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ABOUT THE FARMER
Born into a sheep farming family, Johanna Walker is a third generation shepherdess in the Fraser Valley. Johanna has been farming since as long as she can remember, and has been shearing sheep since she was 13 years old. For over 20 years now, she has served as one of the only sheep shearers in the province.
After the passing of her mother several years back, Johanna took on full responsibility for her family’s farm, where she honours her mother’s legacy. Johanna has deep roots in the Valley, where she sells her products to the clients that she and her family have been serving for decades and even generations. As time has passed, Johanna has watched her client network expand to friends, relatives and children of long-time customers. At this point, Jo is racing to keep up with customer demand and would love to expand her land base to continue serving her community.
Johanna currently raises purebred Suffolk, Charollais and Dorset sheep as well as a commercial flock of crossbreds. She manages 20 ewes, 4 steers and about 30 laying hens. Her farm business provides meat, eggs, breeding lambs, shearing services and textile products for clients throughout the Fraser Valley and beyond. Johanna sells direct-to-consumer and provides a farming experience like no other. She is conscious of the social, environmental, financial and health aspects of agriculture for humans, animals and the environment. Her farm uses rotational grazing and environmentally sound management that follows organic standards.
In addition to maintaining her livestock and shearing businesses, Johanna is a Professional Agrologist with the B.C. Institute of Agrologists and serves on the Agricultural Advisory Committee for the Township of Langley. Shearing put her through university with two degrees, a B.Sc. in Biology from Trinity Western University and a Bachelors of Applied Science in Sustainable Agriculture from Kwantlen Polytechnic University. In addition to farming, Johanna works as a research assistant with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources at the Provincial Tree Seed Centre in Surrey. She hopes to one day run a consulting business for start-up and small scale agriculture operations in the province.
Johanna is committed to supporting other farmers, and loves collaborating with “sheeple” throughout the province. She is passionate about uplifting farmer livelihoods and dedicating herself to building better systems for farmers, animals and the crops they tend. Johanna is a true bedrock of the livestock community in the Fraser Valley, and she and “the girls” (as she calls her sheep) can’t wait for their next adventure.
ABOUT HER LAND VISION
Johanna is seeking up to 15 acres of land in the Fraser Valley, preferably in Langley. She is open to a smaller parcel size for the right opportunity, but would love to be able to provide her girls with ample grazing space and the potential expand her flock. A combination of some pasture and some mixed land or bush would be ideal.
A barn or other large shelter for her animals is a must, in addition to sturdy perimeter fencing. Johanna is willing to contribute labour to the cost of perimeter fencing or repairs if need be and is happy to do her own paddock fencing.
Johanna is a seeking a long-term lease founded on a strong, respectful and reciprocal relationship with the landholders. She is quite handy and happy to help out around the property when appropriate.
A land opportunity with 2BR+ housing for Johanna and her father (who she lives with) is strongly preferred, though she will consider a property without housing and/or might be able to bring her own housing.
GET IN TOUCH
This farmer is participating in the B.C. Land Matching Program. Reach out to the Metro Vancouver Land Matcher at vejane@youngagrarians.org to start a conversation and learn about next steps.
Learn more about this farmer (and other farmers and Land Listings in your region) on the Young Agrarians UMAP. For more 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 Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, with additional support from Bullitt Foundation and the Real Estate Foundation of BC.