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Darcy Smith - page 14

Darcy Smith has 258 articles published.

Biodynamic Farm Story: Putting the Dynamic in Biodynamic

in 2019/Crop Production/Fall 2019/Grow Organic/Land Stewardship/Soil/Tools & Techniques

Anna Helmer

I used to write a small weekly column for the local paper, telling stories about the farm each week. I kept it going through the busy times and the not busy times. I hardly remember how I managed to write the required 600 coherent words during those intensely busy summer weeks. Maybe they weren’t coherent. Likely not, now that I think about it. Maybe coherence was not a goal. If you can’t do it, don’t make it a goal, I always say.

Those winter columns, though. I remember writing those. They were the ones where I had done precious little farm work during the week and now had to write about it. They were a challenge to compose. At least in the summer weeks there was lots of material. However, I did learn how to make 600 entertaining words out of, say, a flat tire and a quiet market.

I am feeling reminiscent of those lazy days of winter and cobbling together something interesting about scant farming activities because I have agreed to do another installment of Biodynamic Farm Story, but I really haven’t done much Biodynamic stuff lately.

The blame for this lies entirely with the farm. In addition to non-descript regular farm work, each tractor has broken down several times, we’ve poured new concrete, built a new shed, and started attending our local market about six weeks earlier than ever before. The events have very much taken precedence over Biodynamic activities. The original Biodynamic lectures don’t seem to specifically address what to do when this happens.

Those lectures contain a fair amount about the importance of talking with other farmers about Biodynamic methods, however. I gather Steiner, the lecturer, understood that much of his content was untested in real farm-world situations. There is also acknowledgement that every single farm, being its own entity consisting of its own unique people, soil, and environment, will have to find its own way.

(Cosmic) Hightland Cow. Credit: Nilfanion (CC)

I think that’s the story this time: how does it work to be a Biodynamic farm (or farmer!) when events overtake intentions? This is about how we can’t seem to follow the Biodynamic calendar very well, and how in actual fact, we seem to forget all about being Biodynamic when the fur starts flying on a busy farm season. Perhaps this is when the “dynamic” part comes into play.

I would like to think that the work we do in the shoulder seasons—creating composts, using the preparations, planning planting around propitious dates in the calendar—all contribute to the strength of the farm now, when it is being fully taxed. I suppose it possibly might be so.

Theoretically, what would a biodynamically active farmer not like me be doing right now on the farm? I would have two things on the list: compost management and Biodynamic Preparation 508.

Priority one: turn the cow manure pile and bung in more Biodynamic preparations, purchased in a set from the Josephine Porter Institute—nettle, yarrow, dandelion, oak bark, chamomile and valerian. They are intended to not only stimulate the biological breakdown of the material into humus and whatnot, but also to create a source of energy for the farm. How cool is that?

I came across a metaphor for the Biodynamic compost heap several years ago, the source regretfully forgotten, the actual meaning mangled: Cosmic Cow. Consider the cow that can transform the energy of the sun (via green grass) turning it into precious manure that may be used to grow our eating plants. It is a remarkable feat that is accomplished in a complex digestive system. Even more remarkable, the function carries on despite the animal eating all kinds of garbage along with the lovely grass. And through thick and thin, the animal maintains a more or less even disposition, emanating a particular energy that is quite powerful, in its own way.

So the Cosmic Cow Biodynamic Compost heap can do the same sort of thing. Its digestive system is powered up to produce the desired dirt, and the whole thing is solidly grounded to be able to broadcast the infinite energy of the universe to the farm.

If I had some time, and if the loader tractor hadn’t developed a leak in the axle and the right seal had been sent from the source of seals and if it therefore had a wheel, I totally would have done that job by now. Pretty certain it is high on Dad’s list too. The wheel will eventually go back on, surely. Meanwhile, the pile sits patiently in the field, the essential activity continuing despite neglect.

I am also looking into the preparation called 508. It uses horsetail in either a tea form (very easy to make) or a more complicated distillation. There has been a lot of rain, heat, and wind lately and fungal issues may arise. The 508 may help cope with that. Plus, it is all the rage right now in Biodynamics and I am nothing if not keen to fit in.

If there is one weed we have plenty of in the potatoes this year, it is horsetail. Do I go to the effort of picking it, boiling it up and spraying it around? So far, I do not.

A look into my farm notes for the past couple of months reveals at least a passing nod to the Biodynamic Calendar. I have noted when something I did was done because it was a good day to do it according to the position of the moon and the planets. It still means nothing to me, but I think the plants get it, so that’s good. For example, the carrots were done right. As that field also had a good helping of BD 500 both last fall and this spring, I could expect one of our best crops ever. I don’t, however. Biodynamics is a method, not a guarantee.

Unlike chemical fertilizers. They are more of a guarantee. It is very plain to see the appeal of popping in a wee bit of N, P, and K at planting time. Conventional farmers in Pemberton who planted potatoes weeks later than us are pleased that theirs came into flower right at the same time and achieved row cover well ahead. It’s just a fact of science.

A fact that means nothing to me. Today when I walked through our potato field, I would have needed a machete to get through the White Rose and Fingerlings. As an aside, did you know that potato flowers smell delicious?

I boast like this because I think Biodynamic farming can be a difficult sell to…well…most farmers. Let’s face it. The positive results are heavily anecdotal. I must add my own.

Anna Helmer farms with her family and friends in the Pemberton Valley and could have submitted the picture that featured a lot of weeds but instead chose the one that did not.

Feature image: Tractor wheel in a beautifully weed-free potato crop. Credit: Anna Helmer

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Unpacking Plastic Packaging

in 2019/Climate Change/Fall 2019/Marketing/Tools & Techniques

Gayle Palas

Consumer opinion can make or break a brand. The recent surge in awareness around food waste, the climate crisis, and ocean pollution has increased anti-plastic sentiments and triggered campaigns to remove single use plastic from our communities. Naturally this has extended to food packaging where the impact of consumer perspective is starting to be seen at the checkout.

