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Opportunities and Challenges Identified for Community Looking to Revitalize Agriculture
December 12, 2011
“There is a perception of farmland in the north as rocky and barren,” says Prof. Wayne Caldwell of the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD). “When you get there it is surprisingly good quality land, but it has not been the focus. For its young people, there’s not a culture or tradition of going into agriculture. Only ten to fifteen percent of available farm land in the area is being used.”
Caldwell and Rural Planning and Development graduate student Eric Marr were in the Cochrane district this past summer doing research in partnership with the Northeast Community Network Agriculture Committee (NeCN). The focus is boosting agricultural activity and diversifying the economy of a northern Ontario community dominated by the mining and forestry sectors. Caldwell and Marr researched current agricultural practices and interviewed farmers, local government, regional development organizations and community leaders.
At a November 4th event at the Reg Lamy Cultural Centre in Smooth Rock Falls, NeCN and Caldwell released their preliminary findings.
“The most significant opportunity in the District is the inexpensive price of farmland, selling for only $200-$300 per acre, in comparison to upwards of $10,000-$12,000 per acre in the southern part of the province,” says Caldwell.
“Based on soil and climate, there is a fairly wide potential to grow crops including oats, barley, canola, along with opportunities in the beef sector with pasture and hay, in market gardening and the local food sector, and in community-supported agriculture,” says Caldwell, adding that geographically in latitude the Cochrane District is actually situated south of Calgary. The effects of climate change and a growing demand for locally grown, fresh vegetables also place the region in a position to increase agricultural productivity.
The study, entitled The Identification of Agricultural Opportunities and Best Practices Toward the Creation of Economic Prosperity within the NeCN Agriculture Sector, identifies the region’s agricultural strengths, weaknesses and opportunities and recommends 22 points of action for current and future entrepreneurs to stimulate agriculture in the Cochrane District.
