LAND OPPORTUNITY: Market Gardening and Small-Scale Orchard – Mill Bay, BC

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

Located in Mill Bay, just off Highway 1, this small but mighty diversified growing space is open to an energetic small-scale grower who has with a strong vision to bring some life into the gardens.

The previous landholder was a dedicated gardener who kept bees, laying hens, a vegetable garden, and a diversified orchard. While the current landholders don’t have capacity to take on growing, they are excited to provide this opportunity to a farmer who is looking for a bit of space to start a small-scale diversified farm!

The property features a greenhouse, established beds, and some infrastructure for keeping chickens. The land is fully fenced, with much of the fencing being sufficient to exclude deer. There is, however, minimal deer pressure on the property due to its proximity to the highway. This site has access to a residential well, as well as two surface wells, which will be made accessible to the incoming farmer to support their operations on the site.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

This opportunity is open to a variety of production types, including vegetables, fruit, flowers, poultry, bees and more!

There are two potential production areas on this property: the first is the sloped area alongside the greenhouse, which was previously used as a residential vegetable garden. The landholders have plans to expand this space by removing adjacent trees and terracing the sloped area to create more beds. The greenhouse (which is approximately 10 x 20 feet, situated on a cement base, and propane-heated) is also available to start seedlings or cultivate hot house crops in containers.

The second production area available on this property is the established orchard located along the southwest edge of the property. This orchard includes a variety of pome and stone fruits, as well as mixed berry bushes.

Just south of the orchard, there is a fenced-in wooded grove where the previous owner had kept laying hens. There is also established infrastructure for poultry, including a fenced covered area and a chicken coop, which would be available to the incoming farmer.

ABOUT THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate for this opportunity would be a new farmer who is excited to take part in developing infrastructure and systems to unlock the potential of the property.

Above all, the landholders want to see the space fully utilized to grow food or flowers for their surrounding community. They value reciprocity, communication, and hard work and are looking to connect with farmers who share these values.

If you’re looking for land for farming on the Island, get in touch to learn more!

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, Ari Westhaver, at ari@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 about this opportunity, check out the UMAP Listing for this property.

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 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.