Bee Symposium October 3, 2009

The 3rd Annual Bee Symposium will bring together researchers from western Canada and north-western United States for a full day of the latest developments in apiculture research in Aldergrove, BC.

For more information please contact Paul van Westendorp at 604-556-3129

World Agroforestry Study Demonstrates Farms Are Protecting Tree Cover

A new agroforestry study released at the opening of the 2nd World Congress of Agroforestry shows that almost half of all farmed landscapes worldwide include significant tree cover.

This is the first study to quantify the extent to which trees are a vital part of agricultural production in all regions of the world. It reveals that on more than 1 billion hectares-which make up 46 percent of the world's farmlands and are home to more than half a billion people-tree cover exceeds 10 percent.

"The area revealed in this study is twice the size of the Amazon, and shows that farmers are protecting and planting trees spontaneously," said Dennis Garrity, the Centre's Director General. "The problem is that policymakers and planners have been slow to recognize this phenomenon and take advantage of the beneficial effect of planting trees on farms. Trees are providing farmers with everything from carbon sequestration, to nuts and fruits, to windbreaks and erosion control, to fuel for heating and timber for housing. Unless such practices are brought to scale in farming communities worldwide, we will not benefit from the full value trees can bring to livelihoods and landscapes."

From the data presented in the study, it is not possible in all cases for the researchers to discern precisely the products and services that trees are providing. However, a great deal of previous agroforestry research has documented a wide range of uses for trees on farms, including: fertilizer trees for improving crop yields and enhancing soil health; fruit trees for nutrition; fodder trees to feed livestock; timber and fuelwood trees to provide shelter and energy; medicinal trees; and trees that provide global commodities such as coffee, rubber, nuts, gums and resins. As equally important on the service side are uses such as erosion control, water quality and biodiversity.

"If planted systematically on farms, trees could improve the resiliency of farmers by providing them with food and income," said Tony Simons, Deputy Director General at the World Agroforestry Centre. "For example, when crops and livestock fail, trees often withstand drought conditions and allow people to hold over until the next season."

"What trees essentially provide to farmers is choice. Choice of enterprise, choice of market, choice for diversification, choice for low labour requirement, choice for multiple function," Simons continued. "Developing country farmers are spoilt for choice. Whilst Western Europe has some 250 native tree species and North America has a larger set of 600 trees species-the developing tropics has a staggering 50,000 tree species to manage and utilize. The priority is to find the right tree for the right place for the right use."

Reminder: CanWest Hort Show 2009

September 23 and 24, 2009
Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre

CanWest is one of Western Canada's premier horticulture trade shows, showcasing the best in nursery, floriculture and landscape products and supplies.

The Show will feature industry and garden tours, a new product showcase, and the 2009 BC Landscape Awards of Excellence.

For more information visit the CanWest website.

Eco-Marketing Conference

September 16-17, 2009
Toronto, Ontario

Find out how to strengthen your brand's reputation by changing consumer behaviour as a way of changing social behaviour.

Recognize the 'eco-nomical' advantage to having an environmental strategy.

Learn how to develop sound creative strategies that tune in buyers without turning off authorities.

Hear how some of the largest corporations have been integrating and promoting their socially & environmentally friendly ways.

Discover how to develop effective messages and images that compel consumers to purchase green products.

For more information visit: www.opendialogueinc.com

Additional Locations for Value Plus Workshops

In addition to the previously announced Abbotsford dates, Value Plus Workshops will be held in the following locations:

Farmington, Friday, Oct 23, 2009 and Monday, Nov 30, 2009;
Quesnel, Saturday, Oct 24, 2009 and Tuesday, Dec 1, 2009;
Cranbrook, Monday, Oct 26, 2009 and Thursday, Dec 3, 2009;
Vernon, Tuesday, Oct 27, 2009 and Friday, Dec 4, 2009; and,
Nanaimo, Thursday, Oct 29, 2009 and Saturday, Dec 5, 2009.

Discover a New Crop of Opportunities for Your Farm

Learn how to tap into new value added opportunities from idea to market.

The Canadian Farm Business Management Council (CFBMC), in partnership with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Business Development Program and the Small Scale Food Processor Association, is holding a series of two day workshops for anyone wanting to start a new farm related enterprise or to diversify an existing operation.

The two-day Value Plus™ – A Quest for New Farm Value workshop is facilitated by Gary Morton, co-author of Building Added Value Through Farm Diversification.

Workshops, split into two, one day sessions about five weeks apart, cost $85.00 for both days ($30 for additional farm participant) and will take a value-added idea and follow it from conception through the development process to finding a specific niche in the marketplace.

