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He's developing a framework along with Rural Studies graduate student Jennifer Ball to help community advisory boards resolve conflicts, many of which stem from concentrated livestock farming operations.

Better communication between people living in the country and nearby farm operations is the key to resolving conflicts about rural issues, says University of Guelph researcher Wayne Caldwell. He's developing a framework along with Rural Studies graduate student Jennifer Ball to help community advisory boards resolve conflicts, many of which stem from concentrated livestock farming operations.

Caldwell, Department of Environmental Design and Rural Planning, is designing a volunteer-based framework to intercede between rural farmers and their close neighbors. His vision is that community advisory boards will allow people to talk through a problem, and in many cases eliminate the potential for court involvement.

"Conflicts within communities may be better resolved through communicating rather than courts," says Caldwell. "These advisory boards will allow farmers and their neighbors a practical and efficient way to deal with issues."

The Walkerton E. coli outbreak encouraged the provincial government to focus on issues related to rural-urban coexistence. This was reflected in Bill 81 that outlines specifications for nutrient management, minimum distances from specific farming operations, and land-use policies.

Caldwell and his research team noted that Bill 81 could serve as a guide to resolve disagreement in these rural areas. The Bill recognized the need for advisory boards; this research project, using Huron and Perth's already existing boards as a model, will contribute to the spread of this approach across the province.

"Farm intensification often causes angst with non-farming neighbours," says Caldwell. "A romantic vision of living in the country doesn't include the smell of manure and flies in the air, and noisy combines on the fields."

Source: Ontario Pork, June 2003

Clare Illingworth is a student writer with the University of Guelph's SPARK writing program.