KAREN DAVIDSON

A conversation with DougWhitty is three parts marketingand one part infrastructure planning. That ratio reflects therealities of moving from theagronomy of a 50-acre vineyardto running a tourist destinationthat caters to 20,000 visitors ayear.

Growing grapes and makingwine is part of the skill set, butthere’s so much more complexity in direct marketingto consumers. Attracting andhosting these numbers is a bigbusiness enterprise.

“Since 2009, we’ve built abakery, a foodservice compo-nent and a roadside market,”says Whitty. “They have addedan art gallery, featuring sculpture and local artists.Together, it has a village feel.”

Ironically, the farm hasreturned to its roots of 1908

when Whitty’s grandfather soldeggs and raspberries directly toconsumers. The next generationincreased the farm’s originalacreage and sold wholesale. Butwhen third-generation farmerDoug and his wife Karen tookover, they decided to execute adirect-marketing model. Theirbusiness plan has been bolstered with the expertise of asilent partner from the automotive industry who knowsthat sizzle sells.

“Butter tarts sell a lot ofwine,” Whitty quips.

His insight reveals a lotabout the changes in societyand the marketplace. In agriculture, farmers have been

ingrained to produce volume atlow cost, but in agritourism, thegoal is to satisfy desires ratherthan needs at a higher margin.

Understand the marketplace

For grape growers and wine-makers in the Niagara peninsulaand indeed Ontario’s othermajor viticultural areas of PrinceEdward County and Lake ErieNorth Shore, it’s now aboutselling the experience. Whilethere is a large consumer market in the Greater TorontoArea and other urban centres,there’s still a long way to go toown that domestic market. Ofall the wine that the Liquor

Control Board of Ontario(LCBO) sells, only seven percent of purchases are VintersQuality Alliance (VQA) wines.

The Whitty family, for example, is emblematic of manywineries beckoning consumersto come to the farmgate. It’shoped that the experience willtranslate into more loyalty tolocal when it comes to shoppingfor wines. The formula seems tobe working. LCBO reportedthat Ontario wine sales for 2015-16 have increased eight per centto a total of $456 million.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

JULY 2016 CELEBRATING 137 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION THEGROWER.ORG

BRIDGES TO CONSUMERS

People skills required to move from agronomy to agritourism

INSIDEResearch greenhouse opens at Vineland pg 6

Focus: Farmers’ markets and agritourism pg 12

Berry news pg 14

Volume 66 Number 07P.M. 40012319$3.00 CDN

This creative photo of the vineyard at 13th Street Winery near St. Catharines, Ontario is symbolic of the agritourism industry. While many enter with rose-coloured glasses,many find there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s a tough business. Doug and Karen Whitty, owners of a 50-acre vineyard, winery and bakery share theirinsights for success. Photo by Denis Cahill, courtesy Grape Growers’ of Ontario.

Butter tarts sell a lot of wine.~ DOUG WHITTY““

Mucci Farms fined $1.5million for false labeling

Mucci Farms, a family-ownedand operated greenhouse veg-etable business in Kingsville,Ontario, has been fined $1.5 mil-lion for false labeling of produce.The Canadian Food InspectionAgency filed the regulatorycharges in July 2014 after alengthy investigation in whichthe owners cooperated. Thegoods were marketed betweenNov 8, 2001 and January 30, 2013to major Ontario retailers.

More than $1 million ofMexican-sourced produce wasincorrectly labelled as originatingin Canada. In the June 6 courtdecision, Mucci InternationalMarketing was fined $575,000.Mucci Pac Ltd. was fined$625,000. Both entities will be onprobation for three years. DannyMucci, general manager and JoeSpano, vice-president of sales,were each fined $150,000 on acharge that they imported green-house tomatoes, peppers andcucumbers packaged and labelledwith misrepresented country oforigin.

Mucci Farms, in businesssince 1963, manages about 180acres of greenhouses and is considered the largest employerin Kingsville with about 1,200full-time workers. The companies and individuals related to Mucci InternationalMarketing Inc. pled guilty to sixcharges under the Food andDrugs Act, Consumer Packagingand Labelling Act and theCanada Agricultural Products Act.

The Ontario GreenhouseVegetable Growers (OGVG), theumbrella group for more than 200growers, issued a news releasestating, “The OGVG does notcondone mislabeling of productand has been following the legalprocess closely. We view the convictions as a serious matterand we will be reviewing the evidence presented in this case,and will take whatever actionsthat we deem appropriate to protect the sector, our producersand consumers.”

Rick Seguin, general manager,stated, “This is an issue of greatconcern to greenhouse vegetableproducers. We continually workhard to differentiate our productsin the marketplace, and to makeconsumers aware of the advantages of purchasing Ontariogreenhouse vegetables.Incorrectly labelling importedproduce as being Ontario productnot only misleads consumers, butalso negates the investment thatOntario producers make everyday into producing a superiorproduct to meet consumerdemands.”

Metro Canada boostslocal in Ontario

Following the success of itsthree-year long local sourcingprogram in Quebec, Metro haslaunched a new initiative to boostsales of local products in Ontario.Since 2013, Metro has worked toimplement concrete initiatives tohelp make Québec’s agri-foodsector stronger and more compet-itive. To date, this has seen more

800 new fresh and grocery products from more than 130 suppliers launch in Metro andSuper C stores.

Editor’s note

The Grower takes pride in itsphotography, especially so thismonth with the distinctive covershot by Denis Cahill. And no, itwasn’t taken with a drone!

A former news photographerwith the St. Catharines Standard,Cahill brings decades of experi-ence to the vineyards andorchards of his native Niagararegion. This particular photo wastaken in August 2015 in aCabernet Franc vineyard belong-ing to 13th Street Winery.

His Nikon 16mm fisheye lenswas mounted on a Nikon D800camera held aloft on a telescopicpainter's pole approximately 16feet above the ground. Test shotsindicated how to angle the cam-era as he was shooting blind untilhe lowered the camera to reviewthe images. Tilting earthwardfrom just 16 feet elevation produces hemispherical-like distortion with the full-framefisheye optic. Cahill released thecamera's shutter with a PocketWizard wireless remote while herotated the pole as the tractorpassed in the adjacent row.Additional technical informationfor digital shutter-bugs: NikonD800 has a 36.3MP sensor. Theimage was shot in raw format andprocessed using Photoshop soft-ware. 400 ISO, 1/640 @ f6.3.

Thanks to the Grape Growersof Ontario for this photograph.

NEWSMAKERSTHE GROWER

AT PRESS TIME…

PAGE 2 –– JULY 2016

Congratulations to PaulMastronardi, CEO ofMastronardi Produce who wonProduce Person of the Year atthe United Fresh show inChicago.

Best wishes to Bob Forrest,manager, horticulture crops, forthe Ontario Ministry ofAgriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, who is retiring after 38 yearswith the public service. He was a familiar face at horticulturalmeetings, the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention and led ateam of first-rate horticultural specialists in the province. RobertBlenkinsop becomes acting manager until a new person isrecruited. He comes from the Food Inspection Branch’s FoodSafety Science Unit.

In the June 13 shuffling of the Ontario cabinet, Jeff Leal retainedhis minister’s portfolio of agriculture, food and rural affairs as didGlen Murray, minister of the environment and climate change.

Summerland Varieties Corporation, a world leader in varietyrights management, has hired Christine Gross as marketing andbusiness development coordinator. Based in Summerland,British Columbia, she will coordinate marketing and brandingstrategies for new tree fruits as well as existing apple and cherryvarieties.

Amanda Allison joins the Ontario South Coast Wineries andGrowers’ Association as administrator. She is currently communi-cations coordinator for Blueberry Hill Estates Winery and in thepast, has been assistant editor at Vines Magazines and web editorfor Wine Access Magazine.

At its recent annual general meeting, the Canadian Corrugatedand Containerboard Association elected Michael Lafave, seniorvice-president, containerboard, packaging and recycling, KrugerProducts, as its new chair for one year. Joining him on the execu-tive committee are: Bob Hagan, senior vice-president, AtlanticPackaging as first vice-chair; Jean Parent, vice-president, salesand marketing, Norampac, as second vice-chair; Gary Johnson,president, Maritime Paper as treasurer; Peter Moore, board chairman, Moore Packaging as immediate past chair.

Canada’s leadership in international plant protection receivesrecognition with the election of Marie-Claude Forest, a leadingexpert on international phytosanitary standards at the CanadianFood Inspection Agency, to the Bureau of the Commission onPhytosanitary Measures (CPM). The CPM is the governing bodyof the International Plant Protection Convention.

The University of Guelph has announced that a $1 million giftwill create the Pinchin Family Chair in Bee Health and the DonPinchin Scholarship in Honey Bee Research and BeneficialInsect Health. The gift is in memory of Don Pinchin, a scientistturned businessman, who died in July 2015. The chair in beehealth will be held by environmental sciences professor ErnestoGuzman.

The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA)welcomes Amanda Brodhagen to the position of communicationsspecialist while Katie Burt is on maternity leave. She graduatedwith a University of Guelph Bachelor of Arts degree in politicalscience in 2012. Since then, she has worked as an assistant editorfor farms.com and been food safety communications coordinatorfor VG Meats. Most recently, she has been working on her family’s cattle farm.

In other OFVGAnews, Donna Francis,office manager andDan Tukendorf, program manager,made their culinarydebut at the annualQueen’s Park Farmers’Market. To celebrateOntario’s Local FoodWeek, they offered gazpacho soup shooters, chock full of green-house-grown vegetables, garlic and onion. Thanks to a specialdessert delivery from Ontario’s Tender Fruit Growers, peachtarts finished the offering.

