The Grower Newspaper

KAREN DAVIDSON

Sweeping floors. Shakinghands. Writing orders. That’s howthe infection started for severalteenagers while their fatherslooked on.

Unlike a disease, it’s an infec-tious love for the produce busi-ness that’s being passed downthrough generations at the OntarioFood Terminal. As the venerable wholesale hub opens its doors tothe public for the first time thismonth, three vendors are in thethroes of generational change:Koornneef Produce, StreefProduce and Fresh Taste Produce.

The business ethics of thesetwenty-somethings is good newsfor the growers who supply pro-duce. But more than that, they arebringing fresh ideas to protect theintegrity of the product and theindustry at large.

Marcus Koornneef, 27, is fol-lowing in the footsteps of hisfather Fred and grandfather Ariewho started selling fruit in hand-loaded baskets from the Grimsby-area farm in the early 1950s.Trading on the loyalty of cus-tomers in the outdoor farmers’market, Fred bought two stalls inthe undercover vendors’ marketin 2008. Soon after, Marcus lefta real estate career in the U.S.,where he was a front-row witnessto the financial meltdown.Volatile as the Ontario Food Terminal can be, returning to the

family business in Torontoseemed a lot more stable.

With business degree in handand international experience inHolland, he made his first markby introducing a computerizedinvoicing and inventory system.The first-in, first-out systemkeeps up-to-date data for foodsafety and traceability, if lot numbers are ever required.

“There’s much less frustrationon a busy day when you’re sell-ing 22 different types of tomatoesand four colours and sizes of peppers,” he says, referring totheir specialty in hydroponic produce. They carry many nicheitems such as hot pencil peppersthat appeal to the gourmet tastesof upper-end clients.

“Koornneef Produce hasgrown quite a bit with 30 full-time employees,” says Marcus,“but it’s not due to any new-found business,” he explains. “It’s

not like there are new retail storesbeing built every day. Rather, it’sgrowing volumes with a currentloyal clientele.”

Understanding the changingdemographics in the GreaterToronto Area is key. With growthin the Asian population, theChinese buyers operate their retailoutlets much differently thanlarge retailers, working on razor-thin margins.

For example, the Chinese buyers will take a 40 cent itemand retail for 49 cents, whereas amajor chain will take the sameitem and retail for 99 cents. Thosebuyer needs also differ in termsof how much packaging theywant on produce. For some, sell-ing by the pound is the preferredroute, whereas other retailers arewilling to sell produce in aclamshell that costs another 25cents.

Managing customer expecta-tions in the hurly-burly of the

marketplace can be trying, however Marcus credits his fatherwith a philosophy of “spread thelove.” If there’s not enough product around, try to make sureeveryone gets some. That tenet offairness extends to their own 45Ontario growers who regularlysupply produce on consignment.

“We take a commission andreturn the remainder to our grow-ers,” explains Marcus. “It requiresa high level of trust because it’sall based on a handshake. But Ican say we’ve never had a growerleave us because they wereunhappy.”

At Streef Produce, the storyhas similar echoes. Chris Streef,30, is general manager and thirdgeneration of the business startedby his father Martin and hisbrothers Peter, Albert, John andJack and his grandfather beforethat.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

SEPTEMBER 2012 CELEBRATING 132 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION VOLUME 62 NUMBER 09

The Ontario Food Terminal, one of the three largest in North America, wholesales about 975,000 tons of produce annually. Its first-ever public open house will be held September 22 in a Fresh Fest fundraiser for Foodshare.

How to survive in this hurly-burly market? Be razor-sharp and street-smart. Whether those talents are acquired or bred in the bone is hardto say, but it’s worthwhile following several vendors whose senior generations are handing more responsibility to their 20-something sons.From left to right, meet Fred Koornneef and his son Marcus, Koornneef Produce, with buyer Frank Berardi, Michelangelos. Photos by Glenn Lowson.

ONTARIO FOOD TERMINAL

A bumper crop of fresh ideas regeneratesCanada’s biggest wholesale market

INSIDETunnel vision for tomatoes Page 4

OFVGA summer tour profiles innovation and research 2

Focus: New equipment & technology Page 14

www.thegrower.orgP.M. 40012319

KoornneefProduce has grownquite a bit with 30full-time employees,but it’s not due toany new-found business. It’s not likethere are new retailstores being builtevery day. Rather, it’sgrowing volumes witha current loyal clientele.”

~ Marcus Koornneef

“

SDRM stats

The policy scene is not clearfor self-directed risk management(SDRM) programs as federal andprovincial governments seek toreduce budgets. More will beknown about funding levels afteragriculture ministers meet in mid-September.

However, the George MorrisCentre released a report in mid-August that sheds some light on2011 spending. Executive direc-tor Bob Seguin reports that forOntario edible horticulture, therewere 2,243 enrollees coveringabout 50 to 60 per cent of provin-cial production. The participationrate was 58 per cent for those inthe $100,000 income range orbelow. For those producers withan income over $1 million, theparticipation rate rose to 83.6 percent. This means that 18 per centof the SDRM participantsreceived about 70 per cent of theSDRM payments. It should benoted that caps were used in allthe programs to reduce the impactof larger producers taking muchlarger shares of the total fundingpool. All of these differences arenot surprising, says Seguin, giventhe farm structure now present inOntario agriculture, and in thesecommodity areas.

As a final point, the estimatedadministration cost for the 2011risk management program wasover $10 million, a significantsum which reduced overall pay-ments.

Greenhouse growerscelebrate new head-quarters

The Ontario GreenhouseVegetable Growers (OGVG)attracted local, provincial and fed-eral politicians as well as industryleaders to the official opening oftheir new headquarters inLeamington, Ontario. After manyyears of renting facilities, the new5,500-square foot building is

geared for extended member ser-vices for many years to come. The building allows OGVG tohost on-site meetings and educa-tional opportunities with its mem-bership. This is made possible

with a larger and technologicallyadvanced conference room, whichseats approximately 80 people.

“We’re very pleased to see thecompletion of this building cometo fruition,” said OGVG chairDon Taylor at the June 22 event. “The OGVG building committeeand board of directors haveworked very hard to make thishappen.”

“This new building helps tofacilitate the overall growthwe’ve seen in this sector and

properly reflects ourmembership’sadvancing needs,”said OGVG generalmanager GeorgeGilvesy. “This officealso assists to unifysector communica-tions as it provides animportant centralmeeting location for

OGVG’s members.”The new address is 32 Seneca

Road and can be easily locatedthrough the website’s map atwww.ontariogreenhouse.com.

Bursaries available

The Ontario ProcessingVegetable Growers (OPVG) andthe Ontario Fruit and VegetableProcessors Association(OF&VPA) are continuing with abursary fund.

The Bursary Application Formis available at www.opvg.org oron request from either the OPVG(519-681-1875) or OF&VPA(519-658-3270) offices. Applications must be submittedno later than September 30th.

THE GROWER

NEWSMAKERSBoy actor Cam McKay, Windsor, Ontario plays the star role in anew YouTube video about greenhouse production. The seven-minute tale portrays a young boy taking a helicopter to track downthe origins of hisred pepper toNatureFreshFarms inLeamington,Ontario wherehe questionsvarious peopleon food safetyand traceability.He eventuallymeets owner Peter Quiring for the ultimate scoop. Combining edu-cation with entertainment values, this video is worthy of anAgricultural Academy Award.

The horticultural industry has lost a leader in Gary Ireland, 67,who passed away August 16. A long-time Simcoe area apple grow-er, he served as a former director and chair of the Ontario AppleMarketing Commission, the Ontario Apple Growers’ predecessororganization. In 1994 he was chair of the board of directors of theOntario Food Terminal. He also contributed nationally as chair ofthe Canadian Horticultural Council’s Apple Working Group.

The Ontario Premier’s Awards for Agri-Food Innovation Excellencewere recently announced for 14 of 50 regional winners, many ofwhom hail from horticulture. Recipients include:• Andrews Scenic Acres Inc., Halton Hills/Milton• Burning Kiln Winery Inc., St. Williams• Moyer's Candy Apples Ltd., Vineland• P R Short and Son, Vineland Station• Pillitteri Estates Winery Inc., Niagara-on-the-Lake• Prins Grow Inc., Jordan Station• Puddicombe Cider Company, Stoney Creek• Southbrook Vineyards, Niagara-on-the-Lake• Victory Organic Inc., St. Catharines• Vineland Research and Innovation Centre & The Stop

Community Food Centre, Toronto• Wine Council of Ontario, Vineland

From these, five recipients will be chosen and awarded with aPremier's Award, a Minister's Award and three Leaders inInnovation Awards at the Premier's Summit on Agri-Food inOctober.

Congratulations to Owen Roberts, University of Guelph professor,journalist and columnist for The Grower. His leadership abilitiesare recognized globally with his recent election to the vice-presiden-cy of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists. He’sbeen a keen driver of a boot camp for young ag journalists fromdeveloping countries around the world.

Condolences to the family of Ron and Margaret Moyer who diedtragically of smoke inhalation in a house fire on August 10. Ronald(94) and Margaret (98) were well-known in Ontario’s NiagaraPeninsula after devoting their lives to the grape and tender fruitindustries at their Grimsby-area farm. Instrumental in forming theGrape Growers’ Marketing Board, Ron went on to be its chair for15 years. He is remembered as a former president of the CanadianHorticultural Council and long-time member of the Ontario TenderFruit Producers’ Board.

Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc. presents its 2012 TeacherRecognition Award to Elsa Natvik, a secondary school teacher withthe Lambton-Kent District School Board. She teaches the agricul-ture specialist high skills major program at Ridgetown High School.The award will be presented opening day of Canada’s OutdoorFarm Show, September 11-13.

Edzo Kok, Taber, Alberta has retired as secretary of the UnitedPotato Growers of Canada after a 30-year career in the potato indus-try. He is retiring to Vancouver Island.

Henry Denotter has been acclaimed as president-elect for 2013 forthe Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. Representingthe counties of Essex, Kent and Lambton, Denotter markets corn,soybeans and wheat from his Kingsville farm.

AT PRESS TIME…

PAGE 2 –– SEPTEMBER 2012

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Visit Hot-Potatoes.ca to sign up or call 1 877-661-6665.

The official opening of theOntario Greenhouse VegetableGrowers' new headquarters inLeamington was officiated by:(L-R) Don Taylor, OGVG Chair,John Paterson, LeamingtonMayor, Dave Van Kesteren, MPChatham-Kent-Essex, RickNicholls, MPP Chatham-Kent-Essex, Jamie Cornies, OGVGVice-Chair, Jan VanderHout,OGVG Vice-Chair, TarasNatyshak, MPP Essex, GeorgeGilvesy, OGVG GeneralManager

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Streef Produce is one of the fewhouses whereby they are both awholesaler and a grower withpotatoes, peas and beans grownon a Princeton Ontario farm.

With these credentials asgrowers, they have been the firstto feel the brunt of this summer’sdrought. “Bean yields are dramatically down, sweet cornhas smaller cobs and melons aresmaller,” says Chris. “Prices havebeen up due to lack of supply.”

It’s a weekly trip to the farmthat helps set the price quotes forthe coming week. Chris and hisuncles review the crops and markets, the basis for price quotesemailed to clients.

With Chris’ cousins in ship-ping and receiving (Peter’s sonJaidin) and on the farm (Jack’ssons Nathan and Dylan), the next generation is digging in for aturnover. Family conversationsare underway for the roles to beplayed in the next five years.

Those transitional discussionshave already played out at FreshTaste Produce in the Sarrainofamily whose produce lineage canbe traced back to their great-grandfather in Sicily. Julian, 27,

is vice president of sales and marketing while brotherChristian, 25, is vice president ofsourcing and procurement. Theirfather Salvatore and a partnerbought the business in 2001 andexpanded with a Philadelphiaoffice opposite the docks in 2004.Their head office at the OntarioFood Terminal is supported by a70,000 square foot packaging anddistribution centre, about 25 milesaway in Milton. They also main-

tain a 27,000-square foot, state-of-the-art packaging facility inBrooklyn, Michigan where theyoffer packaging options for bulk,packed, generic or private labeledproduce.

Although personal relation-ships are vital in the producebusiness, Fresh Taste has show-cased the company in a videoposted on their website.(www.freshtaste.ca) This movespeaks to the global nature of the

business and the importance ofcommunicating their importedfruit capabilities to an internation-al audience.

“We experiment with newitems on a regular basis but cer-tain commodities have theirstrengths in appearance, taste andcost,” says Julian. “Essentially,we strive to give consumers theproducts they want.” Some ofthese niche items include rambu-

tans, champagne grapes and yel-low seedless watermelons.

“The beat goes on,” says IanMacKenzie, president, OntarioProduce Marketing Associationwhose offices reside at theOntario Food Terminal. Thevibrancy of the market continueswith a new generation in charge.

SEPTEMBER 2012 –– PAGE 3

THE GROWER

Bumper crop of fresh ideas

INTERNATIONAL

DISEASE

Zebra chip found inOregon

American researchers arefinding more cases of zebra chipdisease in the northwest, mostrecently near Hermiston, Oregon.The disease mars spuds with darkstreaks, making them unfit formarket.

Other states ranging fromTexas to Idaho have reported thedisease since 2000, but since lastyear, Oregon is also recordingdamage. Oregon StateUniversity’s Silvia Rondonexplains that the potato psyllid,the size of aphids, is the insectresponsible for carrying the bacteria Liberibacter. Above-ground symptoms include necro-sis and purplish, upward-curlingleaves.

Multi-pronged approaches areunderway to control the disease,ranging from natural predators tobetter timing of insecticides.

Source: PotatoPro newsletter

of 13.9 per cent. This performance reflects theBonduelle Group's geographicaldiversification and internationalexpansion strategy such as thepurchase of Allens frozen vegetable business in the U.S.

The company just strength-ened its financing with a line ofrevolving credit over five yearsin the order of $300 millioneuros. Source: FreshPlaza.com

TRADE

China stymies cherry shipments

British Columbia cherrygrowers did not export productto China after all, unwilling tomeet excessive demands.

Christine Dendy, president ofthe Okanagan Kootenay CherryGrowers’ Association, says amandatory, 15-day period of coldtreatment upon arrival, defeatedthe intent of fresh, high-qualityproduct. She stated that this wasan unreasonable requirement asit was not mandated for U.S produce.

China also requires that allorchards be monitored from budbreak through to shipping. Thisextra paperwork demandedthroughout the growing seasonwas considered untenable byorchardists.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

ESTIMATES

U.S. apple cropdown 10%

The Apple Crop Outlook andMarketing Conference in mid-August estimated a 2012-13 cropof about 202 million bushels, 10per cent less than the previousyear.

Michigan’s crop is off by 85per cent and New York’s crop isdown 52 per cent due to thesame early frosts that affectedOntario. However Washingtonstate is set to ship higher vol-umes, about 145 million bushels,up 13 per cent from the previousseason. Pennsylvania is alsoexpected to exceed last year’srecord with 11 million bushels,up one per cent.

Overall, the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture predicts thenationwide yield will be thesmallest crop since 1986.

Source: The Packer

FINANCIALS

Bonduelle reportsgrowth of 3.2%

The Bonduelle Group, a leading processor of canned,frozen and chilled vegetables, isreporting global growth of 3.2per cent in its most recent fiscalyear ending June 2012. InEurope, overall sales declined by1.4 per cent in a tough economicenvironment. Bright spotsincluded the canned steam“Vapeur” catego-ry, as well asexcellent perfor-mance in frozenretail products,bagged saladsand prepared salads.

Historicallymore dynamic,the company’snon-Europe zonereported sustained growth

Leah EricksonBC/AB604-957-2359

Chris Streef, general manager for Streef Produce Ltd., is proud to sellbeans from his family’s Princeton, Ontario farm.

Brothers Julian (left), vice president of sales and marketing andChristian Sarraino, vice president sourcing and procurement, thriveon the adrenalin of Fresh Taste Produce, a company started by theirfather Salvatore.

KAREN DAVIDSON

Clarksburg, ON – After farming apples foralmost 30 years, Brad Oakley is staking hisfuture on another love apple: tomatoes.Botanically, the two commodities maketotal sense to Brad’s son Kyle.

The father-and-son team is branchingfrom apples to vegetables, a godsend withthe unprecedented frost damage to Ontario’sapple crop this year. While only about twoto three per cent of their normal apple cropwill be in the bin, income from their thirdseason of growing vegetables is helping topay the bills, thanks in part to their invest-ment in tunnel technology and drip irriga-tion.

“We had already vertically integrated thefarm,” explains Brad. With about 200 acresof owned and rented orchards, they hadexpanded with apple storage, acquired acrop protection business and bought sharesin packinghouse Bay Growers Inc. But Kylehad caught the marketing bug for direct-to-consumer sales from a small freezer porkbusiness while growing up and wanted toexpand from apples into vegetables.

“The idea of producing 70 to 75 per centof what we sell to the local communityappeals to me,” says Kyle. Situated in theGeorgian Bay area, the farm is close to anincreasingly urbanized market. His instinctsare to tap into a marketplace that’s increas-ingly feeling like Niagara-on-the-LakeNorth.

Experts in orchards since 1984, theOakley’s have had a steep learning curve inthe market garden business. Few in the areahave any experience in growing vegetableson a commercial scale in the clay-loam soil.Just picking seed varieties has been trial anderror. Besides learning to identify new pests– hello cucumber beetles! – they are manag-ing drip irrigation in high-tunnels built forpeppers, tomatoes, raspberries and cukes.

“We got a little enthusiastic with water-ing during the drought and ended up withblossom end rot,” says Brad. “We’veworked through that and now understandhow to be better managers of our wateringschedule.”

With intensive production from two-thirds of an acre under cover for vegetablesand an acre for raspberries, 10 acres ofsweet corn and another 10 acres in fieldvegetables and flowers, the Oakley’s support a seven-day-a-week tent market innearby Thornbury. This ambitious scheduleruns from end of June to the end ofOctober, with Kyle as the ever-present marketing manager.

“Our customers really do want to con-nect to the farm operation,” says Kyle. “Infact, I would say that we’ve seen the discus-sion evolve regarding our pest managementand growing strategies. We’re conventionalgrowers, but those people who said theywould only buy organic now trust us. Theydon’t talk about the dirty dozen anymore.They are some of our best customers.”

Fortunately, the CanadaGAP certificationprotocols applied in their apple orchardshave served as a model for the vegetablebusiness. These standards aren’t required indirect-to-consumer vegetable sales, but certainly form a core part of their story.

With intensive production – planted andharvested with help from seven offshoreworkers -- the Oakley’s have carefully considered their pricing. “We try to be fairto ourselves, and also to the consumer,”says Brad. “We’re very aware of what thelocal market is doing, including the grocerystores which are pricing local farmers’ produce too cheaply.”

“The big grocery chains are doing a disservice to Ontario farmers by discountingour product in season,” adds Kyle. “We arecharging $6.95 per dozen for sweet corn,while the local grocer is charging $2.00 perdozen as a loss leader. We have to explainto customers why that is and that they candepend on our quality every time.”

At the end of this growing season, Kylesays that the vegetable venture will coverall costs. For a third-year business, that’s areasonable return after capital investment intunnels and drip irrigation. The direct-to-consumer business continues to expand itsbase with advertising in the region’s monthly magazines and social media.

When the 40’ x 20’ tent collapses for the

last time this fall, the Oakley family still hassome heavy lifting to do: succession plan-ning. Brad and his wife Teresa, also activein the business, will be discussing a transition plan with Kyle and his partnerDebby. Part of their deliberations willinclude a non-farming daughter in terms oftransfer of assets.

“There’s a lot of money to change handsin the next 20 years,” says Brad. “I’m optimistic about the huge potential in horticulture but it takes a very aggressiveapproach these days.”

Kyle’s enthusiastic for a permanentstructure to replace the marketing tent, inthe near future. He also poses some toughquestions for the future of agriculture.

“It takes a lot of work, but I enjoy theopportunities,” he says. “Consumers stillthink of the red barn as what a farm lookslike but that’s not modern agriculture. Weneed to further the discussion on what afarm looks like today. Just because a farmlooks different with new technology doesn’tmean it’s not a family farm.”

PAGE 4 –– SEPTEMBER 2012THE GROWER

From apples to tomatoes, this farm’s strategy is to diversify WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

Georgian Bay apple growers Brad (left) and Kyle Oakley, B & T Oakley Orchards Ltd.,lost most of their apple crop to a spring frost in late April.

Their diversification strategy was already underway using drip irrigation under hightunnels for peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers. These new structures were constructed inthe spring of 2012 in time for their third planting season.

A steep learning curve notwithstanding, Brad has learned pest management under theintensive system while Kyle is the face of Oakley’s Field Fresh in a market tent nearThornbury, Ontario. Here, they survey new tomato plantings. Photos by Glenn Lowson.

The big grocery chains aredoing a disservice to Ontario farm-ers by discounting our product inseason. We are charging $6.95 perdozen for sweet corn, while the localgrocer is charging $2.00 per dozenas a loss leader.”

~ Kyle Oakley

“

The CHC executive met for itssummer tour and meeting in theMontreal area on July 30-31. Thegroup toured the Hotte et VanWinden farming operations inNapierville and the Sherrington-based field production and processing facilities of VegProInternational.

The Van Winden farms produce just over 700 acres of lettuces, carrots, onions, Chinese

cabbage and leeks while Veg Pro,which also produces significantacreage, operates a state of the artprocessing facility to package anarray of locally grown lettuces fordistribution in Canada and theUnited States.

At the conclusion of the tourand hosted luncheon the executive met with members ofthe Québec regional caucus.Issues of prime importance

include reduction in resourcesavailable for research and innova-tion, timely access to new andcompetitive crop protection technologies, availability of farmlabour and proposed changes toemployment insurance and immigration policies, risk management programs and theoutcome of the Growing Forward2 negotiations.

The 2012 CHC Mid-SummerApple Industry Meeting wasrecently held in Brossard,Québec, July 24 - 25. The AppleIndustry Meeting on July 25 waswell attended, with 24 appleindustry representatives present.Several important items were dis-cussed, including: • 2012 Crop Reports and MarketSituation• Review of Canadian AppleSituation and Trends (FaridMakki, AAFC)• Apple Benchmarking ProjectUpdate (Kate Stiefelmeyer,George Morris Centre, ValueChain Management Centre)• CFIA Repeal of StandardContainers• Royal Agricultural Winter Fair– Apple competition

Farid Makki’s “Review ofCanadian Apple Situation &Trends” provided an overview ofcurrent production, export andimport statistics, as well as pre-senting a review of challengesand opportunities for the sector:

The CHC AWG, AAFC andthe George Morris Centre’s ValueChain Management Centre havebeen working together on abenchmarking study this year andKate Stiefelmeyer made a presen-tation of the project’s progress todate, including the followingCanadian opportunities and pre-liminary implications:

Opportunities:• Investment in new planting systems• New trees/varieties

• Ramp up new varieties andrationalize old• Goes hand in hand with mecha-nization• New orchard management stylelikely required• Develop or adapt new varieties• More emphasis on breeding • Proprietary varieties• Varieties that grow well in spe-cific locations• Market opportunities in nichevarieties – could get back in toexport market this way• Consolidation• More Collaboration • Preliminary Implications:• Canadian industry must focuson domestic market first, exportssecond.• Exports will increasinglybecome niche opportunities

• Canadian apple industry needsa national marketing and industrydevelopment body• Must have a wholly objectiveand commercial focus. • Canadian industry can learnfrom other jurisdictions.• UK: industry rejuvenation,domestic market success.• US: professionalism, marketing,production.• NZ: innovation • Governments must assist tomake changes happen• Industry needs to take the leadand show visionSpecial thanks to host Fédération

des producteurs de pommes duQuébec for organizing the meet-ing and the boat cruise on July24, and to the following sponsors: • Association des emballeurs depommes du Québec• Caron• Lassonde• Leahy• Les Vergers de la Colline• Metro• National Pneumatic

THE GROWER


CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL

Mid-summer meeting highlights

L to R: Keith Kuhl (Manitoba) Jean-Bernard Van Winden, ClaudeLaniel (Québec), Sara Boivin-Chabot (Québec). Photo by Anne Fowlie

Apple working group

KAREN DAVIDSON

The annual CanadianGreenhouse Conference promisesa full slate of speakers. Under thetopic of lighting, look for the lat-est thinking from Egon Janssen,TNO on “light and energy inEurope.” TNO is a consultancyorganized by the Dutch govern-ment to innovate on the latesthorticultural technology such asrobotics, automation and sensor-ing, energy use and CO2 tech-niques and of course, artificial vs.natural light.

Janssen will be participating ina panel discussion on supplemen-tal lights and light transmissionon October 4. He’ll be joined byXiuming Hao, Agriculture

Canada’s expert from Harrow andUdo Van Slooten from PhilipsLighting.

The topic of “Water and theenvironment” will be kicked offby Justine Taylor, Ontario

Greenhouse Vegetable Growersand Shalin Khosla, OMAFRAwho will give an update onOntario water research. K. VictorLo, University of BritishColumbia is scheduled to speakon phosphorous recovery fromwaste streams. Kim Harding,Saint-Gobain Cutilene, will speakabout substrate system design andwater management.

With a growing greenhouseindustry comes the need forlabour. Ken Linington, FlowersCanada-Ontario will address thetopic of increasing public scrutinyof farm workplaces. He’ll be fol-lowed by Tom Baker, BayviewFlowers, speaking about newresearch in the area of agriculturalhuman resources. How to accessworkers through the temporaryforeign worker program will bethe purview of Anthony Cervini,Lakeside Produce, Leamington.

This year’s keynote speaker isAnna Ball, CEO of BallHorticultural, a floriculture com-pany based in West Chicago,Illinois. If recent presentations areany hint, she’ll likely talk aboutthe trends of sustainability andconsolidation.

The robust speakers’ programwill be supplemented by an activetrade show. Hours are 8:30 am to6 pm on October 3 and 8:30 amto 4 pm on October 4.

For the first time, a contingentof Dutch input suppliers will bevisiting the Canadian GreenhouseConference. About 14 companieswill be represented by theNetherlands Export Commissionaccording to Geoffrey Green, anorganizer of the trade mission.They include suppliers of sub-strate and coir, window washingmachines, heating systems, solarsystems, shade systems and in-house conveyor systems.

