KAREN DAVIDSON

Like bees, farmers have beenset on ‘vibrate’ this winter. Butit’s not to keep warm. Rather theyare intensely debating how best tosupport bee health and respond tothe Ontario government’s plan torestrict neonicotinoid-treatedseeds for corn and soybeans.While horticultural pesticides arecurrently not affected by this proposal, growers have reason tobe concerned by the policytrends.

The government’s “aspirational” objective is toreduce acres planted with neonicinsecticide-treated seed by 80 percent by 2017. Given 2014 acreagestatistics and farmers’ usage ofthese seeds, the legislation, ifenacted, would affect 3.6 millionacres.

Grain and oilseed farmerswould have to prove the existenceof soil-borne pests to have accessto treated seed and seek verifica-tion of their risk assessment bythird-party reviewers. The

Ontario government’s target is toreduce bee mortality to 15 percent by 2020. It plans to havenew rules in place by July 1,2015.

“This is one of the most frustrating issues of the daybecause the Ontario governmentis proposing to legislate the useof federally registered and regulated pesticides,” says BrianGilroy, second vice-chair of theCanadian Horticultural Counciland an apple grower nearMeaford, Ontario. “The PestManagement Regulatory Agencyis reviewing the neonicotinoidpesticide file as fast as it can andwill be reporting later this year.”

Gilroy is also a member of theNational Bee Health Roundtable,a broad stakeholder group thatwas formalized last fall under theauspices of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. With almost40 members, this group includeseveryone from Grain Growers ofCanada, the Canadian Seed TradeAssociation and CropLife Canadato Canadian Association ofProfessional Apiculturists,

Canadian Organic Growers andthe Canadian Honey Council.

As Gilroy points out, theroundtable’s go-forward strategyon bee health is nuanced andbroader than just neonicotinoids.Its first focus is varroa mites, asucking parasite of bees that candebilitate the entire colony overwinter. The target is a mite countbelow five per cent at all times,with less than one per cent mitesin the spring and fall. The secondfocus is pesticides, both insideand outside the hive.

“We recognize that bee healthis an important component to thegrowth of other commodities,”says Rod Scarlett, co-chair of theroundtable and executive directorof the Canadian Honey Council.He points out there are twoindustries to consider. One is

honey production and the other ispollination services. About 40 percent of bee colonies in Canadaare used for pollination. In fact,pollination services are growingwith cranberry and blueberry pro-duction expanding on both east-ern and western coasts, he says.

Members of the roundtablehave concluded that bee health iscomplex with many variablessuch as bee nutrition, hive management, viruses, disease andgenetics. They reason that reducing pesticides as a solutionto bee mortality is not a holisticapproach.

“With so many variablesinvolved, we look to the PestManagement Regulatory Agency(PMRA) to guide us through thescience,” says Scarlett. “We needa neutral party.”

All parties in the debate aboutbee health cite their science. Butthe science is not static. ThePMRA reported late last fall thatOntario bee mortality incidents in2014 were 70 per cent lower thanin 2013 and that three beekeepersaccounted for a majority of thereported incidents.

Part of the roundtable’s rolehas been to urge further research.One project underway is a nation-al bee census that does not relyon self-reporting.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

FEBRUARY 2015 CELEBRATING 136 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION VOLUME 65 NUMBER 02

Bee health and neonicotinoids – a smoking gun?Ontario’s government thinks so, but several national organizations disagree

INSIDE2015 winner of the Award of Merit is . . .

Page 4

Focus: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention B section

www.thegrower.org

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Bees are crucial to the Canadian horticultural industry as they pollinate a multitude of crops, everything from cranberries to cucurbits. Here, a bee hunkers down into anapple blossom at The Big R Apple Farm near Brampton, Ontario. Photo by David Bianchi.

Half Your Plate program launches toconsumers

In mid-January, the CanadianProduce Marketing Association andits partners launched Half YourPlate, a new healthy eating initia-tive, across Canada. Half YourPlate empowers Canadians of allages to eat more fruits and veggiesto improve their health while pro-viding simple and practical ways toadd a variety of produce to everymeal and snack. After a successfullaunch on social media last summer, Half Your Plate is nowmaking its way onto produce packaging and into retail storesacross Canada.

“Rather than having peoplecount servings or worry about serving size, our messaging is thatat every meal, make half your platefruit and vegetables. By the end ofthe day, you’ll have your recommended number of servings,”said Ron Lemaire, president,

CPMA. “That also translates whenyou’re at the grocery store. Halfyour cart should be fruit and veggies, and having retailers pro-mote the campaign re-emphasizesthe importance of making healthierchoices at the store.”

Although Canadians are becoming more conscious of whatthey eat, studies show that the aver-age person only consumes 3.5-4.5servings of fruits and vegetablesevery day. Yet Canada’s FoodGuide recommends that adults getseven to 10 servings per day,depending on gender. Half YourPlate encourages people to take itone meal at a time, analyzing themake-up of their plate rather thanspecific servings that can be confusing to many.

The Half Your Plate campaignwas developed in collaborationwith health partners the CanadianCancer Society, the CanadianPublic Health Association, and theHeart and Stroke Foundation.

OPMA lobbies forPACA-like trust

On January 8, the OntarioProduce Marketing Association(OPMA) met with the federal min-ister of finance, Hon. Joe Oliver, tolobby for a deemed trust, similar tothe PACA trust currently in placein the United States. OPMA chairSteve Bamford, OPMA presidentIan MacKenzie and Luc Mougeot,Dispute Resolution Corporationbriefed the minister on the meritsof the Perishable AgriculturalCommodities Act (PACA).

This meeting reinforces effortswith a number of MPs onParliament Hill last November.

Once again, they emphasized theneed for financial protection in theevent buyers become insolvent orbankrupt.

The key elements of the indus-try’s proposal are:1. Sellers maintain an ownershipinterest in their products until paid.A deemed trust is established at thetime of sale.2. The deemed trust is composed ofthe product, plus any cash oraccounts receivable stemming fromthe sale of that product. 3. The funds contained in the trustare applied to unpaid produce sell-ers where the buyer is insolvent orbankrupt.

While government would createthe legal mechanisms for industry,a limited statutory deemed trust forthe fresh fruit and vegetable sectorwould require no government fund-ing or need for any governmentadministration.

As an added benefit, establish-ing a deemed statutory trust wouldpotentially prompt the U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA)to reinstate Canada’s preferentialaccess to their dispute resolutionsystem for produce suppliers underPACA which was revoked onOctober 1, 2014.

Register for CPMAby Feb 20

This 90th edition of theCanadian Produce MarketingAssociation Convention and TradeShow will be held in Montrealfrom April 15-17. The deadline forearly bird registration and almost$200 savings is February 20. Goto: www.convention.cpma.ca/register.

NEWSMAKERS

THE GROWER

AT PRESS TIME…

PAGE 2 –– FEBRUARY 2015

The Ontario Fruit and VegetableGrower’s Association has a newchair of the board of directors.Carrot and onion grower, JasonVerkaik, Carron Farms, Bradford,Ontario was elected at the recent156th annual general meeting.Joining him are three newly elected directors: Kenny Forth(fresh vegetables); Neil Reimer(asparagus) and Bill George Jr.(grapes). Returning directors areNorm Charbonneau (small fruitsand berries); Charles Stevens(apples); Ken Van Torre (ginseng); Don Taylor and JanVanderHout (greenhouse); Mac James (potatoes); John Thwaites(tender fruit).

The Chemtura Golden Apple Award was presented to LeslieHuffman, OMAFRA’s apple specialist who is retiring at the end ofFebruary. Based out of Harrow, Ontario, she has made significantcontributions to the industry as it has transformed to high-densityplantings. (see page A4 for more details).

The OFVGA Industry Award ofMerit was presented to Art Smith,former CEO of the organization forhis decades of service to both theGrape Growers of Ontario and theOFVGA. (see page A4 for moredetails)

Right: Ray Duc (L), outgoingchair of the OFVGA, presents theAward of Merit to Art Smith.

Ian MacKenzie, president of the Ontario Produce MarketingAssociation, has announced plans to retire December 31, 2015. Hehas been with the association since 1994, leaving briefly in 1998 tobecome general manager of the Ontario Apple MarketingCommission, but returning in 2002. A search committee has beenstruck.

Food and Beverage Ontario (FBO) has a new executive director inNorm Beal. Most recently, he’s been the president of FBO’s boardof directors. He’s also the owner-operator of Peninsula Ridge EstatesWinery in Beamsville and a long-standing board member of theWine Council of Ontario. Steve Peters leaves the organization toconsult in the private sector. In other changes, Isobel Dopta is promoted to the role of chief operating officer.

Margaret Appleby, IPM system specialist, based in Brighton,Ontario will be retiring end of May. She grew apples with her fatherfor 23 years before joining OMAFRA in 1992.

Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario elected its 2015 roster of directors. Two new directors are Mark Wales and John Hambly.The board is completed by: Tom Miedema (chair); Mark Srokosz,Henk Droogendyk, Don Almas, Ken Collins, Domenic Riga,Mary Shabatura and Charles Welsh.

Peter Quiring, president and owner of Nature Fresh Farms, based inLeamington, Ontario, plans to build a new 175-acre greenhousefacility in Delta, west of Toledo, Ohio. He cited local infrastructureas a key factor as well as proximity to North Star Bluescope Steel totake advantage of waste heat and CO2.

Paola Guarnieri, former director of marketing and communicationsfor the Ontario Produce Marketing Association, has been appointedto a three-year term on the board of directors for the Ontario FoodTerminal.

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ErrorThanks to Beamsville, Ontario treefruit grower Torrie Warner for pointing out the error on page 21 ofthe January issue. The first photo inthe “Identify these flowers” quiz wasincorrectly identified. The correctanswer is nectarines.

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE 3

THE GROWER

COVER STORY

Bee health and neonicotinoids

NETHERLANDS

Global companynow branding itsseed varieties

De Ruiter Seeds has abandoned its policy of releasingnumbered varieties. Anyone outside the close circle of thegreenhouse industry would notknow that DR9544TH is a beefsteak tomato.

In 2015, several new varietiesare to be introduced according toNico van Vliet. Expect a middlevine-, cocktail, plum- and beefsteak variety in the tomatocategory. In peppers, look for anew red and a new yellow variety as well as a new cucumber variety.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

INTERNATIONAL

CHINA

Costco posts earlysuccess

Costco has launched an onlinepresence on Alibaba’s Tmall inChina, experimenting with a low-risk model of entry to morethan one billion consumers. Todate, the grocer has no physicalstores in the country. It posted$6.4 million in sales in its firstmonth of imported food andhealthcare products in October2014. During China’s SinglesDay shopping event inNovember, it posted $3.5 million.

With online operations in theU.S., U.K., Canada and Mexico,Costco is testing new models fordelivery. For example, it’s partnered with Google Express tooffer same-day delivery in theU.S.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

NETHERLANDS

Greenhouse industry in peril

Russia’s embargo ofEuropean fruits and vegetableshas injured an already weakenedgreenhouse industry. AMcKinsey & Company reportwarns that half of the Dutchgreenhouse growers are unableto pay their bills, with another 15per cent struggling to reinvest.

Production from Spain andMorocco is increasing about twoto six per cent per year, whileconsumption is increasing onlyone to two per cent per year inmajor markets.

Structurally, about 15European buyers purchase 84 percent of the produce in a highlycompetitive market.

The industry is now debatingwhether it can better coordinatemarket intelligence, brand Dutchproduce and increase transparen-cy on price and volume.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

GERMANY

Peeler nominated forFruit Logistica top

Fruit Logistica, the world’stop trade fair in horticulture getsunderway this month in Berlin.One of the 10 top nominees forinnovation is German companyHepro founded by mechanicalengineers Siegfried Hennemeierand Christoph Protte. They areknown as peeling technologyspecialists, having made theirname with an asparagus peeler.

A universal peeling machinefor long vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, white radishes and salsify is now up forconsideration as 2015 innovationof the year.

UNITED STATES

Cranberry industrybleeding red ink

The U.S. Department ofAgriculture is buying 68 millionpounds of cranberries – abouteight per cent of the 2014 crop –at a cost of $55 million to softenthe impact of an abundant harvest.

That’s welcome news forWisconsin where more than 60per cent of the U.S. cranberrycrop is harvested. Other statessuch as Massachusetts, Oregon,New Jersey and Washington mayhave trouble competing due tolack of modernization, size andtechnology.

Wisconsin’s cranberry growers added to the glut in 2013with more than 6 million barrelsdespite carryover inventory. The2014 forecast is for state production to dip to 5.4 millionbarrels.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Research from the following stud-ies, all funded by the OntarioMinistry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs, is expected to con-tribute to deeper understanding. • The effects of sub-lethal neonicotinoid exposure on brainstate and behavior of honey beeworkers• The interaction of clothiandinwith Varroa destructor anddeformed wing virus and theireffect on the health of brood andadult honeybees• Sub-lethal effects of neonicoti-noids on queen fertility and dronesperm viability

Anticipating the results fromsuch seminal research, the agri-cultural industry – grain andoilseed growers, seed companies, manufacturers – feels that theOntario government is rushing tolegislation before its own scienceis complete. At the national level,the PMRA’s website says thereare outstanding questions and is“reviewing the emerging body ofscientific and monitoring data toassess whether risks to pollinators

from neonicotinoids at the levelsanticipated to be present in theCanadian environment continueto be acceptable.”

The Canadian Seed TradeAssociation (CSTA) supports thismethodical approach. Two yearsbefore legislation was contemplated, the seed companies

realized there was unintendeddust becoming air-borne fromvacuum-style planters. “In lessthan a calendar year, the industryreplaced talc powder with a wax-based lubricant on the seed,”explains David Baute, CSTApresident. This product reducesthe amount of active ingredient

released in treated seed dust dur-ing planting by 65 per cent.

In 2015, he says there will be abroad offering by all seed companies of both insecticide-treated and fungicide-only cornand soybean seeds. In addition,deflector kits will be widelyavailable for farmers to aim anypotential dust to the ground.

These non-regulatory steps aremore in keeping with how theagricultural industry has alwaysworked together. Best manage-ment practices for farmers as wellas beekeepers could go a longway to reversing the spike in beemortalities that was recorded in2012. Despite this industry collaboration, the provincial government is determined to legislate.

It’s a burdensome proposalthat worries commercial beekeeper Hugh Simpson, OspreyBluffs Honey Company,Feversham, Ontario. Laws sometimes have unintendedconsequences. If corn and

soybean growers can no longeruse neonic-treated seeds to prevent pest damage, they willsuffer yield losses.

“When a tool breaks, farmerstend to invent a solution,” saysSimpson. “Those growers mayresort to growing more corn andsoybeans to make up the yield difference. More monoculture isnot good. More foliar treatmentsin soybeans are worse for theenvironment.”

“Not enough scientific workhas been done to see what theeffect of reduced neonicotinoidshas on bee health,” Simpson continues. “I’m sure that neonicsare harmful to bees and that adirect relationship exists if thebee comes in contact with theright dosage. But is it reasonableto name neonics as the cause ofhuge bee mortality statistics inOntario when there are so manyother factors that play an important role. I advocate for anindustry-led, bee health strategythat involves commercial stakeholders who have bee healthas their objective and are willingto collaborate and compromise togo forward.”

PAGE 4 –– FEBRUARY 2015THE GROWER

OFVGA AGM HIGHLIGHTS

The recently retired CEO ofthe Ontario Fruit and VegetableGrowers’ Association (OFVGA)was recognized for his long-standing commitment and contri-butions to the industry.

Art Smith, who led the organi-zation from 2003 until mid-2014,was presented with the IndustryAward of Merit at the OFVGAannual banquet January 13.

“Art has been a tireless advo-cate on behalf of Ontario’s fruitand vegetable growers fordecades, first as a grower andboard member, and then as asenior staff member of severalhorticultural organizations,” saysOFVGA chair Ray Duc. “It is anhonour for me to present thisaward to such a deserving indi-vidual who has been responsiblefor supporting and enabling somany of our industry’s success-es.”

Smith was born and raised ona tender fruit farm in the NiagaraRegion that has been in the Smith

family for more than 100 years;his niece Jennifer, who runs thefarm today with her father andson, is the 10th generation.

After graduating from theUniversity of Guelph in 1973, hereturned to the home farm beforestarting his own grape vineyardon the bench of the NiagaraEscarpment.

He was a member, director andeventually chair of the GrapeGrowers of Ontario (GGO), aswell as holding the position ofexecutive director prior to joiningthe OFVGA. During his time asGGO chair, Smith played a keyrole in the development of theGrape and Wine AdjustmentProgram, which helped the grapeand wine industry become com-petitive in the global market placefollowing the introduction of theNorth American Free TradeAgreement.

As CEO of the OFVGA, Smithmoved the organization to astrong financial position, and in

2005, led implementation of apolicy that saw the OFVGA paymembership dues for all of itsmember organizations to theCanadian Horticultural Council.This has helped create a strongervoice for horticulture at thenational level.

In recent years, the OFVGAcreated a research and promotionfund that has returned more than$1 million in container tolls to theOFVGA member organizations.Smith was also instrumental inheading lobby efforts that haveled to ad-hoc payments of morethan $200 million to fruit andvegetable growers from succes-sive Ontario governments overthe last decade, including theSelf-Directed Risk Management(SDRM) program.

The Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers’ Associationis the voice of Ontario’s fruit,vegetable, and greenhouse farmers on issues affecting theedible horticulture sector.

Former OFVGA CEO Art Smith wins Industry Award of Merit

Leslie Huffman is the 2014recipient of the Chemtura GoldenApple Award. Huffman is theapple specialist with the OntarioMinistry of Agriculture, Food and

Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). Theaward was presented at the annualbanquet of the Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers Association inNiagara Falls on January 13.

“Throughout her career, Lesliehas shown extraordinary commitment and dedication to theadvancement of Ontario’s appleindustry and to supporting

growers whenever they haveneeded her,” says CharlesStevens, chair of the OntarioApple Growers (OAG). “She’sinvolved in many different facetsof our industry and has played akey role in many education andresearch initiatives.”

Huffman grew up on a mixedfarm near Harrow, Ontario andgraduated from the University ofGuelph with a degree in horticultural science. She joinedOMAFRA in 1981 as fruit andvegetable extension horticultural-ist for Kent and Essex counties,and became the ministry’s weedmanagement specialist for horticultural crops in 1996, whereshe helped oversee the registration of approximately 60herbicides for fruit crops. She’sbeen the provincial apple specialist since 2008.

Huffman is co-editor of HortMatters and editor of the OntarioOrchard Network Newsletter, andis active on many industry committees, including theInternational Fruit TreeAssociation (IFTA) research committee and working closelywith counterparts and experts in

Michigan and New York State.She has helped co-ordinate andco-chair the apple program at theOntario Fruit and VegetableConvention for many years, andhas been instrumental in establishing and running theannual Sweet and Craft CiderCompetitions at the convention.

“Leslie has worked very closely with staff and board of theOntario Apple Growers over theyears, including helping to planand lead our annual summerorchard tours and working on various research initiatives as partof the OAG research committee,”adds Stevens. “She’s also activewith grower groups in her areaand in the local community.”

Leslie and her husband DougBalsillie operate a fruit farm nearHarrow with their four daughters.

The Chemtura Golden AppleAward is presented annually to arecipient who has made outstanding contributions to theOntario apple industry. TheOntario Apple Growers representsthe province’s commercial applefarmers. Visit www.onapples.com.

Ontario apple specialist receives Golden Apple Award

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Art Smith, former CEO of the Ontario Fruit and VegetableGrowers’ Association, is pictured here with the former Ontarioagriculture minister Ted McMeekin. Photo by Denis Cahill.

The Chemtura Golden Apple award is presented by CathyMcKay (L) and Charles Stevens (R) to Ontario apple specialistLeslie Huffman. Photo by Herb Sherwood.

THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE 5

SAFETY NETS

Mark Wales, safety nets chair for theOntario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’Association, reminds farmers that theAgriStability program is not mandatory forenrolment in the Self-Directed RiskManagement (SDRM) program for 2015.For details see below.

Risk Management Program update

OMAFRA is removing AgriStability as arequirement for SDRM starting with the2015 program year. Commodity groupsrequested the requirement be removed sofarmers from both the Risk ManagementProgram (RMP) and SDRM have moreflexibility in choosing options that bestmeet their needs.

What’s changed?• Starting in 2015, SDRM customers canchoose if they want AgriStability coverage.

As it is no longer an eligibility require-ment, producers will need to consider whatprograms best suit the needs of their farm.

SDRM payments are not offset againstproduction insurance claims. For moredetails about how the program works, visitwww.agricorp.com. $100 million in annual funding continues to be availablefor the RMP and SDRM programs.

Different Business Risk Managementprograms cover different risks

The National Agricultural PolicyAgreement, Growing Forward 2, offersfarmers a comprehensive suite of programsto protect against severe market volatilityand disasters. The programs under the

Growing Forward 2 agreement are in placeuntil 2018.

The Ontario government has comple-mented this suite of programs with theaddition of the RMP and SDRM program.Together, they work like insurance to helpOntario producers offset losses caused bylow commodity prices and rising production costs.

• Participation in all programs ensures youhave maximized coverage for your farm.Different programs cover different risks,giving you comprehensive protection.

