Regional District of Fraser-Fort George directors have given ordered staff to investigate what it would take for the local government to create its own agricultural plan.
Lara Beckett, electoral area C director and chair of the board's agricultural land use standing committee, proposed the initiative.
"I just think it would provide a very clear policy direction for the regional district on what we'd like to do with agriculture," said Beckett. "Agriculture land is so important in the long term [and] our directorships can be pretty short and if you've got a policy document that says 'this is our vision for agriculture in the future' I just think it provides a little more consistency long term."
For Beckett, the purpose of the plan is to bring into line the aspects of agriculture the regional district actually has control over. These include the planning to protect the agriculture land base, the official community plans that direct rural sprawl and urbanization away from areas of agricultural production and some ability to support related economic development initiatives, according to her report to the committee.
"It makes sense the regional district would take this on and be the proponent of agriculture and try to take the disparate elements that are working together and make them make sense," said Valemount mayor Andru McCracken.
In other areas of the province, creating such a plan follows a path similar to that of creating an official community plan, which can be a costly exercise.
The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako completed their agriculture plan last year and included input solicited from member local governments, area First Nations groups, provincial and federal departments and agencies and producer groups and associations. Surveys were also completed by consumers and producers. In addition, workshops were held throughout the region.
Bulkley Nechako said it plans to use the policy to "ensure that long range planning, and the regulation of land use and development, is managed in a manner consistent with the direction provided in the plan" and to make sure decision about the region's resources are made "in consideration of the recommendations made in the plan."
Such a policy could help the local regional district guide decisions where intentions and results don't always align, said McCracken.
"I know this doesn't get a lot of profile and it's probably not a very sexy thing for people to be considering, but in terms of food security in the future, people that are thinking about things, I think they should hold the regional district to a high standard and right now I think we've got a bunch of people who might have good intentions for where they're trying to get us, but the discussion isn't rigorous enough as far as I'm concerned to see that we get there," said McCracken.
During a meeting last week, directors were divided on the issue of an application to subdivide property partially in the Agricultural Land Reserve on Budds Road in Area C. Staff recommended the board send the application to the Agricultural Land Commission for denial.
The regional district was one of the first local governments to have a delegated authority agreement - signed in 2001 - with the Agricultural Land Commission, meaning they can make decisions about non-farm use and subdivision applications within the ALR - but only if they meet the terms of an appropriate official community plan.
This particular application was to create two parcels, smaller than the minimum 60-hectare size required by the Chilako River-Nechako OCP.
"The land itself is about as good as it gets in my area," said Beckett, with electoral area F director Kevin Dunphy agreeing that it was good farmland.
"You just don't find many properties... that arable," Dunphy said.
"Reducing the parcel size does not provide any demonstrated benefit to the agricultural capability of the subject parcel and may reduce its productivity with land being taken out of production for development of an additional residence and homestead on the proposed 14.7 hectare lot," said a report from planner Marisa Nightingale.
Ultimately, the application ended up being referred to the commission with no recommendation after some directors expressed a desire to see it approved instead.
The creation of an agricultural plan could help support the "decision-making process where some of the directors who maybe come from the city or coming from the other municipalities in the area might not be so familiar with the needs of the agricultural community in any one particular spot," said Beckett.
There are competing schools of thought when it comes to the ALR, said McCracken - one being that smaller parcels of land are more affordable for people to break into farming and another that the smaller pieces are actually more valuable than larger tracts of land.
"I'm sorry, we can't just be going around having these sort of old wives' tales define the direction of agriculture in the area," he said.
Agricultural plans fit well into the wheelhouse of a national study UNBC environmental planning professor David Connell is leading.
The three-year research project will examine how the shifting focus and value of agriculture within Canadian society might affect agricultural land use planning at all levels of government.
"That's kind of the big question we're asking because public interest changes and right now we're experiencing a pretty significant change in where food fits within our interests and if you're going to consider food interests you have to consider, obviously, the farmland base," said Connell.
Working with researchers from Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, the study will aim to provide information as to how local, provincial and federal governments can build agricultural-friendly land use plans and policies.
It's a conversation Connell has had with his students.
"We like to talk about food a lot in class. Even among those who would consider themselves foodies still may not make that connection to the land base," said Connell, who also spearheaded a study looking at farmers' markets and their contributions to local economies. "It's ultimately to foster that reconnection with the land itself, which to me is a starting point to even moving towards a more sustainable society. We can't be disconnected from our land base and make good decisions."
