GETTING TO WIN-WIN WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS BCAFM 2015 Presented
by Jen Comer, Creston Valley Farmers Market Manager & Town
Councillor
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OUTLINE Why should local government care? Help comes from
unexpected places build partnerships! How can you work with them?
Understand local government planning
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ABOUT ME
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WHY SHOULD LOCAL GOVERNMENT CARE AND HOW CAN THEY HELP The big
picture
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BIG PICTURE Canadians consume 100,000,000 meals each day "Few
government officials or municipal councils consider in totality the
intersection of the food chain with how our communities have been
built, how they operate, and how their future is going to be shaped
by food and food- related issues Gord Hume, Municipal World
Magazine April 2010 Significant local government changeover
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OPPORTUNITIES Fosters local economic development BCAFM Economic
Impact Studies invaluable! FMs are incubators for small businesses,
some of which outgrow the market and open their own businesses
Addresses food security issues BCAFM Nutrition Coupon Program Food
deserts in urban areas High quality affordable seasonal produce
Builds community Free and regular public gathering space Supports
environmental sustainability Less food miles Local organic
agriculture Revitalize downtown streets Turn sleepy towns into
vibrant shopping hubs for locals and tourists
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HEALTHY COMMUNITIES THRIVE Health issues related to unhealthy
diets is overwhelming our society (Federal and Provincial budgets
related to health care) Just as municipalities were a leader with
smoking, pesticides, recycling, now is the time to focus on food
Poor nutrition affects person's socio- economic status, and their
ability to succeed is hindered Less nutritious food = more at risk
people = future social problems costing governments more
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CHALLENGES Conveying opportunities/ needs/ benefits to local
governments Inconsistencies between markets in same local
governments and health authorities Lack of permanent spaces or risk
of relocation year-to-year Navigating requirements/ permits/
approvals of temporary markets (i.e., annual events like parades,
street fairs) and reoccurring temporary market (farmers'
markets)
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HOW TO WORK WITH LOCAL GOV'T Provide annual presentation as a
delegation 10 minute presentation, short & sweet! Provide any
specific requests in writing Talk with staff before presenting to
council Municipalities can use existing events (like Farmers
Markets) to engage community members
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Signage Waste management Street closures Storage space Office
space Electricity Portable toilet facilities Water Facilitate
partnerships Allow zoning/local regulations to allow liquor sales
WHAT LOCAL GOV'T CAN DO
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The more municipalities can do to support markets, the better.
Don't cripple them with costs and hoops Public space (in-kind or
for fee) Outdoor and Indoor Long-term leases Promotional support
Financial support (grants) or in-kind support (land, letters of
support for grants) Leverage community resources Single business
license for market WHAT LOCAL GOV'T CAN DO
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BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS Working with local government also means
building good community partnerships with other organizations,
educational institutions, Chamber of Commerce, First Nations,
health authority, local ag groups, etc. Leverage funding Local
expertise Public support Local governments and funding agencies
want to see community partnerships
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HOW LOCAL GOV'T CAN SUPPORT LOCAL AGRICULTURE (BEYOND THE
MARKET) Introduce new zoning policies encourage market gardens on
vacant land Allow the sale of food from door step Backyard bees
& chickens Encourage food infrastructure facilities Cluster
businesses and facilities to provide synergistic opportunities
Drive consumer demand for local food through promoting it
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BEYOND THE MARKET Municipalities often focus on local food as
backyard gardens & farmers' markets They are missing out on
significant broader opportunities Food hubs - connecting
processing, distribution, selling, retail, restaurants, learning
Opportunity for a "virtuous cycle of job creation,
entrepreneurship, community spirit, and local pride Municipal
World, September 2013
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LOCAL BUSINESSES Work with surrounding businesses Talk with
businesses about positive / negative impacts on surrounding
businesses Report back to council on findings Highlight economic
spin-offs from market to businesses Become a Chamber of Commerce
member Be a champion for small local businesses
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT PLANNING 101 And how Farmers' Markets can get
involved
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UNDERSTANDING LOCAL GOV'TS Understand local policy documents
OCP, ICSP, RGS, land zoning, neighbourhood area plans, regional
plans Find a champion on council Work with a designated staff
person Understand what the local grant process is (local and
regional)
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LAND USE POLICIES Understand land use policies Determine where
development can occur Areas are delineated as zones defining the
land use Zoning changes can take a few months to be adopted Allow
farmers markets in a variety of zoning (public, private lands)
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OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLANS (OCP) Public planning bylaw that
provides long term vision for community Vision, Values and Goals
Outlines transportation, land use, parks & recreation, housing,
climate change, social vibrancy, environmental stewardship,
economic development, arts & culture, etc. 10 - 15 year scope
All future municipal bylaws and work by must align with OCP after
adoption Increasingly including food security components Bill 27
2008 (Green Communities) mandates local governments to identify
targets, policies and actions to reduce GHGs Requires community
members and stakeholders in process Get involved in steering
committee, or at least attend public meetings
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(Prince George OCP) Victoria OCP
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INTEGRATED COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY PLANS Long-term plan (30 50
year plan) Consultation with community members Help the community
realize sustainability objectives: Environmental Cultural Social
Economic Address climate change Healthier communities Less costly
to operate a sustainable city
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Invermere ICSP Revelstoke ICSP
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REGIONAL GROWTH STRATEGIES Lead by Regional Districts Involves
member municipalities, provincial agencies, rural areas Regional
vision statements Areas of focus: housing, transportation, regional
services, parks & natural areas, economic development, GHG
reduction, natural resources All future regional district bylaws
must be consistent with strategy Municipality OCP must be updated
within two years to include regional context statement
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Naniamo RGS
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AGRICULTURAL AREA PLANS Agricultural Area Plans (AAPs) are an
even stronger tool to connect local producers to consumers Lead by
Regional Districts or Municipalities More input from direct farming
community (farmers institutes, commodity groups, organizations),
academia, provincial & federal government AAPs relatively new
(mid 1990s) 49 local governments completed AAPs Ways to support
local farms Ensure farmers can advertise their farm businesses with
zoning bylaws Identify agricultural areas Engage public in
respecting farm traffic Include livestock and food security in
emergency planning
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Kamloops AAP MetroVan AAP
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SUMMARY Building good relationships with your local government
and other partners will only help your market Farmers Market
fulfill many priority areas for communities Multiple ways to be
involved in local government planning Everyone needs to eat. We can
help them eat food that benefits our communities.
