Orchard & Vine Summer 2018

Mission Hill Goes Organic Evolving Chinese Cherry Market Berry Field Invaders Treating Water Right Discovering the Tastes for Cider Summer 2018 $6.95

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Summer 2018

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Photo by Nic Lehoux

Martin's Lane Winery in Kelowna is a Temple to Pinot Noir: Page 21.

Regulars 6 Publisher's View – Lisa Olson 8 Calendar 10 News & Events 39 BCWI – Laura Kittmer

43 What It's Worth – Brian Pauluzzi, AACI 45 Seeds of Growth – Glen Lucas

Photo by BCWI

41 Safety Tips – Worksafe

Check out the 2017 BC Wine Report from Laura Kittmer at the BCWI on page 39.

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Summer 2018

Features 17 Discovering the Tastes for Cider 21 I nside the World’s ‘Most Radical’ Pinot Noir Winery 24 M ission Hill Winery Transitioning Vineyards to Certified Organic 27 Berry Field Invaders – Weevils and Larvae 31 BC Replant Program by the Numbers 33 New System for Grading Wine Proposed 35 Chinese Cherry Market Evolving

Photo by Katie Selbee Twin Island Cider

37 Treating Water Right

Melba apples from Twin Island Cidery add to the original taste: Pºage 17.

Summer 2018

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 PUBLISHER’S VIEW | LISA OLSON

How Did We Get To Where We Are?

A

Vol. 59, No 3 Summer 2018

t 15-years-old I got laid off from my first job working in a men’s clothing store, due to the fact that I was too shy to talk to the customers. It was agonizing for me to get up the courage to approach a customer; my heart would literally pound from nervousness. I cried during the lay-off discussion and after my shift my boss drove me home. What that taught me was that I had better do a better job so this would never happen again.

Established in 1959 Publisher Lisa Olson Editor Gary Symons Graphic Design Stephanie Symons

I believe that our experiences shape who we are, whether it was from a good teacher who influenced us, our parents, breaks we received along the way, or even unfortunate events like being fired from a job.

It’s interesting to reminisce how we got to where we are and what the future may hold. Do you have the confidence and curiosity to try new things? Step out of the box and go all in?

I may have mentioned before that as a child I visited a family farm on weekends.

Did that shape my decision for Orchard &

Kim Kanduth, Laura Kittmer, Glen Lucas, Brian Pauluzzi, Ronda Payne, Gary Symons,

Photo by Kim Kanduth

How did you end up where you are today? Was it planned, fluke or did you make a conscious decision? Did you attend a college or university to study business, science, horticulture or winemaking? Or are you from a generation of a family business? There are so many of us working hard and doing good things.

You might even be living the life of your dreams or the money you earn and the flexible work schedule allow you to live the life of your dreams. At least others looking in might think so!

Contributors

Tom Walker, Worksafe Contact lisa@orchardandvine.net Orchard & Vine Magazine Ltd.

Vine? Or was it the previous media experience in newspaper and radio? For those that know me, you know I am definitely not that shy fifteen-year-old anymore.

One thing I do know is I like to inspire, share information and promote the cool things people are doing. You’ll want to read the Innovation Issue coming out in July. Please drop me an email if you have something cool and innovative to share with others.

1576 West Kelowna Road West Kelowna, BC, V1Z 3H5 www.orchardandvine.net Phone: 250-769-2123 Fax: 1-866-433-3349 Orchard & Vine Magazine is published six times a year and distributed by addressed mail to growers, suppliers and wineries in

The weather is warmer and the sun is out. My wish is that you enjoy sunny days and a great growing season.

Valley, Lower Mainland, Vancouver

Enjoy the magazine!

Island, Washington State and across

the Okanagan, Kootenays, Fraser

Canada. Orchard & Vine is also available online.

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 SUMMER | CALENDAR

Here’s to the

GROWER From all of us at FCC, thanks for making Canadian agriculture so amazing.

#HeresToCdnAg

Photo by BCWI

fcc.ca

Devour! Osoyoos Food Film Festival June 15-16 Watermark Beach Resort, Osoyoos, BC http://www.watermarkbeachresort.com Canada’s Farm Progress Show June 20-22 Regina, SK www.myfarmshow.com Chef Meets BC Grape June 23 Okanagan Valley, BC http://winebc.com/events i4C+- International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration July 20-22 Niagara, Ontario http://coolchardonnay.org Canada Fruit Festival August 10-13 Komasket Lake Campground Okanagan Lake, BC https://www.canadafruitfest.ca Feast of Fields Okanagan - August 12 Vancouver Island - August 26 Metro Vancouver - September 9 www.feastoffields.com Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show September 11-13 Woodstock, Ontario www.outdoorfarmshow.com Wine Bloggers Conference October 4-7 Walla, Washington http://winebloggersconference.org 8

Summer 2018

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Eat Drink Local Residents and visitors alike got to enjoy the first EAT DRINK LOCAL program in the Okanagan Valley throughout the month of May. Buy BC: EAT DRINK LOCAL is an educational campaign with bonuses, those bonuses being mainly the chance to enjoy some fabulous food and drink, while learning about the products produced by BC’s farmers, winemakers, brewers, and chefs.

Through the program, people are encouraged to dine out and support BC business throughout the month of May. “We hope that people agree with us that #BCTastesBetter, check out @ EatDrinkBuyBC or eatdrinklocal.ca and find a restaurant in your neighbourhood that is part of the promotion,” Ferreira said. “If you are looking for refreshing BC sips, visit one of the participating BC wineries, breweries or distilleries that offer tastings.

Menus will profile dishes made with fresh, local ingredients and

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“The campaign is about growing relationships between BC restaurants, chefs, farmers and producers and about building preference for everything that is grown, harvested and produced in BC,” says local organizer Christina Ferreira of Impact Events.

“When British Columbians can easily identify and source local, seasonal and sustainable food, they are also investing in their communities – in their local farmer, fisher or grower - and that matters to the Okanagan because it creates and sustains jobs.”

offer beverages produced in our own communities.”

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Grand Sommelier Express Hits the Rails Again What could be better than ‘chugging’ some wine, while chugging through Summerland on the Kettle Valley Railway steam engine?

The attraction includes a ride on the Kettle Valley heritage steam engine, culminating with a stop at the Summerland train trestle for a photo opp, and then a longer stop for an outdoor ‘grazing reception’ where Brodo Kitchen chefs prepare the food, local wineries, cideries and a brewery provide the drinkables, and a live band provides the ambience.

This year marks the third year for the Grand Sommelier Express, which is quickly becoming a solid annual tradition that brings more visitors into the Bottleneck Drive wine region.

Photo contributed

The Grand Sommelier Express was a big hit with wine lovers last year, and the Bottleneck Drive wine association has announced it will be back this summer by popular demand.

That region is made up of 24 members, and they’re not just wineries. The association adopted a policy of working hand in hand with other types of similar businesses, so the Bottleneck Drive group includes 19 wineries, three cideries, one brewery, and a distillery.

The Grand Sommelier Express will be held this year on June 9, leaving from the Kettle Valley Railway Station. Tickets are $150, and you’ll find the link for tickets on the association website at bottleneckdrive.com

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Fraser Valley Facing Blueberry Crisis: No Bees, No Berries

The story by the Sun’s Larry Pynn says beekeepers are refusing to put thousands of their colonies in the Fraser Valley this spring due to health concerns related to blueberry pollination.

But is there really a reason for beekeepers to fear their colonies could be seriously affected? That’s up for debate.

Kerry Clark of the BC Honey Producers’ Association says such a move would be disastrous for crops this year.

“It could be a big problem for blueberry growers,” said Clark. “If you don’t have bees, you don’t get berries … all that investment in the fields won’t produce.”

The main concern for the beekeepers right now is that blueberry fields present bees with a ‘monoculture’ environment. In other words, the bees can only create nectar

from a single plant, which affects their overall nutrition and could make the colony susceptible to diseases like European Foulbrood (EFB).

Some beekeepers also believe the use of fungicide and other chemicals may be affecting their bees.

The BC Honey Producer Association is now trying to get better data to see if there is in fact a link between EFB symptoms and blueberry pollination. The Association is running a survey on their website bchoneyproducers.ca to gather information from beekeepers.

Not everyone believes blueberries are to blame, however.

In his report Sweet Deal: The value of bees to British Columbia’s economy, bee expert Mark Winston of Simon Fraser University says local bee colonies have actually fared better than most during a time of widespread colony die-offs, with some of the lowest mortality rates in the world.

In fact, Winston argues that beekeepers should be increasing their exposure to BC crops,

Photo by © Tim Singh | Dreamstime.com

The Vancouver Sun reported in April that many beekeepers are refusing to put their bee colonies into blueberry fields in BC due to fears something in the fields is making the colonies sick.

which could increase revenue by $20 million for blueberries alone.

Winston does acknowledge blueberries face a bigger issue than other crops, however, saying, “"Because pesticide use in blueberries is a bit on the high side, there are simply not enough wild bees around to contribute to the pollination.”

That said, Winston says BC growers generally use less

pesticide than growers in other regions, and combined with more diverse habitat and the skill of local beekeepers, that has lowered the mortality rate.

Nevertheless, higher die-offs in the blueberry industry has beekeepers worried, and many are now saying they will save their colonies for use with other crops, leaving blueberry growers in a potentially awkward position this spring.

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Naramata Bench Raises $50,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation “We were able to enjoy a lovely evening together and raise awareness and funds for granting wishes for kids who really need a boost in their spirits," Make-AWish B.C. and Yukon CEO Ross Hetherington said in a news release.

