The Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation are offering a professional development workshop for planners on June 13th for round two of their workshop, Agriculture and Planning for Agriculture: A Near-Urban Perspective.
The goals of the training are to: increase planners’ knowledge and understanding of agriculture, trends and issues, specifically in near-urban areas; and, increase planners’ capacity to develop and interpret planning policies and regulations that are supportive of agriculture.
The workshop consists of four modules:
- Agriculture 101 will discuss the basics of agriculture, providing an overview of the types of agriculture happening in the Greenbelt and Golden Horseshoe, as well as addressing some common myths and misperceptions.
- Near-urban Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities will provide greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities specific to farming in near-urban areas, and consider how planning can help overcome these challenges.
- Planning for Agriculture: 10 Ways to Enable Better Outcomes will provide suggestions on how to create opportunities for a more viable agricultural system through the use of various planning tools, ranging from more meaningful engagement with farm communities, to more effective use of non-regulatory tools.
- Eight Suggestions for Communicating with Farmers, Politicians, and the Public will provide suggestions for communicating effectively with these groups, based on their different perspectives and relationships to agriculture.
OPPI members undertaking Continuous Professional Learning may claim learning units according to the CPL Program Guide for this workshop.
The cost is $30, and attendance is limited to 30 participants – RSVP as soon as possible to reserve your spot.
The workshop takes place on June 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Blackstock Recreation Centre, 3440 Church St, Blackstock.