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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • JUNE 2017 A wise approach to leases, labour and local


by TOM WALKER KELOWNA – Brenda


Paterson and John Hofer of Wise Earth Farm lease a house and two acres of Mission Creek flood bank land, a short hop from downtown Kelowna. While the couple have a


total area of two acres, some is used for a wash shed and several hoop houses. They intensively crop one acre of bed space.


“Some of those beds get planted five times a year,” Hofer points out. “As far as farms go, we are probably one of the most productive, at the scale we are at, that you will find in Canada.” “If we could have had the


skills we have now, we could have afforded to buy this place when we started five years ago,” says Hofer. “But there is no way we could have survived the learning of those first five years.” “We are lucky to have our


landlord,” adds Paterson. “The first thing he said to us is that he wanted the land to be used; he was tired of it just sitting there. “ Yet the lease is a deterrent against planting fruit


trees or even berry crops as it would take several years to see a return. “We have a good landlord but if we had problems, it would be a lot easier to walk away


A drone’s eye view of Wise Earth Farm in Kelowna. WISE EARTH FARM PHOTO


from a field of annuals than perennials,” says Hofer. “One thing we have found since we got into this is the number of people who have offered us to use their land,” comments Paterson. “There are lots of different ways people are accessing land,” says Hofer. “We worked through the


old style of a handshake and our landlord didn’t charge us for the first year which really helped us get going. But everyone should do a business plan to start.” “I have a real business here, not a hobby,” continues Paterson. “If I can’t afford to pay people a living wage with the volume we are moving, then my business is not a success; it’s not sustainable. I have nothing against WOOFERS, but I don’t want to rely on them.” “I picked cherries for years,”


says Paterson. “And $200 a day was my base earnings. But the hardest work I ever did was field tomatoes; you are bent over all day. “ Micro-farming balances out


a workers day, Paterson says. “We are able to rotate tasks


from bending, to standing, to working out of the heat.” “I think everything local should be buying local,” says Hofer. “I think the hospital should support the local farmer as well as the restaurants.” Hofer has a simple


question for a restaurant. “If you expect locals to come in and eat, why


don’t you support the local farmer,” he asks. “How do you expect the dollar to continue to cycle through the community if you buy your vegetables from California?”


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