Move to the country and start farming

Are you a farmer without land? Or perhaps you’re an entrepreneur in search of a new adventure. If so, the National Capital Region (NCC) has an exciting proposition for you! Last week, the NCC announced that they are looking for tenants. This isn’t your typical lease agreement though. The NCC has posted eight farms within the city’s greenbelt that are in need of farmers.

National Capital Commission director of real estate, Bill Leonard, says the NCC is looking for sustainable agriculture. Anything from fruits and vegetables to livestock. He stresses that creativity is a must.

These farms have all been acquired by the NCC throughout the years due to farmer attrition and land redevelopment. It has always been important to the NCC to maintain these farms as part of the city’s farming heritage. The large plots of land are all within 10-15 minutes from the city’s core and provide a quiet escape from the hustle and bustle of downtown.

The NCC states that they are looking for families who are willing to stay for at least 25 years, which is the length of time they believe it takes to truly get the best value from the land. According to the NCC, “The Greenbelt farming sector includes 5,400 hectares of good quality farmland. The land quality and the favourable climate mean that a wide variety of crops can be produced by Greenbelt farmers.”

The deadline for application is August 26, 2015. What kind of things are they looking for? Someone who has an understanding of sustainable agriculture; someone with a clear plan in mind and who is looking to stay long term, and someone with good credit. Check out all the requirements on the website.

This is one of the greatest things about Ottawa. Where else can you step outside of the downtown core and within minutes find farms that will, one day, provide enough agriculture for our community?

Top Image: "DSC01426 - Ross Farm" by Dennis Jarvis is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0