez-vous in Niagara Falls.

This is the first time that the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) congress has been hosted in Canada since 1967. Thanks are owed to many farm organizations, including the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association, for helping to sponsor this once-in-a-career tour.

Look way up! That’s Art Schaafsma, director of University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus, talking about the benefits of the new anaerobic bio-digester. At a farm-scale size of 250 kW, it’s designed to convert agricultural and food industry biomass to biogas. Greenhouse wastes are contemplated as one potential source. The biodigester is located at the Centre for Agricultural Renewable Energy and Sustainability (CARES).

GREA ATT L A K E S

Look into the distance! That’s field tomatoes that reach almost all the way to the Sun-Brite and H. J. Heinz tomato paste and juice plant in Leamington.

Harvest is expected to be 90 to 95 per cent of the contract at 42 tons per acre according to John Mumford, Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers. A late spring dampened tonnage targets.

Dust did not deter farm journalists from snapping photos of field tomato harvesting. Reliable yields and quality are needed to keep food processors in the area.

A new water “lifeline” built by Leamington Area Drip Irrigation Inc. draws water directly from Lake Erie. Built by 13 farmers, the 36 kilometres of pipeline now waters 2,500 acres. In the future, greenhouses may be added to the water network to fulfill year-round capacity.

DEC. DEC C. 6-8, 2011

F R U I T, T , V E G E TA T A B L E & FA FARM MARKET

DEVOS PLA DEVOS PLACE CE CON CONVENTION NVENTION CENTER AND AN ND THE AMW AMWAY WAY GRA GRAND AND PLAZA HO HOTEL TEL GRAND RA RAPIDS, APIDS MICHIG APIDS, MICHIGAN AN

MICHIGAN M MICHIGA AN

GREENHOUSE G GREENHOUS SE

G GROWERS EXPO EX XPO The PREMIER PREM MIER show ffor orr fruit and vegetable vegetable growers, greenhouse growers marketers! growers, gree enhouse gr owers and ffarm arm ma arketers!

4,200 people fr

from o 34 sstates om tates and 5 Canadian Cannadian pr provinces ovinces att attended endded in 20 2010 10 Informative

Inffoormative education educaation program program for for growers groweers and farm faarm marketers marketers – sesssions and workshops workshops over over v three da ys 56 education sessions days Large Large tr ade show w – 380-plus exhibit ors co ccovering vering ffour our acres of ex xhibit space

trade exhibitors exhibit Pre-conference Pre-conference bus b tour tour for for farm farm marketers marketers on Monday, Monday, Dec. 5

WWW.GLEXPO.COM WW WW.GLEX PO.COM

One regis registration trationn fee fee covers covers both conf conferences erences and the tr trade ade show!

O regis trationn starts starts Sept. 2 7.

Online registration 27.

R egister by

by N ov. 1 1 ttoo save save Register Nov. 11 on re egistration ffees. ees. registration Visit GLEXPO.com m ffor or regis registration, tration, program and other otther inf ormation. program information.

C 734-67 7-0503 3 ffor or regis tration Call 734-677-0503 registration q tions or to ques to rec ceive regis tration questions receive registration ogram information information o by mail. and pr program by C 6 16-794-0492 2 for for inf ormation Call 616-794-0492 information exxhibiting inn the tr ade show on exhibiting trade show..

PAGE 6 –– OCTOBER 2011 THE GROWER

SDRM . . . It’s bankable

ART SMITH CEO, OFVGA By now, the Self-Directed Risk Management (SDRM) deposit and withdrawal notices should have been sent out. If you are an Ontario fruit and vegetable, mushroom, maple syrup or honey producer and have not yet received your notice then I urge you to contact Agricorp at 1-888247-4999 and have them send you an application form.

It’s a good program and I urge all of you to participate in it if you are eligible and for that you need to have a minimum $5000 Allowable Net Sales (ANS) and produce edible horticulture crops here in Ontario.

Two points of interest for the 2011 crop year ONLY: 1) you do not need to participate in AgriStability this year and 2) you do not need to make a deposit.

Next year you will have to do both.

During the recently held information sessions a number of recurring questions came up that I will attempt to answer.

The first and foremost question related to the linkage to AgriStability and since SDRM will be considered a prepayment to AgriStability then why should I bother to participate?

For this year and this year only, one will not have to participate in Agri-Stability. If you do have an Agri-Stability account and you trigger a payment then the provincial government contribution to your SDRM account will be considered a prepayment to the provincial government portion of your Agri-Stability payment only. Remember all AgriStability payments are 40 per cent from the provincial government and 60 per cent from the federal government. We are talking about the provincial portion only!

So what does this mean in dollars and cents?

Let’s assume you have a SDRM account in 2011 of $10,000. Now let’s assume you trigger an Agri-Stability payment of $20,000 of which $12,000 comes from the federal government and $8,000 from the provincial government (traditional 60:40 split). In this case you would keep the $10,000 SDRM payment and the $12,000 federal portion of the Agri-Stability payment but would not receive the $8,000 provincial portion of the Agri-Stability payment. You are still $2,000 better off with SDRM. Only if the provincial portion of the AgriStability payment is equal to or larger than the provincial contribution to your SDRM account will you not come out ahead.

For this year if you don’t have an Agri-Stability account then you would keep the $10,000 SDRM payment, in future years you will need to be enrolled in Agri-Stability to participate in SDRM. An important fact to remember is that when we analyzed the Agri-Stability numbers we saw that, on average, fewer than 30 per cent of the farmers in our sector triggered a payment in AgriStability in any given year. This

means that a farmer in our sector could expect to trigger AgriStability once every three to four years.

Two other points on this: 1) only the provincial contribution to your SDRM account, not YOUR contribution in 2012 and beyond will be used as a prepayment to Agri-Stability. Your money will never be used as a prepayment to Agri-Stability.

2) Should you have more than one year of contribution(s) in your SDRM account only the provincial government’s contribution from the current program year can be used as a prepayment to Agri-Stability.

The combination of the 1.5 per cent ANS maximum contribution to Agri-Invest and the caps in this program means there may well be a short-fall in available dollars to cover off the top 15 per cent loss of margin in any given year.

SDRM will help to cover this short-fall, as such this program is extremely important to our sector, so please use it.

Another question that repeatedly came up was with regards to tax liability. In short, the government contribution to SDRM will be treated as taxable income in

the year that it is goes into your account, not when you take it out.

Another question that came up repeatedly was when are the deadlines for the current program year?

If you want to take advantage of this program in 2011 then you must submit your withdrawal request by October 31st, if you want to postpone it until early in the new year then you will have to submit your withdrawal request form by February 1st 2012.

Remember the deposit will be treated as taxable income the year in which it goes into your SDRM account.

I realize that you probably will have many other questions as well and that this column is too short so I urge you to read the 2011 SDRM handbook that Agricorp has or will send out. You should be able to find the answers to your questions there. If you have not received a SDRM package then call Agricorp at 1-888247-4999 and have them send it to you. It’s a good program. It’s there for you so please use it.

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

them to win the business of their target shopper by: • Dominating on a dimension of value that’s important to the target shoppers • Maintaining parity on all other important dimensions which requires: o Identifying all the dimensions that are important to target shoppers o Executing on every one of them so that shoppers don’t have a reason to go elsewhere.

There is more information in the article but I think you get the picture by now. Conclusion – Do all aspects of the Value Equation right and price becomes less of a factor? Customers can be trained to not just look through the flyers

for the best deal that week and concentrate more on where they can get the best overall value week after week.

This shift in focus can help retailers as well as their suppliers.

Remember, if price is the major issue and a lower retail price is the driver then that can only be achieved by driving down the price paid to producers. No one wins accept maybe the consumer and if price is achieved at the cost of quality then no one wins. I believe consumers are prepared to pay a reasonable price for consistent, high quality produce.

Delivering value beyond price

ADRIAN HUISMAN ONTARIO TENDER FRUIT PRODUCERS There was a great article in the recent issue of Food Institute News from the CEO of Delhaize,

Pierre-Olivier Beckers, on the recent sales success of U.S. retailer Food Lion. A few excerpts are as follows:

pattern that changes the retailer’s price reputation with shoppers in order to change those shoppers’ buying habits.

Pricing strategies alone can backfire These days, a growing number of retailers are trying to deliver greater value through lower prices. Whether these are offered on the shelf or reflecting in specials and promotions, there’s a good chance that by themselves, lower prices will be slow to increase sales. In some cases, they may even deflate sales below what they would have been had there been no pricing initiative.

How can this happen? Lower prices need to be weaved into a

Pricing is only one dimension of value Pricing is important, but it isn’t the only source of value that influences where shoppers decide to shop. These include quality, service, assortment, location and facility. The equation would look like this: Value = (Price x Quality x Service x Assortment x Location x Facility) Retailers who generate strong sales typically execute well against a sharply defined shopper value equation – one that allows

“Indian Summer” Along the line of smoky hills The crimson forest stands, And all the day the blue-jay calls Throughout the autumn lands.

Now, by great marshes wrapt in mist, Or past some river's mouth, Throughout the long still autumn day Wild birds are flying south.

Now by the brook the maple leans, With all his glory spread; And all the sumachs on the hills Have turned their green to red.

-- William Wilfred Campbell (1860-1919) Born at Kitchener, Campbell was known as the poet of the Great Lakes.

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

OFFICE 355 Elmira Road North, Unit 105 Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 CANADA Tel. 519-763-8728 • Fax 519-763-6604

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.

P.M. 40012319

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:

$30.00 (+ G.S.T.) / year in Canada $40.00/year International Subscribers must submit a claim for missing issues within four months. If the issue is claimed within four months, but not available, The Grower will extend the subscription by one month. No refunds on subscriptions.

