The Grower Newspaper September 2010

SEPTEMBER 2010

CELEBRATING 130 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION

VOLUME 60 NUMBER 09

Ethnic markets: the promise and the peril

By Karen Davidson Three years from now, no grower will blink at this list: fuzzy melon, callaloo, eggplant, okra and yard long beans. Today, these crops are the focus of a research project to diversify food production in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

The Greenbelt Foundation recently announced $88,000 in funding to The Stop Community Food Centre and the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (VRIC). This tops up the contribution made by the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association and a larger allocation of funds from the federalprovincial Growing Forward program.

Until now, growers seem to have ignored the elephant-sized opportunity sitting in the corner.

Canadians of south Asian descent represent Toronto’s largest ethnic community, about 718,000 strong and spending $396 million annually on vegetables. Next, in terms of dollars spent, are Chinese Canadians at $252 million, followed by Afro-Caribbean Canadians at $84 million.

Clearly these are big numbers – and they’re getting bigger.

“Displacing just 10 per cent of today’s imports represents a $73 million market for Ontario farmers,” says Dr. Jim Brandle, CEO, VRIC. The research project calls for produce harvest to be taste-tested through Toronto-based community food programs and markets such as The Stop. To identify and highlight ethnic tastes, The Stop has sponsored the Global Roots Garden, which features vegetables

Inside A golf course is at core of apple winery

Page 4

Essex county: From food to biofuel

Page 11

FOCUS: New equipment and technology

Page 14

www.thegrower.org P.M. 40012319

common to seven of Toronto’s ethnic communities. The Chinese garden, for example, grows bok choy, hot peppers, cucumbers, long beans and Chinese okra whereas the Latin American garden showcases corn, cilantro, tomatillos, ancho peppers and

squash. Each of the remaining gardens-- South Asian, Somali, Italian, Polish and Filipino-exhibits the same culture-specific knowledge of the growing habits of native plants.

Changing Canadian demographics are driving this

movement for more ethnicallyappropriate produce. At last spring’s Canadian Produce Marketing Association, Davis Yung of Fresh Produce Inc. shared a slide that forecasted dramatic changes in visible minority population in the coming decades.

As a produce importer/exporter based in Vancouver, he shared an experienced perspective on the promise of selling to these new markets and on the peril of not marketing to them properly.

Continued on page 3

In Ontario, the Holland Marsh is one of the few areas with expertise in ethnic produce. That’s due to growers such as Spencer Chan who has 20 years of experience selling crops like this Chinese broccoli to a community of Chinese immigrants in Toronto. To help educate growers about these new markets, the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association will have samples of these new ethnic vegetables on display at their booth at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, September 14 – 16.

OFVGA SUMMER TOUR

Essex county pulses with economic activity Is that a cicada or a combine?

August is the perfect time to witness the economic heartbeat of Essex county.

Mechanical harvesters are pulling up tomato vines. Huge trucks are lumbering with their loads to the weigh scales of nearby processing factories of Heinz and Sunbrite.

Melon packing lines are busy sorting fruit for shipment to the Ontario Food Terminal, three hours away in Toronto. Vast greenhouses, constructed with the latest European glass technology, ripple over the pancake landscape. Vineyards vie for sunshine along Lake Erie while inland, 600 acres of potatoes provide the earliest taste of spuds for the

province.

Mac James, Vice-Chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (OFVGA) is one of those potato farmers who hosted the annual summer tour on his home turf. He provided an insider’s perspective of Essex county that’s located between fresh bodies of water – Lake St. Clair to the north and Lake Erie to the south.

“The diversity is unique in Essex county,” says James. “We grow a smattering of every specialty crop imaginable-- even blueberries.”

For example, he pointed out double-cropped land where the second planting of green beans

will be harvested later this fall.

While traveling along the lakeshore, he talked about the tornado damage along The Golden Mile, the original stretch of greenhouses built in the 1950s that launched a multi-milliondollar export industry.

Just off the shores of Leamington is Pelee Island, the spit of land that welcomes migrating birds every spring and is farmed intensively for grapes. In the fall, the grapes are taken by boat from the island to the Kingsville dock for transport to the Pelee Island Winery.

With this cornucopia at hand, it’s no surprise that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has

operated a research station in Harrow for more than a century.

It’s home to the Greenhouse and Processing Research Centre, one of 19 federal centres across Canada.

Essex county is also home to a green energy movement. Just in the last year, fields of tropicallooking miscanthus are being planted to be cubed and burned as biofuel to lower heating costs in greenhouses.

In hosting a tour of the Leamington area, the OFVGA brought together a wide spectrum of industry and government. Its monthly board meeting was also held there.

PAGE 2 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

At press time…

New retail sign and label toolkit available Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is offering tips and easy-to-use, downloadable templates and instructions for labeling fruits and vegetables.

Clear and accurate labeling and signage help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. If you sell Ontario-grown fruit and vegetables at the farm gate, roadside stands, farmers’ markets or any other retail location, your signs and labels must comply with Regulation 378, Grades – Fruit and Vegetables of the Farm Products Grades and Sales Act, which regulates grading, packing, marking and marketing of designated farm products.

For more information, call 1-877-424-1300 or go to: www.omafra.gov.on.ca

Hot off the press

Four bursaries available

History books are labours of love. Ask Elizabeth Chatten and Mary Macklam who have just finished “The History of the Northumberland and Durham Apple Growers’ Association.” It helps that they are both descendants of early growers. They have spent four years poring over the impeccably typed minutes of the association which have been archived at the local agriculture ministry’s office in Brighton, Ontario. They have rooted out photographs of great-grandfathers, nosed around local libraries and interviewed current growers.

Deadline is September 30 The Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers (OPVG) and the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Processors Association (OFVPA) are continuing with a bursary fund to support and encourage individuals pursuing a career in any aspect of the processing vegetable industry. These organizations are working together to ensure that there are new individuals who will have the interest, skills and abilities to further develop and grow this sector of Ontario’s agrifood economy.

A $2000 bursary in memory of Jim Whitson may be awarded to an eligible candidate attending Ridgetown College.

New this year will be a $3,000 bursary presented to a qualified student in memory of Ken Epp, former director and Vice-Chairman of the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers. Applicants must be a resident of Ontario and registered as a full-time student at any college or university entering the second, third, fourth or post-graduate year of study which relates to some aspect of the processing vegetable industry.

For further information regarding the bursaries, please contact: John Mumford, Ontario Vegetable Processing Growers at 519-6811875 or Jane Graham, Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Processing Association at 519-896-5967.

The bursary application forms are available at www.opvg.org or on request from the above offices.

Applications must be submitted no later than September 30 and will be received by regular mail at 435 Consortium Court, London, Ontario N6E 2S8 or by email at opvg.org or fax 519-685-5719.

Applications can also be submitted online.

AgriInvest deposits now accepted at financial institutions AgriInvest deposit notices are in the mail with information on how and where to make 2009 AgriInvest deposits. Growers can now make AgriInvest deposits at a participating financial institution of their choice. Moving accounts closer to where producers live and work gives flexibility to keep track of funds more easily and to earn a competitive rate of interest on deposits.

Growers must open an account at their local financial institution and make their 2009 AgriInvest deposit by the deadline indicated on their Deposit Notice to receive a matching contribution from governments.

Existing funds currently held by the federal government will be transferred to the producer’s AgriInvest account held at their financial institution. Producers can request a withdrawal from their AgriInvest account through their financial institution at any time during the year.

For more information, call 1-866-367-8506 or visit the website at www.agr.gc.ca/agriinvest.

“How did these apple growers get organized without computers, phones and cars?” says Chatten.

“It was a very different world then.” The pioneers of the industry were determined and diligent, inviting well-educated speakers to their annual meetings to learn the best methods of apple growing.

Grown close to the shores of Lake Ontario, the apples from Northumberland and Durham counties were put into barrels, shipped by train to Montreal and then taken by ship to the United Kingdom.

Today, the association is known as the East Central Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers. The book can be ordered for $20 by contacting Essence Publishing at 1-800-238-6376 or www.essencebookstore.com

Correction: Further to the news item on page 2 of the August issue, Vortex Packaging has worked directly with Loblaw Companies for two years to develop new packaging for tender fruits to address shrink and food safety issues. This summer’s launch was based on successful trials in pilot cities.

Phil Short, the developer, has 250 acres of tender fruit himself, lending grower expertise to the project.

NEWSMAKERS The Grape Growers of Ontario have announced that Joannie Rochette, Olympic skating bronze medalist, will be the feature speaker at the Scotiabank/Scotia McLeod Celebrity Luncheon.

The annual affair will be held at the Roma Club, St Catharines on September 15.

Left to right: Kimberly Hundertmark, Executive Director of the Niagara Wine Festival; Bill Schenck, 2009 Grape King; Debbie Zimmerman, CEO of the Grape Growers of Ontario; and, Matthias Oppenlaender, Vice-Chair of the GGO Board of Directors.

Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute has hired James J. Willwerth as its new viticulturist.

A quality services sensory coordinator with the LCBO, Willwerth brings a strong knowledge in vine physiology, cold hardiness, viticulture practices, soil/irrigation management and integrated pest management. Their new oenologist is Dr. George Kotseridis, who brings years of European expertise in wine flavour chemistry, fermentation, aging aroma compounds and winemaking technology. Most recently, he has been teaching at the Agricultural University of Athens in Greece.

OMAFRA has appointed a new Vegetable Crops Specialist based in Guelph, ON. Marion Paibomesai comes well qualified. She supported the specialist position as a summer student in 2006 and 2007. She will be advising on pests, diseases and minor use issues.

Also working on the OMAFRA horticulture file is Evan Elford as New Crop Development Specialist. Based in the Simcoe office, he is working on production and marketing information for new, non-traditional specialty and niche market crops including value-added processes. Before joining OMAFRA, he worked with a direct farm marketing association, an overseas agricultural project, the University of Guelph and a horticultural farm operation.

Congratulations to Jeff Aubry, Coyote’s Run Estate for the Grape Growers of Ontario Pinot Noir Award. His team received the kudos for the 2007 Red Paw Vineyard Pinot Noir.

In additional winery news, PondView Estate Winery has opened its premises in Niagara-on-the-Lake under the leadership of Luciano and Adriana Puglisi. Their opening will take advantage of consumer traffic coming for the Niagara Wine Festival, September 17 to 26.

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SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 3 THE GROWER

The promise and the peril Continued from page 1 This is a line more growers may be forced to walk since visible minorities are expected to increase to 63 per cent of the population in Toronto and 59 per cent in Vancouver by the year 2031. More surprising still is that this trend will be reflected in smaller urban centres as well, from Abbotsford, British Columbia at 39 per cent to London, Ontario at 22 per cent.

Some local growers already have personal experience with this cultural evolution. Take Stan Jackson, for instance. In the late 1970s, he served a large Asian population in Mississauga, Ontario, offering such delicacies as green pepper leaves to the Filipino population (the leaves are used like spinach). Catering to this market led Jackson to seed companies in San Francisco that specialized in meeting the produce needs of local ethnic communities.

Edible gourds, bitter melons, eggplants all became part of Jackson’s stock and trade with an accompanying learning curve on production practices. He learned to build trellises, for example.

“I got quite a taste of oddball produce,” says Jackson, citing his time-intensive experiment with okra. “They are very time-consuming to harvest every other day to deliver to the one-and-a-half inch requirement.”

Part of Jackson’s deepening reservoir of knowledge came from his own Mexican workers who work on his 12 acres near Ancaster, Ontario. One of the most common errors is to assume that

Callaloo - Amaranth Tricolor, Bayam, kulitis, Chinese spinach is a leafy vegetable used in soups or eaten steamed.

Presented by Davis Yung, Fresh Produce Inc., at Canadian Produce Marketing Association. May 2010. Source: Statistics Canada. each country has a homogeneous cuisine, he says. If you think that you’ll specialize in the Mexican market, think again. Mexico has 31 states and each has its own variation on ingredients and techniques.

“Each one of my workers has given me different clues depending on their native region,” says Jackson. Serrano peppers or jalapeno peppers may curry favour with some Mexicans while poblanos are very much in season

with others.

Over the years, Jackson has found that the so-called tropical plants thrive in southern Ontario.

“These crops are accustomed to high disease pressure, so it’s actually easier to grow them here in some ways,” he says.

“Genetically, they are stronger.”

Downy mildew, which may afflict Canadian cucumbers, is not a problem in some ethnic varieties.

(See page 30 for more on production practices.)

Before you plant an acre of okra, consider Jackson’s advice: • quiz your ethnic customer base on what they want and understand what regional cuisine their tastes are based on.

• research seed companies that supply tested seed. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds based in Mansfield, Missouri; Johnny’s Selected Seed and Stokes are good bets.

• figure out how to direct market to an independent, small to mid-sized Latin specialty store or Chinese

grocer • be prepared that certain ethnic communities may not want to deal with you and that they may buy their own farm acreage to supply their needs • start small • offer samples of these new foods to Caucasians looking to expand their diets • keep current with the food chain from customers to plant breeders.

Fuzzy Melon - Benincasa hispida var. Chien gu, also called fuzzy gourd or hairy gourd is used in soups and stir fries. It can also be filled and steamed.

Eggplant - Solanum melongena var.esculentum, aubergine, baingan, brinjal can be grilled, fried and baked.

Yard Long Bean - Vigna sesquipedalis, Chinese long bean or snake bean. The tender pods are eaten both fresh and cooked.

Okra - Abelmoschus esculentus, lady finger is primarily used in soups, stir fries and salads.

Ethnic produce, global markets To date, ethnic markets have been viewed by many growers to be closed communities and very little seems to be changing.

Spencer Chan has been growing Chinese broccoli, snow peas, baby bok choy and yu choy for 20 years in the Holland Marsh, north of Toronto. Starting with 10 acres, he has gradually amassed 21 acres of

his own and leases another 75 acres locally to supply his independent Asian grocers in Toronto.

Chinese farmers in the Marsh have immigrated over the years from China, each bringing a keen sense of how to coax the most from the rich muck soils for their produce. Ethnic or conventional, Marsh growers like Richard Wong

are no strangers to handpicked and hand-packed produce, frequently hiring labour from their own ethnic communities.

