THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 28, 1994 TAG: 9408260293
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN WEINTRAUB, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
It wasn't long ago that most people in the Beach either lived on a farm or grew up on one. Residents understood agricultural life, and government leaders were sensitive to the plight of farmers.
But times have changed, and most people at city hall now don't understand even basic facts about farming.
Councilman John A. Baum said that's why he helped create an Agricultural Advisory Commission last week to help bridge the gap between city government and the farming community. The City Council approved the creation of the commission Tuesday by a vote of 10-0. Councilman John D. Moss was absent.
``When I was growing up, it seemed like everybody lived on a farm or if they lived in the city they came off the farm. Now, they don't have that background,'' said Baum, a retired cash grain farmer.
The commission should help city staffers draft more sensitive legislation, avoiding problems such as the one that cropped up last week when officials asked the City Council to prohibit all outdoor trash burning.
Farmers often need to burn their leftover seed bags, cardboard boxes and diseased plants. And they don't have the time to apply for a permit, as the code change would have required, Baum said.
``The staff, (because) they don't have any experience with agriculture, don't realize that it just wasn't workable,'' he said. ``Farming has to be very very flexible, mainly because of the weather. You just react as quickly as you can to what the day's conditions are.''
If the rain lets up but the ground is still soggy, farmers might take advantage of the down-time by burning their refuse - it's not the kind of thing you can plan, Baum said.
Pollution from these fires is not a threat as it would be in a residential area, Baum said, because the fires would be so far apart.
Councilwoman Barbara M. Henley will serve with Baum as the council liaison to the commission and will help select five to seven members to sit on the panel. Henley hopes the group also can help educate the public about farmers' needs.
More public information will help reduce conflicts between suburban residents and farmers over issues ranging from dust to noise to slow-moving farm vehicles using city streets, said Henley, whose family owns Henley Farm Ltd., a fruit and vegetable farm in Pungo.
``Farmland is not the quiet, green pastoral area most folks think,'' Henley said. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Council member Barbara Henley
Council mamber John Baum
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY COMMISSION by CNB