The Smart Farm Project

(2013)

The Smart Farm Project is an exploration of collaborative innovations between the public, private and community driven sectors with the goal of catalyzing small farms and providing affordable housing for the younger generation of farmers Canada . Specifically, the Smart Farm Project explored whether increased density on lots outside the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) using low footprint cluster designs could play a pivotal role in attracting young farmers and catalyzing new farms across BC and Canada.

Upland Agricultural Consulting was contracted to select four case study properties that reflected a diversity of geography, ownership and potential farm yield. The team then collaborated on a Smart Farm proposal for each property, including:
  • farm plans;
  • designs;
  • legal recommendations; and
  • a feasibility analysis.
The case study approach allowed the team to explore this innovation using real land, real people and real numbers across a spectrum of potential Smart Farm proposals, from the unconventional co-operative driven model through to the more conventional developer-driven one.

Link to the Smart Farm Project web page

Link to the Smart Farm Project case studies report (PDF)

Link to the Smart Farm Project case studies appendices and feasibility studies (PDF)

Smart Farm Project video