How AgriStability can help• AgriStability is an important part of acomprehensive suite of programs.AgriStability protects you from largedeclines in your farming income caused byproduction loss, increased costs or marketconditions.

AgriStability gives you:• Whole farm protection. AgriStabilityprovides coverage for severe margindeclines for some commodities and perilsthat are not covered under ProductionInsurance. You receive a payment if yournet farming income falls below 70 per centof your farm’s recent income.

• Affordable coverage. For a low fee, youprotect your farm against production losses, adverse market conditions andincreased costs. The annual AgriStabilityfee is 0.45 per cent of your fee referencemargin, multiplied by the 70 per cent coverage level. This works out to be $315

for every $100,000 of reference margin.• Unique coverage. Your payment is basedon your farm’s current and historicalincome directly related to your farm’s production.

• Payments in times of financial distress.You can apply to receive an advance onyour estimated AgriStability payment tohelp with cash flow.

• Access to other program and creditoptions. AgriStability may make you eligible for other programs like theAdvance Payment Program and can giveyou access to other credit options.

• Continuous record keeping. Your business information is easier to maintainif you are filing on an annual basis.

Producers have until April 30, 2015 topay their AgriStability fee without penalty,submit a new participation form or canceltheir coverage. Agricorp will sendAgriStability information to existing customers in the winter of 2015.

Ontario farmers have option to join AgriStability in 2015

All sectors of the agricultural/horticultur-al industry, including players at all levelsfrom inputs to farm production to pur-chasing and processing, are benefitingfrom a specially tailored-for-ag trainingseminar in negotiation (alternate disputeresolution) and collaboration.

Tony Hogervorst, a vegetable growernear Watford, Ontario attended thistraining some years ago as a representa-tive for vegetable growers for process-ing. “It has made a world of differencefor me as a negotiator on behalf of oth-ers, and in my own operation,” saysHogervorst, who markets his own pro-duce to wholesale, retail, and especiallyto processing, in Ontario, and the U.S.,and has imported from the U.S. andMexico.

Hogervorst felt so strongly about thebenefits of this training that he formed a business called WESTPHALIAN WAY,and has purchased the course threetimes so far, to make it available to any-one from seed to shelf in the Agri-Foodindustry. The instructor is a world classtrainer, working with a highly recog-nized law firm in Toronto that special-izes in Alternate Dispute Resolution.

To this point, participants have includedseed salesmen, a veterinarian, green-house growers, fruit and vegetablegrowers, growers of cash crop destinedfor seed, feed, food, fuel and fibre, anddirectors and staff from grower groupsand marketing boards (Grain Farmersand Dairy Farmers of Ontario).

Participants from beyond the farm gateinclude representation from grain eleva-tors, processing plants, a major co-op, and farm structures. This broadmix of participants makes for interesting discussion and collaborative learning.

“I am not suggesting that this training isnecessary or justified for everyone. Itcomes with a hefty price tag, but theentrepreneurs, salespeople, and grower representatives who can really get theirmoney’s worth by taking this kind ofcourse know who they are. They are inpositions where they can make theirown difference in what they do, in whatthey sell, and in how they sell it.”

“This is not about learning how to digyour heels in deeper,” says Hogervorst,“It’s about understanding what mattersto the other party and what can make apositive difference to the business rela-tionship.” Participants will learn to takethe time to understand the perspectiveand reasoning of the other side, to keepthe conversation going, to search forvalue where it could not be seen before,how to get the best deal, and how toclose the deal. As well, very importantpreparation skills, and positioning skillsare practiced and critiqued. Each partic-ipant walks away with new skills of highpayback potential. To this point, partic-ipants have rated the course materialand the trainer very highly.

The next course is scheduled for March30 to April 1, and will be held at theElmhurst Inn at Ingersoll, Ontario, at

Hwys 401 and 19. If interested, TonyHogervorst, or Joanne, can be contactedat 519-670-0891, or 519-849-6573.

Details and registration can be accessedat www.effective-agri-food-negotiation.eventbrite.ca .

Program Protects against

AgriStability Large margin declines

AgriInvest Small margin declines

Production Insurance Yield reduction and crop loss

RMP Livestock and G&O Adverse market conditions

SDRM Losses or expenses

A year ago, a severe ice storm coatedthis blueberry acreage at WilmotOrchards. Photo courtesy of CharlesStevens.

Chair ’s reportOFVGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

THE GROWER

PAGE 6 –– FEBRUARY 2015

I am still waiting for MotherNature to give us a perfect grow-ing season. This growing seasonwas delayed by a cold winter andcool wet spring. Bud break onperennial crops was delayed by acouple weeks and seeding andplanting of annual crops waspushed back because of cool soilsand excessive rains. The coldwinter had an effect on perennialcrops. The grape crop wasreduced by 40 per cent and tenderfruit was severely damaged inmany areas of the province.Maybe next year she will deliverthe elusive perfect season.

Political environment

The Liberal government led byKathleen Wynne won a strongmandate from the people ofOntario. We moved from aLiberal minority to a Liberalmajority. The Premier completedher term as our agriculture minister and handed the reigns toJeff Leal, the MPP fromPeterborough. Minister Leal hasmade himself accessible. We havemet with him and conveyed ourissues and opportunities forhorticulture in Ontario.

The minimum wage increasedin 2014 to $11.00 an hour. It isestimated this increase cost horticulture in Ontario $30 million. We are currently doingan impact study on this increaseto measure the effect on horticulture. Along with thisincrease, a simple formula forfuture increases was implement-ed. Every year going forward theminimum wage will increase bythe Consumer Price Index (CPI),something we lobbied for. We didnot support the politically drivenincrease to $11.00 but were supportive of the new methodology going forward.Adding CPI increases to the

minimum wage annually is predictable and bankable andmost importantly takes out thethreat of radical increases drivenby political agendas.

In an effort to increase theeffectiveness of our lobby effortswe have hired Maple LeafStrategies. This lobby firm hasstrong connections to insiders atQueen’s Park and has a goodsense of the pulse of government.Maple Leaf Strategies has alreadyopened many doors for us and hasaligned our lobby strategy withthe direction the governmentwants to go. This is a newapproach for the OFVGA and todate we have been satisfied withthe results. We will continue tomonitor and assess to make surewe are getting value for your dollars.

Pollinator health

The health of pollinators rapidly became a major issue forthe hort industry in Ontario. Thenumbers vary from study tostudy, but the numbers show amajor spike in bee mortality overthe winter of 2013-2014.Acceptable mortality rates of 15per cent have been surpassedrepeatedly in recent years. Thecause of these spikes is what is inquestion. Environmentalists andsome professional beekeeperassociations have placed responsibility on neonicotinoids.Although there are many perilsthe colonies are subjected to, government has taken aim atneonics. In November the government announced that theyhave set a goal to reduce neonic-treated corn and soybeanacres by 80 per cent. Stakeholderand public consultations tookplace in December. We were present at many of these meetings.

The OFVGA joined a coalitionof commodity groups called FarmAction Now (FAN). This coalition was formed to ensuredecisions made by governmentthat affect agriculture in Ontarioare based on sound science notemotion. Farm and Food Care ishandling media relations on thisvery sensitive issue. The outcomeof this issue will have a majoreffect on agriculture in Ontario,where five million acres of cornand soybean are planted annually.The many stakeholders involvedin this issue are very polarizedand it has unfortunately pitted

farmer against farmer. Our great-est concern on this issue remainsthe health of pollinators inOntario as bees are needed to pollinate more than 120 differentfruit and vegetable crops grownin Ontario.

Alternative funding

We continue to explore a fairermechanism to fund the OFVGA.Currently, some edible hort sectors are paying a higher percentage than others measuredagainst farm gate sales with somesectors paying nothing. Whilethere is a wide range in financialsupport from many sectors to theOFVGA, all hort producers bene-fit from our efforts. PremierWynne directed the FarmProducts Marketing Commissionto set up a committee to workwith us on a solution. Our currentproposal would see hort produc-ers paying a percentage of theirAllowable Net Sales. Progress onthis file has been difficult aschange is never easy. If change isgoing to happen it will take thesupport of all our commoditymembers. We must keep in mindthat we have a stable fundingmechanism, though dated and notconsidered fair but that hasproven to be a reliable source offunding for your organization.Any change that is made mustleave us with a stable system thatwill provide future boards themoney they need to continue thework of the OFVGA.

Programs

The student nutrition programscontinue to grow. The purpose ofthese programs is to promoteawareness of fruit and vegetablesamong students in Ontario.Overall benefits from this pro-gram will be to promote healthyeating and to change consumptionpatterns. Funding from theprovincial government has steadi-ly increased for these programs;currently we are receiving $1.1

million per school year to delivera healthy snack to 36,000 studentsin 191 schools. The logistics ofmenu planning, procurement anddistribution is not simple; a thankyou and job well done to AlisonRobertson for establishing theOFVGA as a leader in local foodprocurement and distribution.

A spinoff of this initiative isthe Fresh from the Farm fundrais-ing program. In many schoolswhere chocolate bars were sold asfundraisers, fruit and vegetableboxes are now sold to generatefunds.

Other initiatives we are cur-rently supporting are the NewWorld Crops trials at Vinelandand a two-year Wildlife CropPredation study headed up bySusan Fitzgerald and HughFrasier.

Finances

The financial position of theOFVGA remains strong. Overallgrowth in the horticultural sectoris offsetting the continuedincrease in the use of ReusablePlastic Containers (RPCs). Wewill continue to monitor theeffects of RPCs on our funding,but at this time it appears theywill not be a threat to our fundingmechanism. From the financialyear ending October 2014, wewill be returning $300,000 to ourcommodity members in the formof a research and marketing program. The surplus of revenueover expenses will be distributedbased on financial contributionsmade by commodities to theOFVGA.

Acknowledgements

We are fortunate to have oneof the best staff in the industry. Iwould like to thank all of themfor the work they do on behalf ofall edible hort growers in Ontario.Our staff is a dedicated team thatis results-oriented. Thank you toDeanna Hutton, AlisonRobertson, Craig Hunter, Lilian

Schaer, Carlie Robertson, DougWilkinson, Herb Sherwood andKaren Davidson.

This year also brought changeat the OFVGA. June 30th markedthe end of Art Smith’s 11 years asCEO. The search for a newExecutive Vice President beganshortly after last year’s conven-tion. Thank you Ken Forth, JasonVerkaik and Don Taylor for thetime spent with me on the hiringcommittee and delivering a successful outcome.

After many hours of readingresumes and a lengthy interviewprocess, it was decided to recom-mend to the Board of Directorsthat we hire John Kelly. John fitall the criteria we were lookingfor to take the OFVGA to thenext level. With John, transitioncame easily; he had alreadyworked with many of our stakeholders and had alreadydeveloped many contacts inGovernment. Thank you to Johnfor making this transition easierthan I had anticipated.

With last year’s conventioncame a new board of directors.New to the board was CharlesStevens, who joined returningdirectors Jason Verkaik (ViceChair), Mac James, Ken VanTorre, Norm Charbonneau, DonTaylor, Jan Vanderhout, JohnThwaites, Mary Shabatura andJason Ryder. Thank you to eachand every one of you for yourtime and dedication; each of youbrings a unique perspective to thetable.

I have always felt the strengthof the OFVGA comes from thesection chairs. The knowledgeand experience of these chairscannot be bought. It comes frommany years of focusing on onearea of a complex industry. Thankyou to Ken Forth (Labour),Charles Stevens (CropProtection), Brian Gilroy(Property), Harold Schooley(Research) and Mark Wales(Safety Nets).

I must also acknowledgeAdrian Huisman for his work asour representative at the CanadianHorticultural Council. Adrian hasbeen integral in stabilizing thefinances and streamlining thestructure of our national partner.

Finally, thank you to my fami-ly and staff for their support andunderstanding while I spent timewith this organization.

It has truly been an honour toserve as your chair in 2014.

STAFFPublisher: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ AssociationEditor: Karen Davidson, 416-557-6413, kdavidson@ecomente.caProduction: Carlie Robertson, ext. 221, production@thegrower.orgAdvertising: Herb Sherwood, 519-380-0118, advertising@thegrower.orgThe 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:

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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 2013

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEEChair Jason Verkaik, BradfordVice-Chair TBAFruit Director TBAVeg Director TBADirector TBA

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

RAY DUCCHAIR, OFVGA

THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE 7

More than ever, the challengeto the freedom of expression is onthe minds of everyone, followingthe Charlie Hebdo tragedy inFrance. Extremist activities touchall aspects of society, includingagriculture.

In agriculture, the challengesare less overt than guns blazingand people dying. Violence is nota focal point, thankfully. But themessages from agriculture’s ene-mies, those who want some farm-ers out of business, are the same:I am right, and you are wrong.

My approach is right, so youshould change yours. And I bullyyou until you do.

I see bullying frequentlyonline, with people married toextreme views. Social media hasempowered them, giving themeasily accessible platforms torelentlessly spout off their opin-ions.

Some are punks. Others arewhite-collar activists who claimthey have a right to express theiropinions, too.

And sure, they do. But what is their intent: to

share their opinion and stimulatediscussion, or to shut down conventional agriculture? In manycases, I say it’s the latter.

Some of them are working themedia, trying to sway thoughtthat way. Others are putting pressure on government offices,trying to bring bureaucrats andelected officials onside.

Their intentions are not honourable. They mean to limitsome farmers’ freedom, thosewho produce food conventionallywith crop protection products, orthose who engage in animal

agriculture. And they’ll keepchipping away.

To me, if someone is threaten-ing your livelihood, in an organized, methodic way, theyare trying to make you a victim.Maybe they don’t have a loadedgun, but through their work theyare trying to destroy you andwhat you are doing, legally,admirably, every day, to feedpeople – even people like them.

It’s vital not to be intimidatedby bullies, e-trolls and others whohave their own self-interests atheart. Admittedly, it’s risky, andit can expose you to some harshcriticism or worse, as the CharlieHebdo tragedy shows.

I don’t know many journalistswho haven’t been subject to somekind of intimidation -- economic,physical or psychological -- fortaking a position. Charlie Hebdofanned the flames and pushed thelimits when it came to criticizingextremism. But there’s a hugedifference between criticism, andinciting hate and violence.

All this really hit home to mewhen I was asked, on behalf ofthe International Federation of

Agricultural Journalists, to writean institutional response to theCharlie Hebdo murders. I saidfreedom of expression throughthe media is fundamental todemocracy. That freedom is shaken by the murderous attacks,which remind us of how democracy is under constantthreat in our world today, in war-torn nations and peaceful soci-eties alike.

Freedom is also compromisedwhen activists advance their causes through scurrilous activities, intimidation and bullying. In agriculture, they want

to limit consumers’ freedom ofchoice when it comes to food. Isay that’s not their right.

I’m a big proponent of farmersspeaking out, of advocacy and ofstanding up to activists.

It’s encouraging that DonMcCabe, recently elected presi-dent of the Ontario Federation ofAgriculture, said in his 2015 out-look address in January that thefederation’s advocacy role hasnever been more important. Butit’s not just Don, or the federationproper, who needs to stand up forfarmers. Everyone needs to dotheir part.

No one in agriculture is anisland. The restrictive laws thatactivists want for modern agricul-ture will make farming as hardfor organic growers as it is forconventional growers.

We all have some CharlieHebdo in us, and we need toexercise it – say what’s wrongwhen oppression threatens ourdemocratic rights, be unwilling toaccept extremism in whateverform, and stand up for the kind offree world in which we want tolive.

Charlie Hebdo reminds us freedom is under attack

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PAGE 8 –– FEBRUARY 2015

THE GROWER

When beef cattle graze pastureand hay lands, it’s good for theenvironment. Perennial pasturesbuild soil organic matter, are lesssusceptible to erosion, havealmost no nutrient runoff, andthey create some habitat for birdsand beneficial insects such asbees and butterflies, thus increasing biodiversity.

Hay used to be Ontario’slargest crop. In 1978, hay andpasture represented 35 per cent ofOntario’s farmland. By 2011, hayand pasture were just three percent of the farm landscape.

This change has had a measurable impact on the socio-economics of rural Ontario.It is also affecting ground-nestingbirds, small mammals and thebirds that feed on them, pollinating insects, and the landitself. During those 33 years, poorcattle returns have driven a 24 percent reduction in beef cattle num-bers and increased specializationin cash crops and vegetable production. The changing cropmix has had a dramatic effect oncrop rotation cycles while themore intensive management ofhay and pasture lands (such ascutting clover before it flowers)has removed a once-abundantseasonal food supply for pollinators.

Hay is grown as a perennial

crop for three to four years beforeit requires tillage and re-seeding.But as farms have moved to specialized field or vegetable cropproduction systems, hay is nolonger part of the crop rotationsystem. This response to economic forces is having manyunintended consequences on soilhealth, including increases in soilerosion and nutrient runoff issues.

Over the last number of years,vegetable growers have also specialized in fewer crops toremain competitive and supplytheir markets. Intensive production systems have led tothe adoption of short-term croprotations with low biodiversity.Short-term crop rotations havenegative effects on soil fertility,can increase pest levels, and cancompromise the long-term sustainability of soil.

Cover crops and crop rotationsare important parts of tomato,cucumber, potato, snap beans andcantaloupe production systems,and must be factored into landplanning considerations. Covercrops and crop rotations areimportant to reduce weed pres-sure, prevent nutrient leachingduring the non-growing season,minimize soil erosion by waterand wind and improve soilmicroorganism activity. The rightcover crop choice can also helpreduce fertilizer costs in

subsequent years.At the recent South West

Regional Agricultural Conference(SWAC) in Ridgetown, producerswere reminded that, under mostconditions, corn, soy and wheatmake a complementary crop rotation system, giving the bestoverall yields while maintainingsoil structure. It was also suggested that adding red cloveras a cover crop after wheat helpsimprove the overall yield of cornand build soil structure. Manyproducers are also exploringcover crops to improve organicmatter, store nutrients, and reduceerosion.

But many producers are shortcycling these rotations with continuous corn or soy in anattempt to specialize even further,with potentially negative consequences for the environment.

Larger field sizes have made iteasier for water to pick up speedas it makes its way down slopes,which increases the potential forsoil erosion and nutrient loss.Roundup-Ready crops have integrated well with no-till production, but no-till doesn’talways provide enough surfacecoverage to stop water movementon slopes. And without grasswaterways, the system is stillallowing too much phosphorusand soil to erode.

There is no doubt that farmingoperations have changed inresponse to economic forces overthe last 25 years. In many ways,farms are becoming more successful as agronomy and marketing skills focus attentionon better, healthier crops usingfewer resources and less energythan ever before.

The evolution in crop type usein Ontario has been dramatic inresponse to these changing economic forces, and there is nogoing back to the old days. Butwe do need to think about oursystems as they evolve. There aremeasurable negative consequences as we shift agricultural land use practices,and we must take care to minimize the negative as we maximize the positive.

As farmers, we always strivefor improved economic performance from our farms, butwe must also be very careful to

nurture the soil. It takes a longtime to rebuild what is lost andyou may never regain what is lostby poor management choices.

Bruce Kelly is environmental program manager for Farm &Food Care.

How changing economics are negativelyimpacting soil health

Feb 3-4 The Greenbelt Fund Local Food Symposium, Queen’s Landing, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

Feb 3 – 6 8th North American Strawberry Symposium, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ventura, CA

Feb 4-6 Fruit Logistica, Berlin, Germany

Feb 5 New Brunswick Potato Conference & Trade Show, E. & P. Sénéchal Centre, Grand Falls, NB

Feb 11 Potato Selection Release Open House, Fredericton Potato Research Centre, Fredericton, NB

Feb 17 Ontario Berry Growers’ Association Annual General Meeting, Embassy Suites, Niagara Falls, ON

Feb 18 - 19 Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention, ScotiaBank Centre, Niagara Falls, ON

Feb 19 Ontario Fresh Grape Growers’ Marketing Board Annual General Meeting, ScotiaBank Centre, Room 206, Niagara Falls, ON

Feb 21-25 International Tree Fruit Association 58th Annual Conference, Halifax, NS (Honeycrisp Intensive Workshop, Feb 21)

Feb 24 Growing Fruitful Networks, Amy’s Restaurant, Strathroy, ON

Feb 24-25 Canadian Federation of Agriculture Annual General Meeting, Delta Ottawa City Centre, Ottawa, ON

Feb 26 Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS) Annual General Meeting, Delhi, ON

Feb 28 Eco Farm Day, Ramada Inn, Cornwall, ON

Feb 27 27th Annual Cuvee Grand Tasting, Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls, ON

Feb 27-28 Organic Alberta Annual Conference, Beaumont, AB

March 3 Ontario Asparagus Grower Information Day, Belgian Hall, Delhi, ON

March 5 Ontario Potato Conference, Delta Hotel, Guelph, ON

Mar 10 – 12 93rd Canadian Horticultural Council Annual General Meeting, Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City, QC

Mar 23 – 25 Minor Use Priority Setting Meeting, Gatineau, QC

Mar 24 6th Annual Ontario Hazelnut symposium, Best Western Hotel, Brantford, ON

March 27 Les Producteurs de Pommes de Terre, Quebec City, QC

April 8-9 64th Annual Muck Vegetable Growers’ Conference and Trade Show, Bradford Community Centre, Bradford, ON

Apr 15 – 17 Canadian Produce Marketing Association Annual Convention & Trade Show, Palais des congres de Montreal, Montreal, QC

June 1-7 Ontario Local Food Week

COMING EVENTS 2015

THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE 9

RETAIL NAVIGATOR

Effective communication with category managers

When developing and growingrelationships with category managers, communication is avery important piece to the puzzle. You need to ensure theirperception of you and your business is as accurate and positive as possible. This monthwe will discuss some strategies tomake the most out of the timeyou get and how to find a fewextra opportunities as you gothrough the year.