Paul Mastronardi

JULY 2016 –– PAGE 3 THE GROWER

BRIDGES TO CONSUMERS

People skills required to move from agronomy to agritourism

CALIFORNIA

Cherry crop packoutreduced by half

What appeared to be a historically large cherry harvestin California at eight to ninemillion boxes was reduced invalue due to nine rain eventsbetween bloom and picking.Matt Nowak, Delta Packing,reported that their averagepack-out rate was 50 to 55 percent. Half of the crop went tosecondary processing markets.Fruit that made it into the boxhad reduced shelf-life.

In Washington state, growersfaced a number of ongoingchallenges in marketing theircrop, such as changing weatherconditions, labour availabilityand competition from overlap-ping cherry growing regions.

National Rainier Cherry Dayis July 11 each year, but warmerweather brought the harvestingof Rainiers forward to as earlyas June.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

INTERNATIONAL

ARGENTINA

Argentina’s strategy ingarlic

While China dominates theglobal garlic market, Spain hasmoved into second spot anddisplaced Argentina to thirdplace. Interestingly,Argentinean producers are collaborating with Spanish producers to remain a supplierof choice in the European market. Their harvest times aredifferent.

According to the Associationof Garlic Producers ofMendoza, Argentina estimates9,500 hectares of garlic thisyear, up 14 per cent from lastyear. Most of its productiongoes to Brazil, however growerswant to maintain their 19,000tonne share in the EuropeanUnion. By collaborating withSpain on technical capabilities,growers are seeking a premiummarketing position in the valuable EU marketplace.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

WASHINGTON

Arctic apples first incommercial pilot

A small commercial orchardin Washington state is first togrow Arctic apples, the firstgenetically modified, non-browning apple. About 50bins of Arctic Golden areexpected, according toOkanagan Specialty Fruits.The Canadian-based companyis waiting for approval on theArctic Fuji apple and hasannounced plans for a fourthvariety, the Arctic Gala. Test market locations have yetto be determined, says NealCarter, president, OkanaganSpecialty Fruits.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

UNITED STATES

Trendy vegetables atheart of Nourish Bowl

California-based MannPacking is taking its cue fromchefs and foodservice, including trendy vegetablessuch as kohlrabi, butternutsquash, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, kale and sugar snappeas in a new product line.

Called Noursh Bowls, the single-serve meal ismicrowaved in three to fourminutes along with grains and asauce. Different flavours weredeveloped including MontereyRisotto, Sesame Sriracha,Smokehouse Brussels, andSouthwest Chipotle.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

CALIFORNIA

Bad business climatecloses strawberry farm

Mandalay Berry Farms, oneof California’s largest strawber-ry farms is closing, pressured bya worsening business climate.Declines in production areattributed to several factorsincluding increased imports,the new $15 per hour minimumwage, higher healthcare costsand the prolonged drought.More than 565 non-unionizedemployees will lose their jobs.

Overall, strawberry acreagehas fallen from 12,000 to 6,000acres in Ventura County, one ofthe southernmost strawberry-growing regions in the state.

Put into perspective,California still has 40,000 acresof strawberries in production.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

This summer, 13th Street Winery hasa new listing at the LCBO with BurgerBlend Red priced at $14.95. The Gamayand Pinot Noir blend is marketed precisely for a price-conscious consumerwho wants a picnic-friendly wine.

“We want to create a portfolio ofwines in higher volumes to help coverthe overhead of our expansion,” explainsWhitty. While their Essence line ofwines command higher prices, the plan isto increase current volumes of 14,000cases per year to 20,000 or 25,000 casesper year by 2020. By producing largervolumes of $15 per bottle wine, the farmcan sustain the costs of a new bakery andwine-making facility underway this summer.

Leverage the strengths of others

These expansion plans require leader-ship of a diverse team of professionals:marketing, accounting, food catering.

As Whitty explains, agritourismrequires an honest self-assessment ofyour skills. While farming may be in yourblood, it’s leadership of people andleveraging the individual skills of teammembers that will build success.

“The challenge for farmers in movingto agritourism is that the learning curveis steeper than for most businesses,” saysTracey Fredrickson, business enhance-ment officer for Invest Kelowna. InBritish Columbia, the Okanagan Valley ishome to more than 120 wineries and asophisticated tourism industry. But for

many farmers looking to capitalize onthat critical mass, it’s important to beworld-class ready.

Between 2011 and 2014, Fredericksonled an intensive agritourism businessplanning course with groups of screenedfarm operators to help them start orexpand agritourism businesses. Researchled her to the University of Tennessee’sagritourism business planning workbookwhich was modified to the CentralOkanagan environment and provided thetemplate for the participants to createtheir tangible plans.

One of the first orders of business,participants learned, is to take a tour ofyour own property and assess the needsfor parking, washrooms and food safety-certified facilities. Liability insuranceand fire safety protection don’t necessari-ly come to fore of mind but are criticalline items in the business plan.

All of the farmer students Fredrickson

has worked with are somehow unique.Caldwell Heritage Farm, for example,has showcased its collection of antiquetractors and milk trucks while JackalopeFarms has built one of the few U-pickstrawberry businesses in the area.

Owner of Jackalope Farms, SerinaPenner, is a member of the WestsideFarm Loop, leveraging the diversity offarms in her area. A map can be down-loaded that shows seasonal fruits, honey,pick-your-own farm-fresh eggs and a

century-old nut farm. For tourists unfamiliar with the growing seasons,there is a chart of bloom and harvestdates by crop.

The point is that agritourism requiresa critical mass to be successful. It’s notjust one winery or one farmers’ marketbut a blend of attractions. These collaborative efforts speak to the naturaltendencies of farmers to be part of communities.

The challenge for farmers in moving to agritourism is that thelearning curve is steeper than for most businesses.

~ TRACEY FREDRICKSON

““

Source: Grape Growers’ of Ontario

LCBO wine sales

PAGE 4 –– JULY 2016THE GROWER

CROSS COUNTRY DIGEST

British Columbia’s cherry growers areworking diligently to gain market accessto Japan, hosting a delegation this month.

“This is the second season of testingfor codling moth in cherries,” saysSukhpaul Bal, president of the B.C.Cherry Association. “We’ve been fortunate that growers with younger plantings have not sprayed for the pestand have offered their blocks for test purposes.”

Japan requires evidence that cherries are not a host of the pest. Thehope is that after the 2016 season, themarket will open to exports.

Cherries are already accepted by

China, a lucrative market worth morethan $50 million to B.C. growers last year.However, due to climate change, this isthe second year that cherries havebloomed in early April. The worry is thatthe earlier harvest will miss the moreprofitable Chinese festival seasons inSeptember. The glistening red fruit ischerished as a sign of goodfortune in Chinese culture.

B.C.’s replant program, $9.4 millionfinanced by the provincial governmentthrough to 2021, is encouraging morecherry acres to be planted. Bal says thereare now more than 5,000 acres of cherriescultivated in the province.

Cherries to China, and hopes to export to Japan BRITISH COLUMBIA

Alberta’s farmers’ markets are now infull swing right across the province. “We have almost 130 approved marketsserving 110 communities around theprovince that are open throughout thesummer,” says Eileen Kotowich, farmers’ market specialist, AlbertaAgriculture and Forestry (AF),Vermilion. “This includes 25 marketsthat operate year round.”

Kotowich says Alberta’s farmers markets offer a diverse selection ofgoods. “What you’ll see in the marketsright now are lots of greenhouse beddingplants and vegetables, early season

vegetables, and lots of preserves, baking,ethnic foods and other year-round products such as meat, eggs and honey.”

Part of the success of farmers’ marketsis that consumers want to know wheretheir food is coming from and make thatconnection with the producers, saysKotowich. “It gives you a feeling of trustwhen you can look the producer in theeye and talk to them about how theyraise their animals, grow their crops orprepare their ready-to-eat foods.”

Alberta-approved farmers’ markets areidentifiable to the public by theSunnygirl logo. A minimum of 80 per

cent of venders’ products must be produced in Alberta to qualify as anAlberta-approved farmers’ market.

New this year is a mobile app for bothApple and Android devices. This appwill allow users to easily find markets intheir area or around the province, searchby day of the week or type of market.Visit www.sunnygirl.ca to download themobile app or to view an interactive mapof Alberta-approved farmers’ markets.

Source: AgriNews

130 farmers’ markets operate throughout the province ALBERTA

The Palatinate (Pfalz) regionin Germany is renowned for itsRieslings, but recently threeCanadian wines were spotted byBASF Wine Cellar’s sommeliers. Their collectionnow includes a non-vintageBlanc de Blancs, 2012 CabernetFranc and a 2014 Rieslingicewine – all from Cave SpringCellars based in Jordan, Ontario.

“We are very excited tobecome part of BASF’s exclusive portfolio of interna-tional wines,” says ThomasPennachetti, vice-president of

sales and marketing for CaveSpring Cellars. “This placementcontinues the expansion of ourexport efforts globally, andespecially in Europe. In addition to our existing distribution network in theU.K., France, Belgium,Luxembourg, Denmark andSweden, BASF brings CaveSpring wines not only to theirdomestic market in Germany,but also to their extensive clientele throughout Europeand abroad.”

Founded in 1901, the BASF

Wine Cellar features more thanone million bottles of wineavailable in more than 3,000varieties. Served to BASF

customers and visiting dignitaries, the company alsosells its wines to wine loversaround the world.

Source: BASF and Cave SpringCellars joint news release

Canadian wines from Cave Spring Cellars chosen for BASF wine cellarONTARIO

THE GROWER

JULY 2016 –– PAGE 5

OAFE 25TH ANNIVERSARY

Milton, Ontario -- The future of agriculture and food education dominated the conversation at theOntario Agri-Food Education (OAFE)2016 annual general meeting on June 8.Students, teachers, politicians and representatives from the agri-food industry gathered to discuss the evolution of agricultural education. Theevent also marked OAFE’s 25th anniversary.

