Oct28GMminutes

October 29, 2019

SOUTHERN SUNSHINE COAST FARMERS INSTITUTE GM MINUTES

1. CALL TO ORDER – TIME: 6: 01pm

2. NUMBER PRESENT: 16

ADOPTION OF AGENDA
A. Moved By: Gail Hunt
B. Seconded By: Jill Hemmings C. Carried- yes

3. ADOPTION OF MINUTES OF PRECEDING MEETING

A. Moved by: Jill Hemmings
B. Seconded by: Diane Corbett
C. Carried- yes

4. BUSINESS ARISING OUT OF MINUTES

A. SSCFI Memberships are purchased by filling out the online form at www.sscfi.ca and E- transfer $20 to info@sscfi.ca Password: farmer

B. Please pick up your 2019 membership cards. Email info@sscfi.ca to arrange for delivery. Your SSCFI membership offers 10% off in-stock plants from Sunshine Coast Nursery, Quality Garden and Pet and Exotic Fruit Nursery.

5. REPORTS OF STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

A. Bulk Commodity Buying – Robin Dutcher

i. Lone Wolf Hay Sales – Can deliver XL 5 string bales of 70% Timothy/Brome/Fescue and 30% Alfalfa not sprayed and tested hay. He also has 60%Timothy/40%Alfalfa. His bales are huge, ~1250-1300 lbs, 8 feet long, 3.5 feet tall and 4 feet wide. These 5 string bales of Timothy/Alfal- fa are $546 each. If anyone wants to split a 32 tonne truck load, he can deliver to 2-3 address- es on the coast for $380-420 per tonne. He has tested and not sprayed orchard grass as well. Also can deliver XL bales of straw. Lone Wolf Hay cell: 1-250-524-0051

B. Education – Raquel Kolof
i. Fecal Fridays! Bring some poop and get ready to centrifuge! Date TBA.

ii. Are there any subjects you would like us to find speakers on? Ideas are Beekeeping work- shop, How to grow mushrooms, Seed saving, Grafting/pruning, Min of Ag Vet return to give workshop on lambing and kidding, Farm Credit Canada, Environmental Farm Plan, BC HACCP Food Safety Workshop from the Small Scale Food Producers Assoc.

  • fruit tree grafter/grafting seminar and supply , access to root stock, trading fruit trees, all fall fruits
  • extending above to growing from cuttings and root stock
  • Annette has trees – can we have a “tree/cuttings swap”
  • when to have workshop/when do you do this? November meeting? and again in the spring
  • grafting tour
  • bulk seed order? same set-up as bulk feed order? put it out through website?

C. Marketing – Joy Dutcher

i. T-shirt, cotton tote and sticker sales! Check out our online shop for SSCFI merch! www.ss- cfi.ca

6. SPECIAL BUSINESS

A. Member Voice – any member can bring up ideas or share news with the group, 5-minute maximum. Our meeting time is valuable so please use this forum for positive and productive feedback and ideas

new group to protect bears on the Sunshine Coast – Bear-Human Conflict Prevention on the Sunshine Coast on Facebook . Their first meeting will be Sunday November the 10th at Frank West Hall , right next to Cedar Grove Elementary School on Chaster.

request for a chicken heath workshop by the Animal Health Center vets

ask minister of Ag for horticulturist and agrologist to present to SSCFIB.

Gail Hunt presentation on Woofers and how this organization can help your farm. Contact Gail if you have questions gailhunt@gailhunt.ca or wwoof.ca for more information on Woofers

C. Dale Arthur from RR #7 Farmstead presentation on How to Grow Mushrooms on the Coast. *website for the “godfather of mushrooms” Paul Stamets fungi.com*Dale Arthur RR#7 Farm https://www.facebook.com/ pages/category/Farm/RR7- Farmstead-236024613235145/7.

SCRD AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

A. Raquel put forward a motion to ban the use of Glyphosate and other synthetic herbicides on SCRD property/parks for cosmetic and invasive weeds, but still permitting the use of Glyphosate on noxious weeds, such as Japanese Knot Weed and Giant Hogweed. This motion did NOT carry at the AAC. Would SSCFI members like to pursue this type of ban on Glyphosate use on the coast?Motion: As there is concern about the effects of glyphosate on human health and ecosystems, the AAC requests the SCRD create a Pesticide Use on Regional District Property policy that prohibits the use of synthetic herbicides, including glyphosate, for invasive weeds. Synthetic herbicides, including glyphosate, are still permitted for the control of noxious weeds defined in schedule A of the provincial weed control regula- tion, including giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed.

