KAMLOOPS COUNTRY REAL ESTATE
Hobby Farms for Sale Kamloops
Looking for a hobby farm or a farm for sale near Kamloops? The listings below cover working and part-time farm property across the Thompson region: fenced acreage with a barn and pasture, small ranches with hay ground, orchard and market-garden parcels, and rural homes set up for horses, cattle or chickens. Heffley, Pritchard, Barriere, Knutsford, Westsyde, Cherry Creek, Chase and Lillooet all show up here, along with the farm land on the edges of Kamloops itself.
I am Jeremia Huxley, a REALTOR with Stonehaus Realty Corp. I have lived on rural property at Pinantan Lake since 2008, with 18 years in construction and 9 years in real estate behind me, so barns, shops, fencing, wells and septic are things I look at closely rather than take on faith. A farm purchase carries questions a city home never raises: whether the water licence covers irrigation, what the ALR allows you to build, how many animals the zoning permits, and whether the parcel qualifies for farm class property tax. The guide under the listings walks through each one. Want land without the farm setup? See acreage for sale around Kamloops.
Hobby farm or farm class?
A hobby farm is how buyers describe a property: a home on enough land for a few animals, a garden, hay or a barn. Farm class is how BC Assessment classifies land, and it is earned rather than bought. The land has to be used for a qualifying farm use and produce a minimum amount of farm sales each year, so a hobby farm may or may not carry it. Farm class applies to the land, not the house, and it does not transfer on its own: a new owner has to apply to BC Assessment by October 31 to keep it. Before you count on it, ask the seller for the current assessment notice. The details are in my farm class property tax post.
Last updated: October 2026. Listings refresh daily from the MLS.
Hobby Farms and Farm Property
What counts as a hobby farm around Kamloops?
Around here a hobby farm usually means two to forty acres with a house, some fencing, water for animals or crops, and at least one outbuilding: a barn, a shop, a hay shed or a chicken coop. It is farmed for the lifestyle, and sometimes for a bit of income, rather than as a full-time business. The line between a hobby farm and a working ranch is blurry, and the questions you ask before buying are the same either way.
Where to look for a hobby farm near Kamloops
Hobby farm land around Kamloops sits in a handful of valleys. Drive times are rough, from town. Each guide covers that area's water, zoning and current listings.
- Barnhartvale: 15 to 20 minutes, inside city limits. Acreages, hobby farms, riding stables and ranches along Barnhartvale Road.
- Knutsford: About 15 minutes south on Highway 5A. Small acreages and hobby farms along Peterson Creek.
- Cherry Creek: 15 to 20 minutes west on Highway 1. Rural acreage and hobby farms on the south side of Kamloops Lake.
- Pritchard: 20 to 30 minutes east on Highway 1. Farm and hobby farm property, with much of the valley land agricultural.
- Heffley: 25 to 30 minutes, on the road to Sun Peaks. Acreages, ranchland and hobby farms from Heffley Creek up to Heffley Lake.
- McLure and Vinsulla: Roughly 30 to 40 minutes north. Hay land and river-front farms in the North Thompson valley, most on private wells, some with water licences.
- Westwold and Monte Lake: Roughly 45 minutes to an hour east on Highway 97. Hay land and ranches, much of it irrigated. In the dry summers of 2021 and 2023 the province ordered irrigation from the lower Salmon River stopped, so check the licences.
For hay ground, ask for the water licences and the irrigation history before anything else.
Six things to check before you offer
1. Water, for the house and for the animals
A household well that runs a family fine can fall short once you add stock troughs, a garden and a few acres of irrigation. Ask for the well log, recent flow and potability tests, and whether there is a licensed surface water source for irrigation. In BC, taking water from a creek, lake or spring for irrigation or stock watering needs a water licence, and a licence stays with the land only if it was properly transferred. The wells and water licences post on this site covers how each source works.
2. ALR status and what it allows
Much of the farm land around Kamloops sits in the Agricultural Land Reserve. That is not a problem for a hobby farm, farming is exactly what the ALR is for, but it does set rules on residences, secondary dwellings, non-farm uses and subdivision. Confirm the ALR status on title and check the current Agricultural Land Commission rules before you plan a second home, a suite or a business on the land.
3. Zoning for animals and buildings
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the City of Kamloops each set rules on how many and which animals a parcel can carry, where barns and manure storage can sit relative to property lines and wells, and what size of accessory building is allowed. The rural zoning post explains the common TNRD zones. Verify the current bylaw for the exact parcel; zoning is not the same as ALR status.
4. Fencing, outbuildings and permits
Walk the fence lines, not just the yard. Look at post condition, gates, and whether cross-fencing matches how you plan to run the place. Ask whether barns, shops and covered structures were permitted; unpermitted buildings are common on rural property and they affect insurance and resale. With 18 years in construction I look at foundations, roof lines, electrical service to outbuildings and drainage around the barn on every farm showing, and I recommend a professional inspection on every purchase.
5. Farm class property tax
BC Assessment can classify land as farm for property tax purposes when it is actively farmed and meets minimum gross farm income thresholds that vary with parcel size. Farm class lowers the assessed value used for taxes, sometimes by a lot, but it has to be applied for and maintained. If the current owner has farm class, ask how it was earned and whether you can keep it up. If they do not, do not count on it in your budget. The rural versus city property tax post covers the basics.
