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Teamwork makes the dream work Farmers find success with third parties able to assist with market research and consumer insights.
BY TREVOR BACQUE
Good year for fresh potatoes by Roohi Sahajpal
Commercial blueberries coming soon to northern Canada Breeders aim to find a hybrid that is hardy in cold weather.
BY MADELEINE BAERG
We got an influx of CSA subscribers, now what? How farms dealt with the rush of subscribers and future tips. BY
STEPH COELHO
Like many of you, I did not anticipate the summer of 2020 going the way it did. However, the learning opportunity it provided was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I heard stories of farms pivoting to serve their customers in different ways, from virtual farm tours to contactless pick-up. But I also heard, though the minority, of some farms that decided not to plant and focus on other priorities. Regardless of where you stood on this spectrum, it was an honour to serve the ag community and share your stories this summer.
March was represented by empty grocery shelves and closed borders. In April and May, the theme was adaptation. How farmers are adapting their operations, how farmers are adapting their equipment (see page 27), and how the government and other organizations were stepping up to help.
In June, the sleepless nights returned as Ontario was shaken by several COVID-19 outbreaks on farms. In Ontario, more than 1,300 migrant workers contracted COVID-19 and three people died during the outbreaks. It was during this time that Fruit and Vegetable
of the program and more concrete actions to be taken to protect the lives of farm workers. There’s no longer time to push off improvement projects, take advantage of the funding available (read more on page 5) to improve worker safety.
The events during the summer also brought agricultural stories into mainstream media on a regular basis. The shake-up to the food system in March and the COVID-19 outbreaks on farms in June broke consumer fantasies about where their food actually comes from. But it also revealed the producerconsumer divide when farmers were painted with one broad brush as bad employers or the idea that farm work was “unskilled labour” was reinforced by those who didn’t know differently. Regardless of what was revealed, it was refreshing to see agriculture being discussed on bigger platforms opening a gateway for understanding.
Throughout the summer and fall, Fruit and Vegetable also continued to tell stories that weren’t related to the ongoing pandemic. Whether it was highlighting influential women in agriculture or profiling innovative growers, the stories reminded us
“It was an honour to share your stories this summer.”
published a FAQ resource on navigating COVID-19 outbreaks on Ontario farms. The FAQ answered what happens if a worker tests positive for COVID-19, and it was available in both English and Spanish. Normally for me, a magazine story doesn’t feel critical, but when life hangs in the balance, accessible information becomes crucial.
The outbreaks also shifted the spotlight to agriculture and its reliance on temporary foreign workers. It prompted an overhaul
that it wasn’t all bad news. For the next couple of issues I have planned stories that I hope will continue to highlight the innovation, opportunity, and community that represents Canadian agriculture.
On that note, this will be my last season with the magazine, but I will continue to follow the fruit and vegetable industry from afar. Thank you to the growers, industry members, and the Fruit and Vegetable team for the warm welcome, patience to help, and the continued resilience. •
FRUIT &
Editor
STEPHANIE GORDON sgordon@annexbusinessmedia.com 437-688-6107
Associate Editor ALEX BARNARD abarnard@annexbusinessmedia.com 519-429-3966
Associate Publisher NASHELLE BARSKY nbarsky@annexbusinessmedia.com 905-655-6626
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COO SCOTT JAMIESON sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com
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The Government of Canada is investing $35 million to improve health and safety on farms through the Emergency On-Farm Support Fund.
The $35 million fund is part of a $58.6 million investment the Canadian federal government made into the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in late July amid COVID-19 outbreaks on farms. The fund was announced along with increased supports to temporary foreign workers, a strengthened employer inspections regime, and the development of improved employerprovided living accommodation requirements.
The Emergency On-Farm Support Fund will provide support to farmers for direct infrastructure improvements to living quarters and work stations, temporary or emergency housing (on or off-farm), as well as personal protective equipment, sanitary stations, work stations and any other health and safety measures to safeguard workers from COVID-19.
The Fund will be delivered by Agriculture and AgriFood Canada (AAFC) in Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
The applications will be reviewed as they are received and will put priority on the highest risk farms for COVID-19 outbreaks. High risk farms will be identified based on available working space, housing conditions, and number of workers employed. Priority will be given to those projects that are mitigating the most risk, specifically where there
are active outbreaks or there are a large number of workers concentrated within the farm facilities.
Contributions under the AAFC-managed program will be cost-shared 50:50 with the applicants up to $100,000. An additional 10 per cent will be provided to women and youth applicants making the split 60:40 as the government is taking steps to promote and empower women and youth in the agricultural sector.
Federal Minister of Agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau said the government aims to deliver the funding within 30 days of the application date, and the costs are retroactive to Mar. 15, 2020 and must be completed by Feb. 26, 2021.
For more: www.agr.gc.ca/eng/agricultural-programsand-services/emergency-on-farm-support-fund
In Ontario, AAFC invested an additional $11.6 million to expand the province’s Agri-food Workplace Protection Program. Under the expanded program, the amount farmers can claim for preventive expenses including a combination of workplace modifications, PPE, transportation and temporary housing will double to $15,000.
The program will also include a new category for small capital projects of up to $100,000 for housing modifications, workplace modifications and equipment to allow greater physical distancing for workers.
For more: omafra.gov.on.ca/english/about/ agrifoodprogram.htm
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
In agriculture now, there are more than 75,000 female farm operators, representing some 28.7 per cent of all farm operators in Canada.
In 1996, women represented 25.3 per cent of farm operators.