The delegation will be visitingfloral growers in the Niagararegion and vegetable producers inthe Leamington, Ontario area tounderstand the Canadian marketbetter. They will be seeking localpartnerships for installation andmaintenance of equipment.Business can work both ways. “IfCanadian innovations fit into theDutch area of expertise, then part-nerships could be set up inEurope,” says Green.

For last-minute registration, goto www.canadiangreenhousecon-ference.com

THE GROWER


Key issues: lighting, labour and waterCANADIAN GREENHOUSE CONFERENCE OCTOBER 3-4

THE GROWER


Ontario Fruit and VegetableGrowers’ Association (OFVGA)July 2012

Following are highlights fromthe OFVGA board meeting heldJuly 19, 2012. The purpose of thisbrief is to keep you up-to-date onthe issues that the OFVGA isworking on, as well as projectsand initiatives the organization isinvolved in.

Labour

CEO Art Smith reported thatOFVGA Labour committee chairKen Forth has met twice withHuman Resources and SkillsDevelopment Canada (HRSDC)Minister Diane Finley regardingthe Seasonal Agricultural WorkerProgram (SAWP) and access toEmployment Insurance forlocally available seasonal workers. The federal governmentremains committed to the program, and Minister Finleyemphasized that HRSDC is sim-ply clarifying existing rulesregarding Employment Insuranceand seeking to ensure the integri-ty of the program.

Research

Research section chair HaroldSchooley reported that June wasmeeting month for OntarioResearch Advisory Networktheme advisory groups. Schooleyserves on two of the advisorygroups and is involved in thereview of research proposals. Thekey research priorities in theplant production theme advisorygroup are product qualityimprovement, plant protection,production efficiency, environ-mental ecosystem impact, productdiversification and genetictechnologies.

One of the weaknesses of thecurrent research funding system isthe short term nature of fundingagreements. Many horticulturebreeding programs need to belong-term but most programs arefunded only for three years. Thereare 135 or so different cropsbeing grown in Ontario with verylittle overlap which makes horticultural research very chal-lenging.

Crop Protection

The Pest ManagementRegulatory Agency (PMRA) hasreleased two different proposalsfor new regulations for comment.They are working to codify andinclude the Grower RequestedOwn Use (GROU) program intothe regulations. They are also for-malizing the registration forgeneric products, includingprocesses for approach, compen-sation for data package, timeframes, negotiations and execu-tion. OFVGA will be submittingcomments to both in conjunctionwith the Canadian HorticulturalCouncil.

The fungicide Elevate hasbeen added to the approved prod-uct list under GROU.

Property

OFVGA has sent a letter toprovincial Environment MinisterJim Bradley reiterating its ask forinclusion of horticulture under theNutrient Management Act to govern activities like waste waterfrom washing produce or stormwater runoff. The Ministry of theEnvironment is requiring manygrowers to apply forEnvironmental ComplianceApprovals in order to regulate

these activities on-farm, which isa costly and time-consumingprocess that no other agriculturalsectors are being faced with.

Wildlife loss project

Work has begun on a studyfunded by the wildlife loss work-ing group to identify the amountand type of damage to the fruitand vegetable sector by wildlifeand to develop a best practicesdocument.

Support for tender fruit andapple growers affected by frostdamage

Ontario Apple Growers (OAG)chair Brian Gilroy advised that anassessment for possible supportunder AgriRecovery is underwayfor apple and tender fruit growersaffected by frost damage thisspring. Agricorp has done anextensive assessment of orchardsand 80 per cent of growers have90 per cent crop loss. Of the cropthat remains, 30 - 50 per cent isnot suitable for fresh market dueto frost scaring and misshapenfruit.

Closure of Delhi research station

The Ontario Ginseng Growersare still in the process of seekingalternate solutions for theirbreeding and ginseng researchprogram that will be affected bythe closure of Agriculture andAgri-Food Canada's research farmin Delhi. A committee has beenformed to look at alternateuses for the property once the closure is complete.

The last board meeting was heldAugust 23, 2012. Report in nextissue.

Board briefsOFVGA

Is your farm business aCommercial Greenhouse,

Landscape Nursery or Vegetable Farm?New environmental cost share opportunities are available for

the 2012 cropping year through a special project associated withthe Canada-Ontario Environmental Farm Plan (EFP)

Funding support for BMPs including:• runoff control projects

• buffer strip establishment in riparian areas

• tile water treatment systems

• improved pesticide management with support for equipmentmodifications to increase accuracy of applications

• nutrient use efficiency projects including recycling andtreatment systems

• water efficiency projects including reduced wash watervolumes and low volume irrigation systems

• Eligible farms have an opportunity to access cost-share ateither 30 per cent or 50 per cent, depending on the BestManagement Practices (BMP) Category, and up toestablished caps

• The Growing Forward maximum contribution per farmbusiness is $30,000

• Invoices dated September 15, 2011 or later will be accepted.The project claim submission deadline is December 15, 2012

• Funds will be allocated on a first come, first served basis

• Speak to your local OSCIA Program Representative

For more information contact:Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association

Telephone: 1-800-265-9751

www.ontariosoilcrop.org

THE GROWER


STAFFPublisher: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ AssociationEditor: Karen Davidson, 416-252-7337, [email protected]: Carlie Robertson, ext. 221, [email protected]: Herb Sherwood, 519-380-0118, [email protected]

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 2012

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEEChair Mac James, LeamingtonVice-Chair Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-LakeFruit Director Norm Charbonneau, Port ElginVeg Director Jason Ryder, DelhiDirector Jason Verkaik, Bradford

BOARD OF DIRECTORSApples Brian Gilroy, MeafordFresh Vegetable - Other Mary Shabatura, Windham CentreTender Fruit Fred Meyers, Niagara-on-the-LakeON Asparagus Grws’. Mkg. Brd. Jason Ryder, 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’ Ken Van Torre, BurfordGreenhouse Jan Vander Hout, WaterdownGreenhouse Don Taylor, Durham

OFVGA SECTION CHAIRS

Crop Protection Charles Stevens, NewcastleResearch Harold Schooley, SimcoeProperty Brian Gilroy, MeafordLabour Ken Forth, LyndenSafety Nets Mark Wales, AlymerCHC Murray Porteous, Simcoe

The Ontario government ismoving forward through theMinistry of the Environment(MOE) with the final passing ofthe Great Lakes Protection Actthis fall. OFVGA, as well as otherfarm organizations, has been lob-bying intensely on the two issuesof wash water management andsurface water management.

The main focus of lobbying isto have these issues moved fromrulings under the MOE to regula-tions under the NutrientManagement Act, where thiswater can be recycled back to the

land as irrigation water.Currently, samples have beentaken and testing is being done toevaluate the nutrient value of thiswater. The results of these testsare due to be published in earlySeptember, and based on theseresults, a scientific approach toregulation can be achieved.

To promote this act, theprovincial government has, underthe MOE, come up with $1.5 mil-lion dollars to help restore andprotect the Great Lakes.Agriculture is eligible to apply.

Water is on everyone’s radar

MAC JAMESCHAIR, OFVGA

Prime Minister Harper andPresident Obama recently signedthe “Beyond the Borders”Agreement to remove

impediments to cross bordertrade. This included harmonizingrules and regulations, whereverpossible, in order to facilitate themovement of shipments back andforth between our two countries.Good stuff!

The problem is that our gov-ernment voluntarily gave awaysome border protective measureswithout receiving anything oreven asking for anything inreturn. Examples include:

1. The Canadian governmentallows produce to enter Canadawhich has been treated withchemicals not registered inCanada by providing MinimumResidue Levels (MRLs) for thesepesticides. In turn, the U.S.established a ZERO tolerance for

produce shipments to the U.S.which have been treated withchemicals not registered in theU.S.

2. The Canadian governmenthas decided to eliminate the“Standard Container” legislationincluded in the CanadianAgricultural Products Act. Thiswill now allow shipments of pro-duce in bulk bins to enter Canadafor either processing or repackingand sale in Canada. In the past,buyers were prohibited fromdoing so, without first obtaining aMinisterial Exemption, as long asCanadian producers had likeproducts/produce available forsale. The U.S. has not nor werethey asked to give up any of theirborder protection rules under theirMarketing Orders.

The Canadian HorticulturalCouncil requested that HeathCanada’s Pest ManagementRegulatory Agency (PMRA) har-monize all current and future U.S.minor use pesticide registrationsand MRLs. This would have pro-vided not only a level playingfield for our producers and for themanufacturers, it would also pro-vide massive savings for theCanadian government.Unfortunately, the response theyreceived from Health Canada wasthat “differences in regulatoryrequirements, as well as differ-ences in legislation, require thatregulatory decisions be madeindependently by each country.”This is especially hard to acceptwhen the newer chemistries aresafer, more effective and in most

cases cheaper than the productsour Canadian producers haveaccess to.

A more positive responsewould have been that they areworking on changing the regula-tory requirements in order tofacilitate the harmonization ofpesticides. It’s too easy to say“we can do this because.” Ourgrowers need a level playing fieldand deserve to have their govern-ment looking for solutions toproblems rather than setting upmore roadblocks. Isn’t that whatwas offered when theCanada/U.S. Free TradeAgreement was signed in 1988? I’m not too sure whether this is aCanadian Sovereignty issue orsimply a bureaucracy trying tokeep their jobs.

Positive approach needed to fair trade – not more roadblocks

ADRIAN HUISMANONTARIO TENDERFRUIT PRODUCERS

Last fall the Premier ofOntario announced in his electionplatform that the Liberals wouldintroduce a “Local Food Act forOntario.” There was not a wholelot of information given at thetime as to what this “Act” wouldlook like or what it would encom-pass . . . there still isn’t. Now I doknow that it is being worked on at

the OMAFRA level. I am assum-ing that there is a lot of checkingand double checking as to what isdoable and what is not.

So with such limited informa-tion available to us we are leftguessing about what will beincluded in the Act and even whatthe purpose of the Act really is.

The Act could focus on healthissues and getting more people toeat better and more nutritiously.Now this might not fall under a“Local Food Act” but it is some-thing that the governments aregoing have to address in the nottoo distant future if they want tosolve the diabetes and obesity cri-sis.

It might also include trying toresolve some of the food deserts(no food store in a community)that we have in this country.When this happens, it is typicallyin poorer areas and then the localcommunity is forced to rely onvariety stores and fast food out-

lets for their meals….not thehealthiest, but if they have nochoices then what?

The Act may also look at aschool nutrition program wherelocal produce is sent to schoolsfor children to snack on or evenexpanded to school meal pro-grams and as much as I wouldlike to see this, I doubt that theAct would incorporate this justdue to cost.

The Act might also look at cre-ating community gardens forfolks in the city. This would cer-tainly win the favour of some butit would do little for Ontario’sfarming community; although itmight raise the awareness of howdifficult farming really is.

Some cities have been toyingwith the idea of allowing certainlivestock to be raised in back-yards. I struggle with this for anumber of reasons includinghealth, both human and animaland as well the desire of city folk

wanting to awaken to the call ofroosters in the wee hours of themorning or even the hee haw ofdonkeys at sun up. Sounds crazy Iknow but where does it stop?These animals belong on a farmnot in a city.

There are so many things itcould involve, too many to listhere.

I believe that a good “LocalFood Act for Ontario” needs todo one or two things only.

It needs to recognize that foodproduction and processing inOntario are not only importantbut essential and as such, all leg-islation passed in this provincewould need to be tested against it.What would be the impact of leg-islation and policies of govern-ment on agri-food businesses? Would the proposed legislation/policies justifiably add cost ornot, does it add benefit or is itdetrimental to the food sector,will it allow for growth or will it

deter it. Placing a “Local FoodAct for Ontario” at the top of theimportance pyramid, recognizingfood production as essentialwould allow the food sector togrow and would stop the nonsen-sical legislation and regulationsthat threaten the agri-food sector.It could act as the litmus test oflegislation . . . oh to dream!

In view of global populationgrowth, governments across theworld have a responsibility toenhance or expand food produc-tion not to deter it through regula-tion and policy.

A well written “Local FoodAct for Ontario,” in fact forCanada, could go a long way inresolving the problems facingOntario agriculture it is not justabout price, it’s just as muchabout costs.

For what it’s worth, it’s theway I see it.

ART SMITHCEO, OFVGA

A Local Food Act for OntarioIf anyone is interested, go to www.ontario.ca/GreatLakesFund.

THE GROWER

It seems our growing interestin local, quality food has, so tospeak, spilled over to local,

quality wine and beer, too. And ina very big way.

The Liquor Control Board ofOntario,(LCBO), the world’sbiggest liquor monopoly, releasedits 2011-12 financial results inAugust, showing net sales of $4.7billion. That’s nearly a five percent spike over 2010-11.

And that’s good for the provincial coffers. The LCBOsays it transferred an all-time highdividend of more than $1.6 billion, not including taxes, to theOntario government in 2011-2012. That’s $80 million morethan the previous fiscal year.

According to the province, thismoney supports the public institutions we hold dear – hospitals, schools and

universities, among them. But for those who grow

vinifera grapes, the big story hereis the skyrocketing sales of VQAwines, ones most likely to be

associated with quality by localfood types looking for the best ofthe best.

