BADS a Dream Come True For New BC Farmers
Tuesday, October 06, 2009

New program to use unused agricultural land as an incubator farm for aspiring farmers.  I am Vice President of BADS and wrote this article for the media. 

October 6, 2009 Abbotsford, BC

When Kevin Koopmans started co-ordinating the Abbotsford Food & Connection Table (AFACT) in the spring of 2008, he did not expect that one of the outcomes would be making dreams come true to three aspiring farmers.

“It all fell into place and the results have exceeded my expectations,” said Koopmans, a Community Developer at Community Futures South Fraser in Abbotsford.

AFACT is a network of individuals in Abbotsford who are involved in or have an interest in food and agriculture issues.  One of their greatest areas of concern is the aging population of farmers in BC.  “The average age of a farmer in BC is 54 and this concerns us…who is growing to grow our food in 20 years?”  Kevin did some research and found that there are many young people who are interested in farming, but fear of large capital investments prevent them from doing it.  “Unless you are born on a farm, the price of land in BC makes owning farmland almost impossible for most aspiring farmers. The good news is, there are other ways to start farming” continues Kevin. 

AFACT became aware of a small piece of unused agricultural land, owned by The City of Abbotsford and available through an affordable lease. This opportunity for new farmers could not be ignored and Kevin officially incorporated the Barrowtown Agricultural Development Society (BADS) on July 24, 2009.

Three new farmers, Hannah Cavendish-Palmer, Jamie Scoular and Amy Suess, came forward, calling their business Skeeter Farm. The small piece of land needed to be cleared, cultivated, planted, cared for, and irrigated. They are motivated by a common vision for an alternative to mainstream agriculture, involving sustainable farming techniques and a desire to supply the local community with clean, fresh food.

Starting a farm is no easy process and the farmers have had to overcome several barriers to get to where they are now. “The three of us started this process with very little knowledge of how to successfully produce crops for market.  We have had to overcome a fear of the unknown, do our research and put in some long hard hours on the farm to develop our business,” says Suess. They grow a variety of vegetables including greens, cole crops, cucumbers, zucchini and squashes, corn, beans, peas, fresh herbs, potatoes, flowers and much more.

They have two main marketing channels:  a weekly box program where customers receive a reasonably priced box of veggies with enough fresh food to last them the week and a booth at the Abbotsford Farm and Country Market.
“We are more than pleased with the results of our first year farming. Of course, there has been a tremendous learning curve. We have made mistakes and will likely do some things differently next year, but that is part of starting any new business,” says Cavendish-Palmer. The three new farmers feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to be part of a project that uses alternative models of farm ownership to grow new farmers. They hope to show that small-scale farming is a viable option for those out there considering a career in food production.

Bruce Fatkin, Manager of the Abbotsford Farm & Country Market has been very pleased with the product marketing of Skeeter Farm during its first year, “I know that our customers are always looking for more fresh, local produce. The addition of Skeeter Farm as a market vendor has added more and different produce, giving customers greater selection. The customers have embraced Skeeter Farm, supporting it at a significant level from day one.” 

Mark Robbins, Regional Agrologist for the BC Ministry of Agriculture &Lands has been amazed at the progress of these farmers. “You cannot buy a franchise for farming - there is no fool proof recipe for growing crops. New farmers need hands-on experience before they are ready to make a major investment of time and money into farming:  BADS provides this.”

“We have had great community support, from the City of Abbotsford council providing the land, the Big Steel Box Company providing a storage container,” says Koopmans, “the ministry of Agriculture providing expertise, and many individuals in the community stepping up to help out on the farm.”

“We have been fortunate that these three farmers have enthusiastically come forward, investing both time and money in the project.” says Cheryl Davie, Vice President of BADS.  “However, funding will be needed to expand this opportunity to more individuals.”

The vision for the Barrowtown site is an incubator farm that will help budding agricultural producers test a business plan and establish a customer base. Generally, it takes several years before a market farm becomes sustainable. An incubator farm provides a means for new farmers to learn (and make mistakes) without the high stakes of a mortgage. Hoping to grow this program, BADS is always looking for individuals and organizations with land, equipment, expertise, capital and aspiring farmers. 

For more information about BADS contact Kevin Koopmans at Community Futures South Fraser tel 604-864-5770 ext 309 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

You can follow Skeeter Farm’s blog at http://skeeterfarm.blogspot.com/