National and provincial association chairs and presidents:
Research shows barriers to equality include:
Work-life balance
Skills training
Networking and mentorship
Access to information management
Financial barriers
Top barriers: 16%
Balancing career and family 16%
Old boys’ club 13%
Lack of role models
There are barriers preventing women from advancing in agriculture: 41% of women agree 12% of men agree
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
In Nova Scotia, $1,229,375 is available funding under the Emergency On-Farm Support Fund.
Applicants are eligible for up to 75 per cent of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $50,000.
Deadline to apply is December 31: novascotia.ca/coronavirus/emergency-on-farmsupport-fund-program/
In British Columbia, $4.9 million was set aside and this federal funding will be delivered by Investment Agriculture Foundation (IAF). Applications will be accepted through IAF’s portal until Nov. 17, 2020.
The IAF will deliver the program under two streams: 1) reimbursements of already incurred costs or 2) recipients who are looking to undertake future projects. For more: iafbc.ca/ emergency-on-farm-support-fund
B.C. producers are required to register with the provincial government if they are hiring temporary foreign workers through federal programs where a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is required.
Federal programs such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), Seasonal Agriculture Worker Program (SAWP), and AgStream fall under this requirement. As of Dec. 15, 2020, registration will be mandatory to receive an approved LMIA by Service Canada.
The B.C. government keeps a public registry of employers that are registered to hire foreign workers. The registry lists each employer’s name, the date they were registered as an employer and when their registration expires.
According to the Western Agriculture Labour Initiative (WALI), wait times for LMIA approvals are likely to increase after the December 15 requirement comes into effect. WALI recommends employers register as soon as possible to prevent delays with hiring workers. There is no fee to register.
For registration links and exceptions, visit fruitandveggie.com/b-c-farmers-must-register-tohire-temporary-foreign-workers/
BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions (BASF) received registration for broflanilide, its newest active ingredient from Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA).
Broflanilide, the first IRAC Group 30 available in Canada, is an insecticide in two new unique products: Teraxxa F4 insecticide and fungicide for cereals and Cimegra for potatoes and corn. Both products will be available to Canadian growers for the 2021 season.
With a new mode of action, broflanilide targets all wireworm larval stages which helps suppress and control potential seasonal recovery of wireworm populations. While prior solutions intoxicated wireworms, leaving a potential for their recovery, broflanilide binds to the wireworm’s central nervous system causing hyperactivity of nerves and muscles, which ultimately eliminates the pest altogether. According to BASF, this offers growers a new opportunity to protect their crop from a notoriously tough-to-control pest.
Cimegra insecticide provides control of prevalent and difficult to control chewing insects in potatoes and corn, including wireworm, for in-season management and reduction of resident populations.
“Cimegra insecticide has demonstrated great performance and can be easily incorporated into an integrated pest management strategy. It offers a unique mode of action that delivers lasting efficacy with no known resistance, making it an excellent new tool for the management of wireworms” said Allison Friesen, technical market specialist with Insecticides and Seed Treatment at Agriculture Solutions Canada.
Growers can learn more about the Cimegra insecticide and all other BASF Agricultural Solutions products by visiting www.agsolutions.ca.
The Dramm Corporation (Dramm), a Wisconsin-based irrigation company, is upgrading its irrigation control line with the introduction of its ProLine Irrigation Controller Series.
According to Dramm, the ProLine increases the number of outputs available while still remaining modular and expandable. Like its predecessor product, the ProLine offers basic timed irrigation cycles with multiple programs and start times.
The ProLine, with four available
programs, allows for three of these to be active at one time, shortening irrigation cycle times when water is available.
The ProLine offers daily watering selection and manual functions allowing the grower to activate either a single valve or an entire program easily when needed. Seasonal adjustments allow for all irrigation cycles to be increased or decreased easily, without having to reprogram each valve.
Dramm says that the ProLine can be upgraded to allow connection from anywhere. Using an added AirCard and cellular service, growers can monitor and manage their irrigation from a smartphone app. This feature allows the user the ability to run a manual cycle, increase or decrease watering times and more, from across the facility or across the world.
Several longstanding seed companies have invested into controlled environment agriculture (CEA) initiatives. CEA refers to many different types of indoor growing, and broadly describes food production that takes place within an enclosed growing structure such as a greenhouse or building, with the help of technology to ensure optimal growing conditions.
In August, Bayer and Singaporean sovereign fund Temasek launched their jointly owned company Unfold. In a statement, Unfold said they will carry out innovation around vegetable varieties “that deliver optimized quality and sensory experience” with the aim of “lifting the vertical farming space to the next level of quality, efficiency, and sustainability.”
In addition to capital, Bayer has also granted the new venture rights to leverage select germplasm (seeds and other genetic material) from its vegetables portfolio. According to CEO John Purcell, the germplasm that Unfold will initially have access to includes
lettuce, spinach, tomato, pepper, and cucumber.
In September, Sakata Seed America announced the formation of their own CEA department. The new department will focus on traditional greenhouse production as well as specialized vertical farming.
According to Justin Davis, Sakata’s director of sales and marketing, this new group is designed to bolster the company’s leadership role in developing varieties for controlled environment agriculture. Sakata has been focused on this segment for a number of years, Davis explained, especially in the leafy greens category.
Following Bayer and Sakata, BASF Vegetable Seeds, together with its corporate and academic partners in The Netherlands, announced that it is making progress in the application of autonomous growing concepts. According to the company, they have already applied the concept to seed production, cultivation of a tomato variety and the screening of hydroponic lettuce varieties. A new
project for cucumber is under way.
