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March 2015 Volume 71, No. 2

Editor Margaret Land mland@annexweb.com 519-429-5190 • 888-599-2228 ext. 269 Advertising Manager Sharon Kauk skauk@annexweb.com 519-429-5189 • 888-599-2228 ext. 242 Account Coordinator Mary Burnie mburnie@annexweb.com 519-429-5175 • 888-599-2228 ext. 234 Media Designer Alison Keba Group Publisher Diane Kleer dkleer@annexweb.com President Mike Fredericks mfredericks@annexweb.com PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT #40065710 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT., P.O. BOX 530, SIMCOE, ON N3Y 4N5 e-mail: subscribe@fruitandveggie.com

Fruit & Vegetable Magazine is published five times a year (January/ February, March, April, May, November/December) by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc., P.O. Box 530, 105 Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5 Printed in Canada ISSN 1488-7959

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Contents Volume 71 • March 2015 • No. 2

Nerves of Steele: BCFGA president Fred Steele discusses the 2014 growing year and the future of B.C. fruit By Tom Walker ................................................................................................................... 6

Barrie Hill Farms: Making the farm’s bounty available in freshfrozen form all year long By Treena Hein ................................................................................................................. 10

Rainbow Heritage Garden: Using heritage farming methods and vegetable varieties in concert with new technologies By Treena Hein ................................................................................................................. 14

Garlicky goodness: The Garlic Box produces gourmet products from their own plus other locally grown bulbs By Treena Hein.................................................................................................................. 18

Grape King Kevin Buis: He’s king in the vineyard; his “royal” brother reigns over the farm equipment By Jim Meyers ................................................................................................................. 20

2015 Fruit & Vegetable Magazine Pest Guides ........................................................................................................................................ 30

The food hub opportunity ........................................................................................................................................ 33

Ontario apple specialist receives Golden Apple Award ........................................................................................................................................ 34

New chair elected at OFVGA ........................................................................................................................................ 34

Peeling Roma-style tomatoes the eco-friendly way By Marcia Wood ............................................................................................................... 42

Departments Editorial ................................................................................................................. 4 www.fruitandveggie.com

Briefs .................................................................................................................. 36 New Products ..................................................................................................... 38

FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

Page 3

The magic of innovation in·no·va·tion (noun) 1. the action or process of innovating. 2. a new method, idea, product, etc.

’m just going to start this off by stating the blatantly obvious – I’m not innovative. Not even remotely. Imaginative? Yes. I can spin you a yarn that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat for most of a one-hour car ride. At least, that’s what my ad manager tells me. Creative? I like to think so. I’ve been known to shoot attractive magazine cover photos and I’m pretty handy with scissors and glue. But innovative? That’s my husband’s department. He’s the type of person who buys several sheets of steel and, a month later, has constructed a wood burning furnace, complete with boiler and heat exchanger (made from a car radiator), to provide supplemental heat for the house. He’s my computer MacGyver, capable of taking a piece of string, a stick of chewing gum plus one match and somehow creating a network system that includes all of our computers, televisions and the coffee maker. Okay, I’m exaggerating, but the standing joke in our family is one day, the dog and cats will all have their own Internet access. Long story short, my husband is the go-to person when an innovative solution is required. And I’m usually left shaking my head, thinking: “Well, that was cool. Why couldn’t I have thought of that?” Why? Simple – I just don’t possess that kind of thinking process. I can write a fairly interesting story, quote my favourite books and movies, plus remember the lyrics to songs from my teen years. But I can’t puzzle my way out of a technical problem or solve a Rubik’s cube. That’s probably why I’m always fascinated by the amazing ideas and technologies announced through the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, handed out every year in Ontario. Let’s face it – if you’re an agricultural producer in Canada, you

Page 4

need to be innovative. Here, if growers aren’t battling the challenges provided by Mother Nature, they’re wrestling for a share of the domestic and global marketplace. It takes an innovative spirit to compete and survive in this business and it’s refreshing to see this fact celebrated. Innovation is key in an industry that was challenged by Ontario’s premier in 2013 to double its growth rate and create 120,000 new jobs by 2020. As it is, the agri-food industry currently employs 767,000 people and contributes $34.8 billion in gross domestic product to Ontario’s economy. To help meet the premier’s goal, the provincial agriculture minister recently announced the formation of the Agri-Food Growth Steering Committee, comprised of eight leaders from throughout the industry and co-chaired by OMAFRA Deputy Minister Deb Stark and Ontario Pork chair Amy Cronin. “I look forward to working with this group as we develop ideas to help businesses in our sector boost exports and grow the domestic market,” Cronin said. Representing the horticulture side of the industry on the committee are Dr. Jim Brandle, CEO of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, plus Norm Deal, president and CEO of Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery and executive director of Food and Beverage Ontario. For the next few issues, Fruit & Vegetable Magazine will be highlighting some of the horticultural farming operations recognized with innovation awards for 2014. These are the producers, processors and organizations chosen as tops in the province in various categories, including improving business practices, responding to consumer demands, environmental stewardship, energy and bio-economy, health and safety, food safety and traceability, and/or promoting education and marketing of the agri-food

industry to society. Hopefully, these features will provide readers with the information and incentive to try new ideas on their own operations. Perhaps they might also encourage other growers, processors and organizations to enter the award program, which is currently accepting applications for 2015. Awards include the $75,000 Premier’s Award, the $50,000 Minister’s Award, three $25,000 Leaders in Innovation Awards (The Garlic Box, featured on page 18, was a recipient in 2014) and one of 45 provincial awards of $5,000. Applications are available on the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs website (www.omafra.gov.on.ca) and are being accepted until April 10, 2015. Why not give it a try? And good luck! As part of our service to readers, this issue of Fruit & Vegetable Magazine also includes the 2015 edition of the magazine’s pest guides. These resource documents highlight spray information for insect pests of the top four fruit and vegetable crops in Canada (apples, blueberries, strawberries, wine grapes, carrots, fresh beans, peas and sweet corn). The disease resource guides were featured in the January/February 2015 issue of the magazine. Due to the size of these charts, not all can be featured within the magazine. In light of this, a special resource area has been created on Fruit & Vegetable Magazine’s website – www.fruitandveggie.com – where all of the charts can be viewed and downloaded in their entirety. Just scroll to the bottom of the site’s home page and click the drop down menu listed under Resource Guides. Both management guides are available plus a listing of 2015 New Varieties. ❦ @FruitVeggieMag

FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

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Use DuPont™ Exirel™ insecticide, powered by Cyazypyr™, early in the season to give your pome fruit, stone fruit and blueberries the head-start they need during the most critical stages of development. Exirel™ has fast acting, translaminar and xylem systemic movement so you’ll be protecting new growth from difcult chewing and sucking pests, including aphids, plum curculio, apple maggots, codling moth, Oriental fruit moths, leafrollers, weevils and spotted wing drosophila. Exirel™, powered by Cyazypyr™, an important part of an integrated pest management program. Questions? Ask your retailer, call 1-800-667-3925 or visit exirel.dupont.ca As with all crop protection products, read and follow label instructions carefully. The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™, Exirel™ and Cyazypyr™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. E. I. du Pont Canada Company is a licensee. Member of CropLife Canada. © Copyright 2015 E. I. du Pont Canada Company. All rights reserved.

Nerves of Steele BCFGA president Fred Steele discusses the 2014 growing year and the future of B.C. fruit

elowna orchardist and B.C. Fruit Growers Association president, Fred Steele, speaks with the clear articulation and presence you would expect from someone with a 30-year career in radio. He’s an excellent storyteller and, like any good media person, he looks for the middle ground. Words like “cooperate” and “consult” come up often. When Steele looks back over guiding the BCFGA in this, its 125th anniversary year, he thinks the organization is heading in a positive

By Tom Walker direction. But first, we have to talk music and poetry. “The boys are in the studio over in Spain right now,” Steele explains. He is co-writing an album, entitled Savage Steele, with Pat Savage, a bluesman who performs across Europe. He explains how they send the material back and forth over the Internet and plays the single they are just completing. It’s a warm, country blues tune. Only then do we talk fruit growing. “What I said when I became president

was that this chair belongs to the BCFGA’s 550 members and I am merely going to occupy it for a while,” he says. “I think that this year [2014] we have delivered. The main focus of almost everyone was the replant program and not just two years and $2 million.” In late November, the B.C. provincial government announced they were providing $8.4 million in a seven-year program to assist growers to replant older low-value orchards with higher value varieties. The BCFGA will administer the

“I’m behind in my pruning but it will happen in due time. I do it all myself.” – Fred Steele. Photo by Tom Walker Page 6

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program. Details are being finalized but, as with past replants, there will be a minimum of five and a maximum of 10 acres. “That was our main goal and we got that one complete,” says Steele. “The program didn’t happen over night. We were building a relationship.” The BCFGA decided early on that travelling back and forth to government offices in Victoria (a four to five hour drive through two mountain passes followed by a 90-minute ferry ride) was not the best use of their time. “We did it by teleconference through the agriculture branch office here in Kelowna,” explains Steele. When one person in the agriculture branch didn’t fully understand what growers were talking about, they arranged for him to be brought to the Okanagan Valley for a day. “We took him to the research station in Summerland and then we took him to the farms and we showed him. You can’t just give a guy 10,000 trees and he can plant them. “The ag guy got to see what cherry people need and he got to see what apple people need.“ The $11.00 unit cost for quality rootstock is just a start. On average, it costs $25,000 to $30,000 to replant an acre in the Okanagan. “This is all about looking ahead and saying where will we be in five to seven years,” he says. “The better varieties give us a chance to use the word profit for a change.” Older apple varieties, like Red or Golden Delicious, return nice cents per pound to the grower, while the new Ambrosia, developed through BCFGA subsidiary Summerland Varieties Corporation (formerly PICO), can get 50 cents per pound. The late season Stacatto cherry, also managed by SVC, is being planted extensively. Building a strategic plan has been important for the executive in 2014. “Every government department said to us: ‘Where is your strategy?’ The last one we had ran out two years ago,” Steele says. “We’ve had to consult with cherries and pears and prunes and the organic people and the packing house and SIR (sterile insect release program) because it’s not our program, it’s their program. We want to represent everyone. “Some people say you should downsize the industry to fit the market you are in. But it doesn’t matter if it’s not profitable. So we have to go in the other direction, and that’s Page 8

where we are going.” Expansion, with government support, is part of long-term plans. “I think the government is looking to increase acreage. They talk jobs, innovation and export. We have built a progressive relationship with the provincial government, we’re building a better one all the time with the federal government.”

