The owner of two low lying Ladner farms says he'll be forced to do whatever is needed to improve his land for growing crops.
Gurdial (Dale) Badh was angered about council's decision Monday to deny his application bring in fill for his farms located next to each other in the 8400block of Ladner Trunk Road. His application, which had also been shot down by the agricultural advisory committee, was to deposit 196,000 cubic metres of soil for the 35 hectare (87 acre) site in order to raise the land about two feet to address drainage concerns.
His farms are in the Agricultural Land Reserve, so the application would have also needed the approval of the Agricultural Land Commission.
Noting staff didn't support the fill proposal as a way of dealing with the drainage problem, a report endorsed by council recommended a study of the drainage problems in the area in order to come up with other solutions.
"What's the point of a study for them to tell us what everybody already knows? My land is prone to flooding and what this means is I'll lose another year's crop. If this is the only way I tried to make a living I'd have gone under by now," Badh said.
Recently providing the Optimist a tour of his blueberry farm, Badh explained how his land was mostly under water during the heavy rainfalls last fall and earlier this year. Badh, also pointing out troubles he's had with a neighboring greenhouse operation, said there's also a problem of farmer-versus-farmer in South Delta.
A letter by Noel Roddick to the municipality noted Badh's property, formerly a dairy farm as well a vegetable farm, has always had serious drainage problems because of its elevation.
However, at council this week Bruce McDonald said there's no way he'd approve another fill permit until something can be done to stop other farm property owners from dumping "outrageous" amounts of fill on their land without an ability of the ALC to regulate and enforce the situation.
McDonald pointed out the fill dumping activity taking place on farmer Don Malenstyn's land on 104th Street, saying he created a huge mountain of dirt and nobody seems to be able to control it.
Malenstyn, who in an earlier interview said he's had many flooding issues and had been thwarted by Delta in his attempts to improve his land, told the Optimist this week he's spent tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills fighting the stop work order issued to him. Saying he hopes to complete his property raising soon, Malenstyn agreed some farmers have benefited at the expensive of others when it comes to drainage issues in Delta. He added a local farmer planted potatoes on a large part of his land but he doubts any of it can be harvested
The dumping of large quantities of fill on agricultural land has been a growing concern in Delta. In an interview earlier this year, Coun. Ian Paton, a Ladner farmer, said it highlights the ALC's lack of resources to protect farmland.
He noted there's simply too much money for some farmers to turn down when it comes to allowing truckloads of fill. The issue was brought to the forefront lately with soil dumping activity at another farm further up 104th Street.
sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com
