Let's talk about the Greenbelt.

A quick refresher on what's been happening:

Back in November, the Ontario Government announced that it would open up 7,400 acres of the Greenbelt to build 50,000 new homes.

In exchange, it would add 9,400 acres in different areas to existing agricultural, wetlands, and environmentally sensitive lands. More here (paywall).

What made this announcement so significant, and controversial, was the fact that Premier Ford had explicitly stated that the Greenbelt was off limits in past interviews.

Why does this matter? Well, it matters because Ontario’s Greenbelt protects farmland, communities, forests, wetlands, and watersheds. It also preserves cultural heritage and supports recreation and tourism in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe.

Suffice to say, it's a really important piece of Ontario's identity.

It's also the only line of defence between farmland and concrete.

We've said it here many times, but it bears repeating: Once farmland is gone, it’s gone forever. ​There is no getting it back. ​We lose the food that was grown on that land permanently.

However, we also know that Ontario is in a housing crisis. There simply aren't enough homes being built to meet the extraordinary demand from consumers.

But this isn't a zero-sum game. Far from it. You CAN grow cities and you CAN protect farmland.

We are looking at the big ideas and conversations impacting our ability to grow food, feed the province, and grow our economy.

Hopefully, if more people start to have these conversations online and in-person, the government will take notice and act on our behalf.

source: email, Home Grown Ontario, Ontario Federation of Agriculture