Creating New Regionally Adapted Genetics(RAGS) to meet your local food requirements - Ken Taylor

Redesigning LOCAL FOOD - to better satisfy local needs!

FPS(Food Production Score) – measures how well a country’s farmers are satisfying the food requirements of its own citizens and is measured by how much imported food/citizen/yr is needed above what is exported.

In Canada our Gov and Ag system encourages farmers to produce food for export(corn,soya, wheat, canola,pork, cheese,etc) and the billions of dollars spent on imported food is ignored or considered impossible to grow by Canadian farmers.

Until a decade ago our food production sold abroad(exports) was greater than the food we imported – now Canada imports more food than it exports---a $40 Billion deficit!

Farmers need to wake up and start growing food Canadian consumers want to eat. Example: Grapes - import $700M fresh + $800M dry/wet so this one product can knock $1.5B of off our import food bill. Crazy!

Fruit – nuts – berries – veggies

1950 – 90% made in CANADA 2013 – 10% made in CANADA 2020... 5% ?????

NEEDS GROWING FORWARD: 1) need farmers to learn how to grow what is being imported2) need “made in CANADA” genetics for our farmers to plant 3) need new genetics for grapes/apples/pears/quince/cherry and many other fruit, nuts, berries, veggies.4) need “export” farmers smart enough to switch crops???

must PRESERVE the PAST

by mixing older genetics

while FEEDING the FUTURE!

with new SEEDS of change(RAGS)

LOCAL vs CORPORATE GENETICS

Private landowners – YOU must learn how to create local food

genetics

that meet YOUR needs!

Regionally Adapted Genetics ----RAGS---- or

----GMO’s----

If Monsanto is allowed to control the genetics of YOUR food supply –

thenexpect more genetically engineered food in future. Regionally adapted genetics (RAGS) are not funded here in Canada !

O’CANADA – GMO free?

Genetics first ! then maybe RAGS to Riches?

Give out seeds

SEEDS

SEEDS

SEEDS

*see ACRES USA- Dec 2013 “Rogue Science” by Dr. Judy Carmen

-JC sees GMO’s causing major human health problems: 1) GMO’s toxicity can cause kidney distress by overtaxing its cleansing

function. 2) Pig studies show GMO’s cause ovary distress and thus reproductive

problems 3) Study showed GMO’s caused pig’s intestinal wall to turn red/swollen - an

allergic response resulting in severe gut inflammation(Crones,

Diverticulitis,Celiacs) 4) Cancer initiation likely from GMO food and GMO farm fields( Nico,

RUp, Aor) 5) GMO bad molecular structure = gluten intolerance,like HDL(good) vs

LDL (bad)

Taylor-made RAGS - no GMO’s

1) start with open-pollinated seeds --- ---------------NO controlled crosses or engineered genetics!

2) select for higher nutrient density food--- -------instead of higher volume food

3) select for superior taste ------------------------- ------before cosmetic factors like colour, size and shape!

4) select rainbow of deep colours as indicator of higher/healthier antioxidant content ------less white!

5) select maximum diversity so better adapted to climate extremes in cold/drought/rain/wind

6) select for pest and disease resitance so better adapted to organic agriculture and permaculture.

7) select for better storage capability ---NOT better shipability (like those « tennis ball » tomatoes)

8) select for better shade tolerance for food forests,permaculture guilds and other shaded locations

9) select for higher valued genetics to get higher $$ yields/acre - Grapes($40,000/acre) vs Corn($400/a)

Finally RAGS can be selected to meet specific local needs(resiliency): URBAN TORONTO? - maybe select for ethnic preferences – Toronto’s Asian community loves persimmons - maybe better root genetics capable of absorbing/assimilating soil nutrients in poor urban soil - maybe Nitrogen-fixing plant genetics to replenish fertilizer in deficient urban soils   - maybe plant genetics that can ripen crop to perfection in shade of tall urban building  

Bartlett pear genetics get fireblight , go mushy and cannot take cold below -25C but have great flavour

Concord grape has large seeds, sour skin, late ripening but great flavour cooked in pies/jam/etc

MacIntosh apple is a tasty, cold hardy Ontario native but has scab problems and poor storage.

Mt Royal blue plum dies young from black knot disease

but is sweet and delicious

Bing sweet cherries are not hardy, tricky to pollinate,attract birds, great fresh but make terrible cherry pie.

