the grower october 2013

KAREN DAVIDSON

It’s a cold morning, but warmcamaraderie rises to meet the sunon Thanksgiving weekend. Thisis what ginseng digging looks likein Norfolk County.

On the face of it, these work-ers have a dreary job, picking upgnarled roots and tossing theminto bushel baskets. The fact isthat most are return workers fromthe Vietnamese-Canadian community in nearby Hamilton.

“They are extended family tous,” says Dave Smith, Harley,Ontario ginseng grower. “Wework side by side.”

With five St. Vincent/Caribbean workers hired from theSeasonal Agricultural WorkersProgram (SAWP) to work Aprilthrough November, Smith manages several ginseng gardens,selling his crop to China. Pricesare firm to strong this year.

What may erode that successare the ultimate recommendationsof Ontario’s Minimum WageAdvisory Panel struck July 17.Note that the panel’s mandate isnarrow. It’s not to recommend anumber – a minimum wage per se– but to suggest a process fordetermining changes to the minimum wage in the future. The“Consultation Paper on Ontario’sMinimum Wage”(www.labour.gov.on.ca) asksrespondents to answer specificquestions about the impact of tying the wage to economic

indicators, i.e. the consumer priceindex (CPI), average weeklyearnings, low-income cut-off orliving wage.

The deadline for writtenresponses is October 18. ChairAnil Verma is to report back tothe labour minister by early 2014.

That the discussion is happen-ing at all is “terrifying” says KenForth, chair of the OFVGAlabour committee, who says horticulture has no representativeon the six-person advisory panel.The rate has already risen to$10.25 per hour, a 28 per centincrease from 2008 to 2010, wellabove inflation levels for thatperiod. Any further boost affectsgrowers who hire 16,000 tempo-rary foreign workers every year.As ginseng so aptly demonstrates,it’s one of many horticulturalcommodities sold on global markets. However, internationalcompetitors don’t have to meetOntario/Canadian standards offood, worker or environmentalsafety.

“In real money, the SAWPworkers are making $13 to $14per hour now because growersalso pay housing and transport,”says Forth. “If we raise the rateanymore, we’re in big troublecompeting against Mexico whichpays workers five to eight dollarsper day. My accountant says thatif there is a significant raise in theminimum wage rate, I shouldn’tplant next year.”

No jurisdiction functions inisolation of others argues KenLinington, Labour IssuesCoordinating Committee (LICC),in an industry response paper.Minimum wage levels need to becompetitive with other provinces,the United States, Mexico andother countries. Tying the wageto economic indicators such asthe rate of inflation or averageweekly earnings has pros andcons. Following inflation is betterthan political whim and is morepredictable. But, the make-up ofthe CPI and the lag period couldextend a recessionary periodaffecting ability to pay a higher

wage. Minimum wage is a societal

program funded by a small percentage of employers. Ratherthan minimum wage, Liningtonproposes a multi-wage level similar to that used with studentsand liquor servers based on age, experience and industry sector. Atiered minimum wage for agricul-ture could be implemented basedon the average of minimumwages of key competing jurisdic-tions (i.e. Quebec, Saskatchewan,British Columbia, California,New York, Michigan and Ohio).Under this model, the employerwould pay a competitive baselevel topped up with a wage thatsociety feels is appropriate fromgeneral tax revenues.

Ostensibly, the impetus forraising the minimum wage rate isto alleviate poverty. However, ina recent opinion editorial, PhilipCross, the former chief economicanalyst for Statistics Canada,writes that the poverty rate in2011 reached an all-time low, afact with no precedent during a

recession. (Google Financial Post,The Social Safety Net Worked,September 17, 2013).

If the poverty rate is indeeddecreasing, questions remain. Ifthe minimum wage rate were tobe tied to CPI, would this beattempting to fix a problem thatdoesn’t exist? Would a rateincrease, in and of itself, be inflationary?

Economists can bring the academic weight of their studiesto the table, but farmers can attestto the real-life burden of wageincreases. As small businessemployers, they will say that anyincrease to part-time workers putspressure on permanent staffsalaries. And if pricing of inputsare rising at the same time,there’s a huge pinch that willleave an ugly bruise.

Ginseng grower Dave Smithisn’t waiting for the panel results.His loyal workers are aging, sohe’s semi-automated his harvest-ing equipment this season. He cansee an end to hiring so many staff.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

OCTOBER 2013 CELEBRATING 133 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION VOLUME 63 NUMBER 10

How many people does it take to harvest ginseng? Turns out, quite a lot on this brisk October morning at the farm of Dave Smith, Harley,Ontario. These Caribbean and Vietnamese workers have just resumed work after a 9 am coffee break.For years, Smith has hired a local crew of Vietnamese-Canadian citizens for the harvest. But with the aging of those repeat workers, he canforesee a dwindling work force in the future. For this season, he’s invested in a semi-automatic harvester to reduce the need for labour.Photos by Glenn Lowson.

MINIMUM WAGE DEBATE

Raised rate? Less labour

INSIDEHighlights from Canada’sOutdoor Farm Show Page 4

Focus: Greenhouse innovation 2

Nuts come out of

their shell Page 18

www.thegrower.org

P.M. 40012319

$3.00 CDN

THE GROWER

NEWSMAKERSCondolences to thefamily and friends ofJoe Sardinha, 52, pastpresident of the BCFruit Growers’Association, whopassed away unexpect-edly on August 31. Anarticulate and passion-ate crusader, Sardinhaled the provincialindustry organizationfrom 2005 to 2011.Nationally, he wasvery active, at one timean apple committeechair of the CanadianHorticultural Council. He also served as a member of the scienceadvisory committee. He was a proud descendant of Portugueseimmigrants and the second generation to farm in the Okanagan.

Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc. has honoured Patrick Mifsud, agrade four/five teacher at Blessed John XXIII Catholic School inMississauga, Ontario for his dedication and efforts in integratingagricultural concepts into classroom curriculum. The award waspresented during the opening ceremonies of Canada’s Outdoor FarmShow on September 10.

The federal Liberal caucus has shuffled some key players to face thenew Parliament. Veteran Nova Scotia MP Mark Eyking is takingover as agriculture critic. He and his wife Pam operated a success-ful vegetable farm for 20 years, winning the Cape Breton BusinessExcellence Award and Outstanding Young Farmers of Nova ScotiaAward. He takes over from Frank Valeriote who now acts asdeputy whip in the shadow cabinet. Wayne Easter, familiar tomany as agriculture critic and most recently trade critic, is now thenew public safety critic.

Congratulations to Wes Wiens,named 2013 Grape King by theGrape Growers of Ontario, FarmCredit Canada and the NiagaraGrape and Wine Festival. TheNiagara-on-the-Lake grower isrecognized as a young, dynamicfigure who has quickly estab-lished himself as a leader in viti-culture innovation. With his wife,Briar and four children, Wiensmanages grapevine nursery stockand grows 19 varieties on 400acres which are sold to four localwineries.

Timothy Sargent is the new associate deputy minister forAgriculture and Agri-Food Canada. He brings extensive experiencewith the Privy Council Office (PCO) where he was acting deputysecretary to the Cabinet (Operations) after serving as AssistantSecretary to the Cabinet (Economic and Regional DevelopmentPolicy). Prior to his roles with the PCO, Sargent held a number ofpositions with Finance Canada, most recently as director of theFinancial Institutions Division. Of special interest to the fruit andvegetable sector, Sargent will be leading the departmental efforts toadvance agricultural interests within the Canada-United StatesRegulatory Cooperation Council agenda.

Mana Canada welcomes Barbara Yates in the position of regulatory manager, responsible for product registration, handlinggovernment-related affairs and contributing to new product development and innovation program.

Metro, Canada’s third-largest grocer is reorganizing its Ontario net-work. Most significant is that Manoj Biswas has the new role ofdirector, ethnic merchandising. Biswas brings with him an extensivebackground in ethnic retailing, most recently as the VP corporateaffairs, Oriental Food Mart.

Condolences to the family of Lannie Phillips, 73, owner of PhillipsFarm Supplies, based in Brighton, Ontario. He was well-known asa spray specialist, serving the orchard, grape and field vegetableindustries. He passed due to a heart attack on September 21.

AT PRESS TIME…

PAGE 2 –– OCTOBER 2013

OPMA Gala hostscomedian

Reserve Friday, November 8th– and your tickets – for theOntario Produce MarketingAssociation (OPMA) gala dinnerand awards ceremony. It’s theindustry’s premier networkingevent bringing together growers,buyers, marketers and grocers.

This year’s gala features enter-tainment by improv king extraor-dinaire, Colin Mochrie from thehit TV show “Who’s Line is ItAnway?” He’ll be joined by hisequally talented wife DebraMcGrath in an exclusive presen-tation to the produce industry.

“With this year’s revampedagenda featuring a Canadiancomedy act, we think we have themomentum to sell well over 500tickets this year,” says ChrisStreef, OPMA chair. “With allthe key influencers in attendance,we think this is an attractivepackage that the entire industrywill recognize as an excellentopportunity to make businessintroductions and have some funat the same time.”

Tickets are $200 each plusHST or $1800 plus HST for atable of 10. The event is hosted atthe Liberty Grand, ExhibitionPlace in Toronto. To order tick-ets, go to: www.theopma.ca and

click on the events tab.

Tigchelaar caseupdated

The story continues of threeMexican seasonal workers claim-ing a Vineland, Ontario strawber-ry farmer terminated them with-out complying with the CanadianBill of Rights and the CanadianCharter of Rights and Freedomsworker protections. Also namedin the claim were the federal government and the non-profitagency Foreign AgriculturalResources Management Services(FARMS). This was the firstclaim of this nature.

The federal government,FARMS and the farmer, DanTigchelaar, were successful in a“Motion to Strike” (or to beremoved) from the case for lackof evidence. The March 2013 rul-ing also included an opportunityfor an amended claim to be filed.In an effort to avoid a newamended claim, an out-of-courtsettlement continues to be negoti-ated.

Time to participatein SDRM: EdibleHorticulture

In September, Agricorp mailedparticipant packages for SDRM:Edible Horticulture to eligibleproducers. To participate, com-plete your deposit request andsubmit with your SDRM depositcheque to Agricorp.

Last year’s Ontario budgetannounced $100 million in annualfunding for all sectors participat-

ing in the Risk ManagementProgram, including edible horti-culture. Starting this year, SDRMgovernment contributions will bemade in instalments and will notequal 100 per cent of yourdeposit. This ensures producerswho make deposits later in theprogram year will have equalaccess to the available govern-ment funding.

Send your deposit to Agricorpby February 1, 2014. To with-draw funds this year, both depositand withdrawal requests shouldbe received by October 31, 2013.The self-directed risk manage-ment plan for edible horticultureis part of Ontario’s RiskManagement Program to helpproducers manage risks beyondtheir control. To be eligible, producers must have a minimumof $5,000 in allowable net sales,grow an eligible commodity, participate in AgriStability, andprovide a valid premises ID.

Visit agricorp.com for moreinformation.

OPMA survey

The Ontario Produce MarketingAssociation invites growers totake a survey on its new website:Produce Made Simple. Go to:www.surveymonkey.com/s/pro-ducemadesimple

New product

Bloo juice, a 100 per cent naturalblueberry juice, was launched inSobeys Atlantic stores in mid-September. There are three SKUs:blueberry, blueberry strawberry andblueberry citrus. It’s produced byNova Agri, based in Nova Scotia’sAnnapolis Valley.

Joe Sardinha in his Summerland, B.C.orchard.

