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Metro Vancouver forum on Agriculture | November 29, 2008
Development Cost Charge increase | November 11, 2008
Agrifair says thanks | November 05, 2008
Council defending egg producers | September 10, 2008
Agri biz owners urging move | August 5, 2008
Ag land continues to shrink | July 28, 2008
Berries Recover from wet spring | July 22, 2008
Top Growers Awardad | July 22, 2008
Protect farm labourers | June 20, 2008
"Junuary" weather | June 14, 2008
Gravel debate not over | June 6, 2008
Forum: Renewed calls to defend ALR
By Jeff Nagel | Abbotsford News | November 29, 2008
Farmers can contribute more to society than just by growing food, a Metro Vancouver forum on agriculture heard Wednesday.
Manure holds promise as a source of methane fuel that can offset fossil fuel use, said Garnet Etsel, owner of an Abbotsford turkey farm and chair of the B.C. Agriculture Council.
“Half of my production is meat,” he told the Surrey audience. “The other half is crap. It has great potential as a source of green energy.”
But he said regulatory changes may be needed so farms can use their own waste in new ways and possibly take waste from other sources.
He and others said climate change could dramatically reshape agriculture in this region and change assumptions about what can be grown.
Agrologist Wendy Holm said the prospect of new crops becoming viable should be a major reason to reject calls to develop land in the Agricultural Land Reserve that might now seem unproductive.
“If I can’t farm this piece of land economically, that’s not a reason to take it out of the land reserve,” she said. “The point is to maintain that capacity to produce.”
She warned there has been “tremendous erosion” of the ALR since it was established in 1974.
There’s been a net reduction of 10,000 acres from the ALR in the past five years in the most populated regions of B.C., while 7,500 acres of land has been added in the north, where critics say growing seasons are shorter and markets are far away.
“We’re in a real crisis,” Holm said. “We’re taking land out of this productive land base where we all live at a tremendously accelerated rate.”
Although a plan to industrialize pastoral Barnston Island was defeated in 2006, panelists said they fear land owners are just biding their time before trying again to pull the Fraser River islet out of the ALR.
“I think it’s going to take a very heavy commitment to keep Barnston Island for agriculture,” said land use planner Barry Smith.
Other participants noted significant chunks of ALR-designated land isn’t used for farming – the asphalt of Highway 1 is technically mapped as part of the ALR, along with many other roadways.
Surrey resident Lesley Tannen urged a re-evaluation of what non-ALR land could be farmed, adding it should be excluded from consideration for residential and commercial development.
The panel also wrestled with suggestions from the audience that non-food uses of agricultural land –like golf courses and raising horses –must someday make way to feed a growing region.
“I don’t know how you tell someone that they can or cannot have horses on their property,” said Etsel.
Smith noted golf is thought to be on a long-term decline, but added he sees little chance urban greens will be converted to grow food crops.
Much of the land area of golf courses are paved and dotted with buildings, he said, and residential developments are often tightly intertwined.
Heather Pritchard, executive director of FarmFolk/CityFolk, said the best use of any agricultural land is food production.
The forum also heard calls for tax relief, free training for young farmers and acceptance that subsidies may need to be an ongoing part of agriculture policy.
Find this article at:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/news/35229894.html
DCC hike spikes agricultural rate City approves 7.6 per cent increase here
The Times | Marcia Downham |
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Abbotsford city council has approved the new 2008 development cost charge bylaws, which will increase Abbotsford's net DCC rates by 7.6 per cent - approximately $35 million more than was collected in 2007.
The proposed bylaw will create some significant increases in DCCs for many agricultural property owners, while decreasing DCCs for high-density urban properties.
Instead of charging a flat rate per dwelling unit added to a property, the new fee structure would charge DCCs based on the size of the dwelling, according to the DCC amendment report.
An example of the new DCC rate is if a 1,000-square-foot trailer is added to a farm property it would have basic DCC charges of less than $50,000, and the charges would increase based on the size of the unit being added.
