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JANUARY 2013
CELEBRATING 133 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION
VOLUME 63 NUMBER 01
FAMILY MATTERS
How to find success in succession planning
KAREN DAVIDSON
Like a plant, you’re either
growing or dying. That philosophy has served Charles and Judi
Stevens well as they have
invested 35 years building and
expanding an apple and blueberry
business at Newcastle, Ontario.
They are just as vitally involved
in passing the success story to the
next generation.
“At 50 years of age and
beyond, it’s natural to be more
risk averse,” says Charles
Stevens. “But that stage of life is
not conducive to the risk-taking
that’s necessary for a business to
grow.”
After several years of tapping
the expertise of bankers,
accountants, lawyers and
government specialists on the
topic of succession, Stevens is
now exploring an innovative plan
for the farm. Two corporations
will be formed – one to hold the
land, one to hold the business. By
keeping possession of the land,
Stevens is eligible to continue his
industry organizational work. By
incorporating the business of
Wilmott Orchards, he can sell it
at a reasonable price without
compromising its viability for the
next generation.
What’s novel about the plan is
that the younger generation consists of his 24-year-old daughter,
Courtney, and 22-year-old
University of Guelph science
grad, Ian Parker. Bringing
someone into the operation without a deep agricultural pedigree is
INSIDE
Invasive pest challenges
wild blueberries
Page 4
Retired berry researcher
leaves gap
Page 7
Focus: food safety
and traceability
Page 12
www.thegrower.org
P.M. 40012319
Succession planning is a process that can take years as both financial and emotional aspects are considered. Charles Stevens, 60, and his wife
Judi are well on their way to a novel arrangement where their daughter Courtney takes over the marketing aspects and a recent University of
Guelph graduate, Ian Parker, learns apple and blueberry management from the ground up. Photo by Courtney Stevens.
becoming more common, but still
requires commitment on both
sides.
“Horticulture is made up of
people,” says Stevens, “so human
resources skills are imperative
along with education and passion.
Everything else can be taught.”
Parker wasn’t completely
unknown to the farm, having
worked there as a summer student. It was his volunteer work at
the University of Guelph’s
organic farm that tweaked his
interest.
Last April, Parker joined the
farm to start his apprenticeship
learning every manual job on the
farm. From winter pruning to
installing a new trellising system
for apples, he’s had to show his
mettle. Other skills are learning to
interact with the Barbadian
workers. But one of the hardest is
learning how to protect the crop.
“I’m trying to learn crop
chemistries,” says Parker, who
has just returned from the Great
Lakes Expo in Michigan. “I think
it will take two or three years to
understand the complexities of
harvest intervals and tank
mixing.”
So far, Parker says that the
learning process is overwhelming
clearer idea of what to expect,
having been raised on the farm.
For the last six months, Courtney
has been involved in the
blueberry business, hiring
“
Horticulture is made up of people so
human resources skills are imperative along
with education and passion. Everything else
can be taught.”
~ Charles Stevens
but he’s invigorated for the
upcoming growing season and
renewing his one-year contract.
“I think agriculture is
overlooked as a profession,” he
says. “I feel healthy and mentally
stimulated.”
Daughter Courtney has a
summer staff, taking inventory
and running the on-farm café.
“I don’t have a desire to
manage the farm, but I want to be
involved,” she says. “I would feel
comfortable if Ian potentially
takes over the management.”
The emotions of farm
succession can be the most thorny
aspect. Communication on all
sides is important in managing
expectations. “So far, so good,”
reports all parties.
“It does no good for me to
have six figures in the bank at the
age of 100,” says Stevens, who
speaks to the legacy of the farm.
“We have a brand in Wilmott
Orchards with thousands of
people coming to the pick-yourown operation. Always have a
plan B.”
Bryan Boyle appreciates what
the Stevens’ family is trying to
achieve. After a 35-year career as
an OMAFRA ag representative in
southwestern Ontario, he’s now
coaching farmers on organizational issues and farm succession
plans.
“The technical aspects are not
the biggest risks of farm transfers,” says Boyle, “if you have
hired qualified lawyers and
accountants. The biggest risk, in
my experience, is the people side
of the equation.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
PAGE 2 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
AT PRESS TIME…
Irish company to buy
majority share of
Oppenheimer Group
Total Produce, well-known as
a leading marketer of fruits and
vegetables in Europe, is poised to
buy 65 per cent of the
Oppenheimer Group. The transaction is scheduled in two stages,
with the first 35 per cent to be
acquired this month. Another 30
per cent will be acquired in 2017
according to the company’s
December 17 news release.
Headquartered in Vancouver,
the Oppenheimer Group provides
fresh fruit and vegetable produce
to its retail, wholesale and foodservice customers throughout the
United States and Canada. The
group has a network of growers
around the world and operates
from a number of locations
throughout North America. In
2011, the Oppenheimer Group
had Canadian sales of $525
million.
Oppenheimer will continue to
be managed by its current chairman, president and CEO, John
Anderson, and his existing team.
Anderson has entered into a longterm service agreement as part of
the transaction and will continue
to hold 35 per cent of
Oppenheimer’s shares after the
2017 transaction.
“For Oppenheimer, this could
mean an enhanced focus on
exports, as well as new opportunities for our current grower family, and potential new alignments
in the future,” said Anderson.
With most of its focus on
Europe, Total Produce operates
out of 22 countries and had 2011
NEWSMAKERS
sales of more than $3.92 billion
(U.S.). Total Produce markets
more than 280 million cartons of
fresh produce annually and
employs more than 4,000 people
in 100 locations.
Book early for
OFVC
The Ontario Fruit and
Vegetable Convention (OFVC)
will be staged at the Scotiabank
Convention Centre in Niagara
Falls, Ontario for February 20
and 21. At press time, trade show
space was 90 per cent sold out,
according to Glenna Cairnie,
trade show/exhibits administrator.
Walmart expands in
Quebec
Walmart has opened a new
regional office in Laval for
Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
Retail Navigator columnist Peter
Chapman says, “This is a significant point for two reasons: they
see Canada as a regional business
and it is a sign that a Supercentre
will be coming to Atlantic
Canada.
From its head office in
Mississauga, Ontario, Walmart
has grown to 367 stores across
the country. That number
includes 194 Supercentres. By the
end of January 2013, Walmart
will have opened 38 stores in 12
months. The torrid pace of expansion is attributed, in part, to the
entry of Target in Canada.
Cavendish buys
potato processor
“Trade show response has
been fantastic with many new
exhibitors and returning
exhibitors increasing their booth
space,” says Cairnie. “The equipment display component will be
huge.”
OFVC is launching awards for
the first time for Innovative
Product and Innovative Service.
For details on all aspects of the
convention, go to www.ofvc.ca.
Special room rates at $125 will
be available at the Embassy
Suites Hotel until January 31 or
until the block is sold out.
Cavendish Farms is buying the
assets of Maple Leaf Potatoes, the
frozen potato business of Maple
Leaf Foods Inc., including a
142,000 sq. ft. processing facility
in Lethbridge, Alberta.
The acquisition will enhance
Cavendish’s national distribution
network in the foodservice and
retail sectors in Canada and build
a stronger position in the United
States, according to Robert
Irving, president of Cavendish
Farms. The Lethbridge plant currently produces a variety of highquality products, including frozen
French fries and other specialty
potato products.
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Doug Van Luyk, a multi-generation onion and carrot farmer, has
assumed the chairmanship of the Holland Marsh Growers’
Association. He takes over the role from Alex Makarenko who has
served since 2008. Paul Smith returns to the board plus new
directors Sam Visser and John Hambly in a recent election.
Congratulations to Jim Founk, the 2012 award winner for the
Essex County Association Growers in recognition of his 34-year
OMAFRA career.
Initially, he was
involved in grading
of fruit and vegetables for processing
and tobacco. A key
project was
modernizing the
grading system for
tomatoes in Ontario.
In later years, he was
Ed Verbeke (L) chair of Essex County
field service manager
Association Growers and Jim Founk.
for Essex/Kent/Lambton counties. His retirement years are now
spent volunteering for the Southwestern Ontario Gleaners.
Congrats to the prairie winners of the 2012 Outstanding Young
Farmer award, Vance Lester and Susan Echlin of Living Sky
Winery, Perdue, Saskatchewan.
Kelowna orchardist Kirpal Boparai resigned his position as president of the B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association in early December
amongst controversy that included cancellation of his membership
in the Okanagan Tree Fruit Cooperative for selling fruit independently. Vice-president Jeet Dukhia will fill the chair until growers
vote on a new president at the January 28 annual convention.
Meanwhile, the Okanagan Tree Fruit Cooperative has also undergone change. A new board of directors appointed Alan Tyabiji as
the new chief executive officer, while removing Gary Schieck from
the post, as well as operations manager Rod Vint. Changes in
personnel came in a year that saw higher apple prices in B.C. due to
the crop failure in eastern Canada.
Heather Moyse, Olympic gold medalist, is renewing her contract as
brand ambassador for Prince Edward Island potatoes, while competing for spots on both Canada’s women’s rugby sevens team as well
as Canada’s women’s bobsled team.
CropLife Canada elected its new executive committee including:
chair Kamel Beliazi, Bayer CropScience Canada; past-chair Jim
Wispinski, Dow AgroSciences Protection Canada Inc.; first vicechair Ian Grant, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited; second vice-chair Mike
McGuire, Monsanto Inc.; third vice-chair Jay Bradshaw, Syngenta
Crop; member at large Fran Burr, Cargill Limited; Monte
Kesslering, Viterra; Al Raine, Richardson International Limited;
ex-officio Lorne Hepworth, CropLife Canada.
The Agricultural Adaptation Council elected its new board in
December. Directors are as follows: Chair: John Kikkert, General
Farm Interest
• Vice Chair: Kristin Ego MacPhail, Other Industries/Commodities
• Treasurer: Fred Wagner, Grains/Seeds/Oilseeds/Specialty Crops
Congrats to Larry McIntosh, president and CEO, Peak of the
Market, who was recently decorated with a Queen’s Jubilee Medal.
The Peak of the Market has donated more than 18 million pounds of
food to the food bank during the past 12 years.
Jim Veri, Exeter Produce donated 40,000 tons of rutabaga to New
York’s City Harvest, a group that feeds thousands daily. The
announcement was made at the New York Produce Show to help
survivors of the superstorm Sandy.
The Canadian Gift and Tableware Association will be honouring
John and Laura Hughes this month as the 2012 CGTA Retailer of
Distinction winners. Their retailing prowess at Springridge Farm,
Milton, Ontario will be recognized in the January/February 2013
issue of Retail News Magazine as well as at a CGTA gift show
event on January 27.
The Bank of Montreal, Canada’s fourth largest bank by assets, has
appointed Douglas Porter chief economist. At 52, he replaces the
high-profile Sherry Cooper effective February 1. Bloomberg has
named him as the best economic forecaster in Canada for the past
two years. He is well-known to agriculture as a frequent guest
speaker.
JANUARY 2013 –– PAGE 3
THE GROWER
How to find success in succession planning
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Here are the three biggest risks to manage:
• Matching skills and activities to the
role. The old idea of farmers being a jackof-all-trades doesn’t work very well, especially when the new generation has just
graduated from university or college. It
would be unusual to find a person that relishes the orchard pruning, for example, as
well as devising a marketing plan. Some
family members prefer the mechanical
operational side to the computer-oriented,
planning side. The skill sets required today
are much broader than even a decade ago.
• Managing expectations of stakeholders.
Many a farm transfer has failed, even midway through execution, when communications fail to be clear. “We had no idea that
our son or daughter wanted that,” says the
parents. “If we had known that, we would
have walked away.” There is often
surprise when the
younger generation admits they
want less involvement, not more
involvement in
the farm. Be clear
and direct.
• Establishing
commitment to
change.
Regardless of the
plan and technical
capability to draw
up financial statements, there must
be commitment
for all parties to
accept change.
The paperwork
does not guarantee an acceptance
of the role changes and the need to modify
words and deeds. It’s possible to accom-
plish the financial
paperwork in six
months, but it’s
more likely to be a
one or two-year
process for a
smooth transition.
Farmers are
very good at
discussing inputs
and yields, says
Boyle, but not as
gifted at people
skills. “Although
some call these soft
skills, I think
people skills can
be very hard.”
Elaine Froese,
farm family coach,
is another farm
succession advisor
based in
Boissevain, Manitoba who encourages
families to discuss the “undiscussabull.”
She starts farm families with an audit sheet
that probes for what issues need coaching.
They range from conflict resolution skills
to honouring the timelines agreed to. On
her website www.elainefroese.com, she
echoes Bryan Boyle’s approach.
• Head issues: need to find
understanding
"I get it now. I understand what this
means."
• Heart issues: need to feel good about
the decision
"I like it. It feels right. I can let go."
• Gut issues: need to trust others with
change
“I trust you. You will not lose the farm.”
According to the latest census, the
average age of Canadian farmers is 54.
Succession planning is one of the biggest
issues to face agriculture, with each family
facing a unique set of circumstances. No
template fits all. That’s why it’s important
to kickstart the discussion now, in the
optimism of a new year.
FruitTracker evolves
The Ontario Tender Fruit Producers have joined with
Agricorp and Dragonfly Inc. to develop an integrated tender fruit GIS based information and database management
system. Agricorp is currently mapping various tender fruit
commodities planted in orchards across Ontario for those
producers who have signed up. These maps provide the
basis for FruitTracker, an advanced, integrated orchard
management system for individual growers.
The FruitTracker program, developed by Dragonfly Inc.
is a web-based platform that began as a spray tracking program but has quickly evolved to include tracking modules
for chemicals, harvest, storage, packing, shipping and
scouting. It incorporates OMAFRA’s Publication 360 data
and provides detailed reporting in conjunction with
CanadaGAP guidelines. Dragonfly is currently working
closely with an enthusiastic focus group, comprised of tender fruit growers, in ensuring these modules are relevant,
proficient and built right from the start.
“The Tender Fruit Producers’ Marketing Board is very
excited to be working with growers on building an allencompassing data management system for the future of
the industry,” says Sarah Marshall.
To inquire about signing up, please contact Larissa
Osborne at 905-688-0990 ext. 235 or email at
larissa@ontariotenderfruit.ca
Ginseng growers receive funding
The Ontario Ginseng Growers’ Association (OGGA)
has received $80,000 from the federal government’s
AgriMarketing program to help increase sales in the lucrative Asian markets of Hong Kong, China and Taiwan. The
funds will be used to continue brand presence at major
food and trade shows and to engage mid-size retailers
about sourcing Canadian ginseng directly from Canadian
growers.
