Many years ago Manitoulin farms sent free range poultry,
prize turkeys for Thanksgiving, beef and fish, and strawberries
by train to Sudbury. Berry pickers flagged down the train to
add their baskets of blueberries. Mountains of fresh local
produce from farms in Blezard Valley and other surrounding
areas filled the downtown Sudbury Borgia market.
The train from Manitoulin has long since gone. After the Second
World War urban planners demolished the Borgia Market to make
way for a stream-lined downtown renewal plan. Farming declined
in the area as supermarket chains replaced small family grocers
and impromptu markets. To capture a larger share of the market
the supermarkets competed by promoting lower and lower prices
rather than by providing higher and higher quality.
More than one generation has grown up to believe that it's
normal to have asparagus from Peru and garlic from China.
So how much food can be produced today in the Greater Sudbury
area? In 2006, the last year for which figures are available,
Statistics Canada identified a total farm area of 22,892 acres
in Greater Sudbury with 160 farms, a 4.2 per cent decrease
since 2001. There were 245 farm operators of whom 110 were over
55 years, 115 were 35 to 54 years, and only 20 were under 35
years. Most of the farm acreage was taken up by farming
woodlands, Christmas trees and wetlands, also pasture (seeded
and natural) and summer fallow land.
Non-food products, such as nurseries, sod and Christmas trees,
were cultivated on five farms on 897 acres. By far the largest
field crops were alfalfa, hay and fodder on 5,747 acres.
Potatoes took up 827 acres; oats, barley, rye, mixed grains
were on 853 acres. A small amount of wheat, canola, soybeans
were reported by one farm each.
A total of 10 farms were reported as producing vegetables on a
total of 37 acres (sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peas,
green or wax beans, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots,
beets, radishes, shallots, onions, lettuce, spinach, pumpkins,
squash and zucchini). Garlic, one of the Sudbury area's most
popular crops, was not listed separately - the Garlic Festival
is always looking for more locally grown garlic. There were 10
farms with greenhouses of which only three produced vegetables,
the rest grew flowers. Fewer farms, six, were producing
strawberries and raspberries on 62 acres.
Maple tree taps were reported on three farms. Only two farms
reported "certified"organic products, but 15 farms reported
uncertified organic products. Cattle and calves outnumbered all
other livestock (1000 on 50 farms). Small numbers of pigs,
sheep and lambs, goats, deer, and poultry were also reported.
Bees: there were six apiaries with 58 bee colonies.
More and more people are aware of the success of the "100 Mile
Diet," the "Eat Local Produce," and "Slow Food" movements.
Articles in the media and the Earth Day exhibits at the Sudbury
Farmers' Market have drawn attention to different ways of
finding information about local produce. Organisations such as
the Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) at
www.eatlocalsudbury.com
, Northern Ontario Agri-Food Education and Marketing at
www.norontagrifood.org
, Sudbury and District Health Unit at
www.sdhu.com
all provide bits and pieces of information.
Instead of considering it part of "development," the City of
Greater Sudbury could provide support to the Sudbury Farmers'
Market to give service to citizens as the primary sales
facility for farmers who produce food locally, a role that
local supermarkets do not play.
By means of innovative incentives, the city could encourage all
aspects of farming in the Sudbury area. Ottawa City Council has
recently seen the value of supporting their Ottawa Farmers'
Market where "all goods sold by the vendors who participate are
produced by the vendors."
Their initiative has been a win-win situation for the vendors
and their customers, tourists, and Ottawa City Council.
It would take time, public support and political will to
revive, encourage and establish farming in the Sudbury area.
No one is suggesting a reliance on "subsistence farming" of the
1920s and 1930s. But there are many good reasons for developing
a more environmentally sustainable food supply nearby.
If world food supplies decrease and prices increase, it makes
sense to encourage a local, secure, healthy supply at home.
There is a fine underutilized resource right on the city's
doorstep.
Janna Ramsay Best is a long time Sudburian with a keen interest in local food sustainability. For more information go to www.vitalsignssudbury.ca
