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Regenerative Livestock Manager expanding land I care for

Located in
  • Vancouver Island & Gulf Islands -
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Land Seeker Details

Training
  • Farm management (3 years+) - Operating Glassen Farms since 2018 on multiple lease properties
  • General degree - Bachelors of Tourism Management 2015, focus on small business management
  • General farming (3 years+) - Raising chicken, turkey, lamb, pork and beef since 2019 and selling at Nanaimo, Cedar and Qualicum farmers markets
  • Other experience/agricultural/business training - On depth research and experimentation over 8 years learning about regenerative agriculture, holistic management, lean manufacturing, intensive managed grazing. Also, built and operate a trailer to service BC Farm Gate processing licenses.
Do you have a business plan?
Yes - I am on track with my business plan to grow consistently until 2025 when the farm will provide a fulltime income for me when revenues reach $250,000. Revenue history is 2023 $150k, 2022 $100k, 2022 $74, 2021 $50, 2020 $34k, 2019 $19k
Do you have financial resources available to start your farm?
Yes - My father has just sold the family home and wants to invest in the farm which allows me the freedom to take on long term leases to instal secure perimeter fence and develop water as needed.
Do you have access to other financial resources (such as a financial partner, loan, etc.) to start your farm?'
No - Cash flow from my operating is strong, in addition to the opportunity to use personal loans.

Project

Farm Name
Glassen Farms - Ben Glassen
Farm Project Description

Greg Judy is a hero of mine in the land beautification business by using grazing animals to manage large properties. He says, “You need to wrap your arms around as much land as you possibly can, and care for it. It’s not about owning the land, it’s about controlling it to be nature +1, the care taker in the beautification business.” My goal is to put together 60-80 acres in Nanaimo for 2024, and more in the future. Now there are not many big fields in this town, so I expect to lease a number of fields 7 acre or bigger. I live centrally by the hospital in Nanaimo. My focus is the Millstone corridor from Brennan Lake to Jingle Pot, however I am open to properties in Nanoose, Cedar, Cassidy and South Wellington. The benefit to the land owner is that I am offering a landscaping service for larger properties at no expense to you. In fact Ill pay the average pasture lease in Canada to cover any utilities used or costs you may incur from my activities. I can provide records of my activity to contribute to your farm tax. I can be a succession plan for families who want to see their property farmed. I bring joy of baby animals in the field with no hassle. I build fertility and beautification of the property to increase it’s value. One day, maybe I will even bring revenue in from carbon credits! In addition to grazing land I am seeking 6-8 acres of woods to run my Forest Pork operation where I farrow, feed and finish heritage pigs. The abattoir says I have the most friendly and cooperative pigs they see! They are rotated on a weekly basis so as to be a benefit to the ecosystem rooting out invasives and breaking down what is decaying on the forest floor. I am seeking grazable acres for my cattle and sheep that I manage with daily moves so as to be as light on the land as possible. I bring my own electric fence equipment (high tensile, semi-permanent, and daily moves with temporary step in posts and polywire reels), however where there is an opportunity to install permanent page wire perimeter fence I am open to it. My animals are very docile as I walk among them every day with daily moves. I manage them as though they are migrating wildlife so they don’t like pets, but I wouldn’t be concerned if children were to lie down and have a nap in the pasture with them. They receive no chemical inputs so their manure has been incorporated back into the soil just a few weeks after they have passed through an area so the vast majority of the pastures are free for your enjoyment all but a few days a year. For more information and to see what I do, take a look at a wonderful video that I have on my website. Please get in touch and tell your friends about what I do if maybe it would benefit them.

Preferred Arrangement
  • Registered Lease on Title -
  • Lease -
  • License -
  • MOU -
  • Transfer / Succession -
  • Sale of Land -
Duration of the desired agreement
5 year to Lifetime lease
Ideal date to obtain land by
January 2024

Land & Features Desired

Total Land Size (acres)
7 acres + pasture
Wooded Area (acres)
Yes - 4 to 6 acres for Forest Pork
Cultivable Area (acres)
Possibility to expand area currently available (acres)
Yes
Zoning
Either
Preferred current state of the surface of the cultivable area

Prefer underused or unmanaged areas that are a burden to land owners who need help taking care of it.

Open to landowner residing on property
Yes
Need farm buildings
No
Need fenced land
No
Need farm machinery and tools
No
Need established water source and infrastructure
I need access to some water, however I am willing to develop water even to the point of installing a well in exchange for a long term lease.
Need on-site housing
No - My wife is very happy in our home near the hospital in Nanaimo, I don’t see myself living on farms I lease.
Production type
  • Livestock - Cattle - Small herd of beef cows with seasonal feeders
  • Livestock - Sheep - Flock of a couple dozen ewes, currently managed by my intern in Duncan
  • Livestock - Pigs - Running 4 sows and processing 5 per month farrow to finish
  • Poultry - Broilers - Raise 1500 broilers on a 5 acre lease in E Wellington, in need of a better brooder room
Type of agriculture
  • Other - Regenerative, Intensive Manage Grazing, Pastured Poultry, Forest Pork
Soil needs
Not too concerned as I will develop the fertility over years of management
Will acquire commercial insurance
Yes - I hold $3m liability for my activities on your property and add your address to my plan
Last modifed 10 months ago; never expires.