LAND OPPORTUNITY: 1-3 ACRES WITHIN 35 ACRES OF FOREST AND MEADOW LAND NEAR NELSON, BC

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About the land

The 35 acre parcel is located in Beasley, about a 10 minute drive from Nelson. The land available for farming is south facing with a gentle slope and is mostly forested with a meadow that has perennial grasses, wildflowers, and ferns. There is also a flat area at the bottom of the slope that has standing water in the early spring, and a boggy/swamp area up above the potential farm site.  In general the meadow is open and has a lot of light. The land is bordered on all sides by forest. There is a road allowance that splits the property, which local residents use for walking and snowshoeing. There are no fences on the property and there are lots of animals, like elk, deer, and rabbits that pass through the property on a regular basis. This area has been logged twice (last time was ~25–30 years ago) and has not been cultivated before. 

About the opportunity

The land owner is open to many types of operations and is particularly interested in farmers that want to grow veggies using organic/biodynamic practices and who want to use greenhouses for season extension. There is a possibility for some small livestock to help maintain soil fertility. Approximately 1–3 acres would be available for these types of farming endeavours. Clearing small trees and breaking up the soil would be necessary.

An arrangement for foraging in the forest on the land (20–25 acres) and the surrounding forest (1–5 acres) is also a possibility. 

The land owner wants this land to be a community hub and for it to contribute to local food security. They seek to have diverse land uses that contribute to this overarching vision. Visitors are welcome and the landowner anticipates hosting community events (e.g. movie nights, concerts, yoga classes) on the property. The landowner is interested in being involved in the farm and helping where needed on a limited basis. Agreement duration and type are negotiable for farmers with a solid plan and good attitude. 

The land is zoned as Division 11 Country Residential (R2), which allows for one house per hectare with each connected to a septic field. The owner lives in the main house on the land, some distance away and through the forest from the farm site. Off-site housing is easily available because the neighbourhood has ample rental possibilities and Nelson is just a 10 minute drive away.  The land owner is open to discussing ways for the farmer to live on the property, such as in a tiny home, trailer, or home; the challenge is that a septic field would have to be constructed for any of those options.

Currently there is no established water source on the property but many options exist for accessing water: 

1. Capturing and storing surface water that runs directly adjacent to the farm-site in the spring and into the summer, depending on the year, combined with some water draw from the nearby wetland (would likely require a license, which the land owner is currently looking into)
2. Tie into the land owner’s existing well which produces 50 gallons/minute.  This would require some significant trenching and piping, but it’s a reasonably short distance.
3. Using the currently un-used water license for the property – this license is for a community water system that serves a number of homes in the area.  The land owner is currently looking into whether water can be drawn for farm use.  The nearest location that could be used for tie-in is about either 300–500m away depending on which route is taken, so trenching for a water line would be significant/costly, perhaps in the range of $3,000–$4,000.  This would require purchase of an easement for the water line across a neighbouring property.  Finally, there are questions as to how adequately the community water system has been maintained.  This can be easily ascertained with some quick research by the land owner.
4. New Well – drilling a new well is possible in this area and would likely yield high volumes of good water, with the owner’s residential well yielding 50 gallons / minute.

Get in touch!

This land opportunity is a participant in the B.C. Land Matching Program. If you are interested in this land opportunity, please contact alex@youngagrarians.org

Check out the U-MAP Listing at : https://maps.youngagrarians.org/locations/56253

To learn more about the BC Land Matching Program and other land opportunities, visit https://youngagrarians.org/tools/land/

The B.C. Land Matching Program is funded in the Columbia Basin by the Province of British Columbia, with support from Columbia Basin Trust and the Real Estate Foundation of BC.