An event hosted by the Naramata Bench Wineries Association in April raised more than $50,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of B.C. and Yukon.

Hundreds of people attended ReWined, the NBWA's annual spring wine tasting event, held at the historic Crystal Gardens venue in Victoria.

The organization is one of eight regional chapters across Canada that raise funds to grant ‘magical wishes’ to children in need. The parent body Make-A-Wish International has managed to make dreams come true for more than 450,000 children since 1980.

Nineteen Naramata wineries provided products for the tasting event. Proceeds are donated to charities, and the event gave to Make-A-Wish for the first time.

Some kids have gone on trips to Disneyland, while others have enjoyed more esoteric gifts, such as training dolphins, training to become an actor, or meeting their favourite sports heroes.

The event included a silent auction and raffle, and food came from various restaurants from Vancouver Island.

“We also want to say thanks today to the hundreds of attendees,and all the generous ReWined supporters and sponsors who helped keep costs low and glasses raised,” said Hetherington.

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SOUTH EAST KELOWNA Panoramic Okanagan lake and city views from this 12.3 acre orchard estate property. Wake up to orchard and vineyard vistas followed by city lights and Okanagan Lake glistening beyond every day! Views like this are hard to come by. Amazing build site!

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PEACHLAND Phenomenal lake views & income from this Peachland acreage! 10 acre parcel, approx 7.5 acres planted to Stacatto cherries. Great elevation for late cherries. 4 bdr main house/2nd home and studio, detached oversize garage/workshop.

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RUTLAND Stunning views of lake & city from 8.98 acre apple orchard right in the city! Great proximity to city services, zoned A1 and in the ALR but a very strategic location on the border of medium density residential. Close to recreation, schools, airport & Orchard Park. MLS® $1,950,000

KEREMEOS Modern cherry orchard on premium site with Highway 3A frontage & stellar views. 36 acres of modern cherry varieties, 6-7 acres of modern variety peaches, 2 acres of prunes, 1 acre of apples for diversity. Irrigated by a high production well.

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COLDSTREAM 7.5 acres in scenic Lavington. Flat and useful, great for orchard, privacy or equestrian uses. Beautiful mountain and pastoral views. Planted this year to brand new high density Ambrosia apple orchard. Enjoy a great community and privacy.

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OLIVER Scenic 6.2 acre property bordered by Hike & Bike trail. Prune plum orchard with fantastic rate of return! Drilled well. Good access off Hwy 97. Great spot for dream home or ag business.

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Comeau Ruling From Supreme Court Disappoints BC Wine Industry to remove interprovincial trade restrictions," said Dan Paszkowski, President & CEO of the CVA. "Removing restrictions would have opened the door to allowing consumers to order wine for direct delivery to their home from any Canadian winery located in any province. We call that Direct-to-Consumer, it is something nine out of 10 Canadians believe should be permitted, and we now eagerly await the provinces making this choice available to their citizens.”

Wine and beer producers in Canada were bitterly disappointed in April with the Supreme Court of Canada ruling in the Queen vs. Gerard Comeau case, which challenged restrictions on interprovincial trade.

Wine, beer and spirits manufacturing groups had intervened in the case, arguing many provincial governments were violating the Canadian Constitution by limiting cross border trade. Among other things, the provincial laws in many provinces have crippled ‘Direct to Customer’ sales that are commonplace in the United States.

The BC Wine Institute says the Supreme Court missed an opportunity to open up provincial trade, and has damage the future growth potential of the wine industry.

"The Court's ruling today is disappointing for the BC wine industry." Said Miles Prodan President & CEO of the BCWI. "We will continue our work both directly

Photo by BCWI

The case began when Gerard Comeau of New Brunswick was ticketed and fined six years ago for bringing 14 cases of beer and three bottles of spirit across the border from Quebec. Comeau challenged the fine in court and won, but the battle over restrictions on interprovincial trade has been waged in subsequent appeals, ending in April with the ruling of the Supreme Court.

and through the CVA with the federal / provincial / territorial governments' Alcoholic Beverages Working Group, industry, governments and the provinces to remove the barriers and allow winery direct shipping to customers across Canada.”

The Canadian Vintners Association is also lamenting the decision, saying Canadians should have the right to enjoy wine or other products from any other province in the country.

"We respect the Court's ruling but are disappointed at this missed opportunity

Wine producers say the current laws in many provinces have impeded the growth of Canada’s wine industry, and unfairly prevent consumers from purchasing the Canadian wines of their choice.

"This morning's ruling is disappointing for our industry. Every wine producing nation in the world has direct sales within its own country" said Tony Stewart, Proprietor & CEO of Quails' Gate Winery in West Kelowna, BC. "Canada needs to correct this so that we can start to create a level playing field with the rest of the world."

However, the Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court in the country, and the decision therefore cannot be appealed.

The only avenue open to wine producers now is political action to convince provincial governments that open trade would be beneficial to the country as a whole.

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î Ž SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

Four New BC Wine Regions Recognized by VQA Wines BC’s wine industry is growing, in more ways than one, as the BC Government announced in April that four new regions are being recognized for the production of VQA wines.

The four new regions will be officially recognized later this year in celebration of BC Wine Month. Buyers will then be able to buy BC VQA wines clearly identified as coming from the Thompson Valley, Shuswap, Lillooet and the Kootenays.

Photo contributed

The four areas are being established as geographic indications, a standard element of appellation systems used around the world that help people identify wines in the marketplace, provide assurance as to the origin and quality of the wine, and promote agri-tourism.

Monte Creek Ranch Winery is located in one of the four new regions recognized by VQA wines.

British Columbia currently has six official geographical indications: British Columbia (provincial), Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, Fraser Valley, Similkameen Valley and the Okanagan Valley. Continued on page 16

Summer 2018

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 SUMMER | NEWS & EVENTS

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“By helping B.C.’s wine regions identify and promote their own terroir, and making it easier for smaller wine producers to participate in the BC VQA program, B.C. wine drinkers will be able to make more informed choices as they select, enjoy and buy B.C. wines,” said Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham.

The use of unregulated geographical indications will be prohibited by participating wineries as well, further strengthening the reputation and assurances that BC VQA wines are as advertised, and made from grapes grown in the regions on their labels. The Ministry of Agriculture will also support industry efforts to identify new sub-geographical indications, to help bring more distinction to the multiple wine growing areas of the Okanagan Valley and other regions. Currently, the province only has one official sub-geographical indication, the Golden Mile Bench near Oliver.

“Recognition of these new official geographical indications, and addition of sub-appellations, reflects the maturation and progress of B.C.’s premium wine industry,” said Miles Prodan, president and CEO of the British Columbia Wine Institute. “Not only are they a marketing tool for the regions, but also for wines made using certified 100% B.C. grapes.”

The B.C. government will support smaller operations by establishing flat fees for the BC VQA program for small wineries to ensure participation isn’t cost prohibitive. Currently, over 176 wineries participate in the program, regulated by the British Columbia Wine Authority (BCWA), representing approximately 75% of licensed grape wineries in the province.

“Monte Creek Ranch Winery is very passionate about the wines produced from our site in the Thompson Valley,” said Erik Fisher, general manager of Monte Creek Ranch Winery. “Our winery has, and continues to make, significant investments in producing premium wines from this new emerging region. We are thrilled to be able to identify our wines from this special region, and to now be able to aid consumers in navigating B.C.’s unique terroir. “

DISCOVERING The Tastes for Cider

Landmark Study Underway to Identify What Consumers Want When Choosing a Craft Cider

Photo by Katie Selbee Twin Island Cider

By Ronda Payne

The baldwin apple used to make cider at Twin Island Cider on Pender Island.

Summer 2018

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Consumer’s interest in craft cideries has exploded over the past five years, and it appears to be a trend that will stick around for years to come.

Recognizing this growing movement, Amy Bowen, research director of consumer insights with Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, assembled a team from the industry to create a cider research and innovation strategy in 2016.

This strategy is now being acted on to determine how to better satisfy consumers within the growing cider marketplace.

“You can look back to the first cideries, but in the last two or three years,” she says, there has been more of “a buzz in terms of the industry and the growth in terms of beverage and alcohol sales.”

There has definitely been an increase in the opening of craft cideries, cider production and sales of ciders in recent years.

“That’s part of what started us off, seeing that there’s a lot of buzz in the cider industry, seeing what the research needs were,” Bowen says. “We want to understand the obstacles, the needs and what does success look like in 10 years and what does it take to get there.”

Bowen and her team wanted to see what research was needed for the cider industry to continue on its growth projections and how Vineland could help meet those needs, both to satisfy cidery needs and ultimately consumer demand. This desire is what led to the strategy and from it, two research priority areas came out; a better understanding of the cider consumer through consumer research, and a better understanding of cider apple varieties.

“One thing that we are doing is trying to better understand the cider consumer attitudes, knowledge behaviour and brand recognition,” Bowen says. “We have done a brand recognition study across the country. We are going to see if there are differing profiles per region.”

According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, ciders represented national retail sales of $90 million in 2006 and were estimated at more than $226 million in 2016. Vineland notes it’s the fastest growing beverage sales category at 18 Summer 2018

A selection of Northern Spy apples at Twin Island Cider, ready for processing.

the Ontario Liquor Control Board. This means there’s room for mass-market and craft styles, just like in the beer market.

Bowen adds that while Vineland is located in Ontario, there is definitely room for national collaboration as the issues are consistent across the country, such as competing with imports as well as with other domestic products. The research needs are similar no matter where in the country a cidery is located.

To capitalize on what consumers want, Bowen’s team used Vineland’s sensory panel to develop 22 sensory attributes of ciders to describe taste, aroma, flavour, ‘mouthfeel’ and colour to help understand flavour profiles.

