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KAREN DAVIDSON Wilsonville, Ontario –During peak harvest season, there are 306 offshore workers at Procyk Farms. On October 1, they’ll receive a boost when the Ontario minimum wage moves from $11 to $11.25 per hour. For this farm, that’s $3442 per hour in labour costs to pick the humble cruciferous vegetable: cabbage. Five other Canadian provinces – British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Newfoundland -- will raise their respective rates this month, making this country uncompetitive to the U.S. and Mexico. The Procyk Farm owners of Rod Wheeler and the Procyk brothers Paul, Michael and Danny, plan to move forward based on volume of tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, sweet corn and cabbage from their 1150-acre farm. But the future is on ever slimmer margins. None of them begrudge the wages to their Mexican workers. In fact, they built a new housing facility for 60 workers in 2014. “We need the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program,” says Paul Procyk. “If we didn’t have this program, our farm would be gone.” The conundrum is that there is no way to mitigate these labour increases along with higher costs of fertilizer and crop protection products priced in U.S. dollars. Not only are minimum wage rates rising, but labour legislation has come to the fore as well. In Ontario, for example, the ministry of labour has taken the unprecedented move of opening all pieces of legislation for scrutiny. The Changing Workplace Review looks specifically at the Labour Relations Act 1995 and the Employment Standards Act 2000. The intent is to examine work- place trends such as temporary jobs, globalization and trade liberalization, accelerating technological change and greater workplace diversity. All of those issues are relevant to horticulture. In addition, the Ontario government is fleshing out details of the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan to be launched in 2017. Employees and employers are to contribute an equal amount, capped at 1.9 per cent each on an employee’s annual earnings up to $90,000. At present, it’s unknown whether this plan will include those who come from Mexico and the Caribbean as part of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP). The Labour Issues Coordinating Committee, helmed by Ken Linington, is watching these developments closely. To date, provincial legislation has honoured the reality that all workforces are not the same. How to implement noise protection, for example, is just as important as the regulation itself. Continued on page 3 OCTOBER 2015 CELEBRATING 136 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION VOLUME 65 NUMBER 10 LABOUR Six Canadian provinces to raise minimum wage Oct. 1 INSIDE Apple outlook Page 6 PEI’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship Program Page 7 Focus: Greenhouse innovation Page 14 www.thegrower.org P.M. 40012319 $3.00 CDN Rod Wheeler (right) and foreman Artemio Zarate-Garcia, inspect a freshly cut cabbage at Procyk Farms, Wilsonville, Ontario. Behind this hard-working contingent are another 300 Mexican workers who have finished the tomato, zucchini, pepper and sweet corn harvest. As of October 1, their minimum wages rise to $11.25 per hour. Productivity counts. No wonder they handle two cabbages at a time. Photos by Glenn Lowson. We need the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program. If we didn’t have this program, our farm would be gone.” ~Paul Procyk

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Page 1: LABOUR Six Canadian provinces to raise minimum …thegrower.org/.../pdf-archives/TheGrower_October2015_0.pdfDanny, plan to move forward based on volume of tomatoes, zucchini, peppers,

KAREN DAVIDSON

Wilsonville, Ontario –Duringpeak harvest season, there are 306offshore workers at ProcykFarms. On October 1, they’llreceive a boost when the Ontariominimum wage moves from $11to $11.25 per hour. For this farm,that’s $3442 per hour in labourcosts to pick the humble cruciferous vegetable: cabbage.

Five other Canadian provinces– British Columbia, Alberta,Saskatchewan, Manitoba andNewfoundland -- will raise theirrespective rates this month, making this country uncompetitive to the U.S. andMexico. The Procyk Farm ownersof Rod Wheeler and the Procykbrothers Paul, Michael andDanny, plan to move forwardbased on volume of tomatoes,zucchini, peppers, sweet corn andcabbage from their 1150-acrefarm. But the future is on everslimmer margins. None of thembegrudge the wages to their

Mexican workers. In fact, theybuilt a new housing facility for 60workers in 2014.

“We need the SeasonalAgricultural Worker Program,”says Paul Procyk. “If we didn’thave this program, our farmwould be gone.”

The conundrum is that there isno way to mitigate these labourincreases along with higher costsof fertilizer and crop protectionproducts priced in U.S. dollars.

Not only are minimum wagerates rising, but labour legislationhas come to the fore as well. InOntario, for example, the ministryof labour has taken the unprecedented move of openingall pieces of legislation for scrutiny. The ChangingWorkplace Review looks specifically at the LabourRelations Act 1995 and theEmployment Standards Act 2000.The intent is to examine work-place trends such as temporaryjobs, globalization and trade liberalization, accelerating technological change and

greater workplace diversity. Allof those issues are relevant to horticulture.

In addition, the Ontario government is fleshing out detailsof the Ontario RetirementPension Plan to be launched in2017. Employees and employersare to contribute an equal amount,capped at 1.9 per cent each on anemployee’s annual earnings up to$90,000. At present, it’s unknownwhether this plan will includethose who come from Mexicoand the Caribbean as part of theSeasonal Agricultural WorkerProgram (SAWP).

The Labour IssuesCoordinating Committee, helmedby Ken Linington, is watchingthese developments closely. Todate, provincial legislation hashonoured the reality that allworkforces are not the same.How to implement noise protection, for example, is just asimportant as the regulation itself.

Continued on page 3

OCTOBER 2015 CELEBRATING 136 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION VOLUME 65 NUMBER 10

LABOUR

Six Canadian provinces to raise minimum wage Oct. 1

INSIDEApple outlook Page 6

PEI’s 4R NutrientStewardship Program Page 7

Focus: Greenhouseinnovation Page 14

www.thegrower.org

P.M. 40012319

$3.00 CDN

Rod Wheeler (right) and foreman Artemio Zarate-Garcia, inspect a freshly cut cabbage at Procyk Farms, Wilsonville, Ontario. Behind this hard-working contingent areanother 300 Mexican workers who have finished the tomato, zucchini, pepper and sweet corn harvest. As of October 1, their minimum wages rise to $11.25 per hour.Productivity counts. No wonder they handle two cabbages at a time. Photos by Glenn Lowson.

“We need the

Seasonal Agricultural

Worker Program.

If we didn’t have this

program, our farm

would be gone.”

~Paul Procyk

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Vote for your favepotato chip

Lays Do Us a Flavour contest isengaging thousands through socialmedia with its quest for a newflavour of potato chip. The fourfinalists included Cowboy BBQBeans, Butter Chicken, MontrealSmoked Meat and PEI ScallopedPotatoes. The contest rules ask fora Canadian regional inspiration fortheir recipe.

Consumers will have the lastword on their favourite. Online balloting ended September 30 andthe winner will be announced inlate November. That lucky personwill win $50,000 and one per centof their flavour’s future sales.

About 60 per cent of Canada’spotato production goes towards theprocessing industry.

Syngenta to sell vegetable seeds business

Syngenta AG, known widely forits crop protection portfolio, plansto sell its vegetable seeds business.The September 3 announcementfollowed the company’s rejectionof a takeover bid by Monsanto Co.The plan is to raise funds in orderto buy back more than $2 billion

worth of stock to boost shareholderreturns.

Reuters news service reportedthat the Swiss company will divestof the most profitable of its seedsbusinesses, which has gross profitmargins of more than 60 per centcompared with about 45 per centfor all seeds last year.

Fresh logo for OFVC

The Ontario Fruit and VegetableConvention has launched a newlogo for the February 17-18, 2016event. The acronym ‘ofvc’ focuseson the main element, joining theletters f and v for fruit and vegetables. The leaves representgrowth and the coming together ofagriculture and business. The newcolour scheme incorporates tealblue which is associated with stability and trust. The new greencolour is associated with growthand freshness.

Bursaries available

The Ontario ProcessingVegetable Growers (OPVG) andthe Ontario Fruit and VegetableProcessors Association (OF&VPA)are continuing with a bursary fundto support individuals pursuing acareer in any aspect of the processing vegetable industry.These organizations are workingtogether to ensure that there arenew individuals who will have theinterest, skills and abilities to further develop and grow this sec-tor of Ontario’s agri-food economy.

Sponsor donations allow theOPVG and the OF&VPA to offerup to five bursaries to students thisfall. These include bursaries inmemory of former OPVG directorsJim Whitson and Ken Epp. Notethat the Jim Whitson bursary isawarded to a student attendingRidgetown College. The award inmemory of Ken Epp receives anadditional $1,000 from the fundestablished in his name by theOPVG. Applicants must be a resi-dent of Ontario and registered as afull-time student at any college oruniversity entering the second,third, fourth or post graduate yearof study which relates in someaspect to the processing vegetableindustry.

If you require further information regarding the bursaries,please contact:Ontario Processing VegetableGrowers at 519-681-1875.

The Bursary Application Formis available at www.opvg.org or onrequest from the OPVG office(519-681-1875). Applications mustbe submitted no later than October15th.

NEWSMAKERS

THE GROWER

AT PRESS TIME…

PAGE 2 –– OCTOBER 2015

A toast goes to Jamie Slingerland, director of viticulture at PillitteriEstates Winery who was announced as the 2015 Grape King in mid-September. The announcement was made by the Grape Growers ofOntario, Farm Credit Canada and the Niagara Grape and WineFestival. The Slingerland family has been farming in Niagara-on-the-Lake since 1783. The grape and wine industry runs deep in the fami-ly with father-in-law Gary Pillitteri crowned as Grape King in1981.

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (RAWF) has appointed CharlieJohnstone as its new CEO. As former president of Honda IndyToronto since 2005, Johnstone brings a history of spearheadinglarge-scale events that deliver a memorable experience for visitors,participants and sponsors. He previously founded and operated asports marketing and communications firm. The 93rd annual RAWFtakes place from November 6-15, 2015 at Exhibition Place inToronto.

Patrick Brown, Ontario’s leader of the opposition, has announcedcritics for a number of portfolios including: Toby Barrett, caucuschair and critic for agriculture, food and rural affairs; Ted Arnott,deputy speaker, committee of the whole and critic for labour;Michael Harris, critic for transportation and critic for research andinnovation; Julia Munro, critic for the associate minister of finance(Ontario Retirement Pension Plan); Lisa Thompson, critic for theenvironment and cap-and-trade.

Doug LaRose was appointed CEO of Agricorp for the duration ofRandy Jackiw’s secondment with OMAFRA, effective September14. He has been CIO with Agricorp for a number of years.Agricorp is responsible for delivering risk management programs tothe agri-food sector in Ontario.

Farm & Food Care has announced that executive director CrystalMackay will be transitioning from her Ontario role to the newnational Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position for Farm & FoodCare Canada in January 2016. She will continue to manage herprovincial role until a replacement is identified. Farm & Food CareCanada is a national charity with the mandate to build public trust infood and farming in Canada.

Turkish company Yuksel Seeds is entering the Canadian greenhousemarket with the hiring of Tyler Clark as director of operationsAmericas. Based in Kingsville, Ontario, Clark is well-known for hispast career with Mastronardi Produce and Koppert Canada.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs hasannounced a new engineer, John Warbick, for the horticulture cropsystems position in Vineland. He has extensive background in agricultural and environmental engineering studies with previousexperience in the Simcoe OMAFRA office.

The #WineLover Community has named Leeann Froese as theirfirst Canadian ambassador. Founded by Luis Alberto of The WineHub in 2012, this well-established community unites wine loversfrom across the globe. Her appointment marks the 29th country tojoin the global network. She co-owns Town Hall Brands, a wine-focused marketing and design agency in Vancouver, BritishColumbia.

John Zandstra, a college professor at the University of Guelph,Ridgetown Campus, has been appointed the new curriculum advisorfor the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program, a programoffered by the Rural Ontario Institute. He will be providing speakerand field trip recommendations for the class 16 seminars and work-ing directly with participants on their independent group projects.

Jamie Slingerland. Photo courtesy of Grape Growers ofOntario.

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Continued from page 1

What’s worrisome is that when all theseprovincial regulations are stacked together,they are at odds with the federal

government’s push for free-trade agreements abroad. Farmers, and indeed allentrepreneurs, have the duty to uphold theregulations of a wealthy society while competing against jurisdictions with lessonerous standards. Their business risk is to

meet provincial standards for labour, waterand soil while managing the vagaries ofweather.

It’s true that automation is comingquickly to Canadian horticulture, but don’texpect to see robots in fields or orchards

anytime soon. The industry still needs thetender touch and discerning mind to pick apeach at the zenith of its flavour. Or in thecase of cabbage, the industry needs strongbacks to toss two cabbages at a time.

