JANUARY 2018 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC Abbotsford hosts AgRefresh
open houses City seeks input farmland policies
by RONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – Abbotsford
Mayor Henry Braun wants to see better care taken of the 75% of the city’s land base zoned for agriculture and a stronger agricultural sector. To do this, Braun is asking residents for input on how agriculture can advance in step with Abbotsford’s growth. AgRefresh is the name of the ambitious process which launched in fall 2016 following the city’s adoption of its new official community plan (OCP). “AgRefresh really builds on the 2016 OCP,” Braun says. “This is a comprehensive three-stage planning process to update policies and planning processes.” The first stage was
preliminary research, including initial discussions with stakeholders to identify key areas for refining OCP policies and bylaws. Public consultations are now taking place prior to the development of those policies and bylaws. City staff will report back in spring 2018 and Braun expects their recommendations will be adopted by June 2018. The public consultation, which includes an online component, wraps up January 4. It seeks feedback on the three key themes of AgRefresh: ways the city can “support a thriving agricultural sector,” including housing for farmers and workers; adapting to changes in local agriculture, including the emergence of on-farm processing and sales; and accommodating non- agricultural uses in the ALR, such as home-based businesses. The key initiative was four open houses at the end of November and in early December, which attracted about 300 people. The open houses included information boards that allowed visitors to review the concepts and possibilities and vote with stickers on what they felt were valid ideas or those that needed adjustment.
Shades of grey
Gerard Smit, who farms in the Bradner area, liked what he saw at the open house he attended.
“I think the concept is
good. I didn’t expect this,” he says. “I’m very pleased with the attendance.” While many of the city’s
proposals are good, Smit finds it tough to give definitive answers.
“Some of them depend on the situation. It’s hard to say ‘yes, I agree with it’ or ‘no, I don’t,’” he says. The options for those living
and working on ALR land is a case in point, Smits says. While it’s one thing to ask what the public wants, ensuring owners are in compliance with the rules is another.
Braun sees this concern
and knows things could be better, something he hopes AgRefresh will facilitate. “The problem is we don’t
actually know how big of a problem or issue this is,” Braun says. “We have systematically looked at every property in the ALR. Approximately 500 properties are not in compliance… and we haven’t looked into the barns. We can tell this from aerial photographs.”
Braun notes that farming is
changing and as the Agricultural Land Commission adapts with new regulations for agri-tourism and on-farm breweries, the city needs to update its own policies and by-laws. “It’s been a long time since
Abbotsford has comprehensively reviewed our agriculture zoning provisions,” he says. “It’s created some angst with people thinking the big bad government is going to overregulate. We haven’t done anything. Right now, we are engaging with our public.”
Smit believes the city needs to take a look at infrastructure before allowing certain activities on farmland. “Personally, I think the city wants to do all of this but they need to look at infrastructure,” he says. Smit has seen the volumes of traffic increase on rural roads and fears allowing certain activities on ALR land without improving the infrastructure will cause more problems.
Dean Braun (no relation to
the mayor) is a broiler chicken farmer and sees the need for more housing options on ALR land but feels it needs to be done properly to be
Abbotsford residents are being asked to comment on potential policy and bylaw changes that will affect the way the city manages its farmland. RONDA PAYNE PHOTO
successful. While the mayor says the
city is done with using farmland for residential development, Braun wanted more discussion of densification in the urban centre of Abbotsford or “growing up” as he puts it. “We have to go up and get off the land,” he says, calling for taller buildings in the city centre.
Uncomfortable Braun isn’t the only one
uncomfortable with what kind of development the city allows on local farmland. Dale Rushka, a hobby farmer who also lives in the Bradner area, is concerned with industrial uses on agricultural land and monster home development.
“I watched my neighbour build a monster home, not destroy the original home. Now it’s a rental,” he says. “On the positive side, I watch my neighbour on the other side put in 10 acres of hops, which is excellent to see.” Rushka believes
diversification and exploring new options is the only way farming will survive. The mayor hopes
AgRefresh will make farming easier in the city. “Our collective goal is to
improve and enhance agriculture in the city of Abbotsford,” Braun says. “We’re producing a disproportionate amount [of agricultural products] compared to the rest of the province and we have to protect that.”
www.islandtractors.com
ISLAND TRACTOR is happy to announce the addition of SHEILA LAVIGNE to our Parts Department for the start of the year!
USED EQUIPMENT
N/H FP230 27P GRASS HEAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL N/H FP230 PROCESSOR, GRASS HEAD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL MASCHIO GIRAFFA 210 3PT OFFSET BOOM, FLAIL MOWER . . . . . 10,000 AQUAPEL AP400S 2000, 400FT HOSE REEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,000 USED TRACTORS
M/F 5455 TRACTOR/LOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46,500 JD 420 1986, 60” MOWER, 60” HYD BLADE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,650 JD X748 2008, TRACTOR/LOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,550 JD 1026R 2011, 540HRS, TRACTOR/LOADER/MID-MWR . . . . . . . 17,750 NEW INVENTORY
NH BC5050 SMALL SQ BALER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL NH BC5070 SMALL SQ BALER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL CONSTRUCTION
CASE 484B FORKLIFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,500 KUBOTA KX41GL EXCAVATOR 2 BUCKETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,900 JD CT322 TRACK LOADER, 1500 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,900 KUB KX121-3 2006, 6,000HRS, 2 BKTS, THUMB, NEW RUBBER TRACKS 27,800 CAT 303CR 2005, 4500HRS, RUBBER TRACK, 2 BUCKET, THUMB . . . CALL JD 110 TLB, 1500 HRS, COMING IN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL CAT 216 CAB, 4500 HRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COMING IN
ISLAND TRACTOR & SUPPLY LTD. NORTH ISLAND TRACTOR DUNCAN 1-888-795-1755
COURTENAY 1-866-501-0801 2005 JOHN DEERE 5205
W/LDR, 4WD, 53 HP, 3219 HRS $18,750
www.tjequipmentllc.com 360-815-1597LYNDEN, WA
ALL PRICES IN US FUNDS 2004 JOHN DEERE 6420
2WD, 110 HP, 4300 HOURS, POWER QUAD W/ REVERSER $33,500
23
KUBOTA M7040D
W/LDR, 4WD, 67 HP, 2006 HRS $26,500
2002 JOHN DEERE 5320
W/LDR, 4WD, 64 HP, 2685 HRS $24,500
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
