Projects

Haida Gwaii Agriculture Strategy

Misty Isles Economic Development Society (MIEDS), the Graham Island East Coast Farmers Institute, Islands Food and other interested stakeholders met in November 2009 to discuss the potential for  agricultural growth as well as the challenges and opportunities facing farmers and producers. The participants identified the need for an agriculture strategy to provide direction to and development of agriculture on Haida Gwaii.

Although MIEDS has overseen the process, the input from the public was the driving force behind the process and provided the direction, priorities, goals and action plans. 

Research findings and recommendations including business opportunities can be found in the Agriculture Strategy Background Document.

Research reports, historical documents, agricultural maps, the food producer database and videos of the Action Planning Workshop can be found on the Agriculture Strategy Resources page

Strategy Process & Research Results

Throughout the fall of 2010, a team of 13 local researchers obtained information on current and historical agricultural practices on Haida Gwaii including mari-culture and agro-forestry opportunities. Data was gathered on the volume of imported produce, meat, eggs and dairy and volume of similar food produced locally. A freight barriers analysis was address, local soil amendments reviewed and agricultural product profiles and value-added agricultural products were developed as part of the process.

Other work on the strategy included the digitizing of the Canada Land Inventory data which has resulted in electronic maps (available to the public) with the ability to overlay with further agricultural data. The ALR has been included on the maps as has climate data.

Research has been conducted on agricultural practices in areas having similar climate, latitude and economic base. Recommendations for business opportunities have been documented.

A series of public meetings in each island community (7) were held (Dec 2010 through Jan 2011) to present the findings, obtain feedback and identify topics and goals being of primary concern.

  • ­   Expressed concern re rising fuel prices on freight/supplies/food
  • ­   Concern re dependency on transportation systems
  • ­   Concern re climate change and food production
  • ­   Concern for access to affordable land for food production
  • ­   Education
  • ­   Technical support for farmers
  • ­   Marketing

Current events substantiate many of the concerns expressed by the public such as:

  • Our research indicates that Haida Gwaii imports approximately 90% of its food.
  • Our imported food is transported from various national and international regions to Vancouver distribution centers then again transported over 1500 kms by truck to Prince Rupert followed by another 7 hours (or more) of ferry or barge transportation depending upon weather conditions affecting sailing times.
  • BC Ferries increase by 100% over the next 4 years (26% annually).
  • February 3, 2011 - UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) - Food Price Index broke previous records - “World food prices surged to a new historic peak in January for the seventh consecutive month”.
  • Local grocery stores have reported increases of approximately 20% in basic groceries since 2009 -  anticipate steady increases in the cost of food for Haida Gwaii over the next year (2011).
  • Global Grain Reserves very low – US reserve has enough to last 53 days.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands notes in its 2006 report, ‘Can B.C.’s Farmers Feed Our Growing Population ?’, that .52 hectares (approximately 1.3 acre) is required to provide a healthy balanced diet for each person. This figure translates to the need for approximately 5,850 acres of land under cultivation on Haida Gwaii (based on a population estimate of 5,000) and is assumed to include areas for vegetable and fruit production, grain, livestock, dairy, grazing and possibly buffer zones.

Other sources have noted that up to 1/3 acre per person is required for vegetable and fruit production. These figures vary and depend upon factors such as climate, the soil type, soil classification (see Appendix A), crops suitability and planting methods (intensively grown verses standard rows).

BC Assessment (2010) reports that Haida Gwaii currently has 1,264 acres of land being actively farmed and much of that is being used for grazing.

The Development of the Plan

A public working meeting (‘The Future of Food on Haida Gwaii – Taking Action’) was hosted Feb 19, 2011 as part of the Haida Gwaii Agriculture Strategy and Implementation Planning process.

-   Approximately seventy participants reached consensus in prioritizing the goals that were identified at the 7 community meetings

-   Participants developed action plans for those goals having the highest rating of importance and urgency

 

Action Planning

The following Action Plans were developed by committees formed at 'The Future of Food on Haida Gwaii' workshop.

These action plans have priority status for implementation and form the basis for the  Haida Gwaii Agriculture Strategy and Implementation Plan.

Production Support 

Train and hire an Extension Agent to provide support and resources for local food producers

Establish Experimental Farm(s) and Plot(s)

  • Work in conjunction with research/post secondary institutions
  • Develop an make available seed , crops, berry bushes, fruit trees that do well on Haida Gwaii

Establish Community Farms

  • Support from local governing bodies to allocate land in proximity to communities for agricultural purposes
  • Place in the ALR if not ready to use

Protection of the ALR

  • Support from local governing bodies to ensure that land in the ALR is not used for purposes other than agriculture

Access to Land

  • Enter into discussions with the CHN re: applications for crown land for agriculture purposes
  • Support from all governing bodies for applications for access to agriculture land in proximately to communities
  • Support from all governing bodies for reduced cost of agriculture land used for agricultural purposes
  • Support from all governing bodies for long-term leases of land for agricultural purposes

Education

  • Offer the Introduction to Organic Gardening on Haida Gwaii workshop north and south in 2011
  • Develop a curriculum for and offer a composting workshop in 2011

Business Opportunities

  • Develop a local soil amendment product
  • Develop a formal bulk buying club and shared transportation system for freight
  • Organize regular cycle tours of local food producers/farms
  • Other important opportunities with no current plan – Community Supported Agriculture, Small Plot Intensive Gardening (successive planting of fast growing salad greens)
  • Other possibilities – Labourers, Food Production for revenue
  • Research from similar areas supports
    • ­   Sheep production(meat, wool and dairy products)
    • ­    Commercial greenhouse production
    • ­    Potential for cranberry production  

Marketing

  • Develop a branding logo to market local food and other products (ie: ‘Buy Haida Gwaii’)
  • Research in anticipation of a Marketing Plan

Where do we go from here?

The action plans will be addressed throughout 2011. Some of the initiatives are currently being followed up on as a result of the momentum generated at the 'Future of Food on Haida Gwaii' workshop.

Aside from the action items that were developed, there are many other important goals (see appendix D of the Background Document) that will need addressing in our efforts to stimulate an agriculture industry on Haida Gwaii.

The key to successfully developing the agriculture industry will be to provide food producers with the educational and technical supports they require and to assist them in accessing affordable land for the purpose of food production. It will also be important to educate the public on the merits of buying local.

There is great potential for Agriculture to contribute to the Haida Gwaii economy, the health of our residents, the security of our food and the vitality and spirit of our communities. A clear agriculture strategy outlining the paths and safeguards we need to make today to ensure food security tomorrow is one of the greatest gifts we can give the generations that follow. As Wendell Berry would say:

We have ahead of us a lot of hard work that we are not going to be able to do with clean hands. We had better try to love it.

 

We are grateful to Northern Savings Credit  Union, Coast Sustainability Trust  and the Investment Agriculture Foundation for their funding support.

Other local organizations making significant contributions to encourage the growth of agriculture on Haida Gwaii include Haida Gwaii Community Futures, the Graham Island East Coast Farmers Institute, Islands Food and the Haida Gwaii Culinary Co-op.  Contributions include the discussions around a communal bank/peer lending program for local farmers (Community Futures), a temperature controlled storage facility (Farmers Institute), speakers and educational workshops (Farmers Institute and Islands Foods), the development of a Haida Gwaii brand of dehydrated agricultural and agro-forestry products (Culinary Co-op).

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