Agriculture and Agri-Food Close to Home

by Courtney Denard originally published in Outlook- Owen Sound & District Chamber of Commerce

Agriculture and agri-food businesses are alive and thriving in Grey County. Not only does the region provide access to natural resources, including productive farmland and fresh water, it also has a ready market with an appetite for innovation. As a dairy farmer in Owen Sound and chair of Catapult Grey Bruce, a non-profit organization that works with local entrepreneurs looking to scale their business, I work within agriculture and agri-food on a daily basis.

It’s amazing to have an inside look into an industry that I am extremely passionate about, and one that is constantly evolving, for the better, in my opinion. According to data from Grey County, there are over 2,300 farms in our area and almost 500,000 acres of farmland. The average capital per farm is $1.7 million and the diversity among commodities is broad.