Rural non-farm development: An assessment of the creation and impact of non-farm lots on Ontario's agricultural industry

Prior to this research, a count of rural non-farm lots created in Ontario during the 1990s did not exist. Nor were the implications of these rural non-farm lots on the viability of Ontario's agricultural community understood. Thirty-four counties/regions were surveyed and five case studies were conducted to identify the creation and impact of the non-farm lots in Ontario's agricultural land during the 1990s.; As agriculture has become increasingly intensified, there has been a cumulative increase in rural non-farm lots. The creation of rural non-farm lots within agricultural land means that not only is physical farmland being lost, but the restrictions that accompany the introduction of non-farm uses also pose a threat to agricultural production.; The viability of agriculture in Ontario is dependent on a farmer's ability to identify changing trends in agriculture and respond accordingly. The ability to respond, however, is increasingly affected by the cumulative presence of non-farm development.