Agriculture a key component of Bill Shotyk’s “living laboratory”

A great opportunity to combine economic benefit with what’s good for all

By Mariane Cancilla AWARESimcoe June 17 2011

Bill Shotyk’s vision for developing a “living laboratory” for education around groundwater quality and natural resources in the Elmvale area of Simcoe County has the potential to provide economic benefits, particularly when it comes to agriculture.  

To be sustainable Dr. Shotyk’s vision depends on agriculture.  The farmland must be part of the package.  

Farmland in Ontario is dwindling at alarming rates.  Ontario Farmland Trust states that “In the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) alone, more than 2,000 farms and 150,000 acres of farmland were lost to production in the two decades between 1976 and 1996.” http://www.ontariofarmlandtrust.ca/issues-and-programs/saving-farmland.  We cannot afford to lose any more of the land that feeds us.

At the same time as we are losing farmland in Ontario, there is rapid growth in organic farming in Ontario.  From the  Ontario  – Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs website we learn that:

“The Canadian Organic Farmers reported 669 certified organic farms in Ontario in 2007 with over 100,000 certified organic acres of crops and pasture land. This is an annual increase of approximately 10 per cent per year in recent years. About 48 per cent of the organic cropland is seeded to grains, 40 per cent produces hay and pasture and about five per cent for certified organic fruits and vegetables. Livestock production (meat, dairy and eggs) has also been steadily increasing in recent years.”

Organic farming is profitable, reduces our carbon footprint and supports the local economy.  The DS 41 agricultural lands could well support organic farming – sustainable agriculture that benefits everyone.

Trent University has a new degree program in sustainable agriculture and has expressed interest in the development,  planning and participation of Bill Shotyk’s vision for the DS41 lands.   

Bill Shotyk’s vision is a wonderful opportunity to combine economic profit with what is good for all … but that opportunity depends on agriculture.