InsideGarlic is gold Page 4

Starting small withbaby greens Page 11

FOCUS: Stewardshipin bloom Page 12

www.thegrower.org

By Karen DavidsonCore of cherry jam. Nuances of

mineral and dry earth. Lively spiceand chewy tannins. This is the language of wine critics.

Tritrable acidity. Grape sourrot. Ladybug taint. Now that’s thelanguage of growers.

After one of the most idealgrowing seasons on record, thisyear’s highly anticipated Ontariovintage is invested with its fairshare of science. No one knowsthat better than the latest GrapeKing honoree of the GrapeGrowers of Ontario: vineyardowner and scientist, Debbie Inglis.

“I’ve pulled brush, suckered,thinned, hoed, picked, planted –all those glamorous things,” saysInglis. It’s how she met her hus-band Rob years ago, recruitinghim to pick up rocks in a fieldbefore planting grapevines at thevineyard of her parents Stan andDoreen Murdza. Today, they’reequal partners in Niagara VintageHarvesters Ltd. with 20 acres ofChardonnay, Riesling andCabernet Franc grapes contractedto Vincor Canada.

Setting aside the model stew-ardship of their Virgil, Ontariovineyard, it’s her scientific leader-ship and natural connection withfellow grape growers that sets herapart. Just two years ago, shebecame director of the CoolClimate Oenology and ViticultureInstitute (CCOVI) based at BrockUniversity. She had been theresince its inception, as a professor,teaching courses and working inthe research laboratory. With thisposition came restructuring. WhatInglis has executed, along with herteam, is a focus on industry-setresearch priorities, outreach to the

grape and wine community andcontinuing education for profes-sionals as well as wine enthusiasts.

Communications technologieshave been her loyal servants in thisregard with webinars, a quarterlyon-line newsletter and podcaststhat can reach a national audience.

Locally, she’s promoted a lectureseries, workshops and training ses-sions.

Science is at the heart of it all.Cold-hardiness research is the cen-terpiece, not only in the NiagaraPeninsula but the other viticulturalappellations in Prince Edward

County and Lake Erie NorthShore. In the next five years,CCOVI’s goal is to develop a bestpractices guide to maximize win-ter hardiness of the vines whileensuring quality grape production.

From witnessing winter injuryin 2003 and 2005, Inglis has

installed two wind machines onher farm, actively following thescience on appropriate times toprotect the vines.

Inglis has never let the sciencebe boxed on a shelf.

Continued on page 3

The partnership between Grape Growers of Ontario (GGO) and the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) is never morereal than at harvest. Near Virgil, Ontario, Matthias Oppenlaender, vice-chair GGO opens the harvester door to share a moment with DebbieInglis, director, CCOVI. The grape industry honoured her just days before with the year’s ambassadorship as Grape King for outstanding stewardship of her own vineyard. Photos by Denis Cahill.

Growers pledge support for food bank donation tax credit

CELEBRATING 130 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATIONOCTOBER 2010 VOLUME 60 NUMBER 10

By Karen DavidsonA tax credit may be in the

future for Ontario farmers if MPPBob Bailey convinces the Ontariolegislature. In mid-September, themember for Sarnia-Lambton pre-sented his private member’s bill,the Taxation Amendment Act(Food Bank Donation Tax Creditfor Farmers). It passed secondreading with all-party support andnow goes to the GovernmentGeneral Committee.

This bill would provide a non-refundable tax credit to those whodonate their unsold produce andother excess food to local foodbanks. The concept is to cover thecost incurred to collect, process,and deliver farmers’ unsold pro-

duce. More than 25 millionpounds of fresh, nutritious food isdisposed or plowed back intofarmers’ fields in Ontario eachyear. These “seconds” are healthybut are often ineligible for saledue to cosmetic imperfectionssuch as size, shape or colour.

The “Bill to Fight Hunger withLocal Food” asks the agricultureand finance ministries to assessthe costs and benefits of establish-ing such a credit. Under his pro-posed legislation, the tax creditwould be worth 25 per cent of thewholesale value of donated agri-cultural products. Unused taxcredits would be carried forwardand deducted for up to five years.It would go to meat processors,

dairy farmers, processors, farmgleaning sites, farmers’ markets,and fruit and vegetable farmerswho donate Ontario products tofood banks.

“Only six per cent of privatemembers’ bills get passed but Ihope I’m one of the fortunateones,” says Bailey, who distrib-uted a petition at the recentInternational Plowing Match.Hailing from a constituency witha large rural base, he says that theidea was formed when he volun-teered at a local food bank. Manyof the foodstuffs are canned goodsor cereals, but there’s a real needfor fresh fruits and vegetables.

The Ontario Association ofFood Banks reports that food

bank usage in Ontario increased20 per cent in the last year alone.That figure represents about375,000 Ontarians using localfood banks every month.

His research shows that 10American states already havesome legislation in place to com-pensate farmers. Such a bill inOntario would cost less than$750,000 to enact.

“It seems like a no-brainer tome to enact this legislation,” saysBailey. Support has been receivedfrom the Ontario Federation ofAgriculture, Holland MarshGrowers’ Association, theOntario Association of FoodBanks and the Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers’ Association.

Cool grapes, hot science

P.M. 40012319

Take note of November 15deadlines . . .

Innovators in Ontario’s agricul-ture and food industry are encour-aged to apply for a Premier’s Agri-Food Innovation ExcellenceAward. Applications will beaccepted until November 15,2010. The program recognizes 55regional award winners, eachreceiving $5,000 for their innova-tions. The program has attractedmore than 700 applications since2007, with many horticulturalwinners. Go to www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/premier_award/app.

. . . and don’t miss FarmStewardship Program

2011

Applications for the Canada-Ontario Farm Stewardship Program open November 15, 2010for the 2011 cropping year. Applicants are encouraged toreview the eligibility policy.Check for details on the website atwww.ontariosoilcrop.org.

CanadaGAP certificationbody to hold webinar

QMI-SAI Global, one of thecertification bodies for theCanadaGAP (On-Farm Food Safety) Program, will be holding afree webinar discussing the program on November 17 at 1 pmEST. Topics will include: • overview of the CanadaGAPProgram• objectives and scope• international recognition (GFSI)• introduction to CanadaGAP(OFFS) manuals• certification process (how to getcertified, certification options,costs, benefits)

To enroll in this free webinar,contact Carlos Araujo at QMI-SAIGlobal at 416-401-8703 or carlos.araujo@qmi-saiglobal.com.

Agribusiness women signup for symposium

The first of its kind – Women

in Agri-Business Symposium -- isslated for October 13 at theSpringfield Golf and Country Clubnear Guelph, Ontario. Openingspeaker is Maria Van Bommel,parliamentary assistant to Agricul-ture Minister Carole Mitchell.The agenda is designed for agricultural businesses from farmthrough to retail.

“We have 80 registrants to datefrom a very broad spectrum ofwomen,” says Brenda Lammens,past chair OFVGA and one of theorganizers. “Executive directors,parliamentary staff, commodityleaders and directors, agriculturalwriters and private farmers arecoming. It is a very exciting network of women and we expectto reach the 100 mark by October13th.”

Registration is $226 whichincludes HST. The fee includesmeeting materials, lunch and cof-fee breaks. Fax your intent toattend and registration to 519-669-3826.

Greenhouse Grows program launched to high school students

The benefits of eating healthygreenhouse produce will be showcased to Essex county highschool students in a pilot programof the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers. (OGVG). Asan economic powerhouse in thecounty, the greenhouse industry isstarting outreach locally, early inthe school year.

“We are currently developingcurriculum and an educationalvideo which will eventually beused province-wide to comple-ment the program,” says LauraBrinkmann, marketing coordina-tor, OGVG. The project has beenincubating for a year, thanks tofunding from the Ontario Agri-Food Education Healthy Eat-ing Program.

Natural gas plants figurein municipal elections

The Ontario government muststop blocking tougher environ-mental scrutiny of large natural

gas power plants, says Environ-mental Commissioner of OntarioGord Miller in his 2009/2010report released September 22.

“As we phase out the use ofcoal, natural gas – including somevery large plants – will play animportant role in meeting ourenergy requirements,” says Miller.“But we must not lose sight of thefact that natural gas still has con-siderable environmental impacts.It is time to re-examine the rulesgoverning the environmentalassessment process for large natur-al gas power plants.”

The issue worries farmers inthe Holland Marsh where much ofthe leafy produce is grown insouthern Ontario. A 393 MW natural gas power plant is plannedon the perimeter of the farmingregion. Recently, the provincialgovernment exempted the proposed energy centre from localland use planning requirements ofthe Planning Act, a surprisingmove from the government thatlegislated the Greenbelt.

“Three years ago, I raised aconcern about the ability of thegovernment to exempt such projects,” says Miller. “We arenow seeing how this power can beexercised to do an end-run aroundlocal planning concerns.”

“We are gratified to see that theenvironmental commissioner istaking this issue seriously,” saysJamie Reaume, executive director,Holland Marsh Growers Associa-tion (HMGA). The growers havebeen harshly critical of the plans,staving off the peaker plant development with extensive lobbyefforts.

“The Holland Marsh is oftenthe beach head for all kinds ofissues that will later appear across

Ontario,” says Reaume. “It’simportant for farmers to re-engagein municipal politics.”

To that point, HMGA member

Avia Eek is seeking a local coun-cillor’s seat in the upcomingmunicipal election October 25.

PAGE 2 –– OCTOBER 2010

THE GROWER

NEWSMAKERSDiane O’Shea is the recipient of the Ontario Agri-Food Education’s Teacher Award of Excellence. She and her husbandMichael operate a pick-your-own fruit and vegetable farm nearLondon, Ontario. The honour was presented at opening ceremonies of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show.

Grape Growers of Ontario have named Dr. Debbie Inglis ofNiagara Vintage Harvesters in Virgil as the 2010 Grape King.The third woman to receive the title, the busy Inglis is alsoDirector of Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and ViticultureInstitute, (CCOVI).

A new Canadian Fruit and Vegetable Tech Exchange will debutSeptember 1 to 3, 2011 under general manager, Jordan Underhill. Formerly with Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show,Underhill is launching an outdoor venue to showcase horticul-tural technology at the site of Blueberry Hill Estates near Simcoe, Ontario. Located about half-way between Niagara andLeamington, the site is expected to draw a large contingent ofexhibitors and growers.

The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association has hired GlenBlahey as Agricultural Health and Safety Specialist. He recent-ly retired as Manitoba’s provincial farm safety coordinator. Heis a Canadian Registered Safety Professional, with more than 28years of experience in agricultural and occupational health andsafety.

At press time…

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It’s easy to earn a million dol-lars in the grape business. Just startwith $10 million. That sage, iftongue-in-cheek, advice camefrom one of the rookies of theOntario South Coast Wineries andGrowers Association (SCWGA) attheir annual meeting last winter.Recognizing how much there is tolearn, 22 members traveled toOntario’s Prince Edward Countythis past summer to hear it straightfrom growers who have created anindustry from scratch.

Ten years ago, there was onlyone winery – Waupoos Estates --recalls Kemp Stewart, chair of thePrince Edward County Winegrow-ers Association. Others followedwith the result that the countyqualified for designated viticultur-al area status in 2007 – the fourtharea in Ontario after Pelee Island,Lake Erie North Shore and theNiagara Peninsula. Only two yearsago, area wineries numbered 15and since then, have doubled to34. That critical mass is not with-out its share of bumps and bruisesalong the road.

“The educational aspect hasbeen very important for our mem-bers,” says Stewart. “Duringgrowing season, we have grapestudy groups every two weeks

with guest speakers from crop pro-tection companies. This is criticalfor a new industry to use scienceand apply it to our unique circum-stances.”

Under the association’sumbrella, they have successfullyadvocated for a local grape spe-cialist to be stationed out of theBrighton, Ontario OMAFRAoffice. They also invite professorsfrom Brock University andresearchers from VinelandResearch and Innovation Centre tobring the latest in viticultural prac-tices.

With grapes and wine, there is acompelling need to work collec-tively and cohesively beyond thescience of production. Stewartshared key learnings:1) Enlist your local municipalcouncil. In Prince Edward Coun-ty, the industry grew much fasterthan local officials anticipated.Permits were issued to the first 15wineries on an individual basis,but then discrepancies started toappear. The association researchedand wordsmithed a winery policyfor review, and ultimate approval,by Prince Edward County asrecently as June 2009.

A farm winery is defined ashaving no more than five acres of

grapes, with all production andsales on-site. No rezoning isrequired. An estate winery isdefined as no more than 20 acreswith zoning for banquet facilitiesand social functions. 2) Get organized with a constitution and bylaws for yourassociation. The Prince EdwardCounty growers have shared theirconstitution and bylaws so that theSouth Coast Wineries and Growers Association can adoptwhat’s useful for their group. 3) Form partnerships with Economic Development infra-structure in your region. For sixyears now, Prince Edward Countyhas hosted “Terroir” the first weekof June to promote the release ofthe previous season’s harvest.This annual event has created atourist following that has ancillarybenefits to the bed and breakfast,restaurant and arts community.Again, the entire community mustbe on-side to welcome the influxof people for the best experiencepossible. “Wassail” is a secondevent that will celebrate the end ofharvest and the hilling of the vines,Nov. 20 to December 5.

In the 175 years of the localPicton Fair, there has never been abeer tent let alone a wine bottle

uncorked. It was a first when thePrince Edward County Winegrow-ers Association toasted the fair afew weeks ago and celebratedtheir nascent industry with winetasting.

All of these points resonatedwith the South Coast Wineries andGrowers Association. “In NorfolkCounty, the municipality andindeed provincial and federalpoliticians have recognized thatagriculture is not static,” saysMike McArthur, Chair, SCWGA.“Our future lies in much more thancommodities but rather in foodproduction and tourism.”