Long recognized for its superior quality, Canadian ginseng has tallied $72.8 million in exports in 2011 with 1.6
million kilograms of roots exported.
“The AgriMarketing and Canada Brand initiatives provide an important source of funding and services for the
Ontario Ginseng Growers’ Association to access new and
existing markets on behalf of our 120 members,” says
OGGA executive director, Marvin Karges.
Photo by Glenn Lowson
INTERNATIONAL
BREEDING
LABOUR
TRENDS
FOOD SAFETY
MARKETING
Watermelon genome
decoded
California needs
workers
Leaf lettuce trumps
iceberg
E. coli washed from
spinach
U.S. apple harvest is
up
Nature Genetics published the
watermelon genome sequence
last November, exciting
researchers that juicer, sweeter
and more disease-resistant fruit
may be closer to reality. When
watermelons were domesticated,
a large portion of disease resistance genes were lost.
“Watermelons are an important cash crop and among the top
five most consumed fresh fruits;
however, cultivated watermelons
have a very narrow genetic base,
which presents a major bottleneck to its breeding,” says
Zhangjun Fei, a plant researcher
at Cornell University.
The genome sequences of the
watermelon are publicly available at the Cucurbit Genomics
Database (www.icugi.org) which
is maintained by Fei’s group.
A survey conducted by the
California Farm Bureau
Federation (CFBF) reveals that
61 per cent of respondents
reported worker shortages, especially those with labour-intensive
crops. To deal with the gap,
farmers are offering higher
wages, adjusting harvesting and
pruning times, relying more on
mechanization, and, in some
cases, planting fewer acres or
cutting the harvest short.
“Without the creation of a
secure, effective program that
allows people from foreign countries to work legally in the
United States to harvest crops,
we could see continuing or worsening problems, especially for
small or midsized farms,” warns
Paul Wenger, CFBF president.
California recorded more
acres of leaf lettuce than iceberg
for the first time in 2012. A tiny
sliver of that market is served by
the ‘Better Burger’ lettuce, bred
to cover a sandwich with frilly
leaf and minimal rib. It’s just
one example of how innovative
growers and packers are differentiating themselves and serving
consumer needs.
As part of that new lettuce
variety search, they are also
seeking varieties with more
mildew resistance. During
months of highest mildew pressure, growers were paying as
much as $1,200 U.S. per acre to
control mildew.
Other diseases such as
Furasium and Verticillium are
proving problematic as well.
Because of strict regulations on
chemical controls, new lettuce
genetics will become more
important.
U.S. scientists are perfecting
an ultrasound-chlorine regimen
to destroy E. coli pathogens in
spinach.
“We can reduce the total number of food-borne pathogenic
bacteria by more than 99.99 per
cent, " said Hao Feng, professor
of food science and human nutrition, University of Illinois.
The use of ultrasound exposure during chlorine washing
offers significantly enhanced
microbial safety, says Feng. The
USDA is looking for new technologies that can achieve a million-fold reduction in the bacteria.
The challenge is to ensure that
all leaves receive full ultrasonic
treatment. A single leaf is capable of contaminating the package.
Feng’s team has achieved similar
success using this technique on
iceberg and romaine lettuce.
Washington state’s apple
growers harvested 130 million
boxes, up considerably from the
121 million boxes estimated
November 1. Despite summer
hail, the tally is 20 million boxes
more than the industry has ever
produced.
The upward trend was particularly steep this year, due to the
overall size of the crop, later
varieties picking out longer and
favourable harvest weather.
As of December 3, the
Washington industry had shipped
31.7 million boxes of apples
from the 2012 crop, compared
with 26.5 million during the
same period in 2011. Exports so
far this season are running 21 per
cent ahead of the previous year.
Source: FreshPlaza.com
Source: Cornell University Press
Office
Source: FreshPlaza.com
Source: Nunhems newsletter
Source: FreshPlaza.com
PAGE 4 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
Protecting the production and export of wild blueberries
KAREN DAVIDSON
Wild blueberries are unique in
that the industry relies on the
management of native stands.
Although a minimalist approach
is taken with management
practices, protecting the crops
from new invasive pests is
proving a daunting task.
“We don’t plant, harrow or
cultivate,” says Gary Brown,
Bragg Lumber Company Ltd.
based in Collingwood, Nova
Scotia. Brown, the agronomy
advisor to farmers in the Atlantic
provinces, says that with
integrated pest management and
other favourable conditions, a
total crop in excess of 250 million
pounds was harvested in Atlantic
Canada, Quebec and Maine.
Despite a good crop, field
prices have remained comparable
to last year’s prices. Wild
blueberries from Atlantic Canada
are exported to more than 30
countries, including markets in
Europe and Japan. The foreign
buyers emphasize quality, safety
and traceability, and in particular
the need for wild blueberries to
meet the maximum residue limits
(MRLs) for their respective
countries.
“MRLs can be an issue for
us,” says Brown, who has just
returned from the CropLife
Canada conference in Ottawa. “A
large portion of our crop is sold
overseas and any pesticide we use
must meet foreign MRLs.” When
Brown was in Ottawa, he met
with crop protection company
representatives to learn what new
chemistries might be in the
Wild blueberry harvest in Nova Scotia
pipeline and to encourage label
extensions for wild blueberries.
Excellent reduced risk agrochemicals are working in British
Columbia. But more will be
needed to combat new invasive
species such as Spotted Wing
Drophosila (SWD). The pest was
trapped in Prince Edward Island,
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
this past year, a signal that higher
populations are in the future. For
example, student researchers
trapped 600 flies in a New
Brunswick test plot in 2011 but
that number grew to 7,000 flies in
2012. Pressures are expected to
be higher in 2013, with research
underway as to what economic
threshold is needed to spray.
The worry for wild blueberry
growers is that export markets
may be hindered if they can’t
meet the current MRLs set in
Europe and those which are
expected in Japan by 2014. “It is
a continuous challenge to cope
with invasive species, MRLs and
cost of production,” says Brown.
“We need to have more tools in
the toolbox to control these
pests.”
Under the umbrella of the
Canadian Horticultural Council, a
Blueberry Working Group is
monitoring the issue and encouraging crop protection companies
and researchers to screen new
products. Delegate, a product
manufactured by Dow, appears to
be controlling SWD in a number
of horticultural crops.
“This is a Canada-wide issue,”
says Brown. “Other commodities
such as canola and pulses are
facing the same issue meeting
MRLs in foreign countries.”
In fact, the issue applies to many
other horticultural crops.
The wild blueberry industry
has been aggressive and proactive
in coordinating and funding
research. Within the Faculty of
Agriculture at Dalhousie
University, this has resulted in the
creation of faculty positions and
associated research programs
specializing in plant physiology,
vegetation management,
entomology and precision
agriculture. A check-off system is
in place and varies from province
to province to provide funding for
these research programs.
“With support from the
Canadian Horticultural Council
and the wild blueberry industry
standing squarely behind its product, I can go to a crop protection
company and say with credibility
that we’ll put feet on the ground
for research,” says Brown. David
Percival, Faculty of Agriculture,
Dalhousie University, has been
active with other research groups
in identifying causal organisms
and developing management
strategies. This has been pivotal
in providing producers with the
tools to continually increase
yields and to remain competitive
in an increasingly global
economy.
Although crop protection
products are important, Brown
stresses that the industry has been
proactive in reducing
agrochemical use. The industry
wants to take a minimalist
approach with as little a carbon
and greenhouse-gas footprint as
possible.
“The Canadian Horticultural
Council has been a huge asset to
us,” says Brown. “Through the
blueberry working group, the
spotlight has been shone on an
industry that tallies 123,000
acres.”
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The CFFO believes
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JANUARY 2013 –– PAGE 5
THE GROWER
CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL
Proposal to repeal standard container legislation
On December 13, Keith Kuhl represented the CHC at an Ottawa meeting hosted
by AAFC Minister Gerry Ritz , Minister of
State (Agriculture) Christian Paradis and
CFIA President, George Da Pont, to update
on the path forward with the regulatory
process and to further discuss factors,
irritants and opportunities for improvement
related to overall Canadian industry
competitiveness. A primary objective of
the session was to listen to industry
concerns and position regarding the
proposal to repeal standard container
regulations.
“Government is keenly interested in
industry suggestions with respect to action
which could assist in mitigating the impact
of the decision to repeal standard container
regulations” noted Kuhl. The CHC is
developing a comprehensive brief for use
with government officials and in the
Canada Gazette process.
Market research starts on greenhouse vegetable exports to Asia
The CHC and the Ontario Greenhouse
Vegetable Growers (OGVG), through
funding provided by AAFC’s
AgriMarketing Program, have recently
contracted the George Morris Centre to
conduct market research and explore
opportunities for Canadian greenhouse
vegetables in East Asia.
The AgriMarketing Program aims to
enhance the marketing capacity and
competitiveness of the Canadian agriculture, agri-food, fish and seafood sectors.
The program helps industry associations to
identify market priorities and equip
themselves for success in global markets.
The greenhouse vegetable production
sector is one of the greatest success stories
of Canadian agriculture over the past
twenty-five years. The sector has expanded
and now exports over $600 million of
greenhouse vegetable products annually
(including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers
and lettuce), primarily to the United States.
Working with the George Morris Centre,
CHC and OGVG hope to gain knowledge
and access to new and emerging
international markets, mitigating the risk of
dependency on the U.S. market. This
project is currently underway and will be
completed by March 31, 2013.
Plant pest research facilities to consolidate in Summerland, BC
In 2014, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) plant pest
research activities and expertise will be consolidated at
one facility in Summerland, B.C. This will allow for
greater science collaboration to support the grapevine and
tree fruit industries.
CANADA’S
The CFIA's Centre for Plant Health in Sidney, B.C.
currently conducts plant pest research, oversees the quarantine of plants following entry into Canada, and provides
related plant pest diagnostics. The Centre also maintains a
repository of virus-free plant material. Certain high risk
activities will continue to remain at the Sidney facility.
This move will ensure the important plant pest research
being done by the CFIA is carried out in closer
collaboration with AAFC.
Representatives from the CFIA are scheduled to make a
presentation on the consolidation at the CHC Annual
General Meeting in March 2013.
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Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the U.S.
Agricultural Marketing Service have completed the information
gathering phase of a process to develop Canadian industry tools
supported by regulation for sellers of fresh produce that are comparable to those available in the United States. Fresh produce industry
stakeholders in both countries have been engaged in the identification
of options to secure more effective contract management and licensing
of fresh produce buyers, as well as regulatory measures that could be
adopted to better ensure industry payment to fresh produce sellers in
cases of buyer bankruptcy and insolvency. AAFC, in consultation with
the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Industry Canada, will next
undertake an analysis of the feasibility of those options including the
necessary measures that would be required to implement them. The
Government of Canada will continue to engage stakeholders
and will announce its decision by March 2013.
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PAGE 6 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
RESEARCH
Short-term research projects don’t make sense
for perennial crops
KAREN DAVIDSON
Last month’s retirement of
Adam Dale, a berry scientist at
the Simcoe Research Station,
should not go unmarked like the
silent falling of timber in a forest.
The problem is that too many
mature oaks have fallen to the axe
of university and government
cuts. His position is not being
replaced by the University of
Guelph.
“That’s significant,” says
Harold Schooley, research chair
for the Ontario Fruit and
Vegetable Growers’ Association.
“We used to have four berry
breeders in Nova Scotia, Quebec,
Ontario and British Columbia.
We’re down to Andrew Jameson
in Nova Scotia and by 2016, there
will likely be no berry breeders in
Canada.”
One new strawberry variety
will be announced in February
and of eight varieties in the
pipeline, only a couple might be
released in the next few years.
After that, there’s an impending
cliff, an unknown future for
improving berry varieties that
flourish in Canada’s temperamental climates.
Dale’s legacy will be how he
overcame those weather and pest
challenges with June-bearing
berry varieties that also burst with
flavour. As far back as 1986, he
stewarded the release of the
Governor Simcoe variety, and
more recently, the varieties of
Summer Dawn and Summer
Evening.
Just as importantly, he worked
with the University of Florida’s
Craig Chandler, (L) University of Florida, worked closely with Adam
Dale on day-neutral strawberries for Canada.
Craig Chandler on day-neutral
strawberries which are now taking off in Canadian markets. Back
in the 1980s, no one believed they
could be commercially viable.
As Dale himself wrote in a
1989 factsheet, still listed on
OMAFRA’s website today, dayneutral nursery stock is difficult
to propagate as plants produce
few runners and need to be started from tissue culture to get the
best multiplication rates. Since
then, he’s worked on seed-propagated day-neutrals to overcome
the issues of vegetative reproduction. To this day, he has trial plots
at the Gulf Coast Research and
Education Centre in Florida for
four months of the year acclimatizing to shorter day-lengths, then
transfers the seed to Ontario to be
tested in the humid summers.
Curiosity led to a discovery
not normally associated with
berries. When Dale spent a sabbatical in Portugal researching
raspberries, he became familiar
with white crowberries, literally a
new crop for Canada.
“There’s no pull for these
crops,” admits Dale. “It takes a
champion to push these crops into
the marketplace.”
What may come to fruition is a
hazelnut industry. “This is the one
new crop which I can see succeeding because of the pull from
the Ferrero Rocher candy factory
in Brantford.”
Always thinking outside the
box, Dale has looked at the possibilities of sea buckthorn, a crop
with berries very high in vitamin
C content. While male plants
don’t set fruit, their nitrogen-fixing capabilities make them good
candidates for restoring soil
in areas such as mine tailings or
other soils contaminated with
heavy metals.
“Ultimately, the challenge for
Adam Dale, (L) berry researcher, has just retired from the University
of Guelph/Simcoe Research Station. He’s pictured here with Harold
Schooley, research chair, Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’
Association. Since 2000, the University of Guelph has lost a net of 20
faculty members in agricultural research. Eleven of these scientists
were devoted to horticulture. Photo by Denis Cahill.
horticulture is that there’s shortterm funding for perennial crops,”
Schooley points out. “The
funding is now directed towards
projects and not programs.”
At the University of Guelph,
the chair of the plant agriculture
department says that the fate of
berry research remains in the
hands of industry. “There has
been a 40 per cent reduction in
teaching budgets at the Ontario
Agricultural College in the last
five years,” says Peter Pauls.
“Those cuts are being realized
through attrition of faculty.
