the grower january 2015

KAREN DAVIDSON

Bradford, Ontario – On a Julymorning, work starts at 6 am atHillside Gardens – no roosterrequired. It will take an hour tofill the 500-gallon water tank, anintegral part of the in-field pack-ing of celery. Refilling the tankwith fresh water will be repeatedduring the lunch hour. By day’send, 25,000 bundles of celery willbe hand cut, trimmed, washed andpacked in ready-to-cool plasticcartons.

Now the biggest celery growerin Ontario with 90 acres, RonGleason is shipping 12 trailerloads of the vegetable every weekfrom July 1 to October 15 toToronto-area distribution centresfor Loblaw and Sobeys. Celery isa tough crop to grow because it’sa “heavy feeder” requiring notonly nitrogen but a balance ofmicronutrients. Think of calcium,manganese and boron. Finickycelery can crack easily without itsfix of boron to maintain cellwalls, especially during hot

weather. These agronomic challenges

aside, Gleason must ship celeryaccording to the food safety protocols of the CanadaGAP program. A participant since itsstart in 2010, he says these standards and third-party certifications have been good forhis Holland Marsh farm and theindustry.

“Nobody loves an audit but Ido think it’s good for business,”Gleason says. “There is now alayer of organization which

is synonymous with professionalism.”

All the major retailers –Loblaw, Metro, Walmart, McCainFoods, Simplot Canada, Lamb-Weston and Cavendish -- nowrequire growers to be part of afood safety program. “Since whendoes the customer not decidewhat’s a good idea,” saysGleason. “By complying, we areprotecting our good name in thebusiness community.”

Part of the compliance forLoblaw, for example, has beenthe requirement to rent ReusablePlastic Containers (RPCs). Forsome growers, this has been acontroversial move, but Gleasonargues otherwise.

“I love them,” he says.“Loblaw mandated the programfour years ago. These rented plastic cartons are less expensivethan waxed corrugated boxes. Idon’t have to stock $40,000 to$50,000 of cardboard inventorythrough the winter. I order RPCswhen I need them.”

Gleason adds, “Our companybrand is lost when we’re selling

naked celery without a cellophanesleeve, but our Hillside Gardens’sticker is still on the RPC in ourcustomer’s warehouse. I’ve hadno problems renting the cartonsfrom IFCO, one of the suppliers.”

The record-keeping require-ments of food safety programscan be daunting however Gleasonadvises implementing a fully integrated system from seed towarehouse to the retailer.

“Do it once,” he says. “Yoursystem doesn’t need to be fancybut rather functional. Make sureyou capture the information youneed, but don’t overcapturemeaningless data.”

Gleason’s systems are workingwell for his 450 acres of celery,carrots, onions, beets, parsnipsand turnips. Another 400 acres inGeorgia help him supply produceyear-round.

“I see a lot of opportunity foryoung farmers right now,”Gleason concludes, “if you wantto become a business person.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

JANUARY 2015 CELEBRATING 136 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION VOLUME 65 NUMBER 01

BAR CODE TRACEABILITY

How a celery swizzle stick meets its bar code in the field

INSIDEOntario to restrict neonic pesticides Page 5

Focus: food processing,food safety 4

CanadaGAP reports Page 18

www.thegrower.org

P.M. 40012319

$3.00 CDN

Celery is finicky to grow, but even more demanding to harvest. At Hillside Gardens in Bradford, Ontario, in-field packing requires a well-trained workforce to follow theprotocols of the CanadaGAP food safety program. Owner Ron Gleason (pictured below) custom-built a trailer to make the process tick like clockwork. Photos by Glenn Lowson.

Speed-dating offeredfor growers and buyers

Next month’s Ontario Fruit andVegetable Convention (OFVC)offers a Meet the Buyer opportuni-ty so that growers can meet keygrocery chain and food industrybuyers. The event will commenceat 7:45 am and go to 9:15 am onThursday, February 19. Gather atthe public café area by the StanleyStreet entrance of the ScotiabankConvention Centre in NiagaraFalls.

Participating buyers such asLoblaw, Sobeys and Gordon FoodService will introduce their respec-tive organizations. Then one-on-one meetings will follow so thatgrowers can meet buyers in confidence.

While there is no charge for thisevent, participants must registeronline when purchasing the overallOFVC registration package. Theevent welcomes only registeredattendees. For more details, contact MatthewEcker at [email protected].

Complete survey onlabour needs

In a Canadian Federation ofAgriculture report, labour issuesare identified as the number onepriority facing the Canadian agri-culture industry today. Your helpis needed to determine how muchfarm work is done by family mem-bers and how much is done byemployees? What work is done bydomestic and or foreign workers?Is there a growing reliance on hir-

ing employees to support farmoperations? What labour challengesare facing producers today?

The Canadian AgriculturalHuman Resource Council(CAHRC) has launched a LabourMarket Information (LMI) researchsurvey to examine Canada’s agri-cultural workforce from every com-modity and region. The surveymust achieve a minimum of 50responses per province/territory tocomplete the regional analysis.

Choose one of the three surveysdesigned for farm owner/operators,farm workers (family or paid) oragricultural organizations.

By taking the time to complete ashort 10 - 15 minute online surveyyou will be making sure yourfarm's needs are included in thisimportant work that will help government and educators createpolicies and programs that willshape future farm labour requirements. Please complete theonline survey at www.cahrc-ccrha.ca/node/2166

Potato tamperingreward increased to$100,000

The PEI Potato Board has doubled its reward to $100,000 fortips leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever has insertedsewing needles into potatoes ofLinkletter Farms Ltd. One sourceis Peak of the Market, a Manitobagrower-owned vegetable supplier.

“As an industry we cannot standby and allow others to interfere inthe supply of safe food,” says Peakof the Market board chair KeithKuhl.

This welcome addition comes

on top of a $10,000 contribution bythe PEI government. GeorgeWebster, the province’s minister ofagriculture and forestry, made hispledge at the board’s annual general meeting in late November.

“If there is anything good thatcan be said to come from this mess,it is the sense of solidarity every-one has shown us,” said GaryLinkletter, co-owner of LinkletterFarms. “Hopefully the reward willhelp to identify the culprit andbring this tampering episode to anend.”

Anonymous tips are now eligible for the reward up untilJanuary 31, 2015.

Information can be providedanonymously to Crime Stoppers byphone 1-800-222-(8477)TIPS, viathe web atwww.peicrimestoppers.com, or bytext Text “TIP162” plus your message to (274637)CRIMES. Orcontact the Prince Edward IslandRCMP directly at (902) 436-9300.Alternatively, an email can be sentto [email protected] an investigator will respond.

SARFIP deadlineextended

Ontario’s Species at Risk FarmIncentive Program (SARFIP) hashad its claim deadline extended toJanuary 15th, giving potential participants more time to apply andcomplete projects. As the snowstarts to hit, fencing is still a popu-lar Best Management Practice, asare tree planting projects which canbe completed in the spring. Also,anyone who has already completeda project, so long as it was after theeligible invoice date of April 1,2014, you are eligible to apply.

NEWSMAKERS

THE GROWER

AT PRESS TIME…

PAGE 2 –– JANUARY 2015

Congratulations to PrinceEdward Island potato farmersAndrew and Heidi Lawlesswho were named Canada’sOutstanding Young Farmersat a gala in Quebec City inlate November. The Kinkora,PEI couple own and operateHilltop Produce Ltd. alongwith Andrew’s parents, growing 40 million pounds of potatoes undercontract for the processing market. The western winners are grainfarmers Myron and Jill Krahn, Carman, Manitoba.

Don McCabe, a soy, corn and wheat farmer from Inwood was elect-ed the new chair of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. The twonew vice-presidents are crop farmer Keith Currie and dairy farmerPeggy Brekeld. Vegetable and garlic grower Mark Wales, stepsdown from the chair’s position after three years of dedicated service.He remains on the board of directors.

The Prince Edward Island Potato Board welcomes Alex Docherty,Elmwood as the new chair, succeeding Gary Linkletter, who servedfor four years in the position. The Docherty family own and operateSkyeview Farms Ltd, growing both seed and tablestock potatoes.The new vice-chair is Darryl Wallace, Wallace Family Farms,Cascumpec. Joining the executive committee as secretary-treasureris Charles Murphy of Murphy’s Seed Potatoes Inc., China Point.Two new directors include Glen Rayner, Cascumpec and JohnHogg, Wilmot Valley. Returning directors are: Donald Godfrey,Irwin Jay, Kirk Shea, Owen Ching, Gary Linkletter, DavidFrancis and Rodney Dingwall.

Ontario’s premier Kathleen Wynne has announced a GrowthSteering Committee to help achieve the goal of 120,000 new agri-food jobs by 2020. It will be co-chaired by OMAFRA deputyminister Deb Stark and Ontario Pork board of directors’ chair AmyCronin.

Four of the top five Ontario Agri-Food Innovation ExcellenceAwards recipients are from horticulture. Congratulations to:

• Premier’s Award winner of Draupadi and Adrian Quinn,Castleton, who converted 10 acres of former tobacco fields into kaleproduction and are expanding their on-farm processing facility tomeet demand for five flavours of kale chips.• Minister’s Award winner of Driediger Farms Inc. who developeda self-propelled tomato harvester which speeds up harvest with lessdamage to the plants. • Leaders in Innovation Award winner of The Garlic Box, Hensall,which developed value-added products such as oils, salts, condiments and more recently, flash-frozen whole peeled cloves foryear-round consumption. • Leaders in Innovation Award winner of Truly Green Farms,Dresden for running a 22.5-acre carbon neutral greenhouse, whichuses the carbon dioxide that GreenField Ethanol emits. Not onlydoes using the CO2 promote tomato growth, it ensures that 15,000metric tonnes of planet-warming gases stay out of the atmosphereeach year.

The Wine Council of Ontario has appointed Richard Linley as thenew president. He was previously senior director, government affairsat the Canadian Beverage Association. His previous experienceincludes government relations in the areas of legislative and regulatory affairs.

Asparagus Farmers of Ontario held their annual general meetingrecently, electing Ken Wall as chair and John Jaques as vice-chair.

Vineland Research and Innovation Centre welcomes two new staffmembers. Dr. Gideon Avigad assumes the role of research programleader, robotics and automation. He formerly taught at the BraudeCollege of Engineering in Israel and most recently was adjunct pro-fessor at Western University in London, Ontario. He holds a PhD inmechanical engineering from Tel Aviv University, Israel. Dr.Viliam Zvalo joins as research scientist, vegetable production. Hewas formerly working for Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc inNova Scotia. In his new role, he’ll be investigating field and greenhouse production of world crops and other new crop opportuni-ties for Ontario growers. He holds a PhD in plant physiology/soilecology from the Slovak University of Agriculture in Slovakia.

Glen Squirrell, Shelburne, remains chair of the Ontario PotatoBoard while Harry Bradley, Leamington, becomes vice-chair for2015. At its recent annual meeting, the following directors wereelected: Rick Wallace, Shawn Brenn, Jack Murphy and IsaiahSwidersky.

RPCs are focus ofongoing study

Last fall, a new study was released questioning thefood safety standards of Reusable Plastic Containers(RPCs) for fruits and vegetables. Keith Warriner,University of Guelph food safety and quality assuranceprogram director, said, “We saw alarming levels of sanitization and significant risk for food contamination.”

Repeating a study from the previous year, he increasedthe scope from 15 testing units to 160 containers. UsingU.K. food safety standards for food surfaces as a pass/fail

baseline, 43 per cent of RPCs failed sanitary standardsdue to high ATP (adenosine triphosphate) readings. Henotes that equivalent standards do not exist in NorthAmerica. Specifically, the fecal indicators were moreprevalent in the current sampling trials compared to astudy performed in 2013.

“RPCs are a highly emotionally charged topic,” saysJane Proctor, vice-president policy and issue manage-ment, Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA).“The good news is that the pending pilot led by the produce industry will provide a forum for science to guideboth sample taking and the results. The hope is that thiswill enable all parties to use sound science and notrhetoric to make decisions relative to RPC use in theirbusiness.”

The fresh produce industry is working on two projects:A Best Practices Guide and a pilot on food safety led bythe Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC). A RPC BestPractices Guide is currently under development by theReusable Packaging Association in the U.S. with engage-ment from CPMA, CHC, Produce Marketing Association,United Fresh and industry representatives from bothCanada and the U.S. This reference will identify responsibilities for each participant in the food chain fromgrower to warehouse to retailer. The greenhouse industryhas been quite involved in this document. The hope is tohave the document ready early in 2015.

To date, there is no washing facility for RPCs inCanada. All containers must be returned to sites in theU.S. for sanitation.

JANUARY 2015 –– PAGE 3

THE GROWER

COVER STORY

How a celery swizzle stick meets its bar code in the field

Workers hand-cut celery with knives which are sanitized at the first of each shift.The commercial, food-processor grade solution, consists of hydrogen peroxide, vinegar and other sanitizing components. The celery bundles are brought to the staging table at the front end of an in-field processing trailer. There, two workers cutthe celery again with a saw blade to uniformly fit Reusable Plastic Containers(RPC).

The celery goes onto an elevator where spray nozzles wash off any dirt. Workers onthe elevator line are outfitted with rubber gloves and aprons while they are handling the freshly-washed celery.

The full extent of the processing trailer can be seen here, complete with 500-gallonwater tank on the right and the RPC line on the left. The rinse water is replacedtwice a day, at 7 am and noon.

RPCs, packed with 24 bundles per case, are shrink-wrapped with breathable plastic in the field and labeled with bar-coded stickers for traceability to HillsideGardens, harvest date and specific field in accordance with CanadaGAP procedures. Note the red PECO pallets, food-grade wooden pallets that provideanother layer of protection from contaminants. From here, this trailer will proceedto a cooler for 48 hours of chilling to less than 40°F before shipment to a Loblawdistribution centre.

– JANUARY 2015THE GROWER

CROSS COUNTRY DIGEST

The B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association ended their 125thanniversary year with good news, a tree replant programworth $8.4 million over seven years.

“The replant program will kickstart the rebuilding andredirection of the tree fruit industry for the 21st century,”said Fred Steele, president of the B.C. Fruit Growers’Association, acknowledging Premier Christy Clark’s

announcement. Replanting costs between $25,000 and $30,000 per acre

for a high-density orchard. They are more productive, producing commercial volumes of apples in as little asthree years, compared to eight years and longer for standard plantings. Converting to new, high-quality varieties of cherries, pears, peaches, nectarines and plums

leads to greater consumer acceptance and increases returnsto tree fruit operations.

This program extends earlier programs, providing aboutone-quarter to one-fifth of the total cost of replanting treefruit. By refreshing the industry with new varieties, farmland and family farms are preserved.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Replant program underway

UNITED STATES

Market for globalfrozen foods to heatup

An American research compa-ny predicts that the global frozenfood market will grow to morethan $307 billion by 2020.Citing convenience as a drivingfactor, Grand View Research Inc.says the growth of the meatindustry, particularly in Brazil-Russia-India-China (BRIC)nations, is responsible.