Consumer preference tastings were conducted on 15 ciders in 2017. This profiling showed that the majority of consumers prefer sweet ciders with taste descrip-

tors like tropical fruit and candy-apple, though it is unknown if this preference applies outside of the Ontario-based taste-test group.

“It’s understanding what consumers like,” she says. “Define who the cider customer is, the taste profile that they like. It’s a benchmarking study in a sense.

We’re seeing what’s already out there and seeing what the opportunity is.”

Part of that consumer profiling includes understanding the apples that lead to certain flavour profiles. Bowen and her team have planted a cider orchard to look at apple varieties that will be profitable and feasible with Canadian growers.

“Consumers are not aware of what apples go in to cider,” she explains. “I think on the apple side there’s a huge opportunity because the consumers don’t know the varieties by name.”

“We’re not going to have enough apples for what we need [if the growth continues and new planting isn’t done],” she notes. “There’s going to be a limitation to growth if we don’t factor in the cost structure. A grower can’t plant an orchard if they can’t make money off it and a cider maker can’t make money if the margins are too thin.”

“We’ll need to understand what are the needs, not only of the cider market, but also the fresh market and the juice market,” she explains. “I think there’s still a lot of work to be done to figure that out. That’s why we need to understand the consumer to do research. To identify what the best varieties are.”

The orchard will be first evaluated this year, in its first full season of growth. The trees were planted in 2016 with a hope for a full fruit harvest in 2019.

“Once we have trees that are producing, we can understand their roles in how they align with taste profiles and

This is a different situation than that of wines where consumers ask for specific varietals or blends by name.

Photo by http://www.photographybychris.ca

Photo by Katie Selbee Twin Island Cider

Instead of focusing on specific varieties of apples, Bowen is working towards growing apples and apple mixes that hit on the flavour profiles consumers are most interested in and most likely to purchase.

Because the consumer doesn’t know to ask for a certain apple or mix of apples in their ciders, it leaves the opportunity

open to cideries to establish blends that fit the taste demand.

Nik Durisek, Co-Owner Howling Moon Cider House, picking his crop of cider apples.

“They are pigeonholed in the wine industry because [consumers] ask for it by name,” she says. “We just don’t know if they [specific apples] grow well in our climate. One thing right now we know… a lot of the apples that go into cider are more from the juice market or more from seconds. We are also competing against international players that are making cider not from juice.”

Photo by Summerland Cider

Bowen adds that it’s the international and domestic mass-market ciders that are typically made from juice. Craft ciders are generally made from fresh-pressed local apples. She wants to ensure that as the growth of the industry takes off, the tree plantings are able to keep pace to meet the need for fresh apples.

Apples from Summerland Cider ripen under the Okanagan sun.

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Photo by Rebecca Seigel

Golden russet apples are an aromatic apple that lend a unique flavour to cider.

flavour profiles that consumers are looking for,” Bowen says, adding there is the additional aspect of “How do consumer tastes change over time?”

Once the fruit is available from the orchard, the apples will be processed, fermented and evaluated. Understanding both the consumer and the apples will allow for additional opportunities for more premium and differentiated cider products.

“I’d say we won’t have any information [from the orchard apples] until 2020,” says Bowen. “We want to look at the physical, chemical properties of it and look at the flavour profile as well. And also figuring out what trees go well. We could be looking at these varieties and determining what grows well [in different parts of the country].”

The team of Vineland, the Ontario Craft Cider Association, Ontario Apple Growers, packers, growers, researchers and cider makers have all come together on the research to benefit more than just Ontario’s cider market, but that of the entire country. In addition to wanting to understand how consumer tastes change, the group wants to explore how 20 Summer 2018

We want to understand the obstacles, the needs and what does success look like in 10 years and what does it take to get there.

Amy Bowen consumers move through categories like wine and craft beer to see how the growth and evolution of the cider industry may develop.

“I think that’s one of the ways to success, is having everyone work together,” she says. “To see what’s possible and what’s feasible.”

Bowen sees the research as having great ripple effects that will bring in partners – like those from B.C. – sooner rather than later to create a national view of the cider industry, consumers and challenges now and into the future. If there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that cider is here to stay and consumers want more of it.

For more information, contact Amy Bowen at Vineland at 905-562-0320 or amy.bowen@vinelandresearch.com.

Amy Bowen, research director, consumer insights with Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

Inside the World’s ‘Most Radical’ Pinot Noir Winery

If Mission Hill is the Okanagan’s grand cathedral of wine, then Anthony Von Mandl’s newest creation, Martin’s Lane Winery, is a temple dedicated to Pinot Noir and Riesling.

Unlike the large Mission Hill Winery across the lake in West Kelowna, Martin’s Lane does not feature a wide range of wine varietals, and is not generally open to the public.

Instead, the winery and its winemaker Shane Munn are obsessively dedicated to a single task; turning out some of the best Pinot Noir and Riesling in the world.

Martin’s Lane Winery opened this year

(although it’s still surrounded by construction at nearby Cedar Creek) and features only seven wines, all of them ultra premium in quality and price. Four of them are Riesling, each made entirely from grapes sourced from a single vineyard, and ranging in price from $55 to $75.

But the real star of this show is the Pinot Noir. There are three varieties of Pinot Noir on offer at Martin’s Lane, and like the Riesling each is sourced from a single vineyard and range in price from $100 a bottle for the Simes Vineyard and Naramata Ranch Vineyard, up to $150 for a Pinot Noir sourced from the Fritzi’s Vineyard.

Photos by Martin's Lane Winery

By Gary Symons

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Munn, who hails from New Zealand but has worked in wineries in France, italy and the US, says the combination of a dedicated winery for Pinot Noir and Riesling combined with the specific vineyards are what attracted him to the project.

“I really believe the diversity of the Okanagan Valley makes it one of the most exciting wine regions in the world,” Munn says. “This project is a dream. The vineyards, the location, the winery and the vision … the most exciting project in the world of wine that I know of.”

Unlike Mission Hill, which is packed with visitors every day from Spring through Fall, Martin’s Lane Winery is not open to the general public, leading many to wonder what exactly is inside this somewhat mysterious architectural wonder.

For this issue we sat down with winemaker Shane Munn and learned how the Martin’s Lane team designed the entire structure for the single purpose of producing the best Pinot Noir and Riesling possible.

“Anthony (von Mandl) is a very ambitious guy, and it shows in the fact that we have collectively designed and constructed this building from the ground up for just these two varietals,” Munn says. “They are both very delicate wines that can see their flavour profiles altered significantly just going through crush. We’ve taken a much more gentle approach to the way we treat the grapes throughout the entire winemaking process.”

22 Summer 2018

Looking at the winery from top to bottom reveals just how single-mindedly the team under Munn has taken the task of producing a world-beating Pinot Noir.

The winery itself slopes down the hill at an angle, and there are six levels that all flow into each other. One reason for this is that the designers managed to create a scenario where all the processes involved in producing the wine are powered by gravity, not by pumps. No yeast or bacteria has been used in the making of any wine at Martin’s Lane, and the Pinots are all unfiltered.

Kelowna's Martin's Lane Winery is one of the few wineries i

“This is literally the perfect building for making these wines with no compromise of any kind,” Munn says. “We don’t have a single pump in the entire building, other than one that’s used to clean out the tanks. It’s a more gentle approach for a notoriously fickle wine varietal.”

Pinot Noir in particular is known as a ‘difficult’ wine; difficult to grow and difficult to produce a really superlative wine, but when it’s made with care and quality the reward is a superlatively subtle wine that appeals to the true oenophile.

“Anthony always had a dream that Pinot could really put the Okanagan Valley on the map, and what we’ve done here is to take that varietal in a more complex direction, with no compromise at any stage,” Munn says. “Elegance is a word often attached to Pinot Noir and I think that is what we have produced here. While it is a lighter wine, it will also age exceptionally well; just because

Construction at Cedar Creek Winery in front of Martin's Lane

Photo by Gary Symons Photo by Gary Symons

in the world that is completely gravity fed, with no pumps used in the making of wines..

something is elegant, light and ethereal doesn’t mean it can't age well.”

flows beneath the winery and fills the fermentation tanks by gravity alone.

The six levels of the winery each fulfill a different function in the winemaking process. Entering into the winery from the top, the first level provides space for the crush pad, and the resulting fruit flows downward through fermentation, into barrel, and finally into bottle, using gravity alone to move it through each level and stage of production.

Wines that are being barreled go to the barrel rooms below the winery, where they spend 17 months in French oak with an ultra fine grain for a more subtle taste. There is also a small amount of Austrian oak with a slightly different flavour profile.

At Level 1 the fruit is received, sorted, goes through crush, and then falls gently into the fermenters on Level 2. Level 3 is home to traditional concrete vessels or tanks used for Pinot Noir that naturally regulate fermentation. The Pinot settles here briefly, before being transferred to the barrel rooms below.

Level 4 is dedicated to Riesling. Direct from the Press, free run riesling juice

Level 5 is the final resting place for the wines prior to bottling. Wines harmonize here for up to one month before going on to the bottling line on Level 6.

The winery is currently processing about 65 tons of grapes per year and producing about 3,000 cases a year; a small and very exclusive run of ultra premium wines that are primarily sold directly to the consumer through the Martin’s Lane wine club, while about five per cent is sold to premiere restaurant accounts. ■

Winery will turn the area into a 'wine village'.

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Photo by Holly Thompson

Mission Hill Winery is Transitioning all

By Tom Walker Mission Hill Family Estate is transitioning all of their vineyards to certified organic.