Collectively, we are open to
industry funding chairs and suggesting new business models to
work more closely together.”
While Dale will continue in an
unpaid capacity with projects at
Simcoe, he underscores the potential for horticulture. In Ontario,
horticulture represents five per
cent of the acreage but 50 per
cent of the farmgate value and 80
per cent of the crop species
grown. With strawberries grossing $15,000 per acre, the question
becomes why a second soybean
breeder is being sought and no
replacement is on the books for
berries.
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JANUARY 2013 –– PAGE 7
THE GROWER
EVENTS
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention preview
The poster session attracts the latest reports in
horticultural research.
The OFVC is the site of many product launches. Last year,
The Cider Keg, based in Vittoria, Ontario tested its Blush
Twist sparkling cider to rave reviews.
COMING EVENTS 2013
January 7
Lecture on “The way it was: a history of Ontario’s
vegetable and fruit canning industry,” Rittenhouse
Hall, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre,
Vineland, ON 2 pm.
Jan 14 – 16 Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association
Annual General Meeting, Crowne Plaza Hotel,
Niagara Falls, ON
January 15
Ontario Apple Growers Annual General Meeting,
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Niagara Falls, ON 8:00 am to
9:45 pm
Jan 11 – 27 Niagara Icewine Festival
Jan 21 – 24 Empire State Producers’ Expo, Oncentre,
Syracuse, NY
January 24
Environmental Sustainability Research Expo, Guelph
Legion, Guelph, ON
Jan 24 – 26 Pacific Agricultural Show and Horticultural
Growers’ Short Course, Abbotsford, BC
Jan 28 – 30 North American Strawberry Growers’ Association
and North American Raspberry and Blackberry
Association Annual Conference, Doubletree by Hilton
Inn, Portland, Oregon
Jan 28
B.C. Fruit Growers Association Annual Convention,
Penticton Lakeside Resort, Penticton, BC
Jan 29 – 31 Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association Annual
Convention, Old Orchard Inn, Wolfville, NS
Jan 31 – Feb 3 32nd Annual Guelph Organic Conference & Expo,
University Centre, Guelph, ON
Feb 1 – 6
North American Direct Farm Marketers Association
Conference, Doubletree by Hilton Inn, Portland,
Oregon
Feb 6-8
Fruit Logistica, Berlin, Germany
Feb 5 – 7
Canadian International Farm Show, International
Centre, Mississauga, ON
Feb 20, 21
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention, Scotiabank
Convention Centre, Niagara Falls, ON
February 20 3rd Annual Ontario Sweet Cider Competition,
Scotiabank Convention Centre, Niagara Falls, ON
Feb 23 - Mar 3 6th Annual Conference, International Fruit Tree
Association, Intensive Workshop and Tours, Boston,
Mass., USA
The 11th annual Ontario Fruit
and Vegetable Convention
promises a deep program on
February 20 and 21 at the
ScotiaBank Centre, Niagara Falls.
Wednesday, February 20
Vegetables
Winery
Climate Change and Dealing with
Adverse Weather
Beer Competition
Cathy Bartolic, executive director of the Ontario Farm
Fresh Marketing Association, has organized an exciting
speaker roster for the annual meeting. She’s shown here
(right) at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
talking to a grad student last summer.
Cider
Cider Competition
Tender Fruit
Herbs
Grapes
Berries
Farmers' Markets Ontario
Direct Farm Marketing Summit
Thursday, February 21
Vegetables
Airblast 101
Apiculture
Health and Safety for Growers
Organic
Future Challenges and
Opportunities
Tender Fruit
Bomb-proofing your Soil
Grapes
Apples
Farmers' Markets Ontario
Direct Farm Marketing Summit
PAGE 8 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
Goodbye 2012, greetings 2013
MAC JAMES
CHAIR, OFVGA
2012 was a year of many challenges to the fruit and vegetable
industry in Ontario. Spring frosts
devastated portions of the fruit
and vegetable sector. Random
areas of low moisture and excessive heat took its toll on many
crops.
On a world scale there have
not been any major disasters, thus
a sufficient or over supply of produce soon puts pressure on prices
for some commodites. It seems
like fresh produce can be shipped
half way around the world over
night.
Many of us are glad to see the
end of 2012.
On the brighter side, looking
forward there is always optimism
when we start planning for the
new year. After many hours of
discussion and consultation, we
have a new SDRM/RMP program
although considerably reduced in
value with a cap of $100 million
for all of Ontario agriculture. It is
there to work with.
There will be many new minor
use crop protection products
available for 2013. Watch for
them!
After much lobbying, there is
some hope that some of the water
issues we are facing may be
moved from the Ministry of
Environment to the Ministry of
Agriculture’s Nutrient
Management Act.
With the potential increases in
production that are appearing on
the horizon it is going to take a
sharp pencil to remain viable in
2013.
The importance of our labour supply
ART SMITH
CEO, OFVGA
Sometimes in life things are
either taken for granted or simply
not thought about, either through
complacency or sometimes
because we know no different as
“It has always been this way.”
Many young farmers among us
will not remember a time when
we did not have access to dependable quantities of farm workers.
The older ones most certainly
will.
As a kid growing up on a fruit
farm I remember all too well the
turnover in help that we experienced. I remember my father
lamenting that he did not know
from one day to the next how
many workers would be there to
pick fruit. In an industry so heavily dependent on manual labor,
consistency and quality of the
work force are essential. I remember as well my parents vacationing in Jamaica and upon returning
home dad saying: “We have all
this work and nobody to do it and
they have all those people and no
work for them to do.”
In 1966, the first offshore
labour program took place but it
only lasted for one year. It was a
time of growing unemployment in
Canada, a time of easier access to
unemployment insurance. Many
folks in Ottawa thought that these
on-farm jobs should be filled with
workers from areas of high unemployment. Programs were put in
place to transport farm workers
from the east coast and the north
to the farms in the south. In many
ways it made sense but it did not
work as satisfactorily as it needed
to. In 1968, after much lobby
pressure, the offshore program
was back, but there were restrictions. The greater problem was
the unknown factor as to whether
or not the program would survive
to see another year. There was an
ongoing sense or opinion that
these jobs should be used to get
people off unemployment -- after
all, those numbers were growing
and costing tax payers hundreds
of millions of dollars annually.
This organization and a number
of its leading directors lobbied
hard over many years to keep the
program running.
Over time, problems cropped
up and farmers were concerned
about the cost of running the program and in particular the cost of
air transportation.
To address the concerns of
Ontario fruit and vegetable farmers, the OFVGA created the
Foreign Agricultural Resource
Management Services or FARMS
in 1987. They celebrated their
25th anniversary this past year.
There are approximately
20,000 workers that come into the
country under the Seasonal
Agriculture Worker Program of
which about 15,000 come here to
our farms in Ontario. It did not
happen easily -- it took a lot of
lobbying and even more dedication on the part of a number of
people. From 1987 to today there
has been but three chairmen of
FARMS: Gary Cooper, Hector
Delanghe and Ken Forth. They
have all done a remarkable job as
have the various boards and staff.
The program started as a concept of a few; they pushed hard
and got Ministerial support in a
time when the political situation
was not in their favour. There
were certainly many bumps along
the way, but this program -- first
seen by some as taking jobs away
from Canadians -- has in fact created many, many more both here
in Canada and in the host coun-
tries alike. It is one of the best
international sponsorship programs going.
From its humble beginnings in
the mid ‘60s through to today, the
program has provided our farmers
with a stable core of farm
employees.
The program is held up internationally as a program that
works. It works for our farmers,
it works for the men and women
that come up here and it works
for the host countries.
As a farming sector so dependent on labour, I believe we owe
this organization a great deal of
gratitude.
Without this program, without
FARMS, our fruit and vegetable
sector would be little more than a
cottage industry instead of the
$1.5 billion dollar sector that it
has become today.
For what it’s worth, it’s the
way I see it.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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
OFFICE
355 Elmira Road North, Unit 105
Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 CANADA
Tel. 519-763-8728 • Fax 519-763-6604
The Grower reserves the right to refuse any advertising.
Any errors that are the direct result of The Grower will be
compensated at our discretion with a correction notice in the next
issue. No compensation will be given after the first running of the ad.
Client signature is required before insertion.
The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association is 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.
P.M. 40012319
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:
$30.00 (+ G.S.T.) / year in Canada
$40.00/year International
Subscribers must submit a claim for missing issues within
four months. If the issue is claimed within four months, but
not available, The Grower will extend the subscription by
one month. No refunds on subscriptions.
ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’
ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2012
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Chair
Vice-Chair
Fruit Director
Veg Director
Director
Mac James, Leamington
Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Norm Charbonneau, Port Elgin
Jason Ryder, Delhi
Jason Verkaik, Bradford
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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
Greenhouse
Brian Gilroy, Meaford
Mary Shabatura, Windham Centre
Fred Meyers, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Jason Ryder, Delhi
Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Jason Verkaik, Bradford
Mac James, Leamington
Norm Charbonneau, Port Elgin
Ken Van Torre, Burford
Jan Vander Hout, Waterdown
Don Taylor, Durham
OFVGA SECTION CHAIRS
Crop Protection
Research
Property
Labour
Safety Nets
CHC
Charles Stevens, Newcastle
Harold Schooley, Simcoe
Brian Gilroy, Meaford
Ken Forth, Lynden
Mark Wales, Alymer
Murray Porteous, Simcoe
JANUARY 2013 –– PAGE 9
THE GROWER
PERSPECTIVE
Wine sector has good reason to pop the cork in 2013
OWEN ROBERTS
UNIVERSITY OF
GUELPH
It’s too bad that domestic production disasters in one country
lead to export opportunities for
others. Without a doubt, in this
equation, someone loses and
someone else inadvertently gains
at their expense.
In agriculture, that’s just the
way it is, particularly now that
we’re firmly ensconced in a global market. A crop or production
failure somewhere creates an
opening elsewhere. Inevitably,
farmers fortunate enough to have
a harvest fill the vacuum created
by those who don’t. Crop or livestock woes be damned -- people
still need to eat.
And that’s the way it is this
year, in the world of wine.
Production woes be damned -people still want to drink.
But who will fill their glasses?
Weather damage to vineyards in
some of the world’s largest wine
regions is severe. Italy, Argentina,
Spain, New Zealand and Hungary
have all been hit. Production is
down 20 per cent in France.
Increases have been realized only
in Portugal and Greece.
That’s impacting the global
supply of wine, draining what the
sector calls the “wine lake.” And
it’s predicted this situation will
ultimately raise prices of wine
from the affected countries.
Corroborating this story is the
International Organization of
Vine and Wine, an intergovernmental organization which deals
with the technical and scientific
aspects of viticulture and winemaking. It’s estimating global
wine production will fall to its
lowest level in nearly 40 years,
with production said to be down
the equivalent of 1.3 billion bottles.
That’s massive. Experts are
warning of a wine shortage.
Now, shift your thoughts to
Canada. Against the murky global
backdrop of shortages and failed
harvests emerges Ontario, which
is wonderfully positioned as the
darling of the 2012 global wine
crop.
In late November, the Grape
Growers of Ontario announced its
members would realize a record
2012 grape harvest. The Niagararegion based organization reported that the near-perfect hot and
dry summer produced some of the
highest-quality grapes ever seen.
All this, despite a growing season
that started with one of the earliest springs in memory and the
risk of severe spring frost damage.
Ontario was extremely lucky.
Debbie Zimmernam (L) is lauding the Grape Growers of Ontario partnership with LCBO while Curtis Fielding, Grape King, is expecting a
stellar 2012 vintage.
The 2012 harvest is reported at a
record 65,800 tonnes of grapes,
valued at more than $88.3 million. And fruit quality continues
to exceed all industry standards,
say the grape growers.
“Our expectations…are high,
as we expect a stellar 2012 vintage,” says Curtis Fielding of
Fielding Estate Winery in
Beamsville, the 2012 Grape King.
So besides there being an abundance of Ontario wine, quality
Fruit Logistica announces nominees
for Innovation Award 2013
Fruit Logistica, the world’s best known fresh
produce forum, has announced its candidates for the
Innovation Award. The jury is comprised of experts
from production, quality management, wholesale
distribution and retail, as well as from the packaging
and service sectors.
• Tag e.V. Servicebüro, Germany: “Frische ist
Leben” – a three year, internationally-based
campaign supported by the EU for the generic
promotion of the consumption of fresh fruit and
vegetables in Germany under the headline “Fresh is
Life”
• Abracad Technoworks BV, Netherlands: “High
speed counting and packing device” – a fast and
flexible feeding system which packs small bags into
cartons
• Banken Champignons BV, Netherlands:
“Mushrooms to combine” – Four different fresh
mushroom mixes with recipes for the consumer
• Behr AG, Germany: “Schwarzwurzeln/Steckrüben
- küchenfertig geschält” – An attractive and
convenient presentation of ready to cook black
salsify and turnips
• Ben-Dor Fruits and Nurseries Ltd., Israel:
“Colored Apricots” – A colourful range of new,
sweet and juicy apricots with different skin and
flesh colourings
• Elbe-Obst Fruchtverarbeitung mbH, Germany:
“Apfel-Schiffchen” – Cut dried apple slices
produced using a special new technique to maintain
crispness and avoid browning
• GreenWatt SA, Belgium: “On-site biogas plant
turning organic waste into energy” – Small-scale,
cost-saving installations suitable for locations such
as wholesalemarkets, packhouses etc.
• Sofruileg, France: “Nergi” – A sweet tasting berry
fruit derived from the kiwi with green flesh and a
smooth, thin edible skin
• Staay Food Group, Netherlands: “City-Farming” –
A production concept for urban locations using LED
lighting to grow seedlings in 35 days under safe,
controlled conditions
• Tozer Seeds Ltd, UK: “Flower SproutTM” – A
new, small vegetable with attractive, green and
purple frilly leaves, a cross between Brussel sprouts
and kale
It’s expected that up to 55,000 visitors from 130
countries will vote on the nominees at Fruit
Logistica. The winner will be announced on
February 8.
should be superb, as well.
It's a perfect storm. Grape
Growers of Ontario Chair Bill
George says this harvest, along
with the global wine shortage, has
producers optimistic that 2013
will bring more wine lovers than
ever to superb Ontario wines.
Publicly, I suspect Mother Nature
will get most of the credit for the
2012 Ontario harvest and the
grapes that vintners turn into
wine. But the reality is there
probably wouldn't have been a
harvest this year without research
and innovation. That’s what
helped protect and improve the
harvest's quality, at a crucial point
-- early warning systems and
wind machines buffered Ontario’s
vineyards from a killer late spring
frost.