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2011 MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Chair Vice-Chair Fruit Director Veg Director Director

Brian Gilroy, Meaford Mac James, Leamington Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-Lake Jason Ryder, Delhi Norm Charbonneau, Port Elgin

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

Brian Gilroy, Meaford Mary Shabatura, Windham Centre Fred Meyers, Niagara-on-the-Lake Jason Ryder, Delhi Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-Lake Jason Verkaik, Bradford Mac James, Leamington Norm Charbonneau, Port Elgin Doug Bradley, Tillsonburg Jan Vander Hout, Waterdown Don Taylor, Durham

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

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

OCTOBER 2011 –– PAGE 7 THE GROWER

PERSPECTIVE Clean water is vital for hunger relief . . . and hope

OWEN ROBERTS UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH When human disaster such as the unrelenting famine in the Horn of Africa hits, aid is the immediate answer. More than 12 million people are starving and need our support to secure food, medicine, shelter and water.

Those who have witnessed the devastation first-hand, such as University of Guelph President Alastair Summerlee, plead for help on behalf of those who have

no voice. And in Canada, those pleas are being heard – the Canadian government is now matching every relief dollar raised through donations to the Canadian Red Cross, and 10 financial institutions in Canada are accepting cash donations in support of that cause.

But feeding hungry people has a longer-term component, too, that involves helping people help themselves. It’s an approach being taken by, among others, several Rotary clubs in Ontario, including those in GuelphWellington, Grey-Bruce and beyond. Their efforts are going towards helping farmers and villagers secure clean water sources in what is hoped will become the breadbasket of eastern Africa, Cameroon.

Rotarians see things in much the same way as former UN special envoy Stephen Lewis. He long maintained that food production was a key to fight HIV/AIDS and manage disease. Food gives people strength, and healthy peo-

ple who are properly nourished are better at fighting disease than those who are weak to begin with.

Food production requires land and water availability. In Cameroon, water is bountiful during the rainy season. Long-time Rotarian and former University of Guelph rural extension professor Ab Moore, who visited Cameroon many times, recalls seeing water streaming down tall hills there.

But it was never retained for the dry season. No infrastructure was in place to harvest it and hold it. As a result, members of the family who were responsible for gathering water (women, usually) had to walk for hours to try to find a water source. And then, inevitably it would be contaminated. Moore says an estimated 20 per cent of the children living in rural Cameroon chronically suffer from cholera, from drinking unfit water.

To help, Rotarians are providing money for projects that direct and hold the rainy season run-off.

That means paying for plastic

LETTER TO EDITOR Taters not craters

pipe, plumbing and water storage devices that the local people couldn’t make or otherwise afford. Rotarians provide the materials, and through local nongovernment organizations, Cameroonians provide the labour to construct it, as well as the indigenous sand and gravel to secure it.

When children are healthy, they can attend school. But in Cameroonian society, boys get preferential treatment when it comes to education. So some Rotarians are also providing scholarships to poor families to send their daughters to school.

Moore says it’s become a popular program in Cameroon communities, where mothers – who are typically the principal labourers – want to see their daughters’ lot in life improved.

Then finally, once people are healthy and productive, they can look towards feeding others. To that end, Rotary is supporting a pilot project that will ply a food distributor in east central Africa

with ground, processed cassava from Cameroon. Rotary pays for the grinding mills for the cassava, so it doesn’t have to be done by hand.

“Cameroon stands to become the breadbasket of east central Africa,” says Moore. “We can help them move forward.”

Researchers at Guelph have a long history of water improvement, through studies funded by the partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and other sources.

Most recently, the University of Guelph and the City of Guelph have become key players in the groundbreaking The Southern Ontario Water Consortium, a $60million initiative that includes eight universities and 60 industry partners, and will create a platform for world-leading research, testing and technology development. About a dozen Guelph faculty members will be involved, taking another step forward in helping provide water to a hungry, thirsty world.

COMING EVENTS 2011 October 5, 6 Canadian Greenhouse Conference, Scotiabank Convention Centre, Niagara Falls, ON

Thank you for your September article “Potato growers looking to hedge quarry’s pitfalls.” It is crucial for Ontarians to know what is being planned “for their own good” and at what cost. The Highland Companies, backed by the Bostonbased hedge fund, has planned a mega-quarry just 90 minutes northwest of Toronto on prime farmland.

A “mega-quarry” is defined as having 150 million tonnes of reserves and an annual production capacity of at least 10 million tonnes. Highland’s quarry licence application is for unlimited annual tonnage with 6 billion tonnes in reserves. The quarry is designed around four pits and a central

operating area over 2,316 acres (7.2km x 3km) going down 200 feet below the water table. As a result, 600 million litres of water is expected to be pumped and reinjected into the water table every day. Water that will be contaminated by ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) explosive, vehicle fluids and dust. This area is the headwaters for five major rivers and source water for an estimated one million Ontarians. The rivers flow to Lake Erie, Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay. This mega-quarry will be the largest in Canada and since the company owns 8,000 acres will likely become the largest in North America.

It should be noted that Highland’s rehabilitation plan, after

the aggregate is extracted, is to rebuild the soil and farm the bottom of the pits. Of course, this requires pumping water in perpetuity.

Meanwhile, Lafarge Manitoulin a couple of hours northwest of the proposed quarry site is currently Ontario’s largest quarry and ships significant product quantity to the U.S. Why is this proposal even being considered? Ontario’s 40year old Aggregate Resources Act prioritizes rock over fresh food and clean water. It’s time for Ontario to wake up and appreciate the potatoes!

I wanted to express my gratitude to The Grower for publishing such a comprehensive and succinct article about the proposed mega-quarry in Melancthon Township.

I joined the ‘Protest to Stop the Quarry’ march which started at Queen’s Park on April 23 2011 and ended up on Black’s farm 15 kilometres from Shelburne, in Melancthon Township. I was inspired that so many people chose to set aside their home life, their employment and their creature comforts to walk for five days in changeable weather to

show the rest of Canada and the world that we will not sit back and allow our lives to be impacted upon without some form of conscionable redress.

Every day I walk with my dog and marvel at the wildlife that we see . . . ducks, deer, fox, geese, wild turkeys and the plethora of songbirds who entertain us on our walks. How long will that last if one kilometre away there is blasting going on 24 hours a day, seven days a week? Is there any study available that would conclusively prove that a megaquarry would not have a major

environmental impact? I don’t think so.

I like to drive the short three kilometres to Lennox Farm’s vegetable and fruit stand to buy produce which is grown locally.

I’m proud to know that the same produce is shipped to Toronto to the Ontario Food Terminal. This farm market’s future is at stake as are the local farms. Are we willing to trade potatoes for aggregates?

Donna Baylis Dunedin, ON

Oct. 14 – 17 PMA Fresh Summit, Georgia World Congress Centre, Atlanta, GA October 15 Holland Marsh Soupfest, Holland Marsh Winery, Keele Street, Newmarket, ON 9 am – 5 pm, www.hollandmarshsoupfest.com.

October 16 Foodstock, “Stop the mega-quarry fundraiser” with chef Michael Stadtlander, Honeywood, ON October 26 Ontario Produce Marketing Association Quality Control Seminar, OPMA office, Toronto, ON Nov. 2

Ontario Produce Marketing Association Quality Control Seminar, OPMA office, Toronto, ON

Nov. 4 – 13 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON Nov. 6 – 8

Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association 2011 Annual Bus Tour, Niagara Region, ON

November 9 Ontario Produce Marketing Association Quality Control Seminar, OPMA office, Toronto, ON

Louise Marcoux Phillips Shelburne, ON

Nov. 14 – 20 Outstanding Young Farmers National Program, Royal Oak Inn, Brandon, MB Nov. 22, 23 Essex County Associated Growers Bounty of the County, Kinsmen Recreation Complex, Leamington, ON Nov. 29 – Dec 1 Grow Canada Conference, Winnipeg, MB Dec. 6 – 8

Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Market Expo, DeVos Plaza Convention Centre and Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, MI

December 7 Ontario Potato Board Annual General Meeting, 10 a.m., Cambridge Holiday Inn, Hall C

PAGE 8 –– OCTOBER 2011 THE GROWER

Board Briefs Following are highlights from the OFVGA board meeting held August 25, 2011. The purpose of this brief is to keep you up-todate on the issues that the OFVGA is working on, as well as projects and initiatives the organization is involved in.

New Board member from ginseng Ken Van Torre joined the Board as the new director representing the Ontario Ginseng Growers. He replaces Doug Bradley.

ers would like to see on the GROU list of products approved for import for the next growing season. Some nominations may not be eligible due to patent protection and other parameters brought forward by CropLife Canada. The GROU product list can contain a maximum of 30 products.

representative, Murray Porteous, recently met with HaldimandNorfolk Brant MPP Toby Barrett to discuss the issue.

Innovation and technology information session A special technology and innovation session will be offered at the Fruit and Vegetable Convention in Niagara Falls in February. The session will feature speakers and presentations on technological innovations across the sector, and will be coordinated by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in conjunction with the OFVGA.

Crop protection section meeting: The crop protection section will meet at the OFVGA office in Guelph in October. Further details will be made available once they are finalized.

Labour Worker safety: Labour section chair Ken Forth and Crop Protection section chair Charles Stevens attended a meeting with the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) worker safety division for an update on safe handling of crop protection materials by employees.

Workplace Safety and Prevention Service: David Lambert and Norm Charbonneau will represent the OFVGA on the WSPS advisory committee. WSPS was created through an amalgamation of the Farm Safety Association, the Industrial Accident Prevention Association and the Ontario Service Safety Alliance, and is now housed within the Ministry of Labour. A portion of premiums paid to the Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) was previously directed to the Farm Safety Association to fund prevention awareness programs.

Concern was expressed that prevention incentive programs may be eliminated and replaced with enforcement initiatives.

Crop protection GROU program: All OFVGA member organizations are asked to submit their crop protection product nominations for the GROU program to Charles Stevens or Craig Hunter. This fall, OFVGA will submit its annual list of products that farm-

Product registrations: The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is looking at changing its long-standing policy of first submission in, first approval out regarding product approvals.

PMRA would like the ability to move submissions ahead in their approval queue so that products that address a pest issue that has been identified as a priority by farmers can be dealt with in priority sequence.

