Prince Edward Island Agriculture Introduction

PEI General Agriculture Facts ▪# 1 industry - followed by tourism ▪620,000 acres (approx.) out of possible 1.4 million ▪Generated $400 million in total farm cash receipts in 2010 ▪1700 farms* (2006 census) ▪Farms are family owned and operated

PEI General Agriculture Facts ▪Average farm size acres ▪Average farm capital- $869,985 ▪16% of Island’s workforce ▪4.5% of Islanders are farmers (higher than national average of 2.4%) ▪Our entire economy affected by agriculture

Potato Production Food Country - The Family Farm

Potato Production ▪360 Farms (84,500 acres) ▪Commodity generating the highest farm cash receipts ▪PEI Potato Board ▪3 sectors ▸ Table - 30% of total acreage ▸ Seed - 10% of total acreage ▸ Processing - 60% of total acreage

Rick Mercer – Harvesting PotatoesHarvesting Potato Harvest

Dairy Production

▪Stable- Supply Management ▸ a marketing system where producers control the production (supply) of a particular commodity (product). ▪200 dairy farms ▪15,000 dairy cows (11,666 in production) ▪Holstein most popular breed ▪Most herds have purebred and registered cattle Milking a Cow

Dairy Production ▪Average herd size is 60 cows ▪Average production per cow is 8,500 liters per year (100 glasses/day) ▪Quota Price $28,000 ▪Annual milk production exceeds 101 million liters ▪Dairy Farmers of PEI ▪Breeding stock sold throughout world

Shorthorn CharolaisHereford Shorthorn Beef Production Beef Operation

Beef Production ▪35% of all farms (approx. 450 farms) ▪2 sectors: Cow/calf and Feedlot ▪feeders marketed annually ▪Average herd size 40 head ▪Beef plant - Atlantic Beef Products Inc.- located in Borden/Carleton ▪Co-op Atlantic Tender Beef Classic brand ▪PEI Cattle Producers

Hog Production ▪25 farms – bio security procedures ▪2 sectors ▸ Weaner production ( up to 30 lbs) ▸ Finishing production ( up to 200 lbs) ▪89,310 pigs marketed in 2010, 13 million in farm cash receipts ▪Industry is in transition/crisis ▪The Hog Farm Transition Program

Duroc Hampshire Landrace Yorkshire Swine Breeds

Vegetable Production

▪110 farms (excluding potato farms) ▪2000 acres ▸ Carrots (665 acres) ▸ Rutabagas/turnip (510 acres) ▸ Brocolli (200 acres) ▸ Cauliflower (200 acres) ▸ Cabbage (175 acres) ▸ Onions (100 acres)

Vegetable Production ▪Smaller acres of: ▸ Lettuce (40 acres) ▸ Pumpkins (25 acres) ▸ Cucumber (15 acres) ▸ Beans (15 acres) ▸ Peppers (12 acres) ▸ Garlic (10 acres) ▸ Beets (5 acres) ▸ Tomatoes (5 acres)

▪Local fresh markets ▪Organic market ▪Processing (Island Quality Vegetables Inc.) ▪High labour requirement ▪Growing interest in processing crops Food Country - Brookfield Gardens Vegetable Production

Eggs and Poultry ▪Supply-managed commodities ▪2 sectors ▸ Eggs ▸ Meat poultry ▪In 2010, 8 producers averaged million dozen eggs ▪1.611 million eggs were consumed on PEI, went to breaking plants in Ontario & Quebec ▪10 producers producing chicken and turkey Meet a Canadian Egg Farmer

The Fur Breeders ▪12 mink farms ▪Produce pelts for European market (volatile world economy makes it hard to predict future markets) ▪pelting equipment is automated and computerized and the animals are euthanized painlessly using the most humane method, in a carbon monoxide chamber. ▪The PEI Fur Breeders Association

Fruit Production ▪Largest acreage of commercial fruit crops is lowbush blueberries (13,000 acres, 10 million lbs.) ▪Smaller acres of strawberries & raspberries ▪Increasing interest in commercial cranberry bogs ▪Strawberry nursery stock exported to US ▪20,000 apple trees in production ▪UPEI and AgriFood Canada are both conducting research around the health benefits of rose hips

Organic Production ▪55 certified organic producers ▪3 years since last application of synthetic chemicals and fertilizer ▪2000 acres currently certified ▪Crops and livestock ▪Local market- Farmers Market ▪Market demand is increasing ▪CSA – Community Shared Agriculture Charlottetown Farmers Market

Forage Production ▪Over 135,000 acres of hay yielding about 2 ton/acre ▪Species of grass/legumes grown ▸ Red clover ▸ Alfalfa ▸ Timothy ▪Stored as hay or silage

alfalfa red clover timothy Forage Production

▪weight of a 4 X 4 round bale is between pounds ▪cost of a round bale is between $15 - $20 ▪one bale will feed 10 beef cows a day

Grains & Oilseed Production ▪Largest group of crops (139,000 acres) ▪Most grain fed to livestock ▪Grown in rotation with potato crops ▪77,000 acres of wheat, oats, barley and mixed grain, grain corn ▪Soybeans (55,000 +, for overseas market 1/3 to Japan for tofu) ▪New opportunities in fuel production Food vs. Fuel

Cereal Production ▪Smaller amounts of rye and milling wheat grown (for flour production) ▪Harvesting begins in mid-August and ends in early October ▪Straw is baled (square or round) for bedding

Sustainable Farming ▪“We don’t own the land, we borrow it from our children.” ▪Farming in a sustainable manner ▸ Enhanced Environmental Farm Plan ▸ Watercourse Buffer Zones ▸ Agricultural Crop Rotation Act ▸ ALUS Program