A group of volunteers met with city staff and representatives of the Alberni Clayoquot Regional District today to discuss improvements to efforts in marketing the Alberni Valley and its agricultural products; Goal 2 of the Alberni Valley Agricultural Plan.
The group decided to take part in the upcoming Islands Agricultural Show—the first of what is hoped to be an annual event on Vancouver Island—taking place in Duncan Feb. 3 and 4. Port Alberni economic development officer Pat Deakin will be reaching out to local First Nations to discuss the show and the nations’ possible participation.
While area First Nations are known primarily as fishers and hunters, economic development plans do provide provisions for possible expansion into agricultural production. According to the Alberni Valley Agricultural Plan, for example, Tseshaht has indicated it is open to ideas in this area that will help diversify its local economy.
Port Alberni and the regional district will work with volunteers to design a booth for the trade show that will highlight the agriculture opportunities that exist in the valley, hoping to attract new farmers to the area and improve production of the agricultural land that sits idle.
The agricultural plan reports that only 42 per cent of the available agricultural land in the area is being farmed, and 90 per cent of that is being used for livestock or feed production.
Of the 7,702 hectares (19,024 acres) of available agriculture land, only 239 hectares (590 acres) is used for vegetables, berries, grapes and other horticultural food crops.
The demand for local food, however, has never been stronger. “Consumers want to buy food they trust from people they trust,” states the agricultural plan.
