Fired Up!

12/15/08 Time to Get Fired Up:
Farmlands Conference Brings Farmers Together

KATIE ZDYBEL

On November 27th, concerned farmers and citizens of lower Vancouver Island gathered in Sidney at the Farmlands Conference to talk about how to move forward on issues facing our farmlands, farmers, and local food supply. Vineyard owners, prominent chefs, future farmers, and politicians filled up the rooms where a range of discussion sessions were adeptly hosted by moderators such as Metchosin farmer and Small Farms editor, Tom Henry, and Chef David Mincey of Camille’s. “There are a lot of movements afoot,” observed attendee Carol Herriot (of Seeds of Victoria), “and today we are connecting the dots.”

Leading speakers like the fervent Lana Popham of Barking Dog Vineyard, visionary David Chambers of Madrona Farm, and John Buchanan of Parry Bay Farm who brings thirty years of farming experience to the table, led sessions on themes such as ‘land leasing’ and ‘taking action on farmland issues.’ In true democratic style, the attendees spoke just as much as the panelists and the sessions carried on like townhouse meetings.

“The idea is to improve the lot of the farmer,” began David Mincey, opening the floor for discussion at the session on ‘taking action on farmland issues.’ Many suggestions were offered; “We need to shatter the myth that farmland needs to be owned by the farmer,” David Chambers offered and explained his farm’s position of entering into an agreement with a land trust to secure their farmland in perpetuity as a solution to astronomical land prices in BC. Chef Ken Hueston of Smoken Bones Cookshack stressed the opportunity for chefs to act as leaders of a new food movement that honours local land by bringing in farm fresh produce from as near as possible and teaching the public its merit through deliciousness. A reoccurring theme was getting kids to care about farming and to see it as a viable and valuable lifestyle in our highly modernized world. Popham expressed her wish to see an agricultural component in the school system and Mincey (half) joked that teens should not be able to graduate high school without a month’s work on the farm. Attendee Randy Pearson (of Islands Organic Producers Association), pointed out the reason for the near-extinction of new farmers: “Until it’s viable to send your kids to university on a farm income, people aren’t going to pick up the hoe.”

Though high prices, Agricultural Land Reserve red tape, and a dwindling crop of fresh farmers are serious obstacles, the prevailing energy was one of vim and action. The small farmers, vintners, chefs who source locally, seed-savers, and supportive citizens who gathered together in Sidney carried with them an appreciation for resources (whether they be water, land, or enthusiasm), a willingness to listen, and ideas that are nothing short of visionary. As Popham said, “All of this can either shut you down or fire you up…and I’m fired up.” The resounding applause and cheers were a strong indication that her words connected with many.

Celebrating at the Topaz Temple with MLA Rob Fleming and newly elected Mayor of Victoria Dean Fortin.

Diwali 2008 - Festival of Lights

The beautiful colours of Diwali.

LANA YES!

Would you like to join my LANA YES! campaign team? I am looking for volunteers and would be very excited to hear from you! As you know, the provincial election is not until the spring......BUT....as with every campaign you can never start too early. Email or call if you want to help.

My campaign will be full of energy and creativity!

Let's face it, if you are NDP you already have the cool factor. So let's show the rest of Saanich South what we are made of!

Lana Popham
250-507-4222
lanapopham@rogers.blackberry.net

Would You Like To Help With My Nomination?

I am very excited about this opportunity, and I am working hard to make it a reality, but I can’t do this without your help.

I need your support to win the nomination

What does this mean? It means that I need 200 people to join the BC NDP in Saanich South and come out to vote for me in approx. 3 months at a nomination meeting. The membership form is attached and it costs $10 to become a member.
If you would like another membership form please go online to BC NDP and you will be able to download one.

If you are not sure if you live in Saanich South you can check the map included or go online at www.elections.bc.ca

You cannot vote for me at the nomination meeting unless you have been a member of the NDP for 90 days, so timing is everything! I will need to have all membership forms sent to Vancouver by October 15th, 2008.

I can collect membership forms at any time. Please call me at 250-507-4222 or email lanapopham@rogers.blackberry.net.

To learn a little bit more about what I have been doing please check out my website at www.lanapopham.ca


Thanks so much!

