The community farm

Project by Mauldin Horticulture, Terrace, BC

The finished ground

By September 2024 the farm looked the way the drawing said it would: cedar raised beds on gravel paths, crop rows behind them, and a greenhouse at the back.

Finished cedar raised beds with gravel paths between them — Cedar raised beds and gravel paths, September 2024

Raised beds planted out with flowers in wooden planters — The beds planted out, first season

Crop rows with wood chip paths and a greenhouse behind — Crop rows and wood chip paths, greenhouse behind

Two people planting out rows in low evening light — Planting the rows, July 2024

Freshly raked field rows running toward the trees, a hoop house frame at the left and visitors in the foreground — Fresh rows raked out beside the hoop house, spring 2025

Rows of young onion seedlings with mulched paths between them, hoop house frames and mountains behind — Onion rows and mulched paths, spring 2025

The work between

Between the drawing and the harvest there is a season of unglamorous ground work. Grading, fabric, and then trays of plants going in one by one through July.

A person crouched planting young rows in summer light — Setting plants into the rows, July 2024

A hi-vis crew laying ground fabric across the graded site — Ground fabric going down, March 2024

A woman and a child crouched in a field row transplanting onion seedlings along guide lines — Transplanting onions along the lines, spring 2025

The plan

Every farm Wesley designs starts on paper, and this one was drawn by hand. The plan already holds the whole site: production greenhouse, classroom, hoop houses, compost, and the community raised beds that now stand at the front of the ground.

Hand-drawn master plan annotated with production greenhouse, classroom, hoop houses, compost, and community raised beds — The hand-drawn master plan for the farm

Before…

Two crew members in hi-vis standing on the empty graded site — The crew on the empty site, March 2024