Making Progress to Protect Farmland

Nov 12, 2024

For many, November is a time for reflection on all that has happened over the year. This can certainly be said for the Ontario Farmland Trust, as we reflect on the amazing progress that we have made to protect Ontario farmland. OFT has been working with farmers across southern Ontario – from Bruce County to Frontenac County – to protect their farmland with conservation easement agreements.

Here are just a few example:

Bruce County – We finalized the donation of a 37-acre farm to OFT in the Tiverton area! This farm consists of pastureland, hay fields, mature trees, a river, a stream, and a farmhouse and outbuildings. It is home to Barn Swallows, Monarch butterflies, and Butternut trees. This truly generous donation will allow OFT to offer alternative ways into farming to local new, young, and equity-deserving farmers, which is new and exciting for both the community and OFT!

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?