One of the three largest wineries in the province, with an annual production of 100,000 cases from 1,200 acres of company owned vineyards, Mission Hill Family Estate began the move towards full organic production in the 2017 season.

Rob Achurch, the viticulture manager for MH, spoke with O&V about the company’s vision, and the process.

“The owner (Anthony von Mandl) has a drive that he wants to see the land in better shape than he found it,” says Achurch.

“He wants us to be good stewards and he wants the vineyards to be organic.”

There is a perception that putting an organic label on a wine is an excuse to charge more for it, regardless of quality, Achurch admits. “I don’t agree with that and it’s not our focus,” he says. “The owner is not doing this so he can charge an extra dollar for his wine.”

With a degree in viticulture from Charles Surt University in Australia and 10 years experience working in wineries down un24 Summer 2018

der, Achurch came to Mission Hill Family Estate in 2013. “It’s pretty neat to be a part of a chance to change the face of viticulture in the BC industry,” says Achurch.

“But it has got to be done well.”

Doing it well requires a distinct philosophy change, Achurch admits. ”You can farm organically with a conventional mindset,” he says. “You can spray just as much using organic chemicals, but the way we are looking at it is not just about farming conventionally using organic products, it is about getting the land working healthily for us.

“Let’s see what we can do to reduce our whole use of pesticides,” adds Achurch.

“In my mind that is a strategy that makes more sense. It’s better for the environment, it is better for the consumer, and it is better for my workers. An organic spray is still an input.”

Mission Hill Family Estate has been slowly moving along the organic path for a number of years, Achurch says. “We have been decreasing our herbicide use,” he says. “That was not a push to be organic but a push to be better for the environment essentially.”

Rob Achurch and the viticulture team at Mission Hill are spen

Any new plantings or replants have been done with steel posts and any new irrigation infrastructure is completely underground to keep it out of the way of machinery.

The company has one 36-acre certified organic vineyard in Oliver that produces grapes for a “Terroir Collection” organic wine.

Photo by Tom Walker

of their Vineyards to Certified Organic

ding a lot more time in the vineyards as Mission Hill transitions to organic growing.

“We purchased an organic orchard in 2006 and planted Merlot,” says Achurch.

It’s been a great learning vineyard he says, that has allowed the company to develop techniques for organic production over the last 12 years. “We are not going into it blindly.”

Those techniques will require resources and a change to the company manage

ment system, Achurch points out. “If you are not using herbicides to kill the weeds you have got to put a guy on a tractor with a plow,” he says. “While it used to take two days to spray a hundred acres, now it’s going to take him two months to plow it, so you have to increase equipment and increase labour to be able to get that job done in a timely manner.”

“The old saying is one guy for every 10 acres,” says Achurch. “But that will change. One guy and one tractor with one implement are simply not going to be able to manage the same area.”

Europe is a huge influence on the organic viticulture scene, Achurch says. “A lot of German and French vineyards have been organic for many, many years,” he says.

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“That is where I am finding the goodie bag of tools and equipment and ideas, because they have been doing it for so long.

“We have other blocs that we have been managing organically for the last year or two in preparation and we rolling out the program in stages. “Our vineyards in the north in Kelowna were managed all organic this year and we will be bringing that program further south in chunks as we go.”

There will also be changes to irrigation practices. “Our vineyards are 100 per cent drip. We started making that conversion quite a while ago and it’s made a huge difference,” says Achurch. “But we actually kept our overhead structure in place, because I do believe we will have to use it when we are farming organically to irrigate crops between rows.”

Mission Hill Family Estate will now be making a lot of compost. The company has bought two Sittler windrow machines and will be recycling all their grape materials and working with organic straw and vineyard materials. Achurch acknowledges that the slow release properties of compost-based nitrogen will be dif-

Photos by Tom Walker

“Traditionally viticulture is monoculture and you get into that mind set where as organically I don’t view it as monoculture any more,” says Achurch. “You are viewing what is happening on the ground and what is happening between your plants. You consider that as part of the bio-diversity and part of the living vineyard as a whole.”

Going organic means hiring chickens to help in the vineyard.

If we can take all 1200 acres successfully organic more farmers are going to see that organic farming is not the devil.

Rob Achurch ferent. “We’ll need to sit back and see what our soil has got and what it needs to grow the plant healthily.”

Achurch admits there might be some minor drop in yield. The organic vineyard in Oliver is thinned down to 3.5 tonnes per acre. “Yield is not as pressing an issue if we are looking at 3 tonnes. If a block wants to crop 5 or 6 tonnes and it naturally decreases to 4 it may save us money 26 Summer 2018

because we are not thinning as much.

“I think we are in a unique position where at 1200 acres we own a tenth of the grape producing land in the Okanagan valley,” says Achurch. “If we can take all 1200 acres successfully organic more farmers are going to see that organic farming is not the devil, it’s not unapproachable, it’s not unattainable if we can do it and do it well.” ■

Photo by © Lyudmyla Schloss | Dreamstime.com

Berry Field Invaders: Weevils & Larvae

Nocturnal, hungry pests wreak havoc on berry plants in larva and adult form

By Ronda Payne Berry plants are susceptible to the predations of weevils, but not all berries have the same issues with the busy creatures.

These nocturnal pests can be controlled, according to entomologists Tracy Hueppelsheuser of BCAGRI in Abbotsford and Hollis Spitler of Washington State University in Mount Vernon, but it takes work and careful methods. Both have studied the pest for a number of years.

Berries and expected damage It’s post-harvest when strawberries will show the signs of hungry weevils. After harvest, growers will spot frass, or a sawdust-like material, as well as tunnelling and tracking in and around the fleshy roots.

“In strawberries, you really recognize damage after harvest,” says Spitler.

Blueberries are in the most danger in their younger years and it’s hard to spot the hungry pests in either their larval (weevil) form or as adults (snout beetles).

Directed spraying is key… air spraying isn’t going to help with weevils.

Hollis Spitler Weevils don’t seem to care as much for gnawing on the more mature woody plants, so they tend to avoid the more established fields.

“The outer surface of wood at the root is eaten off,” Hueppelsheuser says of the damage in blueberry plants. “You might even see girdling of whole stems.”

If there’s a lucky berry, when it comes to weevils, it’s the raspberry. Robust growth is their best defense in that it may allow them to escape some of the damage of the pests.

“Raspberries can sometimes outgrow the problem and you won’t see them,” Spitler notes.

Spotting weevils can be like a bad game of Where’s Waldo.

With a pest that’s nocturnal, finding and confirming their presence is often an extensive job. Scouting is best done in the early spring or late fall and obviously at night. In strawberries and blueberries, Spitler advises taking the time to search for signs of damage or the pests themselves.

One of the key indicators in the field, according to Hueppelsheuser, is that plants will be weak, have poor growth and may even have notching in the leaves from the adults looking for a bite to eat of grower’s crops.

Summer 2018

27

have to use them carefully, limitedly and judiciously.”

Because weevils may be on the undersides of leaves, Spitler adds that it takes the right kind of spray equipment to get the treatments to the right place. He advises to spray just the weevil problem areas and the bordering spaces of those areas without going “crazy” with the treatment.

Photo by © Willypd | Dreamstime.com

“Directed spraying is key,” he says. “Air spraying isn’t going to help with weevils. We’ve tried injections with varied results.”

He has also found that some of the spraying for Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) in berry plants has killed some of the adult weevils as well.

Macro photography of Otiorhynchus, an evil weevil and common berry pest.

“It’s a good idea to map or look for where those weak spots are,” she says. “Because they will be in patches.”

These signs apply most to blueberries, but to a lesser degree in strawberries as well and perhaps the odd unlucky raspberry plant. The location and severity of these types of damage will help to identify the weevil species which can be typed by a lab if weevils or snout beetles can be caught and sent in for identification.

Unfortunately, the damage may not always be seen in the field, or it may look like something else. If a grower suspects weevils, Hueppelsheuser advises them to pull up the plants – especially in spring – to see the roots and shake the plant over a drop sheet to see if there are weevils.

going to help you determine the amount of damage you’re going to see,” she cautions. “It’s more of a ‘find or don’t find’ situation.”

Control methods And finding them, in any amount, means action must be taken, yet, there are very few choices in weevil control when it comes to chemical options.

“We do have some choices, limited choices,” says Hueppelsheuser says. “So we

“We’ve been chasing weevils for quite a few years,” he says.

A weevil identification factsheet can be found on the BC Ministry of Agriculture website and the WSU berry production guide is another good source of information. ■ The following is advice and information from the Weevil Identification & Management In Blueberry fact sheet found on the Ministry Of Agriculture website. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/animals-andcrops/plant-health/insects-and-plant-diseases/berries

Photos by BC Ministry of Agriculture

These sneaky pests may not be where they are expected, either. Weevils will make hibernation dens in the soil as they go from larva to pupa (in the soil) then emerge as adults. However, as Spitler advises, they won’t always be in the rows, sometimes they will be between rows in the soil.

“They come out at night and you can collect them,” he says. “You’ll find healthy adults on the underside of leaves. They are mostly nocturnal. They don’t like light. It’s a lot of on the ground work.”

Because they are so hard to spot, scouting is about confirming their presence, and not about numbers as is the case with other pests.

“The number that you find isn’t really 28 Summer 2018

Larval feeding damage to roots; callused margins (left). Larval feeding damage to smaller roots, “tracking”(right).

Damage to new wood; twigs (left). Adult feeding damage on foliage “notching”(right).

Basic Weevil Life Cycle: Weevils have 4 life stages; adults, eggs, larvae and pupae. Weevils are primarily nocturnal, feeding in the evening and night and seek cover during the warmer days in the soil, or in shady plant foliage.

