Farm Characteristics, Revenue and Land Use

By acre, the single largest use of farmland is crop production, with 22,708 acres or 57% of area farmland being put to this use in 2021. 70 farms were involved in the production of hay/fodder crops. This too reflects the major role of the dairy sector; the three top crops produced are hay, barley and corn silage, which are all used by dairy farmers to feed their herds. Some dairy farms have also diversified into grains and oilseeds that they sell to a local grain terminal. 17

lthough Census data indicates that 2 farms in the district made the majority of their revenue from pork production, a total of 15 farms reported income from hogs. 21 However, according to the local abattoir, there are approximately 150 people processing hogs locally with many of them processing 20 – 30 animals a year. 22 These producers include year-round operators raising hogs in permanent buildings and an increasing number of seasonal operators raising them outdoors in fenced areas over the warmer months.

The increasing number of seasonal operators has had implications for the availability of meat processing services in the community, creating high demand in the fall months for the services of Thunder Bay’s only abattoir and the small number of further processors offering butchery, smoking and sausage-making, all of which are locally-owned small businesses facing limitations of infrastructure and labour force. 23

There has not been a large producer of eggs in the area since 2014, although some farms produce eggs for sale at the farm gate and at small businesses in the region. Of the 32 farms reporting laying hens, one mixed farming operation is permitted a flock of 500 hens under a grandfather clause of the industry’s supply management regulations. 24 The others are limited to the 99 birds permitted to farms without egg quota. A total of 1,959 laying hens were reported by farms in the area in 2021. 25

In order to be retailed or sold beyond the farm gate (e.g., at a farmers’ market), eggs must be graded at a provincially- or federally-inspected facility. In 2022, two local producers have eggs graded at Thunder Bay’s egg grading station throughout the year, while an additional three producers use the service on a seasonal basis. 26

In addition to dairy, beef, hogs and chicken, ten farms reported keeping sheep and lambs, down from the 24 reporting in 2011. 27 There are also operations engaged in other farm animal husbandry, including horses, llamas and a new venture which is raising bison for meat.

Thunder Bay’s relatively short growing season makes vegetable farming challenging. In 2021, 16 farms reported engaging in vegetable production, growing a total of 26 acres in vegetables. The top reported vegetables – excluding potatoes, which are considered a field crop and counted separately – included carrots, beets, tomatoes, shallots & green onions, and garlic. The numbers indicate that market vegetable production tends to take place on a very small scale in the area, with the average farm growing 1.625 acres of vegetables. 28

Farms in this area which generate enough income to support full-time farmers tend to be characterized by a higher degree of mechanization as well as on-farm infrastructure which supports year-round operations. This can include buildings for sheltering livestock, greenhouses, hoop-houses and tunnels for vegetable season extension, climate-controlled spaces for crop or meat storage, equipment for value-added processing and housing for seasonal staff.

The local potato-farming numbers illustrate this point. In Thunder Bay potatoes are grown on both a market-garden scale by a number of mixed farming operations and a significant scale by two potato farms. These larger operations have mechanized much of their field-work and have developed on-farm infrastructure that includes climate-controlled storage, washing and packing and some further processing equipment. They have a variety of relationships, dealing directly with many local restaurants as well as wholesale retail channels, and their products may be found in various local and chain retail grocery stores throughout the region.

Changes Over Time

Value Chain Participation

With the exception of the supply-managed dairy industry, there is limited producer participation in longer value chains in this area. As mentioned above, the two major producers of potatoes participate both in direct local relationships with distributors and retailers as well as in a value chain that places their products in national grocery retailers, but few other farms are operating at wholesale scale.

As a result, most local food is sold directly to customers. Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, local restaurants and farmers’ markets were key marketing channels; however, disruptions to businesses and changes to consumer spending and consumption habits have resulted in some loss of momentum. Some farm operators have pursued new relationships with local grocery and food retailers to maintain their sales, and this has in some cases resulted in them withdrawing from the use of shared marketing infrastructure like farmer’s markets.

There has been growth in the number of farms earning revenue through Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA), a subscription model under which patrons pay farmers a set fee for a regular delivery of vegetables through the subscription period. Thunder Bay’s first CSA farm reported in 2011; in 2021, four farms reported income from the CSA model. 37

There are currently no measures of assessing growth in demand or supply, although some attempts have been made to list suppliers and buyers. The Get Fresh! Guide was a voluntary-participation directory of local food business last published in 2017, which was replaced in 2021 by tbayInSeason.ca, an online directory developed by the Thunder Bay + Area Food Strategy. Although it provides a sense of the number of retailers and restaurants sourcing local food, the directory is not comprehensive.

According to tbayInSeason.ca, 15 restaurants and caterers and 20 retail locations are purchasing food from the Thunder Bay Area. The amount of food bought varies considerably by business and by season.