Country Life in BC

Reclassification sparks farm definition debate

Island cidery calls industrial classification counter-productive

January 29, 2026

NANAIMO – A farm property should be taxed as a farm even if the farm operation includes value-added processing, according to a Nanaimo cidery facing a big boost to its property tax bill. Big Bang Cider sits on 17.5 acres at 1235 Nanaimo Lakes Road, a location chosen because it lies within the Agricultural Land …

FARM NEWS UPDATE February 12, 2026

Poultry biosecurity notches down

BCPVGA gets new general manager

Snowpack declines – but winter’s not over

Loading form…

Your information will not be
shared or sold ever

Chilliwack grower named BC-Yukon OYF

January 28, 2026

Corne Quik, co-owner of Chilliwack-based flower growers, Quik’s Farm Ltd., was named the 2026 BC-Yukon…

Cherry growers focus on labour

January 28, 2026

Securing labour for the 2026 season will be critical to avoiding a repeat of last…

Traceability reprieve for livestock

January 14, 2026

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has hit pause on amendments to traceability regulations under…

BC/Yukon OYF finalists announced

January 14, 2026

The finalists for the BC/Yukon Outstanding Young Farmers program have been announced, ahead of presentations…

BC farm input costs rise

January 14, 2026

The cost of inputs on BC farms is up 36% versus pre-pandemic levels, according to…

Lawsuits drive ranchers’ call for DRIPA’s repeal

January 1, 2026

KAMLOOPS – A raft of lawsuits is a symptom of the province’s dysfunctional reconciliation process,…

BC women break barriers in agriculture

January 1, 2026

ABBOTSFORD – The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) wants to see more women assume…

Task force presents blueprint for growth

December 31, 2025

ABBOTSFORD – A sheaf of recommendations for creating a better business environment for BC producers…

Townhall looks to the future of agrivoltaics

December 17, 2025

OLIVER – Convincing farmers and others of the potential of harvesting solar power alongside agricultural…

Sumas flooding spurs call for action

December 17, 2025

A series of atmospheric rivers once again led to flooding across Sumas Prairie this past…

Milk testers remain on strike

December 17, 2025

One month after voting in favour of strike action, unionized milk testers in BC remain…

CFIA reports low honey adulteration

December 17, 2025

Honey ranked highly in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s product authenticity testing last year, with…

Goerzen wins dairy award

December 3, 2025

Well-known Chilliwack agriculturalist Walter Goerzen is the recipient of the BC Dairy Industry Achievement Award…

Organic growers hold conference

December 3, 2025

“Organic Solutions for a Complex World” was the theme as 250 participants from across BC,…

$15,000 available for Shuswap projects

December 3, 2025

Shuswap producers will have a chance to tap $15,000 worth of funding for watershed enhancement…

FARM NEWS UPDATE

February 12, 2026

Poultry biosecurity notches down

BCPVGA gets new general manager

Snowpack declines – but winter’s not over

Loading form…

Your information will not be
shared or sold ever

1 day ago

Full-time students employed in BC agriculture during the summer season are eligible to apply for a bursary of up to $3,000. The bursary, administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation, aims to increase youth and domestic seasonal worker employment in the ag sector. Funding is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. More information is available at tinyurl.com/5ef6pe3m

#BCAg IAF ... See MoreSee Less

View Comments

Likes: 11
Shares: 11
Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

2 days ago

BC fruit and vegetable farmers are being asked to share their views on farming technology in a 10-minute survey from Royal Roads University and the University of the Fraser Valley. The survey looks at how fruit and vegetable farmers are adopting emerging farming technologies -- such as digital tools, “controlled environment agriculture systems” (greenhouses) and agri-genomics (DNA analysis) -- to cope with changing climate conditions. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete, and participants will be eligible to win an assortment of $50-$200 gift cards.

insights.kaianalytics.com/s3/PAS2026 ... See MoreSee Less

Likes: 5
Shares: 1
Comments: 0

The District of Coldstream is proposing the creation of farm property tax subclasses to distinguish between small-scale and large-scale farm operations. Currently, all farms are classified as Class 9 regardless of size or infrastructure needs. The district argues larger farms require more municipal services and should be taxed accordingly. It plans to pitch its proposal at the Southern Interior Local Government Association convention in Revelstoke at the end of April. Support there could escalate the discussion to the Union of BC Municipalities convention next September in Vancouver.

