The Cowichan Valley Regional District has approved $5,000 for an Incubator Farm pilot project.
Judy Stafford of Cowichan Green Community, which will be running the project, was on hand to answer questions about the endeavour from the board last week.
On July 15, North Cowichan council authorized a standard five-year licence of occupation for a three-and-a-half acre parcel on Lakes Road on the southwest side of the Beverly Street dike.
Along with the funding from the CVRD, the CGC has secured $30,000 in other grants for the project to date, Stafford reported to the board.
The plan is to start putting infrastructure in place on the farm and restoring the land, which was once used for farming but has fallen into disuse.
The final goal is to build a working seed farm, with a seed school. Planting is not in the cards for this summer, Stafford said, as the bone dry, hot weather is not conducive to success.
The board was unanimous in its approval.
The $5,000 will come from the Economic Development budget, as the incubator farm project is part of the CVRD's Area Agriculture Plan.