The Langley Farmers Institute is looking to build its membership among the agricultural community and rural landowners with a meet and greet near the end of February.
The institute was founded in early 2020, which was not an ideal time to launch a new association.
Since then, it has lost and gained a number of organizers, and it had to fight its way through the following years of the COVID-19 pandemic during the lockdowns, according to chair Amanda Smith.
Now Smith and the directors are hoping to get some new participants, with a meetup on Monday, Feb. 26 at Locality Brewing.
The primary goal of the new Farmer’s Institute is to be an advocate for the local agricultural community, said Smith.
“We are here to more or less liaise with all three layers of government,” Smith said.
There are multiple groups in Langley that have aspects that touch on farming, she noted, from the Aldergrove Fair to Langley Environmental Partners Society to the BC Farm Museum.
But the Farmers Institute aims to be a “one stop shop” for all things directly farming-related, said Smith. It can help people connect to resources and government funding and clarify regulations.
One reason for ramping up the institute now is the upcoming provincial election.
Langley will be divided into three ridings for the next election. Two are larger urban and suburban – Langley-Walnut Grove and Langley-Willowbrook.
The third, Langley-Abbotsford, includes south Brookswood, Murrayville, Aldergrove, and most of Langley’s rural land, from Glen Valley down to the U.S. border. That new riding is home to a lot of farms and farmers.
Melanie MacInnes of Locality Brewing, located at 252nd Street just off 72nd Avenue, was at the original 2020 meeting to form the institute, and will host the upcoming meet and greet.
She said she wanted a group with the power to be a voice for farmers.
MacInnes grew up on a dairy farm.
“To me, my whole life has been about how to keep the family farm,” she said.
Her farm now not only grows hops and has a brewery and tasting room, there’s a market garden, hazelnut and apple trees, has a couple of pygmy goats on site, and has served as a film set a few times.
After the institute’s rough start due to COVID-19, MacInnes said she’s excited to see the group grow and to host its next event.
In southwest Langley, you can find Pinsch of Soil Farm, run by Marcel Sachse and his family. There’s a horse stable, an acre of vegetable and fruit growing, and a few animals, including a pair of Scottish blackface sheep.
A director of the Farmers Institute, Sachse said there are a number of reasons he’s involved with the group.
“Staying connected is probably the most important part,” he said.
Being in touch with other farmers, naturalists, and other local groups has given him access to more expertise over the years that he’s been able to put into practice on his farm, which despite its small geographical size, is a full-time job.
Having other people he can talk to about farming, or about new rules and regulations that seem intimidating, is helpful, said Sachse.
For more information on the Langley Farmers Institute and the upcoming meet up, contact them via langleyfarmersinstitute@gmail.com.
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