VICTORIA. BC – The Vancouver Sun reports that agricultural rules implemented earlier this year that threatened closure to several farm-based breweries and distilleries in British Columbia have been relaxed, allowing the businesses to continue unhindered.
According to the rules set out by the Agricultural Land Commission in the spring, any farm-based breweries located in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) would have to grow at least 50 per cent of the barley and other grains used in their beers. This would have forced the ALR-located Persephone Brewing and Crannóg Ales to close, despite the fact that they grow their own hops and purchase the majority of their malt from B.C. producers and suppliers.
Under the modified legislation that was introduced yesterday, it is mandated 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.”
Persephone’s Brian Smith told the paper that “under these new rules, we are in total compliance as we have been from day 1. We have always bought more than 60 per cent of our barley from B.C. farms.”
For more details, see the full Vancouver Sun article.