“This milestone event marks 25 yearsof success in educating students andteachers about modern agriculture,developing agri-food educational programs and encouraging students toconsider careers in the agri-food sector,”says Lorie Jocius, Ontario Agri-FoodEducation Inc. chair. “And our speakersbrought our mandate to life with first-hand experiences about agricultureand food education from today’s students, and insights on inspiring thenext generation of consumers.”

The organization also announced anew name and logo – AgScape -- a hybrid of Agriculture and the vastlandScape of food production and the

environment. “We felt it was time to rebrand OAFE

to keep up with tech-savvy students aswe continue our service to schools andthe agri-food sector in Ontario,” saysJocius. “Our focus remains strong to educate and inspire.” We will have moreinformation on our rebranding throughout our 25th anniversary year.”

Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc.(OAFE) is a not-for-profit organizationproviding curriculum linked and balanced resources to Ontario schools onagriculture, food production, environmental sustainability and relatedtopics. OAFE was created in 1991 withthe mission of building awareness andunderstanding of the importance of agriculture and food. This year OAFEcelebrates 25 years of delivering education programming about food,farming and agriculture. Watch for moreanniversary celebrations in 2016. Formore information about OAFE visitoafe.org, follow on Twitter@OntAgriFoodEd and like onFacebook.com/OAFEInc

Youth point to bright future for agri-food education

A youth panel moderated by Becky Parker illuminated some unique perspectives ofagriculture and agri-food. From L-R: Faith Baxter, Honours H.Sc. Food ScienceCo-op, University of Guelph, Cameron Choquette, 4-H Canada, Becky Parker,Moderator and OAFE/AgScape Project and Partner Strategist, Melana Roberts,Toronto Youth Food Policy, Neils Van Wely, President, Student Federation of theOAC, University of Guelph.

This milestone event marks 25 years of success in educating students and teachers about modern agriculture, developingagri-food educational programs and encouraging students toconsider careers in the agri-food sector.

~ LORIE JOCIUS

“

“

Consumers share insight into flavour

The Ontario Greenhouse VegetableGrowers have ‘skin in the game’ when itcomes to Vineland’s new research green-house. The association is funding significantdollars to differentiate the flavour of Ontariogreenhouse-grown tomatoes-on-the-vinefrom other competitors. The goal is to breedtwo flavourful, Ontario-adapted hybrids by2020.

Two summers ago, that research startedwithin Amy Bowen’s consumer insightsgroup. Vineland’s trained sensory panelevaluated 56 diverse varieties of greenhouse-grown tomatoes, some of whichoriginated with the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada germplasm collection, fordifferences in texture, aroma and flavour.

Next, that basket of tomatoes was

whittled down to 18 varieties and presentedto the consumer panel to indicate their preferences.

From this, a preference map was createdbenchmarking the industry standard andgraphically showing there’s room for flavourdifferentiation in tomatoes. “We came upwith a lexicon of attributes to describetomatoes,” says Bowen. “Words rangedfrom hay and vegetal to umami and smoky.” The ideal tomato is a little tricky, saysDavid Liscombe, research scientist in biochemistry at Vineland. “Texture is ahuge driver but so is aroma and flavour.”

In the past, seed companies have bredtomatoes for agronomic attributes such asdisease resistance and yield. Until recently,the tools have not been available -- or tooexpensive -- to link consumer olfactory andtaste preferences to chemistry. Vineland’sinterdisciplinary team is excited about howquestions can now be asked of consumersabout what they want before years ofpainstaking breeding.

The team consists of Amy Bowen (con-sumer insights), Valerio Primomo (vegetablebreeder), Dave Liscombe (biochemistry),Travis Banks (bioinformatics) and AnissaPoleatewich (plant pathology).

While these research scientists bringtheir product to fruition, the business modelfor licensing these varieties and rolling prof-its back into research is still to be settled.But the prospects for commercial successseem tantalizingly close with Vineland’sprevious track record. The research stationhas already produced Pixie grapes, an orna-mental dwarf grapevine, the Cold Snap pearand the development of the Appassimentogrape-drying system for Ontario conditions.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Vineland opens the largestpre-commercial horticulturalresearch greenhouse in North America KAREN DAVIDSON

Vineland Station -- There’s noglass ceiling on what can beaccomplished through research.That was clear at the June 3official launch of the new pre-commercial greenhouse atVineland Research andInnovation Centre. The $10.4million, state-of-the-art facilityhas been long in the planning, a“confederacy of good ideas,”according to CEO, Jim Brandle.

In fact, since the renaissanceof the horticultural research station in 2007 and Brandle’sappointment as CEO, the visionhas always been to build thisgreenhouse. Almost a decadeago, the Ontario Ministry ofAgriculture, Food and RuralAffairs (OMAFRA) was a significant financial partner inrebooting the research station.OMAFRA minister Jeff Lealannounced another $7.2 millionto support research that willmake greenhouse-grown vegetables more resilient in

Ontario’s climate humid summers and dark winters.

“This is an opportunity toincrease production efficiencyand environmental perfor-mance,” says Jan VanderHout, acucumber grower and chair ofThe Ontario GreenhouseAlliance. “I’m looking to evolving research on dehumidi-fying our greenhouses and eliminating the need for ventingout excess humidity. I see thisas the next opportunity forimproving performance.”

The climate-controlled,40,000 square-foot greenhouseis already home to tomatoes onthe vine and eggplant. One project is to improve flavours intomatoes, reaching targets setout by consumer test panels.Pest and disease management,some through biocontrols, areanother. Expect the develop-ment of smart watering systemsthrough wireless technology.Robotics and automation willbecome ready-to-use technologies in the near future.

These projects, earmarked

by growers and industry partners, will help keepOntario’s $1.6 billion greenhouse vegetable industrycompetitive in the future.

“This is a great opportunityfor the greenhouse and horticultural sector in Ontarioand across Canada,” saysGeorge Gilvesy, chair, OntarioGreenhouse Vegetable Growers.“These are world-class facilitiesthat will help us differentiateour products and deliver whatthe consumer wants.”

Officially named theCollaborative GreenhouseTechnology Centre, it is expected to be a hub ofresearch bringing together companies, industry and

researchers for fast-track commercialization. Some of the greenhouse’sunique features include:

• Strict control of temperature,humidity and lighting to accommodate all types ofresearch crops and projects

• 13 large-scale compartments,including two vegetable houseswith seven-metre gutter heightsthat meet commercial vegetablegreenhouse standards, and 11flower houses with five-metregutter heights consistent withcommercial flower greenhousestandards

• Below-ground trenching to

reduce shading in the greenhouse

• Collaborative space in thegreenhouse that allows partnersto work directly in the facilitywith researchers.

Coincidently, CEO JimBrandle, celebrated his ninthyear as CEO the week of thegreenhouse opening. He con-cludes, “While the bricks andmortar footprint of this projectis commendable, what sets itapart is the unique opportunityit will provide for problem solving, collaboration with ourever-widening range of partnersand the commercialization ofgreat science.”

PAGE 6 –– JULY 2016

THE GROWER

Pruners in hand, the ribbon-cutting panel consisted of: (L-R) Hon. Lyle Vanclief, Board Chair,Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland); MP Dean Allison, Niagara West; MPP JimBradley, St. Catharines; Hon. Jeff Leal, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; MPVance Badawey, Niagara Centre; MP Chris Bittle, St. Catharines; Sandra Easton, Mayor, Town ofLincoln; Alan Caslin, Niagara Regional Chair; and Jim Brandle, CEO, Vineland.

David Liscombe, research scientist in biochemistry, explains that the industrystandard for tomato flavour can be differentiated by linking the chemistry oftomatoes to consumer preferences forflavourful varieties. Graphic supplied byVineland.

Sweet Bitter

HayUmami

Firmness

Smoky

Juicy

Acid

Industrystandard

Viscosity

Grassy/vegetal

Skin toughness

Preferred tomato varieties

Preferred tomato varieties

Consumer preference zones

0-20% 20-40% 40-60% 60-80% 80-100%

Preference

FOR VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH CEO JIM BRANDLE GO TO WWW.THEGROWER.ORG

CRAIG HUNTER

The National GROUCommittee has asked me toseek nominations from Ontariogrower groups. If you have aburning concern about pesticidepricing Canada/U.S. differences,and wish to nominate a productfor consideration, please do soby end of July. Please feel freeto circulate this further withinyour commodity sector to getthe fullest possible response.

The requirements include:

• PCP # and name of productregistered in Canada,• The EPA number of theIDENTICAL product regis-tered in the U.S. This must beregistered by the same companyboth sides of the border, andhave the same contents (EG50% WP in both)• It must also be off data pro-tection time here, which wouldmean it was registered before2002. It cannot be a restricteduse product here. It may alsoneed to pass a couple of otherrequirements.• If pricing is out of line, youshould talk to the companyinvolved to get a sense ofwhether they may reduce theprice. If the product is off thedata protection time it may beeligible for generic registration

by any other registrant. This isan option when the product hassignificant uses across all

labelled crops, but may be oflittle value for many horticultur-al crop only products.

Visit www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/agri-commerce/import/index-eng.php or contact me for

further details atresearch@ofvga.org.

THE GROWERJULY 2016 –– PAGE 7

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION

Board briefs

Nominations for the Grower Requested Own Use Pesticide Import Program

The Ontario Fruit andVegetable Growers’ Association(OFVGA) Board of Directorsmet on Thursday, June 16,2016. Discussions focussed onongoing consultations (GreatLakes Nearshore Framework,Climate Change Action Plan,and Cap and Trade), ongoingreviews of crop protection mate-rial, and updates on a PACA-like trust from the CanadianHorticultural Council (CHC).

Canadian Horticultural Council– Adrian Huisman

As of June 30, 2016,Executive Vice President AnneFowlie has left CHC. TheOFVGA wishes her well in allfuture endeavours.

