The Advantage May 2019

THE
MAY 2019
FEEL THE
THUNDER
P.3
How Thunderbird Show Park has become the
go to equestrian destination in Canada.

2

SPECIAL
DELIVERY
For four generations the Swenson family has been
farming in Delta, B.C. It’s not an easy soil to work,
but it is nutrient rich, and the Swensons use it to
produce 35 million pounds of potatoes annually.
In April, Avenue Machinery delivered Rod Swenson
Farms their first Fendt. After decades of using
other machines the farm opted for a Fendt 516.
Joel Swenson says, “The Fendt 516 came out
in a comparable price range, but with more bells
and whistles. We’re excited for it”. The Swensons
realized that Fendt would best serve them to take
advantage of precision farming. Much of the leading
potato farming equipment is manufactured by
Grimme, a German company. Fendt is also German
manufactured making it better suited to work with
this equipment as the tractor’s computer more easily
communicates with the implements.
The advantages of precision farming are quickly
felt in areas threatened by urban expansion.
Farmers who may be feeling the land squeeze are
quick to adopt the advantages afforded by Fendt’s
on-board computer system.
Avenue Machinery has invested heavily in training
both our technicians and sales teams to serve
customers wanting to be on the front-line of these
farming techniques. Our technicians are sent to
advanced factory training in Germany and the United
States.
Some of the Swenson’s Fendt 516 features are; a
built in loader scale, programmable loader operations
and an automatic shake function. Avenue Machinery
added another nice feature, a Swenson’s nameplate
that pays homage to the family’s Swedish lineage.
A Swenson plate on the back of the 516
One of the farms smaller piles
Dan O’Reilly of Avenue & Joel Swenson
3

FEELING
THUNDERSTRUCK
Thunderbird Show Park, or TBird as it is affectionately
called by those enthralled with its magic, is indeed
the type of place that can put a spell on you. The
equestrian centre is a work of art that has been
lovingly crafted over the past 46 years. Thunderbird
has a beautiful country setting, meticulous grounds,
a very cute vendor village and of course spectacular
horses, topped by focused riders. A visit is a must.
TBird was founded by the Tidball family in 1973 with
the goal of growing the sport of horse jumping in
the west. By any definition this has been a success.
During preparation for the opening event of the
season, the park was full of riders enjoying their sport.
Competitors can be seen lunging their horses, this is
when you use a long lunge line and have your horse
move around you in a big circle. Doing this allows a
horse to burn off energy to calm down.
Elsewhere in the park riders make their first rounds
in the natural looking hunter class ring. This ring is
designed to mimic a fox hunt and is used for an event
that is scored much like figure skating, on style and
quality of movement.
Inside a nearby jumper class ring, more riders spend
time memorizing the order of jumps and taking trial
runs. The jumper class is not about style and is more
of a how-high, how-fast sport. A true testament to
the popularity of the sport is the diverse range of
participants. Young and old, male and female, the
sport seems to be enjoyed by everyone.
TBird sets itself apart from other facilities in North
America by continuously investing in the park. This
ongoing development is spurred on by a quote, that
has turned into mantra, by the late founder Dianne
Tidball, “I want people to wonder as they drive through
our entrance gates - What’s new and improved at
Thunderbird this year?”.
Fulfilling the ambitious vision of Dianne Tidball has
been left in the hands of her daughter Jane Tidball -
President of TBird, and her right hand man Chris Pack
- Chief Operating Officer. Along with their obviously
passionate team they march the park forward, in an
ever improving rhythm. This year’s big project was
adding new barns, there have also been updates to
fencing and other small details you’ll enjoy seeing.
It’s this commitment to ongoing excellence that has
led to the park becoming a truly world class facility.
It is recognized as one of the top facilities in North
America.
4
The unique 3 point track rollers
Kubota RTV’s are almost as numerous as the
horses at Tbird

