I was dismayed to read in your Jan. 27 edition that Vernon council has voted against a staff recommendation and supports the application for exclusion from the Agricultural Land Reserve of 3.8 hectares of farm land at 15th Street and Pottery Road even though “it goes against the official community plan and the amount of land already existing in Vernon for housing.”
The ALR was created in B.C. to reduce the alarming rate of development of agricultural land.
Without farm land available to produce food locally, we put our ability to support our community’s needs at risk. Relying on food transported from outside of the Okanagan and B.C. not only increases our carbon footprint, but it also costs a lot more when you consider the low Canadian dollar these days. I’m sure we have all noticed the increase in food prices lately.
An application to exclude this same parcel was unsuccessful in 2012.
Councillors Brian Quiring and Scott Anderson commented that the land is not currently being farmed. Could this be because the person who bought this parcel had no intention of continuing to farm it, and is only interested in development? Do they not respect the restrictions of land held in the ALR? How many times does the community need to fight this battle? The land beside this parcel has been farmed for decades, so why not this piece?
I’m disappointed that this council does not see the value in our farm heritage and the benefits that agriculture brings to every citizen of Vernon and B.C.
Melanie Middleton
Vernon
