SPEC Farmland Ecosystem Services Program

Small-scale farmers are the unsung heroes of our time. Because their farms are small and they generally do not own the land, they fall between the cracks of many programs intended to help farmers. There is a huge opportunity for the expansion of small-scale farming in Metro Vancouver, with three quarters of parcels smaller than five acres currently not farmed and therefore idle. Not only are these small-scale farmers producing valuable food, but their farms often improve the soil quality, which means that the land can produce food for generations to come. Many of these farmers also care about the impact their farms have on local and global ecosystems and adopt sustainable farm practices, such as cover cropping, planting a diversity of crops, and adding compost to the soil. Small-scale farmers provide Ecosystem Services which are very valuable to all members of society, whether or not you are a farmer. We believe that the best way to encourage these services is to support farmers in their role as stewards of the land, as well as engage the public to raise awareness on the topic.