There are 6-7 larval instars. Weevils spend about 10 months in the soil as larvae and pupae, where they are well protected.

There is one generation a year. Adults can live for more than one year.

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Most root weevil species that affect blueberries do not fly, but are strong walkers. Some species are all female, and lay viable eggs without mating, while some species have both males and females.

Damage Weevil larvae feed on and girdle the roots, causing plants to decline, reduce yields, and can kill young plants. Weevil Adults feed on new growth, which can kill new buds and branches. Small plants can be heavily compromised or killed by weevils after only a year of feeding. Mature plants can decline and under-produce, or be killed after years of larval feeding. It is difficult to find larvae in root systems, but damage is relatively easy to find particularly if populations are increasing.

Overall, blueberry plant decline appears to be a result of various factors including weevils, disease organisms, sub-optimal soil type, pH, and deep planting.

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Monitoring Adults: Look for ‘notching’ on leaves. Adults can be difficult to find on blueberries. Use a drop sheet or beating tray to collect adults from foliage. Do after dusk for best results for most species. Count the weevils that drop onto the sheet or tray.

Larvae: Look around plant roots for white larvae, and ‘tracking’ on roots from larvae feeding. Either pull up weak plants or excavate around roots. It is difficult to see damage on unwashed roots. Rate the damage as either low, medium, high, and old or current feeding damage.

Sample many locations within a field: Weevil distribution in a field is uneven, and the worst areas tend to be near field edges.

Record the number found, and the species. If you are unsure, take the insects found or the entire plant (with roots) to the Plant Health Lab (B.C. Ministry of Agriculture) for verification.

Management If you find weevils, or recent damage to roots when monitoring, take action. If a weevil problem is occurring in an established field, it will take a few years of diligent management to clean it up. A multi-year, ongoing approach to weevil management is necessary.

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Prevent weevil establishment: Weevils usually move in from wild areas along the field edges or can be introduced in containers. Ensure planting stock is free of weevils.

Foliar insecticides for control of adult weevils are registered for use in Canada. For best results, it needs to be warm enough so that the adults are up and actively feeding, which can be a challenge if evenings are still cool or rainy in spring and early summer. Coverage is important; depending on the species, they can stay down low on plants in sucker growth (i.e. rough strawberry weevil), or be up high during day time (i.e. green weevil).

Beneficial nematodes: Some species have shown adequate suppression of weevil larvae. Plan to use nematodes when larvae are young and close to the soil surface (Aug-Sept).

Met 52 (Metarhizium anisopliae) mixed in media nursery stock will protect plants for two years. Met 52 drenched in established in-field blueberry plants does not work well (trials in Oregon).

Met 52 is currently registered for use in Canada in some crops including nursery stock (non-food plants) and strawberries.

Ministry of Agriculture, Province of BC.

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BC's Replant Program, By the Numbers Growers plant bare land.

Photo by Gary Symons

Records show that in 2005, there were 11,800 acres planted in pome fruits across the Okanagan. That acreage continued to decline over the next nine years at an average of 450 acres a year, down to a low of 8,440 acres in 2014.

By Tom Walker By all accounts, the provincial tree fruit replant program is proving to be a resounding success in 2018, its fifth year of operation in BC.

(and) I think it has also encouraged the industry to move to higher density systems.”

He says the old 20x20 and the 20x14 plantings are coming out.

In the fall of 2014, the BC Ministry of Agriculture (BCMA) launched a sevenyear, $8.4 million program to help tree fruit growers replant existing orchards with newer, higher value varieties. The program is administered by the BC Fruit Growers Association (BCFGA) on behalf of the government and includes apples, pears, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums.

“We are seeing really tight, compact, manageable 2X10’s which should transfer to higher bin numbers per acre,” says Withler. “We want to move from an average of 35-40 bins per acre to 50 and the top guys want to be at 80.”

“We are seeing really nice rejuvenation in the industry,” says Carl Withler, BCMA tree fruit and grape industry specialist.

“Growers are removing less profitable varieties like Red and Golden Delicious

Apples have led the way with an average of 200 acres a year being replanted. BC’s own Ambrosia is the most popular variety being replanted for apples, followed

by Honeycrisp and Galas. Some 85 acres

“The target market in our industry is that beautiful 88 size (8.2cm or just over 3in) and this is setting the industry up for that,” says Withler.

“The trend reversed in 2015,” notes BCFGA president Pinder Dhaliwal. “For the first time in 10 years more fruit trees went into the ground than came out.” While replant dollars only apply to land that is currently in trees or has been bare no more than 5 years, growers are choosing to plant new land on their own initiative.

The BC Ministry of agriculture does not currently have records of new plantings across the province, but Carl Withler, tree fruit and grape industry specialist says they are “substantial” in the hundreds of acres per year in the last several years. While cherries are the most popular fruit for bare ground plantings, there are new acreages of apples going in as well.

In addition to the Okanagan, there are bare land plantings going into the Creston valley, and Kamloops cattlemen have a new neighbour. An Okanagan grower has acquired land in Pritchard along the Thompson River for a new cherry orchard.

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of cherries on average have gone in each year (you can replace apples with cherries or cherries with cherries). Sentennial and Stacatto, two later harvest varieties developed at AAFC Summerland, have been the cherries of choice.

Replants of peaches have seen an average of 13 acres a year, with four acres a year for nectarines, and three for pears. A 1.75 acre planting of Apricots was funded in 2015 with 1.1 acres of plums in 2015 and .35 acre in 2016.

Replanting is not cheap. Finished apple trees for replant can run $10.00 a tree, but that’s only part of the cost.

Old trees must be cut, stumps torn out, roots pulled and the land fumigated or left fallow to reduce pests left over from old plantings. There are labor costs for the trees to be planted with the post and wire trellis that supports high-density plantings and irrigation has to be installed. The industry average is currently running at $25,000 to $30,000 per acre.

And there is also lost opportunity cost, as the land does not produce while the trees are getting established.

Currently, apple replant funding is $3.50 per finished tree to a maximum eligibility of $7,625 per acre (2,178 trees per acre). Soft fruit and pear funding is $3.50 per finished tree to a maximum of $2800 per acre (800 trees per acre).

Grafting and budding over is supported at $2.50 a tree to a maximum of $5000 per acre for apple plantings and $2000 per acre for soft fruit and pears. Growers can also apply for a $300 rebate for bioassay testing.

Withler says some 130 qualified applications have been funded each year. “Growers will apply for more than one orchard location, so it’s about 100 growers a year,” he ex-

plains. The majority are in the Okanagan, but last year saw six successful applications from the Creston area and 12 from the Similkameen.

The program is popular. The number of applications in the first year, 2014, caught the Ministry off guard and funds had to be shifted forward from later years in the program. Summerland Varieties Corporation pitched in $298,000, which the government matched. In June of 2016, the BCMA provided another $1 million making the total value of the program $9.4 million.

“The newly announced Tree Fruit Competitiveness Fund should provide money to fully support the program through to the end in 2021,” Withler says.

BCFGA General Manager Glen Lucas notes that a change in the criteria has led to a marked improvement in the quality of the program. “The first year we accepted applications on a first come, first served basis and frankly there were some applications that weren’t of a very high quality,” says Lucas.

In the fall of 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture instituted a merit–based Replant Program Project scoring criteria. Grower applications are ranked on variety selection, for value and location, a planting plan, soil analysis, a cash flow projection, and site mapping.

Growers must also have the plan signed off by an Agrologist and a Horticultural Review Committee scores the applications.

Lucas says he feels the government is leading the industry toward better orchard planning. “Putting the replant plans together can be a hassle, but I think they put the growers in a better place.” ■

New System for Grading Wine Proposed

By Gary Symons

“Right now we are looking at how the market in BC has changed, and we are expecting growth especially in that mid-value segment,” said Lembke. “The question we are asking is, if you are looking for opportunities producing for the mid-market segment, how will that affect your overall brand in the future?”

A study by Lee Cartier and Svan Lembke at the Okanagan School of Business is recommending BC wineries should increase production of mid-value wines, but also implement a system of grading wines similar to that used in France and Italy.

Both those countries produce a wide range of wines, from very inexpensive table wines to extremely high-end and very expensive super premium wines. The French industry led the way with wine classification, introducing the Appellation d’origine controlee system in 1935, while Italy adopted a four-level classification system in 1963.

Photo by Gary Symons

In Italy, for example, one can find Vino da Tavola, which denotes inexpensive ‘table wines’; IGT wines that are low to medium priced younger wines; the DOC classification denoting better quality wines made in a particular region according to strict winemaking traditions; and finally the DOCG, denoting superior wines produced according to very strict guidelines.

Cartier says their research shows that the buyers of premium wines are less sensitive to price, but very focused on the brand of the wines they drink. His concern is that the brand of VQA wines will suffer if they are increasingly being sold at lower price points.

Svan Lembke and Lee Cartier from Okanagan School of Business.

By contrast, BC has the VQA classification that denotes a wine made entirely of BC sourced grapes, but that single classification doesn’t tell the buyer if the wine is a high end or mid-value wine.

Cartier and Lembke say these ranking systems allow France and Italy to market lower end wines without hurting the brand of higher end wines (Grand Cru in France, or DOCG in Italy).

“The VQA designation is a great quality standard, but we now see that VQA winemakers are starting to sell into that mid-market segment, and the question is, what does that do to the reputation of that winemaker if there’s no difference between a mid-range VQA wine and a premium VQA wine?” Cartier asks.

