Words of advice – A shiitake advisory

If shiitakes make sense for your operation, keep the following tips in mind:
Do your research
Books, spawn suppliers, and other producers are all good sources of information.
Start small
As with any new crop, it takes time to learn what works and what doesn’t. Start with 50 or 100 logs. Then, once you’ve got some experience under your belt, think bigger. “One old guy like me can easily handle a thousand logs,” says Hay.
Get good wood
Make sure to use hardwood logs. The wood should be cut from healthy trees in winter, when carbohydrate levels are highest and the bark adheres well to the logs.
Oak is an excellent choice (shiitake literally means “oak mushroom”), but other options include sugar maple, ironwood, hornbeam, and beech. Hederich successfully grew his on birch, but the logs expire after just three to four years, compared to at least five years for oak.
Select the right spawn
When it comes to spawn, choose a strain that’s suitable for your area. Some are better suited to cold weather, for example, while others thrive in warmer, drier conditions.
Go easy on yourself
You’ll need to move the logs from time to time, especially if you choose to soak them (see “Add some shock value,” below), so make sure they’re a manageable weight. “You get a log that’s five feet long and eight inches in diameter, and the thing’s like 60 or 70 pounds,” says Hughes. He quickly learned to specify a maximum of four feet long and six inches diameter. “It really makes a difference when you’re dealing with hundreds of logs,” he notes.
Work smart
Time spent tending your shiitakes is time not spent on other aspects of your farm, so create a system that is as efficient as possible. If you’re not careful, there’s a real danger that shiitakes can create more labour than money, Hederich cautions.

Add some shock value – Soaking logs adds to productivity

Although logs will naturally produce two crops of mushrooms a year, one in spring and one in fall, you can “shock” the fungus into fruiting more frequently. The most common way to do this is through soaking.
While hefting logs in and out of water troughs may seem like a daunting task, Hughes discovered it was well worth the effort. After several years of relying on natural yields, he set up a rainwater collection system that feeds a cattle trough where he now soaks each log for 24 hours. As a result, they explode with mushrooms.
“It’s totally impressive,” he says. “Soaking is the key.”
By setting up a staggered soaking schedule, you can create steady yields throughout the summer. Just be sure to let the logs rest for six weeks after each harvest.
Using cold water will increase production even more. Hay draws water from Georgian Bay, where the water is relatively warm in the summer. Adding a block of ice to the trough boosted his yield by 50 per cent.
He also likes to physically knock the logs as he tosses them into the soaking barrels — another way to shock the fungus and stimulate more production.
Manage moisture levels
The moisture content of your logs is key. If conditions are too wet, you run the risk of mould, while a long dry period could kill your fungus. Weighing a sample log regularly will help you judge whether to sprinkle your logs, shelter them from the rain, or simply let them be.
Don’t share the wealth
Slugs and snails can eat into your harvest — and your profits. Sprinkling lime or wood ash around your logs will discourage them, and if the forecast calls for long periods of rain, consider putting up tarps to keep the soil surface dry.

Sandy Briggs and Ivan Paul in Powassan (northeastern Ontario) have beef cattle, goats, ducks, geese, swans, chickens . . . and lots and lots of dogs. At Wimberway Kennels and Farm, the cattle and goats graze the fields, keeping the cover at a suitable height for training the retrievers and running trials. The Briggs run a cow-calf operation (mostly Charolais), keep goats (alpine and Boer) and also breed, board, train and judge dogs. “It started as a hobby,” says Sandy. “I didn’t want to be a vet, but did want to work with dogs.”
Costs and labour 
“We had to rebuild the barn/kennel after they were hit by lightning in 1996, and by doing a lot of the work ourselves we managed to keep the costs down. It took the insurance coverage and about five years to get back in balance. Any project with animals seems to be one step forward and two back . . . you fix something and something else breaks down or needs replacing. We replace our fence panels as needed—usually getting a few each year.”
Biggest benefits? 
“We get to meet a lot of people from many varied walks of life. In the training classes, you see people benefitting and beginning to enjoy their dogs more as they respond to the training.”
Biggest challenges? 
“People tend to think you are available 24/7 and often do not come when they say they will.”
Type of person best suited to this type of business? 
“Someone who really enjoys working with all sorts of dogs and can put up with people who have spoilt dogs or who are unreliable.”
Funny story
“Our herd of goats got out of their fenced area one day and wandered over to where we have our agility equipment. The goat kids all played on the A-frame, dog walk, and even tried the teeter-totter. One time a young buck also visited the agility area several days in a row. A neighbour painted his horns red so no one would shoot him—he’d become a regular visitor in the neighbourhood.”  

Tea anyone?

After a colossal switch from growing tobacco to herbs in 2003, you’d think Tom and Deb Benner, owners of Heritage Line Herbs in Aylmer, Ontario, would have had their fill of change. However, when they heard their daughter’s descriptions of the beautiful tea gardens in Vietnam, Deb got to thinking. Why not create an open air tea room on the farm, with lots of plants (especially herbs), a waterfall, and a mouth-watering herb-based menu? By 2007, The Silver Birch Tea Room was open. Water elements are set amongst large stone features, creating a peaceful and private dining experience. The food is infused with fresh herbs: lemon thyme cheesecake, lavender lemonade, tomato basil tart, rosemary bread . . .
Costs and labour 
“We’ve not completely achieved cost return on our expenses because we’re seasonal,” says Deb, “although if you take into the consideration the overall increase in business in our store and farm, it’s more than paid for itself.”
Biggest benefits? 
“Our customers. We meet so many interesting people on a daily basis—people from all over, with different interests, and they love to share their experiences with us.”
Biggest challenges?
“Being able to finish your work each day. There is always so much to do and so much to remember.” 
Type of person best suited to this type of business?
“You must be an optimist, even when it rains/pours, etc. There are bad days mixed in with the good and if you spend all your time worrying about what might happen, you’ll never get anywhere.”
Funny story
“The first year we opened our business, a black cat was dropped off here. It didn’t take long for Basil to grow on us, even though he was constantly getting into trouble. He loves people and makes a point of introducing himself. We decided early on that it was better to put Basil in the barn during our busy lunch hour, but he managed to get out occasionally. Last summer we were surprised to receive a beautifully framed picture of Basil sitting with three of our regular customers, enjoying high tea. Another time, during our Alice in Wonderland Tea Party, he also somehow escaped and entertained a family by sitting nicely on a spare chair, waiting to be fed. We now make extra effort to make sure no one lets him out of the barn.”

Creating positive farming encounters

Things never stop at The Jungle Farm in Innisfail, Alberta. Leona and Blaine Staples started in 1996 with half an acre of strawberries, and now grow 16 acres, in addition to five acres of vegetables and 3,000 square feet of greenhouse. When it has its other hat on, the farm becomes a bustling space for everything from birthday parties to corporate picnics. The general public can enjoy a wagon ride pulled by an antique tractor, bale maze, corn maze, petting farm, pumpkin patch, tricycle track, pumpkin slingshot, bull roping, stationary wooden train, a sand pile with toys, and more. Jungle Farm also offers educational programs for school, youth, camp and senior groups, and workshops for the public. For example, during ‘Glimpse of Spring,’ participants learn about flowers and plan their gardens. Leona says: “We saw the farm as an opportunity to provide people with positive exposure to agriculture.”
Costs and labour 
“It depends on the item. With the pumpkin slingshot, there was a dollar amount attached to the activity, and it was easy to see we made cost return in one season. When we expand something like the petting zoo, it’s harder to tell. However, I believe adding anything new has value because it attracts returning customers.”
Biggest benefits? 
“I really enjoy being with people, especially people who are really interested in learning about growing. I value educating children and this gives me a direct opportunity to do this. Our own children are also learning and enjoying the business.”
Biggest challenges?
“Managing your time. It’s a question of keeping everything balanced, especially at crunch times of year.”
Type of person best suited to this type of business? 
“You have to have lots of different skills – marketing, people management, time management.”
Funny story
“Last fall, we started offering a scarecrow-making activity, with clothes, wooden frames, hats, straw—all the trimmings. It was very popular. At the end, people were convinced they could fit their creation into their cars—even Austin Minis—with straw and boards sticking out all over the place, on roof racks, out hatches. There were some pretty funny vehicles leaving our property.”

