The City of Sherbrooke adopted its new Agricultural Zone Development Plan (PDZA) on Monday, turning the page on months of work meant to highlight the importance of local agriculture and promote entrepreneurship in the local farming context. City Councilor Nicole Bergeron, who is president of the city’s agriculture committee, pointed out that although Sherbrooke is the Province’s sixth largest city, one third of its territory is agricultural land, and an additional third is considered rural. “This is a return to our roots,” Bergeron said, explaining that the plan revolves around increasing the visibility and profitability of local agricultural projects through initiatives aimed at improving networking, communication, and resources available for local farmers. François Bourassa, President of the Estrie Branch of Quebec's Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA), said that Sherbrooke’s new plan is on the right track but that actions need to follow the words. “When you ask where food comes from, people now think more of the supermarket then the farm,” Bourassa said, calling agriculture the least understood sector of the economy. “ We need to turn this around,” he added, pointing out that that urban and rural environments depend on each other and that understanding each other's needs is a valuable step in the right direction. See full story in the Tuesday, March 20th edition of The Record.
The City of Sherbrooke adopts agricultural development plan
By Gordon Lambie
