The Capital Regional District will sow the seeds of food security and growing in the region as it embarks on a new foodlands access service.

The goal is to enhance food security and address concerns over the rising cost of farmland by facilitating affordable access to productive land for new and expanding farmers.

The CRD board approved the bylaw 鈥� achieved through the alternative approval process that saw 29 people submit opposition statements 鈥� with opinions as split around the table as in the public input at the start of the Feb. 12 meeting.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to plant that literal seed,鈥� director Scott Goodmanson, the mayor of Lanford, said at the tail end of the meeting. 鈥淭his is that.鈥�

One question voiced was whether the CRD should delve into the business.

Director Jeremy Caradonna said he was excited to see the service move forward and pleased with low opposition at a relatively low cost.

鈥淭his is an obvious thing to do, acquire land and lease it out at discounted rates and get people farming. Access to land is the No. 1 barrier,鈥� said Caradonna, also a Victoria councillor. 鈥淭he return on investment on this is going to be magnitudes greater than the cost itself.鈥�

The service would purchase or lease land for agricultural-related activities. It would also fund capital improvements to agricultural land; provide operational funding for service delivery; allow the CRD to enter agreements with third parties for service delivery and operation; provide grants or financial assistance to support agricultural initiatives and do promotion. The maximum amount that can be requisitioned annually for the service is $1 million.

The requisition wording was one issue for director Ryan Windsor, who cited recent public outcry that the reference to $1 million lacked clarity of being an annual versus one-time cost.

He opposed receiving the results of the alternative approval process, and final reading for creation of the service.

鈥淭he idea of land acquisition is not one that鈥檚 new,鈥� he said, noting he lives on agricultural land, and as mayor of Central Saanich sees that community subsidize 鈥渋n the millions by giving a tax break, which is invoked by the province鈥� to incentivize farming.

While not opposed, but rather lauding the efforts of young farmers, Windsor later posed the question: 鈥淪hould the CRD be involved in this business?

鈥淚鈥檓 not convinced and nothing in this bylaw or this process has convinced me this a business or a service we should be in.鈥�

The initial program service will include a five-year farming pilot study on five acres of previously farmed land at Bear Hill Regional Park. A second program under consideration would provide grant funding to support farmers and landowners who participate in the B.C. Land Matching Program.