Sandown - A Valuable Asset

From time to time, the suggestion of putting housing on the Sandown agricultural lands surfaces. Even though much of that land is not being farmed yet, it is still critical for many reasons that that land be preserved for farming to feed present and future generations.

Sandown is Agricultural Land Reserve land, which means that for the last 50+ years that land has been set aside as foodlands for present and future generations.  This was necessary because agricultural land in B.C. was being lost to development at a rate of 10,000 to 15,000 acres per year.  That situation has not changed to suddenly make agricultural land less worthy of protection, and over those years, public support of the ALR has only increased.  The public understands that as more and more farmland is converted to other uses, and as the global food system continues to be jeopardized by multiple factors, not the least of which are temperature changes and drought caused by climate change, good agricultural land (especially local, productive land under the community's control) is more valuable than ever.  

It's important to consider what would be lost if the 60+ usable acres of Sandown are lost to farming forever.  While the soil is not at top productivity and health at this point, especially the acres that have not yet been turned over to farmers, there is potential there to be productive farmland.  This is what the current Sandown farmers have done and are doing, and the production has gone up significantly in only a few years.  The goal of the Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture was self-sustainability, and they are no longer subsidized by the District.  They provide mentorship and plots of land at market rates for emerging and new farmers to learn skills (31 new farmers and counting), larger plots at market rates for those farmers to continue to grow their farms, education for students (over 1200 in 2025), 200+ in-ground raised beds for community members, and the learning farm which teaches older students how to grow food, which is then provided to school programs and food banks.  And that's all on only 13+ acres. There is so much more potential to be realized there.

Not only is the Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture no longer subsidized by taxpayer funds, but the Sandown farmers are also building up the farmland, adding value to a District asset, even as they produce food for our residents.  The land will continue to improve the more they work on it, since they use regenerative practices that contribute to the health of the soil.  We are getting that work for free, plus a lot of the inputs they add to the soil, which improve the health and productivity of the soil.  They will continue to add value at no cost to the District.  

And what about the food that could be grown to feed our population if the land is put into full production?  Experienced area farmers producing mixed organic intensively grown vegetable crops sold at retail prices have reported grossing $100,000 or more per acre of farmland.  This number increases significantly if greenhouses are used.  If this land remains available for agriculture in perpetuity, that's millions of dollars per year of food produced for our residents, and future generations, in perpetuity.  

Compare this to the yearly taxes of the 450 houses recently suggested for Sandown, minus the drain on the district coffers to provide infrastructure, maintenance, roads, recreation centres, parks, and ongoing services for the residents of those 450 houses. Ongoing municipal services generally cost more than the property taxes paid, so that housing development will COST taxpayers more per year than it will provide to District coffers, and will not be the boon to our society that a productive farm could be.

Turning ALR land into housing is a shortsighted, ill-conceived idea.  The highest and best use for agricultural land is always agriculture.