HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-03-11 Minutes CLARINGTON AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING
THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Mary Ann Found Mark Bragg
Brenda Metcalf Ted Watson
Tom Barrie Gary Jeffery
Henk Mulders Eric Bowman
REGRETS:
Jennifer Knox Donald Rickard
Ross McMaster Orwin Bandstra
Marlene Werry-Durham Region Councillor Gord Robinson
STAFF:
Faye Langmaid
Dean Jacobs
GUEST:
Dennis Yellowlees, Greenbelt Council
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
10-07 Moved by Eric Bowman, seconded by Brenda Metcalf
"That the Agenda for March 11, 2010 be adopted"
"CARRIED"
ARRPOVAL OF MINUTES
10-08 Moved by Mary Ann Found, seconded by Eric Bowman
"That the minutes of the February 11, 2010 meeting be approved."
"CARRIED"
GUEST: Dennis Yellowlees, Greenbelt Council
Dennis Yellowlees is one of the farmers on the Greenbelt Council; he replaced Howie
Hermana, after Howie stepped down. All members of the Greenbelt Council are
provincial appointees, the other members include academics, environmentalists,
farmers from husbandry and specialty crop areas, planners, politicians and other
professions. For a brief description of the Greenbelt Council see the attachment.
Dennis provided information regarding the composition and functions of the Greenbelt
Council, and discussed the challenges associated with implementation of the Greenbelt
Plan and dealing with the relevant provincial ministries. Some of the Council's functions
include matters such as an integrated agricultural strategy, taxation review and advising
Ministries of funding needs associated with the protection and maintenance of the
Greenbelt.
Questions/Answer Session:
Committee members expressed concern that the assessments made by MPAC are not
beneficial to farming; especially when it relates to on-farm commercial enterprises such
as welding shops; green energy; maple syrup production; and retail sales. The
Committee was advised that they should seek allies such as environmentalists to
pursue matters with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). For
example Environmental Defence worked with the grape growers on the cellared in
Canada issue.
The Greenbelt Council does not intend to suggest or dictate what could and could not
be grown in the Greenbelt, e.g. corn.
Discussion ensued on the reduction in livestock farming. Based on a recent study there
has been a decline in livestock farming in the Greenbelt — one of the factors attributing
to the decline is the way by which the Minimum Distance Separation Formula is applied.
The concern is that the Provincial Policy Statement does not go far enough to protect
farm operations adjacent to residential plans of subdivision. Appropriate buffers need to
be created between farm operations and residential subdivisions.
With regard to funding from OMAFRA for stewardship programs and pilot programs in
the Greenbelt, the Ministry's position is that it cannot treat farmers inside the greenbelt
different than farmers outside the greenbelt. Options that may be considered are to
lobby with environmental groups and to approach OMAFRA or other Ministry's for
funding & incentives.
The importance of growing and buying local food and the difficulty of getting local food
stores to support local food producers requires diversification of commodities, for the
farms to remain sustainable. Public pressure is needed to force grocery chains to allow
local store managers to obtain and stock local foods in stores.
Gary thanked Dennis for attending and providing the information. Dennis will be added
to the distribution list of the Committee to be kept informed of issues.
BUSINESS ARISING FROM MINUTES
Definition of farms as corporations in various Provincial Acts and the relating fines that
can be imposed: Gary sat down with staff from John O'Toole's office to provide them
with a better understanding of the issue so that John can send a letter outlining the
issue to OMAFRA, MOE and other Provincial Ministries.
AACC March 11, 2010
DEAC Awards —Algoma Orchards nominated by Durham Region. 'AACC provided a
Letter in support of the nomination.
Wildlife predation — Faye handed out copy of the Clarington Firearms By-law 2001-098
as amended.
CORRESPONDENCE
Article in Farmers Forum: complaints from farmers and townships about conservation
authorities (circulated).
Side loading on Regional Roads: e-mail received from Region in which they spell out
their protocol for agricultural operations (circulated).
Request for back-yard chicken farming in urban areas: Municipal Clerk's Staff Report
will go to GPA on March 29, 2010. Recommendation is not to allow it on non-
agricultural lands, 82% of Clarington is zoned agricultural.
REPORTS FROM OTHER COMMITTEES
DAAC
DAAC tour - preliminary date set for September 16, 2010 (most likely will be Clarington
focused tour).
Durham Federation of Agriculture
Trillium announcement regarding Farm Connections will be made April 4th
DFA is talking to province about National Food Strategy, and allowing Mobile Abattoir
Processors in remote areas.
