up front By Bryden Winsby
These pages are all for and about you W
elcome to the first of what will be many issues of British Columbia Berry
Grower Magazine.
As its name implies, the magazine is about and for this vibrant and important sector of the province’s agricultural sector — not to advise consumers where, why and how to buy or eat berries.
Our focus will be on issues that matter to growers — technical, political and economic. We’ve had great response so far, which is gratifying because people were reacting to something that was still sight unseen, but there was general agreement that it’s needed. The format is the same as that of our very successful British Columbia Fruit Grower Magazine, which has been covering the province’s tree fruit, grape and wine industries since 2003. I would especially like to acknowledge the advice and assistance of Mark Sweeney, the provincial agriculture ministry’s berry industry specialist, a man well-known to many of you, and the subject of a profile in these pages. On the federal side, we’ve had terrific assistance from Tamara Leigh and Sarah Godin, communications staffers with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, who have connected us to the very important and interesting work being done by researchers at the Pacific Agri-food Research Centre in Agassiz.
Kudos also to Brian Johnston and Mike Boot at TerraLink Horticulture Inc., who have been a great help setting up our distribution. Much of what you’ll read in this and subsequent issues is the work of Associate Editor Judie Steeves, an award-winning agricultural writer with roots in both the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan Valley. Her cover story features the top guy in the B.C. ag ministry, Steve Thomson, one of the best picks for the minister’s post in recent memory. As many of you might know, he has worked both sides of the proverbial fence and it’s very interesting to watch him respond to
4 British Columbia Berry Grower • Spring 2010
the concerns of farmers from the government side. Further on, Judie provides an overview of the berry breeding program at PARC, with Chaim Kempler explaining the promising progress
being made with several strawberry varieties, as well as raspberries and blueberries.
There’s also a piece on a recently- arrived fruit fly that growers might have heard a bit about already but which could cause some serious problems ahead because of its rapid infestation potential. Just how serious a threat is posed by Spotted Wing Drosophila probably will be known as this crop year progresses. For those who want to make better use of the Internet, or even have some fun playing around with it, we’ve got an explanation of the ag ministry’s new online irrigation calculator.
It’s designed to help figure out how best to deliver water to your plants, depending on such factors as growth stage, weather, time of year and the type of system used.
This issue also features a matter of constant concern to agriculture in general: safety. Journalist Lyonel Doherty, who worked for one of North America’s leading publishers of occupational safety information, explains how growers can and should make use of the services provided by the Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Association (FARSHA).
In the months to come we hope to develop closer ties with the grower organizations, and serve as a means by which they can get their messages and concerns out to members. We’d also be delighted to hear from individual growers and others connected to the industry. Tell us what you like and don’t like about the publication, share your opinions and make suggestions. And if you know of someone who would appreciate receiving B.C. Berry Grower, let us know and we’ll put them on the mailing list. There’s no charge!
Enjoy...
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