The goal is to provide a growing recipe for each variety BASF commercializes, said Anne Jancic, business development high tech at BASF Vegetable Seeds. “Computers can make complex decisions much faster and learn based on outcomes much faster than we can,” Jancic explained. “That does not mean that specialized growers are not needed anymore. It simply means that they will be able to do a better job using the opportunities offered by this technology.”
“By better understanding how plants react to their environment we will develop genetics that are fully adapted to new growing systems. In our new high-tech greenhouses at Nunhem [in The Netherlands] we digitally collect data on each individual fruit harvested. The ultimate goal is to develop better varieties,” explained Peter Kraan, R&D crop coordinator for cucumbers at BASF.
Last year, BASF partnered with Hoogendoorn Growth Management to gain experiences with various autonomous growing software and hardware for hydroponic lettuce and tomato. The modular software ensures that the available resources such as natural gas, fertilizers and water are used as efficiently as possible, helping to minimize costs and CO2 emissions and to maximize crop profitability.
A University of Guelph researcher is breeding Ontario peaches with better colour, taste, texture and available in stores two weeks earlier than other local peaches. For Canadian growers, early maturing peach varieties can help them compete with U.S. growers.
Tender fruit breeder Jayasankar Subramanian, who works out of the University of Guelph’s Vineland Campus, has been developing new peach and plum varieties to appeal to both consumers and growers.
“You cannot simply bring peaches from the U.S. and put them down here and expect them to be successful,” Subramanian explained.
The goal of his breeding work is to get better peaches that are ready for harvest sooner. The peaches would be better equipped to withstand the cooler Canadian climate and extend Canada’s already short peach season, which averages around six to six and a half weeks.
Older peach varieties from two decades ago mature near the end of July, but Subramanian’s work is producing varieties that can mature as soon as July 18 – an almost two-week difference.
His aim is to create an early fruiting variety that would hit the market at the same time as imported peaches, allowing Canadian consumers to support local farmers for the whole peach season.
Subramanian developed a peach variety called Veeblush that is bigger, redder, and tasty, but also matures quickly. It was made available to orchards five years ago and is already in high demand among Niagara peach growers.
Veeblush matures by July 25, and there are two more early-fruiting varieties in the pipeline, and as many as six new Ontario peach varieties by 2025.
Two “selections” (a variety that hasn’t been officially released) were scheduled for 2020 but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Subramanian expects the two new selections to be available in 2021 and 2022, and they mature earlier than Veeblush by five days and eight days respectively. These new varieties can mature as early as July 18 or July 20 depending on where in the Niagara region they’re grown.
Farmers find success with third parties able to assist with market research and consumer insights.
BY TREVOR BACQUE
Any good horticulturist must admit an upper hand in the marketplace would be a net benefit to their business. However, finding such advantages may prove elusive at times. How does one know if the flavour profile of their fruit will match with consumer preferences? Or how will the visual appearance of a vegetable resonate with shoppers in the grocery store?
Farmers can always wing it, opting for gut instinct and trust that they know consumers and their preferences. Or, farmers could leave the heavy lifting to professionals who
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make it their business to assist others where they cannot due to time, ability, or both.
Vineland Research and Innovation Centre [Vineland] is one such group. The centre, stationed in Vineland, Ont., is a non-profit organization with an eligible Research Institute designation from the federal government. The Centre helps farming groups and farmers of all kinds achieve their goals, whether a person is curious about robotics and automation, applied genomics, production systems or even consumer insights.
That last category has driven marketoriented data to individual farmers and farming groups for the last six years, according to Vineland’s Amy Bowen, director of the Consumer Insights program.
The process is quite linear and customizable to suit the needs of clients: simply bring a question to be answered and Vineland will jump on it.
“We would work with them to try and understand what they’re trying to achieve and create a research plan to address that question,” says Bowen of Vineland’s process.
The question could be as simple as: will this variety do well in a particular marketplace? It could also be as complex and challenging as: recommend us a topselling fruit variety to grow that will be loved by consumers across Canada.
Projects can be concluded in as little as four to six weeks and cost $1,000 or it may stretch on for multiple years and easily jump into $100,000-plus territory.
As Bowen sees it, the financial investment all depends on what a person’s or group’s goals are. It also helps to have an outside voice since everyone sees their own products with rose-coloured glasses, to a degree.
“Whether you are aware of it or not, you’re biased and you’re putting your own spin on any evaluations you are doing,” she says. “We’re a third party outside of that direct space even though it’s in horticulture. We’re going to be providing an objective view of it.”
To give those first-hand consumer insights, Vineland has a small army of people it enlists for such honest opinions. This group of people from the general population is accepted into Vineland’s ranks based on their ability to identify unique flavours and aromas and rank their intensity and how they differ within food. Despite not everyone being foodies - although some certainly are - everyone is put through a training regimen that is ongoing throughout the year.
Other popular services include understanding a certain market or region and those consumers’ demographics and other ‘liking’ drivers.
Clients can also learn about the literal guts of their products, too, thanks to Vineland’s statistical and instrumental analysis services.
Bowen admits consumer insights are important, but so is knowing statistical information about products. Whether you
want to know about the thickness of a grape’s skin or sugar content in an apple, Vineland can help. It’s a team effort with a diverse staff of 100-plus all interested in food, but with vastly different educational backgrounds, including plant physiology, psychology, neuroscience, biology and flavour chemistry.
“That’s what you need,” she says. “We all come with that science background, and that helps us understand the plant biology and physiology, and how it relates [to consumer preferences].”