This trend presents opportunities for frozen fruitsand vegetables, however, strongbrands will prevail due to consumer recognition of qualityand food safety. To succeed,companies will need to bewarehigh sugar content and preservatives.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

INTERNATIONAL

UNITED STATES

Sweet potatoes findsweet spot abroad

Export sales of Americansweet potatoes grew 80 per centin the past five years reaching arecord $95 million, reportsJohnny Barnes, president,American Sweet PotatoMarketing Institute (ASPMI).

Founded in 2013 to promotethe tuber domestically andabroad, ASPMI is markingprogress in targeted Europeanmarkets. While awareness is low,the healthy superfood is gainingground amongst health-consciousconsumers.


ITALY

New productslaunched atInterpoma

Interpoma, an internationaltrade event which focuses onapple cultivation, storage andmarketing, recently held its congress in Bolzano. A Belgiancompany introduced Lumilys, arecyclable, long-lasting reflectivegroundcover. The weave offers abetter diffusion of light to helpachieve colour in the heart ofhigh-density orchards. The prod-uct has been tested in researchcentres in Belgium, Germany andItaly.


UNITED STATES

Analyze risks in thecold chain

Potato Expo 2015 will attracthundreds of growers to Orlando,Florida for the latest in technolo-gy and trends. Luke Gowdy,transportation operations manager, C.H. RobinsonWorldwide, will be speakingJanuary 8 on the future of trucktransportation.

The logistics company hasrecently released a white paperon maintaining the cold chainwith six supply chain best prac-tices for temperature-sensitivefreight. In a few words, they are:secure the right expertise, determine capacity requirements,set clear expectations early in theprocess, share responsibilitywhen loading and unloading, balance cost and technology,establish standard operating procedures.

To access this excellent paper,go to www.supplychain247.com.

Source: C. H. RobinsonWorldwide

MEXICO

Produce exportsincrease

For the first time in severalyears, it’s expected that Mexicowill have a trade surplus in agrifood exports to Canada.From January to September2014, exports totalled $1.130million, up by 11 per cent overthe same period in 2013.

"Mexican products are of highquality and are increasingly morerooted in the taste of theCanadian market," said LopezMercado, Secretariat ofAgriculture, Livestock, RuralDevelopment, Fisheries and Foodin Canada.

Second only to the UnitedStates in food exports to Canada,Mexico is a big exporter of tomatoes, peppers, avocadoes,raspberries, grapes and guava.The list also includes mangoes,asparagus, onions, strawberries,watermelon, pumpkin, cabbageand green beans.


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

In mid-December, Serres Sagami, oneof Quebec’s largest greenhouse operatorsforged an agreement with Farm CreditCanada to resume production of greenhouse tomatoes at Serres Lacoste inthe Charlevoix region. Serres Lacoste hadfiled for bankruptcy on November 7.

The site, which is already equipped withbiomass heating, is an ideal fit for SerresSagami’s mission and its environmentalobjectives wrote Stéphane Roy, presidentand CEO, Serres Sagami. This newlyacquired site’s proximity to Québec Citywill allow the company to strategicallyposition itself in the central Quebec regionand provide more reliable service.

This marks the fourth acquisition sincethe early 2000s for Serres Sagami which isheadquartered in Ste-Sophie in theLaurentians. In November 2012, the company acquired the Savoura facilities inSte-Marthe. In February 2013, the company acquired a production site inMirabel. Altogether, the company farms32 acres of conventional and greenhousetomatoes in Quebec.

Right: Stéphane Roy, president and CEOof Serres Sagami.

Source: Serres Sagami

QUEBEC

Greenhouse operator takes over Serres Lacoste

THE GROWER


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KAREN DAVIDSON

Toronto, Ontario – Late last fall,the Ontario governmentannounced its plan to reduce theuse of neonicotinoid-treated cornand soybean seed to enhance pollinator health. Its goal is an 80per cent reduction in number ofacres planted with insecticide-treated seed by 2017. An aspirational target is to reduceover-winter honeybee mortality to 15 per cent by 2020.

The intent is to have new rulesin place by July 1, 2015 in timefor the 2016 planting season.Consultations are now underway,hosted jointly by the Ministry ofAgriculture, Food and RuralAffairs and the Ministry ofEnvironment and ClimateChange. A discussion paper –“Pollinator Health: A proposalfor enhancing pollinator healthand reducing the use of neonicotinoid pesticides inOntario” is the key documentframing the issue.

Consultations were held inLondon, Mississauga and Toronto

in December (Kingston to be heldJanuary 14), attracting environmental groups, growers,beekeepers and industry associations. “We think this is abalanced approach,” said SteveKlose, director of the standardsdevelopment branch, Ministry ofEnvironment and Climate Changeat the Toronto meeting. “We’relooking for significant reductionas soon as possible.”

When questioned on whatscientific evidence is driving this

legislative approach, Klose saidOntario is taking a precautionaryapproach to effect some control.Neonic-coated seed is not regulated under the OntarioPesticide Act, so a new class mustbe created to describe who canuse these products and how theycan be used. At this stage, thelegislation would affect neithercanola, cereals and dry beans norhorticultural crops such as potatoes, sweet corn and green-house vegetables. Fungicidetreatments would not be part ofthe proposal.

At the Toronto meeting, a representative of the Canadian

Association of Physicians for theEnvironment questioned why thelegislation would be restricted toonly corn and soybeans. One beekeeper said that 100 per centbee health should be the goal.Other participants suggested thatthe government subsidize farmersto take land out of production forbee-friendly habitat. Still othersthought that a national strategy isneeded. Another suggestion: therewould be consumer awarenesscampaigns by which food islabelled with “bee-friendly certification.”

In a spirit of collective environmental responsibility,farmers posed questions to beekeepers as to how they implement best managementpractices for nutrition and hivehealth. A beekeeper who is also aseed corn sales representativequestioned how the third-partyrisk assessments would work andwhat liability scheme would be inplace to protect them.

How did we get here?

Neonicotinoids, a class ofinsecticides registered since the1990s, have largely replacedorganophosphates because theyare less toxic to birds and mammals. Bayer CropScience’sactive ingredient imidacloprid andSyngenta’s active ingredient thiamethoxam are used to coatcorn, soybean and canola seed toprevent damage from soil-bornepests such as wireworm.

In the past year, many Ontariocorn and soybean growers modified their seed planters toreduce dust that might be deflected and drift towards beehives. Despite these voluntaryefforts and reports of reduced beemortality last spring – 72 per centof which are attributed to threebeekeepers -- the Ontario government seeks to be the first

jurisdiction in North America toreduce neonicotinoids.

It’s unusual for a provincialjurisdiction to regulate the use offederally approved pesticides. Forits part, the Pest ManagementRegulatory Agency plans torelease its interim report in late2015 and a final report in 2017.In the U.S., the EnvironmentalProtection Agency will release itsreview of the entire class of neonicotinoids in 2018.

The Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers’ Associationposition is to ensure a completeand balanced science-informeddecision is the basis of any actionby government.

Written feedback on the discussion paper is due byJanuary 25. Contact Ontario’sEnvironmental Registry or email:[email protected]

January 25 deadline to respond to Ontario’s plan to curb neonicotinoid use

Canada’s potato yield posts record 300 cwt per acrePOTATO PRODUCTION

THE GROWER


KAREN DAVIDSON

There are two tales in the Canadianpotato business. 2014 acreage was downbut productivity per acre was up.

A year ago, growers planted 7000 feweracres to help adjust supply with demandsays Kevin MacIsaac, general manager,United Potato Growers of Canada. Despitethat collective move, production was downonly 0.7 per cent from the previous year.

“The year’s average yield in Canadawas the highest ever recorded at 298.2cwt/acre,” he says. “Due to a mild fall andgood harvest conditions, almost all of theplanted acres were harvested. Only 1.7 percent of the total acreage was left unharvested.”

For processors, one quality measure-ment is in the increase of solids from averages of 16 per cent to new highs of 20per cent, says Walter Davidson, W.D.Potato at Beeton, Ontario. As a contractorof 25,000 acres of potatoes in severalprovinces, Davidson says it takes fewerpotatoes to make chips because of theimproved quality. With higher productivity, he expects volume demand tobe down 10 per cent in 2015.

As the Statistics Canada chart shows,Prince Edward Island is the biggest grower,followed by Manitoba, Alberta, NewBrunswick, Quebec and Ontario.Manitoba’s production was down almost12 per cent last year due to fewer contractsfor processing potatoes.

Prince Edward Island growers are optimistic going into 2015. “We had a textbook fall for harvest which means noissues in storage and good quality,” saysGreg Donald, general manager, PEI PotatoBoard. “The lower Canadian dollar willhelp with exports to the northeasternUnited States, although there are freightchallenges in all markets. It’s as simple assupply and demand. It’s difficult to securetrucks.”

Exports abroad will be more challenging, Donald predicts. TheEuropean Union had a good harvest andwith no market in Russia due to sanctions,potatoes will be looking for a new home inoverseas markets.

At the December annual general meeting of the Ontario Potato Board, chairGlen Squirrell reported that process potatoes are moving well but that the freshmarket is somewhat slow with variablepricing. The 2013-14 crop had a farmgatevalue of $74.4 million which includesfresh, chip, pre-peel and soups/stews categories. Harry Bradley, chair of theOntario Process Council indicated that fouragreements were negotiated last year for atwo-year period. The Frito-Lay agreementis currently under negotiation.

“Overall, the Canadian industry is verydisciplined,” Donald concludes. “Nobodygrows on speculation anymore.”

Source: Statistics Canada Cansim Table001-0014 (000cwt)

Streef Produce Limited has ample storage for its 2014 potato crop at Princeton,Ontario. Photo by Glenn Lowson.

Canadian Potato Production 2014

THE GROWER


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The 2015 Canadian Horticultural Council’s Annual GeneralMeeting is scheduled for March 10 – 12, 2015 at Quebec City’sFairmont Château Frontenac. Your hosts are preparing a first-classevent based on the theme Healthy You.

The business sessions will address issues of top priority for CHCmembers and include presentations and panel discussions on the manyissues facing horticulture. Government officials and allied sector representatives will be on hand to hear your concerns and participatein the debate, and guest speakers will shed light on the issues that matter most to you.

Delegates are urged to complete the registration form and return itto the CHC National Office as soon as possible.

To make hotel reservations, please contact the Fairmont ChâteauFrontenac reservation line at 1-800-441-1414 and ask for the CanadianHorticultural Council rate. • Group Code: CHC0315• Rates for standard rooms: $159 single/double occupancy.• Reservation cut-off date: February 8, 2015 *

*Please note neither the special conference rate nor availabilityare guaranteed after February 8, 2015.

For the conference registration form, go to www.hortcouncil.ca

Quebec City to host 93rdAnnual General Meeting

Overarching objective of theproposed Canadian Policy:Increasing the consumption offruits and vegetables supportsimproved nutrition which wouldsignificantly improve the healthand well-being of Canadians,reduce the costs and burden ofchronic diseases, and improveeconomic growth and employ-ment in and beyond the producesector.

The problem: A healthy andnutritious diet that includes theregular consumption of fruits andvegetables is known to reduce therisk of chronic diseases. PHACfigures indicate that three out offive Canadians over the age of 20have a chronic disease and fourout of five are at risk of develop-ing one. As well as their personaland family burden, it is estimatedthat chronic diseases costCanadians $190 billion annually,with $122 billion in indirectincome and productivity lossesand $68 billion in direct healthcare costs. The direct cost ofchronic diseases accounts forabout 58 per cent of the annualhealth care spending in Canada.

The Proposal: The science is

in. Increased consumption offruits and vegetables wouldreduce these costs, freeing thosefunds for health care, researchand other priorities.

In addition, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables would also contributeto improved economic performance and prosperity of theproduce sector as well as forother stakeholders including theretail and food service industries.

Canada’s health, businessand illness communities areagreed on the path forward: In2013 and 2014 a partnership ofbusiness, federal government andNGO partners organized twonational summits to consider theproblem and determine a path forward for increased fruit andvegetable consumption. Theviews of the experts and the experience of other countries tellus that a national policy is theessential platform for increasingthe consumption of fruits andvegetables.

A national policy is essentialto move forward: • A national policy would be thecenterpiece of an integrated plan.

• It would provide the policyand fiscal frameworks for fundingallocations and would bridge thevarious healthy eating initiativesof Health Canada, AAFC, andPHAC. • Federal leadership would bringalignment and cohesion to thenumerous initiatives and activitiesthat exist at the provincial/territorial and municipal levels aswell as those of charitable, non-profit and industry organizations. • Such a national policy framework for increasing fruitand vegetable consumption isclearly aligned with the prioritiesof the Economic Action Plan2014, including supporting jobsand growth through increasedemployment opportunities andskills development, especially foryouth, and supporting familiesand communities. • The national policy frameworkwould focus on three prioritystrategies: common messaging,food skills and children’s programs. It would work to alleviate common barriers tohealthy eating, such as: availability, accessibility andaffordability; lack of food

preparation, handling and storageskills and knowledge; and mixedand unclear messaging due tofragmented, multiple and competing programs. • By focusing on children, thenational policy would work tohelp raise future Canadians whounderstand and embrace the benefits of a healthy, nutritiousdiet. • By providing federal guidelines and funding supportfor programs at the provincial/territorial and community levels,the health and well-being of allCanadians, and especially vulnerable populations, will beimproved.

Other G7 countries are lead-ing the way: Canada is the onlyG7 country without some form ofa national nutrition policy. TheU.S. National School LunchProgram, which is administeredthrough state agencies, increasesthe availability of fruits, vegetables and whole grains forschool-age children and providestechnical training and assistanceto help school food service staffsprepare healthful meals. France,Germany and Italy participate in

the EU School Fruit Scheme,which brings partners in the agriculture, public health andeducational sectors together toprovide fruit and vegetables toschoolchildren to encourage life-long healthy eating habits. TheUK’s national policy ensures allschoolchildren aged four to sixreceive a piece of fruit eachschool day, and Japan has anational in-store learning program.

Stakeholders are ready towork in partnership in supportof a national policy: TheCanadian Produce MarketingAssociation and the CanadianPublic Health Association, alongwith producers, retailers, foodservice professionals, health professionals and the leadingchronic disease communitiesincluding Heart and Stroke,Canadian Cancer and CanadianDiabetes and other stakeholders,are working together to establishthe framework for a national fruitand vegetable nutrition policy.

Towards a Canadian fruit and vegetable nutrition policyCANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL

THE GROWER


THE GROWER


Following are highlights fromthe OFVGA board meeting heldDecember 11, 2014. The purposeof this brief is to keep you up-to-date on the issues that theOFVGA is working on, as well asprojects and initiatives the organization is involved in.

