Farm Villages - The Way of the Future

FARM VILLAGESThe Way of the Future

Food imported to Vancouver Island: 95%

BC’s Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR)Created by the

NDP government in 1973-74

The Agricultural Land Reserve is a provincial zone in which agriculture is recognized as the priority use.

Farming is encouraged and non-agricultural uses are controlled.

It covers approximately 4.7 million hectares, including private and public lands that may be farmed, forested or vacant land.

The ALR’s Mission is to preserve agricultural land and encourage and enable farm businesses

throughout British Columbia.

The purpose of the Agricultural Land Commission is:• to preserve agricultural land; • to encourage farming in collaboration with other

communities of interest; • to encourage local governments, First Nations, and

government agencies to enable and accommodate farm use of agricultural land and other uses compatible with agriculture in plans, bylaws and policies.

The Commission expects to achieve its mission through the realization of

four complementary goals:

1. Preservation of agricultural land.2. Encouraging and enabling farm businesses.3. A provincial land reserve system that considers community interests.4. Sound governance and organizational excellence.

Alberni Valley Food Map

AgriculturalLand Reserve Farmland

There are 7,702 hectares in the Alberni Valley ALR.Only 3,171 hectares are actively farmed. 4,531 hectares are not being farmed.

Only 239 hectares are being used for vegetables, berries, grapes and other horticultural food crops.

= 3% of the farmland.

The valley produces between 5% and 11% of the food consumed locally.

89-95% of Port Alberni’s food is being imported…

Gross farm receipts average $61,797 per farm

The average farmer keeps about 8 cents of every dollar sold

– an average annual income of $4,606 per farm

to cover all overhead costs.

Alberni Valley Agricultural Plan, 2011-2031

5,184 hectares could be improved to prime capability with irrigation

The average farm operator is 55 years old.

It is expensive and time consuming to convert to higher valued crops, so

long term farmers are resisting changing.


“Despite this, demand for local food has never been stronger. Consumers want to buy food they trust

from people they trust.

The Alberni Valley has experienced farmers and quality soils. There are opportunities to increase direct marketed products‐ to local consumer and

tourists.

… food for thought for developing a vision and plan for agriculture in the Alberni Valley.”


Good farmlandsits empty

Young peoplewant to farm

And a lot of Vancouver Island farmland is just growing hay

Using small-scale intensive organic horticulture, farmers can earn to earn up to $25,000 an acre,

grossing up to $80,000 a year of profit per small farm.

Throughout the world, in every culture, farmers have lived in small farm villages

Gimmelwald Village, Switzerland

Imagine…

The Basic Idea: On any farm of more than 40 hectares (eg)

1 hectare may be rezoned as a Community Farm Village, with additional acreage being leased or sold to Community Farm Villagers for farming purposes.

FARM VILLAGESA Proposal

A Community Farmland ZoneThe Zone would allow the development of a clustered Farm Village, with controls to ensure that the land is farmed:

A: A Community Farmland Zone Bylaw

B: A covenant registered with the land

C: Strata Farm Fees that do not apply if the land is farmed

D: Registration of a Housing Agreement, restricting residential units to farmers and their families.

FARM VILLAGES A Proposal

The Village is a self-governing community strata-title, with the land owned privately, cooperatively, or by a Land Trust.

The Farm Village can be created in three ways:(a) By successful application to the local Council by a group

of would-be farmers for Community Farmland Zoning, on a farm they intend to buy.

(b) By successful application to the local Council by an existing farmer with land outside the ALR.

(c) By successful application to the local Council and to the Agricultural Land Commission by an existing farmer with land inside the ALR.

Either: A farm for sale, and a group of would-be Farm Villagers apply for Community Farmland Zoning.

Or: A farmer who supports the idea, backed by would-be Village Farmers, applies for Community Farmland Zoning.

43 acres $564,900

160 acres $629,900

56 acres $950,000

43 acres $955,000

56 acres $1,098,000

100 Hectare FarmAnywhere, BC


Farm Village


Farm Village

Cost of land: $100,000?Shared by 5 families = $20,000 each

Cost per small starter self-built house: $150,000


Farm Village



Leasedor

purchased


Farm Village



Four levels of protection, to ensure that the Zone is not abused:1. The new Community Farm Zone Bylaw2. A Covenant attached to the land3. Strata Council Farm Fees4. A Registered Housing Agreement

Alberni Valley Farmland4,531 hectares = possible 50 Farm villages


1: Community Farmland Zoning Bylaw

Principal use agriculture. Residential use ancillary, homes limited (eg) to 1500 sq ft.