Horsing around

One hour from Edmonton, near Sangudo, Alberta, people wanting to explore an authentic ranch experience—or explore in a canoe, tube, ATV or wagon—go to Lakeview Guest Ranch, owned by Eckhard and Diana Krah. Their one-day ‘Learning Experience Package’ allows guests to learn the basics of horse interaction, such as how to approach a horse and properly prepare for a ride. Refreshments, a certificate and photograph are included. Diana says they decided on this type of business because “we knew people are attracted to the freedom of the cowboy lifestyle, even if they don’t know what it really means to work and live a cowboy life.” Due to popular demand, the couple also decided to partner with a local company to provide guarantee-kill wild boar bow hunting. “This kind of hunting is price effective,” says Diana. “It’s exciting, and comfortable, with no license required, and safety training, guiding, accommodation and meals are provided for. Many beginning hunters come to try it.”
Costs and labour 
“We are still working on this. Since we are providing ranch vacations to only a very small number of guests during Alberta’s short summer season, there is a lot of unpaid labour involved. We love Alberta so much: we are proud and happy to share its beauty with guests from all over the world.”
Biggest benefits? 
“Coming from very hectic lifestyles, this helped us feel connected to nature and animals. Also, with different health issues, we know we can grow our food and live healthier lives overall.”
Biggest challenges? “Marketing is very cost-intensive and very difficult to do for a small operation like ours. It’s tough to get into the travel agent system, since they prefer to accept operators capable of taking larger numbers of guests. Another challenge is insurance – it’s very costly, almost impossible, to carry insurance for every activity.”
Type of person best suited to this type of business? 
“I think it needs a strong husband/wife team, best with kids helping, who are very versatile in their skills and love this lifestyle, because there’s not much vacation time, and you can’t afford a tradesperson to do all the repairs.”
Funny story
“We have a canoe for our guests to use on the lake. One time, I showed a father and son to the life jackets and paddles, and they said ‘Oh, we know everything,’ and off they went. Soon after, they returned to the house, soaking wet. The son explained: ‘Well, we couldn’t get the canoe to move forward. We tried every way of paddling and we just ended up going in circles. After a while, we then thought if we would switch seats, this may help, and that’s when we both fell into the water.’ I asked: ‘Switching seats?’ ‘Well,’ the son replied, ‘we thought it may work better if we do not face each other.’”

Planting the seed

At the time Karyn Wright bought Terra Edibles in Foxboro, Ontario in 1997, interest was just beginning to bloom for heirloom varieties of vegetables. Chefs from top restaurants across the country were starting to feature them on their menus and mainstream media was expounding the better flavour of the old-time varieties. Wright’s customer list has expanded accordingly over the years, and now numbers over nine thousand people. In response to the new Canadian Organic Standards that came into force this past summer, Wright and her husband Don McKay offer what they call SANER heirloom variety seeds (Sustainable, All-Natural, and Environmentally Responsible) as well as certified organic seeds. They also sell heirloom veggie plant seedlings, and lots of earth-friendly products at their store, The Village Green.
Costs and labour 
“The cost return of the original investment happened within the first year
of business. But then the idea of building a greenhouse to be able to supply heirloom tomato seedlings as well as the seeds caused some unexpected expense. It has taken some time to pay this off but it has allowed us to expand even more. The gardens are bigger and the sale of seedlings is a big part of the spring/summer commerce.”
Biggest benefits? 
“Lots of fresh air! I value being able to steer people into safe choices for their gardens and help them with seed selection.”
Biggest challenges?
“I have to keep up with all the new ‘green’ products—ensuring that they are what they purport to be, and affordable. This also means convincing customers who still want the ‘perfect lawn and garden’ to do a bit more physical work. It’s getting easier though. I also keep a good supply of locally-produced goods (a terrific jerk sauce is made up the road in Madoc), and I have to educate people that some of it’s seasonal and not always available. It’s also an ongoing challenge to find organic and SANER seed producers.”
Type of person best suited to this type of business? 
“You should able to multitask and listen carefully. Every customer has a story and much can be learned if you pay attention. We have everything from emu ranchers to ginseng growers in this area and they are far more expert than I’ll ever be.”
Funny story
“Well, here’s a sign-of-the-times story: I just spent three days at the Green Living Show in Toronto, with a huge percentage of the visitors asking about varieties of vegetables they could grow on their balconies. I guess this is not only reflecting the economic times but also the increased awareness about our food supply. People want to be more self-sufficient—hard to do in the middle of Toronto, but you have to admire the eagerness and the spirit of their questions.”

Fresh baked success

Hearing about baked goods made with organic grains, fruit, veggies, cheese and spring water can certainly make one’s mouth water . . . and even more so, if you’re a dog or cat! In Clam Harbour, Nova Scotia, you will find Katie’s Farm, Canada’s only certified organic dog and cat treat and dog food bakery that grows ingredients such as eggs, garlic, herbs, and vegetables right on the premises. The pet treats and food contain no meat, wheat, salt, sugar, corn or soy – instead, they’re bursting with organic grains such as spelt (purchased from a local mill) and organic fruit, veggies, cheddar cheese, cashew butter, sunflower seeds, oil, milk and more. Owner Jude Major started the bakery in 2002. “I had been making treats and food for my dogs for years,” she says, “and one day when I was walking, I thought ‘why not?’” She sells at the Halifax Farmer’s Market, wholesale to stores and ships across Canada.
Costs and labour
“I started in my kitchen and bought pieces of industrial equipment as I grew the business. A few years later, I moved the bakery to an empty business location down the road.”  
Biggest benefits? 
“I know a fair amount about canine nutrition, and get a lot of questions about dog health and allergies. I love to talk to people about their dogs and be able to help.”
Biggest challenges?
“You always worry you’re going to have a crop failure of something or other. Last year, for example, my squash didn’t want to grow for some reason, but I was able to buy certified organic squash from other local growers.”
Type of person best suited to this type of business? 
“You need an understanding of farming and good land stewardship. You can’t be afraid of physical labour.”
Funny story
“Through the power of the web, I was contacted and now manufacture private label parrot treats for Avian Organics in Crofton, British Columbia. These don’t have any milk or cheese, but have everything else. They’re a pretty rosy colour, and made in a bagel shape so the parrots can hold them.”

Counting sheep

Just by the name—Sheep Heaven Farm Bed & Breakfast—you can tell this farm would be a wonderful place to get a good night’s sleep. At their farm in Fort Steele, British Columbia, Werner and Karla Ludwig raise lambs from about 80 ewes. They also have a ‘watch llama’ and an assortment of other animals such as cows and chickens. The Ludwigs had raised sheep for two years when a neighbour suggested they start a bed and breakfast in 2000. Since then, their Canadian and international guests have enjoyed the scenery, the farm’s pond and food from the wood-fired oven. “People treat this place like their own home,” says Werner. “In nine years, we have only lost one towel!”
Costs and labour 
“Cost return is very slow because we have only two rooms. We are not worried about it because it is a lifetime investment for us.”
Biggest benefits? 
“We meet people from all over the world, from Scotland, Australia and Mongolia, from Singapore to Denmark to Israel. They are all very interesting.”
Biggest challenges?
“We have to be there in early afternoon every day, most of the time. But if we aren’t home, we leave new visitors a note to go and check out the rooms. If they like it, they stay, and so when we get home, we sometimes find we have guests!”
Type of person best suited to this type of business? 
“You have to be interested in people. You also have to not mind visiting with people at night in your living room.”
Funny story
“We had guests here from South Africa, and they said ‘Oh, it is strange that you have so many different plants and grasses that look just like the ones we have in South Africa.’ It turns out that here at the foot of the Rockies, it’s also hot in the day and very cool at night, just like it is in South Africa.”

Farm wedding bliss

Brides could wear ‘blueberry blue’ at Hugli’s Blueberry Ranch in Pembroke, Ontario, but most of them opt for white. The idea of offering Eastern Ontario’s largest high-bush blueberry farm as a wedding venue came at the same time that owners Brian and Judy Hugli were planning their own tent wedding at the farm as well as diversifying their operation to include a gift shop, animals, school programs and many fall activities. These include ‘Princess Tea Parties,’ pig races and blueberry pancake breakfasts, to a haunted house, corn maze and giant pumpkin boat races. “Outdoor weddings are very popular now,” says Brian. “We felt our picturesque and unique setting lent itself to holding them here.” The white garden tent attaches to the main building (with the gift shop and indoor washrooms), which is situated on top of a hill overlooking a spring-fed pond and the Laurentian Mountains. “Weddings are an important part of our financial diversification plan,” Brian adds.
Costs and labour 
“We use parts of the ‘wedding facilities,’ such as the washrooms and interlock paving stone platform, for other things, but I would say we achieved cost return in about two years.”  
Biggest benefits? 
“Weddings expose the farm to people who might never have set foot on the property. It also helps from a cash flow standpoint because you get a deposit up front.”
Biggest challenges?
“Weather. We’ve had small hurricanes in this area in the past, and you have to make that well known from time of booking that storms on the ‘big day’ are always possible. Even with normal wind, you need to sometimes leave decorating to the last minute. Liability with alcohol is also always a challenge.”
Type of person best suited to this type of business? 
“You have to be diplomatic and quick on your feet to solve all kinds of problems. Sometimes you have to mediate within families to find common ground. You can have up to four sets of parents (with divorces and remarriage) to cater to, in addition to the bride and groom.”
Funny story
“We hosted a lovely Hindu wedding a few years ago. The ceremony went on for several hours and, being unfamiliar with these weddings, we were surprised that people got up and walked around—but it turns out that’s completely normal. This wedding couple dropped by last summer for a visit with their new baby. Many of our wedding couples over the last eight years now have children. These are our ‘new customers’ for our family fun activities.”

