Haliburton Community Organic Farm Society

Victoria, Canada

An Overview Of Our Solution

Haliburton Organic Community Farm is a successful model for small-scale, local certified organic agriculture working in harmony with the natural environment. The non-profit, volunteer Haliburton Organic Farm Society (HCOFS) has operated Haliburton Farm since 2002. Unparalled opportunities are offered to new farmers - access to small plots (~1 acre each) of certified organic farmland on Vancouver Island for four years (renewable for another four) for an annual lease of $500, and hands-on training in organic agriculture and ecosystem restoration. Since 2007, the Haliburton Biodiversity Project has enhanced/revived significantly degraded wetland, forest habitats, and created a Garry Oak meadow on the Farm. Haliburton Farm provides local organic food, grows new farmers and farm businesses, hosts tours and demonstrations organic agriculture and biodiversity

Who is this solution impacting?

Community Type

Rural

Organization type

Nonprofit

Ecosystem (select all that apply)

Forests

Grasslands

Population impacted

Capital Region population: 325,000 in 2015

Size of agricultural area

3 hectares

Production quantity

Total combined production averages 27,000 kg fresh produce annually, with a total gross income of CDN$350,000 in sales in 2015

People employed

6-12

Describe your solution

Haliburton farmers learn and practice certified organic agriculture, maintain soil ecosystems for sustainable production of fresh healthy local food and use best practices to nurture local flora and fauna. Food is sold on-Farm, through Haliburton's Community Supported Agriculture food box, at farmers' markets, and wholesale to restaurants and institutions. In recognition of its contributions, Haliburton Farm earned the 2016 EcoStar Award for food security on Vancouver Island. Haliburton Farm has highly threatened ecosystems - wetlands, riparian areas, mature second growth Douglas-fir forest, and meadow habitat. The ecological value is compromised by non-native plants and human. The Haliburton Biodiversity Project demonstrates how significant conservation gains can occur on small parcels of land in urban areas, providing important learning and research opportunities on harmonious co-existence of agriculture and natural systems. It is of considerable community and research importance as an inspiring demonstration site for restoration approaches and local natural history. The Haliburton Biodiversity Project attracts attention from the general community, schools, other land managers and conservation groups (e.g., Parks Canada, the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team). Regular tours are conducted sharing experiences, restoration techniques and raising awareness of the importance of wetlands and meadows. Volunteers come weekly and larger monthly gatherings attract people

Describe your implementation

The Haliburton Biodiversity project centerpieces are two temporary ponds and a native Garry oak meadow. Once a disturbed field and transient wetland dominated by invasive and introduced weeds, the Project develops restoration techniques for weed suppression, establishes native vegetation, develops long-term monitoring protocols, and sustains a strong volunteer group to provide the tremendous labour required for this intensive restoration project. Non-native plants are removed, the area mulched, and temporary weed barriers used. Native plant species are planted and carefully tended. Invasive reed canary grass is continually weed whacked to keep flowering heads from maturing. This is the only local project that has effectively converted a reed canary grass infestation to a native meadow. Restoration techniques follow certified organic standards. Successful reintroduction of Fragrant Popcorn Flower was guided by the national recovery strategy for the species and approved by the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team. Other rare plants considered for future restoration include Yellow Montane Violet and Water-plantain Buttercup. Bat species use the Haliburton wetlands as foraging habitat. Two types of bat boxes were installed in collaboration with the BC Community Bat Program. A shed used as nesting habitat by Barn Swallows was repaired. New techniques for enhancing roosting habitat for bats within buildings are being tested in close collaboration with the B.C. Community Bat Program: Got Bats? Promoting awareness and change: To ensure broad community awareness and adoption of ecosystem restoration techniques, grants provide resources to support touring groups and volunteers, and public events including marketing, refreshments, and outreach materials. Over the past eight years a network of volunteers has developed to form a mentoring chain. Volunteers come weekly under the mentorship of other volunteers and larger monthly gatherings attract people from diverse background

External connections

The Biodiversity Project has received support, donations, guidance, or approval from the District of Saanich, the BC Ministry of Environment, Parks Canada, Natural Resources Canada, the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team and the Public Conservation Assistance Fund (2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015). The project has tremendous name recognition locally and beyond. It has attracted a lot of attention from the general community, and land managers and conservation groups such as Parks Canada and the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team. Small tours are conducted regularly to share our experience and discuss restoration techniques that could be applied to other sites. The Project raises awareness of the importance of wetlands and meadows and provides a venue for the teaching of these values. Partnerships with the local community, other organizations, and schools provide hands on learning opportunities and supply a larger volunteer base for the project. Project volunteers have directly engaged and mentored hundreds of individuals through regular monthly work parties, school groups, community groups and individual volunteers. More than 50 students from the Claremont School Global Studies program have worked with us weekly during the school year for the past five years. Professional biologists donate time and mentor students and non-biologist volunteers in natural history and ecological restoration. Groups like Greater Victoria Green Teams also contribute their time.