Financial review and budget

Representatives from Tonin &Co. LLP reviewed their auditreport with the board for theOFVGA fiscal year endedOctober 31, 2014. Final financialstatements will be presented tothe OFVGA membership at theannual general meeting in Januaryin Niagara Falls.

The board approved the budgetfor 2015, which includes$300,000 in funding for theOFVGA Research and PromotionFund for its member associations.More information will be circulat-ed directly to the member associ-ations by OFVGA. The boardalso approved allocation of fundstowards office improvements andrenovations to start in 2015.

Research

Fruit and vegetable industryrepresentatives met in Woodstockon November 17 for a researchpriority setting session.Participating organizations wereeach asked to bring five prioritiesfor their sector/commodity.

It has been proposed that thecategory of “field vegetables” besub-divided into new categories:bulb and root vegetables, leafyvegetables and crucifers, andfruiting vegetables. Other veg-etable categories include green-house vegetables, processing veg-etables, asparagus and potatoes.

Pest management was identi-fied as a common need across allcommodities and captured intoone overarching pest managementpriority; this eliminates the needto make difficult choices betweendifferent crops and different pestmanagement issues. The remain-ing four priorities for each groupshould consider the entire valuechain, which includes growing,packing, distribution, marketing,retail, consumers etc.

Commodity organizations haveuntil December 19 to submit theirremaining four value-chainfocused research priorities. Anexpert panel will be established tonarrow the proposed priorities toa top ten list in the new year.

Crop protection

The Ontario government haslaunched consultations withrespect to upcoming legislation torestrict the use of neonicotinoidsby farmers starting in 2016. Inconsultation with agriculturalorganizations, it was agreed thatFarm & Food Care will take thelead on public communicationswith respect to pollinators andneonicotinoid pesticides. OFVGA

will provide technical support andinformation wherever possible.The OFVGA will also be submitting a response documentto the posting on theEnvironmental Bill of Rights; thedeadline is January 25, 2015.

Safety nets

The Self-Directed RiskManagement (SDRM) referencecommittee met in Guelph onDecember 10. The requirementfor producers to be enrolled inAgriStability in order to be eligible for SDRM has been liftedfor 2015 onwards. Administrativecosts will be monitored over thenext year to determine whetheradjustments need to be made.

There are two working groupsat the national level looking atneeds for the successor programto Growing Forward 2 withrespect to Risk Management(BRM) and non-Business RiskManagement (non-BRM) pro-gramming. A mid-term review ofGF2 programming will also takeplace in 2015. Surveys will becirculated and recipients areencouraged to respond.

Annual General Meeting

Registration is still open forthe 2015 OFVGA annual generalmeeting. It will be held January13 and 14 in Niagara Falls. Visithttps://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ontario-fruit-vegetable-growers-associa-tion-156th-annual-general-meeting-tickets-13026305029 formore information and to registerfor the event.

Canadian Horticultural Council

Keith Kuhl, president of theCanadian Horticultural Council(CHC), met with the OFVGAboard to provide an update onactivities of the national organiza-tion. Kuhl is a potato growerfrom Manitoba and is serving in

his second year as CHC president.

The CHC’s chief role is that oflobby organization at the nationallevel on behalf of Canadian fruitand vegetable growers, with

ministers and members of parlia-ment, deputy ministers, standingcommittee members and others.CHC works in partnership withthe Canadian Produce MarketingAssociation (CPMA) whereverpossible, as well as through theFresh Produce Alliance.

Key issues:

• Financial protection for produce sellers – CHC is trying toencourage the federal governmentto uphold the commitment madeduring the RegulatoryCooperation Council (RCC)meetings between Prime MinisterHarper and President Obama toestablish a system in Canada sim-ilar to the Perishable AgriculturalCommodities Act (PACA) trustthat currently exists in the UnitedStates and offers financial protection to produce sellers. TheU.S revoked Canada’s preferential PACA status onOctober 1, 2014 as no similarsystem is in place on theCanadian side of the border.

• Labour – the federal govern-ment is targeting the TemporaryForeign Worker program. Theindustry needs a reliable and

consistent work force; CHC hasto reinforce the value of theindustry and why this is such acritical issue.

• Crop protection – product re-evaluations are continuing andwork is ongoing with PestManagement Regulatory Agencyand Pest Management Centre onthis.

• Risk management – the currentsuite of programs does not provide the predictability andneeded support. CHC will be participating in a mid-term reviewof Growing Forward 2, expectedin 2015, as well as providinginput into recommendations onthe GF2 successor program.

• Trade and market access – thefederal government is pursuingnew trade agreements for Canadaand will make sure Canadaupholds its responsibilities underthose agreements. However, it’salso important that Canada’s trading partners be held to thesame standards.

The CHC annual meeting willbe held in March 2015 in QuebecCity.

Board briefsONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION

Keith Kuhl, president of the Canadian Horticultural Council, metwith the OFVGA board of directors in early December.

THE GROWER


STAFFPublisher: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ AssociationEditor: Karen Davidson, 416-557-6413, [email protected]: Carlie Robertson, ext. 221, [email protected]: Herb Sherwood, 519-380-0118, [email protected] Grower reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Anyerrors that are the direct result of The Grower will be compen-sated at our discretion with a correction notice in the next issue.No compensation will be given after the first running of the ad.Client signature is required before insertion.The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association is the soleowner of The Grower. All editorials and opinions expressed inThe Grower are those of the newspaper’s editorial staff and/orcontributor, and do not necessarily reflect the view of the associa-tion.

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

OFFICE355 Elmira Road North, Unit 105Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 CANADATel. 519-763-8728 • Fax 519-763-6604The Grower is printed 12 times a year and sent to allmembers of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association who have paid $30.00 (plus G.S.T.) per year forthe paper through their commodity group or container fees.Others may subscribe as follows by writing to the office:

$30.00 (+ G.S.T.) /year in Canada$40.00/year International

Subscribers must submit a claim for missing issues withinfour months. If the issue is claimed within four months, butnot available, The Grower will extend the subscription byone month. No refunds on subscriptions.

P.M. 40012319

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2013

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEEChair Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-LakeVice-Chair Jason Verkaik, BradfordFruit Director Norm Charbonneau, Port ElginVeg Director Jan Vander Hout, WaterdownDirector Charles Stevens, Newcastle

BOARD OF DIRECTORSApples Charles Stevens, NewcastleFresh Vegetable - Other Mary Shabatura, Windham CentreTender Fruit John Thwaites, Niagara-on-the-LakeON Asparagus Grws’. Mkg. Brd. Jason Ryder, DelhiGGO/Fresh Grape Growers Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-LakeFresh Vegetable - Muck Jason Verkaik, BradfordON. Potato Board Mac James, LeamingtonSmall Fruit/Berries Norm Charbonneau, Port ElginON. Ginseng Growers’ Ken Van Torre, BurfordGreenhouse Jan Vander Hout, WaterdownGreenhouse Don Taylor, Durham

OFVGA SECTION CHAIRS

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

The New Year always bringsout thoughts of what is going tohappen in the coming year. Manyquestions with required decisionscome to light. Are these going tobe short-term or long-term decisions? What are the impactsgoing to be of our decisions? Dowe have the right knowledge andhave we considered all of theknowledge in making the decision? Are we even makingthe right decision?

It is important to recognizeAND appreciate the impact thatdecisions can have. In the pastyear, growers have had decisionsfoisted upon them without theirinput and without considerationas to the impact of that decision.For example, the decision of theUnited States Department ofAgriculture to cancel the preferred status for Canadian sellers under the Perishable

Agricultural Commodities Act(PACA) has had an immediatenegative impact on our growers.This is not a multi-billion dollarimpact and may not have theattention of the Canadian govern-ment. The fact that Ottawa madeNO decision to counter with amade-in-Canada proposal is hardto digest when the horticulturalsector provided all the context forthe loss of this financial protection.

These questions are germaneto many different players in horticultural production. If youare a producer of an annual crop,decisions like the right crop, theright variety, the right timing andthe right market all impact how“right” your decision is going tobe. Similarly, for those producing perennial crops, questions on the right technology,right costs and right marketsabound. It behooves any producer to take pause and consider all of the impacts oftheir decisions on their business,their farm and their environment.And all of these decisions aremade with complete knowledgeof the farm business.

Similarly, when it comes tosectoral questions we all have astake in how the decision-makingprocess is framed. This is fundamental when it comes topolicy decisions, and when thesedecisions are made without complete information, it is easy tomake a seemingly informed

decision which has unintendedconsequences. The decision toraise the minimum wage inOntario was directed at those living in strongly urban areas,who are barely able to survivewith little income. It is apparentthat the unintended consequenceto horticulture was never considered when this decisionwas made. So now we must findways to make the sector morecompetitive as a result of a decision made without consultingall stakeholders.

There is an expression“drowning in information, thirsting for knowledge.”

In these days of unfetteredaccess to the internet, and reamsand reams of information, it is notdifficult to find information fromseemingly credible sources. Anorganization such as theInternational Union forConservation of Nature soundslike it could be a reasonable, balanced source for information.In reality, of the 23 Canadianmembers, 17 are non-governmentorganizations (NGOs) and the restare government agencies. Noneare from industry. So it can beseen that there is a distinct biasamongst the membership of thisseemingly independent thinkingorganization. Then, for any organization to rely on this information as a key source ofindependent data is a sham. Andfor decisions to be made usingonly these data without

considering the complete data setis not acceptable. Decisions mustbe made with the right information, and not ignoring relevant information.

Similarly, the U.S. Centre forFood Safety sounds like a credible United States governmental organization (muchlike the Canadian ResearchInstitute for Food Safety at theUniversity of Guelph, a verycredible organization). Howeverthis organization is neither aUnited States government organization nor is it withoutcredibility issues. It is a “nationalnon-profit public interest andenvironmental organization” andas such cannot be treated as anindependent, unbiased source ofinformation. While these organizations may have someinfluence on the decision-makingprocess, they should not and mustnot be treated with the sameveracity as a truly independentsource of information. This alsoaffects the impact of the decision.

Deciding to make a change, orto not make a change, are equallyimportant decisions. If, after fulland complete analysis of a situation, it is determined that a

decision is to be made then so beit. If the decision is made tostand pat, then also so be it.However, understanding theimpact of a decision in criticalanalysis cannot be understated.Growers take responsibility for allof the decisions that they make,and these are made that balancethe best interests in the farm, theenvironmental, social and economic stability of the operation. The key word is balance.

Growers know that their decisions influence the future viability of their operation andtake these decisions very seriously. They will not risk thelong-term sustainability of theoperation. The OFVGA workshard at influencing decisionsmade away from the farm to befair and balanced. The OFVGAmust work for its members, andtherefore has a stake in the business. Similarly, those thatmake decisions that affect theiroperations must also take this intoaccount, so decisions that aremade must not be made lightlyand with a heavy bias. They needto have a stake in it too!

We all have a stake in the future

JOHN KELLYEXECUTIVE VP, OFVGA

I was optimistic in 2011 whenPrime Minister Harper andPresident Obama announced thatthrough the Regulatory Co-operation Council (RCC) thatregulatory impediments to tradeand commerce would be reduced.One of these impediments wasthe lack of a Perishable

Agricultural Commodities Act(PACA) like trust in Canada. TheOntario Fruit and VegetablesGrowers’ Association (OFVGA)along with many farm organizations have been lobbyingfor the establishment of a made-in-Canada PACA- like trust thatwould extend the same benefits tothe Canadian produce industry asin the U.S. In the U.S. PACAlicenses buyers of produce toensure that those who sell produce receive appropriate andtimely payment for their fruitsand vegetables. Canadian sellerswere given preferential treatmentin the U.S., as we were the onlysellers that were protected byPACA; other countries importingproduce into the U.S. did nothave access to protection fromPACA. We had been warned foryears that if we did not reciprocate with a similar Act toprotect U.S. growers selling into

Canada we would lose our long-standing preferential treatment. Canada has beenpromising reciprocity to the U.S.produce industry for many years.

Due to a lack of progress onthis commitment from Canada,the United States Department ofAgriculture (USDA) revokedCanada’s preferential access toPACA as of October 1, 2014.

This act was put in place in theU.S. because of the perishablenature of fresh produce. If abuyer doesn’t pay we cannot sim-ply go and get the product back --it would be spoiled or no longermarketable. PACA armed pro-duce sellers with a big stick -- ifa buyer did not pay in a timelymanner a claim could be submit-ted to PACA. This action wouldput the buyer’s license to purchase at risk. PACA wouldalso protect sellers in the eventthat a buyer declared bankruptcy.

These benefits that Canadiangrowers enjoyed in the U.S. wereall lost in October. Now if abuyer does not pay for producethe grower must post a bondequal to twice the amount of theclaim. So a grower who has anunpaid bill of $25,000 wouldhave to post a $50,000 bond tomake a claim against the buyer.This money could be tied up foryears. The USDA made it veryclear that our preferentialtreatment would not be reinstateduntil we enacted an equivalent toPACA.

The impact of the USDAaction will be felt right across thecountry. Canadian fruit and vegetable growers sell 40 per centof their production into the U.S.,representing $1.5 billion in sales.Approximately 50 per cent ofproduce imports into Canadacomes from the U.S. This synergywith the U.S. offers Canadian

consumers with a year-round supply of affordable fresh produce.

The fruit and vegetable industry has a solution: DOWHAT WE SAID WE WOULDDO. Government must enact alimited statutory deemed trustmodeled on what is in place inthe U.S. This would offer effective protection for Americanand Canadian growers selling perishable produce in theCanadian market place and fulfillthe requirements to have our preferential treatment reinstatedin the U.S. A deemed trust wouldnot require any government funding or administration. Thereis no excuse for further inaction.A deemed trust must be put inplace before produce growers areimpacted by the loss of protectionand consumers are hit with higherfruit and vegetable pricing.

Inaction proves costly

RAY DUCCHAIR, OFVGA

There is an expression “drowning in information, thirsting for knowledge.”

THE GROWER


Research drives progress, andproducers know it. Access toresearch results is key to on-farmimplementation.

News vehicles such as TheGrower dedicate a lot of space totransferring knowledge fromthose who create it, to those whocan use it. In some cases, thosewho create it are other farmers. Inother cases, knowledge sourcesare government scientists or university researchers, such asthose at the University of Guelphand its affiliated campuses.

In all cases, those who can useit are producers, as well as industry.

The University of Guelph took

another step towards greaterresearch information accessibilityin December when it revealedwhat’s called the Food Map. It’san electronic portal designed tooffer users easy directions to findresearch activity and results.

Users who come to the portalat https://foodmap.lib.uoguelph.ca(housed in the University’sMcLaughlin Library) can browsethrough about 2,500 titles ofongoing and completed researchprojects. Most are food-relatedand funded by the OntarioMinistry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs. The library hasaccess to researchers’ reportsfrom these projects, thanks to theUniversity – OMAFRA partner-ship.

Some of the titles, especiallythose now underway, do not haveany additional information.Others have abstracts and summaries. Researchers can manually edit the entries as theirprojects advance.

Wayne Johnston, the FoodMap project manager, says datacollectors will reach out to information sources weekly toupdate the map. He says it willgrow as the university installs anew institute-wide research information system over the next

two years or so, and centrallycaptures research informationfrom all disciplines.

“Our approach was to usesources already available to getthe food map off the ground,”says Johnston. Indeed, the projecthas been in the works for the pasttwo years, initiated by formerGuelph food scientist RickeyYada, now of the University ofBritish Columbia, who saw aneed to connect scientists withindustry.

Fruit and vegetable growersare front and centre in the cartoon-like demo of the FoodMap, which can be accessed atwww.powtoon.com/show/gcJsM7XDiDR/food-map-draft-2/#/ andcentres around three case studiesbased on a hypothetical producefarmer, a grape grower and, to alesser extent, a journalist.

The produce farmer, dubbed“Jeff,” owns several greenhousesacross Ontario. His business issuffering, says the narrator, fromthe short growing season. Hegoes to the food map and enters asearch for greenhouse vegetables.There, he finds several entries,including one that says“Strategies for extending thegreenhouse vegetable growingseason in Ontario,” which offers

ideas for a research-based strategy to inform Jeff’s business.He contacts the lead researcherand begins discussions about thetwo forming a research partnership.

In the second case study,Carla, a wine researcher, wondersabout getting value from some ofthe by-products of wine making.She visits the food map and findsan entry titled “Grape pomace asa novel tool to treat insulin resistance and diabetes.” She contacts the lead researcher andthey too discuss a research partnership.

In the final case study, a CBCreporter named Raj is looking fora contact for a story about giantragweed and its impact on soybean production. Once again,with minimal effort on his part,

he finds a source by visiting thefood map and entering a few keywords.

Johnston expects the typicalusers to be business and industryrepresentatives (including farmers) looking for researchexpertise, interdisciplinaryresearchers looking for expertsoutside their traditional scientificcircles, government officials(especially those involved in policy development) and medialike Raj looking for experts.

Other research-intensive universities may eventually haveinformation made availablethrough the food map. But whenit comes to agriculture and foodresearch, Guelph’s expertise isexponentially greater than theothers combined – and so are itsefforts to reach out.

Food map gives directions to research activity and results

OWEN ROBERTSU OF GUELPH

PERSPECTIVE

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A beekeeper’s perspective on insecticidesIn response to

Craig Hunter'sarticle onScience or

Pseudo-Science inyour June issue, Iwould like topoint out a

number of misconceptions he seems to haveabout beekeepers.

Insecticides by their verynature, if not used properly, havealways been a problem with thosefarmers who make their liveli-hood with insects. It is not new.Way back in 1892 the first beerelated law was to prohibit farm-ers from spraying an insecticideon blooming fruit trees becausesome growers thought they couldnot produce a crop without it andothers did not care about theimpact their actions had on theenvironment.

Over the years there has been asuccession of chemicals that hadto be abandoned because theykilled more than the intended target. In the 1860s we had theArsenate formulations, then theDDT mixes and the Furadan formulations. In the 1970s wecame up with a new way of looking at pest control in order tolessen the use of chemicals. Wedeveloped IPM (Integrated Pest

Management). This was a bigimprovement. Now we seem tohave come back full circle withthe latest family of deadly chemi-cals. We treat the seed and theplant is protected from anyinsects that should feed on it. It'scheap, easy to apply, and deadly.Who cares what else it kills?The chemical companies tell uswe just can't live without it, "butrefuse to show us the sciencebehind it." Now we wonder howwe ever grew a crop without it.

All of this raises a thornyquestion. Are some farmers negatively affecting other farmers'ability to farm? In Ontario, onefarmer may not interfere with theability of his neighbour to make aliving at farming. We had todevelop various rules about this,like spray drift, changing thewater course, polluting streams,and water wells.

Beekeeping is a beneficial pursuit both to the beekeeper andto the fruit and vegetable industry. One third of our food isinsect-pollinated. We have todevelop pest-specific chemicalsthrough good science and getaway from these broad spectruminsecticides.

Henry HiemstraAlymer, ON

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THE GROWER

BRUCE KELLY

Having an adequate water supply in terms of volume, quality and at the right time iscritical to all farming operations.Water supply, quality efficiencyhave been the main focus of Farm& Food Care’s Water ResourceAdaptation and ManagementInitiative (WRAMI) and theWater Adaptation Managementand Quality Initiative (WAMQI)programs over the last two yearsand we have funded more than 45applied research projects addressing issues of water andnutrient use efficiency in Ontarioagriculture.

Over the last two years, as wehave been analyzing Ontario’swater resources for agriculturalproduction, comparisons toCalifornia and its ongoing waterwoes have been unavoidable.

During the dry 2012 growingseason, rainfall in Ontario rangedfrom near normal in the southwest to only about half thenormal precipitation in the east,delineated by a 30-year trend.Severe droughts affected Ontariofrom 1997-1999, in 2002 and2007 but most years, Ontario hasadequate water resources to meetits current agricultural productionaside from localized watershedconcerns and those ‘dry years.’

Someone once said you canlearn from people who are either“a great role model or a terrible

example” and California casestudies demonstrate both goodand bad experiences with lowwater situations. They have madetremendous strides in terms ofequipment efficiency, but efficiency can only carry you sofar if you are using water fasterthan nature replaces it.

In 2013 California exported2.7 billion dollars’ worth of foodto Canada. That’s up from $2.2billion in 2009. Lettuce andstrawberries during Ontario’swinter season account for about$260 million per year of this total.On the export side, Canada sentproduce worth $325 million to theGolden state in 2013 up from$257 million in 2009.

2013 and 2014 have been verydry years in California and morethan 500,000 acres were notplanted in 2014. Almond trees arebeing removed from the groundin some places as they simply usetoo much water. Thirty nine million people live in Californiaand have a priority in waterrights’ issues.

So should Ontarians look elsewhere for winter vegetablesupplies?

Questions to ponder:• Does the California drought present an opportunity to increaseCanada’s (Ontario’s) fresh foodproduction? • If we decide to grow, whereshould we grow? What optimalland is left to be used for

vegetable production?• Do the sustainability questionsraised in California support sustainable food in Ontario?

The Metcalf Foundation, withits goal to help Canadians imagine and build a just, healthy,and creative society, released areport in 2008 with this conclu-sion to the question of growth. Init, it states, “that interest in localfood may have reached whatMalcolm Gladwell calls the ‘tip-ping point,’ a term borrowed fromepidemiology to describe whatappears to be the sudden transition that occurs when a clus-ter of small-scale events evolvesinto a widespread social trend.”

Are we at that point with foodproduction in southern Ontario?

It’s a hard question to answer.What we can say is that growingawareness of the value andimportance of local food needs tobe translated into real dollar support for sustainable local foodproduction. Although consumerdemand for sustainably grownlocal food is increasing, buyinglocal (and paying the true cost offood) has yet to become a mainstream habit for the majorityof consumers.

We need to shift some of thediscussion to the positives that wehave going for us in Ontario andlook at expanding opportunities togrow more fresh food in Ontariobut, we need a plan. Ontarioneeds both a marketing plan and asustainable development strategyto encourage reasonably pacedgrowth in areas where there is

demand (consumer), resources(water), interested growers andcapital to foster continued growthand chart a realistic, sustainableplan to expand food production tomeet the needs of the Ontarioconsumer.

Sustainability is a complexissue, but does not have to be“anti-growth.” In fact lessonslearned from elsewhere can helpus redefine what sustainabilitymeans in the Ontario context and

chart a better path forward forOntario for both our economy andour society.

For information aboutWAMQI-funded projects, visitthe Environment section atwww.farmfoodcare.org or contactBruce Kelly [email protected]

Bruce Kelly is environmental program manager, Farm & FoodCare.

Where should we increase production in Ontario?

Jan 7 – 9 Potato Expo 2015, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL

Jan 9 – 25 20th Niagara Icewine Festival

Jan 13 Ontario Apple Growers’ Annual General Meeting, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Niagara Falls, ON

Jan 13 Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario Annual General Meeting, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Niagara Falls, ON 8:30 am to 10 am.

Jan 13 - 14 Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association Annual General Meeting, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Niagara Falls, ON

Jan 20-21 Ontario Processing Vegetable Industry Conference, Four Points by Sheraton, London, ON

Jan 20 – 22 Empire State Producers’ Expo, Oncenter, Syracuse, NY

Jan 22 Federation of Quebec Apple Growers’ Annual General Meeting, La Prairie, QC

Jan 26-27 Scotia Horticultural Congress 2015, Old Orchard Inn, Greenwich, NS

Jan 27-28 Manitoba Potato Production Days, Brandon, MB

Jan 27-28 Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association Annual Convention, Old Orchard Inn, Greenwich, NS

Jan 29-Feb 1 Guelph Organic Conference & Expo, Guelph University Centre, Guelph, ON

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

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

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

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THE GROWER


RETAIL NAVIGATOR

What takes priority when category managers make decisions?

Category managers are themost important people forsuppliers. You need to have a

strong relationship with thesepeople to ensure your items havethe best chance for success. Lastmonth we discussed the importance of understanding theindividual. This month we willexplore how they make the decisions which have such a bigimpact on your business.

There are many factors thatinfluence your category manager’s decision-making. Youhave to remember the overallobjective for a category manageris to drive sales and deliver a bottom line. They have many different strategies to achievethese two goals and your challenge is to determine whatwill resonate with them.

I have identified three majorinfluences on the category manager’s decision-making.These were true when I was sitting across the desk from suppliers and they are still truetoday:a) Overall category strategyb) Corporate strategyc) Personality of your categorymanager

Overall category strategy

There are three priorities yourcategory manager will try todeliver. They are sales, marginsand shrink. They can all beimportant and there will be timeswhen sales are number one ormargins are number one. It isvery important to ask questionsthat will allow you to determinewhich is most important. Theretail landscape is very challeng-ing with all retailers fighting forsales. This would lead us tobelieve sales are always numberone but not so. If a retailer investstoo much to drive sales then theywill have to recover the margin.Before you go to a meeting try tohave a conversation where youcan ask some questions such as:

“How are sales?”

“You have had some aggressiveads lately, are they driving traf-fic?”

“Your competition is really mov-ing their shelf pricing, do youthink the consumer will notice?”

The answers to these questionswill give you some clues as towhat they are really focused on.You can just ask what is mostimportant but sometimes it is better to let it come out in theconversation.

If you operate in a perishabledepartment, shrink can be animportant issue. When sales aretough the bottom line has to bedelivered. Shrink is one area thatwill get more focus and highshrink items can become casualties. Understand your sellthru at the front end. If you arehigher than acceptable you needto introduce some programs toreduce the shrink on your item(s).

Once you have determined thecategory strategy, you can develop ideas to help you getmore exposure. If sales are number one, then you need tobring programs to drive sales.These can be ads, in stores,coupons, demos, off-shelf merchandising, themes or someother innovation to drive movement. If the top priority ismargin then you need to exploresome theme ads that will drivevolume with lower investment,perhaps some bundling to getmore margin or demos that drivevolume at regular retail.

Corporate strategy

The second major influence onyour category manager will be thecorporate strategy. Retailers havetheir own blueprint on sellingfood. Sobeys are focused on foodfirst and they want opportunitiesto become a bigger part ofCanadian consumers’ food purchases. Walmart continue todrive home value and they havesome aggressive ads to drive traffic. Loblaw is keeping its shelfpricing more competitive withsome three-day ads to drive traffic. Visit the stores and thewebsites to understand what theyare trying to accomplish. Whatare they saying to their customers?

Within the retailers they havedifferent store formats. Discountbanners have different strategiesthan conventional food stores.Your programs should reflectthese store formats.

You should also understandthe retailer’s position on globalfoods, health and wellness andconvenience. These are all trendsand the focus at one retailer isdifferent than the others.

The overall corporate strategywill impact the decision-making.Retailers are looking for productsand programs that complementtheir position in the market.Personality of your category manager.

Last month I shared a strategyto develop a profile of your category manager. You need tobuild this to understand how theymake decisions. They are all different and your best chance forsuccess will be with products and

programs that appeal to their individual style and personality. If they are aggressive you need toprovide opportunities for them tobe aggressive.

Once you have determined thecategory strategy, overall strategyand the personality of the catego-ry manager, you can develop youroffering for them. These are veryimportant factors to consider.They have options and you needto deliver products and programsthat resonate with their prioritiesfor the best chance at success.These priorities will shift; theycan change from one quarter tothe next. Results will influencetheir strategies, which is why it isso important to have regular dialogues with your categorymanagers. You will have the bestchance at success with every

decision if you can complementthe category strategy, the overallstrategy and appeal to the personality of the category manager.

What’s in store? You shouldbe!

In the food industry the weeksleading up to Christmas are soimportant. There are few categories that are not impactedby holiday shopping. You need tobe in the stores to see what ishappening. Did your items makeit to the assigned displays and arethey selling? Many retailers willmake their plans for the 2015 holiday season in January while itis fresh in everyone’s mind. Makesure you are ready for the conversation.

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

PETER CHAPMAN

THE GROWER


FOCUS: FOOD PROCESSING

Tapping into business-to-business opportunities KAREN DAVIDSON

Connecting the players can behard to do in the go-go environ-ment of fresh produce. Food andBeverage Ontario (FBO) recentlybrought together representativesof the broader public sector whichspends about $750 million onfood each year. This sector comprises public institutions,including elementary schools,universities and colleges, hospi-tals and long-term care facilities.

“Tapping into the knowledgeand experience of these success-ful food processors provides vitalinsight into the details and chal-lenges of preparing food for thebroader public sector,” said FBO

executive director, Steve Peters. In the fresh produce industry,

don’t forget the heft of a value-chain player such as Gordon FoodService (GFS). “We boughtabout $9 million of Ontario fruitsand vegetables in 2014,” saysBozzer. “Due to our size, it’s difficult to satisfy all customers,so we are looking for standardiza-tion. What do you grow reallywell? We want the expertise ofthe best farmers.”

Bozzer is in charge of theOntario local food procurementprogram for GFS which distributes food to restaurants,healthcare and institutions. Theopportunities in the business-to-business sector may not be soobvious. Growers are not likely

to bump into Bozzer at industrymeetings or the Ontario FoodTerminal. However, he’s animportant connector in the valuechain.

“We ship 100,000 pieces ofproduct per night right acrossOntario so our delivery baysaren’t set up to take 20 cases ofturnip,” he says. “We’re moreinterested in working with foodhubs as well as consolidators whocan offer multiple products in asingle delivery.”

