OMAFRA is working with the agriculture community to provide opportunities to expand agriculture in Northern Ontario with a website that offers clients information to help them make their expansion or investment decisions. September 1, 2015 is the launch date for the website. Check it out farmnorth.com.
With higher land prices in southern Ontario and increased demand for high quality local food products, the opportunity to expand farming in northern Ontario is becoming a reality. To build awareness about northern agriculture opportunities the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA) has led the development of the website farmnorth.com. Farmnorth.com will help existing farmers and those interested in farming in northern Ontario looking for information that will help them make operational decisions. Farmnorth.com has agriculture and rural information on each of the 10 districts in the north.
Today, northern Ontario has about 2,800 farms which return more than $190 million in agricultural farm cash receipts. This activity is generated from approximately 700,000 acres of farmed land. The land mass of the north makes up over 80 percent of the province. Livestock farms such as dairy, beef and sheep plus cash crop operations are the mainstay of agriculture in the north. Each region has great diversity, with maple syrup, potatoes, vegetables, etc. being major contributors to the farm economy regionally. The aquaculture industry is a major contributor to the economy in certain areas.
There have been many attempts to expand farming in the north in the past However, the unique circumstances that exist today (such as increased land pressure in southern Ontario, increased demand for local food, increased advances in technology and a changing climate) make northern agriculture expansion more viable than in the past. Farmnorth.com will assist prospective clients as they explore opportunities. Clients can now get information on soils, farm machinery dealers, agri-businesses, municipalities, schools, farm organizations all in one convenient place
September 1, 2015 is the launch date for this web site. Check it out farmnorth.com.
NOFIA will continue to keep the site current, as well as monitor comments and questions from interested people.
Leave a Reply