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

The environmental challenge is the restoration and enhancement of rare, natural ecosystems on a 0.3ha area on Haliburton Farm. This includes wetland and riparian area restoration, creation of a native meadow and grassland, plus improvement of habitat quality throughout the actively farmed areas. The creation of a Garry oak meadow and wetland restoration serve as a premier educational and demonstration site for urban biodiversity enhancement in the region. The restored Garry Oak meadow and wetland complex mimic the deep-soiled Garry oak meadows that once covered extensive areas of the region before European settlement. Garry oak ecosystems are one of the most endangered habitats in Canada (red-listed provincially), and are home to more than 100 species-at-risk. Within these ecosystems, moist, deep-soiled meadows are one of the rarest habitats, thought to have declined to less than 1% of their original area. The creation of a small native plant meadow reinstated an ecological feature

Describe the context in which you are operating

Land for food production is rare in BC, only 5% of the total land base is suitable; only 1% is prime agricultural land. The best farmland is near densely populated urban areas, subject to significant competition for other uses. Until 1973, up to 6,000 ha of BC farmland was lost annually to development. In 1973, most agricultural land became protected under BC's Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) policy.

Land use pressure continues for farmland in BC - in 2001, the Capital Regional District (Victoria and adjacent suburbs) planned to sell Haliburton Farm, legally removing it from ALR protection, to permit high-density residential development. Concerned community members wanted the land for food production and proposed an alternative vision of a place for new farmers to learn farming in a supportive community. Since 2002, the non-profit, volunteer Haliburton Organic Farm Society (HCOFS) has held the Farm in stewardship. HCOFS leases small plots (~0.4ha each) of certified organic farmland to new farmers for a small annual fee ($500), facilitates the enhancement/restoration of Farm ecosystems, and hands-on training in organic agriculture and ecosystem stewardship.

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

Wildlife use of the Biodiversity Project area has increased steadily since restoration began in 2009. Native animals have colonized the wetland & meadows, including frogs, insects (beetles, dragonflies, butterflies, katydids), birds, garter snakes, and salamanders. The wetlands are now a major breeding site for Pacific Chorus Frog which feed on insects throughout the farm and provide a prey base (e.g., for garter snakes, Great Blue Herons). In 2014, Long-Toed salamanders were observed breeding in the wetland for the first time, significant because these are obligate pond-breeding amphibians. In 2015, a University of Victoria graduate student began a project to improve habitat for the blue-listed Red-legged Frog. The wetlands support a tremendous abundance of aquatic insects that support birds & foraging bats. Restored habitat provides foraging grounds for Barn, Tree, & Violet-Green Swallows, House Wren, Great Blue Heron, and others. The wetland is now a consistent overwintering area

Language(s)

English

Water

The restored wetlands provide breeding, wintering, and migration habitat for shorebirds (e.g., Killdeer, Wilson’s Snipe, sandpipers). Bats, Barn Swallows, and other aerial insectivores feed over the wetland in the summer. Breeding by Pacific Chorus Frogs and Long-toed Salamanders is confirmed. The wetland stores and filters water destined for Elk/Beaver Lake and the salmon-bearing Colquitz Creek. Riparian thickets and hedgerows provide refuge and foraging habitat for a variety of songbirds, amp

Food Security/Nutrition

Multiple reginal studies report an urgent need to support sustainable local food production for food security. Only 0.4% of the local population is actively involved in farming. The average age of farmers in Saanich is 57, with no increase in the percent (4%) of farmers under 35 years old since 2006. Over 61% of farmers are over the age of 55. Haliburton Farm attracts and trains new and young farmers interested in sustainable food production and proactive ecosystem restoration and enhancement. H

Economic/Sustainable Development

The farming businesses at Haliburton Farm continue to demonstrate increases in certified organic produce grown and sold at the farm, the farm stand, in the seasonal food box programs, to restaurants, retail and local farm markets.

Climate

n/a

Sustainability

Since the onset of Haliburton farm operations in 2002, volunteers have played a pivotal role ins sustaining operations. The all-volunteer Board of Directors for Haliburton Community Organic Farm Society (HCOFS) maintains the common lands on the Farm, including the farmhouse/education centre, seedling greenhouse, pathways throughout the Farm, the farmstand, etc. The individual farm businesses that lease land manage their own operations, following certified organic farming practices, and contribute to maintaining the common areas. Each farming operation runs as a separate legal business entity; however, farmers collaborate and cooperate for product marketing, sales and distribution. Farmers meet regularly to plan actions to meet the goals

Return on investment

Almost entirely by volunteer work. Grants of CDN $5,000 to $25,000 per year for the past 10 years.

How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

Based on local conditions, similar small oasis of nature could be established. Cost would vary with land costs, permitting needs and avilable resources including permaculture knowledge.

Overview