Some of the richest soil in Canada, anywhere

The Holland Marsh is Canada's very own ‘salad bowl’. Home to some of the richest soil in the country, it has for decades been considered a crown jewel of agricultural production.
 
A key element in the agricultural economies of the province of Ontario and Canada, the unique farming area was designated in 2004 a part of the Holland Marsh Specialty Crop Area in Ontario's Greenbelt Plan.
 
the most fertile
 
Based upon provincial soil analysis and current agricultural production, the Holland Marsh area is deemed to contain some of the most fertile soil in the country - organic, heat retentive black material that supports a very wide variety of vegetables, fruits and flowers.
 
The marsh and river, part of the Lake Simcoe watershed, are named after Major Samual Holland, the first Surveyor General of Upper Canada.
 
grasses for mattresses
 
Before it was converted to farmland the Marsh was a source of food for local first nations. Around 1825 early European settlers began fishing and hunting in the area. In the early 1900s a mattress factory in nearby Bradford, Ontario began harvesting Marsh grasses for mattress filler.
 
After successful soil tests and growing experiments, drainage operations began in 1925. A canal system was completed in 1930 with dykes 28 kilometres long and 2.13 metres deep constructed to divert the Holland River. Pumps control the water table within the dykes.
 
beneficial practices
 
Since the former riverbed's organic black soil decomposes naturally, inevitable decomposition happens as organic matter within the soil oxidizes, a process that will strip the Marsh of its fertility in 100 to 200 years.
 
Though this cannot be stopped altogether, farmers have assisted in implementing a number of beneficial practices to reduce environmental impact, help slow down decomposition and extend the Marsh’s productivity.
 
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)