To put it simply, farms give us food, fuel, fibre, flowers, and jobs. Canadians depend on farmers to produce the food we eat, and the agriculture and agri-food industry provide jobs for more than 2.1 million people One in nine Canadian jobs is directly linked to the sector, which contributed $134.9 billion to our national economy in 2021. This makes agriculture an important part of Canada’s economic engine. What farming looks like and what it means, though, depends on where in Canada you live. Farmers from coast to coast to coast raise various species of livestock and poultry, and grow many different crops – all depending on the climate and the soils in their regions. A small piece of very fertile land in a region with a mild climate can profitably grow unique specialty vegetables, for example. However, a large 5,000 acre farm in a more northerly region with lower quality soil may be better suited for grazing animals. That diversity means that Canadian farms come in all types and sizes, from small orchards and vineyards to large grain farms and cattle ranches, but all produce food, fuel, fibre, flowers, and more. Most farmers today are specialists in a specific type of farming, such as greenhouse vegetables, mushrooms, dairy, or egg production.