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Wes Wiens

Who’s sitting on the Minimum Wage Advisory Panel? CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Chair

Anil Verma is Professor of HumanResource Management at the University ofToronto’s Rotman School of Management,and Director of the University ofToronto’s Centre for Industrial Relationsand Human Resources. He serves as amember of Statistics Canada’s AdvisoryCommittee on Labour and IncomeStatistics, and on the Board of Directors ofCOSTI Immigration Services

Panel Members

Antoni Shelton is Director and a Liaisonto the President for the Ontario Federationof Labour. He has worked as a CommunityDevelopment Officer and CampaignManager for the United Way and asExecutive Director of the Urban Allianceon Race Relations. He has also held posi-tions with both the City of Toronto and theOntario government in areas dealing withsocial policy.

Adam Vasey is Director of Pathway to

Potential, Windsor Essex County’sPoverty Reduction Strategy. He has beenan instructor at the University of Windsor,Faculty of Law and School of SocialWork. He holds a Master of Social Workdegree from the University of Windsor anda Master of Laws degree from OsgoodeHall Law School.

Gary Rygus is Director of GovernmentRelations, Retail Council of Canada(RCC). The RCC is a not-for-profit, indus-try-funded association representing morethan 45,000 business establishments acrossCanada. Mr. Rygus was also a BoardMember of the Ontario ElectronicStewardship, and a Review Panel Memberof the Electrical Safety Authority.

Beth Potter is President & CEO of theTourism Industry Association of Ontario(TIAO). TIAO collectively represents147,000 businesses and 608,000 employ-ees that are dedicated to promoting andoperating the Province’s tourism infra-structure. She was appointed as a memberof the Sector Advisory Committee of theOntario Tourism Marketing PartnershipCorporation (OTMPC). She was alsoappointed to the Recreational Water Safety

task force, led by the Public Health Policyand Programs Branch of the Ministry ofHealth and Long-Term Care.

Laura D’Amico has served as a StudentTrustee for the Ottawa Catholic School

Board and graduated this past June fromSt. Mark High School. She was a memberof the Ottawa Youth Commission. She willbe attending Wilfrid Laurier Universitythis fall.

OCTOBER 2013 –– PAGE 3

THE GROWER

MINIMUM WAGE DEBATE

INTERNATIONAL

UNITED STATES

Walmart focuses onproduce

Walmart’s decision to train70,000 associates on qualitycharacteristics of produce and tohire experts to work with grow-ers is paying off. President andCEO Bill Simon reports thattheir produce business is gainingmomentum with sales gains overthe same period a year ago.

Food grocers are feeling pres-sure from ‘buy local’ trends andfarmers’ markets to improvequality throughout their distribu-tion systems. As Walmart getscloser to its farmer suppliers, theretailer says it’s dedicated todoubling its sales of locallygrown produce by December2015. A key goal is to decreasedays between the field and thestore by a day.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

UNITED STATES

BASF expandsresearch capacity

BASF has opened a $33 mil-lion expansion in NorthCarolina’s Research TrianglePark (RTP) including 80,000 feetof office, laboratory and green-house facilities. The climate-con-trolled greenhouse and laborato-ries are dedicated to plantbiotechnology research and anew environmentally-controlledinsect production facility.

"A significant share ofBASF's insecticide research isconducted in RTP,” said NevinMcDougall, senior vice presi-dent, BASF Crop ProtectionNorth America. “These largerfacilities will enable us to evalu-ate our promising insecticidecandidates faster.”

Due to an unfavourable regu-latory environment, BASFmoved its corporate headquartersfrom Germany to the U.S. inJanuary 2012. The company alsostopped commercialization of theAmflora potato for industrialuses.Source: Hortidaily.com

NETHERLANDS

Hoopla over arugula

The popularity of arugula con-tinues to spike as GreenSpecialties Holland now grows20 hectares of arugula.Sometimes known as salad rock-et, this herb thrives under openground cultivation according toowner Adrie van den Einden.

“The plant grows a little moreeven than inside the greenhouse,giving it a thicker leaf and a spe-cial bite,” says van den Einden.“We started with experiments ona small scale. Since then, arugulasales have gone through theroof.”

Spring and summer are thepeak growing season in Holland,then the company imports fromopen fields in Spain and fromtunnels in Italy.


MEXICO

Greenhouse industry showcased

The 18th edition of ExpoAgroalimentario will be held inIrapuato in the central state ofGuanajuato, with the slogan:Field to Plate. From November12 – 15, more than 100,000 visi-tors are expected, including for-eign contingents from Spain,France, Columbia and Canada. With 500 exhibitors and 2.3hectares of demonstration green-houses, the event showcases newproducts and the continuinggrowth of the Mexican green-house industry.

Source: Hortidaily.com

UNITED STATES

Monsanto expandsseed HQ

The globe’s largest seed com-pany, Monsanto, has opened thedoors to its $31 million expan-sion at its vegetable seedresearch headquarters inWoodland, California.

The 90,000-square-foot labo-ratory and office building is thecompany's primary site for themolecular breeding of vegetableseeds.

This expansion allowsMonsanto to "maintain a closeworking relationship with ourcustomers in an area which hasbecome a hub for seed scienceand which produces more thanhalf of all vegetables grown inthe U.S.,” says MarkOppenhuizen, Woodland’s strate-gy and operations lead.

The Woodland site employs250 full-time workers and 150contract seasonal employees.


They are extended family to us. We work side by side.”

~ Dave Smith“

Recycling plastics

Don Nott has been growing Cave-in-Rock switchgrassfor eight years now near Clinton, Ontario. Originally, hisintent was to grow for biomass fuel but the market hasevolved into bioproducts as replacements for plastic. Tosupplement switchgrass, his SwitchEnergy Corporationnow collects materials all over Ontario to be transformedinto renewable products. That’s a boon for horticulturewhich needs to recycle greenhouse films and mulch covers.

“We prefer greenhouse film because it’s usually clearplastic,” says Nott who explains that he often buys fromintermediaries who aggregate and bale the plastic. Thepick-up service is free.

For more information, go towww.switchenergycorp.com

Customizing your farm map

Land maps have come a long way in their precision andutility says Jennifer Birchmore, OMAF geographic information specialist. By typing in your geographic coordinates to AGMAPS, you can unearth a wealth ofinformation.

As Birchmore explains, farmers can explore locationsbased on a place name, lot, parcel number, latitude andlongitude. The website contains mapping data such asassessment parcels, farm property tax parcels, CanadaLand inventory soils, drainage data, agricultural operationsinventory and aerial imagery. Better yet, print out a copyto contractors or employees to pinpoint precise locationson the farm.

To get started, visit: www.ontario.ca/agmaps

Choosing an agri-career in horticulture

Any visitor to Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show is struckby all the iron. For students, the site must be overwhelm-ing. How does all that machinery work?

Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc. (OAFE) has part-nered with the show to walk more than 300 studentsthrough the iron maze. This year, students from schools inWoodstock, Ridgetown, Petrolia, Caledonia and Guelphwere aided by teacher ambassadors. They could choosefrom three new secondary school resources developedspecifically for the event: 20 Years of Innovation inAgriculture, Local Food and Horticulture, and SmartWater Use. Each of these resources support theTechnological Education and Science curriculum forGrades 11-12, with a special focus on Specialist HighSchool Major (SHSM) programs in Environment,Horticulture and Agriculture.

The document developed for horticulture is timely andrelevant, inviting students to consider the implications ofthe Canadian Food Inspection Agency changing its definition of local food from 50 kilometres of where it’ssold to food processed in the same province. Students areasked to produce a plan for a business affected by thesechanges. They can choose to be a marketer of fruits andvegetables, a coop grocery store or medium-sized foodprocessor. How does this interim food policy affect yourbusiness?

At the end of the exercise, students are asked to identifywhat skills are needed to carry out the position and whateducational experience is required.

For a copy of the document, go to www.oafe.org

Retrofitting lighting and pumps

Union Gas is the go-to company for delivering HydroOne’s electricity financial incentive program. For a limitedtime, Hydro One is offering electricity retrofit incentivesfor energy-efficient upgrades for farm buildings. The offerincludes all parts, labour and clean-up.

Start first with an energy audit, and then zero in onyour target area: lighting and controls, refrigeration,motors, pumps or fans.

Union Gas commercial conservation account managerGregory Gawne helps bring the program to the agriculturalcommunity.

“I’m currently working on a greenhouse project retro-fitting the lighting and pumps that run irrigation,” saysGawne.

The offer is also appealing for those who want to alsoreplace old fans with high efficiency ones.

Remember that energy rates shift as of Nov. 1 throughApril 30. On winter weekdays, on-peak hours are billedfrom 7-11 a.m. and then 5-7 p.m. Mid-peak hours are calculated from noon to 5 p.m.

For further information, email [email protected] call Hydro One at -1-866-650-4709.

PAGE 4 –– OCTOBER 2013THE GROWER

Large crowds trek to machinery mecca CANADA’S OUTDOOR FARM SHOW

REPRESENTATIVES- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

North & south shores of Montreal

Michel GrattonTel.: 450.781.6045Fax : 450.682.4959

Gilliane BissonTel. : 450.781.6044Fax : 450.682.4959

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Central, Eastern Quebec

& Atlantic Provinces

Yves Thibault, agr.Tel. : 418.660.1498Fax : 418.666.8947

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ontario

Warren PeacockTel. : 519.426.1131Fax : 519.426.6156

A team of ex perts Top -notch seeds

[email protected]

www.norseco.com

KAREN DAVIDSON

Twenty years. It’s a milestone that thousands of farmers marked at the Woodstock, Ontario site of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show. Besides machinery, attendees could find representatives of many services that can save money on the farm.

Farming Power, a new incentive program for farmers inthe Greenbelt is gaining momentum since being introducedthis past summer. Delivered by the Ontario Soil and CropImprovement Association (OSCIA), Farming Power offerssignificant cost-share for adopting energy-saving technologies in farm buildings.

The program emphasizes three best management practices or BMPs: Lighting projects, refrigeration andcooling projects (cooling compressors and free cooling)and heating upgrades. Farmers can apply for cost shareprovided they have an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP),

live in the Greenbelt and have a Farm BusinessRegistration Number (FBRN).

The application process requires participants to workwith an energy expert to get an accurate estimate of justhow much energy can potentially be saved by retrofittingold technology with new. Applications received to dateverify the savings can be significant. One project provingpopular with a few horticulture operations is the replace-ment of cooling compressors. One grower in Niagara measured a 26 per cent savings in energy use.

The program design sets cost-share levels at 30, 40 or

50 per cent, depending on the level of energy saved. Up to$5,000 is available within each BMP, with a maximum ofup to $10,000 per farm business. Opportunities exist inmultiple agriculture sectors including greenhouses, fruitand vegetable storage and more.

Farm businesses interested in applying for FarmingPower should act quickly; the program is available for2013 only. For more information and to access the application and all of the supplementary project forms,please visit www.ontariosoilcrop.org.

Save energy by retrofitting

With Foodshare Toronto as a backdrop,Ontario premier Kathleen Wynneannounced that applications are now openfor a new Local Food Fund. It’s part of a$30 million dollar investment from theprovince to create jobs and support

innovative local food projects over the nextthree years. This fund is also part of thegovernment's broader local food strategy toincrease awareness and demand for foodsgrown and made in Ontario. It will supportprojects that:

• Market and promote local food• Strengthen regional and local food networks by increasing partnerships alongthe supply chain• Use new and innovative equipment andprocesses to boost the supply, quality,

availability and distribution of local food

Above: Ontario premier Kathleen Wynnegreets Holland Marsh carrot and oniongrower Jason Verkaik, vice-chair OFVGA.

Local Food Fund launchedBITS AND BITES

THE GROWER


Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association

155th Annual General MeetingJanuary 13 & 14, 2014

Crowne PlazaNiagara Falls, ON

AWARD OF MERITNOMINATIONSThe 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, 2013

OFVGA welcomes guest speaker

DEREK EDWARDSAward-Winning ComedianStand-up comedian Derek Edwards is proof positive: youcan take the boy out of thecountry, but you can’t take thecountry out of the boy. Hisaward-winning “rural” humourhas made him the hottest thingin Canada.

