The 2011 Census of Agriculture for BC reported that between 2006 - 2011 the number of blueberry farms increased by 77%. This has led to widespread mono-culture as well as a drop in the price of blueberries which has left berry farmers turning to other industries, such as real estate development of farmland, to make ends meet. Now we are seeing the environmental effects of mono-culture and the dependence on chemicals as the bee population is suffering. This will contribute to further losses for berry farmers this year.
We need to find a way to help our farmers transition back to making money from farming again. Small scale vegetable farmers are making $30,000 - $50,000 per acre whereas our blueberry farming friends are reporting approximately $4000.00 per acre for blueberries.
globalnews.ca/news/4119157/bc-bee-shortage-blueberries/
B.C. blueberry farmers could lose millions due to bee shortage
globalnews.ca
There will be a shortage of between 2,000 to 4,000 bee colonies, which could cost blueberry growers over $12 million in lost fruit, one expert says.
A video showing the ludicrous size of "farmhouses" in Richmond. Although we do not endorse any political party, this video highlights the issue of mega mansions on fertile farmland.
This insanity has to end and we are calling on Richmond city council to finally take a step towards rectifying this horrendous situation by following Ministry Guidelines for house sizes on ALR properties. Let bonafide farmers have what they need but stop the speculation based on mega mansion permits.
The ALR is in place to protect farmland, not to exploit it.
Are shell companies are taking over Richmond farmland?
B.C. farmland at $312,000 an acre; Prairies max is $3,300
westerninvestor.com
Lower Mainland ALR acres sprout mega-mansions and protests while Prairie farmland is largely restricted to Canadian farming, with most foreign investors locked out in all three provinces
Great interview on Spice Radio 1200AM this morning with Richmond FarmWatch's Laura Gillanders, explaining how we are hoping Richmond will finally take steps to preserve farmland by addressing home size. We are hoping the community will come together to realize that this is an important issue to address speculation. Future generations will thank us for preserving farmland. Thank you Spice Radio!
Our community is growing! Thanks to everyone sharing our posts and page.
Public support for preserving farmland is growing with our knowledge of climate change, food security, and international trade insecurity.
Time to reign in the massive speculation on farmland and hold our elected officials accountable for poor choices in (not) planning for future generations.
Time to think with the future in mind.
"We are denying farmers access to farmland"
Local governments need to stop allowing wealthy non-farmers to take farmland out of the hands of farmers. We have to do everything we can to ensure farmers have access to farmland.
Put an end to mansion development immediately. This couldn't be more urgent.
Should farmland be reserved for growing food?
focusonvictoria.ca
Marijuana greenhouses, wineries and monster houses are eroding BC’s already limited capacity to feed itself. AS NATHALIE CHAMBERS DESCRIBES the onslaught...
It is ludicrous.
delta-optimist.com
Harold Steves is on to something when he tells his Richmond council colleagues to look through the tunnel to find the answer. The size of homes permitted on farmland has been a thorny issue for . . .
“Despite Delta’s lead, the issue remains a hot one in Richmond where the average house size in the ALR reached a staggering 12,583-square-feet in 2015. In 2010, that city attempted to restrict house sizes but council backed away after opposition from land owners and developers.”
You'd think Richmond would want to follow what Delta has done, but that's not been the case. Richmond FarmWatch
Why doesn't Richmond council follow Delta's lead?
Delta solution to farm mansions should be followed, says Steves
delta-optimist.com
It’s a simple solution - Richmond should adopt Delta’s bylaw to stop mansions taking over valuable farmland. That’s what longtime farmer and Richmond council member Harold Steves has to say as . . .
Mark your calendars!
April 19th at Simon Fraser University @ Harbour Centre.
sfu.ca
Be the first to find out about free events, workshops, partnership opportunities, and get the latest news from our regular and guest contributors. You may unsubscribe at any time.
"It is critical that legal and regulatory frameworks are implemented in a way that ensures transformative change towards sustainable agriculture and food systems based on agroecology, and respects, protects and fulfills farmers' rights and access to productive resources such as land, water and seeds."
Access to land is essential to farming. We must stop sprawling residential development on farmland.
FAO - News Article: Family farmers must remain central to agroecology scale-up
fao.org
5 April 2018, Rome - Family farmers must remain central to bringing agroecology to scale, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva stressed in his closing remarks to the 2nd International Agroecology Symposium at FAO in Rome. "It's time to scale up the implementation of agroecology," Graziano da...
