By Pepper Parr
September 27, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Correction: There are no dairy operations in Burlington – there are two in Milton and 10 in Halton Hills! We thank Milton Councillor Colin Best for the correction.
There isn’t a single dairy herd in Burlington – but there are some very interesting agricultural organization north of Highway 5 in Burlington and elsewhere in the Region.
Each year the Halton Agriculture; Advisory Committee (HAAC) organizes a tour to showcase just what is being done agriculturally in the Region – the tour this year highlighted three operations and gave us a peek at a development at the Country Heritage Museum that could be very significant.
Not a very pretty piece of equipment but it get the broccoli into crates ready for delivery.
One of the farm operations we visited had just two customers – but they employ more than 25 seasonal workers who harvest cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli and have a piece of equipment that gets broccoli out of the ground and into packing crates. It is the most ungainly thing you can imagine but it works.
Councillor John Taylor on an agricultural tour sampling lavender flavoured ice cream – it was pretty good.
Another operation is part farming and part agri-tourism that has been so successful with social media that Facebook executives visited the operation to get a closer look at just how they make it work.
The operation, a lavender farm pulls in 20,000 visitors a year at an entrance fee ranging between $5 and $20. And sells them high end products that have lavender in them.
A third farm operation is run by a couple that are into everything: pigs, chickens, lambs, beef cattle and a curiosity that has them experimenting with all kinds of grasses they think can be effectively marketed.
Red Angus beef cattle on the Mabel May Farm – fresh meats available at the farm gate.
This couple, Norman and Meaghan Richardson are close to being pioneers.
While it may not be all that big – there is a rich and interesting agricultural heritage in the Region that is productive, profitable and doing some incredibly interesting things.
Over the next few days we will tell you more about just what the farmers are doing in the fields
Colin, he said there were no dairy farms in Burlington.
Editors note:
we corrected the error which Colin brought to our attention – the story has been revised.
Sorry to have to correct you Pepper, but there are dairy farms in Halton. Mostly in Milton along with other beef cattle farms. I can give you a tour anytime of other diversified farms in the area to meet the owners of all ages.