Work on a PACA-like trustfor Canadian growers continuesto be a priority. Professor RonCuming of the University ofSaskatchewan has developed acomparable Canadian model,presented to the StandingCommittee of Agriculture andForestry. A letter from the com-mittee will be sent advising ofthis model to the federalMinister of Agriculture andAgri-Food Canada as well as theMinister of Innovation, Scienceand Economic Development.

Property – Brian Gilroy

The American KestrelProject nesting boxes are stillbeing monitored by BrockUniversity; funding is beingsought for the project to continue.

The launch for the Centre ofFood Integrity went ahead onJune 1, 2016 in Ottawa and wasa great success. People are moreinterested in where their foodcomes from and how it’s grown.The Centre for Food Integrityalso released more research onconsumer thoughts about food.The importance of storytellingto engage the public was afocus. Growers who are interest-ed in learning to communicatetheir stories to consumers areencouraged to reach out toFarm and Food Care.

The Royal AgriculturalWinter Fair’s HorticulturalCommittee met to discuss thehorticultural competition for2016. This year the crop ofchoice is Marrow. The cropgiant being sought is the turnip.

A response is being preparedby the OFVGA on the GreatLakes Nearshore FrameworkConsultation. The piece looksat data gathering and progressmeasurement for near shorewetlands connecting to theGreat Lakes. The response isdue July 12, 2016 and will beavailable on the OFVGA website at this time.

Research – Harold SchooleyHarold was asked to present

to the OMAFRAEnvironmental SustainabilityTheme Advisory (TAG) Group,with a focus similar to thosehorticultural research prioritieshe was involved in. They havethree priorities, one of which isto understand the drivers andstressors on the agricultural pro-duction system, the second ishow to manage those effectswith new methods and newdecision support tools, andthirdly, measuring best management practices.

Within the Climate ChangeAction Plan, agriculture isdirectly mentioned as havingthe ability to capture carbon andprovide offset credits to the capand trade program, however, nospecific details were given onwhat the offsets were.

Ontario Agri-FoodTechnologies (OAFT) did astudy on precision agricultureand is reporting June 22 on itsfindings. Harold and John willbe in attendance.

Safety Nets – Mark Wales

The 2014 Agri-StabilityProgram has completed pay-ments of $35.8 million. 2015payments in the early stageshave reached $8.8 million.

Forms for the 2015

Agri-Invest Program are current-ly being sent to growers. Manyhave already made theirdeposits.

As of May 30, $21.94 millionof government dollars havematched grower contributionsfor the 2015 Self-Directed RiskManagement (SDRM) Program.2015 program payments arebeing received, bringing growers to 75 per cent of possible matched funds.

We now have the final version of the Climate ChangeAction Plan, which removedmention of eliminating naturalgas as a home heating option. Astrong focus is on electric vehicles and the infrastructurerequired to support heavierreliance on them. There werevery vague references to agriculture, but we’re still waiting on greater detail.

The OMAFRA PhosphorusWorking Group continues tomeet and discuss how Ontariowill meet its 40 per cent phosphorus reduction commitment. Ohio is looking toban the practice of winter nutrient spreading over the nextthree years to help with theirreduction targets. Great work isbeing done through the OntarioGreenhouse Vegetable Growers(OGVG) looking at the effectsof tile drainage on nutrient loading.

Crop Protection – CharlesStevens

The month of May has beenthe busiest Charles has seen insix years of being section chair.

Craig Hunter had the opportunity to meet with thefederal Minister of Health, Dr.Jane Philpott. The meetingtook place back in May, andthey discussed crop protectionand the Pest ManagementRegulatory Agency (PMRA).The door has been opened forfuture discussions.

In the month of May, thecrop protection industry facedfour consultations. Three werere-evaluations of Ziram,Ferbam, and Thiram. Thefourth was a consultation on themanagement of the pesticide re-evaluation process. The re-evaluations that have yet tooccur are for Chlorothalonil(June 10), Iprodione (July 14),and Captan (July 29).

The EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) pro-posed revoking use tolerancesof Calypso in the U.S. this pastyear. Revoking of toleranceswould affect our exportability tothe states. Grower organizationshave contacted the EPA withtheir concerns and receivedinformation that they will retainthe tolerances for Calypso forimport purposes.

THE GROWERPAGE 8 –– JULY 2016

STAFFPublisher: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ AssociationEditor: Karen Davidson, 416-557-6413, editor@thegrower.orgProduction: Carlie Melara, ext. 221, production@thegrower.orgAdvertising: Alex Nichols, 519-763-8728 x 218, advertising@thegrower.orgThe Grower reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Anyerrors that are the direct result of The Grower will be compen-sated at our discretion with a correction notice in the next issue.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 the soleowner of The Grower. All editorials and opinions expressed inThe Grower are those of the newspaper’s editorial staff and/orcontributor, and do not necessarily reflect the view of the associa-tion.

All rights reserved. The contents of this publication maynot be reproduced either whole or in part without the priorwritten consent of the publisher.

OFFICE355 Elmira Road North, Unit 105Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 CANADATel. 519-763-8728 • Fax 519-763-6604The Grower is printed 12 times a year and sent to allmembers of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association who have paid $30.00 (plus G.S.T.) per year forthe paper through their commodity group or container fees.Others may subscribe as follows by writing to the office:

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ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2016

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEEChair Jason Verkaik, BradfordVice-Chair Jan Vander Hout, WaterdownFruit Director Norm Charbonneau, Port ElginVeg Director Mac James, LeamingtonDirector John Thwaites, Niagara-on-the-Lake

BOARD OF DIRECTORSApples Charles Stevens, NewcastleFresh Vegetable - Other Kenny Forth, LyndenTender Fruit John Thwaites, Niagara-on-the-LakeON Asparagus Grws’. Mkg. Brd. Mike Chromczak, BrownsvilleGGO/Fresh Grape Growers Bill George Jr., BeamsvilleFresh Vegetable - Muck Jason Verkaik, BradfordON. Potato Board Mac James, LeamingtonSmall Fruit/Berries Norm Charbonneau, Port ElginON. Ginseng Growers’ Ken Van Torre, BurfordGreenhouse Jan Vander Hout, WaterdownGreenhouse George Gilvesy, Tillsonburg

OFVGA SECTION CHAIRS

Crop Protection Charles Stevens, NewcastleResearch Harold Schooley, SimcoeProperty Brian Gilroy, MeafordLabour Ken Forth, LyndenSafety Nets Mark Wales, AlymerCHC Adrian Huisman, St. Catharines

Climate of change

As we move into the heat ofthe summer months, changesare afoot with the various levelsof government that impactgrowers across the country. Theclimate in government at thefederal level is to get on withthe mandate that the majoritywin has provided to them. Thefederal Liberals are now pastthe honeymoon stage and aregetting down to the business ofbringing in their mandate.

In the mandate letters to hisministers, Prime MinisterTrudeau has been consistentwith his messages of “a newtone to Ottawa,” “renewedsense of collaboration,” “openness and transparency ingovernment” and a “differentstyle of leadership to government.” In the first year ofthis new government, it hasbeen very clear from the outsetthat this is a more engaged and

responsive government. Theprevious Harper governmentwas very centralist, with keydecisions coming from theoffice of the Prime Minister.This made for a challengingenvironment of lack of communication, openness andinability to provide meaningfulinput into the political process.The Canadian HorticulturalCouncil (CHC) and othernational agricultural organiza-tions faced a daunting challengeto be heard at the federal level.

For Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)Minister Lawrence MacAulay,the themes of investment inhealthy food, jobs, agriculturalresearch coupled with businessrisk management direction,trade and development of thenew agri-food policy frameworkto follow on from GrowingForward 2 will be key deliverables. These are nothugely different topics from theprevious government. However,the addition of the importanceof climate change does add anew wrinkle to the direction ofAAFC and the Minister hasbeen directed to work with theMinisters of Natural Resourcesand Environment and ClimateChange to make investments inclean and sustainable technologies and processes.

There has been a palpablechange in the ability of the horticultural sector to be heardby the federal government.

Under the previous leadershipof Minister Gerry Ritz, althoughhe was sometimes available tolisten to the messaging, it wasobvious that there was a lack ofdesire to hear and act on whatwas being delivered. The newgovernment has indeed heardand appears to be acting on oneof the more significant issuesaffecting horticulture, that beingthe Perishable AgriculturalCommodities Act consultations.After years of not getting anytraction, it appears that the challenge to the dispute resolution process will beresolved. Presentations byAnne Fowlie of the CHC, FredWebber, the DisputeResolution Corporation and bythe Ontario Fruit & VegetableGrowers’ Association (OFVGA)-- Jason Verkaik, chair OFVGAand George Gilvesy, directorOFVGA and chair OntarioGreenhouse VegetableGrowers-- have made some veryvaluable contributions to moving this issue forward. It isevident that at the federal levela change in the political environment has occurred.

In Ontario, there has been ashuffle in the provincial government cabinet, and with itwill likely come a change in theway this government has acted.They have now finished thefirst two years of their mandateand will be preparing for thenext election cycle two yearsout. The cabinet is closer to

gender equity as about 40 percent of the ministers arewomen. Some ministers are outsuch as Ted McMeekin, formerMunicipal Affairs and Housingminister and former agricultureminister. It is anticipated thatthe government of Ontario will likely become more responsiveto the requests from the electorate over this timeframe.While many of the previousministers are still in place inministries that affect horticulture -- Ontario Ministryof Agriculture, Food and RuralAffairs (Jeff Leal), Environmentand Climate Change (GlenMurray), Finance (CharlesSousa), Labour (Kevin Flynn),and Health and Long TermCare (Eric Hoskins) -- therehave been some notablechanges.