Livestock breeding

Driving past the farm of Michael and Glorianne Bjerland in Pense, Saskatchewan, people often do a double-take. That’s because the cattle are just a little (!) smaller than usual. At between 36” and 46” at the hip, Dexters are among the smallest beef and dairy cattle breeds in Canada. On their 20 acres, the Bjerlands keep a small herd of 20 for both milk and beef for their own use, and for their breeding business. “We chose to raise and breed Dexters because they allow a family to have a safe food supply and limited vet bills with an animal that’s easy to handle,” says Michael. “They provide enough milk for us and meat for our own use and for sale. We feed the excess milk to our piglets.” The Bjerlands sell an average of two trained milk cows per year, and occasionally a breeding bull.  
Costs and labour 
“The original breeding pair was $2000 and then we bought a couple more heifers for quite a bit less. We built a barn and fenced our land for about $5000, and also bought a used AI kit. We use no computer programs. It took about six years to break even, but we’re still spending money to make things easier or more efficient. Our yearly animal registration fees and Canadian Dexter Cattle Association membership are quite inexpensive.”  
Biggest benefits? 
“It gives us great satisfaction to see our animals used for both meat and milk production and supplying all a family’s needs.” 
Biggest challenges?
“Dexters are a rare breed and we strive to meet the standards. There is a limited genetic pool and finding a bull that meets all the standards can be difficult.”  
Type of person best suited to this type of business? 
“You need to know the Dexter breeding guidelines and have the courage to cull all undesirable animals, even if they feel like best friends.”
Funny story
“Sometimes the lack of knowledge about livestock farming is pretty amusing. We were doing a milking demonstration at a farm fair when we heard a child crying and saying to his mom that ‘milk didn’t really come from a cow, it came in a carton from the store.’ The sobbing intensified when he touched the pail of warm milk. Another time, a father said to his child about one of our full-uddered milk cows, ‘Yes son, that is a bull—you can tell because it has horns.’”

Supplying other farms . . . and more

Amidst the 60 acres of horse hay, 25 acres of black sunflowers and 15 acres of horse oats on the Davis Farm in Caledon, Ontario, you will find Davis Feed & Farm Supply. Since 1989, owner John Davis has sold livestock feed, bedding, pet supplies and hardware—and, since 2007, gardening supplies. “We make our own birdseed and also grow an acre of pumpkins and sweet corn to sell in the fall,” says Davis. He’s always been involved in agriculture—dairy farming while growing up, then studying it at the University of Guelph, then working for a major feed company. But he decided in the late 1980s to strike out on his own and create a business specific for the area he knew best and had lived for most of his life. “I had the idea that if I stayed somewhere in the food chain [people must eat], I could always make a living,” he says.
Costs and labour 
“In this area, we’re rapidly losing agricultural land to the expansion of urban subdivisions, so in order to attract more residential customers to our store we added a garden centre three years ago. It’s worked well, and we achieved cost return within the first year.”
Biggest benefits? 
“It is very satisfying when you make your own decisions and everything works out well or even better than you thought. You get a sense of belonging to a community where you can provide a needed service. Being in agriculture also means being a part of the ultimate food chain, so it’s almost recession-proof.”
Biggest challenges?
“Working with uncontrollable farm market prices as well as government regulations that sometimes don’t favour agriculture. Another challenge is increasing our market share in a decreasing local market. This has caused us to try new ventures such as the garden centre.”
Type of person best suited to this type of business? 
“Someone that is willing to put many hours in, has a positive outlook and can adapt to certain situations while accepting alternative solutions.”
Funny story
“Our farm is famous in its own way. Our feed mill cats were once written up in a local paper—sort of ‘The Life & Times of a Feed Mill Cat.’ A litter of our kittens was used for the Disney movie Mark Twain & Me. Our farmland has also been used for commercials for such companies as President’s Choice and Jimmy Dean Sausages. When we raised pigs, our barn was used to film a scene in Road to Avonlea.”

Field to table adventure

Fairburn Farm Culinary Retreat and Guest House is becoming a legend in Duncan on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Five years ago, chef, educator, and slow food aficionado Mara Jernigan formed a unique partnership with Darrel and Anthea Archer, owners of the historic 130 acre farm and operators of the Cowichan Water Buffalo Dairy. Mara offers cooking classes, guided trips to Italy and a twice-yearly Culinary Boot Camp—a field-to-table feast for the tastebuds, senses, mind and soul. Participants harvest from the two-acre kitchen garden and orchards, forage for mushrooms, bake from a wood-burning brick oven, take field trips to meet local producers, and taste wine as they learn preserving and cooking techniques. “I love to teach people to cook, and it’s such a positive way to inspire small but important changes in their lives,” says Mara. “Food is my instrument of social change.” 
Costs and labour 
“I have not really aimed to ‘recover’ my investment. When I moved my cooking school to Fairburn Farm, I invested quite a bit on cosmetic improvements, revenue generating renovations (a kitchen I could teach in) and agricultural infrastructure which I knew would save time and labour (irrigation systems and raised beds)—and a brick oven because I love cooking and gathering around the hearth. This was reflected in the terms of my lease. I feel it is a real privilege to live on such a beautiful and historic property and I consider making improvements my contribution to the farm’s legacy.”
Biggest benefits? 
“By far the most important thing is living within my own value system and sharing what I have in a career that gives me great pleasure. The food I serve has a story, context and a small ecological footprint. Through my work with Slow Food International and Slow Food Canada I feel genuinely connected to a larger purpose and community. I have raised my son in an environment where he can learn some of those skills. We love meeting guests in the summer, and in the winter when it’s quiet, we enjoy having the house to ourselves.”
Biggest challenges?
“Staying afloat financially. Frankly, I really do not pay myself and have often subsidized my business. The old saying ‘How do you make a small fortune farming? Start with a big one!’ really is true. I have bought myself a lifestyle with some great benefits, but I am definitely not building a retirement fund here.”
Type of person best suited to this type of business? 
“A workaholic! You have to be dedicated, driven and passionate, strong physically and mentally. I have many days in the summer that are 17 hours and I might not get a day off for weeks. If you are in a marriage or relationship, it is very important to be absolutely clear about what it is both people want and have clear areas of responsibility.”
Funny story
With so many people coming and going at the farm Mara is very careful with the safety of her guests staying or helping out in one of our cooking classes. It turns out it wasn’t the customers she needed to be concerned with! A couple of years ago she was taking scraps to the chickens when a ram blindsided her, breaking her leg. Managing the guesthouse and teaching cooking classes was rather difficult, to say the least. On top of that, two weeks after her accident, her son broke his leg too!

Some Basic Principles of Saving Seeds

• Write down all relevant information, such as plant name, origin, year when seeds were acquired, seeding dates, number of days to maturity, disease resistance and yield.
• Never sow all the seeds you have of a rare cultivar in case frost, insects, disease, hail or animals jeopardize the harvest.
• Correctly identifying seeds and plants is crucial. If you start seeds inside, label seed trays appropriately. After harvest, be careful to label seeds correctly.
• After harvesting seeds, dry them in a warm, dry and well-ventilated area. Do not use temperatures above 45 degrees C.
• A freezer is the ideal place to store airtight jars of well-dried seed. A refrigerator is the next best choice. If this is not possible, store seeds in a dry place in paper envelopes. Dryness is more important than coolness and most seeds will keep at least a few years at room temperature as long as they are reasonably dry.
Source: “How to Save Your Own Seeds” booklet from Seeds of Diversity

Get involved in preserving genetic diversity

Seeds of Diversity is looking for people to grow Canadian tomatoes, save the seeds, and pass them along to other Canadian gardeners.
More than half of the garlic purchased in Canada comes from other countries, and most of the domestic garlic is one variety: Music. Seeds of Diversity is looking for growers who can commit to growing two varieties of garlic for two years in a 15 foot square plot.

For more information:
Seeds of Diversity (formerly the Heritage Seed Program run by the Canadian Organic Growers) was founded as a non-profit organisation 25 years ago to help preserve the genetic base. Fourteen-hundred members grow and share 1,900 varieties of heritage vegetables, grains, flowers, herbs and fruit. They run a seed exchange for their members and maintain a database of seed companies selling heirloom and rare varieties of vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs at www.seeds.ca.
Heirloom seeds are also available through the U.S.-based Seed Savers, at http://www.seedsavers.org/, which is also a non-profit, member-supported organisation that saves and shares heirloom seeds.

Your motivation for alternative energy on the farm might stem from environmental concerns, a desire for self sufficiency, a long-term hedge against price fluctuations, or economic benefits. It can be all of these. But on an operating farm, where the business is farming—not research and development—the right motivation can still lead to the wrong choice.

Even when land is factored in, alternative energy is not always a bargain. In many cases, it’s more expensive to use alternative energy technologies than to buy electricity from the grid. Luckily, when it comes to innovating, the small farm is the right place, because the person who makes financial decisions is probably the same person who will operate and maintain the system.

Peter Ronald of the BC Sustainable Energy Association explains that in Canada the economic feasibility of alternative energy varies greatly by jurisdiction. Energy is provincially regulated, and British Columbia, Quebec, and Manitoba, he says, have the least expensive electricity in North America. Those low prices have a big influence on the economics of alternative energy. What’s right for your farm might not be right for another. What follows is a snapshot of what’s afoot on the farm energy scene across Canada.

BIOENERGY – BIODIESEL
Call it living off the fat of the land: oil from crops such as soybeans and canola—and even rendered animal fats—can be reacted with alcohol to make biodiesel.

Why biodiesel?
Biodiesel burns cleanly, with lower greenhouse-gas emissions than petro-based diesel. It also biodegrades in about 30 days.

