The City of Campbell River is developing an Agricultural Plan and Study. This will include a thorough assessment of agricultural opportunities including a land-use inventory for the Agricultural Land Reserve, as well as marketing and economic development opportunities for agriculture.
This plan and study will be incorporated into policies for the Sustainable Official Community Plan. As an early part of the process an Agricultural Steering Committee will be established to engage local stakeholders, and a series of public events will take place over the fall and winter of 2010-2011. The development of local farming has the potential to affect everyone in our community, by providing new jobs, better utilizing our natural resources. Additionally, improved access to fresh local food could reduce our resource-intensive reliance on shipping and storing food from abroad. Because of this, public engagement is important, and the agricultural plan and study will incorporate citizen input via activities such as open houses, focus group discussions, surveys and the development of a steering committee.
Project Objectives
The following milestones will be achieved as the agricultural plan is developed:
1. Integrate agriculture into Campbell River’s Sustainable Official Community Plan
2. Assess potential of agriculture to contribute to the local economy
3. Provide an agricultural land-use inventory and assessment (including assessment of soil, bio-geoclimatic zones, and growing conditions)
4. Identify opportunities for increasing agricultural production in Campbell River
5. Identify opportunities for marketing of agricultural products
6. Identify current assets for enhancing agricultural production
7. Identify challenges for enhancing agricultural production
Project Stages
1. Establishment of an Agricultural Steering Committee
2. A Qualitative/Quantitative Inventory of Land within Campbell River
• This will include an evaluation of local climate conditions, growing conditions and soil types. Agricultural conditions associated with pertinent bio-geoclimatic zones will be included in the assessment.
• The assessment will include a review of current land in the Agricultural Land Reserve, and other land with agricultural capability within City limits and the surrounding area.
3. Pertinent Legislative Framework
• Local Government Act
• Regional/Sub-Area Planning
• Agricultural Land Commission Act
• Farm Practices Protection Act
• Land Title Act
4. Industry Assessment
• Existing local agricultural enterprises
• Assessment of current opportunities and constraints for existing industry and industry growth and development
5. Market Opportunity Assessment
• Identification of opportunities (including non-traditional agricultural opportunities such as backyard farming)
• Identification of the role of the municipality, River Corp and the community in supporting local agriculture
• Identification of marketing strategies and opportunities for agriculture in Campbell River
• Examination of potential links to agri-tourism opportunities
6. Implementation Plan
• This will be a high level strategy for implementing the plan’s recommendations.
• The implementation plan will articulate roles of participating entities, broad based time lines, targets, and measurable steps to be taken
• The Agricultural Steering Committee will provide input into strategies for moving forward on the recommendations emerging from this plan
Project Partners and Funders
City of Campbell River
Community Works Fund (Federal Gas Tax Fund)
Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC
Ministry of Agriculture
Rivercorp (City Economic Development Office)
