LAND & WORK-TRADE OPPORTUNITY: 5-ACRE FARM IN SOUTH SURREY

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ABOUT THE LAND

This is a unique opportunity for a work-for-rent arrangement where rent would be paid for by providing labour on our 5-acre farm. We are seeking a property/farm caretaker who will help undertake basic animal husbandry duties and general property maintenance in exchange for highly reduced or complimentary rent.

We operate a small, environmentally certified, hobby farm with sheep, goats, bees, pigs, chickens and other exotic birds on 5 acres in South Surrey. We have several animals on the farm that are rather loud at times, so the caretaker would need to be fine with strange and exotic animal noises! We are interested in permaculture and regenerative agriculture practices to attempt a balance between farming and nature.

The farm itself has not received the attention it needs for the last several years due to a lack of time and capacity, and as a result there are some important maintenance duties that would need to be addressed initially, ranging from repairing fencelines to blackberry removal. While there is no shortage of work to be done, we are more than happy to work out a mutually agreeable contract based upon the caretakers time availabilities, capabilities, experiences and efforts. Our goal is to find someone to live here long term and take some ownership of the property upkeep for the mutual benefit of everyone on the farm – livestock included!

We have a separate 1-bedroom caretaker suite that is approximately 1000sq ft. It is attached to the main house with separate entrance. Laundry would be shared with an older gentleman who lives in the house. Parking is complimentary. The unit is currently occupied so we do not have current photos of the space but can provide these upon request. The unit would not be available until February at the soonest.

Cats would be allowed, but depending on the type of dog, may not be suitable given the sensitive animals on the property. This decision would be made on a case by case basis.

We are also open to the idea of the caretaker operating a portion of the property for their own production and resale to put additional revenues in their pocket through our farm stand.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking a highly independent, trustworthy and motivated individual, with livestock or farming experience. The ideal caretaker(s) would be a semi-retired or retired couple who are interested in helping develop our farm further through the creation and maintenance of agricultural crops, livestock and poultry production, apiculture or other means.

Given the amount of work needing to be undertaken, we are a bit concerned that someone working a full-time job elsewhere would be too busy commuting and doing a 9-5 that the farm duties would not be undertaken beyond the bare minimum. Having previously experienced the bare minimum, we require someone who is capable of more than this.

The ideal caretaker would have some motivation and shared passions to improve the farm and eventually create a local community farm stand with produce, eggs, honey and ethically raised meat. One of the perks of the agreement would of course being able to also benefit from these various farm grown foods yourself!

Some pertinent skills and experience would include:

• Farming, livestock, poultry or crop production
• Experience running tractors, forklifts or other machinery or some mechanical background for general maintenance and upkeep of equipment
• Physically capable or undertaking farm related activities ranging from lifting 50lbs bags of feed, haybales, straw, etc.
• Have a valid drivers license
• Clean criminal record

Beyond basic farm or general labour experiences, the caretaker(s) would have to be a non-smoking, competent and supply multiple work and character references upon request.
Given the current housing shortages across the lower mainland, we anticipate a large amount of interest in this opportunity. As a result, please do not expect to obtain a response from us immediately or if we feel we are not a good match. We are very interested in finding the right caretaker(s) and will take our time to screen candidates. Please do your utmost to explain your relevant experiences, farming interests, current work schedules, etc. Basic inquiries not outlining the above will likely be ignored.

GET IN TOUCH

This opportunity is available through the B.C. Land Matching Program. If you are interested in this land opportunity or looking for support developing a lease agreement, please contact land@youngagrarians.org.

For more land opportunities, and to learn about the B.C. Land Matching Program, please visit youngagrarians.org/land.

The B.C. Land Matching Program is funded in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley by the Province of British Columbia, with support from the Real Estate Foundation of B.C., Bullitt Foundation, and Patagonia.