The export market

“We have had considerable interest from lower levels in New Zealand to get a reciprocal agreement to make up for short falls in off season,” explains Steele. Fruit would come into B.C. pre-sorted but then be graded and packed in local plants to give workers employment in the off season and help keep costs down. It would also give B.C. growers access to New Zealand export markets. “What we are trying to do is provide fresh fruit all year round instead of stored fruit. They can piggyback our fruit into markets when they run short, and we can piggyback their fruit in because we are all partners in the same. It’s a lot better than trying to beat each other up.” A new trade deal signed recently with South Korea provides the kind of opportunity the BCFGA are looking for. “People ask me: ‘Why do you want to go back to exports?’ Well, there are growing middle incomes in Southeast Asia and those people want better quality fruit. They tell officials that they want Canadian product first choice and B.C. product first choice.” Quality for home markets and overseas is an important goal. “It used to be that you just picked everything off the tree and put it in the bin, and it didn’t matter if it was poor colour or coddling moth,” Steele says. “But, I think that in the long run, it became one of the ills of the industry.” If BCFGA has their way, that quality will not include the new non-browning GM Arctic Apple, developed by a private biotech company in the Okanagan and now seeking approval from U.S. and Canadian officials. The BCFGA denounced it in the fall of 2013 when they wrote letters to federal health and agriculture ministers to request the regulatory process for the Arctic Apple be suspended. “What do you want the apple for?” asks Steele. “We already have a non-browning apple, the Ambrosia. If you can get two to

four hours out of an apple not browning, what more do you need? Would you want to eat that salad the next day? “People want honesty,” Steele adds. “Why would you take your whole reputation and throw it up in the air? It’s a risk that we don’t need to run.” Steele predicts 2015 will be a steady year following “extremely good years” in 2012 and 2013. But there will be some challenges, he warns. Northwest U.S. growers are sitting with 160 million boxes of apples. “The biggest problem is that they don’t have access to the Russian market with the Ukrainian situation. I’ve sat down with our general manager, Glen Lucas. We’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a question of when (there will be U.S. dumping), not if. We’ve asked for shipments coming into Canada to be monitored for price. We’ve engaged a trade lawyer to prepare and contacted other provinces to put them on board. We’ve talked to the management of the packinghouses and the independents and we’re prepared. If the U.S. dumps into this market, we will initiate trade action.” At home, Steele isn’t sure if he will access the replant program for his 11acre orchard, located on the outskirts of Kelowna. His main crop is Macintosh with blocs of Gala, Spartan and Red Delicious. “Every year, I think I might replant my Red Delicious. And then they grow big and I make money on them. And it becomes the question: ‘Do I have time to replant now?’” He’s considering juice apples for expanding local cideries or perhaps hazelnuts. “I’m behind in my pruning but it will happen in due time. I do it all myself.” Steele is optimistic for fruit growing in B.C. “We’ve got a lot of things started and we can let others complete them as there are probably a lot people with a hell of a lot more know how than I have. I’m just foolish enough to believe we can do it.” And if it doesn’t work out? “Well, I’ve been working on plans for an Internet radio station to talk about – what else – farm issues.” ❦

For more on Production, visit www.fruitandveggie.com FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

Disease control that adds up.

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Barrie Hill Farms Making the farm’s bounty available in fresh-frozen form all year long

very harvest season, many horticultural farmers face a conundrum. When fruit and vegetables are ripe, the produce must be sold. But because there is so much of it on the market, prices for some things can nosedive quickly. But now, Morris Gervais has found an inventive solution for this problem. The producer operates Barrie Hill Farms, located near Barrie, Ont. The farm was started in 1968 and Morris’ parents, Adrien and Evelyn Gervais, grew tobacco there until 1979. In 1977, they started transitioning away from tobacco, planting strawberries and then

By Treena Hein following with blueberries, raspberries and asparagus during the years to come. Over the next two decades, their blueberry cultivation grew to a stunning 40 acres, making the operation one of the largest highbush blueberry farms in the province. Eldest son Morris began to take over management of the farm. In 1998, the Gervais family added peas, and the year after, green and yellow beans. Morris’ wife, Kendra, home schools their four children, aged 6 to 13. And while their grandpa continues to be involved with the entire farm, over the last few years, Adrien has devoted much of his time to growing giant pumpkins.

(A replica of his 1999 champion can be seen at the entrance to the farm.) “He is over 90, but my father is still a great help to me,” Morris says. It was during 2011 that Gervais began looking for a place that would freeze some of their blueberries in an effort to open up another sales avenue for the high-value crop. “I made many, many calls to companies all over southern Ontario, but none of them were interested because it’s such a small amount compared to the other things they freeze,” he remembers. “Then one day, I got a call from Zast Foods. They have a brand called ‘Nude

Gervais is not planning to increase his asparagus acreage at this time but admits if he were to get greater uptake for frozen asparagus from small, local independent retailers in southern Ontario, he would freeze more. Contributed photo Page 10

FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

Disease control that adds up.

Gervais sells most of his frozen asparagus, plus blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, through farm gate sales, with some going to small local retailers. Contributed photo

Fruit’ and they wanted my berries. They access fruit from all across the country and have shelf space in the bigger stores. I still sell some berries to them every year and also freeze some of my own.” The company that would do the small-scale batches was South Coast IQF (individually quick frozen) of Delhi, Ont. “We started with blueberries, as they are very costcompetitive,” Gervais explains. “I have an automatic harvester and automated sorting. And they are easy to freeze, just become little marbles. We added other berries later.” In 2012, Gervais toured the facility and got to thinking. The plant was mostly idle early in the spring, and that’s when asparagus is ready. “We’d been farming asparagus since the 1980’s,” Gervais says. “At that point in time, the only variety available was one that would flower at six or seven inches tall. That meant we had to harvest the spears when they were less than that. But during that time, the Ontario Asparagus Growers Marketing Board (now known as Asparagus Farmers of Ontario) had been investing in a breeding program at the University of Guelph and by the late 1990’s, we had a variety called Guelph Millennium.” This new variety is all male, and is very productive in terms of pounds produced per acre. The spears are high quality, and don’t branch out until they get around nine to 11 inches tall. This means more of the tender stalks can be harvested and Page 12

there is more overall volume that’s available to sell. “Back when we started growing asparagus, we mostly did fresh sales at the farm gate,” Gervais explains. “It was really a good crop, and fresh sales were very strong, and anything left over was shipped to be processed and canned.” However, in the late-1990s, the only processing plant in the province that handled asparagus closed. It was a shock, and Gervais and the other asparagus growers in Ontario needed to find more markets for the hundreds of thousands of pounds that had previously gone into cans – fast. “We serviced grocery chains to an extent that had never seen before,” Gervais remembers. “Nowadays, I sell fresh asparagus at the farm gate, in local stores and into big grocery chains. The problem is there’s a glut in the spring and the price falls. That’s the time when if you can freeze it, you can preserve its value. If you can time it all properly, you can get all the benefits of fresh sales and then freeze the rest when the maximum volume of asparagus is on the market. You can then sell it throughout the year at a good price.” The freezing process for asparagus did not take long to work out, and Gervais had about a thousand pounds frozen in 2013. That doubled in 2014, and for his innovative thinking and hard work, Gervais won a regional Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. He has large walk-in freezers on the farm, and sells frozen asparagus, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries mostly through farm gate sales, with some going to small local retailers. He says there is huge potential to increase the amount of Ontario asparagus that could be sold as frozen, but points out that the costs involved to freeze, store, and transport product are high. “It’s hard to compete with places like Peru where labour costs are so much lower,” Gervais notes. “And big companies, like Arctic Gardens, have shelf space deals with the big grocery chains. We individual growers therefore need the provincial government to create an economic offsetting mechanism, so we can compete with places where minimum wage is very low, the climate is better and production is higher. “The federal, provincial and local governments need to look at ways of doing more to support horticulture,” he adds. “The challenges are serious and there is much to do to try and solve them.” Gervais is not planning to increase his asparagus acreage at this time but says if he were to get greater uptake for frozen asparagus from small, local independent retailers in southern Ontario, he would freeze more. Of winning the award, Gervais says: “The recognition is truly appreciated. I will continue to try and keep the operation viable but we will have to see about having a third generation. It would be nice to think that one or more of our four kids could farm here, but there are serious challenges. At the same time, I enjoy working in nature and with the land and meeting the challenges of growing good food. It’s satisfying and rewarding work to plan and plant and take care of the farm over a long time. The things we are growing take many years to establish and I like to think it’s important work to grow healthy food for people. It’s rewarding when you’ve succeeded. “And it’s very enjoyable to work with customers and provide them with excellent product. Horticulture is a people business.” ❦ FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