The Ontario Ministry ofEnergy is now being led byrookie MPP Glenn Thibeaultfrom Sudbury. Horticulturalproducers use power, and inparticular electricity and naturalgas, to fuel their operations.The Ontario Climate ChangeAction Plan is going to force theprice of natural gas up 3.3 centsper cubic meter in January 2017.Much of Ontario’s dispatchableelectricity is fuelled by naturalgas, and many horticulturaloperations depend on naturalgas for heating. The result ofthe Climate Change Action planwill be to increase costs for thispower. Ontario already has some

of the highest “all in” prices forelectricity in North America,more than double our competitors in the UnitedStates. Ontario fruit and vegetable producers must notbe hamstrung by unfair, highprices for power. It will be verynecessary for MinisterThibeault to meet with the sector to address these concerns.

Minister Mitzie Hunter hasmoved from Associate Ministerof Finance (responsible for theOntario Retirement PensionPlan) to Education. This is significant, as messaging is nowcoming forward about anenhanced Canada Pension Plan,which may negate the need foran Ontario-specific pensionplan. It is clear that more information on this topic willcome in the near future andmay be reflective of a more collaborative relationshipbetween the federal and provincial governments.

While the winds of changehave swept through Ottawa andthe climate at Queens Park inOntario may be warming, fruitand vegetable producers shouldlook forward to a more engageddialogue with both levels ofgovernment. Ones that are willing to listen, and ones thatare going to drive hard to re-election. A change in climateis indeed happening.

JOHN KELLYEXECUTIVE VP, OFVGA

These rain clouds over Lake Ontario were photographed steps from Meyers Fruit Farms orchards in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Photo by Denis Cahill.

WEATHER VANE

THE GROWERJULY 2016 –– PAGE 9

Exchanging informationsounds simple, right?

You talk, I listen. I talk, you listen. We learn.What’s so hard about that?

It’s at the very heart of commu-nicating.

The free flow of informationis a right we hold dear. It’s animportant part of our value system. Informed decisions arebased on information flowingfreely, being exchanged.

Informed opinion leaders arevalued by society; their role is

entrenched in communicationmodels, and I’d argue, morevital all the time as society getsincreasingly complicated.

To varying extents, we’re allopinion leaders, more so withthe broad availability of digitalcommunications. The conversations we have, the deci-sions we made, the opinions weform and share with others areinformed by free flowing information . . . and knowingwhere to get it.

That’s where somethingcalled the Canadian Centre forFood Integrity comes in. Thisnew venture was unveiled inJune in Ottawa. It’s designed tobe a resource for the free flowof information about the foodwe eat and just as importantly,for information about food’s origins -- that is, about thefarms and farmers who produceit.

The centre, an arm of Farmand Food Care, has its handsfull. Its research shows 90 percent of Canadians admit toknowing little about farming orfood production.

In real numbers, that means

more than 31 million people inthis country are in the darkabout the very food they eat.

On the plus side, the centre’sresearch also shows 60 per centwant more information abouttheir food.

Technology in food production is a conversationmany people are having, with-out much information to go on.To me, this is one of the greatest opportunities for thenew centre – give clear, balanced and truthful information about farming andfood production, including therole of technology, and you willbe filling a huge gap.

Examples of such benefitswere clear when the Universityof Guelph presented a showcaseof promising technology it’sbeen supporting since 2014,through a Dragon’s Den-likeprogram called Gryphons’LAAIR (the gryphon is the U ofG mascot; LAAIR is an acronymfor Leading to AcceleratedAdoption of InnovativeResearch).

Few such funding programsexist anywhere in agriculture.

The sector has been good atcreating a pipeline for the likesof new plant varieties to getfrom the field to commercialplant breeders. But when itcomes to innovative productsand technologies, where a financial boost is needed to getthe innovation over the hump –creation of a prototype, perhapsthe money just isn’t there.

The Gryphons’ LAAIRshowcase offered a glimpse ofwhat’s possible with a littleextra support.

For example, showcase par-ticipants heard of a nanoparticleextracted from sweet corn thathas a special attraction withwater. Among its many uses, itproduces one of the best mois-turizers anywhere, and can alsobe used as a food stabilizer andendurance drink additive. It’sbeing developed and commer-cialized by a start-up companycalled Mirexus; plans to build aproduction factory in 2017 areunderway.

Participants also learnedabout a technology calledGuelph Intelligent GreenhouseAutomation Systems. It’s a

robotics system that monitorsplants, harvests fruit, scouts fordisease and picks fruit. Prof.Medhat Mousa, an engineeringprofessor at Guelph, noted 30per cent or so of the cost of production for greenhouse vegetables in Ontario can beattributed to labour . . . if youcan find it in the first place.

As well, Prof. PraveenSaxena told participants abouthis micro-plants project –specifically citing micro applesand micro hazelnuts – beingdeveloped through micropropa-gation in the University’sGosling Research Institute forPlant Preservation, in conjunc-tion with Mori Essex tree fruit(worldwide distribution) andHarster Greenhouses (commercial application).

Like the rest of the world,technology and agriculture aregetting more complex, complicated and interdependent. Feeding theworld depends on them bothsucceeding, with research, funding and societal support.

Telling 31 million Canadians about agricultural technology, and more

OWEN ROBERTSU OF GUELPH

PERSPECTIVE

MELISA LUYMES

It was the May long week-end and that was reason enoughfor a road trip to Montreal. Well,who am I kidding? I was therefor a crop tour.

After a seven hour drive, Ipulled into a short laneway justoff the Trans-Canada highwayeast of the city. It was the farmof Jocelyn Michon, a long-timeno-tiller and a memorablespeaker at the 2014 InnovativeFarmers’ conference in London.

“You brought the sun,” hesmiles as he shakes my hand.Michon farms 600 acres nearSaint-Hyacinthe and he growscorn and soybeans, as well asdouble-cropping peas and greenbeans for Bonduelle. He is alsoan inductee of the SoilConservation Council ofCanada’s Hall of Fame. And Iwas about to find out why.

Through no-till and covercrops, Michon has raised his soilorganic matter from 1.5 per centto 3-4 per cent since the early1990s. But the proof is in theuniformity and consistency ofhis high yields, he says, andespecially on dry years. WhileBonduelle has dropped half of

its other producers in the area,Michon’s vegetables continue tomake the top grade. “The problem on many of the otherfields around here is compactionand it’s not allowing water infiltration.”

“At the beginning, they mayhave thought I was crazy, butnow they invite me to speak attheir production meetings,” headds. And Michon accepts,enthusiastically sharing hisresearch and experiences.

He uses smaller machinery,controlled traffic and alleys fortrucks to minimize soil compaction, and relies on ahome-made strip till unit tolightly clear crop residue aheadof the twin-row Monosem precision planter. He spreadschicken litter into a living covercrop every six years and his mixconsists of buckwheat, favabeans, oats, forage peas,phacelia, radish, flax, sun hemp,camelina, lentils, sunflower andmustard. Last fall, he had anoverwhelming mass of covercrop growth and decided to rollthe crop at the end ofSeptember as it flowered, andby planting time this year theresidue had all but disappeared

(see photo). “It’s all down here,” Michon

laughs as he stoops down toexamine the surface of his soil,just littered with earthwormmiddens.

“I have 20 to 30 middens persquare meter, which meansapproximately 400 to 900 earthworms in that space. Withan average of 25 middens persquare metre, that means I willhave about 1.5 billion earthworms on my farm,” saysMichon, who works closely withOdette Ménard from Quebec’sagricultural ministry, arenowned expert on earthworms.

“Textbooks say that with theone tonne of earthworms I haveper hectare, I could reduce mynitrogen rate by 60 units. I haveactually reduced it by 63 units,so that’s pretty close,” saysMichon. He then quotes USDAsoil health guru Ray Archuleta:“It’s not the fertilizer, but theeco-system that feeds theplant.” This has been Michon’sexperience over the years. Hehas reduced nitrogen and phosphorus rates by half, andpotash by a third.

But he didn’t stop there.Sustainability can also add valueto the product, he might argue.Michon worked on a pilot project with the provincial agricultural ministry and theUnion des ProducteursAgricoles (UPA) to become thefirst cash crop farm in Canada tobe certified under ISO 14001.All aspects of production wereevaluated for their environmen-tal impact, including fuel andfertilizer delivery. “In that case,it was the farm that was certified, not our products so itdidn’t mean an added value tous,” says Michon. “And anotherproblem was that there was noconsideration for soil conservation.”

So, Michon tried anotherapproach. He and other no-tillers had formed a groupcalled Action Semis-Direct 25years ago. In addition to hostingconferences and farm tours,they created a certified brandfor their no-till cereal grains in2008 and for their livestock in2009. The brand is TerreVivante (Living Earth) and itwas well received in Quebec.“The only problem now is thatwe can’t provide enough volume for the industry,” saysMichon.

Ever innovating, JocelynMichon has proven that no-tillcan work. And it benefits notonly the soil and the environ-ment, but also his bottom line.“Going no-till makes me anextra $100,000 a year,” he says,and that comes from savingsdue to reducing equipment,fuel, maintenance, labour andfertilizer.

My visit left me with a lot offood for thought as to how wecan better incorporate no-tillpractices to build soil organicmatter levels into vegetable production here in Ontario. If

you have a good example,please get in touch with me.You know I love a good roadtrip!

Melisa Luymes is Farm & FoodCare environmental coordinator.