While concerned about the impact of this trend on the reputation of BC wines, both

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Cartier and Lembke are recommending BC winemakers and grape growers should in fact pursue the mid-market segment, because it’s one of the few areas where there is room for growth.

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“Foreign imports dominate the mid-range segment, but what if BC starts producing for this market too?,” Cartier asks. “In 1989, BC held literally zero per cent of the premium wine segment, and that figure is 67 per cent today, so winemakers here have done an amazing job.

“But, can you do the same thing in the mid-range market?”

Lembke clearly thinks it’s not just possible but very achievable, as long as the BC industry makes some changes in how it grows grapes and markets its wines.

“We need to rethink how we compete and how we produce,” she says. “We believe growth and prosperity await us in the mid-value market, and we certainly have the home court advantage.

“The pros are that we have loyal customers and a fantastic growth opportunity, but the potential cons are that we see lower margins in this segment, and we risk diluting the value of our brand.”

For that reason, Lembke says BC should introduce a multi-tiered classification system, similar to those used in France, Italy, Spain, and a few other countries. By doing so, a buyer would know that a par-

One Faith Grand Vin, at $165 a bottle, was the most expensive Okanagan wine at the 2017 Vancouver International Wine Festival.

ticular VQA wine is not only made with local grapes, but is also a superior wine made to a higher standard.

“Why are all these countries spending all this time and money and effort on this?”

Lembke asks. “It’s because their consumers are looking for guidance based on quality, and otherwise they only have price to go by when buying what they hope is a true premium wine.

“We believe consumers here in BC are also looking for that guidance.” ■

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Chinese Cherry Market is Evolving

By Tom Walker The Chinese market for cherries is evolving and BC growers are in a good position to take advantage of that change, says Graem Nelson, well-known BC fruit marketer and currently Senior Export Consultant for Consolidated Fruit Packers in Kelowna.

“I am not an expert at anything, but I have flogged some cherries in the last 40 years,” Nelson told the BC Cherry Association AGM to a chorus of chuckles. “I had an opportunity to go to Asia Fruit Logistica this fall and during the time there I talked to importers from China and Hong Kong, as well as Chinese people who are in the business from Thailand and Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore.

“What I heard people say over and over again when I asked them what they were looking for when they were importing cherries, was flavour,” says Nelson. “They are taking for granted now that they are going to receive a firm product, that has a green stem, is of the size specified, has as good a shelf life as you can expect and

What I heard people say over and over again when I asked them what they were looking for when they were importing cherries, was flavour.

Graem Nelson they are talking more and more about flavour.”

had an edge in that department?” Nelson explained. And they do, he says.

That’s a change Nelson notes, and it is being driven by the Chinese consumer. It is no longer a market of gifts that look nice for the party secretary, the boss, or to be presented at autumn festival. It is now a matter of food and taste.

Nelson analyzed data of about 500 sales of 9.5 row 5kg Canadian and US cherries in the months of August and September in the Jiang Nan market in the port of Guangzhou. “I discovered that Canadian cherries have about an eight per cent edge when it comes to the price of the product,” he says. “An eight per cent higher return is good, so the question is what do we do with that?”

“The Chinese are at least as discriminating about the taste of their food as the French and the Japanese and Canadians,” says Nelson. “They want to eat food that tastes good. Importers and retailers talked about imported fruit that tasted flat.”

“So then I wondered if Canadian cherries

Our industry has the chops to hold on to that advantage, Nelson says.

The BC advantage over the much larger Summer 2018

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Washington and Oregon production comes from the strong support our industry enjoys, our more advanced horticulture practices and our flexibility as vertically integrated businesses.

He says the industry has “tremendous support, whether from local researchers at Summerland working on storage and shipping techniques, help from the provincial government or CFIA to access markets (he calls CFIA support phenomenal), and the volunteers from the BC Cherry Association. “They have all worked on an undertaking with these target counties to develop system based approaches that make it possible for us to ship in,” says Nelson.

“We are very small players in the world wide supply chain for cherries,” Nelson points out. But that can be to our advantage, he says.

Washington and Oregon producers have been quick to invest in new sorting and cooling technologies, and that has improved their product. “They are now able to sort cherries in a way that produces a consistent uniform product given the cherries that they have,” says Nelson.

“The overall perception of the quality of

their fruit is that it is going up,” But it’s the cherries that they have, that could be a disadvantage. “In my opinion their horticulture is lagging behind,” says Nelson. While he acknowledges progressive growers with young orchards, new varieties, and good management techniques, he says there are also 30 to 40 year old orchards that are being farmed much as they were in the 1980’s. “There is a lot of mediocre fruit down there.”

Farm size adds to the problem. “Because of the scale of their enterprise, they don’t do a lot of detailed work that you are capable of doing in your orchards,” says Nelson. “There are limitations to what you can do when you are farming 2,000 or 4,000 acres of cherries.”

That makes US growers largely dependent on the weather for the size of their fruit, says Nelson. “Not like BC where our export-minded cherry growers can control the size of the fruit they are producing, up to a limit.”

“Last year gave us the limit,” he adds.

“There were people growing 10 and 11 row cherries who hadn’t done that for years”.

Size has also led the US industry to become segmented. “Growers grow, packers pack and brokers sell fruit, and in the heat of the season often there isn’t very much communication among them,” says Nelson. “When things go sideways because of heat, or rain, or fruit size, you can get chaotic selling that could put hundreds or even a thousand containers of fruit into China, that doesn’t really belong there due to poor quality.”

“Selling inedible cherries is not a sustainable business,” Nelson warns.

“The BC industry has a great opportunity to differentiate our cherries,” says Nelson. “Our smaller grower-packers can all benefit each others business by shipping good fruit, he says. “Carve our niches and fill them with fruit that tastes good.

“Ultimately, it is the Chinese consumer who will make the decision as to whether or not a particular cherry is going to be welcome in their country, and I think those people are going to insist that the cherries are delicious. or they are going to stop buying them.” ■

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Treating Water Right

ZeeBlok filtration system at work.

By Ronda Payne Water shortages, especially when it comes to agriculture, are a growing concern. Municipalities are cracking down on water usage and waste water issues.

Growers need to manage their water better than ever before to ensure compliance with environmental standards and to maintain positive public perception.

Three years ago SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions created the ZeeBlok filtration configuration using the company’s existing ZeeWeed membrane, which has been in use for more than 30 years.

It’s the same membrane used in municipal and industrial water treatment, scaled down to be functional in wineries and food processing operations. Microscopic pores in the ZeeWeed polymer membrane create a physical barrier to solids, bacteria and viruses in wastewater. This results in a high-quality effluent.

Scott Taggart, SUEZ’s commercial engineering systems leader says ZeeBlok was created to be a highly flexible building block to work easily within existing infrastructures in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP).

Basically, it helps clean up dirty water… It’s a membrane that you can put into a digester or a pond and you pull a vacuum on the membrane and clean water comes out.

Eric Dahlberg “Our customers are able to achieve better performance while minimizing the capital cost of building a new system,” Taggart says. “They can use the same footprint and upgrade their WWTP to provide higher quality treated water than conventional systems.”

One of SUEZ’s partners is Winesecrets, a California company focused on making better wines and building better wineries. Owner Eric Dahlberg notes that ZeeBlok is a product on the side of building better wineries. A number of years ago Dahlberg started working with GE (now SUEZ) in a distribution partnership.

“They’re big into water treatment, so when we started working with them,

they had all these products that are useful to wineries that we were able to bring online,” he explained.

“I found out about these membranes three years ago and started promoting them two years ago. Last year we had our first trials and then installs and that’s continuing.”

Dahlberg saw the ZeeBlok membranes as the ideal product for wineries, breweries, cideries and fruit processors.

“Basically, it helps clean up dirty water,” he says. “It’s a membrane that you can put into a digester or a pond and you pull a vacuum on the membrane and clean water comes out. It’s very easy because it’s set up so that if you have a tank Summer 2018

37

or some kind of sump you can drop it in.”

Taggart explains that wine and fruit businesses need quality water treatment systems due to the high level of solids and nutrients in the wastewater.

“Fruit/wine/beverage industries produce wastewater that is high in solids,” he says. “ZeeBlok with the ZeeWeed membrane blocks solids from passing through the system. With the high quality treated wastewater, there is less impact to the environment as the ZeeBlok MBR removes solids and enables the WWTP to treat higher BOD and COD levels.”

The ZeeBlok system is based on cassettes so configuration of the system is flexible yet rugged and, as Dahlberg explains, a user can “gang them up” and scale up their treatment system without making massive and expensive changes.

Throughout BC, water use and water treatment is becoming a far greater issue than ever before. Dahlberg sees the future many wineries and fruit processors already predict.

“Regulations in BC are behind what we have to deal with here in California, but I think the BC regulators are taking notes,” he says. “In the Interior, the regulators are getting way more interested in what people are doing.”

An install Dahlberg is aware of in fruit processing is a fruit jam business where wash water is an ongoing issue.

“Wastewater, once it’s been treated with the MBR and these membranes, it makes great irrigation water,” he explains.

“You just take untreated wastewater, even from the winery and spread it on the field, it gets pretty smelly. This prevents problems with the neighbours.” ■ 38 Summer 2018

 THE WORD ON WINE | LAURA KITTMER

BC Wine 2017 Vintage Report

White Wine Quality: Excellent Red Wine Quality: Excellent Icewine: Very good A cold Canadian winter, unusually wet spring, and dry summer contributed to a well-balanced growing season. Slightly lower yields and phenomenal fruit quality delivered an excellent 2017 vintage, characterized by high flavour concentration, moderate alcohol, balanced tannins, complexity and natural acidity.

