Town searching for farming advice

The Blue Mountains is looking for people with farming experience to sit on an agricultural advisory committee.

The committee would provide town staff and council with advice and comments about agricultural issues, planning director Peter Tollefsen said earlier this week in a report to council.

An agricultural advisory committee for Blue Mountains was first suggested by Jacquie Hendry, a regional director of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, who appeared at a council meeting last October.

Hendry spoke about The Blue Mountain's rapid development and of how valuable farmland in the town and elsewhere in Ontario was being bought up by developers at a "breakneck pace."

"An agricultural advisory committee could help The Blue Mountains in ways affecting local agriculture. Such a committee could also work with council to ensure the best interests of your farming community are represented," she said.

Council referred Hendry's suggestion to town staff for its study.

"Our staff see merit in having such a group . . . it would give the municipality valuable input (on farming issues)," Tollefsen said Monday.

Tollefsen's report suggested council appoint eight volunteers to serve on the committee for a term ending Nov. 30, 2010.

Committee members should include representatives, if possible, from the Grey Cattlemen's Association, the Georgian Bay Fruit Growers, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, National Farmers Union, young farmers, organic farmers, sheep producers, dairy farmers and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.