No machine has just one job
TBird’s staff are always busy, with all staff having
multiple roles. During a tournament the horticulturists
become responsible for the rings, and use a fleet
of Kubota tractors to groom the footing. TBird’s
operators face many variables each day and it
shouldn’t be surprising that the versatility of Kubota
equipment makes it incredibly valuable to the park.
“None of the machines have one use - they are used
all the time, for any different tasks. That’s why they
have so many hours on them.”, explains Chris Pack.
Avenue Machinery is proud that the park has
recognized Kubota equipment as the best choice for
maintaining such a world class facility. Chris Pack
speaks to the leadership role TBird takes in the
industry, “Our clients look to us as a testing ground
- if we use a footing in the ring then they know they
can trust it in their own rings. The equipment is no
different, people recognize we are using what works
best, we need to!”.
Avenue Machinery is pleased to get this vote of
confidence from such a respected voice in the
equestrian world. As part of Avenue Machinery’s
partnership with TBird we sponsor the Kubota
$15,000 Grand Prix during the Summer Fort Classic.
Trading forks for a bucket the R630 pushes manure
Looking at the upcoming schedule, one of the
major highlights of the 2019 TBird season will be
the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Canada.
This in an important event and will take place during
the CSIO 5* Odlum Brown BC Open, set for May
28 to June 2. As the last stop before Nations Cup
Finals, the biggest event in horse jumping, the event
is special as the results will determine which two
nations will qualify for the Longines FEI Jumping
Nations Cup Final. This is the third time TBird has
hosted the Nations Cup and in December it was
announced by the FEI that TBird will hold the event
until at least 2021.
“Next to the Olympics, the Nations Cup is the
crown jewel of equestrian sport. It’s an honour and a
thrill to host the final leg of the Longines FEI Jumping
Nations Cup”, says Jane Tidball. Being named the
ongoing host of this event is a testament to the work
that the Thunderbird Show Park team has diligently
put in year after year. It’s exciting to think about what
is next for the park as they work to continue to build
on the TBird legacy.
Tickets to events at TBird are available through their
website www.tbird.ca.
5

WASTE
A 10-year inquiry into the cascading effects of nitrate
pollution in the Hullcar Aquifer near Armstrong has
resulted in the province introducing new regulations
on agricultural waste management and nutrient
applications. On February 28 the Code of Practice
for Agricultural Environmental Management replaced
the AWCR policy that had been in place. Though
a 10-year phase-in plan has the new rules being
implemented in vulnerable aquifer recharge areas
first, much of the Fraser Valley and Okanagan must
meet the new requirements as early as July 15, 2020.
The few remaining zones have until July 15, 2021.
Inspectors under the Environmental Management
Act will be enforcing compliance.
As environmental stewards, most farmers are already
very conscientious about waste management. It’s not
a secret that high levels of nitrates in the water table
are problematic, they pose health concerns and are
particularly dangerous to nursing mothers, babies
and toddlers. Exposure results in an increased risk
of developing stomach cancer in those exposed to
above normal levels.
There are some changes and clarifications to
proper waste storage. New rules make the steps
needed to avoid runoff clearer. Open field storage
and composting piles must now be covered from
October 1 to April 1. Holding piles must not be placed
over coarse textured soil. Liquid manure must be
stored in a permanent storage structure, designed
by a qualified professional. Existing earthen manure
storage areas must be assessed for leakage.
Some changes to when and how nutrients can be
applied are also now codified, application of nutrients
must not happen during the period of November 1 to
February 1, nutrients must also not be applied during
February, March, or October unless they need to be
made available to the intended crop.
The Code of Practice will have farms that are over
5 hectares develop Nutrient Management Plans.
NMP’s will be based on post-harvest nitrate test
results. If your soil tests for greater than 100Kg N/
ha, or phosphorus test results ≥200 ppm an NMP will
need to be developed. Many farmers already have a
comprehensive NMP because of the value they add
in fostering good production. The B.C. government
has a Nutrient Management Calculator available
online at https://nmp.apps.nrs.gov.bc.ca/. If you’ve
never put together a NMP you may want to seek the
help of a Soil Specialist.
As regulations tighten and provincial inspections
rise, record keeping will become more essential to
the farmer. In order to protect yourself from future
litigation we recommend going above and beyond
the base requirements. One of the major advantages
of the precision farming technologies being offered
today is their ability to accurately record what has
been applied. The computer systems can then send
this data from your tractor to a computer which
makes compiling records an easy task.
During development of your farms policies and
procedures be mindful of the public perception of
environmental issues, proactively working with your
MLA’s and keeping an eye on upcoming laws will
help prevent future issues.
6

Great Shot
Marc McPherson won the Avenue Machinery BC
Best 2018 photo contest with this photo of a Massey
Ferguson 35 facing out into the field. It’s not hard
to imagine that the tractor itself is feeling a sort of
satisfaction with life. After 56 years of working the
land this 35 is still nowhere near retirement. Marc
uses the 35 year round. It’s used for running the
snowblower in the winter and the sickle and baler in
the summer. Avenue Machinery helps Marc keep the
35 running by providing ongoing parts support.
PARTS
HOT-LINE
ABBOTSFORD 1-888-283-3276
KELOWNA 1-800-680-0233
VERNON 1-800-551-6411
7

CARING ABOUT
LITTLE DETAILS
The equipment you need to keep
your property, proper. That’s the
Avenue Advantage.
www.avenuemachinery.ca
ABBOTSFORD
1521 Sumas Way
1-888-283-3276
KELOWNA
1090 Stevens Road
1-800-680-0233
VERNON
7155 Meadowlark Road
1-800-551-6411
GIVE YOURSELF THE
AVENUE