About Us
Vantreight Farms is proposing a mixed-use housing development on land that is not farmable or in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) featuring 31 single-family homes, 92 townhomes, and 141 condominium units. Net revenue generated from the proposed development of this land will be invested back into Vantreight Farms, which grows approximately 18 million daffodils per year, generating 1,500 to 2,000 jobs annually. This development is essential for Vantreight Farms to modernize and expand its operations and also to assist us in becoming economically, environmentally and socially sustainable for generations to come.
The intent is to create a higher-density, mixed-use residential community leaving more public greenspace than a development made up entirely of single-family homes. The proposed development will allow for the use of green building techniques, increase the municipal tax base and population density required to make public transit viable, provide cash injections for affordable housing projects, preserve more ALR land as active farmland, create walking and cycling pathway connections into Saanichton Village and save taxpayer money by allowing the development of already-serviced lands.
Vantreight Farms is a family owned and
operated business that was started in 1884 by
John Vantreight, who had come from Dublin,
Ireland, to settle in the Gordon Head area of
Greater Victoria. John’s son, Geoffrey Sr.,
continued the farm and expanded operations to
Central Saanich until eventually his own son,
Geoffrey Jr., took over after the Great
Depression, as a young man in his late teens.
The farm has been passed down through four
generations and is now owned and operated by
Ian Vantreight and his family.
Today, Vantreight Farms utilizes over 750 acres of farmland that is primarily located in the Municipality of Central Saanich. The main farm crop is Daffodils, with an annual production of over 18,000,000 blooms.
Vantreight Farms has a highly valued full time staff of 21 people, and seasonal part-time staff of 65.
In 1957, Geoff Jr. sent the first 2400 blooms to
Toronto, for the Cancer Society, on a trial
basis.
More than 50 years later, Daffodil Days
have become a worldwide event. Vantreight
Farms is now the largest Daffodil producer in
Canada and the second largest in North
America, supplying Daffodils to Cancer
Societies across Canada and the United States.
The future growth of Vantreight Farms is very important to the Vantreight Family and all the valued employees that work within this Central Saanich business. Money generated from the development of the 13 hectares of land will go into infrastructure modernization projects that will assist the farm in becoming economically, environmentally and socially sustainable, expand land holdings and support ongoing operational improvements at the farm. It is and always has been our goal to remain a family owned and operated farm.
Here are a few things on the horizon for the next generation of Vantreight Farms:
- Implementing recycling programs in our office/warehouse for everything we use, from the ground-up;
- Moving our composting operation to a more suitable location so we can enhance our practices of producing quality compost, and enhance our fields while not disturbing the community;
- Utilizing more environmentally friendly practices on our fields and in our greenhouses for fertilization and pest control;
- Looking at crops and products which promote health and wellbeing for our land and ourselves; i.e. herbs which can be used in medicines and remedies for naturopathic and homeopathic uses, green roofs for buildings and
organic crops in our greenhouses;
- Looking at changing our greenhouse fuel to chip, bio, wind, solar or a combination of these alternative fuel sources, in order to become more sustainable;
- Changing our tractors and machinery over to biodiesel, a B-20 blend that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 53,000 kg (53 tonnes) per year;
- Implementing advanced farming practices to bring better crops with less overhead.
- Building an agritourism site and program to put Central Saanich on the map as “The Daffodil Capital Of Canada” and to bring tourism and revenue to the community, both directly and indirectly;
- Expanding operations to include viticulture, one of Ryan’s interests and future goals for the farm.
- We are taking things one step at a time, and that first step is to rebuild and expand our farm in a smarter, greener way with the involvement and support of the community.
