It was Norma and her late husband, Joseph’s, wish to see their farm protected forever and Norma has made that happen by donating her farm to TLC. The farmland will be used for food production and the forest will be protected for the multitude of birds that keep Norma company. Not to mention the Backyard Fresh Boys….read to find out about their involvement on this farm.
- Norma Lohbrunner on the right, happily in her garden
Paula Hesje
Address:
1152 Lippincott Road
Langford
V9Z 2Z6
Phone:
250.479.8053
Fax:
250.744.2251
Email:
phesje@conservancy.bc.ca
blog.conservancy.bc.ca
| Produce grown: | When it’s Available: | Where to buy our product: | ||
| Mixed Vegetables: Potatoes, beans, peas, broccoli, tomatillos, herbs, squash, zucchini, carrots etc. Future possibilities of apples, berries and eggs. |
May-November | Moss Street Market |
More Information:
Norma Lohbrunner has lived on the same 40-acre farm since marrying her husband, Joseph, in 1945. It is a welcome respite from the expanding ‘big box’ houses in Langford. A long driveway leads you to a white farmhouse with fields to your right and the forest rising up, providing a picturesque green backdrop. It is these two features – the agricultural fields and the forest – that Norma is passionate about.
Over the years, Norma and Joseph grew a wide variety of produce on the land, from beef cattle to hay to vegetables. Joseph had a great passion for birds and Norma recalls how he would bring towhee birds into the kitchen to feed them. He whistled and called like the birds and even took care of one that had a broken leg. Both Joseph and Norma lived with the land and what it offered them.
After Joseph passed away in 1968, Norma wanted to uphold his wish that “this land is not to be developed”. Norma’s vision was also to protect this land from the rampant development she has seen in the region over the past 10 years. She saw the forest as a calm sanctuary for her beloved bird community and the farmland as a valuable food-producing resource, despite the fact that it has only been used for hay production in the past 12 years. This minimal farming activity all changed in 2007 when Norma began the process to see her hopes for the farm realized.
Several people echo Norma’s sentiments for the protection of natural and agricultural areas, but many have not taken the time to build a particular vision for the future of their beloved land. In 2007, Norma donated the farm to The Land Conservancy of BC using a legal agreement called a ‘life estate’. A ‘life estate’ means that Norma will live in her home for the rest of her life; it means that she has given title to The Land Conservancy who assume responsibility for protecting the land in perpetuity as per Norma’s wishes.
Two farmers are now farming the land – Ian King and Christina Michalenko. “The land is starting to come alive,” says Norma.