Tanya McDonald, the bioenergy research associate at Olds College School of Innovation in Alberta, thinks biodiesel gives farmers a chance to make use of off-spec seed and marginal farmland. Along with the economic advantage, she says, biodiesel gives farmers self-sufficiency. “Farmers . . . want to be more in control of costs, and have an outlet for their own commodities,” she says.

Besides removing engine deposits left by petro-diesel, McDonald says biodiesel blends have less odour. It also has good lubricity, which can be especially useful when blending with low lubricity ultra-low-sulphur diesel.

Keep in mind
McDonald says the blending ratio of biodiesel to petroleum diesel can be seasonally adjusted. Many users in Alberta have mixes with five per cent biodiesel in winter, and 20 per cent biodiesel from May through to late fall. She notes that some producers use 50 per cent or even straight biodiesel. “It’s up to them to choose what they’re comfortable with,” she adds. Users should check to see what effect biodiesel use has on warranties.

What makes a successful biodiesel production system? “With any of these systems you need to ensure that you know what you’re doing,” says McDonald. That means an accurate recipe and processes that give a high-quality fuel. Dr. Rex Newkirk from the Canadian International Grains Institute says: “It’s not really the equipment that makes the fuel, it’s the person that’s running the equipment.” He also notes that biodiesel can be made in systems sized for small farms.

McDonald points out that biodiesel has a shelf life. Many people produce it on demand, or make enough for one season. But don’t make enough for more than the current season, she advises.

Where we’re at
McDonald says: “The economics are difficult with the commodity prices high, but of course that changes all the time because commodity prices are changing and fuel prices are changing.” She thinks the economics of biodiesel can be further improved with crops that make use of marginal land and require fewer inputs. One such crop, camelina (false flax), is being grown in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The crop has a short growing season and a good profile for biodiesel production.

Bioenergy – biogas
Biogas technology captures methane emissions from decaying biomass such as manure. That methane can be burned instead of natural gas to generate electricity.

Why biogas?
From an environmental perspective, biogas technology captures methane instead of it escaping into the environment. This is significant because methane is a powerful greenhouse gas.

Garry Fortune, an alternative energy consultant in Ontario, also sees biogas technology as a responsible way to deal with nutrient management because the process leaves behind digested manure with fewer pathogens and less odour, making it both safer to use as a fertilizer and less objectionable to neighbours. He notes that biogas is not an intermittent source of electricity like solar and wind technologies, which depend on sunlight and wind.

Keep in mind
Manure quality makes a difference. McDonald says that biogas technology has been slower to catch on in Alberta because much of the livestock manure in the province comes from feedlots, where it mixes with bedding materials that affect digestion.

Don Hilborn, an engineer with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, offers a caution: unlike solar plants, biogas plants require constant monitoring as there are pumps, agitators, generators—lots of equipment that needs maintenance and replacing.

Where we’re at
McDonald says that Olds College is currently looking at smaller-scale digestion systems to handle feedlot manure. There’s no doubt it’s possible, she says, explaining how, in places such as China, biogas technology has been used for hundreds of years. It is a matter of making it economically feasible.

Hilborn says there are currently six on-farm systems in operation in Ontario. He estimates that to be feasible with current energy prices in the province, a biodigester would require manure from a minimum of 50-60 cows—and such an operation would still likely have to bring in off-farm food waste.

Hilborn is upbeat about the technology, saying, “There are lots of positive things happening on this file.” One possible development, he says, could be green natural gas, where the methane is run through a conditioner to remove contaminants, then into a pipeline to be sold off-farm. Fortune is upbeat too, noting that in Germany there are over 4,000 on-farm biogas facilities.

Bioenergy – solid biofuels (biomass)
Solid biofuels such as wood and crop residues or purpose-grown crops can be burned to create heat or generate electricity. For on-farm use, the most likely use is as a fuel source for heating.

Why solid biofuels?
While burning biofuels may seem like a low-tech way to generate heat energy, that’s the advantage. It’s an inexpensive strategy that doesn’t require sophisticated systems.

The use of solid biofuels for generating heat or electricity does release carbon. But the crops used are a renewable resource and remove carbon from the atmosphere, so it is considered greenhouse gas neutral.

Proponents note that, along with energy security and greenhouse gas mitigation, it has the potential to stimulate rural development by creating localized processing and energy generation operations.

Keep in mind
Pelletizing biomass for combustion requires equipment that is not in the price range of most small farms.

Michael Rich, a renewable energy facilitator in Ontario, says that electricity generation for the grid using biomass combustion in not suited to small farms because of the technology involved. Hilborn says the same thing, and doesn’t anticipate facilities for biomass electricity on a farm scale.

Where we’re at
In Manitoba, Roy Arnott, a business development specialist with Manitoba Agri-Food and Rural Initiatives, says there is increased interest in using biomass instead of coal—and that flax straw looks like a promising source. Flax straw is currently burned off or baled, so the concept of using it as a biofuel is very appealing, he says.

In Quebec, Bio-Combustible International inc. is in the process of building a biomass pelletizing plant that will process locally grown switchgrass, then sell the pellets back to farmers. Ingrid Marini, a manager with the company, says area farmers have already started growing switchgrass.

Bioenergy – wood stoves, furnaces, and boilers
While it has heated farms since the land was settled, wood technology is changing. Appliance sizes vary. Generally, wood stoves are smaller units that heat the surrounding area, while furnaces are larger appliances that heat a building using a duct system. Wood boilers are often located outdoors, with heat piped to the building using hot water.
Some systems use cord wood, while others function on wood chips or pellets—and some systems can burn grain too.

Why wood?
Think again if you consider wood old technology. Advances in technology mean that wood can be burned more cleanly and efficiently than in the past. But this doesn’t mean that all wood appliances burn cleanly, so be prepared to do some research.

While burning wood releases carbon into the atmosphere, when harvested sustainably, the carbon released by burning is offset by carbon absorbed by growing trees.

Fuel costs can often be kept low by burning wood or grain harvested on the farm.

Keep in mind
Many wood-burning appliances give off high levels of pollution. Automated pellet-fired appliances in which fuel is fed according to heat requirements can have considerably lower emissions levels.

With boilers, Cedric MacLeod, a farmer and renewable energy consultant in New Brunswick, says it’s very important to select an appropriately-sized unit. There is a tendency, he explains, to opt for a large firebox that requires less frequent refilling. But this means the unit often short-cycles, burning hard for a short while and, just as it achieves an efficient combustion, shutting off. Then it smoulders: an inefficient and dirty combustion.

Steve Clarke, an energy and crops systems engineer with the Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs, notes that wood costs have gone up recently. For people without an on-farm supply of wood, he suggests buying un-split wood by the truckload to minimize costs. He also says that he wouldn’t be surprised to see more rules and regulations governing wood-burning appliances because of pollution concerns.

Where we’re at
MacLeod says there is a lot of wood heating used in the Maritimes. He says pellets have received a great deal of interest because the technology can feed fuel at a rate that gives an efficient combustion, and it’s an automatic process.
MacLeod also talks about gasification-type boilers that can be loaded for 3-4 days and still burn efficiently. While they’re expensive, he says they’re miles ahead of older boiler technology. Are they worth the money? He recommends doing a lifecycle cost analysis including fixed and variable cost as well as initial capital cost.

In Saskatchewan, Glen Payne, a crop bioproducts specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, says there was lots of interest in stoves for pellets and grain a couple years ago, when there was lots of feed grain on farms and fossil fuel prices were higher. He notes that demand for wood pellets has recently increased because of European Union demands—and this affects the economics. “The economics change with the price of your commodities,” he explains, saying it really depends on prices of feed grains and heating oil. Right now, he says, it’s tough to cost-effectively compete with coal.

Geothermal
Geothermal energy is powered by the moderate and constant temperatures found underground. Heat (or coolness) is pulled to the surface from a buried loop.

Why geothermal?
Unlike wind and solar technologies, geothermal is not intermittent.

Darren Winczura of Alf’s Geothermal & Drilling in Alberta installs the technology on farms. He says farms are well suited to geothermal installations because there is ample room to permit horizontal loops (unlike urban areas where space limitations usually require vertical loops). Because of that, it costs roughly half the price.

Keep in mind
Winczura says that “The big thing is the loop.” He explains that if a system has too small a loop—or if the loop is improperly installed and doubled in the trench—the system won’t work properly.

Where we’re at
Winczura says the technology is starting to catch on in Alberta, and is already more established in other provinces. He adds that along with being suitable for heating homes, it works well in farm shops.

Other experts, however, caution that geothermal is an expensive technology with a lot of capital costs. Because the high costs make it a long-term investment, it is appropriate for operations with long-term price stability: likely producers operating in a quota system.

Solar – photovoltaic
With solar photovoltaic technology, light particles hit solar panels and are converted to electricity.

Why photovoltaic solar?
Solar energy does not generate any greenhouse gases.
The technology is well suited to providing electricity in situations where there is no grid connection. For example: small, portable units can be used to power pond pumps or run electric fences. There is not a lot of maintenance required.

Keep in mind
The payback on grid-connected solar applications depends on the jurisdiction. Because of the capital cost required, it is not always economical.

The amount of solar energy at any time depends on the height of the sun in the sky, and on the amount of cloud cover. Here in the northern hemisphere, the ideal placement is a south-facing exposure.

