Views of the Annapolis Valley

We live on 15 acres of class A agricultural land; which is surrounded by prime valley land that is chiefly being used for agriculture.  On our small plot it is our objective to maintain the land as a farm and preserve it for the future.  We believe that prime land should never be wasted on urban development.  The land is part of our heritage and should be protected from urban sprawl.  Once farmland has been destroyed by development it can not be recovered, land is the heartbeat of rural Canada and without it we are left with desolation.  We are persistently looking for more farmland to purchase which will enable us to improve our flocks but it has been impossible.  Many landowners are sitting on their land hoping that they will be able to sell to a developer for inflated prices.  These unrealistic land prices make it impossible for the small farm to nourish itself and grow when more pasture or crop fields are needed. 

The small family homestead once flourished in this country and was the mainstay of the families that came to this country to make a new life for their families.  As urban centers developed they drew life from the country and the products that the farms produced.  Now the main urban centers are drawing more than just products, they are drawing the essence of the farm itself.  Restructuring and amalgamation of companies have caused the small rural areas to lose their means of processing and marketing, making it almost impossible to sustain a living.

Many people living in urban developed communities have no understanding of where or how their food is produced.  The long days and the constant battle with nature that the farmer must endure to get his product to market.  Today’s society wants everything now, cheap and in a massive array of choices this has placed an additional blockade bringing the small farm to its knees.  The small farmer cannot compete on the same level as the Wal-Marts of the world nor should they be forced to.

One of our goals is to help teach people about the land and the animals which need to be preserved for the future.  Making them understand the basics of farming and how it affects our society as a whole.  The importance of buying local is one step in the right direction.  Fair market value for products is also another way of helping the farmer.  Standing up to the big producers and saying I don’t want a product that is chemically produced and altered.  By getting information out there and encouraging dialogue so that people will understand the necessity of preservation.

The reason that we have zoning laws is to protect the land.  By allowing people to change those laws for their own purpose we erode the system and open the doors to a deluge of proposals which do not benefit our future.  We need strong legislation in place to protect the agricultural land.  Without preservation farmland will be gobbled up by developers.  The land which is our life blood will be gone with the wind. 

Please help to Preserve; READ, LEARN, DISCUSS.  Stand and be counted.

Quote from “Gone With The Wind”

(Gerald O'Hara (Scarlett's father:)Do you mean to tell me, Katie Scarlett O'Hara, that Tara, that land doesn't mean anything to you? Why, land is the only thing in the world worth workin' for, worth fightin' for, worth dyin' for, because it's the only thing that lasts.)