One group that believes Vineland can help them with its goals is the Ontario Fresh Grape Growers’ Marketing Board (OFGG). The organization, which represents 90 farmers, initially contracted Vineland in 2017 to help it scout potential new, commercially viable grape varieties. While working with Vineland, the group also asked Vineland to engage its Consumer Insights panel to get real people’s feedback on what grapes they preferred and why. From there, the two projects began to form a real synergy.
“They have expertise and staff to go
“There’s so much work that a grower doesn’t necessarily have time to do in a season.”
out and find varieties that will grow out in our climate and consumers will want,” says David Hipple, OFGG chair and grape farmer in Beamsville, Ont.
So far, OFGG has learned about its grapes’ sugars, acids, sugar-to-acidity ratio, skin thickness and more, and used that as a benchmark to finding the new “it” grape, according to Hipple.
Three years into their multi-year project, he and his group regularly communicate with Vineland, calling the research group enthusiastic in its approach, making the whole project enjoyable.
OFGG had its own designs of what grapes could be top performers, but having Vineland’s research to substantiate their gut instincts made a world of difference.
“It was more a validation to us that what we were seeing as a board and growers - the qualities we liked and qualities we thought the consumers would like - were validated,” he says. The one grape that shined to us early on was the one that came out on top in this report. It helped us say yes.”
The Consumer Insights panel studied multiple grapes’ visual appearance and conducted blind taste tests. Through the process, OFGG members had a key learning moment which was that taste supersedes everything. Since this hiddenin-plain-sight finding was revealed, the group has stepped up its ability for consumers to access grapes in store.
“Maybe it surprised me that taste is so high and it doesn’t matter what it looks like,” Hipple says. “If it looks good, that’s great, but you want people to come back again and the taste is what is going to bring them back for the second purchase. We’ve always done a little bit of in-store testing, but now it seems we do it as part of our regular marketing schedule.”
The Board continues its quest to find a new green grape for the ‘fresh’ market since it’s the top seller and Vineland continues to be integral in that search. They have narrowed down a blue grape and the hunt continues for a new redskinned option.
Hipple believes that even though the project isn’t complete, there certainly is value to enlisting outside help to raise his farm’s opportunities and that of others.
“There’s so much work that a grower doesn’t necessarily have time to do in season,” he says. “I don’t have [time to take] grapes to run around to grocery stores and say, ‘hey, do you like these?’ Having someone that’s capable and willing and structured to do it is especially an asset.”
Such sentiment is music to Bowen’s ears back at Vineland, where she and her team always aim to bring tangible results to clients.
“We don’t want to be doing research for the sake of research,” she says. “We want to do it to see the varieties out in the market, make automated processes, help make value-added products, and keep the money flowing in and moving along. Whether it’s a brand-new business or an established one to change their production mix, we’d be equally willing to work with them. It’s just about wanting to create that impact and income for the sector.” •
The incredible nominations we received for the inaugural year of this program highlighted just how many influential women there are working within Canada’s agriculture industry.
To our Top 6 recipients, those who nominated an influential woman, those who offered support through social media or tuning into the podcast series on AgAnnex Talks, and to our generous sponsors:
Sponsored by
Presented by
Breeders aim to find a mid-high blueberry bush hybrid that is hardy in cold weather.
BY MADELEINE BAERG
An Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research team in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador is crossing cultivated (highbush) blueberries with their high-in-antioxidants, extremely cold hardy wild (lowbush) cousins in hopes of developing a mid-high hybrid suitable for northern Canadian commercial production.
In late summer and early fall each year, Newfoundland and Labrador locals head outdoors in search of wild blueberries. The berries, prized for their exceptional taste and high level of antioxidants, thrive in the region’s acidic soil despite frigidly cold winters. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for cultivated blueberries.
To date, no commercial blueberry farming has been successful in Newfoundland and Labrador – or, for that matter, many other parts of Canada - because commercial cultivars cannot survive long, harsh winters. That may soon change, thanks to a new effort by AAFC researchers to
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create cold, hardy hybrids by crossing wild and cultivated blueberries.
Currently, the vast majority of farmed blueberries are highbush varieties. Growing up to eight feet in height, these bushes produce large quantities of big berries, making them ideal for commercial production. However, though cold hardiness varies in different highbush cultivars, none can survive extreme cold (less than -30 C). Wild (lowbush) plants typically grow to only two feet in height. The few that are grown commercially come not from planting consistent genetics but from managing wild, self-propagating, entirely heterogeneous stands. Lowbush berries are small, variable and more perishable than highbush cultivars, but higher in many health promoting attributes, most notably antioxidants. These blueberries are problematic commercially because the bushes produce lower volume than highbush and because no consistent
In Newfoundland, neither highbush nor half-high blueberries developed in the U.S. are well adapted, so AAFC research scientist Samir Debnath decided that he would change that.
genetics are available.
Michigan State University researcher Stanley Johnson crossed highbush and lowbush varieties during 1950s and 1960s. The resulting half-high bushes have captured some commercial uptake in the northern U.S. but aren’t cold hardy enough to suit northern Canada’s more extreme winters. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist, Samir Debnath, decided almost 20 years ago that he would change that.
“In B.C., highbush blueberries grow very well, and they can also be grown in Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia. But in Newfoundland, neither highbush nor half-high blueberries developed in the U.S. aren’t well adapted,” Debnath says. “Way back in about 2000, I visited farm fields [in Newfoundland] and saw them trying to grow half-high blueberries. It was a complete failure. It was not profitable and farmers were discouraged. At that time, I thought: if I get the chance, I will develop this. I will develop a hybrid that suits them.”
