From watermelon to wool: Ontario farms produce more than you think

GUELPH, ON– Ontario farms produce more than 200 different food and farm products, giving consumers a wide range of options for filling their shopping carts and dinner plates with local food all year long. Some are long-time favourites; others, like sweet potato, watermelon, or Asian greens, are more commonly thought to grow elsewhere.

“Our climate and our incredibly rich farmland give us the opportunity to grow and produce an enviable range of food and farm products here in Ontario – both for consumers here at home and people across Canada and around the world,” says Angela Cammaert, a director with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. “Choosing local means you’re supporting local farm businesses and sustainable farming practices – but it’s also a key way to put the focus on the importance of preserving that rich farmland and why it’s so critical that we keep it for agricultural uses.”

Local food and farm products in Ontario include everything from meat, dairy, eggs, grains and produce to wool, plants, flowers, trees, honey and more. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, long-time favourites include apples, grapes, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, sprouts, cabbage, carrots, onions, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, sweet corn, and many more.

However, Ontario growers also produce a wide range of lesser known crops – crops many people didn’t even know can be grown right here at home.

• Sweet potato varieties, for example, have been developed in Ontario specifically for Canada’s climate and are now grown in Ontario and other parts of the country.

• Juicy, sweet watermelon is a popular summer treat that most Ontarians know as a crop from the warmer regions of the United States, but they’re grown in southern Ontario and will be ready to enjoy in the summer months.

• Ontario is also a world-leader in ginseng production. We are home to world’s largest production of North American ginseng, most which is exported to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan where it is used in traditional medicine.

• Hazelnut trees thrive in Ontario, where confectionary producer Ferrero Canada is investing in its Brantford manufacturing facilities to boost production of its popular Ferrero Rocher chocolates and other sweets made with hazelnuts.

• Asian greens like bok choy and nappa cabbage have become popular vegetable crops, especially in the Holland Marsh area north of Toronto, which is where the majority are grown.

“Summer road trips, camping adventures and cottage visits are a great opportunity to check out local on-farm stores, farmers’ markets and community shops and discover first-hand the diversity, freshness and quality of Ontario food and farm products,” adds Cammaert.

The OFA’s Home Grown campaign raises awareness of why it’s important to preserve Ontario farmland to produce local food, fuel, flowers and fibre. Learn more and sign up for regular updates on products grown and raised in Ontario at homegrownofa.ca.