For more information or to register, refer to the accompanying form.

Evaluation - A Guide to Farmland Access Agreements

The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC) is seeking input on "A Guide to Farmland Access Agreements", a recent publication of TLC and the Community Farms Program. They want to ensure the Guide is a practical tool and would be grateful if you would complete a
simple evaluation form at the link below.

The easy, 10 question Evaluation form can be filled out at:

www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=iLdoJ_2bvyFGu7U7RGDjB1_2fg_3d_3d

You can download a copy of the Guide to Farmland Access Agreements from either TLC (www.conservancy.bc.ca/content.asp?sectionID=52&pageID=975) or FarmFolk / CityFolk (www.ffcf.bc.ca/programs/farm/cf/laa.html)

If you have any questions, please contact Ramona Scott, Manager Agricultural Programs, TLC, at rscott@conservancy.bc.ca or 250.479.8053 (office), or 250-213.1013 (cell).

Nutritional Labeling Workshop

September 9, 2009 in Calgary

Designed for (but not limited to) smaller food processors, this course will educate individuals on nutritional labeling. It will cover regulatory requirements with the CFIA and industry representatives, as well as give valuable resource materials.

For more information: www.afpa.com/notesatt/00511-1.pdf

Value Plus Workshop

Value Plus Workshops to be held in Abbotsford on Friday October 30 and Monday December 7th, 2009.

Discover a New Crop of Opportunities for Your Farm

Attention all rural based entrepreneurs who want to learn how to tap into new value added opportunities from idea to market.

The Canadian Farm Business Management Council (CFBMC), in partnership with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Business Development Program and the Small Scale Food Processor Association, is holding a two day workshop for anyone wanting to start a new farm related enterprise or to diversify an existing operation.

The two-day Value Plus™ – A Quest for New Farm Value workshop is facilitated by Gary Morton, co-author of Building Added Value Through Farm Diversification.

Workshop costs $85.00 for both days and will take a value-added idea and follow it from conception through the development process to finding a specific niche in the marketplace. ($30 for additional farm participant). The workshop is split into two, one day sessions about five weeks apart.

Workshop dates: Friday, October 30, 2009 & Monday, December 7, 2009

Time: 9 am to 4 pm
Location: Abbotsford Agriculture Centre, Room 131
1767 Angus Campbell Road
Abbotsford, B.C. V3G 2M3

BC Celebrates Blueberry Month

August is "Blueberry Month" in British Columbia.

Over 650 blueberry growers cultivate close to 17,000 acres of rich, fertile farmland in B.C. The Fraser Valley accounts for 99 per cent of the province’s blueberry farms and the thriving $90-million-a-year blueberry industry employs more than 5,000 British Columbians. This year growers expect to harvest as much as 85 million pounds of blueberries.

The rapid growth of the blueberry industry in recent years has been spurred on by the tremendous popularity of blueberries. Part of the industry’s success is due to their proactive approach. Instead of relying solely on the great taste and versatility of blueberries, they invested in scientific research to determine the nutritional value of blueberries. The industry then publicized the results, offering health-conscious consumers evidence that blueberries are rich in antioxidants, believed to play a key role in preventing diseases and reducing the effects of aging.

Resources North Receives Funding for Agroforestry Workshops

The Government of Canada, through Mountain Pine Beetle Community Adjustment Fund has provided support to Resources North in Prince George to develop and deliver workshops to communities on agroforestry opportunities.

The Government will make a contribution of $44,500 to deliver workshops to First Nations in three locations--Prince George, Vanderhoof and Burns Lake - focused on agroforestry. The overall goal of the project is to demonstrate how agroforestry could be an option for economic diversification and development, improving revenues and stabilizing wood fibre flow.

The workshops will include an overview of: agroforestry principles and practices in BC and associated ecological benefits; conservation principles and the function of trees and shrubs in agricultural landscapes; the economics of agroforestry; and discussions concerning potential local opportunities with experts and practitioners of agroforestry.

Pacific Regional Society of Soil Science Fall Field Trip

The Pacific Regional Society of Soil Science invites you to join their fall field trip

Date: Saturday, Sep 26, 2010 (morning) to Sunday, Sep 27, 2010 (evening)

Location: Similkameen and South Okanagan
• recent soil, water and vegetation research
• water stewardship in the Okanagan
• farm visits and wine tasting

The PRSSS will provide transportation from Vancouver and arrange accommodations.

Additional details will be forthcoming.

Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Growers Conference Call

You are invited to a 'Grower's Group Network' Conference Call for Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Growers sponsored by the COABC.

Many food borne illnesses associated with fresh produce can arise from the use of contaminated water. Growers need to be aware of their water quality challenges and learn how to manage their production with the water they have available. Join us for a province wide conference call to learn about 'on farm' water quality.

Guest Speakers:

Elsie Friesen, Food Safety & Quality Specialist, BCMAL. Elsie is a Certified Public Health Inspector with a diploma in Food Science, a degree in Environmental Health Science Technology, and a Master's Degree in Education. Coming from a farming family and community, Elsie also has practical agricultural experience.

Steven Gallagher, lead farmer of Nathan Creek Organic Farm, Langley, BC. Steven is a mixed vegetable grower who has recently had to deal with water quality issues and has installed an extensive filtration system on his farm.

Facilitator: Rochelle Eisen, Organic Extension Agent for BC

When: August 18, 6:30 pm, Pacific Daylight Time and 7:30 pm, MDT

For more information: see
http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/rcbtoa/training/foodsafety.htm or

contact Rochelle Eisen, Organic Extension Agent at 250-547-6573, email
extension@certifiedorganic.bc.ca

Agroforestry Research Trust 2009-10 Catalogue Available

The Agroforestry Research Trust is a non-profit making charity, registered in England, which researches into temperate agroforestry and into all aspects of plant cropping and uses, with a focus on tree, shrub and perennial crops.

They produce several publications and a quarterly journal, and also sell plants (particularly fruit and nut trees and bushes)and seeds.

The new 2009-10 catalogue is available to download.

British Columbia agroforesters may not be able to import all plant material listed in the catalog or imports may be subject to a quarantine period. Check with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for details.

Reminder: FBCWA / WPDC 2009 AGM Registration Deadline

A reminder that the West Kootenay Woodlot Association is hosting the Federation of British Columbia Woodlot Associations' 22nd and the Woodlot Product Development Council's 12th Annual General Meetings on September 24-26, 2009.

Early-bird registration rates in effect until August 24th

Groundwater Bylaws Toolkit Available

The Okanagan Basin Water Board has created support documents for developing groundwater bylaws.

The purpose of the Groundwater Bylaws Toolkit is to give local government planners practical tools to be used in Official Community Plans, Development Permit Areas and Bylaws to protect groundwater resources. It will include model bylaw language that local governments in BC can use in their own jurisdictions.

BC is the only province in Canada that does not have an integrated surface and groundwater licensing regime. Almost half (44%) of municipalities in BC rely on groundwater for their municipal water supply.

Between 2000 and 2006, about 35% of the wells monitored showed declining water levels mainly due to local pumping for industry, agriculture or drinking water. Local land use and development can have significant impacts on groundwater.

The good news is that there are many effective tools local governments can use to take action to protect their groundwater supply. The Groundwater Bylaws Toolkit will provide local governments with model bylaws and ideas to protect groundwater resources.

Agroforestry Session at the ESA Annual Meeting

Using ecology to create long-term cropland health

ESA's 94th Annual Meeting will be held Aug. 2-7 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The meeting will include more than 3,500 scientists, students and educators, and will center around the theme, "Ecological Knowledge and a Global Sustainable Society."

Advances in ecology increasingly reveal that conventional agricultural practices have detrimental effects on the landscape ecology, creating problems for long-term sustainability of crops. In a series of sessions at the Ecological Society of America's Annual Meeting, ecologists will present their ideas on how our agricultural practices can take lessons from natural environments.

The researchers will present in the following sessions at the Albuquerque Convention Center (ACC):

Jerry Glover: Symposium 9 - From Genes to Watersheds: Developing a Post-Contemporary Agriculture (1888-2058). Tuesday, Aug. 4, 3:10 pm., San Miguel, ACC

Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer: COS 34 - Agroecology, Agroforestry, and Biofuels I. Tuesday, Aug. 4, 3:40 p.m., Taos room, ACC

Shashi Kumar: PS 42 - Agricultural Landscapes. Wed., Aug. 5, 5-6:30 p.m., Exhibit Hall, ACC

Federal-Provincial Governments Renew EFP Funding

The governments of Canada and British Columbia have partnered to deliver up to $10 million to enhance environmental sustainability for farmers in British Columbia. Agriculture and Lands Minister Steve Thomson and Ron Cannan, MP for Kelowna-Lake Country, made the announcement today at St. Hubertus Estate Winery and Oak Bay Vineyard.

