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Distillery faces similar ALR rule challenges as Persephone

SCRD

Hard on the heels of the Agricultural Land Commission’s (ALC) rejection of Persephone Brewing’s application for a non-farm use of ALR land, Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors are being asked to support a similar application from the owners of a property at 943 Chamberlin Road in Area F who want to set up a craft distillery.

Even though it had the support of the SCRD board, Persephone’s application was rejected because the company is unable to grow 50 per cent of the grain used for its beer on site.

The proposal from One Foot Crow Craft Distillery isn’t on the same scale as the Persephone Beer Farm, with a smaller tasting lounge and plans to operate as a family business with no outside employees, but it faces the same challenge with the ALR rules – the distillery is unable to grow the required 50 per cent of the grain used to produce its spirits.

In a letter to the SCRD planning department, distillery partner Bob Bottieri said, “At present there is no agricultural activity on the property. In fact the soil on the property is not the best quality. It is our intent to create a field to flask operation. To that end we will be cultivating lavender and juniper as well as other herbs to flavour our gin … As the lavender matures we also see a small apiary. We would use the honey to sweeten some of our flavoured vodka and liquors. The property abounds with blackberries, which we intend to cultivate for use in liquors and vodkas. Likewise there are fruit trees and grapevines which we will utilize. We have planted some blueberries and may also expand in that area. Although our operation is considered non-farm use we will in all practicality be adding agricultural land.”

The application was due to be presented at the Feb. 9 meeting of the planning and community development committee, but that meeting was postponed because of bad weather and rescheduled for Feb. 16. A report from SCRD planning staff recommends support for the application, although the ALC will have the final say.

Persephone, meanwhile, is pushing for changes to the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) rules for breweries and distilleries, and Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons has said he plans to take up the issue with the agriculture minister during the current session at the Legislature, which opened on Tuesday.