Rocky View’s Agricultural Master Plan is on target for approval this October, councillors heard, June 21.
After more than a year of public input, County staff is now creating a draft form of the plan, which will be brought before council, July 26 before being presented to the public.
“We are in the midst of seeking opinions from the people it applies to,” said Reeve Rolly Ashdown. “Over 95 per cent of our county is agriculture, and that is the people we want to hear from. We want to get good information and do a good job.”
Once completed, the Agricultural Master Plan, which is being created with the help of County staff, the Agricultural Services Board, community open houses and a volunteer focus group consisting of a variety of farmers, will provide a framework of policies to support traditional and innovative farming operations in the county.
The draft plan goals, policies and recommendations were presented to the community at an open house, attended by about 26 people last February.
During the meeting, County staff sought public input on the plan, including Rocky View’s future role in preserving agriculture. The same questions were posed to the public through an online survey, resulting in an additional 41 completed questionnaires.
Public responses were then analyzed and are being used to make adjustments to the plan.
The focus group will meet with staff members to discuss the document, June 29. A public open house is tentatively set for July 27, during which staff will release the draft plan, after it is reviewed and supported by councillors.
Ashdown said the document will help play a role in Rocky View’s long term planning.
“You have got to keep up with these documents, they get old fast,” he said. “If you aren’t proactive, it gets out-dated and it doesn’t work anymore.”
Councillor Kim Magnuson, who is also chair of Rocky View’s Agricultural Services Board, said it is important for the County to make long-term plans to reflect the changing face of agriculture.
“Times are changing,” she said. “A lot of people have different views of agriculture now. There is some talk of smaller, more intensive, more manageable agriculture operations that are cutting edge.”
Magnuson added that changes to the definition of a farm are necessary as the area becomes more densely populated.
“I think that given our time and given the value of agricultural land in the area, we could very well see all the land lost to urban development, unless we allow smaller agriculture parcels,” said Magnuson.