In winter 2016/17, the Okanagan region saw extended periods of freezing temperatures in some areas and a lot of moisture in the air and soils.

A very wet and cold spring saw bud break delayed generally two to three weeks later compared to 2016, and after a cold winter this had grape growers worried. But as so often is the case, the Okanagan Valley’s warm dry weather began in June and the grapes experienced above-average temperatures throughout the

summer. These hot conditions delivered continued vigorous growth allowing healthy flavour development.

Winery said “I was wondering when it was going to stop. We had three vintages in a row that were larger yielding.”

Although 2017 was the worst wildfire season on record for BC, the fires were not in grape growing areas and none occurred in early summer. Also, rather than sitting low in the valley, smoke blanketed the sun coverage. This had a positive impact on the growing season by slowing down the periods for grape ripening and flavour development and providing some reprieve for the grapes by reducing the searing temperatures. No ash was observed on grapes for the 2017 vintage.

In the Similkameen Valley, John Weber winemaker and owner at Orofino Winery agrees, reiterating small clusters and excellent quality juice.

Similar conditions to the Okanagan were reported for the Similkameen Valley with a cold winter contributing to some bud damage, slightly smaller clusters and juice yields when compared to the abnormally high yields in 2015 and 2016.

Rhys Pender, Master of Wine and owner at Little Farm Winery puts the 2017 vintage into perspective saying, “The last few years have been pretty hot vintages. For 2017, yields are down a little but we are back to normal, if there is such a thing!”

Harvest timelines for many Okanagan vineyards varied with reported harvest start dates ranging from September to mid-October, ending in late October or early November. While the harvest started a little later for most vineyards it finished later in 2015/16 and is consistent with the average timing of harvest over a tenyear period.

Vintners throughout the Okanagan Valley and Similkameen Valley have described the quality of the 2017 vintage as phenomenal with crisp, fresh whites and elegant reds.

Winemakers noted slightly lower alcohol levels, lower pH, and higher malic acids naturally occurred. Certainly,

On average in 2017, Okanagan vineyards saw smaller berry size, clusters and juice yields, compared with the past three vintages. Heidi Noble, Owner/Winemaker, JoieFarm

there will be less volume from the 2017 vintage, but overall the quality is excellent.

“Definitely some rock-stars for this vintage…it’s going to be among one of the best vintages we’ve had in the last ten years,” said Dwight Sick, Winemaker at Stag's Hollow Winery & Vineyard.

The Fraser Valley recorded one of the coldest winters in recent years with large quantities of snow. Due to the longer winter, bud break was observed at two to three weeks later than average years, similar to the Okanagan Valley.

Although spring delivered high precipitation to the Fraser Valley, early, proactive and preventative vineyard management measures circumvented crop loss from disease.

A long, wet spring saw rains until July followed by several heat waves in the 30 degrees plus range with harvest recorded later than usual. Andrew Etsell, general manager and viticulturist at Singletree Winery in Abbotsford said, “The warm and dry fall allowed more hang time for excellent flavour development.”

Sugar development, particularly in white wines, was observed as excellent with high-

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er pH and TA levels. Juice yields were double the average, with larger clusters and berry size.

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Lamont Brooks of the Wine Islands Growers Association said that by mid-May Vancouver Island had also experienced one of the coolest starts in the last decade. This delayed bud break and bloom by nearly a month compared to 2016. Warmer temperatures and little precipitation followed for nearly perfect conditions, and in the end, he comments, “Due to the excellent fruit set, many vineyards set their all-time yield records.”

Great summer weather continued, with above-average temperatures and nearly zero precipitation in July and August. It was one of the driest summers on record for Vancouver Island.

Early varietals were harvested in late September, with nearly all grapes picked before a significant rainy period started on October 17. Brooks reported well-balanced juices and musts going into fermentation and great aromas coming out.

Other BC interior wine regions experienced similar growing conditions to the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys’. Harper’s Trail Estate Winery in Kamloops reported lower yields but phenomenal quality. Fort Berens Estate Winery reported that Lillooet is also expecting concentrated and flavourful fruit.

Winter for BC’s other wine regions was cold resulting in bud damage for some vineyards, but no vine death was reported.

Spring brought wet conditions, excellent for new cover crops and perfect timing for new vine growth.

Bud break in the Kootenays arrived in early May, and for the Lillooet and Kamloops wine regions mid to late April. The harvest ended in mid to late October for most vineyards in BC’s other interior regions.

Smaller clusters and berries resulted in a lower juice yield for some vineyards, while others experienced larger yields, depending on the varietal. Where yields were down, the concentration of fruit flavours was noted as impressive across the board. Vineyard managers and winemakers reported excellent quality.

Icewine harvest started on November 6, making 2017 the earliest icewine harvest in the last 10 years with 22 wineries reporting an estimated 523 tons of Icewine grapes with excellent quality.

In summary, British Columbia’s 2017 vintage started cool and wet but finished with the trademark dry, hot, sunny weather.

While supply might be a little lower, the intensely flavoured, balanced and fresh wines will make 2017 a quality vintage.■ Laura Kittmer is the Media Relations Manager at the British Columbia Wine Institute. www.winebc.org @WineBCdotcom

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 SAFETY TIPS | WORKSAFE BC

Reducing Musculoskeletal Injuries in Vineyards the most common tasks in vineyards, and explain why approximately 45% of claims in B.C. are related to MSIs. Although these injuries may sound minor, half of them were severe enough to require a long recovery period.

While a shoulder (or wrist or back) that has been injured usually heals, it may experience ongoing weakness, making a repeat or similar injury more likely to occur. These injuries affect more than just job attendance and productivity, they carry over into every aspect of a worker’s daily life.

nerves, and blood vessels.

Driving through a vineyard in B.C., we admire the uniform, well-tended rows that roll across the landscape. But there are many challenges in growing the best grapes, starting with the painstaking hours tending the vines as new growth emerges. It’s this kind of precision work that can cause musculoskeletal injuries (MSI).

MSI is a term that covers a wide range of work-related injuries, including tendonitis, sprains and strains. These injuries can occur in almost any part of the body — hands, wrists, arms, neck, shoulders, legs, and back — and affect muscles, tendons, ligaments,

There are four main risk factors for MSIs, regardless of the workplace: ■ Force — the amount of pressure needed to perform a task, such as pruning or tying ■ Repetition — how often the motion or gesture is repeated when performing the task, or how often the task is repeated with little variation or break ■ Posture — static (holding a position for a long time) or awkward (bending, reaching, squatting, twisting) ■ Local contact stress — a hard or sharp object coming in contact with the skin for an extended length of time

Machinery can be used for some vineyard tasks, but many jobs require the care, knowledge, and manual dexterity of skilled workers. If the

These risk factors describe familiar aspects of some of

injury-inducing tasks cannot be eliminated, how can you reduce the chance of injury for the workers?

Tucking, suckering, and tending young plants share common risk factors Our safety officer and ergonomist were invited to review with vineyard operations managers and foremen the tasks most commonly associated with MSIs and recommend ways to reduce or eliminate MSI risk. They looked at tucking vines, removing suckers, and tending young plants.

These three tasks share many common risks factors, and therefore, beneficial changes to equipment or work processes for one task often apply to all of them.

An effective health and safety plan involves everyone.

The planning decisions you make today can affect the health and safety of workers tomorrow.

Find resources to prevent injuries at worksafebc.com/agriculture

Summer 2018

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Here are the main activities associated with the three tasks: ■ Tucking: The workers move down the row to shift the three levels of support wires on hooks along posts and tuck the growing vines behind the wire at the right height to support their growth.

■ Suckering: The workers remove the shoots that grow from the base of the vine. When the shoots are young, they can be scuffed off with the feet or cut off with brush cutters. As the shoots grow and become stronger, they are pulled off by hand or cut off with hand pruners.

■ Tending young plants: The young vines are carefully tied to a post and wire for support.

All of these tasks require the workers to make repetitive, fine-motor movements, use pressure, and reach, kneel, and squat.

The added challenges of weather conditions and the pressures of the growing season increase the chances of an injury.

Controls and training to reduce the risk of injury

After talking with the vineyard workers and management, and watching how the jobs were done, our ergonomist and officer made a number of recommendations to reduce injuries. They include using three types of controls:

ommend that workers wear sturdy, comfortable shoes that provide good cushioning and use knee pads if they kneel for any task. Make sure they use appropriate, properly fitted gloves that don’t rub or interfere with movement.

1. Engineering: Consider using different types of equipment or tools. For example, rolling seats that allow workers to have neutral back posture when working with plants at low heights and reduce the amount of bending or squatting that the workers need to do; and light equipment or tools that perform the task more effectively and allow for neutral posture (straight wrists, arms by the side, back upright).

Training is another important part of safety. Workers need to be trained in the correct way to use the most appropriate tools as well as the most efficient, ergonomic way to perform a task. Simple steps like being aware of how they move can help them to avoid injury. These include:

2. Administrative: Rotate between tasks to use a variety of movements and work different muscles — reducing the amount of repetition to reduce the chance of injury. Keep tools sharp to reduce the amount of pressure the workers needs to apply.

3. Personal Protective Equipment: Rec-

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■ Avoid twisting the back or torso when turning.

■ Alternate from one knee to the other when kneeling.

■ Keep the back in a neutral position as much as possible.

■ Keep the wrist as straight as possible when tying and cutting.

■ Consider alternating hands when using a tool with one hand.

Include prevention of MSIs as part of a health and safety management system Here are seven steps to include MSI prevention as part of a successful health and safety management system: 1. Consult with workers at every step.