This is an important realizationfor everyone. Partnerships are eas-ier to form in this environment andother dynamics are allowed toflourish. Grape growers are nowthinking beyond production, abouttourism and engaging otherdepartments of the municipality.In focusing on a locally developedindustry, the economic enginestarts to engage other local suppli-ers. A manufacturer of ginsengshades, for example, is now pro-viding grape netting for localgrowers.

“For the tourism and retail side,we have realized that wineries cansell more than wine,” says

McArthur. “Lavender and ginsengfor example. There are a diversityof crops we can cross-sell.”

From a governance perspec-tive, McArthur’s legal backgroundserves the association well. Itsconstitution was carefully craftedso that votes were not based onvolume of production. “We didnot want the decisions in the handsof a few,” he says. “That’s amonoculture model.”

With a broad base of bothgrowers and wineries, the strategyis to ensure success of currentwineries and to increase the number of wineries to 20 or more.“We’re not competing against our-selves but rather provincially andinternationally.”

Regulations are the sore point.“They can be chokepoints for theindustry,” says McArthur. “Weneed a more diverse strategy foragriculture as we become a morediverse, multicultural province.”

As McArthur shared the association’s dreams at the30,000-foot level, he was about togo to ground personally. He wasdriving home for the very firstcrush at his Burning Kiln Winerynear Simcoe, Ontario.

OCTOBER 2010 –– PAGE 3THE GROWER

Continued from page 2Her strength is marrying technical knowl-edge with practical know-how in the vine-yard. Perhaps this explains her drive to setup CCOVI as a conduit of research to localfarmers.

CCOVI’s governance structure is worthstudy. The Grape Growers of Ontario, theWine Council of Ontario and the WineryGrowers Alliance of Ontario fund OntarioGrape and Wine Research Inc. Through alevy on every tonne of grapes and every litreof wine, they raise about $250,000 forresearch. Grape grower Matthias Oppen-laender chairs the research entity, aligningresearch goals with practical concerns.

“To move our industry to the next level,science, technology and innovation areneeded,” says Oppenlaender. “It’s excitingto see that research is filtering to the grassroots.”

It’s this industry-driven research modelthat has allowed the GGO and CCOVI tosecure $1.9 million in federal governmentfunding to hire a viticulturist and oenologistfor research and outreach programs. Theresults are already on the ground.

Just this fall, viticulturist Jim Willwerthis monitoring the pre-harvest, posting weekly results of brix levels, pH, titrableacidity and volatile acidity of Chardonnay,Riesling, Cabernet Franc and CabernetSauvignon in four vineyard locations. The2010 baseline will probably not hold many

surprises, especially in such an ideal grow-ing season. However, the statistics willbecome more valuable as they accumulateyear after year for growers dealing with climatic changes. Grapes mature uniquely

depending on the year, variety and terroir.On a second front, laboratory technician

Linda Tremblay can now offer growers precise chemical analysis on grapes -- andwine – to assist in harvesting decisions.

This critical mass of scientific expertisealso has links with the Ontario Ministry ofAgriculture, Food and Rural Affairs(OMAFRA), well-respected for its extension acumen. In a recent grape tailgatetour organized by Wendy McFadden-Smith,OMAFRA/CCOVI research was shared ongrape sour rot. And earlier this year, CCOVIcemented a partnership with the PacificAgri-Food Research Center in Summerland,linking research efforts between BritishColumbia and Ontario.

Science-based, community-endorsed andindustry/government funded, CCOVI isnow in a place to contemplate its nextdecade. “A huge change is underway toexpand the grape and wine value chain,”explains Inglis. “We need to go beyond thesciences to business, marketing, policy,consumer behaviour and wine culture.”

To that end, a consortium of CCOVI,Vineland Research and Innovation Centre,University of Guelph and Niagara Collegehas applied for a provincial grant to strate-gize a plan for long-term sustainability ofthe grape industry.

“We have a world class industry righthere in our backyard,” says Inglis. “BeingGrape King for a year gives me another vantage point to share that messaging withOntario wine consumers.”

As Grape King, Debbie Inglis is fluentlybilingual. She can speak to the science andto the art.

Cool grapes, hot science

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Matthias Oppenlaender (L) and Debbie Inglis agree that these Chardonnay grapes willmake a fine vintage from this season's ideal growing season.

PAGE 4 –– OCTOBER 2010

THE GROWER

Poor Chinese crop, local Canadian demand spurs garlic prices By Karen Davidson

At one dollar per bulb, garlic isthis season’s golden crop. Thebuy-local movement has shone alight on the cook’s clove with theresult that consumers are nowdemanding the fresh, pungentingredient over dry Chineseimports. With only 3,000 acresgrown in Ontario, growers are inthe enviable position of chargingseven dollars per pound, up fromfive dollars last year.

The jump in prices is largely dueto garlic shortages in China, theglobe’s primary supplier dominat-ing 77 per cent of the market. Badweather hindered its July harvestin Jinxiang county in northernShandong province – a place theChinese call the Wall Street ofgarlic. The tripling of prices therehas translated into garlic as themost valuable commodity in thecountry in the last year accordingto The Guardian. The gold rush isexpected to cool as weatherreturns to normal and hoardersrelease their garlic caches.

With imports priced sharplyhigher, the local 2010 garlic cropis commanding a premium at festi-vals and the farmgate.

“For the last five years, youcould sell everything and more,”says Alan Cowan, secretary-trea-surer of Garlic Growers ofOntario. “I’ll likely sell about6,000 pounds for seed stock this

year.” That’s a profitable crop from

five acres of the hard neck Musicvariety grown on his heavy loamysoil just west of Owen Sound.However, it’s not easy money con-

sidering the custom-made equip-ment for planting at a precisiondepth of four inches or the hand-labour required for harvesting andcracking the bulbs for seed.

The shortage of new-crop garlic

has put pressure on seed stockwhich is planted in October forharvest in July 2011.

At the Superior Plant Upgradingand Distribution (SPUD) unit inNew Liskeard, Becky Hughes is

supervising techniques to producevirus-tested Music garlic in the laband greenhouse. “This past sum-mer, we produced more than 8,000‘clean seed’ garlic bulbs whichwill be planted by garlic growersacross the province this fall,” saysHughes.

Normally, Music garlic pro-duces a bulb with six to eightcloves, but the bulbs producedfrom tissue-cultured plants haveonly one clove. To make ‘cleanseed’ production more economicalfrom these single-clove bulbs,John Zandstra at the Ridgetowncampus and Hughes are investigat-ing the production and use of bul-bils.

These are produced in the scapeor flower structure. Normallyscapes are removed from garlicplants, but these can be a source of10 to 50 or more bulbils which canbe used for propagation. Thisresearch is currently underway inthe field in Ridgetown and in thegreenhouse in New Liskeard.

Application Deadline - October 31, 2010

New commercial buildings, additions and major renovations planned for construction

anywhere in Ontario outside the 416 area code may be eligible for major grants and

incentives from the High Performance New Construction (HPNC) Program. Incentives are

based on verified kW savings. If you incorporate energy efficiency measures into your

new construction project, not only will it qualify for significant incentives and grants from

HPNC, it will provide a lifetime of energy cost savings and have a higher market value.

Contact us today. The rewards could be green – in more ways than one. For more

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on board early and we’re already seeing a payback. Plus, the incentives are a real bonus.

It was easy, and they made it happen for us. Paul Allen, Distribution Manager, Columbia Sportswear‘ ’

Alan Cowan hand plants some cloves at his Arranhill Garlic Farm near Allenford, Ontario to ensure straightstems that will be easier to braid at harvest. Some customers like the rustic look of garlic hanging in theirkitchens.

For the last five years, you could sell everything

and more.” -Alan Cowan

THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2010 –– PAGE 5

With the September 2010issue, The Grower entered a newchapter in its 130-year history. It’selectronic. It’s interactive. Andit’s designed to add news as ithappens. If you’re close to a computer, bookmark this rightnow: www.thegrower.org.

Readers can access the news-paper at their leisure for archivedissues or can update their sub-scription online. The upcoming2010 edition of the Fruit and Vegetable Resource Guide willalso be posted at this site.

Advertisers can preview theirad placement prior to the newspaper landing in mailboxes,about a week prior to the first ofthe month, our usual publicationdate. Thanks to the loyal supportof our advertisers, we are pleasedto offer readers a link to advertis-ers’ websites for researching prod-ucts and services in 2011.

Let us know what you think. Letters to the editor are

always welcome. Send to kdavidson@ecomente.ca.

On-line edition of The Grower offers interactive features

Association’s website is refreshed

In keeping with the decade of continuous communication, the OntarioFruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association also launched its website earlier this year. Be sure to bookmark www.ofvga.org.

The new website is divided into four sections: Growers, News andMedia, Consumers and About OFVGA. Under the grower section,readers can find updates on crop protection, labour, property, researchand safety nets. The news and media section contains news releases ofindustry interest as well as a direct link to The Grower. For consumers,there is a fruit and vegetable locator, with a long list of links to individual commodity websites. The Northern School Fruit and Vegetable Program is also profiled.

The events tab gives details of upcoming events. For example, ErieInnovation and Commercialization lists how to sign up for its seminarsand webinars here.

Feedback is welcome. Send comments to lschaer@ofvga.org.

THE GROWER

PAGE 6 –– OCTOBER 2010

SDRM or BRMP: That is the question

Two years ago the edible horti-culture sector set out to develop arisk management program for ourindustry members. The thinking atthe time, based on what we were

told, was that it had to be “needs”based and not “entitlement” based.It was also felt that the programshould be similar to that of thegrain and oilseed sector’s riskmanagement program because theprovincial government hadalready endorsed this type of pro-gram. The OFVGA had secondedfrom OMAFRA an individual tohelp develop such a program.

Several things became clearduring the development of thisBusiness Risk Management Program (BRMP). First, it wouldbe extremely complex due to thediversity of the sector and the lackof third party or regulated sales insome parts of the industry. Alsothe program was not seen as agood fit for those parts of the

industry that rely heavily onexports. It was feared by some thatsuch a program could lead tocountervail actions. This created alot of problems within the sectorspecifically as to whether weshould proceed with the BRMP ornot.

The Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition (OASC)was formed last fall and the formerprovincial minister of agriculturetold us that, conditional on comingup with one program and gettingthe feds on side, the Ministerwould champion the cause.

There seemed to be little choice-- one program, needs based -- sowe pushed to find a program thatwould work for the masses.

But things have changed.

At the last Ontario AgriculturalCommodities Committee meeting,a representative of OMAFRA toldus that the Minister was quite prepared to look at any programthat would meet the needs of individual sectors and that sectorapproval of the program was veryimportant. My interpretation isthat there is now a very clearunderstanding that one size willnot fit all.

As a result of this new informa-tion, representatives of the fruitand vegetable sector have decidedto adapt the framework of the oldSelf-Directed Risk Management(SDRM) program in an attempt tomeet everybody’s needs within thesector. Much is yet to be doneregarding the details such as

contribution levels and triggers. The old program was a good

program. It was simple to under-stand, easy to use, predictable andbankable with good uptake -- allthe things both government andour members say they want.

If we can convince governmentthat this is the best way to proceedand get buy-in from all the com-modity groups in the sector thenhopefully we will have a programthat will work and that everyonewill be happy with. And thatwould be a treat in itself.

For what it’s worth, it’s the wayI see it.

Art SmithCEO, OFVGA

STAFFPublisher: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ AssociationEditor: Karen Davidson, 416-252-7337, kdavidson@ecomente.caProduction: Carlie Robertson, ext. 221, production@thegrower.orgAdvertising: Herb Sherwood, 519-380-0118, hsherwood@cogeco.ca

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 nextissue. 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 thesole owner of The Grower. All editorials and opinions expressedin The Grower are those of the newspaper’s editorial staff and/orcontributor, and do not necessarily reflect the view of the association.

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

P.M. 40012319

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The Grower is printed 12 times a year and sent to allmembers of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association who have paid $30.00 (plus G.S.T.) per year forthe paper through their commodity group or container fees.Others may subscribe as follows by writing to the office:

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ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2010

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Brian Gilroy, MeafordVice-Chair Mac James, LeamingtonFruit Director Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-LakeVeg Director Jason Ryder, DelhiDirector Len Troup, Jordon Station

Apples Brian Gilroy, MeafordFresh Vegetable - Other Jason Ryder, DelhiTender Fruit Len Troup, Jordan StationON Asparagus Grws’. Mkg. Brd. Lonnie Duwyn, DelhiGGO/Fresh Grape Growers Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-LakeFresh Vegetable - Muck Jason Verkaik, BradfordON. Potato Board Mac James, LeamingtonSmall Fruit/Berries Norm Charbonneau, Port ElginON. Ginseng Growers’ Doug Bradley, TillsonburgGreenhouse Jim Veri, Exeter

OFVGA SECTION CHAIRS

Crop Protection Charles Stevens, NewcastleResearch Harold Schooley, SimcoeProperty David Lambert, Niagara-on-the-LakeLabour Ken Forth, LyndenSafety Nets Mark Wales, AlymerCHC Murray Porteous, SimcoeAGCare/Nutrient Man. Charles Stevens, Newcastle

The risk management cup The first testicular guard, the

"Cup," was used in hockey in 1874and the first helmet was used in1974. That means it only took 100years for men to realize that theirbrains are also important. Ladies. . . stop laughing.

So, what’s my point? Most agricultural risk manage-

ment programs are established fora five-year period. These are federal/provincial funded pro-grams that all provinces must signonto.

In between, provinces areallowed to introduce their own

programs to address provincialissues. Quebec did so when theyintroduced an Enhanced Agri-Invest program that pays three percent of ANS rather than 1.5 percent for the rest of Canada. I guessthings are more difficult there???

Ontario introduced a Risk Management Program (RMP) forthe Grains & Oilseeds Sector thatprovided insurance to cover offdeclines in market values belowthe cost of production (2007-2009)and then extended the program tocover 2010. The rest of the agricultural sector in Ontario

received no similar consideration. The RMP Program seemed to

be an attractive model until yougot into the nitty-gritty of how itwould work and the complexitiesit would present for the horticul-tural sector. With more than 150crops and various farm sizes andcrop mixes this created numerousproblems.

