Wilmot Orchards, a family-owned, female-led blueberry farm located east of Toronto, has announced the protection of its 164 acres of farmland with a farmland easement agreement in partnership with the Ontario Farmland Trust, marking a pivotal step toward land preservation in Ontario for future generations.
With Ontario farmland succumbing to urban sprawl and development at an alarming rate of 319 acres lost daily, Ontario Farmland Trust aims to protect and preserve farmland, and enable a strong and sustainable food production system recognized as an integral part of a thriving economy. Together, Wilmot Orchards and Ontario Farmland Trust’s commitment to ensuring good things continue to grow in Ontario is unwavering.
This farmland easement agreement (also known as a conservation easement agreement), protects the land’s natural and agricultural features and preserves ecosystems. The easement agreement supersedes municipal and provincial land use planning, prohibiting any future non-agricultural use and ensuring land use is solely dedicated to food production for the next 999 years.
“Our partnership with Ontario Farmland Trust represents Wilmot Orchards’ commitment to stewardship,” says Courtney Stevens, seventh-generation farmer, owner and chief creative officer at Wilmot Orchards. “Our farm does more than produce blueberries. It employs our dedicated workers, provides a quiet escape for the larger community, and represents the legacy my family and I have worked so hard to build.”
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