Comments on: Food and farming in the Greater Golden Horseshoe http://sustainontario.com/2010/02/06/1025/blog/news/food-and-farming-in-the-greater-golden-horseshoe The Alliance for Healthy Food and Farming Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:17:16 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Brenda Dolling http://sustainontario.com/2010/02/06/1025/blog/news/food-and-farming-in-the-greater-golden-horseshoe/comment-page-1#comment-42405 Brenda Dolling Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:53:56 +0000 http://sustainontario.com/?p=1025#comment-42405 As for the land use planning issue, our case might be of interest. A group of like minded people who wanted to reduce their ecological footprint, keep farmland in production, and live more sustainably formed an intentional community and bought a 191 acre farm in Caledon in 2002. As co-owners who wanted to live on the farm we had to request a building permit for a house on one of the two lots the farm still was divided into. With Caledon's agricultural policy, separate homes would not be allowed on the farm but rather only one "single family home." The challenge for us to be able to live here and contribute to growing food and support young farmers who wanted to get started was to be able to design and build a large enough house for all of us to have some privacy and some common space as well. Caledon helped for a while, then we had to hire a lawyer and go to provincial court to get a ruling on our design. We won the case and, as far as we know, our 15000 sq. ft. home which provides space for 11 households is a precedent in Ontario. For others who cannot afford to buy their own farm, this would be a way for a group to build and live co-operatively while they farm together or in separate sections of the farm. This may not be what the students are looking for but we would be willing to cooperate if they were interested in our case. As for the land use planning issue, our case might be of interest. A group of like minded people who wanted to reduce their ecological footprint, keep farmland in production, and live more sustainably formed an intentional community and bought a 191 acre farm in Caledon in 2002. As co-owners who wanted to live on the farm we had to request a building permit for a house on one of the two lots the farm still was divided into. With Caledon’s agricultural policy, separate homes would not be allowed on the farm but rather only one “single family home.” The challenge for us to be able to live here and contribute to growing food and support young farmers who wanted to get started was to be able to design and build a large enough house for all of us to have some privacy and some common space as well. Caledon helped for a while, then we had to hire a lawyer and go to provincial court to get a ruling on our design. We won the case and, as far as we know, our 15000 sq. ft. home which provides space for 11 households is a precedent in Ontario. For others who cannot afford to buy their own farm, this would be a way for a group to build and live co-operatively while they farm together or in separate sections of the farm. This may not be what the students are looking for but we would be willing to cooperate if they were interested in our case.

]]> By: Rob http://sustainontario.com/2010/02/06/1025/blog/news/food-and-farming-in-the-greater-golden-horseshoe/comment-page-1#comment-39790 Rob Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:43:50 +0000 http://sustainontario.com/?p=1025#comment-39790 Its not only the local municipal authority, in the Niagara region its, the Conservation Authority that has lost direction from floodplain management into planting lawns and calling them conservation areas and charging for them. In the present times where there is a dire need of community supported agriculture practices guiding farming there is a mad rush to plant trees everywhere except areas where they might help in place of snow fences Procurement issues are a bigger concern as the greenbelt growers complain about not being able to meet support prices of local imported vintners Its not only the local municipal authority, in the Niagara region its, the Conservation Authority that has lost direction from floodplain management into planting lawns and calling them conservation areas and charging for them.

In the present times where there is a dire need of community supported agriculture practices guiding farming there is a mad rush to plant trees everywhere except areas where they might help in place of snow fences

Procurement issues are a bigger concern as the greenbelt growers complain about not being able to meet support prices of local imported vintners

]]> By: Gayl http://sustainontario.com/2010/02/06/1025/blog/news/food-and-farming-in-the-greater-golden-horseshoe/comment-page-1#comment-39761 Gayl Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:29:43 +0000 http://sustainontario.com/?p=1025#comment-39761 Because municipal by-laws prohibit 2 residences on one property, it is very difficult to house anyone looking to intern, to learn farming or to take over a farm from an older farmer who is willing to mentor through a non-family succession plan. This needs to be addressed. For example, I have a beautiful little 450 sq.ft. home but I am not allowed to put it on a farm property that already has a home. Because municipal by-laws prohibit 2 residences on one property, it is very difficult to house anyone looking to intern, to learn farming or to take over a farm from an older farmer who is willing to mentor through a non-family succession plan. This needs to be addressed. For example, I have a beautiful little 450 sq.ft. home but I am not allowed to put it on a farm property that already has a home.

