General farming (3 years+) - 7 years organic/regenerative farming vegetables, flowers and herbs
Other experience/agricultural/business training - Kwantlen Polytechnic University farm school 2017; Pacific Rim College community herbalist certificate 2022
Do you have a business plan?
Yes - Not yet committed to paper but plan to sell direct to herbalists and herb shops in my network
Do you have financial resources available to start your farm?
Yes - savings from previous farm enterprises
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 with what I have and grow over time
Project
Farm Name
Flyway Herbals
Farm Project Description
I am a first generation farmer with 7 years of small-scale organic farming experience. Over the last several years I have also been developing my skills as a community herbalist. As I got further into the world of herbalism I started to realize that most plants we have access to come from very far away and with lower quality than I and my fellow herbalists prefer. I saw a potential market opportunity (and I also wanted access to high quality herbs myself!) and so 2 years ago I started up Flyway Herbals on an 1/8th acre of land at the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Tsawwassen farm school site. By year 2 of my business, I had made sales to several local stores and makers, confirming the need for local herb growers. Due to some events outside my control, I am no longer able to continue farming at the KPU site and am now looking for a new farm site to continue growing my farm business. In this endeavour, I hope to continue contributing to the local herbalism community.
Preferred Arrangement
Lease -
Duration of the desired agreement
1 year to start with goal of extending to 5+ years.
Ideal date to obtain land by
January 2025
Land & Features Desired
Total Land Size (acres)
1/4 acre
Wooded Area (acres)
No
Cultivable Area (acres)
see above
Possibility to expand area currently available (acres)
Yes - 1 acre
Zoning
Either
Preferred current state of the surface of the cultivable area
Preferably cleared of trees/shrubs. If there are pre-existing beds or cultivated areas, that would be good too, but not expected.
Open to landowner residing on property
Yes
Need farm buildings
Yes - Prefer access to greenhouse, tool storage and place to dry and process herbs
Need fenced land
No
Need farm machinery and tools
Yes - Depends on state of the land- might need tractor or tiller
Need established water source and infrastructure
Ideally access to water to set up drip irrigation system.
Need on-site housing
No
Production type
Other - herbs
Type of agriculture
Organic -
Soil needs
I have experience with silty clay but am open to working with other soils.