A dozen years later, he finally captured the funding to begin developing his own mid-bush (half-high crossed with lowbush) hybrids.
In 2013, Debnath and his team started collecting lowbush germplasm from northern Quebec. Then, they crossed those genetics with half-high hybrids developed in the U.S.
“Our intention is to get a mid-height hybrid with high quality and genetic stability that is adapted to this climate,” Debnath says.
But that’s not all. Among his top priorities, he wants yield and fruit size to match highbush varieties. Conversely, he’d like antioxidant levels to match lowbush levels. While antioxidant levels vary from plant to plant in wild populations, lowbush berries range from 20 to 50 per cent (or more) higher than highbush varieties. This combination of priorities could be very difficult: since antioxidants are contained in the skin, increasing fruit size will decrease the berries’ surface to volume ratio, pushing down antioxidant levels.
Typically, developing new blueberry hybrids takes 15 to 20 years due to the slow-growing nature of blueberry bushes: as much as 10 years to develop potential genetics, another three to four years to get fruit from the various cultivars, two more years to achieve stable production, then several years to
select the best cultivars. In order to cut that time down to about a dozen years, Debnath employed high technology: a bioreactor system that rapidly grows tiny cultivars at their earliest stages of development, then sugar testing and molecular marking to optimize selection of preferred cultivars. The bioreactor is a sterile, enclosed environment that optimizes nutrition and air, creating ideal growing conditions and protecting plants at their most vulnerable stages from external stressors. Both bioreactor micropropagation and molecular marker analysis are increasingly common in plant breeding and commercial berry crop production.
Seven years into the project, Debnath says he has successfully produced several thousand mid-bush hybrid cultivars. The sheer number of cultivars is daunting but necessary.
“Ultimately, the best cultivars have to be able to survive in real growing conditions.”
“From a seed you get one plant; from one plant you get 10,000 seeds and each one is genetically different,” Debnath explains. “You have to grow many, many plants to find out which genetics are best.”
He turns all viable cultivars over to provincial researchers and several Newfoundland farmers for field trialling.
“We gave 100s and 100s of hybrids because you never know which combinations will work,” Debnath says. “We don’t have the facilities for field testing. And, it’s better if we can have cultivars growing in growers’ field conditions because weaker cultivars will not survive. Ultimately, the best cultivars have to be able to survive in real growing conditions.”
From the many cultivars in field trial, Debnath hopes he and his provincial counterparts will select the best hybrids to develop further. Those will be multiplied using the bioreactor, then field grown again before release to the market.
“We are expecting to bring 10 to 20
cultivars to the market. That’s a good number. Out of these 20, maybe five will be very good.”
He keeps one other priority in mind: diversity.
“From 15,000 plants grown, we will select, say, 15 plants. Those 15 plants will not have every good gene. When we select materials, it means we are eliminating some of the desirable genes. For that reason, part of this project is to retain the genestock in a gene bank for future breeding efforts.”
Newfoundland’s farmers have greeted this work with enthusiasm.
“Growers are very much interested in participating with the field trials,” Debnath says. “We are expecting it will be popular and good for northern climates.”
All materials supplied to growers are provided under a material transplant agreement. Under this agreement, farmers can sell the berries as a heterozygous mixture but cannot propagate the cultivars or make a commercial business from any individual hybrids.
He expects the first semi-commercial production may be possible within the next couple years.
“We won’t have all the answers by then but at least the ones we’ll have will be better than existing ones,” Debnath says.
“Blueberries give farmers the highest farm gate billing in Canada among small crop fruits but even among fruit crops in general. Farmers in northern regions would like to grow blueberries but so far nothing is suitable for them,” says Kevin Schooley, general manager of the Berry Growers of Ontario.
“This is an opportunity for those for whom available varieties can’t survive and be productive,” Schooley adds. “These might best suit fringe areas for farmers who would like to grow blueberries but haven’t had any viable options.”
That said, Schooley says farmers need to consider a start-to-finish business plan before they plant new varieties, no matter how exciting the opportunity.
“You can’t grow something just because you want to grow it. To be successful, you have to look at your own market. Berry growers market their fruit in lots of ways. Before you plant anything, make sure you have a plan for how you’ll sell it.” •
How CSA farms handled the rush of subscribers during the pandemic, and what it takes to keep them around.
BY STEPH COELHO
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people scrambled to get their hands on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares. Growers on Harvie, an online tool that connects consumers to local farmers, saw a surge of interest this year. Simon Huntley, CEO of Harvie, says the interest represents a nearly 500 per cent increase in sales on the platform, which works mainly on a subscription basis. While some growers opted to stick to a predetermined plan, others elected to take on more subscribers than usual. In either case, CSA providers must find ways to adapt and respond to the situation imposed upon them by a global pandemic. How can farmers handle growing interest? The solution to the puzzle involves implementing customer retention strategies, which include a heavy dose of exceptional customer service.
Frédéric Thériault, who is in charge of CSA registrations for Ferme Coopérative Tourne-Sol in Les Cèdres, Que., points out that the current interest in local foods is “rooted in people’s own desire for safety and food security.”
David Greenberg, co-owner of Abundant Acres farm in Nova Scotia, says that his operation saw a marked increase in mainstream shoppers. Getting people to sign up this year was a breeze, Greenberg says, adding that “this is the first time we’ve sold out our CSA for years and years.” He admits that the team isn’t stacked with sophisticated marketers but doing more targeted advertising on Facebook and Instagram is something he thinks the farm is ready to begin doing, though, it wasn’t necessary at all this season.
ourselves up for success in the long term . . . The same things that were true before the pandemic are going to be true afterwards,” Huntley says. Thériault explains that despite the enthusiasm from would-be subscribers, the plan is not to strain the farm’s limits. Instead, the farm intends to focus on growing its seedling production since many people have discovered a new (or renewed) interest in gardening during quarantine.