NEW REVISEDT WO DAY FORMATwith meetings Monday and Tuesday, banquet Monday night.

REGISTRATION FORM, AGENDA AND AWARD OF MERIT

NOMINATION FORM AVAILABLE AT www.ofvga.org

U.S., Canada aim to limit cargo inspections at border

CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCILTHE GROWER


The United States and Canadaare working on a commonapproach to screening cargo fromother countries so fewer ship-ments have to be re-inspected ifthey later cross the U.S.-Canadaborder. Canadian customs offi-cials would inspect cargo atCanadian ports according to theharmonized standards so Customsand Border Protection (CBP)doesn't have to inspect againwhen it arrives in the UnitedStates via rail or highway. TheU.S. and Canadian governmentsreleased a cargo security strategyon September 4 that outlines whatthey aim to harmonize. It saysthey expect to recognize each

other's security technology, devel-op similar inspection facilities,and use common standards to sealand track cargo traveling betweenthe two countries. They alsointend to make it standard prac-tice to acquire advance data aboutshipments before they leave theirplace of departure abroad.

"Addressing risks at the earli-est opportunity" is one of the coreobjectives of the strategy, part ofan effort called Beyond theBorder that the countries jointlyundertook in 2011. Collaborativeefforts to implement nuclear-detection equipment and tamper-evident technologies, which showif anyone has had unauthorized

access to a shipment, are plannedas well. A few pilot programs arealready underway.

For nearly a year, Canadiancustoms officials have beenexamining maritime shipments toPrince Rupert, British Columbia,that the U.S. government hasidentified as high risk. Whenthose shipments arrive in theUnited States, CBP officers knowthey don't need to conduct dupli-cate inspections. A similar pilotbegan in Montreal in January. Inanother pilot, Canada is assessingtamper-evident seals that aim toshow whether cargo is secureafter its arrival in Canada duringits transit to the United States.

Change of address for CanadaGAP The CanadaGAP Program relocated offices on

September 9, 2013. The new address forCanadaGAP is:

245 Stafford Road West, Suite 312Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2H 9E8

Phone: 613-829-4711Fax: 613-829-9379

The email addresses for CanadaGAP staff remainthe same.

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October 5 Holland Marsh Soupfest, Ansnorveldt Park, King Township, ON (www.soupfest.ca)

October 5 Asparagus Farmers of Ontario 75th Anniversary Dinner, Hungarian Hall, Delhi, ON ([email protected])

Oct 9, 10 Canadian Greenhouse Conference, Scotiabank Convention Centre, Niagara Falls, ON

Oct 9 – 11 Canadian Agricultural Safety Association Annual General Meeting, Hotel Chateau Laurier, Quebec City, QC

Oct 18-20 PMA Fresh Summit Convention & Expo, New Orleans, Louisiana

October 24 6th Annual Ontario Harvest Gala, Teatro Conference and Event Centre, Milton, ON

October 26 Canadian Chestnut Council Annual General Meeting, The Loft, Tim Horton’s Children’s Foundation, Onondaga Farms, St. George, ON

Oct 28 – Nov 1 North American Plant Protection Organization Annual Meeting, Guelph, ON

Nov 1 – 10 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON

November 7 American Agri-Women Conference Canadian Tour, Holiday Inn & Suites, Parkway Conference Centre, St. Catharines, ON

November 7 11th Annual Ontario Pest Management Conference, Victoria East Golf Club, Guelph, ON

November 8 OPMA Annual Gala, Liberty Grand, Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON

Nov 11 – 15 Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association Annual Tour, California

Nov 12 – 17 Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer Awards,Regina, SK

Nov 13, 14 NAFTA Technical Working Group on Pesticides, Stakeholder Government Meeting, Ottawa, ON

Nov 18 CanAgPlus Annual General Meeting (owner and operator of CanadaGAP program), Sheraton Ottawa Hotel, Ottawa, ON 1:30 – 4 pm

Nov 14 – 24 European Farm Show & Tour, for info email [email protected]

Nov 19, 20 63rd Annual Essex County Associated Growers’ Bounty of the County Trade Show, Kinsmen Recreation Complex, Leamington, ON

Nov 21 Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario Annual General Meeting, OMAF office, Woodstock, ON

Nov 19 – 21 Potato Growers of Alberta Conference and Trade Show, Calgary, AB

Nov 21, 22 Ontario Beekeepers’ Association Annual General Meeting, Marriott-Gateway on the Falls, Niagara Falls, ON

Nov 22 Asparagus Farmers of Ontario Annual General Meeting, Simcoe Research Station, Simcoe, ON 9 am to noon

Nov 25, 26 Annual Ontario Federation of Agriculture Convention, Doubletree by Hilton, Toronto, ON

Dec 3 – 5 CropLife Canada Grow Canada Conference 2013, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Calgary, AB

Dec 10 - 12 Great Lakes Expo, Devos Place Convention Centre, Grand Rapids, Michigan

COMING EVENTS 2013

THE GROWER


Following are highlights from theOFVGA board meeting heldAugust 22, 2013. The purpose ofthis brief is to keep you up-to-date on the issues that theOFVGA is working on, as well asprojects and initiatives the organi-zation is involved in.

Provincial minimum wage advisory committee

Ken Linington with the LabourIssues Co-ordinating Committee(LICC) is working with OFVGAto develop a submission to theadvisory committee establishedby Premier Kathleen Wynne tomake recommendations on futureincreases to the provincial mini-mum wage.The advisory committee consistsof six people: two employer/retailer/tourism sector representa-tives, one student, one representa-tive from labour and one repre-sentative from a Windsor-basedpoverty reduction strategy, aswell as a professor from theUniversity of Toronto’s RotmanSchool of Management who isserving as the group’s chair. Acomment period to make submis-sions to the committee is nowopen.

Labour is one of the largestcosts borne by edible horticulturefarmers due to the labour-inten-sive production of many fruit andvegetable crops. The prices formany of these crops are set by theglobal marketplace, so farmerscan’t simply pass those costsalong to consumers like manyother sectors of the economy areable to.

Property section

Property section chair BrianGilroy reported that Farm & FoodCare, as part of the WaterResource Adaptation andManagement Initiative (WRAMI),is partnering with StrategicResearch Associates in Guelph toconduct a survey of farmers thisfall about their water source andhow they store, use and managewater on the farm. The WRAMI-funded study will seek to find outhow farmers are managing theirwater use decisions and whatinformation or tools they mightneed to make the best decisionspossible for their operation. Moreinformation is available fromBruce Kelly at Farm & FoodCare: [email protected]

Crop protection section

Mancozeb re-evaluationPMRA has officially released itsproposed re-evaluation of theactive mancozeb, with a 60-dayresponse period. Uses that areproposed for phase-out includeseed treatments on barley, oats,corn, flax and wheat and potatoes,as well as use on horticulturecrops including apples, pears,grapes and greenhouse tomatoes.Craig Hunter is working on a

response through CHC, butaffected commodity groupsshould also submit their owncomments on why they need thisfor their crops. Craig can assistwith those submissions if neces-sary.Spotted Wing DrosophilaSpotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)has now been found in 43 of 60sites being monitored in Ontario.Most of the horticulture crops itaffects have a very short windowof harvest. However, the productsavailable to use against SWDhave a pre-harvest interval of twoto three days, making harvestvery difficult. This is a significantissue that will have to beaddressed with PMRA; work isalready underway on this.

Canadian Horticultural Council

Adrian Huisman reported thatthe 2014 CHC annual generalmeeting will be shortened to threedays. This will result in cost sav-ings to the organization. Huismanalso reported that CHC is propos-ing to reduce the number of itscommittees from six to five, achange that would become effec-tive following the next AGM. The

organization is also reviewingoptions for its office facilities asan effort to seek additional costsavings.

Waste Reduction Act

OFVGA is part of the recentlyformed Ontario AgricultureWaste Management Partnership.The group also includes OntarioFederation of Agriculture, OntarioGreenhouse Vegetable Growers,Flowers Canada (Ontario), Farm& Food Care, Canadian AnimalHealth Initiative, Dairy Farmersof Ontario, Ontario Agri-BusinessAssociation, Clean Farms and theCanadian Fertilizer Institute, andis working on responding to theMinistry of the Environment’sproposed Waste Reduction Act.The OFA is leading the coalition,which has hired a consultant to doa study on the potential impact ofthe proposed Act on the sector.The government’s intent with thisAct is to enable more companiesto recycle their waste instead ofsending it to landfill.

Fresh from the Farm program

The Fresh from the Farm pilot

program is being launched thisfall in select school boards thatwill let students fundraise fortheir schools by selling Ontariofruits and vegetables. Modeledafter a similar program inManitoba, the Ontario initiative isa partnership between the OntarioMinistry of Agriculture and Food(OMAF), Ministry of Education,Ontario Fruit and VegetableGrowers Association (OFVGA)and Dietitians of Canada. It’s

being rolled out to 379 elemen-tary and secondary schools at 10different school boards in Elgin,Middlesex and Oxford Counties,the city of London, and districtsof Cochrane (Timmins) andAlgoma (Sault St. Marie).Starting in September, students inthe pilot schools will be sellingeight-pound boxes of apples for$20 and a 10-pound rootv\egetable bag for $10 that willinclude carrots, onions, potatoesand parsnips. More informationabout Fresh from the Farm isavailable at www.eatrighton-tario.ca/en/FreshFromTheFarm.

The next OFVGA board meet-ing will be held October 17 at theOFVGA office in Guelph startingat 10 am.

OFVGA

Board briefs

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THE GROWER


STAFFPublisher: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ AssociationEditor: Karen Davidson, 416-252-7337, [email protected]: Carlie Robertson, ext. 221, [email protected]: Herb Sherwood, 519-380-0118, [email protected]

The Grower reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Any errors that are the direct result of The Grower will be compensated at our discretion with a correction notice in the nextissue. 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 thesole owner of The Grower. All editorials and opinions expressedin The Grower are those of the newspaper’s editorial staff and/orcontributor, and do not necessarily reflect the view of the association.

All rights reserved. The contents of this publicationmay not be reproduced either whole or in part without theprior written consent of the publisher.

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The Grower is printed 12 times a year and sent to allmembers of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association who have paid $30.00 (plus G.S.T.) per year forthe paper through their commodity group or container fees.Others may subscribe as follows by writing to the office:

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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 Brian Gilroy, Meaford

BOARD OF DIRECTORSApples Brian Gilroy, MeafordFresh Vegetable - Other Mary Shabatura, Windham CentreTender Fruit Fred Meyers, 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

As usual there are many thingsgoing on at the government level;sometimes their policies seem to

be in unison, sometimes theyseem to be at odds. Such is thesituation I believe the Ontariogovernment finds itself in as itrelates to our sector.

Premier Wynne, in mid-September, announced the LocalFood Fund, a three-year, $30 million fund to help promotelocal food consumption and distribution. (go to the OMAFwebsite for more detailed information)

This is a great initiative thatthe government has put in placeand it will certainly heightenawareness of the vast diversity ofcrops we grow in this province.More importantly, it is alsointended to help make available

more fresh produce through community groups such as FoodShare across the province. It isindeed unfortunate that there areso many people who rely on theservices of these organizations tohelp feed their families; so congratulations to the Premier forrecognizing their needs and taking action to help.

Now this is the dilemma. It iswell known that the Premier iscommitted to fighting poverty,she has made those comments onnumerous occasions. She also isthe leader of a minority govern-ment and will have to secure thesupport of the NDP if she hopesto hold power after the release ofthe spring budget. The NDP is

well known for its view on minimum wages and that thewage rate should be in the rangeof $14 to $15. Next point, thenumber one goal of any politicalparty is to get elected and then re-elected.

