Farm-based brewers, distillers toast rules change

The provincial government has relaxed the rules for breweries and distilleries operating on Agricultural Land Reserve lands, putting them on an equal footing with wineries.

The regulation announced on Thursday requires that the farm where the facility is located be at least two hectares (5 acres) in size and that 50 per cent of the ingredients required to make beer, mead or spirits come from that farm or under contract from other B.C. farms.

Until now, brewers and distillers had to grow at least 50 per cent of their raw materials on the farm where they were located, which required so much land that brewers were reluctant to try it.

Persephone Brewing Company CEO Brian Smith expressed relief when the announcement came. The award-winning Sunshine Coast Brewery had been ordered by the Agricultural Land Commission to move from their 4.5-hectare (11-acre) farm on the outskirts of Gibsons for not complying with the old regulation.

“Under these new rules, we are in total compliance as we have been from day 1,” said Smith. “We have always bought more than 60 per cent of our barley from B.C. farms.”

Persephone grows 2.5 hectares (six acres) of hops, which it uses in its products. The farm also produces market vegetables, fruit and honey.

“We are very pleased that change came so quickly and that (Agriculture Minister Lana) Popham reacted with common sense and integrity,” he said. “This takes a lot of the pressure off of us and it acknowledges that hop farms like ours are legitimate agricultural businesses.”

Allowing farmers to buy ingredients — barley for beer, honey for mead — from other farms is expected to create opportunities for farms across the province.

“It could open up land that wouldn’t have been used for anything else,” Popham told The Sun last month.

The move drew praise from the B.C. Chamber of Commerce and the brewing industry.

“This change levels the playing field for brewers and will result in a positive economic impact for the brewing community and our partners in the agricultural community,” said Ken Beattie of the B.C. Craft Brewers Guild.