KAREN DAVIDSON

Eat your bok choy. It’s goodfor you! That unfamiliar veg-etable may soon replace theproverbial spinach as tastesbecome cross-cultural. One inevery five Canadians will originate from a visible minoritygroup by 2017. In Toronto, thestatistic will be closer to one intwo.

These changing faces ofCanadian demographics translateinto changing food preferences –a fact that’s both a threat andopportunity to vegetable growers.That’s why Vineland Researchand Innovation Centre (VRIC)convened a first-ever VegetableCrop Diversification Workshopthis spring. Drawing experts fromthe entire value chain, AhmedBilal organized a program thatallowed growers to share theirexperiences in producing andmarketing world crop varieties inOntario. He’s VRIC’s researchassociate for crop production anddiversification.

Currently, the demand forglobal village crops is estimatedat $61 million per month in theGreater Toronto Area accordingto Glen Filson, University ofGuelph researcher. That breaksdown to $21 million for theChinese community, $7 millionfor the Caribbean-African community and $33 million forSouth Asians. It’s important tonote that the South Asian community is mostly vegetarian,spending up to 40 per cent of thefood budget on vegetables. Not tobe forgotten is the Caucasian population which is gradually

developing a taste for differentfare through travel and exposureto Food Network TV and cross-cultural friends.

“A lot of interdisciplinarywork is necessary,” says Filson.“If the local market is to succeed,we need the sensory analysis. Inother words, does it taste as goodas back home?”

Many of the global villagevegetables are coming from theDominican Republic with freightat 50 cents per pound saysSreedhar Mundluru, president,Sundine Produce, an importer anddistributor. “There are lots ofopportunities for Ontario growersfrom June through October,” he

says, “but growers must under-stand it’s not a homogeneousmarket. For example, Indian customers want small squashwhile Chinese customers wantlarge squash.”

These vegetables are not likelyto be organically grown, but theyare in high demand by variouscultural communities. He saysthat the USDA is heavily monitoring produce from theDominican to guarantee foodsafety.

Nowhere are the choices moreevident than at the Ontario FoodTerminal according to HarjinderSingh, president, GoldenGroceries Ltd. That’s where he

sources from India, Pakistan,Mexico and the DominicanRepublic for his retail stores.

“We have a good market forlong chili that amounts to 200 to250 cases per week,” says Singh.“People from the Punjab knowtheir vegetables and they’re veryparticular about freshness. Youmust match the price of theimport, educate consumers on thevalue of local and then movethem up to premium prices. In-store promotions are a goodway to start that process.”

The best estimates are that1975 acres to 2470 acres of Asianvegetables are grown in Ontario’sGolden Horseshoe and perhaps

another 500 to 1,000 acres elsewhere according to RaymondCerkauska, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Harrow. Hedoesn’t think much has changedsince he surveyed the province in1994. It was a difficult task gaining trust of Chinese-speakinggrowers who were wary of “government” asking questions.

“Little is common among thevarious ethnic groups,” saysCerkauska, “There’s strong competition for market shareamong and within ethnic growergroups. They don’t reveal theirfield practices.”

Continued on page 3

INSIDEMetro’s CEO shares consumer insights Page 5

Traceability inchestowards milestones Page 6

Focus: Irrigation Page 13

www.thegrower.org

MAY 2011 CELEBRATING 131 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION VOLUME 61 NUMBER 05

P.M. 40012319

These pepper seedlings are just the start of 2011 vegetable diversification trials directed by the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre(VRIC). Okra, Asian eggplant and bitter melon will soon follow. Ahmed Bilal, (left) research associate, VRIC crop production and diversification, seeks input from Harpreet Cheema, farm manager, J. Collins and Sons Limited which hosts one of the test sites at Troy,Ontario. Photo by Denis Cahill.

Growers bring home vegetables from the global village

Controls more than 20 insects in over 40 fruit and vegetable crops

Admire the control BayerCropScience.caAlways read and follow label directions. Admire® is a registered trademark of Bayer. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada. 12/10-14959

Sustained lobbyingwins budget inOntario election year

Ontario’s 2011 fiscal budgetcontained a nugget for horticul-ture: a new self-directed riskmanagement program. Theannouncement was the result ofmany months of lobbying by theOntario Agriculture SustainabilityCoalition (OASC) which includesgrains and oilseeds, cattle, hogs,sheep, veal and horticulture. Aportion of the $150 million lineitem will be for edible horticul-ture whose growers would make contributions matched by theprovincial government. Applica-tion forms could be ready as soonas September 1.

“We appreciate the willingnessof Agriculture Minister CarolMitchell to work with our OASCpartners and with the OntarioFruit and Vegetable Growers’Association (OFVGA) to developsolutions that will work for eachsector,” says Mark Wales, chairof the OFVGA safety nets committee. “Now it’s time for thefederal government to also cometo the table to support these programs so they’ll provide optimum results for farmers.”

No comment is expected fromthe federal agriculture departmentwhile the election is underway forMay 2.

Invite for on-linesurvey on marketaccess by May 15

The OFVGA and Erie Innova-tion and Commercialization haveengaged the George Morris Centre to examine food distribution and market accessissues within the South CentralOntario region and to develop afood distribution model for thearea. While many interviews havealready been conducted, produc-ers are encouraged to participate.Small groceries and restaurantswant small quantities of productwith specific attributes but don’tknow how to connect with producers of small quantities. Atthe other extreme are grocerychains that need large quantities.All parties have a market accessproblem. Buyers need to find theright buyers and to combine smalllots into larger quantities consistently and efficiently.

Take some time to fill out anon-line survey by May 15 so thatthe George Morris Centre canintegrate your perceptions regard-ing market access and food distri-bution. Link to survey:www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BS72BBSU8/

New venue for Canadian Greenhouse Conference

The venue for the annualCanadian Greenhouse Conferenceis shifting from Toronto to Niagara Falls in a move that iscloser to stakeholders and supporters. The event, slated forOctober 5 and 6, will be held atthe Scotiabank Convention Centre. The two-day conferencefor commercial greenhouseflower and vegetable growers willfeature a pre-conference bus tourin the Niagara Region.

For more information, go towww.canadiangreenhouseconfer-ence.com

Exeter Produceexpands bell pepperline

Exeter Produce and StorageCompany Limited is planning torelocate its bell pepper processingline in order to install state-of-the-art equipment at Exeter,Ontario. Field production of bellpeppers is expected to increasefrom 3,742 tonnes to 5,000tonnes annually, in a move thatwill reduce operating costs andimprove product quality for endconsumers, says Jim Veri, vicepresident. Ontario’s Rural Eco-nomic Development Program isinvesting $567,000 in the project,with completion expected byDecember 2012.

Correction

The article on page 38 of theApril issue, “Altacor and Coragenreceive label extensions” wasinadvertently attributed to JimChaput, minor use coordinator,OMAFRA. The information wassourced directly from a newsrelease from DuPont Canada.

Bunkhouse update

In December of 2010, theOntario government announcedthat eligible farm bunkhouseswould be taxed at the farm property class rate beginning January 1, 2011.

Since this amendment wasfiled the day before the return ofthe assessment roll to the localmunicipalities, there was notenough time to identify farms thathave eligible bunkhouses andreflect that change in classifica-tion on the assessment roll for the2011 taxation year.

The Municipal PropertyAssessment Corporation (MPAC)is currently working with farm-related organizations to notifyfarmers of the regulation changeand ensure that all eligiblebunkhouses are captured andidentified in the farm propertyclass.

This change in classification isdue to an amendment that wasmade to Ontario Regulation282/98. According to the amend-ment, a bunkhouse is determinedeligible for classification in thefarm property class based on thefollowing criteria:1. The housing is used on a temporary basis for on farmlabourers.2. The housing does not serve asa principle residence on the property.3. The housing is not occupied ona year-round basis.4. The housing must be on aproperty that is assessed as a farmunder subsection 19(5) of theAssessment Act.5. The farmer must be approvedby the Ontario Ministry of Agri-culture, Food and Rural Affairsfor the farm property class.

To review the Regulation,visit the Service Ontario e-Lawssite.

If you have a bunkhouse thatmeets the above criteria or formore information, please contactMPAC at 1 866 296-MPAC(6722) Monday to Fridaybetween 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.If your bunkhouse meets theabove stated criteria and qualifiesfor inclusion in the farm propertyclass, MPAC will send anAmended Notice for the 2011 taxyear.

PAGE 2 –– MAY 2011THE GROWER

NEWSMAKERSCongratulations to all winners ofawards bestowed at the recent Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) annual convention and tradeshow whichattracted 3,283 participants to Montreal. Jim DiMenna was namedThe Packer’s Produce Person of theYear 2011. He is president of JDMarketing, Golden Gem and JEM DInternational in Leamington, Ontario.He is currently serving on the Produce Traceability Initiative Leadership Council.

The Mary FitzGerald Award went to Josée Houle, Metro Inc.Another Metro employee, Ghislain Perron won the LifetimeAchievement Award. The Produce News Fresh Health Awardwas received by Gambles Ontario Produce for their participation in Freggie Fridays adopt-a-school program.

Best New Product Showcase winner was La Vita Imports fortheir Mini-Oliva vials of olive oil and vinegar products in single-serve vials. For complete coverage of the CPMA event,see pages 4 and 5.

The Grape Growers of Ontario elected a new board of directorsfor 2011-12. Bill George Jr. remains chair while MatthiasOppenlaender is vice-chair. Directors include: Kevin Watson, Trevor Falk, Bill Schenck, Bill Jansenberger, SteveFernick, Debra Marshall, Steve Pohorly and Jim Morrison.

At its recent annual meeting, Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc.added a new community director to its board: Ken McCormack. Acclamations for corporate directorships wereLisa Thompson, Ontario Dairy Goat Cooperative; EmilyMiller, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and Keith Currie, Curriedale Farms. The executive consists of chair KristaHenry, vice-chair Lorie Jocius and treasurer Tim Nelson,Poultry Industry Council.

The B.C. Agriculture Council has honoured Hans Buchler,grape orchardist, with the 2011 Award for Excellence in Lead-ership. The Oliver-based grower was instrumental in the startof the B.C. Wine Grape Council and has been an inspirationalforce in the B.C. Enology and Viticulture Conference.

BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association elected their board ofdirectors. Peter Cummings (President/Chair), Ravi Cheema(Vice President), Ray Van Marrewyk (Treasurer), Dirk deJong, Jos Moerman. Executive Director is Linda Delli Santi.

Ralph Martin will assume the position of inaugural LoblawChair in Sustainable Food Production based at the OntarioAgricultural College’s Department of Plant Agriculture onAugust 1. He’s been a professor at the Nova Scotia AgriculturalCollege since 1990 and is currently director of the OrganicAgriculture Centre of Canada. Most notably, he recentlylaunched Canada’s Organic Science Cluster through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

The United Fresh Produce Association has hired BurlesonSmith, former director of pest management policy at the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture, as vice-president, environ-mental affairs and sustainability. He will lead the United FreshFoundation’s Center for Global Produce Sustainability whichwas established in 2009 through a founding grant from BayerCropScience. Smith will develop programs linking the producesupply chain from farm to consumer to advance environmentalresponsibility, social acceptability and economic viability of thefresh produce industry.

AT PRESS TIME…

phillipsfs.ca 1-800-811-6238 info@phillipsfs.ca

price parts service

Did You Make Your Local Sprayer Assessment

Clinic???

Yes???? No????We Can Help!!!!!!

CALL

Jim DiMenna

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 3THE GROWER

INTERNATIONAL

RESEARCH

USDA fundslate blight project

Howard Judelson, a professorof plant pathology at the Univer-sity of California, Riverside, hasreceived a $9 million five-yeargrant from the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture,National Institute of Food andAgriculture to research lateblight. Flourishing in cool, moistweather, the disease costs theglobal potato and tomato industryabout $7 billion annually.

Leading a multidisciplinaryteam, Judelson says, “To managethis disease, we will develop anintegrated plan of research, education and extension thatincludes developing diagnostictools, resistant plants throughbreeding and biotechnology, andsystems to provide improvedmanagement guidelines to grow-ers.” -- University of California News

SNACKS

Diamond Foodssnags Pringles brand

Procter & Gamble Companyis selling the Pringles potatosnack brand to Diamond Foodsin a transaction worth $2.35 billion. Pringles is the world’slargest potato extruded snackbrand with sales in more than140 countries and manufacturingoperations in the U.S., Europeand Asia.

The transaction triples the sizeof California-based DiamondFoods snack business which alsoincludesEmeraldnuts, PopSecretmicrowavepopcornand KettleBrandpotatochips. -- PotatoPro

FOOD SAFETY

CFIA monitorsnuclear crisis

The Canadian Food Inspec-tion Agency expanded importcontrols of all Japanese food,animal feed and ingredients onApril 1, following radiation testsin the zone around the disabledFukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant.

A signed attestation formfrom the importer must accom-pany shipments and be submittedto Canada Border ServicesAgency prior to the shipment’sarrival. If products were pro-duced, grown, processed, pack-aged or stored in any of theaffected areas after March 11,they must be tested for residualactivity by a laboratory accept-able to Government of Canadaand found to have residual levelsof background radioactivitybelow Canadian action levels. -- Ontario Produce MarketingAssociation

PARTNERSHIPS

Hort practice centreopens in China

China and the Netherlands arepartnering to stimulate privateenterprise among Chinese marketgardeners. The most significantmilestone is the April opening ofthe Sino Europe AgriculturalDevelopment Center in theprovince of Fujian. Based inZhangzhou, the centre will focuson training and research in flowers, fruits and vegetables. Dutch-based Wageningen Uni-versity, a leader in internationalgreenhouse horticulture, is takingthe knowledge partner lead andhas appointed professor EvertJacobsen as scientific director.Under his direction, the centrewill focus on durable tea produc-tion, bio-nano technology, foodsafety, potato cultivation andwaste and energy management.-- Freshplaza.com

FARM SIZE

Large U.S. farms dominate vegetables

U.S. vegetable production isincreasingly in the hands of anumber of large enterprises, thelatest USDA survey shows.

According to the report, larger, more efficient farms aregarnering a greater share of thedomestic market, with abouteight per cent of all specializedvegetable and melon farms producing $1 million or more ofagricultural commodities peryear. These large operationsaccounted for 87 per cent of thetotal value of U.S. vegetable production.

When it comes to potatoes,tomatoes, peppers, and aspara-gus, most of the U.S. productionis concentrated among farmswith more than $1 million insales per year, the report says.

Growers bring home vegetables from the global village Continued from page 1

So the demand side of the equation seems real enough,but how do growers convert that into a supply-side business? Before considering the agronomics, figure outhow to sell the crop. It’s imperative to have a bridge to theethnic community, the potential buyer of your crop. Havesomeone who can literally talk the language. Mandarin orCantonese? That’s a big difference in the Chinese community alone.

Loblaw has recognized the importance of these growingmarkets by hiring Shreenivas Shellikeri, senior categorymanager, ethnic produce. With 13 million Canadians shop-ping in a Loblaw store every week, Loblaw is increasingits quotient of “warm” vegetables: gai lan (Chinese broccoli), suey, choy, Chinese eggplant, bitter melon.

“We are looking for new growers,” says Shelliker,“provided they can meet our standards for food safety,quantity and specifications, taste, cost and traceability.We have been selling 600 to 700 cases Canadian garlicevery week.”

Once you have linkages to the chain, consider the agronomics. Mary Ruth McDonald, University of Guelphresearcher, says that the organic soils of the HollandMarsh are ideal for vegetables from the Brassica family.Chinese vegetables like bok choy have been grown in themarsh for 40 years with few if any herbicides used andintense labour to plant, weed and harvest. It’s too cold forsuch crops as okra and fuzzy melon. Other crops such asamaranth, edible chrysanthemums, water spinach and peasprouts are successful, the latter two with the pamperingwarmth of hoop houses or floating covers.

Many pests plague the crops such as flea beetles,aphids, pea leafminer and cabbage maggot. Be preparedto deal with downy mildew and clubroot.

And don’t grow too much. Fifty acres of artichokesmay be enough to supply the Ontario market. In othercrops, two acres might flood the market.

“Trial results are interesting,” says Holland Marshgrower John Gorzo who has spent years experimenting

with artichokes. “But I found that some disease complexesaren’t evident until you have eight acres. That’s when Idiscovered an aphid outbreak on artichokes and there wasnothing legal to spray with.”

This hard-earned advice is taken to heart at theVineland Research and Innovation Centre which is seedingits second year of trials in key vegetables: okra, yard longbeans, Asian eggplant, amaranth and fuzzy melon. AhmedBilal shared results of farmers’ field trials in Simcoe, Binbrook and Copetown. In addition to cultivar trials, he

discussed how different soil textures and irrigation affected the crops.

Supported financially in part by the Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers’ Association, these trials are the vanguard of proving the agronomic and market dynamics.“In the next three years,” says Michael Brownridge,VRIC’s research director, horticultural production systems,“our plans are to de-risk these crops and to find distribution pathways.”

FruitVegTechXchange.comFor more info and to print your $5 OFF admin coupon visit...

P: 226.381.0282

1. ‘Green’ packaging ispart of theproduct story

The Ecotray is a perfect example of several trends evidentat the CPMA show. Introduced byClifford Produce in Ruthven,Ontario, this biodegradable tray isoverwrapped with breathable filmto provide a tamper-proof package for consumers. Thegreen packaging also contains aquick-response code that leadsconsumers to the greenhousegrower’s website. Once there, avideo tells the story of how smallfarms mean big business in thegreenhouse category.