Fortunately, OMAFRA seemsto have opened a window for alternate solutions for sectorswhere RMP may not fit. We verymuch appreciate this opportunityto introduce alternatives.

You can be assured that thehorticultural sector will takeadvantage of this apparent opportunity.

Adrian HuismanOntario Tender Fruit

Producers

The 2010 growing season isdrawing to a close and Thanks-giving will be celebrated soon. Iwould like to take a moment tothank those who produce the foodthat all of us need to sustain ourbasic existence, THANK YOU.Every year I am amazed that farm-ers move huge mountains of foodto market or storage so efficientlythat less than three per cent of thepopulation is required to providefood for everyone.

With so few of us involved infood production and the relativelylow cost of food to the public itappears, to the majority of the

population, as if the food system isworking just fine. Governmentsare mainly interested in what themajority of the population wants.There has been a lot of talk abouthow people would like to havetheir food grown close to homeand with the huge local marketthat exists here in Ontario I am a“Buy Local” supporter. The chal-lenge is that we are a high cost-of-production province with relative-ly low retail food prices. With thebuying power of our retail chainsand the ongoing pressure to “RollBack Prices,” local food producersare being forced out of business as

our cost of production increases. We are working hard to make

sure that the policy makers of theday are aware of the very seriousfinancial pressures that fruit andvegetable farmers are facing. Thetime has come for the ProvincialGovernment and farm organiza-tions to finalize a definition offarming. The different governmentagencies that enforce the rules,which we abide by, must be givenclear direction to prevent theongoing taxation and compliancecost increases that farmers face. Acomprehensive definition of farming is long overdue and

desperately needed.As we finalize the definition of

farming, the development of aCanadian Food Strategy will beone of the “high level” activitiesthat we will be supporting. As wework with government and otherswithin the food value chain itappears as if primary producersare not seen as essential to the continuation of the value chain.We have requested that fruit andvegetable farmers be put on the“Species at risk” list in hopes thatthe appropriate agencies will takeaction to help us thrive in our current environment.

Without support, farmers will soon be species at risk

Brian GilroyChair, OFVGA

“Indian Summer”Along the line of smoky hillsThe crimson forest stands,And all the day the blue-jay callsThroughout the autumn lands.

Now by the brook the maple leans, With all his glory spread;And all the sumachs on the hills Have turned their green to red.

Now, by great marshes wrapt in mist, Or past some river's mouth,Throughout the long still autumn dayWild birds are flying south.

-- William Wilfred Campbell (1860-1919)Born at Kitchener, Campbell was knownas the poet of the Great Lakes.

Board briefsOntario Fruit and VegetableGrowers’ Association (OFVGA)September 2010

Following are highlights fromthe OFVGA board meeting heldAugust 19, 2010. The purpose ofthis brief is to keep you up to dateon the issues that the OFVGA isworking on, as well as projectsand initiatives the organization isinvolved in.

Safety NetsAgriInvest - Safety Nets sectionchair Mark Wales reported thatQuebec has created an AgriQue-bec program, their version ofAgriInvest. In Manitoba, theprovincial government removed40 per cent of its share of Agri-Invest funding for 2009. The federal government has indicatedthat this is not an appropriateaction but it remains to be seenhow Manitoba will respond. InOntario and the rest of Canada,individuals are now receiving theirAgriInvest forms in the mail. Anarea of concern is that as of earlyJuly 2010, farmers had applied forless than $50 million of the $65million in total available forOntario – it does not bode well ifthe program is not fully utilized. Grains and oilseeds risk manage-ment program – The risk manage-ment program for the grains andoilseed sector, which recentlyended after a three-year pilot, hasbeen extended for an extra year.Farmers are eligible for the premi-um-based program extension aslong as they were growing crops in2008 and 2009.

Ontario Agricultural CommodityCouncil – Work is continuing bythe Ontario Agricultural Com-modity Council (OACC) technicalcommittee on what an enhancedAgriInvest program could looklike. Staff from Ontario Ministryof Agriculture, Food and RuralAffairs (OMAFRA) is preparingsome cost estimates that will goback to OACC and commodityorganizations. OMAFRA is alsolooking at what a business riskmanagement program could looklike for the greenhouse sector. TheOFVGA safety nets committeewill be meeting to discuss a non-business risk managementinfrastructure program, which hasbeen proposed by the greenhousesector. Ontario Agriculture Sustainabili-ty Coalition (OASC) – OFVGAcontinues to participate in OASC,a coalition of non-supply managedcommodity organizations who areseeking stable and bankable safetynet funding. OASC met with CarolMitchell, Ontario’s agricultureminister, earlier this month

Canadian Horticultural Council(CHC)

The semi-annual meetings ofthe CHC took place in mid-August. OFVGA’s representativeto the CHC, Murray Porteous,reported that the organization wasfacing some financial challenges.Fees have increased approximate-ly two per cent annually over thelast six years but that the budgetsover the last five years have hadnegative numbers. There are some

difficulties in collecting fees fromunregulated vegetable growers inB.C. similar to past experiences inother provinces.

CHC’s lobbying efforts arenow more centrally controlled,instead of going through commit-tees, so the organization is lookingat restructuring in order toimprove its effectiveness. Optionsunder consideration include having regional representatives,changing governance and implementing term limitations forthe president.

New legislation concerningorganizational governance has justreceived royal assent. Under thenew rules, an organization cannotbe an advocate and a programdelivery agent at the same time.For CHC, this will mean changesin how the national food safetyprogram will be delivered, andoptions are being evaluated.

Crop ProtectionEfficacy testing - A request has

been made to the Guelph office ofthe Pest Management RegulatoryAgency to do some efficacy testing on some fungicides for thefruit industry and some herbicidesrequested by the Holland MarshGrowers Association. Accordingto PMRA, this is responsibility ofthe company that has registeredthe product. OFVGA is working toresolve the issue.

Blueberry maggot – OFVGAhas been working to resolve theissues surrounding blueberry maggot. The Canadian FoodInspection Agency (CFIA)

announced in June that they wouldbe significantly changing howthey regulate this pest in Ontario.There was no real time for growersto respond due to closeness to har-vest, so after pressure fromOFVGA, the deadline for responsewas moved to November. OFVGAwill be meeting with CFIA inNovember to discuss the issue.The CFIA is proposing to de-regu-late blueberry maggot in most ofOntario, which would allowinfested fruit from other regionsinto the province and allow thepest to spread here. OFVGA isasking for the province to be kept“maggot-free” and for the CFIA tomaintain monitoring for its pres-ence in Ontario.

Research Research priorities - Vineland

Research and Innovation Centre(VRIC) has expressed interest intaking on a role in helping the horticulture industry with theirresearch priorities. Various commodities, including apples,greenhouse, tender fruit, potatoesand grapes have research commit-tees in place but unregulated crops– those without marketing boards– could use support in this area. Ameeting with VRIC to discussresearch priorities has been scheduled for November 23 andOFVGA will distribute a meetingnotice.

Out-of-province travel – Concern was expressed about howthe provincial government’s travelpolicy was keeping key govern-ment technology transfer special-

ists from participating in importantout-of-province meetings. OFVGAis sending a letter to the OntarioMinistry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs about the importanceof government tech transfer specialists to be able to attend conferences and meetings out ofthe province. Ontario is a diverse,but small player in global horticul-ture, so growers need access tointernational research partnershipsand the latest innovations in orderto help stay competitive.

By-law reviewThe OFVGA Management

Committee will conduct a reviewof the organization’s by-laws thisfall to look at potential changesrelated to governance issues.

Royal Agricultural Winter FairOFVGA Chair Brian Gilroy

has been asked to help facilitate afarmers’ market at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair this yearfor all of horticulture. The Royal iswaiving the square footage fee forthe market, which can includefresh or processed food. About 20– 25 vendors are expected andOFVGA is now working withshow organizers, the Toronto Fruitand Vegetable Growers and theHolland Marsh Growers’ Associa-tion on how this concept might bedeveloped. Anyone interested inparticipating can contact Brian atofvgachair@ofvga.org. The eventwill be held November 5 – 14.

Next OFVGA board meeting –Thursday, October 14, 2010.

THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2010 –– PAGE 7

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How Canadian horticulture plays a role in the UN’s Year of Biodiversity

As The Grower focuses on environmentalstewardship in this issue, we also point out that2010 is the UN’s Year of Biodiversity. Hereare a few facts to ponder over Thanksgivingdinner.

Edible plants - Around the world, about30,000 plant species are edible. Only about7,000 of these have been cultivated or collect-ed as food for human use since agriculturebegan 12,000 years ago. Today, of those 7,000plants, only 15 species make up the vast major-ity of our food. For animals, we rely on eightspecies.• Native Canadian crops - Crops native toCanada include sunflower, strawberry, raspber-ry, saskatoon berry, blueberry, currant, cran-berry and a large number of forage and grassspecies.• Canadian strawberries and apples - Cana-da gene conservation facilities such as at theCanadian Clonal Genebank, housed at theGreenhouse and Processing Crops Research

Centre in Harrow, ON., are home to 1500 different strawberry varieties and over 800apple varieties.• Genetic information - Plant germplasm isthe living tissue from which new plants can begrown. Germplasm is usually seed, or it can beanother plant part - a stem, a leaf, or pollen, forexample, or even just a few cells that can begrown through tissue culture into a wholeplant. Plant germplasm contains all the geneticinformation from the plant’s hereditary make-up.• Genebank - A genebank is an important sup-port facility for conserving and maintaininggermplasm, whether it be plant or animal. Usu-ally, plant diversity is in the form of seeds,though extensive use also is made of live plantsor tissue culture. Most seeds are conserved in afrozen state. Science has shown that the idealtemperature is between -10 and -20°C. Eachspecimen must be well identified and is storedin its own container.

• Principal world collections - For the globalcommunity Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada(AAFC) has responsibility as the principalstorage site for the world collections of barleyand oats. This collection consists of 38,000barley and 28,000 oat unique specimens.Around the world, there are principle and back-up storage sites with principle or backup (ieduplicate) specimens so that germplasm can beregenerated should contents be lost an the prin-ciple site. Canada is also a backup site for theworld collections of pearl millet, oilseed andcrucifers.• Svalbard Global Seed Vault - This is a newgermplasm storage facility in Norway. On itsopening in 2008, AAFC provided about 6,000samples of Canadian plant genetic materialfrom Plant Gene Resources of Canada inSaskatoon, SK. The seeds represent about 90species of plants.

Source: Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

Cover crops open house slated for Ridgetown Campus Commercial growers and

agribusinesses are invited to acover crops open house on Octo-ber 14. There are two locations tosee different plots.

First, the Ontario Soil and CropImprovement Association(OSCIA) demonstration site willbe open at 9 am at 10595 FairviewLine between the Mull and Har-wich Roads. The second site will

be open at 10:30 am across theroad at 20701 Victoria Road, for-mally 21 highway, north of Gos-nell Line at the back of theRidgetown Campus research plots.

Lunch will be provided afterthe tour for no cost. No preregis-tration is required. CCA creditshave been applied for.

What’s to see? • Underseeding cover crops in

seed or sweet corn• Cover crops which were plantedafter wheat, tomatoes and cucum-bers• Comparison of early vs. latecover crop growth• Many different cover crops(alfalfa, vetch, crimson clover,winter pea, oilseed radish, buck-wheat, sorghum and other grassesas well as mixtures)

Funding has been provided bythe OSCIA Nutrient ManagementBMP Demonstration Grant, SeedCorn Growers of Ontario OntarioProcessing Vegetable Growersand OMAFRA. For more information, contact Prof. LauraVan Eerd at the Ridgetown Campus University of Guelph at519-674-1644 or lvaneerd@ridgetownc.uoguelph.ca

THE GROWERPAGE 8 –– OCTOBER 2010

The buzz about local foodkeeps getting louder, as con-sumers’ zeal for homegrown faretakes on a life of its own. In fact,although it sounds like an oxy-moron, local food is starting to gomainstream. Perhaps you’ve seen the grocerystore ad campaign “Grown CloseTo Home,” which kind of does,and kind of doesn’t sound likelocal food. In it, grocery storemagnate Galen Weston, alongwith what appears to be his family,sit down for a picnic on what lookslike the Niagara Escarpment, andhe extols the virtues of supportingfarmers who grow food close tohome.

It begs the question: is local“close”? I suppose so, if yourinterpretation is liberal enough.“Close” can mean almost anythingyou want it to mean.

And I suspect “close to home”is close enough for anyone whobelieves local food is better food,even though they might not likethe fact that this campaign is amainstream effort being promotedby one of Canada’s biggest foodretailers.

It also leads to a practical dis-cussion about the differencebetween close and local. Geo-graphically, I don’t know where todraw the dividing line. It’s proba-bly in our minds rather than on theharsh lines of a map.

But think about it. If you live inGuelph as I do, local probablymeans Wellington County. Butthen, what's "close"? The HollandMarsh? The Niagara area?

Or if you live in Wallaceburg,as I used to, Lambton County islocal. Leamington? It’s close, sortof. Indeed, the Holland Marsh,Niagara and Leamington are all alot closer than major fruit and veg-etable growing regions in the U.S.But if you lived in Wallaceburgand told someone you lived“close” to Leamington, they’d getthe wrong picture.

In any event, local food is on aroll. Farmers’ Markets Ontariosays 14 new markets opened in theprovince this year. And while hardnumbers aren’t in yet, shoppertraffic appears to be up. Nothingsays local food like farmers' mar-kets, and as more markets open up,and even as more chains such asLoblaws adopt a local food cam-paign, consumer access increases.

A big part of access depends onsupply, on farmers and their repre-sentative organizations workingclosely with retailers to make sureconsumers are served.

Farmers in Ontario’s SandPlains region are working towardsthat goal now. They stand to gainfrom a new project designed tohelp them more effectively serveexisting markets, and create newopportunities that in part capitalizeon consumers' interest in local

food.They have the raw goods, that’s

for sure. The productive SandPlains, which includes the coun-ties of Brant, Elgin, Middlesex,Norfolk and Oxford, is a strong-hold for fruits and vegetables.What they need is support forimproved transportation, distribu-tion and marketing channels.

