Presented by: Margaret Walton

PLANSCAPE

July 7, 2010

REPORT OBJECTIVES

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

• Describe the current status of farming in the GTA

• Describe and analyze significant changes in farming in the GTA during the past decade

• Assess the economic, social and environmental contribution of farming in the GTA

•Review Implications of the evolving demographic profile of the GTA for Agriculture

•Assess the potential to address the widening gap in agriどfood trade

STATUS OF AGRICULTURE

Number of Farms In the Surrounding GTA and the GTA 

by Regional Municipalities, 1981 to 2006

Farmland Area in Ontario,  and the GTA by Regional 

Municipality (Percentage Change)

ど14%

ど12%

ど10%

ど8%

ど6%

ど4%

ど2%

0%

Ontario GTA Regional Municipality of Halton

Regional Municipality of Peel

Regional Municipality of York

Regional Municipality of Durham

1996 ど2001 ど3% ど7% ど10% ど13% ど9% ど2%

2001 ど2006 ど1% ど4% ど10% ど9% ど5% ど1%

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

Surrounding GTA GTA Regional Municipality of Halton

Regional Municipality of Peel

Regional Municipality of York

Regional Municipality of Durham

1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

Farmland Acres Owned and Rented, Leased, and Cropどshared in the GTA and 

Regional Municipalities, 2006

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

GTA

Regional Municipality of Halton

Regional Municipality of Peel

Regional Municipality of York

Regional Municipality of Durham

% of Total Area Owned % of Total Area Rented, Leased or CropどShared

STATUS OF AGRICULTURE

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

STATUS OF AGRICULTURE

Trends for Farms Classified by Gross Farm Receipts for the GTA, 1986 ど 2006

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

Under $10,000 $10,000 ど$24,999

$25,000 ど$49,999

$50,000 ど$99,999

$100,000 ど$249,999

$250,000 ど$499,999

$500,000 +

1986 1991

2001 2006

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

Percentage of Total Number of Farm Operators in the GTA by Age Class,  2001 and 2006              

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Under 35 Years 35 to 54 Years 55 Years and Over2001 8.2% 48.3% 43.3%

2006 5.5% 46.5% 47.9%

Percentage

STATUS OF AGRICULTURE

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

Top Ten Ranking by Gross Farm Receipts (all farms) for the GTA, Comparison 2001 and 2006

Rank 2001 % 2006 %

1 Dai ry 13.6% Greenhouse  Product 13.3%

2 Greenhouse  Product 10.4% Dairy 11.9%

3 Nursery Product & Sod 9.8% Horse  & Pony 11.1%

4 Horse  & Pony 9.1% Nursery Product & Sod 8.6%

5 Cattle 7.6% Cattle 7.3%

6 Poul try & Egg 5.3% Poultry & Egg 6.6%

7 Vegetable 5.3% Vegetable 6.6%

8 Other Smal l  Gra in 3.6% Other Smal l  Grain 5.9%

9 Fruit 3.3% Frui t 4.0%

10 Mushroom 2.9% Oi lseed 2.3%

Greenhouse Product, 13.3%

Dairy, 11.9%

Horse & Pony, 11.1%Nursery Product & Sod, 

8.6%

Cattle, 7.3%

Poultry & Egg, 6.6%

Vegetable, 6.6%

Other Small Grain, 5.9%

Fruit, 4.0%Oilseed, 2.3% 2006

STATUS OF AGRICULTURE

Top Ten Ranking by Gross Farm Receipts (all farms) for Halton Region Top Ten Ranking by Gross Farm Receipts (all farms) for the GTA

Greenhouse Products 18.8%

Nursery Products & Sod 18.7%

Horse & Pony15.1%

Grain & Oilseed9.7%

Cattle

7.3%

Fruit, 5.6%Poultry & Egg

4.5%Dairy

2.1%Field Crop1.8%

Vegetable

1.7%

2006

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

1999$ 585 Million in Gross Farm Receipts

$ 1.3 Billion in Economic Impact

2006$ 671 Million in Gross Farm Receipts

$ 2.014 Billion in Economic Impact

PROFITABILITY

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

AGRI BUSINESS  ど GTA FOOD RELATED MANUFACTURING

An Established Cluster

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

AGRI BUSINESS ど ONTARIO FOOD PROCESSING OUTPUTOntario Food Processing Value of Shipments, 2007

Sample Representation of Food Processing Sectors by Region

ADVANTAGES

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

• Transportation Network

• Diverse Workforce

• Research & Development

• Specialty Markets

• Innovation

• Opportunities for Bio Products

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

EXCEPTIONAL SOILS

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

A THRIVING PRODUCTION PROFILE

Greenhouse Product, 13.3%

Dairy, 11.9%

Horse & Pony, 11.1%Nursery Product & Sod, 

8.6%

Cattle, 7.3%

Poultry & Egg, 6.6%

Vegetable, 6.6%

Other Small Grain, 5.9%

Fruit, 4.0%Oilseed, 2.3%

2006

Total GTA Gross Farm Receipts in 2006:  $677,330,080

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

HIGH PRODUCTIVITY

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

Gross

 Farm

 Receipts

 Per

 Acre ($)

Ontario Surrounding GTA GTA

2001 674 631 945

2006 776 705 998

Gross Farm Receipts Per Acre in Ontario, Surrounding GTA and in the GTA, 2001 and 2006

HIGHLY SKILLED LABOUR FORCE

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

The effects of a Global Economy

The Demand for Increasing levels of skills in a work world that is becoming ever more technical in nature The City of Toronto Economic Development, Toronto Labour Force Readiness Plan, 2004

CHALLENGES

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

Agriculture• Commodity Prices

• Retail

• Competition for land

• Urban encroachment/conflicts

• Labour

• Complexity of regulations

• Access to services

Agri Business• Labour

• Lack of Profile

•Lack of coordination

BENEFITS

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

Source:www.greenbeltfresh.ca

• The most visible and common means of presenting local farm product to the public

• Provides urban residents with access to fresh produce from local farm markets

•Links the country to the city

• Markets offer variety, improved freshness, and quality of products at reasonable prices

• Effective, informal source of information about the complexities of modern agriculture

• Access to Local Food 

• Healthy Lifestyle

• Heritage Landscape

HALTON

PLANSCAPEBuil d ing Co mmunit y Th r ough Pl ann ing

• Continuous decline in farmland acres

•2nd Highest average of Farmers – 55.5 Years

•Over 50% of land in production is rented

Rank Regional Municipality of Halton Burlington Milton Halton Hills1 Greenhouse  Products Greenhouse  Products Horse  & Pony Nursery Product & Sod2 Nursery Product & Sod Cattle Nursery Product & Sod Gra in & Oi lseed3 Horse  & Pony Nursery Product & Sod Greenhouse  Product Fruit

4 Grain & Oilseed Gra in & Oilseed Gra in & Oi lseed Cattle

5 Cattle Field Crops Poultry & Egg Horse  & Pony6 Frui t x Fruit Poul try & Egg7 Poul try & Egg x Vegetable Dairy

8 Dairy x Cattle Field Crops9 Field Crops x Field Crops Other Combination

10 Vegetable x Dai ry Vegetable

x - Data suppressed due to confidentiality restrictions by Statistics Canada

Note: Data for Oakville was either zero or suppressed.

For the purposes o f this table M iscellaneous Specialty has been broken down into : Horse & Pony; Greenhouse Products and Nursery Product & Sod. None of

the remaining commodities in this grouping are significant in the Regional M unicipaltity o f Halton.

Presented by: Margaret Walton

PLANSCAPE

July 7, 2010