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Home My WebLink About2020-10-08I .'."f I � lit. Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington Meeting Members Present: Regrets Staff: Guests Thursday, October 8, 2020 Eric Bowman Ted Watson Richard Rekker Jennifer Knox None John Cartwright Tom Barrie Les Caswell Ben Eastman Don Rickard Henry Zekveld Brenda Metcalf Councillor Zwart Amy Burke, Faye Langmaid — Planning and Development Services Allison Brown and Stacey Jibb, Region of Durham Planning and Economic Development; Carolyn Puterbough, OMAFRA Due to COVID 19 restrictions and to ensure social distancing, participation in the meeting was electronic (using Microsoft Teams) and by conference call. Eric welcomed all to the meeting, with introductions. Declarations of pecuniary interest None. Adoption of Agenda 020-19 Moved by John Cartwright, seconded by Ben Eastman That the Agenda for October 8, 2020 be adopted. Carried Approval of Minutes 020-20 Moved by Richard Rekker, seconded by Jennifer Knox That the minutes of the August 20, 2020 meeting be approved. Carried Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington October 8, 2020 Presentation Carolyn Novick, Fairlife: Through her presentation, Carolyn introduced the Committee to the origins of the Fairlife milk brand, the company's recent transition to the Canadian marketplace, their products and suppliers, and their first Canadian manufacturing facility in Peterborough, Ontario. Fairlife is a brand of the Coca-Cola Company, stated to contain 50% less sugar and 50% more protein than regular milk products. Carolyn explained Fairlife's patented cold filtration system and unique packaging approach, which contribute to a long (unopened) shelf life. Since the recent introduction of their premium products to the Canadian market, they have seen many indicators of positive growth for both their brand and the dairy market as a whole. In 2018, Coca-Cola Canada broke ground on a new, $85 million facility in Peterborough designed to produce the Fairlife brand. The facility is located next to their existing Minute Made juice facility, providing some cost savings opportunities. Part of the company's draw to Canada was the high quality of milk produced by Canadian dairy farmers. Recent changes to Canadian rules regarding transboundary shipment of milk also contributed to the feasibility of the Canadian expansion opportunity. The facility is now operational. Products are made with 100% Canadian milk, sourced primarily from the Dairy Farmers of Ontario general pool. For every 1 litre of Fairlife milk produced, 1.5 litres of raw milk is needed. The new facility in Peterborough has resulted in 31 new jobs to date. The company aims to ramp up product to the full scale of the facility, which would result in additional new jobs in the future. The Committee thanked Carolyn for her presentation and extended appreciation to Coca-Cola for their commitment to 100% Canadian sourced raw materials for their Fairlife products. The Committee encouraged the company to continue learning about the Canadian Dairy Market and to consider future investment opportunities into Canadian agriculture. Strong interest was expressed to tour the Peterborough facility, which Carolyn was happy to make arrangements for in coordination with Staff. Delegations None. Business Arisina from Minutes Ward Boundary Review — Phase 2 Consultations: Interim Report, including potential alternative options for ward boundary configuration now available at www.clarington.net/wardboundarvreview. Phase 2 (online) Consultations are taking place throughout October and November and will seek input on the Interim Report. Event details found on the Ward Boundary Review website. The deadline for comments is the end of November. Final report targeted for the General Government Committee of Council meeting on January 4, 2021. On -Farm Special Events By-law: Third working group meeting rescheduled for October 21. This meeting will look at potential approaches for regulating on -farm special events, including licencing and site -specific zoning. Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington October 8, 2020 Region of Durham ICON Grant Application: Application for support towards a Regional Broadband Network has successfully passed Stage 1 of the funding process. Stage 2 submission deadline is November 28. Correspondence, Council Items and Referrals None. Liaison Reports Durham Agriculture Advisory Committee: Virtual format for the annual DAAC Farm Tour was well received with approximately 150 attendees. The search for a potential location for a Regional abattoir continues; current discussions have focused on servicing requirements. The Oshawa Port Authority is consulting with the Region regarding Grain Terminal needs. Current grain shipment from the port challenges include long wait times and lack of on -site storage. Durham Region Federation of Agriculture: Richard provided an update from the September 24 DRFA meeting in his email to all prior to the meeting. Gratitude to Almet Farms (Brenda Metcalf) for providing a new storage location for Durham Farm Connections educational resources. The annual Celebrate Agriculture Gala is being postponed to 2021, Durham Farm Connections is looking for nominations for the Celebrate Agriculture 2020 awards. The deadline for nominations is October 20. Nomination forms can be obtained and submitted via email to info(a�_durhamfarmconnections.ca. Clarington Board of Trade: CBOT continues to work to coordinate a local response to COVID for businesses, a key component of which includes recognition of agriculture's important role in Clarington's economy. New Business Farm 911 — The Emily Project: Clarington, other local area municipalities and Durham Region have partnered with The Emily Project to offer rural property owners the ability to get a second address for entrances separated from the main entrance of a property. The program seeks to assist emergency services to local rural properties quicker in an emergency. The program is voluntary. Interested Clarington property owners must submit a request to the Municipality's Planning and Development Services Department. Funding for the program has been provided by the Region of Durham. Program details can be found at https://www.clarington.net/en/live-here/farm-911-the-emir-proiect.asp. To apply, email plan ningGIS(aD-clarington.net or phone 905-623-3379 ext. 2416. Migrant Farm Worker Accommodations — COVID-19 Requirements: Local employers of temporary foreign workers are seeking clarity on potential changes to requirements for migrant farm worker accommodations in response to COVID-19. Staff have confirmed with Durham Region Public Health that while discussions are taking place, no new directives have been issued. Durham Region Public Health is encouraging that enhanced housing standards be considered to ensure physical distancing to avoid transmission in temporary foreign worker accommodations. Durham Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington October 8, 2020 Region Public Health is hosting a virtual information session on this topic on October 15 at 7:00 pm. To register, contact Allison Brown (Durham Region Agriculture Economic Development Coordinator) at allison.brownCcb_durham.ca or 905-439-1441. COVID-19 Community Improvement Plan Final Report: The proposed COVID-19 CIP is intended to provide support to qualifying local business owners for COVID-19 related improvements to their businesses as they safely reopen. The CIP contains financial incentives designed to encourage and support private -sector improvements to adapt to the COVID-19 environment. A statutory public meeting for the draft CIP was held on September 28. The final recommended CIP will be considered for approval by Council at the October 13 Council meeting. Details are available at www.clarington.net/FinancialSupport. THEE Farmers Parade of Lights 2020: After examination of potential alternatives, the 2020 event is cancelled due to COVID-19 and the challenges associated with ensuring safe social distancing. The organizing committee is seeking support to remind the community about the purpose and significance of this annual event, which began as a show of thanks from the local agricultural sector to the community for respectfully sharing the roadway with farmers. AACC 2021 — 2024 Member Applications: Four committee member seats conclude their four-year term at the end of 2020. Applications for these vacancies for the 2021 — 2024 term will be accepted until November 13 at 12:00 pm. Applications are available on the Municipality of Clarington Advisory Committees and Boards webpage at https://www.clarington.net/en/town-hall/advisory-committees-and-boards.asp. Next Meeting Thursday, November 12, 2020 @ 7:30 pm (Virtual Meeting) Guest — To be determined. Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington October 8, 2020