Behind the Lines
Monday, December 6, 2010
Agritourism, in its broadest definition, is any agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or a ranch. But where does agriculture give way to just plain tourism?
This wouldn't be an issue if it didn't involve land use planning and come into conflict with both local and provincial authorities and regulations that often limit the scale of an agritourism operation.
Exploring those conflicts is the basis for this month's cover story by Mary Baxter – timely because the province is reviewing its Provincial Planning Statement. Farms have had to expand in size in order to stay in business. Some agritourism operators argue that also applies to their on-farm tourism businesses. This story starts on page 14.
Also bearing on the subject of farm expansion – a hot topic, particularly in western Ontario – are policies having to do with severing surplus farm houses. This month's article focuses on Perth County where a policy banning severances has been fiercely disputed. Is a severed farmhouse an opportunity for a next-generation farmer to start "small" by buying a house rather than an unaffordable farm, and the means of stemming the rural exodus, or is it a possible impediment to commercial livestock operators who won't be able to expand because their planned barns are too close to a rural residence? This story starts on page 34.
As noted here before, people often ask what are the odds of becoming a winner in our CSI series. Our standard response is something like: "pretty good actually." As regular readers know, we draw the winner's name from a pool of correct answers. Some months, there could be several dozen correct entries. Other times just one or two. And we're still waiting for the right solution to "What's ailing Art's Alfalfa," which was featured in our May issue. This month's winner, Pascal Roy, from Clarence Creek in eastern Ontario has achieved a new milestone for CSI. This is the first time anyone has ever won twice. And Pascal has managed to win two months in a row.
CSI first appeared in our December 2006 issue and has been increasing in reader popularity ever since.
Another hit, it seems, is our newest feature Up Close, which provides a personal glimpse of some of our province's most successful Ontario farmers. Well-known London area cash-cropper Steve Twynstra agreed to participate in the launch in our November issue.
This month, we've increased the space for Up Close and we feature Brenda Lammens, who farms with her husband Raymond near Tillsonburg and who has been a moving force in the fruit and vegetable industry.
Do you know someone who should be featured? Please send along your nominations to: rirwin@betterfarming.com BF
ROBERT IRWIN & DON STONEMAN