So here’s the dilemma, a sustainable local food system orwages so high as to force farmersof labour-intensive crops out ofbusiness.

Our farmers still have notrecovered from the last rateincreases (28 per cent from 2008to 2010) and any additionalincrease at this time will wreakhavoc with many of our farmers.

Not is all lost however!Should the government exempt

agriculture and perhaps other sec-tors similar to ours that mustcompete in a global marketagainst low-cost products, wecould use the federal rate whichalso has a built in CPI factor thatwould incrementally increase therate on a regular basis. This ishow the seasonal agricultureworker program has been handledin the past. It would create a levelplaying field with farmers inother provinces and would not putour farmers out of business andwe could still produce fruit andvegetables right here in Ontario.

For what it is worth, it’s theway I see it.

ART SMITHCEO, OFVGA

Does the government have a dilemma brewing?

The Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers’ Association’s(OFVGA) mandate is to lobby on

behalf of edible horticulture inOntario. The association’s lobbyefforts lessen the workload of itscommodity members by dealingwith issues that are common to itsentire membership. Funding ofthe OFVGA comes courtesy ofthe Ontario Farm ProductsContainer Act of 1947. This revenue source has enabled theOFVGA to have a strong unifiedvoice when lobbying on behalf ofedible horticulture in Ontario.

So what’s the problem? It’s aproblem that has been plaguingthe boardroom for at least 20years; it has used up time andresources and has caused dissen-sion among our membership. Theproblem is the container toll, the

method currently used to fund theOFVGA. The toll paid by grow-ers when baskets and containersare purchased does not fairly distribute the cost of the benefitsgenerated by the work of theOFVGA. Simply put, some grow-ers are paying more than their fairshare, while others are payingvery little.

At the 2013 annual meeting ofthe OFVGA, a resolution wasbrought to the floor asking theboard of directors to find a solu-tion. A funding committee wasformed to deal with the resolutionand recommendations and proposals have now been presented to the board. The recommendations of the funding

committee will bring completefairness, so all growers who benefit from the work of theOFVGA will share in the cost. Asa grower of a processed crop, Ihave been among the growerswho have received the benefits ata low cost. My commodity organization -- the GrapeGrowers of Ontario(GGO) -- hasmade voluntary payments to theOFVGA but at a level that is lessthan if we were captured underthe Act. A good example of theinequity is to compare tender fruitand my commodity board theGGO. Both have a farmgatevalue of approximately $70 million, however the OFVGAreceives $30,000 from the GGO

and $145,000 from tender fruitgrowers.

We can no longer ask a portionof the growers to pay for thework that is done for all. Wemust, including myself, start paying our fair share or the dissension will continue. Fixingthis problem will not be easy. Itwill take time and there will beopposition. I am, however, confident that we can meet thischallenge, put this problembehind us and begin to focus allof our time and resources to theissues that face edible horticulturein Ontario.

In the end, I, for one, will feelbetter paying my fair share.

Time to fix an old problem

RAY DUCCHAIR, OFVGA

WEATHER VANE

Photos by Glenn Lowson

THE GROWER

It’s been a tough year for someproducers in Ontario’s tomatobelt. Tomatoes like it hot and relatively dry. When conditionsare opposite, they simply don’trespond as well. And with buck-ets of rain flooding certain tomatofields, and fairly cool tempera-tures, some of those 44-tonne-per-acre yields recorded last yearhave fallen off appreciably.

From a research perspective,even a tough year offers moreinformation than they had before,particularly about how certainlines react under stress. And thisyear, they’ll get loads of newdata.

That information is of particular interest to University of

Guelph researcher Steve Loewen,at the Ridgetown campus. For thepast 25 years, he’s been dedicatedto breeding and improvingOntario processing tomatoes –making them higher yielding,more resistant to plant disease,better suited for canning and evenimproving the flavour.

Most of his efforts are dedicat-ed to domesticated tomato plantslike those we see in our fields. Atother times, his focus is directedtoward the wild tomato speciesthat originate in South America,and the seed collection of thesespecies held at the TomatoGenetics Resource Center at theUniversity of California, Davis.This collection is available fortomato researchers to draw uponthe genetic diversity representedby these wild tomatoes.

With support from the partnership between theUniversity and the OntarioMinistry of Agriculture and Foodand Ministry of Rural Affairs, andan industry agency called theOntario Tomato ResearchInstitute, he develops new,improved and unique lines oftomatoes. He then turns themover to private sector breeders todevelop further into somethingcommercial.

He’s working on a number ofnew tomato lines, seven of which

he showcased to a group gatheredfor an information session calledNews@Noon at the One StoneRoad government building inGuelph last month.

Besides offering up a taste test,Loewen also revealed some bignews – that is, progress towardswhat he considers one of hisbiggest developments ever, atomato line with double the levelsof lycopene. It’s an anti-oxidantoften associated with helpingstave off the likes of prostate cancer, and given consumers’interest in food for health, it couldwell be destined to be a hit.

Tomatoes already have benefi-cial levels of lycopene naturallypresent. But by using genes from

native tomatoes from the wilds ofPeru and Ecuador, Loewen’sshowing lycopene levels can beboosted by up to 200 per cent,compared to the amount found intraditional, domesticated lines.

Over the past 10 years,Loewen’s developed cross aftercross to get the enhancedlycopene line to the point where italso had other traits for fruit size,yield, and maturity. Commercialplant breeders need to adapt thesetraits for our growing region.

And he thinks the processingindustry will be excited about thisprogress. It turns out lycopenecan be more easily taken up by

the human body (a trait calledbeing more bioavailable) throughprocessing. Specifically, it’s thecooking process that changeslycopene into a form that is moreeasily absorbed.

Other lines that Loewen is pursuing produce a variety ofcoloured tomatoes – yellow andorange in particular – which hethinks could form the basis ofnew products for consumers ifproperly marketed.

If they’re firm enough, thesevarieties could be diced andmixed to develop a multi-coloured diced product. Andwhen used in a pasta salad, or asthe basis for salsa, he says they’dlook great together, similar to theway red, orange and yellow peppers have come to appear onstore shelves.

And still more lines inLoewen’s lab and field work arededicated to resistance to bacteri-al spot and vine decline, diseasesthat prevent tomato plants fromreaching their potential.

Tomatoes are an importantcrop for southwestern Ontario andany production gain can have apositive effect in the farm econo-my, not to mention consumers’health. Ontario tomatoes are awinner and Loewen’s research ishelping them stay at the head ofthe pack.

Tough conditions reveal strengths of new varieties

OWEN ROBERTSUNIVERSITY OFGUELPH

PERSPECTIVE


By using genes fromnative tomatoes fromthe wilds of Peru and

Ecuador, Loewen’sshowing lycopene

levels can be boostedby up to 200 per

cent, compared to theamount found in

traditional, domesticated lines.

THE GROWER


CRYSTAL MACKAY

Questions around bees andwhy they are dying or not dyingare being asked around the world.In recent years, an unusually highnumber of bee deaths haveoccurred in some areas of Europe,Canada and the United States,while other areas have seen beepopulation growth. All types offarmers rely on pollinators andare concerned about bee healthand the environment. It’s a complex issue with no easyanswers.

Researchers around the worldare currently working to deter-mine the cause of the increase inbee deaths in certain regions andwhy populations are increasing inothers. While the EU hasannounced a moratorium on thespecific type of pesticide calledneonicotinoids or “neonics”because of a believed connection,the British government hasannounced that it rejects the science behind the moratorium. InCanada, Health Canada is investigating bee deaths to determine what role, if any, pesticide may have played in theincidents.

Recently there’s been anincreasing level of concern anddiscussion around the topic ofbees here in Ontario and in themedia. In July, the Ontario government formed a “BeeHealth Working Group” with representation from many sectorsof Ontario agriculture. The issuewas discussed by delegates at the

Grain Farmers of Ontario annualmeeting and was a topic discussed by visitors to the Farm& Food Care exhibits atSeptember farm shows. Well-funded environmental specialinterest groups like the SierraClub have also jumped into thediscussion, pointing fingers atagriculture's use of geneticallymodified organisms, pesticides ingeneral and neonicotinoids specifically.

What is Farm & Food Care’srole? As a coalition with a mandate toprovide credible information onfood and farming, it’s importantto note that Farm & Food Caredoesn’t lobby or take positions onissues. We’re designed to repre-sent all types of agriculture andall types of farming methods.We’re here to provide facts onfood and farming to the public toallow them to make informeddecisions at the grocery store.

For a working example, lookat the www.virtualfarmtours.cawebsite. Over 150,000 peoplevisited that site last year to seedifferent kinds of farms. The lat-est updates on that site were madeto the egg farm tours to includevirtual farm tours and fact sheetson all types of egg production –from conventional to organic andfree range. Consumers frequentlyaccess that site to look at the dif-ferences in the birds’ housing andfeeding systems and can thenmake their choices according tothe system they prefer and pricethey want to pay.

Annually, media and culinary

student tours visit both organicand conventional farms as well asfarms of all sizes to provide a balanced and accurate view ofagriculture in this province directly. For example, an applegrower was invited on the bus ofthe sold out farm tour for Torontoreporters two years ago to explainhis family’s international investigation into growing organic apples and why theychose not to. The bus tour thenstopped at an organic producegrower who was very passionateabout why he chose organic production methods.

This spring, a farm tour forchefs and culinary students fromLondon’s Fanshawe College visited a large cash crop farm inthe Chatham area that was conducting on-site bee healthresearch. They had a greatoverview on bee health whilethey were standing in the fieldbeside the hives. A well-knownEastern Ontario bee keeper was

also a feature tour stop on Farm& Food Care’s 2012 Ottawamedia farm tour. A guest blog byCraig Hunter of OFVGA, aptlynamed “A rarely heard view fromthe field” was posted on Farm &Food Care’s www.caringforthe-land.ca in August, with manygood tweets on Twitter to expandawareness and readership.

On the technical side, Farm &Food now has three staff workingon environment related topics.This environment team has beenworking behind the scenes moni-toring the issues and availabletechnical information as it unfoldssince last year. In April, Farm &Food Care’s EnvironmentCouncil held a discussion on beehealth with a variety of speakersfor participants to hear from. Asecond forum in September,repeated that process with speak-ers from the Ontario Beekeepers’Association, the University ofGuelph’s School ofEnvironmental Sciences and both

OMAF’s provincial apiarist andcrop protection program leads.These forums are important forour members to hear the latesttechnical information that maynot be making the news, andallow for some healthy discussionabout concerns and future direc-tions on this important topic.

Farm & Food Care advocatesfor decisions based on sound science-based research and practi-cal knowledge. Unfortunatelythere are many accusations andconclusions on these bee relatedissues which jeopardizes morethan just the health of bees – butalso the public reputation of theentire agricultural industry.

In Ontario, the bee healthworking group committee needstime to study the body of scientif-ic evidence that is available andthe extensive work that is beingconducted around the world. Wesupport that working group’smandate and await its findings.

Are farmers concerned? Ofcourse they are. Farmers of alltypes are concerned about beehealth. Farmers live, work andplay on the land - their livelihoods depend on a healthyenvironment and healthy pollinators. Ontario farmers continue to invest in environmental improvements andresearch, including research withbees, both on farms and in universities.

Farmers will continue to makechanges to their practices basedon sound science-based researchand practical knowledge. AndFarm & Food Care will continueto work hard to help providecredible information and messages exactly like that to helpour customers, the people whoeat, make informed decisions.

Crystal Mackay, ExecutiveDirector, Farm & Food Care

Healthy discussionabout bee health

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THE GROWER


There is no way the retailerscould operate without technology.Managing hundreds of stores,thousands of items, retail pricing,labour, finance and many otherdaily occurrences would beimpossible without the aid oftechnology. It is very importantfor suppliers to understand thetechnology and the role they play.

