Hello Friends of the Farm,
We know that you are all very busy with school right now and approaching mid-terms, but we’re putting out this plea on behalf of the farm, that you take the time out to be an active participant in the Campus and Community Planning public consultation events that deal with the UBC farm. There are various opportunities coming up for feedback throughout the month of October, all of which will be critical events in determining the future of the farm and we will keep you in the loop about when and where they are happening.
This particular email is just to remind you that the last day for you to submit your feedback to Campus and Community Planning about the principles that will guide discussion of the UBC Farm is TODAY, SEPTEMBER 30.
It will be very important for us to get as many people as possible submitting their feedback on the principles to get a clear message out about the farm. CCPhave asked we suggest principles that do not predetermine any outcome, that will be broad enough to get everyone in this debate agreeing to sit down at the same table together. That being said, opportunities for feedback are few, so we can’t stop you from saying what you need to say.
Key points include:
- We need a LONG-TERM land use decision that guarantees certainty of land tenure so that we aren’t in this limbo-ish situation of only knowing the Farm will exist in the present configuration for the next few years;
- We need to be located on soils with immediate agricultural capability that will allow us to offer the same quality of programming that we currently offer;
- We do not want our current level of programming compromised in any way by a decision, and ideally the decision should accommodate forecasting for future growth of the farm’s teaching, research, and community service programming based on growth trends of the last 8 years of the farm’s operations;
- We need to mainatain the ecological complexity of this piece of land and the functioning interactions between cleared spaces, intensively cultivated cleared spaces, and forested spaces.
Also, I have uploaded to the google group a DRAFT of the version of the principles we will send on behalf of Friends of the UBC Farm [see bottom of this post for attachment]. Feel free to look to it for ideas, but it will be important for you to express your feedback in your own thoughts and words.
Thank you all for your help! We can only manage to keep the farm in its current location at its current size with active participation in this process from a wide range of stakeholders, so please forward this information far and wide.
I have uploaded a copy of the feedback from as well [see bottom of this post for attachment] and as it says at the bottom, you can submit your feedback form to Stefani Lu at stefani.lu@ubc.ca. If there isn’t enough room on the form for your comments, please just send another attachment with your comments.
Thanks so much,
Andrew Rushmere
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Friends of the UBC Farm
www.ams.ubc.ca/clubs/friendsubcfarm
Andrea Morgan ~ President
Beatriz Ramos ~ Vice-President
Sarah Stevenson ~ Treasurer
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