The first thing you need toaccept is that every category manager is different. You mighthave a preferred method of communication but to be effective, you need to understandtheir preferred method. You candetermine this a number of ways;you can ask them, ask other suppliers who work with them,

try different methods and trackthe success. Regardless of howyou do it, the first thing you needto do is decide which is the bestmethod of communicating. It isvery possible that a categorymanager at one retailer prefers thephone and the person in the samerole across the street prefersemail. To be effective you needto communicate with each ofthem differently.

In todays world there are manyoptions, perhaps too many!

Certainly email is a greatmethod because you are almostcertain they get it and you have arecord if you need it. My onlycaution about email is that you donot over use it. A quick email isgreat but when you consider theperson on the other end has 150vendors all sending ‘a quickemail’ it does add up. They alsoget considerable internal andindustry correspondence. Myexperience lately, as the volumeof emails continues to increase, isthat if it disappears from thescreen it can be gone for a longtime.

The phone is very importantand is probably most effective forshorter time line issues or if thereis a conversation required. Theymight not always be the conversation you want to have,but they need to happen. I haveexperienced a few emails back

and forth with a category manager and you just know it isgoing in the wrong direction. Youneed to pick up the phone andtalk. Even if you leave a messagethe perception of you calling isthat you need to get to the bottomof a situation as opposed to backand forth on email. If you doleave a message, note that in theemail response. You can slide itin: “the answer to your questionis…and I just left you a messageif you want to discuss it more.”

Short time line issues such asinventory for ads, food safety ornegotiation can be more effectiveon the phone. You need to talk tothem to ensure the issue is beingaddressed. I understand you donot want to call to tell them youwill be short but it is better theyknow and you take your lumps upfront. Delaying the inevitable justmakes it worse. They might nottell you in the heat of themoment, but they do appreciateyou taking the initiative and dealing with a problem. A foodsafety issue always needs to beaddressed as quickly as possibleso you need to talk to a person.

It is interesting to me to seesuppliers and retailers textingback and forth. It is true this isthe most immediate form of communication and if you can getthe relationship to the pointwhere you can text back and forth

that is a win. I would not assumeon this one, you might want toask the question, can I send you atext? If the answer is yes that is apositive opening and you nowhave a more effective form ofcommunication. Ten years agoemail was relatively quick andmany prided themselves by having an empty in box, now thetext is the immediate form ofcommunication.

Using the mail can be effectiveto stand out from the crowd. Thiscan be a great tool to send information or other relationship-building pieces. I still remember amail campaign from Gatorade toindustry people that they execut-ed many years ago. Throughoutthe year they sent a package topeople in the industry prior toseveral key sports events throughthe year. There was something forSuper Bowl, golf balls prior tothe Masters etc. You might nothave that in your budget but awell thought out direct mail campaign with three to fourpieces can be very effective tobuild the relationship.

One of the biggest frustrationswhen communicating with retailers is the response or lackthereof. You have to rate thecommunication you send and geta response where needed becauseyou will not get it from everything you send. Be sensitive to

the amount they receive and thetime they have to respond. Get ananswer when you need it butdon’t pester them if you are simply providing information orbeing proactive for somethingwith a deadline two weeks away.You will be able to gauge therelationship you have with theresponse you get.

If you don’t get much, youhave work to do. Perhaps themethod you are using is not theright one. You should also try different times through the day.Some category managers are inthe office early and work onemail prior to nine o’clock whenall the meetings start; others worklate after the kids go to bed. Findthe patterns that are most effec-tive. Another consideration is thetone of your communication.Some category managers prefer avery pointed conversation; otherswant to talk sports, movies orfamily. Use some trial and errorto find the most effective methods for each one.

The face-to-face time you getwith your category managers isvery important. Next month wewill review how to make the mostof it. If you have found effectivemethods of communicating withretailers it would be great to hearabout them. You can send themto me at pchapman@gpsbus-ienss.ca.

Target strikes out in Canada

After a brief salvo intoCanada, Target announced onJanuary 15 that they will closetheir operations in Canada.Honestly, it blows my mind thatthey made the mistakes they didand that they could not get themfixed. There were three issuesthat caused their demise.

1) InventoryOne of the basics of retail thatTarget knows very well in theU.S is that you need to have whatyour customer is looking for onthe shelf. There are choices outthere and when you don’t have

the products the consumers stopcoming in. People will not wastetheir time going into stores wherethe products they expect are outof stock.

2) Price imageThe items they did manage to getto the stores were not priced com-petitively in the categories. Eitherthey were sourcing items that costtoo much relative to the similaritem at other stores or they werenot price checking and reactingproperly. Likely it was a combination of both. Regardless,the value just was not there. The

best reason to visit Target U.S.was great value on interestingthings. It never happened inCanada.

3) Shopping environmentThey tried but the stores werenever exciting. Seasonal displaysdid not have the treasure huntfinds that Costco uses as a drawand what they did have cost toomuch. The signage changed forseasons but the entrance to thestore was very static and therewas nothing to get the consumerexcited about shopping. Walmartand Loblaw get stuff in your cart

before you are even thinkingabout shopping. You had to seekit out in Target.

Three strikes and they are out.It is unfortunate for consumersand suppliers. Good competitionhelps and now the mass channelwill be dominated by Walmart. Ifind it interesting to ask: WouldTarget give Walmart the marketof California? The population is38 million which is not that muchbigger than Canada. With thethreat of Target gone, Walmartwill really generate more salesand traffic in Canada and theywill not be challenged by the

current players.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. pchapman@gpsbusiness.ca.

PETER CHAPMAN

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THE GROWER

PAGE 10 –– FEBRUARY 2015

OFVGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Executive vice-president report

JOHN KELLY

Introduction

The Ontario Fruit and VegetableGrowers’ Association is a significant contributor to its members’ interests. Wework on issues and challenges that growersface that can have large impacts on profitability and sustainability. These canrange from government regulations, industry support, social responsibility andeconomic viability.

The OFVGA was very pleased to showoff its new look, supported by a new logo,website and ancillary materials. A lot ofeffort back and forth with the Board hasresulted in a fresh, new branding for theOFVGA, which has been very favourablyreceived. Check out www.ofvga.org for thenew look.

Government of Ontario

The year has seen numerous issues real-ly start to impact the sector. One of thekey developments this year was the elec-tion of a majority government for theProvince of Ontario. A key challenge forthis government is that the lion’s share ofelected politicians in power comes fromurban jurisdictions, with little or no knowledge of the agricultural sector, andcertainly less knowledge of those in theedible horticulture business.

The Premier of Ontario, KathleenWynne, for the first time published hermandate letters to each of the Ministrieswithin the provincial government. TheOFVGA sees this as a positive step,because it informs stakeholders of thedirection of the government, and doesallow for industry to react to each of theMinistry’s priorities. These mandateletters have had a substantial impact on

the activities of the OFVGA.2014 saw the re-amalgamation of the

Ministries of Agriculture and Food and theMinistry of Rural Affairs. The Minister ofAgriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is JeffLeal, Member of Provincial Parliamentfrom Peterborough. Minister Leal has beenquite visible in the agriculture and horticulture sector, notably spending timeat the Breakfast on the Farm event organized by Farm & Food Care and heldat Wilmot Orchards near Newcastle.Minister Leal faces a significant challengein cabinet, with many of his colleagues notunderstanding the rural dynamic.

This government has many policies andproposals that will impact how horticultureproducers go about their daily business.

An immediate impact is felt with theincrease in minimum wage, from $10.25 to$11.00 per hour. While the impact on thetarget for this legislation may be positive(that being the low income earner living insignificantly urban centres), there is a corresponding negative impact on the ability of our growers to compete due toreductions in annual net return.

Similarly, the government of Ontariohas a position to develop a provinciallybased pension plan. The OntarioRetirement Pension Plan (ORPP) has anAssociate Minister (Mitzie Hunter) dedicated to the implementation of thisscheme. The details of this program havenot yet been released, but the suggestionout there is that this will be a matchingplan, with employees and employers eachcontributing 1.9 per cent of the gross earn-ings into the plan. There is no contributionto this plan from the government, but therecould be significant administrative costsassociated with the development of aprovincial-only based plan.

The government of Ontario alsochanged the Ministry of the Environmentto the Ministry of the Environment andClimate Change (MOECC) under MinisterGlen Murray. This is significant in that thegovernment will be placing added emphasis on those activities and processesthat will contribute to climate change.Water management will continue to be astrong focus of the MOECC, and with therecent algal bloom and subsequent negativeimpact on drinking water in the Toledo,Ohio area, all potential sources of pollu-tants will be under intense scrutiny.

In November, the MOECC andOMAFRA jointly released a paper entitled“Pollinator Health: A Proposal forEnhancing Pollinator Health and Reducingthe Use of Neonicotinoid Pesticides inOntario.” While the preliminary targets forthis paper for the use of neonics are thegrains and oilseeds farmers, neonics arecertainly a tool that many in the horticultural sector use in an IntegratedPest Management (IPM) strategy. Thispaper has galvanized the industry to form acoalition called FarmActionNow. Thiscoalition includes Grain Farmers ofOntario, Seed Corn Growers, Ontario Pork,Ontario Bean Producers, Ontario CanolaGrowers and the OFVGA. Its purpose is todraw attention to key issues and to ensurethat growers have a strong voice in policydecisions, with a focus on science-basedregulation. Farm & Food Care has alsobeen asked to provide communicationssupport. More information on this can befound in the Crop Protection Report.

The use of Reusable Plastic Containers

(RPCs) was challenged this year through astudy conducted by Dr. Keith Warriner atthe University of Guelph (which was corroborated in an independent study fromthe University of California) indicating thepresence of bacterial contamination on“clean” containers. The OFVGA will continue to follow this work, and clearlysupports the position that provision of safefruits and vegetables is a key mandate.

Canadian Horticultural Council

The OFVGA continues to pay membership fees to the CHC on behalf ofall members who remit container fees. Thisis a significant amount of money, and theOFVGA is a key funder of the nationalorganization.

As a result of the leadership providedby the CHC Oversight Committee and thecooperation and support of the staff and theBoard of Directors, the CHC’s financialposition has become more solid. CHC feeswere increased by 17 per cent two yearsago in order to address a chronic under-funding challenge. This year, the increasein CHC fees (3%) was more in line withinflation.

One of the recommendations from theOversight Committee was the sale of itsoffice building and relocation to a moresuitable office condo in Ottawa. The moveto the new location is expected in lateJanuary. As a result, the organization hasbeen put in a much more favourable financial position. The Budget Committeecontinues to provide financial direction tothe Board.

A key issue culminated in October withthe withdrawal of preferred status underthe Perishable Agricultural CommoditiesAct (PACA) for Canadian produce marketers who sell into the United States.This has brought new focus to fruits andvegetables federally. The federal govern-ment is being strongly encouraged toimplement a PACA-like trust in responseto the U. S. The CHC, OFVGA andCanadian Produce Marketing Associationencourage members to speak directly totheir MPs on this issue.

The OFVGA is well represented at theCHC level. Adrian Huisman and BrianGilroy are the two representatives fromOntario serving on the CHC Board ofDirectors. Adrian Huisman chairs theBudget Committee. Ontario is well represented at the Standing Committeelevel as well. Charles Stevens chairs CropPlant Protection and Environment, BrianGilroy chairs the Apple Committee, PhilTregunno chairs the Tender FruitCommittee, Ken Forth chairs the Trade and

Marketing Committee, Mark Wales chairsthe Finance and Marketing Committee andMurray Porteous chairs the HumanResources Committee with Ken Forth asvice chair.

Permits to Take Water

This program is in its sixth year, andover the years has helped many farmerswith their efforts to obtain water-takingpermits. This program is self-funded withGeorge Shearer being the key deliverer ofthis service on behalf of the OFVGA.Working closely with engineers, both welland surface water permits are requiredthrough the Ministry of the Environmentand Climate Change when more than50,000 liters per day are taken. In 2014, 39projects were conducted providing benefitto OFVGA members. We expect that thiswill remain a revenue-neutral cost centrewithin the OFVGA and that the servicesfor these activities will be done on a cost-recovery basis. We encourage members of the OFVGA to contact Georgefor assistance with their permitting requirements.

Northern School Program

The OFVGA and the Ministry of Healthand Long Term Care (MOHLTC) enteredinto a partnership several years ago tointroduce fresh fruits and vegetables tocommunities in Northern Ontario. Whenthe program began, it involved 32 schoolsin the Porcupine region of northernOntario, serving 5,835 students. Since then,the program has blossomed to more than191 schools in the Porcupine, Algoma andGreater Sudbury regions with the commu-nities of Fort Albany, Kashechewan,Peawanuk, Moosonee, and Attawapiskatsuccessfully included in the program. Nowwith more than 35,000 students, and if youextend this to their families, more than100,000 people in the north benefit fromthis program. This program provides amarket for Ontario-grown fruits and vegetables, creating a demand in communities for improved selection, variety, and availability of produce. Theco-ordination by the OFVGA has meanttremendous cost savings in terms of purchasing and distribution. This is a Win-Win-Win for the residents of thenorth, the OFVGA and the government ofOntario. Coordinated by AlisonRobertson, it results in very good relationships with our stakeholders: government, agriculture, distribution andconsumers.CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

Photos by Glenn Lowson

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FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE 11

Executive vice-president report OFVGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Fresh from the Farm

The OFVGA supports the Fresh fromthe Farm Healthy Fundraising for OntarioSchools project. The basis of this fundraiser is to sell fresh Ontario vegetables and fruit to the community toraise funds for the schools. In this pilotprogram, 19 school boards from Algoma toWindsor-Essex, participated in this collaborative initiative between the OntarioMinistry of Education, the OntarioMinistry of Agriculture, Food and RuralAffairs, the Ontario Fruit and VegetableGrowers’ Association, and Dietitians ofCanada. Other school boards are encouraged to enroll (see www.freshfromfarm.ca/home.aspx for more information). Thisyear, 165,000 pounds of root vegetablesand apples were sold to school communities.

Labour

The labour file has been dominated bythe minimum wage debate, which was settled this past year. The government ofOntario raised the minimum wage from$10.25 to $11.00 per hour, representing a7.3 per cent increase. The government hascommitted that any future increases in min-imum wage will be tied to the ConsumerPrice Index (CPI). This will allow for somepredictability and consistency over thecoming years. Early on, there was somediscussion of a unique agricultural minimum wage, however this is not goingto happen. Instead, the government wantsto speak to the OFVGA about how to keepthe sector competitive and what it can doto assist.

The province of Ontario has alsoannounced the creation of the OntarioRetirement Pension Plan (ORPP). TheORPP is intended to provide a predictablesource of retirement income for those mostat risk of under-saving, particularly middle-income earners without workplacepensions. The details of this pension planhave not been released.

OFVGA has been working hard to sustain the Seasonal Agricultural WorkersProgram (SAWP) which has been runningfor 49 years. This program is a model program for others, as it is run by industryfor industry at reasonable cost. Throughour support of the Foreign AgriculturalResource Management Services (FARMS),Ontario growers have access to a sustainable work force. A key change forOntario growers this year is that all positions must be advertised online throughService Canada and that there are specifictimelines and requirements to be met.Other areas in Canada have had thisrequirement for several years.

Crop Protection

The crop protection sector has beendominated by the pollinator/neonicotinoidissue. The Ministry of the Environmentand Climate Change, along with theOntario Ministry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs have issued an aspirationalgoal of an 80 per cent reduction in theacreage of corn and soybeans using thisproduct as a seed treatment. This is inresponse to a purported reduction in thenumber of bees within the province ofOntario. This is a very contentious issue,with the decisions not being based on all ofthe available science, but rather using theprecautionary principle using limited science. It is very important that membersof the OFVGA have their voices heard onthis matter and they are encouraged tospeak to their local MPP. Other issuesbeing handled by the OFVGA and theCHC include harmonization of requirements across borders, and the establishment of common maximumresidue limits (MRLs) for products movingacross borders. A Terms of Reference proposal was sent to the CHC on the activities of the Crop, Plant Protection andEnvironment committee, chaired byOntario apple grower Charles Stevens.

Property

The Property Section of the OFVGAwas active on several fronts. Working withthe Horticultural Value Chain Roundtable,there are directions on sustainability, con-sumer focus, and research and innovation.Water is continuing to be a significantissue for horticultural producers, and thelong awaited Nutrient Management Actregulations for the Greenhouse sector isexpected soon. Farm & Food Care hasbeen working on water projects, which alsoinclude fruit and vegetable wash water,irrigation, and drainage. The use of preda-tory birds to help prevent bird damage hasbeen investigated in 2014. This project willcontinue into 2015, with nest boxes forkestrels being provided to numerous sites.Because these issues cross several commodities within the membership of theOFVGA, these types of projects will provide value to a wide group within horticulture.

Safety Nets

OFVGA members receive substantialfinancial support each year through theSelf Directed Risk Management program(SDRM). This support is a direct result ofnegotiations conducted by OFVGA. Thiscoming year, a key advance for SDRMparticipants is the removal of theAgriStability enrolment requirement. For2015, the SDRM Reference Committee

will work together with government tofully analyze the administrative implications of this change. The analysiswill be assessed and a decision made as towhether any corresponding SDRM program adjustments are needed prior tothe 2016 program year.

Research

The OFVGA, in conjunction with theVineland Research and Innovation Centre(Vineland), conducted a research prioritiesmeeting at Woodstock. This was to assistthe sector in dealing with limited fundingopportunities from the province of Ontarioand other funding agencies. A report on theoutcomes of this session, along with thework of an expert panel, will be providedto the membership in early 2015.

The OFVGA is also committed to working with Vineland in the developmentof a library of genetic information so that itcan be available to people looking forplants with specific characteristics. Thislibrary was developed from thousands ofindividual seeds forced to mutate, growingthem out and identifying individual characteristics. Using naturally occurringmutations, Vineland researchers have anopportunity to use this library to meet thefuture needs of the sector. OFVGA contributed $5000 to this project in 2014.

Finances

The OFVGA continues to be in a posi-tive financial position. We were fortunateto see an increase in the production ofgreenhouse vegetables and recovery of theapple and cherry sector. Some sectors suffered due to the record cold winter of2014, including tender fruit and grape production. We also were fortunate to havefour record months in performance at TheGrower, along with increased revenuesfrom the money that the OFVGA receivedfor administration of the Northern SchoolProgram, a percentage of in-kind contributions on several projects.

Research and Promotion Fund

Consistent with the direction from theBoard of Directors of the OFVGA, and the2013 Resolution to consider maintainingthe OFVGA Research and Promotion Fund– contingent on the direction from theBoard motion “to consider it annuallybased upon the financial position of theorganization” – I am very pleased toannounce that the Board of Directors of theOFVGA has voted favourably to reinstatethe Research and Promotion Fund this yearin the amount of $300,000. As in previousyears, this fund will be distributed on aprorated basis, based upon the amount ofcontainer and membership fees paid in the

past fiscal year by each sector.

Acknowledgements

We have many stakeholders who havesupported the OFVGA over the past year.Deputy Deb Stark is a strong advocate forthe agricultural sector and understands theissues that we face. Phil Malcolmson hasprovided encouragement and advice in thistransition year. Many others within theOMAFRA staff have worked hard onissues faced by the OFVGA and appreciatethe impacts of various pieces of legislationon horticultural production in Ontario.Foodland Ontario supports all of ourefforts through supporting homegrownfruits and vegetables.

Agricorp, which delivers the SDRMprogram to our members, has providedexcellent input and support. Randy Jackiwand Mike Vlcek have been very supportiveof our efforts and it is appreciated.

The work of the OFVGA could not bedone without the tireless efforts of theSection Chairs. The consistency that theybring to the OFVGA and their hard work isvery much appreciated and has certainlyhelped make this transition year as smoothas possible. Their work has provided thelobby efforts of the OFVGA a significantadvantage and places the OFVGA in highregard with the provincial and federal governments. Our thanks go to CharlesStevens (Crop Protection), Ken Forth(Labour), Harold Schooley (Research),Brian Gilroy (Property) and Mark Wales(Safety Nets), and also to Adrian Huismanas our representative on the CanadianHorticultural Council.

The Board of Directors, as well as themembership of the OFVGA, have welcomed me to this new position. Theyhave been very supportive and have provided guidance and counsel wheneverneeded. I would like to thank them fortheir support, and the cohesiveness of theBoard is a key strength of the organization.I would particularly like to thank Ray Duc,who has always been available for counseland guidance.

The staff of the OFVGA is a first-rategroup of people who are responsible forthe day-in, day-out operation of the organi-zation. It is their diligence, professionalismand attention to detail that has moved thisorganization forward. Tremendous to workwith, they have made my transition intothis position seamless and quick. Thankyou to all of you. It is very much appreciated!

John Kelly is executive vice-president,Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’Association.

