The head of the North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce (NDACT) has told a CBC Radio audience that designation of Honeywood-area potato fields as "specialty crop" could be "trumped" by the Aggregate Resources Act, but the group will keep fighting against proposed quarries.

CBC aired early-morning back-to-back interviews with Dale Rutledge and The Highland Companies' Michael Daniher on the Monday following a Saturday public meeting that attracted about 300 to Honeywood Arena.

In those, Mr. Rutledge described the Honeywood area as ideal for potato cropping because of the drainage afforded by the underlying limestone. "What's ideal? The limestone is the biggest factor," he said, and added that the Highland Companies are doing a good job of potato growing on their 6,000-acre holdings.

One of his main concerns was for the water. He is continuing his own farming operations, but expressed fear that the farms might lose access to water if quarries are permitted beneath the water table.

Mr. Rutledge said there are 10,000-15,000 acres of potato fields in the area, "close to the food (market). Terming the idea of quarries displacing them "a travesty" and "a disaster," he added: "I would like the media to come and take a grand tour."

Mr. Daniher, however, said he understands the concerns but believes they and the fears would be allayed during the public consultation process. He said Highland has spent "millions of dollars" researching over the past 18 months.

Highland, he said, plans for diversification. The company would continue farming. Aggregate extraction would be "in addition to and not instead of" potato growing. The mined out areas would be "progressively rehabilitated" to agricultural use.

Development of the quarries would be "subject to thorough consultation." Mr. Daniher said the water source is protected by provincial regulations. On zoning, he said the Official Plans of the affected municipalities do provide for aggregate extraction.

(Under a 1980s provincial dictate, almost all acreages throughout the province where there are aggregate resources are "designated" aggregate extractive. Municipalities were required to include the designation in their OPs but zoning is a different matter.)

I n the radio interview, Mr. Daniher alleged that some members of NDACT - including Mr. Rutledge — had tried to sell their property to Highland but had asked more than Highland was prepared to pay.

But in a phone interview Tuesday, Mr. Rutledge told this newspaper what happened was somewhat different.

Prior to the Highland purchases, he said, the going rate for the potato land was "in the range of $7,000-$7,500. They just upped the ante. There's no way we can replace (the class of land) for $8,000 an acre."

In fairness, he said, Highland did offer to purchase buildings and equipment in addition to the land. "I have a couple million invested in the buildings. And it doesn't take long for equipment to add up to $2-million."

Ralph Armstrong, another NDACT founding member, had also been approached but had declined to sell at the $8,000 price.

"I was approached seven times by three different people," he said in a Tuesday interview. But "there was no place else to go to replace the land. There would also be taxes on the sale. There was no way I could move."

He said the Highland representative eventually came with "papers all drawn up, and placed a nice sized cheque on the table." The representative left the papers but took back the cheque when Mr. Armstrong didn't sign.

Mr. Rutledge was not pleased by a Mayor Debbie Fawcett statement to the effect that Melancthon council believes an all-out fight against a quarry would be futile, and intends essentially to get the best possible deal.

NDACT had apparently hoped that the council would make a stand in favour of residents even before they'd seen an application.