In a sector that usually countsgains in small increments, VQAwine sales rose nine per cent thisyear. That’s a banner sales year.They even outpaced wine sales ingeneral, which were up six per

cent. Not bad at all. But still, those performances

pale in comparison to the spike incraft beer sales, the kind producedin small batches by small brew-

eries and renowned for qualityand attention to detail.

Consider this: sales inthe craft beer category grew bya whopping 45 per cent (com-pared to about a four per centrise in overall beer sales). That’s anamazing figure. Occasionally,certain products come onstrong as a result of an effec-tive ad campaign or some other rea-son. But rarely does an entiresegment skyrocket like this.

So what’s going on?Well, according to LCBOpresident Bob Peter, look nofurther than the “local” move-

ment. And, of course (accordingto him), his organization’s vision.

Says he: “We continue to seevery positive results from thesteps we have taken to promoteVQA wines and Ontario craftbeers, including through ourgoLOCAL marketing.”

Whoa Mr. President! Doesn’tthe “O” in LCBO stand for“Ontario”?

And that being the case,shouldn’t the LCBO be promot-ing Ontario products above allelse and as a matter of course,

rather than as a special programfor which it congratulates itself?

And maybe, given how muchmoney the LCBO makes off thebacks of Ontario farmers, couldits leader perhaps say somethingnice – even a word or two --about Ontario products? Geez.

If Ontario craft beers and VQAwines were subpar, no one wouldbuy them twice, no matter howmuch the LCBO promoted them.The agency owes a lot to the people who make beer and wine,who toil in and on Ontario farms,vineyards and cellars, and make afine product. The board shouldpromote Ontario products contin-ually, not just stick them onshelves with a sign that says“Ontario,” not unlike the one thatsays “Spain,” “Australia” or anyof Ontario’s other competitors. But maybe more local-orientedpromotions are on rack now thatthe LCBO believes consumers areserious about “local” beer andwine. Last year was the LCBO’s17th straight year of record sales,and 18th consecutive record dividend. It will be hard pressedto beat this year’s record.

Given its concerns about thebottom line, though, why would itnot intensify its good local products campaign, the samecampaign that helped it smashrecords?

President Peter, over to you.

Local food fans spark interest in local wine and beer too

OWEN ROBERTSUNIVERSITY OFGUELPH

PERSPECTIVE


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North & south shores of Montreal

Michel GrattonTel.: 450.781.6045Fax : 450.682.4959

Gilliane BissonTel. : 450.781.6044Fax : 450.682.4959

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Central, Eastern Quebec

& Atlantic Provinces

Yves Thibault, agr.Tel. : 418.660.1498Fax : 418.666.8947

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ontario

Warren PeacockTel. : 519.426.1131Fax : 519.426.6156

A team of ex perts Top -notch seeds

[email protected]

www.norseco.com

Sept 6 – 9 Shores of Erie Wine Festival, Fort Malden, Amherstberg, ON

Sept 8, 9 Stratford Garlic Festival, Stratford, ON

Sept 11 – 13 Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock, ON

Sept 12 – 14 Federal, provincial, territorial agriculture ministers’ meeting, Whitehorse, Yukon

Sept 21 – 30 Niagara Grape & Wine Festival, St. Catharines, ON

Sept 18 – 22 International Plowing Match, Waterloo Region, ON

Sept 19 61st Annual Niagara Grape & Wine Festival Celebrity Luncheon, Club Roma, St. Catharines, ON

Sept 22 Fresh Fest for Foodshare, Ontario Food Terminal, Toronto, ON 11 am – 3 pm

October 1, 2 Grocery Innovations Canada, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, ON

Oct 2 – 8 Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show, Simcoe, ON

October 3, 4 Canadian Greenhouse Conference, Scotiabank Conference Centre, Niagara Falls, ON

October 13 Holland Marsh Soupfest, Ansnorveldt Park, Dufferin Street, Holland Marsh, ON

Nov 2 – 11 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON

Nov 4 – 8 Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association Annual Bus Tour, Chicago Area. For details: www.ontariofarmfresh.com

November 9 Ontario Produce Marketing Association Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony, Liberty Grand, Toronto, ON

Nov 20, 21 Essex County Associated Growers 62nd Annual Bounty of the County Trade Show, Kinsmen Recreation Complex, Leamington, ON

Nov 22 Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference, “Collaborating for Success,” University of Guelph Kemptville Campus, Kemptville, ON

Dec 4-6 Great Lakes Expo, Devos Place Convention Center, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, Michigan

COMING EVENTS 2012 Ontario hops will get more hypein next year’s Craft BeerCompetition scheduled forFebruary 21 at the Ontario Fruitand Vegetable Convention.

LILIAN SCHAER

A new green sprouting tech-nology being trialed in Ontariohas been shown to acceleratepotato growth by at least 12 days.Earlier harvest of processingpotatoes will help Ontario farmersexpand their domestic potato mar-kets.

“Chip manufacturers wouldprefer a 100 per cent domesticpotato supply to support their sus-tainability initiatives and locallygrown marketing campaigns,”says potato specialist EugeniaBanks of the Ontario Ministry ofAgriculture, Food and RuralAffairs. “These have been rolled

out over the last two years andthe Ontario potato industry needsto catch up to these programs assoon as possible in order to bepart of them.”

Funded by a Farm InnovationProgram (FIP) grant, the OntarioPotato Board investigated newproduction technologies, includ-ing green sprouting, which keepsseed tubers in plastic trays underindirect light at 16 degrees C forabout three weeks prior to planti-ng. This stimulates the growth ofshort, thick sprouts that result in apotato crop emerging from thesoil in eight or nine days afterplanting. Seeds planted withoutsprouts take approximately 21days to emerge.

Field trials conducted in 2010and 2011 in partnership with sev-eral potato growers showedDakota Pearl processing potatoesplanted using green sproutingready for harvest 12 days aheadof the conventionally plantedcrop. Similar results wereobtained with Superior andYukon Gold potatoes, both freshmarket varieties.

“Harvesting potatoes 12 daysearlier should result in a priceincrease of about 15 per cent forfarmers and, as a consequence,increase the competitiveness ofboth processing and fresh marketgrowers,” estimates Banks. Information from the trials hasbeen shared at annual meetings ofthe Ontario Potato Board andPotato Field Day in Alliston andin articles published in TheGrower, Ontario Farmer and thePotato Update newsletter. Banksalso uses farm visits across theprovince as opportunities to shareresults of her work with potatoproducers.

Other research from this pro-ject is still ongoing with resultsexpected later this year. Thisincludes environmentally friendlyways to control scab, the mainpotato disease, and enhancing theskin colour in red potatoes tomake them more appealing tobuyers and consumers.

“For potato growers, this kindof research is invaluable becauseit addresses their production prob-lems and the work is conductedon their farms. This gives themthe opportunity to see the resultsfor themselves and allows forearly adoption of new technolo-gies,” says Banks. “Farm-basedprojects also help us detect poten-tial problems related to factorssuch as weather and providesolutions with grower input.”

THE GROWER


New sprouting technology can help expand markets for Ontario potatoes

FARM INNOVATION PROGRAM

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Harvesting potatoes12 days earlier shouldresult in a price increaseof about 15 per cent forfarmers.

~ Eugenia Banks

“Photo by Lilian Schaer

THE GROWER


Target is one of the most suc-cessful retailers operating in theU.S. in the face of the hugegrowth of Walmart. In many keyU.S. markets they go toe to toe ingeneral merchandise and food.Target’s annual sales were $69.8billion in 2011 and they havedelivered sales increases eachyear since 2008. Canada is thefirst international market for themto expand into and many con-sumers in Canada are excited tosee one of their favourite cross-border destinations opening closerto home.

On Target’s website theydescribe their business model asan “upscale discounter that pro-vides high-quality, on-trend mer-chandise at attractive prices inclean, spacious and guest-friendlystores.” Target operates 1,763stores in the U.S. and theyemploy approximately 355,000people. The Target website www.tar-get.ca is a tremendous source of

information. They are very clearabout the stores they will openand when. You can find a com-plete list by province at http://cor-porate.target.ca/m/company/en/our-stores. They also define theirintentions in Canada and theystate the sales goal of $6 billionacross 200 stores when they arefinished the launch into Canada.They will have 125-135 storescomplete by the end of the firstyear. This is ambitious - it willhave a significant impact on theconsumer and on you.

The website does not talkmuch about the assortment ofproducts they intend to carry,however it does say they will notstart with Super Target, which isthe food/gm combo store. Myopinion is that we will see a lotmore food in Target than they aresaying. Walmart was no differentwhen they started. General mer-chandise is easier to open with, asthe source of supply for Canadawill not be significantly differentthan it is in the U.S. They willoffer an assortment of food tostart and the addition of cate-gories over time will help drivesales growth and traffic, as theybecome more of a full shop.

For vendors who want to be asupplier to Target, they are wellunderway selecting the vendorswho will be a part of their offer-ing. The entire process is out-lined for those interested athttp://corporate.target.ca/m/com-pany/en/vendor-faq. Every 'fre-quently asked question' has a dropdown box with the answer. Ifyou want to sell to Target and

have not started the process, youneed to do some fast research andget in motion. Many decisionsare being made now.

A number of people haveasked me about the distribu-tion agreement with Sobeysand Target. They definethe arrangement on theTarget website as “TargetCanada Co. and Sobeyshave entered into along-term whole-sale distribu-tion agree-ment. TargetCanada Co.will buyand dis-tributealltemp-controlled, non-direct storedelivery merchandise (primarilydairy, frozen, perishables andchocolate) through Sobeys.” Myfirst reaction was one of surprisebut, when you think about it, thedeal is a good one for both par-ties.

1. Target can get up and runningmuch faster on food which is achallenge across the regions of

Canada.2. Target will save some capitalcosts initially to develop the dis-tribution network for food.

3. Target will learn from Sobey’sregional listing base.

4. Sobeys will learn from Target.

5. Sobeys will make money onevery case they distribute forTarget.

6. Sobeys will improve efficiency

of their distribution network.

7. Sobey’s vendors benefit (whichcould be leverage for Sobeys),because Target says no new itemswill be listed by Sobeys forTarget. In other words, onlyitems currently listed by Sobeyswill be available to Target stores.

Suppliers, retailers and con-sumers in every region of Canadawill be impacted by the launch ofTarget in 2013. Are you ready?If you will be selling to them, youhave lots to do to get ready for anew customer. If you don’t sellto them but they sell in your cate-gory, you will likely lose somesales. Your existing customerswill lose volume to the 125 storesacross Canada. If you don’t sellto them and they don’t sell inyour category then you will seeless of an impact but you will beimpacted. Your existing cus-tomers will be under more pres-sure, the consumer will have anew place to spend money and anitem at Target might be moredesirable than what you are sell-ing. One thing is for sure - youneed to learn about Target andanticipate what is right for yourbusiness!

Ready, aim, fire... are you ready for Target?

PETER CHAPMAN

RETAIL NAVIGATOR

Earnings rollercoasterRecently Metro and Loblaws announced their third quarter results.

These two companies appear to be going in opposite directions. Thethird quarter results show consistent sales and earnings growth atMetro and disappointing sales and earnings at Loblaws. Metro is ben-efiting from improved stores in Ontario. Loblaws continues to focuson many things, such as systems, and struggles to get any salesmomentum.

Metro’s recent financial results are:• Adjusted net earnings of $147.4 million, up 16.0%• Adjusted fully diluted net earnings per share of $1.46, up 18.7%• Sales of $3,703.5 million, up 3.8%• Same store sales up 1.0 %• Declared dividend of $0.215 per share, up 11.7%

Loblaws website listed the following summary of the Q2 results:• Basic net earnings per common share of $0.57, down 18.6% com-pared to the second quarter of 2011.• EBITDA margin of 6.4% compared to 6.9% in the second quarterof 2011.• Revenue of $7,375 million, an increase of 1.3% over the secondquarter of 2011.• Retail sales and same-store sales growth of 1.1% and 0.2%, respec-tively, compared to the second quarter of 2011.

There is no doubt there will be increased pressure on Loblaws toget some sales momentum. The top line is critical! With morechanges coming in the market, the window for Loblaws to get theback end fixed is getting very limited. SAP roll out to stores andwarehouses starts this fall. This will be critical to their success andeveryone will be watching very carefully to see how it goes.

Peter Chapman, a retail food consultant and professional speaker, isprincipal of GPS Business Solutions, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.Peter works with producers and processors to help them navigatethrough the retail environment with the ultimate goal of getting moreitems into the shopping cart. [email protected].

THE GROWER


OFVGA SUMMER TOUR AND BARBEQUE

Innovation percolates in Niagara peninsula

Peach packing ends two weeks early atAndrewes farm

As reported in The Grower, August2011, Phil and Chris Andrewes are participating in a Platinum Peach programfor Loblaw stores, using a number of techniques to achieve size and colour. About20 per cent of production is now funneledinto that program.

“It’s been very hard to keep water to thetrees,” says Chris Andrewes. “In mid-July,the peaches weren’t sizing so between irrigation and supplemental rains, we’vebeen able to keep the quality and flavour.”

