DAWSON CREEK, B.C. – As pedigreed seed growers in the gently rolling land in northeastern British Columbia, Garry and Judy Scott are always aware of the rules peering over their shoulders.
“Purity is everything,” said Garry, who pointed out the Peace region’s isolation has meant fewer disease problems compared to those faced by pedigreed seed growers on the Prairies.
While a federal inspector shows up once during the growing season to ensure the Scotts are adhering to the rules, controls don’t stop after the seed is grown. There are germination and vigor tests the seeds must pass as well.
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“You’re pretty busy,” Garry said. “I’d never say I was weed free but weed control is important.”
When sowing pedigreed seed, the Scotts must leave 10 metres between varieties. Those isolation strips have to be kept weed free and they hand pull the breeder’s seed plots to keep contamination to a minimum.
“We’re select growers. We get breeder’s seed – enough for an acre or two. We grow it out into select.”
Step by step, the select seed is increased into foundation seed, registered seed and finally certified seed. From the time the Scotts first sow breeder seed, it can take seven years for it to reach commercial farmers.
And all along the way, it’s a gamble. The Scotts must choose which variety and type of crop farmers will want to grow in the future. They’re currently excited about possibilities for fescue turf grass.
“You have to guess what’s going to be popular,” Garry said, “You can’t have them all.”
This year on their 2,200 acres, half in pedigreed seed and half in commercial grain, the Scotts are growing four varieties of wheat, two of peas, two of barley, two of pedigreed grasses and oats.
The Scotts’ customers are usually neighbors within a 200 kilometre radius but people have driven 500 km to buy their seed.
Pedigreed seed costs more than commercial, but it’s not as lucrative as it once was. That gap has been narrowed by the cost of crop inspectors who used to charge 40 cents an acre but under the government’s cost recovery plan now charge $2 an acre for their services. And there’s always paperwork for pedigreed growers.
Breeder’s rights fee
One factor working for and against them is plant breeders’ rights fees. Garry said he can get $13 a bushel for certified seed of feed peas compared to $6 bushel at the elevator. But he must subtract $3 a bu. to pay plant breeders’ rights.
The average farmer will have to get used to paying that fee, too. The practice of selling a little of the certified seed crop from the year before to a neighbor is illegal now.
“Varieties were always in the public domain,” said Garry. “It’s a hard thing for farmers to get used to. It’s going to take a generation.”
For seeding, the Scotts use an air drill, which they say is more accurate and packs the seed better than an air seeder. They don’t practise zero tillage and they straight-cut as much as they can. Lined up in their farmyard are several large bins with aeration fans to bring down the moisture content of the various seeds.
“Because we’re grain farmers, people assume we have the winter off,” said Judy. “But we’re attending meetings as soon as harvest is off and going to pulse grower meetings, seed fairs and to see the new equipment at the Red Deer show.”
While Judy runs the combine in the fall, more often she’s the home base, taking orders over the phone and checking Chicago prices on the computer. Garry cultivates with the help of a hired man and deals with the customers. The couple communicates with customers through three newsletters a year and have planned the first crop tour of their farm for July 19.
Committee involvement
The Scotts are members of the B.C. Grain Producers, the pulse growers association, and the Canadian seed growers association. Garry was on the B.C. GRIP committee while Judy is advising a provincial board about agricultural training needs. It is looking at developing an apprenticeship program for grain farmers.
That training does not come naturally even on a family farm like the Scotts. The farm was cleared of bush in the 1940s by Garry’s dad. Judy was raised in nearby Dawson Creek. Their son Doug now does all the seeding. He works as a pulp mill engineer but is trying to edge into farming and recently bought his own quarter section.
Judy said they have to “think long and hard” about how to bring their son in because farmers today have to learn how to be marketers and financial managers as well as growers.
“We grew into it. We learned how to be better producers and marketers. Our son hasn’t learned that yet.”