#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

Likes: 12
Shares: 2
Comments: 11

Which municipal services do they require more of? Even larger farms typically still have only one or possibly two dwellings. Most have their own well and septic, and I suppose it depends on location, but most rural properties don't have garbage pick up either. And whether 20 driveways or one join the road, the cost to plow that road is the same. I no longer live within a municipality so of course there could be costs I've overlooked that are contributing to the District's proposal.

Large farms put more back into the community too.

The larger farms are the only farms paying wages, allowing people to spend money in their communities, the beauty of a network of small business. Small farms more often then not, is a single transaction, a hobby. Large- buy feed, raise cow, calf is born, sell calf, pay wage(support livlihoods), buy fence posts, buy more feed and so forth. Feeding the community. Small- Buy feed, raise cow, kill cow, eat cow.

And this is why farmers left California. British Columbia is no different

I am not sure how to post the actual Resolution that Council Pat Cochrane put forward but here is the link to the special meeting they are holding to pass the resolution: www.coldstream.ca/government-bylaws/news-alerts/notice-special-council-meeting-3.

Why not find ways to bring in more business's and audit municipal spending and regulate short term rentals (because Coldstream has essentially zero places to stay technically, insane) instead of raising taxes arbitrarily because "bigger costs more"

Attending that meeting, they claimed that “large farms” use more municipal services, yet Cochrane consistently stated he was going after “smaller estate properties not actively farming.” This is not only contradictory but misinformed. It would take him but three door knocks before he learned that the “estate farms” not actively farming are typically leased to a larger conglomerate to maintain farm classification. “Rural living at its finest,” though it seems not a soul on council is well-versed in this wheelhouse. What’s worse is that they somehow don’t think it’s necessary to bring in a single subject expert before blindly tossing around recommendations and solutions to problems that don’t really exist—or at least not as they perceive them. Don’t get me started on their rhetoric comparing the value of class 9 properties to other residential classes, when even my 12 year old understands that the values are drastically different when one property can be subdivided, and an ALR property cannot. Forever to the left of the point.

They want to tax a large farm more? Do people realize that farmers aren't becoming rich. Also, a small or hobby farm isn't contributing much to the local economy or community. This doesn't make sense. If we don't support our farmers. We need them. We can't import all our food.

What bs. I can't do a water and sewer hook up for an agricultural building, (a farm vegie stand) on a 160 acre farm in downtown Kelowna because there is already one at the far end of the lot for the principal residence. What extra infrastructure would they be talking about. Our irrigation is by licensed ground water well put in, powered and serviced by me. Any change in tax code should be on farm estates that do bogus farm gate sales at the minimum requirement, not viable commercial farming enterprizes that employ and contribute economic benefits to so many other businesses

Instead of increasing property taxes on large farms, I think governments need to revise the threshold needed for a property to qualify for farm status. That threshold has not changed in over 20 years and many non farmers are taking advantage of the ridiculously low threshold that was intended for real farmers.

And then you tax the farmers more and wonder why food prices keep going up. Why is it that the only thing government does is find more reasons and ways to tax people?

View more comments

3 days ago

The Township of Langley Farm and Ranch Exhibition Society is hosting a public open house this evening to gather input on plans to transform the historic Belmont Farm into an agricultural exhibition, education and heritage hub. Farmers, ranchers, and community members are invited to share their feedback. The open house is at the George Preston Rec Centre, 6-8 pm.

Township of Langley Farm and Ranch Exhibition Society
#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

Likes: 23
Shares: 0
Comments: 2

Me too :(

Shucks, would have liked to attend but just seeing this now.

The sold-out Southern Interior Horticulture show continues today. Education sessions range from rodent control to new tree fruit varieties, with the afternoon devoted to improving spraying techniques for orchardists and vineyard managers. When not listening to speakers, producers are checking the trade show.

#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

Likes: 9
Shares: 0
Comments: 0