Property Property section chair David Lambert represents OFVGA on a committee working to develop a national sustainable water strategy for horticulture. This initiative is taking place as part of the national Horticulture Value Chain Roundtable. The committee will next meet in September to continue its work on a draft outline for the strategy.

AGCare and Ontario Farm Animal Council amalgamation A final vote on the amalgamation of AGCare and the Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC) took place August 26. The new organization will be formally put in place in January 2012, and will be run by an interim Board of Directors until April when the annual general meeting will take place. The board of the new organization will consist of four livestock and four crop representa-

Provincial election package

Photo by Denis Cahill tives, and four members at large.

Two advisory councils, one focused on animal care and one on environmental issues, will support the board. The OFVGA is a member of AGCare.

Research OFVGA is working with Breakfast Clubs of Canada and the Canadian Horticultural Council to submit a funding application to organize a national symposium on student nutrition. The goal is to gather stakeholders from across the country together to further the development of a student nutrition program for disadvantaged regions, such as Canada’s North, so that students in these areas would have access to fresh produce. OFVGA currently manages a school snack program with several school districts in northern Ontario with funding provided by the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion. The OFVGA Board

passed a motion to provide financial support to the application.

Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) CHC has been involved for some time in discussions on how seasonal agricultural workers could legally immigrate to Canada. The horticulture industry is changing with farmers needing more management time to run increasingly complex operations, especially ones that involve expansion projects or value-adding activities.

Many seasonal agricultural workers have years of training and are highly skilled employees that are essential to farm businesses. One suggested option is to have an agricultural farm manager position included on the eligible sponsor list for Ontario, which would allow long-time seasonal agricultural workers to become involved in farming operations on a more permanent basis. OFVGA’s CHC

OFVGA is finalizing a document outlining key issues and needs for horticulture for the upcoming election campaign. Farmers and member associations are encouraged to use the document when they are speaking to candidates, attending all-candidate meetings or otherwise participating in the election.

Audit and finance committee The Board voted to create an audit and finance committee that will oversee the OFVGA’s audit process. It was agreed that the CEO, Chair and Vice Chair would not be part of this committee. New committee members are Norm Charbonneau, Ray Duc and Jason Ryder.

The next OFVGA board meeting will take place on October 13 at the OFVGA office in Guelph, starting at 10:00 a.m.

OCTOBER 2011 –– PAGE 9 THE GROWER

Crop and livestock coalitions merge to promote food and farming LILIAN SCHAER Members of two Ontario agricultural coalitions voted in August to amalgamate their two organizations into one to promote food and farming in the province. The joining of Agricultural Groups Concerned About Resources and the Environment (AGCare) and the Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC) will mark the first time in Canada that crops, horticulture and livestock sectors have come together with such a mandate.

The new, yet-to-be named organization will formally launch on January 1, 2012 and will be located in the same office space that AGCare and OFAC currently occupy in Guelph’s Ontario AgriCentre. An interim Board of Directors with representation from both organizations has been elected to serve between January 2012 and the new organization’s annual meeting next April. At that time, a new board will be elected, consisting of four livestock and four crop representatives, and four members at large.

Two advisory councils, one focused on animal care and one on environmental issues, will support the new board.

A nomination process to those councils by members will begin shortly.

The OFVGA has been a member of AGCare since the coalition was launched in the late 1980s to address safe

and responsible use of crop protection products in Ontario agriculture. Under AGCare’s leadership, the Ontario Pesticide Education Program was implemented, which is widely credited with helping Ontario farmers reduce pesticide use by more than 50 per cent over the last two decades. It was also instrumental in the development of the popular Environmental Farm Plan. AGCare’s members include a wide range of crop and horticulture organizations.

OFAC is active in animal agriculture issues, such as transportation, care and handling of livestock, as well as consumer outreach and educational displays at fairs and events. Its members include commodity organizations, processors and related farm businesses.

The two coalitions have been working towards amalgamation over the last two years, led by a steering committee of Board members from both groups that helped developed a framework for the new organization.

“AGCare and OFAC were both formed as the first coalitions of their kind in North America in 1987. We have worked together in many areas, and have shared office space, staff and projects for several years,” said Paul Wettlaufer, chair of AGCare. “We began discussing a possible amalgamation two years ago and now look forward to working together on behalf of the whole sector for the future.

The new organization will have a collective focus on public outreach for a stronger voice for crop and animal sectors. AGCare and OFAC currently share office staff, including a joint Executive Director, and collaborate on many public outreach initiatives. Some recent highlights include: • Placing educational signs about agriculture alongside hiking trails in the Greenbelt • Releasing an annual Faces of Farming calendar that dispels popular misconceptions of farmers • Working to get positive farming stories into the media and giving farmers the tools to be agricultural ambassadors • Developing virtual tours of livestock and crop farms to give the public a chance to experience real Ontario farms www.virtualfarmtours.ca • Maintaining and expanding a library of current agricultural photos and videos that are available for use by media and in publications • Leading a province-wide collection of obsolete agricultural crop protection and animal health products In May of this year, a “Name our Name” contest run via Twitter and Facebook attracted over 125 entries from across Canada and the United States. The organization’s new name will be announced later this fall.

Global Positioning Systems: hands-on precision, hands-off technology Nothing new to row crops, global positioning systems (GPS) could be used more in horticulture. The precision technology has been embraced by potato growers for more precise field tillage and by cole crop growers for planting vegetable seedbeds.

But many other commodities could benefit says Jordan Wallace, G.P.S. Ontario, speaking at the recent Canada’s Fruit and Veg Tech XChange.

For a decade now, he’s been a “local guidance counselor” spe-

cializing in GPS systems from his base in North Gower, Ontario. A GPS system can increase productivity levels by 10 to 25 per cent, he says, by reducing overlap and by being 100 per cent repeatable with two to four inches accuracy.

In cases of planting, a GPS system can manage seed populations, computerize field mapping and record harvests for food safety traceability. In matters of crop protection, the savings are in better rate control and targeted spraying. With wireless data

transfer, growers see advantages in sending information from the tractor cab directly to the farm office. And with date-stamped data, growers find the data helpful in proving crop insurance claims.

“There are lots of applications in the grape industry for crop drainage,” says Wallace, adding that weather tools can be incorporated for real-time data.

Irrigation companies are interested in auto-pilot functions that will drive linear irrigation systems down the field based on

“

There are lots of applications in the grape industry for crop drainage.

- Jordan Wallace

GPS instrumentation. That may prove difficult, but Wallace acknowledges that’s where the industry wants to go. For more

NOTICE OF MEETING Notice is hereby given that the

information, contact 613-327-6377 or www.GPSOntario.ca.

•

Agricultural * Commercial * Industrial

Annual General Meeting of the FRESH VEGETABLE GROWERS OF ONTARIO will be held in the Town of Woodstock, Ontario at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs Boardroom

50 Years of Excellent Service Refrigeration (All Types) Heating, Air Conditioning Controlled Atmosphere

Thursday November 24, 2011 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m

905-685-4255

Election of directors of the Association will take place plus discussion of financial reports and any other business that may arise.

www.pennrefrigeration.com info@pennrefrigeration.com

Pre-registration is required, registrationorms f and additional meeting details can be located on FVGO website www.freshvegetablesontario.com/

18 Seapark Drive, St Catharines ON, L2M 6S6

PAGE 10 –– OCTOBER 2011 THE GROWER

STEWARDSHIP

Organic research takes the floor A 400-tree orchard at the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre has become an outdoor laboratory to test the latest research in organic agriculture and get a new crop off the ground.

The establishment of the three-year-old orchard of Honeycrisp apples was partially funded by the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association.

“Organic products are a fast-growing trend and there is demand for produce free from pesticides and herbicides,” says Julia Reekie.

The research biologist is leading a team that is using the orchard to test ways of controlling insects, diseases and weeds that meet organic production standards.

While the centre has conducted organic research in the past, the new orchard provides a unique opportunity to look at organic agriculture from the ground up.

Nova Scotia’s climate suits the Honeycrisp and the premium apple would have a higher market value than most other apples grown organically.

However, knowledge on the successful establishment of young organic Honeycrisp

Julia Reekie uses a laptop to collect climate data in an organic orchard of young Honeycrisp apple trees at the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre in Kentville, Nova Scotia. The station is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. orchards is limited.

“Weeds are one of the main problems in an organic apple orchard and control products are limited,” says Reekie.

The team is focusing on a new field of research called orchard floor management

for answers. The group is looking at half a dozen approaches, including a reflective plastic mulch, composted manure and companion plant covers.

“When we put these on the orchard floor, they act as a barrier to weed

growth,” says Reekie. “They basically suffocate the weeds.”

The reflective plastic mulch could be especially effective, shedding light on a host of benefits.

“When used as a ground cover it can increase the amount of available light by reflecting light back to the trees, almost like a mirror,” says Reekie. “It has also been shown to enhance colour of apples, conserve soil moisture and repel certain insects.”

Andy Hammermeister, director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada in Truro, Nova Scotia, says he likes the research.

“The orchard floor is a pivotal part of the orchard ecosystem,” he says. “It affects nutrients, pest control, beneficial insects, water and the overall aesthetics of the orchard landscape.”

“I think Dr. Reekie’s research is going to be very important for organic apple production in the future.”

Reprinted courtesy Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada from “Kentville’s Century of Science.”

The slow path to a sustainable vineyard earns respect KAREN DAVIDSON Ed Hughes is a natural choice.

The Beamsville, Ontario farmer was recently named 2011 Grape King by the Grape Growers of Ontario, acknowledging his work in sustainable vineyards.

“Over the last 10 years, I have embraced biodiversity and am always looking for new ways to improve and increase natural methods of controlling vigour, pests and vine balance while reducing the need for artificial methods,” says Hughes.

For several years now, he has

been experimenting with 21 acres of vinifera grapes, modifying monocultural practices by introducing native plants to attract beneficial insects. He has taken cues from both Michigan State University biocontrol research and Cornell University’s Environmental Impact Quotient that rates various pesticides. While this rating system has flaws, it has provided comprehensive guidance.