To that end, Ottawa has cometo their assistance with a $74,000grant which will prompt a jointstudy by the Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers' Association,the George Morris Centre, ErieInnovation and Commercializa-tion and the South Central OntarioRegion, to try to determine thebest way to bring products to retailchains and consumers in southcentral and southwestern Ontario. “This is all about novel food dis-tribution, about growers’ ability to

get to their market,” says JohnKelly, vice president of Erie Inno-vation and Commercialization.“Depending on what commodityyou grow, your path to market isdifferent.”

Kelly says the study willinvolve a look at different modelsof distribution, such as the popu-larly discussed 100-mile marketconcept. It’s dreamily discussed inconsumer circles, but how does itactually manifest itself in practicalterms for farmers? And are con-sumers’ expectations realistic?Farmers and retailers are lookingfor ways to meet consumerdemand for local food and nicheproducts, but effective models fordistribution and marketing on abroad scale are yet to be devel-oped.

I’ve said before I support localfood. I question some of theclaims, including the implicationthat anything not grown within100 miles of home is inferior ordamages the environment. Butthere’s definitely a perception thatlocal food is better.

And right now, as incredibly-tasting fresh fruit and vegetablesare coming off close-to-homefields and orchards, it’s tough torefute that suggestion.

Close to home is close enough

Owen RobertsUniversity of Guelph

AGCare, Farm Animal Council working towards amalgamationAGCare and the Ontario Farm

Animal Council (OFAC) areworking towards an amalgama-tion, with a collective focus onpublic outreach for a strongervoice for crop and animal sectors.Both groups were formed morethan 20 years ago to provideproactive and collaborative com-munications efforts and leadershipon agricultural issues – like envi-ronment and animal care – thatwere common to many differentcommodity organizations.

The two organizations alreadyshare an office in Guelph’s Agri-Centre as well as staff, including ajoint Executive Director. AGCare

and OFAC also collaborate onmany public outreach initiatives.Some recent highlights include:• Placing educational signs aboutagriculture beside hiking trails inthe Greenbelt • Working to get positive farm-ing stories into the media and giv-ing farmers the tools to be agricul-tural ambassadors• Developing virtual tours oflivestock and crop farms to givethe public a chance to experiencereal Ontario farms - www.virtual-farmtours.ca• Maintaining and expanding alibrary of current agricultural pho-tos and videos that are available

for use by media and in publica-tions• Leading a province-wide col-lection of obsolete agriculturalcrop protection and animal healthproducts

Through a joint Memorandumof Understanding (MOU) betweenthe two organizations, a newmodel for working together will bedeveloped over the next year. Thiswill include options for more effi-cient administration for both orga-nizations, as well as developmentof new and strengthened forumsfor leadership on public communi-cations and on key agriculturalissues. In particular, the new orga-nization will be strengthening itsresources on issue expertise onenvironment and animal carespecifically – as the demands andopportunities on those two issuesare high.

A steering committee com-prised of the executives of bothorganizations and the shared exec-utive director has been put in placeto guide the two organizationsthrough the alliance process. Bothorganizations will continue todeliver their respective servicesduring the term of this MOU.

AGCare was founded in 1988as a coalition of crop and horticul-tural organizations to address safeand responsible use of crop protec-tion products in Ontario agricul-ture. Under AGCare’s leadership,the Ontario Pesticide EducationProgram was implemented, which

is widely credited with helpingOntario farmers reduce pesticideuse by more than 50 per cent overthe last two decades. The organi-zation now serves as the voice ofOntario’s 45,000 crop and horti-cultural farmers on environmentalissues, including the Clean WaterAct and other government legisla-tion, the Grower Requested OwnUse program and crop protectionissues.

AGCare’s founding membersinclude the Ontario Fruit and Veg-etable Growers’ Association,Christian Farmers Federation ofOntario, Ontario Federation ofAgriculture, Ontario Bean Produc-ers Marketing Board, OntarioCanola Growers Association,Ontario Flue-Cured TobaccoGrowers, Grain Farmers ofOntario (formerly Ontario Soy-bean Growers, Ontario Corn Pro-ducers’ Association and OntarioWheat Marketing Board), OntarioPotato Board, Ontario ProcessingVegetable Growers, Ontario SeedCorn Growers, Ontario SeedGrowers Association, OntarioSoil and Crop Improvement Asso-ciation, Flowers Canada (Ontario),Ontario Beekeepers Associationand Federated Women’s Institutesof Ontario.

If you have questions or sug-gestions regarding the proposedamalgamation, please contactAGCare Executive Director Crys-tal Mackay at 519-837-1326 orcmackay@ofac.org.

Lilian SchaerAGCare

The Essex County Associated Growers are pleased to announce the 60th Annual Bounty of the County convention & trade show Tuesday, November 23 & Wednesday, November 24, 2010. Kinsmen Recreation Complex249 Sherk St., Leamington, Ontario

View the newest agricultural technology/equipment, and attend informativespeaker programs. Visit our trade showfor your chance to win grand prizes.Cooking demonstrations will be heldduring the convention – don’t missthem!

Proudly serving the fruit and vegetable growers of Essex County for 60 years!

For more information, contact Mary Jane Dalrympleat (519) 326-4481 or ecag@bellnet.ca, or visit

www.bountyofthecounty.ca

THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2010 –– PAGE 9

• 4,000 people from 41 states and 10 Canadian provinces attended in 2009

• Informative education program for fruit and vegetable growers and farm marketers – 48 education sessions and workshops over three days

• Large trade show – last year’s show had 394 exhibitors covering four acres of exhibit space

• Pre-conference bus tour for farm marketers on Monday, December 6

One registration fee covers both conferences and the trade show!

(Specified workshops and tours require an additional fee)

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

The Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO

• 450 greenhouse growers from 26 states and 3 Canadian provinces attended in 2009

• Three days of education sessions and workshops for greenhouse growers

• Many greenhouse vendors in the trade show

•  Greenhouse growers bus tour on Thursday, December 9

PlusThe Michigan Greenhouse Growers Expo

The PREMIER SHOW

for fruit and vegetable

growers and farm

marketers!

December 7-9, 2010

DeVos Place

Convention Center

Grand Rapids, Michiganwww.glexpo.com

Visit GLEXPO.com for registration, program and other information.

Call 734-677-0503 for registration questions or to receive registration and program information by mail.

Call 616-794-0492 for information on exhibiting in the trade show.

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Business risk management must be debated in broader context:George Morris Centre

By Al MussellBusiness risk management (BRM)

payments account for $3.5 billion or 67 percent of funds spent by the federal govern-ment on agriculture. Data show that payments have increased over the last sev-eral years, yet farm incomes have remainedflat. This suggests that, if the program’sintent is to support or stabilize farmincomes, it is not meeting its target.

There is palpable discontent with BRMprogramming among representatives of thefarm community. In Manitoba, a proposalhas been developed to augment the Agri-Stability program by introducing a cost ofproduction component to provide greatersupport when producers experience losses(Downing et al). Farm groups in Ontarioare promoting an analogous BRM programbased on production costs and a deficiencypayment that mirrors the Assurance stabilization revenue agricole (ASRA) program in Quebec (Ontario AgricultureSustainability Coalition). At the CanadianFederation of Agriculture’s Farmers Agen-da Roundtable in July, 2010, changes toBRM programming were at the forefront ofthe discussion. The Canadian Federation ofIndependent Businesses has even weighedin (Labbie, 2010) with a survey of 1,100agribusiness members that found broad con-cern with existing BRM programming; it

reported that 58 per cent of respondents indi-cated AgriStability payments received wereinadequate to cover losses they experienced.

The focus on BRM in discussions onagricultural policy crowds other elementsoff the agenda and ignores real tradeoffsthat must occur. These elements includeagricultural sustainability and increaseddemands on the food system, improvementsin the product approval regulatory system,and improvements in marketing regulation.

When more than 50 per cent of Canadianfarms have revenue of less than $100,000and are not identified as commercial farmbusinesses, what is the Canadian public“buying” with additional BRM support?History suggests that as program paymentsincrease, these actually do little to mitigatethe farm income downtrend. This is in partbecause the payments go to recipients forwhom farming is not the primary focus, northe primary source of income. The morelikely direct effect of the payments is toinflate farm asset values and land rents. Thebulk of farm products are supplied by largercommercial scale farms (>$250,000 in revenue) that are not so dependent on additional program payments to providesustainable household incomes.

It is really only a small subset of primaryagriculture that is responsible for the bulk offarm product production. With this obser-

vation, can BRM policy be better segment-ed and targeted in engaging smaller farms asdistinct from larger commercial operations?Farmers, as rural landowners, provideimportant public services for the environ-ment and rural countryside, includingeverything from wildlife habitat to wetlandsand groundwater protection, to maintenanceof agrarian landscapes. These resources areimportant to Canadians; enhancements toBRM programming that were tied to mea-sures to protect these resources would makefor a stronger public policy case for suchfunding. In fact, BRM programs may havea perverse effect on these programs becausethey only make payments when farms sellproducts, thereby likely encouraging farming where other land uses may havemore social value.

Conceivably, two BRM-type programsets can be envisioned here. One programset could address farms in need of support –typically smaller, not full-time enterprises,not the core of farm production, but contrib-utors to environmental goods and servicesin rural Canada. Support funding could bepredicated on (and potentially justified by)the implementation of specific beneficialmanagement practices that provide environ-mental goods and services. A second pro-gram set could address the stabilizationneeds of the commercial farm segment –

program payments contingent upon “loss”,with deductible provisions – not support.The objectives should be to create stabiliza-tion protection for a commercial segmentwithout the need to reduce funding for thepublic infrastructure that can “grow” value-added in the agri-food sector, and supportthe non-commercial farm segment in pro-viding environmental goods and services atan appropriate level.

To date, governments and industry havebeen unwilling to consider a multiple program set, each with a defined farm struc-ture target. However, by failing to do so,they expose critical weaknesses in the public policy rationale for existing BRMprogramming, let alone increased fundingfor it. And in this environment, no produc-er – large, small, profitable, or unprofitable– will turn down an increase in programpayments, or even pause before asking. Toadvance the broader agricultural policy dis-cussion, and to give pause to the unrelentingrequest for BRM funds, the opportunitycosts and tradeoffs implied need to be articulated and made transparent.

Editor’s Note: This is a synopsis of thereport released September 16, 2010 called:The Business Risk Management FundingDebate in Canada: Understanding theBroader Context. Al Mussell is SeniorResearch Associate, George Morris Centre.

By Karen DavidsonIn Diane O’Shea’s family studies class,

the course may not be called “ag in theclassroom” but the farmer’s daughter bybirth and home economist by trade weaves agreat yarn. A recent course activity wasabout canning peaches, yet the classroomdiscussion touched on economics, environ-mental issues and public health.

For her deftness in drawing everydayconnections to agricultural life, DianeO’Shea has been honoured with the OntarioAgri-Food Education’s Teacher Award ofExcellence. The awards ceremony tookplace at the opening of Canada’s OutdoorFarm Show.

“So many of today’s students are so farremoved from the farm,” says O’Shea.“Teachers and students alike don’t have thatbackground knowledge to draw from whenit comes to agriculture.”

O’Shea has been an educator and advo-cate for agriculture in the classroom formany years but did not begin her profes-sional career as a teacher until 1997. As thehead of the Family Studies Department atMedway High School in London, Ontario,she continues to seize opportunities in andout of her classroom. She often has localfarmers come into her classroom to tell stu-dents about the day-to-day operations andchallenges of farming.

“Diane brings versatility to her profes-sion,” says Colleen Smith, executive direc-tor of Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc.“She strategically thinks of how she canmake agriculture relevant in the classroom.We need teachers like Diane – teachers whoare able to automatically make connectionsbetween agriculture and students’ personallives.”

O’Shea’s knowledge comes from hands-on experience. She and her husbandMichael began a pick-your-own vegetableand fruit operation on their family farm near

Granton, Ontario. The family has hostedfarm tour programs for many years designedwith a relevance to curriculum and experi-ential learning.

It’s educators like O’Shea that inspiremany of OAFE’s outreach activities. Underthe leadership of Lorie Jocius, Canada’sOutdoor Farm Show created an opportunity

for OAFE to reach out to the agribusinesssector with everyone at the site. The ideawas to challenge all exhibitors to put theOAFE Resource Catalogue into the hands ofa teacher.

“Almost without exception, we heardhow agri-business owners recognized theimportance of getting positive, factual mes-sages about the ag sector into the classroomto reach students, but many didn’t knowhow that could happen,” says Smith. “Atthe exhibitor level, few knew about OAFEand how we are a bridge into the education-al system and that we have been reachingout to teachers for 20 years.”

OAFE’s distribution task is formidableas a small charitable organization looking ata target audience of about 120,000 educa-tors, 72 school boards with 4,000 elemen-tary and almost 900 secondary schools andmore than two million students spread overa huge geographic map.

Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show was theperfect venue for OAFE to challengeexhibitors to reach a huge distribution net-work of stakeholders around the province tolet teachers know about the OAFE ResourceCatalogue and educational resources. Theinitiative means that local business ownersand community stakeholders will be linkingdirectly with local teachers.

This initiative follows the pledge of theJunior Farmers’ Association as well as sev-eral agricultural federations including thecounties of Halton, Huron, Prince Edward,Hastings, Niagara North, Rainy River andPerth. For more information, go towww.oafe.org.

Editors’ note: To see a video of Diane O’Shea accepting her award andColleen Smith’s comments go to the Woodstock Sentinel-Review’s website at www.oxfordreview.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2758082

THE GROWER

PAGE 10 –– OCTOBER 2010

“Ag in the classroom” shines like an apple

OFVGA 152nd Annual Meeting and ConventionSilent auction contributors

OFVGA Annual General Meeting and Convention Policy

As the OFVGA prepares for its 152nd annual meeting, the association would like to remindits member organizations of the following policy – put in place in 2004-05 – in order

to ensure proper delegate preparation and resolutions submission.

