Don't Tick Off The Neighbours

I don't know everything behind this, but it sounds depressingly familiar. I undertand how large volumes of uncomposted horse manure might tick off the neighbours, but why the Lantzville council has such a hate on for the farm baffles me. If it was a bylaw issue, it would have been solved already. As it is, who knows. You can also visit Compassion Farm's website.

Lantzville's Compassion Farm Continues To Be Harassed For Growing Healthy Food

by Kim Goldberg on Monday, 30 April 2012 at 13:49 ·

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, April 30, 2012, Lantzville, British Columbia 

Last week Dirk Becker and Nicole Shaw of Compassion Farm in Lantzville, BC, founders of the Bowen Road Farmers Market, received another letter from the District of Lantzville (D.O.L.).

This letter states they are contravening the DOL small business bylaw by selling rain barrels.

In January of this year, Becker and Shaw met with the new mayor and signed an agreement to discontinue the importation of any manure onto their property. They were given to understand that this agreement would appease council and were told it would appease their neighbor, Jim Brash, whose campaigning against their use of horse manure is on-going.

This April they were informed that council wants to 'reinspect' their property. Ensuing communication revealed that Council is unwilling to disclose what they are looking for. Therefore, Becker and Shaw responded that they see no point in yet another inspection since nothing of significance has changed since the last inspections--by various levels of government: Regional District of Nanaimo Bylaw Enforcement, the Vancouver Island Health Authority, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture.
Further, no manure has been brought to the property in question since the above-mentioned agreement was signed.

On April 24th they received a letter informing them that council has a problem with their rain barrels.

In the same week, a friend who has donated grass clippings for 10 years shared a letter received from the RDN, threatening legal action if he continues to bring grass clippings to Compassion Farm.

"There doesn't seem to be an end in sight,” says Becker. “The District of Lantzvile has moved the goal posts several times. Urban Farming is a global movement and is moving past being 'allowed' or 'permitted' to being supported, encouraged and protected".