The CRD is in search of farmers to help improve food security in the region.
On Feb. 12, 2025, the CRD board adopted a new Foodlands Access Service bylaw through the Alternate Approval Process (AAP).
"The service aims to address concerns over the rising cost of farmland by facilitating affordable access to productive land for new and expanding farmers," said Andy Orr, senior manager of corporate communications for the CRD.
One of the first programs the CRD will introduce through the Foodlands Access Service is a five-year farming pilot study at Bear Hill Regional Park — a currently unused plot of land designated as Agricultural Land Reserve.
The CRD is currently seeking to hire an experienced farm site operator who will be responsible for the operational management and farmer support of the five-year Bear Hill Foodlands project. The farm site operator will be a non-profit organization responsible for developing the criteria for the farmer selection process.
"By early next year, we aim to welcome our first farmers on site, who will be planting seeds by summer 2026. This marks the beginning of a transformative journey, as our pilot project at Bear Hill takes root and we start to see progress. We will be monitoring and providing updates as the project progresses," said Patrick Klassen, senior manager of regional planning and transportation.
The CRD developed the Foodlands AAP to bring new generations of farmers into the industry, as the average age of farmers in the region is approaching 60. High land costs have proven to be another barrier the CRD hopes to address with the new bylaw. Over the coming years, the service will support a grant funding program to incentivize partnerships between private landowners and aspiring farmers to make long-term land leases more accessible.
As of November 2024, the estimated budget for the Bear Hill project was $320,000 for the first year.
The CRD will accept proposals for a farm site operator until 4 p.m. on Aug. 29, 2025. Following that, they will begin developing the criteria for the farmer selection process, which will begin in the fall.
