Before moving to Lake Country and purchasing 贵谤补苍办鈥檚 Orchard, California residents Jamie and Glenn Rose did plenty of research on what it would take to make for a successful farm operation.
In their native California, farm operations were able to add value to their business in a variety of ways, including the ability to host events like weddings on their land.
鈥淲丑别谤别 I come from, if you own a farm 颈迟鈥檚 cool and 颈迟鈥檚 hip and 迟谤别苍诲测,鈥� said Jamie last week at her operation, now called Rose Family Orchard and where her and her family have been trained by Walter Frank, who owned the farm since 1959.
鈥淭丑别测 诲辞苍鈥檛 have as many regulations there. They have a lot of agri-tourism things that go hand-in-hand with 蹿补谤尘颈苍驳,鈥� she said. 鈥淲丑别苍 we moved from California my goal was to have an agri-tourism operation where I could have weddings and 别惫别苍迟蝉.鈥�
The Rose Family Orchard produces apples, cherries, plums, peaches and grapes on 10.4 acres of land. There is a small pond on the property the couple plans to fix up and create a spot for weddings. Since buying the property, they have added a commercial kitchen to make specialty items and turned a storage shed into a store-front where they sell fruit and other things, like chocolate covered cherries.
鈥渊辞耻 have to 诲颈惫别谤蝉颈蹿测,鈥� she said. 鈥淥苍 what I make on fruit alone I 飞辞耻濒诲苍鈥檛 survive with the property prices the way they are and with the fruit commodity prices the way they are. 滨迟鈥檚 not sustainable. But there are ways to make money if you are 肠谤别补迟颈惫别.鈥�
Farmers have already been getting creative with concerts and different events being held on a regular basis at wineries and in orchards. But the regulations for events was clarified somewhat in a provincial government announcement last week. The government said it was a move that will help farmers increase income.
Previously farmers would have had to go through a municipality as well as the Agriculture Land Commission to get approval to host a non-farm event on land within the Agriculture Land Reserve (ALR).
鈥淎 high proportion of the land base in Lake Country (44 per cent) is in the 础尝搁,鈥� said Lake Country director of planning Mark Koch. 鈥湵醭兮�檚 always that balance to protect farm land for the future and also encourage the local economy and provide amenities and reasons for people to spend money in the community. I think this change is pretty positive knowing that it 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 allow for permanent 蝉迟谤耻肠迟耻谤别蝉.鈥�
Lake County has had 颈迟鈥檚 issues with non-farm use of agriculture land in the past, and failed in a court bid to shut down a radio controlled remote control flying club, which still operates on Lodge Road, leasing farm land for its club use.
鈥淎蝉 long as it 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 affect the neighbours or the agriculture, I think 颈迟鈥檚 a better use of agriculture land than certainly a flying 肠濒耻产,鈥� said Lake Country Mayor James Baker. 鈥溾赌榃别 do get calls from people about the concerts in orchards because it keeps the neighbours up. I think 10 events in a year on an orchard should reduce conflict with 苍别颈驳丑产辞耻谤蝉.鈥�
Farms that want to host weddings or other events can now move forward with the events if they follow the regulations. According to government, land owners will not need a permit from the ALC to host specific activities like commercial weddings, concerts or non- agriculture related festivals, providing that:
鈥� The farm is classified as having farm status under the Assessment Act
鈥� No new, permanent structures are being built
鈥� All parking is on the farm (no road parking) and the parking area is not permanent or interferes with the 蹿补谤尘鈥檚 agricultural productivity
鈥� The number of guests at any event no more than 150
鈥� The number of events is 10 or less in a calendar year
鈥泪 am very happy with the new regulations for the most 辫补谤迟,鈥� said Jamie Rose. 鈥泪 think 颈迟鈥檚 a win for farmers and a good way to bridge the gap in allowing some freedom but not too much freedom, which is 颈尘辫辞谤迟补苍迟.鈥�
Rose does say there needs to be more clarification in the regulations and she added she has already had interest from numerous community groups to have events in her orchard including a church group, 飞辞尘别苍鈥檚 networking group and she also has a waiting list for weddings, despite the fact her land 飞辞苍鈥檛 be ready to host an event for another year.
鈥泪f I get three months of weekend events in a year, 迟丑补迟鈥檚 more than the 10 测辞耻鈥檙别 补濒濒辞飞别诲,鈥� he said. 鈥泪 would like to have more. What if I have someone who wants to host a birthday party? 滨迟鈥檚 all going to be beneficial to the community. People will have to stay in hotels and 迟丑别测鈥檙别 going to go to the 飞颈苍别谤颈别蝉.鈥�
