Farmers can provide input on proposed Greenbelt expansion

Dec 11, 2017

Consultation period open until March

Staff Reporter

Farms.com

On Thursday, the Ontario government announced that the public — including the province’s farmers — has an opportunity to voice its opinions on the proposed Greenbelt expansion.

The Greenbelt, which was established in 2005, protects two million acres of land from urban development, according to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs.

Under the proposal, “the province is considering expanding the Greenbelt to include areas in the outer ring of the Greater Golden Horseshoe, an area that is experiencing significant growth and is under pressure from urban development,” a Thursday release from the Government of Ontario stated.

This proposal could present a mix of benefits and challenges for the province’s farmers.

“Certainly, as farmers, we’re always concerned about protecting the environment,” said Keith Currie, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

“What (the government) is proposing is a way to keep development from encroaching on those sensitive water areas. But we have to look at the big picture and see how this (expansion) is going to affect everyone in the long term.”

Some farmers may be concerned with the proposed restrictions and setback distances under the natural heritage system, which are nearly twice the distance of those recorded in the provincial policy statement, Currie said.

“Doubling (the distances) could potentially create some issues for anyone who may want to expand (or construct new) buildings. Certain farming activities may be restricted in certain areas. So, (the expansion) could potentially be a little problematic that way,” he said.

The seven areas being considered for expanded coverage under the Greenbelt, according to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, are:

The Waterloo and Paris/Galt moraine
The Orangeville moraine
Several small moraines along the brow of the Niagara Escarpment in Dufferin and Simcoe counties
The Oro moraine
The Nottawasaga River corridor
Coldwater streams and wetlands west of Minesing in Dufferin and Simcoe Counties
Coldwater streams, wetlands and sand and gravel areas in southeast Simcoe County

The OFA encourages farmers to review the proposal. Producers can provide feedback by any of the five methods:

On the Ministry of Municipal Affairs website
Through the Environmental Registry posting
By email: protectingwater@ontario.ca
At an open house in January or February (TBA)
By mail:

Protecting Water

Ministry of Municipal Affairs

Provincial Planning Policy Branch

777 Bay Street, 13th Floor

Toronto, ON M5G 2E5

The public can provide feedback until March 7, 2018.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.