Lantzville shuts down Dirk Becker's urban farm-

[jimorsheryl]

Anyone can grow their own food, even on a small city lot, and no one is arguing that point. However, 5 acres under cultivation, is an agricultural operation of commercial scope, which is quite something else.
For example, if land is zoned as agricultural it will have a completely different market value than straight residential. What is the zoning on this and adjacent lots?
If someone buys a piece of property they think is purely residential they have the expectation that a recycling depot can't open up next door and begin crushing bottles all day long and having heavy trucks coming and going all day. You could argue that a recycling operation has just as much merit as what this small time farmer is trying to do.
I have read articles from neighbours, saying that one of the components of his soil building was a load of rotting shrimp. If you think you can make good soil from wood chips, you are mistaken. To make useful soil you need to augment things such as grass clippings and wood chips. If you think that process is delightful, take a drive out Duke Point way where that huge composter is working, you can smell it for miles on a hot summer day.
No, this is not just a simple matter of some guy wanting to grow a few veggies in his back yard, and any bylaw that opens up this operation will be inviting full-on high yield agriculture which is restricted to agriculturally zoned land for many reasons.

[Wyatt Earp]

Exactly, the bylaw is the issue at hand. It is not a personal attack.

[Trailblazer]

Anyone can grow their own food, even on a small city lot, and no one is arguing that point. However, 5 acres under cultivation, is an agricultural operation of commercial scope, which is quite something else.
For example, if land is zoned as agricultural it will have a completely different market value than straight residential. What is the zoning on this and adjacent lots?
If someone buys a piece of property they think is purely residential they have the expectation that a recycling depot can't open up next door and begin crushing bottles all day long and having heavy trucks coming and going all day. You could argue that a recycling operation has just as much merit as what this small time farmer is trying to do.
I have read articles from neighbours, saying that one of the components of his soil building was a load of rotting shrimp. If you think you can make good soil from wood chips, you are mistaken. To make useful soil you need to augment things such as grass clippings and wood chips. If you think that process is delightful, take a drive out Duke Point way where that huge composter is working, you can smell it for miles on a hot summer day.
No, this is not just a simple matter of some guy wanting to grow a few veggies in his back yard, and any bylaw that opens up this operation will be inviting full-on high yield agriculture which is restricted to agriculturally zoned land for many reasons.

Dirk Becker has 2.5 acres not 5.
With due respect; when it comes to how to make soil I will take Beckers word above most others.
Yes Becker broke the by law but who does not.
I can remember an age where many people grew their own vegetables & raised chickens & pigs to supplement their food source in fact it was once common practice.
The ownership of property & a house has become a financial investment above all things instead of being a place to live & a home.
Becker is an extrovert but has more good to say & do than most main stream people who would leach everthing possible from the land we live on without regards to the long term consequences.
I wish him well.

[jimorsheryl]

Dirk Becker has 2.5 acres not 5.
With due respect; when it comes to how to make soil I will take Beckers word above most others.
Yes Becker broke the by law but who does not.
I can remember an age where many people grew their own vegetables & raised chickens & pigs to supplement their food source in fact it was once common practice.
The ownership of property & a house has become a financial investment above all things instead of being a place to live & a home.
Becker is an extrovert but has more good to say & do than most main stream people who would leach everthing possible from the land we live on without regards to the long term consequences.
I wish him well.

I don't think your reply deserves any more of a response than to ask what you think a lawless society would look like?

As for making soil to grow things, don't take my word for it, or Decker's, just do a little Googling....
Wood chips alone simply make bark mulch, which has the property of moisture retention and putting up a barrier for weeds. Since pesky weeds can't grow in it, what chance would you give beans?

So, then scrap the bylaws, who needs them. If your next door neighbour wants to start raising a herd of pigs and put the manure in an open lagoon next to YOUR property line, you are OK with that??

No need to have laws designed to protect ground water from chemical fertilizer run off either I suspect?

[Wyatt Earp]

I don't think your reply deserves any more of a response than to ask what you think a lawless society would look like?

As for making soil to grow things, don't take my word for it, or Decker's, just do a little Googling....
Wood chips alone simply make bark mulch, which has the property of moisture retention and putting up a barrier for weeds. Since pesky weeds can't grow in it, what chance would you give beans?

So, then scrap the bylaws, who needs them. If your next door neighbour wants to start raising a herd of pigs and put the manure in an open lagoon next to YOUR property line, you are OK with that??

No need to have laws designed to protect ground water from chemical fertilizer run off either I suspect?

Jim,

That is a most perfect response! Well done.