From the moment you have thefirst conversation with a retailer,technology has an impact. If youritem is listed, the retailer needs toknow many different distinguish-ing factors of your item such as:1. UPC2. Case weight3. Case size4. Case UPC5. Shelf life6. Pallet configurations7. Delivery dates8. Order lead time9. Etc.

Retailers need to integrate thisinformation into their computersystems. Without this data, thereis no way your item will bereceived into the warehouse, letalone make it to the store shelf forsale.

Suppliers need to make sure allof this information is accurate andup-to-date. And you need to figure it out on your own - theretailers are not there to help withthis process. You are perceived ina positive light if you manage itas opposed to calling them forhelp. Some terms can be a challenge and you might needsomeone to help who has beenthrough the process. It should notbe intimidating, but, I admit, it istime-consuming.

Once your item is in the sys-tem, make sure to follow itthrough the front end of the storecorrectly. There is nothing morefrustrating than an item that doesnot scan correctly. You shouldmake it a habit to buy your ownitems regularly to see how theproduct performs through thecash register. You can always askthe cashier or people in thedepartment where you are listedas well. Sometimes they mightknow your item better than youdo!

Your retail customers use systems for replenishing or order-ing. Each retailer has their ownprocess but there are some com-mon electronic data interchangeplatforms that are necessary for

communication with retailers.These can be costly but this ishow they choose to communicateorders. Some suppliers worktogether if they have smaller volumes to share some of thecosts.

Retailers also have sophisticat-ed systems for ordering at thestore level. Some retailers willcreate store orders based on product movement through thefront end, while others will givethis function to store employees.Both have merits but in the end,there can be a serious impact onthe longevity of a listing. If youritem is not ordered properly andin stock, it will go away. Talk toemployees at store level to seewhat is happening with your

items. After enquiring at a fewLoblaw stores about some items, I was told it was a SAP softwareissue. Items were not there toorder. This was not true but it didrequire some digging and persis-tence. Remember they managethousands of items - don’t everthink yours is always top of mind.

The three most importantthings for suppliers regardingtechnology and the retailers are:1. Make sure the data you pro-vide is accurate and up-to-date.2. Follow your items rightthrough to the store and the cashregister four times per year.3. Stay up-to-date with the sys-tems your customers are using.You do not have to know how touse them but you should be aware

of what they are doing as it willimpact you.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THEDESK

To be a control label supplieror not to be

One of the questions I getasked most often is “should I produce control label (or privatelabel) product.” There is no doubtthis is a difficult question toanswer.

There is no right or wronganswer but you do need to beready for the question. Reviewyour own strategic plan to see if itis a fit or not. Some companiesare focused on branding and

marketing while others arefocused on volume and efficiency. In a future edition ofthe newsletter I will devote morespace to the pros and cons of control label for suppliers.

The most important thing is tohave an answer!

Peter Chapman, a retail foodconsultant and professionalspeaker, is principal of GPSBusiness Solutions, based inHalifax, Nova Scotia. Peter workswith producers and processors tohelp them navigate through theretail environment with the ulti-mate goal of getting more itemsinto the shopping cart. [email protected].

RETAIL NAVIGATOR

Technology runs the business

PETER CHAPMAN

KAREN DAVIDSON

Hero Certified Burgers hasfinalized its supplier for Ontariogreenhouse tomatoes. Supplying achain with 46 outlets acrossOntario is big news not only forone successful bidder but for theentire greenhouse vegetableindustry.

“Foodservice is a very undeveloped marketplace forOntario greenhouse growers,”says Nancy Hewitt, foodservicemarket specialist, OntarioGreenhouse Vegetable Growers(OGVG). “Our best estimate isthat only two per cent of our production is destined for thissector, so there’s room for incremental business.”

For almost two years, OGVGhas pursued the lucrative food-service market through outreachprograms to chefs and institutional buyers. By hiringHewitt with 15 years’ experiencewith Campbell’s Soup and otherfood companies, OGVG is lever-aging her long-time connectionswith the industry. Hewitt’s earlyconversations with these influ-encers revealed how much groundneeds to be tilled. While thetrends of local and fresh are topof mind, Hewitt says the surprisewas how little awareness theseinfluencers had of the burgeoningOntario greenhouse industry, literally a few hours from theirunloading docks.

Buyers had no idea of the keystrengths of food safety andyear-round availability. Nor were

they aware that they could negotiate stable pricing, a critical

element for this sector. Armed with this market

intelligence, Hewitt hasbeen busy developing relationships with everyone from small to

broadline distributors todirectors of hospitals,universities and colleges.The Ontario Society of

Nutrition Managementand chef associations havealso been on her target

list. “We think that chefs are

critical to our future strategy,”says Hewitt. Their celebrity statuswithin society and the mediamake them ideal spokespeople.They also typically drive whatgoes on the menu so they’re piv-otal to success in the foodservicemarket. OGVG programs are nowin development to align with culinary schools in both Ontarioand the U.S. A pilot with fourOntario culinary schools willlaunch this fall with the objectiveof reaching more than 120 students as these new chefs enterthe industry.

Part of that plan also includesa sponsorship with the TasteCanada Food Writing Awardsscheduled for November 4. That’swhen young chefs and cookbookwriters alike gather in Toronto totip a toque to the best.

Feedback from this group ofinfluencers is helping to craft afoodservice toolkit on how tostore greenhouse produce, utilizeeach of the many varieties oftomatoes, cucumbers and peppersand how to eliminate waste.Recipe development is an art forthis sector which requires variousvolume yields and exact nutritional data, plus consideration for possible dietaryand cost restrictions. At the sametime, recipes must align withindustry trends and ideally, havemultiple applications on a menu.

“It’s going to take some timeto penetrate the foodservice sector,” says Hewitt, after spearheading the initiative for 16months. “We’re competingagainst the world on price and

quality.”However, her role in

qualifying the burger chain as apotential customer is evidence ofthe gains to be made. As a representative of OGVG, Hewittinitiated contact with the prospective buyer, discussed thepossibilities, detailed what wasimportant to the buyer and developed a new process, Requestfor Interest. Working with thebuyer, she described beefsteaktomato specifications, volumes,packaging and a host of deliverables including food safety guidelines. This was posted to the

entire grower community whichthen responded to the buyerdirectly by a deadline.

“With this case history, we’veplanted the seed on how foodservice operators, both commercial and non-commercial,can procure produce,” saysHewitt. The size of Ontario’sgreenhouse vegetable industry isan advantage in that direct procurement from the grower is possible. Whether healthcare oreducational institutions contractcaterers – fast-food restaurants forexample -- this process could beprofitable in managing budgets

while sourcing fresher productsand supporting local agriculture.

How to crack the franchisemodel whereby franchisees procure independent of eachother, is the next hurdle. Headoffices of these chains may bechallenged to look beyond theirhistorical procurement practices.Yet the franchisees could benefitfrom volume sourcing and pricing. With Hewitt’s drive atthe helm of this initiative, watchfor more examples of foodserviceprocurement to be forged in themonths to come.

New procurement practices pioneered for foodservice FOCUS: GREENHOUSE INNOVATION

THE GROWER


Nancy Hewitt, foodservice market specialist, is an enthusiastic ambassador for the Ontario GreenhouseVegetable Growers in building new relationships and business in the foodservice sector. She identifiedHero Certified Burgers, an Ontario burger chain, as a potential customer for Ontario beefsteak tomatoes.The deal – and the burger – are well done. Photo by Glenn Lowson.

KAREN DAVIDSON

There’s solace for growingtomatoes during the winter sol-stice. Now commercialized inFinland, the Ukraine and theNetherlands, the system of LEDinterlighting between the plantcanopy is now boosting yields inone of North America’s state-of-the-art greenhouses.

Mastronardi Produce has beentesting the European technologyin its high-wire tomato facility inColdwater, Michigan since lastwinter. The objective? Overcomeyield drag in the darkest months.If the installation and spectrumare correct, then the benefits willfollow: consistent year roundgrowth, quality product andreduced energy costs.

“The trial is still ongoing, butthe current results and energysavings look positive,” saysKevin Safrance, COO,Mastronardi Produce.

Until recently, uniform lightwas assumed to be needed foronly horizontal surfaces. Globallighting company Philips haslaunched an interlighting systemthat adds a vertical dimensionwithout unwanted heat generationthat comes with high-pressuresodium lamps. With this furtherelement of control over growingconditions, company literaturesays that light can be convertedmore efficiently into sugars.

What’s already known is thatplants consume red and blue lightmost efficiently. But besidesspectrum, so many other variablescome into play during the crop’sproduction cycle. The light recipemust be finetuned to includeinstallation, at what distance fromthe crop, how many LEDs areused on certain surface areas andhow often and when they areswitched on.

“We can expect to observe anincrease from five to 25 per centin production,” says AbhayThosar, Philips HorticulturalLighting, Plant Specialist.“However, this increase varieswith the variety, environmentalconditions and cultural practicesimplemented during the trial.”

Research at Wageningen UR,Netherlands shows that the hybridsystem of high-pressure sodiumlamps and LEDs has its benefits.An addition of one micromole ofLED light is 1.46 times moreeffective than adding one micro-mole of high-pressure sodiumlight.

Dutch growers like the factthey can switch the top lightingand interlighting separately.When the days are darker, theyswitch on interlighting. They alsoobserve higher water demandwhich translates into more trans-fer of nutrients, and hence fastergrowth of tomatoes. This produc-tion success is balanced by ener-gy savings of about 10 per cent

with LEDs. “Greenhouse growers are look-

ing for ways to become morecompetitive and efficient, lookingtowards technology such as light-ing and co-generation,” notesAmit Varma, a senior relationshipmanager with Farm CreditCanada (FCC). Based in Surrey,British Columbia, he says thatgrowers are willing to invest intechnology that can take them toyear-round production.

“The greenhouse owners, managers and operators are quite

innovative and entrepreneurial,”says Dave Orosz, also a seniorrelationship manager with FCC,based in southwestern Ontario.

When it comes to financingcapital-intensive projects, Oroszsays it comes down to basic prin-ciples. Are the right people incharge with the right history andequity to try something new?How much is the grower relyingon that experimental technologyto work? Risking a small percent-age helps light the way.

THE GROWER


There’s more to light than meets the eyeLight-emitting diode (LED) interlighting boosts tomato yields

FOCUS: GREENHOUSE INNOVATION

(Bellevue, WA) - CertifiedGreenhouse Farmers (CGF)announces the approval of sixnew members from BritishColumbia, Canada. The newCGF members include BJ Farmsof Abbotsford, Canadian ValleyGrowers of Aldergrove, DeltaView Farms of Delta, PeppertreeFarms of Abbotsford, SunnybayGreenhouse of Delta andMillennium Pacific of Delta.With these new members andthose companies currently pend-ing membership certification,CGF will grow to more than 50greenhouse operations in Canada,Mexico and the United States thisyear.

“Our growth continues as wework to distinguish vegetablegreenhouse production from othersystems by clearly defining grow-ing standards and practices forthis innovative industry,” says EdBeckman, CGF president.

To become a CGF member,producers must meet the strictdefinition for controlled-environ-ment greenhouses as well asundergo a rigorous, third-partyaudit against the association’sstandards. These standardsinclude structural and environ-mental controls, food safety,water resource management, inte-grated pest management proce-dures, ecosystem managementand integrated waste manage-ment. After passing the certifica-tion audit, members can place aCGF seal on their products andpackaging.

“The investment that thesegreenhouse growers must makerequires them to differentiate theirproduction systems and thatmeans coming together, speakingwith a unified voice and joiningwith other producers who share

their vision,” Beckman explains.CGF addresses internationaltrade, pest management, phy-tosanitary, and regulatory issuesfor its members. “With interestsin Canada, Mexico and the UnitedStates, the organization seeks har-monization of those issues whichimpact farmers who grow or mar-ket greenhouse vegetables inthese countries,” Beckman says.