For the most part, the SeasonalAgricultural Worker Program (SAWP)runs smoothly. As it approaches its 50thanniversary in 2016, the program adminis-ters about 18,000 workers in Ontario alone.

The bulk of seasonal workers in horticulture -- about 95 per cent -- come toCanada under SAWP. This program is oneof several administered under theTemporary Foreign Workers Program(TFWP). During the past year, the umbrella program has received negativepress for the fact that restaurant chainswere bringing in temporary workers andnot hiring local workers. The media lenson this program has spilled over to the

agricultural stream of TFWP. There is a wide range of TFWP

including those that require a LabourMarket Impact Analysis (LMIA) administered by Employment and SocialDevelopment Canada. Agriculture canaccess TFWP through four programs, eachrequiring a LMIA. • Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program• Agricultural Stream• Low-Skill (high school or less)• High-Skill (college or higher).

Some growers who use TFWP agricultural stream or low-skill stream mayhave experienced problems in not gettingworkers in time for harvest. However,

under SAWP, growers have become accustomed to advertising for local workers and when no applicants appear,applying 12 to 14 weeks in advance fortheir harvest crews. The strength of thisprogram has proved itself over the years.

“Thanks to supply countries and theirworkers and the cooperation ofEmployment and Social DevelopmentCanada, the SAWP program has workedvery well,” says Ken Forth, president ofthe Foreign Agricultural ResourcesManagement Services, the administratorfor SAWP. “Due to increased security forCanada, we understand that the processtakes longer and have adapted.”

SAWP continues to evolve. As ofNovember 20 in Ontario and January 1,2016 across the remainder of Canada,Canadian employers of Caribbean workerswill no longer need to remit 25 per cent ofwages to the host country in advance. Inthe past, the Canadian currency was heldby the respective countries on behalf of theworkers and paid out upon completion ofthe work term in local currency. This stepis now eliminated. All wages will be paiddirectly to the worker.

Editors’ note: For more information, goto: www.retailcouncil.org/quickfacts/ minimum-wage.

OCTOBER 2015 –– PAGE 3

THE GROWER

COVER STORY

Six Canadian provinces to raise minimum wage October 1

Don’t confuse SAWP with TFWP

UNITED STATES

$5 million for Lake Erie

An Ohio congresswoman,Marcy Kaptur, has announcedthat the U.S. Department ofAgriculture will invest an addi-tional $5 million across Ohio,Michigan and Indiana to improvewater quality in Lake Erie’swestern basin.

“Science tells us that if wewant to stop Lake Erie’s harmfulalgal blooms, we need to drasti-cally reduce the amount of harm-ful nutrients entering Lake Erie’stributaries, especially dissolvedphosphorus from animal live-stock,” said Kaptur.

The money is to help farmersemploy cover crops, drainagewater management systems andnutrient management strategies.Farmers typically contributeabout half of the cost.

Kaptur serves as co-chair ofthe Great Lakes Task Force inthe House of Representatives.

INTERNATIONAL

NORWAY

Pearl potato to becultivated

Norway’s southfacing peninsula of Frosta is famous forits vegetables, but now also itsgourmet potatoes. Three farmsare working to produce an alternative to the FrenchAmandine potato, competing onboth price and quality.

Seed potatoes from Soloist,Folven and Cerise were plantedclose together in the soil andplaced in slow growth condi-tions, developing with little fer-tilizer. When harvested, theylook like beads on a string orpearls. These locally produced‘pearl’ potatoes are taking theNorwegian market by storm.

Funds from InnovationNorway, visits to Fruit Logisticain Berlin and collaboration withNorwegian AgriculturalConsulting have led to thesepotatoes that produce manytubers.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

FRANCE

Bonduelle excels inNorth America

Bonduelle, the frozen andcanned vegetable processor,reported positive results at theend of its fiscal year June 30,despite barely any global con-sumption growth, European dis-tribution concentration, a factoryfire in Tecumseh, Ontario andthe Russian embargo. Overall,sales were up 4.1 per cent to1.981.8 million euro.

The company’s non-Europeangrowth – up 12.5 per cent atlocal exchange rates -- is power-ing those financial results.Specifically, North America ven-tures are doing well. Bonduellepurchased a freezer factory inLethbridge, Alberta this past fis-cal year with capacity for 15,000tonnes of frozen products.

Bonduelle operates eight pro-cessing sites in Canada.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

UNITED STATES

Drones to controlcranberry moth

Wisconsin researchers aretesting drones to see if they cansuccessfully target cranberrybeds with a pheromone-infusedwax. The mixture leaves thedrone with the consistency ofyogurt, eventually hardening intoa soft wax.

The objective is that the waxwill slowly release sexpheromones that confuse malecranberry moths looking for areal female moth. If the deliverysystem works, then growers maybe able to replace two to five, in-season sprays.

At present, growers mustcarefully time sprays to controlcranberry fruit worm duringcranberry bloom.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

HONG KONG

Desire for safe produce remainsstrong in China

Cool Logistics Asia drewmore than 120 people to the conference held concurrently toAsia Fruit Logistica September2. Hosted in Hong Kong, midstfears of further softening of theChinese economy, experts saidrate volatility is expected todominate global maritime reefertrades, however perishable cargovolumes overall should remainstable.

The conference covered timely themes such as cold-chainfinance, infrastructure investment, reefer shippingprospects and innovative perishable logistics technologies.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

A Mexican work crew cuts cabbage. In this photo, see the immensity of the harvest yet to be cut.

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KAREN DAVIDSON

Woodstock, Ontario -- Let’shope that the sunny skies shiningon this year’s Canada’s OutdoorFarm Show (COFS) is a predictorfor good economic times ahead.Kubota Canada Ltd. is betting bigon a robust agricultural sector.The company opened a permanent event centre at theWoodstock, Ontario site andlaunched new products as well.

“The future is bright,” saysRob Allison, national sales manager. “We were one of thefirst exhibitors to sign on toCanada’s Outdoor Farm Show 22years ago. We want to show our commitment to this market withbricks and mortar.”

The ‘Wow’ factor of the 2,480square-foot centre is as much amessage to farmers as it is todealers. The permanent centrewill be used for dealer trainingand customer appreciation daysthroughout the year. Easy to recognize with its iconic KubotaCube on the building’s upperfront corner, the centre alsoincorporates many of the ele-ments included in the dealerimage program as dealershipsbuild new facilities or renovateexisting ones.

The Japanese manufacturershowcased its 2015 line of products, including the M7, ahigh horsepower utility tractor.The combination of selective catalytic reduction and commonrail system provides better fueleconomy and less engine noise.The take-home message is thatit’s cleaner for the environmentwith the power of a V6108engine.

Also launched was the SSVSkid Steer Loader. Allison pointsout that the skid steer loader maynot be a primary tool for horticulture, but it’s certainly useful for chores around the farm.

The company has dealershipsacross the country which areserving horticulture well. BritishColumbia’s Okanagan Valleydealership has become a primarysource of equipment as hasOntario’s dealerships in PrinceEdward County and the Niagararegion. Kubota’s line is well suited to the narrow rows of vineyards and high-density appleorchards.

Kubota acquired theNorwegian firm of Kverneland ayear ago, and is now integratingtheir high-quality tillage tools andspray rigs into the lineup.Kubota also offers zero per centfinancing through their ownfinance company.

“We still sell a lot of equipment on cash, but this is aconvenience for those who wantto finance,” says Allison.

Also at the show was newcomer Specialty VegetableEquipment (SVE) which sells andservices Dutch-built, self-propelled sprayers from its

base at Princeton, Ontario. Just entering the North American market, these high-clearancesprayers can handle boom widthsup to 180 feet. The smallerAgrifac Condor model offers tanksizes of 900, 1050 and 1,300 gallons (3,400, 4000 and 5,000litres) while the bigger modelholds 2,100 gallons (8,000 litres).A key feature is the StabiloPlus, apendulum-mounted chassis thatrides on air suspension. It prevents sway of the booms andtherefore a more accurate applica-tion of crop protection products.

“This also makes it possiblefor us to go up to 180 footbooms,” says Albert Van Oosten,SVE sales representative. “Thisway, we can have the samecapacity as a 90 foot boom, butby driving half the speed anddouble the width, we make fewerpasses through the field withmore accurate application.”

One option is theHighTechAirPlus system whichallows for a 50 per cent increasein capacity and can produce theright droplet size without theneed to change nozzles. VanOosten describes the system as a combination of traditional spraying, air injectionand mixing in the nozzle holders.The computer will inject eithermore or less air to the nozzleholder to create the right dropletsize.

“The air speeds up the downward movement of the cropprotection product, resulting inless drift and better penetrationthrough the crop canopy,” saysVan Oosten.

For more information, go toFacebook’s Agrifac NorthAmerica page or Facebook’sSpecialty Vegetable Equipmentpage.

Overall, the 22nd anniversaryof COFS attracted major crowds.

“We are pleased that 43,200people attended the show,”reported Carol Carson, COFScommunications coordinator.“Many farmers were in the middle of harvest but still managed to take a day to comeand see the latest innovations inagriculture.”

The next show will be heldSeptember 13 – 15, 2016.

PAGE 4 –– OCTOBER 2015THE GROWER

State-of-the-art equipment points to future of precision farming CANADA’S OUTDOOR FARM SHOW

The ‘AQUA Wetland System’“A new breed of constructed wetland”

AQUA Treatment Technologies Inc. designs and installs the ‘AQUA Wetland System’ (AWS) for tertiary treatment of many types of waste water including sanitary sewage, landfill leachate, dairy farm & abattoirwastewater, greenhouse irrigation leachate water &mushroom farm leachate water (i.e. manure pileleachate) and high strength winery washwater.

The ‘AQUA Wetland System’ is operated out of doorsand can achieve year-round tertiary treatment of waste-water. This sub-surface, vertical flow constructed wetlandconsists of sand & gravel beds planted with moisture tolerant plant species. Water is pumped vertically fromcell to cell. There is no open or standing water.Treatment occurs through physical filtration & biologicaldegradation. Plants shade & insulate the cells, cyclingnutrients while preventing algae growth. There is noproduction of sludge.

The AWS has been approved for use by the Ontario Ministry of Environment through over 40 EnvironmentalCompliance Approvals. Recently the Region of Niagara began approving the AWS for treatment of ‘smallflow’ winery washwater I.e. < 10,000 liters per day. Other agencies who have issued approvals includeHealth Canada, USEPA and OMAFRA. Recent projects include:1) treatment & re-use of greenhouse irrigation leach water at greenhouses in Niagara & Haldimand2) treatment of winery wastewater at Greenlane Estates Winery & numerousother in Niagara 3) treatment of landfill leachate at sites in Pembroke, Niagara and Alabama

For additional information please Contact LloydRozema at: cell. 905-327-4571email. [email protected]

Kubota Canada Ltd. opened its permanent event centre at the site of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show inmid-September.

Albert Van Oosten, Specialty Vegetable Equipment, unveiled self-propelled, high-clearance sprayers.

“The future isbright. We were oneof the first exhibitorsto sign on toCanada’s OutdoorFarm Show 22 yearsago. We want to showour commitment tothis market withbricks and mortar.”

~ Rob Allison

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THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2015 –– PAGE 5

CROSS COUNTRY DIGEST

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Blueberry season finishes with record volume After Mother Nature gave British

Columbia blueberry growers a hot, dry season and the earliest start in recent history, the blueberry season closed on ahigh note. 2015 volumes were pegged at68 million kilograms (150 million pounds),cementing the province’s reputation as atop global producer of highbush blueberries.

“While our 800 growers faced weatherchallenges this season, we remain confident that British Columbia continuesto be a strong producer of highbush blueberries, and we're expecting consistentsupply into early September,” said DebbieEtsell, executive director of the British

Columbia Blueberry Council. “The hotweather we've experienced this season hasresulted in our late harvest variety, Elliott,producing some of its sweetest berriesever.”

As seen in recent years, an increase inavailable product has allowed the BritishColumbia Blueberry Council to continue toexpand its marketing efforts overseas, creating new demand for exports from theprovince. In addition to visits from Chineseand Korean inspectors, a trade agreementfor fresh market access for B.C. blueberrieswith China was signed this season. Thiscomes at a time when the demand for freshCanadian blueberries in China is very high

due to the health benefits and quality of theproduct.