Clifford Produce is improvingits category management forretailers by communicating backroom receiving tips: Neverchill the product! When tomatoesdrop below 60 degrees, cucum-bers drop below 52 degrees andpeppers below 45 degrees, textureand flavour are negatively affected.

The Ecotray is a finalist in theUnited Fresh “Best New Packag-ing” category to be judged inNew Orleans, May 4.

2. Noveltygrows thegreenhouse category

The greenhouse category continues to tantalize with newcolours, shapes, sweetness andmini-sizes. Consider MucciFarms’ Sun Drops tomatoes witha brix level of 10 or Mastronar-di’s Zima Seriously Sweet Tomatoes. Both Canadian inventions are shortlisted for the“Best New Fruit Product” in theupcoming United Fresh tradeshow in New Orleans, May 4.

3. Food safetyis dictating packaging

Driven by consumer demand,Ippolito International is introduc-ing shrink-wrapped broccoliunder its Queen Victoria label.The trend to more packaged produce offers enhanced foodsafety at store level, looks neat in uniform displays and results inless shrink.

4. Quick-response technologytakes off

Rainier Fruit Company, basedin Washington state, is an earlyadopter of QR technology, placing the quick-response codes

on new packaging of 13 varietiesof apples. “This is very new forus,” says Suzanne Wolter, director of marketing. “The ideais for consumers to use theirsmartphone to scan the code in

the store. No more typing in aweb address or waiting to gethome. Now they have instantaccess right at their fingertips,including usage tips, recipe ideas,product descriptions and more.”

With increased consumerrequests for usage tips, recipeideas and consumer desire to connect with where food isgrown, the QR codes provideeasy access and information canbe refreshed for seasonality rele-vance. With an integrated com-munications strategy that includesbrand image on packaging,

Wolter says that more detailedgrower stories are a work-in-progress. To date, the companyreceives information on where thecodes have been scanned, ie inwhat stores and specific cities.Nothing is known about the consumer.

5. Conveniencemarries nutrition

The show’s best new product isLa Vita’s olive oil and vinegarproducts in singe-serve vials.

Meanwhile, Ippolito Interna-tional also launched microwave-able Brussels sprouts. As NorthAmerica’s largest grower andshipper, they also offer the vegetable in one poundclamshells, vexar bags, in bulkand on stalks.

PAGE 4 –– MAY 2011THE GROWER

Canadian Produce Marketing Association tradeshow: Five trends spotted

What is a QR code? A QR code (short for Quick Response) is a specific matrix bar-

code (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR barcodereaders and camera phones. The code consists of black modulesarranged in a square pattern on a white background. The informa-tion encoded can be text, URL or other data.

Common in Japan, where it was created by Toyota subsidiaryDenso-Wave in 1994, the QR code is one of the most popular typesof two-dimensional barcodes. QR is the abbreviation for QuickResponse, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents tobe decoded at high speed.Source: Wikipedia.

This sell sheet by Clifford Produce highlights the features of its green packaging.

Photo by FreshPlaza.com

CPMA’s Best Booth Awardwent to Peak of the Market, agrower-owned vegetable supplierin Manitoba. Led by Larry McIntosh, president and CEO,Peak of the Market has earned areputation for the quality ofstored vegetables from its 40 farmfamilies.

In this year’s booth space, avegetable mannequin waspropped on a park bench with justenough space for a guest. If youwished a memento of the booth, astaff member used his laptop toshoot your photo and then immediately emailed the shot toyou. All staff members werewearing shirts emblazoned withthe QR code.

This interactive experienceproved how to refresh a boothspace and how new technology,quick-response codes, are reconnecting consumers to thebrand.

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 5

KAREN DAVIDSON

What major grocer is numberone in Quebec, number two inOntario and number three inCanada?

With CPMA’s annual convention and trade show inMontreal, it was fitting to haveEric La Flèche speak about produce marketing under the title:Do you know your consumer?And if you haven’t thought of theanswer yet to the opening question, he’s CEO of Metro Inc.

With 657 stores split betweenOntario (271) and Quebec (386),and $11.3 billion in annual revenue, La Flèche’s strategicdirection counts. Since 1947, asmall group of independent storeshas grown through acquisitions,first Epiceries Richelieu in 1976,Steinberg in 1992, Loeb in 1999and A & P in 2005. With relent-less competition from Loblaw,Walmart entering Quebec andeven Dollarama and Giant Tigerselling produce, the goal to be thebest performing food retailer in

Canada is daunting.Metro operates under two

formats: its conventional storeswith convenient, superior freshproduce and fair prices, and itsdiscount banners Super C andFood Basics with very good produce and low prices. A newFood Basics store just opened inBrampton, Ontario in the fall of2010.

“All the growth is in discountstores and that’s a global trend,”says La Flèche. “The recessionhas accelerated this trend and I

think it’s here to stay.”To operate in this competitive

environment, La Flèche’s strategyis to make the consumer numberone in all decisions. He revealedthat Metro has not yet earned theperception of number one in pro-duce in Quebec, so major effortsare underway to win loyalty. Lastfall, the grocer launched a loyaltycard - Metro et moi (Metro andme). Already, there are 950,000members who are targeted withcash vouchers, personalized mailings and trial offers.

“We are exceeding our expecta-tions in basket size and building astronger brand,” says La Flèche.

The loyalty card is a favouritetactic of consumer insights firm,Dunnhumby. Since the fall of2009, Metro has contracted theservices of this well-known firmwhich first made its mark withTesco in the United Kingdom andthen Kroger in the United States.“With their intellectual brain

power and software analysis,we’ve gained key businessinsights,” says La Flèche. In thecategory of fruit juices, for example, the SKUS used to bepresented by brand, but are nowdisplayed by flavour. Theseseemingly simple changes aremore attuned to customer needs.

In the next six months, Metroplans to increase consumer satisfaction in its fruits and vegetables category with productquality as well as supply chainlogistics, equipment and in-storepresentation. Behind the scenes,that goal requires back-end training in the warehouses andwith produce managers.

La Flèche concluded by restating that consumers are underpressure and that grocers facefierce competition and risingcosts. What wasn’t said, butunderstood, is that growers facethe same reality.

Fungicide & Bactericidein one shot

Only Serenade has this dual action formulaMaximize plant health, crop quality and yield with Serenade’s unique dual mode of action for fungal

and bacterial protection. It provides highly effective disease protection in fruit and vegetable crops.

Plus delivering convenience with 0 days to harvest and minimal re-entry.

See your local dealer and ask about Serenade today.

® Serenade is a registered trademark of AgraQuest, Inc. Always read and follow label directions. 11007 03.11www.uap.ca

Ontario & Maritimes: 1-800-265-5444 Quebec: 1-800-361-9369British Columbia: 1-604-534-8815 Western Canada: 1-800-561-5444

enadOnly Ser has this duade l action formulaa

ed trademark oegisterenade is a r® Ser

See your local dealer and

Plus delivering convenienc

otection. It bacterial prand

oMaximize plant health, cr

British Columbia: 1-604-53Ontario & Maritimes: 1-800

ead and follow labelof AgraQuest, Inc. Always r

.enade todayask about Ser

ce with 0 days to harvest and m

fective diseaovides highly eft pr

enaop quality and yield with Ser

n Canada:esterW34-8815Quebec: 1-800-30-265-5444

wwwections. 11007 03.11l dir

.e-entryminimal r

otection in fruit and vegetase pr

s unique dual mode of actioade’

: 1-800-561-5444361-9369

.uap.caw

ops. table cr

on for fungal

Grocers are opening more discount stores

Boothmanship at its best

Photo by FreshPlaza.com

With expectations that the2010 vintage will be the best everwith a hot, dry summer and 13per cent increase in tonnage,Ontario’s grape growers are seek-

ing better distribution through theLiquor Control Board of Ontario.That’s clearly an ongoing initia-tive that won’t get solved beforethe province’s October 6 election

or the first sale of 2010 wines. “Ontario wine consumers need

more access to Ontario wines,”says Bill George Jr., chair, Grape

Growers of Ontario (GGO). “Wehave put in place a varietal plan.We have made prices affordable.But there is only so much we cando if consumers can’t get accessto the wines Ontario grape grow-ers and wineries are producing.”

Currently, Ontario wines makeup 44 per cent share of thedomestic market whereas otherwine-producing jurisdictionsenjoy higher penetration: Aus-tralia (90%); California (63% ofthe U.S. market); New Zealand(57% with no imported grapes,whereas Ontario includes blendedwines as Ontario wines).

The industry is anticipating afour-year, $12 million OMAFRA-funded transition program whichincludes the varietal plan to growthe best cool-climate grapes.

A redesigned website rein-forces industry statistics withmore emphasis on public out-reach. It contains tourist informa-tion about the various Ontarioappellations and more reports forthe public. Go to www.grape-growersofontario.com.

THE GROWER

PAGE 6 –– MAY 2011

KAREN DAVIDSON

“If you are an evolving business and notin traceability, you are out of touch,” saysEric Biddiscombe, senior director planningfor Loblaw’s produce business unit. Thatblunt assessment was shared with a packedroom of cross-industry representatives asOn-Trace Agri-Food Traceability hosted itsannual seminar in early April.

As the veteran of six produce recalls infour years, Biddiscombe emphasized howpainful a recall can be. “We would like toidentify by the pallet or even by case,rather than recalling 500 pallets,” he said.“Traceability is an administrative processthat gives the perception of safety. It doesnot change how food is grown.”

For growers, it’s been a waiting game onwhich produce traceability program will bemandated across all major grocers. For the850 growers supplying Loblaw, they arerequired to have On Farm Food SafetyAudits, for high risk crops Global FoodSafety Initiative (GFSI) certification byJune 30 2012 and by December 31, 2011for any private label products. For anyproduce such as “slice and dice” ingredi-ents going into processed foods, GFSI certification must be in place now. Loblawhas established three risk categories. Highrisk includes any commodity grown closeto ground or which can be eaten raw orwith a history of pathogens such assprouts, melons and leafy greens. Mediumrisk includes anything eaten raw such asvegetables grown clear of the ground orhave a protective skin removed, ie apples,broccoli. Low risk are crops that arealways cooked such as potatoes andsquash.

Biddiscombe, a proponent of theCanadaGAP program, recognizes growerconcerns from the perspective of the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI), theNorth American effort to mandate trace-ability throughout the entire value chainwith ambitious milestones for fall 2011.Those milestones are to show human-readable information on cases, to encodeinformation in a barcode and to read and

store information oninbound cases.

“Before we makedecisions, we need tocheck with industry tosee how practical theyare for producers,”says Biddiscombe.“You can regulate butmust consider the low-est common denomi-nator. In produce,that’s as little as 20 to30 acres. There isn’t aNorth American retail-er I’m aware of thatcan do traceabilitythrough its distributioncentres. It’s been alearning curve to insti-tute PTI and evennow, we are only atthe crawling stage.”

To date, On-Trace -an industry-led, not-for-profit corpora-tion based in Guelph,Ontario – has validated nearly14,000 premises in theOn-Trace Agri-FoodPremises Registry (OAPR). About 4,700farmers have volunteered their informationwhile 17 processor and producer organiza-tions have collaborated. Of the total, only1,400 premises can be characterized asfruit or vegetable farms – not a strong rep-resentation given the size of the horticul-tural sector.

On-Trace has announced their new On-Trace Verified Network. In a nutshell,the voluntary program allows for premisesidentification, product or animal identifica-tion and event or movement tracking. AsNick Albu, IT director, On-Traceexplained, this is a new inter-party traceability service that enables source verification of food from farm to point ofpurchase. Producers, processors, distribu-tors, truckers, retailers and other partnerscan become members and access the

service on-line. No software purchase isrequired. For a preview, visitwww.ontrace.ca and follow the link toOnTrace Verified Network sign-up page.

“Currently, emergency recalls are thedriver, but there is a business case thatneeds to drive adoption of traceability,”says Brian Sterling, CEO, OnTrace.

For most, the concept of traceability islinear – a chain that starts with input sup-pliers and then moves to producers, proces-sors, distributors, wholesalers and retail-ers. David McInnes challenges that notionwith a food systems view that puts con-sumers at the core of the relationship. Aspresident and CEO of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), McInnessays, “Our current approach is not broken,but it’s not optimizing how it can work.”

His schematic shows how a value chainmight become more of a circle, with health

and nutrition policy intersecting with agriculture. In the CAPI model, the foodsystem is about providing safe, nutritiousand high-quality food, in reliable suppliesand with responsible production practices.An integrated system gets food to the consumer and delivers on all these attributes in a way that protects the consumer but also realizes value for every-one in the circle.

“This systems view means that we needto recognize how policies and industrypractices support or hinder all this and ateach stage,” says McInnes. With thismodel in mind, he hopes that by 2025,agriculture can double exports to $75 billion, that farmers will produce and supply 75 per cent of our food (it’s 68 percent now) and that more than 75 per centof the agri-food industry uses bio-solutions.

Traceability inches towards industry-mandated milestones

Ontario wine consumers need more access to Ontario wines

ssnnooiittcacaiillppppaa--ooiibb;;ssttducducooprpr--ByBy

ttooooFFFFoo

odod

ddoofofosseeRR

))yyrrceceoogrgr((ssrreelliiaattReRe

esescciivverer s sdd;;ssttnnaarruuaatt

ssnnooiittcacaiillppppaaooiibb

eeiivveettysysss

ewewssmmee

esesrrmmeeddAcaAca

ononbbararcc, , lloioi, s, srreeatatwwssmmeettssyyssllcacagigioollcocoEE

ssererhhccrreaeass,,ssttssiittnneeciciss,,cscsiimm

nn::

ssererllaaeseslloohhWW

AA

iiffEE

,,hhttlleaeahh..gge.e.::ssrrtotocceet st snneeccjajaddAA

ssceceiivvrreessllaacicinnaannii;;ssururneneeeprpreerrntntEE

ssrroottuubbiirrttssDiDi

sssseeccoorrPP

ssrrsoso

ssnneezziittiiCC

rreeyyaaxpxpaaTT

cucuttrrooppxx e e..clclnnii((

eemmuussnnooCC

ss

,,ssrr

))ssrreemmoottss

,,ssrree

eevvee3 l3 l((mmnnerervvooGG

))sslleessttmenmen

ttmenmennnoorriivvenen

pppp A Acccc egiegiatatrrttSSewewNNAA

d Dd DooooFF--iirrggAAssanada’anada’CC::eeccrruuooSS

ssrreeccuuddooPrPr

hhacacooprpr––nnooiinatnatiittesesDD

ssrreeiiuppluppl s snputnputII

oonnchcheettooffnniinneepmpmquiquiee

nngigiaackckaaPP

gygyooll,,ntnt

g,g,

ssttrroopp;;ononiiatatttororppssananrrTT

•

Agricultural * Commercial * Industrial

50 Years of Excellent Service

Refrigeration (All Types)

Heating, Air Conditioning

Controlled Atmosphere

18 Seapark Drive, St Catharines ON, L2M 6S6

905-685-4255

www.pennrefrigeration.com

info@pennrefrigeration.com

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 7

TERMINATE EARLY BLIGHT

BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.Always read and follow label directions. Scala® is a registered trademark of Bayer. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada. 01/11-14951

Scala® fungicide is programmed to protect

against the threat of early blight in potatoes.

And as the only Group 9 fungicide, it utilizes

a unique mode of action, making it an

exceptional resistance management tool.

Hasta la vista, early blight.

THE ONLY GROUP 9

THE GROWER

PAGE 8 –– MAY 2011

By now, many of you willhave heard that in the recentlyannounced provincial budget thegovernment included funding forongoing risk management pro-grams for most non-supply managed agriculture. Included inthe announcement was a modifiedSelf-Directed Risk Management(SDRM) program for edible horticulture.

But what is it, what does thismean, what is the link to the old

SDRM program and who is eligible to participate?

I will start with the last part ofthe question to which the answeris very simple; all fruit and veg-etable producers will be eligible

What is the link to the oldSDRM program? There isn't any.The old program was an alternateprogram to crop insurance forfruit and vegetable producers whodid not have access to a goodcrop insurance program. So inthis case it should be possible tohave both production insuranceand the new modified SDRM.

The purpose this time is tohelp offset the deficiencies of thenational safety net program . . .deficiencies you all know toowell.

Now before I attempt toanswer the first two questionsabove, I need to be clear that I amlimited as to what I can say. Weare currently working withOMAFRA in developing thedetails of the program. The federal government is not at thetable -- this is provincial only at

this time. We are working withtight time lines as the intent is tohave this program up and runningthis fall. I have been told andbelieve that it is fair to say thatthe program will be very similarto what we asked for but againthe details are yet to be deter-mined and I am sure that therewill be a number of changes fromour "ask. Having said that, Ibelieve it is fair to say that therewill be a linkage to Agri-Stabilityjust as there is with the grains andoilseeds program.

It is for the above reasons thatI am not going to print any otherdetails of the program “ask” as itwill, in the event of changes, simply lead to confusion.

I know that many of you arelooking for more details and haveplenty of questions but under-stand that the details are yet to beworked out.

What I can tell you is that weare working to make this programas simple and as beneficial to pro-ducers as possible. It is my hopethat when the details are

announced you find it to be bothbeneficial and to your liking. It isalso my hope that you will allparticipate in the program once itis up and running.

