OFT is excited to announce our biggest project yet!
Together with your support, we have the opportunity to protect two farms that total over 600 acres of farmland and natural habitat in Bruce County!
These farms are a unique opportunity for farmland protection, and once complete, will be the first OFT easements in Bruce County.
The rich Class 1 and 2 agricultural soils on these farms are severely threatened in Ontario. They are part of a family farming operation that produces cattle, sheep, row crops, potatoes, hay, and honey. The farming family wants to ensure that the farmland is kept in the farming community long term for the benefit of future generations.
The protection of these farms will also include the protection of rich riparian forests, wetlands, streams, meadows, and species at risk. In fact, these farms are home to provincially endangered Butternut trees, as well as a large population of Monarch butterflies (provincially listed as special concern). The natural areas also provide important ecological services, including water filtration and erosion control that benefit surrounding communities and local wildlife alike.
And these farms are at risk.
Nearby development, including golf courses and subdivisions, has come as close as 500 meters to these farms, and it is getting closer every year. Protecting these farms with Farmland Easement Agreements will not only ensure that this land remains available for agriculture, forever, but it would also help to discourage nearby urban sprawl and enforce a settlement boundary that will prevent more valuable agricultural land from being lost.
Together, we can accomplish our biggest farmland protection project yet. Together, we can ensure that these farms will remain farmland, forever.
Show your support here, and make a positive impact on Ontario’s farmland today!