Consumers’ food ideologies are closely connected with their food purchasing habits. This is especially true in the organic industry. Organic farming is often associated with a more sustainable approach to food production. In a 2016 study from Pew Research Center on views about and consumption of organic foods, 33% of participants surveyed who bought organic food in the past month mentioned helping the environment.1 Follow that up with a search on Google for the phrase “packaging and the environment,” which brings up 302 million results, and there literally might be millions of consumers who, by association, believe that organic food packaging is somehow better for the environment. This puts a significant amount of added pressure on the organics industry. What might be seen as a new ‘green’ feature by a major brand, might simply be expected in organics.

Sustainability Influences Purchase Intent

We know sustainability influences purchase intent. According to the Harvard Business Review, “Today’s consumers perceive a higher level of product performance in products from sustainable companies and sustainability information has a significantly positive impact on consumers’ evaluation of a company, which translates into purchase intent.”2 This means that communicating packaging sustainability choices to consumers needs to be a company priority. However, sustainability is not the most important role of packaging.

What is the Role of Packaging?

Food packaging is responsible for containing, protecting, and selling a product. It has to balance product quality with an efficient shape and dimension that minimizes cost, all while still providing the safety and integrity needed for the product. It also has to ensure that the product stays in perfect condition until it reaches its end user. This means defending against transport issues, travel vibrations, and temperature changes, which can all affect spoilage. Last but not least, packaging is the silent salesperson. When done well, it promotes the product at the point of sale, tells the company story, and attracts new and returning buyers.

There is a lot of responsibility on this aspect of the business and it is being put under increasing scrutiny. With the rise in anti-plastics sentiment, consumers are pushing back in the grocery stores. They are demanding alternatives to single use plastics.

The Challenge is Real

A good example of the challenge that exists is producers who typically sell their value-added products in a bag or clamshell, as many organic greens are sold. Clamshells are seen by the consumer simply as a piece of plastic. They fail to recognize that clamshells are a popular choice because they solve a myriad of other challenges. Clamshells are a terrific way to introduce new products by providing high visual appeal. They reduce handling, are stackable to maximize display options, reduce spoilage, and provide significantly more marketing space than a reusable bag. For the berry industry, clamshells have been a game changer. The berries are protected so there is no more labour-intensive culling at the store level and they can be stacked four or five layers deep, all because of packaging. Strawberries, for example, are no longer the most labour-intensive items in the produce department, so naturally retailers love the clamshell.

But the consumer doesn’t know the reasons behind a company’s packaging choices. It has become a binary decision with the two alternatives being plastic or no plastic. The consumer has no idea how much influence the grocery chains have on packaging. They do not realize that packaging plays a significant role with the grocery buyer when they are determining if a product will be listed or not. They also don’t realize that their own buying habits, and the analytics grocery retailers look at regularly, influence the decisions that those retailers make.

Which means that the responsibility falls on the individual companies to explain their packaging choices to the consumer.

Why Companies Need to Talk About Packaging as Part of Their Sustainability Values

Because there isn’t a sign beside the plastic tubs of organic salad greens that tells consumers where they can recycle the containers locally (although hopefully one day there might be) or how they fit into the circular economy, companies have to find another way to get the message out.

The reason the message needs to be proactive is three-fold. First, by preparing the information in advance, companies have the opportunity to craft a solid message built around their values. No one is caught standing at a trade show in front of a potential buyer fumbling around how to add it to the value proposition. Second, consumers want to know that the packaging choice was thought about and acted on. It builds trust. If sustainable packaging is important to the consumer, it can be a deal breaker if they can’t quickly verify the company’s choices. Finally, with a proactive message, the entire team will sing from the same song sheet. This will build company culture and strengthen the brand message.

How to Talk About Packaging

Make it easy: Add a QR code to the product label that takes consumers to a dedicated section on the website that clearly explains the company’s sustainability values. This can be applied to any consumer facing packaging as part of the label, adding a band, or a sticker.

Use an omnichannel approach: Implement a cross-channel campaign that moves the sustainability message up front and drives interested consumers to the appropriate section of the website. This enhances the brand and presents a good opportunity to talk about more than sustainable packaging choices. As long as it isn’t greenwashing, this is could be a powerful brand message that is very much on trend.

When is it Time for New Packaging?

Sometimes the right choice is to change packaging. There is a lot of new design and development occurring in the packaging industry as companies race to find solutions to the climate crisis, making it a complicated decision. The packaging choices a company makes today may have significant impact in the future as product sustainability features gain importance in the eyes of the major retailers and new consumers.

Packaging truly is a company’s silent salesperson. It makes the product look good, keeps it safe and fresh and communicates the brand story. Until a sustainable packaging alternative to plastic is developed, companies using it as part of their consumer facing products will have to focus on weathering out the anti-plastic media storm with compelling storytelling.

Two resources to help guide packaging decisions: 

Gayle Palas provides customized training, marketing insight, and research for the agrifood industry. She has delivered programs across Western Canada that help entrepreneurs grow and scale their food businesses regionally and internationally. In addition to her passion for adult learning and commitment to sustainability, she is a co-founder of PackYourProduct.com, a free online resource that connects people and ideas around how to package their products.

Resources:
1. (2016). Americans’ views about and consumption of organic foods in The New Food Fights: U.S. Public Divides Over Food Science. Pew Research Center. pewresearch.org/science/2016/12/01/americans-views-about-and-consumption-of-organic-foods/
2. Whelan, T., and Fink, C. (2016). The Comprehensive Business Case for Sustainability. Harvard Business Review. everestenergy.nl/new/wp-content/uploads/HBR-Article-The-comprehensive-business-case-for-sustainability.pdf

A Community Food Lab Comes to BC

in 2019/Fall 2019/Organic Community/Organic Standards/Tools & Techniques/Water Management

Community Food Analysis Laboratories

Ron Wasik and Carmen Wakeling

The Small Scale Food Processors Association (SSFPA) is a national trade association of processors, growers and suppliers of food and agricultural products which aims to help its members grow their businesses and expand local economies.

A 2016 survey by the SSFPA revealed that there was a need for producers and processors to have access to local laboratory facilities that could provide less complex and more affordable alternatives to testing. It was a happy coincidence that around this time the SSFPA became aware of a concept being tested by the agriculture-based community on Lopez Island in the north-western corner of the State of Washington.

Being very remote, island food businesses had difficulty accessing mainland food laboratories. Their solution was to establish a co-operative food analysis laboratory with BioMedix, a California-based biotechnology company that provides food safety testing systems to food companies and government agencies around the world.

