The Rocky View County (RVC) Agricultural Services Board (ASB) received an update from provincial government representative Kellie Jackson during a meeting on March 15.
In what was expected to be the last update from Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation prior to the upcoming provincial election in May, Jackson highlighted some of the initiatives the Alberta government is bringing forth just before going into “caretaker mode” until after the election results have been decided.
Jackson provided some good news for the County's ASB, stating the UCP’s 2023 budget will infuse some new cash to help fund ASB operations across the province.
This infusion comes after the UCP government reduced operating grants to the province’s ag service boards when it came into office by just over $3 million annually, from $11.6 million in 2019 down to $8.5 million in 2020.
Alberta-based ASBs have been operating on reduced grant dollars ever since, but Jackson told the County’s ASB representatives the 2023 budget will restore most of those 2019 grant numbers.
“You have probably already heard in the budget… that grant agreements are going to come back up,” she explained. “They are in the process of trying to get that formula figured out. It looks like it will be close to – if not what – you were getting previously to it being cut.”
And while the current five-year funding agreement technically runs until 2024, with discussions on the new agreement normally scheduled to open the year before the expiry date in May or June, Jackson said her Ministry was hoping to open those discussions earlier and bring them forward prior to the writ being dropped for the 2023 election.
Jackson said as part of the process of ASBs applying for their annual operating grants, the Alberta government will be looking to collect further feedback on the province’s soil conservation policies and a wild boar control program.
There are currently 24 municipalities with sightings of wild boar, which could potentially be participating in the Wild Boar Control Program. Wild boars are not currently a problem in Rocky View County, and more of a problem in more central and northern regions of Alberta. Stettler is currently the closest area which has wild boar concerns, but there are worries the pest species will eventually migrate south.
In the question-and-answer session following Jackson’s presentation to ASB members, ASB chair and Division 5 Coun. Greg Boehlke asked about the provincial government’s plans to deal with challenges associated with new solar farm applications in local municipalities.
“It would be nice to know where the government stands,” said Boehlke. “Do you support agriculture and productive agricultural land? Or do you want these solar farms? Wind farms aren’t quite as bad. At least you can farm around them. But these solar farms… we’ve got applications for whole sections of land.”
Jackson said the government is open to making some policy changes on solar farms, but said it was awaiting some direction on those policies from Agricultural Service Boards across the province.
Jackson was also asked about the provincial government’s direction on filling in decommissioned gravel pits topsoil for full reclamation instead of just companies leaving open holes with water in them when they are through.
ASB board member and Division 4 Coun. Samanntha Wright wondered if Jackson had ever heard about a former gravel pit being completely reclaimed as farm land.
“You hear that, and that is the big selling feature,” Wright asked. “But in your experience, have you ever witnessed that in Alberta?”
“I am not an expert, but I have never talked to any other municipality where we have heard: ‘Wow, this was the best thing ever,’” Jackson responded. “It’s usually, ‘Now, we have more challenges.’”
Jackson was also asked about the new $250 million provincial/ federal Resilient Agriculture Landscape Program (RALP), which will be rolled out this year.
The fund is open to farmers who are working on sustainability measures on their farms to support ecological goods and services in the agriculture sector, such as maintaining and restoring grasslands and wetlands on agricultural lands.
Jackson reported there have been a lot of applications for the RALP already, and money seems to be flowing out of the program. Although, she admitted, she had no data on the impact of the programs at this time.
“It’s another pot of money for producers,” she explained. “There are a lot of applications going in and dollars going out.”
