BC town wants to develop municipal land for forestry and ag opportunities

Oct 26, 2021

The British Columbia town of Qualicum Beach wants to create a rural innovation hub on 44 acres of municipal land that will provide value-added opportunities for forestry and agriculture.

Although the parcel of land is in an area with a long growing season, it is not thought to have the best quality of soil for outdoor farming—so greenhouses may be the best option.

Qualicum Beach is looking for proposals to design, develop, own, operate and finance a light industrial forestry and/or agricultural development in an effort to encourage new value-added activities in the area.

The end-result of the project is to create local jobs and businesses, increase economic activity and support current area suppliers and shops. Along with taxes generated via any new commercial building project, land sales or long-term leases are also on the table.

A portion of the land is within the BC Agricultural Land Reserve, with another section containing a decommissioned landfill topped with clay.

The town said initial proposals must be in by November 3, 2021, with additional proposals to be considered quarterly per year.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.