• All member organizations are entitled to one (1) delegate per 50 members within theirrespective organizations, maximum of five (5).• All member organizations are to provide to the OFVGA the number of its active membership.• All resolutions should be brought forward, in writing, by December 15 of each year.• Any of the member organizations who are required to submit their director’s name inadvance (currently seven of the 10 board affiliates) should do so by December 15 of eachyear.

If you are interested in donating to the silent auction, please contact Herb Sherwood at 519-380-0118

Sherwood Marketing & ConsultingCheryl WoodmanPaul & Marion WoodmanJack & Gjan ScottPlasponics KlipKitPrivate DonorCindy & Steve ClayPrivate DonorParks BlueberriesKwazar SprayersAyr Farmers Mutual

Sarjeant Co. LtdData MediaClients of The GrowerUnion GasRichmond Motors, ChathamVan Kesteren HyundaiPride SeedsPioneer CanadaMcGrail Farm EquipmentThe Links of Kent: Golf ClubDeer Run Golf CourseJanzen Equipment

R J EquipmentRicter Web Printing Comfort Inn, ChathamBlenheim ChryslerLandini, McCormick CanadaDelhaven Orchards Ltd.Smith & Wilson WineryCountry View Golf CourseReif Estate WineryTravelodge, ChathamComfort Inn, ChathamRed Pine Inn, Alliston

Boston Pizza, ChathamCasa Bella, ChathamT-Bones Steak House, ChathamBorealis Grille & Bar, GuelphLicks Hamburgers, GuelphShoeless Joe’s, GuelphKent Farm Supplies Ltd.Blenheim Community Golf ClubBaldoon Golf ClubDeer Run Golf CourseRidgetown Golf ClubTilbury Gulf Club

Via RailViewpoint Estate WinerySunnybrook Farm Estate WineryTim Hortons Advertising & PromotionCardinal Golf ClubAyr Turf & Trac Inc.

Below is a list of the generous contributors who have donated items to the association on behalf of the 152nd annual general meeting. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their generosity.

NOTICEis hereby given that the

152nd Annual Members and Directors’ Meetingof the

Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers’ Association

will be held in

Niagara Falls, Ontario at The Crowne Plaza HotelJanuary 10, 11 and 12, 2011

Election of Directors of the Association will take place as well as dealingwith resolutions and any other business that may arise.

THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2010 –– PAGE 11

Not everyone inherits a farm with the‘Agricultural Intel Chip’ from generationsgone before. Tamas Dombi is a case inpoint.

Originally an immigrant from Romania,he pursued an urban life as a real estateagent and contractor in Toronto, until anagrarian life beckoned. Backed by Farmstartcourses and in particular the “Exploring theNew Farm Dream,” course Dombi took a U-turn in his life. In his early thirties, he andhis Canadian-born wife, Sandra, started outwith six acres near Newmarket, Ontario,intensively farming one acre for babygreens. The crop-share agreement with thelandowner works well under the banner ofKind Organics. (www.kindorganics.ca)

“We chose baby greens because we canplant many times per year,” says Dombi.“They’re more nutritious at the smaller sizeand it’s compatible with our businessmodel.”

Their rainbow of products sound likethey could be matched to your horoscope:earth blend, fire blend, cosmic blend, etheric blend, leafy green blend, Asianblend, baby spinach, baby arugula, Swisschard and Red Russian kale. Pick yourprice: six dollars for 100 grams or $10 for200 grams, and sometimes more dependingon the mix.

Virtually the entire crop is sold directlyto consumers at Toronto area farmers’ markets: Brick Works, Dufferin Grove,Sorauren and Liberty Village with a once-a-month appearance at Wychwood. Theypick, wash, dry, package and refrigerate thegreens the day before market. Dombiexpects to have product availability up

until December or if weather holds, until Christmas.

With just two years’ farming under theirbelts, the one acre is financially sustainingthe couple and their seven-year-old son.These short-season crops get a headstartwith greenhouses, five rented and theremainder owned. By next spring, there will

be four owned greenhouses of 24 feet by 96feet nurturing salad greens that can be soldas early as March 1. A year-round, indoorsprouting facility also broadens the offeringwith sunflower sprouts, pea shoots, buck-wheat sprouts, micro-greens, wheat grassand 12 varieties of hydroponically grownsprouts.

These beginning farmers share a com-mon thread with many other immigrants toCanada. They bring a shortage of capital butan appetite to set down roots and a sense ofcommunity. That’s where Farmstart comesin. The Guelph-Ontario-based programoffers newcomers the skills to build locallybased, ecologically sound and economicallyviable farms.

The FarmStart support includes somestart-up capital money through a smallgrants program for seeds/ supplies and smallinfrastructure. This support was providedspecifically for new Canadians through aproject funded by Heifer Canada.

“The Tamas Dombi story is beyond ourexpectations,” says Sri Sethuratnam, program manager, FarmStart. “We are currently doing a documentary to chroniclehis progress through the seasons and hopethat it will inspire the many Tamas Dombisout there, who given the encouragement andappropriate support, will take up farmingfull time.”

Fledgling farmer starts with baby greens

What’s newsworthy this fall isthat the federal-provincial Grow-ing Forward program hasannounced new support for yearthree, 2011-12. This includesimproved cost-share opportunitiesto help new farmers set businessgoals, improve farm-related skillsand develop business plans. Therewill also be support for leadershipand governance skills and up to$20,000 in cost-share funding tosupport development of up to threebusiness plans for a farm business.

Increased benefits for newfarmers

1. Agriculture Skills Develop-menta) Cost-share is now 75 per centto a maximum of $4,500 for for-mal training and customized one-on-one training. Within the$4,500 cap, funding of $750 isavailable for ASD-2. b) Leadership and governance area new opportunity under skillsdevelopment. Cost-share is 75 percent to a maximum of $4,500.

2. Advanced Business PlanningCost-share is 75 per cent to a

maximum of $20,000. Up to threeprojects may be completed with amaximum cost per project of$8,000.

To meet the criteria a newfarmer must have less than $7,000in gross farm income two andthree years prior to the year ofenrollment in the Business Devel-opment for Farm Businesses Pro-gram. Gross farm income greaterthan $7,000 in the year prior to

enrollment is permitted. Refer tothe Program Eligibility Policy andProcedures for complete details. 3. Business Plan Implementa-tion

Cost-share is 75 per cent to amaximum of $4,500

Increased benefits for existingfarmers

1. Agriculture Skills Develop-ment

Leadership and governance area new opportunity under skillsdevelopment. Cost-share is 50 per

cent to a maximum of $3,000.Total funding available underAgriculture Skills Development is$6,000.2. Advanced Business Planning

Cost-share is 50 per cent to anew maximum of $20,000. (The

previous cap was $8,000). Up tothree projects may be completedwith a maximum cost per projectof $8,000.

Full details can be researched atwww.ontariosoilcrop.org.

Business Development for Farm Businesses

Your business plan• is a map - following it gives you confidence that

you know where you’re going• will help you develop creative ways to implement

and reach your farm business goals

Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association1-800-265-9751 www.ontariosoilcrop.org

Build a solid foundation for your business…..develop a business plan

workshop is the place to start!

Register for a workshop today!

A business plan revolutionizes a farming operation. Speaking frompersonal experience, this written living document impacts the

future but even more so the day to day operations of the farm.

Dr. Peter Vander Zaag, Chair of the Agricultural Management Institute

Growing Forward year three offers increased benefits

Tamas and Sandra Dombi and their son started small with organic baby greens and arenow expanding for 2011.

Sprouting facility. Photo courtasy of KindOrganics.

Stories by Karen Davidson Blueberry grower. Potato

farmer. That’s just a start indescribing Jack Fraser who farmsin one of the most fragile ecosys-tems of Canada.

He’s located about 12 milessouth of Vancouver airport, rightat the mouth of the iconic FraserRiver. His 80 acres of blueberriesand 110 acres of potatoes are with-in sight of a massive port develop-ment and not far from theTsawwassen First Nations Reserveon the Strait of Georgia. A dairyherd and 170 acres of forage andpasture complete his operation.

The local community of Ladnerhas been a thriving agriculturalpost as early as 1868 according tothe archives of the Delta Farmlandand Wildlife Trust. The fertiledelta comprises 26,000 acres ofwhich only half are now farmed.

What hasn’t changed is that

between October and May, theestuary of the Fraser River attractsone million waterfowl looking forsustenance on their flight path upand down the western coast. Thisis still one of North America’sgreat flyways for migrating birds:trumpeter swans, snow geese,northern pintail and Americanwigeon. It seems all of BritishColumbia’s major stewardshipissues of water, soil and air converge on Jack Bates’ land.

“Not only are we under urbanpressure but we’re surrounded bywater on three sides,” says Bates.The geographic bottlenecks continue to challenge movementof produce. Close to 60 truckloadsof Bates’ blueberries went toAbbotsford during the four weeksof harvest this past summer. It’s atough slog negotiating the roadsaround the metropolis, getting produce to processors in a timely

way. Sweet corn is non-existent,says Bates, and only a few peasand beans are now grown in thedelta because the canneries havedisappeared.

Not unlike the urban encroach-ment issues of the Niagara Peninsula or the Holland Marsh inOntario, for example, the farmersof the Fraser Delta are dealingwith complex environmental andland use laws. Despite urbanites’calls for local food, the reality isthat industrial development ispaving over valuable acres. Inrecent weeks, the South FraserPerimeter Road was formallyannounced that will join the nearby municipality of Delta withhighway 15 in Surrey. The transportation corridor may helpBates get his processing potatoesto market but the governmentagreement leaves more problemsin its wake.

The environmental, agriculturalmitigation and enhancement budget is pegged at $18 million forirrigation systems. The centerpieceis an improved water managementsystem for Burns Bog andenhanced fisheries habitat. Bates isquestioning who is going to main-tain the new system in perpetuity.

“At the end of the day, themunicipality has to maintain thesystem and the farmers will betaxed to support it,” says Bates.“The costs will be downloaded toagriculture.”

None of these issues haveready-made solutions. Bates canonly control his own actions, andthat’s why he continues to encour-age conservation in the area.

Water stewardship is a keycomponent of the intensive farm-

ing of blueberries and potatoeswith salt water just a mile fromBates’ farm and extensive dykingin the delta. Over the years, Bateshas volunteered countless hours tostewardship projects that rangefrom the Delta Irrigation Enhance-ment Project to the Delta Farm-land and Wildlife Trust of whichhe is a past-president. DucksUnlimited and the WaterfowlSociety are big backers of theTrust.

The Trust is currently cost-

sharing on four projects. Grassset-asides help pay to keep landout of agricultural production, protecting the habitat of theTownsends vole which in turn isprey for the short-eared owl.Cover crops are encouraged tofeed the bird migrations while

laser-levelling programs recontourfields to minimize soil erosion.Lastly, field margins are built withditches, grassways and hedgerowsto provide wildlife habitat.

When Bates toured The Growerlast May, he pointed out severalwetlands conservation projectswith ducks swimming in irrigationditches and a barn owl houselocated in a bush-protected bog.These are part of the George C.Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuarywhich is located on Westham

Island, a short drive from Bates’farm.

As he comes to the end of hisown harvest season, Bates says hehas one last mission: “We usuallyplant winter wheat or fall rye afterpotatoes for a source of food forthe birds.”

THE GROWERPAGE 12 –– OCTOBER 2010

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ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Farming in harmony with birdlife and urban development

Jack Bates brings a unique perspective of environmental issues to hisrole as Vice-President, Canadian Horticultural Council.

In the looming shadow of a new port development, Jack Bates facesmany environmental issues on his farm located in the delta area of theFraser River.

Tree and shrub species:

Black OakChoke CherryRed OakRed Osier DogwoodBlack GumAmerican HazelGrey DogwoodFlowering Dogwood

Black ElderberryServiceberry

Black CherryTulip Tree

Kristen Thompson, projectcoordinator (ALUS) says theabove listed species attracted bothbees and butterflies and are allnative Carolinian Canada species.It is important to note that thereare many other tree and shrubspecies that attract pollinators suchas willows, ash, elm, poplar andsumac.

Wildflower species:“We also plant a diverse mix of

wildflowers which provides a foodsource for pollinators throughoutthe early spring to early fallmonths,” says Thompson.

Showy Tick-trefoilRound-headed BushcloverPanicled Tick-trefoilSweet Ox-eye

Hoary VervainVirginia Mountain MintNew Jersey Tea

Hairy Beard-tongueGrey GoldenrodCarpenter’s SquareEvening PrimroseFoxglow-Beard-tongue

ButterflyweedEarly Goldenrod

Brown-eyed SusanSky blue AsterFlat topped AsterDwarf Blazing Star

Seed Sources:We purchase our seed from two

native plant nurseries:St. Williams Nursery and EcologyCenter 885 Hwy. 24P.O. Box 150St. Williams, ON, CanadaN0E 1P0Phone: (519) 586-9116Rural Lambton Stewardship Network870 Richmond St Box 1168Chatham, ON N7M 5L8Telephone: 519-354-1588

THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2010 –– PAGE 13

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Season-long blooms in hedgerows provide habitat for native bees It’s back to the future with pollinator hedgerows. What

was torn out to make room for fields of monocultural crops-- soybeans, corn and tobacco – is now being planted againto provide a season-long nectar feast for native bees.

“It’s entirely unscientific,” says Norfolk County beeffarmer Bryan Gilvesy, “but we’ve observed that tumble-down hedgerows are harbouring a lot of bees. These aren’tthe European or commercial honeybees, but native bees.There’s something like 1250 species of native bees, some ofwhich have co-evolved with specific plants.”

