Food Sustainability and Agricultural Opportunities

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Hornby Island is blessed with food growing and harvesting opportunities, including arable farm land, seasonal forest foods, and year-round marine bounties. Yet, most of us still don't eat locally, or heavily rely on cheaper foods from everywhere around the world. With this initiative, we simply want to inspire people to look around and capture the benefits of local produce.

HICEEC's involvement in food and agriculture has been in a support role in helping the Hornby Island Farmland Trust develop a community agricultural area.  

 The Hornby Island Farmland Trust Society was incorporated as a not-for-profit society in 2013.   HICEEC Board members of the time:  Donna Tuele, Helen Grond, Gary Manzer, Katherine Ronan all were part of the initial team.  And several sat on both boards at the same time, and were part of launching the first project.  Working to acquire land.  Donny Farris kindly donated 12 acres along Sollans Road and the Donny Farris Community Farm and Garden began in the spring of 2017.  

Many of the Islands accomplished gardeners joined together and cooperatively work and manage the Community Garden and Retail Stand.  Special note to Jodi Snijders of Sunama Nursery for her leadership.

The Hornby Island Farmland Trust Society is incorporated under the BC Society Act (Incorporation No. S-61166), and since 2022 is a registered Canadian charitable organization  (Registration No. 811858240RR0001). 

The purposes of the Society are: 

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1. to provide a public amenity by developing, maintaining and operating community gardens, allotment gardens on Hornby Island, British Columbia; 
    
2. to promote agriculture and horticulture on Hornby Island by: 
   
   • encouraging agricultural and horticultural land improvement activities including land clearing, soil cultivation and amelioration activities; 
   • encouraging better growing practices through agricultural and horticultural training and workshops; and 
      

1. to advance education by providing training, classes, events, and workshops on the subjects of agriculture, horticulture and local food provisioning; 
    
2. to alleviate poverty by providing farming plots to individuals or families who are poor, of low income or in need;

For more information:  https://www.hifarmlandtrust.org/