Butternuts are getting chancre disease, are hard to crack but have great flavour and Canadian hardiness

Lets look at the better genetic selections we have grown overpast 30 yrs at our GB Farm

found pear genetics that resist fireblight , store for months, take -40 C and great flavour – Northbrite, TAP

found grapes that are seedless, very cold hardy, early to ripen and great flavour – Earliblue, Mars, Kiwi

found genetics that keep Mac taste but have scab resistance and better storage – SuperMac, NovaMac

mix genes of apricot or sand cherry into plum and getblack knot resistance - Taylor Plumcot,Kappa Chum

many better cherry genetics found such as Black Duke, Cupid, Cornelian, Nanking and Tehranivee

mix in genes of juglans cordiformis to get disease resistance , easy cracking, and retain flavour -Buartnut

RAGS>>>>>>>>

some traits that needed improvement RAGS used to make improved crops

FREEDOM FARMING OUR FARM MARKET

OUR FARM MARKET

Higher Nutrient - means the food has more of anything needed by human body for optimum health..vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre, etc

Higher Density - means more quantity(m) of nutrients in a lower quantity of food(D=m/vol)…eat more nutrients(m) instead of more calories(v)

Blueberries/almonds/sprouted 12 seedsHigher Nutrient Density Food

Nutrients in Pawpaw = total banana+apple+mango

Save skin for insect repellant

>>> PAWPAW CAKE

CHUM JAM <<<<<<

>>>>

selecting for superior taste____

rather than cosmetic factors such as colour, size, shape

 

 

Manor CHUM pie

Pyrus X Sorbus cross = SHIPOVA

KEEP FLESH -makes great jam/pies/etc

Best Flavour

Select for rainbow of deep coloured flesh___

as indicator of higher/ healthier antioxidant content

Deep Red = lots of lycopene

<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>

This 25 lb Montreal Melon has GREEN flesh!

GREEN FLESH

Early Black – black raspberries

Anne – golden raspberries

BleuNuit – purple raspberries

WHITE – can be great too

Select maximum diversity -better adaptability to climate change - handles weather extremes in cold, heat, drought, rain, UV, wind, etc

 

 

Berry genetic characteristics we aim for:

Berry good to eat - superior taste Fruit has storage capability Fruit is quick to pick by hand ($$/hr) Plant is hardy in zone 5 and colder Plant is adaptable to poor growing conditions Select best for disease /insect resistance Easy culture – “plant and pick”

MULBERRY>>>>>

seaberry

Somerset, Earliblue, Mars, Magenta, Redliance, Polar Green, etc Year round imports supply 100% of $600M/yr Canadians spend on grapes Canadian farm vineyards produce wine grapes but no eating grapes Grape import prices are high ……$4/lb Easy to grow only if you select right genetics Overproduction can be processed: raisins, juice, jam, pies, vinegar- another

$900M/yr Grape expectations: 10lbs/vine X $4/lb X 1000 vines/ac X 100 acres = $4,000,000/yr Need lots of Canadian grapes to meet present demand – lets get planting! Wine farms are “hot fad ” but eating grapes make much more sense for future

farmers.

3 seedless grape colours

HEARTNUT walnuts

TAKE -40 C tempsNo PestsNo DiseaseHigh Quality proteinBest Carbon Sequestering treeTaste like butternutBetter adapted to climate change.STORES for over 12 months

• $6 per pound retail• 100 lbs/treeX200 trees/ac• $120,000/acre---WOW!• 10ac = $1.2 million/year

25 yr old tree-no care!So Easy to Crack!

- Looks like an apple tastes like a pear

- $3/lb x150 lbs/tree x 200 trees/acre

= $90,000/acre

1 acre corn = $401 acre TAP = $90,000

• Dual market-apple/pear• STORES for 12 months• 100% China import now• Exotic category means

no commodity competion

No pests- no disease!

STORES 12 months as flavour gets better and better-- tropical notes!

Took 5 years to acclimatize genetics

No disease or pests

Asians and Italians love this fruit

Seeds from our GB farm crop

Taylor Gold Plumcot grown from seed

Never gets BLACKNOT DISEASE that kills most plums

KEEP YOUR SEEDS!

BLACK DUKE Cherry---birds can’t pull off cherry to swallow fruit!

CORNELIAN FROSTY cherry-birds choke on oblong pit and

then leave fruit alone as they are used

to round seeds in cherries

Tehranivee Sweet Cherry

Select for

Select plants with better root systems capable of absorbing/assimilating soil nutrients.

Select as many Nitrogen-fixing fruit trees as possible…free fertilizer!

   

Fixes Nitrogen and thrives in poor urban soil

CHERRY OLIVE

35 yr old walnutsTalking to each other

Happily Growing 50 ft tall

Freedom Farming

Baby Banana for free

cherry apple

Lets get those seeds planted!