Hilborn recommends having insurance on photovoltaic panels against risks such as hail, lightning, and wind. It’s important to have a roof that can support the weight of the installations—and that the installation is configured to minimize the snow load.

Where we’re at
Hilborn describes developments on the solar front as “exciting” as provincial legislation in Ontario will offer premiums for solar and should drive the installation of roof-mounted solar panels on barns.

Doing some quick math, he explains that a typical household uses 1-2 kWh continuously, so a 250 kW panel (which would likely run a little less than 20 per cent of the time) would power 25-50 homes. When asked how big a roof a 250 kW panel would require, he says: “That takes a pretty big barn.”
MacLeod says photovoltaic grid-connected solar is not currently a cost-competitive technology, but finds that small solar arrays for off-grid applications are effective. “Solar is really a great way to run things that are out in the middle of nowhere,” he says.

Solar – air and water
With solar water technology, water is pumped through pipes located in heat-absorbing panels. The heated water in the pipe is then used as a hot water source. With solar air, perforated siding preheats air for ventilation.

Why solar air & water?
There are no greenhouse gas emissions.

They are relatively simple, low-maintenance systems that are well suited to applications requiring warm air or water. Julie Bailey, of the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture, cites solar air as a good option for poultry barns.

Keep in mind
The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association advises that a home solar water system will likely meet about 50 to 60 per cent of hot water needs, meaning another system is required to heat the rest of the water.

Where we’re at
MacLeod sees solar hot water as a great opportunity for the dairy industry, where hot water is required and where barn roofs provide a large surface area for collectors. In Nova Scotia, Bailey expects to see many farmers installing solar air and water systems as a result of recent funding.

“Solar hot water makes sense now,” says Clarke, who explains that the technology would fulfill a good portion of the summer hot water requirements for something like a dairy operation, although less in the winter. And the technology can be ground-mounted on posts if there are concerns about the strength of the roof.

Wind
Wind passes over turbine blades, causing them to move and generate electric current.

Why wind?
Jane Story, the policy and communications manager at the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, sees wind power as an opportunity for farmers and points to Denmark where, she says, 88 per cent of windmills are owned by farmers.
Arnott says the economics of a small wind turbine are close to the cost of production in Manitoba, but not quite. He adds that wind economics are easier to calculate than something like biodiesel, where the cost of the crop commodity, petro-diesel, and the Canadian dollar are all changeable.

Keep in mind
Wind farms are controversial because of concerns about their effects on health and wildlife, and because they change the appearance of the landscape. Botscheller feels that widespread community ownership is part of the solution to these concerns because with community projects, rural stakeholders will have more input on design and placement.

Wind type and quality vary by region, so know your wind. There are prevailing winds and also local winds that are influenced by the solar heating of air. Turbine quality varies too. Arnott warns, “You have to be aware that every wind turbine is not created equal.” In some situations, he says, a 3.5 kW turbine might give more power than a 5 kW turbine, so understand specifications such as cut-in wind speed (the speed at which the maximum power is produced) and match those specifications with your wind resources.

“Location, location, location” is a familiar refrain in real estate, and it applies to wind turbines too. Turbines are best mounted away from trees, hills, fences, and buildings that could create turbulence that will affect turbine performance.

Where we’re at
Bailey says that windmills get more media attention than other energy projects, but they are not the best option in Nova Scotia because the payback is not as good as with technology such as solar water.

In Ontario, Botscheller sees a combination of wind and biomass as a promising combination, with biomass crops grown on the land surrounding turbines. In Manitoba, Arnott says many people are considering wind energy, and waiting for the math to make sense.

Conclusion
Michael Rich thinks small farms are well suited to making alternative energy technologies successful because they are very flexible, usually owner operated, and accustomed to doing business case analyses. And for small farms, he says, combining renewable energy technologies can make a lot of sense. “It’s almost like back to the future with modern technology,” says Rich, talking about how farms harvested wind and water power in the past.

MAKING DECISIONS
Where to start
“Energy efficiency is the first step to renewables,” says MacLeod. Bailey uses the same approach and says an efficiency audit might make it possible to install a smaller energy system. She gives the example of a farmer who installed a wind turbine with a 15-year payback. Then he changed all his lighting to compact fluorescent and had a 2-year payback. The lights were the better business decision, she says. Bailey points out that in Nova Scotia, 61 per cent of farms are small, so in many cases the house is where the most energy is used—and is the best place to start looking for opportunities.

Which technology
Bailey starts by looking at whether there is a need for heating, cooling, or electricity, which helps to narrow down the options.
But which type of energy generation is right? The answer might be tainted by how we think about energy. Rich points out the distinction between energy and power: “In Ontario, power has come to mean electricity,” he says—and electricity isn’t the only option. Reg Renner, a renewable-energy leasing specialist with Atticus Financial, points out that, in North America, 40 per cent of energy requirements are for thermal energy—and thermal energy doesn’t have to come from electricity.

Rich says, “I believe in one word, and that’s validation . . . of technology.” His advice is to seek a competent third-party validation of claims being made before buying anything. Fortune adds, “Number one is: where is it in a practical application today? Where is it and how is it being operated?”

Equally importantly when choosing a technology is determining whether is makes good business sense. Fortune says, “There has to be a business case,” and that means determining what is most economical.

Clarke recommends doing an energy assessment, adding up energy loads on a kWh per year basis. With dairy cows, for example, it is then possible to look at efficiency on a per-cow basis. He says to pay especial attention to electricity loads that run continuously, such as barn or yard lights and water trough heaters.

Asked about his favourite energy technology, Clarke says, “Conservation and efficiency. You’re going to save money from day one.”

Which provider
There’s a lot of hype about everything green in the marketplace. MacLeod says, “Green is cool,” which means there are many companies in the marketplace. He advises looking for a service provider with a track record—and asking about service packages.
Crunching numbers

• Renner shares his approach to crunching numbers during the decision-making process:
• Start with an audit of yearly energy expenditures (oil, electricity, natural gas, wood, propane);
• Calculate the cost of each source in GJ (Renner says this step is often an eye opener);
• Calculate the cost in GJ of the alternative energy being considered;
• Calculate the yearly savings if the alternative energy was installed;
• Then determine how long it would take for the savings to pay for the new installation.

Learn more
Jane Story at the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association suggests joining an organization such as hers to meet likeminded people. “Industry has an advantage in the sense that it can hire expertise and accumulate experience,” she says, adding that individuals can get that knowledge through meeting others.

www.farm-energy.ca was created by the federal government and is now managed by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Along with detailed information on each technology, it offers an at-a-glace page with key details.

www.bcsea.org BC Sustainable Energy Association.

www.canwea.ca Canadian Wind Energy Association

www.cansia.ca Canadian Solar Industries Association

www.ontario-sea.org Ontario Sustainable Energy Association

“It’s a great way to raise a few birds for the summer,” says Jason Cain, owner of Performance Poultry in Carrying Place, Ontario near Belleville. “It helps a little with the feed bill. They get fresh air and you don’t have to clean up the barn.”

Ron Hamilton agrees. “It’s way cheaper to grow them outdoors in the summer,” says the owner of Sunworks Farm in Armena, Alberta, where between 35,000 and 40,000 broilers are raised organically outdoors from May to October every year. “Barns cost a lot [for electricity to keep the birds cool].”

In terms of which birds are best suited to raise in portable pens, Jody Padgham, president of the Wisconsin-based American Pastured Poultry Producers Association, says any type or breed of chicken should do fine. In her experience, she’s found those interested in raising a small number of birds outdoors seem to lean towards heirloom genetics, because of the “old-style chicken flavour” and aesthetics it provides. “People seem to want birds that move around and are attractive,” she says.

Cain, however, is of the opinion that portable coops are mostly being used for meat production. “People use them for turkey too,” he observes. “Turkeys are great foragers, they love eating grass.”

Hamilton is among those who think broilers are somewhat better suited to portable coop life. “Broilers aren’t as high strung,” he notes. “With the layers, every time a gull goes by, they scatter and can injure themselves easily.” Hamilton advises that layers “should be more sheltered – in a pen that’s totally closed on the top.”
Whichever type of bird you choose, it’s imperative to remember that the use of a portable coop is not the easiest path. “It’s an intensive amount of labour,” Hamilton warns.
The first step is to either build or transport your purchased portable pen to your farm. Then, in addition to the usual feeding, watering and checking bird conditions you also must move the coop. However, how often you do that depends on what type of pen you have chosen and what your goals are.

If you aim to have your birds forage a great deal – in order to give them a certain quality of life, to achieve a certain quality of meat or eggs, for insect control, to save a bit on feed – you must move your pen every few days; chickens will stop foraging after the grass is covered with their manure.

You must also monitor the air temperature and ensure adequate ventilation. Birds must be put in the enclosed part of the coop at night to protect them from predators, or when it’s too chilly.

Many larger portable coops, however, are left in the same spot for years. Those designed to hold chickens year-round require a heating source. One advantage of these more permanent coops over a completely permanent coop is that you can take them with you if you move. They also lower disease risk if you move them every few years. As well, their portability allows the arrangement of your farm to be changed more easily.

