The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutAAC 2020-03-26 Amended Agenda.pdfTo City of Maple Ridge Agricultural Advisory Committee AMENDED AGENDA Thursday, March 26, 2020 at 7:00 pm Held via Teleconference Meeting Access Information To practice social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic we will be holding the Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC) meeting via teleconference. All participants including members of the AAC and the public are asked to join the meeting from home using the access information provided below. Please note this meeting does not have any visuals outside of the contents of the agenda and it is not required that you participate via computer or smartphone. Join the meeting using your phone Dial: 1-888-299-1889 (toll free) Enter the Access Code: 463-939-653 Or join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/463939653 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA 3. ADOPTION OF MINUTES – January 30, 2020 4. DELEGATIONS 5. QUESTION PERIOD 6. NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS 6.1. Impacts of COVID-19 on local farms/farmers 6.2. Pollinators Presentations Follow-Up 6.3. Dr. Bee – 2020 Bees & Blueberries Festival – August 8/9, 2020 6.4. Code of Practice for Agricultural Environmental Management 6.5. Golden Harvest 2020 7. LIAISON UPDATES 7.1. Staff Liaison 7.2. Council Liaison 8. SUBCOMMITTEE & TASK FORCE UPDATES 8.1. Food Garden Contest 2020 Task Force 8.2. Education 8.3. Promotion of Agriculture 9. ROUNDTABLE 10. ADJOURNMENT Next Meeting: May 28, 2020 Agenda Items Submission Deadline: May 14, 2020 QUESTION PERIOD Question Period provides the public with the opportunity to ask questions or make comments on subjects that are of concern to them. Each person will be given 2 minutes to speak. Up to ten minutes in total is allotted for Question Period. City of Maple Ridge Agricultural Advisory Committee MEETING MINUTES The Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Agricultural Advisory Committee, held in the Blaney Room, at Maple Ridge City Hall on January 30, 2020 at 7:08 pm. ____________________________________________________________________________________ COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT Councillor Gordy Robson Council Liaison Andrew Pozsar Member at Large Candace Gordon Haney Farmers Market Society Representative Carla Schiller, Vice Chair Member at Large Lorraine Bates Agricultural Fair Board Representative Pascale Shaw Member at Large Angela Boss Ministry of Agriculture (Non-voting member) Shannon Lambie Agriculture Land Commission (Non-voting member) STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT Amanda Grochowich Staff Liaison / Planning Department Erin Mark Committee Clerk GUESTS Dr. Bob Masse Agneta Eikelenboom President of North Fraser Bee Club Grace Cockle Metro Vancouver, Air Quality and Climate Change Julie Saxton Metro Vancouver, Air Quality Bylaw and Regulation Development COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT Bill Hardy, Chair Member at Large Michelle Franklin Member at Large Note: Councillor Robson chaired the meeting as the Presiding Member in attendance. 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA R/2020-001 It was moved and seconded That the January 30, 2020 Agricultural Advisory Committee agenda be amended to add:  Item 4.2 – Delegation - Decline of Pollinators;  Item 6.4 – Metro Vancouver AAC Meeting - Mileage Reimbursement; and be approved as amended. CARRIED 3. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES R/2020-002 It was moved and seconded That the minutes of the Maple Ridge Agricultural Advisory Committee meeting dated October 24, 2019 be adopted. CARRIED Agricultural Advisory Committee Minutes January 30, 2020 Page 2 of 4 4. DELEGATIONS Note: Shannon Lambie arrived at 7:15 pm. Item 4.2 was moved ahead of Item 4.1. 4.2 Decline of Pollinators  Dr. Robert Masse and Agneta Eikelenboom from the North Fraser Bee Club Dr. Masse and Ms. Eikelenboom spoke about the global problem of a decrease in bee populations, the resulting impacts and the causes of the decline. Dr. Masse provided suggestions on how the City can support nature’s pollinators and answered questions from the Committee. R/2020-003 It was moved and seconded That the Agricultural Advisory Committee support the City of Maple Ridge signing the Bee City Canada Resolution and explore an educational campaign to increase nature’s pollinators. CARRIED 4.1. Metro Vancouver Open-Air Burning  Dr. Julie Saxton and Grace Cockle, Metro Vancouver Dr. Saxton and Ms. Cockle gave a presentation on Metro Vancouver’s Consultation on an Alternative Approach for Regulating Open-Air Burning Emissions, sought the Committee’s feedback on new regulations that are being considered, and answered questions from the Committee. 