DELTA – Small-lot agriculture, secondary residences and the profound disconnect between farmers, local government and the Agricultural Land Commission are emerging as common themes at townhall sessions the province launched in September to figure out how it can support farming in the Agricultural Land Reserve. The four-hour sessions featured presentations by ALC chair Jennifer Dyson, …
ALR
ALC gets an earful
Small-lot agriculture, secondary residences and a general disconnect between farmers, local government and the Agricultural Land Commission are emerging as common themes at town hall sessions the province launched last month to figure out how it could do a better job of supporting farming in the Agricultural Land Reserve. The four-hour sessions feature presentations by …
Opposition to grill NDP
Darvonda Nurseries in Langley. Rusted Rake in Nanoose Bay. Maan Farms in Abbotsford. Fantasy Farms in Chilliwack. These and other operations in the province’s venerable Agricultural Land Reserve have all come under scrutiny in recent months as the Agricultural Land Commission has taken a “farming first” approach to applications and activities. While growers and property …
New round of changes coming to land reserve
MERVILLE—The next round of changes coming to the Agricultural Land Reserve was announced September 19 as representatives from the BC Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural Land Commission met with farmers in the first of six consultation sessions about how the province could support farmers. Many of the more than 125 farmers, landowners and agriculture …
ALR acreage declines
Provincial efforts to save the Agricultural Land Reserve for farming may be paying off, according to the latest annual report from the Agricultural Land Commission published at the end of June. The most recent year ended March 31, 2019, saw just 524 acres excluded, less than any year since the reserve came into being in …
Province allows family on farms
VICTORIA—The province is giving families living in the Agricultural Land Reserve until February 22, 2020 to obtain approvals for second homes for immediate family. “We’ve worked to make long-overdue changes to help farmers farm,” said BC agriculture minister Lana Popham in announcing the changes. “We heard from people living in the ALR, many who said …