Land Use Workshop

[farmers_son]

Action for Agriculture is holding a LandUse Workshop at the Balzac Hall on February 25th.
Interesting speakers on various topics regarding land use planning .

The workshop runs from 1-4:30 and Registration is $20.00 at the door.

I attended last year and felt I got some valuable info on landuse issues.

[cakadu]

Emrald, is there a website or something where a person can find out a bit more information on it? What sorts of speakers did you hear last year?

It sounds like it might be worth taking in.

Thanks.
Linda

[paladin]

Website is http://action-for-agriculture.8m.com. Email info@action-for-agriculture.8m.com for a brochure. Keynote speakers this year are Keith Schneider from the Michigan Land Use Institute and Barry Worbets from the Canada West Foundation

[cakadu]

How does one get to the Balzac hall coming from the north on highway #2?

[cowman]

I wonder if this workshop will be about protecting landowners rights or will be the same old garbage about restricting our rights? You know...yes you own your land but you can't do anything with it sort of thing?
Meanwhile they will promote allowing more factory farms that stink up the countryside and destroy the water supply.
I wonder if they ever realize that it just isn't the suburbanite who isn't all that keen to live beside a hog factory? What about all the people who have lived in these areas for generations and never felt it was necessary to ruin the countryside with a factory farm? I've always wondered why they don't move all the hogs and feedlots out into the desert of eastern Alberta where nobody lives instead of cluster them into the areas where people live?

[pmckenna]

Balzac Hall is at Hwy 2 & Sec 566 - right between Calgary and Airdrie; W on 566, building on immediate left (S. side)

[pmckenna]

cowman, how does your opinion on confined feeding operations fit into your phylosophy about being able to do what you want with your land

[pmckenna]

cowman, had to make a comment on your suggested area of Alberta for confined feeding operations. I would think it is fairly obvious that the lack of water in the eastern part of the province is a huge drawback for locating any industries there. I understand that there is an initiative being taken by a number of rural and urban municipalities to divert water to that region.

[cowman]

emerald: If CFOs could contain the smell, flies, and runoff they wouldn't be a problem. And I will admit they have come a long way in doing just that with manure injection. Unfortunately some operators believe they have a right to infringe on everyone else just so they can make more money and not spend the money on injection! In reality they are their own worst enemies?
Perhaps I have a biased view because of the area I live in. Basically agriculture is not cost effective here because of the demand for rural residential property. The municipality wants to live in a make believe world of the bucolic countryside rather than realize the facts of life...this land is too expensive to support agriculture!
I am not sure about the water situation in eastern Alberta but I think while surface water is fairly scant, they probably have sufficient water in the aquifier? After all didn't Taiwan Sugar want to build their mega barns there?
I can see how a feedlot might have difficulty raising consistent silage crops but that wouldn't affect hogs?

[cowman]

Taiwan sugar was attempting to locate in Flagstaff County. The counties further south such as Paintearth are short of water.
All feeding operations are regulated by the NRCB, and must adhere to the AOPA legislation, so no operation can operate in a manner that poses a risk to the environment or causes an inappropriate disturbance ( excess odor, flies etc.)
Manure spreading is also regulated, as is the method of spreading . This is for operations that generate more than 500T of manure annually, so it doesn't apply to the smaller or average cow/calf operation.
All operations must adhere to setbacks from streams and water courses with their seasonal feeding and bedding sites to prevent run off into creeks, rivers etc.
The Minimum Distance Separation from neighbours will preclude new operations from locating in heavily developed residential areas.
As far as land pressures go, I agree that the central part of the province along the highway 2 corridor is in great demand for commercial and residential uses.