Edgar Smith, B.Sc. Agrology, Professional Agrologist, is a Third
Generation Farmer, Co-Owner and the Managing Director of Beaver
Meadows Farms & Natural Pastures Beef

Beaver Meadow Farms “… In Sync With Nature …”

Our farm Beaver Meadow Farms is a certified Organic Farm where we have carried on the style of farming originated by our grandparents and parents since the 1930’s. We believe in natural regenerative agricultural production systems in sync with nature. We have been protecting habitat for wildlife and aquatic life in our streams and fields and forests for 3 generations on our lands. We have restored the salmon and sea-run cutthroat trout in our fresh water habitat and work with the Little River Enhancement Society to operate a farm hatchery for coho, pink, and chum salmon and sea-run cutthroat trout. The Little River is now recognized as one of the most productive fresh water salmon habitat streams on Vancouver Island as a result of our farming practices. Our practices have won a number of conservation awards including the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce Environmental Initiative Award and the Countryside Canada National Stewardship Recognition Award.

Our Natural Pastures Cheese has been sold in retail stores since 2000 and which is very well known for its Awards, earning scores of ever increasing medals and Championships. Our Comox Brie is the World Champion Brie. This illustrates our dedication to quality, healthy, local, food produced from local farms in the Comox Valley who have some of the best standards of excellence in the world.

“Beaver Meadow Farms meets all of the Salmon-Safe Agriculture standards, including protection of waterways, water conservation, natural pest and fertility management, erosion and sedimentation control, and protection of biodiversity. Thank you for your commitment to environmentally sustainable agriculture.”

~ Theresa Fresco, Salmon-Safe BC Program Manager
Fraser Basin Council

The Sun’s Energy is the Base of Our Regenerative Organic Production

Natural Pastures Beef is an extension of our philosophy to use the sun’s energy as the base of our organic production. Our diverse species of grasses and herbs collect and store the energy from the sun year round as our climate here gives us a year round grazing opportunity unique in Canada. Our grass-fed, grass-finished beef is 100% grown and raised on the lush meadows and gives the unique rich flavours of our milk and beef. The terroir of Natural Pastures Beef is unique as the pacific ocean salt laden rains drop on our coastal pastures next to the ocean giving a flavour and texture to our Heritage Angus beef unique in Canada.I have to go cut some silage now. The terroir of Natural Pastures Beef is unique as the Pacific Ocean salt laden rains drop on our coastal pastures next to the ocean giving a flavour and texture to our organic beef unique in Canada.

Organic Verification:
Our methods of Operation Exceed Organic Requirements

All our organic verification inspections are done by BCARA (BC Association of Regenerative Agriculture). This verifies all our claims of origin, age, organic pasture for feed, and 100% freedom from GMO’s, pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, growth hormones, etc. Our Organic farm designation assures our enhanced biodiversity of our farm ecology. Our animals graze as herds keeping their herd social orders intact allowing for low stress management of all our 300-plus beef. This prevents health problems and a Veterinarian is very seldom on the farm unless it is a difficult birth. All other animal practices are carried out in relation to natural herd order

With lots of natural sunlight, exercise, and a stress-free security of living in a secure herd environment our cattle live for a full life as nature designed cattle to do.

The fertility of the soil is balanced with the use of compost, manure, and manure tea, and this healthy soil feeds the the plants and cattle and wildlife in our diverse meadow forest mixture which allows balance and diversity throughout the whole Beaver Meadow Farms. Our wildlife of bears, cougars, deer, migratory birds, hawks, owls, eagles, wintering trumpeter swans, song birds, beaver, otter, mink and much more, are all part of the order of our farm land and waters that we enjoy each day.

Summer 2021

“Yes this heat is challenging for all on the farm. Good thing is with all the grass and
trees it is a lot cooler than neighbouring farms. Our regenerative farming and enhanced photosynthesis from all the plants increases evapotranspiration and cools the soils and atmosphere. Still is hot but manageable.”

~ Edgar Smith

Enjoy Natural Pastures Cheese and Beef Together

Our Natural Pastures Cheeses are especially well known to discerning cheese buying customers. When we introduce Natural Pastures Beef in retail stores we often do tastings in the meat department, of our cheeses served with our beef. As a result of these tastings the stores soon ran out of Natural Pastures Beef in the meat counters along with the stores needing to order in more Natural Pastures Cheese asap.

Hi Ho off to work I go.

Edgar Smith

Watch Edgar’s FarmFolk CityFolk tour of Beaver Meadow Farms (Video 1), his tour of the fish hatchery on Beaver Meadow Farms (Video 2, length 5:50 minutes), and the Zoom Q&A (Edgar’s answers, Video 3).”

Beaver Meadows Farms “…The Use of Water and the Water Cycle…”

Good day, hope you are well.

Here at Beaver Meadows after sunshine, the use of water and the water cycle is the key to our prosperity and well being. We live in a rain shadow here on the east coast of Vancouver Island. During the growing season we have experienced for some decades, an ever growing propensity to encounter a ‘’Mediterranean” climate regime. Hot growing summers, dry without any or very little rain fall. Contrary to previous decades, we no longer receive 2-3 rains per month. In the past, very little additional moisture was needed during the growing season. How we extend the use of winter rainfall now becomes more significant as the summer rains are now few and far between…

Using the natural cycled rain waters…

For all our animals to graze the meadows from March till December, we need to enhance the natural soil water storage capacity and water cycle of the grazing lands. This we have done by the use of many and varied plants in the grazing meadows, that are more drought resistant and suited to our soils and uses. Some are more suited to the cooler spring or fall and some more suited to the dry summers. By the cycling of the grazing animals over the meadows to prevent over grazing, the root structure and biomass in the soil has been increased significantly; storing carbon and soil moisture for extended periods of low moisture.

Our pastures are kept green all through the growing season and our meadow raised beef are very efficient in the use of water also. We are only using the natural cycled rain waters for the local produced forage. Our pastures have a very thick and enhanced sod surface and store and utilize any precipitation that falls in the most efficient manner. Our herd of grazing animals mimics the natural water use adapted by the native species over eons.

Valuable Water is Stored in Aquifers in Winter…

We are very cognizant of the value of water stored in our Farms water shed’s Quadra Sands Aquifer during the winter rain and snow fall period. This storage in the thick strata of sands and gravels, is metered out during the summers as natural springs and used for sources of drinking water and supplemental irrigation of the meadows. This we also utilize to provide summer rearing habitat in our on farm stream network for thousands of coho and chum salmon and sea-run cutthroat trout, which coexist in our farm streams with all our farm activities. Acres of brush and trees serve as buffers along all our streams. Our enhanced beaver dam habitat and treed buffers, provide a dynamic interface between grassland and forest that is diverse in biological activity. The waters are cooled, the salmon fry protected and the natural cycles of stream and forest and grassland prevail.

Our local 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef is an integral part of the natural water cycle, protecting our streams, soils, and wildlife. Our water use is as nature designed for grasslands and forests.With the use of our sunlight and waters, we exist in sync with nature, prosperous and well.

Best wishes.

Edgar Smith