Three years ago, Gilvesy planted his first nine-foothedgerow with a mix of trees, shrubs and flowers to suit hisCarolinian forest geography. To make sure there is some-thing to bloom in early spring, he planted black oak, blackcherry, downy serviceberry and dogwoods. To fill in thesummer season, there are shrubs such as witch hazel andelderberries. What blooms in late summer and fall arebrown-eyed susans and coneflower. Even goldenrod reha-bilitates it reputation as a fall nectar source. This mix ismore ecologically useful than hedgerows of white cedarwhich certainly prevented wind erosion in the sandy plainsbut provided little in the way of pollinator habitat. He alsodrilled holes into existing stumps to provide shelter for solitary nesting species.

“We’re trying to stack the benefits,” says Gilvesy whoadds carbon sequestration as yet another reason to plant

hedgerows. “We’ve totally forgotten bees in the scheme ofthings and it’s amazing how much they contribute toincreased yields.”

The pilot project is one of several under the NorfolkCounty Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) which hasconverted more than 700 acres of marginal land into moresustainable uses. Farmers taking advantage of the ecologi-cal services program are receiving $150 per acre for treeplanting, wetland maintenance and tall grass prairie restora-

tion. As chair of the ALUS program, Gilvesy is encourag-ing companies to invest in the program so they can receivecarbon credits in return.

One horticultural enterprise which has reaped benefits isDale Vranckx, Blueberry Hill Estates at St. Williams,Ontario. When Vranckx took over his property severalyears ago, he tore out a hedgerow that sheltered cedarwaxwings which are fond of stealing blueberries. In itsplace was a drainage ditch that catches excess rainfall. Sixteen feet wide by 2000 feet long, this drainage ditch wasreseeded with native species of wildflowers. It’s taken threeyears to mature, but Vranckx says he no longer needs to rentcommercial hives for pollination.

“The birds are gone, we’ve gained extra habitat for bum-blebees and our blueberry yields are up,” says Vranckx.Granted, other tactics are contributing to yield increases, notjust pollinator strips. For one, Vranckx sprays just oneinsecticide at blossom fall, about nine o’clock at night, tocontrol cranberry fruit worm. With this integrated pestmanagement, he’s controlling pests while preserving beneficial insects.

The pollinator strip has worked so well that he’s addingone more species to the mix: butterfly weed. While blue-berries are the commercial anchor for the farm, Vranckx’sstewardship ethic is also earning kudos and tourist trafficfor his eco-tour destination.

Species recommended for pollinator hedgerow plantings

Dale Vranckx of Blueberry Hill Estates surveys his pollinator strip.

THE GROWER

PAGE 14 –– OCTOBER 2010

By Henry (Hank) Venema This past summer, the Canadi-

an International Council releaseda report called Open Canada: AGlobal Positioning Strategy for aNetworked Age. Written by a newgeneration of Canadian intellectu-als, Open Canada bluntly diag-noses Canada’s 21st centurystrategic challenges – particularlythe need for greatly increasedresearch, development and innovation – a position echoed byBank of Canada governor MarkCarney.

The Open Canada report alertsus that Canada’s energy and waterresources put us in the crosshairs,as it describes fierce internationalcompetition for natural resourcesthat is altering geopolitics. Sinceagriculture uses 70 per cent of theglobe’s available fresh water, agri-culture has an obligation to protectthis resource wisely. Here in Cana-da, we steward nine per cent of theglobe’s fresh water supplies.

Neither this generation ofCanadians nor the next shouldaccept less than world-class stew-ardship of our natural capital. TheOpen Canada authors, led by for-mer Globe and Mail editorEdward Greenspon, urge the cre-ation of a centre for water researchto provide policy and technologi-cal leadership as the stakes in thissector rise.

The International Institute forSustainable Development (IISD)has already responded to this chal-lenge with the launch of the WaterInnovation Centre in Manitobawith the support of ManitobaHydro, the Royal Bank BlueWater Fund and the provincialgovernment. We now have a footin the door, but we need to paycareful attention as others jockeyfor position in the water innova-tion space.

“Clean tech” is now the largestventure capital category, andwater technology is a $400 billionannual industry, doubling everyfour years.Clean tech growth

The growth and potential in thewater sector has not escapednotice in Ontario, in the aftermathof the Walkerton tainted watertragedy and the Cinderella story ofOakville’s Zenon Inc. – a watertechnology startup companybought out by GE for $700 million.

At the recent Canadian WaterSummit in Toronto, Premier Dalton McGuinty highlighted newlegislation intended to stake alarge claim for Ontario. The WaterOpportunities and Water Conser-vation Act 2010 has two key com-ponents. Firstly it provides a newregulatory framework for watersustainability and water conserva-

tion and secondly it facilitates thegrowth of “globally competitivecompanies and high-value jobs inthe water and waste water sector.”

The Ontario legislationemerged from a study of howjurisdictions, such as Germany,Israel and Singapore, establishedsustainable water leadership. In allcases, leading jurisdictions firstestablished a clear, unifying mes-sage that water is a top priority andthen focused innovation ondomestic water management challenges, while incubating watertechnology sectors that could seizeexport opportunities.Water leadership

Ontario has good reasons foraspiring to water leadership, situated on four of the GreatLakes. But so does Manitoba.

We oscillate between flood anddrought risks in our watersheds,relying heavily on drainage, which

is essentially a 19th century tech-nology. We lament natural capitallost as our wetlands disappear. Wefear for the health of our belovedLake Winnipeg and we debate thescience for waste water treatmentto protect the lake.

IISD’s Water Innovation Centre has put some importantideas on the table though there isstill much work to do. We haveidentified Manitoba’s version ofthe smart watershed as the key todrought and flood protection andnutrient management. We havehighlighted the strategic signifi-cance of the huge Netley-Libauwetland complex at the mouth ofthe Red River. We have also iden-tified a potential game changer inthe peak phosphorous issue – thenutrient we generally regard as anoxious pollutant is actually ascarce and valuable resource withmajor technology and economic

development implications – someof which are already being felt inhorticulture. For example, Van-couver-based Ostara NutrientRecovery Technologies has devel-oped a slow-release fertilizerbased on the phosphorus recov-ered from wastewater treatmentplants that just happens to be idealfor some horticultural applica-tions.

In the decade ahead, expectmore and more innovative ways tointegrate our use of nutrients whilestewarding our fresh waterresources. As Virgil said, fortunefavours the bold.

Hank Venema is the director ofthe water innovation centre andthe sustainable natural resourcesmanagement program for theInternational Institute for Sustain-able Development based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

SPECIES AT RISKFarm Incentive Program

A new cost-share program linked to the Environmental Farm Plan is

in place for farmers who take action on selected environmental BestManagement Practices that play a key role in contributing to a healthyand diverse environment as well as helping sustain productionand profitability on the farm.

Financial support for Best Management Practices including:

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

MNRPHOTO

OSCIAPHOTO

K. SCHMIDT

New Environmental Cost-Share Funding Opportunity for Farmers

For details contact:

Your local OSCIA Program Representative

or 1-800-265-9751 or visit www.ontariosoilcrop.org

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Agriculture must lead, not follow, in water innovation

Oak-Hammock marsh, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Learn more about pest manage-ment in season-extension produc-tion systems such as high tunnelsby registering for a new webinarseries sponsored by the GreatLakes Vegetable Working Group,the University of Illinois Exten-sion, and a Sustainable Agricul-ture Research and Education Pro-fessional Development grant.There will be five one-to-two hourwebinars produced on November1, 3,, 8, 16, and 18. The first threewebinars will focus on an intro-duction to pest management invarious season-extension systems,focusing on tomatoes and wintercrops. The last two webinars willbe geared toward soil, water, andnutrient management, plus a sum-mary of the U.S. EnvironmentalQuality Incentive Program (EQIP)high tunnel pilot project initiatedin 2010.

Why consider participating inthe season extension and high tun-nel production webinar series?Pest complexes in season-exten-sion production systems like hightunnels are different than field-grown fruits and vegetables, andan understanding of that differenceis needed to capitalize on early andlate season markets. High-tunnelproduction can lengthen the grow-ing season and provide producerswith a means to enter the marketearlier with high value crops.

Webinar One is titled “Intro-duction to Pest Management forSeason Extension” and will air onNovember 1, 2010 at 6:30-8:30pm EST (5:30-7:30 pm CST). BillLaMont from Pennsylvania StateUniversity, will provide anoverview of season-extensionmethods and the pros and cons ofgetting into season extension: lowtunnels, row covers, high tunnels,greenhouses, extended storage andbasic economics. Judson Reidand Meg McGrath with CornellUniversity will speak on basic pestmanagement considerations inhigh tunnels for insects, mites anddiseases, respectively. BradBergefurd at Ohio State Universi-ty will discuss best weed manage-ment options in high tunnels.

Webinar Two is titled “PestManagement of Tomatoes inHigh Tunnels” and will beoffered on November 3, 2010 at6:30-8:30 pm EST (5:30-7:30 pmCST). Matt Kleinhenz, with OhioState University will start with anoverview of production systemsand economics for tomatoes andother solanaceous crops. ShubinSaha, with Purdue University willaddress cultural controls, pesticideuse, biocontrols, and organicmethods for pest and mite man-agement of tomatoes under hightunnel production. Sally Millerwith Ohio State University willdiscuss cultural controls, pesticideuse, grafting, and organic methodsfor disease management.

Webinar Three is titled “PestManagement in Winter Crops.”This webinar will be held onNovember 8, 2010 from 6:30-8:30pm EST (5:30-7:30 pm CST). Anoverview of winter crop produc-tion systems including a discus-

sion of economics, sanitation,plastic management, productionsequences, crop selection, sanita-tion for simple hoophouse, green-house, in-ground, in container,row covers, and low tunnels willbe given by Adam Montri fromMichigan State University. Jud-son Reid will cover pest and mitemanagement for winter crops andAnn Hazelrigg, with the Universi-ty of Vermont will offer diseasemanagement options for wintercrops. Vegetable storage manage-ment will be covered by MattKleinhenz.

Webinar Four is titled “Man-agement of Nutrients, Water,Soil, and Other Production Con-siderations in High Tunnels”and will be broadcast November16, 2010 at a different time thanthe previous three webinars. Thiswill be a brown-bag lunch webinarairing from 1-2 pm EST (noon-1

pm CST). Mike Orzolek withPennsylvania State University willbe the presenter for this topic. Thefirst 50 participants or organiza-tions to include webinar four aspart of their registration, willreceive a free copy of the HighTunnel Production Manual pub-lished by Penn State.

Webinar Five is titled “Inter-preting NRCS High Tunnel Pro-ject Guidelines.” This will alsobe a brown-bag lunch webinar onNovember 18, 2010 at 1-2 pm

EST (noon-1 pm CST). This is aU.S. program, not available toCanadian growers. The guidelinespertaining to their high-tunnel pro-duction pilot project will be out-lined and discussed by Ruth Book,State Conservation Engineer, IvanDozier, Assistant State Conserva-tionist, and Brett Roberts, StateAgronomist, with NRCS in Illi-nois.

Pre-registration for this webi-nar series is mandatory and can befound at http://www.surveymon-key.com/s/season_ext. The costfor the series is $30 whether youattend one or all five webinars.Each webinar will be recorded andavailable on several state IPM orvegetable-oriented websites forviewing soon after its original air-date. For people who do not havea broadband connection, we areidentifying several sites through-out each state to host the webinar

series. Ontario participants: con-tact Janice LeBoeuf, OMAFRA(see below) if you are interested inparticipating at a host site in yourarea (please provide the dates youare interested in and your loca-tion). Ontario host sites will bearranged based on demand.

For more information anddetailed agendas for the webinarseries, please visit the Great LakesVegetable Working Group website at www.glvwg.ag.ohio-state.edu/index.php, and click onProjects at the top of the page.

For more information (Ontario)contact:Janice LeBoeuf, Vegetable CropSpecialist, OMAFRA, RidgetownPh: (519) 674-1699 Email: jan-ice.leboeuf@ontario.ca

Register for the webinarsonline at:www.surveymonkey.com/s/sea-son_ext.

THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2010 –– PAGE 15

Webinar series offered for season extension and high tunnels

By Kristen Callow, M.Sc.,OMAFRA Weed ManagementProgram Lead - Horticulture

Eastern black nightshade(Solanum ptycanthum), was con-firmed to be resistant to group 22herbicides (bipyridiliums), specifi-cally Gramoxone (paraquat) inChatham-Kent recently. The totalarea infested is not known at thistime; however, the resistant weedwas found in a perennial horticul-tural cropping system.

Eastern black nightshade is adicot weed in the Solanaceae fam-ily. In Ontario, this weed firstevolved resistance to Group 2 her-bicides in 2000 in corn and soy-beans. Sulphonylurea (i.e. Devri-nol) and imidazolinone (i.e. Pur-suit) resistant populations exist inBruce, Elgin, Huron and Middle-sex counties. Cross-resistance toother Group 2 herbicides is likelyto exist. Source: www.ontari-oweeds.com.

Herbicide cross resistancerefers to a weed or crop biotypethat has evolved a mechanism ormechanisms of resistance to oneherbicide that also allows it to beresistant to other herbicides. Crossresistance can occur with herbi-cides within the same or in differ-ent herbicide families and with thesame or different sites of action.For example, after the extensiveuse of herbicide A in a field, selec-tion of a weed biotype resistant to

herbicide A is found to also beresistant to herbicide B, althoughherbicide B was never used in thatfield (Gunsolus, J.L., 2002). Herbicide resistant Eastern blacknightshade has also been con-firmed in the U.S. The followingstates have confirmed resistance:1. Wisconsin (1999) – Group 2(ALS inhibitors)2. North Dakota (1999) – Group 2(ALS inhibitors)3. Illinois (1999) – Group 2 (ALSinhibitors)4. Michigan (2004) – Group 1 and5 (Photosystem II inhibitors, i.e.Sinbar)Gramoxone (paraquat) resistanceis of particular concern to Ontarioproducers, due to the reliance onthis product in perennial horticul-tural production systems. Therehave been no known cases of

paraquat resistant Eastern blacknightshade anywhere else in theworld (International Survey ofHerbicide Resistant Weedswww.weedscience.org/In.asp).