Hughes’ philosophy is that insects are native to the environment and grow in population over the summer. By situating native plants – black-eyed susans, berg-

amot, asters and goldenrod – in mid-row corridors, beneficial insects are attracted through the various bloom periods from June through September, feeding on bad bugs. He also provides a resting place, a shaded haven in each mid-row where beneficial bugs can breed and overwinter.

Parasitic wasps, flies, beetles and spiders are introduced to the mix as predators to feed on bugs that may harm the grapevines. A perimeter planting of blackberries, stinging nettle and other species also attract beneficial insects.

Recycle your empty pesticide containers IT’S FREE AND EASY!

+ RINSE +

Triple or pressure RINSE

+ RETURN

REMOVE

To your local collection site

Caps and booklet, leave the label on

Join the thousands of farmers across the country who are recycling their empty pesticide containers. Protecting our farms, families and the environment is our shared responsibility.

™ Visit www.cleanfarms.ca to find the collection site nearest you.

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and Brock University assisted in a set of replicated trials. Results aren’t conclusive but they are trending positive.

“This is the fourth season without using any insecticides or miticides,” says Hughes. “I still need fungicides to fight fungal outbreaks such as botrytis and the occasional spot use of herbicides for problem perennial weeds.”

Insecticides and miticides are expensive and therefore eliminating their use has resulted in real savings.

Adding 10 tons of compost per acre in the fall is helping his clay soil to release its own nitrogen and to strengthen vines. Hughes is using 51 per cent less fertilizer through drip irrigation.

None of these results happened with a “eureka!” moment but rather observation since planting his vines in 1995. To get expressive fruit, Hughes says the vine must grow as naturally as possible, while controlling every aspect. He planted with a spacing of 39 inches inter vine and nine feet between rows, attempting to control vigour above the ground with unique trellising systems.

More recent efforts at controlling conditions below the ground, such as compost, offer the best results.

Growing smaller vines has reduced several inputs related to managing large vines and lowered the cost and the carbon footprint needed to run the farm.

Today, he manages a vine density of at least 5500 vines per hectare so he can control vine vigour and balance while reducing vine yields to about one to two kilograms per vine – much lower than the current standard practice of five to seven kilograms per vine.

Clearly, this holistic system yields less fruit but of a quality desired

by Malivoire, a local winery known for its sustainable growing and wine making since 1997.

“Recently Malivoire invited a group of growers and other wineries together to start working towards either an Ontario or Niagara definition of sustainability that will recognize our growing methods,” says Hughes. “It’s not organic, but rather incorporates social responsibility, environmental stewardship and financial profitability.”

Hughes believes that his philosophy and efforts have paid off with the recent signing of a longterm contract with Malivoire. A visit to Malivoire’s website shows a whimsical lady beetle, scuttling around the home page. When its wings flash, think of it as a wink to this year’s Grape King.

OCTOBER 2011 –– PAGE 11 THE GROWER

STEWARDSHIP

Corrugated or reusable plastic containers?

The crate debate uncovers practical issues for the produce trade JERRY SCOTT MILLS With major food retailers conducting pilot tests of reusable plastic containers (RPC) or “retrippers”, fresh produce growers and packers are concerned about the potential impact on current packaging/handling systems for corrugated containers.

John Mullinder, executive director of the Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council, has been long involved in the paper industry's “crate debate” promoting the environmental performance of corrugated. The paper industry, says Mullinder, is now taking a far more aggressive stance against what he says are misleading environmental claims from plastic crate proponents.

“Plastic retrippers are derived from non-renewable petrochemicals. Compare them with corrugated master shippers made from a renewable resource, and the fact that Canada leads the world in sustainable forest management.

Isn't it strange that we don't hear anything about independent thirdparty certification of petrochemical plants?”

Mullinder emphasizes that only about 11 per cent of corrrugated content is from newly milled wood fibre. “More than 80 per cent of the average corrugated box comes from recovered paper or board, primarily corrugated, and the recovery rate for used corrugated is exceptionally high.

It’s 85 per cent from industry and an amazing 92 per cent from Ontario's Blue Box program,” Mullinder explains.

Grower/packer Algoma Orchards Ltd also has some concerns since it uses corrugated boxes in its apple processing and packing plant east of Bowmanville, Ontario.

“The retailers want to be known by their customers as responsible corporate citizens,” says Algoma president Kirk Kemp. “In theory, the concept makes sense, but at this point RPC sizing doesn't work for our fruit.”

Also, RPCs need to be clearly differentiated to avoid handling errors, and manually applying identification tags would add labour cost on the line. Automatically glued labels could prove cost-efficient but removing old labels and glue residue is an unknown factor, possibly solved by hot-steam treatments during turnaround.

The closed-loop RPC system includes thorough sanitizing after every delivery. But with no turnaround depot nearby -- Chicago is the closest -- Kemp is unsure how well RPCs would work for Algoma customers.

“We certainly look forward to a situation where we can minimize packaging and not have to

Paul Hincks, Wellington Wood Products, poses beside traditional fruit baskets, just a sample of a wide variety of packaging solutions. raise food costs,” says Kemp.

“Then we'd have a win-win scenario. But with $300,000-plus already invested in corrugated forming and conveyor lines, RPCs would represent a major financial commitment.”

A packaging supplier weighs in In Mount Forest, Ontario, Wellington Wood Products produces a vast variety of produce packaging in plastic, paper, wood and corrugated for Ontario

A

growers. Wellington vice president Paul Hincks is concerned about the potential impact of retrippers. “Do the big retailers appreciate the full effect of changes they'll make by introducing plastic shippers to the fresh produce segment,” questions Hincks.

Pointing out residue in the corners of a retripper, Hincks notes that contamination is a big concern for both producer and retailer, adding, “It became an issue among Europeans during the past

summer's crisis of confidence.”

Hygienic cleaning is critical.

But cleaning stations for returned RPCs are limited to four in North America (Atlanta, San Antonio, Rancho Cucamonga and Chicago) and the cost per unit for washing, handling and returning is not yet known. Nor are paperwork, tracking costs, and RPCs that go astray.

Plastic container availability during peak periods is another concern. Growers currently enjoy numerous sources for corrugated

program designed to help Ontario farmers with water taking permit needs

S

urface Water Services •

G

round Water Services

G S

eorge Shearer urface Water Specialist

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association 105-355 Elmira Road North Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 ph: 519-763-6160 ext. 219 cell: 519-222-3272 fax: 519-763-6604 email: water@ofvga.org

containers, whereas retrippers are limited to a handful of suppliers with complex tracking systems that keep their loop functioning.

Costly content mixups also pose potential problems for Wellington customers. “The packer is responsible for applying RPC identification labels, whereas with corrugated shippers clear product identification appears on every box,” says Hincks.

“Plastic shippers are bulky,” adds Hincks. “Once emptied, they take up a lot of space waiting for pickup and retripping. They're cumbersome to stack and costly to store. One advantage, though, they never collapse during transit!”

In light of recent news that leading retripper Wal-Mart has begun a partial return to corrugated for apples, citrus and stone fruit, the plastic initiative may not go forward or as fast as originally envisioned. Retail chain planners are reviewing the financial benefits and environmental sustainability as they more fully assess the extent of costly handling system changes for growers and packers.

Jerry Scott Mills is a freelance photojournalist who has covered the corrugated industry for more than a decade.

PAGE 12 –– OCTOBER 2011 THE GROWER

STEWARDSHIP

The economics of green energy crops are a burning question KAREN DAVIDSON For the first time, Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show has set aside several acres to track the progress of several biomass crops at its Woodstock, Ontario site. Growers could view two varieties of miscanthus and two varieties of switchgrass which were on display at the recent Sept 13 – 15 show.

Scott Abercrombie, Gildale Farms, was in charge of the miscanthus planting and maintainenace. John Malecki looked after the switchgrass plots.

Abercrombie has three years’ experience under his belt with his own 10 acres of miscanthus and 10 acres of switchgrass, process-

ing the biomass for use as bedding for small animals and birds.

The biomass is screened for dust and can be cut into fine, medium or coarse lengths, depending on the use. One feature is its absorbency, about three times that of wood shavings. Another is its ability to sequester carbon.

In conjunction with the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), these plots demonstrate alternative “green” energy crops for the future. How economical they will prove to be remains a burning question as plummeting natural gas prices make perennial grasses less viable. Just a couple years ago, natural gas was priced at $12 per gigajoule but is now selling at

$4 per gigajoule.

“Ontario lost some momentum, “ says Dean Tiessen, president, New Energy Farms, “in that Ontario Power Generation is not moving towards a biomass option for the southwestern Ontario power generation facilities.” But Tiessen predicts that volatility and price spikes in natural gas will return again, prodding farmers to look for clean, carbon-neutral, cheap energy.

“We now have the ability to scale,” says Tiessen, who has sorted out genetics, planting equipment and rhizome propagation. “As an example, we were buying miscanthus plants in 2006/2007 for one to three dollars each. Now we sell them for larg-

Scott Abercrombie showcases Miscanthus giganteus sourced from Austria and M. Nagara sourced from New Energy Farms, Leamington, Ontario at a three-year trial at the Woodstock, Ontario site of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show. Not shown is Cave-in-Rock switchgrass and Kanlow switchgrass. er orders at 10 to 12 cents each.

Establishing a hectare of this crop is now only a fraction of what it was less than five years ago.”

“Will farm gate prices of grain not be as strong and growers look again for new crops to grow?” says Tiessen. “Five years ago we were there and five years before that, we had an economic climate with strong demand for fuel. My father’s generation had the same bumps in the road. We want to smooth them out for the remainder of my career and the next generations ahead.”

With current energy markets not as robust for perennial grasses, Tiessen and others are looking for alternatives. Nick Betts, OSCIA, who oversees several biomass projects, points out that consumer products may hold promise. Used as a raw material for biocomposites, miscanthus is finding its way into door panels and storage bins. Home

Hardware’s label reads: 100 per cent post-consumer plastic blended with non-food agri-products to formulate eco-friendly plastic – lowers carbon footprint by 25 per cent.

