Something Very Fishy Here

[Jim Dixon]

This is more or less for those moving to this area, be it Kelowna, or Westside. To save them the grief we and others experience every year.

The prelude:
Most of the regulars know where I live so I won't detail it but not long a ago, a fellow decided to set up a vineyard (12 acres) - 20' from our detached garage and house. They did what most thought as being the right thing, and opted to grow organic grapes. Good on them for that.

Now the "fishy" part:
A few years ago, the owners decided to spray several times a year using fish fertilizer. Fully scented! Do you have any idea what 12 acres of fish fertilizer smells like, on a hot humid day? And it lasts all summer. It's that and, the acceptable sulfur sprays. Mmmm a light scent of sulfur along with the very pungent smell of dead, rotting fish really dos something about one wanting to go outside to garden, bar-b-q, or just relax. It is impossible.

Why spray a stink like that when there is an unscented fish fertilizer available? What would make someone do something that knowingly irritates people around the area?

The farm Practices Code and Farms Right to Farm, are loaded with protection for the farmer - none for the people. Yes - yes. One can run the bureaucratic gauntlet and see what can be done. In the last four years of my trying to get someone to reason with a very arrogant, unreasonable, and bullish man, here is what it boiled down to.
[list]Minister of Agriculture referred me to a local Kelowna "official".[*]One must "pay a $100.00 filing fee" before the governments commission would even look at a file. It does not even intimate that anything would be accomplished except that the govt would be $100.00 richer and the complainant, $100.00 poorer. I just has to ask the government what happened to the taxes we paid last year, and for the last 21 years - did they loose it? Nope, they said "it is the cost of doing business.". I think he meant to say, 'cost of getting the business.'[*]Each government, and branch of governments passed it too.,"Call our guy in Kelowna, Kelown "guy" says to call District of West Kelowna )(are we still calling it that!) and the DWK says, call their guy in Kelowna.[*]SUMMARY: I had a wonderful trip going around Victoria all day, bouncing between the Kelowna guy, DWK guy, and back to the Minister's office - again. [*] Than it was suggested I call my "MLA", Ben Stewart.

The DWK says they can't do anything because, they say, it is in agricultural land. But the spray is leaving the grape property and reaching DWK roads, people's property, vehicles, homes, pets, even kids. But still, the DWK cannot do anything. Why? because, they say, there is no legislation prohibiting the owner from spraying outside his property. Oh, I know there are some regs that the DWK could try to use - odor bylaw for example, but they can't cite a farmer - only the provincial government can do something, that they won't do - make a quick resolution telling farmers they must use the easily available unscented fish fertilizer.

How hard could that be.

Our Westside is getting bigger every day as First Nations builds everything everywhere, while First Canadian lands provide the customers. As growing increases, farmers are more and more likely to encounter problems - and have been. But considerate, neighborly farmers understand that everyone needs to live together and _those_ that are responsible, professional farmers look for better ways and means to not just continue growing better crops, but also continue being good neighbours. There are a very few, though I've only heard of the one next door that IMHO, don't care.

Some homes are up for sale around here. One just sold. Won't the new owners be surprised when they move in and the guys sprays! The ones selling the house are lucky that the spray was not yet done when the new owners previewed the property.

Did you lose your cat? Check next door - it's a magnet for cats, falcons, eagles, and coyotes.

SUMMARY: I've talked to all of the departments, "officials", offices, and officers until they started passing me back to the 'other' guy. I have explained everything to the Ministers office (Don Mcrae) and since none of the people below him could or would assist, I have asked that he call me. Why not? He is an elected servant of the people, and this people is getting no-where and he probably doesn't even know how lop-sided the ministry is.

I'll keep you posted.

J

[OnTheRoadAgain]

Really? There is $41! that doesn't stink? They must have done something to change it from it's original 'organic' state.
Another concern for organic farms is nearby farms that are not organic.
Good luck finding someone to take responsibility.

[Jim Dixon]

Really? There is $41! that doesn't stink? They must have done something to change it from it's original 'organic' state.
Another concern for organic farms is nearby farms that are not organic.

What is a "$41!"?

Unscented fish fertilizer has been around for years and is still organic, and does just as good a job.
One has to understand that "organic" doesn't necessarily mean it be in it's raw form. Not always the Mother Earth kind of Eco-friendly safe product we like to think organic means. Kumulus is used too. Sulfur is considered a chemical but also considered to be 'organic'.

On another point I discovered. This farmer rarely controls the weeds around the vineyard. I am not allowed to use products like Round-up because if I do, the farmer can, and knowing him, would sue me. But, as I always say, 'you can sue anyone for anything anytime. Winning is another story and the only winners are the lawyers.

It's just a classic case of the 'good old boys' club protecting each others - um - fishy parcels.

