Borden-Carleton recognizes the significance of agriculture to the economy of the area, the fundamental importance of producing food for local, national and global consumers, and the continued desire for rural lifestyle choices.

Agriculture remains a major land use activity in Borden-Carleton. Located in the Province's prime potato growing area, the community is also home to several livestock operations. Two major agricultural facilities are located on the outskirts of the community, as well as a major food processing facility (McCain) and a beef processing facility. Master Packaging box board plant, a related agri-business, is also located in the area.

Borden-Carleton has addressed the need to protect high quality farmland by concentrating development activity around the old Borden town site and in the area between the TCH and the original Fixed Link approach road (Highway 10, " Causeway Road").

Intensive agricultural activities such as livestock breeding, feedlots and market gardening are characterized by smells, sound and airborne drift which may be incompatible with uses such as residential, seasonal and tourism-related activities. Consideration is needed to address competing land uses and potential land use conflicts between residential and commercial land uses and agricultural, especially intensive land uses.

Objectives

• To protect quality agricultural land from premature development.
• To ensure that any new non-agricultural development do not conflict with existing or the expansion of existing agricultural uses in the agricultural area.

Policies

1. Borden-Carleton shall establish an Agricultural Reserve Zone where farming is the predominate use and where soil quality and existing land use indicate an agricultural use is feasible, or where other uses are not anticipated.
2. Borden-Carleton shall encourage non-agricultural residential or commercial uses to locate away from quality agricultural land and existing intensive agricultural uses.
3. Borden-Carleton shall support the development of quality agricultural land where the applicant can demonstrate that no other options exist within the community.
4. Borden-Carleton shall support the work of Agriculture Agri-Food Canada and the PEI Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture in promoting the safe use of pesticides and herbicides.
5. Borden-Carleton shall work with the PEI Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture by referring: (a) applications for intensive agriculture uses or to intensify existing agricultural uses to the department for direction on the use of separation distances and buffers between agricultural and non-agricultural uses; and (b) applications for non-farm residential or commercial uses near intensive agricultural uses to the department for comment on feasibility and possible land use conflicts.