A growing number of communities are embracing urban agriculture and enjoying the social, economic and environmental benefits of such activities. Many people are interested in local food and urban agriculture as it allows them to have more control over what they eat, know where their food comes from and even enhance their self-sufficiency. There are many options for integrating local food and urban agriculture into the Airdrie community.
Urban agriculture is the practice of producing a range of foods, such as fruits, vegetables, eggs, honey and grains, in urban areas that have not traditionally been used to do so. Urban agriculture activities differ from rural agriculture in terms of scale and intensity of the activities.
As part of the City’s ongoing effort and commitment to identify and explore initiatives that will move Airdrie toward a more healthy and sustainable community, the City is currently undertaking the following initiatives under the urban agriculture project.
The Backyard Hens Pilot Project launched in 2017 and was a huge success. On April 6, 2021 Council approved an amendment to the land use bylaw to allow for backyard hens in the City permanently.
Learn more about backyard hens.
In June 2021, Council approved an extension of the Urban Beekeeping Pilot Project (UBPP) that originally began in 2017. The UBPP has been extended indefinitely, until Planning & Development can capture enough relevant data to advise on appropriate recommendations moving forward, including more robust guidelines.
Learn more about Urban beekeeping.