“An example is our coordinatedeffort with regional grower orga-nizations in Canada to ensure thatwe have a uniform definition forgreenhouse-grown vegetables.”

Interest in the organization hasbeen strong across Canada.“We’ll continue to see growth inCanada, Mexico and the U.S. in2013 as growers seek certificationnow in advance of the 2014 mar-

keting season,” Beckman says.“For example, Sun Select, amajor greenhouse pepper growerin British Columbia that isexpanding into California, hasapplied for membership and willundergo certification audits thisfall.” Beckman reminds retailers

to monitor the CGF website formember additions and certifica-tion status of pending members.

Total CGF membershipacreage is now up to 1400 acresin Canada, Mexico and the UnitedStates.

THE GROWER


Certified Greenhouse Farmers continues membership growth in Canada

The Canadian Greenhouse Conferencehas invited Saad Jasim as keynote speakerOctober 10. Slated to speak at 12:30 pm,Jasim will be relying on his recent three-year term as director of the InternationalJoint Commission’s Great Lakes RegionalOffice in Windsor, Ontario.

During his tenure, Jasim strengthenedscientific capacity, organized numerousconferences, expert workshops and sym-posia. Jasim is also an adjunct researchprofessor at the University of Western

Ontario and the University of Windsor; andpast president of the International OzoneAssociation-Pan American Group (IOA-PAG) and the Ontario Water WorksAssociation.

The water theme continues with addi-tional speakers addressing “NutrientManagement Land Application,”“Innovative Water Treatment Options YouCan’t Afford to Ignore” and “ConstructedWetlands: Treatment and Reuse ofGreenhouse Irrigation Leachate Water.”

OMAF greenhouse specialist ShalinKhosla will be chairing a water sessionfeaturing:• Minimal Discharge and Zero Dischargein Greenhouse Vegetable Production• R2 Technology for Nutrient Treatment ofGreenhouse Waters• Radial Deionization and High Recoveryof Greenhouse Leachate• Treatment of Recycled Leach Water forLimiter Removal Using CapacitiveDeionization

Canadian Greenhouse Conference, October 9, 10 Keeping our Great Lakes safe: keynote speaker

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THE GROWER


MICHAEL CELETTI, PLANTPATHOLOGIST,HORTICULTURE CROPSPROGRAM LEADMARION PAIBOMESAI,VEGETABLE CROPSPECIALIST,ONTARIO MINISTRY OFAGRICULTURE AND FOODAND MINISTRY OF RURALAFFAIRS, GUELPH, ONTARIO

With garlic harvest completein most regions of the provinceand planting commencing shortly,poor yields in some fields insome regions are starting to bereported. In many instances, thefields had been showing symp-toms of what we now know asaster yellows. The first report ofaster yellows causing damage togarlic was in Argentina during1997. Subsequently the diseasewas detected in 1999 around theEdmonton, Alberta region. In2012, it caused significant dam-age to garlic crops in several mid-west states such as Minnesota andWisconsin.

Aster yellows has a wide hostrange and can infect more than350 species of plants includingmany crops such as carrots, cel-ery, lettuce, onions, garlic, canolato name a few and many weeds aswell. There is extensive informa-tion about this disease and itsinsect vector in several crops,however, very little is knownabout this disease in garlic.

In general, aster yellows is adisease caused by a bacteria-likeorganism called a ‘phytoplasma.’These organisms are microscopicand do not have cell walls.Without a cell wall, these organ-isms are very vulnerable andtherefore must live and surviveinside another organism such as aplant host or insect vector. Oncethe organisms are introduced intoa susceptible plant host andbecome established, they live andmultiply in the phloem. They arealso distributed to every part ofthe plant including roots, cloves,stems and flower parts such as

scapes and bulbils. Previously,phytoplasmas were very difficultto detect using routine diagnostictools, however, relatively newDNA tests have been developedthat can be used to detect thispathogen in plant tissue.

Aster yellows is transmittedplant-to plant-by insect vectors.The aster leafhopper (Macrostelesquadrilineatus Forbes) is consid-ered to be the primary vector ofaster yellows in Canada, althoughthere are other leafhopper speciesthat may transmit aster yellows.Leafhoppers acquire aster yellowsby feeding on aster yellowsinfected plants for a “substantial”period of time (8 hours for 50 percent success of infection; source:www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/Default.aspx?DN=138085f7-6d21-41d7-8a92-f43d7f901570). Before thepathogen can be transmitted toanother plant, it must first incu-bate and multiply within the asterleafhopper for about 2- 3 weeks.After the incubation period, theleafhopper can then transmit theaster yellows pathogen to otherhost plants for the rest of its life.

There are two sources of aster

leafhoppers in Ontario: 1) migra-tory and 2) local, both of whichmay vary in levels of aster yel-lows infectivity, depending on theyear. “Migratory” aster leafhop-pers overwinter in warmerregions of the southern UnitedStates such as the Gulf Coaststates. These leafhoppers, whichmay already be infected with theaster yellows phytoplasma, can bepicked up in large numbers bywinds from weather fronts origi-nating in the southern US and canbe carried several hundred kilo-meters. With migratory leafhop-pers, it is the potential combina-tion of arrival in high numberswith high levels of aster yellowsinfectivity that may cause a seri-ous aster yellows outbreak.

In terms of local leafhoppers,it was generally thought that theadult aster leafhopper does notoverwinter; however, there issome speculation that adults mayoverwinter given the right envi-ronmental conditions in someparts of Canada (source:www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/Default.aspx?DN=138085f7-6d21-41d7-8a92-f43d7f901570). Asterleafhopper eggs will overwinterin wild grasses, winter wheat orrye. In spring, the eggs hatch anddevelop into nymphs and adultsthat feed on overwintering graincrops. As the grain crops mature,the leafhoppers disperse to feedon other plants such as weeds,grasses, vegetables and springgrains. If a leafhopper feeds on anaster yellows infected overwinter-ing weed, biennial or perennialcrop, it may acquire the phyto-plasma.

Overall, the incidence of asteryellows in any year depends uponthe population of the asterleafhopper vector and the percent-age of the insect vector popula-tion that carries the phytoplasma.Not all aster leaf hoppers carrythe aster yellows phytoplasma. Inmost years, the incidence of asteryellows in Ontario vegetablecrops is low and sporadic.However, the warm winter andspring during 2012 may have

resulted in adult aster leafhopperthat overwinter in the southernUS moving northward earlier thanusual with storms. Unfortunatelymany of the adult leafhoppers thatmoved northward during thespring of 2012 were likely carry-ing the aster yellows phytoplas-ma. As a result the incidence ofaster yellows was very high inseveral vegetable crops during the2012 growing season. Theleafhoppers most likely arrived inOntario in late June or early Julyof 2012.

Those that landed in garlicfields probably transmitted theaster yellows phytoplasma toplants that were almost matureand close to harvest and did notproduce symptoms in the field.However, red or brown bulbswith yellow streaks and blotcheswere noticed on the wrapper skinsaround cloves of some bulbs inthe fall of 2012 during bulbcracking. Growers who plantedgarlic seed cloves that carried theaster yellows noticed very pooremergence this past spring. Itappeared that the aster yellowscompromised the overwinteringinfected cloves which becamesusceptible to winter injury thispast winter.

The most obvious symptomsof aster yellows in garlic are thebright yellow top and mid canopyleaves of infected plants (Figure1). If the infection is early in theseason, infected plants will dieback from the top down com-pared to normal senescence garlicplants from the bottom up. Bulbsfrom garlic plants infected earlyin the spring will be small almostlike a green onion and often donot produce marketable bulbs(Figure 2). These small bulbs feelsoft and spongy-like whensqueezed. Severely infected bulbsmay become translucent andbegin to break down prematurely

(Figure 3). Plants that becomeinfected late in the growing sea-son may not produce obvioussymptoms at first; however, thewrapper leaves around some har-vested bulbs and cloves of lateinfected plants may produce a redor dark brown discolourationsometimes with yellow streaks atharvest depending upon the culti-var. In some instances, healthylooking cloves used as seed fromcrops infected with aster yellowsin 2012 had poor emergence in2013. Many plants that didemerge developed aster yellowsymptoms resulting in pooryields.

Managing aster yellows is verydifficult. Plants that becomeinfected with the aster yellowsphytoplasma cannot be treatedand therefore cloves from infect-ed garlic plants should not beused for seed. Since the aster yel-lows phytoplasma can overwinterin susceptible perennial weeds,weed control in and around fieldsis important in the managementof this disease. Studies haveshown that light coloured orreflective mulches disorientateleafhoppers and may reduce feed-ing and therefore transmission ofaster yellows; however, this hasnot been tested under Ontarioconditions. Floating row coversused to keep leek moth fromattacking allium crops may alsoprotect the crop season long fromaster leafhopper feeding and thusthe transmission of the aster yel-lows phytoplasma; however, thereis little to no information on thelevel of efficacy using thismethod.

Fortunately, the incidence ofaster yellows in most crops andthe aster leafhopper vector popu-lations were very low in mostregions of Ontario during the2013 growing season.

THE GROWER


Aster yellows in garlic

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

Figure 1. A garlic plant withsymptoms of aster yellows. Notethat the mid and top leaves turnbright yellow whereas the bottomleaves remain green.

Figure 3. Bulbs of garlic infectedwith aster yellows may becometranslucent (clear-like) and beginto break down prematurely.

Figure 2. Garlic infected withaster yellows produce smallspongy bulbs that appear to looklike green onions with red dis-colouration and streaks alongthe lower stem.


THE GROWER

VEG FOCUS

MELANIE FILOTAS -SPECIALTY CROPS IPMSPECIALIST/OMAF AND MRA

Interpreting pesticide labelscan be a challenge for any grow-er, however determining whatproducts are registered on a givencrop can be particularly challeng-ing for specialty vegetable pro-ducers. With increased interest inthe production of world crops andother specialty vegetables, OMAFand MRA has seen more andmore inquiries from growers onwhat products are registered onthese crops. Unfortunately, doingthat is not always straightforward.

A product is registered on agiven crop if the label lists either:(1) the specific crop, (2) the entirecrop group to which the cropbelongs or (3) the subgroup towhich it belongs. What is a cropgroup? Crops are placed intocrop groups by the PestManagement Regulatory Agency(PMRA) for the purpose of estab-lishing maximum residue limits(the maximum amount of productresidue legally permitted toremain on food or feed). Cropsare placed into groups based onbotany, taxonomy and cultivationpractices. A subset of crops with-in this list are designated as repre-sentative of the whole group, andresidue data gathered for these“rep crops” can then be extendedto all crops within the group, suchthat products can sometimes beregistered on all crops within agroup without having to generate

residue data on every single crop.Crop groups can be further subdi-vided into smaller, more closelyrelated subgroups. Pest controlproducts may be registered on asubgroup rather than the entirecrop group.

For example, if acceptable datais gathered on cucumber,muskmelon and summer squash(the representative crops for CropGroup 9, the Cucurbit VegetablesGroup) then it may be possible touse that data to obtain a CropGroup 9 registration. A productwith a full Crop Group 9 registra-tion could then be applied to allcommodities in the group, such asbitter melon and casaba. CropGroup 9 is subdivided into sub-groups 9A (the Melon Subgroup),which includes casaba, and 9B(the Squash/CucumberSubgroup), which includes bittermelon. Products registered onlyon subgroup 9A can be applied tocasaba but not bitter melon, andproducts registered only on sub-group 9B can be applied to bittermelon, but not casaba.

