New and young farmers in the Columbia Basin are receiving support and services from a dedicated land matcher, as part of the new B.C. Land Matching Program.
This program connects farmers looking for land with landowners wanting to lease their land for farming.
“This program will help young people enter into the agricultural industry, which might otherwise be a challenge because of the rising cost of land in some regions of B.C.,” said Lana Popham, minister of agriculture. “We’re helping British Columbians new to farming get access to land, and in turn, boosting the province’s food security and increasing prosperity. Let’s get farmers onto the land, and let’s get farming!”
READ MORE: Ministry of Agriculture commits $300,000 to help B.C. farmers obtain land
Land matchers offer support and service ranging from hosting land-linking events to developing relationships with landowners, land seekers and community leaders, to facilitating negotiations and terms of leasing arrangements, with the support of a lawyer, between landowners and land leasers.
“We are really excited to see the growing interest in programs that offer hands-on support for land access in B.C.” said Sara Dent, Young Agrarians BC’s program director. “New and young farmers need good, long-term land opportunities. Please reach out to us if you have farmland for lease.”
The price of land in some parts of the province is making farming unattainable for many families, especially where some of the highest-quality agricultural soil is found.
Many established farmers aging out of the industry are trying to develop succession plans to ensure their land is kept in production.
As well, farmland owners who are not farming are often motivated to support local food systems and provide an opportunity to a young farmer entrepreneur by leasing their land.
Hailey Troock is the dedicated land matcher for the Columbia Basin.
Her professional background in public policy, bilateral negotiations, environmental advocacy and business coaching, brings a level of expertise to the table that will help local communities within the Columbia Basin promote and strengthen sustainable and independent food systems.
There are also dedicated land matchers for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and the Okanagan.
READ MORE: Okanagan Farmers receive support with B.C. Land Matching Program
The B.C. Land Matching Program aims to create opportunities for new farmers by supporting affordability in farmland and encouraging farming production while increasing access to locally grown foods for all British Columbians.