Plantings top 11,000 hectares in BritishColumbia and produce upwards of 68 million kilograms of blueberries annually.With more than $1 billion in sales in thepast five years, Canada is the third largestnational producer of sweet and juicy highbush blueberries in the world.Available fresh in B.C. from July throughOctober, BC blueberries are also frozen,dried, juiced, pureed and powdered, available for year round-distributionthroughout Canada and around the world.

QUEBEC

QPMA highlights e-commerce, rejuvenation The Quebec Produce Marketing

Association elected a new board of directors at its recent convention in QuebecCity. For 2015-2016, they are: president,Stephan Schmekel, Fresh Del MonteProduce (Canada); 1st vice-presidentJudith Basque, Provigo/Loblaw; 2nd vice-president Roland Lafont, Vergers Saint-Paul; past-president Sammy Cacciatore,Sun Grape Marketing; chief executive officer Sophie Perreault; acting directorRobert Beauregard; acting director MarieGosselin. Also elected to the board isPascal Guerin, Les Jardins A. Guerin et filsrepresenting the growers-packers-

processors-shippers sector. A stimulating conference agenda

included Jacques Nantel, head of the marketing education department and direc-tor of programs at HEC Montreal. He gavean overview of new trends in e-commerceand their impact on consumer behaviour.

Several awards were bestowed. AlainPare (Metro) was declared 2015 Pillar ofthe Industry in Quebec for his distinguished professional career and personal qualities. Stephan Schmekel ofFresh Del Monte Produce (Canada) accepted the role of president with thetheme of “Building the Future” for the year

ahead. That theme was put into action withthe selection of a new intern who willwork for a full year inside the association.This year’s nominee is Julie Lefort (SerresLefort), the first woman to take part in theinternship program.

Photo right: (Left to right) BernardCôté, (J. B. Laverdure – President of theCultivating the Next GenerationCommittee), Julie Lefort (Serres Lefort– 2015-2016 Next Generation Intern),Sammy Cacciatore (Sun GrapeMarketing – QPMA Board President for2014-2015)

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PAGE 6 –– OCTOBER 2015THE GROWER

APPLE OUTLOOK

British Columbia is well into appleharvest, having experienced one of the earliest springs ever. A very hot summer inthe Okanagan translated into an early startfor apple harvest.

“A switch was flicked on at the end ofpeaches and we immediately startedapples,” says Chris Pollock, marketingmanager, BC Tree Fruits, Kelowna, BritishColumbia which markets 85 per cent of theprovince’s fruit. He estimates that three

million cartons will be packed this year,down by about five per cent from last year.Prices are holding steady, a little up fromlast year.

Ontario’s crop will be half the normalvolume -- 3.8 million cartons -- due to afrost at critical bloom time. While the cropis light, quality and sizing will be verygood says Kirk Kemp, Algoma OrchardsLimited, Newcastle, Ontario. Due to sunnydays and cooler nights in late September,

he expects good colour and sweeterflavour. He is also optimistic that the firming up of U.S. apple prices will augurwell for the entire apple industry.

Quebec escaped the spring frosts ofOntario, so is in better shape with a cropestimated at 5.8 million cartons. However,hotter than normal September temperaturesdid not help with colouring of fruit. “UntilSeptember 21, the coolest night was 16°Cand we really needed 5°C,” says StephanieLevasseur, Frelighsburg, Quebec. If coolertemperatures prevail, then harvest isexpected to finish around Thanksgivingweekend. Prices are holding firm, with premium prices expected for Honeycrisp.

Nova Scotia apple growers are stillbearing the brunt of harsh climatic conditions: a brutally snowy winter, drysummer and abnormally hot September.“It’s a very slow start to the apple harvestin the Annapolis Valley,” says DougNichols, Morristown, Nova Scotia. Colourdevelopment has been challenging.

While Washington’s big apple crop isnews, the Atlantic region growers can usually sidestep the effects of that crop.“Varieties such as Honeycrisp and clubvarieties are stabilizing the industry. Wewouldn’t be in business withoutHoneycrisp,” says Nichols.

Competitors

In Washington state, the 2015 seasonis shaping up as the third largest harvest inthe state’s history. That translates to 121-125 million cartons according to the

Washington Apple Commission. Ideal conditions in spring and summer

led to harvesting two weeks early, withmore typical weather patterns addingcolour in recent weeks. Red Delicious, thelargest percentage of the crop, is expectedto top 31 million cartons. Gala is the second most popular variety with volumesestimated at more than 29 million cartons.Honeycrisp volumes are expected to reachnine million cartons this year. Strong consumer demand for Honeycrisp istranslating into limited volumes for export.

Of note, the popularity of GoldenDelicious continues to decline with manygrowers shifting to newer varieties orpulling out orchards. The estimate for 2015is the lowest since 1973.

Overseas

Don’t underestimate New Zealand. Theexport-driven country enjoyed a bumpercrop as Pipfruit New Zealand predictsrecords to be broken every year for thenext five years.

Statistics New Zealand figures showedfruit exports in May 2015 had the highest-ever value for a month (at $445million). June and April exports were thesecond- and third-highest, respectively.

Asia continued to take 35 per cent to 40per cent of the crop. This trend is expectedto continue with China taking a record20,000 tonnes this year.

Growers are optimistic about firming apple prices

October 9 is the deadline forselected Ontario schools to regis-ter for the fundraising program,Fresh from the Farm.Participation is expected to dou-ble this year from last accordingto Cathy O’Connor, project coor-dinator. Total pounds of fruitsand vegetables distributed areexpected to top 330,000 pounds.

“By 2017, we expect that thisprogram will be available in all72 school boards across Ontario,”says O’Connor. The message offundraising for schools withhealthy produce is one that resonates with all stakeholders.

Now in its third year, some of

the growing pains have beeneliminated with improved onlineordering. Parsnips and beets, forexample, have been replaced thisyear with sweet potatoes.

The first bundle, priced at $10consists of five pounds of potatoes, three pounds of carrots,three pounds of onions and threepounds of sweet potatoes. Thesecond bundle, priced at $15,consists of eight pounds ofEmpire apples.

Once this year’s orders aretabulated, delivery will be coordinated for early November.The farmers participating are:Algoma Orchards, Bay Growers,

Carron Farms, Don PoulinPotatoes, Martins Apples,Rutledge Farms, Mulders potatoes and Streef Produce. Theprocurement process is open to

all farmers who can meet the criteria of volume and packaging.

As of press time, 157 Ontarioschools are participating this fall.

For more information:

[email protected] or callAlison Robertson, OFVGA, 519-763-6160 ext.

Fresh from the Farm program expands in Ontario

NOTICE of MEETINGis hereby given that the

157th Annual Members and Directors’ Meeting

of the

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable

Growers’ Associationwill be held in

Niagara Falls, Ontario at

The Crowne Plaza HotelJanuary 12 & 13, 2016

Election of Directors of the Association will

take place as well as dealing with resolutions

and any other business that may arise.

Kirk Kemp, Algoma Orchards Ltd, Newcastle, Ontario is predicting half the vol-ume of last year, but with recent sunny days and cooler nights, he anticipates a well-coloured and sweetly flavoured apple. Their apple bins were photographed in lateAugust, ready for the 2015 harvest.

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THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2015 –– PAGE 7

WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

KAREN DAVIDSON

With three years of demonstration plots under his belt,potato farmer Alvin Keenan is convinced that 4R NutrientStewardship is improving yields and quality of his potatoes. That’s in addition to goals of minimizing fieldnutrient losses and maximizing crop uptake of fertilizers.

Fertilizer Canada’s funding is showing farmers how theright source at the right rate, right time and right place –4Rs – can improve all aspects of potato production. PrinceEdward Island’s farmers are working to reduce nitratewater contamination. Rollo Bay Holdings (Alvin and hisbrother Ray), Spring Valley Farms and Jeff and JasonSmallman all shared their plots with other growers in earlySeptember.

“We’re trying to feed our crops exactly what they needat the right time,” says Keenan, who along with his brotherRay, farms 1000 acres of Russet potatoes destined for thefresh market. “In some cases, I’ve seen a 30 per centreduction in fertilizer use.”

Because Keenan also sits on the Canadian HorticulturalCouncil, his experiences with the 4R Nutrient StewardshipProgram are shared nationally. He’s a member of theCanadian Potato Council representing 1,300 potato growers.

Granular fertilizer has been the normal practice, however some growers are working towards evaluatingliquid starter fertilizers as well. No prescription can bemass produced. Each grower must consider current soilstatus via regular soil testing, addition of organic amendments and the type of variety/end use.

Consultant Steve Watts, owner of Genesis CropSystems and a 4R agronomist, has enjoyed watchingdemonstration plots increase from an original five sites in2013 to 14 sites in 2015. He works closely with growers

on pre-planting, mid-season and post-harvest soil testingas well as foliar petiole testing. Samples from each of the4R and grower standard practice (GSP) test plots are sentto Cavendish Farms for overall evaluation that mimics acommercial grower delivery. Included is a calculation ofnet return per acre that takes into consideration anychanges in the price of the fertilizer program. It’s the real-life metrics that show growers how they can improve.

Most strategies involved splitting the nitrogen compo-nent into several applications as compared to the currentindustry norm. This involves applying most of the productin 2X2 bands at planting time. Appropriate adjustments aremade with phosphorus and potassium application as well.

“We have hosted numerous field tours where we askvisiting growers and other industry participants to selectfrom samples of growers’ standard practice and 4R-produced tubers,” says Watts. “Most often, the 4R samplesare favoured as they appear to have more uniform size andin some cases better yields.”

Fall sample grading is indicating better tuber qualitywith fewer defects and improvements in tuber dry matter,a desirable result for those growing for the processingmarket. On the environmental side, postharvest soil sam-ples suggest the 4R program results in reduced soil nitratelevels as well – an extremely significant issue in PrinceEdward Island where all water comes from ground water.

“Whether you’re growing potatoes in Prince EdwardIsland or pumpkins in Ontario, tradition dictates your current fertilizer management strategy,” says Watts. “Weare not suggesting anyone is doing anything wrong. Theobjective is to see if we can implement incremental changeand help improve the current situation from an economic,environmental and social aspect.”

The PEI 4R initiative involves many public and privateagencies including Fertilizer Canada, the government ofPrince Edward Island, the PEI Federation of Agriculture,

the PEI Potato Board and the Kensington North WatershedAssociation. Funding has been committed to continue 4Rresearch and demonstrations on PEI for the next threeyears.

All eyes on Prince Edward Island’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship Program

Steve Watts from Genesis Crop Systems and AlvinKeenan, Rollo Bay Holdings display samples ofGoldRush potatoes grown using 4R (left) and Keenan’straditional fertilizer program (right) at a recent PEI4R tailgate meeting in Dundas PEI. Photo courtesyKevin MacIsaac.

157TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGJANUARY 12 & 13, 2016 CROWNE PLAZA NIAGARA FALLS, ON

AWARD OF MERITNOMINATIONS

The award is our way of recognizing the outstanding contributionmade by an individual ororganization to our fruit andvegetable industry.Is there someone you would like to nominate?

Deadline: Nov. 30, 2015

Registration information, Agenda and Award of Merit Nomination form available at

www.ofvga.org

TWO-DAY FORMAT

with meetings Tuesday andWednesday, banquetTuesday night.

NEW ONLINE REGISTRATION

visit www.ofvga.org to findthe link to register online.

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THE GROWER

PAGE 8 –– OCTOBER 2015

CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL

Talking turkey about the Canadian election KAREN DAVIDSON

This Thanksgiving, politicswill be the main course. In athree-way race too close to callfor October 19, Canadians will besitting down to a feast of debate.But there’s one number that isimmutable: 170 seats for amajority.

The Canadian HorticulturalCouncil (CHC) and the CanadianProduce Marketing Association(CPMA) hosted a webinar onSeptember 15th that detailed whythe three parties are in a deadheat. Many of the closest racesare predicted to be in Quebec,Ontario and British Columbia.

“These provinces happen to bewhere the Canadian produceindustry is concentrated,” saidKeith Kuhl, CHC president and apotato farmer from Manitoba.“There are 121 seats in Ontarioalone and many of those are insouthern and central Ontario.”

There are 30 new seats acrossCanada with many boundarychanges. Here are some of theridings to watch. In PrinceEdward Island, the riding ofEgmont is currently held byConservative Gail Shea, the min-ister of national revenue. She’s ina tight race with the Liberals.

To date, the NDP has kept itsOrange Crush wave in Quebecwith its youthful roster of MPs,especially in rural francophoneareas. Conservatives are strong inthe Quebec City area while theLiberals are favoured on theisland of Montreal.