It is important to note thatproducts registered on only a fewcrops within a group do not nec-essarily apply to all members ofthe crop group. For example,some products labelled for controlof cucurbit downy mildew havelabels that list “cantaloupe,cucumbers, pumpkin, squash,melons and watermelons” ratherthan specifying a crop group.These products are labelled onlyon the listed crops and not onother members of the crop group.

Going back to the earlier exam-ple, only products with labels thatspecify all of Crop Group 9 orsubgroup 9B could be used onbitter melon. This means that thelist of cucumber downy mildewproducts included in OMAF andMRA or other publications is notnecessarily fully applicable tospecialty cucurbits, as some of theproducts may be restricted to onlyselect, larger acreage cucurbitcrops.

How does one determine whatcrop group a specialty vegetablefalls into? Sometimes, a pesticidelabel will include a list of cropsincluded in the crop grouping.Growers can also go to HealthCanada’s website and do a searchfor “residue chemistry cropgroups.” This will take them to apage (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/part/protect-proteger/food-nourriture/rccg-gcpcr-eng.php) with a handy filethat lists each crop group and thecrops included in them.

When looking at these lists,keep in mind that specialty veg-etables have numerous names,depending on the ethnic groupthat is consuming them. Forexample, bitter melon is alsocalled foo gwa, balsam pear, bit-ter gourd or fwa-kwa. Not all ofthese names will be listed on apesticide label, or in crop grouptables. However, the Latin or

species name of the crop, and themost frequently used commonnames are usually listed.

The list of crops included in acrop group is also not necessarilycomprehensive. For example,mouse melon, a specialty cucurbitused in some Latin Americanmarkets, is not included in theCucurbit Crop Group. The herbcrop group (Crop Group 19),includes many common culinaryherbs, but not mint, which is cur-rently not in any crop group.Parsley intended for fresh marketsale is also not included in theherb crop group, but is insteadplaced in Crop Group 4, LeafyVegetables.

Additionally, the same plantspecies may be put into differentcrop groups depending on theintended use and other factors.For example, while fresh marketparsley is in Crop Group 4, driedparsley is included in the Herbcrop group. While Belgianendive is the same species as rootchicory (Cichorium intybus), onlyroot chicory is included in CropGroup 1, the Root and TuberVegetables Group. Belgian endiveis an orphan crop that is notincluded in a crop group. Formany specialty root vegetables,such as sweet potato and daikonradish, both the roots and theaboveground foliage are con-sumed by some cultures, however

the roots fall in Crop Group 1(Root and Tuber Vegetables) andthe foliage falls in Crop Group 2(Leaves of Root and TuberVegetables). If a pest controlproduct registered only on CropGroup 1 is applied to daikonradish, than the foliage of thatcrop cannot be consumed. Thetake-home message is that it isimportant to confirm what cropgroup your specialty vegetablebelongs to by referring to officiallists, rather than assuming a cropis included based on productioncommonalities or family relation-ships.

Further complicating things isthe fact that the PMRA, togetherwith several other countries hasbeen updating and expandingexisting crop groups to incorpo-rate additional crops. Thisprocess is still on-going, howeverseveral new Crop Groups havealready been approved. Forexample, Crop Group 8, theFruiting Vegetables (exceptCucurbits) Group, originallyincluded only six crops – egg-plant, groundcherry, pepino, pep-per, tomatillo and tomato. In2008, a new Fruiting Vegetablescrop group was created, calledCrop Group 8-09, which includes21 different crops, including okra,goji berry and garden huckleber-ry. It is important to be awarethat products labelled on the oldcrop group are not automaticallyregistered on the new one. To usea product on one of the new cropsin the expanded crop group, alabel must indicate the new cropgroup number. If it has only theold crop group number, it canonly be applied to the originalcrop group list.

Accurately determining whichpesticides are registered on a par-ticular specialty crop can be atime consuming and confusingtask, but one that is worth doing.Remember that the grower orapplicator is ultimately responsi-ble for ensuring that they areadhering properly to the label.For assistance in interpretinglabels, consult an OMAFRA spe-cialist or the PMRA.

Navigating pest control products for specialty vegetables

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THE GROWER


HAZELNUTS

JYOTI LATAWA, MUKUNDSHUKLA, ADAM DALE,PRAVEEN K. SAXENA.GOSLING RESEARCHINSTITUTE FOR PLANTPRESERVATION (GRIPP)DEPARTMENT OF PLANTAGRICULTURE, UNIVERSITYOF GUELPH

Hazelnuts, commonly knownas filberts, represent an interestingopportunity for Ontario growersas there is significant market pullfor these nutritious and uniquelyflavoured nuts.

One of the industry’s key challenges is to rapidly propagatetrees for planting. At theUniversity of Guelph, we havedeveloped methods that haveresolved this problem.

European hazelnut specieswhich produce commercially preferred large nut is susceptibleto Eastern filbert blight diseaseand is not winter hardy. Manynative American species are coldhardy and resistant to Eastern

filbert blight but producesmaller nuts of less

commercial importance.Currently, a few cultivarssuitable for plantation inOntario have been identified and there is an

immediate need of a large numberof plants for field planting.

The conventional methods ofhazelnut propagation such asthrough seed is very uncommondue to genetic variability of seedderived population. Vegetativepropagation by grafting, layeringand cuttings is possible, but thesemethods are very time consum-ing, cumbersome and labourintensive. An efficient method ofplant propagation is urgentlyneeded to produce a large population of healthy, geneticallyidentical plantlets for cultivar trials and mass plantation inOntario.

Micropropagation techniquesoffer an alternative solution bypropagating true-to-type plantsvia culture of plant organs, tissues, and cells in a controlledgrowth environment. Essentially,explants are cultured on a definednutrient medium enriched withsugar, minerals, vitamins, andplant growth regulators undercontrolled environmental

conditions of light and temperature which stimulate multiple shoots. These shoots canbe separated and then grown intocomplete plants following theinduction of root formation.Micropropagation is season independent and can facilitaterapid plant multiplication to fulfillthe demand of a desired genotypein short time. Stocks of elite cultivars can be maintained fordecades in a limited space andwith much less input as theprocess eliminates maintenance inthe field and greenhouses.

Large-scale multiplicationrequires establishment of an efficient, multiple-step protocol:collection of buds and their establishment under in vitro conditions, shoot multiplication,rooting of the shoots, andacclimatization of the plantlets inthe greenhouse. Using a semi-solid nutrient medium has beenproven in several earlier studies.These results contrast with con-ventional micropropagation wherethe number of resulting plantletsremains limited as a semi-solidmedium does not provide an optimum environment to utilizefull multiplication potential ofgrowing buds. Several rounds ofsub-culturing and tissue handling

adds to the cost and increases thechance of contamination.

Our recent research at thePlant Tissue Culture Laboratoryof the University of Guelph hasled to a highly efficient techniquefor micropropagating hazelnut.This approach optimizes growthmedia components, supplements,and culture conditions in a biore-actor based culture system. Thebioreactor is a self-contained culture vessel, which supports thegrowth and development of cultured tissues in a liquid nutrient medium. Our technologyfor propagating hazelnut is basedon a temporary immersion bioreactor system (TIS), whichemploys controlled back and forthrocking of the culture vessels(Liquid Lab) thereby submergingthe explants and plantlets in thegrowth medium at one intervalwhile aerating in the other. TheTIS bioreactor aids in air circulation, diffusion of nutrientsand also reduces the oxidativestress of the plantlets while supporting optimum growth and amuch higher multiplication ratecompared to the semi-solid system.

The integrated approach combining TIS together with theoptimization of growth medium

for various stages furtherimproved multiplication rates androot development. These healthyrooted plantlets showed high survival rates of more than 80 percent when transplanted to thegreenhouse. Under optimizedgrowth conditions, we estimateapproximately 300,000 plantletsof a desired hazelnut cultivar canbe produced per year using 700bioreactor vessels starting with100 in vitro established buds. Inconclusion, our research demonstrates the potential ofmicropropagation techniques forrapid production of disease-free,true-to-the-type plants, which canfulfill the demand of the geneti-cally elite planting material of adesired genotype in a short time.As such, the development of suitable hazelnut cultivars andtheir mass plantation in Ontariowill eventually lead to self-sustainability in meeting the market demand for hazelnut prod-ucts locally and internationally.

Investment in this project isprovided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through theCanadian AgriculturalAdaptation Program (CAAP). InOntario, CAAP is delivered by theAgricultural Adaptation Council.

Micropropagation: An efficient technology forlarge-scale production of hazelnuts

THE GROWEROCTOBER 2013 –– PAGE 19

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THE GROWER



NURSERY AND ROOTSTOCK

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THE GROWER



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THE GROWER


I was taught at a very earlypoint in my career that even themost experienced observer look-ing in an orchard for ‘what wasgoing on’ might see only 10 percent of what was there. A rookielike me was only going to seemaybe one per cent. It was incen-tive to look harder and longer. Iwas also taught to never actuallylook for any one thing, but rather,just to look. Once immersed inthe orchard environment, thingswould start to jump out at you.Part of the premise was that youmust know what was ‘normal’and what the ‘bad’ things wouldlook like, or how their damagewould be manifested. The onlyway to get better was to keepdoing it.

All of this sage advice couldbe put to play in later roles whereI was asked to determine ‘what iswrong with my crop’, or, “I‘know’ what is wrong with mycrop and will you (I) confirm it?”Going in with an open mind wasoften the key to finding the ‘truth’rather than to go in with a pre-conceived notion and trying to

confirm it.It always helps to have more

eyes (and brain-power) becausewhat you might have missed maybe spotted by someone else.Likewise, in perusing the obser-vations and prior to reaching con-clusions, a lot of ‘connecting thedots’ and gap analysis has to bedone. Sometimes there is just notenough evidence or not enoughsurety in the knowledge to reacha solid conclusion. One then addsas much relevant outside knowl-edge as one can find, and consultswith experts on their experience.(Remembering that their experi-ence adds to your own store oflore to benefit you in later years.)Sometimes the answer is self-evi-dent, and that makes one lookpretty smart! Sometimes theanswer is reached when all thedata is in and it conclusivelyexplains everything. Sometimes aleap of faith is needed to reach aconclusion or at least set a pathforward for next steps. Sometimesno answer is forthcoming.

If one accepts the scientificmodel, one does not pontificate,draw conclusions from thin air, orespouse theories that have nobasis in fact. The worst situationarises when ‘data’ is fabricated ormanipulated to reach a pre-ordained result. If one lets biasslip into the process, the result ispredictably lousy, at least forsomeone.

If a committee is struck to do ajob of investigating a situation, itshould be of a manageable size.Every member must have theproven ability to access, assess,and reach conclusions from factu-al information. None should have

a pre-determined bias. All playerswith a stake in the outcomeshould be on the sidelines unlessthey can add to the informationdatabase, and remain impartialduring the evaluation. They maybe made non-voting members toensure that any possible bias doesnot impinge on a fair outcome

This does not always happen.On hotly contested issues, suffi-cient time is needed to gather thefacts. Further time is needed tofairly assess those facts, and befree from outside interferencewhile doing so. The old mantrathat ‘there is never enough timeto do it right, but there is alwaystime to do it again’ should neverbe an option! Getting it right thefirst time is so much better for allconcerned, that any attempt to cir-cumvent fair process should bestopped in its tracks.

Two recent issues come tomind. The first is the recent strik-ing of a committee to investigatethe minimum wage rates here inOntario. The HorticultureIndustry was denied a seat at thattable to investigate all the rele-vant impacts that any considera-tion that a change in the mini-mum wage rate could create. Thisis in spite of the fact that we havevaluable data to explain theimpact on our sector. When onelooks at the sectors/individualsthat are represented, all of themare in a position to recoup anywage increase by way of theirmarket. Our sector cannot. Wealso employ a very large numberof people at minimum wage, andthe impact of any change will befelt the hardest in our sector. Theimpact of the last raise was a 28

per cent increase in our labourcosts, which can be as much as 60per cent of the cost of productionof a commodity!