The cooperative food laboratory concept was a revolutionary departure from BioMedix’s conventional model of establishing in-house laboratories within businesses. Now, four years after that initial lab opening, Lopez Island food producers can satisfy the US Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules and have also made many improvements to their food safety practices.

About the same time, the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) were in the consultation phase. The expectation was that a more definitive, on-going food safety verification system would be a compulsory part of small food production in Canada.

In August 2015, Candice Appleby, Executive Director of the SSFPA, and Dr. Claver Bundac, founder and CEO of BioMedix, met to discuss establishing a similar communal food analysis system for the food producers and processors in BC. The first challenge was to decide which community to use as a testing ground. After much deliberation the town of Courtenay in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island was chosen.

The community laboratory, “FoodMetrics”, opened for business in October 2018 and was established as a partnership between Biomedix and Intrisk Training Solutions (a partner organization to SSFPA). The laboratory has been equipped by BioMedix with state-of-the-art rapid testing systems that can be used to perform a wide variety of screening tests for common foodborne pathogens and indicator organisms. The laboratory is entering the final stages of the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation, and now provides convenient and cost-effective food analysis services to growers and processors in the Comox Valley and surrounding areas.

Moving forward, if this pilot lab is financially viable the next steps include initiating labs in other rural areas. There have been people across the province knocking at the door already. Don’t hesitate to contact SSFPA with questions or feedback.

For more information:

Small Scale Food Processors Association
Safe Food for Canadians Regulation
US Food Safety Modernization Act

Feature image: Spencer Serin and Ron Wasik in the FoodMetrics Lab. Credit: Carmen Wakeling

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Footnotes from the Field: Fall 2019

in 2019/Climate Change/Fall 2019/Footnotes from the Field/Grow Organic/Land Stewardship/Organic Standards/Standards Updates/Water Management

Water, Water, Everywhere… and Not a Drop to Drink!

Marjorie Harris

Special thanks to Tim Rundle of Creative Salmon for helping pull this synopsis on Aquaculture together!

The Canadian Aquaculture Standard CAN/CGSB-32.312 was published in 2012, with the new revision released in February 2018. The Aquaculture Standard stipulates the following:

Section 1.3: In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between this standard and CAN/CGSB-32.310 /311, this standard will take precedence.
Section 1.4: Prohibited substances list is identical to organic agriculture except that the soil amendments clause is expanded for aquaculture – Soil, sediment, benthic, and water amendments that contain a substance not listed in clause 11.

Seventy percent of our blue planet’s surface is covered by the oceanic ecosystem. Short of desalination, that water isn’t available for drinking, and yet the oceans’ salt water has all of the micronutrients required for human health. As of 2012, farmed fish production throughout the world outpaced beef production.1 Surprisingly, 60% of British Columbia’s exported agricultural products come from aquaculture operations. In 2017, Canada’s wild fish catch harvest was 851,510 million tonnes, and the aquaculture harvest was 191,416 million tonnes.2

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) tracks 179 wild fish stocks worldwide, and states that “fishing is a global industry, and of key importance to Canada. Sadly, overfishing, illegal fishing activities, and the destruction of ocean ecosystems are serious global issues that require immediate and continuing attention. Canada is committed to combating these problems.”3

According to the Earth Policy Institute, these trends illustrate the latest stage in a historic shift in food production—a shift that at its core is a story of natural limits: “The bottom line is that getting much more food from natural systems may not be possible.” In terms of resources required for livestock production, “Cattle consume seven pounds of grain or more to produce an additional pound of beef. This is twice as high as the grain rations for pigs, and over three times those of poultry.” In contrast, states the Earth Policy Institute, “Fish are far more efficient, typically taking less than two pounds of feed to add another pound of weight. Pork and poultry are the most widely eaten forms of animal protein worldwide, but farmed fish output is increasing the fastest.”1

Clearly, it looks like aquaculture is here to stay as a form of high quality, lower input, method of protein production, but is it the answer? Conventional aquaculture systems have left a legacy of controversy and environmental issues when operated in natural ecosystems.

Can organic aquaculture meet the needs for human food production and be environmentally friendly?

On January 25th, 2019, I attended an organic aquaculture training given by Tim Rundle, General Manager of Creative Salmon, North America’s only major producer of indigenous Pacific Chinook (King) salmon and Canada’s first producer of certified organic farm-raised salmon.

The biggest take away for me was that I was impressed with the standard’s requirements for the farmed species to be indigenous or adapted to the region. This requirement is a huge improvement over conventional systems. For example, Atlantic salmon being raised in conventional farmed systems in BC coastal waters are plagued by sea lice, while Creative Salmon’s Chinook salmon have a natural resistance to sea lice and no parasite treatments have been required—the species is indigenous or adapted to living where it is being raised with respect to its natural requirements.4

In an article featured on Aquaculture North America, Liza Mayer writes, “Rundle is first to admit that organic farming is not easy. Compared to conventional farming, fish raised under organic standards are provided added space in the pen enclosures,” in a parallel to the stocking requirements for land-based livestock in the organic standards. Moyer goes on to explain that “Chinooks, known to be more aggressive than their Atlantic cousins, swim freely because there are fewer of them in the pen, but it also means lower harvest volume. For Creative Salmon, that is 8 kilograms of fish per cubic meter maximum, although organic standards allow up to 10 kilograms of fish per cubic meter. Density in conventional farming could be from 20 to 25 kilograms per cubic metre.”5

What does the Aquaculture Standard cover?

Aquaculture is defined as the cultivation of crops or livestock in a controlled or managed aquatic environment (marine and land based freshwater and salt water operations). Aquaculture products are crops and livestock, or a product wholly or partly derived therefrom, cultivated in a controlled or managed aquatic environment. Aquaponics is also covered by the new Aquaculture Standard and is defined as a production system that combines the cultivation of crops and livestock in a symbiotic relationship. The products of fishing and wild animals are not considered part of this definition.

Recently, conventional aquaponics received some negative press due to the announcement that CanadaGap would be withdrawing aquaculture from its FoodSafe certification programs due to the use of antibiotics, which end up being incorporated into the plant and livestock products. Organic aquaculture does not allow for the use of antibiotics, and so the discussions around aquaponics need clarity to highlight the differences between conventional and organic productions systems. As aquaponics entrepreneur Gabe Cipes explains, “We have two conventional agricultural systems, aquaculture and hydroponics, that are dependent on chemical inputs and are decidedly bad for human health and the health of the environment.”