Press Release.....

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 8, 2009

LANA POPHAM TO SEEK SAANICH SOUTH NEW DEMOCRAT NOMINATION

Saanich resident Lana Popham announced today that she is seeking the nomination for the BC New Democratic Party in Saanich South.

David Cubberley, the current MLA, announced this summer that he will not seek re-election.

Popham is well known in the community as an organic vineyard owner, environmental activist and small business person. She serves on Saanich’s Planning, Transportation and Economic Development Committee, the Peninsula Agricultural Commission, the Investment Agriculture Foundation , and the Islands Organic Producers Association.

Recently she successfully launched a campaign - Think Outside The Bag - to reduce the use of throwaway plastic grocery bags.

This spring Popham received a CFAX Community award for her environmental advocacy, placing as a runner-up for the annual top Community Leader prize. Popham is involved in many other issues including protection of agricultural land, urban and rural food security, sustainable transportation and affordable housing.

“The Campbell government is out of touch with the needs of our communities. How can we arrive at sustainable solutions for our province if we have no say in the discussion?” said Popham. "Saanich has had an effective voice in the legislature since 2005. I think I have the knowledge and drive to build on that record in Spring 2009.”

Popham counts Cubberley as a mentor and supporter. “I'm excited someone of Lana's caliber wants to enter provincial politics and will work hard to get her elected,” said Cubberley. "Her activism shows how much she values the quality of life in Saanich and demonstrates how our region can grow more sustainability."

Lana, 39 years old, is married to Jon, an Oak Bay firefighter and they have a 10-year-old son, Kye.

The provincial election is on May 12, 2009. No date has been set yet for the Saanich South nomination meeting.

For more info, please contact Lana at 250 507 4222.

Popham Seeks NDP Nomination.

Vintner drops council bid, seeks NDP nomination

Times Colonist

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Shifts in the political landscape have prompted vineyard owner Lana Popham to abandon the upcoming municipal election and take a shot at provincial office.

Popham said yesterday she has withdrawn from running for Saanich council to seek the New Democrat nomination in Saanich South for the B.C. election next year.

That nomination is up for grabs now that the sitting New Democrat MLA David Cubberly has announced he will be stepping down after one term. Party rules adopted in 2007 dictate Cubberly's replacement must be a woman candidate. In any riding held by the NDP, if the current MLA decides not to run, a woman must be nominated. The aim is to ensure women run where there is a real chance of winning, in a plan to push female and minority candidates into more ridings.

Popham said she decided to seek the provincial nomination because she had worked with Cubberly on issues of agriculture, food security and recycling. "I would like to carry on with that work."

The 39-year-old operator of the organic Barking Dog Vineyard said she also sees lots of room for MLAs interested in food production.

Popham pointed out the house is losing not only Cubberly, but also stepping down is Nelson MLA Corky Evans, who always paid attention to farm issues.

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

A Community Success!

Capital Regional District pushing cloth shopping bags

Published: September 17, 2008 10:37 AM

Next time you head to the grocery store bring a cloth bag. That's the message the Capital Regional District is packaging in an effort to reduce the number of plastic bags used around Victoria. Handing out almost 1,000 cloth CRD bags at its recent Hartland landfill open house, the district's environmental services department is following up on its campaign, asking residents to take a pledge to not use plastic shopping bags. In return, you'll receive a free CRD cloth bag in return.

"Plastic bags end up in our landfills, our waterways and our harbours," Susan Brice, CRD Environmental chair and Saanich councillor said in a news release.

A survey of more than 20 local grocery stores helped the CRD determine that about 25 million plastic bags are used every year in Victoria.

"By refusing plastic bags, we can reduce consumption, stop plastics bags from entering our waste stream and practice good environmental stewardship."

Asking residents to stop using plastic bags is a step in the right direction, said Saanich resident Lana Popham. A New Democratic Party MLA hopeful, Popham has been the driving force behind a campaign to have plastic bags banned in the region.

"I'm really glad the CRD takes this seriously," Popham said. "It just drives home the message again that the plastic bag is a wasteful product and the more we keep the issue current the closer we are to solving the problem."

