Local farmers could be getting some much-needed help, thanks to a private members bill introduced this week by New Democrat MLA Nicholas Simons.

The Farm Gate Sales amendment act aims to amend the current Food Safety Act allowing farmers the ability to sell meat directly from their farms. Under the current rules, all meat that is up for sale must be processed at centralized facilities. Since there are no centralized facilities on the Sunshine Coast, that means sending animals to the Lower Mainland for processing — a costly and not-so-environmentally-sound option.

The introduction of this bill couldn’t have come at a better time.

The Sunshine Coast Regional District’s Agricultural Advisory Committee has recently begun working in partnership with its counterpart in Powell River, and we may soon see a wider mandate for both working committees to make when it comes to food security and local farming issues.

It also could be good news for the Farm Food Freedom Fighters, a Sunshine Coast group that has recently sprouted to help educate residents on food security and food issues in general. Imagine how much help the passing of this bill could give this group?

The centuries-old tradition of the family farm and the farmers’ market is at risk in this province. If the rules don’t change soon, many of these local farms will go out of business, or some may risk breaking the law to continue to sustain their livelihoods.

Food security and more food production from local farmers is the way of the future. We just always assume that when we go to our local grocery store, we will have fresh meat, dairy items and produce, but it’s getting more and more costly for those products to be shipped to our Coast. Buying those products that are locally produced is an environmentally-sound venture for sure, and it’s an idea that our politicians in Victoria should be looking at.

Simons has been fighting this cause for a few years now on behalf of Sunshine Coast farmers and others across the province who are faced with this growing and costly dilemma. Here’s hoping that his hard work soon pays off and that this bill is one that both sides of the legislature can get behind.