“Farmers are proud to be good stewards of the land, and they continue to position Canada as a world leader in environmentally responsible agriculture,” said Cannan on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “We are proud to work with B.C. on this program because investments in environmental stewardship make good business sense for farmers.”

“Farmers are key stewards of our land and can be leaders in reducing the risk of accidental harm to our soil, air, water and biodiversity values,” said Thomson. “Environmental farm planning is one of the main tools to effectively accomplish this kind of protection of our natural resources.”

The Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) and the Beneficial Management Practice (BMP) are broad-based, voluntary, and producer-driven programs aimed at identifying and reducing environmental risks on farms. These programs will focus on water quality, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions, ultimately enabling farmers to ensure cleaner and healthier and more sustainable land.

EFP and BMP are funded by Growing Forward, a federal, provincial, and territorial framework that is delivering $1.3 billion to Canadian farm families from 2008 to 2013. British Columbia’s share under these agreements will total $78 million. These programs will be delivered by the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands through the B.C. Agriculture Research and Development Corporation (ARDCorp).

“Farmers and ranchers across B.C. are proud of being environmental stewards, and have made significant investments to improve on-farm environmental conditions through the previous EFP program,” said Garnet Estell, chair of the B.C. Agriculture Council. “The new Growing Forward funding will build on this success and keep B.C. agriculture on the leading edge in managing its natural resources.”

Tax panel recommends redefinition of "farm"

The panel tasked with reviewing what constitutes a "farm" for municipal tax purposes in British Columbia recommends a single minimum threshold of farm income be phased in to set the bar.

The B.C. Farm Assessment Review Panel delivered its report to the provincial government on Friday.

The panel was assigned to hold a "province wide, comprehensive review of farm assessment regulations in order to streamline rules and procedures, while ensuring their fairness and transparency," for the province to consider in time for the 2010 assessment roll.

In an interim recommendation in June 2008, the panel asked that any further large-scale farm classification projects by BC Assessment be suspended until the panel's report is received and decisions are made.

"I look forward to reviewing the report's recommendations for how we can improve the efficiency of the assessment process," provincial Agriculture Minister Steve Thomson said Friday. "In these tough economic times it's more important than ever for farmers to have the competitive edge that comes from a fair system of regulation and policy."

Recommendations

The panel on Friday recommended BC Assessment use Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) income tax return information for farm income reporting, to decide if income criteria are met for farm status for assessment purposes.

During a proposed transition year in 2010, BC Assessment would audit income reports with lower income ratios -- meaning the ratio of actual farm income to required income threshold -- to make sure the income is generated from farm products on the CRA's Primary Agricultural Production (PAP) schedule.

Also during the transition year, BC Assessment would accept "supplementary information" from farmers where there's additional income from ag products not accepted by CRA.

By 2011, the panel recommended, BC Assessment would set a single income threshold for all farm properties at a minimum of $3,500 annual gross farm income, but would maintain current income thresholds during the 2010 tax year.

After that, the panel recommended, BC Assessment would scrap its higher threshold of $10,000 in farm income for properties smaller than 0.8 hectares.

The panel also recommended that in 2011, BC Assessment would analyze the impact from the use of CRA reporting data and review the income threshold every five years from then onward.

Land under production

On the matter of "split classifications" of farm properties, the panel recommends that properties in the province's Agricultural Land Reserve that are actively farmed, with farm status, would not be split-classified. However, any portion of land in another use, such as business or commercial, on a farmed parcel would still be classed according to that use.

As well, the panel recommended amending the province's Farm Class Regulation to include areas not suited to ag production and/or used as buffer zones, or for ecological goods and services, or in a non-arable capacity (such as rock, swamp or treed areas).

Outside the Agricultural Land Reserve, property wouldn't be split-classified if at least half the parcel is under production (or contributes to the production) of qualifying primary agriculture products, or if at least 25 per cent of the parcel is under production and the landowner/farmer meets a "higher income threshold."

The panel recommends that the higher threshold, where needed, be set at $10,000 for 2010 and at four times the income threshold, or $14,000, for 2011 and beyond.

To encourage new and developing farm operations, the panel recommends amending the Farm Class Regulation to make sure the length of the start-up period is "realistic and relative to the commodity being produced" and that new farm practices are recognized.

Also, retired long-term farmers and their spouses would be able to stay in their farm residence and, if the farm property continues to be farmed, to keep their land's farm status until the land is sold or there's a change in use.

The panel also recommended setting a tax exemption for farm improvements at 87.5 per cent of assessed value or $50,000, whichever is greater.

In those cases, the panel said, the province may consider providing funding for five years for affected local governments to compensate for the lost revenue.