Regulation of Small On-farm Breweries Meaderies

Whereas changes made to the Agricultural Land Commission ALC Regulation in April 2015 require that on-farm breweries and meaderies crops produce a quantity of 50 of crops on the agricultural lands upon which the on-farm brewery or meadery is located; And whereas the existing ALC regulation detrimentally affects the viability and sustainability of agricultural operations for smaller on-farm breweries and meaderies, pose a detriment to an ever-growing agri-tourism industry, take away the ability for those in the brewery and meadery business to successfully run their operations, and further discourages farming in British Columbia; And whereas the existing ALC regulation 22.3 regulation differs from that of wineries where the production of crops may be located on lands where the winery is located OR upon other lands in the area and may be located upon lands that are 2 ha in size or larger: Therefore be it resolved that the Minister of Agriculture make an immediate change to update Agricultural Land Commission Regulation 22.3 to read: A brewery, distillery or meadery, and ancillary uses, are designated as farm uses for the purposes of the Act if: a at least 50 of any of the farm products used to make the beer, spirits or mead produced each year is grown on the farm on which that brewery, distillery or meadery is located, OR b the farm on which the brewery, distillery or meadery is located is more than 2 ha in area and at least 50 of any of the farm products used to make the beer, spirits or mead produced each year is grown: i on the farm, OR ii both on the farm and on another farm or processor using British Columbia ingredients located in British Columbia that provides any farm product to the brewery, distillery or meadery under a contract having a term of at least 3 years, AND, c any permanent structures used to produce beer, spirits or mead must not exceed the lesser of 10 of total parcel size or 1000 square metres, including all ancillary structures or areas such as parking, water reclamation, tasting and public areas and storage.