Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

This past week I attended a Kitchen Table Conversations in Clinton. My wife and I were two of only about seven people who attended. It was the last of 5 meetings held in the past two weeks across Huron County. There were two reps from the local food banks in attendance. It was interesting to learn about how the system operates and what their challenges are. They were "pleased" to see that the number of clients have increased. "Pleased" because the purpose of the food bank is hitting its target. Not "pleased" because of the increased necessity of the food bank system and related support networks.
Conversation from the other attendees focused on the lack of local food that is available in our agriculturally rich County. With over 18,000 beef cows and 20,000 sheep, local beef and lamb can be hard to find. You are more likely to find USDA pork and New Zealand lamb at the local grocery than you are to find Huron County Poultry.
Each person has their own opinion on the validity and purpose of local food. The fact is that in Huron County, if we focus on local food, farmers will perish since we are an export oriented industry within our own County. It depends more upon how you determine what exactly "local food" is.
Controversy among farmers in the US has started since it "appears" that USDA is also turning towards a local food focus.
At the same time the City of Toronto has got City Council talking about Food. Coming from a County that produces more farmgate sales than each of the four Atlantic Provinces I question the purpose of Toronto Council talking about Food.
On Tuesday June 1st, the Toronto Food Policy Council, in partnership with the Medical Officer of Health has created a 6-point strategy for food system renewal in Toronto. They talk about Food being the number one service and industrial supplier with annual sales of $7 billion. This makes Huron County's Ag industry look small with an Economic Impact of only $2.5 billion. Per capita though, it is still huge.
The Food Connections Report talks about how "food leadership can help Toronto reach its social, economic and environmental goals." Isn't that what farmers have been preaching to Government for years?
We may not all agree on the 6 point strategy but the point is that why can the City of Toronto see the importance of food production and recognize that "most farmers are having a hard time making a living from their farms...", yet our local municipalities can not.
One point is that the Committee states "... enable.. bake ovens.." yet locally in Huron County a farmer had struggle to start an on-farm bakery. Reading between the lines it also shows that farmland is a valuable asset. We all have examples where local municipalities or Provincial gov't would prefer to allow more housing or a natural gas electrical generator. Maybe we should all forward the Report to our local Councils and ask that they also focus on assisting farmers and agriculture instead of fighting against them.

Views: 64

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Saskatchewan farm show ready to highlight new innovations

Western Canada’s largest outdoor farm show returns this month to showcase new and exciting technology for the agriculture sector. Ag in Motion show director Rob O’Connor said there will be more to explore, drive and discover. “There’s a reason Ag in Motion is known as the place to find out what’s new in agriculture every year,” O’Connor said. “Advancements in production and AgTech are always featured and celebrated here.” Among the key attractions this year are the Ride & Drives that give farmers the opportunity to get behind the wheel and test the latest equipment in real field conditions, offering a hands-on comparison of models and features. A variety of sprayers, tractors and material handling equipment, such as skid steers, compact loaders and will be available to try out. The 2025 Innovations Program highlights emerging products and solutions developed to solve real on-farm challenges, which are available for visitors to view on-site. New this year is the debut of the one-da

Hail, excessive moisture, insects caused the most crop damage in Saskatchewan

Thunderstorms swept across parts of the province, bringing moisture along with some hail and that means some producers will be assessing crop damage over the next week to determine the impact on yields. According to the latest Saskatchewan Agriculture crop report, the most rainfall recorded was 115 millimetres (mm) in the Archerwill area, followed closely by the Beatty area with 85 mm. There was also notable rainfall in the Kinistino and Middle Lake areas with 75 mm and 65 mm, respectively. Despite heavy rainfall in some locations, overall provincial topsoil moisture conditions declined from the previous week’s report. Kim Stonehouse, a crops extension specialist, said other than hail, there were several other factors that contributed to crop damage. “There was also grasshopper and flea beetle activity that has persisted and is causing some minor damage in some dry areas,” Stonehouse said. “In West Central, East Central and Northeast regions producers are reporting minor damage fro

Tax credit expands meat processing facility

The province’s inviting and tax-friendly business environment, and abundant agricultural resources, make it one of North America’s best places to do business. In addition, the Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit helps attract investment that will further diversify Alberta’s agriculture industry. Beretta Farms is the most recent company to qualify for the tax credit by expanding its existing facility with the potential to significantly increase production capacity. It invested more than $10.9 million in the project that is expected to increase the plant’s processing capacity from 29,583 to 44,688 head of cattle per year. Eleven new employees were hired after the expansion and the company plans to hire ten more. Through the Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit, Alberta’s government has issued Beretta Farms a tax credit of $1,228,735. “The Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit is building on Alberta’s existing competitive advantages for agri-food companies and the primary producers t

Massey Ferguson introduces the MF 8S Xtra featuring comfort and efficiency upgrades

Massey Ferguson, a worldwide brand of AGCO (NYSE:AGCO), is proud to announce the introduction of its new MF 8S Xtra series, building on the success of the multi award-winning MF 8S models and featuring new styling, increased efficiency and even better operator comfort.

Four-Time Olympic Gold Medalist, Hall of Fame Inductee, and Philanthropist Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser to speak at Grape Growers 40th Annual Celebrity Luncheon

The Grape Growers of Ontario’s Celebrity Luncheon marks the opening of the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival by showcasing Canadian personalities and celebrating the annual grape harvest. This year, in partnership with Meridian

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service