Young Agrarians aim to raise the next generation of BC farmers

Thanu Eagalle and Aaron Brown are pictured at Wild Bee Florals. Truzy PhotosPendleton Farm owner Sarah Wilson. Photo provided by Sarah Wilson at the Comox Valley Farmers Market. photo supplied

According to Young Agrarians, the farming population in Canada has declined as fewer young people are entering the sector.

The organization offers farmer-to-farmer programs to develop the next generation of farmers and assists farmers with access to education, training, land, business mentoring and resources.

“The context for agriculture is bleak,” said Sara Dent, executive director of Young Agrarians, in a presentation to the regional district board on Jan. 24 in the country.

In the past decade in BC, the number of farms has dropped from 19,000 to 15,000, she said.

“We’re working to help the next generation get started in farming,” Dent said, noting that land and production costs create barriers to entry for young people. “Everyone knows how expensive the country is.”

Young Agrarians offers a Land Matching Program (BCLMP) that addresses the high cost of land. Participation is free and offers services for farmers and landowners of all ages. The BCLMP was adapted from a program in Quebec that has 44 landmatchers. BC has six.

“We’re helping to reduce the risk of accessing the land component,” Dent said.

On Vancouver Island, Young Agrarians has made 71 landmatches on 198 acres. As of 2018, 12 of the 71 matches are in the Comox Valley and 80 of the 198 acres that have been matched are in the valley.

Thanu Eagalle, 32, owns Wild Bee Florals in Dove Creek. She says the program helps people decide whether to pursue a career in agriculture.

“We really value our landlords and the opportunity to grow on their property,” she said. “Without access to this leased property, we could not farm.”

She and her partner, Aaron Brown, determine what revenue streams they will focus on and how to build the business in a way that allows them to be transported and easily adjusted as needed.

Pendleton Farm owner Sarah Wilson said the Young Agrarians helped her secure a lease after she found a plot of land in Merville.

“They guided us through every step of the agreement and made us consider aspects that would never have occurred to me or the landowners,” said Wilson, who is in her fourth year on the property. “It took a lot of back and forth, and in the end both the landowners and I felt a lot more comfortable with what we were getting into.”

Thanks to input from YA, she built a solid base and hopes to continue farming on the property for the foreseeable future.

The BCLMP is funded by the provincial government, local governments and other donors. The Young Agrarians requested an assessment of the CVRD’s financial capacity to expand the program’s reach on Vancouver Island through a North Island Land Matcher role.

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AgricultureComox Valley Regional DistrictFarming

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