5. QUESTION PERIOD – Nil 6. NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS 6.1. Chair and Vice-Chair Selection The staff liaison opened up the floor to nominations for Chair of the Agricultural Advisory Committee for 2020. R/2020-004 It was moved and seconded That Bill Hardy be elected as Chair for the Agricultural Advisory Committee for 2020. CARRIED The staff liaison opened up the floor to nominations for Vice Chair of the Agricultural Advisory Committee for 2020. R/2020-005 It was moved and seconded That Carla Schiller be elected as Vice-Chair for the Agricultural Advisory Committee for 2020. CARRIED Agricultural Advisory Committee Minutes January 30, 2020 Page 3 of 4 6.2. 2020 Meeting Schedule The Committee reviewed the proposed 2020 AAC Meeting Schedule. R/2020-006 It was moved and seconded That the Agricultural Advisory Committee approve the proposed meeting schedule as circulated. CARRIED 6.3. Update on Mill Rates & Water Meter Rates The staff liaison provided an update from the City of Maple Ridge’s Chief Financial Officer that the Maple Ridge Council, as part of the 2020-2024 Business Planning process, approved the recommendation to reduce Farm Class property taxes. Farm Class property taxes will be reduced by approximately half, phased in over the next two years (2020 and 2021). Note: Item 6.4 was moved to the end of the agenda. 7. STAFF LIAISON UPDATES 7.1. Advisory Committee Overview The committee clerk provided an overview on the role of Advisory Committees, Committee members and meeting procedures and then answered questions from the Committee. R/2020-007 It was moved and seconded That staff be directed to bring before Council that the Agricultural Advisory Committee feel that they have lost the diversity to fully represent agriculture in Maple Ridge and would like Council to reconsider the existing membership structure to increase the numbers of Agricultural representatives. CARRIED 7.2. Agricultural Awareness Grants The staff liaison informed the Committee that the applications are being accepted for the Metro Vancouver Agricultural Awareness grants. 8. TASK FORCE REPORTS 8.1. Food Garden Contest The Committee discussed the 2019 Food Garden Contest, circulated a thank you card received from a contest participant, and formed a task force for the 2020 contest. The Task Force is considering adding a “bee-friendly” category for 2020 and Lorraine Bates offered to distribute the contest flyer at the Agricultural Fair. R/2020-008 It was moved and seconded That Carla Schiller and Pascale Shaw be appointed to the Food Garden Task Force for 2020. CARRIED Agricultural Advisory Committee Minutes January 30, 2020 Page 4 of 4 8.2 Education The staff liaison provided an overview of the tasks appointed to the Education Task Force. The Committee decided to hold off discussions regarding the work of the Education Task Force until after the Booth in the Box themes are determined. 8.3 Promotion of Agriculture The subcommittee will be meeting in the near future to begin putting together the Booth in a Box. Candace Gordan suggested hosting a Speaker Series in the fall focusing on agriculture and Angela Boss offered to assist. Note: Andrew Pozsar left the meeting at 8:52pm. 8.4 Mileage for Metro Vancouver AAC Meetings Pascale Shaw requested the AAC consider mileage reimbursement for AAC members that are travelling to Metro Vancouver meetings. The staff liaison confirmed that mileage reimbursement is permitted in Policy 3.11 and that the AAC has a budget to allow the expenditure. R/2020-009 It was moved and seconded That the Agricultural Advisory Committee reimburse eligible mileage expenses submitted via the City of Maple Ridge mileage reimbursement form, for AAC members that attend Metro Vancouver AAC Meetings. CARRIED 9. ROUNDTABLE Members provided verbal reports on local agricultural topics and activities. Shannon Lambie and Angela Boss introduced themselves to the Committee. 