Vancouver eyeing regulations for urban farms

The City of Vancouver is poisedto introduce a new series of licensing and size regulationsfor residential and urban farms.

A city staff reportrecommends limiting residential farms to 325-squaremetres and restricting commercial farmsto 7,000-square metres.

The proposed bylaws would only apply to farmers selling produce torestaurants or at farmers' markets.

• Read the fullCity of Vancouver report

"We are only recommending fruits and vegetablesbecausethe safety and risk issues aremuch lower than theywould be say for animals," saidMaryClareZak with the City of Vancouver.

The city says there are currently about18urban farm businesses operating in Vancouver.

The recommendations are scheduled togo before council Feb. 23.If they are approved, the city is considering a public hearing in March or April.

Staff will monitor the effectiveness of the regulations andreport back to council in late 2017.

"We're going to be working very closely with our partner at VancouverCoastal Health to ensure the growing is done in an appropriate way," said Zak.