Survey looks at future of Okanagan agriculture

Local government is developing a plan to meet the future needs of agriculture in the Central Okanagan.

The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) says the industry is an important economic driver with more than 800 farms in the region, employing over 4,400 people. The farms also support hundreds of additional food processing facilities and the people that work for them.

“Providing coordinated and consistent regional agricultural policies that protect agricultural land, increase food security and address issues in the agricultural community are the goals driving development of a Central Okanagan Agricultural Strategy by the Regional District of Central Okanagan,” a news release from RDCO stated.

There are several ways that residents can become involved in this first phase of the project that will see an agriculture background report created by the end of this year:

Online Survey

All residents are invited to complete a community survey and provide feedback on the opportunities and issues facing agriculture in the Central Okanagan.

The survey is available online at yoursay.rdco.com until November 15.

Open House

An open house will be held Thursday, November 3 from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Ellison Heritage School Community Centre, 4411 Old Vernon Road, Kelowna.

Individuals can view and provide comments on the draft background report, information and engagement results.

The Regional Agricultural Strategy is one of the projects identified in the Regional Growth Strategy Priority Projects Plan. This work is being supported by the RDCO and funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Government of British Columbia through programs delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C.

For more information on the Central Okanagan Agricultural Strategy and to stay informed as it developed, subscribe for the project at yoursay.rdco.com.