Ontario’s Lakeshore-Etobicoke riding is another clas-sic race between Conservativesand Liberals. Home to theOntario Food Terminal and itsmillions of dollars of economicspin-off, this riding was solidlyLiberal from 1993 to 2011.Remember that former Liberalleader Michael Ignatieff calledthis home base from 2006 to2011. Currently held by theConservatives, it may fall backinto the Liberal fold.

In British Columbia, the newriding of Port Moody-Coquitlamwill be closely watched. TheNDP and Liberals are neck andneck according to polls, with theConservatives not far behind.Traditionally, this area has been astronghold for the NDP.However, part of the old ridingwas held by Conservative JamesMoore, a popular minister ofindustry who resigned and didnot join this election campaign.

Together, CPMA and CHChave analyzed each party’s posi-tion on the key issues: paymentprotection for produce sellers,health and nutrition, food safetymodernization, labour, NorthAmerican perimeter approach andresearch and innovation.

CHC’s top issue has beensecuring support for paymentprotection for producer sellers.This protection under thePerishable AgriculturalCommodities Act (PACA) wasrescinded by the U.S. governmentOctober 1, 2014. CHC’s assess-ment is that the Conservativeshave shown limited willingnessto look at a trust. Support for theCHC’s position is not expected.The NDP has pledged to trustprotection similar to PACA. Verypositive discussions have beenheld with the Liberals and atpress time, CHC was hopeful forsupport during the campaign.

“I can’t overstate the importance of outreach to localMPs,” says Kuhl. “Advocacy isnot about being angry throughbullhorns. It’s not random or mil-itant or done alone. It’s aboutnurturing connections and havingreciprocal relationships. All ofthat takes time, but over time, theconsistency and cohesivenessmake a difference.”

“If you provide the passion,we’ll share the plan,” he concludes.

Tools for outreach are available at the respective websites. For CPMA, go to:http://ow.ly/SrOl9. For CHC, goto: http://ow.ly/SrPG1

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Introduction

The Ontario Fruit and VegetableGrowers’ Association (OFVGA)board met on August 19, 2015.

Canadian Horticultural CouncilReport (CHC)

CHC has adopted a policy ofnot including the processing vegetable assessment in theprovincial fee calculations forOntario. This is partly in recognition of the fact thatOntario already pays 35 per centof the CHC’s total membershipfees.

Financial Risk Managementcontinues to be active. MinisterRitz has not made this a prioritydespite ongoing information pro-vided by CHC and CanadianProduce Marketing Association(CPMA) on the importance of aPACA-like trust for horticulturalproducers in Canada. To date,only the NDP party has pledgedits support if elected.

CHC has developed anAgriRisk Program applicationdesigned to cover losses associat-ed with product recalls. Thiswould include such things as thepotato-tampering incident inPrince Edward Island. The CHCboard has approved moving forward on this application whilestill maintaining the right to stopat any point.

The finance committee continues to work with the AAFCand CFA in an attempt to secureup-to-date data on theAgriStability program. We havebeen able to obtain some informa-tion for 2012. We have no updateon more recent years.Horticulture only represents 6.4per cent of the total participantsin AgriStability. There wereabout 74,000 participants total in2012. 56 per cent of horticulturalproducers participated inAgriStability. Those producersrepresent 82 per cent of the totalmarket value of horticulturalcrops (for those growers whohave sales of $10,000 or more).

Research Report

Harold Schooley attended theTwilight Tour at VinelandResearch and Innovation Centre(VRIC) a few weeks ago. Theauthor of the book “The DoritoEffect” spoke at the tour. Peopleseek out flavour and it was suggested that in our attempt toextend shelf life, we haveremoved some of the flavour offruits and vegetables.

John Kelly travelled withArthur Potts (ParliamentaryAssistant to Jeff Leal, theMinister of Agriculture, Food,and Rural Affairs) and OMAFRApolicy advisor Johanna Wilkes.The tour was a huge success atengaging and educating govern-ment staff on how horticulturalcrops are grown in Ontario.

Property Report

Work continues at both theCHC and the Horticulture ValueChain Roundtable on theSustainability file. Currently theHVCRT is taking a long look atthe United Fresh Sustainabilityquestionnaire as a possible bench-marking tool for the sector.

There have been two meetingsthis summer facilitated by Farmand Food Care on phosphorusreduction goals for Lake Erie.The first was on July 14 andanother on August 10. There wereapproximately 75 in attendance,the same people at each meeting.The meetings were held to discuss the recent recommenda-tions by a joint working group ofrepresentatives from the LakeErie states and Ontario in regardsto establishing phosphorus load-ing targets for the East, Central,and West basins of Lake Erie.The recommendation so far is inthe range of 20 to 40 per centdepending on which basin by2020.

The bird damage mitigationwork continues. An applicationhas been prepared to requestfunding to extend the project fortwo more years. Kestrels do notlike to nest near woodlots. Someof the box locations may need tobe moved to enhance our abilityto attract kestrels.

The Royal Agricultural WinterFair meetings have started.Organizers are trying to increasethe number of entries to the horticultural competitions. Allinformation is available online.

Labour Report

The Seasonal AgriculturalWorkers Program (SAWP) hasmany changes taking place. The25 per cent deduction onCaribbean workers is removed asof November 20. There may alsobe changes to the way VISAcredit card fees are collected.Currently, producers pay the feeupfront and are reimbursed by theworker later. The Canadian government wants workers to paytheir fees upfront. Liaison officerswill not be able to apply on theworker’s behalf for SIN numberapplications. They must see theapplicant in person instead.

Safety Nets

The SDRM reference committee has met several timesrecently to prepare for the rolloutof the 2015 SDRM program andmonitor the wrap up of 2013 and2014.

There have been ongoing discussions about the overall subject of RMP continuousimprovement, which is part of theministry's process of program justification. All of the sixRMP/SDRM programs are undergoing the same discussion.

As of August 4, 2015 2,387

deposit notices for 2014 SDRMhad been sent out and 1,984deposit requests had beenreceived from producers. A totalof $23.21 million had beenmatched by government, whichrepresents 87.5 per cent of possi-ble matching funds based on theeligible 2014 ANS. This wasfunded by our initial allotment of$23 million plus an additional $2million of unused funds by othercommodities as per the sharingagreement, minus administration

costs and with under $1 millionremaining to cover any changesin ANS as a result of audits etc.

In 2015 it is possible torequest Direct Deposit for SDRMfunds. So far 300 producers havetaken advantage of this and wewill be following up withreminders in The Grower toencourage everyone to use thisprocess. 2015 is also the first pro-gram year where there is norequirement to be enrolled inAgri-Stability in order to qualify

for SDRM.As mentioned earlier, OFVGA

will be looking to canvas membercommodities for information onwhat growers are using theirSDRM funds for. This will begeneralized when passing on tothe government so as not to identify any individual producer,but will help with justifying thecontinuance of the program.

THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2015 –– PAGE 9

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION

Board briefs

Squash display at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

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THE GROWER

PAGE 10 –– OCTOBER 2015

STAFFPublisher: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ AssociationEditor: Karen Davidson, 416-557-6413, [email protected]: Carlie Robertson, ext. 221, [email protected]: Herb Sherwood, 519-380-0118, [email protected] Grower reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Anyerrors that are the direct result of The Grower will be compen-sated 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 soleowner of The Grower. All editorials and opinions expressed inThe Grower are those of the newspaper’s editorial staff and/orcontributor, and do not necessarily reflect the view of the associa-tion.

All rights reserved. The contents of this publication maynot be reproduced either whole or in part without the priorwritten consent of the publisher.

OFFICE355 Elmira Road North, Unit 105Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 CANADATel. 519-763-8728 • Fax 519-763-6604The Grower is printed 12 times a year and sent to allmembers of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association who have paid $30.00 (plus G.S.T.) per year forthe 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 withinfour months. If the issue is claimed within four months, butnot available, The Grower will extend the subscription byone month. No refunds on subscriptions.

P.M. 40012319

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEEChair Jason Verkaik, BradfordVice-Chair Jan Vander Hout, WaterdownFruit Director Norm Charbonneau, Port ElginVeg Director Mac James, LeamingtonDirector John Thwaites, Niagara-on-the-Lake

BOARD OF DIRECTORSApples Charles Stevens, NewcastleFresh Vegetable - Other Kenny Forth, LyndenTender Fruit John Thwaites, Niagara-on-the-LakeON Asparagus Grws’. Mkg. Brd. Neil Reimer, ViennaGGO/Fresh Grape Growers Bill George Jr., BeamsvilleFresh Vegetable - Muck Jason Verkaik, BradfordON. Potato Board Mac James, LeamingtonSmall Fruit/Berries Norm Charbonneau, Port ElginON. Ginseng Growers’ Ken Van Torre, BurfordGreenhouse Jan Vander Hout, WaterdownGreenhouse Don Taylor, Durham

OFVGA SECTION CHAIRS

Crop Protection Charles Stevens, NewcastleResearch Harold Schooley, SimcoeProperty Brian Gilroy, MeafordLabour Ken Forth, LyndenSafety Nets Mark Wales, AlymerCHC Murray Porteous, Simcoe

The horticulture industry, likemany industries, is directlyimpacted by the policies of alllevels of government (municipal,regional, provincial and federal)as well as those from internation-al jurisdictions. Because we aregoing through a long federal election, there is ample opportunity for candidates fromthe major political parties to hearthe concerns and needs of farm-ers. And there is ample time forthese parties to put forward their agenda on matters that impactgrowers.

Everyone has a responsibilityto get out and voice their opinionthrough their vote. One vote maynot seem consequential in thelarge scheme of things, but when

blocks of those “single votes”agree, then there is a large potential for changing the face ofthe government. For example,several ridings across the countryin the last federal election weredecided by only a few hundredvotes, yet the turn-out in the lastfederal election was only six outof 10 eligible to vote. To have asay, it is really important to register your thoughts throughyour vote.

The federal and provincialgovernments must be able towork together to address issues ofmutual concern and responsibili-ty. Those who work in horticulture know this only toowell through the development ofthe Growing Forward 2 policyframework. This framework hasfederal only and federal/provincial components whichmust address those key items tomove the sector forward. Riskmanagement, research and development, and skills trainingare examples of three areas jointly supported by the two levels of government. It doestake cooperation to make this policy a reality.

The greenhouse sector is particularly impacted by federalpolicy. The export market isessential to the continued successof greenhouse operators in

Ontario, with 70 per cent of production going outside ofCanada. Financial risk mitigationis a key issue for Canadian grow-ers who export to the UnitedStates. It is precisely a year agothat the United States withdrewCanadian horticultural producers’preferred status within thePerishable AgriculturalCommodities Act (PACA). JasonVerkaik, OFVGA chair of theboard, clearly explained the consequences of this action in hisJuly column. The withdrawal ofPACA protection has had a negative effect on growers whoexport, and must be resolved withthe new federal government.Growers need to ask theirprospective federal representa-tives what their position is onPACA. Before a vote is cast,growers should consider eachparty’s position, and decidewhich best represents their interests. But in order to have asay, a vote must be cast.

It is no secret that investmentin infrastructure across Canada isneeded. Right now growers arebeing challenged to grow the sector, but are being hindered byinsufficient or inadequate infrastructure. The way that thisis to happen and how it candirectly impact horticultural farmers will go a long way to

supporting further private investment in the sector. Thedevelopment of access to affordable power through invest-ment in natural gas pipelines andelectricity infrastructure will leadto growth in the sector. The efficient use of combined heatand power systems, includingsolar, will go a long way toenhancing the profitability of horticulture producers. Access toaffordable, high-speed internet isa business necessity. That somefarms are still using dial-up forthis access is unacceptable. Thevarious levels of governmentmust find a way to work togetherto address this serious, specificchallenge to maintaining andgrowing horticultural businesses.Dedicated funds for horticulturalinfrastructure are needed toremain competitive. Growersshould determine if infrastructureenhancement is a platform ofthose seeking election.

Farmers are innovators and arecontinually investing in theirbusinesses, diversifying, modernizing and being as efficient as they possibly can.More is needed however, andthere are financial tools that couldbe developed to assist with thesedevelopments. For example,enhancing the rate of capitaldepreciation will spur future

investment by releasing tied-upcapital. In the manufacturing sector, eligible machinery andother equipment that wouldnormally qualify for a 30 per centcapital cost allowance (CCA)may have a 50 per cent straightline accelerated CCA. This typeof system would be very usefulfor purchase of new and relativelynew equipment by horticultural-ists.