THE END

LUNCH TIME

Lets Eat

How to propagate(1:15-4:15)

FROM OPEN POLLINATED SEEDSFROM MOTHER TREE BUDWOOD

Love this Mother tree

”Discovery” apple seeds

Propagating from seed in fruit..........SEEDLING Propagating a piece of tree branch.....CUTTING Propagating by joining scion to root.......GRAFT Propagating by joining bud to stem..BUDDING Propagating in science lab.......TISSUE CULTURE Propagating by bending branch to soil....LAYER Propagating with a piece of root......ROOTING Propagating with a leaf pad.......Pear Cactus!

WHY PROPAGATE SEEDLINGS? KRISTINA’S SEEDLING APPLE PIE

Easy- to stratify seed but timing is critical. Nov outdoors or Feb indoors and 60-90d cold damp stratification needed.

Diversity - of traits expressed(every seedling different) so YOU can select for winter hardiness, superior fruit, disease resistance or any other local adaptability requirement you decide is important.

Cost Effective - trees from seed( seedlings) are cheap - BUT superior “made in Canada” fruit/nut/berry seeds are very hard to find!

Ownership - all OP seedling fruit varieties are “owned” by you so corporate interests cannot interfere – DO NOT grow GMO seedlings !

Resilient - seedling trees grow more vigorously and show more resistance to cold/wind/etc than grafted trees with fragile callus tissue

Rootstocks - they make great rootstocks for grafting superior Mother trees onto.

RIPE PERSIMMON FRUIT PERSIMMON SEED EXTRACTED

- Cherry apple seed is the only malus that comes “true to seed” so every seedling tree is identical----a rarity in fruit world!

- Seedlings grow well in all kinds of soils - even heavy wet clay

- Takes -40C cold ....that’s Ag Canada Zone 1

- Trunk bark resists rodent damage in winter

Gives a Dwarf fruit tree for cold climates

- Can be used as rootstock for grafting onto

- Gives high nutrient dense food for humans

- Fruit hangs on tree all winter for wildlife

- Great shelterbelt for permaculture farm

maybe Cherry apple?

Grafter enjoys his solitude or gets help>>

Uses actively growing tree (rootstock) of 3/8” calibre or more

Uses fresh new bud from favourite fruiting mother tree

Inserts cambium of bud into cambium of rootstock tree

“ T – bud” is most common method of joining the two cambiums

Stabilizing the “bud insert” is done with budding rubber elastic

Bud dehydration is prevented by tightly wrapping the bud with the budding rubber

Callusing of cambiums of bud and rootstock occurs quickly in Aug

Successful bud grafts should be well callused within 2-3 weeks

Bench grafting: Uses bare root dormant tree of 1/4”- 3/8” calibre as rootstock Uses 10 -15 cm dormant scion of favourite Mother tree branch Attaches cambium of scion with cambium of rootstock tree Whip & Tongue is most common way to join the two cambiums Taylor method is simplification of whip and tongue ....no tongue! Proper cuts are crucial and will be demonstrated The cambium joint or graft is stabilized with tape Dehydration of graft is prevented with grafting wax or Parafilm Callusing of cambiums requires warmth Successful grafts should shoot scion buds in 2-3 weeks.

What are they? -Plant section taken from branch or root that are used to develop a new plants -Two methods used: 1) Hardwood cuttings: uses dormant plant material ( in winter hibernation) 2) Softwood: uses actively growing plant material ( done during summer)

How to initiate rooting in cuttings? - hardwood cuttings done with bottom heat( 25 C) in cold environment( 5 C) - softwood cuttings done with mist chamber with high humidity/temps( 25 C) - softwood cuttings are not stable so must be used quickly after cutting - medium for rooting of cuttings must be very porous to prevent disease (rot)

These self–rooted trees have no graft union to worry about!

POLAR GREEN SEEDLESS GRAPES CASCADE SEABERRIES

ROOT SUCKERS - BANANA LAYERING – CHERRY OLIVE BRANCH

Planting your genetics like this?

A) Annual crops such as corn, soya, wheat, veggies, canola, etc?

B) Beastie crops such as milk, meat, eggs, etc?

C) Continual crops such as fruit, nuts, berries, crosnes, etc?

Canadian Organic –our organic consumer dollar increasingly spent on imported organic... local now becoming more important to consumer!

Permaculture – concepts OK... but Canadian content(genetics) poor!

