KAREN DAVIDSON

Walmart Canada wants a bigger piece of the produce pie.With plans to open an additional40 supercentres across Canada byFebruary 2012, its buying presence is increasing. Fruits andvegetables are front and center inits grocery section.

“We’re moving a lot of volume now,” says CarmineCarpino, category manager, vegetables for Walmart Canada,citing year-round contracts withonion and carrot growers. Recentcorporate news releases cite apledge to purchase 30 per cent ofits produce assortment locally onan annual basis by December 31,2013 and to purchase 100 percent local when produce is inseason.

Walmart’s rise to produceprominence has been nothing butmeteoric since its Canadian entryin 2006. Some analysts even pegWalmart Canada as high as fourthlargest buyer of produce afterLoblaw, Sobey’s and Metro. Withabout a quarter of Loblaw’s 1100stores, Walmart still has an uphillclimb to be number one, as it is inthe United States. Another competitor is good news, but willthis buyer push up prices forgrowers?

Not likely, given Walmart’stag line: Save money. Live Better.This core value was reinforcedwith a January announcement inthe U.S. That’s where none otherthan Michele Obama lent hercredibility to a Walmartannouncement on lowering prices

of fruits and vegetables by $1 billion per year and reducingamounts of saturated fat, sugarand salt in private label products.The alliance makes sense becauseit supports the First Lady’s “Let’sMove” initiative and her cam-paign against childhood obesity.

It’s an announcement thatmakes sense for consumers, notnecessarily dollars for growers.The retailer’s in-store signsadvertise that fresh food costs lessat Walmart. That suggests volumebuying, but Carpino claims different practices in Canada.

“Size does not matter,” saysCarpino. “I may have a growerthat sells me just a thousandbushels of roma tomatoes in season.”

What does matter is adherenceto food safety protocols such asCanadaGAP, electronic invoicingcapabilities and just-in-time deliv-ery to their distribution centres inMississauga, Ontario and Balzac,Alberta. The demand for frequentdeliveries, sometimes on a dailybasis, may be the factor that eliminates some growers frombecoming a Walmart supplier.

Like all good business operators,growers need to place a value ontheir truck and driver’s time in aline-up at a loading dock.

Certainly, distribution logisticsplay a huge role in WalmartCanada’s success. The retailerjust opened a state-of-the-art sus-tainable fresh food distributioncentre north of Calgary inNovember 2010. As one ofCanada’s largest refrigeratedbuildings, it’s the hub for serving104 stores from Manitoba toBritish Columbia. Its refrigerationsystem uses ammonia as a coolant

rather than ozone-depletingfreeon. High-efficiency dockdoors are more energy-efficient.Hydrogen fuel cells replace traditional lead acid batteries inthe facility’s fleet of 71 materialhandling vehicles which operateunder a no-idling policy.

While saving energy, the centres distribute food to storeswithin 24 hours. “What comes in,goes out the same day,” saysCarpino.

Continued on page 3

INSIDELoonie in flight Page 4

Farm Safety Week March 13 – 19 Page 13

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Conventionroundup Page 15

www.thegrower.org

MARCH 2011 CELEBRATING 131 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION VOLUME 61 NUMBER 03

P.M. 40012319

With 124 supercentres across the country – and new entries in Manitoba and Quebec this year-- Walmart Canada is estimated to be the fourthlargest buyer of fruits and vegetables in Canada. Their pledge is to buy 100 per cent local in season. Carmine Carpino (R), Walmart’s catego-ry manager for vegetables, relies on greenhouse growers such as Chris Cervini, Lakeshore (L) and Mark Slater, Erie James for daily deliveries. This Waterdown, Ontario store had a full display of cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. Photos by Denis Cahill.

Walmart -- coming to a field near youCan growers make money, live better?

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Greenbelt Fund boostslocal food systems

More local procurement ofOntario food is underway thanksto new monies from the GreenbeltFund that is helping link institu-tions to farmers. Carol Mitchell,Minister of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs, highlighted the firstround of grants at a daycare inmid-February.

“In our first round of grants,over half of the recipients will beworking with daycares, schoolboards, universities and collegesto increase the amount of Ontariofood available,” says BurkhardMausberg, Greenbelt Fund Presi-dent.

Local Food Plus (LFP)received $200,000 for two yearsto identify Ontario farmers whocan meet Certified Local Sustain-able standards and to link them tofood service providers. Since LFPlaunched in September 2006,their biggest success story is theUniversity of Toronto. The cam-pus that serves 50,000 studentsdaily has increased its local farefrom 10 per cent to almost 25 percent today, says Lori Stahlbrand,executive director. Almost 200farmers are now certified underthe LFP brand, expanding localmarkets and in some cases nolonger needing to export. TheseLFP-certified farmers range insize, right up to 2,000 acres in theHolland Marsh.

The grant to LFP will helpbuild more collaborative relation-ships, says Stahlbrand, includingMcMaster University, FanshaweCollege, Niagara Region and theCity of Hamilton. These publicinstitutions are already sensitiveto issues of economic, environ-mental and social sustainability soit’s a relatively easy pitch to getthem on board. Where LFP helps

is making the introductionsbetween procurement agents andfarmers.

“These are relationships whichhave eroded over time,” saysStahlbrand. “Both parties needhelp in understanding how towrite Requests for Proposals andhow to bid on them. We helpwith the language.”

Another recent grantee is St.Joseph’s Health Centre which isnow preparing its own salads and

hot dishes from Ontario-sourcedfoods. Patients, residents, theirfamilies and cafeteria patronsnow score a 87 per cent satisfac-tion rate with the meals.

Other grantees are: • City of Toronto, $225,000 overtwo years• Compass Group Canada,$100,000 over two years• EcoSource, $100,000 over twoyears• FoodShare, $85,000 over oneyear• Rowe Farm Meats, $25,000over one year• Sysco Ontario, $230,000 overtwo years

The program provides grantsto local food industry leaders,producers, distributors and foodservice providers to serve moreOntario food in public institu-tions. Applications for the secondround of grants are being accept-ed until April 1. Letters of intentfor third round of grants are dueJune 15. More information isavailable at www.ontariofresh.ca.

Leadership applica-tions due March 11

The Advanced AgriculturalLeadership Program (AALP) iscalling for applications for Class14 which starts September 2011.Current and emerging leaderswho wish to participate in the

two-year program are encouragedto call 519-826-4204 or visit thewebsite at www.aalp.on.ca fordetails. Application deadline isMarch 11.

“We are looking acrossOntario for primary producers,agri-business and agri-serviceemployees, food processors,wholesalers and retailers, bankers,educators, marketers and journal-ists who want to enhance theirleadership skills, gain perspec-tives on critical issues and broad-en their knowledge of the nationaland international forces affectingagriculture, agri-food and ruralsectors,” says Rob Black, chiefexecutive officer of Rural OntarioInstitute, the program administra-tor.

Water taking andreporting for PermitTo Take Water

This is a reminder that PermitTo Take Water (PTTW) holdersmust submit their daily volume ofwater taken for the period January1 to December 31, 2010 to theMinistry of the Environment onor before March 31, 2011.

On January 1, 2005, the WaterTaking Regulation (Ontario Reg-ulation 387/04) took effect andintroduced a requirement for allPTTW holders to collect andrecord data on the volume ofwater taken daily and report thisannually to the Ministry of theEnvironment (MOE).

This is not always the easiestthing to do, however the Ministryhas made improvements to thewater taking and reporting systemthat should make it easier toreport your takings. If you do notyet have a User ID and Passwordto access the Water TakingReporting System, please call theWTRS Help Desk at 416-235-6322 or 1-877-344-2011. Youcan also make paper submissionsif you do not have internet accessor if your internet service is slow.Again contact the help desk todetermine where you need to mailyour records. In order to avoidlong wait times as the reportingdeadline approaches, we suggestthat you contact the WTRS HelpDesk at your earliest conve-nience.

Additional information on thePermit to Take Water Programand the Water Taking Regulationcan be accessed through the fol-lowing link: www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/water/pttw.htm.

PAGE 2 –– MARCH 2011THE GROWER

NEWSMAKERSKen Knox, former deputy minister, OMAFRA, will beinducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame laterthis year for his visionary leadership, innovation andentrepreneurship. His esteemedpublic service career has yetanother chapter as chair,departmental audit committeeof the Canadian Food Inspec-tion Agency and as a trustedadvisor to many agriculturalassociations. He owns a 500-acre cash crop and pumpkinfarm near Oshawa. The ceremony will take place at CountryHeritage Park, Milton, Ontario on June 12.

The first Ontario Apple Cider Competition took the spotlight atthe Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention with 13 entries.First place winners are Thomas Wilson and Nicole Judge,Spirit Tree Estate Cidery, Caledon. Second place went to Hector and Mark Delanghe, Delhaven Orchards, Blenheimand third place went to Ray Ferri, Al Ferri & Sons, Brampton.

Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers have announced theirnew board of directors for 2011-2012. They include: PhilRichards, Chair, Dresden; Bruce Shackleton, Vice-Chair,Belmont; Walter Brown, Leamington; Francis Dobbelaar,

Wallaceburg; John Lugtigheid, Kent Bridge; Ken Hamm,Leamington; Jim Poel, Thamesford; Jim Reith, Ilderton; Marshall Schuyler, Simcoe. About 300 participants attendedthe recent annual general meeting.

The Niagara Peninsula Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Associa-tion is presenting its 2010 Award of Merit to Dr. K. HelenFisher. The reward recognizes her lifetime career as extensionadvisor, researcher and teacher in the Ontario grape and wineindustry. She is currently Associate Professor of Viticulture,University of Guelph.

Kudos to the Cervini family – Anthony, Chris and John --who operate Lakeside Produce at Leamington, Ontario. BizXMagazine recently honoured their partnership with CommunityLiving Essex County for employing those with physical andintellectual disabilities. Everyone was a winner before theywere awarded Disability Employer Champion.

The British Columbia Fruit Growers’ Association welcomesnew executive members for 2011. The slate includes: JoeSardinha, Summerland, President; Fred Steele, Vice-President, Kelowna; Amarjit Lalli, Kelowna; Madeleine VanRouchoudt, Lake Country; Denise MacDonald, Summerland;Peter Simonsen, Naramata; Nirmal Dhaliwal, Oliver;Sukhdev Goraya, Kelowna.

Congratulations to Annemarie and Kevin Klippenstein whohave been named Outstanding Young Farmers for BritishColumbia and the Yukon. They manage an organic orchard andmarket garden called Klippers Organic Acres near Cawston,selling their produce at Vancouver-area farmers’ markets.Kevin is also chair, Organic Farming Institute of BC. Thenational event to determine two regional winners will be held inBrandon, Manitoba from November 14 – 20.

Condolences to the family of Tommy Longo, one of the threebrothers who founded Longo’s grocery stores in 1956 in theGreater Toronto Area. He passed away January 30 after a shortbattle with leukemia.

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Burkhard Mausberg, Friends of the Greenbelt, looks on as CarolMitchell, Ontario Agriculture Minister, speaks with kids in daycare.

Continued from page 1This highly-tuned supply chain isdemanding of growers and willlikely become more so as compe-tition tightens. With Target’sentry into Canada, expect thisnew U.S. competitor to carry pro-duce just as it does in CityTargetstores opening in downtownChicago. According to a Globeand Mail story, February 19, bothWalmart and Target are experi-menting with smaller formats indowntown locations with a vertical strategy: Build it up andthey will come.

“I don’t think it’s a matter ofbeating up growers,” saysCarpino. “Lower costs are a resultof our efficiencies in sourcinglocal product and saving on transport. We leave it up to ourconsumers to decide what they’rewilling to pay.”

Several Leamington-basedgreenhouses are regular suppliersto Walmart’s Ontario storesincluding Lakeside Produce, ErieJames, Mastronardi and Del Fresco. In western Canada, Alberta’s Red Hat and BritishColumbia’s Windset Farms supply greenhouse vegetables.

“The greenhouse category isseeing healthy increases,” saysCarpino. “But there’s still lots ofeducation of consumers. Theythink greenhouse vegetables aregenetically modified. They’re

confused between hothouse,greenhouse and hydroponic.They’re not really sure whatgrows in a greenhouse.”

While the category is growingin volume, Walmart is carefulabout not offering too many innovative products outside thecomfort zone of its customers. Interms of its profile for producecustomers, Carpino says Walmartis somewhere between a No Frillson price and Loblaw on varietyand quality. “Baby eggplants,yes,” says Carpino. “But we needto be careful that we don’t offereverything under the sun.”

That said, Walmart Canada

works with an internal team onmatching produce with the demographics of each store. Forexample, stores in Asian commu-nities would be shipped largerquantities of Fuji apples. As partof its pledge to buy local, theyhave also committed to carry awider selection of regionally-grown ethnic produce.

Walmart’s conservative prod-uct range might not offer everyinnovation that the greenhouseindustry is known for – Stramatotomatoes or mini-peppers. But ifWalmart consumers said theywanted a certain colour of pepper,then that request would be com-

municated along the chain.“Consistency, quality and price

is what our customers are lookingfor,” says Carpino. “It should notbe a surprise what a peppershould cost.”

To harmonize some ofOntario’s greenhouse issues, aGreenhouse Industry AdvisoryCommittee was convened morethan a year ago under the auspices of the Ontario FarmProducts Marketing Commission.The 12-member committee meetsseveral times a year, comprised ofgrowers, marketers and grocers,including Walmart’s Carpino aswell as buyers from Longo’s,Sobeys, Loblaw and Metro.

Along with produce handlingand environmental sustainability,traceability is on the radar toexpedite pulling product in caseof a recall. “We’ve made goodstrides,” says Carpino. “We’realmost there.”

“It’s an open forum betweenthe value chain,” says Jan VanderHout, a grower representative tothe group.“We’re not makingdecisions in isolation and wewant to ensure flow of product.”

Save money. Live better. Willthis tag line hold true as Wal-mart’s supply chain works withthe growers’ value chain? Onlytime will tell.

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 3THE GROWER

Walmart -- coming to a field near you

Visit www.savvyfarmer.com to learn the secrets of savingmoney on pest control and to give savvy farmer a free trial.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

GM potato in Germany, Sweden

BASF plans to grow a type ofpotato with genetically-modifiedorganisms (GMOs) in Germanyand Sweden in 2011. Twohectares of the GMO potatoAmflora will be cultivated in Ger-many and 15 hectares in Sweden.No cultivation is planned for theCzech Republic where the potatowas planted in 2010.

Amflora is used for industrialstarch production, not food, andhas been approved as safe forcommercial production by theEuropean Union. Most Swedishplantings will be for seeds forcultivation in 2012, BASF says. According to BASF’s corporatewebsite, potato starch is alreadyused in many technical applica-tions such as paper manufacturingand paper coating. - Reuters

CONSTRUCTION

Greenhouses expandin Mexico

Dutch greenhouse builder Verbakel-Bomkas is starting upconstruction for another largegreenhouse project in the northernpart of Mexico. Foundations havecommenced for a 10-hectaregreenhouse facility in the state ofNuevo León. The greenhouseexpansion is designed to growtomatoes. The constructionprocess will be divided into twophases of five hectares each.Verbakel-Bomkas is starting itsthird large-scale greenhouse pro-ject in Mexico within one year. In2010, a 10-hectare project for bellpepper production was completedfor Vallealto Produce with anextended aluminum gutter androof system. Recently, work start-ed for the six-hectare expansionof Finka in Agropark, Querétaro.- FreshPlaza.com

PACKAGING

Food preservation atFruit Logistica, Berlin

U.K.-based Food FreshnessTechnology Ltd (FFT) hasunveiled patented technologies,such as e+ ethylene remover andNatralife certified organic emul-sion. They can reduce prematurespoilage and increase profitabili-ty, while offering significant envi-ronmental benefits over existingethylene and moisture manage-ment technologies. Discussionsare underway with Canadiangrowers and retailers says SimonLee, director, marketing andstrategic development. The com-pany attended the recent FruitLogistica which hosted 54,000attendees from 125 countries.– FreshPlaza.com

NUTRITION

U.S. advises half aplate fruits/veggies

With the release of the 2010Dietary Guidelines for Ameri-cans, the United Fresh ProduceAssociation is cheering the newconsumer message to “make halfyour plate fruits and vegetables.”The Dietary Guidelines have longrecommended that Americansconsume more healthy foods likefruits and vegetables, but the“make half your plate fruits andvegetables” message is thestrongest and most compellingmessage to ever come out ofDepartment of Agriculture andDepartment of Health and HumanServices about fruits and vegeta-bles. The “half a plate” visual letsAmericans know exactly how topicture the amount of fruits andvegetables they should eat atevery meal. – United Fresh Produce Association

SEEDS

Syngenta plansmerger

Agribusiness giant Syngentaplans to merge its seeds and cropprotection businesses by end of2012. The Swiss companyannounced its reorganization planFebruary 16 in conjunction withreporting full year 2010 resultsthat exceeded analysts' expecta-tions.

Syngenta expects to eventuallyrealize $650 million in annualsavings by combining the seedsand crop protection businesses,including $500 million from moreefficient procurement. - PotatoPro

INTERNATIONAL

By the numbers➢Walmart operates 325 stores in Canada of which 124 are super-centres (January 31, 2011)

➢Walmart Canada serves more than one million customers eachday

➢Walmart’s goal is to offer customers 100 per cent locally grownproduce in season for crops like strawberries and apples.

➢Walmart is Canada’s third-largest employer with 80,000 associates

➢Walmart is the largest grocery retailer in the United States with51 per cent of its 2009 sales (US $258 billion) derived from groceries.

Jan Vander Hout is a greenhouse vegetable grower who sits on theGreenhouse Industry Advisory Committee.

PAGE 4 –– MARCH 2011THE GROWER

KAREN DAVIDSON

Don’t be lulled by unusuallylow interest rates, says DouglasPorter, Bank of Montreal’s deputychief economist, who gave hiseconomic forecast to the recentmeeting of the Ontario ProcessingVegetable Growers (OPVG).

