Farming the Holland Marsh since the 1930s

The Holland Marsh is a community of some 125 farms on 7,000 acres of low-lying land containing some of the richest farmland in Ontario. Another 2,500 surrounding acres are also recognized as prime agricultural land.
 
Running astride the Holland River, just over 40 kilometres north of downtown Toronto, the Marsh has been used to grow vegetables since 1930 when a canal system was constructed to divert the river and drain the marsh for agricultural use.
 
the marsh their home
 
Eighteen Dutch families and other immigrants arrived in the 1930s to form the nucleus of a prosperous agricultural community. After World War II another influx of immigrants from Europe and Asia made the Marsh their home.
 
Down from close to 350 farms in the late 1970s, small original farms in the area have now amalgamated into larger operations as farmers today require 40 to 100 acres to be profitable.
 
substantial local market
 
Growing enough carrots alone to provide every Canadian with four pounds each year, the Marsh plays a large role in Canada’s food export market and serves a substantial local market in the neighbouring GTA.
 
The annual value of the carrots grown in the Holland Marsh today is estimated at $130 million, onions at $160 million. Greens, such as celery and lettuce, make an estimated provincial impact of $160 million.
 
millions in local revenue
 
About 90 percent of all Asian vegetables consumed in Ontario are grown there. Tomatoes and ornamental flowers are also grown inside 18 acres of year-round greenhouses.
 
Marsh farmers also generate millions of dollars in local revenue and create employment for local agricultural processors and packagers.
 
Growers estimate the Marsh has a total economic impact of over $1 billion annually, including farm-gate value, packaging, processing and transportation.
 
source:
- www.greenbelt.ca
- The Holland Marsh: Challenges and Opportunities in the Greenbelt
 
maps:
- Aerial View, Holland Marsh
- Holland Marsh, Greenbelt Plan 2005
- Maps of the Ontario Greenbelt
- Take the Greenbelt Flyover (wmv)