“Prices for ethnic produce have gone down over the last four or five years,” says Chan, “because of more local growers not cheaper imports. Retailers have more choice now and even though my

customers like my quality, the result is the same, lower prices for all of us.”

Retail demand for ethnic produce is growing because of immigration but, he points out, produce is also now available at traditional retailers that have never shown much interest in catering to ethnic markets. Although numbers

alone have moved mainstream grocers to start offering ethnic produce, more often than not it’s imported, not local.

Herein lies the peril. The same issues face growers in this niche market as with conventional produce. Down to the dollar, ethnic produce competes with global markets.

PAGE 4 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

CANADIAN APPLE INDUSTRY MEETING

Orchardist proves fruit wines as profit centre

By Karen Davidson Within sight of Lake Ontario and within a few miles of apple orchards, the Canadian Horticultural Council held its summer meeting in Oshawa. Some of those highlights are reported here or as part of the New Equipment and Technology section in this issue (see page 15). For more details, contact Joe Sardinha, Chair, Apple Working Group and President, BC Fruit Growers’ Association.

For Fred Archibald, the math is simple. 100 bins of apples equals 5,000 cases of apple wine. The transformation equals profit.

Back in the early ‘80s, the equation wasn’t evident. Hailstorms for two consecutive years quickly changed the fledgling wholesale apple operation into a pick-yourown venture. Not unlike making lemonade from lemons, he started to press cider from hail-pitted apples. Today, Archibald’s Estate Winery near Bowmanville, Ontario makes more money from cider and apple wines than apples themselves.

“Wine is not perishable like fresh fruit,” says Archibald, who hosted the annual Canadian Horticultural Council Apple Working Group tour in early August. “Everything we do drives

Charles Stevens, (R) Wilmot Orchards, talks about pest management issues with the Apple Working Group on a tour of his farm near Newcastle, ON. traffic to the winery.”

The surprise tactic is a ninehole, four-acre golf course, smack dab in the middle of the orchard.

Due to the family-friendly rates, customers are lured back time and again for a round while kids golf for free. A ladies’ league priced at $240 for 20 weeks is an especially clever hook. Everyone checks in at the bakery/winery and usually checks out with apple pies, fruit wine and apple-themed gifts.

Getting planning approvals for the golf course took determination

and some savvy to amend municipal bylaws and Durham Region’s official plan. “It was the same procedure as if I was constructing a 40-story building,” says Archibald. As an urban planner in an earlier life, he had a skill set that was handy for moving the process along.

Since he installed the golf course six years ago, the plan has paid off with repeat visitors and corporate tournaments. What better way to kick off the spring season than a wine and food

festival the last Saturday of May to coincide with apple blossoms.

After a busy summer catering to the Cider House Golf Course, Fred and Sandy Archibald kick into gear for the pick-your-own apple operation. Although they run school tours for kindergarten to grade-three school children, Archibald is careful about being authentic in his approach. He experimented with a petting zoo but quickly realized that livestock had never been part of his resume, so he discontinued the attraction.

“We’re not a Disneyworld farm,” he concludes.

The Archibald’s Estate Winery has its busiest season in December. As one of only 15 fruit wineries in Ontario, he has experimented with apple-cranberry and apple-sweet cherry combinations, linking with Ontario growers for the fruit inputs. If he adds a new wine to the list, he deletes one, keeping the line-up of 15 offerings fresh and in tune with flavour trends.

A surprising addition to the dry list is a black cherry and currant fruit wine, a counterpoint to the perception that all fruit wines are sweet. According to his website, www.archibaldswinery.com, he is also experimenting with a Honey Crisp wine. His best seller is a

hard cider containing tart McIntosh and Ida Red apples. With 6.2 per cent alcohol, this cider is priced at $10.95 for a 750 ml bottle. His caveat is simple: always use Ontario-grown fruit.

With a heritage from Vineland in the Niagara peninsula, Fred Archibald has mixed production knowledge with marketing acumen for a smooth-tasting result.

Fred Archibald shares his orchard marketing practices with the Apple Working Group on a tour of his Archibald’s Estate Winery, Bowmanville, ON

The G Great rea e Lakes eat Lakes Fruit, F itt, Vegetable Frui Veeget Ve etta table and nd Farm FFaarm Market Market e EXPO EXPO December 7-9, 2010 DeVos Place Convention Center Grand Rapids, Michigan

www.glexpo.com ww w ww.gle expo.c .com

The PREMIER SHOW for fruit and vegetable growers and farm marketers!

• 4,000 people from 41 states and 10 Canadian provinces attended in 2009 • Informative education program for fruit and vegetable growers and farm marketers – 48 education sessions and workshops over three days • Large trade show – last year’s show had 394 exhibitors covering four acres of exhibit space • Pre-conference bus tour for farm marketers on Monday, December 6

s u l P

The Michiga Michigan an G Greenhouse reenho ouse G Growers ro owe wers ers Ex Expo • 450 greenhouse growers from 26 states and 3 Canadian provinces attended in 2009 • Three days of education sessions and workshops for greenhouse growers • Many greenhouse vendors in the trade show • Greenhouse growers bus tour on Thursday, December 9

One registration fee covers both conferences and the trade show!

(Specified workshops and tours require an additional fee)

On-line registration starts September 27. Register by November 12 to save on registration fees.

Visit GLEXPO.co GLEXPO.com om for registration registration, n, program and ot other her information.

Call 734-677-0503 734-677-050 03 for fo registration questions or to re receive eceive registration and program information info formation by mail.

Call 616-794-04 616-794-0492 492 ffor or informatio information n on exhibiting in n the trade show.

SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 5 THE GROWER

As the apple world turns, Canada guards its sliver of the pie “We live in a global village,” says Farid Makki. “We are not insulated from China which is ramping up apple production.”

That’s the message that Makki delivered to the Canadian Horticultural Council’s Apple Working Committee in early August. He’s Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s point person for the fruit industry as Senior Market Development Advisor based in Vancouver. As his chart shows (right), about 43 per cent of the world’s apples are now grown in the Middle Kingdom.

Planted area is stabilizing, says Makki, but yields and productivity are increasing. That said, production costs are rising throughout the Chinese system.

Closer to home, the U.S is focusing on sustainability for the future. The program of the U.S. Apple Outlook Conference, August 19 and 20, proved this mantra with a panel devoted to Apples 2020. Already, Washington state’s apple growers and shippers have released estimates of a record fresh apple crop of 108.8 million cartons for the 2010-11 year, about five million more than last season. British Columbia’s apple growers live next door and will feel the full effects first.

“This level of overproduction is expected to undercut prices in Canada,” says Joe Sardinha, President, BC Fruit Growers’ Association.

With these global factors in play, there is no protection for producers other than innovation in every aspect of the chain. Makki says it’s more important than ever to be aware of what’s happening around the world and to adopt best practices and adapt. Italy, for example, is reorganizing with new technology and marketing tools such as club programs, protected geographic indicators, new apple varieties and brands.

Other European countries are not faring so well. France continues to see a decline in planted acreage with a decrease in the number of producers and volume of exports. Poland can be consistently counted on for low-price apples and, to date, an inability to modernize its production and marketing system. To the east, Russia needs capital to modernize its apple industry with production fluctuating year to year.

Size has nothing to do with success. Chile is an example worth watching. It’s a relatively small country in South America that has expanded fruit production generally and is now expanding apple acreage specifically. Its template, built on grapes, is now taking advantage of its investments in the latest technology to meet stringent export standards.

Makki says B.C. trade missions to Chile have come home “wowed” by the vision and strategy of the apple industry there.

Interestingly enough, Canada is currently negotiating a free trade agreement with Chile – an agreement that can only hasten trade in

fruits.

Canada’s sliver of the apple pie, so to speak, is challenged by lowcost producing countries such as Chile. Appreciation of the Canadian dollar has not helped in this competitive marketplace. Domestically, Canadian consumption of apples is stagnating or declining with heavy pressure from other exotic fruits. Greater retailer consolidation and expectations weigh heavily on the industry as growers bear the burden of increasing production costs.

Given this environment, Makki points out opportunities to increase orchard productivity with high-density plantings producing consumer-desirable varieties.

Marketing efforts need to strengthen consumer appeal of apples by emphasizing health and fun benefits, as well as the “buy-local”

experience.

Makki earmarks new export market opportunities in Russia, Middle East and India – all very different cultures and economies.

By selecting the markets with the lowest risk/highest reward potential, he feels that sales can be made. Building a brand or trademark around Canadian products is a wise investment. To think big, think about marketing alliances and partnerships with those who already have local knowledge.

Looking outside the apple fraternity to other Canadian success stories, one would think of prairie pulses. These edible seeds – lentils, chickpeas and kidney beans - don’t have much profile on domestic menus, but Canada is number one in the world in global exports. Guess what country is the biggest buyer? India.

2008 World Production: 69.6 Million Metric Tonnes

Source: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAOSTAT)

PAGE 6 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

Old greenhouse technique used for new lettuce crops

By Karen Davidson Canada’s greenhouse industry employs a raft of environmentcontrolled, energy-efficient technology to grow tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. British Columbia’s Scott Pelton of Fable Farms takes the sophisticated science a step further with three acres of lettuce using nutrient film technique (NFT).

The computer-controlled system regulates a shallow stream of water containing dissolved nutrients past the bare roots of the growing plants at just the right flow rate and depth in a watertight channel. The nutrient-rich film of water speeds plant growth while the thick root mat’s upper surface is exposed to oxygen. All the plant’s needs are uniquely balanced for optimal growth. To boost production, operators must choose the proper channel slope, flow rate and channel length to suit their crop.

While NFT is not new, Pelton has modified the system for different varietal types of lettuce. Two acres of his Pitt Meadows, B.C. greenhouse are devoted to butter lettuce alone. Using seeds sourced from Holland, he plants 40,000 to 50,000 seeds per week in a peat moss substrate before moving them to the water channels.

Producing 52 weeks a year, he utilizes supplementary high-pres-

Scott Pelton shows some of the butter lettuce grown at Fable Farms, Pitt Meadows, B.C. Canadian greenhouse lettuce production is valued at $22 million per year. sure sodium lights during short days and dark weather to compensate for the often overcast skies of the “Wet Coast.”

The NFT system has worked so well that Pelton is now experimenting with Swiss chard and salanova, new, multileaved lettuce types that are available in different leaf shapes and colours. The heads separate easily into bite-sized leaves ideal for salads and sandwiches. The convenience

factor makes it attractive for families looking to cut down on preparation time.

In the winter months, his lettuce production can earn up to one dollar per head, falling back to 50 to 60 cents per head in the summer. The Oppenheimer Group manages sales to retail and foodservice customers in British Columbia, Alberta and Washington state.

“The beauty of this lettuce is

that we trim the roots and no washing is required,” says Pelton.

“The product goes straight to retail in a recyclable clamshell or plastic bag. We don’t require the produce handlers touching it because it’s protected, and has increased shelf-life due to the fact it is still alive with the root on.”

Hydroponically grown lettuce appears, at the outset, to be a no-brainer for food safety reasons.

However, the recyclable clamshell

costs 25 cents alone, an expense that must be passed along as cost of business. Retail markup results in a further price increase of 50 cents on the packaging, says Pelton. With delicate butter lettuce, margins are tight competing against California bagged lettuce.

“We’re now looking at vertical flow packs,” says Pelton. The $100,000 machine can produce pillow bags which would be ideal to protect the cooled lettuce, while reducing the level of packaging. The investment, still in the research phase, would also help to mechanize the labourintensive operation.

“At this time, we can grow more than we can sell,” says Pelton. New technology is helping to produce healthy and safe food, but now the challenge is to package and market it.

Salanova

SPECIES AT RISK

Farm Incentive Program

New Environmental Cost-Share Funding Opportunity for Farmers A new cost-share program linked to the Environmental Farm Plan is in place for farmers who take action on selected environmental Best Management Practices that play a key role in contributing to a healthy and diverse environment as well as helping sustain production and profitability on the farm.

Financial support for Best Management Practices including:

For details contact: Your local OSCIA Program Representative or 1-800-265-9751 or visit www.ontariosoilcrop.org

MNR PHO TO

Upland and Riparian Area Habitat Management Erosion Control Structures in Riparian Areas Shelterbelt and Native Vegetation Establishment Resource Planning

OSCIA PHOTO

• • • •

K. SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 7 THE GROWER

Board briefs Following are highlights from the OFVGA board meeting held July 15, 2010. The purpose of this brief is to keep you up to date on the issues that the OFVGA is working on, as well as projects and initiatives the organization is involved in.

And be sure to check out OFVGA’s new website at www.ofvga.org and sign up to receive news updates to your inbox as soon as they are posted!

Crop Protection Grower Requested Own Use (GROU) – The GROU committee met with PMRA to provide feedback on how the program is working. The program was established to replace the old Own Use Import (OUI) program as a way of equalizing price discrepancies on crop protection products being sold both in Canada and the United States. It allows farmers to apply for a special permit to bring a product into Canada from the U.S. for their own use as long as the product sold across the border is identical to the one being sold in Canada.

For growers, the GROU success story this year is PURSUIT almost 500 GROU import permits were issued to farmers in western Canada this year, resulting in the cost of the product dropping from $930/jug to $580/jug. Currently, 17 products are on the approved GROU importation list. OFVGA Minor Use Specialist Craig Hunter reported that new horticulture products were added to the approved list this year based on submissions made by OFVGA. See the complete list of approved products here: http://www.hcsc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/agri-commerce/import/_grou-piapda/indexeng.php.

New minor use registration – A minor use registration for Quintec has been approved in Ontario.

Quintec is a powdery mildew product that is the first Group 13 fungicide approved in Ontario.

This means growers can rotate this

product with any other mildew product to keep resistance from developing. It has been approved for use in cucurbits, stone fruit and small fruits.

bank to open your account.

OMAFRA numbers show less than 60 per cent of Ontario farmers have taken advantage of the 2008 AgriInvest program.

Ontario Pesticide Advisory Committee (OPAC) – Long-time OPAC chair Clay Switzer is stepping down. A new chair will be appointed by the provincial government. OPAC’s mandate is to advise the Minister of the Environment on matters relating to pesticides and pest control and provide recommendations on pesticide classifications.

