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We always have new land opportunities coming into our inventory, some of which aren’t on our blog yet! Get in touch with a Land Matcher at bclmp@youngagrarians.org to learn about the latest opportunities and to access free B.C. Land Matching Program services in your region.
ABOUT THE LAND
Several spaces are available for a variety of farming projects on this 7-acre ALR property in the heart of Comox Valley, Vancouver Island! The landholders – who are expert growers, technicians and researchers – have been operating a greenhouse, nursery, small hazelnut orchard and micropropagation lab for food-producing perennials on the property since 2018. Before that, the land was farmed for hay and livestock.
The nursery area at the front of the property includes: a 2,200 square foot climate-controlled greenhouse, 2,600 square feet (3 beds of 7′ x 125′) within the hazelnut orchard for alley cropping, and up to 3,600 square feet of additional cultivable space (currently used for above-ground, in-pot production). The climate-controlled greenhouse includes heated propagation beds and nursery benches with plants grown in containers. Current growing areas are covered in landscape fabric, which can be removed for cultivation. These areas are deer-fenced and set up for irrigation.
There is also a 1-acre field at the back of the property without any existing fencing or irrigation, which is currently fallow in grass. The grass in this area stays moist and green all summer without irrigation.
The Chemainus soil here is primarily sandy loam to silt loam with high moisture- and nutrient-holding capacity. Irrigation water is supplied from a licensed well, supplemented by over 25,000 gallons of storage in cisterns for the summer months. Overall, the land has very good agricultural potential!
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY
The landholders are open-minded and are seeking opportunities to share the land with other farmers and pass on their knowledge and experience, if useful. Farming opportunities here are diverse: the incoming farmer could collaborate on hazelnut harvest and/or greenhouse and nursery operations, make use of the climate-controlled lab and trailer for technical projects (micro-propagation, mushrooms, etc.), explore dry farming potential on the back field, or use the land as a satellite growing area for an established farm business. The location is not very suitable for farm gate retail.
This may be a particularly exciting opportunity for someone with a science/technical background who wants to explore lab work and/or trialing and research. If that’s not your thing, you could use the space for other projects like market gardening and dry farming!
ABOUT THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
Candidates will need previous experience in farm work – knowing what they’re getting into is a must! Ideally, they will also be business savvy. Someone interested in innovative and diverse operations within a small footprint are most likely to find a good fit here. This is a unique opportunity with lots of room for creativity. Bring your ideas!
GET IN TOUCH
This land is available through the B.C. Land Matching Program. If you are interested in this land opportunity, please contact the Vancouver Island Land Matcher, Kiyomi, at kiyomi@youngagrarians.org with the link to this post, any relevant photos and a paragraph or two on each of the following:
- About you
- Your farming experience
- Your plans for the land
For more details, check out the UMAP Listing for this property.
To learn more about the BC Land Matching Program and other land opportunities, visit youngagrarians.org/tools/land.
The B.C. Land Matching Program is funded on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, with additional support from Cowichan Valley Regional District and the Real Estate Foundation of BC.