As well, speaking of warmth,
it looks like the chill between
growers and the LCBO may finally be easing. In announcing the
record harvest, grape growers’
CEO Debbie Zimmerman said
producers can thank their ongoing
success “in large part to our partnership with the LCBO.” She also
cited provincial government foresight in maintaining its per bottle
content regulation, the strength in
numbers needed to negotiate fair
minimum prices with multinational global buyers, as well as the
establishment and promotion of
Ontario VQA wines.
That’s quite a list, and timely,
too. Cooperation is essential if the
province and the Ontario wine
sector is going to take full advantage of the global opportunity
being laid at its feet in 2013. It
could be awhile before there’s
another perfect storm like this.
The Annual “Muck” Conference
is moving!!!!
NEW
LOCATION
61st Annual Muck Vegetable
Conference and Trade Show
will be located at the . . .
Bradford & District Memorial
Community Centre
March 28th and 29th
125 Simcoe Street
Bradford, ON L3Z2A8
Contact: Matthew Sheppard
Phone: (905) 775-3317 Fax: (905) 775-3318
http://www.uoguelph.ca/muckcrop/muckconference.html
PAGE 10 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
Canadians are increasingly positive
toward food, farming and farmers in
Canada, new study says
KELLY DAYNARD
Canadians continue to have an
increasingly positive impression
of Canadian agriculture, with 88
per cent of those polled ranking it
positive or neutral, up from 81
per cent in 2009 and 75 per cent
in 2006. That’s one of the key
findings from the new 2012 Farm
and Food Care “Canadian
Attitudes Study towards Food and
Farming” study.
“Our research shows that
although food and farming isn’t a
top of mind issue for most
Canadians, most have an overall
positive impression of our food,
how it’s grown and the people
who produce it,” says Crystal
Mackay, executive director, Farm
& Food Care. “Canadians ranked
farmers as warmly and favourably
as their own family and friends,
just slightly above doctors and
other medical professionals.”
This year’s research, which
builds on previous studies dating
back to 2001, was expanded to
include gathering public opinion
on the five pillars of sustainable
food: food safety, environment,
farm animal health and welfare,
human health and economics/food
affordability.
Canadians feel they are generally better informed about food
and farming than they were even
three years ago, and more than
Ron Mandryk offers eggplant and peppers at the farmers' market
located at the Ontario Food Terminal. Photo by Glenn Lowson.
half of them are interested in
learning more. Approximately 70
per cent of Canadians have visited
a farm at least once before. Other
findings demonstrate that
Canadians are concerned about
rising costs – including the cost of
food – and many try to buy local
by purchasing Canadian food
products when possible.
“This tracking research goes a
long way in helping farmers and
people in the agri-food business
to understand what Canadians
believe, both today and in
monitoring trends over time, as
they relate to the importance of
agriculture, interest and what
people would like to know more
about how their food is
produced,” says Mackay.
Study highlights include the
following:
What’s top of mind?
• When asked unaided, healthcare
and the economy are the top of
mind issues facing Canadians.
• Canadians are concerned about
rising costs, particularly health
care costs, food costs, and energy
costs.
Overall impressions of agriculture and farmers
• 56% of Canadians have a very
or somewhat positive impression
of Canadian agriculture, 32% are
neutral. This is an increase from
2009 at 52%, and 41% in 2006.
• 61% of Canadians rated farmers
with a very warm and favourable
impression, at the top with family
and friends. Next on the list were
doctors/nurses and medical professionals at 54% and grocery
stores/food retailers at 46%.
• When asked to rank the five
pillars of sustainable food, the
safety of the food Canadians eat
and the overall health of
Canadians came out as the top
two priorities, followed by food
affordability, the environment and
farm animal welfare.
Knowledge of farming and food
• 52% of Canadians know at least
a little about farming practices.
That’s an increase from 48% in
2009.
• 59% said they want to know
more; specifically, about
health/safety issues, farm
products and farming techniques.
• 70% of Canadians have visited a
farm at least once before.
Surveys were conducted online
using Ipsos Reid’s I-Say Online
Household Panel in mid-August
among 1229 Canadian adults that
had no household connection to
agriculture. Investment in this
project has been provided by
several agri-food industry
“
Our research
shows that although
food and farming
isn’t a top of mind
issue for most
Canadians, most have
an overall positive
impression of our
food, how it’s grown
and the people who
produce it.”
~ Crystal Mackay
partners and by Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canada through the
Canadian Agricultural Adaptation
Program (CAAP). In Ontario,
this program is delivered by the
Agricultural Adaptation Council.
You can see more comprehensive results from the study on
Farm & Food Care’s website. Go
to www.farmfoodcare.org and
click on the “What’s New”
button.
Kelly Daynard is the
communications manager for
Farm & Food Care Ontario.
JANUARY 2013 –– PAGE 11
THE GROWER
RETAIL NAVIGATOR
Supply chain is critical
PETER CHAPMAN
The supply chain, representing
about 10 per cent of the retailer’s
expenses, can have significant
impact on sales and store conditions.
Retailers include three major
areas in supply chain: buying,
warehousing and distribution.
Remember-- buying is part of the
supply chain, not merchandising.
Suppliers work with the merchandisers or category managers, however the buyer is in a different
part of the business where the
actual purchase order is initiated.
Obviously they work together but,
as retailers move to more central
procurement, the buying decisions
are made from forecasting systems as opposed to actual category knowledge and experience.
Many departments, especially
produce, have unique seasonal
trends that are very complex with
the product origins changing
throughout the year. You do not
negotiate with the buyers but you
can be a tremendous resource to
them. Buying too much, too little,
or at the wrong time can have a
huge impact on the stores and
suppliers.
After the product is purchased
it usually goes into a warehouse.
Some product goes direct to the
store if it is bulky, high volume
for an ad, or date sensitive. Costly
to operate, the warehouses and
their inventory get a lot of focus
within the supply chain.
Today, warehouses are
extremely automated and it is
common for the people picking
the orders to really have no idea
where it will be going or what is
going there. They are being
directed by the system and it is
really just a number.
Some retailers are considering
flow systems by which the product comes from the supplier in
store specific amounts and only
gets cross-docked as opposed to
being entered into inventory. If
you go to the Sobeys website, you
can see a video of their warehouse in Vaughan, Ontario.
The final job for supply chain
is to get the product to the store.
Retailers are always figuring out
how to get more on a truck and
send the truck to the store fewer
times per week. It is always a tug
of war. In departments like produce, we would like to get a truck
every day at the store to ensure
we have the freshest product. This
drives sales and reduces shrink.
The supply chain part of the business would prefer to add six pallets of hard lines to the back of
the truck to fill the space. They
would say we might sell more if
we have more and we will probably order it the next day anyway.
Trucking efficiencies represent
millions of dollars to Walmart. In
their simple yet effective business
model they strive to "deliver more
and drive less." This is a quote
directly from the Walmart website:
Walmart U.S. Logistics is an
industry leader in the development and testing of advanced
fleet technology as we work
toward our goal of doubling our
efficiency by 2015. We’re already
69% more efficient, compared to
our 2005 baseline. -Since 2007, the Walmart fleet
has delivered 361 million more
cases while driving 287 million
fewer miles."
Many retailers have backhaul programs - they pick up suppliers' products after they deliver
to the store. These can be mutually beneficial to reduce costs and
deliver sustainability dividends.
Re-usable plastic containers
Holiday programs
For those of us in the food business, the holidays are one of the
busiest times of the year but also one of the most rewarding. It takes a
lot of work, planning and execution to succeed during the holidays. I
encourage you to get into the stores and check out the different programs that the retailers have implemented.
Sobeys have their Inspired program, which is a combination of
Compliments items and food preparation ideas. They have a good program with more emphasis on providing information to customers on
how to prepare different items. I did not find any revolutionary new
items but there is lots of good information in the 56-page magazine
that is free.
Loblaws have the traditional Insider's Report with more emphasis
on President’s Choice items than preparation. There is some innovation here with the cake pops and taking the same concept into hors
d’oeuvres as well. I have not tried them yet but the chocolate covered
potato chips sound good!
Other retailers have similar programs that you should be familiar
with. Get into the stores before the good items sell out and try them.
Perhaps you could have a tasting session with your employees, they
might get some inspiration from your customers and enjoy some time
together around the holidays.
(RPCs) are being used or investigated by many retailers. This
impacts suppliers, supply chain
and retail.
Your business should be
focused on the three major areas:
buying, warehousing and distribution. Make sure to develop good
relationships with the buyers. Do
not negotiate with them but help
them with seasonality, lead-time,
data integrity and ad volumes.
They are buying what the system
tells them to buy. You have experience and a much more narrow
focus. Don’t question every order
but, when you know something is
wrong, make sure you help them.
They are doing it for a reason don’t assume they do not care,
just work with them to understand
your perspective. If the buyer
changes, you might have to go
back to the basics. Usually, as
soon as you get them trained they
will get promoted, so accept that
and make it part of your business
planning.
Learn as much as you can
about the warehouse. Any time a
tour is offered, take advantage of
it. Do not walk around and stare
up at the racking. Look at what is
happening and how they are
doing it. Is your label on the box
easy to read? Do your cases stack
properly on the pallet? What can
you learn from other suppliers?
Many retailers use world leaders as models. Determine what
these people do for warehousing chances are it might be coming
your way.
As a supplier, understand your
customer’s supply chain system.
This can have a significant impact
on your business. Challenge your
employees to articulate what your
retail customers are doing and the
impact it will have on your business. You should do this at least
three times per year. There is a lot
more to the retailer than just the
store!
Peter Chapman, a retail food
consultant and professional
speaker, is principal of GPS
Business Solutions, based in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. Peter works
with producers and processors to
help them navigate through the
retail environment with the ultimate goal of getting more items
into the shopping cart. pchapman@gpsbusiness.ca.
PAGE 12 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
FOCUS: FOOD SAFETY
Post-harvest and in-plant technologies
may reduce foodborne illness
KAREN DAVIDSON
Veg-Pak Produce Limited
takes food safety seriously. It
must.
Up to 10,000 pounds of
spinach are washed and packaged
every day in its Toronto, Ontario
plant. No matter where the
spinach originates – Mexico,
Texas, New Jersey or Ontario –
the end product goes into a
Pop-i package. That brand must
be protected, not only for the
Carnevale family owners but for
the entire food chain.
“We’ve got a lot of competition from other leafy greens,”
says Danny Carnevale, plant manager. “We have been following a
HACCP-based program since
2005 to meet the requirements of
the major chains. Our commitment to food safety is one of the
reasons we have been so successful in this business.”
To meet those standards,
Taylor McCarthy’s full-time job
is quality assurance, taking water
samples every hour and making
sure that the spinach is in the peracetic acid bath for a minimum of
45 seconds before proceeding to a
drum dryer.
“This sanitizer has proven to
be very effective,” says
McCarthy. “We are an industry
leader in using this product
instead of chlorine. It’s not as
corrosive on the stainless steel
equipment.”
While half of McCarthy’s
work day is on the plant floor
enforcing hair net rules and proper handwashing, the other half is
record-keeping. Procedures and
measurements are meticulously
recorded for premises inspection
by the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency and for third-party audits.
For every new employee,
McCarthy is the first stop for
training.
Leafy greens such as spinach
are particularly prone to contamination from E. coli or Salmonella
because they are harvested close
to soil or exposed to substandard
Veg-Pak Produce Limited has hired Taylor McCarthy to be a full-time quality assurance person inspecting spinach. Every hour, she takes a
water sample at a critical control point where the peracetic acid sanitizer comes in contact with the spinach. The Toronto plant handles 10,000
pounds of of spinach daily. Photos by Glenn Lowson.
irrigation water, a more common
problem in Arizona and
California. Infamously, a U.S.
outbreak of food-borne illness
was traced to organic spinach in
2006 – an event which killed
three and sickened 31. Since
then, food safety scientists have
made a concerted effort to pinpoint management practices that
will lessen the risk.
“Contamination can’t be
removed completely by washing,”
states Keith Warriner, University
of Guelph’s program director for
food safety quality assurance.
“We lack effective decontamination strategies post-harvest.”
With funding from the
University of California-Davis,
Warriner is supervising a water
recycling trial at the Veg-Pak
Thirty-pound totes of curly leaf spinach from either
Mexico, the U.S. or in the summer – Ontario and Quebec
– are dumped onto a conveyor by an employee with gloves
and a beard net.
Produce plant. A common problem in fresh-produce processing
is that water quality deteriorates
rapidly with the build-up of
organic matter and microbial
loading. This can lead to reduced
efficacy of sanitizers, as well as
cross-contamination.
Warriner and his team are
looking to refresh and recycle
water, not just replace water. The
concept is to coagulate organic
material in the water, then filter
and decontaminate the water as it
flows over ultraviolet lights. The
science is relatively simple but
the task is far more challenging to
ramp up from the lab to factoryscale in a cost-effective way.
Warriner’s system costs about
$10,000 compared to the
$100,000 price tag of currently
available water recycling systems.
“Water management will be
the big buzz word for the next
few years,” predicts Warriner.
“We need to use less water and
clean water better before
releasing it.”
Other field research is underway at Cornell University, New
York using the Geographic
Information System (GIS). PhD
student Laura Strawn and
colleagues are checking produce
fields to see if they can predict
hot spots for emergence of
foodborne pathogens. If they are
successful, a more science-based
approach will be developed to
reduce the chances of bacterial
contamination. Farmers may be
able to prevent problems by
draining standing water or
Inspection workers clothed in lab coats, gloves and hair
nets remove any debris or discoloured leaves before the
spinach enters a peracetic acid bath for a minimum of 45
seconds.
choosing to plant crops that
should be eaten cooked rather
than raw.
Listeria monocytogenes and
Salmonella were found more
often in water from irrigation taps
or streams, while E. coli was
equally prevalent across all
sample types. Researchers hope to
combine this knowledge with
GIS-generated, colour-coded
maps of any field with a history
or prevalence for a pathogen.
Because spinach has been in the
spotlight for product recalls,
researchers are determined to find
better management practices.
Food safety lessons learned in
spinach will be practical
elsewhere in horticulture.
A strong food safety culture at the Veg-Pak Produce plant
protects the widely known brand of Pop-i spinach.
JANUARY 2013 –– PAGE 13
THE GROWER
FOCUS: FOOD SAFETY
How to do a better job in managing crises in fresh produce
BEN CHAPMAN, AUDREY
KRESKE AND DOUG POWELL
Editor’s note: The most recent
example of major food-borne
illness in Canada is E. coli contaminated beef from XL Foods.