17, 2015 April 15-

tréongrès de Monalais des cP cpma.ction.nenvcoéal ca

THE GROWER

PAGE 12 –– FEBRUARY 2015

OFVGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

CHARLES STEVENSCRAIG HUNTER

This year (2014) started with a meetingwith Niagara Regional Council on beesand the use of Neo-nicotinoids (NN) thefirst week of January. There was much discussion, and no further action was takenat the time. Throughout the year, we weredealing with the bee issue, up to andincluding the last week of the year. We didjoin with other affected parties to deal withthe issue, but so much is still up in the airat year’s end that it will spill over at leastuntil 2016. We have shown the value ofclose contacts and working together on thisfile with other affected parties, and thiswill be of long-term value going forward.

There were several pesticide files beingdealt with during the year. These includeThimet (for wireworm especially for potatoes), Mancozeb, Polyram and Captanfungicides, and Carbaryl (Sevin) for thinning. The crux of all of these appearsto be concern related to post-applicationworker exposure. We have met withPMRA staff and had productive meetings,but the full resolution of the issue is stillnot a done deal. Further meetings areplanned in January 2015.

The GROU program has had its share ofups and downs. Grower utilization of theprogram remains low. Companies havethrown up further roadblocks to preventcertain actives to be in the program. WEhave nominated a further 15 products forinclusion in the lists for import, and timewill tell when/if they are approved. Thereneeds to be improvements made to the program, but there appears little appetite todo so in Ottawa.

Part and parcel of the GROU programwas the new legislation to codify the dataprotection rules and, to put in place a

framework to foster generic pesticide registrations. So far this has NOT workedwell. Consultations have been made, butthe program remains mired in controversyover what data needs to be paid for, and byhow much. Our comments were taken butwe have not yet seen significant movement. Until this is resolved, ourprices will remain higher in Canada.

Our annual Minor Use Priority settingmeetings were once again a success forgrowers. More than 40 new projects wereselected, and many more joint projectswith the US IR-4 program were also select-ed later in the year. A new approach tohelp bio-pesticide companies to get registration was tried and time will tellhow successful that becomes.

The next Global Minor Use meetingwas discussed by the planning team whilewe all attended the Minor Use meetings. Itwill be held in September 2015 in Chicago,and is the first attempt to set internationalpriorities and to conduct global worktowards common registrations and MRLs.This is the future, and we will embrace itto the extent possible.

The international harmonization ofMRLs is becoming ever more important.

The OFVGA has partnered with PulseCanada and others to assemble data toshow the impact in Canada that a lack ofcoordinated and common MRLs is havingon trade and production. This has alsohelped stimulate more interest at AAFC,and they have been chairing meetings todiscuss the issue in Canada. Unfortunately,this has not translated into enhancedCanadian participation internationallywhere these decisions are made. This willremain a problem until we can exert moreinfluence. We did contribute to theCODEX list of priority MRLs needed here,via PMRA. They have done a much betterjob in seeking this input, and we appreciatethat. However, more is needed!

Charles Stevens and I attended theNAFTA TWG meetings this fall. Theywere very different, and better than priormeetings as they focused on three keyitems: MRLs and trade, Minor Uses, neo-nicotinoids and bee mortalities. Theysought out grower input on all three items.A highlight was the attendance of Brazil,Argentina, Peru and Chile observers. Theywere quite impressed with the process, andexpressed a desire to have a greater partici-pation in Minor Use than in the past. Alarge contingent of Mexican Growerspressed their government reps very hard onseveral issues, including the lack of registered solutions for invasives such asspotted winged drosophila. It was a goodand worthwhile meeting to attend.

This year’s IR-4 meetings were highlighted by a workshop on bacterial diseases. It was highly appropriate as wetoo had a very serious problem with bacterial diseases this year. Much valuableinformation was shared on registrationissues, resistance, and the shortage of candidate materials to work with. As aresult, another workshop will be convenedat our Minor Use meetings in March 2015.

At the recently held OntarioHorticulture Research Priority Settingmeeting it was gratifying to see the confluence of opinion from almost everycommodity sector ranking PestManagement Research the highest priority.Although there is only a small researchfund available from OMAFRA, at least theimportance of Pest Management was highlighted. It can be used to lever fundsfrom other areas as well.

The year end was again dominated bythe bee issue with the government comingout with a controversial plan to limit use ofseed treatment on corn and soybeans.Although horticulture is not seeminglyimpacted, yet, we remain vulnerable, and itis on that basis that we participate to get abetter outcome. No one wants to see unintended impact from pesticide use, andwe will work hard to prevent that. On theother hand, we do not want proven effective and safe products removed fromuse without strong argument based on riskrather than just on hazard assessment.There is hazard throughout life- it is howone manages and mitigates the risk fromthe use of a hazardous product that allowsgood decisions. Horticulture must insist onsound decision-making and not knee-jerkreactions based on a whim.

As it is every year, nothing would bedone without the strong input of manymembers. We would like to thank the teamat OFVGA, both staff and board members,for all their endless hours spent on theCrop Protection file on behalf of all ourmembers.

Charles Stevens is crop protection chair,Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’Association.Craig Hunter is crop protection andresearch advisor, Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers’ Association.

Crop protection report

Photo by Denis Cahill.

THE GROWER

OFVGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario (FVGO) report

TOM MIEDEMA

In 2014, FVGO was onceagain able to provide funding forvegetable crop research deemedof benefit to the fresh vegetablesector. This was made possiblethrough the Research &Development Funding availablefrom the container rebates at theOFVGA. Projects were submitted to the FVGO and thefollowing projects were reviewedand approved.

Survey & Identification forCarrot Fusarium in Ontario2014

This project was submitted tothe FVGO by MarionPaibomesai, Ontario Ministry ofAgriculture, Food and RuralAffairs. The goal of this projectwas to determine the distributionand severity of Fusarium root andcrown rot in central and south-western Ontario. To assist withthe development of managementstrategies of Ontario carrot grow-ers, it is important to understandthe distribution and severity of

this disease in Ontario carrotfields across different years, production styles and soil types.At this time there were no management strategies identifiedfor this disease. Since it is possible that different species ofFusarium are found in differentlocations in the province, DNAsequencing will aid in the identification of the species ofFusarium affecting carrots inOntario, which is important fordeveloping management strategies. This project completion date was October2014.

Vegetable Virus Survey 2014

This project was submitted tothe FVGO by Janice LeBeouf,Ontario Ministry of Agriculture,Food and Rural Affairs. The goalof this project was to survey snapbeans, cucurbits, tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes, colecrops and carrots for three viraldiseases/sample/crop. Each cropwill be tested for CMV and tomato spotted wilt viruses sincethese viruses have large hostranges. The third virus tested will

depend on the vegetable crops.This project completion date wasOctober 2014.

The FVGO currently has twoprojects being funded under theOntario Farm Innovation ProgramFunding (OFIP).

OFIP #0050 – Disinfectants andother treatments as preventa-tive tools for bacterial spot intomato transplants –Researcher – Cheryl Trueman -University of GuelphRidgetown Campus

The object of this project is tolook at new strategies in the treat-ment of tomato transplants. Shehopes to evaluate a plant disinfec-tant (KleenGrow) in addition toother products such as Actinovateand Mycostop to determine if a)the population of Xanthomonasbacteria on tomato transplants canbe eliminated or reduced, and b)if we can observe a difference inthe time to the field observationof bacterial spot symptoms intransplants (in the greenhouse andafter planting in the field). Theproject has a completion date ofDecember 1, 2015.

OFIP #0051 - InnovativeApplication Method forInsecticides to Control RootInsects on Carrots andRadishes – Researcher – MaryRuth McDonald – University ofGuelph

This project involves on-farmdemonstrations. The project willevaluate an innovative method ofapplying insecticide to carrots atseeding. Carrot seeding equip-ment has been modified to applyinsecticide directly below theseed at seeding. The technologyhas just been developed inOntario for use with carrot seed-ers, but has potential for adapta-tion to other vegetable crops suchas beets, radishes and direct seed-ed Brassica crops such as rutaba-gas and Chinese greens. The pro-ject has a completion date ofDecember 1, 2015.

In 2014 we continued to workwith Jim Chaput at the OntarioMinistry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs in assisting whenrequested with the registrationfees for the Emergency MinorUse Submissions.

The FVGO Directors also take

part in the conference calls in themonths of November/Decemberto help set minor use priorities forOntario for the upcoming annualmeeting. Mary Shabatura repre-sented FVGO at the 2014Canadian Minor Use PriorityWorkshop in Gatineau, Quebec.We anticipate that we will contin-ue working in a supportive rolewith Jim Chaput on minor useissues in 2015.

The FVGO was also able toco-sponsor with several otherorganizations on the 2014Foodland Ontario Fall HarvestVegetables Retail DisplayContest which runs each yearfrom October 1 – Nov 29th.

As FVGO looks forward to2015 we anticipate working onadditional research projects thatwill benefit our members as wellas all fresh market vegetablegrowers in Ontario.

Tom Miedema is chair of theFresh Vegetable Growers ofOntario.

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE 13

Property section report

THE GROWER

OFVGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

BRIAN GILROY

Water continues to be a primary focus of our provincialgovernment and a very active file for most of our members. The need to be solution focused and work co-operatively towards improving water management continues to be our message to government officials. TheNutrient Management Act (NMA) is seen as the preferredwater regulatory framework for farming activities involving nutrients. The greenhouse sector is the first inhorticulture to be regulated under the NMA. As of January1, 2015, the new Greenhouse Nutrient FeedwaterRegulation will allow the land application of greenhousenutrient feedwater (GNF) under the Nutrient ManagementAct. The regulation provides eligible greenhouse growerswith a new option to manage GNF in a way that enhancesthe protection of the natural environment and supports thesector's sustainability through a streamlined approvalprocess.

The Great Lakes Protection Act has been referred toStanding Committee and there are a number of amend-ments to be dealt with. The timing on the next phase ofthis overarching water act is uncertain but it will impactfarmers. It is estimated that there are 1,920 fruit and vegetable operations in Ontario that may require anEnvironmental Compliance Approval (ECA) for water discharge. The need to have best management practicesdeveloped and compliance work supported will be the goalthat we are working towards. The Water Adaption andQuality Initiative (WAMQI) is a provincially funded program with three main objectives; to help farmers adoptwater conservation and efficiency practices, prepare forand better manage extreme or damaging weather eventsand better manage nutrients and minimize off site impacts.Farm and Food Care is coordinating 29 WAMQI researchprojects that work to answer related applied research

questions. For a full list of the projects visit theEnvironment section at www.farmcare.org.

The Surface Water Specialist position at the OFVGAcontinues to provide an invaluable service to farmers andhas completed another year on a cost recovery basis.Thanks to George Shearer for his help in keeping thesecompliance costs as reasonable as possible. For moredetails, review his report, contained in your workbook.

As OFVGA’s representative on the Board of Farm andFood Care I am impressed with how the organization hasmanaged so many files this past year. The need for credible information about food and farming has neverbeen greater as the public’s perception of farming activities is being influenced by special interest groupswith money. The bee and pollinator health issue has beenhuge this year and the focus on the family of insecticides,neonicotinoids (neonics) has been a concern. There are anumber of people who feel that this is an issue that can bebest resolved without provincial regulations. It is felt thatthe bee health issue is much more complex and a significant number of Ontario beekeepers would list theirpriority concerns for bee health as #1) in-hive pest control,#2) bee disease/virus control, #3) nutrition and #4) pesti-cide exposure management. Although the focus is current-ly on corn and soybeans the OFVGA has been veryinvolved on this issue and I am part of the federalPollinator Health Roundtable that was established in 2014.Public consultations have been taking place on the pro-posed Ontario Government actions regarding pollinatorhealth and information is posted on the EBR. Submissionsmust be received electronically or by mail by January 25,2015 to be part of the public record. Farm & Food Care iscurrently developing a draft submission to the EBR thatcan be used or cited by our members. Link to the EBRsubmission website: www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/displaynoticecontent.do?noticeId=MTIzOTE5&statusId=MTg2NDA3

Farm and Food Care has released the third edition ofThe Real Dirt on Farming with an ambitious goal of help-ing to engage and educate the public on farming and howtheir food is grown. This 50-page magazine has been circulated to all federal and provincial members of parliament as well as the public in general. A smallerdigest version will be released soon for broader distribution as an insert in other publications. An onlineversion of the publications is also available. TheEnvironmental Team at Farm and Food Care is very activein a number of other areas including the UncontrolledElectricity Agriculture Working Group and theCommunity Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network(CoCoRaHS). At last report there were just over 100 volunteers in Ontario collecting and submitting daily precipitation information. More volunteers are needed tohelp develop more accurate precipitation mapping and allthe details are available at www.cocorahs.org/canada.

Sustainability is the emerging corporate buzz word thatis gaining traction and something that farmers have beenfocused on for some time. I am involved with theSustainability Working Group of the Horticulture ValueChain Roundtable and to date we have developed an ambitious work plan. A sustainability definition has beenagreed upon and we are working to increase the valuechain’s participation in the committee and develop aninventory of sustainability tools that can be used by farmers.

The OFVGA has taken the lead on a Bird DeterrentProject which is looking at options to minimize bird damage to horticultural crops. The Agriculture WildlifeStrategic Fund has fully funded this three-year project.

In closing I would like to take the opportunity to thankthe hard-working and supportive staff of the OFVGA.

Brian Gilroy is property section chair, Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers’ Association.

PAGE 14 –– FEBRUARY 2015

THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE 15

Labour section report

OFVGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

LaHave Natural Farms Haskap Berry 2014 UpdateADVERTORIAL

KEN FORTH

2014 was a different year for the laboursection and Labour Issues CoordinatingCommittee (LICC). For the first time in along time we were not involved in a legalaction. However, LICC on behalf of thelabour section and agriculture in generalwas busy.

Issues continue to arise and have to bedealt with: vulnerable worker committee,the MOL tac committee, meetings with theMinistry of Labour Chief PreventionOfficer for Ontario and dealing with theWSPS (new name for the conglomeratewhich contains the farm safety associa-tion). So far, most have at least listened tothe story of agriculture and labour issues,but we must be ever vigilant. Labour section and LICC’s Ken Linington, we area great team working together. We are ontop of these issues and will continue towatchdog these issues.

Minimum wage

OFVGA and LICC had many meetingswith MOL and the Premier to no avail: 7.5per cent increase in minimum wage.

Temporary Worker Program (TWP)

Much has been made of the TWPreform. For the record, there are more than500 job categories in the TWP. TheSeasonal Agricultural Worker Program(SAWP) is one and the AgStream is theother under this umbrella of the TWP.Reform did not happen to these two programs with a couple of exceptions: • SAWP – the changes that happened tothe SAWP are that we must advertise inthe National Job Bank and one other placebefore placing an order• AGSTREAM – has gone from totalavailability of a worker for 48 months to24 months

And one other thing that affects allTWP including SAWP and AgStream isthe integrity office. The agreement yousign in your LMIA application must be followed! If you are found to be non-compliant you may be fined and in severecircumstances, suspended for one year toforever from any TWP including SAWP.Folks, play by the rules!!

FARMS and CANAG travel

FARMS and CANAG continue to serveyou, the growers of Ontario. Our aim is toplace workers and employers together atthe right time, as efficiently as possible. In 2013, there were problems in theJamaican program. On the invitation of the

Ministry of Labour of Jamaica and sanc-tioned by FARMS’ Board of Directors, theFARMS General Manager, Sue Williamsspent approximately 12 weeks in theMinistry of Labour in Kingston, Jamaica.The process in Jamaica now is efficientand streamlined. Our General Managerwent way beyond the call of duty on thisone – we did not want a repeat of the fallof 2013. 2014 worked much smoother andwe believe it will be much better in 2015.Special thanks to Ministry of Labour,Minister Kellier, and Permanent SecretaryAlvin MacIntosh for their assistance inrepairing this program and of course to SueWilliams for her work and dedication tothe program.

This type of work could only be accomplished because you, the growers,have the foresight to continue to support astructure that was developed 28 years agoby you and for you: FARMS.

The SAWP processing now takeslonger. You need to advertise for at leasttwo weeks and then submit your order atleast 14 weeks prior to when work starts.Most of the extra time is the elevated security measures that now take place inthe Caribbean and Mexico. Backgroundchecks MUST be cleared or no visa. Thisis not only Canada – ever since 9/11,access to most countries is under heightened scrutiny. There are no

exceptions.The SAWP is in your hands, treat it rightlike most of you do and it will last a longtime. Currently our federal government,including most cabinet ministers, are totally in favour of SAWP. We cannotafford to have its reputation tarnished.Guard it!!

Groups continue to attack this programwith half-truths, out-of-context remarks,self-absorbed persons – yes, including aca-demics. We must continue to tell ourstory, and continue to make this programthe success you have made it! Thanks toall of you!

Closing

We all have many people to thank; itwill never be enough but here it goes:OFVGA staff and Board of Directors;FARMS & CANAG Travel staff andBoard of Directors; Ken Linington, ourSenior Policy Advisory at LICC; and YOUthe growers, who continue to support theLabour Section of the OFVGA. It hasbeen my pleasure to work with and repre-sent you this past year. Thank you.

Ken Forth is labour section chair, OntarioFruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association,LICC chair, president of FARMS.

Did you try a fresh Haskap Berry or product in 2014? Ifthe answer is no, then you do not know what you havebeen missing!

1. What is a Haskap or Honeyberry?These berries have been treasured and loved in Russia

and Japan for centuries. A freshly picked Haskap Berryproduces a full sensory explosion in the mouth–tart, yetsweet, robust and complex–it leaves the taster with a beautiful wine-like finish.

It has three very distinct advantages over other fruits orberries. Firstly, the berries unique and sensuous taste.Secondly its natural deep-blue colour, and thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, it provides remarkable healthbenefits.

Haskap berries were known by the ancient Ainu peopleof Japan as the “berry of long life and good eyesight.” Itcontains extremely high levels of Vitamin C, Potassium,phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and other antioxidants.Recent research shows that Haskap berries have nearlythree times the number of antioxidants as wild blueberries.

2. Are you interested in buying Haskap plants or creating an orchard?

LaHave Natural Farms has scoured the world lookingfor complimentary varieties of Haskap or Honeyberries.We are pleased to be able to offer not only the Universityof Saskatchewan varieties, but also tried and testedLaHave Haskapa varieties with their origins in EasternEurope and mixed Russian varieties from the US.

We are happy to announce that we have teamed up withand are continuing to work very closely with BerriesUnlimited, located in Arkansas, to bring our customersmany of their new and exciting Russian Honeyberry varieties.

For further information on our 19 varieties, plant salesor help in creating and maintaining a healthy Haskaporchard. Please get in touch with Lynn Pettypiece by emailor phone. We are here to ensure your new orchard is berrysuccessful!

3. Our 2014 exciting haskapa Branded Products NewsWe have taken a passionate approach to our branding

by combining the berry's benefits with exceptional packaging to create an exciting buzz. This year we areproud to announce that our range of Haskap Berry ‘haska-pa’ branded products are now available in over 20 Sobeysstores across Nova Scotia. The number of stores is expected to increase to over 50 stores in Atlantic Canadaby Spring 2015.

“Sobeys’ focus on quality and promoting locally-madeproducts means that they are the perfect partner to helpbring the ‘haskapa’ range of Haskap products to a wideraudience in Atlantic Canada”. Says Liam Tayler,Commercial Director of ‘haskapa’.

Stephen Read, Buy Local Specialist for Sobeys Atlanticis equally excited about the launch, noting “Sobeys isproud to support local businesses – as we have for over107 years now. And we’re excited about this partnershipwith a great Nova Scotia company, ‘haskapa’. Workingwith Liam and the team and supporting them in their success is a win-win. We get a great locally-made productthat we know our customers will love, and we help ‘haskapa’ grow its business.”

Sobeys Bedford Chef, Scott Morash, created somebeautiful Haskap dishes and cocktails (with the aid of theNSLC), and is discovering exciting ways to use the‘haskapa’ products in his exquisite dishes. “The ‘haskapa’products have been an integral part of the menus of manyof HRM’s most discerning restaurants for more than a yearnow,” he says. “As a chef, I am looking forward to working with these premium products to create someunique dishes with a local flair and showcasing them toour customers.”

In addition to the signature ‘haskapa’ Juice, Sobeys willalso carry Haskap products such as jam, jalapeño relishand chutney. For more information on our haskapabranded products, please go to our www.haskapa.comwebsite.

4. So What does 2015 bring?“We have no plans to slow down, due to its fast-

growing popularity, we intend to triple production levelsin 2015.” The company is also stirring up much excitement in the juice world. Last year, the company firsthit the headlines at Germany’s prestigious World Juice

Awards, where LaHave’s Haskap juice won ‘Best NewJuice’.

There is also accumulating scientific evidence thatbioactive compounds such as antioxidants found in berrieshave significant potential health benefits. Researchers atDalhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculture have justannounced their intention to examine the anticancer activity of Haskap bioactives after being awarded a grantfrom the Cancer Research Training Program (CRTP).

We would like to thank all our plant growers andhaskapa fans for all their support in 2014 and look forwardto meeting old and new faces at our orchards in the coming year.