Thériault also reveals that a big part of the farm’s success in acquiring new subscribers is the farmer’s network, Réseau des Fermiers de Famille. The Quebec-wide network enables consumers to easily locate CSA farms with nearby pick-up points. They can sign-up and track their baskets throughout the season using the website. Subscribers pay a nominal fee that goes toward creating a public awareness campaign promoting the concept of communitysupported agriculture. Network farmers also rely on one another for support. “When farms are in trouble, we can help each other out,” Thériault adds. With a core group, TourneSol has rarely had to implement heavy-duty recruiting strategies or costly marketing campaigns. Instead, the focus lies heavily on retaining customers from year to year.
Early renewal campaigns help successful CSA farms, like Tourne-Sol, get a foothold on subscriber numbers well before the start of the season. Having a definite number of subscribers in late fall/early winter provides both security and capital. “It was certainly a lot easier to acquire customers this year than in the past. But I think what I’m talking to a lot of farms about is how do we set
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How can farms keep highly-motivated, new subscribers as they move into the new year – one perhaps without the looming threat of COVID-19? “Give the people what they want” is a familiar echo among farmers like Huntley, Greenberg, and Thériault. And it’s not unique to pandemic times.
Thériault says that Tourne-Sol, which already has an excellent retention rate, tends to stick with their usual tactics of sending out newsletters with tips for cooking basket items and having an active Facebook group. These strategies help customers, particularly those new to the CSA way-of-life, get acquainted with their basket contents and keep them tuned into farm life, which in turn, fosters a deeper relationship between grower and subscriber.
Greenberg’s business model, a market-style operation, is
Thériault says that Ferme Coopérative Tourne-Sol, which already has an excellent retention rate, tends to stick with their usual tactics of sending out newsletters with tips for cooking basket items and having an active Facebook group. scientist Samir Debnath decided that he would change that.
Catching up with the B.C. fresh potato industry in a pandemic year.
BY ROOHI SAHAJPAL
The COVID-19 pandemic may have slowed down other industries, but not British Columbia’s fresh potato industry. Farmers across the province saw excellent conditions and an increased demand leading to a successful fresh potato growing season.
“It’s been a great growing year, probably one of our best,” says Peter Guichon of Felix Farms in Ladner, B.C., which grows 13 varieties of potatoes.
“We planted early which is key. We’ve only finished planting in May three times in the past 25 years and that’s really key in a good year. The earlier you plant there’s longer
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growing days. Two weeks planning time is critical.”
Guichon says that other than extra health and safety precautions on the farm, the pandemic didn’t affect their growing season.
“COVID-19 did not affect our season. We just had to take precautions with our staff. It was a challenge, but manageable.”
The pandemic did affect the BC Potato and Vegetable Growers Association potato variety field day, which Felix Farms participates in. The field day was capped at allowing only 20 people an hour in.
As they go into the next growing season, Guichon says that they’ll
With COVID-19, demand for potatoes increased substantially as consumers first began to stay at home and eat their home cooked potato choices.
proceed as usual.
“We’re just going to keep growing potatoes, as long as we keep selling them, we keep growing them. Our business doesn’t change a lot. We’re always experimenting with new varieties. Some things suit this area better than others. Some varieties do well here and not do well elsewhere.”
A popular yellow variety for them this year has been the Agata and the Orchestra.
“The Agata, it’s an oblong, yellow and it yields very well. It’s a pretty looking potato.”
The United Potato Growers of Canada (UPGC) noted earlier this year that the amount of potatoes in storage for Canada’s fresh potato sector was 11.3 per cent below the three-year average. The lower volumes in storage were due to the increased demand from consumers who were cooking potatoes with their meals at home.
“B.C. tends to be one of the earlier provinces to move their crop so a lot of production had already gone to market when the COVID-19 pandemic appeared in early March. Initially, as in other provinces, demand increased substantially as consumers first began to stay at home and eat their home cooked potato choices. Demand did level out over time but was still above average for fresh or table potatoes,” says Kevin MacIsaac, general manager for UPGC.
MacIsaac says that overall, it’s been an excellent growing season for B.C. growers.
“The season has been an excellent growing season for B.C. growers, in fact one of the best regions in the country, due to timely rains, good temperatures, timely planting and now good harvest conditions. Yields are expected to be above average (likely record setting at 330 cwt./acre) which would be above last year’s 325 hundred weight per acre.”
MacIsaac adds that red and yellow varieties continue to be popular across B.C., with the Russet Norkotah being the most popular.
“Generally red varieties are very popular and have been increasing in demand. The largest acreage of red potatoes in B.C. has been the variety Chieftain. Yellow potatoes have also maintained their popularity. Yukon Gold has been the most popular variety in B.C. over time but we are now seeing a shift to more yellow varieties of European parentage which are higher yielding.”
In Alberta, fresh potato storage is 75.7 per cent lower than the three-year average.
Russ Van Boom of Ruskei Farms near Edmonton grows seeds for fresh and processing. The farm currently seeds close to 5,600 acres each year but saw some losses due to the pandemic and weather conditions.
“It was difficult to do with all of the uncertainties and with what the impact was going to be with COVID and peoples eating habits and such. We were able to toll ahead anyways. We cut back a little bit, but decided to plant fairly close to our typical acres,” Van Boom says.
