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Join us in taking action to protect urban farmers!

March 21st in Lantzville 

 

A special appeal to our customers.

 

Lantzville council has not kept their promise to move quickly on bylaw hearings to allow urban farming. Monday's meeting about Temporary Use Permits is a unnecessary delay,and the Council needs to hear that we want action on the bylaw! If you can't attend, please write them. Info on the meeting: 

 

Action Step: Rally - Island Residents Unite!

Where: Costin Hall, 7232 Lantzville Road, Lantzville, BC

When: Monday, March 21, 2011

Time: 6:20 pm

Note: Hearing begins at 7pm.

 

This rally and public hearing are important events that will have a huge impact on the direction this issue will take. We need everyone who cares about Food to stand up for Compassion Farm and all the residents on Vancouver Island who are selling food from gardens in residential zoned areas against their current municpal bylaws. All accross our island and Canada our elected public servants (politians) must take action and change the bylaws to include food production as a viable home based business in residential areas.

 

In Lantzville, there is concern that the current Council is not taking this issue seriously by focusing on T.U.P.'s. and defeating Rod Negreave's motion to begin gathering infromation about changing the bylaws. If the bylaws will be changed then the T.U.P issue is irrelevant. There is no need to rewrite two bylaws when one of the bylaws will override the other. Just skip the middle step and save a whole lot of time and effort!

 

In light of the disaster in Japan it would be insane for our island not to begin preparations for natural disaster. We live on a similar faultline as Japan, the last big quake was in the late 1700's and these quakes happen every 500 years or so - do the math - we are due for an earthquake. The question is not if but when...

 

With this in mind it would make sense that land like Compassion Farm and all other local sources of food be protected and regulated, where as, Compassion Farm could feed many people in the event of a disaster. When grocery shelves are empty - we will look to our local farmers for help. Let's give them all the tools they need, today, to get their gardens producing an abundance of local Food!        

 

Bring warm clothes, all your friends and ideas for chants. Plus if you have time - make a sign. Here are some suggestions:

 

~ Elected Public Servants = law writers, People = law makers

~ Food Not Lawns 

~ Follow Victoria

~ Democracy - for the people, by the people  

~ No T.U.P's - New Bylaws Now

~ Food is Our Future

 

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Backgrounder 

As most of you have probably read, Compassion Farm, producers of the squash we sell, has been told to cease and desist farming activities by the District of Lantzville. Farmers Dirk Becker and Nicole Shaw have been told they are in contravention of bylaws that do not allow growing and selling produce from land not zoned agricultural. Yet this is how most market farmers exist. They have a home, and grow food on 2-5 acres. And many are simply residential properties.

   

Other cities and regions have similar bylaws. Urban farmers in any municipality are at risk of receiving a similar cease-and-desist order.   

 

We need more locally grown food, not less. We need the right to farm to exist on ANY property. The more the better. Farmers need all the support they can get to do the hard work they are willing to do for the rest of us.

 

We are calling on people to write to the District of Lantzville, City of Nanaimo and Regional District of Nanaimo, and write to the newspapers, calling for the right to farm!

 

For a detailed letter from Compassion Farm about the issues  CLICK HERE

 

Follow the campaign on Facebook.Find us on Facebook

Please cc: letters to [email protected] 

 

Visit the store for more information on how you can help. Spread the Word! Tell your friends. URBAN & LOCAL FARM SUPPORTERS UNITE!

About The Green Store
www.discountorganic.ca

The Green Store is a discount organic grocer, and green products store. And we love our customers! We are a quadruple bottom-line business. This means that while running a profitable business, we also strive to create positive impacts with people, planet, and spiritual life!

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