For plant sales and orchard inquiries please contactLynn Pettypiece at lynn@lahavenaturalfarms.com

LaHave Natural Farms,1776 Northfield Road, P.O Box 86,Blockhouse, Nova Scotia BOJ 1E0.P: 902 527 2139F: 902 482 3429www.lahavenaturalfarms.comwww.haskapa.com

THE GROWER

OFVGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

HAROLD SCHOOLEY

I serve as your representativeon the board of directors ofOntario Agri-Food Technologiesand for the past three years I havehad the honour of chairing thatboard. This past year has been achallenging one to recruit areplacement for retiring PresidentDr. Gord Surgeoner. InSeptember, 2014, OAFT passedthe leadership torch fromSurgeoner to Dr. Tyler Whale.Gord has been a dynamic force inOAFT’s mission to engage agri-food businesses in commercializing new technolo-gies. Tyler is experienced in thefield of bringing innovation tocommercial use and his skill set isan excellent addition to that organization.

In recognition of the contribu-tion that Gord has made to theagri-food industry in Ontario, hewas inducted into the AgriculturalHall of Fame in the summer of2014. It is an honour that is well-deserved.

To see the wide variety oftechnologies that OAFT becomesinvolved with, visit GameChangers in Agriculture atwww.Biotalk.ca .

Research priorities

The OMAFRA ResearchAdvisory Network (ORAN) putsout a report every year that listsresearch priorities for plant science research. These becomethe foundation for the OMAFRAresearch agenda and are the basisof research under theOMAFRA/U of G Agreement.

In 2010 commodity prioritieswere requested from industry andVineland Research andInnovation Centre (Vineland) wascommissioned to collate theseinto a report for ORAN. We didthis again in early 2013 and againin late 2014, on these occasionsphysically meeting in Woodstock.It’s not done every seasonbecause things don’t change thatquickly but we do have opportunity to make input everyyear. For example, last spring ArtSmith and I met with Vinelandand suggested we bring labourefficiency priorities to the topbecause of the wage increases wefaced.

We have asked for andreceived from producers bothshort and long-term priorities,

although you are a lot better withthe short-term picture. OMAFRAasked us to include commoditiesnot included under the aegis ofOVFGA (apiculture, maple syrup,mushrooms, processing vegetables and most recently sugarbeets). It results in a very long listof research needs. Too long we’retold, prioritize it. This list is thenfurther distilled to about oneeighth of its original number byan expert panel convened later forthat purpose.

The industry expectation fromthis is that everyone’s needs willbe addressed – and if not all ofthem, at least one or some ofthem. That doesn’t happen. Thishas brought a good deal of dissatisfaction to the process asyou can imagine. Working in theforefront of this, and doing whatthey have been commissioned todo, Vineland has had to take thebrunt of this as we fire shots atthe messenger.

The real issue of course is thechallenge of condensing everyone’s top needs to a shortpriority list when they are derivedfrom the whole broad scope ofedible horticulture. Doing this tothe satisfaction of even most, ifnot all concerned, is nigh onimpossible. The industry previously accepted that researchneeds should be succinct, focusedand prioritized, but is beginningto recognize the futility in anexercise that distils their inputsout of sight. I fear that in futurewe will get less industry cooperation and participation andhave already been told by somethat it is a waste of their time.

The present priority settingprocess itself is flawed in someways and this became very apparent during our last session.

OFVGA and Vineland metafter this session to see whatchanges could be made:

1. Pest management is always thedominant topic and a commonneed across all hort crops.Nothing new about this, I firstnoted it in my research report of2003. It is where we invest ourfirst research dollar. We have toor we’re not in business. It burnsup the majority of our researchpriority list leaving little room forlonger term, innovative projects.When we condense the combinedindustry priority list, many ofthese needs fall off and are lost.This creates winners and losers inan area that is harmful to the

industry. There is a good exampleof this in the last ORAN reportthat excluded pest managementresearch for all fruit crops. Infuture all individual needs will becaptured into one over-archingpest management priority. Thisdoes not mean all pest issues willbe addressed. It is left to individ-ual groups to find a researcher,develop a project and make thecase to a funding agency.Collaboration between industrystakeholders and your researchersis crucial here. Work together sothat well-written, scientificallysound proposals are submitted.

2. With pest management agiven, we now have room toaddress other issues. Some ofthese might be production-oriented, but it is hoped thatthought will be put into considering the value chain perspective. That would includefactors that address product quality, consistency, differentia-tion and factors affecting price.

3. The most glaring inequity inthe present process is defining“Field Vegetables” as a singlecategory. Many, many crops arelumped together here and givenjust five priorities – the same assingle categories such as maplesyrup, apiculture, mushrooms andsugar beets, not to mentionapples, grapes, ginseng, asparagusand potatoes. To address thisimbalance, it is proposed to sub-divide field vegetables into ‘Bulband Root Vegetables,’ ‘LeafyVegetables’ and ‘FruitingVegetables,’ each with their ownlist of research needs.

Ontario horticulture’s researchpriorities should address bothresearch for changing times andresearch that drives change. Mostof the available research dollarscan easily be spent just address-ing changing times. Change inpest dynamics and pest controlproducts; change in cropping systems, nutrient and waterrequirements; change in quality,food safety and traceability parameters; and change in environmental considerations forair, water, soil, wildlife, etc.

We become focused on prob-lem solving, scrambling to keepup with change. We do it to stayin business. And so, we do mostof our problem solving in thecontext of higher yield, betterquality, and more efficiency.

If we are to be the masters ofour own destiny, some of ourresearch priorities and dollars willneed to drive change rather thanreact to it. Some of our researchneeds to be “outside the box”innovation that drives change:change that will differentiate ourproduct in the marketplace andmake it more valuable for a period of time; change that getsus out of the commodity price rut,like a new variety, a quality-improving storage regime,

innovative packaging; change thatdrives profitability and growth.

Research funding

The reason to prioritize, ofcourse, is to be smart aboutspending scarce financialresources. In my Research Reportof 2003 it was observed that fixedfunding and increasing overheadcosts were diminishing ourresearch capability. Still happening, isn’t it?

Research funding is cause forconcern for most commoditygroups. We are trying to solve ourproduction problems with too fewdollars while trying to developlong-term technology to put usahead of the game. And the ratioof industry dollars needed tomatch program funding dollarskeeps going up. But theOMAFRA/U of G research funding agreement is not the onlygame in town. The following is alist of the sources of availablefunding.

Federal programsAAFC

• Agri-Innovation Program• Agri-Marketing Program• Canadian Agricultural

Adaptation ProgramGenome Canada

• periodic calls with agenomics focusNSERC

• Discovery GrantsNRC

• Industrial ResearchAssistance Program (IRAP)

Provincial programs

Agricultural AdaptationCouncil

• Growing Forward 2 forOrganizations, Collaborations,ProcessorsMinistry of Agriculture, Foodand Rural Affairs

• U of G partnership• KTT (Knowledge Translation

and Transfer)• New Directions

Ministry of Research andInnovation

• Ontario Research FundOntario Centres of Excellence

• several programs availableOntario Soil and CropImprovement Association

• Growing Forward 2 forProducers

As you can see, these fundsare “directed” in ways thatachieve outcomes in desiredareas. Funding is “directed” togenomics, basic discoveryresearch, Knowledge Translationand Transfer, to marketing and toinnovation. If any of these directions fit your intentions, youneed to avail yourselves of theopportunities.

In a perfect world, governments would fund innovative research (a very goodinvestment of public money).

Industry would fund problemsolving, putting-out-fires, production research. It doesn’tseem to work that way.

The current weakness of agri-food value chains continuesto inhibit our research fundingcapability. The relationshipbetween producers and retailers isadversarial in nature with noprocess for fair price determina-tion or sharing of the consumerfood dollar. It is not enough tocompete with global prices.Arbitrary fees are imposed forarbitrary reasons, and few darespeak about it.

Producers continue to remainpowerless price-takers operatingbelow, or at, cost of production. How can things change? Whatvalue chain models will put participants back in control oftheir destiny?

Models in which producers getresearch and development dollarsfrom the marketplace.

The research payback

The Business DevelopmentBank of Canada predicts that“health mania” along with “Madein Canada” (buy local?) are thetwo major “game changing”trends that will dominate the foodscene for the foreseeable future.

Agriculture is one of Ontario’slargest and most important indus-tries, contributing more than $5billion to the provincial economyannually. Add in the technicalsupply and value-added chains tofarm production and the net valueto the economy is more than $15billion. Fruits and vegetables necessary for good nutrition andhealth provide jobs and income tothousands of people in the pro-duction, processing, wholesalingand retailing of fruit and vegetable products. We have 100million customers a day’s haulfrom our farms. To the benefit ofall, thriving agricultural business-es contribute to the attractivenessof Ontario, encouraging tourismand recreation and enhancing theenvironment.

A few years ago a Deloittestudy pegged the return on investment of public money putinto agricultural research at 20:1.Perhaps we should recalculate thevalue of our research investmentin view of the opportunities inthese game changing trends.

I would like to thank ArtSmith for the guidance he hasgiven me during his tenure. Ienjoyed it all. I look forward toworking with John Kelly giventhe opportunity. It has been apleasure to serve as yourResearch Chair for the past year.

Harold Schooley is researchchair, Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers’ Association.

Research report

PAGE 16 –– FEBRUARY 2015

THE GROWER

OFVGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Small fruit and berries report

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE 17

NORMAN CHARBONNEAU

This year had many challenges. In case you have forgotten: aphids, anthracnose, acool and wet summer, an increasein the minimum wage, loss of anOntario plant propagator and ontop of all that, we as an organization have been strugglingto find an acceptable method forstable funding. That issue is goingto determine if we as an industrywill have an effective voice todefend our interests.

There are many issues to consider when trying to changethe funding mechanism of anorganization. Right now we use aflat fee, which assumes fundingsources to supplement theincome, such as plant royalties,government programs, plant salesfrom the T/C lab, and check-offfrom plant sales. With the loss ofan Ontario plant propagator, itputs everything but the member-ship and government programs injeopardy as there are not reallysufficient funds to run an organization and provide servicesfor the membership.

The people making the decisions in Toronto that aregoing to affect the future of agriculture are not making themon the basis of benefit to agriculture. Their decisions arereflecting the special interestgroups that got them elected. Tolist a few of the contentiousissues: neonics, minimum wageincreases, and a continuous movetoward over-regulation.

But not only do we have theburden of these issues, we alsohave our own production issuessuch as Spotted Wing Drosophilaand viruses.

So it is time that we, the berryindustry, take hold of the problemand find a way to fund our organization and unite the industry under one strong, well-funded grower group.

The big issues we have to dealwith are uniting organizations,not dividing. Then we all have tocome to the table to solve theissues of mistrust. The blueberrygrowers may be right that wedon't have the funding mechanismright or funding level, but thosecan be solved. I think we have tomake this work. We have to besure the funding mechanism isright to be sure the organization isaround and we can pay the peoplewe need to represent us.

The central issue we have tosettle is the funding of the berryorganization. The further theagendas of the special interestgroups diverge from ours, themore commitment and money itwill take to represent our industry. So we have to have sta-ble funding.

My feeling is we as berrygrowers and blueberry growershave to unite in one strong voice:

1. Create a funding formula andfunding mechanism we can allwork with.

2. Create a board structure thatwill fairly represent all interests.

3. But mostly, all of us have to beactive in the new organization.

So when we see our industrylobby groups struggle for fundingand participation, we should allask ourselves "how can I serve?"

Thanks for letting me repre-sent you for another year.

Norman Charbonneau is smallfruit and berries director, OntarioFruit and Vegetable Growers’AssociationPhoto by Glenn Lowson

THE GROWER

OFVGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Safety nets report

PAGE 18 –– FEBRUARY 2015

MARK WALES

After one of the harshest win-ters in many years, we had a latecool spring followed by a coolwet summer and not much of afall. This challenged many cropsand some performed well andothers did not. Some varieties ofapples and other tree fruits werekilled outright by the severe win-ter weather as were some vari-eties and locations of grapes.Once again, the weather hasshown the need for continuedimprovement and investment inwell-designed and practical cropinsurance programs.

Production insurance

There were substantial claimsand challenges for processing

vegetable growers with the latespring and wetter than normalsummer. This carried over intothe fresh vegetable program aswell. This year saw grower partic-ipation up from 91 producers in2013 to 104 producers in 2014with more acres insured as well.

Production insurance for allcrops will pay out between $50and $145 million depending onhow bad the field corn yields are.This is not a record payout yearand the program is in a healthyposition. Most of the field cornwill be harvested by Christmas,however there are serious yieldand quality challenges.

AgriStability

With more than 91 per cent offiles processed for 2013 byOctober 31, program payouts

were below $40 million, which isreflective of overall better grainand livestock prices in 2013 andthe reduced coverage levels thatbegan for the 2013 program year.As well, there are just over15,000 growers enrolled inAgriStability in Ontario for 2013whereas there were over 16,000enrolled in 2012. The new pro-gram does not cover grower loss-es until your production margindrops below 70 per cent of yourreference margin, and then it onlycovers 70 per cent of your loss,not 85 per cent as was the casebefore.

AgriInvest

This program was cut as wellto only allowing government tomatch one per cent of a produc-er’s Allowable Net Sales (ANS)

for 2013, and is seeing some dropin enrollment as well.

SDRM

2014 saw the second year thatour program and the five RMPprograms were limited to the$100 million cap. As of earlyDecember, many growers hadstill not submitted their depositsand withdrawal requests, but weappear to be on track to use ourallocation of $23 million out ofthe $100 million total. Whenlooking at the statistics for lastyear, 279 growers opted out ofSDRM, but stayed inAgriStability.

Growing Forward 2 non-BRM

We are nearing the end of yeartwo of GF2 and innovation fundscontinue to roll out and theprocess continues to improve asgrowers better understand theprocess.

What's new?

In late November, MinisterLeal approved the industryrequest that growers no longerhave to be enrolled inAgriStability in order to be eligi-ble for SDRM or any of the RMPprograms. This will be in placefor the 2015 program year. ForSDRM there will be no changesfor 2015 while we evaluate theextra administration costs forgrowers who opt out ofAgriStability but stay in SDRM.These growers may see a reduc-tion in the level of ANS matchingfor 2016 and we will advise wellahead of time. This change inrequirement will mean growerswill no longer see a claw back ofSDRM payment if they had anAgriStability claim. However,they will no longer have anAgriStability claim in the event ofcrop loss.

Over this winter at CHC andOFVGA we will be seekinggrower input on three upcomingissues:1. What does horticulture wantfrom the 2015 federal election?2. The mid-term GF2 programreview will be taking place

immediately after the federalelection and what changes wouldwe want to see for the remainderof GF2?3. In 2016 governments will beworking on the design for GF3 sowhat would we want to see in thisprogram for 2018 to 2023?

I am sure that commentsincluding full funding for SDRMand reinstate the cuts toAgriStability and AgriInvest willbe heard during this process.

We will of course continue toseek improvements to our cropinsurance programs.

Another topic that may surfaceduring the spring budget processis discussion around bringing in aCarbon Tax by the province.Given the recent drop in oil pricesand this government’s desire todo something about climatechange, I am willing to predictthat we will see something in thebudget. All reports are that itworked out well in B.C. whichwill add further reason to do ithere. There are pros and cons tothis course of action and theOFVGA board will likely havesome lively discussion.

Another issue that will moveforward in 2015 is the proposedORPP (Ontario RetirementPension Plan). The legislationcame to the legislature but detailscontinue to be scarce. This willfundamentally be a payroll tax of1.9 per cent with no productionbenefit. Some of the unknownareas include whether off-shoreemployees will be covered andwhether the same deductionexemption thresholds as CPP willbe used.

To conclude, we are now see-ing the full effects of safety netprogram cuts and the need to rollthem back. The 2015 federal elec-tion will be decided in Ontarioand we will have an opportunityto influence the results. New con-cepts such as the ORPP and a car-bon tax will keep us busy tryingto get the best results for Ontariogrowers.

Mark Wales is safety nets chair,Ontario Fruit and VegetableGrowers’ Association.

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Photo courtesy Charles Stevens Photo by Glenn Lowson

THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE 19

Ever wondered about turning your fruitinto jam? Ever dreamed about makinggourmet ready-to-eat meals with your produce?

Take the free Exploring Value AddedOpportunities course, offered by theOntario Ministry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs (OMAFRA), to learn whetheradding value to your products and servicesis right for your business.

Course Description

Participants will learn how to generateideas for value-added opportunities, assessan idea’s business potential, identify andmanage risk and develop a plan to executetheir idea.

Course Dates and Times

The course is being delivered throughthree, one-hour interactive webinars.These sessions are taking place onFebruary 24, March 3, and March 10 (allTuesdays) from 12-1 pm. To participate inthis free learning opportunity, you willneed Internet and phone access. Pre-registration is also required.

Course Testimonial

“Sessions were dynamic and engaging. Wewere also very impressed with the sheerquantity of good information offered to us.Thank you!” A past course participant.Learn more or register at:ontario.ca/e9961-877-424-1300

Exploring value-added opportunities course

A reminder for Ontario farmers that thedeadline for filling in the Farm & FoodCare Ontario Pesticide Survey is February13, 2015.

This information is very useful for:• understanding trends in pesticide use,• identifying potential needs of farmersand,• identifying research needs.

All Ontario farmers who grew any

conventional or organic crops in 2014 canfill out the anonymous survey at:www.ontariopesticidesurvey.ca

Thank you for your cooperation. Farm& Food Care will also accept mail-in, faxor email returns of the survey.

For more information contact:Bruce Kelly, Environmental Program LeadFarm & Food Care Ontariobruce@farmfoodcare.org or (519)837-1326

Farm & Food Care Ontario pesticide survey, 2014

THE GROWER

PAGE 20 –– FEBRUARY 2015

EVAN ELFORD

Black plastic mulch is widelyused in the production of special-ty vegetable crops due to itseffectiveness as a weed barrier,capability to conserve soil moisture and ability to warm soiltemperatures in spring. Althoughit is permitted in organic production, the question of usinga product which creates non-biodegradable waste is of concernto many organic producers. Earlyforms of biodegradable filmswere developed to address thisconcern, however due to poorperformance in early years andrestrictions on starch-based feedstocks (e.g. Genetically ModifiedOrganism starch) by organic regulations, many producers continue to use plastic mulch.The quality of biodegradablefilms has improved in recentyears but growers and researchersare still exploring other optionsfor organic farms, includingorganic no-till systems, in orderto find management strategiesthat benefit the whole biologicalsystem.

Research supporting organicno-till options for vegetable cropsis still in early development. Thesystem is termed ‘no-till’ but itshould be clarified that it is actually a rotation based onreduced tillage and the use ofcover crops to build soil healthand manage weeds. The RodaleInstitute located in Pennsylvania,U.S. outlines three fundamentals

of organic no-till: “1) soil biologypowers the system, 2) cover cropsare a source of fertility and weedmanagement, and 3) tillage islimited and best described as rota-tional tillage.” (Feeser et al.,2014). In 2009, the RodaleInstitute received funding to studyalternative no-till options to blackplastic mulch in vegetable cropproduction systems. Results fromtheir three-year study (2010-2012), including replicated trialsand on-farm experiences, aresummarised in a free resourceentitled “Beyond Black Plastic:Cover Crops and Organic No-Tillfor Vegetable Crops” and is available on their website athttp://rodaleinstitute.org/assets/SARE_BeyondBlackPlastic_20140401.pdf.

The treatments investigatedduring the study were based oncover crops which were terminat-ed with one of three methods: a)tilled one month prior to applica-tion of black plastic mulch; b) useof a roller-crimper; or, c) mowed.Tomatoes were the representativevegetable crop used in the replicated studies. Figure 1 out-lines the nine mulch and termina-tion treatments used in the study.

Data on weed biomass, tomatoyields (total and marketable),cover crops (biomass, carboninput and nitrogen input), soilmoisture, soil temperature andother parameters were collectedin each of the three years of thestudy. Weed biomass and tomatoyields will be the focus in theremainder of this article.

Weed BiomassWeed biomass was recorded

four weeks after tomato plantingin each of the three years. Datarecorded in 2010 and 2012 weretaken in the planting bed and inpaths between beds, whereas datarecorded in 2011 were only takenin the planting bed. Variableresults were observed across thethree years, possibly due to differences in data collection

methods as well as environmentaleffects. Overall, the black plasticmulch treatments were the mostconsistent in suppressing weeds.However, the rye/vetch mix andindividual rye and vetch covercrops terminated with rolling performed better than the covercrop treatments terminated withmowing.

Yield

Tomato yields were recordedonce or twice per week as harvestdictated through the growing season. Only total yields wererecorded in 2010 and the highestyields were obtained in rolled andmowed treatments of all organicmulch types.

In 2011 and 2012, total yieldsand marketable yields wererecorded. Marketable yields oftomatoes were approximately 20per cent lower than total yields inthe 2011 growing season. Thehighest marketable yields wereobtained in black plastic mulchtreatments followed by therye/vetch mixture that had beenrolled or mowed. Marketableyield in the rye/vetch mixture(rolled or mowed) was approxi-mately 70 per cent of the blackplastic mulch marketable yield.

In 2012, severe late blightreduced marketable yield to 23per cent of total yield across mosttreatments. Vetch treatments ter-

minated by rolling or mowingexhibited the lowest yields of alltreatments. No significant differences were observedbetween the other treatments.

