Are you a farmer looking for land?
Are you a landowner looking for farmers?
There’s a workshop happening this weekend that might be interested to Langley people who fit either of these criteria.
On Saturday, Nov. 17, from 1 to 6 p.m., Young Agrarians will host a Lower Mainland land linking workshop in the Township of Langley.
The workshop will be held at the George Preston Recreation Centre, 20699 42nd Ave., and is aimed at providing a forum for networking where people can talk farm leases and learn about howthe B.C. Land Matching Program connects landowners with farmers in Metro Vancouver, and more specifically the Fraser Valley.
Land linking events combine a practical workshop on the ins and outs of land access agreements, outlining options such as leasing and licensing land, with networking to connect landowners and land seekers. Landowners from across the Lower Mainland who are interested in leasing land for farming, and new and young farmers who are looking for land opportunities to establish farm businesses, are encouraged to come learn and connect.
“Our goal is to create opportunities for people with land and people looking for land to find one another,” said Young Agrarians land matcher Darcy Smith.
“The land linking workshop is an avenue for us to share important resources, like our B.C. land access guide, educate farmers and landowners about land agreements, and raise awareness about the B.C. land matching program,” she elaborated.
As part of the program, in the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley region, Young Agrarians is offering hands-on, personalized matchmaking services, an inventory of land and qualified farmers, supports to draw up legal agreements, and educational information about regulations and tools.
Why land link?
Access to land is a significant challenge facing aspiring farmers in B.C.
In 2016, the value of farmland in the Metro Vancouver - Fraser Valley region increased by 17.7 per cent, the highest increase in Canada, according to Farm Credit Canada’s 2016 farmland values report.
Meanwhile, land prices continue to climb.
The lack of affordable land for purchase can make the goal of starting a farm business and establishing a career in farming seem unattainable to many looking to enter the industry.
As well, many farms sit underused by landowners who don’t farm themselves. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, 66 per cent of farmers plan to retire in the next 10 years, almost half whom don’t have succession plans.
Leasing farmland is a necessary mechanism to address the gap in land access for the next generation of farmers, Smith said.
Last year, Ava and Jeff Reeve started Reeve Pastures, a pastured livestock farm that operates on leased land, thanks to an opportunity the Reeve’s found through Young Agrarians.
Ava recognizes the value of this unconventional approach to land access.
“We found several benefits to finding our farm through the B.C. land matching program,” Ava said.
“The opportunity was exactly what we needed to get our ideas off the ground, give us the experience we needed with lower financial risks, help us refine our ideas and plans, and move us toward the farming future we want.”
More than 80 farmland owners are interested in leasing out their land in Metro Vancouver - Fraser Valley, and 70 young farmers are currently seeking farmland to lease in the region, based on inquiries to the program in 2017 alone.
Supporting new farmers in accessing land through non-traditional approaches such as leasing is an excellent way to ensure the next generation of farmers are able to establish productive farm operations, Smith said, strengthening the region’s economy and ensuring the future of B.C.’s local food production.
For more information about the program, people can visit youngagrarians.org/land.
And for more information or to register for this free event, people can call 604-730-0450 ext. 308 or go online.
