Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia

168 Dakota Road, PO Box 119 Debert, NS B0M 1G0

Tel: (902) 662-3306 Fax: (902) 662-3284

Email: info@nswildblueberries.com Website: www.nswildblueberries.com

dispatch Nova Scotia’s Provincial Berry

MARCH 2017

The supply and demand situation for wild blueberries has been the prime topic of conversation in the meeting rooms, farmyards and coffee shops around Wild Blueberry Land throughout the winter and this theme will continue into our Winter Information Meeting, March 25 at the Best Western Glengarry in Truro. The January 31 USDA Regional Cold Storage Report indicates frozen blueberry holdings in New England (mostly wild blueberries) to be 45.9 million lbs, a 24% increase over the same date a year ago. In cultivated blueberries, Michigan is reporting 54.8 million lbs in storage (14% more than a year earlier) and the Pacific region (Washington, Oregon, California) with 110.9 million lbs, 6% more than Jan 31, 2016. The Canadian export statistics for 2016 have recently been released. Total Canadian exports of fro-zen wild blueberries to our top ten markets were over 132 million lbs. , an increase of 5.5 % over 2015. The markets showing the most growth were Japan (+18.3%) and the United States (+7.3%) with Europe and the UK growing by 2% over 2015. The WBPANS Board, Committees and staff have been working on several projects during the win-ter months, including expanded export and domestic marketing programs to increase demand and build new markets for wild blueberries. The value added workshop we sponsored with Perennia, before the Annual Meeting has generated considerable interest in developing new wild blueberry consumer food products and a new program is being worked on to help members who want to take their new product ideas to the next step. Work is also proceeding on other projects to support producers during this low price cycle. These ac-tivities will be presented and discussed in detail during the morning session of our March 25 meeting, fol-lowed by a special business meeting, during which we will present and vote on a plan to invest some of WBPANS’ funds from the unrestricted investment portfolio to support these activities. The morning session of the winter meeting will also include a report from WBANA Canada on the ongoing and upcoming activities to expand wild blueberry export markets. The afternoon session will focus on research project reports and plans for new approaches in 2017 toward lower cost and more efficient wild blueberry management and farm business management. We look forward to seeing you March 25.

NOTICE OF MOTION The Board of Directors of the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia was asked by the membership at the Annual Meeting, November 19, 2016 to develop a plan for a promotion and consumption strategy and report to the membership at the Winter Information Meeting in March 2017. That motion was as follows: “A motion by Jeff Orr, seconded by Colleen Cameron, that the WBPANS Board be asked to develop a plan for a promotion and consumption strategy and to report the proposed strategy for authorization back to members at the March 2017 meeting. Motion carried.“ Since the Annual General Meeting, we have been working on such a plan to build new de-mand and sales for wild blueberries in export and domestic markets and to encourage diversi-fication within our industry. The draft plan we will present on March 25, 2017 to the member-ship for their consideration includes: - Enhanced wild blueberry domestic marketing, promotion & communication - Development and test marketing of wild blueberry packaging - Establishment of a Wild Blueberry Innovation Initiative to support new product development - Conducting Consumer Research on perceptions and behavior about wild blueberries - Support for targeted new overseas market development activities Notice is given that a special business meeting for all WBPANS members will be held on Saturday morning, March 25, 2017 during the Asso ciation’s Winter Information Meeting. A motion will be put forward at that time seeking the member’s support for the withdrawal and expenditure of up to $150,000 fr om the Association’s Unrestricted Investment Portfolio. These funds are to be used, along with funds from other sources, to support additional domestic and export marketing activities, as well as new projects intended to support wild blueberry produce rs and the industry as a whole, during the current surplus supply and downturn in p rices. These special projects will be presented in detail at that meeting.

WBPANS Winter Information Meeting Saturday, March 25, 2017

Best Western Glengarry Hotel & Convention Centre, 1 50 Willow Street, Truro, NS

Morning Session: Chair: Barron Blois, President

8:00 am NUTRITION BREAK SPONSORED BY CAVENDISH AGRI-SERVICES &

EASTERN DRAINAGE 9:00 am Welcome – Barron Blois, President

9:15 am Wild Blueberry Global Market Update - Peter Rideout, Execu&ve Director, WBPANS

9:45 am WBANA—Canada Update

Neri Vautour, Execu&ve Director & Tom Matheson, President WBANA-Canada

10:15 am NUTRITION BREAK SPONSORED BY SYNGENTA CROP PROTECTION

10:45 am WBPANS Proposed Promo&on &Marke&ng Strategy -

Barron Blois, President WBPANS & Peter Rideout Execu&ve Director

MOTION

DISCUSSION & VOTE

12:00 pm LUNCH - provided in the Salon ABC sponsored by DOW AGRO SCIENCES,

JASPER WYMAN & SON LTD. , NS FARM LOAN BOARD &

FARM CREDIT CANADA

A(ernoon Session: Chair: David Atkinson, Vice-President

1:00 pm Recommended Pest Control Products & Fer&lizers for 2017

Tim Fisher, Truro AgroMart Ltd.