Rainbow Heritage Garden Using heritage farming methods and vegetable varieties in concert with new technologies By Treena Hein

(left to right) Zach Loeks, Kylah Dobson and their two children. The couple operate their farm, Rainbow Heritage Gardens, completely off-grid, which has led to the need for many different innovative ideas. Photo courtesy of Rainbow Heritage Gardens

t’s a long way from the hot hills of New Mexico to the frozen landscape of eastern Ontario in winter, but it’s a strong connection to the land and environment – and in this case, the use of its freezing temperatures – that has earned the owners of Rainbow Heritage Garden a second regional Premier’s Award for AgriFood Innovation Excellence. The award is given to farm businesses for things like adding value to existing products and building economic growth, which is exactly what Zach Loeks and Kylah Page 14

Dobson have accomplished. Kylah and Zach met during their first week at Concordia University and found they had mutual passions for “the outdoors, adventure, all things that grow, and cooking.” They studied and got to know each other while making meals with the contents of Zach’s community supported agriculture (CSA) basket from Le Jardin de la Montagne in Rougemont, Que. By the winter of 2006 (during their third year), the couple decided to try a summer market garden business together,

focussing on heirloom varieties. It would be located on Kylah’s family farm in the Ottawa Valley, which had been settled by her ancestors seven generations ago in 1857 (and where her father runs a successful grass-fed beef operation). The couple applied successfully for two grants to get things going, and their first season in 2007 left them with a taste for more. Dobson and Loeks realized after graduation in the spring of 2008 they wanted to farm full time. Even though Loeks had experience on FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

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The entrance to the farm’s 600-square-foot root cellar constructed in a hillside. Photo courtesy of Rainbow Heritage Gardens

The root cellar during its construction in 2011. It can hold 20,000 pounds of produce. Photo courtesy of Rainbow Heritage Gardens

farms in the southern U.S. (he grew up in Sante Fe, N.M.) and Dobson had gardened all her life (and also, worked at her uncle’s horticultural business and volunteered on farms in Central America), they knew they had much to learn. They set about absorbing knowledge from everywhere – books, the web, workshops, conferences and fellow farmers. Dobson and Loeks decided they would stay focussed on Page 16

heirloom varieties, grown organically. Although it was mostly direct sales at first, the operation is now primarily a CSA farm with some extra sales on-farm and at markets and events. From 20 acres of production, Rainbow Heritage Garden now offers more than 150 varieties of certified organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, edible and decorative flowers and dry beans.

Their home and farm business eventually went off-grid, which has led to much innovation. (Rainbow Heritage Garden’s first regional Premier’s Award specifically recognized a mobile solar generator system used for irrigation and more.) “To make a living, to achieve commercial farming off-grid, you need to do things in ways that mostly don’t use any power or use very little power,” Loeks says. “We use only solar for electricity generation, but it’s about using other alternative forms of power and power savings.” Garlic is cured, for example, in a barn where the boards upstairs can open to accept the prevailing wind. The innovative use of geothermal heating and cooling has led to their second Premier’s Award for the design and construction of a unique 600-square-foot root cellar constructed in a hillside in 2011. Up until that point, the couple had used several types of storage for their harvest. First it was the basement of a house, with produce moved to market as soon as possible. Their second storage system was a cream cellar located in part of an old barn, which Dobson and Loeks insulated and outfitted with an air conditioner. But it just didn’t stay cold enough as the summer days heated up, and the air conditioning left the vegetables dry as well. “So then we had to bag them, and then you get condensation, which can cause rot,” Loeks recalls. “In the winter, we had to put in a heater to prevent freezing, but that was uneven heat, from one source, and there was condensation then as well.” Money and time was being spent on systems that just didn’t work. “We would regularly have stuff spoil as we were stretching the limits,” Loeks explains. “People were and are looking for fresh local food all winter instead of grocery-store imported food, and we would try to have this available, but it was difficult to do economically.” A solution that kept veggies in top condition and required little or no power was in order. That meant delving into the past to see what had worked in times where there was no electricity available. “It used to be that everything was offgrid, and so you need to see what people came up with,” Loeks says. “We read about the different root cellars and caves that have been in use in Europe for centuries, and they work well. They’re still in use. If FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

Canadian mushroom farms face labour shortages

Rainbow Heritage Garden’s root cellar was custom-designed to hold ice to provide a cooling effect in the summer heat. The ice that keeps the cellar cool is produced during the winter. Photo courtesy of Rainbow Heritage Gardens

it ain’t broke, you don’t fix it.” A root cellar, Loeks explains, provides a great deal of natural insulation against the winter cold and summer heat with natural geothermal heating and cooling coming steadily from all directions. He likens winter in a root cellar to what vegetables in the ground going dormant would experience. It’s a constant temperature most of the year, but during the summer, things do get warmer. That’s where the ice comes into play. The Rainbow Heritage Garden root cellar was custom-designed to hold ice to provide a cooling effect in the summer heat (although Loeks is quick to point out that existing root cellars could be retrofitted). However, where to get the ice was a conundrum. Trying to harvest pieces from a river a 45-minute tractor drive away didn’t align with their farming values, and didn’t sound particularly safe either. There was an irrigation pond 1,000 feet from the root cellar, but Loeks pushed for a better solution. “We brainstormed all sorts of things and making blocks of ice sounded crazy at first, but then it started sounding better and better,” he says. “But then, how do you make molds? You need to spend money and time making them, and then you have to find somewhere to store them in the summer.” It turned out the answer was staring him in the face. The farm already had molds on hand, and they weren’t used in the winter. FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

It was their CSA baskets, which are plastic tote bins, and come winter, they have to be stored until needed again. They would make perfect blocks of ice. Loeks fills them from their well, run by a solar pump that’s right in front of the cellar. “It’s an amazing solution,” he says. “It costs nothing, and uses only human power, solar power and the cold.” Meltwater drains over a plasticcovered sloped area connected to existing drainage tile. There are four bays enclosed with poly air-locked curtains. “It’s fabulous, and I should probably build another one,” says Loeks. “It’s completely full of vegetables. We have very little wastage now, and the space is amazing. A root cellar allows you to organize, first crop in, first crop out, and so on. Access is paramount. You know your vegetables are going to be in perfect shape all year long. And it makes economic sense, with all my time factored in.” The cellar holds 20,000 pounds of produce. Having now won two regional Premier’s Awards, Loeks is more than qualified to give an opinion of their value. “They’re great because they help put the word out there and they’re great because they encourage innovation,” he says. “The money also helps you with future innovations.” If the past is any indication, more innovation at Rainbow Heritage Garden is on the way. ❦

Canadian mushroom growers are asking the federal government for help filling hundreds of job vacancies across the country after losing their most experienced workers to federal legislative changes. The workers, hired under the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, are obliged to return to their home countries after four years, leaving mushroom farms unable to replace the workers who have trained for years. Mushrooms are harvested yearround, seven days per week, making mushrooms farms ineligible for the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Programs. Most mushroom workers are guaranteed minimum wage but may earn up to $20 per hour, based on piecework productivity bonuses. Now, with those long-term workers sent home, farms are struggling to secure a reliable labour force. Mushrooms Canada has met with representatives from the federal government, requesting relief from the April 2015 deadline to send workers back to their home countries. They have also made requests to allow highly skilled, experienced mushroom workers to apply for Canadian residency.

“Mushroom harvesting is skilled, tedious work that Canadian mushroom growers are unable to fill with a local workforce,” said Bill Stevens, CEO of Mushrooms Canada. “The TFW program has been a win-win for the Canadian mushroom sector. Workers from countries such as Thailand and the Ukraine have established roots and families in rural Canada.”

