ALR news

[Sheba]

I couldn't see a thread for this kind of stuff so...


B.C. amends Agricultural Land Reserve regulations to promote vertical farming

The B.C. government is making changes to regulations governing Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) that will allow a more densified form of farming.

The changes will allow a process known as “vertical farming” on ALR land, which involves crops grown in vertically-stacked layers.

The process allows producers to maximize space while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said some vertical farming has been taking place on some ALR land, but the regulatory changes are needed to ensure “clarity” that the technology is permitted.

Popham said the recent floods that devastated B.C.’s Fraser Valley have also highlighted the need to embrace modern techniques to strengthen local agriculture.

“As we face more and more impact from climate change, it’s imperative that we continue to strengthen and grow the food systems that we have and embrace new, innovative practices and technology,” she said.

“Our economic plan presents a vision for the future, and part of that vision is embracing the role of technology in British Columbia, and using this technology to enhance our food security and our food economy.

Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun has hailed the change as a clear signal to the business community that innovation in the farming sector is welcome in the province.

“Historically it has been challenging for municipalities to attract large-scale agri-tech companies as there was uncertainty with the ALR regulations,” he said.

“By making these changes the provincial government can help this industry thrive, making it easier for orgs, farmers and municipalities to collaborate and innovate.”

[Migrant_Coconut]

'Bout damn time. We're densifying everything else, why not the farms too?

[fredinno]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

'Bout damn time. We're densifying everything else, why not the farms too?

Unlike industrial lands, much of the ALR Land is vacant. Farmland in both the US and Canada has been shrinking despite massive subsidies because they're too efficient.

[Sheba]

Kind of related - and I didn't want to start a new thread for it...

Lost Sumas Lake re-emerges in 1889 map

On Oct. 1, 1889, the federal government’s Department of the Interior issued a map of New Westminster District, which basically covered the Fraser Valley from Port Moody to Harrison Lake.

Don Stewart of MacLeod’s Books recently found a copy at an antique store that was closing in Victoria. It’s fascinating to the modern eye, because it shows the location of Sumas Lake, which was drained in the 1920s.

“See how Sumas is spelt, Sumass,” said Stewart, who has the map for sale for $200. “This lake sat in the middle of the countryside, just to the east of Abbotsford.”

The lake was surprisingly large, 36 square kilometres in size, extending from Sumas Mountain in the northwest to Vedder Mountain in the southeast.

Farms now occupy most of the former lake bed on the Sumas Prairie. But the lake more or less reclaimed its natural boundaries last November, when an “atmospheric river” of rain hit the Fraser Valley, drenching it with a record 540 millimetres of water.

The modern take on the draining of the lake is that it was done to create more farmland. But Stewart did some research and found there was another factor: the lake was quite shallow, and was a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

“Part of the reason why it ended up being drained and filled in was the upper Fraser Valley was a centre for malarial disease, and fur traders complained of it,” said Stewart.

...

[giallo]

A panorama of the cranberry fields of Richmond