Come visit our new web site at www.fual.ca

Come out to the first in FUAL's

"How to..."workshop series for 2013...

What's in the cards for 2013...

 

FUAL wants to build on our contributions over the last year:

     •      public information series

     •      manure maven workshop

     •      establishment of the Lantzville Farmers’ Market (LFM)

     •      advocacy on District Council bylaw 60.23

            (adoption pending)

     •      statement on District Council soils bylaw 90

            (adoption pending)

We are planning more workshops and infomation sessions and will continue our advocacy work regardless of District Council’s disrespectful lack of response.

The soil is a nation's real capital, and water, not oil, is the truly valuable resource.

Klaus Toepfer, recent Director-General of the United Nations Environment Program and former German minister of the environment

Soil

Soil...

Soils contain more carbon than our atmosphere and forests together.

Soils hold over twice as much water as our rivers and atmosphere combined.

Capturing rain where it falls is the key to preventing most floods.

More carbon is stored in soil worldwide than is found in the atmosphere and the planet’s biomass together.

"Destruction of the earth's thin living cover is proceeding at a rate and on a scale unparalleled in history, and when that thin cover -- the soil -- is gone, the fertile regions where it formerly lay will be uninhabitable deserts."

The Rape of the Earth: A World Survey of Soil Erosion, by Jacks and Whyte, published in 1939.

Around 2bn ha of soil, 15% of the Earth's surface, is now classed as degraded by human activities

BBC News, 2002

The debate has been cast in the wrong terms.  The problem cannot be solved if we keep asking: ‘What energy sources will be available to replace fossil fuels?’ We should ask: what populations can be supported at a decent standard by the energy sources available after the transition from fossil fuels?

Lindsey Grant, The Collapsing Bubble

...  because of misuse, every year we lose a hundred million acres of farmland and 24 billion tons of topsoil, and create 15 million acres of desert around the world.....  mankind is using about 160 billion tons more water each year than is being replenished by rain and fed back into water storage....  sustainability is not enough.  We need to be concerned with survivability

.... In the last half century, the Earth has lost a fourth of its topsoil and third of its forest cover.  We are losing fresh water at the rate of 6% per year.  A third of the world’s natural resources were consumed in the last three decades. Most were consumed by the billion people in the rich countries

Councillors Disagreement on bylaw enforcement resolved

January 24, 2013 MEDIA RELEASE
Lantzville, BC – COUNCILLORS DISAGREEMENT ON BYLAW ENFORCEMENT RESOLVED
Lantzville Councillors Jennifer Millbank and Brian Dempsey met with Mayor Jack de Jong yesterday to discuss the Notice of Motion introduced by Councillor Millbank at Council’s Regular Meeting held Monday, January 14, 2013 relating to bylaw enforcement for small farm operations.
The Councillors reinforced the need for a more structured policy on bylaw enforcement.
Under the existing zoning bylaw sales of agriculture material is not permitted on residentially zoned land.
A narrow interpretation of the zoning bylaw would indicate that everyone in the community that has or is growing vegetables, fruit trees, etc., and markets these products may be contravening the bylaw. However, Lantzville has a long and rich agricultural heritage and has rarely, if ever needed to enforce this particular portion of the zoning bylaw. In fact, small time farming has been encouraged as demonstrated by the recently opened Lantzville Farmers Market.
Within the framework of this history and through discussion, Councillors Millbank and Dempsey have agreed to approach Council with the objective of amending the existing home based business portion of the bylaw to accommodate small farm operations while encouraging them to be considerate and maintain good practices and neighbour relations.
The Notice of Motion for an investigation has been withdrawn.

You can view the release on the District of Lantzvilles website:

Welcome to Friends of Urban Agriculture in Lantzville (FUAL) Society's website.

Take a minute to explore this site. We have been working on some exciting projects. Please contact us with your comments, questions and concerns about Agriculture in our Community. 

Together we can make Lantzville a celebrated place to grow food!

Beer and Burger a BIG SUCCESS!!

Thank-you so much to all 135 people who came out and shared tonights wonderful event with us! Thank-you to all the local businesses who donated to our Silent Auction:

Riso Foods
Occasional Occasions
Slegg Lumber
Pyramid Stables
Coastal Water Store
Simone's Ceramic Art (A farmer's market vendor)
Mexi's Pottery (A farmer's market vendor)
First Choice Landscape Supply
Jaan Designs
Lousie Negrave, CGA
Against the Grain Woodworking
Ele's Escape by the Sea
Karen Mostad
Joanne Drummond
Jemco Food Distributors
Lantzville Legion 257
Dirk Becker
Jordan Gail
Marjorie Stewart

Alpha Dog House

Sanctuary Studios

Marjorie Stewart

Lantzville Fibre Art

Affinity Jewellery and Design

Seaside Community Society

Keller's Jewelers

We have raised enough for start up costs for the Lantzville Farmer's Market!