PAGE 10 –– JULY 2016

THE GROWER

Soil health and vegetables

July 6-7 Canadian Horticultural Council Board of Directors’ Summer Meeting and Tour, Lower Mainland, BC

July 8 Haskap Day, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK

July 9 Haskap Canada Tour, Meadow Lake, SK For info, contact: bob.bors@usask.ca

July 9 Phytocultures Haskap Field Day/Open House, Clyde River, PE

July 9-10 Norfolk Lavender Festival, Apple Hill Lavender and Bonnieheath Estate Lavender and Winery, Simcoe, ON www.norfolklavenderfestival.com

July 15 Canadian Potato Council Meeting, Winnipeg, MB

July 18 – 21 International Fruit Tree Association Regional Study Tour, Rochester to Geneva, NY

July 19 Ridgetown Vegetable Open House, University of Guelph-Ridgetown Campus, Ridgetown, ON

July 20-22 Federal-Provincial-Territorial Agriculture Ministers’ Annual Meeting, Calgary, AB

July 22-24 International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration, Niagara region, ON www.coolchardonnay.org

July 26-27 Canadian Horticultural Council Mid-Summer Apple Meeting, Delta Beausejour Hotel, Moncton, New Brunswick

August 3 Controlled Atmosphere Clinic, Grand Rapids, MI

August 4 Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association Summer Tour, Kentville, NS

August 10 Potato Research Field Day, Elora Research Station, Elora, ON

Aug 13-14 Perth and Carp Garlic Festivals, Perth and Carp respectively, ON

Aug 13-17 International Strawberry Symposium, Quebec City, QC info@nasga.org

August 17 Peak of the Market Family Fun Day, Winnipeg, MB

Aug 17-18 North American Strawberry Growers’ Summer Tour, Quebec

August 18 Ontario Potato Field Day, HJV Equipment, Alliston, ON

Aug 18-20 Quebec Produce Marketing Association Annual Convention, Montreal, QC

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Green beans direct seeded into pea residue

Jocelyn Michon sees great corn emergence and earthworm middens on this field which has been no-tilled since 1993 andcover cropped since 2003.

There are certain sayingsthat continue to ring true, evenas retail evolves at such a fastpace. "Signage sells" is one ofthose tried and true statementsabout retail. If you can get asign on your item, it is muchmore likely to be picked up andmake it into the shopping cart.The challenges for you are:1. To understand the differentopportunities available.2. To know which signage ismost cost effective.3. How to ensure you get thesigns you deserve.

Advertised items

The most obvious signs areto reinforce the advertiseditems, to the consumer whenthey are in store. Retailers andsuppliers have made invest-ments in the ad so they need tomove volume when the shopperis in store. These signs are usu-ally tied to the creative in thead and must be on all items,whether they are in line onshelf or in an off-shelf display.In produce this is the most com-mon form of incremental sig-nage.

The positives about this typeof signage are that regardless ofwhether you are on the frontpage or inside you get the samesign and most retailers have asolid process at store level toensure signs are done correctly.It is a huge job each week toensure all items come on andoff ad at the right time and thatall signage changes.

In-store specials

Most retailers will have an“in-store program” where theyreduce the retail for a specificperiod of time to incent con-sumers to buy and also helptheir price image. Some retailersuse this type of program to keeptheir pricing close to the priceleader in the market. It allowsthem to have a higher regularretail to go back to after the “in-store” is over. These can takedifferent formats such as“locked in”, “roll back” or “buythree and save X.XX”. To date,retailers put more emphasis inthe grocery department forthese types of discounts but it

could be coming soon to pro-duce.

In-store specials provide anopportunity for guaranteed sig-nage with less investment onthe part of the supplier.Depending on specific itemsand categories, a modest invest-ment can provide exposure forfour weeks. Unfortunately thesesigns can get knocked downover the duration of the tempo-rary pricing reduction (TPR).The consumer doesn’t usuallycomplain because they get theproduct for less cost.

Themes

Incremental sales are a greatthing for a retailer. Theme pro-motions are great opportunitiesto generate these important dol-lars. If your item fits into anythemes it is worth exploring thisavenue. Often the investmentrequired is not as big as ads,they will build off shelf displaysand signage can be unique toattract the shopper in store.Timing is important for themes,as they do not always fit intoregular promotion periods. Youneed to be prepared in advanceof the regular cycles. You alsoneed to be proactive becauseyour space in a theme might notalways be top of mind for thecategory manager.

Themes do get more atten-tion than in-stores because theyusually generate the incremen-tal sales I mentioned.Execution is all over the placeso you need to follow up withyour customers to see what ishappening. Some stores aregreat, get creative and reallyexecute. Others can’t find thestock in their back room. If youare going to participate intheme promotions make sureyou have the commitment tovisit stores during these events.

Local

Consumers continue to pushretailers for more local produceitems. They don’t always buythem but they do say they wantthem. These are great opportu-nities for signage, especially forsmaller regional producers thatwill not be in the ad often, ifever. The retailer will put asign on these products at regu-lar price, which is not the norm.Anytime you can get a sign onyour product without investingin price is something youshould consider.

Execution of these programsvaries from store to store.Similar to themes, you have tobe in the stores to see what ishappening.

Which signage is most costeffective?

Every opportunity for sig-nage will deliver a different

level of volume for the invest-ment you make. You shouldalways calculate the return youget for the level of discount.This is the only way you willlearn what is best and alsowhere you can negotiate.

(Cents per unit profit (at thelanded cost) X units sold)-overand above spend can be used tocompare to regular movement.Every time you make an invest-ment in price you should usethis to determine how effectiveit was.

There will be some intangi-bles that are difficult to measuresuch as brand exposure andkeeping your competition atregular price. Sales are influ-enced by many factors so try toassess any of these as well.

Once you begin to build his-tory you will see where the bestreturn is for your products.Sometimes you just have to doit due to pressure from theretailer. If that is the case andyou have the facts about priorhistory you are in a better posi-tion to negotiate.

How to ensure you get the signsyou deserve

The biggest commitmentyou have to make is to be in thestores. This is where you cancheck execution and assess theperformance. Remember whenyou are in the store to look atthe regular shelf position andfor any off-shelf displays. Theoff-shelf displays are the biggest

challenge for retailers to exe-cute and maintain. “Signagesells” is true, as is “if there is noprice, they will not buy it.” If asign gets missed or knockeddown on an off-shelf display,consumers are much less likelyto buy your item.

Follow up at store level andthe office on signage. The mosteffective conversation happensat the store but to negotiate youneed to have the facts for theoffice. Remember to follow upabout the good and the bad.Telling a person in a store that adisplay looks great can be veryrewarding for them.

Remember, signage sells!

Your business must befocused on driving sales and sig-nage is an important tool.Understand the different oppor-tunities with your customers,figure out what works best andfollow up to ensure you get theresults you paid for.

If you have some ideas tomake signage more effectiveplease give me a call at (902)489-2900 or send me an email atpchapman@gpsbusiness.ca.

Peter Chapman is a retail consultant, professional speakerand the author of A la cart-A suppliers’ guide to retailers’ priorities. Peter is based inHalifax NS, where he is the principal at GPS BusinessSolutions. Peter works with producers and processors to help

them navigate through the retailenvironment with the ultimategoal to get more of their items inthe shopping cart. pchapman@gpsbusiness.ca.

THE GROWER

JULY 2016 –– PAGE 11

RETAIL NAVIGATOR

Signage sells

PETER CHAPMAN

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For additional information please contact Lloyd Rozema at: cell. 905-327-4571email. lrozema@aqua-tt.com

THE GROWERPAGE 12 –– JULY 2016

FOCUS: FARMERS’ MARKETS AND AGRITOURISM

Know yourself, know yourtourism market KAREN DAVIDSON

Colchester, ON -- More than one red stands out in Essex County.Leamington is the tomato capital, but look to the west for Essex-Pelee Island Coast (EPIC) wineries and their Explore the Shore tourJuly 23-24.

There’s probably no better place to experience the effects of terroiron wine than in this micro-climate where 20 soil types can be found ina 10-mile stretch. Third-generation farmers Suzanne Dajczak andMartin Gorski are part of that agritourism scene with North 42 EstateWinery and Serenity Lavender Farm. Situated near Colchester,Ontario, they are one of many destinations along Essex County Road50, formally known as King's Highway 18A.

“This is one of the oldest agricultural communities in theprovince,” says Martin Gorski. “We’ve come full circle from fresh pro-duce to finished goods.”

For years, the automotive business was a key driver across the riverin Detroit, but that business doesn’t look sustainable for the longterm.

“From all of our travels around the world, whether it’s to NewZealand, California or Europe, the grape economy looks good,”observes Gorski. “It’s smaller but more sustainable.”

While their vinifera varieties were planted on 17 acres in 2007, thefamily also kickstarted their business with lavender. From planting toproduct, there’s a shorter time frame to selling finished goods. It’sproven to be a profitable business to the point that expansion isunderway for an existing bath and beauty line and soaps made in-house. A culinary line, infused with lavender, will also be launched. Afacility will be dedicated to making jams, jellies, syrups and sauces.

Nearby, the Motor Burger restaurant features a lavender-infusedblueberry beer, adding to the story of locally-crafted beers. These arethe quixotic elements that bring authenticity to the tourist experience.

After a decade in business, Gorski says he’s grateful for the positiveresponse to the enterprise.

“Invest in infrastructure,” he says. “Laser leveling of the soil andsoil analysis have been the foundation. It’s expensive to make changeslater.”

Those investments have paid off in quickly earning accolades onNorth 42 Estate Winery’s Gewurztraminer, 2013, a bronze medal winner and Sauvignon Blanc 2013, a silver medal winner at the 2014Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. Based in New Yorkstate, the 2016 competition judged 3,824 wines entered from 50 statesand six Canadian provinces.

With stateside recognition also comes marketing opportunities.Suzanne Dajczak knows from her market research that U.S. customersare 35 to 65 years of age. They tend to originate within 50 miles of thefarm and have higher-than-average annual incomes of $40,000 to$70,000. To reach these customers, she uses a combination of traditional print media and social media.

“Many of our customers are blown away by the beauty of theregion set against the Great Lakes,” says Dajczak. “We offer them apremium experience at a reasonable cost.”

This summer’s food festivals and travel routes lead past the door ofthese two harmonious enterprises.

“Choose your attitude,” says Gorski. “A customer is not interestedin the fact your hydraulic pump just blew up. It’s a role that requiresdirecting and acting on your own stage.”

SKILLS IN AGRICULTURE?Looking for an experience of a lifetime?Volunteer in Africa, Asia or the Americas!Many exciting opportunities await you with UNITERRA.CA

© M

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Easily mistaken for a hummingbird, this snowberry clearwing moth is a pleasant bonus for tourists visiting Serenity Lavender Farm near Colchester, Ontario.