While many of the critical policy items affecting growers areadministered at the provinciallevel, it is crucial that the horticultural sector have a strongvoice within the federal govern-ment. The Canadian HorticulturalCouncil (CHC) has identifiedfinancial risk management andincreasing the consumption ofproduce by consumers as the keyissues for the 2015 federal election. Growers should asktheir local prospective Membersof Parliament how they willaddress these key concerns. Andthe emphasis is on actions.

But in order to really have avoice, growers must also get intoaction. Get out and vote. It isyour right, and in my view, yourresponsibility.

Voting: a right and a responsibility

JOHN KELLYEXECUTIVE VP, OFVGA

In November of 1621, thethree-day feast after a first successful corn harvest was celebrated by the Pilgrims alongwith allied Native Americans. Itis considered the firstThanksgiving meal for NorthAmerica. The secondThanksgiving celebration in 1623marked the end of a long droughtthat threatened the year’s crops.In addition to a meal celebration,

religious fasting became traditional at harvest time.Throughout history and crossingmany cultures and religions, thereare many examples of celebratingthe harvest with people givingthanks and fasting. Most of usare aware of the catch phrase “ifyou ate today, thank a farmer.”While I think that is a fair statement, I think the originalAmerican thanksgiving festivalwas a celebration of an opportunity realized.

Some of us may have had agood season and others anextremely challenging one. Whilewe are thankful to live in a country and province that hasgovernments allowing freedomsand opportunity, I feel we havemoved into a time of fastingwhen it comes to real investmentsfrom government into horticulture. Risk managementtools have been reduced. We havelost some of the funding for environmental farm plans. Wehave infrastructure disparities that

hinder growth. A promised comparable deemed trust has notbeen implemented. The rise inminimum wage and the futureOntario Registered Pension Planare some examples of the challenges we face to be competitive.

I also feel that a more abundant sector can be built whenindustry shares ideas.Horticultural farmers would bevery thankful for government toenact policies that enable farmersto be competitive and profitablewhile they continue to be environmental stewards of theland. We ask for legislation to becreated to protect the business offarming and investments in agricultural infrastructure to allowfor an abundance of harvest tocontinue for future generations.It is time to break this fast fromboth the federal and provincialgovernments. It is time to meetand share at the thanksgivingtable of opportunity. We are not asector in agriculture looking for

handouts; we are a sector of agriculture looking to have toolsin place to keep us competitive ina global market, to expand ourexport opportunities along withthe ability to secure local foodproduction.

On a personal note, as I reflectupon this season of harvest, I am

truly thankful for being able tofarm both through times of plentyand times of struggle. I am thank-ful to God and country for theopportunity we all have. Joinwith me and take a moment to begrateful for every plate full.

Grateful for every plate full

JASON VERKAIKCHAIR, OFVGA

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THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2015 –– PAGE 11

About one-quarter of allCanadian farmers are women. Butthe number of Canadian womenoperators under 35 years old isdwindling – like their male counterparts of all ages, theirlegion is less than half what itwas in 1991, and it needs support.

Young women on their way tobecoming operators or participants in the agriculture sector can be found in some ofthe traditional places – on farmsthemselves, in 4-H clubs and inuniversity and college agriculturalprograms, for example. And now,in Ontario, they can also be foundin an emerging group called theAg Women’s Network.

As friends and acquaintances,mainly from their days at theUniversity of Guelph, membersof this group had met informallyand socially a few times, goingback to 2013.

But their resolve to cometogether more formally intensifiedat a February meeting earlier thisyear, at the provincial ministry ofagriculture, food and rural affairsoffice in Woodstock.

Maternity issues, and theirimpact on a career, were the

focus of this meeting. They talkedabout the challenge of farmingwith pre-school children, trying tofind child care in isolated ruralareas, how maternity benefitsdon’t extend universally and inbusiness, how client relationshipscan wane when maintaining themis entrusted to a temporaryemployee.

They also realized they had thepower – and the passion – to lookfor solutions.

They talked about reaching outto other farm families for co-opor shared child care arrange-ments. They noted how drop-inmoms-and-tots programs servedfarm women better than rigidlyscheduled programs that mightnot gel with food productionagendas.

They talked about how agri-culture could lead by exampleand mirror exemplary examplesfrom progressive organizationsthat offer meaningful maternitybenefits, such as in-office childcare, top-up support, flexiblehours and short weeks in the low-season.

And that's when the new AgWomen’s Network really tookoff.

This group (www.agwomensnetwork.com)has fantastic promise. From thedozen-ish career-focussed womenwho joined together initially, thegroup has grown significantly. Itnow includes nearly 450Facebook members across theprovince. They are starting tomeet regularly, and span all agesand professions -- from farmers togovernment advisors to agri-business professionals.

Their passion for farming, plusthe fact that my daughters Aliciaand Kate are active women in

agriculture, made it enjoyable forme to discuss how network participants could further developtheir communications skills, whenI spoke to about 40 members attheir September meeting inCambridge.

I say “further develop”because several members of thegroup are graduates from the agricultural communicationscourse I taught for more than 20years at the University of Guelph.Many now have solid jobs ascommunications professionals inthe agri-food sector. Their writingand speaking abilities are exemplary.

The key now is how this network uses its members’ passionto further its own interests, as wellas to promote agriculture.

They’ll have an education roleto play as well. For example,women who don’t self-identify asfarmers, but instead perhaps callthemselves farm wives, participate hugely in farm matters. Besides being mothers,which is an awesome undertakingall by itself, many work on the

farm as labourers. That’s a critical role, given how the agriculture sector constantlystruggles to find employees.

Off the farm, the agri-foodsector is becoming populated withmore and more women professionals – in areas such ascommunications and education,sales and marketing, finance, animal and plant health andresearch, to name a few.

Going forward, the new network needs to decide a fewfundamental matters. How will itinteract with other women’s networks? How will it grow?How public will it be, especiallywhen it comes to making state-ments about issues it holds dear?

As a journalist and, like mypeers, someone constantly on thelook-out for passionate newsources, I hope this networkbecomes very public. I want toknow what the group thinks abouthot issues of the day, such as supply management, farm labour,animal welfare and GMOs. Nowthere’s fodder for a spirited discussion.

Regardless of whatever profilethey choose, though, support andnetworking are worthwhile reasons in themselves to cometogether. Good luck, AgWomen’s Network.

Passion is fuelling new ag women’s network

MARK WALES

At this time of year, we’repreparing our fields for plantingthe next crop. Depending on yourfarm location in Ontario, some ofus will be planting beforeOctober 1 and others furthersouth will be planting during themonth of October or when fallsoil conditions permit.

As of early fall, much of theprovince experienced fairly drysoil conditions, however we allknow that can change suddenlyand when the heavier soils getwet, preparing them can be a realchallenge.

Now is the time to plan aheadand prepare your soil andseedbed. Apply your nutritionalprogram to ensure that the fall-planted crop gets off to a goodstart. Do your best to ensure aweed-free planting site to helpreduce your workload next

spring. Make sure that your seedis of the best and cleanest quality,checking your cloves carefullyfor defects when cracking andpreparing them. Make sure thatyour planting equipment is cleanas an added precaution to preventany possible disease or nematodecarryover. One thing we havelearned is that those nasty nematodes can stay dormant for avery long time.

For those who are new to garlic growing, make sure youplant in the most timely mannerfor your area. Too early and thecrop will have too much topgrowth which will have to die offduring winter, and too late andthe crop will not establish a goodroot system to prepare it for ourharsh winters.

Mark Wales is president of theGarlic Growers’ Association ofOntario.

Tips for planting garlic

OWEN ROBERTSU OF GUELPH

PERSPECTIVE

Courtney O'Neil participatedin a global youth ag summit inAustralia in the summer. Oneof the action items she cameaway with was to join the newag women's network.

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PAGE 12 –– OCTOBER 2015

THE GROWER

BRUCE KELLY

In early September, we headedto Cookstown Greens to do anevaluation of an irrigation system.I was invited by OMAFRA irri-gation engineer Rebecca Shorttand Katie Gibb of Enviro-Stewards to tag along and shootsome video of the process of howto evaluate the water distributionpattern in an irrigated vegetablefield. Fortunately, it was a sunnyand hot 30°C because one carriesout this evaluation while the sys-tem is running and you get very,very wet.

As it was first explained tome, in testing the distribution pat-tern of an irrigation system, youset out a number of buckets in ameasured grid pattern in the field,run the irrigation system for aperiod of time, then measure andcompare the amount of water ineach bucket to assess the effec-tiveness of the distribution pat-tern.

This all sounded reasonableand I was keen to help gathersome data – it’s all for the goodof science! They told me that Ishould wear good boots and I wasgoing to get a bit wet because Iwould be filming the process.Only when I was on-site, did theyshare the detail that to truly get anidea of the components of thesystem, each sprinkler riser need-ed to be pressure and flow testedwhile the system was operating.What?! Fortunately the new Go-Pro cameras come with a water-proof case.

The first step in evaluating thewater flow was to get a fewbasics about the system includingpipe size, pump pressure, numberof risers and number of lines etc.We then set up buckets in a gridpattern on each side of the testrow, such that we could sample,on a ten foot by ten foot grid, thewater that fell on the plot wewere evaluating.

As the system was running,(this is the wet part) the flowfrom a sprinkler head was divert-ed into a pail and the fill timemeasured (flow rate). Also, ashort metal barb attached to apressure gauge was inserted ineach sprinkler stream to measurethe pressure at each head and thetype and model of each sprinklerwere recorded. Each sprinklerhead nozzle and head have aninherent flow rate, pattern and

turning speed. Thanks go to farmer hosts

Simon and Mike French forallowing us to plod around intheir beet field and refine ourmeasuring system in their irrigat-ed field. They sent us home withsample beets that proved so popu-lar with my family that I havesince visited their website to finda local retailer. The engineers willbe examining the distribution pat-tern results and making a fullreport back to the farmers alongwith any suggested improve-ments.

Farm & Food Care Ontario, onbehalf of the Ontario Ministry ofAgriculture, Food & RuralAffairs (OMAFRA), is undertak-ing a water efficiency pilot pro-ject that will go by the nameSMART Water. The project willconduct a number of water useassessments on irrigation systemsand processing water sites to helpgrowers better understand theirwater use needs, efficiencies and

seasonal use patterns.Interested growers are invited

to have a water use assessmentdone on their farm. Each assess-ment will include the on-site col-lection of information pertainingto current water uses, losses andestimated costs as well as identi-fying opportunities to reduce,reuse and optimize current wateruse and losses. A final report willbe prepared documenting the cur-rent situation, identified opportu-nities, economic assessment andrecommendations.

For more information on theproject, or if you are interested intaking part in a water assessment,please contact either Bruce Kellyat Farm & Food Care [email protected] or JodieMott at the Holland MarshGrowers’ Association. [email protected].

Bruce Kelly is environmental pro-gram manager for Farm & FoodCare.

Getting really wet while measuringirrigation system performance

October 3 Holland Marsh Growers’ Soupfest, Ansnorveldt Park, Bradford, ON

October 5-6 Advancing Women Life Skills for Leadership – Women in Ag Conference, Westin Harbour Castle Hotel, Toronto, ON

Oct 5 – 11 Ontario Agriculture Week

Oct 6 Future of Food and Farming Forum, Gambrel Barn, Country Heritage Park, Milton, ON

Oct 7 - 8 Canadian Greenhouse Conference, Scotiabank Centre, Niagara Falls, ON

Oct 16 Oxford Frozen Foods Safety Day, Georgetown, PE

Oct 19 Canada Votes

Oct 23 – 25 Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA

October 28 Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council 25th Anniversary, “The Future of Packaging – Challenges and Opportunities” Seminar, Mississauga Convention Centre, Mississauga, ON

Nov 6 – 15 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON

Nov 13 Ontario Produce Marketing Association Annual Gala, Liberty Grand, Toronto, ON

Nov17-19 Potato Growers of Alberta Annual General Meeting and Trade Show, Red Deer, AB

Nov 19-21 Futurpera, Ferrara, Italy

Nov 27 Potatoes New Brunswick Annual General Meeting, Florenceville, NB

Dec 1 – 3 GrowCanada Conference, Calgary, AB

Dec 2 Ontario Potato Board Annual General Meeting, Cambridge Holiday Inn, Hall C, Cambridge, ON 10 am

Dec 8 – 10 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo, Devos Place Convention Centre, Grand Rapids, MI

Dec10 CanadaGAP Annual General Meeting, Canadian Federation of Agriculture Boardroom, Ottawa, ON

COMING EVENTS 2015

Evaluating the water distribution pattern of an irrigation system

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THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2015 –– PAGE 13

RETAIL NAVIGATOR

Develop relationships beyond the category manager

This month we will discuss theopportunity to build relationshipswith different parts of your customer’s organization. The category manager is the key pointof contact, however there aremany other people in the organization who can contributeto the success of your products.

