Farmers air grievances at farmland forum

ELORA – Farmers and those in the agri-food industry said loud and clear that their land and livelihoods are under threat, thanks to residential and industrial growth infringing on their turf.

The comments were made at Ontario Farmland Trust’s annual Farmland Forum on March 19 at the GrandWay Events Centre in Elora. 

This year’s forum focused on planning pressures and how municipal, provincial and federal governments can help farmers, who are deeply impacted by growth.

Guelph MPP and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner spoke about Bill 21, the Protect Our Food Act, which he and Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady have introduced to the Ontario Legislature.

Schreiner said agriculture contributes more than $52 billion to the provincial economy and employs more than 875,000 people, making it a significant player.

And yet Ontario is losing 319 acres of farmland every day due to residential and industrial growth, aggregate operations and the construction of roads and highways.

“Agri-food is often left out of the conversation,” Schreiner said.

Bill 21 would create a taskforce led by farmers, along with land-use planners, soil experts and agriculture experts to develop a food belt protection plan.

“We have to drive speculators out of farmland,” Schreiner said.

He advised those in the audience, who were largely supportive, to reach out to the premier and their local MPP and pressure them to approve the bill.

A panel discussion in the afternoon further reinforced the need to protect farmland, as four farmers discussed the impacts of development and planning on their operations.

Jenn Pfenning is president of the National Farmers Union and a farmer in Wilmot Township.

Crispin Colfin is director of the Middlesex Federation of Agriculture and still farms his own land.

Jack Chaffe owns and operates Chaffe Farms Ltd., a beef operation in Mitchell.

And John den Haan is a shareholder of Haanview Farms Inc. and Sheldon Creek Dairy in Loretto, northwest of Tottenham.

Minimum distance setbacks (MDS) determine the required distance between residences and farmland. They can determine where manure is to be stored, where cattle can graze and where a farm could locate an associated on-farm business.

But if a subdivision goes in, MDS could have a negative impact on farm operations. Suddenly what used be allowed is no longer allowed and a farmer’s plans could be stymied.

Chaffe said there are three parts to MDS.

“It protects your neighbours from your operation; it protects you from your neighbours, and it protects the environment,” he said.

But it also caused him headaches over the years when he tried to locate a new barn and manure storage. And it can limit future farming plans and succession planning, he added.

Crispin was a local councillor in the 1990s when London annexed some of Middlesex for growth. 

He said municipalities need to stay within their own borders and build up rather than out.

He also noted aggregate operations are well protected in the Planning Act, “and we need to give farmland the same recognition.”

Pfenning talked about a very real threat to farmland in Wilmot Township, where realtors pressured farmers to sell their land at below-market prices to bring in industry.

“They were told to accept it or they’d be expropriated,” Pfenning said.

The farmers held strong though and the community lent its support, she said. But it hasn’t gone away.

“Farmers were badgered for two years now” she said. “Every farmer is questioning our future in Wilmot Township.”

Pfenning noted high speed rail, pipelines, hydro lines and battery storage facilities also pose threats to farmland.

“Developers have deep pockets and are able to circumvent policies,” she said. “We need better policies.”

Den Haan said he hosts “Day on the Farm” events at his farm to welcome and educate urban dwellers who might not be familiar with farm operations. This lays the foundation for strong relationships “and relationships are huge,” he said.

Farmers are up against many challenges:

– climate change is impacting planting season and droughts impact yields; 

– a lack of fibre optics and other infrastructure in rural areas can keep a farm from taking advantage of mechanization; and

– it’s hard to complete succession planning when planning policies have changed so much and so drastically in recent years.

“Our best defence is to protect the soil and make good land use planning decisions,” den Haan said.