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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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Vancouver council has rejected a bid to subdivide some of its only land within the Agricultural Land Reserve. The 8-acre site at 7520 Balaclava Street is home to an unused horse paddock and the former Celtic Shipyards. Vancouver council chose not to forward the application to the Agricultural Land Commission because subdivision would create lots that were too small at a site with multiple environmental and geotechnical issues. The cultural significance of the site to the Musqueam First Nation was also a consideration. ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago

Vancouver council has rejected a bid to subdivide some of its only land within the Agricultural Land Reserve. The 8-acre site at 7520 Balaclava Street is home to an unused horse paddock and the former Celtic Shipyards. Vancouver council chose not to forward the application to the Agricultural Land Commission because subdivision would create lots that were too small at a site with multiple environmental and geotechnical issues. The cultural significance of the site to the Musqueam First Nation was also a consideration.
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Let’s hope someone with an Ag vision buys the property..

Seasonal workers continue to benefit from BC’s acclaimed publicly funded quarantine program, which covers the cost of meals and accommodations for incoming foreign workers during their mandatory self-isolation period. To date this year, 14 incoming workers have tested positive for COVID-19, with nine remaining in isolation and five cleared to work on BC farms. "Through this program, we have been able to help preserve our province’s food supply by ensuring local food continues to be grown and harvested throughout the pandemic,” the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries told Country Life in BC. "The program is regarded as best practice by other jurisdictions and the province is continuing with the self-isolation program for 2021 without significant changes." Subscribe to Country Life in BC at buff.ly/2ReiFur ... See MoreSee Less

5 days ago

Seasonal workers continue to benefit from BC’s acclaimed publicly funded quarantine program, which covers the cost of meals and accommodations for incoming foreign workers during their mandatory self-isolation period. To date this year, 14 incoming workers have tested positive for COVID-19, with nine remaining in isolation and five cleared to work on BC farms. Through this program, we have been able to help preserve our province’s food supply by ensuring local food continues to be grown and harvested throughout the pandemic,” the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries told Country Life in BC. The program is regarded as best practice by other jurisdictions and the province is continuing with the self-isolation program for 2021 without significant changes. Subscribe to Country Life in BC at buff.ly/2ReiFur
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Federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has awarded $6 million to Vancouver-based Enterra Feed Corp. through the federal AgriInnovate program to develop a full-scale commercial facility north of Calgary for the production of insect-based feed ingredients. The new facility handles more than 130 tonnes of food waste per day and feeds it to the larvae of black soldier flies. The larvae are harvested and processed for use in feed products for poultry, pets and wild birds. The first of its kind in Canada, the facility ships products across North America as well as to the EU. Country Life in BC is the agricultural new source for BC's farmers and ranchers. ... See MoreSee Less

6 days ago

Federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has awarded $6 million to Vancouver-based Enterra Feed Corp. through the federal AgriInnovate program to develop a full-scale commercial facility north of Calgary for the production of insect-based feed ingredients. The new facility handles more than 130 tonnes of food waste per day and feeds it to the larvae of black soldier flies. The larvae are harvested and processed for use in feed products for poultry, pets and wild birds. The first of its kind in Canada, the facility ships products across North America as well as to the EU. Country Life in BC is the agricultural new source for BCs farmers and ranchers.
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Cammy Lockwood, great news for Enterra

CP Rail’s plans for a new logistics facility on 100 acres of farmland in Pitt Meadows is facing opposition from neighbours, who question the impact of the project on their community and local agriculture. Close to 100 residents questioned CP representatives in an online open house this week but received few definitive answers. The project is exempt from Agricultural Land Commission and local government approval. Results of a survey that closes today will be made public in March, with mitigation measures of the project provided this summer. Construction could begin in 2026 if federal authorities approve. Country Life in BC is the agricultural news source for BC's farmers and ranchers. buff.ly/2ReiFur ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

CP Rail’s plans for a new logistics facility on 100 acres of farmland in Pitt Meadows is facing opposition from neighbours, who question the impact of the project on their community and local agriculture. Close to 100 residents questioned CP representatives in an online open house this week but received few definitive answers. The project is exempt from Agricultural Land Commission and local government approval. Results of a survey that closes today will be made public in March, with mitigation measures of the project provided this summer. Construction could begin in 2026 if federal authorities approve. Country Life in BC is the agricultural news source for BCs farmers and ranchers. buff.ly/2ReiFur
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The BC Ministry of Agriculture has announced a new round of funding this week to support more community projects aimed at protecting the health and habitat of bees. The Bee BC program provides up to $5,000 to fund smaller-scale, community-based projects enhancing bee health throughout the province. Since launching in 2018, Bee BC has contributed almost $280,000 to 62 projects. The last round of 24 approved projects projects ranged from providing education in communities to planting bee-specific forage to using innovation and technology to help protect and ensure bee health in BC. The program is administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation. Check out the program guide for more information: buff.ly/3bCMzSW ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

The BC Ministry of Agriculture has announced a new round of funding this week to support more community projects aimed at protecting the health and habitat of bees. The Bee BC program provides up to $5,000 to fund smaller-scale, community-based projects enhancing bee health throughout the province. Since launching in 2018, Bee BC has contributed almost $280,000 to 62 projects. The last round of 24 approved projects projects ranged from providing education in communities to planting bee-specific forage to using innovation and technology to help protect and ensure bee health in BC. The program is administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation. Check out the program guide for more information: https://buff.ly/3bCMzSW
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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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