“These are at emergency lowlevels,” says Porter “but to behonest the Bank of Canada wouldbe more comfortable at four percent. The policymakers can’t letthese rates sit this low for toolong, without risking inflation andspeculation in commodities.”

How can interest rates risegiven the U.S. current fiscaldeficit and accumulated debt?The economic growth figures arelooking more positive south ofthe border lending some credenceto Porter’s forecast of slowly ris-ing interest rates. All of the toxicdebt related to mortgages is quan-tified and working through thesystem. By no means is the hous-ing crisis put to bed, but mostlosses are known.

“I don’t expect any interest rateincreases for the first half of2011, but I would anticipate hikesafter that,” says Porter. “It won’tbe pain-free.” (see slide InterestRates: Slow Rise)

The global recovery relies, inlarge part, on emerging countries.In 2010, China was head of thepack with 9.8 per cent grossdomestic product (GDP), India at8.9 per cent and Brazil at 6.7 percent. China’s growing clout begsthe question of whether its yuanwill become a global currency.Porter forecasts a slow evolutionover decades because the euroand the yen are not strong enoughto be alternatives to the Americandollar. So don’t close your U.S.bank account just yet.

Canada’s largest trading partner– certainly a big market forgreenhouse vegetables – is fore-cast to have GDP growth of 3.2per cent in 2011 and 3.0 per centin 2012. Porter points out that theAmerican numbers are morerobust than Canadian GDP fore-casts at 2.7 per cent in 2011 and

2.6 per cent in 2012. This modest growth gives some

comfort to at least five provincialpremiers who are facing electionsthis year: Ontario, Saskatchewan,Manitoba, Newfoundland andPrince Edward Island. Ontario,however, faces the biggest deficitof any province – a fact that pres-sures agriculture’s lobbyists. (seeslide Provincial Deficits) Coupledwith the fiscal pump that will beturned off with the federal March22 budget, Porter expects a tightrein on all government programspending.

Agriculture’s competitivenesscrunch comes with inflationarydrivers such as municipal taxes(see slide Inflation and Deflation)and energy inputs such as gas,electricity and water. What willbankers be looking for in businessplans? Use the buying power ofthe Canadian dollar to purchasetechnology and labour-savingequipment.

Phil Richards, chair, OPVG,agrees with Porter’s assessmentof slowly rising interest rates.“But I would want to keep a closeeye on the rates,” he says. “I fearthat too many of agriculture’smortgages are floating at primeand aren’t locked in. If that ratedoubles in 12 months, as it didthe 1980s, then there’s trouble.”

Bolstering Richards’ concernsare figures from Farm Credit Cor-poration (FCC). Approximately80 per cent of new FCC loans inthe past year were floating rateaccording to Don Stevens, FCCVice-President and Treasurer. Headds that about two-thirds of theentire FCC portfolio is floating.

Bruce Shackleton, vice-chair,OPVG, says, “The good news isthat interest rates are not predict-ed to go up quickly or extremely.That means a lot to a capital-intensive industry like agricul-ture.”

Another bellwether of the ruraleconomy is Deere & Co. Theworld’s largest maker of agricul-tural equipment, reports that in itsfirst fiscal quarter ending January31, net income more than doubledthanks to growing sales of farm

machinery in the United Statesand Canada.

Here’s a taste of micro-eco-nomics. For those growing greenpeas, the February 17 settlement

with Bonduelle sets the stage forthe processing sector. All priceswill be increased by 32 per cent.One settlement does not a trendmake, but Ontario growers are

optimistic that rising commodityprices will pressure all processorsto ‘buy’ acres to prevent switchesto corn and soy.

How to leverage the high Canadian dollar and low interest rates

Charts courtesy of Bank of Montreal

KAREN DAVIDSON

With a rainbow of new products on offer, Ontario’s 224greenhouse vegetable operatorsshow no signs of losing steam.Bullish on future markets in theUnited States, they expanded by95 acres last year, bringing totalacreage to 1,919.

With most Ontario productioncentred in Leamington – a shorttrailer ride from the busiest

border crossing in Canada –growers are betting that a futurebridge to be doubletracked acrossthe Detroit River will aid timelydeliveries to the United States.Currently 70 per cent of production goes to the top 10 destinations: Michigan, NewYork, Massachusetts, Florida,Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina andMaryland. Any risk of a thicken-ing of the border is worth takingfor the rising consumer demandfor safe, naturally-grown produce.

The strong Canadian dollar,running above par for a good partof early 2011, is also shruggedoff for the gleam of U.S. sales.Nature Fresh Farms, for example,is adding 32 acres of specialtyproducts such as baby eggplant,Amorosa cocktail tomatoes andGrapeRoma baby roma tomatoesby early summer. These wereacquired from Red Zoo Market-ing Brands in a deal earlier thisyear that included proprietary

varieties and intellectual properties.

“(Red Zoo) was the first com-pany to introduce baby seedlesscucumbers which continues tohave significant consumer popularity,” says Peter Quiring,owner of Nature Fresh Farms.“Their push with bringing bettertasting tomato varieties by way ofsignificant brand recognition andconsumer level promotion on thepackaging or couponing was way

out in front of the industry.” Other product launches include

Mastronardi Produce with Min-zano tomatoes, a mini San Marzi-no-type tomato and Zima, a verysweet snacking tomato.

The greenhouse vegetableindustry has come a long way inthe last decade when a tomatowas a tomato. Now there arenumerous specialty tomatoes (e.g.Rubies, Stramato), three kinds ofeggplant, multi-coloured peppersand the prediction that mini-cucumbers may, one day, outsellEnglish cucumbers. These seedinnovations have succeeded, notjust because of customer accep-tance, but due to advancements ingreenhouse construction technology. Glass greenhouseswith better heating systems, environmental controls and waterrecycling have made the economics possible. Watch foranother round of growth in 2011and anticipate farmgate value totop $600 million.

THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 5

Greenhouse industryexpands by five per cent New varieties grow the category

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THE GROWER

PAGE 6 –– MARCH 2011

KAREN DAVIDSON

It’s easy to like a potato farmer with adog named Spud. Jamie Lundy shared thatbiographical detail with his colleagues atthe recent Syngenta Grower University.What does that name say? Even the familydog is committed to the 1200-acre,processed potato business near Alliston,Ontario.

The dog’s name is a memorable anecdote that speaks to service. And whenyou’re in the business of contracting youryear’s production to a single broker such asW.D. Potato, it pays to communicate thatservice and quality are paramount.

Lundy knows all these lessons in abundance as a third-generation farmerwith a farm history that goes back to 1948.Even with all those weather years of experience, he also believes that refreshercourses can stimulate new thinking. Hewas fortunate to attend Syngenta’s GrowerUniversity back in 2006, an invitation-only, three-day course held at the RichardIvy School of Business at the University ofWestern Ontario. The rigorous course –from 8 am to 9 pm every day – has been sosuccessful that a master class was held inJanuary 2011. Graduates of previous years,a pan-Canadian group of 40 farmers paidfor a strategic planning tune-up.

Called “Beyond Business Foundations,”the course consists of four major themes:leading and managing people, looking athow the global economy affects individualfarm strategy, making financial decisionsand lastly, analysis and action. It’s a pro-gram that appeals to university-educatedCanadian farmers managing large tracts of

land and even larger payrolls. No onedoubts the agronomy skills of these farmers, but the course enhances soft skillssuch as employee communications andbanker negotiations.

“The expansion of the Grower Universi-ty program is a testament to the importanceand relevance of business theory to thelong-term viability and sustainability of thefarm,” says Don Barclay, Eminent Teaching Professor Emeritus at TheRichard Ivey School of Business and co-creator of the Grower University Program.

“With the globalization of farming,unprecedented market volatility, financialinstability and an impending world foodshortage, it’s never been more important toapply strategic planning and risk manage-ment techniques to farming operations inorder to capitalize on the tremendousopportunities available to today’s visionaryand business-oriented farmers. It’s gratify-ing that so many farmers recognize this

need, which is why the Syngenta GrowerU and Grower U II programs prove so popular.”

For Lundy, the 2006 course was allabout setting short-term operational goals –improving relationships with employees,creating more value for the customer. Thatapproach has been successful in terms ofshifting more responsibility to a harvest-time peak of 30 employees and rewardingthem with bonus packages based on per-sonal performance. Quality has improvedby modifying harvesting equipment forfewer bruised potatoes and shortening theharvest window. With more frequent communication with the broker’s agronomist, the Lundy’s now grow specified varieties with year-round monitoring for the best chips possible.

“We are constantly tweaking things,”says Lundy. “If you go to the SyngentaGrower University looking to make large-scale changes, that’s truly not the case. It’s

more about making incremental changes.”For instance, Lundy met a Prince

Edward Island potato grower in the 2006class and has kept up the dialogue eversince. With each weekly phone call, it’slike drawing a knife over a whetstone,keeping it sharp.

The 2011 class was a slightly differentexercise for Lundy. “Networking is definitely a key element, but for me it waslong-term planning for the next three tofive years.”

Lundy expects more changes, more con-solidation in the industry. So he’s lookingfor sustainability by minimizing risk. Thatmeans sharing the processor’s vision ofreducing the global footprint, growing newand improved varieties to meet consumerdemand. With regular “summit” meetingswith the processor, he understands what’sneeded to provide a better finished product,and how to improve handling and storageof potatoes. “If necessary, how can ouroperation be viable in global markets andhow can I keep modern without ridiculouslong-term debt,” he asks himself.

One of his prairie classmates has actuallyworked out a five-year vision plan with hismarketer to remove some of the uncertain-ty. Now that’s proactive planning.

Since returning home, Lundy has sharedthe Syngenta Grower University experi-ence at formal family meetings. “It’s beenan opportunity to clear the air, delegateresponsibilities and remove the assump-tions, “ says Lundy. “For farmers, the communication skills can be difficult. Butthe course has taught me how to phrasethings from a different point of view. It’sall positive.”

Syngenta Grower University: learnings are incremental

In the mode of continuous improvement, Jamie Lundy says, “The better we treat thepotato, the better the potato treats us.”

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THE GROWER

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THE GROWER

PAGE 8 –– MARCH 2011

Five years ago, as a result ofOntario’s chief medical officer’sreport on childhood obesity, theGovernment of Ontario asked usto develop a plan that would putfresh fruit and vegetables in anumber of northern Ontarioschools. We developed the plan

that was accepted by the Ministryof Health Promotions and laterthat year we started what isknown as the pilot NorthernOntario School Snack Program.

In year one, working with thelocal health units in the Timmins-Cochrane area, we were in 24 dif-ferent schools serving snacks to5,000 kids and all this on a bud-get for food and delivery of half amillion dollars. In year two, thatbudget increased to $900,000 andwas expanded to the Algoma dis-trict as well.

Unfortunately there has beenno budgetary expansion sincethen.

The project, from the view-points of all those involved, hasbeen a great success yet we havebeen unable to grow the monetaryvalue of the program since 2007.

We have been told that thekids love the program; that they

enjoy the snacks so much thatschool attendance is higher on thedays the snacks are served. Weare also told that the parents ofthe kids enjoying the programpack more fruit and vegetables inthe lunch containers of the kids.

This program however is aboutmore than fruit and vegetables; itis about the health of the childrenand in particular improving theirhealth through better nutrition.

It has long been recognizedthat we are what we eat and if weare going to coral the ever-increasing health care budget thenwe must make major changes inthe types of food and drink thatwe consume. If we don’t, diabetesand other obesity-related diseaseswill most certainly take a hugetoll on our population and ourhealth care system.

There is no better place tomake those changes than with the

young. Exposure to these whole-some nutritious foods is absolute-ly paramount if this is going tohappen.

As an organization we are try-ing to get this program expandedacross all of Ontario. In fact itshould be across all of Canadabut a shortage of dollars at gov-ernment levels seems to bestalling this out.

Unfortunately we lag behindmany other developed nations andjurisdictions when it comes tochildren’s health and nutrition.Our obesity rates bear proof ofthat.

Ample exercise and goodnutrition are essential for goodhealth. Our children need to bemore active. They need greaterexposure to and a diet higher infruits and vegetables and otherhealthy alternatives.

We all need to eat . . . we must

learn to eat better.Showing through example is a

great teaching aid and for this tohappen our education systemneeds to get on board and ourgovernments and health systemneed to make it a priority.

Since our involvement overthe past five years, about 80 percent of what has gone into theschool snack program has beengrown and produced here inOntario. Considering our northernlocation and seasonality of muchof what we grow this percentageis an amazing number.

If the government will committo expanding this program acrossOntario we can all make a signifi-cant difference to our children’shealth, our health care system andthe future of Ontario.

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

ART SMITHCEO, OFVGA

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

The Grower reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Any errors that are the direct result of The Grower will be compensated at our discretion with a correction notice in the nextissue. No compensation will be given after the first running of the ad.Client signature is required before insertion.

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

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

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Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 CANADATel. 519-763-8728 • Fax 519-763-6604

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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Subscribers must submit a claim for missing issues withinfour months. If the issue is claimed within four months, butnot available, The Grower will extend the subscription byone month. No refunds on subscriptions.

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2011

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEEChair Brian Gilroy, MeafordVice-Chair Mac James, LeamingtonFruit Director Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-LakeVeg Director Jason Ryder, DelhiDirector Norm Charbonneau, Port Elgin

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’ Doug Bradley, TillsonburgGreenhouse Jan Vander Hout, WaterdownGreenhouse Don Taylor, Durham

OFVGA SECTION CHAIRS

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

When will the value be recognized?

It wasn’t that many years agowhen you discussed safety netprograms with farmers theywould say “I want to make myliving from the market place – I

don’t want welfare.” But, life wassimpler then - we had a 65¢ dol-lar, tariff protection, lower inputcosts (especially labour), lessgovernment regulation and retailconsolidation was only just beingtalked about. Yes, life was sim-pler then. Not any more!

Farming is different now!There are just too many thingsthat are out of the farmers’ con-trol and there is no level playingfield despite what was intendedwhen Free Trade was introduced.Governments recognized thatfarm stabilization programs werenecessary and they consulted withproducers on their design. Wehad FSAM, NISA, CAIS and nowa suite of programs AgriInvest,AgriStability, AgriRecovery andAgri(Crop)Insurance. In addition,we had several ad hoc payments

and companion programs such asSelf-Directed Risk Management(SDRM). Notice, I said had!

So, where are we now? Thereseems to be agreement (althoughnot universal) that the currentsuite of programs, isn’t working.I said “not universal” becausethere are growers who find thecurrent programming supportivein their particular circumstances.For most of those who claim theprograms aren’t working, theyhave seen their reference marginsgradually erode over time, forreasons beyond their control, tothe point where they have little orno margin left. Yet, all thesegrowers are eligible for is AgriIn-vest (maximum $22,500) andalthough appreciated, it won’tkeep many commercial farmers inbusiness.

There are always winners andlosers whenever programs arechanged and there will always bepolitics that determine thatchange (grower politics as welland government politics).

So, here we go again! TheGrowing Forward Agreementexpires in March 2013 and dis-cussions are underway on thedesign of the next generation ofprogramming.

The good news is that theOntario Government has nowaccepted that “one size does NOTfit all.” They have consulted withtheir farmers and farmers havesubmitted well designed and wellthought out proposals which rec-ognize the unique realities of thevarious sectors. First, keep thecurrent suite of programs (withsome fine tuning) and then intro-

duce companion programs whichinclude a Risk Management Pro-gram (RMP) for G&O and aSDRM(Like) Program for theHorticultural Sector. The secondoption would be for the feds toprovide each province with a pro-rate share of the funding so thatthey can offer programs that bestfit the needs of their farmers.

The challenge will be forOntario to convince the FederalGovernment that our strategy issound and for Ontario farmers toconvince their provincial counter-parts to join the lobby for theiracceptance and introduction.

Bring back NISA – Life wasso much simpler then!

Safety nets – what to do?

ADRIAN HUISMANONTARIO TENDERFRUIT PRODUCERS

It has been about six weekssince our annual general meeting(AGM) and the 2011 OFVGABoard has had its first meeting.The Board Briefs are availableelsewhere in this issue and Iencourage you to give them a read,when you have the time. A num-ber of action items were identifiedin our first meeting, including anopportunity for our member orga-nizations to prioritize the issuesfacing their sector. With this infor-mation, lobby strategies will befinetuned to maximize effective-ness. One of the other major itemsemerging from the meeting was a

unanimous commitment to worktogether for the betterment of hor-ticulture. I feel the Board is off toan excellent start and I want tothank you for the opportunity toserve as the chair for another year.The learning curve continues as Iam exposed to a wealth of infor-mation about an incredible numberof topics.

At the AGM dinner our guestspeaker, Bruce Vincent, a loggerfrom Libby, Montana spoke verypassionately about how policymakers are moving to save theenvironment. Unfortunately thesepolicies often put the rural way of

life in jeopardy. Bruce talked to usabout the need to illuminate thetruth about how farming, loggingand a number of other rural activi-ties are the Green Choice. Withthe best practices that these indus-tries have developed, we are thesafest, most environmentallyfriendly, sustainable use of thevast rural landscape. He was veryclear that democracy works but itis not a spectator sport and toinfluence policy we need to beinvolved and help lead thechanges. It was his recommenda-tion that every farm organizationneeds to include activism in their

business plan. We need to advo-cate for the important role thatagriculture plays in the rural wayof life, to society as a whole andhow we are focused on sustainableagricultural practices.

Till next time.

Consider activism as part of business plan

BRIAN GILROYCHAIR, OFVGA

When it comes to fruit andvegetables, judging the proverbialbook by its cover is poor practice.Appearance is highly subjective,and it may not equate whatsoeverto quality. What looks stellar onthe outside could be inferior onthe inside.

And unfortunately, consumersdon’t know it until they take thefirst bite, after purchase. Theydon’t get a test drive, a taste test,a blind date, nothing.

The stigma around samplingfood in the grocery store beforeyou buy it is significant. Grocerystores are one of the few placesleft in society where you can’t“try it on,” so to speak, beforelaying down your plastic or cash.Look and touch, but don’t taste.It’s kind of like buying a soundsystem without hearing it. Crazy.