DCCs need to be raised "to generate sufficient revenue to construct the infrastructure necessary to support growth" in Abbotsford, wrote Rob Issac, wastewater and asset engineering manager for the City of Abbotsford, in the DCC report.
DCCs are monies that municipalities are allowed to levy from land developers to cover the costs related to services - such as sewer, water and roads - that are incurred as a direct result of new developments.
Council amended the DCC bylaw in November last year, requiring a DCC contribution be made on all new dwellings in the city, including all agricultural zones.
Before the amendment, agricultural areas did not have to pay DCCs.
In April, Doug Lamson, an Abbotsford farmer, said he was "not impressed" when he found out he may have to pay around $25,000 in DCCs to build a two-bedroom home on his farm.
"I think it is pretty outrageous. I think the city has gotten a bit carried away on what they want to charge us. . . since when have farmers had to pay DCCs?" said Lamson.
Another farmer, Darren Kish, believes the amended DCC bylaw needs to be challenged.
Council would not have amended the DCC bylaw to include agricultural areas if other jurisdictions weren't also doing it, said Abbotsford Coun. Moe Gill in April.
The proposal, which will be up for council adoption later this year, compares Abbotsford's proposed DCC rates with DCC rates in Langley Township and Surrey.
According to the amended bylaws, Abbotsford's 2008 DCC rates will increase 37 per cent for general agricultural and greenhouses, 11 per cent for commercial, 14 per cent for institutional and five per cent for industrial.
Grant Acheson, Abbotsford's director of development services, said the DCC bylaws are always under review. The DCCs for temporary rural residents with farm structures will be investigated in the next DCC review, which is set to begin in early 2009.
Popular local announcer Roy Hafeli hangs onto his hat and Lisa Sullivan enjoys the ride during Agrifair’s annual Boots to Suits event at the Ag-Rec Building on Tuesday evening. It was the seventh annual event, which is a way that organizers say thanks to their volunteers and supporters.
Agrifair says thanks with Boots To Suits
It was time to straighten your ties and put on your cowboy boots as the seventh annual Boots to Suits thank-you wrap up party took place for volunteers and sponsors of the Abbotsford Agrifair.
The Tuesday night celebration took place in the Ag-Rec Building and featured entertainment, food and even an indoor carnival ride.
“We want to say thank you for the great support we received for the 2008 Agrifair,” said Harry DeJong, president of Agrifair.
DeJong called this year’s fair a big success, but did not announce any financial information.
According to DeJong, that information would be officially released next week during the Agrifair board’s annual general meeting.
To help the crowd get into the country mood, local singer Rick Tippe was on hand to serenade those in attendance with songs from his new album The Power of One.
Also performing were local singing talents Victoria Duffield and Emily Harder.
Along with door prizes and a silent art auction, organizers provided a nausea-inducing indoor carnival ride for the braver attendees to test their nerve.
“We want to celebrate our success and get ready for next year,” added DeJong.
Council defending egg producers from ban
The City of Abbotsford is ready to come out of its shell and challenge a bid by a Lower Mainland municipality to ban conventional egg production.
Pitt Meadows council has already submitted a motion that will be debated at the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities in Penticton from Sept. 22 to 26. Describing the industry’s standards as “appalling,” the motion calls on the provincial government to enact a ban on conventional egg production. The term “conventional eggs” generally applies to eggs laid by caged birds rather than organic or free-range hens.
At Monday night’s regular council meeting, Coun. Dave Loewen led the calls for the UBCM to dismiss the motion and instead support the local egg industry. He was reacting to a letter that was forwarded to council by David Taylor, the chairman of the B.C. Egg Marketing Board. In that letter, Taylor pointed out that B.C.’s egg industry provides 1,400 jobs.
“The short and long-term impacts for the egg industry would be devastating financially, and the production of a safe, affordable and highly nutritious food would be severely compromised,” Taylor added.
Loewen said a representative from Abbotsford council should speak against the motion at the UBCM conference. Council agreed, while Coun. Simon Gibson recommended that all communities that have a large egg industry should be contacted.