This brings me to the secondpoint, which is regarding thenational safety net programs. Several times a year we are givenupdates on the various compo-nents of the programs. Items suchas total program expenditures,distribution by farm size, partici-pation levels etc. Each time I seethese reports I am struck by thehigh number of farmers who donot participate in the nationalprograms. I understand that they

have significant deficiencies but Ialso believe that they have benefits.

In the case of Agri-Invest it ismatching dollar for dollar yourcontribution based on your ANSyet many farmers are not participating. It can be argued thatthe current Agri-Invest program isnot as good as the old top tier ofCAIS but is that any reason not toparticipate. From my perspective

when you don't participate youare simply saying to governmentthat you do not need the support.Government then looks at us andsays things can't be that tough asyou are not utilizing the moneythat is there.

Agri-Stability on the otherhand is far more complicated andfor those who have suffereddeclines in reference margin buthave never qualified for Agri-Stability payments I can readilyunderstand your frustration.Nonetheless, the program is rela-tively inexpensive and I wouldencourage everyone to participate.

Protect yourself as much asyou can, take part in these pro-grams. While they are not perfectthey are beneficial. Havingaffordable insurance that youdon't claim is still better than nothaving any insurance at all.

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.

P.M. 40012319

OFFICE355 Elmira Road North, Unit 105

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:

$30.00 (+ G.S.T.) / year in Canada$40.00/year International

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

SDRM and Agri-Stability

I attended the recent Canadian

Produce Marketing AssociationConvention held in Montreal.The first thing I did was to checkinto the Westin Hotel and thenproceed to take the elevator,which was located in the newlyrenovated St. Jacques Tower, tomy floor. I stepped into the ele-vator and pushed the tenth floor.The doors shut and I was allalone in this shiny new elevatorlistening to the music and soonnoticed how quiet the elevatorwas.

I soon learned that it was quietbecause it wasn’t moving. Thequestion was how to get thedamned thing off the ground. Ipushed ten again and still nothing.

So, like most men, the last thing Idid was read the instructions.“Insert the room key into the slotand then select the floor.” Thatworked and off I went beinggrateful no one was watching theproceedings.

I felt pretty stupid but I could-n’t help but think that “StandingStill Was Not an Option.” To getwhere I wanted to go I had to“Embrace Change” and adapt.This became even more relevantwhen I visited the tradeshow. Iwas amazed at all the new prod-ucts, varieties, colours, tastes andpackaging options being introduced.

I talked with a number of the

exhibitors and developed anappreciation for the need to differentiate yourself in today’sfast paced and ever evolving market environment. They feltthere was a very real need tostand out from the crowd in orderto be noticed. One exhibitor saidif you’re not moving forwardyou’re likely losing ground –“Standing Still Was Not anOption.”

Examples of new fruit varieties included pluots, white-fleshed peaches and donut (flat)peaches. One exhibitor had threedifferent colours of grapes in oneconsumer package while anotherprovided preconditioned fruit

which he was selling at a premium.

These new opportunities wereechoed in the recent “StrategicPlan for the Tree Fruit Industry”where it was highlighted thatgrowers must decide on whetherto produce and market commodi-ties or whether to offer somethingmore unique and ultimately moreprofitable. This could mean newvarieties, better fruit size, bettercolour or taste experience or awhole new commodity or presentation format.

Remember: “Standing Still IsNot an Option.”

Embracing change: standing still is not an option

ADRIAN HUISMANONTARIO TENDERFRUIT PRODUCERS

I am one of those fruit andvegetable farmers whose scheduleis dictated by Mother Nature.Spring is the time of year whenfarmers’ activities are extremelyweather dependent and this year Iam thankful that she has not beenin such a hurry. I have also beenamazed at how far off weatherpredictions have been, despite theamount of money and time spent.

This spring we received somevery good news in the form of anew income stabilization programthat is being developed by theProvince of Ontario working withfruit and vegetable farmers. Self

Directed Risk Management orSDRM is the name of the program and the details are beingdeveloped and finalized thismonth (May’11). It is not a production insurance alternativebut is being developed to providefruit and vegetable farmers with arisk management tool to help offset the challenges with marketreturns often being below our costof production. This program ispart of a Risk Management Program that is being developedto help meet the needs of non-supply managed agriculture. Weare thankful to the Government of

Ontario for its initiative and support but the program needsfederal buy-in and financial support to make it meaningful.The province spoke about theimportance of the agriculture sector and how the two sectors --food production and food processing combined -- are significantly larger than the autosector.

I encourage every fruit andvegetable farmer in Ontario/Cana-da to write their recently electedMP and impress upon them howthe SDRM program is needed,now. Fruit and vegetable farming

in Ontario/Canada is a significanteconomic driver. If we are seriousabout maintaining a huge eco-nomic driver in our economy andproviding our population withfruit and vegetables grown closeto home, support for SDRM is anexcellent first step.

May Mother Nature work withus this year!

Provincial budget offers a spring break

BRIAN GILROYCHAIR, OFVGA

Is there any doubt water use inagriculture will someday be astightly regulated as land use andwaste management?

Once this seemed like a longshot, but not anymore. Regulatoryactivity is everywhere in farming,particularly Ontario. The provincerecognizes the value of farming,and offers a lot of support for it.But at the same time it sees thefar-reaching impact of agriculturalpractices, and has taken an activeinterest in policies that influence

farming.Fortunately, Ontario is also

committed to agriculturalresearch, more so than any otherprovince in Canada. Most of thatresearch involves the Universityof Guelph and its affiliate campuses, as well as institutionssuch as the Vineland Researchand Innovation Centre, and majorsupport from the Ontario Ministryof Agriculture, Food and RuralAffairs (OMAFRA), and fromindustry.

Good ideas are in abundancethanks to this connectivity. Onewater-related research projectworth keeping an eye on involvesthe development of drought-tolerant plants. It’s a naturaladdendum to any water-reductionor water-use strategy – if theplants are less thirsty, even undertough conditions, they simplydon’t need as much water.

That should make it easier forfarmers to comply with water-useregulations, as well as help in theconstant drive towards profitabili-ty.

Irrigation is a secondary angleon this story, but important

nonetheless. “A plant that’s moredrought resistant is more robust,”says Daryl Somers, a researcherwith the Vineland enterprise. Itcan be healthy with less water,meaning growers can irrigate less.That’s a huge matter in green-houses in particular, where labouris the biggest cost and irrigation isa major activity. Somers sayswater conservation and less irrigating should reduce labourcosts, all through the value chain(including retail). And it will alsokeep government regulatorshappy.

“A lot of our research workcan be related to government policies on water conservation,”says Somers.

First, though, he and his group,which receives OMAFRA funding through the University ofGuelph- OMAFRA partnership

and Ball Horticultural Company,needs to find the genes that makeplants drought tolerant. He’sworking with petunias, thebiggest ornamental variety in theprovince. But he’s confident thegenes that make petunias lessthirsty will also be found ingreenhouse vegetables such aspeppers, cucumbers and tomatoes.

This scientific field is broadlycalled genomics. It sounds formidable, but Somers notes it’sa form of classic, selective breeding – except in this case, thescientists are selecting plants onthe basis of the genes they pos-sess and their function, as indicated by the traits the plantsdisplay.

In the field, it’s known asreverse genetics. “We know whatgene we’re looking for, so we tryto find the plant that possesses it,

rather than looking at a group ofplants and trying to find the genethat’s responsible for a certaintrait,” says Somers. Then, oncethey identify which genes havechanged or “mutated” to give certain petunias drought tolerance, they can look to othervarieties for the same genes,mutate them and develop theplants.

“The petunia is just the begin-ning,” says Somers. “We’re usingour knowledge of gene functionto create new genetic variationsthat can be extended to many fruitand vegetable crops.” In fact, thenewest member of the Vinelandresearch team, University ofGuelph plant agriculture graduateDr. Valerio Primomo, specializesin vegetable breeding.

And it won’t be long beforethis research endeavour yieldsresults. Seedlings have beenplanted, and Somers says by Mayor June they’ll begin the searchfor mutated plants. By the end ofthe year he says they’ll have thefirst evidence of the genes respon-sible for drought tolerance.

So stay tuned. A breakthroughcould well be in sight that willhave wide ranging implicationsfor many crops, including fruitand vegetables.

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 9

Robust plants will help growers and retailers gain irrigationefficiencies

OWEN ROBERTSUNIVERSITY OFGUELPH

EvolveGreen.CaFACTS ON SOLARQUESTION OF THE MONTH :

We have been asked what is the difference in solar panels?

ANSWER: In choosing the right solar panel for your job they are a few things to consider.

1- Do you need to meet content rules for the FIT or MicroFIT program?Ask for the content letter on your panels before you purchase and keep this handy as yourinstaller may not be around later when the OPA is asking for the letter.2- What is the track record of the panels and the company that produces them?Use google for this one and call around to see what is good and bad about the company produc-ing them.3- If they are a new company, do they have a third party insurance company holding the warran-ty, if they are new?This will cover if the company disappears before the end of the warranty.4- What are the tolerances of the panel? This one is important in 2 waysA) so you can understand how much difference in production there can beb) So you can understand the warranty better. If the tolerance is +/- 0 on the minus/ 15 on theplus people think great I only get more but what this is if you read the warranty is you are a totalof 15 tolerance so if you claim at 10 years your panel is not producing 80% the company willtest it and the tolerance will be measured with 20% plus 15% so no warranty will be honored ifyou are in that tolerance.5- Make sure your panels are sized right for the inverters system chosen and if you don't know,Contact the inverter manufacture or look up the spec sheet.In the case of Enphase a quick call to them and you will know if the panel is right for the application.

For more information or for a installation Quote please call 1-866-538-6583Website: www.EvolveGreen.CaWebsite:www.BuyLedBulb.ComEmail: support@evolvegreen.ca

PERSPECTIVE

Compliments to hardwork of hort sector

LETTER TO EDITOR

I want to commend farmers and agriculture farm leaders for alltheir work to create a business risk management program for Ontario’sfarmers.

It has been a long process. Tim Hudak and the PC caucus havebeen pleased to work with the agriculture industry over the last fewyears and support their calls for a new program based on cost of pro-duction. We understand the challenges that Ontario’s farmers havebeen facing and that is why we committed to implementing this pro-gram two years ago and have been pushing the government to makethe same commitment.

Over the last few years Tim Hudak and I have talked to farmers atroundtables, large farmer’s meetings like the one in Stratford, plowingmatches, numerous conventions and other events. At each of these weheard about the need for a program that would be predictable andbankable. At these events – and numerous times in the Legislature –we were pleased to reiterate our support for a business risk manage-ment program and call on the provincial government to implement oneas soon as possible.

We remain committed to ensuring that there is a permanent busi-ness risk management program for all non-supply managed commodi-ties.

I know that farmers and farm leaders spent many hours developingthe program and raising awareness about the need for our provincialgovernment to support Ontario’s producers. It is thanks to that dedica-tion that Ontario will finally have a business risk management pro-gram.

On behalf of the Progressive Conservative Caucus, I want to thankfarmers and farm leaders for working with us and for their commit-ment to the future of agriculture in Ontario. We look forward to con-tinuing to work with you to ensure this program is implemented for2011 and meets the needs of farmers.

Ernie Hardeman, MPP OxfordPC Critic for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Photo by K. Robertson

Following are highlights fromthe OFVGA board meeting heldMarch 24, 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.

Canadian Horticultural CouncilHorticulture for health event: Anetworking reception focused onthe potential for horticulture toimprove the health of Canadianswas the theme of a networkingreception hosted on ParliamentHill On March 8 by members ofthe Horticulture Value ChainRound Table. This included farm-ers, retailers, food processors andinput suppliers. The “Hort forHealth” event drew approximate-ly 150 attendees. Members ofParliament, including cabinetministers, and government staffinteracted with agriculture andfood industry representatives toraise awareness of the impacthealthy eating – particularly fruitsand vegetables – can have on thehealth of Canadians and on ournational healthcare system.OFVGA had several representa-tives present, as well as partici-pating in the organization of theevent, and was very pleased withits successful outcome.

GovernanceChanges to the CHC’s gover-nance structure were accepted atthe organization’s annual meetingheld in Ottawa earlier this month.This included amalgamation ofthe executive and finance com-mittees into a single executivecommittee. Ontario will have tworegional representatives on thiscommittee. The goal is toimprove lobbying and policy set-ting processes through increasedgrassroots input into nationalissues, which will help facilitatemore OFVGA involvement. Thenature of lobbying at the nationallevel has become local – in orderto advance issues, farmers mustlobby their local and regionalpoliticians. Delegates also agreedto change the CHC president’sterm in office to a maximum ofthree one-year terms.

ResolutionsDelegates to the CHC annualmeeting unanimously accepted a

resolution submitted by theOFVGA calling for theadoption of a modified SelfDirected Risk Managementmodel. Delegates alsoapproved a motion put for-ward by OFVGA to inves-tigate the feasibility of theimplementation of aresearch and promotioncheck-off on imported pro-duce and to proceed withsetting up such an agencyif the findings are positive.

Advanced Payment ProgramAgriculture and Agri-FoodCanada has launched con-sultations in the legislativereview of the AgriculturalMarketing Programs Act,which is the foundation forthe Advanced Payments Program.The government is interested inhearing from producers andindustry regarding their impres-sions and experiences with theprogram. In 2006, the governmentincreased the cap on interest -freemoney from $50,000 to $100,000.The program is important to pro-ducers to help secure inputs andoperating capital for the growingseason and has helped reduceinterest rates being offered toagriculture by the banks.

AGCare updateRay Duc, OFVGA’s representa-tive to AGCare, presented anupdate on the organization’s pro-posed amalgamation with theOntario Farm Animal Council(OFAC). A new, merged Boardof Directors would be supportedby two advisory councils focusedon environmental and animal careissues. A joint annual meeting ofthe two organizations will be heldApril 5 in Guelph. OFVGA is afounding member of AGCare.

ResearchProposals have been reviewed forthe fourth round of project fund-ing under the Farm InnovationProgram (FIP). A final round offunding remains in the program,which is designed to boost agri-cultural research, competitivenessand productivity in Ontario’sagricultural sector. FIP is part ofthe Innovation and Science Suiteof programs for Growing Forwardin Ontario.

Research section chair HaroldSchooley was re-elected as ViceChair of Ontario Agri-Food Tech-nologies (OAFT) at the organiza-tion’s annual meeting on March4. Schooley also attended thelaunch of the capital campaign forVineland Research and Innova-tion Centre. Well-known Canadi-an gardening expert Mark Cullenis the chair of this fundraisingdrive, which is in support of thebuilding of a new 25,000 sq ftcentre with research laboratories,a business convergence centreand meeting and conference facil-ities.

Erie Innovation and Commercial-ization hosted three workshops inMarch looking at new crops andopportunities for the south centralOntario region. This included aworkshop on the possibilities ofestablishing a castor oil industry,a seminar on genomics and a day-long session focused on hazelnutproduction. Erie Innovation,headed by Dr. John Kelly, is aregional effort to transform thefuture of agriculture in this areaand is supported by Agricultureand Agri-Food Canada, OntarioMinistry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs, University ofGuelph, Vineland Research andInnovation Centre, Ontario Agri-Food Technologies, Associationof Ontario Food Processors,Ontario Apple Growers, OntarioTobacco Board, Ontario Aspara-gus Marketing Board, Oxford andNorfolk counties, South Central

Ontario Region and theOntario Fruit and Veg-etable Growers Associa-tion. More information canbe found at www.erieinno-vation.com.

PropertyProperty section chairDave Lambert participatedin an irrigation workshophosted by OMAFRA.OFVGA’s water specialist,George Shearer, was alsoinvolved in the event.Shearer is available toassist growers with PermitTo Take Water issues on afee for service basis. Livestock and crop lossessuffered as a result ofwildlife damage are anincreasingly serious issue

facing Ontario’s farmers. Theprovincial government recentlyreleased a discussion paper on anew Agriculture-Wildlife ConflictStrategy through the Ontario Min-istry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs and the Ministry ofNatural Resources. The provinceis seeking input on the Strategythrough the Environmental Reg-istry Program online now throughApril 11th.

It was reported that OntarioPower Generation (OPG) is notsupportive of the construction ofbuildings solely for the purposesof installing roof-mount solarpanels. Concern was raised thatfarmers who construct new farmbuildings, such as bunkhouses,would be prevented frominstalling solar panels on thesebuildings, which would help off-set some of the construction costs.OFVGA is preparing a letter onthis issue that will be forwardedto member associations when it’scomplete.

Growing Forward II consulta-tionsOFVGA participated in an infor-mation and consultation sessionfocused on Growing Forward IIhosted in London. Agricultureand Agri-Food Canada is review-ing the current federal-provincial-territorial framework to identifygaps and ask stakeholders whatthey would like to see in the suc-cessor program. Issues raised bythe OFVGA included harmoniza-tion for crop protection products,offset programs for the download-ing of costs onto farmers foritems of societal benefit, the needfor an on-farm innovation pro-gram and development of aPACA-like trust that would pro-tect produce sellers when buyersfail to pay.

Significant commodity issuesU.S. food safety modernizationprocess – As part of a moderniza-tion process of food safety regula-tions in the United States, foreignsuppliers into the U.S. market arebeing audited. Some greenhousegrowers are reporting that theyhave appointments in place withU.S. auditors, with audits due to

start in April. The question wasraised whether equivalency existsbetween the Canadian FoodInspection Agency and its U.S.counterpart and if so, why addi-tional audits by U.S. inspectorsare needed.

