Spending $135,000 a year to promote farming is not a big sum compared to the estimated $277 million the industry generates annually in 91原创 Township.
That鈥檚 according to a staff report that called the projected cost of the the Agricultural Viability Strategy (AVS) a 鈥渞elatively small investment.鈥�
At least one member of council was concerned it may not be enough to implement the recommendations of the strategy, a long-range plan to boost agricultural activity while at the same time easing conflict between urban and rural neighbourhoods.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 maybe going to hire one or two people,鈥� said Councillor Kim Richter.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a start,鈥� said Councillor David Davis, a fourth-generation 91原创 dairy farmer.
Davis said agriculture 鈥渋s a bit of sleeping giant right now鈥� that could potentially boost the local economy far more than it does now.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unbelievable, the potential,鈥� Davis said.
Council wrapped up more than three years of consultation and public meetings by unanimously endorsing the AVS at its Monday (July 15) meeting, but postponed a decision on finding the funding until future budget discussions.
Dave Melnychuk, the chair of the task force that developed the strategy, told council agriculture could contribute even more to the local economy through encouraging local processing and other initiatives.
鈥淚t is a big business,鈥� Melnychuk said.
More than three-quarters of the Township鈥檚 316 square kilometres is reserved for farming and 91原创 has one-half of all the farms operating in Metro Vancouver.
The proposed strategy is a four-part plan to provide a 鈥渨elcoming business environment for farming,鈥� services to encourage 鈥渁gri-industrial hubs鈥� that would process locally grown food within 91原创, a secure agricultural land base, and rules to ensure 鈥渂est farm management practices鈥� are used by local farmers under a 鈥済ood neighbour policy鈥� that requires farmers to be 鈥渟ensitive to the needs of other citizens.鈥�
Proposals include possible creation of a farmers鈥� institute to represent agricultural interests modelled on similar groups in Delta and Richmond, regulations that would require notifying home buyers 鈥渙f the presence of active farm operations using normal farm practices鈥� and offering incentives to encourage food processors to build plants in 91原创 to process locally grown food.
The revised strategy document approved by council directly refers to the continuing propane cannon controversy by saying the Township should 鈥渃ontinue to work with the Propane Cannon Task Force鈥� that created recently-enacted regulations to restrict use of the bird scare devices.
The AVS also suggests using the Township website to inform residents about 鈥渢he presence of normal farm practices that result in noise, dust or odours occurring from time to time鈥� and to also use the site to 鈥渆ducate residents about normal farm practices occurring at specific times (e.g. bird control activities on fruit farms) and other practices that may create issues for citizens due to lack of awareness and understanding of agricultural practices.鈥�
