About the Farm

126 acre farm  4km from Sorrento in historic Notch Hill, B.C.  Nestled in the valley, with the best soil in the area and south facing slopes this farm is both productive and beautiful.

In the certified organic programme since 1996, the land is currently in vegetables, hay, forage and pasture with some forested and wetland areas. Broderick Creek runs through the south east section and provides irrigation water through first water rights.  There is about a 1/4 acre of berries with 8 different varieties and approximately 20 types of fruit trees provide apricots, apples, pears and plums.
The original farmhouse c. 1908 is a Norwegian built log home and has had a large farm kitchen, laundry room/bathroom added in the 1950’s. A pump/utility room and games room (or dining room) was added in the early 2000’s. This home has had several recent renovations including a hardwood floor, new cabinets and a chimney for a wood stove in the kitchen, tile floors and updated fixtures in the bathrooms and new gyproc throughout the upper floor.  Heat is by 2 propane heaters and an airtight wood stove.  Water is from an excellent well.  This 4 or 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom home is ideal for a large family. The metal roof is currently being replaced. 

There is a small 3 bedroom cabin which is currently rented.
Many older outbuildings include a large heritage hay barn, a sturdy  2 bay barn with power, water and a concrete floor; there is also a woodshed, root cellar and workshop/potting shed.. There are 3 x 200amp electrical services and the 2 to the houses and potting shed were updated in 2012.

Three high tunnel greenhouses and an insulated potting house with wood heat are currently used for a nursery operation and season extension for vegetables. 

location

Located in Notch Hill, the farm is divided by Notch Hill road and the CPR line. The land is perimeter fenced and has a year round Broderick Creek meandering through from the south to the Northeast; the farm has first water rights on the creek and has irrigation system in place. There is a well with excellent water and a spring is located in the pasture on the North side of the road. A pastoral and quiet neighbourhood of farms and ranches and a few minutes to Shuswap lake

Notch Hill is 5 mins to Sorrento, 15 min to Salmon Arm,  and an hour's drive from Kamloops or Vernon

The fields

With 45 + acres of cropland and 40 more of pasture and hayfield, this farm provides opportunity for small scale sustainable and economically viable family farming. The black loam is deep on the bottomland where vegetables have been grown for 20 years. The north 40 acres (currently hay and pasture) has potential for grapes, berries or orchard.
Vegetables and fruits have been marketed in Kamloops, Kelowna, Vancouver and at our local markets here in the Shuswap. There is ample room for storing the hay and forage that comes off of the land and the benches above the road have pasture and alfalfa mixed grass hay. The annual contracts with neighbours for pasturing livestock and hayshare can easily be extended. Our local bee keeper has kept hives here for many years to the benefit of our crops.

good black loam cropland

clover hay 

view of the fields south of the road in vegetable production and fresh cut hayfield.
The 2 woodlots are visible in this picture too.. 

west fenceline from hayfield with bee hives

fertile loam

the house

Tubs of flowers greet you when you first arrive
The roof shows the 3 stages of building
A new red roof will soon be finished

The main door to the old log house faces south

Walking into the house at the east entrance you are in a mud room with a full bathroom and laundry room to your left. (photo coming soon)

You continue into the kitchen which is the centre of this home in more ways than one. Fully renovated in

2004, floor joists replaced, hardwood floor laid, the old exterior wall was repaired and is now an interior wall and all cupboards and counters replaced. The stove was replaced in 2012, the dishwasher in 2014 and the fridge in 2016

breakfast table at west facing window and propane cook stove

large central island with sinks and dishwasher

dining area at east end of kitchen

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Just through the dining area the games room is down 3 stairs to your right and to your left you enter the old log house.

Immediately on the right is the staircase to the upper floor and 4 bedrooms.

Back down the stairs  is a bathroom with a jetted tub,  the shower and large closet fitted under the staircase.

Back out of the bathroom you are in an open 'hallway' with a large bedroom on the southeast corner 

main floor bedroom

The hallway is open to the large living room with log walls to the south, east and north. and there is a south doorway out to the garden from the living room.  There is a propane stove in the northeast corner which will run even if the power is down and a woodstove in the south east corner. 

propane stove in living room

wood stove in living room


HOUSE INFORMATION:
On septic
Water on well
Roof metal
Heating: Propane and wood
5 Appliances (propane cook stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer/dryer)
MAIN FLOOR
Living space 2480 sq ft
Entrance (mud room) 6ft x 12
Kitchen 26ft x 13ft 6in
Bth/laundry 11ft x 6ft 6in
Games (dining) room 20' x 11ft 6in
Pump room (storage) 10ft 6in x 11ft 6in
Main floor bedroom 13ft 3in x 13ft 8in
Main bathroom 13ft 3in x 8ft 6in (plus shower and closet built under stairs)
Living room 17ft 2in x 24ft
4 UPPER FLOOR BEDROOMS
12fty 6in x 13ft
11ft x 6ft 6in
14ft x 9ft 6in plus large walk in closet
11ft x 14ft
Upper floor hallway 7ft x 14ft 6in, plus closet

Outbuildings

There are a number of solid, useful structures on the farm.

the hay barn is a landmark in Notch Hill

Its 40 by 45 and at 30+ feet high at peak.

interior of the other barn with concrete floor, water and 200 amp service

Barn is 52ft x 28ft with large doors for easy clean out

High Tunnels

Other buildings include a woodshed, root cellar, pump house and a workshop/potting shed. 

Cabin

A three bedroom, one bathroom  cottage  with wood stove and full kitchen is currently rented

Organic Production

 The vegetable production component of this farm was started in 1996. Organic certification from NOOA (North Okanagan Organic Association) was applied for and, gradually, 18 acres were brought into production  servicing markets and wholesale customers in Vancouver, Kamloops, Kelowna, Coquitlam and locally here in Sorrento and area. This land has supported a variety of crops from arugula to zucchini and is well suited for carrot, onion, beet and root crops.


In 2008 we opened our seasonal plant nursery. With one of our high tunnels devoted to customer sales and one to production, the nursery became an important factor in season extension. It provided early income as well as all the transplants necessary for our vegetable production.

This farm supported our family and 5 full time seasonal workers as well as being hosts to many WWOOF participants and overseas students.

As part of our full farm operation we also raised a small herd of beef cattle, milk goats, pigs and chickens with much of their feed being grown on farm by a contract farmer. That farmer is still with me, managing the hay and forage fields. There is also a local bee keeper with hives on the west fence line providing pollination support for the fields. As I no longer have livestock, a 20 acre section of pasture/woodlot is being grazed by my neighbours cattle. The land has several soil types and features for production including the black loam flats between the road and the tracks, the benches (across Notch Hill Rd) of upland south facing stony, silt loam that has been used for alfalfa mix hay and pasture. Orchards would be am excellent option for the upper benches.

The farm was first settled and the barn and house built in  the early 1900s, with a dairy being established and operating as a dairy farm through the early decades.

Water for the fields is supplied from the creek and the line runs to 3 hydrants. We use a small reel as well as a drip system.  The farm holds first water rights on Broderick Creek.

Woodlots, forest and wet land

The farm has 2 woodlots and a forest with a beautiful wetland. On google map you can make out these 3 woods.

A diversity of species including cedar, fir, birch, poplar, yew, maple and cottonwood. There is plenty of timber for building as well as heating the home, cabin and pottinghouse/workshop.

Along the railway track is a shelter belt starting with this big willow.

The creek runs through a wetland ecosystem and is habitat to many species of birds as well as turtle, deer and beaver.

Contact

                                             
Please email me for inquiries and more information about the farm and house.
You can contact Sue at
sudoafarm@gmail.com