All this puts buying power inthe hands of marketers instead ofconsumers. They’re the ones inthe position of pushing our buybuttons, telling us why we’ll likesomething, instead of us decidingon our own, perhaps by sampling.

I suspect there’s good reasonwhy stores don’t offer more sam-ples, and why we as consumersare reluctant to ask. You canenvision a scenario where people(not necessarily shoppers) wouldcruise through the aisles filling upon samples, perhaps not evenbuying what they came for.

I don’t know exactly how topolice this. It seems to work atfarmers’ markets, where samplesare often given freely and generously. I know that becauseof sheer volume grocery storeswould face a much bigger challenge. Still, I think they’d winmore customers if people couldactually taste food there.

But taste aside, appearancecounts for something too. Andthat includes logos. Consumersgain confidence in a product ifthey trust its logo. They identify itwith a brand. Certain logos signaltrust and quality, and prompt consumers to get out their wallets,in the same way wise wine aficionados in Canada flock to theVintners’ Quality Alliance logo.They know the VQA logo meansthe contents aren’t swill.

But what logos work in fruitand vegetables? Because of quality variation and supplyissues, branding produce can bedifficult. Given that challenge,which logos give consumers confidence that what they’re buying will taste good when theyget it home?

New research based out of theVineland Research and Innova-tion Centre shows the time-testedand popular Foodland Ontariologo, in existence since the late1970s, has the largest influenceon fruit and vegetable purchases,and on consumers’ willingness topay for them.

Its biggest impact was onwomen buyers, who constitute themajority of food shoppers. Andwhile the logo may not fetch apremium for producers, it doesindeed influence consumers’ buying decisions and keep themshopping domestically, ratherthan for imports.

What a boon to Ontario’s fruitand vegetable growers. The easiest brand to rally around isalso the most popular.

Isabelle Lesschaeve, directorof research for the Vineland centre and Howard Moskowitzand Stephen Onufrey, marketinggurus in New York, did the work,along with research scientist Benjamin Campbell and post-doctoral fellow Amy Bowen. Itwas published in the scientificjournal HortScience in the fall,and is just now filtering into theindustry.

The take-away message from

this research, which was fundedby the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and RuralAffairs, is that the informationabout credible logos can be usedby the industry to increase fruitand vegetable consumption, andimprove society’s overall health.

Who can argue with that?That’s the kind of research farmers need to make manage-ment decisions. When it comes tomarketing, Foodland Ontariolooks like a winner.

Photo by Denis Cahill.

THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 9

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

The Agricultural Management Institute (AMI) is seeking nominations for outstanding individuals to join the current AMI Board of Directors. AMI is a unique farmer and agricultural industry led organization that supports a vision of prosperous farms through business management practices, cooperation and innovation.

Board members should have an understanding of the Ontario agri-food industry. More importantly, they should be innovative, be able to see beyond traditional boundaries of farm business management, and have an understanding of business management and business development best practices.

To learn more about AMI and to download the Nomination Form, visit www.TakeANewApproach.ca . Nominations will be accepted until March 18th, 2011 and can be forwarded in confidence to:

AMI Board of Directors , Executive Committee c/o Ryan Koeslag, Executive Director

200-120 Research Lane , Guelph, Ontario N1G 0B4 Email: rkoeslag@takeanewapproach.ca Fax: 519-821-7361

The Agricultural Management Institute is part of the Best Practices Suite of programs for Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

Foodland Ontario logo gives produce credibility and respect

OWEN ROBERTSUNIVERSITY OFGUELPH

LILIAN SCHAER, AGCARE

Few relationships are morepersonal than the one we havewith our food. We trust that whatwe eat will sustain us, nourish usand help keep us healthy.

In Canada, public trust in ourfood supply is high, a fact that’sbeen proven repeatedly in studiescarried out by Ipsos Reid forAGCare and the Ontario FarmAnimal Council (OFAC). But asincreasingly fewer Canadiansknow how food is produced andwhere it comes from, and specialinterest groups are using fear topush their agendas with retailers,government and media, thosenumbers won’t stay high forever.

This means farmers need tobecome involved in the discus-sion about the future of farmingand food production that is goodfor people, animals and the

planet. Two food industry expertswill discuss the whys and hows ofbuilding trust in Canada’s foodsystem at the upcoming AGCareand OFAC annual meeting andspeakers’ program.

Stop defending and start winning

Charlie Arnot, head of theCentre for Integrity in the U.S.,will provide hints and tips on howto change gears from protectingthe status quo to building trust formodern Canadian agriculture in amorning session called “StopDefending and Start Winning.”

In a separate keynote addressin the afternoon, Arnot will talkabout our complicated relation-ship with “big food” – why welove to hate the large food conglomerates that both dominateour store shelves and have thepower to drive meaningfulchange.

Arnot is a thought-provokingleader who speaks internationally

about food, farming and sustain-ability. The Center for FoodIntegrity, based in Kansas City, isa not-for-profit organizationfocused on building consumertrust and confidence in the contemporary U.S. food system,with many state and national farmgroups, agriculture and foodindustry members.

Making ready for the phantommenace

Retailers and food companiesare a key target for special interest groups, such as environ-mentalists and animal activistswho are opposed to many modernfarm practices. Companies arepressured to make changes totheir business practices through avariety of methods, from politeand businesslike approaches tobrand attacks and illegal andthreatening actions. These kindsof pressure campaigns are intended to force retailers toadopt the activists’ demands –

and agriculture is often not part of the decision-making process ordiscussion.

Consultant Paul Hodgman willbe speaking about a new projectnow underway to build linkagesbetween the food industry andagriculture to bridge that gapbetween the realities on the farmand major food buying decisions.

What are we doing to ensuretrust in food and farming herein Ontario?

You’ll also hear updates onseveral new initiatives happeningright here at home. For example,a new charity was launched lastfall: the Farm Care Foundation.This newly registered charity will

focus on building public trust andconfidence in food and farming,through provincial, regional andnational agri-food awarenessopportunities.

Meeting detailsThe AGCare-OFAC annual

meeting will be held at a newlocation this year, the VictoriaEast Golf Course in Guelph, onTuesday, April 5 starting at 8:30a.m. Early bird tickets are avail-able for $75 each until March 22and $100 following that date.Registration and full agendadetails are available online atwww.ofac.org or by calling theAGCare-OFAC office at 519-837-1326.

A conversation about our food and farming future

THE GROWER

PAGE 10 –– MARCH 2011

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Karen Davidson’s Februarycolumn, “Ring in the year of therabbit” contained a brilliant quotefrom writer Martin Jacques book“When China Rules the World.”In it, Jacques states that “China isa civilization state.” I happen toagree with Jacques. China’s history stretches back at least fivethousand years, and it hasremained a remarkably hetero-geneous culture even up to thepresent day. This has interestingconsequences for outsiders, particularly those who wish toconduct business in China.

Generally speaking, when onearrives in Beijing there are not asmany westerners as one mightimagine. It is surprising given thesize of the city (about 22 millionat last count) and its now definiteimportance in global trade. TheChinese consider Beijing to bevery metropolitan, but by thestandards of a city like Toronto ormost other western capital cities itappears quite demographicallyuniform. The physical city itselfis divided into seven great

concentric rings. Westerners tendto concentrate in the very centreof the city which contains seats ofpower for domestic and interna-tional corporations as well as thegovernment. The number ofwesterners decays asymptoticallyas one travels toward the outerfringes of the city. Outside of theprotected inner circle one is greeted with a certain curiositywhich makes itself evident on thefaces of strangers. When venturing beyond Beijing and intothe southern parts of the countrywhere agriculture is dominant,looks of curiosity can turn intostares. Somewhere in theprovince of Yunnan while I waswaiting for a bus, a woman threefeet away from me took out hercamera and snapped a picture ofmy face while giggling. I wasn’toffended.

One of the chief differencesbetween Chinese and western culture is the admiration forelders. In business one shouldusually address the oldest member of the group first.

It is also necessary when courtingbusiness in China to engage insocial activities, which (not unlikeour own traditions) typicallyinvolve food and the generousconsumption of alcohol. As aguest, protocol is generally opposite to the ways of the west.If one is going out on the townand taking older people or businessmen along, it is expectedthat you will pay. At first thiscan be off putting if one is notfamiliar with the culture, but oncerecognized provides an opportuni-ty to impress potential clients.

Food is a matter of great pridefor the Chinese and they willdelight in taking you around tosample the various cuisines thatChina has to offer. Peking duckis a traditional favourite and inthe author’s opinion is one of themost enjoyable. Whichever styleof food you choose to consume inChina you must master the use ofchopsticks. It is a point whichreally cannot be stressed enough.Except for the rare American fastfood restaurant, you will not

easily find western style cutlery.Think of it as an opportunity toshowcase your skills and respectfor the Chinese culture. The ability to competently use chopsticks will garner you asmuch respect as being able tospeak simple Chinese phrases. Ifyou’re going to China, it’s worthyour time.

If you want to do business inChina you must first learn thesubtleties of the local customsand market. By far the easiestway to accomplish this is to havea Chinese guide lead you throughthe cultural nuances you will beforced to navigate. China is avery ancient civilization and someof its most cherished beliefs willseem to westerners a touch odd,but being respectful of them willaward one a level of social acceptance necessary to conductsuccessful business.

Unlike bustling Beijing, ruralChina is still relatively quaint.The great economic miracle haslargely been concentrated tourban areas, and demographic

shifts within China tend to support this notion. Farming ismostly limited to smaller plots ofland and mechanization is stillminimal. This is not because theChinese lack the capital, butbecause the landscape has beenfractured over thousands of yearsinto family owned farming plotstoo small to accommodate mostmodern machinery. It remains tobe seen what creative advance-ments the Chinese will make inagriculture over the next century,but their impressive record ofinnovation over the centuriesbodes well for the future of thissector!

In March I head back to thegreat civilization state, this timehoping that perhaps I will understand my generous hostsjust a little bit better than the firsttime . . .

Adam DickChatham, Ontario

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Ring in the year of the rabbit . . . an intrepid traveler ’s response

Following are highlights from theOFVGA board meeting held Feb-ruary 10, 2011. The purpose ofthis brief is to keep you up to dateon the issues that the OFVGA isworking on, as well as projectsand initiatives the organization isinvolved in.

New board members

Four new directors assumedtheir positions on the OFVGAboard: Fred Meyers (tender fruit),Jan Vander Hout and Don Taylor(greenhouse vegetables) andMary Shabatura (fresh vegetables– other). They were elected tothe Board at the OFVGA annualmeeting held in Niagara Falls inJanuary. Board membersreviewed the organization’s orientation binder, including rolesand responsibilities, policies andcodes of conduct.

Vice chair and managementcommittee elections

Mac James was re-elected tohis second one-year term as ViceChair of the OFVGA. Ray Duc,Norm Charbonneau, Mac James,Jason Ryder were elected to serveon the organization’s Manage-ment Committee, joining ChairBrian Gilroy who is automaticallyappointed to the committee.

Board meeting dates for 2011:March 24, April 21, June 16, July21, August 24-25, October 13,November 17, December 15

OFVGA appoints committeerepresentatives

• AGCare – Ray Duc• Agricultural Adaptation Coun-cil – Jim Rickard, Ed DehoogheCanadian Horticultural Council -Charles Stevens (Finance Com-mittee), Murray Porteous (Execu-tive), Brian Gilroy (Ontario repre-sentative)• Canadian Federation of Agri-culture – Brian Gilroy, MarkWales, Ken Forth • Canadian Produce MarketingAssociation – Brian Gilroy, ArtSmith• Erie Agri-Food Innovations –Harold Schooley, one director tobe named• FFV Tel – Art Smith• Farm Safety Association –Norm Charbonneau, David Lam-bert• FARMS – Tony Cervini, JohnArdiel, Trevor Falk, Tom Meide-ma, Ken Forth• Guelph Food Technology Cen-tre – Harold Schooley• Horticultural Value ChainRound Table – Brian Gilroy,George Gilvesy• Labour Regional Representa-tives - Ken Forth, Tony Cervini,Hector Delanghe, Steve Ver-steegh, John Ardiel• Labour Issues CoordinatingCommittee – Ken Forth, HectorDelanghe• Ontario Agri-Food Technolo-gies – Harold Schooley• Ontario Agricultural Commodi-ty Council – Mark Wales, Brian

Gilroy, Art Smith• Ontario Federation of Agricul-ture – Brian Gilroy, David Lam-bert• OMAFRA Research AdvisoryNetwork/Theme Advisory Group,Plants – Harold Schooley• Royal Agricultural Winter Fair– Brian Gilroy• National Safety Nets Represen-tative – Mark Wales• Canadian Horticultural CouncilScience Advisory Committee –Brian Gilroy, Harold Schooley• Vineland Research and Innova-tion Centre Stakeholders Adviso-ry Committee – Harold Schooley

Lobby strategy priority setting

Work is underway to updatethe OFVGA lobbying strategy.OFVGA member groups areasked to provide their suggestionsfor the key issues they would liketo see represented in the strategy.Areas of concern that have beenraised to date include property taxassessment for farms, develop-ment of a PACA-like trust to protect Canadian growers againstslow-paying or non-paying buyersof produce, long term and shortterm goals for safety nets,expanding the northern schoolfruit and vegetable snack programacross Ontario, future policysetting for water and ensuring thesector’s research needs are beingmet.

Board governance training

The Board agreed to partici-pate in a one-day governancetraining workshop with Strive onMarch 16. The purpose is to provide board members withsome background in governanceissues to assist the OFVGA inworking towards continuingimprovement of processes.

Research and promotion fund

At their December 2010 meeting, Board members passed a motion to establish a two yearpilot program that would set aside$300,000 per year to be allocatedto provincial sector groups forresearch and promotion. The distribution of these funds in2011 is based on the percentage

of container and associationmembership fees collected during2010.

In order to access dollars inthis fund, provincial sector groupsmust submit a letter of intent tothe OFVGA identifying the pro-ject the funds will be used for.Leveraging those dollars to obtainadditional funding through theAgricultural Adaptation Councilor other granting bodies isencouraged. Retroactivity is per-mitted for research and promotionprojects completed in 2010. Eligi-ble sector groups include OntarioGreenhouse Vegetable Growers,Ontario Apple Growers, FreshVegetable Growers of Ontario,Ontario Potato Board, OntarioTender Fruit Producers MarketingBoard, Ontario Berry GrowersAssociation, Ontario Fresh GrapeGrowers Marketing Board,Ontario Asparagus Growers Marketing Board, Ontario Ginseng Growers Association and Grape Growers of Ontario.

Research and promotion fundsavailable by sector: Greenhouse - $127,800.00Apples - $15,390.00Unregulated veg - $72,150.00Potatoes - $24,600.00Tenderfruit - $39,390.00Berries - $6,000.00Fresh Grapes - $4,140.00Asparagus - $2,010.00Ginseng - $3,660.00Grapes - $4,860.00

Annual General Meeting 2012

The 2012 OFVGA annualmeeting will be held January 9 –11, 2012 in Niagara Falls. Thefirst meeting of the 2012 Board ofDirectors will take place immedi-ately after the annual meeting onJanuary 11. It will be a shortmeeting to deal with any pressingissues and to elect the Manage-ment Committee and Vice Chair.

Summer tour and barbecue

The Board decided that the2011 summer tour and barbecuewill focused on the Norfolkregion and highlight some of thework being done by the ErieAgri-Food Innovation project.The event will take place August24, followed by the OFVGA sum-

mer board meeting on August 25.

Safety nets

The Safety Nets committeewill be meeting February 18. Sec-tion chair Mark Wales reportedthat the committee will be finaliz-ing the outline of an infrastructureprogram proposal for horticulture,which will be brought forward tothe Growing Forward II consulta-tions. The proposal is based onthe former BILD program thatwas available in the 1980s, andrecommends funding of $100 mil-lion per year for five years avail-able for eligible infrastructureprojects in the edible horticulturesector.

Wales also reported that thefresh vegetable acreage loss program working group is hopingto be resurrected in 2011. A meeting is to be scheduled in theupcoming months.

Federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculturemet in Toronto on February 11.Farm leaders, including OFVGA

Chair Brian Gilroy, have beenmeeting with Ontario AgricultureMinister Carol Mitchell to pushfor business risk managementprograms for Ontario non-supplymanaged commodity groups.

Property

Property section chair DaveLambert and OFVGA chair BrianGilroy attended a water innova-tion forum in London. Very fewfarmers were in attendance.Gilroy reported it is critical forfarmers to be involved in waterpolicy setting, particularly aswater demand and regulationsincrease. Water use and manage-ment is a societal issue, not justone for agriculture, and OFVGAbelieves that proper funding isnecessary to support farmers inmeeting government regulationsrelated to water.

Crop protection

Section chair Charles Stevensreported that growers can nowapply online for import certificates under the GrowerRequested Own Use (GROU)program. GROU allows farmersto import identical but lowerpriced crop protection productsfrom the United States, providedthe products have been approvedfor the program. Currently 27products are available to growersunder the program.

Stevens also reported that pro-duction of the insecticide Endo-sulfan will cease by December31, 2014 and sales of the productin Canada will end by December31, 2015. Growers will not beallowed to use the product afterDecember 31, 2016.

Continued on next page

THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 11

Board briefs

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Continued from page 11

Pesticide registration priority setting meetings will be held inOttawa March 21 – 24. Approxi-mately 150 participants attendedlast year’s meeting but only 12were grower representatives.Stevens encouraged growers andgrower organizations to partici-

pate in the meetings if they havespecific crop protection needs fortheir commodities. Canadian Horticultural CouncilFair and ethical trading prac-tices: In the U.S., the PerishableAgricultural Commodities Act(PACA) licenses buyers of pro-duce to ensure that those who sellproduce receive payment for their

products and at the same time hasestablished legislation that pro-tects produce sellers when buyersfail to pay. The OFVGA is advo-cating for the establishment of amade-in-Canada PACA-like trustprogram that extends the samebenefits to the Canadian produceindustry as in the U.S. This is aserious issue facing horticulture;

it is not only important to protectCanadian growers of edible horti-culture products, but also criticalthat we meet our trade obligationswith the United States. Canadiangrowers selling into the U.S. areprotected under PACA, but U.S.growers selling into the Canadianmarket do not have the same protection. The industry needs thesupport and willingness of thegovernment to provide the regulatory framework necessaryto make this program a reality.

