Vol. 8, No. 1 Spring 2005 · 2014. 12. 23. · Vol. 8, No. 1 Spring 2005 COABC, 3402 32nd Ave. Vernon BC V1T 2N1 President’s Message What does COABC do? Danger: Bill C-27 Seeds

Vol. 8, No. 1 Spring 2005

COABC, 3402 32nd Ave. Vernon BC V1T 2N1

President’s MessageWhat does COABC do?Danger: Bill C-27Seeds for the FutureWhen will they switch on?Update on PBR2005 AGM reportYou expect it, We inspect it!Marketing Boards Must

Accomodate Organics

Chicken WelfareCanadian Brand Names ListEntrust for PotatoesAg Awareness, Okanagan

StyleCFIA Visits BC Slaughterhouse 4On-Farm Fuel StorageWest Nile virusThanks to our Sponsors

When I was first approached a little over a yearago to stand for the board of PACS, I was morethan prepared to take up the challenge, to domy part for my community. It had been a yearsince Wild West was sold and my role in theorganization changed. For those of you whohave known me over the years, you can proba-bly appreciate the identity crisis that I wentthrough at the time. In some ways I was at acrossroad in my life and was glad to have a wayto fill the “void”. Not to mention there was acertain honour in being asked to serve my com-munity. It seemed natural to take on the roleas a PACS representative to the COABC board.At the time I never envisioned taking on therole of President after such a short period oftime.

For those of you who I don’t know me, here is alittle background.

I am a second generation BC citizen. I was bornin Stewart, on the southern tip of the Alaskapanhandle, but was raised in Terrace. I comefrom a family of seven and am second

youngest. With somany mouths to feedmy parents kept a largegarden of mixed vegeta-bles and small berries.Participation in themaintenance and har-vest of the garden wasan expectation of all ofthe children when wewere growing up.

I remember distinctly one of the rituals ofspring: my dad would hook up the utility trailerand head down the road to Sampson’s PoultryFarm for a load of manure. Then home again tospread it on the garden. There it would lie for acouple of weeks, during which time we neverdreamed of opening the windows (they allopened in the back of the house). And hangingout in the tree house was out of the question (Ihave a particularly low gag reflex). Not to men-tion the grief we got from our neighbour friendsat school. After the manure had cooled off dadwould till the whole “mess” along with somecompost and goodness knows what else intothe soil.

Later when the crops and weeds started togrow, it was the children who were called uponto do the work. Every weekend during thespring and summer a certain number of hourswere to be dedicated to the garden, before wewere allowed to hang out with our friends. Iremember resenting my parents for this.

When the peas started to ripen, we had to pickthem (not my favorite job) and shell them so mymom could prepare them for freezing. Now thatjob I didn’t mind, it was one for the bowl, twofor Deb - two for Deb one for the bowl. I stilllove fresh picked peas to this day (but thenwho doesn’t). On the other hand I remembermany a night when a when I sat for what feltlike hours after everyone left the table in frontof a plate of cold peas (even today I am notcrazy about cooked peas). Funny, the only wayI really liked to eat my veggies in those daysstraight from the garden, pull a carrot and eatit after wiping the dirt off on my jeans.

Page 2 BC Organic Grower, Volume 8, Number 1, Spring 2005

President's Message by Deb Foote

Seeds for the FutureBronze SponsorsChoices Markets • Crannóg Ales Discovery Organics • National FarmersUnion • Organic Sector DevelopmentProgram • Salt Spring Coffee •Summerhill Estate Winery • TheMarket on Yates • The Organic Grocer

OtherCoast Select • Planet Organic Market • OldVictoria Water Company • Country LifeMagazine • Eatmore Sprouts & Greens •West Coast Seeds • Cawston Cold Storage

Thank you to everyone who donatedproduct for the meals and auction

BC Organic Grower, Volume 8, Number 1, Spring 2005 Page 3

In the late 70’s my older sister Sheila who was involvedwith a pre-order food co-op, introduced me to organicfoods. I first started buying with her when I was in mylast semester of high school.

The pre-order co-op soon organized a retail storefrontwhere I became a volunteer on the inventory committee.This lead to a position on the steering committee, orboard of directors if you will. Eventually I took on asalaried position, until my son Brendan was born in ‘82.In 1984 the co-op folded as a result of economic pres-sures of the day. This precipitated my migration to thelower mainland in 1985.

I joined Wild West Organic Harvest in May of 1986. I washired as a warehouse worker and bookkeeper, and haveworked in every department within the company over theyears. Through work and travel I have gained many con-tacts within the Organic Industry on a local, national &international level. Today my role is that of GroceryPurchasing Manager, and I act in the capacity of OrganicCertification Administrator, ensuring that products arecorrectly identified for both Produce & Grocery listings.

I have served as a director with the following organiza-tions: Northern de Lights Food Co-op, Wild West OrganicHarvest, CCEC Credit Union, The Canadian Federation ofWorker Co-ops, Farm Folk/City Folk as well as PACS andCOABC. I look forward to serving as President of what Ibelieve is a first class organization.

BC Organic Groweris received by all members of organi-zations belonging to the CertifiedOrganic Association of BritishColumbia. BC Organic Grower ispublished quarterly by COABC.

We welcome letters to the Editor(500 words maximum) and articles(1000 words maximum). We reservethe right to edit for length.

Letters & submissions to:Cathleen Kneen, EditorS6 C27 RR#1Sorrento BC V0E 2W0phone/fax: [email protected]

Advertising (rates & copy) & non-member subscriptions ($20/yearplus $1.40 GST) to:COABC3402 32nd Ave.Vernon BC V1T 2N1phone: 250-260-4429fax: [email protected]

For general information or to contactyour local Certifying Body, call theoffice – or check our website:www.CertifiedOrganic.bc.ca

Cover Photo: Rebecca Kneen

Layout & Design: Rebecca [email protected]

Disclaimer:Products advertised in the BCOG arenot necessarily approved for use byorganic farmers/processors. Please con-sult the Materials List.

Next Issue Deadline:June 1, 2004

Canadian PublicationsMail Agreement#40047167

Cherry Growers Alert!by Linda Edwards

ENTRUST (Spinosad) to be Registered for 2005

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency will registerthis pesticide for a wide range of crops including mostfruits and vegetables for a wide range of pests March,2005. This is an OMRI approved product.

See the Winter edition of the BCOG (Volume 7 # 4) formore details about its role in controlling Cherry Fruit Flyand the fall edition (Volume 7 # 3) for details about all ofthe other crops and pests it is registered for.

It is uncertain whether GF-120, the other spinosad prod-uct, will be registered this year or next but it is in thepipeline.

See also page 23 for more uses of Spinosad!


In the past ten years, there hasbeen constant tension in theCOABC between attempting tooversee an organic regulation(being a regulator) and promot-ing the objectives of the mem-bers (being an advocate). Inorder to provide some basis formanaging the COABC, theStrategic Planning process of2003/2004 divided the coreservices of the organization(accreditation and management of the BCCertified Organic Program, information regard-ing the program, and external relations on reg-ulatory issues) from the “key activities” oforganic promotion, education, research, andadvocacy.

To achieve these goals, COABC needs to befinancially stable, with membership fees cover-ing the core services of the organization and thedevelopment of funding sources and volunteerenergies to carry out the key activities. My role,variously labelled “business manager” and“executive director” is to achieve all of this

while ensuring that the controlof the BC Standard for OrganicProduction remains in thehands of the farmers.

So what have we done?

Quite a lot, actually. TheStandards Review Committeehas been strengthened by hir-ing Cara Nunn to provide sec-retariat services. We havedeveloped procedures and a

Quality Manual for the COABC AccreditationBoard. We have arranged for update of theBrand Names list, and established a Websitecommittee to ensure that our site is both func-tional and also attractive to the general publicinterested in organics. We have an agreementfor collaboration with Canadian OrganicGrowers which will facilitate the work of con-sumer promotion and education—somethingCOABC has never accomplished, but is contin-ually being asked to undertake.

Promotion of the organic perspective both with-in and outside of agriculture organizations con-tinues to be a focus, with membership on theBC Agri-Food Trade Council as well as activitiessuch as our booth at the Interior ProvincialExhibition. Within the organic sector, we haveworked on developing the Environmental FarmPlanning project and arranged an extension ofthe Organic Sector Development Program.

For 2005

The COABC office is the primary contact pointfor licensees. Information flow from the officewill be fully integrated with the website, so thatessential information on the website is alwayscurrent – this will reduce telephone time foroffice staff. In the core services area I will betaking on a new project, working with BCMAFFto implement an annual seminar for adminis-trators and develop a procedures manual whichis more user friendly than Book 1.

Key activities will be enhanced by our align-ment with Canadian Organic Growers in thecreation of COG-BC, which will be able to bring

What does COABC do? by Kirsten Kane

Kirsten Kane, COABC Executive Director

Thank You, COABC Members!The Saskatchewan Organic Directorate (SOD)Organic Agriculture Protection Fund (OAPF) extends asincere and heartfelt THANK YOU to the CertifiedOrganic Associations of British Columbia (COABC)and to all the individuals that continue to support ourcourt case. Your generosity is appreciated and needed.Your continued donations will help us through theduration of this case.

If we are ultimately successful in this case, compa-nies that introduce GMO crops would have to takemeasures to prevent contamination of other crops,and would be liable for the market loss and/orclean-up costs if contamination occurred in spite ofthese measures.

