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Originally published:

FEBRUARY 2021
Vol. 107 Issue 2

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Stories In This Edition

CPR on ALR Track

Sea of greens

Farm properties rising

Genomics lab expands service to local growers

Editorial: Put farmers first

Back 40: Knowing when to pull back on extensions

Viewpoint: A watershed moment for BC farms

Egg producer questions support for local eggs

Milk consumption up among young minorities

Nutrient recovery system in third phase

North Saanich approves Sandown proprosal

Tsartlip acquire Woodwyn Farm with provincial help

Woodwynn Farm was first known as Mawuec

Pandemic was profitable for nursery growers

Researcher brings experience to sweet role

Consultant delivered practical advice

Tributes pour in for Island farmer Colin Springford

On-farm abattoir approved for Alberni Valley

Plans for a provincial weather network move forward

Feedlots under pressure with kill instability

If you go out in the woods today …

Round bale bounty

CFIA services get a funding boost

Help available for farm business succession

Sidebar: Considering all the options

Diversification helps farms prepare for challenges

Creston advocacy group continues push for food hub

Frind matches his love of data with grape production

Greenhouse sets example for others to follow

On-farm food networks wire farms for success

OK irrigation systems have a long history

Pemberton family farms beer with deep roots

When life gives you lemons

Personal money strategy as important as farm stragegy

Farm Story: Winter brings the distractions of technology

Well-designed vegetable coolers make for hot sales

Woodshed: Janice Newberry sets the record straight

Research: Plants can recognize attacking herbivores

Jude’s Kitchen: Super simple

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1 week ago

Congratulations to Travis and Brad Hopcott of Hopcott Farms for taking top honours as Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers last week in Laval, Quebec. For more, see this week's FARM NEWS UPDATE at www.countrylifeinbc.com/hopcotts-win-oyf#BCAGd#clinbcAg #CLinBC ... See MoreSee Less

Congratulations to Travis and Brad Hopcott of Hopcott Farms for taking top honours as Canadas Outstanding Young Farmers last week in Laval, Quebec. For more, see this weeks FARM NEWS UPDATE at https://www.countrylifeinbc.com/hopcotts-win-oyf-canada/

#BCAg #CLinBC
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Congratulations to all of you. You have done a tremendous job growing your business

Congratulations from Coniagas Ranches! Your business is awesome!!!

Thank you so much! 😁

Congratulations Travis!

Well done ! Well deserved

Congratulations

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1 week ago

Congratulations to Chilliwack’s Ben Janzen, former chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board, who received the BC Dairy Achievement Award from Jim Byrne of the BC Dairy Historical Society on November 23. Byrne hailed Janzen’s selfless work on behalf of the industry, first as a member of the first producer-elected board of Agrifoods International Cooperative in 1996 then as chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board for five years from 2016. "These successes have allowed the industry to increase processing capacity and develop initiatives that, when completed, will provide processing for growth for many years to come,” Byrne said. In response, Janzen expressed gratitude while emphasizing the determination and resilience of producers in the face of challenges. “You’re the ones that make this industry great,” he said.

#BCAg #CLinBC
... See MoreSee Less

Congratulations to Chilliwack’s Ben Janzen, former chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board, who received the BC Dairy Achievement Award from Jim Byrne of the BC Dairy Historical Society on November 23. Byrne hailed Janzen’s selfless work on behalf of the industry, first as a member of the first producer-elected board of Agrifoods International Cooperative in 1996 then as chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board for five years from 2016. These successes have allowed the industry to increase processing capacity and develop initiatives that, when completed, will provide processing for growth for many years to come,” Byrne said. In response, Janzen expressed gratitude while emphasizing the determination and resilience of producers in the face of challenges. “You’re the ones that make this industry great,” he said.

#BCAg #CLinBC
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I don't understand? Maybe it's my own ignorance but don't we produce way more milk than we use and force farmers to dump anything above their quota to ensure the prices stay high? Wouldn't we want to keep the retail price as low as possible while ensuring farmers receive their required compensation? Wouldn't that be worth an award? Help me understand 🤷‍♂️

Is this guy a reason why I cannot buy whole unpasteurized milk for my own personal use, yeah personal use even to make glue ...but really I don't carecwhy anyone wants whole unpasteurized milk ..it is Not my business..and nor should it be the business of bearacracy ..so in mho ppfffft

2 weeks ago

We are profoundly saddened to announce the passing of veteran farm journalist and Country Life in BC editor emeritus David Schmidt. He died suddenly in Chilliwack on November 20. For 35 years, David was the face and voice of Country Life in BC, covering producer meetings across the Fraser Valley and throughout BC. His reporting earned many national awards and he was honoured with several lifetime achievement awards, including the 2018 Scotiabank Champion of Agriculture, as he edged toward retirement at the start of the pandemic in 2020. He was, as one former ag minister eloquently put it, the "encyclopedia of BC agriculture." We will miss him terribly. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. For more, see today's FARM NEWS UPDATE - www.countrylifeinbc.com/bc-agriculture-loses-a-champion/ ... See MoreSee Less

We are profoundly saddened to announce the passing of veteran farm journalist and Country Life in BC editor emeritus David Schmidt. He died suddenly in Chilliwack on November 20. For 35 years, David was the face and voice of Country Life in BC, covering producer meetings across the Fraser Valley and throughout BC. His reporting earned many national awards and he was honoured with several lifetime achievement awards,  including the 2018 Scotiabank Champion of Agriculture, as he edged toward retirement at the start of the pandemic in 2020. He was, as one former ag minister eloquently put it, the encyclopedia of BC agriculture. We will miss him terribly. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. For more, see todays FARM NEWS UPDATE - https://www.countrylifeinbc.com/bc-agriculture-loses-a-champion/
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Very sad to hear of his loss…amazing dedication to Country Life.

