A decision by City of Powell River staff to shelve an incubator farm project was an unfortunate case of postponing a project that could have had benefits to local agriculture and education.
A provincial grant application for $100,000 to fund the development of a teaching farm in partnership with Powell River Regional District, Vancouver Island University, School District 47 and local farming organizations was pulled by city staff last week.
Farming organizations wrote letters to council stating they did not endorse the plan, had not been consulted and did not have time to review it.
A nearly 50-page proposal entitled New Ground: Farm Enterprise Incubator, prepared for council in September by Powell River Educational Services Society, the non-profit arm of the school district, details the opportunity to develop local food sources and the economy through small-scale farming operations.
The perception of many was that the incubator farm was conveniently added to a plan to have 30 acres of land excluded from the Agricultural Land Reserve to build a Sino Bright international school and then, when the exclusion did not go through, the idea was pushed aside.
Yet, a city report dated May 31 makes it clear that should the Sino Bright deal fall through, there were other potential properties for the project. It also states that local farming organizations were in “general support” of the idea at a meeting held in mid-April.
So why was the incubator farm grant application withdrawn?
City manager of economic development Scott Randolph told the Peak the project was shelved because staff “didn’t feel it was worth getting into a fight over,” but welcomed the opportunity to meet with local farming organizations in the new year to discuss future collaborations.
Meanwhile, farming representatives state in their letters to council that they are more than willing to discuss their concerns regarding the incubator farm idea. Powell River Farmers’ Institute president Alan Rebane added in his letter that he strongly believes the city could direct its funds in “more productive ways.”
If that means providing more support for existing farmers, such as a grant program, great. The incubator farm idea is only one way to explore what is needed to promote local agricultural production.
All ideas to make local farming more sustainable and viable, strengthening our long-term food security, should be dutifully explored and not sit on a shelf somewhere at city hall.
Jason Schreurs, publisher/editor