To take the pledge to refuse to use plastic bags and receive a CRD cloth bag, go to: www.crd.bc.ca/takethepledge

vmoreau@saanichnews.com

Dave Barrett helps celebrate the ALR"s 35th Birthday

I attended an Agricultural Land Reserve 35th birthday celebration a couple weeks ago. It was amazing to hear from the people, like Dave Barrett, who had the foresight back then to put a safety net in place for viable agricultural land.
These days there is a lot of pressure to remove land from this bank. It makes the headlines almost every day.
I hear people say that the ALR was put in place to protect farmland but the ALR does not protect the farmer. This is probably true. But, without the vision of the ALR, we would be in a completely different situation these days. We would be dealing with development smack dab in the middle of prime growing areas instead of chipping away at the borders. We have a place holder with the ALR.
35 years ago we protected the land and now maybe we have the understanding that we also need to protect the farmer. Food security is beginning to become a common term. Especially as elections draw near. People are making a connection between what we eat and where it comes from. Maybe we needed to wait until now to fully understand the role of the farmer, and to realize what was needed to protect this important and vital profession in our culture.
I think this is an amazing time for agriculture. If we can enable the appropriate political strength, we have a chance to secure a safe, local, food system.
The next 12 months could bring us 3 elections. Municipal, Provincial, and Federal. The solutions to a successful agricultural system will come from all three levels of government. Locally we need to pressure our leaders to not just talk about food security but to change the way we support our local food systems.
When you are deciding who to vote for in your municipality, make our food system a priority. Ask the politicians what food security means to them. Make them define it for you, demand a commitment, and hold them to it. We can't eat political rhetoric.....

Cycling! Love it!

This was the first year I participated in Bike To Work Week Victoria. I was a bit hesitant because I live in rural Saanich and the ride into town takes about 50 minutes. I had been a cyclist in Vancouver in the early 90's and enjoyed it back then but hadn't made it a part of my life since moving to Victoria. Bike To Work Week gave me the push I needed to reconnect with how great cycling really is. I have been using an older mountain bike and this has worked for me very well because I have been sticking to the trails...out of fear of traffic. I needed to get my confidence and skill level up and this has happened over a 3 month period. This month I have graduated to a cyclecross bike and have started to find my way along main roads and highways. This has been an eyeopener to what is needed as far as infrastructure goes. I have to say that the trail system is awesome but lacks signage. There have been many occasions where I am unsure which diection to take after exiting certain trails. I have also found that bike lanes working along side vehicle traffic are essential. Nothing is worse than a bike lane ending and throwing you out into fast moving traffic. Challenging for the cyclist and challenging for the vehicle operators. Many transitions I make in these cases feels like an accident waiting to happen. So how do I feel about spending money on non-fuel powered transportation infrastructure? This includes walking and biking......I say we need to spend the money to make it work. It is imperative to our sustainable vision and it makes sense.
I am grateful to Bike To Work Week.....it gave me a push I needed to rediscover cycling for commuting.....I think I am addicted!

Photos From Events....

Madrona Farm TLC Fundraiser - Farmers Natalie and David Chambers and me!

Canada Day at the Gorge Community Association Celebration

From Left to Right

Dean Murdock,Vicki Sanders,David Cubberley,Judy Brownoff,

Vic Derman,Lana Popham and Rob Fleming

Dean Murdock, Lana Popham, Barbara Meek and David Cubberley

Saanich Strawberry Festival 2008

Lana Popham and Denise Savoie

Lana Popham, Vic Derman, Judy Brownoff

2008 Saanich Civic League Launch

Rob Fleming and Lana Popham

117 Days To Go!

Time is marching on! 117 days until election day. I have been working hard for 3 years to prepare for November 15th, 2008. It has seemed so far away for so long but now....it is right there. My new yard signs have arrived and will be ready to go for October. If you are interested in having a sign on you lawn please contact me and I will have one delivered. I am currently designing my brochure and getting it ready to send to the printer. There is so much left to do but it is all exciting.

There are issues that I want to discuss coming up to November. The are things I feel strongly about and will begin to cover them on this blog. I appreciate any feedback, good or bad, and will respond to all comments. These comments will be available for the public eye as I am a strong advocate for transparency. You may not agree with everything I write but you will know where I am coming from. Please feel free to ask me any questions as well.