JOIN US IN THE FIGHT – DONATE NOWBox 130, Canwood, Sask. S0J 0K0Phone: 306-468-2218 • Fax: 306-468-2346Email: [email protected]

www.saskorganic.com


organic consumers into a registered charitythat has consumer education and organic pro-motion in its mandate. COABC will continuethe successful projects initiated in 2004 andwill initiate new projects where there is evi-dence that they provide service to the membersand financial benefits to the society. An On-farm food-safety project, the OrganicConference AGM, an Organic Food Awardsevent, and further development of the OSDPare examples of projects that have potential toprovide service and money to the COABC. Nomembership fee increases are proposed. TheCOABC will continue to investigate fundraisingopportunities such as the Mohawk/Husky loy-alty card program.

Organic Sector Development Program

The OSDP has been good for the organic sectorand good for the COABC. It provides fundingfor organic projects, impetus for new ideas, andfunding for COABC office staff. The Board willdevelop a new Strategic Plan to provide thebasis for a renewal of the OSDP, in addition tothe extension which has already been negotiat-ed. This will bring new funds for imaginativeprojects to enhance the organic sector in BC.

Since its inception, but in particular the last year,the OSDP has been fielding, and in some cases,reviewing, applications focussed on the perceivednecessity of farmer training programs. These haveranged from locally developed apprenticeship orinternship programs, distance or e-learning typeprograms, to programs with a vision of an actualinstitute or centre for learning. While all of theseinitiatives have merit on an individual basis, thelack of cohesion or co-operation between them canonly serve to undermine the success of each. Asuccessful Organic Education program needs to

serve the needs of all (or as many as possible)would-be students in all commodities, in allregions, in all aspects of Organic production andprocessing. COABC, as the primary voice forOrganics in BC (and the new partnership withCOG and its mandate for education) is in a posi-tion to develop a program with a common vision,mandate, curriculum, evaluation system anddelivery by recognised, accredited delivery agents.

COABC will also develop an OSDP project inpartnership with COABC’s eleven certificationbodies that will bring relevant (i.e. regionallybased, farmer driven) seminars/workshops toeach of the regions primarily represented by theCBs. Another proposed project will investigatethe implications to organic operators of theNational On-Farm Food-Safety program anddetermine if a national organic On-Farm Food-Safety program should be initiated.

This is just a sampling of the many activities inand around the COABC office for the next year.Hang on, people, we’re in for an exciting ride!

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Bill C-27, the CFIA Enforcement Act, was intro-duced into Parliament on November 26, 2004,and is currently being studied, and possiblyamended, by the House of Commons StandingCommittee on Agriculture and Food prior todebate at Second Reading. This bill is the sec-ond step in a three part process. Step One wasthe creation of the Canadian Food InspectionAgency in 1997. Step Two is Bill C-27, (aboutwhich I will go into more detail below) whichincreases the CFIA’s powers. StepThree is to have the CFIA re-writethe food and agriculture regula-tions in order to implement thegovernment’s “smart regulation”agenda.

Paul Martin’s Throne Speech inOctober 2004 indicated hisgovernment would start imple-menting the recommendationsof the External AdvisoryCommittee on Smart Regulation.So-called “Smart Regulation” would:

• integrate Canadian and US regulatoryprocesses for agriculture and food, and extendfederal regulatory integration with the US tothe provincial level as well;

• fast track new drug approvals and providemeasures for regulator immunity from liability;

• shift towards voluntary compliance, perfor-mance targets, and industry self-regulationprocesses instead of enforceable standards;

• implement a single review and approval ofproducts and services for all jurisdictions inNorth America;

• reduce regulatory barriers to advancing thebiotech industry in Canada; and

• fully commit Canada to a risk managementregulatory framework (as opposed to a protec-tion and safety framework).

According to MP Wayne Easter, ParliamentarySecretary to the Minister of Agriculture andAgri-Food, Bill C-27 “helps to create similarauthorities and powers to that of our largesttrading partner, the United States. The

Canadian and U.S. economies are highly inte-grated. ... The bill contains a number of powersand authorities similar to those contained inthe recent United States legislation.”

Bill C-27 not only consolidates the inspectionand enforcement powers the CFIA currently hasregarding 13 food and agriculture Acts (MeatInspection, Fish Inspection, Health of Animals,Feeds, Seeds, Plant Protection, Fertilizer,

Customs, Canadian AgriculturalProducts, Consumer Packaging and

Labelling, Competition, MonetaryPenalties, and CFIA Acts), it alsoadds new regulation-makingauthorities.

The regulatory powers Bill C-27gives to the CFIA will lead toeven more market power andcontrol for the biggest agri-busi-

ness players. Corporations suchas Cargill, Lakeside, Maple Leaf,

Monsanto and Bayer will be in aposition to influence the new regula-

tions, and we can expect them to favourregulations that require heavy investment inexpensive technologies and which permit volun-tary performance targets instead of enforceablequality controls.

The Canadian Meat Council, representing thelargest meat packers in Canada, says Bill C-27is a step in the right direction and that they arecomfortable with the CFIA re-writing theinspection regulations because they have aclose relationship with the CFIA. In fact, priorto joining the Meat Council, Don Raymond, itsDirector Regulatory and Trade, was withAgriculture and Agri-Food Canada and theCanadian Food Inspection Agency for 34 years!

Not only does Bill C-27 increase the CFIA’s reg-ulatory powers, but it also gives the CFIA virtu-ally unlimited authority to collect and shareinformation, ostensibly to protect us from bio-terrorism. Bill C-27 authorizes the CFIA to col-lect any information for the purposes of investi-gating or enforcing any law, and to enterarrangements with government agencies and

Bill C-27 Threatens Canadian Food by Cathy Holtslander

TheCanadian Food

Inspection AgencyEnforcement Act –

The biggest threat toCanadian food

sovereignty sincesliced bread!


organizations within and outside of Canada todo the same. In the context of the USHomeland Security Act, this is an erosion ofcivil liberties, especially for farmers, fishers andfood processors, which we should be concernedabout.

Bill C-27 must be debated in Parliament beforeit can become law. However if it passes, theregulations that the CFIA will be able to makeas a result will not be subject to Parliament, asregulations are adopted by Order in Council.Therefore, we are urging people all acrossCanada to take action right now to get this billstopped before it is too late!

If Bill C-27 passes Canada will be locked into“made-in-Washington” food regulations. The USpermits irradiation of meat and geneticallymodified growth hormones in dairy cattle andmilk, it has consistently failed to meet WorldHealth Organization standards for BSE preven-tion and testing, and it permits hormones andantibiotics that are banned in European coun-tries. Under the Bush administration we canonly expect American food regulations tobecome more about corporate interests and lessabout the health of citizens and the integrity ofthe food system.

Call, write or meet your MP to express yourconcerns and tell him or her to vote against BillC-27. Write to members of the House StandingCommittee on Agriculture and Food, or to theCommittee clerk, expressing your concerns andopposition to the Bill. You could also write abrief and submit it to the Committee, particu-larly if you have personal experience that illu-minates the CFIA’s track record. Contact andeducate others, such as local and regional foodprocessors, consumers groups, health promo-tion organizations, etc. and urge them to takeaction as well.

The Beyond Factory Farming Coalition issetting up a “fax your MP” tool on the websiteat www.beyondfactoryfarming.org. Please use itand tell others about it. Act now to protectCanadian democratic control over our foodsystem!

Cathy Holtslander is the Project Organizer forthe Beyond Factory Farming Coalition

Box 820, 3925 – 64th Street, RR #1, Delta, BC V4K 3N2Tel: (604) 952-8820 • Toll-Free Fax: (877) 482-8822

[email protected] • www.westcoastseeds.com

We specialize in seeds & advice fororganic growers in British Columbia.

Send for your free catalogue. We invite you to visit us on the new farm!

Addresses:Bibiane Ouellette, Clerk of the CommitteeRoom 633, 180 Wellington, House of CommonsOttawa, ON K1A 0A6 E-mail: [email protected]

You can send mail postage-free to Members ofParliament at: House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

Chair of Ag C’tee: Paul Steckle (Liberal)Fax: (613) 995-6350 • Email: [email protected]

Co-chair Ag C’tee:Denise Poirier-Rivard (Bloc Quebecois)Telephone: (613) 996-7265 • Fax: (613) 996-9287Email: [email protected]

Co-chair Ag C’tee:Gerry Ritz (Conservative Party)Telephone: (613) 995-7080 •Fax: (613) 996-8472Email: [email protected]

Charlie Angus (NDP Agriculture Critic)Telephone: (613) 992-2919 • Fax: (613) 995-0747Email: [email protected]

Minister of AgricultureHon. Andy MitchellTelephone: (613) 996-3434 • Fax: (613) 991-2147E-Mail: [email protected]

The annual conference ofCOABC (held in Sidney at theend of February) attracted

about 300 people to a dynamic weekend oflearning, exchange of ideas, music, dance, andgreat food.

Entitled Seeds For The Future, the conferencehighlighted the politics and practice of seed-saving, with a keynote speech from CubanHumberto Rios Labrada on the ParticipatoryPlant Breeding work he leads in Cuba andMexico. National Farmers Union Stewart Wells,himself an organic farmer in Saskatchewan,described the devastating effects of the pro-posed changes to Canada’s Plant BreedersRights legislation. In plenary and workshopslocal seed breeders Dan Jason (Salt SpringSeeds), MaryBallon (West CoastSeeds), andPatrick Steiner(Stellar Seeds)added an impas-sioned plea forfarmers to getinvolved in main-taining the diverseseed supply onwhich we alldepend.