“Now that’s what you call a 100-mile product,” says Betts.

If biomass projects have been slow to take root as a cash crop, it’s viable as a local sustainable loop. The City of Guelph’s mayor has promoted the idea of a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) facility that would provide power locally. Whether that idea becomes reality remains uncertain, however Betts knows of four Ontario farmers who are successfully heating their homes from three acres of miscanthus.

Tiessen remains upbeat with plans to contract growers and land owners in 2012 to 2014 for additional plantings of 10,000 acres in southwestern Ontario.

Clean ‘seed’ garlic available Garlic planting is underway with 12,000 “clean seed” single-clove bulbs of Music garlic from the Superior Plant Upgrading and Distribution (SPUD) unit in New Liskeard, Ontario.

These are the first for sale from virus-tested, nematode-free garlic plantlets according to Becky Hughes, head of the SPUD Unit. There is just enough clean seed for paid-up members of the Garlic Growers Association of Ontario (GGAO) at a cost of $0.80 per bulb (clove) in lots of 100 on a first-come, firstpaid basis. This garlic project was sponsored

by GGAO and the Agricultural Biosecurity Program.

OCTOBER 2011 –– PAGE 13 THE GROWER

PAGE 14 –– OCTOBER 2011 THE GROWER

CANADIAN GREENHOUSE CONFERENCE

Silicon supplement proven to benefit greenhouse cucumbers KAREN DAVIDSON Silicon, widely known for its industrial uses as a semiconductor in computers, is also beneficial in plant biology, but its properties are much less understood. Only in the last five years have researchers started to figure out how this chemical element (Si) works in boosting metabolism in specific plants.

“Silicon has been controversial in the greenhouse industry,” says Richard Bélanger, full professor and research chair in plant protection, Laval University. “About 70 per cent of growers in the Netherlands use silicon in a nutritional supplement, but sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

Its use as a prophylactic treatment to prevent disease has been based

“

Silicon does not act as a nutrient.

- Richard Bélanger, Laval University

entirely on empirical evidence.”

For believers, silicon boosts plant vitality, fending off common greenhouse diseases such as powdery mildew. But some growers question its use, especially

when plants with and without silicon look the same in identical circumstances.

Thanks to a team of Japanese researchers, the mystery was unlocked in 2006 through Comparative expression of total genome in plants infected or not with powdery mildew and treated or not with Si. Left lane: Presence of powdery mildew causes a lower expression of genes as determined by the red colour.

Right lane: addition of Si, in spite of powdery mildew infection, restores normal gene expression as shown by the higher expression (green colour) compared to repressed genes (red) to the left.

“

genomics analysis. They discovered that rice, for instance, has silicon transporters in the roots which allow uptake of the disease-fighting element. Other plants in the Cucurbitaceae family such as cucumbers have the same silicon-absorbing capacity, while tomatoes and eggplants of the Solanacae family don’t. These findings also help explain why foliar sprays will not work as well since the Si transporters are not expressed in the leaves.

“Silicon does not act as a nutrient,” Belanger points out, confirming further research at Laval University. He supports the use of silicon in an acidic solution fed to greenhouse cucumbers and other Si-absorbing plants along with other nutrients.

Think of it as a vitamin to strengthen the plants’ immune systems to stress. Just like vitamins, Belanger says that silicon needs to be fed constantly in the nutrient solution for the entire life cycle of cucumbers.

“If growers stop using it, they will lose the benefits,” he says.

With the power of genomics to solve many disease problems, Belanger says the next step will be to breed plants in other plant families that have silicon-transporting capacity.

Editor’s note: Richard Bélanger is one of several researchers invited to speak at the Canadian Greenhouse Conference, October 5 and 6, Niagara Falls, Ontario.

OCTOBER 2011 –– PAGE 15 THE GROWER

Greenhouse growers put a stake in the ground for expansion Sales could top $1 billion by 2015 KAREN DAVIDSON Despite cloudy economic forecasts, greenhouse growers see nothing but sunshine for their hydroponic produce. In Ontario, building expansion is estimated at $90 million this year in the Leamington and Kingsville areas with another 200 acres expected to come on stream for tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers for the 2012 season. This expansion tops up the 1,919 acres already in production.

“High-quality product, proven distribution channels, acceptance by retailers and consumers and trends toward healthy eating are all driving the boom,” says George Gilvesy, general manager, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG).

By 2015, Ontario growers anticipate earning another $400 million to $500 million with an additional 400 to 500 acres of production. That’s on top of current annual sales of $641 million, which makes Essex County the largest cluster of greenhouse vegetable production in North America.

“

High-quality product, proven distribution channels, acceptance by retailers and consumers and trends toward healthy eating are all driving the boom.

- George Gilvesy Even OGVG has outgrown its modest offices with plans to construct new headquarters in Leamington, Ontario. Larger meeting rooms will facilitate frequent meetings among various committees. The construction contract has been assigned with plans to finish the building in spring 2012.

Despite a volatile Canadian dollar, producers are satisfying a market hungry for fresh produce by exporting more than 70 per cent of its production to border states and beyond: Michigan, New York, Ohio, Illinois, North Carolina and Maryland.

In British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, another hotbed of production remains stable according to Linda Delli Santi, executive director, BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association. In 2010, gross revenue was $245 million from about 700 acres. She expects only one or two per cent growth in the next couple years.

This artist’s rendering showcases the new headquarters of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers at 32 Seneca Drive, Leamington.

Construction is expected to be complete by spring 2012.

Mastronardi Produce in Ontario and Windset Farms in British Columbia are undertaking expansion in the U.S. Mastronardi is investing $25 million in a new facility in Coldwater, Michigan, strategically located close to the lucrative Chicago market. The 88-acre site, tagged for yearround tomato production, is expected to be operational late this year. This facility is in addition to greenhouses in Illinois and Colorado.

Meanwhile, Windset Farms, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, is building two 32-acre greenhouses and a 174,000 square foot processing facility and packing plant in the Santa Maria Valley of California. Steven Newell, CEO, says start-up has been slowed due to foggy, overcast weather in Vancouver where the plants are propagated. The latest Dutch technology has been incorporated with active and passive ventilation systems, water and carbon dioxide reclamation systems and a centralized computer system which measures plant nutrient levels and keeps tabs on employee productivity.

Windset is planting grape

tomatoes first, with Roma, Campari, beefsteak and other varieties to follow. This mix is in response to client orders as well as Sysco Corporation, new to their client list.

Eventually, the new complex will sprawl over 320 acres using the company’s proprietary growing system that uses light-diffusing glass and unique air-flow technology. Under this system,

times and use renewable wind power for part of its power needs – a story which adds another plank to the sustainability messaging of no pesticides in hydroponically-grown vegetables.

Near Leamington, Ontario, Pyramid and Prism Farms have recently constructed a biomass processing facility utilizing miscanthus to produce clean, renewable energy for their greenhouses. The unique construction also houses 285 kw of pv solar as part of the Ontario microFIT program.

Not to be outdone, B.C.-based Village Farms is building its fifth greenhouse near Monahans, Texas with plans to market tomatoes in early 2012.

the company claims yields of more than 220 pounds per square meter.

This state-of-the-art greenhouse will recycle water several

In the midst of desert conditions, these biosphere-like structures are no mirage. They are part of the new reality competing with Canadian greenhouses.

Business Development for Farm Businesses FUNDS * AVAILABLE

“We wanted to step back to analyze how to stay financially viable as opposed to just floating along. The Growing Your Farm Profits Workshop fit well into our plan.”

Helen and Marc Carere, Sheep Farmers - Lindsay, Ontario

Build a solid foundation for your business ...attend a GYFP workshop You will: • identify strengths and weaknesses about your farm in key management areas • use a step-by-step approach to set and prioritize goals for your business • learn how to customize your own action plan to ensure your goals are achieved

workshop is the place to start!

Register for a workshop today!

Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association 1-800-265-9751 www.ontariosoilcrop.org

Expansion also underway in the U.S. Perhaps as a hedge against the dollar, major producers such as

*Funds are available until further notice

PAGE 16 –– OCTOBER 2011 THE GROWER

Leek moth detected in southwestern Ontario Brief History The leek moth is an invasive alien species of European origin that attacks Allium crops (Fig. 1). This pest was first found in Canada in the early 1990s in the Ottawa region. By 2010, the range of this pest has expanded into eastern Ontario, areas of southwestern Quebec, Prince Edward Island and New York. In eastern Ontario, there are three flights of the leek moth per season, with activity beginning in April, peaking in July and slowing in September. In terms of trade, although not a quarantine pest in Canada, the leek moth is considered a quarantined pest in the U.S. even though this moth was detected in New York State in 2009 and 2010, thus Allium growers who ship green plant material (i.e. leeks, green onions) to the U.S. have to follow certification protocols to ensure their product is exportable to the U.S.

regions in central and southwestern Ontario for monitoring by OMAFRA with help from funding by the Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario. Pheromone traps were set up at each of the 10 sites and these were checked on a weekly basis throughout the growing season for leek moth adults. Due to surveying efforts this past season, leek moth has been detected in Allium-producing regions in central Ontario (Simcoe County) and southwestern Ontario (Waterloo Region).

Damage caused by leek moth Leek moth larvae feed on the leaves of Allium crops and in some cases garlic bulbs, which can be detrimental to the marketability of the crop. Damage looks different on the various Allium crops. On hollow-leaved crops, such as onions and chives, leek moth larvae enter the leaves to feed internally creating a ‘win-

ty of leek moth in the field. Traps are installed around the field edge during April. Leek moth adults start to become active when temperatures reach 9.5°C. If warranted, insecticide applications are timed at seven to 10 days after the peak flight. Currently, Warrior and Matador (lambdacyhalothrin) are registered for leek moth control in garlic, elephant garlic, leek, dry bulb onion, green onion, Welsh onion, and shallots. Success 480 EC (spinosad) and Entrust 80 W (organic spinosad) were recently registered on crop subgroup 3-07B (green onions, leeks, chives (fresh leaves), Chinese chives (fresh leaves), shallots (fresh leaves), wild leek, bunching onion, tree onion (tops), Welsh onion (tops)) for suppression of leek moth; however, these spinosad products are not currently registered on crop subgroup 3-07A (garlic, elephant garlic, bulb onion, shallots, pearl onion) for leek moth. Please

Figure 2. Leek moth feeding damage on onions.

