Annual Presidents’ Report It has been another eventful year for Comox Valley agriculture. We’ve seen

floods, drought, fire, and army worm invasions that made farming challenging

both here and elsewhere on the island and BC. During the summer, we saw a

change in provincial government and are now starting to see some re-focusing

of government priorities in agricultural policies. How all of this will affect us in

the long term remains to be seen, but affect us it will. Your directors focused on

a few specific areas where our efforts and involvement could hopefully make a

difference, and we will touch on these in this report.

Two steps were taken to modernize our communications and public image.

First, we established a CVFI facebook page, open to all, to both share and seek

information as the users see fit. The page is monitored to ensure the communi-

cations posted are appropriate for the purposes intended. As well, we have

adopted a new logo for the institute so that we start to develop a public brand.

You will see the new logo prominently displayed in this newsletter. Please feel

free to post to our new facebook page and check it from time to time for new

information, etc.

Spring 2017 saw CVFI, through the efforts of Marc Vance, place a bulk fertilizer

order for institute members. This was a successful cost saving measure for

those who took part, and this year we have placed another bulk order. We will

review and decide later in 2018 whether we should continue with this service.

So far we have been unsuccessful in securing a supplier for a bulk lime pur-

chase.

Several of your directors remained active in the pursuit of a multi-purpose

building on the fair grounds. A new association, the Comox Valley Multiplex

Association, was formed in 2017 specifically to pursue the development of a

facility for the benefit of the entire Comox Valley community.

CONTINUED ON PG 2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

So I tested my hay, but what do all those numbers mean?....................4

Comox Valley Farmers’ Market…...5

Should I test my hay?......................5

Groundwater Licensing……………...6

Ministry of Agriculture..……………..8

Comox Valley Exhibition…………..10

2018 CV Growers Guide…………….11

March 2018

Comox Valley Farmers’

Institute AGM

7:00pm March 20, 2018

3400 Burns Road Dove

Creek

Courtenay BC

The directors of the new society includes 3

CVFI directors, 2 CVEX directors, and sever-

al interested community members. We are

working with CVRD staff and Area C director

Edwin Grieve to move the concept forward at

this time. We await a referral of the fair

grounds master plan, which was adopted last

year, to the Agricultural Land Commission

for their review and approval of the use of the

land for various non-agricultural uses in ad-

dition to the agricultural uses proposed. The

province has also issued new guidelines for

development on flood plains, and a review of

how those may impact the fair grounds is

also needed before we move forward with

planning on the site.

As usual, the equipment co-op remained active under the management of Brian Geiger and Terri Huxham, with the

new no till drill being in high demand again this year. Special thanks to Brian and Terri for all they do in this re-

gard.

We held our annual harvest banquet in early November and recognized two honorary lifetime members for their

significant contributions to agriculture in the valley and in the province. Bob and Bev Gunter, and George Hamilton,

were honored at the banquet for their successes that benefited us all over the years. Thanks to everyone, especially

the Stevenson's and the 4H club members, who contributed to making this event successful again this year.

2017 saw the CVRD revamp and renew the Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission, with new criteria including

10 members who are selected from applicants and appointed for a defined period of time. We were pleased to see 5

of our members selected to this commission, with Gerry McClintock elected as the chair. CVRD was also involved in

striking a committee to look into the Tsolum River watershed utilization for agricultural purposes. Brian Geiger and

Andrea Burch sit on this committee representing CVFI. Regular reports from these two committees are presented at

our monthly meetings.

CVFI was also invited to attend a meeting of the newly appointed ALR/ALC review committee struck by the prov-

ince. Mike Huxham, Brian Geiger and Ben Vanderhorst attended and made a presentation concerning various mat-

ters, including taxation, revenue requirements for farm status, under-utilization of the ALR, availability of water,

lack of provincial support programs for agriculture, urban –rural interface issues, and wildlife management prob-

lems. An on-line survey is available to anyone who is interested in providing their own views to the committee for

consideration. Please be sure to take part if you want your views known. Also, the province has initiated a ‘ Forage

Action Plan’ project for BC and CVFI was invited to have a representative present at their regional meeting in Nanai-

mo in January. The overall purpose of the project is to improve the quantity and quality of forage production on

private agricultural land. Brian Geiger and Guy Sim from the Comox Valley attended on our behalf.

With the new year comes our bi-annual equipment auction, this year to take place on April 7 at the fair grounds.

Please support the auction through consignments or participating as a buyer, and keep our auction as the best on the

island.

