From today's media release: Over the past few weeks, a devastating, destructive plan has come to light in our community. While the current project does not directly implicate our farm, the effects are far reaching for the farming community and our family farm business. 🧵1/9
More than 700 acres of precious farmland in New Hamburg – less than two kilometers from Pfenning’s Organic Vegetables Inc’s base of operations – is being acquired and rezoned for industrial use. Our family has invested everything we have in this community. 🧵 2/9
The Pfenning family came to Canada over 40 years ago after their land, where they had lived and farmed for nearly 400 years, was expropriated by the German government to build a bridge. This land feeds and employs our community. It feeds people beyond our community. 🧵3/9
Waterloo Region has been a secure and stable place to farm because of the vigorously defended Countryside Line, which has been in place for over 50 years. Now, that sense of security is gone. 🧵4/9
Without action today to stop the catastrophic development of farmland,Wilmot will become an industrial community instead of a farming one. The cities of our region will lose food security, as food will no longer be coming from the surrounding fields once they are paved over.🧵5/9
We will trade the thousands of acres that feed people for air pollution, degraded water quality, and jobs whose profits feed corporations who care nothing for the people who once lived here. 🧵6/9
The uncertainty felt by our family is being replicated across the township, across the region, and across the province, on other farms. Why would someone invest further in their farm if it can be taken away on a whim? 🧵7/9