With a borrowed backhoe and donated lumber, a greenhouse is being built for God’s Little Acre, the South Surrey farm that grows produce for the needy.
Farm founder Jas Singh says the greenhouse will allow the farm to grow food sooner.
Singh, who learned how to operate a backhoe on his father’s farm, is doing the digging himself.
He’s hoping volunteers will provide the necessary sweat equity and tools to complete the project.
Singh praised local businesses for their support of the project, including Manjinder Johal, who owns the farmland that Singh leases; Country Lumber Ltd., which donated the two-by-fours that will form the frame of the greenhouse; and Aldergrove Langley Taxi, which provided the backhoe.
It’s the third year the farm at 16582 40 Ave. has been growing food for the needy.
Singh estimates he has given away more than 100,000 pounds of fresh vegetables to individuals, local food banks and other charitable organizations during the farm’s first two years.
The farm is here to stay, he says.
For the first time, he is not driving a truck to help fund the charity side of the farm.
“Buildings will be painted, seed orders are in, tractors and machinery have a repair budget and we are months ahead of the previous two years,” Singh says.
New programs are planned like “Kids Growing Pumpkins” where elementary school kids will, hopefully, grow 20,000 pounds of pumpkins to give away to needy families.
The goal this year is 100,000 pounds of vegetables to charity, something Singh calls “an achievable goal.”
Planned crops include corn, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, turnips, beets, several varieties of squash “as well as whatever else we can grow with further funding,” Singh says.
Singh is also planning to convert a building on the site into a members-only farm stand that will subsidize the farms’ food donations by selling $100 memberships.
He hopes to have “God’s Little Acre Club” operating by next May.
Limited to 300 members for the first year, the club will allow families to purchase local and imported produce at 25 to 50 per cent off.
Members will be permitted to sign up needy people for free using a “buddy card.”
People interested in the club can sign up by email at jassingh65@hotmail.com and then download the forms from the web page www.godslittleacrefarm.com