Summerland council also supporting agriculture initiatives for economic development
Summerland council has demonstrated its continuing support of agriculture by authorizing a multi-faceted application to the B.C. Rural Dividend Fund.
On Monday, council unanimously approved a resolution giving staff the authority to submit the application, “Strengthening the Agricultural Sector in Summerland as a key sector initiative for Economic Development,” for the fifth intake of the provincial rural dividend project.
The intent of the various facets of the initiative all involve the agriculture sector as it relates to economic development, chief administrative office Linda Tynan said.
The initiative builds on the recently completed business plan for the Okanagan Agricultural Innovation Centre, which is slated to be in Summerland.
The centre would develop new opportunities for all businesses found in the regional agriculture value chain from producers and processors to entrepreneurs and developers, economic project manager Andres Boehm said at a committee of the whole meeting in late June.
The initiative would also include youth in the community to help develop innovative tools that would assist in creating a better understanding of regional assets and programs available to agricultural operations.
In turn, this would encourage youth to explore rural economic opportunities within the community, Tynan said.
Development of an agri-tourism strategy, which would allow the district to explore ways to build on existing agri-tourisms attractions, is another component of the project.
The total budget for the proposed project is $125,000 with $100,000 coming from the rural dividend fund, $12,500 as a financial contribution from the district’s economic development fund and $12,500 as district in-kind contributions.
A large part of the funds received would be used to hire “a professional with expertise in economic development resourcing and key sector planning, with additional funding allocated to tool development,” Tynan said.