Ontario agriculture is more than a few basic food items – we produce hundreds of goods every year, some of which might surprise you!
Did you know that more than a dozen oriental vegetables are grown in southern Ontario? The area’s rich, sandy soils are the perfect conditions for growing things like Chinese cabbage, which you can find at many specialty food stores or at farmers markets.
On a larger scale, Ontario is home to about 17.5 million chickens laying eggs for consumption. On average, each hen will lay 300 eggs in one year. No wonder the total economic value of eggs is $403 million in total cash receipts!
To top that off, we also use our crops and animals for non-food items too. For example, beef cattle serve many purposes. They may be raised for their meat, but we use as much of an animal as possible. In fact, a typical 600 kilogram steer will yield about 360 kilograms of meat (60%) and 240 kilograms of residuals and offals (tallow, meat and bone meal, hides and waste). We know the hide is used for leather, but there are hundreds of other by-products: soaps, plastics, cosmetics, fire extinguisher foam, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, adhesives and camera film.
Similarly, while most people have visions of tofu and soy beverage when they think of soybeans, we use countless other soy-based products every day. Soybeans are used in everything from pen ink and crayons to cosmetics, shampoos, candles and cleaning products. Researchers are also investigating a way to use soybeans in plane and road de-icer, so you never know where agriculture is popping up!
Ontario is also a significant producer of corn, one of the most versatile crops in the world. Corn is used in the manufacture of about 25% of the items in a grocery store! Our crops go beyond corn, wheat and hay, though. We are also a significant producer of beans and we farm specialty crops like ginseng.
Ontario Commodities:
Fruits & Vegetables
Meat & Poultry
Eggs & Dairy
Field Crops
Other
Homegrown Ontario is a partnership between Ontario Pork, the Ontario Veal Association, the Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency and the Turkey Farmers of Ontario. Ontario Pork represents 2,900 hog farmers in the province. The Ontario Veal Association is a producer organization that represents 450+ grain fed and milk fed veal farmers. The Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency is a producer-run organization representing 4,200 sheep producers in the province of Ontario. The Turkey Farmers of Ontario is a producer-run organization that represents 189 turkey farmers in Ontario.
Funded in part by pork, veal, lamb and turkey farmers, the provincial government and Agriculture Adaptation Council's CanAdvance Program, the Homegrown Ontario program aims to build and promote a branded identity for Ontario meats. For more information please visit www.homegrownontario.ca.
Some additional resources are: www.ontariopork.on.ca; www.ontarioveal.on.ca; www.turkeyfarmers.on.ca; www.ontariosheep.org
The Pick Ontario Freshness marketing strategy directed by Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs focuses on building awareness of and demand for the fresh, high-quality foods grown and produced in Ontario. This strategy encourages consumers to purchase Ontario foods in grocery stores, farmers' markets and restaurants across the province. Everyone can participate in the Pick Ontario Freshness strategy – from the restaurant industry to agri-food producers, grocery stores and consumers. The strategy includes an expansion of the Foodland Ontario program to include deli, fresh meats, dairy, baked goods, as well as fruits and vegetables, building to identify more products in store and in farmers' markets. Look for the Foodland Ontario symbol when you're shopping. It's an easy way for you to identify Ontario foods in grocery stores and farmers' markets, and a great way to ensure that you pick Ontario freshness. The strategy also includes boosting the Savour Ontario dining program to promote Ontario foods in fine and vacation dining establishments, presented in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism and the Ontario Tourism and Marketing Corporation.