DESIGNS
There are a dizzying number of designs out there, but the basics are the same: the coop must provide adequate protection from weather extremes and predators, and be heavy and strong enough to withstand wind and storms. The enclosed part must allow access for things like cleaning, harvesting eggs and checking birds.
Designs fall under several categories. There are coops that are easily movable with one or two people, which are usually on wheels. These coops are often small enough to fit inside a building in winter. Larger, more permanent portable coops are either moved with equipment or can be disassembled and reassembled. Lastly, there are “day-coops,” which are very small and can be moved between crop rows for insect control and soil fertilization on a daily basis.
Keep in mind that even small coops can be “ridiculously heavy, especially with nest boxes,” says Padgham. The biggest factors in weight are materials, size, and degree of insulation.
Karen Levesque sells both the plans for and already constructed versions of Ready Coop™ from Kinmount, Ontario. These year-round coops are insulated and meant to be easily disassembled, moved, and reassembled by two people.
Levesque recommends that the parts of a portable coop that touch the ground consist of rot-resistant wood, such as cedar or black locust, or some other inert material. “For the walls, the raised floor (which is covered with a galvanized steel sheet, then covered with cardboard), and nests, primed and painted plywood is what we use,” she says.
“Steel or shingle roofing lasts longest,” Levesque adds. “Steel mesh is used to cover the vents and under the earth in the brooder floor.”
Padgham stresses that “the impact of the sun on the pen can really age it. Tarps can age quickly if they’re not high quality. PVC tubing that is not UV-resistant will also deteriorate.”
Whatever size you decide on, the coop needs an enclosed and open area. It is best to have your flock closed in your coop by dusk, safe from predators. Doors should be lockable, as latches can be easily worked by raccoons.
To better ensure protection from predators, Cain advises placing portable coops in a securely fenced area. “Even if predators get up close and don’t get in, they can really stress out the birds, especially if you have a flightier breed,” he says. “They could injure themselves.”
Hamilton uses electrified netting around all his shelters to keep away predators. “We have to move the netting and shelters every eight to ten days due to long grass shorting out nets,” he says, adding: “Shading the net keeps away bird predators.”
The Ready Coop™’s interior features a multi-level roosting area, which Levesque says helps facilitate the pecking order. The highest, main roost in her design is four inches in diameter. “There is debate as to whether that size is necessary,” she says, “but because chickens rest their bodies on the roost, in a year-round coop it helps to prevent deformed breast bones.”
She adds: “You also will not want your chickens to have to jump too far down from the roosting area, as they can cripple themselves doing so – no more than 18 inches.”
Levesque says that the indoor part should also have a window. “Chicken mesh can make it more visible and prevent birds from trying to fly through,” she observes. “However, windows and vents would need to be insulated, as well, during the coldest times.” She notes that frozen chicken droppings emit no significant ammonia fumes during the winter months, but when there is a thaw, venting is important.

other concerns
On really hot days, Hamilton uses a pressure washer on low volume to spray the birds up to four times a day. He says in extreme heat, ventilation must be really strong. “Move fast,” he says. “You have to be on that.” Don’t overcrowd your birds.
In terms of ration choice, Hamilton advises selecting one designed specifically for free-range living. “You want the feed to have a track record,” he says.
If you plan to sell eggs or meat, Padgham advises that you “start small and get your production practices down.” She says it’s a must to check out things like where you can get the processing done and what certification may be required for direct sales or selling at farmer’s markets. “Make sure you have a market before you grow them,” she stresses.
In terms of pricing, Hamilton cautions to make sure to include your labour. “Typically that’s higher than what the grocery store charges,” he says.

More challenging than chickens
Because they’re not domesticated, raising game birds in captivity takes special expertise according to Stewart Paulson, a poultry industry specialist for the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. “It’s a much more difficult area than the standard chicken,” he says.
He cites the need for more space, special housing designed for the particular species, and conditions that are just right: many game birds can be flighty if the light levels are too high, while hot temperatures and overcrowding will increase aggression (see sidebar pg. 28).
They are also more costly to raise than chickens, especially when it comes to feed. Game birds need plenty of protein: roughly 25 per cent of their diet, especially in the first few weeks. They take longer to reach market weight than chickens, and conversion rates are poorer.
Then there’s the issue of waste: if your feeders aren’t designed specifically for a quail’s hooked beak, for example, you could lose 30 per cent of the contents in the litter.

Getting your ducks in a row
Too many people jump into game birds unprepared and quit just as quickly, so do your homework carefully before you invest a lot of time and money.
Begin by checking the legalities: local regulations, licensing requirements, and zoning issues.
Next, line up your markets before you buy a single egg or chick. Because game birds aren’t a regulated market, prices can fluctuate substantially. “Don’t go in and produce 20,000 pheasants and then find out there’s no place to sell them,” says Paulson.
Even where markets exist, it’s easy to underestimate the amount of work required to sell your product. “People don’t realize how many phone calls are involved and how much you have to be around to look after your customers,” says one experienced Ontario producer. “It’s not like if you raise dairy where the milk truck comes in every other day and picks up your milk.”
Similarly, if you’re aiming for the meat market, it’s important to line up a processor well before your flock is ready for slaughter. Game birds create a processing challenge: smaller birds like quail and squab require special equipment and small shackles, while many standard processing plants won’t accept pheasants because they are flighty.
Not only that, you need experienced and knowledgeable processors who can prepare the birds correctly for your particular market—in some cases by hand—so be prepared to pay accordingly.

The big picture
So where are the markets for game birds, and how stiff is the competition?
In B.C., a growing Asian population has fuelled a big increase in production. Over the past 15 years, for example, the production of squab (young pigeons) skyrocketed from 55,000 to 600,000 or 700,000 a year, and instead of one processing plant there are now three.
Most game birds in the province are destined for the Chinese and South Asian communities in the lower mainland and down the U.S. West Coast, although a number of European-style restaurants buy pheasants and partridge.
In Ontario, quails lead the pack, at least in terms of meat production. Nearly 1,400,000 quail were processed at provincial plants in 2006, more than double the number ten years ago, while production of other birds has fluctuated or dropped over the same time period.
Elsewhere, the trends are difficult to track. The most recent national statistics are more than fifteen years old, although Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has plans to update them this year.
Paulson notes that with markets still relatively small, the balance between supply and demand is delicate. If 50,000 partridges hit the market instead of 30,000 in a particular year, for example, the pricing quickly goes to pot.

Getting started
If you decide you want to give game birds a try, find a source of healthy, well-bred stock and start off with just a few birds. Study the requirements of your specific breed carefully and learn the ropes before you expand your flock.
Tracking down information can be a challenge, since many producers are tight-lipped about their operations. “It’s an area where you’ll find very little literature and documentation,” cautions Paulson. “People learn by experience, and those experiences are their competitive advantage.”
In Canada, B.C.’s InfoBasket (http://infobasket.gov.bc.ca) is probably your best starting point. Once your operation is up and running, keeping accurate records including costs, breeding history, and hatching rates will help you track your successes and improve your practices.
Start with one male and half a dozen females, suggest hobbyists Terry and Ann Priddle, who raise pheasants along with peacocks, ducks, and chickens near Windsor, Ont. If you have two males together, they’re guaranteed to fight.
One of the biggest issues in raising game birds are diseases like coccidiosis and enteritis, so invest in good litter to help keep your flock healthy and clean and disinfect the brooder house between groups of birds.

Looking ahead
Genetic stock sets apart one producer from another, so over the longer term you’ll probably want to start maintaining your own breeding stock. (If you’re selling to the restaurant trade, don’t be tempted to pass off old breeding stock in place of grower birds, Paulson warns. Chefs are a very discerning clientele and will spot the difference immediately.)
Your growing flock will require an incubator, since many game birds aren’t inclined to sit on the eggs. “Some of them are and some of them aren’t,” explains Ann Priddle. “Others run around and eat any eggs they can find.”

A Game Bird Primer
The following list covers the most common game bird species raised in Canada. How you rear them will depend on your market: for hunting preserves, birds need exposure to outdoor conditions and the space to develop strong flight skills, while many meat birds can be raised in broiler conditions.

Pheasants
Pheasants are relatively large birds that can be raised for hunting or meat. Meat birds are sold primarily to European-style restaurants, where they are often served as quarters or halves. Pheasant is high in protein, providing more ounce for ounce than pork, lamb, or beef.

Quail
The two most common types of quail are Japanese and bobwhite. Both are small birds that can be raised for meat, hunting, or their eggs, which are a delicacy in many parts of the world.

Partridge
Partridges are medium-sized birds, smaller than a pheasant but larger than a quail. While several breeds are available, chukars are a popular choice because of their docility. Partridges are raised mainly for hunting, as well as restocking birds in the wild, although a small restaurant market exists.

Squab (young pigeons)
The mildly flavoured, tender meat of young pigeons is considered a delicacy in many European, Asian, and Middle Eastern cuisines. Squab are fed by their parents and slaughtered at about four weeks, before they leave the nest. In North America, they are sold primarily to the restaurant trade.

Guinea fowl
Roughly the size of a broiler chicken, guinea fowl are raised primarily for their dark, delicate meat. They can be raised in broiler conditions or as free range birds if you provide some shelter. Beware—guinea fowl can be notoriously noisy birds, liable to shriek at the smallest disturbance.