Enhanced AgriInvest – The Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council (OACC) technical committee met to discuss what an enhanced AgriInvest program could look like so that staff from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) could prepare some cost estimates. The committee agreed on a definition of allowable net sales, picked four allowable matching contribution levels of three, four, five and six percent and cap levels of 1.5 million, 3 million and no caps. Based on these parameters, OMAFRA is preparing a report that will go back to OACC and commodity organizations.

Product registration data requirement changes – Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) and CropLife Canada have been working on changes to simplify the data manufacturers are required to submit to PMRA for a product to become registered.

The required data will be more subjective and include value of the use of product in addition to just efficacy data. It will be a simpler document that can include data from other jurisdictions or from other uses the product is already approved for. To date, manufacturers have been required to conduct their own field trials in Canada to generate data. OFVGA has been pushing for this change since 2001.

Proposed changes to data protection rules – New rules governing data protection for pesticides came into effect on June 23. They provide manufacturers 10 years of exclusive data protection and the possibility for an additional five years if they add up to 15 minor uses to their product registrations.

Federal Provincial Territorial (FPT) ministers’ meeting – The news release of the most recent FPT meeting of agriculture ministers recognized that current programs are not working, which opens the door for work to develop alternative programming.

In conjunction with the FPT, the federal government announced $450 million in funding for floodravaged prairie farmers through the AgriRecovery program.

Affected farmers will receive $30/acre on top of what they could qualify for through other programs such as crop insurance. At last report, 12 million acres of land are unplanted in Saskatchewan this year, with 750,000 acres unplanted in Manitoba.

Labour New government legislation requires all workplaces in Ontario to have a policy on violence and harassment in place. The policy must be clearly posted and explained to all employees. This legislation applies to farm employers as well. The Farm Safety Association has information on the legislation and how to implement it on-farm available on its website: www.farmsafety.ca/ pages/work_voilence.html.

Chair’s Report OFVGA Chair Brian Gilroy attended numerous events this spring on behalf of OFVGA, including a fundraiser for provincial agriculture minister Carol Mitchell in Toronto on May 31. He was present at Queen’s Park on June 3 when Conservative MPP Jim Wilson presented a resolution calling for the government to support Ontario farmers by implementing a business risk management program, and also attended a political networking event at Blue Mountain marking Wilson’s 20th anniversary as an MPP. Brian continues to be involved in discussions aimed at continuing the northern school

fruit and vegetable snack program in Ontario, as well as efforts to develop a national snack program.

Tornado damage update Stacey Cahill from Agricorp reported that Agricorp had its customer service program up and running within days of the tornado striking the Leamington area this spring. This is based on learnings from the tornado that struck the Meaford area last year. Agricorp has been tracking losses and damage as a result of the tornado, with the majority concentrated on greenhouse and tree fruit producers. Although it’s still too early to put a dollar figure on the damage, Cahill says 30 greenhouse growers and six tree fruit growers are reporting losses. OMAFRA is collecting information on all insured and uninsured losses – any producers with damage are asked to contact Agricorp with details.

OFVGA summer BBQ The OFVGA summer BBQ will take place in the Leamington area on August 18th. The day will include tours of various farming operations in the area.

Next board meeting date: Thursday, August 19, 2010.

Safety Nets AgriInvest - Safety Nets section chair Mark Wales reported that 2009 AgriInvest forms have not gone out yet. (See update on page 2) Banks are offering accounts for farmers for AgriInvest accounts.

Forms will have a PIN number that you will need to go to the

AgriInvest

Don’t miss out on 2009 AgriInvest benefits The AgriInvest program helps you manage small income declines on your farm. Each year, you can make a deposit into an AgriInvest account, and receive a matching contribution from federal, provincial and territorial governments. You can then withdraw the funds when you need them the most.

To participate in AgriInvest for 2009 you must: Ř submit your 2009 AgriInvest form; Ř open an AgriInvest account at a participating financial institution of your choice; and Ř make your deposit by the deadline shown on your AgriInvest Deposit Notice.

Application deadline for 2009 is September 30, 2010.

Please note: If you miss the deadline, you can still submit the form until December 31, 2010.

However, the amount used to calculate your maximum deposit will be reduced by 5% for each month (or each part of the month) that your application was submitted late.

For more information, call 1-866-367-8506 or visit www.agr.gc.ca/agriinvest.

PAGE 8 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

‘Pay less- live better’ is not a national food strategy

Brian Gilroy Chair, OFVGA The past eight months, I have observed the state of farming in Ontario.

Although Ontario’s farmers work efficiently and are some of the most productive anywhere, the ability of above average farmers to recover their cost of production from their market

returns, is becoming much more difficult.

I have learned recently that the Ontario Government has the right to control land, water and air use within Ontario. They have been very active developing policies to protect these resources. Our farmland must be preserved and zoning restrictions like the Greenbelt have been implemented which effectively prohibits the division of our best farmland. If society is going to demand that our land needs to remain farmland then I feel that society needs to do more to help make farming profitable. In the past few years government policy, however well intentioned, has dramatically increased the production costs of Ontario’s fruit and vegetable farmers. Quality demands are increasing, food safety and traceability protocols are being

implemented and our ability to do all of these things profitably is less likely. I believe that the profitability problem is much worse than predicted. Do the people of Ontario, of Canada want their food grown close to home? If they do, they need to be telling their politicians and grocery store operators that more needs to be done to support our farmers.

Recently the “Buy Local” campaign has been receiving significant government support and some of the major retailers have made statements like, “Of course we need to be supporting our hard-working farmers.” We need to get the message out there that more needs to be done. The retail and consumer focus on “Roll Back Prices” or “Pay Less – Live Better” have made it very challenging for farmers to pass the increased cost of growing and

harvesting food, on to the retailer.

We are a high cost-of-production country and somewhere else can grow our food a bit cheaper.

The government has dedicated a lot of resources to try and help Ontario’s farmers, but we are such a diverse group that what works for some will not work for all. The Ontario tree fruit sector has been studied at great length --every 10 to 20 years-- for close to a century now. The most recent study was part of The Orchards and Vineyards Transition Program. A Strategic Plan for the sector has been reviewed collectively by most of the value chain partners which include farmers, packers/marketers, processors, retailers, and government. There are very concrete action items. I sense an unwillingness to seriously consider ideas or activities that vary too much from the current

status quo. As an apple farmer with 23 years of experience the only thing I know is that no two growing years have been the same and that the status quo is threatening the sustainability of our tree fruit industry.

Despite a very challenging growing year in 2009 we produced a large crop of high quality fruit that will return less per pound than I received back in 1987. In 22 years, our cost of production doubled with labour rates going from $4.60 to $9.50 an hour.

I have used apples in many of the examples because they reflect my reality. The situation is very similar with a lot of other fruit and vegetable farmers. If we are serious about maintaining some degree of food sovereignty action must be taken soon.

More than just food production

Art Smith CEO, OFVGA There were two notable results that came out of the Agriculture Ministers’ Federal Provincial Territorial meetings held in July.

The first was the $450 million Agri-recovery program for prairie crop producers and the other was the acknowledgement that the current suite of Business Risk

Management programming is not working. This acknowledgement may not sound like much but it was only a few short months ago that the Federal Minister of Agriculture said 80 per cent of Canadian farmers were happy with the programs. To be fair these programs have paid out a lot of money over the years but there are a few questions. Is the money going to where it is needed? How can these programs better protect farmers from circumstances outside their own control?

I think most would agree that the majority of farmers in this country are not bad managers.

They simply cannot control the uncontrollable.

We have a system that penalizes farmers who are caught in long-term declines in commodity prices and profitability. Ten years ago when the Agricultural Policy

Framework was created there was a deliberate decision not to support poor farm management. There was nothing put in place however to protect the farmer when there were long-term sector problems.

While I agree with the rationale behind not wanting to support poor farm management I cannot agree with the apparent policy of not supporting farmers caught in sectors experiencing long-term declines.

Occasionally I hear someone ask why should government support sectors that find themselves in long-term declining situations? Maybe we should just abandon those sectors. After all just look at the manufacturing sector and how that has been down sized.

What we are talking about however is food production, food sovereignty, food safety and our

heritage and I believe that is worth protecting. In fact I believe government has an obligation to protect it through appropriate program design; and to date that design has proved to be most elusive.

Is it possible to develop a program that puts dollars where they need to go? To differentiate between poor farm management and long-term sector challenges?

A program that fits the goals and objectives for a better Canada?

I believe it is possible but to get there we need to establish what those goals are. It’s impossible to develop a suitable program if you don’t know what those goals are.

We have seen a shift in policy from risk management programs toward innovation. That approach is going to take time. Until we get there, we will need to have innovative safety net programming that

works to protect farmers from sector specific issues, flexible enough in design to adapt to the diverse needs of Canadian agriculture.

Hats off to Ontario Ag Minister Mitchell and others who have recognized the need but it will also take the federal government to embrace and accept their role in bringing these much needed changes about. Unfortunately, at least to date, there has been no willingness on their part to do so.

Canadian agriculture is more than just food production. It’s about food security, food safety.

Farmers create thousands of jobs, support local economies and a myriad of spin-off jobs while providing the basis for other industries to function and thrive . . . And that is why we need to protect it!

For what it’s worth, it is the way I see it!

Tis the season for garlic festivals!

Mark Wales Garlic Growers’ Association of Ontario

As I write this, I am one day away from the Newmarket Garlic is Great Festival, and just home from attending the Perth Lions Garlic Festival last weekend. We will now look forward to the Stratford Kiwanis Garlic Festival on Saturday September 11.

Garlic Festivals are a great way to meet some of the best customers we have. People love to see all the different varieties as well as all the different ways to prepare and store our crop. Also since some festivals twin with a local farmers’ market, customers can buy produce to cook with garlic: fresh tomatoes,

eggplant, herbs and spices. Everyone can sample different ways of preparing garlic and make their once-a-year purchases and contacts for future requirements. Garlic is a great draw if you are thinking of getting a festival started in your area and, once established, can bring in thousands of customers.

The 2010 crop is now all harvested, dried and is all too quickly selling out. Some growers are already planting the 2011 crop in the north and those of us further south are thinking of cracking seed for planting early in October. This year the crop was reasonable with

STAFF Publisher: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association Editor: Karen Davidson, 416-252-7337, kdavidson@ecomente.ca Production: Carlie Robertson, ext. 221, production@thegrower.org Advertising: Herb Sherwood, 519-380-0118, hsherwood@cogeco.ca

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The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association is the sole owner of The Grower. All editorials and opinions expressed in The Grower are those of the newspaper’s editorial staff and/or contributor, and do not necessarily reflect the view of the association.

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

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The Grower is printed 12 times a year and sent to all members of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association who have paid $30.00 (plus G.S.T.) per year for the paper through their commodity group or container fees.

Others may subscribe as follows by writing to the office:

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some variation depending on local rainfall and growing conditions.

The demand for the crop can best be described as simply overwhelming! The demand for local fresh garlic has probably never been this great. The demand for garlic for seed for 2011 is even greater. Consumers, after years of being served up only crap from China, are demanding locally grown garlic.

Every week new requests for garlic seed come from as far away as Nova Scotia and British Columbia.

With the current demand for

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Vice-Chair Fruit Director Veg Director Director

Brian Gilroy, Meaford Mac James, Leamington Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-Lake Jason Ryder, Delhi Len Troup, Jordon Station

Apples Fresh Vegetable - Other Tender Fruit ON Asparagus Grws’. Mkg. Brd. GGO/Fresh Grape Growers Fresh Vegetable - Muck ON. Potato Board Small Fruit/Berries ON. Ginseng Growers’ Greenhouse

Brian Gilroy, Meaford Jason Ryder, Delhi Len Troup, Jordan Station Lonnie Duwyn, Delhi Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-Lake Jason Verkaik, Bradford Mac James, Leamington Norm Charbonneau, Port Elgin Doug Bradley, Tillsonburg Jim Veri, Exeter

seed, your association will be looking at production from bulbuils as a way for growers to make extra seed available in the long run, while also dealing with issues around bulb and stem nematodes. We will have a small amount of “clean seed” available to plant from our research project at New Liskeard. We will be working with researchers at Ridgetown to get advice for planting and raising garlic from bulbuils and will get this posted on our website at www.garlicgrowers.on.ca as quickly as possible.

OFVGA SECTION CHAIRS Crop Protection Research Property Labour Safety Nets CHC AGCare/Nutrient Man.

Charles Stevens, Newcastle Harold Schooley, Simcoe David Lambert, Niagara-on-the-Lake Ken Forth, Lynden Mark Wales, Alymer Murray Porteous, Simcoe Charles Stevens, Newcastle

SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 9 THE GROWER

Greenhouse Growers respond The August issue of The Grower contained an article entitled “The value equation,” which offered a very one-sided perspective on the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Grower’s (OGVG) request to the Honourable Carol Mitchell, Minister of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs for changes to the container tolls to reduce the excessive and inordinate share borne by greenhouse growers.

