Farm management (3 years+) - Owner/Operator of Big Rock Ranch for 4 years
General degree - BF 110 Soil Health- Cornell Small Farms College, Introduction to stockmanship and ranch roping, What The Fungus Mentorship Intensive, Business Mentorship with Seann Dory from Young Agrarians, The Market Gardener Masterclass, Food Safe, Market Safe
General farming (3 years+) - Been farming professionally for 7 plus years with 4 years as a professional business in agriculture
Do you have a business plan?
Yes - Business Plan available to interested parties
Do you have financial resources available to start your farm?
Yes - We have financial investments in farm infrastructure, equipment, capital and savings.
Do you have access to other financial resources (such as a financial partner, loan, etc.) to start your farm?'
Yes - If we were to do any extensive infrastructure work we would need to look into funding
Project
Farm Name
Big Rock Ranch
Farm Project Description
Big Rock Ranch is a small-scale regenerative farm currently in Buffalo Creek (near 100 Mile House, BC). We manage a mixed fruit/vegetable market garden, raise free range heritage chickens, grow a variety of mushrooms, and care for two honey bee hives.
Stewarding the ecological systems we rely upon is at the heart of our farm. We strive to enhance soil health and biodiversity by using low-till, pesticide-free, and rotational grazing practices. We also maintain pollinator forage and nesting habitat. All of these practices enhance the ability of our soils to sequester carbon, store nutrients, and reduce water runoff, while producing high quality, nutrient-dense food for our community.
We're currently looking at relocating to a area with a longer growing season, larger population, and more access to markets.
Preferred Arrangement
Registered Lease on Title -
Lease -
Transfer / Succession -
Sale of Land -
Duration of the desired agreement
Ideally looking for long term but will look at properties open to 5 year leases, and ideally looking for up to a 20 year lease
Ideal date to obtain land by
Would be open to obtain land as soon as the fall of 2020 after our season wraps up, and ideally looking to start up on a farm by early spring 2021
Participant in BC Land Matching Program
Yes
Land & Features Desired
Total Land Size (acres)
5-80 acres
Wooded Area (acres)
Yes
Cultivable Area (acres)
1-5 acres
Possibility to expand area currently available (acres)
Yes - Ideally looking for 1-5 acres to start and plan to move into larger acreage for vegetable production, with a long term plan of ideally getting into 100% grass fed cattle or sheep and heritage pastured pigs
Zoning
Either
Preferred current state of the surface of the cultivable area
In the ideal world we'd be looking for 1-5 acres of land that has been utilized and or tilled before, with deer fencing surrounding, access to barn/building for farm use, water and electricity with the option for more land for livestock down the road. We are also open to land that isn't fenced and no farm buildings as we can come with infrastructure. For livestock, particularly sheep and cattle we'd love the area to have perimeter fencing in place.
Open to landowner residing on property
Yes
Need farm buildings
Yes - Ideally looking for location with a barn/building for farm use
Need fenced land
Yes - Ideally looking for land that is perimeter fenced
Need farm machinery and tools
Yes - We will come with a multitude of farming equipment but would love the occasional use of a larger tractor and implements
Need established water source and infrastructure
Ideally looking for 10-20 gallons per minute with a pump house
Need on-site housing
Yes - Short term housing would be ideal until we buy near by for long term
Orchard/Fruit - Would love to find a place with a small established orchard, but not a necessity
Mixed - Currently we raise pasture raised heritage chickens for meat and eggs, have honey bees for pollination and honey, and a mixed fruit and vegetable farm, ideally looking to stay within this model and ideally adding livestock down the road
Type of agriculture
Certified Organic -
Organic -
Other - We currently grow with organic methods and plan to go for certification, ideal property would already be certified
