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Farm owners Bert and Lauraine Andrews plan to retire from production agriculture and close their farm business this year, and are offering new farmers access to their land and markets during this season and in years to come (see *** below).

Located just north of Milton alongside the Niagara Escarpment and the Greenbelt, Andrews' Scenic Acres has catered to local food markets by growing high-value crops, developing value-added products and pursuing direct sales to consumers in the Greater Toronto Area. The pick-your-own farm is best known for its strawberries, raspberries, high-bush blueberries, sweet corn, pumpkins and flowers. Produce is sold at the farm store and at nine farmers' markets. Known for its award-winning fruit wines, the Scotch Block Winery, also located on the farm, incorporates many of the berries grown on site. The farm also boasts a large agri-education program, attracting 20,000 elementary students annually.

There is immense opportunity at Andrews' for new farmers to access land, established perennial crops, markets and clientele, and build on 30 years of innovation. There is some flexibility in arrangements that could be made between the Andrews and new farmers; any number of scenarios and creative agreements could accommodate new farmers' diverse interests and production needs. Sale and lease options exist for use of the land itself on acreage as small as 1/2 acre or more. Business partnerships with Andrews' Scenic Acres could open up market access to new farmers as well during the 2010 season.

Some possible scenarios:
1. Several new farmers may consider collaborating to lease land and equipment from the Andrews family, creating a cooperative.
2. Instead of leasing, new farmers may arrange to give a percentage of gross sales to the Andrews family to gain access to land, equipment and markets.
3. A new farmer may lease some land and sell produce through Andrews' Scenic Acres farm market during the 2010 season.
4. Aspiring new farmers are welcome to gain experience as employees of Andrews' Scenic Acres, May-August 2010, in preparation for building their own farm business on the land the following year.

Andrews' Scenic Acres has a tractor and plough that could be made available for use by new farmers, given the necessary insurance is provided. There may be irrigation capacity on the land as well.

*	All leasing or business agreements must be finalized by May to farm the Andrews' property in 2010.
**	All leasing or business agreements for the fall or the 2011 season must be finalized by June 2010; if no agreement is made by June, all equipment (tractors, coolers, irrigation pipes, etc.) will be auctioned off in September.
***	If you have experience growing berry crops and are interested in teaming up with others who are already familiar with the farm operations at Andrews' to start a new farm business, please contact Andrews' Assistant Farm Manager Matt Setzkorn at msetzkor@uoguelph.ca or (519) 277-9967.

For more information on Andrews' Scenic Acres, visit:

• www.andrewsscenicacres.com
• www.scotchblockwinery.com

Bert Andrews can be contacted directly at farm@andrewsscenicacres.com or at (905) 691-2672.