Agriculture

In May 2021, Council formally approved the 2021-2025 Economic Development Strategy, which serves as the Town's first Strategy and action plan that aims to facilitate business growth and success by leveraging strategic partnerships, investing in community development, enhancing the quality of life, and mitigating economic risk factors.

Reinforced throughout the document is the Town's commitment to its agriculture sector, with dedicated tactics to supporting the agriculture community, including the launch of a dedicated marketing campaign called Grown in Blue, with an anticipated launch date of 2023. 

The Town recognizes the continued and increasing relevance of Agritourism as an important industry within our community. The following resources contain more information about this industry 

• Growing Agritourism Act, 2024, S.O. 2024, c. 38 
• Agritourism Ontario’s information and resources, including the ON Farm Fun App
• Agritourism in the Town's Corporate Strategic Plan and the future Economic Development Action Plan

• Town of The Blue Mountains Agriculture Committee
• Town of The Blue Mountains Economic Development Advisory Committee
• Apple Pie Trail
• Made in Grey
• BruceGreySimcoe
• Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness and Ministry of Rural Affairs
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Growers are not required to post ‘no trespassing’ signage, so it’s best to use common sense and good judgement. The impact of trespassing can contaminate or disrupt production. Here’s how:

• Livestock such as cows are not accustomed to people they don’t know and can behave in a manner that endangers trespassers.
• Bacterial and viral diseases can be introduced to livestock unknowingly by trespassers, with far-reaching implications.
• Humans are a great transmitter for disease and invasive species to become introduced to agricultural lands as contaminants can often travel on the sole of your shoe or hiking boots.
• Snow provides important ground cover for winter crops that are harvested in early spring. The impact of vehicles travelling across the land (e.g., snowmobiles) can disrupt the growth of valuable crops such as winter wheat.

It’s important to know what to expect when living in an agricultural community and to understand that farms and agricultural operations can be noisy, dusty and can have odours. Just like other businesses within the community, farms have a production schedule, however theirs is largely dependent on weather conditions.

This means that during planting and harvesting seasons, you may notice extra lights on in a field at late at night, or you may hear equipment working on the farm such as frost fans that are used to push the warm air down to protect crops and apples. These are normal farming practices and activities that are allowed to happen on a farm as part of their day-to-day business.

As a resident, it is important to understand that although these activities can create disturbances at times, it is a part of the fabric that brings us the food that we love and enjoy so much and is integral to our local economy in The Blue Mountains.

Assuring consumers have high-quality and safe food is a top-priority, and the use of pesticides and crop protection products helps meet these demands. Producers, farmers, and growers will use these products to help protect their crops from diseases and weed infestations, insect damage and more that affect both the quality and yield.

The types of pesticides that can be used are regulated and legislated by Health Canada and the provincial government, with different pesticide use dependent on various factors including the crop’s stage, type or the severity of an infestation.

All producers, farmers and growers consider a variety of factors including wind direction and speed as well as nearby residential areas to avoid product from accidentally drifting onto areas, plants, and wildlife outside of their designated crop areas.

With normal agricultural practices being largely dependent on weather conditions, noise from farms can be common during late hours into the night, or early hours into the morning through planting and harvesting season.

Sounds can most commonly be heard from various sound producing devices meant to assist with the health, maintenance, protection, and production of crops. Loud noises can be commonly produced through devices such as bird bangers, or cannons, irrigation pumps, frost fans, dryers, large vehicles, and other stationary farm equipment. All of which plays an important role within the success of the agricultural industry throughout Ontario.

If you live in a rural area or near any farms or agricultural operations, it’s important to have open conversations with your farming neighbours and gain an increased understanding into normal farming practices and create a healthy dialogue into when you may anticipate loud noises.

Since our agricultural community relies on weather conditions to maintain operations, having this insight may help resolve concerns or issues beforehand during the planting and harvest season in The Blue Mountains.