Agri biz owners urging move
City could lose out if it does not prioritize AAP
If the City of Abbotsford does not finish its Agriculture Area Plan soon it could risk losing several prime agricultural industrial businesses to other municipalities, according to the president of Fraser Valley Agricultural Centre Inc.
"Businesses are currently getting pushed out of their existing locations and won't be able to continue to survive," said John Glazema, who also works with BC Farm and Ranch Realty.
"As a city we need to maintain and protect our agricultural-based businesses and find them a reasonable, accessible and spacious location that has high visibility in the community to move to."
Many of these businesses, located at an agricultural centre at McClary Avenue and Sumas Way, are being overrun by big box stores like Costco and Wal-Mart, which have drastically driven up the price of property in the area, said Glazema
"It has become way to hard for them to compete," he said.
"These companies, which have helped to build this city, attract consumers from all across B.C. and we can't just sit back and let them be driven out."
Land around McClary Avenue is now worth around $1 million an acre and up and the tax rates on about 6,000 square feet are upwards of around $2,000 a month, said Glazema.
"We really want to stay in Abbotsford, but we are struggling for space," said Ian Bunbury of Avenue Machinery Corp, one of the business owners who wants to move out of the McClary Avenue area.
"We need more room, and it's becoming a bit frightening because we aren't being given any viable options."
In October 2006, Glazema and his colleagues applied to the city for an agricultural, industrial permitted use in the Agricultural Land Reserve with the objective of relocating several businesses to an agricultural centre that would be located on the southeast corner of Whatcom and South Parallel Road.
The application, categorized as non-farm use within the ALR, was addressed by the city's Agricultural Advisory Committee in April 2007, but was postponed until the completion of the AAP.
The city indicated the plan would be completed by December 2007.
But, by the end of the year, Glazema was told that the city hadn't even started the AAP and "it wasn't likely to be a priority in the coming months," wrote Glazema in a letter to Abbotsford mayor and council.
"Completion of the city's Agricultural Area Plan continues to be a priority for the city," wrote Mayor George Ferguson in an e-mail response to Glazema's letter.
"However, with so many priorities and limited resources, undertaking this major study has not progressed as quickly as anticipated."
Glazema has also heard rumours about using the Fraser Highway as an alternative location for agricultural businesses.
"This location in our opinion would be hazardous to the community and to heavy agriculture equipment that would require access via the Fraser Highway, already a cumbersome traffic corridor," said Glazema.
Grant Acheson, director of development services with the City of Abbotsford, confirmed the AAP is not complete, but he would not say whether or not the Fraser Highway was being considered as a possible location.
"Appropriate designations are still being discussed," he said.
"The Agricultural Area Plan is not something we can take lightly, it is something that needs to be researched thoroughly."
The AAP will address a variety of issues, including commercial nodes that would serve the agriculture industry, agricultural housing and agricultural road networks.
HAVE YOUR SAY
- We want to hear your comments. Fax them to 604-854-1140 or e-mail letters@abbotsfordtimes.com.
©Abbotsford Times 2008
Provincial Ag land reserve continues to shrink
B.C.’s agricultural land reserve shrank by 632 hectares during the year ended March 31, as applications to the Agricultural Land Commission rose for the fifth consecutive year.
The net exclusion is only a tiny fraction of 4.7 million hectares protected in the land reserve, but the commission notes in its annual report that population and economic growth continues to put pressure on for other uses of the agricultural land base.
The commission’s regional panels hear applications to add land to the reserve, remove it, create subdivisions within it and allow non-farm uses. Municipalities can apply to remove land for “community need,” and the annual report found that 40 per cent of those applications came with insufficient information attached.
During the year the commission established a compliance and enforcement program for the first time. It hired three people but didn’t meet its objective for the year to recruit six, to enforce rules over the entire province.
Land inclusions and exclusions by region:
South Coast: six hectares added, 73 excluded
Okanagan: four hectares added, 287 excluded
Island: 104 hectares added, 23 excluded
North: 59 hectares added, 543 excluded
Interior: 366 hectares added, 34 excluded
Kootenay: 49 hectares added, 260 excluded.