Summary

Results were variable over thethree years of this initial study

and therefore a longer term analy-sis should be considered fororganic mulch treatments.Initial outcomes from this studysuggest that organic mulch mixtures (e.g. vetch/rye mixture)terminated through rolling mayprovide a reasonable alternativeto black plastic mulch for weedmanagement in most years.In order to obtain acceptableweed control, the Rodale reportsuggests using cover crops thatproduce 6.5-9 tonnes of dry matter per hectare in order tohave enough biomass for weedsuppression after termination.Additionally, cover crops with acarbon-nitrogen ratio of 20:1 orhigher should be considered asthey will break down more slowly, thus providing longerweed suppression through thegrowing season.

References

Feeser, J., Zinati, G., and Moyer,J. 2014. Beyond Black Plastic:

cover crops and organic no-till forvegetable production.Pennsylvania, USA: RodaleInstitute.

Evan Elford is OMAFRA’s newcrop development specialist.

Black plastic: is there a viable organicmulch alternative?

Figure 1 (from Feeser et al., 2014): Cover crop treatments used for organic no-till vegetable cropstudy consisting of vetch cv. ‘Purple Bounty’ planted at 39 kg/ha; rye cv. ‘Aroostook’ planted at 188kg/ha; and rye-vetch mix planted at 106 kg/ha (78 kg rye:28 kg vetch).

THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE 21

The Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention will be held on February 18-19, 2015 in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Information about the conference can be found at http://www.ofvc.ca/.Registration information for the convention is at http://www.ofvc.ca/pricingA.html.

Field vegetable program at Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention

The webinars will run on Mondays from noon until 1pm. It is the perfect opportunity to grab some lunch, logonto the computer and access some new ideas as you plan

for 2015. Great information without the travel!To attend any of the webinars, simply register by

calling: 1-877-424-1300 or email

ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca with a list of the dates youwould like to attend.

About The Speakers

Meg McGrath is an associate professor at the Long IslandHorticultural Research & Extension Center in Riverhead,NY. The goal of her research program is to improve themanagement of important diseases of vegetable crops.

Janice LeBoeuf is a vegetable crops specialist with

OMAFRA in Ridgetown. Her focus is on field tomato,pepper, eggplant, table beet and sugarbeet production.

Elaine Roddy is a vegetable crops specialist withOMAFRA in Ridgetown. She specializes in sweet corn,legume vegetables, cucurbits and asparagus crops.

Laura VanEerd is an associate professor at the University

of Guelph – Ridgetown Campus. Her research programfocuses on vegetable crop production systems looking atsoil fertility, crop rotation, and cover crops.

Marion Paibomesai is a vegetable crops specialist withOMAFRA in Guelph. Crops of interest include root, bulb,leafy and brassica vegetables.

Next generation IPM – a webinar series for field vegetable growers

VEG FOCUS

9:30 New Research on Rust Elaine Roddy, OMAFRA

10:00 Tomato diseases Cheryl Trueman, University ofGuelph, Ridgetown Campus

11:00 Integrating Contans into white mold man-agement systems on vegetable farms

Alex Stone, Oregon State University

Date Topic Presenter

January 26th Tomato Late Blight UpdateWhy we are seeing late blight every year? How the pathogen is changing? Fungicide efficacy, management practices,and more.

Meg McGrath, Cornell University

February 2nd Bacterial Diseases – Beyond CopperThe vegetable industry has struggled with bacterial diseases for decades, with no silver bullet in sight. Relying on cop-per bactericides alone is not the answer, but what other management practices will help?

Janice LeBoeuf, OMAFRA

February 9th Growing Watermelons in Ontario – production and pest managementExplore the causes of various soil diseases, hollow heart and other important production issues for watermelon grow-ers.

Elaine Roddy, OMAFRA

February 23rd Cover Crop Selection for Vegetable GrowersUncertain how you can fit a cover crop into your rotation? Wondering which one to use? Questioning if the economicsreally do pay off? This is the session for you!

Laura Van Eerd, University of Guelph –Ridgetown Campus

March 2nd White Mould of Vegetable CropsLearn how to look for symptoms and signs of white mould in different vegetable crops. Tips on management based onnewer research will be discussed.

Marion Paibomesai, OMAFRA

9:30-11:30

• Drop in to speak with researchers, OMAFRA specialists and other key industry resources.• Come with your own ideas or questions and explore a wide array new opportunities and key business decisions

2:00 Bacterial leaf spot pumpkins/squash Cheryl Trueman, University ofGuelph, Ridgetown

2:30 New control tactics for changing insectpressure in sweet corn

Tony Shelton, Cornell University

3:00 Problem weeds workshop Dave Bilyea, University of Guelph,Ridgetown

Vegetable Session - Wednesday, February 18 (morning)

Vegetable Session - Wednesday, February 18 (morning)

Sweet Corn Session - Wednesday, February 18 (afternoon)

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

Henry Zomer (ON/MB/SK)905-308-4396

Rob Hovius (ON/PEI/NB)519-580-3231

Laura Caralampides (QC)514-984-0662

~ Quality Seed Since 1881 ~

Quality Seed Quality Service Quality Information

www.StokeSeeds.com

Photo by Glenn Lowson

The British ColumbiaBlueberry Council is set to exhibit at Gulfood in February,following the success of their firstappearance at the Dubai tradeshow in 2014. As the world’s

largest food and beverage industry trade show, Gulfood presents the council with a uniqueopportunity to explore new markets for British Columbia’snaturally sweet and healthy

blueberries.“In 2014, British Columbia’s

800 blueberry growers produced69 million kilograms of blueber-ries,” said Debbie Etsell, execu-tive director of the B.C. Blueberry

Council. “Canadians consumearound half of those berries, butwith such strong production,we’re able to export blueberries inmany different formats to interna-tional markets around the globe.”

As in 2014, the council willagain exhibit at Gulfood(February 8 - 12) as part of theAgriFood Canada pavilion inSheik Saeed Hall 1, stand S1-M43.The show attracts 85,000trade-only visitors from 170 different countries, with morethan 4,200 companies representedover five days.

“Attending last year allowedus to measure the amount of interest and demand for blueberries from Middle Easternmarkets, but also meet withpotential customers from India,other parts of Asia and Europe,”said Etsell. “As a result, we nowhave some of our export-readypackers and processors workingwith agents based in the Gulfregion to bring British Columbiablueberries to this market. We’relooking forward to seeing someof the representatives we met lastyear, and connecting them withsuppliers that can fulfil theirrequests, whether they’re lookingfor blueberries in fresh, frozen,dried, powdered, juice or puréedformats.”

The BC Blueberry Councilworks closely with governmenttrade offices at both a provincialand federal level, making themost of opportunities to take partin trade missions, delegations andshows such as Gulfood. Otherinternational missions planned for2015 include Fruit Logistica andAnuga in Europe, FoodEx inJapan, and Fruit Logistica Asia inHong Kong.

PAGE 22 –– FEBRUARY 2015

THE GROWER

Each year, Farm & Food Care opens theFaces of Farming calendar contest toOntario farmers and families. One winnerwill be chosen from the applicants. Eachyear, the calendar is distributed to thousands of Ontario media, grocery retailoutlets and politicians and is sold throughthe Farm & Food Care office.

The winning family, pairing or individual will participate in either a springor summer photo shoot, and will receivecomplimentary copies of the calendar plustwo tickets and accommodation for the2015 Ontario Harvest Gala and calendarlaunch later this fall.

Farmers or farm families are encouraged to enter the contest by submit-ting both an informal family photo andshort essay (400 words or less) describingtheir family. Candidates must make theirprimary income from agriculture. Their

essays must include the following: • Names and ages of all family members• Address including county or region ofresidency• A description of the farming operationincluding types of crops grown and/or livestock raised• History of the farm – number of generations farming, etc.• Any other details that make their storyunique including community involvement,environmental initiatives, unusual hobbies,etc.• Why they’d like to appear in the Faces ofFarming calendar.

Entries can be emailed tocontests@farmfoodcare.org or mailed to100 Stone Road West, Suite 106, Guelph,Ontario, N1G 5L3. Applications will beaccepted until March 16.

Putting a spotlight on farm families

The Ontario Tomato Research Institute(OTRI) has received $214,682 in federalAgriInnovation funding to increase yields anddevelop new varieties of tomatoes that arebetter adapted to domestic growing conditions and market needs.

“This project provides the building blocksfor the development of varieties ideally suitedto the Ontario industry,” said Phil Richards,OTRI chair. “OTRI recognizes the

importance of this project for the long termviability of the Ontario processing tomatoindustry and it is extremely gratifying that thefederal government has seen this value also.”

Photo right: (L-R) Steve Loewen,Ridgetown College tomato researcher; MPDave Van Kesteren for Chatham-Kent-Essex; Phil Richards, chair of the OntarioTomato Research Institute.

Research dollars granted forOntario processing tomatoes

BITS AND BITES

Last year’s winning entry came from the Howe family of Aylmer who grow straw-berries, cantaloupe, watermelons, squash, pumpkins, beans and other vegetables.Their three-generation family photo appears in the 2015 edition of the calendar.

Looking to the Middle East for blueberry sales

THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE 23

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THE GROWER

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Ontario Highbush Blueberry GrowersAnnual Meeting 2015

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THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE 25

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PAGE 26 –– FEBRUARY 2015

I had the chance this fall toride in the combine one nightwith my neighbour. It has been awelcome opportunity that I havehad over the years, but not everyyear because sometimes the cornis there in the morning when I setout for the office, and all gone byday’s end when I get back home.When we first moved out here, itwas a long day of planting and anequally long one for harvest onthe farm behind our home. Now itis but a few hours of planting andabout eight hours on the combine.Add in a few hours to lightly discdown residue and one pass withfertilizer and herbicide, and that isthe sum total of time that anyonebesides me is on the land in ayear. I always seek permissionbefore entering private land, andrenewed that request again thisyear. The response was gratifying-- “no problem but I reserve theright to ask what you saw!”

In the course of our conversa-tions, we covered a lot of ground(and a lot of corn acres too).Modern farmers get their infor-mation from a wide array ofsources and I was just one more

source. It came as no surprise tome to find how current the con-versation could be on every topic.Interesting, too, were the insightsthat come from a long career onthe farm and with various farmorganizations. The only complaintthat came forth was that it was along way down the ladder to bethe ‘night guy’ on the combineinstead of taking the cushier routethat he could have given himself,as farm manager. In fact, he wasbeing protective of his sons andfarm help by taking on the possi-bly more stressful and dangerousjob himself. It can be a long, bor-ing, and thankless job at the bestof times, and to have a rider forsome of those hours is a treat --even a chatty one like me! In mymind’s eye it would be tougher,albeit safer, to have taken on oneof the other two positions -- toride alone like the driver of thegrain buggy or the semi driverhauling grain to the dryer.

In the course of our talk, wechatted about many local farmersno longer with us and various his-torical events in our careers. Wetalked about the local municipalsituations that at times are hard tounderstand. Of course we chattedabout the bee/neo-nic situation.His slant was quite interesting.Their farm operation may have aseed cost (my figures) of abouthalf a million dollars. With thatmuch on the line, they do notwant to do anything to jeopardizethat annual investment. Likewise,as they are also growers of horti-cultural crops, they have an abid-ing interest in a strong bee popu-lation. They have been IPM prac-titioners for a long time -- for thecrops that have a program. Their

farm is always looking for thevery best options available, andquick to adopt new practices. Isuspect they mirror most othergrowers in that regard. If an IPMprogram for grain soil insects wasavailable, they would be earlyadopters. Perhaps it is this ‘over-sight’ that government neverdeveloped such a program(because a cheap and very effec-tive seed treatment did the job soeffectively) that has contributedto the current issue being debatedtoday.

In the month since that com-bine ride, I have pondered howgrowers actually feel when theyget “bad news” from government,or banks, or from their familiesand friends. Again, I suspect theyreact exactly like anyone else, bethey from the city or from a ruralarea. Issues that could have aneffect on their farm environmentmay have an immediate impacton them and their families aswell. The difference is thatbecause farmers live closer to the

environment, they understand itbetter, probably see the earlywarning signs sooner, and dealwith it more immediately. Maybetheir reactions are more thought-out than those of city folk, andmaybe they ponder the optionsfor longer because they havecombine time or tractor time todo so.

When a farmer makes a pro-nouncement on an issue, it is usu-ally well thought out, and insight-ful. This compares to many so-called pronouncements in majormedia that are inciteful, poorlythought out, and full of invectiveto elicit a response. I guess Iwould prefer the farmers’ opin-ions and options over those in bigcity media any day!

As we enter the New Year, Iremain ever hopeful that the nag-ging issues from last year will beresolved to everyone’s satisfac-tion. 2014 was NOT a good yearfor many, nor for me on a person-al front. Sometimes it seems thatit is only you that faces the loss

of close friends and family- oftento cancer these days, but it alsoincludes those dealing with otherserious health issues and familywoes far beyond anything onewould want to deal with. The lossof close colleagues who haveretired and moved on seems toaccelerate every year; at thisyear’s end there have been anunseemly number who have gone.

Some days one feels veryalone out there.

This year I received more neg-ative response to things I wrotethan the sum total from all therest of the years of columns puttogether. Either I didn’t make mypoint well enough, or I struck achord because I wasn’t afraid tospeak my mind. In either case, theattaboys still win, and I prefer tofocus on them instead.

There are still a lot of issues tobe resolved, and more coming atus. Some days I would rather bethe ‘night shift’ on the combine.

But not yet!

CRAIG HUNTEROFVGA

MINOR USE

CRAIG’S COMMENTS

Resolutions needed for 2015

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The Canadian HorticulturalCouncil’s Crop ProtectionAdvisory Committee (CPAC) metwith key regulators in Ottawa inearly December. Membersplanned for committee meetingsfor the coming year with repre-

sentatives from the PestManagement Regulatory Agency(PMRA) and Pest ManagementCentre (PMC). Importantly, theymet with Dr. Richard Aucoin,PMRA executive director and hisstaff to discuss the status of the

Growers Requested Own Use(GROU) program and potentialimprovements, the need forenhanced collaboration in productre-evaluations, next steps for theNAFTA TWG and next stepsrelating to pollinators both at the

federal and Ontario level.Dr. Manjeet Sethi (PMC) and

his team updated their activitiesregarding the Vineland lab, bud-get, joint projects and laboratorycapacity. Additional discussioncentred on the Invasive Alien

Species Coordination Group, andthe status of the next GlobalMinor Use Meeting.

Source: Canadian HorticulturalCouncil

Crop Protection Advisory Committee meets

JIM CHAPUT

The Pest ManagementRegulatory Agency (PMRA)recently announced the approvalof several URMULE registrationsfor Coragen insecticide for control/suppression of severalLepidopteran pests of peanuts,artichokes and the green onionsubgroup in Canada. Corageninsecticide was already labeledfor management of a number ofinsect pests on a wide variety ofcrops in Canada.

The following is provided asan abbreviated, general outlineonly. Users should consult thecomplete label before usingCoragen insecticide.

Coragen insecticide should beused in an integrated pest management program and in rotation with other managementstrategies to adequately manageresistance. Coragen insecticide istoxic to aquatic organisms andnon-target beneficial insects. Donot contaminate aquatic habitatswhen spraying or when cleaningand rinsing spray equipment orcontainers. Chlorantraniliprole ispersistent and may carryover. It isrecommended that any productscontaining chlorantraniliprole notbe used in areas treated with thisproduct during the previous season. The use of this chemicalmay result in contamination ofgroundwater particularly in areaswhere soil is permeable.

For a copy of the new minoruse label contact your local cropspecialist, regional supply outletor visit the PMRA label sitewww.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/registrant-titulaire/tools-outils/label-etiq-eng.php

Jim Chaput is minor use coordinator, OMAFRA, Guelph

BASF Canada Inc. (BASF) has been granted registration for Nealta miticide forcontrol of all lifestages, including eggs, ofEuropean red mites, two-spotted spidermites and McDaniel spider mites.

“Nealta’s unique mode of action willprovide growers with excellent control ofall stages of mites, even eggs, combinedwith full safety for bees and other beneficial insects. Nealta will not onlyreinvigorate growers’ mite control programs, but also fit perfectly into theirIPM strategies,” says Scott Hodgins, brandmanager for horticultural products with

BASF.Nealta is the first Group 25 insecticide

to be registered in North America. Inpreparation for its introduction, Nealta hasbeen extensively tested across both Canadaand the U.S. by both public and privateresearchers and has produced excellentresults.

Nealta is registered for use on pomefruit, grapes, strawberries and tomatoesand uses a single rate to control all pests.

For more information visitww.AgSolutions.ca.Source: BASF news release

THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE 27

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THE GROWER

PAGE 28 –– FEBRUARY 2015

THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 CELEBRATING 136 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION SECTION B

FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION

2,000 + growers and value-chain partners sharpen strategic plans for 2015

On-line retailing may work forequipment parts but nothing canreplace the dynamics of a tradeshow and convention. Think ofthe happenstance introductions,fresh insights from speakers andface-to-face encounters withproviders of new products andservices. This is the place to connect the dots.

This year’s Ontario Fruit andVegetable Convention (OFVC)follows a successful recipe of in-depth, commodity-specificseminars and an evolving program of events on the tradeshow floor.

What’s new? Take a peekinside.

Photos by Denis Cahill

THE GROWER

PAGE B2 –– FEBRUARY 2015

2015 show round upFOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION FEBRUARY 18 - 19

COMPETITIONS TRADE SHOW SPEAKERS

NEW! MEET THE BUYER

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Thursday, February 19 7:45 am – 9:15 am Scotiabank Convention Centre (public café area by the Stanley St entrance)When purchasing the overall OFVC registration package, register your intention to attend this complimentary event. Participating buyers include Loblaw, Sobeys and Gordon Food Service. For moreinformation, contact: Matthew Ecker at matthew.ecker@vinelandgrowers.com.

AT PRESS TIME

201 exhibitors have registered, including 38 first-timers. “This is the largest number of exhibiting compa-nies ever for the OFVC,” says Glenna Cairnie, OFVC executive coordinator. She suggests that latestupdates can be viewed at www.ofvc.ca. For those who tweet, use #OFVC2015 and follow @ofvc1.

INNOVATION PRODUCT BOOTH

See exhibitors’ new products for 2015 near the food court.

STUDENT POSTER COMPETITION

Organized by OMAFRA’s Jason Deveau and Hannah Fraser, the long-standing student poster competition more than doubled in entriesthis year to 19.

Student entries are from University of Guelph, Trent, Brock, Westernas well as Agriculture Canada and OMAFRA. Poster topics span horticultural issues from “Soil amendments for the management ofFusarium wilt in spinach” to “Integrated pest management of muckvegetable crops in the Holland Marsh.”

The top three winning posters receive cash awards of $500, $300 and$200, generously sponsored by Brock University’s Cool ClimateOenology and Viticulture Institute.

“The calibre of this competition is not to be missed,” says Deveau.“All posters are displayed in the Scotiabank Convention Centre atriumbefore entering the trade show area.”

Learn more at www.ofvc.ca/posters.html.

Fireblight Wednesday, February 18 9:20 – noon Room 204 OMAFRA’s Michael Celetti reviews the fireblight situation in 2014and hosts guest speakers on prevention, alternative and novel productsfor management, and a growers’ panel on frontline orchard management. (Start time is not a misprint).

Organic Weed Control Wednesday, February 18 9:30 am – noonRoom 203 Experts from Quebec, Cornell University, OMAFRA and MontanaState University share their best weed management strategies.

Apple Cider Workshop (Sweet and Hard) Wednesday, February 18 9:30 am – 11 am Room 206 OMAFRA’s Leslie Huffman chairs session on innovative cider products, sanitation to improve cider quality, tips to make winningcraft cider and quality factors in cider-making.

Pollinators in HorticultureThursday, February 19 2 pm – 4 pmRoom 204 OMAFRA’s Paul Kozak chairs six topics ranging from Ontario honeybees pollinating Maritime lowbush blueberries and linking pollinator services to northern Ontario blueberry production, to anexpert panel on pollination in Ontario.

Spotted Wing DrosophilaThursday, February 19 9:30 am – noonRoom 203 OMAFRA’s berry specialist Pam Fisher chairs a session on pest monitoring, research updates and how one grower manages thisinvasive pest in a pick-your-own operation.

VegConnectThursday, February 19 9:30 am – noon Room 201-202This informal, drop-in session will connect vegetable growers withresearchers, OMAFRA specialists and other key industry contacts.

One of the key events for horticultural producers in Ontariois the 2015 Ontario Fruit andVegetable Convention (OFVC).The value that comes out of thismeeting is beyond what happenson the trade floor or the sessions.There is a really good opportunityto discuss production, challengesand opportunities, innovation,strategy and more. The organizersdo a tremendous amount ofpreparatory work to make thisevent run smoothly and it is acredit to them that it is a firstclass showcase. The Ontario Fruitand Vegetable Growers’Association (OFVGA) sees thisas a tremendous venue for ourmembers.

This is a great example of apublic-private partnership comingtogether. Farmers, suppliers andgovernment work side by side todeliver exciting new technologies,training sessions, and networkingand business development opportunities. The NiagaraPeninsula Fruit and VegetableGrowers’ Association (NPFVGA)and Horticultural Crops Ontario(HCO) should be very pleasedwith how this meeting comestogether so well year after year.The Ontario Ministry ofAgriculture, Food and RuralAffairs provides a lot of resourcesto this meeting, and in particularcoordinates the speakers’ pro-gram. Kudos to OFVC presidentMatt Peters and OFVC volunteercommittee chair TonySgambelluri and their team forputting on such a dynamic convention.

So why should you considergoing to the OFVC? There aretremendous business and learningopportunities at this show. I amalways keen to walk the floor inthe 80,000 square foot tradeshow.With around 200 exhibitors, thediversity of displays, the ability todo business, and the general buzzof activity is always exciting toanyone in the sector. It gives youthe opportunity to speak directly

to suppliers, competitors, government personnel and academics. The latest informationon technology, markets, newcropping opportunities, fundingprograms, regulations and newservices can be found here.

The speakers’ program isalways well attended, often over-flowing out of the rooms and intothe halls. This is a credit to thequality of speaker that is attracted, the topics being usefuland interesting to growers, andthe well organized program. Thisis a program that does not shyaway from the issues: water management, labour, disease,insect and weed management,traceability, new innovations ininformation technology, newcrops, regulations, business andend use markets have all beenpart of these sessions. TheUniversity of Guelph and theVineland Research andInnovation Centre, both key participants in Ontario-based hor-ticultural research, have a strongpresence at this convention.

One area I would encouragegrowers to participate in is the“Meet the Buyer” session. Thishappens first thing Thursdaymorning, and participants areencouraged to register for thiswhen doing the full OFVC

registration. There is no addition-al charge, but it helps organizerswith knowing who wants toattend, numbers in the session andgives the buyers an opportunity totailor their discussion. Then itbecomes a “speed dating” game,with short, distinct meetingsbetween growers and buyers fromthe grocery chains and foodindustry.

I hope that growers and indus-try speak about the issues that areaffecting them in 2015 in an openand frank discussion. Certainlythe recent discussions on labourcosts and competitiveness(including occupational healthand safety, minimum wage, andthe looming Ontario RetirementPension Plan – ORPP), the regu-latory challenge to neonicotinoiduse, trade negotiations (vis-a-visthe removal of preferred status forCanadian producers under thePerishable AgriculturalCommodities Act – PACA – inthe United States), and changes torisk management programs willall find their way to the OFVC.So will discussions on how toimprove efficiency, costs of production, how to deal with natural competitors (eg birds),working closely with urban populations and selling product toconsumers.

With all that happens at theevent, there is a legacy thatoccurs as a result of each meeting. The net revenues raisedat the OFVC are directed back tothe fruit and vegetable industry inOntario, either through researchand development, marketing andother association identified programs. These are directed atpromoting Ontario product,through initiatives such as directfarm-gate sales to in-store displaycontests, identifying and managing challenges to production (whether it be pests orplant nutrition) or looking to thefuture on what the business offarming fruits and vegetable willlook like in the future.

The Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers’ Associationis very proud to be a gold sponsorof this event! It provides ourmembers with an excellent learning opportunity, exposure tonew technologies, the ability tospeak with suppliers, networkingwith people normally outsidetheir own group, but also toreconnect with friends and colleagues in a very open andfriendly manner. We encourageyou to attend and also to comesay hello to our staff at OFVGAbooth # 915!

THE GROWER

FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION WWW.OFVC.CA

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE B3

We all have a stake in the future

JOHN KELLYEXECUTIVE VP, OFVGA

.COEEDIEGERSS

THE GROWER

Northern Italy’s apple expertise is showcased on ITFA tour Leslie Huffman: “They are harvesting the light”

FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION FEBRUARY 18 - 19

KAREN DAVIDSON

If Italy looks like a boot toyou, look up, way up. At thenorthern reaches of that fashion-able piece of geography, you willfind the South Tyrol – a regionwhose history is more Germanthan Italian. In fact, nestledaround the river valleys are half amillion inhabitants, the majorityof which speak German.

This was the first of many surprises to Leslie Huffman,apple specialist for the OntarioMinistry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs (OMAFRA), whotoured the region last November.This is the home ofGewürztraminer wine and afavourable place to grow GoldenDelicious apples.

For many Italian apple grow-ers, a farm size of 8.6 acres is theaverage. However, they makeevery tree count, often harvesting80 bins to the acre.

“They are harvesting thelight,” says Huffman.

Back in 1969, the South Tyrolregion had only 74 acres of high-density plantings. Today itboasts 45,695 acres of richly patterned quiltwork as seen froman aerial shot.

Huffman was part of a tourgroup organized by CornellUniversity’s Terence Robinsonand Italy’s Kurt Werth. LastNovember’s study tour was partof the International Tree FruitAssociation’s calendar. The groupincluded growers from Quebec,British Columbia, Nova Scotiaand New Brunswick as well asthe states of Michigan, NewYork, Washington andPennsylvania. Growers fromIndia, Brazil, Chile and Mexicoalso attended.

All the latest technology – hailnetting, sprinkler irrigation, platforms -- is employed to produce immaculate fruitingwalls. Italian researcher AlbertoDorigoni is getting positiveresults using hedgers to reducepruning costs. He is also workingon multi-leader trees as a vigourmanagement tool.

The government’s extensionservice works closely with thegrowers as do the marketingcooperatives to produce high-quality fruit and packouts.The trend is towards amalgamat-ing cooperatives to reduce costs.Each farmer is assigned a 10-daywindow to deliver. This seeming-ly impossible goal is easier toachieve due to different

elevations on the mountainswhich means differing maturitytimes. Labour from Poland andeastern Europe help to harvestfruit from these uniform orchards.

“They’ve replanted these high-density orchards three timessince expansion,” says Huffman.“They’re not taking out postsanymore. They move the wires upand down. A plow brings freshsoil to the top.”

The regional packing plant wasimpressive with a pre-sort, storage room that contained 27bins high. A robotic forklift picksout the apple bins for washingand packing. Since every marketrequires a different apple andpackage, this system tailors ashipment of Italian GoldenDelicious apples, for example,going to Africa.

This idyllic region also harbours a nasty surprise: appleproliferation phytoplasma (APP).Observed all over Europe, it’s abad disease spread by leafhoppersduring bloom. Economic damageis due to reduced fruit size,weight and quality as well asreduced tree vigour. Up to 30 percent tree loss has been recordedin the area some years.

Huffman’s tour ended inBolzano-Bozen for the annual

Interpoma trade show. “This isthe mecca for apple growers,”says Huffman. “Try to visit oncein your lifetime.”

Back in Ontario, Huffman isdistilling the learnings of her“mecca” trip as well as a longcareer with OMAFRA beforeretiring at the end of February.The trip to Italy has confirmed forher, that Ontario has a brightfuture.

“High-density plantings are theway to go,” she says. The OntarioApple Growers have 227 mem-bers who steward 15,604 acres.Another 4,000 acres are estimatedto be smaller farms which direct-market to consumers.Huffman encourages more partnerships with these growerswho have daily conversationswith the public. Why not introduce new varieties? Or introduce sweet cider?

Huffman also points out value-added opportunities forapples such as baked, dehydratedand fermented products. She suggests outreach to health units,teachers, wellness programs,bootcamps, personal trainers andgyms/fitness outlets.

While Huffman will be chairing the apple session at theOntario Fruit and VegetableConvention on February 19 asone of her last duties, she willstill be on social media. She’skeeping her Twitter handle:@aOntAppleLady. An earlyadopter of Twitter back in 2010,she encourages apple farmers tojoin social media. It’s a greatchannel to start a Slice and Sharecampaign.

PAGE B4 –– FEBRUARY 2015

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THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE B5

Grow the apples that consumers want FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION WWW.OFVC.CA

“Having been an apple farmerfor 40 years has now provided mewith good insight into growingapples profitably,” said CharlesStevens, chair of Ontario AppleGrowers (OAG) when he reportedto the January 13 annual generalmeeting in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

“For me, the main insight is togrow apples that the marketplacewants, both in variety and quantity and which are not overproduced. While this maysound simple, we, as apple farmers with broad understandingon how to grow apples, know it isnot simple.”

“Looking to the future, weneed access to the right varietiesand create demand for them.OAG’s vice-chair and researchchair, Cathy McKay, has workeddiligently with others over thepast few years to create an environment where leaders acrossCanada work together to bring usthe best varieties. I believe thatpositive collaborations are takingplace between OAG, SummerlandVarieties Corporation (formerlyPICO), and Vineland Researchand Innovation Centre.”

Following are statistics whichsummarize Ontario’s currentapple production trends and varieties.

The Honeycrisp variety, at 7.2% of Ontario orchard plantings,is the sixth most popular variety planted after McIntosh, Gala,

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After a successful and eventful 2014, FoodlandOntario is looking forward to even greater things inthe New Year!

There are so many different ways we at FoodlandOntario promote the good things that grow in ourprovince. We help connect consumers with farmersto build people’s understanding of where their foodcomes from. Using a variety of marketing initia-tives, we encourage consumers across the provinceto choose fresh, locally grown food wherever theyshop, be it at the grocery store, farmers’ market, ordirectly from a farm.

We kicked off the New Year by distributing our2015 Foodland Calendar to more than 1,200 groceryretailers, farmers’ markets and on-farm marketsacross the province. From January right through toDecember, each month in the calendar includes adelicious recipe containing Ontario-grown ingredi-ents and links to helpful recipe videos. For thosewho market directly to consumers, we will havenew spring, summer and winter recipe brochures.We’re adding eight new organic cards to our currentroster of 24 commodity-specific recipe cards, andwill have a new recipe brochure to promote Ontarioorganic produce. With all of our resources available

in English and French, and free to those who have aFoodland Ontario licensing agreement, it’s easy topromote Ontario’s local food.

We will continue to promote local food throughtelevision, radio and our digital and social mediachannels and we will also run local food samplingevents at multiple Ontario retail locations. As anintegrated part of the Ontario government’s supportsfor our agri-food sector, we are planning promotion-al activities for Local Food Week (June 1–7) andAgriculture Week (October 5–11).

This year, more than 1,000 sellers will use theFoodland Ontario logo to identify their Ontariofood. And you can too! All you need is a FoodlandOntario licencing agreement. With nine out of tenconsumers recognizing our logo, it’s easy to show-case the great things available right here in theprovince.

For more information on the Foodland Ontarioprogram or how to get a Foodland Ontario licencingagreement, visit us at www.foodlandontario.ca orcontact Foodland Ontario’s Client Services OfficerSandra Jones at Sandra.jones@ontario.ca or tollfree at 1-888-466-2372 ext. 5198263947

Sandra Jones is Foodland Ontario’s client servicesofficer based in Guelph, Ontario.

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THE GROWER

PAGE B6 –– FEBRUARY 2015

FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION FEBRUARY 18 - 19

Show and sell: how social media offers new traction for videosMatch the video style to your target audience

KAREN DAVIDSON

Taken to the extreme, every-one has the capacity to be amedia company. Websites,Twitter, Instagram and YouTube,for example, all make it possibleto communicate your uniquestory. Each is a powerful channelreaching different audiences in anage of limited marketing budgets.

“I personally feel that everyone has a story and thateveryone’s story is epic,” saysAllyson Reid, ChockablockMedia Inc. “You have an opportunity to reach not only thenext county, but the next country.”

As a guest speaker at theOntario Farm Fresh MarketingAssociation’s Summit onFebruary 19, Reid will be sharingadvice on how to start shootingvideo. IPhones take good-qualityvideo that’s suitable for posting toFacebook and Twitter accounts. If

you’re an on-farm market withseasonal specials, then it’s easy toshoot field harvest and to showcase the product coming tomarket.

Audiences will forgive you ifthe camera is a little shaky andthe footage is raw. You’re dropping the curtain on your business so the video should feelauthentic and realistic. With a little on-camera practice, you’llfeel comfortable explainingwhat’s happening in the field oryour business. There’s no expertbetter qualified than you to tellthe story.

“Let your audience be theguide,” she says. For a website,you may consider a more profes-sional video with a longer length.

The costs are minimal to startdoing your own videos. With anIPhone, purchase a clip-on lavmicrophone for $150. A handicam costs about $1,000 to$1,300. Research editing softwarethrough the internet. Or find a digital assistant to edit and post

your video to YouTube. Someprograms offer a transcription ofthe video at the same time as youpost YouTube.

“Look to other industries forinspiration,” says Reid. One ofthe most high-profile examples ofa one-person media company isBritish food chef Jamie Oliver.He now has more than a millionsubscribers to his FoodTubechannel.

About 18 months ago, PaulSmith of Northern EquipmentSolutions took notice of the burgeoning video trend and started making videos on servicecalls. His company, based inWasaga Beach, Ontario, specializes in potato, vegetableand cash crop equipment. With130 videos now under his belt,Smith is transitioning to a Mac-based computer system anduses IMoviemaker to edit his rawfootage.

The videos are posted on hiswebsite but also through hisTwitter account which has closeto 1,700 followers.

“As a service to growers, weshowcase their new equipmentand how it actually works in thefield,” explains Smith. “Throughvideo, we’re explaining the infrastructure that’s required forequipment to work properly butwe’re also promoting the processto other industry stakeholders. Byno means are all our Twitter followers, customers.”

Echoing Reid’s statements,Smith finds a wide following thatreaches beyond Canada to theUnited States. As an equipmentspecialist, Northern EquipmentSolutions appeals to a broadrange of farmers looking to adoptand adapt leading-edge technolo-gy such as GPS-guided precisionsystems. Cash crop farmers maybe intrigued by a carrot harvest-ing video and then come back to

the website to find out what’snew in content.

Last fall, an Illinois corn customer was close to defaultingon his contracts, unable to get theharvest off due to inclementweather. Large equipment manufacturers said his only solution was to buy a new combine. Rather than a sale,Northern Equipment provided asolution. Smith recommendedother growers in U.S. states whohad the right parts. The interaction resulted from the networking that happens throughall these social media channels.

Above are two examples ofvideos that demonstrate how theyare crafted for specific audiences.

The Automated Vending Machine is designed to reach produce category managers, upholding theNature Fresh Farms’ brand of highly sophisticated technology.

Purple Top Turnip Harvest 2014 was shot in the Holland Marshand made into a YouTube video. It was also highlighted in atweet from Northern Equipment Solutions. Target audience?Growers looking for labour-saving equipment.

I personally feelthat everyone has astory and that everyone’s story isepic. You have anopportunity to reachnot only the nextcounty, but the nextcountry.”

~ Allyson Reid, Chockablock Media Inc.

“

THE GROWERFEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE B7

Growers recommend unique produce for farmers’ marketsFOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION WWW.OFVC.CA

Butternut squash

Cindy Bircham, who’s involvedin Our Little Farm near St.Thomas, Ontario, is interested intrying a new squash. She thinks itwill be ideal for the Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA)boxes distributed to shareholders.Mature in 85 days, this specialtybutternut squash comes fromCornell University’s BreedingInstitute. Honeynut ButternutSquash produces on a compactand space-saving bush type plant.The five-inch long fruit weighsfrom 1 to 1-1/2 lbs. and has asweet and rich flavoured deep-orange flesh. The rind starts off adark green, turns tan and then arich burnt orange colour at fullmaturity. It has intermediate resistance to powdery mildew.Plant as early as possible due tolong maturity.

Source: Stokes Seeds

Watermelon radish

This cool-season crop has a glob-ular root attached to thin stemsand waxy green leaves. Thecreamy-white exterior has palegreen shoulders, but when theradish is cut open, striations ofpink and magenta are revealed.Hence the name: watermelon.

The Red Meat cultivar has aslightly peppery taste withalmond-sweet notes. Theseradishes pair well with fennel,apples and cheeses such as fetaand chèvre.

Pettinelli and Sons ProduceCompany recommended thisradish on Twitter last summer.

Source: Johnny’s Selected Seeds

Yellow watermelons

MyPick Market grower RobertChesney is well-known for hisThames River Melons, Innkerkip,Ontario. He notes that there’s aresurgence in interest in old-fashioned watermelons withseeds.

“Maybe it’s nostalgia, but also forthe flavour,” he says. Sangria ishis cultivar of choice.

Yellow watermelons also sellwell at farmers’ markets withtheir yellow flesh and blackseeds. Mature in 75 days, NewYellow Baby is a diploid-typewatermelon. It’s described in theseed catalogue as a six pound,personal-sized melon with tender,juicy 11-12 per cent brix flesh.

Source: Stokes Seeds

Heirloom cherry tomatoes

Vicki’s Veggies is a well-knownvendor at Toronto’s EvergreenBrickworks. Based in PrinceEdward County, Vicki Emlawbrings tasty heirloom tomato vari-eties to market. One of her newfavourites is Jaune deChardonne. “It’s yellow and attwo ounces, the size of a golfball. And it’s so-o-o beautiful,”she says. Originally sourced fromSeeds of Diversity, she savedenough seed to grow out for the2015 season and also plans to sellseedlings in her annual springsale, May 16 and 17.

Another important mention is acherry tomato called Blue Smurf.“It’s like Indigo Rose but tastier,”she says.

Source: Greta’s Organic SeedCompany

Warty pumpkins

Goldsmiths Orchard Market inThornbury is thriving under thenew ownership of Brad andTeresa Oakley and Kyle andDebby Oakley. Thanks to hightunnels, they will be plantingmarket vegetables the first weekof May. Kyle recommends theYellow Pear grape tomato withits unique shape and colour. “Itwill look nice in a mix of grapetomatoes,” he says.

Also recommended is KnuckleHead warty pumpkins. They are amedium-sized, 12-16 pound deco-rative pumpkin. Its green wartsripen to orange over the harvestperiod. Be sure to spray for pow-dery mildew, says Kyle, to helpprevent damage to the handle.

Source: Siegers Seed Company

International retail consultant launches “Food Tourism” book in Canada

If you haven’t heard of“glamping” then internationalretail consultant John Stanley iscoming to the Ontario Farm FreshMarketing Association (OFFMA)seminar on February 18 toexplain why this trend is hot.Glamorous camping – upgradingfrom a tent to a cedar cabin – is atourism movement that is thebulls’ eye target for on-farmretailers. This urban demographicis seeking farmers’ markets, tastetours and agri-entertainment.Think of lavender tours, apple pietrails, wine tastings and such.

John Stanley and his wifeLinda are currently launching“Food Tourism” to explain theopportunities of this trend. Thebook is anticipated to be a valuable resource for touristboards, owners and managers ofretail farm operations, farm association members and anyonewith an interest in drivingincreased visitor numbers to aregion through food tourism.

“Whether you are thinkingabout starting an on-farm marketor have been in the industry for awhile, this book is an invaluableresource,” says Cathy Bartolic,OFFMA executive director.

“As the lives of the majority

of people become busier with lessgreen space and nature surrounding them, farms are playing an ever increasing role asa way to get out of the concretejungle and re-connect with ourroots, literally. Consumers wantto know how their food is grown,who is growing it and what ittastes like right at the source.Food tourism is not going away.It is growing stronger with eachseason.”

Bartolic explains that OFFMAhas been working with JohnStanley for more than a decade.Because he travels the worldworking with various foodtourism businesses, he has hisfinger firmly on the pulse of theindustry.

OFFMA is coordinating a full-day, pre-convention work-shop with John Stanley entitled‘2020 . . . Will you be a player?The Future On-Farm Market.’For those who want specificdirection in a small group atmosphere, a New Visions workshop will be offered inMarch. All are welcome at anyvenue. Pre-registration isrequired. Email cathy@ontario-farmfresh.com.

THE GROWER

PAGE B8 –– FEBRUARY 2015

Exhibitor galleryFOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION FEBRUARY 18 - 19

THE GROWERFEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE B9

Exhibitor galleryFOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION WWW.OFVC.CA

THE GROWER

PAGE B10 –– FEBRUARY 2015

FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION FEBRUARY 18 - 19

KAREN DAVIDSON

Apple growers in Ontario,Quebec and Nova Scotia learneda hard lesson in 2014. Fire blightflourished under warm tempera-tures and rainy skies, infiltratingblossoms and re-emerging weekslater as a bacteria that killed trees.

“Any grower who has experienced fire blight under-stands the need to spray,” saysMichael Celetti, OMAFRA plantpathologist for horticulture. “Butfor those growers who have neverhad fire blight and ignored thepredictive models, they gotburned.”

Fire blight is always present,explains Celetti, but is activatedunder certain weather conditions.The bacteria Erwinia amylovoraoozes out of the trees’ cankersand then is rain-splashed ontoblossoms. Infection often occursduring secondary bloom, aboutseven to 14 days after petal fall.Blooms are the primary entrypoint to the entire tree. Fromthere, it’s carried systemically,tarnishing the branches as if withfire. If the bacteria reaches the

roots, the tree dies. Fortunately, Washington State

University developed a predictivemodel for risk assessment calledCougarblight that’s situation-spe-cific. Celetti runs this computermodel from May 1 until mid-Juneand issues a risk assessment forall apple-growing counties inOntario. The program estimatesrisk based on temperatures andrainfall in your area, but alsowhether you have never had fire

blight, a neighbour has fire blightor whether fire blight visited yourorchard last year.

The predictive forecast wasvery accurate in 2014, eventhough symptoms were notobserved during the bloom period. “Science worked last year,even though we were questioningit,” says Celetti.

