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Home My WebLink AboutAAC 2020-06-25 agenda.pdf City of Maple Ridge Agricultural Advisory Committee AGENDA Thursday, June 25, 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 following access information: Join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/618941261 Or join the meeting using your phone Dial: 1-888-299-1889 (toll free) or 1-647-497-9373 Enter the Access Code: 618-941-261 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA 3. ADOPTION OF MINUTES – May 28, 2020 4. DELEGATIONS 4.1. Metro Vancouver – Clean Air Plan and Climate 2050 Discussion Paper  Laura Taylor, Public Engagement Coordinator, Metro Vancouver 4.2. Pollinators – Community Engagement Project  Laura Benson, Corporate Policy and Sustainability, City of Maple Ridge 5. QUESTION PERIOD 6. NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS 6.1. Pollinators Presentations Follow-Up 6.2. Dr. Bee – 2020 Bees & Blueberries Festival – August 8/9, 2020 6.3. Potential Food Shortage Correspondence 7. LIAISON UPDATES 7.1. Staff Liaison 7.2. Council Liaison 8. TASK FORCE UPDATES 8.1. Food Garden Contest 2020 8.2. Education 8.3. Promotion of Agriculture 9. ROUNDTABLE 10. ADJOURNMENT Next Meeting: September 24, 2020 Agenda Items Submission Deadline: September 10, 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. mapleridge.ca City of Maple Ridge Agricultural Advisory Committee MEETING MINUTES The Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Agricultural Advisory Committee, held via Teleconference on May 28, 2020 at 7:06 pm. ____________________________________________________________________________________ COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT Councillor Gordy Robson Council Liaison Bill Hardy, Chair Member at Large Carla Schiller, Vice Chair Member at Large Andrew Pozsar Member at Large Michelle Franklin Member at Large STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT Adam Rieu Staff Liaison (Incoming) / Planning Department Amanda Grochowich Staff Liaison (Outgoing) / Planning Department Debbie Pope Administrative Assistant COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT Angela Boss B.C. Ministry of Agriculture (Non-voting member) Lorraine Bates Agricultural Fair Board Representative Melissa Maltais Fraser North Farmers Market Society Representative Pascale Shaw Member at Large Shannon Lambie Agriculture Land Commission (Non-voting member) 1. CALL TO ORDER Committee members introduced themselves to the new incoming staff liaison, Adam Rieu. Mr. Rieu then gave the Committee an overview of his background. 2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA R/2020-014 It was moved and seconded That the May 28, 2020 Agricultural Advisory Committee agenda be approved. CARRIED 3. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES R/2020-015 It was moved and seconded That the minutes of the Maple Ridge Agricultural Advisory Committee meeting dated March 26, 2020 be adopted with the following item amended:  Item 2 - Approval of the Agenda be revised to correct meeting date of March 26, 2020. CARRIED 4. DELEGATIONS – Nil mapleridge.ca Agricultural Advisory Committee Minutes May 28, 2020 Page 2 of 3 5. QUESTION PERIOD – Nil 6. NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS 6.1. Staff Liaison – Introductions Members and staff had introduced themselves at beginning of meeting. 6.2. Impacts of COVID-19 on Local Farms/Farmers The Chair updated that greenhouse businesses are doing extremely well with many suppliers having no availability and more people are now planting home gardens. Overall, the industry has recovered/flourished. Note: Item 6.3 was moved to after item 6.6. 6.4. Pollinators Presentations Follow-Up Michelle Franklin provided an update on the work that she and Carla Schiller have completed. More information is required and a proposal has not been written at this time, she suggested continuing discussions at the next meeting. 6.5. Dr. Bee – 2020 Bees & Blueberries Festival – August 8/9, 2020 The Committee discussed if the event was still going to be able to take place in August given the current COVID related restrictions. The staff liaison will follow-up with Dr. Bee and bring that information back to the AAC in June. 6.6. Potential Food Shortage Correspondence The Committee discussed the letter that was received from John & Marie Robson regarding potential food shortages and more community gardens. This item will be revisited at the June AAC meeting. Note: It was noted at 7:45 pm that there were 2 members of the public that joined the meeting. 6.3. Backyard Hens The Chair opened with discussions on the report that went to Council in 2019 and acknowledged that there are now more people interested in the keeping of hens on residential properties in Maple Ridge due to the current situation of COVID. The members of the public who were participating in the meeting were invited to provide their comments. The Committee discussed how this item could be brought back before Council. 7. LIAISON UPDATES 7.1 Staff Liaison Amanda Grochowich advised members that Adam Rieu is taking over as the staff liaison to the Agricultural Advisory Committee. Due to COVID, a number of City staff are still working from home but same level of service is available from City Hall. 7.2 Council Liaison Councillor Robson advised that Council has been meeting virtually for three months now. Agricultural Advisory Committee Minutes May 28, 2020 Page 3 of 3 8. SUBCOMMITTEE & TASK FORCE UPDATES 8.1 Food Garden Contest 2020 Carla Schiller provided an update on the Food Garden Contest and commented that there should be a larger number of entries this year given the increase in residents planting home gardens. 8.2 Education Michelle Franklin reviewed possible topics for the Seminar Series:  soil;  small flock management;  sheep and goat management; and  pollinators. The Committee discussed how to best offer the seminars: In person, virtual, or on-site. Ms. Franklin will obtain the availability of the speakers. Members discussed putting information on pollinators onto the City’s website. 8.3 Promotion of Agriculture There was no update for this task force at this time. 9. ROUNDTABLE Members provided verbal reports on local agricultural topics and activities. Members thanked Amanda Grochowich for her help & support of the AAC. 10. ADJOURNMENT – 8:47 PM Bill Hardy, Chair /dp May 4, 2020 Agricultural Advisory Committee c/o Amanda Grochowich agrochowich@mapleridge.ca Dear Agricultural Advisory Committee: Re: potential food shortage Covid-19 has brought about challenges globally and also opportunities for positive change. We respectfully request the Agricultural Advisory Committee consider advocating for more community gardens. The concern we have is a potential food shortage due to outbreaks in the meat processing plants, and also possibly due to lack of enough migrant workers required to plant and harvest fruits and vegetables. We really cannot rely on other countries to provide all the food Maple Ridge residents will require throughout the year. Community gardens can be established like North Vancouver on parcels of city owned property. A number of areas along Kanaka Creek and the North and South Alouette Rivers could be a good location for growing gardens. It has the potential to be very attractive and it would provide food not only for humans but also for bees, hummingbirds, song birds, insects basically everything that supports nature which in turn supports humans. Colony Farms is an example of a functional design. The other option is to approach the Faith communities to consider using a portion of their large properties for raised garden beds. At present a number of these properties are used mainly for parking. A model location is St. Andrew's United Church, 10 St. East, North Vancouver. They have a community garden, a fenced playground for the area residents, a pre-school, and of course the parish church and hall. A percentage of food from these gardens could provide fresh produce for the local Food Bank. Should there be a shortage of meat one can always substitute with vegetables. We feel there is significant potential to have more community gardens in Ridge Meadows. At present you only have one inter- generational garden. This whole project is environmentally friendly as well as sustainable. We hope you will give our suggestions your every consideration. Together we can get through this. Yours truly, John & Marie Robson Maple Ridge cc: Gord Robson, Councilor Bob D'Eith MLA