Product development Moose Meadows Farm Quesnel, BC Presented by Heloise Dixon-Warren, BSc, RPF December 4, 2009 Prince George, British Columbia Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Product Development “Where we farm with the seasons” Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Product Development Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Evergreen Products  th year; seasonal employment; 50 products in 2002 and 1600 in 2008;  Wreaths, swags, advent wreaths, Door Arches, bundles of boughs, garland; Valentine Wreaths, wild weddings; movies (“A Dog Named Christmas” )  High end premium wreath – a specific market Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Evergreen Products Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Evergreen Products  NEW PRODUCT: CAMO. CLOTHING! For those that don’t want to be seen in the bush!! Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Evergreen Products  Individual, Corporate, & Fundraising Orders; returning customers; referrals  On Farm Markets, Wreath Decorating Workshops; Farmer Markets; Majority sold through the internet;  shipped throughout North America Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Evergreen Products  Greenery used – subalpine fir, Douglas fir, western red cedar, lodgepole pine, Oregon grape, falsebox, common juniper, willow twigs, mosses; a variety of cones used also!  Tipping done on Crown & private land - mature forests (no plantations!!); no tenure available in BC (unlike other provinces) Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Birch Syrup  Began production in 2006 (with a sugar shanty)  Sugar Shack constructed in 2007 – commercial evaporator; 2009 tapped 230 trees Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Birch Syrup  Birch Syrup Products / Experiences:  Pure Boreal Amber Birch Syrup  Fructose stabilised Boreal Amber Birch Syrup  Birch Syrup Candies  Birch Syrup Caramel  Sugaring Off Festivals  Sugar Bush Tours Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Birch Syrup  Birch syrup products NOT regulated (unlike (sugar) maple syrup – regulated by Maple Syrup Products Regulation);  No standards currently in Canada; most producers adopting the Maple Syrup standards;  Responsibility of a Producer: produce a product safe for human consumption Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Birch Syrup  Birch Syrup not considered a primary agriculture product in BC (for purposes of classifying a farm);  Birch tapping considered agroforestry practise; birch sap products a non-timber forest product;  No specific tenure available in BC for tapping trees on Crown land (“Maple Sugary Lease” available in New Brunswick) Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Christmas Trees  Most trees at retail locations (e.g. Save On Foods) are from central and eastern Canada;  Cultivating (shearing) “wild” natural regeneration – “Fresh from the Forest”; stump culture  Offering Choose & Cut; farm gate sales;  The Experience – hot cocoa, pond skating Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Christmas Trees  Annual planting to ensure an annual supply of trees so you can meet your market demand as your business expands; explore non-indigenous tree spieces;  Plan for forest health concerns (biological, weather damage)  Length of time it takes for a tree to grow in our area Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Wild Syrups & Jellies  Dandelion Blossoms – jelly & syrup  Fireweed – syrup & jelly  High bush cranberry – syrup  Wild Rosehip – syrup  Saskatoon – jelly & syrup Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

AGRITOURISM  Educational Farm Tours – school groups, families, individual, etc.  Birthday in the Barnyard  On Farm Festivals & Markets  Workshops – Wreath Decorating, Birch Syrup Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Alpaca / Llama Fibre Products  21 alpacas / llamas; Fibre sent to woollen mill for processing into socks, yarn, and blankets;  Camelids are fantastic browsers - assists with managing brush (poplar, wild rose) in the fields  NEW for 2009: “Poop in a Pail” Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons

Additional Information Heloise Dixon-Warren, BSc, RPF Moose Meadows Farm 2861 Nazko Road, Quesnel, T: / Website: Moose Meadows Farm Where we farm with the seasons