The BC Ministry of Ag has proposed rule changes for food processing in the ALR that would make it much easier to build food processing facilities on classes 4-7 land, with a much lower requirement for the use of BC-produced food.

I've already produced two episodes about this; in this one I'll share some listener feedback about this topic.

*******

The proposed rule is as follows: On class 5-7 soil (and class 4 if the parcel is serviced by the date this rule is implemented), ALC approval is not necessary to build food processing plants in the ALR, so long as 5 percent of the primary product used in the processing is grown or raised in the province.

Read the Ministry of Ag's proposal and discussion paper here.

You can tell the government what you think of this proposal by emailing Ag Minister Popham at AF.Minister@gov.bc.ca

The BC Ministry of Ag has proposed rule changes for food processing in the ALR that would make it much easier to build food processing facilities on classes 4-7 land, with a much lower requirement for the use of BC-produced food.

This is part two of my coverage. Part one dropped Aug 17th, 2026.

Herein: four more perspectives on the proposal.

The proposed rule is as follows: On class 5-7 soil (and class 4 if the parcel is serviced by the date this rule is implemented), ALC approval is not necessary to build food processing plants in the ALR, so long as 5 percent of the primary product used in the processing is grown or raised in the province.

Read the Ministry of Ag's proposal and discussion paper here.

You can tell the government what you think of this proposal by emailing Ag Minister Popham at AF.Minister@gov.bc.ca

The BC Ministry of Ag has proposed rule changes for food processing in the ALR that would make it much easier to build food processing facilities on classes 4-7 land, with a much lower requirement for the use of BC-produced food.

I'm devoting two episodes to this topic. Herein: two perspectives about these proposed changes.

The proposed rule is as follows: On class 5-7 soil (and class 4 if the parcel is serviced by the date this rule is implemented), ALC approval is not necessary to build food processing plants in the ALR, so long as 5 percent of the primary product used in the processing is grown or raised in the province.

Read the Ministry of Ag's proposal and discussion paper here.

You can tell the government what you think of this proposal by emailing Ag Minister Popham at AF.Minister@gov.bc.ca

Today on the show, you’ll hear about a new opportunity for small-scale food and farm entrepreneurs in BC to access loans for capital and infrastructure.

Learn more about the Fair Finance Fund here.

My guest this episode is Les Willms, one half of the ownership of LH Willms Incorporated, a 3000 acre grain farm in the Peace Country. If you’ve been a listener of the show for a while, you’ll already know Les, since he was a regular participant in last year’s Farming in BC Yearbook project.

Mentioned in this episode: an interview I conducted in 2023 with Public Health Scientist Bruce Lanphear.

The show today has two segments, both concerning undesirable amounts of water.

In segment one, Dave Russenberger wrestles with a public plan that carries serious implications for his dariy farm in the Sumas Prairie.

In segment two, greater Vernon farmers talk about the impacts of a mandatory 70% reduction to their annual irrigation allocation. Some believe this sacrifice could and should have been avoided, but I'm not so sure.

Links:

Sumas River Watershed Flood Mitigation Plan

The modern history of water planning in Greater Vernon

For this episode I wanted to explore the value of a good agricultural weather network, and to learn about an online resource for our sector called BC Agriweather. The person I invited to speak to this topic is Andy Nadler.

Andy is an agricultural meteorologist with a company called Peak HydroMet Solutions who has worked closely with the BC government to improve and maintain a province-wide network of weather monitoring stations that provides vital data for and about BC’s farming sector. Andy’s work has supported the creation of a website called BC Agriweather, which was the main focus of our conversation.

This episode we explore Canada's Next Agricultural Policy Framework, and how farmers can have a say in the policies and programs our governments create for farms and farmers.

In the episode we discuss some surveys BC farmers are being asked to fill out. Here are some links:

Provincial Ministry of Ag Survey:

Takes about 15 minutes to complete

Deadline: Wednesday, June 10th

Survey link: https://submit.digital.gov.bc.ca/app/form/submit?f=3fe4d6db-bc21-490e-a821-cb195e2fac20

Agriculture & Agrifood Canada Survey:

Takes 10-20 minutes to complete

Deadline: Tuesday, June 30th

Survey Link: https://agr.survey-sondage.ca/f/s.aspx?s=981FEF92-6622-46FF-AD99-3E3E3637A0B9