449 replies to this topic

[lanforod]

Worker housing is a completely different beast, thats not what Saanich is trying to address here at all.

[Victoria Watcher]

An actual farmer tells us the way it is:



“The amount of stuff we grow here to contribute towards food security in the region is about that big,” Austin said, holding his thumb and index finger about one inch apart.

“There’s nothing there. Look at the grocery carts when you leave—anything that’s in a package has not come off a farm.”

For small-scale farmers, making money, at least by selling to grocery stores, is extremely difficult. Selling products at farm stands or markets is an option, but it’s a tough way to pay the bills, even for established and experienced farmers. Smyth has residents purchase produce from him discreetly and daily; they slip into the building where he stores product, leave money in his donation box, and slip out.

“The best year we have ever had was the first COVID year, with $75,000 gross. That year was the best year for me because I made $15,000 bucks, and I worked 3,500 hours,” said Smyth.

https://www.vicnews....r-money-7781241

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 January 2025 - 12:35 PM.

[Matt R.]

The best way is to sell into a coop like the ivca. You see their products at major grocery stores all the time.

Tiny farms like this guy runs are probably best selling directly to consumer as he mentioned. Enjoy the tax break, you bought yourself a part time job.

[Mike K.]

I’ve seen how grocery stores negotiate for local fruits and produce.

It’s an extremely tight market out there. Grocery stores give you a price, and a quota. You either take it or leave it. Lots of farmers make next to nothing on many deals like that. You need massive volume to make it viable.

[Matt R.]

Yeah, which is where coops come into play. Massive volume. You can either be boutique and sell organic to your neighbours and fine restaurants or be volume and sell your cabbage, onions and potatoes to Sobeys.

It’s not unlike other industries where margins are small but volumes are large.

[Victoria Watcher]

Some Greater Victoria municipalities are taking action to alter a CRD bylaw that, if passed, would create a new Foodlands Access Service, after some Saanich Peninsula farmers spoke out against it last week.

“They're going to foist additional property taxes on all of our residents on something that we don’t control,” said North Saanich Mayor, and CRD board member, Peter Jones.

The Foodlands Access Service is a program designed to facilitate affordable access to farmland for new and young farmers, aiming to promote regional food security by coordinating the preservation and access to agricultural land.

Several Peninsula farmers have spoken out against the new bylaw, which would requisition up to $1 million from municipalities each year.

Jason Austin, a Central Saanich farmer, outlined his concerns with the service in emails to the CRD and municipal councils. Austin took issue with the bylaw for not only being ineffective – arguing that farmers in the region contribute marginally to the region's food security – but for being implemented under an Alternate Approval Process (AAP).


https://www.vicnews....d-bylaw-7792692

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 February 2025 - 10:03 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Somebody is setting up private allotment gardens in the Blenkinsop Valley.


https://www.bgardens.ca/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 February 2025 - 10:05 AM.

[dasmo]

^^ This is the issue….Our tax administrators skirting democratic input to steal from the productive. The AAP again…. This is why the pool vote also needs to be NO.

“The AAP is an underhanded method to give the appearance that the public were consulted, but in reality, the public are seldom aware the AAP exists and only find out about it after it has closed,” said Austin.


The AAP gives the CRD the ability to instate new bylaws and services unless 10 per cent of eligible electors within the CRD – 33,194 people – complete a response form expressing their opposition to the project. The AAP process closed on Jan. 15 and the results are set to be ratified at the next board meeting.


Members of North Saanich council seemed surprised to learn about the AAP and the potential implementation of the bylaw so late in the process.

“I’ve been vice-chair of the finance committee for two years. I do not remember this coming in front of us,” said Jones.

[Victoria Watcher]

Despite a recommendation from CRD staff in 2023 that the CRD canvas municipalities for feedback when establishing the service, the board declined to do so.




So they decided on a new program. Got the OK for funding through AAP. Now they bring it back to finance and say “this can be over above the annual budget, since we’ve already secured the OK”.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 February 2025 - 10:55 AM.

[dasmo]

They have been using that process a lot lately. For the pool it’s so they can build a $20,000,000 for $400,000,000.

[Blair M.]

Somebody is setting up private allotment gardens in the Blenkinsop Valley.

I wonder if they'll let you bring in your mini-tractor for one of the half-acre lots?

Half an acre is getting a bit too big to be tending with a rake and hoe.

[lanforod]

I wonder if they'll let you bring in your mini-tractor for one of the half-acre lots?

Half an acre is getting a bit too big to be tending with a rake and hoe.

 

If they preplow it for you, you probably just need a rototiller.

[Victoria Watcher]

Blenkinsop agricultural hub would combine allotment gardens with farm plots

A ground-breaking initiative planned for 14 acres in the Blenkinsop Valley will combine farm plots with hundreds of community-garden allotments


https://www.timescol...-plots-10239515

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 February 2025 - 06:04 AM.

[Szeven]

Blenkinsop agricultural hub would combine allotment gardens with farm plots

A ground-breaking initiative planned for 14 acres in the Blenkinsop Valley will combine farm plots with hundreds of community-garden allotments


https://www.timescol...-plots-10239515

 

It always surprises me how there is apparently so much demand for farm land, and at the same time so much unused farm land. 

 

How is there not a matching service for this imbalance?

[Mike K.]

Farming is hard. People have a very romantic idea of it, I guess.

It also smells. If ALR land was being used in the cities for its intended purposes you’d be able to smell Central Saanich from Saanich Road.

[Victoria Watcher]

The project, which includes working with local non-profits to help them grow food for their clientele, has been two years in the making and is being assessed by the Agricultural Land Commission.

 

The area for the project is already municipally zoned for agricultural use.

 

 

 

 

He said if the venture is approved, the goal is to be up and operating by the end of March.

 

Smith said the agricultural centre could give developers and condominium strata councils the option to secure allotments for apartment and condo residents, as multi-family residential housing increases in the region.

 

 

 

Somehow it still needs approval.

[lanforod]

Farming is hard. People have a very romantic idea of it, I guess.

It also smells. If ALR land was being used in the cities for its intended purposes you’d be able to smell Central Saanich from Saanich Road.

Yup. There’s a reason Chilliwack has a reputation for smelling like cow crap.

[Mike K.]

There was a plan for an animal farm on the fields adjacent to Vic General. I guess that never materialized. Could you imagine if it had?

[Matt R.]

Now we’re talking. Rooftop greenhouses on shopping centres.

https://canadiangroc...ilding-montreal

[Victoria Watcher]

Makes no sense economic sense.