Van Boom’s farm experienced some setbacks due to rainy conditions.
“Through the months of June and July we had an inordinate amount of rain which led to some negative results in the field where we lost between 10 to 15 per cent of our acres due to drown out,” he adds.
Van Boom says despite this, he’s optimistic about the future.
“I think, like all farmers hopefully, we are optimists and want to see things return, maybe not to exactly how it was before but
very near. At the end of the day we know that people still need to eat, so whether that be in the format of a french fry or people cooking potatoes for themselves at home, I do believe that the potato will continue to be a very good fit. It’s nutritious and economical and we’re choosing to believe that it [COVID] might change the way our business goes a little bit in terms of what varieties we grow and markets that we’re trying to hit, but in the bigger picture of total potato acres, I would hope it would stay somewhat similar.”
Cory Gerrard of Rod Swenson Farms also recounts a successful growing season. They grow several types of potatoes, including Kennebec. They have a farm in Delta, B.C., but also have land in Abbotsford as well as a farm in Kamloops.
“We had a really good weather year for potatoes, that was definitely the positive. There was a bit of a scare in September, we got 3.5 inches of rain, but I’m pretty sure everyone has gotten their potatoes out now into the market for the winter,” Gerrard says.
Gerrard says that while things slowed down for their processing potatoes, there was no impact on the fresh variety.
“We had a really good growing year, yields are above average for sure. We obviously had a bit of a scare in March when COVID hit. Sales slowed for our fresh cut french fries but sales for our other potatoes on the market grew.”
Across the Canadian potato markets, the pandemic brought a market rush to fresh and chip potato growers. While processing and seed growers were not as fortunate, uncertainty is the only constant in farming and growers like Van Boom are choosing to remain optimistic. •
If you’re behind Canadian food, we’re behind you.
DREAM. GROW. THRIVE.
The new standards define soil and minimum soil requirements for crops grown in containers, reaffirming organic agriculture’s basis for growing plants in living soil.
After an intensive revision process, the 2020 Canadian Organic Standards (COS) have been approved by the Canadian General Standards Board Technical Committee on Organic Agriculture (the Committee), and are due for final publication this November.
Several major updates to the standards may have implications for fruit and vegetable growers.
In the 2015 standards, 100 per cent artificial lighting was prohibited. In the consultation leading up to the 2020 revision, many petitions suggested that this clause be reconsidered. After much debate, the Committee decided to allow 100 per cent artificial lighting in the draft for public comment, but only for crops harvested within 60 days of planting.
This proposal received unprecedented opposition,
and was therefore reversed. In the 2020 standards, the only certified organic plants that can be grown under 100 per cent artificial lighting are annual seedling transplants started in winter or spring that will be transplanted within the operation (see section 5.3.3 and 7.5.4 of the revised Canadian Organic Standards), and sprouts, shoots and microgreens, as defined in section 7.4.
Previously known as “Greenhouse crops,” clause 7.5 of the Canadian Organic Standards is now called “Crops Grown in Structures or Containers.” A revised introduction specifies what types of production are and are not covered by this clause, such
as plants grown in unheated greenhouses, for season extension.
Organic agriculture is based on growing plants in living soil, which supplies the bulk of nutrients. Therefore, some changes were made to the COS to ensure that crops grown in containers and season extension structures where supplemental heat, light, or CO2 were not provided, are not being grown in “quasi-hydroponic systems.”
These changes require that:
• The volume of soil in containers remains proportional to plant size, growth rate, targeted yield, and length of crop cycle,
• the minimum amount of soil for crops not covered by 7.5.2.4 (see below) is 2.5 L of soil per m2 of photosynthetic area per week of crop production time,
• the maximum amount of soil required in any case is 60L/ m2 of photosynthetic area,
• crop production time is counted from the start of plant propagation (for example seeding, sticking of unrooted vegetative cuttings, divisions, etc.) until final harvest.
Section 7.5.2.4 requires that for containerized, semi-indeterminate and indeterminate staked crops (for example, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant):
• Additional compost applications shall be included in the fertility
program, and
• the maintained soil volume shall be at least 60 L/m² (1.2 gal./ft2), based on the photosynthetic area.
• Interplanting short-lived crops among other crops (e.g., basil among tomatoes) or having multiple crop cycles within a year (i.e., cucumber) do not reduce this 60 L/m² requirement.
Despite continual debate throughout every revision of the Standards, the simultaneous production of organic and non-organic crops on one operation, known as “parallel production” continues to be prohibited in 2020. Although many arguments can be made to support this practice, including the case for import/export competitiveness, the Committee ultimately decided, once again, that allowing parallel production would make it too easy to either accidentally or intentionally mix organic and non-organic products.
One new exception regarding parallel production, however, is that for existing organic farms, it will be allowed during the last 24 months of the transition of new land added to an existing organic operation. In this case, it is essential that the crops are completely separated at harvest and storage. Meticulous records must be kept, and the transitional crop must be sold as non-organic.
The 2020 Standard includes a new clause that will require organic farmers to take concrete steps to support the diversity of life forms on their farms.
All farms will have to demonstrate that they promote and maintain biodiversity. For example, a greenhouse grower on leased land can plant wildflowers around greenhouses. A rancher can fence off lakes and streams to prevent livestock from accessing the banks of water bodies. Field crop producers and market gardeners can leave wild areas such as woodlots, shelterbelts and hedgerows between fields, and strips of flowering plants between crop rows, on their farms.