6. Insurance and access
Barns, shops, wood heat, distance from a fire hall and wildfire exposure all change what insurers will cover and what it costs. Get an insurance quote inside your subject period, not after. Check road access and who maintains it in winter, and whether any part of the access crosses someone else's land. The rural home insurance post has more on what insurers ask.
Farms for sale in Kamloops
Farms for sale in Kamloops range from two-acre hobby parcels inside city limits in Westsyde, Barnhartvale and Knutsford to hay and cattle operations on the benches toward Pritchard, Heffley, Chase and Barriere. Three things separate a farm listing from an acreage listing when you read it: whether the land holds farm class, whether the hay or pasture has a water licence behind it, and what the outbuildings were built and permitted for. One of my current listings, 869 Schreiner Street in Kamloops, is marketed as farm property, and it shows up in the listings above with the rest of the region's farm and acreage inventory.
Looking for something bigger or more specific? See ranches for sale for 40 acres and up, horse properties for fenced pasture and barns, and land for sale if you would rather build a farm from bare land.
Farm class assessment
BC Assessment grants farm class when land is in a qualifying agricultural use and the operation reports minimum gross farm income: $10,000 a year on a parcel under 0.8 hectares (about 2 acres), $2,500 a year on a parcel between 0.8 and 4 hectares (about 2 to 10 acres), and $2,500 plus 5 percent of the farmland's assessed value above 4 hectares on larger parcels. Hay, livestock, vegetables and tree fruit count; boarding other people's horses does not. The application is due to BC Assessment by October 31 for the next tax year, and a new owner who stops farming loses the class and the lower tax bill with it. Ask the seller for the most recent farm income report before you count the savings.
Hay fields and irrigation licences
A hay field around Kamloops is only as good as the water on it. Irrigating from a creek, a lake or a well is a non-domestic use under BC's Water Sustainability Act and needs a water licence, including groundwater wells drilled for irrigation. Ask for the licence number, the licensed volume and the point of diversion, and check that the licence is attached to the land you are buying rather than to a neighbour's parcel. A field that has been cut for years without a licence is a field whose water can be shut off. The wells, lake intakes and creek intakes post covers how to check a licence on the provincial registry.
Local people I work with regularly on farm files include Johnson's Ground Water Services for wells, A and L Septic for septic inspections and design, SunBurst Home Inspections for the house and outbuildings, and Mortgage Alliance for financing on ALR and larger parcels, which lenders treat differently than a city home.
I am not a licensed home inspector, water technician, septic installer or lawyer. This guide is general information for buyers in the Kamloops region and is not a substitute for professional inspections, a title search, and confirmation of ALR status, zoning and farm class with the responsible authorities.
Hobby Farm Questions
The questions buyers ask most about farm property near Kamloops.
Yes. Within roughly 15 to 45 minutes of the city you will find farm property in Knutsford, Westsyde, Cherry Creek, Barnhartvale, Heffley, Pritchard, Chase and Barriere, with larger holdings toward Lillooet and the North Thompson. Inventory changes week to week; the listings above refresh daily.
There is no legal size. Around Kamloops most hobby farms run from about two to forty acres. Under two acres, room for animals, a well and a septic field gets tight, and the income needed for farm class is higher.
Only if it earns enough. BC Assessment looks at gross farm sales, not at the acreage or how the land looks. On 0.8 to 4 hectares (1.98 to 10 acres) the minimum is $2,500 a year in gross farm income. Under 0.8 hectares it is $10,000, and over 4 hectares it rises slowly with the land. My farm class guide covers what counts.
Usually, but the number and type of animals depends on the zoning of the exact parcel. Rural and agricultural zones in the TNRD generally allow livestock; some zones and smaller parcels limit it. Confirm with the TNRD or the City of Kamloops before you offer.
The ALR has specific rules on additional residences and their size, and local zoning applies on top of them. Some additional dwellings are permitted outright, others need Agricultural Land Commission approval. Check the current ALC rules and the local bylaw for that parcel.
You apply to BC Assessment and show that the land is actively farmed and meets the minimum gross farm income for its size. Farm class can lower property taxes substantially, but it must be earned and maintained each year. Ask the seller whether the property currently has farm class and how.
If the water comes from a creek, lake, spring or other surface source, yes. Groundwater from a well used for irrigation or livestock may also need a licence in BC. Ask for the licence documents and confirm they transfer with the land.
Inside city limits, farm parcels come up in Westsyde, Barnhartvale and Knutsford. Outside the city, most farms for sale sit in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District toward Pritchard, Heffley, Chase, Barriere and Cherry Creek, with ranch-scale holdings toward Lillooet and the North Thompson. The listings on this page pull every farm and acreage listing in the region from the MLS system, and I can set up a saved search for farm class or a minimum acreage.
Often. Lenders look at ALR status, parcel size, the share of value in the land versus the house, and the condition of outbuildings. Talk to a mortgage broker early so your financing condition is built around the actual property.
Acreage Buyer’s Field Guide