I want to personally thank everyone who has contributed

to the activities of the CVFI over this last year, especially

our directors who I know provide a lot of time and commit-

ment to our organization. Special thanks to Sarah Kehler

for her work on the communications side of our upgrades,

and for taking on the production of this newsletter this

year.

Hoping everyone has a healthy and happy 2018,

Ben Vanderhorst, President

SO I TESTED MY HAY, BUT WHAT DO ALL THOSE NUMBERS MEAN?

Hay analysis reports contain long lists of numbers that while meaningful to a nutritionist are often confusing to the animal owner. The trick is to glean what you need to know from the report and ignore the rest! The following is a quick guide to how to read your feed report.

Moisture - Moisture is the amount of water in the hay. Results are given “As Sampled” which includes moisture, and “Dry Matter” which does not include the moisture. Dry matter values are always greater than as sampled – think of the water diluting the protein, energy etc. Forage results are usually compared on a dry matter basis. Hay moisture should be between 8% and 15%. Low moisture hay is brittle and hard and may not be palatable. High moisture hay is likely to heat or mold and can lead to a spontaneous fire.

Crude Protein (CP) is calculated from the measurement of nitrogen in the feed, based on the assumption that all protein is 16% nitrogen. Total nitrogen is measured and multiplied by 6.25 to give crude protein. It does not indi-cate nitrogen source or availability to the animal. Animals use amino acids as building blocks for growth, production and reproduction.

Carbohydrates are chemical compounds that contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen molecules. In plants carbohydrates can serve as energy storage (sugars, starch, pectin and cellulose) or for structure (cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin).

On the report structural carbohydrates are reported as neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and lignin. NDF measures hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin which are compounds that give the plant rigidity. High NDF limits the intake. ADF measures cellulose and lignin. High ADF re-duces digestibility. Lignin is the indigestible portion of the plant, a lower lignin means there is more nutrients available to the animal.

Storage carbohydrates include sugar, starch and pectin. They are measured as ethanol soluble carbohy-drates (ESC) and water soluble carbohydrates (WSC). ESC measures monosaccharides and disaccha-rides that are soluble in an 80% ethanol. WSC measures fructans the major storage carbohydrate in grass as well as the monosaccharides and disaccharides.

Energy - Energy is not measured directly but is calculated from the amount of ADF and CP in the feed. Digestible energy is a measure of the total feed energy, less the energy that is lost in the manure.

Ash – Ash measures the total mineral content of the feed. It is determined by completely burning the sample until only the ash remains. High ash content means that the sample has been contaminated with soil, which can lower the nutritive value of the feed and may carry bacteria.

An analysis can be a valuable tool when purchasing or determining the value of forage. But don ’t be overwhelmed with all the numbers know which values you need. If you have questions or doubts, talk with an animal nutritionist or feed sales representative.

SUBMITTED BY TOP SHELF FEEDS INC.

4

COMOX VALLEY FARMERS’ MARKET

The Comox Valley Farmers' Market invites you to join us this

year. Applications are open for 2018. Find them online at cvfm.ca

members section http://cvfm.ca/content/rules-market

If you're a local farmer - we want you! We host three markets a week:

Wed, Sat & Sunday with customers looking to meet local farmers with

local produce.

Our Wednesday and Sunday Markets are a great incubator for new

farms, where a new farmer or processor can get more attention and

stand out in the crowd, building their business for the future.

This is a fabulous way to test new product, connect with local purchas-

ers and build your network while selling your quality local food product

to our committed customers.

If you have a product to share

please consider joining the fun

community environment of the

Comox Valley Farmers’ Market.

See you at the market!

Twila Skinner, General Manager

info@cvfm.ca www.cvfm.ca

Phone: 250.650.8544

SHOULD I TEST MY HAY?

Hay sellers often base their ask-

ing price on the cut (1st cut or

2nd cut), colour (green or

bleached), feel (fine and soft or

coarse and rough) or forage

composition (grass, alfalfa,

grass-alfalfa) of the hay. While

these subjective qualities can

show if the hay is weathered,

dusty or contains weeds, they

can not tell us the nutrient con-

tent.

Animals use the energy, protein,

minerals and vitamins con-

tained in hay for growth, work,

meat, milk and reproduction.

While the amount of these nutri-

ents can be related to the look,

smell or colour of the hay, in

order to know the actual levels,

you need to take a sample and

send it to a feed laboratory for

nutrient analysis.

Why should I test?

Nutrient levels in forages

change with maturity, weather

conditions at harvest and the

amount of fertilizer applied.

Each year is different, so you

cannot use last year’s analysis

for this year’s crop.