Check-off on imported foodproducts - Laurent Pellerin, Chairof the Farm Product Council ofCanada, made a presentation toCHC regarding check-off onimported products. Two decadesago, the CHC lobbied for imple-mentation of a check-off onimported product to fund researchand promotion. Regulations werebrought into effect in the 1990s.Federal agriculture minister GerryRitz has directed Pellerin toreview these regulations to makethem more workable. Under theregulations, a check-off fee, simi-lar to what Canadian producers ofa commodity pay for research andpromotion, can be collected onany imported product.

Horticulture for health

The “Horticulture for Health”sub-committee of the horticulturevalue chain round table will behosting a reception on ParliamentHill on March 8 to encourage MPsupport for efforts to establishfruits and vegetables as one of thekey solutions to the healthcarecrisis in Canada. Several OFVGA

board and staff representatives areinvolved in the initiative, whichwill take place in the nationalpress gallery. Grey-Bruce-OwenSound MP Larry Miller, chair ofthe federal Standing Committeeon Agriculture and Agri-Food, isthe sponsoring MP of the event.The Canadian Horticultural Coun-cil is hosting a separate event tocelebrate Canadian horticultureon March 10 in Ottawa in con-junction with its annual generalmeeting. Growers are asked tocontact their MPs to encouragethem to participate in both theseevents.

Targeted product developmentto increase competitiveness ofthe fruit and vegetable sector

OFVGA CEO Art Smithreported that the organization hassubmitted a funding application tothe Canadian Agricultural Adap-tation Program (CAAP) for a pro-ject to help identify new ethnicvegetable crops that could poten-tially be grown in Ontario andQuebec. The goals of the projectinclude identifying new productsand varieties to meet the needsand demands of consumers,develop new varieties for testing,assess production and culturalissues related to the growth andsale of these new crops in Ontarioand Quebec and complete con-sumer analysis of new varietiesand packaging design options.Research will be conducted inOntario and Quebec in partner-ship with the Quebec HorticultureCouncil. The CAAP program inOntario is administered by theAgricultural Adaptation Council.

THE GROWER

PAGE 12 –– MARCH 2011

TOM LEMING

It has been a privilege andpleasure to have been involvednot only in the establishment ofthe Dispute Resolution Corpora-tion (DRC) – I was a member ofthe NAFTA sub-committee thatperformed the ground work thatled to its founding over 10 yearsago(happy tenth birthday DRC) -but to have been an arbitrator inseveral cases brought before theDRC. In addition to deciding various disputes brought to theDRC by trade members, I havealso presided over two such casesthat required hearings. I believethat the widely different nature ofthose hearings can provide someguidance about what to expectand how to prepare for such arbitrations.

One hearing involved me,three witnesses, three attorneys, acourt reporter, and even an interpreter. The second hearingwas only attended by me and onerepresentative from each of theparties in dispute. The first hear-ing involved over a million USdollars and lasted two full days.The second involved less than

$100,000 and lasted about a half-hour. The hearings themselvescould not have been more different, and can provide somevaluable lessons about the “hear-ing” DRC arbitration process andproceedings. As a note, all disputes involving more thanUS$50,000 are subject to this for-mal procedure, unless both partieswaive their right to a hearing andthe arbitrator and administratoragree the issues can be presentedcompletely without a hearing.

The purposes of an arbitrationhearing, to my way of thinking,are threefold. First, the hearingallows the parties, in a controlledbut relatively informal setting, toverbally provide to the arbitratortheir versions of what led to thedispute. Second, the hearingallows the arbitrator to observethe demeanor of the testifyingpersons and make judgmentsabout their truthfulness. Third,and most important, the hearing isprimarily an opportunity to provide the arbitrator with theinformation he/she requires tomake a fully informed ruling.

When attorneys are represent-ing the disputing parties, you can

expect the hearing to take on amore formal aspect. A certainamount of lawyerly histrionicsaside, I have found that attorneyscan be very valuable when personal testimony is important tothe case – in the first hearing theparties had neglected to put theterms of their million dollar dealinto writing, so testimony by thecontracting parties and interpreta-tion of a long series of fax messages was very important.The process of examination andcross-examination can greatlyclarify to the arbitrator the issuesand the understandings of thepeople directly involved. Thatsaid, when the dispute is relative-ly straightforward the hiring ofattorneys may prove less valuable, and most certainly moreexpensive.

Also, when the hearing is likely to include lengthy testimo-ny, you can expect to be testify-ing before a court reporter. Youcan also expect to jointly, or if thearbitrator so decides, solely footthe bill for this service. Thereporter prepares a detailed recordof the testimony for the benefit ofthe arbitrator, so he/she does not

have to rely on notes and recollection while preparing thedecision.

Strict rules of testimony andpresentation of evidence are notrequired in arbitration hearings,and you will probably find theDRC arbitrator quite liberal inallowing evidence and testimonyinto the record, making decisionsabout the usefulness of that evidence when he/she preparesthe decision. You will also likelyfind the arbitrator to be an activeparticipant in the hearing, askingquestions of the parties aboutissues not covered by the attor-neys’ questions. Attorneys, afterall, can be expected to ask onlythose questions that they wishanswered, when it may be impor-tant to the arbitrator to elicit addi-tional information, in order tomake a fully informed decision.

In the case of the half-hourhearing in which no attorneyswere involved, the proceedingswere much more relaxed. I haddetermined ahead of time thatthere would be little testimony,and the hearing went somethinglike this. I opened the hearing byannouncing that all evidence

previously provided in the arbitra-tion file would be considered evi-dence on which I would base mydecision, and asked if either partydesired to present anything else.Since neither offered additionalevidence, I then gave each partythe opportunity to make a state-ment regarding the dispute andasked if they had any questionsfor one another. Next I askedquestions of the parties to clear upmy understanding of the argu-ments and evidence. Finally, Igave each party the opportunity tomake any last statement theywished to make, and that was it!

Naturally, the best time to getDRC disputes resolved is duringthe informal stages, where theDRC specialist is available tofacilitate negotiations or acts asinformal mediator between thedisputing parties. By negotiatingin good faith you can avoid theadditional expense in both timeand money expended in takingyour dispute to a hearing.

Tom Leming has more than 30years of experience resolvingPerishable Agricultural Commodities Act disputes. He isbased in SanteFe, New Mexico.

A tale of two hearings

Board briefs

KAREN DAVIDSON

The Ontario Ministry ofLabour has just visited your farmand three orders have been givenfor action. You’ve been too busyto set up regular health and safe-ty training, there’s no safety repappointed among your workersand yikes, where is that bulletinboard when you need it. Help!

These are the most commoninfractions that Laurel Wood-house hears about in emergencycalls to her business. She’s a pri-vate safety consultant based in St.Catharines, Ontario who has builta reputation in the agriculturalsector of the Niagara peninsula.Besides counseling the construc-tion industry, she’s on call forgreenhouses and the tender fruitindustry. Through word-of-mouthreferrals, she has helped manygrowers comply with legislationthat came into effect in 2006.

“There are so many safetyissues affecting agricultural work-ers – crop protection products,tractors, forklifts – that we needan ongoing awareness program oneach farm,” says Woodhouse.

The 2010 Ontario statisticsprove her point. Last September,two Jamaican workers lost theirlives attempting to fix a pump foran apple cider vat when they wereovercome by gas. Almost a yearago, a Mexican worker lost a legin a tractor accident. After miningand construction, agriculture isthe third most dangerous occupation in Canada.

Here’s what Woodhouse offerswhen she gets that call for help.She meets with the owners andestablishes what kind of healthand safety program has been inplace.

“Usually, it’s very little,” shesays. “So the first step is to identify a safety rep from theworkers who is comfortable talk-ing with peers and management.Quite often, there are languagebarriers, so it’s essential to have ago-between.”

The next step is to set up ahealth and safety meetingbetween the owners and the safety rep to discuss a trainingprogram that fits into the farm’sschedule. Farm safety statisticsshow that 60 per cent of injuriesresult from poorly maintainedequipment, so Woodhouse coordinates not only a mainte-nance schedule but a trainingschedule for tractors and forklifts.It’s important to document whenthese training sessions haveoccurred.

Part of the safety program,Woodhouse says, is teaching therights and responsibilities ofworkers. They must use protec-tive equipment and know what todo if there is an injury. The safetyrep is responsible for delivering amonthy inspection sheet to managers who are then obliged torespond.

“Farm safety and food safetyare intertwined,” says Wood-house. Posters are available indifferent languages urging use ofhair nets and hand-washing.These posters must be clearly visible on a bulletin board in anarea frequented by workers.

After the first consultation,Woodhouse will quite often bringa safety bulletin board all set forthe lunch room. It’s a tangiblestep towards a formalized program.

“At first, farmers were reluctant to embrace what they

perceived as another level of government bureaucracy,” saysWoodhouse. “But I sense a

change in attitude with myclients. An active health and safe-ty program results in workers

who feel that their employers carethat they go home safe at the endof the season.”

THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 13

FARM SAFETY

Tips on how to comply with health and safety standards

DRIVING INNOVATION FOR CANADIAN HORTICULTURE

New variety and

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Visit www.vinelandresearch.com4890 Victoria Avenue North, Box 4000, Vineland Station, Ontario, Canada, L0R 2E0

Tools for farm employers Since June 2010, new legislation has underlined a zero-tolerance policy on workplace violence. Anexcellent, eight-page pamplet is available from www.farmsafety.ca called “What employers need toknow to help.” It explains that domestic violence doesn’t stop when your worker arrives at work andhow to identify behaviors of employees most at risk.

A poster on stretching gives visual cues on how to relieve stressed muscles. Both manual labourers andoffice staff will appreciate this reminder. Download this poster from www.farmsafety.ca

SHOULDERSSHOULDERS HANDSHANDSNECKNECK

S T R E T C H I N GS T R E T C H I N GPREVENTS INJURIESStretches can be done at any time of the day, but they are most beneficial on

warmed muscles. Make stretching part of your daily routine and stretch whenever

you feel tension or pain. Don’t overextend your joints or overexert your muscles,

you should feel pressure - not pain.

STRETCHING BENEFITSSTRETCHING BENEFITS

�Gets oxygen and nutrients to the muscles

and improves circulation.

�Helps to prevent muscle strains.

�Relieves muscle tension and stress.

�Keeps muscle fibers healthy.

�Increases the range of motion

and flexibility of joints.

�Removes lactic acid deposits, which

can harm muscle fibers.

S TRE TCH PROPER LYS TRE TCH PROPER LY

�Stretch using a slow smooth movement.

Avoid bouncing or fast jerky motions during

your stretch.

�Extend the stretch only to the point of

feeling mild tension.

�Hold each stretch for a minimum of

20-30 seconds (unless otherwise stated).

Breath slowly through your nose, exhale out

your mouth as you ease into each stretch.

�Recommended to repeat each stretch

3-5 times.

�Always stretch both sides of the body.

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Drawings courtesy of ERGO Inc.

THERESA WHALEN

Most farmers say safety is animportant and essential core valuein their operations. But buildingsafety into everyday work plansfor themselves, their families andemployees is often a differentstory. Sometimes it’s tough toknow the best way to pass-on thesafety ethic. But it can be done insix steps.

The first step is identify workexpectations. Write a work proce-dure for each major job on yourfarm. In it, describe job responsi-bilities and duties, giving specificperformance objectives, standardsor requirements for each includ-ing safety expectations. This willinclude describing the quantityand quality of results with empha-sis given to critical behaviours.Be sure that you and the workereach have a copy of the writtenjob description. Use it for trainingand annual performance evaluations.

Second, set up to succeed.Successful work has two primaryingredients – the right workerusing the right tools. Select andplace workers based on matchingtheir capabilities and competen-cies with the job. Ensure theyhave or get proper task instruc-tions, skill training or coaching asneeded and give a full review ofrelated policies, procedures andpractices. Empower workers bygiving them knowledge, responsi-bilities and authority to succeed attheir job. This also means

ensuring they have the propermaterials, equipment, resourcesand environment to do the jobeffectively and safely.

Third, monitor and measureperformance. The best way tomonitor and measure performanceis through simple observation thatconcentrates on objective, mea-surable, job related factors suchas attendance, accuracy, quantityand quality of work, safetybehaviours and other performancerequirements. Evaluate their workand offer both positive commentsand areas where improvement isneeded. Document your findingsas part of your employment business records.

Fourth, provide performancefeedback. Provide on-going feed-back to their work in general,pointing out both problems andprogress. Use facts, figures andspecific incidents to discuss jobperformance so as to avoid getting personal. Ask questions toensure two-way communications– as they say ‘learn to listen andlisten to learn’. Strive for agreement on how the person isperforming and why – and howthey can improve.

Fifth, practise workplacecoaching. Always set a goodexample as to how to do thingssafely. When a worker’s behaviour needs to be changed tobecome safer, correct the behaviour through re-instruction,reminders, reviews, refreshers andreinforcement using a mutualproblem-solving approach. Base

rewards on results and perfor-mance improvements by givingimmediate recognition for desired(efficient, safe, productive)behaviour. Make a habit of reinforcing positive performanceto make positive performance ahabit.

And finally, stimulate continu-al improvement. Get to knowyour workers and find out whatmotivates them. Demonstrateyour concern for their health andwell-being, career development,professional growth and life-long

learning. This means giving themthe knowledge, tools and supportto work safely.

If something goes wrong, helpyour workers learn from experi-ence by tracing incidents fromconsequences back to basic causes. Help them enjoy a safeand productive workplace.

“Plan • Farm • Safety” is thethree-year theme of the CanadianAgricultural Safety campaign,which was launched last March.Each aspect of the theme will bepromoted over the next three

years. In 2010 the campaign pro-moted "Plan" with safety walka-bouts and planning for safety. Inthe second year, the focus is on"Farm" including implementation,documentation and training. Inthe third year, emphasis will beon "Safety" including assessment,improvement and further develop-ment of safety systems. For moreinformation on this and otherfarm safety topics visitwww.planfarmsafety.ca .

Theresa Whalen is a CFAFarm Safety Consultant.

THE GROWER

PAGE 14 –– MARCH 2011

FARM SAFETY

Six steps to build a farm safe team

Effective ag safety practicesrequire skill and a positive attitude. It is not enough simplyto know how to do things safely –you also have to have the drive toactually do it. You have to ‘walkthe talk’.

So how do you create a greatsafety attitude in your farm operation? Lead by example, give feedback,provide training,involve employees and offer safety incentives.

Leading by example is by farthe most powerful way to estab-lish acceptable and expected safety behaviour on your farm. Ifthe employer makes it clear thatthe safe way is the only way towork on his or her farm, thenemployees follow suit.

Feedback involves letting theworker know how well his or herperformance meets the expected

work standards – but first youmust let them know what theexpected standard is.

Training is an important meansof influencing how people thinkand behave. It not only showsthem how to do the job, but alsoestablishes possible consequencesof their behaviour to themselvesand others. Make sure workersknow how to do the whole jobsafely, not just the one or twosteps that they did wrong.

Employee involvement in farmsafety is an effective way ofchanging worker beliefs byincreasing understanding, andoffering a greater sense of support and pride in their work.

And finally, safety incentivesbased on things that workers haveto learn, do or remember can beeffective in improving farm safety behaviour. For example, a

worker could be sent for special-ized safety training paid for bythe farm. This will give the work-er some time away from the farmroutine, enhance their employ-able job skills, and make them amore capable and valuableemployee on the farm. It isimportant to remember thatrewards should be based on correct actions rather than basedon not having incidents, becausethat could discourage accidentreporting.

By getting to know your workers and what is important tothem, you will learn the best wayto encourage and motivate theminto becoming more safety conscious on your farm. For moreinformation on this and otherfarm safety topics visitwww.planfarmsafety.ca.

Cultivating a farm safety attitude

KAREN DAVIDSON

Lavender is twitching the nosesof several growers, to the pointthat the first annual meeting of theOntario Lavender Association justtook place at the Ontario Fruit andVegetable Convention.

Jeanette Vandermarel, chair,says that opportunities will beenhanced by working together.

Part of an informal study groupin southwestern Ontario, Steveand Anita Buehner had their sens-es awakened when they venturedto the North American LavenderConference in 2008. Their enthu-siasm blossomed into BonnieheathLavender farm near Waterford,Ontario where they’ve been trialling new varieties for winterhardiness. They set out 5,000plants in 2010 and are expectingto do the same in 2011.

“We’re confident of cold tolerance,” says Anita Buehner,“but now it’s determining thequantity and quality of the oil.”

Lavender oils are in highestabundance in the flower, with theleaves next. Some Ontario grow-ers already have distillers, usingthe oils as ingredients in soaps andsalts. The buds have culinary usesin sugar or herbes de provence.

A cherry operation is thefarm’s foremost crop, but the

Buehner’s think that lavendercould occupy a niche. The Buehner’s plan their first lavenderfestival for July 16 and 17 withthe idea that a tailgate tour mightbe extended to other area farms.

With some modest growerfunding, variety trials started inearnest last year under the

supervision of Sean Westerweld,OMAFRA’s alternative crop specialist. On seven sites acrossthe province, 27 varieties wereplanted to test overwintering,essential oils and visual character-istics. He is looking for consisten-cy in flower height, colour shades,stalk sturdiness and length, andtight buds for bundling.

The fledgling industry isencouraged by the entrepreneurialsuccess of Pierre Pellerin whofounded Bleu Lavande in theEastern Townships of Quebec.After losing his lavender crop to abrutal winter in the early 2000s,he and his wife Christine Desch-enes have persisted in findinghardy varieties (True English,True Munstead) and agronomicpractices to ensure survival. Theynow use excessive mounds ofstraw for overwintering the plants.