Page 17

Garlicky goodness The Garlic Box produces gourmet products from their own plus other locally grown bulbs By Treena Hein

hrough no fault of farmers, the selection of Ontario garlic on store shelves in the province shriveled up during the 1990s. Imported garlic became the market norm mostly because it was less expensive. But, as has been the case with other fresh and local homegrown bounty, more people are discovering that nothing compares to Ontario garlic. Excitement is building around its quality and flavour, and it’s making a big comeback – and not just at farmer’s markets and grocery stores, but also through the availability of a myriad of specialty products that turn meals into gourmet feasts. The Garlic Box near Hensall, Ont., is leading the charge. Owner Jackie Rowe, her husband, Jim, and their staff now run Canada’s leading premier company of gourmet garlic food products, from garlicinfused oils and salts to zesty condiments and tasty seasonings. It all started in 1997, with one acre of garlic and farm gate sales. Now, the business processes between 40,000 and 50,000 lbs of garlic each year for their own value-added products as well as their fresh market and seed sales. “We grow, and buy and sell with other farmers to achieve our required yield,” Rowe explains. “Garlic is a crop requiring field rotation so this method leverages the risk.” Her preferred variety is Music, a hardneck garlic that winters well in Ontario, cures well and produces six fat cloves per bulb. Rowe describes it as having a moderate but complex heat and rich earthy flavour, with a lingering mineral finish showing off its ‘taste of the place.’ Fresh Ontario garlic had virtually no market share in 1998, Rowe explains, which allowed a successful introduction of value-added local garlic food products. “Our mission since then has simply been to bring local garlic to the kitchen table through delicious products, and we’ve been delighted that consumers have been willing to incorporate our seasonings Page 18

The Garlic Box, located near Hensall, Ont., was recently recognized for its work developing an IQF product made from fresh peeled garlic cloves. Contributed photo

and condiments into their existing ‘prelocal’ cooking repertoires,” she says. In the beginning, Rowe’s efforts to reach consumers and educate the public included a small hand-sketch mail order catalogue. Today, she offers 40 different products through online sales, specialty stores, and independent grocers. Demand for local garlic at the industrial food sector level has also opened up new opportunities. The most popular products are ‘Ultimate Garlic Mashed Potato Seasoning,’ ‘Super Garlicky Bread Dipper with Blue Cheese,’ ‘Ultimate Garlic Steak Splash’ and ‘Apple Cider & Garlic Vinaigrette.’

“Cooks know how to cook with these items,” Rowe explains. “Our evolution with value-added products has mirrored consumer trends like comfort food, health and flavoured salts.” The Garlic Box’s ‘Horseradish Garlic Condiment’ won an International Taster’s Award at the Food & Drink Expo in Birmingham, England, and ‘Ultimate Garlic Steak Splash’ won a Best New Product Award from the Canadian Gift Association. Rowe says her product lineup is always relevant and encourages repeat sales (in particular, the ‘Ultimate Garlic Mash Potato Seasoning’ has strong repeat). The sale of key products accounts FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

S:4.125”

S:7”

FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

pre-chilling to lower the core temperature this purpose. “Once consumers gain confidence,” was required, as was continuous vibration on the line to wick away moisture and Rowe says, “we plan to add two flavours to help inspire them and enhance their prevent ice-crystal formation.” In terms of sales, Rowe says the cooking portfolios.” How did it feel to win the Premier’s market for frozen garlic cloves is just beginning to open up. The Garlic Box Award? “Wow!” Rowe exclaims. “It means is working hard to get consumer, food service companies, restaurants and food a lot – to The Garlic Box and the processors to try them. With consumers, Ontario garlic industry as a whole. The it’s a matter of changing perception to so recognition for our efforts to strengthen that people consider the freezer category and position Ontario’s garlic industry for their local garlic needs, and a door through the spirit of innovation is an T:4.625” important milestone.” ❦ decal has been designed to accomplish

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Page 19

T:7.5”

for almost half of total company profits. This year, The Garlic Box received the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, bestowed on farm businesses for the recent creation of new products, adding value to existing products and building economic growth. In this case, The Garlic Box was recognized for developing an individual quick freezing (IQF) process for peeled Ontario garlic cloves, allowing them to be used yearround by both consumers and food service businesses, with no nutritional loss. The process development work involved Northland Garlic Farms of Durham and took place at Southcoast in Delhi, Ont., a state-of-the-art facility specializing in fast-freezing local produce. Funding was provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program. The trials built on what had already been learned at The Garlic Box. “In 2000, we had introduced a freezing process for peeled cloves to secure inventory for making value-added products,” Rowe recalls. “It worked for some production methods but performed poorly when isolated as a value-added consumer ingredient product.” There were other challenges as well. At the time, local garlic was not as abundant and the price was high because Ontarians were not yet buying it like they are today. Secondly, accessing the value chain for frozen foods is a tough go. “It requires years of effort and partnership-building to advance your product to this level of sales, which must first be activated with consumer demand,” Rowe says. “Finally, we had to establish a working relationship with growers to supply the garlic. The efforts to bring this product to market have covered the entire food chain spectrum and involved all the stakeholders.” In terms of the nuts and bolts of the freezing process itself, Rowe easily pinpoints the biggest challenge – working from scratch. While existing IQF technology has been used to freeze Ontario sweet corn, peas, strawberries and more, garlic cloves had never been tested. “Whole peeled garlic cloves are a breathing vegetable (herbaceous perennial) and dense, with a naturally high sugar and moisture content which slows the freezing process,” she says. “For reference, we had to look at handling them like sour cherries. We learned that

Grape King Kevin Buis He’s king in the vineyard; his “royal” brother reigns over the farm equipment By Jim Meyers

easonal crop farmers more often mark the passage of time in harvests, not years — good ones, not so good ones, and the ones they painfully remember but would rather forget. So it’s no surprise that 51-year-old Kevin Buis, the reigning Niagara Wine Festival’s grape king, says he been growing grapes for “29 harvests,” not years. That would make him 22 when he graduated from Guelph University’s agricultural engineering program to rejoin his father Pieter and his older brother Peter, 59, on the family farm in Niagaraon-the-Lake. The large backyard of the farmhouse near the shore of Lake Ontario was where his coronation was held last September to kick off the Niagara Wine Festival. He’s the 58th grape king and joins his brother, who was grape king in 1987, in the royal family. As for their work relationship, Kevin says they have no specific job titles: “We’re both in the vineyard, but I’m around the plants a lot more and Peter is around the equipment.” The judges were impressed by the operation’s soil management, vine training and innovative grape canopy systems practiced by the two brothers, who grow grapes under the farm name Glenlake Orchards and Vineyards. Kevin has been active in the horticultural community by hosting research trials for the agrichemical industry to enable the registration of new pesticides, and undergraduate field programs conducted by students in the viticulture program at Niagara College and Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute. He’s been particularly active over the years with the municipal farm irrigation committee that oversees the use of drainage ditches to bring water from either the Niagara River, the large 2,500 acre Ontario Hydro reservoir, or the Weiland Canal to growers in the town. One of those ditches runs through the backyard of the 23-acre home farm, which is now only a small part of the almost 400 acres that are owned, leased or Page 20

Kevin Buis, 2014-2015 Grape King, speaks at his coronation held on the family’s Niagara-on-the-Lake farm in September.

cropped under management agreement by Glenlake. Three-quarters is now in grape production. That’s a dramatic change from the time the Buis family was best known for growing clingstone peaches for what was hoped to have been a rejuvenated peach canning industry in Niagara. “It was a hard time letting go of stone fruit, though it is still a small part of our

business,” Kevin said about a transition from fruit to grapes that began in the mid1980s. At that time, Ontario’s wine industry faced an uncertain future. A free trade agreement signed between Canada and the United States was one of three significant events that had some impact on the decision to switch to grape growing. Others were the sale and eventual closure FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

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by Kraft Foods of what at the time was the only fruit processing plant east of the Rockies in North America; and about the same time an aggressive campaign by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to eradicate plum pox that found it’s way into Canada from diseased peach rootstock from Pennsylvania. Under the North American Free Trade Agreement, growers were compensated if they pulled out grapes and replanted, but many growers were skittish of an uncertain future and Glenlake was able to buy grape farms put up for sale. Kevin recalls the first sale was 20 boxes of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes loaded on a farm wagon and sold to the nearest winery. “A year later, they offered to buy our entire crop,” he said. As is his manner, he puts the transition of the family business from tree fruit to grapes more simply: ”Back in the 1980s, we planted a few grapes, then a few more. We just kept putting them in and they (wineries) kept buying them.” While that may sound like a simple formula for success, there was a real fear in the 1980s that a surplus of grapes would result as a stream of new plantings came into production. Instead, some poor vintages that reduced tonnage and a number of new mid size and craft wineries helped to take care of any surplus. Kevin’s father, Pieter, now 83, retired in 1998 leaving the farm operation to his sons. He is best known as an innovative peach grower and a long-time chairman of the Ontario Tender Fruit Producers marketing board. Those who know him well also know he’s a very good amateur winemaker, a hobby that he passed on to Kevin. His favourite wine? He’s a big fan of Chardonnay, which

Jacqueline Osvirk gives some last minute attention to her husband, Kevin Buis’ royal jacket.