Figure 3. Leek moth feeding damage on garlic.

Figure 1. (from left to right) Leek moth adult, leek moth larva (yellowish-green with brown head capsule and eight small spots on each side of the abdomen), and leek moth pupae (reddish-brown encased in mesh cocoon).

2011 season update Research has suggested that this pest will likely spread further south and west from regions where it is currently established into large Allium-producing regions of central and southwestern Ontario. Early detection of the pest is important in order to keep populations at manageable levels and also to keep track of the rate of spread of this pest. During the 2011 season, 10 sites were chosen with focus on Allium-producing

dowing’ effect (Fig. 2). On flatleaved crops, such as garlic and leeks, the larvae feed on top of and inside of the leaves (Fig. 3) and they may also bore into the leaves creating pinhole damage.

On garlic specifically, the larvae will feed on the scapes as well. In some cases, the larvae may damage the bulbs (Fig. 4).

Leek moth management Pheromone traps can be used to determine the presence and activi-

consult labels for directions for use. For labels, please contact Marion Paibomesai at 519-8264963.

Cultural control methods include crop rotation, use of floating row covers (sides of cover anchored to ground), avoiding planting near infested areas, delayed planting, removal of old/infested leaves, early harvesting to avoid damage by populations that have been building up through the season and destruction of plant debris.

Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank the Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario for funding. Many thanks to Stephen C. James the OMAFRA summer student who was responsible for trap maintenance and to Peter Mason and Jean-François Landry from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada for help with identification. In addition, a special thank you to all cooperating growers.

Figure 4. Leek moth damage to garlic bulb. Arrow pointing to exit hole of leek moth larva.

OCTOBER 2011 –– PAGE 17 THE GROWER

Herbicide-resistant pigweed in Ontario

Figure 2. Pigweed nursery

Figure 1. Survey sites across Ontario K. CALLOW, OMAFRA, RIDGETOWN, ON., B. VISSER AND E. ANNETT, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH, GUELPH, ON. Herbicide-resistant pigweed is a distressing issue faced by vegetable producers

across Ontario. A limited survey conducted in 2010 showed that there were pigweed plants resistant to Group 7 (Lorox – linuron) and Group 5 (Gesagard / Sencor – prometryn / metribuzin).

In response, OMAFRA, in partnership

with the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association and the University of Guelph, conducted a survey across Ontario to determine the extent and mechanism of the herbicide resistance. More than 50 fields with carrots in the rotation were sampled and the growers were surveyed to determine their herbicide use patterns (Figure 1). The pigweed samples were transplanted to a contained outside nursery

(Figure 2). As the seed heads matured they were harvested and the seeds were cleaned and stored. The seeds from each field will be tested to identify what types of resistance have been found. Growers will then be provided with recommendations on how to manage their resistance problems.

With a lack of effective herbicides, growers are using various methods to combat the pigweed in their fields: • Wicking glyphosate onto pigweeds that are taller than the crop • Hoeing fields infested with pigweed • Removing pigweed from the field to prevent seed return The Holland Marsh Growers’ Association and La Fédération des producteurs maraîchers du Québec are grateful to the Bradford Co-operative Storage Ltd., Syngenta Crop Protection Canada Inc. and TKI Novasource for their generous funding contributions to this project.

For further information on this project please contact Kristen Callow, OMAFRA Weed Management Program Lead – Horticulture: kristen.callow@ontario.ca or 519674-1335

Avoiding damage to sweet potato skin at harvest MELANIE FILOTAS – SPECIALTY CROPS IPM SPECIALIST/OMAFRA Sweet potatoes are notoriously fragile and a major problem at harvest is skinning, in which the epidermis, or outer layer of skin, tears loose from the underlying root tissue. The resulting wound is not only a cosmetic problem, but can also lead to loss of water and weight by roots in storage and provides an entryway for decay pathogens. Freshly harvested sweet potatoes, which have a very thin skin, are highly susceptible to skinning at harvest, and this susceptibility can

increase for several days after harvest. Curing helps to “set”, or toughen, the skin of sweet potatoes, however the challenge for growers is often getting them out of the ground and into the curing facility without damaging them.

Skinning in sweet potatoes is not well understood and has been linked to numerous factors, including cultivar and environment. Beauregard appears to be more susceptible to skinning than Covington, which is one reason why Covington is preferred by North Carolina growers. A North Carolina study (L. Villavicencio, 2002, MSc Thesis, North Carolina State University, Physiological

VEGETABLE EQUIPMENT FOR CARROTS, ONION, POTATOES FOR SALE - 4 row potato windrower, all new belts and bearings 1 year warranty. $24,000 - Onion digger , new chains and cutter bar. $3500 - 2 self propelled carrot harvesters. $18,000 and $24,000 - 1300 gallon Gregson sprayer 100ft booms, chemical eductor, floatation tires, mint condition. $55,000 used 2 seasons - Self propelled 785 Willmar sprayer. $40,000 or best offer.

- Thomas B88 air Vac harvester, Good condition. $35,000 - Lockwood 2 row harvester, Good condition. $8,000 - Hill Machinery telescopic bin piler with 36" sizer and grading table. $6500 - MF 410 grain combine in mint condition. $3500 - 2 row, 3pt hitch Univerco Regi weeder. $2500

3211 - 8th Line Bradford, ON L3Z 2A5 Ph: 905-960-0033 sales@agriveg.ca

w w w. a g r i v e g . c a

aspects of skin adhesion in sweet potato) done under controlled conditions suggested that sweet potato roots grown at higher temperatures had thicker skin and may be more resistant to skin loss than roots grown at lower temperatures, however the effect of soil temperature was less clear in the field, possibly due to the confounding effects of other environmental conditions.

The removal of sweet potato vines prior to harvest has also been shown to reduce skinning.

A study at Louisiana State University (LaBonte and Wright, 1993, Image analysis quantifies reduction in sweet potato skinning injury by preharvest canopy removal) looked at the impact of mowing sweet potato vines at various intervals prior to harvest.

When sweet potato vines were mowed 10, eight and four days prior to harvest, skinning of Beauregard was reduced 62 per cent, 53 per cent and 26 per cent

compared to mowing on the day of harvest. There was no further reduction in damage when the interval was increased to 15 days.

Many growers leave an interval of a few days between mowing and harvest, however it is important to remember that long intervals between mowing and harvest can increase the risk of damage from other factors. If the soil becomes very wet, anaerobic conditions can occur which can damage the root. Damage to roots located near the soil surface by mowers can create an entryway for pathogens, and the longer the interval between mowing and harvest, the greater the opportunity for pathogens to enter these wounds. Sweet potato vines may also provide some insulation from the cooler temperatures typical of Ontario during harvest, and consequently a long period between mowing and harvest may increase the risk of chilling injury. Generally, an interval of one to seven

The Essex County Associated Growers are pleased to announce the 61th Annual Bounty of the County convention & trade show Tuesday, November 22 & Wednesday, November 23, 2011 Kinsmen Recreation Complex 249 Sherk St., Leamington, Ontario

View the newest agricultural technology/equipment, and attend informative speaker programs.

For more information, contact Jillian McCallum at (519) 326-4481 or ecag@bellnet.ca.

days between mowing and harvest is suggested for Ontario conditions.

Finally, I am sometimes asked about use of chemical deviners instead of mowing. Some growers have heard by word of mouth that application of certain plant growth regulators might help set sweet potato skin and reduce skinning damage. There are no chemical deviners registered for use on sweet potatoes in Canada, so they cannot legally be used on this crop. Furthermore, the use of certain chemical deviners has been linked to the increased incidence of sweet potato tip rots being observed in some U.S. states over the last few years. In a study presented at the meeting of the National Sweet Potato Collaborators Group in Alabama this past January, researchers from Mississippi State University compared mechanical devining (mowing) to the application of a chemical deviner three to seven days prior to harvest and found that, while there was no difference in their effect on skinning damage, the incidence of root tip rots in storage increased with the application of the chemical.

One final consideration is curing and storage conditions. Proper curing, at 26-29°C and 85-95 per cent relative humidity for three to seven days, will help result in skin that sets within four to six weeks. In doing so, it is important to maintain consistent temperatures and humidity levels throughout the facility. Inadequate air circulation and ventilation during curing and storage can result in a temperature gradient, and roots in different locations within the curing and storage facility may be exposed to different conditions, which can affect curing and/or storage quality.

PAGE 18 –– OCTOBER 2011 THE GROWER

OFVGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND CONVENTION POLICY

NOTICE of MEETING is hereby given that the

153rd Annual Members and Directors’ Meeting of the

Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers’ Association will be held in

Niagara Falls, Ontario at The Crowne Plaza Hotel

January 9, 10 and 11, 2012 Election of Directors of the Association will take place as well as dealing with resolutions and any other business that may arise.

As the OFVGA prepares for its 152nd annual meeting, the association would like to remind its member organizations of the following policy – put in place in 2004-05 – in order to ensure proper delegate preparation and resolutions submission.

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

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

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

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

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association 153rd Annual General Meeting and Convention January 9, 10 and 11, 2012 Crowne Plaza Hotel, Niagara Falls 5685 Falls Avenue, Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 6W7

Registrant Information Name

Member Organization

Mailing Address

City/Town

Province

Postal Code

Telephone

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

Registration Fees Full Registration - 2 days + Monday Banquet

$135.00

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

On-site Registration

$150.00

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

Daily Registration

$100.00

Please indicate day of attendance.