Today, they nurture 62 acres oflavender on poor, but well-drainedsoil. Pellerin has modified a broccoli planter to set out 75,000lavender plants. He has imported aharvester from France to managethe 175 tons of flowers that mustbe distilled into essential oils. Ittakes 300 to 500 kilograms of

mass to distill three to four litresof oil.

But oil for soaps and culinaryproducts aren’t the only things onoffer. In such an idyllic setting,the experience of Bleu Lavande inJuly and August is for sale aswell. Last year, the destinationattracted 198,000 visitors, mostlyfrom the Montreal and QuebecCity areas.

When the bus tours arrive, visitors have more to do thanreflect on a Provence-like scene.For starters, they can watch localartists practising their craft or listen to classical musicians. Theycan pay for private massages incabanas in the field. Or they canparticipate in a cooking class. Ifnothing else, they can shop in theimmaculately soothing boutique.

While the peak of lavenderbloom is end of July, Pellerin hasbeen inventive in extending hisseason. Visitors to the farmreceive discount coupons whichcan be redeemed at satellite BleuLavande boutiques in 10 mallsaround the province of Quebec.Ranging in area from 800 to 1,100square feet, these boutiques replicate the aromas of summeryear-round.

One of Pellerin’s ingredients tosuccess is trademarking his logoand his concept. Independent giftshops carry many of the lavenderproducts but they must be displayed within a shelf that’s provided by Bleu Lavande. “It’sterritory protection,” says Pellerin.

Such a successful businesswould not be complete without awebsite (www.bleulavande.ca). Asophisticated giftware selectionmakes Bleu Lavande accessible toanyone who can’t make the trek toMagog, Quebec. Now that Pellerin has shared his story withOntario lavender growers, manywill likely not settle for his business card and the imaginarywhiff of lavender. They’ll bemaking a personal trip.

“Come to the country of laven-der and respirez,” says Pellerin.

Breathe.

THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 15

Lavender: The scent of an alternative crop leads to official association

Bleu Lavande, a lavender farm near Magog, Quebec attracts 198,000 visitors year-round with peak seasonin July and August.

KAREN DAVIDSON

Consider that Thunder Bay,Ontario has a population of110,000 and more than 50,000Facebook accounts. Those are statistics that have convincedKevin Belluz to spend more time,not necessarily more money, onFacebook marketing.

“Last year, we started a Face-book fan page to connect moredirectly with our customers,” saysBelluz, who operates BelluzFarms in the Slate River Valley,just 20 minutes southwest ofThunder Bay. The 300-acre fruitand vegetable farm that growseverything from peas to pumpkinsis a well-known brand that hasgained even more profile withhelpful hints on availability of thenext crop. They sell primarily tothe local market, but also producegreenhouse plugs and cuttingsthat are shipped as far as Manito-ba, with a planned expansion intoorganic vegetable transplants.

“Facebook is a great mediumfor saying we’ll be at the farmers’market tomorrow with the first ofthe strawberries, peas or sweetcorn,” says Belluz.

What’s more, he’s buyingadvertisements on Facebook todrive traffic to the farm and hisstall at the Thunder Bay CountryMarket. He knows this is workingby how clients mention it face-to-face, and the statistics that Facebook displays for his page.

“I recommend this tactic tobuild friends and likes, thethumbs-up icon, as quickly aspossible,” says Belluz. “It’s a wayto build word-of-mouth referralsat little cost.”

In fact, his Facebook page hasattracted 820 friends at an aver-age cost of 25 cents per friend.According to Belluz, it’s “deadsimple” to set up an advertise-ment by following the Facebookpage prompts. He particularlylikes the ability to pay for onlythe demographics and geographythat matters to him, targetingthose who like food or those whogarden within 100 miles of Thunder Bay. Facebook is able toshow the advertisement to thatparticular slice of potential customers, with Belluz payingonly if the customer becomes afriend or follower of his Face-book page.

“The click rate is a good wayfor direct marketers to measurethe success of their campaign,”says Belluz. “The next step is tofurther integrate all of our onlineactivities.”

Twitter use is relatively limitedin the Thunder Bay area, howeverBelluz hopes to experiment withthe medium of sending 140-character messages or ‘tweets’ in2011. Software such as Hootsuite

is available to help combine Facebook and Twitter messaging,which is likely to become morepopular as smartphones proliferate.

Just because these new communication channels areavailable does not mean they areeffective with every demographic.Belluz points out that the babyboomers are a target market withtheir high disposable income andhealth-conscious buying habits,yet they are not heavy users ofFacebook. That’s where tradition-al advertising channels still play arole such as the Thunder BayChronicle-Journal.

With an integrated marketingplan, Belluz uses newspaperadvertisements to drive customersto his website (www.belluz-farms.on.ca) and his Facebookpage. The idea is to increase thenumber of ‘touch points’ with thecustomer.

In another marketing experi-ment started last May, Belluz andother local growers have set up anon-line store: Superior SeasonsFood Market. Using softwarecalled locallygrown.net, they usethe template for customers to visita virtual farmers’ market. At thistime of year, it’s meats, flour,winter squash, specialty potatoes,frozen blueberries, wild foodproducts and dried mushrooms onoffer. Farmers bring their produceor value-added products to theBelluz Farm where they organizethe orders for delivery twice aweek.

This service is currently usedby not only individual consumersbut several institutions, includinga day-care, a restaurant and asenior’s home. The software is

particularly helpful in setting upboth wholesale and retailaccounts to accommodate thelarge-volume buyers. Somethinglike VISA, the software coststhree per cent of the transactiondollar volume.

Again, this new service is partof the ongoing social media newsstream. For all growers, it’s acase of experimenting with whatworks for your own operation.Oddly enough, videos and photosdon’t seem to have garneredmuch attention but that doesn’tmean Kevin and his wife Jodiwon’t keep adding them to themix.

“With social media, it’s allabout turning customers intoadvocates and you can’t beatword-of-mouth advertising,” heconcludes.

To the left is a sample of BelluzFarms Facebook page whichKevin Belluz showed to the audi-ence at the recent Ontario Fruitand Vegetable Convention.

How one Thunder Bay grower has used social mediaReduce marketing costs, maximize sales per customer

THE GROWER

PAGE 16 –– MARCH 2011

John Deere, AgraTurfCourtland, ON

NORFOLK COUNTY, ONTARIO

“We encourage all companies doing business with Ontario’s vibrant fruit and vegetable industry to participate in this inaugural event. By joining us, we will showcase an impressive array of solutions that strengthen the sector’s success in the global marketplace. By supporting our growers and processors at this important trade show, we are demonstrating AgraTurf’s long term com-mitment to our customers and their specialized needs."

COMMITTED!

- Joe Fewer, President & CEO

THANKS TO THE 100+ EXHIBITORS THAT HAVE COMMITTED TO DATEFruitVegTechXchange.com | 226.381.0282

info@fruitvegtechxchange.com | F: 226.381.0284

"Case IH has deep roots in the fruit and veg industry and is proud to continue our support with participation in Canada’s Fruit & Veg Tech X-Change. Case IH will support our strong dealer network as they prepare and plan for this inaugu-ral event. Both Case IH and our dealers appreciate the business format of the X-Change." - Matt Roberts, Territory Sales Manager, Western OntarioCase IH

Brantford, ON

"We are committed to Canada’s Fruit & Veg Tech X-Change, an outdoor trade show which actively supports the horticulture and agricultural sectors. This amazing team is truly dedicated to the betterment of the industry. Gintec Shade Technologies Inc. is a world class fabricator of horticultural, agricultural and recreational fabrics, servicing all of North America. It is a pleasure to be involved in this inaugural event”.

“The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association is committed to the advancement of the edible horticulture sector in this province. Research and innovation are key pillars of a successful and sustainable future for our industry, and we are pleased to support initiatives and events that will give growers access to new tools, information and technology that can help move our sector forward.”

- Art Smith, CEO OFVGAGuelph, ON

- Mark Lucas, Owner Gintech Shade Technologies Inc.

Vanessa, ON / Tavares, FL

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THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 17

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KAREN DAVIDSON

Speciality crops are on the cusp of arobotic revolution. That’s the prediction ofmechanical engineer Tony Koselka whotalked about his company’s development ofan intelligent pruner at the Ontario Fruitand Vegetable Convention.

“Significant mechanization has taken

place in row crops, but now specialty cropsare moving forward in productivity, inventory management, precision farmingand mechanization,” he says. “Labour is amajor issue so robotics will help growerscompete in a global market.”

Based in San Diego, California, VisionRobotics has developed a prototype that’snow undergoing refinement in a real-lifevineyard. In studying the vineyard practice,Koselka says that discriminate pruningrequires vision to see the structure of thevine and to make appropriate pruning decisions.

“Pruning rules are quantifiable,” saysKoselka. His prototype machine first scansthe vine while moving forward. Manyimages are stitched together to build a vinemodel. The system then builds a 3-Dmodel of the vine, identifying the key features: canes, cordon, spur heads andbuds. The pruning rules dictate the pruningpoints. The vision-guided arms and sensitive clippers correctly cut the canes.

The benefits are day and night operationas well as a self-propelled machine thatneeds turning only at the end of the row.Koselka says the machine can prune one

acre in four hours, saving 40 to 50 per centof hand labour. Depending on vine density,he estimates a cost of 20 to 40 cents pervine versus 70 cents per vine with manualpruning.

Price tag? For $170,000, Koselka’smath figures a return in 2.5 years. He alsopoints out that the machine can be used forcrop estimates. The machine can record adatabase of grape volume by vine for anentire block. More data will be generatedon the intelligent pruner when it has a testrun in Australia later this year.

THE GROWER

PAGE 18 –– MARCH 2011

Intelligent pruner is on the vineyard horizonPruning one acre in four hours halves manual labour costs

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THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 19

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The week of Ontario’s firstapple cider competition, a wassailing party was held at thefarm of Thomas Wilson andNicole Judge of Spirit Tree EstateCidery at Caledon. True to theiragritourism roots, they wereentertaining paying customersduring the off-season with a bonfire in the orchard. Little didthey know that they were celebrating in advance of theirwinning entry of apple cider,beating out a dozen other competitors.

Runners-up were Hector andMark Delanghe, DelhavenOrchards at Blenheim and inthird place was Ray Ferri, AlFerri and Sons, Brampton.

Thanks to the organizing skillsof Leslie Huffman, OMAFRAapple specialist, the competitionwill likely be an annual event,following the example of nearbyMichigan State. That’s whereBob Tritten, a Michigan StateUniversity extension worker, isthe veteran of leading 14 con-tests. He, in turn, has copied the formula from Illinois.

Modified and tweaked overthe years, the scoring sheet hasproven to be a helpful guide. It

evaluates appearance and colour(clean, clear, attractive, bright),aroma and bouquet (fragrant,pleasing, interesting character),acidity and sweetness (not toohigh or low) sugar/acid balance(good ratio, well balanced), body(not too thin or thick, suspendedsolids), flavour (pleasant, fruity,fresh), finish (lingering sensation,off flavours) and overall quality(flavourful, attractive, goodimpression). A perfect scorewould be 20 points with fourpoints alone for flavour.

All samples had no farm iden-tification. While it’s known that ablend of apples is best for sweetcider, no information was givenon apple varieties. Generallyspeaking, McIntosh may be goodfor producing juice, while Gala isa favourite for flavour.

The name Spirit Tree takes intoaccount the ancient tradition of

wassailing as well as being aplay on the fact that cider

is an alcoholic drink or “spirit” from trees.

A peach is peachy when it’s ripe and juicy

KAREN DAVIDSON

Consumers aren’t fuzzy at allabout what they want in a peach.The sweeter, juicier and moreintense in peach flavour, all thebetter according to recent studiesby Vineland Research and Inno-vation Centre (Vineland). A tastetest with 100 consumers revealsthat peaches aren’t ripe enough toeat when they buy them, oftentaking three to four days to reachripeness. That’s a long wait forthe promise of peach juice dripping off their chins.

“The fact that most fruit soldin the store is still quite firm andnot what consumers say they likeis an important finding for peachgrowers,” says Isabelle Lesschaeve, Research Director,Consumer Insights and ProductInnovation, Vineland.

That’s a tough discovery forthe Vineland Growers Coopera-tive and Tender Fruit ProducerMarketing Board which participated in the value chainstudy. With such a perishable

crop, they must carefully timeharvest and packing to meet storedemand. Correlating that peak ofripeness to acidity and

temperatures is the next step.Another study probed con-

sumers on what factors into theirpeach purchasing decisions and

was conducted across Canadawith more than 700 respondents.Physical characteristics such asshape, size and flesh colour, prod-uct price, organic or conventionalproduction and packaging wereall considered. This study was co-sponsored by Niagara PeninsulaFruit and Vegetable Growers’Association and OMAFRAGrowing Forward program.

Of course, what consumers say

and what they do are two different things. Directly askingconsumers what drives purchasefound that external factors such asappearance were cited most oftenby consumers as the number onedriver for purchase, with price asnumber three or four. However,when several hypothetical scenar-ios were presented, price trumpedall other factors, even region oforigin. That finding belies current wisdom that consumersare willing to pay more for local produce. However, there is no“universal peach consumer” saysLesschaeve, whose data analysesrevealed six different segments.The price-sensitive consumers(15%) are a small group whileeven fewer (7%) said that localproduct mattered. A large groupof consumers (21%), mostly valued Ontario origin, and wantedto touch the fruit – a habit thatfrustrates most vendors. Of mostsurprise is that a considerable percentage of consumers (20%)preferred loose fruit versus a pre-packed basket. Another groupwanted to touch the fruit beforebuying (11%) and the last groupdidn’t show a clear pattern forwhat really matters to them(26%).

The value chain study willcontinue in 2011 with the help ofa post-harvest science expert whowill join the Vineland researchteam this spring. Growers andmarketers want to understandhow to preserve fruit qualitywhile getting a riper product tothe consumer.

THE GROWER

PAGE 20 –– MARCH 2011

A taste panel works through questions on taste and texture characteristics of peaches.

Who rules the cider house?

THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 21

Always read and follow label directions. ELEVATE, the ELEVATE logo, MAESTRO and the MAESTRO logo are registered trademarks of Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC. Arysta LifeScience and the Arysta LifeScience logo are registered trademarks of Arysta LifeScience Corporation. ORTHENE is a registered trademark of OMS Investments, Inc., exclusively licensed to Arysta LifeScience Corporation in numerous countries. ©2011 Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC. ORT-045

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Fruits are an impulse purchasewhereas vegetables are planned.

That may come as a surprise togrowers, but Steve Lutz, execu-

tive vice-president, PerishablesGroup, has statistics to back him

up. His Chicago-based compa-ny, formed a decade ago, nowcrunches data from 13,000 grocers in 48 markets.

His insight should concernapple growers right acrossCanada who are competing ina diminishing industry. Lutzpainted a 2011 economic land-scape that is as competitive asever.

“Variety changes customerdynamics,” he told the OntarioApple Academy. “Once you tasteHoneycrisp or Ambrosia, it’s hardto go back.”

The number of varietiesemerging in the apple category iscause enough for concern, but hepointed out that retailers are time-pressed to analyse what varietiesmight do best in their demograph-ic area. Lutz shared data from aSyracuse, New York state storethat carried 35 unique items in theapple category but 10 varietiesdrove the sales.

“It’s critical to get it right,”says Lutz. “The right stores, rightvarieties, right time and price.”Honeycrisp apples, for example,sell at a 50 per cent premium tothe entire category.

Apple consumers can be seg-mented into different groups:urban, comfortable country, plainrural living and youth 18 andunder. So it’s important to alignapple varieties with the customerbase. For the youth group, itmeans understanding that theyhave low knowledge of prepara-tion but a strong commitment toorganic. They’re bored with traditional items and are confused with selection criteria.

With multiple apple varietieson offer, Lutz has discovered thatniche apple varieties are mostoften purchased in tandem with amore traditional variety. The

average purchase frequency isquite low for these niche apples.

Recent data shows that 35 percent of consumers are buyingmore apples at farmers’ markets.The “buy local” trend is morethan just a farmers’ market trend,but one that can be observed inseveral grocers. With new tech-nology such as Query Response(QR) codes, a consumer can scana code into a blackberry andimmediately see the origin of theapple – orchard, production prac-tices and so on.

“It’s a real failure of the appleindustry to see such large variances in store performance,”observes Lutz. “Retailers arefocusing on category perfor-mance. They have tracking capa-bilities which are far more devel-oped these days. A particularvariety does not necessarily driveincremental value. To introduce anew variety is a gamble. Theretailer will fear that he’s duplicating a product and notincreasing sales.”

The retail environment trans-lates into lots of risk for thegrower. To keep on top of trends,Lutz advises that growers shouldbe replanting 10 per cent of theorchard every year. What varietyis the key question. As someonewho grew up on an apple farm, heknows how hard it’s been for hisfather to cut down Red Delicioustrees. The variety decision doesn’tget any easier with the statisticsthat today’s consumer spends, onaverage, only 20 minutes in thegrocery store and a mere threeminutes in the produce aisle.

KAREN DAVIDSON

“We can create a profile of theOntario Golden Delicious appleconsumer,” says Gord Smith,business manager, The NielsenCompany. “It’s all about aggre-gates and how to reach certaingroups of people.”

That’s a powerful promisefrom the company that does con-sumer tracking with a database of12,500 consumers in Canada. Atthe recent Ontario Apple Acade-my, Smith painted a daunting picture of the retail environmentwhere 54 per cent of consumersstill think we are in a recession.Those perceptions affect purchasedecisions. In fact, he says Canadi-ans are making fewer shoppingtrips, although there is increasedspending per basket. For applegrowers, the question is how tomake apples part of that basket.

Nationally, apples sales wereup four per cent in 2010, whileOntario’s apples sales were offone per cent, no doubt due toinflationary pressures. Fresh

bagged sales have been up modestly in the last year, with themost popular varieties being Gala,Royal Gala, Red Delicious,Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. National dollar sales ofshelf-stable apple juices havedeclined by three per cent whilechilled apple juices are witnessingstrong growth of nine per cent.

