Time to mandate alternatives to Agricultural burning!

[Catri]

It's not about moving in next to a farm and then complaining about it, it's about changing agricultural practices to bring them in line with generally accepted practices in the community. When I was a kid we had 15 fruit trees in our yard, every fall we'd pile the leaves that didn't go in the compost or for mulch on flowerbeds on the garden and set fire to them. It was great! Every spring we'd burn that winter's prunings too. A lot of people burnt off the dead grass in their lawns every spring, it was easier and more efficient than raking. You can't do those things now and for all the same reasons you can't, it's time to end open burning for orchardists as well. Things change, farmers aren't exempt from that.

[WalterWhite]

It's not about moving in next to a farm and then complaining about it, it's about changing agricultural practices to bring them in line with generally accepted practices in the community. When I was a kid we had 15 fruit trees in our yard, every fall we'd pile the leaves that didn't go in the compost or for mulch on flowerbeds on the garden and set fire to them. It was great! Every spring we'd burn that winter's prunings too. A lot of people burnt off the dead grass in their lawns every spring, it was easier and more efficient than raking. You can't do those things now and for all the same reasons you can't, it's time to end open burning for orchardists as well. Things change, farmers aren't exempt from that.

Absolutely, however expecting agricultural operations to foot the bill to fit in with society that’s been built up around them is backwards. The masses want clean air, then pony up and pay for it - the farmer sure as heck can’t - especially when those complaining are also the first to purchase cheap imported produce rather than supporting local growers.

[Hassel99]

While I have lived in the Central Okanagan all my life I have never fully understood why open burning and agricultural burning every fall was acceptable.
Today we should have a glorious sunny October day and I look out my window and the valley is full of smoke and it reminds me of summer wildfire season ( that now happens to often ).
I can not see up or across the valley because of the local fires creating smoke. It is smoke not from a wildfire but created primarily by the burning of Agricultural waste.
I was in my doctors office Thursday and my doctor was frustrated and complained that so many people were suffering from the health consequences of local burning and didn’t understand why it was tolerated. Open burning impacts the health of people living in regions were it is allowed to happen and it is contributing to the pollution of our environment. It should not be allowed in the Central Okanagan or anywhere.
The health of people and saving our environment is more important !
STOP the needlessly negative impacts of Agricultural Burning. There are many alternatives to burning the waste.

How did you live so long in an agricultural community and not learn anything about agriculture?

[GordonH]

Maybe if the landfill didn't charge an arm and a leg to drop off plant based waste, which they resell at a considerable profit as Ogogrow, farmers wouldn't burn as much and use the landfill instead?

Exactly, landfill would get more then enough free raw ingredients for their Ogogrow. Which they could either lower the price on their product. Or invest thoses profits back in for better equipment to handle increase in raw materials.
In the long run make landfill into money maker, that can be invested back into the CoK general revenue.
Of course this would not remove the smoke from forestry slash burns, it would be a good start.

[alanjh595]

Maybe they should just build high-rises and gated communities on all agricultural lands. That would stop the burning and solve the shortage of rental housing throughout the entire valley. win win.

[Catri]

Absolutely, however expecting agricultural operations to foot the bill to fit in with society that’s been built up around them is backwards. The masses want clean air, then pony up and pay for it - the farmer sure as heck can’t - especially when those complaining are also the first to purchase cheap imported produce rather than supporting local growers.

I'm not opposed to some sort of public funding to help offset the costs to growers. I disagree with your last statement though, I have always supported local growers. So much so that I've actually made my thoughts about imported apples being sold in our grocery stores known to management. I think it's shameful that anyone in the Okanagan is careless enough to buy foreign apples when local ones are available year round at very reasonable prices. I don't even buy SunRype products anymore since I found out years ago that the juice is largely made from Chinese grown apples and the last time I bought applesauce (I usually make my own) the label said "Product of USA". I don't understand the logic in thinking that a desire to breathe clean air is linked to buying foreign produce.

[Chessman]

The question is what are we willing to do differently to ensure our environment is safe for our children and grandchildren?
Recognizing we have an issue is the first step.

[Bpeep]

It's not like hydrocarbons or something nasty is being burned.

[WalterWhite]

Absolutely, however expecting agricultural operations to foot the bill to fit in with society that’s been built up around them is backwards. The masses want clean air, then pony up and pay for it - the farmer sure as heck can’t - especially when those complaining are also the first to purchase cheap imported produce rather than supporting local growers.

I'm not opposed to some sort of public funding to help offset the costs to growers. I disagree with your last statement though, I have always supported local growers. So much so that I've actually made my thoughts about imported apples being sold in our grocery stores known to management. I think it's shameful that anyone in the Okanagan is careless enough to buy foreign apples when local ones are available year round at very reasonable prices. I don't even buy SunRype products anymore since I found out years ago that the juice is largely made from Chinese grown apples and the last time I bought applesauce (I usually make my own) the label said "Product of USA". I don't understand the logic in thinking that a desire to breathe clean air is linked to buying foreign produce.

Sorry Catri, in reading that back I can see how it would appear to infer I directed that specifically towards you - not the intent.

[MAPearce]

Of course this would not remove the smoke from forestry slash burns, it would be a good start.