Vineyard owner adds name to slate for Saanich council election

Times Colonist

Monday, June 09, 2008

Vineyard owner Lana Popham is running for Saanich council in the November municipal election.

Popham, 39, owns the organic Barking Dog Vineyard on Old West Saanich Road and has been involved with numerous community issues and events. The most recent is her pitch to ban plastic bags in the capital region by end of 2008.

She received a CFAX community award for her efforts.

Popham is involved with several agricultural groups, including the Peninsula Agricultural Commission, the Island Organic Producers Association and even the compost committee at Brentwood Elementary School.

She's also a member of Saanich's planning, transportation and economic development committee.

Saanich is at a "critical time" in its growth, and needs progressive choices about land use, transportation and sustainability, she says.

More and improved green transportation choices are needed to reduce carbon emissions, says Popham. She wants to lobby for new investment in rapid transit, more bike lanes and trails, saying people won't leave their cars at home without good transit service.

Popham is married to Jon, an Oak Bay firefighter. They have a nine-year-old son.

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

Community Matters - CHANNEL 11

Victoria Community Television
Presents ...

Community Matters ...

If you're interested in a progressive take on some important local issues, please watch this panel discussion that includes View Royal mayor Graham Hill, Saanich councillor Vic Derman and Lana Popham of Saanich .. Moderated by Judith Cullington, they discuss issues like climate change, sewage treatment, and our local food supply and put forward ideas and solutions that you may like. This is definitely the most progressive panel group on television, so don't miss it ...

On Victoria Community TV: Channel 11
Saturday, June 7 at 11:00 AM
Sunday, June 8 at 9:00 PM

also on Channel 4 in Duncan and Channel 11 on Saltspring Island

With thanks to VanCity for funding ...
Presented by ICTV .. Independent Community Television Victoria. ICTV is a non-profit society dedicated to community television. Filmed and produced by Lazarus Productions of Victoria.
Special thanks to the staff at Shaw Cable.

CFAX reports on the CRD decision.....

C.R.D. WILL NOT BAN PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS

May 28, 2008

THE CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE HAS DECIDED THAT NO ACTION IS NEEDED TO RESTRICT THE USE OR DISPOSAL OF PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS.

AND, THE COMMITTEE DECIDED IT WOULD NOT BE WORTH THE COST TO COLLECT PLASTIC BAGS AS PART OF THE BLUE BOX PROGRAM.

"TO DO SOMETHING SYMBOLICALLY AT A COST OF A HALF-MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ISN'T JUSTIFIABLE WHEN WE'RE DIVERTING JUST ONE PERCENT OF THE WASTE FROM THE WASTE STREAM," SAYS COMMITTEE CHAIR SUSAN BRICE.

BUT BRICE SAYS ONCE THE CURRENT CONTRACT WITH THE PICKUP COMPANY LAPSES IN 2012, MORE MATERIALS ARE LIKELY TO BE ADDED TO THE BLUE BOX LIST.

"THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE AT THIS POINT WAS NOT DESIGNED TO HANDLE THAT THIN PLASTIC SUBSTANCE," SAYS BRICE.

"I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT AS WE ADVANCE INTO THE NEXT ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS THAT THERE WILL BE MORE PRODUCTS PICKED UP BY THE RECYCLING -- AND UNDOUBTEDLY PLASTIC BAGS, IF THEY'RE STILL IN EXISTENCE AT THAT POINT, WHICH I'M SURE TO SOME EXTENT THEY PROBABLY WILL BE, WILL BE INCLUDED."

SAANICH ACTIVIST LANA POPHAM HAS BEEN LOUD AND CLEAR IN HER DEMAND FOR A PLASTIC BAG BAN, BUT SHE SEEMED TO BE BACKING OFF A BIT AFTER WEDNESDAY'S ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING.