10. ADJOURNMENT – 9:15 PM Councillor Robson, Presiding Member /em WHEN: Saturday & Sunday August 8th / 9th 10 am – 4pm WHERE: Dr.Bee’s Honeyland Canada 17617 Ford Detour Road, Pitt Meadows, BC WHAT: A non-proﬁt event to raise awareness about the environment and sustainability - Bee-Friendly Planting Corner - Family friendly live entertainment - Pony rides and petting zoo - Free guided tours and live bee beard Sponsorship / Vendor / Exhibitor: Dr. Bee Honeyland Canada is hosting their annual 9th Bees and Blueberries festival. The aim of this non-proﬁt family-friendly event is to raise awareness for environmentalism (save the bees!) and to promote sustainable local businesses. Join us in sharing this ever-important message with the community through sponsorship or by being an exhibitor. Dr. Bee opened its doors in 1996 to the Pitt Meadows community from the humble beginnings of 16 beehives. After 23 years, Dr. Bee has grown to be one of the most well-respected honey purveyors in Western Canada and produces award winning honey. A large part of our mission has always been to educate the public about bees and giving back to the community that has done so much for us. Last year, we had 2642 unique visitors at our Bees & Blueberries Festival. Our projection for this year is 3200+ visitors over two days. We are offering sponsorship opportunities for companies that want to support this event and vendor space for local businesses that share our sustainability values. For non-proﬁts, we have free exhibitor space to help you share your cause with the community. We look forward to sharing another wonderful event! WWW.DRBEE.CA 2020 Note: Attendees’ booth must be environmentally conscious since this year’s event will themed around being green. I BEES & BLUEBERRIES FESTIVAL •• Hours of Operation Saturday Aug 8th, 2020…………………………10:00 – 16:00 Sunday Aug 9st, 2020………………………..….10:00 – 16:00 Move in – Move Out Time Move in: Saturday Aug 8th………………………08:00 – 9:30 Move out: Sunday Aug 9th…………………..….16:00 – 17:30 Information & Registration Sponsorship / Vendor / Exhibitor Booths *If additional move in/out time is required, please let us know ahead of time and we will try to accommodate your needs. *No Vehicle will be allowed entry after 9:30 for safety reasons. *Each sponsor/exhibitor is required to have staff at their assigned space until closing at 4pm, if this is not possible please display a sign to indicate your booth is closed. * Each sponsor/exhibitor is expected to clean up any mess left behind in their assigned space at the end of each day. * Vehicles are not to be part of your display/booth and must be parked in the designated are for sponsors/exhibitors. If this is a necessity, please let us know ahead of time and we will try to accommodate your needs. * Please have weights applied around the bases of your own tent/canopy always, in case of windy weather. All sponsor/exhibitors will receive the option to partake in our event on-site with a 10’ x 10’ display area. If you require an electrical power hook-up, please let us know ahead of time and we will try to accommodate your needs. Please bring in your own tent, tables, chairs, and set-up for your display. Reservations for display space are based on a ﬁrst registration basis. When signing the request form, this constitutes a contract between the applicant named (Authorized Signing Ofﬁcer or Agent) and R&J Honeyland Inc. The Exhibitor agrees to comply with the terms of the Contract below. CONTRACT Applicant assumes entire responsibility and hereby agrees to protect, indemnify, defend and hold R&J Honeyland Inc., their respective ofﬁcers, employees, volunteers, members and agents harmless from and against any and all claims, injuries and damage to person or persons, property, government charges or ﬁnes and attorney fee’s arising out of or caused by the applicant’s installation, removal, maintenance, occupancy or use of the premises or any part thereof, or arising out or caused by the applicant’s participation in Bees and Blueberries Festival activities. Contact Inquiries: Jianan Wang Event Coordinator Tel: 604-460-8889 Email: jianan.wang@drbee.ca Dr.Bee’s Honeyland Canada Bees & Blueberries Festival 17617 Ford Detour Road Pitt Meadows. B.C. V3Y 0A7FESTIVAL Yes, we would like to support the event as a If supporting as a sponsor, at which level? Contact Name: Date: Organization/Company Name: Phone: Email: Description of Organization/Company: The contract on the previous page has been read and accepted by the contact listed above in the Sponsorship/Vendor/Exhibitor Request Form Signature: You may email or fax the request to Jianan: jianan.wang@drbee.ca; fax 604-460-8887 **please submit payment either by credit card or cheque payable to “R&J Honeyland Inc.” Card Type: Name on Card: Card #: Expiry Date: Information & Registration Request Form Level Cost Includes/Details: Royal Bee $250.00 or $200.00 (register before April 1st) Space for booth, logo on webpage as “Royal Bee” sponsor, logo on adverDsing materials, logo on all take-home plant pots for “Bee Friendly PlanDng Corner” Elite Bee $100.00 or $80 (register before April 1st) Space for booth, logo on webpage as “Elite Bee” sponsor, logo on adverDsing materials Vendor $50.00 or $40.00 (register before April 1st)Space for booth at event, logo on webpage as supporter Exhibitor FREE Space for booth at event (exhibitor status reserved for non-profit or community- based organizaDons) If