Use of Phoslock in Lake Simcoeand the Holland Marsh The Lake Simcoe Region Conser-vation Authority and the Ministryof the Environment are consider-ing the use of Phoslock as a wayto reduce phosphorus levels inLake Simcoe. Growers from theHolland Marsh have raised con-cerns about the supporting science for this action and thelong term effects of Phoslock.

Apple replant programThe Ontario Apple Growers areramping up efforts to lobby theprovincial government for anorchard replant program. A petition is being distributed toOntario growers in support of theinitiative, which is intended tohelp the industry revitalize itselfby renewing the province’s appleorchards.

Lobby strategy and priority settingThe Board spent time consideringpriorities for the organization’slobbying approach. OFVGAmember groups had been asked tosubmit their key priorities foreach of the OFVGA’s core areas:safety nets, research, crop protec-tion, property and labour. Keyissues discussed by the Boardincluded safety nets, harmoniza-tion of regulations, promotion ofOntario product and farmers, creation of a PACA-style trust toensure that those who sell produce receive payment for theirproducts, off-set of on-farm costsfor societal benefits, horticulturefor health and school snack programs, taxation, water andresearch and technology transfer.

Director roles and responsibili-ties – governance trainingA committee was created toreview and make recommenda-tions on board operations policy.Board members took part in a oneday governance training sessionfocused on director roles andresponsibilities in mid-March.Brian Gilroy, Don Taylor and oneother representative will partici-pate on the new committee.

Annual General Meeting 2012The 2012 OFVGA annual meet-ing will be held January 9 – 11,2012 at the Crowne Plaza in Niagara Falls. The first meetingof the 2012 Board of Directorswill take place immediately afterthe annual meeting on January 11.It will be a short meeting to dealwith any pressing issues and toelect the Management Committeeand Vice Chair.

A board meeting was held at theOFVGA office on April 21. Thereport will be printed in June.

Board briefsTHE GROWER

PAGE 10 –– MAY 2011

2914, Cure-Labelle Blvd, Laval (Québec) Canada H7P 5R9Tel: 514-332-2275 Toll free: 800-561-9693 Fax: 450-682-4959 Toll free: 800-567-4594

Visit us at www.norseco.com

SUPERIOR SEEDS, SUPERIOR SERVICEMichel Grat ton

Montreal Area, Quebec

Tel: 514-332-2275Fax: 450-682-4959

Yvon RiendeauMontreal Area, Quebec

Tel: 450-454-9997Fax: 450-454-5015

Yves Thibault, agr.Central and Eastern

Quebec and Atlantic Provinces

Tel: 418-660-1498Fax: 418-666-8947

Warren PeacockOntario

Tel: 519-426-1131Fax: 519-426-6156

Castor oil plant

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 11

LILIAN SCHAER

The creation of a new organi-zation that will focus on publicoutreach and building trust in theCanadian food system is one stepcloser to reality. Delegates at therecent joint annual meeting ofAGCare and the Ontario FarmAnimal Council (OFAC) votedunanimously to proceed with anamalgamation of the two groups.AGCare, of which the OFVGA isa founding member, representshorticulture and crop farmers onenvironmental issues. OFAC isthe voice of animal agriculture onpublic outreach and issues such asanimal care.

Public attitudes studies haveshown repeatedly that consumersare interested in where their foodcomes from. Both AGCare andOFAC were formed over 20 yearsago and have been strugglingwith balancing their limitedresources and shrinking fundingbases with an increasing need forcommunications, issues manage-ment and public outreach. Theprinciple of the amalgamation isto provide a new structure thatwill better serve the entire indus-try for the next 20 years.

A joint working group consist-

ing of the executive committeesof both organizations workedtogether with consultants fromSynthesis Agri-Food Network inGuelph on a proposed structureand funding model for the neworganization, which was present-ed at the annual meeting.

Proposed structureThe new organization will

have a single board of directors,supported by two issue-specificadvisory councils focused onenvironment and animal care. Theboard will consist of 12 directorselected by the membership – fourrepresentatives each from thelivestock and crop/horticulturesectors and four directors at large– along with up to three ex-offi-cio members. It will oversee fidu-ciary and governance activitiesfor the entire organization, whilethe two advisory councils willoversee programs and projects intheir respective areas of responsi-bility. Additional issue advisorycouncils can be created based onneed.

Membership will be dividedinto five levels: platinum, gold,silver, affiliate and supporter.Each category will have a corre-sponding service level; platinum,

gold and silver members willhave voting privileges. All plat-inum members can have represen-tation on one or both advisorycouncils as they wish, and goldmembers will have a seat oneither the animal care or the envi-ronment advisory council. Thenumber of meetings and membersfor each council will be flexibleand kept responsive to emergingissues.

Funding, services and corefunctions

The new organization willfocus its efforts on consumer andmedia relations, issues manage-ment, industry relations andstrategic partnerships, and mem-ber relations. Its base services –which include a newsletter, E-news updates, photo and videolibrary, website links, displayresources and the animal welfareresearch quarterly e-news – willbe available to all members.Additional services, such asspeaker services, workshops,training programs, weekly activistand issue-specific email updates,will be available to platinum andgold members as part of theirmembership fee and others on ana la carte basis.

• Platinum members: $30,000minimum annual membershipfee; voting privileges; priorityaccess to all services and publica-tions of the organization; seats onboth advisory councils if desired.• Gold members: $5,000 mini-mum annual membership fee;voting privileges; base servicesand a reasonable number of additional services; seat on oneadvisory council.• Silver members: $1,500 annualmembership fee; voting privi-leges; base services and fee forservice access to additional ser-vices. .• Affiliate members: $1,500 annu-al membership fee; no votingprivileges; base services and feefor service access to additionalservices. • Supporter members: $250 annu-al membership fee; no votingprivileges; base services and feefor service access to additionalservices. For individuals or farmbusinesses.

OFVGA currently contributes$10,000 annually to AGCare,which would make the organiza-tion a gold member of the newentity.

A three-year phase-in period isproposed for the new funding

model with goal of having mem-bers maintain their current fund-ing levels during the transition.During the first two years, staffwill work with members onstrategic service reviews and thebudget of the new organizationwill reflect the results of thosereviews in year three.

Next stepsA new name has not yet been

chosen, but AGCare/OFAC Exec-utive Director Crystal Mackayannounced that a “name the orga-nization” contest will be held thisspring. AGCare/OFAC membershave until May 6 to provide writ-ten comments on the structureand funding model that has beenbrought forward. Founding mem-bers, which includes the OFVGA,will have until May 30. Com-ments can be sent tocmackay@ofac.org.

A vote on a final amalgama-tion plan will be held no laterthan September 1, 2011, and ifapproved, the new organizationwill start operations in January2012.

AGCare and Ontario Farm Animal Council movetowards amalgamation

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

July 7, 8 Federal/provincial/territorial agriculture ministers’ meeting, St Andrews, New Brunswick

July 14 50th Anniversary Simcoe Research Station Open House, Simcoe, ON 2 pm – 7 pm

August 24 Herb Demonstration Day, OMAFRA Simcoe Research Station, Simcoe, ON

September 1 – 3 Canada’s Fruit and Vegetable Technology X-Change, St. Williams, ON

Sept 13 – 15 Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock, ON

COMING EVENTS 2011

As an American shipper, I have a difficult time reading and understanding the Canadian Food Inspec-tion Agency Inspection Certificates. Is there an easy way to know if a product meets good delivery guide-lines on Canadian deliveries?

First of all, most Canadians do not use PACA good delivery standards but rather a combination ofPACA Good Delivery and the Canadian Destination tolerances for the commodities which have CanadianGrade Standards. That combination of U.S. and Canadian tolerances is reflected in the DRC Good ArrivalGuidelines. As an American shipper, you’re likely accustomed to seeing the maximum five-day good deliv-ery guidelines which look something like 15-8-3 (15% total defects, including 8% serious defects, and 3%decay). Unlike the USDA, however, the CFIA does not decipher between damage and serious damage.Rather, the Canadian Destination Tolerances look more like 15-10-5-10-3 (15% total defects, including 10%total permanent defects, including 5% of the same permanent defect and 10% of the same condition defect,including 3% decay). Usually, beside each defect listed on the Inspection Certificate will be a C, P, CK, orPK in parentheses. The ‘C’ indicates a condition defect, the ‘P’ a permanent defect, and the ‘K’ a cut sample.

So let’s assume you sold broccoli as “no grade good delivery” to a Canadian destination. First, total up thedefects with a “C” in the left hand column. Next, you will notice there are no tolerances in the CanadianDestination Tolerances column, so the tolerances in the second column apply. If the condition defects areequal to or less than 15 total and the decay is equal to or less than four, then the product makes goodarrival.

Similarly, if you sold cucumbers to a Canadian buyer as “no grade good delivery” you would use theCanadian Destination Tolerances. Again, add up all of the condition defects. If they are equal to or lessthan 15 total including not more than 10% total permanent defects (with not more than 5% of the same permanent defect) and 10% of the same condition defect and the decay is not more than 3%, then the prod-ucts makes good arrival.

“Serious damage” does not apply to Canadian deliveries unless the parties agreed on a U.S. standard, andthe buyer can demonstrate the inspection shows the defect meets the definition of serious in the U.S. standard.

To get a complete list of the Good Arrival Guidelines visit our website at www.fvdrc.com, click onRules & Regulations and open up the last link, “DRC Good Arrival Guidelines.” We would encourageeveryone unfamiliar with the Good Arrival Guidelines to check out the chart and to read the first pagewhich explains the above in even more detail. Of course, if you require additional help, just call our officeand ask to speak to one of our trading assistance officers.

Commodity U.S. Grade Standards Good Delivery Guidelines Canadian Destination Tolerances

Broccoli 10-2 15-4

Commodity U.S. Grade Standards Good Delivery Guidelines Canadian Destination Tolerances

Cucumbers 10-1 15-3 15-10-5-10-3

Dispute Resolution Corporationoffers tips on good arrival practices

THE GROWER

PAGE 12 –– MAY 2011

KAREN DAVIDSON

Who knew that hosting birth-day parties would require a two-day university? Frank Price, anAmerican agri-tourism consultant,has made a business out of coach-ing on-farm marketers how toentertain 21st century princes andprincesses up to the age of 10.

In his experience, success isfound in a ‘purple cow.’ Identifywhat’s unique about your farmand the birthday party experiencethat will attract customers. Tocompete in a multi-media world,it’s important to understand howto design your farm so thatthere’s a human-nature connection.

It’s not instinctual for every-one says Leslie Forsythe whoswore she would never do birth-day parties on her Markham,Ontario farm. She’s a veteran ofschool tours and harvest festivalsbut now she’s changed her mindabout birthday parties afterattending a recent Birthday University hosted by the OntarioFarm Fresh Marketing Association.

“The key is to set and manageexpectations of the mothers,” saysForsythe, who plans to use herexisting website and flyers to addbirthday parties to the roster ofservices by end of May. “Charg-ing anything less than $200 for 12kids is not worth the effort.”

According to Price, the birthday party is an emotionalminefield that can trigger nega-tive emotions of parents attachedto their own past. “It’s critical todeliver your birthday offering

through an experience, meaning-ful to each individual’s needs,”says Price. “Rise above the non-creative, copy-cat quick-fixapproaches and create a clear-cutimage of your offering. It’s aboutyour birthday party vision story.”

Birthday parties are aboutmore than who’s got the biggestor most play attractions. The drawis your facility’s hardware but thesoftware is about the intangibles,how the guests interact with eachother in a very personalized experience.

Like most marketing, what’syour unique selling proposition?Then develop a systematicapproach to booking, schedulingand up-selling party options alongwith the collateral materials.

Crucial to experiential birthdayparties are the team members whoorganize and lead the event. Hiring, training and working witha team of party heroes is key forrepeated success. Once you havethe team and tools in place, create

a system to evaluate and continually improve.

Darlene Downey is a veteranof birthday parties at Downey’sFarm Market near Caledon,Ontario. From Easter to pumpkintime, her staff is busy with thebakery, festivals, corn maze andmany other events.

“I do all the bookings,” saysDowney, “because it’s importantto know the birthday child. It’s ahuge day for the moms.”

As a result of taking the Birth-day University course, she isrevamping her manual and addinganother birthday hostess for day-of-event activities. Some-times they host up to three birth-day parties per weekend day. Sheis also adding more interactivegames such as face painting andmural posters to the roster.

Birthday parties are common-place at Puddicombe’s in the Niagara region, but these days,the “wow” factor needs to beamplified. Carol Puddicombe

went to the Birthday University tofind out what parents expect now.“The idea is to make the partymore special for the birthdaychild,” says Puddicombe. “Forparents, we’re offering a winetasting, bakery and gift storeexperience while the party is inprogress.”

The Puddicombe’s are fortunate in having a mini-trainthat offers a 20-minute ride to theescarpment. She picked up tips onhow to make that trip more mem-orable. Last but not least, shelearned how to make parentsmore comfortable about a farm-oriented party. “We have toremove any weather-related worries.”

Another 20-year veteran ofbirthday parties is Amy Williams,

manager, Springridge Farms nearMilton, Ontario. The BirthdayUniversity taught her the value oftransitioning games from oneevent to another. “For us, thatmeans introducing an imagininggame while the children walkfrom the chicken coop to thepedal tractors. It’s not down time,it’s another way to experience thefarm.”

Loot bags are another minefield. With food allergies soprevalent among children thesedays, Williams says thatSpringridge Farms packages non-food items such as stickers.

So what’s the purple cow atSpringridge? Williams says thattheir birthday children remembergoing into the chicken coop andcollecting eggs.

ON-FARM MARKETING

Find your ‘purple cow’ to host better birthday parties

Canada-OntarioEnvironmental Farm Plan (EFP)• Complete an assessment to identify

environmental strengths and risks• Explore Best Management Practices• Design an Action Plan based on your

priorities and timelineFree local EFP WorkshopsAsk about cost-share programs

Plan agro-environnementauxCanada-Ontario (PAE)• Faites une étude pour relever les points

forts et les risques environnementaux.• Explorez des pratiques de gestion

optimales.• Concevez un plan d'action fondé sur vos

priorités et vos délais.Ateliers gratuits sur le PAE, près de chez vous.Demandez-nous des renseignementssur les programmes de partage des coûts.

Contact:Ontario Soil and CropImprovement AssociationCommuniquez avec :l'Association pourl'amélioration des sols etdes récoltes de l'Ontario

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

Echo®

DurashieldExcellent Rainfastness

™

Always read and follow label directions. Log on to www.uap.ca for full label information.West: 1-800-561-5444 Ontario & Maritimes: 1-800-265-5444 Quebec: 1-800-361-9369 BC: 1-604-534-8815

® ™ Echo is a registered trademark and DuraShield is a trademark of Sipcam Agro USA Inc. 11004 02.11

Strength. Concentrated.

This next generation fungicide has a higher concentration of chlorothalonil and is registered for use on a wide variety of crops. Echo is a proven fungicide that delivers broad-spectrum disease control, as well as DuraShield™ defense against the weather. Echo’s multi-site mode of action provides a strong foundation for your disease management program.

Echo®. The stronger the better.

At Springridge Farms, birthday parties are a major attraction fromApril through December with 18 parties booked every weekend. AmyWilliams, manager, says the ideal age is four through six, but someyoungsters have started their farm forays as young as one.

GEORGE SHEARER

Another growing season isupon us and with it comes theever growing concern of the Min-istry of the Environment’s pres-ence on our landscape. This yearis gearing up to be a particularlybusy one for the Ministry in thegreenhouse sector. The OntarioGreenhouse Vegetable Growers’Association has been consultingthe Ministry as they try to bringthe sector into compliance. Whatthis means is that the Ministrywill be out this season looking forPermits To Take Water and Cer-tificate of Approvals for dis-charge waters with particularattention being paid to the green-house sector.

In Ontario, the Permit To TakeWater is governed under theOntario Water Resources Act andapplies to anyone and everyonethat takes more than 50,000 litersper day from any water source.This includes but is not limited towells, ponds, rivers, streams,creeks and drains. There is nograndfathering of these sources soregardless if you have been usingthe source for time immemorial,

you now require a permit to continue to do so. If you takewater from a well, you will berequired to complete a pumpingtest and subsequent hydrogeologi-cal assessment report to show thatthe taking of the water is sustain-able and that you are not causingany impacts to both the sourcesand other potential users.

These assessments are notcheap, however, and can run any-where from $5000 to $20,000depending on your consultant andyour sources. Through theOntario Fruit and VegetableGrowers’Association water pro-gram, we can complete theseassessments at the low end of thiscost scale.

This leads us to the otheraspect of compliance: the Certifi-cate of Approval. For those whomissed the article published pre-

viously in this regard we havereposted it to help you understandthe requirements of the CertificateOf Approval process. As of Janu-ary 2011, there is also the abilityto manage your discharge ofwater through the Nutrient Man-agement Act. If you don’t have acomplete understanding of howthis new legislation works, con-tact your closest Ministry of theEnvironment or OMAFRA officeto see what your best options are.The Ministry has indicated thatthey are willing to work withfarmers to bring them into com-pliance and your first step is tocontact them to see how your spe-cific system operation can bebrought into compliance with theleast impact to both yourself andyour pocket book. If in doubt youcan always contact me and I willtry and point you in the rightdirection. Contact me at 519-763-6160 ext219 to discuss further.