1:20 pm Maintaining Wild Blueberry Pollinators

Steve Javorek, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada

1:40 pm Wild Blueberry Economic Viability Based on Vine Denisty

Dr. Travis Esau, Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture

2:00 pm Fer&lizer & Disease Control Techniques in a Low Cost of Produc&on Environment

Dr. David Percival, Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture

2:20 pm Update on Current Weed Management Research & Plans for 2017

Dr. Sco9 White, Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture

2:40 pm NUTRITION BREAK SPONSORED BY E.I. DUPONT CANADA & KENNA (BASF)

3:00 pm Agri-Stability Update

Peggy Weatherby, NS Dept. of Agriculutre

3:30 pm NS Farm Loan Board - John Murray

4:00 pm ADJOURN

WILD BLUEBERRY HARVESTER OPERATOR COURSE

WBPANS is partnering with Farm Safety Nova Sco&a, Perennia and Doug Bragg Enterprises to offer a third Blue-

berry Harvester Operator Course in July 2017. The course will be offered over two days and include both theory

and prac&cal components– par&cipants will be sure to get &me in the harvester seat! The objec&ve of the course

is to train safe and competent harvester operators, building the capacity of skilled labour in the wild blueberry

industry. There is a limit of 20 spots available so register early!

This course will:

· Promote operator safety, food safety and product quality.

· Teach proper harves&ng and produc&on techniques while minimizing wear and tear on equipment.

· Explain the op&mal balance between quality, safety and volume.

· Improve produc&vity and profitability through effec&ve training.

Par&cipants will be required to have basic tractor operator skills, which will be gained through previous experi-

ence or successful comple&on of a Tractor Operator Course. Please contact Carolyn Van Den Heuvel, Farm Safety

Nova Sco&a to for informa&on on their Tractor Operator Course, telephone: 902-893-2293 or

cvandenheuvel@nsfa-fane.ca

Stay tuned for more informa&on!

For more informa&on or to register for the Harvester Operator Course, contact:

WBPANS office or Carolyn Van Den Heuvel, Farm Safety Nova Sco&a

Tel: 902-662-3306 Tel: 902-893-2293

Email: info@nswildblueberries.com Email: cvandenheuvel@nsfa-fane.ca

2017 MEETING DATES

Canadian Horticultural Council AGM—March 14-16, 2017, Winnipeg WBPANS Winter Information Meeting—Saturday, March 25, 2017—Best Western Glengarry, Truro Bleuets NB Blueberries AGM— March 31, & April 1, 2017— St. Andrews, NB Saltscapes Expo—April 21-23, 2017 , Halifax Exhibition Centre, Halifax WBPANS Twilight Meetings— May 29—WBPANS Office, Debert, NS May 30—Cameron’s Receiving Shed, East River Saint Mary’s, NS June 1—Sargent’s Receiving Shed, Parrsboro, NS WBPANS Field Day—Saturday, July 15, 2017—Doug Bragg Enterprises, Collingwood, NS WBPANS Annual Meeting—November 17 & 18, 2017—Best Western Glengarry, Truro

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PERENNIA WEBSITE UPDATES

CHECK OUT THE PERENNIA WEBSITE FOR NEW INFORMATION ON WILD BLUEBERRIES: http://www.perennia.ca/fieldservices/fruit-crops/wild-blueberries/

NEW FACTSHEETS Peter Burgess has posted a couple of new factsheets / discussion documents on “RESTING WILD BLUE-

BERRY FIELDS” and “MANAGING GOOD FIELDS” Check them out at:

http://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Resting-BB-Fields.pdf http://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/managing-WBB-low-prices.pdf

BEELINE 1-866-606-4636 (TOLL FREE)

The Beeline is up and running again. If wild blueberry growers are looking for pollinators this year, they can check on the beeline to source pollinators

http://www.perennia.ca/fieldservices/honey-bees-and-pollination/beeline/

ATLANTIC TECH TRANSFER TEAM FOR APICULTURE The Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture has lots of content and is worth checking out at:

http://www.perennia.ca/fieldservices/honey-bees-and-pollination/

WBPANS RECOGNITION BOOK

WBPANS’ Recognition Book Committee makes recommendations to the Board of Directors for individuals to be recognized at the AGM Banquet for their outstanding contribution to the Nova Scotia wild blueberry industry. The Committee is currently seeking names for consideration for this honour. Please contact a committee member if you have a recommendation for them. Jeff Orr, 902-870-1578 Peter Van Dyk: 902-682-3116 John Quinn: 902-783-2834

NOMINATIONS TO THE BOARD

The Board of Directors would like to invite the membership to bring forward names for considera-tion of individuals that may be interested in serv-ing on WBPANS Board of Directors. These will then be brought before the 2017 Annual Business Meeting. If you or someone you know would like to be considered for nomination to the Board please contact a committee member: Jeff Orr, 902-870-1578 Peter Van Dyk: 902-682-3116 John Quinn: 902-783-2834

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For Sale: Well maintained, used blueberry equipment. Contact Allan C. Bonnyman 902-899-6446.