Steer is essential business to agricultural community and community at large
Steer Enterprises is a model for business success in Clearview Township.
With 50 per cent of their business coming from agriculture, it should pass the test for a zoning exception that will allow the business to relocate to Cashtown Corners.
According to the province’s planning guidelines an agriculture-related use means those farm related commercial and farm-related industrial uses that are small scale and directly related to the farm operation and are required in close proximity to the farm operation.
The local farming community came out to the public meeting Monday to say Steer is an essential service for their business and to have it close by is vital in getting them back online quickly. Andrew Tupling of Tupling Farms made the point that he has a short window to harvest potatoes and he relies on Steer for fast reliable service.
It is naïve to think that farmers use only traditional farm vehicles. Modern farmers have large swaths of land, some of which they own and some rented, and they work thousands of acres to bring in all kinds of traditional crops but also other types of agri-business such as sod, trees, seed and feed, all of which relies on trucking for distribution. Not to mention the livestock and fertilizer and a number of other farm related products and byproducts that are moved around on a regular basis.
This makes Steer a good fit for the development that is going on at Cashtown Corners. It is complementary to the agri-industrial hub that is taking shape.
Yes, prime farmland needs to be protected. Keeping in mind, the development will require only 10 acres, it is important to point out that supporting businesses help farmers be more productive by allowing them to access the services they need within their community.
This is a perfect example of why provincial planning guidelines allow for exceptions to zoning, so the supporting businesses can exist within the farming community.
To say a business is unsightly or noisy is off point. It’s like moving to the country and complaining about the smell of manure.
Steer has an enviable dilemma. It has outgrown its current location (which we may add is in a hamlet that has more residential development than Cashtown Corners). We should be grateful that there exist this type of business that is hiring and training young local people who will surely go on to have successful careers, become homeowners and parents, people who contribute to the local economy on many levels. A parent can only dream that their child would have a shot at such a good job if they wished to live out their days in Clearview Township.
Council should support this initiative and show that Clearview promotes success in business and help Cashtown Corners live up to its name.
