GoOFY meeting – October 5, 2007

Meeting called to order 5:08

In attendance: Joanne JJ, Jan, Cain Vangel, Michelle, Matt Ball, Tina, Brian Lendrum, Joan Norberg, Simone Rudge, Shiela Alexandrovich, Linda Bonnefoy, Garrett Gillespie

Minutes from September 2 accepted as read. Brian, Joan. In the future, the minutes from the previous meeting will not be read at the meeting. Since they’re sent out to everyone beforehand, we should read them and just discuss changes at the meeting.

T-shirt need to be sold – we’ll take them to the 100-mile diet evening as well as the Ag conference in November.

Brian – chapter rep update – Arnold Taylor, president of COG national, passed on 31 recommendations for how to better serve the organic sector in Saskatchewan. (Chair of Organic Studies at the college...) Rachel Eisen – list of what one book to have on a desert island if you could only have one organic farming book. What resulted is a really good checklist of some of the best books on organic including the classics

EMR office gets ACRES magazine and they’re working to get it to the library.

If anyone wants to get the InFARMation sent by paper copy, they just need to ask. Otherwise, they will be emailed in an attempt to save paper.

Shiela – APF – Wildlife damage prevention program (elk eating crops) damage > $1000 and documented field crop damage. You can apply for funding for fencing, dogs to come chase wildlife off. We would like it to include food crops and damage from more than just elk, moose, deer, etc. So that gopher or geese damage might be covered as well. We would need to write letters and lobby if we want a larger program that will cover more crops and from more wildlife. This program was originally designed specifically to deal with elk damage in fields in the Takhini Valley. The decision was to be careful not to mire the whole process down though with “what ifs”. This is something we’ll talk about more later.

Subdivision and ag apps that are hung up because of the Paulson case. Stalled because YTG is unsure how to proceed and conflict with hunting rights – it sounds like not much will change until the appeal process is completed.

Next Generation funding. This iteration ends in March. What worked? What adjustments need to be made? Some programs were used quite a bit whereas others were not used all that much. What we’re trying to come up with is a plan for what programs should be included for the Yukon. Let Tony know if there is feedback you’d like to provide on what programs you felt worked for you and also what might have been missing that might be able to be included in the next one.

Abattoir – 6 farms have used it this year. Up from 4 last year. SRM disposal is not yet settled although the rules are in place.

306.1 Legume Study – we submitted interim report, received interim payment and received increase in funding for plant analysis. Cain is almost finished the work for the year – he’ll be collecting at the last farm this weekend. Reports will be written shortly.

306.5 - Ball Mill Project – Final report has been emailed to Joanne and Simone. Payment amounts just need to be updated before printing and submitting. Summary: It worked very well. Three recommendations – compile database of sources of X, Y, Z minerals available from local quarries; obtain funding to buy the ball mill and put it on a low-boy or something similar so it can travel and needs a few more bells and whistles to make it user-friendly for a farmer to use if we want to commercialize the unit; would be useful to have a 4-ton lime spreader for anything more than 3 acres to go along with it. (Cost is from $11/ton to $44/ton compared to imported limestone at $700/ton. That includes labour to operate the machine, fuel and transport.)

406.3 – InFARMation articles – Garrett may be writing some articles this winter. Others are encouraged to do so too about issues that matter to us.

906.1 – We have decided to put this at the end of each meeting for ½ hour with a time limit on the meeting.

907.1 – Chicken processing equipment. We will have done 1000 birds tomorrow at Leslie Peter’s. Discussion about how to get more crates here to use. Cain will ask at the Ag branch to get a couple more to keep in the trailer.

907.2 – Circumpolar – Fun, interesting. Cain talked with a beekeeper about queens and issues including sourcing kelp or other ingredients. Cold weather dairies (Norway’s definition of cold is a little warmer than ours though), seeding corn into frozen ground in Newfoundland with a layer of plastic over the top to keep it warm and get it germinated and out of the ground. It is used for feed in the dairies there. There was a mulching/rototilling device for breaking new ground. Questions arise concerning how much nitrogen it would tie up to break down that much carbon, but the topsoil all stays.

907.3 – Agriculture development strategy meeting (Multi-Year Plan) – really good representation 5 GoOFY members out of about 20 participants. This included 3 consultants, Mary El, 2 First Nations, and other government people (4 Ag branch). There will be a presentation at the Ag conference. Response from us or a news release might be appropriate.

907.4 – Growing Up Organic – message from COG national in July about a pilot project carrying on from the initial feasibility study. Confusion about our obligations in terms of the project that Moe did. Network farmers with daycare centres to see if there was a will to have farmers bringing in food to the local daycare centres. Linda Bonnefoy: Regulations are problematic because children cannot be given anything in a daycare that has not been packaged in an approved facility. This means that Alpine Bakery can buy vegetables, pack them in a bag and then the daycare kids can eat them, but the farmer cannot come directly to the daycare and bring food. The children also cannot eat food they’ve grown in the garden at the daycare although they can bring it home to share with their families. Interest, but no “buy in” from the daycares. Linda has been invited to the schools where there is more interest. She would like to do more net-working between the schools and the farmers. There was money on the table in Toronto to do a pilot project in schools or daycares. Linda is willing to share her 6 years of experience. Linda has maintained contact with COG on this as well as with care-givers in Quebec. She would like to see the legislation change so that kids can grow their own food in the daycare. (She does that already with her kids, but it is actually against the rules.) Child care regulations act – this Territorial legislation. Brad needs a letter. Linda will write a letter explaining the issues and send it to Joanne. We may send it to COG for approval before sending to YTG. Linda will come up with a plan that is more suited to the Yukon reality for encouraging kids to grow and eat organic food. Google “Deconstructing Dinner”

907.5 – Apiary Study – Approved. 12 hives and nukes along with equipment will be purchased and set up at the Ag branch trial plots. After the end of the project, the bees will be given to new entrants.

907.6 – New Yukon Products Guide – proposal has gone in for consideration in October.

907.7 – Health Fair – Talk was a success – not very many in the audience, but good discussion.

907.8 – 100-mile Diet author James McKinnon will be coming to Whitehorse in November. Details when and where will be emailed out.

1007.1 – Agricultural Conference Nov 3 – Genetically modified issue will be on the agenda for Saturday. (Pretty moderate views.) Organic regulations, Multi-year development plan, weed management (non-organic) seminar on Friday night (these are the same speakers that are coming up for the GM issue – U of A and Lacombe). The rest of the agenda will be emailed out this coming week. 20th anniversary – for the dinner.

1007.3 – Wildwood Festival – the plan is to focus on food. Probably the 3rd weekend in August 2008. She’s looking at what we would like to do as a food community. Zola will likely do something about the art of coffee.