Are you a farmer looking for land? Are you a landholder looking for farmers? On Sunday, November 24, the B.C. Land Matching Program (BCLMP) and Young Agrarians will host a Land Linking Workshop in Nelson.

Young Agrarians Land Linking Workshops bring together land seekers and landholders to network, explore possible land matches and learn how to navigate land sharing and lease agreements. Farmers and landholders from throughout the Columbia Basin and the Kootenays are encouraged to attend.

“At the Land Linking Workshop, you’ll hear insights on land sharing from matched farmers and landholders, and get a chance to ask your burning questions,” said Pascale Schittecatte, Young Agrarians BCLMP Manager

“Our goal is to connect people with each other and with their regional land matcher to receive ongoing support and potentially make a match through the B.C. Land Matching Program.”

To date, the BCLMP has made more than 349 matches on over 12,599 acres across the province. The program launched in the Columbia Basin and the Kootenays in August 2018, and has been busy supporting farmers and landholders ever since: more than 900 people have reached out, leading to over 42 matches on more than 387 acres in the region.

The B.C. Land Matching Program (BCLMP) provides personalized land matching and business support services to farmers looking for land to start or expand their farm, and landholders interested in finding someone to farm their land, including support to develop legal agreements and land access education and resources.

From market gardens to livestock operations to wineries, the new farms created as a result of land matches through the BCLMP are driving local food production and economic development while supporting new farmers.

Why Land Link?

The Kootenay region has lost 332 farms since 2006, according to the Canadian Census of Agriculture. This regional decline reflects the provincial trend: B.C. lost 4,003 farms and 549,729 hectares of farmland from 2006-2021. At the same time, our population of farmers is aging: the average age of farm operators in B.C. is now 58 years old.

These numbers highlight an urgent need to increase local food production and support new entrants into agriculture across the Columbia Basin. However, aspiring farmers face many barriers to getting established, including a lack of access to training options and the high cost of farmland.

Kyle attended the first BCLMP Land Linking Workshop in Nelson in 2019. A few introductions with landholders lead to one (informal) short-term match in the Slocan Valley while Kyle saved to purchase his own land. He started Mending Roots Herb Farm in Harrop and now operates on land that he purchased last year and two leased plots through the BCLMP that are only minutes from his house.

Kyle said, “I have been working with the B.C. Land Matching Program for a long time, from my time being on Vancouver Island to now in the mountains of the Kootenays. The amount of support this program offers young farmers seeking land to work is incredible. They had helped me create a business plan as well. They have been there from my younger years when I really did not know where I wanted to settle to now, settled with two awesome land opportunities. Now Mending Roots Herb Farm can grow into a business and farm!”

So, how does a new farmer go about finding land to lease? How do landholders with underutilized farmland find these potential farmers? And ultimately, how can they establish a mutually beneficial agreement that serves both of their needs long-term? Come to the Land Linking Workshop to find out.

The Land Linking Workshop will be held from 1 – 4 p.m. PT on November 24, at Taghum Hall, 5915 Taghum Hall Road, Nelson (Sinixt, Ktunaxa and Syilx Territory).

The event is free, though donations are welcome. Find more information and register.

The B.C. Land Matching Program is funded in the Columbia Basin 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 Columbia Basin Trust and the Real Estate Foundation of BC.

Young Agrarians is a grassroots farmer-to-farmer resource network. Since 2012, Young Agrarians has offered programs that support new and young farmers with limited access to resources as they make the journey into ecological farming in Canada. Young Agrarians programs provide land access support, business services, on-farm apprenticeships, mentorship opportunities, online resources and community-building educational events.

Young Agrarians

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