AgricultureMinister John VanDongen joined usfor lunch and took the occasion to comment onseveral contentious issues. He assured us thatinput from the COABC and its members is vitalto the successful conclusion of initiatives onsupply management, meat inspection, and thenational organic standard. He also noted thegrowth in the organic sector and commentedthat we are the face of agriculture for the aver-age consumer in BC.

Being diverse, the conferencehad other highlights as well.Practical workshops on pastured poultry, covercropping, pests and plant diseases vied forattention with management discussions of landownership options, working with chefs andother market issues, and political workshopson supply management, meat inspection, and afilm on genetic engineering of food - and muchmore.

There were also diverse activities, in which eat-ing fabulous food and drinking organic wine,beer and juice featured prominently, along withour auction, dancing to the music of a localmarimba band, and a tour of a new local win-ery. The auction, led by entertainer RomaTomato (Bobby Arbess) with his sidekick Mr.

Carrot (aka Brewster Kneen), raisedmore than $2,700, a portion of whichwill be donated to the SaskatchewanOrganic Directorate for their courtcase against Monsanto et. al.

For those who were unable to attendthis amazing event, the BC OrganicGrower will feature articles from someof the workshops in upcomingissues.


Seeds for the FutureCelebrating Diversity, Encouraging Action

Many Thanks to all our Sponsors and Donors

Lee Fuge, Conference Coordinator, withAnne Macey

The Conference was also marked by wonderfullydiverse food, much of it donated by COABC members.

In the 80’s Cuba wasthe most importantagro-chemical con-sumer in LatinAmerica

We were independentfrom the UnitedStates, but we weredependent on import-ed inputs for ourHigh-Tech=Highyield=Agrochemicaltechnological package.Then came the col-lapse of the SocialistBloc and the socioeco-

nomic crisis in 1990. Food got very scarce. By1993 my salary had moved from near firstworld living standard to 3 American dollars permonth.

I was working on finding new squash varieties,so very important to the Cuban diet. TheExperimental Station said, “Yes we would liketo support you in better scientific work. But wedo not have any more fertilisers or inputs. Theland is not ready for your trials, because thereis not fuel or spare parts for tractors.”

Organic agriculture was being forced by eco-nomic conditions and not necessarily by con-sciousness.

My own scientific model was melting down. Weneeded a new paradigm in plant breeding, mov-ing from a system of: Policy makers Bresearchers B farmers, to decentralised andparticipatory seed systems. I had to move fromthe experimental station to on-farm conditions,and my work started to involve farmers. Publicgermplasm became “open source” to localstakeholders, and farmers began choosing vari-eties for local adaptation.

Two key activities: seed and technologydiversity fairs, and farmer trials.

What happened when farmers’ access to seedsdiversity improved and they became real part-

ners to crop improvement? Genetic diversity onfarm increased from 5 to 20 times. The farmersdecided to open up a farmer field school, andthe role of the scientist changed from a varietaldecision maker to agrobiodiversity facilitator.The production of potato seed and concentratedanimal feed became possible in Cuba withfarmers’ participation. Farmers began workingwith tissue culture plant propagation on farm.

Decentralisation and participation in plantbreeding work is spreading out in LatinAmerica. Farmers and Scientists need to asso-ciate for innovation and benefit sharing.

• Public research & development institutionsneed to be refocused to facilitate agro-biodiver-


Seeds of the future: When will they switch ON? By Dr. Humberto Rios Labrada

Stewart Wells, Victor AlenisMoreno & Humberto RiosLabrada at Seeds for the

Future

Comparison of input use and results of pumpkin breedingstrategy in Havana. (Ríos, Soleri and Cleveland, 2001)

continued on page 10...

Since May of 2004, the National Farmers Union(NFU) has been concerned about calls to radi-cally change and privatize the Canadianfood supply system. These proposedinitial changes concentrated on“criminalizing” age-old farming andgardening practices of storing seed,cleaning seed, re-using seed etc.These practices would then bepartially “decriminalized” byallowing farmers to be “exempted”from some of the restrictions. Inshort, the seed companies wouldbe granted the exclusive rights toall of the above practices, whilesome limited exemptions could begranted. This turns our food supply sys-tem on its head.

Later on, in November of 2004, the NFU receiveddocumentation showing that the Canadian gov-ernment wants to end the public’s role in plantvariety development, applied agronomy research,

and animal production research. SomeCanadian media picked up on the issue, but in

general, other farm organizations and com-mentators took the position that the NFU

was overstating the case.

At the recent COABC meeting, I out-lined the evidence that was mount-ing—the Canadian government waspreparing to withdraw from publicresearch and at the same timepreparing new Plant Breeders’Rights (PBR) legislation in order to

restrict farmers and reward seedcompanies. Unknown to me at the

time was the fact that one day beforethe COABC meeting started, the govern-

ment of Canada had already started to move.

On Thursday, February 24th, the Canadiangovernment announced the closure of 4 facili-ties: the Atlantic Cool Climate Crop ResearchCentre in Newfoundland, the Agriculture


Update on Plant Breeders’ Rights by Stewart Wells

Changesto Canadian

food legislationcriminalize farmers

and destroypublicly funded

research

sity and enhance local stakeholders participa-tion in policy decision making.

• It is important to reach a better understand-ing of local seed systems as “development cells”for national and international developments.

• It is extremely important to build up a criticalmass of practitioners promoting descentralisa-tion, participation and organic alternatives.

• Institutionalisation: so that participation anddecentralization becomes regularly and contin-uously repeated, maintained by incentives andrewards, for major significance on nationalagriculture policies.

Have small farmers enough enterpreneurialcapacity to produce healthy food, with reason-able yields, with reasonable energy consump-tion? The short answer is, Yes! When the farmsbecome the research lab, the cost of innovationand technology transference is lower, and thereis building of capacity by enhancing small andmedium enterprise. Small farmers can do!

Thus the Cuban experience in low input agri-culture will likely have relevance elsewhere inthe future. It is not just a response to a socioe-conomic crisis but a real developmentoption.

...continued from page 9

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The Annual General Meeting was held in con-junction with the Seeds for the Future confer-ence in Sidney, BC, on February 27, 2005, withall members represented except for the Bio-Dynamic Agriculture Society.

The minutes are available from the COABCoffice. Three issues generated considerableinterest:

Standards Review Committee

ChangesAfter some discussion, it was agreed that eachCB shall have the right to appoint a member tothe Standards Review Committee, which willotherwise be appointed by the Board ofDirectors from among their number, COABClicensees, or members of the public. It wasunderstood that the SRC will use expert advi-sors when appropriate.

2005 AGM Makes Critical Decisions


COABC Executive:President: Deb FooteVice President: Sonia StairsTreasurer: Hermann BrunsDirector at Large: Hans Buchler

2. We do not want any changes to the currentPlant Breeders’ Rights legislation.

These messages need to be sent to the Ministerof Agriculture, the Canadian Food InspectionAgency, the Prime Minister of Canada, and yourlocal M.P.

Canada Research Station in Nappan, the CerealResearch Centre in Winnipeg, the AgricultureCanada Research Centre in Kapuskasing.

The facility closures were accompanied by theusual claims that research scientists would notbe lost and that research would continue.Whether or not these claims are true remainsto be seen.

It is clear however, that the federal governmentis seriously considering the changes to the foodsupply system. No one can deny that the issuesare upon us, and we need everyone to maketheir views known to the political establish-ment. There are two key messages to deliver:

1. We do not want our publicly funded researchestablishment to be destroyed. It needs to bemaintained and enhanced.

Risk Assessment & CertificationThe Risk Assessment Proposal was passed withone negative vote. The following language willbe incorporated into Book 1:

Certification Bodies may alter inspection fre-quency to a minimum of one inspection inthree years according to the following criteria:

• Enterprise must not be exporting organicproduct out of BC

• Enterprise must not practice parallel produc-tion

• Enterprise must not have outstanding condi-tions

• Enterprise must have received a valid organiccertificate in all of the previous three years

• The enterprise must be assessed for risk, andreceive a low-risk ranking from a certificationcommittee

Certification Bodies that allow for reducedinspection requirements must develop a RiskAssessment Program. This program must bedocumented and it must be provided to allorganic operators in the certification program -CBs cannot limit application to the program to


classes of producers or methods of production.The COABC Accreditation Board must providewritten approval of Risk Assessment Programsbefore implementation.

CBs that choose to implement a RiskAssessment Program will comply with the fol-lowing criteria:

• VOs will be provided with a risk assessmentchecklist and will verify the risk of non-com-pliance with the BC Certified OrganicProgram by the enterprise whether byintent, by neighbouring activity, orby neglect

• Risk assessment checklistswill be comprehensive and willinclude all areas of possiblerisk including:

• contamination or commin-gling of organic product

• contamination of site

• mislabelling

• fraud

• any other major or minor non-compli-ance with the BC Certified Organic Program

• CBs will provide certification committeeswith guidelines to enable them to rankenterprises according to risk and to deter-mine which low-risk enterprises qualify forreduced inspection requirements. CBs willensure that enterprises that do not qualifyreceive a statement indicating why they donot qualify.

