Scugog and Area Farm Tour 2005

By Zsuzsana Reidinger

The Durham Agricultural Advisory Committee held its 3^rd annual farm tour on September 14^th, visiting 6 area farms and agriculture-based businesses.

Farm Tours are designed to help to educate politicians and governmental administrators on the issues of the day facing local farmers and other businesses in the agriculture sector. The DAAC, a volunteer based organization, provides advice to the Region’s Planning Committee and staff on the rural and agricultural issues in the region. School Board representatives and administrators, municipal, provincial and federal government members, advisory committee members, educators, agricultural leaders and media are all invited to take part in the Farm Tours for an enlightening experience of seeing and hearing first-hand from Durham’s agricultural community.

Durham Region’s first Farm Tour was in Clarington in 2003, followed by an Uxbridge tour in 2004. This year’s Scugog and Area Tour began at Ocala Orchards Farm Winery in Port Perry. Participants departed from the winery aboard two buses, first stopping at Willow Tree Farm Market in Port Perry, then traveling across Hwy. 7A to Wolhart Farm in Blackstock, Youngfield Farms Ltd. in Nestleton, Don Frew and Sons Ltd., also in Nestleton, Lamrock’s Country Garden in Port Perry and winding up at back at Ocala.

Topics highlighted and discussed along the way were marketing challenges in tough economic times, global competition in various sectors, a rising Canadian dollar versus low market prices and taxation issues. Key industry leaders had the opportunity to express their unique perspectives on the business of agriculture in Durham today.

Ocala Orchards Farm Winery is particularly hard hit, according to owners Irwin and Alissa Smith, by a 25% taxation rate right off the top going to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission and other government agencies. Statistics show that Ontario vintners paid $200 million in taxes and fees last year.

Rising energy costs impact the financial viability of operations such as Lamrock’s, a horticultural business relying heavily on energy to operate their greenhouses in our short growing season.

The Frews of Don Frew and Sons, who grow grain crops and also run a large hog operation, see major problems facing farmers in the erosions of equity caused by foreign (and Quebec) support programs, at the same time receiving “low, Third World prices while paying North American costs.” 

Youngfield Farms Ltd., a leader in scientific farming, has 19 properties on which they operate 3,000 acres of crops, including corn, soy beans and fall wheat. In addition, they produce 425,000 broiler chickens under contract for Swiss Chalet. The DeJongs, owners of Youngfield Farms, cite the rising Canadian dollar and high input costs in the face of low market prices for crops as major issues impacting the viability of area farms.

The BSE crisis that hit in 2003 has had an adverse impact on Durham’s 411 beef farms. John Wolters of Wolhart Farm, a 115 acre Black Angus operation, says that with BSE having blocked cross-border sales, these aren’t normal times. Wolters says, “The more cattle you have, the more you lose.” He notes that the price of beef is lower than the cost of production, and several farm operators agree that Ontario farms subsidize the consumer with the second-lowest food basket cost relative to the disposable income in the world.

The DAAC, local agencies and farmers agree that these are important topics to address and cooperate on, especially in light of the fact that agriculture is such a large part of the region’s economy. Statistics showed that 55% of the total area of Durham was farmland as recently as in 2001.

Other unique perspectives on marketing, issues such as half-loading restrictions on roads used for transporting agricultural products, global production and import/export issues, were highlighted on the tour with the aim of contributing to general and governmental awareness.

Rick Lea of the Durham Region Local Training Board, which provides funding for the Farm Tour along with the Regional Municipality of Durham, says the Scugog and Area Tour was a great success. With 1,709 farms in Durham Region on over 330,000 acres of agricultural land (as of 2003 statistics), issues affecting this sector have a big impact across the local economy.