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Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society Land Based Healing Farm

Located in
  • Vancouver Island & Gulf Islands -

Land Seeker Details

Training
  • General farming (3 years+) - Permaculture & Resilient Ecosystem Diploma and 12+ years experience working on farms and managing 5+ urban garden sites including their development and maintenance.
Do you have a business plan?
Yes - Accessing land for land-based healing, therapeutic gardening, and food sovereignty initiatives is a long term goal that is within our organization's Operations Plan and Business Case towards sustainability for our core programming (which includes land based healing). We are committed to develop a Business Plan specific for this program and geared towards the management and maintenance of this farm.
Do you have financial resources available to start your farm?
Yes - We have been able to successfully fund this project through annual grants since 2019. Our current committed operating dollars expire end of March 2028. However, we will access additional funds through grants and as a non-profit, Registered Charitable organization, we also have the ability to fundraise specifically for this project.
Do you have access to other financial resources (such as a financial partner, loan, etc.) to start your farm?'
Yes - In fiscal year 2025-26, we have held approximately $20,000 from our programming funds towards this opportunity (should we be selected). The $20K will support the start up for this project to develop the necessary infrastructure and supplies for the functioning of the farm. The long term funding strategy for the farm will be a social enterprise.

Project

Farm Name
Land Based Healing Farm
Farm Project Description

The Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society (ACEH) is a registered charitable non-profit organization dedicated to supporting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Central to our approach to community healing and recovery are our land-based healing initiatives. Since 2019, we have been taking community members out on the land for land-based healing programming including medicine harvesting, animal processing, and land-based healing camps. We have also participated in and led community garden and food sovereignty efforts in urban downtown Victoria (Lekwungen territory). Over the years, we have found that land-based healing is a pathway to healing and recovery, and has a profound impact on the community we serve. A key priority for the sustainability of our land-based healing programming is to secure a farm space for various land use. This Land-Based Healing Farm will be a space that provides access to culture and healing through agriculture, traditional food and medicine harvesting, food sovereignty, animal processing, therapeutic gardening and much more. This project will care for the land and also offer healing opportunities for the people participating in its stewardship and cultivation. As part of this initiative, we plan to establish a work program through a social enterprise model, creating both learning and healing opportunities for participants while supporting the long-term sustainability of the project. Should the land be provided, we also have a dedicated Land-Based Healing team consisting of three full time staff (led by the Land-Based Healing Manager who brings a background in permaculture, agricultural farm work, experience with cattle, poultry and pigs, and an herbal medicine background). These team members will lead the community members in the effective management, operation, and maintenance of the Farm.

Preferred Arrangement
  • Registered Lease on Title -
  • Lease -
  • License -
  • Transfer / Succession -
Duration of the desired agreement
3+ years
Ideal date to obtain land by
As soon as possible

Land & Features Desired

Total Land Size (acres)
10-15 acres, but we are interested in viewing land opportunities outside of this range as well.
Wooded Area (acres)
Yes - 2-4 acres
Cultivable Area (acres)
10+ acres
Possibility to expand area currently available (acres)
No
Zoning
Either
Preferred current state of the surface of the cultivable area

We are open to cultivable areas of all states.

Open to landowner residing on property
No - We are an Indigenous non-profit that is hoping to be able to bring community members out on the land to interact with the programming and maintenance of the farm. We are open to the land owners residing on the property, but we would have to ensure the owner's alignment with the work we seek to do.
Need farm buildings
Yes - We look to have infrastructure on site for our participants comfort, as well as functionality of programming including washrooms, handwash stations, sinks for processing vegetables, etc. Ideally we would love to have access to covered areas for plant drying, processing and somewhere to work in the winter. In alignment with local land restrictions and building permits, we hope to develop infrastructure to build a smoke house as well as a building to conduct our food preservation which includes access to a stove and dishwasher.
Need fenced land
No
Need farm machinery and tools
No
Need established water source and infrastructure
We look to start our operation off small and build with time. We will need water hook ups throughout the property, but we have a maintenance team that would support the implementation of our water needs.
Need on-site housing
Yes - We look to have infrastructure on site that would be able to host our community members during our various workshops. We don't seek to have anyone housed at the site, but access to a space to gather would be necessary.
Production type
  • Vegetable - Annual and perennial vegetable gardens that will be distributed to community members, while also being sold for sustainability of the program.
  • Orchard/Fruit - Depending on access to specific land, we hope to plant fruit trees to harvest from and use in our food processing and preserving workshops.
  • Greenhouse - Polytunnel for year round growing, size dependent on land available.
  • Flower - Native and medicinal flowers for medicine production and pollinators.
  • Bees - Bees for honey production.
  • Mushroom - Edible mushroom logs mainly focusing on oyster mushrooms.
  • Nursery - Polytunnel nursery with seed heating table for seedling production for our 5+ urban gardens and "Land Based Healing Farm"
Type of agriculture
  • Organic -
Soil needs
Ideally, we are hoping to find a soil that is loamy, high in organic matter and humus. We are looking to produce annual and perennial vegetables and are looking for soil with a pH between 6.5 and 6.8
Will acquire commercial insurance
Yes - We have commercial insurance for up to $10,000,000.

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Last modifed 16 days ago; 2026-03-31.