A note on the biodiversity clause suggests that “existing prairie, parkland, or wetland habitats should be maintained and enhanced wherever possible” (emphasis added). Although the goal of this addition is to encourage organic farmers to protect wild areas on their farms and take measures to increase
biodiversity, the Committee decided that it is too difficult, at this time, to specify the types of habitat that should be protected.
The Canadian Organic Standards revision is an industry-led process organized by the Organic Federation of Canada (OFC) and supported by federal and provincial organic industry groups. The process requires extensive volunteer participation, and funding for the revision is difficult to
procure, making broad communication of the process difficult. For more information on the review process, please visit organiccouncil.ca/organics/ standards-regulations/.
To support the 2025 standards revision process, please contact the OFC at organicfederation.ca.
Producers who have questions about how the changes will affect their operations should contact their certifying bodies directly for support and information. •
BELCHIM CROP PROTECTION CANADA
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e-mail: info.canada@belchim.com www.belchimcanada.com
Twitter: @belchimcanada
Description: Belchim Crop Protection Canada develops, registers, and markets protection, nutritional and management products for a wide variety of agricultural crops, across Canada. We work closely with end users and supply partners to evaluate market needs, and to provide cost effective products that offer superior performance.
Belchim specializes in providing crop protection products to fruit & vegetable producers through research and working directly with growers to ensure exceptional results.
BERGER
121 1er rang
St-Modeste QC G0L 3W0
Tel: 418-862-4462
Toll-Free: 800-463-5582
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Description: Mastering the Craft of Growing Media
Berger is a worldwide leader in the production of high-quality growing media. For over 55 years, our commitment to expertise, excellence and constant innovation has helped our horticultural customers far and wide to achieve unremitting growth with their crops and businesses. Our reputation for quality and consistency is our trademark. Berger’s team of specialists uses a client-focused approach that meets the specific needs of its customers’ crops.
We believe that success is in the details: the right growing mixes can not only jumpstart the quality and yield of your crops but can also boost your bottom line. Indeed, from start to finish, how you grow matters as much as what you grow.
COOPER MILL LTD.
RR 3
Madoc ON K0K 2K0
Tel: 613-473-4847
Fax: 613-473-5080
e-mail: ipm@coopermill.com
www.coopermill.com
18766 Communication Rd.
Blenheim ON N0P 1A0
Tel: 519-676-1914
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Description: We are a family owned business that has been in operation for 100+ years. We carry a wide variety of glass jars and bottles, plastic pails and containers, metal and plastic caps.
148 Concession 6 Rd. East Millgrove ON L8B 1M4
Tel: 905-689-5466
Fax: 905-689-8584
e-mail: info@gcntrees.com www.gcntrees.com
Description: We are a family-owned and operated wholesale tree nursery located in Southern Ontario (Zone 5A). We offer a large selection of fruit trees for commercial fruit growers, including apples, pears, fruiting quince, plums, sweet and sour cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and fruiting currants. Different rootstock selections are available for apples, pears and sour cherries. Over 50 varieties of apples to choose from. Custom/contract growing is also available. We look forward to working with you!
827 Line 4
Niagara-on-the-Lake ON L0S 1J0
Tel: 905-468-5015
e-mail: info@vineyardmachines.com
www.vineyardmachines.com
CLIMATROL SOLUTIONS LTD.
307-17665 66A Ave.
Surrey BC V3S 2A7
Tel: 604-576-7677
Toll-Free: 877-576-7677
Fax: 604-576-7688
e-mail: office@climatrolsolutions.com www.climatrolsolutions.com
Description: Greenhouse equipment manufacturer and supplier.
Description: H&W equipment has been serving the grape and fruit growing industry in Canada and the Eastern United States since 1993. With our extensive parts inventory for all our equipment lines we provide the best aftermarket support to keep your equipment running.
966, chemin Olivier, suite 450 Lévis QC G7A 2N1
Tel: 418-456-3131
Toll-Free: 1-888-5-HORTAU
Fax: 418-836-1174
e-mail: cletendre@hortau.com www.hortau.com
Twitter: twitter.com/hortau
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hortau
Description: Since 2002, Hortau’s patented irrigation management system has been helping growers keep their plants healthy and use their inputs more efficiently. By tracking soil tension, a direct measurement of precisely how much water is available to the plant, growers anticipate plant stress and irrigate as needed to prevent damage. This ensures optimal crop growth while reducing water use, energy consumption, and environmental impact.
Our robust system is coupled with customized field support to ensure that growers get the most out of their Hortau system.
Our team of certified CCAs and PCAs, Ag Scientists, Licensed Agronomists, and irrigation specialists work with growers to identify challenges and set goals. We continually work with the grower to create irrigation schedules that optimize nutrient absorption, water uptake, and aeration. This, in turn, leads to higher quality crops and increased production along with more efficient use of water and energy.
Contact us to assist you.
HOSKIN SCIENTIFIC
#5-3280 South Service Road West Oakville ON L6L 0B1
Tel: 905-333-5510
Toll-Free: 800-665-5871
Fax: 905-333-4976
e-mail: salesb@hoskin.ca www.hoskin.ca
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Description: For over 70 years Hoskin Scientific has provided expert consultative support to find the right product to fit your application needs.
Our Environmental Department provides solutions for monitoring and sampling biological and chemical parameters in the environment. Our team of environmental sales representatives and diverse product range guarantee that you will find the right products for your application. Whatever the area of specialty, Hoskin Scientific’s Environmental department can equip you to collect the data you need for your project whether through a purchase or rental.