Local governments plan for agriculture
The future of agricultural land in the Comox Valley was front and centre during a recent day-long public workshop sponsored by the Regional District of Comox-Strathcona, Smart Growth BC and the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. Deborah Sargent, Manager of Planning Operations for the Regional District, reports that Farmlands Forever: Perspectives on the Agricultural Land Reserve provided a real opportunity for elected officials, planners and farmers to share information on the long-term impact of land use decisions on the local agricultural community. "The focus was on what we have here as a rsource and how we can sustain it in the future", said Sargent, who notes the RDCS has had one of the province's most active Agriculture Advisory Committees. The 75 participants who attended the workshop heard about many of the global issues that impact our provincial industry, as well as the twin challenges of urban containment and the preservation of farmland. The workshop also covered the difficulties that urban encroachment has brought to producers and the critical need for sensitive planning along the local urban/rural interface.
Kent Council, the Agriculture Advisory Committee (KAAC), Fraser Basin Council (FBC) and most of all, the entrepreneurial farmers in Kent have put the community of Kent into the minds, hearts and palates of urbanites by connecting with leading chefs in Vancouver. Council's visionary "Circle Farm Tour" in 2002 led to the KAAC engaging in further small lot agriculture development. Several "market ready&quor; producers formed an Agassiz Producer's Group that has met with chefs and invited them to their farms. Now, the wonderful food grown in Kent is being featured in top restaurants, such as in the Agassiz Tasting Menu of Vancouver's Raincity Grill.
"The Connecting Chefs to Kent initiative has been great for us", comments Debra Amrein-Boyes, the owner/operator of Farm House Natural Cheeses, who saw her weekly sales increase by 10% when the menu items were being offered. "It meant we were able to introduce our products to a high-end market in the city that we wouldn't have otherwise reached." Given the success of the Connecting Chefs to Kent initiative, it won't be long before other communities are connecting producers and consumers through the chefs in their community!
The Regional District of Central Okanagan has made agriculture and its interests a central focus of its planning framework. The B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands recently completed and agriculture land use inventory for the RDCO. This inventory was used to develop a comprehensive agriculture area plan for the region. The RDCO agriculture plan is already producung results as the regional district is planning to hire an Agriculture Support Officer, who will act as an advocate and a liaison between the regional district and the local agriculture community. And the RDCO has begun an innovative sign program to keep agriculture top of mind amongst the area's residents and many tourists. Both the Kelowna and RDCO Agriculture Advisory Committees jointly organize an annual farm tour to show local community leaders and elected officials many of the opportunities and challenges facing agriculture in the area.
"The issues faced by farmers are often very different from the rest of the business community. The regulatory environment can either be innovative or stifling", said Sandra Kochan, Chair of the Central Okanagan AAC. "The real benefit of the tour is to have elected representative and planning officials meet with farmers to learn about some of the benefits and challenges in the local planning environment."
Representatives from the farm community in the Cowichan Valley are keen to implement the District of North Cowichan's Agricultural Strategy, and to continue building on the progress made by the newly formed Agriculture Advisory Committee. Two meetings held to date have set the stage for a positive and constructive relationship with the North Cowichan council. Councillor George Seymour, who chairs the AAC and championed its creation, is very encouraged by the interest shown by the local farmers willing to participate on the committee. "Already their contributions are demonstrating the importance of the work that lies ahead", said Seymour. "A major step for the committee will be revision of the Agricultural Strategy and having it adopted as an amendment to the community plan." Several of the advisory committee members have made the maintenance of agricultural drainage and securing water supplies for agriculture their top priority. Other members hope to enhance agriculture's relationship with neighbours and local residents within the community. Reprinted with permission from: |
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