Planting the seeds for a sustainable future - City of Kamloops

CURRENT SETTINGIn early 2012, both the City of Kamloops and Community FuturesThompson Country conducted surveys throughout the City and the TNRD todetermine public perspectives toward agriculture. Many of the producersthat took part agreed to be part of a mapping exercise that identified forthe general public the location of local and regional farms and the productsthey offer. In total, 75 producers participated in the exercise with meatand meat products being identified as one of the major agricultural staplesproduced in the area.To view the regional/local producermap and learn more aboutproducers and their products, seeMap 1 or visit:www.tsfoodconnections.ca/foodproducer-map.htmlAgricultural land is limited and often at risk by human activities, making it a prime candidate for protection through theestablishment of land reserves. In BC and across Canada, in places facing high levels ofpopulation growth and urbanization, farmland can shrink due to increasing demand fordevelopable land. Agricultural land tends to be flat and affordable having good drainage,making it attractive for both agriculture and urban development. As a result, urbandevelopment is widely recognized as the main cause of farmland loss in North America.However, many people in urban communities place a high value on having productivefarmland within close reach.As a result of this background exercise, it is apparent that agricultural land in Kamloops is,in many cases, underutilized and has potential, depending on location and land suitability,to be converted to food production rather than used for forage alone.Read Public Input Report 1: Agriculture AreaPlan to find out more from the preliminarysurveys:http://www.kamloops.ca/environment/landagricultureplan.shtmlCITY OF KAMLOOPS 11