Find this article at:http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/news/26006889.html
Raspberries suffered the most, according to a local grower
Raspberries survived the cold Fraser Valley spring, but the wet spring has hurt yields, says grower Alf Krause. The berries taste fine, but growers are warning the season has also been shortened by the slow start.
CREDIT: Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance
Despite the punishing spring weather, it will be an OK year at Fraser Valley berry farms.
That is, if they can get everything picked at once over the next few weeks.
The long, wet spring pushed back the harvest of every type of berry grown in the Lower Mainland, said Alf Krause of Krause Berry Farms in Aldergrove.
It also compressed the harvest seasons. Normally, the farm can stretch its harvest of strawberries out over four weeks. This year it lasted just three.
It looks like a similar situation for the raspberries, which are now in the middle of their harvest, and for the blueberries and other berry crops, which will ripen in the next 10 days to two weeks.
"The seasons tend to be shorter, so they're more intense," said Krause.
That's fine for some crops, but not so good for others.
"The strawberry crop was an excellent crop this year," Krause said.
Farmers had worried that without enough sunshine, the strawberries just wouldn't ripen in time.
Worse, they might have succumbed to mold before they could be harvested. Warm, wet weather can destroy fruit on the vine quickly. Despite the issues with rain, Krause said this year's strawberry crop was a little better than last year's.
"Unfortunately, our raspberry season looks like it's going to be a poor yield," he said. "The quality is good, but the volume is down."
He speculated that there might have been a lack of enough pollination during the rainy months and through most of June that could hurt the raspberries.
Raspberries make up about one quarter of the Krause family's crops. Getting all the berries out of the fields could be a challlenge, with raspberries peaking just as blueberries and other crops come on line.
The farm employs 70 to 80 pickers during the season, and so far they've been able to find enough pickers.
The Krause farm's U-pick is still open for raspberries.
©Abbotsford Times 2008
Farmers get time to shine
Top growers to be awarded on Nov. 10
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is seeking nominations for the 2008 Canadian Agri-Food Awards of Excellence.
These awards honour the best in the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector.
"We are looking for innovative thinkers and entrepreneurs that are moving Canadian agriculture forward everyday," said Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.
Nominations for the awards will be accepted until Sept. 15. The awards will be presented on Nov. 10 at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto. Winners will be notified in advance.
Criteria and nomination forms are available at www.agr.gc.ca/awards or by contacting Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada by phone at 1-800-410-7104 or email info@agr.gc.ca.
©Abbotsford Times 2008
Fraser Valley farm workers collect echinacea in a past harvest, at Van Noort Bulb Farm on the Sumas Prairie near Abbotsford.
CREDIT: file photo/Rick Collins/for the Times
Protect farm labourers: report
Study blasts conditions endured by workers
Seasonal farmworkers in B.C. are treated unfairly and are poorly protected compared to other workers in the province, according to a study released Wednesday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
The study, focusing on immigrants and temporary migrants in the Fraser Valley, revealed workers have to regularly deal with poor and sometimes dangerous working conditions, industry-wide violations of employment standards, of health and safety regulations, and a lack of enforcement by government agencies.
"They are extremely hard workers and cherished by farmers, yet they face lower standards of working conditions. There are regulations in place, but there is hardly any monitoring or enforcement of those regulations," said Gerardo Otero, a co-author of the report and professor of sociology with Simon Fraser University.
Farmers rely largely on immigrants from the Punjab, and today about 90 per cent of farmworkers in the valley are Indo-Canadian.
In B.C., the number of migrant Mexican workers has grown from 50 in 2004 to about 2,200 in 2007. To cope with a 'continuing shortage' of labour, B.C. berry growers are expecting to hire around 3,000 temporary foreign workers in 2008 - 40 per cent more than in 2007, said the study.
Otero and the study's other authors recommend policy changes be implemented within municipal, provincial, federal and Mexican governments to ensure B.C.'s agricultural workers are protected.