[Trailblazer]

I'm sure that Becker uses bark & sawdust with added fish by products to make his soil & not wood chips.
Whatever he uses he has been successful.
I don't believe that Becker intentionally broke the by law.
Also I suggest challenging laws & particularly by laws not breaking laws.
Becker promotes urban farming or more correctly self sufficiency.
If Becker fails & the concept is deemed illegal then the farmers markets will surely fail as many of them are in a similar situation to Becker.
I'm not advocating large scale urban food production ( & I think well you know it) but I do advocate as does Becker the promotion of local grown fresh produce.
Your comment of "raising a herd of pigs"
I don't think (correct me if I'm wrong) pigs come in herds!!
Suggesting that I advocate the raising of pigs on a large scale basis is taking it over the top & well you know it.
Becker took a piece of land that has all it's productive value raped from it.
He is now making it more valuable than just another piece of real estate; again good luck to him..
As for ground water contamination I suggest you look into real time situations.
The Nanaimo Airport Authority has plans to build an industrial complex on top of the Cassidy aquifer but is bending over backwards to be exempt from local regulation.
This is a real time problem as is the proposed Cable Bay development with their (as of now) imaginary golf course.

[Wyatt Earp]

TB:

So you must sit on the same committee I do then when it comes to what goes on at the NAA? What you claim isn't true. There may be development there as defined by the yet to be developed accord but what is or is not exempt has yet to be determined. Cable Bay, well, that is an entirely different ball of wax.

[jimorsheryl]

I'm sure that Becker uses bark & sawdust with added fish by products to make his soil & not wood chips.
Have you been on site?? What is the organic difference between woodchips and bark and sawdust? Is fish by products, code for rotting fish heads?
Whatever he uses he has been successful.
I don't believe that Becker intentionally broke the by law.
Also I suggest challenging laws & particularly by laws not breaking laws. You challenge laws in courts, if you think by laws are not laws, then what exactly are they?
Becker promotes urban farming or more correctly self sufficiency. I can be self sufficient by running a cabinet making shop on my property, do you think my neighbours in a residential area should be subjected to my saws, and lathes and planers running all day?
If Becker fails & the concept is deemed illegal then the farmers markets will surely fail as many of them are in a similar situation to Becker. Are you saying there are not legitimate famers on real farms in properly zoned areas who can supply produce. Just how many tons of product do you think Becker produces, care to put a dollar value on it?
I'm not advocating large scale urban food production ( & I think well you know it) but I do advocate as does Becker the promotion of local grown fresh produce. If you change the zoning to allow food production whether it is on 2.5 or 5 acres, how do you stop the 'full-on' food production with the associated problems.
Your comment of "raising a herd of pigs"
I don't think (correct me if I'm wrong) pigs come in herds!! You stand corrected. Besides whether you care to call them herds, or flocks a bunch of them stink, and you never did say would not mind a pig manure lagoon next to your property.
Suggesting that I advocate the raising of pigs on a large scale basis is taking it over the top & well you know it. Since by-laws are not really laws, how would you suggest stopping someone else from choosing to raises pigs next to Becker?
Becker took a piece of land that has all it's productive value raped from it.Colourful language, but what do you mean? Was it farm land before?
He is now making it more valuable than just another piece of real estate; again good luck to him..It would be more valuable to more people if it provided a couple of low cost high rise towers.
As for ground water contamination I suggest you look into real time situations.Take Green Lake for example. There is evidence the Lake is dying and no one knows if it is septic leeching into the lake or the effect of the fertilizers people put on their lawns.
The Nanaimo Airport Authority has plans to build an industrial complex on top of the Cassidy aquifer but is bending over backwards to be exempt from local regulation.
This is a real time problem as is the proposed Cable Bay development with their (as of now) imaginary golf course.

I realize that anyone who believes in a lawless society will not get my drift, but that is OK.

Cheers
Jim

[Maui Man]

I agree with Jim. Plus given the photos it is just not that hard to bring in a bunch of topsoil and change the land, have done it before. Sell the property and move to somewhere with proper zoning or see if the city will allow special zoning for their property. It is pretty dumb not to check the zoning first especially for an agr business.

[All Ages Music Concerts]

I agree with Jim. Plus given the photos it is just not that hard to bring in a bunch of topsoil and change the land, have done it before. Sell the property and move to somewhere with proper zoning or see if the city will allow special zoning for their property. It is pretty dumb not to check the zoning first especially for an agr business.

There is some good coverage on the progress of this news and I am pleased that our community stands in support of this changing and wake up way of living. People need to place the stance and keep the foot in check for things that are good for our community.

I applaude these people not only for the very hard work they have accomplished but the awareness they have brought forward.

Also this land was so stripped of its soils that they did wonders beyond thought. Anyone thinking they did it with ease have no idea of what they are talking about.