The City of Sherbrooke adopts agricultural development plan
The City of Sherbrooke adopted its new Agricultural Zone Development Plan (PDZA) on Monday, turning the page on months of work meant to highlight the importance of local agriculture and promote entrepreneurship in the local farming context.
City Councilor Nicole Bergeron, who is president of the city’s agriculture committee, pointed out that although Sherbrooke is the Province’s sixth largest city, one third of its territory is agricultural land, and an additional third is considered rural.
“This is a return to our roots,” Bergeron said, explaining that the plan revolves around increasing the visibility and profitability of local agricultural projects through initiatives aimed at improving networking, communication, and resources available for local farmers.
François Bourassa, President of the Estrie Branch of Quebec's Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA), said that Sherbrooke’s new plan is on the right track but that actions need to follow the words.
“When you ask where food comes from, people now think more of the supermarket then the farm,” Bourassa said, calling agriculture the least understood sector of the economy. “We need to turn this around,” he added, pointing out that that urban and rural environments depend on each other and that understanding each other's needs is a valuable step in the right direction.
Serge Roy, Regional director for the Ministry of Agriculture, fisheries and food, said that the decision to adopt such a plan by the city is not mandatory, but it is consistent with other municipalities in the Eastern Townships. This, he said, shows the region’s close ties to its agricultural roots.
Asked about the impact of the plan on those currently living and on agricultural land in the city, Bergeron said that she feels the only changes will be positive.
“What they will see is that the city is finally considering this an important economic sector,” the councilor said, explaining that the plan was created in consultation with a variety of local farmers in order to ensure that people’s needs were seriously considered. “When there are problems, there will be a place to talk about them,” Bergeron continued.
In addition to helping the average citizen bridge the gap from farm to table, Bergeron pointed out that farms are a major local employer and said that helping make people more aware of the jobs available on local farms will benefit both potential employers and potential employees.
The full text of the new development plan is available in French on the city of Sherbrooke’s website at sherbrooke.ca/pdza