applying for sponsorship, would you like a 10’ x 10’ display space? (Y/N) Sponsors please complete and submit before June 22, 2020. Vendors & Exhibitors please complete and submit before July 20, 2020. Outside Front PanelOutside Back PanelInside Fold Panel Does the AEM Code apply to you? The new regulation applies to all agricultural operations in BC, from small hobby farms to large commercial operations. If you do any of the following activities on your farm, get familiar with the requirements of the code: î Agricultural composting î Growing plants î Keeping livestock or poultry î Spreading manure, fertilizer or other nutrient sources î Storing manure or other agricultural by-products î Using boilers and heaters î Using and storing wood residue Looking for more information? Checkout the Agricultural Environmental Management website for a link to the new regulation, guidance and interactive tools. gov.bc.ca/Agricultural-Environmental- Management Questions? E-mail: AEMCoPenquiries@gov.bc.ca The Code of Practice for Agricultural Environmental Management On February 28, 2019, a new regulation called the Code of Practice for Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM Code) came into effect. The new regulation aims to ensure our drinking water, watercourses and air are protected. BRITISH COLUMBIA BRITISH COLUMBIA Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy Inside Panel ThreeInside Panel TwoInside Panel One Ensuring protection of water quality with a risk-based approach The new AEM Code has requirements that are tailored to the level of environmental risk. All farms, regardless of type or size need to follow a basic level of protection. For example, all farms must ensure: î agricultural by-products such as manure are not directly discharged into watercourses and groundwater; î agricultural activities meet minimum setbacks from watercourses and property lines; î contaminated farm runoff is prevented from entering watercourses. Additional requirements must be met in high- risk areas. Examples may include leakproof bases for manure storage or restrictions on applying nutrients. High-risk areas include areas with high rainfall due to a higher risk of runoff taking nutrients and pathogens into ground and surface water. Find out if you are in an area of higher environmental risk, by visiting the interactive High-Risk Areas maps on the AEM Code website: gov.bc.ca/Agricultural-Environmental- Management How will the Code be enforced? The Code will be enforced by provincial Environmental Protection Officers. An officer may come on site to verify compliance with the Code as part of a scheduled inspection of agriculture sites or in response to complaint. To prepare for a site visit, ensure your agriculture operation is meeting the requirements of the Code and keep any records for at least 5 years. To find out how compliance is assessed or what to expect during an inspection: gov.bc.ca/environmentalcompliance What do you need to do? î Familiarize yourself with the requirements of the new AEM Code at gov.bc.ca/ Agricultural-Environmental-Management î Implement the applicable Code requirements on your farm. î Keep records: the information you need to record and keep is based on which activities you do on your farm. Check the website for more info. î If you operate on 5 acres or more and spread fertilizer or manure, take soil samples for each field to inform your nutrient application rates. Do you know there are new environmental rules for all BC farmers? A new regulation, the Code of Practice for Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM Code) came into effect on February 28, 2019. The AEM Code applies to all agricultural operations in BC from small hobby farms to large commercial operations. A New Approach to Agricultural Environmental Management. The AEM Code implements new rules for farmers to ensure safe drinking water and clean air for all British Columbians. The Code provides clear and environmentally sustainable requirements for the storage and use of manure, other nutrients sources and agricultural material. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy If you are: î Growing and harvesting plants î Keeping livestock or poultry î Spreading manure, fertilizer or other nutrient sources î Storing manure or other agricultural by-products î Using boilers and heaters on your farm î Using and storing wood residue î Doing agricultural composting It’s time to get familiar with the new code. As a Farmer, Grower, or Rancher—you need to be aware of which requirements apply to your agricultural operation. Find out more at: gov.bc.ca/ Agricultural-Environmental-Management Have questions? Send an e-mail to: AEMCoPenquiries@gov.bc.ca BRITISH COLUMBIA