Cipes, who has extensive experience in organic and biodynamic farming, says that “If those two conventional systems are combined [into aquaponics] and managed according to the organic Aquaculture Standards, then the fish take care of the plants and the plants take care of the fish and there is no need for chemical or conventional inputs.” The benefit of aquaponics, according to Cipes, is the ability to “create a closed loop ecology that is beneficial for humans and our ecology. It is a high density, low foot print method of food production that could be an integral and biologically secure part of the future of food security and sovereignty if given the opportunity.”

Aquaculture is already producing more fish than wild catches and the predictions are that aquaculture will keep growing at a steady rate. British Columbia is a leading salmon producer in the world and is Canada’s leader in aquaculture production. There is tremendous opportunity to expand organic aquaculture production in BC!

Hungry for More Aquaculture Info?

World Resources Institute projects that aquaculture production will need to more than double by 2050. But how to get there sustainably? Check out their findings, along with the recommendations they’re making to transform the aquaculture industry: wri.org/publication/improving-aquaculture

Marjorie Harris, BSc, IOIA VO and Organophyte.

Feature image: Wapta Falls, Yoho Park, BC. Credit: Keith Young (CC)

References
1. Earth Policy Institute: earth-policy.org/plan_b_updates/2013/ update114
2. Fisheries and Oceans, Fast Facts:
waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/40782281.pdf
3. Fisheries and Oceans Canada:
dfo-mpo.gc.ca/international/index-eng.htm
4. Rundle, Tim. (2019, January), Creative Salmon. Presented at the Organic Aquaculture Training of the International Organic Inspectors Association.
5. Mayer, Liza. (2018, February). Creative Salmon: In a class of its own. Aquaculture North America: aquaculturenorthamerica.com/creative-salmon-in-a-class-of-its-own-1872

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Organic Week! September 9-15, 2019

in 2019/Fall 2019/Marketing/Organic Community/Standards Updates

Supporting the Entire Organic Food Chain by Increasing Awareness of Organic Products Nationally

Karen Squires

This year will mark the big 10th year anniversary of Organic Week occurring September 9-15, 2019! Please check out Canadian Organic Trade Association’s (COTA) website for more information on Organic Week 2019, our online contests launching in July, our IQ Organic Quiz launching September 2 and our ongoing national consumer awareness campaign.

The Organic Grows On You campaign was launched this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Organic Week. The concept is a play on “you are what you eat,” reinforcing the notion of choosing organic and feeling good about yourself and your choices. The campaign’s secondary message, “invest in yourself,” is a subtle way to reinforce feeling more connected to your food source and the farmers who grow it—by choosing organic you are shopping with your values in mind and organic is an investment in your health and the environment.

COTA coordinates Canada’s national organic consumer marketing campaigns on behalf of its members and the industry. You can review the Organic Week 2018 Overview Report on COTA’s website to get a sense of the reach the campaign had last year, which engaged over 3,500 retailers nationally, distributed 1,144 point of sales kits to retailers, achieved 4 million advertising impressions, 8 million social media impressions and reached millions of Canadian consumers. COTA works in collaboration with provincial associations and industry from across the country to lead this campaign each year.

Organic Week is a massive collaborative undertaking, coordinating industry to cross promote and reach new Canadian audiences with a synchronized marketing strategy, engaging at all levels (retail, community events, media via magazines, newspapers, online and consumer contests, etc) to reach Canadian consumers to deepen their knowledge of organic, reaffirm their commitment to purchase organic, or learn about organic for the first time. After last year’s Organic Week activities, IPSOS polling of 1,000 Canadians indicated that public trust in Organic rose 4% directly after our marketing efforts, landing at 48%. Sixty six percent of Canadians are purchasing organic products weekly! Make sure your brand is seen as a leader and is at the forefront of Canadian’s minds, as a committed company offering organic products.

For more information on Organic Week, please contact Lauren Howard at intern@canada-organic.ca. Lauren will be happy to explain the various ways you can get involved in future events, including joining in the conversation on social media, having in store promotions or holding special events in your community!

Otherwise, for more information on membership or partnerships with COTA, please contact ksquires@canada-organic.ca.

Karen Squires joined COTA as Member Relations & Business Development Manager with over 15 years’ senior level experience in the non-for-profit sector. Karen works with COTA members to develop innovative partnership models that leverage budgets while continuing to advance Canada’s organic sector!

Feature image: Organic cauliflower. Credit: Moss Dance

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Unsustainable Use of Water

in 2019/Climate Change/Fall 2019/Land Stewardship/Water Management

An Impending Global Danger

S. K. Basu

Water conservation has been an increasingly important priority across the planet in developed, developing, and under-developed nations in both hemispheres. The alarming increase in global human population across the planet has been putting excessive pressures on all our natural resources. Water is one such commodity that has been hit hard and hence needs urgent attention. Excessive, non-judicious, and explorative use of water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes with no long-term planning has been one of the factors at the root of the state of globally available potable water today.

For a long time, our utter negligence and lack of sensitivity towards sustainable use of natural resources has aggravated the current global crisis of water in every aspect of human life. It is us humans inhabiting the green planet that are critically responsible for the rapid loss of freshwater water resources and initiating this global crisis. Climate change and global warming are further making the situation worse and are anthropogenic in nature.

Our bad habit of using excessive agrochemicals to secure agricultural productivity has been contaminating both groundwater and surface water resources alike. Various agrochemicals in the form of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides, as well as synthetic fertilizers and numerous plant growth regulators, have a long life in the soil before undergoing biodegradation. Several of these chemicals slowly percolate into our precious underground water sources. Other chemical residues surviving in the soil long after application are washed away by irrigation water or rain into adjacent freshwater bodies thus contaminating them over time. The presence of such chemicals in freshwater bodies promotes changes in both physical and chemical parameters of water and stimulates the growth of undesirable bacterial species that reduce available oxygen in the water, making the water unsuitable for human and animal consumption and threatening the acquatic ecosystem.