The OGVG’s request for a toll reduction was certainly not intended to suggest that greenhouse growers see little or no value in Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) membership, as inferred in the article. In fact, as the OFVGA Board and CEO are well aware, greenhouse growers see great benefit from some OFVGA

activities on issues common to both field and greenhouse production, such as those relating to labour and pesticides. However, greenhouse growers also face many challenges not common in field horticulture that, for varying reasons, have little or no priority on the OFVGA agenda. As a result, in growers’ minds, the benefits of OFVGA membership simply do not justify 227 growers paying 45 per cent of the container tolls used to fund the OFVGA. It is important that all OFVGA growers understand that this request was made only after extensive efforts to secure improvements to the OFVGA’s accountability and governance structures. These efforts included one-on-one discussions, motions

COMING EVENTS 2010 September 4

Bittersweet Farm Big Brothers, Big Sisters Family Fund Day, Straffordville, ON, 10 am-6

September 9, 10

Shores of Erie International Wine Festival, Amherstburg, ON

September 14 – 16 Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock, ON September 15

Ontario Produce Marketing Association 2010 Produce Industry Golf Tournament, Nobleton Lakes Golf Club, Nobleton, ON

September 15

Grape Growers of Ontario Scotiabank/Scotia McLeod Celebrity Luncheon, Roma Club, St. Catharines, ON

September 17 – 19 Packaging Summit 2010, Queen’s Landing, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON September 18

Stratford Garlic Festival, Stratford Fairgrounds, ON

September 21 – 25 International Plowing Match, St. Thomas, ON October 2

Apple Day Open House, Simcoe Research Station, Simcoe, ON 1 – 4 pm

October 13

Women in Agri-Business Symposium, Springfield Golf and Country Club, Guelph, ON

October 15 – 18

PMA Fresh Summit, Orlando, Florida

October 16

Holland Marsh Soupfest, Springdale Christian Reformed Church, Bradford, ON

October 21

Ontario Harvest Gala, Delta Guelph Ballroom, Guelph, ON 6:30 pm www.ofac.org

November 5 – 14

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON

November 12

Ontario Produce Marketing Association Annual Gala Event, Liberty Grand, Toronto, ON

November 12, 13

Saskatchewan Green Trades Saskatoon Inn, Saskatoon, SK

Conference,

at the OFVGA Annual General Meeting, and independently facilitated discussions before representatives of the Farm Products Marketing Commisson and OMAFRA. As the OFVGA’s Board and CEO know, these efforts have yielded no meaningful or substantive changes to the OFVGA’s governance and accountability mechanisms. All efforts for achieving progress through direct discussions with the OFVGA Board have failed.

It is critical to understand that the OGVG Board has been pursuing these changes at the request of, and with the full support of, our membership.

OGVG growers have asked their Board repeatedly to attempt to make the OFVGA more aware of and responsive to greenhouse

issues. The OFVGA CEO was in the room at the OGVG Annual General Meeting in October 2008 when our growers’ frustration with the lack of progress led to the successful resolution seeking to sever the OGVG’s ties with the OFVGA. Our growers ask their Board about our success in securing change at every opportunity. This is often the first issue raised at our regular grower meetings and committee person meetings.

Finally, it is important that all growers understand that a marketing board’s accountability to the membership for the fees it collects is very real and direct; the OFVGA has no direct accountability to growers for the container tolls they collect. Growers who are unhappy with their marketing

board’s fee structure or spending decision have regular democratic opportunities to change those policies by voting in other directors who support their views.

There is absolutely no such link between the container tolls growers pay and their membership in the OFVGA; a grower who chooses to end their membership in the OFVGA will still be required by provincial statute to pay the tolls, and has no power to change the rates regardless of whether they are satisfied with the OFVGA Board’s performance or results.

Sincerely, Len Roozen, Chair Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers

PAGE 10 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

Even local food can’t save a deep-fried diet

Owen Roberts University of Guelph I’m a big fan of local food and its potential impact on fruit and vegetable growers, especially those who sell at farmers’ markets or roadside stands, or even grocery stores who support their area farmers and pay them accordingly.

I believe the local food movement is having a positive effect on food awareness overall, and prompting some people to take a new interest in agriculture.

They’re not getting the whole picture if they think local food is all they need to know about

farming. But it’s a great entry point, because it’s attainable and understandable.

More farmers are offering tours of their grounds and facilities where possible, to bridge the gap between city and country. That’s fighting the good fight. These efforts speak of the need for ongoing public relations training, knowing how to control an agenda, whatever it might be, and answer tough questions constructively.

Consumers need to be reminded, though, that local food is not a panacea for good health.

I’ve seen surveys that suggest people think local food is better for them than the alternative. And that may be true, as the food makes its way up to the farm gate.

But after that, a lot depends on the consumers themselves. They, or processors, can turn local food into a dietary disaster as easily as food from anywhere.

My perspective is influenced greatly by a recent trip through Memphis. The city sports a fascinating mix of culture, agriculture and food, all tied closely

together by the poor sharecroppers who moved into the city and brought with them their music – which would become known as the delta blues -- and their menus.

Some found a better way of life. But prosperity eluded many of those who arrived in the city, creating a legacy that Memphis can’t shake. Today, it’s one of the poorest cities in the U.S., with nearly one-quarter of the residents living below the poverty line.

That’s about twice the U.S. national average.

It’s also one of the most sedentary of America’s largest metropolitan areas, as well as one of the most obese. Southern-hospitality style food consumption is part of

the culture, at homes and in restaurants. So much of it is fried - chicken, fish, steak, oysters, you name it.

And let’s not forget other notable indulgences, such as Elvis’s peanut butter and banana sandwiches, which in bulk feature a half-stick of butter. Graceland sells fridge magnets with the recipe.

To people from Memphis, that’s local food in the traditional sense.

In Canada, we have our own misguided cultural food icons (poutine quickly comes to mind).

But we also have an incredible foundation for healthy food, should we make that choice,

thanks to farmers’ efforts. They do their job with aplomb, making sure we have all we need, at a price we’re willing to pay.

It’s up to us to determine what happens to food after it leaves the farm. For example, health authorities want us to eat less salt.

I speak to people all the time who say they’ve put away the salt shaker in favour of spices. But they still feel helpless because many processors are slow in reducing salt content.

In fact, it seems that no matter where you look, it’s not the onfarm production methods or the raw commodities that make food a problem -- rather, it’s the processing, manufacturing, preparation and consumption. Combine that with inactivity, and obesity moves in fast.

As consumers, we can’t keep eating food willy nilly without paying attention to nutrition and exercise. Let’s learn from Memphis. We can only hope to have its rich culture. But we need to try to avoid the pitfalls that come with too much of a good thing.

Grower pesticide residues misleading

Lilian Schaer AGCare We’re in the middle of prime fruit and vegetable season. The heat and sun of the summer bring with them roadside stands, farmers’ markets and local food stores brimming with fresh, Ontariogrown produce. I, for one, as someone who supports local food production and values Ontario’s farmers, am in my element as I’m revelling in the seasonal bounty of our fields.

But this season also annually gives new life to the ongoing debate about whether or not we should be using crop protection

materials in our food production.

Earlier this summer, a U.S. activist group released its yearly list of fruits and vegetables they say consumers should avoid because they contain the highest levels of pesticide residues.

The list, which included consumer favourites such as peaches, strawberries, blueberries, apples and cherries, garnered considerable negative media attention and counselled consumers that the only safe alternative was to buy organic.

The underlying message was that fruits and vegetables produced by conventional methods, which include the use of crop protection, are not safe – a message, in my opinion, that is pretty misleading and certainly doesn’t tell the whole story.

Now I’m not anti-organic by any means. Part of the beauty of our country is that we have choice – choice as farmers to grow what we want and choice as consumers in what we’re able to buy. But I’m also pretty sure we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the plethora of delicious, nutritious and yes, affordable produce if farmers,

both conventional and organic, weren’t able to use a variety of methods to protect their crops against pests and diseases.

What’s important is that we need to keep everything in perspective, including how we assess and portray risk. And that can be difficult in our current environment. The media love a sensational headline that can evoke a reaction from its audience – and our fast-paced 24-hour news cycle can make it impossible to take the time to properly investigate or analyse what research findings and scientific test results actually mean.

Residue testing is one such example. Twenty years ago, we tested things such as water and food for trace residues of contaminants and measured those traces in parts per million. Today, our testing equipment has become so sophisticated that we’re measuring in parts per billion and even parts per trillion. This means we’re pretty much guaranteed to find something – but that’s when we need to step back and evaluate what that finding actually means.

A recently released review of

the above-mentioned list by a U.S. panel of experts concluded that, yes, residue levels were found on those fruits and vegetables. But those residue levels were below the accepted, legal minimums set by government. The fact that we’re finding them at all is due to our ability to detect ever-smaller product traces and not because the levels are unacceptably high. The experts also concluded that there’s little evidence to suggest that there’s a significant difference in the nutritional quality of organic foods over those grown using conventional methods.

Here at home, farmers in Ontario alone have reduced their use of crop protection products by more than 50 per cent in the last two decades. And consumers across the country are generally confident in our home-grown food supply and think farmers are doing a pretty good job at growing our food responsibly. In fact, a Canadian national study on consumer attitudes towards farming and food production conducted by Ipsos Reid last year showed that nine in 10 Canadians feel their food is safe.

When you have the chance, talk to your customers – wherever you might encounter them – about how you grow your produce. You are their most direct connection to their food and as a farmer, you have the credibility that comes from firsthand experience about what you do on your farm and why. The way I see it, someone who works with crops every day and eats the foods that they grow has much more authority on this issue than a one-sided list that doesn’t tell the whole story.

AGCare, Agricultural Groups Concerned About Resources and the Environment, is a coalition of farm organizations committed to communicating about agriculture and the environment. AGCare is the environmental voice of Ontario’s 45,000 crop and øøhorticulture farmers.

Save the date! The third annual Ontario Harvest Gala will be held October 21st – where an exciting new charity dedicated to agricultural awareness and education will be launched this year. Visit www.ofac.org for details.

SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 11 THE GROWER

OFVGA SUMMER TOUR AND BBQ

Essex County Associated Growers banded together to produce this “Buy Local” map for a brochure and a website that links consumers to crops in season. Their 60th Annual Trade Show will be held November 23 and 24.

F RUIT & V EG – it’s Showtime!

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, November 5 - 14 Nobody grows ‘em better than you do?

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is your chance to go head-to-head with the very best our country can produce.

Here are this year’s dates for Entries and for Judging – better get going, and good luck growing!

P OTATO E S Tuesday, Nov 2nd, 4:00 pm V E G E TA B L E S Wednesday, Nov 3rd, 10:30 am APPLES Thursday, Nov 4th, 1:00 pm G I A N T V E G E TA B L E S

Photography: Michelle Dunn

CORN STALK, SUNFLOWER & AMARANTH BY HEIGHT WATERMELON BY WEIGHT GIANT PUMPKIN OR SQUASH CHALLENGE

Wednesday, Nov 3rd, 7:00 pm ALL OTHER CLASSES

Saturday, Nov 6th, 11:00 am Entries Close Monday, Oct 18th For entry forms, complete program, hotel, tour & ticket information, visit our website.

www.royalfair.org

PAGE 12 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

OFVGA SUMMER TOUR AND BBQ Tomato producers tap into Lake Erie’s fresh water

August 16 launched harvest of field tomatoes in the Leamington area. At the farm of Paul Tiessen, and his parents Martin and Suzanne, the mechanical harvester was staffed with a crew to manually discard the odd green tomatoes. About 10 days before harvest, the field is sprayed with Ethrel, which is derived from the plant hormone ethylene. This naturally hastens maturity and guarantees an even colour of all the tomatoes. Photos by Herb Sherwood.

A water permit and a 24-inch intake pipe built into Lake Erie have changed the lives of 13 growers in Essex County.

Standing at the pump house in Leamington, Wayne Palichuk explained the journey of seven years to pass all the regulatory hurdles, including the Great Lakes Charter. This summer, the paperwork is all worth it as the Leamington Area Drip Irrigation (LADI) group harvests 2,500 acres of processing tomatoes after a droughty season. The 36-kilometre pipeline has 60 “stand-ups” or water outlets as far north as 7.5 kilometres from Leamington.

Global Positioning Satellite technology allows the growers to lay down drip tape between the rows to optimize water penetration. Water rates are charged on a gallon per inch basis. In the second year of operation, the group has added two greenhouses to the system, a financially savvy move to amortize some of the costs over 12 months of the year.

With a long-term goal of keeping competitive with California -- which is quickly running out of water – the foresight of this group to tap into the freshwater of Lake Erie has been rewarded by the Premier’s Award of $100,000. It’s not quite the lottery given the cost to the growers of $7.5 million. Their winnings have been plowed back into a telemetry system to more accurately measure water flows and to communicate data to smart phones for timely valve shut-offs.

Extreme weather in Essex County pressures producers and prices As a fifth-generation farmer, Keith Wright values his heritage of 280 acres conveniently located in one block near Harrow, Ontario. He and his wife Susan cultivate everything from apples to asparagus, cabbage, peaches and melons.

At his location, all manner of weather has afflicted their crops. “First it was frost in May and then the tornado in June,” says Wright. “Then it was drought in July and bad markets in August.”

All the crops have been early. Despite plantings a week apart, all the melons have ripened at once and the distribution channels are full of not only melons but early peaches and plums. Wright is placing his hopes on his Red Delicious and Gala apples.

Other growers are still counting their losses from the tornado. Wright cites a neighbour who lost 100,000 peach seedlings. And greenhouses are still repairing roof damage.

Right: One call changes everything. The melon packing line ramped up to make a delivery from Wrightland Farms to the Ontario Food Terminal.

SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 13 THE GROWER

OFVGA SUMMER TOUR AND BBQ Specialty tomatoes expand the category Leamington has deservedly earned its title as Tomato Capital of Canada. Not only does Heinz and Sunbrite process tomatoes into paste and ketchup, but greenhouses hydroponically grow several kinds of fresh tomatoes. Traditional beefsteak and roma tomatoes still vie for a place in foodservice, while other gourmet tomatoes are capturing upscale restaurants and gourmet cooks.

At Prism Farms, Vic Tiessen and his sons Ryan and Mike specialize in Campari and Champagne tomatoes. With 7.2 acres under glass and 10.5 acres under double poly, their operation is devoted to tomatoes that can literally be found on the cocktail circuit from Chicago to Toronto to New York.

In summer months, a crop can go from bloom to harvest in six weeks. Under lower light conditions, the rotation is more like 10 weeks.

One of their challenges is to manage heating costs.

They have built boiler capacity to burn miscanthus, a fast-growing bamboo-like grass. To that end, they are growing miscanthus plugs to set out in the field with the hopes of expanding home-grown biomass. With 4,000 rhizomes per acre, they expect one or two tonnes of harvest in the first year. In the second year, the biomass should increase to three to six tonnes.

By year four, they expect to harvest eight to 12 tonnes of biomass. They calculate a need for 6,000 tonnes of biomass per year for their heating needs.

With these long-term plans in mind, the Tiessen’s have purchased equipment in partnership with Pyramid Farms to convert miscanthus into cube format for combustion. “We plan to be operational by the summer of 2011 supplying cubes to the greenhouse market for heating fuel,” says Mike Tiessen.