What should I test?

Most commercial feed labora-

tories will test for moisture,

crude protein, ash, fat, fibers

(ADF – acid detergent fiber and

NDF – neutral detergent fiber).

Energy content is then calculat-

ed from these values. However,

if the hay was harvested under

less than ideal conditions or if

your animals have health con-

cerns then you should ask for

additional tests. For example, if

you have an insulin resistant

horse, test for sugars.

How do I test and where should

I send it?

When possible, test 20% of the

bales you plan on purchasing.

Using a hay corer allows one to

easily test several bales. Check

with your feed store to see if

they have a corer you can

borrow and if they will send the

sample to a laboratory for anal-

ysis.

SUBMITTED BY TOP SHELF FEEDS INC

5

On December 15, 2017, The BC Ministry of Envi-

ronment and Climate Change extended the exist-

ing use groundwater licence application fee waiver

period from December 31, 2017 to March 1, 2019.

If groundwater users submit their applications

before March 1, 2019, their application fee will be

waived off. The application fee can range from

$250 to $10,000 depending on the quantity and

purpose of using water every year. Although the

deadline has been extended to 2019, the govern-

ment is encouraging groundwater users to submit

their licence applications early, so their groundwa-

ter use is known and protected.

GROUNDWATER LICENSING APPLICATION FEE WAIVER

6

Existing User

(Applies before March 1,

2019)

New Groundwater User

(Applies before March 1,

2019)

All Groundwater Users, new

and unlicensed

(after March 1, 2019)

Application Fee

(generally, $250-$5,000)

Waived Not waived Not waived

Rental Rate

($0.85-$2.25 per 1,000 m3;

$50 minimum annual

charge)

Rental charges start Feb 29,

2016

Start from date of licence

authorization

Start from date of licence

authorization

Date of Precedence

(First in time, First in right)

Date of first groundwater use Date of licence authorization Date of licence authoriza-

tion

Environmental Flow Needs

(sensitive streams)

MAY be considered by the

statutory decision Maker

MUST be considered by the

statutory decision-maker

MUST be considered by the

statutory decision-maker

Technical Studies

(e.g. pumping tests)

May be required May be required May be required

Please see the table below for the requirements on groundwater use:

For more information, please contact Maheen Scott, Waterline Resources Inc.’s Water Sustainability Coordinator at 250-

585-0802 or maheen.scott@waterlineresources.com

7

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

2017 was a very eventful year for agriculture in the Province. The Ministry of Agriculture was involved in

an unprecedented fire season in many rural parts of the province’s interior. Fortunately the Island was

spared the wild fires but it is a wake-up call with respect to preparing for disasters. The Ministry of Agri-

culture has developed resources to assist farmers in planning for disasters. There are guides for most

livestock commodities and small mixed farms. Hard copies are available from Ministry offices. Coupled

with planning is actually having first responders know where farms are located and the kind of assis-

tance required. The Livestock Premises Identification program allows for rapid notification of livestock

and poultry stakeholders in the case of a disaster and helps prepare for animal health, natural disaster

and food safety emergencies. A link to further information provided below.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/business-market-development/emergency-preparedness https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/food-safety/premises-id-for-livestock-poultry To address a number of provincial agricultural challenges last year, including the outbreak of True Armyworm and drought on the Island, the Ministry of Agriculture has announced the new British Co-lumbia 2017 BC AgriStability Enhancement Program. The program allows agricultural producers to en-roll until April 30, 2018 without penalty into the existing 2017 AgriStability Program. Details can be found at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/programs/insurance-and-income-protection-programs/bc-enhanced-agristability-program or please call the toll free information line at 1-877-343-2767.

Pest monitoring planning for the True Armyworm for the 2018 season is already underway. Information on pest numbers through trapping and field monitoring activities will be disseminated through farm or-ganizations and posted on http://farmwest.com/ under the Library/articles /Insects section. All the pest alerts from last year are available on this site. Two good reference publications that Tracy Hueppelsheuser, Entomologist, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture provided are:

http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2015/aac-aafc/A59-23-2015-PDF1-eng.pdf

http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/aac-aafc/A59-42-2017-eng.pdf

A deadline extension is in place for registering your non-domestic groundwater source. Fees will be waived if you apply on or before March 1, 2019. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/water/water-licensing-rights/water-licences-approvals/new-requirements-for-groundwater-users

Thank you

Jill Hatfield P.Ag.

