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Originally published:

October 2017
Vol. 103 Issue 10

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Stories In This Edition

Ranchers land $20 million in wildfire relief

Hot Potato

Wineries hold breath after fires

Sidebar: Disaster Insurance

Buggy season

Editorial: Facing change

Back 40: Finally a weed agriculture could get high on

Op-ed: Co-operatives have potential for BC farmers

Well registration continues to lag expectations

Pumpkin time

Tax critics rail against “stealth attack” on farmers

Potato growers test new varieties in late, dry season

Agriculture low priority

Food policy consultation visits Vancouver

Peace harvest underway after late start

Hazelnuts rebounding with new varieties, demand

Agriculture in good shape, but risks exist

New zone for hobby farms

Drought conditions spread across province as autumn begins

Nursery takes lean approach to waste

Precision technology builds a northern blueberry patch

Robots help solve dairy staffing issues

Centrifuge helps farms tackle nutrient concerns

Ag tech start-up aims to minimize manure waste

Timed insemination can boost conception

Yee haw

Ranchers take stock of cattle

Metal ear tags phased out

Dairy association incubates artisan cheese association

Me oui!

Show them we care

Keeping track of Fraser Valley pests

Cranberry field day eyes new varieties

Kootenay MP weighs in on agriculture, dams and marijuana

Summerland growers cultivate best practices for cannabis

Islanders weigh benefits of new composting facility

Kootenay’s largest apiary has new owners

“Serious wine” the result of five decades’ work

Crop management covered at lecture series

Viticulture tech program responds to industry need

Research: Pollinator response to insecticides come under scrutiny

Auction proceeds benefit education, 4-H programs

Viewpoint: Getting to know BC’s agri-culture

Day at the Farm educates, entertains despite rain

Fair experience

4-H expulsion raises questions

Woodshed Chronicles: Henderon finds little sympathy for his pain

Jude’s Kitchen: Harvest roots & all

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3 days ago

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details. ... See MoreSee Less

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details.
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2 weeks ago

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the province's deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed. ... See MoreSee Less

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the provinces deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed.
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Sounds like 2 weeks to flatten the curve turning into 2 years.

USDA doing avian vax research, May 11 bio-docs to UN incl section on H5N8 w/wild bird spread. Found link to apparent pre-release on May 11 Geller Report. Good luck farmers.

3 weeks ago

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.” ... See MoreSee Less

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.”
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Killing our food chain. How do we know they are actually carrying a virus, look what's taking place with covid, is it real.

Ik kan niet zo goed Engels maar als ik het goed begrijp is bij jullie ook vogelgriep maar nog niet bij jullie

Any idea when this episode or bird flu might be over?

3 weeks ago

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions. ... See MoreSee Less

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions.
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4 weeks ago

A second BC flock has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the province reported this evening, April 25. The small backyard flock of chicken and ducks near Kelowna has fewer than 100 birds and is relatively isolated. This is the second backyard flock to be suspected of high-path avian influenza in the past week. The other, on Vancouver Island, was found to be AI-free. Amanda Brittain, chief information officer with the BC Poultry Association’s emergency operations centre, says the latest case is of minimal concern to industry because there are no commercial flocks within 12km of the premises. ... See MoreSee Less

A second BC flock has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the province reported this evening, April 25. The small backyard flock of chicken and ducks near Kelowna has fewer than 100 birds and is relatively isolated. This is the second backyard flock to be suspected of high-path avian influenza in the past week. The other, on Vancouver Island, was found to be AI-free. Amanda Brittain, chief information officer with the BC Poultry Association’s emergency operations centre, says the latest case is of minimal concern to industry because there are no commercial flocks within 12km of the premises.
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Buggy season

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October 1, 2017 byDavid Schmidt

ABBOTSFORD – 2017 has been “corn Armageddon” for local growers, says BC Ministry of Agriculture entomologist Tracy Hueppelsheuser.

Hueppelsheuser spoke to growers during the Pacific Forage Bag corn variety trials field day at Rosegate Dairy Farm in Abbotsford, September 15. Because the field days are primarily promotional events seed dealers use to show off their existing, new and prospective corn varieties, BCMA staff rarely attend. For them to speak at the trials is even more rare.

But this is a most unusual year, says PFG co-owner Alexis Arthur. Rather than go into great detail about each of the trialled varieties, “what we want to talk about are bugs and worms.”

They are everywhere, says Matt De Jong of Ag Solutions. After providing custom-cropping services for central Fraser Valley farmers through Rosegate for close to a decade, De Jong and his new partner, Derek Bailey, separated the business from Rosegate this year.  

De Jong, who looks after over 1,500 acres of corn and another 1,000 plus acres of grass, says armyworm exists in “just about every field. It just depends on how bad it is.”

The infestation of true armyworm and Western corn rootworm caught just about everyone by surprise. Corn augmented with preventative traits can control or even prevent damage from the pests but is not commonly planted in BC. In fact, Arthur included few “multi-trait” varieties in her trial because they haven’t been big sellers here.

“We haven’t had the worms so we haven’t been recommending the more expensive multi-trait varieties to our growers,” she says.

That will change.

“Now, some of those traits will work for us,” she states, saying growers will need to become “more discerning.” Just about all forage corn in BC is grown from Roundup Ready seed but growers will now have to consider using “G2”, “G3” or “G8” seed, which all have added traits. G2 seed will fight off corn borer, corn earworm and armyworm, while G3 and G8 seed also include protection against corn rootworm.

“The variety you plant is one of the management options you have,” Hueppelsheuser told growers, adding other management tools include crop rotation and/or spraying insecticides like Force.

“With preventative action, you won’t see as many beetles,” she said.

To help guide growers’ decisions, BCMA has embarked on an intensive monitoring and trapping program.

“We’re trying to get a sense of the hot zones in the Fraser Valley,” Hueppelsheuser said, noting there are many more worms in the central and eastern Fraser Valley than in Delta and Surrey.

She urges growers to practice crop rotation, saying fields which have been in corn three or more years in a row are most susceptible.

Late planting is another risk factor. Beetles lay their eggs in early June and “baby corn plants are a smorgasbord for them.”

That was certainly the case this year as relentless spring rains prevented early planting. De Jong notes planting was not only “three to four weeks later” but condensed into a smaller window.

“We normally plant for four weeks, but this year we planted all our corn in the last week of May and first week of June.”

The late start was followed by this year’s long, hot, dry summer. Although that meant higher heat units, De Jong notes “we’re still behind normal.” It also means farmers without irrigation are going to see much smaller crops.

“You can pick out the irrigated fields,” he says, predicting yields for farmers without irrigation will be down “10% or more.”

“This wasn’t a year to put in 2,500 heat unit corn,” Arthur adds. She admits lower heat unit corn also has lower yields but if the higher heat unit corn hasn’t fully matured before it’s harvested, “you don’t get the starch and protein so it’s not as valuable.”

And many farmers are choosing to harvest early. They want to minimize armyworm and corn rootworm damage and/or get the crop in before fall rains make the fields too muddy.

Some of the damage may not be visible until it’s too late. Hueppelsheuser notes the Western corn rootworm eats the brace roots, causing the corn to be unstable.

“Corn is already falling over and there will be more if we get wind.”

Although farmers were urged to “scout, scout, scout,” they must do so at the right time. The worms are nocturnal so the best time to see them is at night. That also affects spraying. Since contact insecticides are most effective, spraying is also best done in the late evening.

“Yesterday, I started spraying at 9:30 pm,” De Jong told the crowd.

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