While the packing season will be overabout two weeks early, retail prices pickedup this year, due to drought conditions andsmaller supplies. “It’s very encouraging thatconsumers are willing to pay more for localproduct,” he says.

A new venture has been five-pound, 12-count peaches in a small box for Costco.It’s not a new package, but it’s been very

successful for that retailer. Pears are looking less promising for this

season. Taking the brunt of April frosts,quantity and quality may not reach normal

standards. That’s where a new product ofPuddicombe’s might take a bigger role on stage, using second-grade pears to make SirIsaac pear cider. www.vinelandgrowers.com

Poetry in a bottle flows at Tawse WineryA relative newcomer to the

grape-growing industry, TawseWinery harvested its first crop fromthe Twenty Mile Bench as recentlyas 2001. What a splash MorayTawse has made with a suite ofpractices not common to theNiagara Peninsula.

“Our fruit is hand-harvestedfrom old-growth, low-yield vinesand gently handled using gravityflow and geothermic energy,” sayswinemaker Paul Pender. Certifiedorganic and biodynamic, the vine-yards use no pesticides, fungicidesor chemical fertilizers in producingthe grapes. Tawse was named win-ery of the year at the 2010 and 2011Canadian Wine Awards. That’shigh honours for a winery that justopened its doors in 2005. Its ultra-premium VQA wines have premium prices to match the annual production of 30,000cases (360,000 bottles).

“The first sip is the first paragraph in a short story, by no means the whole story,”writes Beppi Crosariol, in an August 11 Globe and Mail review of Tawse Pinot NoirCherry Avenue Vineyard 2009. “It starts light, with a nuance of dried cherry – perhapstoo lean for palates accustomed to fat shirazes. But stick with it and pay attention.Mushrooms and dried earth begin to fill out the rich plot. Twelve months in French oakadd a toasty subplot as fine-grained, sticky tannins and balanced acidity bring it to a satis-fying climax. This is refined, complex fare for serious pinot hounds, a wine that gets bet-ter with each sip.” Crosariol’s score? 92. Price? $57.95. www.tawsewinery.ca

KAREN DAVIDSON

As the cradle of the tender fruit and grape industry, the Niagara peninsula reflects many issuescurrent in horticulture: land use, water use, research directives, marketing programs. That’swhy it’s an obvious choice for this summer’s tour hosted by the Ontario Fruit and VegetableGrowers’ Association. For insight into the latest practices and newsmakers, here’s a mini-tour. Photos by Herb Sherwood.

Ontario ag minister Ted McMeekin (L)and OFVGA chair Mac James welcometour participants at the farm of Phil andson Chris Andrewes, Beamsville, Ontario.

Tawse Winery’s vista overlooks Lake Ontario anda scene more reminiscent of medieval times.Indeed, the 35 acres are farmed by horse andplow. Sheep may safely graze the leaves of thelower vines to allow more sunlight to the crop,before the grapes ripen. Harvest is early this year,with the crush pad ready for picking on August 23.

Lake Ontario

N

Value-added products aresampled at Cherry LaneOrchards

The Smith operation is based on approximately 500acres of tree fruit production and value-added processingand other related product sales. Along with the cherry pro-cessing plant started by Jennifer Smith’s grandfather in thelate 1950s, she also runs the only peach-processing planteast of the Rockies. The plant processes only clingstonepeaches which are sliced, diced or pureed for the institutional trade.

The farm was started in 1907 by Jennifer’s great-grand-father. Jennifer is the fourth generation of Smith’s to farmthis property at Vineland Station.

www.cherrylane.net

Global crops showcased atVineland Research andInnovation Centre

Canada imports more than $10 million worth of okra.The vegetable used in soups and stews is but one of manycrops that are now being tested for viability on Ontariofarms for sale to new Canadians. Indian eggplant, longChinese eggplant, yard long beans and Chinese greenonions are all in trial plots according to Valerio Primomo,vegetable breeder at Vineland Research and InnovationCentre (VRIC).

www.vinelandresearch.com

THE GROWERSEPTEMBER 2012 –– PAGE 13

OFVGA SUMMER TOUR AND BARBEQUE

Jennifer Smith demonstrates distinctive products ofCherry Lane Orchards: concentrated cherry juice anddried cherries.

Daryl Somers, applied genomics, explains the large commitment to an apple breeding program using inputfrom a consumer taste panel. The objective is to developvarieties that will be popular with consumers before 10years of research are invested. In the question-and-answer session, Murray Porteous, chair of the CanadianHorticultural Council, played devil’s advocate in proposing that the softer McIntosh apple might becomemore popular again with an aging population that doesn’twant such a crisp bite.

Okra

Yard long beans Chinese green onions

KAREN DAVIDSON

Raleigh, North Carolina – Themolecular breeding technologythat has revolutionized grains andoilseeds in the last 15 years isnow coming to fruition in veg-etable seeds. That doesn’t meangenetically modified seeds, perse, but it does translate into amore robust genetic packagedesigned to withstand disease andinsects.

“We are now integrating bio-logical solutions with chemicalsolutions,” says David Morgan,president, Syngenta Seeds, brief-ing Canadian and U.S. farmreporters in an exclusive tour lastApril at its Greensboro field dayand Raleigh research headquar-ters. “Innovation happens at theintersection of these disciplines.”

The spring tour showcasedSyngenta’s newly integrated cropprotection and seed businessacross several global commoditiesthat ranged from corn and soy-beans to sugarcane and sunflow-ers. The company’s researchunderlines how discoveries insome species may be applied inothers. The effectiveness ofabamectin in controlling nema-todes in cotton, for instance, isnow in preliminary research withcarrots.

Unlike row crops, Syngentaviews vegetables as a truly globalcrop with worldwide productionvalue of $500 billion. Fifty percent of that consumption, by vol-ume, is in China with anothernine per cent in India. Thoseemerging markets are enticingSyngenta to plow major invest-ments into vegetables. Not sur-prisingly, it operates a researchcentre in Beijing.

With a global perch, the onecommon issue is the impact ofclimate change on agriculture.Vern Hawkins, president,Syngenta Crop Protection, toldThe Grower how the company isworking on solutions to mitigateplant stress, optimize water and

steward soil. In some cases, turn-around between discovery andcommercialization is now atseven years rather than 10. Inturn, these advances put pressureon the regulators to keep up withthe pace of science.

“We must ensure we have ascience-based regulatory environ-ment to continue bringing newtechnologies to market,” saysHawkins of the U.S. system.

However he explains, the molecu-lar breeding technology is identi-fying traits that are valuable andtransferable into new products.

Potatoes are a good example ofthat strategy. Syngenta is invest-ing heavily in potato researchwith the knowledge that China islooking at potatoes for their capa-bility to produce twice more calo-ries per litre of water than rice.Syngenta’s chemistry is alreadyavailable for liquid seed piecetreatment, fungicides for lateblight and in-furrow applications.But the next hurdle is to developzero-tolerance to psyllids, theinsect vector of zebra chip diseasein potatoes.

David Elser, head, Syngentaspecialty crops, noted the move-ment of zebra chip disease in

potatoes from Mexico to thenorthwestern U.S. “We mustthink like a grower to addressthese challenges,” he says, “whilebalancing sustainable solutions onthe farm with the supply andquality needs of processors.”

Here’s the proof. On August14, Syngenta announced theirsupply of cucurbit seeds with on-seed fungicide applications thatwill protect against diseases suchas Pythium, Fusarium andRhizoctonia.

All of Syngenta’s squash,melon and open field cucumberseed sold in North America isnow treated with proprietary seedprotection called FarMoreTechnology. One of the benefitsis to reduce the chance of virusesbeing transmitted by certain pests.Another is to protect the yieldpotential of small-seeded veg-etable crops.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

THE GROWER


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We are now integrating biologicalsolutions with chemical solutions.Innovation happensat the intersection ofthese disciplines.”

~ David MorganSyngenta Seeds

“

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

Syngenta’s cucumber seedvarieties, Diomede and Constable,are treated with three different butcomplementary fungicides --mefenoxam, fludioxonil andazoxystrobin.

An insecticide for pest control,under the trade name Cruiser, isanticipated to be registered inCanada for package inclusion in2013, according to Mark Jirak,portfolio manager for melons,squash and cucumbers. “Theseare broad-spectrum treatmentswith multiple modes of action andas such, provide good resistantmanagement,” Jirak says.

“The FarMore package is cer-tainly a welcome addition to themarket,” says OMAFRA’s veg-etable specialist Elaine Roddy.“The fungicide components werealready registered here, individu-ally under the trade namesMaxim, Apron and Dynasty.When combined, they have muchbroader spectrum of early-seasonroot rot and dieback control.”

This announcement is the tipof the iceberg in terms ofSyngenta’s push to improve veg-etables at all segments of thevalue chain. “Whether it’s yield,shelf life or visual attractivenessto the end consumer, we’re work-ing on all of these traits,” saysScott Langkamp, head ofSyngenta’s vegetable division.

“Think of value, not acres,”says Langkamp. “Growers arewilling to pay for innovation,”citing top-end potential of $1 mil-lion in produce per hectare.

Some of the research currentlyin the pipeline includes: • clubroot resistance in cauli-flower• fungal and insect control in ger-minated watermelon seedlingsthat translates into less transplantshock • stacked traits of insect and dis-ease resistance in sweet corn• extended shelf life in Brusselssprouts• evergreen peppers for extendedlife on vines • stress tolerance in tomatoes

“There are so many opportuni-ties in vegetables,” saysLangkamp, “we have to decidewhich ones to pursue.”

Some of the complexity ofSyngenta’s research is best under-stood through the example oftomatoes. Breeding teams areworking on improving flavour,which requires increasing brixwithout sacrificing yields. Theirsensory analysts say that 25 percent of flavour is taste, 25 percent is texture and 50 per cent isin the aroma profile. With thisnumber of traits, it’s not easy toidentify the right genes whilekeeping other commercial traitsintact.

“One of the findings is that thesame sugar content may be mea-sured by weight, but the sampletastes sweeter due to aroma,” says

Langkamp. Don’t expect to wait too long

for Syngenta to crack the case.They already have a winner in thesweet and seedless mini-pepper.

Their Angello snacking pepperwon an innovation award earlierthis year at the 2012 FruitLogistica in Berlin.

THE GROWER

FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY


Disease- and insect-protection in a seed

Angello seedless mini pepper Scott Langkamp and Teresa Mitzel.

THE GROWER


FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

Droughty summer tests high-tech irrigation of potatoes This summer’s drought condi-

tions have tested Ontario’s potatofarmers, of which more than halfirrigate.

From April through July, near-ly all of southern Ontario was atleast 20 per cent below normalrain amounts, says Rory Sweetingof Chatham-based WeatherInnovations Incorporated (WIN).“It’s not just that the overall totalsare dreadful,” Sweeting says, “butthat the times between rains havebeen very long, and most wereshort, heavy downpours that werevery geographically isolated.Having gone weeks without rain,working as hard as they can todraw every last bit of moisturefrom the soil, some crops are onthe verge of giving up.”

How much water is enough?To assist growers in becomingmore efficient, economical andsustainable in their water usage,Weather Innovations Network(WIN) and the Ontario PotatoBoard (OPB) have launched aresearch project to evaluate theinnovative integration of remoteenvironmental sensing, mathe-matical modelling, crop produc-tion science and interactive onlinetechnologies through a new web-site, www.ONpotatoes.ca. Thesite provides near-real-time deci-sion support tools that can tellfarmers when they need to turnthe taps on.

“In the past, timing irrigationevents perfectly to get the maxi-mum effect, using the leastamount of water, was very chal-lenging, says Sweeting. “Today,however, new technologies areavailable to take the guessworkout of decision-making.”

Using automated monitoringequipment installed at a test farmin Simcoe County, WIN is keep-ing a constant eye on both weath-er conditions (rainfall, tempera-ture, wind) and the soil moistureat five depths in the potato field.Wireless cellular units transmitthe recorded data back to WIN’scomputers, where it’s analyzedand transformed into user-friendlyonline advisories in the form ofeasy-to-read maps and graphs.

“We like to say we make thedata dance,” Sweeting explains.“By turning the numbers into pic-tures, we can very quickly showgrowers how much rain has fall-en, the amount of moisture theplants are using, how much isevaporating due to the weather

and how much is left in the soilon a site-specific basis.”

Having all these pieces ofinformation available quicklyallows farmers to take proactiveirrigation measures rather thanreactive ones. By quickly consult-ing the website, the grower canimmediately decide if a pivot in aparticular field needs to be acti-vated, as well as how long to run

the water. The tools atwww.ONpotatoes.ca also offerother useful information. Thefive-level soil moisture readings,for instance, are reported on astacked graph that mirrors thesensor depths in the field. Thefluctuations in the graph’s linesshow where the water is and atwhat depth the plants are workingto use it.

“The grower can see how farinto the soil an irrigation or rain-fall event penetrates, and if it’smade a useful difference in theavailable moisture,” Sweetingsays.

Eugenia Banks, a potato spe-cialist with the Ontario Ministryof Agriculture, Food and RuralAffairs (OMAFRA), has beentalking to growers about the newwebsite.

“Growers can find very usefulinformation such as evapotranspi-ration values for different produc-tion areas of the province,” Bankssays. “Scheduling irrigation is a

best management practice thatshould enhance the sustainablecrop production practices fol-lowed by provincial growers.”

