Farmers are getting old and their children are moving out. They have no interest in helping their parents, unless they own the land and have their own house. Five and 10-acre farms are now just estates. It is wasted farmland, when there is a housing crisis and shortage of land to build the homes on in B.C.
Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) land can be subdivided into one-hectare lot sizes, which all municipalities should follow. This will make it easy, simple and more effective. It will resolve the housing and land use crises, as well as settle the farming issue. One hectare of land can grow food for six families and also provide housing for three families on the same parcel.
This would be the best use of small parcels of ALR land. It would be a win-win situation for everyone – the municipality gets more taxes, it resolves the housing shortage, and there are four times more farm commodities, with more food production on small ALR parcels.
This will also bring unity in the families and allow elderly farmers to stay in their own homes if they have family members staying nearby
Inder Hundle
Central Saanich