(includes: one breakfast and one lunch ticket, convention package, and attendance to meetings. (Chair’s reception - Banquet ticket not included) Tuesday, January 10, 2012 or Wednesday, January 11, 2012

OFVGA Banquet ONLY

$50.00

Monday, January 19, 2012

Grand Total

$

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

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

Method of Payment

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

Cheque Visa

Please make cheque payable to the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association MasterCard

Cardholder’s Name Expiry Date

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

Instructions • • • • • •

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

If you are faxing your form, do NOT mail a duplicate.

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

Your name and organization will appear on your badge exactly as you indicate above.

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

A room block is in place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. A special overnight accommodation rate of $69.95 traditional room or $99.95 fallsview room (plus taxes) single/double occupancy until December 16, 2011. This price includes self-parking. Request special convention rate for OFVGA. After this date, room rate not guaranteed. Please make your reservations directly with the hotel by calling 1-800-519-9911. Check in time is 3:00 p.m., check out time is 11:00 a.m.

• No AGM registration refunds after 4:30 p.m. on December 15, 2011.

OCTOBER 2011 –– PAGE 19 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

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

QUALITY FRUIT TREES • APPLE on M9, B9 and M26 • Peach on Bailey • PEAR on Quince

ORDER NOW FOR BEST SELECTION

]

WARWICK ORCHARDS & NURSERY LTD RR 8, 7056 Egremont Rd. Watford, ON N0M 2S0 warwickorchards@brktel.on.ca Tel: (519) 849-6730 Toll free: 877-550-7412 Fax: (519) 849-6731

CLASSIFIED

The best producing orchards start with exceptional trees.

Apples Apricots Cherries Nectarines Peaches Plums

Quality Fruit Trees for 60 years.

Mori Nurseries 1695 Niagara Stone Rd., RR#2 Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S1J0 T: 905-468-3217 F: 905-468-7271 Email: fruittrees@morinurseries.com

www.morinurseries.com

APPLE BINS FOR SALE: used in good condition. Approx 500.

Phone 519-599-5841, email oaklane@georgian.net Wanted: Orchard lift. Running or restorable condition. 519-8283696 Landini Advantage 85F, 4x4 w/cab, AC, 3870hrs, $15,000.

Allis Chalmers AC5040, 2WD, 5584hrs. Askiing $5,000.

Agrimetal square bail straw chopper for 3 PTH, asking $500.

Forklift mast for 3 PTH, Delhi.

43” forks. Lifts 8ft high, $2,500.

519-901-2375.

100’s of 40’L X 32"W X 29"H wood crates available. Must sell!

Below market pricing.

We deliver or you pick up.

Call Phil: 519-835-0295

CONTAINERS

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

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

• Berry Boxes • Waxed Cartons • Crop Protection Material

PAGE 20 –– OCTOBER 2011 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

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

BLUEBERRIES

CROP TUNNELS

EQUIPMENT

Alpine Nurseries

FOR SALE

(Niagara) Limited

SPECIALIZING IN FRUIT TREES & GRAPE VINES & ELDERBERRIES. VARIETY AND PRICE LIST AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Vegetable Walk-in Cooler 40 long/30 wide/10 high Sliding/loading door on 40 side

3 years old.

Please contact George: 905 971 2144 or email amltd3@netzero.net

Howard A. Colcuc Nursery Manager R.R. #4 Creek Road Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. L0S 1J0 Tel: (905) 262-4971 Fax: (905) 262-4404 howardcolcuc@rogers.com

BINS

OCTOBER 2011 –– PAGE 21 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

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

BIN CARRIERS NEW AND USED Several Models: 5-Bin or 6-Bin, Tandem Axles or Single Axle With Soft-Ride Flotation Tires, Narrow, Low Profile Model With Adjustable Width Axles For Plastic or Wood Bins Apple Bin Dumpers (Rotator) - Fit Forklift or Tractor Loader NEW TURBO-MIST SPRAYERS - VARIETY OF MODELS IN STOCK LOW DRIFT SPRAY TOWERS to fit any TURBO-MIST - IN STOCK NOW

CONTAINERS

&KZ ^ > ůƵĞ 'ŝĂŶƚ WƵƐŚ ^ƚĂĐŬĞƌ yW^ϮϮ-ϲϯ x ^ĂĨĞ Θ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚĂůůLJ ĨƌŝĞŶĚůLJ x /ĚĞĂů ĨŽƌ ĞŶĐůŽƐĞĚ ƐƚŽƌĂŐĞƐ͕ ŐƌĞĞŶŚŽƵƐĞƐ Θ ǁĂƌĞŚŽƵƐĞƐ

x džĐĞůůĞŶƚ

Perfect KG220,, H.D. Flail Shredder, New Hammers . . . . . . . . $6,500 Seppi 200 Flail Mower, Cut Grass or Mulch Prunings. . . . . . . . .$5,500 Wifo Heavy Duty Bin Rotator Attachment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Coming Perfect ZA380, Adjustable Offset, Swing Cutter, New Blades . . $5,500

HAVE A SAFE AND PROSPEROUS HARVEST

ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶ

x ϮϮϬϬ ůď͘ ĐĂƉĂĐŝƚLJ x >ŝŌ ŚĞŝŐŚƚ ϲϯ ŝŶĐŚĞƐ x ϰϮȟ ĨŽƌŬƐ x &ŽŽƚ ƉĞĚĂů

D O N A RT H U R O R C H A R D E Q U I P M E N T (519) 599-3058 donarthur@georgian.net Clarksburg, ON

REAL ESTATE

ƉĂƌŬŝŶŐ ďƌĂŬĞ

x ϭϮ ǀŽůƚ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐĂů ƐLJƐƚĞŵ x Ƶŝůƚ ŝŶ ϭϭϱ ǀŽůƚ ĐŚĂƌŐĞƌ x hƉͬĚŽǁŶ ĐŽŶƚƌŽů ŵŽƵŶƚĞĚ ŽŶ ĚĂƐŚ x ĚũƵƐƚĂďůĞ ƐƚƌĂĚĚůĞ ůĞŐƐ x ƵĂů ƉƵƐŚ ŚĂŶĚůĞƐ ŵŽƵŶƚĞĚ ŽŶ ŵĂƐƚ x hƐĞĚ ŽŶůLJ ŽŶĞ ƐĞĂƐŽŶ Ăůů Žƌ ĞŵĂŝů ϱϭϵ-ϱϵϵ-ϳϳϳϱ ŝŶĨŽΛĮŶĐŚŚĂǀĞŶŽƌĐŚĂƌĚƐ͘ĐŽŵ

Produce Pr odu uce P Packaging ackaging

Manufacturer & Distributor

Pipe & Fittings for Water Systems

1-800-265-2397 • www.wwp.on.ca Mount Forest 519-323-1060 • Leamington Area 519-326-2394

REFRIGERATION

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

Winona Concrete & Pipe Products Ltd.

Sutton Group-Select Realty Inc. Independently Owned and Operated

JoAnne Baines, sales rep, 519-670-2660 Philip Chabot, broker, 519-495-7117

Elgin County – Just east of Port Stanley, south of Sparta and severed from a farm at Lake Erie. 40,000 sq ft modern Greenhouse available for lease. Natural gas heat, town water.

Adjoining ranch home on ½ acre available to purchase at $300,000.

Great business opportunity.

Norfolk County – Profitable gourmet Potato Farm marketing to the Toronto Food Terminal. 400+ owned and leased land. State-of-the-art packaging and processing facility. 49 acres and buildings included.

Equipment is in addition. $2,200,000.

FOR FULL DETAILS ON THESE AND MORE, INCLUDING MAPPING AND PHOTOGRAPHS PLEASE VISIT:

www.JustFarms.ca

Beautiful Bayfield

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

Phone (905) 945-8515 Fax: (905) 945-1149 or call toll-free

1-800-361-8515

KOOL JET

®

Reliable Refrigeration Systems

1-866-748-7786 www.kooljet.com Visit our website to view our complete line

One-Piece and Portable Skid-Mount Systems, HydroCoolers, Medical and Process Chillers, Blast Freezers, Vacuum Coolers, Refrigerated Dehumidifiers.

Custom Built Designs • Domestic and International Markets

40 acre country property. Presently used for Greenhouse & Market Gardening Operation. Large Pond & 4 bedroom brick home.

MLS 299970 Call John for information.

John Jantzi, Sales Representative RE/MAX a-b Realty Ltd., Brokerage 519-273-2822 (office) • 519-571-3894 (cell) - John LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL.....GIVE US A CALL! Each Office Independently Owned & Operated.

PAGE 22 –– OCTOBER 2011 THE GROWER

MINOR USE CRAIG’S COMMENTS

Happy workers -- successful business

CRAIG HUNTER OFVGA How do you get the most out of your employees while minimizing the harm they can do to your operation?

This may sound like either a very simple question, or a huge can of worms- often dependent upon how you treated those employees! It is also the most basic level from which a successful business (or government department) are based upon. This was borne out to me from an older lady whom I met many years ago and made a re-acquaintance with last week. She runs a successful antique shop, and has done so for almost 30 years. She had an employee in the early years who was always negativeand it cost the business sales. She

now has (for the past 18 years) a very positive person working for her with predictable good results.

Being positive pays dividends.

I knew a local grower who always had a good rapport with his workers (and everyone else he ever met). His approach was to treat them as he would like to be treated, and it worked for him.

One day the workers were just not happy- he could tell because there was no singing and kibitzing. When he finally got them to talk about the problem, it appeared the local butcher had sold them pork kidney instead of beef kidney they had asked for.

The response was to drive over with two of the biggest men, and ask the butcher about it. There was an immediate show of concern, and an apologetic “I guess we made a mistake.” Once the correction was made and the beef kidney was proffered, the problem was resolved. (And they never went back there for their meat either!) The lesson was that the boss was willing to go to bat for them and it was never forgotten in the bunkhouse.

In another instance, a grower always stated to the whole crew that he only ‘named’ two-thirds of the workers back for the next year, based upon their work and

any troubles during the year.