"THAT'S A LITTLE BIT AGGRESSIVE, MAYBE," SAYS POPHAM. "PUTTING A DEPOSIT ON THAT BAG, SO WHEN YOU DO DECIDE THAT YOU WANT TO USE A PLASTIC SHOPPING BAG, YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN PAY 25-CENTS AND GET THAT. AND IF YOU BRING IT BACK, YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOUR 25-CENTS -- MAYBE THAT'S A WAY TO HELP US GET THROUGH THIS DECISION-MAKING PROCESS."

IT'S BEEN SUGGESTED THE PROVINCE COULD ORDER THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR TO CHARGE A DEPOSIT ON EACH PLASTIC BAGS GIVEN OUT AT THE TILL.

POPHAM ACCUSES THE REGIONAL GOVERNMENT OF LACKING LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE.

"I STARTED AT THE MUNICIPALITY LEVEL, WENT TO THE C.R.D., GOT THROWN BACK TO THE MUNICIPALITY, BACK AT THE C.R.D., AND NOW WE HAVE TO ASK THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT," SAYS POPHAM. "WELL THAT'S FINE, BUT THE AVENUE FOR ASKING THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT IS ALSO ABOUT RECYCLING. I AM UNCLEAR WHERE THE REDUCTION FITS INTO THIS. SO MAYBE IT IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE ALL COMMUNITY INITIATIVE."

STILL, POPHAM SAYS THE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION BEING GIVEN TO THIS ISSUE IS HELPING TURN THE TIDE WITH SHOPPERS.

"I THINK IT'S YOUR OBLIGATION TO TAKE A RE-USEABLE BAG [TO THE STORE]," SHE SAYS. "IT'S YOUR CHOICE, BUT I THINK PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO MAKE THAT CHOICE. THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO GET THAT IDEA."

PRESENTLY, THERE ARE MORE THAN 50 LOCATIONS AROUND THE CAPITAL REGION WHERE PLASTIC BAGS CAN BE DROPPED OFF FOR RECYCLING, FREE OF CHARGE -- MOST OF THEM GROCERY STORES.

- IRELAND

Why is it all about recycling? The cost would be minimal if we reduced the problem...

High costs ground plan to recycle grocery bags

Bill Cleverley, Times Colonist

Published: Thursday, May 29, 2008

Plastic bags won't be picked up in Greater Victoria blue boxes any time in the near future.

While collecting the bags in blue boxes is possible, it is expensive and there are potential problems, assistant solid waste manager John Craveiro told the Capital Regional District environment committee yesterday.

Some of the challenges include the bags blowing around neighbourhoods prior to collection and contamination of bags with paper receipts and other contaminants, he said.

CRD staff estimate the net cost of collecting and processing 500 tonnes of bags would be $530,900 a year, while the current total annual net cost of collecting all materials is about $1.3 million.

The committee agreed that including the bags in the blue box program at this point would be too expensive. Instead it is recommending the CRD continue to lobby the province to expand its product stewardship program to include the bags and other soft plastics, increase education campaigns on alternatives to plastic bags and advertising drop-off locations.

There are 55 locations in the CRD, many of them grocery stores, that accept the bags for recycling. The committee agreed plastic bags should be considered for the blue box program when the next contract is issued in 2012.

Saltspring Island director Gary Holman said he was "stunned" by the additional costs to collect the bags.

Craveiro replied that the estimated additional costs come largely from contractors currently picking up recyclables.

"Right now they have maximized the payloads for their trucks. [Plastic bags] are not very much weight but [add] bulkiness. So you're looking about 2 1/2 trucks you'd have to add to their existing truck fleet in order to accommodate this," he said.

Plastic bags have not been considered a huge problem at the Hartland landfill. They make up less than one per cent of the waste there and Canadian litter audits show that plastic bags account for less than 0.5 per cent of household litter. As well, studies show the majority of plastic bags are reused at least once.

Several committee members objected to the wording in the report, which suggested the following the recommendation was a "status quo" option.

"It [the wording 'status quo'] has a sense of inertia and no change," said committee chairwoman Susan Brice, who added the CRD is doing everything from lobbying the province to conducting public education to help foster a reduction in the use of plastic bags.

Saanich Coun. Judy Brownoff said it's the CRD's mandate to regulate and educate.