Store employees work withyour products every day

When you are visiting storestake the time to discuss yourproducts with employees. Theysee your items come from thewarehouse and they will have agreat understanding of how theystand up at store level. Theemployees also work with yourcompetitor’s products as much asyours. They will often share somegreat information about their per-formance.

Visit the store when it is notbusy so they have time to talk.Keep track of your conversationsand find opportunities to use themin your discussions with categorymanagers. You can always sharethe experience and reinforce apoint you are trying to makeabout your products. You canalso use the insights to makeimprovements and then share thiswith the retailer.

Food safety employees can helpyour credibility

We all know food safety is apriority for retailers. If you areselling a perishable item you needto develop a relationship withyour customer’s food safetygroup. Your food safety peopleand theirs talk a different language. Make sure the retailerunderstands your accreditationsand processes. This will buildcredibility with the experts at theretailer.

It is likely that the food safetypeople at the retailer will mentionto the category manager that theyare familiar with your businessand that they are comfortablewith your practices.

Quality assurance can be yourally

A call or email from the quality assurance group at aretailer can be a positive if youhave the right relationship. In the

past these groups were more of aguard dog at the warehouse. Thisis changing. They want to establish relationships to addressissues before they ever get to thewarehouse.

It is the supplier’s responsibility to know productspecs and standards. If you establish a relationship with thequality assurance group you candiscuss issues before you shipproduct.

I would encourage you todevelop a relationship with thesegroups and if possible travel tothe warehouse with your productto see how it arrives. This will goa long way to build your credibility.

Learn from distribution

Retailers invest considerableresources in distribution. Gettingquality product to the store in themost efficient manner is a keytask for retailers. This is an areaof their business where there isconstant focus on improvementand change.

You should always takeadvantage of an invitation to visitthe warehouse and see how yourproduct is performing before itgets to the store. Observe how itflows through the warehouse andgets on a truck. There might beopportunities for improved packaging or more boxes on apallet, which means more dollarsto your bottom line.

Often you will see initiativesin the retailer’s distribution network that you can employ inyour own business.

Remember to share with thecategory manager

These are all different areas ofyour customer’s business whereyou can learn and develop therelationship. Keep in mind yourkey point of contact is the category manager. You need tokeep that person advised whenyou are interacting with differentparts of the organization. Theywill see it as a positive. You haveto remember to negotiate with thecategory manager and keep thepricing, merchandising and volume discussions with that person.If you have developed relationships beyond the categorymanager or if you have any questions you can contact me [email protected].

WHAT’S IN STORE

Packaging that leads to crossmerchandising

Packaging is such a crucialcomponent of your product offering. It has to protect yourproduct, be cost effective and sellyour product. It also has to workon the shelf or the table or therefrigerated case where the

product is merchandised in store.One other opportunity to consideris where your product could becross-merchandised. Often products generate considerableincremental sales when they provide the consumer with a mealidea.

Recently, I saw this exampleof sauerkraut. The product used tobe sold in a stand-up carton,which was functional, but it couldnot be cross merchandised withmeat items on the shelf because itwas too tall. This new bag protects the product, looks morecontemporary and is very easy tocross merchandise beside themeat. My expectation is that saleswould increase with this newpackaging. Have you looked athow your packaging performs indifferent parts of the store?

Peter Chapman is a retail consultant, professional speakerand the author of A la cart-A suppliers’ guide to retailers’ priorities. Peter is based inHalifax NS, where he is the principal at GPS BusinessSolutions. Peter works with producers and processors to helpthem navigate through the retailenvironment with the ultimategoal to get more of their items inthe shopping cart. [email protected].

PETER CHAPMAN

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THE GROWER

PAGE 14 –– OCTOBER 2015

KAREN DAVIDSON

Mucci Farms is claiming thetitle as first Canadian grower toship greenhouse-grown cucumbers from Canada to China.The Kingsille, Ontario-basedgrower made the shipment to awell-known Chinese distributor,Lantao, in April 2015. The family-owned operation has continued to export three timesevery week.

“It only took a few monthssince inception of the concept tothe actual air freighting of product,” says Stephen Qian,sales and marketing, MucciFarms. “The president zeroed inon our CuteCumbers. Our graph-ics and branding worked for the

Chinese market and he thoughtour variety would withstand thetravel and still hold its flavour.”

Lantao is a well-establisheddistribution company operated byChinese nationals with distribution centres in Shanghai,Guangzhou, Beijing, Shenyangand Zhengzhou. These are considered the five key producemarkets receiving premium fruitand vegetables from around theworld. Produce is then distributedto wholesale markets and thefarmers’ markets, street pushcarts, small street stands, finefruit stores and supermarkets.

Qian is in charge of exploringnew markets in Asia and regularly fields enquiries fromAsia. He’s just returned from theSeptember trade show, Asia Fruit

Logistica, hosted in Hong Kong.The general consensus is that therising middle class is eatinghealthier and seeks unique products.

There’s good reason thatMucci Farms’ CuteCumbers arefilling that craving. These snacking cucumbers are brandedand packaged to satisfy a discerning market in NorthAmerica, but it turns out that thesame product is equally appealingin China. Lantao has partneredwith Mucci Farms to developpoint-of-sale materials forChinese consumers. That’s been afavourable learning according toEmily Murracas, director of marketing, Mucci Farms.

The CuteCumbers are packaged using stand-up,

re-sealable bags with a reinforcedhandle and standup gusset. Thepackaging also includes a mattevarnish finishing, creating aunique look and adding depth tothe design. The QR code on theback provides fast access torecipes and nutritional information.

The first four months of shipments have gone well according to Joe Spano, vice-president of sales and marketing, Mucci Farms. “It’s aFOB deal,” he says. “We’rehappy with our margin.”

Due to extensive experience inthe United States and Canada, hesays the export shipment is notmuch different. The picking andpacking line is alerted that thepick-of-the-day is headed to

China. Specifications are met andthe product is packaged in modified atmospheric packagingto extend shelf life. Coolguardmaterial is wrapped around thecases on each plastic pallet.Temperature monitors accompanyeach shipment for real-time tracking and quality control.Trucks deliver the shipment fromKingsville to a major airportcargo centre. The shipmentarrives the next day in China.

Spano says he is hopeful thatthe Chinese government willallow more Canadian commodi-ties in the future, but for now ishappy to focus on this project.Mucci Farms is building its reputation on the global stage oneair mile at a time.

Shanghai’s statistics are staggering. A good chunk ofCanada’s population could fit intoShanghai, a metropolis of 24 million that now squats over thefamed Yangtze River Delta. It’sChina’s most populous city. It’sthe world’s busiest container port.

For all those reasons and more,the Ontario government sent atrade mission to Shanghai andother ports of call from April 16-24. It was jointly led by Ontarioagriculture minister Jeff Leal andcitizenship, immigration andinternational trade ministerMichael Chan. Deputy ministers

of both ministries packed theirbags as well.

George Gilvesy, most recentlygeneral manager of the OntarioGreenhouse Vegetable Growers,was invited to join other agricultural leaders on the trip. Itwas a timely intersect with theassociation’s research of thePacific Rim in the last two years.Since Asia’s phytosanitary barriers were lifted for cucumbersin July 2013, there was plenty ofincentive to explore.

“China is a huge opportunity,”says Gilvesy, pointing out thatShanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou

comprise 44 million consumers.“There’s a mass transformationunderway with wealth growing inthe middle class and the desire tobe food-safe.”

Cucumbers are a summer staple in the Chinese diet,although it’s a prickly variety thatthey are used to. The seedlessgreenhouse cucumber is a premium product to them, butnevertheless one that’s veryappealing. New supermarkets areevery bit as modern as Canada’s.Beijing Hualian Group (BHG),for example, owns 144 stores inthe country. As a result of theOntario premier’s trade missionmore than a year ago, BHG hasopened a trade office in Torontoand is talking proactively with the

greenhouse industry. While the skyscraper lights of

Shanghai beckon, what are therisks? As with any business,Gilvesy says that due diligence isrequired. Chinese buyers havebeen aggressive trying to accesssources of supply around theworld. Anecdotal evidence is thatthe Chinese are prepaying forproduct to be harvested inCalifornia fields, so anxious arethey to secure high-grade pro-duce. Despite what looks like agolden opportunity, research thefine print of the deal.

“Payment has not been a barrier to doing business inChina,” says Gilvesy. Logisticsand phytosanitary barriers fortomatoes and peppers remain

future challenges.The Asia Fruit Logistica trade

show which concluded in HongKong in early September, hosteda concurrent conference on coldchain logistics. Gilvesy says thatrefrigeration infrastructure ischanging rapidly throughout thecountry. Canadian growers mustwalk before they run in thisdynamic marketplace whichattracts all the usual greenhousecompetitors: the Netherlands,Israel, Australia and NewZealand. But Gilvesy is confidentthere’s a niche for Canada. Hepoints out that there’s plenty ofbusiness in China. Consider thestatistic that China is home to 14cities with populations of fivemillion plus.

Cooled cucumbers are hot in China

Shanghai: gateway to China’s 1.357 billion consumers

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(L-R, front row) Dr. Deb Stark, deputy minister OMAFRA, George Gilvesy, former general managerOntario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, Ontario agriculture minister Jeff Leal and Ontario ministerof immigration, citizenship and international trade, Michael Chan are pictured on the trade missionto China, April 20, 2015.

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KAREN DAVIDSON

While virtually all greenhousevegetable growers use biocontrolin their greenhouses, sometimesthe finely tuned eco-environmentis upset by infiltrators, intrudersor invaders. That’s the topic thatMichael Brownbridge will tackleat the Canadian GreenhouseConference on October 7.

“Some infestations can bedealt with using techniques com-patible with your biocontrol pro-gram,” says Brownbridge,research director, horticulturalproduction systems, VinelandResearch and Innovation Centre.“Others are more challenging.”

While he participated in a con-ference in the United Kingdom,exploring the role of biopesticidesin modern agriculture, hisVineland colleague RoseBuitenhuis offered a preview ofhis presentation. “For any numberof reasons, a biocontrol programmay fall on its back,” explainsBuitenhuis. “One of the mostimportant steps is to make surethe pest is identified properly sothat you’re applying the right bio-control product.”

Infiltrators, for example, arriveon propagative material.Whiteflies, thrips or leafminersmay be hiding in cuttings. Mosttomato propagators in Canada areconscientious in using slow-release sachets which containpredatory mites to eat the infiltra-tors. However, if any propagativematerial has been treated repeat-edly with a pesticide, then the

resident pests may be pesticide-resistant when they arrive at yourgreenhouse. In addition, residuescan adversely affect the beneficialspecies released to manage thepests.

“It’s a big hurdle to make bioswork on propagative material,”says Buitenhuis, “but a clean-startapproach can set you up for suc-cess through the rest of the grow-ing season.” Ideally, growerswork with the propagator inadvance on a bio program that isseamless from the originatinggreenhouse to the commercialgrowing greenhouse.

Intruders are less predictablein their invasions. Onion thrips,for example, can be managedwith bios, but when their numbersincrease, it may be more difficult.There are no good bios for Lygusbugs, so a spray is always neces-sary.

“Look for compatible sprays,”says Buitenhuis, “and then re-establish the bio program.”Know as much as possible aboutthe specific insect and researchwhether any new biologicals areregistered in North America. If ahot spot of infestation is identi-fied within the greenhouse, askworkers to enter that location atthe end of their shift so theinsects won’t be carried onclothes to reinfest another area.Where possible, choose plantgenetics that are tolerant of pests.Use bios preventatively ratherthan curatively.

Banker plants can work verywell in some settings. For exam-ple, pots containing cereals carry-

ing cereal aphid may be inter-spersed in greenhouse rows; thecereal aphid serves as a host/foodfor parasitic wasps. Parasitoidsare continuously produced on thebanker plants and move in to thecrop to parasitize pest aphids.

When all else fails, pesticidesare employed. Choosing the rightpesticide is made easier by con-sulting a Side Effects Manual.These manuals outline how toxica pesticide is to biocontrol agentsand the duration (persistence) ofeffect. With this knowledge, thegrower can choose the most com-patible approach. Even if thereare incompatibility concerns,ways can be found to integratepesticide with bios. For example,a grower may decide to spotspray areas where the highestinfestations exist, re-introducingbios when pest populations have

been reduced and residues are nolonger high enough to affect thebiocontrol agent.

