Outcome
On July 8, 2025, Rocky View County Council approved a new Agriculture Master Plan, a strategic document that outlines a long-term vision for agriculture and land use planning in the County. The plan sets goals for future growth, supports innovation, and provides a roadmap to ensure the County fosters a resilient and adaptable agricultural sector.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their input on the Agriculture Master Plan. Your feedback has played a critical role in helping the County understand community perspectives on agriculture.
The County has published a What We Heard report summarizing the feedback received through public engagement. We encourage residents to review the report to learn about the key themes and ideas shared by the community, all of which directly contributed to shaping the new Agriculture Master Plan.
About the Engagement
For the creation of the Agriculture Master Plan, Rocky View County held two phases of engagement.
The first phase of engagement was foundational, revisiting the goals and vision of the 2011 Master Plan and exploring the current opportunities and challenges facing the agriculture community in the County today. Through Phase 1, more than 1,000 comments were collected. These comments were sorted, grouped, and themed to identify key trends and priorities, directly shaping the 13 action items in the draft Master Plan.
The second phase of engagement was a validation exercise; Rocky View County took the draft plan back to the community for review. In total, an additional 1,000 comments were shared providing the information the project team needed to validate the actions within the draft plan.
What is an Agriculture Master Plan?
The Agriculture Master Plan is a strategic guiding document that outlines the long-term vision and policy framework for agriculture and land use planning for our agricultural community. It supports and promotes the agricultural industry by addressing key issues such as land use policy, economic development, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability.
The plan identifies the needs and priorities of the agricultural community, sets goals for future growth and innovation, and provides a roadmap for achieving these objectives.
Project Timeline
Timeline
-
Timeline item 1 - complete
Phase 1 Public Engagement
June 13 - July 21, 2024: Phase 1 of public engagement included an online survey, a collaborative workshop, and one-on-one conversations with the project team.
-
Timeline item 2 - complete
Phase 2 Public Engagement
January 2025: A draft Agriculture Master Plan has been shared with engagement participants and the public for additional comments and review.
-
Timeline item 3 - complete
Engagement Phase 2 Summary Report
Spring 2025: A What We Heard report is shared to summarize and communicate all feedback gathered throughout the second phase of engagement.
-
Timeline item 4 - complete
Council Meeting
July 8: Council deliberates the draft Agriculture Master Plan
-
Timeline item 5 - complete
Final Agriculture Master Plan
Fall 2025: A final Agriculture Master Plan will be shared with the public.
Engagement Phase 1
Phase 1 of engagement on the took place in the summer of 2024. A What We Heard Report is available to read here.
There were three ways to participate in this phase of engagement:
1. Online survey to gather feedback on the vision and goals of a new master plan and resident satisfaction with the current programs and services offered by Agricultural Services at the County.
2. Collaborative workshops to learn from residents their views on generational planning, current and future land-use policies, and essential infrastructure such as roads and water. The workshop allowed for deeper conservation and exchange of information and ideas.
3. One-on-one conversations with members of the Agricultural Services team.
Thank you to the many Rocky View County agricultural community members who dedicated countless hours to help the project team review and update the County's Agriculture Master Plan.
Engagement Phase 2
Rocky View County has completed phase 2 of public engagement on a revised Agriculture Master Plan. This updated draft plan aims to identify the needs and priorities of the agricultural community, establish goals for future growth and innovation, and provide a roadmap for achieving these objectives.
The County has engaged with local farmers, agri-businesses, and residents to create a draft of the Agriculture Master Plan. During phase 1 of engagement, participants shared their views on the following:
- Protecting agricultural land
- Farm succession & flexible land use
- Sharing the priorities and contributions of agriculture
- Renewable energy & environmental sustainability
- Road infrastructure
- Legislated programs
Please participate in the survey below to share your views on the direction and actions proposed in the draft Agriculture Master Plan. The survey will close February 7.
The second and final phase of engagement on the revised Agriculture Master Plan highlighted new sections of the plan, demonstrate how public feedback contributed to the plan, and build understanding and awareness of actions included in the plan.
You could engage in one of two ways:
- Complete the online survey
- Be a part of a community conversation