]]> By: Lauren Baker http://sustainontario.com/2010/02/06/1025/blog/news/food-and-farming-in-the-greater-golden-horseshoe/comment-page-1#comment-39741 Lauren Baker Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:02:24 +0000 http://sustainontario.com/?p=1025#comment-39741 Hi Ken, I am well aware that farmers view their work as business people. The global restructuring of food supply chains has made it very difficult for farmers to make money in recent years. I deeply care about having farmers and farms in Ontario's future, which is why I think that a local procurement policy would be a good thing for the agricultural economy. Sustain Ontario's budget is NOT $24 million! You reference a letter we wrote in response to the government pledging $24 million to develop a local food procurement policy and support a transition proces for institution required to purchase a portion of the foods they sell from Ontario farmers. In the grand scheme of things I feel this is a small investment to help get local products on to local plates. It would be fantastic to have farms like your's supplying local institutions like hospitals and schools. Think of how much money would be saved in health care expenses! Lauren Hi Ken,
I am well aware that farmers view their work as business people. The global restructuring of food supply chains has made it very difficult for farmers to make money in recent years. I deeply care about having farmers and farms in Ontario’s future, which is why I think that a local procurement policy would be a good thing for the agricultural economy.

Sustain Ontario’s budget is NOT $24 million! You reference a letter we wrote in response to the government pledging $24 million to develop a local food procurement policy and support a transition proces for institution required to purchase a portion of the foods they sell from Ontario farmers. In the grand scheme of things I feel this is a small investment to help get local products on to local plates.
It would be fantastic to have farms like your’s supplying local institutions like hospitals and schools. Think of how much money would be saved in health care expenses!
Lauren

]]> By: Ken Taylor http://sustainontario.com/2010/02/06/1025/blog/news/food-and-farming-in-the-greater-golden-horseshoe/comment-page-1#comment-39733 Ken Taylor Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:12:53 +0000 http://sustainontario.com/?p=1025#comment-39733 I gave a workshop last year to a group of NFU farmers on Wolfe Island, Ont and they were seeking advice on what farm products had the greatest PROFIT POTENTIAL.... some farmers view their farms as a business and not a local hobby/entertainment show and want to make a decent living from their hard work. I thus agreed to present at ECO Farm Day(Feb 27,2010)in Cornwall with the objective of helping eastern Ont. farmers to decide on what product to farm..the theme of "MONEY GROWS on TREES" has been mostly ignored by all facets of the Ag system. We have set up many Ontario farms the last couple of years without wasting Sustain Ontario monies. Perhaps those in charge of the budget for Sustain Ontario could be spending it a lot more effectively on farmers instead of: "civil society groups"($7 Million), "infrastructure"( $7 Million), "institutions to build supply chains"( $7 Million) " developing food strategies" ($3 Million) Sounds like a lot of "pigs in the money trough" when the $24 MILLION would be much better spent on farmers putting the right crops in the ground! I gave a workshop last year to a group of NFU farmers on Wolfe Island, Ont and they were seeking advice on what farm products had the greatest PROFIT POTENTIAL…. some farmers view their farms as a business and not a local hobby/entertainment show and want to make a decent living from their hard work. I thus agreed to present at ECO Farm Day(Feb 27,2010)in Cornwall with the objective of helping eastern Ont. farmers to decide on what product to farm..the theme of “MONEY GROWS on TREES” has been mostly ignored by all facets of the Ag system. We have set up many Ontario farms the last couple of years without wasting Sustain Ontario monies. Perhaps those in charge of the budget for Sustain Ontario could be spending it a lot more effectively on farmers instead of:
“civil society groups”($7 Million),
“infrastructure”( $7 Million),
“institutions to build supply chains”( $7 Million)
” developing food strategies” ($3 Million)

Sounds like a lot of “pigs in the money trough” when the $24 MILLION would be much better spent on farmers putting the right crops in the ground!

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