• Certification Bodies will keep records of allenterprises enrolled in risk assessment pro-

grams and will arrange for yearly randomand unannounced inspections of at least 5%of all such enterprises. Such inspectionswill include a risk analysis.

• The CB may decide to undertake extrainspections of enterprises that are deter-mined to be high-risk.

Proposed Changes to Plant

Breeders Rights

COABC endorses the Canadian OrganicGrowers’ response to the Seed Sector review

and proposed amendments to the PlantBreeders Rights legislation. Following is

an excerpt from that position state-ment:

Definitions:The definition of a breeder would bemodified to state “any person whooriginates, or discovers and devel-ops, the plant variety”. COG thinks

that this change is a slight improve-ment on previous wording. Without

qualification the word ‘discover’ effec-tively allows for the pirating of genetic

material developed by farmers over generationswithout any effort on the part of the breeder.While pirating of genetic material can and doesstill occur, with the new definition at least somework has to be done before the breeder mightbe recognized as such.

Scope of PBR: COG does not believe rights should be extendedto harvested material or to products of harvest-ed material. Providing more money in the wayof royalties to the companies currently domi-


Pacific Agricultural Certification Society3402 32nd Ave. Vernon BC V1T 2N1

Tel: 250-558-7927 Fax: 250-558.7947email: [email protected]

www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/CA/pacs_list.asp

ProfessionalA c c re d i t e dCertification

Services

COABCendorses

COG’s positionon Plant

Breeders RightsLegislation


nating the seed market will not help addressthe issues of concern for farmers and particu-larly organic farmers (e.g. the traditional prac-tice of saving and exchanging seeds, the abilityto adapt varieties for local conditions, etc.).Canadian farms are in severe financial stress.Extra seed costs will not help and will forcemore farmers off the land. Money needs to bekept in the agricultural system at farm leveland not siphoned off for corporate interests.

Exceptions to the Breeder’s Right (Including Farmer’sPrivilege):COG strongly believes that what is beingreferred to as farmer’s privilege should bemaintained and that it should not be limited tocertain crops. Furthermore we believe it is thefarmer’s right to save seed. We believe loss ofthe farmer’s privilege would give too much con-trol to breeders and companies who do nothave interest in the common good or in devel-oping a sustainable system of agriculture. Itwould also prevent farmers being able to partic-ipate in solutions.

The International Treaty for Plant GeneticResources for Food and Agriculture came intoeffect as of June 2004; it was signed and rati-fied by Canada 10/06/2002. This treaty recog-nizes the contribution of farmers to the conser-vation and development of genetic resources.This is the basis for Farmer’s Rights. It is notintellectual property rights; it is recognition of

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the collective innovation of farmers on whichagriculture is based. This treaty protects farm-ers traditional knowledge granting them theright to participate fully in benefit sharing(including monetary benefits) and in nationaldecision making about plant genetic resources.PBR legislation which seeks to further erodefarmers’ rights would seem to be in direct con-tradiction to the provisions of this treaty.

Duration of the Breeders Right: COG believes it is not in the public interest toextend rights further and would prefer to seethem cut back to five years.

Annulment & revocation of rightsIt is proposed that a right may be annulled orrevoked if the variety was not uniform or stableor if it was granted to a person not entitled toit. Similarly rights may be revoked if the varietyis no longer stable. Any amendment which pro-vides additional circumstances when rightsmay be annulled or revoked is an improve-ment on the current situation.

The 2005 Board of Directors:

BCARA: Les Bohna, Alternate: TBA

BIO-D: TBA

BOPA: Sonia Stairs, A: TBA

FVOPA: Harvie Snow A: Annie Moss/Nancy Korva

IOPA: Ron Pither, A: Peter Johnston

KOGS: Jeremy Lack, A: Patrick Mallet

LEOGA: Sarah Erickson, A: TBA

NOOA: Hermann Bruns, A: Bob McCoubrey

PACS: Tony Cetinski, Gord Forbes, Deb Foote, #4TBA A: Tim Ewert, Marla Limousin

SOOPA: Hans Buchler, A: TBA

STOPA: Dieter Dudy A: TBA


Organic inspectors or Verification Officers (VOs)visit farms and processors (certified members)and write an inspection report for the certifica-tion committee (certifier) to use to help decideon yearly status. Under ISO 65, VOs are notsupposed to make the certification decisions,nor are they supposed to offer advice or con-sulting services to thecertified members theyvisit. We are also notsupposed to take giftseven though they are reg-ularly offered, people arevery generous and proudof what they produce!

VOs can explain the cer-tification standards sopeople have a betterunderstanding of what isexpected of them. Thisarticle will examine whatVOs look for during theinspection visit.

The ‘you’ of the title is from the motto of aninternational inspector training organization. Itturns out there are several different ‘you’s,including the certifier, the certified member andconsumers. The different expectations aboutcertification affects what VOs look for.

Certifiers have different needs, depending onwhether they are local, provincial or interna-tional. All of them agree on the basics: verifythe information in the application; describewhat was done to meet conditions from the pre-vious year; examine documents for the audittrail and review concerns and noncomplianceissues at the end of the inspection.

VOs try to meet certifier expectations by identi-fying critical organic control points and high-lighting them in reports. If the VO does notmention an area of concern, the certifier maynot know this critical organic control point, orsource of risk, exists. VOs try to write clear,concise reports about complicated files. Goodcommunication between certifiers and VOs isessential.

Certified members have varying expectations.New members need explanations, have lots ofquestions and can take longer for inspectionvisits. People who have been certified for yearsexpect the process to be quick, with no surpris-es and not cost very much. If these expecta-tions are not met, it can lead to ‘ creative ten-

sion ‘. A VO shouldfocus on doing theirjobs, i.e. verify thatStandards are beingmet and record theirobservations. Certifiedmembers can help byproviding the informa-tion to speed up theinspection visit.

VOs are looking for thedetails of each opera-tion to ensure internalconsistency betweenwhat is written or spo-ken and what is being

observed. Standards describe what is Requirede.g. practices which maintain or improve soilhealth, and what is Prohibited e.g. use ofpetroleum based herbicides. VOs need to lookat both these areas despite the difficulty inassessing whether soil health is improving, asrequired by standards.

VOs can use crop yields, pests and how the soillooks as a rough guide to the biological pro-cesses on the farm. Research from local regionscan help, for example the Spring 2004 issue ofthe BC Organic Grower had two articles on soil

You Expect It, We Inspect It by Robert Dixon

Rochelle Eisen inspects winter cold frames in Whitehorse.

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GMO and other contamination increases? Weall believe it will.

Some things the VO assesses are :

1. have risk issues been disclosed that createmore work? if so, chances are the personbelieves in the process

2. can accurate records be produced for anaudit trail?

3. are critical organic control points identifiedand actions taken to reduce the risk?

4. what people say about future plans for theiroperation.

What VOs really look for during the inspectionis whether the farmer or processor is going togo out of their way to maintain the organicintegrity of their soil, crop or food product. Dothey understand what is required and can theymeet these requirements? The answers willdetermine whether the organic integrity of thecrop or food product will be maintained onbehalf of the consumer.


health assessments. This research, conductedon the long time certified organic growers of theSimilkameen, indicated further research intomanaging & monitoring biological processes ofsoil are needed in BC.

Consumers: The purpose of the inspection is toverify Standards are being met but the VO alsothinks about what the consumer expects fromorganic food. Studies from around the worldshow the same set of values driving the sales ofcertified organic foods in all countries. Theseconcerns are that food be pesticide free; havehigher nutritional content; taste good; and befree of genetically modified organisms. VOs maynot directly look for evidence to see if theseconsumer expectations are being met, but thecertification standards are designed to promotethese biological factors on a healthy farm orprocessor and to reduce the risk of contamina-tion from prohibited materials. Currentresearch is beginning to show that consumerexpectations are being met by the certificationprocess. Will certification continue to meet con-sumer expectations in the future as the risk of

In-Season Farms Ltd.At In-Season Farms, organic integrity and quality are the factors driving our

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Abbotsford B.C.

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In response to the ongoing conflictsbetween specialty producers and themarketing boards, the BC Ministry ofAgriculture, Food, and Fisheries(BCMAFF) commissioned a study inNov/Dec. 2004 to develop recommen-dations to better integrate specialtyproduction in the supply managedsectors in B.C. BC AgricultureMinister John Van Dongen met withkey members of the organic commu-nity in January 2005 to present theproposed changes to the supply man-agement system. The Minister statedthat he was fully committed to theinitiative and that changes will be implementedaccording to the recommendations presented inthe LeRoux Report.

Summary of Recommendations:

• Small producer exemption levels should beincreased – The levels still have to be deter-mined but it is hoped that for eggs it will be500 (rather than 99) and for broilers possibly2000.

• All classes of production from small-scale/back yard to mainstream production ofmilk, eggs, chicken, turkey and broiler hatchingeggs, should be regulated. All producers are tobe registered with the boards, irregardless offlock/herd size (including producers who arewithin exemption limits).

• Specialty product definitions should reflectunique product attributes with substantivefarm level differentiation, 3rd party certifica-tion, and identity preservation through to theconsumer. As far as “organic” is concerned,products would meet the criteria if farms arecertified by an agency accredited by COABC orone that has national accreditation.