Bozzer is currently workingwith a grower close to theHolland Marsh who aggregatescarrots, onions, beets and potatoesfrom other growers. The serviceto GFS is to package and labelwith traceability codes from

CanadaGAP-approved farmersand to deliver in contract quantities on time. These localvegetables then find their wayinto such GFS menu items as anOntario-made lasagna which is 90per cent sourced from Ontariofoods.

The other opportunity for commodity groups is to extendthe season. “We would love tobuy more Ontario peaches if theywere in season,” says Bozzer. “Isthere a way to squeeze an extraweek or two out of Ontarioasparagus? Can some of that cropbe staggered to a more northernlocation?” That type of mentalitywill translate into opportunitieswith GFS.

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Apple slices are dipped in fruit flavourings What better way to kick off the new

year than with a new product. FreshLineFoods is launching apple slices flavouredwith peaches or grapes, adding flavour layers without taking away the familiarcrunchy texture. The idea is to reinvent aconventional fruit in a way that appeals toboth kids and millennials.

“Apple slices have done very well in theretail marketplace, but I thought that twoounces of apples were overpackaged,”explain Noel Brigido, vice-president,FreshLine Foods, Mississauga, Ontario.

“While the U.S. model was for single-servepackages, I thought there was a place for400 grams and a snack-sized 55 grampouch. It’s a good entry-level size thatmothers can portion into kids’ lunches inresealable containers.”

Collaborating with Food Freshly, aflavouring supplier, FreshLine Foods hasinvested two years to develop the proprietary process. They are now satisfied with the addition of naturalflavours without a sticky or sugary coating.Layers of packaging can add more cost

than the value of the produce itself, soFreshLine has reduced the footprint.

The apples are sourced from BamfordFamily Farms in Ontario, part of theFreshLine Foods company. What’s innovative is that FreshLine has collaborated using locally grown producewith a regional flavouring supplier fornational distribution. This achievement ismore akin to that of a multi-national corporation, demonstrating their vision andnimbleness in reading marketplace needs.

How growers are transforming into food companies

Food trends in 2015 augurwell for the produce industry.Carolyn Cooper, editor of Foodin Canada, the nation’s foodand beverage processing magazine, quotes InnovaMarket Insights: “Fruit and vegetables will be bigger players in packaged goods in2015, to add both natural colourand flavour as well as a dose ofpermissible indulgence to foodand beverages.”

The following stories add credence to her predictions.

THE GROWER


Apple chips inspire a brand extension into vegetables

Superfood kale is transformed into chips


A dusting of snow doesn’t stop kale harvest forAdrian and Draupadi Quinn. Thecold-hardy Brassica thrives into mid-December. But the workcontinues in nearby Cobourgwhere Brandneu Foods CanadaInc. processes the raw ingredientinto kale chips in a repurposedfood plant.

The 70,000 square-foot facilityis home to a burgeoning businessthat just earned the Premier’sAgri-Innovation Award forExcellence. The $50,000 prize isthe pinnacle of 50 awards thatreward innovation throughoutOntario. Their story resonateswith the entire food chain – fromtheir conversion of former tobacco land into an organic oasisto grow the latest superfood tothe solar-powered kitchen that airdries the final kale chip.

Kale is considered asuperfood

because it’shigh in

vitamin Kand fibre.As such, it’sa healthyalternativeto more

fat-ladensnacks, especially

when prepared with nooil.

Brandneu Foods is a partnership between KokimoKitchen Ltd of Castleton, Ontarioand Ecoideas Innovations Inc. inMarkham. Adrian Quinn and hispartner Rafic Sidani sell underthe label Solar Raw Foods tohealth food stores across Canada.Flavours range from hemp creamand chive to red peppercornranch, spicy curry lime and pinksalt.

What to do with the $50,000?That covers some of the interestpayments on the more than $1million invested in productionequipment last fall.

Photos fron YouTube: Premier’sAward for Agri-Food Innovation-- Kaley’s Acres.

Martin’s Family Fruit Farm, incorporat-ed in 1987, is well known as a leadinggrower, packer, wholesaler and processorof Ontario apples with more than 700 acresin production. With a processing facility inElmira, Ontario, they are diverting lower-grade apples into a dehydrated apple chip –no additives required. The Gala variety hasproved adaptable to this process as hasEmpire, Ambrosia and Golden Delicious.The first shipment of apple chips has justgone to Kuwait.

As a new entrant into the healthy snackcategory and with successful distribution inkey Canadian grocers such as Loblaw andCostco, company president Kevin Martin is

convinced there’s room to extend the brandinto vegetables. Through theAgriInnovation Program, the company hasaccessed $713,000 to adapt processingequipment for the slicing and dehydrationof sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots andtomatoes into chips.

“We’re setting up the equipment now,”says Peter Katona, marketing and salesmanager, Martin’s Family Fruit Farm.“We’ll be testing small batches.”

Innovating new products is not for thefaint of heart. Katona says that getting therecipe right is important. To that point, thecompany expects to engage a consumertest panel to make sure that the product has

broad appeal. If testing and scale-up procedures go well, plans are to be in production with a savoury vegetable snackby end of 2015. That means the companywill be looking for Ontario-grown produceand possibly expanding the plant in 2016.

“Scale-up is the big challenge,” saysKatona. “We have to be big enough tokeep the price points down and to generateenough product for new markets.”

Competition is fierce in the snack market and increasingly so in the healthysnack category. Katona says trade showsare the key bellwether of what’s new in themarket.

The biggest challenge is to get new

products into the hands of consumers, ormore specifically, to distributors. Byexhibiting at trade shows, the company hasdeveloped new leads such as the one toKuwait.

Cracking the U.S. market is high on thefamily farm’s wish list. Having enoughfinancial resources for marketing is alwaysthe limiting factor. With fuel prices downas well as a much softer Canadian dollar,the export prospects are looking brighter.The irony, says Katona, is that theirhealthy snacks are now competing againsttheir original core product: the apple.

THE GROWER


FOCUS: FOOD SAFETY

LORRAINE STEVENSON-HALL &WAYNE DU, OMAFRA

Consumers expect safe food. Themajority of today’s consumer is at leastthree generations removed from agricultureand is not familiar with how their food is

produced. Since most consumers do notknow the people who are producing theirfood, they are driving greater accountabili-ty and increased regulation from ‘farm tofork’.

The recently legislated Safe Food forCanadians Act is expected to come intoforce mid-2015. The Act will likely create

a greater push for food safety assurancesacross all levels of the food chain, including primary producers. In fact, moreand more food retailers and processors arerequesting their food suppliers to implement a food safety program and becertified. This is already being seen in thefresh produce sector, and the time is coming when it will apply to all commodities. The good news is that OMAFRA is here tohelp. Whether you want to learn moreabout controlling food safety risks on farm,or need resources to train your workers,including family members, to follow certain practices, we can assist.

Financial assistance is also availablethrough the Growing Forward 2 (GF2)funding program. If you need to upgradeyour facilities or equipment to meet foodsafety standards, or would like to hire afood safety consultant, you may receivefunding to help cover these costs.

Other eligible activities include a firsttime audit to a national or internationalfood safety program, and training workerson food safety practices. Participating in a food safety webinar provided by the Ontario Soil and CropImprovement Association (OSCIA) willhelp strengthen your GF2 funding application and increase your understand-ing of potential sources of risk. Coursedates and locations can be found on theOSCIA website www.ontariosoilcrop.organd they are free to attend. In addition towebinars, in person food safety workshops will be offered by OSCIAafter April 1, 2015. Continue tocheck OSCIA’s website for details. If you are a group or farm organization and would like anintroductory food safety sessionor a customized food safetyworkshop, please contact us.We will work with you toaccommodate yourrequest.

Finally, we will be atthe upcoming GuelphOrganic Conferenceand Expo andOntario Fruit andVegetableConvention tobe held in

January and February, 2015 respectively.There will be food safety informationand resources such as food safetyposters and factsheets available toyou. Please visit our booths and letus know how we can assist you inaddressing your food safetyneeds. We look forward tomeeting you at these events.

Contact us anytime [email protected] or 1-877-424-1300 to make arequest or if you haveany questions.

CFIA consultations for theSafe Food for Canadians Actended in October 2014 and draftregulations are expected to bepublished in Canada Gazette I inJanuary 2015. A 75-day com-ment period will follow for theindustry to have “last crack atcommentary.” Canada Gazette II

is anticipated for June 2015.These regulations, about 400

pages, are a modernization ofstandards for all food commodi-ties, not just produce. They dealwith licensing, labeling, import,export, interprovincial trade andtraceability. Of significance tothe industry will be requirementsfor a preventive control plan andtraceability records.

“The produce industry is supportive of regulatory modernization,” says SallyBlackman, manager, food safetyand nutrition, Canadian ProduceMarketing Association. “We hopethese regulations will be alignedwith the U.S. The good news isthat this review includes reviewlabeling and food safety, updatingof the organic regulations as well

as determination ofwhether grades andstandards will remainwithin the regulations or incorporated by reference.”

Modernizing standards for all foodcommodities expected in 2015

Meeting expectations for on-farm food safety

Wayne Du, Food Safety and Traceability Program Branch, OMAFRA, will beattending the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention February 18 and 19. Photosby Denis Cahill

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THE GROWER

FOCUS: FOOD SAFETY

Audits alone don’t protect growers from food safety responsibility

KAREN DAVIDSON

As a former media chiefand now executive

director of theConsumer Council of

Canada, KenWhitehurst brings

multiple perspec-tives to food

safety.

That’s why he was invited toaddress the recent annual generalmeeting of CanAgPlus, the non-profit association that managesthe CanadaGAP program. Thepanel discussion was titled “Whydo food safety practices matter?”

As a consumer living on theedge of Ontario’s Holland Marsh,Whitehurst sees all the food safety issues from seasoned eyes.“I see the microcosm everySaturday morning at the Aurorafarmers’ market – people disconnected from food trying toreconnect with how it’s produced.”

Day-to-day, his job is to standup for consumers’ rights andresponsibilities and to ensure asafe marketplace for consumers.“We’re a human rights organiza-tion really,” he says. “Fortunately,the rights of safety, consumerchoice and representation arealready in the Canadian Charter

of Rights.” In his role, he has been

involved with a major consumer group panel on

food information, labelingand advertising. Food

traceability was onetopic the panel consid-

ered. It doesn’t takelong to discover the

problem of incon-sistent standards

in the globalfood chain.

“A majorchange in

thinking ishow to

manageglobal

tradeand

food safety issues,” he says.“Governments are concluding thatthere are limits to what taxpayerswill pay for. That means the risksaround standards and enforce-ments have moved to you, thegrower. There are higher standards to meet. You are nowexposed to every tool in the legalarsenal available for individualsto protect their rights. If you don’tget it right, any consumer, individually or collectively, isentitled to protect their rights.”

While Whitehurst did not reference the 2011 episode ofListeria-contaminated, Colorado-grown cantaloupes, it’s a high-profile case history of the legalramifications to growers. Most of the United States’ can-taloupes are grown in California –about 80 per cent. But the 30-plusfatal illnesses in Colorado –where two per cent of the country’s cantaloupe is grown –affected an entire industry. Thegrowers had passed an audit, butthe paperwork didn’t prevent fruitcontamination.

“Truthfully, whether you’re agrower of $30,000 or $3 millionworth of product, you’re at thesame level of responsibility,” saysWhitehurst. “In the case of a classaction or other civil suit, a lawyerwill lay out the standards youshould have followed and whatprecedents apply. You may haverelief from some administrativeburdens responding to govern-ment, but in no other way. This isa pervasive and important trend inthe regulation of all products, notjust food.”

At this juncture, the Safe Foodfor Canadians Act is in the throesof final comments before becoming law in June 2015.These are important regulations tonote.

“I think what’s happening isthat everyone in business is beingchallenged with a standard ofcare,” says Whitehurst. “How

does ambiguity get resolved?Unfortunately it can be in the

court room. The SupremeCourt of Canada issued a

landmark ruling on whatthe public should expect

concerning the trust-worthiness of busi-

nesses. It involved atelecommunications

case that neededto reconcile

provincial andfederal

regulations.The truth is

you mayhave to

meetthe

highest standard.” “Once a problem devolves into

a civil suit, it seems probable thatin the event of provincial/federalconflict, the highest standard willbe the one to meet. These will bedifficult cases in class action lawfor offenders.”

Whitehurst’s comments wereechoed by Hugh Bowman, aCanAgPlus director and presidentof Canadian operations forMisionero Vegetables Ltd. “Asthe largest packer of spinach inCanada, (formerly with IppolitoGroup) we took a seven-digithaircut during the spinach crisisin the U.S. Today with GS1 coding, the story is different. Acompetitor had a recall recentlyand every consumer of the product was personally called bythe company.”

Whitehurst agrees: “The datarevolution is remaking businessand markets.”

In the question and answer session, the speakers were askedif consumers’ perceptions arechanging on produce. Whitehurstborrowed from his previousresume to point out that mediacompanies are in economic crisiswith fewer journalists and lesstime to research stories. Bad news

is relayed instantly and there arefew resources to explore subtleties.

Nick VanBerlo, Berlo’s BestSweet Potatoes, gave a grower’sperspective. His business is driven by the competitive retailerlandscape. The trend in the lasttwo years or so is that retailersare coming directly to growers forsomething exclusive to theirstores. Rather than a bulk product, they want somethingexclusive, packaged and labeledin a creative way. A food safetyprogram is table stakes to be partof this negotiation.

“Five years ago, food safetywas not on the table,” saysVanBerlo. “Now the question isare you food-safety-certifiedbefore you can progress to thenext level of discussion. Retailbuying behavior stems from consumer behavior.”

On-farm food safety is also abehavior, one that can be learnedand that can reproduce success.

Editor’s note: If any readers areinterested, the direct link to theconsumer group food informationpanel final report is:www.consumerscouncil.com/foodinfopanel


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“Truthfully, whether you’re a grower of $30,000or $3 million worth of product, you’re at the samelevel of responsibility.”~ Ken Whitehurst, Consumer Council of Canada

Photo by Glenn Lowson

CanadaGap enrolment increases significantly in Ontario

THE GROWER

FOCUS: FOOD SAFETY

HEATHER GALE

CanadaGAP is a food safetyprogram for companies that produce, pack, repack, store andwholesale fruits and vegetables. Itis designed to help implementeffective food safety procedureswithin fresh produce operations.Audit and certification servicesfor the program are delivered bythird party, accreditedCertification Bodies. The program has been benchmarkedand officially recognized by theGlobal Food Safety Initiative(GFSI) for certification options Band C.

Two manuals, one specific togreenhouses, the second for otherfruit and vegetable operations,have been developed by the horticultural industry andreviewed for technical soundnessby Canadian government officials. The manuals aredesigned for companies imple-menting Good AgriculturalPractices (GAPs) and GoodManufacturing Practices (GMPs),and maintaining an effective foodsafety program. The manuals arebased on a rigorous hazard analysis applying the seven principles of the internationally-recognizedHACCP (Hazard Analysis andCritical Control Point) approach.