"We want their economic security enhanced and have the bar raised to the level of other workers in B.C.," said Otero, who has also done extensive research in Mexico and other Latin American countries.
"I know there is a big push by the Canadian government right now [for foreign workers] to address the labour shortage, and it is a program that can work if it is effectively managed," said Manpreet Grewal, manager of multicultural and immigrant services with Abbotsford Community Services.
Many workers do become permanent residents and become a large part of our society, said Grewal.
"I totally support any kind of effort to study and to ensure things run the way they are laid out to be," she said.
"These farmworkers need this and this type of study is a step in the right direction. It is important that we should all be treated equal as Canadian workers - hopefully farmworkers will have a strong voice sooner than later," said Ravi Dhindsa, full-time co-ordinator with the Abbotsford Agricultural Workers Alliance Support Centre.
Some of the study's key findings were that farmworkers lack secure income and generally earn an average of $8 per hour with no overtime pay; workers are extremely concerned about their safety and living conditions; they are routinely exposed to pesticides, gases and other chemicals without appropriate gear or training; health and safety standards are routinely violated; since 2001, inspection reports by WorkSafe BC in the agricultural sector dropped by 62 per cent, prevention orders went down by 73 per cent and not one participant interviewed reported being visited by WorkSafe BC; workers fear they will lose their jobs if they complain and immigrant farmworkers are regularly transported by farm labour contractors in vans that violate safety regulations.
B.C. Minister of Labour Olga Ilich finds violations for these workers disturbing, but said she's unsure of the study's accuracy, according to The Vancouver Sun.
She said the ministry is increasing inspections of farms and worker transportation vehicles.
Roberta Ellis, vice-president of WorkSafe BC, also told the Sun the report did not use WorkSafe BC's 2007 inspection report.
The report, part of the Economic Security Project, was done by the CCPA and SFU. It was co-published by Justicia for Migrant Workers, Progressive Intercultural Community Services and the B.C. Federation of Labour. The full report can be found at www.policyalternatives.ca
© Abbotsford Times 2008
Farmers Howard Wong and son Howie work in their vegetable field off Clayburn Road in an effort to stave off the effects of a cold and rainy June that has delayed farmers’ crops across the Fraser Valley.
‘Junuary’ Weather confounds farmers
The near-record cold rainy weather that’s prompting some to dub this month “Junuary” is proving especially miserable for local farmers.
Vegetable growers have had trouble planting their crops in soggy fields and some now expect to lose part of their crop.
Darlene Wong, of Howard Wong Farms and produce market on Riverside Road in Abbotsford, said her family will have to reseed a lot of their veggies.
“Wherever water lies in the field, things die. Our tonnage will be down, and we’ll need to reseed in patches and sometimes it gets too late,” said Wong. “Once you get a bad spring, you can’t get caught up. We have a short growing season; we’re not California.”
Wong said the unusually cool weather has also delayed the crop.
“It’s making everything late and things are growing slower. Except the weeds of, course.
“If we don’t have enough product, we’ll be forced to buy more product [for the market] from other farmers, but they’re all in the same boat.”
David Jones of Environment Canada said temperature highs have averaged five to eight degrees below normal, which is around 20 C. On June 5 the temperature in Vancouver only got up to 11 C, matching the all-time record set in 1954 for the coldest daily high temperature recorded in June. What’s more, we’ve already matched the average rainfall for the entire month.
“We’ve had trace rain every day this month except for one,” Jones said. “No question, it’s been a dull and dreary month in terms of sunshine.”
B.C. Blueberry Council executive director Will Van Baalen said he thinks the weather is only going to cause a delay, not a drop in production.
“We’re two weeks late from last year, which also wasn’t an early year,” he said, predicting fresh local blueberries will be available by the third week of July. “The picking itself will be fine. The berries are sizing up and doing well.”
Van Baalen said he couldn’t predict this year’s production, but that last year 73 million pounds of blueberries were harvested in the Fraser Valley, with approximately 20 per cent coming from Abbotsford.
Henry Wiens, manager of the Fraser Valley Strawberry Growers Association, said the cold spring has also delayed and shortened the strawberry season.