• A phased permit system should be developedto foster innovation and to progressivelyadvance specialty producers to become holdersof specialty quota. Producers seeking to pro-duce specialty products at levels greater than

the exemption limitsshould initially establishtheir operations underpermit. A permit systemwill allow for start upswithout the need to holdquota. All existing produc-ers would be issued per-mit for their productionlevels as of January 1,2005.

• A separate class ofquota should be availablefor specialty production

and should only be transferable within thesame class (thus “organic” quota will only beused for organic production).

• Allocation procedures should ensure fairtreatment of both specialty and mainstreamproducers, and Board allocation decisionsshould require prior approval of the FIRB (FarmIndustry Review Board). Permit and quota allo-cations should be based on demonstratedgrowth in each product class.

• Levies should reflect services provided. Thereshould be no extra fees for specialty permits orquota that are not service-based. (eg. “quotalease fees” do not provide a service)

• Specialty producers should have Board repre-sentation, and Specialty Product AdvisoryCommittees should be established. The systemwill be managed by the existing boards but theconcerns regarding appropriate allocations,conflict of interest and the need for greatertransparency were recognised; these concernswill be addressed in several ways.

• New entrant programs should be revised toinclude clear financial commitment and permitissuance criteria, and incentive amounts issuedshould be non-transferable.

• New entrant programs should be funded, inpart, by a minimum 5% assessment on alltransfers of quota.


Marketing Boards Must Accomodate Organicsby Gunta Vitins

Gunta Vitins is presented the Founders’Award for 2005

Timelines

The implementation time line is very short —FIRB is to review and approve each Board’sdraft orders by March 31, and the programsare to be implemented by June 30, 2005.

The LeRoux Report is available on the COABCwebsite in the “What’s New” section.http://licensees.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/WhatsNew/SupplyMgmtReport.html.

COABC Implementation Team

The COABC has assembled a team to ensurethat the organic sector is represented and inte-grally involved in the entire process.

COABC Implementation Team Chair: Brian Hughes - Tel: 250-655-3093

email: [email protected]

Implementation Team Members: Brad Reid - Tel: 604-856-5050


Ric Llewellyn - Tel: 250-442-8683 email: [email protected]

Paddy Doherty - Tel: 250-747-3287 email: [email protected]

Everyone in the BC organic sector will have anopportunity to provide input and to representtheir individual concerns – preferably in writ-ing, so that their information is complete andclearly understood.

FIRB Contact Information:

George LeRoux: Tel: 250-629-3734Fax: 250-629-3732; email: [email protected]

Kathleen Gibson: Tel: 250-598-4280Fax: 250-598-4288, email: [email protected]

Brenda Coutts: Tel: 250-356-2465Fax: 250-356-5131; email: [email protected]

For more information, please contact BrianHughes, COABC Team Chair.


Pacific Natural is a cold processed, enzymatically digested fresh fish fertilizer produced fromthe pacific dogfish at our plant in Delta, B.C. When applied to the soil, PN performs as anatural bio-stimulant, with the enzymes biologically unlocking nutrients contained in the soil.Because the natural oils and collagens have not been removed, our fertilizer does not leechout into the local water table, but remains in the soil providing a time-release effect. Inaddition to being a root-feeder, PN is suitable as a foliar spray and compost starter.

PN is completely natural, other than the addition of 3% phosphoric acid needed for pHstabilization. For application, it is mixed with water at a ratio of at least 10 parts waterto 1 part PN in order to bring the pH level to neutral to initiate bio-activity. PN has beenfiltered through an 80-mesh screen and can be applied through conventional methodsincluding aerial spraying and underground drip systems.

Application rate: 5-10 gallons of undiluted PN per acre (diluted at least 10:1, 3 times per year)

Pacific Natural is a cold processed, enzymatically digested fresh fish fertilizer produced fromthe pacific dogfish at our plant in Delta, B.C. When applied to the soil, PN performs as anatural bio-stimulant, with the enzymes biologically unlocking nutrients contained in the soil.Because the natural oils and collagens have not been removed, our fertilizer does not leechout into the local water table, but remains in the soil providing a time-release effect. Inaddition to being a root-feeder, PN is suitable as a foliar spray and compost starter.

PN is completely natural, other than the addition of 3% phosphoric acid needed for pHstabilization. For application, it is mixed with water at a ratio of at least 10 parts waterto 1 part PN in order to bring the pH level to neutral to initiate bio-activity. PN has beenfiltered through an 80-mesh screen and can be applied through conventional methodsincluding aerial spraying and underground drip systems.

Application rate: 5-10 gallons of undiluted PN per acre (diluted at least 10:1, 3 times per year)

To place an order or for further information, please contact Michael Renwick – Great Pacific BioProducts Ltd.Phone: 604-952-4333 Fax: 604-952-4334 Email: [email protected]

PACIFIC NATURAL BRAND

excerpts from an article by Dr. Michael C. Morrisin Organic NZ, published by the Soil&HealthAssociation of New Zealand, www.organicnz.org

Beak trimmingAmputation of part of the beak(euphemistically described as beak trim-ming) is performed to reduce featherpecking and cannibalism. Studies onperipheral nerve activity suggest that partialbeak amputation is extremely painful. Thebeak of hens is a complex sensory organ, witha rich supply of pain receptors. In addition,bundles of nerve fibres (neurotomata) form onthe stump. Discharges from these fibres indi-cate that the pain from the stump is long last-ing and intense. Similar chronic pain has beenreported in human amputees.

The presence of chronic pain is backed up bybehavioural studies on adult hens which show


that hens avoid non-essential use of their beakfor six weeks after amputation. Dozing and gen-

eral inactivity can last up to 252 days.Beak-trimmed birds spent less time

scratching and dust bathing.These and other behavioural dif-ferences in hen behaviourprompted some scientists toconclude that there was a “pos-

sibility of depression resultingfrom a chronically painful condi-

tion”.

Nor is there any evidence to back up the claimthat there is little or no pain involved if beaktrimming is done early in the life of the chick.What little evidence is available in fact confirmsthat chicks avoid using their beaks for twoweeks after the operation. The only evidencethat beak trimming is less detrimental at anearlier age relates to production efficiency; hensdebeaked at an early age laid more and heaviereggs. However, a conclusion that younger ani-mals do not suffer pain when beak trimmedcannot be made on productivity alone.Neurophysiological, anatomical or behaviouraldata are required to back up the findings, andthe limited behavioural data available backs upthe common sense notion that young hens feelpain.

Feather peckingHens under natural conditions spend almosthalf their time pecking and foraging. If opportu-nities to forage are not available, then henshave been found to “misdirect” this behaviourinto feather pecking. However, if foraging sub-strate or enrichment objects are made availablefor chickens to peck at, feather pecking andaggression is reduced, even if hens are kept incages.

Simple enrichment of hens’ living conditionsalso drastically reduced feather pecking. In astudy on 3000 battery chickens, it was foundthat the provision of one simple enrichmentdevice (a babies’ toy) in the cages reducedaggression by giving the hens something topeck at. Violent pecking was reduced to such

Chicken Welfare by Dr. Michael C. Morris

chickensare motivated

by pleasure

an extent that the monthly mortality ratedeclined from 1.06% to 0.57% of birds.

“Willingness to work” experiments - evi-dence for the emotion of pleasure

Behavioural scientistsoften use consumerdemand theory to deter-mine preference. The pref-erence of human subjectsfor different outcomes canbe measured quantitativelyby their willingness to payfor such outcomes, eitherin monetary terms or insome other measurablecommodity. Since hens aregenerally strapped forcash, experimentersinstead measure howmuch a hen is prepared towork for an outcome.

When such experiments are performed, it isfound that hens often go to considerablelengths, lifting heavy weights, walking throughair blasts, and pushing open swing doors togain dust baths, nest boxes, and enough spaceto spread their wings. Interestingly, hens willwrok hard for a dust bath even if they havealready taken one. This suggests that chickensare motivated not simply by an instinct toobtain something that has survival value (forexample by ridding the chicken of parasites),but that they also have an anticipation ofsomething pleasurable.

Such experiments show that hens are unsatis-fied with the limited behavioural opportunities


afforded by battery cages, and are prepared towork hard to ameliorate their condition.Further studies on hen behaviour providestrong evidence that if hens are unable to bet-ter their environment and display normal pat-

terns of behaviour, they showdestructive or aggressive behavioursimilar to that shown by humans insimilar situations.

It is accepted that physical pain canbe measured indirectly throughbehavioural and physiological indi-cators. Surely the presence of psy-chological suffering can be mea-sured in the same manner. Animalwelfare scientists have concludedthat abnormal or “stereotype”behaviour in animals gives an accu-rate indication of frustration, sincethe same behaviour is found in men-tally disturbed humans, and have

even suggested that the presence of stereotypi-cal behaviour is a sign that animals arebeing driven insane.

Certified Organic Composts for saleLangley, BC

Available on farm by appointment or delivered

Organic Chicken CompostOrganic Chicken and Pig CompostCustom Top Soil available

• bulk loads 30 yard or more $19.99 per yard + trucking• pick up from farm 24.99 per yard loaded• 2 yard load delivered in the lower mainland placedanywhere on your yard. $200.00

Also available for retail sales:Thomas Reid Farms certified organic chickenOlera Farms certified organic raspberries IQF Donnachaidh certified organic pork

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Dorking Hen. Photo: Maria Castro

In the very near future there will be a CanadianOrganic Brand Names List on the COABCWebsite. This will be a list of products – inputsyou purchase – by brand name that can beused by certified organic growers, processorsand handlers. As most of you are aware, theOMRI list and process provides a very valuableservice in evaluating products to see if theymeet organic standards. As OMRI members,this information is available to us. However,there are many products on that list that arenot registered and/or available in Canada. Aprocess to separate those out and to alsoinclude non-OMRI products allowed for organicprocessing and production in British Columbiais now underway.

