Farming Communities

Farming communities are found all over Ontario, but many are in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands regions because the land is flat and the soil is fertile.  Farmers use soil as their natural resource in order to grow many different crops like corn and other vegetables.  Flat fields are also used to keep animals such as cows which are used in both the beef and dairy industries.

A farmer's job all depends on what kind of farm she or he is running.  A dairy farmer would be responsible for feeding the cows and keeping them healthy as well as milking the cows and preparing the milk for transportation.  A fruit or vegetable farm might grow several different types of fruits and vegetables and would have to plant the different seeds at the right time, at the right depth in the soil, and water the right amount so the plants would grow.

Farmhands help with this work, but when it's time to harvest all the ripe vegetables, farmers often hire seasonal workers who work for the just summer and/or autumn to pick all the ripe food.  Many seasonal workers in Ontario come from different countries just to work during the Ontario harvest!

Farmers must use a lot of water to keep their crops healthy.  They also use a lot of gas when they are driving tractors, harvesters and other machinery on the farm.  Farmers use fertilizers on their crops which can sometimes contaminate the water supply and are not always good for the animals that live around the farm.  In order to keep their crops from being eaten by insects, farmers will often spray pesticides on the plants.  Pesticides are not good for humans to eat and often will have an effect on the animals in the area.