Fire blight is a sporadicscourge that’s devastating to anyorchard but hits particularly hard

in high-investment, high-densityorchards. Celetti is chairing a fireblight session at the Ontario Fruitand Vegetable Convention onWednesday, February 18. He willbe joined by other experts includ-ing:

• George Sundin, Michigan StateUniversity – Fire BlightManagement Begins withPrevention

• David Rosenberger, CornellUniversity – Fire Blight in myOrchard: Now What?

• Antonet Svircev, Agricultureand Agri-Food Canada –Alternative and Novel Productsfor Managing Fire Blight

• Grower Perspective: MyExperience Managing Fire Blight(Cathy McKay, Murray Porteous,Lindsay Pink, Paul Frankis)

Bitten by fire blight, orchardists look to preventive tactics

Here, a shoot is infected with the fire blight pathogen. Photos byMichael Celetti.

This Ontario orchard is infected with severe fire blight. Noticehow the trees appear as if they were scorched by fire.

THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE B11

THE GROWER

PAGE B12 –– FEBRUARY 2015

FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION FEBRUARY 18 - 19

Effective January 1, 2015, thefollowing nine weeds were addedto the Schedule of NoxiousWeeds (a regulation under theWeed Control Act).

These non-native weeds wereadded to minimize their interference to agriculture. In addition, effective January 1,2015, the following nine weedswere removed from theSchedule.

The weeds are being removedbecause they are no longer considered significant threats toagriculture and can be managedthrough modern managementpractices. These changes willhelp support pollinators.

About the Schedule of NoxiousWeeds

The Schedule of NoxiousWeeds identifies weeds that canseriously damage agriculturalland, crops or livestock. If theseweeds are growing in a locationthat negatively impacts agricul-ture or horticulture, then theymust be destroyed. If you feelthat your agricultural or horticul-tural land is being negativelyimpacted by noxious weeds, con-tact your local Weed Inspector.

Contact UsLearn about Schedule and

weed management options at:ontario.ca/by7q or 877-424-1300.

Ontario schedule of noxious weeds changes

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common crupina serrated tussock wild chervil

jointed goatgrass smooth bedstraw wild parsnip

kudzu tansy ragwort woolly cupgrass

black-seeded proso millet nodding thistle spp. tuberous vetchling

goat’s beard spp. Russian thistle yellow rocket

Johnson grass Scotch thistle wild carrot

Weeds added to the Schedule of Noxious Weeds

Weeds removed from the Schedule of Noxious Weeds

Willd parsnip

THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE B13

KAREN DAVIDSON

Weather is mercurial butclimate is predictable. How cangrowers buffer these day-to-daychallenges and capitalize on thelong-term opportunities?

That’s the science of TonyShaw, geography professor atBrock University. He’s looked atthe major and emerging wineregions of Ontario for some timenow and concludes:“Temperatures are increasing forall months. But it’s the growingseason of April to October thatwe’re most interested in withrespect to grape and wine quality.However, winters still remain achallenge.”

One of the most useful climat-ic indices is heat units or growingdegree days (GDD). In the exam-ple of Lake Erie North Shore andthe Niagara Region, growingdegree days have increased bymore than 200 GDDs from 1970to 2012. Under climate change,the Lake Erie North Shore isevolving and has proven to besuitable for red grape varietalssuch as Merlot, CabernetSauvignon and Cabernet Franc.The North Shore is not a cool climate area in the true sensebecause it can be very warm insummer. However, it’s the distribution of heat units thatmakes a difference in grapesripening to full maturity beforecool fall weather shuts down thevines.

While climate warming hasbeen proven, it’s no solace forgrowers in Prince EdwardCounty. Due to geography, thearea is a poor candidate for windmachines to mitigate extremewinter freezes. Arctic air massesflow over the area from the northwith no warming effect fromLake Ontario.

“Total heat units don’t tell thewhole story,” explains Shaw.“We’re seeing more volatility,more extreme weather from oneyear to the next. And that meansmore variation in vintages fromone year to the next as in theNiagara Region.”

Ontario grape growers andwinemakers are a hardy and innovative lot themselves.Attuned to weather year-round,they are using Brock’s CoolClimate Oenology and ViticultureInstitute (CCOVI) VineAlert, aprogram that measures the coldhardiness of grapevines andwarns growers when to turn ontheir wind machines. As anothertool, CCOVI is also partneringwith Ontario Grape and WineResearch Inc. (OGWRI) to produce a best-practices manualto help growers avoid devastatinginjury to grapevines. Some wineries take the weather instride, planting three or four redvarietals to spread the risk of notall of them reaching full maturity.Others plant a dozen varieties,

both red and white, with a strategy of blending to overcomevintage variation. Still others arecooperating with wineries in different regions, buying certainvarieties to complement theirown.

What’s Shaw’s best advice forthe emerging Ontario regionssuch as Grey and Northumberlandcounties?

“I would suggest that the firststep growers should undertake isto install a comprehensive climate

monitoring system in these areasto determine the risks of freezeinjury, the growing season potentials and the locations ranging from most suitable toleast suitable. From these data, arange of grape varieties and rootstocks can then be matchedto the climate and soil attributesof the areas. However, these arejust the initial first steps in theassessment process.”

FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION WWW.OFVC.CA

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Don’t shoot the messenger.Virginia Tech’s Doug Pfeiffer iscoming to Ontario to warn aboutspotted wing drosophila (SWD)in grapes. The invasive species ispresent in several Canadianprovinces, and to date, has threatened strawberry and blueberry growers. However, theentomologist warns that grapegrowers also have cause to be onguard.

In 2014, commercial wineriesin Virginia noted larvae incrushed grape juice. One grapegrower suffered the loss of one-third of his crop after initialinfestation led to sour rot. Theentomologist notes that theinsects carry yeasts and bacteriavia wounds left on grape skins bythe females’ serrated ovipositors.

In a university-conductedspray trial in 2014, results showed18 per cent of the grapes hadSWD infestation in the uncontrolled plot. The numberswere generated by dissectingclusters. In one grower’s vineyard

of Petit Verdot grapes, two different results were observedunder the same management. Inone block, 24 per cent of thegrapes were injured and in another block, there was five percent injury. Again, these numberswere generated by dissectinggrape clusters and making countsof larvae and damaged berries.These differing observations areleading to more questions thananswers.

What are the environmentalconditions causing the invasion ofSWD? Are late-ripening, redgrape cultivars such as PetitVerdot more at risk because otherfavoured hosts such as strawberries have finished fruiting?

Pfeiffer notes that pyrethroidinsecticides have limited effect incontrolling SWD because theyalso wipe out natural predators.It’s imperative to rotate insecticides as standard procedure.

For cultural control, he advisesharvesting fruit promptly to liminate breeding sites. This mayconflict with usual harvest

practices of leaving grapes on thevine to meet brix standards. Atthe very least, any overripe or rotten fruit nearby should bedestroyed. In vineyards, pomaceproduced during the crushingprocess should not be dumpednear the producing vineyardblock. This can become a sourcefor many SWD.

What’s become worrisome isthat another exotic member of thedrosophilid family has been identified in Pennsylvania,Michigan and New Englandstates. The African fig fly,Zaprionus indianus, is a tropical-loving species first identified in Florida in 2005. This insect relative appears to befollowing the migration of SWDas it’s been found in vinegar trapsin northern states since 2012.

Since the African fig fly doesnot have a large, sharp ovipositorlike SWD females, it appears toattack only damaged and over-ripe fruit. As Pfeiffer notes,it’s not clear whether the Africanfruit fly can successfully ovipositin intact grape berries. This pestmay be acting symbiotically,

following the damage made bySWD.

For more in-depth information,come to the Grape Session, Room207-208, at the Ontario Fruit andVegetable Convention, February

19. Doug Pfeiffer’s topic –Spotted Wing Drosophila inWinegrapes: a bigger issue foreastern growers than previouslysuspected.

PAGE B14 –– FEBRUARY 2015

THE GROWER

FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION FEBRUARY 18 - 19

Exotic pest is threatening common crops Spotted wing drosophila likes strawberries, blueberries…and grapes

Vineland Research andInnovation Centre (Vineland) haspartnered with MTX Postharvestto build grape drying chambersthat will transform theAppassimento wine industry inCanada. The first prototype unit,installed at Kew Vineyards inBeamsville, Ontario, will be usedto dry the winery’s 2014 grapes.

The Appassimento chamber isthe first modular, self-contained,controlled-environment system inNorth America and featuresVineland’s proprietary ventilationtechnology for uniform grapedrying.

“The unit, manufactured byMTX Postharvest, includes wireless controls,” says BernardGoyette, research scientist,postharvest science at Vineland.“The novel system allows wine-makers to control temperature,humidity and air flow to create acustomized drying process,allowing the user to achieve thedesired sugar content (°Brix) andchemical balance for

winemaking.” This compact unit (2 m high x

3 m wide x 9 m long) can hold upto 7,200 kg of grapes. It offersvarious cooling and drying modesand cellular/VPN connectivity. Appassimento is an Old Worlddrying technique that has beenpractised in Italy for more than acentury. The process allows forenhanced development offlavours, concentration of sugarsand contributes to more complex

aromas in wines made from highquality grapes harvested in coolclimate areas with shorter growing seasons.

In addition to winemaking,this system has potential applications for food processingincluding postharvest cooling andsweet potato curing. Standard orcustom units are available to purchase through MTXPostharvest.

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Side by side photos of Spotted Wing Drosophila (L) and Africanfig fly show the differences between these related species. TheAfrican fig fly is red-brown in colour, with longitudinal whitebody stripes, thinly bordered by black.

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THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE B15

Vineland Research andInnovation Centre has published aGrower Guide on quality assurance of biocontrol products.The guide is compiled by RoseBuitenhuis, PhD, research scientist, biological control.

Purpose of Guide

Successful biocontrol

programs depend on a number offactors, but good quality naturalenemies are fundamental.However, as living organisms,biocontrolproducts are subject tovariability caused by various factors, starting at the insectarywhere they are reared through tothe crop where they are released.Production of biocontrol agents isa self-regulated industry and

quality assessments by the end-users are important to pro-vide producers with feedback andto maintain high quality products.

Biocontrol suppliers are facingthe challenge of producing a constant and reliable supply ofhigh quality natural enemies.Therefore, quality control (QC)checks are done at the supplierlevel to make sure the products

meet certain standards before theyare shipped to the customer.

However, it often takes severaldays before the products arrive atthe grower and are released intothe greenhouse. During this time,uncontrolled packaging, transportand storage conditions may affectthe quality of the product andtherefore the performance in pestcontrol. Shipping is probably themost critical period. Temperatureextremes, condensation from icepacks, restricted oxygen supply,unnatural high population densi-ties and long shipping and storagetimes are some of the factors thatcan adversely affect quality.

Therefore, growers shouldopen packages upon arrival toprovide a better environment forthe biocontrol agents and todetect any potential problemsrelated to shipping conditions (too

warm, too cold, wet, bad smell).In an ideal situation, growers

would perform quality checks onevery biocontrol product theyreceive as quality will directlyimpact efficacy; a shipment ofpoor quality can result in failureto control the target pest. If aquality issue is detected the grower can react proactively,adjusting release rates accordingly.

FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION WWW.OFVC.CA

Quality assurance of biocontrol products

Cryptolaemus adult, a predatorof mealybugs. Photo courtesyof Biobest Canada.

Hop growers aspire to $50 million, Ontario craft beer marketCompetition showcases fledgling industry

KAREN DAVIDSON

Hops growers can only salivateover their beers on how to crackthe $50 million craft market that’sevolved seemingly out ofnowhere. With only 50 acres ofhopyards in the province, there’sample opportunity and a learningcurve as tall as their trellises.2014 was a tough production yearwith diseases such as alternariaand downy mildew.

Determined to overcome agronomic challenges, growersare submitting cone samples tothe University of Guelph and project investigator Mary RuthMcDonald. Loyalist College willbe offering their lab this winterfor analyzing 100 samples to

better understand Ontario hopprofiles by cultivars. With science-based analysis, the industry will benefit by sharingtheir baselines with craft brewersand understanding what numbersto target for brewing values andessential oils.

Meanwhile, Jason Deveau andEvan Elford are helping to showcase the fledgling industrythrough the Great Ontario-Hopped Craft Beer Competition.Both employed by the Ontario

Ministry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs (OMAFRA), theyhave spearheaded a competitionthat’s now in its third year. In2015, a panel will be judgingsamples of locally made beerscreated with locally grown hopsin the robust porter style. Thetasting criteria assess aroma,appearance, flavour, mouthfeeland overall impressions – a taskthat will take 2.5 hours for 10entries.

This is an old-style beer that’s

undergoing a renaissance,explains Deveau. A couple centuries ago, British porters usedto fortify themselves on cold, wetnights with this dark and grittybeer.

According to the entry requirements, this is a ratherbroad style open to brewer interpretation. It’s distinguishedfrom stout as lacking a strongroasted barley character. It differsfrom a brown porter in that ablack patent or roasted grain

character is usually present, and itcan be stronger in alcohol. Roastintensity and malt flavours canalso vary significantly. This stylemay or may not have a strong hopcharacter, and may or may nothave significant fermentation by-products.

Last fall, the Liquor ControlBoard of Ontario (LCBO) had itscicerone -- beer expert CrystalLuxmore – review 11 porters.Here’s a taste of one of her beerreviews: “Notes of figs andprunes with a firm hop centre.” As one of only 27 certifiedcicerones in Canada, her profession is a sign of the times.While the United States startedtheir certification program asrecently as 2008, a Canadian program was just launched in2014. In the last five years, theLCBO reports that Ontario craftbeer sales have risen by nearly220 per cent from $15.7 millionduring its 2009-2010 fiscal yearto $50.2 million in 2013-2014.

With positive trends like these,it’s not surprising that growerswant to marry fresh beer withfresh food. That’s exactly whatlast year’s winner, Blue Elephantpub and microbrewer, has done inSimcoe, Ontario.

This year’s third annual competition is slated for February18 at the Ontario Fruit andVegetable Convention says EvanElford for OMAFRA. A mediaevent will be hosted by BlueElephant and Carolinian HopYard at Simcoe, Ontario to present the Bottomless CupTrophy to the 2015 winner. Formore information, go towww.ONhops.ca

In last year’s Great Ontario-Hopped Craft Beer Competition,judge Jeff Stevens examines the fill level of the bottle and checksfor any telltale ring in the neck that would suggest contamination.Photos by Denis Cahill.

Jason Deveau, competition co-organizer, is pouring into the centerof the glass, not down the side. This creates the head and pro-motes aroma.

THE GROWER

PAGE B16 –– FEBRUARY 2015

FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION FEBRUARY 18 - 19

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THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE B17

There’s lots to celebrate at theFarmers’ Markets Ontario symposium at this year’s OntarioFruit and Vegetable Convention.A 25th anniversary is reasonenough to join the seminars onFebruary 18 and 19, but also notethe metrics of success.

• 171 member farmers’ markets• more than 300 MyPick Farmers • 16 million shopper visits toOntario markets• more than $700 million in 2014sales • 3 ONroute mini farmers’ markets along highway 401 in2015 (2 at Trenton, 1 atCambridge)

“We expect to see eight to 10new farmers’ markets launched in2015,” says Bob Chorney, executive director. “Altogether,the provincial economic impact is$2.3 billion.”

One of the guest speakers willbe chef Cindy Bircham whobrings a farm-to-table perspectivefrom Elgin County. She’s channeling energy into Our LittleFarm, a joint farming project withMark Cosens who grows vegetables for the St. ThomasHorton Farmers’ Market and abudding Community-SupportedAgriculture (CSA) box program.

“I’m not a gardener,” saysBircham “so the 2014 season wasone big experiment.” What surprised her the most was producing more food than expected and the challenge ofstoring produce after harvest.The learning curve is how muchto grow to serve 100 shareholderson a weekly basis.

Raising awareness is also anobjective through traditionalchannels(www.ourlittlefarmCSA.ca) andsocial media. What she’s learnedis that a mix of printed brochures,Facebook and events arerequired. One recent success ispartnering with the local Heartand Stroke Foundation at a soupfundraiser. By supplying the freshproduce for soups, Bircham canraise awareness of healthy as wellas local eating.

A mobile, wood-fired oven isthe most recent acquisition fromMaine Wood Heat Company.Hooked onto a custom-madetrailer, this oven will draw customers to the farmers’ marketand fundraisers alike. In the run-up to the Christmas season,she made sourdough breads,scones and . . . maple-bacon butter tarts. Recipe, please?

FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION WWW.OFVC.CA

Farmers’ Markets Ontario marks milestone of 25 years

With a mobile, wood-fired oven, market gardeners Cindy Bircham and Mark Cosens are ready to goto the 2015 edition of the St. Thomas Horton Farmers’ Market.

JIM CHAPUT

The Pest ManagementRegulatory Agency (PMRA)recently announced the approvalof several URMULE registrationsfor Vivando fungicide for control/suppression of powderymildew on cucurbits, hops, cherries, nectarines and peachesin Canada. Vivando fungicidewas already labeled for management of powdery mildewon grapes in Canada.

These minor use projects weresubmitted jointly by Agriculture

& Agri-Food Canada’s PestManagement Centre (AAFC-PMC) and US IR-4 as a result ofminor use priorities establishedby growers and extension personnel in Canada and the US.Management of powdery mildewshas been a priority of producersof many crops.

The following is provided asan abbreviated, general outlineonly. Users should consult thecomplete label before usingVivando fungicide.Vivando fungicide can be usedfor control or suppression of pow-dery mildew on the following

crops as outlined in the chart.Vivando fungicide should be

used in an integrated pest management program and in rotation with other managementstrategies to adequately manageresistance. Vivando fungicide istoxic to aquatic organisms andnon-target terrestrial plants. Donot contaminate aquatic habitatswhen spraying or when cleaningand rinsing spray equipment orcontainers. Metrafenone is persistent and may carryover. It isrecommended that any productscontaining metrafenone not beused in areas treated with thisproduct during the previous season.

Follow all other precautionsand directions for use on theVivando fungicide label carefully.

For a copy of the new minoruse label contact your local cropspecialist, regional supply outletor visit the PMRA label sitewww.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/registrant-titulaire/tools-outils/label-etiq-eng.php

Jim Chaput is minor use coordinator, OMAFRA, Guelph

PAGE B18 –– FEBRUARY 2015

THE GROWER

FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION FEBRUARY 18 - 19

Vivando SC fungicide to manage powdery mildew on several new crops

ATTENTIONVEGETABLE GROWERS

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Cucurbits 0.75 – 1.12 3 7 - 14 0

Hops 0.75 – 1.12 2 14 14

THE GROWER

FEBRUARY 2015 –– PAGE B19

KRISTEN OBEID

Dr. Seuss: “Sometimes thequestions are complicated and theanswers are simple.”

The simple answer to control-ling weeds in an organic produc-tion system is “know yourweeds.” If you know what youare dealing with and managebased on biology you will havemuch more success. Sure thereare at least 14 other productionpractices that can help you mini-mize weeds in organic systems;but, knowing your enemy willhelp you win the war. You canuse weed biology and seed bankdynamics to your advantageagainst your most problematicweeds. It is time to change theway we think.

Let’s start from the beginning.Scientists guesstimate that thereare approximately 100,000,000weed seeds per hectare of agricul-ture land. Yes, it is true. Scientistsaround the world dug up soil andcounted the number of weedseeds. The numbers varied fromdifferent countries, but100,000,000 is a good estimate.Of those 100,000,000 weed seedsapproximately 1,000,000 emergeevery year. This is why it is veryunlikely that anyone can depletethe weed seed bank (weed seedthat is dormant in the soil) tozero.

Seed enter the soil from sever-al sources, but most commonlyfrom weeds that are allowed tomature on an already occupiedsite.

Lesson #1. Do not let yourweeds go to seed.

In general, the amount of seedproduced by agricultural weeds isastonishingly high, but it can alsovary significantly due to the high-growth plasticity of most weedspecies. Therefore, the actualamount of seed produced perindividual plant can vary fromnothing to millions, depending onits growing conditions. Weedsvary considerably with respect tothe longevity of their seed,depending upon species, depth ofseed burial, soil type, and level ofdisturbance. Many weed speciesare noted for the especially long-lived nature of their seed.Weed seeds that are currently germinating are not necessarilythe most abundant in the weedseed bank. Rather the crop typeand production practice are providing that particular weedspecies with an advantage overothers.

Lesson #2. Know your weedbiology.

It’s impossible to control aweed without properly identifyingit or knowing its biology. Only,then can we understand how tominimize its spread.

Lesson #3. Be observant.

Watch for species shifts inyour fields over time. It’s typicalin agriculture, as it is in everydaylife, that once we get one problemunder control we have somehowprovided the right conditions foranother problem to develop. Thisis true with weed control.

“It is not the strongest of thespecies that survive, nor the mostintelligent, but the one mostresponsive to change,” saidCharles Darwin.

Understanding the strengths

and weaknesses of various weedspecies will help you understandhow cropping practices alterweed-selection pressures.Understanding this relationshipwill provide a starting point todevelop management strategies,such as fine-tuning your croprotation.

Kristen Obeid, M.Sc., isOMAFRA’s weed managementprogram lead – horticulture.

FOCUS: ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION WWW.OFVC.CA

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PAGE B20 –– FEBRUARY 2015

THE GROWER