Niagara growers and wineries have done well making world class, as well as aromatic white wines. Kevin is married to Jacqueline Osvirk and they have a blended family of five. Kevin’s two boys – Keelan, 17, and Aidan, 15 – may follow in their father’s footsteps on the family farm, but since they’re still young it’s hard to say, he said. ❦

How did the “royal” vineyard measure up? Growers are judged in nine categories: the number of grapes cultivars and how difficult they are to grow; disease, insect and weed control; grape canopy and soil management; overall quality of the vineyard, and miscellaneous and outreach. The last two categories – miscellaneous and outreach – are the extent to which a grower uses new techniques and is involved off the farm. “It was a challenging year (2014) for disease management, “ said Wendy McFadden Smith, a tender fruit and grape pest management specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and one of two grape king judges. The other is Jim Willwerth, viticulture scientist, at Brock University’s CCOVI (Cool Climate Oenology & Viticulture Institute). “Disease and insect management in the Buis’ vineyards were excellent,” she said, adding it was an additional “logistical” challenge growing a number of different grape varieties on multiple farms. The Buis family grow 15 grape varieties. Ten are the timetested regular varieties – Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Vidal. Five are harder Page 22

to grow specialized varieties – Chardonnay Musque, Malbec, Viognier, Petit Verdot and Semolina. The judges were impressed with the operation’s dedication to nutrient and soil management on the farms, particularly with an eye to improving terroir-based wine quality. To that end, the Buis family has a rotating 10-year sampling plan for plant tissue of the many grape varieties and soil analysis in the vineyards. Low maintenance cover crops between the rows of grapes help with vine vigour management and improving soil health. As for innovation under the miscellaneous category, Glenlake was the first in Niagara to use the Scott Henry training system and “ballerina” grape canopy that was developed ion New Zealand, which is also a cool climate grape growing area. While it’s a labour intensive training system each spring, and can expose grapes to mildew, it increases yields. And, Glenlake was one of the first to use multi-row crop sprayers from France. “Kevin is a great advocate for the industry and collaborates with researchers from OMAFRA and the CCOVI,” said McFadden Smith. FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

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The real sTory of ag

Take your place in the conversation There’s been a lot of talk about food and farming lately – online, in the media and at the dinner table. That’s a really good thing. It means people are concerned about their health and wellbeing, and that they’re in a position to make positive choices about what they eat. It also spells opportunity for Canada’s agriculture industry. What we do has never been so important to so many people here at home and around the world. Unfortunately, too many of these conversations are generating false perceptions about what we produce and how we produce it. That’s often because for all the people talking about food, too few are actually part of the agriculture industry. And if we’re not telling our story, someone else will. The good news is, it’s not too late – and we’ve got lots of positive news to share. Canadian agriculture is remarkably diverse and dynamic. Yet for all the change

the industry has seen over the years, one important constant remains: the family farm. In fact, 98 per cent of Canadian farms are family farms. That’s a key part of the conversation, because from the ground up, what we eat every day is produced by people who want the same things all families want: safe, nutritious food. Those same values also extend to how our food is produced. Canadian farms produce more than ever in ways that are more sustainable than ever. What a great legacy for future generations!

You’re an important part of the conversation. So speak up – tell the real story.

The real sTory of ag

Every fact Canadian agriculture has a lot going for it, and sharing the facts is a great way to join the conversation. Our resource section is filled with timely, interesting content – including dozens of easy-to-share fact photos. And each one tells an important story. Here are just a few:

Canadian agriculture has a lot going for it, and sharing the facts is a great way to join the conversation. our resource section is filled with timely, interesting content – including dozens of easy-to-share fact photos. and each one tells an important story. here are just a few:

Canada’s

60% by

2050

Created August 2014

opportunity: world food demand is set to grow

Source: CropLife Canada

The world is growing, and everyone deserves to have access to safe, high quality food. It’s a huge responsibility and an incredible opportunity for Canadian agriculture. Canadian farmers are responding by producing more food than ever, all while using fewer resources. That’s good news here at home and around the world.

The real sTory of ag

Created August 2014

tells a story Thanks to Canada’s ag and food industry, more than 2.2 million Canadians are bringing home the bacon (pardon the pun) every day. That’s like the entire population of Vancouver. The impact on Canada’s economy, and on our communities and families, is truly remarkable.

In 2013, there were more than 56,000 career opportunities available in the ag industry in North America.

AgCareers.com infographic 2013

56,000

career opportunities

Created August 2014

source: an overview of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food system 2014 (agriculture and agri-food Canada)

Never has Canadian agriculture offered more – and more diverse – career options than right now. There are opportunities in research, manufacturing, financial services, marketing and trade, education and training, and more. And all of these positions need to be filled by talented, energetic people. Visit the website and consider what the facts mean to you. Then join the conversation! AgMoreThanEver.ca

The real sTory of ag

Resources to get you started Joining the ag and food conversation isn’t always easy. What you say is important. So is how you say it. If you’re feeling a little unsure about what to do next, you’re definitely not alone. Fortunately, we’ve got practical expert advice to help you become an effective agvocate.

Be an AGvocate

Our online webinar series brings recognized experts in communication, social media and media relations right to your screen. Topics include: • The art and science of the ag and food Conversation • Social media 101 for agvocates • Getting in on the tough conversations • Working with the media as an agvocate Visit AgMoreThanEver.ca and click on Ag Conversations.

agvocates unite! looking to channel your passion for ag? adding your name to our agvocate list is a great way to get started. you’ll join a community of like-minded people and receive an email from us every month, with agvocate tips to help you speak up for the industry. Visit AgMoreThanEver.ca/agvocates to join.

We all share the same table. Pull up a chair.

The real sTory of ag

“We take pride in knowing we would feel safe consuming any of the crops we sell. If we would not use it ourselves it does not go to market.” - Katelyn Duncan, saskatchewan

“The natural environment is critical to farmers – we depend on soil and water for the production of food. But we also live on our farms, so it’s essential that we act as responsible stewards.” - Doug Chorney, Manitoba

“The welfare of my animals is one of my highest priorities. If I don’t give my cows a high quality of life they won’t grow up to be great cows.” - andrew Campbell, ontario

Safe food; animal welfare; sustainability; people care deeply about these things when they make food choices. And all of us in the agriculture industry care deeply about them too. But sometimes the general public doesn’t see it that way. Why? Because, for the most part, we’re not telling them our story and, too often, someone outside the industry is. The journey from farm to table is a conversation we need to make sure we’re a part of. So let’s talk about it, together. Visit AgMoreThanEver.ca to discover how you can help improve and create realistic perceptions of Canadian ag.

Page 30

FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

bacillus thuringiensis

BioProtec CAF

Decis 5EC

Anthranilic diamide

Compounds of non-specific mode of action (selective feeding blockers)

cyantraniliprole

pymetrozine

Exirel

Fulfill 50WG (highbush blueberries)

first application prebloom, second application post-harvest

spinosad

spinosyn

G G

F F

3 1

3 12

10-14

•

mineral oil

Success 480 SC

Superior Oil 70

novaluron

Rimon 10 EC

23 - tetronic acid derivative

spirotetramat

Movento 240 SC

see label

malathion

Malathion 85E

•

1 n/a 1

G G

F F

calcium polysulphide

Lime Sulphur

2 15

A/G

dimethoate

Lagon 480 E

2 12

ecdysone agonist

methoxyfenozide

Intrepid 240 F

•

• •

5 2

dry 72

1 15

G G

F F

spinosyn

•

phosmet

spinosad

GF-120 NF Naturalyte

•

Blueberry Maggot

Imidan 70-WP Instapak

n/a

23 - tetronic acid derivative

spiridoclofen

Envidor

dry

spinosyn

spinosad

Entrust 80W

3 4

12 3-14

G G

bacillus thuringiensis

spinetoram

Delegate WG

DiPel 2X DF

Bt microbial

3 - pyrethroid

deltamethrin

spinosyn

Anthranilic diamide

chlorantraniliprole

Altacor

•

7-10

imidacloprid

Alias 240 SC

•

7-10

Aerial/ground

4 - neonicotinoid

imidacloprid

Pre-harvest interval days

Re-entry period (hrs) 12

Days between applications

Admire

Max. times per season 2

Insects

Aphids

high and low bush)

neonicotinoid

Chemical group (rotate groups to manage resistance)

Soil/foliar applied

thiamethoxam

Actara 25WG (Crop Group 13-07B -

Insect management Common name products

Blueberry Pest Control 2015

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug •

Cherry fruitworm/Cranberry fruitworm •

•

Fleabeetle S

Gall midge/Tip midge •

•

Grubs •

Japanese Beetle Adults •

•

Leafhoppers S

Leafroller •

•

Mites •

Scale •

•

Slugs •

Spotted Wing Drosophilia •

•

Tent caterpillar/Fall webworm •

•

Weevil •

•

Winter moth/Bruce spanworm *Suppression of Lecanium scale

Eyespotted Budmoth, Plum Curculio • Blueberry Aphid (Ericaphis fimbriata) and other known aphid vectors of Blueberry Scorch Virus

Note formulation change from 80 W to 240 SC

Provides control of Leaf Tier and Bruce Spanworm

Obliquebanded, Three-lined Leafroller, Climbing cutworm

S denotes suppression only

S denotes Suppression

Notes

Insects

Re-entry period (hrs)

Days between applications

Max. times per season

Aphids

Aster Leafhopper

neonicotinoid

•

Admire

imidacloprid

4 - neonicotinoid

•

Beleaf 50SG

flonicamid

•

Closer SC

sulfoxaflor

sulfoxamines

•

Diazinon 50 WSP

diazinon

S/F

Imidan 70-WP Instapak

phosmet

120

Intrepid 240 F

methoxyfenozide

ecdysone agonist

Lorsban 4E

chlorpyrifos

organophosphate

Matador

cyhalothrin-lambda

pyrethroid

Pounce

permethrin

Pyrinex 480 EC

chlorpyrifos

Silencer 120 EC

lambda cyhalothrin

UP-Cyde

cypermethrin

Warhawk 480 EC

chlorpyrifos

Cutworms

Pre-harvest interval days

thiamethoxam

Carrot Weevil

Aerial/ground

Actara 25WG

Chemical group (rotate groups to

Carrot Rust Fly

manage resistance)

Aphids; *suppression

• 2

•

7-14

•

Use high rate on large larvae or dry soils.