Feather picking & cannibalism
Strategies to combat troublesome habits
Game birds can be aggressive, making feather picking and cannibalism serious issues. To help control the problem, make sure they have enough space, keep the lights low, and don’t let the temperature get too high.
Many producers trim the birds’ beaks to reduce injuries and mortalities, but the Priddles found an alternative: a home-made brooder made from a cardboard box covered with fabric and set up with a lamp shining inside.
“It’s like this little box thing is their mum, so they go in there and keep warm and they feel comfortable there,” explains Ann Priddle. “It really works.”

Sources
For a list of federally registered game bird hatcheries: http://www4.agr.gc.ca/AAFC-AAC/display-afficher.do?id=1184691968567&lang=e

Most people in Canada have forgotten or have never known that grains can be cooked as the whole foods they are. If you don’t mill them or pearl them or roll them, but just cook them, you get all of their goodness. We’re somewhat used to doing this with the rice that we import but not with our own grains. Wheat, barley, oats and spelt are good sources of fibre, niacin, thiamine, iron, phosphorous and calcium.

There is another virtually unknown way of eating whole grains. If you soak them overnight and then rinse them twice a day for two days, you get a raw food with a soft yet crunchy texture and a rich sweet taste. These sprouted berries of grain are bursting with energy and can be used in many delectable ways.

Nothing can compare with the very special treat of whole grain bread or muffins made from your own flour.

Grains grown for food make excellent compost and mulch material. After harvesting the seeds, the straw can be cut down and recycled either in other parts of the garden or on the same bed.

Grain varieties that are most appropriate for backyard and community growers are not easily obtained. Agribusiness has focused on varieties for processing rather than for eating whole. Diverse cultivars for direct consumption have been selected and maintained by cultures around the world for thousands of years.

In a world of rapidly diminishing grain reserves and rapidly increasing costs of processing and transporting food, it’s time we began to appreciate the food quality and the energy savings locally grown whole grains can provide.

Grains come with the huge bonus of their hardiness. In much of North America this means they can be sown in the fall and over wintered. Thus they can be cover crops and food crops simultaneously. They prevent erosion and condition the soil at a time when you normally wouldn’t think of gardening.

Soil Preference

Grains grow well in ordinary garden soil. Some varieties tend to get quite top heavy in rich soil and fall over (lodge) in wind or rain. This can be quite inefficient for machine combining but is not a big deal for a gardener harvesting by hand. Still, it is best to not add much high nitrogen fertilizer. The root growth of wheat, barley and oats make them excellent conditioners for both clay and sandy soil.

Planting Time

An April or May sowing usually means you’ll be harvesting when the weather is optimally dry in summer. Here on the west coast of B.C., I sometimes sow wheat, barley and oats anytime from late September through early November. They make it through very soggy times as well as nights that go down to 5°F (-15°C). Reports from growers across Canada indicate they can stand a lot colder weather than we have here. My fall-sown grains are usually ready to harvest only a few weeks earlier than my spring-sown ones but they often are more productive.

Sowing

It’s a good idea for first time garden grain growers to seed in rows in prepared soil. This makes it easier to know what you’ve planted when other grasses start appearing. I walk my row seeder the desired length of row, setting the depth to a seed’s length below the surface. Alternately, you can plant your grains by hand, sowing them an inch or two apart. Although you needn’t worry about thinning, your wheat and barley will do much better if not sown too thickly. After multiplying your crop for a season and learning what to expect, you might opt for planting in wide rows or blocks the next time around.

Maintenance

Weeding isn’t as crucial as it is for other garden crops. Pull out other grasses to avoid confusion when harvesting and eliminate customary bothersome weeds. Grains are quite adept at colonizing areas once they get growing: they put out side shoots called tillers that suppress weed growth.

Watering is also less of a consideration than for other crops. Grains are normally grown at times when there is abundant soil moisture. They are then ready for harvesting by the time it gets hot and dry in late June and July.

Harvesting

Harvest when the seed heads have totally dried. Your fingernail won’t be able to dent a ripe grain kernel. An April sowing will produce a July harvest. My usual method of harvesting is to snap the seed head with thumb and forefinger or to snip the seed head with scissors into a bucket alongside.

Threshing

All manner of small-scale threshing equipment has been invented in countries where small-scale grain growing is common. But until an inexpensive, efficient thresher appears on North American markets, I’m content to use my feet. I’ve made a wooden box about 2 feet by 3 feet by 1 foot high to the bottom of which I’ve screwed thin wooden slats for extra abrasion. I get into my threshing box with the harvested grain and remove the hulls by the simple process of rubbing the grains against the bottom of the box with my shoes. This same shuffle performed on a tarp on flat ground would serve almost as well. I then blow the chaff away with the blow nozzle attachment on my air compressor. Appropriate screens work almost as well. Any leftover chaff will rise to the water surface prior to cooking grain.

Yields

A 50-foot row can easily yield five pounds of grain and wide row plantings can yield much more. Grains multiply themselves very rapidly. A small packet can end up being enough to sow an acre after two years.

Cooking

Whole grains need to be simmered for about an hour. Prior soaking speeds the process somewhat and renders the seeds more digestible. Cooked whole grains may take some getting used to for those accustomed to soft foods. A bowl of cooked wheat berries does not get eaten very quickly. You might find their chewiness to be a very positive attribute, providing more flavour and expanding meals to a less hurried affair. Learning to savour the longer eating time for cooked whole grains has been a good experience for me, who grew up gulping and gobbling my food.

Saving Your Own Seed

Grain cultivars don’t cross, so saving seed for planting is simply a matter of not eating all the harvest.

Dan Jason owns Salt Spring Seeds. www.saltspringseeds.com

BASIC STOVE-TOP WHOLE GRAIN
1 cup whole wheat or barley

2 1/2 cups water

Bring grain and water to boil in an appropriate pot or saucepan, then simmer for 1 hour or until all liquid has been absorbed.

After removing the grain from the stove, let it stand, covered, for a few minutes, then add a pinch or two of herbal salt and fluff it with a wooden spoon or fork.

Cooked whole barley or wheat “berries” have a full taste and chewy texture. Their flavour is enhanced by parsley, chives, fennel, garlic, basil, anise, caraway, rosemary and thyme. They enrich soups, stews and salads.

Cracked whole grains are a pleasant alternative if you have a flourmill or food processor. Process the grains until there are no whole ones. Cooking cracked berries takes half the time of whole grain and creates a porridge-like consistency.

Select Grain Varieties

According to Dan Jason, a few grain varieties really stood out in the unusually wet summer of 2007.

Blue Tinge Ethiopian Wheat is a variety of wheat that matures much earlier than standard Canadian bread wheats. In 2007, I harvested it at 90 days. The seed heads have a beautiful blue tinge, as do the dark brown seeds. As a cooked whole grain, Blue Tinge Ethiopian Wheat is delicious.

Faust Barley: Commercial varieties of barley have a tight-fitting hull that is removed by “pearling”. For many years, I have been researching barley cultivars with looser hulls that can be easily removed by hand or foot rubbing. Faust is one of these “hulless” varieties. Most barleys also have long, hair like extensions sticking out of the seed heads that are called awns. These awns can make threshing a bit cumbersome because they latch on to everything. Faust Barley doesn’t have these awns so is a rare barley that is both hulless and awnless. Faust is a fine-flavoured barley that matures in about three months.

Marquis Wheat is a Canadian heritage wheat that was introduced just over 100 years ago. A cross of Red Fife and Dark Red Calcutta, I have found it to be much hardier and earlier than Red Fife. It was the number one wheat on the Prairies for many decades.

Marie Alexander says when she first invested in her livestock, neighbours passing by could barely believe their eyes. “If you come to my place, I have the largest horses and (some of) the smallest cattle in the world. I used to get skid marks on the road where people stopped.”

Alexander pastures Shires, the world’s largest draft horses, and Miniature Hereford cattle at her rolling little property—Starburst Ranch—near Duffield, about three-quarters of an hour west of Edmonton, Alta. The Miniature Herefords are part of a small but growing trend in the cattle industry that is attracting attention from acreage owners looking for manageable, interesting and, possibly, profitable cattle breeds. Alexander is a founding member of the Miniature Hereford Association of Canada, which was formed in 2000. The unique breed is much more than a passing fancy, she says.

There’s a similar story with other small cattle, including Lowlines, a stand alone breed developed in Australia from standard Angus cattle; and Dexters, a heritage breed of cattle that originated in the southern Ireland.

Small cattle enthusiasts tend to have their preferences, pointing to differences among the various small cattle options. Still, small cattle tend to have a few things in common, regardless of breed.

On Balance: Big Versus Small

The average size of a cattle breed doesn’t necessarily have a lot of bearing on its ability to transform feed into beef, according to a University of Guelph geneticist. “The research we’ve done here shows there’s not much of a difference for feed efficiency that can be associated with the size of an animal—which was a surprise in a way,” Dr. Jim Wilton, professor emeritus, says.

“The original thinking was that as people bred cattle to be bigger, the cattle would also be more efficient . . . We’ve done a lot of research on these things. We started when the Charolais was coming into Canada.”

Wilton says there are inherent advantages, however, for both large and small cattle. Smaller cattle generally perform better on pasture. Compared to larger animals, they don’t need to move as far to access all the food they need for optimum growth. That may also translate into a marketing advantage for small cattle owners who can meet niche demands for grass-fed and naturally-raised beef.