2. Educate workers and supervisors about MSIs, the risk factors, and early signs and symptoms. Encourage them to report any signs of MSIs that develop.

3. Identify the jobs with potential MSI risk using injury or first aid statistics and worker feedback.

4. Assess the risk to determine which risk factors are of concern.

5. Control the risk by making changes in equipment, processes, or techniques.

6. Train the workers about the causes and consequences of MSIs, train them how to use the equipment properly and maintain correct posture.

7. Evaluate the results to ensure that the risk of MSI has been reduced.

When workers have the right tools, supervision and training to perform their job safely, they stay healthy and can continue to provide their skills and experience in the vineyards throughout the seasons.

For resources on preventing injuries to orchard and vineyard workers, see worksafebc.com/agriculture. ■

 WHAT IT'S WORTH | BRIAN PAULUZZI, AACI

Knowing Your Winery’s Market Value when refinancing for expansion, succession forecasting or contemplating an offer for purchase.

transaction in the sector, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Benchmark sales, including those you don’t hear about in the news, have profound implications on winery values throughout the industry.

Last fall, headlines shocked the BC wine industry with news of the $95 million sale of three well-established estate wineries to Ontario-based Andrew Peller Limited. The acquisition of Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, Gray Monk Estate Winery and Black Hills included 250 acres of Okanagan valley vineyards producing over 125,000 cases of wine per year or $24.5 million in annual sales. The purchase wasn’t the first consolidation-style

Naturally, when someone expresses interest in the value of your winery, they have a selfserving, predetermined idea of its worth. This may, or may not, be based on expert opinion. Government officials, insurance agents, financial lenders and investors practice due diligence. But, are their sources accurate? It’s prudent to question their version of your winery’s worth and obtain a professional opinion. A commercial appraiser with an AACI (Accredited Appraiser, Canadian Institute) designation who has experience in the valuation of agricultural lands and businesses can put

Okanagan vintners and viticulturists, whether operating a large wine-producing enterprise or small boutique winery, are working hard to produce an elite product in a competitive market rife with complexity and regulation. Future planning is likely the last thing on their minds.

Unexpected opportunity or hardship can have them rushing to get their grapevines in a row. Knowing the true value of one’s winery is the first step toward making sound life-altering decisions

your mind at ease and ensure you’re getting true market value for your winery.

What can one expect from a professional winery appraisal? Unlike your standard residential appraisal, a commercial Market Value Appraisal takes weeks to complete. In this substantial document, the commercial appraiser carefully considers the impact of a variety of the winery and vineyard’s characteristics including its location, cultivated acreage, market history, zoning, state of title and legal encumbrances, soil analysis, site services, grape varietals and buildings, just to name a few. Once this information is compiled, analyzed and clarified, the winery’s value is calculated using a combination

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of methods to arrive at a final, reconciled dollar amount.

During this process, much weight is given to the Income Approach. Here, the appraiser conducts a meticulous analysis of several years of the winery’s operating financial statements to determine the stabilized net income. Comparisons are then made to a collection of data on sales of similar properties to estimate value to the “going concern” winery. Comparable sales are most influential when they are similar, current and located in proximity or in a similar market.

Commercial appraisers source the Multiple Listing Service sales data and public records for winery sales from which to draw comparisons. Unfortunately, winery transactions are often concealed, subject to strict non-disclosure agreements ensuring specific details and amounts are not shared with third parties. In many cases, a commercial appraiser relies on his or her personal research through contacts in the industry for the necessary sales information to calculate a true market value estimate for a client.

Since von Mandl Estates, owner of Mission Hill winery, acquired Cedar Creek Estate Winery in 2014, the Okanagan in particular has seen a significant trend toward the purchase and annexation of smaller wineries by larger corporate wine producers. This, coupled with the rise of foreign interest in the BC wine industry, has increased values accordingly.

Current sales prices are now higher than historical levels by a significant margin.

COOLING EXPERTS

The value of a winery is a moving target.

Wine performance, market trends, government legislation and environmental circumstances are just some of the factors affecting worth as time goes on.

So, when is it appropriate to obtain an appraisal? When any transaction is imminent, knowing the true market value of your winery is certainly vital. Looking ahead toward inevitable changes such as transitioning ownership to family members and/or stakeholders, it is recommended that a winery owner obtain an appraisal to prepare a formal succession plan. ■ For more information about winery valuations, or to contact me directly, visit ncacommercial.com.

(866) 748-7786 • www.kooljet.com 44 Summer 2018

 SEEDS OF GROWTH | GLEN LUCAS

The Learning Organization

An important role for agriculture associations is education, but not in the traditional sense. “Agriculture extension” provides current, practical information for growers in a way that is easy to use.

Helping growers get new, important information can involve workshops, but it is not typically classroom-based. Recently technology is playing a role; anytime there is some gizmo or you need to fix your vehicle, just searching YouTube almost always results in a solution that is useful (though always use caution, use your head and do not blindly follow the YouTube advice!). The BC Fruit Growers’ Association has several ‘extension’ initiatives it is involved in that are of interest to growers.

One example is the Orchard

Support System Manual. This manual is about to be published and made widely available, and will be of value to anyone planting apples. The manual is an excellent example of “agricultural extension, a practical ‘how to’ manual that does not get bogged down in technical detail, but focuses on solutions.

support wires 14' posts 6"diameter 25 year warranty

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Behind the scenes, there was a lot of work in calculating the deterioration of post strength due to rot at the soil level, as well as calculating loads as trees grew to their full height - the rows of trees tied to the support system act like a large sail, and the wind loads grow with the size of the tree. Proper design is important, but the most important thing is to give the practical results to the grower; how to build a support structure that will last 20 years. Diameter of posts must be large enough to withstand the soil-surface rot and the enormous loads of full grown trees. What is the right diameter? The Orchard Support Manual gives the answer.

54"

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Especially important for an orchard support system is the anchoring/reinforcement of the end posts. Many support structures use the “H” structure at the end of the row.

A surprising number of new orchards do not have proper end-of-row support. When an improperly designed/built orchard support structure fails,

a whole row falls over. The manual provides a couple of solutions.

One very interesting option is described, using a cable anchor in a way that will not extend beyond the row and risk ‘snagging’ with moving equipment. The project was completed by Keith Duhaime and Dr. Dwayne Tannant from

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the engineering department at UBC Okanagan. Carl Withler, Tree Fruit and Grape Specialist put the project together and the BCFGA was responsible for some project administration. The Orchard Support Manual will be available in print form very soon, and will also be available electronically on the BCFGA and Ministry of Agriculture websites.

Again working with Tree Fruit and Grape Specialist Carl Withler, the BCFGA hopes to work on a tree fruit replant manual.

This practical guide could take the place of the tedious “Orchard Replant Plan” that is currently required for the Replant Program. We could send a copy of a Replant Manual when each Replant Application is accepted. A truly useful manual would help make preparations prior to replant, so that all activities are reviewed in advance. But, like the Orchard Support Manual, a Replant Manual must be practical and be based on current best practice.

Another important endeavour for the BCFGA is the Tree Fruit Production Guide (TFPG - www.bctfpg.com). At one time, the guide was published and was commonly 200 pages in length. It is a bit of an exaggeration to say this, but the spray schedule was out of date the day it was printed. As soon as a rate changed on a label, or a new product was registered, the guide could have been updated. It was a complex task to prepare the table in print format from all of the detailed information. One change could trigger a need to reformat the print version of the document - manually! Now, the online version of the Spray Schedules are automatically formatted when any change is made to the spray schedule database.

When the spray schedule is printed at home, the print date is included on each page. Growers can cross check the date of their print version with the “Change Log” tab to ensure they are using the proper up-to-date spray schedule. Thanks to Don Magnusson at the BC Ministry of Agriculture for his diligence and attention to detail in keeping the spray schedules up-to-date.

Access by other programs was the driving reason to create a spray guide database that is the core of the on-line production guide. The first example of a program that makes use of the TFPG database is the Decision Aid System (DAS) from

Washington State University that was introduced in February by the Sterile Insect Release Program. The DAS program is an excellent example of Agricultural Extension. It takes raw data (weather, pest degree day models, spray schedules, and other information) and combines it into information that is practical and can be converted into action that makes the farm more productive and efficient.

Growers contact their field advisor or the SIR program to sign up and use the DAS system at no charge during the threeyear demonstration period.

The spray schedule database used in the TFPG will also be linked to a Spray Recording System. The BCFGA, BC Tree Fruits and BC Ministry of Agriculture are working on a pilot program to demonstrate the CropTracker Program this summer. The Crop Tracker program is very practical, starting with a map showing the blocks on an orchard, the system allows growers to select a pest, select from the control options, and be provided the tank mix for their particular sprayer(s).

The program does the calculation and tells how many tanks will be required for a block (for example, two and onehalf), then will tell how much product is required for the first two tanks, and the amount required for the last half-tank.

No more calculation! Well, continue calculating, but at least you have a doublecheck to ensure the proper mix is made.

The Crop Tracker Program also links to the TFPG’s Restricted-Entry Interval and the Pre-Harvest Interval information .

You can check a block on the farm map to see what REI or PHI is in place. You can receive email or text notifications of when REI and PHI’s expire.

A truly great extension tool summarizes complex information and provides information in a way that makes decisionmaking easier. The new Orchard Support System Manual, the proposed replant manual, as well as the trio of the on-line Tree Fruit Production Guide, the Decision Aid System, and future Crop Tracker, will all provide practical information that helps growers to confidently make production decisions. These extension tools lead us to learn better ways of making decisions. ■ Glen Lucas, General Manager, BC Fruit Growers’ Association

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Hwy 97 South

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