Dairy Production in the Corridor
If you take a drive through some of the rural parts of the Corridor you’ve likely noticed the countless dairy farms in operation. What you see is the visible part of one of the strongest agribusiness sectors in Eastern Ontario.
The Land Behind the Numbers
Dairy farming is by no means a small operation in the Corridor with about 24% of the region’s land going to farming with dairy cattle and the crops that feed them taking up a large part of that. Looking at Ontario as a whole, the province holds about 32% of Canada’s national milk production quota and within the province the Corridor is punching well above their weight. The region’s soil along the river drains significantly better than clay belts a bit further north which gives feed crops a better environment to grow and helps to keep feed costs down. Aside from the location and logistical advantages the region offers, this is one of the main reasons farms tend to stay here.
The Jobs Nobody Thinks About
When you think of a dairy farm the first job created that will pop into your mind is of course the farmer who runs the farm, this however is just scratching the surface. When you take a step back you’ll see the farm requires equipment dealers, feed suppliers, shipping companies, processing, maintenance, and more to run a successful operation and each of these are additional jobs that need to be filled. This not only creates job opportunities but allows more money to stay local by making use of local suppliers, experts, and facilities and get reinvested into the surrounding community. The diverse range of industries across the Corridor allows for almost everything a business operation could need to be quickly and easily accessible.
Sustainability Isn’t the Marketing Angle Here
Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword when it comes to farming in the Corridor. It shows up everywhere in the way barns and facilities are designed, manure management, water user, feed conversion rates, and more. Apart from consumers more commonly searching out more sustainable options than ever before, sustainability is simply a smart business practice. Farms that reduce water use and improve their feed conversion aren’t just doing that to be green, it’s also because it lowers their costs as a whole.