What are the criteria for an allowed input?

1. All of the contents must be on the generic materialslist as allowed or regulated.


The generic material (e.g. calcium chloride,microbial products, sawdust) must be on theCOABC Materials List as an allowed or regulat-ed material. The Materials List is in BOOK 2 ofthe Certified Organic Management Standards,Version 5. If you do not have a current copy,check the website copy. Always look to see ifthere are any restrictions on their use. Forexample “sawdust and wood chips” are allowedfor weed control or as a fertilizer. However theannotation says that they must not come fromtreated or painted wood.

2. The particular brand or input containing the genericmaterial must be allowed.If the generic material is combined with otherproducts, you must make sure the specific prod-uct or brand you want to use is also approved.For example, Bacillus thuringensis (Bt) is amicrobial product and microbial products are onthe generic Crops Materials List and are allowed.However, you cannot go and buy Bt. It is avail-able in a number of forms, combined with othermaterials (carriers, adjuvants etc) to make theproduct you actually use. These added materialsmust also be approved. For example, one compa-ny formulates(combines) Bt with carriers andadjuvants that are acceptable for organic grow-ers. This is the product with the brand nameDipel. Another company combines it with prod-ucts which are prohibited for use in organicsand therefore Foray (the brand name) cannot beused.

A Canadian Version of the Brand Names Listby Linda Edwards

Still not on the Canadian Brand Names List. Really.


3. If a manufacturing process is involved, it must also beacceptable for organics.The product you purchase must also be manu-factured or formulated in a way acceptable fororganics. For example, calcium chloride prod-ucts that use sulphuric acid in the manufac-turing are not allowed. Those that use steamdistillation are.

So how do you know the answers to #2and 3?

Although we can look up generic materials onthe COABC list, we do not have the expertise todetermine if a product meets the criteria notedin #’s 2 and 3. To assist us with this, COABCand its members belong to the Organic MaterialReview Institute (OMRI). This is a non-profitorganization based in Eugene, Oregon. Theyhave panels of experts they can call on to deter-mine if all of the materials in a product and/orthe manufacturing process used to productproducts are acceptable for organics.

So why can’t we just check everythingout on that list?

COABC members/Canadians cannot use every-thing that is on the OMRI list because they maybe registered and available for use in the USbut not in Canada. The following is an explana-tion of how this works. Pesticides, animalhealth care products and some fertilizers areparticularly affected by extra Canadian rules.Most processing aids do not need to be regis-tered. We will determine and list the ones thatare OMRI approved and available in Canada.

Pesticides allowed for organic use in Canada Pesticides are anything used for the control ofdisease, insects and mites, birds, rodents andweeds. There are many products approved byOMRI which cannot be used in Canada becausethey are not registered here. If they are not,their use is illegal. This applies to everyone.Also, 1.2.6 Book 2, the BC Certified OrganicProduction Policies and Management Standardsstates “COABC requires as a condition of mem-bership that its members and any licenseesenrolled in the certification program adhere toall provincial, federal and municipal laws andregulations and standards affecting the agricul-tural industry”.

This registration is done by the PestManagement Regulatory Agency which func-tions under the Canadian federal HealthDepartment. Pesticides not registered inCanada are not available for sale here as such.Sometimes though a product may be availablefor another purpose. For example, potassiumbicarbonate is for sale in Canada as a fertilizer.In the US and as is listed in OMRI it is also for-mulated as a fungicide for powdery mildewcalled Kaligren. Use of potassium bicarbonateas a fungicide in Canada is illegal.

Also, even when a product is registered for usein Canada and is OMRI approved, it can onlybe used for the crops and the specific problemslisted on what is called the label. This is theinformation on the container and/or accompa-nying it. For example, Dipel 2X is registered fortree fruits, vegetables etc. but not for grapes.Therefore it cannot be legally used on grapes.Also, a product might be registered for one peston a crop but not another. In this case it can-

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not be legally used for the latter. Informationwill be given on the website where you can findout these kind of things. If you would like to geta product registered for your particular crop orpest see the summer issue of the BCOG 2004,Volume 7 #2.

Livestock products allowed for organic use inCanadaAnimal health products must be approved bythe Bureau of Veterinary Drugs section of theCFIA. Those that are have a drug identificationnumbers (DIN). There are quite a few suchproducts but only those approved by OMRI aswell can be used without further investigation.

Livestock mineral and/or vitamin supplementsneed to be registered and would then carry aregistration number. Livestock feeds that meetcertain nutritional standards do not need regis-tration but are regulated through labelling.

FertilizersThe Canadian Fertilizers Act and Regs divideproducts into two broad categories: 1)Fertilizers and 2) Supplements. Fertilizers arethose products that provide nutrition to plants.About 99% of fertilizers do not need registra-tion. They are regulated through labelling.However there are some fertilizers that requireregistration e.g. micronutrient fertilizers. TheCanadian Brand Names list will list all OMRIapproved fertilizers of all kinds which are alsoregistered and available in Canada.

Supplements are those products that providebenefits to plants and/or the soil but not fromnutrition. Examples are legume inoculants,microbial supplements, fulvic and humic acids,wetting agents, rooting hormone or any productthat makes claims that are not nutrition based.

Most supplements are required to be registered,which means they are reviewed for safety (envi-ronment and food chain) and for efficacy.


Rough-cut�cedar�for�fences,�decks,�sidingRough�cut�fir,�larch�and�pine

Beautiful�fir�and�larch�flooringCedar�and�pine�paneling�

Custom�orders�on�beams�and�postsOur�wood�is�tight�grain�and�sound�tight�knot

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What about products available in Canadawhich are not on the OMRI list?

Do not panic if the products you use are not inthis directory. Remember it is a voluntary pro-cess for a company to apply to have their prod-uct assessed and there are some that have notapplied for OMRI approval. This does not neces-sarily mean it is not a product that could beused in organics. Urge companies with productsyou want to use to apply to OMRI for assess-ment. All information is treated confidentiallyand all that is made public is whether or not theproduct is acceptable. The process is not veryexpensive and most companies more than makeit back on increased sales. Consumers of non-reviewed products must satisfy themselves thatall the ingredients including the adjuvants, fillersor carriers, (which often are not identified on thelabels), and the manufacturing process meetorganic standards. There will also be a numberof non-OMRI products on the Canadian BrandNames List. The list to be posted on the websitewill be in two parts. One section will list alpha-betically all of the products allowed for use byorganic processors and handlers in Canada. Itwill be noted which ones are OMRI approved andwhich ones are not. The other will be listed bycategories i.e. Fertilizers and Soil Amendments.Production Aids, Pesticides including weed con-trol, Livestock Products and Processing Products

Special warnings

If you are exporting to the UK or the US checkwith your certifying body about special restric-tions which may apply. For example, tree sealsincluding petroleum based ones, are allowed inCanada but not in the US.

Classifieds

FOR SALE: ORGANIC APPLE TREES, T-2, 2005.Cripps Pink, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia. $4.50 - $8.00each plus royalties. 250-496-5443 RichardBrungardt

ORGANICALLY GROWN SEED POTATOES-Russet, Chieftan, Yukon Gold, Shepady- $0.85/lb.Call Andy @ (250) 269-7595

ENTRUST for PotatoesOrganic potato producers have access to a limitednumber of options to control the populations ofColorado potato beetles in their crop. The bacterialinsecticide Novador has been a key product overrecent years but was being eliminated fromapproved organic input lists when this project wasundertaken. It was necessary to assess the efficacyof a replacement insecticide, Entrust.

In potato production in general but especially inorganic production, it is also important to under-stand potential interactions between N fertility,plant development, insect population dynamicswith their potential consequences for the use ofinsect control products.

A research project, undertaken in 2004 on a transi-tional organic site at AAFC Fredericton, had threeobjectives:

1. Compare the efficacy of a potential organicinsecticide (Entrust) to a bacterial insecticide(Novador) and to no insecticide,

2. Test the hypothesis that healthy, vigorous (wellfertilized) plants have a better tolerance of insectpests such as the CPB;

3. Compare the effect of three levels (0, 150, 300kg total N ha-1) of organic fertilization (Nutriwave4-1-2, Envirem Tecnologies, Fredericton, NB) onpotato yield and plant biomass.

The high rate of organic fertilizer was required toproduce significant marketable yields.

The efficacy of the insecticide Entrust at controllinga low density population of Colorado potato beetlein an organic production setting was shown to besimilar to or better than Novador. It was possible toproduce three levels of potato crop/plant health(measured as plant height and plant canopy) bymanipulating fertilization levels.

The hypothesis that healthy, vigorous plants have agreater tolerance to insect pests such as theColorado potato beetle was not fully assessedbecause of the unusually late colonization and verylow beetle density. Insect control treatment (Entrustapplied at 1.5 oz/acre and Novador at 6 L/ha) werenot required until July 20th. However, data fromweekly counts (taken from June 29th – August 21st)of abundance of CPB adults, egg masses, and larvaesuggested that plant health affects the timing ofthe different potato beetle life stages and thereforethe timing for the application of the insect controlmeasures.


