Farm management (3 years or less) - I have managed a market garden/micro greens farm for 1 year and spent two summers managing a small mushroom farm
Apprenticeship - Currently apprentice with the owner of Glassen Farms on the island.
General farming (3 years+) - I have gained a wide variety of farming/homesteading experience over the last 5+ years. Market garden, micro greens, mushrooms, laying hens, milking, rotational grazing and livestock management are a few.
Other experience/agricultural/business training - 1 year permaculture design diploma from Pacific Rim College
Do you have a business plan?
Yes - It is in formation
Do you have financial resources available to start your farm?
Yes - My goal is to use the business plan to access funding.
Do you have access to other financial resources (such as a financial partner, loan, etc.) to start your farm?'
Yes - I am interested in exploring all of these avenues
Project
Farm Name
Wacker Farms
Farm Project Description
** Create low investment, profitable enterprise(s) that improve community food security by producing pasture-raised poultry and grass fed animal products, in accordance with the ethics and principles of permaculture design, regenerative agriculture, lean farming and holistic management.
The ultimate goal is to use these farming enterprises as tools for improving social systems and community wellness. **
To achieve resilient and efficient systems my goal is to emulate the work of specific farmers who have demonstrated success in these pursuits. Integrating some combination of Richard Perkins and his three enterprise system (pastured broilers, pastured eggs, no-dig market garden) with Joel Salatin’s four principles for young farmers:
-Lease, borrow or barter for land to operate. Ideally multiple sites in case of unforeseen circumstances that result in the need to move livestock.
-All infrastructure is mobile/portable/non permanent.
-Modular units built to scale. Build units appropriate to what is actionable now.
-Direct market products to consumers to retain as many food dollars as possible.
Preferred Arrangement
Registered Lease on Title -
Lease -
MOU -
Transfer / Succession -
Business Partnership -
Duration of the desired agreement
Hoping to work on 5-10 year leases
Ideal date to obtain land by
As soon as a match is available
Participant in BC Land Matching Program
Yes
Land & Features Desired
Total Land Size (acres)
Minimum 5 acres but the more to work with the better
Wooded Area (acres)
Yes - A variety of ecosystems are beneficial for raising a diversity of livestock
Cultivable Area (acres)
Possibility to expand area currently available (acres)
Yes
Zoning
ALR
Preferred current state of the surface of the cultivable area
Depending on the unique features of every landscape there are several species of livestock that can be applied in a variety of ways to best serve the land.
Some examples of suitable land:
-pasture grazing
-pasture replanting or cover cropping
-degraded, depleted or fallow pasture
-Poor soil and drought prone
-overgrown with vegetation, thick forest or invasive species
-preparation of future garden space
Open to landowner residing on property
Yes
Need farm buildings
Yes
Need fenced land
Yes
Need farm machinery and tools
Yes
Need established water source and infrastructure
To be determined
Need on-site housing
Yes - Ideally I could live on site or I could have permission to park a tiny home if I decide to go that route. I can live off-site though