Martin Gorski poses with a North 42 Estate Winery red. Photos by Glenn Lowson.

Up-front investment in the vineyard site has paid off in spades.

Martin Gorski is distilling oil from his farm’s lavender field for use in a multitude of bath and beautyproducts.

Choose your attitude. A customer is not interested inthe fact your hydraulic pump just blew up. It’s a rolethat requires directing and acting on your own stage.

~ MARTIN GORSKI

““

THE GROWERJULY 2016 –– PAGE 13

FOCUS: FARMERS’ MARKETS AND AGRITOURISM

Working with cardamom producers in Guatemala through Uniterra program When Claudio Nunes arrived

in the Cobán area in CentralGuatemala in the spring of 2015,he met small-scale farmers who,for the past three years, had theircardamom fields devastated by atiny insect. As a result, the priceof cardamom had plummeted.Nunes, a 59-year-old entomolo-gist specializing in tropical pestcontrol, was assigned by theUniterra volunteer cooperationprogram to work with theCardamom Exporters Associationof Guatemala to develop a plan tofight the infestation. Originally from Uruguay, Nuneshas a PhD in biology from theUniversité du Québec à Montréal(UQAM). He was working as abiologist in Quebec laboratories,when he decided to return toCentral America to share his skillsand expertise with local communities.

“I wanted to fight inequalityand poverty in rural areas,”explained Nunes who, at 23, hadcome to Canada as a politicalrefugee. “Growing up in this areaduring such tumultuous timesand my political activism definitely propelled me towardssocial involvement. But morethan anything, it has been somotivating to feel that I am beingtruly useful.” In Cobán, Claudio Nunes workswith about 15 technicians.

“I collect data in the farmers’plots to assess the effectivenessof the control methods in place.At the office, I then analyse thedata and report the findings inscientific articles or in plain language brochures.”

In the early part of his assignment, he formally identi-fied the pest in question – thecardamom thrip. “When we find asolution, we present the findingsto farmers, train technicians andorganize conferences.” Nunes hasalso been working towards a

specialized research centre, whichadvocates for an integrated pestmanagement program. The ultimate goal is to eliminatewidespread spraying of toxic pesticides. For Guatemala, thenumber one producer andexporter of cardamom in theworld, this is a tremendous challenge.

The Uniterra program consistsof 600 volunteers, 200 local part-ners and more than 50 Canadianbusinesses and organizations whomake lasting commitments every

year in Africa, Asia and theAmericas. It is jointly operated bythe World University Service ofCanada (WUSC) and the Centrefor International Studies andCooperation (CECI) and undertaken with the financialsupport of the Government ofCanada provided through GlobalAffairs Canada. For more information about availableassignments, go to www.uniterra.ca

Photo by Florence Reinson

4 tips to jazz your produce stand Today’s food trends are impacting not only retailer shelves but farmers’ markets. Lois Ferguson, Malibu Consulting and Tracy Lamb, Mopani Communications, shared their tips atlast winter’s Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention. If you need a spark of inspiration for this summer’s stand, go to www.ofvc.ca and find their presentation under Wednesday sessions: http://ow.ly/OeWg301sr1L

Veggies are heroes. Meatless Mondaysare becoming Everydays. Move oversteak and make room for cauliflowersteaks. Mashed cauliflower and cauliflower hummus are making inroads.Give your customers these new tips onhow to prepare.

Cross-promote with other vendors. Anideal match is with maple syrup. Thisnatural sweetener gives a boost toparsnips, squash, Brussels sprouts andsweet potatoes.

Fruit-infused water. Display someinfused water at your market stand as arefreshment service. Post on socialmedia. Recipe ideas are endless.Combine pear slices with cinnamonsticks and freshly grated ginger. Or keepit simple with cucumber slices.

Demonstrate a spiralizing machine. Whata great way to engage kids in eating theirveggies. Replace pasta with veggie noodles or spiralized yellow squash. Thiscould be an option for a cross vendorpromotion with someone who sellssauces. No spiralizing machine? Showhow to spiral with a mandolin (julienneblade) a julienne peeler or a box grater.

Claudio Nunes

AVOID WATER PRESSUREStart planning now for 2017

To ensure you have water available for your next irrigation season, you should startplanning today. The process for obtaining a water permit is lengthy, but if you startplanning today you can avoid unwanted pressure from The Ontario Ministry of theEnvironment and Climate Change, and secure your source of irrigation water. Youmay also be able to take advantage of GF2 funding to help lessen the cost burden!

For assistance related to water permits, please contact Sasha Novakovic who runs theWater Program at the OFVGA. We are here to help!

Phone: 519-763-6160 ext. 219Cell: 519-709-5653water2@ofvga.org

THE GROWER

PAGE 14 –– JULY 2016

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Registrations* for Spotted Wing Drosophila, 2016 2016 Ontario SWD monitoring program sites.

THE GROWERJULY 2016 –– PAGE 15

MARKETPLACETo advertise phone: 519-763-8728 • 866-898-8488 x 218

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PAGE 16 –– JULY 2016 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACETo advertise phone: 519-763-8728 • 866-898-8488 x 218

ASPARAGUS

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Sandy Shore Farms Ltd.(519) 875­3382

www.sandyshorefarms.cainfo@sandyshore.ca

P: 1-888-770-8454

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SALESSERVICESUPPORT

LABELS & LABEL MACHINERYAUTOMATION & ROBOTICS

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www.vanbrenk.cabrian@vanbrenk.ca

Mori Nuseries now has various types of hoop houses ready for sale.

Sold by the square foot. Both Gothic and round types available.

All specialized nursery equipment will be sold.

As example of equipment:2005 Univergo Hydra Weeder, Model SARL M 923

This is a 3 seat unit in excellent condition.

Call 905.468.3217 ext. 225 or shop@morinurseries.com

@growernews The Grower

THE GROWER

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AUGUST 2016

THE GROWERPAGE 18 –– JULY 2016

Abandoned yet proud.Shabby yet graceful. At 150years of age, ‘our’ old farmhouseawaits its fate at the hands of an‘outsider’ whom none of usknow. The only way I can paytribute is to write a bit about itshistory- our family’s history inpart.

When the original farm wasfirst settled in the 1830s, thehome was a simple log cabin. Itsremains are long gone althoughsome of the old stone founda-tion is still there if you knowwhere to look just north of theold well. The ‘new’ farmhousewas built in the mid 1860s aswere many in the surroundingarea. It came as a result of war --not for Canada, but theAmerican Civil War whichended in 1865. That war creat-ed unprecedented markets forgrain, meat and horses fromCanadian farmers. In addition,the demand for lumber forbuilding came as well in ourarea, and the Trent Canal sys-tem gave access to the marketeven before the railways werebuilt. The economy on thefarms then has never beenrepeated, but the rural land-scape changed mightily as newhouses and barns sprung up toerase the log homes that theoriginal settlers had built. (I stillown a couple of those loghomes but that is another story.)

The “Farm” passed throughthe family for five generationsuntil it was sold off uncaringlyby a distant cousin. That homegreeted back soldiers whofought in WW1, WW11, andmourned the loss of a son killed

in a naval plane just after theKorean conflict. It greeted gen-erations of family and visitorsfrom near and far. It was anhonour to be given one of the‘warm’ bedrooms in winter.(There were woodstoves in thekitchen and parlour, and wherethe stovepipes went upwardthrough the two front bed-rooms- the heat kept them rea-sonably warm at night untilthose fires burned low. The‘back’ bedrooms had no suchluck, and the ‘boys’ room andthe hired men’s rooms had torely on lots of quilts and a hotbrick in the beds.)

The house was a centre halldesign, (with a bannister we allslid down until admonished!)with a large summer kitchenaddition at the back, with addi-tional rooms above for extrasleeping space- summer only! Itwas heaven for a youngster likeme as it later became the repos-itory for old neglected treasuressuch as old wooden phones, sappails and other bric-a-brac. Thesummer kitchen had a couchjust against the wall where onecould relax (sleep) after hardtoil and before eating. Therewere at least 160,000 mealtimesthat served well over 700,000settings in that house over theyears! On top of that are the‘snacks’ that still evoke memo-ries, like having endless sconeshot from the oven that were lov-ingly dunked into farm-mademaple syrup before our gorging.I can taste them still!

The farm house originallyhad a wood-burning furnace inthe cellar, but it gave up theghost in 1918 (so I wasinformed) and never replaceduntil the house was rented outin the late 1990s. The old fur-nace was a pile of rust that Iremember when going down-stairs to see the old bins wherefarm produce like potatoes,apples, turnips and beets werestored. It had a low ceiling as Irecall, but mainly because thesoil there had so many rocks itwould have been very difficultto dig it deeper. (I have alsofound that out at my place upthe road) I was recently told

that someone was nabbed tryingto steal that furnace and the hotwater heater as the house satempty.

No one would have thoughtto do such a thing in the past. Ibet the lock on the front doorwas scarcely if ever used untilmore recent times. Someonewas always at home -- a grand-parent, a hired man, a distantmaiden aunt who lived in theroom behind the parlour, andany one of the many childrenraised there. (Sadly not me, butmany others.)

Visitors could strain thecapacity of the home, includingfamily members returning for avisit or for the whole summer,as was the case of my great auntwho was a school teacher inToronto. She in turn furtheradded to the numbers as sheentertained her friends from thecity and it took a lot of ingenu-ity to accommodate thoseextras. In addition to my greataunt, there were her brother, hiswife and three (later five) chil-dren, my great grandparents,the elderly aunt, plus at leasttwo hired men. My great grand-father was clever, and to resolvethe tension that such crowding

would create, he ‘gave’ hisdaughter a log ‘cabin’ and someland up the concession whereshe could have her privacy andspace for company. She gladlyaccepted, had it fixed up, andfrom then forward had her ownplace and peace was restored at‘The Farm.’