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 13

go to phillipsfs.ca

ECOLIGHT SRFS U P E R R E F L E C T I V E F I L M

•Improve Fruit Quality•Improve Harvest Efficiency•Reduce Harvest Wait Time•Cover Late Season Weeds

CONTACTStephen Phillipsinfo@phillipsfs.ca1-800-811-6238

ORJohn Polj.pol@sympatico.ca1-519-868-4330

TRY IT

Paul Goddard, Brighton

IRRIGATION

Update your permits for irrigation season

Do you discharge your wash water? You call it waste/wash water. The Ministry of the

Environment (MOE) calls it sewage and theOntario Water Resources Act (OWRA) and theBuilding Code requires that all sewage dischargesmust be approved by a Certificate of Approval (C ofA) issued by the Ministry of the Environment(MOE) or your municipality. It means any wastewater as a result of washing your produce willrequire an approval to discharge the water to eitherthe land or water.

What happens if you don’t have an approval? Ifan environmental officer from the MOE shows up atyour door and you are washing your produce with-out an approval they will issue a stop order and youwill have to stop discharging your water until yourreceive the approval. This can have serious implica-tions to your operations and meeting your commit-ments to supply your produce as the approvalsprocess can take several months.

What requires approval?Everything that discharges sewage/waste/wash

water requires approval unless specifically exempt-ed. Any system that discharges into something otherthan a surface water or groundwater receiver doesnot require an approval. However, the receiver ofsuch a discharge, for example, a holding tank or ahaulage system, does require an approval. If youdischarge less than 10,000 l/day to a groundwaterreceiver then you need an approval through theBuilding Code. If you discharge greater than 10,000

l/day or to any surface water feature, regardless ofthe amount you need a Certificate of Approval ofunder section 53 of the OWRA.

What should I do before I apply for anapproval?

Ensure that you know what kind of sewage dis-posal system you need or have and whether itrequires approval under s. 53 of the OWRA or theBuilding Code. Pre-application consultation shouldbe undertaken with staff at the local MOE office andany other government offices or agencies that mayhave an interest or responsibility associated with thefacility for which you are seeking approval.

For information about Approvals for small septicsystems, please contact the municipality, LocalHealth Unit, Township Office, or body delegatedwith this authority. For information about approvalsthrough section 53 of the Ontario Water ResourcesAct contact the MOE at the following:Ministry of the EnvironmentEnvironmental Assessment and Approvals BranchToronto, ON M4V 1L5 2 St. Clair Ave W, Floor 12AToll Free: 1-800-461-6290 Phone: 416-314-8001Fax: 416-314-8452Email: EAABGen@ene.gov.on.ca Website: www.ene.gov.on.ca

George Shearer is water specialist, OFVGA.

Ensure that permits to take waterare in place. Photo by K. Robert-son

TED VAN DER GULIK

The goal of a fertigation sys-tem is to apply the proper amountof chemical to the target area in asafe, efficient and uniform man-ner. The following precautionsmust be taken to achieve thisgoal:• assure personal protection• be aware of possible impacts tothe environment • calibrate the injection equip-ment• apply the correct amount of fer-tilizer at the right time • apply the fertilizer at an appro-priate concentration• use a well designed and main-tained drip irrigation system

Keep in mind that the fertilizercannot be distributed more evenlythan the water is applied by theirrigation equipment.

IRRIGATION SYSTEMDESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Many irrigation system designfactors must be considered forfertigation if good applicationuniformity is to be obtained.While there are many operation

characteristics that need to beunderstood as well, it is virtuallyimpossible to achieve good uni-formity if the irrigation system isnot designed correctly in the firstplace.

Crop TypeThe irrigation system must becompatible with the crop to get

good performance. Trickle irriga-tion systems are often used fortree fruits, grapes, strawberriesand other horticultural cropsbecause of water application effi-ciency and the ability to controlfertilizer application directly tothe plant's roots. High densityorchard plantings require quicktree response after planting and

early fruit development to realizea return on capital investment. Itis imperative that plantings usefertigation to apply plant nutrientrequirements.

Soil TypeThe maximum infiltration rate

of water into the soil and avail-able water storage capacity of thesoil differ with soil type. Soiltypes can vary significantly overan entire field requiring a changein the operation of the irrigationsystem. Coarse textured soils canhave high infiltration rates butcan store very little water withinthe plant's root zone. Conversely,fine textured soils can store largeamounts of water but have lowinfiltration rate capabilities. Highapplication rates on fine texturedsoils increase runoff potential,while excessive amounts of irri-gation on coarse textured soilsincrease the potential for leachingof fertilizers below the crop rootzone and into groundwater.

Fertigation systems must beoperated within the limits of thesoil types present to reduce thepotential for runoff and for leach-ing.

An understanding of soil waterholding capacity is also importantto ensure that the fertilizer addedis moved into the soil to anappropriate depth with respect tothe plant rooting volume.

TopographyField topography can cause

pressure differences along an irrigation lateral, which affectapplication uniformities. Tricklesystems are most susceptible topressure differences caused byelevation or friction loss. Pressurecompensating emitters are recommended to maintain systemuniformity for trickle systems.System Performance• The system should have a coefficient of uniformity exceed-ing 80 per cent. • Emitters should be spaced toeffectively irrigate as much of theplant's root volume as possible.• An appropriate emitter shouldbe selected for the terrain, crop

type and water quality being used.Emitter flow characteristics andproduct durability for the condi-tions should be considered. • An emitter with a manufactur-er's variance coefficient of lessthan 0.05 should be selected.Emitter flow rates at the begin-ning and end of the zone shouldbe tested to confirm that dis-charge rates are within acceptablelimits.• Emitter operating pressure rangeshould be kept within +/- 10 percent of the emitter operating pressure. If the trickle system isoperating on a slope pressurecompensating, emitters should beused.• The injection system must belocated before the filtration system so that any precipitatesthat may form will have anopportunity to be filtered outbefore entering the irrigation system.

IRRIGATION SYSTEMOPERATION CONSIDERA-TIONS

Physical characteristics of irriga-tion systems which affect the uni-formity of fertigation include thefollowing:• Solute dispersion occurs as thechemical travels along the irriga-tion pipeline. The friction affectof the pipe walls on the fluidmotion causes this dispersion. Aslug of chemical injected into anirrigation system becomes diffuseas the chemical travels along withthe irrigation water. Proper flush-ing after injection is completed toensure uniformity. • The irrigation mainline containsa significant amount of water.The travel time for the chemicalto reach the discharge point andthe time required to flush the sys-tem must be considered.• The operating flow rate for eachzone will be different.

Irrigation system layout andthe travel time of chemicalsthrough the system must beknown to ensure good applicationuniformity and adequate flushtimes for the laterals on fertiga-tion completion.

The following proceduresshould be used as guidelines inthe operation of fertigation sys-tems.

Prepare a worksheet showingzones, flow rate per zone, areacovered or plants per zone, injec-tion rate and injection time. Thisis useful for future reference.

1. The irrigation lines should becompletely filled and pressurizedbefore starting chemigation.

2. The system should be flushedafter fertigation has been com-pleted. The irrigation systemmust be operated long enough toclear all lines of the fertilizerbeing applied.

Continued on next page

THE GROWER

IRRIGATION

Fertigation with drip systems

PAGE 14 –– MAY 2011

Raised drip irrigation is demonstrated here in grapes at Summerland, British Columbia.

If the irrigation system is shutdown before all of the fertilizerhas exited the lateral lines, extrafertilizer will be applied at lowspots where water drains throughemitters. A dye test should beconducted to determine the lengthof flush time required.

3. Mixing a solution separatelyfor each zone reduces the likelihood of error during theapplication process and allowsfor proper flushing of the irrigation system to increaseapplication uniformity. If a controller with the capability ofprogramming injections duringscheduled irrigations is used, alarge batch tank of fertilizer canbe mixed for all zones. Theamount of fertilizer applied toeach zone will then be controlledby adjusting injection times.

4. Post injection treatments maybe required to prevent the accu-mulation of algaes, slimes or precipitates that may plug trickleirrigation systems. High carbon-ate and/or iron concentrations insome irrigation waters may reactwith fertilizers and cause insolu-ble calcium or iron compounds.Certain bacteria can also fix ironas a by-product of metabolismand produce slime or jelly likematerial inside the trickle irrigation lines. Algae growthmay also be enhanced by theaddition of nutrients in the water.Special maintenance proceduressuch as chlorination, adding

algaecides, bactericides and pre-treating water with chelatingagents may be required when performing fertigation with atrickle irrigation system.

5. The acidity of the soil shouldbe monitored, especially whenapplying ammonium fertilizersthrough a trickle irrigation sys-tem. Acidity will be dependenton the buffering capacity of thesoil. Selection of an appropriatefertilizer source will reduce acidity problems.

DETERMINING DEPTH OFFERTILIZER APPLICATION

The amount of water appliedby the irrigation system must bestored within the plant's rootzone. Any moisture that isapplied that exceeds the holdingcapacity of the soil will causeleaching beyond the plant’s root-ing depth. The specific depth inthe soil to which chemicals areapplied can be determined fromthe application rate of the irrigation system, the duration ofirrigation, soil texture and soilmoisture content before fertigation is applied.

Ted van der Gulik is SeniorEngineer, Sustainable AgricultureManagement Branch, B.C. Ministry of Agriculture. He delivered this presentation at theOntario Irrigation Conference,March 2011.

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 15

ATTENTIONVEGETABLE GROWERS

SCOVA DIESEL PUMPS & OCMIS REELS IN-STOCKPLANTING EQUIPMENT FROM STANHAY,

CHECCHI & MAGLI AND SFOGGIA

PUMPS, REELS PIPE AND FITTINGSNEW AND USED - CALL NOW FOR BEST SELECTION

PHONE (705) 458-4003 rwequipment@bellnet.cawww.rwequipment.ca

New units of ALLsizes ready to go.

Great selection ofquality used units

available.

CALL ABE FIRSTFOR BETTER PRICES, MORE

CHOICES, FAST, AND FRIENDLY SERVICE. BUY A DIESEL ENGINEFROM THE DIESEL MECHANIC.

AVAILABLE NOWNEW IRRIGATION PUMP UNITS

ON TRAILER

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

$13,850• John Deere, 4 cly, 80 HP, $13,175• Cummin 6 cyl, 165 HP-5.9L,

$15,750• Iveco/Cummins 130 HP (134-H),

$12,950

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

used up to 550 HP. We build them all big or small.

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

A. KOOLMEESR.R. 1, Otterville, ON N0J 1R0

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

IRRIGATION

Fertigation with drip systems

Table 1 - Hand Feel Moisture Test

Degree of Moisture FeelAmount of AvailableMoisture

Dry Powder dry. None

Low Crumbly, won't hold together. 25% or less

Fair Somewhat crumbly but will holdtogether.

25 - 50%

Good Forms ball; will stick slightly withpressure.

50 - 65%

Excellent Forms a ball, is pliable; sticks readily;a clear water sheen will come to thesurface when the ball is squeezed inthe hand.

75 - 100%

Too Wet Can squeeze free water. Over field capacity

Left: Table 1 can be used to determine the soil moisture content of thesoil using the hand feel method. From: Chemigation in the Pacific Northwest, WSU

Table 2 - Depth of Water Penetration (inches) per Inch of Water Applied

SoilMoisture Content

Texture

Sand Sandy Loam Loam Clay

Available Water Storage Capacity

1.0 in/ft 1.5 in/ft 2.1 in/ft 2.4 in/ft

75% 48 32 23 20

50% 24 16 12 10

25% 16 11 8 7

Left: Table 2 shows the depth of penetration into the soil for one inchof water application for different soils at various moisture contents.For example, if an irrigation system is applying one inch of water to asandy loam soil that has a moisture content at 50 per cent of fieldcapacity, the water applied will move to a depth of 16".

Spray emitter system

Drip on apples

Last summer, The Grower touredthe Ontario’s Holland Marsh tosee the construction underway forcanal improvement. FrankJonkman, drainage superinten-dant for Bradford-GwillimburyTownship provides an update.

Q. Can you put into context thescale and complexity of the Holland Marsh canal recon-struction? Dollars invested, timerequired, how many miles ofcanal to be reconstructed?

A. The Holland Marsh DrainageSystem Canal Improvement Pro-ject (the Project) is the largestdrainage project in Ontario beingdone under the Drainage Act.The estimated cost of the projectis $26.4 million and the Engineer-ing Report estimated a seven yearconstruction period.

There are 28 kms of existingcanal that will either be fully relo-cated or widened and deepened. There are also five municipalstructures (bridges) and fourprovincial structures (Hwy 400)that are required to be replaced aspart of the project. The projectedmunicipal cost for this is $7.5million and the provincial cost isestimated at $50+ million.

The drainage system prior toconstruction was not able to with-stand a 50 year storm event andwas arguably marginal for a 25year event.

Generally, any of the canalsthat are located along roads arebeing relocated away from theroad to address the issue of lifesafety as there have been a num-ber of deaths attributable to theproximity of the road to thecanals. Where roads do not exist,the canals are being widened anddeepened.

Q. What are the expected bene-

fits? More water? Adherence toministry environmental guide-lines?

A. Based on the fact that thedykes around the Holland Marshwould not withstand a 50 yearevent, the obvious benefit is floodprotection to some of the mostvaluable/productive farm land inOntario. The Project is alsoaddressing many of the irrigationcrossings that presently gothrough the dyke system and willbe replacing the wide variety ofcrossing using various materialswith a standard crossing whichwill be easier to manage duringtimes of high water.

Q. What are some of the uniquefeatures?

A. The new canal system willhave many environmental fea-tures incorporated into it includ-ing littoral shelves, varying gravelsubstrates, root masses and treetrunk placement all to improvefish habitat. We have also incor-porated gravel nesting beds forturtles.

Areas in which the canals havebeen moved also are beingrestored with assistance from var-ious partners and include treeplantings and a variety of grasses.Some depression areas are alsobeing implemented to create sea-sonal pools which also enhancethe habitat. Once the projectis complete there will be a measurable improvement to thehabitat.

Q. When is the project expectedto be completed?

A. As mentioned previously, theproject has an estimated scheduleof seven years. Currently we aretracking ahead of schedule and

may be able to have the workdone in less than five years, thisof course is dependent on a num-ber of factors.

Q. Any glitches so far?

A. The project was subject to aCanadian Environmental Assess-ment Act study. Since we havebegun construction, we have beenfortunate with the cooperation wehave been receiving from the var-

ious agencies and stakeholderswith respect to approvals, permit-ting and issues related to theEndangered Species Act.

The project has received $10.2million from the Municipal Infra-structure Investment Initiative.OMAFRA will be providing agrant of 33 per cent to all proper-ties with the farm class tax rate.The project has considered all ofthe properties which benefit bythe drainage that is provided bythe Project. There is a total of64,000 acres and approximately9,000 landowners that have beenassessed into this project underthe Drainage Act.

The total cost will be dividedwith 75 per cent going to the benefitting landowners within theHolland Marsh and the remaining25 per cent being assessedto the watershed. Based on con-struction estimates, agriculturallands within the Marsh will beassessed $106/acre, lands outsidewill be assessed approximately$26/acre. These are net assess-ments, after various grants.

THE GROWER

PAGE 16 –– MAY 2011

Pipe& Fittings

for Water Systems

• PVC, ABS, Poly, Copper• Stainless, Brass, Steel

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

Winona Concrete & Pipe Products Ltd.

489 Main St. W., Grimsby, ON. L3M 1T4

Phone (905) 945-8515

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

1-800-361-8515

IRRIGATION

Holland Marsh improves canal system

Major reconstruction of the canal system in the Holland Marsh start-ed in the summer of 2010 and is expected to last as many as sevenyears.

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 17

®Pyrinex, Silencer, Apollo and Alias are registered trademarks of Makhteshim Agan of North America Inc. All others are registered trademarks of their respective companies. 02.11 10014

Fair Price. Brand Results.manainc.ca

Same active as Admire®Same active as Lorsban® Same active as Matador® Exclusive to MANA

Insecticide

ChlorpyrifosPyrinex®

480 ECInsecticide

Silencer®

120 ECLambda-cyhalothrin

Apollo®

SCInsecticide

ClofentezineAlias®

240 SCInsecticide

Imidacloprid

PRECISE PROTECTION

With the same active ingredients as the other brands, the only difference you’ll see is the money you save.

MANA products target insects as quickly and efficiently as the name brands, only they do it at a fair price. Support fair pricing and ask your retailer for MANA insecticides.

FOR FRUITS AND

VEGETABLES

25%PRICE

REDUCTION

THE GROWER

PAGE 18 –– MAY 2011

Resistant-weed issues under study in Ontario and Quebec KRISTEN CALLOW

The Holland Marsh Growers’ Association and LaFédération des producteurs maraîchers du Québec havehired graduate students and summer assistants to begin amassive project to solve multiple and cross-resistant weedproblems in the carrot, onion and leafy vegetable produc-ing regions in both provinces.

Herbicide resistant weed populations have been foundthroughout greater than 50 per cent of the carrot, onionand leafy vegetable growing area in Ontario and Québec,encompassing more than 20,000 acres. In some cases, theweed species are showing resistance to two or more herbi-cide groups resulting in total crop failures from weed com-petition. Herbicide resistance has been documented fromsamples collected in 2010 to Group 7 (Lorox – linuron)and Group 5 (Gesagard / Sencor – prometryn / metribuzin)herbicides.