Water conservation holds the key to our future. Credit: S. K. Basu

Furthermore, the legal and illegal release of untreated industrial waste water into natural ecosystems is also proving detrimental to local aquatic flora and fauna, making them unsafe for human and animal consumption. Under the unacceptable and unfortunate circumstances of the release of untreated industrial waste water into ecosystems, highly expensive treatment processes are now being installed in order to render the water, flora, and fauna suitable, and to reduce the impact on the local environment. The cost of treating waste water is thereby increasing the base price of water making them unavailable to a large section of our society. This in turn promotes social discrimination, as well as improper allocation and distribution of water. No long-term planning for water conservation, as well as judicious use of water resources and treatment of waste water, has been observed across several under developed and developing nations.

Another significant impact on the looming global water crisis is due to the unplanned network of infrastructure development that interferes with the natural courses of rivers, tributaries, distributaries, streams, rivulets, springs, rapids, waterfalls, etc., negatively impacting recharging of groundwater and natural fresh water bodies (lakes, pools, ponds, bogs), as well as estuarine and marine ecosystems. Unsustainable infrastructural developments, such as building mega dams, as well as numerous micro water dams, is actually proving detrimental to our economy and ecology alike. Such dams for hydro power projects built in key riverine areas without proper impact assessment evaluations and planning have a short life, undergo rapid sedimentation that reduces the water holding capacity, promote occasional floods, damage local aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and affect local biodiversity. These impacts increase both our economic as well as ecological expenses with long-term detrimental consequences on both human and animal lives.

Conservation of natural bodies is of prime importance to protect local ecosystem and biodiversity. Photo credit: S. K. Basu

It is therefore extremely important for all of us to look to sustainable and judicious use of our water resources. Unless we move forward with sustainable practices and look for ways to conserve our groundwater as well as freshwater resources, we are doomed ourselves in the not-so-distant future.

Farmers and crop producers can have a significant positive impact through limiting or restricting over applications of various agricultural chemicals to prevent the rapid pollution of both ground water and freshwater resources.

Stringent laws should be established and protocols instituted to make sure that no untreated water could get into a natural environment and ecosystem via any available legal and illegal routes. We may need to change legislation and enact new laws and charge new taxes to prevent industrial pollution of our natural aquatic systems. Judicious and sustainable water use should be promoted by different government and non-government agencies and programs launched for public education and raising awareness of our global water crisis.

If we do not learn to be responsible today, we cannot expect to have a better tomorrow. Conservation of water should be promoted at every level and should be included in the course curriculum at primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels of education to capture our younger generations. Our new light bearers and future citizens are an important stakeholder in this process.

Over exploitation of water is an important factor contributing towards global fresh water crisis. Credit: S.K. Basu

Non-judicious use of water as well as unacceptable wastage of water needs should be curtailed or prevented to the best of our abilities. Water conservation approaches such as rain harvesting should be promoted in both urban and rural areas alike to use this precious commodity from a long-term conservation and judicious use perspective. Construction of dams and infrastructure across sensitive aquatic ecosystems should be re-evaluated and reviewed before implementation.

Our current actions are important steps to achieving success with water conservation. All stakeholders in the process needs to be involved, educated, and made aware of our future global water crisis, jointly work towards strong global initiative and networks for successful water conservation and adoption of better water use practices. All members of society need to be actively engaged and involved in working towards water conservation practices. Our actions today will certainly help and make a difference in conserving water for the future.

Saikat Kumar Basu has a Masters in Plant Sciences and Agricultural Studies. He loves writing, traveling, and photography during his leisure and is passionate about nature and conservation.

Feature image: Ecology and economy must walk hand in hand . Credit: S. K. Basu

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Ask An Expert: A New Agricultural Environmental Management Regulation

in 2019/Ask an Expert/Fall 2019/Grow Organic/Land Stewardship/Organic Standards/Water Management
Agricultural Management code of practice BC ministry of Agriculture Farmer in a field

By the Province of British Columbia

In keeping with the respect BC’s agricultural operators have for the land, air, and water, new rules for agricultural environmental management are now in place. After years of science and evidence-based analysis, as well as conversations with agricultural operators throughout the province, a new regulation called the Code of Practice for Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM Code) came into effect on February 28, 2019. The goal of this Code is to provide more clarity for the agriculture sector while better protecting the environment for all British Columbians.

Organic farmers will see that some requirements are continued from the previous regulation, such as no direct discharges into watercourses, some have been revised to clarify expectations, and some are new, several of which are being phased in over the next decade.

Why a new regulation?

Through several consultations we heard that the old rules were too vague for operators and weren’t adequately protecting the environment. Working with farmers, we built a fair set of rules that ensure agricultural practices protect our drinking water, watercourses, and air.

The new AEM Code takes a different approach to the previous regulation. Requirements are more clearly outlined, and they’re both risk-based and science-based. For example, more protective measures now need to be taken in high-risk areas and during high-risk conditions. Also, soil samples are required to be taken to help determine what measures are necessary on specific farms.

Who does this regulation apply to?

It applies to all agricultural operations in BC, from small hobby farms to large commercial operations, including organic farms. That said, the regulation has been built with the understanding that not all agricultural operations are the same and that there are differences from one region of this province to another. Various requirements are contingent on an operation’s location, size, and type of activity. Many farms won’t need to make big changes to adjust to the new regulation.

What does this regulation include?

The new regulation includes provisions that aim to: ensure watercourses and groundwater are protected through proper storage and use of manure, other nutrient sources, and other materials, such as wood residue; prevent water quality impacts from contaminated run-off; prohibit direct discharges into watercourses; require nutrient management planning; allow for increased monitoring in high-risk areas; provide clear compliance expectations for agricultural operators for setbacks, storage, and nutrient applications; and, require record-keeping.

When is this happening?

The new rules came into effect on February 28, 2019, but some of the requirements, such as nutrient management plans, will be phased-in over the next decade. This approach will give agricultural operators time to plan for and adjust to the new rules, and for government to work collaboratively with industry to develop the necessary tools to support implementation.

What does this mean for me?

