Tax revenue vs use study in Mapleton

Dec 07, 2021

By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com, Image by Siggy Nowak from Pixabay

Per an article appearing in the Toronto Star on December 6, 2021, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is working alongside the Wellington Federation of Agriculture (WFA) examining the costs of performing community services in the town of Mapleton, Ontario—specifically if farm taxes can support its own local and government services.

Different types of land—residential vs farm—are taxed differently, though homes on a farmland are taxed as residential.

The study seeks to examine how farmland and its taxes for local government can provide services for those categorized as being part of the agricultural tax class.

The WFA is hoping the study will allow ag communities such as Mapleton to utilize farmland tax revenues for municipal needs to help maintain infrastructure projects such as roadways or bridges—things it appears the farm communities utilize, in this case, more than the more residential community.

In the early stages still, the study is not yet looking at an actual budgetary aspect.

The study will continue for at least the next two years.

Video: How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality.

In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself.

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