By: Richard Blyleven Read by: Franchesca Weeks February 5, 2016
Many county councils across Ontario have set up Agricultural Advisory Committees to be the connection between local agricultural issues and the county council.
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25-years ago an advisory committee would not have been needed. Most rural county councils at that time had a good representation of farmers as councilors and others around the table.
Today working farmers make up a smaller proportion of the overall rural population, and that representation of farmers is reduced. A lot of decisions coming from county councils can impact how farmers operate their farms. Without that farm voice at the table, agricultural issues can get overlooked.
In my county of Haldimand, the Agricultural Advisory Committee is almost ten years old. It started with the local Haldimand-Norfolk Christian Farmers Federation Board (CFFO), Haldimand Federation of Agriculture (OFA), and county staff with the approval of council. It is a committee of council and answers only to council on agriculture and related issues.
The committee has two representatives from CFFO, two representatives from OFA, four representatives from agri- businesses or local farmers, and one county councilor. The mandate of the committee is to be the voice of agriculture and agri-business to council and vice versa.
I have served on the Agricultural Advisory Committee since it started almost 10 years ago, and I am currently sitting as chair of this committee. I can tell you some really contentious issues have come to the table. The committee has worked on concerns over converting gravel shoulders to pavement, potential recycling for bale wrap plastic, and support for local farmers markets.
These issues either come from agriculture or agri-businesses to be sent to council, or come down from council or staff to be resolved at the committee and sent back.
One contentious issue that was brought to the committee was about the use of municipal biosolids on local farmland. Objections to the use of biosolids, and concerns about odour and timing of spreading nearly shut down the practice in the area. Our Agricultural Advisory Committee was able to determine guidelines for use and application that have since resolved the issue. These guidelines are now also being used in other areas of the province.
Here at the CFFO, we want to thank all of the volunteers who serve on their local county Agricultural Advisory Committees. This is such an important vehicle to bring agricultural issues to local council tables. We encourage any county or municipality that does not have such a committee to establish one as the voice of agriculture and agri-business to your council.
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Richard Blyleven is the Vice-President for the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKNX Wingham, and UCB Canada radio stations in Chatham, Belleville, Bancroft, Brockville and Kingston. It is also archived on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org. CFFO is supported by 4,000 family farmers across Ontario.
