Skip to main content
Insights

From the Field

Articles on land development, agronomy, soil, and ALC/ALR regulation, and what we're learning along the way.

Soil Deposit & Removal Permits: How the ALC and Your Municipality Both Get a Say

July 27, 2026

Soil Deposit & Removal Permits: How the ALC and Your Municipality Both Get a Say

Bringing fill in or hauling soil out often needs approval from two authorities at once — the Agricultural Land Commission and your local government. Here's how the two layers fit together.
Land Capability Assessment: How BC Rates Farmland (and When You Need One)

June 15, 2026

Land Capability Assessment: How BC Rates Farmland (and When You Need One)

What a land capability assessment is, how BC's seven-class agricultural rating works, and the situations where a Lower Mainland landowner is asked to provide one.
Do You Need a Farm Plan for Your ALR Property in BC?

May 20, 2026

Do You Need a Farm Plan for Your ALR Property in BC?

A plain-English guide to when BC landowners actually need a farm plan for ALR property: SFU or ALC applications, farm class, or municipal bylaws.
Bringing Fill Onto ALR Land in BC: What's Allowed and What Isn't

May 6, 2026

Bringing Fill Onto ALR Land in BC: What's Allowed and What Isn't

Bringing fill onto ALR land in BC is regulated, not a free-for-all. A guide to clean fill, NOIs vs. Soil or Fill Use, and Richmond soil-deposit rules.
ALC Applications Explained: NOI, Non-Farm Use, Subdivision & Exclusion

April 22, 2026

ALC Applications Explained: NOI, Non-Farm Use, Subdivision & Exclusion

A plain-language guide to ALC application types, NOI, Non-Farm Use, Subdivision, and Exclusion, and how to tell which one your ALR property needs.
What Does a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment Cover?

April 8, 2026

What Does a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment Cover?

What a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment covers in BC: records review, site reconnaissance, APECs, when you need one, and what it can't tell you.
Building on Agricultural Land in BC: What to Know Before You Start

March 25, 2026

Building on Agricultural Land in BC: What to Know Before You Start

Building a home or farm structure on ALR land in BC is allowed, with conditions on siting, soil, fill, and farm use. Here's what to know first.
Soil, Fill & Farmland in Richmond: A Landowner's Quick Guide

March 11, 2026

Soil, Fill & Farmland in Richmond: A Landowner's Quick Guide

A plainspoken guide for Richmond landowners to the ALR, peat soils, and the soil-deposit and fill rules layered between the ALC and the City of Richmond.

Have a question about your land?

Tell us what you're dealing with. A Professional Agrologist will give you an honest read on it.

Book a consultation

Prefer email? Write to [email protected]