In the presentation that RoseBuitenhuis gives at the CanadianGreenhouse Conference, she’ll betalking about the quality assur-ance of biocontrol agents. Qualitychecks on biocontrol products arevital but rarely performed. Newstandardized procedures makethis task easier and less time-consuming.

“Travel and storage are veryhard on living organisms,” saysBuitenhuis. “Once they arrive,you should check that they are ingood condition.”

A quality assurance guide isavailable from the Vineland web-site to help communicate with thecompany. It’s not enough to say,“I think they’re dead.”

Proper pest identification iskey to choosing a beneficialpredator. There are many aphidspecies, so the choice of biocon-trol must match the aphid. Howyou introduce beneficials into thegreenhouse is also important.Predatory mites, for example,can’t walk very far so don’t placethem where they have to bridgegaps in the rows.

Invaders are a threat that maybe sporadic or not here yet.When first detected in Ontariogreenhouses, Duponcheliafovealis was considered a quaran-tine pest by the Canadian FoodInspection Agency. While fond ofornamentals, this moth also has ataste for peppers. Fortunately, ithas not been widely found inCanada and is now considered an‘economic’ rather than a quaran-tine pest.

But other exotic invaders areout there, including the Mexicanpepper weevil, Anthonomuseugenii which has been found insome vegetable greenhouses andfortunately can be controlled.Tuta absoluta is a devastatingpest of tomatoes that has shownup in greenhouses throughout theworld. In Canada, researchers arepreparing for its potential arrival.

“We’re thinking about how to‘future-proof’ the industry forpests such as this,” saysBuitenhuis. “Knowing how theinsect has been managed else-where allows us to identify arange of solutions to any incur-sions and to develop a strategicseries of responses should thepest make it into North America.”

THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2015 –– PAGE 15

FOCUS: GREENHOUSE INNOVATION

When biocontrol doesn’t work, how to deal with infiltrators,intruders or invaders

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A number of produce clientsare currently using WaudWare’sProduce Inventory ControlSystem (PICS) software whichhandles all the day-to-day inventory and traceability controls of fresh fruit and

vegetable businesses. DuringJuly, the company based inBrampton, Ontario introducedPICS in a Box.

“PICS in a Box is a pre-configured Windows 2008-32 Bitvirtual server image with all of

our software pre-installed,” saysF. Charles Waud, presidentWaudWare Inc. If your hardwareis old and needs to be replaced oryou need to update your operating system (i.e. Microsoftrecently discontinued support forWindows XP and 2003 Server),you are comfortable with virtualserver technology, and want acost-effective alternative, we canhelp.”

The benefits of the PICS in aBox is that it’s easier and fasterto implement since a full installand initial configuration of all thesoftware is not needed. Thelabour cost of PICS in a Box isless than to install Windows,Windows updates and WaudWaresoftware. This new program canbe installed in your office or hosted in the cloud.

Orangeline Farms installed theoriginal PICs at their Leamington,Ontario greenhouse in March2015. Duffy Kniaziew and hisbrother Jordan, are now reapingthe rewards of this inventory control system after almost onepepper-growing season.

“There’s no question that anew system turns everythingupside down and gets you outsideof your comfort zone,” saysDuffy Kniaziew. “However, wenow have comprehensive reportson everything from production topacking, packaging to sales.”

Produce inventory controlallows the user to compare bulkproduct with product that hasbeen enhanced with value-addedpackaging. Comparisons can bemade between different sales todifferent customers.

“As the greenhouse industry

matures, we are seeking points ofdifferentiation,” says Kniaziew.“This program helps to sharpenour focus.”

Orangeline Farms is happywith the PICs solution for theirgroup of companies and supportprovided for start-up.

THE GROWER

PAGE 16 –– OCTOBER 2015

FOCUS: GREENHOUSE INNOVATION

WaudWare introduces PICS in a BoxAnalysis of inventory sharpens sales

Duffy Kniaziew (top right) inspects peppers at Orangeline Farms,a boutique grower of specialty greenhouse products marketedunder the Zing! Healthy Foods brand. The family-owned businessoperates year-round in Leamington, Ontario. Photos by GlennLowson.

Duffy Kniaziew

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THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2015 –– PAGE 17

FOCUS: GREENHOUSE INNOVATION

Growers are racing to automate for efficiency of scaleKAREN DAVIDSON

Despite greenhouse cucumberprices drifting 30 per cent lower

than last year, that reality is notdousing the enthusiasm of LouisChibante. The owner of GoldenAcre Farms will be showcasinghis 21-acre, highly automatedfacility at Kingsville, Ontario to

the Canadian GreenhouseConference tour this month.

“As much as price is a prob-lem, it’s a bigger problem ifyou’re not efficient,” saysChibante. “You will spend moreif your greenhouse is not efficientincluding labour.”

In this highly competitiveNorth American environment,Chibante has bet big on automa-tion and new technology, specifi-cally high-wire growing systems,high-pressure sodium lighting androbotic packers.

The high-wire system reaches60 to 70 feet high creating a fruit-ing wall that harvests sunlightmore efficiently. Two crops areproduced per year rather than fourfrom the 10-foot growing system,saving the costs of turn-aroundprocedures.

“This system is more labour-intensive but the quality of theend product is better,” saysChibante. “The fruit is 100 percent picture perfect compared tothe curved cucumbers, size differences and berry ends fromthe conventional system.”

A very high percentage of perfect fruit is what’s needed forthe robotic packers to work efficiently at the end of the line.Installed in January 2015, therobotic packers are a big step forward in efficiency. Do theyreally work as well in a cucumbergreenhouse as they do for cars?

“They remove the hard labourand back stress for our workers,”explains Chibante. “They aremore efficient in that we needfive to 10 fewer people on thepacking line. That’s not to say wedon’t have workers to removeodd sizes and unsuitable cucumbers from the line.”

A robot can pick up 12 cucumbers at a time and loadthem into a crate which then goesto a trolley and conveyor.Another robot puts the crate intoa box for shipping. The boxes are

automatically wrapped, completewith bar code indicating the originating greenhouse row, picker and date of harvest.

This equipment comes fromHolland, but as Chibanteexplains, businesses are globaland are monitored by computer.“This is no different than me running my farm by phone orcommunicating through email.Solving problems is about thinking outside the box, howthings can be done more efficiently and working with engineers to make it come true.”

Chibante plans to expand hisKingsville business by 15 acres in2016. Convincing banks to investis tricky, he admits, but it takes avision for the future.

“If you prove yourself over

and over, the banks will back youup,” says Chibante. “The trick isto manage those ideas to make aprofit, even in bad markets. Whenyou’re the best of the worst, thatgives the bank confidence youwill survive the bump.”

What keeps Chibante awake atnight is the cost of energy inOntario. North American hydroprices, on average, are at $.06 perkilowat whereas Ontario’s price isat $0.15. He’s hoping that wagerates will increase in the UnitedStates and Mexico so that overallinput costs are more competitive.

“As much as Canada is a greatcountry to be in, I just hope wecan keep jobs here and grow inCanada before every other business moves to the U.S. orMexico,” he concludes.

Top: Louis Chibante. Golden Acre Farms.Bottom: Robotic packers at work.

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PAGE 18 –– OCTOBER 2015

THE GROWER

SEAN WESTERVELD

Many specialty crop growersrely on importing propagationmaterials because of a lack oflocal propagators or seed suppliers. In addition, many cultivars of traditional crops mayonly be available outside ofCanada. Importing seeds andplants for propagation carries alot of risks. The plant materialcould carry insects and diseasesthat are not currently present inOntario. Importing diseased material could put the entireOntario industry permanently atrisk. These diseases could then

spread to other crops as well. Inaddition, new plant species couldbe invasive in Ontario anddestroy native habitats oncereleased here.

Canada’s importing rules arein place to protect the importer,the industry and the environment.It is very important for anyoneinterested in importing seeds orother plant parts to understandand follow the rules for importingbefore proceeding.

There are two main federalActs that often apply to theimporting of plant materials: TheSeeds Act and the PlantProtection Act. These two Actsare administered by the Canadian

Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).Depending on the country of origin, the amount of seeds youare importing, and the history ofimporting from that country, documentation that may berequired includes an ImportPermit, a PhytosanitaryCertificate from the country oforigin, a Declaration Form, and aCertificate of Analysis.

While Import Permits are notrequired for many commoditiesoriginating in the United States(see links at the end of this articlefor exceptions), CFIA advisesthat an Import Permit be obtainedfor shipments originating fromanywhere else. The Seeds Act

and Regulations may still apply tocommodities originating in theUnited States. If a Pest RiskAssessment is required, whichusually applies to cases where theplant material has never beenimported from a certain countrybefore, it can take several monthsor longer. CFIA will need todetermine if there are any dis-eases or pests that are found inthat country that could threatenthe industry in Canada before permitting import. Growersshould plan ahead if they are facing this situation.

There is often confusion onwhat rules apply to small seedlots. Small amounts of seed maybe exempt from the Seeds Actand Regulations, depending onthe commodity. However, thePlant Protection Act still appliesin most cases, which includes theneed for Import Permits andPhytosanitary Certificates.Always check with CFIA beforeimporting any seeds or plantmaterials.

The Invasive Species Act alsoapplies in some situations, andimport of potential invasivespecies will likely not be permitted for commercial production. Additionally, some

plants including ginseng mayrequire a CITES (Convention onInternational Trade ofEndangered Species) permit toimport or export. Other federalActs and Regulations may alsoapply to certain commodities.

More information on theimporting rules is available in thefollowing articles on the CFIAwebsite:• The ABCs of Seed Importationinto Canada• Plant Protection PolicyDirectives• Propagative plant material andother commodities that require animport permit if originating fromthe Continental United States

To determine the specificrequirements of a certain commodity, you can use theAutomated Import ReferenceSystem (AIRS):

Online direct links to thesearticles can be found athttp://wp.me/p1BL3s-Ge.

Sean Westerveld is OMAFRA’sginseng and medicinal herb specialist.

Sourcing seeds internationally – considerations and resources

Leah Erickson (BC/AB)604-957-2359

Marc AndréLaberge (QC)514-984-4589

Jim Robinson (ON/MB)905-715-8595

Paul Banks (ON/NS)905-688-4300

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No-till pumpkins: plan now for 2016

ELAINE RODDY

There is an increasing level ofinterest in growing no-till pumpkins in Ontario. There aremany benefits to adopting thisproduction system (see sidebar).However, it does require a littleforward planning and adjustmentsalong the way.

The most successful no-tillsystem for pumpkins seems to beplanting the pumpkins into adense rye mulch. The ground isworked level in the fall and thenplanted to winter rye. Accordingto Anne Verhallen, a soil management specialist withOMAFRA, the planting ratesshould be increased in order toget a good rye cover. The ratewill depend on the method ofplanting:• drilled: 90 lbs/acre,• broadcast with a shallow incorporation: 99 lbs/acre,• surface broadcast: 108 lbs/acre.

Maintain good control of anyfall germinating annuals or perennials, as these weeds maybe difficult to manage in-season.

In the spring, prior to planting,the rye mulch is killed and subsequently mowed or rolled, to provide a level seed bed. The

pumpkins can be either direct-seeded with a no-tillplanter, or transplanted throughthe rye mulch.

There are several considerations to growing in ano-till system. No-till soils maywarm up later in the spring,resulting in a slightly later planting date or slower earlygrowth, depending on the season.However, as pumpkins are a relatively short season crop, thisshould not affect overall yields,provided the crop is planted intosuitable conditions.

The dense rye mat may tie upsoil nitrogen early in the season,resulting in temporary yellowingand slower growth. An additional15-20 lbs of actual nitrogenapplied prior to planting will helpto overcome this problem.

As with any production system, it takes a few years andsome trial and error to figure outall of the ins and outs and how tomake the best use of existing ornew equipment. But many growers have been very happywith the results when switchingto a no-till system

Elaine Roddy is OMAFRA’s vegetable crops specialist.

Advantages to no-till pumpkin production

The dense rye mulch provides good weed suppression. It can also be used in combination with pre-emergence herbicides to improve overall weed control.

The mulch also provides a nice barrier between the fruit and the soil surface, resulting in cleaner, higherquality fruit. In a wet harvest season, the labour savings on washing pumpkins are significant.