Food safety experts in the U.S.
offer their perspective on how to
do better.
Recent outbreaks, especially
those with high-profile national
stories demonstrate that public
confidence in risk management
approach can lead to financial
impacts. In 2008, U.S. tomato
growers, wholesalers, and
retailers in Florida lost an estimated $250 million when they could
not sell their product after an
investigation of possible
Salmonella spp., outbreak linked
to their product resulting in a
national health advisory.
Consumer confidence in the
safety of tomato products eroded,
while food safety practices on
farms and throughout the supply
chain were called into question.
Other producers were also affected by this health advisory and
found themselves answering
questions about growing conditions, the safety of inputs (including water) handling and distribution of products.
Recent fresh produce-related
outbreaks have created an
environment where commodity
groups and producers are even
more concerned about managing
the fallout after a foodborne
incident.
Crisis management in the food
industry has four phases:
• Prevention: Employing a good
food safety culture, including
staying current on risk factors
• Preparation: Proactively
planning for a problem and
monitoring public discussion risk
• Management: Implementing the
plan using multiple messages and
media
• Recovery: Reassessing risk
exposure and telling the story of
changes
Prevention
Food safety culture is how an
organization or group approaches
food safety risks, in thought and
in behavior, and is a component
of a larger organizational culture.
Creating a culture of food safety
requires application of the best
science with the best management
and communication systems. Firm
owners and operators need to
know the risks associated with
their products and how to manage
those risks. Having technical staff
in place to stay abreast of
emerging food safety risks and
conduct ongoing evaluations of
procedures, supplier requirements
and front-line staff practices
provides a necessary foundation
for a good food safety culture.
Preparation
Crises will happen. Companies
and tell an interested public about
what is known, what is unknown
and on what evidence decisions
are made. Being available and
understanding how media functions are also necessary skills for
food industry members.Without
recognizing deadlines or telling
succinct stories of risk management, individuals risk the chance
that others will fill the information vacuum with inaccurate
information.
Crises will happen.
Companies who
understand this, and
are prepared to deal
with them will
survive. Those who
are not risk losing
their market – and
often do.
who understand this, and are
prepared to deal with them will
survive. Those who are not risk
losing their market – and often
do. While proactively managing
microbiological risks, organizations with a strong culture of food
safety also anticipate that
outbreaks of foodborne illness
may occur despite the use of
sound food safety systems.
Industries strong in crisis management including, information
sharing, monitoring and reactive
crisis communication skills, can
drastically reduce the impact of
deleterious and harmful media if
an outbreak arises (Jacob et al.,
2011). Being prepared to speak
openly speaking about risk
reduction strategies and
demonstrating risk management
practices can reduce financial
impacts and allow public trust to
be regained quicker than if a
firm/industry had not planned.
Management
An increasing number of
consumers seek food safety
information from Internet sources,
including one in eight Canadian
consumers and one in four
American consumers.
Following 2006 (E.coli O157
in spinach) and 2008 (Salmonella
Saintpaul in Serrano peppers)
news spread through the Internet
in an unprecedented fashion.
Producers, processors, retailers
and regulators of agricultural
commodities must now pay
particular attention to evolving
discussion and engage in the
public discussion while the crisis
is occurring. A firm or industry
that is not forthcoming with
information of who knew what,
when, and what decisions were
made sets itself up for loss of
trust because media and Internet
discussion goes towards these
questions.
During a crisis it is necessary
for a company or industry to talk
about the science, discuss risks
Recovery
A firm employing the best crisis
management practices starts the
recovery phase as soon as notification of a problem. Publicly,
producers must address the
problem, apologize to affected
individuals; and, reach out to the
media about risk-reduction
changes. It is best to establish a
dialogue with groups to demonstrate theorganization’s openness
and commitment to public safety
and health. Internally a firm plans
for reentry to the market, logistics
and how new risk-management
strategies will impact other
business activities. If there was
media attention around the crisis
event, the one-year anniversary
will often garner further coverage.
An organization must be able to
demonstrate that they have
learned something/changed
process in response and assess
internally whether the same risks
to public health exist by asking,
“would we have
the outbreak again today?”
Ben Chapman is assistant professor, food safety extension specialist with North Carolina State
University. Along with his colleague Audrey Kreske and Doug
Powell, Kansas State University,
he gave this talk at the Great
Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm
Market Expo in December 2011.
PAGE 14 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
FOCUS: FOOD SAFETY
Resources available for on-farm food safety
As a follow up to the recent
Fresh Vegetables Growers of
Ontario’s annual general meeting,
OMAFRA’s food safety staff
have provided answers to some
frequently asked food safety
questions and a sample of
resources that are available to
help with all your food safety
business needs. You can find
OMAFRA material online at:
www.ontario.ca/goodagpractices
and for one-on-one help, call the
Ministry’s Food Safety Staff at 1877-424-1300.
OMAFRA staff can review your
SOPs to make sure you are heading in the right direction. The
only thing they can’t do is write
them for you. SOPs are your
routines and only you know how
Q: I need to write an SOP for
cleaning my packing house.
Where do I start?
A: Every farm has its own routine. Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs) simply means
that you have written instructions
for daily, weekly or monthly routines. It provides information on
how to perform the job properly
and consistently. In farming, the
routines are likely similar but
each farmer may do them a little
differently at different times on
different days. That is why it is
important to have written instructions that are specific to your
farm.
OMAFRA can help you write
your standard operating practices;
the who, what, when and where
details of your routines. You can
find a template for creating SOPs
on the ministry website
www.ontario.ca/goodagpractices.
you want them done. Having a
written document of your routine
directs workers to use the method
you feel works best. Otherwise,
you leave it up to chance that the
employee is doing the activity to
your expectation.
Q: Do I have to replace the
wooden shelves in my agricultural chemical storage with
non-porous materials prior to
my first CanadaGAP audit?
A: No, but there is value in using
non-porous materials.
CanadaGAP requires that agricultural chemicals are stored in an
area that maintains the integrity
of the container and does not pose
a risk of contamination. If a
chemical spill occurs in the storage area, you will have to record
this as a deviation on the
CanadaGAP Form R (Deviations
& Corrective Actions). This will
then require you to identify any
materials that may have been contaminated and dispose of them
properly (e.g. replace a wood
shelf in order to prevent any
chemicals that had soaked into
the shelf from contaminating
other products). Employees
would then need to be retrained
on proper storage of agricultural
chemicals to avoid a reoccurrence
in the future.
Q: My buyer wants to see
microbiological test results of
my irrigation pond. How do I
sample?
A: It’s best to sample directly out
of the irrigation line because irrigation water is not homogenous -if you stir up sediment or take
samples too close to the edge it
can drastically alter your results.
Most laboratories will provide a
sterile sample container on
request. Let the irrigation line
water run for several minutes and
then take a sample from the end
of the drip line or sprinkler head.
Refrigerate the sample immediately and transport it to the lab
under refrigerated conditions
within 24 hours. Ensure that the
lab is aware that the sample is
irrigation and not drinking water.
Following these steps will ensure
a representative sample of your
irrigation pond water.
The Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs is committed to safe food in Ontario.
OMAFRA’s Food Safety staff
can help guide you through any
food safety program. If you’re
not sure what you need, where to
start or who to call; contact the
Ministry’s staff at 1-877-4241300, and visit the Ministry’s
website at
www.ontario.ca/goodagpractices
to get your resources today.
When working with retail customers there is nothing worse
than saying: “No one has died
yet.” Producers and processors
who do not take food safety seriously will not be successful in
today’s environment. This might
have worked in the past but it will
not work any more.
Employees should report to the
leaders in the business to ensure
that they are not influenced by
people focused on sales or production efficiencies. Challenge
your employees to stay current
with retailers’ expectations for
food safety. Direct your food
safety and sales people to update
the management team at least
twice a year on this topic. The
update should include what the
retailer is demanding, how your
company is doing and also where
the retailer is going. These food
safety requirements add costs and
if you do not prepare properly
they will add even more costs.
If you do have a food safety
issue, make sure that you are up
front and honest. Many retailers
lived through the Maple Leaf
issues with sliced meats. This
was a devastating incident and
many people across Canada were
impacted with loss of life or
severe illness. One of the positives to come out of a very terri-
ble situation was that the people
working at the highest level of
Maple Leaf Foods worked to
resolve the situation with the
retailers. The recent issues at XL
Foods have resulted in finger
pointing between industry and the
Canadian Food Inspection
Agency. This does not build confidence with retailers or consumers. There are issues that
need to be corrected and there is
an immediate need for ownership
and accountability for all
involved.
Food safety should keep us up
at night because it is a very serious issue. Our ability to provide
safe food is a partnership and the
only successful partnerships are
the ones where all buy into the
process and execute it flawlessly.
Everyone in the value chain must
respect each other’s roles with the
ultimate goal being to provide
safe food.
Peter Chapman, a retail food
consultant and professional
speaker, is principal of GPS
Business Solutions, based in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. Peter works
with producers and processors to
help them navigate through the
retail environment with the ultimate goal of getting more items
into the shopping cart. pchapman@gpsbusiness.ca.
Food safety keeps retailers up at night
PETER CHAPMAN
Food safety issues are never
positive and they undermine a lot
of good work done by a lot of
people. Food recalls happen every
week. Recently, XL Foods was
in the news for many weeks due
to E.coli-contaminated beef.
When there is a food recall it
is the retailer’s store which gets
mentioned as often or more that
the offending supplier. For
branded items, the specific SKU
is included but the retail stores
also have to be mentioned in the
recall and in the media.
Retailers have purchased the
product in good faith but now are
associated with the food safety
issue. For perishable products
that are not branded, the retailer is
associated even more as the headline will read “spinach or tomatoes from store ABC.”
Product recalls cost everyone a
lot of money. One factor that can
get lost is the cost to the retailer
whose first task is to remove any
of the product from the store shelf
and then to remove it from the
distribution system. This is very
costly as retailers have already
paid to distribute it to the store,
put the product on the shelf and
then the tasks have to be reversed.
Recalls also force retailers to put
resources into tasks that do not
add anything positive to the shopping experience.
Almost every food safety issue
can be traced back to an incorrect
process or a process that was not
followed properly. This is frustrating for retailers who purchase
product in good faith. There is no
doubt these breakdowns are not
done maliciously, however it is
the responsibility of the producer
or processor to maintain safe
practices. When issues arise, it
puts significant strain on the relationship with the retailer and the
producer.
The retailer’s expectation is
that the supplier will take food
safety as seriously as they do.
This has to be one area where the
retailer and the supplier are working effectively together.
Knowledge in this area has
increased significantly in recent
years and there is no excuse for
not building internal capabilities.
There are many resources available to assist in the development
and implementation of food safety programs.
JANUARY 2013 –– PAGE 15
THE GROWER
FOCUS: FOOD SAFETY
Royal Assent for the Safe Food for Canadians Act
LIANNE WAND
Royal Assent was recently
given to the Safe Food for
Canadians Act [SFCA] (S-11)
which will trigger regulations and
policy designed to strengthen
government’s role in food safety.
At recent meetings attended by
CPMA, representatives of the
Canadian Food Inspection
Agency (CFIA) outlined how
efforts will move forward with
the recent passage of S-11
including the following:
• New regulations, which are
currently over-prescriptive, will
consolidate 12 existing
regulations into one (1), be
streamlined and gaps in regulated
products will be addressed
• The SFCA enables the use of
“Incorporation by Reference”
which allows reference to other
documents (e.g. industry standards) which can be amended
without regulatory change to an
Act.
• Preventative controls will be
required by everyone who is
licensed (all involved in international and interprovincial trade
will require licensing)
• Once CFIA have completed a
draft of a simplified regulatory
framework there will be public
consultation – anticipating consultation in Fall 2013
• The “Coming Into Force Date”
of the regulations and the Act will
be synchronized
the food provisions of the
Consumer Packaging and
Labelling Act”
The Act:
• implements tougher penalties
for activities that put health and
safety at risk;
• better control over imports;
• a more consistent inspection
regime across all food commodities; and
• strengthening food traceability
CPMA is pleased that government’s approach thus far has
included the intent to consider
and align with the U.S. FDA
Food Safety Modernization Act
(FSMA) and its regulations, rules
and policy wherever possible.
More information:
The CFIA webpage entitled Safe
Food for Canadians Act states:
“The Safe Food for Canadians
Act consolidates the authorities of
the Fish Inspection Act, the
Canada Agricultural Products
Act, the Meat Inspection Act, and
For the complete content of
the above site and other links,
including Backgrounders, News
Releases etc., please visit the
following website:
www.inspection.gc.ca
Registration renewal of food facilities
CPMA would like to remind
all members exporting to, or conducting business in the US, that
under Food Safety Modernization
Act (FSMA), registration renewal
of food facilities (food for human
or animal consumption) is a biennial requirement.
Please note the following
important information relative to
registration and registration
renewal requirements:
The following information can
be found at the FDA Registration
webpage:
• New Registration Mandates
under the FDA Food Safety
Modernization Act
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Sections of the Law Relating to
Registration
• Guidance and Rules
UPDATE:
FDA issued a guidance document
stating that because there was a
delay in FDA’s implementation
of biennial registration renewal
for the 2012 cycle, and registration renewal did not become
available until October 22, 2012,
FDA intends to exercise enforcement discretion with respect to
registration renewals submitted to
FDA after December 31, 2012 for
a period of 31 days, until January
31, 2013. See Guidance for
Industry: Questions and Answers
Regarding Food Facility
Registration (Fifth Edition)1.
More information:
• As part of the provisions of
FSMA all domestic and foreign
food facilities that manufacture,
process, pack or hold food for
human or animal consumption
(including produce waste sold as
feed) in the U.S. must register
with the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and all
registered food facilities, including foreign facilities, are required
to submit registration renewals to
FDA during the registration
renewal period.
• Biennial Registration Renewal
for Food Facilities began at 12:01
AM on October 22, 2012 and
ends December 31, 2012.
Lianne Wand is communications director, Canadian Produce
Marketing Association.
PAGE 16 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
Spotted Wing Drosophila in Ontario:
what did we learn in 2012?
PAM FISHER, DENISE
BEATON, HANNAH FRASER,
OMAFRA, AND ANNE
MCDONALD HORST, SWD
PROJECT COORDINATOR.