In a recovering economy,shoppers have shifted their viewson store attributes. Most popularis one-stop shopping, followed byin-stock inventory, high-qualityand fresh produce, ease of findingproducts and pleasant store environment.

Where apple marketers need tohone their skills is on ethnic mar-

kets. Chinese, Italian and Punjabineighborhoods in Toronto, forexample, offer opportunities fortargeted mixes of apple varietiesthat fit specific tastes. New immi-grants are more likely to be homecooks and have more kids, so thatinsight points to the need formore sophisticated marketing.

“Reaching the right consumerin the right store is the key togrowth,” predicts Smith. The Chinese grocery market in Canada is now worth $5.6 billionwith South Asians not far behindat $5.1 billion.

Beyond demographics are howsmartphones and social media arechanging consumer behaviors.Smith says that 27 per cent ofCanadians now use a mobilephone to connect to the Internet.This will lead to more mobilecoupons and clubcards on yoursmartphones. Females are morelikely to be engaged in socialmedia, and as primary shoppers,are the most obvious targetsfor marketing.

“Think of social media as a

storefront,” says Smith. “You’regetting consumers to ‘like’ you.It’s now a world of mouth.”

Since friends and family dominate the trust zone, Smithsays that social media can play apowerful role in validating prod-uct choices. In fact, Facebook andTwitter are now being used togain input on new products, solicit product reviews and to distribute coupons.

Based on Neilsen data over amultitude of categories, here’swhat Smith recommends for marketing strategies in 2011.1) Maintain sustainable pricingstrategies for growth2) Mobilize social media as away to connect with consumers’culture3) Evolve marketing plans withcreative, test concepts The Ontario Apple Academy was sponsored by Ontario AppleGrowers and Agricultural Management Institute, Feb. 8 & 9.

THE GROWER

PAGE 22 –– MARCH 2011

APPLE ACADEMY

‘World of mouth’ marketing now the norm: Neilsen Company

Matching apple varieties to store demographics

Honeycrisp

Retailers are now using census data by language to specify producemix. In Toronto, the Chinese community is denoted in red, the Italiancommunity in green , and the Punjabi community in pink.

KAREN DAVIDSON

What do these terms have incommon? Blackberry. McIn-tosh/Macintosh. Tango. Apple.Jazz. Honey.

As the starter question in apresentation about intellectualproperty, Bruce Barritt hasalready given a clue. They’re alltrademarked. What was onceknown as a fruit is now the ubiq-uitous Blackberry smartphone.Another famous apple variety hasbeen appropriated for a very pop-ular brand of Macintosh comput-er.

The Washington State Univer-sity professor and apple breedersays that five to 10 new applevarieties are produced every yearglobally. But to get accessrequires a basic understanding ofhow apple varieties are intellectu-al property that operate underPlant Breeders’ Rights (PBR),trademarks and marketing.

Horticultural and consumertraits are valuable discoverieswhich should be protected byPBR and earn royalties. Eachapple variety should be viewed asgenetic technology, a businessproduct in the value chain whichneeds constant upgrading. Goback to technology innovatorResearch in Motion as our exam-ple. Their Blackberry models(varieties?) are constantly updatedevery few months with Torch asthe most recent product launch.

In the produce business, a vari-ety must be recognizable by itscharacteristics, be recognizablydifferent from other varieties andremain unchanged through propa-gation. Public breeding programstoday are the major source of newgenetics. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has pro-duced apple varieties such asAurora Golden Gala, Eden, Evan-geline and others. Around theworld, varieties such as New

Zealand’s Jazz and Australia’sPink Lady are now marketed.

Barritt’s point is that if any ofthese varieties were stolen, thedevelopers and growers who pro-duce them would be annoyed ormore realistically, angry. Thesevarieties need intellectual proper-ty protection from risks such asplant theft, overproduction ormisinformation. That protection isoffered through the Plant Breed-ers’ Rights Act 1990 which grantsthe breeder exclusive rights for 18years. In essence, it means theowner has the right to propagateand sell the new variety and tocharge a royalty for the sale.

For apple growers, the acade-mics become very real with theproposed introduction by Okana-gan Specialty Fruits of GoldenDelicious Arctic, a geneticallymodified variety with non-brown-ing fruit. As the chart shows,there are a number of new vari-eties which have come to theCanadian marketplace in recentyears.

Barritt explains that trade-marks differ from PBR in thatthey are words or a design thatidentifies and differentiates theproduct in the marketplace. “Youcannot trademark the name thatyou use to apply for plant breed-ers’ rights,” he says.

A trademark provides legalprotection by giving exclusiverights to use the ‘mark’ to identi-fy a product. It protects the use ofthe name and symbol but does notprotect the use of the productwhich is the job of PBR. It canalso provide the right to licensethe ‘mark’ for a fee and establishstandards for the product such asfruit colour and size. Protectionis provided for 15 years and isrenewable.

According to Barritt, everyvariety needs a commercializationstrategy. That requires askingtough questions about the market-

place potential. What are theyields and fruit quality? Will con-sumers accept the variety? Isthere enough acreage to support apromotional push? Has storagespace been secured? If you aresatisfied with positive answers tothese questions, then intellectualproperty rights should be part ofcommercialization.

Plant Breeders’ Rights andtrademarks in themselves do notrestrict acreage, production andmarketing. Aurora Golden Gala,for example, is an open variety inCanada. It is the licensing agree-ments between owners, produc-ers, handlers and marketers thatadd restrictions. University ofMinnesota, for example, licensedthe Next Big Thing cooperative tocommercialize SweeTango andsub-licensed Scotian Gold Grow-ers limiting acreage, setting quali-ty standards and trademark use.

Acquiring access to these newvarieties requires due diligence,Barritt advises. First, establishrelationships with variety man-agement organizations. For ashort term of five years, ask toevaluate, then negotiate license toproduce. For a medium term of10 years, establish direct relation-ships with breeding programs.Undertake early evaluation ofpromising selections from AAFC,New York or Minnesota breedingprograms. For the long term of 15years plus, establish a breedingprogram which is either public,private or a partnership. Wash-ington State University, for exam-ple, has established a partnershipwith the Washington Tree FruitResearch Commission.

To fully commercialize a vari-

ety for sale in your region, Barrittadvises working with a varietymanagement organization. InWashington State, for example,Stemilt Growers is introducingthe Pinata variety while McDou-

gal and Sons are handlingAmbrosia.

What’s in a name? Just likepeople, everything matters frompedigree to reputation.

THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 23

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APPLE ACADEMY

How to acquire access to new apple varieties

Apple producers from fivecountries unite

Five of the world’s most progressive pome fruit producers haveformed the International Pome Fruit Alliance. Their objective is toprovide fruit variety managers from around the world with a meansof assessing new selections and commercializing them globallythrough one entity.

The Pome Fruit Alliance is a registered entity based in the U.K.which is jointly owned by:• Fruitways, South Africa• Heartland, New Zealand• Montague Fresh, Australia• San Clemente, Chile• VOG / VIP, ItalyThe alliance’s chief activities will be to provide variety owners

around the world with information on the characteristics that newvarieties need for global success. This means evaluating varietiesfrom commercial growers’ perspectives and providing feedback tovariety owners on global potential. A cooperative approach will betaken to commercialize varieties on a global basis and develop roy-alty streams for variety owners.

The International Pome Fruit Alliance signals the beginning of anew era using the very latest orcharding techniques, streamliningthe commercialization process using cost-effective methods andaccessing 20,000 hectares of apple orchards globally.

Golden Arctic

Plant Breeders’ Rights - CanadaYear Denomination Tradename Owner

1997 Ambrosia W&S Mennell, BC

2001 HoneyCrisp Univ. Minnesota

2003 8S6923 Aurora GoldenGala

AAFC, BC

2006 Minneiska SweeTango Univ. Minnesota

2007 Scifresh Jazz P&FR NewZealand

2007 SJCA38R6A74 Eden AAFC, QC

2007 Davison Gala T&T Davison, BC

2008 Evangeline AAFC, NS

2008 Cotton Candy AAFC, NS

2008 SPA 440 Nicola AAFC, BC

2009/10 KAR4, KAR22,KAR27, KAS9

AAFC, NS

2010 Milwa Junami Agroscope,Switzerland

2010 NY1, NY2* Cornell Univ, NY

201? Golden Delicious Arctic Okanagan Specialty Fruits

*accepted for filling

THE GROWER

PAGE 24 –– MARCH 2011

As a guest speaker at theSouthwest Agricultural Confer-ence in Ridgetown, Ontario, January 6, Dr. John Kelly, VicePresident, Erie Innovation andCommercialization, outlined justhow significantly conventionalagriculture is changing.

No longer just food producers,farmers can be producers of energy, nutraceuticals and cosmaceuticals. And why not?They are experts in meeting thedemands of fickle consumers.Age-old knowledge of botanicals,for instance, can be convertedinto new-age cosmetic solutions.

There are a few caveats for thedevelopment of innovation inOntario, says Kelly. “First,research without implementationdoes not have the same valuepotential. This means that for alot of what we seek, there must be

an end use. Increasingly we areseeing research which is lesscuriosity-driven, but more end-point driven. Further, researchprograms are more commonlydemanding active financialindustrial participation in researchprograms.”

Another trend is the conver-gence of disciplines. This meansthat other sectors are intersectingwith agriculture on value-addedproducts that meet consumerdemand. Medicines, pharmaceu-ticals, nutraceuticals and function-al foods are all having a positiveimpact on the health of Canadi-ans. Some of this demand is driven by global travel and newlydiscovered food ingredients,while new immigrants are bring-ing their cultural perspectives tothe Canadian marketplace.

The “Made in Canada”

requirement for research imple-mentation must be eliminated,says Kelly. “We have to searchglobally for the most effectivetechnologies and opportunities forproducers, and we have to findthose markets which can addvalue to Canadian producers.

We are in a global food race.” The involvement of agriculture

in the entire value chain isincreasingly becoming moreimportant. The typical valuechain for most agricultural products is as follows:Innovator → Grower → Aggregatoror Processor → Retailer (EndUser) → Consumer.

Kelly suggests that producersneed to find out what consumerswant, and find new ways to meettheir needs. “We have to have anend target market and look for

‘market pulls’ rather than ‘market pushes,’” says Kelly.“Just because we can grow it,should we?” With changingdemographics, perhaps it’s a different kind of radish that mighthave more appeal.

To serve the market pull, lookat the needs for the GreaterToronto Area: Asian andCaribbean vegetables, fruits withlonger growing periods, hazelnutsto fill the confectionary industry,industrial oil production frombiosources, energy to fuel majorpower plants for expensive, on-demand electricity, local foodsof all shapes and stripes.

Ontario has first class researchand product development. Withthe advent of food productsdirectly targeting the health andwellness market (omega-3 eggs,DHA milk, probiotic yogurts,specialty crops), agriculture isnow addressing specific humanconditions ranging fromAlzheimer's disease, asthma, andAttention Deficit HyperactivityDisorder (ADHD) to heart andcardiovascular disease to liverdisease and many forms of cancer.

In addition to food, opportuni-ties for Ontario-based agriculturalresearch and product implementa-tion can be broadly defined intothree areas: Food/Health, BioEconomy and Environment.And there are agri-tourismprospects as well.

Each of these areas representstremendous opportunity for pro-ducers and entrepreneurs. Don’tlet the search for perfect scienceprevent the application of theinnovation.

STAND OUT FROM THE

CROWD

MAKE THE CFFO YOUR CHOICE IN 2011

STANFROM

ND OUTM THE

T CRO

OWD

MAKE THE CFFO

OUR CHOICE IN 2 Y

2011

So you want to be an agpreneur? Dr. John Kelly gives tips on how to link to the innovation agenda

“No longer just food producers, farmers can be producers of energy, nutraceuticals and cosmaceuticals.

THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 25

TERMINATE EARLY BLIGHT

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OMAFRA publication #360Fruit Production Recommenda-tions is on line at:

www.ontario.ca/crops. From thislink scroll to Crop publications –horticulture and scroll through toFruit Production Recommenda-tions. You can view it in html orprint off the pdf file.

The 2011 supplement to thispublication in now available fromOMAFRA resource centres, andis also on-line (see above).Choose the pdf version for easyprinting. The supplement includesdetails on new registrations forberry crops since January 2010.

These include:

Acramite 50 WS (ChemturaCompany) for two-spotted spidermite control on raspberries.

Admire 240 F (Bayer Crop-Science) for strawberry aphid instrawberries.

Aliette WDG (Bayer Crop-Sciences) for anthracnose fruit rotand phytophthora root rot control,

as well as suppression of pho-mopsis canker on blueberries.

Altacor (E.I. du Pont Canada) forraspberry crown borer control incaneberries.

Assail 70 WP (E.I. du Pont Cana-da) for aphids in bushberries (cur-rants, gooseberries, elderberries)and blueberries, as well as aphids,

leafhoppers and tarnished plantbugs in strawberries.

Bioprotec CAF (AEF Global) forwhite marked tussock moth inblueberries.

Bloomtime (Northwest Agricul-ture Products Inc.) , a biologicalcontrol for fireblight suppressionin raspberries and saskatoons.

Concept (Bayer CropScience) forcontrol of blueberry aphid inblueberries.

Echo 720 (Sipcam Agro) anotherformulation of chlorothalonil withthe same uses as Bravo 500, forblueberries and strawberries.

Quintec (Dow AgroSciences) forpowdery mildew in strawberries.

Rimon 10 EC (Chemtura Com-pany) for tarnished plant bug con-trol in strawberries.

THE GROWER

PAGE 26 –– MARCH 2011

JAN SCHOOLEY, CROPS ON-FARM FOODSAFETY PROGRAM LEAD,OMAFRA

As another season approachesmany producers are wonderingwhere they stand with on-farmfood safety. If you are one ofthose on a CanadaGAP programyou are on a program that isthird-party audited to internation-al standards and if you sell tomajor chains they may be insist-ing on this.

But what other options do youhave? No matter who you sell to,getting started in food safety canbe daunting. There is help avail-able. OMAFRA’s AdvantageGood Agricultural Practices man-ual will give you the foundationyou need to establish safe prac-tices on any farm. It is an excel-lent resource, can complementany food safety program and canbe used as a stepping stone toCanadaGAP. It is an excellentprogram on its own, although it isnot third-party audited. Advan-tageGAP is a common senseapproach to food safety on allfarms where practices are under-standable and doable. OMAFRAhas recently released AdvantageiGAP as a food safety resourcetool. It is the AdvantageGAPmanual on CD plus many more

interactive resources. You willfind traceability information, tem-plates for keeping records, watersanitizing videos to assess theproduct that is best for you, and aself-assessment tool that tells youwhere you are now and how toimplement improvements.

So where do you go for all theinformation you need? Canada-GAP is available online, free ofcharge, to members of the Cana-dian Horticultural Council(CHC). You are a member ofCHC if you are a member of theOntario Fruit and VegetableGrowers Association(OFVGA) – and ifyou purchasepackaging foryour produceOFVGAwill pro-vide youwith apass-code toaccessmanualsandchecklistsover theinternet onthe Canada-GAP web site.Just make sure youhave the latest version!If you are on dial-up you can get

the material directly from theOFVGA office in Guelph.

AdvantageGAP manuals andAdvantage iGAP CDs are avail-able by calling the AgriculturalInformation Call Centre at 1-877-424-1300. OMAFRA staff isalways available to talk with youand the call centre will forwardyour call to one of us at yourrequest.

Don’t be intimidated by theneed for food safety on yourfarm. Chances are you are wellon the way to using all the rightpractices.

On-Farm Food safety – where to start,where to go

Summer Ruby, a newstrawberry cultivar isreleased

At the Ontario Berry Growers Association 2011 Annual Meeting,Dr. Adam Dale, University of Guelph, Simcoe, announced the releaseof a new June-bearing strawberry cultivar, and new names for two pre-viously released cultivars.

The newest in this series is ‘Summer Ruby.’ This variety was testedas 2V55, and released in February 2011. ‘Summer Ruby’ is a firm,large-fruited, early-mid-season cultivar.

Previously released cultivars V151 and R14 have also been renamed. V151, released in 2007, will now be known as ‘Summer Dawn.’ It is

an early variety, slightly ahead of Annapolis in season. It is firm,bright-red, and conical in shape, with high yields.

R14, released in 2009, will now be known as Summer Rose. Thevariety is the latest maturing of the three, similar in season to Serenity.Although slightly smaller but better quality compared to Serenity, Sum-mer Rose is a large, red berry with good but moderate yields.

‘Summer Dawn’, ‘Summer Ruby’, ‘Sapphire’ (released in 2003),and ‘Summer Rose’ provide growers with four June-bearing, high qual-ity strawberry varieties which are early-, mid-, late-mid- and late-sea-son respectively. The Ontario Berry Growers Association holds therights to these varieties and they are all available from Strawberry TymeFarms.

OMAFRA Fruit Production Recommendations on line

R14, now named Summer Rose. Photo by B. Hughes, University ofGuelph, New Liskeard.

JENNIFER DE ELL*, EMILEASMITH, PAM FISHER, ANDBEHROUZ ESHANI-MOGHAD-DAM, OMAFRA, SIMCOE

Modifying the atmospherearound berries held in storagewith 15-20% CO2 reduces decayin berries during transport andstorage. It also reduces respira-tion and softening, extending thepostharvest life. However, exposure of berries to <2% O2and/or >25% CO2 can cause off-flavours and brown discolouration, depending onberry type and cultivar, durationof exposure, and temperature.

The standard CO2 treatmentfor berries is to completelyenclose pallet loads of pre-cooledberries in sealed plastic bags, pulla slight vacuum, then add CO2 tocreate a 12-15% CO2 atmospherewithin the bag and around thefruit (Figure 1).

We have been working withcommercially available equip-ment to demonstrate and deter-mine the effects of modifiedatmosphere (MA) on the qualityand disease incidence of Ontarioberries.