Organic farmers will need to demonstrate a basic level of environmental protection, but many are already doing what the regulation requires. This includes:

  • ensuring minimum setbacks for various activities and proper storage requirements are followed;
  • preventing contaminated runoff, leachate, solids, and air contaminants from entering watercourses, crossing property boundaries, or going below the seasonal high water table;
  • registration for boilers and heaters with greater than 0.15 MW capacity, and meeting emissions limits for opacity and particulate matter;
  • nitrogen application rates that meet the crop’s needs and not more, for applications to land and other than to land (e.g., grown in containers);
  • collecting and containing wastewater, contaminated runoff, or leachate;
  • wastewater needs to be treated prior to discharge into the environment; and
  • record-keeping to demonstrate compliance.

Requirements will affect farms differently depending on whether they are in a high-risk area, what their current practices are, and the nature and size of the farm. In addition to the basic level of protection above, these include increased monitoring and protective measures in high-risk areas and during high-risk conditions, such as:

  • protective bases for greenhouses and storage structures in vulnerable aquifer recharge areas to ensure no leaching down into the aquifer;
  • covering temporary field-stored piles, including agricultural by-products or wood residue, and outdoor agricultural composting piles, in high precipitation areas from October 1 to April 1.

How will the regulation be enforced?

As we roll out the new regulation, we will be working with you on how to best help you comply with the new rules. Our goal is to support agricultural operators so that, working together, we can better protect the environment.

There are dedicated staff within the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy who will work with you to understand your obligations under the Environmental Management Act, which this regulation falls under. The team uses a consistent and risk-based approach for establishing compliance and enforcement priorities.

Learn more: to find out if you are in a high-risk area, or need more information on what records you need to keep, or what minimum setbacks you need to follow, please visit the following website at: gov.bc.ca/Agricultural-Environmental-Management.

Questions? Contact: AEMCoPenquiries@gov.bc.ca 

All photos: Province of British Columbia

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Organic Stories: HAY! There’s a Fire!

in 2019/Climate Change/Crop Production/Land Stewardship/Organic Stories/Summer 2019/Tools & Techniques

Meagan Curtis

During the first decades of the 20th century in rural Vancouver Island, horses were used for farm work and personal transportation. It seemed everyone had a horse of some kind. Horses co-harvested the hay and grain that would feed and warm them through a cold rainy winter after these crops were cut by scythe, raked into wind rows, and left for days to cure. The numerous hay fields surrounding us are remnants of this past work—two centuries of clearing and harvesting.

Although sometimes used for pasture, a hay field is a not a rangeland. It is not a fire-adapted grassland like a tallgrass or shortgrass prairie composed of native plants. These fields of forage were created with non-native plants—plants that are maintained, managed, seeded, cut, irrigated, and fertilized. These fields were essential to how people fed themselves and the livestock that were typically present on farms in the past. In 1871, an average farm in Canada had four pigs, seven head of cattle, and 33 acres of cropland. There were three times more horses on farms then compared to 2016. This meant that much less livestock feed and soil fertility came from off-farm sources.

Many smaller acreages of previously hayed or grazed fields are no longer harvested. Their grasses choke out any possible forest encroachment. Fir, hemlock, spruce, cedar, and understory brackens and ferns cannot re-occupy the spaces. As forest fires are projected to become more frequent and severe in Western Canada and the United States, unless maintained these fields are looking more and more like a patchwork of fire risk across the landscape. An ignited field can spread to barns and houses. Underutilized hay fields have become a question of emergency preparedness and fire safety.

Wildfires near Cawston in 2018 at night. Credit: Sara Dent (@saradentfarmlove)

On average, one to two million tonnes of hay and silage are cut each year, according to the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture. The 2011 Census of Agriculture found that 64% of B.C.’s total cropland was hay. At the same time, hay production totals are becoming increasingly variable as drought and unpredictable weather patterns continue. The BC Forage Council reported in 2011 that record precipitation during the growing season and a reduction in livestock demand produced an estimated hay surplus of 122,566 tonnes in the Bulkley-Nechako region. This surplus contrasts conditions in 2006, when widespread drought and reduced livestock numbers resulted in hay shortages throughout the Central Interior, and the reality for some last year, when hay production plummeted in parts of BC and Alberta and buyers faced a price increase from $80 to $200 a ton.

With this cost, some may be convinced to get rid of farm animals. If this occurs, a decrease in demand may result in the increased likelihood that more fields sit fallow. Oscillating years of surpluses and shortages bring uncertainty and could result in a decreased willingness to participate in haying as a sure stream of income.

When a shortage arises, alternative supply possibilities within the region are not numerous and importing hay carries its own set of risks: the introduction of invasive species, the inability to secure a sufficient volume to match herd size, and/or an inability to source appropriate quality. Farmers can use some tools to help ensure sufficient hay production and reduce fire risk on their own farms. These include:

  • rotational grazing
  • utilizing different types of grass
  • water storage and conservation
  • mowing perimeters, field edges, and near farm buildings in the spring
  • avoiding mowing in late summer when conditions are dry and there is risk of sparking

These suggestions are appropriate for those still engaged in haying, but irrelevant to those whose fields stay untouched. Encouraging the haying of abandoned fields, or at least their perimeters, is one idea that Farmer’s Institutes and others have begun discussing within their communities.

This patchwork of abandoned fields is also symptomatic of a larger problem we face: the lack of working viable diverse small farms and the ongoing loss of a generation of farmers with more haying experience and equipment then the next generation can afford. Buying the equipment necessary for haying acres of land is estimated to cost $60,000 used and $130,000 new. As the average age of farmers increases and their farms are sold for millions, these fields are markers of our ever-declining food security. In the 1950s, Vancouver Island was estimated to produce 85% of its own food. Today we sit between 5-10%. Fields that have not been hayed for many years are rarely in good shape. Their gaps and bumps damage machines and the resulting feed may be of low quality. The economics of haying these fields are questionable, but so is the decision to leave them untouched and not confront why they are unused. As many pieces of haying equipment are retired with the generation that bought them, it appears time to discuss the future of our fields.

Thanks to DeLisa Lewis, Jerry Emblem, and the BC Ministry of Agriculture for their insights.

Meagan Curtis is a member of the BC Eco Seed Coop in Port Alberni, on Instagram @mtjoanfarm. Inspired by EF Schumacher, her farm has three goals: health, beauty, and permanence—productivity is attained as a by-product.