Spotted wing drosophila
(SWD) was detected in California
in 2008 and spread rapidly
through the west coast berry producing regions in 2009-2010. It
quickly invaded the south-eastern
U.S., up the east coast in 20102011 and is also moving throughout Europe. In Ontario SWD was
first detected at a single location
in 2010, and by the end of 2011,
SWD was present in traps in 60
per cent of the sites monitored by
OMAFRA .
Nevertheless, in 2012, the
rapid spread and build-up of
SWD in Ontario and neighbouring regions was a shock.
In this article, we will briefly
outline our SWD monitoring project in 2012 and what we learned.
For more details, and a full
report, please visit the OMAFRA
website at www.ontario.ca/spottedwing . Our project was funded
by the Ontario Berry Growers
Association with funding from
Growing Forward, a federalprovincial-territorial initiative.
The Agricultural Adaptation
Council assists in the delivery of
several Growing Forward programs in Ontario. Apple cider
vinegar was donated by the H.J.
Heinz Company in Leamington.
We also had assistance from the
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable
Growers Association, and many
crop consultants, scouts and farmers.
We made our own SWD traps
using 500 ml deli cups, trimmed
with red duct tape and punched
with 17 3-mm holes around the
rim ( Figure 1). Apple cider vinegar was used as a bait. Traps were
placed at 110 sites, at the edges of
fields, in wild hosts and within
crops of strawberries, raspberries,
blueberries, specialty berries, tree
fruit, grapes and tomatoes. The
bait was changed weekly and trap
contents were identified by
OMAFRA students or at the Pest
Diagnostic Clinic in Guelph
through our OMAFRA-University
of Guelph lab agreement. Results
were posted weekly on our SWD
website.
The first SWD was captured in
traps collected on June 29, 2012,
six weeks ahead of last year. By
August, SWD had been trapped at
90 per cent of the sites and in all
the counties monitored, from
Leamington to
Ottawa to Barrie and
even in New
Liskeard.
Populations started
to increase at the
end of raspberry harvest and climbed
dramatically into the
fall. (Figure 2: SWD
trap catches in
Ontario 2011 and
2012).
In 2012 we found
damage in all the
berry crops, including raspberries,
elderberries, day
neutral strawberries,
blueberries, blackberries and even
some of the specialty berry crops such as goji-berry
and sea buckthorn. We reared the
first flies from fruit collected
around July 11, indicating that
damage was occurring in the field
at this time. First fruit damage in
the field was observed July 25, in
both raspberries and blueberries.
Significant damage occurred at
some sites before flies were
caught in traps. By August 14,
damage was easy to find in blueberries, raspberries and fall bearing raspberries where sprays had
not been applied.
We also reared SWD adults
from many, many different wild
hosts, such as wild brambles,
dogwood, pin cherry, pokeweed,
buckthorn, mulberry and nightshade. This indicates that SWD is
a landscape-level pest that is all
around, not just in susceptible
crops.
How to manage SWD in 2013:
Management of SWD will require
expensive and major changes to
how you manage your berry
Figure 1: SWD traps used in 2012
berry crops. Monitoring for larvae is more important than monitoring for adults in traps. It will
show you how well your pest
control program is working.
Learn how to do the salt test, as
outlined on our website (Go to
www.ontario.ca/spottedwing then
Figure 2: SWD trap catches in Ontario 2011 and 2012.
crops, and it will also require
additional insecticides to control
this pest.
Insecticides: Plan to protect your
fruit from SWD while it is ripening and throughout harvest. In
2012, there were five insecticides
registered through the Emergency
Use Registration Program that
could be used on berry crops. We
hope for similar registrations in
2013. Spray strategies for berry
crops will be posted on our website. Meanwhile think about how
you can improve spray coverage
by pruning or trellising blueberries and raspberries this winter.
You might need to purchase new
spray equipment.
Wild hosts: Think about the
location of wild hosts around
your fields. It is not possible, nor
is it a good idea, to rid your land
of these wild hosts, but you
should know where they are.
This will be important for early
detection of SWD next year.
Frequent harvest: The most
important part of an SWD control
program is harvesting on a tight
schedule. Pick early, clean and
often. This is challenging for
raspberries and strawberries, and
even more difficult in blueberries,
but it is really critical. Plan on
harvesting every two days in
raspberries, blackberries and
strawberries. Think about the
changes which will be required to
manage labour and your pickyour-own customers.
Monitoring: Learn as much as
you can about SWD. Make sure
you know what to look for and
what the damage looks like in
follow the links to monitoring and
then fruit sampling).
SWD meetings in 2013
Information for Ontario growers
is updated frequently at
www.ontario.ca/spottedwing
Plan to attend these meetings and
conferences to learn about SWD.
February 19, 2013, Ontario
Berry Growers Association
Annual Meeting, Embassy Suites,
Niagara Falls
• Guest speaker: Nate Nourse
February 20-21, 2013: Ontario
Fruit and Vegetable Conference,
Scotiabank Convention Center,
Niagara Falls
Guest speakers:
• Tracy Hueppelsheuser
Entomologist, British Columbia
Ministry of Agriculture
• Susanna Acheampong,
Entomologist, British Columbia
Ministry of Agriculture
Visit the OMAFRA booth in the
trade show for demonstrations on
monitoring, trapping and pest
identification. For more information and registration, visit
www.ofvc.ca
March 16, 2013: Ontario
Highbush Blueberry Growers
Association Annual Meeting, Port
Elgin
Guest speaker: Rufus Isaacs,
Michigan State University.
Contact Bill Parks (chair) at
bill@parksblueberries.com
March 2013: IPM Technical
Update, Date TBA. Contact
Margaret Appleby at
margaret.appleby@ontario.ca
JANUARY 2013 –– PAGE 17
THE GROWER
PAGE 18 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
BERRY FOCUS
Strawberry aphids and their management
in Ontario strawberry farms
Product
RACHEL DE JONG, SUMMER ASSISTANT, AND PAM FISHER, BERRY
CROP SPECIALIST, ONTARIO
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD
AND RURAL AFFAIRS, SIMCOE,
ONTARIO
The strawberry aphid (Chaetospihon
fragaefolii) is one of several aphid species
that are found in strawberry fields.
Sometimes, aphids cause damage due to
the formation of sooty mould, which develops on the honeydew secreted by aphids,
and occasionally causes damage to leaves
and fruit. More significantly, strawberry
aphids can transmit viruses from one
strawberry plant to another. Viruses which
are spread by the strawberry aphid include
strawberry yellow edge virus, strawberry
crinkle virus, strawberry mottle virus, and
strawberry vein banding virus.
When magnified, strawberry aphids can
be distinguished from other aphids by the
presence of small hairs with knobbed ends
all over their body. They are pale green to
yellow in colour, and range in size from
0.8-1.1mm for nymphs to 1.3-1.5mm for
Admire 240 F
Rate
850 mL –
1.3 L /ha
(Group 4)
Assail 70 WP
adults. Adults have long antennae, as long
as, or longer than their body. They prefer
to feed on the underside of leaves where
they are usually found.
To scout for strawberry aphids examine
the back of new leaves which have not yet
uncurled (Figure 1) . Use a handlens or
microscope to confirm the presence of the
knobbed hairs, which is characteristic of
Pre-harvest
interval
Apply as a soil drench when new
growth begins in the spring, or shortly
after transplanting. Apply to soil in
2,000 L water/ha over the plant row.
Maximum number of applications per
year = 1.
30 days
(Group 4)
56-86 grams/ha Apply as a foliar spray. Use the high
rate under heavy pressure, and repeat
application if necessary.
Thionex 50 W
2.0 kg/ha
Apply as a foliar spray in 2000 L of
water per hectare. Maximum number of
applications per year = 2.
7 days
2.5 litres/ha
Apply as a foliar spray in 2000 L of
water per hectare. Maximum number of
applications per year = 2.
7 days
(Group 2A)
Figure 1: Aphids (species not determined)
on new growth of strawberry plant
Comments
Thionex EC
(Group 2A)
the strawberry aphid.
It is important to control strawberry
aphids to prevent the spread of viruses
from one plant to another. Strawberry
aphids are active early in the season, and
populations generally peak in May or June
in Ontario. Therefore, early season control
1 day
is important. Start with an early season
application of Admire, followed up if necessary by applications of Assail or
Thionex. Do not neglect new plantings.
See OMAFRA publication #360 and the
product label for complete details.
New detections of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in Ontario
HANNAH FRASER,
ENTOMOLOGYHORTICULTURE PROGRAM
LEAD, OMAFRA
The brown marmorated stink
bug (BMSB) is an invasive alien
species native to China, South
Korea, Taiwan and Japan. It was
introduced to North America in
the mid 1990s, and was first
detected in Allentown,
Pennsylvania in 2001. While
BMSB is capable of natural
spread, the pest is also an excellent hitchhiker and can be moved
over large distances in cargo and
vehicles. At present it has been
found in 39 states, though many
of these are simply detections
rather than confirmed as established in the field.
BMSB has a very broad host
range that includes tree fruit,
berries, grapes, vegetables, agronomic crops, ornamental trees and
ornamental shrubs. Damage
results when nymphs and adults
feed on either vegetative or fruiting plant parts. Adults overwinter
in sheltered areas that may
include homes and other heated
buildings. As they can aggregate
Quality Seed
in very large numbers, the BMSB
has become a considerable nuisance pest for home owners
where established. Aggregation in
artificial structures is not common
among stink bugs, and is a behaviour that provides an early warning of where BMSB has become
established.
Following several homeowner
finds from 2010 and 2011, an
established population of BMSB
was identified by OMAFRA during the summer of 2012 in
Hamilton, Ontario. There have
been numerous homeowner finds
scattered all over Burlington,
which most likely indicates
BMSB is established there as
well. Adults were also collected
at two locations in Toronto, and
the same homeowner from
Newboro who had submitted a
specimen in the spring found
additional specimens this fall.
Despite province-wide surveys in
2011 and 2012, BMSB has not
yet been detected in crops.
BMSB tend to become established in urban areas first then
disperse to agricultural crops.
The abundance of suitable landscape hosts and proximity of
BMSB populations pose a serious
Quality Service
Figure 1: BMSB adult. Look for two obvious white bands on otherwise dark antennae, inward-pointing white triangles between dark
markings along the edge of the abdomen, and a smooth edge along the
pronotum or “shoulders.” They are mottled brown-grey dorsally and
a have a pale underside. Legs have faint white bands.
immediate risk to adjacent agricultural areas in Brant, Halton,
Hamilton and Niagara counties.
Growers in these areas should be
particularly vigilant about monitoring for BMSB.
Malathion 85E has been registered for suppression of BMSB in
berry crops. A national technical
working group has been established to prioritize research needs,
including potential management
solutions.
Early detection is important to
the long term success of management programs. We need to have
a better understanding of where
this pest is and how well it is
established. There is a monitoring
network for this pest and we hope
to conduct surveys in 2013/2014;
however, we have a better chance
of finding pockets of small populations if more people are actively
looking. Tracking the distribution
and spread is essential.
Many of those reporting
BMSB indicated they’ve been
seeing them for three or four
years; they just didn’t realize they
were looking at something new.
If you think you have found
BMSB, contact the Agriculture
Information Contact Centre at
1-877-424-1300 or email
ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca, and
we will provide you with
instructions on what to do with
the sample (Note that high
resolution pictures are useful for
identification).
Quality Information
~ Quality Seed Since 1881 ~
Henry Zomer
(ON/MB/SK)
905-308-4396
Jim Robinson
(ON/MB)
905-715-8595
Rob Hovius
(ON/PEI/NB)
519-580-3231
Paul Banks
(ON/NS)
905-688-4300
Leah Erickson
(BC/AB)
604-957-2359
Marc André
Laberge (QC)
514-984-4589
Laura
Caralampides (QC)
514-984-0662
www.StokeSeeds.com
s&AX
3TOKES3EEDS,TD0/"OX4HOROLD/.,6%
JANUARY 2013 –– PAGE 19
THE GROWER
BERRY FOCUS
COMING EVENTS
New caneberry production manual
from the University of California
The University of California,
Agriculture and Natural
Resources is pleased to announce
the new Fresh Market Caneberry
Production Manual. This caneberry production manual is designed
specifically for Western fresh
market growers, but has points of
interest for eastern growers.
Chapters include:
• Plant description
• Flowering and fruit production
• Plant varieties
• Macro-tunnel and field management
• Pest management
• Irrigation, water quality, and
fertility
• Training and pollination
• Harvest methods
• Post-harvest handling
Manuals are available for $25
January 22-24: Empire State Producers EXPO, OnCenter, Syracuse
NY. Day-long berry session Tuesday 1/22/13 and blueberry intensive
Wednesday morning 1/23/13. To register: http://nysvga.org/expo/info
January 27-30: North American Strawberry Growers Association
Annual Meeting, Portland OR. Kevin Schooley, 613-258-4587,
info@nasga.org or www.nasga.org
January 28-30: North American Raspberry and
Blackberry/Strawberry Growers Association Annual Meeting,
Portland OR. More information: 919-542-4037, info@raspberryblackberry.com
January 29-31: Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention,
Hershey, PA. More information: William Troxell, 717-694-3596,
pvga@pvga.org or www.mafvc.com.
February 19: Ontario Berry Growers Association Annual Meeting,
Embassy Suites, Niagara Falls, Ontario info@ontarioberries.com
in the California online catalog at
ucanr.edu/caneberry. Volume discounts may apply. For more
information please feel free to
contact Marissa Palin, University
of California, Agriculture and
Natural Resources, 1-530-7543934. mpalin@ucanr.edu. Place
an order anytime at http://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu
On-farm food safety: receiving inputs
When inputs arrive on the
farm, it is always a good food
safety practice to check that items
are not damaged or showing signs
of tampering, and that the
received items match your order.
Mistakes can happen during shipping and using the wrong product
or a damaged product can lead to
January 14, 15, 16: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’
Association Annual Meeting, The Crowne Plaza Hotel , Niagara
Falls, Ontario www.ofvga.org
a food safety risk.
After you have confirmed your
order, sign and date the invoices,
bill of lading or packing slips and
keep them on file for future reference or a potential food safety
audit.
Food safety practices contribute to competitive, productive
and sustainable agri-food business. For more information, visit
the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture Food and Rural
Affairs website at
www.ontario.ca/goodagpractices
or call us at 1-877-424-1300.