"I definitely think the education program could be bumped up," she said, adding that more large retailers and stores in shopping centres should get involved in providing alternatives to plastic bags.

"We really do have to wrap it up. It's an environmental issue," she said.

bcleverley@tc.canwest.com

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

Recycling? How about reduction!

CRD: Recycling plastic bags in blue boxes too pricey Bill Cleverley Times Colonist Tuesday, May 27, 2008 It would cost too much -- more than $530,000 a year -- to recycle plastic grocery bags as part of the blue box program, say Capital Regional District staff. The recommendation to the CRD's environment committee not to collect the bags in blue boxes is disappointing to Saanich resident Lana Popham who has been campaigning for months to have the bags banned. "I think it's decision-making at a snail's pace," Popham said. "I feel that I've worked really hard to increase the awareness about the negative impacts of plastic grocery bags in our environment and the key thing is we should be willing to move beyond reliance on them and not enable an ongoing dependence." Popham sees the problem as two-fold. The first is their production wastes oil and the second is that they escape into the environment, causing harm to a variety of species. But CRD staff are recommending the status quo. Instead of collecting the bags in blue boxes, the region should continue to lobby the province to expand programs to have stores collect the bags, the report says. While collecting the bags in blue boxes is doable, it is expensive and there are challenges, "such as the bags blowing around neighbourhoods prior to collection, educating residents in proper preparation, contamination of bags with paper receipts and other contaminants," the report says. Staff estimate the net cost of collecting and processing 500 tonnes of bags is $530,900 a year while the current total annual net cost of collecting all materials is about $1.3 million. The report notes 55 locations in the CRD, many of them grocery stores, accept the bags for recycling. It suggests that if the collection program isn't expanded, plastic bags should be considered for the blue box program when the next contract is issued in 2012. Popham doesn't think costs have to be as high as staff suggest. There's no need for hard tops on blue boxes to prevent plastic bags from blowing around prior to collection. "We do paper in a heavy-duty plastic bag to stop them from blowing around. I don't understand why we don't have the same approach for plastic bags," she said. Plastic bags have not been considered a huge problem at the Hartland landfill. They make up less than one per cent of the waste there and Canadian litter audits show that plastic bags account for less than 0.5 per cent of household litter. As well, the majority of plastic bags are reused at least once. bcleverley@tc.canwest.com © Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

Panama Flats

Should the “right to farm” outweigh the obligation to farm responsibly?

In Saanich, farming is in the headlines again. The new owners of Panama Flats are in the middle of a controversial fight that involves farming, fill dumping, and ecological risk. Emotions are running high between community members, the Municipality of Saanich and the potential farmers/developers.

How do we as residents make heads or tails out of the information and misinformation coming our way? The best way to do that is to be well informed about what we potentially have to lose.

The new “farm plan” for Panama Flats includes building a berm that – if allowed – will ring the edge of the entire property. The ‘plan’ is to isolate the flats entirely from winter flooding in order to utilize the land for perennial crops, which in my opinion, are unsuited to land that floods every year.

Panama Flats is made up of a soil class called “organic soil”. We are most familiar with them being referred to as “peat soils”. This is in contrast to the mineral soils that are most common on our Island. Our peat lands are very precious and unique. When we look at their history we can understand why. These sensitive and unique soils started their formation just after the glaciers left. Lakes were formed in this area both by glacier melt water and by fingers of the ocean being land locked. . The levels of peat were gradually formed by successions of vegetation continually encroaching on these lakes and being submerged and deprived of oxygen. This is a very slow process and worldwide only constitutes 3% of our landmass.

To responsibly farm in peat soils takes specific management practices. There is a fine balance between destroying the peat system and working responsibly within it. Water plays a key role in this management.

If we look at Panama Flats, we know that over the winter months it lies submerged in water. This water level allows the peat to remain saturated and the structure of the peat bog to remain at a certain level. Previous farming practices of Panama Flats worked within the seasonal patterns of the wet and dry seasons. The Flats were left to submerge during the cold, wet, non-growing season. This allowed a winter habitat for wildlife and migrating birds.

