Provincial

Farm store rules on Agricultural Land Reserve land

A farm stand or store in the ALR needs no ALC approval, and the ALC sets no size limit, if everything it sells is grown on your farm — though your local government can cap its building area or site coverage. Selling bought-in goods too caps the whole retail area at 300 m², at least half of it for your own farm’s products. Processing on the farm is allowed when at least half of what you process is your own. A café or restaurant is not a farm use and needs an ALC application — except the lounge of a licensed farm winery, cidery, brewery, distillery or meadery (up to 125 m² indoors and 125 m² outdoors).

A change is coming

  • Food processing plants on poorer ALR land — proposed, no date set; it may not happen. What changes
Who issues it
Agricultural Land Commission
Cost
A non-farm-use application to the ALC is $1,500 ($750 to your local government, $750 to the ALC).
Forms and pages

Who needs it

Breweries, wineries, cideries & distilleriesFor a farm winery, cidery or distillery on ALR landFarms & market gardensFor a farm store on ALR landMeat, poultry & egg producersFor a farm store on ALR land

The rules behind this page

Last checked 26 September 2026. We check this guide regularly against Island Health, provincial and municipal sources, but regulations and laws change often and we can’t guarantee it is complete or current. Confirm with Island Health and your municipality before you apply, build or sell.

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