General meetings of DFA for 2010: April 20, August 17 and November 16. Annual
meeting set for September 21, 2010.
Durham Region Agriculture Awareness: trailer should be at home shows and urban
events. The need for a sustainable program for the trailer has been identified and will
be the focus of discussion this year.
Clarington Board of Trade
No items
OTHER BUSINESS
MOE wants to put a levy of 23c per kg on fertilizer, apparently to reduce fertilizers
ending up in landfill. This could drastically affect the cost of farming. Gary will try to
obtain more information. Ted will also inquire from his sources.
AACC March 11, 2010
FUTURE AGENDA
Next Meeting: Marilyn Bidgood from OMAFRA.
For May meeting: Pam Lancaster and/or Mark Peacock from GRCA on Source Water
Protection.
Moved to Adjourn: Eric Bowman
Next Meeting: April 8, 2010 7:30 p.m.
AACC March 11, 2010
Greenbelt Council (from the MMAH website http://www.mah.gov.on.ca)
The Greenbelt Council is a key part of the government's approach to Greenbelt
protection, which includes the Greenbelt Act, 2005 and a Greenbelt Plan that
permanently protects approximately 1.8 million acres of greenspace across the
Golden Horseshoe.
The Greenbelt Act, 2005 requires that the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
appoint a Greenbelt Council to provide the Minister with advice on the Greenbelt.
Composition of the Council
The Greenbelt Council is comprised of one or more members who support the
objectives of the Greenbelt, as well as a Chair, appointed by the Minister through the
Public Appointments Secretariat. The members of the Greenbelt Council come from
a variety of backgrounds and are all experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated to
Greenbelt Protection.
Mandate
The mandate of the Greenbelt Council is to provide advice to the Minister on the
Greenbelt. The Council's Terms of Reference sets out those matters that the Council
will provide advice on, which generally includes: the ongoing implementation of the
Act and Plan, the development of performance measures to monitor the effectiveness
of the Plan, any proposed amendments to the Greenbelt Plan, and the ten-year
review of the Greenbelt Plan. The Council's Terms of Reference will be reviewed and
revised at the request of the Minister or Council, or in the event that a new chair is
appointed.
Terms of Reference am
"Each time history repeats itself, so it's said, the price goes up. The twentieth
century was a time of runaway growth in human numbers, consumption, and
technology, placing a colossal load on all natural systems, especially earth, air, and
water - the very elements of life. The great question of the twenty-first century is
how, or whether, this can go on.
In A Short History of Progress Ronald Wright shows how our modem predicament is
as old as civilization, a 20/000-year experiment we unleashed but have seldom
cVVbr0&ec( Only by understanding the patterns of progress and disaster that
humanity has repeated around the world since the Stone Age can we recognize the
experiment's inherent dangers, and, with luck and vvisdnn\ shape its outcome."
- Comments from back page of Ronald VVright'aA Short History of Progress
The Greenbelt Council (the "Council") is a key port of the government's approach to
Greenbelt protection, which includes the Greenbelt Act, 2005 ("theAct") and a
Greenbelt Plan (the" P|an")/ to permanently protect approximately 1.8 million acres
ofgreenspace across the Golden Horseshoe,
The Greenbelt includes lands within the Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM) Conservation
P|8O/ the Niagara Escarpment Plan, and the new Protected Countryside areas in the
Greenbelt Plan.
While providing permanent agricultural and environmental protection and supporting
a strong agricultural and rural economy, the Greenbelt Plan also provides fora wide
range of recreation, tourism and cultural opportunities, and for the provision of
necessary infrastructure. (See Sections 1.1, 1.2 and 4.2 of the Greenbelt Plan)
The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing may fix the terms of reference of the
Council as determined by Section 15 (2) of the Act.
The following V>s/nD for the Greenbelt, developed through extensive public
consultation and contained in the Greenbelt Plan, reflects not only the protection of
greenbelt lands but also a range of greenbelt Supportive activities. It is as fn||nvva:
VISION
The Greenbelt isa broad band nf permanently protected land which:
• Protects against the loss and fragmentation ofthe agricultural land base and
supports agriculture as the predominant land use;
• Gives permanent protection to the natural heritage and water resource
systems that sustain arn/ngica/ and human health and that fhnn the
environmental framework around which major urbanization in south-central
Ontario will be organized; and
• Provides for a diverse range of economic and social activities associated with
rural communities, agriculture, tourism, recreation and resource uses.
Terms of Reference at available at http://www.mah.gov,on.ca/Pagel4ll.aspx
Members bios are available at http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Pagel409.aspx