24 Short course offers variety


ABBOTSFORD – Organized by the Lower Mainland Horticulture Improvement Association, the annual


Preview DAVID SCHMIDT


horticulture growers’ short course began six decades ago for strawberry and raspberry growers. Berries are still the backbone of the program. Thursday’s sessions during this year’s Pacific Agriculture Show are aimed at strawberry and raspberry growers while Saturday’s sessions focus on blueberries. All berry growers are encouraged to attend Friday afternoon. Growers will learn about disease, pest and weed management, spraying and fertigation, cane burning, new varieties and market outlooks.


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Hueppelsheuser will present several informative talks on Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, a pest new to BC with the potential to destroy berries and many other crops. Saturday morning’s blueberry sessions will include panel


discussions on machine harvesting and packer/processor


requirements for quality fruit. Other notable speakers include the always-popular Bernadine Strik of Oregon State University, BC berry breeder Michael Dossett, blueberry marketer John Shelford of Florida, Avice Hall from the University of Hertfordshire in England and Tom Wolf of Agrimetrix, a Saskatoon company that studies agricultural sprays.


Business management The Pacific Agriculture


Show is proud to welcome Larry Martin as its keynote speaker this year. A farm management consultant, Martin was the founding executive director and chief executive officer of the George Morris Centre in Guelph, considered by many to be Canada’s premier agriculture think tank. Speaking on Friday morning in the Terralink Room, he’ll offer farmers tools to develop the habits of a successful farm manager. Prior to Martin’s talk, Texas A&M extension economist Danny Klinefelter will describe extension in the 21st century and “risk doctor” David Hillson of England will help farmers to see risk as an opportunity.


With BC’s new Water


Sustainability Act now in force and climate change putting more demands on water supplies, the Friday morning sessions in the Evergro Room should prove extremely popular and useful. Farmers will learn about the new requirements in the WSA and receive step-by-step instructions for registering their wells. Several speakers will also provide information on advanced irrigation technology and tips on achieving irrigation efficiency. Additional information on improving irrigation efficiency will be available during the potato and vegetable sessions in the BASF Gallery on Thursday afternoon.


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Potato and vegetable sessions take place all day Thursday as well as Friday afternoon in the BASF Gallery. They’ll include information on managing wireworm, cabbage root maggot, western corn rootworm, pepper weevil and


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • JANUARY 2017 Value of Biogas West


Since the Agri-Energy Forum was added to the Pacific Agriculture Show program seven years ago, it has expanded its scope every year. With the Canadian Biogas Association joining Matt Dickson of Hallbar Consulting and ARDCorp as organizers of this year’s forum, it has been renamed the Value of Biogas West Conference. It will take place Friday, January 27 in the BMO Room. Anyone involved in the biogas sector, including farmers, businesses and even local governments is welcome. Fortis BC will open the morning with an update on the state of the renewable gas market in BC, followed by sessions on pre-treating organic feedstocks and biogas production at wastewater treatment plants. The afternoon sessions will look at biogas production in agriculture and by municipalities and new ways to upgrade biogas to renewable natural gas. The day will conclude with a special networking reception.


Cost of the one-day conference is $100 for CBA members and $125 for non-members. Participants can register at [www.biogasassociation.ca].


invasive weeds. There will also be information on new crops including okra, eggplant and table beets, a panel discussion on hot varieties for 2017 and an update on the 2017 BC Field Vegetable Production Guide.


Greenhouse vegetables What pesticides are


available, or coming, for use in greenhouse vegetable production? How do banker plants support biological controls? How do you control agrobacterium in a greenhouse? And how can you manage the root zone more effectively? The answers to these questions will be revealed at the greenhouse vegetable session in the Evergro Room on Thursday morning. Speakers include Sarah Brackman of Biosafe Systems in Washington and Ronald Valentin of Bioline Agrosciences in California.


Floriculture


Thursday afternoon in the Evergro Room, the focus shifts to floriculture. Growers will


receive valuable information on managing powdery mildew, mealy bugs, aphids and other pests. The


afternoon will conclude with a presentation from Ronald Valentin of Bioline


Agrosciences on integrating pesticides and biological control agents.


Organic production


How will climate change impact pest management and/or irrigation management on organic farms? How can you control aphids,


wireworms, corn root worm, pepper weevil and other pests in organic potato and vegetable production? Do organic amendments and green manures work as biofumigants? How can you minimize plant pathogens in organic crop production? And what can you learn from a soil report? Organic producers will get the answers to these and other important questions during the all-day organic session in the BASF Gallery on Saturday. They will also get an update on the BC seed trials.


Presented by:


CONFERENCE Centre (Abbotsford)


January 27th 2017 Tradex Exhibition


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Covering biogas topics from agricultural, municipal and industrial sectors


Learn about one of Canada’s most popular renewables


Lots of opportunities for networking


Presenting Sponsor: Gold Sponsors:


biogasassociation.ca/value_of_biogas_conference


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