Feature photo: Hay bale with bird. Credit: Fir0002/Flagstaffotos

Sources
bcforagecouncil.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Forage-Ex port-Report-Summary2.pdf
globalnews.ca/news/4389942/feed-prices-for-cattle-climb-as-pas ture-and-hay-fields-fall-short-in-hot-dry-weather
msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/dry-conditions-have-some-farmers-making-hay-others-facing-a-hay-shortage/ar-BBlNxuP
globalnews.ca/news/4389942/feed-prices-for-cattle-climb-as-pas ture-and-hay-fields-fall-short-in-hot-dry-weather

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Your Land, Your Legacy

A Farm and Foodlands Owner’s Guide By Michael Marrapese The Foodlands Cooperative of BC has a bold vision—to secure farmland

Product, Price, & Packaging: How BC Producers Can Get Competitive in the Marketplace

in 2019/Farmers' Markets/Marketing/Organic Community/Summer 2019

What price do I charge? What can I grow to make money?… and other questions.

Randy Hooper

This piece is really dedicated to every fruit and vegetable grower in BC who is producing for their own sales at market, to retailers, or sales to wholesalers.

There is a premium to be paid for supporting BC producers, and most retailers expect to pay more because they want to support you, as do their shoppers. There is also a premium to charge for quality, which I will discuss later. Most farmers (fruit and vegetables—big and small) in the US charge what the market will bear. Prices change daily. Often a chance frost or chance rain can impact pricing substantially. Some volatile commodities, broccoli for example, can literally double in price in two days. If unsure, any grower in BC can set up with us to receive a copy of our twice weekly price list, which is a pretty good guide to what the actual market prices are at the wholesale level, in your region, because there is no reason any grower in BC should be selling produce cheaper to wholesalers like us, or direct to retailers, than we would have to pay in the States. Profit isn’t an ugly word—it’s what keeps farmers farming!

BC organic garlic. Credit: Discovery Organics.

As I’m writing this in mid-May, California grown Napa Cabbage is selling for well over $100 a box. They had a brutal record cold and wet spring in California and there is limited supply. Yet a BC grower may send out a price list tomorrow with Napa on it for $40—because that’s what they charged last year. That wouldn’t happen south of the border, and shouldn’t here, and they are walking away from $60 on every box!

There is also a price range on every product—growers with the best quality can charge more, and pricing isn’t as important to retailers as other factors. Retailers are willing to pay more if they know they are going to sell every bunch of kale or head of lettuce in the box, especially when prices are high.

Lacinato kale. Credit: Discovery Organics.

Do not take offense—what I am about to say may be heartbreaking for you, and it certainly is for us—considering our roots—but in the middle of August, when we have a choice of many BC growers to buy kale from, we also buy kale from one farm in Washington State, which is often 30% of our sales and the price is generally speaking 30% higher. Why? Because we have large customers in Western Canada who want that brand, and will pay that much extra simply because the bunches are big, have great labelling, and every bunch sells through—it’s all about quality and shelf-life. The same in the winter—we can buy kale from a plethora of California growers, but our customers hands-down want kale from one ranch deep in Mexico—again because of quality. (That grower removes all the older lower leaves a day before harvest. Every bunch is inspected before being hydro-cooled under a shade roof, in the field, before boxing. It’s off the field as quickly as possible. Pallets go through a pressure cooler and are then iced, and on their way to us 6 hours later. Every step of that process equals days and days of extra shelf life.)

Red chard. Credit: Discovery Organics.

The other side of this equation is the need to charge properly. Climate change is wreaking havoc on growers around the world and increasing production costs and higher risks will continue to force markets up for fruit and vegetables. What we hate to see is growers trying to get more sales by underpricing. Grower A is listing lettuce for $30, Grower B needs to move more, drops price to $28, Grower C, worried as well about losing some sales traction, goes to $25, which has now changed our local market price by 15% in one week, and may be $10-15 cheaper than imported product. We, and the retailers we sell to, are not necessarily enticed with low pricing—they are enticed with quality, consistency, and grower recognition.

So, let’s look at that. Unlike everything else sold in the world, the produce department in a retail store does not sell brand. Consumers buy fruit and vegetables based on what they look like first, and will rarely balk at the price unless it’s just too stupidly high. Where brand does matter is when your box of pears or leeks is in the hands of the produce people in the store. They are the folks who see what product is coming out of which box, and if they are impressed by the visual, and more importantly, the shelf-life, then they will purposely ask for that brand week after week. So if you are proud of your fruit or vegetables, then go all out—use a great box with a colourful label and give them something to remember (and re-order).

Cherry tomatoes. Credit: Discovery Organics.

The market for organics is large and growing, yet consumers walk into a major supermarket chain or big box store, here in BC, and will see scant local vegetables. Buyers for corporate chains will not bend on industry specs. They want zucchini that’s packed to Medium. Fancy or X Fancy sizing in an industry standard 22# box, and with a PLU sticker on each one. And while many of you may be dismissing this idea, BC growers have immense growth opportunities to expand into bigger markets, corporate supermarkets, big box stores and export to the US, especially with the Canadian dollar relegated to the basement. This goes back to what I said earlier about quality. Growers who can not only grow well, but pack in the right conditions, cool to the right temperature, label with PLU or UPC stickers, use the right standardized size and dimension of box, and meet standard industry specs, will see better sales and, I dare say, better prices.

Most growers are pretty good at communicating to us what they have available to harvest and sell. Fewer are good at telling us when they are going to hit their harvest sweet spot, or if they are expecting a huge flush of peppers or early peaches. Waiting until the product is piling up in a cooler is not a good time to beg for mercy and drop pricing. Larger retailers plan ads, specials, exclusives etc. at least 10 days out. If you are worried you’re going to have an upcoming bumper crop, then we need to know that early enough that we can try to place it. Moving extra volume with pre-committed ads or specials is a far better choice than simply discounting to see if you can eke out extra sales—all that manifests, again, is to lower the local market price, and once others growing the same crop feel the need to match your low price, you have now involuntarily vacuumed out a lot of profit for you and your fellow farmers.

Oyster mushrooms from Mushroom Kingdom in Abbotsford. Credit: Discovery Organics.