Viewpointe Estate Winery pioneers Essex’s own grape varietal Standing in the basement wine cellar of French oak barrels, Jean Fancsy readily admits that Viewpointe Estate Winery is slowly building its inventory of wine. About 12,000 cases per year to be exact since its vault was built in 2006. That compares to the 200,000 cases of wine that neighbouring wineries might produce a few miles away.

It’s all part of the Lake Erie North Shore and Pelee Island viticulture region where grape growers mix their art with agritourism. That is certainly the case with the Viewpointe facility that’s been designed for

hospitality functions, wine-tastings and food preparation courses. It’s also the site for a distance learning course from Niagara College that links budding vintners.

Under ideal economic conditions, proximity to the U.S. border is supposed to be a plus. However, American traffic was definitely softer in 2009 and is just starting to tick again. For Americans used to the sweeter grape varietals grown in Michigan, they will find a unique taste in the vinifera varieties grown and bottled at Viewpointe. A most unusual variety is Auxerrois, more traditionally known in the Alsace region of France. Seldom seen in Canada, the Viewpointe Auxerrois at 13 per cent alcohol offers a surprise alternative to its ancestral cousin, Chardonnay.

In addition to Auxerrois, one of Viewpointe’s undertakings is to breed a varietal that’s exclusive to Essex, weather-hardy and resistant to disease. The Fancsy’s pioneering work won the Premier’s award for innovation earlier this year.

Jean Fancsy

The tour group takes a moment to savour the latest issue of The Grower.

PAGE 14 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY Irrigation schedules can be modified with streamflow gauges Stories by Karen Davidson The summer of 2010 is as good a test as any of the irrigation challenges in a stressed watershed. In Ontario, the Innisfil Creek Water Users Association hosted an irrigation tour in mid-summer in 33 degrees Celsius. The objective was to show how various crops respond to heat and moisture stresses during extreme conditions. The group was formed just three years ago when the average water flow in Innisfil Creek, estimated to be 5,000 gallons-perminute during the summer, fell precipitously to 356 gallons-perminute, leaving many without adequate water.

This year, the group discussed best management practices including adopting a water management plan, using flow meters and developing groundwater sources from an aquifer that is not used in the household. The group viewed new

Weather station

Don’t miss the boat.

Stream flow

streamflow gauges that have been installed on the Innisfil, Bailey and Beeton creeks by the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA).

Growers can now access real-time streamflow data 24 hours a day. Access to this information can help with scheduling water takings to even out demand and reduce impacts to the environment.

The monitoring platform is completely off the grid, using solar power and broadcasting data directly to the Internet says Brian Smith, Water Resources Technologist, NVCA. The pole is made of three-inch tubing held in place by four feet of concrete in a 10-inch sauna tube. The housing is specifically fabricated to hold the equipment. Sensors are housed in the shelter to calculate depth by measuring back pressure from bubbles emitted from a hose in the streambed.

Are you planning to build a new livestock building?

Then contact us right away.

If you’re about to build a new livestock building, you owe it to yourself to check out the High Performance New Construction (HPNC) Program. It’s likely you could reap substantial benefits.

Visit hpnc.ca to find out how you can make your project qualify. Download the agribusiness worksheet to instantly see your potential incentive amount. Not only is it easier than you think—it can make your new livestock building healthier and more profitable for years to come.

‘

The HPNC program is one of those financial incentive concepts that actually works.

We got on board early and we’re already seeing a payback. Plus, the incentives are a real bonus. It was easy, and they made it happen for us. Paul Allen, Distribution Manager, Columbia Sportswear

’

Application Deadline - October 31, 2010

Contact us today. The rewards could be green – in more ways than one. For more information call 1-888-OPA-HPNC or visit www.hpnc.ca. Applications available online.

Around-the-clock monitoring is provided through a wireless modem and web hosting. The Solar Stream/Datagarrison companies manufacture the modems and store the data. The modems use Rogers-based GSM technology which is transferred at reasonable cost. Limited data download is available to all stakeholders. “We have found the company approachable for requests and troubleshooting and the website to be fast and reliable,” says Smith.

The amount of flow within the stream is determined by measuring the level of the water and comparing it to a corresponding table of measured flows at various levels.

Modern technology -bubbler/pressure transducer/data logger – measures the backpressure of bubbles from an orifice line to calculate the depth.

The irrigation tour brought many growers and government officials together to better understand the permit-to-take water process. Any grower or business wanting to take more than 50,000 litres of water per day must have a permit from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.

The Innisfil Creek area is wellknown for its crop production of potato, sod, carrots and onions which the 2006 census valued at about $10 million.

Seed of the Year finalists for 2010 Four seed varieties have been named finalists in the fifth annual Seed of the Year competition for eastern Canada, sponsored by the University of Guelph and SeCan. AC Rigodon oats, AC Gehl hulless oats, Estival lettuce and Yukon Gold potatoes are the 2010 finalists.

These varieties along with their breeders will be honoured at the eastern Canada Seed of the Year recognition event at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto in November. The winner will be announced at that time.

The event will be open to industry professionals, plant breeders, media and farming community members.

Through the Seed of the Year application process, breeders are encouraged to highlight their research accomplishments in developing a new field crop, forage, fruit, vegetable or herb variety. Any publicly developed Canadian variety is eligible to compete.

Entries were evaluated based on innovation, presence throughout the value chain, sustainability, marketability and overall impact on the Canadian agri-food industry.

SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 15 THE GROWER

FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY Looking inside apples to cull defects Algoma Orchards Limited is one of the first companies in North America to purchase and implement equipment to detect internal defects in apples. After certain storage time, an apple can appear healthy outside but it can present defects and brown marks when cutting, says Tom Coleman, Left: Tom Coleman, Algoma Orchards Ltd.

Algoma’s Retail/Food Account Manager.

“This system of full transmission – light which crosses the fruit right through – allows total visibility of the apple,” says Coleman. “Most systems on the market can only detect half or a quarter of internal problems.”

Installed in mid-summer just before the 2010 harvest, the Australian-manufactured Insight NIR

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“When we started into dairy goats, we purchased our equipment and set up our suppliers from those that we met during the Show. It’s always time well spent.”

M

(near infra-red) camera is non-invasive. It is positioned behind the “photo radar” machine which takes 64 pictures per second of each apple determining how each apple should be sorted for colour and size. The combination of these technologies allows Canada’s largest independent apple packing house to more nearly meet specific requirements of customers such as Loblaw, Wal-Mart and Costco.

This new equipment, manufactured by MAF-RODA, was demonstrated to the national Apple Working Group which toured the Newcastle, Ontario facility in early August.

M

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PAGE 16 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY Strawberry and vegetable growers answer to uniform straw coverage

How savvy are you about social media?

12 reasons why the BeddingPro is your best choice 1. It requires 40 hp, which means great fuel savings, and a minimum of dust and noise.

2. The compact design suits confined areas.

3. It offers controlled and uniformed distribution , which means less time and less waste.

4. Less waste means less product used.

5. Less product means you don’t harvest as much, or you have product to sell.

6. If you don’t need as much product, that is less you have to purchase.

7. Can be used on skidsteer or tractor.

8. BeddingPro shredes canary grass, straw, frozen bails, silage, and corn silage.

9. The BeddingPro costs a fraction of other brands.

10. Try and find another that can do all this at a weight of less than 1200 lbs!

11. It also has self loading, extra bail carrying capability, wide spreading option and hydraulic model.

12. It is well built, low maintance. and has no exotic parts.

If you don’t know the term “social media” then ask your teenager. It’s how the young generation is communicating through multiple channels. Recent media reports in the Globe and Mail even suggest that phones are becoming outdated for “talking.”

More data is now being transmitted by phone than voice mail for the first time in history.

Double R Manufacturing

help build your brand.

Waudware Incorporated, a software developer for the produce industry, has given permission to reproduce this quiz.

Take this quiz to see how much you know (or don’t) about social media outlets.

1. The second generation of development and design that facilitates info sharing and collaboration on the World Wide Web is referred to as . . .

For growers, these communication technologies present opportunities for faster, more accurate communication internally and externally. A smartphone can keep you connected to your field staff if you’re in the packhouse. A blog can communicate the start and the finish of your season to customers. A video can educate how you produce food safely and responsibly. All of these tools can

2. Web log is a . . .

3. Tool to share videos is . . .

4. Tool to share photos is . . .

5. Collaborative information hubs are called . . .

6. Search engine for blogs is . . .

7. Find friends and classmates, meet new people, listen to free music and build playlists, share photos, watch videos on . . .

8. A business-oriented site mainly used for professional networking is . . .

9. A service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters posted on the author’s profile page and delivered to subscribers is called . ..

10. A utility used to conduct live meetings or presentations via the Internet is called a . . .

6. Technorati 7. Facebook 8. LinkedIn 9. Twitter 10. Webinar

Answers: 1. Web 2.0 2. Blog 3. YouTube 4. Flickr 5. Wikis

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Vortex Packaging designs innovative containers for the produce industry with the retailer in mind and the grower as well. this package offers fruit that can't be touched by others at retail and presents well, it has also proven to increase shelf life by several days.

Vortex Packaging Niagara Inc. 3325 First Avenue Vineland Station, ON Tel. 905-562-4857 Fax 905-562-4291 Email: philshort@nbfproduce.com

SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 17 THE GROWER

FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY COFS hort highlights Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, held Sept 14 to 16 at Woodstock, Ontario, is an ideal place to scout new equipment and technology.

Here are some highlights specific to the horticultural industry.

The Kubota On Tour (KOT) Mobile Marketing Platform has been traveling across Canada since April. This specially designed, interactive, one-of-akind vehicle supports dealer special events and trade shows as well as offering training for customers.

In Support Mode, the public can experience interactive, touch screen electronic displays, watch videos via digital projection, purchase merchandise at the Kubota retail store, and receive expert advice on Kubota products at the customer information desk.

In Training Mode, the unit can train up to 20 people at one time, theatre style, using digital projection w/computer link and interactive electronic training

displays. www.kubota.ca Willsie Equipment Sales Inc. is a fruit and vegetable equipment company based in Thedford, Ontario. Their exhibit is close to the Celebrating Healthy Living Expo where horticulture-related exhibits can be found. www.willsie.com OnTrace Agrifood Traceability will be registering premises IDs on-site as well as offering traceability workshops. www.ontraceagrifood.com The ATV Test Track will be open to farmers to test-drive a range of all-terrain vehicles for their farms.

The Farm Credit Corporation will be launching its Drive Away Hunger campaign for September 20 to October 15. The goal is to collect 1,000,000 pounds of food for local food banks. www.fccdriveawayhunger.ca

A complete line of Veggie/Potato Equipment Parts including: * Sizing Chain * Belted Chain (webs) - All Makes * Kryptane Support Rollers * Terog Sprockets * Grading Stars & Foam Rollers * PTO Components * Grimme & Spudnik Parts

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3. RETURN them ALL to your local collection site to ensure no product is wasted.

For locations in your area, please visit our website.

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PAGE 18 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY Program can help make farm buildings high performance

By Ontario Power Authority Ontario farmers and other owners of agribusinesses are keenly aware of the need to control the costs of production. Construction of new facilities offers a unique opportunity to “build it better” – by taking advantage of new energy-efficient technologies that cost less when they are incorporated from day one and keep delivering energy and cost savings year after year.

Now there is a way to reduce the initial cost of investing in energy efficiency even more. The Ontario Power Authority’s High Performance New Construction Program (HPNC) was launched in 2008 to provide incentives for businesses to reduce their power demands. The goal is for the program to eliminate 50 megawatts of peak electricity demand across the province by the end of 2012.

This program is a great opportunity for agribusinesses to include energy-saving measures in the design and construction of new facilities – whether it’s a barn, maintenance shop, milling or processing centre, storage building, greenhouse or other structure related to agricultural production.

Significant renovations of existing facilities can also qualify for incentives.1 The HPNC is very easy to

access. It offers two streams – a “prescriptive” and a “custom.”

What this means is that applicants can choose from a menu of preapproved technologies with proven electricity savings or submit a project with a customized set of efficiency upgrades to apply for an incentive based on modeled electricity demand savings.

Qualifying applicants receive $250 for every verified kilowatt saved when they select from the list of pre-approved, “prescriptive” technologies and incorporate them in their building project.2 The list of pre-approved technologies includes many of the most important energy-saving opportunities in agricultural production: • standard prescriptive lighting measures – ENERGY STAR® compact fluorescent light bulbs, high-performance T-8 fixtures, T-5 fixtures, metal halide lamps and ballasts (meeting ANSI #M154 standard), and commercial-grade occupancy sensors • barn-specific prescriptives – energyefficient lighting, recirculation ventilation, creep heat pads, high temperature cutout thermostats, creep heat controllers, low-energy livestock waterers, and photocell and timer combinations to minimize daytime lighting operation

• natural exhaust ventilation and dual ventilation systems – across a range of applications including poultry, livestock and dairy operations as well as greenhouses.

Many of these measures not only lower energy costs but also enhance the comfort and health of farm animals and/or the quality of produce.

Enbridge Gas Distribution is delivering this program with help from Union Gas, and it is available across Ontario. Since the program goal is to reduce peak electricity demand, applicants don’t have to use natural gas in their construction projects to qualify. For those who are planning to use natural gas in new construction, however, there are opportunities to apply for added incentives through natural gas utility programs.

The HPNC program has

already proved popular with agricultural businesses. This sector accounted for 25 per cent of applications and 30 per cent of savings in the program’s prescriptive stream as of early 2010.

Agribusinesses planning new construction or major renovations still have time to apply to this program. HPNC program applications will be accepted for approval through to October 2010, and projects must be completed, evaluated and delivering energy savings by December 2012. Some other rules and conditions apply. Application forms as well as more information on project eligibility can be obtained from the HPNC website at www.hpnc.ca or by calling us at 1-888-OPA-HPNC. 1

A renovation must involve replacing at least two major building

systems and involve shutdown of the building for at least 30 days.

2

A prescriptive project must be eligible for a minimum of $1,000 in incentives.

Electricity conservation on Ontario farms is produced by the Ontario Power Authority to provide information about energy conservation and efficiency and innovative applications to help Ontario farmers better manage their electricity costs. This publication, available online at www.powerauthority.on.ca, examines a variety of technologies and best practices that improve farming operations and reduce energy costs. Your comments and suggestions are welcome. To have your name added to the mailing list, send an e-mail note to info@ powerauthority.on.ca.

SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 19 THE GROWER

FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY Customized computer software traces produce from field to commission house Although the Produce Traceability Initiative has backed off some of the aggressive milestones for this fall, shippers on the front line with international customers are forging ahead. Albert Streef, for one, has just installed new software at his Princeton, Ontario farm that makes Streef Produce compatible with the CanadaGAP accredited program.

The family firm has used The Produce Inventory Control System (PICS) for 10 years at the Ontario Food Terminal. It was purchased from and technically supported by WaudWare Incorporated. Now there’s an interface between the farm’s potato and snap bean production and the sales department in Toronto.

“The biggest challenge is identifying fields of production because they’re always in rotation,” explains Streef. “Step one is to identify the produce, its originating field and the volume.

The bulk truck picking up the harvested produce from the field must present that information for data input. The beauty of this system is that we always have an inventory of empty containers that are assigned lot numbers. In essence, we can keep better track of our container inventory as it’s

drawn down so we can replenish on a more timely basis. We no longer have to do physical inventory.”

Streef recognizes that new computer software always presents a learning curve. He assigned a university student to oversee the summer installation so that it would be ready for harvest.

“Food safety is a moving target,” says Streef. “The requirements to do business with Sobeys, Loblaw and Wal-Mart are getting more stringent all the time. So we might better have a protocol to follow that we understand from the outset.”

Charles Waud, President of WaudWare Incorporated, understands that while the produce industry wants to provide traceability, it must minimize the financial impact on business. It’s a delicate balance in deciding how much traceability is enough. In a company newsletter, Waud says that smaller farms and packing houses, if well-organized, can be proficient at traceability by labeling products as they arrive with a date code or unique identifier and then making note of what products went out on customer orders.

Computerization is not needed for businesses like these. However,

manual tracking systems can be outgrown with steady or cyclical volume increases or the addition of new products.

Here are two approaches to consider: Basic labeling. If you’re committed to traceability and decide to go with basic labeling, here’s how to proceed: • enter the information you wish to track (potentially the field or area that the product came from, what kind of product, date picked, date packed and other relevant information).

• store the information in a computer tied to some kind of identifier (lot code, Julian date, etc).

• print stickers with this identifier and any other desired information • label the product at either the item level, case level or pallet level When you ship the product to customers, the next step would be: • record the identifier (lot code, etc) that you shipped to each customer Complete inventory system The optimum way to implement traceability in any business would be to:

• record the products as they arrive into your inventory system and capture all of the information listed previously (field, area grown, vendor, etc) • If you sell the product in the form that you receive it, then the system will be able to keep track of which lot codes went to which customers.

• If you pack or repack product, the complexity increases because you need to keep track of the inputs that were used to make intermediate or final output items.

For example, let’s say you purchase cantaloupes and then you peel and cut them into chunks.

Those chunks become another item which should have a lot identifier that can be tracked to the original cantaloupes. Continuing on, let’s assume you take those cantaloupe chunks and mix them with pineapple and melon chunks, grapes and syrup to make fruit salad. The fruit salad would have another lot identifier in the system.

The system would automatically keep track of the fact that the fruit salad came from a number of different inputs.

Continued on page 20

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Eco-Light 21831 Cooks Road, Mt. Brydges, Ontario Office: 519-264-2708 John Pol: 519-868-4330 j.pol@sympatico.ca

PAGE 20 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY Customized computer software traces produce Working together with Data Media Data Media, World Wide Mailing Specialists and The Grower are working together to meet the needs of our clients.

On a recent tour of their facility in Oakville, Ontario, Carlie Robertson, Production Manager and Herb Sherwood, Sales Manager got to see first hand how their mailing operation works; from sorting to inserts, bundling and strapping and of course shipping.

Our Sales and Production Department both work very closely with Dave Campbell, General Manager, Data Media to ensure that The Grower and client inserts get delivered where and when they are supposed to.

As a Client you can target your market with The Grower by doing inserts by commodity, province or both. We can sort and deliver by postal code, do Post-it Notes and polybag your flyer, catalogue or promotional material.

The Grower, at 130 years is the oldest farm paper in print today.

It is the voice of the Ontario Fruit And Vegetable Growers Association and has a national circulation of 11,500 subscribers.

If you require more information please contact Herb Sherwood, Sales at 519-380-0118

Continued from page 19 If a fruit salad customer called with a problem, your inventory system has tracked all the information you need to quickly and easily identify all the customers who received the product affiliated with the problem. As well, you would be able to notify all the vendors of all the items used in the fruit salad. Attempting to keep

track of individual inputs like these without using a computer system would be virtually impossible.

A produce business can go from a simple manual system if needs are not complex, to a basic labeling-only system, to a full inventory system to keep track of everything.

Controlled atmospheres for individual pallets Storage Control Systems, Inc. has developed an entirely new system for micro controlled atmosphere storage, the Oyster.

This simple method over a pallet of produce extends the life by modifying only the atmosphere inside each individual pallet of produce.

Oxygen and carbon dioxide control can be monitored via external tubing connected to the pallet using quick-connect fittings.

Oyster Micro Controlled Atmosphere System This allows the tubes to stay in place while the pallet is removed from the cold store, and then available for the next sealed pallet to go into that store location.

Control can be accomplished manually or by a complete computer control system that can sample up to 100 pallets. Unique setpoints are programmable for each pallet.

For more information contact 1-800-487-7994.

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SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 21 THE GROWER

FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY Putting biofumigant cover crops to the test for orchard replant these sites will be replanted to apples next spring. Two project sites are in Norfolk County and the third site is in Essex County near Harrow. Cover crops of oriental mustard and pearl millet have been established.

Mustard growth has been a bit variable in the plots, depending on rainfall. The mustard flowers are quite attractive to bees. The field was just buzzing as samples were collected a few weeks ago.

Recently, the spring mustard crop was chopped and incorporated to release the chemical biofumigant from the plant tissues. It is critical A new project was started this spring looking at biofumigant cover crops during apple orchard renovation for replanting. There is a parallel project in tomatoes looking at biofumigant cover crops to reduce vine decline problems.

Chemical fumigants are expensive and under close environmental scrutiny. Biological

fumigant options like cover crops and organic amendments such as manure or compost offer some potential to suppress nematodes and disease complexes in apple and tomato production systems.

As part of the project, three apple replant sites were established in late spring/early summer.

The apple orchards were removed either last fall or this spring, and

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to incorporate the mustard immediately after chopping to reduce the loss of these volatile compounds. In mid-August, a fall crop of mustard was re-established for a late summer/fall cover for a second incorporation/ fumigation.

Pearl millet is a tall grassy plant which is a non-host for many nematodes. This warm-season plant has been enjoying the warm summer, growing more than 150 mm or five feet in some areas.

Recently, the millet was mowed at 30 cm (12 inches) tall to promote tillering and to keep the growth lush and easy to break down.

The plots will continue to be monitored and sampled over the next few years to track the growth of the new trees.

Biofumigant cover crops may not provide all the pest control growers would like to see. Only time and further sampling will tell.

However, the cover crops do help to improve the soil and build greater diversity in the soil life that is present. For more information on this project, contact: Anne Verhallen, Project Lead at anne.verhallen@ontario.ca or Leslie Huffman, Apple Specialist at leslie.huffman@ontario.ca

Testing new ways to control birds Ontario’s grape industry is testing a laser-scare system to prevent birds from stealing the vineyard crop. Just under trial this summer under direction of Hugh Fraser, OMAFRA ag engineer, the anti-avian device consists of two lasers which are adjustable for direction on a portable,15-foot tripod. The concept is to scare away birds without the noise of bird-bangers.

“We’re not sure if it will work yet,” says Fraser. “The question is whether it will work in the daytime when birds are feeding.”

The manufacturer is B.C.based Carpe Diem Technologies.

According to its website, the operator sets the speed and horizontal and vertical amplitudes. The system is powered by two gel pack batteries stored in a control box that are recharged during the day by a solar panel.

PAGE 22 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY Mechanized vineyard equipment cuts labour costs The meteoric rise in labour rates is motivating all growers to re-evaluate how to cut costs with mechanical aids. In the last couple years, grape growers are adopting two pieces of equipment that significantly shave those costs while offering additional benefits.

A leaf remover uses mechanical suction and cutting to pull the grape leaves away from the fruiting zone in a vineyard and cut them at the petiole. The idea is to expose the grapes to sunlight and allow them to fully express their characteristics. Increased air flow through the fruiting zone allows the fruit to dry more quickly and prevents rot and disease. When spray is required, it’s easier to penetrate to the fruit and therefore, more targeted and often less pesticide used.

Pete Buis, Glenlake Orchards and Vineyards, at Niagara-on-theLake, used this equipment for the first time in 2010. He grows 200 acres of grapes so knows from first-hand experience how labourintensive and time-sensitive the process is. Leaf trimming needs to be done early and quite often a second time before harvest.

“It was a huge labour savings to do this by machine rather than by hand,” says Buis. “Quality is improved at the same time.”

Return on investment for a double-sided machine in a 50-acre vineyard is about one to two years, says Joe Pillitteri, Lakeview Vineyard Equipment Inc. “Previous mechanical methods were more crude and would often cause berry damage that would negate any labour cost savings,” says Pillitteri. “The latest technol-

“With 60 per cent of our 260 acres in vinifera varieties, it was a big savings.”

The pre pruner cuts the tops of the vines into small pieces which are then mulched back into the soil. Previously, labourers had to cut, then pull the pieces out of the top wires. This was demanding work since the vines are often secured by tendrils.

The pre pruner ranges in cost from $18,000 to $34,000 depending on options and length of cutting disc barrel.

“We are an importer for

companies such as Gregoire and Pellence in France,” says Pillitteri.

“We count on their extensive R & D to bring us products that are essentially field-ready for North America. That said, we also end up making modifications to the machines to fit some growerspecific needs in our trade area.

For example, growers who experience increased vigour in their vines sometimes need sharper blades on their pre pruner to handle the increased volume of residual vine wood.”

The Gregoire DX 20 leaf remover. ogy comes from France which specializes in equipment for the grape industry. It uses advanced sensor mechanisms to allow optimal leaf removal with minimum fruit damage.”

Single-sided units without sensor technology cost about $14,000 and double-sided units are priced at about $26,000.

After harvest, a second piece of equipment comes into play: a pre pruner. It uses a set of cutting discs and cuts unnecessary canes off the top part of the trellis in a vineyard. As the driver approach-

es the row, the disc barrels spin and overlap, cutting the top 12 to 24 inches of dormant growth from the vines. When the disc comes to a steel post, the operator must press a button that temporarily opens the barrel and then releases it to pass the obstacle. Some models are equipped with an electronic eye that performs this function automatically.

Doug Hernder of Hernder Vineyards at Niagara-on-the-Lake used a pre-pruner for the first time in 2009. “It saves at least 30 per cent in labour,” says Hernder.

3 point hitch P.T.O. driven SPADING MACHINES The spading machine uses large spades to break up the soil up to 12” (30cm) deep.

Features: • No dead furrow • Mixes manure, compost etc. completely • Allows for better drainage as it does not create a flat bottom • Allows for better air penetration • Creates ready to use fields and beds, no plowing, discing or harrowing needed!

Models in stock from 40.9” to 86.6” wide, sizes up to 13’ available by special order.

Comments on the Gramegna Spading Machine ...It is simply amazing! It incorporates our compost readily and does everything else the literature sheet and independent tests said it would do.... ...The spading machine you sold us works wonderfully. We had a problem with heavy soils and no real solution short of getting different land. Your machine literally solved our problem.... ...Perhaps the most important contribution of spading is that it eliminates the use of ploughs, disks, and harrows....

Visit www.timmenterprises.com/machines/spader.htm to see the spading machine in action!

TIMM ENTERPRISES LTD. Mail: P.O. Box 157, Oakville, Ont., Canada L6J 4Z5 Office & Warehouse: 5204 Trafalgar Rd., Milton, Ont., Canada L0P 1E0 Phone (905) 878-4244 Fax (905) 878-7888 Sales 1-888-769-TIMM (8466) www.timmenterprises.com

The Gregoire Pre Pruner.

Time to showcase what we do It’s Royal time – and we are promoting what we know to be true: farming is year-round, our products are second to none, and are available when the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair brings farming to the city. Let’s really show them.

We are inviting farmers and their respective organizations to participate in a 10-day Royal Harvest Homecoming Farmers’ Market – and let consumers, politicians, and your fellow farmers know what we grow and harvest.

It’s educational, it’s exciting to be part of a new venture – which the farmers’ market will be, and the best part of all: the space is no charge. We are working in partnership with the folks at the Royal to start a new tradition – one that harkens back to days of old – and we want you to be there.

If you are interested in showcasing the finest food and farm food products, then contact the OFVGA office and leave them your pertinent contact information so that we can get back to you and make this an opportunity to remember.

We need your participation to make this a reality. Let’s make this a showcase to remember (and make some profit at the same time).

For more information contact Alison Robertson: 519-763-6160 x121

SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 23 THE GROWER Cultivar

Blossoms removed for3 Seascape 4 weeks 6 weeks 8 weeks Average Albion 4 weeks 6 weeks 8 weeks Average

Effects of length of blossom removal on production of Albion and Seascape dayneutral strawberries

By Becky Hughes, John Zandstra and Adam Dale, University of Guelph Dayneutral strawberry plants have the capacity to flower and fruit continuously during the growing season. For many years, we have recommended that growers remove the blossom clusters from dayneutral strawberry plants for the first six weeks after planting to allow the crowns to establish before they fruit. We wanted to find out if this six-week period could be reduced, decreasing costs and potentially improving productivity.

Trials were established in May 2007 to examine the effects of four, six and eight weeks of blossom removal following planting on the yield, berry size and time of

harvest in the first and second picking years of dayneutral strawberries. The trials were located at the University of Guelph Research Stations in Cedar Springs and New Liskeard. Seascape was planted in New Liskeard, and Albion and Seascape were planted in Cedar Springs. Twenty-plant plots were established in twin rows with 20cm between plants and 30cm between rows on raised beds at 2m centers. The beds were covered with 1.0 mil black polyethylene mulch. All plots received regular drip irrigation. Fertilizer was applied through the drip system. Cultural practices were adapted to the local soil and climate. In New Liskeard the plants were covered with straw mulch and a 1.5 oz/sq yd floating row

cover for the winter. A 1.0 oz/sq yd floating row cover was used in Cedar Springs.