‘Farming’ defined to exclude principally forage or hay.

The first acre per household not for forage, horses or hay. On subsequent acres, no more than 50% of the land can be used for horses, forage or hay.


2: Community Farmland Covenant

Registration of a restrictive covenant to the effect that the land will be used for farming, signed by a third party (eg a Farmland Trust) which would monitor the lands, and ensure they are used for farming.

The owners would be unable to break the covenant, since the role of the third-party covenant holder would be to uphold the covenant.


3: Strata Farm Fees

The strata council (required by covenant) will oversee the farming operations, with forgivable strata fees for farming.

If the owners choose not to farm, significant strata fees will be charged and used to pay for others to farm the land.

Strata fees will also be collected to fund common facilities, green houses, irrigation, cool storage, processing kitchen, farm worker accommodation, etc.


4: A Housing Agreement

Registration of a Housing Agreement. In British Columbia, the Local Government Act enables local governments to register housing agreements which can restrict housing to “classes of persons” (sec 905 2) b), LGA).

This may be used to restrict the residential units to “farmers” and their families.

Yarrow Ecovillage and Farm, Yale, BC

HOW COULD IT HAPPEN?1. It is legally possible to create such a new Zone, both

inside and outside the ALR.


inside and outside the ALR.2. A non-profit obtains a grant to develop the idea.


inside and outside the ALR.2. A non-profit obtains a grant to develop the idea. 3. Talk to local planners and ALR Commissioners.


inside and outside the ALR.2. A non-profit obtains a grant to develop the idea. 3. Talk to local planners and ALR Commissioners.4. Create a website to gather input from future farmers


inside and outside the ALR.2. A non-profit obtains a grant to develop the idea. 3. Talk to local planners and ALR Commissioners.4. Create a website to gather input from future farmers5. Seek would-be Village Farmers.


inside and outside the ALR.2. A non-profit obtains a grant to develop the idea. 3. Talk to local planners and ALR Commissioners.4. Create a website to gather input from future farmers5. Seek would-be Village Farmers.6. Seek existing farmers who might be interested to sell

some of their land for a Farmland Village.


inside and outside the ALR.2. A non-profit obtains a grant to develop the idea. 3. Talk to local planners and ALR Commissioners.4. Create a website to gather input from future farmers5. Seek would-be Village Farmers.6. Seek existing farmers who might be interested to sell

some of their land for a Farmland Village.7. Create the first Community Farmland Village.

WANTED: Future farmers to form Community Farm Village. Buy land, build our homes, farm the land. Contact Jason 250-456-7899 [email protected]

LAND OWNERSHIP(a) Strata-title, owned by the

new farmers(b) A Community Land Trust

owns the land, new farmers own their houses

FINANCING (a) Land purchase is angel investor financed, repaid by

Village Farm strata over time.(b) Farmer sells to new owners over 10 years.(c) A Community Land Trust purchases the land, leases it to the farmers(d) Straight mortgage from a friendly bank, credit union

OPERATING MODELS(a) As a farm coop(b) As a joint farm business(c) As separate farm partners

INCOME: Farming, multiple crops, CSA and otherwiseValue added farm productsEducational coursesFarm holidays

Another possible solution…

Should we allow land zoned agricultural to be used to grow hay for horses

and no food at all?

Land zoned agricultural should carry the requirement applying future owners, from the time of purchase, that at least

10% of the land be used to grow food …

or be leased to someone who will grow food.

WANTED: Young farmers to grow food on good farmland in Central Saanich to meet zoning requirement. Willing to help with irrigation, equipment, farm housing. Farmer Jones, 250-998-7653. [email protected]

Deep in many people’s hearts, is the longing to recover what we have lost.

FamilyCommunity

Honest hard workHarmony with Nature

Sara Dent, www.farmlove.orgLove…

Babies…

School...

Sara Dent, www.farmlove.orgCelebration

www.slideshare.net/GuyDauncey/farm-villages

Guy Dauncey 2013 www.earthfuture.com

Guy Dauncey

www.earthfuture.com

Farm Villages - The Way of the Future

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