Strawberries: Six strawberrycultivars were harvested on June8th or June 11th, 2010. Berries

were held at 0.5oC in either modified atmosphere (MA, 8-12% O2 + 14-15% CO2) or ambi-ent air for three days. All berrieswere then held for three, six oreight days in ambient air at 0.5oC,then evaluated for quality. For thefirst set of evaluations, berries

were also compared to freshberries harvested that day.

Overall, the use of MA storageresulted in more marketableberries (+11%), less decay ( 3%),and lower weight loss (-1%).Subjective ratings also indicatedreduced bruising, and betterappearance, firmness, and sepalquality in MA-stored strawberries.

Raspberries: Killarney was har-vested on July 7th 2010 from twodifferent locations. Berries wereheld at 0.5oC in either modifiedatmosphere (MA, 8-12% O2 +14-15% CO2) or ambient air for

five days. All berries were thenheld for zero, two or four days inambient air at 0.5oC, then evaluat-ed for quality. The use of MAstorage resulted in more marketable berries (>20%), betterfirmness, less shape loss, greatershine, and reduced bleeding (leaking).

Conclusions: MA for three dayssignificantly improved quality ofstrawberries for up to 11 daysafter harvest. MA for five dayssignificantly improved quality ofraspberries for up to nine daysafter harvest. However, visual dif-ferences were not always obviouswhen flats were observed side by

side. The investment for equip-ment, management time, and theadded cost of storage must befactored against increased returnsper flat for berries held in MA.The use of MA storage is mostlikely to benefit growers who har-vest large volumes of fruit daily,

but face weekly fluctuations inprice or demand. Varieties withthe best postharvest quality aremost suited for this technology.

In summary, the use of MA onOntario strawberries and raspber-ries appears to have potential for

extending the storage period andconsequently increasing market-ing opportunities. We plan tocontinue building on this study, inorder to help berry growers deter-mine the economic viability ofthis technology within their own

enterprise. Acknowledgments: Thanks to theOntario Berry Growers Associa-tion who supported this projectthrough ORD and to the individ-ual growers who supplied theberries and containers.

THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 27

Extending the storage life of Ontario berries: 2010 results

Figure 1: Enclosed, sealed pallets of strawberries with 14-15% C02MA

% m

arke

tabl

e%

mar

keta

ble

Figure 4: Killarney raspberries 8 days after harvest, after storage inMA for 3 days then held at 0.5 C for 5 days.

% m

arke

tabl

e be

rrie

sR

atin

g(1

is n

ot a

ccep

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e,

3 is

acc

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.)

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 5

Figure 6

The North American TradeCommittee (NATC) met lastThursday in Washington, DC aspart of ongoing trilateral meetingsto address issues impacting thetrade of produce within NorthAmerica. A long standing issuewhich is no closer to resolution isthe need for a mechanism thatwill provide the type of protectionafforded by the PACA Trust forsales in the Canadian market-place. While certain mechanismsare available to help mitigate andhelp resolve claims on produce(for example Dispute ResolutionCorporation - DRC, CanadianFood Inspection Agency - CFIA,the courts) there is virtually noth-ing available to mitigate and off-set losses arising from paymentproblems. Canadian exportersenjoy the protection of the PACATrust when shipping to the U.S.while there is no reciprocal treat-ment of U.S. exporters to Canada.“When it comes to doing businessin Canada, everyone is at risk,”

said Matt McInerney, EVP West-ern Growers and NATC co-chair.“Our frustration level continues togrow as financial losses in theCanadian marketplace continue toaccumulate with no resolution insight.”

Given the experience in theU.S. market over the last 25 yearsthe NATC is calling for the estab-lishment of financial risk mitiga-tion provisions in Canada similar

to the existing mechanisms avail-able under the PACA Trust.There is a need for tools in Cana-da that will provide industry withthe same outcomes to deal withslow pay, partial pay and no paysituations. In the U.S. it is esti-

mated the PACA Trust has savedproduce sellers (including Cana-dian exporters) over $1 billion.

“This is a trade issue and weare most concerned that our

exporters may be at risk if wedon’t find a suitable financial riskmitigation tool for implementa-tion in the Canadian market-place,” stated Ken Forth, Chair,of the Canadian HorticulturalCouncil’s Trade & Industry Stan-dards Committee. “Our exporterscan use the PACA trust provi-sions to cover their sales to U.S.receivers. In addition, they canuse the PACA formal dispute set-tlement service without having topost a bond in twice the amountof the claim. No other foreigncountry outside of Canada enjoysthis particular privilege of nothaving to post a bond.”

The North American TradeCommittee (NATC) is comprisedof industry organization represen-tatives from across

Canada/U.S./Mexico. The NATCfocus is to develop industry con-sensus on issues impacting freshfruit and vegetable trade in NorthAmerica with the objective offacilitating trade and providingrespective governments withindustry counsel and consensuson key issues. Membershipincludes the Canadian Horticul-tural Council, Canadian ProduceMarketing Association, CaliforniaStrawberry Commission, DisputeResolution Corporation, FloridaFruit & Vegetable Association,Fresh Produce Association of theAmericas, Northwest ProduceCouncil, Produce MarketingAssociation, Texas Produce Asso-ciation, United Fresh ProduceAssociation and Western GrowersAssociation.

THE GROWER

PAGE 28 –– MARCH 2011

New certification service The Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ) is now licensed to

provide certification services to the CanadaGAP program. BNQ joinsQMI-SAI Global and the Guelph Food Technology Centre in the listof available certification bodies for CanadaGAP.

A fact sheet about BNQ including contact information is availableon the CanadaGAP website at www.canadagap.ca/en/becoming-certified/certification-bodies/bnq.aspx. Please contact BNQ directlyregarding availability of audit services, location of auditors and auditcosts.

Those interested in using BNQ as their audit service provider forCanadaGAP must first enroll in the program through the CHC. Visitthe website to download the latest copy of the enrolment form:www.canadagap.ca <http://www.canadagap.ca> , or call the CHCoffice at 613-226-4880, ext. 206.

New information on pesticide drift and reducing buffer zones

DR. JASON S.T. DEVEAU, APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST

Many years ago (in a galaxy far, faraway) the Pest Management RegulatoryAgency (PMRA) had an idea to develop awebpage that would provide the readerwith clear and concise information on pesticide drift. Specialists were called in,third-party consultants were engaged andthe information was hammered into a verynice explanation of what drift is and howapplicators can minimize it.

Then someone had the idea to mixbuffer zones into the explanation andeverything ground to a halt.

Here’s why.In the UK, spray applicators register

their spray equipment with governmentauthorities. They sign off on their travelspeed, the exact make of their nozzles,their operating pressure, and any drift-reducing modifications they make to theirsprayers. When all this information isplugged into some rather complicated formulas, along with weather conditionsand the proximity of environmentally sensitive areas, they may be allowed toreduce the labelled buffer zones.

This system is called LERAP (LocalEnvironmental Risk Assessment for Pesticide) and it’s been in place for a longtime. Why not in North America? Becausewe don’t have the same equipment or allthe data that makes buffer zone reductionreliable . . . until now.

I’m very happy to announce the driftmitigation web pages are finally on thePMRA/HC website. They can be accessedby selecting the For Growers and Commer-cial Users tab on the sidebar and thenchoosing Drift Mitigation. This will takeyou to the main page. From there you cango to the Buffer Zone Calculator and

Glossary of Terms.The direct link is: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/

cps-spc/ pest/agri-commerce/driftderive/index-eng.php

This new method for adjusting bufferzones isn’t quite as sophisticated as theLERAP system, but it’s a great first step.

The user will be asked to answer a seriesof questions about their sprayer, the environmental conditions at the time ofspraying, and the proximity of any environmentally sensitive areas. If theapplicator is using equipment that is known

to reduce drift, and sprays in conditionsthat reduce the potential for drift, they arerewarded with discount factors that reducethe labelled buffer zones.

I suggest you visit the site and try thecalculator. If you’re still interested inlearning more about pesticide drift,

OMAFRA has just finished a new factsheet: “Pesticide Drift from GroundApplications” Order No. 11-001. It will beprinted in full colour and ready in time forthe Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention.

Farm leaders meet Ambassador Doer

Farm leaders, including Ken Forth and Dan Dempster, met withCanadian Ambassador to the U.S. Gary Doer.

The North American TradeCommittee (NATC) met February17 in Washington, DC as part ofongoing trilateral meetings toaddress issues impacting the tradeof produce within North America.A long-standing issue which is nocloser to resolution is the need fora mechanism that will provide thetype of protection afforded by thePerishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) Trustfor sales in the Canadian market-place. While certain mechanismsare available to help mitigate andhelp resolve claims on produce(for example Dispute ResolutionCorporation - DRC, CanadianFood Inspection Agency - CFIA,the courts) there is virtually noth-ing available to mitigate and off-set losses arising from paymentproblems. Canadian exportersenjoy the protection of the PACATrust when shipping to the U.S.while there is no reciprocal treat-

ment of U.S. exporters to Canada.“When it comes to doing busi-

ness in Canada, everyone is atrisk,” said Matt McInerney, EVPWestern Growers and NATC co-chair. “Our frustration levelcontinues to grow as financiallosses in the Canadian market-place continue to accumulate withno resolution in sight.”

Given the experience in theU.S. market over the last 25years, the NATC is calling for theestablishment of financial riskmitigation provisions in Canadasimilar to the existing mecha-nisms available under the PACATrust. There is a need for tools inCanada that will provide industrywith the same outcomes to dealwith slow pay, partial pay and nopay situations. In the U.S. it isestimated the PACA Trust hassaved produce sellers (includingCanadian exporters) over $1 billion.

“This is a trade issue and weare most concerned that ourexporters may be at risk if wedon’t find a suitable financial riskmitigation tool for implementa-tion in the Canadian market-place,” stated Ken Forth, Chair,of the Canadian HorticulturalCouncil’s Trade & Industry Standards Committee. “Ourexporters can use the PACA trustprovisions to cover their sales toU.S. receivers. In addition, theycan use the PACA formal disputesettlement service without havingto post a bond in twice theamount of the claim. No otherforeign country outside of Canadaenjoys this particular privilege ofnot having to post a bond.”

The North American TradeCommittee (NATC) is comprisedof industry organization represen-tatives from across Canada/U.S./Mexico.

THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 29

Produce industry calls for financial protection

March 4 Ontario Agri-Food Technologies Annual General Meeting, Victoria Park East Golf Club, Guelph, ON

March 8 Airblast Sprayer Course, OMAFRA Woodstock Resource Centre, Large Meeting Room, Woodstock, ON 9 am to noon

March 8 – 11 Canadian Horticultural Council 89th Annual General Meeting, The Westin, Ottawa, ON

March 9 Ontario’s South Coast Wineries and Growers Association Annual General Meeting, Florence Estate Winery, Langton, ON

March 10 Airblast Sprayer Course, Harrow Arena, Community Room, Harrow, ON 9 am to noon

March 10 OMAFRA workshop for On-Farm Food Safety, Grey Agricultural Services Building, Markdale, ON

March 10 B.C. Tree Fruit Horticultural Symposium, Kelowna, BC

March 11 Airblast Sprayer Course, Markdale, Grey Ag Services, Mitchell Boardroom, Markdale, ON 9 am to noon

March 16 OMAFRA workshop for On-Farm Food Safety, OMAFRA building, Elora, ON

March 21 Castor Working Group Meeting, 1 Stone Road West, Guelph, ON

March 22 Moving Genomics in Specialty Agriculture, Holiday Inn, Guelph. ON

March 23 2nd Annual Hazelnut Information Day, Simcoe Research Station, Simcoe, ON

March 24 OMAFRA workshop for On-Farm Food Safety, Bloomfield Hall, Bloomfield, ON

March 26 Ontario Highbush Blueberry Growers Association meeting, Charles Stevens farm, New Castle, Ontario. RSVP 519-692-3210

March 29 Ginseng Growers of Ontario Annual General Meeting, Hungarian Hall, Delhi, ON

March 29 Day Neutral Strawberry School, Springfield Golfand Country Club, Guelph, ON. To preregister, call 613-258-4587 or info@ontarioberries.com

March 30, 31 60th Annual Muck Vegetable Conference, Holy Martyrs of Japan Parish Centre, Bradford, ON

March 31 Wm. A. Stewart Lecture by General Rick Hillier on “Leadership Traits and Leadership Responsibilities,” London Convention Centre, London, ON 7 pm. For tickets, www.aalp.on.ca

April 13 – 15 86th Canadian Produce Marketing Association Annual Convention and Trade Show, Palais des congres de Montreal, Montreal, QC

June 9, 10 2011 Riesling Experience, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON

COMING EVENTS 2011

Tomatoes vindicated in 2008 Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak

In a study released in mid-February in the New EnglandJournal of Medicine, scientistsfrom the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention provideddetailed evidence linking a U.S.outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaulin 2008 to jalapeño and serranopeppers, and explained howtomatoes were mistakenly implicated in the early stages ofthe investigation.

“Members of the produceindustry and consumers alikeshould be both relieved andencouraged to see this informa-tion confirming the source of theoutbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul

in 2008,” says Tom Stenzel, president and CEO, United FreshProduce Assocation. “The studyunderscores the fact that temporalassociations based on memoriesof what someone has eaten weeksearlier can be useful, but notdefinitive, in these investigations.It’s clear from the study thatmany sick individuals recalledeating a salsa product, but failedto recognize the peppers that were

contained as an ingredient. Byprematurely jumping to the conclusion that tomatoes werecausing the outbreak, officialsmay have unwittingly allowed theoutbreak to continue.”

Thanks to the official studyand release of the findings, theproduce industry will take thelessons and continue its ProduceTraceability Initiative withrenewed vigour.

Nova Scotia fruit growers embark on study

The Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association (NSFGA)is studying how to maintain asustainable industry in the face ofa global oversupply of commodi-ties, intense foreign competition,weather-related disasters, staticconsumption and retail consolidation.

Funding is from the AtlanticCanada Opportunities Agency

($30,000), the provincial govern-ment ($5,000) and the associationitself ($9,525). The NSFGA saysit plans to consult "extensively"with its members as well as fruitindustry stakeholders in bothCanada and the U.S., the agricul-ture industry at large and theNova Scotia Agricultural College.

“The province's fruit industryis critical to the economic success

of the Annapolis Valley," saysDela Erith, NSFGA executivedirector. The province producesabout 10 per cent of Canada'stotal apple production, with NovaScotia fruit growers creatingabout $14.7 million in farm gatesales and generating an economicimpact of about $72.5 million onthe province's economy.

THE GROWER

PAGE 30 –– MARCH 2011

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

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

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• Stainless, Brass, SteelProduct Lines

• Drip & Micro Irrigation• Septic & Sewer• Drainage & Culverts• Berkeley Water Pumps

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THE GROWERMARCH 2011 –– PAGE 31

NURSERY AND ROOTSTOCK

R.R. #4 Creek RoadNiagara-on-the-Lake, ON. L0S 1J0

Tel: (905) 262-4971Fax: (905) 262-4404

howardcolcuc@rogers.com

Howard A. ColcucNursery Manager

SPECIALIZING IN FRUITTREES & GRAPE VINES &

ELDERBERRIES. VARIETY AND PRICE LISTAVAILABLE ON REQUEST

AlpineNurseries(Niagara) Limited

YEARS

Since 1932

www.noursefarms.com 413.665.2658

41 River RoadSouth DeerfieldMassachusetts 01373

RR2 Ruthven, ON. N0P 2G0

Specializing in Service to Commercial

Fruit GrowersApple & Peach

Trees

Phone: 519-326-9330

Fax: 519-326-3083

gwfarm@wavedirect.net

SCOTT-WHALEY

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ph. 902-678-7519 fax: 902-678-5924Email: sales@gwallennursery.com www.gwallennursery.com

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• Grown under the Nova Scotia Certification program. Plants shipped across North America.

Contact us for a FREE brochure!

982 North Bishop Road, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada B4N 3V7Ph: (902) 678-4497 Fax: (902) 678-0067

Email: keddynursery@xcountry.tv

GLADIOLUS BULBSWide variety selection for retail sales and

commercial cut flower productionCatalogue available upon request or visit our website at www.lmbolle.com

L.M.Bolle & Sons813083 Baseline Norwich, ON(519) 468-2090 Fax 468-2099email: lmbolle@execulink.com

The best producing orchards startwith exceptional trees.

ApplesApricotsCherriesNectarinesPeachesPlums

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Mori Nurseries1695 Niagara Stone Rd., RR#2

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Email: fruittrees@morinurseries.comwww.morinurseries.com

QualityFruit Trees

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Mori Nurseries1695 Niagara Stone Rd., RR#2

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

To place yourad in

Call Herb Sherwood at

519-380-0118WWW.THEGROWER.ORG

WWW.OFVGA.ORG

THE GROWER

PAGE 32 –– MARCH 2011

EQUIPMENT

DON ARTHUR ORCHARD EQUIPMENT(519) 599-3058 donarthur@georgian.net Clarksburg, ON

Now is the best time of year to buy, lease, or trade for best pre-seasonpricing and more time to recondition, advertise, and sell your trade.

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Turbo-Mist 600 gal. Narrow, centrifugal pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20,500Turbo-Mist 500 gal Narrow, short turn, New Centrifugal Pump. . . $13,700Turbo-Mist 500 gal, Narrow, Hydraulic Controls, Used 40 Hrs . . . $17,900Turbo-Mist 400 gal, Big 30” Fan, Full Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . $16,500John Deere H.D. 10 ft Rotary Mower, Hydraulic Sideshift Centre Pull toWide Offset, New Blades, Paint, Low Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . .$5,500Seppi 200 Flail Mower/mulcher, Almost New . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,900Perfect KV220 7ft. HD Flail Mower, Almost New Hammers. . . . $3,400Perfect KG220 7ft. HD Flail Mower/mulcher, Almost New . . . $6,800

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CALL ABE FIRSTFOR BETTER PRICES, MORE

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AVAILABLE NOWNEW IRRIGATION PUMP UNITS

ON TRAILER

• Cummin 4 cyl, 80 HP, $11,900• Cummin 4 cyl turbo, 105 HP

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All with Rovatti Pumps, etc.And many more new or

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Also couplers, hoses, clamps, forsuction, camlock, ringlock, etc.