In Ontario, an intensive survey in the Holland andKeswick marshes (North of Toronto) collecting pigweedplants from more than 60 growers with multiple field loca-tions will occur. To eliminate the potential that the

pigweed will go to seed, the plants will be collected andgrown out in a nursery at the University of Guelph’s MuckCrops Research Station. The seeds from each field will betested to identify what types of resistance have beenfound. Growers will then be provided with recommenda-tions on how to manage their resistance problems.

Other carrot, onion and leafy vegetable growing areasin Ontario will also be sampled for pigweed resistance,such as: Dover Township / Paincourt (Chatham-Kent),Erieau Marsh (Chatham-Kent), Hilman Marsh (Essex),

Thedford / Grand Bend (Lambton), Simcoe and Norfolkcounties. If growers are interested in having a field (s)surveyed please contact Kristen Callow at: kristen.callow@ontario.ca or 519-674-1335.

Five demonstration trials showing alternate methods ofweed control (over the row and inter-row herbicide band-ing, as well as, carrot trimming) and several herbicide trials (new and old herbicides and combinations) will beshowcased in the Holland and Keswick marshes in the fallduring the University of Guelph’s Muck Crops ResearchTour in early September.

This project will provide new cultural and chemicaltools to manage and prevent the spread of resistant weedspecies. The successful completion of this project andadoption of the Integrated Weed Management (IWM) BestManagement Practices (BMP) will ensure producers inboth regions have crops to harvest and continue to remaincompetitive. Results will benefit producers across Canada, particularly in British Columbia, Manitoba, NovaScotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Québec.

Kristen Callow is OMAFRA Weed Management Program Lead – Horticulture.

ProGuard Row CoverPremium Frost Protection

Plastic mulches, ground cover, twine and wood stakes

Gintec is a world renowned provider of innovative growing solutionsfrom the ground up!

R.R.1 , Windham Centre, Ontario NOE 2A0Phone: (877)443-4743 Fax: (519)443-8120

Hort industry seeks to mitigate financial risks in Canada Canada’s fresh produce industry

responded to challenges from U.S. industrycolleagues during the North AmericanTrade Task Committee meeting held in Montreal on April 14 in conjunction withCPMA’s annual meeting and convention.Representatives from the U.S. value chainwere in attendance trying to understanddelays in resolving the matter.

“If Canada does not recognize the situa-tion as a domestic hardship for the sectorand cannot recognize the trade implicationsthen Canadians should not enjoy the

privileges provided to them in the U.S.market and the U.S. should take a veryserious look at revoking the privilege inthe absence of reciprocity.”

“Canadian producers are looking forassistance and a means to establish andimplement a self-help tool which does notimpose a premium or administrative coststo either government or industry,” notedCHC Trade Committee Chair, Ken Forth.The Trust Provision of the (US) PerishableAgricultural Commodities Act (PACA) hasbeen highly successful in ensuring

receivables are protected and provides forconsideration. “According to what weheard today the PACA is estimated to havesaved the fresh fruit and vegetable industryin excess of one billion dollars since1984,” he added.

Concerns were also voiced during theHot Topics business session focused onfinancial risk mitigation. Panelists includedRobin Tilsworth, Agriculture MinisterCounselor, Foreign Agricultural Service,U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S.Embassy (Ottawa), Karla Whalen, Chief,

PACA Branch, United States Departmentof Agriculture, Fred Webber, Dispute Resolution Corporation (Ottawa) and Sav-vas Tsoukalas, CH Robinson Worldwide.

Information presented during the meeting highlighted the problem in theCanadian market where nearly 250 firmshave caused in excess of $150 million infinancial losses since 2000.

The Canadian Horticultural Council willcontinue to pursue a resolution to this serious issue, says Anne Fowlie, executivevice-president.

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 19

Welcome to a unique class of high-performance protection.

TMTrademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC

02/11-15535

BETTERPOWDERY MILDEW CONTROL.

ALL THE WAY AROUND.

NEW QUINTECTM FUNGICIDE (Group 13 quinoline) is an excellent part of any resistance-

management program – and an outstanding rotational product for control of powdery mildew

in grapes, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, hops, melons, pumpkins, and winter squash. Only

Quintec redistributes in the vapour phase to protect expanding leaf and berry tissues, with

one-hour rainfastness and excellent crop safety. Accomplish more. Call our Solutions Center

at 1.800.667.3852 or visit www.dowagro.ca today.

Lihua Fan1, En Yang2, Craig Doucette1, Yueming Jiang2,Sherry Fillmore1 and Brad Walker1

1Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Atlantic Food andHorticulture Research Centre, 32 Main Street, Kentville,NS, B4N 1J5, Canada2South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China

In recent years consumer preferences towards minimallyprocessed fresh fruits and vegetables have been continu-ously increasing. However, minimal processing such assorting, peeling, coring, shredding and slicing mayincrease the chance of microbial spoilage and contamina-tion of products. Therefore, developing new approaches toextend shelf-life and maintain product safety/quality repre-sents a major task for the fresh- cut processing industry.The objective of this study was to evaluate the potentialuse of commercial fermentation products as natural antimicrobials and/or edible coating for fresh-cut squashesin relation to storage temperature.The antimicrobial effects of commercial fermentationproduct- MicroGARD® 730 (MG) and edible coating-

NatureSeal® (NS) added to fresh-cut squashes wereassessed. 0.5% MG, 1% MG, 2.5% NS, 0.5% MG plus2.5% NS and 1% MG plus 2.5% NS were used to treatfresh-cut squashes. Samples without treatment were servedas controls. Following treatments, 240g samples were put

into each of polyethylene bags and stored at 4°C and 7°C.Changes in the microbial loads including total aerobics,yeasts and moulds, and coliforms were determined.Microorganisms were identified using API kits. Qualityparameters including O2/CO2 concentration, pH, solublesolids, color and conductivity were evaluated following 0,3, 7, 9, 12 and 15 days of storage. Results showed thatsamples treated with MG plus NS had significantly lowermicrobial loads (p<0.001) at 4°C and 7°C. After six daysof storage at 7°C, aerobic plate counts were > 107 cfu/g incontrols while total aerobics were reduced by 3-4 logs inMG plus NS treated samples. The addition of MG plus NSmaintained the shelf-life of fresh-cut squashes for up to 15days compared to nine days for 0.5% MG treated or thecontrol samples at 4°C. It was determined that storagetemperature played an important role in maintaining quali-ty of fresh-cut squashes. Significant (p ≤0.05) differencesin microbial loads and product quality were found between4°C and 7°C in all treatments. Considering overallsafety/quality and shelf life, MG combined with NS was recommended to treat fresh-cut squashes prior to storage at4°C.

THE GROWER

PAGE 20 –– MAY 2011

Impact of modified atmosphere packaging and antimicrobialdips on the market life of diced red onionCharles F. Forney1, Richard Grant2, Lihua Fan1, CraigDoucette1 and Michael A. Jordan1

1Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre, Agricul-ture and Agri-Food Canada, 32 Main Street, Kentville,Nova Scotia B4N 1J5 CANADACharles.Forney@agr.gc.ca2Nova Agri Inc., Centreville, Nova Scotia B0P 1J0 CANADA

Fresh-cut red sweet onions (Allium cepa L.) have a shortshelf life and are subject to loss of acceptable flavour,excessive microbial growth, and discoloration. Atmos-phere modification and antimicrobial compounds have thepotential to extend shelf-life. Therefore, this study evalu-ated the effects of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)and treatments with potassium sorbate and chlorine diox-ide (ClO2) on the quality of diced red onions. Whole redonions were peeled, sanitized in 18 ppm peracetic acid,and diced. Following dicing, onions were dipped for 1min in 15 ppm ClO2, 1.0 % potassium sorbate, or waterand spun for 10 seconds at 3,000 rpm to remove excess

liquid. Diced red onions that received no dip treatmentserved as the control. Onions were then placed into sealedor vented, ridged polylactic acid (PLA) containers. Venting consisted of a single 0.07 mm hole. Packageswere stored at 4.5°C and assessed after 0, 7, 12, 14, 18,

and 21 days. The O2 concentration in sealed PLA con-tainers decreased to ~1% and CO2 concentration increasedto ~25% after 18 days. Atmosphere composition in thevented containers changed slightly during storage reaching15% O2 and 5% CO2 after 21 days. Electrolyte leakageincreased during storage, but was least in onions treatedwith ClO2 and water, reaching 30% and 37%, respectivelyafter 21 days, while rates in the potassium sorbate treatedonions and controls reached 55% and 52%, respectively.Onion pH tended to decrease during storage, which wasgreatest in vented packages. Respiration rates increasedduring storage, but remained least in diced onions treatedwith 1% potassium sorbate. Aerobic and anaerobic microbial plate counts exceeded 106 CFU/g after 12 daysin all treatments. Aerobic counts were less in sealed pack-ages and least in those treated with ClO2, however onionstreated with ClO2 appeared dry after three to four days.Potassium sorbate changed onion colour from a purple-redto a pink hue. After 14 days of storage, off-odours devel-oped in association with anaerobic atmospheres and/ormicrobial growth. Marketable quality of diced red onionswas maintained for 12 days in sealed PLA packages.

FOOD SAFETY

Canadian research debuts at United Fresh 2011

Antimicrobial effect of a commercial fermentation product andNatureSeal on fresh-cut squashes

Cutting Romaine lettuce while submerged in sanitizer improvesefficacy of sodium hypochloriteS.J. Bach, C. Lu, P. Delaquis and P.M.A. Toivonen.Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Pacific Agri-FoodResearch Centre, 4200 Highway 97, South, Summerland,BC V0H 1Z0

Previous studies on the disinfection of fresh-cut lettucehave focused on application of sanitizing agents after slicing. The potential merit of sanitizer application at otherstages in the process has largely been ignored. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of sanitizer applied at different stages. Three treatments wereevaluated: 1) application of a sanitizing wash on whole lettuce before cutting, 2) cutting lettuce under sanitizingsolution, and 3) application of a sanitizing wash after cut-ting (current commercial practice). The sanitizing solutionused was 70 ppm total chlorine, prepared from a commer-

cial sodium hypochlorite solution (5.25%). The experimentwas repeated three times using Romaine lettuce from threedifferent sources, and three replicates were performed pertreatment. Total aerobic microbial populations were mea-sured before and after treatment. The results showed thatcutting lettuce under sanitizer provided the greatest reduc-tions in total aerobic populations in fresh-cut Romaine lettuce, approximately 1 log10 cfu/g greater than thoseachieved with application of the sanitizer after cutting.Application to entire leaves before cutting led to higherreductions than the current commercial process but thetreatment was consistently less effective than cutting underthe sanitizing solution. While these results are promising,more work is required to determine whether the benefitsderived from the approach will lead to improved microbio-logical stability in stored packaged cut Romaine lettuce.

Charles Forney

Lihua Fan

The top minds in specialty crop research will be on display this spring at United Fresh 2011, May 2-5 in New Orleans. The annual convention and expo of the United Fresh ProduceAssociation will again feature posters on food safety, quality assurance, and fresh fruit and vegetable marketing as part of its Poster Sessions.Three groups of Canadian researchers will be in the spotlight along with Italy, Spain and U.S. scientists. Abstracts of their research are below.

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 21

Grapes worth celebratingPURE PROTECTION LEADS TO PURE PERFECTION

Spray Oil 13E. Protection at its purest – CAS# 8042-47-5

Introducing Spray Oil 13E, from the largest producer of white oils.

It’s proof that not all spray oils are created equal. It is an innovative

isoparaffin oil that offers the highest purity levels on the market with

CAS# 8042-47-5. This means it’s formulated with 99.9% pure isoparaffin

base oils and is guaranteed to be free of aromatics, which harm the food

chain. And since it’s suitable for organic production, both organic and

traditional growers can benefit from its many strengths.

Spray Oil 13E effectively protects your high value grape crop by

quickly controlling pests and disease, and providing extended

protection within your IPM program. All without any resistance,

phytoxicity or burning issues, when used as directed. So use it early

to avoid the need for toxic chemicals later.

As many pesticides are being delisted, your choices are limited

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

make, be sure to choose the purest – Spray Oil 13E. It’s an effective

choice with unlimited possibilities. For more product information

visit www.purespraygreen.com/grapes.

KAREN DAVIDSON

The statistics confirm whatgrowers already know. U.S. com-petitors have more access to disease, insect and weed controlsin minor use crops, often at betterprices. However compared to2001, the technology gap foraccess to reduced risk products issignificantly narrower.

According to Marion Paibome-sai, OMAFRA’s vegetable cropsspecialist, Canadian producershave access to two-thirds of thenew reduced risk products thatU.S. producers have. Productaccess however does mean harmonized labels with U.S. producers have twice as manylabelled pests and crops as Canadian producers. She present-ed the data at the Muck VegetableGrowers’ Conference in Bradford,Ontario earlier this spring.

In a recent report to the Cana-dian Horticultural Council, thechair of the crop, plant protectionand environment committeeexpressed additional concerns.“We still lack harmonization onpesticide products with ourbiggest neighbor,” said GaryBrown, a blueberry producer fromNova Scotia. “It puts us at a bigdisadvantage. The Pest Manage-ment Regulatory Agency(PMRA) has completed a greatdeal of work on re-evaluation ofold actives. At last count I believethat there are 368 out of 401reviewed. Out of that, 105 werediscontinued, 15 were phased out.230 will continue to have regis-tration with modifications, 18 willhave continued use with no modifications.”

Brown added that emergencyregistrations are on ongoing problem with 52 on the record in2010. “ We have to be able toreact quickly but the ideal thing isto get the right products regis-tered on both sides of the borderin the first place,” he said.

Setting minor use priorities inCanada is a complex, multi-stake-

holder process. Paibomesaiexplained that each province con-sults with growers, processors,researchers and extension person-nel every fall to review and estab-lish priorities. These are submit-ted to Agriculture and Agri-FoodCanada (AAFC) and the PestManagement Centre (PMC) inJanuary each year to be collatedinto a Canadian minor use priori-ty list. The National Minor UsePriority-Setting Workshop is heldin March each year so that allstakeholders determine the toppriorities. (See page 33 forresults of those meetings).

In Ontario, the fresh and processing vegetable workinggroup met in March to reviewtheir priorities. Ontario and Quebec compare their prioritiesand identify areas of commoninterest.

Some national commoditygroups -- greenhouse vegetables,berries, mushrooms and apples,for example -- organize Canada-wide conference calls to deter-mine common national priorities.AAFC-PMC and the provincesalso compare those priorities withthe U.S. IR-4 priorities prior tothe U.S. Food-Use Workshopsheld in September each year.These lists are compared with priorities in the U.K., Australiaand other countries.

“Growers can contribute to theongoing program by encouragingother colleagues, processors, cropconsultants, researchers, registrants and seed companies to participate in the process,” saidPaibomesai. Here are someaction points:• Ensure your provincial organi-zation is represented at thenational minor use meetings.• Provide detailed and accurateresponses to emergency use situa-tions, data requests and pesticideuse surveys when requested.• Emphasize the need for a moreharmonized crop protection prod-uct regulatory system.

THE GROWER

PAGE 22 –– MAY 2011

Technology gap in crop protection narrows with U.S.

NEW MODE OF ACTION

CITED IN APHID DEATHS.

www.uap.caWestern Canada: 1-800-561-5444Ontario & Maritimes: 1-800-265-5444Quebec: 1-800-361-9369British Columbia: 1-604-534-8815

Access to disease, insect and weed controls is gradually improving for Canadian fruit and vegetable growers.

JOHN KELLY

Linking plant science to consumer behavioral science iskey to the multi-discplinary teamled by Kevin Folta, a strawberryresearcher at the University ofFlorida. He made the point at theMoving Genomics in SpecialtyAgricultural program in Guelph, awinter event hosted by Erie Inno-vation and Commercializationand the University of Guelph and

sponsored by the OntarioGenomics Institute.

The researchers at the University of Florida really take amarket driven approach to theirprogram. “Before research anddevelopment is started, we do amarket assessment and find waysto leverage the strengths at the Uof Florida with dynamic marketpartners,” said Folta. By integrat-ing with consumer sciences (andconsidering such things as sight,smell, taste and touch), theresearchers focus on strawberrieswith appealing attributes to shop-pers. In one sense, this is likegoing back to the way strawber-ries were before mass production.

With consumer science, it isall about the perception of the endproduct. How does it feel on thetongue and how does it taste?Does it smell really good andelicit a strong response? Visually,is the product attractive? Will itbe more appealing to the con-sumer and will it influence con-sumer-purchasing behaviour?Using trained panels to evaluatenew varieties of strawberries,these researchers can target thosecharacteristics in the strawberrywhich consumers really desire.

“Trained people who serve onconsumer preference panels arevery important in determininghow new products will do on themarket,” says Isabelle Less-chaeve, Research Director forConsumer Insights and ProductInnovation at the VinelandResearch and Innovation Centre.“This approach can assist growers

and developers in finding thoseproducts that consumers reallywant.”

The University of Florida hasparticipation of many in industry,growers, processors and retailers.The market chain includes marketanalysis, research and develop-ment, production, distribution,and sales and marketing.

In Dr. Folta’s program, amajor deliverable was developingthe strawberry genome. This collaboration involved 70 scientists from 30 differentresearch institutes. And it was allinternally funded! The entiregenome can be found on the webnow at www.strawberry-genome.org. This is a very strong

tool for researchers and industryto identify those traits that aredesirable for the consumer andtofind ways to conventionallybreed for these traits.