Many of these workers came for years and years. However, one year, in spite of warnings, one long-time worker who had overstepped the bounds the prior year was not listed to come back. In spite of repeated calls from the worker, the boss stuck to his guns. When the rest of the crew arrived and noticed the other worker was not there, they were shocked. It wasn’t so much that he wasn’t there as much as the fact that the boss had stuck up for them- against problems this worker had made for them. Once again, a happy crew was had for the season, and a solid reputation for the future was assured.

In a government workplace, or even a business location, it is often the small things that lead to the biggest problems. Silly things like who has a better chair, or who gets to go on break first, or the seemingly lack of control of the activities of any one employee may set off anger and retribution.

While it is important to treat everyone fairly, it is also important to share as much information as possible so one can understand why something happens as it does. Maybe the employee has a back condition that requires a different chair. Maybe the employee

has a delicate internal issue that means shorter times between ‘breaks.’ Likewise, an employee may be given more freedom to travel, or work on non-traditional timeframes as a result of their particular job. While the exact details are not needed, if the rest of the staff is made to understand that the ‘boss’ does indeed know about their concerns and of the seeming transgressions, then the boss can also explain that they are condoned for particular reasons, and they are fully acceptable. It is in fact the natural ‘jealousy’ that someone feels, when they think about what seems to them to be an unfair situation, that causes the anger and resentment.

Then there are those who seem to get the praise because of their ‘long hours and dedication’ they give to the job. Others who are close to the situation may interpret it much differently! The normal work hours may not be very productive for that person, leading to a need for more time to get work done that another person can do in half the time! Likewise, there will always be the ones who are quick to take credit for anything they came close to being involved in (or just walked past the desk of the true achiever) but

are never available to work in a team on a difficult assignment to achieve a difficult outcome! How rare are those who just go quietly about their jobs until they retire and people notice how much isn’t getting done, as well as the work getting done only not as welldone? Often appreciation for those folks comes at a retirement event if ever. I worked with some colleagues like that, and I still miss their efforts.

Lastly, the easiest way to get the most and the best from staff is to give the ‘attaboy’ which can be given almost any day for even small accomplishments. The giving of thanks, and well-dones and pats on the back just don’t seem to be as commonplace today as they should be. So easy to give, and free too.

I want to share a parallel saying that I saw last week. It applies very much to the foregoing.

‘When a dog wags its tail, it is from the heart.’

A happy and contented workforce can do wonders for the bottom line. It makes recruitment easier- if you ever get an opening! Retention is a breeze. Tough jobs bring out willing hands to get it all done- as a team.

It sure makes me glad to work in just such a place!

Less pressure on the emergency use registration program KAREN DAVIDSON Near the end of another growing season, it’s informative to review trends in the minor use program.

“It’s been an up-and-down season in terms of minor use emergency registrations,” says Jim Chaput, minor use coordinator, OMAFRA, citing 11 emergency use registrations in 2011 compared to 17 in 2010. Full registrations for a number of products have alleviated pressure on the emergency use system which responds to crises in the field.

Weather patterns dictate pest life cycles and disease pressure. With a cold, wet spring in Ontario and dry summer, Chaput says there were no unusual requests. The key stressors on crops were potato late blight, ginseng diseases, spotted wing drosophila and downy mildew on several crops. A serious outbreak of basil downy mildew prompted an emergency use registration for Ontario and Alberta.

“According to reports from the U.S. basil downy mildew has reached near epidemic levels,” says Chaput.

“Our greenhouse and field production of basil is not huge

but significant.”

In Ontario, for example, there are 50 hectares of field-grown basil and three hectares of greenhouse basil which have three cycles of production. More than half the growers used control measures under the emergency use program.

For the first time, Ontario sponsored a minor use label expansion submission for pests of honeybees. Historically, honeybees have not been part of the minor use program but due to recent hive mortality rates and honeybee impact on agriculture, minor use submission guidelines have been changed. The national registration of products to control such pests as varroa mite and small hive beetle is expected by spring 2012.

In British Columbia, weather conditions did not put extra stress on emergency requests says Caroline Bedard, minor use coordinator. “By calendar year, we had 11 requests in 2010 and 10 in 2011. We had a very wet fall 2010. Then a very late start (cool spring 2011), a moderate summer (perfect for berry harvest!) and a warm late summer (end Aug-mid September.) No more emergency use requests are anticipated this year.

Technical Support Provided by

For more information on the BASF family of products, contact AgSolutions® by BASF at 1-877-371-BASF (2273) or visit www.agsolutions.ca

®

®

TM

Always read and follow label directions. ® - Registered trade-mark of the BASF group of companies.

TM - Trade-mark of the BASF group of companies. © 2011 BASF.

TM

®

®

®

Downy mildew on basil

®

® ®

®

OCTOBER 2011 –– PAGE 23 THE GROWER

MINOR USE

Label expansion granted for insecticide on green onions JIM CHAPUT, OMAFRA, MINOR USE COORDINATOR, GUELPH The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of a minor use label expansion for Lorsban 4E insecticide (chlorpyrifos) for control of onion maggot on green onions in Canada. Lorsban 4E insecticide was already labeled for use against many insect pests of numerous field and horticultural crops in Canada and has a proven record of providing producers with effective pest management.

be used in an integrated pest management program and in rotation with other management strategies.

Follow all other precautions and directions for use on the Lorsban 4E insecticide label.

We wish to thank the person-

nel of PRISME Consortium, Sherrington, Quebec, the former Bradford Growers Association and the former AAFC, Cross Sectoral Policy Development Division for helping to finance and conduct the necessary field trials.

Holland Marsh

The minor use label expansion project for green onions was sponsored by the minor use office of OMAFRA in 1998 in response to priorities identified by producers and extension personnel in Canada. The 1998 submission was put on hold in 2000 as a result of the re-evaluation of chlorpyrifos in Canada. In 2009 the project was re-submitted to PMRA after the results of re-evaluation indicated that the proposed use could be reconsidered.

Onion maggot management on green onions has been and remains a very high priority item for green onion producers and the registration of Lorsban 4E insecticide will provide them with an effective and useful pest management tool.

For green onions Lorsban 4E insecticide can be applied as a drench banded over the row at a rate of 150 mL product per 1000 metres of row using 800 L of water per ha (equivalent to 3.9 – 4.9 L product per ha at row spacings of 30 – 38 cm). Lorsban 4E should be applied at the time of set planting or seven – 10 days after seeding. A maximum of one application per year is permitted and the pre-harvest interval is 30 days. Consult the full label for application details.

Lorsban 4E insecticide should

Proud Sponsor

557 Highway 5 West, RR 2 Dundas, Ontario L9H 5E2 Tel: (905) 628-0551 Fax: (905) 628-4316 galer@bellnet.ca www.galerfarmequipment.com

We also wish to thank the personnel of Dow Agrosciences Canada Inc. for their support of this registration and the personnel of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency for evaluating and approving this important pest

management tool.

For copies of the new minor use labels contact Marion Paibomesai, OMAFRA, Guelph, (519) 826-4963, Jim Chaput, OMAFRA, Guelph (519) 8263539 or visit www.dowagro.com

PAGE 24 –– OCTOBER 2011 THE GROWER

MINOR USE

Label expanded for leafy vegetables and greenhouse peppers JIM CHAPUT, OMAFRA, MINOR USE COORDINATOR, GUELPH The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of URMULE registrations for Actara 25WG (thiamethoxam) insecticide for control of aphids and reduction in damage from tarnished plant bug on crop group 4, leafy vegetables and for control of pepper weevil on greenhouse peppers in Canada. The active ingredient thiamethoxam was already labeled on pome fruit,

bushberries, fruiting vegetables and potatoes and as a seed treatment on several cereal crops and legume crops in Canada.

These minor use projects were initiated in 2009 by the minor use office of OMAFRA as a result of minor use priorities established by growers and extension personnel in Canada. Aphids and tarnished plant bug are serious annual pests of all leafy vegetables which include celery, lettuce, spinach, parsley, amaranth, Chinese celery, chervil, chrysanthemum, cress, endive, fennel, radicchio, rhubarb and

Swiss chard. Pepper weevil is a new invasive pest in greenhouse peppers and was the subject of several emergency use registrations in recent years. The minor use registration of Actara insecticide is a significant step towards developing a more robust and sustainable pest management toolkit for these pests.

The following is provided as a general outline only. Users should consult the complete label before using Actara 25WG insecticide.

Crop group 4; leafy vegetables: Actara 25WG insecticide can Tarnished plant bug

be used for control of aphids on crop group 4, leafy vegetables at a rate of 105 g product per hectare in at least 100 L water per hectare. Actara 25WG insecticide can be used for reduction in damage from tarnished plant bug (TPB) on crop group 4, leafy vegetables at a rate of 210 g product per hectare in at least 100 L water per hectare.

Timing of applications should be based on the presence of vulnerable pest developmental stages and significant populations as determined by field monitoring.

For aphids the application interval is seven days depending again on the presence of significant populations as determined by local monitoring.

Do not make more than two applications per season for aphids and one application per season for tarnished plant bug. Do not apply within seven days of harvest for leafy vegetables.

GH peppers: Actara 25WG insecticide can be used for control of pepper weevil on greenhouse peppers at a rate of 14 g per 100 L. Apply in sufficient water volume to ensure thorough coverage, up to a maximum of 2000 L per ha. Do not apply more than three applications per crop cycle and do not apply within one day of harvest for GH peppers.

Follow all other precautions and directions for use on the Actara 25WG insecticide label carefully.

Actara 25WG insecticide should be used in an integrated pest management program and in rotation with other management strategies to adequately manage resistance.

For copies of the new minor use label contact Jim Chaput, OMAFRA, Guelph (519) 8263539, Marion Paibomesai, OMAFRA vegetable crops specialist at Guelph (519) 826-4963 (leafy vegetables), Gillian Ferguson, OMAFRA greenhouse vegetable IPM specialist (519) 738-1258 (GH peppers) or visit the Syngenta Canada website at www.syngenta.ca/en/