Agricultural Awareness - Okanagan Style by Bob McCoubrey

WJ Boughen & SonsFruit and Specimen Trees

www.boskywoods.com/wjboughen/6764 - 224th St. Langley B.C. Canada

Phone (604) 888-1284Fax (604) 888-1890


Many BC farmers have beencalling for activities thatpromote agricultural aware-ness among the non-farmcommunity, especially sincethe BC Agricultural Councilrecently announced theshelving of its high profileAg-Aware program.

Kelowna-based UrbanHarvest Organic Deliveryhas been creating agricul-tural awareness by takingits customers to the farm inan effort to let them learnwhere their food comes fromand how it is produced.Partners in business and inlife, Lisa McIntosh andDavid Nelson establishedUrban Harvest in 2000, withthe credo “Farm freshorganic produce right toyour door.” This past sum-mer, they began organizingfarm tours for their cus-tomers on some of thefarms that supply theircompany with produce.

“The purpose of the farm tours was to celebratelocal organic food, farming, and farmers”, saidLisa. “Specifically, we invited our customers to:

1) come together to celebrate the bounty ofFOOD produced in our region,

2) learn first-hand aboutorganic FARMING practicesand gain a deeper under-standing of the certifiedorganic approach to sustain-able agriculture; and

3) engage with some of theorganic farmers in our areaand ‘put a face to the food’that arrives on theirdoorsteps each week!”

On a sunny Sunday lastSeptember, ten UrbanHarvest families gathered atMcCoubrey Farms in LakeCountry to learn aboutgrowing pears, apples andother tree fruits, to explorethe details of organic certifi-cation and to get a feelingfor some of the challengesand rewards that face farm-ers in BC. Pears fromMcCoubrey Farms areamong the regular offeringsin Urban Harvest boxes thatare delivered weekly or bi-

weekly, year round, throughout the CentralOkanagan.

At the farm tour, Lisa and her staff organizedcreative activities for the kids, challenging themto make edible art from pears and other fooditems, while their parents enjoyed organic cof-fee, tea and desserts that tour participantsbrought along to share.

I led a tour of the farm, discussing everythingfrom organic standards, to pest control, soilstewardship and modern tree training prac-tices. Those on the tour were fascinated by thediversity of issues and by the intricacies ofsome of the plant and pest “systems” whichfarmers have to understand and manage.

Melanie Bachmann of Kelowna thought themost memorable part of the tour was thedescription of the planting and precautions

Melanie Bachmann with her daughter Amelie,checking out a new apple tree recently grafted to

Northern Spy.


taken against pests. When asked if she wouldrecommend this type of tour to a friend, shesaid, “Yes, it is something everyone should takein to learn more about our food supplyand appreciate why organic foods aresometimes not “perfect” and a littlemore expensive than non-organic,and how important the process isfor our health and the health ofour planet.”

Ten year-old Nicholas Denton said“how cool it was to learn how pearswere grown. The best part of the tourwas when I found an apple on theground that had a lot of very little ants init. They were climbing out of a hole where thestem was and I was surprised how many ofthem were in there. Mr. McCoubrey said somethings that made me realize that organic farm-ers use methods that confuse bugs and makesit so they won’t go inside the fruit”.

His eight year-old brother Craig commented,“The orchard was a fun-filled place and I think

my friends would like it. Organic foods arehealthy and don’t poison the environment andthat is why I like them. They taste better.”

“As for me”, the boys’ mother Susan said, “Iwent on the tour for the primary reasonto provide an opportunity for our boys tolearn more about how fruit is produced.I didn’t realize how much I would getout of the tour. It is so satisfying to getour bin from Urban Harvest and seefruit in there and know where it came

from. I can’t bite into a pear now with-out thinking about how much care and

attention (and pride) goes into growing it.”

For my part, I found the day to be rewarding asI spent the afternoon doing what most farmersdon’t get to do very often - talk face-to-face withmy final customers. I hope they went homefeeling they could trust me and the methods Iuse to grow the pears they are eating each


It’scool to learn

how pears aregrown!

I think myfriends would

like it.

On Tuesday, March 2, CFIA’s Joe Southall,Mike Leclair, and Vivienne Laxdal together withAFC’s Tracey Innes visited the COABC office tomeet with COABC, PACS and NOOA staff andlocal growers. They were there to answer ques-tions and listen to concerns about Canada’snew National Organic Regulation and Standard.CFIA is poised to govern a National Regulation,and are intent on seeing it in law by the end of2005.

The individual presently at the helm of all this,Joe Southall is determined to see this processthrough to the end, and stressed that he wantsand needs cooperation and commitment fromCanada’s Organic Community. Obviously a dif-ficult task, so gathering information from thesector is Phase I. Compiling the informationand assorted wish lists into a draft regulationand putting it out for comment will be Phase II.It seemed to those in attendance that the CFIAregards the BC program very highly, and


week. I think they went away with a betterunderstanding of how rewarding the businessof farming can be, and how challenging some ofthe problems can be. We discussed the SterileInsect Release program, the never-ending battlewith weeds and the delicate balance of pestsand predators, which we strive to maintainwhenever possible.

My wife Sharon and I are big fans of UrbanHarvest for a number of reasons. Besides beinga valued buyer of produce from the farm,Urban Harvest brings an ethical approach todoing business, with a stated goal of trying tohelp farmers to be successful. Lisa and Davidbuy local produce whenever possible and arecommitted to paying prices that are fair to boththeir business and the producer. In the winter,we subscribe to the box delivery program andare pleased to receive fresh, top quality, organicfruits and vegetables, conveniently delivered toour door for about the same cost as conven-tional produce at the supermarket. And to top

CFIA Visits BC by Kirsten Kane and Lee McFadyen

it off, the box contains a newsletter each week,filled with recipes and information on newtypes of produce, along with community activi-ties that Lisa thinks may be of interest to hercustomers.

As BC AgriTourism Association PresidentRichard Bullocktold a group offarm leaders lastyear,”There is nobetter way to pro-mote agriculturalawareness than toget people out tothe farm.” Withdistributors likeLisa and David onthe job, agricul-tural awarenesswill be a lot easierto promote for thefarmers who sup-ply their businesswith local organicproduce.


Bob McCoubrey on tour

strongly suggested that BC tell the CFIA “whatit wants”. During the meeting CFIA PolicyAnalyst Mike Leclair was intent on gatheringopinions and suggestions on technical mattersranging from transportation of goods to logoissues, and noted many comments with interestand enthusiasm.

The following day the team met with LEOGAmembers in Cawston. In answer to questions,the following statements were made:

Joe stated ‘categorically’ that all InternationalCB’s operating in Canada MUST have anoffice in Canada and all CB’s must meet theCanadian standard and regulation.

There needs to be a democratically electedNational body, (COABC is an excellentmodel) to operate the standard and regula-tion.

A regulation should have a National symbol.


Nature’s Path SupportsOrganic Farmers.

More organic farms, means more organic land, means more organic food.

live long, eat well.www.naturespath.com

The CFIA may issue a license to farmersthereby allowing us to operate our organicfarms. This might be issued by the COABC,a National body or...

The CFIA is concerned about consumer pro-tection and consumer confusion. By regulat-ing the word organic, the consumer would beprotected from the fraudulent use of ‘organ-ic’.

“Regulated’ means anyone who wants to applythe word organic to their farming/processingpractices MUST be certified by a recognizedCB. However, the standard/regulation wouldNOT cover personal care products. The con-fusion around the use of ‘organic’ on thelabel of these products would continue.

The CFIA will not have any more inspectors to‘police’ the program, consumers/farmers/others would need to be diligent in reportingany infractions.

Up to $390,000 has been spent on developingthe standard and regulation. This has beenpaid for by Ag. Canada. In future maintain-ing the standard/regulation will be user pay.Farmers exporting internationally willrequire the most service therefore will payaccordingly, exporting across Provincial bor-ders will require next level of service, nextpay level and those marketing within theirProvince require the least service, pay theleast.

Joe stated that the CFIA would need no morethan 6 people in an office in Ottawa to directthe program. LEOGA members expressedconcern about the tendency of bureaucraciesto expand escalating costs.

Joe expressed concern about irregularities inthe competence of VO's. He suggested athree month training course with a longerpracticum. LEOGA members expressed sat-isfaction of the VO's we have used. Wequestened the necessity of such training,and concern over what his suggested train-ing would do to VO costs. We also requesteda copy of the report which is being preparedfor the CFIA on inspector training.

Joe Southall will return to BC for consultationon phase II of the process, and at the very leastthere will be opportunity for input at a meetingin the Lower Mainland. They would like to havea similar consultation in the Central Okanagan,though this may not be possible to arrange.

Paddy Doherty is a member of the national taskforce working on the national organic regula-tion and reports regularly to the COABC andinterested parties. To get on his mailing list,email him at: [email protected]

The process around new Regulations regardingthe inspection of animals slaughtered for meatin BC flows inexorably on, while farmers andprocessors continue to grasp at overhangingbranches in a (possibly vain) attempt to avoidbeing swept over the waterfall.

One of those branches is called the Small ScaleMeat Committee (a voluntary group) connectedto BCMAFF’s Meat Industry EnhancementStrategy. The committee is working to developsome tools which may help small processorsdetermine what steps they would need to taketo fit within the new regulatory structure, with-out having to call on the CFIA to come andinspect their property. There is considerableinterest within the Ministry (and, we under-stand, also within the Ministry of Health) indeveloping viable models for what are beingcalled “micro” scale processing.

