Bruce Bradley is a participant in the B.C. Land Matching Program (BCLMP), which provides land matching and business support services to new farmers looking for land to farm, as well as landowners interested in finding someone to farm their land. Visit the B.C. Land Matching Program page to learn more about the program and to find a Young Agrarians Land Matcher in your region.
Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your farm:
Hi, my name is Bruce. I am very passionate about conservation and sustainable farming. I operate BC Timber Goats, an invasive weed and fuel mitigation company. We run 150 head of Mostly Kiko Cross Goats for wildfire fuel mitigation and vegetation management.
In 2019 BC Timber Goats conducted a community based Firesmart Goat Browsing program for a rural community in the North Okanagan. From May 2nd – October 30th we deployed, managed and herded 150 goats throughout nearly 1000 acres of UWI range land in cooperation with over 10 private land owners and range lease holders. Along with Targeted Browsing we used the goats to help clean up private landowners pruning and thinning fuel mitigation activities.
Tell us a bit about the property you are farming now and where is your farm located?
Our new home and land is located on Dragon Mountain Farm in Quesnel, BC in the Cariboo Region. This is an ideal property as the owners ran a 250 ewe sheep operation with a five acre organic market garden on top of that. There is electric fencing and several large pastures. We are still settling in and have our hands full with the goats but ideally will have some time to do some planting this year.
How did you decide you wanted to lease land and what was your dream property?
I was looking for home base for myself and my goats. A comfortable place to live in the winter with a barn, fencing and adequate pasture for my animals.
What was the landowner’s vision for their land and how are you helping them to achieve that?
Their vision is to make good use of the property while getting some more free time.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRz3gBWIpLA&feature=youtu.be
What was your experience working with the YA Land Matcher? What was the most valuable thing about the BCLMP?
It was positive, our Land Matcher acted as an impartial third party throughout the negotiation and was very supportive throughout the whole process. Negotiating the lease agreement was very helpful, but having all the potential properties listed in one repository was also very useful when considering my options.
What excites you most about the future of your farm?
Developing the long term potential, generating enough cash flow over the next few years to potentially buy the property.
Did you learn any lessons the hard way in your first season on the farm and what were they?
Those are trade secrets! Plus its only the third month of the agreement.
Bruce found land through the B.C. Land Matching Program in fall of 2019. We’re so excited to see how his first full season goes on this farm and in the Cariboo! If you are interested in hearing more about firesmart goatkeeping and pasture restoration, email info@bctimbergoat.ca.
Do you have land you’d like to lease to a farmer? Are you a farmer looking for land to lease? Learn more about the B.C. land Matching program here, or email jolene@youngagrarians.org.
The B.C. Land Matching Program is funded in Central and Northern B.C. by the Province of British Columbia, with support from the Real Estate Foundation of B.C.