WELLINGTON COUNTY – A study examining Wellington County’s Farmland and Agri-Food System showed the county provides almost 500 million dollars in labour income within farm and upstream jobs. Council’s focus at a Wellington County meeting Thursday was maintaining those numbers.
The results were presented by Bronwynne Wilton, lead consultant at Wilton Consulting.
Centre Wellington Mayor and county councillor Shawn Watters stated agricultural lands must be protected now, as growth is coming really quickly.
Wilton had several more figures that she said show Wellington County’s ag sector is “thriving.”
Wilton said education will need to be a focus moving forward.
Wilton went on to mention 40 per cent of the country’s farmers will be facing retirement in the next ten years.
Councillor Doug Breen stated less than two per cent of the population is actively involved in agriculture and a serious crisis could be coming down the road.
Wilton says preventing this crisis comes down to teaching not only residents, but municipal and county councils about agriculture.