You could have slash burns OR forest fires EVERYWHERE just like the last few years in a row ...

But whats a forest fire compared to a measly old slash burn .. Less smoke in forest fires , huh ?

[dirtybiker]

Ah, best educate oneself about Ogo-Gro if your going to sling it's
name around.

be sure to flush.

You'd never catch me using it for anything food related.
No matter what the talking heads say.

https://www.kelowna.ca/city-services/ga ... ogrow-made

[Jlabute]

When I posted this I fully expected the anti-change, move away crowd , no climate change and lunatic fringe to come out in full force.

No, just the anti-scam force. Change is meaningless just for its own purpose.

voice of reason ( given your response I question your handle ) , just because you once did something ..ie.open burning and you thought it good family fun doesn’t make the behaviour right today. History is full of examples that mankind did not always behave appropriately... Our society used to tolerate the application of DDT , we put asbestos in building materials and used it as insulation, Slavery was once legal in the Great USA , when the Lions Gate Bridge was authorized to be constructed ,a 1933 bylaw authorizing construction mandated “no Asiatic person shall be employed as part of the undertaking “ , and shall I go on? These are all examples of unacceptable policies or behaviours that once were tolerated or acceptable.Thank goodness they were abolished.
History shows over and over that egregious policies that were accepted by a society at a given time do not always endure and need to be contemporized with new knowledge and cultural changes. OUR ENVIRONMENT IS BEING POLLUTED and open burning contributes to the pollution. Stop the burning !
Secondly ...voice of reason , I was born here and have lived here all my life so it is totally offside for you to tell me to move.
I am entirely within my rights to express my opinions ,live here and advocate for change !!!
Lastly , I am not anti Agriculture. I once successfully owned and operated a large orchard. The practice of burning or dumping cluttings over the bank are not a necessity or good farming practices,they are merely old and lazy behaviours that need to change.

Yes, you can advocate for change. Jump up and down and spread fear like the IPCC who now say come 2030 the earth is doomed unless we spend 2.4T dollars each year to stop a 1.5c temp rise. How quickly their policies change when they want money since it was 2.0c and the year 2100 just before it. How did Al Gore become so rich? Living off peoples fears. You can tell lightning to stop striking too so there will be no more forest fires. Stop people from lighting fires that burn forests. Agricultural burning is less than a drop in the fire bucket in comparison. We need informed and expert opinions to shape our communities future, especially with agriculture.

[Grandan]

Maybe if the landfill didn't charge an arm and a leg to drop off plant based waste, which they resell at a considerable profit as Ogogrow, farmers wouldn't burn as much and use the landfill instead?

Exactly, landfill would get more then enough free raw ingredients for their Ogogrow. Which they could either lower the price on their product. Or invest thoses profits back in for better equipment to handle increase in raw materials.
In the long run make landfill into money maker, that can be invested back into the CoK general revenue.
Of course this would not remove the smoke from forestry slash burns, it would be a good start.

Moving the ground up wood waste to the landfill simply adds more cost to the farmer. My neighbour has 10+ acres in apples. Over the years he has replaced older large trees for dwarf varieties. A few years ago when he removed the old trees he had them ground up by a commercial contractor. The wood waste was then turned back into the soil with a rototiller.
The creation of compost from wood waste at the landfill is a substantial enterprise that is likely not cheap to do as it involves heavy equipment. I do not see that the resulting compost product is expensive at a mere $1 per cubic ft. At least I know that it is properly heated to remove pathogens. I purchase the product "Glenmore Grow" which does not have any septic waste in it. Ogogrow on the other hand is made with wood waste and sewage waste and is entirely appropriate to use where food growing is not practiced.
Currently I pay $5 to drop off loads up to 250 kg which is about all my ancient trailer will carry, I can then return home with a 1/2 yard of super good compost for under $20.
Back in the day when we lived beside Orchard Park we could burn off the field behind our house to reduce the fire risk later in the season. Now it is more likely that a neighbour would call the Fire Dept.
As it stands, you need a permit from the Fire Dept to burn wood waste on agricultural land and need to prove that you are not burning that old fence or shed for good measure.

[voice of reason]

when they ground up the apple orchard behind my property we went up and asked if we could get some apple wood or mulch. we were told by the orchardist that the wood was not allowed to leave the property to stop the possible spread of insects/disease to other orchards. they pretty much just chipped up a whole orchard and let it sit there in mounds for a couple years then pushed it over the bank and spread it around to make it go away. now its a cherry orchard

[TylerM4]

we were told by the orchardist that the wood was not allowed to leave the property to stop the possible spread of insects/disease to other orchards.

You've uncovered a big reason for why many farmers don't want to "chip it". Fungus and other disease lives on the tree's bark and in any compromised wood. Chipping and spreading that wood spreads the fungus and gives it the perfect conditions to thrive and grow until it can attack new trees.

It's a similar story with pests. I'm sure you've all heard of coddling moth? It's the entire reason we have the Sterile Insect Release (SIR) program that we all love seeing on our property tax bills. One of the best ways to control coddling moth is to remove leaves, branches, and any organic matter from under the trees. The coddling moth winter there and return to attack the tree in the spring. Spreading a bunch of chipping wood waste beneath the trees would go completely against what they need to do to control the moth.