Prunings
he Pacific Agri-food Research Centre is now known as the Summerland Research and Development Centre. Similar changes have been made at the other 19 federal agricultural research centres across the country. Summerland’s sister facility in British Columbia becomes the Agassiz Research and Development Centre... A professional agrologist and planner has been selected to head the province’s Agricultural Land Commission, as of Dec. 14. Kim Grout comes from the City of Pitt Meadows, where she has worked for the past 11 years, most recently as chief administrative officer. She has also worked for the cities of Maple Ridge and Abbotsford. It’s been four years since the agriculture minister of the day, Don McRae, vowed to hire a CEO separate from the position of chairman, and it was a move recommended by the chairman at that time, Richard Bullock, in his comprehensive review of the ALC completed in 2011, the year after he was appointed. The ALC has been without a separate executive-director since 2009. It is an independent administrative body, created in 1973, along with the provincial agricultural land reserve, with a mandate to preserve agricultural land and encourage farming in the province. It currently operates with six regional panels of appointed board members. Former Saanich mayor Frank Leonard is currently chairman of the ALC, and served jointly as CEO until Grout’s appointment... B.C. apple growers brought home a basket-full of medals again from the National Apple Competition of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto this fall. Jim Hermiston of Summerland received the Reserve Champion in the New Varieties section for his Aurora Golden Galas. Second place in that section went to Angie Ritz of Kelowna, while Gambell Farms of Lake Country came fifth. The Hermiston family also took fourth place in the Gala section, while Windmill Farms of Summerland took third place in that section. Windmill, owned by the Boerboom family, came in first place for the Golden Delicious apples in that section, while Matheson Creek Farms of Penticton came third. Hermiston Orchards also came third for the Spartans they grew this year in that section.
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Ambrosia growers also did well, with B-K Orchards Ltd. of Peachland
coming in first, followed by Angie Ritz. Gambell Farms came fourth, followed by Windmill Orchards; Hermiston Orchards took seventh; and Matheson Creek Farms ninth. And, local growers swept the Other New Varieties section of the contest, with Coral Beach Farms of Lake Country coming in first for its Salish apples; while Angie Ritz came second for her Nicolas; Windmill Orchards came third for their Salish; Matheson Creek Farms came fourth for its Salish and fifth for its Nicolas; and Hermiston Orchards came seventh for Salish. In the Commercial Varieties section of the competition, traditional varieties not grown in large quantities in B.C. took the winning spots, with Northern Spy and Cortland apples grown in Ontario coming out on top... After the previous Summerland council disbanded its Agricultural Advisory Committee, the new, more- agriculture-friendly council elected last year, headed by Mayor Peter Waterman, has appointed a new committee. It includes a number of very well-known names in the industry: Markus Hunziker, Frank Kappel, Denise MacDonald, Bikaramjit Singh Sandhu, Julie Sardinha, Gary Strachan and Cher Watkins. Staff support will be provided by Ian McIntosh and Councillors Erin Carlson and Richard Barkwill (alternate)...
The B.C. Tree Fruits Co-op announced this fall an agreement with B.C. craft cider producer LoneTree Cider Co. of Vancouver, to become its leading supplier of 100 per cent B.C. produced apple wine, as an augment to the company’s current production and supply sources. Cellaring, blending and aging processes remain with LoneTree to maintain their closely-guarded recipes. The announcement came as the craft cider company plans to expand sales across Canada and into the U.S. Bruce Dean and his wife Suzie founded LoneTree four years ago as an “authentic, extra dry cider style, and an alternative to the highly-sweetened, flavoured ciders that have previously dominated in the province. “ Alan Tyabji, CEO of BCTFC, said the deal aligns perfectly with the co-op’s mandate to support grower families looking for a value-added market for fruit not destined for the fresh retail market. LoneTree’s Authentic Dry, Ginger Apple and Cranberry Apple ciders are available at LDB and private liquor stores as well as at pubs and
restaurants. BCTFC’s own cider, Broken Ladder, was launched last spring...
This fall’s 35th annual Fall Okanagan Wine Festival awards drew a record 560 entries, and judges awarded 22 gold, 111 silver and 195 bronze medals as well as six platinum awards from the gold winners. Those went to the Kismet Estate Winery 2013 Syrah and 2014 Riesling Icewine; Sandhill Wines 2013 Small Lots Syrah Phantom Creek Vineyard; St. Hubertus and Oak Bay Estate Winery 2013 Gamay Noir; Tightrope Winery 2012 Riesling; and Wild Goose Vineyards 2014 Gewurztraminer. The Premier’s Award this year was presented for the Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Grand Reserve Entourage Sparkling Brut 2010. The gold medal award winners were: Arrowleaf Cellars 2013 Solstice Pinot Noir, Blasted Church 2013 Merlot, Cassini Cellars 2012 Maximus, Deep Roots 2013 Syrah, Evolve Cellars 2013 Cab Merlot, Gray Monk2013 Odyssey White Brut, Inniskillin Okanagan 2012 Dark Horse Estate Vineyard Riesling Icewine, Intrigue Wines 2014 Pinot Gris, Lake Breeze Winemaker Series 2012 Riesling, Mocojo Wines 2014 Viognier, Nk’Mip Cellars 2014 Winemakers Series Dreamcatcher, 2013 Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay and 2014 Qwam Qwmt Riesling Icewine, Quails’ Gate Stewart Family Reserve 2014 Chardonnay, Red Rooster 2014 Pinot Noir and 2013 Reserve Merlot, Road 13 2011 Sparkling Chenin Blanc and 2014 Chip Off the Old Block Chenin Blanc, See Ya Later Ranch 2014 Chardonnay, Summerhill NV Cipes Brut and 2014 Organic Dry Riesling, and The Hatch 2013 Screaming Frenzy Pinot Noir...
Ambrosia apples from B.C. Tree Fruits, frozen cherries from David Geen’s Jealous Fruits and dried berry products from Tropical Link headed to Vietnam in November with International Trade Minister Teresa Wat, who was promoting B.C. in what she described as a country with a population already demonstrating an increased appetite for B.C. products and services. It’s the first time a B.C. trade minister has visited Vietnam, and follows signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, which has yet to be ratified...
British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Winter 2015-16 23
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