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(519) 879-6878 Fax: (519) 879-6319

RR 3, PO Box 3613 Guelph, ONPhone: (519) 763-2400 Fax: (519) 763-3930

For Sale: Large quantity of used10 ft. and 8 ft. wood tree supportpoles - 2 inch diameter, round,pressure treated, pencil pointed,all in good condition. Call 519-599-7775”.

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Orchard Equipment for sale:

• 1 FMC 250 series speed sprayer 500 gallons, $7000

• 1830 John Deere tractor with fork lift, 2377 hours, $5000

• 1 fertilizer spreader, $600

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Contact Ibrahim Call after 7 pm905-304-1406

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Knight Slinger. Spreads mulch,manure, $10,500. A Case disk,ofset on rubber, 6.5ft wide, 19”blades, $850. Toyota forklift,3000 lb, air tires, 3 stage lift,$4,800. All excellent condition.905-892-6380 or email mlh@cogeco.ca

For Sale: Rhubarb rootstock. Call519-582-3674

John Bean 20RC airblast sprayer,1000 litre stainless tank. Rupp 4 x 4 PTO irrigation pump.Mechanical 2 row seedlingplanter. 400 seedling trays, 200cell. Phone 905-878-4755

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THE GROWER

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

CROP TUNNELS

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 33

IRRIGATION

One-Piece and Portable Skid-Mount Systems, Hydro-Coolers, Medical and Process Chillers, Blast Freezers,

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THE GROWER

PAGE 34 –– MARCH 2011

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The PMRA has released a doc-ument describing the terms of thephase-out of endosulfan insecti-cide from now until December31, 2016, when the registrationsof all endosulfan pesticide prod-ucts in Canada will expire. Usewill be limited to those crops forwhich growers need time todevelop alternative pest controltools. Applicators must alsoobserve new measures to protectthe health of workers and aquaticenvironments.

Consult the document to beaware of label changes and newmeasures that will have to be fol-lowed by applicators. For exam-ple, for the EC formulation ontomato, pepper, and eggplantthere is now a 4 day re-entryinterval and the pre-harvest inter-val has been increased from 2days to 27 days. For the WP for-mulation on those crops, there isnow a 9 day re-entry interval andthe pre-harvest interval has beenincreased from 2 days to 27 days.

Key dates for field vegetablesLast date of use is December 31,2010 on the following vegetablecrops:• All product formulations:spinach, succulent beans, succu-lent peas;• WP product formulation: abovecrops and field tomatoes, sweetcorn.Last date of use is December 31,2012 on the following vegetablecrops:• broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cab-bage, cauliflower, corn (sweet),rutabaga, turnip.Last date of use is December 31,2016 on the following vegetablecrops:• celery, cucumber, eggplant, let-tuce (head), melon, pepper, pota-to, pumpkin, squash, sugar beet,tomato.

After December 31, 2011,endosulfan pesticide may only besold if the label includes lastdates of use and other restrictionsto the use pattern that are requiredfor the duration of the phase-outperiod. It is expected that stocksof Thionex 50WP will have beenexhausted through sale and use bymid 2012 and will have beenreplaced on the market byThionex 50WP-WSP.

Registrants will cease produc-

tion and sale of endosulfan pesti-cide products by December 31,2014. Sale of endosulfan pesti-cide products by others is not per-

mitted after December 31, 2015.Use of endosulfan products is notpermitted after December 31,2016.

Consult the full document forcomplete information. It can befound at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/pest/_deci-

sions/rev2011-01/index-eng.php.

JIM CHAPUT, OMAFRA, MINOR USECOORDINATOR, GUELPH

The Pest Management RegulatoryAgency (PMRA) recently announced theapproval of minor use label expansions forDual Magnum and Dual II Magnum herbicides (s-metolachlor) for control ofweeds on highbush blueberries in Canada.Dual Magnum and Dual II Magnum herbicides were already labeled for use ona wide range of major and minor specialtycrops in Canada and have a proven recordof providing producers with effective weedmanagement.

Weed management on highbush blue-berries has been a high priority item for anumber of years and the registration ofDual Magnum and Dual II Magnum herbicides will provide highbush blueberryproducers with an effective and usefulweed management tool.

For highbush blueberries Dual Magnumor Dual II Magnum can be applied at a rateof 1.25 to 1.75 L product per hectare in aspray volume of 150 - 300 L water perhectare. Apply to the soil as a bandedapplication directed to the base of the high-bush blueberry plants. Crop injury mayoccur if any part of the plants is contacted

through spray drift. The pre-harvest interval is 30 days.

Dual Magnum and Dual II Magnumherbicides should be used in an integratedweed management program and in rotationwith other management strategies. Followall other precautions and directions for useon the Dual Magnum herbicide labels.

For copies of the new minor use labelscontact Pam Fisher, OMAFRA, Simcoe,(519) 426-2238, Kevin Schooley, OBGA,Kemptville (613) 258-4587 or visitwww.syngenta.ca

THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 35

MINOR USE

Expanded control options for weeds in highbush blueberries

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Endosulfan phase-out

Legislation varies across thecountry with regards to the cutting of trees. The intent ofsuch laws, by-laws or policies ismainly to protect againstunscrupulous operators who willdestroy centuries of growth intoan ecological disaster in just afew days. On the other hand,there are those who try to use allsuch legislation as eco-zealots,regardless of the circumstances.

It is just such a situation thatmany of our members have facedas local media and the eco-fanatics have tried to keep farm-ers from doing what is needed tokeep farming successfully. If itwere only a single incident, onecould put it down to bad luck, butwhen it is oft repeated, one needsto speak out.

The most common reasons tocut trees that I have seen in thisarea (other than for firewood) isto square off fields, or to provideaccess for drains. In the far northand in Nova Scotia I have seenmajor land reclamation from theforest. There they will use hugedozers and build windrows ofdead trees that will see a matchafter a year of drying time. Massive systematic drainageworks are done while waiting,and in two years, a crop is com-ing off former bush or forest land.This is much like how the landwas cleared throughout SouthernOntario 200 years ago to prepareit for farming (albeit without thehelp of dozers!). Most original100-acre farms kept a bush-lot toprovide fuel wood, but in moderntimes that has become less necessary. The amalgamation of

these original 100-acre farms intothousands of acres, in some cases,has also meant the elimination ofrock piles, fence lines, and indeedsome of these former woodlots.That is not to say that there are noforests left. The advent of conservation authorities and conservation councils has ensuredthere are plenty of forest reserves.Most farmers still have a woodloton their land--usually where itmakes no sense to farm for topo-graphy limitations, or where theyhave a sugar bush or where theyhave actually planted trees torehabilitate land or protect waterresources. In many areas there are

mile-long lines of windbreak treesplanted by growers.

It would seem that while themajor lumber and pulp companiesare required to reforest land,(public land which they do notown) they are also allowed to cutit later! If farmers plant a bush(on their own land) for whatever reason, they are continuouslyharassed when it comes time toremove it, or to modify it for a

new situation. I still recall aneighbour who was told flat outthat he could not cut down a 10-acre stand of red pine, even whenhe could prove his father hadplanted them! Later they relentedwhen he promised to replacethem with new trees which hedid- with apple trees!

Land drainage is essential inmost areas to ensure an earlyplanting, good growing condi-tions, and a suitable base to harvest from in late wet fallweather. It may seem obvious thatto drain land, the best way is witha straight line downgrade for theoutlet to a water course.

However, it seems to take afight to get permission if sometrees are in the path. The samething occurs when one wants toconstruct a retention pond. Thetrees will die anyway when theirroots are drowned, but some stillfight the cutting. As an historicalnote, the creation of the TrentCanal drowned massive areas,and made the Kawartha Lakeswhat they are today. Old stumps

still snarl fishing lines! The origi-nal intent was for both militarytravel and for lumbermen toaccess and deliver saw logs frommany miles away. No oppositiongroups prevented them, and thou-sands benefit from the resultstoday.

Does it just seem to me thatmany of those most opposed tocutting trees do not own anythemselves? In fact, they do notneed to pay for maintaining thetrees or paying the land tax forthe land the trees occupy! Whycan the public dictate what afarmer is doing to HIS trees onHIS land when it is for the benefit

of his farm? The legislation ismeant to stop wholesale destruc-tion, not interfere with good agricultural practice.

In fact, it is not just farmersthat suffer public interference intheir business. Just last week Iread that a local golf course wanted to sell a small piece ofland that was basically unused forgolfing purposes.

The proposed buyer needs a

zoning change to put up somehigh-end condos. There is nowbacklash about the possibleremoval of trees from this so-called “urban forest”!! This isprivately owned land, and everytree there was planted--it was justsand dunes and rough grass whenthe course started. The condodeveloper will want to save asmany trees as possible to keep thewhole development in as beauti-ful a setting as possible. Nonethe-less, there are those who willfight to preserve this small area.The fact that they have to trespassto even see it seems irrelevant.The fact that the trees were plant-ed by the owner is also irrelevant.There is discussion about the lossof habitat-- squirrels, raccoons,and birds were mentioned. (Noone mentioned the wino ‘jungle’hang-out that used to be theretoo!) It is actually an overgrownunsightly area used to pile upmouldering logs and grass clippings plus a small nursery forgreens-style grass which can bere-located. A victory over a nonsense use of a rule should prevail here. I hope so because itgives farmers more hope in theirdealing with the same situation.

Can any of you remember themovie ‘Shane’? The eliminationof that big stump had much symbolism for the pioneer farmer.It represented a barrier to hisaspirations. So too the trees that afarmer faces today, as he tries towrest a fair living from a notalways cooperative land.

What a victory when Shaneand the farmer chopped it out androlled it away. May all of youenjoy such a feeling of victory!

Footnote: Since this column waswritten, the approval to go aheadwas reached for the condo development, and a Lambton areafarmer ‘won’ his case for fellingtrees for a drain. The sad part forboth is their unnecessary legalcosts to defend what should be aright.

“Can any of you remember the movie ‘Shane’? The elimination of that big stump had much symbolism

for the pioneer farmer. It represented a barrier to his aspirations.

THE GROWER

PAGE 36 –– MARCH 2011

CRAIG’S COMMENTS

Trees vs farms or bureaucrats vs common sense?

CRAIG HUNTEROFVGA

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MINOR USE

Growers of fruit and vegetablecrops including seed potatoes,brassica, cucurbits, fruiting veg-etables, hops, leafy vegetables,root vegetables, pome and stonefruits, have access to a new toolfor controlling aphids. Beleaf50SG is a selective herbicide thatcontrols several aphid specieswhile preserving a number ofbeneficial insects that prey onaphids, including various beetles,mites and bugs.

Distributed by UAP Canada,Beleaf 50SG is a Group 9C prod-uct with the active ingredientflonicamid. Belonging to thepyridinecarboxamide class ofchemistry, it comes in a solublegranule formulation that dissolvesin the tank. The product may beapplied by a boom and nozzlefield spray or by air blast.

“The application rate dependson the species of aphid in the crop

as well as the level of insect pres-sure and the amount of foliagepresent,” says David Strilchuk,country manager for FMC Corpo-ration.

Aphids are known to feed bypiercing plant tissue and suckingout plant juices. The damage theycause by feeding varies from cropto crop, but visual symptomsinclude cupping and curling ofleaves, as well as mold on somecrops. Aphids are also known totransmit viruses in certain crops.

In Canada, the green peachaphid is one of the major pests ofconcern that is controlled byBeleaf 50SG, as it is responsiblefor the transmission of potatovirus Y in seed potatoes. Potatovirus Y negatively impacts pro-duction due to the impact ontubers.

“One of the keys to effectiveaphid control is to apply the prod-

uct before populations reach sig-nificant economic thresholdsassociated with more seriousdamage and before damagingpopulations become established,”says Janet Porchak, national marketing and communications

manager for UAP in Canada. Beleaf 50SG works by causing

rapid feeding cessation in aphids.It’s active on contact and inges-tion, explains Strilchuk, addingthat both younger and adult stageaphids are controlled by the prod-

uct. Mortality may take two tofive days, depending on the rateof dehydration and insects mayremain on the plant until theydessicate. The product has resid-ual activity, lasting from one tothree weeks after application,depending on environmental con-ditions.

From a crop rotation perspec-tive, any crop listed on the Beleaf50SG product label may bereplanted any time after an appli-cation of the product and all othercrops may be planted 30 daysafter the last application of Beleaf50SG. Pre-harvest intervals forfruit and vegetable crops rangefrom zero for several crops to 31days for hops.

No demonstrated resistance orcross-resistance issues have beenobserved.

Source: UAP Canada newsrelease

THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 37

New aphid control preserves beneficial insects

Peach aphid

Pricereduced formiticide

The price of Apollo ovicidalmiticide will be reduced by 25per cent says manufacturerMakhteshim Agan of NorthAmerica, Inc. (MANA). Theproduct is registered for use instrawberry, raspberry and treefruit crops, and for outdoordeciduous and ornamental nursery species.

Apollo’s 60 to 80-day residualcontrol offers protection againstcostly pests including Europeanred mite, two-spotted spider miteand McDaniel spider mite. Theearly application of Apollobreaks the mite life cycle duringegg development. The residualeffect will help control the youngmotile and nymph stages ofdevelopment. Adult females thatcontact Apollo lay infertile eggs.

Apollo’s active ingredient,clofentezine, is exclusive toMANA. It has a strong safetyrecord with beneficial insects,and due to its highly selectiveaction on targeted species, it isideal for use as a primary miti-cide in integrated pest manage-ment programs. In some crops,Apollo can be applied as late as15 days before harvest.

The efficacy of Apollo isgreatest when applied in spraywater with a pH range from 5.5to 6.5. For pH levels greater than7.0, MANA strongly recom-mends adjusting the pH level sothat it falls within the recom-mended range. The proven penetrating surfactant LI 700® isrecommended for pH adjustmentas it is safe in fruit crops.

More details about Apollo andits new lower price can beobtained from local MANAretailers. MANA Canada current-ly offers nearly 20 branded insec-ticides, fungicides and herbicidesfrom a portfolio of more than 18strategic active ingredients.Source: MANA news release

A minor use label expansionhas been granted for Rimon10EC Insecticide for control ofcherry fruitworm and cranberryfruitworm on bushberries (cropsubgroup 13-07B) in Canada.Crop subgroup 13-07B includescrops such as highbush blueber-ries, lowbush blueberries, saska-toons, sea buckthorn, currants,gooseberries, elderberry, etc.Rimon 10EC (novaluron) wasalready labeled for managementof several insect pests onstrawberries, apples, stone fruit,Brassica vegetables, peppers,beans and potatoes in Canada.

The following is provided as ageneral outline only. Usersshould consult the complete labelbefore using Rimon 10EC insecticide.

Rimon insecticide can beapplied as a foliar spray at 1.35 –2.0 L per hectare for control ofcherry and cranberry fruitworm.Apply in 375 - 1122 litres ofwater per ha and do not applymore than three applications perseason. Application should bemade when the majority of thefruitworm population is at theegg hatch to 2nd instar. Fieldmonitoring for this pest is vital toachieve effective control. Do notapply within eight days of harvest of bushberries. Re-application on a 10 – 14 dayinterval may be required whenmonitoring indicates a need.

Rimon insecticide should beused in an integrated pest management program and inrotation with other managementstrategies. Follow all other pre-cautions and directions for useon the Rimon insecticide label.

For copies of the new supple-mental label contact Pam Fisher,OMAFRA, Simcoe (519) 426-2238, Jim Chaput, OMAFRA,Guelph (519) 826-3539 or visitthe Chemtura Agrosolutionswebsite www.chemturaagrosolu-tions.com

THE GROWER

PAGE 38 –– MARCH 2011

New option for suppressing powdery mildew on greenhouse cucumbers JIM CHAPUT, OMAFRA, MINOR USECOORDINATOR, GUELPH

An URMULE registration has beengiven for Switch 62.5 WG Fungicide forsuppression of powdery mildew(Podosphaera xanthii) on greenhousecucumbers in Canada. Switch WG Fungicide was already labeled for a number of diseases on a range of specialty crops in Canada.

Switch WG Fungicide can be used forsuppression of powdery mildew on green-house cucumbers at a rate of 775 g productper hectare as a foliar spray.

A maximum of three (3) applicationsper crop cycle is permitted. In general thefirst application can be made when the disease first appears, followed by a secondapplication seven to 10 days later. Makeno more than two applications of Switchfungicide before alternating with another

mode of action. A third application can bemade if conditions remain favourable fordisease development. Do not apply withinone day of harvest for greenhouse cucum-bers.

Switch WG Fungicide should be used inan integrated pest management programand in rotation with other managementstrategies to adequately manage resistance.

Follow all other precautions and direc-tions for use on the Switch WG Fungicidelabel carefully.

For copies of the new minor use labelcontact Gillan Ferguson, OMAFRA, Harrow (519) 738-1258, Leanne Wilson,OGVG, Leamington (519) 326-2604 orvisit the Syngenta Canada website atwww.syngenta.ca

Fruitwormsolution

THE GROWER

MARCH 2011 –– PAGE 39

The best fruit comes from growers with a vision for better disease control.

Always read and follow label directions. The Syngenta logo is a trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. © 2011 Syngenta Crop Protection Canada, Inc.

THE GROWER

PAGE 40 –– MARCH 2011

01/11-15662

Other insecticides move through the plant in a single direction often leaving portions unprotected and susceptible to insect pressures.

With two-way systemic action, Movento® insecticide moves inside the plant simultaneously in two directions - thoroughly protecting the entire plant. Movento controls insect infestations you can see and can’t see in a broad range of horticultural crops. It’s a breakthrough in insect control for fruits and vegetables.

With Movento – you’re home free.

Put an end to hide-and-seek with Movento’s two-way systemic insect control

BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.Always read and follow label directions. Movento® is a registered trademark of Bayer. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.