The Rural Voice, 1993-11, Page 50BRUCE
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
519-364-3050
• The Rural Voice is provided to Bruce
County Farmers by the BCFA.
Land use planning—farmers should get involved
The County of Bruce is currently
revising its official plan. The
official plan is designed to foster and
control growth and development in
the county for the next two decades.
The County Council and its
consultants are actively seeking
public input to the revision. An
official plan seeks to identify the
economic, social and environmental
resources in the county and to guide
development of these resources in a
positive and sustainable way.
Farmers control a lot of land in
Brucc County and should be sure
their concerns are addressed in a new
official plan. The overriding concern
of farmers should be the preservation
of good quality farm land for food
production now and in the long term.
We arc all aware that the best farm
land is often the most desirable for
conversion to other uses. We are
also aware that municipalities in
Southern Ontario's urban fringe are
not doing a good job of farmland
preservation. Nevertheless, our
existing official plan in South Bruce
does give agricultural uses priority in
agricultural areas and this should be
strongly considered in a new plan.
The definition on classification of
good farmland for preservation may
need to be updated. There are many
areas in most townships that may not
be suitable for farming. These areas
may have more potential for
environmental or residential
development. It is crucial to have a
comprehensive set of guidelines
administered locally to allow
decisions on this potential.
Obviously if residential or
commercial development is allowed
it would have to be carefully
controlled to reduce conflicts with
farm practises. Small pockets of
residential lots surrounded by
intensively farmed land are not
desirable.
The creation of new lots in
agriculturally zoned areas is a
controversial one. Should retirement
lots and severance of surplus farm
buildings be allowed? There is no
question that while there are some
benefits to farmland owners with
these practices there is also the
potential for many conflicts in the
future between farm and non-farm
neighbours. One proposal for
consideration is allowing the
severance of nothing less than 50
acres. This surrounds residents with
a buffer of farmland which they own.
While not eliminating all potential
for conflict it does give non-farm
rural residents a stake in farming
BRUCE COUNTY FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE
52ND ANNUAL MEETING
AND BANQUET
Friday, November 12, 1993 7:00 p.m.
Elmwood Community Centre
Guest Speaker: Bob Verdun
Publisher, The Farm Gate
Tickets: $12.50 per person
For Tickets contact Township Directors or office in Hanover
46 THE RURAL VOICE
through ownership of farmland.
Farming in the future may well
include more value adding activities
such as on farm processing and
marketing. It is important that
farmers have the ability to develop
the necessary buildings and facilities
for these non-traditional farming
activities.
Should non-agricultural com-
mercial development be encouraged
in rural areas? Is this more desirable
than residential development? Is the
potential for agricultural conflict
with commercial development
greater or lesser than with
residential?
Perhaps the best way to protect
agriculture from non -farming
neighbours is with a strong "right to
farm" legislation that gives farming
practices priority in agricultural
areas. Another land use concern for
farmers is environmental protection.
Many environmentally sensitive
areas in Bruce are privately owned
by farmers. Should an official plan
spell out the rights and obligations of
landowners regarding environmental-
ly sensitive land and its development
or preservation?
Farmers in Bruce are affected in
many ways by an official plan. If
you have concerns and ideas about
the revision of Bruce County's
official plan, please contact your
local township director of the Bruce
County Federation of Agriculture or
your local township councillor.0
Submitted by
Byron Monk
President, BCFA
Bruce County
Federation of Agriculture
Directors' Meeting
Monday, December 13, 1993
8:00 p.m.
OMAF Boardroom, Walkerton
Members are welcome to attend