Integration of repacking andwholesale food safety requirements

A major milestone was realized in 2014 with the unveiling of the fully integratedprogram on April 1st.CanadaGAP certification becameavailable to repacking and whole-saling operations under the newOption D. This achievement wasthe culmination of discussionsthat began in 2009 between theCanadian Horticultural Counciland the Canadian ProduceMarketing Association (CPMA)to consolidate CanadaGAP withthe former CPMA Repacking andWholesale Food Safety Program.The new certification option hasseen a steady pace of enrolmentsince its launch. CanadaGAPextends congratulations to thefirst companies who were certified under Option D:

• BC Hot House Foods• Western Harvest• Manley Sales• Chenail Import-Export• Les Aliments AquafuchsiaFoods Inc.

A number of other companieshave enrolled and are preparingfor upcoming audits. Once tenaccredited certificates have beenissued, CanadaGAP will beginthe process to benchmark OptionD to the Global Food SafetyInitiative (GFSI) requirements.

Directory of CanadaGAP-certified companies

Over the past year CanadaGAPhas worked to streamline internalprocesses to enable the compila-tion of a list of certified compa-nies. The new list, which will bepublished starting January 2015on the CanadaGAP website, consolidates the details based oninformation provided by the certification bodies. The list willbe a searchable PDF and drawson details of certificates issued,suspended or withdrawn. This listis designed to help users findCanadaGAP-certified companies;however, it is important to notethat the certification bodiesremain the definitive source toconfirm a supplier’s certificationstatus. More information can befound at www.canadagap.caunder “Certified Companies.”

Participation trends

More than 2,500 producers arenow enrolled in CanadaGAP, representing an increase of 3.5per cent since 2013. Thefollowing participation trends arenoteworthy for 2014:• The fastest-growing area of participation continues to be atthe farm level, as certified packinghouses request food safetycompliance from growers inresponse to new requirementsfrom retail/food service.• Continued trending towardsincreased enrolment amongOntario and U.S. producers. 2014saw a 100 per cent increase inOntario greenhouse enrolmentsand 25 per cent growth forOntario apple and combined vegetable producers.• High proportion of enrolmentscontinue to occur among

individuals choosing Option C(annual audit), comprising 40 percent of all certified companies.• The trend continues away fromthe four-year audit cycle options(A1 and A2), which now stand at30 per cent of all CanadaGAPenrolments. (Was 50 per cent in2011)• The proportion of producersachieving certification in a groupoption continues to be stable atapproximately 30 per cent ofenrolments.• This year saw higher than nor-mal retirements as the establishedfarming population ages.Processing potato producers arewithdrawing from CanadaGAPdue to reduced number of processing contracts. Manitobastarted with 80 and is now downto 68, New Brunswick was 96

and is now 88. The totals forpotato enrolments are stablebecause tablestock producers inother provinces have joined.• For the purposes of analyzingparticipation trends, enrolmentfigures are broken down by fivecrop groupings: Tree and VineFruit, Field Vegetables, Potatoes,Small Fruit, and Greenhouse.Total participation in CanadaGAPis 100 per cent. The proportion ofthat total occupied by each cropgrouping is presented on the nextpage.


CanadaGAP Auditors

• The auditor pool consists of 40 active and qualified CanadaGAP auditors (currently working for aCertification Body).This represents 23 per cent of those who have taken the CanadaGAP auditor trainingcourse and 34 per cent of those who passed the course.

Auditors by region:

THE GROWER


CanadaGap enrolment increases significantly in OntarioFOCUS: FOOD SAFETY

Based on # ofproducers

Tree andVine Fruit

FieldVegetables

Potatoes Small Fruit GreenhouseTotal

CanadaGAPParticipation

Percentage ofCanadaGAPparticipants

35% 24% 18% 15% 8% 100%

West Ontario Quebec Atlantic U.S. Total

# auditors 11 11 13 4 1 40

Percentage 27% 27% 33% 10% 3% 100%

Data current as at August 31, 2014

Reporting period from September 1 to August 31, 2014

Reporting period from September 1 to August 31, 2014

Proportion of CanadaGAP Participants represented by crop grouping:

2014 2013 2012 2011

No. of auditsreported

1037 1031 771 557

Crop Grouping 2014 2013 2012 2011

Potato 94.19 92.54 93.19 92.88

Greenhouse 92.40 94.80 95.16 95.07

Tree & Vine Fruit 89.19 92.71 88.99 89.77

Leafy Vegetable &Cruciferae

91.76 92.43 90.35 89.42

Small Fruit 90.91 92.71 91.11 90.91

CombinedVegetable

92.85 93.40 91.52 90.96

Overall Average 91.88 92.81 91.65 91.83

Audit Trends• Number of CanadaGAP Audits

• Average Audit Score by Crop Grouping

• Trends: Audit scores remain consistently high. This has been a steady trend over the years,across provinces and commodities. This trend shows a general consistency in audit resultsand in the implementation and interpretation of requirements.

What Else is Ahead in 2015?

• GFSI Benchmarking of Option D and Annual Assessment. We hopeto submit our request for GFSI recognition of CanadaGAP Option Dby the end of 2014.

• Completion of the Canadian Government Recognition Program:CanadaGAP has completed government technical reviews of its manuals and generic HACCP models. We’re now undertaking recognition of the program management and delivery system.Management System Technical Review by the Canadian FoodInspection Agency was initiated September 2014. CanadaGAP hopesto complete Implementation Assessment and achieve full GovernmentRecognition in 2015.

• Compile survey results from program participant survey on AuditorCompetence: A survey developed by GFSI is currently being complet-ed voluntarily by program participants. Results will be compiled andaggregated with other scheme owner results to inform GFSI on thestatus of program auditors.

• Changes to 2015 Manuals – some of the key revisions to come intoeffect April 1, 2015 include:

o The addition of brokers to the program scopeo The addition of mushrooms to the wholesaling scopeo New requirement in Section 19.1 relative to sourcing product.

Heather Gale is executive director, CanadaGap Program, CanAgPlus

THE GROWER

FOCUS: FOOD SAFETY


Canada ranks first along withIreland among 17 countries in2014 World Ranking of FoodSafety Performance, a new reportreleased Nov. 20 by theConference Board of Canada’sCentre for Food in Canada andthe Food Institute of theUniversity of Guelph.The report ranks food safety performance for 17 countrieswithin the Organization forEconomic Co-operation andDevelopment, using 10 selectedindicators across three areas offood safety risk governance: riskassessment, risk management andrisk communication.

Sylvain Charlebois, a professorin the department of marketingand consumer studies in theCollege of Business andEconomics, said the report showsCanadians can generally feelsecure about their food.

“Canada did well, which is notoverly surprising. Since 2008,Canada has been a top-tier country. However, work remainsto improve its performance bymore frequent reporting andrelaying of information to thepublic on both chemical risks infood consumption (Total DietStudies) and nutrition and dietarystudies, with additional

improvements to traceability andradionuclides standards,” he said.

The study said some countriesknown for food safety haverecently struggled.

“Australia, which has historically been a top-tieredcountry, is now lagging, and theNetherlands, Denmark and Japanalso dropped in our survey compared to 2010,” Charleboissaid.

“Germany’s performance wassub-par at best. The country hasbeen hit hard by several majoroutbreaks in recent years, particularly with produce, andthese have affected consumer

confidence. We see little or noevidence that German food safetyauthorities are learning from pastoutbreaks.”

Strengthening food safety isbecoming a global issue.

“Given that our economy ismore globalized than ever, understanding other food safetyregimes is critical moving forward. Our continent seems tobe performing quite well overall.Food safety risks seem to be mitigated strategically well in ourcountry and south of the border.”

But we need to work on foodsafety as consumers look forgreater certainty, he said.

“We conduct these surveys socountries can learn from eachother. Often, one country facingan outbreak precedes a similar situation in another country a fewyears later. In Canada, by beingmore proactive, it could be arguedthat the impact of both mad cowand listeria crises would havebeen tempered.”

The report was prepared by theConference Board of Canada’sCentre for Food in Canada andthe Food Institute of theUniversity of Guelph.

Source: University of Guelphnews release

Canada tops world ranking of food safety: study

Riverside Natural Foods is a family-owned companyoperated by Nima Fotovat. The Canadian government,through the AgriInnovation Program, has recentlyannounced a $782,000 repayable contribution to help thecompany commercialize its innovative, organic snackfoods.

New equipment will use a moulding and dehydrationprocess to create snack bars that will remain whole with-out the use of sugar binders. This innovative process isamong the first of its kind in the industry, strengtheningCanada’s position as a healthy food processor and increas-ing the demand for agricultural products such as oats,blueberries and flax, in addition to adding 31 full-time jobson the company’s production line.

Organic blueberries featured in snack bar


THE GROWER

QUIZ

Identify these flowers


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One of the joys of being out in the field is seeing such a variety of crops in flower. Know your horticultural crops? Identify these flowers. Answers on page 25.

1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6.

7. 8.

Cover crops are an important part of any crop rotation andhelp to ensure a healthy soil. With the cold weather upon usit’s a great time to check out all the new cover crop information that is as close as your computer.

Innovations in Cover Crops – A new Ontario-based web-site on cover crops for vegetable growers. While parts of thesite are still under construction, it currently hosts a new covercrops decision tool for eastern Canada. Select Ontario and youcan access a decision tool that is driven by long-term Ontarioweather data and the cover-crop experience of a wide range ofOntario agronomists. Check it out at http://incovercrops.ca/

Also new, the second edition of the Midwest Cover CropsField Guide produced by the Midwest Cover Crop Council.This version features a number of new sections including anexpanded herbicide residue section developed by Dr. DarrenRobinson, University of Guelph, Ridgetown campus. There isalso a section on Up and Coming Species which includes newcover crops such as Phacelia and Camelina. The books are

available through the Purdue Extension Education store atwww.the-education-store.com or the Ridgetown OMAFRAoffice has a supply 519 674 1690.

The OMAFRA website has great cover crop informationand a listing of cover crop seed suppliers in Ontariohttp://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/cover_crops01/covercrops.htm.

The Midwest Cover Crop Council also hosts a cover cropdecision tool on their website with a wealth of cover cropinformation. Similar to InCoverCrops – select Ontario andyour cover crop goals and you can compare a number of covercrops for suitability. www.mccc.msu.edu/selectorINTRO.html

There are a large number of cover crop videos – Youtubeand others on the web. eXtension features a number of veg-etable and berry-based cover crop videos showing researchand on-farm innovation.www.extension.org/pages/59454/cover-cropping-in-organic-farming-systems#.VIpbwDR9zIV

Cover crop information for berry growers

THE GROWER


The Ontario Berry Growers’Association hosted a Novemberresearch update for its board ofdirectors and members of theresearch community. Here aresome of the projects in progressand recent results from the berryresearch team at the University ofGuelph.

Dayneutral strawberry production systems outside andin high tunnels

Becky Hughes, John Zandstraand Adam Dale, University ofGuelph.

Currently funded by GrowingForward 2: AgriculturalInnovation Project and theOntario Berry GrowersAssociation

This research team has beenlooking at dayneutral productionpractices for almost 10 years.Some results: • Blossom removal: Removingblossoms in newly planteddayneutrals increases the numberof leaves, yield and berry size.Although removing blossoms isimportant, this work showed nodifferences between treatmentsremoving blossoms for three toeight weeks after planting.

• Overwintering: Trials were setup in 2013 with various treat-ments (no winter cover, 30 g or40 g row covers, or straw+40 gcover) and removal dates (earlyspring, or first bloom). Effects on

winter survival, plant growth,time of harvest and yields whererecorded for Seascape and Albionin New Liskeard and CedarSprings. Visual impressions ofplant growth and development inthe spring of 2014 suggested thatall treatments were similar.Although the winter of 2013/14was quite cold, adequate snowcover likely provided good insulation. However, spider miteswere a problem under the coversin a high tunnel at one site andmay have affected yield.

• Effects of runner removal:This trial will examine the effectsof runner removal on harvest distribution, harvest efficiency/recovery, yields, plant growth andproduction costs. Replicated trials were established outside inCedar Springs and New Liskeardwith two cultivars in 2014.

Runners were removed at variousintervals (removed one time only;removed three times and removedweekly) and compared to a con-trol with no runner removal. Thiswill be done over two years(2014-2015) and yield data collected. The cost of productionof the various treatments will bedetermined.

Breeding seed-propagated F1-hybrid strawberries

Adam Dale, Becky Hughes,Toktam Taghavi, Dragan Galic,University of Guelph, CraigChandler and Bielinski Santos,Florida

Currently funded by GrowingForward 2: AgriculturalInnovation Project and theOntario Berry GrowersAssociation

This research is about develop-ing seed-propagated dayneutralvarieties. Dayneutral varieties aremore difficult to propagate vegetatively because they don’tproduce a lot of runners.Dayneutral plants grown fromseed could have the followingadvantages: they can be plantedanytime in the year, they willfruit within 40 days of planting,they will not need overheadwatering for establishment (lessthreat of anthracnose), will haveless risk of aphid-and nematode-borne viruses, and can be geneti-cally runner-free. By workingtogether, researchers in Ontarioand Florida hope to developgenotypes that are dayneutral andwinter-hardy in Ontario as well asshort-day adapted and mildewresistant in Florida.

To propagate F1 hybrids, twoinbred lines are required. In 2006,crosses were made between thedayneutral cultivar ‘Seascape’and five Ontario and five Floridacultivars. These were grown atboth Simcoe, ON and Balm FL,and the best plants were selected.These were then crossed togetherto obtain a population which wasadapted in both environments.Selections from this populationwere made and then the selectionswere inbred for several genera-tions. Inbreds are planted inFlorida and Ontario in alternategenerations. This work will pro-vide some promising varieties inthe near future. Field trials ofadvanced selections have alreadybeen established at grower sites.

Protected cultivation of summerand fall-bearing raspberries

Becky Hughes, John Zandstraand Adam Dale, University ofGuelph

Funded 2010-2013 byAAFC/Canadian HorticulturalCouncil-Horticulture Cluster andthe Ontario Berry GrowersAssociation.

The objectives ofthis project were toinvestigate culturalaspects of sustain-able tunnel andother protected cultivation systems

in Canada with sites in Quebecand two parts of Ontario by: • Comparing high tunnel andumbrella protected cultivationsystems with normal field conditions.

• Testing raspberry cultivarsunder the three production environments.

