We aim to contribute to sustainable food systems on the Sunshine Coast that prioritize food sovereignty and safer spaces in agriculture for queer folks
We are excited to introduce ourselves as the humans behind Grounded Acres Organic Farm, a queer-run farm growing 3 acres of food on unceded Sḵwx̱wú7mesh territory in Gibsons, on the Sunshine Coast of BC since 2021. Our farm family includes 4 seasonal staff, 100 laying hens, over 60 varieties of vegetables and fruit, resident ravens, and a dynamic ecosystem from trees to soil microbes who are tending this land alongside us. Our produce, eggs, seedlings and seeds are certified organic under the BC Certified Organic Program, using agricultural practices that regenerate and contribute to the health of our ecosystem.
Our story
Before Grounded Acres began, we were farmers passionate about small-scale agriculture, seed saving, food justice, and education. We met (and fell in love while shovelling compost, your average farmer romance) while working at UBC Farm over a decade ago. We moved to the Sunshine Coast on winter solstice in December of 2020, when our little ones had just turned one year old. They have been farm kids since day one: they learned to walk barefoot between rows of arugula and plucking fallen cherry tomatoes from the ground. Now they are planting their own kids’ garden, picking peas to fill their pockets, and hugging chickens every chance they get. Much like the land, our little ones are generous teachers and we learn from them every day.
After decades working on farms, we haven’t been able to set our roots down somewhere until now, which is why the name “Grounded Acres” means a lot to us. We are committed to stewarding this ground, humbly listening to its teachings, and actively digging in to what it means to work towards food justice and the dismantling of white supremacy on unceded Sḵwx̱wú7mesh territory. As queer folks, we recognize that rural and agricultural communities are not often safe spaces for members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Being out and visible as a queer-run farm in a small town is our way of grounding our queerness in the land, showing that queer folks have always been deeply rooted to land-based work and that we belong in agriculture and in our community. We seek to create safer spaces in agriculture for our 2SLGBTQ+ community: in our farm team, on the coast, and beyond.
We commit to unpacking our privilege as farmers who were able to access land by buying with family when so many farmers struggle to find long-term and affordable land access in our region; on stolen Indigenous lands “owned” by our family because of the legacies of and ongoing projects of colonialism; as farmers within a long history of agriculture being used to justify the dispossession of Indigenous territories and the global agricultural industrial complex; as white, queer folks in a rural area who do not experience the same intersecting oppressions that folks who are racialized and trans do. We humbly accept we will make mistakes, will do the work to learn from them, and will turn that learning into action. We always love to hear feedback and discuss how we can do this work so please reach out to us.
Mel Sylvestre
Mel doesn’t give up easily on projects and finds farming addictive: every season is a chance to try something differently and learn how to improve! She has been farming for over 20 years, the majority spent in field management at Saanich Organics on Vancouver Island and UBC Farm in Vancouver. She graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Plant and Soil Science from UBC and uses these skills in her work as an organic Verification Officer and on a review committee for a local organic certification body. Mel mentors many new farmers in the region and has more than 10 years experience teaching farm students. She is a founding member of the BC Eco Seed Co-operative where she continuously refines her expertise as a seed producer, advocate and educator. As co-president of the Southern Sunshine Coast Farmers’ Institute she advocates for the needs of farmers in our region. Mel is curious to learn and is always educating herself on farm skills including operating machinery, using power tools, and plant breeding. Mel grew up in rural Quebec among fields of fragrant flowering buckwheat; wherever she farms now you can be sure there’s a buckwheat cover crop growing nearby and you can find her making buckwheat crepes on Sunday mornings for her family.
Hannah Lewis
Hannah loves to farm and is passionate about sustainable agriculture, especially as a form of food literacy and education. She has 8 years of farming experience, based mainly at UBC Farm after taking their Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture program. Her background is in environmental education: for many years she worked in garden-based education with adults and youth and is especially grateful for the humbling experience, learning, and lasting friendships that came from her years with the xʷc̓ic̓əsəm Indigenous Health Research & Education Garden on xʷməθkʷəy̓əm territory. She loves farmers’ markets after working both as a market manager and a vendor, building meaningful relationships with the community and other vendors, and exploring who may be excluded from markets and why. When she’s not farming she’s exploring tidal pools, stopping every two minutes on a hike to take a photo of a plant (sorry Mel), and endeavouring to meet as many birds as possible.