• •

•

• 1 7

•

Notes

•

Coragen

chlorantraniliprole

anthranilic diamide

Dibrom

naled

A/G

Intrepid 240 F

methoxyfenozide

ecdysone agonist

Lagon 480E

dimethoate

A/G

Lannate

methomyl

carbamate

Malathion 85E

malathion

A/G

Matador

cyhalothrinlambda

pyrethroid

A/G

7 to 14*

4-7 *refer to label

3 (2 applications by air)

•

Movento 240 SC

spirotetramat

23 - tetronic acid derivative

see label

•

Pounce 384 EC

permethrin

A/G

Silencer 120 EC

lambda cyhalothrin

A/G

14-21

7-Apr

FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

Also provides leafhopper suppression •

•

2 2

•

• Read and follow labelled directions

•

•S

• Read and follow labelled directions

•

A2x /G3x

•

Grasshoppers Read and follow labelled directions

• 7 - 14

Western bean cutworm

Aphids

Pea aphid

Max. times per season

Fall Armyworm

Days between applications

European Corn Borer

Re-entry period (hrs)

Cutworms

Pre-harvest interval days

4 - neonicotinoid

Corn Earworm

Aerial/ground

imidacloprid

Cabbage Looper

Soil/foliar applied

Admire

Brown marmorated stink bug

Chemical group (rotate groups to manage Common name resistance)

Beetworms

Insect management products

Armyworms

Insects

Pea Pest Control 2015

Alfalfa looper

Insect management products

Notes

Cabbage Looper

Common name

Soil/foliar applied

Carrot Pest Control 2015

*PHI of 14 days for dry peas and beans. Refer to label for additional information

•

Read and follow labelled directions

•

potato leafhopper, bean leaf beetle

Page 31

•

A/G

7 - 14

F F

G G

7 7

A/G

Success 480 SC

spinosad

spinosyn

4-7days

A3x/G2x

7 - 14

•

325-650ml/100kg

Dynasty 100FS

azoxystrobin

strobilurin

10 ml/100kg

Intego Solo

ethaboxam

13-19.6*

Losban 15G

chlorpyrifos

organophosphate

75 grams / 100 meters of row

Maxim 480 FS Colourless

fludioxonil

phenylpyrrole

5.2-10.4 mL/100 kg seed

Maxim Quattro

fludioxonil, metalaxyl-M, azoxystrobin, thiabendazole

phenylpyrrole, acylamine, strobilurin, 67 mL/100 kg seed benzimidazole

Nipsit Inside 600 Insecticide

clothianidin

33.33- 166.7

Wireworm

triazole + acylamine

•

difenoconazole + metalaxyl-M

Notes

For use in commercial seed treatment plants. Do not graze or feed livestock on seeded area for 28 days For use in commercial seed treatment plants only. Do not graze or feed to livestock within 45 days of planting. *Refer to label for corn root worm rate

•

Dividend XL RTA

•*

•

refer to label

Read and follow label directions

•

neonicotinoid

•

• •

•

Do not graze or feed to livestock within 35 days of planting. For use in commercial seed treatment plants only. Do not graze or feed to livestock within 28 days of planting. *seeding rate is in ml/100 kg seed

• •

•

For use in commercial seed treatment plants only. Do not graze corn or cut for forage within 30 days of planting

•

thiamethoxam

White Grubs

Cruiser 5FS

Seedcorn Maggot

20-40ml/100kg

•

acylamine

•

metalaxyl-M

•

Diseases

•

Apron XL LS

Flea Beetles

Chemical group

•

Common name

•

*PHI 7 day for succulent shelled and edible podded peas and beans. PHI of 14 days for dry peas and beans. Refer to label. Western bean cutworm, cutworms, lygus bug, grasshoppers, bean leaf beetle, corn borer - refer to lable for specific use descriptions

•

Seed treatments

Page 32

Insects Application rate (grams/kg of seed)

Sweet Corn Seed Treatment 2015

•

Root Rot

lambda cyhalothrin

see label

•

Silencer 120 EC

2 7-14 days edible 3

Seedling Blight

Grasshoppers

•

Seed Decay

•

novaluron

3 (2 applications by air)

•

Rimon 10EC

•

A/G

•

Rhizoctonia

see label 7

• •

•

permethrin

23 - tetronic acid derivative 3

7-14*

European Chaffer

Pounce 384EC

A/G

•

spirotetramat

•

Movento 240 SC

pyrethroid

Corn Root Worm

lambda-cyhalothrin

•

Matador

•

dimethoate malathion

•

Bean leaf beetle

Pythium

Lagon 480E Malathion 85E

•

methoxyfenozide

•

Intrepid 240 F

•

Endigo (dry bean)

•

pyrethroid and neonicotinoid ecdysone agonist 1B 1B

•

Penicillium

spinosyn

lambda-cyhalothrin and thiamethoxam

•

Fusarium

spinetoram

S denotes suppression

Damping Off

Delegate WG

Western Bean Cutworm

Tarnished plant bug

•

A/G

Potato leafhopper

11 anthranilic diamide

chlorantraniliprole

Fall Armyworm

kurstaki

Coragen

European cornborer

BioProtec CAF

Cutworms

Corn Earworm

•

Cabbage Looper

Aphids

4 - neonicotinoid

Admire

Notes

Beetworms

Max. times per season

imidacloprid

Insect management products

Armyworm

Days between applications

Aerial/ground

Common name

Chemical group (rotate groups to manage resistance)

Soil/foliar applied

Re-entry period (hrs)

Insects Pre-harvest interval days

Bean Pest Control 2015

FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

The food hub opportunity

n Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) specialist says food hubs are growing in popularity as an alternative marketing option for Alberta’s smaller producers and processors. “Increasingly, consumers are demanding healthy, high quality locally grown food. Even the large retail chains are cashing in on the local food movement by showcasing locally grown produce and processed foods in stores,” says Christine Anderson, new venture specialist, ARD, Stony Plain. “A 2012 ARD survey shows that 75 per cent of Alberta households shop at farmers markets.”

development. A food hub strengthens the ability to satisfy the demand from wholesale, retail and institutional market channels for locally produced high-quality food year round.” Food hubs are also increasingly been seen as an opportunity to revitalize local economies, says Anderson. “The food hub model is well established in the U.S. and gaining popularity here in

Canada. Several communities including the City of Edmonton and the City of Calgary have identified food hubs as an important component of sustainable food systems.” ❦

For more on Marketing, visit www.fruitandveggie.com.

However, farmers markets are not the only option for small to medium producers and food processors looking for marketing alternatives, says Anderson. Another model gaining increasing attention is the regional or local food hub. “A food hub is a mechanism for smaller producers and food processors to bring their products together and access marketing channels they wouldn’t be able to enter on their own,” she says. “Food hubs can also offer a number of additional services including logistical coordination such as packaging and repackaging, brokering, storage and distribution. “Food hubs may also provide marketing services like value added processing, consumer education, branding and market FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

Page 33

Ontario apple specialist receives Golden Apple Award

eslie Huffman is the 2014 recipient of the Chemtura Golden Apple Award. Huffman is the apple specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The award was presented at the annual banquet of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association held in Niagara Falls mid-January. “Throughout her career, Leslie has shown extraordinary commitment and dedication to the advancement of Ontario’s apple industry and to supporting growers whenever they have needed her,” said Charles Stevens, chair of the Ontario Apple Growers (OAG). “She’s involved in many different facets of our industry and has played a key role in many education and research initiatives.” Huffman grew up on a mixed farm near Harrow, Ontario and graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in Horticultural Science. She joined OMAFRA in 1981 as Fruit and Vegetable Extension Horticulturalist for Kent and Essex Counties, and became the ministry’s weed management specialist for horticultural crops in 1996, where she helped oversee the registration of approximately 60 herbicides for fruit crops. She’s been the provincial apple specialist since 2008. Huffman is co-editor of Hort Matters and editor of the Ontario Orchard Network Newsletter, and is active on many industry committees, including the International Fruit Tree Association (IFTA) research committee and working closely with counterparts and experts in Michigan and New York State. She has helped coordinate and co-chair the apple program at the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention for many years, and has been instrumental in establishing and running the annual Sweet and Craft Cider

OMAFRA apple specialist Leslie Huffman (centre) recently received the 2014 Chemtura Golden Apple Award, presented by Charles Stevens (right) and Cathy McKay (left) of the Ontario Apple Growers. Photo by Herb Sherwood, OFVGA

Competitions at the convention. Leslie and her husband, Doug Balsillie, operate a fruit farm near Harrow with their four daughters. The Chemtura Golden Apple Award is presented annually to a recipient who has made outstanding contributions to the Ontario apple industry. ❦

