Future of Agriculture Report
Attachment 1-Selected Statistics For Strathcona County
Attachment 2-Potential for Agriculture Crops in Strathcona County
Attachment 3-Tools for Enhancing Viability
The Future of Agriculture report recommends that Strathcona County should consider a number of actions, including these.
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Create an agricultural institute made up of farmers, businesses and educational organizations. The group would serve to increase dialogue between industry partners and represent the interests of the agricultural community on issues such as economics, legislation, land use, environmental concerns and education programs.
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Maintain prime agriculture lands for future generations. The more productive Class 1 soils need to be protected against unnecessary land fragmentation and the excessive use of these lands for non-agricultural activities.
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Undertake reviews on all development projects that may impact agriculture. All Council reports relating to developments in the rural area should have a statement on the potential impact on the preservation of agricultural lands and agricultural viability.
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Promote the " right to farm." The County needs to use both education and regulations to support an individual's right to farm. This means helping the non-farming community understand that equipment and animal sounds, barnyard smells, slow moving equipment and late-night harvesting are inherent to farming and overly restrictive regulations can impact the farmer's economic viability.
The study findings were based on research of the existing situation in Strathcona County, industry trends and significant input from farmers, producers, processors and residents. The federal department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada was a partner in the project, contributing 50 per cent of the funding for the study.
Council received the report as information on February 18, 2003 and directed administration to develop a plan to put the recommendations into practice.
A complete copy of the report is also available for public review at the Strathcona County Library and the Heartland Hall Contact Office in Heartland Hall.
The report was prepared by Toma and Bouma and Stantec Consulting. For more information, contact Kevin Glebe at 780-464-8248.
Last updated: Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Page ID: 2308