“The goal of this particularproject is to maximize the use ofwater in irrigation,” says OntarioPotato Board general managerDon Brubacher. “We want tomake producers aware of theresults of this project throughgrower meetings and other venuesand encourage growers to adoptthis technology.”

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A field-level rain gauge (measuring both precipitation and irrigationevents) and a 5-level soil moisture probe send their observations innear-real-time through the solar-powered transmitter.

The WIN weather station provides near-real-time readings of rainfall,temperature, wind speed and direction, leaf wetness and other para-meters, which drive site-specific calculations such as evapotranspira-tion. When analyzed together, all this information assists in makingmore efficient irrigation decisions.

THE GROWERSEPTEMBER 2012 –– PAGE 17

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CARLY DECKER, OMAFRA

Many farmers have neverchanged or tested their sprayerpressure gauge(s). This makesassessing sprayer performanceand output difficult. Sprayer per-formance has a direct impact oncoverage, efficacy and may affectsubsequent yield.

The direct impact of a faultygauge is that you may be sprayingmore or less product than youintended. More product meanswasted money and less productmay mean compromised spraycoverage.

A few clear indications thatyour pressure gauge is near retire-ment:• Opaque or unreadable face,• Mineral oil leaking,• Needle does not rest on zero pinwhen sprayer is not under pres-sure,• Needle bounces during opera-tion (this may also indicate thesurge suppression chamber on thesprayer is low on air).

Sometimes a gauge is notobviously in need of replacement.Suspecting an issue, some grow-ers will simply go out and buy anew gauge. However, even brandnew gauges can be inaccurateright off the shelf. In order to testany gauge you need to apply aknown pressure to see if it isreading accurately.

One method is to put twogauges in series on the samesprayer to see if they are in agree-ment. This is not always possibledepending on your make ofsprayer.

At a recent sprayer workshop,one grower had a great suggestionfor testing gauges. His pressuregauge tester concept is designed

to hook up to your farm air com-pressor (see Figure 1). It allowsyou to test your suspect gaugeagainst a known working gauge.How do you know if your knowngauge is accurate? Buy a few, testthem against each other using thistester, keep one that you know tobe accurate and return the rest.

The following is a list of partsthat you will need to build thepressure gauge tester. Parts list (see Figure 2):

Tools required (see Figure 3):• ¼” crescent wrench• wire snip pliers• locking pliers• plumber’s adjustable wrench

Here are some tips for assembly:• Ensure that the tee and elbowline up properly so that the

gauges are at the same angle, fac-ing the same way.• Ensure there is enough roombetween the two gauges so theyclear each other when you threadthem into the tester.• Use a crescent wrench to tightenthe gauges – DON’T twist thegauge itself by hand. This is a

great way to break them.• Don’t over-tighten thegauges.

To use the tester, threadthe questionable gauge intothe elbow, and leave theknown gauge in the tee.Close the valve and connectthe unit to the compressor

line. Bring the compressor up to½ the scale on the gauge. Forexample, a 200 psi gauge shouldcome under 100 psi pressure fortesting. If your compressor cannotget that high, set it as high as itcan safely go.

Slowly open the valve and seeif the gauges are in agreement. Ifthe suspect gauge is ten per centmore or less than the knowngauge, get rid of it. A new gaugecosts about $20.00 and is wellworth the investment.

Special thanks to Mr. KipVoege, retired owner of Voege

vineyards, for the great idea.Further thanks to Mr. PaulSplinter, University of Guelph,Simcoe Campus, for technicalassistance.

For more information [email protected]

Gauge your coverageHow to assemble your own pressure gauge tester

FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGYTHE GROWER


BEDDINGPRO

SPRING OR FALL THE BEDDINGPRO DOES IT ALLbetween the rows in the spring or on top of the rows in the winter

The only round bail shredder that offers controlled and consistant spreading and requires only a 40 hp tractor.

The best solution for all spreading requirments.

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See you at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Woodmaster’s booth #424 Lane 4.We will also be at: The Plowing Match in Waterloo Region, ON

Figure 1: The Pressure GaugeTester

Part Price Source2 x ¼” by 3” Galvanized nipples $2.69 ea TSC

¼” Galvanized 90º elbow $3.19 TSC

¼” Galvanized Tee $3.19 TSC

¼” Ball valve (threaded) $8.19 TSC

*Plug Air Connector (A over ¼”) $2.99 TSC

Teflon pipe tape $0.89 TSC

†300 psi liquid-filled gauge $17.80 Hal-nor Tractor Supplies

*Depending on the air connector on your compressor†Test gauge range should match your existing gauge. Sprayer gaugesshould be twice as much as your typical operating pressure.

Figure 2: Parts Required for theTester

Figure 3: Tools Used toAssemble the Tester

THE GROWER


BayerCropScience.ca/Alion or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.Always read and follow label directions. Alion™ is a trademark of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

Yes, you read that right. Alion™, the new Group 29pre-emergent herbicide is anything but exciting towatch. Why? Because you’ll never actually see itdo anything – and that’s the point. Spray it in yourorchard for season-long control of annual grassyand broadleaf weeds. Not to mention glyphosate,triazine and ALS-resistant weeds, too. It’s literallyas exciting as dirt. Until you see the results.

Learn more at BayerCropScience.ca/Alion

Introducing aproduct that’sas exciting as dirt.

THE GROWER


KAREN DAVIDSON

Stretchable tape seems so simple, thatyou hit your head and say, “Why didn’t Ithink of that?” The Driscoll berry folks inCalifornia have been using 3M stretchabletape for several years now and attest tohow it reduces stack resonance on trucks intransit. The issue is that as trucks stop andstart, the stack moves in time with thetruck’s vibration. The motion at the top isgreater than the bottom, so strawberries,for example, move more and becomebruised. The upper layers are most at risk.

As a 3M news release explains, freshlypicked berries are packed gently into plastic clamshell containers. Eightclamshells are then placed into a corrugat-ed tray. The trays are stacked up to six feethigh on a 40-inch by 48-inch pallet with aslip sheet between every five or six layers.The pallet is then lifted onto the rotatingplatform of the wrapping equipment.

The tape is manually fed from the dispensing head and pressed to a tray in thelower corner of the load. In the un-stretched state, the stretchable tapesticks on contact with just enough strengthto hold itself in place. When stretched during application, the tape loses adhesivetack and will not stick to the corrugated material. As the pallet rotates, tape is

automatically stretched and wrappedaround the load from bottom to top inmultiple X patterns.

In the Driscoll example, the load ischilled after taping, and a clear pallet bagis applied that holds the load to the pallet.Oxygen can then be removed to slow fruitrespiration and decay, keeping the berriesfresh longer. The advantage is that the tapeallows the cold, modified atmosphere tocirculate freely around the berries.

Here’s the Canadian connection. BestPackaging Systems, a Milton, Ontario,company has developed the semi-automaticstretch tape machine that can contain abreathable load.

“The tape stretches 600 per cent,”explains Al Irwin. “The adhesive detactifies which will prevent delaminationof colour graphics and barcodes. Thestretch tape has the load containmentstrength equal to an 80-gauge stretch wrap.The load contained by stretch tape is 100per cent breathable and offers a 95 per centsource reduction compared to stretchwrap.”

This particular system (machine andtape) just won the “gold” award from thePackaging Association of Canada for itsunique properties and sustainability. Formore information, go to www.bestpackag-ingsystems.com and look for theEquipment/Sustainability section.

Stretch tape contains pallet, reduces bruising of berries FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

The tape stretches 600 per cent. The adhesive detactifies which will prevent delamination of colourgraphics and barcodes.”

~ Al Irwin.

“

THE GROWER


New Energy Farms (NEF),Leamington, Ontario has devel-oped a new method of propagat-ing energy grasses, reducingestablishment costs by 50 per centor more. Cost effective scaling ofperennial energy grasses such asMiscanthus, Arundo donax andenergy cane has previously inhib-ited expansion.

The Crop ExpansionEncapsulation and DrillingSystem (CEEDS) consists ofsmall capsules that are establishedusing automatic minimum-till orno-till planters, like seed.Applicable for a number of ener-gy grasses, the system is currentlyunder trial by companies in theU.S. and Canada. The existingrange of NEF energy crops willbe available in the CEEDS formatcommencing from 2013 to 2014depending on the cultivar andregion.CEEDS represents a step forward

in energy crop establishment saysDean Tiessen, president, NewEnergy Farms. He lists the fol-lowing advantages:

• New cultivars can be bulked upto market volumes three timesfaster. • Establishment costs for cropssuch as Miscanthus can bereduced by more than 50 per cent. • Min / no till, fully automaticprecision planting means noplanting staff are required.• Substantially lower cost ofplanting, less ground cultivation.• Reduces by up to 80 per centthe transport logistics for plantingmaterial.• Greater vigour after plantingmeans more shoots produced.• This system delivers the maxi-mum yield from a cultivar.• Makes planting energy grassesas simple as drilling conventionalarable crops.

For further details on this pro-ject or the products producedplease contact either our NorthAmerica Office on 519 326 7293,EU office on 44 1672 513425 oremail us [email protected].

New system reduces costs to establish perennial energy grasses FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

Now, it’s even easier to find everything there is to know about this year’s Canadian Greenhouse Conference.Just visit the NEW www.CanadianGreenhouseConference.com

With guests like our Keynote Speaker Anna Ball, from Ball Horticulture, Ann Max - our Stress Management Guru, and fabulous entertainment from The Second City, this year’s CGC will refresh and re-energize you, your thinking and your business.

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On the left, miscanthus planted in Tifton, Georgia in the spring of2012 is emerging much more quickly under the Crop ExpansionEncapsulation and Drilling System (CEEDS) than miscanthus rhizomes planted on the right.

Images show from left to right, CEEDS, plug plant and rhizome after60 days (Miscanthus). Yellow boxes highlight original propagule size.

About 500 wind machines arecurrently in use in Ontario, saysHugh Fraser, OMAFRA’s agri-cultural engineer in Vineland.But 95 per cent of those are usedin grapes. While a five-yearstudy has grounded grape grow-ers in their proper use, windmachines became the stars thislast spring with a historic frostevent in apples. (Results of studyand how wind machines work:http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/10-045.pdf)

“There are some differencesbetween apples and grapes,” saysLeslie Huffman, OMAFRA’sapple specialist. “Apples aremost at risk in the spring, where-as grapes may need help throughthe winter, spring and sometimesin the fall. Also, the grape fruit-ing zone tends to be concentratedin one area of the plant whereasthe apple crop is spread through-out the tree, and orchard trees aregenerally taller than grapes.Success with this technologytotally depends on whether warmair is stratified above cold air.”

Fraser explains that windmachines pull warm air downduring temperature inversions,conditions that are prevalent ondark, clear nights with no wind.The idea is to pull warm air fromabout 20 metres above groundand mix it with the colder air atground level. Growers mustmonitor temperatures carefullyand understand what’s happeningto put wind machines in motionat economic thresholds.

For apples in bloom, the criti-cal point is minus two degreesCelsius. If the air temperaturewas approaching minus twodegrees Celsius, and warmer airat three degrees Celsius wasdrawn downwards from abovethe orchard, then it’s reasonableto expect the air temperature torise about two Celsius degrees to0 degrees Celsius. This is 40 per

cent of the difference betweenminus two and plus three Celsius,a difference of five degrees.

Tractor-operated cold airdrains operate on the principle ofpulling cold air from lower areasof a field, then blowing itupwards to mix with warmer air.Some growers have had successwith these too.

Apple growers are investing inmany new technologies such astrellises, intensive plantings,trickle irrigation, hail netting andplatforms. The degree of riskmanagement will vary.“These are very complicated

decisions based on each grower’scircumstances,” concludesHuffman.

THE GROWER


KAREN DAVIDSON

A war against Mother Naturenever looks pretty. Just ask KirkKemp at Algoma Orchards as histeam fought to save 250 acres ofapples from frost on April 27through 29. The dramatic rescuewas accomplished by installingwind machines, burning strawbales and hiring helicopters tokeep the smoke smudge close tothe ground. None of those astutemoves would have paid off with-out an early assessment and pre-emptive action last February.

With an unusually easy winterin southern Ontario, Kemp wasuneasy about the prospects forbud damage from an early springfrost. He was keenly watchingEnvironment Canada two-week

forecasts as early as February. ByMarch, he committed to buyingseven wind machines at $35,000each to be installed by April 1.

“It was a gamble,” says Kemp,“because installation requires aconcrete pad, burying copper tub-ing and so on. It takes some realorchestration to get it done.” Hehedged his gamble by insistingthat payment would be guaran-teed only if the machines couldbe installed by April 1.Otherwise, they might be of nouse.

Those seven wind machines incombination with other tacticsensured coverage for 250 acresand though it seems small, abouta rise of two to three degreesCelsius in air temperatures withinthe tree canopy. As it turned out,

that’s exactly what they neededwhen they activated the machinesduring the last weekend of April.

In combination with the windmachines, they stationed roundstraw bales in a north-south pat-tern with the prevailing winds andlit them on fire all night. For safe-ty reasons, night watchmen werestationed with each bale. Watertanks were also staged strategical-ly in case of sparks going astray.

