Hello CRD residents,
As you know we need food and farmland that is protected and accessible to farmers over the long term. One strategy is to create a local government supported Food and Farmland Trust. It’s time! On February 20, 2019, the CRD Planning and Protective Services Committee will decide to advance a proposal for the creation of a Food and Farmland Trust in the Region or not. They need to hear from you.
What is the issue?
At over $100,000 an acre, local farmland is no longer accessible to farmers who want to farm the land. It is being purchased by non-farmers. In addition, over half our farmers will retire in the next decade. This combination is resulting in the significant loss of an important regional resource for self-reliance and food security – farm land. A proposed local government supported Food and Farmland Trust that protects farmland in a land bank that provides long term leases to farmers is being proposed for the CRD. It would be a vehicle to get farmland that is already owned by the CRD into production but also provide a way to add additional farmland to this bank as farmers retire, or important farms come onto the market. We have successfully protected our watersheds and parks in this way. Should we look to protect our valuable farmland this way as well? Click here for more info.
What is a Food and Farmland Trust?
A regional Food and Farmland Trust is proposed whereby the CRD and its member municipalities would set aside land they own to provide long term leases to farmers and to community food organizations to produce food for the Capital Region. This land would be managed by a third party to take care of the leases and ensure the land is taken care of, much like the fantastic working example of Haliburton Community Farm owned by Saanich.
What can I do?
● Write a letter and send your letter by snail mail to the address below (deadline February 13, 2019)
● Show up and speak to the CRD PPSC (Planning and Protective Services Committee) Feb 20th- Sign up to speak online by 4:30 Monday Feb 18
● Talk to your municipal representative on the CRD Board, and the Planning and Protective Services Committee that will be receiving the report and staff recommendations around the Food and Farmland Trust. We know that their questions about supporting this initiative are centered in the following: thinking local food security is not a concern to the CRD, that farming is not a viable option and that there are no new farmers interested, and the cost to the tax-payer
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A SAMPLE LETTER
Address your letter to the following:
CRD Chair
CRD Board of Directors
CRD Planning and Protective Services Chair and Committee
6th Floor Boardroom
625 Fisgard St.
Victoria, BC V8W 1R7
*CC your letter to CRFAIR at admin@crfair.ca if e-mailing
Speaking up
The meeting where the discussion will occur:
You are welcome to address a meeting of the Board, a Committee or Commission regarding an item on a meeting agenda.
You can make a request online or complete this printable form (PDF). We are also happy to mail or fax out a form–call Legislative Services at 250.360.3127 to request a form. Printed forms can be submitted by fax to 250.360.3130.
Requests must be received no later than 4:30pm two calendar days prior to the meeting. For a Wednesday meeting, this means requests must be received by 4:30pm on Monday of the week of the meeting. Requests to speak are subject to a majority vote by those Board or Committee members present.
If less than two days are available, you may still submit a request to speak to the Board or a Committee. Such requests are subject to unanimous vote by those Board or Committee members present.
Presentations are limited to four minutes unless a longer period is agreed to by unanimous vote of those members present.
Any PowerPoint or video presentation accompanying a delegation’s address to the Board or Committee must be submitted to Legislative Services in its electronic format at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting so that CRD Information Technology staff can add it to the presentation equipment.
- Brice, Susan (Director)
- Desjardins, Barbara (Director)
- Haynes, Fred (Director)
- Hicks, Mike (Director)
- McNeil-Smith, Cliff (Director)
- Mersereau, Rebecca (Director)
- Orr, Geoff (Director)
- Plant, Colin (Ex Officio)
- Ranns, John (Director)
- Williams, Ken (Director/Vice Chair)
- Windsor, Ryan (Director/Chair)
- Young, Geoff (Director)