Once the spring came and brought drier conditions, the water was pumped, the wildlife moved on, and suitable crops were planted. Potatoes are a crop that has been traditionally planted in this space. Potatoes are very appropriate for such an agricultural situation. We have lost our potato growing capabilities in Central Saanich for decades due to the threat of the Golden Nematode. In a time when we are thinking of food security, we should not take prime starch growing areas out of production. Potatoes are a crop that stores well over the winter and I think that fits into our long range agricultural planning.

Bringing fill onto an area such as Panama Flats is ecologically and agriculturally irresponsible. The proposed berm would permanently cover the edges of the valued peat soil and threaten its water holding capabilities. The results of this action could cause the peat bog to settle which is of great concern. The extent of the settling would vary but brings with it a new set of worries. There could be an increase in flooding, a need to continually deepen drainage ditches, and the potential to loose the peat layer as it will dry and the mineral soils would begin to make there way up into this unique horizon. Although the traditional farming method of tilling and plowing can cause have some settling results, the winter rejuvenation due to water retention allows for significant peat conservation.

There are many reasons to farm responsibly. There are many reasons to choose different crops for different areas. Blueberries may do well in this location once the topography is drastically changed, but what if they don’t, and what are the impacts of permanently changing the soil and its hydrology? We are left with a scar on a piece of farmland that would be irreparable. The proposal to plant blueberries on Panama Flats may be great on paper…but if you talk to people who have been farming here for years, agrologists who have our soils in their best interest, and community members who value the diversity that this land brings, we will find that the right to farm does not trump the obligation to farm responsibly.

Panama Flats is a unique peat marsh that currently supports a balance between nature’s use of the land and the growing of food-crops. These activities have coexisted in harmony since farmers first arrived here. Undertaking forms of farming that will block nature’s use and fundamentally change the nature of the soil is not a responsible use of provincial ‘right to farm’ legislation.

Lana Popham
Organic Farmer/ Saanich Resident

CFAX Community Awards. Thanks so much CFAX!

Photo courtesy of my friend Chris Smith from SNAP Victoria. Thanks Chris!

Times Colonist - may 3rd, 2008
Community Leader - Runner Up
"Lana Popham is best known for her work banning plastic shopping bags, a campaign called "Think Outside The Bag" as well as her most recent initiative "Go Left For Litter", an attempt to clean up neighbourhoods. She has proven that one person - someone with a level of consciousness around greening our region - can make a significant difference to our community."

A gift from rural Saanich......

Get cracking on egg production, farmers say
By Erin Cardone - Saanich News - April 18, 2008


Lana Popham and Dean Rebneris say eggs are a driving force in the local eggonomy – economy, that is. Egg farmers are an important part of the local food supply in and around Greater Victoria.
Erin Cardone/News staff

Dean Rebneris and Lana Popham climbed the stairs to Saanich municipal hall Tuesday with 120 eggs in tow.

“We’ll hand them out to (Mayor) Frank Leonard and anyone else we see who might need them,” Popham said.

The 10 dozen egg cartons were decorated with a label intended to promote egg farming locally and raise awareness of just how many eggs are laid in rural Saanich and distributed for sale around neighbouring municipalities.

“There’s nothing like farm fresh eggs, ones when you know the farmer,” said Rebneris, who keeps 99 laying chickens. “I feed these eggs to my kids.”

Their simple action Tuesday was a push for awareness of eggonomics, Popham said. “We’re just trying to make a point that it adds to the economy, so we were presenting the eggs to the mayor (and others) as a gift from rural Saanich. It’s just to say we’re here and we count.”

As most eggs for sale in Greater Victoria, especially in grocery stores, are imported from the United States or shipped from the Lower Mainland, Popham and Rebneris are hoping to see a boost in locally grown eggs and the number of people who buy locally.

Although they didn’t have hard figures for Victoria or Vancouver Island, the B.C. Egg Producers Marketing Board says eggs are big business for the province. The industry is worth more than $95 million annually, and more than 61-million dozens of eggs are graded each year.

The Island has 18 registered egg producers, four of whom are in the Victoria area, and dozens more unregistered. For anyone wanting to try their hand at becoming an egg producer, Rebneris suggests attending the May 10 Prospect Lake flea market to pick up some laying hens.

ecardone@saanichnews.com