There were many celebra-tions held at ‘The Farm.’ Inaddition to welcoming soldiershome, there was a grand familygathering for the 60th anniver-sary of my great grandparents(long before I was around), a50th for my great uncle andaunt (that I did attend), and formany more occasions. Sadly, Iam the last family member leftin the locale now (when I actu-ally get there), and reunions justdon’t happen anymore. (Andthere is no longer our party-linephone system that ‘allowed’neighbours to listen in and hearabout all the preparations.)

The farmhouse looks forlornnow with tall grass springing upeverywhere. The woodshed isempty now -- I remember cut-ting the trees, splitting theblocks and piling wood for thefires of just one winter. It tookthree of us -- with chain saws,

and a splitter borrowed from ourneighbour Jack -- a whole week-end to get in the winter wood. Ican hardly credit the work itwould have been with cross-cutsaws, and wedge and sledge toaccomplish the same amount offuel. (I was told that my great-grandfather cross-cut a hugeelm log at the ripe old age of92.) The woodshed held about75 face cords of split wood. Nomore smoke curls out of thechimneys, and there are nolonger any chairs on the porchto recline upon. Some of the oldlouvered shutters are gone too,leaving gaps like the teeth of aten-year-old.

Old, maybe. Proud, certainly.Future, uncertain. Memories,forever.

You can forsake your her-itage, but it will never let YOUdown. One should know (andrespect) their history or riskrepeating past mistakes.

Let that apply to who youare, where you come from, whatyou have laboured for, and theideals you cherish. It will neverdisappoint you

CRAIG HUNTEROFVGA

MINOR USE

CRAIG’S COMMENTS

Coming back to peace and tranquility

The Hunter homestead

THE GROWERJULY 2016 –– PAGE 19

MINOR USE

Agri-Mek label expanded for control of spider mites and thrips JIM CHAPUT

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA)recently announced the approval of URMULE registrations for Agri-Mek EC insecticide/miticide andAgri-Mek SC for control of spider mites on caneberriesand hops and thrips on the green onion crop subgroup3-07B* in Canada. Agri-Mek EC and Agri-Mek SCwere already labeled for use on some tree fruits,berries, celery, dry onions and potatoes in Canada.

The minor use projects for caneberries (pre-harvestuse) and green onion crop subgroup 3-07B were sub-mitted by AAFC-PMC in 2012 and 2009 respectively.The project to add hops to the SC formulation was sub-mitted by Syngenta in 2015 as a result of minor use pri-orities established by growers and extension personnel.

The following is provided as an abbreviated, generaloutline only. Users should consult the complete labelbefore using Agri-Mek EC or Agri-Mek SC.

This product is highly toxic to bees exposed todirect treatment or residues on blooming crops orweeds. Do not apply this product or allow drift to

blooming crops or weeds if bees are visiting the treat-ment area. Agri-Mek is also toxic to aquatic organisms,fish and wildlife. Do not contaminate off-target areas oraquatic habitats when spraying or when cleaning andrinsing spray equipment or containers.

Follow all other precautions and directions for use onthe Agri-Mek labels carefully.

For a copy of the new minor use label contact yourlocal crop specialist, regional supply outlet or visit thePMRA label site www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/registrant-titulaire/tools-outils/label-etiq-eng.php

Jim Chaput is minor use coordinator, OMAFRA, Guelph,ON

@growernews The Grower www.thegrower.org

Crop Target Rate Agri-MekEC

Rate Agri-MekSC

Applications Interval(days)

PHI(days)

Caneberries (pre-harvest)

2-spotted spidermites

1 L / ha 225 mL / ha Max of 3 7 7

Green onion subgroup 3-07B*

Onion thrips 0.6 – 1.2 L / ha 135 – 270 mL / ha Max of 4 7 7

Hops spider mitesincluding 2-spotted mites

550 – 1,100mL/ha (1/2 trellis

growth)

At least 1,000mL/ha beyond ½

trellis growth

125 - 250 mL / ha(1/2 trellis growth)

At least 225 mL /habeyond ½ trellis

growth

Max of 2 21 28

Delegate insecticide label expanded for control of additional insectsThe Pest Management

Regulatory Agency (PMRA)recently announced theapproval of URMULE registra-tions for Delegate insecticidefor control of European applesawfly on apples, European cornborer on snap beans and areduced PHI use pattern forcherries, plums and apricots forspotted wing drosophila man-agement in Canada. Delegateinsecticide was already labeledfor use on a number of crops inCanada for control of insects.These various minor use pro-jects were submitted by NewBrunswick, Ontario and BritishColumbia between 2014 and2015 as a result of minor use

priorities established by growersand extension personnel.The following is provided as anabbreviated, general outlineonly. Users should be makingpest management decisionswithin a robust IPM programand should consult the complete label before usingDelegate insecticide.

Delegate insecticide is toxicto bees exposed to direct treat-ment, drift or residues on flow-ering crops or weeds. Do notapply this product to floweringcrops or weeds when bees arepresent. Delegate insecticide istoxic to small mammals, certainbeneficial insects and non-targetterrestrial plants. Do not apply

this product or allow drift toother crops or non-target areas.Do not contaminate off-targetareas or aquatic habitats whenspraying or when cleaning andrinsing spray equipment or con-tainers.

Follow all other precautionsand directions for use on theDelegate label carefully.For a copy of the new minor use

label contact your local cropspecialist, regional supply outletor visit the PMRA label site

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/registrant-titulaire/tools-outils/label-etiq-eng.php

Regalia Maxx biofungicide label expanded forsuppression of downy mildew on hops

The Pest ManagementRegulatory Agency (PMRA)recently announced theapproval of an URMULE registration for Regalia Maxxbiofungicide for partial suppres-sion of downy mildew on hopsin Canada. Regalia Maxx biofungicide was alreadylabeled for use on some fruits,vegetables, ornamentals andturf in Canada.

The minor use project forhops was submitted by MAPAQin 2015 as a result of minor usepriorities established by growersand extension personnel.Furthermore an emergency usewas granted in 2015 due to aserious outbreak of hops downy

mildew in Canada.The following is provided as

an abbreviated, general outlineonly. Users should consult thecomplete label before usingRegalia Maxx biofungicide.

Do not contaminate off-target areas or aquatic habitatswith Regalia Maxx biofungicidewhen spraying or when cleaningand rinsing spray equipment orcontainers.

Follow all other precautionsand directions for use on theRegalia Maxx biofungicide labelcarefully.

For a copy of the new minoruse label contact your local cropspecialist, regional supply outletor visit the PMRA label site

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/registrant-titulaire/tools-outils/label-etiq-eng.php

Crop Target Rate (g/ha) Applications PHI (days)

Cherries, apricots,plums

Spotted wing drosophila 420 Maximum of 3 5 (cherries)3 (apricots, plums)

Snap beans European corn borer 120 - 210 Maximum of 2 3

Apples European apple sawfly 420 Maximum of 3 7

Crop Target Rate Regalia Maxx biofungicide

Applications Interval(days)

PHI (days)

Hops Downy mildew(partial suppression)

0.25 – 0.5 % v/v or1.875 – 3.75 L per 750L water

Maximumof 8

7 0 (cherries)3 (apricots, plums)

THE GROWER

PAGE 20 –– JULY 2016

CONSUMER OUTREACH

A full plate of videos launched by Half Your Plate Program Half Your Plate is proud to

launch a new series of instruc-tional cooking videos geared ateducating consumers on how toselect, store and prepare popu-lar vegetables. Each video fea-tures a unique recipe created byChef Michael Smith and showsthe basics of preparing produce.

The video series featurestomatoes, potatoes, celery,cucumbers, creamer potatoes,butternut squash, Brusselssprouts and mushrooms. Fivevideos were launched May 26with the remaining five tolaunch in the fall of 2016.

“I’m passionate about teach-ing simple cooking methodsthat can dramatically amp upyour food lifestyle. Our HalfYour Plate videos prove thathealthy cooking is not hardcooking,” said Chef Smith.“Eating lots of fruits and veg-etables everyday remains one ofthe single most powerfullifestyle choices you can make!"

The Half Your Plate programis managed by the CanadianProduce Marketing Association(CPMA) in partnership with theCanadian Cancer Society, Heartand Stroke Foundation ofCanada, and Canadian PublicHealth Association. A simplemessage, Half Your Plateencourages Canadians to makehealthier meal choices withoutmeasuring, one meal at a time.The interactive Half Your Platewebsite is a one-stop-shop forrecipes, print resources, andvideos all about fruits and vegetables.

“One of the major barriers tohealthy eating is a lack of prop-er food skills,” stated RickAlcocer, chair of the CPMAMarketing Committee andSenior VP of Fresh Sales forDuda Farm Fresh Foods. “Anessential step to developingfood skills, quick educationalvideos are the perfect way togive Canadians the confidenceto try new meals in the kitchenand live a healthier life.”

The following videos areavailable at www.halfyourplate.ca:- Half Your Plate with ChefMichael Smith: The ProduceSection- Half Your Plate with ChefMichael Smith: Celery PotatoSalad- Half Your Plate with ChefMichael Smith: QuickCucumber Pickles

- Half Your Plate with ChefMichael Smith: Red & YellowPotato Hash- Half Your Plate with ChefMichael Smith: Your FavouritePasta with Roast Tomato Sauce

CPMA would also like tothank their sponsors for makingthese videos possible: BCfresh,Duda Farm Fresh Foods,Highline Mushrooms, the LittlePotato Company, OntarioGreenhouse VegetableGrowers, RedSun Farms andthe United Potato Growers ofCanada and CanadianHorticultural Council.

“I’m passionate aboutteaching simple cookingmethods that can dramatically amp upyour food lifestyle.

~MICHAEL SMITH

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