Farm Status Richmond BC

How to Get Farm Status in Richmond BC

Classification as a farm in Richmond BC is entirely optional. The local assessor must receive the General Application for Farm Classification or the Retired Farmer’s Dwelling Land Application from landowners who wish to have all or a portion of their property classified as farmland. The Farm Class Regulation (BC Reg. 411/95) stipulates that farm applications and any appropriate lease must be filed to BC Assessment no later than October 31 for the subsequent tax year.

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About Richmond BC farmland

39% of Richmond’s total land area, or 4,993 ha (12,338 acres), is contained in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). The combined size of the ALR and agriculturally zoned land outside of the ALR is roughly 5,563 ha (13,746 ac). ALR boundaries on Sea Island are not included in these numbers. In the past 30 years, the amount of land in the ALR has remained largely steady.

The Fraser River’s fluvial deposits are responsible for a large portion of Richmond’s organic soils. In Richmond, where the groundwater table is high, drainage is a significant problem. However, all of Richmond’s ALR is regarded as prime agricultural land with upgrades which are mostly drainage.

184 farms cultivate about 2,909 hectares (7.189 ac) of Richmond (2021 Census). 15.8 hectares is the typical size of a farm in Richmond (39 ac). The remaining areas in the ALR are either unoccupied or used for purposes other than farming (including roads, institutional uses, golf courses, etc.).
An agricultural data table for Richmond

With 830 ha (2,051 acres) in production, cranberries are the most important crop in Richmond, making up 33.6% of all crops. Roughly 30% of BC’s cranberry acres were in Richmond in 2021. A notable crop in Richmond is blueberries, which are grown on 573 ha (1,416 acres), or 23.2% of the total crop area.

Source: https://www.richmond.ca/plandev/planning2/agriculture/about.htm