New chair elected at OFVGA

named a finalist in Ontario’s Outstanding Young he Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Farmer competition. Association has a new board chair. “As farmers, we face many different issues Vice chair and fresh vegetable grower that have the potential to impact how we grow Jason Verkaik was elected to the position at fruits and vegetables in Ontario”, said Verkaik. the organization’s recent 156th annual general “It’s never been more important to make sure meeting in Niagara Falls. He succeeds grape that horticulture’s voice is heard when it comes grower Ray Duc, who has led the OFVGA board to key issues like water use or crop protection, for the past two years. and we encourage the government to keep the “Building relationships is critical for being industry at the table.” able to work successfully on behalf of farmers, Joining the OFVGA board as new directors both within horticulture and across the entire are Kenny Forth (fresh vegetables), Bill George agricultural sector,” said Verkaik. “I look Jason Verkaik (grapes) and Neil Reimer (asparagus). The 2015 forward to working with the OFVGA board OFVGA board also includes directors Charles and our member associations, as well as other Stevens (apples and Crop Protection section chair), Norm farm organizations in Ontario and at the national level.” Verkaik is president of Carron Farms Ltd. near Bradford in Charbonneau (small fruit/berries), Mac James (potatoes), John the Holland Marsh, where the Verkaik family has been growing, Thwaites (tender fruit), Jan VanderHout (greenhouse vegetables), packing, and shipping farm fresh vegetables since 1934. He first Don Taylor (greenhouse vegetables), Ken Van Torre (ginseng), joined the OFVGA board in 2010, and became the vice chair of the and section chairs Ken Forth (Labour), Brian Gilroy (Property), organization in 2013. He also serves as an ex-officio to the board Harold Schooley (Research), Mark Wales (Safety Nets), and of the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association. In 2011, Verkaik was Adrian Huisman (Canadian Horticultural Council). ❦ Page 34

FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

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Briefs Grape Growers’ CEO recognized with lifetime achievement award

successful Greenbelt, and increasing the economic success of the Niagara grape and wine industry. “I’m pleased to have this opportunity to honour Debbie Zimmerman for her tireless work for all things Niagara,” said Burkhard Mausberg, CEO, Greenbelt Fund. “Through Debbie’s impressive achievements and remarkable career, the Niagara Region continues to be home to a strong and viable grape and wine sector. “More than that, Debbie has shown tenacity, commitment, and conviction to lobby, fight, and cheer for Niagara,” he added. “There’s no fear in wanting to help her area and her constituents.” First elected in 1978, Zimmerman was elected in 10 consecutive elections in various positions with the Town of

Grimsby and Regional Council. In 1989, she was elected to Regional Council, serving for 25 years, and was the region’s first female chair, a position she held for two terms. In 2002, she co-founded the Agriculture Task Force, a group comprised of Niagara’s major agricultural groups. The task force helped to deliver one voice for the sector when advocating for the interests of the agriculture sector. “It has been a privilege to represent the Town of Grimsby and the Region of Niagara over my time in office. Local governments play a critical role in shaping communities and the people they serve,” said Zimmerman. “I am honoured the Greenbelt Fund recognizes our role as municipal partners, and I appreciate this recognition.”

Climate change causing bees to be out of sync with flowering plants: study

time of the Early Spider Orchid (Ophrys sphegodes) and Met Office climate records. They found that warmer springs cause orchids to flower earlier. But this does not correspond exactly with the earlier flying of the bees. The study shows that male bees fly around nine days earlier for each degree increase in average early spring temperature. Meanwhile, female bees emerge slightly later than males, near peak orchid pollination time. “Under normal conditions, male bees are deceived into inadvertently pollinating orchid flowers during what we call ‘pseudocopulation,’” said lead researcher

Prof Anthony Davy from UEA’s School of Biological Sciences. “But this process could be disrupted by climate change. “Warming by as little as 2°C causes the males to emerge much earlier, meaning they are less well synchronized with the orchids. The problem is compounded by the female bees, which are also emerging earlier, and attracting the attention of the male bees. This means that the male bees are more likely to copulate with the female bees, rather than pollinating the orchids. ‘Potential Disruption of Pollination in a Sexually Deceptive Orchid by Climate Change’ is published in the journal Current Biology on November 6, 2014.

New report discusses ways to bring more local food to dinner tables

province’s GDP by nearly a quarter billion dollars. • Transitioning 10 per cent of food consumption to organic would improve farm incomes and reduce the environmental impact of food production, but require imports of many products unless local organic production was increased. The report – produced in partnership by the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, the Metcalf Foundation, and the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation – also provides an overview of the food surplus or deficit positions of counties and regions across Southern Ontario. The findings point to opportunities for the province’s

food system to better match domestic consumption, increasing the amount of food grown locally. “The authors estimate that more than half of Ontario’s $20 billion in imported food could be produced right here in Ontario,” says Kathy Macpherson, Acting CEO of the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation. “The alternatives highlighted by the report’s scenarios point to the tremendous potential for Ontario’s food system to create even more jobs and strengthen the viability of agriculture across the province.” The report is available at www.greenbelt.ca /dollars_and_sense_ opportunities_2015.

Debbie Zimmerman, CEO of the Grape Growers of Ontario, was recently recognized with a lifetime achievement award for her 36 years of public service and for her significant contributions to the grape and wine industry, and to Ontario as a whole. The presentation was made during the Greenbelt Local Food Reception held in February in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. Zimmerman’s esteemed career in municipal politics, along with her effective contributions to many boards and associations, including the Niagara Escarpment Commission and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, has given her a voice in advocating for a

Climate change could be disrupting the relationship between bees and plants according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA). A study published recently reveals that warmer springs cause changes in the life cycle of bees – throwing them out of synchronization with the plants they pollinate. Researchers studied long-term trends in historical records dating back to 1848. Records of a solitary bee (Andrena nigroaenea) from museum specimens were compared with the records of flowering

A new study identifying ways Ontario can make changes to its food system to increase the supply of local food, was released recently. Entitled Dollars and Sense: Opportunities to Strengthen Southern Ontario’s Food System, the report examined a number of scenarios aimed at increasing local food production, creating jobs, and boosting the local economy. Key findings include: • Reducing the top 10 fruit and vegetable imports by 10 per cent and expanding local production would help create 3,400 jobs and boost the Page 36

FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

Ontario fruit and vegetable growers launch new website

needs a website that is easy to use and accessible across all sorts of device platforms, as well as being compatible with all accessibility requirements,” said John Kelly, executive vice president. “Our new website does all that and more and we look forward to it being a cornerstone of all of our communications efforts.” The new hub for the organization’s outreach and lobbying activities – visible

at www.ofvga.org – is mobile compatible and integrates social media, including the OFVGA’s Twitter account @OntFruitVeg. Other key features include electronic registration for events, like the annual general meeting and a separate, loginprotected area where board members will be able to electronically access meeting materials and other board-specific documents.

Ag Labour Task Force elects new chair

have been identified as the number one risk affecting the agriculture and agri-food industry today.” Wales, a horticulture farmer from Elgin County, Ont., is also the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) chair, representing the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. The Labour Task Force was established by the Agriculture and Agri-Food (AAFC) Value Chain Roundtables in 2012 to examine issues of agriculture and agrifood labour management and shortages; recently the LTF transitioned to become a CAHRC committee. Participation in the AAFC Value Chain Roundtable process and composition of the LTF is made up of a diverse cross-section of agricultural

representatives covering everything from primary production, lobster and meat processing to ornamental horticulture production. The LTF released the Labour Action Plan with practical and achievable recommendations last spring and support for the plan’s implementation has now grown to 45 industry partners. The group is working on an update to the policy and programs section of the Labour Action Plan, including a review of changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program as it relates to agriculture and agri-food. For more information on the Agriculture and Agri-Food Labour Action Plan or agricultural human resource management, contact CAHRC at www.cahrc-ccrha.ca.

The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) has launched its new website. It is the final piece of the development of the organization’s new corporate identity, which began with the launch of a new logo and trade show materials last fall. “As a lobby organization, the OFVGA

The Agriculture and Agri-Food Labour Task Force (LTF) has elected Mark Wales as its new chairperson and is moving forward with the recommendations of its Agriculture and Agri-Food Labour Action Plan to address agricultural industry worker shortages. “It is my pleasure to chair the Labor Task Force,” said Wales. “We have a broadbased, growing group representing all commodities and value chains and we are rolling up our sleeves, coming together to work on solutions for agriculture and agrifood labour shortages. Through the Labour Action Plan, we have a roadmap forward addressing our workforce shortages which

FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

Page 37

New Products Case IH Introduces Maxxum Tractor

A new look exemplifies the enhancements to the new Case IH Maxxum series tractors. Case IH introduced the five new models at the 2015 Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio, Texas. With its redesigned hood and roof, the new Maxxum line foreshadows an updated new styling coming soon to the Case IH high-horsepower families of tractors. But the improvements extend well beyond cosmetics. The new Maxxum series features an improved performancecooling package. They are also equipped with the fuel-efficient Tier 4 B/Final SCR-only technology that meets current EPA requirements with less complexity and components than other emission systems used in the industry. This allows Case IH engines to run cleaner and cooler, which has doubled the service interval hours. Some jobs need to be done outside of the daylight hours. These new Maxxum tractors are equipped with eight high-power LED lights and can be ordered with additional LED lights — up to 14 — that provide daylight visibility during nighttime operations. This helps keep projects on schedule with less operator fatigue.