The big beef animal advantage lies with logistics. In feedlots, larger animals do not have a problem getting all the food they need for optimum growth. And with the larger size, it doesn’t take as many animals to produce the same amount of beef as with smaller animals.

For producers, this translates into fewer cattle to be handled. For packers, it costs about the same to process a large cattle beast as it does a smaller one.
~JC

There are relatively few small cattle in the world, compared to the larger animals. In Canada, there are only a few hundred Miniature Herefords, Lowlines and Dexters.

Most obviously, small cattle are, well, small. One of Marie Alexander’s Miniature Hereford cows might weigh 700 lbs whereas a full size Hereford will weigh 1,800 lbs. Smaller cattle are easier to handle and better suited to small-acreages with modest handling facilities. There’s also less of a safety concern for young people and for older folks who may have worked around cattle all their lives but are looking for something a little easier to handle.

Smaller carcasses yield cuts of beef that tend to meet the needs of many of today’s smaller families. People want to eat beef, but not in huge amounts.

Small size is linked to other attributes. Miniature Herefords, Lowlines and Dexters perform well on pasture or hay. Even when there are sparse pickings, small cattle tend to maintain their condition. And forage-based beef is marketing at a premium these days.
Owners of all three breeds report that good temperaments are typical and say veterinarian bills are minimal.

If you only sold small cattle through an auction, chances are you’d sell at a substantial discount; auctions are designed for, and attended by, buyers of regular breeds of cattle. However, small cattle breeds command a premium for those with a knack for marketing.
Alexander and other Miniature Hereford owners, like Bill Rendall, of Sunset Ranch, at Madden, Alta., are participating in a breeders’ market—selling fertilized embryos and semen to New Zealand, Australia, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Scotland and the place where the Hereford breed originated, England. They are also developing beef markets for culls.
In Canada, Miniature Herefords sell for $2,500 and up.
“Now we’re down to what I consider to be a proper price. You pay about the same for a Miniature Hereford as what you pay for a good quality, registered Hereford,” Alexander says.
Most Miniature Hereford owners finish their cattle on grass. That can take time—as long as 24 to 26 months—but pasture is cost-effective and Miniature Hereford boosters say bigger animals can not compete in a forage-based system.

An informal survey of Miniature Hereford owners in the US and Canada reveals that most animals dress out at 60 per cent—or even better— compared to dressed weights of around 50 per cent for many conventional cattle. In round terms, that means small cattle will dress out at slightly over 400 lbs where conventional cattle will dress out at 900 lbs.
That factor, combined the breed’s ability to perform well on pasture, provides decided advantage. Rendall says that Miniature Herefords also tend to have a larger ribeye area, as a per cent of their carcass weight. The ribeye area is the location of the best cuts of beef. “Not only will you get more beef with less feed, you’ll get better cuts of beef,” Rendall says.

“I think all the breeders are starting to come around . . . there’s recognition that the (conventional) animals are getting too big.”

East and south of Alberta’s rolling cattle country, where much of Canada’s Miniature Hereford population is located, Jerry and Kathy Jensen produce Lowlines. They farm near Climax, Sask., a few miles from the Montana border. “We’ve been at it since about 1997. I guess we were one of the first ones in Canada to jump into it,” says Jerry Jensen, a past president of the Canadian Lowline Cattle Association. He estimates there are now 300 full blood Lowline cattle in Canada.

With a herd of 25 cows and three bulls, Jensen says he brought in Lowlines to diversify his dryland, cash-crop operation. He happened to meet the fellow who was importing them from Australia and liked what he saw. “They were the perfect little cows but about half of the size,” says Jensen, who had considered investing in exotic livestock species, such as alpaca or emus.

“I thought with having a beef animal that at least you’d have something you could eat and the beef (from a Lowline) is about as good as it gets . . . ours do get a little grain but in my opinion, these cattle are well suited to grass finishing.”

The Jensens sell their cattle to other breeders and have also developed a market among conventional cattle producers for Lowline bulls and semen. Crossed with a Lowline bull, a first-time heifer will drop a lighter calf weighing around 40 pounds instead of 60. That’s a good insurance against calving complications.

Jensen doesn’t make claims of dramatically better performance with Lowlines but he says the breed is well adapted to pasture and hay-based diets. According to the Australian Lowline Cattle Association (ALCA), studies show Lowline steers will dress out around 59 per cent and, like miniature Herefords, have a significantly larger ribeye area.
The Canadian Lowline Association is currently investigating a “breeding up” program which would help increase the number of registered Lowlines in Canada. The strategy involves breeding an initial Lowline-cross heifer and her offspring to Lowline bulls. After the third generation, any offspring with the right confirmation could be registered as a Lowline.
At a recent auction in the U.S. prices for Lowline cattle averaged $9,000. In Canada, a bred female sells for $5,000, and a bull for $2,500.

In southwestern Ontario, near Exeter, Ed Post doesn’t make performance claims for his Dexter cattle but the vice-president of the Canadian Dexter Cattle Association says the Dexter breed does have considerable merit.

A Dexter crossed to a conventional beef breed will finish well on just grass or hay. Post finishes his Dexter-cross calves in about 14 months and says the carcasses usually grade ‘AA’ for marbling. A pureblood Dexter, in comparison, might take 24 months to finish. “I crossbreed them with the island breeds, a Hereford or an Angus, and that gives me a meatier animal but not necessarily a much larger one,” Post says.

Dexter cattle may also be the ultimate easy keepers. They maintain condition on just pasture or grass-based hay and never needed a vet. This allows Post, who keeps three cows and their offspring, to focus on his hogs.

Dexter heifer costs about $750.

“[Dexters] are suited to property with substandard grazing or unimproved pasture . . . My dad has never seen anything like them and he’s been around cattle all his life . . . When the burdocks are out in the spring, they’ll eat them first.”

Along with their commercial potential, Post sees a benefit in maintaining the breed for the genetic diversity they represent within the cattle industry. As with Miniature Herefords and Lowlines, Dexter bulls are useful for breeding first-time heifers.

Post supplies his own family and five other families with meat, working with a local abattoir. “I cover my costs, plus. I’m going to do that or I’m not going to have them around.” intersection: it’s hard to keep everyone moving to the right place at the right time. Even though farming is a full-time gig for Lewington (Bedard works part-time as an x-ray technician), “there are days when we’ve got too many jobs to do, and it’s difficult to juggle and decide what the priorities are and what’s going to wait until next day.” Because there are so many variables involved, a complex multi-species operation requires a lot of on-the-job learning, and continual fine tuning.

Before adding a species, “you need to have clear economic benefits. Otherwise you can put a lot of time and effort into something that will just cost you money,” says John Duynisveld, an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research biologist who also raises cattle, chickens, goats, pigs and turkeys on his own pasture-based farm near Wallace, NS.

Having a market for your additional species is the key concern, as is the cost of adding extra stock. If you don’t have ready customers, you could start small for home consumption, Duynisveld says. But for anything on a commercial scale, you’ll want a return that covers the labour required to choreograph the movement of fences and animals.

On the cost side, infrastructure can be a problem. “If you’ve already got sheep fencing, that will work for cattle. But a single-strand fence for cows isn’t going to stop a lamb,” Duynisveld says. And there’s the “skill-set” issue: you may have a handle on raising your main species, but you’ll have to learn anew with the additional one. That’s why it makes sense to start with complementary stock. Sheep and cattle, for example, or sheep and chickens.

But for graziers who can make it work, a multi-species operation proves the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Adding a species (or two, or three) just may produce a farm that’s more resilient, fertile, and profitable. “We’re not about trying to sell at a discount,” Lewington says. “We’re about trying to do a good job.”

Breed Characteristics: the Basics

Most of today’s miniature Herefords trace their origins to Texas where the Largent family of Fort Davis resisted the trend toward larger animals. Back in the 1960s the big Continental breeds from Europe, including the Charolais and Simmental, were being introduced to North America. But the Largent family moved in the opposite direction, developing miniature Herefords from their Classic Hereford line.

According to Regena Gribbenow, a close associate of the Largent family, typical Miniature Hereford cows weigh around 700 pounds and are normally less than 50 inches at the hip while typical bulls weigh anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 pounds and stand around five feet. Both cows and bulls are built close to ground and possess a thick, stocky frame.

Lowlines were developed from standard Angus cattle during an experiment in the 1970s by the New South Wales Department of Agriculture. The impact of size on conversion efficiency was being compared.

In the early 1990s, the Lowline research herd was purchased by individuals who formed Australian Lowline Cattle Association (ALCA). Today, Lowlines are recognized as separate breed from Angus cattle.

Mature Lowline cows are typically a little less than 40 inches at the hip and weigh around 700 pounds. Typical bulls are another four inches taller and weight close to 900 pounds.
Lowlines are always black.

Dexter cattle are dual purpose animals, valued for both meat and milk production. They originate in the south and southwestern parts of Ireland and may have been among the first cattle brought by pioneers to Canada because of their small size and thrifty nature.

Dexters are usually black but can also be dun-coloured or even reddish. Typical cows weigh less than 750 pounds and stand a little over 40 inches at the hip. Typical bulls are a couple inches taller and weigh around 1,000 pounds.
~JC