Hey Vancouver Island farmers!
Here at the Young Agrarians Vancouver Island Headquarters (OK, yeah, you guessed it, my farmhouse…) we are getting ready for an exciting spring, chock full of farmy events for the Vancouver Island region!
We want to fill your calendar up with opportunities to meet up with other farmers, geek out on farm topics, find land, and learn skills that will grow your farm business!
Without further ado, here’s what we’ve got lined up for you…
1. Rockstar Farmer Tour Stop: Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers with Frédéric Thériault
January 29, 2015, 10am-6pm (doors 9:30am) – Friends Meeting House, 1831 Fern Street, Victoria, BC.
This workshop provides a structure for determining how to operate a profitable, diversified vegetable farm. It hones in on the core issues of farm success: which crops to grow, when to plant them, and in what quantities. Then it provides a logical, linear process for completing it all on time.
Taking this workshop is a great investment in your farm! Improve your planning process and create more profitability!
Curious to know more about Rockstar Farmer Frédéric Thériault?
We’ve got an interview with Frédéric here.
Learn more about the Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers workshop here.
Tickets:
Tickets are $75 for the full-day workshop.
Buy tickets at Brown Paper Tickets!
2. Land Access Workshop – Farmer 2 Farmer Conference, Saanich
Thursday, February 19, 3:00-4:00PM
Join us at the Farmer 2 Farmer Conference in Saanich – it’s an awesome event that’s been going for a couple of years now. This year, Keeley Nixon and I will be offering an interactive Land Access workshop to share tools, tips and ideas for getting on the land, or getting your land into production.
Whether you are a new or seasoned farmer, there are lots of great workshops at the Farmer 2 Farmer Conference. They are even offering a new farmer stream this year! Get more information at the Farmer 2 Farmer website.
3. Land Linking Session and Farmer Social – Comox Valley
Saturday, March 14, 2015, 1:00-9:00PM, Merville Hall
Want Land? Got Land?
Are you a farmer looking for land?
Are you a landowner looking for farmers?
We Want You!
Join us for a workshop on the nuts and bolts of land linking. If lucky, you may meet your future farmer, or find the right owner with a great piece of land to farm on! We’re inviting farmers and landowners from across Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands to join us.
1:00-6:00PM Land Linking Workshop – Network, Talk Farm Business & Organizational Models, Leases & Licenses, Succession Planning
6:00PM-9:00PM Potluck & Dance – Foodies & Farm Lovers: Join us for an evening of celebration with an all-ages Young Agrarians dinner potluck. Bring a dish to share and tools to eat with. Bring loved ones and friends! We’re working right now to line up some awesome dance-able musical entertainment!
4. Second Annual Vancouver Island Spring Farmer Mixer – Comox Valley
Sunday, March 15, 2015, 9:00AM-5:00PM, Merville Hall
Last year, our Spring Farmer Mixer was such a success, we really wanted to do it again in 2015. This year, we are offering a one-day mixer in the Comox Valley. Come all you farmers and farm-curious folks – this year our Mixer will feature production methodology and business skills workshops!
Often, farmers don’t really love the business side of things. Bookkeeping, business planning and marketing can feel painful when we want to be out in the field getting things done! We hope this one-day mixer will prove that great business skills are just as sexy as turning compost piles – and equally necessary. (Hmmm, was that the right analogy?)
We’ve got some amazing speakers lined up for you. Chris Bodnar from the wildly successful Close to Home Organics at Glen Valley Organic Farm Coop will be sharing basic farm business skills with us. We will also have a workshop on Farmer Collaboration and Co-op Formation and some sessions devoted to inspiring you with practical production methodology tips and tools.
So please save the date! More workshop descriptions are coming soon – keep an eye here on our blog for more info!
This is your chance to spend some time in the beautiful Comox Valley!
If you would like to attend both the Land Linking session March 14 and the Mixer on March 15 and are coming from out of town, we will be organizing billeting! More info coming soon.
Funding for our Vancouver Island Spring Farmer Mixer and Land Linking Event is generously provided by the Real Estate Foundation of BC.