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Kelowna  

No support for farm activity

Kelowna council will be asked by city staff to deny a request by a local farmer to hold multiple events on his farm.

Hillcrest Farm Market has made application to the Agricultural Land Commission for a non-farm use permit for the property in order to hold an unlimited number of special events at the farm from mid-March through mid-November.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Agriculture relaxed legislation around non-farm activities such as weddings, festivals and concerts.

Such events could be held on agricultural land, with a permit, as long as they were restricted to 150 guests or less and the number of events did not exceed 10 in any one calendar year.

The application put forth by Hillcrest Farm Market is for unlimited events for up to 500 people, with the ability to have up to 1,000 people twice a year.

Along with weddings, concerts, festivals and reunions, proposed activities would include those of an agri-tourism nature such as school tours, fundraisers and farm to table functions.

Hillcrest Farm Market operated 140 acres in the Rutland area, producing primarily cherries, as well as some apples, peaches, plums, table grapes and vegetable ground crops.

Owners of the property have run afoul of city bylaws in the past.

The city has taken the farm to court over their hosting of weddings contrary to city and ALC bylaws.

The farm also opened and operated a cafe on site without a business licence for two years.



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