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The new Maxxum tractors feature an improved turning radius on a longer wheelbase for greater stability in the field. Operators can easily navigate tight turns in the field. The new Maxxum series also offers Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) technology with a double-clutch design that allows smooth shifting and maintains continuous power to the ground. The optional front axle suspension is now equipped with twin accumulators, which improve the ride, comfort and safety of these machines. The new model lineup consists of the 4-cylinder 115, 125, 135 and 145 models in the Maxxum, Maxxum MultiController and CVT configurations. Also available is the 6-cylinder Maxxum 150 model available in the Maxxum and Maxxum MultiController versions. www.caseih.com Delegate receives MRL for potatoes bound for Japan

Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for Delegate Insecticide has been established in Japan effective immediately. That means Canadian potato producers who grow product that could be destined for export to Japan can now apply Delegate for control of Colorado potato beetle and European corn borer. “There has been a five to 10 per cent annual growth in imports of frozen potato products in Asia the last several years,” says Mark Alberts, product manager for horticulture with Dow AgroSciences. “Export markets are really important to potato producers so establishing foreign residue tolerances for potatoes is critical to Canadian growers. Now they have the peace of mind they can apply this excellent product without compromising where they can sell their crop.” Delegate is from the spinosyn family of chemistry, which features a mode of action that controls insects two ways – through ingestion and contact – for knockdown and residual activity. It is active on insects across multiple growth stages. The company reports that insects stop feeding within minutes. Spinetoram, the active ingredient in Delegate, is derived through the fermentation of a naturally occurring organism. Delegate can be used as a tool for potato growers managing neonicotinoid resistance in seed treatments. Delegate’s mode of action affects the insect’s nervous system in a manner different than other classes of chemistry. Delegate is formulated as a wettable granule and is labelled for a maximum of three applications per year. TOMRA Sorting Solutions launches new potato sorter

TOMRA Sorting Solutions recently released its new sensor-based

Bartlett Superior “70” Oil is formulated with Petro-Canada’s ultra-pure oil systems to sort and process potato products at Potato Europe. to use because it has reduced toxicity and is environmentally biodegradable. Outstanding fruit protection from an alliance you base This combination trust – fluids. N.M. Bartlett and Petro-Canada. that’sdelivers revolutionary!99% unsulphonated residue and The company demonstrated the Field Potato Sorter (FPS) and your orchard, can only For your the best orchard, protection onlyNowthe will best do!protection will do! less phytotoxicity – which means it’s better for your orchards. Bartlett displayed the Halo sorter at Potato Europe, in Bockerode, near ett Superior “70” Oil is formulated Bartlett Superior with“70” Petro-Canada’s “70” formulated ultra-pure with spray oil base fluids.ultra-pure Thisitcombination spray oil base delivers fluids. 99%This combination Superior OilOilisis also better toPetro-Canada’s use because has reduced toxicity and is delivers 99% To get protected see your local lphonated residue and less unsulphonated phytotoxicity residue – whichand means less it’s phytotoxicity better for your – which orchards. meansBartlett it’sfruit better Superior for your “70” orchards. Oil is also Bartlett better Superior “70” Oil is also better Hanover, Germany. environmentally biodegradable. Outstanding protection from an alliance retailer or call 1-800-263-1287 e because it has reducedtotoxicity use because and is environmentally it has reduced toxicity biodegradable. and is environmentally fruit biodegradable. protection from Outstanding an alliance fruityou protection from an alliance you you can trust – N. M. Bartlett and Outstanding Petro-Canada. Now that’s revolutionary! “This is the first successful high throughput optical sorting unsulphonated residue and less phytotoxicity – which means it’s better for your orchards. Bartlett Superior “70” Oil is also better

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spectral zones, which allows it to analyze and identify organic characteristics and compositions of all objects. It can therefore distinguish clumps of dirt, stones, foreign material and rot from potatoes, even those with substantial soil covering.” Frost said the machine could be used for different varieties and sizes of unwashed potato while process and packer customers can use the data the machine produces for predictive analysis, to achieve purposes such as optimizing production lines. “The FPS is replacing hard-to-find manpower needed to clean the product stream going into and out of potato storage. The robust, weatherproof and user-friendly system is compact and available in various widths to fit all specific capacities up to 70,000 kilos an hour. The sorting machine is compatible with other potato grading equipment, but can also be used on its own to sort harvested potatoes, before or after storage.” www.tomrasorting.com

John Deere announces changes to 5M Utility Tractors

John Deere has made changes to its 5M-model lineup, including the addition of after-treatment systems to meet Final Tier 4 compliance, plus comfort, convenience, and performance features starting with model year 2015 tractors. The changes impact the complete range of 5M Utility Tractors, ranging from 75- to 115-hp. The 3-cylinder 5075M model will have John Deere’s diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and diesel particulate filter (DPF) solution with no diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) required. The 5075M will also feature modern styling with chrome headlight bezels, a full range of isolated open operator stations and cabs, and new factory installed options such as front fenders and cab fender extensions, according to Brad Aldridge, product marketing manager for 5M Tractors at John Deere. The 4-cylinder 5Ms (5085M, 5100M, 5115M) will have a DOC/SCR (selective

catalytic reduction) solution using DEF to meet Final Tier 4 emissions standards. They also feature a compact cooling package and a new, low sloping hood that will improve in loader applications. Their 4.5-liter John Deere PowerTech engines are designed with an increased power bulge of up to four per cent and a 30 per cent torque rise for improved performance under load. Servicing of the cooling system is easy with a slide-out condenser, sliding oil cooler, tiltable charge air cooler, and removable radiator screen. Optional LED worklights provide bright lighting for working late in the day or early in the morning. These improvements are on top of the 16F/16R PowrReverser and 32F/16R PowrReverser transmissions, heavy-duty hitch capacity, and hydraulic capacity. All 5M models can be matched with a variety of John Deere and Frontier implements. www.JohnDeere.com/ag

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Peeling Roma-style tomatoes the eco-friendly way By Marcia Wood

uicy, ripe, Roma-style tomatoes, stocked in the canned goods section of the local supermarket, are already peeled and ready for you to add to your favorite winter stew, soup, or casserole. Equally versatile, and used by restaurant chefs and home cooks alike, are canned stewed or diced tomatoes, perfect for flavorful Italian or Mexican dishes. Today, many processors remove the tight-fitting peels of these tasty tomatoes by using conventional approaches, such as steam-heating or jet sprays of heated solutions of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, followed by a tap water rinse. Tomorrow, processors may opt for a new approach, developed and tested in studies led by Agricultural Research Service engineer Zhongli Pan. He’s based at the agency’s Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif. Infrared peeling relies on infrared energy, like that produced in infrared ovens found in upscale home kitchens, for instance. At the cannery, tomatoes travelling on conveyor belts would be heated for about 60 seconds with infrared light emitted from tubular units placed alongside the belts. The heat loosens the clingy peel and causes it to crack. That makes it easier for the peel to split when tomatoes enter their next destination – a vacuum chamber – and, after that, to be removed by “pinch” rollers. Pan’s team has refined these steps during more than five years of tests involving about 6,000 commercially grown Romatype tomatoes. Though scientists have been experimenting with infrared peeling of fruits and vegetables for several decades, Pan’s infrared tests apparently are the most extensive of their kind, to date, for environmentally sound peeling of tomatoes. Among the most important advantages of the new technique is that it is mostly waterless. The technique could not only cut the cost of bringing water into the cannery, but may also reduce the expense of recycling or properly disposing of it. Disposal is a particular concern for processors who use sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide Page 42

At the Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif. research team members test prototype infrared peeling equipment. (Left to right) ARS engineer Zhongli Pan; engineer Griffiths Atungulu and graduate student Xuan Li, both from University of California-Davis; and Carlos Masareje, president of Precision Canning Equipment. Photo by USDA-ARS

because the substances can boost the cost of treating factory wastewater. There’s more to like about the infrared dry-peeling technology. The process helps reduce the wasteful over-peeling that can occur when too many layers of the tomato are inadvertently removed with the peel. With infrared, over-peeling is less of a problem because, when used with precision, the technique primarily affects only the peel and a few thin layers beneath it. In a study published in 2014, the researchers showed that peel-related loss – measured by comparing the tomato’s weight before and after peeling – was about eight to 13 per cent with the infrared heating and about 13 to 16 per cent with sodium hydroxide-based peeling. Less over-peeling also means that an infrared-processed tomato could be more attractive than an over-peeled one. Overpeeling can expose inner layers, which are typically paler than the everyday

processing tomato’s deep-red upper layers. The tomato’s yellowish, vein-like vascular bundles may also be exposed by over-peeling. In addition, infrared peeling can be easier on the structure and texture of the tomato. This means that tomatoes may remain pleasingly firm, not mushy, and should not fall apart as easily when cut. Pan’s team has shown that infrared-treated tomatoes were of similar or slightly better firmness than tomatoes peeled with sodium or potassium hydroxide. Pan expects to have the system ramped up to cannery speeds by 2016. In the meantime, the tomato studies are documented in a halfdozen peer-reviewed scientific articles. Other articles describe progress with using the technology for peeling fresh clingstone peaches, another canned-goods classic. ❦ Marcia Wood is a member of the Information Staff with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. FruitandVeggie.com, march 2015

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