The City of Delta has approved a new signage program to help promote soil-based farming on Delta-owned lands.
According to a Delta staff report, the community has a longstanding and productive farming community and agriculture represents an important economic and food security component within Delta and the region. Council actively supports the farming community and opportunities for soil-based farming.
Signage wording would communicate that the lands are “Delta Farms” proudly owned by the City of Delta and also indicate the name of the farmer.
Funding for the program is $39,000 or approximately $4,333 per sign based on nine signs.
All of council approved the new program with the exception of Coun. Lois Jackson.
Jackson said she didn’t see a need for the new signs.
“Nobody knows any more than the people who live here that Delta is a farming community,” said Jackson. “I’m just not sure that the taxpayer will appreciate we are spending $40,000 on signs to blow our own horn. I have been supporting farming since I was elected in 1972, but I just think this expenditure is needed.”
Coun. Alicia Guichon said while she appreciated Jackson’s view on the expenditure and the fact the public needs to know where their tax dollars are being spent, it is also very informative for residents to know who owns which land and who farms it.
“This is council has been very supportive of farming and education within our community. The community is growing and we have lots of new people moving to the community,” said Guichon. “People have asked me what is growing in Delta and these signs are key to that. This is positive just to let people know who farms it, what is growing there, who owns it.”
Kruger said if you did a poll in the community, very few people would be aware to the extent Delta is involved in agriculture with city-owned lands.
“It’s a pretty cool story that not a lot of municipalities in our region can boast about,” he said. “It’s a good example of the way a municipality can work alongside the farming community in order to protect agricultural lands, so personally, I think it’s a great initiative. I’m comfortable with, what is a very small dollar amount, compared to the benefit it will bring to the education and culture of our community, so I will be supporting this.”