Eastern black nightshadeoccurs throughout southernOntario in open dry woods, edgesof pastures, waste places, and incultivated land, especially in rowcrops. It is distinguished by beingan annual plant with thin, ovate todiamond-shaped leaves, smallumbels of flowers on short stalksfrom sides of stems (not from leafaxils), small, white flowers, andsmall, black berries that are notpartly enclosed by their expandedcalyxes. It is often confused withpigweed species.

Eastern black nightshade isknown to be a hard-to-controlannual weed. In perennial horti-cultural cropping systems, postspot or hooded sprayer applica-tions of Roundup (any glyphosateproduct), Ignite (glufonsinate-ammonium) and Gramoxone(paraquat) are usually effective ifapplied before the nightshade getstoo big. Chateau (flumioxazin)and Aim EC (carfentrazone-ethyl)are two newer herbicides (bothGroup 14 – PPO inhibitors) thathave shown good control of East-ern black nightshade. Chateaushould be applied prior to weedemergence, whereas, Aim ECshould be applied as a post appli-cation. Please see the productlabels for specific application

directions.Rotating between herbicide groupsor mode of actions is essential toprevent resistance development.

If you have any plants that are notbeing controlled by your currentherbicide program and you suspectresistance please contact the Agri-culture Information Contact Cen-ter: 1-877-424-1300. The Univer-sity of Guelph "Weeds Lab" cantest for resistance of suspectedweed species.

For more information on herbi-cide-resistant weeds in Ontariovisit:www.plant.uoguelph.ca/resistant-weeds

Special thanks to: Dr. Fran-cois Tardif and Peter Smith, Uni-versity of Guelph for confirmingthe resistance and review of thisarticle. All pictures are fromwww.ontarioweeds.comReferencesGunsolus, J.L. 2002. www.exten-sion.umn.edu/distribution/crop-systems/dc6077.html

THE GROWER

PAGE 16 –– OCTOBER 2010

Gramoxone-resistant Eastern blacknightshade confirmed in Ontario

Tomato late blight: will it be back?

By Janice LeBoeuf, Vegetable Crop Specialist, OMAFRA-RidgetownAgain in 2010, we experienced tomato late blight problems in

Ontario, although not as widespread as in 2009.What about next season – can we expect it to return? The late blight

pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, needs living tissue in order to over-winter (unless oospores are produced – more about that below). Thepathogen will not survive on tomato plant residue in the field, as it iscompletely killed by winter temperatures. The pathogen is not trans-mitted by tomato seed. The above-ground portions of any perennialweed hosts will also be completely killed by freezing over winter, andthe pathogen does not infect their roots.

Potato tubers that are infected with late blight can survive the winterunder certain conditions:• infected seed potatoes• cull or compost piles where there is incomplete decomposition orincomplete freezing• buried tubers that survive the winter• stored tubers that are disposed of outdoors in spring

In some parts of the world, two mating types of the pathogen are pre-sent, allowing the production of overwintering structures known asoospores. Researchers are monitoring the pathogen populations. So far,only one mating type is known to be present in Ontario and the north-east U.S.

To ensure that living tissue of infected plants will not survive thewinter, it is best not to bury a large mass of plant tissue in one location(where decomposition or freezing might not be complete). For the samereason, composting infected plants or tubers could be risky.

Figure 1: Seedling at the 2-leafstage. Photos by Peter Smith.

Figure 2: Eastern black nightshade leaf.

Figure 3: Eastern black night-shade flower.

Figure 4: Immature green fruit,which will eventually turn black.

Figure 4: Immature green fruit, which will eventually turn black.

By Kristen Callow, M.Sc.OMAFRA Weed ManagementProgram Lead - HorticultureWhy so much talk about herbi-

cide resistance? It’s not justbecause it’s topical, but becausewe have it. In Ontario, there arenumerous weed species resistantto seven groups of herbicidesspread across the province (Table1). University of Guelph scientistsrecently confirmed glyphosate-resistant giant ragweed in Ontario.In the United States there are 19weed species resistant toglyphosate, covering up to 2.4 mil-lion acres. So, now is the time tounderstand why herbicide resis-tance is happening, where it ishappening and how to prevent it.Many producers are aware thatrotation of crops and herbicides, todifferent modes of action, is the

most effective approach for man-aging the development of weedresistance. These approaches aremore critical now since there areliterally no new herbicides (withnew modes of action) coming tothe Ontario marketplace anytimesoon (Cowbrough, 2009).How did we get here? It’s toughto say this, but we are human. Wetend to repeat successful practices,especially if they reduce our workload and provide us with greatresults. Unfortunately, this helpsto select those few weeds in thepopulation that may have thegenes that allow resistance to theherbicide.

Now what? Start planning for next year.We need to be aware that these

weeds are in horticulture produc-tion regions across the province

and in the event of control failures,herbicide programs will have to bealtered.

You likely have a resistantweed population if you have aweed species that should havebeen controlled but is healthywhile other susceptible specieshave been controlled or a weedcontrol failure even when the cor-rect herbicide rate was used and itwas applied at the appropriateweed stage and under favourableenvironmental conditions.

You can report suspected resis-tant weeds to the AgricultureInformation Contact Centre 1-877-424-1300. By taking advan-tage of this toll-free number, sus-picious weed species will be testedfor resistance by the University ofGuelph. Any information obtainedfrom this service will allow weed

researchers to develop controloptions for resistant weed popula-tions.

Now is a great time to collectseed from any weed species thatyou suspect is resistant. You cansend samples directly to the Uni-versity of Guelph. The Universityof Guelph will test, free of charge,suspected resistant weeds:www.plant.uoguelph.ca/resistant-weeds/services/

In order to prevent the develop-ment of herbicide-resistant weeds,producers should consider the fol-lowing practices:• Apply integrated weed man-agement practices. Use multipleherbicide modes-of-action withoverlapping weed spectrums inrotation, sequences, or mixtures. • Use the full recommended her-bicide rate and proper application

timing for the hardest to controlweed species present in the field. • Scout fields after herbicideapplication to ensure control hasbeen achieved. Avoid allowingweeds to reproduce by seed or toproliferate vegetatively. • Monitor site and clean equip-ment between sites. For annual cropping situationsalso consider the following: • Start with a clean field and con-trol weeds early by using a burn-down treatment or tillage in com-bination with a pre-emergenceresidual herbicide as appropriate. • Use cultural practices such ascultivation and crop rotation,where appropriate. • Use good agronomic principlesthat enhance crop competitive-ness. (www.weedscience.org/In.asp)

THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2010 –– PAGE 17

Herbicide resistance: It’s here and needs your management!

Weed Species Resistant to Herbicides in Ontario To identify alternative control options please see your 2010-2011 Guide to Weed Control or www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub75/pub75toc.htm

HerbicideGroup

Site of Action Herbicide Trade Name (alphabetic order)

Confirmed resistant weed speciesin Ontario (Updated September

2010)

Locations in Ontario(Note: not all resistant weed

species found in all counties. Forresistant weed species by county

see: www.plant.uoguelph.ca/resistant-weeds/)

1 Inhibitors of acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACCase)

Acclaim Super, Achieve, Assure II, Excel Super, Poast,Puma120 Super, Select, Ultra, Venture

Currently none confirmed. Not applicable.

2 Inhibitors of acetolactate synthase(ALS) and also called acetohydroxy-acid synthase (AHAS)

Accent, Arsenal, Classic, Elim EP, FirstRate, Muster, Option2.25 OD, Pinnacle, Prism, Pursuit, Refine SG, Telar, Ultim,Upbeet

Cocklebur, common ragweed, east-ern black nightshade, giant foxtail,green foxtail, green pigweed,lamb’s-quarters, redroot pigweed,waterhemp.

Bruce, Dundas and Glengary,Elgin, Essex, Haldimand/ Norfolk, Hamilton-Wentworth,Huron, Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, Oxford, Perth,Simcoe, Stormont, Wellington,Victoria.

3 Microtubule assembly inhibitors Bonanza, Dacthal W-75, Dimension, Prowl, Rival, Treflan Currently none confirmed. Not applicable.

4 Synthetic auxins 2,4-D, Banvel II, Caliber, Cobutox, Compitox, Covitox Plus,Desormone, Diphenoprop, Dycleer, Dyvel, Embutox, EstapropPlus, Garlon, IPCO Dichlorprop-D, IPCO Premium 2-Way XPTurf Herbicide, Killex, Lontrel, MCPA, Mecoprop, Mecocrop2,4-D, Meco-D, Par III, IPCO Premium 3-Way XP Turf Herbicide, Release, Sword, Target, Topside, Tordon 101, Trophy,Turf-Rite 2+2, Turboprop, Vanquish

Wild carrot. Halton, Wellington.

5 Inhibitors of photosynthesis at photosystem II, Site A

Aatrex Liquid 480, Atrazine, Gesagard, Hyvar X, Princep,Pronone, Pyramin FL, Sencor, Simadex, Simazine, Sinbar,Spin-Aid, Velpar

Barnyard grass, common groundsel,common ragweed, green pigweed,goosefoot, redroot pigweed, water-hemp, wild mustard, witch grass,yellow foxtail.

Brant, Essex, Grenville, Grey,Haldimond/Norfolk, Hamilton-Wentworth, Lambton, Lennox& Addington, Prescott, Niagara, Waterloo, Wellington, York.

6 Inhibitors of photosynthesis at photosystem II, Site B

Basagran, Basagran Forté, Koril, Pardner, Brotox Green pigweed, redroot pigweed,smooth pigweed.

Essex, Kent.

7 Inhibitors of photosynthesis at photosystem II, Site B (alternatebinding site)

Diurex 80W, Herbec, Karmex, Lorox Green pigweed, redroot pigweed,smooth pigweed.

Middlesex, Simcoe.

8 Conjugation of acetyl co-enzyme A Betasan, Eradicane, Eptam, Ro-Neet Currently none confirmed. Not applicable.

9 Inhibitors of 5-enolpyruvylshikimi-mate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSP)

Credit, Credit Plus, EZJect, Factor, Factor 540, Glyfos, Maverick III, Roundup Ultra II, Roundup Weathermax, Sharpshooter, Sharpshooter Plus, Touchdown Total, Vantage,Vantage Plus, Vantage Plus Max, Vantage Plus Max II,Vision, Vision Max

Giant ragweed. Essex, Kent, Lambton.

10 Inhibitors of glutamine synthetase Ignite, Liberty Currently none confirmed. Not applicable.

11 Inhibitors of carotenoid biosynthesis Amitrol Currently none confirmed. Not applicable.

13 Diterpene synthesis inhibitor Command 360 Currently none confirmed. Not applicable.

14 Inhibitors of protoporphyrinogen oxidase (Protox)

Aim EC, Blazer, Chateau, Goal, Reflex, Ronstar, Valtera Currently none confirmed. Not applicable.

15 Conjugation of acetyl co-enyme A Devrinol, Dual Magnum, Dual II Magnum, Frontier Max Currently none confirmed. Not applicable.

19 Inhibitors of auxin transport system Alanap Currently none confirmed. Not applicable.

20 Inhibits cell wall synthesis, Site A Casoron Currently none confirmed. Not applicable.

22 Photo system I – electron diverters Gramoxone, Reglone, Reward Canada fleabane, field peppergrass,Eastern black nightshade.

Essex, Kent.

27 Inhibitors of p-hydroxyphenyl pyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD)

Callisto, Converge Flexx, Impact Currently none confirmed. Not applicable.

Adapted from http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/resistant-weeds/assets/resistant_weeds_herbicides_2009.pdf

THE GROWER

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THE GROWER

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THE GROWER

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PAGE 22 –– OCTOBER 2010

Ontario horticultural producersare being asked to do more to helpthemselves when it comes toresearch. That in and of itself isn’tnews, but the fact that there was aperfectly good system in place thatwas discarded thus necessitatingmore grower input, is news. Theannual compilation of researchneeds was well organized in thepast but it was the use of these liststhat fell apart. Rather than discardthe old research needs identifica-tion process, the powers that beshould have instead got rid ofthose who were supposed to beresponsible for the implementationof the research needed to get theanswers! However, we still havefederal and provincial researchprograms going merrily along, butwithout a good system in placethat seeks out actual growers’ pri-orities. There are well-paid man-agers of this process, and it may bethat well-intentioned scientists orappointed staff may think theyknow what is needed, but theyhave tampered with the well-proven process of soliciting actualgrowers’ input.

In the past, each commoditysector met and reviewed theresearch that was being done on itsbehalf. They also reviewed thatyear’s issues, and gave their opinions on the state of the indus-try in general. Lastly, they wouldlist the key research needs. Theseincluded pest management issues,especially in the days before theMinor Use Priority Program wasin place. These priorities alsoincluded issues in crop manage-ment, genetic improvements,equipment, marketing, grades andstandards, soil,water and airissues, and any other issues arising. It was a comprehensive

list, but it did not usually includelong-term research aimed at indus-try-wide issues. This was left up tomarketing board and OFVGA representatives. They in turnwould ask for funding beyond thenormal research budget for thosemore esoteric issues deemed worthy, that were both expensiveand long-term.

Is it possible that the powersthat be wanted to shift the researchresources they controlled to morenavel-gazing (their own navels)activities? Is it possible that theythen needed (wanted?) to shift thehuman (scientists) and physical(labs) resources away from whatgrowers were saying they neededand wanted? Is it also possible thatin order to do that, they eliminatedor ignored the traditional processof research needs gathering sothey alone could set the priorities?

I know that “Big Brother”always knows best! (He/she hastold me so many times!) In thiscase we have been let down bythose overseeing the process. Forinstance, it is virtually impossiblenowadays to get resistance man-agement diagnosis and help fordiseases and insects in Ontario.Samples are now sent elsewhere.The same thing is true for nema-todes. Long held special popula-tions of insects and mites neededto maintain baseline studies forinsecticides’ activity levels havebeen ‘downsized.’ It seems thespecialized staff needed to main-tain them retired and qualifiedreplacements were not forthcom-ing! No thought appears to havebeen taken about the IMPACT ofthe loss of this program which wasdesigned by forward-thinking scientists a generation ago.