[keeny]

Find out where the owner lives and spray wonderful fishy goodness near his property.

[mycomments]

Was wondering what was on the property when you moved there?

[Urbane]

The DWK says they can't do anything because, they say, it is in agricultural land. But the spray is leaving the grape property and reaching DWK roads, people's property, vehicles, homes, pets, even kids. But still, the DWK cannot do anything. Why? because, they say, there is no legislation prohibiting the owner from spraying outside his property. Oh, I know there are some regs that the DWK could try to use - odor bylaw for example, but they can't cite a farmer - only the provincial government can do something, that they won't do - make a quick resolution telling farmers they must use the easily available unscented fish fertilizer.

How hard could that be.

J

What if the owners were playing really loud music on their agricultural land? Could DWK do nothing about that either? Are owners of agricultural land not bound by the bylaws of the municipality? Be that as it may the solution here seems pretty straightforward to me. The owners start using unscented fertilizer. If they refuse DWK tells them that they have to do it. If they still refuse then the province can get involved but I find it very hard to believe that DWK can't take action given that the stench is going beyond the boundaries of the agricultural land. And I find it curious that the owners don't just voluntarily start using unscented fertilizer. Why annoy their neighbours when they don't have to?

[mycomments]

Is it zoned for agriculture? If so was it changed to it?

[OnTheRoadAgain]

Is the cost or availability prohibitive?

[Stunnedone]

Is it zoned for agriculture? If so was it changed to it?

It has always been zoned for agriculture to my knowledge. For the last 25 years we have lived in the neighbourhood it has always been that way for sure. Used to be pears, now it is grapes. Doesn't seem to bother any one else in the neighbourhood. First time I've ever heard a complaint.

[mycomments]

Well sounds like someone moved into an agriculture area and wants it changed now to please themself? There is less and less land for agriculture use. Let the framers, ranchers live too and make a living. They didn't move into a residential area but was vice versa.

[westernrider]

I hope the fellow's grapes don't taste fishy, imagine the wine. Should find out which winery he's supplying the grapes to and ask if anyone's complained of a fishy bouquet :)

[masen]

Is this normal farm practice, find out and if it isn't, they can't do it? Kelp is very good -mention to them, that it could be a good alternative. A farmer recently took a neighbour to the $100. Board and won as they found grape cannon were not normal farm practice for producing ice wine and therefore had to turn them off on Nov. 15, of each year.

[Graphite]

that sounds unpleasant and disgusting.

[LANDM]

What if the owners were playing really loud music on their agricultural land? Could DWK do nothing about that either? Are owners of agricultural land not bound by the bylaws of the municipality? Be that as it may the solution here seems pretty straightforward to me. The owners start using unscented fertilizer. If they refuse DWK tells them that they have to do it. If they still refuse then the province can get involved but I find it very hard to believe that DWK can't take action given that the stench is going beyond the boundaries of the agricultural land. And I find it curious that the owners don't just voluntarily start using unscented fertilizer. Why annoy their neighbours when they don't have to?

What does playing loud music have to do with Farm practices??? There is a right to farm act that supersedes the bylaws in many cases. Grinding up some fish costs less than grinding up fish and then doing something to de-scent it so that is the simple answer as to why they don't use your simple solution.
And to answer the last question, i would rephrase it to why spend extra money when they don't have to?
I don't believe that the farm is trying to annoy the neighbors. The only time I recall that was in kelowna a number of years ago when a longtime local farmer dumped a load of fresh chicken manure on his property to protest the neighbors land being released from the alr for residential use and his wasn't. :dyinglaughing:
Whewwwwweeeeee.

It's a low margin business, these people are trying to go organic, which much of society is screaming about as being a positive, and now they are getting hassled because of the side effects. Can't win. :127:

And no, I wouldn't want to live beside that either, but that is a cost to society of preserving farmland and a cost to the OP of living beside farmland. I don't know, but I would bet that the OP knew this was a farm prior to purchase. And it is likely that it is in the alr and that the OP hasn't owned the property prior to the early 70's.

[superbee]

Are there bears where you live? There are where I live, I am in black and Grizzly bear country, and I will not use fish fertilizer unless it is unscented. That, and being careful with onions--bears love, and can smell onions for miles. Using scented fish fertilizer is unfair to bears, it attracts them to urban areas where they are most unwelcome. He is just asking for a bear invasion if he hasn't had one already.

When we live now in areas where wild animals roamed free for eons, it is our responsibility to affect their lives as little as possible. From this standpoint, spraying anything that will attract bears is cruel, and he should be forced, as a danger to bears and the public, to use the unscented fish fertilizer. As I write this, I have 3 deer grazing in my yard, and my dog is inside the house, so they will not be bothered. The deer were here first. And so were the bears, they pass through here all the time, but not attracted by anything we are using or leaving around.