The plan was capped with thehiring of three helicopters whichbuzzed the crop seven times overthat crucial weekend.Thermometer readings were fre-quently taken and texted byBlackberry to the helicopter crewin the sky. When the crisis was infull flight, the area looked like awar zone. But the troops are stillstanding to tell the story to theirloyal customers.

“We’ve got an amazing crop,”concludes Kemp. “It goes toshow that the advice I give to my

kids has worked for me. Behappy, believe in yourself, doyour best . . . and never quit.”

Wind machines earn new respect in protecting apple crops FOCUS: NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

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Match the science to specific farms

Tractor-operated cold air drains operate on the principle of pullingcold air from lower areas of a field, then blowing it upwards to mixwith warmer air.

THE GROWER


Grapes worth celebratingPURE PROTECTION LEADS TO PURE PERFECTION

PureSpray™ GREEN Spray Oil 13E. Protection at its purest –

CAS# 8042-47-5

Introducing PureSpray GREEN Spray Oil 13E, from the largest

producer of white oils. It’s proof that not all spray oils are created

equal. It is an innovative isoparaffin oil that offers the highest

purity levels on the market with CAS# 8042-47-5. This means it’s

formulated with 99.9% pure isoparaffin base oils and is guaranteed

to be free of aromatics, which harm the food chain. And since

it’s suitable for organic production, both organic and traditional

growers can benefit from its many strengths.

PureSpray GREEN Spray Oil 13E effectively protects your high value

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extended protection within your IPM program. All without any

resistance, phytotoxicity or burning issues, when used as directed.

So use it early to avoid the need for traditional toxic chemicals later.

As many pesticides are being delisted, your choices are limited and

becoming more so every day. So when you have a choice to make,

be sure to choose the purest – PureSpray GREEN Spray Oil 13E.

It’s an effective choice with unlimited possibilities. For more produc

information visit www.purespraygreen.com/grapes.

TMTrademark of Suncor Energy Inc. Used under licence.

TM k ofrademarTTr

y Inc.f Suncor Energ Used under lic

cence.

MICHAEL CELETTI, PLANTPATHOLOGIST PROGRAMLEAD (HORTICULTURECROPS)/OMAFRA

Author’s note: Many of the prob-lems in strawberry fields this yearwere associated with high nema-tode numbers in fields. Late sum-mer and early fall is a good timeto sample fields for nematodes.You can sample existing fields tolearn if nematode populations arepart of an existing problem, but itis even more important to samplebefore new plantings are estab-lished next spring.

Nematodes are microscopiceel-like worms that live in soiland water. Most soil-dwellingnematodes are beneficial organ-

isms that play a role in the break-down and release of nutrientsfrom organic matter.

Several species of nematodeslive and feed on plant roots.These plant parasitic nematodespossess a hollow stylet, which isforced into plant cells. Enzymesare injected to decompose the cellcontent. The nematode withdrawsthe partially digested cell contentsthrough the stylet.

Root lesion nematode is themost common nematode pest onstrawberry and raspberry. Duringthe growing season, root-lesionnematodes live and feed insideplant roots. When the plants androots die in the autumn, theymove out of the root into the soil.

On raspberries, dagger nematode is another importantnematode pest, because it is a

virus vector.

Signs of nematode injury: Inraspberries, nematode feedingcauses plants to decline over time.Canes get shorter and weaker.Plants are poorly rooted and canbe easily pulled from the soil.Primocane growth becomessparse.

Nematode-infested strawberryfields show uneven growth acrossthe field. Plants are stunted orweak in patches, next to apparent-ly healthy vigorous plants. Somevarieties are more susceptiblethan others to nematode damage.New plantings decline morequickly than normal.

Roots of infected plants mayshow brown flecking, largerbrown lesions, or black root rot.(Figure 1) Nematode feeding can

cause young white roots to bestubby and swollen, or excessive-ly branched.

Nematodes are often associat-ed with soil-borne diseases, suchas verticillium, or black root rot.Damage caused by root lesionnematodes provides infectionsites for disease-causing fungi.

Sampling for nematodes Nematode populations can beestimated by sampling soil, andplant roots. The samples can beprocessed at the Pest DiagnosticClinic in Guelph. For submissionforms and a fee schedule, visittheir website.

Late summer and fall are goodtimes to sample soil for nema-todes. Populations are generallyhighest in May-June andSeptember-October. However,nematode samples can be collect-ed any time as long as the soil isnot frozen. Collect samples intime to arrange fall fumigation ifnecessary.

Soil should be sampledapproximately 20 cm (eight inch-es) deep using a one-inch-soildiameter soil core probe, or nar-row-bladed shovel. Discard thetop few cm (one to two inches) ofsoil. Include the feeder roots ofthe crop in the soil sample, sincethis is where many nematodeslive. Do not sample the roots ofdead plants since the nematodeswill have already died or movedaway from dead roots into thesoil.

Mix soil cores thoroughly butgently in a bucket. Place a sub-sample (1/2- 1 litre) in a plasticbag. Keep cool and out of directsunlight during transportation tothe diagnostic lab.

To diagnose a problem duringthe growing season, take eight toten soil cores from areas whereplants are unhealthy, or along themargin of a severely affectedarea. Another eight to ten soilcores from areas of healthy grow-ing plants should be sampled sep-arately for comparison.

To estimate nematode popula-tions in a field, soil cores shouldbe taken within the row of active-ly growing plants to obtain sam-ples that contain feeder roots.Walk in a Z, W or M patternacross the field. The soil sampleshould represent no more than 2.5

ha. The chart above is a guide of

how many cores are needed for arepresentative sample. Take sepa-rate samples from different soiltypes.

Interpreting sample resultsEconomic thresholds for nema-todes are based on pre-plant soilpopulations that can build up todamaging levels during the grow-ing season. Strawberry: Control nematodesif populations exceed the econom-ic threshold of 500 nematodes perkg/soil.Raspberry: The threshold forroot lesion nematode is 1000nematodes per kg of soil. Thethreshold for dagger nematode is100 nematodes per kg of soil. Nematode control: A nematodecontrol strategy could include • crop rotation with non-hostsfor several years• planting a root lesion nema-tode suppressive cover crop suchas Canadian forage pearl milletand oilseed radish varieties• cultivation• fumigating soil with a nemati-cide. When planting a nematode sup-pressing cover crop be sure toobtain a variety that suppressnematodes since some varietiescan actually increase or maintainroot lesion nematode populations. Root lesion nematode suppressingcover crops do not eliminatenematodes completely but canreduce population levels whencropped for two or more years. Fumigation with a nematicide isusually performed in mid fall orearly spring. Fields should be cul-tivated several weeks beforefumigation to allow organic mat-ter to decompose that would oth-erwise tie up the chemical fumi-gant. The fall is a good time tofumigate provided the soil tem-perature is warmer than 4oC at adepth of 15 cm and the moisturecontent at a level that would per-mit seed germination. Dry soilwill not seal in the fumigant andshould be irrigated prior to fumi-gation. For information on cover cropssee OMAFRA publication 811,Agronomy Guide, or the CoverCrops Index page on theOMAFRA website.

THE GROWER


Diagnosing nematode problems inberry crops

Area Number of soil cores/sample

< 500m2 8 - 10

500 m2 - 0.5 ha 25 - 35

0.5 ha - 2.5 ha 50 - 60

Figure 1: Strawberry roots showing flecking and brown lesionscaused by root lesion nematode

MARGARET APPLEBY, IPMSPECIALIST, OMAFRA, BRIGHTON

Biofumigation is defined as suppressionof soil-borne pests and pathogens by theuse of plants that contain inhibitory chemi-cals. The plants can be harvested as rota-tion crops or ploughed back into the soil asgreen manure. The fumigate properties ofthese crops have been known for a longtime. Recently, researchers have had acloser look due to the phase-out of themethyl bromide and other fumigants underthe international Montreal Protocol.Advances in biopesticides with fumigantproperties and application technology makethis an economical possibility for commer-cial agriculture.

Plants in the mustard family, such asmustards, oil seed radish and rapeseed andSorghum species such as sudangrass andrelated species, Pearl Millett have shownthe potential to serve as biofumigants.

How do they work? Plants from the mustard family produce

chemicals called glucosinates in the planttissue. The glucosinates contained in theroots and foliage are released when it is cutor chopped, then are further broken downby the enzyme myrosinase to form isothiocyanates that behave like fumigants.These are the same chemicals that arereleased from metam-sodium( Vapam)commonly used as a chemical fumigant.Sorghums produce a cyanogenic glucosidecompound called Dhurrin that breaks down

to release toxic cyanide when the plant tissue is damaged.

Mustard, oil seed radish crops andsorghums have been shown in Ontario tohave good activity against soil borne nematodes that damage horticultural crops.Work to assess the effect these crops haveon disease complexes associated withtomato vine decline and apple replant disease is ongoing.

When using biofumigation, a plan is keyto get the best return on your investment.You need to implement the 3 R plan: theright seed, right time and the right way.

The Right SeedSome mustards and sorghums are better

than others for their biofumigant activity.Work is being done globally to screenspecies/varieties for their biofumigantpotential.

In Ontario has found that the followingwork best: • Mustards- Cutlass Mustard• Sudans/Sorghums - Sordan 79, Trudan 8• Pearl Millet – CFPM 101• Marigold – Crackerjack, Creole• Oilseed radish – Adagio, Colonel

The Right TimeFor mustards it is possible to have two

crops per season. You can plant in lateApril to early May and then again in mid-late August using in a firm seedbed using aseed drill and pack after planting. For Pearlmillet it is critical to get a good stand withno weeds.

The Right WaySince most mustard and oilseed radish

varieties are alternate hosts for some nema-todes, the key to using them is mowing torelease the fumigant-like compounds. Beprepared to mow before the plants go toseed. Chopping and mangling is reallywhat is needed to release the fumigant-likechemicals held within the plant tissues.Good chopping is critical for incorporation.

Incorporate the chopped plant mater-ial as soon as possible after mowing, i.e.within an hour or two at most. Two tractorsin the field work best.

After cover crop chopping and incorpo-ration, the soil may need rolling or a lightpacking to seal the surface and help to holdthe biofumigation action. If soil conditionsare dry, you may need to irrigate to seal in

the fumigant. Basically, if you can smellrotting cabbage, you are losing some of theeffective materials.

For pearl millet be prepared to mow 2 to3 times. Mow millet when it reaches 1 to1.5 metres, leaving at least 15 cm of milletstubble to ensure regrowth. Mowing willhelp to encourage deeper rooting and willalso keep the millet actively growing. Pearlmillet will grow to over 2 metres ifallowed. The residue can become quiteresistant to breakdown if allowed to growto that height. Frost in the fall will kill themillet if you have not already worked thecover crop under.

Don’t forget to soil sample for nematodes and soil pathogens beforeusing biofumigation and repeat severalweeks after incorporation–you need tomeasure to manage!

THE GROWER

BERRY FOCUS


Biofumigation

Ontario Berry Growers Association Twilight Meeting Wednesday September 12, 2012 , Simcoe, Ontario, 3 pm – 8 pm.

This annual event is open to both members and non members and is a nice wrap up tothe berry season. The program includes a tour of the new facilities Vanden BusscheIrrigation, followed by a tour of Kent Kreek Berries, from hosts Paula and Jeff Zelem.OMAFRA specialists will be on hand to provide information on monitoring and controlof spotted wing drosophila on berry crops. 3:00 - 3:45 Meet at Head Office at 2515 Pinegrove Road (at Hwy 3), Delhi, ONN4B 2E5

3:45 Travel to Kent Kreek Berries 3173 Hwy #3 West, Simcoe, N3Y 4J9Tour of Kent Kreek Berries 6:30 Cross the road for Supper at the Vanden Bussche Farm

Please pre-register for this event by contacting the Ontario Berry Growers Association613-475-4850 at [email protected]

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With locally grown ethno-cultural vegetables,customized marketing campaigns work bestT H E I N N O V A T I O N R E P O R T

New research from Vineland Research and

Innovation Centre, conducted in partnership

with the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’

Association, Sundine Produce and Golden

Groceries Ltd. shows that to take full advantage of

Ontario’s shifting demographic – and consumers’

surging interest in world crops – marketers

would be wise to play up the distinct sensory

preferences for various ethnic populations,

rather than assume that one common marketing

campaign fits all.

There’s no doubt about world crops’

economic potential. According to recent surveys

conducted by Vineland’s Consumer Insights and

Product Innovation group (under Dr. Isabelle

Lesschaeve’s direction), between 14 and

25 million pounds of okra are sold in-season

across Canada, worth an estimated $50 million.

Of that, roughly 46 per cent comes from Ontario

consumers, representing just over 21 million

dollars. Dr. Lesschaeve also estimates that okra

consumption in New York and Pennsylvania –

key markets that are serviced by Niagara growers

– averages roughly 20 million pounds in-season,

with a value of upwards of $42 million.

Yard long beans and Asian long purple

eggplant hold similar promise. The value of the

yard long bean market is roughly $59 million,

based on approximately 24 million pounds, with

Ontario consumers accounting for more than

65 per cent of total Canadian consumption.

Forty-four per cent of all Asian long purple

eggplant is sold to Ontario consumers,

representing a total value of just over $33 million

(21.4 million pounds at $1.55 per pound).

