TIABC Voice of Tourism Newsletter – February 21, 2025

Growing up in Richmond in the 70’s, I lived near farms where everything from flowers and potatoes to strawberries and cabbage was grown next to fields with cows and goats. Because the farmers’ kids were school friends, I was able to freely ride my minibike on dirt roads through large acreages or shoot beer cans with my pellet gun without risk of hitting anything save for the odd bull, barn, or buddy…which happened every so often.

Occasionally I visit my old stomping grounds to relive those memories but so much has changed in a few short decades. Many of these farms only harvest enough to feed their families and keep a few chickens on site to allow them to retain farm status and pay minimal taxes.

The fact is farming is hard, especially for small operators. Yet, despite the challenges, folks who love to work the land, desire to contribute locally, and consider sustainability to be a core value sacrifice everything to pursue their dreams and lifestyle.

As you know, one of the issues with outdoor food production is the short growing season. For small farms, limited capacity compounds the seasonal predicament so many farmers have diversified into ventures such as distilleries or agri-tourism, which is a niche sub-sector of the visitor economy in largely rural areas of BC.

Under the Agriculture Land Reserve Use Regulations (ALRUR), agri-tourism is defined as the use of agriculture land for conducting activities that include tours, tractor rides, harvest festivals, and corn mazes. Within the regs, there are provisions for non-farm uses such as weddings or concerts that help farmers supplement revenues outside of harvest season.

At the same time, there are provincial rules and/or local bylaws that place limitations on the number of events, use of facilities, and even types of businesses allowed that are causing great consternation with farmers seeking to meet their financial obligations with endeavours that create jobs, stimulate the local economy, and keep farms viable.

I’ve spoken about this issue before but raise it again after meeting with several small, Vancouver Island farmers in Victoria yesterday. These hard-working, passionate individuals can’t understand why there are so many barriers that prevent them from establishing agri-tourism operations to complement their core enterprise.

From what I learned, the troubles start with over-zealous bureaucrats at the local level. While some communities are considered to be ‘farm forward’, civic officials in other districts often misinterpret the ALRUR to kibosh creative and popular activities that attract both locals and visitors. Hearing stories about the hardships caused by these decisions gave me a better understanding of the real-world implications.

Conversely, when agri-tourism is supported and encouraged, farms have seen anywhere from a 25 to 100-fold increase in sales of produce, plants and other products.

At the provincial level, changes are also needed to even the playing field for agri-tourism farmers who are restricted to 10 events annually versus those that produce alcohol and can host activities every day of the year if they wish.

Suffice it to say there are so many nuances to the regs, these small farmers are spending an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out what is allowed or forbidden while also attempting to resolve issues with bureaucrats that should have the answers but don’t.

Every single farmer at the meeting reiterated that agri-tourism could be and should be a thriving tourism sub-sector but it’s not there yet because of lack of government support and over-regulation. Similar to our lobbying efforts in 2016, TIABC will again advance this file within specific ministries and at the local level in the coming months to help agri-tourism serve communities, create jobs, attract visitors, encourage customers to buy BC, keep land for food production, give farmers a chance to earn a decent living, and for the sector to reach its full potential.

The minibike is long gone, replaced by a bicycle to ride past and not through the many farms near my current home. Occasionally I see a farmer’s kid on an ATV that makes me reflect on the carefree days of my youth and brings a smile to my face…at least until I hear a shotgun go off…at which point I know from experience to duck for cover.

Walt Judas
CEO, TIABC