Agriculture-related degree - Diploma in Horticulture, Montreal's Horticulture and Gardening Trade School.
Apprenticeship - 1 year paid internship (as general field crew) with Salt & Harrow Farm, Tsawwassen, and an academic internship at the Food & Fibres section of the Montreal Botanical Gardens
General farming (3 years or less) - 1 season working on non-certified organic farms in Vermont, and short seasonal position in wild-harvesting and processing of sea vegetables in Maine
Other experience/agricultural/business training - Various applicable work experience such as owning a small business in Montreal, maintaining ornamental plants in both indoor and outdoor settings professionally, and participating in many farm-start-up and business training webinars and workshops from November 2020 to the present
Do you have a business plan?
Yes - Business plan, crop plan, and field plan all in progress
Do you have financial resources available to start your farm?
Yes - Personal savings
Do you have access to other financial resources (such as a financial partner, loan, etc.) to start your farm?'
No - I plan to start small and keep expenses low, using my own savings to invest in the business where needed
Project
Farm Name
Make Do Acres
Farm Project Description
Make Do Acres aims to contribute to the climate resilience and food security of my community as an organic vegetable farm. I'm looking for a small plot of land in the Lower Mainland to bring my vision of diverse vegetables and a lively, creative, and socially conscious offering into action. As a solo farmer, I'm aiming to start small and, as the name implies, to be adaptable to the opportunities that present themselves. Let's make do, start now, and actively problem solve this warming world from the ground up. And eat well while doing it! My vision for Make Do Acres includes high quality mixed herbs and vegetables; direct sales; intensive crop rotations, inter-planting, and green manure to increase soil health and produce high yields per acre without ecologically damaging inputs; offering crops from diverse cultural traditions to create a more inclusive market; building culturally diverse social connections around farms for cohesive communities and food systems; and working on a small scale to minimize the use of fossil fuels. That’s a start, and other ideas are more than welcome!
Preferred Arrangement
Registered Lease on Title -
Lease -
Other - I’m open to other proposals.
Duration of the desired agreement
To be discussed
Ideal date to obtain land by
Spring 2021
Participant in BC Land Matching Program
Yes
Land & Features Desired
Total Land Size (acres)
Up to 1/2 acre to start
Wooded Area (acres)
No
Cultivable Area (acres)
1/4 acre
Possibility to expand area currently available (acres)
Yes - Expansion is not a deal breaker, but would be interesting
Zoning
ALR, non-ALR
Preferred current state of the surface of the cultivable area
An area recently under cultivation would be ideal for this project, such as an incubator plot adjacent to an existing farm.
Open to landowner residing on property
Yes
Need farm buildings
Yes - A pack/wash area and washroom facilities would probably be required, while winter storage and farm stand possibilities would be wonderful.
Need fenced land
No
Need farm machinery and tools
Yes - Shared use machinery and/or larger tools would be great but not necessary.
Need established water source and infrastructure
Access to water sufficient for drip irrigation at minimum – details TBD based on circumstances.
Need on-site housing
No
Production type
Vegetable - This very much depends on what land arrangement I find, and on customer input. My current year-one crop plan is designed for reduced wash/pack labour and high value bunched crops, with a few storage vegetables for later in the year. I threw in several herbs for cooking and tea as high valued unique products. Basil, thai basil, beets, carrots, catnip, chives, garlic chives, cilantro, collards, dill, fenugreek, garlic, 2 varieties kale, lemon balm, 4 varieties head lettuce, mint, mustard greens, mild mustard greens, sweet onion, parsley, potatoes, shallots, sweet potato, sunchokes, tulsi
Other - "green manure," crops mainly intended to improve the soil or provide other benefits
Type of agriculture
Certified Organic -
Organic -
Other - I would love to be certified organic, but regardless I would want to follow organic guidelines
Soil needs
I'm adaptable, but prefer a fertile loam of good structure of course!
