CAAIN
CAAIN
Look up the dictionary definition of “driven to succeed”—Yes, we know. That’s not a single word but you get what we mean. There should be a photograph of Bill Vanderkooi, CEO of Nutriva Group and its Bakerview EcoFarm, one of Canada’s most diversified, forward-thinking agricultural operations. And that’s saying something.
The child of Dutch immigrants (hence the hard-work gene), Bill worked the family dairy operation as a kid, as well as helping on a neighbouring farm. Despite the two jobs, he did well academically, pursuing post-secondary studies south of the border and earning a master’s degree in in animal science with a focus on physiology & nutrition from Michigan State University. Bill has started numerous successful businesses, selling some and tacking on others to a growing mini family empire that includes his brothers’ operating farms in BC and Saskatchewan. And he’s done all this while dealing with type 1 diabetes diagnosed around the time he got his MSc.
Upon graduation, he was hired by a local feed company to launch the dairy end of the business, an opportunity that was to build his understanding of what it takes to run a Canadian ag-sector operation. The opportunity allowed him to learn a lot about the practical end of agricultural businesses even as his natural business acumen saw him take his employer from zero to 15% of the dairy market over a five-year period. What’s truly remarkable is that despite the long hours at his full-time job and the limitations imposed by a chronic illness, Bill also worked weekends on the family farm while pursuing a growing interest in the science of things, particularly physiology and nutrition, a thirst for knowledge sparked in part by his own condition. As he eased into a leadership role in the family business, he and his brothers focused on aggressive expansion, growing the operation from 80 dairy cows in 1994 to 800 a decade later. Not satisfied with 70-hour weeks, he created NutriCal, a liquid that raises calcium levels in post-partum cows, necessary because after calving, as bovines often have trouble dealing with all the calcium that goes to producing milk for their offspring. Naturally, he used this product as the impetus to launch a new company, Nutritech Solutions, eventually adding a feed ingredient that improved pre-partum bovine health.
All the while, he was working on a succession plan with the feed company, gradually reducing hours there even as he added other elements to the family business, including founding the Nutriva Group (a contraction of nutrition innovation), and an agri-tourism component that has blossomed into a terrific educational tool for BC school kids, as well as a farm retail market and a state-of-the-art agricultural research and testing laboratory.
“Honestly,” he admits, “From 2009 to 2013, we were leveraged to the hilt and things were tight, especially with five kids. But we stuck with it and things started to turn around. It’s a question of implementing systems and processes and surrounding yourself with good people. And our staff of about 40 is nothing short of spectacular. Their excellence allows us to add new projects like the work we’re doing with CAAIN’s support.”
Bill is referring to On-Farm Direct Measurements to Validate Traceability and Develop GHG Monitoring Tools for Canadian Dairy Producers, which is exactly what the title implies: a suite of tools that measure a cow’s GHG production, including assessing everything from enteric emissions to gases produced by manure. For this kind of work, Bill relies on the brilliant Spencer Serin, PhD, a chemist who wanted to be a chef, but the calling of fundamental science was too much to deny. Spencer’s numerous responsibilities include upgrading an old analog anaerobic digester control system so that Bakerview can produce digital data that will enhance GHG measurement capacity.
“We’re kind of like a dairy research facility equivalent of an Italian nonna who uses every bit of a chicken,” laughs Spencer, referring to Bakerview EcoFarm’s tendency to tack on activities and features to existing projects. Bill chuckles and adds, “That’s an excellent analogy. The truth is, of the Nutriva Group’s various business interests, the actual farm is the least profitable, and would not survive on its own. But in some ways, it’s the most valuable corporate component, since it’s where we conduct research and test concepts, including the CAAIN-funded dairy GHG measurement work. We have researched dairy, beef, and egg layer nutrition, among other areas, and we intend to contribute to the sector’s sustainability efforts and help meet Dairy Farmers of Canada’s 2050 net-zero target.”
When asked what the relatively modest CAAIN/ISED financial support has meant, the two look at each other and pause. “As you say,” notes Bill. “The ask wasn’t huge. Part of that is because our infrastructure is in-kind—the land, the lab, the farm buildings, the digester. So, in terms of covering costs, what we’re talking about is farm staff and Spencer’s time on this project and that’s not nothing. But to our way of thinking, the real value is being able to take advantage of CAAIN’s network and brand. The fact that we’re running a project approved by you guys is a feather in our cap in much the same way that we benefit from our collaboration with industry partners.”
By building this integrated data-capture system, EcoFarm will establish the ability to test and validate a data collection system using equipment that can measure enteric methane from individual dairy cows. This project will enable Bakerview EcoFarm to increase industry knowledge by conducting feeding trials to support the development of more sustainable dairy products in the future. The funding provided by CAAIN provides the resources to allow the EcoFarm to complete enhanced feed, product, and animal analysis beyond what is currently routine for the farm. This data will provide insights into performance and efficiency of the operation from sustainability and GHG perspectives.
Bakerview EcoFarm, Abbotsford, BC
TheoryMesh Corp., Winnipeg, MB
FortisBC, Abbotsford, BC
PT3 Biotech, Abbotsford, BC
CAAIN Contribution
$71,556
Total Project Value
$294,167
Bill Vanderkooi
President and CEO
Nutriva Group and Vitala Foods
bill@nutrivagroup.com