Fruit was harvested from a 1metre section of each plot twice weekly in the first and second year. Fruit was sorted into unmarketable and marketable (regularly shaped fruit with a diameter greater than 1.5 cm and no rot).

The marketable fruit was weighed and counted, and berry weights were calculated.

In the planting year at Cedar Springs, there were no significant effects on either the yield or berry weight of Albion and Seascape (Table 1). However, the yield and berry weight of Albion tended to increase as the length of blossom removal increased. The trend was the opposite for Seascape, as both

4 weeks 6 weeks

1st picking year Days to Yield (kg/m) harvest2 Total Marketable 62 a 1.1 a 0.6 a 75 b 1.1 a 0.6 a

11.3 a 10.0 b

4.4 a 3.8 ab

3.0 a 2.5 b

10.8 a 10.3 ab

8 weeks

83 c

9.9 b

3.3 b

2.2 b

10.1 b

Blossoms removed for 3

1.0 a

0.5 a

Av. berry weight (g)

Days to harvest2 85 85 86 85 a 94 89 97 93 b

Yield (kg/m) Total 4.0 3.9 3.7 3.9 a 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.3 b

Average Marketable berry weight (g) 2.9 14.8 2.7 15.0 2.6 15.7 2.8 a 15.2 b 1.6 15.7 1.6 16.4 1.8 16.4 1.7 b 16.2 a

Table 1. Days to harvest, yields and berry weights in the first picking year in Cedar Springs.1 the total and marketable yield tended to decrease as the blossom removal period increased.

As the time from bloom to harvest is around 30 days, you would expect to harvest sooner with a shorter blossom removal period. This was the case in the

Seascape in 2008 in New Liskeard.

In summary, when the blossom clusters were removed for only four weeks after planting, Seascape yields were not reduced in either Cedar Springs or New Liskeard. This should reduce costs

2nd picking year Yield (kg/m) Av. berry Total Marketable weight (g)

Table 2. Results for the first and second picking year for Seascape in New Liskeard.1

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We have over 200 new and used vehicles on display in our newly paved lot.

Call us today for a test drive, quote on a new truck or any other questions that you may have.

John Zandstra, University of Guelph, in the dayneutral trials at Cedar Springs. cooler climate in New Liskeard but not in Cedar Springs. In New Liskeard, the first harvest started 27 to 34 days after the end of blossom removal (Table 2). In Cedar Springs, the first harvests of Seascape all occurred at the same time regardless of the length of blossom removal. Higher temperatures in Cedar Springs may have delayed flower initiation in the treatments with four and six

and, provided it is not too hot, result in earlier harvests. Perhaps it is possible to decrease the length of blossom removal even further especially if large-crowned plants are available. A trial is planned for 2011 comparing the effects of crown size at planting and the length of blossom removal on production of dayneutral strawberries.

weeks of blossom removal. If this had not happened, perhaps the yields of these treatments would have been even higher.

The length of blossom removal in the planting year had no effect on yields or berry size in the second picking year in Cedar Springs (data not shown), however there were effects in the second year in New Liskeard (Table 2).

The shortest period of blossom removal in 2007 resulted in the highest yields and berry size in

1

Values within columns with different letters are significantly different.

2 Calculated from the planting date to the first harvest date.

3 Blossoms removed in the first year only.

Funding for this project was provided by the Ontario Berry Growers Association, the Agricultural Adaptation Council CanAdvance Program and the University of Guelph/OMAFRA Enhanced Agreement.

PAGE 24 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

How to test your irrigation water

By Sandra Jones, Crops On-Farm Food Safety Program Lead The current recommendation for irrigation water is that E.coli should be at or below 100 colony forming units (bacteria) per 100 ml water. For testing irrigation water, choose an accredited laboratory but make sure the lab knows that the sample being submitted is irrigation water, not drinking water. A list of laboratories can be found on the Ontario Ministry of the Environment website www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/water/ sdwa/licensedlabs.php or the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation site (www.cala.ca).

Ask the laboratory for a sterile bottle to collect your irrigation water sample. The best way to sample irrigation water is to collect the water sample at the point where it contacts produce -

Photo by Korinne Robertson

such as at emitters or when it leaves the guns or risers, or when it “rains” down on the crop.

Carefully remove the cap from the bottle and take care not to touch either the lip of the bottle or the inside of the cap. Fill to the line identified on the sterile bottle, screw the lid on tightly and immediately refrigerate. Transport the sample in a cooler with ice to a water testing laboratory within 24 hours.

You should sample your irrigation water at least once a month within the season to establish a baseline for your particular pond or water source. After that, sampling a couple of times per season will help you detect major changes in water quality. For more information on water testing, see the revised OMAFRA factsheet Improving On-Farm Food Safety through Good Irrigation Practices 10-037.

What does your water test mean for food safety?

If you grow a crop that can be consumed raw, you should be aware that contaminated irrigation water can contaminate your crop.

For that reason it is important to test your irrigation water on a regular basis. The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment’s

(CCME) guideline is 100 cfu E. coli per 100 mL of irrigation water. If your water is at or below this number then the water is a low risk for contamination. If your water test comes back higher than that value, don’t panic. There are a couple of questions you should

first ask: - Did you sample out of your irrigation pond or out of your emitter or irrigation line?

Sampling out of a pond is difficult.

Depending on how deep your pond is, you may not be sampling close to the intake or you may be

Could you benefit from a

better business approach?

Does your organization want to increase market profitability and innovation through beneficial business management practices?

If so, AMI can help with funding. To be eligible, your project must: • Demonstrate the benefits of business planning • Address farm business management gaps and opportunities • Support on-farm implementation of beneficial business management practices For complete funding criteria and more information:

www.takeanewapproach.ca • 519-822-6618

dredging from the bottom and getting inaccurate numbers.

- Did you have a heavy rain a few days prior to sampling? Heavy rains can stir up the bottom of the irrigation pond and re-suspend more bacteria into the water.

- Did you accidentally contaminate your sample by touching the lip of the bottle with dirty hands or place the lid down on the ground while you were filling the bottle?

- Was it possible that the sample was not tested within 24 hours of collecting and/or sitting at room temperature for some time? For a reliable test, the sample should be tested within 24 hours and kept at 4°C. The best thing for you to do is take another sample from the irrigation line and send it in for analysis. If it again comes back much higher than the CCME recommendation now would be the time to do some investigation: - Has there been a lot of animal activity around your irrigation pond?

- Could run-off be contaminating

your pond?

- Could there be a change of activities upstream?

In the meantime, if you know your water is at high risk from contamination you need to make some decisions: - Can you choose a less risky form of irrigation such as trickle irrigation?

- Can you allow the water to settle in the pond between irrigation events?

- Can you find another water source such as a second pond or well source that you could use as back-up?

- Can you divert stream water into a pond before irrigation to allow bacteria to settle?

- Can you reduce the impact of run-off into a pond with a vegetative strip or build a berm?

Irrigation water is an important consideration for food safety. For more information, see the revised OMAFRA factsheet - Improving On-Farm Food Safety through Good Irrigation Practices 10-037.

SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 25 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 CONTAINERS

EQUIPMENT

LLOYD BAG CO.

APPLE GRADER

BIN CARRIERS NEW AND USED Several Models: 5-Bin or 6-Bin, Tandem Axles or Single Axle With Soft-Ride Flotation Tires, Narrow, Low Profile Model With Adjustable Width Axles For Plastic or Wood Bins Apple Bin Dumpers (Rotator) - Fit Forklift or Tractor Loader Flail Mulchers in Stock: Grind Up Old Leaves, Prunings, Grass & Debris After Harvest - Seppi 6 1/2 Ft. Flail - Almost New $5,900 - Seppi 8 Ft Flail - Low Hours, Like New - Coming - Perfect 7 Ft H.D. Flail - New - At Last Year Pricing Turbo-Mist: New Orchard/Vineyard Sprayers and Stainless Steel Low-Drift Spray Towers Arriving in October. Plan Early For Next Year.

1999 Greefa MSE 4-lane apple grading system for sale.

50' long 4' wide with 10 drops.

LENO MESH

COTTON AND CANVAS FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Best Wishes for a Prosperous Harvest Wanted: For Cash, Trade, or Consignment Clean Sprayers, Mowers, Bin Carriers, Narrow Orchard Tractors

Van Meekeren Farms LTD.

(519) 599-3058

902-678-2366 or

Clarksburg, ON.

PICKLED VEGETABLES

info@givethemawink.com

CONTAINERS

LOUTH & NIAGARA ORCHARDS P.O. Box 43 • Virgil, Ontario • L0S 1T0 • 905-468-3297

Supplying Fruit and Vegetable Growers with: • Baskets • Masters • Fertilizer

• Berry Boxes • Waxed Cartons • Crop Protection Material

Mesh Plastic Berry Quarts Distributor for Baskpac Plastic Baskets

CHANGE OF ADDRESS? 1-866-898-8488 ext. 221

BURLAP (JUTE) TREE WRAP / LINERS / SHEETS WOVEN POLYPROPYLENE PAPER

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MARK ALLOTT General Manager

BEV ADDEMAN

JASON LONG

Sales

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1-800-549-2247 114 St. Clair Street • P.O. Box 208, Chatham, Ontario N7M 5K3

Telephone (519) 352-9300 • Fax (519) 352-3413 E-Mail: info@lloydbag.com

PAGE 26 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 NURSERY / SEED / ROOTSTOCK

Alpine Nurseries

(Niagara) Limited

SPECIALIZING IN FRUIT TREES & GRAPE VINES & PRIVET HEDGING. VARIETY AND PRICE LIST AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Howard A. Colcuc Nursery Manager R.R. #4 Creek Road Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. L0S 1J0 Tel: (905) 262-4971 Fax: (905) 262-4404 plants@sympatico.ca

QUALITY FRUIT TREES • APPLE on M9 and M26 • PEAR on Quince

Quality fruit trees for over 50 years.

Order NOW for best selection

Peaches

Apricots Nectarines Plums Pears Cherries Apples

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1695 Niagara Stone Road, RR 2 NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ontario L0S 1J0 Phone: 905-468-3217 Fax: 905-468-7271 E-Mail: fruittrees@morinurseries.com

TRACEABILITY

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for exporting to USA: Traceback and trace-up systems, COOL acceptable, PROVEN: SIMPLE, SECURE, INEXPENSIVE lenhardt@thot.net 705 324 2709

HELP WANTED Diverse, long established produce wholesaling company, specializing in domestic and imported fruits and vegetables, is seeking an experienced produce trader based in Ontario, Canada.

To compliment the existing team, we are searching for a driven, experienced individual who is will bring strong customer relationships across Canada, and global supplier contacts in order to generate new business for the company.

The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic self starter, capable of managing their own workload, and persistent in a sales environment. This is a work hard, play hard environment that will reward those who are always pushing to be at the top of the game.

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FREIGHT SERVICE

Warehousing & Distribution Transborder Freight Services.

For additional information please contact us directly or visit our website shown below PHONE: 905-672-6255 FAX: 905-672-6322 website: www.cole.ca email: info@cole.ca Servicing your import and export requirements since 1958

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SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 27 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 CROP TUNNELS

CONTAINERS

FRUIT & VEGETABLE PACKAGING Wellington Wood Products (1972) Ltd. Manufacturers and Suppliers of:

• Corrugated Baskets & Masters • Wooden Baskets • Plastic Containers & Bags • Cider Supplies • Waxed Cartons • Custom Corrugated Cartons * Triple Wall Bulk Bins

• Wooden Hampers • Apple Packaging & Cartons • Berry Containers & Masters

A large INVENTORY of all types of packaging.

We can deliver your order DIRECTLY TO YOUR DOOR. For current, competitive pricing call

1-800-265-2397 Wellington Wood Products 410 Sligo Road West Mount Forest, ON N0G 2L0 519-323-1060 wwp@wightman.ca

Learn from the experts! 1VPU V\Y ÄLSK [V\Y VM /H`NYV]LZ in Britain Sept. 26-29, call to register (deadline Aug 13)

www.wwp.on.ca Wellington Wood Products 1587 "B" County Road 34 Ruthven, ON N0P 2G0 519-326-2394

Vortex Packaging designs innovative containers for the produce industry with the retailer in mind and the grower as well. this package offers fruit that can't be touched by others at retail and presents well, it has also proven to increase shelf life by several days.

Vortex Packaging Niagara Inc. 3325 First Avenue Vineland Station, ON Tel. 905-562-4857 Fax 905-562-4291 Email: philshort@nbfproduce.com

FARMERS MARKET

Haygrove Owners Conference (others welcome) December 3, 2010 - Lancaster, PA

Every Every Saturday S aturrd day 8 am - 1 pm

haygrove.com l 1-866-HAYGROVE l tunnelbuzz.com

TRADE SHOW

125 Simcoe R Road oad Bradford, Bradfor d, ON Bradford Bradford and District Memorial Memoriaal Community C C Centre - parking k llot

Buy Fr e

sh

Trip Draw!

Door Prizes

cal Buy Lo

Free Admission Everyone Welcome

www.gotobwg.ca www .gotobwg.cca On October 16th find the Market at

Essex County Associated Growers - Bounty of the County 60th Annual Trade Show Tuesday, Nov 23, 2010 - 9:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov 24, 2010 - 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

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Meet you you at the the Mark Market! ket!

Open O pen until O October ctober 30thh

Kinsmen Recreation Centre • 249 Sherk Street, Leamington For more information, contact Mary Jane Dalrymple at 519-326-4481 View the newest agricultural technology and equipment and attend informative speaker programs. Cooking Demonstrations daily!

PAGE 28 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 IRRIGATION

REAL ESTATE

Pipe & Fittings for Water Systems • PVC, ABS, Poly, Copper • Stainless, Brass, Steel Product Lines • Drip & Micro Irrigation • Septic & Sewer • Drainage & Culverts • Berkeley Water Pumps

Gerry Loeters for Royal LePage, RCR Realty.

