supporting urban agriculture
TRANSCRIPT
Supporting Urban & Residential Agriculture
A Review of Policies in Cornwall and Stormont-Dundas-
Glengarry & Recommendations
Loretta LandmesserAll Things Food | Bouffe 360°
Topic & Scope
A comprehensive review of the relevant bylaws in the Cornwall and Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry region of Eastern Ontario with respect to the regulation of all forms of urban agriculture.
No such policy review in existence in Cornwall, SDG
Lack of policy coherence at the municipal and regional levels
Applicable to other jurisdictions in Ontario, elsewhere
Relevance
1) The review is based on bylaws in effect at the time of submission – August 11, 2015.
2) Further limited by the standard definition used to define population centres (formerly urban areas)
For example: Limited areas in the Cornwall, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry regions that would be considered population centres.
Limitations
Limitations
Medium Population Centre Small Population CentrePopulation: 30,000 - 99,999 Population: 1,000 - 29,999
Relevance
Urban Agriculture
Rural Agriculture
Agriculture in non-urban &
non-rural areas?
‘Residential’ Agriculture?
Methodology
1) Bylaw Review
2) Interviews with municipal staff• Community Planner• Planning Technician• Director of Planning, Building & By-Law Enforcement
3) Research on best practices of urban/residential agriculture
Cornwall Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw -
No general farming or agricultural use unless in areas zoned ‘rural area’, ‘prime agricultural’ or ‘environmental constraint – floodplain’ (1969)
Provisions in the Property Standards Bylaw for soil erosion prevention (2014)
No boulevard gardening (2003)
North Stormont
North Stormont
No restrictions on intensive gardening practices (whether for personal or commercial use) as this would fall under the purview of a “home occupation”(making goods in the residential area, selling offsite).
Agricultural uses (e.g. apiaries, poultry raising) are only permitted in rural and agriculturally zoned areas with a minimum property size of 75 acres.
No farm/produce stands in the villages
No poultry (July, 2015).
South Stormont
South Stormont
No livestock for food
No agricultural use
No greenhouses (product for wholesale or retail sale)(2011)
North Dundas
North Dundas No domestic livestock (bees,
chickens) No restrictions on gardening or
the use of personal greenhouses No farm/produce stands (Calvin
Pol, 2015) In process of a comprehensive
zoning bylaw consolidation process.
Will be considering the possible inclusion of provisions allowing residents to keep up to a specified number of hens (no roosters or peacocks)
Blanket provision, only in preliminary stages (reconfirmed in November 2015)
South Dundas
South Dundas
No chickens, bees in residentially zoned areas.
No production of animal products such as milk, eggs, wool, fur or honey
Zoning Bylaw 2010
North Glengarry
North Glengarry
No raising of crops, or domestic animals other than dogs or exotic animals
No production of animal products (eg. Eggs, honey, milk)
Zoning Bylaw 2013
South Glengarry
South Glengarry
No raising of crops or livestock
According to the Property Standards bylaw, landscaping must be maintained and ground cover should be used as an effective method of soil erosion (2013).
General Best Practices for Consideration
“[v]egetable gardens and fruit trees are already part of the urban environment for many people, but others are looking for more ways to bring the farm to the city. Some, for example, want to raise chickens in their backyards”
General Best Practices for Consideration
Among the considerations the provincial government highlights are 1) animal health and public health; 2) animal care; 3) predators; and 4) food safety
Strong municipal support for urban agricultural practices exist in many Canadian cities: e.g. Hamilton, Toronto, Vancouver
Can these theories be applied to the urban centre of Cornwall and the smaller residential areas in SDG?
Hamilton, ON
Photo Courtesy of Hamilton Urban Farm
Hamilton, ONNeighbourhood Action Strategy (2017)
Accessing fresh and healthy food was a significant concern among Hamilton residents;
Zoning and licensing are effective tools that can regulate where and when the sale of urban agriculture products take place (2013);
A variety of places (including farmers’ markets, farmgate stands, market gardens and food hubs) can offer urban gardeners and farmers to make a profit through urban agriculture;
Vision: by 2020, the retail sale of urban agriculture products should be integrated into zoning and business licencing categories (2013).
Hamilton, ON
Next steps:
1) Establish a vision to guide the approach to food system planning within the City;
2) Include provisions in bylaws and amendments specific to urban agriculture so that they become part of the official planning process;
3) Formalize support for existing urban agricultural initiatives by providing access to land and other resources, as well as participating in studies on the health and safety of these areas.
Kamloops, BC
Photo Courtesy of the City of Kamloops
Kamloops, BC
Bylaws allow for urban agriculture to coexist with other land uses (including residential) while minimizing the effects normally associated with traditional agricultural practices (mechanization, chemical inputs).
The Official Community Plan (2004) provides policy direction on a number of food-related issues, including:
food production on public lands and development parcels encouragement of initiatives aimed at food self-reliance promotion of businesses that improve access to locally produced
affordable and nutritious food.
Kamloops, BC
A number of previous municipal planning documents have called for the development of the FUAP:
the Kamloops Social Plan (2009); the Sustainable Kamloops Plan (SKP) (2010); the Airshed Management Plan (2013); the Agriculture Area Plan (2013).
The process was initiated by Council in early 2014. The advisory committee featured a diverse group of food system stakeholders, community partners, a Council representative, and City staff.
Kamloops, BC
Extensive public consultation between June 2014 & June 2015
Stakeholder forum with over 100 participants
Mobile tour showcasing different examples of the local food system
Public survey completed by 647 community members
Two open houses in local malls that were attended by hundreds of people
Extensive media campaign
Several meetings with stakeholder groups and community associations
Recommendations
Hamilton Kamloops
Cornwall
Recommendation #1Each municipality (or in collaboration with an organization such as All Things Food / Bouffe 360°) should conduct a survey of residents to gauge support for urban/residential agriculture.
The results from this survey, in turn, could be used as the foundation for developing a vision in each of the municipalities that would have broad support amongst residents that helps guide the policy making process.
Recommendation #2Each municipality should develop a food strategy or charter and implement this in their official community plans to guide the development of urban/residential agriculture in their communities.
This will further enable entrepreneurs and existing businesses (like Fresh City Harvest in Cornwall, ON) to diversify the economic opportunities available in each of these areas.
Recommendation #3Each municipality should support and further investigate urban agriculture by including it within their respective community’s zoning bylaws.
(It should be re-emphasized that the municipality of North Dundas has already expressing interest in doing this, and is in the process of including provisions for this in their zoning bylaw consolidation.)