Regional Agrologist –Vancouver Island

North

BC ministry of Agriculture

Jill.Hatfield@gov.bc.ca

2018

—————————————

Comox Valley Farmers’

Institute

Board of Directors

—————————————

President Ben Vanderhorst

Vice President Marc Vance

Treasurer Mike Huxham

Secretary Brian Geiger

Director Trevor Stevenson

Director John Burch

Director Sarah Kehler

Comox Valley Farmers’

Institute

Equipment Co-op

No-Till Drill $15/ac

Lime Spreader $5 tonne of lime/chicken manure

AerWay Harrow $100/day

Laser Level $40/day

Measuring Wheel n/c

Soil Probe n/c

To reserve please contact Brian Geiger

(250)897-8280

COMOX VALLEY EXHIBITION

DOG DAYS AND HERITAGE WAYS AUGUST 24,25,26 2018

The Comox Valley has always been an agricultural area with a rich history of crop pro-

duction and butter creameries as far back as the steamship era. CVEX is the main

connection between the rural and urban populations and, therefore, focuses on show-

casing the agricultural element, which historically has been the backbone of our local

economy.

But with the task of effectively entertaining as many patrons as possible we have de-

veloped a very diverse program of features to stimulate their senses. Sure there are

animals and poultry (this year featuring the rooster) and back by popular demand we

have the AquaDogs, along with an entire area dedicated to dog events and vendors,

the RCMP Musical Ride, the award winning KidZone and the Antique Heritage Equip-

ment gang!

Again this year we have the ‘Laughing Logger’ show, an entire village of vendors and

artisans, and a daily show hosting the ‘Island Bug Jam’ and ‘First Responders’ show.

In addition, there will be a cornucopia of live, local, diverse entertainment with plans

of staging a big event to generate added revenue.

As a community service, CVEX continues to provide tents, staging, tables and chairs

to non-profit agencies through-out the year. Last year the equipment donations gener-

ated almost $200,000 invested back into the local community. This community vision

will continue as we proceed to move closer to achieving the long awaited multipurpose

facility, capable of hosting a wide variety of activities!

We continue to focus on our fundamental successes while adding new flavours but

keeping the basic recipe which is our heritage. CVEX has a long history and we are

very proud of how far we have come the last 144 years.

Mike Trimble, President

Comox Valley Exhibition

Phone: 250.338.8177

Like us on Facebook

www.cvex.ca info@cvex.ca

2018 COMOX VALLEY GROWERS

GUIDE

Spring is just around the corner …. Maybe!!!

That means we are starting to plan the 2018 Grower`s

Guide. Last year we saw tremendous growth in the number

of farms participating, the number of advertisers support-

ing the project and, therefore, increased the size of the

Guide - AGAIN !!!

Over 100,000 copies were distributed from Parksville to

Port Hardy in newspapers, in Visitor Centres, in Chambers

of Commerce - wherever we could get them distributed for

you. The demand is always there - the shelf life of this

product is long - it`s great value for your advertising dol-

lar.

The Comox Valley Record will be orchestrating the Guide

again in partnership with the Comox Valley Farmers Insti-

tute, Comox Valley Economic Development, and the

Comox Valley Farmers Market, and will start selling ad

space in late March or early April with the first release of

the Guide in early June. Don`t wait to be contacted. Book

now ( before March 30th ) at last year’s rates. Contact

Keith Currie:

Phone: 778-225-0032 or Email your request to:

keith.currie@comoxvalleyrecord.com

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

January 2018-December 2018

Dues: $20 Annually before AGM

After AGM dues: $30 late fee

Please mail your membership application to:

Comox Valley Farmers’ Institute

PO Box 3493

Courtenay BC V9N 6Z8

Farm Name:____________________________________

Member Family Name:__________________________

Mailing Address:________________________________

Town/City:______________________________________

Postal Code:____________________________________

Phone:_________________________________________

Email:__________________________________________

Type of Farm:___________________________________

Do you have farm status? Y____ N____

All correspondence will be by email only unless

noted below

___Yes I would like to receive emails

___No I would not like to receive emails

___Other________________________________________

Signature:_______________________________________

Date:___________________________________________

Please submit all changes to contact information

during the year.

2018 LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP NOMINATION

Please mail your nomination to:

Comox Valley Farmers’ Institute

PO Box 3493

Courtenay BC V9N 6Z8

Farm Name:____________________________________

Nominee Name:________________________________

Mailing Address:________________________________

Town/City:______________________________________

Postal Code:____________________________________

Phone:_________________________________________

Email:__________________________________________

Please provide a brief listing of the nominees ac-

complishments - use additional sheet if necessary

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________