October 2016 • Country Life in BC IMOLA UNDER CONSIDERATION
“For some yellow varieties, the best you can say is that they are ‘not white’,” he states. Reynolds has been growing potatoes for close to half a century and has changed his varieties over the years in response to changing consumer preferences and improved varieties.
“I used to grow Norchip white potatoes but had to change after Weston wanted long white instead of round white potatoes,” he says by way of example. Although Reynalda
currently grows about 60 acres of Alta Cross white, Chieftain red and Satina yellow potatoes, that will change as the farm plans to switch its yellow variety to Imola. Reynolds believes Imola, one of the newer varieties in the trial, offers a more consistent shape, colour and yield and could command a better price in the market. He is also considering Teton as a new russet variety.
Rotation crops needed
It is not just the potatoes which are changing. Since potatoes can only be grown in a field once every three years, growers need rotation crops for the other two years. In the distant past, Reynalda grew seed crops but had to stop after the nearby Reifel bird sanctuary was established. “The birds would come and eat the seeds so we couldn’t grow them anymore,” Reynolds explains.
This year, his rotational crops included 60 acres of peas and 75 acres of beans. Peas and beans have been popular rotational crops for Delta growers in the past but that has changed as Lucerne Foods decided to stop buying them after being purchased by Nature Fresh.
“Lucerne went from buying 1,000 acres of peas last year to buying just 100 acres of organic peas this year,” Reynolds notes. He hopes the only remaining processor, BC Frozen, will take his peas and beans this year but notes they only have the capacity to process 15 acres per day which could leave some growers without a market this year. Hopefully, that will be offset by better returns from the potatoes, as this is shaping up to be a banner year.
Cull rate down
“It’s been an old-fashioned summer. We got an early start, had lots of heat early and the rains came at the right time,” Zylmans says. “I don’t see anyone feeling negative. Our cull rate will be down and
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quality will be up.” Reynolds is equally optimistic.
“I expect the price to be fair,” he says, noting Europe had “terrible growing conditions” and poor weather conditions in much of the rest of Canada and the US could reduce their yields by 5%. As a result, “we won’t be flooded by US potatoes.”
In contrast, yields in Delta are expected to reach near- record levels.
“This has been an ideal year,” says Investment Agriculture Foundation chair Ken Bates, who operates Tecarte Farms with his two brothers.
“We expect to get 30 tonnes per acre from our Kennebecs,” he says, noting a normal yield is 18-25 tonnes per acre.
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That’s a lotta bull! A bull owned by Copper T Ranch of Fraser Lake, Tlell Bennett ET 3B, took supreme champion at the 50th anniversary Beef Show at the Nechako Valley Exhibition in August. 104 head of cattle were exhibited, including eight entries for the commercial pen of three heifers class won by Luke Meuhlen of Vanderhoof. The fair also hosted a Hereford, Angus and All Other Breeds show. (Photo courtesy of Lois Crosby)
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