B. Comox Valley Regional District has an informative Pesticide Awareness section on their website https://www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/services/environment/pesticides-awareness as well as Pesticide Use Bylaws. http://agendaminutes.comoxvalleyrd.ca/Agenda_minutes/ CVRDCom- mittees/COW/13-Aug-19/20190809%20Hamir%20Herbicide%20Use.pdf Would the SSCFI like to propose this to the SCRD?

It was decided to ask our membership: do they support the motion? It was agreed.
To investigate: Does the SCRD have an existing policy on pesticide use? is it current/relevant?

8. DISTRICT A FARMERS INSTITUTE

A. Concerns about recent changes to the ALR in Bill 52 and Bill 15? Check out www.bill52.org or follow Changes to Bill 52 on FB for more info.

B. Repeal Bill 52 Petition now at 27,000 signatures – Please sign and share http://bit.ly/ALRPe- tition

C. BC Ag Day Rally at the BC Legislature to present Repeal Bill 52 petition – Monday, October 28, 2019 at 10 am.

9. NEW BUSINESS
A. New BC Farmers Institute website: https://bcfarmersinstitutes.ca/

B. Madeline Pearson is the new owner of Goodacre Market at the Gibsons Public Market and she is looking for farmers to take old/damaged fruits/veg waste. Please email: madeline@goodacremarket.com

C. BC Seed Gathering Event Nov 8-9, 2019 in Richmond. www.bcseeds.org/gathering/

D. Every Chef Needs a Farmer – November 12, 2019 at the PNE – A province-wide menu-plan- ning session for farmers, ranchers, chefs and members of the food and beverage industry to create more opportunities to bring B.C. food to plates around the province. https://www2.gov- .bc.ca/gov/ content/every-chef-needs-a-farmer

E. BC Farm Fest with BC Young Farmers – Nov 16, 2019 at the University of Fraser Valley, Chill- iwack.

F. Agri-terrorism: Protection of Farmers and Their Animals – Laurie Throness, Liberal MLA for Chilliwack-Kent to introduce a private member’s bill Under BC Trespass Act, to trespass or ob- struct the processing of food would get extra penalties, fines per person.

G. Craft Farm Bill- Bill Patton MAL presented a bill Fram Craft Bill , products made on farm an and sold from the farm gate- will require food safety instruction and certification

10. Vets that come to the Coast

i. Dr Hermen Geertsema – Equine Services – 1 (604) 857-5432 – hgeertsema@shaw.ca – coming Nov 12.

ii. Dr Aaron Gibbons – Langley Animal Clinic – 1 (604) 534-4813

iii. Dr Gail Jewell – jewell1@telus.net

iv. Dr Steph – Abbotsford Large Animal Vet -1 (604) 302-1993

v. Dr Catherine Stuart – Maple Ridge Animal Hospital – 1 (778) 847-7319

vi. Cloverdale Pharmasave – Farm animal medical supplies – ships to the coast – 1 (604) 576-2888

11. Farm Butchers

i. James Erickson – Erickson Meats – 778-385-2997

ii. Tom Gilcrest – 604-740-6390

iii. Jarvis Canada – Sales Rep Jeff – Supplier of meat and poultry processing equipment. Jeffcan deliver to the coast for group orders. Cell: 1 (403) 680-0183 https://www.jarviscanada.com/

12. Shearing/Hoof Trimming

i. Pieter DeMooy – Based on Vancouver Island. Can shear 10 sheep per hour and visit 8-10 farms in a day. $10 per animal to do shearing and toes ($100 min per farm). He can come over Dec/Jan and again in April. Cell 1-250-652-2219 or email sheepshearing.ca@gmail.com

ii. Johanna Walker – Based in Langley. 1-604-329-7415

iii. Battery powered hoof trimmers – “The Hoof Boss uses micro-precision cutting ability with little pressure needed to operate the tool” mybosstools.com use coupon code mobile10 to get 10% off your order.

13. MOTION TO ADJOURN
A. Moved By: Dianne Clement
B. Seconded By: Diane Walker
C. Carried- yes @ 7:22 pm
2019 MEETING DATES, LAST TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH AT 6 PM:

November 26 – Gibsons Public Market
March 31 – AGM – Roberts Creek Community Hall April 28 – Gibsons Public Market

May 26 – Roberts Creek Community Hall

June 30 – Gibsons Public Market