February 20-21: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention–
Scotiabank Convention Center, Niagara Falls. www.ofvc.ca
February 27 – March 1: US Highbush Blueberry Council Spring
Meeting, in Savannah, GA. More information: 916-983-0111 or
www.blueberry.org
March 12-15: Canadian Hort Council Annual General Meeting,
Westin- Ottawa. http://www.hortcouncil.ca/
March 16: Ontario Highbush Blueberry Growers Association Annual
Meeting. Port Elgin. Contact bill@parksblueberries.com
December 4-7: Joint North Carolina Strawberry Growers
Association and North American Strawberry Growers Association
Conference, Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Durham, North Carolina.
info@ncstrawberry.com or www.ncstrawberry.com
2013
20
13 Em
EEmpire
pire SState
tate Pr
Producers
oduc
cers Ex
Expo
xpo
s*ANUARY The 2013 Becker Forum theme is “Managing Human Resources in Agriculture: Creative Steps when Public
Policy Fails.” This day-long session focuses on navigating the new political landscape, addressing current H2A challenges
and human resources challenges. The Becker Forum will be hosted at the Doubletree Hotel, East Syracuse, NY. Just off the
thruway. (Pre-registration is required.)
s*ANUARY The 2013 Expo is three full days of fruit, vegetable, flower, marketing and labor sessions. Breakouts
include labor, tree fruit, berries, flowers, marketing, vine crops, potatoes, and direct marketing. Jim Prevor, “The Perishable
Pundit” will be this year’s keynote speaker. And don’t miss Don Frantz’s, The American Maze Company, inspirational talk on
making little ideas pay off in a big way during the Direct Marketing session on Thursday, January 24, 2013.
s*ANUARY The Expo Trade Show just keeps getting bigger and better! Check out the newest products, services,
and specialized equipment for the fruit, vegetable, and direct marketing industries. The trade show will be open all three days
in the exhibit. Stop by the trade show Tuesday afternoon for a little “Taste of Syracuse.” Area restaurants will offer tasting. On
Wednesday, be sure not to miss the afternoon complimentary Ice Cream Social.
*OIN US FOR THE %XPO AT THE /NCENTER IN 3YRACUSE
.9 AND THE "ECKER &ORUM HOSTED AT THE $OUBLETREE
(OTEL %AST 3YRACUSE 6ISIT OUR .EW WEBSITE TO
REGISTER WWWNYSVGAORG AND TO SEE THE COMPLETE
PROGRAM LODGING INFORMATION AND DIRECTIONS
&OR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWWNYSVGAORG
OR EMAIL JMARVIN ROCHESTERRRCOM
January
Janu
uary 21-24,
21-24, 2013
2 13
20
PAGE 20 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
BITS AND BITES
Five reasons why producers should use social media
Farm Credit Canada (FCC)
says being active on social media
networks such as Twitter and
Facebook can provide business
value to producers and agri-businesses.
“Social media is here to stay
and it’s a natural fit for the agriculture and agri-food industry,”
says Kellie Garrett, Senior VicePresident, Strategy, Knowledge
and Reputation. “Since many
farms and agri-businesses are
located mostly in rural areas
across Canada, social media is a
convenient tool that makes it easier to build relationships and stay
on top of the latest information.
Current smart phone technology
puts social media right in your
pocket, allowing you to maximize
your valuable time.”
Five reasons producers and
agri-businesses should use social
media:
1. Stay informed about industry
news and trends
Most news organizations and
many agriculture experts are on
Twitter and Facebook. By following or liking their social media
accounts, links to the latest articles and videos come to you.
2. Research best practices
In social media, distance is mean-
ingless. It has never been quicker
or easier to share knowledge and
best practices, no matter where
your networks and sources are
located.
3. Build stronger customer
relationships
Social media is a great way to
find new markets and customers,
and strengthen relationships with
the customers you already have.
You can also ask them what they
want from you and your business.
4. Connect with suppliers and
service providers
The companies that you deal with
are likely on social media.
Equipment manufacturers and
dealers, fertilizer companies,
grain handlers and even lenders,
including FCC (@FCCagriculture
on Twitter), provide news and
information to their customers
and offer customer support
through their social media channels.
5. Promote the agriculture
industry
The agriculture and agri-food system is Canada’s largest employer
and Canada is the fifth largest
exporter of agri-food and seafood
products in the world. Yet despite
a promising future, mispercep-
tions about the industry
exist. Social media
makes it easy for you
to advocate for your
industry by engaging in
dialogue with others.
For example,
Agriculture More Than
Ever is an industry
cause that makes it
easy for those in agriculture to share their
positive ag stories
through social media
(www.agriculturemorethanever.ca or on
Twitter
@AgMoreThanEver).
“Start with the most
popular social media
networks, such as
Twitter
(www.twitter.com) and
Facebook (www.facebook.com),” says
Garrett. “You don’t
need to tweet or post
content every day to
realize the benefits.
Follow influential
people and organizations in the ag industry and try
retweeting or sharing posts that
interest you. As you follow others
and share content, your own following will grow.”
Find accounts to follow by
looking at who others follow. For
example, on Twitter, FCC has
more than 1,300 English and
French followers and follows
about 200 organizations and individuals who are influential in
Canadian agriculture.
OMAFRA specialists to follow:
Kristan Callow @weedprofesh
Janice LeBoeuf @ontariotomato
Leslie Huffman @ontapplelady
JANUARY 2013 –– PAGE 21
THE GROWER
BITS AND BITES
Bee Care Center to open in Research Triangle Park
Bayer CropScience has announced plans
to break ground in February on its North
American Bee Care Center, which will
serve as a gathering place for researchers,
bee experts, students and other visitors to
meet regularly with leading Bayer
scientists. The Bayer Bee Care Center is
dedicated to promoting and protecting bee
health so that these hard-working,
beneficial insects can continue to provide
hive products as well as pollination
services.
The center is to be located at the Bayer
CropScience North America headquarters
in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
and is scheduled for completion in July
2013.
The North American Bee Care Center
will include:
· Full laboratory and research apiary, as
well as honey extraction and workshop
space needed to conduct bee health
research and to support a practical
apiculture. The research will focus on
Integrated Pest Management for the
multiple causes affecting bee health, such
as parasites, like the Varroa mite,
predators, diseases, seasonal management,
and environmental stressors
· The active promotion of bee-responsible
use of Bayer products along with
communication activities worldwide
· State-of-the art meeting, training and
presentation facilities for beekeepers,
farmers and educators to provide resources
and an interactive learning center
Bayer’s new North American Bee Care
Center is the second established by the
company to promote bee health. In 2012,
its global Bayer Bee Care Center was
established at the joint headquarters
campus of Bayer CropScience and Bayer
Animal Health in Monheim, Germany.
Seasonal workers saluted in painting
The Migrant Worker
Community Program (MWCP)
has presented the Ontario
Greenhouse Vegetable Growers
(OGVG) with a painting titled
The Migrant Worker to honour
the financial and moral support
they have given over the years.
The painting was presented at
last fall’s Fiesta Patrias:
Celebration of Two Cultures
Festival, one of the many events
that MWCP coordinates each year
in Leamington, Ontario.
The Migrant Worker is by
local Leamington artist, Harold
Burton and it was selected not
only for its obvious affiliation
with the local farm industry, but
for its deep symbolism of the
migrant workers. The image of
the migrant worker dominates the
painting and the attention to detail
the worker is putting into his
work parallels the care and detail
the migrant workers put into their
work everyday. This work ethic
has contributed greatly to the success of the greenhouse industry
and the Ontario Greenhouse
grower community.
Lorraine Gibson, (L) chair and program supervisor, The Migrant
Worker Community Program presents “The Migrant Worker” painting
to James Cornies, Ontario Greenhouse Growers Association.
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PAGE 22 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
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Turbo-Mist 600 gal, Used 3 Yrs, Like New , Meyers Pump . . . . . $16,800
Turbo-Mist 500 gal, Myers Centrifugal Pump, Nice Clean. . . . . . $11,500
Turbo-Mist 500 gal, Diaphram Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,500
Turbo-Mist 400 gal, Electric Controls, Split Boom, Low Hours. . . . $8,500
Turbo-Mist 400 gal, Electric Controls, Tall Spray Tower . . . .. . . . $10,300
Turbo-Mist 400 gal, Hydraulic Controls, Split Boom, Low Hours. . $12,700
Turbo-Mist 400 gal, Hydraulic Controls, Tall Tower, Almost New . $14,500
John Bean/FMC 500 gal, Stainless Steel, Piston Pump, A-1. . . . . . .$7,500
Good Boy 600 Litre, Low Hours, Looks Like New . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,600
Hardi 3 P.H., 400 Litre, Exc Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,500
SEE OUR NEW APPLE BIN CARRIER & TURBO-MIST
DISPLAY AT NIAGARA CONVENTION FEBRUARY 19, 20
PHILLIPS FARM
SUPPLIES
D O N A RT H U R O R C H A R D E Q U I P M E N T
(519) 599-3058 donarthur3@gmail.com Clarksburg, ON
1-800-811-6238
pfs@reach.net
SPRAYING EQUIPMENT
OUR SPECIALITY
have been
to the rest,
YOU
call the
NOW BEST!!
Pipe
& Fittings
NEW . . USED . . SERVICE
YOUR SOURCE FOR
JOHN BEAN AND
DURAND-WAYLAND
ATTENTION
VEGETABLE GROWERS
• PVC, ABS, Poly, Copper
• Stainless, Brass, Steel
Product Lines
• Drip & Micro Irrigation
• Septic & Sewer
• Drainage & Culverts
• Berkeley Water Pumps
Winona Concrete
& Pipe Products Ltd.
489 Main St. W., Grimsby, ON. L3M 1T4
info@WinonaConcrete.com
Phone (905) 945-8515
Fax: (905) 945-1149
or call toll-free
1-800-361-8515
CASPER’S ORCHARD EQUIPMENT
All equipment is in perfect working order and can be
seen at location in Aylmer, ON
Tel. 519-773-5635 E-mail: cwsaarloos@gmail.com
FOR SALE:
• Allis Chalmers WD45 tractor $2,450.
• 1100 lb. 3pth weight box for loader tractor $600.
• 6’ Benn crowfoot packer $500.
• Tandem auto trailer 8 ½’ x 12 ½’ c/w straps (holds 6
bins) $1,500.
• H.D. 3pth nursery tree digger, 20” blade $1,450.
• Mechanical model 1980 nursery tree & raspberry
planter $2,850.
• Josef Kihlberg air stapler & staples for wooden handle
fruit baskets $675.
• Honda 4hp 2” transfer pump (Kodiak) non China –
brand new, still in box $375.
• Oxy/propane cutting torch c/w cart (as new) $350.
RJV 600 TRANSPLANTER
Heavy Duty Construction
6 Cup Carousel for Faster Speeds
Deep Square Cups for Bigger Plants
17” Wavey Coulter is Standard
Cushion Seat is Standard
Quick Change Plant Spacing
Quick Change Plant Depth
Special Unit for Onions is Available
VISIT US AT THE CANADIAN
INTERNATIONAL FARM SHOW, HALL 3
Available in 1 to 10 Row Configurations
Minimum and No-Till options are available
Plant spacing Down to 4” and Up to 36”
Please call if you have Customized Planting Needs
75 Industrial Ave., PO Box 1180, Blenheim, ON, N0P 1A0 • Ph: (519) 676-4110 • Email: rjequip@on.aibn.com
CLASSIFIEDS
Scova Diesel Pumps
Ocmis Hard Hose Reel
Full line of Checchi & Magli
Multivator
Specialized Planting Equipment from
Checchi & Magli, Sfoggia and Stanhay
PHONE 705-458-4003
rwequipment@bellnet.ca
www.rwequipment.ca
Read the paper online at
www.thegrower.org
FOR SALE - Farm Equipment
- Holland Marsh
- Irrigation Pumps plus 3", 4",
5" Wade pipes and fittings
- 2 x 165 Massey tractors
- 8 x Horst 8 ton wagons w/ 16'
platforms
- 3 x Horst 10 ton wagons w/ 20'
platforms
- FMC sprayer w/60 gal per min
pump, 500 gal. ss tank, Raven
controlled, 62' boom
- FMC sprayer w/60 gal per min
pump, 500 gal. ss tank, electronic control, 72' boom
- Allis Chalmer 500 forklift w/
21' mast, excellent condition
- various other equipment for
vegetable farming
Contact - JOHN - 905-955-5811
JANUARY 2013 –– PAGE 23
THE GROWER
MARKETPLACE
To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011
CONTAINERS
LOUTH & NIAGARA ORCHARDS
P.O. Box 43 • Virgil, Ontario • L0S 1T0 • 905-468-3297
4000 Jordan Road • Jordan Station, ON • 905-562-8825
Supplying Fruit and Vegetable Growers with:
• Baskets
• Masters
• Fertilizer
• Vineyard Trellis Supplies
REAL ESTATE
CLASSIFIEDS
Wanted: TEW donut dryer for
apple grader, 16” or 24” model.
I am located in NS. Email
bb@xcountry.tv or call 1-902678-7301
CLASSIFIED AD?
NURSERY AND ROOTSTOCK
BLUEBERRY PLANTS from rooted cuttings. Virus and
disease tested. In 1 gal, 5 gal and 7 gal pots. Over
ten different varieties. Price discount on large order.
Bleuetiere & Pepiniere de Parisville.
Parisville Blueberry Farm & Nursery
819-287-5707
www.bleuetsparisville.ca
GLADIOLUS BULBS
Wide variety selection for retail sales and
commercial cut flower production
Catalogue available upon request or
visit our website at www.lmbolle.com
L.M.Bolle & Sons
813083 Baseline Norwich, ON
(519) 468-2090 Fax 468-2099
email: lmbolle@execulink.com
Exclusive grower of select grafted nut trees and minor fruits.
Cultivars are tested in our own experimental orchards.
Choose from Persian and black walnut, heartnut, butternut,
chestnut, hazel, pecan, hickory, gingko, pine nut, mulberry,
persimmon, pawpaw, fig & more.
Proprietor Ernie Grimo
979 Lakeshore Rd, RR 3, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON Canada L0S 1J0
Tel.: (905) YEH-NUTS (934-6887)
E-mail: nuttrees@grimonut.com
Fax: (905) YEL-NUTS (935-6887) Catalogue Site: www.grimonut.com
866-898-8488
x 221
POLLINATION
• Berry Boxes
• Waxed Cartons
• Crop Protection Material
PAGE 24 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
MARKETPLACE
To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011
NURSERY AND ROOTSTOCK
Alpine
Nurseries
(Niagara) Limited
SPECIALIZING IN FRUIT
TREES & GRAPE VINES &
ELDERBERRIES.
