OCTOBER 2018 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
Province funds land-matching program Young Agrarians initiative has received $325,000 since January to support growers
by MYRNA STARK LEADER LANGLEY – Farming for nearly a
year in partnership with wife Ava, Jeff Reeve, 32, credits the BC Young Agrarians’ land matching program for making his lifelong dream of working with animals possible. Reeve Farms in Langley is a
mixed livestock operation with 20 sheep, a few pigs, 10 goats, 20 geese and 20 ducks for meat, plus 60 laying hens. The couple started farming last
November and nearly a year later began marketing their first lambs via Facebook. Jeff says it’s too early to determine how well they’ve done financially, especially given the significant startup costs for even a small livestock operation. Reeve was involved in his family’s
property management business until it was sold and he saw the opportunity to pursue agriculture full-time. Ava keeps the farm books and works full-time as the agriculture coordinator with the Langley Environmental Partners Society. High land costs made getting into farming unlikely until they turned to the land-matching program headed by Darcy Smith of BC Young Agrarians, an initiative of FarmFolk/CityFolk.
Smith matched the Reeves with former airline pilot Fred Glasbergen,
Glasbergen was looking for a less
hectic lifestyle while maintaining the property’s farm tax status when the Reeves came along. A rental agreement gives them secure access to 18 acres for three years, in exchange for rent of $1,800 ($100 per acre) a year. The lease includes an option to renew. Without access to land of his
own, and the prohibitive cost to buy, Reeve appreciates the stability and security of the lease in a land market where anyone can come along and offer property owners big money to sell at any time, leaving month-to-month renters in a bind. “Having a legally enforceable
contract with legal help and an intermediary serving neither party is a big benefit,” explains Reeve.
Largest to date The Reeves’ lease is the program’s
largest match to date, and wouldn’t have been possible without ongoing support. The Reeves were encouraged to consider points people new to leasing land might overlook, such as land use, access rights and insurance. “Starting a new business and
Ava and Jeff Reeve are almost a year into their new livestock operation after making use of the BC Young Agrarians’ Land Matching program. SUBMITTED PHOTO
who had been operating his 23-acre property as an ultralight airfield and
pasture for livestock just 15 minutes from the Reeves’ home.
being young, Darcy went through a lot of checklists and business planning with us and was focused on trying to have everyone’s needs
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