This is of particular concern to organic farmers,as in addition to the general issues for livestockproducers in regard to humane treatment ofanimals (including not trucking them very longdistances) and traceability of the meat, organicfarmers frequently have small numbers of ani-


mals which may not fit the “standard” andwould therefore not be appropriate for a regularabattoir even if it would take them.

The BC Food Systems Network is workingtogether with the Rare Breeds Association andthe Island Farmers Alliance to develop someproposals regarding both facilities and inspec-tion which will, they hope, enable theRegulation to meet its stated goals of healthymeat for the population and a healthy andviable agricultural sector. At present the regula-tions appear to be modelled on the healthrequirements for export-scale slaughterhouses.In addition, it requires that all animals must beinspected both before and after slaughter, any-where in the province. In both of these areasthe group are trying to find ways to base regu-lation on the safety inherent in locally-focused,hands-on, low-throughput operations.

The roar of the falls is already audible – the“adjustment period” ends in September 2006 –so if you have any suggestions or are willing towork on any of the issues, please contactCathleen Kneen, [email protected], phone250-675-4866.

Slaughterhouse Four (and counting) by Cathleen Kneen

26th March Grand Forks 1-4pm 27th March Nelson 1-4pm 29th March Vernon evening 12 March Lilloet 1-4pm Boundary Womens' Centre Location to be announced Location to be announced Lillooet Rec Centre

COABC has an agreement with the British Columbia Agriculture Council to be a delivery group for the Canada-British Columbia

Environmental Farm Plan Program. Brochures describing the program can be obtained from the COABC office.

For workshop or program information, call Elaine Spearing (250) 747-3237 e-mail: [email protected].

You think you are so good ‘cos you are organic, right?Take the EFP challenge – show your muster.Getting started is easier than you think. It's as simple asmaking a personal commitment to complete this self-assessment process. Three hundred questions soundslike a lot – but if you run a farm you can do anything!Making smart decisions about wildlife damage, fuelstorage, and irrigation may contribute to your farm’ssustainability. Completing a plan may significantlyreduce your environmental risk. And there’s moneyavailable, too.

C’mon. We’re organic... We‘re up for a challenge.So what do you need to do?

1. Attend an EFP workshop (or bribe your COABCEFP planners to supply you with the material!)

2. Complete the workbook (remember - be honest)

3. Then book a farm visit with your lovely organicEFP advisor so they can verify your score

300 +1 questions, can you answer yes to them all?

Prize for the highest number of yes answers to beawarded at the next AGM – this means you have tillDec 2005 to take up the challenge!


Petroleum may be the most polluting substanceused and stored on organic farms. Risks arenot limited to spills. Volatile organic com-pounds are released into the air frompetroleum products – in fact, many volatileorganic compounds and nitrous oxides aid inthe production of ground-level ozone, a knownrespiratory irritant and crop growth retardant.Volatile organic compounds can also contributeto the formation of fine particulate matter,causing health and visibilityconcerns.

So what can you do aboutthis?

• paint all fuel storage tanks alight colour,

• shade tanks (e.g. build a roof),

• Install pressure relief valve-type vent caps. These valvesallow tank pressure to build up slightly beforeemissions are released.

It is critically important to control all fuel spillsas even small amounts of petroleum can haveharmful effects. Not only is petroleum toxic tofish and other aquatic organisms, petroleumkills algae and other plankton, smothers fishspawning areas and hence reduces the rate ofphotosynthesis in aquatic plants.

For stationary fuel storage• Construct storage tank areas in accordance with

accepted engineering practice,

• Support tanks on non-combustible material (i.e.metal),

• Use self-closing nozzles or an anti-siphoningdevice,

• Ensure no drips, leaks or overflow occurs whenreceiving or dispensing fuel,

• Have spill containment to hold a single tank’s vol-ume plus 10%, or for multiple tanks, the largesttank’s volume plus 10%,

• Use bumper guards to protect tanks from directcollision by vehicles,

• Have a fuel spill clean-up kit readily available.

Locate tanks:• at least 30.5 metres away from wells (this is

required under the BC Health Act),

On-Farm Fuel Storage By Elaine Spearing

• a suggested distance of at least 15m from water-courses,

• a suggested distance of at least 30m from adomestic intake.

For jerry cans, drums and truck-box fuel tanks:• do not fill beyond their safe filling level,

• keep drums upright and secure during transport,

• avoid dispensing from horizontal drums,

• Have secondary containment for truck box fueltanks that are removed from the truck ortrailer and operated in a fixed location forany length of time.

To obtain a complete checklist and ref-erence guide on this and other topics,attend an EFP workshop.

The BC Environmental Farm PlanReference Guide can be viewed on theBCAC website at

http://www.bcac.bc.ca/efp_documents.htm

An old Jewish man lived alone in the country. Hewanted to dig his potato garden but it was very diffi-cult work as the ground was very hard. His only son,Saul, who used to help him, was in prison for InsiderTrading and Stock Fraud.

So, the old man wrote a letter to his son anddescribed his predicament:

"Dear Solly: I am feeling pretty bad because it lookslike I won't be able to plant my potato garden thisyear. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a gar-den plot. If you were here, all my troubles would beover. I know you would dig the plot for me. Love,Papa"

A few days later the old man received a letter fromhis son:

"Dear Papa: For heaven's sake, don't dig up that gar-den, that's where I buried the money & stocks. Love,Solly."

At 4 am the next morning, a team of FBI agents andlocal police arrived at the old man's house and dugup the entire garden area without finding any oneyor stocks. They apologized to the old man and left.That same day the old man received another letterfrom his son:

"Dear Papa: Go ahead and plant the potatoes now.That's the best I could do under the circumstances.Love, Solly”



indicate a significant risk to human healthdespite the implementation of other measures.

Farmers can do much to reduce mosquitobreeding habitats and protect themselves, theirfamilies and other animals (horses, cats, dogs)from WNv. Mosquitoes do not need a lot ofwater to breed. Emptying containers wherewater collects such as unused tires can do a lotto control mosquitoes. Mosquitoes also breed inirrigation ditches, stagnant ponds and inpooled water on fields. Certified OrganicManagement Standards (4.6.1c) permits theuse of biologic larvicides (e.g. Bti) in these envi-ronments. This bacterial product kills mosquitolarvae before they hatch and can be purchasedwithout a permit at hardware and gardeningstores.

The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) issoliciting the assistance of COABC in compilingan updated registry of organic farms in theprovince. The location of these farms will bemapped using a Geographic InformationSystem [GIS], and integrated with surveillanceand land use data. This information will assisthealth authorities in identifying areas whichareas are feasible for spraying to controlmosquito populations if the risk to humanhealth is deemed considerable to a community.Health authorities will attempt to avoid organicfarms as much as possible.

It is very important that you ensure that yourCertification Body has a listing of your farm’sactual location (not simply a mailing address orP.O. Box) for the registry, and that this infor-mation is forwarded to COABC. The BCCDChas also requested that we include any non-certified farms that we may know about in ourregions. That would include those people whoare enquiring about certification for 2005.

Sunny Mak may be contacted for further infor-mation at: Tel. [604] 775-1019 [email protected].

Further information on West Nile Virus can befound at:http://www.bccdc.org/content.php?item=183

This fall the COABC office was contacted bySunny Mak, Geographic Information SystemsAnalyst for Epidemiology Services, BC Centrefor Disease Control, regarding the protection oforganic farms from pesticide spraying for WestNile Virus [WNv].

West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne virus. Innature, it is normally passed betweenmosquitoes and birds. The usual way forhumans to get WNv is through the bite of aninfected mosquito. Most people infected willexperience no symptoms at all. About 20% ofthose infected with WNv will develop mild flu-like symptoms lasting a week or less.Symptoms typically include fever, headache,and body aches; a rash on the trunk of thebody and swollen lymph glands may also bepresent. In less than 1% of cases WNv cancause meningitis [inflammation of the lining ofthe brain and spinal cord], or encephalitis[inflammation of the brain]. People over 50years of age are most at risk for severe illness.

The virus has been spreading westward acrossNorth America. To date, WNv has been reportedfrom seven provinces in Canada, includingAlberta, and is expected to arrive in BC in2005. As part of the surveillance system in BCmore than 1300 dead birds [possible hosts forWNv] and more than 52,000 mosquitoes [WNvvectors] from across the province were tested in2004. There were no human cases of West Nilevirus, no infected birds and no infectedmosquitoes found. However, precautionarysteps are being taken by the BCCDC, shouldthere be an outbreak of human illness in BC in2005.

In addition to the surveillance activities, anintegrated pest [mosquito] management strate-gy is in operation: this hinges on environmentalmonitoring and reduction of mosquito breedingsites, with the application of larval mosquitocontrol agents if needed, as well as public com-munication and education about how to pre-vent mosquito bites. The approach taken willemphasize disease prevention and protection ofthe environment. Adult mosquito control willonly be considered should surveillance findings

West Nile virus by Arlene Soloman

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Documents

Vol. 8, No. 1 Spring 2005 · 2014. 12. 23. · Vol. 8, No. 1 Spring 2005 COABC, 3402 32nd Ave. Vernon BC V1T 2N1 President’s Message What does COABC do? Danger: Bill C-27 Seeds