PH. 519-765-4217 Cell. 519-773-6460

Winona Concrete & Pipe Products Ltd. 489 Main St. W., Grimsby, ON. L3M 1T4

Phone (905) 945-8515 Fax: (905) 945-1149 or call toll-free

1-800-361-8515

REFRIGERATION

ORCHARD FOR SALE. 42 acre orchard with very good mix of popular varieties of apples. Super location for home sales on busy highway 3 miles north of Aylmer, Ontario.

Asking $660,000.00 including equipment.

Greenhouse For Sale Woodstock / Paris 70,000 sq ft greenhouse on 10 acres land.

MLS 667584

John Jantzi, Sales Representative RE/MAX a-b Realty Ltd., Brokerage 519-273-2822 (office) • 519-571-3894 (cell) - John LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL.....GIVE US A CALL! Each Office Independently Owned & Operated.

CLASSIFIEDS 2007 Harnois Greenhouse, 40X102 ovaltech III, complete with benches and furnaces and automatic controls. Asking $27,000.00. Fantastic looking structure. Poinsettia Pot covers and sleeves form Highland Supply. Preformed for 4,6,8 and 10 inch pots. No longer growing poinsettias. Will email photos.

Please call (519) 695-5342.

Serious inquiries only please.

SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 29 THE GROWER

New program funds on-farm protection of species at risk Ontario farmers can now access funding for on-farm projects to protect species at risk under a new government program launched in early August for the 2010 cropping year.

The Species at Risk Farm Incentive Program (SARFIP) will provide cost-share funding for farmers to implement best management practices that help protect species at risk and essential habitats located on-farm. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has provided $800,000 to the program this year through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund and the Government of Canada has committed $400,000 through its Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk.

SARFIP will be delivered by Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) under

an agreement with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) who represents the Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition.

“We are pleased to have a new program available that can help farmers with costs associated with protecting species at risk,” says Barry Hill, a farmer and President of OSCIA. “About 180 of Ontario’s wildlife species are considered to be at risk and farmers can play an important role in protecting our province’s biodiversity.”

In order to qualify for funding of up to 50 per cent of approved project costs, eligible Ontario farm The short-eared owl is one of 190 wild species at risk in Ontario.

Others include whip-poor-will (bird), wild hyacinth (plant), snapping turtle (reptile) and grass pickerel (fish).

businesses must have a peerreviewed Third Edition Environmental Farm Plan and have selected at least one of the best management practices (BMP) from the SARFIP list. Portions of five specific BMP categories are eligible for cost-share funding under this new initiative: Upland and Riparian Area Habitat Management, Erosion Control Structures (Riparian), Improved Pest Management, Shelterbelt and Native Vegetation Establishment and Resource Planning.

SARFIP is a new program that cannot be combined with existing cost-share opportunities associated with the Canada-Ontario Farm Stewardship Program. For more specific details, farmers are encouraged to contact their local OSCIA Program Representative or visit www.ontariosoilcrop.org.

BASF helps control troublesome diseases BASF is in the final stages of defining Initium fungicide, a new active ingredient designed to protect a wide array of specialty crops and ornamentals from disease. Research on Zampro fungicide—a new multi-mode preventative fungicide for specialty crops, and Orvego fungicide—a formulation specifically for the greenhouse and nursery markets was presented at the American Phytopathological Society (APS).

BASF researchers discussed the profile for Initium and the fungicide ametoctradin, a new Oomycete-specific fungicide, which belongs to a new class of chemistry. Kristin Klappach, Ph.D., Global Fungicide Development, presented the overall profile of Initium. This new active ingredient, a product of BASF research and discovery, is being researched extensively in controlling major plant pathogens, such as downy mildews and Phytophthora spp. on vine, vegetable crops and ornamental plants. EPA registration is expected in 2012.

Zampro fungicide, a new multi-mode preventative fungicide, was addressed at APS by Katherine Walker, Technical Service Field Representative. A premix combination of Initium and dimethomorph, Zampro is designed to add a layer of protection against Oomycete diseases, such as downy mildews and Phytophthora spp in a variety of specialty crops. Zampro is expected to be registered in 2012.

“Because Zampro contains two modes of action, it will help growers manage resistance issues in crops, such as vegetables, potatoes, grapes and hops,” Walker said.

ONTARIO Southwestern West Central Niagara Georgian Bay East Central South Eastern Accounts Manager QUEBEC Western Dist.

Eastern Dist.

NEW BRUNSWICK NOVA SCOTIA/PEI

Brian Sutton Dave Reeves Matt Peters Jayme Bartlett Sean Bartlett Doug Allen Bruce Disher

Brent Waller Francois Jobin Blair Stirling Ken Sanford Steve McDow PRAIRIES Bryan Waller BRITISH COLUMBIA Jim Chamberlain

(519) (519) (905) (416) (905) (613) (905)

652-0469 586-3713 328-6276 460-9665 376-2362 925-4031 563-8261

(450) 827-2462 (450) 298-5207 (506) 488-2147 (902) 679-3373 (902) 680-8697 (204) 888-8411 (250) 868-3711

PAGE 30 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER

Minor Use Craig’s Comments

Craig Hunter OFVGA It is human nature to want to share both the good and the bad experiences one has, with the next human contact one has. The following is all about a good contact, or I should say contacts, as there were 16 involved.

As a long-time sorta-golfer, I think that adventures on the course can reveal much about people. This week I had the great good fortune to once again participate in a golf experience known as ‘Extreme Golf.’ Playing in five various formats, we managed to get in three days and 90 holes of ‘pleasure’ under burning sun: This in spite of forecasts of rain every day. (It did rain back home which goes to

Extremely good friends show how favoured golfers can be!)

All 16 are roughly associated through common background, current or past employment, and in many of their personal attributes.

Having written that, they are as different as chalk to cheese in many other things as well. I suspect all but one or two have slugged hay into a barn in 100 degree weather- hotter in the upper mow at this time of year! This has taught the lesson that no matter how tough or unpleasant the task, it has to be done, and no one else is going to do it- so get it done. All have dealt carefully with irate ‘customers’ and have found a way to appease them, and keep them coming back. This equally applies to their dealings with their staff. In this time of tight margins, it is so important that staff understand they must generate several times the cash value of what they are paid. A $12 per hour student can do the soil sampling while the $50 person must expedite product sales, delivery, and follow-up to ensure customer loyalty and repeat business.

On the golf course, they can be as tough a competitor as you will ever see, but at the same time

willing to give a hand out or a hand up to anyone who needs it. If someone is faltering with a putter or a driver, there is always thoughtful advice on how to fix the problem, even if it means a closer match or even a potential personal loss. It is this selflessness shown that has been planted in the individual over their lifetime and their career.

Humour has always been a vehicle to get over rough spots. This group has taken humour to new heights.

Mimicking the ‘chirp’ of one player or the special laughter of another is common, and always gets a laugh. Recollecting some special incident, even of a past year, always brings back special memories. The group has so many shared memories that no one would be excluded in the discussions just because they cannot attend.

In short, the event has bonded us as perhaps no other event could do. I know that any member would help another if the need was there.

I also know that no one would seek a ‘gimme’ in life or in business when they knew they had to deliver on an issue. There is both pride and determination present, on and off the course.

It is both interesting and enlightening to know how many of the group has taken on extra responsibilities as leaders in their industry or business associations, even when already over-committed to their business. It is also interesting to see that even though they have retired, several members still come out to remain ‘connected’ with the goings-on in the industry.

Likewise, the discussions on issues often refer back to how things had been handled in the past, and their sage advice is given freely and listened to avidly. There are no ‘secret’ discussions.

Sharing is the norm, including the work done while there, the use of accommodations, the use of vehicles and equipment.

A large part of the success of the whole event is based on the fun we have every minute! Who could forget the ‘whale’ sighting out on the lake one year? Who will soon forget the ‘beeping reception’ at the end of the last match? Who will forget the libation provider on Tuesday? Who will forget the spirit of cooperation in preparing meals, doing clean-ups, and getting the annual bonfire going? There are a thousand new memories every year, but best of all is in

knowing that each and everyone there would go out of their way to help any other -- in business or in their personal life. We even had a discussion about how the event could be transposed to other areas.

Perhaps it could work, if the ‘right’ people were invited, and the same selflessness was practised. I do know that it would be a hit for everyone who got to take part. The organization does not happen without a great dedication, and a special touch. It would need that as a starting point to give it a chance.

We are lucky in having the best organizer already!

Perhaps the lessons learned on the golf course are what give all 16 the ability they have to succeed in their lives. Perhaps the fact that they are indeed successful is why they can relax on the course. (Most of the time!) The thrill of a birdie or the agony of a shot into the pond is all a part of the game, just as they are in life. The ability to share so freely with others one may only see once or twice a year is special.

Perhaps if the spirit of the game and the pleasure of the event could be bottled and dispensed wherever and whenever needed, the world would be a much better place. I would like to think so.

So you think you can grow ethnic crops?

By Karen Davidson Is that amaranth or callaloo? Well, actually, they are the same crop.

That’s just one of the issues facing growers who are new to ethnic crops. They have many global names!

When staff of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency visited the Simcoe Research Station earlier this summer, Melanie Filotas related some of the findings of how these new crops are faring in test plots. She is OMAFRA’s Integrated Pest Management Specialist for specialty crops. In collaboration with the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, OMAFRA staff have planted three varieties each of yard-long beans, fuzzy melon, Asian eggplant and amaranth.

When planting these new crops, look for the same pests as are common to members of their botanical families that are commonly grown in Ontario. For example, Colorado potato beetle and verticilium wilt are regularly found in eggplant and have also been found in Asian eggplant.

“Japanese beetle damage was a surprise to us in this crop, but we don’t know if it’s related to the location of our plot,” says Filotas.

Japanese beetle has also shown its appetite for amaranth as have the diseases phomopsis and pythium. Leafhoppers have damaged yard-long beans. Fuzzy melon appears to be susceptible to many of the same pests (e.g. powdery

PMRA Summer Tour participants learn about key pest management concerns on Asian vegetables at the Univ. of Guelph, Simcoe Research Station, July 20, 2010

The Source...

mildew, alternaria and downy mildew) as more common members of the cucumber family, but symptoms don’t always look the same on fuzzy melon as on squash or cucumbers.

“When you are growing ethnic crops, you should also look up the major pests of the crop in its native region and determine if they are also present in Ontario,” says Filotas.

“However, expect the unexpected because you can never completely predict what will attack your crop under Ontario conditions.”

Confirming what registered products to use can also be challenging. Many specialty crops have very few registered products, although this is not always the case. Crops are put into groups for the purpose of pesticide registrations, and in some cases a product will be registered on an entire crop group. An ethnic crop grower needs to determine what crop group and subgroup the ethnic crop belongs to. For example, amaranth belongs to subgroup A of Crop Group 4 - the Leafy Non-Brassica Vegetables group, which also includes lettuce and spinach. Only products registered on all of crop group 4, or on crop subgroup 4A can be applied to amaranth. Products labeled only on spinach or lettuce, or only on crop subgroup 4B cannot be applied to amaranth.

Newer pesticides are more likely to have crop group registrations that include these ethnic crops. Be sure to consult the label or if in doubt, contact a specialist.

for Fungicides, Miticides & Insecticides in Horticultural Crops

| www.valent.ca | 519-822-7043 Read and follow the label instructions before using.

All products are trademarks or registered trademarks of Valent U.S.A. Corporation. © Valent U.S.A. Corporation, 2009. All rights reserved.

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SEPTEMBER 2010 –– PAGE 31 THE GROWER

Quintec (quinoxyfen) fungicide granted first Canadian registration for several specialty crops

By Jim Chaput, OMAFRA, Minor Use Coordinator, Guelph Dow AgroSciences Canada Inc. and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the registration of Quintec (quinoxyfen) fungicide for several crops in Canada. These are the first registrations of this new active ingredient in Canada and marks an important milestone in addressing the pest control product technology gap between the U.S. and Canada. This product and the disease it controls have been identified for many years as a critical disease management tool needed by Canadian producers.

Quintec fungicide is registered for control of powdery mildew on grape, stone fruit (apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach, plum, plumcot, etc.), strawberry, melons, pumpkins, winter squash, head lettuce, leaf lettuce and hops. The following table provides a summary of the crop registrations on the new Canadian Quintec fungicide label. Consult the full product label for detailed instructions, precautions and restrictions.

Follow all other directions for use on the Quintec fungicide label carefully. Consult individual crop and powdery mildew control recommendations on the Quintec fungicide label for additional use restrictions.

Quintec fungicide should be used in an Integrated Pest Management program and in rotation with other management strategies to adequately manage resistance.

Consult provincial guidelines and local extension specialists for monitoring protocols and disease management recommendations.

For copies of the new label contact Jim Chaput, OMAFRA, Guelph (519) 826-3539, or visit the Dow AgroSciences Canada website at www.dowagro.com/ca

Crop or Crop Group

Rate Product per hectare (mL / ha)

Remarks

Pre-harvest interval

Quintec Fungicide Stone fruit

500

Grapes

300

Strawberries

300 - 440

Melons, Pumpkins, 300 - 440 Winter Squash Head and leaf lettuce

240

Hops

300 - 500

Apply Quintec Fungicide before visibile symptoms of powdery mildew appear. A maximum of 5 applications is permitted on 10 to 14 day interval.

Apply Quintec Fungicide before visibile symptoms of powdery mildew appear. A maximum of 5 applications is permitted on 14 day interval.

Apply Quintec Fungicide before visibile symptoms of powdery mildew appear. A maximum of 5 applications is permitted on 10 - 14 day interval.

Apply Quintec Fungicide before visibile symptoms of powdery mildew appear. A maximum of 4 applications is permitted on 10 - 14 day interval.

Apply Quintec Fungicide before visibile symptoms of powdery mildew appear. A maximum of 4 applications is permitted on 10 - 14 day interval.

Apply Quintec Fungicide before visibile symptoms of powdery mildew appear. A maximum of 2 applications is permitted on 14 day interval.

7 days

14 days

1 day

3 days

1 day

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PAGE 32 –– SEPTEMBER 2010 THE GROWER