There is a petition asking one of our key members, John Roston, to run for Richmond council in fall. He is active in many different organizations in Richmond and is driven to make Richmond a sustainable city. John is a well-respected member of our community and would bring a wealth of ideas and experience with him.
Please join us in signing the petition, asking him to run this fall.
PLEASE SHARE!
www.change.org/p/john-roston-run-for-council-john-roston
This. Richard Wozny wrote a report to council noting how limiting house size on farm properties could limit speculation and reduce the unique appeal of farmland for mansion-building.
Richmond’s City council has still refused to heed his warnings after receiving that shocking report over a year ago.
Read that last line a few times. Tax unfairness hurts the middle class, who are essentially paying to subsidize those who build mansions on farmland.
Then write mayor and council telling them that action must be taken now!
mayorandcouncillors@richmond.ca
“This month David McKay, head of the Royal Bank of Canada, said foreign wealth is “distorting” the country’s over-heated housing markets by adding “gasoline” to it. “We do not need foreign capital using Canadian real estate as a piggy bank.”
McKay’s warning comes on the heels of a 2017 report by one of Metro Vancouver’s top housing analysts, Richard Wozny (who died in January), that shows how a “large, mysterious, untaxed pool of international capital” is being converted into speculative investment in residential real estate. Much of that investment, Wozny discovered, is being subsidized by tax avoidance and evasion, which hurts the tax-paying middle class.”
Douglas Todd: Here’s the next weapon in the battle for B.C. housing affordability
vancouversun.com
The B.C. government has made its first major move in the battle for housing affordability in Metro Vancouver and beyond by promising to raise the foreign-buyers tax to 20 per cent and institute a r…
The province is clearly leaving house size up to municipalities. But if municipalities fail to act, then what?
Would someone please tell me why this "size limitation" had to go back to staff for more review????? It's not rocket science!! I am so disappointed in our city council!
We are absolutely disappointed that Richmond council has chosen again not to address house sizes and act to swiftly curb speculation when they know it is an out of control issue.
More farmland will be lost. As it has been daily.
They have referred the entire matter back to staff over some smaller issues that could have been dealt with separately, with only Mayor Malcolm Brodie, Harold Steves and Carol Day opposed to the referral.
Please write letters to the paper, write to our councillors, and tell them you will #voteALR this fall. Enough is enough.
Please share.
“It doesn’t make sense to allow every small farm to turn into a 10,000-square-foot estate,” said Gillanders. “Down the road, who is going to live in those? It’s really the minority of people who can afford them.”
We have enough 10,00 square foot mega mansions to house everyone that wants or needs them, we don't need more farmland paved over for mansions.
Richmond set to consider more limits on farmland mansions
vancouversun.com
When Miles Smart’s grandfather bought 2½ acres of farm land in Richmond in 1954, he planted crops that reminded him of his native Yugoslavia.Today Cherry Lane Farm produces a variety o…
City of Richmond confirms there has been another flood of mansion permit applications in anticipation of possible house size reduction.
“In 2018, between January 1, 2018 and March 19, 2018, a total of 16 building permit applications were submitted. The average size of the proposed house is 920m2 (9,910 ft2).”
Another group is stating that the house size has gone down. Share the truth.
#saveoursoil
This Monday night at City hall at 7 pm, have your say on Home sizes on ALR.
We will have stickers available to wear that say “Save Our Soil”, so the public can show their support for saving farmland even if they choose not to speak.
Hope to see you there.
A planning committee vote on Tuesday came down to a three-three tie over further limiting ALR home sizes. Next stop: Monday's city council meeting.
Tonight at Richmond’s Planning Committee Meeting, we are happy to report that Mayor Malcolm Brodie, Harold Steves, and Chak Au voted for lowering home size on ALR properties to 5,382 sq ft (The Ministry of Agriculture Maximum). Although Carol Day supports it, she could not vote at this meeting and so it was a tie, so no recommendation has been passed onto council.
The house size issue will now go to the council meeting on Monday, March 26 at 7 pm.
We need one more councillor to support this motion for Richmond to finally come into compliance with Ministry guidelines.
You can email the councillors below to ask them to truly value farmland by voting to implement Ministry guidelines to restrict Home size at Monday night’s meeting:
lmcphail@richmond.ca
bmcnulty@richmond.ca
kjohnston@richmond.ca
ddang@richmond.ca
aloo@richmond.ca
Please share widely. Our councillors need to know that farmland is a vital issue to the residents in Richmond.