Summary of methods: Twosummer-bearing cultivars andthree fall-bearing cultivars wereplanted in 2011 and 2010, respectively in Cedar Springs andNew Liskeard, Ontario. A multi-bay high tunnel was installed overone-third of the plots in 2010 andVoen covers were installed overone-third in the summer of 2012.The main plots were outside, hightunnel or Veon cover and sub-plots were the cultivars with fourreplications within each environment/structure. Berrieswere harvested two times a week.Data collected included winterhardiness, cane density andgrowth (cane height, number ofinternodes), yields, fruit weight,fruit quality and susceptibility todisease and abnormalities.Without funding the last two seasons, the data collected wasreduced at both sites in Ontario.

Results to date: Preliminaryresults of the trials in Ontario andQuebec indicate that total andmarketable yields were higher inhigh tunnels as compared to theVoen umbrella system and out-door cultivation, both for flori-cane or primocane cultivars. Inthe Quebec trials, yields werehighest in the high tunnel, followed by the Voen covers andthen the plots outside. Yields inQuebec were enhanced by the useof white mulching in both hightunnels and umbrella structure forboth types of raspberry, but noeffect was measured for outdoorcultivation.

Berry research update University of Guelph, Department of Plant Agriculture


THE GROWER


The Ontario Berry Growers’Association hosted a November researchupdate for its board of directors and members of the research community.

Here are some of the projects inprogress and recent results fromAgriculture Canada scientists working inNova Scotia and London, Ontario.

Berry breeding progress at AAFC

Andrew R. Jamieson, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Kentville, N.S.

Dr. Jamieson is working on developingnew blackberry, floricane and primocaneraspberry and strawberry cultivars.

• He has been making crosses since 2001in order to develop a winter-hardy, thornless blackberry variety. He hopes tohave some selections available for trial in2015-2017.

• A new summer red raspberry variety hasrecently been released. “AAC Eden” is across between Glen Ample and K93-11,and described as early, firm, productive,tasty and spineless.

• A late summer red raspberry variety willsoon be available for trial. This selection, across between Encore and BC.90-4-48 islate firm, sweet and machine harvestable.

• Two new strawberry selections, “AACLaurel” (Allstar x Cavendish) and “AACLila” (Queen Elisa x Wendy) look promising and are available to growers.Four new numbered selections are in the

advanced testing stage. Also in Nova Scotia, Dr. Charles

Forney is working on controlled atmosphere of raspberries. When O2 andC02 levels are controlled in cold storage,postharvest fruit rots are reduced. Dr.Forney has also shown that the differentraspberry varieties have different levels ofspecific sugars and acids. Knowing howgenotypes vary with respect to these compounds could help plant breeders selectmore flavourful varieties.

Coordinated studies on improved detection, spread, and management ofstrawberry decline disease outbreak

Deb Moreau, Agriculture and Agri-FoodCanada, Kentville, N.S.

Dr. Moreau reported on a national pro-ject which includes AAFC researchers:Pervaiz Abbasi & Helene Sanfacon (co-principal Investigators), D’AnnRochon, Yu Xiang, Mike Bernardy,Aiming Wang, Xianzhou Nie, PeggyDixon, Robert Foottit, Charles Forney,Andrew Jamieson, Julie Reekie, SamirDebnath, Debra Moreau. In the next fewyears, this project will address the characterization and detection of viruses,new virus detection methods, strawberrycultivar resistance, aphid response to plantcues and cultivars, survey of aphid vectorcomplex, and classical and molecularmethods to identify viruses and vectors.This large multi-year project is just gettingstarted, and will result in a better understanding of virus diseases and theirvectors in strawberries.

Meanwhile, Dr. Moreau and her colleague John Lewis, from Perennia,reported that levels of strawberry mild yellow edge virus and strawberry mottlevirus in new plantings at the end of 2014are reduced significantly compared to2013.

Molecular identification of viralpathogens infecting strawberry plants inOntario

Aiming Wang, Southern Crop Protectionand Food Research Centre, AAFC,London, ON

Dr. Wang explained that in the past,viruses were detected in plants by usinghigh powered microscopes (transmissionelectron microscopy), virus-specific reactions in laboratory tests (ELISA-enzyme linked immunosorbent assays) andDNA-based tests such as RT-PCR. Dr.Wang is currently developing the mostadvanced technology for virus diagnosis,known as Next Generation Sequencing.OMAFRA staff assisted Dr. Wang with avirus survey of 50 farms in Ontario in2014. We are looking forward to the resultsof this survey.

Investigating the potential economicimpact and management strategiesagainst Drosophila suzukii, a new andinvasive pest in Atlantic Canada

D.L. Moreau, P. Dixon, C. Noronha, G.Bourgeois, C. Forney, A. Jamieson, K.Burgher-MacLellan, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Regional monitoring of Spotted WingDrosophila (SWD) indicates the pest isestablished in the four Maritime provinces.It seems that initial cooler weather in 2014kept populations low compared to previousyears. SWD populations in traps and fruitare being tracked together with temperatureand relative humidity in both Nova Scotiaand Quebec. Results will be used in thedevelopment of degree-day and dynamicsimulation models.

Researchers are now focussing on therole of wild hosts on SWD populationsbefore crops ripen and after harvest.Understanding what habitat may supportthis pest throughout the year is importantto the timely targeting of control measures.Various aspects of the local environmentwill be correlated with spotted wingdrosophila success (based on trap cap-tures). These factors include: (1) degree ofurbanization (residential/farm/out build-ings/man-made structures) versus agricul-ture land-use (specifically, small fruit cropping systems) or wooded areas; and(2) composition of local landscape (proximity to available water, proportion ofhardwood/softwood/shrubs/mixed vegetation/bramble); and microclimaticfactors (ambient temperature, relativehumidity) since, humid environments areknown to be a critical resource toDrosophilids, since these flies are susceptible to desiccation.

This group is also looking to see ifSWD prefers specific varieties of grapesand blueberries, and if this can be correlat-ed to the composition of these varieties.

Berry research update – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

These meetings offer a chance tomeet growers from differentareas, forge networks, and learnwhat’s new and upcoming.

Feb 3-6, 2015

North American StrawberrySymposium and North AmericanStrawberry Growers’ AssociationAnnual Meeting, VenturaCalifornia: Round table discussions, speaker programs,farm tour and posters.Information www.nasga.org, orsend an email to [email protected].

February 17, 2015

Ontario Berry Growers’Association Annual Meeting.Embassy Suites, Niagara Falls.Hear from THREE innovativegrowers and how they deal withchanging climate and consumerpreference and how they meet thechallenges of berry crop production. Guest speaker Dr. Barclay Poling will bringnews from North Carolina andwhat he’s learned about growingAlbion strawberry. Pick-your-ownstrategies and other marketing

ideas will flow in the afternoonsessions. Round table discussionson a variety of topics will fill outthe day. Info at www.ontariober-ries.com or www.ofvc.ca. [email protected].

Feb 18-19, 2015

Ontario Fruit and VegetableConference, Scotia BankConvention Center, Niagara Falls.www.ofvc.ca. Concurrent speakersessions, posters, trade show.

Feb 18, 2015

Berry Day at the Ontario Fruitand Vegetable Conference. Theberry day program will featureguest speaker Bob Gray from 4Corners Farm in Vermont, as wellas guests from Quebec and NorthCarolina on both irrigation andfrost protection. Speakers willbring pest management updateson weed control, raspberry pests,and strawberry aphids and virus

diseases. Learn about changes tothe Ontario Berry Growers’Association and what ishoped for the future of this organization.ScotiabankConventionCenter,Niagara Falls.www.ofvc.ca

Feb 19, 2015

Spotted Wing Drosophila half-day session. We are not alone!Berry growers across NorthAmerica have been fighting thisnew pest, and researchers havebeen working hard to learn allabout its biology and control. Inthis half- day program you willlearn what is known to this pointin Northeastern Canada and U.S.Guest speakers from New York,Michigan, Massachusetts and Ontario. Scotiabank ConventionCenter, Niagara Falls.

www.ofvc.ca

February 24-27, 2015

North American Raspberry &Blackberry Conference,Fayetteville, Arkansas. ONLINEREGISTRATION is now open ordownload the ConferenceRegistration Brochure. Visitwww.raspberryblackberry.comfor additional information.

Winter get-aways for berry growers

BERRY FOCUS

NOTICE of MEETINGis hereby given that the

156th Annual Members and Directors’ Meeting

of the

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable

Growers’ Associationwill be held in

Niagara Falls, Ontario at

The Crowne Plaza HotelJanuary 13 & 14, 2015

Election of Directors of the Association will

take place as well as dealing with resolutions

and any other business that may arise.

THE GROWER

REGULATION

New Ontario greenhouse regulation governs nutrient feedwater


As of January 1, 2015, the newGreenhouse Nutrient Feedwater Regulationwill allow the land application of green-house nutrient feedwater (GNF) under theNutrient Management Act. The regulationprovides eligible greenhouse growers witha new option to manage GNF in a way thatenhances the protection of the natural environment and supports the sector’s sustainability through a streamlinedapproval process.

“Greenhouse vegetable growers need tohave the option of managing nutrients thatare excess to their greenhouse operation asfield crop inputs rather than waste to bedisposed of,” says Don Taylor, chair,Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers.“By providing that option this new regulation protects the environment whilehelping the sector to remain viable in avery competitive global trade setting.”

This change was raised by the Open ForBusiness Forum, a regular roundtable ofagri-food experts convened to streamlineregulations and promote a better businessclimate. It will benefit local farmers byproviding a new source of inexpensivenutrients that can reduce the need forexpensive commercial fertilizers, and sup-plemental irrigation water that can replacewater drawn from lakes, rivers and wells.Many of the 218 Ontario greenhouse growers use circulation systems to deliverwater and fertilizer as a nutrient solution totomatoes, peppers and cucumbers that aregrown without the use of soil. Afterreusing multiple times, the excess solution

may no longer be optimal for growinggreenhouse vegetables, but can still havenutrient value suitable for other agriculturalcrops and can be recycled on agriculturallands to support plant growth. The new regulation supports the greenhouse sector’s efforts towards

improving compliance by adding to thetoolbox of options available to properlymanage this greenhouse material:

• Reduce excess nutrient solution by applying best management practices withinthe greenhouse;

• Reuse nutrient solution by optimizingrecirculation within the greenhouse;

• Recycle nutrient solution that cannot berecirculated by applying to crops grown onagricultural lands; and

• If necessary, responsible disposal underthe Ontario Water Resources Act or theEnvironmental Protection Act.

This framework requires all participat-ing greenhouse operations to register:

• The development of management strate-gies for adequate and safe storage whereneeded,

• Approval of plans for land application,

• Tracking of the proper transportation ofgreenhouse nutrient feedwater to agricultural operations,

• Sampling of greenhouse nutrient feedwater and soil, and

• Training for farmers, transporters andcrop advisers who work with greenhousenutrient feedwater.

The Ministry of Environment andClimate Change is responsible for enforc-ing compliance with the Ontario WaterResources Act, the EnvironmentalProtection Act and the NutrientManagement Act.

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION

156TH ANNUALGENERAL MEETING

AWARD OF

MERIT

NOMINATIONSThe award is our way of

recognizing the outstanding

contribution made by an

individual or organization to

our fruit and vegetable

industry.

Is there someone you

would like to nominate?

Deadline: Nov. 30, 2014

REVISED

TWO-DAY

FORMATwith meetings Tuesday and

Wednesday, banquet Tuesday

night.

NEW ONLINE

REGISTRATION visit www.ofvga.org to find

the link to register online.

GUEST SPEAKER

Patrick Leroux

“Ignite the Fire Within”

REGISTRATION INFORMATION, AGENDA AND AWARD OF MERIT NOMINATION FORM AVAILABLE AT

www.ofvga.org

JANUARY 13 & 14, 2015 CROWNE PLAZA NIAGARA FALLS, ON

“Greenhouse vegetable growers need to have the optionof managing nutrients that are excess to their greenhouseoperation as field crop inputs rather than waste to be disposed of.” ~ Don Taylor, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers


THE GROWER


BITS AND BITES

Men and women interested in increasingtheir confidence, deepening their under-standing of Ontario’s agriculture industryand building professional networks areencouraged to apply for Class 16 of theAdvanced Agricultural LeadershipProgram (AALP).

A maximum of 30 people will beaccepted into Class 16 and they will attendeight two-or-three day seminars around theprovince as well as two study tours – onewithin North America and the other to aninternational destination. Class memberswill also participate in a group project andseveral online learning opportunities.

A 2013 survey by the George MorrisCentre showed that AALP delivers anaverage return on investment of 25 percent. A full copy of the George MorrisCentre study is posted on the Rural OntarioInstitute website at www.ruralontarioinsti-tute.ca or http://bit.ly/13yomVu

Networking, strategic thinking and newways to improve the competitiveness ofOntario’s agricultural sector and rural communities were identified by AALPgraduates in the survey as the biggest

benefits of the program.Completed applications are due before

March 20, 2015 and AALP Class 16 startsin September 2015 and runs through toApril 2017.

More than 430 graduates from AALPare serving in various leadership capacities

throughout Ontario, Canada and around theworld. AALP is delivered by the RuralOntario Institute (ROI) and was established in 1984. For more information,visit www.aalp.on.ca and click on “Classapplication.”