There once was a well orga-nized system to consolidateprovincially-gathered researchneeds from across the country atthe federal level so they could bemore efficient in husbandingresources. This was disbandedwhen it was decided that sincethere were no new funds and infact funds were being cut, it madelittle sense to meet. In any casethere was also another federalcommittee in place to gather needsfrom industry representatives. Bymerging the committees, they lostthe important difference in moti-vation coming from the two

sectors. In the end, this committeetoo was effectively disbanded, formuch the same reason. The‘Expert Committees’ that couldreview issues at the national levelby commodity or discipline mettheir effective demise as well.

The federal system was ‘re-organized’ (how can some-thing be deemed re-organized if itwas dis-organized before?), andmuch more internal conniving fol-lowed that in turn legitimizedchanges in resource allocation?Provincially, much the same happened when the University ofGuelph/Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF)contracting process determined thefunding allocation for researchhere. After the dust settles and theoverheads are taken off the top, thecontract is now supporting lessthan 75 scientists, and virtually notechnical help. In the past therewere more than 200 scientists sup-ported and they also had technicalhelp and a budget to operate. Aforensic audit might show this erosion of support has also led toerosion in expertise, and the abili-ty to even do the basic work anylonger. It is no secret that some ofour horticultural sectors are nowtaking their individual researchfunds elsewhere -- New York,Michigan, Quebec -- in order toget done what they need.

What does that say about thestate of our research support system here?

Ontario once had an educationminister who publicly stated thathe had created a crisis of confi-dence in the system so he couldthen be a hero by resolving thesame crisis. We are approaching acrisis of confidence in our domes-tic research program.

Is there anyone out there whohas the gumption to resolve it?

An example was raised recently. Apparently a researcherapplied to get a letter of supportfor some research he/she wantedto do. It was very long-term workand one not likely to be taken upby commercial interests in thevegetable sector, even if it wasentirely successful. Nonetheless, itwas stated they had strong supportfrom the vegetable sector whichthey had consulted. In discussingthis with elected vegetable sectorreps, they claimed to have never

heard of the work or theresearcher! Some one must bemistaken! In this case it wouldappear that esoteric work such asthat which a tenured universityprofessor might undertake withprivate research funds is about tobe attempted by a junior scientistusing public funds that could pos-sibly be better used elsewhere toaid the Ontario vegetable industry.

It appears that they don’t evenneed grower financial supportsince they could leverage supportfrom a couple of funding sourcesavailable. This surely begs thequestion about who would allowsuch work to go on without priorresearch prioritization includinggrowers, why such funds could begiven without solid support, andwho are the nameless, facelesspeople making these decisions onour behalf?

It is time that an audit is donethat actually shows what is beingspent, where, by whom, and onwhat research. It would also beimportant to look at whose signa-ture approved the work! Theresults of the work done over thepast 20 years could also be reveal-ing. What bang are we getting forthe efforts that have not beengrower-requested? It is all welland good for research managers to‘know better’ but they need to beheld accountable. Growers knowwho has worked on most of theirneeds, but there is a long list ofresearchers in the system who areas totally unknown as are theresults of their work. How cangrowers support this work if theydo not know what it is, cannot seetangible benefit, and never sanc-tioned it in the first place?

Is it any wonder why we arefrustrated? We understand verywell that good research can under-pin our futures. We also know thatwhen funding is so tight, none of itshould be wasted on ‘nice toknow’ or ‘just a few more yearswill get it done’ approaches.Accountability starts and ends onthe farm with results. If there hadbeen unlimited resources, the ‘newdirections’ work could be carriedon forever, results or not. Howev-er, when the funds to support theseendeavours came at the expense ofresearch needed here and now tosupport our producers oft-expressed needs, we must protest

about what has been lost.At one time there were five

weed scientists at Harrow, plusone each at Ridgetown, Simcoeand Kemptville. There were a further four at the University ofGuelph. They were all kept busyworking on growers’ priorities.Today we are facing wide-spreadweed resistance issues, a lack ofenforcement of the Weed Act (andpressure to eliminate it) and wemust do it with a fraction of thissupport. Those who are left areworking hard against tough(impossible?) odds.

We once had significant num-bers of world-class breeders, soilscientists, plant pathologists andentomologists to deal with theproblems facing us. Today wehave lost virtually all the entomol-ogists and plant pathologists. Wehave a few overworked and dedicated individuals trying toimpossibly fill the shoes of alltheir predecessors. This is occur-ring at a time when we have morenew chemistries to work with thanin the past three decades. This isalso happening at a time ofunprecedented resistance issues.This at a time when there is nomargin on the farm from pest control failures.

To paraphrase a famous quote:“Never in the field of research hasso much been required of so few,without the support they need, byso many (Growers).”

I’ve been told that you cannever go back, but in this case Ithink we can recapture much ofour needs by looking at the pastmodel to re-format our researchneeds identification AND by hav-ing the power restored to direct theresearch into or out of areas thatwe support, or do not. Wouldn’t itbe nice if the huge ‘overhead’charges be either eliminated orgreatly reduced? Wouldn’t it benice if researchers were on hand towork on our needs rather than hav-ing to spend our precious fundsoutside Ontario? Wouldn’t it benice if future meddling with theresearch process could be kept outof the hands of folks with differentagendas?

If we do our best job ofresearch needs identification, noone can defend the work beingdone outside those areas. Thatwould be a good start!

Craig’s CommentsDirecting research (circa 2010)

Craig HunterOFVGA

for Fungicides, Miticides & Insecticides in Horticultural Cropsfor Fungicides, Miticides & Insecticides in Horticultural CropsThe Source...The Source...Call us at

1-866-613-3336 or visitwww.engageagro.com

| www.valent.ca | 519-822-7043Read and follow the label instructions before using.All products are trademarks or registered trademarks of Valent U.S.A. Corporation.© Valent U.S.A. Corporation, 2009. All rights reserved.

Minor Use

By Dr. Jason S.T. Deveau,Application Technology

Specialist, OMAFRA

In the spirit of Rocky and Bullwinkle, I couldn’t seem to settle on one bad title, so I choseboth. I was recently invited todemonstrate airblast sprayer calibration to a few apple growers.We followed the brand newOMAFRA factsheet “CalibratingAirblast Sprayers – 10-047” and everything was going swimmingly… until it was time todetermine the nozzle output.

Anyone that has performed thistest knows that it sounds easy untilyou try it. The problem is all thepossible conversions from one

unit to another. Wellguess what? We triedand tried, but wecouldn’t get the nozzleoutputs to make sense.Frustrated, I hoppedonto Google and ran thenumbers and arrived atthe correct answer. Youguessed it - we were

converting between units incor-rectly and no one caught it.

Therefore, as a crib-sheet foranyone else that has suffered thisembarrassment, here’s a step-by-step for determining nozzle outputwith ALL the constants for anyreasonable situation. As for me, Ilaminated a copy and it’s nowpacked away with my calibrationtoolbox.

1. Clean the sprayer, fill it half-full with clean water and park it ona level surface.2. With the fan off, bring thesprayer up to operating pressure.3. Place a collection vessel underthe nozzle to be tested. Use a short

length of braided hose to direct thespray into the vessel, if required.4. Collect spray for one minute, orif the output is very high, for 30 seconds. One minute is preferable because it improves theaccuracy. Be sure to double theoutput if only measuring for 30seconds.5. Determine the nozzle outputeither by looking at the gradua-tions on the side of the collectionvessel, or preferably, weighing theoutput on a kitchen scale. If usinga scale, one gram equals one milli-litre. Remember to subtract theweight of the collection vessel.6. Convert the findings to eitherU.S. Gallons per minute or Litresper minute; whichever corre-sponds to the ratings in the nozzlemanufacturer’s catalogue.7. Replace any nozzles that are 10per cent more or less than the ratedoutput; 5 per cent is preferable, ifpossible. If two or more are out by10 per cent, replace all nozzles.

THE GROWER

OCTOBER 2010 –– PAGE 23

www.cleanfarms.ca

FARMERS: TAKE ACTION!

™

RINSE + REMOVE + RETURN

Recycle ALL your empty pesticide containers.Getting involved is no cost to you, and it’s simple –

1. Triple or pressure RINSE to ensure no product is wasted.

2. REMOVE caps and booklets

3. RETURN them ALL to your local collection siteWithout these simple steps, your containers cannot be properly recycled.

For locations in your area, please visit our website.

Calibration conundrum (or) units unite!If collecting in ounces, converting to U.S. Gallons per minute:U.S. Gallons per minute = Output in ounces per minute

128 (a constant)

If collecting in millilitres or grams converting to U.S. Gallons perminute:U.S. Gallons per minute = Output in grams or millilitres per minute

3,785.4 (a constant)

If collecting in ounces, converting to Litres per minute:Litres per minute = Output in ounces per minute

33.8 (a constant)

If collecting in millilitres or grams converting to Litres per minute:Litres per minute = Output in grams or millilitres per minute

1,000 (a constant)

If collecting in ounces, converting to Imperial Gallons per minute:Imperial Gallons per minute = Output in ounces per minute

153.7 (a constant)

If collecting in millilitres or grams converting to Imperial Gallonsper minute:Imperial Gallons per minute = Output in grams or millilitres per

minute

4,546.1 (a constant)

October 2 Apple Day Open House, Simcoe Research Station, Simcoe, ON 1 – 4 pm

October 6, 7 Canadian Greenhouse Conference, International Centre, Hall 5, Toronto, ON

October 13 Women in Agri-Business Symposium, Springfield Golf and Country Club, Guelph, ON

October 15 – 18 PMA Fresh Summit, Orlando, Florida

October 16 Holland Marsh Soupfest, Springdale Christian Reformed Church, Bradford, ON

October 21 Ontario Harvest Gala, Delta Guelph Ballroom, Guelph, ON 6:30 pm www.ofac.org

November 5 – 14 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON

November 7 - 9 The Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association bus tour. Contact info@ontariofarmfresh.com

November 12 Ontario Produce Marketing Association Annual Gala Event, Liberty Grand, Toronto, ON

November 12, 13 Saskatchewan Green Trades Conference, Saskatoon Inn, Saskatoon, SK

November 16, 17 Canadian Agricultural Safety Association Conference 2010, Hilton Suites Airport Hotel, Winnipeg, MB

November 17 QMI-SAI Global On-Farm Food Safety Program Webinar at 1 pm. Contact: Carlos Araujo at 416-401-8703

Nov 20 – Dec 5 “Wassail” Prince Edward County Wine Growers Association throughout the “County”

November 22, 23 Ontario Federation of Agriculture Annual General Meeting, Toronto, ON

November 23, 24 Essex County Associated Growers 60th Annual Trade Show, Leamington, ON

Nov 30 – Dec 2 Grow Canada Conference, The Westin, Ottawa, ON

December 7 – 9 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Market Expo, DeVos Plaza Convention Centre and Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, MI

COMING EVENTS 2010

All nozzles should be calibrated regularly… or as in this case, given a proper burial.

By Jim Chaput, OMAFRA,Minor Use Coordinator, Guelph

The Pest Management Regula-tory Agency (PMRA) recentlyannounced the approval of anemergency use registration forSCHOLAR 50WP (fludioxonil)for control of white mold (Sclero-tinia) on stored carrots in theprovinces of Quebec, Nova Scotia,Prince Edward Island, Manitoba,

Saskatchewan, Alberta, BritishColumbia and Ontario. ScholarWP was already labeled in Canadafor control of post-harvest diseaseson pome fruit and stone fruit. Fur-thermore a complete minor usesubmission is underway with theAgriculture & Agri-Food Canada,Pest Management Centre (AAFC–PMC) minor use program to seekeventual, full registration of

SCHOLAR for white mold controlon stored carrots in Canada.

White mold (Sclerotinia sclero-tiorum) is a serious disease of carrots and many other cropsaround the world. In Canada,white mold is considered to be oneof the major limiting factors to thesuccessful long-term storage ofcarrots. Losses of 50 to 100 percent have been reported by grow-ers in Canada in recent years.Since the loss of the fungicideBenlate several years ago, carrotgrowers have had no post-harvestfungicide treatments to reducelosses to this disease.

Scholar fungicide was identi-fied as a viable solution to helpmanage while mold of stored car-rots. There have been no newproducts registered in Canada forwhite mold management on storedcarrots in many years and controlfailures continue to increase.

The emergency use registrationof Scholar 50WP Fungicide willhelp in the interim to managewhite mold on stored carrots, however management of whitemold still requires a comprehen-sive integrated pest management(IPM) and resistance managementprogram with access to all available tools and strategies. Thefollowing is provided as generalinformation only. Users shouldconsult the complete label beforeusing Scholar 50WP.

Scholar 50WP Fungicide canbe used for control of white moldon stored carrots in Quebec,Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba,Saskatchewan, Alberta, BritishColumbia and Prince EdwardIsland until December 31st, 2010only. Scholar 50WP can beapplied once as a post-harvest dipor drench immediately before storage. Mix 227 g of product in378 L water. This amount can treatup to 90,000 kg of carrots.

IMPORTANT: FOR DOMESTICUSE ONLY, NOT FOR USE ONCARROTS INTENDED FOREXPORT.

Follow all other directions foruse on the Scholar 50WP Fungi-cide label carefully.

Scholar 50WP Fungicideshould be used in an IPM programand in rotation with other manage-ment strategies to adequately manage resistance.

For copies of the emergencyuse label contact Marion Paibome-sai, OMAFRA Vegetable Cropsspecialist at Guelph (519) 826-4963, Jim Chaput, OMAFRA,Guelph (519) 826-3539 or visitSyngenta Crop Protection Canadaat www.syngenta.ca

THE GROWER

PAGE 24 –– OCTOBER 2010

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Carrot growers receive emergency use registration for white mold

White mold on stored carrots