A proposed new agribusiness bylaw in Sturgeon County is either the future of farming or a nightmare in the making, council heard at a recent public hearing.
Sturgeon County council held a public hearing on its draft diversified agriculture bylaw June 14.
Council struck a task force in March 2021 to make recommendations on how to regulate agribusiness and agritourism in Sturgeon County. The task force tabled its recommendations in April 2022. Administration proposed a diversified agriculture bylaw to implement some of those recommendations in May.
The draft bylaw, if passed, would add a new “diversified agriculture” use to the county’s land-use bylaw.
Diversified agriculture is defined as any agricultural use which brings more traffic or other impacts to a farm site than anticipated under intensive farm operations. It would include value-added processing, retail sales of farm products, and farm-life experiences but exclude home-based businesses, visitor accommodation, intensive agriculture, event venues, or cannabis sales/production/distribution.
Diversified agriculture would be a permitted use in Agriculture (AG) and Agriculture 2 (AG 2), the latter of which is a new zone for more intensive agriculture activities. Anyone who wants to engage in diversified agriculture would have to provide a detailed plan which outlines hours of operations, anticipated noise and traffic impacts, and other factors prior to receiving a permit.
The draft defines “event venue” as a place used to host limited-term commercial activities such as weddings, markets, or farm-to-table dinners, but not bed and breakfasts, recreation facilities, visitor accommodation, or home-based businesses. Event venues would be a permitted use in AG 2 zones and a discretionary one in AG zones. Development officers can require owners to submit traffic and noise impact assessments, amongst other plans, prior to getting a permit to host an event venue.
Future of farming?
Roger Kramers, director of tourism investment with Travel Alberta, said this bylaw is an exciting opportunity that could make Sturgeon County a provincial leader in agritourism, as the county appears to be the first place in Alberta to try and add agritourism to its land-use laws. Agritourism is a big emerging sector, and this bylaw would demonstrate the county’s support of it.
“People are looking for those experiences where they can find out where their food comes from,” Kramers said, and agritourism provides those opportunities.
Laurel Andersen of Prairie Gardens said this bylaw would give her the regulatory certainty she needs to build a farm around.
“I want to be a part of a sustainable future on a sustainable farm,” she said, and these laws would let farmers earn revenue through farm tours and baking.
“If you have a bad season, you’re not totally sunk.”
In her written submission to council, Tam Andersen of Prairie Gardens (who sat on the diversified agriculture task force) said this bylaw would create local jobs, showcase the county’s farm products to visitors, and create rules for agribusiness and agritourism operations. The bylaw is also consistent with agritourism laws in B.C. and Ontario.
Too many kids today think food comes in a box from a store, said farmer Clay Dillman. He said this bylaw would give more youths a chance to experience agriculture and support small farms as an alternative to the rise of large-scale operations.
Nightmare scenario?
Launi Julio said allowing “event venues” without any connection to farming to set up on farms could bring trouble to the county. She said one such venue (against which council heard administration had taken legal action) has brought noise, trash, trespassing, and traffic disruption to her neighbourhood despite bylaw and police intervention.
“If we cannot stop the illegal events more quickly, how can we possibly begin to permit new ones?”
Cheryl Gerlock said she lives next to an agribusiness/agritourism operation and finds it to be “nothing short of a nightmare” due to constant traffic and trespassing issues.
“We have been referred to by some members of council as NIMBYies, or Not in My Backyard,” she said, with councillors asking how many agritourism events they would tolerate in a year.
“I would suggest to council to have one of these businesses in your backyard and tell me how many events you’d be willing to have a year.”
An angry Fred Fibi said he is “tired of being collateral damage” from agritourism operations, saying he has endured stressed animals, trespassing, and traffic problems due to one.
“Weddings, corporate retreats, and all sorts of festivals and drumming circles, et cetera, have nothing to do with farming,” he said.
“I shouldn’t bear the brunt of excess parking and excess noise.”
Fibi and Gerlock said agribusiness operations should be subject to clearly defined rules and be required to get a permit for every new event.
Mayor Alanna Hnatiw said this bylaw is meant to create rules to address concerns residents have raised about event venues.
“This was not council seeking how to create an entertainment district in Sturgeon County,” she said.
“This is a response of council to what has been happening.”
Council is scheduled to consider second reading of this bylaw later this month.