This is also relevant to grow-ers, as researchers can also targetgenetically linked componentssuch as flowering time, diseaseresistance and defense mecha-

nisms, as well as consumer relevant items such as flavour andjuiciness. These researchers seethese developments as tools inreaching the characteristics producers and consumers want instrawberries.

John Kelly is Vice President,Erie Innovation and Commercial-ization.

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 23

Proud Sponsor

Consumers savour strawberry research at University of Florida

557 Highway 5 West, RR 2 Dundas, Ontario L9H 5E2 Tel: (905) 628-0551 Fax: (905) 628-4316galer@bellnet.ca www.galerfarmequipment.com

KUBOTA L3650 GST, 33 PTO HP, SP $6,500

KUBOTA B1700 DT LOADER & MID 60” MOWER, SP $13,800

KUBOTA R520 WHEEL LOADER & BUCKET $23,000

KUBOTA R320 WHEEL LOADER, BUCKET & PALLET FORKS, 2170 HRS, SP

$19,900

THE GROWER

PAGE 24 –– MAY 2011

JOHN KELLY

Flavour is complicated. It’sassessed by taste, texture, temper-ature and most importantly, smell.

But flavour is not the startingpoint for most berry researchers.It’s usually agronomics.

That’s why the March 2011formation of EUBerry is sopromising, a multinational con-sortium funded with $4 millioneuros over the next three years.Its focus is the sustainableimprovement of European berryproduction, quality and nutritionalvalue for health-conscious con-sumers.

Efforts of the Euroberryresearch program were recently

shared by Pedro Bras de Oliveiraat an event jointly led by ErieInnovation and Commercializa-tion and the University of Guelph.He is a researcher at the NationalInstitute of Biological Resourcesat Oeiras. Portugal.

Oliveira says the program willfocus on production systems andplant quality control, plant physi-ology and culture managementand finally those factors whichimpact the health of the con-sumer. This last part includesnutritional and functional foodingredient evaluation, with theeffort focused on returning avalue-added berry to the market.

“This strategic investment inberry research will no doubt bring

the Europeans new cultivarswhich can directly target the con-sumer,” says Adam Dale, devel-oper of the ever-bearing strawber-ry and researcher of other berrieswith the University of Guelph atSimcoe. “It is very important forus as Canadians to be very awareof new developments in similarproduction regions, such as theEuropean continent.”

In developing any multination-al research program, it is essentialthat little research is repeated invarious countries. While this mayseem obvious, it is sometimesmore difficult to do in reality. Toaddress this, the Europeanresearchers have met to prioritizeberry research priorities within

the continent. This hasled to international coop-eration and The Journalof Berry Research, firstpublished in July, 2010.

In EUBerry, a sectionis dedicated to marketdevelopment, dealingwith competitiveness andmarketing strategies.Within this section, theyare to consider: the eco-nomic viability of newproduction methods, thecurrent situation for berries inspecific European markets and apost-market analysis of new prod-ucts from the farm and small andmedium-sized enterprises.

Oliveira suggests that the EU

Berry project will impact directlyon a significant number of keystrategic areas includingimproved sustainable production,enhanced quality of life, impor-tant socio-economic factors, theknowledge-based economy,increased competitiveness andprosperity, international develop-ment as well as the advancementof fundamental science.

With this investment they planto exploit new and emergingresearch opportunities addressingenvironmental and economicalchallenges, the growing demandfor safer, healthier and higherquality food and for sustainableuse of renewable bio-resources.

Canadian growers can takeadvantage of developments inthese other global jurisdictions tomeet demands and expectationsof domestic consumers. In theend, everyone wants more health-ful, fresh and processed berriesyear-round.

John Kelly is vice-president,Erie Innovation and Commercial-ization.

What makes a better berry? A European consortium seeks to add value to strawberries,raspberries, currants and blueberries

Introducing Ontariofresh.ca: a free, Ontario-wide marketplace that will soon bring together producers, farmers, buyers, packers, processors and distributors—virtually everyone who wants to grow their business and reap the rewards of Ontario’s exciting local food movement.

Ontariofresh.ca puts an up-to-the-minute overview of your operation in front of everyone who’s looking to buy—from one chef to a large

institution. You create a quick but detailed profile that itemizes what you offer so that buyers looking for it can easily find you. You can also

search for buyers who are looking for the kinds of goods you produce, then instantly reach out to them and start connecting. And you

alone control your profile, so it says as much or as little as you want, exactly how you want to say it.

Setting up your profile is quick and easy: just visit Ontariofresh.ca or call 1-888-249-9399 and we’ll do it for you. The full site will be

ready in September 2011 but you can get on board early by registering now. The appetite for local food is growing and Ontariofresh.ca

can help your business make the most of it.

YOU PRODUCE THE GREAT LOCAL FOOD. WE’LL PRODUCE THE GREAT LOCAL BUYERS.

Ontariofresh.ca is a free web-site and online communitydesigned by Friends of theGreenbelt Foundation to expandthe market for buyers and sellersof local Ontario food. TheGreenbelt’s aim is to connectacross the food service valuechain, linking bulk buyers, chefs,restaurants, caterers and distribu-tors as well as growers and pro-ducers.

The free marketplace featurewill allow users to make requestsfor items or product offeringsthat may be available at amoment’s notice. Participantswill be invited to form groupsaround common interests or busi-ness opportunities.

Growers, buyers, distributorsand friends will be able to signup and register for Ontari-ofresh.ca. The launch of the siteis expected in late summer of2011.

To learn more about Ontari-ofresh.ca, please contact:Allison Decker atadecker@greenbelt.ca or MeganHunter at mhunter@greenbelt.ca

Join today

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 25

PRISTINE® is a registered trade-mark andAGCELENCE® is a trade-mark of BASF SE, used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. AGSOLUTIONS®is a registered trade-mark of BASF Corporation, used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. © 2011 BASF.

ALWAYS READAND FOLLOW LABELDIRECTIONS.

PRISTINE® WG fungicide delivers exceptional disease control, improved

growth and stress tolerance, and highly effective resistance management.

More diseases. More control. More crops.

For more information on PRISTINE fungicide, call AGSOLUTIONS®

by BASF at 1-877-371-BASF (2273) or visit www.agsolutions.ca

Technical support provided by

Powered by

PAM FISHER, OMAFRA

Our objective is to test promis-ing selections and new varietiesin different berry-growing regionsof Ontario and to develop recom-mendations for Ontario growers.

Test plots with 25-50 plants ofeach variety were planted inunreplicated plots at different

grower sites across Ontario.Annapolis or Wendy and Jewelwere used as standard compar-isons. Growers were asked torecord information about eachplanting and to make observationson winter injury, leaf disease andfruit yield and quality. Berrieswere harvested weekly at several

sites each year, weighed, andcounted. The average berryweight, total yield and days to 25per cent harvest were calculatedusing data collected from a sub-set of trial locations.

In 2010, we harvested trialswhich were planted in 2008 andothers which were planted in2009. Varieties in the 2008

plantings included L’Amour,Wendy Annapolis, three num-bered selections from New Yorkand two numbered selectionsfrom Quebec. Varieties in the2009 plantings included num-bered selections from Minnesota,Ontario and New York, comparedto Jewel, Annapolis, and R14,

which was recently re-named asSummer Rose.

Highlights from these trials aresummarized below. For a moredetailed report, contact Pam Fisher, pam.fisher@ontario.ca.

Observations from 2008 planti-ngs: In cooler regions such asNew Liskeard and easternOntario, Wendy had generally

higher yields than Annapolis,with good quality and fruit size.However, Annapolis has betterquality in southern Ontario sites.

One site had severe root rot inyear two, which contributed tolower average yields. The num-bered selections from New York,as well as the cultivar L’Amour

showed tolerance to wet soiland/or black root rot (Figure 1).

L’Amour was an early season,high-quality variety with goodflavour and quality (Figure 2).

2009 plantings: The selectionsfrom Minnesota were high yield-ing with small fruit size and aver-age quality. Another year of datais required to evaluate theseselections.

Simcoe selections 108Y79 and

Summer Rose (Figure 3) are note-worthy for their late-season andlarge fruit size. 108Y79 was fivedays later than Jewel and eightdays later than Annapolis in the2010.

Acknowledgements: Thanksto the Ontario Berry GrowersAssociation which funded these trials through Ontario ResearchDevelopment Fund and FarmInnovation Program.

THE GROWER

PAGE 26 –– MAY 2011

Affordable, dynamic, and creative website video production

Fresh from the farm“I am happy to recommend Maverick to our members and anyone else who wants high quality videos produced.”

Kevin Schooley, Executive Director, Ontario Berry Growers Association

Contact: Ylva Van Buuren y.vanbuuren@sympatico.ca 416 462 1300

Ma erick Media + Communications

Strawberry variety trials in Ontario

Figure 1: Back root rot tolerance varies with cultivar

Figure 2: L’Amour is an early-mid season cultivar from New York

Figure 3: Summer Rose is a late variety formerly known as R14.Photo credit Becky Hughes

Bulletin isBack

The Berry Bulletin is a mes-sage for berry growers, scoutsand consultants, from theOMAFRA berry team. It pro-vides updates on crop conditions,pest alerts, new registrations,timely recommendations andanswers to frequently askedquestions about strawberries,raspberries, and blueberries.

As a service to members, theOntario Berry Growers Associa-tion will fax or email the BerryBulletin to all OBGA members.If you would like to receive theBerry Bulletin by fax or email,contact the OBGA office(info@ontarioberries.com).

EVAN ELFORD

Haskap (Lonicera caerulea) isa type of edible blue honeysucklereleased from the University ofSaskatchewan Fruit Program. Itis an early summer bearing shrubwith a small elongated purplefruit containing inconspicuousseeds, and tends to be sweeterthan other edible blue honeysuck-le cultivars currently available.Germplasm from Russia, Japan,the Kuril Islands and Canada isbeing used to develop Haskapcultivars at the University ofSaskatchewan and to date theyhave released two named culti-vars (Borealis and Tundra) andthree numbered cultivars (9-91, 9-92, and 9-15).

Plants should be spacedapproximately 1.0 m apart withinrows and 2.5 m or more betweenrows and irrigation is recom-mended during establishment,however care should be taken toavoid over watering plants. Irri-gation may also be beneficial forestablished plants during drysummer months. There are noOntario fertility recommendationsfor Haskap but fertilizer shouldbe applied only in the spring toprevent lush growth late in theseason.

A compatible pollinator is rec-ommended to obtain higher berryyields and should be planted at aratio of approximately one polli-nator for every eight Haskapplants. Most propagators have adistinct pollinator available forpurchase, and these pollinatorswill also bear fruit. Bushes

should be pruned in late winter orearly spring.

Pests reported on Haskapinclude powdery mildew andbirds. Some varieties are lesssusceptible to powdery mildewthan others. Areas with high birdpopulations may require the use

of 1/2 inch netting to prevent lossof fruit to birds.

Haskaps tend to have uniformfruit ripening and yields of 4-7kg/bush within four to five yearscan be expected. The berries areeasily removed from the plants atharvest time and can either be

sold fresh or used in value-addedproducts such as jam, wine andice-cream.

For more information onHaskap contact OMAFRA BerryCrop Specialist, Pam Fisherpam.fisher@ontario.ca orOMAFRA New Crop Develop-

ment Specialist, Evan Elfordevan.elford@ontario.ca

Evan Elford is the New CropDevelopment Specialist, OntarioMinistry of Agriculture, Food andRural Affairs.

HANNAH FRASER, DENISEBEATON, AND PAM FISHER,OMAFRA

Spotted wing drosophila(SWD) is an invasive vinegar flythat has the potential to causeextensive damage to many fruitcrops. The first detection ofSWD in Ontario was in fall 2010at a single residential site. We donot know how well this pest willsurvive the winter, or how quick-ly it will become established inOntario. Based on experiences inwestern North America, weexpect it will become a chronicpest to deal with in years to come.Early detection is the key to limit-ing economic damage.

We are coordinating a SWDmonitoring program so we canlearn more about the build-up anddistribution of this pest inOntario. We are placing traps at50 sites with susceptible crops,

representing the major fruit grow-ing regions in the province.Results from the sample collec-tions will be reported weekly inOMAFRA newsletters and bul-letins.

In addition, we hope that allgrowers with susceptible cropswill be alert to possible SWD out-breaks on their farms. The mostsusceptible crops include blueber-ry, raspberries, sweet cherries,although strawberries, grapes, andother fruit with soft flesh, are alsoat risk.

Growers and scouts can moni-tor for the presence of SWD adultflies by placing baited traps insusceptible crops and checkingthe contents once or twice aweek. You can purchase pre-made traps or make your own.

Traps can be purchased fromContech Enterprises Inc. (website:www.contech-inc.com or phone:1-800-767-8658). These traps

have red markings on them thatthe SWD find more attractive.

Traps can also be made withsmall plastic containers (250-750mL) with tight fitting lids. Drillfour small holes (0.5) cm in diam-eter, in the sides of the containers,which will exclude larger insectsbut allow vinegar flies to enter.

There are several options forbaiting the traps. Apple cidervinegar is very effective, easy touse and relatively inexpensive.

Traps should be placed in thecrop canopy, at least two weeksbefore the crop begins to ripen.Traps should be checked and thebait replaced at least once a week. For information on making andusing traps for SWD, seewww.al.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/swd_monitoring.pdf

The next step is to identifySWD flies in your traps!Although the male flies have dis-tinct spots on their wings, the

females, which are more numer-ous and actually cause the dam-age, do not have spotted wings.

Information on SWD identifi-cation will be provided at the

OMAFRA IPM scout trainingworkshops in spring 2011. Sam-ples can also be sent to the PestDiagnostic Clinic in Guelph.

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 27

Since 1979

SyfilcoLTD.INDUSTRIAL KNITTING

320 Thames Rd. E., Exeter,Ontario, Canada N0M 1S3Phone: 519-235-1244Toll-free 1-877-235-1233Fax: 519-235-1280

MADE IN CANADA • SHIPPED DIRECT

Visit our web site: www.syfilco.on.ca

BirdNetting• Reusable soft plastic

netting• Easily conforms to

size and shape• UV stabilized• Available in 7.5', 15'

and 30' widthsCALL TODAY!

THE IDEAL

PROTECTION

FORORCHARDS

ANDVINEYARDS

Monitoring for spotted wing drosophila: getting started

New registrations for blueberry growers PAM FISHER, OMAFRA

• Ignite 15 SN herbicide (glufosi-nate ammonium), Reg. No.23180, for the post-emergent burndown of annual and perennialweeds on highbush blueberry in

Eastern Canada and BritishColumbia. Can be tank-mixedwith Princep Nine-T or Simadex.• Dual Magnum Reg. No. 25728and Dual II Magnum Reg. No.25729 herbicides (s-metolachlor).Apply to the soil as a banded

application directed to the base ofthe highbush blueberry plants,pre-emergent to weeds. Hasactivity on pigweed, nightshade,several grasses and nutsedge.Crop injury may occur if any partof the plants is contacted by drift.

The pre-harvest interval is 30days. • Fulfill 50 WG insecticide(pymetrozine) for control ofaphids on highbush blueberries.

For more updates see the2010-2011 update to OMAFRA

publication #360, Fruit Produc-tion Recommendations. You canfind this information on line atwww.ontario.ca/crops, then navi-gate to “publications.”

Beginner’s guide to haskaps

THE GROWER

PAGE 28 –– MAY 2011

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

CONTAINERS

LLOYD BAG CO.(www.lloydbag.com)

Established in 1939

BURLAP (JUTE)TREE WRAP / LINERS / SHEETS

WOVEN POLYPROPYLENE

PAPERLENO MESH

COTTON AND CANVASFOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

MARK ALLOTT BEV ADDEMAN JASON LONGGeneral Manager Sales Sales

1-800-549-2247114 St. Clair Street • P.O. Box 208, Chatham, Ontario N7M 5K3

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

1-800-265-2397 • www.wwp.on.caMount Forest 519-323-1060 • Leamington Area 519-326-2394

Manufacturer & Distributor

Produce PackagingoduPr ackaginguce P

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

4000 Jordan Road • Jordan Station, ON • 905-562-8825

Supplying Fruit and Vegetable Growers with:

• Baskets • Berry Boxes• Masters • Waxed Cartons• Fertilizer • Crop Protection Material• Vineyard Trellis Supplies

ScoringAg.com

for EXPORTING to USA

every case needs to be

labeled

to meet the

Food Safety &

Modernization Act.

Our on case barcode traces

back to a database in a

human & electronic

readable format.

lenhardt@thot.net705 324 2709

TRACEABILITY

FOR SALEPlastic lugs(boxes)24"X16"X6.5"These will stack or nestand have 125/pallet.Eligble for funding underFSTI. New $9 or used $7.Call John at 519-692-4416or jj@ciaccess.com.

WOODEN POLES

- - - - -

TIMM ENTERPRISES LTD.

Advertise your used

farm equipmenthere in a classified

ad.866-898-8488 ext. 221

THE GROWERMAY 2011 –– PAGE 29

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

The best producing orchards startwith exceptional trees.

ApplesApricotsCherriesNectarinesPeachesPlums

The best producing orchards startwith exceptional trees.

ApplesApricotsCherriesNectarinesPeachesPlums Quality

Fruit Treesfor 60 years.

Mori Nurseries1695 Niagara Stone Rd., RR#2

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S1J0 T: 905-468-3217 F: 905-468-7271

Email: fruittrees@morinurseries.comwww.morinurseries.com

QualityFruit Trees

for 60 years.

