Saturday, April 18th, 2009, 1:30pm at the BC Legislature: Join us in a rally for agricultural policy reform
What is this about?
If you are concerned about the state of BC's agriculture industry, the continued erosion of the Agricultural Land Reserve, the lack of provincial programs for farms and farmers, or any of the myriad other policy failures of the BC government over the past decades, this rally is your chance to demand a change. Join us on April 18, 2009, 1:30 pm, at the BC Legislature as we rally for agriculture policy reform leading up to the May 12 BC provincial election!
On this blog, you will find five features: 1. An RSVP--Please let us know if you will be attending the rally! 2. A news feed that will tell you about the latest updates on the 2009 Rally 3. A summary of the agriculture policy demands we want to focus on 4. A space for you to express what new agriculture policies you want to see our government enact 5. A resource page to find out more about agriculture issues in British Columbia
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Have your say!
It is important for our politicians to see what reforms BC's citizens want for the province's agriculture industry. Please write down the top three policy changes you would like to see.
Three necessary changes to BC ag policy: 1. reinstate local agricultural extension agents. These people used to know the soils, people, resources of each region better than anyone. They were familiar with every farm. Today, with so many people new to farming moving back to the land, they'd be an invaluable asset.
2. Increased and affordable access to quota--be it for egg, poultry or dairy production. Too many quota farms are too big and the cost of quota is utterly out of the reach of all but corporate family farms. Open up new, affordable quota.
3. Revise property tax laws to create disincentives to keeping farm land as rich people estates and provide incentives to encourage property owners to either farm the land themselves or have a farmer use it.
1. Recognize community farms as the way of the future. There needs to be more supportive policy to help people access land by sharing resources. There needs to be ways for communities to help farming by sharing fallow land for food production and housing farmers.
2. Put institutional procurement policies in place stating that our government and public institutions are required to source food from nearby.
3. Fund permanent and centrally located year-round farmers markets in every city.
1. For the safety of the future of all food, make it illegal to grow, purchase, or sell Genetically Modified Organisms in Canada.
2. It is critical that land be secured solely for agriculture, without any possibility of losing the land to developers. Just as electricity, water, communication, and sanitation are seen as necessary by any local, provincial, and federal government, so should food be seen in the same way. A certain percentage of land, in every community in Canada, should be purchased and land-locked by the Federal Government for the sole purpose being to grow, cultivate, and nurture the surrounding community. The land should only be purchased by the Federal Government; the land will be maintained, work, and cultivated locally.
3. Beyond establishing locked agricultural lands, wide-spread Sustainability programs must be run in every city, every community, every school. Children must know the real situation we are in. They must learn about peak oil. They must learn about pollution. They must learn about the history of this country. They must learn how to grow food. They must learn how to build their own homes. They must learn how to make their own clothes. They must learn how to take care of themselves and the planet. We must all learn to walk carefully on this Earth. It all starts with the children and what we show them.
Three necessary changes to BC ag policy:
ReplyDelete1. reinstate local agricultural extension agents. These people used to know the soils, people, resources of each region better than anyone. They were familiar with every farm. Today, with so many people new to farming moving back to the land, they'd be an invaluable asset.
2. Increased and affordable access to quota--be it for egg, poultry or dairy production. Too many quota farms are too big and the cost of quota is utterly out of the reach of all but corporate family farms. Open up new, affordable quota.
3. Revise property tax laws to create disincentives to keeping farm land as rich people estates and provide incentives to encourage property owners to either farm the land themselves or have a farmer use it.
Incentives for farmers producing local food ... support, benefits... Elmarie.
ReplyDeleteMy top three changes to BC Ag policy:
ReplyDelete1. Recognize community farms as the way of the future. There needs to be more supportive policy to help people access land by sharing resources. There needs to be ways for communities to help farming by sharing fallow land for food production and housing farmers.
2. Put institutional procurement policies in place stating that our government and public institutions are required to source food from nearby.
3. Fund permanent and centrally located year-round farmers markets in every city.
1. For the safety of the future of all food, make it illegal to grow, purchase, or sell Genetically Modified Organisms in Canada.
ReplyDelete2. It is critical that land be secured solely for agriculture, without any possibility of losing the land to developers. Just as electricity, water, communication, and sanitation are seen as necessary by any local, provincial, and federal government, so should food be seen in the same way. A certain percentage of land, in every community in Canada, should be purchased and land-locked by the Federal Government for the sole purpose being to grow, cultivate, and nurture the surrounding community. The land should only be purchased by the Federal Government; the land will be maintained, work, and cultivated locally.
3. Beyond establishing locked agricultural lands, wide-spread Sustainability programs must be run in every city, every community, every school. Children must know the real situation we are in. They must learn about peak oil. They must learn about pollution. They must learn about the history of this country. They must learn how to grow food. They must learn how to build their own homes.
They must learn how to make their own clothes. They must learn how to take care of themselves and the planet. We must all learn to walk carefully on this Earth. It all starts with the children and what we show them.