JULY 2017 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
13
Agriculture’s success testifies to investment funding Diverse projects reflect breadth of IAFBC’s impact
by PETER MITHAM DELTA – Government
extension work has been pared back in recent years, putting more onus on producer groups and their members to undertake research, engage in technology transfer and educate themselves about current best practices. Yet there’s still a need for
extension work to bridge the gap. “Our mission as extension,
originally, was to extend research out to the general public,” said Danny Klinefelter, a professor and extension economist with Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, at this winter’s Pacific Agriculture Show. “I think we also need a shift in extension’s management focus to become strategic and entrepreneurial, and less about bureaucracy.” In short, extension has to
have an impact on people. If it doesn’t, then what’s the point? A vivid example of
Klinefelter’s vision for next- generation extension may well be Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC’s work administering millions of dollars worth of federal- provincial funding in support of projects ranging from research to market development. “Our success is only
relevant if our clients succeed,” said IAFBC executive director Peter Donkers at the close of the organization’s summer tour of projects in the Lower Mainland. The projects showcased during this summer’s tour show that there’s plenty of room for success. The tour kicked off at UBC
Farm in Vancouver, where IAFBC funded the development of blocks that
support research into fruit and vegetable production, pest management and climate change. Water management, water quality and pathogen detection are among the other projects UBC researchers are investigating, and which could be eligible for future IAFBC funding. UBC has ambitious plans
for the future of its agriculture program, which emphasizes sustainable farming and food systems. A new building where lab and analytical facilities as well as extension work could occur is planned, promising that research doesn’t just happen on campus but connects with the public and everyday farm life. Fundraising for the new facility is half complete.
Cranberry research
The tour continued at the BC Cranberry Research Farm in Delta, established in 2012 with the support of $142,829 from the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program. IAFBC administered the funding and supported a bumblebee farm that promotes pollinator populations. Grant Keefer of Yellow Point Cranberries in Richmond and Renee Prasad, an assistant professor at the University of the Fraser Valley in Chilliwack, discussed ongoing research into new varieties and production practices. The farm generates local data, Prasad explained, which is critical for farmers who face stiff competition from growers in the more productive states of Wisconsin and Massachusetts. “It will affect their practice
and how they manage different varieties,” she said. The next stop on the tour was at Bremner Foods Ltd., which received $8,200 from IAFBC to complete an export
Disturbed Farmland to Reclaim?
Buy native plants grown locally for:
Contact Michael 604.530.9300
www.pwppost.com Our trt eated posts are guaranteed for 25 y d
24555 32nd Avenue | Langley, BC V2Z 2J5
www.NATSnursery.com
t d f 25 ears if not damaged or altered before or after installation. if t d
Organic Growers call for information about the NEW Sleeve for untreated posts. Contact Bill Everitt TF 877.797.7678 |
beveritt@xplornet.ca
marketing expansion plan for Asia in 2015. Bremner Foods has been in business 17 years, but has steadily diversified its offerings from blueberry juice into a range of fruit juices, fruit wines and other products. With 2.5 pounds of table-
grade fruit in each bottle, Bremner focuses on high-end markets. Co-owner Terry Bremner told IAFBC tour participants that funding doesn’t always produce immediate results. Bremner’s market research is only just starting to payoff, following trade events last year that let it connect one-on-one with grocers in Japan. Given that his juices sell for upwards of $40 a bottle in overseas markets (versus $12 in Canada), connecting with the right vendors was important. The tour also included visits
to two key infrastructure projects: the anaerobic digester at Seabreeze Farms and the pump station on the Fraser River at 80th Street, both in Delta. Neither project is an unmitigated success. A failure in the fabric of the pipe carrying water under River Road from the pump station into the irrigation canal has been a headache this spring, while the digester doesn’t yet pay for itself. “The dairy is still subsidizing
what’s happening here,” said Jerry Keulen of Seabreeze. “If
Terry Bremner explains the bottling line to IAFBC tour participants at Bremner Foods in Delta. PETER MITHAM PHOTO
this thing was really doing well, you’d see more going. That’s the bottom line.” What makes both projects successful, however, is that both make farming more viable. The pipe from the pump station will be fixed – in
time for the peak summer irrigation period, farmers hope – and the digester at Seabreeze is helping it make do with less land. “This kind of technology
See TOUR on next page o Farm | Orchard | Vineyard | Berry Trellising PRINCETON WOOD PRESERVERS LTD. PWP
Pressure Treated Round Wood Posts and Rails
Kiln Dried
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
