Alternative Land Use Options in the North
Join us for a special in-person panel discussion on alternative ways to grow food on “marginal” land!
Today, new farmers are needed more than ever – but it’s getting harder and harder to start farming. With farmers aging out of production, high land prices on class 1 land, and an ever-changing climate, new farmers are having to get creative, finding ways to do food systems work on land that may not be suitable for the typical market garden.
This in-person Land Forum session features a panel discussion to inspire you with alternative ways to steward lands and grow food, including considerations when choosing alternative production types for unique and affordable pieces of land in British Columbia. Together, we’ll learn how to identify possibilities in the landscape with observation and collaboration. There will also be time for networking. Light snacks will be provided.
This workshop is aimed at farmers and landholders who are looking for outside-the-box ideas. Do you own land that is forested or too expensive to develop as a typical farm? Are you looking at leasing land and want to explore ways to grow food that aren’t as capital intensive. Is your land considered “marginal” by soil class or other standards?
Participants will also hear about the support to land seekers and landholders through the BC Land Matching Program delivered by the Young Agrarians.
WHEN: 1-4 pm – Sunday, November 20, 2022
WHERE: Traditional and unceded territories of the Unceded Lheidli T’enneh.
NUSC Event Space at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC
RSVP: Register here to reserve your spot!
QUESTIONS: morgan@youngagrarians.org | 1-855-561-4633
Panelists: Andrew Adams at Hope Farm Organics, Noemie Touchette at Northern Lights Winery, Dr. David Connell at UNBC, Barry Seymour former chief of Lheidli T’enneh
Our panelists bring together a unique combination of experience and knowledge. Andrew Adams of Hope Farm Organics grows tomatoes, cantaloupe, and more on class 7 land, and is currently establishing agroforestry practices on the land. Operations manager of Northern Lights Estate Winery in Prince George Noemie Touchette has experience with production types not normally seen in the North. Dr. David Connell is a professor at UNBC with research topics in agricultural planning and farmland protection, local food systems, and the quest for community and the conservation of the Ancient Cedars of BC’s inland rainforest in the Robson Valley. Barry Seymour former chief of Lheidli T’enneh, current lands and tax administration manager.
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This in-person event is part of our BC-wide online Land Forum. We hope to see you at UNBC on November 20, as well as at our online sessions. The Land Forum will take you on a deeper dive into information and interactive sessions about land sharing and starting a farm business. The Land Forum is accessible online from November 14 – 30, so that we can reach you wherever you live and have Internet access.
We can’t wait to share knowledge and online space with you all. Learn more about the online sessions and register here!
Thank you to everyone who is sharing their expertise and stories with us for this Land Forum! We can’t wait to connect with you online across B.C.! Meanwhile, you can learn more about the services and support offered through the B.C. Land Matching Program here.
The B.C. Land Matching Program is funded by the Province of British Columbia, with support from Columbia Basin Trust, the Cowichan Valley Regional District, Bullitt Foundation, and the Real Estate Foundation of BC.