There have been major strides in the past 10 years on extending shelf life of fruit and vegetables, mostly around MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging.) Special plastics that allow dormant fruit and vegetables to actually control their own environment may seem like magic, and I don’t understand the science, but those bags allow fruit and vegetables do what apple growers do in the Interior with CA rooms: control the atmosphere. We specifically ask for some products we import to be packed in MAP bags, again, all in the name of quality and extended shelf life for margin-weary retailers who hate throwing produce out.  A few years ago, I was talking about this subject at a COABC  conference in Vernon, and placed a bunch of chard on each table in the room. I had personally harvested that chard nearly 7 weeks earlier at a farm we were operating in Sonora, Mexico. The post-harvest handling was top notch, and packed in MAP bags it was ready to stay healthy, hearty and dormant for a long time.

BC growers already pack and ship cherries in PeakFresh bags. BC blueberry growers can now ship blueberries by sea to the Orient in FreshXtend bags, giving them up to a month of shelf life. Spending the extra 30c. per case for the bag doesn’t just guarantee you a higher rate of good arrivals at the wholesale dock, retailers also see that you care enough about your brand and reputation to spend a bit of money to keep your particular produce in great shape.

BC Brussels Sprouts. Credit: Discovery Organics.

We are often asked that timeless question of what to grow? My response is always that you should be planning around what retailers are willing to buy, and not what looks cool in seed catalogues. Retailer stores don’t have unlimited space, as you may have noticed, and are not going to take yams off the shelf to make room for those stunning Japanese Green Eggplant you decided might be a new “thing.” The smaller the store, the smaller the selection, and what they need is a locally grown version of what they already sell. Instead of being the next BC grower to be competing in the grape tomato or lettuce markets, there is a wide range of product that is consistently under-supplied in BC. Peas and beans aren’t that hard to grow—as one of the worst farmers out there I’ve met, I’ve still pulled both of those off, yet both are significantly under-supplied. Broccoli? Sprouting Broccolini? Cauliflower? All doable and rarely available! The advent of MAP bags has made icing irrelevant for local or even export brassica sales!

Please talk to our buyers—they are the ones buying in California for crops we could and should be growing in BC, at good pricing and with lots of available market…and have a great 2019 season!

Randy Hooper and partner Annie Moss own and operate Discovery Organics in Vancouver. They and their management team have devoted the last 20 + years developing the strength of the BC Organic fruit and vegetable market sector.

Feature image: Organic Okanagan peaches. Credit: Discovery Organics.

Organic Research: Venting Problems?

in 2019/Climate Change/Crop Production/Grow Organic/Summer 2019/Tools & Techniques

How Geothermal Systems May Help Organic Greenhouse Management

This article originally appeared in Organic Science Canada magazine, Issue 1, 2018, as part of Organic Science Cluster II (OSCII), a national research and development endeavour led by the  Organic Federation of Canada and the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada at Dalhousie University OSCII with funding provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and by over 65 organic sector partners. We are thrilled to make this research available and accessible to organic farmers in the BC Organic Grower.

Regulating the greenhouse environment (e.g. humidity, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, temperature) while maintaining optimal growth conditions is a constant challenge for greenhouse producers. This project explores the use of geothermal and heat exchanger systems to provide better climate control in commercial greenhouses, optimize productivity, and reduce heating costs.

Complete climate control in greenhouses is difficult and complex: humidity, CO2 levels, and temperature are all things needed to create optimal growing environments. Canada’s seasonal changes in temperature present an additional difficulty as cooling measures are needed in the summer months, and heating is required in the winter. Many northern greenhouses reduce heat in the summer through natural ventilation systems. Vents or windows in the greenhouses rely on wind and thermal buoyancy to move air, instead of a powered fan. However, natural ventilation can increase heating costs by up to 10%, and deplete CO2 levels necessary for ideal growth conditions. Therefore, many ventilated greenhouses incur extra costs by needing to provide supplemental CO2.

Building on previous knowledge

Geothermal cooling systems and heat exchangers may be a way to reduce heating costs, and dehumidify greenhouses without natural ventilation. Geothermal heat pumps work by using seasonal thermal energy stores.  The abundant heat created in the summer can be removed from overly hot greenhouses, and stored in a thermal bank in the soil, reducing the need to ventilate and loose crucial CO2 levels. Organic Science Cluster I data also showed that water pumped from a high ground water table can dehumidify greenhouses; however, a more water efficient method is needed for larger scale, commercial greenhouses.

Dr. Damien De Halleux of Université Laval along with Dr. Martine Dorais of AAFC set up trials at the greenhouses of Serres Jardin Nature in New Richmond, QC and L’Abris Végétal in Compton, QC. Trials were set up in natural ventilation cooled greenhouses and heat-pumpcooled semi-closed greenhouses. The trials were to examine and compare the fruit quality from tomato plants, growth data, dehumidification strategies, CO2 levels, and greenhouse climate.

Cold water from the water table was used as a source for cooling for the natural ventilation and the semiclosed greenhouses at Serres Jardin Nature. At L’Abris Végétal, the source for cooling was the neighbouring soil of the greenhouses.

Using geothermal and heat exchanger systems, it was possible to limit the amount of ventilation needed in the semi-open greenhouses. This reduction in ventilation allowed for better climate management, and increased the productivity of the crops. Reducing the amount of ventilation also reduced the loss of CO2 from the greenhouse atmosphere. Cooling in the control greenhouses resulted in 421ppm of CO2 in the greenhouse atmosphere versus 652-654ppm of CO2 in the experimental greenhouses, which was an improvement toward optimal growth conditions.

Combining old and new techniques

Geothermal and heat exchanger systems limit the need to ventilate greenhouses, allowing for better climate control, however humidity control still remains a major issue. At this time, it is deemed appropriate to continue using traditional, natural ventilation during critical dehumidification times to reduce susceptibility of crops to fungus and disease.

Click for more Organic Science Cluster II research.

Click to read Organic Science Canada magazine.

Click to see all the OSCII Contributing partners.

Researchers: Damien De Halleux (Université Laval), Martine Dorais (AAFC – Université Laval) 

Partners: Growing Forward 2, L’Abri Végétal, Serres Jardin Nature

Feature image: Geothermal cooling and heat exchangers in an experimental greenhouse at Serres Jardin Nature. Credit: Organic Science Cluster.

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