He will be missed. His dedication to the agricullture industry was exceptional and conversattions with David were always welcomed

David was just an exceptional person . He had an unbridled passion for Agriculture. He will be so missed in this Industry. Condolences to David's family and friends.

Condolences to David's family and also his work family. He was a veteran agricultural supporter and reporter, and in his younger days attended every agricultural event he possibly could! He always had insightful views on the current agricultural state of affairs in the Fraser Valley, and also on the government programs and relief offered. He will definitely be missed in the Fraser Valley agricultural community.

David's thoughtful, careful and insightful reporting set a standard in farm reporting in BC, and much further. He will be very much missed.

Deepest Sympathy to family and friends.

Our most heartfelt condolences.

Very sad to hear this.

Sad to hear 😞

Very sorry to hear this. David was a first class journalist and an all around good human being.

Rip David.

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4 weeks ago

An agriculture plan progress report presented to Kelowna council November 6 shows a drop in the number of active farm operations in the Central Okanagan region since 2017. Six years ago, there were 1,034 actively farmed parcels; today, there are 983, according to BC Assessment data. Read more in this week's FARM NEWS UPDATE bitly.ws/ZScG ... See MoreSee Less

An agriculture plan progress report presented to Kelowna council November 6 shows a drop in the number of active farm operations in the Central Okanagan region since 2017. Six years ago, there were 1,034 actively farmed parcels; today, there are 983, according to BC Assessment data. Read more in this weeks FARM NEWS UPDATE https://bitly.ws/ZScG
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4 weeks ago

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Well-designed vegetable coolers make for hot sales

Cold storage for small farms doesn’t have to be high-tech

February 2, 2021 byRonda Payne

MARA – It’s a feat to grow outstanding vegetables, but without proper storage all that goodness can be lost.

In 28 years of farming, Hermann Bruns and wife Louise, owners of Mara-based Wild Flight Farm, have learned a thing or two about how to keep produce in the kind of condition that delivers profits to them and pleasure to customers.

Kootenay & Boundary Farm Advisors hosted a virtual farm tour on December 8 where Bruns outlined his five distinct storage areas and how they keep vegetables at their best. The organic farm grows a wide range of field vegetables on about 12 acres each year including potatoes, cabbage, squashes, onions, garlic and carrots. Wild Flight sells through farmers markets and a few wholesale customers.

“Each [vegetable] group has their own requirements for storage temperature and humidity,” he explains.

The building was custom built in 2001 and expanded in 2012. The walls, ceiling and concrete floors are insulated according to the needs of each of the five coolers. The facility wasn’t cheap, but it was the most efficient route for the variety of crops Bruns stores.

The first cooler is for squash, which are kept stem up on wooden shelves. The shelves are built four-high on top of pallets, which can be easily moved with a pallet jack. A thermostat at the far end of the room connects to a fan that blows outside air in, keeping the temperature between seven and 10° C. A ceiling fan promotes air circulation.

“They want it dry,” says Bruns. “One way to keep it dry is to keep the air moving all the time.”

Squash can be problematic and Bruns says even when everything is done correctly, they may not store well. He feels the region’s cooler temperatures prevent the squash from fully ripening.

Squash, other than acorn or pumpkins, are left to cure at 30° C for a week before entering storage. This allows them to keep until February or March. Pumpkins and acorn squash don’t keep past December.

“We throw out way too many squash in my opinion,” he says. “There’s lots of room for improvement on the squash storage front.”

The second cooler is the main vegetable storage. Bruns keeps his cabbage here in unlined apple bins with plastic on top. Bagged carrots and parsnips are also kept in apple bins as are loose beets with a plastic liner. Temperatures are kept as close to zero as possible with active refrigeration, which is monitored using a small dish of water. A skim of ice is good, solid ice means it’s too cold.

The plastic liners and bags help to manage humidity and prevent drying out.

“We don’t add moisture. On a small scale, it’s a little too complicated to do that,” he says. “There are definitely larger-scale coolers that do that.”

The third cooler is designated for apples and pears brought in from other farms. While these also like to be kept close to zero degrees and have active refrigeration, the fruits emit ethylene that impacts the flavour and storage quality of vegetables, so they get their own cooler.

“We don’t want to have the apples together with the carrots, for example, because ethylene makes the carrots taste bitter,” he says. “If the carrots are sprouting, it’s not cold enough.”

The fourth cooler is kept at about 5° C using outdoor air. Bruns stores his potatoes here in sacks. They’re unwashed until it’s time to sell them, to keep the humidity low and prevent disease.

Keeping potatoes too cool will cause them to convert their starches into sugars, impacting flavour and texture.

The fifth cooler is for onions and garlic and ranges from zero to 15° C with constant air movement to keep the produce dry. Bruns allows this room to get warmer because the demand for onions and garlic exceeds his supply so long-term storage isn’t the goal.

“They like to be close to zero as well, but what’s really important to them is that they are dry,” he says.

All coolers are checked daily to ensure temperature, humidity and air flow are in the right ranges.

Other elements that are important to consider when building a vegetable storage facility include smooth concrete so bins on rollers can be moved easily, a capacity greater than currently needed (and enough room to move around), coolers that maintain an even temperature, six-foot door frames for ease of movement and establishment of efficient flow of product and workers.

“You really want to pay attention to things and how much you need to move them around,” he says. “You really want to reduce the amount of times you have to lift and move a box of produce.”

 

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