Agriculture
Agriculture plays an important role in the Township of Cramahe and Northumberland County. Since 1991, the average size of a farm in Northumberland has grown 40 acres. Overall, the county is home to 1031 farms that have over 241,150 acres of farmland in use. The land in Northumberland County is of high quality. 44% is prime agriculture land in the class of 1-3, and 31% of that land is graded at class 1. This is very significant in a country where only 0.5% of the land is in class 1.
Northumberland’s production of apples is 41% higher than the provincial average and strawberries cover 22% more acreage then Ontario’s average. The wine industry is also a growing one in Northumberland with more wineries expected to open every year.
The farming methods being adapted in the county are seen as being innovating and environmentally beneficial and sustainable. The no-till/zero-till seeding method have been used on over 50% of the land for seeding, accounting for 55,482 acres and in 261 farms. This places Northumberland County in first ranking among all the other provincial counties.
Northumberland County Commodity Breakdown:
|
Commodity |
$ Value |
% Total |
|
Dairy |
$28.1 |
29.6% |
|
Cattle/Calves |
$8.6 |
9.1% |
|
Floriculture/Nursery/Sod |
$8.5 |
8.9% |
|
Corn |
$7.6 |
8.0% |
|
Soybeans |
$6.7 |
7.1% |
|
Poultry |
$5.4 |
5.7% |
|
Fruit |
$3.7 |
3.9% |
|
Wheat |
$3.4 |
3.6% |
|
Hogs |
$3.1 |
3.3% |
*Source: Northumberland County Agriculture Action Plan
Northumberland County Farms by Industry:
|
Industry |
# of Farms |
|
Dairy cattle and milk production |
107 |
|
Beef cattle ranching and farming |
250 |
|
Hog and pig farming |
13 |
|
Sheep and goat farming |
33 |
|
Poultry and egg production |
30 |
|
Other animal production |
153 |
|
Oilseed and grain farming |
152 |
|
Vegetable and melon farming |
30 |
|
Fruit and tree nut farming |
36 |
|
Greenhouse, nursery and floriculture |
46 |
|
Other crop farming |
181 |
*Source: Northumberland County Agriculture Action Plan