Dr. Lesschaeve’s research also shows that

consumers in New York and Pennsylvania eat

more Asian long purple eggplant than in Canada

as a whole.

What the numbers don’t show, however,

and what marketers should bear in mind,

is that what appeals to Canadians of African-

Caribbean descent, for example, may not appeal

to Canadians of South Asian descent, and that

taste, firmness and perceptions of freshness all

factor differently into different ethnic consumers’

decision-making.

“Different cultural groups base their

purchase decisions on different external cues,”

said Dr. Lesschaeve. “Appearance is important,

however firmness matters most for consumers of

African-Caribbean descent, and freshness is top

of mind for consumers of Chinese descent. There

is great fragmentation amongst consumers based

on their heritage, and it’s important to keep this

in mind when developing marketing strategies.”

Dr. Lesschaeve’s research also discovered

something that many locavores might consider

unusual. A ‘made in Ontario’ label does not

necessarily guarantee that ethnic consumers

will purchase locally-grown products. In fact,

making purchase decisions based on the region

or country of production is not as important for

ethnic consumers, and if it does factor in, the

study indicated a bias for produce from

their ‘home country’. Understanding these

types of biases and developing responsive

marketing strategies are important points for

growers to know.

For a summary of the report – Consumer Preferences and Market Demand for Ethno-Cultural Vegetables in Canada and Export Markets – go to

www.vinelandresearch.com

World Crops Facts and Figures

Canadians of South Asian descent

consume the largest quantity of okra

per household.

Approximately 25 per cent of Canadians

of African-Caribbean, Chinese and

South Asian descent from non-metro

Toronto are dissatisfied with yard long

bean quality, compared to about 15 per

cent of metro Toronto consumers.

Canadians of South Asian descent,

account for the largest quantity per

household in season of Asian long

purple eggplant (7.5 pounds), followed

by Canadians of Chinese descent

(5.1 pounds). In metro Toronto,

consumption per household is also

higher than in non-metro areas.

Vineland Research and Innovation Centre is funded in part by Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

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THE GROWER


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THE GROWER



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THE GROWER



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THE GROWER


It seems to me that we keeplosing the chosen ones from ourindustry. Yesterday I learned thatGary Ireland had passed away, asa result of Alzheimer’s withwhich he struggled with thesepast 6 years.

Gary was someone I wasproud to call a friend. But he wasso much more than that. I firstmet Gary back in 1972, not longafter he had begun the transitionof farm management from hisfather. I still have an orchard mapfrom those days where we tooksoil samples leading to pH adjust-ments that he was certain wereneeded- even before the sampleresults proved the point. Gary wasalways willing to try somethingnew. Whether it was equipment,soil treatments, fertility regimes,and especially Pest Management,Gary was volunteering to do it.Sometimes it cost him such as thetime when a certain micro-nutri-ent burned up one variety ofapples on the farm. He never gotfair compensation, something Iattribute to this day to a couple ofpeople more interested in cover-ing themselves and their compa-ny. Gary was never satisfied, buthe let it go-that was his way.

He was involved in manythings in the local, provincial andnational levels. As a pastPresident of our Rotary Club, hegave selflessly of his time and hishome as well. We had many clubactivities right there on the farm.He was awarded the Paul HarrisFellowship, the highest award inRotary International, for all hisefforts. One of the great Rotaryevents that he took part in was theCanada to Scotland RotaryCurling Exchange. He was on the1994 team, and the Scots still talkabout him! It was always to ourbenefit to have him play for ourclub when the Scots came backevery 4 years to play in Canada.Gary is one of the reasons thatSimcoe is the only Canadian sitewhere Scotland has never won thelocal match.

Gary had an abiding interest inhis Church- St. James United. Hewas instrumental in getting ser-vices for off-shore workers at thechurch, and that expanded greatlyto outreach in our community. Hewas recognized for his localefforts and his church volun-teerism.

Gary took time from his ownbusiness for the benefit of othergrowers. He was a life-long mem-ber of the Norfolk Fruit Growers.He was also a director andChairman of the former OntarioApple Commission. He was amember and past chair of theApple Committee at the CanadianHorticultural Council. He wasalso very active at the nationallevel on the safety nets portfolio,at the time when ‘Free Trade’was being touted. He wasappointed as Chair of the OntarioFood Terminal Board when it washaving some serious problems.He was able to balance the inter-

ests of growers, wholesalers andthe public at large- never an easytask! Gary was the President ofThe Ontario Fruit and VegetableGrowers’ Association in 1990-91.He was responsible that year forthe decision to move the officesto Guelph- a forward thinkingmove eventually followed bymany other agricultural groups.Gary was always supportive ofefforts to expand the use andavailability of safe and effectivepesticides. He was asked andattended international meetings inEurope along with PMRA staff topresent the Canadian Growers’perspective. He always said howimportant those meetings were to

him, and they were also importantfor all fellow growers.

Gary was awarded the GoldenApple Award of which he wasvery proud. It is an election madeby past winners, and recognitionof a grower’s ability and industrycontribution.

Gary also had amazing skillsas a sportsman. Not only did hecurl (Member of many club

championship teams) and at hun-dreds of bonspiels around thecountry, but he became very wellknown in many small towns as aresult. He was a consummateraconteur, and his way of deliver-ing some stories is without paral-lel!

Gary was a member in theearly years of our curling ‘team’that has attended a bonspiel inQuebec City for many years. Inaddition to his great play on theice, his ability to meet many peo-ple and have a fun time off the iceheld no bounds! Even years afterhis last trip with the team, manycurlers asked about him. Again,this was a sign of the respect thatGary attained no matter where hewent, or what talent was beingutilized at the time.

Gary loved to golf as well. Weenjoyed many games across thecountry, as after meetings wereover he found relaxation on thecourse. Gary was always competi-tive, and I still recall one timewhile golfing in Kelowna, whenI ‘lucked out’ with a terrible tee-shot that skipped in water, hitsome rocks, and still beat hisclosest to the pin. Gary liked towin, and I still remember hiscomments that day!

We played one time down inNova Scotia, where we set offfrom the hotel knowing it wasraining, hard, and had done so fora week straight. Gary the optimistsaid it would end. They let us onthe course, even though it was sowet we couldn’t really putt with-out a rooster tail. The rainstopped by the third hole, and wasdry enough by the ninth hole thatwe ended up having had a goodround. He just took it all in stride-he ‘knew’ it would get better, andit did!

Gary was always a family mantoo. He often talked about theaccomplishments of his daughterand his grandson was ‘the appleof his eye’. In our travels togeth-er, I learned a lot about them, andabout how proud he was of them.

Those who were fortunateenough to travel with Gary willremember his amazing capacityfor food. As one grower stated-Gary liked his groceries! He likedthings hot! After Rotary Bingonights, he would tuck into chick-en wings that were just this sideof molten! That little smile wasalways there while he ate them,too. At Rotary luncheons, it wascommon for three or four extradesserts to just end up within hisreach. There were never any left-overs if Gary came to dine!

Gary couldn’t win his battlewith Alzheimer’s. It was painfullyevident to see the decline, and thenegative effects that ravaged himthese past years. He was so fortu-nate to have friends like TomGreensides to help him duringthese struggles. We have likely allseen others we know and lovewho face such a serious affliction.Often we feel lost in trying todeal with it. Perhaps the best wayis to remember folks as they werein their prime, and try in each ofour personal lives to espouse theideals we cherished in them, andto make the world a little better asa result.

I may not have known Garyfor as long a time as many others.I certainly didn’t know him aswell as many people have. I wasextremely lucky to have had allthe opportunities to work, play,and serve with Gary over theyears. He was a fine man, and Iwill miss him.

CRAIG’S COMMENTS

Loss of a friend

CRAIG HUNTEROFVGA

MINOR USE

Gary Ireland 1945-2012

Spotted Wing Drosophila pest alertSurveys coordinated by the Ontario Ministry of

Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) in 2011and 2012 have detected this pest across southern Ontario.Environmental conditions including a mild winter havefavoured the survival and seasonal population build-up ofSWD in 2012.

Crops at risk include tender fruit (cherry, peach, nec-tarine, plum, apricot, other), berry crops (raspberry, black-berry, blueberry, strawberry, sea buckthorn, other) andsome grape varieties (primarily table grapes). While earlycrops may escape injury due to lower population pressure,

SWD numbers build as the season progresses, making lateharvested crops such as fall raspberries, blueberries, black-berries and day-neutral strawberries at high risk. Growersin Ontario should assume SWD is present in their area andshould be using several management techniques to reduceeconomic injury.

There are several insecticides registered as EmergencyUses for 2012; make sure to rotate between chemicalclasses and watch for label restrictions and PHIs.OMAFRA has developed web-based resources wheregrowers can obtain more information on SWD including a

real-time map of pest activity. For more information visitwww.ontario.ca/spottedwing. Interested in learning more about SWD? OMAFRAstaff will be making presentations at the following events:1. Canada's Outdoor Farm Show (September 11, 12 and13th, 2012, Woodstock)2. Ontario Berry Growers Association Twilight(September 12th, 2012 Simcoe)3. Tender Fruit Twilight meeting (September 26thNiagara)

JIM CHAPUT, OMAFRA, MINOR USECOORDINATOR, GUELPH

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA)recently announced the approval of Urmule registrationsfor Matador/Warrior insecticide for suppression of blackvine weevil on strawberries, control of armyworm on cere-al grains, tarnished plant bug on celery, bud moth onSaskatoon berries and cucumber beetles on crop group 9,cucurbits in Canada. The active ingredient cyhalothrin-lambda was already labeled on a wide range of cropsincluding grains, oilseeds, vegetables and fruits. Note that

Warrior will eventually replace Matador in the market-place.

The minor use projects for strawberry, cucurbits andcereal grains were sponsored in 2010 by the minor useoffice of OMAFRA and the projects for celery andSaskatoon berries were sponsored by Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Pest Management Centre (AAFC-PMC) in2004 and 2005 as a result of minor use priorities estab-lished by growers and extension personnel. The minor uselabel expansions for Matador/Warrior insecticide are a sig-nificant step towards developing an improved pest man-agement toolkit for these pests in Canada.

Matador/Warrior insecticide should be used in an inte-

grated pest management program and in rotation withother management strategies to adequately manage resis-tance.

Follow all other precautions and directions for use onthe Matador/Warrior insecticide labels carefully.

For a copy of the new minor use label for berry cropscontact Pam Fisher, OMAFRA, Simcoe (519) 426-2238;for celery contact Marion Paibomesai, OMAFRA, Guelph(519) 826-4963; for cucurbits contact Elaine Roddy,OMAFRA, Ridgetown (519) 674-1616; for cereals, TomCowan, OMAFRA, Ridgetown (519) 674-1696 or JimChaput, OMAFRA, Guelph (519) 826-3539 or visitwww.syngenta.com/country/ca/en/Pages/home.aspx

THE GROWER


Matador/Warrior insecticide labels expandedMINOR USE

The Pest ManagementRegulatory Agency (PMRA)recently announced the approvalof a minor use label expansion forRimon 10EC insecticide for con-trol of apple clearwing moth anddogwood borer on apple andreduction in damage from pealeafminer on celery in Canada.Rimon 10EC (novaluron) wasalready labeled for managementof several insect pests on straw-berries, bushberries, apples, stonefruit, Brassica vegetables, peppers, beans, sweet corn andpotatoes in Canada.

This minor use project for

celery sponsored by Agriculture& Agri-Food Canada, PestManagement Centre (AAFC-PMC) was submitted in 2004 andthe project for apples was submit-ted in early 2011 in response tominor use priorities identified byproducers and extension person-nel in Canada.

These new registrations willprovide celery and apple growerswith an important pest manage-ment tool for these pests.

The following is provided asan abbreviated, general outlineonly. Users should consult thecomplete label before using

Rimon 10EC insecticide.Apples:

Rimon insecticide can beapplied as a direct application tothe tree trunk at 1.4 L of productper 1000 L of water for control ofapple clearwing moth and dog-wood borer. –Do not exceed 2000litres of water per ha and do notapply more than two applicationsper season. One application canbe made in the spring targetinglarvae preparing to pupate or oneapplication can be made post-har-vest as a curative spray or one totwo applications in the summer ata 14 day interval targeting 25 –

75 per cent egg laying can bemade. Do not apply within 14days of harvest of apples.Celery:

Rimon insecticide can beapplied as a foliar spray at 464 –603 mL product per hectare whenpea leafminer or leafminer dam-age first appear. Apply in 200 –400 L water per ha at a 7 – 14day interval. Do not apply morethan three applications per yearand do not apply within two daysof harvest of celery.

Rimon insecticide should beused in an integrated pest man-agement program and in rotation

with other management strategies.Follow all other precautions anddirections for use on the Rimoninsecticide label.

For copies of the new supple-mental label for apples, contactKristy Grigg-McGuffin,OMAFRA, Simcoe (519) 426-4322; for celery contact MarionPaibomesai, OMAFRA,Guelph (519) 826-4963 or JimChaput, OMAFRA, Guelph (519)826-3539 or visit the ChemturaAgrosolutions websitewww.chemturaagrosolutions.com

Minor Use Label expansion granted for Rimon 10EC insecticide

THE GROWER


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