Leadership program seeks new applicants

JIM CHAPUT, OMAFRA, MINOR USECOORDINATOR

URMULE registrations 2014 – fruit &vegetable crops

• Actara – celeriac (tarnished plant bug)• Prowl – carrots (weeds)• Agrimek – potatoes (psyllid); hops(mites)• Centurion – red beet, carrot, parsnip,radish (grassy weeds); basil [pending finallabel]• Allegro – bulb onion subgroup 3-07A(Botrytis, purple blotch)• Royal MH30 – shallots (sprout control)• Aliette – GH transplants broccoli / cabbage (Pythium)• Revus – snap beans (Phytophthora,downy mildew); basil (downy mildew);ginseng (Phytophthora, Pythium)• Reason – succulent beans (Pythium,Phytophthora); ginseng (Phytophthora)• Cruiser – crop group 9, cucurbits (cucumber beetle)• Rootshield – all GH vegetable transplants, additional field vegetables, GHeggplant, ginseng (labeled diseases)• Phostrol – ginseng (Phytophthora)• Reflex – potatoes (weeds) [pending finallabel]

• Chateau – sweet potatoes (weeds) [pending final label]• Pristine – hops (downy, powderymildew); Belgian endive (white mold)[pending final label]• Coragen – green onions, artichoke,peanuts (Lepidoptera) [pending final label]• Clutch – lettuce (aphids) [pending finallabel]• Delegate – crop group 4, 5, basil, dill(thrips); cherries (cherry fruit fly); ginseng(leafrollers) [pending final label]• Movento – crop group 4 (thrips) [pendingfinal label]• Switch – remainder of crops in cropgroup 13-07 (Botrytis); crop subgroup 5B(Alternaria) [pending final label]• Vivando – crop group 9, cucurbits;peaches, nectarines; hops (powderymildew) [pending final label]• Purespray Green – crop group 9, cucurbits; crop group 13-07, berries; chestnuts, hazelnuts (powdery mildew,mites) [pending final label]• Surround – stone fruit (insects)• Prism – highbush blueberries (weeds)• Exirel – bushberries, crop subgroup 13-07B (weevils)• Casoran – blueberries, caneberries (newformulation, weeds)• Goal – highbush blueberries (weeds)• Sandea – caneberries, highbush blueber-ries, apples, tree nuts, cucurbits, beans,okra, fruiting vegetables, asparagus,rhubarb (weeds) [joint submissions fromregistrant and minor use program]• Frontier Max – bearing grapes (weeds)• Matador, Warrior – tree nuts (insects)• Success/Entrust – GH eggplant(Lepidoptera, thrips); ginseng (leafrollers)• Lontrel – cherries (weeds) [pending finallabel]• Indar – highbush blueberries (mummyberry) [pending final label]• Nova – currants/gooseberries (rust),caneberries (yellow rust) [pending finallabel]• Assail – caneberries (aphids, leafhoppers)[pending final label]• Actinovate – GH lettuce, GH fruitingvegetables, GH cucs (Pythium)

Other registrations to date 2014 via

registrants – vegetablecrops

See submissions to vegetable TechnicalWorking Group andpublications 75 &PMRA proposed registration decisionsand PMRA registrationdecision documents i.e.Timorex, Nealta,Sivanto, Isofetamid,Xentari, Fullback,TwinGuard, etc. (Notethat several of these are still at the PMRApre-approval stage)

Emergency use registrations to date2014 – all crops - Ontario

• Inspire Super (GH cucumbers) – gummystem blight• Switch (boxwood) – boxwood blight• Daconil (boxwood) – boxwood blight• Delegate (crop groups 12, 13-07) – spot-ted wing drosophila (SWD)• Entrust (crop groups 12, 13-07) – SWD • Ripcord (crop groups 12, 13-07A) –SWD • Malathion (crop groups 12, 13-07) –SWD • Pyganic (organic cucurbits) – cucumberbeetle • Beleaf (strawberries) – aphids

Active URMULE projects underway

Approximately 450 active minor use submissions currently in the system. Manyhave efficacy, tolerance and residue datarequirements. A few have occupationalexposure or other data requirements to fulfill.

Approximately 20 % of projects are jointwith U.S. IR-4 programApproximately 12 % are minor uses forfield cropsApproximately 34 % are minor uses forfield vegetablesApproximately 14 % are minor uses forgreenhouse vegetables

Approximately 23 % are minor uses forfruit cropsApproximately 9 % are minor uses forornamentals & turfApproximately 8 % are minor uses formiscellaneous crops (ginseng, hemp,mushrooms, hops, etc)65 % are minor use projects submitted byAAFC-PMC25 % are minor use projects submitted byOntario [some are co-sponsored withPMC]3 % are minor use projects submitted byQuebec [some are co-sponsored withPMC]6 % are minor use projects submitted byBC3 % are minor use projects submitted bythe Prairies< 1 % are minor use projects submitted bythe Maritimes

At the most recent U.S. IR-4 meetingwhere food crop priorities were establishedfor 2015 projects, 22 projects of interest toCanadian producers were selected as newjoint minor use projects with AAFC-PMC.

Current & on-going minor use issues:

• Impact of products under re-evaluationi.e. neonicotinoids, linuron, EBDCs,pyrethroids, etc.• Resistance management issues• New invasive species• Inconsistent registrant support for minoruse requests

Minor use update

Quiz answers to flower identificationThanks to our freelance photographers,Denis Cahill and Glenn Lowson, formaking this quiz possible. And for thecontribution of Gary Lampsa, BasinFarms for the photo of the pumpkinflower which was first noted on hisTwitter account.

1. Apricots 2. Okra3. Plums 4. Pumpkin5. Asian eggplant 6. Apples7. Strawberry 8. Potatoes

New invasive species: Spotted Wing Drosophila

– JANUARY 2015

THE GROWER

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THE GROWER



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ORCHARD SUPPLIES

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call the circulation department at

866-898-8488 ext 221

ORCHARD SUPPLIES

FEBRUARY 2015

SPECIAL FOCUS:ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE

CONVENTION

Book by January 15. Herb Sherwood 519-380-0118

THE GROWER



SEED AND ROOTSTOCK

KEDDYC.O.

• Certified Strawberry Plants & Raspberry Canes• All popular varieties available

• Grown under the Nova Scotia Certification program. Plants shipped across North America.

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982 North Bishop Road, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada B4N 3V7Ph: (902) 678-4497 Fax: (902) 678-0067

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Providing quality

apple trees for 40 years.

• Bench graft• Sleeping budded eye• 9 month bench• 1 year old whip• 1 year old feathered• KNIP tree• 2 year old tall feathered

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STRAWBERRY PLANTS***CERTIFIED***

RASPBERRY CANESProducers of Quality stock for 46 years. Grown under the

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G.W. ALLEN NURSERY LTD.7295 Hwy 221

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Exclusive grower of select grafted nut trees and minor fruits.Cultivars are tested in our own experimental orchards.

Choose from Persian and black walnut, heartnut, butternut,chestnut, hazel, pecan, hickory, gingko, pine nut, mulberry,

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call the circulation department at

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THE GROWER



SEED AND ROOTSTOCK

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Oriental Vegetable Seeds

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FUMIGATION

THE GROWER


In the course of a year I mightbuy and read about 100 books,most of them old and often hardto find. In addition, I probably re-read 20 more once again frommy personal library. The oldfavourites are a way of relaxing,calming down, and re-learningold messages anew. In andamongst my collection is a largesection on military history, particularly Canadian Navy andAir Force first-person accounts.

Woven with these are manyfictional stories that, while onlybased on real times and events,are no less valued for the information made available in thecourse of the story. It is said thatyour knowledge base is made upof what you experience in yourown personal existence augmented with the experience ofothers that you garner throughreading, talking and listening.Putting it all together is often fascinating and at times frustrating, but most of all it canbe enlightening. Application ofthis newly understood information can make light workof understanding current events,or show one the fallacy of newdecisions that are being madewithout knowing or understand-ing or even caring about the past.

Thus today’s message!We have never had it so good!

When was the last time you andeveryone else in this country didn’t know where to get a meal,even if it was rather bland, andmaybe from a soup kitchen? Atleast it is available. Our cropyields continue to climb in termsof quantity and quality. Yieldscontinue to rise on major cropswith the response from long-term

breeding programs. New andinnovative practices continue tobe adopted yearly and those earlyadopters gain in either their costof production or crop quality orboth. Farm land value also keepsrising as a reflection of prosperity. So, what is the problem?

The problem is that Canadianshave forgotten (if they ever knew)that none of this agriculture abundance came about by chance!Just as a war or a battle is wonwith excellent training, excellentplanning, and fierce execution, sotoo has Canada’s agriculturalprosperity been pinned to excellent leadership, savvy growers, and supportive governments to create the levelplaying fields.

So, what has changed?Perhaps the whole planning

process for agriculture in Canadahas been lax over the past 30years. Perhaps our success hasoverridden the need to keep allthe players thinking about themain aim, and less so about theirindividual gains. Perhaps we havecollectively allowed immediateexpediency to trump longer-termneeds -- the very needs for whichwe should have had actions inplace today that got missed orignored 20 or 30 years ago. As acomparative example, ‘we’allowed our navy to dwindle to ahandful of ships and barely10,000 men between the wars.We allowed our air force so littlemoney in the ‘30s that when warwas declared, our entire fleet ofplanes was obsolete! Many werenot even worth using for training!Canada had already sold off itsentire fleet of merchant ships by1938, so it had no means to shipvital cargoes on its own. Evenworse was the loss of all thosetrained sailors to other shipsowned by other countries aroundthe world. No wonder it was sodifficult to re-create a merchantmarine in wartime.

Fast forward to the modernworld.

We had arguably the best grainsales agency in the world, andhave essentially made it uselessby caving to the multi-nationalswho want to squeeze out anothershare of the grain business (for

themselves) out of growers’returns. We have chipped away atthe dairy sector by allowing evermore European product into ourmarketplace, with little or no quidpro quo for our Canadian producers.

Horticulture has been on thelosing end of many issues lately.The pesticide import program(GROU) has been gutted by additional ‘demands’ for patentprotections over and above dataprotection. The result is that manypesticides nominated get stymied.Likewise, the registration systemto allow generics into Canada hasbecome mired in the ‘lawyermess.’ (My term) Meanwhile wepay hundreds of extra dollars peracre in production costs, becausethe lawyers are allowed to makepolicy and shred the intent of alaw. We have lost favoured nationtrading status with the U.S.because our government cannotget it through its head that abuyer-financed produce sellerprotection scheme (PACA Trust)is a good thing, and that our useof the American system is nowgone as a result. How dumb isthat?

Then we have groups withvested interests -- none of whichhave any interest in our viablefarms. They have ideologicalarguments that want to reverseprogress made in many fields.They have carefully planted theirfollowers in key governmentoffices to ensure their side of a

story is all a minister hears, or atleast at first. (They could also tipoff the rest of their group when agrower has convinced a ministerof a different position.) It is notjust happenstance when suddenlya new position gets espousedwhich conveniently gets distancedfrom the first ‘truth’ after the firstone is debunked.

I do not think it is too strongto call what they do “PublicTerrorism.” They seek to under-mine the confidence of the publicin farmers, and the regulatoryprocess. They seek to insteadinsert their own agenda which hasnot had to face full public scruti-ny. They mis-use or ignore datathat does not support their case.They decry anyone who opposesthem. They gain support from theless informed, and give them‘power’ which is reward in itself.

Who stands to gain from all ofthis?

As a form of elitism, only thetrue believers stand to gain.

What does all this remind meof from the past?

There are a couple to choosefrom: Kim Philby, and his con-federates Burgess, Maclean andBlunt infiltrated the very top ofthe British Secret Service asmoles during and after WWII,and led to the death of hundredsof British and American agentsaround the world. It also allowedenemies of Britain access to busi-ness and government secrets thatalso cost the country billions in

lost opportunities. The secondexample was the way in whichthe totalitarian governments ofthe 1930s were able to achievepower through intimidation,threat, use of false but widespread‘mis-information’ and rewardingloyal followers who otherwisehad a very hard time during thosedepression years.

It is not far-fetched to com-pare the actions of elitist NGOs inour world today to those actionsof 80 years ago.

It took six years of war andmillions of deaths to put an end toall of that, but we have forgottenthe lesson. It brought the economy of Britain to its kneesfor 30 years until North Sea Oilsaved the day. It took the com-bined economies of many greatnations to overcome the might ofdictators -- mainly because theywere allowed freedom to do theirdamnedest for too long, in spiteof all the warnings.

I believe that what CanadianAgriculture is facing today ismuch the same as the world facedin 1938. Those who would disrupt what we do and tell ushow to do it have no willingnessto work with us. They would havefarmers lose their farms without ablink of their eye. They would re-write science to suit their needs.And we have a government that isnot stopping them! They may bewell fed and smug in their high-rises, knowing that they couldcontinue to eat because food isalways available for the well off.They have never had a hungryday, nor seen food shortage. Thisfeeds their notion that their pro-posed massive changes for agri-culture would have no impact!

We had better get the messageout to the public. We had bettermake them understand that thereare indeed consequences if we areforced to roll back modern pro-duction systems and inputs. Thepublic had better take a firm gripon their wallets when they con-template food costs if the futurerolls out the way some propose.It is not too late, but it soon willbe unless the tide turns back inour favour!

I hope that when the book iswritten on all this, it has a happyending.

CRAIG HUNTEROFVGA

MINOR USE

CRAIG’S COMMENTS

What will the book title be?

engageagro.com 1-866-613-3336 Senator is a registered trade-mark of Engage Agro Corporation. © 2013 Engage Agro Corporation.

Proven Systemic Disease ControlUnique mode of ac�on Systemic & rainfast Broad spectrum

SENATOR 70WP®

Progress? This giant piece of irrigation equipment ironicallydwarfs workers who are hand pulling weeds because there are noregistered pesticides to manage them in this field of carrots. Photoby Glenn Lowson.

THE GROWER


MINOR USE

Syngenta Canada Inc. hasannounced the label expansion ofQuilt foliar fungicide, providingblueberry growers across Canadawith a new option for control andsuppression of a number of dis-eases affecting production of thiscrop.

“The expansion of the Quiltfungicide registration to includeboth lowbush and highbush blueberries is good news forgrowers looking to address diseases that can negatively affectquality and yield,” says EricPhillips, product lead, fungicidesand insecticides, with SyngentaCanada. “Lowbush blueberrygrowers can use it in both thesprout year – to control rust(Thekopsora minima) and sup-press Septoria and Valdensinia –and in the fruiting year, to controlMonilinia blight (Monilinia

vaccinii-corymbosi) and anthracnose. Growers of highbushblueberries will also find Quilt tobe an effective tool in the controlof mummy berry and anthracnose.”

Quilt fungicide combines thepower of two active ingredients,azoxystrobin (Group 11) andpropiconazole (Group 3).Together, they deliver both systemic and curative properties,as well as support an effectiveresistance management strategy.Quilt moves within the plant andis distributed within the leaves,protecting the plant as it grows,not just at the points of contact.

Quilt is available to blueberrygrowers in convenient case andtote packaging options.

For more information aboutQuilt fungicide, please contactyour local Syngenta

Representative, visit the Quiltproduct page on SyngentaFarm.caor contact our Customer Resource

Centre at 1-87-SYNGENTA(1-877-964-3682).

Source: Syngenta Canada newsrelease

Quilt fungicide label expanded to include blueberry diseases

BASF turns 150 in 2015.Headquartered in Ludwigshafen,Germany, the global company iscreating a program with partnerson the topics of energy, food andurban living. As part of this program, called Creator Space,BASF is taking a new approach

in accordance with its “We createchemistry” strategy.

“We want to initiate somethingnew with our anniversary and tryout new ways of working togetherover the next year – both withinBASF and with people outsidethe company. We see the Creator

Space program as a great opportunity to bring BASF closerto our target groups,” said Dr.Kurt Bock, chair of BASF’sboard of executive directors.

BASF’s official anniversaryevent will take place on April 23,2015, in Ludwigshafen. A special

highlight will be the premiere ofthe anniversary musical composition, “Sounds for 150,”for which employees worldwiderecorded more than 1,200 typicalBASF sounds. The composer isMichael Nyman. BASF sitesaround the world are celebrating

the 150th anniversary, each in adifferent way, according to theirrespective size and culture.

Source: HortiDaily.com

BASF celebrates 150th anniversary with interactive program

Mummy berry

THE GROWER


the grower january 2015

Documents

acres of celery

sellingnaked celery

food safety page

food safety protocols

celery swizzle stick

food processing

good idea

celery isa tough crop