Cooking up a storm notes Mar14-15

From Common Energy UVic

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Cooking Up a Storm - Participant Notes (any mistakes please add note)

Contemporary Legal Issues in Food Production and Distribution

Panel 3 – Protecting Local Food and Curbing Urban Sprawl

Deborah Curran, Principal, Deborah Curran and Company and UVic Law Sessional Instructor

Brandy Gallagher-McPherson, Executive Director of OUR (One United Resource) Ecovillage

Deborah Curran The ALR (Agricultural Land Reserve)

1. What is the ALR? -it is a provincial zone (outlined in the 1970’s), which makes up approximately 5% of the BC land base -it is designated as Class 1 agricultural land and this designation is based on scientific studies of the soil -in order to carry out activities other then farming on this land, you must ask permission from the provincial government -there are detailed regulations regarding what is considered agricultural use -the local government is limited in power when it comes to the ALR

2. What has the ALR achieved? -the ALR has been successful in keeping agriculture close to the market and on the best farmland, is seen as a key part of the green structure in BC, has an important water cycle function, has had a significant impact on our development pattern, and has created a vibrant urban farm economy -quality decline of ALR lands is of concern

3. Threats to the ALR -population growth (5% in BC between the years of 2001-2006); a lot of the growth consists of single family homes -the provincial government has expanded ways that farms can be used (ex. agri-tourism); this helps farms diversify themselves, but a balance must be found

4. Opportunities -urban entities are getting on board with the idea of intensification (increasing urban density) -this has lead to the idea of urban growth boundaries; these would be applied across the province and local governments are on board; there would be restrictions on growth for ~25 years, after which time there would be a public consultation regarding the future of the boundaries

5. Action -be conscious of supporting farmers through markets, festivals, etc. -make your children aware about local food and agriculture

Brandy Gallagher-McPherson

OUR Ecovillage

-the effort to create the OUR Ecovillage began 8 years ago -at that time there was no legal construct for the type of holistic land use design they wanted to apply to their land -they wanted to create a 25 acre model demonstration sustainable village -it would be created by the community, for the community, through the community -a project like this can only happen if a community truly wants a demonstration of a sustainable solution -the entire process was an educational benefit

-key aspects: observation as a tool in permaculture design Building a relationship with space Inviting community input Idea of reparation, not just sustainability

-the legal and political process took 2 and a half years; they finished by creating a brand new zone that included: agricultural production, conservation, education, stewardship and economic sustainability (prior to this, it was not legal to have so many uses on the same site) -they encourage other groups wishing to undertake similar projects to use them and their site plans as a resource as long as they share contributions and successes with others as well

-their website: www.ourecovillage.org

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