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THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012 THE NEW TANNER 9 Food and Farm Action Plan approved by council With $1.5-billion in farm gate sales the Plan is not just a rural issue A strategy to protect and enhance food and farming ­ huge economic drivers in Halton ­ has been adopted by Halton Council. The Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Action Plan 2021 identifies 37 actions to deal with economic development, education, marketing and land use planning in Durham, Halton, Peel and York, and Toronto. In a recent report to Halton Council, Halton Agricultural Advisory Committee consultant Margaret Walton said the Golden Horseshoe area is the fastest growing region in Canada, and is the second largest food and farming "cluster" in North America. The one-million acres in agricultural production with 200 different crops ­ some which are only grown in Golden Horseshoe area ­ represents $1.5-billion in farm gate sales. "When you combine agricultural production, food processing, food service and food retail, it is an economic powerhouse that I think is undervalued and underappreciated..." Walton said, adding more than 700 food processors in the Golden Horseshoe provide over 40,000 jobs. Walton said Canada is not known for producing cheap food, but is known for producing safe food, and that's the focus as the 10-year Action Plan is implemented. The Plan identifies five "opportunities" including growing the cluster, linking food, farms and health, fostering innovation, helping food and farming businesses remain competitive and profitable, and cultivating new approaches. "For each of these opportunities we identified a limited set of actions," Walton said. She said bureaucratic red tape is just one of the threats to the food and farming cluster, and they must also deal with multiple and conflicting government policies and regulations, rising fuel costs, expensive land, rising labour costs and development pressures. "You all know very well around this table how much growth is projected here, and how are we going to manage it and still keep our ability to feed ourselves?" Walton asked, adding municipal partners must work together as a unit to cultivate new investment and growth in the food and farm sector. Walton praised Halton for its strong support of agricultural policies and asked Council to continue providing staff resources, support a new Food and Farming Alliance, co-ordinate programming, and help with funding applications. She said they have approved funding from the Greenbelt Foundation to start implementing the Action Plan, but couldn't say how much. Regional/Ward Two Halton Hills Councillor Jane Fogal noted that the Town's Sustainability Plan, like the Action Plan, identifies the need to build up and retain the agricultural area. Fogal said a "major challenge" is to change public opinion that farming is slowly going out of business in the Golden Horseshoe area. "And, the expectation is that the land [will] just be housing ­ maybe not this year, but within 10 years," Fogal said, adding they need to provide some "confidence that we're turning the direction around to maintain and build it." Walton said key to preserving agricultural land is to make sure farmers can make a good living. In Halton Hills, where there is a lot of food processing businesses, she said they need to be linked to the food and farming cluster, a real economic engine. "As Ontario struggles with a change in its manufacturing base, there's a real opportunity...we need to be able to feed ourselves..." Walton said, adding only five per cent of Canada's land base is agricultural land, and they need to be "careful" with that limited resource. The Action Plan is available at www.halton.ca/ planning_sustainability/ agriculture_environment, or at 1-866-442-5866. A CANINE CAUSE: Acton Legion was home to a fundraising event Saturday for Milton Canine Rescue, an organization that helps find foster homes for homeless/abandoned dogs until a forever home can be found. The event raised over $2,300 for the organization. On hand to receive the cheque were (front row) Nicole Moore, Gail Lidkea, and Pat Winterburn. Rock40 band members and event hosts (back) JP Renaud, Randy Gallant, Dave Brown, Terri Robbins and Andre Arsenault. ­ Submitted Photo Don't Fling That Flamingo! We carry all major brands Hold a Garage Sale! ONLY $20.00 Call 519-853-0051 The New Tanner 373 Queen St. E Acton plus tax Advertise it in the Classifieds. Best New aNd Used tire deals! 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