Mori Nurseries1695 Niagara Stone Rd., RR#2

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S1J0 T: 905-468-3217 F: 905-468-7271

Email: fruittrees@morinurseries.comwww.morinurseries.com

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

Oriental Vegetable Seeds

AgroHaitai Ltd. Ph: 519-647-2280 • Fax: 519-647-3188

seed@agrohaitai.com• www.AgroHaitai.com

Baby White Pak Choy-Nabai Queen

Hot Pepper-Dalong D11

Hot Pepper-Long Hot H

Hot Pepper-Super Banana

Kabocha-Litian

ORIENTAL VEGETABLE SEEDS

CLASSIFIED ADSKnight manure spreader, sidedistributor, $10,500. 2-FMC har-vestors, model 6002, 1322 hrs-$30,000 and 670hrs - $38,000.FMC orchard sprayers, 500 gal-lon, 32” fans, 90hp - $5,800 and110hp turbo-diesel - $7,500. 4x6J.D. Gator with air pruners,$6,800. All excellent condition.905-892-6380 or emailmlh@cogeco.ca

Wanted: looking to buy or rentlarge orchard/hedge pruner capa-ble of pruning hadges 20-30ft.tall. Please contact Mike Forwardat Sheridan Nurseries. 416-508-3266 or mforward@sheridan-nurseries.com

Orchard sprayer for sale. FMCLV320. 300 U.S. gallon. Goodcondition. 905-765-2027

EQUIPMENT

SPRAYERS FOR SALE3 John Bean Modulars

Coming Soon• REFURB JB LV 321

Narrow, $5995.00• NEW Hardi 3pt. Air

Cannon, $4500.00• NEW 100gal 3pt JB

Air, $7500.00• Used 50 gal JB Air, $2500• New Durand Vineyard

Sprayer Great Price. Over Stock.

• Used John Bean Smart Spray

• Demo 10 Sensor Smart Spray

• Barely used Hardi Mercury call for $$

sold

sold

THE GROWER

PAGE 30 –– MAY 2011

EQUIPMENT

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

NEW TURBO-MIST SPRAYERS - VARIETY OF MODELS IN STOCKLOW DRIFT SPRAY TOWERS to fit any TURBO-MIST - IN STOCK NOWTurbo-Mist 600 gal. Narrow, New Centrifugal Pump . . . . . . . . . $13,500Turbo-Mist 500 gal Narrow, Hydraulic Controls, Low, Low hours . $16,500Turbo-Mist 500 gal, Narrow, Hydraulic Controls, Used 40 Hrs . . . $17,900Turbo-Mist 400 gal, Big 30” Fan, Almost New . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,900Aero-Fan 500 Gal, 37” Fan, John Deere 125 H.P. . . . . . . . . . . . $16,500FMC CP4000, 85 H.P. Diesel, Ravens Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,500John Deere H.D. 10 ft Rotary Mower, Centre Pull, Hydraulic

Wide Offset, New Blades, Paint, Low Profile Tires . . . . . . . . .$5,500Seppi 200 Flail Mower/mulcher, Almost New . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,900Phil Brown Shielded Spray Boom Tree Row - Coming

DEALER FOR PERFECT, VOTEX, SEPPI

** Instant photos to you by e-mail - all advertised items **

Trades, Consignment, Leasing, Delivery Anywhere

WANTED NOW:CLEAN USED TRADES Made in

Canada

ALL STAINLESS STEEL

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

Orchard Equipment for sale:

• 1 FMC 250 series speed sprayer 500 gallons, $6000

• 1830 John Deere tractor with fork lift, 2377 hours, $4,500

Contact Ibrahim Call after 7 pm905-304-1406

Ibrahim_elahmed@hotmail.com

• VEGETABLE SEEDERSPlanet Jr. Gaspardo Cole

• CASH CROP PLANTERSConventional – Pneumatic (Air)

• FERTILIZER ATTACHMENTS(SideDressers)

• ROW CROP WEEDERS, ETC.

• DISC HILLERS

• SPECIALIZED ROW CROP EQUIPMENTCultivator Steels, Sweeps, Hoes, Furrowers,Hillers, Etc.

JOHN C. GRAHAM CO. LTD.DISTRIBUTORS

88 Erie Street North • P.O. Box 13Leamington, Ontario • N8H 3W1

Tel:(519) 326-5051 Fax: (519) 326-0480

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

Vacuum Coolers, Refrigerated Dehumidifiers.KOOLJET®

Reliable Refrigeration Systems

1-866-748-7786 www.kooljet.com Visit our website to view our complete line

Custom Built Designs • Domestic and International Markets

REFRIGERATION

WARWICKORCHARDS & NURSERY LTD.

R.R. #8 Watford, Ontario N0M 2S0Tel: (519) 849-6730 Toll free: 877-550-7412

Fax: (519) 849-6731 Email: warwickorchards@brktel.on.ca

Orchard Equipment & SuppliesMunckhof Orchard SprayersVotex ShreddersVotex MowersNew & Used Tree Stakes & Tie Material

FOR SALE

Super A cultivator,Electric start, Livehydraulics, 1 row cultivator, Belt pulley,excellent condition,$3500.00

Delhi HydraulicAsparagus Cutter3 to 6 row, $2000.00

67 Ford Dexta diesel,Runs well, $1600.00

Call: George613-385-2328

Advertise your used

farm equipment

here.866-898-8488 ext. 221

THE GROWER

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

CROP TUNNELS

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 31

IRRIGATION

Advertise yourused farm equipment

here.866-898-8488 ext. 221

Greenhouse and Heating Systems

Canada’s Leading Greenhouse Manufacturer

Tel: 519-582-3081 Fax: 519-582-0851Toll Free: 888-786-4769

RR 1, Simcoe Ontario, Canadainfo@decloetgreenhouse.com www.decloetgreenhouse.com

Complete Greenhouse Systems Since 1986

GREENHOUSE MANUFACTURING

REAL ESTATE

www.thegrower.org

Change ofaddress???

866-898-8488 ext. 221

THE GROWER

PAGE 32 –– MAY 2011

I want to tell you a story abouta man named Jim, a poor countryboy, worked hard to keep thefamily fed, came one day he was. . . But I am getting ahead ofmyself.

There are many people whohave contributed to our industrythat in turn have made it prosper,and to make Canada a betterplace. Over the course of a career,one meets these people naturally,because they are so deeplyinvolved in many aspects of thebusiness, and because they arealways interested in seeking youout and finding out what makesyou tick. They will utilize yourtalents (if you have any!) to makethe industry even better. They allseem to be naturally inquisitive,and they are walking encyclope-dias of history and industryknowledge.

Horticulture in Canada is asmall world. It spans all theprovinces, and within any com-modity sector, everyone seems toknow or know of everyone else.The supply chain business is alsoa small sphere. It doesn’t matter ifsomeone is part of “the big six”companies, or from a much small-er manufacturer or distributor-everyone knows everyone. Theyalso know and remember whocontributed- money, time, talentor (usually) all of the above, to

resolving issues. I want to share what I know

about one of those individuals:Jim Bartlett.

Jim passed away in early Aprilthis year. It was his time. He wassurrounded by his large familyand they all loved him dearly.How many men would wish foranything more than that? Jim wasin every way a family man, yet hegave of himself to his communitythrough volunteerism at Kinsmen,Chamber of Commerce andchurch, and to his industrythrough his membership and pres-idency of the national CropLife

Council and to being the organiz-er and first chair for the OntarioProvincial Council. He spent hisentire career at the companywhich bore his father’s name, andin turn he passed it on to his fam-ily that now preside over thatsame family business.

He had much more than justgood business acumen. He was ashrewd negotiator, and a businessman looking for any opportunityto grow his business. He waswidely respected as a man of hisword in any business dealing. Hewas also always willing to help agrower resolve a logistics issue

with packing equipment, anddesigned many custom packinglines still in use today. The company was never afraid to trynew lines of products (hence theintro to this article- Jim took on atelevision franchise just at thetime when the Beverly Hillbillieswas in vogue), or to take on newbusiness arrangements and newsuppliers that ultimately madeproducts available to growerswho may otherwise never wouldhave seen them and gained fromtheir use. He could be passionateabout equipment and argue onequal terms with PhD scientists or

engineers who could not see hispoint. (He usually won his pointsimply from having the first handpractical experience in using oreven constructing the equipment!)All the while, he managed all therest of the business operation witha big hand from family membersincluding his father, brother, andbrother-in-law, and later as manyas twelve family members fromsucceeding generations. Theyworked hard, and perseveredthrough the tough times whichmany growers can empathizewith. They progressed from having all deliveries based from

the plant in Beamsville (meaningvery long truck rides on poorerroads than today) to a nation-wide system of company repre-sentatives with products in stockand on hand for fast response to agrower’s need. It was a shrewdmove in another way. They wereoften the first to hear FROM thegrowers about new pests, newneeds, and what their actual con-cerns were, and thus able to startdealing with those needs faster.

The company is now in thehands of the third generation,with the fourth generation alreadyinvolved in the business.

Jim made sure that they have allbeen trained in the tried and truemethod -- from the bottom up.Perhaps that’s why they havebeen successful. I also think theirsecret is that they all regard family first -- in business and intheir personal lives. It shows.

But back to Jim. He learned early that life was

more than just work. After a serious health scare at a relativelyyoung age, he decided to windback on his commitments (all theway back to a level that manystill never achieve!) and to spendmore time with family. They were

able to purchase a cottage property where many friends andbusiness associates have been fortunate to attend. When familywanted to have guests, it wasnever a question of if, it was only‘how soon can they come.’Everyone learned to water skifrom Jim. He believed in the dryground approach first. It was allabout planning, and a reflectionof why his skills as a millwrightpaid off so often. The barbequeswere legendary and continue tothis day. The games and sportsJim loved are ‘de rigueur’ as well.

It is impossible to tell justwhat being honoured meant toJim, when he was receiving hismany awards. He would be thefirst to deflect credit to others.From being the first “small” business operator to headCropLife as President back in1979-80, to being part of theBartlett team that received the2011 Business of The YearAward in Lincoln –only two daysprior to his passing, Jim was recognized often for his efforts.

It is champions like JimBartlett that make this businesswhat it has become today. Noteveryone is cut out to achieve tothe same degree during theircareer. Everyone CAN contributein their own way, if they chose todo so, as Jim did. It was an honour to have known and tohave worked (debated) with Jimon issues, and to continue to doso with his family. We have allbeen fed by his passion for the industry. It is a pleasure to seesuch tight family bonds that willcontinue to serve our industry.This industry will miss Jim, buthe can rest well knowing his business has been entrusted tocapable hands.

My condolences to Rheta andall the family on Jim’s passing.

CRAIG’S COMMENTS

Loss of a champion

CRAIG HUNTEROFVGA

MINOR USE

For more information on the BASF family of products, contactAgSolutions® by BASF at 1-877-371-BASF (2273) or visitwww.agsolutions.ca ® - Registered trade-mark of the BASF group of companies.

TM - Trade-mark of the BASF group of companies. © 2011 BASF.

Technical Support Provided by ������ ����Always read and follow label directions.

®

®

®

TM

®

®

®

®

TM

®

®

Jim Bartlett Above from left to right: Craig Bartlett, Don Peters and David Bartlettwill continue the family business, N.M. Bartlett Inc.

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 33

MINOR USE

2011-2012 priorities for minor use research

THE GROWER

PAGE 34 –– MAY 2011

New active ingredient adds early blight control to RevusRevus Top fungicide is now available for control

of early and late blight in potatoes. Revus Top is aco-pack of Revus fungicide and difenoconazole, anew Group 3 triazole fungicide. The addition ofdifenoconazole will also protect plants against earlyblight, another pervasive potato plant disease.

“Revus should play a part of potato growers’ sprayprogram, applied at critical periods to control late

blight. For growers who also experience early blightpressure, Revus Top will be a valuable option, alsoproviding protection from this disease,” explains TaraMcCaughey, Technical Crop Manager for SyngentaCanada. “By controlling both key potato diseases,Revus Top optimizes the effectiveness and the effi-ciency of a grower’s fungicide applications.”

Following application, the translaminar movement

of difenoconazole results in both contact and residualdisease control. This movement also contributes tothe fungicide’s effectiveness at low use rates. As partof the Revus Top co-pack, difenoconazole will beavailable in a liquid formulation (250 g/L emulsifi-able concentrate). Revus Top is crop-safe and rainfastafter drying.

Alternative mode of action controls apple scabInspire fungicide has received regis-

tration from the Pest Management Reg-ulatory Agency for use on pome fruit,grapes and a number of other horticul-tural crops. This registration is impor-tant news for apple growers, in particu-lar, since Inspire controls apple scab –including strobilurin-resistant strains –and other damaging apple diseases.

Inspire is a Group 3 (triazole) fungi-cide with the active ingredient difeno-

conazole. It delivers both preventativeand curative effects, also displayingrapid uptake and excellent translaminaractivity. In this way, Inspire protectstop and bottom leaf surfaces. Onceabsorbed, Inspire stays localized andprovides residual protection againstdisease.

“Inspire will be an extremely valu-able tool in an apple grower’s integrat-ed pest management program, serving

as rotational partner to strobilurinfungicides and as a means of resistancemanagement,” explains Tara McCaugh-ey, Technical Crop Manager for Syn-genta Canada.

In addition to pome fruit and grapes,Inspire is also registered for the controlof important diseases on Brassica leafyvegetables, bulb vegetables, cucurbitvegetables, fruiting vegetables, selecttuberous and corm vegetables and

sugar beets. Across all these fruits andvegetables, Inspire is crop-safe andrainfast after drying. Inspire has a liq-uid formulation (250 g/L emulsifiableconcentrate) and convenient packagesize, both specifically developed toensure ease of tank-mixing and productapplication.

For more information, go towww.syngenta.com.

MINOR USE

Betamix B herbicide controls weeds on red beets

The Pest Management RegulatoryAgency (PMRA) recently announcedthe approval of a minor use labelexpansion for Callisto 480 SC herbi-cide (mesotrione) for control of weedson highbush and lowbush blueberriesin Canada. Callisto 480 SC wasalready labeled for use on corn andcranberries in Canada and has a provenrecord of providing producers witheffective weed management.

Weed management on blueberrieshas been a high priority item for anumber of years and the registration ofCallisto 480 SC herbicide will provideblueberry producers with an effectiveand useful weed management tool.

For blueberries Callisto 480 SC canbe applied pre-emergent or post-emer-gent to weeds at a rate of 0.3 L productper hectare in a spray volume of 100 -200 L water per hectare. The pre-har-

vest interval is 60 days. Consult thefull label for application details.

A Syngenta news release says that inhighbush and lowbush blueberries, Cal-listo 480SC can be applied up to theeight-leaf stage of weeds prior to cropbloom. The herbicide provides controlof lamb’s quarters, redroot pigweed,velvetleaf, wild mustard, eastern blacknightshade as well as suppression ofcommon ragweed.

Callisto herbicide should be used inan integrated weed management pro-gram and in rotation with other man-agement strategies. Follow all otherprecautions and directions for use onthe Callisto 480 SC herbicide label.

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

Weed control strengthened for blueberries

The Pest Management RegulatoryAgency (PMRA) recently announced theapproval of a minor use label expansion forBetamix B EC herbicide (desmedipham +phenmedipham) for control of weeds onred (garden) beets in Canada. Betamix BEC herbicide was already labeled for useon sugarbeets in Canada and has been ahigh priority product for red (garden) beetproducers in Canada.

This minor use project was sponsoredby Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, PestManagement Centre (AAFC-PMC) andwas initiated in 2007 in response to minoruse priorities identified by producers,processors and extension personnel inCanada.

Weed management on red beets hasbeen a high priority item for a number ofyears and the registration of Betamix Bherbicide will provide red beet producerswith an effective and useful weed manage-ment tool.

The following is provided as a generaloutline only. Users should consult the complete label before using Betamix B

herbicide.Betamix B herbicide may be applied to

red (garden) beets at any stage of growth(as early as cotyledon) when necessary to

control weeds. Apply Betamix B at 1.15 to1.75 L per ha as a broadcast spray in 100 –200 L of water. Repeat applications at five– seven day intervals following the firstapplication or when another flush of weedsgerminates. Apply a maximum of three applications per season and do not applywithin 30 days of harvest. Consult the fullminor use label for precautions anddetailed use directions.

Betamix B herbicide should be used inan integrated weed management programand in rotation with other managementstrategies. Follow all other precautions anddirections for use on the Betamix B herbicide label.

This minor use submission was spon-sored by AAFC-PMC as a result of priori-ties established in consultation with pro-ducers and processors.

For copies of the new minor use labelcontact Kristen Callow (519) 674-1335 orJanice LeBoeuf, (519) 674-1699OMAFRA, Ridgetown, Jim Chaput,OMAFRA, Guelph (519) 826-3539 or visitwww.bayercropscience.ca/

THE GROWER

MAY 2011 –– PAGE 35

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

Now registered!

Inspire™ fungicide is now registered for control of apple scab – even Strobilurin-resistant strains – plus powdery mildew

and more. Choose Inspire as the foundation of your integrated disease management strategy in apples, grapes and other fruit

and vegetable crops, too. For more information, please call 1-87-SYNGENTA (1-877-964-3682) or visit SyngentaFarm.ca

Always read and follow label directions. Inspire™, the Alliance Frame, the Purpose Icon and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. © 2011 Syngenta Crop Protection Canada, Inc.

THE GROWER

PAGE 36 –– MAY 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.