The mulch reduces soil moisture loss early in the season while the plants are becoming established in thefield. This is helpful when the weather turns dry after planting, especially on coarse, sandy soils.No-till pumpkins help to improve soil quality by reducing wind and water erosion and adding valuableorganic matter back into the soil.

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OCTOBER 2015 –– PAGE 19

THE GROWER

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THE GROWER

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THE GROWER

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THE GROWER

PAGE 22 –– OCTOBER 2015

By the time you are readingthis, the first Global Minor Usepriority setting meeting will behistory. It is a momentous eventin that more than 30 countrieswill have submitted their pestcontrol needs to an internationalpanel, and will have participatedin a cooperative, democratic andselfless manner to achieve a suiteof new projects leading to registrations for use around theglobe, and corresponding residuelimits to facilitate trade in thosetreated commodities as well.

And ‘they’ said it couldn’t bedone!

In fact, when the CanadianMinor Use program began in avery small way back in 1995,‘they’ thought there would bebloodshed as we met to set priorities. I even remember thehesitant knock on the door of ourboardroom in the Lord SimcoeHotel in Ottawa. “Are you okayin there? How is it going?”

When we responded that thework was virtually complete,there was a palpable sigh ofrelief. What had been forgottenfor the moment was the greatpropensity of growers to modify,adapt, overcome, and reach agood position. The group, entrusted that day with building aconsensus of priorities fromalmost no input, had managed toset 25 priorities for registration ofnew uses for currently registeredpest control products, and 25more possibilities for the new‘User Requested Minor UseRegistration’ program of never-yet registered actives in Canada.There was virtually no financialwherewithal to rely on to initiatethe work, but at least we had

determined what we all agreedwas needed to be done.

Lists have a life of their own.In the case of this initial list,every single pest managementneed eventually got work done,and a registration established. Thework was taken up by willinghands in the federal and provincial governments, by university researchers, and by private researchers and those supported by registrants. Oncegrowers had agreed on the list, itbecame a work in progress.

When the Pest ManagementCentre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada became establishedin 2002, the priority setting meetings took on new life onceagain. When real financialresources were put into place,there was once again the need forpriorities to be front and center tojustify what needed to be donefirst. I still recall the angst ofsenior managers, who were againworried about bringing growerstogether for the process. Theyactually worried about ‘strongdisagreements’- so much so thatthey hired a ‘bouncer’ to lurkaround the meeting hall for ‘justin case.’ Of course, that nevertranspired. The room was allabout getting the job done, beingfair to all, and ensuring the mostimportant projects got selected.The term selfless was coined forjust such a situation. The bouncerwas totally underwhelmed, andnever had anything to do to justify his stipend! He was neverasked for again.

When the Canadian and theU.S. IR-4 Minor Use Programsgot together shortly thereafter andproposed to work on as manyjoint projects as possible, thestage was set for ultimately takingthe show to the internationalstage. Once we figured out howto cooperate in managing and getting the work done between us,the next step was obvious. Whatdrove us were two distinct butrelated issues.

Even though our growers wereaccessing new uses at as fast apace as our budgets could copewith, new problems and newpests continued to arise- the jobwas never getting close to being‘done.’ On top of this, our very

success created new problemsthat threatened our ability to givegrowers usable tools.

Canada and the U.S. wereahead of the curve in registeringuses for new active ingredients,and new uses on existing regis-tered compounds. However, therest of the world lagged behind,and in some cases (Europe) waslosing more old registrations(and/or old actives) than therewere new registrations to fill thevoids. As fortunate as we were byhaving strong effective MinorUse Programs, we created ahave/have not situation. On top ofthis, the discrepancy betweencountries in terms of maximumresidue limits to support all theseuses began to grow at an alarmingrate. In a nutshell, our programsbecame victims of their own success.

Growers who have exportdependent crops had to either notuse pest management products,even after all the work to registerthem, and risk crop quality orquantity, or use them and not beable to sell beyond the country’sborder. The backlog to get aCODEX residue limit is fouryears to just get a file started, andfor many two or more years to geta tolerance ‘done.’ If other countries (who are increasing innumber as CODEX continues tolag) begin to set their own independent (differing) tolerances, the maze of regulatorylevels hurts trade even more.Thus, our growers stand to losemuch of the advantage we havegained for them, unless a way outof the maze could be found.

Hence, the Global Minor UseApproach.

Now it would appear to havebeen simpler to just keep pushingthe rope called CODEX up hill,but that would have been lessthan gratifying! Furthermore, itcould have easily alienated growers in other countries whohave neither the pest managementtools to help them, nor a minoruse program to facilitate themgetting those tools. What could beeasier than to lend our expertise,find common and mutuallyagreed upon problems, and workglobally to resolve the problemswith solid data, common

registrations and common residuelimits?

That looks like a win-win-winto me!

At this point it would appear tobe conjecture as to the outcomes.We have received about 2,800pest management needs fromaround the world. This may soundlike a huge number but one mustput it into context. Canada alonehas close to 5,000 identified pri-orities including potential solu-tions on the books! What makesthe global lists stand out is thatmore than 30 nations participated!We intend to start small this firsttime out. We will benefit from theexpertise that is building aroundthe world. Our intent is to commission work on three selected projects- one each fromtemperate crops, tropical crops,and protected (greenhouse) crops.We will however, conduct trialson all the ‘representative crops’ inthe crop group from which thepest problem is identified. Theremay even be closely similar yetdifferent pest species worked onfor efficacy purposes in differentregions, but the pest control product will be the same, as willthe rates, timing and minimumdays to harvest so that the resultant residues are comparableand useful for setting a globalresidue limit. Representativecrops are those which by theirsize, texture, growth configura-tions, and growth habits can besurrogates for all the rest of thecrops in that group. Usually thereare two or three, but there can beas many as six of them. Thismeans some large sets of fieldplots arrayed around the globe.

Logistics will be enormous, butwe believe based on some pastwork that they can be achieved.

The final outcomes will bethree to four years away.Nonetheless, we set out on thisnew and exciting venture know-ing that growers around the globewill be better served, the public’ssafety will be ensured, higherquality and quantity of food supply will result, and growerswill have one less headache todeal with as they strive to produce the best food supply possible.

The actual result of the fewprojects selected off the floor atthis meeting will likely pale insignificance as compared to allthe new collaborations made possible by bringing togethergrowers, researchers, registrantsand regulators from around theworld. As has been our experience, many more ‘one-off’projects will be initiated. Datasharing from those who alreadyenjoy some registrations will befreely shared with others still inneed.

The lists will once again takeon a life of their own. Registrantswith new actives will porethrough them to find potential.Researchers will do the samebefore they initiate work toensure maximum benefit. And wecan modify and add to the liststhroughout the years to ensurecurrency of what remains on thelist.

Global understanding andcooperation such as this will go along way breaking down otherbarriers, but that is anotherstory…

CRAIG HUNTEROFVGA

MINOR USE

CRAIG’S COMMENTS

Global minor use comes into focus in Chicago

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Producers wanting to improvemanagement skills for their operation should register for theCanadian Total Excellence inAgricultural Management(CTEAM) course offered byAgri-Food ManagementExcellence (AME). Registrationis open until October 30, 2015. CTEAM is Canada’s only national farm management training program and the onlycourse in which participants usetheir own farm data to create astrategy and develop a planspecifically for their operation.Coaching is provided as participants implement their plan.

“CTEAM has changed me andmy farm operation forever. Myclassmates and the instructorsgave me more motivation anddrive than I ever thought possi-ble,” says CTEAM alumnusColin Brown of Dykeview Farmsin Nova Scotia. “This is a coursethat every farm operator, owneror manager should be enrolled in.Guaranteed success.”

The course is taught by world-renowned instructors infour modules held across Canada

over two years. The new CTEAM2015-2017 module dates andlocations are:

• Module 1 - November 30 –December 4, 2015, Abbotsford,BC• Module 2 – March 14-18, 2016,Calgary, AB• Module 3 – December 5-9,2016, Niagara Falls, ON• Module 4 – March 6-10, 2017,Ottawa, ON

The content CTEAM covers isoperation management, understanding finance on the participants’ farm, planning forsuccession, human resource management and risk manage-ment. CTEAM graduates canearn credit towards an MBA atthe University of Guelph andcontinue life-long learning asalumni.

“At CTEAM, we're inspiredby empowering people to realizetheir vision. The CTEAM program provides learningfocused on the participants andtheir farms allowing them tobecome top managers,” saysLarry Martin, principal at Agri-Food ManagementExcellence.

Participants are encouraged tocheck with their provincial or territorial Ministry of Agricultureas CTEAM can quality for up to75 per cent funding underGrowing Forward 2. Completedetails about the program can be found at www.agrifoodtraining.com.

Source: news release

THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2015 –– PAGE 23

BITS AND BITES

Donate to Brain Cancer Research Fund by December 31

For those who attend Canada’sOutdoor Farm Show, the memoryof founder Ginty Jocius is closeto the surface. After a lifetimededicated to agricultural marketing, he succumbed to braincancer in 2008.

While improved records oftreatment success are now normalfor many cancers, the outcomes

are poor for brain cancer victims.Only 25 per cent survive. Moreresearch is required to understandwhy the brain blood barrier prevents conventional cancerdrugs from entering the brain.

Lorie Jocius and family recently participated in an evocative YouTube video called“Brain cancer needs more brain

power.” It’s a stark reminder ofthe effects of this devastating disease which was diagnosed inalmost 3,000 Canadians last year.

His family is promoting theGinty Jocius Brain CancerResearch Fund. All donations goto the Canadian Cancer Societyfor impact research on brain

cancer and every donation beforeDecember 31, 2015 will bematched by Brain Canada.

“It is hard to get money out ofOttawa for research so we arepushing hard to raise $125,000which, when matched, will be$250,000 going towards braincancer research in our Canadian

medical labs,” says Lorie Jocius. In conjunction with the

Canadian Cancer Society, a website has been set up calledwww.GintyFund.org to help people get more information andto make online donations.

Sharpen managementskills in this C-TEAMcourse Register by October 30

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THE GROWER

PAGE 24 –– OCTOBER 2015

APPLIED GENOMICS

Fall in love with applesNATHALIE DREIFELDS

With fall around the corner, the appleseason is fast approaching. Combining traditional breeding techniques, geneticsand sensory science, a team at VinelandResearch and Innovation Centre (Vineland)is developing apple varieties enthusiastswill fall in love with.

As part of the research project, whichstarted in 2011 in partnership with theOntario Apple Growers, the Vineland teamhas been sequencing the DNA of 70 varieties of high quality apples fromVineland’s Apple Heritage Orchard andmodern commercial lines. “Based on ourapple sensory profile of attributes such astaste, texture and flavour, we are able tomap the human sensory perception andtaste experience for apples and identifygenetic markers for specific fruit qualityconsumers prefer,” said Dr. Daryl Somers,Vineland’s Research Director, AppliedGenomics. “These markers are used toaccelerate Vineland’s breeding program byfocusing on varieties that meet consumers’preferences.”

There are currently more than 4,000apple trees planted for evaluation atVineland’s research farm. These trees arethe progeny of crosses based on applequality and plant adaptation. An additional9,000 apple seedlings planted earlier, willbe budded onto root stock this month.They were selected, using DNA

fingerprinting, for sugar/acid balance, firmness and better storage potential. Thegoal of the project is to plant a total of25,000 trees for evaluation over the nextfew years.

In a consumer study, Vinelandresearchers also investigated consumerpreference using 20 of the most distinctapple varieties within the original pool of70. “We determined 89 per cent of consumers prefer fresh red apple flavourwhile 11 per cent of consumers are moreinterested in fresh green apple flavour,”said Dr. Amy Bowen, Research ProgramLeader, Consumer Insights.

Vineland’s Heritage Apple Orchard,

established in 1967, offers 100 uniqueapple varieties from the past (as early asthe 1500s) to the present originating fromNorth America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.The apple varieties show a strong level ofdiversity in characteristics, such as astringency, fruit size and flavour, perfect

for incorporating into a robust researchbreeding program.

Nathalie Dreifelds is communications andpublic relations advisor, VinelandResearch and Innovation Centre.

Daryl Somers, (L) Vineland’s research director for applied genomics, explainsprogress in breeding new apples with sensory characteristics that consumers willlove. CEO Jim Brandle (R) has long advocated for agronomic research to bebroadened to consumer preference research as a field-to-table strategy for introducing new fruits and vegetables. Photo courtesy of Trevor Eggleton,Canadian Horticultural Council.