Don’t worry, the people of Richmond will still get their local strawberries this summer, old Bill ain’t quitting just yet.
That’s the message from veteran Richmond farmer Bill Zylmans, who put a portion of his little empire up for sale recently.
Zylmans, 64 – whose family has owned and operated W&A Farms based out of Westminster Highway and No. 8 Road since 1954 – has been fielding a few calls from customers since the 19-acre working farm went on the market for just under $10 million.
Not least of which has been the overriding concern from some about the future of Zylmans’ prized strawberries.
However, Zylmans, who has been running the business since he left high school in the ‘70s, said he’s not even close to “chucking it” yet.
“All this is, is a little changing of direction; I’m trying to do some estate planning and a bit of streamlining,” Zylmans told the Richmond News, adding that he actually grows his strawberries on leased land across the street from the property up for sale.
“The strawberries are dear to my heart, it’s not like I’m quitting. It’s not like I’ve got one foot in the grave.”
Of the decision to put the original farm up for sale, Zylmans, who also grows potatoes and is chair of the Canadian Potato Council, explained that none of his adult children has any interest in farming, so there’s no one to pass it on to.
“It’s a sad moment I guess, but it’s quite poignant and why not try to bring in some new young blood into agricultural?” he said.
“By doing this now, when the farm is functioning well and everything is up to date, everything is modern, it’s viable.
“Too many people in business, especially in agriculture, hang in there too long and things get dilapidated; their business falls apart and they think they’re going to get millions of dollars for it.
“But it’s time-consuming and I’ve put in my time here.”
Zylmans pointed out that, outside of the 19 acres up for sale – which includes multiple outbuildings, a 1,020 sq. ft. storefront, a 2,580 sq ft main house and a 1,470 sq ft second house – he farms another 35 acres in Richmond and 70 in south Delta, where he now lives.
“I’m just trying to streamline my portfolio, my estate. I don’t have to sell, it’s not a firesale,” explained Zylmans.
“There is all kinds of opportunities there, on top of the farming side, you could have a winery, a brewery.
“I could do all that, but I’m not going to be around long enough to see the rewards in the decades ahead.”
The sale attracted the attention of local grassroots organization Richmond Farmwatch, which highlighted the fact the property is costing around $500,000 per acre, a price Farmwatch claims far outstrips the ability for new farmers coming into the industry.
“That post on Farmwatch doesn’t reflect what’s up for sale there, it’s not just a bunch of farmland,” Zylmans said in response.
On its Facebook page, Farmwatch posed the question, “What new farmers can afford to take over farmland…?”
It added, “During the mansion building peak, farmland in Richmond was selling for well over $1M per acre. It's good to see the prices settling down to something more stable, but the state of the market is still high. Hopefully there will be a purchaser interested in carrying on the legacy of this long-time farm that we all know.”
Zylmans also pointed out that the property in question is locked into the ALR (Agricultural Land Reserve) so it can't be turned into multi-dwelling housing.
