Under the barn at Slow Food Cycle Sunday 2008

Slow Food Cycle Sunday August 15th, 2010

www.pembertonfarmers.com The website of the Pemberton Farmers Institute. The most comprehensive listing of all products available in Pemberton. Check here as well for event listings, newsletters, and jobs.

Find our products here:

C, Raincity and Nu

The Pear Tree

Tomato Fresh Food Cafe

Quince

Mount Currie Coffee Company

Whistler Cooks Catering

Whole Foods-Capers Markets Vancouver

Issues of concern to us:

Independant Power Projects:

A 145MW power project is proposed for the Ryan River, which runs through our farm.  We are opposed to this project.  There have been no studies done (and none are required) showing the possible impacts that a project such as this, located upstream on a flood plain from farms and settlement, may pose. Over 30 power projects are proposed for this area on various rivers and yet there is no comprehensive plan in place that addresses issues relating to fisheries and wildlife, backcountry access, transmission line corridors, contaminate containment, flood danger and tourism impacts. These rivers and the power they represent belong to all British Columbians but we do not feel included in the process. It seems as though these projects benefit those who do not have a stake if things go wrong.

Update: The BC Utitlities Commission this summer ruled that projects like these are "not in the public interest" so we think that might have settled the matter.

Further update: Nope, that settled nothing. Now there are three IPPs slated for the Lillooet River, which runs down the other side of our farm. Same concerns as above. The governement continues to fail to make the case that these projects offer anything but a very limited benefit to the public, even though they are a public resource. And don't be fooled into thinking these are "green" projects. We have helicopters flying over many times a day carrying people associated with these projects. Are these flights factored into the "green" calculation? What about the construction? The truckloads of dirt and rock to be removed?

Anyways. We don't agree.

Development of Farmland:

We are very concerned with the development pressures facing farmland. There is farmland under threat right now in Pemberton with applications for exclusion from the Agricultural Land Reserve (applications that, if approved by the province, will result in housing developments being built on farmland). Our concern is that people who live in the city and rely on outlying agricultural areas to provide healthy and tasty food, are not aware of how fragile is their food security. Pemberton soil is as good as it gets and we hate to see it covered in gravel and concrete. A great way to get your voice heard is to write letters to your local papers and your local MLA.