Freedom Farming– reduce farm work(inputs) and go for walk in the woods( food forest). Let nature decide the genetic choices..what lives/what dies!

Transform growing methods by:1) Selecting/breeding “new” varieties adapted to Canadian climatic extremes2) Switching high intervention crops(organic apples) to more ”hands –off” crops(apple

pears)3) Changing from row cropping to “guild” cropping to better capture “sun fuel”4) Custom design your own food trees to handle your local conditions - “tailor-made” 5) Focus on $$ return/acre instead of crop yields/acre

Started first CSA in Mtl area - 300 customers in 1980’s – ran for 6 years Planted 3000 tree traditional Apple orchard in 1980’s….. Built and ran “on-farm organic market” in converted cow barn – 25 yrs Started own breeding programs – “rebirthed” the famous Montreal melon Selected regional adapted seeds for 100’s of garden growing

kits(Seracon) Tree crop breeding/selecting became main focus in 90’s and this led to

an incredible new tree crop diversity never grown before in Canada Cut down monoculture orchard in 2000 and started building guilds with

this new genetic diversity Nick(son) did black current research at OACC and this inspired him to

return and help me bring our farm research trials to fruition so as to benefit future generations of young farmers.

Toughest transformation now – how old farmer Ken will phase himself out!

Good storage Easy to maintain

Large marketDisease resistant

125 lbs per tree

200 trees per acre

$50,000 per acre

Photos above. Ice cider winter apples

Photo right. Purple passion flowers

Wonder Red

These are shade loving vines with fragrant white flowers.

Vigorous vines are great for covering fences, walls or trellis.

Northern kiwi are very hardy(Z2) Fruit has smooth skin and are much

sweeter and less acid than the commercial fuzzy ones.

Only female kiwi give fruit but need male kiwi close by for pollination.

Great for climbing trees and adaptable to poor soils.

$2 /lb 100 lbs per tree 250 trees per acre Good producers $50,000 per acre

• Some are black knot resistant• Delicious• Good producers

“Potato on a tree” = tree chestnut Better carb than rice/bread/pasta..no annual

replanting New blight resistant chestnuts = profit potential Thrives in sandy “potato soils” even acidic ones Easily stored for extended year-round sales(freeze)

Our hazels are a mix of wild Canadian hazels crossed with larger European filberts to give offspring that are very cold hardy (Z3), early maturing, disease resistant and produces large, high quality nuts in three years.

These small, multi-stemmed trees (3m) have beautiful dense foliage.

The nuts which have a higher nutritional value than acorns and beechnuts are also loved by all kinds of wildlife

Beautiful tree Liked by deer and people Produces late in the season Can hold fruit until winter sets in

Blueberries are an easy sell and are very productive

Perfect for northern climates

Attractive hardy (Z2) bush (1M) with very early yellow flowers (April)

Tolerates shade very well and wind

Hanging blue fruit ripens in mid-June

earliest of all bush berries…even before strawberries.

Birds love them…must protect-netting

Disease and pest resistant. Need two varieties for pollination. Berry blue, blue belle , tundra,

borealis

Dense shrub beautiful silver leaves (2m/Z2)

Berries have pineapple-citrus flavour Used to make health tonics, fruit

syrups, jams, chef “coulis” Orange oil from the seeds is delicious

($$$) Seaberries have higher ORAC (anti-

oxidants) than blueberries. Plants tolerate sandy soil, salt spray,

drought , extreme cold and no care Roots improve soil fertility by fixing

nitrogen. Berries hold on branches all winter

retail $4.95 per pint 2 pounds per plant 1000 plants per acre $20,000/acre

• No suckers- easy culture• Sweet and delicious • Not as “seedy” as wild blacks• High ORAC• Good storage for berry• Easy/Quick to pick

Small, very cold hardy bush (1m / Z2) with incredible crops of sweet acid fruit

Researching thornless varieties Researching larger fruit Researching colour variants Some gooseberry fruit stores well Eat fresh or cooked in pies,

preserves, chutney, etc. …good value added

Quick to pick but thorny

Sparkle is heritage variety with sweet, dark-red, flavourful berry

Bounty is hardy, productive plant with large sweet berries

Albion is tastiest, everbearing variety. Large firm berries

Strawberries spread easily, great for ground cover

Shade tolerant bush (1m / Z2) Currants are full of nutrients

(ORAC) Wide range of flavours Store well Easy to process

Best pear for really cold northern climates (Zone 2)

Matures very early Delicious, sweet and juicy Prolific crops

A mix of cherry and plum, combining the best characteristics of both.

