Farmland Dwindles As Land Values And Development Increase

"The rising value of B.C. agricultural land is decreasing the amount of available farmland."

"But the rising prices are also placing uneven pressure on area producers. The farmland surrounding Fort St. John and Dawson Creek -- designated as class 2 -- is the most fertile of the region outside of the class 1 land in the Peace Valley. Land becomes less productive toward class 5."

"While land closer to town is fetching a high price for residential living, the less-fertile rural land, which cannot be subdivided into quarter sections, is losing value."

"'The best farmland is divided into quarter sections and is being turned into country estates, and we have class 5 land that's very marginal and the [Agricultural Land Commission] won't allow that land to be subdivided into quarters, when in actuality the land that should be used as the country estates is the poor land further out,' said Larry Peterson, owner of Peace River Farm and Ranch Sales Ltd."