“We’re usually picking by the first of June, but we don’t anticipate any widespread harvest until the end of next week.”
He figures the height of the season in Abbotsford and Chilliwack will fall in the last week of June and first week of July.
The worst-case scenario would be to have the rain return during the harvest.
However, despite the cold weather, the crop looks promising, Wiens said.
“The plants enjoy the weather. We had a good blossom, so the fruit looks good.
“They just need some warmth to ripen, and some sunshine would help the sugar content.”
The forecast for the next 10 days is mixed, with cooler conditions prevailing until at least June 19, said Jones.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom for farmers and sun worshippers. Though it will remain cooler than usual, things should dry up a little after Friday.
“We’ll still have some good days. We’ll get some sun and reach 25 C on Monday.
“You just need to be patient. The crappy start to June has no bearing on what the summer might bring.”
Find this article at:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/news/19911179.html
Gravel debate not over
Mining review makes residents nervous
The debate over the gravel mining area on Sumas Mountain that some thought was buried with a court ruling in 2006 may be coming back to life.
The City of Abbotsford has hired engineering firm Levelton Consultants Ltd. to conduct preliminary studies to see if it would be feasible to expand the city's existing eligible area for gravel extraction, east of Sumas Mountain Road and south of Keeping Road, or to open a new area further east.
"I would call it a high-level planning exercise, meaning that it's not a detailed analysis, but the first stages of a planning review," said Jay Teichroeb, city spokesman.
Levelton's task is to elicit feedback from stakeholders this month. The company sent letters to some area residents and to gravel sector interests requesting their feedback by June 16 on proposed mining areas.
"There will also be a limited amount of testing in [the new area] to see if in fact aggregate is there, and to see if it can be reached," said Teichroeb. The completed study will go to city council, likely sometime after summer.
Teichroeb said the study is being done as part of the long-term planning the city needs to do, and to respond to interest from the gravel mining sector.
"The industry is interested in what the city is planning, so they can plan accordingly," said Teichroeb.
However the news of a review has some residents nervous, about the impact on environment, traffic and life in the area.
"We seem to be right back where we were 10 years ago. It has us very, very worried," said mountain resident John Vissers.
Ten years ago, Sumas residents fought the expansion of gravel mining into two properties, land sections 9 and 12, but eventually property owner Kelly Toews found a loophole regarding road building and quarried part of LS 9, and avoided paying soil extractions fee to the city.
Meanwhile the Sumas First Nations set up roadblocks, saying it wouldn't allow the B-train quarry trucks from the various mines on the mountain through its community.
The city sought an alternative route, and extended the eligible area to allow Toews his gravel mine and to collect fees from his company. Toews in return allowed the city access across his land, to build the alternative gravel truck route.
But Michele and Jeff Loucks sued the city, claiming the mine was illegal. In 2006, the B.C. Supreme court agreed, saying the city had changed the eligible mining boundary without sufficient community input and without publicly disclosing information about the contract between Toews' company and the city.
Biologist Kathleen Wilkinson, who lives in Abbotsford and advises local conservation groups, fears the gravel study may undermine environmental protection efforts. Sumas Mountain is recognized as a hot spot for ecological diversity and is one of the few larger green spaces left in the Fraser Valley, she said. In fact, two years, the city council agreed to conduct a full biophysical inventory of its lands, starting with undeveloped areas, but that has not been completed, she noted.
"Sumas Mountain really needs more investigation. To go ahead with a [mining] feasibility study at this time is premature. They'll be setting up expectations for gravel extraction," she said, and if gravel potential is identified, that will make it more difficult to preserve green space.
The residents also puzzle over how gravel would be moved off the second area marked for study. Because of the terrain, Udy and Dawson roads could be the only viable routes for the quarry trucks, yet residents on those roads didn't receive letters, said Vissers.
There will be a community meeting on this matter June 12 at Straiton Community Hall. Anyone interested can contact Vissers at 604-308-0520.
The city's study is limited only to city lands.
© Abbotsford Times 2008