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
howardcolcuc@rogers.com
ASPARAGUS ROOTS
Jersey Giant
Wrightland Farm
RR 1 • 1000 Ridge Rd.
Harrow, ON N0R 1G0
Strawber
Str
Stra
r awber
wber r y &
Raspber
R
aspber r y
Plants
Pl
l ants
Keith: 519-738-6120
Fax: 519-738-3358
Established 1939
ASPARAGUS
CROWNS
Available for Spring 2013
Millennium
Mary Washington
Sweet Purple
Sandy Shore Farms Ltd.
(519) 875-3382
www.sandyshorefarms.ca
ken@sandyshore.ca
PRUNING
C.O.
KEDDY
• Certified Strawberry Plants & Raspberry Canes
• All popular varieties available
• Grown under the Nova Scotia Certification program.
Plants shipped across North America.
Contact us for a FREE brochure!
982 North Bishop Road, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada B4N 3V7
Ph: (902) 678-4497 Fax: (902) 678-0067
Email: keddynursery@xcountry.tv
STRAWBERRY PLANTS
***CERTIFIED***
RASPBERRY CANES
Producers of Quality stock for 46 years. Grown under the
Nova Scotia Certification Program. Shipping across North America.
Contact us for more information and a free brochure
G.W. ALLEN NURSERY LTD.
7295 Hwy 221
Centreville, N.S. B0P 1J0
ph. 902-678-7519 fax: 902-678-5924
Email: sales@gwallennursery.com
www.gwallennursery.com
Good Reasons to
Contract Your Pruning:
• Experienced crew
• Exact costing
• Free estimates
• Job completion on time
• No additional costs
associated with general labour
• Improved quality
• reduced harvesting and
maintenance costs
Available anywhere
in Ontario!
Simply the best approach to
this important factor of fruit
production
Call Dave (519) 372-0604
jdtnmaxwell@gmail.com
JANUARY 2013 –– PAGE 25
THE GROWER
MARKETPLACE
To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011
NURSERY AND ROOTSTOCK
IRRIGATION
TOP QUALITY PRODUCERS OF Custom seeded ORGANIC
and CONVENTIONAL vegetable plug transplants
Tomatoes, Peppers, Brassica/Cole crops, Cucurbit/Vine crops,
Lettuces, onions & leek
THE ONLY LICENSED PROPAGATOR IN ONTARIO
PRODUCING STRAWBERRY PLUG TRANSPLANTS
***Bank on the benefits of using top quality ACTIVELY growing berry plants***
CONTACT US NOW TO RESERVE SPACE FOR YOUR 2013 CROP NEEDS
CARTHER PLANTS & PRODUCE
“MAXIMIZING YOUR PROFIT POTENTIAL”
30627 Jane Rd., RR5
Thamesville, ON N0P 2K0
scarther@ciaccess.com
Office 519.695.5445
Cell 519.359.2130
Fax 519. 695.5452
CHANGE OF
ADDRESS?
CLASSIFIED
AD?
866-898-8488
x 221
VEGETABLE SEED
Oriental Vegetable Seeds
Korea Green - F1
Black Pearl
Our average visit duration is
9 minutes.
Imagine the advertising potential.
www.thegrower.org
Szechuan Red
Dan Fong
AgroHaitai Ltd.
Ph: 519-647-2280 • Fax: 519-647-3188
seed@agrohaitai.com• www.AgroHaitai.com
Herb Sherwood
@ 519-380-0118
REFRIGERATION
KOOL JET
®
Reliable Refrigeration Systems
1-866-748-7786 www.kooljet.com
Visit our website to view our complete line
One-Piece and Portable Skid-Mount Systems, HydroCoolers, Medical and Process Chillers, Blast Freezers,
Vacuum Coolers, Refrigerated Dehumidifiers.
Custom Built Designs • Domestic and International Markets
PAGE 26 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
MINOR USE
CRAIG’S COMMENTS
Who negotiates for you?
CRAIG HUNTER
OFVGA
How does a country manage to
negotiate a “Good Deal” when
bartering its trade with all the
other countries around the world?
How can any trade negotiations
occur amid the distractions
surrounding the delegates? How
can the interests that “are not
negotiable” be kept off the table
when all the other countries
demand that they BE on the
table?
So it is when the Trans Pacific
Partnership (Trade) Agreement
folks meet WHEN in ‘The City
of Sail.’ Auckland New Zealand
has one sailboat for every three
citizens, plus thousands more that
belong to visitors. On top of that,
there are literally thousands of
interesting sights to see, visit, or
explore. The dining opportunities
rival Quebec City or some
European capitals. How then can
the delegates get their job done?
The answer is that many of
them do NOT expect to get it
done! Some of these negotiators
have met dozens of times before.
They play the game, live a good
life, see much of the world, and
know they can always meet
again! It is a fact of life that trade
is extremely complicated and
involves a great many interests
(most of which the average Joe
could never have thought of) that
must be taken into account. The
blockbuster deals (like the one the
Blue Jays pulled off this winter
with Miami) just almost never
happen. It is the first time that
Canada and Mexico have been
invited to attend, so I am sure
they have ‘lots to learn’ in catching up to the others for whom this
is the 15th meeting.
Just as an aside, most of these
folks are really nice people in
their own right. Its just that they
are being asked to accomplish
something beyond most peoples’
grasp.
Local New Zealand papers are
full of local demands, such as that
Canada and the U.S. revoke all
dairy protection measures or no
deal on anything else. They are
also leery of the inter-country
legal ramifications and cite huge
penalties levied against countries
under other deals when a partner
does not follow the ‘rules.’ There
are many other countries
involved, and they all have their
list of demands and needs.
Sounds just like NAFTA only
more-so, doesn’t it?
It might be interesting if one
was allowed inside the actual
negotiating sessions. I, for one,
would like to see something
‘simple’ like a Pan Pacific
version of CODEX be set up
Airblast spayer course
open for 25 participants
The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention will be the site of an
interactive airblast sprayer course developed by Jason Deveau,
OMAFRA’s application technology specialist. It’s scheduled for
February 21 from 9:30 am to noon, room 203 of the Scotiabank
Convention Centre, Niagara Falls.
Deveau has designed the course to introduce new airblast operators
to the basics of spraying, and to refresh seasoned veterans by teaching
new technologies and management practices. Upon completing this
workshop, participants will be better able to:
- Calibrate airblast sprayers
- Match sprayer settings to various crops, sizes and growth stages
- Optimize spray distribution and quality to achieve the “right” amount
of coverage with minimal waste
- Diagnose spray coverage using water-sensitive paper
Participants will receive the new 2013 Airblast 101 course workbook, which illustrates the most current practices in airblast application. The session is limited to the first 25 participants to ensure an
interactive experience. The workshop fee is $25.
To register call Nancy Gonsalves: 416 622 9771 ext 2221 or email:
admin@croplife.ca
where all participating countries
would agree to one set of residue
limits for all pesticides and for all
tradable commodities. Since most
or all of the countries involved
already participate in global
reviews of new active ingredients,
it would be a very simple step on
those ones. A cross-comparison
on all the other registered actives
is simpler than many realize--it
only takes the will to do it. The
savings would be great for all
countries, and the payback
enormous with freer trade
movement of food-- a strong
political reason to do so. (To say
nothing of the political pressure it
could put on CODEX to get
Europe moving faster than at a
snail’s pace!)
I suppose the delegates at these
meetings only work at the highest
levels of detail, and such a
‘concept’ is beneath their working
level. Too bad, because agreement on something like this could
open more doors for the big deal
they are all looking for. Just like
when the Blue Jays entered
discussions on one player, and
ended up in a 12-player swap, so
too a trade deal could happen.
Am I the only one who
wonders who and how country
delegates for such talks are
chosen? Does agriculture have
someone who actually knows
what happens on a farm? Do they
have a plethora of contacts who
actually KNOW the significance
and importance of the outcomes
of each ‘chess-board move’ that
may be happening? What would
happen if they made a ‘bad deal’
for our farmers? Would they lose
their job, or get promoted for
doing a deal? Is ‘ANY’ deal a
good deal as far as they are
concerned?
It is no wonder that our major
exporting agriculture commodity
groups have representatives here
to ‘play the hallways’ and to
provide backup information. Even
two provinces – British Columbia
and Alberta -- have official
delegates. All those not here run
the risk of being put up as
‘trade-bait’ to help other sectors.
The worst part is in not knowing
the political motivations of the
actual delegates. Only time will
tell if anything comes out of the
meetings – good or bad.
It may be that such meetings
should be held in awful places in
the dead of winter when they all
must stay indoors and not enjoy
the distractions. Auckland is such
a great place to visit, (and it’s
summertime there) I can only
hold out hope that only good
outcomes arise, but I won’t hold
my breath!
All of this is a mere
happenstance for me, as a result
of being asked earlier to make a
presentation to a working group
of the Organization of Economic
Cooperation and Development
(OECD) working group in
another New Zealand town down
in the South Island. This group
also moves meetings around the
globe, to enfranchise all
participating countries. It was
much more of a ‘working group’
and our discussions revolved
around measuring the uptake of
Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) programs, and the risk
reduction evaluations. Many
countries, and especially
European ones, have moved bold
steps ahead in legislating for IPM
to be THE only pest control
approach. There were representatives of the organic and
bio-dynamic proponents present
to add their voices to the
discussions, and their needs can
be easily encompassed in the IPM
approaches. It was interesting to
see the varying degrees of IPM
uptake, the levels of government
support in various countries, and
the differing approaches that have
been made.
I was able to raise a key point
about the need for a workable
minor use program to provide the
tools, be they conventional
chemical or biological, which are
needed to support these programs.
This is even more important as
we all face increasing threats of
invasive species, or resistant
strains of pests we have formerly
been able to control. Not all the
countries have such a program,
and much interest was raised. Our
success in these areas stands us in
good stead, and we may see more
foreign delegates at our March
Priority Meetings, looking to see
how we do it!
As nice as this setting has
been, I think Canada should offer
to host it next time--in a place
like Kapuskasing! There would
be few distractions in January and
a better chance to force discussions throughout the meetings!
What a concept.
JANUARY 2013 –– PAGE 27
THE GROWER
MINOR USE
Fungicide label expanded to control diseases on field tomatoes
No. apps /
and Brassica vegetables
Crop(s)
Pest
Rate (L/ha)
PHI
year
JIM CHAPUT, OMAFRA,
MINOR USE COORDINATOR,
GUELPH
The Pest Management
Regulatory Agency (PMRA)
recently announced the approval
of URMULE registrations for
Torrent 400SC Fungicide for control of late blight on field tomatoes and suppression of downy
mildew on Brassica vegetables,
Ranman
400SC
fungicide
approved
for two
new uses
The Ranman 400SC fungicide
label has expanded once again
providing even greater pest protection for vegetable growers.
Ranman can now be used for the
control of late blight on field
tomatoes and the suppression of
downy mildew on brassica vegetables after recent Pest
Management Regulatory Agency
(PMRA) approvals.
The addition of downy
mildew suppression to the product label is also welcome news
for brassica crop growers. The
disease thrives in wet weather
conditions and can significantly
reduce crop yield and quality.
The contact fungicide, which
already has a strong track record
of controlling downy mildew in
cucurbits, offers excellent rainfastness once dry.
David Strilchuk, Canada
Country Manager with FMC
Corporation, notes there have
been a total of seven User
Requested Minor Use Label
Expansions (URMULE) for
Ranman in 2012. These include
the control of downy mildew and
cottony leak, and the suppression
of phytophthora blight on snap
and lima beans; the suppression
of downy mildew on head and
leaf lettuce; and the control of
downy mildew on basil (field and
greenhouse).
“Ranman is quickly becoming
a valuable and trusted fungicide
for many growers in the horticulture sector,” says Strilchuk
adding that the product has
demonstrated excellent activity
on all stages of oomycetes and
related lower fungi (water
moulds) in carrots, cucurbits and
potatoes in past years. The
unique fungicide contains the
active ingredient cyazofamid and
is the only product in the FRAC
Group 21 of cyanoimidazoles.
Source: UAP news release
crop group 5 in Canada. The
active ingredient cyazofamid was
already labeled on potatoes,
cucurbits, spinach, basil, lettuce,
beans and carrots for several
important diseases.
These minor use projects were
sponsored in 2011 and early 2012
by the minor use office of
OMAFRA as a result of minor
use priorities established by
growers and extension personnel.
The minor use label expansions
for Torrent 400SC Fungicide are
a significant step towards developing an improved pest management toolkit for these diseases in
Canada.
The following is provided as
an abbreviated, general outline
Field tomatoes
Late blight
0.1 – 0.2
5
1 day
Brassica vegetables, crop group 5 (includes
broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower,
Chinese broccoli [gai lon], rapini, nappa cabbage, bok choy, gai choy, mustard greens, kale,
kohlrabi, mizuna, etc)
only. Users should consult the
complete label before using
Torrent 400SC Fungicide.
For a copy of the new minor
use label for tomatoes contact
Janice LeBoeuf, OMAFRA,
Ridgetown (519) 674-1699; for
Brassica vegetables contact
Marion Paibomesai, OMAFRA,
Guelph (519) 826-4963 or visit
www.engageagro.com
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PAGE 28 –– JANUARY 2013
THE GROWER
Grapes worth celebrating
PURE PROTECTION LEADS TO PURE PERFECTION
PureSpray™ GREEN Spray Oil 13E. Protection at its purest –
CAS# 8042-47-5
Introducing PureSpray GREEN Spray Oil 13E, from the largest
producer of white oils. It’s proof that not all spray oils are created
equal. It is an innovative isoparaffin oil that offers the highest
purity levels on the market with CAS# 8042-47-5. This means it’s
formulated with 99.9% pure isoparaffin base oils and is guaranteed
to be free of aromatics, which harm the food chain. And since
it’s suitable for organic production, both organic and traditional
growers can benefit from its many strengths.
PureSpray GREEN Spray Oil 13E effectively protects your high value
grape crop by quickly controlling pests and disease, and providing
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extended protection within your IPM program. All without any
resistance, phytotoxicity or burning issues, when used as directed.
So use it early to avoid the need for traditional toxic chemicals later.
As many pesticides are being delisted, your choices are limited and
becoming more so every day. So when you have a choice to make,
be sure to choose the purest – PureSpray GREEN Spray Oil 13E.
It’s an effective choice with unlimited possibilities. For more produc
information visit www.purespraygreen.com/grapes.