If that committee had theintegrity it needs to consider allthe impacts on all the sectors, itwould have sought out all thosewho could contribute. We evenasked to be there, but weredenied. Any outcomes will atleast have the taint that they didnot get all the possible impacts onthe table for consideration.

The second committee thatwas struck this summer was todeal with the bee kill situation.Once again, we asked to beincluded but were specificallydenied standing. I was told that itwas because our industry was notinvolved and the issue only had todo with seed treatments used bythe grain and oilseed producers!(This in spite of the fact that weused the same insecticides as seedtreatments, and as foliar sprays,and we are the largest contractorsfor bee pollination services in theprovince!) Interestingly, when itcame to a committee vote onaction, the motion did indeedhave a potentially enormousimpact on our members. Fortunately it was voted down!Nonetheless, all the implicationsof such a vote on our sector werenever discussed with us! No onerepresenting our sector was evenasked to ‘testify’ to the group.The sole ‘outside’ group allowedto make such representation hasno direct stake in the actual situa-tion. They have no prima faciedata that could help. What theydo have is a public stance of anti-pesticide and anti-GMO crops!

They used their influence some-where to get up on a soapbox infront of the committee, yet had nocredible scientific knowledge toshare on the issue! The committeeallowed itself to be ‘lobbied’ (orbullied?) instead of sticking to thefacts!

The facts for both committeeswill take time to gather if thegathering is done correctly.Furthermore, there is on-goingresearch that will spill more lighton the complex issues. Some ofthat research (on bee kills) cameto light in early September at theAmerican Chemistry Societymeetings that I attended. Clearly,a lot of brainpower has been atwork! There is enough evidenceto know that more is needed.

I trust that both committeeswill take the time needed. I fur-ther hope that there is not another‘rush to decision’ for eithergroup. Let us get it right the firsttime!

Lastly, I hope that when futureissues like these or ones evenmore serious arise, that we too geta chance to add our facts to thediscussion. Likewise, I hope thatwe can be there to ‘correct’ mis-information that may be madeavailable during discussions. Themore eyes and brainpower thatare intent on seeking the truthregardless of its impact willalways trump that of those whoonly have their own agenda atheart and will do anything to per-vert a fair outcome.

Let these two ‘oversights’ bethe last of their kind. Even thepoorest observer can see a lack offair play is at hand.

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The GROU (Grower Requested OwnUse) program is a government programthat allows growers to import the U.S. version of Canadian-registered crop protection products for their own use.

The nomination process

• Members of the nomination committeesolicit their members and others in theagriculture sector for potential GROUproducts,• The nomination committee does an initialassessment of which of these products are

eligible,• The nomination committee will thendecide which products will be sent toPMRA for official assessment and if eligible, nomination.

A total of 15 products can be placed onthe GROU list per year, including renewalsof products expiring from the list (eachproduct remains on the list for two yearsunless renewed)

What makes a Product ineligible forGROU?

• The data exclusive use period has notended – new products have an exclusiveuse period for 10-12 years• Restricted use products are not eligiblefor GROU• No matching product in the U.S. – Thecompany that sells the product in Canadamust be same as the company in the U.S.• Not materially identical to U.S. version –The product must have the same activeingredient per cent as the U.S. version• The product cannot be under patent protection.

Calls for Nominations

The nomination committee puts out acall for nominations every September. Ifthere is a product you would like to see onthe GROU list please contact your organi-zation or CFA at [email protected].

To help you identify potential products,please look at the list of nominated prod-ucts from previous years and their statusand/or reasons they were not eligible forGROU. For more information visitwww.cfa-fca.ca/programs-projects/grou-program

Nominations open for GROU program

THE GROWER


MINOR USE

JIM CHAPUT, OMAF/MRA,MINOR USE COORDINATOR,GUELPH

The Pest ManagementRegulatory Agency (PMRA)recently announced the approvalof a minor use label expansionfor Scholar 230SC fungicide (fludioxonil) for control of post-harvest white mold (Sclerotinia)on carrots during storage. Scholarfungicide was already labeled formanagement of several diseaseson a range of crops in Canada.

This minor use submissionwas sponsored by the Agriculture& Agri-Food Canada, Pest

Management Centre (AAFC-PMC) in 2008 in response tominor use priorities identified bycarrot producers in Canada. Thiswas also the subject of severalrepeat emergency use submis-sions and registrations in severalprovinces over the past few years.

Access to post-harvest whitemold management tools is a priority for carrot producers andthe label expansion of Scholarfungicide will provide producerswith a helpful disease management tool. The followingis provided as a general, abbreviated outline only. Usersshould consult the complete labelbefore using Scholar fungicide.

Scholar fungicide can beapplied as a post-harvest dip ordrench immediately beforestorage at a rate of 496 mL product per 378 L water. This cantreat up to 90,000 kgs of carrots.Dip for 30 seconds and allow carrots to drain. One application

per year is permitted. Do notallow rinsate to enter public watersystems or aquatic habitats.

Scholar fungicide should beused in an integrated pest management program and in rotation with other managementstrategies. Do not contaminateaquatic habitats when cleaningand rinsing spray equipment orcontainers. Follow all other precautions and directions for useon the Scholar fungicide label.

For copies of the new minoruse label contact MarionPaibomesai, OMAF/MRA,Guelph (519) 826-4963 or visitwww.syngenta.com/country/ca/en/Pages/home.aspx

Control of post-harvest white mold on carrots

NOTICE OF MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting

of the FRESH VEGETABLE GROWERS OF ONTARIO

will be held in the Town of Woodstock, Ontario

at the

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food Ministry of Rural Affairs

401 Lakeview Dr., Woodstock, ON Thursday November 21, 2013

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m

Election of directors of the Association will take place plus

discussion of financial reports and any other business that may arise.

Pre-registration is required, to register please call the

FVGO office, 519-674-1500 ext 63592 or email

[email protected]

Additional meeting details can be located on FVGO website

www.freshvegetablesontario.com

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ERME Mechanizationof garlic growing

JANICE LEBOEUF,VEGETABLE CROPSPECIALIST, OMAF & MRA -RIDGETOWN

Many of Ontario’s vegetableproduction areas have experi-enced excessive rainfall this pastsummer. One of the issues forsome pepper and cucurbit grow-ers is Phytophthora blight. This isan aggressive disease that cancause damping-off early in theseason, or later may attackfoliage, fruit, stems, and roots. Insome cases, the foliage remainshealthy and fruit may look finewhen picked, but then quicklydevelop a whitish mold and rotafter harvest. In other cases,

extensive plant death may occur. Phytopthora blight is caused

by a pathogen calledPhytophthora capsici – not a truefungi, but an oomycete, like thedowny mildew, pythium, and lateblight pathogens. Phytophthorablight thrives in wet conditions.Heavy rainfall, excessive irrigation, and poor drainage –with warm conditions – are veryfavourable for the development ofthe disease. It is often seen firstin low spots in the field.

Phytophthora blight seems tobe most common in peppers andcucurbits – they can be quite susceptible – but several othervegetable crops, weeds, and common rotation crops are hosts.Tomato, eggplant, snap beans,

and lima beans, tobacco, purslane,and nightshade can also be affected. In lab conditions, alfalfa, beet, carrot, okra, onion,snow pea, soybean, spinach, swisschard, radish, turnip, and vel-vetleaf have also been shown tobe hosts.

It is very difficult to managePhytophthora blight once thepathogen is established in thefield. To prevent its introduction:• avoid introducing contaminatedsoil, plant material, or water toyour fields• avoid irrigating with watersources that receive runoff frompotentially contaminated fields• ensure runoff from infested sitesdoes not enter clean fields

If you have had Phytophthora

blight previously in a field, additional steps are needed tominimize its development andspread:• rotate at least three years out ofhost crops• plant only well-drained sites• avoid planting host crops in lowareas of fields• avoid excessive irrigation andfix leaks promptly• plant on dome-shaped raisedbeds to improve water drainageaway from crop plants• scout regularly and destroyplants that begin to show symptoms (till them and a borderof surrounding healthy plants intosoil)• choose resistant or tolerant varieties when available

• avoid working in wet fieldsThere are some fungicides

registered for Phytophthora blightin peppers and cucurbits, howeverthey generally must be used preventatively and many offersuppression only. Managementof the disease with fungicides isdifficult as this is a soil- andwater-borne pathogen and foliartreatments may not provide thecoverage needed (consider theunderside of cucurbit fruit,infections at the crown). ConsultOMAF & MRA’s Vegetable CropProtection Guide (Pub. 838) forregistered products.

Phytophthora blight of peppers and cucurbits

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THE GROWER


Patience is the operative wordas growers and researchers breeda blight-resistant American chest-nut tree. The challenge is that asthe tree matures, blight attacksand limits production. If thechestnut tree can be restored to itsoriginal habitat in southernCanada, it may also become akeystone species of woodlots andforests

“We are selecting for blight-resistant trees that are suitable forboth nut production and timberattributes,” says Doug Fagan, adirector of the Canadian ChestnutCouncil. “We are at approxi-mately mid-point to introducingblight-resistant trees to fields orforests by 2020.” Thanks to agrant from the CanadianAgricultural Adaptation Council,researchers are developing various methods of propagationand evaluating the range of nutsize in American chestnut.”

There appears to be a range invariability of tolerance, says plantbreeder Adam Dale, who hasworked on the project since 2001

at the Simcoe Research Station.“Some of these trees have cankersbut they are tall and erect, whileothers have died,” he explains.“We’re now crossing the bestones from the second generationand will be inoculating them in2014.”

Now is an ideal time for growers of an entrepreneurialbent to establish small hedgerowsof American chestnuts. Mostchestnuts are of European orChinese origin, Fagan explains,but the fruit of the Americanchestnut is sweeter. Chestnuts can

be made into a gluten-free flourand of course, are desired by confectioners in making bakedgoods.

Dennis Fullbright, a MichiganState University plant pathologisthas helped establish an ediblechestnut industry in the northeast-ern U.S. His current research usesthe technique of hypovirulence, inwhich the tree is intentionallyinfected with a less virulent strainof the virus. The result is alumpy, cruddy bark with knottycalluses and sores, however thetree survives.

Fullbright’s research and practical management strategieswill be featured by the CanadianChestnut Council at its 25th annual general meeting October26 in St. George, Ontario. He willdiscuss the opportunity to startchestnut farms by looking at thefull impact of the genus Casaneaand currently available cultivars.For a full agenda, further updatesand contacts, go to www.canadianchestnutcouncil.ca.

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Recent tests for aphid-vectored viruses have kept theNova Scotia strawberry nurserybusiness on edge. For CharlesKeddy, owner of one of thelargest nurseries in the province,the news was thumbs-up in mid-September. He tested morethan 600 samples on the nurserycrop of about 10 million youngplants destined for Florida andGeorgia.

“We were cleared by ourinspection body to harvest andship plants from all our acreage,”says Keddy based in Lakeville,King County. “Orders for plantsin the south are on par with lastyear and maybe a little stronger.All customers are aware that wevirus-tested this summer as westated in our catalogue.”

For plants going to Canadaand northern U.S. states, thenursery will be tested variety byvariety, field by field in early tomid-October. Keddy explainsthat’s in case there is a late infection period by aphids flyingin the fall.

“Having already tested two-thirds of the acreage, wehave every reason to be opti-mistic for future testing, and thatthe pesticide program that wefollowed this year, as in yearspast, is giving the results weneed,” said Keddy.

Two strawberry viruses, carried by aphids, have beennamed the culprits in spreading adisease which weakens plants,causing stunting and no berries.

Strawberrynurseryindustry onedge

the grower october 2013

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