Fruit are the shape of a cherry but larger like a plum, varying in color from red to dark purple.

Chum is very hardy (Z2) bush (2m)

Tolerate sandy poor soil, withstand drought and usually bear fruit one year after planting.

Masses of beautiful, fragrant flowers cover bare branches in spring

Need two varieties for pollination.

Freedom: Jonagold X Golden Delicious. Tree is disease resistant and immune to apple scab. Fruit is large, yellow with red blush. Crisp, juicy flesh has “old – heritage” apple taste. Stores as well

Yellow Transparent: Excellent for cooking, sauces and pies. Earliest, disease resistant apple- late July.

Gold Rush: A delicious late maturing apple. Disease resistant. Store well. Hangs on tree.

Golden Russet: The champagne of old-time cider apples. Used for cider, dried apples, fresh eating and cooking. Excellent keeper. Ripens late October.

Liberty: juicy, red-blushed apple with aromatic, old-fashioned apple taste.

Nova Spy, Novamac, Nova Easy Grow Red Free, Williams Pride Olympic, Bellemac, Eden, Reinette, etc

PURPLE PASSION - dark red flesh, purple skin

WONDER RED- red flesh, red skin KEN’S RED – red flesh, red flowers, dwarf

tree PINK PEARL- red flesh, yellow skin Selecting new red-flesh apples every year RED DELICIOUS offspring ( not scab-free) HONEYCRISP – latest “fad” variety Gala like apples – Ambrosia, etc Lobo, Cortland, McIntosh, Empire…NO!

Photo. ‘Dore’ apple

We import more than $400 million worth of table grapes/yr +$400m raisins + $200m juice

We import 100% of many tree crops from China such as Asian pears, Pine nuts, Goji, etc

Canada list no commercial growers of Asian pears, Pine nuts, goji or even table grapes

There are no commercial growers of Heartnuts In effect there are fewer and fewer tree crop

farmers in Canada than 25 yrs ago!

Would you put all your money in one stock or investment?

You minimize crop loss (1 fruit can have a bad year, 4 bad crops is unlikely)

Time your crops (spread them out over the course of a season)

Make your sales target much easier to attain (more diversity to the same outlet)

Easy to grow and maintain (plant and pick) Good producer hardy Easy to sell crop Profitable Storage Rarity/Diversity

Strawberries (mid June) Mixed Raspberries (mid July) Blueberries (early August) Plums (mid August) Euro pears (late August) Grapes (early September) Asian pears (late August-mid September) Heartnut (end of September/October) Food that stores…Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb-

June

Saves time Saves work Promotes growth Retains water

Black raspberries in plastic

Plastic laid in fall for early spring planting

Orchard Interventions by Ken Taylor 11:10am-12:10pm Orchard interventions such as pesticide spraying, watering, fertilizing,

pruning and thinning will be discussed. Harvest timing, methods and storage will be briefly covered as well.

OR Why STUN ORCHARDING led to GENETICS of FREEDOM FARMING ?

Stop controls...fate of your food forest “set free”...let nature decide what survives and what dies!

Cuttings (softwood, hardwood, root) Suckers Seedlings Grafting (bench, budding) Layering Tissue culture

Contact local distributors/wholesalers/retailers

Go to local markets/grocery Canadian produce marketing association Contact the government

Brian RenderFood Value Chain Bureau/Bureau de la chaîne de valeur des alimentsHorticulture and Special Crops Division/Division de l'horticulture et des cultures spécialesAgriculture and Agri-Food Canada | Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada1305 Baseline Road, Tower 5, 5th FloorOttawa, ON K1A 0C5

Brian.Render@agr.gc.caTelephone | Téléphone 613-773-0266Facsimile | Télécopieur 613-773-0299Teletypewriter | Téléimprimeur 613-759-7470Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada

20 years without missing a crop Berries picked from mid June to freeze up Super sweet with no acidity – black juice! Never needs spraying for anything Wildlife are addicted to mulberries

Transitioning to a Diverse Orchard with Ken Taylor 9:00-10:00amJoin Ken Taylor of Green Barn Farm for an explanation on how he diversified

the farm into a more resilient fruit, nut, berry plantation to fit lifestyle expectations of less inputs, less work and more profit. Whether

contemplating a business venture or more simply an adventure intofood sustainability, this workshop will offer inspiration.

WHAT did I learn from 50 years of farming TRIALS &

TRIBULATIONS ?

All 3 are bush cherries (2m) Very hardy (z3) Eat fresh or process Easy to protect from birds Plant and pick cherry July-August